Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Vandemonian Spirit by Missy Birch

An intense period drama laced with the timeless theme of love lost and found, Vandemonian Spirit by Missy Birch is a powerful tale of feminine resilience and the relentless pursuit of joy in the face of systemic indifference.

After a selfless act of desperation to save her sister’s life, Hannah Fearn lands in the hands of the law, and she is sentenced to seven years of servitude in Van Diemen’s Land, the colonial name for present-day Tasmania. Forced to leave her life of squalor, she hardens herself to the inevitable cruelty of the years to come as she sails to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-30T11:56:07+02:00September 30th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Reluctant Bully by Gary Rivera

A second thought-provoking Smoochie adventure, The Reluctant Bully: A Smoochie Family Story by Gary Rivera continues Madeline’s journey as she navigates the high hopes and dramatic lows of middle school.

With her victorious lunch-money treasure hunt still fresh in her mind, Madeline, aka Lynn/aka Smoochie, turns her attention to the worrying drama going on in her brother’s life. B hasn’t been himself lately – he’s quieter and more disconnected, and it seems like one of his high school classmates, Jordan, may be responsible for the shift. As Smoochie asks more questions and digs deeper into the history of her friends […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-30T12:21:28+02:00September 29th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: No More 24/7 by Catherine Cowart Roe

A thorough guide to gaining your freedom as a dedicated business owner, No More 24/7: Entrepreneurs, Take Your Life Back by Catherine Cowart Roe is an invaluable resource for anyone who feels like they’re never truly off the clock.

Primarily focusing on the importance of running your own business without letting it overtake your life, this insightful guide touches on the most crucial aspects of entrepreneurial experience, from time management and delegation of responsibilities to self-care and mindfulness techniques, which gives the book the original pull of a self-help guide, rather than a by rote leadership or organization manual.

The […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-29T11:21:12+02:00September 26th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: The Young by Nicholas John Powter

A sword and sorcery adventure set in a vibrant and violent land, The Young by Nicholas John Powter is a compact father-and-son character drama in a wildly creative setting. In The Deluge, where gods of the day and devourers of the night are locked in constant struggle for the souls of the living, a grief-stricken warrior must once again don his armor to defend the realm against encroaching evil.

Sven’s pastoral retirement is shattered when a murderous cult leader attacks his home and nearly beheads his son, Fren, launching them both on an arduous quest to root out a sinister […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-11-21T16:47:27+02:00September 23rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Ten Years and Then… by J.J. DiBenedetto

The story of two star-crossed lovers who can never get the timing right, Ten Years and Then… by J.J. DiBenedetto is an honest portrait of connection that transcends conventional coming-of-age romances.

As Daniel and Nora begin their collegiate careers, falling in love is far from a top priority, but as their orbits continue to serendipitously intersect, the magnetic attraction feels impossible to ignore. Friendship soon shifts to flirtation, and it doesn’t take long before they’re meeting one another’s families and talking eagerly about the beautiful future they could build.

After two infatuated years, their diverging directions pull them apart, leaving […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-20T12:04:22+02:00September 22nd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: New Adult Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

Review: The Museum of Art and Other Things by Stephen Meltzer

A cherished art institute careens toward economic catastrophe amidst a slew of small-town drama in The Museum of Art and Other Things: A Novel of Art, Identity and Redemption by Stephen Meltzer.

When the board of trustees at a Midwestern art museum learn that their passion project is practically bankrupt, they face an existential dilemma that even their grandstanding patron, Mrs. Etta Stern, struggles to solve. Unbeknownst to these scheming overseers of culture, their salvation may lie in the prodigal return of C. Malveaux, a hometown hero with access to a highly collectible cache of artistic treasures.

Charlotte’s homecoming is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-16T14:18:03+02:00September 18th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Operation Reboot by James Hallenbeck

The future of humanity depends on returning to the past in Operation Reboot by James Hallenbeck, an imaginative time travel novel that rings with contemporary significance.

At the turn of the 22nd century, as the world spirals into chaos and barbarism, a secretive group of scientists finally unlocks the mystery of time travel. Their ambitions are risky, yet simple: travel five centuries into the past and start a new timeline for the species, one where European colonizers are prevented from spreading and slaughtering their way across America.

Upon arriving in the year 1607 in the lands of the Mohawk, the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-15T15:13:25+02:00September 17th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Time Travel Book Reviews|

Review: Jinn: The Manga Series by Samay Saidi and Kamal Rahyab

A thoughtful adventure through Islamic tradition and folklore, Jinn: The Manga Series by Samay Saidi and Kamal Rahyab offers essential wisdom about family, purpose, and cultural roots.

While traveling home from class with friends and discussing the nuances of Orientalism, Tamina experiences what seems to be a seizure, but is actually something far stranger. As her body is rushed to a hospital, her mind enters a dream-like realm called the Berzakh, where she encounters a mythical Jinn who has been watching over her since birth.

After overcoming her disbelief, Tamina learns that one of her ancestors possessed a mighty gift […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-10T17:30:58+02:00September 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novel Reviews|