What do you think?
April's Fool
What's the best way to get even with a cheating ex? Find out who her new girlfriend is and play her at her own game. What could possibly go wrong?
Rachel Ashford thinks it's a joke when her partner of eight years dumps her on April Fools day, but what makes it worse is finding out Leese has been cheating for months with a gorgeous, young university student and now suddenly she wants all the things Rachel gave up for the sake of the relationship; kids, travel, spontaneity.
Rachel is all set to wallow in a pool of self-pity, but when she inadvertently discovers the identity of Leese's new girlfriend, she has a change of plan.
New plan: Secretly destroy Leese's relationship so she knows how it feels. (Or at least give it a good try.)
What Rachel doesn't plan on, however, is falling in love again in the process.
But can a relationship which starts with a lie, end in a happy ever after?
This second book from Sarah Swan is a light hearted romantic comedy, sure to deliver some laughs and smiles.
Rachel Ashford thinks it's a joke when her partner of eight years dumps her on April Fools day, but what makes it worse is finding out Leese has been cheating for months with a gorgeous, young university student and now suddenly she wants all the things Rachel gave up for the sake of the relationship; kids, travel, spontaneity.
Rachel is all set to wallow in a pool of self-pity, but when she inadvertently discovers the identity of Leese's new girlfriend, she has a change of plan.
New plan: Secretly destroy Leese's relationship so she knows how it feels. (Or at least give it a good try.)
What Rachel doesn't plan on, however, is falling in love again in the process.
But can a relationship which starts with a lie, end in a happy ever after?
This second book from Sarah Swan is a light hearted romantic comedy, sure to deliver some laughs and smiles.
142 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2021
About the author
Sarah Swan
19 books65 followersHey! I'm Sarah Swan and I write lesbian romance novels (both historical and contemporary,) which focus on strong characters who often have to overcome challenging obstacles.
I love stories which have little twists and intriguing plots, but HEAs are always guaranteed in my novels.
A little about my life; I have no pets, but I do have three children who keep me very busy when I'm not writing. I was born in South Shields, UK, but I currently live in the Channel Islands.
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @sarahswanauthor
I love stories which have little twists and intriguing plots, but HEAs are always guaranteed in my novels.
A little about my life; I have no pets, but I do have three children who keep me very busy when I'm not writing. I was born in South Shields, UK, but I currently live in the Channel Islands.
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @sarahswanauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 21, 2024
Rachel's girlfriend of eight years dumps her on Valentine's Day with the revelation she has been cheating on her for months. Her Ex subsequently asks Rachel to sell her the tickets for an overseas holiday the two were planning so she can take her new partner.
Devastated by the betrayal, Rachel decides to take control of her life. She discovers the other woman's identity and hatches a plan. Instead of selling the tickets, she invents a research project in Rome and convinces April, the unsuspecting 'other woman ', to be her research assistant for the trip.
Rachel (37) and April (23) spend time together in Rome. Rachel learns new truths about her ex, a terrible human being, and Rachel and April are strongly attracted to one another.
This was a fun read featuring likeable protagonists and a despicable villain. Throw in a smattering of tropes, including age gap, workplace romance, "only one bed", rivals-to-lovers and some steamy intimate scenes, and we have a winner. Sometimes revenge is better served hot!
Devastated by the betrayal, Rachel decides to take control of her life. She discovers the other woman's identity and hatches a plan. Instead of selling the tickets, she invents a research project in Rome and convinces April, the unsuspecting 'other woman ', to be her research assistant for the trip.
Rachel (37) and April (23) spend time together in Rome. Rachel learns new truths about her ex, a terrible human being, and Rachel and April are strongly attracted to one another.
This was a fun read featuring likeable protagonists and a despicable villain. Throw in a smattering of tropes, including age gap, workplace romance, "only one bed", rivals-to-lovers and some steamy intimate scenes, and we have a winner. Sometimes revenge is better served hot!
June 11, 2021
I didn't find this book to be nearly as good as "Like the Down of a Thistle" by this same author. If you haven't read that yet or if you read "April's Fool" and didn't find it to your liking, definitely give "Like the Down of a Thistle" a go...
