R7 review

I had other plans for today’s post, but after spending the weekend in Philadelphia at the 2025 ALA Annual Conference—surrounded by thousands of books, dozens of creators, and more creative joy than anyone can believe—I knew I had to share. Here’s a visual love letter to the books, booths, and beautiful moments that caught my … Continue reading Industry Insights: Books, Booths, and Beautiful Moments at ALA 2025 from Only Picture Books https://ift.tt/PgFyNH6 from rahim 7867

Book Description: Some memories never fade – some hearts never stop hoping When work as a photographer takes her back to a village she knows well, Ava isn’t expecting Jack to be as picture perfect as he is in her memories from all those years ago. Set on the outskirts of Somerley, Sapphire Hotel is in need of a makeover. Its owners, Jack’s parents, are not keen on change after the death of his brother, but he encourages them to hire a PR company to boost trade. Whoever is sent to do the job will have their work cut out and, as project manager, will have to answer to him. An untimely meeting has old friendships and emotions reawakened. Will Ava discover that true love isn’t a burden, but a wonderful thing? And will Jack find a way to let go of the past and risk his heart again? My Thoughts: Not only does Ava fall for the charms of Somerley in this book but so does the reader! The author swept me away with the fabulous descriptions that were so idyllic and had me wanting to p...

Hello, OPB friends! This month, we’re doing something a little different for our Industry Insider post. Instead of featuring an interview, I wanted to dig into a question that comes up often during critique sessions, revision conversations, and email threads with clients, friends, and fellow kidlit writers: What do editors really mean when they say … Continue reading Industry Insights: Decoding Editorial Feedback (with Real Picture Book Examples) from Only Picture Books https://ift.tt/ux4oqTJ from rahim 7867

Book Description: Some secrets refuse to stay buried… When a skeleton is unearthed beneath an old rose bed on a once-grand estate, DI Sally Parker and DS Lorne Warner are pulled into a case unlike any they’ve faced before. But as forensic analysis reveals a chilling truth – the investigation takes a dark turn – the bones belong to multiple victims. With whispers of long-forgotten disappearances and hidden betrayals, Sally and Lorne must untangle a web of lies stretching back ten years. As they dig deeper, the past refuses to stay buried, and someone will do anything to keep their secrets hidden. Because in this garden, the dead still have a story to tell… My Thoughts: When builders unearth a coffin, Sally and Lorne are first on the case. The once stunning estate has been left to ruin after the owners mysteriously disappeared ten years prior. What is more baffling is that the coffin holds bones from multiple victims. Have the team discovered the bodies of the owners or is so...

Are You a Friend of Dorothy? Author: Kyle Lukoff Illustrator: Levi Hastings 29 April 2025 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 40 pages Book description from Goodreads: “In a time when the LGBTQ+ community was forced to hide in the shadows, a woman named Dorothy helped her people find each other in the dark … Continue reading Reading Activities: Are You a Friend of Dorothy? by Kyle Luckoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings from Only Picture Books https://ift.tt/j714d39 from rahim 7867

Book Description: In a neighbourhood full of secrets, who can you trust? Ruby and Mike have built a quiet and happy life, but their lives are about to unravel—with deadly consequences. When Mike’s new promotion keeps him away from home, Ruby befriends the charming new neighbour, Henry. Their forbidden connection ignites something Ruby has never felt before—but it also unleashes something sinister, and leaves her questioning everything she thought she ever wanted. Strange things start happening. Items missing, doors unlocked and a chilling note left behind. Are Ruby’s fears real, or is something far darker at play? Trapped in a nightmare of manipulation and deceit, secrets surface and cracks in her relationships are revealed. Ruby soon realises danger isn’t always found in the shadows… When the mask of perfection slips, how far would you go to protect yourself? For fans of Lisa Jewell , The Perfect Stranger  is a gripping psychological thriller about betrayal, obsessi...

Book Description: A sleepy Scottish village is about to be woken up … With her boyfriend moving to her hometown of Lannick,  Leana Mackenzie  is floating on cloud nine. All she needs now is for them to find a home of their own.  Alasdair’s  lack of interest in house-hunting soon has her worried. For  Isla  and  Logan,  moving in together is the logical next step in their relationship. Neither of them expects living under the same roof to be so challenging. If they can’t find a way to make it work how can they possibly have a future together? Single-mother  Elspeth  is ecstatic about moving out of her parents’ house. When she agrees to a temporary housemate she’s comforted by the friendship that grows. But are her feelings purely platonic, or is romance in the air? As the year draws to a close, Alasdair organises a celebration that will rock the quiet village of Lannick. The New Year’s party brings everyone together for a night to...

