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A thrilling, genre-busting work of fiction, Moms Who Lie treads the line between non-stop teen drama and intriguing crime thriller. Authors Brett Monk and McKenna Langford tell the tale of friends and families in a tumultuous small town where tensions rise when a child goes missing, secrets are discovered, and we’re given to wonder who, if anyone, can be trusted. This first novel in a planned five-book series is both deeper than your average teen drama, as it sensitively explores serious issues of trauma and its aftermath, and more complex than your average crime thriller, with each surprising revelation prompting […]

Jean Jegel’s delightfully engaging and immersive historical romance Catching Nettie Gordon is a charming and worldly tale set in Los Angeles just after the turn of the twentieth century. The story follows our titular working-class heroine as she navigates the current affairs of the day – women’s suffrage, prohibition, and more – and has no intention of being entangled in any sort of romance, while suitor Emmet takes it upon himself to win her over with his sincere and thoughtful efforts. The story will quickly have readers captivated and invested in the outcomes of its various threads, which are satisfyingly […]

The strength of the individual and the family is showcased in Salou by Morenike McFaal, an original and captivating work of romance. Salou is living in Paris and looking forward to her new promotion when she is the victim of a hit-and-run accident where she is hurt badly, drifting into a coma. Her family, living far away in Guinea, has no way to know what happened or where she is, launching a desperate search to find her, while Salou fights her own battle to recover, starting an unlikely relationship in the process. Set against a vividly drawn international backdrop, Salou […]

Dead Man’s Pose is the engrossing first installment of the Australia-based Yoga Mat Mysteries by the writing team of Susan Rogers and John Roosen. When a student dies in Elaina’s yoga class – which may not be the accident it initially appears to be – Elaina paints a target on her back with her questions, teaming up with the eccentric Ric, as they investigate Australia’s seamy underbelly. At once fun and tense, this uniquely set mystery is a page-turning read from the start. The tone remains lighthearted throughout, and could have used a shade more of noir-ish tint, but this […]

A riveting visionary read with a fantastical narrative, Mindbender by Avinash Naduvath takes the reader into the caverns of consciousness where you begin to question what is real and what is a dream. True to its title, the storyline tackles six points of view and weaves together a story cocktail packed with mystery and strife. Naduvath clearly has a great sense of the weird and wonderful, from the creation of dastardly Pogo to the kaleidoscopic structure of the narrative, though the writing sometimes veers into the purple to make a challenging narrative more obscure than necessary. What will keep you […]

The Reign of the Occult by Lauren Louise Hazel is a breakout start to a riveting new series. Weaving in lessons about humanity’s perennial weaknesses, Hazel layers in powerful societal statements that will feel timely for YA readers. The world-building and magical exposition is done very well, and the dialogue moves the story along at an engaging clip. Whether fleeing Demons after a cage match in hell or avoiding deadly betrayals from within their merry band, this tenacious crew of heroes are entertaining from the start, in this dark and creative new work of YA fantasy.

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A true coming of age memoir, The Gosling Bride by Eileen Bader Williams is about growing up in the tumultuous seventies and its esoteric religious fervor, as she and her brother join a group that closely resembles a cult. Telling the story of being removed from Catholic school in her teenage years, struggling to form relationships with adults as she grew up, and her experience with faith, Williams’ story is told with both seriousness and endearing humor. Through her travels, she grows into a woman and discovers she has been on the road to true love her entire life, telling […]

Storm and Solace by Robin Woods is an engaging fantasy adventure bringing a modern feel to the fairytale genre. In a world of moral ambiguities, a fallen goddess looks to right wrongs on her own terms, but she just didn’t count on falling in love along the way. An inventive retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this novel works entirely on its own terms, leaning towards the mythic quality of the original in a tale of battling immortals that draws on Norse mythology, but fans of the original will be delighted by Woods’ creative take on the classic fairytale. […]