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These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat. Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie's eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past. Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline. But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending...if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.
She's no damsel in distress, and he's certainly not wearing shining armour. But one knight can change everything... Daisy Hastings has always thought she was born in the wrong era. So when she bags a summer job at the Tower of London helping to run their Knight school, it feels like a step in the right direction. Theodore 'Teddy' Fairfax is a loose cannon. A disgraced distant relative of the royal family, he's tall, dark and now (begrudgingly) helping with the Tower of London's summer programme – and there's nowhere he'd like to be less. When Teddy's oath to be an obstruction almost gets Daisy fired, she declares war. But as the two cross swords, they start to discover they both need a little rescuing... And that maybe, just maybe, love can bloom, even on a battlefield... Readers are falling hard for Love at First Knight! 'I LOVED this book!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I was in love from page one.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'So cute!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I finished the book in a single sitting. Couldn't put it down!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This helped heal my own nerdy anxious heart. I'll cherish this read forever.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'There was so much to love about it; if this book was made into a movie, I'd watch it.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
A playful romantic comedy featuring dueling delis, fake dating, a shockingly awesome ex, and just the right amount of amnesia “[A] delightfully tropey rom-com . . . This is a sweet confection.”— Publishers Weekly Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—designing beautiful, elaborate costumes for theater—until her father's death five years ago called her home to run the family's decades-old deli. Yes, she loves the place, but she’d always thought she was meant for more exciting things than stocking the right tinned fish. But when Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, the very existence of Greco’s Deli is suddenly in jeopardy. She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm that is about to put her out of business, but their meeting goes from bad (it’s not her fault he’s infuriating) to worse (no one expects the ceiling to literally fall in). With Theo out cold, Ellie panics and claims to be his fiancée . . . and almost passes out herself when amnesia means Theo seems to actually believe her. Soon, the effects of the head injury wear off, but Theo proposes that their “engagement” stick around. If they manage to convince enough people, they might both get what they want: an end to the Mangia deal. Ellie doesn’t trust him (after all, if Theo Taylor wants it, how can it be good for her?) but seeing no other option, she reluctantly agrees. And miraculously, the fake engagement seems to be working—even Ted, Theo’s shrewd, cold father seems convinced—that is, until Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancée, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, but she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between a blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.
Her dream holiday is his everyday life. His dream holiday is her normal life. What happens when they collide? Ally and her dad, Geoff, run the family business, a creative retreat, from their home Hollyhock Cottage in picturesque Kittiwake Cove. They give their guests their dream break, but Ally hankers after glamourous city living, fancy restaurants and art galleries. Ally's survival strategy is to escape out of season, take a break abroad and pretend to be the person she always imagined she would be. She meets Logan while she's away and he turns out to be exactly the kind of distraction she's looking for. With her spirits restored, Ally returns home, picks up the reins again and sets her sights on another successful season, but when Logan unexpectedly arrives on the scene, she soon realises she's in for a summer that's going to be far from straightforward... A story about bringing a holiday home – and what happens when what goes on on holiday comes back to bite you... Your favourite authors love Heidi Swain's books: 'A summer delight!' SARAH MORGAN 'A delightfully sunny read with added intrigue and secrets' BELLA OSBORNE 'A ray of reading sunshine!' LAURA KEMP 'A lovely, sweet, summery read' MILLY JOHNSON 'An absolutely gorgeous summer tale of love and secrets' RACHAEL LUCAS.
In the lush, rolling hills of Lone Oaks, Kentucky, the good life is measured in sips of aged bourbon and the thrill of the world's most famous horse race: the Kentucky Derby ... When news of her grandfather's stroke sends Jo Beth Ellis back to the family farm, she finds it in danger of foreclosure. Lone Oaks Crossing is in rough shape, but Jo has big plans—she'll use her expertise as a Derby-winning horse trainer to reinvent the property as a healing retreat. But renovating while trying to keep her independent grandfather in check is a huge job for one woman—and even more challenging when she receives her first client, the unruly fourteen-year-old Cheyenne, who is determined to do anything but cooperate. Jo is at the end of her rope when neighbor Brooks Moore offers her a deal she can't possibly refuse ... Jo may have sworn to leave the gambling and vicious competition of horse racing behind her, but training Brooks's gorgeous thoroughbred is a challenge she can't resist, especially when sulky Cheyenne takes a shine to him—and when Brooks is sinking an outrageous amount of money into rehabbing the farm, and even rolling up his sleeves to help. With a troubled teen's spirit and her grandfather's faith in her on the line, Jo steps into a tentative partnership with the undeniably attractive Brooks. Against all odds, she dreams of winning a trifecta—a champion horse, a happy family, and a forever love.
