4.5 STARS. I am thrilled that this novel, which the author was revising when she passed away in 2021, was finished and will be published posthumously. I'm grateful to her husband for seeing it through and to the publisher for giving readers a last hurrah with sweet Leila Meacham's storytelling prowess.

APRIL STORM is a good story with some unexpected turns, and I read it in one sitting. Women will likely connect with main character Kathryn in one way or another, whether it's in her years-old or newest grief, the sadness of a lost career or children leaving the nest, or the way relationships change --or stay the same -- over time.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher, and I expect the scattered typos I saw will be caught and corrected. I hope so because clean and superbly edited final books have always been a mark of Leila's books (and one that this word nerd appreciates).

Fans of Leila's prior works will feel her absence in the writing. I can't put my finger on exactly what's missing -- perhaps the emotional depth usually present in her characters? I've never read one of her books that didn't wreck me in some way and have me in tears of joy or sorrow at least once. I was not even close in APRIL STORM, though I definitely wanted to grab a character or two by the shoulders and shake them into reason.

Even so, I'd recommend it for those looking for a not-so-heavy and thoroughly entertaining thriller. And I'm okay with not being wrecked and even wonder if perhaps that was Leila's final gift to her readers.

I was so not sure what to expect with this book, but wow! It just outdid all the books I’ve read lately. So good! A very sweet story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of April Storm.

I'm not familiar with the author nor did I know April Storm was published posthumously, but I was intrigued by the premise.

The mystery wasn't bad, it was quite cozy, which I didn't anticipate, but I wasn't a fan of the tone and writing style.

The narrative was corny and typically cliche; how beautiful and attractive Kathryn and Drew are; how well adjusted their kids are, how convenient that Mike lives in the neighborhood and has the skills and expertise to help Kathryn, and that ending.

I'm all for happy endings but Kathryn achieves all she wished to do academically in just a few months and their financial troubles are taken care of
due to that patent is just too trite to be believable.

This is a fast-paced novel with a twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The protagonist, Katherine, and her family have had their share of problems, but it reached a turning point in April. At first, it took me a while to figure out what April had to do with the story, but as the story progressed, I was drawn into the mystery. A private detective is following Katherine, and with the help of a stranger, she figured out who hired the PI and why she is being followed. This is a fantastic posthumous novel that kept me engaged, and I plan to read the other books by the author.

It was obvious to me that this book has been published posthumously. I missed a lot of Meacham’s style in this.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!