Forever
Wolf
by
Maria Vale
Sourcebooks
Casablanca March 2019
While
comparisons to Patricia Briggs and Kelley Armstrong are appropriate, Maria Vale
establishes a distinctive depth and range of storytelling excellence in her
Legend of All Wolves series that is unique in its artistry. As the third entry,
Forever Wolf continues the pattern of
transcending the boundaries of the paranormal shape-shifting genre by creating
more poignant character sketches of compelling individuals who embody a variety
of multifaceted points of view about how to survive. That shared intention is
just one of many ways in which Forever
Wolf exudes its primal energy.
Varya
and Eyulf’s story progresses like a heartrending blend of ballad, dirge, and
warriors’ battle cries.
Seraphina
Does Everything
by
Melissa Gratias; Sue Cornelison, illus.
National
Center for Youth Issues April 2019
At a
time when privileged kids are over-scheduled and internalizing society’s
constant, demanding pressure to excel in all endeavors all the time, Seraphina Does Everything encourages
readers to consider the value in down time and unstructured play. An obsession
with the fear of missing out competes with a focus on the importance of the
quality of experiences rather than the quantity of them.
Featuring
Seraphina’s relationship with her dad offers a refreshing example of
normalizing the representation of a man as emotionally engaged with his
children. Practical critical thinking and problem solving situations anchor
this thoughtful story told mostly in an abcb rhyme scheme.
Faces
and figures rendered with the details of dynamic portraiture command readers’
attention with bold, saturated colors.
Tips
for educators and parents in addition to links to other resources for managing
time and expectations are also included.
Make
Me Need
by
Katee Robert
Harlequin
Dare July 2019
Last
year at the Baltimore Book Fest there was a discussion panel called “Where Are
All the Asian Beach Reads?” It could have easily substituted BM/WW interracial
for Asian and been just as relevant. While the pairing of black men with white
women is frequently included in urban fiction, that combination is much rarer
in mainstream romance—and usually the socioeconomic differences assign poverty
to the black man and wealth to the white woman. Katee Robert cleverly rejects
those conventions and more in Make Me Need.
Trish
Livingston is a twenty-four-year-old college grad who’s struggling to establish
her professional career and ends up working for her older brother Aaron’s
cybersecurity company. She starts while he’s on paternity leave.
Aaron
had hired her to redesign the office space, liaise with incoming clients and
provide general support to him and Cameron. [page 10]
Easy,
right? Wrong.
Cameron
O’Clery, Aaron’s business partner, is the opposite of Trish’s bubbly, charming
personality. Their collision course in the workplace generates a series of
madcap slapstick encounters that create opportunities for deeper emotional
intimacy, which Trish and Cameron explore. Their connection sparks a smoking
hot sexual chemistry that singes readers’ senses in only the most satisfying
ways.
It
would have been a pleasure to see at least a portion of the model’s face in the
cover art to reinforce the idea that a black man is much more than just his
body.
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ReplyDeleteWow. Thank you for your thoughtful summary of Seraphina Does Everything. It's as if you peeked into the part of my brain that was engaged when writing the book.
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