Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

Are you a true crime fan? As someone who has always clung to the adage that truth is stranger than fiction, I certainly am. And when it comes to the content and characters in Out Here in the Darkness by Abra Stevens, I know that for some readers the truth in this book will not only be stranger than fiction but a lot harder to stomach. You can’t just close this book and tell yourself “Good thing that never happened!” With that warning in mind, prepare to be shocked and even somewhat nauseous when you read how on one summer night, five teens brutally murdered one of their peers in a field near a cemetery. Stevens does not spare the gory details. Not only is what these teens did abhorrent, but the events leading up to it and the group’s justification of the act are repulsive.

Out Here in the Darkness is a well-researched book that combines actual details of police efforts to find those responsible with specific court transcripts once they face the justice system for sentencing. But what elevates this true crime story above becoming a dry recording of facts is Stevens’ ability to make these young criminals real people who have gone astray. Through the exchange of dialogue between the teens, and their likely personal reflections before and after the act, readers recognize that several of these teens were once just kids raised in anything but ideal circumstances. Though their crime was monstrous, Stevens doesn’t leave readers thinking of them as monsters. Abra Stevens’ interest in the psychology of these murderers is shown most toward the end where the author devotes several chapters to exploring one of them, Mike Cravey, as he serves his 33-year prison sentence. This section is most enlightening, and readers who care more about the whys than the whats behind violent acts like the one depicted will think about those whys long after they close the book.

Reviewed by Lorraine Cobcroft for Readers' Favorite

Warning: Reading Steffen Hou's The Deprived: Innocents on Death Row might destroy any trust you have in the justice system. It might destroy your confidence in the integrity of those who purport to work toward making our society a safer and better place for all. It might destroy any faith you have in the fundamental goodness and decency of mankind. You will find The Deprived shocking and confronting. It will likely make you weep. In parts, you might struggle to find the strength to read on. If you support the death penalty, no matter what your reasons and no matter how strong your convictions, I guarantee reading The Deprived will make you question and doubt. It may even convert you to support campaigns against it.

Steffen Hou tells us that, in Texas, it costs three times more to put a convicted criminal to death than to house one in prison for forty years. And then he reminds us, through heart-wrenching true stories, that we can release a prisoner wrongly convicted and imprisoned, but we can never release the wrongly condemned from their grave. Nor can we ever repair the harm done to the families of the condemned, much less to the witnesses, jurors, judges, guards and executioners. We cannot repair or compensate for the damage caused to those who are finally exonerated and released from death row. They leave bars and orange jumpsuits behind, but they can never again be truly free. Steffen Hou relates the horrific yet inspiring stories of nine who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death, but later set free.

But what of the victims of horrific crime? What of our need to keep citizens safe? Steffen Hou exposes disturbing statistics not only of erroneous convictions, but of the causes of error: causes that include false eyewitness testimony, shoddy defences of the poor and minority races, and even corruption and deliberate manipulation or suppression of evidence by those charged with protecting us all. And then he relates the inspiring story of Marietta Jaeger, who, following the brutal kidnapping and murder of her seven-year-old daughter by a serial killer, fights for forgiveness and mercy. Marietta co-founded 'Journey of Hope', helping people move from violence to healing. Her compassion for, and forgiveness of, the man who ended her daughter's life assisted his capture and conviction. We can never know how many lives her bravery and strength saved.

