A sun-baked, beautifully observed debut for readers who loved Amy and Isabelle—a mother and daughter come of age in Las Vegas. Helen is just fifteen, lanky and striking. She is a lifeguard at the pool at The Dunes hotel this summer—her first job, a step toward independence in a world beginning to treat her as an adult and a woman. Her mother, Kathy, watching Helen grow up, suddenly finds herself in a place equally uncertain: her children getting older, her stable marriage perhaps too stable, the slow days of summer leaving her adrift. When she meets Helen's boss, the manager at the pool, she chooses an affair that opens her to the idea of a different sort of life. Following Helen and Kathy through three summers, this novel is an intimate picture of two sexual awakenings under one roof and their aftershocks on a family. Heather Skyler shows us that the validity of life's deepest experiences—love, betrayal, acceptance—is never compromised by age. Reading group guide included.
For Fans of Julia Glass and Ann Hood, a Novel about How the Choices We Make Last a Lifetime Vegas Girls begins when three former high school friends, now in their mid-thirties, reunite in their hometown of Las Vegas—a city they vowed to escape as soon as they could—to celebrate their new lives and revisit old haunts. But what starts out as a week-long, sun-kissed reunion takes a strange turn as mysterious gifts appear, familiar faces pop up in unexpected places, and each woman reveals a secret, private quest. Ramona is searching for a son she gave up for adoption before their high-school graduation. Jane is trying to leave her husband of eleven years, even with her two kids in tow. And Ivy, who has a new baby, is haunted by the memory of her mother abandoning her twenty years ago—and she has begun spotting her everywhere. Add to this a darkly charismatic ex-boyfriend of Ivy’s who won’t give up hope of rekindling their romance, and a strange, new friend of Jane’s in need of help, and the week quickly begins to unravel. Set against desert heat, swimming pools, and casino lights, and told masterfully through five different points of view, Vegas Girls is about how we navigate the present while carrying the ghosts of our past; about growing up with one eye glued to the rearview mirror; and about what happens when the past you thought you left behind turns out to have been with you all along.
Huntin', Fishin', and Fightin' was all she'd ever known. An only child, Priscilla Jones has never done anything but follow behind her pa and learn the ways of the outdoors. On his death bed, he announces he's sending her off to become the mail-order bride of an army captain. His dying wish is that she make the man a good wife, be happy...and wear a dress once in a while. A recent widower, Captain Skyler Corbett is an arrogant Scotsman who believes women should have babies not opinions. Regardless, the last thing he needs is a wife. His daughter is coming of age, however, and friends argue she needs a woman's influence. When the headstrong, unrefined and unexpected Priscilla Jones shows up, Corbett is not inclined to marry her. Ever. Priscilla agrees, firing back that the snooty Captain Corbett is no prize, either. It seems this arranged marriage is destined for the ash heap. Embers, though, do have a sneaky way of catching fire...
BESTSELLING AUTHOR COLLECTION Reader-favorite romances in collectible volumes from our bestselling authors The Last Noel by New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham With a storm paralyzing New England on Christmas Eve, the O'Boyle household becomes prey to a pair of brutal escaped killers desperate to find refuge. Skyler O'Boyle's one hope for rescue is that the men are unaware that her daughter, Kat, has escaped into the blizzard. But as the wind and snow continue to rage, her prayers that Kat can somehow find help seem fragile indeed. When Kat stumbles on a third felon, half-frozen and delirious, she recognizes him immediately. What is Craig Devon, the onetime love of her life, doing in such company? Craig is desperate to unload a crucial secret that could change their destiny…but one false move and everything he's sacrificed will shatter. FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME! Secret Surrogate by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen The last thing this Texas sheriff wanted was to heed a frantic late-night call from Kylie Monroe—the woman who'd destroyed his life. Old wounds were ripped wide open after Lucas Creed discovered that his former deputy had moved on…and was pregnant. But after rescuing her and taking her under his protection, she repaid him by dropping a bombshell on him. Now, as his secret surrogate, she planned to give the gruff lawman the ultimate gift to heal his heart.
It's Christmas Eve, and all is neither calm nor bright With a storm paralyzing New England, the O'Boyle household becomes prey to a pair of brutal escaped killers desperate to find refuge. Skyler O'Boyle is convinced the only way they can live through the night is by playing a daring psychological game to throw the convicts off their guard. Threatened by a pair of Smith & Wessons, she has to pray that the rest of her family will play along, buying them time. Her one hope for rescue is that the men are unaware that her daughter, Kat, has escaped into the blizzard. But as the wind and snow continue to rage with all the vehemence of a maddened banshee, her prayers that Kat can somehow find help seem fragile indeed. When Kat stumbles on a third felon, half-frozen and delirious, her shock deepens, because she recognizes Craig Devon immediately. What is the onetime love of her life doing back in town—and in such company? With the threat of death hanging over the O'Boyles, Craig is desperate to unload a vital secret that could change their destiny. But can he trust Kat with the truth? Because one false move and everything he's sacrificed will shatter—and this could be everyone's final Christmas alive.
