Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Lion Trees is a powerful and unique work of fiction by author Owen Thomas. Taking the slice of life multi-perspective approach to its literary maxim, the plot follows four key members of the Johns family through their past, present, and the potential of their future. Patriarch Hollis struggles with retired life, filling his time with temptations and frivolous hobbies, whilst his wife Susan dreams of the life she might have had if she had never consented to a forty-year marriage. Down the generations, rising starlet Tilly struggles with the dark realities of getting what she wants from directors and writers, whilst her brother David, a teacher, deals with a scandal of his own at school. So begins one family’s journey to discover the limits they must push themselves to in order to be truly happy, and face the question of whether that happiness is even possible.

This is the sort of novel which a light fiction reader might put down after the first dozen pages, and I’m here to implore that you don’t. Once you get used to the time-hopping, perspective-switching style of Owen Thomas’ deep and beautiful prose, the story of the Johns family flutters like a paper bag in the breeze that you can’t stop watching. Unpredictable, philosophical and deeply, intrinsically human, The Lion Trees explores a lengthy gamut of powerful emotional depths, asking important questions about life which we readers, like the Johns family, so often forget to stop and ponder. A superb and high quality literary drama.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Dear Jane is a work of historical fiction set at the turn of the nineteenth century in England, penned by author Allie Cresswell, A Lady. Inspired by the events of the popular Jane Austen novel Emma, this is the concluding volume in the Highbury Trilogy, which follows the story of Jane Fairfax prior to and during the events of Austen’s novel. In this final section of the story, Jane is orphaned and comes to live with the Campbell family, where she befriends their only daughter Rowena. As the girls grow up together, we merge into Jane’s adulthood, which explores both her relationship with Emma Woodhouse and her tumultuous romance with Frank Churchill.

Fans of the social intricacies, tragedies, inequalities and love-lorn sighs of Jane Austen are certain to find the same level of commitment, atmosphere and loving tribute in the work of author Allie Cresswell. There is shrewd attention to detail in both the general historical period and the details of Austen’s Emma which gives this book its intimate knowledge and authenticity, so much so that it becomes hard to tell where Austen’s ideas end and Cresswell’s begin. As such, Jane’s story is one that I found a lot more interesting and exciting than Emma’s, and seeing the tale from this angle makes some important points about the choices, relative freedoms and power struggles that women had at the time. Overall, Dear Jane is an excellent conclusion to a powerful and dedicated work of fiction, expanding an ever-popular world with yet more sensitivity and depth.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Pushing the River by Barbara Monier is a family drama that highlights many of the difficulties we all face in our busy lives as we try to hold our families together, especially as our children grow up and leave the nest to spread their wings. Madeline is a typical suburban middle-aged mother. Now in her mid to late fifties, with her ex-husband departed several years ago and her children grown up and living away, she lives alone in the big old house she grew up in. Despite its size, Madeline uses just a few rooms, with the remainder still containing the memories and collections of a family’s lifetime. Over a short period of time, Madeline’s solo and lonely existence begins to change. She meets a new man, who then suddenly decides he’s moving in with her, and an empty house begins to fill as first her daughter-in-law and then her daughter-in-law’s pregnant fifteen-year-old sister arrive, seeking help. Suddenly Madeline goes from being all alone to managing a new relationship as well as providing comfort for a teenager and her baby. Madeline faces the upheaval and the associated angst with a mixture of terror and determination as she seeks to “push the river” and meet all her family’s needs and demands, whilst still looking after herself.

This could well be the story of any modern family, broken by dislocation and divorce. As a mother, Madeline feels the need to hold her fractured family together and to keep and recreate the many traditions that defined them as a family. I particularly enjoyed author Barbara Monier’s description of Christmas together, as the new cast of characters sought to compete with and dispute the traditions of Madeline and her children, who had also returned home for the holidays. Looking at Pushing the River as a social commentary on the family structure, I have no doubt many readers will identify with it, particularly Madeline and the struggles she has to begin a whole new adventure at an age when she should be relaxing and enjoying the fruits of her labour. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks to Madeline’s mother and Madeline’s life as a child, which shaped the woman she was today. This is a very readable book and one that reminds us that we are not alone in our own struggles with family and the desire to keep it together and alive. Madeline’s abiding love for others is what comes through most strongly in the narrative and I am sure we can all identify with that.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Jerkwater is a work of literary fiction penned by author Jamie Zerndt. Written for adults due to its complex themes and occasional explicit language, this intense personal drama is led by our three central characters as they experience grief in very different ways. In an area of Wisconsin where the waters are in contention between the Native American population and the state to gain fishing rights, Shawna Reynolds’s dislike of white people continues to escalate. Her neighbor Kay has recently lost her husband, and her drinking is escalating because of it. Kay’s son Douglas forms the third perspective as he struggles to keep the family business going whilst dealing with his own feelings for his father.