Steffen Hou does not offer a literary masterpiece. There are no vivid descriptions. There is no poetic prose. There is no word magic. The Deprived is a frank, direct, and quite brutal journalistic report of the terrible consequences of judgments we would like to see as tragic mistakes, but are more accurately portrayed as acts of horrific injustice that destroyed the lives of innocents and raise questions about the fundamental decency of what we pretend is an advanced and humane society. Hou does not appear to consciously strive for evocative copy, but the facts he exposes will tear at your heart. Reading The Deprived should be compulsory for everyone involved in any manner in law enforcement or the justice system.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Dare to be the Change by Annella Metoyer is an inspiring memoir with powerful lessons, a book that explores one of the most important realities we will always encounter — change. What happens when we meet with adversity, when we face challenges, when life seems to stand against us? We can either become reactive or we can take control and full responsibility for what happens to us. In this book, Annella Metoyer shares her journey with readers and shows what set her on a journey of utter transformation. The author shares how being black and female was enough cause for discrimination, but instead of becoming discouraged by the reality in her world, she chose to become the architect of the change she wanted to see around her, challenging the status quo and focusing on staying positive. The results of her choice to become the change she wanted to see around her are astounding — she became the first colored girl to be a cheerleader, the first colored woman to gain employment in a local bank, and the first colored woman to become City President for a major bank.

I loved this book — it is insightful, delightful, and filled with wisdom. We encounter a woman who chose to see opportunities for growth in every adversity instead of becoming discouraged and spiteful. The book strongly conveys the influence we can have in the world and on others once we choose to face life with a positive attitude. The author's attitude towards change becomes one of the biggest lessons of this book and it conveys the message that we can change our world by changing our perspective and by choosing not to act the way others will expect us to act in trying circumstances. It is a book filled with lessons on taking the lead in life, for how can we influence and inspire change in others if we can't lead ourselves effectively? Dare to be the Change is a great achievement, a motivational book that is enriched by anecdotes and real life experiences of the author. Written in a style that is friendly and accessible, this book is deeply moving, surprisingly engaging, and filled with life-changing lessons. There is a hidden gem in it for every reader.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Do you have a deep need for friendship? Connection? Then it is time to plug in. The Friendship Upgrade: Trade Clickable Connections for Friendships that Matter by Heather Dugan demonstrates the reality of life as it exists now. The author speaks about her loneliness and search for friendship in times when it is easier to find an online friend than a real one. Friendships matter and the author speaks about how friend-finding had become her new treasure hunt post-divorce. Dugan gives tips and advice on how to find real friendships, healthy connections, and how these genuine connections make an impact on life. The book is divided into three sections: Easy Avenues to Isolation, Focus on Friendship, and Keys to Connection.

There are many women living in their lonely bubble and in disconnected spaces where no one reaches out to anyone. Facebook friends are easy to collect and they are maintenance-free, yet they do help for entertainment purpose. The author will make readers look at the way they are dealing with their isolation and loneliness. The Friendship Upgrade will encourage readers to choose friendships, activities, and connections that will enhance their lives. The author tackles the topics in each section extensively, along with speaking about her personal stories and the personal experiences of many others to guide readers to look at their connections and wonder how connected they feel. The benefits of a good friendship shared between women are tangible in the chapter My Cabernet Coaches and will help readers realize the joys of real connection. The Friendship Upgrade is a good book for all those looking for respect, kindness, acceptance, inclusion, and a better life.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

The Mompowerment Guide to Work-Life Balance: Insights from Working Moms on Balancing Career and Family by Suzanne Brown is a book that every working mom has to read, one that offers expert advice on navigating motherhood and professional life in a way that is efficient and that leaves the reader with more time for self-care and less stress. In this book, the author shares insights and expert advice on time management, work-life balance and staying in control. Readers will understand if their employer hurts their work-life balance, find tips that will enable them to make the shift from being people who feel weighed down by cares they think they have no control over to those who are more intentional and who take control, insights into the challenges that working moms face and how to face them.

Suzanne Brown brings her own experiences into the writing and shares tips and wisdom from other professionals. The book is written in a very compassionate and engaging tone and in a conversational style that connects directly and strongly with the reader. In this book, the examples are taken from the ordinary lives of working mothers and delivered in a style that makes the reader feel as though it is a heart-to-heart conversation with the author. The prose is excellent and makes for an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the author’s ability to excite the reader’s mind, inviting them to reflect on their personal and professional experience while offering suggestions on how to create a healthy balance. The Mompowerment Guide to Work-Life Balance: Insights from Working Moms on Balancing Career and Family will help readers determine how to handle work, their significant other and their family without feeling overwhelmed. A very well-written book that is packed with valuable information and tips.

