By Chiara Bullen
** Publication Date 7 July 2026 **
​4 stars




Honestly, when I first started this novel, I wasn’t sure I was even going to finish it. It seemed a bit contrived and tedious. I cannot tell you how wrong my first impressions were.


Ainsworth is not what he seems. While he has become quite the scholar for the Skarrow Library, he comes from very humble beginnings. His love for history and his desire to succeed have gotten him where he is now. Happily partnered with Enach, another scholar, Ainsworth now visits the finest restaurants and wears exquisite clothing.


When Ainsworth finds a letter from a relative regarding the Misnich Inn, he feels maybe this is his chance to make a name for himself. The Misnich Inn sits at the foot of Mount Vengeance, a historic place for adventurers. Ainsworth finds himself headed there at a moment’s notice to research and write about this Inn and the people who visit it before making the trek up the mountain to face whatever is there.


Only the Inn isn’t what he expected. And those adventurers he hoped to write about, just don’t exist. But there is something there. Something about this Inn that Ainsworth can’t let go. The question is whether or not he can make something of what he’s found here.


Definitely fantasy, where the ‘people’ are somewhat human, somewhat animal. Ainswroth himself has antlers from his grandmother’s line. It’s a tad odd, until it isn’t. Until this book simply becomes a story of people trying to find real happiness. The question that everyone has to face is what makes you happy? Truly happy. 


Although I was so perplexed when I started, once I really got into the story, I couldn’t let go. Every character brings something to the tale, some human characteristic that makes them more real. Makes the story more real. Yes, it is about ‘humans’ that can shift into birds or cats. But at the heart of the story is nothing but heart. Finding your happy place. 


Really enjoyed this one. 

By Emily Lloyd-Jones
** Publication Date 7 July 2026 **
​4 stars




I always say it when I review, YA is for everyone. Especially well written YA. This novel has it all.


Augusta Pine is not a real person. She is a wraith, or ghost, employed by a government agency. She didn’t choose this life, not really. Augusta made a horrible choice when she was 15. She hacked into a self-driving vehicle’s computer system, resulting in someone’s death. So she had a choice - prison or become a wraith. What choice did she have?


But over the years, Augusta has become a valuable asset to the ISD. She’s a brilliant hacker, tough as nails, and refuses to fail. Plus the fact that she’s still a kid doesn’t hurt either. No one expects her to be who she is. She always uses it to her advantage. 


Only now she’s in a near impossible situation with many lives at stake. Will she be able to pull off another miracle?


Such a fun novel. Augusta may have started out in the worst of circumstances, but her pluck and wit will forever endear her to the reader. It’s hard to not like her. To not want to be like her. She does what she needs to do, nearly fearless. I loved how she was written as a good person in spite of the circumstances that led her to be a wraith. 


The world that Augusta inhabits is completely high tech, decades or more in our future. It’s all believable tech though. Nothing that out of our realm, which makes this not really sci-fi. Lloyd-Jones did a fabulous job creating this world and these characters. It’s a very special book.


Absolutely recommend, and not just for teens. 

By Paul Doiron
** Publication Date 30 June 2026 **
4 stars



Maine is the setting for this thriller. While I’ve not visited Maine, the book describes it exactly how I envision it. Rugged. Remote. A lot of wilderness and wild things. It sounds amazing. But it is also the perfect place to stage a thriller with all that wide open space.


Mike Bowditch is a game warden for the state. Officially part of law enforcement, he is sometimes the first on the scene of a major crime. This novel starts with one at a remote home. The house is ablaze in a way that absolutely looks like it was intended to be burned down. There is a woman outside holding a baby and watching it burn. Turns out the house was owned by a couple, the husband accused but never found guilty of his ex’s baby’s disappearance. 


The fire and the woman with the baby both seem suspicious. Even though it’s not Mike’s job to interrogate or investigate this fire, he is rattled in a way that makes him want to know more. More is what he gets. This fire, the woman and baby, and his own life will be shaken to the core by the events that soon follow. Mike will find himself the center of a crime spree that was set in motion years before.


Really fascinating and great novel about law enforcement and the lengths an officer of the law will go to. Not only to protect his own family and his own life, but also to bring justice. This novel can get fairly graphic with details regarding crimes committed, The cast of characters is uniquely diverse, but all come together at the end to make sense. I was thoroughly engaged and enjoyed it immensely. Great writing and a genuine ability to hook the reader. 


Absolutely recommend to those that love procedurals and suspense novels.

By E. Kennedy
** Publication Date 30 June 2026 **
​4 stars




A serial killer is usually one who takes the life of multiple people in an unrelated incident. Ryan knows this definition all too well. Her father, Gabriel Thorn, was convicted of killing multiple women, including her mother, ten years ago when Ryan was seven years old..


After the murders were discovered, Ryan was whisked off to her grandmother in Pennsylvania. Her name was changed. She lived in relative anonymity for ten years. People searched for Gabrielle Thorn, but no one could find her. Meanwhile her father lived behind bars.


But now Ryan’s grandmother has passed, and Ryan has to move back to Starling, Tennessee, to live with her mom’s sister and her uncle, and her twin cousins Jazzy and Connor, who are 16. Ryan doesn’t want to go back. Too many memories of the night her mother was murdered. The town is still wrapped up in the memory of the murders. Ryan needs to maintain her cover, with a new last name, Shipley, so that no one in town finds out who she really is.


This YA novel is fabulous. E. Kennedy was well known for her romance novels, and this is her first foray into the new genre. I never read anything by her before, but goodness, this one was excellent. Suspenseful and intriguing, it carries us through Ryan’s time living with the Shipley’s while trying to keep cover from her real identity. 


Ryan is a compelling lead character. She’s relatively tough and spunky, but also likes to keep to herself. Her cousin Jasmine is the complete opposite. While the novel centers around Ryan’s experiences, there is plenty of character development in the supporting characters. Every teen can identify with someone in this novel, as all the usual cliques are represented. There are shocking discoveries along the way and plenty to keep the pages turning. 


Definitely recommend this one to adults and older teens alike. 

By Allison Brennan
** Publication Date 23 June 2026 **
​4 stars




Farming and ranching life is not for the faint of heart. It’s a 24/7 job from sunup to sundown. It is a lot of work and can be a lot of heartache, but also joy.


Ellen McKenna lost her husband less than a year ago. It was an accident. An accident that left her with four children and a large farm to manage. She’s been doing great, however, one thing after another seems to keep going wrong. Minor farm breakdowns and large storms are keeping everyone busy.


They have a neighbor who wants their land. He’s been pressing hard to get it, but Ellen is determined to keep the family dream alive. Then a robbery and attempted murder occurs on an adjacent farm. The farm owner is barely alive, another massive storm is headed their way, and life is going to turn for the worst in unimaginable ways.


This was a super quick read for me. It was so engaging. Ellen and the rest of the McKenna clan are hard-working, likable people. To see them struggling as they are means wanting to see how all this is going to turn out. Kept me turning pages to see what was going to happen next! 


It’’s not really a cozy mystery, nor a thriller, but it’s definitely suspenseful. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it.