RECOMMENDED READS
“Love thrillers? Me, too, and Linda Moore’s whip smart Five Days in Bogotá adds extra ammunition to the genre, with a feisty art . . . heroine on the verge of bankruptcy who has to thwart art fraud, nefarious ex-boyfriend, and even drug lords, in order to keep her family safe. A hold-your-breath read about what we do for love―of family and of art.”
―Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You
Gallery owner Ally Blake risks everything to exhibit at an art fair in Bogotá in the 1990s. She needs wealthy collectors to boost her gallery’s sales and save her family from bankruptcy. When her art crates are tampered with and she discovers an ex-boyfriend and colleague from her State Department days in Santiago has involved her in a money laundering scheme, she devises a strategy to thwart the fraud, protect her children, and secure her family’s future―but pulling it off will require her to make the art deal of a lifetime.
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Death Cleaning and Other Units of Measure: Short Stories, Nancy Burke
You will laugh, weep and roll your eyes at these unreliable characters…
Among them a man in love with the voice of his GPS, a teenaged couple hiding flaws as they discover love, and a young wife inspired by a dead seagull to do what she needs to do. These stories deal with the vulnerability of well-intentioned people and the ephemeral ‘units of measure’ that create conflict, particularly interior ones.
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UNDER THE PALMS, Kaira Rouda
During a weekend retreat, a powerful family plays a dangerous game of dark secrets and cold-blooded ambition in a novel by Kaira Rouda, USA Today bestselling author of Beneath the Surface.
Under the direction of the Kingsleys’ new president, Paige, the family has gathered for a weekend retreat at a luxurious Laguna Beach resort.
Still clinging to the hope of succession are the sons of Richard Kingsley, the family patriarch and CEO: John, the oldest, who’s clawed his way back from a dark tragedy, and Paige’s estranged husband, Ted, the golden boy. When Richard’s ex and his wayward daughter join the fray, Paige finds herself with two fast allies. They know a secret that could shatter the family legacy. Call it leverage, call it revenge, the Kingsley women believe they have the upper hand.
But as the power games begin, greater threats than the howling Santa Ana winds are coming. Because this weekend, amid so much greed and betrayal, no Kingsley is safe. It’s family. Watch your back.
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KATE’S WAR, Henley Stewart Henley
Twenty-year-old Kate is poised to launch into a long-anticipated life of independence when Britain declares war in 1939. After that announcement, her dream of escaping the London suburb she grew up in and pursuing a singing career is quashed: she must stay put with her family and prepare for bombing and possible invasion by Germany.
Living in these anxious times, Kate strives to achieve balance in her life, though a speech disability interferes with her singing and a failed romance adds to her distress. But when a young Jewish girl whose parents have been deported comes to her for help, Kate’s goals change. Taking on a responsibility she never could have imagined, she learns that freedom and survival cannot be taken for granted—and as new responsibilities outweigh earlier goals, she learns that assisting others to escape unspeakable evil requires new perspective, as well as courage she didn’t know she had.
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EAT DESERT FIRST, Michelle Paris
Can a plus-sized, big-hearted baker discover the recipe for happiness?
Abbey Reilly has heard “you have such a pretty face” enough times to know that it’s code for “if only you’d lose weight.” Giving up her architectural career to care for her ailing mom and working in a bakery to make ends meet, she is convinced no one will ever find her attractive. So she’s stunned when a handsome regular customer not only shows interest but asks her on a date.
Devastated when she learns her would-be beau is married, Abbey resigns herself to a lonely future. But the insecure woman can hardly believe her luck when she draws the attention of a dreamy guy at a bachelorette party… until his horrible ex plots revenge.
Will Abbey claim the confidence she deserves and find a keeper who recognizes her true beauty?
With light humor and loving insight, Michelle Paris weaves a delightful tale of learning to believe in yourself. Juggling elder parent care, tight finances, and hating the image in the mirror, Abbey Reilly will charm any reader fond of rooting for an underdog.
Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming work of women’s fiction. If you like relatable heroines, chasing a dream, and finding hope and happiness, then you’ll adore Michelle Paris’s sweet story of fulfillment.
