A Light Within by Ann Nolder Heinz begins in 1850s California, with Cora Fielding, a young woman determined to study medicine. Her father is a doctor, and her twin brother, Carl, is set to follow in his footsteps despite not wanting to. Although Cora is...

In Allen Rebot's At Death’s Door, Kayla wakes up alone in a snow-covered forest after a car crash with no memory of how she arrived there. With no phone and little protection from the cold, she moves through the silent woods until she reaches a...

Between Goodbye and Hello is the story of two people, Melody and Harrison, who can’t help but judge each other based on past events. The small, coastal town of Alinta Bay is their hometown, and Melody returns, much to the chagrin of Harrison. He doesn’t...

The Raven and the Rose by Adra Mayfield and Leanne Blakemore is a tightly written and well-plotted historical romance set in 1840 in Northumberland, England. Lady Rosalind Englebright is a spirited woman who prefers breeches to ballgowns. She is fierce and untamed. Her father is...

Gaza: Tears of Rage, Tears of Sorrow by Richard J. Reese moves between Gaza and Israel, tracing lives shaped by conflict across decades. The story begins on the eve of October 7, 2023, as Khalid ibn Jibril Fawza prepares for a mission that will change...

In Infanticide by Christopher Everidge, Jacob arrives at Rose and Miles’s wedding slightly confused and very distraught. His name isn’t on the guest list, and the only woman he has ever loved is getting married to someone else. But Jacob has not come unprepared; he...

North of Ordinary by Angela Grey is a collection of interconnected stories set in small northern towns where the landscape shapes the lives within it. The opening introduction establishes a world built from familiar places such as lakes, diners, bait shops, and bars, where repetition...

Parallel Peril by Maria Lynn Barrs is an enthralling story that I rank among my top reads of the year, so far. Dallas TV journalist Vicky Robeson is on vacation and has just been promoted to News Director. While on a two-week vacation in California,...

In Showboat Soubrette by Brodie Curtis, the story begins with Stella Parrot, a talented, popular Native American showboat singer, performing aboard Lady J along the Mississippi River. Taking place in the years leading up to the Civil War, she travels from town to town, captivating...

In Richard Siciliano’s The Man Who Obviated Christmas, Edward Brash, a middle-aged manager who has spent years limiting his life to work and routine, walks out of his office on Christmas Eve and is pulled into a street crisis when children tell him their kitten...