Somewhere between the townships called Luck and Trust, at a mountain cabin known as the Goddess House, two very different women may, if they dare, find common ground and friendship.
With nothing but brains, ambition and sheer nerve, Charlotte Hale built a career as a do–anything–to–succeed real estate developer. She's at the top of that mountain...but her life is empty. Her friends are as grasping and insincere as she has become. Far worse, Charlotte's alienated her family so completely that she's never held or spoken to her only granddaughter. One terrifying day, facing her own mortality, she realises that her ambition has almost destroyed her chance at happiness. So Charlotte vows to make amends, not simply with her considerable wealth, but by offering a hand instead of a handout. Putting in hours and energy instead of putting in an appearance. Opening her home and heart instead of her wallet. With each wrenching, exhilarating decision, Charlotte finds that climbing a new mountain– one built on friendship, love and forgiveness– will teach her what it truly means to build a legacy.
A hurricane isn’t the only trouble looming as a family assembles for a will reading in this sequel to Iron Lace by a USA Today–bestselling author. Nine people have gathered for the reading of Aurore Gerritsen’s will. Some are family, others are strangers. But all will have their futures changed forever when a lifetime of secrets is finally revealed. Aurore Gerritsen left clear instructions: her will is to be read over a four-day period at her summer cottage on a small Louisiana island. Those who don’t stay will forfeit their inheritance. With the vast fortune of Gulf Coast Shipping at stake, no one will take that risk. Tensions rise as Aurore’s lawyer dispenses small bequests, each designed to expose the matriarch’s well-kept secrets. Longtime loyalties are jeopardized, and shocking new alliances are formed as the family feels the sands of belief shifting beneath their feet. As a hurricane approaches and survival itself is threatened, the fourth day dawns and everyone waits for the final truth to be revealed. Praise for Rising Tides “Richards’s ability to portray compelling characters who grapple with challenging family issues is laudable.” —Publishers Weekly “This novel features a multilayered plot, vivid descriptions, and a keen sense of time and place.” —Library Journal
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City. To the Green-eyed Lovebird: We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House. You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more. We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other. Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding… I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello. After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half? M
I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong. Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between not disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask herself. Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home. This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.
Some betrayals are like rivers, so deep, so wide, they can't be crossed. But–for those with enough courage–forgiveness, redemption and love may be found on the other side. On the night her home is consumed by fire, Janine Stoddard finally resolves to leave her abusive husband. While she is reluctant to involve her estranged daughter, she can't resist a chance to see Harmony and baby Lottie in Asheville, North Carolina, before she disappears forever. Harmony's friend Taylor Martin realizes how much the reunited mother and daughter yearn to stay together, and she sees in Jan a chance to continue her own mother's legacy of helping women in need of a fresh start. She opens her home, even as she's opening her heart to another newcomer, Adam Pryor. But enigmatic Adam has a secret that could destroy Taylor's trust...and cost Jan her hard–won freedom.
A vow of sisterhood between foster children is put to the test many years later in this heartfelt novel of chosen family and painful secrets. As children in foster care, Cecilia and Robin vowed to be the sisters they never had. While Cecilia went on to become a major pop star, Robin set aside her photojournalism career to have a family. But when she’s nearly killed in an accident, Cecilia drops everything to be with her. When Cecilia asks Robin to be the photographer for a documentary on foster care, Robin agrees, even though her husband Kris will be forced to take charge of the household while she’s away. She gambles that Kris will finally prove that their family—and marriage—are a priority in his life. Cecilia herself needs more than time with her sister. After a lifetime of lies, she hopes this documentary will tell the real story of their childhood. As traumatic memories return, the sisterhood they forged will help Cecilia and Robin move forward as the women they were always meant to be.
In this heartwarming novel of marriage, motherhood, and forgiveness, three women fight for the chance to raise the child they've all come to love. After a challenging year of seeing her husband Graham through cancer treatment, lifestyle blogger Lilia Swallow is ready to celebrate his recovery. But just as their festive party gets underway, a mysterious guest presents Lilia with a beautiful baby boy, and vanishes. Toby is Graham’s darkest secret—the son he conceived in a moment of despair. Lilia is shocked by Graham’s betrayal, but even more surprised by the love she feels for his child. Once abandoned, Toby is now desperately wanted by three women: Lilia, who takes him into her home and heart; Marina, who bore him and now regrets giving him up; and Ellen, who sees in him a chance to correct the mistakes she made with her own son, Toby's father. A custody battle begins, and each would-be mother must examine her heart, confront her choices and weigh her dreams against the fate of one vulnerable little boy. Each woman will redefine family, belonging and love—and the results will alter the course of not only their lives, but also the lives of everyone they care for.
A USA Today–bestselling author “daringly pairs up a minister and her mentor, a Catholic priest” in this romantic woman’s fiction novel (Publishers Weekly). For more than a decade minister Analiese Wagner has felt privileged to lead her parishioners along a well-lit path. Her commitment has never been seriously tested until the frigid night she encounters a homeless family huddling in the churchyard. Offering them shelter in a vacant parish house apartment and taking teenage Shiloh Fowler—a girl desperate to rescue her parents—under her wing, she tests the loyalty and faith of her congregation. Isaiah Colburn, the Catholic priest who was her first mentor and the man she secretly longed for, understands her struggles only too well. At a crossroads, he’s suddenly reappeared in her life, torn between his priesthood and his growing desire for a future with Analiese. Divided between love and vows they’ve taken, both must face the possibilities of living very different lives or continuing to serve their communities. With a struggling family’s trust and her own happiness on the line, Analiese must define for herself where darkness ends and light begins. Praise for the Goddesses Anonymous series: “Complex characters, compelling emotions and the healing power of forgiveness—what could be better? I loved this book!” —New York Times–bestselling author Sherryl Woods on One Mountain Away “Emotional, suspenseful drama filled with hope and love.” —Library Journal on No River Too Wide
New to e-book, three classic romances from USA Today bestselling author Emilie Richards… Originally published in 1995 Iain Ross’s Woman Iain Ross has spent his life alone as the laird of a small Highland community. Alone, that is, until he rescues a soaked, half-drowned Billie Harper from an icy loch. Before he knows what’s happening, this earthy and utterly irresistible woman has turned his carefully guarded world upside down. Duncan’s Lady When Duncan Sinclair needs a safe haven for his young daughter, away from the drama invoked by his ex, the small Scottish town of his childhood is a godsend. When he meets Mara MacTavish, he is overcome. The last thing Duncan wanted was to fall for another charismatic woman. But this time may be different...and Mara may be just what he, and his daughter, both need. MacDougall’s Darling Fiona Sinclair returns home to face the demons of her past. When Andrew MacDougall offers the shelter of his arms, she finally feels ready to face her future. But she needs more than a white knight—she needs the family she’s always been denied. And though Andrew is destined for many things, marriage isn’t one of them...