Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Daddy’s Girl is a novel written by Ben Burgess Jr. A 2:00 am telephone call is all it takes to fully wake Nick Johnson. The mother of his child, Vickie De Luca, has gone into labor one month early and threatens to sign the baby over to the state if he is not there to prevent it. Panicked and hung over, Nick rushes to the hospital as fast as he can and is able to witness the birth of his daughter, Lynn, after receiving disgusted looks from the nurse at the disheveled Black man standing before her. Nick had met Vickie while doing renovations for her mobster husband, Frank, and after catching Vickie mid-dress, one thing had led to another, resulting in a highly guarded secret pregnancy. Choosing to continue her lavish lifestyle with Frank, Vickie makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with the baby, before handing her to Nick and disappearing. As Nick continues to go clubbing and brings strange women home for sex, he soon realizes that he needs to choose between his daughter and his drunken ways – a choice which becomes easy after a close call with death. Lynn has many difficult questions for her father over the years – questions about her mother, her skin color, and why her father never seems to have her back when she is in trouble. As Lynn physically grows, Nick grows up emotionally as he realizes that fatherhood is one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding jobs a man can ever have.

This story really hit home for me and gave me a whole new appreciation for my own father – a Black man who had no choice but to raise me on his own. Ben Burgess Jr. has captured every possible aspect of fatherhood while tackling bad habits and tough choices. Initially, the main character, Nick, relies on everybody else for help with his daughter and soon takes them all for granted, but when they all desert him, he is forced to wake up and fully face the situation he is in. The writing style of Daddy's Girl is so fluent and easy to absorb, painting the perfect picture in my head of the events in play. The sequence of events was brilliantly delivered, starting with the panic of a premature birth, then how he had actually met the mother of his child – a woman who is married to a mobster and wanted to get back at her husband after he had cheated on her – before continuing to Lynn’s childhood and Nick’s realization that he is solely responsible for his daughter’s well-being and safety. Every one of the characters was complex, yet believable. I fully enjoyed reading Daddy’s Girl and recommend it to mature readers who enjoy inspirational tales with a full spectrum of drama, humor, heartbreak, tragedy and self-sacrifice.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

In The Warmest Winter by Greatest Poet Alive, a well-known doctor, Dr. Miles Livingston, is the prime suspect in the murders of his wife and his two girls. They were killed in their own home in a brutal murder. Miles asks his attorney friend James Gordon to represent him in court, even though he is not a criminal lawyer. As Miles is his friend, Gordon agrees. But as soon as he delves into the case, he finds out that everything is not as it seems. There are secrets that can destroy the life of his friend.

Miles is not being one hundred percent truthful with Gordon and Gordon cannot help him if he is not co-operating. As Gordon investigates deeper into the murder, a new tale is revealed and he is confused. Along with that, his own domestic life is disturbed. He is trying to find answers for his own life and marriage. Can he save his friend when his own life is so problematic? Is his friend Miles really the culprit or is someone framing him for the murders?

The Warmest Winter was a great, thrilling thriller. If I remember correctly, James Gordon is a fantastic poet. Turns out he is also a talented thriller/mystery writer. This novel is a compelling mystery with an attorney who is ready to dig in deeper and get his hands dirty. He does not shy away and I really like such characters. I love a story when I cannot guess who the killer is. I really enjoyed the novel and loved this story. I gave it a 5 star rating because it held my attention and made me read it until the very end. Great job!

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

This Nearly Was Mine by Nancy Farkas relates the life of Annie, a social worker who goes to Spain in 1980 after a broken engagement. She meets Francisco, a handsome local musician, and the two have a brief relationship. Annie returns to the United States, marries Mathew and has children. She speaks fondly of Francisco and her time in Spain, and twenty-six years later, her daughter Marielle locates him. This stirs Annie’s feelings as she remembers her naivety, and a past filled with bittersweet memories. Annie is still insecure about her life and often feels unappreciated by Mathew. Her renewed friendship with an old flame opens emotional scars with some regrets. She compares her relationship with Mathew and Francisco as both men show their love and support in different ways.

This Nearly Was Mine is an intense and nostalgic drama by Nancy Farkas. It is narrated by Annie who still displays a bit of naivety, but she retains a sense of humour, while struggling with her complex emotions. Nancy Farkas writes very nicely and with compassion. She approaches the story in a straightforward, unpretentious writing format. This is so evident from the first page and continued to the conclusion. Her characters are very interesting, and it appears that a few are based on the author’s own family and friends. There are several characters who have realistic issues which are amusing, sad and painful at times. This Nearly Was Mine is a novel that both men and women will appreciate reading.