BESTSELLING AUTHOR COLLECTION Reader-favorite romances in collectible volumes from our bestselling authors The Last Noel by New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham With a storm paralyzing New England on Christmas Eve, the O'Boyle household becomes prey to a pair of brutal escaped killers desperate to find refuge. Skyler O'Boyle's one hope for rescue is that the men are unaware that her daughter, Kat, has escaped into the blizzard. But as the wind and snow continue to rage, her prayers that Kat can somehow find help seem fragile indeed. When Kat stumbles on a third felon, half-frozen and delirious, she recognizes him immediately. What is Craig Devon, the onetime love of her life, doing in such company? Craig is desperate to unload a crucial secret that could change their destiny…but one false move and everything he's sacrificed will shatter. FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME! Secret Surrogate by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen The last thing this Texas sheriff wanted was to heed a frantic late-night call from Kylie Monroe—the woman who'd destroyed his life. Old wounds were ripped wide open after Lucas Creed discovered that his former deputy had moved on…and was pregnant. But after rescuing her and taking her under his protection, she repaid him by dropping a bombshell on him. Now, as his secret surrogate, she planned to give the gruff lawman the ultimate gift to heal his heart.
A sun-baked, beautifully observed debut for readers who loved Amy and Isabelle—a mother and daughter come of age in Las Vegas. Helen is just fifteen, lanky and striking. She is a lifeguard at the pool at The Dunes hotel this summer—her first job, a step toward independence in a world beginning to treat her as an adult and a woman. Her mother, Kathy, watching Helen grow up, suddenly finds herself in a place equally uncertain: her children getting older, her stable marriage perhaps too stable, the slow days of summer leaving her adrift. When she meets Helen's boss, the manager at the pool, she chooses an affair that opens her to the idea of a different sort of life. Following Helen and Kathy through three summers, this novel is an intimate picture of two sexual awakenings under one roof and their aftershocks on a family. Heather Skyler shows us that the validity of life's deepest experiences—love, betrayal, acceptance—is never compromised by age. Reading group guide included.
Danger, a dark past, and forbidden love combine in Heather Burch’s three-book Halflings series, which combines fantasy, romance, and a battle for one girl’s future. In Halflings, after being viciously attacked in the park, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with. Meanwhile, a growing and forbidden attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that could upend the balance between heaven and hell. In Guardian, Nikki promised she would move on from Mace and Raven, but a close-quarters mission meant to assure her protection brings all three together in close quarters. Mace, steadfast and deeply in love, wants to protect Nikki at all costs, while Raven’s loyalty to Nikki finds him advocating for her independence and battling his own darker inclinations. At the same time, Nikki finds it harder and harder to choose between the two heavenly beings she may never have. Dangers intensify, and tensions flare as the purpose of their journey becomes clear. Can their defenses hold up to master manipulator Damon Vessler and the powerful secret he holds regarding Nikki’s heritage? Can anyone protect Nikki from her true purpose and destiny? And in the final book, Avenger, with a Seeker trained on her blood, Nikki flees with Raven, while Mace and the other Halflings fight the battle that has erupted on earth. But even as the two boys she loves fight for her, she knows the battle will be hers to win. Determined to uncover the secrets of her past, and exactly how she fits into Vessler's twisted plans, Nikki sets off on her own, and soon discovers facing hellacious beasts is nothing compared to the decision she will need to make. One that could change not only the war, and her relationship with Mace and Raven, but her future with the Throne.
Dix Dodd is going undercover again, this time at the behest of Elizabeth Bee. No, make that Mrs. Hugh Drammen. Our favorite, ever-enterprising spa worker has snagged herself a wealthy octogenarian husband. But she believes someone is out to kill her darling “Hugh-Bear”. She’s not about to let that happen, at least not before their first anniversary when her inheritance entitlement kicks in. According to that pesky pre-nup, if Hugh should die before that critical anniversary, she gets nothing. Unfortunately, Hugh Drammen refuses to believe he’s in any danger and won’t condone an investigation, so Elizabeth has to act surreptitiously. Enter Dix, posing as Dee Bee, Elizabeth’s cougar mother, Dylan, posing as Dee’s newest gigolo/boy-toy, Magnus, and Mrs. Presley in the role of Elizabeth’s Nanny Jane. Throw in a patriarch with OCD, a daughter and son-in-law with obvious marital problems, their recalcitrant daughter, an odd, anti-social nephew visiting from Alaska, a housekeeper with a bad back that prevents her from housekeeping, a bevy of servants, and a beer-drinking rescue dog, and you have the Drammen household. It’s a bizarre situation, but for a fat fee from Elizabeth, Dix is more than happy to take on the job of Covering Her Assets.