"The perfect alchemy of romance, humor and quirky originality."— Sophie Cousens , New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year and The Good Part "A sincere and sincerely funny romance."—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes . Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best (read: wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she'd like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if "cleansing" the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who's she to say no? Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn't the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with Everett: the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that's had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s. Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen's strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she's beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her life: being fully, genuinely herself. “Sarah Adler nails the ultimate rom-com alchemy.”—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake.
A sharply hilarious and ultimately heartfelt novel about a former teen superstar who grudgingly agrees to a reboot of the show that made her (in)famous, from the author of Reasonable Adults. Twenty years after Ocean Views went off the air, the beloved TV show about teenage romance and angst is back. No one is more surprised than its former star, Agnes "Ness" Larkin, that she's agreed to step back into the role of Aubrey Grant. After her father/manager took off with her earnings, Ness ran away from the spotlight in shame. But maybe it's time to stare her past, and her castmates, in their discreetly Botoxed faces. That enthusiasm lasts until the first table read, which, in co-star Coco's words, is "like a high school reunion without the dim lighting or booze." Ness assumed her old fling Hayes Beaumont would be too busy doing Big Hollywood Things to take part, but there he is, seated beside her, exuding pheromones and success. En route to the deluxe Bahamas resort where they're to start filming, the cast gets stranded by a storm. Stuck on a tiny island with a paltry cache of food and quite possibly the most useless survival group in history, Ness tries to reconcile her youthful dreams with where she's ended up—figuratively and literally. The producers wanted drama on and off-screen, and they're going to get it, but where will Ness be when it's all over?.
"Abraham Chang's novel, packed with pop culture, is wonderfully alive. This is a beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time." —Kevin Wilson, bestselling author of Nothing To See Here Young Wang has received plenty of wisdom from his beloved uncle: don't take life too seriously, get out on the road when you can, and everyone gets just seven great loves in their life—so don't blow it. This last one sticks with Young as he is an obsessive cataloger of his life: movies watched, favorite albums . . . all filtered through Chinese numerology and superstition. He finds meaning in almost everything, for which his two best friends endlessly tease him. But then, at the end of 1995, when Young is at New York University, he meets Erena. She's brilliant, charismatic, quick-witted, and crassly funny. They fall in love and, for Young, it feels so real that he's thrilled and terrified. As Young and Erena's relationship blossoms, we get flashbacks to Young's first five loves. That means Erena is "number six." Was his uncle wrong—is she the one and only? Or are they fated for failure to make room for Young's final, seventh love? A love letter to Western pop culture, Eastern traditions, and being a first-generation New Yorker, Abraham Chang's dazzling debut reminds us that luck only gets us so far when it comes to matters of the heart. A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison , weaves a dreamy gothic romance worthy of the heavens in Song of the Six Realms . Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract. With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is strangely kind and awkward for nobility, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture. But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent. The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.
Fifty-three, long married, and in the throes of menopause, Laura is dismayed. She's always tolerated her journalist husband's belittling insults and manipulation—but at least she got some peace when he was busy at his job. Now he's working from home, and her life is becoming a nightmare. Laura's blessed escape comes in the form of book-club meetings where her female friends commiserate and joke about raging hormones and rogue chin hairs. She also runs into an ex-boyfriend, and their renewed friendship awakens the spirit and self-confidence she thought was long gone. But when Laura learns some startling things about her spouse, she begins to think she needs a different kind of life change. But an abuser can be dangerous when deprived of his fun—and just how far is Laura prepared to go to get her life back?.
