December McReader's Digest
December 2025
In case you missed them...
Holly and Nick Hate Christmas by Betsy St Amant
Holly and Nick Hate Christmas
Date Night in December by Jaqueline Snowe
Date Night in December
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by null
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop
Mistletoe and Holly by Janet Dailey
Mistletoe and Holly
The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy
The Christmas Countdown
Christmas at the Shelter Inn: A Holiday Romance by Raeanne Thayne
Christmas at the Shelter Inn: A Holiday Romance
Artful Christmas: 30 Elegant Craft Projects by Susan Wasinger
Artful Christmas: 30 Elegant Craft Projects
Wild and Free Holidays: 35 Festive Family Activities to Make the Season Bright by Ainsley Arment
Wild and Free Holidays: 35 Festive Family Activities to Make the Season Bright
A Christmas to Remember by Beverly Jenkins
A Christmas to Remember
Countdown to Christmas by McKenzie, Caroline
Countdown to Christmas
The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs by Andrew Gant
The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs
Holiday Cookies by Nederlanden, Elisabet der
Holiday Cookies
Dying in a Winter Wonderland by Vicki Delany
Dying in a Winter Wonderland
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Comfort and Joy by Beth Kempton
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Comfort and Joy
OverBooked Club
Monday, November 10, 5:30
Library Conference Room
Come chat about books with Kristen and Michelle.
What's new...
30seven: A Sci-Fi Horror Novel by Jeremy Robinson
30seven: A Sci-Fi Horror Novel
by Jeremy Robinson

Twenty-eight people are abducted from a lakeside beach-and a killer is among them-in this twisty UFO horror novel from the bestselling author of The Others. After a year of torment following the loss of his wife, Isabella, to a serial killer with an artistic flair, Marcus Lockwood retreats with his son, Elias, to Moose Hollow-a secluded campground in backwoods Maine-in search of healing. There, a close-knit band of lifelong campers immerses them in a warm, nostalgic experience filled with fishing, canoeing, crackling barbecues, and a taste of normalcy.When whispers of eerie UFO sightings ignite a vigil on the beach, Marcus and Elias eagerly join the hunt for the inexplicable. But when the sky erupts in otherworldly light, they'll get much more than they bargained for. A mysterious craft descends, and in one surreal moment, the group is abducted and transported into the unknown. Amid the chaos and disorientation, a gut-wrenching discovery terrifies Marcus: One of them is Isabella's killer. New York Times-bestselling author Jeremy Robinson returns to the UFO genre with the unsettling 30Seven, delivering a harrowing tale of extraterrestrial incursion that will make aliens think twice before their next close encounter. A] high-octane mash-up of extraterrestrial horror and family drama. -Publishers Weekly Robinson serves up an engaging blend of SF, horror, and mystery . . . in this twisty, genre-bending thriller. -Kirkus Reviews
The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz
The Belle of Chatham
by Laura Frantz

In the midst of the American revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon find their loyalties divided as war reaches their home. Mae falls for an American general while suspecting Coralie--still tied to a British officer--of espionage. When betrayal strikes, Mae must risk everything on a dangerous journey for those she loves, all in the name of liberty.
Blade by Wendy Walker
Blade
by Wendy Walker

From USA Today bestselling author--and former competitive skater--Wendy Walker comes a chilling psychological thriller set in the cutthroat world of elite figure skating.Ana Robbins was an Olympic star in the making--until tragedy forced her to leave that world behind. At the age of sixteen, she gave up her dream and never looked back. Fourteen years later, she's a successful defense attorney, revered for her work with minors. But when her former coach turns up dead, Ana lands right back where it all began, and abruptly ended: The Palace, a world-renowned skating facility nestled high in the mountains of Colorado.Ana returns to The Palace to defend the young skater accused of the brutal crime--Grace Montgomery. Despite her claims of innocence, all evidence points squarely at Grace's guilt, and she's days away from facing charges of first-degree murder.But Ana's investigation dredges up childhood memories of her own, triggering the fear that permeates this place where she once lived and trained far from home as an orphan. With a blizzard raging outside, and time running out for Grace, Ana is determined to uncover the truth--even if it means exposing her own secrets that she buried here long ago.
The Bookbinder's Secret by A. D. Bell
The Bookbinder's Secret
by A. D. Bell

Every book tells a story. This one tells a secret.A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder. Lilian (Lily) Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life. She is trapped between the oppressiveness of her father's failing bookshop and still being an apprentice in a man's profession. But when she's given a burned book during a visit to a collector, she finds, hidden beneath the binding, a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder. Lily is pulled into the mystery of the young lovers, a story of forbidden love, and discovers there are more books and more hidden pages telling their story. Lilian becomes obsessed with the story but she is not the only one looking for the remaining books and what began as a diverting intrigue quickly becomes a very dangerous pursuit. Lily's search leads her from the eccentric booksellers of London to the private libraries of unscrupulous collectors and the dusty archives of society papers, deep into the heart of the mystery. But with sinister forces closing in, willing to do anything for the books, Lilian's world begins to fall apart and she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth the risk to her own life. 
Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo
Call Me Ishmaelle
by Xiaolu Guo

