Books Coming Out in May
Books Coming Out in May
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At the Quiet Edge by Victoria Helen Stone
Abandoned by her fugitive ex-husband, Lily Brown is rebuilding her life on the edge of a Kansas town that still feels the sting of his crimes. Lily lies low, managing the isolated storage facility where she lives with her twelve-year-old son, Everett, and planning a better future for them both. That requires keeping secrets. Everett has them too.
After breaking into a storage unit, Everett finds photographs and news clippings of five girls missing for decades. For Everett, it’s an adventure and a tempting mystery to solve. But digging further into a stranger’s obsession is putting Everett and his mother in the crosshairs of a killer.
Then Lily’s ex resurfaces from the shadows. Just as suddenly, an attentive new man enters Lily’s life. And a suspicious detective, responding to reports of a prowler, watches every move Lily makes. It’s getting harder for Lily to know who to trust―or whose secrets pose the most frightening threat of all.
The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding by Lydia Kang
Brooklyn, 1942. War rages overseas as brother and sister Will and Maggie Scripps contribute to the war effort stateside.But the siblings’ quiet lives change when they discover a beautiful woman hiding under their back stairs. This stranger harbors an obsession with poisons, an affection for fine things, and a singular talent for killing small creatures. As she draws Will and Maggie deeper into her mysterious past, they both begin to suspect she’s quite dangerous―all while falling helplessly under her spell. With whispers of spies in dark corners and the world’s first atomic bomb in the works, the visitor’s sudden presence in Maggie’s and Will’s lives raises questions about who she is and what she wants. Is this mysterious woman someone they can trust―or a threat to everything they hold dear?
Iconoclast: A Sean McPherson Novel by Laurie Buchanan
Burdened by the pressing weight of survivor’s guilt, Sean McPherson, an ex-cop, is desperate for redemption. At Pines & Quill, a writer’s retreat in the Pacific Northwest, he and his fiancée, Emma Benton, are planning their lives together. He wants to go back into law enforcement. She plans to walk again. Georgio “The Bull” Gambino, head of a Seattle-based crime family, has a long reach. Like cockroaches, his minions infiltrate even the most inaccessible of places to do his bidding. With Seattle to the south, the Canadian border a stone’s throw to the north, and Bellingham Bay―a gateway to the Pacific Ocean―immediately to the west, Bellingham is the ideal location for the Gambino crime family to traffic drugs, weapons, and humans. But McPherson’s in Gambino’s way, which means he must be eliminated. The writers in residence at Pines & Quill include an Afghanistan War veteran, a professional photographer, a civil rights attorney, and a gourmet chef. But McPherson suspects that there’s more going on than the joy of creating plot twists. Is one of them conspiring murder outside the pages of their manuscript?
The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free.
Waterbury Winter by Linda Stewart Henley
Laced with mystery, a sweet romance, and filled with heart, WATERBURY WINTER is charming and hopeful, a perfect summer read. Barnaby Brown is a forty-five year old widower stuck in a dead-end job. He’d been a promising artist before loss and alcohol dragged him down. But bit by bit, step by step, Barnaby lifts himself up to begin a journey toward finding community, a career, and companionship. Kirkus Reviews called it “A reflective, witty, and fun story that elegantly crosses genres and addresses intriguing themes.”
Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep
Bestselling author Jennifer Estep continues her Gargoyle Queen epic fantasy series where magic reigns, alliances are tested, and a dangerous attraction could tear down a throne. . .
Crown princess. Clever spy. Powerful mind magier. Gemma Ripley of Andvari is all those things—and determined to stop an enemy from using magical tearstone weapons to conquer her kingdom.
Gemma’s quest for answers leads her to a trade Summit between the various kingdoms. Among the other royals in attendance is Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta and her son, Prince Leonidas—Gemma’s charming and dangerous nemesis.
Gemma knows that Maeven always has a long game in motion, and sure enough, the cunning queen invokes an arcane tradition that threatens the fragile truce between Andvari and the other kingdoms. Despite her best intentions, Gemma once again finds herself thrown together with Leo and battling her growing feelings for the enemy prince.
When a series of deadly attacks shatters the Summit’s peaceful negotiations, Gemma realizes that someone wants to tear the royals down from their thrones—and that this enemy just might succeed.
