Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Runaway Haley: An Imagined Family Saga is a work of fiction in the historical drama genre. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author William A. Thomas Jr. Inspired by the historical census reports recording the journey of the Haley family in the 1800s, this book fills in the blanks between the census data with a fictionalized account of what two generations of the family experienced. From Michael Haley’s arrival and life of adventure to the stories of his orphaned children picking up the pieces after his death, the book tells the story of the Haley family through strife and heartbreak.

This book is a fascinating exercise in storytelling via filling in the blanks of existing historical information, and I’m excited to see this method used so skilfully by William A. Thomas Jr. The names and dates and spartan pieces of information that can be found in census data, marriage certificates and various local records never truly bring into focus the vivid lives that the people being recorded once lived. But that is precisely a gap in our understanding of the past that Runaway Haley seeks to fill. Using very robust and professionally researched historical knowledge of the times in which the Haley family lived, and through connecting the dots left by the available records, this novel brings the whole family to life and tells a gripping and inspiring story about a family of immigrants living through a turbulent time of much change in American history. I happily recommend this book to all readers.

Reviewed By Trix Lee for Readers' Favorite

Mt. Moriah’s Wake by Melissa Norton Carro is a gripping tale about JoAnna Wilson, an aspiring writer from the countryside, and her inner struggles to reconcile her unspeakable past with the possibilities of the future. Jo, as her family and close friends lovingly call her, was orphaned at a young age and it was her Aunt Doro who raised her. Following the murder of her best friend, Grace, Jo moved to the big city. Carrying the weight of her mysterious past, Jo tried her best to start a new life. Now in her mid-twenties, with her dreams of being a writer seemingly permanently stalled, with her marriage teetering in the balance, with her self-identity in question, and with her ever-present guilt, Jo had to return to Mt. Moriah. This time, it would be for her Aunt Doro’s funeral. This time, Jo would have to face everything that she had been running away from — the guilt, the sorrow, the mourning, the memories. This time, Jo would have to make peace with the past, find out who she truly is, and decide the path for her future.

Mt. Moriah’s Wake is phenomenal. There are no other words to describe such a rich and well-crafted story. I enjoyed the way the narration alternated with Jo’s childhood, her life in the big city, and the present, giving us the context and building up to that startling denouement. I especially love the glorious one-liners that made me think about how powerful words could be when used by a great wordsmith. And Melissa Norton Carro is a great wordsmith. Her characters were written wonderfully, with all of their flaws and questionable decisions and misguided actions so that I felt like I knew them personally. I felt like I knew Aunt Doro, with her larger-than-life existence and unconditional albeit sometimes misguided love. I felt like I knew Maddy and his steadfast nature and unwavering faith; Grace, with her compassion that extends to friends and strangers alike; and Tom, with his gentleness and optimism and his very human reaction when he gets hurt. I felt like I knew Jo, with her insecurities and self-doubts and her struggles with her self-identity, fear, and loss of faith. A lot of times, I wept with them and a lot of times, I wept for them.

Mt. Moriah’s Wake is a thought-provoking and emotional story about life and everything that comes with it, the good and the bad and the ugly. There may be numerous references to God but trust me when I say that this is not a religious story nor is this a story about religion. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Just make sure to keep a pack of tissues nearby for when the narrative goes from somber to heart-rending. I certainly needed them.

Reviewed By Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Whereabouts is a coming-of-age story set in the rural south during the 70s. Seventeen-year-old Missy Belue's life turns upside down when her father dies of a massive heart attack, leading to her mother marrying the town mortician. Feeling emancipated in her humdrum life, Missy sees the opportunity to leave Kingstree behind when her significantly older third cousin, Skyles Huffman, swaggers into town. The two set off on the road to explore the deep south. However, Missy soon gets tired of Skyles's continuous advances toward her and leaves him stranded by hitching a ride with two AWOL marines. She finds herself working at a roadway diner for an eccentric man named Hassan. But when the past comes back unexpectedly to haunt her, Missy must set off once again to find her rightful place in this world.

Whereabouts is a thoughtful tale about making mistakes and growing up to discover your true self. Author Scott Gould's bittersweet novel follows a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, realizing her age through trying circumstances and wondering how much world she has yet to discover. This is a slice-of-life story that keeps you glued to the pages from start to finish. The characters are realistic, with human flaws that make them all the more compelling to read. Missy is a riveting protagonist who is easy to root for. Asa and Hassan are colorful characters who entertain you in every scene that they are in. I thoroughly enjoyed Whereabouts. If you like coming-of-age stories with well-realized characters, I highly recommend it.

