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John Tyler finally built the life he wanted.
But his past casts a long shadow.
Eight years retired from the army, Tyler manages his PTSD and begins a job as a classic car mechanic. He’s a single dad to Lexi, who’s about to enter college. Life is looking up.
Then, everything comes crashing down.
Tyler’s former commanding officer is out of prison and hellbent on revenge. Their mutual hatred has been simmering for years. When it finally boils over, everyone and everything in Tyler’s life is threatened.
He wanted to be a father and a mechanic. To save himself and his daughter, he’ll need to use the deadly skills he thought he left behind.
Can Tyler stop a monster without becoming one himself?
The Mechanic is the first gripping novel in the John Tyler series. It’s perfect for readers who like action thrillers with a little humor and a little heart.
Limelight (Penny Green Book 1) (affiliate link)
How did an actress die twice?
Penny Green has lost her job. Once admired as Fleet Street’s first lady reporter, she’s been dismissed for criticising a police decision. So when Scotland Yard calls on her help in a murder case, she’s reluctant to assist.
But the case perplexes her. How was a famous Victorian actress shot in Highgate Cemetery five years after she drowned in the River Thames? It makes no sense.
Penny’s personal connection to the murdered actress draws her in. As does the charm of Scotland Yard inspector, James Blakely. But her return to work sparks the attentions of someone with evil intent. Who is so desperate to keep the past hidden?
Pastrami Murder (The Darling Deli Book 1) (affiliate link)
Ever notice that the best dishes…
Are made by one smart cookie?
Deli owner, Moira Darling didn’t get as far as she did by going with the flow.
The smart and sassy amateur sleuth runs a successful shop and will do whatever it takes to protect it.
Her world is turned upside-down, however, when a cross-town rival is found murdered.
You’ll find a delicious mix of personalities as a handsome and clever detective joins forces with Moira and her young daughter to get to the bottom of the mess in which the daring deli owner finds herself.
Toss in a marvelous mix of helpful and not so helpful townsfolk, and you’ve got one fast-paced and entertaining Cozy Mystery, set on the shores of lovely Lake Michigan. Take a taste, you’ll be back for more!
Married to the Sinful Duke (affiliate link)
A marriage of convenience to the Duke is her only salvation.
Lady Rose is a spinster by choice. But soon, her family forces her into a marriage of convenience with a cruel man with no chance of escaping.
Her only salvation seems to be Duke Gerald, who realizes her abuse and comes to her rescue, asking for her hand in marriage. But as their marriage of convenience moves forward, Rose and Gerald make one important deal: we cannot fall in love no matter what happens.
But that promise is soon about to break…
Contest of Queens (The Frean Chronicles Book 1) (affiliate link)
In a Queendom divided, can one girl unite the realms?
Jacs, an inventor’s apprentice from the Lower Realm, has only ever dreamed of what the land among the clouds holds. That is until she finds a letter from Connor, an Upperite boy hoping to learn more about the land below. Little does Jacs know, Connor is actually Prince Cornelius of the Queendom of Frea. With wooden boats and hot air balloons, the two begin a secret correspondence. But their friendship is divided by a heavily-guarded bridge and an inescapable prejudice.
The strength of their bond was thought to transcend distance and time, but when the royal family visits the Lower Realm, the Queendom’s feud is reignited.
To save her people, Jacs must infiltrate the Upper Realm and earn her place to compete in the Contest of Queens. In a story about friendship, love, bravery, and defying gravity, Jacs will strive to prove that a Queendom is strongest when united.
A Rumor of Kings: An Epic Fantasy Series (Kingdom of Ghosts Book 1) (affiliate link)
Greymond, the Scattered Kingdom has been without a king for hundreds of years, a place ruled by squabbling barons and dukes. Occasionally, rumors arise: a king of the old blood has returned to claim his throne. These days, such claims are met with groans and eye-rolls. Pretenders abound … and are generally ignored.
But scheming powers are plotting, machinations that have been in the works for years, and this time …
Enter Merrik Niles. A thief hired by dangerous people to steal a map, he instead keeps it for himself, hoping to follow it to some mysterious prize.
The treasure turns out to be an ancient artifact connected to Greymond’s last king, and when Merrik touches it, he triggers long-dormant magic. Now, three ghosts have taken up permanent residence inside his mind: A cunning, smart-mouthed jester. A master swordsman. And a powerful wizard.
At first, Merrik believes he’s going mad, but at times, these troublesome ghosts lend him their powers… for good or for bad.
The Castaway: Shipwreck Key Book One (affiliate link)
A President dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving a secret mistress and their twelve-year-old son…and also a loyal First Lady who has no idea what went wrong with their marriage.
