A ​Woman of Substance

Karen White - After ​the Rain
From ​“one of the best new writers on the scene today” (The Huffington Post) comes the sequel to Falling Home, a novel set in the picaresque town of Walton, Georgia, where one woman is about to discover that the best journey is the one that brings you home.… Freelance photographer Suzanne Paris has been on her own since she was fourteen—and she has no intention of settling down, especially not in a tiny town like Walton, Georgia. She’s here to hide out for a little while, not to form connections. Her survival depends on her ability to slip in and out of people’s lives, on never staying in one place for too long. But no one in Walton plans on making things easy for Suzanne. For one thing, it’s a town where everyone knows everyone else—and they all seem intent on making Suzanne feel right at home. For another, Suzanne can’t help but feel drawn to this tight-knit community—or to the town’s mayor, Joe Warner, and his six kids. But Suzanne can’t afford to stick around, even if she’s finally found a place where she belongs. Because someone is looking for her—someone who won’t stop until her life is destroyed…

Aleatha Romig - Truth
Book ​#2 of the Consequences Series: Claire Nichols endured the CONSEQUENCES of Anthony Rawlings’ vendetta. When she first arrived to his home, her goal was survival. Through strength and compartmentalization Claire captivated her captor. Her resilience in the face of his rule threatened Anthony’s well developed plan. He thought he taught her to behave-but domination became desire and Claire taught Tony to love. Their passion and adoration in a world of opulence appeared perfect, yet the reality was a roller coaster of emotion. Claire’s world teetered on the edge of sanity as Antony monitored her every move. When given the opportunity to flee, Claire drove away—a fateful decision which began a well laid plan. Unbeknownst to either of them, there were others who saw past the perfect facade of Anthony Rawlings. There were others who saw the TRUTH. Conspiracy and unfulfilled promises result in an early prison release for Claire. Not just a release—a pardon. According to the law, her crime never happened! Will it be that easy? Faced with freedom from her past—can Claire seize it? Can she build a new life, mend her broken spirit, become the woman she once was, and seek her own revenge? Or is it all a game? And does the game master have different plans? How does Sophia Burke fit into the puzzle that is Tony and Claire? Will her presence affect the future of this well esteemed man? Can he dominate twice? Is that his goal? TRUTH continues the tumultuous saga of CONSEQUENCES,introduces new players, and uncovers more intrigue. Aleatha Romig skillfully weaves past transgressions through current deception to create a fervent world of obsessed desire. In this reality can an all-consuming relationship survive? When buried sins are discovered they threaten not only Tony and Claire’s future—but their very lives! Will the TRUTH be revealed in time?

Julie Garwood - Wired
A ​beautiful computer genius and a bad-boy FBI agent must collaborate—in more ways than one—in the sexy, suspenseful new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood. Allison Trent has always had a special talent for computers. When she’s not cleaning up after her troublemaker younger brother, Jason, she spends her days writing code and navigating the intricacies of the Internet. In fact, she’s working on a new program that will revolutionize the tech industry, and when she attends a prominent seminar, word begins to spread. FBI agent Liam Scott discovers how brilliant Allison is and wants her to help hunt down a cyber criminal he’s been after for two years. He invites her to tour the bureau’s state-of-the-art cybercenter in Boston. Once she arrives, he thinks he can convince her to join the team. But Allison doesn’t want to work for the government—until Liam makes an offer she can’t refuse: work for the FBI for one year, and they will expunge Jason’s illustrious criminal record. Allison tries to deny her growing attraction to Liam, but just before her year in the FBI is over, she discovers someone has stolen the computer program she developed. Now she needs Liam’s help in tracking down the thief. And as they begin to close in on the culprit, they also begin to give in to each other...

Mary Stewart - This ​Rough Magic
When ​Lucy Waring came to Corfu to visit her sister Phyllida Forli, she was elated to discover that the castello above their villa had been rented to Sir Julian Gale. A very minor cog in the London theatre, Lucy not unnaturally felt something close to reverence for Sir Julian, one of the brilliant lights of England's theatrical world. But any hope of meeting him was quickly dashed by Phyl, who indicated, with uncharacteristic vagueness, that not all was well with the great man and that his composer son, Max, discouraged visitors, particularly strangers . . . Lucy encounted Max Gale the first morning of her arrival—and a tempestuous meeting it was. For Lucy had made friends with an enchanting dolphin by whom she had first been thoroughly frightened then completely captivated. It was when she was sunning on the rocks above the cove that the shots came, and the only person in view was Max Gale . . . Thus begins a series of mystifying and thoroughly frightening events which tinge the otherwise sparkling setting of Corfu with the dark hues of violence. In every way This Rough Magic measures up to its predecessors—in spirited characterization, vivid description, glowing romance and unrelenting excitement. This is storytelling at its best. —jacket William Morrow edition, 1964

Sabaa Tahir - An ​Ember in the Ashes
Set ​in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told. LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution. ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself. Vow your blood and body to the empire. Keep your heart for yourself.

