New Beginnings & Second Chances

These books deal with trauma, its aftermath, healing, and renewal.

[front cover art for BAD SEED: The Midnight Cries of an Island Girl, A Novel by Cherry Dawn Fagbemi; a night scene with a starry sky above a home with its exterior and interior lights shining on the first floor]

BAD SEED: The Midnight Cries of an Island Girl by Cherry Dawn Fagbemi

contemporary fiction

November 2024

"Montego Bay was where I should have died in the summer of 1985."

And with that first sentence, Vivienne Pearson's harrowing saga of being haunted by the resurgence of disturbing memories of past events relevant to her present life and choices starts a compelling tale of heavy themes and dangerous circumstances. It's a potent blend of mystery, thriller, family conflict, social commentary, and romance.

Vivienne confronts her confusion, devastating heartache, alienation and more as she navigates a series of traumas in order to heal and to reclaim herself and her life.

content note: includes detailed flashback of the assault of a child and on-page details of the assault of an adult

[front cover of Just Playing House by Farah Heron; a woman lying on her back on a sofa while a man sits on the sofa and lets her use his thigh a pillow as they look into each other's face; they're surrounded by house plants]

Just Playing House by Farah Heron

contemporary romance

Forever, July 2024

What happens when the prom date who ghosted you years ago ends up being a big shot actor who can make or break your path to achieving your professional goals?

Marley Kamal finds out when Nik Sharma crashes back into her life. Their love story has so many relatable layers that spin this celebrity romance into a heartfelt tale of enduring friendship, hindsight, and actions that reveal fundamental truths about real love whether offered by family by blood or by choice. It's also funny and poignant. Don't miss the insightful remarks included in the author's acknowledgements.

What had happened was... I went to the library to borrow the two books that were on hold for me and the other three books made me borrow them too (by tempting me from their perch on the new arrivals shelf placed right in front of the entryway).

["Let it snow" gift bag arranged under 5 trade paperback books: You Belong With Me, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, Puck & Prejudice, Like Cats & Dogs, The Finders Keepers Library]

Comments

The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

Black love. Black joy. Black drama. Humanity in its vast melanin array. [front cover of a paperback ARC for The Best Man: Unfinished Business; silhouette of three adults] The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen adult contemporary fiction with romantic elements Storehouse Voices, July 2025 First, dedicated fans of The Best Man franchise and its beloved characters need not fear how they’re treated in this first of three novels. In fact. One thread of Harper’s storyline seems to reflect the real-life author/screenwriter/director’s battle to protect and maintain the integrity of The Best Man universe. Mission accomplished. Second, once readers - fans or not - start this novel they won’t want to stop. The compulsion to re/watch The Best Man movies and limited series and maybe even to reread this book while anticipating the release of book two in 2026 will prove difficult to resist. Who are you? Who are your people?...

A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up] By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understanda...

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

Search This Blog