Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1) – Lucy Parker

Published: 17th August 2021

Source: Purchased

Genre: Contemporary romance,

My Rating:

Ready.

Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers and a princess.

Set

Dominic is His Majesty the King's favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He's brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can't stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.

Match

When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they're both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie's quirky style. The palace wants Dominic's classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?

Battle Royal was one of my most anticipated reads in 2021 but the world had gone to shit (seriously, why is it you think it's as bad as it'll get and then it gets worse?). I spent a lot of last year and the year before in a reading slump and in the end, I didn't read this, or any of my other most anticipated reads, until long after their release. I was also absent from blogging so I didn't really see the reviews that came out for Battle Royal before I read it. I vaguely remember seeing people talk about it but the reviews didn't stick in my mind so I essentially got to go into this book blind just knowing there were cakes involved and it was written by one of my favourite authors, Lucy Parker. I’m glad I did it like that because I really went in with no expectations and just with the knowledge I’m reading something new from an author I know.

I know this was her first book with a different publisher and one thing which immediately stood out is there was a slightly different vibe to this book than the London Celebrities books. It was still obviously a Lucy Parker book but I think the steaminess levels were lower and it almost felt like this book should have been a spin off of the London Celebrities world but wasn’t. I weirdly expected to have one of her previous characters pop up but they never did, I did finish the book questioning if it had originally been planned to be a spin off but it really didn’t matter, just an idle thought on my part. Even though there was a slightly different feel to her previous books, it felt a bit tamer but it was still brilliant. You still got the same sass and banter between characters and one thing I always appreciate is that you are given a full cast of characters, even the secondary characters stand out and shine and no one fell flat. I definitely want to read more set in this cake baking version of London and cannot wait for the next book whenever that might be.

Anyway, I loved the idea of this book. Dominic was a judge on a baking show, a sort of far more shabby Great British Bake Off style show, and Sylvie was a former competitor on the show. They were opposites in so many ways, but especially in their banking style. Dominic was minimalist and classic with his cakes whilst Sylvie threw all the glitter and colour at her bakes and they sounded fabulous. Since being on the show Sylvie had established herself with her own store, opposite Dominic’s, but what she really needed was the contract for the cake for the upcoming royal wedding to really solidify her place in the baking world and continue to draw customers. The two were in competition straight away and I loved it. Then Sylvie gets to be a judge on the show she was previously a part of, I’m always a fan of characters being forced to spend more time together. There was a perfect balance of banter and competition to grab your attention and it made me genuinely believe they were falling for each other.

The big thing which worried me was that the royal family was featured as part of the story as I hate seeing royals in my romance (apart from Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals), thankfully they were only secondary characters and they were well written but it was the biggest turn off for me here. Surprisingly, I ended up being really intrigued by the dynamic in the royal household and loved how the princess was a total rebel against the royal traditions. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them.

The biggest drawback is I wanted more of the romance. As I said, much less steamy than her London Celebrities series, which isn’t exactly sex on every page, and I felt like we were focusing on the side plots a lot rather than Sylvie and Dominic falling for one another. It was there and you got romance but I suppose that was the big thing I noticed and wished for more of. I’ll still end up rereading this one again… but maybe not as many times as I’ve read Pretty Face or Act Like It.

If, like me, you are a massive fan of baking shows, then this romance will definitely cause a few smiles and have you debating baking something delicious. Just prepare yourself for a slightly tamer romance which focuses a little more on other things than just the couple. It was brilliant and I really enjoyed it and I know there are more good things to come.

Have you read this book already, what did you think? And please tell me your favourite cake because writing this review made me rather peckish, I don’t even talk about cake and the book reminds me of it.

I may have been going through a blogging and reading slump but I read some good books before my slump and a few good ones during which sadly didn’t quite shift it. As such I have review back logs! I know, unheard of. Now, some of these reviews are older than others. Also, some books are fresher in my mind than others so we'll see how this goes.

