Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Suzette D. Harrison GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 13, 2026 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel inspired by a true story. Good use of a dual-timeline narrative. Strong characters, compelling writing, many moral values. Realistic depiction of both eras. Somewhat slow and repetitive in between. Recommended to fans of the genre. Plot Preview: 1848. Mississippi. Enslaved midwife Zinnie has no choice but to follow her owner when he begins a two-thousand-mile journey from Mississippi to Utah. With her newborn daughter strapped to her back and her other two daughters walking by her side, Zinnie knows that her first priority is to make sure that her children are safe. When the party crosses state lines, can Zinnie take a chance and fight for their freedom? Present day. Texas. Elementary school teacher and single mom Lynette is tired of having to balance the various challenges in her life: her school work, her household chores, and parenting h...

AUTHOR: Darlene Madott GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2026 RATING: 3.7 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of ten stories with one character in common. Bonus content in the form of one essay and one novella. Stories about broken relationships, their consequences, and the challenge of moving on. Focusses more on mature love than young crushes. Literary in approach. The essay and the novella were not right for me, but the stories were quite good. Recommended. This collection contains twelve entries. The first ten are interlinked stories, all featuring a character named Francesca though she isn't always the central character of the narrative. Then there’s one essay documenting the author’s own experience with betrayal and heartbreak, and finally a novella focussing on imminent loss and grief. The first thing that attracted me to this collection was the title. ‘Closing Ceremonies and Dying Times’ is such an intriguing way of labelling a set of stories abou...

AUTHOR: Amanda Lovelace ILLUSTRATOR: Raquel Travé GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: August 25, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: The debut graphic novel offering by the prolific poet. A sugary-sweet Sapphic romance with Pride rep and some important themes. Stays true to the title by containing books, coffee, and a more than healthy side of adorable dragons. Episodic in structure, which makes it lack depth. Includes darker themes but they are just brushed upon. Might work better for younger readers. Was a bit too superficial for my taste, though. Plot Preview: In the scenic Sea Witch Cove, Luci runs Little Lighthouse Books, an indie bookstore, with her assistant August and her pet dragon for company. Next door to the bookstore is a coffee shop run by Aster, who also has a pet dragon. Luci has a secret crush on Aster, and this summer, those one-sided feelings are about to turn into a sweet relationship, cheered on by August and the dragons. The combination of author, that cozy ...

AUTHOR: Dolly Parton GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 1994 RATING: 4.5 stars. I read this book in honour of one of the most generous humans who ever lived: Dolly Parton. I was never much into country music, so I don’t know many of her songs, but ever since I heard of her Imagination Library Project, I became a fan of her style of philanthropy. This book was adapted from a song she wrote by the same name, so it effectively combines two of her greatest contributions to the world: music and books. The story tells us of a girl who loves the coat of many colours her mama sewed for her using rags. Though the other kids tease her in school for wearing a coat made of rags, the girl herself is never negative and doesn’t allow words to upset her because she stays strong in her belief that she is rich despite not having money. The name also alludes to Joseph’s multi-coloured coat from the Bible. This beautiful book is simple and yet impactful. It shows kids how we a...

AUTHOR: Lina Chopra Haldar ILLUSTRATOR: Teresa Martínez GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: August 11, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book in epistolary form, addressing how a boy starts looking at Math as a friend. Cute concept and implementation. Practical. The humorous approach helps. Recommended. Plot Preview: Nikhil is an Indian-American boy who hates math. His interests lie in other subjects such as art and reading. So his teacher gives him a simple assignment: treat Math as a friend and write letters to the subject to address his feelings. Initially sceptical, Nikhil is later surprised to learn how Math is a ubiquitous part of life, both at his current age and in his future. Over the course of the school year, his letters to math help him address his fear of Math and find more joy in the subject. The concept of this picture book is simple, but considering how many children are actually scared of Math, the book is practical and helpful. I didn’t e...

AUTHOR: Amman Brar GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A bittersweet fiction novel about an Indian-origin postmaster in England. Had great potential, especially as it highlights a scandal not many know about. But the plot is very diluted, the characters are mostly stereotypical, and the writing is heavily reliant on telling rather than showing. The eponymous character is like a typical traditional Indian uncle, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Disappointed, because this book could really have been impressive with better handling. Plot Preview: Sixty-something Mr. Sidhu has been the sub-postmaster of the local post office in Richmond for many years. Earlier, his wife also used to help him at the shop, and after her passing, Mr. Sidhu wants to make sure that he fulfils his last promise to her: that their two grown-up children are settled. But two things bring about a change in the status quo. One, Mr. Sidhu starts developin...