Reviewed By Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Baby Moses by John Cowlin is a historical fiction novel set in rural Claiborne County in the South. After seven years away, getting an education and serving in the military, Moses takes the Greyhound home to his adopted granny, Miss Clio, a woman who raised him after he'd been found abandoned as a baby. As her health deteriorates, Moses prepares for the worst, devoting his time, energy, and love to Miss Clio, even as a crime spree rages around them. Harve and Enos have found that robbing a black church is a simpler way to make money than they'd initially thought and they carry on, despite having taken what they needed on the first shot. But when the two fall out and a child taken hostage from the church is beaten, raped, and left for dead, Moses and Deputy Boone refocus their efforts to make the perps pay.

John Cowlin delivers an absolute treat of a novel with Baby Moses, pressing forward a character-driven plot with a cast that comes to life. Cowlin achieves this almost entirely through dialogue, foregoing the usual information dumps in favor of the authentic voices of his characters, their emotional and physical responses, and trusting them to carry his narrative as we get to know them ourselves. The effect is wholly engrossing and accounts for one of the very best books I've read this year—which means more in 2020 when we've all been locked up for months. There's an incredibly visual element that Cowlin is able to create as we navigate the segregated American South, one where casual racism is more persistent than its overt partner, commingling in the community. A black pastor sitting on an empty bench at a gas station is told to move. A librarian calls the police when Moses reads quietly. A white cafe owner speaks of death at the hands of the Klan but then asks for quiet acceptance without retaliation. These are as deafening as the shockingly brutal crimes that fuel Moses's actions. Well done, John Cowlin. Very, very well done.

Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

A Million Little Lies by Bette Lee Crosby is a story of lies, pain, and redemption. Suzanna lost her mother when she was 10 and that was when the lies started. Small white lies, fibs, grew into more and now, with a daughter of her own, those lies are coming back to bite her. Suzanna was passing through Georgia, attending a wake on her way to New Jersey for a new start. It should have been nothing more simple than passing on her condolences but she didn’t bank on the grieving widow mistaking her for Ida’s stolen granddaughter. Suzanne plays along; after all, what's one more lie and it's only for a few hours after all. But she didn’t realize how deeply embroiled she would become. And now the past is back to greet her. Suzanne has two choices – run or face up to the truth. Either way, she stands to lose everything and hurt those she loves.

A Million Little Lies by Bette Lee Crosby is a fascinating story, heartbreaking in places, fraught with emotion, and entirely intriguing. It’s easy to get caught up in this story as you follow the trail of lies Suzanna has told and you wonder, all the way through, how this can possibly turn out for the good. After all, there’s only so long you can lie before you start to trip up and the truth comes out. And there’s only so long you can keep running. The characters in this story will become incredibly real. They are likable people and you will always find a way to relate to them, throughout every situation they stumble through and, when the book is done, you may even feel like you just lost a friend. This is a great story about the trials and tribulations of life, unique yet a story heard a thousand times before in different ways. You won’t put this down – you will become so invested in their lives that stopping reading simply isn’t an option.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Truth That Lies Between is a work of murder mystery and small-town crime fiction and was penned by author W. D. McComb. The action starts with a group of best friends, a trio of carefree young lads who have little to do with their time but race around farms on three-wheelers and generally have fun. But Case, Jack, and Jet are about to become prime suspects when they discover the remains of a murdered drifter. As their lives are all turned upside down by the effects of this killing, the boys realize that they must solve the case and clear their names before they lose everything that they hold dear.

Author W. D. McComb writes with beautiful imagery, and it makes this compelling murder mystery feel like a modern-day Steinbeck novel. The farmlands and the big skies come to life with compelling scene setting, and this is bolstered by authentic dialogue which characterizes Case and his friends well. Once the audience is hooked in and ready to relate to and fall in love with this idyllic premise, the shock of the murder and its domino effect on events is all the more visceral and exciting for the plot. The events are well planned out and well revealed to give us plenty of time to think and predict alongside our would-be investigators, and when the conclusion does come, it will never be what you expected, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. Overall, The Truth That Lies Between is an excellent work of fiction that comes highly recommended.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Tales From The Beach House is a work of dramatic fiction in the personal drama genre and was penned by author James Aylott. Written for adults due to the inclusion of some explicit language and scenes of a sexual nature, this work focuses on the titular Beach House, a motel in South Florida in the modern-day, and its many residents. Each of the obscure and quirky people who now reside in the motel takes on a chapter of the tale, developing a series of short stories that also culminate in a social and cultural viewpoint of contemporary South Florida in general. What results is a fascinating journey of character study and an eventual coming together of people to face the threat of losing their home.

