New book Releases April 2021
Here are a few books that caught my eye that release in April 2021.
1-When The Stars Go Dark
Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
by Paula Mclain
Release Date April 13, 2021
Good Reads gave it 4.09 stars
Overview from Goodreads site
Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When overwhelming tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna's childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever.
As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.
2-Instinct
Mystery Thriller
Release Date April 6, 2021
Author-Jason M Hough
GoodReads gave it 3.63 stars
Overview From the GoodReads Site
Welcome to Silvertown, Washington. Population 602 (for now).
Despite its small size, the small mountain town is home to more conspiracy theories than any other place in America. Officer Mary Whittaker is slowly acclimating to the daily weirdness of life here, but when the chief of police takes a leave of absence, she is left alone to confront a series of abnormal incidents--strange even by Silvertown standards.
An “indoor kid” who abhors nature dies on a random midnight walkabout with no explanation.
A hiker is found dead on a trail, smiling serenely after being mauled by a bear.
A woman known for being a helicopter parent abandons her toddler twins without a second thought.
It’s almost as if the townsfolk are losing their survival instinct, one by one...
As Whittaker digs deeper into her investigation, she uncovers a larger conspiracy with more twists and turns than a mountain road, and danger around every corner. To save Silvertown, she must distinguish the truth from paranoia-fueled lies before she ends up losing her own instincts...and her life!
Despite its small size, the small mountain town is home to more conspiracy theories than any other place in America. Officer Mary Whittaker is slowly acclimating to the daily weirdness of life here, but when the chief of police takes a leave of absence, she is left alone to confront a series of abnormal incidents--strange even by Silvertown standards.
An “indoor kid” who abhors nature dies on a random midnight walkabout with no explanation.
A hiker is found dead on a trail, smiling serenely after being mauled by a bear.
A woman known for being a helicopter parent abandons her toddler twins without a second thought.
It’s almost as if the townsfolk are losing their survival instinct, one by one...
As Whittaker digs deeper into her investigation, she uncovers a larger conspiracy with more twists and turns than a mountain road, and danger around every corner. To save Silvertown, she must distinguish the truth from paranoia-fueled lies before she ends up losing her own instincts...and her life!
3-The Social Graces
Historical Fiction, Fiction, New York
Release Date April 20, 2021
by Renee Rosen
GoodReads give 4.43 stars
Overview from GoodReads
The author of Park Avenue Summer throws back the curtain on one of the most remarkable feuds in history: Mrs. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor's notorious battle for control of New York society during the Gilded Age.
In the glittering world of Manhattan's upper crust, where wives turn a blind eye to husbands' infidelities, and women have few rights and even less independence, society is everything. The more celebrated the hostess, the more powerful the woman. And none is more powerful than Caroline Astor—the Mrs. Astor.
But times are changing.
Alva Vanderbilt has recently married into one of America's richest families. But what good is money when society refuses to acknowledge you? Alva, who knows what it is to have nothing, will do whatever it takes to have everything.
Sweeping three decades and based on true events, this is a gripping novel about two fascinating, complicated women going head to head, behaving badly, and discovering what’s truly at stake
4-The Drowning Kind
Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Release Date April 6, 2021
by Jennifer McMahon
GoodReads give it 4.17 Stars
Overview found on GoodReads
When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.
In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.
In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.
5-The Last Bookshop in London
Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWII
Release Date April 6, 2021
by Madeline Martin
GoodReads Rating is 4.30
Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.
August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.
Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.
August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.
Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.
6-the Gilded Girl
Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date April 6, 2021
by Alyssa Colman
GoodReads Rating 4.74 Stars
Any child can spark magic, but only the elite are allowed to kindle it. Those denied access to the secrets of the kindling ritual will see their magic snuffed out before their thirteenth birthday.
In 1906 New York City, Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic is the best kindling school―and wealthy twelve-year-old Emma Harris is accustomed to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma is reduced to working off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a headstrong servant girl who refuses to let her magic be snuffed out, even if society dictates she must. Emma and Izzy reluctantly form a pact: If Izzy teaches Emma how to
survive as a servant, Emma will reveal to Izzy what she knows about magic. Along the way, they encounter shy libraries, quizzes that literally pop, and talking cats (that is, house dragons). But when another student’s kindling goes horribly wrong, Emma, Izzy, and their unexpected new friends embark on a journey to keep magic in the right hands . . . or else there’s a risk it will be snuffed out forever.
Heartfelt, fast-paced, and utterly absorbing, The Gilded Girl is Alyssa Colman’s sparkling debut novel about determination, spirit, and the magic of friendship.
In 1906 New York City, Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic is the best kindling school―and wealthy twelve-year-old Emma Harris is accustomed to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma is reduced to working off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a headstrong servant girl who refuses to let her magic be snuffed out, even if society dictates she must. Emma and Izzy reluctantly form a pact: If Izzy teaches Emma how to
survive as a servant, Emma will reveal to Izzy what she knows about magic. Along the way, they encounter shy libraries, quizzes that literally pop, and talking cats (that is, house dragons). But when another student’s kindling goes horribly wrong, Emma, Izzy, and their unexpected new friends embark on a journey to keep magic in the right hands . . . or else there’s a risk it will be snuffed out forever.
Heartfelt, fast-paced, and utterly absorbing, The Gilded Girl is Alyssa Colman’s sparkling debut novel about determination, spirit, and the magic of friendship.
7-Courage My Love
Womens Fiction, Chick Lit
Release Date April 13, 2021
by Kristin Beck
Good Reads Rating is 4.44 Stars
Overview as Found on GoodReads
When the Nazi occupation of Rome begins, two courageous young women are plunged deep into the Italian Resistance to fight for their freedom in this captivating debut novel.
Rome, 1943
Lucia Colombo has had her doubts about fascism for years, but as a single mother in an increasingly unstable country, politics are for other people--she needs to focus on keeping herself and her son alive. Then the Italian government falls and the German occupation begins, and suddenly, Lucia finds that complacency is no longer an option.
Francesca Gallo has always been aware of injustice and suffering. A polio survivor who lost her father when he was arrested for his anti-fascist politics, she came to Rome with her fiancé to start a new life. But when the Germans invade and her fiancé is taken by the Nazis, Francesca decides she has only one option: to fight back.
As Lucia and Francesca are pulled deeper into the struggle against the Nazi occupation, both women learn to resist alongside the partisans to drive the Germans from Rome. But as winter sets in, the occupation tightens its grip on the city, and the resistance is in constant danger.
In the darkest days, Francesca and Lucia face their pasts, find the courage to love, and maintain hope for a future that is finally free.
Rome, 1943
Lucia Colombo has had her doubts about fascism for years, but as a single mother in an increasingly unstable country, politics are for other people--she needs to focus on keeping herself and her son alive. Then the Italian government falls and the German occupation begins, and suddenly, Lucia finds that complacency is no longer an option.
Francesca Gallo has always been aware of injustice and suffering. A polio survivor who lost her father when he was arrested for his anti-fascist politics, she came to Rome with her fiancé to start a new life. But when the Germans invade and her fiancé is taken by the Nazis, Francesca decides she has only one option: to fight back.
As Lucia and Francesca are pulled deeper into the struggle against the Nazi occupation, both women learn to resist alongside the partisans to drive the Germans from Rome. But as winter sets in, the occupation tightens its grip on the city, and the resistance is in constant danger.
In the darkest days, Francesca and Lucia face their pasts, find the courage to love, and maintain hope for a future that is finally free.
8-The Last Windwitch
Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date April 13 2021
by Jennifer Adam
GoodReads Rating 4.60
Many years ago, in the kingdom of Fenwood Reach, there was a powerful Windwitch who wove the seasons, keeping the land bountiful and the people happy. But then a dark magic drove her from the realm, and the world fell into chaos.
Brida is content in her small village of Oak Hollow. There, she’s plenty occupied trying to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to in her work as a hedgewitch’s apprentice—until she accidentally catches the attention of the wicked queen.
