History Will Say This Was Just a Book Blog

Queer April 2026 Book Releases

April has seen fit to offer mercy upon my wallet. This post may be a bit shorter than March's unruly assault on my bank account, but I'm no less excited for these titles!

The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer N. England

(April 7th)

The cover of The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne, by Summer N. England features a border of vines and roses with various items tangled in each corner; a golden tiara with a green jewel in the upper right, a dagger in the upper left, and inkwell and quill in the lower right, and a pair of crossed arrows in the lower left. Tulips in various states of bloom line the bottom, and there is a wicker basket in the foreground carrying potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, a corked vial, wild flowers, and a hedgehog. A brown squirrel leaps across the top, above the pink title with what appears to be a plant bulb in its mouth.

Clara Thorne is living out her happy ending as the magical gardener for the town of Moss when the Goddess chooses her for the important quest of growing a garden for the cursed town of Dwindle. She has less than a month, and a terrible secret. Her magic doesn't work outside the town of Moss.

What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed

(April 7th)

The cover of What We Are Seeking, by Cameron Reed has a blue background with a slightly more purple gradient toward the bottom. A large, white and gold flower with many layers of petals in varying width and thickness is partially eclipsing a solid black circle.

John Maraintha has been abandoned on the harsh desert planet, Scythia, which is as far from the peaceful forests he loves as you could image. Here, plants give birth to insects and trees can drag you to your death. Artificial monsters stalk the desert, and alien basket-men have wandered into town. Worse, the people living here captive to a bizarre, barbaric practice: marriage.

Never After by Alexis Hall

(April 7th)

The cover of Never After, by Alexis Hall features the waist-up profile of a handsome man with a sharp nose and shoulder-length curling hair looking down pensively against a two-tone dark blue paisley background. He is wearing a tall brimmed hat, high-collared white shirt, a black buttoned up coat, and a lace-trimmed cravat.

Penniless and alone in the grim streets of London Michael “Micha” Dashwood uses sex to pay the bills and opium to numb the pain of being discarded by his former lover. When Micha falls ill, it seems that what little hope he had is lost until Reverend Thomas Mandeville enters the scene. The reverend is suffering from guilt of his own and brings Micha home to his parish to heal. Even as they grow closer and learn about trust and their desires, questions of faith and the shadow of opium haunt them, making their future together seem impossible. But gay finds a way.

Princeweaver by Elian Morgan

(April 14th)

The cover of Princeweaver, by Elian Morgan has a black background with two long hanks of auburn hair trailing down the center. One appears to be coming undone from a loose braid and the other is loosely bound at the bottom. Various flowers and greenery are scattered across the hair, along with a brown moth and a red fox.

An apothecary with anxiety trying to keep his head down and hide his forbidden magic finds himself engaged to an invading prince in an attempt to save his brother's life. Keeping his head down becomes difficult when gruesome murders using the same magic keep happening to the nobility. Suspicion toward him grows, as do his feelings for his princely new husband.

Honor & Heresy by Max Francis

(April 21st)

The cover of Honor and Heresy, by Max Francis features the interior of a massive, multi-storied library with wooden floors and railings, long stretches of full bookshelves, with a massive, pale stained glass window in the distance. Two men in long coats stand in the foreground on a wooden catwalk with their backs to the viewer. The one on the right holds up a flaming torch.

The philosophical heir to Dawnseve manor is given a shitty choice in a society that prefers violence to literature; fight the invading black-armored soldiers, ominously referred to as The Old Ones, on the front lines or investigate their identity in a ancient abandoned library ominously called the Orphic Basilica. Roy Dawnseve and I must be related, as he chooses to pursue the library route with his only companion, a manipulative, enigmatic, and distractingly charming scholar who is very rude to him. There's conspiracies, tormented pasts, mystery, an isolating snowstorm and god willing only one bed, but this book already had me at "creepy-ass library."

How to Fake it in Society by KJ Charles

(April 28th)

How To Fake It In Society, by KJ Charles features two men, back to back and looking over their shoulders at each other against a mint-green background with floral illustrations in a slightly darker color. The men wear Regency era clothing and the one in front is distinguished by dark hair, an orange waistcoat, matching cravat, and a lime green coat. The one in back is distinguished by brown or auburn hair and a dark blue coat.

Step 1 is apparently "Don't fall in love" in 1820s London Society. Nico, the son of an infamous jewelry thief hopes to restore his late mother's reputation, soiled by her thief of a husband and her murder at the hands of the Bourbon dynasty. Titus, the keeper of a paint store finds himself suddenly rolling in dough after marrying a disgustingly wealthy woman determined to disinherit her nephew on her very deathbed. When Nico finds himself on his last legs when Titus offers him shelter, presenting the perfect chance for him to take advantage of the man's newfound wealth until he begins to fall in love with him.

With April's release list being so mercifully short, why is it that my wallet has a very bad feeling about May...?

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