Whew! Definitely a front-loaded month—several books I was almost finished with at the end of March that bled over a couple of days in April. And a trip. That always boosts my reading because I have a hard time writing on a plane, usually because I’m in the middle seat.
Let’s start with audiobooks!
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
This is my first Kate Morton in several years, and I’d forgotten what a great storyteller she is! Three generations of drama and secrets from Cornwall to Australia and back again, the keys to which lie in a grown-over, walled-up garden. Kind of a grown-up The Secret Garden. I loved listening to this one for the accents! Every time I thought I had things figured out, a plot twist went in another direction! It kept me guessing—and second-guessing—until the end.
When the Road Comes Around by Katie Powner
I really liked the characters in this story. I liked the story, too, but it felt like it ended a little abruptly for me, with a few plot threads left dangling. Still, worth the read, and a nice listen.
Moving on to historicals . . .
To Find Where She Belongs by Robin Lee Hatcher
Another great romance by Robin! So many characters I’ve come to love in the Eden’s Gate Ranch universe! She weaves in connections with the other books so nicely. My one niggle was a lack of a satisfactory resolution on the mystery part of the story, but my guess is that’s because it will come around again in another book.
Guardian of the Red Desert by Janyre Tromp
While I have read—and enjoyed—magical realism novels, I hadn’t read a historical one. So it took me a minute to get my mind around that part of the story. Once I settled into it, it was great. Loved the WWII Egypt setting. Even better? It’s a novella connected to her full-length release, The Scorpion Thief, which is on my Kindle waiting to be read!
The Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner
This has been on my list to read for a long time. And I confess, I wanted to like it more than I did. It felt more episodic than having an overarching plot. For others, this might not be a problem. It just wasn’t my favorite.
A Secret Heart by Wendy Klopfenstein
The Wind River Mail Order Brides is a great series, and this is another good story in that line. Kind of a 1800s western “you’ve got mail” vibe going here, which is right up my alley!
Bonus historical: Part of Your World by Karen Witemeyer
I read this several months ago as an editor, and I have to say that it has jumped up to the top of my favorite Karen Witemeyer books! I added it as an April read just because it’s finally up for pre-order! You can get your copy in June. It’s part of her Texas Fairy Tales series. This one is The Little Mermaid set in Galveston. How can that work? Karen ingeniously makes it happen.
On to contemporary . . .
Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli
The final Orchard House Bed and Breakfast book—I’m so sad they are over! Such a fitting ending to the series, though. So, so good. So much I don’t want to give away! Trust me. Read the series and savor this one.
The Lost Language of Oysters by Alexander McCall Smith
If you’ve been around a while, you know I love a good Alexander McCall Smith book, and anything in the Von Ingelfeld series always jumps to the top of my lists! These are laugh-out-loud funny—at least to me. Very P.G. Wodehouse-esque, though set in German academia. And when I picked this one up, I very much needed a good laugh.
The Winds From Further West by Alexander McCall Smith
This is one of his rare standalone novels. I was really enjoying it until the ending felt rushed and anticlimactic. But I loved everything until then!
Warrior by Lisa Phillips
Book 2 in Heroes of Renegade. The story was good–and moved the series story forward well–but I got a little caught up in some writing that either wasn’t well-edited or was just written too quickly. Still, worth it in the series.
That’s it for April! As usual, I’m a good way through three other books right now, so those will finish in May. And not only is May a travel-heavy month (i.e. lots of reading time!), but several books are releasing in May that I know I’ll want to read immediately!! Thankfully, my own book will be in the hands of proofreaders, so while I still have things to work on in my writing life, it won’t be as all-consuming as it was in April.
Happy reading, y’all!