The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding
In the vein of THE CACTUS, a fun, fresh look at unexpected pregnancy and second chances. Pregnant and divorced, Josie Hale moves in with two old friends (both male), who make it their mission to prepare for Josie’s baby, not least by making sure Josie always has the food she’s craving. Together they discover the true meaning of family and second chances in life.
Blame It on the Brontes by Annie Sereno
Classic and contemporary romance readers alike will love this Brontës-inspired romantic comedy about an English professor on the hunt to uncover the identity of the anonymous erotica author living in her hometown.
The Stand-In by Lily Chu
THE STAND-IN is a must-read on the Sourcebooks Casablanca list: this compelling romantic fiction original by breakout author Lily Chu masterfully addresses issues of identity, mental health, representation, the hazards of fame and workplace indecorum. While layered with deep topics of conversation any book club could dive into, THE STAND-IN will also appeal to rom-com and contemporary fiction readers, with its delicious enemies-to-lovers romance and spot-on situational comedy.
Two Little Girls by Laura Jarratt
When Lizzie’s car crashes with her two daughters inside, she faces a terrible choice: which child should she save, when she can only save one? And when she recovers from her injuries, she has to deal with the impact of that tragedy as well as the police investigation into it. As Lizzie and her family struggle to come to terms with the events of that night, things take an even darker turn. What exactly happened on that remote country road? Who is responsible? And can the family get through this together… or will the truth finally tear them apart?
Darling Girl by Liz Michalski
In this beautiful, grounded, and darkly magical modern-day reimagining of J. M. Barrie’s classic, to save her daughter’s life one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan—who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be . . .Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
When She Dreams by Amanda Quick
WHEN SHE DREAMS finds Maggie Lodge, a powerful lucid dreamer, working for the reclusive newspaper advice columnist known as Aunt Cornelia. While Aunt Cornelia leaves the country on an extended vacation, Maggie handles her affairs. When Maggie receives a disturbing letter implicating Aunt Cornelia in a past crime she’s drawn into a dangerous web of blackmail and murder. When the letter points Maggie to the Guilfoyle Institute, which stands to make a fortune by asserting if can help people control their dreams, she quickly realizes she’s in over her head.
Enter Sam Sage, a down-on-his-luck private detective desperately in need of a client. Sam doesn’t believe in lucid dreaming but finds himself fascinated by Maggie, the most unusual woman he’s ever met. When a string of murders and damning rumors about a lucid dreamer seeking revenge befalls the institute, Maggie and Sam will have to crack the case before they end up the next victims in Burning Cove.
If You Change Your Mind by Robby Weber
Harry wants nothing more than to write Hollywood screenplays. He knows the first step toward achieving that goal is winning a screenwriting competition that will seal his admission into the college of his dreams, so he’s determined to spend his summer free of distractions—also known as boys—and finish his script. After last year, Harry is certain love only exists in the movies anyway.
But then the cause of his first heartbreak, Grant, returns with a secret that could change everything. To complicate things further, new-in-town Logan is charming and sweet, making Harry question everything he knows about romance. As Harry tries to manage his feelings for Grant and Logan, he realizes life doesn’t always follow a script.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Rebecca meets Mexican Gothic in a stunning and original new work horror, which probes the complicated legacy of the hacienda system in early 1800’s Mexico
The Homewreckers: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews
Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at eighteen, married the boss’s son at twenty, and became a widow at twenty-five. Now she’s passionate about her work, but that’s the only passion in her life.
“Never love something that can’t love you back” is the advice her father-in-law gives her, but Hattie doesn’t follow it and falls head over heels for a money pit of a house. She’s determined to make it work, but disaster after disaster occurs, and Hattie’s dream might cost Kavanaugh & Son their livelihood. Hattie needs money, and fast.
When a smooth Hollywood producer shows up in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist.
Soon there’s more at stake than bad pipes and dry rot: During the demolition, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years before. With a world-weary detective investigating the case, an arsonist on the loose, two men playing with her emotions, and layer upon layer of vintage wallpaper causing havoc, it’s a question of who will flip, who will flop, and if Hattie will ever get her happily-ever-after.
