And certainly what Melville did for whaling Austen does for marriage--tracing the intricacies (not to mention the economics) of 19th-century British mating rituals with a sure hand and an unblinking eye. As usual, Austen trains her sights on a country village and a few families--in this case, the Bennets, the Philips, and the Lucases. Into their midst comes Mr. Bingley, a single man of good fortune, and his friend, Mr. Darcy, who is even richer. Mrs. Bennet, who married above her station, sees their arrival as an opportunity to marry off at least one of her five daughters. Bingley is complaisant and easily charmed by the eldest Bennet girl, Jane; Darcy, however, is harder to please. Put off by Mrs. Bennet's vulgarity and the untoward behavior of the three younger daughters, he is unable to see the true worth of the older girls, Jane and Elizabeth. His excessive pride offends Lizzy, who is more than willing to believe the worst that other people have to say of him; when George Wickham, a soldier stationed in the village, does indeed have a discreditable tale to tell, his words fall on fertile ground. Having set up the central misunderstanding of the novel, Austen then brings in her cast of fascinating secondary characters: Mr. Collins, the sycophantic clergyman who aspires to Lizzy's hand but settles for her best friend, Charlotte, instead; Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy's insufferably snobbish aunt; and the Gardiners, Jane and Elizabeth's low-born but noble-hearted aunt and uncle. Some of Austen's best comedy comes from mixing and matching these representatives of different classes and economic strata, demonstrating the hypocrisy at the heart of so many social interactions. And though the novel is rife with romantic misunderstandings, rejected proposals, disastrous elopements, and a requisite happy ending for those who deserve one, Austen never gets so carried away with the romance that she loses sight of the hard economic realities of 19th-century matrimonial maneuvering. Good marriages for penniless girls such as the Bennets are hard to come by, and even Lizzy, who comes to sincerely value Mr. Darcy, remarks when asked when she first began to love him: "It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley." She may be joking, but there's more than a little truth to her sentiment, as well. Jane Austen considered Elizabeth Bennet "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print". Readers of Pride and Prejudice would be hard-pressed to disagree. --Alix Wilber

    Little did they know that underneath his cool exterior lay a twisted desire to kill.Behind the facade of normality lay a psychopathic mind struggling to control its homicidal urges. Having seduced and married his sweetheart Mary Gough, Whelan immediately began planning her brutal murder.While his young wife dreamed of a love-filled marriage, Whelan searched the internet for information on serial killers and the methods they used to strangle their victims.Compelling and disturbing, this book reveals how Whelan murdered his wife to claim a hefty life insurance policy, and how he faked his own suicide when he became the prime suspect for the murder.Till Death Do Us Part offers a fascinating insight into the true motivation behind one of Irelands most notorious murders, and is a horrifying story of love, lust, revenge and murder - all the more shocking because every word is true.

    The Hellbound Lovers are tough, ride hard, and love fiercely. And when they set their heart on something, There’s nothing stopping them from getting what they want. Especially when that something involves top of the line curves That make their engines rumble and purr like a smooth dream. When these men fall, they fall hard, And when impending danger threatens what they love most They’ll do whatever it takes to protect it. Duty and honor collide with wild passion in this sexy and dirty MC Romance.

    The pressures of war threaten to tear apart two sisters traumatised by their mother's murder by their father.With her new husband Will, a merchant seaman, deployed on dangerous Atlantic convoy missions, Hannah needs her younger sister Judith more than ever. But when Mussolini declares war on Britain, Judith's Italian sweetheart, Paolo is imprisoned as an enemy alien, and Judith's loyalties are divided.Each sister wants only to be with the man she loves but, as the war progresses, tensions between them boil over, and they face an impossible decision.A heart-wrenching page-turner about the everyday bravery of ordinary people during wartime. From heavily blitzed Liverpool to the terrors of the North Atlantic and the scorched plains of Australia, Sisters at War will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.

    Her fiancé taken from her. Esther Weiss sees only one way to fight back.Life is good for Esther and her Jewish family until Hitler annexes their home country Austria. Her wedding to fiancé Carl Bernstein is postponed, and her family's entire life is uprooted.Thinking they’ll be safe in Oslo, the Weiss’s hope is short-lived when Norway is invaded in 1940 and the fascist Quisling Regime is put into place. Esther returns home one day to discover her entire family has been deported. Gone. Without a trace.Something snaps inside Esther. The soft-hearted, gentle girl is no longer. Her desire to fight the enemy becomes her only drive. She joins the Norwegian resistance movement and with her blond hair and light eyes, all it takes is a false passport to give Esther the freedom she needs. The freedom to kill. No German or Norwegian fascist is safe when she’s nearby.Destruction of those who took her family gives Esther a license to live, but it has also hardened her heart. Not even Tore Ringdal, her rock and protector in the Resistance movement, is able to break through the walls she’s placed around her heart.When all she loves is gone, and only hate remains, can the Norwegian Assassin reopen her heart and find love again?

