Finally, April is upon us! I’ve been dying to publish this post. I started making this list shortly after I post the first part and now here we are. Three months had past which means another three months of new releases. I’m going to talk about my most anticipated book of the year – yaaassss!!! – and other great titles that caught my eye.

I want to settle something that I didn’t cover in the past post. Despite a book being hyped or not, I won’t be covering books in a series – unless it’s the first one or I’ve already started it. I know some hypes are very contagious through the book community and lead us to be excited for another book in a series even when we haven’t read the first one. Although having a book like that on this list is a false hope. Unless I read the first one, I don’t have a clue if I’m going to enjoy the upcoming ones.

Therefore, this list is mostly standalone. Here you can find books from YA to Adult fiction, and from Contemporary to Thrillers. What you probably won’t see are book series and Fantasy novels. I can’t say never, but I’m not drawn by those the same way I am with other genres. Now, that this question is out of the way, let’s jump right into the new releases for April.

April

At first sight, The Birthday List sounds nice like a 3 stars book, you don’t mind reading it but doesn’t blow you away. Poppy has a happy life until her husband dies and her world collapses. After years of suffering, she decides to finish her husband’s birthday list, in the hope, it will help her to move on. Since this is a romance novel, there is Cole the one who gave her the bad news and will help her. What convinced me was the reviews. So far, all of them have one thing in common, 5 stars rating. Everyone is describing this book as beautiful, sweet and full of heart. Now, this is a book I want to read.

The Birthday List, Devney Perry – publication date: 3rd April

Speaking of series, the awaited conclusion to Carve The Mark is finally here. I still remember thinking I had to wait so much for the second book, and now it’s here. I’ve already pre-ordered* The Fates Divides, and I can’t wait to know how Veronica is going to solve the “problem” with Akos and Cyra’s fates. Hope she doesn’t go all crazy like in Allegiant, I don’t think I can take the same end with these characters. I’m going to use these left few days to reread Carve The Mark, so everything is fresh in my mind.

The Fates Divide, Veronica Roth – publication date: 10th April
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I have to be honest, what sold Love and Other Words to me was the alternating timelines between the present and the past. I love these things. Macy and Elliot used to date a long time ago, and she feels he was the love of her life. Now they meeting again after all these years has transporting Macy back to when they first met. We get to see how the relationship started, from friends to lovers, and also what happened on that night that changed how they remember each other.

Love and Other Words, Christina Lauren – publication date: 10th April

The duo is back with another book. David Levithan and Rachel Cohen already proved they are a great combo. The authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, now take the reader to meet a set of twins known for their rivalry and parties. Sam and Isla love throwing parties for their friends, and now that they are graduating, it’s time for the best one ever. They agree to invite three guests each and not tell each other who those persons are. The party has everything to go wrong but also to go right in some surprising ways.

Sam & Isla’s Last Hurrah, David Levithan & Rachel Cohen – publication date: 10th April

Honourable Mentions:

Digging In, Loretta Nyhan – publication date: 1st April
Other People’s Houses, Abbi Waxman – publication date: 3rd April
Guilt, Amanda Robson – publication date: 19th April

May

After reading The Keeper of Lost Things, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the writing. So when I knew Ruth was back with another book, I didn’t even question it. Mash is drowning in her own life. She once was a spirited and independent woman, but a tragic event twelve years ago changes everything. Now she finds comfort in the local Victorian cemetery. Then by chance, she encounters two women that can be the help she needs to start living again, Kitty and Sally Red Shoes.

The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, Ruth Hogan – publication date: 3rd May

Up next is The House Swap. First off, I love and hate the idea of a house swap. It’s as if you are living another person’s life, but that also means someone you don’t know is in your house. When you add a little suspense to the mix, it sounds like a page turner to me. Caroline and Francis receive an offer to swap houses, and they think it’s the opportunity they need to mend their marriage. But Caroline begins to uncover sign of her life in the house, and suddenly she believes the person they swapped houses with, knows her and also the secret she desperately wants to forget. And now that person is in her house.

The House Swap, Rebecca Fleet – publication date: 3rd May

The author of Love & Gelato is back with another book. This time, she changes the warm Toscane fields for the cold Ireland hills, in Love & Luck. Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s wedding. Although she can’t forget what she did that left her heartbroken, and neither will her brother let her forget. Then she finds a guidebook Ireland for the Heartbroken and decides to change their travel plans, hoping it will heal her heart and also help to restore the relationship with her brother.

Love & Luck, Jenna Evans Welch – publication date: 8th May

Always Never Yours is another cute YA romance perfect for the summer. Megan is the girl before, the girl all her exes dated before finding the one. But she doesn’t believe this is some sort of curse and refuses to feel sorry for herself, so instead, she decides to concentrate on directing her school theatre. Although first, she has to play a role in the school play, and without planning, she get’s to be Juliet. Then she meets Owen, an aspiring playwriter who is going to help her. I already want to grab this book and take a peek at how Megan is going to deal with another love story in her life.

Always Never Yours, Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka – publication date: 22nd May

Honourable Mentions:

The Perfect Mother, Aimee Molloy – publication date: 1st May
I was Born For This, Alice Oseman – publication date: 3rd May
The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go, Amy E. Reichert – publication date: 15th May
All of This is True, Lygia Day Peñaflor – publication date: 15th May

June

Since I can’t resist when it comes to secrets, The Ever After is intriguing and not deadly at all, making it a great companion for the beach. Josie and Frank are parents of two young girls living in the Chicago suburbs. Josie wonders how she has become a monotonous mother instead of the driven career woman she once was. But Frank is a great father, handsome, charismatic and still looks at her like she’s the most beautiful woman. Although one day, she borrows her husband’s phone and sees nine words that will destroy her lucky life. I don’t know about you, but I need to know what those words are.

The Ever After, Sarah Pekkanen – publication date: 5th June

The Life Lucy Knew is just a big (but good) confusion. Lucy awakens in a hospital after an accident, and everything she thinks she knows about her life isn’t true. The man she believes she’s married to is her ex from 4 years ago. Although she can remember details from her non-existent wedding day. The doctors call these false memories that her brain made up to fill in the blank spaces from the coma. Now she needs to discover who she really is and which life she wants to live. I want to read this so bad so I can finally understand what is truly going on here.

The Life Lucy Knew, Karma Brown – publication date: 12th June

In Bring Me Back, a young couple is visiting France on holiday when the woman simply disappears. After ten years, he has remarried and left his past behind him. Until one day his new wife is waiting for him with something in her hands, something that only them would know about because she is the sister of his first wife. I’m already making guesses in my mind even though I still don’t have the whole picture. Remarrying siblings isn’t something new in fiction, although I’m very interested to discover what actually happened with her first wife. Did she run away? Or was she taken?

Bring Me Back, B.A. Paris – publication date: 19th June

Even though the synopsis of You Were Made for This reveals so much, at the same time it reveals nothing. Merry, Sam, and Conor are the perfect family. One day, Merry’s childhood friend Frank visits their Swedish paradise, and immediately she becomes part of the family. Although Frank is starting to see things others don’t. Dangerous things almost impossible for such perfect family. I still don’t know who is the bad guy. Is it Merry or Frank? And what can this family hide so well that only Frank is starting to see?

You Were Made for This, Michelle Sacks – publication date: 19th June

Honourable Mentions:

Save The Date, Morgan Matson – publication date: 5th June
All We Ever Wanted, Emily Giffin – publication date: 26th June
One Small Thing, Erin Watt – publication date: 26th June