Modern racial tension tales are a popular read right now, and you can’t go wrong with the complex issues and heartfelt emotions that author Jamie Zerndt brings to the table with this excellent novel. I especially enjoyed Shawna’s journey and narration among the alternating perspectives, because her character is far from saintly but is also totally real and relatable. The issue of grief is dealt with from multiple angles and compassionately so, allowing us deep into the psyches of the characters as they process what loss means to them. The prose shifts delicately with each character, keeping an overall tone of discovery, but picking up subtle ticks of behavior from different personalities to enhance them. Overall, Jerkwater is an accomplished work of literary fiction certain to please fans of personal drama and emotional exploratory fiction.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Alchemy of Noise is a work of literary dramatic fiction penned by author Lorraine Devon Wilke. Written for adults due to its complex themes and mild but mature content, this is a love story and family drama taking the day to day struggle of American life into context. Chris Hawkins and Sidonie Frame both work in Chicago and its surrounds, but their lives couldn’t be more different. When Chris is seconded to work at Sidonie’s elite club for the night, the sound engineer falls head over heels for the manager. But their relationship is fraught with the everyday drama of hidden racial class divides, Chris’s unwilling involvement with the Chicago police, and families who struggle to accept the coming together of two very different souls.

Author Lorraine Devon Wilke brings interracial relationships to the fore in this modern love story which shows us, sadly, that things haven’t progressed anywhere near as much we’d like to think they have. The writing is emotive and highly descriptive, painting snippets of life for Chris as he struggles with the everyday racism and assumptions put upon young black men all across America, and Sidonie’s struggle to connect and understand is intelligently handled. Neither of them is perfect, but together they find something special of their own. Wilke’s superb pacing and frank dialogue guide us through every harrowing moment as they fight hard to protect it. Overall, The Alchemy of Noise is a highly entertaining and engaging piece of drama which shines a light on pivotal issues of today.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Second Cup by Sarah Marie Graye is a novel about four friends who find out how fragile life can be and how much someone else’s life can impact theirs. Jumping between different narratives, this novel is the perfect read for those who like gritty, raw and emotional stories that will have them reaching for the tissue box quite often!

This is the story of four women, Faye, Abbie, Olivia and Beth, who found each other at university and became great friends. Faye fell in love with Jack all those years ago and her heart still belonged to him. Even though there is a chance that he might be with someone else, she decides to try to find him. When she finds out that he killed himself, everything falls apart in the lives of these women. To find out what happened, Faye goes to find Jack’s best friend, Ethan; Abbie is now questioning everything about her life; Beth wants to escape the pain of his death, no matter how she gets it; and Olivia is the one left wondering what will happen to the four of them and how their lives will pan out. How can the death of one person change the lives of four women who were living their lives normally? How can these women survive the death of a friend?

What I really appreciated and enjoyed about the novel is that it came as close to real life as possible. It covered real issues like depression, illness, suicide and unhappiness, and showed how hard these can be on people. Most of us try to hide it, some conquer it, and then there are some who lose the battle and become victims. Sarah Marie Graye covered these issues well and with care. She highlighted these issues and ensured she had the reader’s full attention. A truly amazing and well-developed novel that just blew me away with the writer’s superior writing skills.

Reviewed by Caitlin Lyle Farley for Readers' Favorite

The Last Valentine is just one of many secrets in the Puerto Rican city of Old Sienna. When Olivia finds a bloodstained love letter in her father’s coat, she becomes entranced by the poetic longing scribed on the page. She resolves to place the letter in the legendary Labyrinth of Love Letters. Even the discovery that the letter is a stolen piece of evidence in the unsolved murder of an unidentified man does not deter her from her goal. Olivia convinces her close friend, Isaac, to help her. Little does the pair know that some of the Labyrinth’s secrets are deeper and darker than the letters exchanged between forbidden lovers. One of those secrets would mean death for Olivia if she were ever to discover it.