Author James Aylott accomplishes a great deal with this excellent work of drama, including a full range of human experiences and emotions through his bizarre and lively cast of characters. Although the residents of the motel seem larger than life, initially characterized by entertaining descriptions and dialogue, we explore their humanity as their stories and motivations unfold. What results is a really insightful exploration of what makes people tick, and the similarities that we all share despite our exterior differences and life choices. The stylistic choices in the narrative feel like a reporter digging into the scene, which gives the novel a truly unique voice too. Overall, Tales From The Beach House is a recommended read for fans of the likes of short story masters like Raymond Carver. A high-quality novel.

Reviewed By Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

In Beth Duke’s heart-warming novel, Tapestry, Skye Willis and her grandmother, Sparrow, decide to find out more about their ancestry, a decision that launches their lives on a course they would never have imagined. Skye had always been curious about her father’s side of the family. Raised by her mother and grandmother, she had no information about her father except the few details her mother divulged on occasion. At twenty-one now, Skye cannot dismiss the issue anymore. She resorts to genetic testing and convinces her grandmother to take the test too to prove her Muscogee Creek ancestry. Meanwhile, Pete Darling, CEO of PFD Pipelines, embarks on the most important project of his life: the repair and replacement of hundreds of miles of a natural gas line. But things are about to drastically change for Pete and the company.

Tapestry is centered on two eccentric characters, Sparrow and Skye. Their bond is well-developed throughout as Skye is fond of Sparrow and Sparrow remains supportive and loving towards Skye. Supporting characters in the novel play an important role in bringing out the themes of the novel. Set in two alternate places, Texas and Alabama, the story explores themes of corruption, control, and manipulation alongside uplifting themes about sacrifice, love, and true happiness. The story is rewarding as it follows Skye’s growth while she learns what she is passionate about and what truly matters. The two separate plots are carefully woven together when their paths intersect. Told with a touch of humor, Tapestry by Beth Duke explores important themes through an authentic set of characters.

Reviewed By Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

In The River Nymph by Anne Lovett, Tenny runs away from home, hoping to leave behind all the pain from her childhood. Her brother had gone off to war, never to return home, and Tenny is determined to find him. Tenny wishes to make something out of her disheartening situation and go back for her sister. She arrives at Ashbyville, Georgia unsure of what course her life will take. Her first days are fraught with obstacles but Tenny knows she has no place to go back to. Meanwhile, Pete and Gussie, two cousins from Ashbyville, meet Tenny by chance. Pete is beguiled by the image taken by Gussie, the image of the girl at the river. Gussie longs for a different lifestyle from her mother’s. She intends to become a renowned photographer but is she too far ahead of her time?

Anne Lovett’s The River Nymph follows Tenny’s story as she runs away and arrives in Ashbyville and her life after that. Her tenacity is inspiring as she fights every impediment on her path to following her dreams. The supporting characters anchor the story as their roles build the themes of the book. The work is also a heartfelt recollection of the drawbacks women in the early 1900s endured, yet they chose to hold on to their dreams and pave the way for others behind them. It also touches on social and political issues prevalent in that era, including racism. The plot is made compelling by the twists that each character encounters and lives through. The River Nymph by Anne Lovett is inspiring, making it a great book for readers who enjoy thought-provoking novels.

Reviewed By Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite

Little Tea by Claire Fullerton takes readers on a journey of betrayal, young romance, friendship, and racism in the '80s. Ava, Celia, and Renny had been friends since they were thirteen years old. Years after, when Ava struggled with her decision to leave her twenty-three-year marriage, they plan on getting together in Memphis (their hometown). Ava had been with Stan since she was twenty-two, but now she feels that they are in a rut. On reaching Memphis, Ava got back in touch with her ex-boyfriend, Mark. What nobody could have seen was that Celia's ex-boyfriend, Tate, was also in Memphis and was eager to talk to Celia. His presence brought up many memories of the past, sweet and bitter, that Celia had worked hard in keeping buried. Betrayal of Tate, good times with her brother, Hayward, and the heartfelt discussions with her charismatic friend, Little Tea, were the most significant of all those recollections.

Little Tea by Claire Fullerton is an experience and not just a book. Most of the time, Celia narrates the story, but that does not decrease the importance of other characters. Ava is a capricious woman that brings the fun factor into the plot. Renny is a straightforward woman whose personality oozes control. Celia is a thinker who does not speak without analyzing all the facts. Little Tea, whom Celia considered her best friend, only wishes to get far away from the racism of Memphis. Hayward, Celia's brother, brings calm and joy into the plot. He takes a firm stand against the racist comments of his family without showing any sign of anger or annoyance.

Claire Fullerton has done a commendable job of discussing the prejudiced opinion of a few privileged sets of people against the black community in the '80s. Although Celia and Hayward can find no flaw in Little Tea, not all members of their family tolerate this friendship. Claire Fullerton moves both the present and the flashback parts of the story almost in parallel. Drama, the innocence of youth, the banter of friends, and suspense are my most cherished elements of this book.