Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

Mazie sits on the swing on the porch of her family home, she is alone but comfortable and happy to be there. Her senses are alive to her surroundings; the clanking of the chain holding the swing, the warm balmy weather, the earthy smells from the nearby orchard - an orchard located in such an odd, inhospitable part of the farm. Her mind drifts back to her early life, then on to her teens when she first became involved with a boy called Sean. The Rocky Orchard by Barbara Monier tells how one morning Mazie is interrupted in her musings and recollections by an elderly female marching through her orchard and across her land. Surprised but glad of the company, she engages the elderly woman in conversation which prompts regular morning visits. Mazie discovers that the woman’s name is Lula and, like her, she likes to play card games. So, every day they sit on the porch with Mazie reflecting on episodes from her life while Lula deals the cards. As Mazie’s reflections become increasingly vivid, some happy, some sad, some disturbing, she starts to wonder what is actually going on. Why is she there? How did she arrive? Who is Lula? Is there some purpose to this seemingly innocuous daily routine?

Barbara Monier is a talented author who has crafted an enthralling dreamlike tale that gently picks apart the central character’s life. Her fears and longings, joys and sorrows are brought to life by way of the author’s eloquent prose. Though grounded in Mazie’s family home, an otherworldly atmosphere permeates the narrative. Well-written and peopled with solid believable characters Ms. Monier’s descriptions are a joy. I find it hard to pigeonhole The Rocky Orchard in any particular genre but can honestly say that I enjoyed it. Intriguing from the very start, it was an excellent read. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Poignant and lyrical, Guesthouse for Ganesha: A Novel by Judith Teitelman is a debut novel with strong spiritual underpinnings, a story narrated by a Hindu god that features a Jewish mortal on a journey through difficult and challenging historical time. Esther Grünspan arrives in Köln with "a hardened heart as her sole luggage." Apart from the challenges in language, she is confronted with the social upheavals resulting from the war and has to hide her origins in order to survive the Holocaust. Thanks to her gift of tailoring, she can pass unnoticed. Accompanied by the Hindu god, Ganesha, she survives the complexities and the harshness of a world shattered by war and follows a trail that leads to India. What is it that keeps her safe and where does she find the hope to live, one day at a time?

Guesthouse for Ganesha is a huge literary success, from the skillful handling of plot elements to the meticulous weaving of historical elements into the story to the gorgeous prose. Judith Teitelman comes across as a great storyteller. The unusual pairing of a Hindu god and a Jewish woman creates a unique kind of interest for the reader and I enjoyed how the author allows popular Eastern beliefs and hints of the Jewish culture to come out in the narrative. The backdrop against which the story takes place is real and it reflects the social climates of a world waking up from the trauma of war — the insecurity, the sense of fear, and the protagonist's search for a peaceful abode are themes that dominate the writing. There is a deeper meaning in the story, one that indicates that peace isn't based on some human feeling, but is a spiritual gift.

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.