I’m not a rereader, but this trilogy is the one major exception. I’ve reread it over 10 times, and whenever I do, I still go to bed excited to keep reading the next day. I read a lot, but no other books have consistently brought me this much joy.

I’m talking about the Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong.

It’s a great blend of horror, paranormal mystery, and light sci-fi, with an incredible slow-burn romance. It’s technically YA, but I’m now well past the target age range and still love it just as much. I think other adult readers would, too!

Spoiler-free premise:

The Summoning begins with a teenage girl who suddenly starts seeing ghosts. She’s sent to a group home for troubled teens and given a mental health diagnosis that seems to explain away what she’s experiencing. But as she gets to know the other residents, she realizes their diagnoses might not tell the whole story, either. It turns into a supernatural thriller with an interesting cast of characters who develop a found-family dynamic.

Then there’s the romance subplot. Two characters go from being wary of each other to building a friendship and eventually something deeper as they go through difficult experiences together. It’s genuinely my favorite romantic relationship in any book. I love how naturally it develops through trust and getting to know each other, with no obvious early hints that romance is even on the table. (I hate when books do that!)

I’m so excited that the trilogy was recently reprinted with new covers and sprayed edges, and I hope the new editions help it find a whole new audience.

If you enjoy paranormal stories, found family, and a really good slow-burn or hate-to-love romance, please give these books a chance! They’ve been special to me for over 15 years, and I’d love for someone else to discover a new favorite through this post.

She also gets depressed at times and beats herself up. We are getting help for her but just want some books I can ready with her that might help too. Thanks.

That's an actual scene from my novel, A Choice – Terms of Interest.

Roman sees Sarah at a seminar, gets curious, and waits.

Then something happens that irks him enough to make a formal proposal to a woman he hasn't even spoken to yet.

To her home. HOME!

Seriously? Not even a normal date first?

Sarah sees his PA holding out an envelope to her.

My lady just goes, “Nope.”

Why?

Obviously, I'm not sharing everything here. 😂

But if you're curious about a slow-burn romance featuring two emotionally intelligent people who make some rather unusual decisions, A Choice – Terms of Interest is available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle.

Hi! I’m looking for books that can help me better understand perspectives, cultures, and life experiences that vary from mine!

For context, I’m a white conservative Christian and I think that background shapes how I see the world. I think I’m pretty ignorant of experiences different than mine and I want to hear from authors that I haven’t encountered and have my assumptions challenged so I can better understand and love people.

I love fiction mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, and romcoms but I’m open to anything has reshaped (or expanded) your view of the world

A few books on my TBR include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Personal Librarian, Before We Were Yours, The Henna Artist, Pachinko, Next Year in Havana, Allegedly, A Woman of No Importance, and A Pair of Aces. Are these good?

Thank you!