The Last Valentine is a novel of romantic love in all its forms, from happy ever afters and the loneliness of unrequited love, to the tragedy of impossible, secret romances confined to whispers and the cover of darkness. There were times when I thought it was glorifying the unhealthy side of romance a bit much, but it works in the context and fits the theme. Felix Alexander’s writing is poetic and evokes a great sense of mood throughout. This is accentuated and refined by its '30s setting and the classicist attitudes of this era. The characters all intertwine and connect with each other, often in ways I didn’t anticipate, and their motives direct the plot down a path littered with deep, dark secrets.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

A Different Kind of Lovely: A Novel by Petra March is a story that begins with an intriguing line: “Mina Automne danced through the pain until she managed to turn it into pleasure.” And that is an awesome way of introducing a ballerina, a woman with a terrific dream and an artistic soul. Her energy and beauty draw Neal Medwin towards her. Neal’s entrance into her life is a distraction that could take her away from her resolved course. But she lets him in, tempted by his sweetness, but can she handle the darkness within his soul? When their friendship grows into love — fragile as it is — an unexpected discovery hits, ruining everything Mina has hoped for. Question is: Can Neal let go of his past and fight for this woman?

Petra March writes with a lot of wisdom and her story is filled with emotion. The characters are genuinely flawed and readers can easily connect with what is human in them. There is a fine sense of the tragic woven into the fabric of this story that many readers will connect with, and I particularly loved the way the author explores the workings of the hearts of her characters. The story is rich in emotion and intensity, fast-paced, and cleverly plotted. There is no way the reader won’t fall for Mina, and Neal can sometimes be very annoying. Yes, he is annoying and he is the character who will remind readers of the pessimist in them, of the broken part of their history, a well-crafted character. The prose in A Different Kind of Lovely is crisp and exceptional. This is an engaging story with a gripping plot and characters that are as memorable as they are compelling.

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

Peregrine Island: A Novel by Diane B. Saxton is a snapshot of three generations; Winter, her daughter, Elsie, and granddaughter, Peda. Each has very different ideas and feelings and Diane B. Saxton has written a comprehensive description of them. Winter is the family matriarch, while Elsie is her daughter with a very different set of rules; Peda is a young child and an imaginative dreamer. The story centers on an heirloom picture that has hung in the Long Island Sound seaside house for many years. Winter very often can be found sitting and staring into the artist’s portrait. Elsie is not sure what the attraction really is. But suddenly one summer day there is great interest in this work of art as art experts and the artist’s grandsons come seeking to see and appraise the piece. The visitors quickly cause turmoil in the house and lives are about to change.

I found myself immersed in the story and unable to stop reading until the mystery and secrets were revealed. There are many secrets revealed and surprises I never saw coming. Peregrine Island really has to be read and enjoyed, and a detailed review would only serve to spoil the plot. Saxton has written a very strong and literary novel that quickly drew me in and kept me reading long into the night. Peregrine Island is deep reading in that we really get to know the women in a powerful way. If you enjoy generational family history and interaction, this is a must-read.

Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

Dog Logic by Tom Strelich is rather like life, harrowing in places, funny in others, occasionally uplifting and sometimes unutterably sad. It concerns the life and adventures of Hertell Daggett, the owner-operator of the Li’l Pal Pet Cemetery, who discovers a long-lost secret experiment dating from the Kennedy era buried deep below the graves. Initial confusion, where the local police launch a raid on what they believe to be a drug production facility, is replaced by an increasingly manic scramble by a huge variety of government agencies to become involved. Hertell Daggett was once a top-flight physicist but, after accidentally being shot in the head, his thought processes follow their own independent paths - paths which do not necessarily merge with those of the many officials and organizations which have quite suddenly arrived on his land. When the President of the USA also becomes involved, things quickly start to spiral out of control to produce ever more dangerous, sometimes ludicrous scenarios and leading to an astounding denouement.

Dog Logic has its origins in the play of the same name by Tom Strelich and works very well as a book. The narrative moves at a steady pace introducing little nuggets of information at just the right times to keep one engaged. Hertell is a solid, well-drawn character whom you cannot help but like - you will find yourself siding with him and urging him on as he struggles against the forces of Big Government. Well written by a talented storyteller, this novel will evoke a wide range of emotions, from outright laughter to shock, indignation and everything in between. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to see more novels from Mr Strelich in the future.