Reviewed by Tracy Young for Readers' Favorite

September 9, 1989 in Cedarwood saw a remarkable event in the natal department of the General Hospital. Two sets of twins were born to the McCallister family and the Pascucci family respectively. Ian and Evan McCallister and Rainne and Rio Pascucci were destined to be a part of each other's lives due to the circumstances of their births, and so it seemed to be for the first nineteen years of their adolescence. Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Kathryn R. Biel is the story of what happens to them when a terrible secret rips their lives apart. Ten years after the events that destroyed their friendship, Ian and Rio meet up in Boston and discover they have a connection that is hard to ignore. Despite their sizzling chemistry, there is still a deep dark secret that threatens to keep them from fulfilling their destiny to be together despite the obstacles in their paths. Can their past be overcome, or will they face the future without each other?

This is a great read, a love story that will have you hooked until the very last page. Kathryn R. Biel has created characters that are complex, passionate and stubborn, and they will make you want to bang their heads together! They face the sort of obstacles that we have all encountered in our relationships, and she has also explored family issues that impact on the main characters. Paradise by the Dashboard Light is an emotionally charged story of love and passion, with a healthy dollop of lust thrown in for good measure! It is also a chance to examine the relationships between twin siblings and the connection they share. Rio and Ian have a rocky road to travel if they want to be together and the journey is a thrilling one. I recommend you take it with them!

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Ella was fresh out of a disastrous relationship and she was ready to take a break from all the heartache. So she decided to pay attention to her profession and promoting the image of a NASCAR Champion seemed an easy job. However, she was not expecting AJ Ryan to be this handsome and this considerate. He pushes all the right buttons for her and she cannot help falling for him. She did not expect to like him this much and what else she did not expect was becoming the guardian of three children because she and AJ were mistaken to be a couple. To sink her even more, AJ had a complete 360 turn and helped her take care of the children. Now, what is Ella going to do to? Can she keep her personal and professional lives separate when she just seems to be falling for her client?

The Perfect Lap: A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance by Sedona Hutton is the perfect example of a novel with a “bad boy with a heart of gold” as stated by the author. Fast-paced, the perfect timing and some brilliant writing made this romance an absolute hit with me. There were steamy moments, moments where I got emotional, and then there were some sappy moments with the whole family that just pushed the right buttons for me. While Ella is a levelheaded character, AJ was her complete opposite. He was spontaneous, he lived in the moment and tried his best to work hard and play hard. Together, they made the perfect couple. They made a great team, even though they had a rocky start. AJ changed with time, but he didn’t just change for Ella. He changed for himself and his personal growth was simply wonderful. I love that man; I am not ashamed to say it! I loved this adorable romance!

Reviewed by Stephen Fisher for Readers' Favorite

The Scythian Trials by Elizabeth Isaacs is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy sci-fi story with a romantic flair. The story begins with Anya (Nya) Thalestris tracking a wounded puma with her friend, doctor, and teacher Jax Nickius. Nya is the last descendant of the first Amazon Queen Oretta, people that are now called the Scythians. Time is fast approaching for their trials in choosing their mates. Nya is not thrilled with the idea. When she was young she had a friend in Ireland named Penn that her parents disapproved of right from the beginning, so they continued their friendship in a hidden fort. When they were finally found out, her parents took her far away back to their home. Once the trials begin, males are vying for Nya's hand by competing against each other to see who will be her equal. She learns of an unexpected suitor and runs away, only to be kidnapped.

Isaacs does an impeccable job of creating an ancient culture that predates the bronze age that is for the most part still thriving, although not as secret as in a modern day world. Isaacs's epic story is loaded with very real heroes, rivals, and sinister villains from both sides. In between the martial arts and combat scenes, there are moments of intimacy and genuine friendships among rivals. At the center of it all is the most sought-after mate; headstrong and rebellious Nya. I was really impressed with the author's writing style, her knowledge of technology, weapons, and martial arts. This story captures the reader from the get-go, and from then on the pages fly by. Especially when Nya is missing, and her royal bloodline is in jeopardy. I was entertained on all levels with Elizabeth Isaacs's magnificently crafted The Scythian Trials. Brava!

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

Victoria has been living with her rich aunt and uncle and cousins since she was 12 years old and has enjoyed a life of prestige. She is now a young woman and she is beginning to look around her and realize just how privileged she really is because when Dr. Joseph Ashton comes to dinner and they talk about the downtrodden side of town (a place Victoria knows very little about), Victoria wants to see it first hand. She sneaks out of the house and finds herself in another world where people are living in dirty, run-down, crowded houses and when she goes with Dr. Ashton to visit Mercy and her children, Victoria is shocked at the conditions. They have no bed, dirty clothes and little food. Mercy is only half alive. Victoria immediately decides that she will do all she can to help this family any way she can. When Victoria’s family finds out where she is spending her time, they are beyond furious and soon she finds herself thrown out of the only home she knows, sharing a home with Mercy and her family. Victoria quickly learns what it means to have no money, no place to live, to be hungry and dirty, and to fight every day just to stay alive.

The Slum Angel is a very powerful historical novel that is an accurate picture of the Victorian days. The year is 1871, the place is York, and the characters go from rags to riches in the very well written story, The Slum Angel. AnneMarie Brear told this story with heart, love and a deep understanding of the rich and the poor. The details of Victoria's life and those of the new friends she meets make The Slum Angel a very moving book that you must read yourself to feel all of the pain and joy. I personally felt all of Victoria’s sadness, hurts, and happiness and found it impossible to put down The Slum Angel. My only hope is that there is a follow-up book soon. Please do not pass up reading The Slum Angel as it is a sure-fire winner!

Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite

The first book in Parish Orphans of Devon series by Mimi Matthews, The Matrimonial Advertisement is a Victorian romance in all its glory. Justin Thornhill has known only the language of vengeance throughout his life. Since he served as a captain during the uprising in India, he has been more in touch with violence than romance. He has become a gruff and grim man who has neither time nor interest, mostly interest, to woo a woman. However, his well wishers suggest that he requires a woman in his life. Since the time he owned Greyfriar's Abbey, his reputation with the villagers has not been something to boast about. Moreover, his household seems to work as a repellent of servants. The only logical solution to these problems appears to be the presence of a woman in the abbey. Considering the fact that he is not willing to put any effort in romance, his steward and his lawyer, who also happens to be his good friend, decide to place a matrimonial advertisement in the newspapers. This marriage, to Justin, is only a business deal and there has to be no scope for romance on any level; however, when Helena Reynolds responds to the ad and makes an appearance for the interview, he knows she is too good to be with him. Helena, on the other hand, knows that marrying Justin is her only chance of quitting her miserable life in London.

The author has done an outstanding job of merging a significant historical incident and the unjust incarceration of sane people into the asylums for greed or other reason with Victorian romance. During British rule in India, something very tragic occurred in Cawnpore in '57 that affected many lives forever. The talent with which the author has included that part in the plot is praiseworthy. Mimi Matthews definitely knows how to present historical facts effectively and without sounding bookish. With carefully chosen words and formal conversations among the characters, this is a delightful treat for Jane Austen and historical fiction fans. Justin's gradual shift from bad-tempered to a kind man has made this an engaging read. Helena is more than just a damsel in distress. She makes plans to end her misery and does not waiver from them. Although she is seeking a kind man who will keep her safe, she is not entirely dependent on any man. All she needs is a little push from her loved ones and then she is ready to face her tormentor. The plot is filled with twists that kept me glued to the seat. I enjoyed every second spent reading The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews.