Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Bridgetown: A Harm Reduction Novel, by Jordan P. Barnes, is a gripping social issues novel about addiction and recovery, but it's also a deep dive into the subject, coming at it from more than one angle. Even though this is a novel, it represents factual lives affected by substance use, their families and friends, and the professionals who try to help them. This drama revolves around the Bridgeworks Syringe Access Program, where a committed team and main character/harm reductionist Harley Hammond advocate for the health and safety of those who use drugs. The War on Drugs didn't work as planned, and now fentanyl-laced heroin takes center stage and lives along with it. Harley's team does all they can to take supplies to those in need, but deadly overdoses seem to be winning. There is enough criticism, hard feelings, and accusations to go around as the epidemic reaches a critical climax in the public. Harley is the kind of character that puts her money where her mouth is. She will go to any lengths to help, even it if means dealing with dealers and possibly going to jail. How far would you go to help someone else?

Jordan P. Barnes delivers a powerful punch with this harm reduction novel, and it covers issues like human rights, mental health issues, and social justice. Not everyone agrees with this kind of help, and it can be difficult to read at times, but necessary if we are going to make a dent in the problem. The author writes with intensity, emotion, and pathos, and you will find yourself hopelessly caught up in this riveting story. As hard as it is to read at times, you'll begin to care about the team and those they try to help. Trigger warnings apply for overdose-related deaths, substance use, and mature language. As a former social worker, I can't recommend this book enough, and as a reviewer, I know that fans of Dopesick will love this novel.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

It’s rare for me to finish a book and really want to read its predecessor, but that’s what happened after reading A Dress the Color of the Moon by Jennifer Irwin. What a fascinating book, so realistic and touching on so many levels that I had to double-check it wasn’t a memoir. While the protagonist, Prudence Aldrich, a recovering sex addict, is front and center throughout, the lives and feelings of a handful of supporting characters - Alistair, Gloria, Mitch, Mike, and Lily - are equally unforgettable, as are the circumstances that bring them together.

The primary setting is the Serenity Hills Rehab Centre. Apart from Lily, Prue’s closest friend, the others with varying addictions have become a caring and tight-knit group under the guidance of Mike, a rehabilitated alcoholic, now a counselor. As narrators switch throughout the book, readers get an in-depth look at where and how addictions start and a realistic view of just how overwhelmingly difficult recovery can be, including why some relapse, some never survive, and others move on to better futures by remaining ever vigilant and building inner strength. We all make mistakes; we all have addictions, but for some, mistakes and addictions are life-changing.

Those unfamiliar with what happens in rehab will get an education by reading A Dress the Color of the Moon. Those who are considering rehab will find themselves encouraged and feeling more positive about how it can help them. All readers will enjoy Jennifer Irwin’s writing skills: her use of humor, pathos, and dialogue evokes such strong emotional, mental, and spiritual responses. If we are honest with ourselves, we will easily identify with so many aspects of each of the characters. Little wonder Irwin’s previous book, A Dress the Color of the Sky, has won several awards and has been optioned for a feature film…not to mention how much I want to read it!

Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite

We Did This Once Before by Lynne M. Spreen follows the story of Kim, a fifty-year-old expert marketer and publicist. Kim’s divorce from her husband in California left her in debt. She also lost her home and was dealing with a health issue. Unfortunately, there was dissatisfaction in her work life too. Kim was a lowly servant in the real estate brokerage firm she set up with her friend. Kim’s life was an all-round mess, and the only respite was to move back home to Florida. There, she would face a manipulative mom who shocked her with constant surprises, from an elderly aunt to a crazy cousin and a domestic hostage situation. Kim was a perpetual slave to everyone. Would she ever find her way to peace and fulfillment?

We Did This Once Before by Lynne M. Spreen was an educative novel. I loved everything about it as the story was captivating. This is a tale of sacrifice, deceit, manipulation, and resilience. I loved Kim to bits because the chaos she dealt with never affected her vision. I realized that there are many people like Kim who are plagued with the messiah complex. Unfortunately, you can’t save everyone or solve all the problems in the world. You risk burnout. Amala was another striking character who had solutions to everyone’s problems except her own. I felt that Norma put everyone else before her daughter, which was unfair. Norma and her sister were the ultimate patriarchal princesses who let men get away with everything and shame the victim instead of offering protection. I didn’t like Norma and Virgie that much. This novel was worthwhile, and Spreen is a talented writer. Please write more.

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

A troubled young man targets specific women for murder, and with nothing but a few enigmatic rhymes to follow, the police must stop him before it's too late in the thriller novel Primed For Vengeance by Gill D Anderson. Butch suffered violence and abuse from early childhood, and the only person who gave him any comfort or consideration during his formative years was his neighbor, Kate. After witnessing his father murdering his mother, the authorities place Butch in the Woodlands Residential Care Unit. There Sarah gives him the care and attention that Butch has always needed. However, when Sarah takes a leave of absence shortly before he reaches age and moves from the facility, Butch feels betrayed. Another woman has rejected him: first Kate, and now Sarah. Butch resolves to get even.

Set in the stunning city of Adelaide, Australia, Primed For Vengeance by Gill D Anderson is an unsettling thriller that makes your blood run cold. This disturbing story, shown from multiple points of view, realistically depicts the devastating effects of childhood trauma due to severe abuse. With a heart-rending plot, exciting scenes, and a larger-than-life antagonist, the enthralling story held me captivated from the first page to its shocking conclusion. The antagonist's psychosis has a terrifying realism that is hauntingly memorable. This book will thrill true crime enthusiasts and fans of thrillers who relish a story with actual people woven into a fictional setting. There are some triggers that the author clearly states at the beginning of the book, including violence, murder, and mental health issues, to name a few.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

“We are in this world to climb life’s mountains...” states Tracy Stopler through her fictional self, Tali, in her unique, based-on-fact novel, The Ropes That Bind. Tali believes that we feel our best “when we overcome obstacles” because in the “middle of life’s difficulties lies an opportunity for personal growth.” As a victim of child sexual abuse, I couldn’t agree with her more, and it was insights like this that spoke most loudly to me in Stopler’s unusual approach to writing what is, at its core, a memoir. The opening chapter of The Ropes That Bind is a frightening, heart-stopping account of a 9-year-old ignoring parental warnings about stranger danger. For the next several decades of her life, Tali battles the memories, protects the abuser with her silence, is fearful of trusting herself and others, is obsessed with details of similar kidnappings and abuse, and constantly searches for love and peace.

Her search finds her climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, studying the Kabbalah, and exploring the beliefs and practices of her Jewish roots. For me, the depth given this exploration was an unexpected, but interesting inclusion. But ultimately, it was the challenges Tali gave herself as part of her ongoing search for the self-love critical to the mental and spiritual recovery of abuse victims that resonated most loudly with me. Ultimately, her story is a success story, though as all abuse victims know, one may forgive but one never forgets. Stopler punctuates her story-telling with a timeline of world events, developments around HIV, and statistics on child abuse. Included at the end of the book is an author interview that is fascinating and offers further insight into important characters in the story and why Tracy Stopler chose to write her book as fiction based on a memoir. This may be very interesting to other abuse victims who are considering writing a memoir and are unsure about an approach. Highly recommended reading for many reasons!

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

The 1960s, the era of sex, drug and rock ‘n roll, was a time of civil unrest, endless protests, unwanted wars, drug-induced ‘flower’ power, assassination, and, somewhat unexpected in such an era, putting a man on the moon. When the Rayson family packed up their house and moved from staid, predictable Washington, D.C. across the country to the footloose and fancy-free Californian west coast, little did they know the changes that would quite literally rock their little world. Ten-year-old Alice is the youngest; her story is outlined first. With an older brother and a father who loves baseball, she’s also a fan, a little bit of a tomboy. Settling into her new home and school in Berkeley, Alice and the others soak up the climate and the hippie paradise atmosphere. Alice, who never thought twice about befriending a black girl in Washington, is now tagged as ‘Whitey’, and struggles to come to terms with a new norm where differences are categorical. So many changes. As the family as a whole struggles to come to terms, Alice, as the youngest, provides a child’s perspective of the strange and bizarre situations all around her, from a shattering sense of mounting tension within the home to the divisive racism in her school and the threats against her personal well-being and sense of place.