Clever, popular, and deliciously shocking, the ladies' periodical Mrs. Goode's Magazine for Misses only employs women who are equal to the challenge—and sometimes the challenge includes romance ... As the daughter of a clergyman, Julia Addison knows she'll never be able to fulfill her lifelong dream of acting on the stage. But writing forthright reviews of the Season's most popular plays for Mrs. Goode's Magazine for Misses, popularly known as Goode's Guide to Misconduct, is surely the next best thing. Even better, she's got a ticket to Ransom Blackadder's latest irritating satire about English society. Best of all, she's sharing a theater box with the gruff but handsome Lord Dunstane, which is enough to make Julia call for an encore ... Graham McKay, the Earl of Dunstane, rarely leaves his home in the Scottish Highlands. Why would he? Nothing about London has ever held his interest—until he meets Julia. But when Graham realizes she is the critic who panned his last play—and she discovers he is, in fact, the man behind Blackadder's wicked pen will it bring down the curtain on their romance, not to mention the magazine that published the humiliating review? Or can an unexpected collaboration set the stage for a scandalous love affair?.
From the moment her pet pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of Warwick. Certainly the man is handsome, but such an arrogant arse. But when her scoundrel half brother demands she marry a stranger over a failed investment, the duke does something shocking . . . he announces he's courting her. One moment, Daniel Millstone is enjoying tinkering with his inventions in his quiet country home with relative anonymity. The next, he's courting the willful Miss Adeline. It might have begun as a way to vex her half brother-his childhood nemesis-but her striking beauty and kissable lips prove an irresistible temptation. Now Adeline and her faux beau must convince the ton and their families that they're an item. It doesn't matter if they can barely tolerate each other. It doesn't matter that scandal is only a touch away. Because if this charade doesn't work, Adeline will find herself in dangerous hands . . . Contains mature themes.
A great new beach read from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on The Beach A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings — until old secrets resurface . Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family's luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy's childhood closet. She's not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property's caretaker, Bo, checks in on her. Bo's home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay's summer into something other than what she wants—or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there's something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path... As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life—and how well she can trust her own heart. Look for other summer reads by bestselling author Brenda Novak: The Seaside Library Summer on the Island The Bookstore on the Beach.
New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . . Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for. Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets... But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.
Death comes for everyone. Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it's determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts. FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They've seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death. With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it's too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.
In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long's latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, a notorious rake meets his match in a lovely girl from the country, changing the course of both of their futures... A London season is the chance of a lifetime for Catherine Keating. But the ton's glitter and decadence and casual cruelty threaten to crush her hopes of finding a husband before her season even begins...until she accidentally acquires one of the most scandalous men in England as a secret chaperone. Famously fiery Lord Dominic Kirke can hold the House of Commons—and any woman he chooses— in thrall. But when his house goes up in flames in the dead of night, he finds himself at the Grand Palace on the Thames. And there he discovers his cynical armor is no match for another guest: an innocent country girl with a crackling wit and eyes like a summer sky. He's maddening, elusive, hopelessly charismatic, wrong in every way—perfectly designed to break her heart. But she doesn't know she holds his battered heart in her hands. And though it will destroy him, Dominic knows loving her means setting Catherine free for the life—and man—she deserves.
From USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros comes a friends to lovers romance novella set in her Legacy world. It only takes a spark . . . In Legacy, Colorado, I buried my father alongside his elite Hotshot team. Ten years later, I've followed in his footsteps-fighting fires in the mountains of Alaska with my brother. Amid the flames, nothing ignites me like Avery Claire. She's stubborn, strong, sexy as hell, and my best friend. She also has no idea that I'm in love with her. But Colorado is calling me home, needing every Legacy-born firefighter to successfully rebuild our fathers' team. One night will change everything between us, but she's tied to Alaska and my future is in Colorado. Now I'm torn between what my honor demands, and what my heart can't live without. Contains mature themes.
