April 2026 reading round up

April got off to a bad start - I didn't read anything for the first week! But then we had a lovely long weekend and although mine was jam packed, I still managed to read a whole book and it was all go from there for the rest of the month. Here's all the books I read in April with my quickfire (ish) reviews and ratings...

Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder

I got this book in a Wordy & Wild box one month and it's been sat patiently on my TBR ever since; I wanted a physical read for over the Easter weekend and ended up choosing this. I thought it was going to be a dark romance, but it's absolutely not - it's trying to be a bit of a cowboy romance, and follows Laney who has been dropped in Kentucky on Foxx land as part of the WITSEC program. Along with the romance between Laney and one of the Foxx brothers, Grant, we explore the reason she's in WITSEC as well as how this connects to where she is now. The 'crime' element was predictable but also lacking some detail, and honestly while the premise and plot were good I found the writing clunky and just a bit awkward. Overall, meh - 3 stars.

The Women by Kristen Hannah

This was our April book club pick, and I didn't know what to expect going in but I'd heard soooo many incredible things about this one, which follows Frankie as she heads to Vietnam during the war as a nurse, determined to do her bit and be a hero. We spend two tours in 'Nam with Frankie, witnessing the horrors and heartaches of war, the camaraderie and the day to day and the goodbyes - and then we see what it's like for Frankie to come home, not to a heroes' welcome but to a country who don't recognise the women of the war, and her life soon spirals out of control. This is beautifully written and I learnt an incredible amount; it's slow paced, but I think that's the nature of the story. I'm really glad I read this; 4.5 stars. 

More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope

This was a Netgalley ARC that had been on my TBR for a while and I'm so glad I finally read it! It's a sapphic enemies to lovers romance which follows Isabella, desperate to save her late father's restaurant, as she heads to a wedding with her estranged family members and tries to get to the bottom of a whole load of family secrets. Here she reconnects with a childhood friend-turned-enemy, who agrees to help her out... and the rest is history! A charming, no-spice romance which I gave 4 stars.

Death Write Large by Susie Dent

I read Susie Dent's first novel, and was pleased to get an ARC of the sequel; the plot isn't massively strong but it's incredibly well written, and really interesting - set against the backdrop of Oxford (which was nice for me as I visited Oxford for the first time last year!) it follows lexicographer Martha as she works to help the police uncover the story behind a string of murders which are linked to an Oxford linguistic cabal... the focus on language and the history of words in the book is brilliant, and the story is pretty good! 4 stars.

The Girls who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

This was a recommendation from my mum, and I really enjoyed it. It follows a journalist who heads to a small English town to make a podcast about a historic case missing persons case, and ends up getting completely embroiled in every aspect of it as the truth finally starts to come to light. It's a good thriller with a decent twist! 4 stars from me.

The Suitcase Swap by Lish McBride

What a fun read!!!!! I really enjoyed this one; it's a romance that starts with two people who mix up their luggage after getting off a flight to NYC, and meet up to exchange cases - one is a widower, one is divorced, and both are terrified at the thought of getting a second chance at love. The FMC is also a travel blogger which was super fun. This is just a very feel good, soft, nice romance read and I really liked it. 4.5 stars!

The Couple at No.9 by Claire Douglas

I spotted this in the charity shop shortly after finishing The Girls who Disappeared, so for 50p I couldn't leave it there! I really enjoyed this one - the plot is really strong and the mindblowing twists just kept coming. It follows Saffy, who has just moved into a cottage bestowed to her by her Gran, and during building work two bodies are found with a horrible connection to her family; there's a side plot which eventually connects to the main plot, and it's all just really well written. 5 stars from me.

Highland Games by Evie Alexander

This was a freebie on Stuff Your Kindle Day, and the books you tend to get this way can be a bit hit and miss - this one was definitely a hit, though! Despite having never been to Scotland, I just really seem to love romance books set there and this didn't disappoint; Zoe abandons her London life to live in her great uncle Willie's cabin in the highlands, much to the dismay of big burly Rory who wanted it for himself. Enemies to lovers vibes, spicy but also wholesome. Really enjoyed this one! 4 stars.

Too Fast to Fall by Karen Booth

As a certified F1 girlyyy I am always sceptical of F1/motorsport romances, but I got a Netgalley ARC of this one so I gave it a go - I read it over the space of one evening, as it was a really easy/quick read - it follows dog sitter and F1 fan Piper who jumps at the chance to take a 5-week job dog nannying for moody F1 driver Emilio and his dog, Gus. It's a typical instalove, grumpy x sunshine, will they/won't they kind of romance - a few of the racing parts fall a bit flat in terms of accuracy, and I could have done without the chapters from the dog's perspective, but it's fine! I gave it 3 stars.

So that's everything I read in April - I'm off on my honeymoon next week, so May might be a bit slower as we have a jam packed itinerary, but time will tell...