Sarah Relyea’s novel, Playground Zero, is a troubling look back in time to a difficult era, the 1960s. Taking one family’s perspective and how the events of the era affect each member, the author creates a mosaic of four stories (one for each member of the Rayson family), each story telling one particular, very personal point of view. Like the writing of Jodi Picoult, Sarah Relyea has the ability to build a particular drama into a compelling plot, unveiled through multiple points of view. Each character’s point of view is identified with the character’s name and the plot continues to evolve from one perspective to another. While Alice clamors for her own identity in a world upturned, her mother seeks solace in books that cleverly add to the complexity of the era, like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Through music, literature, and actual events, the author creates a clear picture of the 1960s, especially the tumultuous events and the free-love flower power that swept the west coast in particular. This is a powerful, historical drama. Well constructed.

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

The question of whether the horrors of the Holocaust are over for the next generation is a pressing and haunting theme in Ruth Rotkowitz’s Escaping the Whale. Set in 1980, Brooklyn, this is the story of 28-year-old Marcia Gold, a high school guidance counselor who excels in helping pregnant teenagers. Then there is her tall, handsome boyfriend Jason who has earned the approval of her European refugee parents. What more can she ask for? But as a second-generation child of Holocaust survivors, the horrors of the past have caught up with her; a dormant plague lying deep within the recesses of her mind has awakened to disrupt the normal run of her life. Everything around her, from the people that she works with to the current world affairs, seems to trigger her psychological debility. Marcia is plagued with demons, and she will have to do something that she should have done a long time ago.

Regardless of the decade when you were born, Escaping the Whale will make you connect to the lessons of the past and remind you that it will always be connected to the present. On the other hand, you might also think that we don’t need another novel about the Holocaust. But Ruth Rotkowitz has so much to say about her theme. She brilliantly demonstrates one particular aspect of human nature; that we believe some secrets are better left a secret. We keep it bottled up and pretend that everything is fine. Rotkowitz’s love of the written word is reflected in her pristine narrative, and her keen examination of Marcia’s consciousness gives you a clear study of what goes on inside a brilliant but disturbed mind. This is a must-read, timeless story that I am willing to bet will remain relevant long into the future.

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

In A Comedian Walks Into A Funeral Home by Dennis Kelly, every area in Vince Locker's life is tragic. His comedy act for the LaughCom competition has just bombed, ruining any chance of the cash prize he desperately needed. Vince's life is in tatters; abandoned by his father as a child, an estranged wife, Jessica, who he seems to disappoint just by his mere existence, and living in his mother's house with his bipolar brother and facing foreclosure. As he stands on Smith Avenue Bridge, suicide seems the only option until he is rescued by a mortician named Truss. Vince meets another of Truss's rescues, Winona, who both see Vince's talent for comedy. They ask Vince to speak at a eulogy for a porn king and his performance is a complete success. As Truss Mortuary faces a brutal and illegal takeover bid, the body of a young woman is discovered. The events that follow see Vince embroiled in a murder investigation, a kidnap attempt, and threats to Jessica and his young daughter. As details of the murdered young woman are slowly revealed, Vince realizes that he has many ghosts of his own to put to rest. As Vince faces his painful past, mortuary assistant Winona is always there by his side.

