Barbara Claypole White

At a recent bookstore event, a reader asked Diane Chamberlain if she had a favorite of her novels. Given her impressive backlist, I found her answer intriguing: novel three, which taught her the power of suspense and helped her find her writing voice. I ordered Secret Lives immediately. Secret Lives is an evocative, dual timeline…

For Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Shepherd.com asked me for a list of my top five romances featuring characters with mental illness, and an explanation of why I chose these books. Picking only five was next to impossible, but the link below includes some of my standouts. Technically Bryn Greenwood’s The Reckless Oath We Made…

ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND is a multi-layered, emotional roller-coaster that takes a common tale of love and second chances and spins it into something  heartfelt and unique. Cleo lives in London and writes a dating column, but is a disillusioned singleton. The much younger oops baby in her family, she doesn’t quite belong anywhere.…

There are many layers to unpack in THE KINDEST LIE, Nancy’s Johnson’s haunting debut about race, class, poverty, and motherhood set against the 2008 election and the financial crisis. Yale graduate Ruth Tuttle is a successful, Black engineer living in Chicago. Her grandmother and big brother sacrificed a great deal to propel her away from…

I’m a diehard Diane Chamberlain fan, and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET might have displaced NECESSARY LIES as my favorite of her novels. From page one, the tension in this dual timeline story is that of a psychological thriller. Straddling 1965 and 2010, the creepy tone of the primary setting—a secluded, densely-wooded lot in a…

My book pick for Valentine’s Day is THE CHARM OFFENSIVE. This unforgettable delight is a biracial love story that hits every emotional chord and packs a serious punch on issues of sexuality and mental illness. Funny, sweet, tender—with heartbreaking interior monologues—it’s my favorite gay rom-com since RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. Charlie has the physique of…

I’m drawn to gritty YA novels, and Mindy McGinnis’ HEROINE held me in its grip from the first line: “When I wake up, all my friends are dead.” Mickey Catalan is the catcher for an all-girls, undefeated high school softball team on the cusp of making history. To the outside world, she’s a local celebrity…

My first read of 2022, THE GIRL WHO COULD BREATHE UNDER WATER, reminded me why Erin Bartels is one of my favorite authors. If I could, I would give it more than five stars. Kendra Brennan is crippled by self-doubt and writer’s block. Her debut novel, which fictionalized  teen trauma that continues to haunt her, has…

ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES is a powerful story of anger, fear, and violence; healing, trust, and love. Unlike anything I’ve ever read, it weaves together the brutality of humans, the mystery of wolves, and the raw beauty of the natural world. Underneath runs a gentle thread about the way families and wolf packs communicate with…

THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW  releases in March 2022, and it’s a novel to pre-order. I finished reading an advanced copy multiple books ago, and the lead characters continue to haunt me. Two broken people trapped in the past and lost in the present, Mason and Nova share a powerful, memorable story. At thirty-six, indie…