The Mer Chronicles Book 1 The Caribbean, where fantasy and reality collide… True love was the last thing David Cooley expected to find in the Bahamas, but the moment he laid eyes on Faren Sands, he knew he had found the girl of his dreams. How could he know she was a mermaid from the lost island of Atlantis? Because of the strict laws regarding human contact, the couple flees the consequences of their forbidden passion, struggling to survive a conflict that has been brewing between the mermaids and sea demons for the last eleven thousand years. Once the epic battle begins, fate forces David to make a decision that will forever affect his young life. Should he stick by the woman he loves, risking his survival for a civilization that hates him?
New York Times bestselling author. With a storm paralyzing New England the O’Boyle household becomes prey to a pair of desperate escaped killers. Skyler O'Boyle is convinced the only way they'll live through the nightmare is by playing a dangerous psychological game to throw the convicts off their guard. The O'Boyles and their captors will enjoy the holiday meal Skyler has prepared pretending all is well. In the meantime Skyler's daughter Kat has escaped into the blizzard where she stumbles on a third felon - half frozen and delirious. Kat recognizes former classmate Craig Devon. What is Craig doing with these guys? With the O'Boyles hanging on to life by a thread Craig is desperate to unload a vital secret that could change their destiny. And he'd better be able to trust Kat with the truth because one wrong move and it could be everyone's last supper.
Based on a true story of a courageous woman who overcomes the struggles of marriage to an alcoholic, and discovers her own strength and identity in the midst of changing times in South Africa. Join Heather in her journey from innocence to independence. Follow Heather's journey "Over the Lotion" in this gripping 'Coming to America' story. A MUST Read!
For Fans of Julia Glass and Ann Hood, a Novel about How the Choices We Make Last a Lifetime Vegas Girls begins when three former high school friends, now in their mid-thirties, reunite in their hometown of Las Vegas—a city they vowed to escape as soon as they could—to celebrate their new lives and revisit old haunts. But what starts out as a week-long, sun-kissed reunion takes a strange turn as mysterious gifts appear, familiar faces pop up in unexpected places, and each woman reveals a secret, private quest. Ramona is searching for a son she gave up for adoption before their high-school graduation. Jane is trying to leave her husband of eleven years, even with her two kids in tow. And Ivy, who has a new baby, is haunted by the memory of her mother abandoning her twenty years ago—and she has begun spotting her everywhere. Add to this a darkly charismatic ex-boyfriend of Ivy’s who won’t give up hope of rekindling their romance, and a strange, new friend of Jane’s in need of help, and the week quickly begins to unravel. Set against desert heat, swimming pools, and casino lights, and told masterfully through five different points of view, Vegas Girls is about how we navigate the present while carrying the ghosts of our past; about growing up with one eye glued to the rearview mirror; and about what happens when the past you thought you left behind turns out to have been with you all along.
While the practice of surrogacy has existed for millennia, new fertility technologies have allowed women to act as gestational surrogates, carrying children that are not genetically their own. While some women volunteer to act as gestational surrogates for friends or family members, others get paid for performing this service. The first ethnographic study of gestational surrogacy in the United States, Labor of Love examines the conflicted attitudes that emerge when the ostensibly priceless act of bringing a child into the world becomes a paid occupation. Heather Jacobson interviews not only surrogate mothers, but also their family members, the intended parents who employ surrogates, and the various professionals who work to facilitate the process. Seeking to understand how gestational surrogates perceive their vocation, she discovers that many regard surrogacy as a calling, but are reluctant to describe it as a job. In the process, Jacobson dissects the complex set of social attitudes underlying this resistance toward conceiving of pregnancy as a form of employment. Through her extensive field research, Jacobson gives readers a firsthand look at the many challenges faced by gestational surrogates, who deal with complicated medical procedures, delicate work-family balances, and tricky social dynamics. Yet Labor of Love also demonstrates the extent to which advances in reproductive technology are affecting all Americans, changing how we think about maternity, family, and the labor involved in giving birth. For more, visit http://www.heatherjacobsononline.com/
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