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I pretended to be the girlfriend of one of the richest men in New York City.
It was only meant to be the one time.
I mean, it was the week before Christmas, I was shopping with my best friend and we were hungry and wanted to dine at the new swanky restaurant on the Upper West Side. For some reason, the hostess misheard me when I mentioned Max Parker’s name. I’d been complaining that he was the reason why I’d lost my job. Who was I to correct her when it meant that “my relationship” had caused a table to suddenly open up?
Then the next week I accidentally let it slip that Max Parker was my boyfriend to get into an exclusive club. And then there was the time when I saw that Chanel handbag and Prada shoes. I mean, it didn’t really hurt anyone, did it? It was just a little white lie. How was I to know that my fake boyfriend would find out that I’d been using his name?
Now he’s blackmailing me into playing his fake fiancée in an arrangement that could only be classified as risqué. Turns out if I want to keep my apartment and not move home with my parents, I’m going to have to play along with his game. Only he’s going to have to go along with my rules as well and while he smirks at that idea he doesn’t know that I’ve got a plan of my own.
Place, time and family. Three things that shape individuals. Sometimes with love. Other times with violence.
Former covert operative, Horace Chase, has just discovered he has a son; a son who fled the Military Institute of South Carolina a year and a half ago after being accused of murder. The victim is the grandson of the most powerful woman in Charleston, South Carolina, who has sworn vengeance. Chase teams up with another former covert operative, Dave Riley, and one of Riley’s old CIA friends, Kate Westland, to find his son and uncover the truth.
Barely into their investigation they become caught up in a land development deal for Daufuskie Island worth hundreds of millions. Chase and Riley’s covert background has taught them many things, but the most valuable has been that nothing is ever as it appears as an old nemesis rears her head, hell-bent on revenge against them both along with a good helping of greed.
And in the shadows hovers THE CELLAR, the agency that polices the world of covert operations. One by one, the competitors for the land deal are being killed and the threat to Chase’s son grows. And nothing, not the present, not the past, and no one, are as they appear to be. Who will be left standing?
Julie
My hot, fiercely protective best friend Landon just dropped to one knee in the middle of the Bellagio with the perfect solution to all my problems.
After an unexpected diagnosis and a run of bad luck, I’m officially down and out. That is, until my best friend of two decades offers me his name… and his health insurance.
We’re in Vegas for someone else’s wedding. The last thing I ever expected was a proposal of my own—especially from Landon, my rock, my closest friend even when we’re miles apart. He’s always been gorgeous, but except for that drunken almost-kiss back in college, the only thing between us is friendship.
What’s a marriage of convenience between pals? Besides, Landon lives hundreds of miles away. Nothing has to change.
Right?
Landon
I popped the question, put a ring on it, and slapped Julie’s name on my health insurance policy. Problem solved.
It’s supposed to be a marriage of convenience. However, when my job relocates me to New York and I move in with my wife I find out there’s nothing convenient about our arrangement.
It all seemed so simple until the Elvis officiant said, “kiss the bride.” The second our lips touched, nothing was ever the same.
Kane Bishop is everything women are warned about.
An enforcer for a dangerous cartel built on drugs, guns, and violence. A man with a body count that has nothing to do with the women who’ve warmed his bed.
I know better than to step into his world. My law degree alone proves I have a brain and at least some common sense.
And yet here I am—half-naked in Kane’s apartment, hiding from my cop brother, while the most dangerous man I’ve ever met stitches my wounds back together.
We both know we should walk away.
We both know we won’t.
Because when the good girl collides with the criminal, someone’s bound to get burned.
Is a happily ever after even possible? Probably not.
But will I fight for us until my last breath? Absolutely.
“Go on a date,” she said. “You’ll love it,” she said. She was wrong!
It had been one year, two months and seventeen days since my last date. So my best friend Abby decided to sign me up for a dating app. She guaranteed that she could get me the best date of my life within one week. I didn’t really want to do it, but I figured what did I have to lose?
Turns out that I had:
1. $500
2. My dignity
3. My patience and
4. My innocence to lose
OK, so I didn’t really have my innocence to lose, but believe you me, Jack Morrison was my worst date ever. And I’ve been on a lot of bad dates. Trust me when I say that that was the longest ten hours and 33 minutes of my life. I never wanted to see or speak to him again.
But it turns out you don’t always get what you want in life, because Jack showed up the very next day at a family gathering I was attending as a fake plus one. As you can imagine that was a real pickle, Jack wanted to know why I went on a date with him when I’m dating someone else. But he can’t know the whole complicated truth of the matter. I’m in a fake relationship and now I’m being blackmailed by the worst date ever.
With every step, they face unimaginable dangers, where the threat of ruthless criminals lurks at every corner, and the brutal reality of survival weighs heavily on their hearts. As thousands perish each month at the hands of merciless profiteers, the stark truth shatters the facade of safety that Europe represents.
Heart-pounding and poignant, this story grips you from the very first page and doesn’t let go. Readers will find themselves racing alongside the protagonists, feeling their fear, hope, and desperation. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster that will not only challenge your perceptions of refugees but linger in your thoughts long after the final page is turned.
In the vein of acclaimed works like The Pianist and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Journey is more than just a novel; it is a powerful reflection on humanity, resilience, and the inescapable truths of our time. Brace yourself for a reading experience that is fast-paced, heartbreaking, and ultimately unforgettable. Get your tissues ready—this is one journey you won’t soon forget.
Six weeks. Six dates. Six different guys. What could go wrong?
