Publication Day – Page 40

Happy Publication Day – 13 June 2024

Escape To The Country Kitchen By Hannah Langdon

When Juliet Carlisle returns home to her family’s gorgeous, crumbling manor house in the English countryside, she doesn’t expect to stay long. But she’s intrigued by the new cookery school being launched on the grounds… that is, until she meets the guy who’s been hired to run it. Though undeniably handsome, disgraced celebrity chef Léo Brodeur immediately strikes Juliet as bossy and rude.

Juliet has enough troubles in her life without adding a snooty French chef to the mix. Her ex won’t leave her alone, her sisters are struggling, and their beloved home is literally falling down around them. Still, she promises to help make the school – their last hope – a success… as long as she doesn’t have to be nice to Léo.

But working shoulder to shoulder in the kitchen as the sun sets behind them, Juliet finds it difficult to remain frosty. Surrounded by the warm scents of baking croissants, fresh garden thyme, and Léo’s peppery cologne, she begins to see a side to the chef – patient, thoughtful and funny – that she never noticed before.

Just as her heart begins to thaw, Juliet discovers what really happened back in France, leaving her not knowing who or what to believe. Should she run away, or fight for the chance of happiness she’s found at Feywood? Or will old wounds and Léo’s mysterious past doom their blossoming kitchen romance for good?

One Of A Kind By Jane Lovering

A long-held secret, and a beautiful heart hoping to be understood.

Cressida Tarbet loves her job at an animal rescue centre, even if it means she’s resigned herself to scrimping to make ends meet – a lifestyle far removed from her best friend Ivo’s, in his ancestral gatehouse stuffed with antiques and art.

But although their upbringings were different, Ivo has held Cress’s heart ever since she clapped eyes on him at university. The trouble is – she has never told him. So, when a mystery and a baffling crime throw Cress and Ivo together, she can’t help but wonder if fate is telling her something.

As the puzzle takes them from beautiful Yorkshire, to the stunning Isle of Wight, the pair get closer. Ivo begins to understand the cause of Cress’s risk-aversion and she puts her irritation at his brilliant mind to one side as she starts to appreciate Ivo’s uniqueness. But then the unthinkable happens and their worlds are turned upside down, and Cress has to wonder if fate was calling after all…

Happy Publication Day – 12 June 2024

Such A Good Family By Caitlin Weaver

An unforgettable and emotionally charged story of two mothers whose lives are changed forever by a devastating accusation – and how far they’ll go to protect those they love.

I was so happy when my son, Knox, began dating my best friend’s daughter. Our kids grew up together and we used to joke, as we sipped wine and watched them play, that they’d get married one day. But when Knox came home late after a party, zipping his hoodie up to hide the scratches I caught a glimpse of on his collarbone, a chill went down my spine.

That night, our whole world shattered. Now, I hardly recognize my husband as he sweeps into action, calling in a hot-shot lawyer to defend our boy.

I love my son, but what if I don’t know him at all? It turns out, everything I thought I knew about my perfect family is a lie. And I’m about to discover just what I’ll do to stop it from falling apart.

Happy Publication Day – 11 June 2024

The False Flat By Melissa R.Collings

Penelope Auberge is at her breaking point. With an overbearing mother, a married boyfriend, and a boss who gives Pen’s high-profile finance clients to male colleagues, it feels like nothing she’s accomplished in her thirty-two years belongs to her.

Determined to build a life entirely her own, Pen moves from Minnesota to Tennessee to open a solo financial business. There, she meets siblings Deanna and Grant, who attempt to coax Pen out of her socially anxious shell. Hesitant to open up so she doesn’t get hurt (again), Pen is slow to develop a friendship with Deanna, and she’s determined to ignore her feelings for Grant, which is difficult given she’s joined his cycling group and a clear something begins blossoming between them.

Pen’s path in Nashville appears to be smoothing out, but she soon learns that packing up her past isn’t quite that easy. If she wants to start fresh, she’ll have to decide what she really wants—even if that means riding away from her old life for good.

The Riviera House Swap By Gillian Harvey

Nina has always played it safe. But when her divorce papers come through on her fortieth birthday she decides enough is enough.

