‘Confessions’ by Michelle Lynn is a short story that captures the relationship between Grant and Abigail. As the story progresses, readers learn more about how they once knew each other. This leads them on a path of discovering who they are apart so they can determine if they will work together. The give and take between them was well written and believable, which lent more substance to their developing relationship.

Both Grant and Abigail have sordid backgrounds that showcase how they each have their own troubles, yet they are trying to distance themselves from them. These troubles add to their understanding of each other and help their relationship thrive, especially as the ending nears. Their friends and family members are not by any means main characters, but they serve as emotional anchors or added troubles that bring Grant and Abigail’s relationship journey to fruition.

This story works as a standalone, though it includes a character from Lynn’s ‘Choices,’ and is a companion story to ‘Dreams’.

For readers who enjoy a healthy dose of romance with a bit of trouble along the way to add some realism to how things develop, ‘Confessions’ hits the mark.

‘Confessions’ is available to Michelle Lynn’s e-mail subscribers by clicking here.

Meg Cabot’s ‘The Princess Diaries’ seems somewhat fantastical. The idea that a young girl can find out she is heir to the throne of a small country and its fortune is not something that happens everyday. Yet Cabot writes in a realistic and appealing way, showing that Mia Thermopolis, despite being anything but the picture of a princess, can adapt like the best of them – even if it’s under duress.

When Mia’s father shares that he can no longer have children and then reveals his princely status, Mia is floored. She doesn’t understand how there is any way that she has royal blood in her. It becomes increasingly evident that it’s all the truth when Mia’s grandmother, the dowager princess and present leader of Genovia, comes to town to give Mia “princess lessons.”

Concerned that her newfound royal status will ruin her longtime friendship with best friend Lilly, Mia avoids telling her about it. When word leaks anyway, she is a found in a mess, dealing with paparazzi, mean girls turned nice, and the interest of popular boy Josh Richter, whom Mia has been interested in for as long as she can remember. Lilly’s brother, Michael, also plays into the revelation, talking to Mia even when she and Lilly are on the outs. Add in that Mia’s mom is dating her algebra teacher, Mr. Gianini, plus the fact that she’s flunking algebra and realizing that everything isn’t what always meets the eye, and Cabot has set up the equation for a disastrous but salvageable first couple months of school. Mia just has to see herself for who she truly is and how she can use that to her advantage.

Even though it was a big part of the book to have Mia flunking algebra and trying to save her grade through after-school study sessions with Mr. Gianini and Lilly’s brother, Michael, the algebra equations throughout the book (which were supposed to be part of Mia’s journal) were somewhat distracting. The book would have worked well without them. Otherwise, the story moved along nicely and set up Mia for a fascinating first couple months of freshman year of high school.

You can find ‘The Princess Diaries’ by Meg Cabot here.

‘Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies’ by Erin Dionne is an interesting, poignant read. It captures the essence of self-esteem issues and how mean girls (and boys) can enhance the pressure one feels, even if they don’t mind how they look on their own.

Celeste Harris is a young girl in middle school, struggling to keep her head above water when it comes to dealing with her weight. She never used to mind how she looked, but Lively Carson, resident mean girl, has been making more and more snide comments, causing her to feel hurt. This is only exacerbated by the fact that Lively has befriended Sandra, Celeste’s best friend. Sandra has started making comments herself. Though they are not as mean as Lively’s, Sandra’s sting even more, because she never used to give in to the bullying mentality that Celeste has had to deal with from the other students at her school.

When Celeste’s aunt enters her in a plus-sized teen modeling contest, Celeste is anything but thrilled. She makes plans to try to get out of the competition altogether, or at least to throw it if her mother forces her to go through with it. Yet, as time goes on, she finds that she’s not as upset about it as she thought she’d be. With the help of her gym class’ nutrition unit, she also finds herself watching her weight more and more, and this brings her more confidence than she ever remembers having. This confidence brings her strength as she finds Lively in an embarrassing situation. Knowing she has something to hold over Lively’s head, she learns that she is more than capable of standing up for herself, to Lively, to Sandra, and to anyone else who stands in her way.

Dionne has captured an emotional time in a young girl’s life with sensitivity. Watching Celeste wade through the troubles of middle school and her own self-esteem issues in the Miss HuskyPeach pageant is eye-opening and teaches that sometimes confidence in oneself is more important than whatever others may think and whatever the outcome may be.

You can find ‘Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies’ by Erin Dionne here.

‘Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa’ by Micol Ostow is a story about a girl who finds out the grandmother she’s never met has passed away in Puerto Rico. Her mother came to the United States and met her father years before, never returning to her home, and effectively breaking ties with her family. Ostow has written books in the Students Across the Seven Seas series of books, which are all set in different countries, and this one is most certainly along those lines.

Emily travels to Puerto Rico with her family for the funeral, not knowing quite what to expect. She has family she’s never met, and her first cousin, Lucy, who is about the same age as her, is not welcoming in the least. When Emily’s mom is having trouble coping with the loss of her mother, Emily is forced to stay in Puerto Rico for the summer, derailing her plans to road trip cross country with her two best friends, and keeping her from her boyfriend during their last summer together before college.