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

Confessions of a Bronx Bookie by Billy O'Connor takes you on a wild ride starting in the 1950s in the Bronx, and to Vietnam and back again. Follow Connor Kelly as he goes through life; he is a gambler, addict, alcoholic, misogynist and lover of women. When he sees a problem he just jumps in with both feet and laughs. He has charmed Lady luck and has no interest in doing anything but living his life ... until it goes off the rails and he has to start a whole new life.

This is a fun, full throttle running book that puts the pedal down on page one and keeps on going through the entire book. I love a fun loving adventure and stories that start out in the 1950s just give me a big smile. You can't help but enjoy a bygone era when things were either more buttoned up or more let go and enjoy - depending on where you hang out. Connor is a let go and enjoy kinda guy! Billy O'Connor has written a book that is fun and has a great flow to it. If you want to read a story that is as real as it gets about a flawed man who could be any one of us out in the world, this is the book for you, and you will truly enjoy it. Dig in and spend some time with a flawed human being who has a great story to tell.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

In Love and Happiness by Ben Burgess Jr., can love conquer all or does the infidelity of a spouse kill the love in a relationship? From the outside, Karen has everything that anyone could desire. She has a handsome husband who loves her very much, she has beautiful daughters, and a really nice house seems just like icing on the cake. No one knows that she is actually cheating on her husband, and not with one man, but with two. She feels neglected, unloved and unappreciated. This is why she fell into an extramarital affair with Tyrell and Raheem.

She fears that these affairs will tear her family apart and break her marriage, so to avoid that she breaks off with those two men. Chris thought his life was perfect. He was madly in love with his wife, but then why did she cheat on him? When he finds out that Karen is cheating on him, he breaks down. But when a threat tries to tear their family apart, both of them are trying to figure out if they should stay together. Can Chris forgive her infidelity? Can Karen believe in her husband’s love?

I have to tell you, I was not expecting Love and Happiness to be like this. I thought the novel would be filled with too much emotion and angst. Yes, there was a lot of emotion and angst, but it was just the right amount of it. It does not ruin the impact of the story, and what a beautiful story it is! Even though you will hate Karen so much, you will not be able to stop yourself feeling for her when you read more. And Chris is a really good man; he is generous and very kind. The novel is the perfect example of the importance of communication in marriage. I really enjoyed the novel! Good work!

Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

When things get tough, we all look for something or someone to lean on; some turn to booze, drugs or money while others discover that family and friends are best to hold them up. Jevon E. Thompson tells the story of a family struggling to stay together and lean on each other in Crutches. Ashamed of herself and knowing that she can do better, Vivian decides to take her two children and move out of her parents’ house. If she is going to be able to fight booze, she’s going to have to make up her mind to do it on her own. Robin and Little Von, her two sons, are not particularly trusting of their mother’s ability to stay sober, and therefore have battles of their own to fight as they try to adjust to life in “the projects.” As 5-year-old Little Von looks at the scary world around him, he learns to lean on his older brother Robin. Robin has the typical struggles of a high school teen to face, but with the added pressure of having to take care of his little brother while their mother struggles to straighten out her life. As each work their way through their own personal battles, will they be able to come together and find strength or fall prey to the harsh living of the projects.

Crutches is a novel that is full of both triumph and tragedy. Jevon E. Thompson expertly weaves and intertwines the lives of this struggling family into a tangled web of conflict which is nearly impossible to survive. All too true of Afro-American culture in general and especially in 1957, the gripping truth of this story is very real. Thompson does an excellent job of contrasting different lives around Vivian, Robin and Little Von as a measuring stick against which the reader can see their progress and understand the pressures that are in constant motion around them. Every individual and every family has their struggles, but those who survive and become stronger have learned to lean upon those things which support them rather than continue to pull them down. You won’t have dry eyes while reading Crutches if you truly understand the depth of despair to which this family is plunged and the height of victory they achieve. Tragic, inspiring and honest!