On the run from the queen’s huntsman and her all-seeing Crow spies, Brida discovers the truth about her family, her magic, and who she is destined to be—and that she may hold the power to defeating the wicked queen and setting the kingdom right again.
Brida is content in her small village of Oak Hollow. There, she’s plenty occupied trying to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to in her work as a hedgewitch’s apprentice—until she accidentally catches the attention of the wicked queen.
On the run from the queen’s huntsman and her all-seeing Crow spies, Brida discovers the truth about her family, her magic, and who she is destined to be—and that she may hold the power to defeating the wicked queen and setting the kingdom right again.
9-The Butterfly Effect
The genre was not listed on Goodreads or Amazon as of yet.
Release Date April 6, 2021
by Kelly Elliott
GoodReads Rating 4.64 Stars
The butterfly effect — one small change, one moment in time that impacts the future.
At twenty-six years old I never dreamed I’d walk in on my husband in bed with my best friend. At twenty-seven years old I found myself divorced, and the mother of a one-year-old son. Never mind I was learning to take the reins of my family’s apple orchard business. There was no way my life could be any more complicated…or so I thought.
Can a woman who’s lost all trust in men help a man who can’t even trust himself?
Aiden O’Hara was my brother’s best friend, and I would be remiss if I said I hadn’t always found him utterly attractive—and the passing of time or circumstances didn’t change that. But when he moves back to Boggy Creek Valley after serving his time as a Navy SEAL, I cannot deny the pull I feel between us.
Aiden is haunted by his own demons—demons that seem bigger than the both of us—and my heart warns me to stay away. I’d been burned already and didn’t need that added complication in my life, or so I thought. But one moment in time changes everything between us, and neither one of us can deny the hidden feelings we share.
Our pasts want to keep us apart…our future will be up to the wings of fate.
The Butterfly Effect is book one in the Boggy Creek Valley series and is a stand-alone novel.
At twenty-six years old I never dreamed I’d walk in on my husband in bed with my best friend. At twenty-seven years old I found myself divorced, and the mother of a one-year-old son. Never mind I was learning to take the reins of my family’s apple orchard business. There was no way my life could be any more complicated…or so I thought.
Can a woman who’s lost all trust in men help a man who can’t even trust himself?
Aiden O’Hara was my brother’s best friend, and I would be remiss if I said I hadn’t always found him utterly attractive—and the passing of time or circumstances didn’t change that. But when he moves back to Boggy Creek Valley after serving his time as a Navy SEAL, I cannot deny the pull I feel between us.
Aiden is haunted by his own demons—demons that seem bigger than the both of us—and my heart warns me to stay away. I’d been burned already and didn’t need that added complication in my life, or so I thought. But one moment in time changes everything between us, and neither one of us can deny the hidden feelings we share.
Our pasts want to keep us apart…our future will be up to the wings of fate.
The Butterfly Effect is book one in the Boggy Creek Valley series and is a stand-alone novel.
10-All The Children Are Home
Fiction, Historical Fiction,
by Patry Francis
Release Date April 13, 2021
Good Reads Rating 4.29 Stars
Overview Found on GoodReads
Set in the late 1950s through 1960s in a small town in Massachusetts, All the Children Are Home follows the Moscatelli family—Dahlia and Louie, foster parents, and their long-term foster children Jimmy, Zaidie, and Jon—and the irrevocable changes in their lives when a six-year-old indigenous girl, Agnes, is comes to live with them..
Six-year-old Agnes Juniper arrives with no knowledge of her Native American heritage or herself beyond a box of trinkets given to her by her mother and dreamlike memories of her sister. Before long, this stranger in their midst has strengthened the bond in this unusual family, showing them how to contend with outside forces that want to tear them apart. Heartfelt and enthralling, All the Children Are Home is a moving testament to how love can survive in the face of devastating losses.
*****
What I ordered
I decided to buy The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Coleman. It sounded like a fun middle-grade book.
I am taking a long drive to get my COVID shot and decided I will listen to The Drowning Kind during my drive.
I wanted to order them all!
Happy Reading!
KathieyV
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