Hidden Gems | April

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Welcome to this month's Hidden Gems challenge!

Hidden Gems is a fantastic way to plow through those mountains of books claiming space in your house or e-reader. This challenge produces some fun group interaction as well, because someone else chooses which book you’ll read next.

If you sign up, you'll be matched up with a Hidden Gems partner. You will choose a book from the list your partner designates which you have already read and cannot believe your partner hasn’t read yet. Your partner will do the same for you with the list you designate. The point is to find that “Hidden Gem” that you think they’ll love… because you adored it when you read it!

Let us know which books you choose for each other. When you finish reading your gem, let us know what you thought about it. Perhaps your Hidden Gem might find its way to someone else’s wish list!

Match-ups will be created on the 10th of the month. Please choose books for each other by the 13th.

Sign up by telling us which list you’d like your partner to choose from.

Happy reading, friends!

[Karen]

I'm in. Please select 4-5 from this shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Michelle]

I'm in! Please select 3-4 from my Hidden Gems shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

I'm in! Please give me at least 2-3 options from my 2025-hg shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

I'm in! ! Please choose 3-4 from my tbr-physical-books and/or series-in -progress shelves.

[Missy]

I'm in. Please choose 3-4 from my hidden gems shelf (I'm trying to find time to update it a bit.)

[Brittany]

I'm in! Please choose 3-4 from my Temp Read Soon shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Bridget]

I'm in. Please choose several from my Hidden Gems Shelf -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Annette]

I am in. Please be so kind and choose 3-4 from this list.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Alice]

I'm in! Please choose from my to read shelf. Looking forward to joining in again, I think its been more than a year!

[Hope]

I’m in! Please choose 2-4 books from my hidden gems shelf!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Sarita]

I’m in - any unread books on my shelves may be picked.

[Loraine]

I'm in - please choose 3 books from my Hidden Gems shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Charlene]

I’m in! Please pick 3-4 from any of the following shelf’s

My 2025 Must Read Shelf

My Hidden Gems Shelf

My 2025 TBR Shelf

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Sign-ups are now closed. Matchups are being created.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Here are this month's matchups. Happy reading!

Bridget (8) - Hope (11)
Sarita (12) - Staci (5)
Michelle (3) - Alice (10)
Charlene (14) - Missy (6)
Kate (4) - Annette (9)
Brittany (7) - Andrea (17)
Karen (2) - Loraine (13)


Alice, welcome back! We've missed you.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

My list: CFD Hidden Gems

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Brittany, here are my choices for you.


Petals and Plot Twists
The title hooked me.


For Butter or for Worse
This is one of the better title puns I've seen in a long while.


Penalty of Love
I'm a big hockey fan, and my team (Dallas Stars) have secured a spot in the playoffs but have taken too many penalties lately.


I Think He Knows
The cover and font remind me of my childhood in the '90s.

Looking forward to hearing what you think of whichever one(s) you land on.

[Michelle]

Hello Alice,
Here is my selection for you, some of theses are my favorites.



Happy reading!

[Annette]

Hi Kate…

I’ve read these three from your shelf➖➖

This one was a 5-star rating for me and these were 4-stars and .

I hope you enjoy the one you choose.

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

Hello Annette!
I'm going to be reading The View from Coral Cove for this month's HG.
My choices for you:
The Sound of Light
Canteen Dreams
A Search for Refuge
Happy Reading!

[Annette]

Thank you Kate. I will be reading

[Loraine]

Karen here are my choices for you:

Backlash

A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado

Only You

Out of the Storm

Have to tell you I loved because I went to college in San Diego and our spring prom every year was held at the Hotel Del!!!

[Brittany]

Thanks, Andrea! I'll let you know what I decide on. :)

Here are a few choices for you:


I really enjoyed all three of these books. They are are very different from each other, too!

[Karen]

Thanks, Loraine. I'll go with and They will both help me with several challenges this month.

Unfortunately, I have not read any of the books on your shelf. Here are my choices for you:
- I've had this on my TBR list for quite a while
- I've read several books in this series and enjoyed them
- also on my TBR list. This author hooked me on Biblical Fiction.

Hope you find a good read from these.

[Missy]

Charlene -

I went with a window/curtain theme this month for you. I picked a couple books and saw they both had curtains. I enjoyed all of these books. Here are my picks for you:

, , , and

[Charlene]

Hey Missy,

I love this idea. I clearly need to update my shelves as I have read and I’m reading . So I’m going to pick .

For you I pick ,

Hope you enjoy the book you pick

[Alice]

Hi Michelle, thanks for your choices, I think I will go for love in tandem. I’m on my phone so can’t add covers, but from your shelf I highly recommended five nights in Skye and the hiding place (it isn’t fiction though).
I haven’t read the spice king or some like it Scot, but I have enjoyed over books by the same authors. Hope you have a lovely weekend x

[Michelle]

Thank you Alice! I will read .

is very funny. I hope you enjoy it! I hope you have a great weekend!

[Bridget]

Hope
I choose for you


My favorite in the series so far. I would suggest you read book #5The Princess Spy first, if you haven't yet.

I haven't read this one, but I like every book Roseanna White book that I've read.


I haven't read either of these, but they are both on my TBR.

Enjoy!

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Brittany wrote: "Here are a few choices for you:"

Thanks, Brittany! I'm in the mood for Turansky, so I'll read .

[Loraine]

Karen wrote: "Thanks, Loraine. I'll go with and They will both help me with several challenges this month.

Thanks Karen! I will go with The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Sarita chose for me:


I chose for Sarita:


Happy reading all!

[Hope]

Bridget I’m so sorry I missed the date for this but here are what I’ve chosen for you!

Secrets She Kept: Cathy Gohike
Fragile designs: Colleen coble
The Captains Daughter: Jennifer Delamere

[Missy]

Charlene wrote: "Hey Missy,


I think I am going to pick for my 1940's challenge.

[Bridget]

Hope wrote: "Bridget I’m so sorry I missed the date for this but here are what I’ve chosen for you!

Secrets She Kept: Cathy Gohike
Fragile designs: Colleen coble
The Captains Daughter: Jennifer Delamere"

No Problem, Hope.
I am not sure which one I am going to go with yet,
Thanks!

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Great job getting those picks in, friends!

[Brittany]

I read because I had it in audio and needed a new audio book to listen to. I really had fun listening to this one. Thanks Andrea.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

You're welcome! Glad it turned out to be a fun one.

[Michelle]

Alice - I finished reading and enjoyed it. Thank you for the recommendation!

[Annette]

I enjoyed the book you chose for me this month Kate and plan to continue the series. Thank you.

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Karen]

Loraine - just finished and really enjoyed it. Thanks for picking it for me and helping me get another new author.

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

I finally finished The View from Coral Cove last night and enjoyed it. Thanks, Annette!

[Bridget]

I finished
(5/4/25)
I enjoyed it. Thanks, Hope!

[Sarita]

I read and enjoyed

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Sarita wrote: "I read and enjoyed "

So glad Sarita! I haven't yet gotten to mine and will likely listen to it via audiobook.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Finally finished my April HG. Whew! Thanks for choosing it Sarita. It was fun to see the main character in my HG be the sister of a main character of a book from another series by the author.

[Alice]

Hi Michelle, I finished love in tandem a while ago, but forgot to comment. Thanks for choosing it, it was a lot of fun!

[Michelle]

I'm glad you liked it.