Blog Archives
The Broken Weathervane
The Broken Weathervane tells the story of Leslie Wickersham, a grants officer carrying both ambition and the heavy weight of family secrets. She steps into a new job at Raymond University, only to find herself working alongside the proud and difficult Dr. Gregory Stafford, a man intent on finishing a biography of author Fritz Buckwalter. Leslie, however, has her own hidden connection to Buckwalter, one she has been asked to keep quiet. The novel weaves past and present together, drawing on family turmoil, mental illness, hidden journals, and long-buried truths. It’s a tale of secrets colliding with the need for honesty, of pride giving way to humility, and of love tentatively growing in unlikely soil.
Reading this book felt like being drawn into a living, breathing world. The writing was rich without being fussy, and it held me with its rhythm. I admired how the author took big, heavy topics like mental illness, shame, and betrayal, and approached them with care. Some scenes made me ache because they felt so true to life. Leslie’s self-doubt rang true to me, and her push-pull with Greg had the kind of sharp banter and underlying tenderness that I didn’t expect at first but grew to enjoy. I found myself rooting for her not just to succeed in her career, but to make peace with her past and claim her own story.
Greg’s arrogance rubbed me the wrong way, but that seemed intentional. I wondered if he could have shown more cracks sooner. The family history sections fascinated me, especially the 1950s journal entries, yet I sometimes felt yanked between timelines. Still, I can’t deny that the mystery of what really happened to Leslie’s family kept me hooked. I would sit down, meaning to read for half an hour and end up lost for an evening, chasing one more revelation.
The Broken Weathervane is a book about secrets and how they shape us, about how shame passes through generations until someone has the courage to face it. It left me thoughtful, a little sad, but also hopeful. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy family sagas with layered characters, a dash of romance, and questions that don’t have easy answers. If you like Amanda Cox or Lisa Wingate, this will probably be right up your alley.
Pages: 424 | ASIN : B0FHDTSPH6
Thank You for the Kiss
Beth Jordan’s Thank You for the Kiss is a memoir that traces her journeys to Cuba, woven with heartbreak, longing, and the allure of escape. The book opens with vivid portraits of Havana’s plazas and rhythms, then slowly moves inward, unraveling her grief after a broken marriage and her mother’s death. The narrative swings between travel writing and raw confession, filled with moments of recklessness, desire, and attempts at healing through adventure and connection.
Jordan’s writing sings with detail. Her Havana is alive with colors, smells, and sounds, and the way she describes cars, streets, and people almost made me feel the heat on my own skin. Yet at times, her honesty about loneliness and her hunger for love hit harder than the travelogue parts. It was messy, even uncomfortable, but that’s also what made it gripping. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was sitting beside her in those plazas, watching her chase something that might not have existed.
At the same time, I caught myself admiring and questioning her choices. I admired the courage to lay bare such vulnerability, to admit vanity and mistakes, to talk openly about being fooled by charm and youth. I felt she often judged herself so harshly, and it hurt to watch. Still, I think that sharp self-awareness is what gives the book its bite. Without it, the book might have been just another glossy travel diary. Instead, it’s something rawer and more relatable.
I’d say Thank You for the Kiss is best suited for readers who enjoy memoirs about loss, travel, and the messy ways we search for healing. If you’ve ever made a questionable choice in the name of love or tried to outrun your own grief, this book will strike a chord. It’s not a light read, but it’s one that you will remember.
Pages: 350 | ASIN : B0BTXCTG86
The Secret Rise, book 3
The Secret Rise is a sweeping tale set in medieval Normandy and England, where Nichol, once a girl betrayed by her family, becomes the guiding light of a hidden hamlet called Harmonie. Now a wife and mother, she carries the weight of leadership, navigating danger from enemies old and new, forging bonds with Queen Emma of England, and testing the limits of her own strength and foresight. The book follows Nichol, her family, and allies as they face betrayal, curses, prophecy, and the unrelenting pressure of survival, all while a mysterious guiding presence known as the Lady shadows her path. It is both a story of individual courage and of how a community holds together when secrecy is no longer an option.