Our Laundry, Our Town: My Chinese American Life from Flushing to the Downtown Stage and Beyond by Alvin Eng
From behind the counter of his parents' laundry and a household rooted in a different century and culture to the turbulent, exciting streets of 1970s New York City, playwright, performer, acoustic punk rock raconteur, and educator Alvin Eng delivers an illuminating time capsule of the Chinese-American experience in his new memoir, OUR LAUNDRY, OUR TOWN. Fans of memoirs that speak to the immigrant experience – such as Beautiful Country and Sigh, Gone – and the gritty Downtown scene – such as Just Kids and Vanishing New York – will delight in Eng’s story of finding voice, identity, and community through the transformative power of Asian American arts, activism, punk rock and theater.
Double Twist (A Mia Murphy Mystery) by Stephanie Rowe
In Double Twist, the irreverent, underappreciated, and alarmingly talented Mia Murphy risks it all to do the right thing…even if it means doing the wrong thing. It's a high-octane, feel-good romp starring women you'll wish were your best friends, an inconveniently attractive cop, a posse of gray-haired quilters with a fondness for margaritas, and an eccentric town with more secrets than Mia's con artist mom.
Flights of Fancy by Richard Dawkins
Flights of Fancy is a book about flying – all the different ways of defying gravity that have been discovered by humans over the centuries and by other animals over the millions of years, from the mythical Icarus, to the sadly extinct but magnificent bird Argentavis magnificens, to the Wright Flyer and the 747. But it also means flights of digression into more general ideas and principles that take off from a discussion about actual flight.
What Remains True by Nancy Naigle
After being served unexpected divorce papers, a woman leaves her position with the family business to get back in touch with herself and priorities. On her way to her beach house in Hilton Head she stops in Antler Creek, North Carolina, only to be sidetracked by the quaint town. Letting people assume whatever they may, she hides who she really is, which causes a problem when she falls for the most eligible—yet unattainable—bachelor in town who happens to be a rodeo star with a secret of his own.
Hostile Intent by Don Bentley
In the espionage community, Vienna is known as the City of Spies, and Matt Drake is about to learn why in the latest electrifying thriller from the New York Times best-selling author of Tom Clancy Target Acquired and The Outside Man.
When a mysterious walk-in to the US embassy in Vienna claims to have critical information about a Russian intelligence operation, he raises eyebrows. But when he asks for Matt Drake by name and calls himself the Irishman, he gets the DIA’s premier case officer on a one-way flight. Matt arrives to find Austria’s charming capital lousy with intelligence officers, all swirling around Nolan Burke - a onetime member of the real IRA. But before Matt can debrief Nolan, the Irishman is kidnapped by a Russian direct action team. Now, Matt must find a way to repay the debt of honor he owes Nolan while stopping World War III in the process.
Monkey Business by Carleton Eastlake
Reading like Carl Hiaasen meets Hunter S. Thompson, veteran TV producer Carleton Eastlake's madcap debut novel, MONKEY BUSINESS, offers a wry, darkly funny look at the toxic mechanics of the television industry as well as a wickedly insightful study of an irresistible, possibly manipulative, possibly criminal stripper/anthropologist and the Darwinist games she likes to play (seriously!). If that sentence sounds like a mouthful, well, let's just say you're in for a treat with this unorthodox new book - an utterly unique offering from an exciting new literary voice. Oh, and it's a love story too!
First, let's start with the general storyline of MONKEY BUSINESS: William Fox is an already-jaded young writer on a torturous assignment in Florida, held captive by the horrible TV showrunners who are producing his current project. While there, he meets an enchanting dancer named Nicole at a local gentleman's club who, claiming to be an anthropologist in search of meaningful life on Earth, completely upends his understanding of love, creativity, and even the trajectory of his life. Focusing on the peculiarities of primate behavior, MONKEY BUSINESS follows Fox as he navigates the cruel mind games played by his TV bosses even as he grows increasingly obsessed with the mysterious, alluring Nicole. As their interactions become more and more intense, it suddenly dawns on Fox that Nicole might actually be manipulating his relationship with his bosses and actually staging their encounters as some sort of human psychology experiment about the similarities between monkeys and humans - particularly as it relates to the sadistic world of television. Desperate to get to the bottom of this, Fox risks everything to discover Nicole's true identity and understand the lessons she's trying to teach him - ultimately hopeful that, in doing so, he'll be able to truly win her heart.
Darky comic in nature but also deeply philosophical (particularly when it comes to the ridiculous sociology behind human behavior), MONKEY BUSINESS is an astute dissection of the human condition and the bizarre patterns of our everyday lives, both professional and personal.
Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood
As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.
The Stand-In by Lily Chu
When a mysterious black SUV pulls up next to Gracie Reed, she’s amazed to recognize Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Chinese cinema's golden couple. She's even more shocked when Fangli proposes a deal: due to their uncanny resemblance, the famous actress wants Gracie to pretend to be her for the next two months. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive (and rudest) man Gracie has ever met… Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But dealing with Sam—and playing the role of an elegant movie star—proves more difficult than Gracie ever imagined...especially when she learns the reason why Fangli needs her help, and two women are forced to reckon with the shocking secret that now unites them.
Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky
Wren Roland has never been kissed, let alone been in love, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. He didn't expect a response from Derick Haverford, Wren’s #1 pre-coming-out-crush...but now that they’re working together at their hometown’s vintage drive-in theater, maybe that perfect-kiss-before-the-credits is finally within reach.
My Seven Black Fathers: A Young Activist's Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who Made Him Whole by Will Jawando
The son of an African father and a white Kansan mother, William Opeyemi Jawando grew up to be a politician, lawyer, and activist. But his path was not without hurdles. Teachers chastised him for raising his hand too often in the classroom, he lost his best friend to gun violence, and his parents separated when he was a small child; however, Jawando was fortunate to find seven Black men--an elementary-school math teacher, a choir director, two of his mother's co-workers, former President Obama, his stepfather, and eventually, his biological father--who stepped in to raise him, took him under their wings and made him whole.
Summer Love by Nancy Thayer
There’s no place like summer on Nantucket Island. In Nancy Thayer's Summer Love (Ballantine Books Hardcover; On Sale: May 3, 2022), four strangers take on their first summer together on Nantucket, forming friendships, relationships, and secrets that will impact the rest of their lives. Twenty-five years later, they reunite on the island but this time with their children, who, just like their parents, get to discover the magic of Nantucket and fall in love.
Summer Island by Shelley Noble
Reporter Phoebe Adams has built her perfect life. She has her dream career at the local newspaper, and she is planning her wedding to its editor-in-chief. But when her fiancé closes the paper, Phoebe’s whole world comes crashing down. On top of all of that, her mother Ruth’s life is in ruins after her husband of 35 years deserts her. They both need a safe haven, and Phoebe knows just the place—Summer Island where Grandma Alice still rules the roost from the big New England beach house Phoebe and Ruth once called home. But Phoebe is not the only one seeking refuge here. Her flighty great aunt is finally settling down while harboring a dark secret. Her grouchy but secretly kindhearted neighbor may lose his home. And the absentminded boy next door has grown into a totally distracting man. Phoebe thought Summer Island would be her soft place to land, but it has turned into so much more. Now both Phoebe and her mother have the chance to follow their hearts, but will they be brave enough to make their dreams a reality?
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
A by-the-book literary agent must decide if happily ever after is worth changing her whole life for in this insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.
The Bus to Beulah by EC Hanes
On her way to a new job in America, Maria Puente accidentally discovers a human trafficking ring. Fearing exposure, the American company that manages the operation—with the help of their Mexican partners—kidnaps Maria. Maria’s disappearance triggers a desperate search, by her family and local law enforcement, to find her before the kidnappers can permanently dispose of her. As the investigation unfolds, long-time Hogg County high sheriff Will Moser confronts Albert Waters, a powerful businessman who Will suspects knows about Maria’s disappearance—but Albert and his Mexican cartel partners prove to be brick walls. Organized in an hour-by-hour structure, The Bus to Beulah is a taut thriller that culminates in a massive, heatrt-pounding chase to save Maria—before she disappears forever.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches…
The Surgeon's Daughter by Audrey Blake
Nora Beady, the only female student at a prestigious medical school in Bologna, is a rarity. In the 19th century women are expected to remain at home and raise children, so her unconventional, indelicate ambitions to become a licensed surgeon offend the men around her. Under constant scrutiny, Nora's successes are taken for granted; her mistakes used as proof that women aren't suited to the field. Everything changes when she allies herself with Magdalena Morenco, the sole female doctor on-staff. Together the two women develop new techniques to improve a groundbreaking surgery: the Cesarean section.
Radical Confidence by Lisa Bilyeu
As co-founder of the billion-dollar company Quest Nutrition and co-founder and President of Impact Theory, Lisa Bilyeu has become one of the most influential voices in the personal development world. Her mission is to empower all women to become the heroes of their own lives, which she explores as host of Women of Impact, a powerful show featuring women who have overcome incredible hardship to achieve massive success. Now, in her much-anticipated first book, RADICAL CONFIDENCE, Lisa tells the story of how she unpaused her life to cofound a company that went from zero to a billion dollars in just five years and became a leader in the world of personal growth. Radical Confidence is filled with insight and practical tools for honest self-assessment, mastering emotions, and staying motivated. With humor, honesty, and Lisa’s beloved hilarious voice, this book teaches you how to be driven by your insecurities to create the life of your dreams.
Ways the World Could End by Kim Hooper
In Ways the World Could End, Dave, a father on the autism spectrum, becomes a suddenly-single parent to his 15-year-old daughter Cleo in the wake of a traumatic loss. As the two struggle to live with new challenges, they must revisit the tragic past they share. What happened to Jana, Dave’s wife and Cleo’s mother? Who was she, really? Who are they without her?
A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
From the author of Counting Down with You comes a new swoony YA romance about an indie film star who enrolls in high school under a secret identity, and the girl who will do whatever it takes to convince him to star in her short film.
The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry
As Kate Hamilton plans her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, she is also assisting her colleague Ivor Tweedy with a project at the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted into luxury townhouses. Kate and Ivor must appraise a fifteenth-century paintingand verify that its provenance is the Dutch master Jan Van Eyck. But when retired criminal inspector Will Parker is found dead, Kate learns that the halls of the sanatorium housed much more than priceless art.
Deceived by Mary Keliikoa
Following the success of Mary Keliikoa's “Derailed” (2020) and “Denied” (2021), the third installment in the PI Kelly Pruett Mystery series, “Deceived” (Camel Press, May 10, 2022) is crafted to perfection and will definitely keep you guessing. While searching for answers surrounding a young woman’s death, Kelly goes undercover at the homeless shelter. After discovering rampant drug dealing, she’s suddenly kicked off the case... just as another girl goes missing. When her investigation doesn’t move quickly enough to save a second woman, Kelly doubles her efforts, unwilling to accept defeat. Can she stop the criminal in their tracks before the body count rises?
Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer
Witchcraft is wild at heart, calling us into a relationship with the untamed world around us. Through the power of developing a relationship with plants, a witch—beginner or experienced—can practice their art more deeply and authentically by interacting with the beings that grow around us all. Bridging the gap between armchair witchcraft and the hedge witches of old, Wild Witchcraft empowers you to work directly with a wide variety of plants and trees safely and sustainably. This guide welcomes us home to the natural world we all dwell in by exploring practical folk herbal and magical rites grounded in historical practices and a sustainable, green ethic.
Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
This spring, New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is back with another heartfelt and hilarious contemporary romance, Starry-Eyed Love (On sale: May 10, 2022; St. Martin’s Griffin; ISBN:978-1250624727; paperback).
In Starry-Eyed Love, London Spark is dealing with her family, and running the family business when Jackson Holt, a charming CEO, shows up to a business meeting that could take their event hotel to the next level… except he’s the same guy she turned down at a bar months before.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
It’s been ten years since Persephone Fraser set foot in the lakeshore town of Barry’s Bay. Ten years spent distancing herself from where she spent her happiest summers and fell in love. And ten years since she made the decision that ruined everything. But a phone call sends her racing back to the place that always felt like home and into Sam Florek’s world once more. Percy and Sam were inseparable for six summers; days spent on the lake, nights working in his family’s restaurant, and the quieter moments in between. Their friendship eventually evolved into something exquisitely more, until it broke spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral their connection is as undeniable as ever, but so is her guilt. Percy must confront the past and the choices that haunt her to find out if their love can have a future.
A Disturbing Nature by Brian Lebeau
When FBI Chief Investigator Francis Palmer and Maurice Lumen’s paths collide, a dozen young women are already dead—bodies strewn in the woods across southern New England. Crippled by the loss of their families and haunted by mistakes, they wrestle with skeletons and ghosts neither understands. Who is destined to pay for the sins of their fathers and who will pay for their own?
The Treehouse on Dog River Road by Catherine Drake
Twenty-eight-year-old Hannah Spencer wants nothing more than to change everything about her life. After ten years of living in cities, Nathan Wild has just moved back home to Vermont and doesn’t want to change anything about his.
