Here on the East Coast, April roared in like a lion but seems to be going out like a lamb weather-wise. Book-wise, the hits just keep rolling! I asked some of my fellow Frolic contributors about the best book they read in April and the responses were so interesting, we thought we’d share them with you. The parameters of this discussion includes any book read in April, not just an April release. Funny enough, the overwhelming majority of books mentioned don’t actually arrive until May! Join us as we tell you about our favorite April reads and simultaneously, help you plan your May reading calendar!
Aurora Dominguez | DON’T DATE ROSA SANTOS by Nina Moreno
As a Frolic contributor, I have been blessed to interview some amazing authors and read some really great books before their release date. Recently on a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where I am from, I DEVOURED the cutest contemporary I have read in a bit, Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, which releases in early May. In the book, which covers family relationships and mixes it in with romance, Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea, or so she believes, and she feels she cannot date any boys with boats, for both her mother and grandmother have had the worst of luck with it. Yet, Rosa feels caught in Cape Coral, Florida, as she tries to decide where to go to college, or if she should follow her passion and find out more about her Havana, Cuba roots. As her college decision looms, Rosa collides-literally-with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, I enjoyed reading about her feelings and her internal struggles. The book is also comical at times and has a huge heart, and I really related to it as a Caribbean native myself. I highly recommend you pick up this highly buzzed about novel as soon as you can get your hands on it. And, please, do have your tissues ready!
Mary Dube | METHOD by Kate Stewart
Kate Stewart’s Method is an utterly original, breathtakingly romantic and downright fascinating novel, and I can confidently predict that it will be on my Best of 2019 list. I could have never predicted the fascinating twists and turns, and Stewart has delivered a gritty, complex and enthralling story with superbly drawn characters and a deeply affecting romance that you’ll be thinking about long after finishing it.
Lisa Ward | THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren
My favorite read of April was The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren releasing on May 14, 2019. I absolutely loved the enemy to lovers, fake-marriage rom-com.
After both characters avoid getting food poisoning from his brother’s and her twin sister’s wedding buffet, they decide to use the non-refundable honeymoon to Hawaii but have to pretend to be the newlyweds.
Despite their unspoken antagonistic relationship, their hilarious banter and sexual chemistry begin to outweigh their grudges.
Christina Lauren’s style of writing is addictive. The storyline was unique, the banter was clever, the Harry Potter references were amusing. It had just the right amount of angst caused by miscommunication and assumptions. It’s on the best rom-coms I’ve read since their release of “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. The Unhoneymooners is just one more book of their I hope soon becomes a movie.
Donna Soluri | DRAWING HOME by Jamie Brenner
If you are in need of a wonderful summer beach read, I have just the book for you. Set in the idyllic beach town of Sag Harbor, Brenner has a descriptive voice that puts you there in such a way, you’ll feel the sun on your face and the posh charm of the American Hotel in your soul.
Single mom Emma spends her time working at the American Hotel and raising her teenage daughter Penny. When the town’s most famous resident, artist Henry Wyatt, suddenly dies in the hotel bar, Emma learns he’s left his home and all of his artwork to Penny. Herein lies the mystery of this book, why?!!? Emma sets about securing Penny’s inheritance as a lifelong friend of Henry’s challenges her claims to his legacy and estate. A treasure trove of clues takes Emma and a reluctant Penny on a whirlwind ride exposing secrets about love and family.
Brenner, as usual, does a beautifully researched job of placing us fully in the action. Each character’s distinctive voice resonates throughout the journey. If you can’t make it to Sag Harbor this summer, just pick up this book, you’ll be fully entrenched by chapter two!
Megan Corbett (Head of Editorial) | TRASHED by Mia Hopkins
Thirsty is a favorite in the Frolic offices and when we got our hands on the upcoming novel in Mia Hopkin’s Eastside Brewery series we were excited to say the least!
I don’t want to give anything away because Trashed doesn’t come out until July 16 but Mia does not disappoint in this follow-up. She has such a way with creating complex, rich, three dimensional characters that make you feel all the feels!Â