A. Meredith Walters - Reclaiming ​the Sand
Bully ​and victim. Tormenter and tormented. Villain and hero. Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable. Particularly Freaky Flynn. Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down. But then Flynn and Ellie grew up. And moved on. Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more. When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other. And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds. But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

Aleatha Romig - Convicted
Book ​#3 of the Consequences Series— There were still lessons to learn and consequences for the truth! When Claire Nichols met Anthony Rawlings, she didn’t know they had a past, or that he had plans for her future. Over time, the role of teacher changed—games became reality—and domination turned to desire. Despite an insurmountable history, Claire and Tony found their way back to one another. Just when they seemed to have it all—love, respect, and the promise of a family—the game master exposed the truth. Claire’s world once again spun out of control. Unwilling to allow her child to suffer the consequences of an old vendetta, Claire fled... At one time, Claire was held captive in an opulent mansion—then her incarceration was a cell inside a state penitentiary. Was her new prison—a tropical island—truly less lonely? Perhaps that was the game master’s plan, all along? Who will save Claire from her oldest nightmare and her newest reality? Will it be Tony? Can he forgive her for leaving him—again? Harry? Will he utilize previously unknown connections to save the woman who infiltrates his thoughts? Maybe Phil? Will his devotion in keeping Claire and her child safe be rewarded? As the cards are played—sins of the past, innocent victims, and truths are revealed. With compartmentalization no longer an option, is the reality too much? Could there be an even worse isolation? With the game master dealing from a stacked deck, can this new high-stakes game possibly be won? When it’s all over and their cards are on the table—SOME will discover their bets were too high—they have nothing left to lose—ALL will learn the crucial lesson—the most important rule—there are CONSEQUENCES for the TRUTH!

Jamie McGuire - Apolonia
“They ​killed me, but I survived.” Three years after Rory Riordan foiled her own murder, she still trusts no one. Not Dr. Z, the eccentric college professor who has taken her under his wing, not Benji, the endearing, attractive classmate who insists on following her around, and certainly not Cy, the beautifully dark and mysterious boy who sits on the first row in Dr. Z’s Astrobiology class and asks far too many questions. When Rory witnesses Cy being abducted by soldiers in the middle of the night, she finds herself submersed in a world that holds even more secrets than she could imagine--even darker secrets than her own.

Kat Martin - Deep ​Blue
For ​reporter Hope Sinclair, writing about the recovery of a sunken Spanish treasure off Pleasure Island should be her big break. Yet Hope can't help feeling she's been hand-picked for this job for all the wrong reasons. Someone wants Hope out of New York - and off a story that could blow a corruption case wide open. But if they think sending her to paradise will shut her up, they've got another thing coming. Treasure hunter and former Navy SEAL Conner Reese isn't happy to have Hope along for the ride. He doesn't need the publicity, nor does he want a gorgeous red head driving his crew - and himself - to distraction. But there's something else. Conner can sense extreme danger, and danger is following Hope Sinclair very, very closely.

Katharine McMahon - After ​Mary
A ​love story set in turbulent seventeenth-century England. * This is the story of Isabel Stanhope, the daughter of a seventeenth-century English Catholic family, who becomes involved with the dangerous political and religious factions of the day. * Katharine McMahon writes about the real lives of women from the past. * Strong narrative, vividly-drawn characters and a historical setting. * Based in part on the true story of Mary Ward, one of the seventeenth century's most adventurous, infuriating and inspirational women. Mary Ward was a woman in constant battle with authority, and her determination to establish a female Jesuit order led her into great danger.

Kat Martin - Desert ​Heat
For ​Patience Sinclair, leaving the ivy-covered halls of Boston for the wide, open spaces of Texas means a chance to stop looking over her shoulder at every turn. Travelling incognito with the Triple C Rodeo is just what she needs to free her from a past that continues to haunt her. But she can't avoid the undeniable presence of Dallas Kingman. The champion rider has a way of letting her know he's watching her every move that makes her feel wild and reckless. As they make their way through the heart of the southwest, a series of mysterious accidents darkens the promise of the unknown into a vortex of fear and obsession, and Patience finds herself closer to danger than she could have ever imagined...

Kat Martin - Hot ​Rain
Allie ​Parker knows her best friend's death was no accident, but her quest to find the truth soon puts her in the wrong place - at the worst possible time...An unwilling passenger on a boat carrying deadly cargo and dangerous men, her only ally is mysterious Jake Dawson, who warns her that she must play the role of his reluctant bedmate...if she wants to stay alive. Under any other circumstances, she'd welcome the attentions of a man with Jake's powerful body and seductive deep blue eyes. But as Allie places her body - and her trust - in the hands of a total stranger, she wonders if this desperate gamble will be her last...

