Best of
Contemporary

1995

The Only Alien on the Planet


Kristen D. Randle - 1995
    It was difficult for Ginny at first, but her senior year is finally starting to feel kind of normal. That is, until she sees him—the beautiful mystery in her English class. He has never spoken a word to anyone. He moves through each day at school without making eye contact. His name is Smitty Tibbs, but everyone calls him the Alien.Ginny is convinced there's more to the Alien than his muted exterior. But as she attempts to break into his safe and emotionless world, she realizes her efforts might be causing more harm than good. Has she gone too far, or not far enough?

The MacKade Brothers: Rafe and Jared


Nora Roberts - 1995
    Appealing as ever, no even lovely Regan Joners, the town's reserved antiques dealer, was immune to Rafe MacKade. Regan claimed her plans didn't include relationships with rebels, but her reaction to The Return of Rafe MacKade - and his sizzling kisses - said something quite different.Attorney Jared MacKade had his pick of women. His dealings with Savannah Morningstar were strictly business, but thoughts of the outragious, direct and sinfully sexy woman kept him coming back for more. With Savannah's incendiary attitude, plus The Pride of Jared MacKade something - good or bad - was bound to erupt.

Like Sisters on the Homefront


Rita Williams-Garcia - 1995
    There's nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no one around except kneesock-wearing, Jesus-praising cousin Cookie. Then Gayle meets Great, the family matriarch-and her stories of the past begin to change how Gayle sees her future.

Until I Die Again


Tina Wainscott - 1995
     Chris Copestakes’s young life ends in a second filled with twisting metal, shattering glass, and her own terrified cry. Against all odds, she wakes up in a hospital and discovers she’s been given a second chance. But there’s a catch. A big one. She’s been returned to earth in the body of beautiful Hallie DiBarto, the soon-to-be-ex-wife of a wealthy resort owner. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of glittering prestige, Chris struggles to hide her identity and make a new life for herself. But the self-destructive Hallie left a legacy of dangerous secrets and angry people for Chris to deal with. And when she finds herself falling for Jamie DiBarto—a man both husband and stranger—her new life becomes wonderful and precarious. Because lurking in the past, both hers and Hallie’s, is a danger that could end it all.

The Return of Rafe MacKade


Nora Roberts - 1995
    Bound to be. Trouble hung around Rafe MacKade like a bell around a bull's neck. Oh, he was as handsome as ever, with those devil's good looks the MacKades were gifted -- or cursed -- with. If a female had breath in her body, she couldn't help but look twice at that loose-legged stride that seemed to dare anyone to get in the way.And what about that newcomer, Regan Bishop? Pretty as a picture, but a little prim. Would she be impervious to the legendary MacKade charm?Sure didn't look that way....The MacKade Brothers: Looking for trouble -- and always finding it. Now they're on a collision course with love.

Mysterious Skin


Scott Heim - 1995
    Neil McCormick is fully aware of the events from that summer of 1981. Wise beyond his years, curious about his developing sexuality, Neil found what he perceived to be love and guidance from his baseball coach. Now, ten years later, he is a teenage hustler, a terrorist of sorts, unaware of the dangerous path his life is taking. His recklessness is governed by idealized memories of his coach, memories that unexpectedly change when Brian comes to Neil for help and, ultimately, the truth.

After the Night


Linda Howard - 1995
    But he called her white trash that sultry Southern night when his rich, respected father disappeared, along with her pretty Mom. Now Faith wanted to hate Gray Rouillard...not to feel a powerful surge of desire. But she couldn't quench her passion, any more than she could hide the truth about the past she had waited so long to unravel. GRAY ROUILLARD: Even when he raised hell, he did it with style. Reckless, charming, and backed by Rouillard money, Gray controlled the town of Prescott -- and Devlin was a name he never wanted to hear again. But when he gazed at Faith Devlin, all he saw was a swirl of tangled sheets and her silken flesh beneath him. To care for her was impossible, unthinkable...because Gray Rouillard planned to use all his power to ruin her.

The Lost Scrapbook


Evan Dara - 1995
    The Lost Scrapbook is a novel that passionately captures the contradictory richness of our historical slot, a time when feelings of belonging and exclusion can do bitter battle. Conjuring an unforgettable variety of voices, the book delves into lives touched by this tension, before it culminates in a confrontation between a trusting city and the local manufacturing company that both sustains and betrays it. Through the use of a prismatic storytelling form, The Lost Scrapbook finds a contemporary answer to the 19th century novel, evoking an entire world in all its richness and diversity. But by embodying the sense that we can best understand our world through witnessing the interworkings of whole communities, it is also something altogether new: The Lost Scrapbook may be the first "holistic" novel.