I found myself swept up by the writing. It has a rhythm that shifts between tenderness and suspense, sometimes almost too swiftly, but that kept me hooked. The dialogue feels earnest, and the authors have a knack for describing how ordinary moments, like a meal, a walk with children, or the hush before a dangerous meeting, carry enormous weight when survival is always at risk. The prose leaned on repetition of themes like destiny and trust, yet I also caught myself underlining sentences because they had that raw, heartfelt punch that lingers. What struck me most was how alive Nichol feels. She is fierce, protective, flawed, and burdened, and that combination made me root for her every step of the way.
What surprised me was the warmth threaded through the peril. This isn’t just about battles and politics; it is about mothers feeding babies, children inventing secret languages, and villagers laughing together after fear has passed. Those touches gave me chills in the best way. I will admit, at nearly five hundred pages, the book sometimes meanders. Still, I never truly wanted to put it down. The presence of the Lady, that mysterious spiritual force, added a quiet shimmer to the narrative, and I liked how it blurred the line between faith, fate, and imagination. It made me question whether strength comes from within or from something greater that whispers in the dark.
I closed the book feeling both satisfied and a little restless, already curious about the next installment. I would recommend The Secret Rise to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a hint of the mystical, especially those who like stories centered on strong women navigating impossible choices. It’s a book for anyone who wants to be pulled into another time and place, not just through action, but through the intimacy of family and the resilience of community.
Pages: 540 | ASIN : B0FDV29WWF
When Nobody’s Watching
Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You follows a third-year law student who is unexpectedly drawn into a cheating scheme, where it threatens to derail her entire academic career while trying to balance her personal life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea that true character is exhibited when you take the high road even when there’s nobody watching. Behaving in an ethical manner and doing the right thing isn’t always convenient or expedient, but Lennon’s moral compass is unwavering. I love that about her.
What do you think were some of the defining moments in Lennon’s development?
When I first introduced 18-year-old Lennon Gallagher to readers in the 3rd book in the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist series: Miranda Fights, she was a lonely young woman with trust issues. She had been in and out of foster homes and it wasn’t until she met Attorney Miranda Quinn that she developed the confidence to pursue an education and live a life of purpose. Other defining moments were turning down an opportunity for an ‘easy A’, discovering the truth about her father and meeting restaurant mogul Nick Russo.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I like to present obstacles and challenges to my characters, i.e. plot twists, to show how they respond, grow and develop over the course of the story. For Lennon, character wins out over convenience every time.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
Great question! The sequel to CLASS ACTION: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You is CLASS REUNION: Keep Your Friends CLOSER. Watch for it 10/1/26. Here’s a hint; Lennon’s up for partner at a top law firm and is planning her wedding. Everything is going great… until it’s not!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Third year law student Lennon Gallagher’s life turns from complicated to overwhelming when she receives a message meant for someone else. The text offers an advance copy of a final exam—a guaranteed “A”—but accepting it will violate the honors code she refuses to break. When Lennon declines, the collaborators behind the cheating scheme demand her silence or they will ensure she takes the fall if necessary.
Fighting for her future while balancing an internship, exams, studying for the bar, a boyfriend who no longer seems to understand her, and a mother who needs help rebuilding her life after prison, Lennon tries to handle everything alone. But when she discovers the lead plaintiff in her firm’s class action lawsuit might be the father she’s never known, it’s the final straw. She needs help.
Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You
In Class Action by Gail Ward, we meet Lennon Gallagher, a third-year law student and non-legacy, who is unexpectedly drawn into a cheating scheme that threatens to derail her entire academic career. Readers of Olmsted’s Miranda Quin Legal Twist series may recognize Lennon from an earlier story. For newcomers, both Lennon and Miranda will feel fresh, making this book an ideal entry point for new readers while still providing familiar faces for longtime fans.