Amanda Stone - Breathe ​Into Me
Eighteen ​year-old Kelsey Rien is more than ready to leave her past behind her. Wanting nothing more than to walk into a room without everyone knowing the horrific details of an event that changed her life six years ago, she vows to concentrate on school and make something of herself. But then she meets Kane Riley - the local bad boy. Kane's reputation is far from perfect, but is there more to him than what everyone else sees? Kelsey soon learns that you can’t run from your past, no matter how hard you try. When her nightmares find her once again, Kelsey must find the courage to face the demons that have been haunting her and save the people she loves most

Kristen Proby - Breathe ​with Me
Sometimes ​you meet the right person at the wrong time… Mark Williams has loved Meredith since he was seventeen. A successful man with a strong family, he’s worked hard to move on from Meredith breaking his heart all those years ago. When his path crosses with the only woman he’s ever loved again years later, Mark knows there is nothing he won’t do to keep her in his life. But when the going gets tough, will Meredith stick around or will he lose her again? …But true love has a way of finding its way back. Meredith Summers is a dancer. One of the first things she learned in following her dreams is that timing is everything. She has spent the past ten years following her dream touring with mega-stars while trying to forget the high school sweetheart she left behind. Now she’s back in Seattle, running a successful dance studio with her best friend Jax and determined to move on from her gypsy past. Until the day she sees Mark Williams and time stands still. It’s as if no time has passed at all when Meredith finds herself in Mark’s arms again. The chemistry, the bonds and the love are as strong as ever and hearing Mark whisper breathe with me in her ear is a balm to her wounded soul. But will she grab onto this second chance at love, or is the timing all wrong for them again? Don't miss catching up with the Montgomery and Williams clans in this latest installment of the With Me In Seattle Series from New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Proby. “There were days that I would have exchanged a year of my life to just touch you one more time.” –Mark Williams

Abby Clements - Amelia ​Grey's Fireside Dream
Amelia ​has a dream: toasting chestnuts by the fire with her husband Jack in their own cosy cottage. Their real life is another world - a cramped one-bedroom flat in Hackney. But when life takes a surprising turn, removal vans are soon heading to the Kent countryside. They soon realise the cottage makeover is a far bigger project than they'd anticipated. On top of that, there's Amelia's newly loved-up mum and her tearaway half-sister, Mirabel, to contend with - pushing Amelia and Jack's marriage to breaking point. Amelia begins to strip back the wallpaper and fittings in the cottage and discovers the story of the cottage's previous owner - and a hidden secret. As Amelia's ideas about love and family change, will her fireside dream finally come true?

Emily Hemmer - Wynn ​In Doubt
The ​memory of a stolen kiss ten years ago stirs up an adventure eighty years in the making. Wynn Jeffries has wanderlust. Unfortunately, her life stalled somewhere between graduating college and slinging drinks at the local dive bar. Stuck in a one-room apartment with no career, no boyfriend, no…life, she dreams of something more. Something amazing. Something like Oliver Reeve’s, her high school crush, whose back in town and reminding Wynn of the way she used to want things. When a forgotten news-clipping about two prohibition moonshiners falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life she gave up everything to have it? The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?

Lora Leigh - Black ​Jack
The ​Secret Service can’t control him. The British government can’t silence him. But renegade agent Travis Caine is one loose cannon you don’t want to mess with, so his commanders cut him a break—and cut him loose. His new HQ is America’s top intelligence force, Elite Ops. His new code name is “Black Jack.” And his new assignment is to die for. She’s smart, sexy, scintillating—and one of Elite Ops’ savviest agents. Lillian Belle’s code name is “Night Hawk,” and Travis certainly wouldn’t mind flying a few midnight maneuvers with her. But when their mission turns into a red-hot game of danger, deceit, and double-crossed signals, Travis begins to wonder: Can he trust her? Can he resist her?

Cameron Jace - Blood, ​Milk & Chocolate
After ​the last Dreamory, Fable, Axel and Shew want to learn more about the Lost Seven, and how the Huntsman fell in love with Snow White; an exploration that will lead to dire consequences. Meanwhile, Carmilla Karnstein's diary falls into the hands of Lucy Rumpelstein, who is desperate to learn about the Queen's mystery and how she came to be who she is now; a truth the should have better been left untold. Who is the Queen of Sorrow, and how did she turn into a cold-blooded monster longing for her own daughter's heart? When and how did the Huntsman fall in love with Snow White? Is there such a thing as True Love?

Fiona Walker - Lucy ​Talk
Meet ​Lucy Gordon, the sweet, scatty, irresistible heroine of Fiona Walker's delicious new novel. Lucy lives in a village with her two friends, Jane and Bella, and works in the marketing department of Widgetex Computers. Her boss—Slave Driver—is a constant bane; her family are lovable eccentrics; and her boyfriend, the dishy but fickle Greg, takes shameless advantage of her (Lucy is too good hearted to notice). Throughout two action-packed, fun-filled, disaster-strewn years, Lucy charts an erratic course among this motley crew to her very own happy ending.

Stacy Kramer - Valerie Thomas - From ​What I Remember
KYLIE: ​Tijuana WHAT? I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY, and is this a wedding band on my finger. MAX: It all started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics. Okay, it was kind of hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded in Tijuana. With less than twenty-four hours before graduation. Awesome. WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border -- but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started. LILY: I just walked in on my boyfriend, Max Langston, canoodling with Kylie Flores, freak of the century. Still, I can't completely hold it against him. He NEEDS me. It's even clearer now. And I'm not giving him up without a fight.