Also, does anyone else forget what they have and haven't reviewed? I know I've not been blogging for a while but I had to go through and check my posts as I couldn't remember if I'd reviewed something before The Big Slump and simply forgotten about t. Book amnesia turns into blogging amnesia?

Meet Cute Club – Jack Harbon

Published: 5th May 2020

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT+

My Rating:

Jordan Collins doesn’t need a man.

What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”

The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.

As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.

Swoon.

Meet Cute Club was such an adorable read. I knew it was gonna be cute from the cover. I mean it's in the name! But it still surprised me how enjoyable it was. I ended up reading it in one evening! This was partially because it wasn't the longest book but also because I wanted Jordan to get his happily ever after. I was invested!

I will say I think if I'd have stopped reading and finished the next day (which would have been sensible as the next day I was like a zombie and had a video call with my friends) I might have found it a little cavity inducing to come back to. It was borderline too much but honestly, at the moment I read it it was perfect. And I enjoyed it. I can't say a bad word against it really, it being too cute? That's not a bad thing but very much mood thing on my part.

Jordan was an organised individual who liked to escape into romance during his free time. He loved the romance between the characters and sensibly acknowledged they were empowering. I think he also liked there were set rules for a romance and they always ended with a HEA (or happy for now ending as any decent romance should). And Rex was the douche at the bookstore who teased him about his purchases. Jordan gave him some sass back and thought that was the end of that but Rex's interest was piqued. He wanted to know what was so good about romance it had Jordan all wound up and ready to fight him on it? And that was how he read his first romance and joined the book club Jordan ran.

I loved the spark between these two. Jordan needed that teasing from Rex to keep him on his toes and Rex needed Jordan to show him how romance worked and prove that he can stay and be loved.

This wasn't too drama filled. And really when I think about it there wasn't that much story. There was the romance plot and then there was an exploration of Jordan trying to build up the book club and pursuing a new career. There was also a little Rex family drama. But I liked that the plot wasn't too heavy, it made this a great soft read to lose myself in. The cover should show it all, this a soft book... But don't let that fool you into thinking it's not good.

I haven't read that many M/M romances, but I hadn't realised I'd not read many F/F romances either. I definitely need to expand my reading. What was interesting is this was a romance written by a man, I don't read many male authors as it is but it was interesting to have romance from a male perspective.

40-Love (There's Something About Marysburg #2) – Olivia Dade

Published: 18th June 2020

Source: Author

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

My Rating:

This match is no game.

When a rogue wave strips Tess Dunn of her bikini top, desperate, half-naked times call for desperate, please-cover-me-kids-are-coming-closer measures. Enter Lucas Karlsson, AKA that flirty Swede in the water nearby. When he prevents her bare buoys from being exposed to fellow vacationers, even an ocean can’t drown the sparks that fly.

Lucas, a former top-level tennis pro now giving lessons at the resort, fled there after the abrupt, painful end to his injury-plagued career. But he’s finally ready to move on with his life—and after a few late-night, hands-on sessions with Tess, he’s eager to prove he’s the ace she wants.

But this match comes with challenges: She’s forty, and at twenty-six, he’s barely old enough to rent a car. Worse, they only have two weeks together before Tess returns to her assistant-principal life in Virginia. During that brief time, they’ll have to play hard, take a few risks, and find out whether their chemistry is a one-shot wonder…or whether they’re meant to be doubles partners for life.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Who doesn't love an age gap romance? And with the woman being older? Even better!

I always enjoy books from Olivia Dade, she just sweeps me up in her romances. I mean Teach Me? Still a favourite of mine. So it was great to see Marysburg again, even at a distance since this was all set in Florida while Tess was on vacation.

It was safe to say I loved every moment of this book. I mean, it began with boob jokes and puns and just carried on making me smile. I loved how Tess was so fine in her body and with herself. She was turning 40 and she was overweight but she was cool with that. I mean, when it came to her weight she acknowledged this may have led to her knee pain, but she was happier eating whatever and not having time to exercise rather than being miserable and thinner. She could still play a decent game of tennis so it’s not like she was unfit. I loved that message of being chill with yourself and prioritising your happiness and weight not being the be all and end of all of who you are.

