by Susan Roberts
For sale: Greek cottage. One euro.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
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Showing posts with label debut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debut. Show all posts
March 10, 2026
May 11, 2025
Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen ~ a Review
by Susan Roberts
A twisty thriller that probes how well we actually know the men in our lives.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
June 24, 2024
Shan Serafin Takes Readers on a Wild Ride in Debut Thriller
by Susan Roberts
The glittering world of high finance conceals a dark underbelly of corruption and abuse. And the powerful men at its heart will do just about anything to keep their secrets from being exposed.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
December 27, 2021
The Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah ~ a Review
by Susan Roberts
“My family was no different from every other Indian family we knew, and putting on the pretense of being a happy family was more important than actually being one.”
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
May 13, 2021
2 New Books about Female Friendship
by Susan Roberts
In the past I didn't like books with the world GIRL in the title - I felt that it made the women in the story to be more girl than woman. After reading several of these books, I've changed my mind and see the word GIRL from another viewpoint - "Like it or not, but Girl in the title has come to mean nuanced, multifaceted, and true-to-life woman. Sugar and spice optional." (Readers Digest)
Here are reviews of two recently published books with the word GIRL in the title.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.
March 23, 2021
Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff ~ a Review
by Susan Roberts
"He closed his eyes and opened them. Forget it, he told himself. At least for now. That's something his mother used to tell him when he couldn't sleep and worried about not sleeping. 'You have permission to forget it', she'd tell him. 'Just for a minute, just enjoy your pillow, just rest, let it go. Close your eyes and sail away from troubles on a raft made of stars.' " (p 136)
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
February 24, 2021
A Mother's Promise by K.D. Alden ~ a Review
by Susan Roberts
Based on the true story behind a landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision, K.D. Alden's debut novel, A Mother's Promise, is a rich and moving story of one woman's courage and determination to get her child back when all odds are stacked against her.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
February 24, 2020
Wildland by Rebecca Hodge ~ a Review
by Susan Roberts
"There was no fairy tale ending here. Flames consumed undergrowth, flames crept up tree trunks, flames leaped into dry upper branches. Distant trees burned like torches, tossing fire into the tops of the trees beside them. The wall of noise struck Kat as a physical blow and her mouth tasted liked singed evergreen." (p 216)
"There was no fairy tale ending here. Flames consumed undergrowth, flames crept up tree trunks, flames leaped into dry upper branches. Distant trees burned like torches, tossing fire into the tops of the trees beside them. The wall of noise struck Kat as a physical blow and her mouth tasted liked singed evergreen." (p 216)
May 12, 2019
Ashes in a Coconut by Bo Kearns ~ a Review
by MK French
Laura Harrison accompanied her husband Jack to Indonesia when he is set to take over as president of a troubled bank. She's intending to save her marriage, even though she has the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. She finds meaning in helping to save endangered orangutans and their habitat, but her husband is caught up in a lot of shady dealings that start to force them apart.
Laura Harrison accompanied her husband Jack to Indonesia when he is set to take over as president of a troubled bank. She's intending to save her marriage, even though she has the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. She finds meaning in helping to save endangered orangutans and their habitat, but her husband is caught up in a lot of shady dealings that start to force them apart.
February 1, 2019
Interview with Diane May, author of EVO
by MK French
Recently, I reviewed the crime thriller Evo by Diane May. She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her debut novel.
Recently, I reviewed the crime thriller Evo by Diane May. She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her debut novel.
December 9, 2018
The Jacobite's Wife by Morag Edwards ~ a Review
by MK French
Lady Winifred's childhood was marred by both of her parents imprisoned for treason for supporting the Catholic king of England, then their exile in France after they were released. When she was ultimately summoned to join them, her brother was imprisoned as well. She eventually meets a young Scottish man at court, and it's a love match as well as one of politics. The shine eventually wears off when finances are strained, and her husband supports the Jacobite movement, trying to put a Catholic king back on the throne of England. She isn't as staunch a supporter because of her prior losses, but she's torn between her duty to her husband and trying to keep him out of prison.