Making friends proves somewhat difficult since Lucy is not opening up to her, but Emily begins finding herself little by little, learning more of her history by visiting historic sites, taking part in family occasions, and dealing with issues that pop up with both her mother and Lucy. Her friendships and troubles help her grow and show her that even though she thought life would work out a certain way, sometimes there are bumps in the road that turn out to be blessings in disguise. Despite having had to travel to Puerto Rico for her grandmother’s funeral, the experience is a transitional one for Emily, allowing her to cope with her own life in her own way. Even though she never learns to actually salsa, the metaphor of how she learns to deal with issues that pop up in her life is strong throughout the novel.

You can find ‘Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa’ by Micol Ostow here.

‘Engella’ by Paul Ian Cross is a short story about titular character Engella, a young girl whose past is literally catching up to her. Set apart from her family by long distances – of time and space – she struggles to survive on her own, outsmarting Hunters who want to see her dead.

Cross is clearly going to continue his story based on the cliffhanger ending of this first installment in Engella’s journey. However, some clarification on exactly who the Hunters are would be helpful. The question arises of why they would rather have her dead when they themselves are traveling through time and space like she does. If this point had been elaborated on further in this particular tale, even if just in a paragraph or short chapter, it would have strengthened the storytelling. The concept of having Hunters and Watchers, people who obviously want to end Engella’s journey alongside those who are there to help her, respectively, is intriguing. The prospect of learning more about them keeps me invested in reading the next story that Cross intends to write about Engella’s fate.

The dialogue is realistic and the descriptions are strong and imaginative. Even though the story lacks some of the other pieces that would make it a stronger read overall, it is engaging nonetheless. Anyone who enjoys a good plot twist will want to learn more about Engella and what will become of her when the story comes to a close.

You can find ‘Engella’ by Paul Ian Cross here.

‘Realizing River City’ is an unapologetic, stirring account of author Melissa Grunow’s relationship history. This memoir chronicles her struggles as she tries, both figuratively and literally, at times, to keep her head above water. She paints a vivid, compelling picture of life through her eyes – a life in which she struggles to maintain a semblance of who she is all while weathering the storm that is her aggravating and heartbreaking relationships with men.

Starting off early on detailing her life as a young twenty-something married woman, on to the string of unsuccessful relationships that gnaw at her until she realizes she needs to get out of them to save herself, she doesn’t hold back. Her words keep the pages turning, wondering what will happen next and how it will all end up. Her path is not an easy one, but it is one that she navigates with as much dignity as she can. Yet her uncertainty about ever finding a solid, steady relationship is discussed throughout, and she pushes herself to do the right thing and take care of herself. As time and her relationships wear on, she knows that if she doesn’t do this, she will never survive it all.

This unabashedly revealing tale is not only her story, but an instructive tale to women who may find themselves in Grunow’s shoes. The way she tells her truth and comes to terms with her past and all its turmoil is heartening. Readers will instinctively feel connected with her and her troubles, as well as her strengths in the face of adversity. Her dedication to moving on and finding what is right for her is something that no one can take for granted.

You can find ‘Realizing River City’ by Melissa Grunow here.

Having read many books by Lauren Barnholdt, ‘Four Truths and a Lie’ certainly lived up to expectations. Detailing the life of eighth grader Scarlett Northon, it delves into her friendship starved world as she starts school at a prestigious institution, the Brookline Academy for Girls. Without friends, she is relegated to being on the outskirts when she is so used to being part of the in-crowd. Not helping matters is the secret she is keeping about her father, as well as her unfriendly roommate, Crissa, who seems to be doing everything in her power to torpedo Scarlett’s chances at s semblance of normalcy. Even when Scarlett tries to fit in by giving makeovers to the girls, she is shot down by the administration, saying that it is taking away from the academic environment she is now a part of at Brookline.

As she finds a friend and begins to feel more comfortable in her new surroundings, she is tested by a letter-writing activity that her English teacher assigns. Talking to a boy from the Brookline Academy for Boys seems innocent enough, until he threatens to reveal her father’s secret, which she fears will once again alienate her from her classmates. How he found out about it keeps her wondering at first, until she realizes the truth behind the matter. The conflicts that ensue as the story progresses are realistic, and they challenge Scarlett to overcome her fears and realize that it isn’t worth it to live in the past, worrying about her dad, when she could be moving forward with her own life.

Barnholdt’s storytelling is interesting and the writing is a breeze to read through since she captures the angst and excitement of teenage life. Scarlett’s journey progresses nicely and wraps up well. A recommended read for anyone who enjoys young adult literature.

You can find ‘Four Truths and a Lie’ by Lauren Barnholdt here.

Kristina Hagman shares a daughter’s perspective on her father, actor Larry Hagman, in ‘The Eternal Party,’ a telling and no holds barred memoir of the dysfunction and addiction that plagued his life. Larry Hagman, of I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas fame, and son of Broadway star Mary Martin, is painted in a different light than many might know him in, in Kristina’s truth telling of her life as it overlapped with his.

