Weekly Reads: May 4 to 10, 2026 (historical romance, contemporary romance)
Captured by Beverly Jenkins (2009)
Historical romance. Book 3 of the Le Veq series. Typical plot-filled adventure here with Ms. Bev. Dominic is a privateer who attacks an English vessel and takes Clare with him. She’s super feisty and doesn’t want to leave her mistress at first, but Dominic is trying to set her free. But she has reasons for wanting to go back to her home in Savannah. There’s definitely a mix of fighting and flirting here, and the general dangers of being a pirate at sea. And then we get to Dominic’s idyllic island and Clare gets a taste of true freedom there. There are villains around every corner and things always get worse when they team up unexpectedly. So much going on, this book will keep you hooked all the way through.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore (2026)
Contemporary romance. Book 6 of the Dream Harbor series. Daisy runs the local flower shop and is skittish about love after having been ditched by her fiance last year. It doesn’t help that the town thinks that she and the flower shop are cursed, meaning that she’s losing business. And when her ex-fiance comes to her shop with his new fiance, she quickly grabs Elliot and pretends they’re in a relationship. He’s also slighting dinged from love after his wife left him, but he’s got a huge crush on Daisy, so he quickly plays along. And then we start a full-blown fake relationship in hopes that the town will think Daisy isn’t cursed anymore and actually start buying flowers from her shop. Cute and a little messy, plus we get a fun little mystery of a great aunt who looks just like Daisy.
Advance ebook provided by Harper 360 via NetGalley.
Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Nail colors inspired by the cover of The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod. Nail polish from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
Weekly Reads: April 27 to May 3, 2026 (historical romance)
Nearly a Bride by Sabrina Jeffries (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords of Hazard series. Loads of plot and intrigue here. Giselle needs help from the Earl of Heathbrook because she fears her passport from France to England is being questioned. Heath proposes a deal where they pretend to be engaged because he also needs help appearing the upstanding gentleman to gain custody of his younger brothers. There’s an overbearing cousin in the mix, along with whatever villain is chasing Giselle. There’s tons of action here, with danger around most corners. The romance here is fairly straightforward, with Heath trying his best not to ruin Giselle, and Giselle trying to resist being taken advantage of. Overall, the plot twists are a lot of fun to read and I loved how they all became a family.
Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Recorded Books.
How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Scheming and friendship and slow burn romance. Titus is a shopkeeper who is about to be totally destitute when his former lover and current landlord raises the rent. And somehow, he ends up at the deathbed of a wealthy old lady who wants to marry him so her fortune doesn’t go to her terrible nephew. The old lady passes away and Titus is left with a totally new house and life. It’s all sorts of overwhelming, especially when grifters are aiming for him. And then the biggest grifter of all, Nico, shows up at his doorstep because this man had missed his chance at marrying the rich old lady. But he’s actually pretty helpful to Titus, so even though Titus is suspicious, he lets Nico help him anyway. Nico’s obviously keeping secrets and is in a lot of debt, but as he gets to know Titus, he’s unwilling to take advantage. It’s a slow build of friendship and then more, even with secrets hanging over them. I loved this book.
Advance ebook provided by Tor Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.
Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
The latest in the Dream Harbor series comes out this week, so here are the nail colors that go with the cover of The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore. Nail polish from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
Monthly Income Report: April 2026
Here’s the April 2026 breakdown of all the pennies I’ve collected from the internet. I’ve organized the income sources into bigger categories and then provided details from each source.
Affiliate Commissions: $1,004.14
TikTok Shop Affiliate: $533.51
I have been creating TikTok Shop Affiliate videos since Sept 2024 and seeing steady sales. The process involves quick reviews or demonstrations of products that are sold within TikTok shop and linking them within the TikTok video. Results vary wildly depending on the product, the day, the month, the season, and the algorithm. This month took a huge dive in terms of views and sales. (link to my TikTok account)
I’ve provided a screenshot of my top selling products on TikTok Shop this month below.
- Read more about how I made over $19k in commission in the first year of doing TikTok Shop Affiliate.