Unlike legacy students who benefit from family connections and inherited expectations, Lennon’s path through law school is defined by her outsider status and determination to succeed on her own terms. When she becomes entangled in a cheating scheme, she is forced to grapple with difficult moral and ethical dilemmas, as well as the relentless pressures of academic competition and the challenges faced by those without institutional privilege or support. Through Lennon’s story, Olmsted examines the complexities of integrity, ambition, and the demanding realities of legal education. With the added strain of personal relationships, Lennon must decide not only what she truly wants for herself but also who she can trust.
Olmsted’s narrative deftly balances the tension between personal ambition and collective responsibility, illustrating how Lennon’s decisions reverberate not only through her own life but also impact her peers and the broader academic community. The depiction of law school culture, marked by late nights, fierce competition, and the ever-present temptation to cut corners, feels authentic and immediate. Readers will find themselves empathizing with Lennon’s struggle to maintain her principles while navigating a system that often rewards those willing to bend the rules.
Those who are interested in legal thrillers with some added romance and tension, look no further than Class Action by Gail Olmsted. The strong characters, the incredible intricacies, and the excellent storytelling are all ripe for the reading.
Pages: 255 | ASIN : B0FHZVT6JX
Grand Illusion: Lesson of a Balinese Lotus
The story follows Mara, a gifted Balinese fabric artist who rises from her humble beginnings in rice paddies to the glamorous world of Milan Fashion Week. Her journey is one of contrasts. She moves between the quiet values of her homeland and the dizzying pace of high fashion, and she becomes entangled in a complicated romance with Zayn, a wealthy heir from the Emirates. Along the way, the book explores friendship, loyalty, cultural identity, and the fragile balance between authenticity and the grand façades people build around themselves.
What struck me most was how personal Mara’s journey felt. The writing is vivid, almost cinematic, when describing fabrics and runways, yet it softens into something warm and nostalgic when she recalls Bali. I felt caught between those worlds with her, sometimes seduced by the opulence and sometimes yearning for the quiet of the rice fields. The emotional pull is strong. The dialogue sometimes feels a little too polished, but that polished tone also matches the glittering, high-society backdrop.
I also found myself invested in the themes of love and ambition. Zayn fascinated me as a character because he embodied both desire and duty, but I often grew frustrated with his indecision. Mara’s longing for something deeper tugged at me, and I caught myself rooting for her to choose herself over him. The friendships with Sarah and Annie gave the novel a heartbeat, reminding me that sometimes chosen family anchors us more than romance ever could. The way those bonds were written gave me moments of real joy and comfort while reading.
One character I kept thinking about was Wayan. His presence felt like a quiet anchor in the storm of Mara’s conflicting worlds. I admired his sincerity and the way he carried his past with such openness, sharing childhood memories of his father’s silverwork and his grandmother’s cooking as if they were gifts. He wasn’t flawless, but that made him feel real. His willingness to fit into Mara’s family life, to get his hands dirty in the rice fields, and to prove his intentions gave the story a sense of groundedness. Through him, I felt the pull of tradition, the comfort of roots, and the reminder that sometimes love shows itself most in the willingness to stay and to try.
Grand Illusion is a book for readers who love a blend of romance, cultural richness, and the spectacle of fashion. It is heartfelt and dramatic, with enough tension to keep you turning the pages. If you enjoy stories about women navigating identity in the face of dazzling but fragile worlds, this one will speak to you. For me, it was a reminder that no matter how grand the illusions of life may seem, the truth of who we are always waits to be chosen.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0FLVPHNND
They Tried Their Best
The book follows the inner life of a woman navigating modern loneliness, love, and survival. It begins with quiet domestic scenes that show the strange mix of comfort and despair in everyday routines, then tumbles into awkward dates, toxic men, obsessive scrolling, and a world tilting into chaos. Her dog, Honey, is her anchor, and later, a new puppy joins the mix. As personal heartbreak runs alongside collapsing politics and rising paranoia, she turns toward building a bunker—half symbol of safety, half desperate project. The story blends personal confessions with dark humor, showing both the numbness of screen-soaked nights and the ache of wanting to be loved.
