Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds: God, Where Were You? by Lakisha Johnson

 

Book Excerpt:

"Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. That's all it took to change Skylar Parks' life forever.

After walking away from a three-year relationship, thirty-six-year-old Skylar Parks makes a quiet promise to God that she'll trust Him completely. She recommits her heart, surrenders her plans, and pours herself into rebuilding her life.

But in three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, everything changes. When a man she trusted violates her in a way that doesn't just wound her body, it shatters her sense of safety, her identity, and her faith in the God she believed would protect her.

Now, sleep is replaced with anger, and her prayers turn into arguments with the God she once trusted. Because while her faith whispers, " Trust God, her pain screams, " Where were you?

Torn between bitterness and belief, Skylar must decide if she'll hold on to God in the midst of her pain or let go of the faith she once clung to."

Title:  Three Minutes and Twenty-Seven Seconds:  God, Where Were You?

Author:  Lakisha Johnson

Publisher:  Twins Write 2

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds:  God, Where Were You? by Lakisha Johnson

My Review:  

'Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds: God, Where Were You?' is a great book that you won't want to put down. The characters, situations, scriptures, and sermons make you want to keep reading to find out what happens to Skylar.

Wild Reverence: A Novel by Rebecca Ross

Book Except:

" Set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals, #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Ross delivers a sweeping, beautiful adult novel filled with tension, romance, and dark secrets.

True love is more divine than any ruthless god.

Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life—begging the goddess he had befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who had long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved."

Title:  Wild Reverence

Author:  Rebecca Ross

Publisher:  Saturday Books

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'Wild Reverence' By Rebecca Ross

My Review:

'Wild Reverence' was an enjoyable read that may bring a few tears. The story offers poetic writing, yearning, and a magical system that keeps the reader turning pages until the end.

Matilda and Vincent were authentic in their romance. Pick up this read to see what it took for them to find their way back to each other. Be ready for a good love story.

Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan

 Book Excerpt:

"They got everything they wanted...but never had each other.

Touré Wallace and Niomi Spencer were close friends at Finley College, the prestigious HBCU they attended. The attraction that simmered between them every semester was a question they never got to ask or answer before soaring ambitions launched them to opposite corners of the world. Both chased their dreams of grit and glamor as high-profile journalists. They got it all...except a shot at being more than friends.

Years later, Touré is an award-winning investigative journalist, and Niomi is America's most popular morning-show host, but they both feel like something's missing. When their alma mater recruits its most famous alums for an interview during homecoming, every look, every touch is electric. The air hums with what could have been, and they're tempted by what they could have right now, if only for one weekend. Have they traveled the world, chasing something special, when all it took was coming home?"

Title:  Coming Home

Author:  Kennedy Ryan

Publisher:  Scribechick Media LLC

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

'Coming Home' by Kennedy Ryan

My Review:  

'Coming Home' tells the story of Toure and Niomi as they get a second chance at love. The book wraps up on a hopeful note, with a college reunion and centennial celebration bringing everything together.

This short novel is a good pick for anyone looking for an uplifting, well-organized romance.

Forever Carly: A Second Chance Holiday Romance (Second-chance Series Book 1) by Michele Sims

 Book Excerpt:

"Secrets, deceptions, and lies.

Michele Sims, the multi-award-winning author of the Moore Family Saga is back with a second chance romance novel.

Carly Rivers, a small town girl with big dreams to become a renowned expert on historical African American communities unexpectedly encounters her college sweetheart, Mason Moore, after ten years apart in Charleston, South Carolina.

Mason has transformed his family’s business into an international conglomerate.
Both are rising from the ashes of a failed marriage."

Title:  Forever Carly: A Second Chance Holiday Romance

Author:  Michele Sims

Publisher:   Green Books Publishing, LLC

Series:  Second Chance Book 1

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'Forever Carly: A Second Chance Holiday Romance (Second-chance Series Book 1) by Michele Sims

My Review:

'Forever Carly' is a well-crafted second-chance romance featuring Carly Rivers and Mason Moore, who reconnect after ten years apart as former college sweethearts.

