Laura Robinson has always been dazzled by the glamour of the stage. But perhaps acting and selling one's favors are not so different—for Laura must feign pleasure with the men she beds to survive. Now, with her only friend at death's door and a ruthless pimp at her heels, escaping her occupation seems impossible. Hoping to attract a gentleman, she attends the theater. Yet the man Laura captivates is no customer, but a rising star and playwright. . . Adam Lacey has been driven to distraction since the moment he saw Laura. She is his ideal leading lady come to irresistible life—and so much more. Certain they can make the perfect team on and off stage, he is determined to win her heart—and discover her story. But that is precisely what Laura fears. And she has no idea that Adam harbors shameful secrets of his own. Will the truth free them to love—or destroy all their dreams. . .? 83,000 Words
"This is a beautiful retelling ... perfect for anyone who likes darker-themed romance, horror stories, or plain ol' lesbian vampires." -The Lesbian 52 In the late 19th century, Laura lives a lonely life in a schloss by the forest, Styria, with only her doting father and two governesses for company. A chance accident brings a new companion, however - the eccentric and beautiful Carmilla. With charm unparalleled and habits as mysterious as her history, Carmilla's allure is undeniable, drawing Laura closer with every affectionate touch and word. Attraction blossoms into a temptation Laura fears to name, a tantalizing passion burning brighter than the fires of hell. But when a mysterious plague begins stealing the lives of young women in her home and the village beyond, Laura wrestles to reconcile the truth - that the gentle, fragile woman she loves may be a monster cast out of heaven. Carmilla, the classic vampire novella written by J Sheridan LeFanu, receives new life in this gorgeous retelling, centered on the provocative, controversial leads of the original, Carmilla and Laura.
Her father’s worst enemy... Top chef Gabriel Delange never forgave his old nemesis Pierre Manon for all the other chef had cost him. One stolen rose... And he most certainly couldn’t stand the sight of his own most famous dessert, the legendary Rose, claimed as Pierre’s own on the cover of his new cookbook. A beast’s substitute victim... But even Gabriel could hardly go through with a lawsuit when he learned the older chef had just had a stroke. Especially not when Pierre had one very cute daughter willing to be Gabriel’s victim instead. A fascinated beauty... As a child, Jolie Manon had seen her family torn apart by her top chef father’s obsession with his work. As a food writer, she might be fascinated with a chef’s work, but she knew how to guard her heart. She would never allow another chef into her life. Unless he blackmailed her into it... Welcome to the heat and sun of Provence, where jasmine and roses climb up old colored walls, where fountains play in ancient stone villages, and where even a beast can prove he is a prince at heart... Praise for Laura Florand and her novels “I adored this story…Paris, chocolate, and romance, all in one hilarious package.” —New York Times best-selling author Eloisa James "Sensuous and sumptuous…a mouth-watering tale of slow-burning passion..." ~ RT Book Reviews Readers will devour this frothy, fun novel.—Booklist
Love at first sight can sweep you away into a ... She lost her heart to him the first time they met. He kept falling harder for her whenever their paths crossed. After her uncle secures her engagement to another gentleman, can they find their way back to one another? Gemma Holbrooke had waited anxiously to enjoy a Season in London and to fall magically in love. When her uncle granted her wish, she dreamed of the beautiful gowns she would wear, the dances around the ballroom floors, and of all the handsome gentlemen who would court her. Before they traveled to London, her uncle hosted a house party, and one guest in particular changed her every aspiration. A handsome lord who avoided her at all costs. His bold stare tempted Gemma to discover the depth of their burning attraction. When her uncle forbade any contact with her true love, Gemma defied the strictures of society. At every opportunity she risked her reputation to be held in in his arms, but too many obstacles stood in their way of happiness. Can Gemma outwit her uncle to secure the groom of her choice? Barrett Ralston scoffed whenever he heard anyone mention they fell in love at first sight. Such an act never existed. That was until he caught sight of Gemma Holbrooke. A siren disguised as an innocent debutante who lured him closer with every smile. Then everything he ever believed in changed in the blink of a kiss that knocked him to his knees. When her uncle issued a demand to stay clear from his niece, Barrett decided to tempt the beauty into a scandalous affair. At every secret rendezvous, their soft kisses and gentle caresses heated into a passion out of their control. But when Barrett's secret assignment to recover a stolen coin crossed over into their love affair, it broke their fragile connection. Can Barrett stop the threat from destroying Gemma's love for him? Soul mates meeting for the first time. A temptation that cannot be denied. A love like no other. Will Gemma and Barrett allow others to control their destiny? Or will they defy all the odds against them? How the Rake Tempted the Lady is the third book in Laura A. Barnes's Matchmaking Madness Series. If you enjoy reading love at first sight romances filled with steamy scenes, then you'll love Gemma & Barrett's romantic story full of temptation. Treat yourself to How the Rake Tempted the Lady today!
