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Cain is savvy, street-smart, and living in the capital. chosen one" quest in which characters discover and use their power, and in different ways, Arienne, Cain Each of the three main protagonists begin to understand their own power--and when their paths intersect

SecUnit is a fantastic main character; it's grumpily and charmingly obsessed with keeping its people Lora Beth Johnson hooked me immediately with the premise of Goddess in the Machine and with main protagonist she's ready to be reunited with the team, which includes her mother and the rest of her family, plus many But Divya is too busy crafting strong female main protagonists (complete with working mother guilt, which A mysterious prisoner from the front arrives who could be friend or foe, and our main protagonist Talin

fiction rom-com is a funny, poignant, and sometimes frustrating deep dive into the emotionally stunted main Baby steps are hard-won progress for the often-clueless main protagonist.

I like a story driven by a female investigaor of a main protagonist, and in this small-town mystery and

In one timeline, an abused wife makes a stand for a whimsical name suggested by her daughter Maia, Bear While I feel resistant to Knapp's placing of the weight of the main characters' fates on Cora's shoulders Each timeline produces a vastly different boy, a significantly shaped sister Maia, drastically different

opera August Kitko and the Mechas from Space, about deadly AI robots coming to destroy space--until our main pianist, is tasked with saving humanity; and I'm listening to This Other Eden, historical fiction set in Maine group of underdogs saving the day. 03 This Other Eden by Paul Harding Back in 1792, a formerly enslaved man Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife found a safe haven on an island off the coast of Maine. scratch and claw to subsist--yet they remain on their island, safe from the judgment and danger of the mainland

In Ava Robinson's debut novel, she offers an appealingly imperfect main character making missteps and

Dragon Heart Legacy series; and I'm reading Flying Solo, Linda Holmes's light fiction caper set in Maine without being spotted by the Russians who have hacked the city's cameras and who are out to kill the man tension with Keegan. 03 Flying Solo by Linda Holmes Because I'm back in my old stomping grounds of Maine , it seems like the perfect time to read Flying Solo, a Maine-set title that's been on my to-read list In Flying Solo, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown, stinging from her recently canceled wedding

Six Great Bossy Literary Fiction Reads I read so many read literary fiction books last year, I'll need This book was one of My Very Favorite Bossy 2024 Reads . 02 Wellness by Nathan Hill Flawed main characters But when the boss's daughter begins tinkering with precious resources, our main protagonist is swept fiction rom-com is a funny, poignant, and sometimes frustrating deep dive into the emotionally stunted main Baby steps are hard-won progress for the often-clueless main protagonist.

I'm a huge Amy Bloom fan, and while I appreciated the strong main female character here and the World I'll Be Right Here  tracks decades in their lives, including victories, pain, unorthodox choices, and beautiful In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss , Away , Lucky Us , Come to Me: Stories , and A Blind Man

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Rebecca Serle's upcoming novel in which the main protagonist receives of love-life predictions, Expiration Dates; I'm reading Amy Tintera's upcoming novel, in which the main protagonist may or may not have murdered her best friend and is tracked down by a podcast investigating Daphne Bell meets a potential love interest, she receives a mysterious slip of paper that details how many

Abby Jimenez layers tough situations and messy complications into her rom-coms, and here, her main protagonists Xavier is a young veterinarian who feels grumpy, exhausted, and as though he may be losing faith in humanity But Xavier's painful past and Samantha's challenging present might make a future for the two impossible

Elizabeth Strout examines the range of characters from her many books and their intersecting stories, In small town Crosby, Maine, acclaimed writer Lucy Barton and attorney Bob Burgess walk and talk about Bob is defending a man accused of a terrible crime: killing his mother, a mean, reviled lunch lady long But the young man, a self-taught artist, is counting on Bob and an unorthodox approach to figuring out

I loved the Ottoman Empire setting, the strong female main protagonist, and the complications and sometimes Main protagonist Ismae escapes an arranged marriage, arrives at a convent, and is ultimately trained She finds that she may be the only hope to save her war-torn country. King , surprising revelations, shifting alliances, opaque political machinations, and enmity between main which offers wonderfully flawed characters, plot twists and revelations, great banter, and endings you may