Recently laid off from her depressing job in Boston and ready for a challenge, Hannah heads to Vermont for the summer to take care of her sister’s kids and do some serious soul searching. There, against the stunning landscape of the Green Mountains, she embarks on an ambitious project: building a treehouse for her niece and nephew. As she hammers away, she formulates a plan to jump-start her life with a new job out West. But will Nathan-next-door complicate her desire to change course? A witty, romantic, and inspiring story of a young woman taking control and making tough choices about love and work to build the life she wants, The Treehouse on Dog River Road will have you rooting for Hannah every step of the way.
Set on You by Amy Lea
Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.
Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party.
In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, they just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.
The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
She rose from commoner to become the last reigning queen of India’s Sikh Empire. In this dazzling novel, based on true-life events, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni presents the unforgettable story of Jindan, who transformed herself from daughter of the royal kennel keeper to powerful monarch.
The Storytellers
Trapped between life and the afterlife, three women meet and share their stories while discovering the truth about the men in their lives—and about themselves.
Suspended in an eerie state of limbo, an entity called the Gatekeeper tells Nikki, Ronnie, and Mrs. Hawthorne they are on the cusp of entering the afterlife—but only if the women can persuade him that in their earthly lives, they knew the meaning of love.
Fragments of their memories return, plunging them back into their pasts, and forcing them to face the desires, disappointments, addictions, lies, and obsessions they battled in life.
But before time runs out, will they find the answer to the ultimate question: what is love?
The Walled Garden: A Novel by Robin Farrar Maass
American grad student Lucy Silver comes to England to research Elizabeth Blackspear, a famous poet, but soon finds herself in a fight to save Blackspear’s historic gardens, hot on the trail of a decades-old mystery, and in danger of falling for a hot Scot. Along the way, she discovers that her true home—and inheritance—are more incredible than anything she’d ever imagined.
Magician of Light by J Fremont
One of the most innovative designers of his time, René Lalique was a leader in the decorative arts. Magician of Light begins in his adolescent years in Paris as a striving apprentice. Meanwhile, across the channel, Lucinda Haliburton is facing her own struggles, including a dysfunctional family and history of mental illness. Her grandfather, Lord Haliburton, suggests a visit to his archeological dig in Egypt in an effort to help her escape her difficulties at home—but the trip ends in disaster, and Lucinda returns to England with the belief that she is being preyed upon by ancient Egyptian spirits.
Rene and Lucinda’s paths cross when he leaves Paris to continue his studies at a nearby art college. His fascination with Egypt sparks a connection with Lucinda, and romance blooms—but is complicated by her mental condition. Overactive imagination, insanity, or a real haunting? Will their love see them through?
Mud Lilies by Indra Ramayan
MUD LILIES tells the story of Chanie Nyrider, a very young girl who runs away from home and finds herself taken in by a replacement mother figure who quickly turns out to have ulterior motives for befriending Chanie. Before long, she is working as a high-end prostitute on the streets of Edmonton, and, after being violated by a john, she finds herself in jail for trashing a motel room when the perpetrator is nowhere to be found. Given the choice between jail time and a high school program for troubled youth, she reluctantly chooses the latter. But much to her surprise, she finds her voice in the program, begins making actual friends, and blossoms, slowly leaving behind the dark vestiges of her old life and learning she deserves a more hopeful future.
Breach by Kelly Sokol
Marleigh Mulcahy grew up in a boxing gym, the daughter of hard-drinking parents who didn't keep a stable roof overhead. In the cinder-block Box-n-Go, amidst the sweat and funk, she meets EOD specialist Jace Holt, a highly and expensively trained bomb diffuser with three successful deployments behind him. With a heady mix of hope, carelessness, and a ridiculous amount of courage, they begin a family. When Jace returns to active duty, a roadside bomb resurrects ghosts from the couple's past and threatens the life they've built.An unflinching and timely gaze into the marriage of an enlisted special operator and his wife, Breach is a story of betting it all on love, a couple's determination to change the trajectory of their lives, and one woman's promises to the man she loves and the boys they're raising.
What choices will a desperate mother make to keep her family whole?