Laura and Sophie are best friends. They are even growing their own friendship tree! But one day, Laura's brother, Tommy, accidentally breaks the sapling. What will Sophie say? Will their friendship be ruined? Maybe Laura's special friend, the star, can help her out once more.
Sweeping passions, family drama, and searing scandal play out at the magnificent Silver Creek Ranch as the heirs to a powerful dynasty seize their legacy of love. Oldest son Ward Knowles feels the sprawling California ranch in his blood. And now that the family business has expanded to include a popular resort, he’s working harder than ever. Silver Creek is his legacy and his life, which is fine for the ruggedly sexy ladies’ man and committed bachelor. Love and trust don’t come easily for Ward since he lost his heart to a gold digger—until he meets a shy, unpretentious beauty whose sweet grace is about to turn his jaded heart into a hungry one. Tess Casari has found sanctuary at Silver Creek, working as an assistant to Ward’s mother, Adele. Grateful for her busy new life running the ranch’s spa and resort, Tess can escape the heartbreak, humiliation, and secret shame of her failed marriage. The last thing she needs is temptation—especially from a man who reminds her so much of the husband who shattered her faith in love. But passion and destiny are about to change the rules for two people who have stopped believing in the healing power of love. Praise for Once Tempted “[Laura] Moore’s first in her new Silver Creek series is packed with plenty of great, realistic dialogue and features two main characters whose actions and choices are easy to sympathize with. The glimpses of the hero’s two siblings will leave readers eager for their stories.”—RT Book Reviews “When I read [Moore’s] books, I'm transported to the peaceful countryside with ranch homes and barns dotting the landscape. Once Tempted has all that and more.”—USA Today “Ward is the perfect cowboy hero for a twenty-first century romance.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers “Moore is a fantastic storyteller ensnaring your interest from the first page.”—Fresh Fiction “Once Tempted is a sexy new read by author Laura Moore that not only gives us a tantalizing tale of undeniable love but also is a great start to a new series that's sure to speak to contemporary romance lovers everywhere.”—The Romance Reviews
A young woman chafing at the confines of marriage confronts the high cost of craving freedom and adventure in a memoir that "pushes literary boundaries" (The Atlantic) At twenty-five, as her wedding date approached, Laura Smith began to feel trapped. Not by her fiancé, who shared her appetite for adventure, but by the unsettling idea that it was hard to be at once married and free. Laura wanted her life to be different. She wanted her marriage to be different. And she found in the strangely captivating story of another restless young woman determined to live without constraints both an enticement and a challenge. Barbara Newhall Follett was a free-spirited trailblazer who published her first novel at 11, enlisted as a deck hand on a boat bound for the south China seas at 15 and was one of the first women to hike the Appalachian trail. Then in December 1939, when she was not much older than Laura, she walked out of her apartment on a quiet tree-lined street in Brookline, leaving behind a fraying marriage, and vanished without a trace. Obsessed by her story, Laura set off to find out what had happened. The Art of Vanishing is a riveting mystery and a piercing exploration of marriage and convention that asks deep and uncomfortable questions: Why do we give up on our childhood dreams? Is marriage a golden noose? Must we find ourselves in the same row houses with Pottery Barn lamps telling our kids to behave? Searingly honest and written with a raw intensity, it will challenge you to rethink your most intimate decisions and may just upend your life.