A propulsive powerhouse of a read.--Marie Claire (UK)Ambitious, brave, and strange.--Philip Hoare, author of LeviathanFrom the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author, a feminist reimagining of Herman Melville's classic Moby-Dick through the eyes of one inimitable woman and a diverse, swashbuckling crewI must work on a ship as a man . . . I must find freedom on the seas.1843. Ishmaelle is born in a small village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up swimming with dolphins. After her parents and infant sister die, her brother, Joseph, leaves to find work as a sailor. Abandoned and desperate for a life at sea, Ishmaelle disguises herself as a cabin boy and travels to New York.Years later, as the American Civil War breaks out, Ishmaelle boards the Nimrod, a whaling ship led by the obsessive Captain Seneca, a Black free man of heroic stature who is haunted by a tragic past. Here, she finds protectors amidst the bloody male violence of whaling and discovers a mysterious bond between herself and the white whale who claimed Seneca's leg.Built on the bones of Melville's classic, Call Me Ishmaelle is a dynamic new tale, imbued with an eclectic crew--from a Polynesian harpooner to a Taoist Monk--and a powerful exploration of human nature, gender, man's place among the animals, and the nature of home.
The Cyclist: A DS George Cross Mystery by Tim Sullivan
The Cyclist: A DS George Cross Mystery
by Tim Sullivan

A perfect detective for our time and for all time.--Stephen FryOne of the most iconic British fictional detectives of the 21st century . . . a delight.--Daily MailDetective Sergeant George Cross returns to solve the case of a mangled body on a construction site and uncover a life of illicit drugs in the second book in Tim Sullivan's internationally bestselling seriesDS George Cross has unique and unmatchable talents. He uses a combination of logic, determination and exacting precision to get answers where others have failed for families who have long given up hope. So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it's up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find.From the faint tan lines and strange scars on the victim's forearms, Cross meticulously unravels the young man's life, delving into the world of amateur cycling, an illicit supply of performance enhancing drugs, jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart.Cross's relentless pursuit of the truth and eccentric methods earn him few friends. But just as the police seem to be nearing a conclusion, he doubles back. Could it be the biggest mistake of his career?
Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan
Darkrooms
by Rebecca Hannigan

Two unforgettable women investigate the disappearance of a missing girl in a small Irish town brimming with secrets in this haunting debut from a new crime writing talent, perfect for fans of Tana French and Flynn Berry--
Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
Fire Must Burn
by Allison Montclair

The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London . . . so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn't going to stop them! Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town . . . London, 1947. After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she's looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris's former boss enlists their help for a secret mission. Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn't seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service. Tony's suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he's innocent, she'll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy . . . Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
The First Time I Saw Him
by Laura Dave

Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall's pulse-pounding journey in the riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, The Last Thing He Told Me. How far would you go for a second chance? Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they've forged a relationship with Bailey's grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them. But when Owen shows up at Hannah's new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety--and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance. A gripping, rich, and deeply moving novel about the power of forgiveness, The First Time I Saw Him picks up right where the epilogue for the genuinely moving (The New York Times) The Last Thing He Told Me left off, giving readers the eagerly awaited and absolutely exhilarating sequel to Dave's global blockbuster.
The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
The Flower Bearers
by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

On September 24, 2021, Rachel Eliza Griffiths married her husband, the novelist Salman Rushdie. On the same day, hundreds of miles of away, Griffiths' closest friend and chosen sister, the poet Kamilah Aisha Moon, who was expected to speak at the wedding, died suddenly. Eleven months later, as Griffiths attempted to piece together her life as a newlywed with heartbreak in one hand and immense love in the other, a brutal attack nearly killed her husband. As trauma compounded trauma, Griffiths realized that in order to survive her grief, she would need to mourn not only her friend, but the woman she had been on her wedding day, a woman who had also died that day. In the process of rebuilding a self, Griffiths chronicles her friendship with Moon, the seventeen years since their meeting at Sarah Lawrence College. Together, they embraced their literary foremothers-Lucille Clifton, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, to name a few-and fought to embrace themselves as poets, artists, and Black women. Alongside this unbreakable bond, Griffiths weaves the story of her relationship with Rushdie, of the challenges they have faced and the unshakeable devotion that endures-- Provided by publisher.
The Friend of the Family by Dean Koontz
The Friend of the Family
by Dean Koontz