The beginning of the memoir has Kristina questioning her father’s desire to be forgiven as he lay dying. The remainder of the book searches the various aspects of his life for which she considers forgiveness might have been sought. From his relationship with his mother and stepfather, to his life with his wife and children, on to the image he portrayed to the outside world versus that which he lived in reality, Kristina calls everything into question. She shares how life as the daughter of a TV star shaped who she spent time with, how she spent her life, and the person she became as a result of it all.

Hagman’s storytelling cuts to the core of who her father really was and how his life was so influential on her own. He lived a very bohemian lifestyle with his family, changing, and possibly even shattering, the image of the person who readers might think he was based on knowing him from his television shows and movies.

Life with various celebrities and family members is outlined, including how her father drank, used marijuana, had liaisons with other women, and constantly worried about having enough money. This memoir does a nice job of showcasing her father, Larry Hagman, as an “everyman,” while at the same time making it abundantly clear that he was anything but that. His life was filled with extravagances beyond what ordinary people can imagine, yet he was a man of the people who often did not even know how to live his own life well. His ordinariness in spite of his celebrity makes for an interesting story for his daughter to share.

For readers who are looking for more about Larry Hagman’s life in theater, film, and television, it would be wise to check out his autobiography, ‘Hello Darlin’,’ as it showcases those ideas so much more than in this memoir. Anyone expecting more along these lines may be disappointed, but the stories that come from Kristina Hagman’s memories serve as great fodder for those who are eager to learn more about the different facets of Larry Hagman’s life.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

You can find ‘The Eternal Party’ by Kristina Hagman here.

‘Open Road Summer’ by Emery Lord captures the essence of friendships, crushes, and full-fledged relationships. Even though the first few chapters didn’t flow as effortlessly as the rest of the novel, once it got into full swing, it was hard to put the novel down. Emery Lord fascinates readers with the life of Dee Montgomery, otherwise known by her stage name of Lilah, who tours the country as a music sensation with her best friend, Reagan. When Matt Finch, a friend of Dee’s and a music star in his own right, joins Dee’s tour, Reagan can’t help but fall for him. Despite her best efforts, he weasels his way into her mind – and eventually her heart.

Reagan is not too eager to get close with Matt, though, because of past relationships and the poor ways in which they ended. Her comfort level with Matt helps a lot, though, as he pushes her buttons in cute, endearing ways that make her eager to get to know him better. The problem is that he has been brought on Dee’s tour to make people think he and Dee are dating – so a relationship with Reagan seems pretty much out of the question, especially if Dee’s publicist Lissa has anything to say about it.

The mixture of learning about Reagan’s home life and how it contrasts with Dee’s, yet finds them being closer than ever on Dee’s tour, was enjoyable to delve into. The conflict that made up the last several chapters of the novel, including Matt’s girl best friend joining the tour and stirring up her own brand of trouble for the newly dating Reagan and Matt, was just the right touch to make Reagan better understand that her past doesn’t have to define her future.

Emery Lord knows how to entertain and engage readers with her well-written descriptions. The way in which the characters act around each other, from best friends Dee and Reagan and their give and take to Matt and Reagan’s summer romance and ensuing banter, readers will want more of Lord’s words running through their minds. And they can get them – just check out her other books.

You can find ‘Open Road Summer’ by Emery Lord here.

It is incredibly difficult to imagine the strength and courage that must be summoned to deal with an unthinkable situation. Yet, Martin Pistorius, author of ‘Ghost Boy,’ shares his account of how he defied the odds and kept himself from surrendering to the outcome most thought he was clearly headed toward: death. Pistorius’ memoir is one of endurance and loyalty to a cause that he finds dear and true: his own health and well-being. Without his tenacious attitude, his life may have turned out much differently.

It is terrifying to think that one can be locked inside his or her own body, but that was the case for Martin Pistorius. His attempts to break free from his confines and show his family – and the world – that he was capable of so much more than sitting in a wheelchair and being abused at the hands of so many who considered him nothing more than a waste of life, is one of the most telling and terrifying parts of his journey. It is terrifying because nothing can be scarier than not being able to fend for oneself, but Pistorius shows that even though he found himself the victim time and again, he did have many a person in his corner. His bastion of hope never truly wavered, as he had his family, as well as – at times – strong-willed and kind caregivers.

The path that Pistorius shares as the one he took as a means of eventually freeing himself from his own internal grip allows readers an illuminating look into his world. From smiles to laughter to tears, readers will experience Pistorius’ unwavering attitude as he struggled to find his way back to a life he felt would be worth living. It is a wonder and a testament to the faith one must have that his family remained there for him and he found love with his eventual wife, and love of his life, Joanna.

A gripping and sincere story, readers will find it hard to put down Pistorius’ memoir. His words will remain indelibly marked in the memories of those who read them.

You can find ‘Ghost Boy’ by Martin Pistorius here.