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MAKE YOU MINE, Nan Reinhardt
When his family’s company is on the line, business and pleasure definitely don’t mix, but maybe they should…
Madeline Ross left the city and a career glass ceiling behind, hoping to build a new life as the crew supervisor for Walker Construction in River’s Edge. She’s qualified and experienced, but new CEO Jackson Walker hires someone else. Even as she searches for a different job and builds a life in River’s Edge, the sexy memory of Jack teases.
After a rough year, Jackson Walker’s family business is still struggling. He needs a new construction crew supervisor, and Maddie Ross is perfect, except for the first time in his life, player Jack is suddenly smitten with the curvaceous redhead. He wants her in his bed more than on his payroll.
When his second-rate new hire is a disastrous mistake, Jack humbles himself on Maddie’s doorstep with an offer she can’t refuse. Maddie could be the key to saving his company as long as he hides his heart. But does he have to?
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And Now There’s Zelda: The Perfect Family Life Dramedy, Carolyn Clarke
For fans of the international bestselling and award-winning author of AND THEN THERE’S MARGARET comes the perfect family ‘dramedy’. AND NOW THERE’S ZELDA takes readers on another relatable ‘slice of life’ ride as Allison Montgomery realizes the only way to survive the angst of family is to let go….and let it be.
“Perfect for women’s fiction book clubs.” -Lorne Park Book Club
Dealing with a controlling, manipulative, and self-absorbed mother-in-law can be a challenge. But when your child brings home a fiancé who’s completely unworthy, and the shoe is suddenly on the other foot, do you take the high road, or get down and dirty?
It’s been five years since Allison Montgomery’s beloved father-in-law, George, passed away and her cantankerous mother-in-law, Margaret, moved in. After nearly killing each other during their initial adjustment period, Allie and Margaret have finally buried the hatchet and have even launched a thriving home staging business together.
Today, Allie is enjoying life. That is until her twenty-two-year-old son, Cameron, unexpectedly brings home Zelda, his new fiancé. The problem is, no one has ever met or even heard of her. And when Zelda’s first impression raises more than a few red flags, Allie finds herself in unfamiliar territory.
Facing the prospect of becoming a mother-in-law far sooner than expected, and to someone unworthy of her darling baby boy, Allie’s protective instinct kicks in. And who better to turn to for guidance and support than Margaret, her former nemesis and master of the mothers-in-law’s dark arts.
Allie and Margaret launch Project Zelda, an intervention of sorts designed to show Cameron who Zelda really is and to prevent him from making a catastrophic mistake. However, with Zelda’s ingratiating behavior, Margaret’s occasional disappearances, and Allie’s doubts about turning into her own mother-in-law, will Allie find a way to reconcile her protective instincts or will history repeat itself?
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NIGHT OF THE HAWK: POEMS, Lauren Martin
When I have wandered
long enough
what am I still beholden to?
Ifá. Nature. Illness. Love. Loss. Misogyny. Aging. Africa. Our wounded planet. In this sweeping yet intensely personal collection, Lauren Martin tells the untold stories of the marginalized, the abused, the ill, the disabled—the different. Inspired by her life’s experiences, including the isolation she has suffered as a result both of living with chronic illness and having devoted herself to a religion outside the mainstream, these poems explore with raw vulnerability and unflinching honesty what it is to live apart—even as one yearns for connection.
But Night of the Hawk is no lament; it is powerful, reverential, sometimes humorous, often defiant—“Oh heat me and fill me / I rise above lines”—and full of wisdom. Visceral and stirring, the poems in this collection touch on vastly disparate subjects but are ultimately unified in a singular quest: to inspire those who read them toward kindness, compassion, and questioning.
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OF LIES AND HONEY, Donna Norma Carbone
Harper Alexander is devastated by a miscarriage even though she thought she never wanted to be a mother. Because of her husband’s determination to create a family and her inability to carry a child to term, they consider alternative options.
As the result of a secret love affair, Callie Sebastian becomes pregnant. Her socialite mother is appalled by her teenage daughter’s behavior. To protect the family’s reputation, she sends Callie to a Catholic boarding school for wayward girls.
When Raina Edwin’s third child starts school, leaving her with an empty house, she begins to long for another baby. Unfortunately, their farm will not support a new addition to their family. To fill the void, Raina starts a new business: selling honey.
