Reviewed by Risah Salazar for Readers' Favorite

It was the spring of 1822 and Doctor Aubrey Waycross was called to Lawrenceville, Georgia. The mayor personally wrote to him about a case of rabies and was afraid that it might spread in his town. Waycross spent most of his money just to get there, only to find out that he had been tricked. There wasn't a case of rabies, at least not yet. Aside from this fraud, he gets more upset when he discovers that the people of Lawrenceville believe more in the Winter Sisters, who allegedly practice witchcraft, than in his scientific methods when it comes to curing their ailments. The Winter Sisters by Tim Westover may have been set in the 1800s but with the themes it tackles, I'd say it's still relevant today.

I liked that the book showed us how healing can come in many forms. And what matters most is that people believe in whichever source it came from. I learned from this book that ignorance and laziness are a deadly combination. While it's true that people are resistant to change, this resistance shouldn't stop them from going forward in life. My favorite character is Waycross because instead of hating the Winter sisters, he made an effort to confront them and to understand their ways. I liked how the author kept Effie's and their mother's characters a mystery, but I wish there was a big revelation about them. Until the end, they both remained mysterious. I also liked that this book is argumentative in nature because it makes you wonder if it's really your responsibility to cure people when you can or choose to lead a simple life away from nosy followers. Trigger warnings include blindly following, death by fire, and a surgery mistake. The Winter Sisters by Tim Westover is highly recommended to fans of literary fiction.

Reviewed by Amanda Rofe for Readers' Favorite

The Nine by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg is a novel about the Webber family and their experiences with an elite boarding school. Hannah and Edward enroll their talented son in the exclusive Dunning Academy despite the exorbitant cost. The difficulty of keeping up with the fees was not to be their most pressing problem. Hannah does not cope well with Sam living away from home. The more she pushes for contact, the more he pulls away and her obsession with him comes at the expense of her marriage. At the academy, Sam is lured into friendships with teenagers from more privileged backgrounds. Their wealth and an unwritten code of conduct, which comes naturally to them, is something that Hannah is unable to compete with. Sam is asked to join a secret society within the school. Revered and steeped in history, it organizes sophisticated pranks. However, rather more sinister goings-on are afoot which Sam unwittingly uncovers.

The Nine is an absorbing novel with a compelling storyline which exposes the frightening way those in positions of power are easily able to sexually exploit vulnerable children. This is more pronounced with boarding schools that can disenfranchise parents and isolate children in their care. There were a number of engaging characters including Hannah who lost her son's teenage years to the live-in aspect of the boarding school system. The emotions she experienced and her subsequent behavior were intimately described and her pain was palpable. Sam was a self-effacing teenager with a satisfying personality and I felt a tremendous amount of empathy with him. Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg seamlessly blends a mix of coming of age school drama with sinister adult conspiracy and intrigue.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

When I was in high school we had to read a short story titled The Most Dangerous Game. The premise of the story, which suggested that man was the most dangerous animal, is somewhat similar to that presented in The Circle by Stephen J. Galgon. Now, decades later, with a different plot and setting but an equally sinister subject, Calgon re-fired my imagination as I feared and panicked for the protagonist, Doug Goodwin. Doug has been unwillingly recruited into a deadly circle of wealthy people who have a unique and horrible way of keeping themselves amused: hunting down and killing other members of the group before one of them kills you. The opening chapter of The Circle grabs you immediately as you witness a wealthy father killed by a sniper’s bullet while he and his daughter enjoy lunch together in a fancy restaurant. Finding out just who the sniper is, why this man was targeted and how his daughter handled the tragedy won’t become clear till very much later in the story when the new, unwanted life Doug has fallen into intersects with that of the daughter. As he learns, once in, there’s no way out except death.

Can you imagine what it must be like living and watching for your potential killer around every corner, behind every bush, in every crowd of people? Terrifying is putting it mildly. Does Doug survive this most dangerous game and if so, how? Who can he turn to for help when disclosure endangers the lives of family and friends? Doug’s panic is real; keeping one's wits ever on alert is essential and a cool head and clear thinking are paramount. Only the best survive. For a first novel, Stephen J. Galgon checks all the boxes when it comes to creating and keeping the suspense at an all-time high. His characters are captivating. Well-rendered dialogue keeps the pace moving quickly to its logical and deadly conclusion. Readers connect emotionally and mentally with Doug Goodwin, even when the entire situation seems utterly bizarre, even unrealistic. But is it truly unrealistic? Read The Circle and decide for yourself. A real gripper with an intricate and refreshing twist on an old theme.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Destiny is Book III of The Prophecy by Jerena Tobiasen, a historical tale featuring compelling characters and strong themes. The story begins with the birth of Miriam in post-war Amsterdam in 1952, and all that Mina Kota and her mother want is to protect the child and preserve her innocence. But as she grows up, she wants her grandmother, Punita, to teach her how to read tarot cards. The grandmother obliges. Miriam soon meets Hart Lange, born into a family of soldiers; a young man who has learned resilience and the value of loyalty from his family. Hart wants a child and Miriam sees a future with him, so she gives in. Mina has warned Hart never to leave Miriam idle but he quickly forgets. Too late, he remembers the warning when Miriam disappears with the child, Matthew. Can Hart find his wife and son?

