April was a quieter month for our romance readers compared to the hive of activity that has characterised the previous months of 2018. Nevertheless, I still found plenty of romance books to add to my towering to-be-read shelves, thank you romance readers! This past month we collected 27 reviews, of 23 books, from 22 authors.

Before I get started on the breakdown of this month’s round up, I need to share some exciting romance related books news. Over the weekend, The Australian Romance Readers Association held their annual awards night in Sydney. It was a glittering occasion and I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners. In the ‘Members’ Choice’ section the winners included:

Strongest Heroine: Cressy Knight, The Long Paddock by Alissa Callen.

Favourite Couple:  Emmaline Westwood and Calbourne Rutherford, Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie.

 Favourite New Romance Author:  Amanda Knight.

The main category winners included:

Favourite Paranormal Romance for 2017:  Silver Silence by Nalini Singh.

Favourite Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance 2017:  Blood Kissed by Keri Arthur.

Favourite Short or Category Romance 2017:  Casey by Kelly Hunter.

Favourite Historical Romance 2017: Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie

Favourite Contemporary Romance 2017:  Twist by Kylie Scott.

Favourite Erotic Romance 2017:  Team Player by Cate Ellink.

Favourite Romantic Suspense 2017: Heart Breaker by Shannon Curtis.

Favourite Continuing Romance Series 2017: the Psy-Changeling Trinity by Nalini Singh.

Favourite Australian Romance Author 2017 is Anne Gracie.

What a great list of winners and some great new books for us to explore. You can find out more about the ARRA awards and the association by visiting their website.

Back to business now and onto the trends of our latest romance round-up.

The most reviewed titles this month were You Wish by Lia Weston and Mothers’ Day by Fiona McArthur. Just in time for Mothers Day, Fiona McArthur’s brand new release, Mothers’ Day was reviewed to great acclaim by Theresa Smith. Theresa comments:

What an enjoyable read this was! Mother’s Day ticks all the boxes: great setting, engaging characters, involving plot, a nice romance, great family feels, both tears and laughter. An excellent gift this Mother’s Day for the mother figure in your life, but make sure you grab a copy for yourself as well!

Mothers’ Day also proved to be a winner for Helen Sibbritt and on my own blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews.

Onto our other popular choice this month, You Wish by Lia Weston. Although I mentioned this book on my last round-up, I feel there is no harm in giving this book another plug. It certainly has been a hit for our romance readers in April. More reviews have been submitted by Veronica at the Burgeoning Bookshelf , Rebecca Bowyer and Michelle at Beauty and Lace Book Club.Continued interest in another book I covered in February’s round-up is The Three of Us by Kim Lock. The Three of Us clocked up another two reviews in April. One of which was over at my own blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews and another at Theresa Smith Writes. We both remained firm on our love for this book!

Many of the books submitted this month for review are 2018 releases, hot off the press. A book I have been really looking forward to reading is the sequel to Finding Hannah, Making Peace by Fiona McCallum. Theresa Smith had some lovely words to say about this new release. 

I recently discovered the talents of Australian romance novelist CJ Duggan, when I read her novel Paris Lights earlier this year. It was great to see the next instalment in the Heart of the City series, Hollywood Heartbreak, reviewed favourably by Helen Sibbritt. 

Kendall Talbot, an author who does the romantic suspense genre very well, returns with a brand new release, titled Out of Reach. Brenda had this to say:

Aussie author Kendall Talbot has hit the nail on the head in this gut-wrenching, tension-filled first in the Maximum Exposure series. Out of Reach had my heart in my throat many times, while the occasional wry humour had me laughing out loud. A highly entertaining read for any fans of an adventurous romantic suspense – heavy on the suspense! 

If you are looking for a book with more sizzle, glamour and sensuous passion, Helen Sibbritt recommends a new one by prolific romance author Annie West. Published in April, The Italian’s Marriage Bargain is book 7 of the Hot Italian Nights series.

Over at my own blog, Mrs, B’s Book Reviews, I read the new novel by Ellie O’Neill, the author of Reluctantly Charmed. If you are looking for a love story with an interesting matchmaker, look no further than The Right Girl. Here is a snapshot of my thoughts on this one:

All the elements in this novel seem to click together to create one very engaging read. I was also pleased by the final turn of events in this novel. With fantastically drawn characters, a loveable lead, a well thought out plot, an easy going writing style, makes The Right Girl a book that will appeal to many. 

I’m going to chance pace a little and showcase a couple of different romance reviews that caught my eye. Sally Seltmann’s Lovesome, a romance crossed with literary feel novel struck a chord with me after I read and Ashleigh from the Book Muse’s review. Ashleigh states:

Part romance, part literary and part coming of age, Lovesome is the kind of novel where the people you thought would fall in love, don’t, and where the falling in love happens when and where you least expect it to in the storyline.

A book I recently added to my bedside table is Alicia Tuckerman’s If I Tell You. Rebecca Langham’s well rounded review convinced me to bump this alternative love story up my pile. 

With such choice provided to romance readers in brand new novels, it is nice to spotlight a couple of older titles this month. Nicole reviewed 2017 release, The Paris Wedding by Charlotte Nash to a positive tune. While if you are in the mood for a delightful romance novella, April’s Rainbow by rural romance author Cathryn Hein may appeal. You can find my review here. 

It is time for me to say adieu for another month. There are plenty more books that I couldn’t squeeze into this month’s roundup, but I think you can see there are plenty of great books to choose from if you are searching for a romance of any format. This month we covered everything from romantic suspense, sexy tales, to diverse forms love, rural romance and young adult love stories. I encourage you to seek out the plethora of romance reviews added to the challenge on a daily basis, via our books reviewed page for more great recommendations.


About me: I am a mum of two young boys, an early childhood teacher, dressaholic, second hand book stall owner, book reviewer and self confessed book geek. In 2016, I turned my passion for reading into my own blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews. I blog daily and love nothing more than to showcase books by our talented crop of Australian women writers, especially rural romance, along with a number of other genres. Check my reviews out at the following sites, Mrs B’s Book Reviews, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter.