Editorial Reviews

A tender and engrossing work of romance, Love, Lydie by Blair Harton encapsulates a teenage girl’s dreams of romantic fate. On the streets of Greenwich Village, rockstar Nathan Roth defends a young woman, Lydia, in an altercation with her boyfriend – a fateful encounter, as they fall in love. The novel fast-forwards a decade to Lydia’s hometown, where Nathan is a single father working at the local theater, and their relationship takes a turn because Nathan is in love with the theater’s events coordinator. Secrets and wounds are unearthed, weaving unexpected mystery into the novel through a series of enticing […]

I’m Right Behind You by Rose Talitha is a chilling, suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Candice and her husband Dr. Max Kilbourne become the center of a murder mystery when one of his patients is murdered, and he’s a prime suspect. Isolating themselves in remote woods, they are led to dig into each other’s pasts and reveal secrets that are better left buried. Talitha unfolds this mystery through a collection of well-drawn characters who will do anything to protect their own version of “good,” with their stories intertwining in a chorus of internal monologues that show, […]

A spellbinding sci-fi adventure, Alien Son by G.S. Kenney time travels between Earth and the planet Aran and across eras in search of answers to a great mystery. When doctoral candidate Aiana Kim sees herself in a hologram in a time and place no historian has ever accessed, she knows that although her research threatens dangerous heresy, she must get there. Meanwhile, Mikel, Earth’s only interstellar half-breed, is on Aran with his own story to tell. Though the digressions into history and backstory sometimes slow the pace, this space opera is exceptionally well-written and expertly plotted with a complex series […]

Artist and writer Beatriz M. Robles combines her passions in Artwords, an astoundingly imaginative collection of calligrams, found poetry, and photographs that meld print and visual imagery. Nearly every calligram and photograph feature a simple object, such as a kite or a piggy bank, rendered in childlike, brightly-colored images with text embedded in each that describes an experience with the object, for a wholly innovative work. Some of the pieces are quite risqué, even when describing seemingly ordinary activities – such as putting on a pair of socks – but the combination of words and images is uniquely expressive, […]

James Gardiner’s All in With Love: My Journey to the Hero Within is a life story filled with pride and regret as narrated by three versions of the man who lived it: Little Jimmy, whose asthma-plagued childhood never stopped his dreams, adult Jim, who sought and fought for fame and glory, and author James, who concludes with a screenplay-version of his inner child rescuing him from rock bottom. Switching between third person and first person, the perspective shifts seem somewhat arbitrary in terms of which persona tells what stories, but the stories themselves are emotive and relatable, given Gardiner’s open […]

Aileen Sideris’ Motion: The Art of Moving Forward by Creating Change is a step-by-step guide to success for people with any goal in mind, from a life-changing career switch to learning a language or an instrument. Clearly written, engaging, and stimulating, the book is comprised of life management instructions, thought exercises, and daily practices to affirm one’s own self-worth. Despite an overreliance on inspirational quotes, Motion is remarkably practical, providing a structured methodology for self-help that separates it from other books in the genre that may rely on vague pep talk, instead asking the reader to investigate themselves with sensible […]

A raw and vulnerable collection of love-soaked poetry, Violet by Sabrina Simon is a powerfully uncut gem of youthful grief and growth. Fueled by reflection on lovers longed for, lusted after, and lost, some of these pieces are narrative streams, while others are lyrical and metaphorical, musing on the nature of desire itself. There is some redundant word use and idiomatic comparisons, but the heart of this collection beats with passion and honesty. Anyone who has known the pang of heartbreak, especially for the first time, will find comfort and wisdom in Simon’s verse.

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With the atmosphere of a noir, the intensity of a psychological thriller, and the passionate emotion of a love story, Cody Lakin’s The Family Condition is a delicately complex read with dark undertones. Amid fresh heartbreak, Bennet meets Elodie and is instantly intrigued by her unique charm, falling in love with her. When he discovers Elodie’s disturbing family history and heritage, Bennet has to decide if he will run away from the relationship or go all in with this enchanting, but complicated woman. Though the story can feel far-fetched at times, this is a book that asks vital questions about […]