The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Romance

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

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A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles
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A September 2023 Read This Next Book!

This review is just me screaming to anyone who will listen what an absolute joy it is to read KJ Charles. The newest Doomsday book has us returning once again to Romney Marsh and cheering like crazy for Luke and Rufus to get their well deserved HEA. Hijinks, hilarity and heart stopping charm, Charles is a must read for historical romance lovers.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles, (List Price: 16.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728255880, September 2023)

Reviewed by Katie Garaby, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angelese) by Amy Spalding

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To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
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The Summer of Jordi Perez is a pitch-perfect summery contemporary romance. I adored the plus-size lesbian blogger main character as she navigates new friendships, anxiety, new relationships, and an internship. With a romance that anyone can get behind, straight or otherwise, this book is perfect for anyone wanting a light, fun read.

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angelese) by Amy Spalding, (List Price: $16.99, Sky Pony, 9781510727663, April 2018)

Reviewed by Shauna Sinyard, Park Road Books in Charlotte, North Carolina

Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings

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Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings
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Tilly and Oliver first meet on an international flight, and their first impression is not great on either side. So it seems like the worst luck when Oliver shows up at Tilly’s sister’s place to start work as an intern with Tilly…and they’ll be spending the summer traveling together. Working together. Staying in hotel rooms together. Tilly struggles with her ADHD, as always, but Oliver’s autism allows him to understand her in ways no one else has, and the two grow close. Readers of Eddings’s adult romances will adore this story about Tilly growing into herself, and her relationships that grow with her, and Oliver’s enthusiasm for colors and for Tilly. Eddings has obviously put a lot of herself into this book, and it’s paid off.

Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings, (List Price: $20, Wednesday Books, 9781250847065, August 2023)

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs

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All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs
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This book was amazing and such a fun and relatable read. I love the character development and growth of Eloise throughout the book. Austin’s sunshine personality perfectly fits with Eloise’s anxious and sad character, giving us the best of both worlds. Overall, it was a fantastic book that I will definitely be rereading.

All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs, (List Price: 19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781534493575, July 2023)

Reviewed by Meredith Church, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

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The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre
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This sweet found family story will hit you right in the feels! Iris has always been the misfit in her family of energy vampires (literally) with no powers to speak of, never fitting in and unsure if her place in the world. But when her great aunt passed and leaves Iris her house, she slowly begins finding her way in the world as she starts taking in boarders. But it’s not all perfect. Her nosy neighbor finds fault with everything she does and is determined to see her fail. But Iris’s found family of lovable roommates will do everything in their power to keep them all together.

The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre, (List Price: 16.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728262499, July 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

The Prince & The Apocalypse by Kara McDowell

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The Prince & The Apocalypse by Kara McDowell
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McDowell hits it out of the park with her new novel about an American stranded in London and the crown prince on the run from his family…all while a massive comet is about to land on earth, destroying everyone in 10 short days! The action is non stop, the banter is witty, and the prince is swoony. You won’t be disappointed in this one!

The Prince & The Apocalypse by Kara McDowell, (List Price: 12, Wednesday Books, 9781250873064, July 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

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Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
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A heartwarming rom-com full of hope! I fell in love wit Katherine Center’s writing with The Bodyguard. This book just cemented that. She has an amazing way of showing real life problems but filling the story with hope as well.

What would you do if you couldn’t see faces? Our sole way of recognizing people is by their face. Imagine losing that ability. This happens to Sadie after having what the doctor called a small surgery. Only problem is she wakes up unable to see faces. This effects her everyday life but her lively hood. Not being able to see faces for a portrait artist is not good at all. Sadie tries to work through life dealing with face blindness and her haunting past and her future. Is love truly blind? Sadie will soon find out just how important seeing other faces is.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, (List Price: 29, St Martin’s, 9781250283788, July 2023)

Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

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Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
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Though she’s hearing-passing (using hearing aids & lip reading), every day feels like an uphill battle to Lilah: struggling through interactions others find easy, guessing at bits and pieces of missed conversations, and pretending like everything’s totally fine. One of the few times she remembers feeling fully accepted and accommodated was at a summer camp for Deaf and blind kids that she attended many years ago. So when she gets the opportunity to return as a junior counselor, Lilah is thrilled…never mind that the camp is running out of money.