My Summer Darlings by May Cobb
The lives of three women are shaken to the core when a charming new neighbor moves to town. Cynthia, Jen, and Kittie are lifelong friends who are approaching forty, raising teenagers, and who are all a little bored in suburban Texas. Then Will Harding moves into one of the neighborhood’s grandest homes. For single Jen, he’s a unicorn she’s desperate to catch. For Kittie, he’s a conquest to prove to herself she’s still desirable. And for Cynthia, Will might be worth risking everything she has for a new life with him. Backstabbing, obsession, and secrets warp their lives, threatening their friendships and families. When Will abruptly ghosts all three women, they each scramble to find out why. Is there someone else? Has he been leading them on this whole time? Or, is it something far more sinister than any of them could have ever imagined?
The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen
Ginny Rose and Peggy were best friends at seven, picking peaches on hot summer days. Peggy’s family owned the farm, and Ginny Rose’s were pickers, escaping the Oklahoma dust storms. That didn’t matter to them then, but now, ten years, hard miles, and a world war later, Ginny Rose’s family is back in town and their differences feel somehow starker. Especially since Peggy’s new best friend, Lisette, is a wealthy banker’s daughter. Still, there's no denying what all three girls have in common: Families with great fissures that are about to break wide open. And a determination to not just accept things as they are anymore.
Ice Out: A Novel by Susan Speranza
Francesca Bodin has a near-perfect life as an accomplished music teacher and professional flutist living in the Vermont countryside with her husband Ben, and their four-year old daughter, Addie. This ends suddenly when a snowmobiling accident traps the three of them in a frozen lake. Ben, after escaping onto the ice, leaves her and Addie to die. Francesca believes she sees their dog pull Addie from the lake and drag her into the nearby woods. Desperate to help her daughter, she crawls from the icy waters and follows them. Once she enters the forest, however, she finds herself trapped in a sinister, dream-like world where night never ends, where Addie’s whereabouts remain hidden from her, and where she encounters a group of women who, like Francesca, have been left to die and now seek to unleash their revenge on those who have harmed them. When they have Ben in their sights, Francesca realizes that if she is ever to escape this nightmare and save her daughter, she must first save the husband who abandoned them.
It Takes a Villa by Kilby Blades
When a woman buys an Italian villa for one euro, hoping to rebuild both the villa and her life, everything that can go wrong will go wrong in this fun new romantic comedy series from USA TODAY bestselling author Kilby Blades.
Nightwork by Nora Roberts
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces an unforgettable thief in a new novel of suspense, greed, love, and survival…
Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash. When his mother finally succumbed to cancer, he left Chicago—but kept up his nightwork.
Wandering from the Outer Banks to Savannah to New Orleans, he dons new identities and stays careful, observant, distant. He can’t afford to attract attention—or get attached. Still, he can’t help letting his guard down when he meets Miranda Emerson. But the powerful bond between them cannot last—because not all thieves follow Harry’s code of honor. Some pay others to take risks so they can hoard more treasures. Some are driven by a desire to own people the way they own paintings and jewels. And after Harry takes a lucrative job commissioned by Carter LaPorte, LaPorte sees a tool he can use, and decides he wants to own Harry.
The man is a predator more frightening than the alligators that haunt the bayou—and when he strongarms Harry into robbing a Baltimore museum, Harry abandons Miranda—cruelly, with no explanation—and disappears. But no matter what name he uses or where he goes, LaPorte casts a shadow over Harry’s life. To truly free himself, he must face down his enemy once and for all. Only then can he hope to possess something more valuable than anything he has ever stolen…
A Letter in the Wall by Eileen Brill
A letter written by a teen named Joan in the 1930s was found inside the wall of Eileen Brill’s Pennsylvania 1920s home. This is the basis of Brill’s memorable debut, A Letter in the Wall, (On Sale Date: May 24, 2022; Sparkpress; ISBN: 978-1-68463-133-9; Paperback). This psychological drama about the life of Joan Dumann, a woman who finds herself revisiting her past in the wake of her life being threatened, is also a historical study, spanning several decades, of an emotionally complex woman, an anti-heroine, replete with unfulfilled desires, female empowerment, and redemption.
Omega Rules by Eric Van Lustbader
New York Times and internationally bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader, dubbed the “master of the smart thriller” by bestselling author Nelson DeMille, returns with another page-turning thriller that eerily echoes current events: OMEGA RULES (Forge Hardcover, eBook, and Macmillan Audio; On-sale: May 24, 2022). First introduced in The Nemesis Manifesto, the compelling heroine Evan Ryder is back, finding herself once again on the trail of a shadowy group that seeks to alter the tenuous political balance of the world… and she finds her own past is far more connected with these dangerous enemies than she may have realized.
