Biographies and Memoirs

Mommy's Boy: How My Doggie Soulmate's Love Rescued Me

Jennifer Huston Schaeffer | Biographies and Memoirs

Jennifer Huston Schaeffer's memoir, Mommy's Boy, is a unique story of a bond between a woman and her canine son, a story of the transformative decade she spent with Benny, a rescued Westie-Maltese mix who became her “doggie soulmate.” Following heartbreaks and realizing traditional motherhood might not be her future, Jennifer adopts Benny in 2014, finding unconditional love that heals her loneliness. The narrative follows their journey from Chicago to Indianapolis, where Benny helps Jennifer pursue a romance with Brad. Together, they face Benny’s complex health battles, including pancreatitis and gallbladder surgery, treating him as their child. For how long can they keep Benny with them?...

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Most Recent Reviews

The Paladin of Rimini

D.J. Paolini ()

| Reviewed by Lisa Schwartz

D.J. Paolini's The Paladin of Rimini is a compelling multi-generational saga spanning from 1982 to 2017. Angelina Fabrizzi is a woman burdened by severe family abuse and financial ruin. After her mother, Isabella, was forced into marriage and died from cancer, Angelina suffered through an abusive union with Giovanni until her godmother, Valentina, a fierce former carabinieri, finally intervened. In 2017, widowed and in heavy debt, Angelina meets Benjamin LaRocca, an American travel writer, on a train to Rimini. Benjamin becomes her tenant, and...

The Shadow Earl

Stella Riley (Independently published)

| Reviewed by Jeff Klune

In The Shadow Earl by Stella Riley, Christian Selwyn, Earl of Hazelmere, vanishes during his Grand Tour when his jealous cousin, Basil, bribes a guide to sell him into slavery. Captive for three years in Turkey, Christian survives while loyal friends search relentlessly. Returning to London years later, he finds Basil living in his home, spending his money, and courting Christian's betrothed, Sophia Kelsall. The man who left five years ago returns a changed man, and everyone is asking questions about what happened to him and what secrets he car...

Mommy's Boy: How My Doggie Soulmate's Love Rescued Me

Jennifer Huston Schaeffer (White Dog Books)

| Reviewed by Elena Enger

Jennifer Huston Schaeffer's memoir, Mommy's Boy, is a unique story of a bond between a woman and her canine son, a story of the transformative decade she spent with Benny, a rescued Westie-Maltese mix who became her “doggie soulmate.” Following heartbreaks and realizing traditional motherhood might not be her future, Jennifer adopts Benny in 2014, finding unconditional love that heals her loneliness. The narrative follows their journey from Chicago to Indianapolis, where Benny helps Jennifer pursue a romance with Brad. Together, they face Benny...

From Tea to Coffee: The Journey of an "Educated Youth"

Cheng Wang (Open Books)

| Reviewed by David Reyes

Cheng Wang's memoir, From Tea to Coffee: The Journey of an “Educated Youth,” chronicles a remarkable journey across half a century and two continents. Beginning in Mao-era China, Wang is sent as an “Educated Youth” to a remote Inner Mongolian village for re-education during the Cultural Revolution. Following Mao's death and the reopening of universities, he passes the rigorous GaoKao exam, attends college in Dalian, and works in Beijing's electronics industry. In 1984, seeking broader horizons, he emigrates to the United States with only $200....

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