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Earth & Heaven


Sue Gee - 2001
    has dared to take on a difficult, grief-stricken period of English history, and done so with sensitivity and understanding; EARTH AND HEAVEN is the clever, compelling result' The Times

Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Debut


Rebecca Bratten Weiss - 2012
    In a massive change of lifestyle, former NYC fashion writer Catelyn Frank travels to Texas to start a doctorate in Catholic Thomistic philosophy and search for Truth, Beauty, and the Perfect Guy.

The Christmas Contract


Jan Romes - 2013
    While he's generous with his money, he also makes the community work for it. He's the same with his family. No free handouts. What he gives has strings attached. Dax decides it's time for his fiercely independent, almost-thirty year old granddaughters to settle down. He wants them to find love and give him great-grandchildren before his lights go out. And he knows how to make it happen. Prompted by love, guilt and a desire to own their own business, the Dawson triplets -- Joy, Noelle and Christi -- enter into a Christmas contract that will change their lives forever. Finding true love is a unique adventure, so each girl has their own story. The outcome for all three, however, funnels into one giant happily-ever-after.

The Billionaire Is Conned


Kyra Radcliff - 2021
    A beautiful and brilliant entrepreneur, she’s no stranger to tragedy. But instead of letting grief consume her, she’s dedicated her life to helping others. Now, in addition to running an exclusive health resort, she has a successful career as a life coach, with a reputation for working miracles...And it will take a miracle to get through the gruff, surly shell of her latest client. To all outward appearances, Lyle Cunningham seems to have it all. He’s rich, handsome, and runs one of the biggest consumer businesses in the world. But behind his brooding good looks, this brash billionaire still carries the rage and betrayal of a broken heart, simmering just beneath the surface.When Lyle accepts a challenge to let Fifi streamline his fortune 500 company, the sparks begin to fly. Fifi is determined to prove that Lyle’s inability to trust is hurting his business. And Lyle is convinced that Fifi’s reputation is a sham designed to hustle unsuspecting victims like his mother. As he begins unravelling the mystery that’s Phoenix Jones, each discovery is another adrenalin-pumping twist on his rollercoaster ride. As their work takes them on a breath-taking tour of one of Europe’s most stunning cities, the guarded billionaire finds himself irresistibly drawn to Fifi’s beauty and free spirit...And they both know the dangers of giving in to the inevitable conflagration that’s threatening to consume them. But Fifi is keeping a rather large secret, one that can push Lyle over the edge. The question is … will he survive the fall? Or will it serve to convince him that he was right after all … never to trust?

The Fine Art of Fucking Up


Cate Dicharry - 2015
    Not even Jackson Pollock’s!Your archenemy taunts you with clandestine bacon frying. Your boss feverishly cyberstalks an aging romance novel cover model. Your husband unexpectedly takes in a wayward foreign national. Your best friend reveals a secret relationship with your longstanding workplace crush.Welcome to the life of Nina Lanning, lone and floundering administrator of a prestigious Midwestern art school. Her colleagues are pioneers of contemporary art movements, inspirational orators, creative virtuosos and the source of constant headaches as they rage against the authority Nina represents. They also happen to be her closest friends.When once-a-century flooding threatens to destroy the art building, and the priceless Jackson Pollock trapped inside, Nina and her ragtag band of faculty members undertake to rescue the early work of the splatter master. Propelled by disasters both natural and personal, Nina must confront her colleagues, her husband, and most importantly, herself. Cate Dicharry’s debut novel is a painfully hysterical examination of what is truly worth saving, and mastering the art of letting go.

Poppyland


Raffaella Barker - 2008
    Both of them are loners, damaged by tragedy in their lives, both sceptical about love. But they have a connection that can't be broken, which takes them from their separate lives to Norfolk, where they both end up at the same time, bound together by a family event that neither of them knew the other was connected with.Romantic, elegiac, absorbing and quixotic, this love story for difficult people is a testament to the power of attraction. It's about the sea and land, about the past and how it shapes our futures, about how we find the right person to be with - a truly universal story.

Sinuhe the Egyptian: A Novel by Mika Waltari Summary & Study Guide


BookRags - 2011
    74 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Sinuhe the Egyptian: A Novel. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on Sinuhe the Egyptian: A Novel by Mika Waltari.

