Norah is drowning in family drama. With her sister’s lavish wedding looming on the horizon and an intrusive clan of relatives desperate to interrogate her single status, she needs a convincing date—and fast. She doesn’t want romance; she wants a mutually beneficial, ironclad business transaction that guarantees she won’t spend the reception seated alone at the singles table. That is where Dean comes in: charming, ridiculously handsome, and infamous for keeping all his relationships casual and temporary.
Dean is happy to play the role of devoted boyfriend for an open bar and a weekend getaway, confident he can pull off the charade without breaking his strict rules about emotional entanglement. But once they hit the wedding circuit, their rehearsed banter and public displays of affection begin to feel shockingly authentic. Stolen kisses and hotel suite proximity quickly blur the lines of their arrangement, turning playful pretend into combustible, undeniable heat.
USA Today bestselling author Amy Daws delivers an uproarious, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy packed with high-heat passion and comedic genius. Daws is a master of rapid-fire banter and delightfully chaotic situations, giving readers an irresistibly funny, steamy fake-dating ride that hits every emotional note.
Why this delights: Daws serves up an absolute triumph of romantic comedy, delivering sizzling fake-dating chemistry, side-splitting wedding mishaps, and an emotionally satisfying slow-burn payoff.
In an alternate Renaissance realm, the natural order of existence shatters in an instant: Death ceases to collect mortal souls. The mortally wounded bleed without dying, the aged linger in agonizing decrepitude, and the world begins choking under the weight of endless suffering. A terrifying proclamation echoes from the icy northern reaches: Death will not resume his sacred, merciful duties until a mortal maiden travels to his obsidian fortress and consents to become his Cobweb Bride.
Across the continent, thousands of noble daughters, desperate maidens, and ambitious beauties embark on a grim pilgrimage toward the frozen north, hoping to claim the title and save humanity. Among them is Percy, a quiet, unassuming girl from an impoverished village who carries no courtly graces or grand illusions. Driven by desperate love for her dying grandmother, Percy joins the harrowing procession into a brutal landscape stalked by shadow beasts and supernatural malice.
Vera Nazarian weaves a dark, poetic masterpiece of mythic fantasy that reads like an ancient, rediscovered fairy tale. With lush, gothic imagery and profound philosophical depth, Nazarian explores the vital, symbiotic balance between mortality and life, drawing readers into a hauntingly beautiful romance between a mortal woman and Death himself.
Why this mesmerizes: Nazarian creates an unforgettable, gothic fairy-tale epic rich in lyrical prose, philosophical grandeur, and a dark, atmospheric journey to the realm of Death.
Theresa MacLean is a dedicated, pragmatic forensic scientist for the Cleveland police department, far more comfortable analyzing blood spatter and chemical residues in a sterile lab than confronting armed criminals. But when two desperate gunmen stage a violent, botched robbery at a prominent downtown investment bank, Theresa’s quiet world collides with a terrifying tactical crisis. Arriving at the scene to collect preliminary evidence, she is blindsided when the suspects take dozens of hostages—including her own cousin, a seasoned police detective.
As SWAT teams surround the perimeter and federal negotiators arrive, the hostage-takers make an unprecedented, chilling demand: they will negotiate exclusively through forensic scientist Theresa MacLean. Stepping inside the barricaded bank to preserve innocent lives, Theresa realizes the heist was never about cash. It is a carefully staged cover for a deeper, lethal corporate conspiracy involving missing persons, high-stakes embezzlement, and cold-blooded execution.
Written by a real-world forensic specialist, Lisa Black infuses every scene with uncanny technical authenticity and suffocating claustrophobic suspense. Black keeps the pacing relentless as the hostage standoff ticks toward an explosive, deadly conclusion, establishing Theresa MacLean as one of crime fiction’s sharpest forensic protagonists.
Why this grips: Black combines authentic forensic science with an electrifying, high-stakes bank hostage crisis that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Untie My Heart
Widowed, broke, and left with an impoverished estate, Lady Stuart is determined to retain her independence in Victorian England through grit and breeding. When she uncovers what she believes is evidence of animal cruelty and race-fixing involving her prize racehorses, she takes her battle straight to the commanding, cynical aristocrat responsible: the formidable Viscount Greywyler. Stuart expects an arrogant adversary, but finds a man of surprising complexity.
Greywyler is wealthy, aristocratic, and thoroughly accustomed to getting his way in both society and sport. Yet Lady Stuart’s fierce intellect, sharp tongue, and unyielding dignity unbalance him from their very first confrontation. What begins as an acrimonious battle of wills over a disputed horse racing syndicate gradually transforms into an intoxicating, slow-burning attraction that neither expected nor knows how to control.
Judith Ivory stands as one of the most celebrated, literary voices in historical romance, celebrated for her exquisite prose, deep psychological characterization, and witty dialogue. She avoids standard historical tropes, presenting two mature, flawed adults whose mutual respect grows naturally alongside simmering passion.
Why this enchants: Ivory crafts a sumptuous, brilliantly written Victorian romance rich in intellectual banter, nuanced emotion, and unforgettable romantic chemistry that stands as a genre classic.
Every sports fan and player has felt it: that electrifying moment when an athlete cannot miss, when every shot finds the net and momentum seems like a tangible, supernatural force. For decades, psychologists and statisticians claimed this “hot hand” phenomenon was an absolute cognitive illusion—mere randomness fooling human perception. But recent mathematical breakthroughs and advanced tracking data have turned that consensus entirely upside down, proving that streaks are very real.
Wall Street Journal sports reporter Ben Cohen takes readers on an exhilarating journalistic investigation into the mechanics of extraordinary momentum. Cohen travels from NBA basketball arenas and Shakespearean playhouses to tech startup incubators and agricultural farms, investigating how streaks ignite, how they sustain themselves, and why they inevitably break. He weaves together cutting-edge statistics with vibrant human drama, profiling iconic figures whose legendary runs changed history.
Cohen writes with narrative energy, sharp wit, and deep investigative rigor. Rather than limiting the inquiry to athletic performance, he draws crucial connections to business decision-making, creative breakthroughs, and everyday success, showing how recognizing momentum can transform our lives.
What makes this fascinating: Cohen blends lively narrative journalism with sophisticated statistical science, providing a gripping look at human performance, probability, and the power of momentum.
To the outside world, Paige Stewart has achieved the epitome of success. Attractive, accomplished, and deeply admired in her social and church circles, she enjoys a luxurious home and a thriving corporate career. Yet behind the polished facade lies an aching void that no amount of material wealth or professional acclaim can fill: Paige is consumed by a destructive, secret obsession with a charismatic, married man who will never truly be hers.
Refusing to accept boundaries, Paige’s infatuation spirals from quiet hope into an all-consuming compulsion that threatens her integrity, friendships, and sanity. As she maneuvers deeper into deceit to keep him close, the collateral damage ripples across multiple families, forcing innocent bystanders into her web of drama. When unexpected betrayals come to light, Paige must confront the painful roots of her emotional desperation before she destroys everything she has worked to build.
New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby delivers an emotionally gripping, drama-packed novel exploring temptation, self-worth, and moral accountability. Roby writes with unflinching honesty and empathy, creating complex, flawed characters whose struggles with love and boundaries feel deeply authentic.
Why this grips: Roby crafts a dramatic, emotionally intense tale of passion and delusion, examining the high price of forbidden love and the long road to personal redemption.
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