The Lion Women of Tehran is a 20th century historical fiction by Marjan Kamali. This is a story of two friends, Ellie and Homa who meet in the 1950s. We follow their friendship, women's rights, and Iranian governmental changes until the epilogue set in 2022.

I loved this story for many reasons. The first is the history. I should know more about Iranian history, but somehow, I don't. This novel helped me understand more about what is happening today.

The second is the rich character development. Ellie and Homa felt real to me - like someone I could meet at a neighborhood store or book club. Marjan did an amazing job with the secondary characters as well, creating a rich tapestry of people.

The third is the friendships. Although Ellie and Homa are very different in many ways, they find ways to stay connected - across time, across separation, across horrific and violent acts, across oceans.

This story made me laugh, weep, rage, and want to stand up and fight. It is a must read!

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The Road to Tender Hearts is a humorous literary fiction by Annie Hartnett. This book had me laughing from the beginning, but it is also very poignant and brought tears to my eyes. I love it when an author can be both funny and stir other emotions!

PJ is a mess. He's grieving. He's divorced. He's a raging alcoholic. He's a hoarder. And he's completely self-absorbed. However, he is also kind, generous, funny, and loves deeply despite having unusual ways of showing it. When he suddenly finds himself the caretaker of two young children, he and his adult daughter take the kids on a road trip. Oh, and let's not forget the cat who can predict the next person who is going to die.

The goal? To find the girl's father and PJs one true love. What they find, however, is so much more. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

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Karma Unleashed is a contemporary novel by Natasha Tynes. We meet Karma, a young woman from Bilaq Iran who has a gift - or a curse - depending on how you look at it. She can often see the future. She quickly learns that others do not understand her gift. Her mother teaches her to keep it hidden. However, hard as she tries, Karma often feels the need to intervene, especially when the vision is tragic. Inevitably, this leads to misunderstandings and even danger.

She moves to America to start a new life with her husband, but soon, everything she understands about life is turned upside down. She meets Danielle who seems to know of Karma's power and also appears to have a darker side. Karma must decide to run from her gift or embrace it no matter where it leads. The twist at the end has left me a bit unsettled - and almost certain there will be a sequel!

My biggest takeaway? I don't want to know the future. Not mine or anyone else's. And if I could see the future, the likelihood is that I couldn't change it. In fact, trying to do so may be what makes it happen in the first place!

If you like books with a bit of mysticism and twists, this might be the book for you!

Author's Note: There are some sexual scenes that might be more than some readers would enjoy.

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