Forty-nine-year old widow Ruby Hudson, the former First Lady of the United States, needs a fresh start. As she mourns the loss of her husband, she turns her love of books into a whole new career, opening a little bookshop on a charming, pirate-themed island called Shipwreck Key just off the coast of the Florida Panhandle. Her two daughters think she’s crazy, but Ruby can finally breathe again knowing that she’ll never have to deal with the constant scrutiny and pressure that come with a high-profile life in the White House.
Just as she’s beginning to feel at home on Shipwreck Key, Ruby receives a visit from her husband’s former Chief of Staff: a tell-all biography about her husband’s presidency—and about their marriage—is in the works, and the author is none other than Dexter North, a young, hot, serious journalist with another scandalous book about a different President’s misdeeds already on the bestseller lists. Ruby worries that the book will destroy her husband’s legacy—not to mention her life—and she realizes that the only way to control the narrative is to cooperate with Dexter North.
A Wedding in Driftwood Cove: A Novel (affiliate link)
A wedding brings together three sisters—and an undercurrent of secrets threatens to tear them apart in this seaside romance from author Olivia Miles.
With youngest sister Hallie getting married, the three Walsh sisters reunite at their family’s beach house for the big event. It’s a celebratory affair, rife with cherished traditions.
But families are complicated, and these sisters are no exception. Claire, the eldest, no longer believes in love after years working as a divorce attorney, and she resorts to taking her “work husband” as her date to convince her family otherwise. Middle sister, Amy, fears a confrontation with the man who broke her heart by announcing he was marrying someone else. And although Hallie has always lived a charmed life, she’s getting cold feet about marrying her childhood sweetheart.
As the Walsh sisters grapple with the secrets they’ve kept from one another, they must decide if Hallie’s wedding is a chance to mend mistakes of the past…even if it means confronting their feelings about love, life, and one another.
Anything for a Friend: A Novel (affiliate link)
For two old friends with so much to hide, playing catch-up is a dangerous game in a propulsive novel of suspense by the author of Mother of All Secrets.
Writer Carrie Colts hopes a move to Montauk will be a rejuvenating change of pace for her family. The last thing she expects to see is her former college roommate on her doorstep. Newly widowed, and with a daughter of her own, Maya would love to reconnect. As a gesture to an old friend in mourning, Carrie extends an invitation to stay. Just for a few days. After all, there are reasons that Carrie and Maya are estranged.
Carrie soon regrets her impulsive offer. Someone has taken a pair of scissors to her college yearbook. Her herb garden is destroyed. She’s starting to receive sinister texts. And Maya is making herself a little too much at home. What does Maya really want? What is she hiding? Carrie’s afraid to ask. Because Maya knows all her secrets, and exposing them comes with a price Carrie can’t afford to pay.
Almost Like Being in Love: A Novella (affiliate link)
Maren Kelly and her friend Penny may be lost in the Scottish Highlands, yes. They may be caught in the blizzard of the century, sure. But despite their dire straits, Maren is going to honor her ailing mother’s wish for them to experience all the magic, mystery, and whimsy Scotland has to offer, even if she freezes to death trying. When they’re rescued by the dashing Duncan Campbell, who seems like he walked straight out of the seventeenth century, Maren is more than a wee bit bewildered.
Their shelter is Duncan’s castle in Highglen, a captivating village that feels somehow familiar…as does the laird himself. Brimming with holiday cheer and friendly, boisterous family members, Highglen is a safe haven in the frigid winter storm. Maybe it’s the carolers and the warm hearth—or Duncan’s comforting brogue and stolen kisses—but Maren feels as though she’s come home. And in Duncan, she may have found her long-awaited soulmate.
But is this a miracle that could last a lifetime?
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett: A Novel (affiliate link)
It’s never too late to start living.
Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.
Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.
While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.
Sabotage (Shadows of Fire Book 1) (affiliate link)
The world of the Dark-Hunters is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s dangerous…
And it’s a whole lot of unexpected action and snarky comebacks.
My name is Nick Gautier and I was born to end the world.
Or so I thought.
For years, I believed my destiny was beyond my control. But the Fates love to play with folks and I seem to be their favorite punchline.
Just when My crew and I thought we were done with the Apocalypse, the Fates had dragged back for another round. Now, we have to stop the Powers-That-Be and my future son or the ones I love and cherish will become memories.
It’s a demon-eat-demon world and we are all the stands between humanity and total subjugation.
… See the rest of today ‘s Book Picks here on page 2Page 2