Anyway, I loved Tess and she was even better when she was with Lucas flirting. I liked Lucas from the start, yes he had a dude-bro persona he projected but I could tell he was a genuinely good guy. He always let Tess set the pace but made his intentions known and he always checked in with her when he thought he was putting too much stress on her. Yes, he did learn to show more of himself, he had issues with not speaking enough about himself. But he knew his mind and what he wanted and I admired that, I didn’t have that kind of knowledge at his age… still don’t. I also liked that, for him, age was never an issue. He started his career young. He had to grow up at a young age and so yes he was younger than Tess but he is far more mature than many.

I liked that the age difference was always Tess’s issue and never Lucas’s. In fact, he fought her on it and it was a central issue Tess had to overcome in the book.

Basically, this was aces and you should all go out and buy. You’ll also really want to start playing tennis after reading (except, tennis looks hard so maybe not). It also made me want to rewatch the film Wimbledon, only for tennis related reasons obviously.

Finding Joy – Adriana Herrera

Published: 22nd June 2020

Source: Author

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+

My Rating:

As his twenty-sixth birthday approaches, Desta Joy Walker finds himself in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the one place he's been actively avoiding most of his life. For Desta, the East African capital encompasses some of the happiest and saddest parts of his life--his first home and the place where his father died. When an unavoidable work obligation lands him there for twelve weeks, he may finally have a chance for the closure he so desperately needs. What Desta never expected was to catch a glimpse of his future as he reconnects with the beautiful country and his family's past.

Elias Fikru has never met an opportunity he hasn't seized. Except, of course, for the life-changing one he's stubbornly ignored for the past nine months. He'd be a fool not to accept the chance to pursue his doctoral studies in the U.S., but saying yes means leaving his homeland, and Elias isn't ready to make that commitment.

Meeting Desta, the Dominican-American emergency relief worker with the easy smile and sad eyes, makes Elias want things he's never envisioned for himself. Rediscovering his country through Desta's eyes emboldens Elias to reach for a future where he can be open about every part of himself. But when something threatens the future that's within their grasp, Elias and Desta must put it all on the line for love.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Finding Joy was my first book from Adriana Herrera but it won't be my last. It was just so beautiful. I was in such a reading funk when I started, both because I'd just finished 40-Love (which was fantastic) but also my head just wasn't there with life stuff really getting me down and stopping me from wanting to read. Thankfully, I started reading this all the same and it honestly was perfect. I needed to read this to both put my real life problems into perspective but also because this romance was beautiful.

Desta was a little lost before he arrived in Addis Ababa. He had come out of a 2-year relationship he had put all of the work into only to find his boyfriend never viewed him as anything more than someone to sleep with. This was also the first time he had come to Ethiopia since he was young. The country his father had in fact died. It was a country of his childhood even though his memories of that country were fuzzy at best. And it was also a place where he intended to make some life choices about what was next. I'm so glad he went there because then we got to meet Elias. Let me tell you I was swooning as hard as Desta was for him and I loved their friendship which slowly developed before they ever admitted their feelings. I didn't realise that homosexuality was illegal there and the tension which built between them because they had to keep their feelings on the DL was brilliant.

This book was an excellent romance (although Desta needed some strong words spoken to him when he was messing Elias about because he did not deserve the cold shoulder) but it was also a celebration of such a wonderful country. When I read the author's note at the end I smiled because I could already tell there was a strong love for Ethiopia, you could feel it in how it was written, but I was so pleased to see that was because Herrera herself had such a strong love for it from her own experiences there. This was not an impulsive setting but instead a celebration of a brilliant country and the people there but also a chance to show we shouldn't be those ex-pats assuming the saviour role but instead be celebrating the loud and proud voices of those who live there.

***

And there are my reviews, anyone else read any of these? Do you have a favourite or have I introduced you to something new to read?

Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) - Lyssa Kay Adams

Published: 10th March 2020

Source: Netgalley & Purchased

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 

The first rule of book club:
You don't talk about book club.

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he'll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville's hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she'll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv's blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He'll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they're reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they're just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv's heart...even though she's determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a standalone review. And I feel like the pressure is on since I’ll be talking about just one book. Really need to make sure this review is good. Also, this is the first post I'm editing on the new Blogger's updated post editor so this is a true test of if it's any good. 

Where to begin with this one? I have to say, I was impressed at how much story was packed into a book which felt like it flew by when I was reading. It doesn’t feel long and honestly, as I was reading I kept thinking to myself ‘just one more chapter’. It was definitely an easy read.

This one focuses on Mack and Liv and I had some reservations about that. I liked Mack in the first book. he was charming, a smooth talker, and he seemed fun. He was always going to be easy to like (even if he occasionally felt a little too slick and a little superficial) but Liv? I kind of hated her. I mean, she was kind of the worst in the first book. So unsupportive of Thea and Gavin and so very against Thea even speaking to Gavin. Even if they hadn’t gotten back together in that book the couple would have always had to interact as they had two children to think about and Liv seemed to be against any interaction. It was rather upsetting considering Liv and Thea grew up with parents who weren’t together, they knew the strain that puts on kids. But anyway, I digress, the point was I didn’t like Liv and was not all that happy to see her here. Thankfully, once you get to see things from Liv’s perspective, it’s far easier to like her. I mean, she still needed calling out on her shit (often) but it helped to hear her own thoughts to explain some of her negative nelly attitude, you know?

Liv was always the difficult one to like and it was still true when she got her own book. I didn’t always understand her. She refused help from anyone but expected others to accept her help. And when I say help I mean her forced assistance and shoving her nose into other people’s business. That’s not a bad thing, she was calling out sexual harassment in the workplace, but she went in full bull in a china shop with everything she did. She didn’t think at all and she frequently opened her mouth without ever engaging her brain. She was called out on a lot of her comments. From the casually sexist comment, we all make like 'man up' and 'don’t be a girl' to the comments which were basically victim-blaming when it came to speaking to someone who was a victim of sexual assault. I mean, she just didn’t think things through at all. It was all kinds of frustrating and although I loved her romance with Mack and the growth she had through this book, she was still not going to be my absolute favourite character ever.

Thankfully, Liv was balanced out with a man who was all about the charm. A smooth-talking nightclub owner who was a fan of romance books. What’s not to like about Mack? I was excited to meet him because he really was easy to like and didn’t he just know it. But, as some of the women he dated said, it did often feel like he was putting on an act and when we got to know him more and past! Hot damn, did I understand why he was always putting on a show, he had a lot of things he was carrying around with him. Scars from his past and his family that meant he didn’t want to allow anyone too close. But still, I liked him best when he wasn’t trying to follow the romantic guidance of a romance novel or trying to find the perfect line for Liv. But when he acted on impulse and allowed his emotions to take over.

Liv and Mack together? They were great. Mack was all pretence and outward appearances whilst Liv was kind of what you see is what you get. She was blunt and straight to the point (most of the time). I liked to see these opposites get together.

And the best part? The feminism throughout every page. I mean, I knew it was a winner when the book opened with our little book club making their first trip to an actual book shop rather than ordering their romance online because they wanted to tackle the whole concept of toxic masculinity and any shame they might feel in walking into a bookshop to purchase romance for themselves. It was even better when they were despairing at the woeful romance selection with a single small section dedicated to romance. These men need to come to the UK where you will fail to find any romance section in pretty much any bookshop. I can't talk for independent ones of course, but big book chains like Waterstones and Foyles? Yep, you aren't finding a romance shelf. Might as well go home now. But I digress, basically, I loved the fun lighthearted opening of these men complaining that there isn't more romance. I loved that these small moments of the guys talking openly about how toxic masculinity and patriarchal concepts are the very same things holding women back. When Hop lamented the fact he could no longer make jokes about women as if it was political correctness gone made yet said he hoped to have a female president in his lifetime was great because when the guys came back at him and said that those jokes might be the very reason there hasn't been a female president. I was practically cheering because Adams so easily put into words concepts I struggle to explain to others. And she does it so well throughout the book. 