A girl liberated from a carnival sideshow discovers her mysterious purpose in a moving novel about family, sacrifice, and transcendent love by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.The human oddities in the Museum of the Strange are less wondrous than the gawking rubes had been promised. But Alida is something else. The real thing. Traveling Depression-era America from carnival midways to speakeasies, Alida is resigned to an exploited and lonely life on the road as the museum's golden ticket. Until she's rescued by two compassionate strangers.Franklin and Loretta Fairchild see in Alida a gifted and uncannily well-read girl in need of a loving touch and a family. With the openhearted couple and their three precociously imaginative children, Alida finds it. Yet despite everyone's overwhelming generosity and acceptance, Alida knows she is still a very different kind of girl. Her dreams bear that out. They're vivid, unsettling, and threatening. Alida fears that they're also warnings. And that it's the Fairchilds who may need rescue from a bad, bad world.Alida will do anything to help those she now holds nearest and dearest. Empowered with a purpose to vanquish evil, she will not fail her family.
The Hitch by Sara Levine
The Hitch
by Sara Levine

From the author of the cult classic Treasure Island!!!, a seductively outlandish novel following a woman as she attempts to exorcise the spirit of a dead corgi from her nephew and renegotiate the borders of her previously rational world. As an antiracist, Jewish secular feminist eco-warrior, Rose Cutler knows the right way to do everything, including parent her six-year-old nephew Nathan. But while she's looking after him in his parents' absence, things veer disastrously off course-Rose's Newfoundland attacks and kills a corgi at the park, and Nathan starts acting strangely: barking, overeating, talking to himself. Rose mistakes this for repressed grief over the corgi's death, but Nathan insists he isn't grieving, and the corgi isn't dead. Her soul leaped into his body, and she's living inside him. Now, Rose must banish the corgi from her nephew before his parents return. From the outrageously original mind of Sara Levine, The Hitch is a delightfully raucous comedy about loneliness, bad boundaries, and the ill-fated ambition of micromanaging everything and everyone around you-- Provided by publisher.
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski
The Infamous Gilberts
by Angela Tomaski

The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held within the walls of their crumbling country manor. Thornwalk, a once-stately English manor, is on the brink of transformation. Its keys are being handed over to a luxury hotelier who will undertake a complete renovation--but in doing so, what will they erase? Through the keen eyes of an enigmatic neighbor, the reader is taken on a guided tour into rooms filled with secrets and memories, each revealing the story of the five Gilbert siblings. Spanning the eve of World War II to the early 2000s, this contemporary gothic novel weaves a rich tapestry of English country life. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a world where the echoes of an Edwardian idyll clash with the harsh realities of war, neglect, and changing times. The Gilberts' tale is one of great loves, lofty ambitions, and profound loss, and Angela Tomaski's mordantly witty yet loving account is an immersive experience. Reminiscent of the haunting atmospheres in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Infamous Gilberts offers a fresh take on a classic genre, capturing the essence of a troubled but fascinating family.
The Invisible Woman: A Thriller by James Patterson
The Invisible Woman: A Thriller
by James Patterson

From New York Times bestselling author James Patterson, an undercover FBI agent investigates a family with suspected ties to organized crime--by posing as their live-in nanny. No one sees her, but she sees everything. Elinor Gilbert was once a young woman with a thriving career at the FBI. Now decades past solving crimes with the bureau, she is personally and professionally forgettable. Which is exactly what her former FBI boss needs. He disguises Elinor as a middle-aged nanny, and casts her as an agent on the inside of his investigation into a New York art dealer suspected of ties to organized crime. But as Elinor pushes toward the truth, her superpower--anonymity--morphs into a fatal flaw. The more the invisible woman integrates into her host family, the more dangerously memorable she becomes.
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
It Should Have Been You
by Andrea Mara

A suburban neighborhood starts to spiral when one text message causes a nasty chain reaction with horrifying consequences. You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbors, it's meant for your sister. But it doesn't reach her - it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead. As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighborhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat. The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what's even more chilling is that she had the same address as you - 26 Oakpark - but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won't be long before you find out...-- Provided by publisher.
Janae Sanders' Second Time Around by Laquette
Janae Sanders' Second Time Around
by Laquette

A gratifying romance between kind, confident, deserving leads. --Kirkus Reviews A single mom gets a second chance at love with her high school sweetheart. Wary of love after divorce, Janae Sanders focuses on the best things in her life: her son James and her besties in the Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club. As for romance? Not today, Satan. That is, until high school heartthrob Adam Henderson crashes back into her life at their 20-year reunion. Sparks fly, but just when Janae considers dating again, the new superintendent of James' school district slashes his beloved arts program. Instead of getting her groove back, Janae gets her protest on. Returning home after twenty years, Adam jumps at the chance to reacquaint himself with Janae, the one who got away. But he's nearly reached his limit, juggling a meddling father, school politics, and--unbeknownst to him--Janae's ire. If he can't get the head of the PTA off his back after cutting programs that were costing the district money, his debut role as superintendent and his love life hang in the balance. When a school board meeting is called and they both realize they've been dating the enemy, Janae gives Adam two choices: restore the program or lose her. Adam proposes a third option: one weekend at his cabin to talk it all out--funding the arts, and old feelings too. When her girls cheer her on, Janae must decide if she's willing to risk it all. Armed with sass, sarcasm, and a suitcase full of emotional baggage, Janae and Adam discover that sometimes love shows up in the most infuriating and unexpectedly sexy ways.
The Jills by Karen Parkman
The Jills
by Karen Parkman