Sortino seamlessly blends spoken & signed dialogue, highlights a myriad of systemic issues facing the Deaf community, and showcases community thriving around disability difference. A sweet, summery coming-of-age story (with a hint of romance) that’s equal parts fun and important!

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino, (List Price: $18.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593533796, July 2023)

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec

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The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
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Genevieve Gornichec is ready to become the historical fantasy queen. This book was everything I wanted and more. Fantasy elements that were easy to follow and that felt so authentic to the story. Romance that made me giddy with relationships that broke my heart. A tale of sisterhood and how our fate can intertwine with others in unexpecting ways made for a fantastic read.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, (List Price: 27, Ace, 9780593438244, July 2023)

Reviewed by Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

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Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
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A July 2023 Read This Next! Book

I adored this book! Ama and Elliott have my whole heart. I loved Ama’s tenacity and dedication to her career as a wedding planner; she is one of my favorite romance characters I’ve met this year. Elliott, the quietly ambitious florist who believes in happily ever afters, is the perfect balance to Ama. This will be one of the big romances of the summer! I can’t wait to talk about it with everyone!

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto, (List Price: $16.99, Forever, 9781538740880, July 2023)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

First Position by Melanie Hamrick

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First Position by Melanie Hamrick
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The trope of the lovable anti-hero is beaten out only by that of the detestable anti-hero. Sylvie Carter is inherently unlikable, the hapless victim of every event of the story, including her own poor decisions, the least of which is becoming sexually involved with yet another member of her ballet company, even after the first affair launched her fall from grace. Possibly the most frustrating character since Scarlet O’Hara, her narration is filled with shocking scandal and incredibly loving description of a professional dancer’s lifestyle – and I adored every page.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick, (List Price: 17, Berkley, 9780593638149, June 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Graben, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

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Wolfsong by TJ Klune
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This is my first foray into TJ Klune (I know, I know, I’m behind the times) and I have to say, I loved Wolfsong! I had only read YA gay love stories and it was such an interesting change up reading a book written for gay men opposed to women attempting to write gay men. I loved Ox and how he developed his pack. I also loved that he was just a "What you see is what you get" kind of guy. Not everyone in the world is a deep thinker or an overthinker. And we need a balance. The only thing I didn’t care for was Ox being attracted to Joe when he was still a few months underage. I know that there wasn’t a power imbalance in their relationship, but I’ve seen a lot of hate groups accusing LGBT people of intentionally targeting young people, so I would be afraid for someone who has not read the story in its entirety to judge wrongly from that fact alone.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune, (List Price: $29.99, Tor Books, 9781250890313, July 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square in McDonough, Georgia

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

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Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
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Hayley Kiyoko adds author to her list of accomplishments with Girls Like Girls, based on her hit song and video of the same name. Coley has had to move away from her home in California to live with the father she barely remembers after her mother’s death. But things feel bleak for her as she tries to make new friends and deal with her father. She doesn’t want to be there and she’s convinced he doesn’t want her there either.

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko, (List Price: 20, Wednesday Books, 9781250817631, May 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

An Echo in the City by K. X. Song

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An Echo in the City by K. X. Song
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A bittersweet story told by two teens on opposite sides of the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Phoenix is an upper-class prep school student who gets swept up in the protests; Kai is a recent immigrant from mainland China who joins the police force to gain the approval of his HK officer father. This book is beautiful, propulsive, and important–I’d recommend it highly to older teens, with the note that it includes some really intense, difficult scenes that may be too much for younger readers.

An Echo in the City by K. X. Song, (List Price: 18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316396820, April 2023)

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

My Special One, Vol. 2 by Momoko Koda

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My Special One, Vol. 2 by Momoko Koda
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How heartwarming!! I love how this manga doesn’t use melodrama and shallow angst to delay the characters from finally dating. These two are people with their own quirks and problems that slowly come to understand what they want and how they feel for one another, and it is so so cute.

My Special One, Vol. 2 by Momoko Koda, (List Price: 9.99, VIZ Media LLC, 9781974736911, May 2023)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savanna, Georgia

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