Two powerful reads and a five-star audiobook explore love, loss, resilience, and truth. The Waves of Time brings Cape May’s secrets to life through community bonds and long‑buried heartache. The Calamity Club (audio version) delivers an emotionally raw, morally complex underdog tale set against 1930s Mississippi’s brutal class divides. Swan Song reveals Earl Spencer’s intimate, unsettling portrait of Diana, challenging long‑held royal narratives.

A Beautiful Novel About Love, Loss, and Friendship

Suzanne Simonetti’s, The Waves of Time is a wonderful novel about love, loss, secrets, and the lasting ties that bind a community together.  This story also combines family drama, mystery and how the past can come back when we least expect it to.  The novel is set in Cape May, New Jersey.  This is the second book I have read of hers and made me really want to visit Cape May, even more with this book.

The story is about Little Birdie Studio, a special and adored shop in Cape May.  It’s owner, Krystal Axelrod is preparing for the studios fortieth anniversary gala.  This is a much- loved shop, not just by the residents but all the visitors that come every summer.  She wants the gala to be perfect in every way.

Dottie Summers is concerned about some phone calls she has been receiving from unknown numbers.  The calls are forcing her to think about some choices she made in the past that she has tried to forget.  She had really hoped her past heartache was behind her.  When a cherished ruby necklace reappears, adding more mystery to the story, connecting the present to a decades-old love story.  The story really starts to get interesting.

One of the best parts about this book is the setting, Cape May.  I love the way Simonetti describes this charming Victorian seaside town.  Each detail on the page will have you the reader feeling as though you are in Cape May.  Also, love the way she builds her characters throughout the book.  Love, loss, and friendship come together so beautifully in this story.  You do not want to miss this fabulous five-star read.  Some may call it a beach read; I call it a wonderful read for anytime you can get your hands on this book.  Congratulations Suzanne Simonetti on another fabulous book.  I am already looking forward to your next book.  I highly recommend this book. GET THE BOOK.

~Francene Katzman, Richmond, VA, an advocate for helping parents of children with addictions

An Immersive, Emotionally Raw Masterpiece 

I absolutely love audiobooks, and The Calamity Club features the single best narration of any book I have ever read—and yes, I say read. Written by Kathryn Stockett, the brilliant author behind the massive bestseller The Help, this novel is a sweeping, masterful look at the rigid class systems and deep economic divides of 1930s Mississippi. Experiencing this intense social landscape as a 29-hour audiobook completely transforms the narrative into something truly extraordinary.

At its core, this is a phenomenal underdog story, and honestly, who doesn’t love rooting for the underdogs? What makes it so gripping is the moral complexity of the protagonists. You know that what they are doing is wrong on many levels and completely illegal. Yet, because you understand their desperate motivations, you want to root for their success even more. It gives you that exact same thrill as watching Walter White in Breaking Bad, Marty Byrde in Ozark, or a classic Robin Hood tale—you know they are breaking the rules, but you desperately want them to win anyway.

The spectacular dual narration by January LaVoy and Jenna Lamia is absolute perfection. Jenna Lamia’s portrayal of 11-year-old Meg is breathtakingly authentic. Meg is a young girl who has had horrible things done to her, yet she possesses a fierce, protective core. She has learned to adapt and grow up far too quickly to survive a broken system, making her strength inspiring to listen to. Through her eyes, the narrative confronts heavy historical themes, highlighting the resilience required to navigate the era’s severe social injustices.

The plot bravely exposes the terrifying reality of the era’s eugenics movement and forced sterilization laws. Today, it is recognized as a dark chapter in history that weaponized pseudo-science to justify discrimination and human rights abuses. Hearing this systemic adversity contrasted against Meg’s fierce spirit makes the emotional stakes feel incredibly intimate.

The only downside to this incredible journey was the conclusion. I found myself asking, “Wait a minute, how did it just end like that?” The book finishes so abruptly that it leaves you completely caught off guard. Without spoiling anything, it leaves so many questions unanswered that it definitely leaves you wanting more, leaving me with the distinct thought that perhaps a sequel is in place. Even with that rapid finish, the flawless voice acting—capped off by an excellent author discussion at the very end—makes this audiobook worth it even though there were a few sluggish parts. 5 stars. GET THE AUDIOBOOK.

~Roni Jenkins, Social Media and PR guru, 3T Partner

Move Over, Harry, the Earl is Having His Say

I have confessed my obsession with the British Royals, so of course I had to put Swan Song: Diana, My Sister by Earl Spencer on my must‑read list, and I’ve just started it. Riveting doesn’t begin to cover it. Spencer writes with a mix of brotherly devotion, long‑buried fury, and a historian’s instinct for detail, pulling you straight into the emotional undertow of Diana’s life and the chaos that surrounded her.

What’s striking is how personal the book feels—this isn’t a distant royal biography, it’s a sibling reckoning. Spencer revisits their childhood at Althorp, the fractures inside the family long before Diana ever met Charles, and the way fame both transformed and consumed her. He also doesn’t shy away from the darker corners: the manipulation, the press intrusion, the institutional coldness she faced, and the moments when he tried—and sometimes failed—to protect her.

The early chapters make clear why this book is causing such a storm. Spencer’s memories are sharp, sometimes brutal, and clearly meant to challenge the sanitized royal narrative that has calcified over the decades. You feel the tension between the brother who adored her and the monarchy that never quite knew what to do with her. And you sense that he’s finally saying the things he’s held back for thirty years.

It’s intimate, unsettling, and impossible to put down—exactly the kind of royal drama that keeps those of us who follow the Windsors glued to every page. GET THE BOOK.

~Cheryl Benton, aka “The Head Tomato” and royal watcher