Both Carly and Mason married others, but those relationships ended. When they meet again, they discover a renewed connection. Their journey is complicated by challenges posed by their exes, but the story explores themes of forgiveness, redemption, and hope. 'Forever Carly' is recommended for readers seeking an uplifting romance.

The Children A Novel by Melissa Albert

Book Excerpt:

"Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods.

In one, she and her brother, Ennis, live in the wooded shadow of their family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of their mother’s world-famous Ninth City books, where their magical adventures have made them household names. In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother’s readers imagine: she and Ennis are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the wild woods they’ve made their playland. As Edith Sharpe’s books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame—until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith’s series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.

Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled, simply, Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere’s childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last twenty years running from: What really happened the night of the fire? And what dark history lies behind their mother’s fantasy world?

The Children is wise to the mythic weight childhood memories gather over time, and the way our most beloved stories grow up with us. It's for anyone who's ever revisited an old favorite and found its pages cast in a darker light, the line separating magic from reality blurring as we discover the books that once comforted us carry shadows of their own."

Title:  The Children

Author:  Melissa Albert

Publisher:  William Morrow

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Four

Review:

'The Children' by Melissa Albert

My Review:

The Children is a captivating exploration of a dysfunctional family. The story follows siblings Guinevere and Ennis as they navigate a life altered by tragedy. After a fire destroys their home and claims the lives of everyone except them, the narrative shifts between the present and the past, keeping readers engaged and intrigued.

The novel skillfully intertwines elements of literary fantasy, family legacy, grief, magical realism, and sibling relationships, providing a rich and diverse reading experience. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital review copy.

Murder by the Book by J.L. Campbell

 Book Excerpt:

"A riveting, dark, and layered thriller that cuts through the glamorous façade of the publishing world to expose the true cost of ambition.

Some stories are too dangerous to tell, especially when they're your own.

Addison Comstock is a literary icon, known for her bestselling crime novels, razor-sharp tongue, and relentless rise to the top. But behind her polished brand lies a ruthless past filled with secrets, betrayals, and broken lives—including those of the writers she's employed to ghostwrite her success.

When her longtime editor collapses and dies during a team retreat in Jamaica, what appears to be a medical emergency soon begins to feel like something far more sinister. Tensions rise, loyalties fray, and whispers of sabotage grow louder. Someone in Addison's inner circle has decided enough is enough, and the truth is becoming stranger than fiction.

As the body count climbs and buried truths resurface, Addison is desperate to maintain control of her crumbling empire. But with accusations flying and her dirty past threatening to go public, even Addison begins to question who she can trust . . . and how far she's willing to go to protect her legacy."

Title:  Murder by the Book

Author:  J. L. Campbell

Publisher:  Black Odyssey Media

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"Murder by the Book" by J. L. Campbell

My Review:

'Murder by the Book' was a good thriller read that kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. The characters,  [Addison], along with the story's twist and secret, made for a really engaging read, keeping the reader guessing till the end.   

Thank you, Netgalley and Black Odyssey Publishing, for the advance readers' copy to read and review.

What the Island Asks by J Martin

 Book Excerpt:

'When Seraphina Lockwood returns to Hatteras Island after her father’s death, she expects only to settle unfinished business before returning to the life she built elsewhere. Instead, the island offers her something she never resolved: Beckett Crowe, the man she left behind, and the version of herself she abandoned with him.

As old rhythms resurface—wind, tide, wood, and weather—Sera is forced to confront the cost of escape and the quiet persistence of love rooted in place. Her reunion with Beckett is marked by restraint rather than urgency, shaped by years of absence and the shared knowledge of what leaving once destroyed.

What the Island Asks is a slow-burn literary romance about return, emotional inheritance, and the courage required not to run. It is a story of love that does not demand—but waits.'

Title:  What the Island Asks

Author:  J. Martin

Publisher:  J. M.

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'What the Island Asks' by J. Martin

My Review:

'What the Island Asks' delivers an evocative blend of emotional depth and romance, delving into the complexities of aging and the exhilaration of rediscovered love.  

Expect suspense that will propel readers forward as Sera and Bennett’s story unfolds.  

By the end, readers experience a moving, satisfying story about rekindled love.