Flirting with Fifty by Jane Porter
Paige Newsom is finally at a place in her life where she’s comfortable. She loves her job as a college professor in Southern California, lives close enough to her mother to visit her regularly, and has three daughters who are flourishing in their careers. Paige has no plans to upend her life again after her divorce eight years ago, but she’s about to embark on a new adventure: co-teaching a course that includes a three-week international field study.
Paige can think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t go, one being a dazzling Australian biologist who will be teaching alongside her. Professor Jack King is charismatic, a world traveler, and more like Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, all of which unsettles Paige, who prides herself on being immune to any man’s charms. She isn’t looking for love, and it turns out, neither is he. But as the two co-professors lead the rigorous program together, first on campus, then in beautiful Tanzania, their biggest challenge will be working closely together while resisting the undeniable chemistry they feel when they’re with each other.
A Special Place For Women by Laura Hankin
It’s a club like no other. Only the most important women receive an invitation. Or at least, that’s what the rumors say―no one has yet to confirm the existence of Nevertheless, New York’s most secret, female-run society that seems to have inordinate influence over the city, its presence simmering beneath the surface of some of the biggest scandals. Jillian Beckley, a native New Yorker and recently laid-off journalist, makes it her mission to prove the existence of this top-secret club. It’s the juicy scoop that every investigative writer is itching to land―and a story that will certainly help Jillian relaunch her career. It’s not long before Jillian manages to find an “in” at Nevertheless―and is captivated by the billionaire “girlbosses” who mingle with the astrology-obsessed and the trendiest of New York influencers. Jillian can’t help but keep a watchful eye on the club’s founders, who seem to be hiding something beyond the secret of the group’s existence, and who are just a little too fond of calling themselves “witches.” As Jillian dives deeper into the inner circles of Nevertheless, it becomes apparent that bad things happen to those who dare to question the club’s motives―and its leaders may be far more powerful, and dangerous, than she ever imagined.
Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton
When Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her sister Beatriz, she discovers a shocking family secret in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s new novel.
The Moment of Menace Joe Rothstein
A murderous cabal is determined to seize control of the U.S. government. Blocking their path is a woman the world knows as "Tenny." She's U.S. President Isabel Tennyson, a charismatic Latina-American heiress who has survived impeachment, attempted assassination and political sex scandals. Now the future of humanity hinges on her winning this fight. Can she? Only one thing is certain: Once you meet Tenny you will never forget her.
Summer's Edge by Dana Mele
I Know What You Did Last Summer meets The Haunting of Hill House in this atmospheric, eerie teen thriller following an estranged group of friends being haunted by their friend who died last summer. Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group, summers without Emily were unthinkable. Until the fire burned the lake house to ashes with her inside. A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here. As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.
On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster
When Everleigh “Lee” Farrows’ fiancé, Roland, brings her to the Hamptons in the summer of 1957, she has no idea her life will soon change. As a young socialite, she lives her best glamorous life with Roland as he bestows on her a luxury beachside hotel on the prized Gin Lane. But when the hotel mysteriously burns down opening weekend, Lee’s “perfect life” of Bellinis and Manhattan social circles begins to unravel, leaving her no choice but to face her past traumas and discover who she really is.
Meant To Be by Emily Giffin
A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins, in this “glorious, satisfying” (Adriana Trigiani) new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted and The Lies That Bind.
The Handler by M.P. Woodward
A disgraced former CIA operative must go back in the field with only his ex-wife as his handler in this electrifying thriller from a former intelligence officer.
A Game of Retribution by Scarlet St. Clair
Hades, God of the Dead, does not take sides or bend the rules. He makes no exceptions to these values—not for God or mortal, not even for his lover, Persephone, Goddess of Spring.
Usually, fear prevents retaliation.
But not this time.
When Hera, Goddess of Women, approaches Hades with a plan to overthrow Zeus, he declines to offer help. As punishment, Hera sentences Hades to perform a series of labors. Each feat seems more impossible than the last and draws his attention away from Persephone—whose own tragedy has left her questioning whether she can be Queen of the Underworld.
Hades has been waiting for his Queen for generations. Now that he's found her, will he be able to keep her?
