In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife titles, we highlight a manifesto about toxic masculinity, a Regency romance, a thriller that peers into the dark underbelly of society, and a memoir of food and friendship.

★ In Wolves’ Clothing by Greg Levin

Synopsis: Levin movingly conveys the stomach-churning horrors of child sex trafficking in this effective thriller.

PW’s Takeaway: Levin provides a window into one of the world’s darkest underbellies, while somehow managing to insert appropriate lighter moments.... This author deserves a wide audience.

Comparable Title: Timothy Hallinan’s Breathing Water

Sample Line: “The trick to looking excited when children are presented to you for sex is to remember you are saving their lives.”

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Mean Men by Mark Lipton

Synopsis: Amid the chorus of women’s voices that is the #MeToo movement, New School management professor Lipton issues a detailed and methodical critique of male behavior at its worst.

PW’s Takeaway: Readers with “mean men” for bosses will feel newly empowered by Lipton’s well-timed, scathing manifesto.

Comparable Title: Jack Urwin’s Man Up

Sample Line: “They step on others to get ahead. They are deceptive and ruthless. They have explosive tempers and abusive personalities. In a word, they are mean.”

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Brynnde by M. Pepper Langlinais

Synopsis: A young woman finds a kindred spirit and both buck against society’s expectations in this Regency romance.

PW’s Takeaway: Great characters and crackling banter keep the plot moving.

Comparable Title: Bronwyn Scott’s Claiming His Defiant Miss

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Cooking with Adrienne by Joan M. Harper

Synopsis: Harper presents a heartfelt portrait of her culinary camaraderie with French cuisine doyenne Adrienne Zausner.

PW’s Takeaway: With these recipes, the cuisine of the masters is within reach.

Comparable Title: Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia

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Anne and Charles by Rozsa Gaston

Synopsis: An orphaned duchess enters into a political marriage that becomes a loving union.

PW’s Takeaway: The blend of royalty, love, and the French renaissance is enchanting.

Comparable Titles: Philippa Gregory’s Plantagenet and Tudor Novels

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