April 2026 Book Releases I'm Excited For!

 

As always, no one has asked for my opinion, however here it is anyway! This is a list of books releasing in April 2026 that I am really looking forward to 😊

I'll give a little into why I am looking forward to each and a link to check out the book yourself if you are interested too.

---

The Ending Writes Itself - Evelyn Clarke

This novel is giving 'How to Survive a Horror Story' but make it a competition and not just survival. I love random people, invited to places to compete for riches or their lives. Add in a locked door mystery and I am hooked.

It's also the collaborative effort of V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke under the pen-name Evelyn Clarke. I'm so excited to get my hands on this book!

Check it out for yourself below! * These are Affiliate Links *

Amazon - https://amzn.to/4aY1wfH

---

Japanese Gothic - Kylie Lee Baker

Just the title alone is enough to make me want this book. Pair it with this cover and I am sold. Pretty much everything about this novel sounds perfect to me and really I'm just going to let that Chuck Wendig blurbed it, and this official tagline sink its teeth in further.

In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

Check it out for yourself below! * These are Affiliate Links *

Amazon - https://amzn.to/4aKImuW

---

Molka - Monika Kim

Give me creepy men videotaping women with hidden cameras and posting it online for all to see. Then throw in one of those women who is NOT going to be a victim to the horrific exploitation they're experiencing. Apparently there's political commentary and supernatural elements too? I hope one of these men gets ripped apart.

Check it out for yourself below! * These are Affiliate Links *

Amazon - https://amzn.to/4rDQLFs

A King's Trust - S. E. McPherson // Book Review

     

A King's Trust
S.E. McPherson || Publication Date - 24.03.2025

Every mistake I've made was worth it for this.

Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+

Beau is a Prince, the spare, the one who was never meant to be King. Beau's older brother Char was a model Prince and would soon make a model King. His beautiful Queen by his side and competently ruling the land as it should be. This was all until Char died. Beau's life came to a shattering halt. He has lost his brother, he has lost his freedom and he has lost his family's respect.

What comes now is Beau picking up the pieces to a kingdom which is under siege, supposed hidden magical artifacts have been stolen and may be in the enemies hands, and worst of all he has to marry. The biggest roadblock is that Beau is in love with his excruciatingly loyal personal guard Elias. Becoming a King when he was never supposed to couldn't be more difficult when the lives of the ones he loves are on the line.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to the author for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

In respect to this novel, I had a very good time. It took a little while to get into the swing of things, as it was painfully obvious that the main character Beau was insatiably in love with his guard Elias. To a point where the comments were getting on my nerves with how frequent they were. I get it Beau, your guard is a hot piece of ass and you want to ride him home through the sunset. As the book went on and the story started to gain momentum, the comments prevailed but were less irritating.

What I did love about this book was the integration of polygamy. Whether it is, or can be, an accurate representation of relationships under that umbrella I would have absolutely no clue. However, the nonchalant nature of Penny coming into the picture and accepting that Beau was in love with Elias before she was even an option was randomly wholesome? If only the real world could have the same level of tolerance and understanding as the newly crowned Queen of this novel.

I'm hoping the sequel broadens the world more and integrates the political nature which was shadowed in this story. I love a political structure within a Fantasy setting and would love to see it expanded and brought to the forefront. There is also an entire magic structure that was touched on during the novel which I also can't wait to have fully explained.

McPherson's writing was honestly very good! The characters felt very fleshed out and I loved how they communicated with each other. Banter between the characters felt natural in my opinion, however, the interactions with Penny's little sister felt very 'modern' compared to how everyone else was communicating. Almost like she had a smartphone and was on TikTok, while everyone else wasn't. I wish more time was put into the descriptions of the environment. Theatre of the mind really took the wheel here as a lot of it was briefly glossed over. The characters were so crisp, their setting almost felt like a blurred background.

Overall Thoughts

As this is the first experience I've had with McPherson as an author, I am delighted to be pleasantly surprised. The novel was very well paced and definitely didn't feel too long or too short for the story it wanted to tell. I loved the characters, especially after the half way point when all the mystery and intrigue finally cleared. The magic system has me wanting to continue the series and I'm very grateful to have been given a copy of the 2nd novel by the author to dive straight into.

I would recommend this if you enjoy medium to fast paced political Fantasy's which integrate magic and LGBTQIA+ relationships. I would also happily recommend this as a stand alone as well. The closure received at the end of the novel felt complete and left it open for readers who want to continue in the series.

** Affiliate Links **

Amazon (Book 1) - https://amzn.to/47EoAz6
Amazon (Book 2) - https://amzn.to/3NttCI0

Innamorata - Ava Reid // Book Review

     

Innamorata
Ava Reid || Publication Date - 17.03.2026

Death ruled, betrayal came and ripped it all away... Agnes will steal it all back.

Historical | Fantasy

Agnes, the ever silent and plotting cousin of Marozia has been tasked with ensuring the marriage of the Mistress of the House of Teeth with the son of the King, Prince Liuprand. She has also been tasked by her late grandmother to bring down the crown and reignite the legacy of her ancestors. As Marozia and Agnes make the journey to the castle, Agnes has everything she needs to begin her task. The secrets of death magic, and the key to restoring her family's honour is within the walls of the grand betrayers castle.

The only thing which poses a threat to her success is the Prince himself. She will stop at nothing to bring her revenge to the crown that took everything from them. But will the crown sweep her off her feet while she's on her path of destruction.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

This would be my second turn around with Ava Reid. The first I had read from her was 'Juniper & Thorn' which I enjoyed, but found the prose way too flowery for my own tastes. As a reader, I appreciate her use of description really setting the dark and gothic vibes her novels are known for. They're immersive and invoke a grotesque style of descriptive writing that is truly beautiful, albeit quite morbid. 'Innamorata' comes through with the same in spades, truly the prose is fantastic.

One issue I feel I have with Ava's novels are her characters. I was hoping it might have been a singular issue with the first book I'd read and it would develop as Ava continued to write and hone her art. But for me, it's hard to describe. I feel there is a glass panel between myself as the reader and the characters of the novel that I cannot break through and make a connection. It's the same feeling I had while also reading 'The Familiar' by Leigh Bardugo. Something about the characters felt inaccessible to me, and the fact this has now happened twice, over two books is making me think Ava's characters are not for me to connect with.

As the story continued, the prose became way too much to deal with. Same as I had felt reading 'Juniper & Thorn', every mundane aspect of the situation and environment does not need a flowery sentence full of description dedicated to it. It is Ava's artistic choice to write this way and I feel it's a polarising style. I personally realise that I am not a fan of it, which after feeling the same way after the first of Ava's novels I read, I am content expressing her writing is beautiful and not writing I enjoy reading.

Overall Thoughts

One of the biggest issues I had with this novel was the marketing. The ending tag line to the blurb is as follows:

For Agnes’s final order is the gravest: She must not fall in love.

I want to stress for anyone going into this, reading that tag line and thinking this is a fantasy romance. Romance is definitely twisted into the book, however it is NOT a romance.

Despite knowing there were going to be dark and gothic themes, as with most Ava Reid works, I would recommend looking up trigger warnings. There are some themes within the novel which I believe were overdone to a point of overshadowing the narrative being told. Especially towards the second half where things get DARK. Gore is also very prevalent, and if that's not something you can't stomach on a good day, with the descriptive nature of Ava's prose this may not be a good pick for you.

However if you don't give a shit about gore and triggers, it was an interesting narrative to be sure.

** Affiliate Links **

Amazon - https://amzn.to/46qgs4N