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

Fathers House by C. Edward Baldwin introduces us to Assistant District Attorney Ben Lovison who never knew his father and saw his mother die in an act of senseless violence. Ben’s life has risen above the bad circumstances as a child and he now has a good job and a loving family. But he is brought back into it all when investigates a teenager’s death. It is while working on this case that he has to revisit Fathers House, a place that was his salvation as a teenager but he finds lies that bring him to the man that ran Fathers House.

Urban suspense is a newer genre for me but I can say without a doubt this is the best one in the genre I have read so far. The book gripped me from Ben’s back story through to the end. I was unable to figure out some of the twists and turns as I read which I enjoyed. A suspense book to me is never very suspenseful when you can see the twists coming and figure it out right away. C. Edward Baldwin has created a great read here that is well structured and entertaining. Ben is not a character who is perfect; he has a difficult past and things in it which he must overcome. That makes him very relatable because we all have those things in our lives. Fathers is not what I would call a typical villain in the story either and that makes him more interesting. If you like a good suspense story that will keep you entertained, I would recommend Fathers House.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

In Ben Burgess Jr.’s Wounded, Samantha Miller is a beautiful stripper who preys upon women - specifically straight or married women – walking on the dangerous path of violence, seduction, and exploitation. Her precarious ways are due to her troubled past when she was molested as a child and subsequently forced into prostitution by her drug-addicted mother. As a result, Samantha has no trust in men. When the beautiful Sasha starts to work at the strip club as a bartender, Samantha chooses her as the next target. But Sasha is not just another woman to be bedded. Samantha is about to learn how to trust, love and be happy again.

Protagonist Samantha or Sam is sexual and tough at the same time. She makes enough money as a stripper at J’s Gentlemen’s Quarters. Yet we see the cogent side of her as she does not plan to be a stripper for long and is working on building her photography business. Ironically, she uses photography as one of her seduction tools to persuade women to come to her place. Sasha also has issues of her own, but together these women try to heal each other, making Wounded a beautiful, emotionally raw story. To be frank, I didn't like what happened to Sasha. However, Samantha’s life turns out to be better in the end. As a reader who loves a positive ending, it is enough for me. On the whole, the book particularly excels at depicting complicated and realistic characters, making it a worthwhile read.

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

Anti-Drug Matter by Deviled Tongue delves into the exciting world of the law enforcement officers who handle the drug world. It introduces us to twin brothers who are both detectives on a drug enforcement beat. Shamel takes on the NYPD narcotics unit while his brother Preacher is in the heart of Virginia in Alexandria. But what would a story about law be without the crime? Mstislab is a Russian Mafia crime lord, and while he is successful he is not content, and wants to become the largest crime boss on the east coast, and perhaps beyond. Circumstances like this set all three on the same path with fate.

The pace is really fast, maybe a little bit too fast in some parts (my only complaint), however a good book at any pace is a good book. I have to say I think Preacher is my favorite of the twins, possibly because he serves in Alexandria which is one of my favorite cities in the world. There are twists and turns like you would expect in a crime novel, and of course the bad guy is a big bad Russian Mob boss, so there is not much about him to like other than the fact that he is really good at being a bad guy.

Anti-Drug Matter by Deviled Tongue is a pulse-pounder from start to finish. Anyone who likes gritty crime novels is going to like this book because it has all of the right elements. Deviled Tongue hits the nail on the head!

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

"Hazardous Material" by Kurt Kamm introduces us to a firefighter who is struggling with an addiction to pain killers and also an Outlaw motorcycle gang called the Vagos. He joins the Sheriffs Department in a search for a meth lab that is located somewhere in the Mojave desert along with an aerospace scientist. You have everything combined into this book: drugs, science, mystery and things that might blow up. "Hazardous Material" is the fourth in a firefighter series by Kurt Kamm and I feel personally that it is stand alone as well. You do not have to have read the other books in the series to fully enjoy this one. This book goes in so many different directions that keep you entertained and sucked into it, and yet you keep guessing with every page. The action is non stop and you almost feel as though you need to catch your breath as you go from the opening explosion to the end.

The characters are interesting and to me each one has their own flaw, some being more obvious than others. I like characters with flaws because I can connect with them on a deeper level. If you are reading a book that has perfect characters it feels less human. Kurt Kamm has blended several genres for me with thriller, mystery and adventure with an elegance of writing you do not often see in those genres. If you are someone who likes to read some action-packed story line this is going to be a good book for you. I plan to go back and read the other three in this series as well.