Anyway, I found "April's Fool" to be both entertaining and problematic. As much as I gripe about wanting to buck tired tropes in lesfic, this does veer off and tread in waters where the genre doesn't usually go. However, where it went was icky. There are a few topics that women loving women readers tend to avoid and this one just dives right into those: Deception and infidelity not to mention inappropriate power dynamic between teacher and student. It's like a cat with water or a vampire with garlic. In some rare instances, if the subject matter is handled in a certain and highly skilled way it can be pulled off...you know, where you're reading and know you should hate it but you are so sucked in that it's delicious? "Behind the Green Curtain" by Riley LaShea is a good example. That wasn't here.
Rachel is a pleasant, steadfast, and mild mannered professor at the local university who happens to get dumped by one of the worst girlfriends I've ever seen written in lesfic, so kudos to Swan for coming up with that bile (she's good at writing villains). When Rachel finds out her ex is seeing a student from her university, Rachel gets revenge by taking her ex's new girlfriend on a "research trip" to Italy and an unexpected romance ensues between the two.
The tone of the book is meant to be rom-com-like and lighter so I get that. But it doesn't commit enough to the madcap to be funny (like a Natasha West story) and with the romance built on deception and waiting for the other shoe to drop, it doesn't have the warm fuzzies either. The situation overall with pretty much EVERY character is a mess and it's hard to get past the student/teacher this-is-really-weird feeling. April isn't Rachel's student but still. It also felt like the couple needed more time together before getting to the level of devotion they did so quickly...The romance was almost an instalove kind of feel but the author committed some intimacy and getting to know each other on the page so it also wasn't quite that bad.
Just to note, I've read student/teacher romances before but I think what wasn't addressed here, that I at least saw spoken about in the other books, is that this situation is/could be inappropriate. Those other books addressed the elephant in the room and debated the morality of it while this didn't talk about it at all.
That said, I still found the interactions between Rachel and April to be written well. It's believable seeing these two connecting and having potential to last the long haul. Italy was a character in itself and it was a nice backdrop to the developing relationship. And, as uncomfortable as the circumstances are, Rachel is a good person who got herself into a sticky situation and April is also a sweet character. Having the ex be so repugnant it's understandable how Rachel and April feel so they're sympathetic and I can root for them to find a better partner with each other.
There are several comedic moments in the book too which I can appreciate. And the entertainment of the read comes more from "How is Rachel going to get out of this wacky situation and still get her girl?" so there's that.
I came away thinking the book was written pretty well with an interesting premise but those more uncomfortable elements made the read just so-so.
Anyway, I found "April's Fool" to be both entertaining and problematic. As much as I gripe about wanting to buck tired tropes in lesfic, this does veer off and tread in waters where the genre doesn't usually go. However, where it went was icky. There are a few topics that women loving women readers tend to avoid and this one just dives right into those: Deception and infidelity not to mention inappropriate power dynamic between teacher and student. It's like a cat with water or a vampire with garlic. In some rare instances, if the subject matter is handled in a certain and highly skilled way it can be pulled off...you know, where you're reading and know you should hate it but you are so sucked in that it's delicious? "Behind the Green Curtain" by Riley LaShea is a good example. That wasn't here.
Rachel is a pleasant, steadfast, and mild mannered professor at the local university who happens to get dumped by one of the worst girlfriends I've ever seen written in lesfic, so kudos to Swan for coming up with that bile (she's good at writing villains). When Rachel finds out her ex is seeing a student from her university, Rachel gets revenge by taking her ex's new girlfriend on a "research trip" to Italy and an unexpected romance ensues between the two.
The tone of the book is meant to be rom-com-like and lighter so I get that. But it doesn't commit enough to the madcap to be funny (like a Natasha West story) and with the romance built on deception and waiting for the other shoe to drop, it doesn't have the warm fuzzies either. The situation overall with pretty much EVERY character is a mess and it's hard to get past the student/teacher this-is-really-weird feeling. April isn't Rachel's student but still. It also felt like the couple needed more time together before getting to the level of devotion they did so quickly...The romance was almost an instalove kind of feel but the author committed some intimacy and getting to know each other on the page so it also wasn't quite that bad.
Just to note, I've read student/teacher romances before but I think what wasn't addressed here, that I at least saw spoken about in the other books, is that this situation is/could be inappropriate. Those other books addressed the elephant in the room and debated the morality of it while this didn't talk about it at all.
That said, I still found the interactions between Rachel and April to be written well. It's believable seeing these two connecting and having potential to last the long haul. Italy was a character in itself and it was a nice backdrop to the developing relationship. And, as uncomfortable as the circumstances are, Rachel is a good person who got herself into a sticky situation and April is also a sweet character. Having the ex be so repugnant it's understandable how Rachel and April feel so they're sympathetic and I can root for them to find a better partner with each other.
