FIRST COMES LOVE-an Amazon Top 20 Bestseller! First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes a- Hold up. You're joking right? As if life works off a neat little list like that, moving down, checking things off before jumping to the next task. We're not married. We're not lovers. Hell, we're hardly even friends. Noah Wilson isn't exactly "life partner" material, and he sure as hell isn't "father material". He's my older brother's best friend, and has been off limits, sworn off, locked in the highest tower and out of reach since we met over ten years ago. With his devilish good looks, tattoos, motorcycle, and trail of broken hearts and tears, I've had good reason to stay away from the bad boy my mother warned me about. Until one night. One stupid, regrettable night that changed both of our lives forever. And now I only have nine months to decide our fate, to see if Noah's rebel heart is capable of anything more than a one night stand. This isn't a love story. This is a life story. And life doesn't go according to plan.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Mary Balogh's The Secret Mistress. Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family—the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it? The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the country village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desperate to rescue her eldest sister from a loveless union, Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers herself instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious widow up on her unconventional proposal while he pursues an urgent mission of his own. But a strange thing happens on the way to the wedding night. Two strangers with absolutely nothing in common can’t keep their hands off each other. Now, as intrigue swirls around a past secret—one with a stunning connection to the Huxtables—Elliott and Vanessa are uncovering the glorious pleasures of the marriage bed…and discovering that when it comes to wedded bliss, love can’t be far behind.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A pair of sisters find themselves at a crossroads in this dazzling new novel from the author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only. First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead. Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious, relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing, Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes, their delicate bond splinters. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter is assigned to her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands. On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover that they need each other more than they knew—and that in the search for true happiness, love always comes first. Praise for First Comes Love “An engaging story of sisterly love . . . Illuminating and engrossing.”—People “[Emily] Giffin delivers another emotionally honest work. . . . First Comes Love is a heart-stirring novel about the many layers of sibling rivalry.”—Associated Press “First Comes Love brings [Giffin] back with a vengeance. Tales of sisters have been at the core of other great novels, but Giffin turns that relationship upside down and makes her view a fascinating one.”—Huffington Post “Moving and complex, [First Comes Love] proves [that Emily Giffin is] still at the top of her game.”—Booklist “Giffin juggles Josie’s quest for motherhood and Meredith’s internal conflicts deftly. . . . Giffin paints a realistic portrait of the troubled and complex relationship between a pair of sisters.”—Kirkus Reviews “This is Giffin at her finest—a fantastic, memorable story.”—Publishers Weekly “First Comes Love is an un-put-down-able, smart, and thoughtful novel that will make you think about the nature of family and how our past informs our present.”—PopSugar “Giffin’s talent is pretty much unparalleled when it comes to the modern woman’s story about life, love and family.”—Redbook “[A] well-written family drama.”—Real Simple “Fans will be entertained by the author’s humor and satisfied by her storytelling”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Seven time-tested secrets to dating the husband of your dreams -- taken from the centuries-old tradition of arranged marriages Want commitment, love, and romance? Forget The Rules, and stop waiting for an idealized Prince Charming. In First Comes Marriage, Reva Seth shares the wisdom of more than three hundred women in arranged marriages...and shows how this classic tradition can teach twenty-first-century women important lessons about how to find -- and keep -- Mr. Right. The men you date will become the men you marry. The seven secrets in this counterintuitive guide will help you become more selective and increase your chances of finding the right person to share your life with. Seth knows her secrets work -- she married her husband after only meeting him seven times. Secret #1: Your man doesn't have to be your best friend. (That's why you've had a best girlfriend all along, right?) Secret #4: It doesn't matter if he doesn't dance. (Common interests are less important than shared values.) Secret #6: Sexual chemistry isn't always organic. (Attraction can be created -- if you know how to unlock your passion.) A practical, surprisingly progressive guide to love and romance, First Comes Marriage will open your eyes to what makes a guy perfect for you...and will help you find him, date him, and keep falling in love with him forever.
With every marriage come hills to climb. That’s exactly what Rachel and Jacob is learning after what this society calls marrying so young. There are secrets being kept in the Thompson household. Some good; some bad. Test to conquer and attitudes that needs to be changed. Will Rachel and Jacob be able to keep their perfect marriage, or will they learn the hard way that in God’s eyes, there is no such thing as A Perfect Marriage. Who knows what will be uncovered?
At the 2003 annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, researchers reported that over 60% of college students who had pledged virginity during their middle or high school years had broken their vow to remain abstinent until marriage. Putting a purity ring on your finger, making a vow to Christ, or making a pledge is not the end, but the beginning. When you make a major decision to follow the ways of Christ, there is a high chance of resistance from your flesh at first. So what do we do once we have made that decision, took the ring, and made the pledge? What happens when: Society says it is impossible and unrealistic? You still struggle with lust? You have already had pre-marital sex? Your decision becomes tough? Condemnation starts setting in from the past? This follow up book goes further into the journey of first and secondary virginity.