"With pitch-perfect humor, endearing insights and wonderfully relatable characters, One Last Word is a smart and breezy read about taking hold of the life you want and refusing to let go. An absolute delight." —Allison Winn Scotch, bestselling author of Take Two, Birdie Maxwell What would you say to your meddling parents, your ex-best friend, your toxic boss, or your high school crush if you didn't have to face the consequences? Sara Chae is the founder of One Last Word, an app that allows you to send a message to anyone you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send when you're definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and her obituary is posted online, Sara discovers that drafted messages she had drunkenly uploaded on one night have been released —one each to her emotionally charged mother, to her former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush, Harry Shim. Still reeling from this disaster, Sara finds out she's been accepted into a venture capital mentorship program— and that the mentor she's been assigned to is none other than Harry, who's now a major VC superstar. With her life going from uncertain to chaotic overnight, Sara has to deal with the havoc that ensues and reopen wounds from the past to find a true path forward. A pitch-perfect homage for fans of Annabel Monaghan, Alisha Rai, and Jenny Han, One Last Word is an empowering, laugh-out-loud story about a woman who learns to speak up and fight for what she wants in life and love.
" Fantastically gripping...this is fiction roaring on all cylinders." — The Guardian "A work of peculiar gonzo genius...Thomas takes a glamorous late-capitalist setting, with rosé and catamarans...and warps it into a story that is surprising, humane and political to its bones." — The New York Times Patricia Highsmith meets White Lotus in this surprising and suspenseful modern gothic story following a couple running from both secretive pasts and very present dangers while honeymooning on a Greek island. Still reeling from the chaos of their wedding, Evelyn and Richard arrive on a tiny Greek island for their honeymoon. It's the end of the season and a storm is imminent. Determined to make the best of it, they check into the sun-soaked doors of the Villa Rosa. Already feeling insecure after seeing the "beautiful people," the seemingly endless number of young models and musicians lounging along the Mediterranean, Evelyn is wary of the hotel's owner, Isabella, who seems to only have eyes for Richard. Isabella ostensibly disapproves of every request Evelyn makes, seemingly annoyed at the fact that they are there at all. Isabella is also preoccupied with her chance to enthrall the only other guests—an American producer named Marcus and his partner Debbie—with the story of "the sleepwalkers," a couple who had stayed at the hotel recently and drowned. Everyone seems to want to talk about the sleepwalkers, save for Hamza, a young Turkish man Evelyn had seen with some "beautiful people," as well as the "dapper little man"—the strange yet fashionable owner of the island's lone antiques and gift shop she sees everywhere. But what at first seemed eccentric, decorative, or simply ridiculous, becomes a living nightmare. Evelyn and Richard are separated the night of the storm and forced to face dark truths, but it's their confessions around the origins of their relationship and the years leading up to their marriage that might save them. Exhilarating, suspenseful, and also very funny, The Sleepwalkers asks urgent questions about relationships, sexuality, and the darkest elements of contemporary society—where our most terrible secrets are hidden in plain sight.
A debut novel sparkling with wit and insight about a young woman whose reluctant return to her Jersey Shore hometown gives her the second chance she didn’t know she needed. Caroline Kline isn't ready to strike out. In New York City, newly single Caroline is stumbling her way through the recent implosion of her life. After a surprise breakup leaves her with no job, no apartment, and no backup plan, she’s unsure of what to do next. That is, until Caroline’s father, Leo, injures himself in a bad fall and asks her to move home to the Jersey Shore suburb she’d always been desperate to escape. But Leo doesn’t want his daughter to be his caretaker; he needs her to replace him as third baseman in his local men’s softball league. This isn’t just any season, Leo claims. This is the year they have a real shot at the World Series, the pride and joy of Glen Brook, New Jersey. Caroline agrees to move home, concerned that Leo is hiding a more serious health condition than he’s willing to admit. As the first female player in a league full of old-school men, she’s up against more than a few challenges. And when a night gone wrong lands her in the path of her hometown crush—and first love—Caroline struggles to reconcile the life she thought she’d have with the life she might actually want. Sharply observed and full of humor and heart, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline is a touching tribute to the many unconventional paths that victory, and recovery, can take.