Love Song


Sharon Gillenwater - 1995
    Yet shortly after her arrival, Andi's old high school friend Wade Jamison helps her to realize she needs inner healing as well. In the weeks that follow, as Andi's strength grows, so do her feelings for the rancher who has captured her heart. But can she convince him that their relationship will withstand the demands of her career? Or will their romance be as fleeting as a beautiful Love Song?

Only You, Sierra


Robin Jones Gunn - 1995
    Sierra is a spunky and bold sixteen-year-old with big dreams and unconventional clothes. Today's teens can truly relate to what is going on in Sierra's life -- whether it's friendships, dating, or learning to trust in God. Sierra shows readers how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and how to grow in their commitment to Him.

Where the Heart Is


Billie Letts - 1995
    An hour ago, seventeen-year-old, seven months pregnant Novalee Nation was heading for California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with just $7.77 in change. But Novalee is about to discover hidden treasures in this small Southwest town--a group of down-to-earth, deeply caring people willing to help a homeless, jobless girl living secretly in a Wal-Mart. From Bible-thumping blue-haired Sister Thelma Husband to eccentric librarian Forney Hull who loves Novalee more than she loves herself, they are about to take her--and you, too--on a moving, funny, and unforgettable journey to . . . Where the Heart Is.

Carry Me Like Water


Benjamin Alire Sáenz - 1995
    Saenz's epic tale brings to light amazing revelations about the wonders of love, family, friends, and compassion.

The Miracle Man


Sharon Sala - 1995
    The Miracle Man by Sharon Sala released on May 25, 1995 is available now for purchase.

Flesh and Blood


Michael Cunningham - 1995
     In 1950, Constantine Stassos, a Greek immigrant laborer, marries Mary Cuccio, an Italian-American girl, and together they produce three children: Susan, an ambitious beauty, Billy, a brilliant homosexual, and Zoe, a wild child. Over the years, a web of tangled longings, love, inadequacies and unfulfilled dreams unfolds as Mary and Constantine's marriage fails and Susan, Billy, and Zoe leave to make families of their own. Zoe raises a child with the help of a transvestite, Billy makes a life with another man, and Susan raises a son conceived in secret, each extending the meaning of family and love. With the power of a Greek tragedy, the story builds to a heartbreaking crescendo, allowing a glimpse into contemporary life which will echo in one's heart for years to come.

Trust Me


Jayne Ann Krentz - 1995
    Someone had to pay the bill, and she wasn’t going to leave until she had a check from Sam Stark. It wasn’t her fault he was jilted at the altar.Stark can’t believe he’s sharing details of his life with a caterer. He’s a private person, not one to have long, meaningful conversations with a complete stranger. So when Desdemona asks him, on a whim, to join her that evening for a play…he surprises himself by saying yes. A much bigger shock awaits—he’s about to meet Desdemona’s unusual family…

Home Fires


Luanne Rice - 1995
    Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes--but runs back into the blaze to save something so precious that it's worth risking her life for. It is that reckless act of blind desperation that sets a miracle in motion.

True Betrayals


Nora Roberts - 1995
    But now, after all this time, she has discovered the truth: Naomi Chadwick is still alive—after spending years in prison for the murder of her lover. Now, at Naomi’s Virginia horse farm, Kelsey is trying to sort out a lifetime of deception—and her feelings about her mother. The bonds of love can be fragile...as Kelsey learned from her recently ended marriage. But as the two women rebuild their relationship—and Kelsey finds herself swept into an unsettling new romance—she must decide once and for all who she can trust, and who threatens to betray her...

Comfort and Joy


Jim Grimsley - 1995
    He comes from an old Savannah family where his parents, attentive to his future, focus their energies on finding their son--their golden boy--a girl to marry. But how charmed is this life when Ford's own heart suspects that he is not meant to spend his life with a woman? His suspicions are confirmed when he meets Dan Crell. Dan is a quiet man with a great voice. Behind the tempered facade of the shy hospital administrator is a singer who can transform a room with his soaring voice, leaving his listeners in awe and reverence. Ford catches one such Christmas concert and his life is never quite the same; he is touched in a place he keeps hidden, forbidden. When Ford and Dan begin to explore the limits of their relationship, Dan's own secrets are exposed--and his mysterious and painful childhood returns to haunt him. In Comfort and Joy Jim Grimsley finds a marriage between the stark and stunning pain of his prize-winning Winter Birds and the passion of critically acclaimed Dream Boy. In this, his fourth novel, he considers pressing questions. How does a man reconcile the child he was raised to be with the man that he truly is? What happens when an adult has to choose between his parents and a lover?

