Real Grown Folks in Love & Friendship

[Front cover of A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks with a design of a lacy pink thong and scattered flower petals; book held up against the backdrop of a framed black and white photo of the Brooklyn Bridge at night]

[front cover art for A Vampire of a Certain Age by Maria Vale; a city skyline silhouette with a bat's wings spread above it]

[three trade paperback books: One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin (spine up), A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks, Fall: A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller by Tracy Clark]

A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks*

contemporary rom-com

Write Women Publish, September 2024

Peach Kincaid is struggling. Her marriage, her self-image, her secret project and more feel like they're beyond her control until she takes more than one leap of faith. New look, new location, new friends and new opportunities offer her time and space to step into her most authentic self and claim a life that fulfills her in every way. Lots of laughs, tenderness, steamy adult activities and layered circumstances make A Fire at Romanticon a satisfying read.

*The author is my friend and The Write Women Book Fest event co-host, so yes I'm biased but would offer the same review even if we were strangers.;-)

Fall (Harriet Foster #2) by Tracy Clark

mystery thriller fiction

Thomas & Mercer, December 2023

This gritty atmospheric mystery blends elements of a police procedural with the stages of grief, political intrigue and riffs on the murky nature of crime and punishment. It's also a celebration of friendship, partnership and chosen family. Not having read book one didn't detract from understanding the main character's backstory or enjoyment of this well-crafted tale.

A Vampire of a Certain Age by Maria Vale*

a free supernatural short for the author's newsletter subscribers

Eternal perimenopause is only the first horror revealed in this sly, morbidly humorous super short story that packs a lot insightful observations into a few hundred words of juicy entertainment.

*This author was a featured panelist at TWWBF2023 and is scheduled to do so again at TWWBF2025. Plus, she's a friend in my head (to quote Wendy Williams). None of those facts make this short any less entertaining!

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

contemporary romance/women's fiction

Berkley, June 2024

Natalie and Rob weave in and out of each other's lives as they grow into themselves and eventually recognize the balance each offers the other. Lots of emotional chaos and growing pains mischief occurs.

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