AUTHOR: Ciara Blume SERIES: Natural Magic #1 GENRE: Cozy Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: June 22, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy about a magical bookshop and some magical people connected to it. Somewhat cozy with a strong cottagecore vibe but contains a few dark events. Charming magic, some interesting characters. Second-chance romance and found family. Too cluttered with characters and subplots. Too slow-paced. A entertaining option as long as you keep your patience. Plot Preview: Thirty-five-year-old Maida has never been to Primrose Court – the hidden magical neighbourhood housing some interesting magical characters, including a witchy great-aunt she never knew about. But now this aunt has gone missing and the magical Mudpuddle bookshop – of which she was the caretaker – has also disappeared along with her. Turns out, Maida is the official heir to the shop so she is the only one with the authority to get the bookshop back. There’s just one hurdle – Maida has...

AUTHOR: Christina Baker Kline GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2026 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel about a pair of conjoined twins and their wives. Great historical research, realistic characters, interesting themes. Slow pace. Average writing that goes overboard on ‘telling’. Based on real-life events (related to the original Siamese twins), though the story is fictionalised. An interesting story for lovers of this genre, though it could have been even better. Plot Preview: 1840s. North Carolina. Sisters Sallie and Addie Yates belong to a prominent local family, but because of a controversy in their past, both the girls struggle to find eligible matches. Despite their contrary personalities, the sisters are fairly close. So when they hear that Chang and Eng Bunker – Siamese towns who have now settled in the same town and own a plantation – are looking for wives, Addie sees them as good potential husbands, despite what everyone else aro...

AUTHOR: Mikki Brammer GENRE: Contemporary Uplit PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about an old woman discovering the joys of being bad. A sophomore novel that has some things in common with the author’s debut ‘The Collected Regrets of Clover’. Mixed feelings about most things in the book, whether the plot or the characters or the writing choices. Not convinced by what it was trying to suggest. Goes a bit overboard on social commentary at times. A decent option for the right reader but not a must-read. You might like it better if you can accept the lead character’s life choices. Plot Preview: Eighty-nine-year-old Joy has always been a good woman, following rules to the letter and never deviating from etiquette, always a devoted wife and mother even when circumstances become challenging. When she learns that her best friend Hazel, who was always an adventurous rebel, has only a few months to live, she is heartbroken. But she is also s...

AUTHOR: Sally Hepworth GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A mystery-drama with a geriatric character in the lead. Good leading duo, interesting storyline, some good twists (though I guessed every single one of these well in advance. 😐) Character-driven. Too many coincidences. Too much of a tragic background for one character. Didn’t like the final chapter. Works well enough when you want an entertaining work that seems light even in its darkness. Recommended. DO NOT READ THIS AS A THRILLER! Plot Preview: Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick isn't your typical old lady. She is tall, fit, foul-mouthed, and happier alone than interacting with her neighbours, whom she barely tolerates. Oh, and unknown to most others on her street, she is also “Mad Mabel”, who was Australia’s youngest murder convict at age fifteen. Elsie’s quiet life is interrupted when an old neighbour dies suddenly and someone in her vicinity discover...

AUTHOR: Tasha Gold GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2026 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction containing romance, redemption, and revenge. Some good secondary characters, but the lead character has double standards. Nice storyline, but contains way more romance than I thought it would. Great representation of Jewish culture. Not a light read. Many triggers, including brutal animal death (though nothing harsh is described on page) and holocaust. An interesting novel that might work better if you don’t overthink as much as Scarlett and I do. Plot Preview: 2018. USA. Thirty-year-old Scarlett has hidden her identity for most of her adult life. Even her husband Daniel doesn’t know her backstory. But when her uncle Arthur, her only true guardian in her younger years, suffers a health setback, she is forced to confront the past that she has ignored all this while, and return to his small-town home. The place also holds Brackson prison, a place that st...

AUTHOR: Jaima Fixsen GENRE: Historical Crime Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery following a pair of siblings and a crime. Nice use of the small-town setting. Historically-relevant inclusions (including polio.) Good development of the lead characters but not so much of the secondary characters. Convoluted mystery with too many interconnections and a lacklustre ending. A mixed bag for me. Plot Preview: 1955. When Edie moved to Clairbeck, a small mining town in Canada, to work as a nurse after her divorce, she didn’t expect that her ex-husband would be murdered soon, and that she would be the prime suspect. Her brother Peter, just discharged from the hospital after contracting polio, is determined to help clear her name, but with his limited mobility and physical strength, he is mainly reliant on his camera to look for evidence. With the secrets soon piling up, the siblings find themselves struggling to sort out the mess. The sto...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #3 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance retelling the Hollywood musical ‘The Sound of Music’ by setting it in the Gilded era. Great characters, wonderful writing, excellent research, satisfying ending. Christian in approach, but never preachy. The third book of the Dollar Princess series, and can be read as a standalone though it continues from the earlier book. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1886. When nineteen-year-old Addie is forced to leave her wealthy New York home and work as a governess in the house of George Stafford aka the Earl of Torrington, she isn't exactly looking forward to it. But when she finds his household lacking in joy, with his five children determined to drive away every governess in the hopes of getting more time with their father who has turned reclusive after the death of his wife, Addie is determined to bring happiness to them....