Virginia is a Jill--a professional Buffalo Bills cheerleader--living the life she's always dreamed of. She spends her weekdays practicing, her weekends cheering, and her nights hopping between events and bars and clubs with her close-knit band of teammates, especially her best friend, Jeanine, whose dynamic friendship has given Virginia confidence in spades and allowed her to put aside her troubled past with her sister, Laura. But one Sunday, Jeanine fails to show up for a game, and all her calls and texts go unanswered. Aided by a worried network of Jills, ex-boyfriends, and seedy fixtures of Buffalo's criminal underground, Virginia embarks on an investigation into Jeanine's disappearance. But as her search grows increasingly dangerous and spirals into obsession, disturbing questions about who Jeanine really is begin to emerge. Soon, Virginia finds herself wondering how well she knows her friend, if she can trust the people and institutions she thought were protecting her, and whether--when trying to save the people she cares about most--she's capable of saving herself, too.-- Provided by publisher.
Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg
Just Watch Me
by Lior Torenberg

Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this bold debut about a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister--a poignant and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, and redemption.Dell Danvers is barely keeping it together. She's behind on rent for her studio apartment (formerly a walk-in closet), she's being plagued by perpetual stomach pain, and her younger sister, Daisy, is in a coma at a hospital that wants to pull the plug. Freshly unemployed and subsisting on selling plants to trust fund kids, Dell impulsively starts a 24-hour livestream.
Narrated in seven taut chapters, one for each day of Dell’s livestream, Just Watch Me careens through a week in the life of this charismatic misfit with a heart of gold. Voyeuristic and visceral, audacious and outrageous, Lior Torenberg’s debut is both a razor-sharp tragicomedy about the internet economy and a surreptitiously moving tale about the desire to be watched, and the terror of being seen.
Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
Murder Your Darlings
by Jenna Blum

For every woman who's ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines from New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum.Known for such brilliant historical novels as Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family, A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books.Simone Sam Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she's totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from Stratospherically Successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they've found The One.But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to ask: Is it The Rabbit--William's #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems?Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, Murder Your Darlings is a wickedly witty look at today's literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love.
New Beginnings: An Amish Romance by Linda Byler
New Beginnings: An Amish Romance
by Linda Byler

The first book in beloved Amish novelist Linda Byler's Seekers series. As a young man growing up in an Amish family, Amos struggles to fit in. Slow in school, overweight, and afflicted with terrible acne, he feels he's a constant disappointment to his mother, sisters, teachers, and employers. Convinced that he will never be good enough for them, he leaves home and accepts a job as a live-in groundskeeper for an English (non-Amish) couple. Gradually, he moves toward a healthier, more confident version of himself. But he can't leave behind the fact that living as an English person--driving a pickup truck, sporting short hair and a flannel button-up shirt--is the greatest disappointment to his family yet. When Amos meets Skye, he's drawn to her refreshingly forthright mannerisms. With her camouflage baseball cap and love of the outdoors, she's fun and free in ways that only an English girl can be. And then there's Anna, a young Amish woman who is sweet and kind and unmistakably cute. In fact, she's special enough to make him wonder if he could go back to the Amish life to be with her. But how could he do that with any kind of sincerity, given he's not even sure he believes in God? Author Linda Byler is an active member of the Amish church and writes all her novels by hand with a pen and notebook. She offers a unique and fascinating look into Amish history and culture.
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done
by Sophie Hannah

The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable? Both? Or something else altogether? You think it will never happen to you. The doorbell. The policeman. The words that turn your world inside out: I'm afraid there's been an incident... For Sally Lambert, those words mean only one thing-danger. Not just for her family, but for Champ, their loyal and beloved dog. A single accusation, a neighbor's grudge, and suddenly the Lamberts are trapped in a nightmare with no escape. Unless they make one. Most people would never run. Most people would never leave behind everything they know to protect an animal who can't defend himself. But for Sally, Champ is more than a dog-he's one of her children. And most people aren't the Lamberts. No one has ever done this before. No one has ever gone this far. But the Lamberts have never been quite like any other family... New York Times bestselling author Sophie Hannah spins an unexpected tale of suspense in No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done, an unsettling reflection on how far we'll go for those we love-- Provided by publisher.
The Odds of You by Kate Dramis
The Odds of You
by Kate Dramis