She’s always chosen the sensible route, staying in her stable job and marrying her rather boring ex. In fact – she realises – she’s chosen security over excitement for years. Ever since she refused to elope with her first love: beautiful, poetic, thoughtful Pierre, the man she met aged 17, on her French exchange. The only man who ever made her heart race.

Maybe it’s time to take a few risks?

Impulsively she goes online and finds another kind of French exchange… a house-swap. She can’t imagine what French businessman Jean-Luc wants with her terraced home in rural England, but she can’t wait to stay in his beautiful, spacious, bougainvillea-strewn villa on the French riviera.

She’s not just there for the house though. She’s decided to find the love she missed all those years ago. But will Pierre still be the man of her dreams after all this time?

Happy Publication Day – 10 June 2024

It Had To Be You By Beth Moran

Growing up, sisters Libby and Nicky never knew who they’d find at breakfast.

Their parents fostered children of all ages, and although the girls loved playing their part in providing a safe haven, it meant that life was rarely peaceful.

Now as a single mother of two, Libby’s life is still anything but peaceful. In her work as an antenatal coach, as well as for the charity she and Nicky run for teenage mothers, Libby uses all the skills she learnt growing up surrounded by children. Her days are full, caring for her family, the mothers-to-be and the latest strays she has welcomed into her home. But in the dark of the lonely nights, Libby worries she’s falling apart at the seams.

One troubled boy and a reckless decision she made thirteen years ago still haunts her.

Two hearts that were broken, still not mended.

The time has come for Libby to look out for herself. As her family, friends and her community have known forever, Libby is one of a kind, and if she can just learn to love herself, she may be able to welcome back the love she let slip through her fingers.

Summer At Mount Joy By Ophelia London

In a family made almost entirely of successful overachievers, Roxy Elliott is the odd woman out. Yet she’s determined to save her family’s old, run-down ranch from being sold and razed to the ground and, in the process, to prove that she has more heart—and ambition—than her family expected. The only problem? In a town as small as Mount Joy, there’s just one guy who can help her with the ranch’s transformation…and he’s a complete pain in her backside.

Had he known firecracker Roxy Elliott would be his new boss, ex-soldier-turned-cowboy Josh Manning definitely would have taken a hard pass on the town’s new job. He has his own memories from the last time they were together, and he’s not about to let her off the hook a second time. But Josh will do anything to save his family home from foreclosure, even sell his soul to the last woman he ever would have wanted to be partners with. But Roxy Elliott might just surprise him yet…

At first, nothing goes according to plan. The pipes are all rusted, the hideous wallpaper is impossible to remove, and the front porch is one rotten board away from swallowing someone whole. Now the dude ranch is showing some serious potential for not only transforming the community, but both their lives, as well. But while Roxy Elliott is still the loveliest thing to ever cross paths with a grump like Josh, summer romances never last forever…and history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Happy Publication Day – 7 June 2024

The Love Hack By Sophie Ranald

She’s a rookie advice columnist. He’s her office crush. It’s about to get complicated…

Landing a new job as online agony uncle “Ask Adam” Lucy dishes out relationship tips to men. But when it comes to her own love life, she’d rather spend Friday nights curled up on her sofa with Netflix and her cat, Astro.

That is, until she meets Ross, her new co-worker who makes her snort with laughter at his silly jokes and sets off butterflies in her stomach when his hazel eyes meet hers over his laptop.

After her last work boyfriend broke her heart, Lucy swore she’d never fall for someone in the office again. And she’s just about to have two more good reasons not to.

An email has just landed in the “Ask Adam” inbox and Lucy is convinced it’s from Ross.

He’s most definitely not single.

As her advice column goes viral and her inbox overflows with problems, Lucy turns to her AI assistant for help decoding romantic troubles, including her own. Can her state-of-the-art cupid really help her navigate her feelings for Ross? Or will the truth behind “Ask Adam” turn her non-existent love life into a hot mess?

Happy Publication Day – 6 June 2024

The Island Love Song By Emma Cowell

Hydra, the picturesque Greek island, is a paradise for most, yet for sisters Ella and Georgia, it is a place where their darkest secrets dwell. And now the time has come for them to confront their past as they return to Greece to scatter their mother’s ashes.

