Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Marvelous Orange Tree by Betsy L. Howell

In The Marvelous Orange Tree by Betsy L. Howell, readers are transported from the simple plains of the Midwest to the murky Civil War battlegrounds of the deep South and everywhere in between, following the lives of two star-crossed souls as they struggle for acceptance, purpose, love, and survival.

Jennie Edwards and Robert Taylor lie firmly at the center of this story – one a rebellious young woman eager to hone newfound skills and masquerade as a man for the adventure of a lifetime, the other a directionless soldier coping with life in the military, crises of faith, and the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:18:33+02:00September 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Military|

Review: Kingdom of the Northern Sun by Clara Martin

In a world where magical beings and military might collide, there are sure to be fireworks, and this is certainly the case in Kingdom of the Northern Sun by Clara Martin. This first installment in what promises to be a strong series follows Eileen O’Donell as she navigates life without magic in a world that seems controlled by it.

After suffering a head injury during her time serving in the army, Eileen lost the ability to access her magical abilities, and like so many veterans in the real world, finding a job has been a struggle. After intervening and sheltering […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-17T07:35:49+02:00September 15th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: The Devil’s Dragon by Jason F. Boggs

Dystopian near-future novels are all the rage in recent years, and The Devil’s Dragon by Jason Boggs is the exciting first installment of a new series set less than a century in the future. Despite the plethora of books in this freshly popular vein of writing, this novel stands out for a number of reasons, primarily the depth of character development and the comprehensive world-building on display.

The world as we know it has changed at the turn of the 22nd century, and for new recruit Nelson Jones, joining the military means proving that he’s the best, and finding some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-10T11:39:39+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Jason F. Boggs, Science Fiction, Space Opera|

Review: The Heart of the Deal: Finding Love on Wall Street by J.B. Stewart

The Heart of the Deal: Finding Love on Wall Street is an engaging contemporary romance novella by J.B. Stewart, set in the high stakes world of hedge funds.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kayla Hartman has always lived by two cardinal rules: never be poor and never let a man come between her and her career. So far these rules have helped her graduate at the top of her class at Harvard and obtain a Masters Degree from Columbia.

But now, thanks to her fiercely competitive nature, Kayla’s managed to put her job on the line as a junior analyst with the world’s most […]

Marta Cheng2019-10-09T05:34:31+02:00September 8th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Romance|

Review: Baturi by Matthew Stephen

In Baturi, author Matthew Stephen has created a remarkable work of fiction that draws directly on his own experiences in certain dark corners of the world in the 1980s. The level of authenticity and brutal honesty achieved by this author makes this book stand out, despite its potentially niche appeal.

Matthew Ferguson is stationed in northern Nigeria with the Volunteer Services as a teacher, having chosen to leave his life behind and disconnect from everything he has known. However, becoming entranced and then embroiled with another foreigner, and a strikingly beautiful one at that, sends him spiraling into an […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-02-08T10:43:11+02:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Fiction, Thriller|

Review: We Fly Away by J.V. Whittenburg

In We Fly Away, the striking new memoir by J.V. Whittenburg, the author recounts his own incredible story and family history with savagely honest clarity. The third son to a mother of nine, a woman whose sweat and blood and love for her children sits upon every page, the book is told from the unique perspective of a child raised among sharecroppers, a child who was forced to grow up too fast.

Whittenburg writes in the first person, detailing a streaming narrative of his life captured in stunning detail. From his youngest years, dealing with the terror of nearly […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-01T10:12:15+02:00September 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir|

Review: The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck

A moving work of literary fiction, The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck illustrates the stark message of its title: the best of intentions are too often not enough.

Transplanted Melbourne social worker, Kurt Edelman, is hardly a typical Buddhist. With a penchant for cheap wine, leather jackets, and violent video games, he’s disillusioned and frustrated by the social system for which he works – a system that is for the most part understaffed, underfunded, and forces a high case load on its workers.

However, when young Kylee Watson, one of his former charges, jumps from the roof of […]

Marta Cheng2019-09-30T09:12:25+02:00August 20th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction|

Review: Littlethumb Sneezed by Truant D. Memphis

When 10-year old Littlethumb Brooks emerged from the “Occurrence,” the world around him had not changed, but he had. Always sensitive, but now a precocious artist, he possesses a wiseness beyond his years. In front of him stands an amazing series of events involving his parents, a kind yet eager teacher, an evil rock-star, a devastating fire and a beautiful nanny. Littlethumb Sneezed by the creatively named Truant D. Memphis captivates and careens through mystery, love, and a head-spinning jaunt through the enigmatic art world.

The story begins on Coney Island where a caricature artist meets a nanny and the […]

Greg Rideout2019-09-27T09:29:48+02:00August 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Visionary Fiction|