As Harper, Callie, and Raina deal with their strife, their lives collide in unexpected ways. A revealed secret forces each of them to make choices that will alter their roles as mothers and daughters forever.
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THE TRANSLATOR, Harriet Crawley
The Sunday Times: Best Thrillers of 2023. Financial Times: Best Summer Thrillers of 2023. “A classic thriller of the new Cold War.” Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad.A highly topical espionage novel about a Russian plot to cut the undersea communication cables linking the US to the UK.
Also, a passionate love story between two people determined to stop this cataclysmic act.
Clive Franklin, a Russian language expert in the Foreign Office, is summoned unexpectedly to Moscow to act as translator for the British Prime Minister. His life is upended when he discovers that his former lover, Marina Volina, is the interpreter to the Russian President. Together they will try to stop the attack that could paralyze communications and collapse the Western economy.
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MIA’S JOURNEY, Diane Byington
Three weeks before her first space launch, astronaut Mia Gray is involved in a car accident. Her injuries not only keep her from the mission but also mean she may not ever be able to do her job again. Mia is devastated, but she refuses to give up on her lifelong desire to see Earth from space.
Mia discovers that there are other options besides working at NASA, ones where her limitations might not be an issue. Leaving her husband and old life behind, she moves across the country to live with her mother and find another way to travel to space. Mia doesn’t care that the alternatives are dangerous. She will do anything to reach her goal.
A new program places Mia in a long, perilous simulation run by a questionable organization. During the grueling ordeal, Mia will be forced to decide which is more important: her dream or her life.
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UNSWERVING, Barbara Ridley
When Tave wakes up alone in the hospital, she barely remembers the car wreck. Far from home, dazed, and despondent, she struggles to face the challenges of her new paralysis—all while worrying about her partner, Les, also severely injured in the accident, now cared for by her homophobic parents who refuse to allow contact.
In rehab, Tave relearns life skills and comes to recognize that her future will be completely different than she’d imagined. Where will she live? How will she find the help she needs? Can her friends rise to the occasion? Or will she be forced to move back in with her mother, putting up with endless talk of faith healers? Her one beacon of hope is Beth, her physical therapist. But Beth’s relationship problems with her own girlfriend push her toward overinvolvement—and risk damaging both her career and Tave’s recovery.
A story of courage, resilience, and love, Unswerving challenges readers’ preconceived notions of disability, of limitations, and of the inevitability of fate.
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WHEN THE OCEAN FLIES, Heather G. Marshall
★★★★★ “This book brought me to tears and a greater understanding of my own possibilities.” Terresa Cooper Haskew, author of Winston’s Book of Souls
An email from a stranger tells Alison Earley that her natural father, whom she has known for only six years, has died suddenly. What begins as a short trip back to Scotland for a funeral soon becomes a journey that puts adoption, sexuality, and identity on a collision course as Alison finds herself caught between the life and family she has so carefully constructed on one continent and the family from which she was taken on another.
Shunned by her father’s family, reunited with her natural mother, and reconnected with a long-lost love, Alison finds herself trying to shepherd her youngest child towards college while questioning everything she thought she knew about herself.
When her natural mother uncovers a series of letters written to Alison from the grandmother she never knew, resurrecting the stories of generations of women—stories long buried by patriarchal rule—Alison realizes that she must find the courage to face and reveal the secrets of her own past. At what cost, though? And who and what will be left in the aftermath?
When the Ocean Flies explores the pain of separation and abuse, and the power of love to heal even over huge gaps in time and geographical distance.
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A Whale of a Murder: A Venus Bixby Mystery, Valerie Taylor
First in the Venus Bixby Mystery series from award-winning author Valerie Taylor.
Sea breezes and fireworks fill the air in cozy Chatham Crossing, the peaceful and historic whaling town situated between Providence and Cape Cod.
Venus Bixby, owner of the forever popular music store Oldies & Goodies, is counting on the festivities over the Fourth of July weekend to propel her to a position on the prestigious Town Committee.
After years of living in the shadow of her late husband, Venus will finally be the center of attention this holiday weekend: starting with her fiftieth birthday celebration and ending as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Faster than a cookie crumbles, her dream collapses on the morning of her party when she trips over orange platform shoes in the gardens of the Sofia Silva Whaling Museum and breaks her thumb. When it’s discovered the shoes are attached to the body of the manager of the museum’s gift shop, Venus becomes both a suspect and a sleuth in Chatham Crossing’s first murder in decades.
Given this unexpected turn of events, will Venus ever sing and dance at her birthday party, or will her fractured thumb end up in handcuffs?
Includes cookie recipes and playlist!
If you’re a fan of Richard Osman, Katie Gayle, or Ellery Adams, give this cozy mystery a try. You just may find it a delightful diversion from some of the hair-raising, nightmare-inducing novels making headlines these days. Order A Whale of a Murder today!
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THE SECRET DAUGHTER OF VENICE, Juliet Greenwood
The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.
England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat, warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.
Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…
A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge, and The Nightingale.
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GROUNDED IN GRIT: TURN YOUR CHALLENGES INTO SUPERPOWERS, Lizbeth Meredith
SELF-HELP/Personal Growth
Have you noticed that time does not heal all wounds?
Has your world been rocked by abuse or trauma that your best intentions and modern self-help have failed to help?
GROUNDED IN GRIT is personal development for women weighed down by crises or abuse, finally ready to become their own best advocate. Written by the author of multi-award -winning memoir Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters, now the Lifetime TV movie Stolen By Their Father, this simple book shares tips and tricks on recovery learned by the author through her education, life experiences, inspirational podcast guests, and more than three decades of serving crime victims and offenders, lessons that allow challenges to refine rather than define us.
By the end, you will learn:
– Why it’s critical to unpack and incorporate old wounds from the past rather than get over them.
– Tips to manage thoughts and emotions.
– Tactics on both getting and sustaining support from friends, family, and outside agencies.
– How to turn your challenges into your superpowers.
“Don’t let the conversational tone fool you. Lizbeth Meredith knows what she’s talking about and has generously offered us the benefit of her hard-earned personal and professional wisdom.”–Virginia A. Simpson, Ph.D., award-winning author of The Space Between: A Memoir of Mother-Daughter Love at the End of Life
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INDIGO FIELD, Marjorie Hudson
“Indigo Field brims with multigenerational drama, earthy spirituality, and deeply imagined characters you are unlikely to forget.” —Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Invention of Wings, The Book of Longings, and The Secret Life of Bees
In the rural South, a retired colonel in an upscale retirement community grieves the sudden death of his wife on the tennis court. On the other side of the highway, an elderly Black woman grieves the murder of her niece by a white man. Between them lies an abandoned field where three centuries of crimes are hidden, and only she knows the explosive secrets buried there. When the colonel runs into her car, causing a surprising amount of damage, it sparks a feud that sets loose the spirits in the Field, both benevolent and vengeful. In prose that’s been called “dazzling” and “mesmerizing,” in the animated voices of trees and birds and people, in Southern-voiced storytelling as deeply layered as that of Pat Conroy, Marjorie Hudson lays out the boundaries of a field that contains the soul of the South, and leads us to a day of reckoning.
Audio book HERE
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SON OF A BASQUE, Deborah Driggs
After the sudden death of his father, young Mark Vergara, the oldest son of immigrant parents, was thrust into the role of principal breadwinner, working hard in the beet fields of Colorado to support his family. After joining the Army Air Corps and flying dozens of combat missions, he bore the physical and emotional scars of his time in the service, yet he was satisfied he had fulfilled his father’s final wish that he do right by his family. From World War II to the Vietnam War, this tale of a military man who was also a devoted family man is based on the author’s own experiences as a proud son of immigrant parents, a distinguished soldier, a loving husband and father, and a loyal friend.
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Ride On! Dame Sarah Storey’s Extraordinary Journey of Triumph: How to Unleash the Power within, Push Boundaries, and Champion Excellence, S.A. Sterling
From surmounting a career-ending injury to thriving in a male-dominated sport, ‘Ride On! Dame Sarah Storey’s Extraordinary Journey of Triumph’ offers a story that goes beyond athletic accomplishment—it’s a masterclass in resilience and personal growth.
Feel stuck in life, burdened by challenges and self-doubt?
This book is your roadmap to breaking free.
Reading ‘Ride On!’ you’ll gain:
• Self-Belief: Harness confidence as your driving force.
• Resilience: Equip yourself with tools to face life’s challenges head-on.
