Book of the Month is a subscription box in which members choose up to 5 hardcover books to receive each month.
You can sign up here to get your first book for $5.
This month, Book of the Month (BOTM) chose seven main selections and five initial add-ons.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
Darling Girls
Sally Hepworth
When a body turns up under their former foster home, three sisters must confront their past to keep their names clear.
Thriller | Repeat Author | Early Release
How to End a Love Story
Yulin Kuang
Two writers with plenty of shared history end up staffed on the same TV show… Can they write themselves a new ending?
Romance | Debut
All We Were Promised
Ashton Lattimore
Pre-Civil War Philadelphia brings together three Black women fighting for abolition in this emotionally riveting drama.
Historical Fiction | Debut
The Wives
Simone Gorrindo
Movingly exploring friendship, love, and community—this memoir peers into the unique, tight-knit world of army wives.
Memoir | Debut
Dragonfruit
Makiia Lucier
Hop aboard, we’re embarking on a proper adventure with dragons, pirates, island myths, and epic second chances!
Young Adult
Just for the Summer
Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez returns with a rom-com possessing all the fun of a summer fling and the emotional richness of true love.
Romance | 3peat Author
The Husbands
Holly Gramazio
Not satisfied with your current husband? Just direct him back up to the attic; we’ll send down a nice replacement ASAP.
Literary Fiction | Debut
Add Ons
The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo
In 16th-century Spain, a girl with a talent for little miracles finds herself dangerously embroiled in palace intrigue.
Historical Fantasy | 3peat Author
Daughter of Mine
Megan Miranda
A small-town sheriff’s daughter inherits more than a house when her father passes away, leaving behind secrets aplenty.
Thriller | Repeat Author
A Short Walk Through A Wide World
Douglas Westerbeke
Plagued by a mysterious condition, a young woman embarks on a globetrotting journey of self-discovery and adventure.
Magical Realism | Debut
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Holly Jackson
The cameras may be rolling but don’t go trusting everything you hear…some stories really are too good to be true.
Young Adult
Table for Two
Amor Towles
A collection of stories as elegant, indulgent, and timeless as a three-martini lunch. Go ahead, treat yourself.
Short Stories | Repeat Author
Predictions & Thoughts
There are seven main and five initial add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for April, including five debuts and five books by repeat authors. There is also one “early release” that publishes on the 23rd. There were two surprises among the books.
I predicted 10 out of 12 books correctly in my April predictions. I did not include Dragonfruit and The Reappearance of Rachel Price in my predictions. To be honest, there seemed to be enough adult releases to choose from this month that I did not enough look at YA releases. Even if I had looked at YA releases, I do not think I would have included The Reappearance of Rachel Price since Holly Jackson is an established author that has already found successes. However, it seems to me that BOTM has shifted to primarily featuring whatever books they think will sell the most copies. (I would argue that this has not always been the case.)
Going into this month, I was pretty confident that Table for Two would be a selection since BOTM has featured every one of Towles’s books. I also felt relatively sure that The Husbands would be a pick as it is one of the big books being released in April. In addition, I thought it was pretty evident that Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer would be included among the selections. The app hints clearly indicated that How to End a Love Story, All We Were Promised, and The Wives would be main selections.
A Short Walk Through A Wide World seemed like an obvious BOTM pick, particularly since it was described as two past BOTM picks – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Life of Pi.
For me, the question this month was whether BOTM would include Sally Hepworth’s and Leigh Bardugo’s newest books. Sally Hepworth is a well-established author that BOTM just started featuring last year. I was unsure if it was a one-off or if we would continue to see her books as BOTM choices. Leigh Bardugo’s last two novels, which were part of a duology, were also BOTM picks. I was not sure whether BOTM would keep with her, although her past books have been very popular.
Finally, let’s talk about the books that were not in the drop. I am a bit annoyed with BOTM for continually having only the first book of a series and then dropping it. This month, I am specifically talking about Clare Mackintosh’s DC Morgan series. The Demon of Unrest and The Real Americans are both April 30th releases that I am still hoping will be picks. I did not necessarily expect them this month since they are published so late in the month.
Does seem to be trending towards the more commercial selections to prioritize quantity over quality.
My Choices
I cannot say that I am particularly excited about this month’s books. I think a part of my lack of excitement is knowing what they will be before they drop, which BOTM’s hints contribute to. However, I think it is also worth noting that I have ARCs of both Darling Girls and The Husbands.
I knew before today that I would be adding The Wives and Just for the Summer to my box. I am also interested in All We Were Promised, but I am going to wait to order it since I have not been feeling like historical fiction as of late.
I am not much of a fantasy reader, but my interest is peaked by A Short Walk Through A Wide World. I am a little hesitant due to the Addie LaRue reference, as I thought that novel was very overhyped. Ultimately, I think I will give it a shot. The Familiar, on the other hand, I will pass on for the time being. The premise does not necessarily speak to me, although I am curious about its take on colonialism.
Since I am neither a romantasy or young adult reader, Dragonfruit holds no personal appeal. Similarly, I am not interested in Hollywood romance novels so How to End a Love Story will be a skip for me.
While I read Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, I thought the quality of the books decreased over the course of the series. While I think The Reappearance of Rachel Price sounds interesting, I think I will wait to see what people generally think of it.
I am trying to be more conscientious about buying an author’s newest book(s) when I have their backlist books on my shelves. I have not yet read Megan Miranda’s last book, The Only Survivors; so I am going to wait to get Daughter of Mine. The same goes for Table for Two. I still need to read A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway.
What books did you choose for your April BOTM selections? Let me know in the comments!
Read Between the Spines 