Nowhere Burning

by Catriona Ward Full disclosure, Catriona Ward’s writing is a favourite of mine; she could rewrite the ingredients of a cereal box, and I’d love it. So I was fully expecting to love this new novel of hers, and I did. Although it isn’t my favourite novel of hers, it was still a good, creepy,…

You Did Nothing Wrong

by CG Drews Elodie leaves her life as a single mother in Australia to join Bren in the United States. Bren appears to be the ideal husband: he is handsome, a reliable provider, and willing to help raise her autistic son, Jude. Elodie is also pregnant, which makes her feel she finally has the foundation…

Lady Tremaine

by Rachel Hochhauser Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy. I both listened to and read this novel. Lady Tremaine is more than just a twist on the Cinderella story. It’s a feminist retelling of a tale many of us grew up with, where a beautiful girl loses her parents and…

Saoirse

by Charleen Hurtubise Sarah Walsh is on the run. The threat to her life is so intense that she steals the identity of another woman and flees to Ireland. On her flight, she meets Paul, a man who takes an uncomfortable interest in her, but Sarah has no one, so she accepts Paul’s help navigating…

Women of a Promiscuous Nature

by Donna Everhart Hey, so apparently in 1918, men who were drafted into the army were succumbing to venereal diseases, and it was all the fault of women ( insert look of incredible annoyance here). In fact here is the quote “What the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the navy are hereby authorized…

Maureen

by Rachel Joyce Many of us remember Harold Fry’s journey to see his old friend Queenie during her final days, but have you ever thought about what his wife, Maureen, felt when he left? Was she abandoned, jealous of “another woman,” or hurt that he didn’t ask her to join? In this novel, Rachel Joyce…

A Scar Like a River

by Lisa Graff Thirteen-year-old Fallon has secrets. All of them center around the origins of the scar on her face, a scar that runs from  just above her left eyebrow to the top right edge of her upper lip. And when you’re in 7th grade, the last thing you need is an ugly scar; however,…

Grace

A. M. Shine Grace is my first encounter with author A M Shine. Rooted in traditional Irish folklore, this Irish Gothic Horror novel is set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The novel opens with a prologue in which Declan desperately tries to save his wife, Chrissy, and his daughter, Grace, from…

The Safekeep

by Yael Van Der Wouden The Safekeep is a novel that explores themes of pain, loss, isolation, identity, and love. Set in the aftermath of World War II, the protagonist, Isabel, leads a life marked by routine and emotional detachment. Although she maintains a relationship with her two brothers—Hendrick, to whom she is close, and…