This is a powerful tale that explores themes of war, love, family, parenting, and heartbreak. It features compelling characters. I particularly enjoyed the way the author writes the character of Miriam. Since her birth, there seem to be external circumstances from which the family wants to protect her. Keeping her innocent is all they want but the involvement with tarot cards spells doom. The Destiny is a twisty tale that is emotionally rich with sophisticated characters. The post-war setting is intelligently depicted and I loved how the author writes the backgrounds of the characters, which makes the reader feel as though they are interacting with real people. The writing is strong and the descriptions are arresting. The story is suspenseful with hints of mystery. I am a fan of Jerena Tobiasen’s gift for storytelling and character.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Best People: A Tale of Trials and Errors by Marc Grossberg is a spellbinding thriller with exceptional characters. The first thing that gripped me and kept me turning the pages is the way the author uses the subplot to create suspense. The narrative builds on two distinct and compelling characters. Paddy Moran is a thirty-six-year-old former cop from Brooklyn, a street-smart and a newly licensed divorce lawyer hankering to create a great reputation in the courtroom. As the narrative begins, he is fired up after witnessing a great win in the courtroom. But after few successes, he faces a moment of choice and must determine if fame is everything about the legal game or if there could be more. Pilar Galt is a smart and beautiful single mother who has had her share of success and pain. Now her path intersects with Paddy. The outcome builds the climax that will have readers savoring every page.

Marc Grossberg has written a captivating story and it feels real as the reader navigates the emotions and the hearts of the characters. The characters are genuinely flawed and easy to identify with. Paddy’s quest for success as an attorney reflects the struggle that many people experience in order to get into the limelight but what is even more interesting about the narrative is how the author unveils the pitfalls in the path of the protagonist. The Best People: A Tale of Trials and Errors is written in beautiful prose, well-plotted, and balanced; a compelling story that invites the reader to reflect on their choices.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

An exciting, delightful, exhilarating tale, A Matter of Time by Steven Craig is a gorgeous meld of time travel and science fiction, a story that follows Nathan Hawke’s adventures in time. Nathan is obsessed with the concept of time. His lifelong dream has always been to conquer time and master its secrets, a dream that has accompanied the exiled and disgraced Quantum Physicist from his youth. He had always “Dreamed of breaking it like a cowboy would a wild bronco that had bucked all who tried to ride it before him.” So when he is offered an opportunity by a mysterious man to research a time travel theory, he isn’t just happy to put aside teaching a high school physics class, but sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself and realize his life’s work.

His work successfully completed, he finds himself in a small Georgia farm in 1862. He is trapped here for three years, three years of waiting for the time splice to reopen, and three years in which he falls in love. When the time comes for him to escape the era that is plagued with war, he is thrust into yet another era. Now he is learning that he has no control of what timeline to exit into. Can it be his dream had been a trap; can he reset time and save history? And how about the woman he loves? Follow this well-imagined and well-developed character in adventures he never signed up for, bounced from one era to another through time and history.

The author did a wonderful job with the setting, taking readers through different historical moments, including the Civil War in the US, the Renaissance period in Italy, and many others. The historical underpinnings of the plot make it a compulsive read and this element of the narrative combines with the sense of adventure that permeates the story to offer readers great satisfaction. The characters are well developed and readers will love to follow Nathan, his despair as real as his moments of excitement. A Matter of Time has a complex, unpredictable plot, which keeps readers turning the pages, guessing where the next adventure will be. The tight spots, the dangers, and the uncertainty that accompany the protagonist’s adventures make this novel hard to put down. This is a stellar work in the genre, a hugely satisfying read.

Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite

Guardian of Deceit by William H Coles is an entertaining literary novel with well developed and rock solid characters. Darwin Hastings is an orphan and has been under the care of his aunt until she can’t take care of him any longer. Now, he boards a plane from Pittsburgh to New York to join his cousin, a football star, Luther Pinnelli. But things aren’t what he’d expected to find. His cousin is a self-serving and arrogant guy who lives luxuriously and does everything to make life miserable for Darwin, including cutting his access to an inheritance that is rightfully his. Darwin is determined to win and to pursue his dreams of studying medicine. Read on to find out how he learns to be shrewd, to connect with people that matter, and to get the help he needs to achieve his goals.

William H Coles is a terrific writer and he creates a story in Guardian of Deceit that will both entertain and inspire readers. The characters are believable and readers can easily connect to them. I enjoyed the portrait of Darwin Hastings, a young, energetic, determined, and resourceful personality. The conflict in this story is well developed, and while the reader watches with keen attention as the relationship between the protagonist and his cousin gets tenser, they also enjoy the psychological and personal conflicts in the characters. I loved the writing and the author’s unique signature phraseology. Here is a compelling story woven with great characters, a gripping plot, and a conflict that escalates quickly and with a perfect and satisfying finish.

