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 […]




