River Readers

Two Queens have been prophesied, one a Blood Queen and one a Sun Queen. Rielle has kept her magic hidden because she is able to manipulate all of the elements (eg. water, fire, shadows....) which is impossible. When she rescues the crown prince Aubrick, she unveils her multipowers and is forced to prove herself worthy of being the Sun Queen. At the same time an angel starts communicating with her in her head. Many generations later an assassin for the empire named Eliana witnesses the abduction of her mother (who was supposed to be safe because Eliana was working for the empire.

Bingo Love is a story of a same-sex romance that spans over 60 years. A chance meeting at church bingo in 1963 brings Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray together. Through their formative years, these two women develop feelings for each other and finally profess their love for one another.

Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth? Life in East Germany in the early 1980s is not easy for most people, but for Lena, it’s particularly hard. After the death of her parents in a factory explosion and time spent in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the trauma, she is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling Communist Party. Visits with her beloved Uncle Erich, a best-selling author, are her only respite. But one night, her uncle disappears without a trace. Gone also are all his belongings, his books, and even his birth records.

Jack Reacher was intrigued by her voice when he needed some help while in South Dakota, and he has hitchhiked back to Washington, D.C. to meet Susan Turner, who now has his command at the 110th MP unit. What he finds instead is that Turner has been accused of embezzling and he is accused of both beating a man to death and a second case that shocks him even more. In order to clear their names they have to go on the run, but their unknown suspects have vast resources and are tracking their every move.

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school - but no one knows it. Most people - her teachers and doctors included - don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk.

Multi-award-winning cartoonist Carolyn Nowak (Lumberjanes) finds powerful truths in fantasy worlds. Her stunning solo debut collection celebrates the ascent of a rising star in comics.

Diana got hurt—a lot—and she's decided to deal with this fact by purchasing a life-sized robot boyfriend. Mary and La-La host a podcast about a movie no one's ever seen. Kelly has dragged her friend Beth out of her comfort zone—and into a day at the fantasy market that neither of them will forget.

This final book in the trilogy may have been my favorite. Petunia is no shrinking violet and I liked the added Red Riding Hood twist. It would be nice to know a little more about the other 9 sisters, but at least we get a glimpse in this one.

This was a nice pair of short stories with Christmas settings. Both stories were about a couple who made a mistake in high school and now. 6-10 years down the road, want a second chance. Both need a lot of persuading and a lot of forgiveness, but result in happy couples willing to take that new chance at a forever relationship.

I like this story a lot. It was light and fun. Also it seemed to be realistic in how a person must try to rectify family expectations and personal desires. I guess this normal coming of age would be even more stressful for teens of Indian heritage who want to try to stay true to both.

This was another nice romance involving the group of people who live and work around the fountain of romance. This one was fun because the mystery involved Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Not sure I like thinking about them being "bad" guys, but it was a fun Christmas story.

This story answered a couple of questions that I had from hints in past stories. It is nice to continue learning about the cast of characters who inhabit Happily Inc. Another fun romance that will continue in future books.

Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances, proves there’s nowhere better than Happily Inc to rekindle first love.

This was a nice story about how Hannah started her cookie shop and solved her first case. It was a nice background for many of the characters that appear in this series.

This addition of the Library Lover's Mystery had some interesting twists and turns. I like learning more about the cast of characters at the Briar Creek library and the surrounding town.

This was a fun story about wishes, dreams, and desires. Sometimes a person needs to live in another's shoes to truly understand the concept of love, devotion and true friendship. Evie thinks she has her life all mapped out until a fairy named Lucinda turns it upside down. Her best friend Wormy wants more than just being her test subject which results in Evie becoming an ogre with human feelings. It's a twisted tale to find true love, honest friendship, and a meaningful path in life. Along the way you will meet a wide variety of characters, some nice and some not so much.

No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.