Brides for Brothers


Debbie Macomber - 1995
    Population: 150 (mostly men)--but growing! Because the O'Halloran brothers, who run a bush-plane charter service called Midnight Sons, are heading a campaign to bring women to Hard Luck!Sawyer O'Halloran-- He's the middle brother. Pilot and part owner of Midnight Sons. And, if the truth be told, he's not entirely in favor of this scheme. But he considers himself immune to the charms of any woman--he's adamantly against marriage and he's not too sure about love!Abbey Sutherland-- Single mother of two adorable kids. Veteran of one bad marriage. Wants a new beginning--not a new romance. She responds to the Midnight Sons ad and is delighted to accept their offer. But there's a complication--or two. She hasn't told the O'Hallorans she's arriving with children!

Deep in the Heart


Sharon Sala - 1995
    So she runs to the safety of her tiny Texas hometown, and to the sweet, haunting memories of John Thomas Knight. A dedicated small-town sheriff as tender as he is tough, John Thomas was Samantha's best friend, her first love—and now he is her only chance. Fate has carried them down different roads, but the fire has never died—and the passion flares white-hot the moment their eyes meet again. But this time Samantha must trust the proud, strong, devastatingly handsome lawman with more than her heart—she must trust him with her life. Because there is another man who wants her, and he's waiting for the right time to strike. And the next sweet, sensuous kiss she and John Thomas share could well be Samantha's last.

The Color of Love


Sandra Kitt - 1995
    But they did. Everyone they knew said they should break it off before they went too far. But they didn't. Even though everything about them was different...their pasts... their jobs... their worlds... and the color of their skin...

Summer Madness


Susan Lewis - 1995
    Determined to find the father she has never known, her search takes her from her quiet Suffolk village to a new life in London, a fast paced television career, and to three colleagues who come to dominate her new life. All of them play a role in Corrie’s search for love and success. One of them intends Corrie’s ultimate destruction.From the Trade Paperback edition.Danny, the actress, with her sensual beauty and impossible temper, soon has the eligible men of the Riviera chasing her, Louisa, the scriptwriter on the rebound from a broken love affair, finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious Jake Mallory. While Sarah, the producer, just wants to hang out and have fun.But they quickly discover that the sparkle of Riviera life conceals a dark presence that pulls them all into a game no one can win. And when mayhem and madness begin to stalk them, to their terror they find that there is no way out.

The LaVyrle Spencer Collection : Three Classic Love Stories to Treasure ( Separate Beds / Forsaking All Others / A Promise to Cherish )


LaVyrle Spencer - 1995
    A volume containing three of the author's early romances: "Separate Beds" - the story of a marriage of convenience; "Forsaking All Others" - set in the fashion world and "A Promise to Cherish" - a woman's attempt to make it in the man's world of construction.

Clueless


H.B. Gilmour - 1995
    Do unto others. Accessorize or die.Cher Horowitz is total golden at Beverly Hills High. She's a full-on Betty. Her closet is strictly designer. She has all the answers... so why shouldn't she run everyone's life? She referees her best friend De's relationship. She's generously making over the new girl, Tai, in her own image. In the land of the clueless, Cher was born to lead.Only two things have her stumped. Uno) Should she go out with a boy who dresses better than she does? (I mean, what would she bring to the relationship?) And b) What about Josh, the college guy she despises who thinks she's an empty-headed, self-centered, spoiled bimbette? Why does he keep popping into her mind? Could it possibly be that in matters of the heart Cher is really... clueless?As if!https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24503...

Rosamunde Pilcher: September / Voices in Summer / The Carousel


Rosamunde Pilcher - 1995
    The invitations summon home the group of people Violet Aird has cared for most in her long life. The oldest, strongest and wisest of them all, she sees Alexa, her vulnerable granddaughter, find love for the first time, while the decision to send her little grandson away to school is driving parents Edmund and Virginia even further apart. Far from them all is Pandora, the glamorous, exciting girl who ran away twenty years before. All will converge on Scotland this September.Voices in the SummerLaura never feels as if she fits in with her husband's side of the family. When she stays with them in Cornwall to recuperate after an operation, the unseen presence of his first wife and daughter are ever present to destroy her tranquility.The CarouselReturn to the sun-drenched settings of The Shell Seekers and the rich emotion of Coming Home, as Rosamunde Pilcher takes you on an unforgettable journey of the heart. It is the passage of a young woman from a relationship that has become too tame and predictable to the excitement of a new life brimming with possibilities and the thrilling promise of love.

The Rose Revived


Katie Fforde - 1995
    Soon May finds she can afford the mooring fees for her beloved narrowboat, Harriet discovers she has a gift for painting, and Sally’s dream of owning a place of her own is fast becoming a reality. It all seems to be going so well. But is it really?And is it too much, May wonders, to want a man to share her new found happiness?