Hot and Bothered: A Novel


Annie Downey - 2006
    He’s a rat, anyway, and currently attends Sex Addicts Anonymous. He still comes by the house, though, as do her hippie, macrobiotic mother; her feisty, alcoholic best friend; her God-fearing grandmother; and that Perfect Guy, the one with the beatific son who plays with her daughter, the one who happens to have a winning smile, wild black hair, a professorship at Harvard—and (drats!) a gorgeous doctor girlfriend. Told in short takes that perfectly mimic the frantic nature of our busy lives, Hot and Bothered follows its heroine through the streets of Cambridge, where she spends far too much time staring into space and sipping mocha lattes with extra whipped cream; to church, where she prays for a little salvation; to Alaska, where she believes a rugged outdoorsman might just be that salvation; and to Cape Cod, where, in a little house by the sea, she might finally see the light. Annie Downey has written an updated Cinderella story for all single moms.

Two Kinds of Wonderful


Isla Dewar - 2001
    She did not know that her children would not understand, would not forgive her. She had one moment of joy, shutting the door, leaving, followed by ten years of guilt.Then the death of the family matriarch Nan reunites Roz, now with a career, a flat and a lover, with her family. Histrionic Zoe and infuriatingly laid-back Jamie arrive on her doorstep. Suddenly Roz is a mother again. A human soup is stirred, and dark family secrets are revealed. But Roz soon realises that her children have only returned to her so that, in the proper scheme of things, they can leave her. Rather than she leaving them.

Review of Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project


Expert Book Reviews - 2014
    Go to this entry on GoodReads if you wish to add the book by Graeme Simsion.

A Simple Life


Rosie Thomas - 1985
    Hidden beneath the comfortable family life she shares with her successful husband Matthew and their two sons lies a shameful secret that has haunted Dinah for fifteen years. She and Matt never speak of it or the impossible choice he forced her to make all those years ago: they think the cracks have been papered over.But when a chance encounter brings the past into sharp focus once more, Dinah realises she can no longer deny the truth. She decides to risk everything - her husband, her sons, her perfect lifestyle, in order to claim what was always hers.

Squeaky Clean Mysteries, #4-6


Christy Barritt - 2013
    Dirty Deeds (#4), The Scum of All Fears (#5), and To Love, Honor, and Perish (#6) Dirty Deeds “Promise me one thing. No snooping. Just for one week.” Gabby St. Claire knows that her fiancé’s request is a simple one that she should be able to honor. After all, Riley’s law school reunion and attorneys’ conference at a hoity-toity resort is a chance for them to get away from the mysteries Gabby often finds herself involved in as a crime scene cleaner. The weeklong trip is a chance for them to be “normal,” a word that leaves a bad taste in Gabby’s mouth. But Gabby finds herself alone for endless hours while Riley is busy with legal workshops. Then one of Riley’s old friends goes missing, and Gabby suspects one of Riley’s buddies might be behind the disappearance. When the missing woman’s mom asks Gabby for help, how can she say no? Secrets abound. Gabby even has some of her own. When the dirty truth comes out, the revelations put everything in jeopardy—relationships, trusts, and even lives. The Scum of All Fears “I’ll get out, and I’ll get even.” Gabby St. Claire is back to crime-scene cleaning, at least temporarily. With her business partner on his honeymoon, she needs help after a weekend killing spree fills up her work docket. She quickly realizes she has bigger problems than finding temporary help. A serial killer her fiancé, a former prosecutor, put behind bars has escaped. His last words to Riley were: I’ll get out, and I’ll get even. Pictures of Gabby are found in the man’s prison cell, and Riley fears the sadistic madman has Gabby in his sights. Gabby tells herself there’s no way the Scum River Killer will make it across the country from California to Virginia without being caught. But then messages are left for Gabby at crime scenes, and someone keeps slipping in and out of her apartment. When Gabby’s temporary assistant disappears, Gabby must figure out who’s behind these crimes. The search for answers becomes darker when Gabby realizes she’s dealing with a criminal who’s more than evil. He’s truly the scum of the earth, and he’ll do anything to make Gabby and Riley’s lives a living nightmare. To Love, Honor, and Perish How could God let this happen? Just when crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s life is on the right track, the unthinkable happens. Gabby’s fiancé, Riley Thomas, is shot and remains in life-threatening condition only a week before their wedding. Gabby is determined to figure out who pulled the trigger, even if investigating puts her own life at risk. But as she digs deeper into the facts surrounding the case, she discovers secrets better left alone. Doubts arise in her mind and the one man with answers is on death’s doorstep. An old foe from the past returns and tests everything Gabby is made of—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Will her soul survive the challenges ahead? Or will everything she’s worked for be destroyed?

