Reviews (Author-wise)

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The Gift of Love - Andrea Hahnfeld - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Andrea Hahnfeld ILLUSTRATOR: Anastasia Khmelevska GENRE: Picture Book for Adults RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book for adults! Will work nicely as a companion gift for wedding showers or weddings. Story Synopsis: A newly married monster couple is quite excited about opening their wedding gifts. While they love most of their gifts, one of the presents leaves them befuddled. It is a plant that has almost entirely withered. There’s no sign of who gifted it as the attached note simply says, ‘The Gift of Love.’ As they can’t throw it away, they decide to do their best to nurture the plant back to life. Their results initially seem to bear fruit (or perhaps, I should say, ‘bear flowers’) but soon the growth takes a turn downwards, and the couple is forced to ask themselves some tough questions. I loved the story. It is a beautiful allegorical take on how it takes two to nurture a marriage. Both the husband and the wife are shown as equally concerned and equally involve...
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The Invisible Stone: A Letter to a Powerful Girl - Carola Schmidt - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Carola Schmidt ILLUSTRATOR: Dian Ovieta GENRE: Children's Inspirational Book. PUBLICATION DATE: February 6, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: An inspirational picture book aimed at young girls. Nice uplifting message, fabulous illustrations. A bit too vague, but this can also work to its advantage. Recommended. As the cover indicates, this is a “letter to a powerful girl”. Addressed directly to the young girl reading the book, the content offers a motivating note about how to tackles the various stones that life may throw in their path. I found the tagline quite interesting. The adjective “powerful” is a minor addition but a major game-changer in that line. It highlights how even confident children can face hurdles on their way. At the same time, it serves as a reminder that the little reader is powerful, whether they believe it or not. As far as messages go, the content is obviously as expected. But there are a couple of things that set this book apart. For one, the con...
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The Keeper of Lonely Spirits - E.M. Anderson - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: E.M. Anderson GENRE: Paranormal Fantasy. PUBLICATION DATE: March 25, 2025. RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A horror-fantasy about an aged immortal ghost hunter solving a ghostly mystery and making new friends. Not as cozy as promised. Interesting diverse characters and a gripping storyline. Good use of the found family trope. The romance was a little cringeworthy and the writing, a tad repetitive. But on the whole, a good experience. Recommended, as long as you aren’t afraid of ghosts, and are ready to not overanalyse. Plot Preview: Peter Shaughnessy has been alive for more than two hundred years and is ready to die. Unfortunately, thanks to an encounter with an annoyed fey during his teens in Ireland, Peter is cursed to spend eternity wandering away from home. As the curse has given him the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants, he spends his time looking for angry spirits and sending them onwards. His roaming has now brought him to Harrington, Ohio, where he has hear...
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One Tuesday, Early - Annalisa Crawford - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Annalisa Crawford GENRE: Psychological Drama PUBLICATION DATE: May 14, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological drama with a dash of mystery and experimental storytelling. To the right reader, this will work mostly well. The problem is that there will be fewer right readers for such a writing approach. I hope the book finds its audience because such a clever writing endeavour, especially an indie one, deserves a try. Plot Preview: Early on a Tuesday morning, at 6.05 am, Lexi finds herself all alone. Literally. No sign of her partner Finn, her neighbours, the people outside on the streets – not a single person around. Her only company is a black cat who makes random appearances. As Lexi struggles to figure out what happened, she realises that she is stuck in that morning and at that time, with no clue about what’s going on. In the meanwhile, on that same morning, Finn realises that he is all alone at home. As Lexi and he had had an argument the night before, he pre...
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The Briar Club - Kate Quinn - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR: Kate Quinn GENRE: Historical Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: July 18, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-driven historical fiction set in the oft-ignored 1950s. Excellent character sketches, great plotline, excellent research, good suspense. Goes a bit overboard on the jingoism, but this might not be an issue for everyone. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: 1950, Washington D.C. Briar House is an all-female boarding-house run by the stingy Mrs. Nelson who wants the money but not the work. Her children, teen Pete and tween Lena, bear the brunt of her behaviour. The boarders also mostly stay to themselves. This changes when widowed Grace March moves into the attic room. With her friendliness and care, she draws all the neighbours into a tightly knit group, even though she herself stays an enigma. The weekly dinner parties, conducted when Mrs. Nelson is out on her weekly bridge night, soon become a highlight for all the residents and the two Nelson children. But one...
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