King Of The Roadkills


Bucky Sinister - 1995
    Twisted stories, bone-chilling poems, and harrowing yet humorous comix that deal with failed relationships, religious cults, loneliness, and drugs, penned with razor-sharp precision.

Together Alone


Barbara Delinsky - 1995
    Once half of a perfect marriage—still suffering from a terrible loss—Emily hardly knows her workaholic husband, Doug, anymore, and is drawn instead to what is offered by a new neighbor. A dedicated teacher who loves her job, Kay is confused and troubled by husband John's unfamiliar demands. And Celeste, long-divorced and ecstatic with freedom, sees her electric new life dimmed when her child is endangered.As the three friends struggle to navigate this uncharted territory, they find themselves redefining their dreams, desires, and what it means—to each of them—to be a woman. But before they can bring about change, they must learn the hardest lesson of all: how to love themselves.

Husband for Hire


Carla Neggers - 1995
    Why not? The rugged man who just shoveled off her cabin roof is sure to deter whoever is harassing her. But she’s surprised when Cole accepts her proposition. Cole is surprised, too, but he’s convinced Cady isn’t telling him everything. Then again, he isn’t telling her everything about himself, either.  When Cole and Cady head to New York as husband-and-wife-to-be, their attraction to each other becomes impossible to ignore. But is it the right time for romance? All they know is they are ringing in a new year…and anything can happen.  Available for the first time for your e-reader! Refreshed and updated from the original, published in a multi-author paperback anthology.

The Bookclub-in-a-Box Discussion Guide to A Fine Balance, the Novel by Rohinton Mistry (Bookclub-In-A-Box)


Marilyn Herbert - 1995
    Discusses the novel, "A Fine Balance."

The Peacock Emperor Moth (Serie D'ecriture, No. 9)


Marcel Cohen - 1995
    Translated from the French by Cid Corman.

The Cutmouth Lady


Romy Ashby - 1995
    fiction "cool, pungent perverse gaijin schoolgirl"

A Kiss In The Dark


Meryl Sawyer - 1995
    Top journalist Royce Winston is determined to get even with her former lover, a powerful criminal attorney who ruined her father in court. But when Royce is framed for murder, her only hope lies with the enemy.

Gemini Heat


Portia Da Costa - 1995
    Surrounded by an atmosphere of relentless humidity, Deanna and Delia find themselves rivals for the attentions of Jackson de Guile - a wealthy entrepreneur and master of power dynamics - who draws them both into a web of luxurious debauchery. Their erotic encounters become increasingly bizarre as Deanna and her twin vie for the rewards that pleasuring him brings them...

Armored Hearts: Selected & New Poems


David Bottoms - 1995
    "It is refreshing to read a poet who is not obliquely vague, who tells a story cleanly and convincingly, and yet who will not close down mysterious and complicated things about life that simply defy such closure."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stolen Hearts


Andrea R. Cooper - 1995
    In her pursuit of justice she's had to give up her identity, her name, and any chance at love. When Crystal is forced on a blind date with the cop who is investigating her, she plays a dangerous game of hearts that could land her in a prison cell. Kade is in search of a new life, after losing his partner. He's taken a new job, in a new city, and met a new girl. In order to keep his fresh start, he will have to catch an elusive thief targeting one of the largest corporations in the country. Desperate to forget the failures of his past, Kade has no intention of failing. But secrets can’t be hidden forever.

Reason to Believe


Kathleen Eagle - 1995
    But their marriagecould not endure deception -- or the betrayals of atormented, searching soul. And now, though timeand pain have torn them apart, they reunitefor the sake of their troubled teenaged daughter -- embarking upon a rugged winter journey acrosssacred land in symbolic remembrance ofBen's Lakota ancestors ... and to reclaim somethingbeautiful but lost -- and as eternal as the stars.

Shades of Rose


Deb Stover - 1995
    Rose, the beautiful ghost who invades his dreams, lures him into a powerful spell that sweeps him back in time to the night of her own murder... Special 20th Anniversary Edition of beloved author Deb Stover's first novel. Shades of Rose has never been available before in any digital format. When pediatrician Dylan Marshall dreams about a beautiful woman he doesn't know, he never expects that the enigmatic beauty is a ghost who has been haunting his ancestral home since the disappearance of a priceless treasure, or that she will lead him to a love that transcends time. "Deb Stover skillfully weaves humor, tender emotions and sizzling sensuality into this time travel adventure. Dylan and Rose set the pages on fire. One of the hottest books out this year, Shades of Rose is a fast paced, engrossing read that will leave you breathless and with a satisfied smile by the end." ~A Little Romance