“The Perfect Rom-Com” by Melissa Ferguson

This book is totally aptly named, because it is The Perfect Rom-Com. I read it within twenty-four hours, laughed myself silly, wanted to be Bryony’s best friend because of her quick wit, fell a bit in love with Jack myself, cried through chapter twenty-five, and lobbed imaginary spit balls at Amelia’s “Choppy yellow hair that […]

“Leaving Edgefield” by Carolyn W. Hooker

Leaving Edgefield (2025) by Carolyn W. Hooker is a compelling work of historical fiction centered on the life of Carrie Butler, a Black teen from Edgefield, South Carolina, who went to work as a domestic servant in the Thurmond house in 1924. The story is told through Carrie’s richly imagined voice as she lies on […]

December Read of the Month: “The Miniaturist’s Assistant” by Katherine Scott Crawford

Editor’s note: SLR has two Reads of the Month for December. We think you will love both books. In The Miniaturist’s Assistant, Katherine Scott Crawford would, for a moment, like you to believe that Charleston, South Carolina, is a town like any other town. If you’ve ever been to Charleston, you know that is simply […]

December Read of the Month: “Junah at the End of the World” by Dan Leach

Editor’s note: SLR has two Reads of the Month for December. We think you will love both books. You won’t find a more huggable narrator than twelve-year-old Junah, the unforgettable protagonist of Junah at the End of the World by Dan Leach. His voice—funny, irreverent, and deeply original—calls to mind Holden Caulfield from The Catcher […]

“Where the Rivers Merge” by Mary Alice Monroe

Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times best selling author of thirty books, has taken a divergent path with her new historical novel. In Where the Rivers Merge (William Morrow 2025) we follow a journey that transports us in time and place between the grand city of Charleston, South Carolina, and a lush Lowcountry plantation to […]

Mary Ellen Thompson interviews Mary Alice Monroe, author of “Where the Rivers Merge”

INTRODUCTION: Mary Alice Monroe’s first historical novel, Where the Rivers Merge, is quite different from the other twenty-nine books she has written. She still focuses on endangered species, but this time her greater focus is on awareness for conservation and protection of our natural resources. Because Mary Alice also likes to educate us while we […]