|
|
|
|
|
|
And the Crowd Went Wild: A Chicago Stars Novel
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
After a mortifying, and very public, humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years? But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods, and out of his sight. Except Dancy's not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda, and the sizzle of rekindled emotions. As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves, and each other?
|
|
|
|
We Who Will Die
by Stacia Stark
Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering, an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard. As stakes rise and secrets emerge, she quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor, while also finding herself depending on the enemy to hone her power, the emperor’s vampiric son. To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must uncover a deadly conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself, and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny.
|
|
| One & Only by Maurene GooShe knows what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him. Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all, for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee, for everyone but Cassia. For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found. And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more, up to the moment he introduces her to his boss, Daniel Nam. As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate, or make her own. |
|
|
|
Rules of the Heart
by Janice Hadlow
England, 1794. Now in her thirties, Lady Harriet Bessborough, already the veteran of several liaisons, finds herself pursued by a much younger man. This isn’t unusual in her circle, where married women often take younger lovers. No one minds much, provided they follow the rules of the game: Don’t embarrass your husband, maintain complete discretion at all times, and never ever make the mistake of falling in love. So when Harriet meets Lord Granville, brilliantly handsome, insistently ardent, and twelve years younger than her, she’s confident she can manage their affair. Until she finds herself falling uncontrollably under his spell. As she’s plunged into an all-consuming passion, Harriet’s worldliness and sophistication desert her. With each besotted step, she finds herself edging ever closer to exposure and ruin. She knows she should leave Granville but can’t bring herself to do it, she loves him far too deeply now to escape the scandal that threatens to engulf her.
|
|
|
|
In Your Dreams
by Sarah Adams
Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is her shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan, until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend. James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and running the family business. But when Madison’s happiness is on the line, he’s willing to take up his estranged brother’s offer to launch a restaurant. James has loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance, but now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that. Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy restaurant in record time, but keeping things strictly professional soon becomes impossible, and the town can’t help but meddle in their relationship. As opening night looms closer, Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back. When an unexpected disaster collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities, and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.
|
|
|
|
Half His Age
by Jennette McCurdy
Waldo is ravenous. Horny. Blunt. Naive. Wise. Impulsive. Lonely. Angry. Forceful. Hurting. Perceptive. Endlessly wanting. And the thing she wants most of all: Mr. Korgy, her creative writing teacher with the wife and the kid and the mortgage and the bills, with the dead dreams and the atrophied looks and the growing paunch. She doesn’t know why she wants him. Is it his passion? His life experience? The fact that he knows books and films and things that she doesn’t? Or is it purer than that, rooted in their unlikely connection, their kindred spirits, the similar filter with which they each take in the world around them? Or, perhaps, it’s just enough that he sees her when no one else does.
|
|
| The Lust Crusade by Jo SeguraDaniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember, until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well. An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone, the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive. Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real. |
|
| The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez GillilandLike her sisters, Sage and Teal, Sky Flores has a touch of magic, and it’s caused nothing but heartache. Not only did she disappear into the woods years ago and reappear with no rational explanation, she’s also more comfortable talking to animals than to people. Different and misunderstood, Sky is shunned in the small town of Cranberry. Sky’s neighbor, Adam Noemi, has his own problems. After being laid off from a prestigious newspaper, Adam, ever the ambitious reporter, needs a big headline to redeem his career. Enter Sky, a girl with a story that news outlets have been chasing for years. Sky agrees to grant Adam an exclusive interview on one condition: that he befriend Sky, in a very public way, to prove to everyone in Cranberry that she’s not an outcast. As Sky shares her experiences with Adam, something much bigger than a simple agreement begins to grow between them. But for love to take root, Adam will have to take a leap towards a life that defies expectations, and Sky must open her heart, full of flora and fauna and mystical energies, to his curious mind. |
|
| Last First Kiss by Julian WintersThey say you never forget your first kiss. But Jordan Carter wishes he could forget the one he shared with Jamie Peters as teens. And the one they almost shared again last year before Jamie made it clear he wasn’t the ‘right’ man for Jordan to be with while he’s figuring himself out. Now, Jordan’s fully focused on his career at 24 Carter Gold, his family’s event planning company, and ready to move on, until his boss assigns him to plan a new client’s high-profile wedding. The bride’s man-of-honor? None other than Jamie. As things ramp up the closer they get to the wedding, so does Jordan’s relationship with Jamie, with sarcastic asides turning into steamy hook-ups. But can Jordan afford to pursue Jamie if he’s still unsure of who he is? Or is knowing who he loves enough? Venue shopping, cake-tastings, and dress fittings with the man he can’t forget just might change the man Jordan Carter is meant to become. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Albert Lea Public Library
211 E Clark St.
Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007
(507) 377-4350alplonline.org |
|
|
|