The story was good as well. I kind of don't want to spoil too much because I actually went into this one totally blind and probably enjoyed it more for it, but the story was good. I was never bored by any of the plot development. I didn't find anything too farfetched or skim through a part of the story. I was just swept along the whole way laughing and just plain old enjoyed myself. This was just so damn enjoyable. I cannot stress it enough how much fun this was to read. I mean, I'm smiling writing the review. How can I be smiling writing a review of a book? 

I'm sure I've not done this book justice here, I always hate putting into words the ways in which a book has gone right but honestly, give this book a go and you'll see what I mean.

Have you read this already, did you enjoy it as much as I did?

1. I actually read a few books this year I want to chat about and it’ll be quicker doing it this way.
2. I didn’t write notes for most of the books I want to review so it’ll be easier to have short reviews of the highlights than long reviews because I’ve forgotten all the details (this is where I need to apologise for being vague but I forgot stuff, ok).

If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.

The first rule of book club: You don't talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

From the author of Letters to the Lost comes a heart-wrenching story of two teens with big secrets and a love that could set them free.

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.

From award-winning Jenn Bennett comes a swoon-worthy story with a compelling mystery at its heart

Raised in isolation and home-schooled by her strict grandparents, the only experience Birdie has had of the outside world is through her favourite crime books. But everything changes when she takes a summer job working the night shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

There she meets Daniel Aoki, the hotel’s charismatic driver, and together they stumble upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—is secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell, and in doing so, realize that the most confounding mystery of all may just be her growing feelings for Daniel.

She’s beautiful, rich, and reckless…

When Lady Constance Stonewell accidentally ruins the Earl of Apthorp’s entire future with her gossip column, she does what any honorable young lady must: offer her hand in marriage. Or, at the very least, stage a whirlwind fake engagement to repair his reputation. Never mind that it means spending a month with the dullest man in England. Or the fact that he disapproves of everything she holds dear.

He’s supposedly the most boring politician in the House of Lords...

Julian Haywood, the Earl of Apthorp, is on the cusp of finally proving himself to be the man he’s always wanted to be when his future is destroyed in a single afternoon. When the woman he’s secretly in love confesses she’s at fault, it isn’t just his life that is shattered: it’s his heart.

They have a month to clear his name and convince society they are madly in love…

But when Constance discovers her faux-intended is decidedly more than meets the eye—not to mention adept at shocking forms of wickedness—she finds herself falling for him.

There’s only one problem: he can’t forgive her for breaking his heart.

Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter.

Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye.

Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can't resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes Shelter in Place—a powerful tale of heart, heroism . . . and propulsive suspense.

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at video game store tended to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies' room, helplessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

It's been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.

Liv Arias thought she'd never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs…

Liv's words cut off as Finn got closer. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she'd known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.

One woman is in a world of otherworldly trouble—and she’s going to have to bet her life to save humankind.

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has put her dreams aside to look after her eccentric mother. Case in point: saving her from a mysterious stranger who’s just stormed the terrified woman’s antique store wearing a rattlesnake tattoo, leveling threats, and brandishing the weirdest deck of cards Ernie’s ever seen.

When Ernie grabs some of the cards and runs, she’s launched into a world she never knew existed—one her mother may know more about than she’s revealing. With a handful of stolen cards, Ernie has just been made an unwilling player in a game of good versus evil. But she’s not even playing with a full deck, and its original owner is more than happy to kill to get his cards back.

Suddenly Ernie’s matching wits and plays with the supernatural Immortal Dealers, who can raise empires, damn souls, and shape the world’s destiny. It’s up to Ernie to defeat the most brutal member of their order. And if her roguish new ally isn’t bluffing, he can help. The mystery is all in the cards, and to save her life—and humanity—Ernie had better learn how to deal.

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