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

Jimenez knows how to layer difficult situations and messy complications into her rom-coms, and her main Now Mike is binge drinking and hiding it from Larissa, and Chris's many attempts to help Mike patch things

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

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

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

through various avenues of hell, and the worldbuilding felt slim and glossed over during some of the many 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 ; a strange world full of vengeful creatures; and satisfyingly proud, brave moments for each of our main Naomi Novik is the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted

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.

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

elements from this second book in the series, but I liked the "twist" of the interconnectedness of the two main learning the mixed, disturbing history and heritage of her bloodline while falling in love with Andreas, a man You may predict the interconnectedness between Odessa and Caspia, but their link is stated outright late

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

Harrow The Everlasting  involves jaunts through multiple versions of the same story, as our fantastic main You probably haven’t met one before, coming as you do from this backward place, but it’s like a man only Kingfisher writes my favorite kind of fantasy novel: a wonderfully oddball main protagonist, a strange imagines richly imagined fantasy worlds, and within them she slots fantastically imperfect and wondrous main installment in the series sets up an overlooked princess who becomes a heroine; deadly monsters who may

We meet two main protagonists: independent Birdie, who travels from her rural hometown to Oxford to beg

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

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

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

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--

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vengeance Road is a rough and tumble story with enough suspense that I wasn't ever confident that the main fiction books that look promising. 03 West by Carys Davies ​This isn't strictly a Western, but the main optimistic travel route on a map (and, disturbingly, struggles multiple times with being preyed upon by a man

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

key references to them we find that the secretive, haunted author has attempted to work through the pain It's necessary for the reader to sustain a suspension of disbelief so that this hole in our main protagonist's

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

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

imagines richly imagined fantasy worlds, and within them slots fantastically imperfect and wondrous main Kingfisher is also the author of many other novels.

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.

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

in which a man lives out multiple overlapping lives, deceiving and lying all the while. Jewell offers a peek at the psychologically twisted motivations of the story's main protagonist, his slow unraveling of his terrible lies, all of which pick up speed as various women race to unmask the man understandably, looking for companionship, adoration, and love fell into the web of this abomination of a man-child

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

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

Many reasons have been given for the decline of the climate-change movement in the twenty-first century Within this timeline, Tom Metcalfe, one of our main protagonists, is an academic fascinated by the past and they were idiots who were throwing it all away, even as their high culture lamented or roared in pain Our main protagonists force or are faced with resolutions, which are not always peaceful or wholly satisfying

Many years ago, everybody here would wake early because there was much to do and only so many hours in Now they wake early because there is much to do and only so many days left. There's a poignancy here because the main protagonists have lived long enough to lose loved ones, and And you can find Bossy reviews of many other mysteries here .

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

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

It makes me so happy to survey the many books I've loved reading, thinking about, writing about, and Harrow The Everlasting  involves jaunts through multiple versions of the same story, as our fantastic main Brendan is not the main protagonist, despite the novel's title, yet he is central to the story in that details of a life of moneyed ease and an abandonment on an unforgiving, uninhabited island after our main Within this timeline, Tom Metcalfe, one of our main protagonists, is an academic fascinated by the past

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

Bardugo's rich world-building sets the scene in Spain during the Inquisition, as a scullery maid with Cotado lives in a grim house on a shabby street in the new capital of Madrid, working as a scullery maid Greed and manipulation rule the day for all involved, with our main protagonists paying the price.

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

influencer wakes up in the gritty, unforgiving 1800s, Caro Claire Burke's Yesteryear; I'm listening to Mai 01 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Caro Claire Burke's debut novel features main protagonist Natalie, prepublication version of this title courtesy of Knopf and NetGalley. 02 Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai

But surprises await Vera, and she'll need to undergo some painful self-discovery in order to face the Murphy includes many charming elements: the large number of sassy former Hollywood types in the free-love As much as it pains me to say it, maybe the roads have changed and my map is out of date." The pacing didn't always feel like it flowed, and I didn't buy into many of the small moments that make As in Murphy's novel Dumplin', the main protagonist is a body-positive, plus-sized woman.

Wang doesn't shy away from a dramatic reckoning for the story's main characters in the end. , and what he lacks in training he makes up for with the desire to learn more about the forces that may uncover an enormous magical secret, it could not only mean the undoing of the magical hierarchies that many opens in a prison, with female inmates participating in their weekly book club in rural Abbott Falls, Maine Main protagonist Violet Powell is being released after 22 months' imprisonment for the drunk-driving

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

Bunny begins with an outcast main protagonist in a MFA program who's infuriated by her twee fellow seminar

In Gareth Brown's debut fantasy novel The Book of Doors, main protagonist Cassie Andrews works in a New One of these customers is a kind older man she's become dear friends with. happening to Cassie and Izzy when Cassie takes possession of the book, and soon a rumpled Scottish man He just may be the only one seemingly without nefarious intentions. Authors of time-travel books must decide whether characters may change past events or simply witness

I loved spending time with main protagonist Eli as he navigated tough situations and emerged with hope Eli Bell is a young man in a tough spot. Who is the man? Can he be trusted? Is any of this even real? He wants to grow up and become a journalist, but for now his main goal is trying not to attract too much Boy Swallows Universe has many larger-than-life characters, especially its villains.