    After being kicked out of a Catholic orphanage when it is discovered that he is of Jewish descent, a confused and deeply distraught Frankie turns to a life of crime, the only life he knows, and he’s good at it. Frankie quickly makes a name for himself and becomes one of New York’s most dangerous men, ruling the city with an iron fist and indulging in his passion for sex, power and the best things life has to offer—regardless of whether they’re for sale.In Stiletto, Cesare Cardinale is an amoral, aristocratic Italian playboy—an entrepreneur and race car driver who wants for nothing—whether it’s fast cars, beautiful women, or orgies of debauchery. Cesare, however, has two dirty secrets: First, he has a penchant for violence that borders on the sadistic and sociopathic; second, he owes his extravagant life to a Sicilian Mafia don, creating a seemingly perfect relationship—as he leads a double life as a Mafia assassin.“Robbins’s books are packed with action, sustained by strong narrative drive, and are given vitality by his own colorful life.” —The Wall Street JournalThe Harold Robbins Organized Crime Double includes: Never Love A Stranger and Stiletto.

    L. Bartlett, Rae Davies, and P.B. RyanAll author proceeds from this anthology to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Murder Passes The Buck by Deb BakerWhen her neighbor is shot and killed, sixty-six-year-old widow Gertie Johnson seizes the opportunity to move on with her life by investigating his death. Gertie is abetted (and hindered) by her grandson Little Donny, man-hungry best friend Cora Mae, and word-of-the-day challenger, Kitty. It doesn’t help that the death has been ruled an accident by the sheriff of this backwoods community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Or that Sheriff Blaze Johnson happens to be Gertie’s son.Whether it’s interrogating neighbors, spying, or impersonating the FBI—not to mention staying one step ahead of Blaze—Gertie will do whatever it takes to solve the case, even when the killer takes aim at her.Murder On The Mind By L. L. BartlettAfter insurance investigator Jeff Resnick is viciously mugged, he discovers the resulting brain injury has left him able to sense people’s secrets. When his estranged half-brother, Richard, takes Jeff to the family home to recover, Jeff’s senses pick up clues to the recent vicious murder of a local banker. Despite Jeff’s mixed feelings about his new sixth sense, he feels compelled to explore the banker’s murder--using both his senses and his investigative skills, along with Richard’s reluctant help. Against the gritty setting of wintry Buffalo, NY, and a tormented family history of his own, unraveling the truth threatens Jeff’s--and Richard’s--life.Loose Screw by Rae DaviesLucy Mathews, crime reporter turned antiques dealer, avoids confrontation like a home perm. She even lets a cat shove her around.When Lucy trips over the body of a buckskin-clad relics trader, her ex-boss asks her to cover the story. She tries to tell him no, but old habits die hard and soon she finds herself directly in the path of a killer and the exasperating, if attractive, detective in charge.Can Lucy catch a killer or is this the last confrontation for her—period?Still Life With Murder by P.B. RyanBook #1 of P.B. Ryan’s bestselling historical mystery series featuring Boston governess Nell Sweeney and opium-smoking former battle surgeon Will Hewitt. Long thought to have died during the Civil War, Will is arrested for murder, and it's up to Nell to prove his innocence.“P.B. Ryan makes a stunning debut with Still Life With Murder, bringing Nineteenth Century Boston alive, from its teeming slums to the mansions on Boston Common, and populating it with a vivid and memorable cast of characters. The fascinating heroine, Nell Sweeney, immediately engages the reader and I couldn’t put the book down until I discovered the truth along with her. I can’t wait for the next installment.” —Bestselling author Victoria Thompson

    Good at hiding the truth. So when Ben and Reid find each other again after years apart, they're surprised when the last thing they want to say is goodbye. And when Ben's sister gets engaged, asking Reid to be his wedding date feels like the right thing to do. In fact, everything about being with Reid feels right.But when an unexpected announcement turns them from second chance boyfriends to fake fiancés, their relationship ignites in lies. Soon, both Ben and Reid are faced with the ultimate decision, one that will define their lives forever. Is their accidental engagement worth losing a future together? Because even though a wedding may be easy to fake, Ben and Reid are beginning to realize their hearts don't lie as easily. Get ready to fall in love with Anything But Real, the perfect summer beach read with the perfect happily ever after.