Ella is haunted by a love song that was written for her by the man who broke her heart years earlier and she longs to find peace so she can move on with her life.

Georgia pretends everything in her life is perfect, but she is plagued with guilt. If what she’s kept hidden for decades was revealed, their family would never be the same again.

Bring Me Sunshine By Alex Brown

Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.

She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina’s lost love.

Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new?

Love In Provence By Jo Thomas

Del moved to the south of France three years ago and hasn’t looked back. She’s found new friends, new purpose, and new love with gorgeous Fabien.

But just as harvest on her little lavender farm is due to begin, Del gets some shocking news. With no time to dwell as she welcomes a new crew of lavender pickers, she unexpectedly waves goodbye to Fabien for the summer.

Usually cooking – the thing she loves best – would help soothe her troubles, but Del doesn’t remember how . . . And then chef Zacharie comes to town, dropping another bombshell!

Over one summer in Provence that’s full of surprises, friends old and new rally round. Can they complete the harvest and pull the community back together? And if Fabien returns, will Del finally get her happy-ever-after?

Love Signals By Melanie Summers

Allie Cammareri is about to get her revenge. It’s been twelve years coming, but she’s finally going to defeat the ex who stole her research then dumped her.

She’s in a race against him to finish the same big project, and there can only be one winner. All she needs is a few more weeks of working around the clock, and victory will be hers.

So when her boss announces she’s being pulled off the project to mentor a Hollywood A-lister who’s preparing for an upcoming movie role, Allie is devastated. She doesn’t care that it’s People’s Sexiest Man, Hudson Finch.

Allie refuses to let him get in her way, even if Hudson is the most distracting (and delicious-smelling) man on the planet. But between the close confines of her tiny office and a night stranded together in a secluded mountain cabin, her feelings for Hudson turn into something she never could’ve predicted.

She may be falling hard for him, but can Allie really find her happily ever after in his muscley arms?

The Grouchy One By Leslie North

They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But the guy that sells those diamonds?My worst enemy.It took me precisely 0.1 seconds to start hating Cameron O’Connor. I’m late to a job interview and it seems like kismet when a cab stops outside my apartment. Until the grumpiest, grouchiest, and most outrageously handsome suit-hole steals it.

Of course, I get to my interview and who is behind the desk?“You’re late. Couldn’t find a cab?”This infuriatingly beautiful man makes my blood boil.So I’m completely justified when I tell him all the ways his company is messing up their current PR disaster.I wouldn’t touch this job—or the brutally chiseled bossbeast—with a ten-foot pole.

Until he offers me a number with more zeros than a box of donuts.Now I’m working alongside the bosszilla.Trying to keep the snark level to somewhere between brazen defiance and outright mutiny.

If only he hadn’t hired that influencer to promote the company’s engagement rings. And if only she hadn’t announced that Cameron and I were hiding a secret romance. Now suddenly, our relationship is all anyone can talk about.

Except there’s zero romance—we hate each other. To sell the story, we have to go on fake dates and fake being in love. Only at some point, I don’t have to pretend anymore.And I start thinking Cameron isn’t faking either. There’s no way I’m falling for my bosshole. Right?

Happy Publication Day – 5 June 2024

Playing The Field By Becky Ward

When business student Lily’s local football club relocates to a city fifty miles away, she’s just as devastated as everyone else in her town. Determined to keep the community’s love of football alive, Lily, along with her dad and football coach sister, set up a brand-new club, Crawford United, with the dream of making it big.

When notorious professional player Ben Pryce shows up out of the blue to help coach their new team, everyone is shocked. Despite being a top Premier League striker, he’s been temporarily suspended from his team for an altercation with a fan. Ben’s here to revamp his image, and the attraction between him and Lily is as deep as it is instant.

But rule number one of Crawford United: strictly no mixing business with pleasure.

Despite his bad-boy reputation, Lily’s convinced there’s more to Ben than meets the eye. Embarking on a secret whirlwind romance, she soon finds out that this player has a heart of gold.

But will everyone else be convinced?

Happy Publication Day – 4 June 2024

The Scent Of Hours By Barbara O’Neal

Nikki Bridges has it good. An enviable home in an upscale neighborhood, a heavenly-scented hobby making personal-blend perfumes, a cherished daughter, and comfortable rituals with a husband she loves. How was she to know it would all blow up with her husband’s affair, a blindsiding divorce, and an identity crisis she never saw coming?