Entrepreneur and marketing expert Jade O’Sullivan is determined to take the advice she gives her clients and think outside the box. So she’s agreed to be a dating guinea pig for a popular podcast in exchange for free advertising for her new business. It’s all fun and games until the ex she’s secretly still in love with starts hijacking her dates and her heart.
Former Army Ranger and decorated war veteran Hayden Reed is trying to put the pieces of his life together after returning to his hometown. He’s found his calling, training rescues as service dogs for veterans with PTSD. Everything is starting to fall into place, but there’s still something missing. Will Hayden have enough fight left in him to go after the only woman he’s ever loved?
The narrow, stinking streets of medieval London can sometimes be a dark place. Burglary, arson, kidnapping and murder are every-day events. The streets even echo with rumours of the mysterious art of alchemy being used to make gold for the King.
Join Seb, a talented but crippled artist, as he is drawn into a web of lies to save his handsome brother from the hangman’s rope. Will he find an inner strength in these, the darkest of times, or will events outside his control overwhelm him?
Only one thing is certain – if Seb can’t save his brother, nobody can.
Interview with the Author
What makes the Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery Series special?
In my Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery Series, I’ve used my personal research of the medieval period to recreate the dark and dangerous London of the 15th century. These historical touches bring authenticity to my historical thrillers and mysteries, recreating the everyday life that my protagonist Sebastian Foxley would have experienced.
Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany June 7, 1944, to May 7, 1945
From Stephen E. Ambrose, bestselling author of Band of Brothers and D-Day, the inspiring story of the ordinary men of the U.S. army in northwest Europe from the day after D-Day until the end of the bitterest days of World War II.
In this riveting account, historian Stephen E. Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Citizen Soldiers opens at 0001 hours, June 7, 1944, on the Normandy beaches, and ends at 0245 hours, May 7, 1945, with the allied victory. It is biography of the US Army in the European Theater of Operations, and Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war. From the high command down to the ordinary soldier, Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it.
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
Two young lovers. Sixty long years. One bookish mystery worth solving.
Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling: to take care of her three younger siblings, to find herself, to make ends meet. She’s just about at the end of her rope when she stumbles across a rare edition of a book from the 1960s. Deciding it’s a sign of her luck turning, she takes it home with her—only to be shocked when her cranky hermit of a neighbor swoops in and offers to buy it for an exorbitant price. Intrigued, Chloe takes a closer look at the book only to find notes scribbled in the margins between two young lovers back when the book was new…one of whom is almost definitely Jasper Holmes, the curmudgeon next door.
When she begins following the clues left behind, she discovers this isn’t the only old book in town filled with romantic marginalia. This kickstarts a literary scavenger hunt that Chloe is determined to see through to the end. What happened to the two tragic lovers who corresponded in the margins of so many different library books? And what does it have to do with the old, sad man next door—who only now has begun to open his home and heart to Chloe and her siblings?
June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.
Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.
1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.
Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.
Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.
While on a walking holiday through the beautiful, deserted hills of Crete, Nicola Ferris stumbles across a critically injured Englishman, guarded by a fierce Greek.
Nicola cannot abandon them and so sets off on a perilous search for their lost companion – all the while being pursued by someone who wants to make sure none of them leave the island . . .
Transport yourself to the idyllic hills of mid-century Crete in this tale of peril and intrigue, from the original queen of romantic suspense, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym.
Praise for Mary Stewart:
‘A perfect book for a long cold day’ Reader review
I never thought I’d see her again—the woman I left behind after our night at the motel.
Picture my surprise when she strolls into the office as my new assistant.
But wait, there’s more.
I come home to find her with suitcases, nowhere to stay.
I could decline to have her move in, yet I see a chance.
My nosy aunt’s visiting, expecting to meet my non-existent spouse.
My assistant’s onboard with the madness of playing my newlywed wife.
So, here are the ground rules for our little charade:
1. Our fake marriage is top-secret intel at the workplace. No slips of the tongue (hee-hee) or accidental leaks. We’re in this purely for show.
2. This is strictly a “no-love zone.” I don’t care if Cupid himself tries to shoot me with his arrow.
3. We gotta sell it like we’re head over heels in love. That means sharing a bed and putting on a stellar performance.
Michael Ruhlman’s groundbreaking New York Times bestseller takes us to the very “truth” of cooking: it is not about recipes but rather about basic ratios and fundamental techniques that makes all food come together, simply.
When you know a culinary ratio, it’s not like knowing a single recipe, it’s instantly knowing a thousand.
Why spend time sorting through the millions of cookie recipes available in books, magazines, and on the Internet? Isn’t it easier just to remember 1-2-3? That’s the ratio of ingredients that always make a basic, delicious cookie dough: 1 part sugar, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour. From there, add anything you want—chocolate, lemon and orange zest, nuts, poppy seeds, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, almond extract, or peanut butter, to name a few favorite additions. Replace white sugar with brown for a darker, chewier cookie. Add baking powder and/or eggs for a lighter, airier texture.
Ratios are the starting point from which a thousand variations begin.
Ratios are the simple proportions of one ingredient to another. Biscuit dough is 3:1:2—or 3 parts flour, 1 part fat, and 2 parts liquid. This ratio is the beginning of many variations, and because the biscuit takes sweet and savory flavors with equal grace, you can top it with whipped cream and strawberries or sausage gravy. Vinaigrette is 3:1, or 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, and is one of the most useful sauces imaginable, giving everything from grilled meats and fish to steamed vegetables or lettuces intense flavor.
… See the rest of today ‘s Book Picks here on page 2Page 2