|
|
|
|
| The Co-op by Tarah DeWittThey say love and construction don't mix. By that logic, hate and construction may as well be condemned. LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens - certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces. LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties. Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon quickly learn that it's easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks, much to their growing mutual frustration) they'll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team. |
|
| Pickleballers by Ilana LongMeg Bloomberg is ready to let her paddle do the talking. Finally, Meg Bloomberg is out of her disastrous relationship, so she and her best friend take off on a pickleball excursion to take their mind off men. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out. No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over. It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe love will bounce back. |
|
|
|
The Maui effect
by Sara Ackerman
‘Iwa Young’s life is high in the Maui rainforest. As a field biologist, she’s happiest in the company of trees and birds and waterfalls. When a developer arrives with plans for a so-called eco resort in the middle of a forest full of endangered species, 'Iwa puts all her energy into the fight to protect it. But a chance encounter threatens to distract her. His name is Dane Parsons, a big-wave surfer from California. ‘Iwa has a few unbreakable rules, and at the top of her list: never date a surfer. Dane is part of an underground group of big-wave riders, and his connection to the ocean runs deep. When he meets ‘Iwa, he can’t get her out of his mind. But ‘Iwa wants nothing to do with Dane until he offers to help protect her beloved forest and waterfall. Always on the hunt for the ultimate ride, Dane suddenly glimpses something even greater.
|
|
|
|
A Worthington wedding
by Ella Quinn
Charlie, Earl of Stanwood, is at his gentleman’s club when he overhears from a nearby card game that the Viscount Ognon plans to gamble away a property in which some of his family live. Charlie takes a dim view of those who mistreat their dependents, and though he rarely gambles, he always wins. This time is no different. Triumphant, Charlie is determined to sign the property over to the appropriate family member. Miss Oriana Ognon comes from a family in which the men are incorrigible gamblers, while the women mitigate the losses. Fortunately, she inherited her estate from a maternal aunt and is independent of her cousin, who repeatedly attempts to gamble it away. Needless to say, when the Earl of Stanwood comes to call, he is promptly presented with proof of Oriana’s homeownership—and no offer of refreshment. Even if he was the handsomest man she’d ever seen. Intrigued by headstrong Oriana, Charles sets out to discover more about her—and concludes she may be exactly the wife he’s looking for. Meanwhile, Oriana learns more about Charles, and her interest is piqued. But as saboteurs and rivals compromise their possible future together, they just might find themselves in an irresistibly compromising position of their own.
|
|
|
|
Under loch and key
by Lana Ferguson
Keyanna 'Key' MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it's only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he'd always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father's life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she'll find in Scotland. But repeating her father's mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman - who thinks she's an idiot - is definitely the last thing she expects. Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore - a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he's been taught not to trust. He's looking for answers as well, and Key's presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It's even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn't care about, and someone he definitely doesn't find wildly attractive. When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after - and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they'll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
|
|
|
|
Variation
by Rebecca Yarros
Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under. As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath. When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.
|
|
| Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn DoyleMolly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years. Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one" in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart. When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them. Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong. |
|
|
|
Designs on you
by Jaci Burton
She can design the perfect forever home, but what about a forever love? Single mum Natalie Parker is firmly focused on her newly resurrected career as a designer. No distractions. When her sister hires Natalie to design her brand-new home with boyfriend Linc, Natalie's delighted. Enter Linc's younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He's smart, incredibly good-looking, and a shameless flirt. He's also younger than her, which makes him totally off-limits. Eugene is captivated by Natalie's beauty, intelligence, and sense of humor. Pushing her buttons comes way too easy, and he can't get enough of how she throws it right back. Yet despite their instant chemistry, Natalie keeps trying to push him away - but Eugene never backs down from a challenge. Soon Natalie is running out of reasons to keep Eugene at arm's length, and breaking all her own rules may just be the thing she needs.
|
|
|
|
PS: I hate you
by Lauren Connolly
In this splendidly bittersweet romantic comedy, enemies forced together by a mutual loss are led on a cross-country journey toward a second chance. Maddie Sanderson would do anything to honor her brother's final wishes, but she did not sign up to partner with Josh's best friend, Dominic Perry. Tasked with spreading Josh's ashes over eight destinations - places that he never got to visit before he died - Maddie is forced to work with the man that broke her heart. Embarking on a series of farewell trips together isn't what either of them had in mind, but with a letter from Josh at each location, neither of them has a choice. Alone together for the first time in years, Maddie and Dom can't deny their chemistry. But as sparks fly and old wounds reopen, will saying goodbye to the man they both loved be enough to bring them back together.
|
|
|
|
Nobody's perfect
by Sally Kilpatrick
Vivian Quackenbush enjoys a typical life. She has winesday evenings with her two best friends. Her son is in college. She and her husband, Mitch, are planning the next move for their empty-nester future. But to Vivian’s blindsided surprise…not together. After nearly twenty-five years of marriage, Mitch wants a divorce. He confesses that he doesn’t love her anymore. He never even liked her chicken salad! Brutal. What is Vivian to do but channel her anger, frustration, and pain into a video she posts online. Ill advised? Perhaps. Cathartic? Absolutely. Overnight, Vivian goes viral. Millions of views and counting—to Mitch’s fury, her son’s embarrassment, her mother’s support, and the media’s delight. For Vivian, it’s a moment of truth: hide or lean into it. Vivian 2.0 chooses to lean—maybe even toward the younger single father next door. Now Vivian is wondering where she goes from here. She’s discovering that somewhere in her trending if upended life, she’ll have to figure out who she really wants to be.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Albert Lea Public Library
211 E Clark St.
Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007
(507) 377-4350alplonline.org |
|
|
|