Flawed main characters Jack and Elizabeth try to find their way back to an emotional connection in this

Listen for the Lie offers a fascinating story structure, dark humor, and deeply flawed characters as main liberate France during the war, surprising facts begin to surface about the sisters' past--and they may fiction rom-com is a funny, poignant, and sometimes frustrating deep dive into the emotionally stunted main Baby steps are hard-won progress for the often-clueless main protagonist. Main protagonist Frankie signs up to leave her idyllic, privileged Southern California life--and the

While the roadblock issue of not swimming is easily resolved (in convenient fashion, so that the two main I received a prepublication version of this title (which was published May 20) courtesy of NetGalley

Raybourn is masterful at providing a captivating main character with depth and flaws; a tantalizing attraction /sexual tension between her two main characters, and dialogue that makes me laugh out loud--all set against

Grant's thriller is set in the wilds of Idaho, with a wilderness expert of a main character who has fought to trust others and be vulnerable--and who may find herself deeply betrayed again. estranged old friend Janessa goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Emlyn must team up with the man

Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction mysteries, Veronica remains a strong and unorthodox main But evidence indicates to Veronica that Alice may have been murdered.

ICYMI: This series by Naomi Novik introduces vain, strong-willed, talking dragons, their complex, wonderfully Temeraire is young, greedy, vain, and outrageously loyal to Will, and Will is attempting to civilize Naomi Novik is also the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted

There's a health crisis and solution that involves the two main characters in key ways and which complicates Then Florence's beloved father dies, and she returns to her hometown for the first time in many years please see The Dead Romantics. 06 Happy Place by Emily Henry Six longtime friends gather for one last Maine I was impatient with the prolonged lack of communication but loved the main characters' interactions For years they've taken annual trips to their friend Sabrina's cottage in Maine with the rest of their

novel explores early Edinburgh surgical schools, questionable methods of obtaining study subjects, a main

tableau, but the reasoning for this forbidden love didn't hold up for me, and I was frustrated by a main

Lora Beth Johnson hooked me immediately with the premise of Goddess in the Machine and with main protagonist she's ready to be reunited with the team, which includes her mother and the rest of her family, plus many I loved the main characters' fashion, banter, and stubbornness. imminent demise of the human race that the robots seem perched to enact serve as a catalyst for the human main May finds herself willing to surgically alter her facial features for a sum that might keep her family

Morris offers some revenge-fantasy satisfaction, but there are some grave casualties in the world of our main Like her main protagonist, Wanda M. Morris is an attorney.

In Tochi Onyebuchi's fantasy mystery, main protagonist Boubacar is a war veteran and a private investigator He must delve into his own past connections and dredge up painful, complex past dynamics and loyalties

Six Great Bossy Mystery Reads I didn't read as many mysteries last year as I typically do, but here are She's Barbara Van Lear, the daughter of the owners of the camp where many local residents work. Listen for the Lie  offers a fascinating story structure, dark humor, and deeply flawed characters as main full review of The Return of Ellie Black . 06 Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld I was taken with the main love an Alaska storyline) and the polar bear-focused parts of the story, it felt far afield from the main

Marske doesn't skimp on presenting multiple magical elements, which I loved--and she includes many detailed , saucy, passionate encounters between our main characters. (This reminded me of the measures taken by the main protagonist in another book I recently read, A Study

the past feel light years away, because Rocky's menopausal rage threatens to undo any joy she might gain This summer they head to Maine to camp, fish, and hike. Maine, like other states across the country, has been swept by a secession movement, but Jess and Storey When she finds that she's pregnant, she begins a winding path to figuring out her life that mainly entails nontraditional, loving, zany family flips traditional views of unplanned, young pregnancy through the view of a main

mystery on a magical ship full of uncertain alliances, deadly vendettas, and a sassy and flamboyant main relationship and has no interest in one--she doesn't have time for frivolity when she's chasing so many novel explores early Edinburgh surgical schools, questionable methods of obtaining study subjects, a main Cain is savvy, street-smart, and living in the capital. Each of the three main protagonists begin to understand their own power--and when their paths intersect