Once is chance. Twice is fate. This book made me remember why I fell in love with reading. - B. Celeste Sage Collins knows a thing or two about odds. A year ago, she was a data analyst until she burned it all down to pursue her dream of becoming an author. One whirlwind bestseller and a struggling second book later, and Sage isn't sure she'll ever write a novel again. But then an accidental encounter with an irritating passenger on the flight to Comic Con leaves Sage in an untested position. That passenger is Theo Sharpe: a breakout actor on the cusp of fame. And, unfortunately, the paparazzi have mistaken her for his girlfriend. Armed with signature British charm and a smile that could tame oceans, Theo wears fame like a well-fit coat...though Sage can see there's something deeper held in his eyes. But his fans are too involved in the drama, the pressure to deliver the next bestseller is on, and Sage and Theo both must agree there's nothing between them. They don't have to acknowledge that saying it doesn't make it true. When Sage decides to flee to Scotland to clear her head and write her novel, she expects to find fresh air and the stillness to think. What she doesn't expect is Theo Sharpe to come back into her life...and how he may be her greatest miscalculation of all. An emotionally-charged novel in the vein of Ashley Poston and Yulin Kuang, The Odds of You is a smart and sexy first contemporary novel from bestselling romantasy author Kate Dramis. A raw and poignant love story. - Tarah DeWitt
Only on Gameday by Kristen Callihan
Only on Gameday
by Kristen Callihan

An ALL-NEW sports romance from New York Times bestseller Kristen Callihan with high emotional stakes and a slow-burn, steamy heat level.A fake fianc e is just the trick to help a bad-boy football player clean up his image. Trouble is, there's nothing fake about the way August feels about his pretend fianc e.August Luck is on the brink of greatness: top NFL draft pick, a great team, multiple corporate sponsorships, but he keeps messing it up with bonehead moves. After his latest shenanigan goes viral, everyone is telling him to get his act together.Penelope Morrow grew up with August. Their mothers were best friends. Unfortunately, Pen always fled the room with a look of disapproval on her pretty face whenever August was around. But Pen has a problem too: she inherited her grandparent's house and can't pay the estate tax.On a whim, August decides a temporary public engagement is the solution to both their problems--he'll pay her taxes, and she'll help his image. Win-win.But, when it comes to Pen, nothing is certain or safe. Because Pen isn't so reserved anymore. This time, she's smiling back at him. And he likes it. A lot. Will they each survive the ruse unscathed?Game on...Perfect for readers who love: Shy girl/sunshine boy Hero in hot pursuit Unrequited love + epic yearning Fake dating (or is it?) Delicious slow-burn romance Childhood nemeses (all grown up)
Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux
Order of Royals
by Jude Deveraux

Jude Deveraux's writing is enchanting and exquisite. --BookPageThe second book in Jude Deveraux's spellbinding and unforgettable Blue Swan series weaves an intricate tapestry of fantasy and intrigue on the enigmatic planet of Bellis. Princess Aradella is trapped in the iron grip of her evil and powerful aunt, Queen Olina. Navigating the treacherous waters of political machinations and familial duties, Aradella discovers allies in unexpected places, including Tanek, a swansman with his own mysterious connections. Set in a world where royalty, magic, and mythical beings coexist, Aradella's path is intertwined with that of Kaley Arens, an Earthling who becomes deeply entangled in the planet's intricate social hierarchy, as she is faced with a choice between her homeland and newfound love. As Aradella and her companions uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas, they embark on an adventure filled with loyalty, romance, and courage, where the lines between magic and reality blur, but where love has the power to transform destinies.Aradella's heart finds a beacon in Mekos, the son of Tanek, whose distinct heritage and protective nature captivate her. As their bond deepens amidst political intricacies, their love story unfolds through secret plans and whispered promises. But in this world, nothing is as it seems and destiny can't be denied...
The Re-Do List by Denise Williams
The Re-Do List
by Denise Williams

What would you do with a second chance at your first time? Following a bad breakup, Willow Lewis tackles a re-do list with the help of her brother's best friend in this sweet and sexy new romance from USA Today bestselling author Denise Williams. Willow experienced all her big firsts with her high school sweetheart. Now, reeling from their very public breakup, she wants to get a re-do on those important moments. While dog-sitting for her brother during his deployment, she has a chance to start over and spending time with his best friend gives her the confidence to start checking items off her Re-Do list. Deacon promised his best friend two things when Cruz left for a deployment: that he'd look out for Willow, and that he'd keep his hands off Cruz's baby sister. Operation Re-Do is innocent enough at first: Deacon likes Willow and he's willing to help her out any way he can. But when the list of firsts turns from a first dance to first kisses and more, Deacon can't deny the connection he feels to Willow. As Deacon's and Willow's firsts turn to seconds, thirds, and fourths, this pair can't get enough of each other--and they support each other through new challenges. But they are both aware there's an end date to Willow's time in town... and even if she were to stay, Deacon doesn't know how to choose between his loyalty to his closest friend and the woman he's fallen in love with. With no more romantic moments on her list for them to re-do, can these two still find a way to stay together?
Remember That Day by Mary Balogh
Remember That Day
by Mary Balogh

