This review is published on Reedsy/Discovery. The book begins with a life-changing event for Laila Harrow, a resident of Laguna Shores with a passion for the art world. It is a fictional mystery with many moving parts as the characters in her sphere all seem to have intersecting secrets. Laila belongs to a research club where members individually delve into a topic of their choosing. Billie, a close friend of Laila’s, was helping the group’s members with their research, and the story opens with Billie’s murder. From that point, the book gets more interesting as you follow Laila in her quest to ..read more

This review is published on Reedsy/Discovery As Jack Adams returns to law practice following a six-month suspension, his close friend, Mike Mason, convinces him to take on a case involving a family’s death. The case is allegedly a straightforward estate claim. But when Jack is drawn into the double murder and suicide tragedy, complexities surface. As Jack uncovers buried secrets, he adopts the role of an investigator as well as an attorney. At the same time, he reunites with Allie Bessette, stirring up feelings from their past relationship. The romance builds, and as Jack’s feelings for Allie ..read more

This book was published on Reedsy/Discovery. This book of short stories evokes smiles, tears and reflection. The author has a unique writing style that captures your attention from the first sentence. Simple activities and relationships become fodder for creative writing, even something as mundane as forgetting to bring something to the dinner table. In “I Don’t Have to See Christmas,” Selma exclaims: Oh, shoot, the butter! She twirled and shot off, a heat-seeking missile after a new target. In “For Me,” Katherine remarked about the excitement she received upon her return home: What was up wit ..read more

This review is published on Reedsy/Discovery. This is a moving story of two lives that intertwine. Paula Hamilton is a 27-year-old high school English teacher who discovers she has a brain tumor. Daniel Swift is a 15-year-old student in her class, bullied by boys and a stone-cold guidance counselor. Poignantly, Paula and Daniel are each other’s saviors. The author’s distinctive style of telling two tales, each in the first person, is compelling. The stories unfold in parallel, from Paula as she copes with her diagnosis and Daniel in the form of a blog. Their individual sagas and how they overl ..read more

Nick Sanchez, a star attorney, finds himself entangled in crimes that put him, his girlfriend, Joulie Crane, and his close friend, Nate Briscoe, in danger. Nick is a likeable character. He is not trying to be a hero, but his sense of integrity drives him to find answers. You can’t help but root for him and get swept up in his pursuit of the truth behind the incongruous settlements involving his law firm. The book is a legal thriller with underlying themes of romance and friendship. The dialogue is clever, and I enjoyed the dry humor. It is written in the first person, which adds to the charact ..read more

The story begins with Bennett (Bennie) Hall at midlife when her personal sense of self and view of the world in general was bleak. She had just been let go from her job of 27 years, returning to a house that never felt like home. As Bennett attempted to brighten her life, literally and figuratively, she experienced a transformation, partly from circumstance, mostly from her own longing for human connection. Bennett found the inner strength to put closure on her lonely upbringing and the love that never materialized. But she continued to succumb to the inner voice of negativity. Hesitant at fir ..read more

This book review was published on Reedsy/Discovery. The story begins in 2018 when Elizabeth is 64 years old, cleaning out the Indiana home in which she grew up. You find Elizabeth at a pivotal time in her life, preparing the family farm and home for auction. She had retired early to care for her ailing father. The confluence of her father’s passing and feelings of neglect by a husband who worked too many late nights left a void in her life. It was the perfect recipe for intense introspection and surging curiosity of how her life could have been had she followed a different path. Haven’t we all ..read more

This review was published on Reedsy/Discovery. The story opens with a letter from Sam Picken to her best friend, Jessie Spaulding, questioning Jessie’s professional behavior. As a judge, Jessie had recently presided over a disturbing murder case, deeply connected to her past as well as Sam’s. From there, John Macleod takes you back to the hardscrabble coal mining communities of West Virginia, deftly setting the stage for what is to follow. The book is a legal thriller with underlying themes of ardent friendship, imperfect marriage and familial relationships woven into the fabric of coal mining ..read more

This review was published on Reedsy/Discovery. Blake Hamner, Crisis Communications Manager in the president’s circle, and Maria Worthington, a news media anchor, are married and struggling with many of the same issues most young couples face: demanding careers, conflicting schedules and family planning delays. Written in the first person, the reader gets inside Blake’s head, which is filled with ambivalence. As Blake’s personal life and health takes a backseat to his role as point person for damage control, he has his hands full. Blake serves the president, referred to as “our leader,” a man w ..read more

This blog review was published on Reedsy/Discovery. In this memoir, Peter Manouselis takes you through a spiritual journey of self-discovery, which unfolds in Greece. The story begins in the U.S. as Peter says his final goodbyes before embarking to Greece where his father, who lives there, registered Peter as a Greek citizen. Given the opportunity to build a life in Greece, Peter committed to learning Greek culture and language, reconnecting with his father and fully participating in the responsibilities of a Greek soldier. With these experiences, he yearned to frame his purpose in life. Peter ..read more