With little money, less work experience, and a modest apartment, Nikki is tentatively moving on. Along the way: a waitressing job, a bond with an empathetic group of friends, and reentering the dating game at fortysomething. Luring her out of her funk is Niraj, an ex-Londoner with twinkling eyes and a hint of cinnamon and ginger. For the first time in a long time, Nikki feels a warm summer flush—and with it, a spark of inspiration.

On a liberating quest for self-expression and the courage to follow a dream, Nikki is blending the pieces of a new life into a fragrance that is uniquely and passionately her own.

Happy Publication Day – 31 May 2024

Big Wild Love Adventure By Julianna Keyes

After being ditched at the altar, Emmy Shaw’s heart, like her dented food truck, is definitely not open for business. Deeply in debt to her parents and evicted from her apartment, she takes a friend’s drunken dare and fills out an application for a new dating-adventure reality show. She never expects to be chosen—or to get a chance at the show’s huge cash prize, which could put her life back on track.

But when she’s abandoned in the middle of the jungle two months later wearing only a bathing suit and a backpack, she questions if being on the show might be even worse than the #emmytrashtruck hate brigade she left back home. Then she meets her fellow cast members—including sexy, inscrutable Wes—and starts to reconsider, wondering if maybe money’s not all she stands to gain from this experience.

After a year of abysmal failures, this summer of cave treks, jungle hikes, impromptu talent shows, and a sexy flirtmance turns out to be just the thing to help Emmy rebuild her shattered confidence. She signed up for the show to hide from the mess her life had become, but this escape from reality might be just what she needs to find herself.

Happy Publication Day – 28 May 2024

Prickly Company By Kitty Johnson

Frances Mathews doesn’t get out much since her husband died, but that doesn’t stop her from jump-starting a campaign to create a hedgehog highway in Hilltop Place—feeding stations, holes at the bottoms of gates and fences, and wild garden areas for hibernation. To Frances’s delight, her neighbours are on board. Mostly.

There are Jess and Michael, whose marriage is cracking under the unanticipated strain of a recent adoption. And Ryan, a wounded war reporter struggling to connect with his son after a divorce and forced to return to an exasperating parental fold. Plus, a very forthright single mum new to the neighbourhood and an exceedingly proper couple not about to upend their picture-perfect garden for prickly nuisances.

As relationships—from the romantic to the nerve-racking—form and secrets are unearthed, Hilltop Place is threatened in ways that affect them all…unaware hedgehogs included. What Frances and her charitable neighbours soon discover about themselves and each other is hardly what any of them expected.

All’s Fair In Love and War By Virginia Heath

When former naval captain, Harry Kincaid, is left in the lurch with his flighty older sister’s three unruly children, he hasn’t a clue how to handle it. Desperate, and prepared to pay whatever it takes, he turns to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies for an emergency governess who can get his formerly ordered house running shipshape again.

After a strict and miserable upbringing, fledgling governess Georgie Rowe doesn’t believe that children should be seen and not heard. She believes that childhood should be filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery (. . . everything hers wasn’t). Thankfully, the three Pendleton children are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional approach. However, their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, is another matter entirely.

Georgie and Harry are soon butting heads over their differences, but as time passes, their attraction soon becomes undeniable and, after all, all’s fair in love and war . . .

My Heart Still Beats By Helen Hardt

Some days I can almost see the person I used to be. See the version of myself that felt joy, even passion. But she’s gone…just out of reach.

Life moves on for everyone else, though, and as my best friend’s maid-of-honor, I have a bachelorette party to plan—in Jamaica, no less. And that means working side by side with the best man: Benjamin Black.

Billionaire. Workaholic. Ultimate bachelor. The perfect catch for any woman—unless she’s lost her sense of self.

Apparently my body hasn’t gotten the memo. Because from the second we meet, something begins stirring, warming my blood.

And when our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.

He’s nothing like I thought. Every moment with him unshackles a little more of my fears, cracks another layer of ice.

But I should be afraid—and so should he. Because the past never lets go so easily.