• Adaptability: Learn to pivot your way to success, just like Sarah.
S.A. Sterling captures the indomitable spirit of Dame Sarah Storey, making ‘Ride On!’ a must-read for sports aficionados and anyone inspired by human resilience.
Penned by S.A. Sterling, an author committed to narratives of triumph over adversity, ‘Ride On!’ isn’t just a biography—it’s a guide to unlocking your untapped potential.
As you turn the pages, you won’t just find a compelling story, but actionable insights to elevate you from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Are you ready to complete your picture?
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DEAR BOBBY: MY GRIEF JOURNEY, Diane Papalia
In Dear Bobby, Diane Papalia Zappa describes the loss of her beloved husband after three short years of marriage. She talks about her own grieving process and outlines ways that can help others cope.
The centerpiece of this book is a collection of several “Dear Bobby” letters that helped Diane process her grief and reestablish her relationship with her husband. She offers several writing prompts to encourage readers to begin their own writing journey. Diane also includes a helpful selection of resources—books about death, grief, and the afterlife; films with afterlife themes; and support groups for those who are grieving.
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ONCE IN A LIFETIME, Suzanne Mattaboni
MULTI AWARD WINNER! PenCraft Award – IPPY Award – International Book Award
In 1984, punk is rampant. Andy Warhol rules. And 20-year-old art student Jessica is sick of all the excitement happening without her. Hungry for the life she’s convinced is just beyond her fingertips, she sets her sights on an avante-garde study abroad program in London she can’t afford. Meanwhile, hometown boyfriend Drew wants to see other people if he’s not exciting enough to keep Jess stateside.
Jess and her buddies rent a beat-up apartment, trolling new wave clubs and waitressing double shifts to scrounge-up tuition money. The girls deal with cheating waiters, mystics, a military drag queen, a Svengali bouncer, and the specter of AIDS. Then Jess meets Whit, a steamy daredevil of a guitarist who crawls through her window and makes her head spin like a record. Before long, Jess has to decide if the men in her life will leave her as damaged as her cracked-glass mosaic art projects—and whether they’ll stand in the way of that dream semester in post-punk London.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME is character driven, coming of age women’s fiction with a quirky female protagonist, focused on friendship, life choices, love and relationships. It’s chick lit that’s not all about the guy, with a smart and vibrant 1980’s aesthetic, taking readers on an emotional journey that contemporary women will appreciate. Can women really “have it all?” If so, it all started in the brashness of the ’80s.
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ELIZABETH’S MOUNTAIN, Lucille Guarino
“A wonderful, moving story about love and loss, focusing on two generations: grandmother and granddaughter.” -Marie W. Watts, author of the award-winning trilogy, Warriors for Equal Rights
A beloved home. Matters of the heart. Can an elderly woman find the key to saving her precious heritage?
Asheville, North Carolina. Elizabeth has a dilemma. After celebrating a milestone birthday, the feisty ninety-year-old anxiously contemplates a developer’s lucrative offer for her Blue Ridge Mountain farmhouse. Worried her adult children will pressure her to sell, the lively senior recalls how her journey to this forever home began back in the 50s when she met the man who would become her husband…
Present day. Amanda yearns to stop wasting time. After ending a dead-end, three-year relationship and moving in with her spirited grandmother, the thirty-four-year-old nurse sees her dream of marriage and kids vanishing. But when she meets a handsome widower at a hospital summit, she cautiously lets down her walls.
As Elizabeth’s memories take her back to when she was a hopeful young woman, she reveals how a horrific accident led to the ER and a charming doctor. While Amanda fears the worst when she overhears the enigmatic man she’s fallen for talking on the phone with another woman.
Do both women’s stories lead to a grand legacy and a lifetime of love?
In an emotional rollercoaster that interweaves the two women’s chance at a future, their parallel romances illustrate the power of resilience and hope despite heartbreak. And as one story comes to its twilight years while the other is just beginning, readers will fall hard for this poignant inheritance of happiness.
Elizabeth’s Mountain is an enchanting women’s fiction novel. If you like relatable characters, dual timelines, and multi-generational romance, then you’ll adore Lucille Guarino’s touching tale.
Buy Elizabeth’s Mountain to believe in tomorrow!
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