Etsy Affiliate: $234.63
The primary place where I promote Etsy affiliate links is through Pinterest. I’ve had a Pinterest account since forever, so my account is already full of craft tutorial links. I post my affiliate links to crochet and quilt patterns, and these have generated the most sales for me. (link to my Pinterest account) However, Etsy recently changed their affiliate program provider, so it’s almost certain that all of the links that I’ve generated over the past couple years no longer generate commission. I could not log into the old platform as of April 23, 2026 and I do not know if any commissions have been generated since then. I have gotten set up on the new platform and am starting to post links on Pinterest again, but it will take some time for the new pins to generate views and clicks. From my previous experience, it takes at least two months to see any conversions from content that I post on Pinterest. It’s somewhat disconcerting to start over, but I know what seems to work with my account, so hopefully, it’ll pick back up once my pins have time to circulate.
Amazon Affiliate: $228.72
I’ve been an Amazon affiliate since the early days of my blog and have always recommended various supplies for art and lettering. However, the bulk of my income now comes from on-site commissions, where product review videos get added directly to the product page by Amazon. If someone watches the video on the product page and makes a purchase, then I get the affiliate commission. (link to my Amazon Storefront) This month brought changes to the commission percentage and available commission for non-linked sales, and likely contributes to decreased income compared to last month.
Benable: $6.67
Benable a website that has its own audience and search functionality where you can link to various products and websites in collections. The affiliate income is baked into the platform when someone clicks on your featured product and makes a purchase. Probably the lowest friction income source since you don’t need an existing audience. (link to sign up for Benable)
Other Affiliate Programs: $0.61
Working on generating links with ShopMy and made my first affiliate sale here. This platform is promising because I get to generate affiliate links with a chrome plug-in for lots of different shops. (link to join ShopMy, link to my guide to getting started with ShopMy)
Products: $211.47
Paper Goods Etsy Shop: $3.35
I sell bookmarks here mostly, with the occasional digital download. (link to Etsy shop)
Fiber Goods Etsy Shop: $2.54
Once upon a time, I thought I was going to make scarves and blankets while my baby napped and I could sell them online. And that kind of worked, but not profitably. Listings expired, and then I switched to smaller objects like coasters and cozies, and now I’m mostly selling digital crochet patterns. (link to Etsy shop)
Used Books: $100.09
I list used books for sale using the PangoBooks app. Sales are sporadic. This was a decent month. (link to my PangoBooks shop) Lately, I’ve been cross-posting books that haven’t sold from my PangoBooks store onto ebay to see if they would move, and I was able to sell a more books that way.
Ebay: $96.19
In the process of listing books for sale on ebay, I realized how quick and easy the ebay app is to use for listing products. I experimented with listing some art supplies and managed to sell a bunch! Planning to add more listings next month, especially as sample products come in from being a TikTok Shop affiliate.
Digital Downloads: $0
Too many shops, not enough marketing. (link to crochet pattern shop, link to printables shop)
Print on Demand: $9.30
Once upon a time, I uploaded a ton of designs onto RedBubble. I do not nurture this revenue stream at all right now, and any sales are just a bonus surprise. (link to Redbubble shop)
Content Monetization: $17.71
Mediavine: $8.25
Clearly, this is not a very lucrative income source, since the minimum payout to transfer to a bank account is $100. However, coins are coins, so I’m leaving the ads turned on at my blog. Is it enough to offset the cost of the website hosting and domain registration? Probably not. But it hosts content that hopefully leads to other affiliate sales. (link to blog)
Instagram Bonus for Posts: $8.69
I have no idea how this was activated or why. I was previously enrolled in an Instagram Reels bonus program, but that has since been discontinued. So I realized that even if I’m only making a few cents per post, the more I post, the more cents I can make. And what’s really crazy is that I can just screenshot my audiobook player, talk about the book a little bit, and create really easy content that way. Also, the more I post about my side hustles, the more views I get. (link to my Instagram)
Facebook Monetization: $0.77
I was randomly approved for Facebook monetization on March 29, so I’m still learning how to optimize this. My follower count is crazy small and I have no idea how eyeballs are getting to my posts and reels. I have set up my Instagram account to automatically repost everything to Facebook, so I don’t have a dedicated content strategy here. I’m not entirely sure how to get more views, but it looks like the payment rate for reels is terrible ($0.03 per thousand qualified views) and better for photos ($0.25 per thousand qualified views), except my photos don’t seem to get many views in the first place. (link to my Facebook)
Recurring Expenses
No income report is complete without factoring in expenses. I tend to pay annual subscriptions rates for things, so this will just be a recurring list of resources that I use.
