Mini Book Reviews – March 2025: What To Read & What To Skip

Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews of what I’ve read this past month! My month was full of delightful romances and a Greek mythology fantasy that I flew through!

In my list of mini book reviews, I include everything I’ve read recently that I finished.  I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.

As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my March 2025 mini book reviews.

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff

I had high expectations for this book because I loved Lindsay Hameroff’s previous romance, and she totally delivered! Never Planned On You kicks off years ago when Ali made a bet with a stranger in London that led to matching tattoos. They hit it off but she returned to the States and never saw him again.

Until he walks into her local coffee shop in Baltimore in present day. The spark is clearly still there, but Ali shows up to her event planning job the next day and finds out her Graham is the groom.

Now she’s stuck planning a wedding with him and despite the situation, their connection keeps growing. When he eventually confesses that this is just a marriage of convenience and his reasons are noble, she realizes there might just be a shot for them. But he still needs to go through go with the wedding and she isn’t willing to be someone’s second choice. Can these two find a way forward or is this the right love at the wrong time once again?

I FLEW through this book because I couldn’t get enough of the spark between these two. Plus I was desperate to see if they could actually make this work! Lindsay does an incredible job injecting just the right amount of humor, spice and charm in her novels. Plus Ali’s Jewish family and hearing about their traditions added a wonderful personal touch to this story!
4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target

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The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

This is Ali’s first foray into a sports romance and her spiciest novel to date! I loved all of these aspects, but at over 450 pages it was far too long. If a few extra scenes were cut or the story edited down a bit, I think this would have easily been a five star book instead!

Two college athletes are on the road to the Olympics – Scarlett for competitive diving and Lukas for swimming. He’s the golden boy while she keeps her head down and focuses only on her craft. A revealed secret unexpectedly brings them together and they form an arrangement to blow off steam while they’re facing down the pressure to make the Olympic team.

Lukas and Scarlett were so easy to root for and I loved every scene, both the sweet and spicy ones, with them together! Scarlett needed the unwavering support of Lukas and it was a delight to read as he quietly encouraged her and met her every need, sometimes without her even knowing what she needed. I think this is still worth reading, just go in knowing it’s a little long ha!  3.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target

eBooks:

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

This fantasy is so incredibly good. It got steamrolled in popularity by bigger authors but it’s absolutely worth a read. The magic system involving cards is really unique and it’s got a swoony reluctant hero. I was completely taken by surprise with how much I enjoyed this and want to make sure everyone else gives it a chance!

One Dark Window is the first book in the duology, so you’re only committing to two books (which I adore). In Blunder, magic is alive and well through the possession of different Providence cards. Each of the 12 cards allows the user to access a different skill, from strength to invisibility to mind control. But the kingdom is under threat from the mist of the woods that keeps spreading and infecting those who are not protected with a darker, dangerous magic.

Elspeth was infected as a girl but has kept the secret of the Nightmare in her head her entire life. When she reluctantly agrees to help a group of “traitors” unite the deck of cards and attempt to rid the land of the mist, she begins to learn more about the consequences of the presence in her mind and his connection to this land than she ever imagined.

I adore that magic comes with a severe cost in this fantasy, constantly forcing the users to weight the cost against the benefit. Elspeth and Ravyn are two fantastic characters, each with their own unique motivations to unite the deck. I just finished the sequel and am so satisfied with how the story tied together and wrapped up!  4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target