Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews

Review: Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

A short but evocative novella that explores loss, forgiveness, and righteous revenge, Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba is a stark and stunning read.

After discovering that what she knows of her past is far from the whole truth, Amy embarks on a dangerous plan to right the wrongs of her sinister stepmother, Tammy. On the night of their 18th wedding anniversary, Amy testifies to the years of psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Tammy, escalating the war that has been brewing for years.

Amy finds allies in unlikely places, among those still loyal to […]

2022-05-16T02:43:24+02:00April 18th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: A Little Rain by Bill VanPatten

A Little Rain by Bill VanPatten

A young gay man participates in a court hearing for a mysterious crime in Bill VanPatten’s emotional and reflective novel A Little Rain, an engrossing work about how the impact of generational trauma and the strain of keeping secrets can break a family apart.

When Alex Chance is sixteen years old, he attempts suicide shortly before landing in front of the judge who will determine his fate. By the time he arrives in the courtroom, he’s in a dissociative fugue, clutching a paperback copy of Stephen King’s Misery and barely speaking. So what happened to lead Alex to this fraught […]

2022-05-12T08:21:51+02:00April 8th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Golden Hearts Club by Cinda K. Swalley

The Golden Hearts Club by Cinda K. Swalley

An uplifting novel about two sisters who befriend a family on a California horse ranch, Cinda K. Swalley’s The Golden Hearts Club is a feel-good story about spreading kindness and finding love in the most unlikely of places.

Close-knit siblings Katie and Megan Summers decide to take an epic cross-country road trip following Katie’s college graduation. Katie is a little more nervous and hesitant to take the plunge; she’s a passionate romantic who’s just gone through a terrible breakup with a cheating boyfriend. She’s also struggling to determine the meaning behind the strange prescient dreams she’s been having – are […]

Secondhand Emotions by Will Entrekin

Secondhand Emotions by Will EntrekinA romantic sojourn of an eager-to-please lover finding his way in the world, Secondhand Emotions by Will Entrekin is a steamy but unusual tale of sex and psychology.

Donovan Malone pulls readers through the personal experience of desire, depression, and “extreme empathy” of his collegiate years, but his hormonal throes of passion are anything but average. After discovering that he can sense the feelings and thoughts of his sexual partners, Donovan is driven to explore where this invasive power comes from, and how it can be controlled before it ruins his honest chance at happiness forever.

While many erotic-leaning reads […]

A Slow Trek by George Sanchez

A Slow Trek by George Sanchez Jeff Chaussier faces an unimaginable loss in New York City and a new tangled chapter of grief in A Slow Trek by George Sanchez, a vulnerable adventure of self-discovery and strength.

This installation of the Chaussier adventure series continues to challenge ideas of traditional family structures, and explores bold new forms of love after loss. Returning to New Orleans with his children and Bryna – his almost wife and sometimes lover – Jeff puts his Sherlock instincts to good use, putting together threads of sinister connections to his recent tragedy, while she dives into a bayou mystery of her own. […]

Review: Cute For A Black Girl by Amy Watkins

Cute For A Black Girl by Amy Watkins

An emotional, affecting novel about existing and surviving as an oppressed person, Amy Watkins’ Cute For A Black Girl exposes the horrific, intrinsic racism and sexism that young Black women are subject to on a daily basis – as well as highlighting the importance of friends and found family.

Chloe is a young Black girl from an abusive home who is placed in the foster care system, where she’s eventually adopted by a kind, caring, and genuinely well-meaning white lawyer named William. The story tracks Chloe’s life on multiple timelines, including the discrimination she experiences as the only Black student […]

2022-02-17T08:44:51+02:00January 13th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Catching Mozart by Benjamin Laskin

Catching Mozart by Benjamin Laskin A common-man adventure of epic proportions, Catching Mozart by Benjamin Laskin is an accessible slice of unusual prose that dances between philosophy, comedy, magical realism, and more.

JC, Manny, and Larry can only see dollar signs when their landscaping company snags a recurring gig in a fancy part of town, and while the yards on the block seem cursed when it comes to greenery, they’re eager for the challenge. The ancient old man at the end of the block and ominous warnings from nosy neighborhood kids set the stage for a bizarre tale of brotherhood, unexpected romance, desert mysteries, and […]

Review: No. 7: The Date by Nandita Banerjee

No. 7 The Date by Nandita Banerjee

Author Nandita Banerjee delivers yet another tangled knot of family drama with No. 7: The Date, the second installment of this eerie and thoughtfully crafted series.

Still reeling from her newly upended life, and the consequences of her husband’s sinister cabal activities, Priya must muddle through the aftermath of ghostly encounters, controlling relatives, natural disasters, unwanted advances, and even her son’s marriage proceedings in an endless quest to find peace. Armed with quiet perseverance, she must hold her family together on opposite sides of the world, all while juggling a dangerous and growing list of secrets – about her husband, […]

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