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In the Shadow of the Apennines by Kimberly Sullivan

An emotionally nuanced thrill ride… Sullivan’s poignant latest novel delivers kaleidoscopic settings and a heartfelt coming-of-age story. Trying to forget the trauma of her failed marriage, Samantha leaves her home in America behind and buys a lovely cottage in the…
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Secrets of Tanoria: The Crystal Warrior by Lori Hyrup 

An enchanting and enthralling series opener… Hyrup’s debut installment in The Crystal Warrior series smoothly fuses adventure fantasy, magical realism, and mythic fiction. Aria, the oldest living member of the Order of the Shard, possesses lethal sword skills and superhuman…
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Love Me Breathless… Because Romance Never Dies by Mary-Lisa Russo

A lyrical, vivid, and immersive collection… In poetic language that’s both contemporary and ageless, debut author Russo brings vivid life to romantic love and longing. She beautifully captures what is both raw and relatable about romantic love, such as the first…
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Kingdom of Acatalec (The Acatalec Series Book 1) by S. M. McCoy

Dazzling… The ultimate page-turner. McCoy skillfully mashes the fast-paced lingo of sci-fi thrillers with the colorful worldbuilding of paranormal fantasy in her series starter in The Acatalec. For Tyler, taking part in illegal drone races on the side to get…
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New Elbestran: The First Tale of Spanner by Josh Jackson

An intelligent tale about life and purpose… Well-developed conflicts, exciting action, and authentic worldbuilding makes Jackson’s latest an intriguing read. An immortal with supernatural powers, Spanner Tenganden is tired of venturing aimlessly centuries after centuries. When he lands in the…
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Masked Intent: A Modern-Day Morality Play by Kimberly Greer

An angsty, emotionally-charged story… Greer’s debut installment in The Morality Plays Series is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance strengthened by memorable characters and well-constructed conflicts. Disappointment and heartache are nothing new for Alexa Winston: her relationship with…
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No Good Deed (Kathy Hamilton Mystery Book 3) by Maggie Casteen

Swift, gripping, and entertaining… Casteen’s engrossing latest in the Kathy Hamilton Mystery series sees the persistent investigator entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an elusive killer. Kathy has secured her position as an investigator for the…
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A FINE-TUNED HEART: New Poems by Don Gutteridge

A collection of stunning breadth and intimacy… A wide-eyed awareness runs throughout, uplifting life’s everyday moments into something weighty and transcendent in the introspective latest from Gutteridge. In “SYMPHONIC,” Gutteridge trains his eye on the retreating shoreline of a life:…
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Trine Revelation, The Kinderra Saga: Book 3 by C. K. Donnelly

A thrill ride from the first page to the last… Riveting. Donnely strikes a perfect balance between powerful worldbuilding and rich thematic exploration as Mirana and Teague struggle against their fates in Donnelly’s third in The Kinderra Saga. Though her parents’ lives are…
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Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

Evocative, intelligently written, and emotionally stirring… A page-turning YA fantasy. In this engrossing series kicker, Roman explores themes of self-doubt, identity, and self-discovery via a vibrantly conceived, SF-tinged tale. The middle school at Middlebury Middle is mostly bullying and petty…