Kick back with a cold drink and one of these page-turning pleasures from authors based in the Valley or very nearby!
1. The Duchess Takes a Lover
by Jillian Eaton
This prolific Bucks County writer pens romances with gown-clad ladies on the cover and magnetic chemistry inside. In the first of her Ladies of Seduction series, the disappointed Duchess of Southwick gives up on an absent husband and leaves her country house to find a lover in London. This could be the incentive her husband needs to step up!
2. Spirit of a Hummingbird
by Felicia Thai Heath
This memoir by a local anesthesiologist chronicles a chaotic beginning as the child of immigrant parents mired in dysfunction. Her father’s status as a Vietnamese kingpin and escaped convict destabilized a family challenged by trauma, but through wits and resilience Heath built a life of accomplishment. She now reflects: what place does forgiveness have in her healing?
3. Gooseberry
by Robin Gow
Allentown’s own Robin Gow is a poet, educator and writer of YA and middle-grade fiction. In Gooseberry, an orphaned nonbinary youngster is at the mercy of the foster system and striving for stability when they meet a dog who also needs a loving home. In the care of a queer couple, B begins the uncertain journey of adopting and training a friend for life.
4. Unleashed Holiday
by Victoria Schade
A dog trainer by trade, Victoria Schade has puppy wrangled for Animal Planet and penned a series of books with canines at the crux. Her latest is an enemies-to-lovers romance with two small-business owners vying for the same retail space. Let this Christmas (in July!) story take you back to colder, twinkle-lit times with both dog and human drama!
5. A Cat Named Goose: Learning about Life and Love in a Home Full of Strays
by Patrick Clancey
Set in the tropical splendor of Borneo, this memoir is for the cat lovers. Even with a house full of accumulated strays, a special cat wandering onto one man’s doorstep leads the way through adventure and adversity to enrich his life like no other. Goose’s strangely human personality helps build a bond as he and the man share life lessons in unexpected ways.
Published as “5 Things” in the June 2024 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