There are several comedic moments in the book too which I can appreciate. And the entertainment of the read comes more from "How is Rachel going to get out of this wacky situation and still get her girl?" so there's that.
I came away thinking the book was written pretty well with an interesting premise but those more uncomfortable elements made the read just so-so.
April 27, 2024
Terrible! Everyone was involved in ‘cheating’…Like wtf!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2022
amazingly fun
What a great book! Filled with great characters and funny dialogues. I love how this author tells a story. Can’t get enough!
What a great book! Filled with great characters and funny dialogues. I love how this author tells a story. Can’t get enough!
August 7, 2021
Excellent
This book was full of twists, turns, and hilarious moments that had me biting my fist. It was fun an adventurous. Couldn't put it down.
This book was full of twists, turns, and hilarious moments that had me biting my fist. It was fun an adventurous. Couldn't put it down.
September 5, 2021
Dumped on April Fool's Day while on a date with your partner of 8 years. Who does that? Rachel's partner that's who. She even has the audacity to ask for the tickets for their upcoming trip to Italy, to take her new partner. Nope. Not gonna happen.
April 15, 2021
What the heck! Rachel is dumped unceremoniously on April Fools Day - her 8 year partnership thrown in the garbage - after a few days, along comes April (and possible revenge?). To be brief, the author's latest book is an age gap romance with humor, delicious revenge, a philanderer beyond the pale, gumption, sweet heat and a twist or two. Throw in a supporting cast including Miley (Rachel's best friend) and her sleuthing ways and Leese (the witch with a "b") and you're in for a nifty roller coaster ride of a story. Revenge is sweet and I really hoped for Rachel and April to have a HEA. Miley is the b.f. anyone would want to have at their side.
Read and enjoy Ms. Swan's second book. Good show! I recommend easily with 5 shiny stars.
I rec'd an ARC through Booksprout and this is a voluntary, un-biased review.
Read and enjoy Ms. Swan's second book. Good show! I recommend easily with 5 shiny stars.
I rec'd an ARC through Booksprout and this is a voluntary, un-biased review.
January 7, 2022
Revenge is often more a comedy of errors then honestly waking away when wronged.
Rachel has every right to be angry at Leese the women she has lived with for 8 years. I could not find a redeemable quality for Leese. Rachel has to own her part in the horrible breakup but the plot for revenge has consequences not thought through. I am not sure I would call this a comedy but there certainly was a romantic connection for April and Rachel. I don't want to give any of the story away because I truly found myself asking what is next often. A magical trip to Rome that was filled with romance and historical fun made this story awesome. I am enjoying Sarah Swan a new writer to me.
Rachel has every right to be angry at Leese the women she has lived with for 8 years. I could not find a redeemable quality for Leese. Rachel has to own her part in the horrible breakup but the plot for revenge has consequences not thought through. I am not sure I would call this a comedy but there certainly was a romantic connection for April and Rachel. I don't want to give any of the story away because I truly found myself asking what is next often. A magical trip to Rome that was filled with romance and historical fun made this story awesome. I am enjoying Sarah Swan a new writer to me.
September 2, 2021
Enjoyable Story
This was a very pleasant read that I was surprised I could enjoy. Have you ever had a lover who cheated on you and made you feel it was your fault that they “had to”? What’s worse they have been doing it for months with a younger woman and your personality is such that you don’t believe in revenge but you have a good friend who does. That is what this story revolves around. It’s not sappy, it’s not mean, and the story is so well told you come out feeling good about the ending. This is something we all wish we could do and get away with. Read this for a good “Yeah, take that you witch”.
This was a very pleasant read that I was surprised I could enjoy. Have you ever had a lover who cheated on you and made you feel it was your fault that they “had to”? What’s worse they have been doing it for months with a younger woman and your personality is such that you don’t believe in revenge but you have a good friend who does. That is what this story revolves around. It’s not sappy, it’s not mean, and the story is so well told you come out feeling good about the ending. This is something we all wish we could do and get away with. Read this for a good “Yeah, take that you witch”.
April 17, 2021
This is such a fantastic story of love and people it was a surprising and addicting story that I just couldn’t put it down and had to read to the end
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 13, 2023
I would've loved to have seen Leese be miserable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews