Tea & Treachery (Kensington, 2021) is a delightful first novel in a new series from Canadian cozy mystery queen Vicky Delany. In it, Lily leaves New York to run a teashop near her grandmother’s bed and breakfast on Cape Cod. While she’s there, she becomes immersed in a murder mystery to help her grandmother out of a jam. This light and enjoyable read even includes recipes for your next teatime.

A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose (HarperCollins, 2019) is Samra Zafar's true story about being a teenager forced into an arranged marriage halfway across the world in Canada, where she is isolated from her family and abused. She writes about her journey from being helpless to finding freedom and success as a single mother. I read this book during a very difficult time in my life after I left my partner. It was literally my inspiration to change my mindset and my life. Perhaps it will inspire you, too.

An Audience of Chairs by Joan Clark (Knopf Canada, 2006) tells the story of Moranna MacKenzie and her battle with grief and bipolar disorder. Set in Cape Breton, Moranna seems to be a burden to the few people in her life. However, the author’s compassionate depiction of mental illness makes Moranna seem delicate and vulnerable, leaving the reader invested in her longing to find peace.

Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday (Grand Central Publishing, 2020) is an emotional, heartwarming romance novel about a doctor who moves to a small town to nurse her broken heart. Soon, she meets an equally broken man. Can they heal each other, or is their sorrow too much to bear? Oh, and it's the perfect beach read for the summer!