Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Beautiful Belligerence by Brent Beamer

Beautiful Belligerence lives up to its name as author Brent Beamer delivers a no-holds-barred peek into a wild and seminal trip that continues to impact him to this day. Touching on delicate themes of substance abuse, addiction, depression, brotherhood, sexuality, and perseverance, this book may be rough around the edges, but so is life.

When the author and three of his closest friends decide to throw their troubles to the wind and tear up Kansas City for a weekend, none of them know what might lie in store for them. At first glance, this book may seem like a drug […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-25T03:20:00+02:00June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: A Devil’s Tongue by Richard J. Blanco

A young man on a dangerous road with one end in sight finds a final chance at redemption in A Devil’s Tongue by author Richard J. Blanco. Readers are brought into the juvenile yet unexpectedly mature mind of Robert, a young man who has seen far too much already in his young life, in this heartbreaking story of second chances.

The traumatic premise of this novel gives it a harder and more visceral edge than other stories of kids going down a dark path and finding salvation. Watching Robert attempt to be “normal” while wading the waters of addiction and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-24T03:49:49+02:00June 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Leo the Liar by Bernie Donnelly

With a disagreeable and dishonorable, yet vaguely charming lout at its core, Leo the Liar is an amusing and unpredictable family drama from Bernie Donnelly.

After not seeing his father for decades, Leo decides to make the jump from Dublin to Florida and reconnect with the long-lost Milo. Awkwardness aside, Leo has grown up to be a smooth-talking liar, a charmer with a silver tongue, a conman with motives that are difficult to suss out. Not only that, but an attraction from Leo’s new stepmother threatens to rock the boat of familiar normalcy. Peppered with clever turns of phrase and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-01T07:57:53+02:00May 30th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Snatch 2&20 by Luke E. Fellows

A raucous story told by a brilliant mind becomes something both satirical and insightful in Snatch 2&20 by Luke Fellows. Following the misadventures and addled mind of one Giles Goodenough, this book is both a riveting read and a whimsical magic trick, spelling out a story so strange, and populated with such unique characters, that you’ll regret reaching the final page.

This foppish protagonist is depicted in sparkling detail, and readers quickly understand the caricature being painted – entitled, privileged, and used to skating through life without having to expend too much effort. In some ways, Giles is reminiscent of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-27T04:27:34+02:00May 25th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

The Long Way Home by D.L. Norris

Author D.L. Norris invites readers to slow down and enjoy the view, and perhaps spin a story or two, in The Long Way Home, an insightful and memorable novel about family, grief, and growing up.

Maggie Davis stands like a proud pillar at the heart of this tale, a recently widowed mother running a bed and breakfast in an out-of-the-way corner of Nebraska. Guests come and go, with their stories and burdens, grateful for a home-cooked meal and conversation, but small-town life for Maggie is far from simple. In addition to her own battle with loss and loneliness, she […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-12-14T12:42:12+02:00March 20th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Lighthouse by Elaine Kozak

Past traumas, dark secrets and reconciliations are at the heart of The Lighthouse, a wonderfully engaging work of women’s fiction by Elaine Kozak.

Driven by a need to reconnect with her estranged father after learning of the death of her mother, a stricken Leah Larsen returns to the family ranch founded by her deceased grandparents in Taos, New Mexico. Her father is less than thrilled by Leah’s arrival and gives her the shock of her life when he tells her that he and Leah’s mother had kept the baby son Leah had given birth to ten years earlier. Even […]

Marta Cheng2020-04-27T02:30:41+02:00March 19th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews, Women's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: High-Sensitivity-Based Mindful Awareness or a Schizophrenic Mind?: You are the Jury! by Chandana Watagodakumbura

The complicated journey of life, through the eyes of an academic far from home, spills out onto the pages of High-Sensitivity-Based Mindful Awareness or a Schizophrenic Mind?: You are the Jury! by author Chandana Watagodakumbura. When Chelian gets the opportunity to travel to the western world – the fictional country of Astort – to pursue his Masters degree, he begins an existential journey that will take him countless miles over the course of two decades.

As the central character, Chelian maneuvers through a foreign land as best he can, confident in his own intelligence and creative streak, despite his inability […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-15T07:40:16+02:00March 11th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Arnold Falls by Charlie Suisman

Author Charlie Suisman delivers a home-cooked platter of playful jabs and thoughtful relationships in Arnold Falls, a book about small town life in all of its strange intimacy.

In a place where everyone knows your business, people’s lives and stories collide in wondrous moments of synchronicity and gossip. In the hamlet of Arnold Falls, this seems particularly true, but that’s mostly due to the insightful lens of Suisman’s writing.

Jeebie Walker sits at the center of this tale as a highly original and unpredictable protagonist, but he is also supported by a cavalcade of memorable characters, as quirky locals […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-03-05T12:01:35+02:00March 5th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|