Each month, I love to receive book subscription boxes! It is such a great way to discover new books, as well as get great bookish items to fill your home with. I am always up for a precious, adorable, perfect little bookish item 😉

This month, I decided to do OwlCrate (which I do every month, because it is awesome!!), and LitJoy Crate! I absolutely loved the LitJoy crate from last month (check out last month’s unboxing post here), so I bit the bullet and got LitJoy Crate again for the month of April. Let’s get to the unboxings!!

April OwlCrate: Shadows & Secrets

The theme for the April OwlCrate was Shadows & Secrets. I like mystery fairly well, but I was a little wary of this crate. It sounded very spy novel-esque to me, and that is not really my cup of tea. Speaking of tea and other hot beverages…

The first item I pulled out of the box was this incredibly delicious dark chocolate and sea salt coffee from Bones Coffee Company! Apparently this flavor was created exclusively for OwlCrate. It was quite delicious, as I’m sure my husband will also attest 😉

The next item in the box was this beautiful little bar of soap from Three Sisters Apothecary by Soap Cauldron. It is berry scented, and it is Shadowhunter themed! As I am working my way through the entire Shadowhunter world via audiobook right now, this was especially timely!

These pencils from Jubilee Designs are amazing!!! I know the middle one is a bit illegible (stupid lighting…but really poor camera skillzzz, yeah!) but they are each a key phrase from the Harry Potter series: “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good,” “Mischief managed,” and “Property of the Half-Blood Prince.” I might have squealed a bit when I pulled these out of the box…

This month we received another pillowcase from Stella Bookish Art! It is absolutely gorgeous, just like the last one was. This is inspired by the book Crooked Kingdom, which I have yet to read, but I still love the design.

And finally, the book of the month is Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody! Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play. 

This book has been on my radar for a while, thanks to all of you lovely bloggers who have been singing its praises for the past few months! I hadn’t gotten a copy yet, and now I’m glad I didn’t! I’m excited for this one 🙂 And, as always, it is signed and there is a letter from the author.

Overall, this was a great box! If you are interested in getting an OwlCrate box for yourself, you can use my link to get started!

April LitJoy Crate: Darlings & Deception

After the March LitJoy Crate was such a rousing success, I wanted to try out this month as well! And when I saw what the theme was, I knew that I had to get it! It sounds like mixing Jane Austen with a murder mystery, and I AM HERE FOR IT!!

This was the first thing I pulled out of the box, and I was so excited! I love to color (because I am a 5 year old, masquerading in a 30 year old’s body) Unfortunately, my dogs have since discovered this box of pencils, and the box/a few of the pencils are no more 😦 But, I was able to save the rest of them, which is great because the next thing I pulled out of the box was…

This fantastic double-sided coloring page! I have great plans for the book shelf side to adorn my office in some way 🙂

Next, I pulled out this super cute apron! It has a drawing of Marie Antoinette on it, artwork done by Sarah Conradsen.

I absolutely adore this enamel bee pin, which is a LitJoy exclusive! It is currently adorning the front of my denim jacket, and never ceases to make me smile and be motivating all at the same time haha

This was definitely a bit of a surprise! It’s always fun when you get an extra book in a box! A Midsummer Night’s Dream is actually my favorite Shakespeare play, so I am certainly intrigued by the concept of telling the story through text message. This is book 4 in a series by Brett Wright.

And finally, the book in this month’s box was Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey!! Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father’s approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother. 

Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother’s intended. 

But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of “accidents,” it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . .

I was so excited when I pulled this book out of the box!! I have had this book on my TBR for a while, and now I own it!! I am a huge Austen fan, so anything set in the Regency period makes my hopeless romantic heart go pitter pattering. As always, this book came with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author.

Another success! If you are interested in getting a LitJoy Crate for yourself, just click here!

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I hope you enjoyed my unboxings! I will be back here next month to talk about my May subscription boxes, so make sure you follow me to be notified when it goes up!

Did you get the April OwlCrate or LitJoy Crate boxes? What did you think of them?

Have you read either of these books? Did you like them?

Is there another subscription service that you think I should try out? Let me know down in the comments! 

 

Love and happy reading,