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Crossroads, Choices & Consequences

Halloween is over but in these three compelling reads each featured character is haunted by their pasts. 

[3 books arranged showing their front covers, from left to right: King of Ashes, Revolve, Good Spirits] 

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby 
contemporary mystery suspense thriller with romantic elements 
Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar, June 2025 

Some legacies are deadly and finding answers to questions that have lingered for years makes it almost impossible for Roman and his sister Neveah to save themselves, their surviving family members and the business they've sacrificed to build. Threats abound in this turbulent, layered, genre mashup that mesmerizes with shock and awe as it entertains and illuminates. 

This author offers characters and dilemmas with gorgeous language and brutal reality that deliver on all the book world hype. So good. 


Revolve (Off the Ice #3) by Bal Khabra 
contemporary new adult romance 
Berkeley, October 2025 

Competitive couples figure skating is more than hard enough under the very best circumstances, but mounting a comeback while searching for a new partner after the whole world witnessed her almost deadly traumatic injury that keeps getting replayed online might break Sierra's resolve. Enter suspended hockey player and former couples skater Dylan Donovan, with a partying f-boy reputation. What could go wrong? Just about everything, except maybe so many wrongs turn into exactly the right combination for healing and success. 

Messy family dynamics, college antics, sexy times, and tenderness along with laughs. 


Good Spirits (Ghosted #1) by B.K. Borison 
contemporary speculative fiction with romance 
Avon, October 2025  

Harriet and Nolan collide at the intersection of disbelief and boredom in this clever modern spin on A Christmas Carol that includes funny nods to other riffs on the original holiday classic tale. It's heavy on variations on themes of alienation and grief. Strong integrated world-building, lots of combative verbal foreplay along with charming secondary characters and hints toward setup for book two make this an engaging detour from this author's previous compelling works. Expecting even more mystical satisfaction from book two in this Ghosted series. 


Relatively modest BAC Issues this week (Book Acquisition Compulsion)

[bookstack of 5 books, from top to bottom: The Gist of Bid Whist, Slow Burn Summer, Save the Date; those 3 stacked with their spines outward atop 2 books showing only their bottom edges] 

Simply seeing books and being near them adds joy to my existence. So holding them in my hands, opening them and reading them generates ecstasy. Is it the echo of the spirits of my ancestors who were enslaved and forbidden by law from learning to read or write rejoicing that their descendants are reaping the benefits from their endurance and faith? Maybe. But I most definitely read and savor every word of every book borrowed or purchased in gratitude for their stamina. 

Always wishing you good health, peace of mind & some pleasure every day! 

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