A Writer in the Making...

Beauty and the Recluse by Ellie Gray tells the story of Kiya, who takes a housekeeping job after she sees an advertisement. The people around her wonder why she wants this particular job, especially since she’ll be working for the recluse St. John. Kiya takes the chance anyway. She accepts the opportunity to work for St. John, but he has strict orders for her to follow. She is to stay away from him. Easier said than done, since Kiya is curious about her boss. Can she help? Does he want it? Is there more to him than meets the eye? The more St. John pushes Kiya away, the harder she tries to bring him out of his mental prison. The question is, how far is she willing to go? I absolutely loved the contemporary twist to the classic story of Beauty and the Beast. I loved the story and cartoon as a child, so Ellie Gray’s version had me engaged. I literally read Beauty and the Recluse in one sitting, because I was on the edge of my seat, anticipating what would happen next.

Lorna versus Laura by Cynthia Hilston takes place during World War II. Lorna is a young teacher raising her younger brother after their parents died in a horrific car accident. Lorna goes onto autopilot and focuses on taking care of the only family she has left. In her mind, there’s nothing else to live for, and God is to blame for the pain in her life. Six years after the accident, Lorna moves into a new home to help forget the past. She lives next door to Tristan Blake, who is a widower. While her brother is away fighting in the war, Lorna finds herself intrigued with her neighbor. She knows she should stay away from the bearded man who constantly repeats, “They need to take me away,” but Lorna can’t help but try to make friends with Tristan. His friendship comes in handy when tragedy strikes Lorna’s life again, but is it more than friendship? Cynthia Hilston takes her readers back in time with this story. While love is the theme in Lorna versus Laura , I also be