New month, new books! Spring has finally come to Munich and with it, my new bookshelves. I am so happy with them! There's enough space for all my books and so many more to come. You can check my instagram account to have a look at them, if you are curious. Now, let's talk about new releases. April is going to be a very special bookish month with some amazing books coming out this month. Have a look at the ones I am most excited about:
Clean by Juno Dawson - April 5th
When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom.
She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility.
From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady.
As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all...
It's a dirty business getting clean.
Addiction and redemption, love and despair. Clean will have you hooked from the first page.
Why so excited: I only discovered Juno Dawson last year with Margot & I. I fell completely in love with that story and although Clean looks like it has a completely different style, it sounds amazing. Plus, Marian Keyes said that she loved it and it is compulsively readable and touching.
The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies - April 5th
A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife
Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child.
While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot's shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...
Why so excited: Dinah Jefferies is one of my favourite Historical Fiction authors and her stories always transport me to the most exotic locations in the most turbulent times. I cannot wait to discover this story set in Ceylon in the thirties.
Our House by Louise Candlish - April 5th
FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE.
When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most?
FOR RICHER, FOR POORER.
Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her – and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth – that there are far worse things you can lose than your house?
TILL DEATH US DO PART.
Why so excited: I've already read and reviewed this one and Our House is a really original and unique story that stretches the boundaries of a family to the limit. It's domestic noir at its best and the writing is exquisite. Read my full review here. You can also learn more about this book in the write up of the Spring Blogger Evening.
Never Greener by Ruth Jones - April 5th
The past has a habit of tracking us down. And tripping us up.
When Kate was twenty-two, she had an intense and passionate affair with a married man, Callum, which ended in heartbreak. Kate thought she’d never get over it.
Seventeen years later, life has moved on – Kate, now a successful actress, is living in London, married to Matt and mother to little Tallulah. Meanwhile Callum and his wife Belinda are happy together, living in Edinburgh and watching their kids grow up. The past, it would seem, is well and truly behind them all.
But then Kate meets Callum again.
And they are faced with a choice: to walk away from each other . . . or to risk finding out what might have been.
Second chances are a rare gift in life. But that doesn’t mean they should always be taken...
Why so excited: Ruth Jones is a well-known actress and screenwriter, so I am really curious to discover her debut novel. It sounds like a touching and live-affirming story and the proof is beautiful. Plus, the early reviews have been ravishing about it.
The Holiday Cottage by the Sea by Holly Martin - April 12th
The new book from the bestselling author of Summer at Buttercup Beach. Escape to Sandcastle Bay, where you’ll discover a charming little seaside village brimming with heart-warming friendships, quirky characters and plenty of sunshine.
The perfect place to fall in love this summer…
Tori Graham is in need of a holiday. Trying to piece her heart back together after losing the love of her life, she escapes to Blossom Cottage, with its picturesque views of the sea. And plans to spend the summer in gorgeous Sandcastle Bay, where her best friend Melody Rosewood lives.
Tori’s not expecting her summer by the beach to be eventful, until she meets handsome and mysterious Aidan Jackson…
Aidan looks after the holiday cottage Tori is staying in. Healing from past hurts, he wants to avoid any further chance of heartache. But could this newcomer be the breath of fresh air he needs?
Finding herself embracing life in the coastal community, Tori starts to fall in love with Sandcastle Bay and its welcoming cast of residents. But that’s not all she begins to fall for, as Tori is swept away by Aidan’s genuine heart and mischievous sense of humour. The attraction between them is undeniable, but will a simple holiday romance be enough?
As Tori’s stay in Sandcastle Bay comes to an end she has a tough decision to make…. Has her heart found a new place to call home?
Why so excited: I've lost count of how many books by Holly Martin I've read and loved. Her stories are always romantic and a little bit crazy, the perfect combination to disconnect for a few hours.
You, Me, Everything by Catherine Isaac - April 19th
You Me Everything is a heartfelt and unforgettable story about the lengths we are prepared to go to for those we love. Guaranteed to make you laugh and cry, this is novel you will never forget.
You and me, we have history.
We have a child together.
We have kept secrets from each other for far too long.
This summer, in the beautiful hills of the Dordogne, it is time for everything to change.
Why so excited: I read this one a couple of months ago already and completely fell in love with this story. It reminds you how frail life is and how important it is to cherish both the little things and the big ones too. Don't miss my review next week! Hint, it's a 5 stars one. You can also learn more about this book in the write up of the Spring Blogger Evening.
The first rule of Sunday Lunch Club is… don't make any afternoon plans.
Every few Sundays, Anna and her extended family and friends get together for lunch. They talk, they laugh, they bicker, they eat too much. Sometimes the important stuff is left unsaid, other times it's said in the wrong way.
Sitting between her ex-husband and her new lover, Anna is coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy at the age of forty. Also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous sister, her flamboyantly gay brother and a memory too terrible to contemplate.
Until, that is, a letter arrives from the person Anna scarred all those years ago. Can Anna reconcile her painful past with her uncertain future?
Juliet Ashton weaves a story of love, friendship and community that will move you to laughter and to tears. Think Cold Feet meets David Nicholls, with a dash of the joy of Jill Mansell added for good measure.
Why so excited: I've read this one and I can tell you that The Sunday Lunch Club is a touching and up-lifting story that will warm many hearts. A real treat that will surprise you, with both laughs and tears guaranteed. Plus, I'm quoted in the book, how cool is that! You can also learn more about this book in the write up of the Spring Blogger Evening.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland - April 19th
Ailsa Rae is learning how to live.
She's only a few months past the heart transplant that - just in time - saved her life. Life should be a joyful adventure. But...
Her relationship with her mother is at breaking point and she wants to find her father.
Have her friends left her behind?
And she's felt so helpless for so long that she's let polls on her blog make her decisions for her. She barely knows where to start on her own.
Then there's Lennox. Her best friend and one time lover. He was sick too. He didn't make it. And now she's supposed to face all of this without him.
But her new heart is a bold heart.
She just needs to learn to listen to it...
Why so excited: Lost for Words, Stephanie Butland's previous book, was one of my top reads of last year, so as you can imagine I'm excited to discover her new story. It sounds like Ailsa Rae is a very special character and her story will surprise us.
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