Lady Winifred's childhood was marred by both of her parents imprisoned for treason for supporting the Catholic king of England, then their exile in France after they were released. When she was ultimately summoned to join them, her brother was imprisoned as well. She eventually meets a young Scottish man at court, and it's a love match as well as one of politics. The shine eventually wears off when finances are strained, and her husband supports the Jacobite movement, trying to put a Catholic king back on the throne of England. She isn't as staunch a supporter because of her prior losses, but she's torn between her duty to her husband and trying to keep him out of prison.
November 15, 2017
Review: Maranatha Road by Heather Bell Adams
by Susan Roberts
As a reader, I love to find debut authors and follow their writing careers with their subsequent novels. When the book by the debut author is Southern fiction, it is an even bigger treat because that's my favorite genre to read. In the past two years, I have been lucky to find two debut authors of southern fiction and follow their careers - Kristy Woodson Harvey and Donna Everhart. Both authors had fantastic debuts (Kristy's was Dear Carolina and Donna's was The Education of Dixie Dupree) and each of them followed them up with books that were as good or better than their debuts. Now I have a new debut author to add to my list -- Heather Bell Adams. Her first novel, Maranatha Road is southern fiction at its best. I can't wait to see her future books.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.
The word Maranatha means that 'hope is coming' and is the perfect title for this book about two women who love the same man.
The man is Mark, who dies very early in the novel. The two women who love him are Sadie, his mother and Tinley, the girl who is pregnant with his baby. The novel takes place in a small mountain town in NC where there are no secrets and everyone is overly concerned with their neighbor's business. After Mark dies, Tinley goes to see his mother to tell her about the baby. Sadie won't believe her - she had never met the girl plus Mark was engaged to someone else. Sadie turns Tinley away and Tinley has to cope with life as best she can. She has no family and no one to turn to so her life is very difficult especially when she has to make a decision whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption. It's only later, when Sadie starts putting the pieces together (with a lot of help from the town gossips), that she begins to believe what Tinley told her and tries to undo her mistake of sending Tinley away.
The two main characters in this book are so well written that they fell like people I know in my life. They are both trying to be strong and trying to make their way through life without hurting other people.
This is a book about love and family and forgiveness! Wonderful debut.
Buy Maranatha Road at Amazon
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As a reader, I love to find debut authors and follow their writing careers with their subsequent novels. When the book by the debut author is Southern fiction, it is an even bigger treat because that's my favorite genre to read. In the past two years, I have been lucky to find two debut authors of southern fiction and follow their careers - Kristy Woodson Harvey and Donna Everhart. Both authors had fantastic debuts (Kristy's was Dear Carolina and Donna's was The Education of Dixie Dupree) and each of them followed them up with books that were as good or better than their debuts. Now I have a new debut author to add to my list -- Heather Bell Adams. Her first novel, Maranatha Road is southern fiction at its best. I can't wait to see her future books.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.
 |
| September 2017; Vandalia Press; 978-1943665754 ebook, print (300 pages); southern fiction |
The man is Mark, who dies very early in the novel. The two women who love him are Sadie, his mother and Tinley, the girl who is pregnant with his baby. The novel takes place in a small mountain town in NC where there are no secrets and everyone is overly concerned with their neighbor's business. After Mark dies, Tinley goes to see his mother to tell her about the baby. Sadie won't believe her - she had never met the girl plus Mark was engaged to someone else. Sadie turns Tinley away and Tinley has to cope with life as best she can. She has no family and no one to turn to so her life is very difficult especially when she has to make a decision whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption. It's only later, when Sadie starts putting the pieces together (with a lot of help from the town gossips), that she begins to believe what Tinley told her and tries to undo her mistake of sending Tinley away.
The two main characters in this book are so well written that they fell like people I know in my life. They are both trying to be strong and trying to make their way through life without hurting other people.
This is a book about love and family and forgiveness! Wonderful debut.
Buy Maranatha Road at Amazon
Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
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