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about! A certain amount of whining allows for some venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or frank rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a life-long problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest. As she reveals in her introduction, "No matter what you've suffered or continue to suffer, while you are alive you have the opportunity to get something from this life, and I'm going to do my best to help you with that. . . . I know of what I speak, as this has been my torturous journey also." Building on the principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and addressing the chronic struggles of so many of her listeners and readers, Dr. Laura issues an important message in the no-nonsense but compassionate voice that is her trademark: If you don't like your life, quit talking about your unhappiness and try to fix it, no matter how difficult or impossible your situation seems. While it is healthy to vent occasionally, endless rumination on the negative only keeps you paralyzed in misery, reinforces hopelessness, and demoralizes those around you who feel helpless to bring any happiness into your life. Instead, Stop Whining, Start Living encourages "whiners" to reject negative thoughts, emotions, and attitudes; shift perspective; open up to gratitude and goodness; and embrace obligations to loved ones and the world in general. Before long, just doing what you're supposed to be doing—instead of moaning about why you can't or won't or shouldn't fulfill your responsibilities—will have you feeling better about yourself and will uplift your interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers in incredible ways. Illustrated by calls and letters from members of Dr. Laura's huge international audience, Stop Whining, Start Living features brave testimonials from real human beings facing real challenges. These folks have benefited enormously from Dr. Laura's powerful lessons. Stop Whining, Start Living gives readers stuck in their suffering the jump start they need to break out of reactive mode and get proactive, moving in the direction of a joyful, meaningful, happy, fulfilling, and purposeful future. Everyone can use a kick in the pants sometimes, and Dr. Laura, who "preaches, teaches, and nags" to millions every day on her radio program, is here to deliver it!
ON MARCH 21, 2003, Army Lieutenant and West Point graduate Laura Westley invaded liberated Iraq (the Army prohibited using the word "invasion") with the full intention of keeping her virginity securely intact. For twenty-four years, she had obeyed the strict teachings of evangelical Christianity and kept her legs closed, vowing to preserve her purity for her future husband. Being at war, however, made her realize that adhering to strict religious principles perhaps wasn't worth it, not when bombs, RPGs and gunfire constantly threaten to cut your life short. WAR VIRGIN is a coming-of-age memoir that chronicles Laura's journey through repression, temptation, and ultimately, liberation. This "war story" describes a woman's battle to discover, protect and own her unique identity. No veteran or West Point graduate has ever offered such a candid, irreverent look at the comically naughty, sexually charged underbelly of the military.
Bringing together leading voices from across the globe, The Bloomsbury Handbook to Edith Wharton represents state-of-the-art scholarship on the American writer Edith Wharton, once primarily known as a New York novelist. Focusing on Wharton's extensive body of work and renaissance across 21st-century popular culture, chapters consider: - Wharton in the context of queer studies, race studies, whiteness studies, age studies, disability studies, anthropological studies, and economics; - Wharton's achievements in genres for which she deserves to be better known: poetry, drama, the short story, and non-fiction prose; - Comparative studies with Christina Rossetti, Henry James, and Willa Cather; -The places and cultures Wharton documented in her writing, including France, Greece, Italy, and Morocco; - Wharton's work as a reader and writer and her intersections with film and the digital humanities. Book-ended by Dale Bauer and Elaine Showalter, and with a foreword by the Director and senior staff at The Mount, Wharton's historic Massachusetts home, the Handbook underscores Wharton's lasting impact for our new Gilded Age. It is an indispensable resource for readers interested in Wharton and 19th- and 20th-century literature and culture.