- Bluehost for blog hosting and domain registration $350/year (check out the blog here)
- Flodesk for email marketing $209/year (affiliate link for Flodesk) – I’m planning to migrate subscribers to Beehiiv in the next couple months and cancel Flodesk, but I’m paid up until November, so no rush right now.
- Beehiiv for my side hustle diaries $517/year (affiliate link for Beehiiv)
- USPS PO Box $210/year
- Canva Pro $120/year
Top Five Favorite Romance Books of April 2026 – historical romance, contemporary romance, formula one romance
First to Finish by Rebecca J. Caffery (2026)
Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Pole Position series. Poor Johannes is in a rough place with his secret boyfriend being a total asshole. Heartbreak all around really. And it’s affecting his racing. Luckily, his race engineer Caleb is super competent. And also super hot. The tentative build of their friendship and relationship was so much fun to watch. Plus Caleb is way better for Johannes than the old boyfriend. Loved this one.
Advance ebook provided by One More Chapter via NetGalley.
The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle (2026)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Princes of London series. Awkward first meeting for Dom and Tess who are at odds in a noblewoman’s library. Luckily, they meet again very soon at the site of an archeological dig. Attraction is strong between these two, but Dom is usually the carefree rake and Tess has been burned by a gentleman before. They have to work together at the dig and grow closer along the way. The flirtatious banter is delightful and I loved seeing Tess be the one to tame Dom. Loved it.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn (2026)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Layla is about to have the most awkward week of her life, attending her ex-sister-in-law’s wedding in Paris while her ex-husband (the bride’s brother) is bringing his new girlfriend. Awkwardness made worse when she meets Grumpy Griffin on the airplane and then finds out he’s the groom’s best friend and best man. And Griffin is clearly operating under some chronic pain and major anxiety. Dual POV here as Layla and Griffin stick together to deal with the bride’s cold feet. Both Layla and Griffin are very guarded and not willing to overshare at first, but they just seem to have that instant energy connecting them. Finally learning Griffin’s backstory and how he became injured will break your heart. Ugh, the loveliest book. You should definitely read it. Avoid if you’re sensitive about a recent breakup, I think.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
Set Point by Meg Jones (2026)
Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Game, Set, Match series. Ines and Chloe have been rivals on the tennis court for years, mostly from Chloe being aggressive and unprofessional. Plus she ghosted Ines once after they kissed at a party. It doesn’t help that Chloe is now dating Ines’ former mixed doubles partner. Somehow, they get entangled together again as Chloe tries to clean up her act and Ines is working on a comeback. It’s bickering and tension for most of the book, until they finally start being honest with each other. Definitely some toxic parents and upbringing for Chloe that I’m sure contributes to her mental health. Ines is the mature one here, but definitely vulnerable with the way Chloe hurt her before. It’s messy and chaotic, but so much fun to read.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Collins Audio.
Nearly a Bride by Sabrina Jeffries (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords of Hazard series. Loads of plot and intrigue here. Giselle needs help from the Earl of Heathbrook because she fears her passport from France to England is being questioned. Heath proposes a deal where they pretend to be engaged because he also needs help appearing the upstanding gentleman to gain custody of his younger brothers. There’s an overbearing cousin in the mix, along with whatever villain is chasing Giselle. There’s tons of action here, with danger around most corners. The romance here is fairly straightforward, with Heath trying his best not to ruin Giselle, and Giselle trying to resist being taken advantage of. Overall, the plot twists are a lot of fun to read and I loved how they all became a family.
Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Recorded Books.
Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Nail color match ups for the cover of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. Nail polish from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
Always inspired by the color schemes of book covers. Here are the nail polish match ups for Game Changer by Rachel Reid. Nail colors from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
Today’s nail color match up to the cover of And Now, Back to You by BK Borison. Soft blues and peach. Nail polish from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
Nail color inspiration from The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish. Nail polish from Olive and June.
(affiliate link)