A Comedian Walks Into A Funeral Home by Dennis Kelly is a laugh-out-loud comedy with an unusual plot that engages your interest from the first chapter. The humor is witty and intelligent. Each of the characters, even the minor ones, has great backstories which explain their actions as the story progresses. This is evident especially with the main character Vince; his Masters in Philosophy highlights how he analyzes and overthinks each situation and his constant negative inner dialogue. The dialogue is sharp and perfectly highlights the personalities of the characters. This exchange was superb: “If you were dead, lying in a casket, what would you want people to say about you?” “That’s easy. ‘He’s still moving.’” There is plenty of action, drama, and many personal obstacles for Vince to overcome which brings fantastic tension and layers to the story. I loved the twist towards the end regarding Vince's family history. There is also a very compelling exploration into grief, death, and the afterlife which I found extremely comforting. The relationship between Vince and Winona was developed beautifully. This is a brilliant story with thought-provoking subject matter and clever humor around usually dark issues.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Found in Pieces by George Rollie Adams takes us back to the late 1950s, just as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States was gathering momentum. All across the nation but particularly in the South, communities were searching for ways to defy the law of the land, as espoused in the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs Board of Education. The ruling that segregation of public schools into white pupils and black pupils was unconstitutional sent shockwaves through many communities and states scrambled to find ways around the ruling. Small towns and their newspapers were forced to take a stance on school integration. For Pearl Goodbar, the new owner and editor of a previously defunct weekly newspaper, the Unionville Times, her stance on integration would be key to whether her new business venture was to succeed or fail spectacularly. In Unionville, a small town that straddled the Arkansas /Louisiana border, things were about to heat up with the return to the town of a native son, Elton Washington, a young black man determined to make a difference somehow in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. From the minute he arrived in town and challenged the prevailing perspectives on black rights, it was clear Unionville was primed for chaos and violence. Pearl Goodbar was determined to be the one who would record it all for posterity and lead the calls for decency, calm, and human dignity.

Found in Pieces is a powerful social commentary on a turbulent period of history, especially that of the South. Author George Rollie Adams has used the small-town setting to show the entrenched and fundamentally vile attitudes of many whites of the time to not just denying human rights for the black population but actually denying their humanity and justifying their own barbaric acts against some of the population as no different to dealing with animals or savages. Although much of the rhetoric from these “good ole boys” is deeply offensive to me, not a black reader, the author was attempting to place the dialogue in its historical perspective. I suppose, as a reader, the most disturbing aspect of this whole story is that this rhetoric is still in common use some sixty-odd years later and many would argue it is even getting worse in recent times. The story does give us an excellent insight into where that deep-bred hatred and belief of white supremacy came from and is agitated, especially in the South, and for that, the author deserves great kudos. The plot is clever and well-constructed and the narrative exceptionally easy to read. I particularly enjoyed the concept of not only a woman editor and newspaper owner in the late 1950s but one with as much humanity as Pearl. I loved that she changed her own stance on integration over time as she discovered more about the black community in Unionville and the history of the black struggle in the South. For me, this gave the story real moral authority and I can highly recommend this read, which is both enlightening and entertaining.

Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite

Hush Money by Deborah Harris, Jaquie Abram, and Delilah Harris is an explosive novel that focuses on systemic racism. All Ebony, a black woman, ever wanted was to have a decent and steady source of income, to take care of her mother and son. Her dream came true, or so she thought, when she was offered the role of secretary at Daebrun Career Institute. However, her second boss, Ms. Kelly, was racist and made Ebony’s life a living hell, which started the bullying trend. There’s only so much that one person can take, especially when she carries the burden of her mom’s failing health. She’s left with three options; become the poster girl for pity, give up her job and run away, or take these bullies head-on!

Reading Hush Money by Deborah Harris, Jacquie Abram, and Delilah Harris gave me the chills. People of color go through some of the worst working conditions in the corporate world. I thank the authors for putting this issue in the spotlight and weaving a fantastic story around it. The plot was ironclad, the writing style was engaging, and the dialogues had depth, evoking in me a cocktail of emotions. I read this book in one sitting because the suspense had me engrossed. I loved the character development, especially the main protagonist. She was the strength that every other person needed, but she broke down so many times, showing that she was human. This book shows me that humans are equal regardless of race, color, language, and creed. Hush Money deserves to have a sequel.