April was such a fun month of reads for me! I got a preview of North Carolina-based author, Kristy Woodson Harvey, newest novel which is releasing on June 25. And I also read a great thriller, an unexpectedly heart-warming murder mystery, and a feel-good novel, coupled with another non-fiction book I listened to on audio. I have loved listening to non-fiction through my Spotify account! Anyway, it was a fun month of reading! Check out the 5 things I read in April 2024 below!
See my favorite reads from 2022 here, 2023 here, and check out what I’ve read here. You can see the 5 books I read in January here and everything I read in February & March here.
5 Things I Read in April 2024
A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Synopsis
Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market–the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now–she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about her grandparents who died in a car accident before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.
1976: After meeting her adoring husband Townsend, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James abandoned the life she knew and never looked back. Forty years later, she’s made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.
As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations. For fans of Summer of ’69 and The Notebook, A Happier Life explores the power of family, the bonds of friendship, and the boundless nature of love.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Ratings
- Every time I read one of Kristy’s new books, I think this one is my favorite! And then she releases her next one that is like, nope, this one is it! I loved reading about Rebecca’s parties, related to Keaton’s love of NYC and Beaufort, NC, and love that Salt got his spot in the story! Definitely a fun read and one that will be perfect for your pool or beach bag this summer.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Synopsis
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she can share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.
But be careful what you wish for. . . .
Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island. And Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.
For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
. . . You might just get it.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Ratings
- This book is like being wrapped in a warm hug. It is such a feel-good read, despite having some heavy topics included in it. Definitely add it to your TBR!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Senator’s Wife by Liz Constantine
Synopsis
After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they’re ready to settle down again–with each other.
As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she’s also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement–the latest reminder of the lupus she’s managed since her twenties. With their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs post-surgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.
Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate–a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane’s lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker. And her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation–as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?
Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator’s Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Ratings
- This is my first book of 2024 that I read in one day. I just got hooked on the storyline and decided to lean in. Honestly, there are some predictable parts and parts that are downright hard to believe, which maybe was why I found it to be a good page-turner. Don’t let the title fool you, it’s not a political thriller. It makes for a great beach read!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Synopsis
A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder most peculiarly in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.
Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady–ah, a lady of a certain age–who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.
Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing–a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.
What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?
Meghan’s Thoughts & Ratings
- This was such a feel-good read and I loved the connections that the characters ended up forming. On top of all of that, I never suspected the murderer in the story. Definitely a fun read and a page-turner.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends & Lies About Our Past edited by Kevin M. Kruse & Julian Zelizer
Synopsis
The United States is in the grip of a crisis of bad history. Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of Americans to believe in fiction over facts, making constructive dialogue impossible and imperiling our democracy.
In Myth America, Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer have assembled an all-star team of fellow historians to push back against this misinformation. The contributors debunk narratives that portray the New Deal and Great Society as failures, immigrants as hostile invaders, and feminists as anti-family warriors–among numerous other partisan lies. Based on a firm foundation of historical scholarship, their findings revitalize our understanding of American history.
Replacing myths with research and reality, Myth America is essential reading amid today’s heated debates about our nation’s past.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Ratings
- I always love reading non-fiction that analyzes the current political landscape and this one was exceptional!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
