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In this sequel to Darius the Great is Not Okay, it looks like Darius’s life is fantastic. He’s playing varsity soccer, has friends, has a boyfriend, and he has an internship at a fantastic tea shop that he loves. But his boyfriend is pressuring him, he parents are working really long hours after they spent so much money on their trip home to Iran, his grandfather is dying, his best friend is MIA most of the time, and there’s still that bully. Frankly, Darius the Great deserves better. I loved this first book and I loved the second. Darius is completely relatable as he tries to figure out life and his own feelings.

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram, (List Price: $12.99, Dial Press, 9780593108253, August 2021)

Reviewed by Jennifer, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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Paul Bochner fell completely in love with an injured, abandoned fawn that approached him at his home in Weschester County, New York. She was quite alone and he assumed her mother had run her off because of her injured foot. Thus began this love story with this caring, gentle man who began to nurture this fawn with apples and adoring words of comfort. He named her Penelope and set morning alarms to feed her, and she began to visit twice a day for companionship and pampering. The author felt that he and Penelope had common ground as the author had abandonment issues from neglect in his youth. Paul Bochner had been close to animals his whole life and had loved dogs and even raised a lamb from birth. Penelope began to thrive with his attention and pampering and take food from his hand as he offered. Paul would also protect her from any attacking deer and show his favoritism to her in front of any other deer. He encouraged her to enter his sunroom and feed if ever he couldn’t be there. Penelope had a foal he named Carol and both came to him for cooked chestnuts and fruits. The following year she gave birth to twins he named Iris and Cyrus. This charming tale is complete with pictures of this beautiful deer and the man with whom she clearly had a deep relationship. Readers will not be able to put the book down until the very last page of this memorable total love story.

Penelope by Paul Bochner, (List Price: $30, Crown, 9798217399413, October 2026)

Reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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Theresa Shea writes quite the stirring tale along with establishing her beliefs about environmental hazards with crop dusting and strong convictions about animal testing. Trevor Westmore is just a great guy who was a former veterinarian released from prison after serving twenty-five years for murder. When I say he is a great guy, I want to clarify that he tried to save his best friend’s girlfriend when she threatened suicide. Readers will continue to root for Trevor when he is released from prison and is gifted a puppy named Libby and ready to begin a new life away from prison life. He meets and falls in love with a local veterinarian, Laura Fenway. With his strong loves and beliefs, will he be able to continue with his new start in life with his new kennel and new love?

Dog Days of Planet Earth by Theresa Shea, (List Price: $19.95, ECW Press, 9781770418622, September 2026)

Reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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Connect with your inner wildflower in this richly textured, inspirational new novel by Terah Shelton Harris. The novel’s vivid imagery will transport you to a hidden refuge where flowers and people grow wild. Drawing on the healing power of nature, Harris explores how strength and hope can bloom even after intense tragedy. Leigh Wilde is a survivor. Running from her tragic past, she finds herself an escaped fugitive on a flower farm in rural Gee’s Bend, Alabama. On the farm, she meets others who, like her, are survivors of past trauma. As she gradually learns to trust those around her and, most importantly, herself, she realizes that to live, she must do more than merely survive. Like the Cahaba Lily that blooms fearlessly along the riverbank, Leigh too begins to flourish despite the fears that have held her back. Yet as the secrets of her past rush in to reclaim her, what will it take to stay true to herself? Freedom may be as simple as letting go. Leigh’s story will break your heart and rebuild it petal by fragrant petal. At the end, Leigh’s love reveals the most radiant flower. Like the gift of a rare lily, this is a novel you will cherish.

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris, (List Price: $29.99, Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464229220, February 2026)

Reviewed by Laura, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA