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Lighthouse Cottage (A Pajaro Bay Novel) (affiliate link)
Sheltered heiress Lori York runs away to the isolated island lighthouse at Pajaro Bay. But when a mysterious man washes ashore during a winter storm, she has to figure out just what he’s hiding before they both end up as shark bait.
Matt DiPietro is the hometown boy gone bad. He’s brought shame to his family, and his childhood friends know he can’t be trusted. Now he’s returned to Pajaro Bay, and as always, disaster follows in his wake. But when the new girl in town finds out the truth about him, will she give up on him like everyone else, or can she possibly help him find his way back home at last?
Limoncello Yellow: A Private Investigator Comedy Mystery (Franki Amato Mysteries Book 1) (affiliate link)
A to Z Canning and Preserving for Total Beginners (affiliate link)
Preserving food to last through the cold months or packaging or bottling it to travel long distances has long been a concern. Napoleon stated, “An army travels on its stomach.” He was referring to the problems involved with transporting sufficient food to keep his men fed. The Napoleonic soldiers were often hungry, thanks to the difficulty of transporting fresh food. Just to show that he was serious about solving this problem, he offered a reward of 12,000 francs to anyone who could come up with a solution.
The award was given to Nicholas Appert in 1810. After trying a variety of methods – including attempting to remove air from his glass jars – he devised a method that worked. The food was placed in a glass bottle, then corked and sealed with wax. The glass bottles were then wrapped in canvas, and boiled in water. The result was bottled foodstuffs that could be transported, even though the jars were breakable. Appert published a book titled, The Art of Preserving Animal and Vegetable Substances.
A young duke takes a wife, a practical match, with neither suspecting that a lasting legacy of love is in their future…
Gregory Dinard, a young and inexperienced duke, finds himself in need of a companion to help him navigate the intricacies of his new role. Uncertain of his abilities and unwilling to take a chance at love, he looks for a marriage of mutual benefit rather than a match of mutual affection.
A woman of grace and intelligence, Lady Cecilia never expects to catch a duke’s eye. Despite her surprise, she agrees to the arrangement when the duke proposes an alliance with her, knowing it would allow her the freedom and opportunity to explore her love of architecture.
Sweet temptation. Wicked fantasies. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Gemma Davis
I’m moving forward with my summer plans: Mission Promiscuous. Tired of being single and frustrated, it’s time I take charge of my pleasure. I’m on the hunt for some fun on two strong legs, when my dark-haired, blue-eyed fantasy man walks right out of my wet dreams. Mission accepted; I will do whatever it takes to lure him into my arms.
Elijah Adler
I’m a very busy man. As the CEO of my real estate development company, I’m married to my job. My commitment and drive to be the best leaves little time for unplanned…distractions. But when Gemma dances into my life, I begin to wonder if maybe it’s time to make an exception to my rule.
In Mapleton, love takes a village…
Julia Derks loves the small town of Mapleton where she grew up and launched her business, On Deck Café. What Julia doesn’t love is change. So when a smooth-talking stranger arrives with plans to develop the site of Mapleton’s cherished, shuttered paper mill, she doesn’t even try to hide her contempt. First impressions aren’t everything, though…
Samson Baker has never put down roots. He charms people wherever his development firm sends him, and he’s dealt with his share of pushback from communities unable to recognize the value of growth and change. Mapleton is no different. There’s just one problem, and her name is Julia.
As Samson and Julia’s worlds collide, sparks as bright as Mapleton’s Fourth of July Festival fireworks fly—until a damaging secret threatens both their brewing relationship and their livelihoods. With everything they’ve worked for on the line, can Julia and Samson reconcile their differences, save the café, and have a shot at happily ever after?
Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora (affiliate link)
The acclaimed food writer and photographer explores the rich and varied cuisine of Morocco in this sumptuously illustrated cookbook.
With a wide range of exotic flavors and cooking styles, Morocco includes eighty recipes with Spanish influences, rustic Berber styles, complex, palace-worthy plates, spicy tagines, and surprisingly easy to make street food. Here you will discover piquant appetizers like cumin-spiced potato fritters, classic tagine and couscous entrees, stuffed pastries like Seafood Pastilla, fragrant sweets like Honeyed Phyllo Triangles Stuffed with Almonds, and, of course, Mint Tea.
Drawing on culinary traditions from across Morocco’s diverse geography—from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts to the Sahara Desert—this beautiful collection of recipes surprises and inspires the home cook. Gorgeous photographs of such iconic Moroccan scenes as the markets of Marrakech and the date-filled oasis of Zagora capture the many flavors of this sun-splashed country.
With 100+ recipes for artful ice and the drinks that go with them, home bartenders can learn new icy creations to elevate any classic drink, infuse new flavor into a sipper as the ice melts, or impress friends at a party with a frosty punch bowl.
While traveling as a DJ, Leslie Kirchhoff fell in love with the art of craft cocktails, but noticed one thing was missing: inventive ice. Taking it upon herself to create something truly unique, she started Disco Cubes as a passion project to explore the art of ice. Now you can do the same at home with recipes that offer more than just a classic cube.
In this not-so-classic cocktail book, there are one-ingredient cubes to elevate any drink, infused ice to add flavor to simple cocktails, and perfect pairings where ice and drink come together to make a concoction that you (and your guests) won’t forget. Plus, you’ll find playlists at the beginning of each chapter, to set the mood for any occasion.
Sailing at Sunset (affiliate link)
Josh tells himself he’s the luckiest guy in the world. Living on his sailboat and taking tourists on occasional chartered trips, he’s not tied down to routines and responsibilities. He even named his sailboat Solitude, because that’s what he enjoys much of the time.
Danae works at a boat company, and she just got promoted—sort of. To keep her dream job, she must get her opinionated coworkers to all agree on a marketing plan. Her boss directs her to set up a week-long sailing tour with them as a work trip and a bonding experience.
At first, Danae isn’t completely on board with Josh’s laid-back approach to the excursion. But during visits to quaint New England towns and seafaring adventures, she and Josh start to see one another’s true colors…and Josh begins to question his solitary life.
The geologist and explorer’s own account of his perilous venture into one of the last unmapped portions of the continental United States.
Join John Wesley Powell’s expedition to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, and one of the last unmapped portions of the continental United States. Powell’s detailed descriptions of the rocks, plants, and animals seen in the canyon; the geography of the area; his team’s interactions with native groups; and dangers and mishaps along the trail allow readers to feel the thrill, the awe, and the humility of standing on the canyon’s edge.
After losing an arm in the Civil War, the young Powell took on an extraordinary challenge as he led a small team into this remarkable landscape. He would go on to become the director of the US Geological Survey and the Smithsonian, and is acknowledged today for his foresight on the importance of conserving natural resources—particularly water—as the nation rapidly expanded westward.
The Summer of Everything (affiliate link)
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