I found the writing raw and often uncomfortable, but that felt intentional. It reads like opening a diary, one full of shame and yearning and sharp observations. The author captures the rhythms of loneliness so well, like the endless scrolling, the forced laughs, the hollow comfort of TV and apps that pretend to connect. At times, I felt impatient with the narrator, but then I realized that was the point. She is flawed, and the honesty of those flaws is what makes her compelling. The style is jagged, almost chaotic, but that messiness mirrors the world she lives in.
Emotionally, the book hit me in waves. Sometimes I laughed at the biting asides, other times I felt a knot in my chest from the self-doubt, the grasping at crumbs of affection. There’s a scene after a disastrous date that made me want to throw the book down in anger at men like that, but then the vulnerability after, the quiet moment of self-love, pulled me back in. The bunker storyline in particular moved me. It’s absurd and practical at the same time, a metaphor for needing safety when the world feels hostile. The writing is simple, sometimes stark, yet it holds these emotional punches that sneak up on you.
I think this book would be powerful for anyone who has felt let down by people and yet still holds onto hope. It’s not for readers who want neat plots or tidy resolutions. It’s messy, alive, and sometimes exhausting, but in a way that feels real. I’d recommend it to those who like character-driven stories, people who aren’t afraid to sit with discomfort, and anyone who has ever curled up with their pet while the world outside seemed to spin out of control.
Pages: 184 | ASIN : B0FC83DT39
That Kind of Girl
That Kind of Girl by Jacey Bici is a sharp, funny, and often painfully honest novel about Opal Collins, a dedicated physician whose life teeters between the chaos of her high-pressure hospital job and the fragile balance of her family life. The story follows her through frantic hospital shifts, tense moments with her husband Fox, and unexpected encounters, like meeting Fantasia, a stripper-slash-therapist whose fearless confidence rattles Opal’s view of herself. The book is about identity, ambition, and the difficult choices women face when juggling personal fulfillment with the demands of career and relationships. Bici builds Opal’s world with a mix of biting humor, messy realism, and moments of quiet vulnerability that keep the pages turning.
I loved how the writing felt alive. The humor is sly, often showing up in the middle of high-stress moments, and the dialogue snaps with authenticity. Opal’s internal commentary is razor-sharp yet tinged with self-doubt, making her both flawed and relatable. The pacing keeps you in that sweet spot between wanting to race ahead and needing to savor the detail. Still, there were times the book’s whirlwind of side characters and subplots made me feel a little like Opal herself, pulled in a dozen directions. It works thematically, but it occasionally left me craving more breathing room in the narrative.
The ideas at play here are what really stuck with me. Bici isn’t just telling the story of one woman in crisis. She’s poking at the bigger question of what it means to “have it all” without losing yourself in the process. Through Opal’s encounters, with her controlling boss, her relentlessly supportive yet sometimes misguided husband, and the magnetic Fantasia, the book explores power, compromise, and self-preservation. I appreciated that Bici never gave easy answers. Opal’s choices are messy, sometimes self-sabotaging, but they feel honest. The mix of humor and emotional weight keeps the themes from becoming heavy-handed, and the moments of intimacy, both in friendships and in marriage, felt refreshingly unvarnished.
By the end, I felt like I’d been through something alongside Opal, rooting for her even when she didn’t quite know where she was headed. That Kind of Girl would be a great pick for readers who love character-driven stories with bite, especially those who appreciate frank and slightly irreverent explorations of marriage, career, and identity. If you’ve ever felt the tug-of-war between ambition and the rest of your life, this book will make you laugh, squirm, and maybe even feel seen.
ASIN : B0FJNFV2CK
LITERARY TITAN 