BookTrib’s Bites: Four Unforgettable Reads

Sicilian Avengers (Books One and Two) by Luigi Natoli

A thrilling Sicilian saga about the legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia, translated into English for the first time in two volumes.

Emerging from the dark streets and subterranean caves of Palermo, the Beati Paoli, masked and hooded, mete out their own form of justice to counter the unfettered power and privilege wielded by the aristocracy. For the voiceless, weak, and oppressed, the Beati Paoli are defenders and heroes.

Reminiscent of a Dumas novel, this is a atmospheric fresco of early eighteenth-century Palermo. Blasco da Castiglione, a bold orphan adventurer, arrives on a quest to discover his origins and seek his destiny. But this D’Artagnan-esque hero gets caught in a murderous succession plot involving a powerful family.

In Book Two, the Beati Paoli’s unrelenting campaign to restore justice is compromised by an act of betrayal and a plot that threatens its very existence. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4aWh3KN.

The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman

An unforgettable novel that captures the power of longing, loss, and love, The Time Keepers transports us from 1979 suburban New York to war-torn Vietnam, revealing that sometimes the most unexpected friendships can save us.

Two women from different worlds, Grace and Anh, are indelibly changed when a runaway boy is found on a street in their small Long Island town. Brought together by the love of this child displaced by war, the women find friendship and healing from their own painful pasts when their lives intersect with a mysterious wounded Vietnam vet. The vet, Jack, works at a watch store that mends timepieces—and might even mend damaged souls. 

Richman interweaves the journeys of these diverse characters who will grip, fill, and break your heart—only to bring them together with the care and precision of an expert watchmaker, one piece at a time. Inspired by a true. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3KPAWZj.

The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald

For fans of Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence and Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics, embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural. 

After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie Gray finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling “gift”—the ability to communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.

But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges—the restaurant’s new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of her most difficult seasons, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3XiGBNt.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst

She’s desperate for another bestseller… and she’ll go to any length to get it. Even if it means sacrificing her pride to chase the hottest bachelor in town and get him to break her heart.

Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher.

Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable.  Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.

But will Brick play the game? Purchase at https://bit.ly/4f4T5jO.