Bardugo Bardugo's rich world-building sets the scene in Spain during the Inquisition, as a scullery maid Wang doesn't shy away from a dramatic reckoning for the story's main characters in the end. One may upend everything across four worlds--and one may possibly be able to save them all. Jensen The first in Jensen's fantasy series ticked many of my boxes--strong female main character, a This is my kind of "romantasy": adventure, fate, a strong main female character, a Chosen One setup--

The main male protagonist was off-putting to me in his arrogance at first, but Carley Fortune is the

I loved the main characters' fashion, banter, and stubbornness. Murderbot (check out my rave review in Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI) may and the imminent demise of the human race that they seem perched to enact serve as a catalyst for the main

01 Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi In Tochi Onyebuchi's newest fantasy mystery novel, main protagonist

in Elizabethan London; and I'm reading One Golden Summer , Carley Fortune's newest romance, in which main female sex holds her back from being able to find the knowledge she seeks, and she dresses as a boy to gain

fiction read is that real, weighty issues can be raised within the satisfyingly sweet story: characters may cope with abuse or alcohol abuse; they may struggle to feel self-respect, a healthy body image, or to more; it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze producer reaches out to her with an unexpected question: Would Bea consider starring in a season of Main

The main protagonist's focus in her work is Commander Graham Gore (a character based upon a real figure

amount of heart and a unique main protagonist in this lighthearted murder mystery, her debut novel. In Nita Prose's novel The Maid, main protagonist Molly finds a hotel guest dead in his room, and her access to the room, her eccentric manner, and other's manipulations of her innocent vulnerability may Prose has built an interesting premise with Molly as an unreliable main protagonist. story--as with the account of Patient Zero's experience and his two degrees of separation from the main

The book includes many detailed accounts of tracking online tweets and online message board messages, His main interest, Robin, is strong and savvy, yet even she is coping with trauma and the aftermath of But the building of the mystery is satisfying, and having spent five prior books with the main characters

Jac Matthis is a romance novelist whose first book tanked (the main protagonist chose her career over a man, enraging readers who'd been counting on a different happy ever after), leaving little audience But it looks like she may have to rely on her annoying next-door neighbor Wes to try to gain the attention After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze producer reaches out to her with an unexpected question: Would Bea consider starring in a season of Main

I love reading Naomi Novik's books without exception--just check out the links to my many rave Bossy Naomi Novik is the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted

weaves together timelines, threads of family history, and long-held secrets now revealed, while her main trail Nell has laid out for her, she discovers more about her family's history, uncovers secrets, and may In many ways this felt like a Secret Garden (a book I was obsessed with as a child) for grown-ups, with

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik Naomi Novik is the author of fantasy novels featuring main But one day a man visits Eilis, explains that his wife is carrying Tony's baby, and vows to drop the

The main protagonist is cutthroat, darkly funny, and fascinating in her rejection of expectations.

mother-in-law, who severely curtails her ability to practice medicine, as in the family's opinion, Yunxian's main See presents Yunxian as a feminist in many ways, but doesn't allow her to feel more modern than might

We can see what Jessamyn is unaware of in this campy story: her acting may be sound, but her singing Readers will likely have a clear sense that our main character is prepared to burn it all down on her

Emma is a marine biologist who's devoted to her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby. surprising amount of heart and a unique main protagonist in this lighthearted murder mystery, her debut In Nita Prose's recent novel The Maid, main protagonist Molly finds a hotel guest dead in his room, and Prose has built an interesting premise with Molly as an unreliable main protagonist. Mary was a captivating main protagonist--alternately desperate and hopeful, but always dogged in her

Hawker's newest historical fiction gives a wonderfully evocative peek into a gritty period, as her main She's learned to bite her tongue, and she feels like the poor treatment her husband shows her may be

There's a health crisis and solution that involves the two main characters in key ways and complicates If you've agonized through the main relationship's ups and downs throughout the story, you might just