A soldier and a pacifist make the unlikeliest of pairs, but when passion sparks, there's nothing that can prevent their love from igniting. Winifred Cunningham, the adopted daughter of a portrait painter, hopes that her new close friend, Owen Ware, will soon ask for her hand in marriage. But when Owen introduces Winifred to his elder brother Nicholas, the late Earl of Stratton's second son, the slow burn between them begins. Nicholas is a cavalry colonel--a hardened soldier whom Winifred at first despises. She finds him intimidating and cruel-looking, while he finds her strange and startlingly forthright. During a summer at Ravenswood, however, Nicholas and Winifred are unwillingly thrown together on several occasions, until they realize the passion that drives their disagreements is not due to dislike--it is because of attraction. Winifred still awaits Owen's proposal, and Nicholas has made his intention to marry his commanding officer's daughter quite clear. With allegiances to other marriage prospects and brotherly bonds at risk, not to mention the age difference between them, Nicholas and Winifred know it would be wholly improper to pursue a romance... And yet, romance is irresistible. Perhaps even inevitable.
The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus
The Sea Child
by Linda Wilgus

In this enchanting, adventurous debut novel, a band of seafaring smugglers lands on the Cornish coast, where a young widow with a mysterious past becomes entangled in their schemes--and with their charismatic captain. A wonderfully romantic story, perfect for fans of Poldark and du Maurier.--Joanna Miller, author of The Eights England, early 1800s: Destitute and forced to leave her home in London, Isabel, a young widow of the Napoleonic Wars, returns to the village on the rugged Cornish coast where she was found as a small child, dripping wet and alone. Hoping to learn more about her enigmatic origins, she's shocked to find herself at the center of a local legend claiming that she is the daughter of a sea spirit. As Isabel adjusts to life in her rented cottage, the coast is rife with smugglers and the Revenue Officers who hunt them. One evening, a group of dangerous raiders arrives at her door, carrying their wounded captain, Jack. Remembering her late husband's fatal injuries, Isabel decides to care for Jack and soon feels a powerful connection to him. Even after Jack recovers, Isabel finds herself unable to forget him. Meanwhile, the sea calls to her, and a Revenue Officer who likes to hang smugglers poses a threat in more ways than one. Before long, Isabel finds herself caught on the wrong side of the law, with violence and heartbreak looming. From the coves of Cornwall to the wild coast of Brittany, during perilous raids at sea and society dinner parties, Isabel fights to understand her kinship with the ocean while seeking answers about her past. But when the threat catches up with them and Jack's life hangs in the balance, she must draw on all her courage and delve deep into the mythical heart of the Cornish coast. For only a sea child can turn the tide . . .
The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz
The Shop on Hidden Lane
by Jayne Ann Krentz

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz dives into an enthralling new romantic suspense novel filled with deeply entrenched grudges, psychic dangers, and a conspiracy that threatens not only two families but also the entire paranormal community. The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret. Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together--and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. Clearly, someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret their families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke's hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored. Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail leading to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is as it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them as surely as the pact between the families.
Skylark by Paula McLain
Skylark
by Paula McLain

The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below--where a woman's quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor's dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time. 1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette's efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salp tri re asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined. 1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized. A spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few--the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above--Paula McLain's unforgettable new novel chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.
The Starseekers: A Murder and Magic Novel by Nicole Glover
The Starseekers: A Murder and Magic Novel
by Nicole Glover

Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic...if not murder.In the 1960s, the world was caught up in reaching beyond our planet and into the cosmos. It felt impossible--but there was nothing science, math...and magic couldn't make possible. The race to space was on, and the Moon was what everyone had their eyes on.Including Cynthia Rhodes, a brilliant arcane engineer at NASA's Ainsworth Research Labs. Talented in math and magic, she hosts a magical educational show... a job she took mostly for a chance to regularly see the dashing Theodore Danner, a professor of arcane archeology.She is also an amateur sleuth--something that has run in her family for generations. When a cursed museum curator nearly interrupts a broadcast of their show, Cynthia finds an eager sleuthing partner in Theo. Pairing up, they begin investigating the strange behavior of the curator and a mysterious theft at the arcane history museum--until one of Cynthia's own coworkers perishes right in front of her in a major lab accident that endangers Ainsworth's role in the space race. Certain it was murder instead of an accident, Cynthia sees this as a separate case at first. However the more she and Theo investigate, Cynthia uncovers a surprising link between the two incidents. The museum theft and murder are part of a larger equation--one that includes deadly enchantments, rumored pirate treasure, a peculiar plant, and a dire threat to the space program as well as everything she holds dear.The Starseekers is another rip-roaring adventure for the Rhodes family, who have been using magic to aid their community and solve mysteries since before the Civil War. The times may have changed, but a Rhodes once again finds themselves thrust into a world of murders, theft, sabotage, and curses, and this time the stakes extend to the stars themselves.
The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
The Storm
by Rachel Hawkins