Reviewed by Brenda Ballard for Readers' Favorite

No Greater Freedom is a page turning thriller set in Africa. From South Africa to Kenya, unscrupulous characters involved in gun running and animal poaching are intertwined and cross paths with the good guys who are investigating their goings on via land and water. Add unexpected romance to the pot, and you have drama and suspense. The author draws the reader into each plot line and incorporates the plight of the African dealing with government corruption, their hopes and dreams, the lows that people will stoop to in the name of money and power, and the highs of being in love.

Tom Edwards is a very talented wordsmith. No Greater Freedom is captivating; you will not be able to put it down as there is just no stopping point until the last word on the last page. Mr. Edwards writes of the lengths people go to for money and power, the sacrifices they will make in the name of love and the people of a land that has a history of war and famine. This story is believable and easy to fall into. The description of the landscapes, the scenes and characters are so vivid and real that the reader will find themselves easily able to visualize each page's words right down to the clink of a beer glass being set upon the ship's bar or the thud of the body as it finds its final fate...

Reviewed by Lorraine Cobcroft for Readers' Favorite

Lucia Mann says, 'Parents abused by adult children suffer silently, shamed to the marrow by words, moods, acts, and blows that pierce through their imagined bubble of safety and kidnap any notions they had of sharing a mutually loving relationship with their children.' In Addicted to Hate, Lucia Mann relates a heart-wrenching tale of a woman who, after suffering hideous ongoing abuse and injustice, loves her three 'miracle' daughters unconditionally. Endlessly forgiving and excessively indulging, she feeds their sociopathic expectations and tolerates their shocking abuse, destroying relationships that might have finally brought her peace and happiness, and making her own life a living hell. And yet, she survives. Here and there, she reaps little rewards. She enjoys little victories. Ultimately, she finds the strength to defend her own right to happiness, and she builds a world in which she finds peace. Ultimately, her limitless capacity to love is rewarded.

Addicted to Hate is a challenging read in some respects, because it highlights a tragedy that causes indescribable pain for some parents. It shines a light on the frailty of humans and the appalling inhumanity of some of our species. But throughout a tale of suffering, there are glimmers of hope and reassurances of goodness and love. Whenever Maddie is at rock bottom, an angel appears and extends the kindnesses that reassure us of the inherent goodness in most of our kind. Maddie is a survivor. We can't help being in awe of her strength and courage. She richly deserves the admiration and gifts of love she receives at times of greatest need. Her innate intelligence and amazing capabilities might make it difficult for us to believe that people could treat her with such contempt, and impossible to comprehend the hatred and cruelty of the daughters she fought so fiercely to protect and showered with so much love. But if you have ever known a true sociopath intimately... if you have suffered the pain of being seriously abused by someone you love... you will relate to Maddie's flawed response to cruelty and ingratitude. You will recognize her abusers and understand her world. Hopefully, you will be inspired and reassured by her final victory, however hollow it may seem to some.

Addicted to Hate plumbs the depths of human psychology. Lucia Mann is a humanitarian and activist who has clearly seen and studied, in depth, the sociopathic psyche and the workings of the minds of survivors of the sociopath's torment. She offers us insight that is both shocking and inspiring. Lucia says her mission is to give voice to sufferers of brutalities and captivity. In Addicted to Hate, she gives voice to the Maddies of this world, whose undeserved sufferings seem never to destroy the inner strength and goodness that sociopathic partners and offspring so cruelly exploit. Hopefully, she brings wisdom, understanding, strength and hope to some of those who need it, and to so many of us who too often stand on the sidelines when we have the opportunity to help. It's a challenging read, but one that I am confident will leave you richer in understanding and empathy and greatly enriched in strength, courage, and capacity to love.

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

Seashells, Gator Bones, and the Church of Everlasting Liability: Stories from a Small Florida Town in the 1930s is a book that will make you laugh and want to move right into the fictional town of Toad Springs, Florida as soon as possible. Sixteen individual stories make up this book and they all connect together through the same wonderful characters. We are privileged to share in many of their everyday events and attend the county fair, go to church and the women’s sewing circle; spend time in school with the teacher and students; deal with neighbors; experience heartache and love and bingo games. There is a very unusual gator ranch, fights between cats and dogs and their owners, and so much more hilarity. We are introduced to Hester, Gladys, Sweetie, the Stroudamores and other unforgettable townspeople.

As I read each story, I thought 'this one is my favorite' until I finished the next one. I particularly enjoyed seeing so many real people I know in the pages of Seashells, Gator Bones, and the Church of Everlasting Liability. Susan Adger has written a gem and each short story is a work of art. This would be a perfect TV series concentrating on a different story but featuring the same people each week. This book is a wonderful summer read while sitting on the porch or at the pool and sipping a refreshing iced tea. Please do not pass up this extraordinary book. A must-read!