    But ten years later, I’m getting my second chance. Adrian: The last time I saw Josh, we had just finished high school. He was whip-smart, funny, and different from anyone I’d ever known. When we kissed, I realized things about myself I’d never known. But then I made a mistake that changed everything, and I didn’t see him for ten years. When I inherited my family’s hotel, I was forced to move back home… and find that Josh was working in my own hotel. When I last saw him we were barely older than kids, but now, Josh is every bit a man. He’s sexy and irresistible, and I can’t keep my hands off him. One small problem: I’m supposed to be finding a wife, like the wealthy, elite hotel investors expect me to. Josh: Seeing Adrian again was like a slap in the face… a fiery-hot, intoxicating one. I shouldn’t like him. I know it’s bad, and I know he’s been living the past ten years as a straight man. But he understands me like nobody else does, and I still remember the taste of his lips, the feel of his hands along my body. The last ten years were a whirlwind of partying and drugs, and all I want now is to live a simple, easy life. But Adrian threatens to change that all when he winds up in my bed--and wants me to keep the whole thing secret. Adrian has to pick between me and his family legacy, but I can’t wait around forever. Will he be able to save his family’s hotel and still be mine? Still Yours is a 85,000-word gay romance about falling in love for the second time. It features a big dysfunctional family, misty fall nights, and steamy scenes in and out of a posh hotel. It’s the first book set in Mistview Heights, but can also be read as a standalone novel.

    One day, a good-looking underclassman, Aizaki, happens to see him getting molested...Aizaki asks him, "can I molest you tomorrow onward?" Since that day, Aizaki's intense molesting begun with Aizaki verbally abusing him, using sex toys, and teasing. "What are you doing making a mess in a train, Senpai?"What is going to happen to Matsui with Aizaki's molesting play that gets harder and harder everyday?

    That's all he's hoping for when he meets Greg, his new live-in chef. Flamboyant and confident, Greg attracts Anton immediately, and he finds himself wanting to know Greg better. Much better. It's not just a normal attraction for Anton. He's an unusual man, with unusual desires, and Greg seems to be filling a place in Anton's life that he's never explored. Anton prefers to be a civilized man and not let his werewolf self run free, but it?s the wolf that wants to claim Greg for a mate. Someone disapproves of Anton's relationship with Greg. Someone close to Anton, someone inside his carefully controlled household. As he and Greg come closer and closer to mating for life, the danger gets nearer, forcing them to depend on each other to stay safe, and for Greg to stay sane. Can Anton convince Greg that his wolf would never hurt him and keep Greg safe from the menace outside their relationship, too? Sexy, razor sharp and fast-paced, Bite will keep your heart racing!

    But Jason is not that fresh-faced and untried boy from Canada anymore. Jason is a man with half a decade of bad memories and worse nightmares. His friends think he's crazy, or possibly just plain stupid, but Jason needs to make his dream real in order to face his past.Everything changes when Jason picks up an unexpected travel companion. Suddenly, it's not his past that Jason needs to confront, it's his future.Part coming-of-age tale, part romance, part travel yarn, Adagio paints a heartwarming picture of a fledgling relationship between two very different men against the lush backdrop of Australia's natural wonders.

    David's sheltered upbringing has left him socially awkward, a 80s fashion sense and a stick-thin physique. Matt decides to look out for the daydreaming student and teaches about some of the things he has missed out on. They quickly become best friends. However, David's feelings for Matt grow deeper than just friendship. After a awkward encounter with a girl Matt sets him up with, David knows he only wants on thing. But will David convince Matt to succumb to their desires? Or will it all end in disaster?

    Michael, immediately smitten with the sulky and sexy man, lays a plan to first become his new roomer, then his business partner.But Simon, stricken by his recent loss, is having none of Michael’s undisguised interest.Not a man to be deterred easily from a goal, Michael sets about winning Simon’s affection. That particular battle is almost as difficult as tracking down the murderer of his predecessor, a nosy detective who was getting too close to the crimes of an evil person.Simon spends more time ducking Michael’s advances than actually finding clues and solving the mystery. Inquiring minds want to know—how hard is Simon really trying to avoid Michael? And Michael isn’t hiding his forthright urges, but what secret is he hiding?NOTE: This story is part of The Gaslight Mysteries series.

    He doesn't do partners, and now he's stuck with this guy named Finn. But Finn is so many different people. He can become anyone for his work. Which is the real Finn—the frightened pretty boy, the arrogant little bastard, or the friendly, humble guy who laughs at Shad's jokes? Shad also doesn't hook up with anyone. He's been burned before and now only wants a trustworthy partner in a committed relationship. Unfortunately, he's falling for Finn…. Then life takes an unexpected turn. Shad ends up in a relationship with Finn that should be all he's ever wanted. Except for the sex. It takes time for Finn to heal enough to go to bed with him, and even then, it feels wrong somehow, as if he's not really there. But why? Danger draws close, and secrets come out—secrets Finn never wanted to share. Is there still a way to make the relationship work? Shad needs to find out just as much as he needs to protect the man he's come to love. The man who might be in terrible danger…. Length: 35,000 words Heat level: low-medium Themes: gay romance, undercover cops, abuse survivor, sweet romance, tenderness, angst Includes short excerpts from the author's two upcoming stories: "Fireproof," and "A Wizard's Shelter."