"Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend's brother, Hunter, for, like, ever. He's the key to everything she's always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she's kissed exactly one guy, she has the perfect plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom: take a few pointers from someone who knows what he's doing.
Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he's beyond gorgeous, but he's also dangerous and deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as a lesson in attraction is turning both their worlds upside down, and showing them just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what's real. . . ."
"''A truly excellent novel. . . . The morbidly fascinating little twists of human existence are all here: love, sex, life and death, beauty and horror—the works.'' — Chicago Sun-Times
In The Book of Jamaica, Russell Banks explores the complexities of political life in the Caribbean and its ever-present racial conflicts.
His narrator, a thirty-five-year-old college professor from New Hampshire, goes to Jamaica to write a novel and soon becomes embroiled in the struggles between whites and Blacks. He is especially interested in an ancient tribe called the Maroons, descendants of the Ashanti, who had been enslaved by the Spanish and then fought the British in a hundred-year war. Despite this history of oppression, the Maroons have managed to maintain a relatively autonomous existence in Jamaica. Partly out of guilt and an intellectual sense of social responsibility, Banks's narrator gets involved in reuniting two clans who have been feuding for generations. Unfortunately, his attempt ends in disaster, and the narrator must deal with his feelings of alienation, isolation, and failure."
"Someone Else's Love Story is beloved and highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson's funny, charming, and poignant novel about science and miracles, secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness; about falling in love, and learning that things aren't always what they seem—or what we hope they will be.
Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Nathan, aka Natty Bumppo, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced parents. She's got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up and falling in love with William Ashe, who willingly steps between the robber and her son.
Shandi doesn't know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It's been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his world. But William doesn't define destiny the way others do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in facts and numbers, destiny to him is about choice. Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, making choices that will reveal unexpected truths about love, life, and the world they think they know."
"When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths.
Owning a strip club isn't the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second-guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict "no sleeping with his staff" rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain's self-control...and it's been a long time since any woman has done that.
Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it's too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl, but Charlie tells herself that at least she's putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she's not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn't really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can't get distracted by romance.
Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she's involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her."
"Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome—pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge . . ."
"A Viking to bed, not to wed!
Medana Elsadottir, known as the Sea Scourge, never planned to become a pirate, but there’s no denying her talent. Her female-only tribe has an island hideaway, food aplenty, goods to trade…everything except the means to breed. That’s where the strapping Norsemen tied up in her ship’s hold comes in handy. Eight godly specimen—and Thork Tykirrson is the most virile of them all. Once their, eh, work is done, they’ll be free to leave. Medana had naught to do with this gods-awful plan, but she wouldn’t mind reaping the benefits.
Wed or bed . . . this Viking has plans of his own.
Renowned as the wildest Viking of his time, Thork was returning home to regain his father’s favor. Mayhap even (shudder) marry. His brazen—and very beautiful—kidnapper has likely done him a favor in preventing such an irksome fate. That doesn’t mean he’ll let her off easy. No one takes anything from a Viking that he’s not willing to give...not even a violet-eyed vixen who sets off the wildest fantasies."
"When they first met Lord Jeremy William Radcliffe, Charlie and her twin sister, Elizabeth were escaping from their uncle-taking turns acting the young gentleman to avoid detection. But Charlie couldn’t help falling head over heels-and out of a window-for the handsome lord. Of course, that was only the beginning; Lord Radcliffe insisted on showing “him” and her lovely sister to London.
But how could he do that? With every touch, Radcliffe seemed unknowingly to incite indecent desires in Charlie, and his fraternal intent was certain to land her in a fine mess. Though it was a great game to play a boy, there was more fun in being female. And after one brush of his fiery lips when her guise was gone, Charlie swore to be nothing but his fiery woman forevermore."
"From the seductive rhythms of Bourbon Street to the sultry climes of the bayou, a woman's search for the truth leads her into danger and passion beyond her wildest dreams . . .
Advertising executive Stephanie Grant knows how to sell an idea, but she's never had to sell herself before. Walking into The Big Easy's most exclusive bordello, however, she's ready to do just that. What Stephanie doesn't expect is to encounter a man who sees right through her disguise, laying bare not only what she wants, but what she needs.
The lithe blonde who glides up to Jake Broussard's bar could have any man she chooses, but that isn't her endgame. The ex-cop quickly catches on to Stephanie's real plan, and it won't be long before Chez Sophia's rich and powerful clientele do the same. Stephanie's playing with fire. Good thing this hometown boy likes it hot."
"The Beautiful Bastard series—from the New York Times bestselling authors behind Love and Other Words and The Unhoneymooners—continues in this new novella—back when not being able to stand each other also meant not being able to keep their hands of each other, neither Bennett nor Chloe could have seen this day coming.
One beautiful bastard of a groom. The most beautiful bitch of a bride. A panty-ripping office hook-up turned true love everlasting.
Wedding bells can't chime soon enough for Chloe Mills and Bennett Ryan. Chloe, exasperated and stressed by all the last-minute to-dos, is on the verge of saying "I do" to eloping. For his part, Bennett's so worried about being distracted by Chloe's body that he makes a no-sex-until-the-wedding-night rule that only seems to be making things worse by continually backfiring on him. As their crazy families descend for the big day—only a few of them actually trying to be helpful—the fiery lovers are about to test whether the couple that argues together can keep it together long enough to exchange rings, and not just heated words."
"What happens when you think you have it all, and then, suddenly it’s taken away?Willa Chandler-Golden’s father changed the world: with his self-help bestseller Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Life May Be Out of Your Control, millions of devoted fans found solace in the notion that everything happens for a reason. Though Willa isn’t entirely convinced of his prophesies, she readily admits that the universe has delivered her a solid life: a reliable husband, a fast-paced career. Sure there are hiccups—negative pregnancy tests, embattled siblings—but this is what the universe has brought, and life, if you don’t think about it too much, is wonderful.Then her (evidently not-so-reliable) husband proposes this: a two month break. Two months to see if they couldn’t live their lives without each other. And before Willa can sort out destiny and fate and what it all means, she’s axed from her job, her twelve-year-old nephew Nicky moves in, her ex-boyfriend finds her on Facebook, and her best friend Vanessa lands a gig writing for Dare You!, the hottest new reality TV show. And then Vanessa lures Willa into dares of her own—dares that run counter to her father’s theories of fate, dares that might change everything…but only if Willa is brave enough to stop listening to the universe and instead aim for the stars."
"From “one of the most exciting breakout novelists” (USA TODAY) comes the first novel in an irresistible new series—a spin-off of the bestselling Marriage to a Billionaire series—featuring a matchmaker who falls for a man who doesn’t believe in love.
In charming Verily, New York, Kate Seymour has a smashing success with Kinnections, the matchmaking service she owns with her two best girlfriends. But Kate's more than a savvy businesswoman: She's gifted with a secret power, a jolting touch that signals when love's magic is at work. It rocked her when she picked up a strange volume of love spells in the town's used bookstore...and it zapped her again when she encountered Slade Montgomery, the hot-tempered— and hot-bodied—divorce lawyer who storms into Kinnections demanding proof that playing Cupid won't destroy his vulnerable sister, Kate's newest client. The only way to convince this cynic that she's no fraud, and that love is no mirage, is for Kate to meet his audacious challenge: find him his dream woman. Can Kate keep their relationship strictly business when her electrifying attraction nearly knocked her off her feet? Or has the matchmaker finally met her match?"
"It's business as usual for the infamous gold digging Gibbons women of Chesterton, Virginia. But this time, middle sister, Stephanie, may be the one getting played. . . Stephanie Gibbons has finally hit the jackpot. Her new sugar daddy, Isaac, is loaded and treating her in high style. When he proposes, Stephanie is sure she's set for life -- until she finds her bank account empty, Isaac gone, and a strange -- but very attractive -- man following her. Sexy P.I. Keith Hendricks has been tracking Isaac all along the eastern seaboard -- where the con man has left behind a trail of heartbroken, swindled women. But when Keith confronts Stephanie, he's not sure if she's Isaac's accomplice -- or his next victim. The only thing that's certain is his overwhelming attraction to her. And when Stephanie joins him on the hunt for Isaac, neither can ignore the sparks. Soon Stephanie is wondering whether true love is worth its weight in gold. . ."