Book Description: Get ready for your new obsession – the unputdownable No. 1 bestselling thriller. Your neighbours have secrets. How far would they go to keep them? *AN INSTANT NO.1 BESTSELLER* ‘Andrea Mara’s best book yet. Absolutely outstanding!’  Claire Douglas, bestselling author of  The Wrong Sister ‘Tense, thrilling and relatable.’  Sun Have you ever sent a message to the wrong person? Susan sends her sister a gossipy message about their neighbour. But she accidentally posts it on the neighbourhood WhatsApp group instead. It’s an innocent mistake that could happen to anyone, but rumours quickly spread and the backlash spirals. Soon that one wrong message leads to murder. A local woman is found dead, but when Susan listens to the news report, she realises that the victim had the same address as her but in a different part of town. The killer may have got the wrong victim – they may be coming for her next. My Thoughts: The opening chapter of this ...

This month on the OPB Author-Illustrator Interview Series, we’re thrilled to feature Donna Janell Bowman—a writer, researcher, and storyteller who brings history to life for young readers. Donna’s award-winning picture books, including Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness, King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara, … Continue reading Author Interview: Donna Janell Bowman from Only Picture Books https://ift.tt/cxwQ6ZO from rahim 7867

Book Description: Sometimes the road to happiness is longer than we’d like … At fourteen,  Isla Mackenzie  has her life all planned out. She’s going to be an artist and marry her best friend, Logan. Logan Donnell  also has a plan. When he grows up he’s going to join his dad’s business and marry his best friend, Isla . By the time they’re eighteen, the two of them are inseparable. The future looks bright. Everything feels perfect. But when tragedy strikes, fate sets the pair on a different course. While circumstances keep Logan and Isla apart, their bond is not so easily broken. The course of true love might not run smoothly but a bumpy road can still take you exactly where you’re supposed to be … While this is the second book in the Loch Lannick series it can also be enjoyed as a standalone novel. My Thoughts: In the second book in the series, we are taken back to when the Mackenzie sisters are still at school and the lovely Logan comes into their lives. Poor...

Book Description: Welcome to Lowbridge. Where secrets hide behind every door… When newly divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, she is soon drawn to widower Will, the father of her young daughter’s best friend. But Will’s past is shrouded in tragedy, with questions that no one knows the answer to – and after two tragedies tore his life apart in just a few short years, gossip and rumours abound about what really happened to the women he loved. As whispers of murder surround Will, Jude becomes determined to uncover the truth – and with her own father’s tragic fate haunting her, she refuses to let another innocent man suffer. Yet in Lowbridge the darkness runs deep, and nothing is as it seems. Can Jude protect Will from a community out for blood? Or will she become the next victim in this web of deceit? Because whilst one dead wife is tragic, two starts to look like murder… My Thoughts: Jude has recently moved to the small town of Lowbridge with her daughter. She...

Book Description: The heart-stopping new Detective Erika Foster thriller from the seven million copy bestseller Robert Bryndza In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Detective Erika Foster confronts her greatest nemesis—where the lines of justice blur and secrets unravel. A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago. She arrests him on the spot, but there’s just one problem. His passport and his solicitor say his name ...

Here’s the latest roundup of five-word reviews, a quick way to get a sense of what’s new in picture books. These aren’t full critiques, just first impressions pulled from recent releases that caught my attention for one reason or another. Consider this your picture book speed date. Let’s see which ones click! Frank’s Red Hat … Continue reading Picture Book Review: 5‑word reviews (Frank’s Red Hat; I’m Going to Make a Friend; Me & Lavender; So Devin Wore a Skirt; Wish in a Tree) from Only Picture Books https://ift.tt/AcoD9Ua from rahim 7867

Book Description: What happens when you meet your perfect match… at the wrong time, in the wrong place? Leana Mackenzie  is craving something more. At twenty-two, she’s ready to trade the peaceful rhythm of her life on the Isle of Skye for the pulse of the big city. With her heart full of dreams, she leaves the comfort of her close-knit family and her quiet village, to dive headfirst into the vibrant bustle of Edinburgh. Enter  Alasdair : a talented singer-songwriter with a voice as captivating as his smile. Their chemistry is undeniable, and soon, Leana finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance. Life with Alasdair feels like the adventure she’s always dreamed of—until the shine of city life begins to dull, and the yearning for home tugs at her soul. But just as Leana starts to question where she truly belongs, Alasdair is offered the break of a lifetime. Now, Leana faces an impossible choice: follow the man she loves into the world of fame and fortune, or return...