Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly.

Stepsister by  Jennifer Donnelly. Scholastic Press, June, 2019. YA fiction.

Have you ever wondered what happened after Cinderella married the handsome prince and rode off? Maybe you identified with the sarcastic and mean stepsisters?  Or, did you wonder about their cutting off their own toes to fit into the glass slipper? Well, Jennifer Donnelly has written this tale to set the story straight, Isabelle and Octavia, the stepsisters, have major roles in this fairy tale retelling. They realize how unfair they were to Ella. Isabelle, is the star of this version, and it is worthy of a major motion picture. Donnelly writes scenes that jump off the page with action, interesting plot developments, and new characters who fit right into the age old story. By the end, even Ella makes an appearance again, and readers may find they have new heroines who are smart, funny, brave, and compassionate. (Prepublication copy was basis for this review.)

The Farm: A Novel by Joanne Ramos

  The Farm by Joanne Ramos. Random House, May, 2019. Adult fiction.

A "resort" in the Hudson Valley called Golden Oaks is home to pregnant women who have signed contracts to give up their babies to the ultra wealthy who will pay big dollars for healthy babies. Jane already has a baby girl, but leaves her with her aunt in the hopes of making enough money to set them up for life. Her roommate, Reagan, has come from privilege and is the opposite of her own Filipino customs and values, it seems to Jane. Lisa, a ruler breaker if ever there was one, leads the girls astray. The well educated and savvy young Asian woman who runs the complex has strict rules and big plans for expansion of the business.  When Jane cannot contact the aunt and gets worried about her own little girl, the plot gets really complicated. Reader will enjoy the inner turmoil of the main characters, their interactions, and the resolution of all of their lives. This book is one that is so timely with immigration, housing, socioeconomic levels, and family bonds all wrapped up in great storytelling. (Reviewed from prepublication copy)

Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin

  Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin. Ballantine Books (Random House), 2018. Adult fiction.

When her older sister is kidnapped and murdered, the narrator is twelve years old. Now an adult, she thinks she knows who killed her sister and several other young women. Determined to take Carl, a senior citizen who exhibits symptoms of dementia and who is an award winning photographer, on a road trip to spark his memory and maybe prove her theories, the narrator springs Carl by claiming to be his daughter and off they go. This is a waltz across Texas: Calvert, Galveston, Muleshoe, and behind the "Pine Curtain" in East Texas, the duo have unexpected adventures. Is Carl dangerous? Is the girl telling the whole truth? Heaberlin takes readers along for the ride in this creepy, suspenseful story that will have everyone up late reading to see what happens.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center. St. Martin's Press, 2018. 
Contemporary adult fiction.

Lovely young Margaret is engaged to her handsome fiance Chip. Life looks amazing. 

Until it's not...and the life that Margaret expected is pulled from underneath her.

This novel is probably not one that you would read if you heard the basic premise, but try it. It is funny, poignant, and life affirming. 

Margaret's parents, her estranged sister Kit, and her physical therapist, a Scotsman named Ian who seems moody and silent all contrive to take care of Margaret and motivate her to be a better person.
Just keep reading. I promise you will have to smile at this brave woman's adventures!

When the Men Were Gone: A Novel by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

 When the Men Were Gone: A Novel by Marjorie Herrera Lewis. William Morrow, 2018. Adult fiction.

1944, Brownwood, Texas, in the midst of World War II. Local men have already left for war. Some have come home wounded; others have been killed. When it seems that no one is left to coach the high school football team, Tylene Wilson steps up. Can she do it? Will  the players, the community, the refs, the opposing teams, and just about anyone accept her? Or will the season have to be cancelled in this small community where fall is football and football is hope? 

Well written and at times poignant, this debut novel gets to the core of loyalty, acceptance, love, and leadership. Characters are lifelike, believable, and charming in their own ways. A great read for any football fan or just for those who like books about strong women! 

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

  Black-Eyed Susans: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin. Ballantine Books, 2015. Adult fiction/mystery. 

At 16, Tessa was left for dead in a ditch of black-eyed Susan flowers with bodies of other girls. She survived. The man convicted of the crimes is on death row. But, is he really the one guilty? Now, as an adult, Tessa has a teenaged daughter of her own and has tried hard to forget her past. Even with lots of counseling, she still hears those other "Susans" in her head. Tessa must deal with someone who seems to be planting black-eyed susan flowers in strategic places. Is someone after her?  Estranged from her childhood friend, Lydia, Tessa works with a handsome attorney, a smart forensic investigator, and others to find the truth so that she will be able to live her future and maybe prove who is the truly evil criminal.

(I started out reading Julia Heaberlin because she writes about Texas. It's hard now to explain to friends who have daughters with teenaged daughters that I am on a kick reading novels about teenage girls who disappear!)

Good as Gone by Amy Gentry

  Good as Gone: A Novel of Suspense by Amy Gentry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. Adult fiction/mystery.

Julie's parents and sister Jane have lived years after eight year old Julie was apparently abducted from their home. At age 21, Julie appears on the doorstep. Is this really Julie? Where has she been?

Set in Houston, the settings ring true. Mom is an English professor and her drive to work is one that you could practically follow along the freeway as described in the book. A megachurch set in the Astrodome in many ways mirrors a real church set in another abandoned sports' venue. Different chapters about young women seem disconnected, but mesh together as the suspense builds.  The story will make readers think twice about abductions, kidnappings, sexual predators, and how families who experience any of these can continue to function and find ways to heal.