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense about a Gulf Coast beach motel that has survived a century of hurricanes-and has also been the site of multiple mysterious deaths.
Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen
Sunk in Love
by Heather McBreen

A second chance at love sets sail when a couple on the verge of divorce pretends they're still together for one last family trip, from the author of Wedding Dashers. Roslyn and Liam met nine years ago and have been the perfect couple ever since. Through every up and down, every milestone--from Liam's residency to the publication of Roslyn's debut romance--they've been each other's rock. Until now. Pulled apart by the untimely death of Roslyn's mom and the undertow of grief, they're now navigating the final wave in their marriage: divorce. Heartbroken and unsure how to tell her family she's called it quits with everyone's favorite son-in-law, Roslyn keeps the impending split to herself. But when Roslyn's grandparents ask if Liam can officiate their vow renewal ceremony aboard a Hawaiian cruise during their annual vacation, Roslyn needs to tell the truth or figure out a way to keep her secret. A week trapped at sea with her ex isn't ideal, but neither Roslyn nor Liam want to rock the boat, so they concoct a plan--they'll fake it. After five years of marriage, they can figure out how to pretend for jungle hikes and mai tais, right? But when reality and make believe starts to blur, and old feelings begin to resurface, Roslyn and Liam have to decide whether it's sink or swim for their marriage.
This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud
This House Will Feed
by Maria Tureaud

Amidst the devastation of Ireland's Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor house haunted by a strange power and the horror of her own memories in this chillingly evocative historical novel braided with gothic horror and supernatural suspense for readers of Katherine Arden's The Warm Hands of Ghosts and The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins. County Clare, 1848 In the scant few years since the potato blight first cast its foul shadow over Ireland, Maggie O'Shaughnessy has lost everything--her entire family and the man she trusted with her heart. Toiling in the Ennis Workhouse for paltry rations, she can see no future either within or outside its walls--until the mysterious Lady Catherine arrives to whisk her away to an old mansion in the stark limestone landscape of the Burren. Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter, Wilhelmina, and hoodwink solicitors into releasing Wilhelmina's widow pension so that Lady Catherine can continue to provide for the villagers in her care. In exchange, Maggie will receive freedom from the workhouse, land of her own, and the one thing she wants more than either: a chance to fulfill the promise she made to her brother on his deathbed--to live to spite them all. Launching herself into the daunting task, Maggie plays the role of Wilhelmina as best she can while ignoring the villagers' tales of ghostly figures and curses. But more worrying are the whispers that come from within. Something in Lady Catherine's house is reawakening long-buried memories in Maggie--of a foe more terrifying than hunger or greed, of a power that calls for blood and vengeance, and of her own role in a nightmare that demands the darkest sacrifice . . .
Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire
Through Gates of Garnet and Gold
by Seanan McGuire

A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed installment of the Hugo Award-winning Wayward Children series. After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return. Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates. But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely? And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?-- Provided by publisher.
Vigil by George Saunders
Vigil
by George Saunders

An electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next Not for the first time, Jill Doll Blaine finds herself hurtling toward earth, reconstituting as she falls, right down to her favorite black pumps. She plummets towards her newest charge, yet another soul she must usher into the afterlife, and lands headfirst in the circular drive of his ornate mansion. She has performed this sacred duty 343 times since her own death. Her charges, as a rule, have been greatly comforted in their final moments. But this charge, she soon discovers, isn't like the others. The powerful K. J. Boone will not be consoled, because he has nothing to regret. He lived a big, bold, epic life, and the world is better for it. Isn't it? Vigil transports us, careening, through the wild final evening of a complicated man. Visitors begin to arrive (worldly and otherworldly, alive and dead), clamoring for a reckoning. Birds swarm the dying man's room; a black calf grazes on the love seat; a man from a distant, drought-ravaged village materializes; two oil-business cronies from decades past show up with chilling plans for Boone's postdeath future. With the wisdom, playfulness, and explosive imagination we've come to expect, George Saunders takes on the gravest issues of our time--the menace of corporate greed, the toll of capitalism, the environmental perils of progress--and, in the process, spins a tale that encompasses life and death, good and evil, and the thorny question of absolution.
When There Are No More Stars Left to Count by María Martínez
When There Are No More Stars Left to Count
by María Martínez

In the aftermath of the accident that changed her life, one young woman leaves everything behind to search for the father she never knew, and finds the man of her dreams and the found family she's always wanted in the charming streets of Sorrento, from international bestselling author Maria Martinez, for fans of emotional new adult romance.After a car collision ends her career as a ballet soloist with the National Dance Company in Madrid, 22-year-old Maya Rivet finds herself abandoned by her vindictive grandmother to mourn her past life alone. When she discovers some vintage photos in an old music box, Maya musters the courage to travel to Sorrento, Italy, in search of the man she suspects is her birth father.There she meets handsome and fascinating 29-year-old Lucas Velasco, who fled Madrid years ago to escape his toxic family. He arrived in Sorrento a lost and broken young man with no plan, no resources, and no confidence. But he found a community that welcomed him with open arms and created for himself a beautifully carefree life. Seeing the opportunity to share that warmth with Maya, who has nowhere to go, he takes her into his home, and what starts as an uplifting friendship blossoms into love. But when Lucas discovers the secrets that Maya has been keeping from him, their love is tested to the limit, and when both return to Madrid, the turmoil of family ties and conflict tear them apart. Only when they can resolve their family traumas, can they begin to find their way back to each other.
Woman Down by Colleen Hoover
Woman Down
by Colleen Hoover

In this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a frustrated author looks for her muse in a remote hideaway, but what she finds defies all expectations...and reality.Her words used to set the page on fire. But a viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced Petra Rose to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. And she's been uninspired to write ever since.Now, with her next suspense novel outlined and savings nearly gone, she retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin, hoping to find inspiration. It's Petra's last-ditch attempt to save her career--and herself.Then he shows up.Detective Nathaniel Saint arrives with disturbing news, his presence igniting a creativity in her she thought long since burned out. Petra's words return in a rush, and her fictional cop character begins to mirror the very real cop who's becoming her muse.Their research sessions blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Each glance, every touch pulls Petra deeper into a world she thought she'd never lose herself in again. She's never felt more alive. But inspiration this powerful comes at a cost.When Saint starts taking his role in her career a little too seriously, Petra's forced to confront the chaos she created. But doing so could cost her more than the reputation she's been trying to salvage. The reputation the world wrote for her--the reputation only she can reclaim.
The World of Leonard Cohen by null
The World of Leonard Cohen
by Book Author

Leonard Cohen's artistic career is unique. Most poets and novelists do not become rock stars. No other rock star's career peaked in their eighth decade as Leonard Cohen's did. Cohen's popularity is still growing five years after his death. In The World of Leonard Cohen, a team of international scholars and writers explore the various dimensions of the artist's life, work, persona, and legacy to offer an authoritative and accessible summation of Cohen's extraordinary career. His relation to key themes and topics - Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Zen and the East, the Folk tradition, Rock and roll, Canadian and World literature, film -are all addressed. The World of Leonard Cohen offers a comprehensive, uniquely informed and wholly fresh account of this iconic songwriter and artist, whose singular voice has permanently altered our cultural landscape.
Wreck Your Heart: A Mystery by Lori Rader-Day
Wreck Your Heart: A Mystery
by Lori Rader-Day

From award-winning author Lori Rader-Day, Wreck Your Heart is an engaging, wisecracking and wonderful crime novel with a big heart, about a country and midwestern singer out to catch her big break before family--or murder--wrecks everything. Dahlia Doll Devine had the kind of hardscrabble beginning that could launch a thousand broken-hearted country songs, but now she's the star of her own stage at McPhee's Tavern. As part of Chicago's--yes, Chicago's--country music scene, Dahlia is an up-and-coming singer in spangles and boots of classic country tunes. Up and coming, that is, until her boyfriend Joey up and went, taking the rent money with him. So Dahlia is back to square one, relying on Alex McPhee--again. Alex helped her out of a bad situation when she was a kid living rough with her mother. Now he's part landlord, part band booster, all-around rescuer. It's just that Dahlia wishes she didn't keep giving him reasons to have to do it. Just as Dahlia suspects she's scraped rock bottom, the mother she hasn't spoken to in twenty years shows up with something to say. The next morning, a distraught young woman arrives at the bar, asking after her missing mother--Dahlia's mother, too, even if the missing suburban PTA mom the girl describes sounds pretty different from the one who let Dahlia down all those years ago. Though no one is using the word sister any time soon, Dahlia lets herself be drawn into reuniting the family that might have been hers. But when a body is discovered outside McPhee's Tavern, the crime threatens not just the place Dahlia has made into a home, but everything she's believed about her past, her dreams for the future, and the people she was just, maybe, beginning to let into her heart.
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