The Mysteries of Max: Books 1-3


Nic Saint - 2017
    He may look like your regular ginger flabby tabby, but unlike most tabbies, he can actually communicate with his human, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette Odelia Poole. Max takes a keen interest in the goings-on in their small town, by snooping around with his best friends Dooley, a not-too-bright ragamuffin, and Harriet, a gorgeous white Persian. Their regular visits to the police station, the barbershop and the doctor’s office provide them with those precious and exclusive scoops that have made Odelia the number one reporter in town. Purrfect Murder When the body of a bestselling writer is discovered buried in the last Long Island outhouse, and a new policeman arrives in town to solve the murder, it looks like things are about to change in Hampton Cove. Detective Chase Kingsley doesn’t take kindly to nosy reporters like Odelia snooping around his crime scene or interviewing his suspects. And to make matters worse, he’s got a cat of his own in Brutus, a buff, black bully, who, just like his owner, likes to lay down the law. Soon Brutus isn’t just restricting access to the police station, but he’s putting the moves on Harriet, breaking up the band.

 Now it’s all Odelia, Max and Dooley can do to try and solve the murder, in spite of Detective Kingsley’s and Brutus’s protestations, and show the overbearing cop and his bullyragging feline how things are done in Hampton Cove. Purrfectly Deadly When famous eighties pop star John Paul George is found floating facedown in his pool, Hampton Cove’s premier sleuthing tabby Max and his feline friends are on the case. Soon they’re chasing leads and following clues, helping their human Odelia Poole, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette, solve the murder.

 Meanwhile, new cop in town Chase Kingsley has his own problems to deal with. An old scandal threatens to get him kicked off the force. And even though Odelia and Chase don’t always see eye to eye, she decides to help him clear his name, even if it means keeping Chase’s cat Brutus, Max’s self-declared nemesis, in town.

 Soon Max is up to his whiskers in drug dealers, boy toys, disgruntled ex-wives and even more drug dealers, all while competing with Brutus for the title of Hampton Cove’s one and only ‘true detective.’ Purrfect Revenge Blorange tabby Max and ragamuffin Dooley are on the case again. This time a world-famous reality star has been found murdered in her own bed, and it looks like the crime just might be terror-related. The Kenspeckles, stars of the well-known reality show Keeping Up with the Kenspeckles, are in town to film a new season of their show, so the case soon turns into a complete media circus, with the Kenspeckles insisting the entire investigation is filmed for their show.

 Odelia Poole, Hampton Cove’s premier reporter, teams up with Detective Chase Kingsley to catch the killer, but with cameras filming their every move, and every Kenspeckle a suspect, they’re not making a lot of progress. Good thing Odelia’s cats Max and Dooley can sneak around undetected, tracking leads and hunting clues. But first they have to pacify Shana’s French Bulldog Kane, who just might be in possession of the clue that breaks the case. And they have to outsmart Chase’s black tabby Brutus, who has his own reasons to find the killer.

Dubai Wives


Zvezdana Rashkovich - 2011
    The lives of eight women collide in this opulent, culturally vibrant city on a journey of sisterhood, friendship, love, betrayal and the heartbreaking choices of its residents. We see Jewel, a beautiful but frustrated wife to her powerful Emirati husband, and Tara, a devout Muslim torn between passion and her faith, and Liliana, a tragic dancer in the seedy clubs of Dubai.A stirring tale encompassing, tradition, identity, and faith, Dubai Wives takes the reader into the hidden world behind the walls of lavish mansions and into the back alleys of Dubai, from the hills of Morocco to the glittering lights of the Burj Al Arab. It paints a portrait of a world where no one is who they seem to be...and where everything is possible.

The Birthday Girls


Pauline Lawless - 2013
    Their friendship has now lasted thirty-five years. As their birthdays all fall in the same week they long ago made a pact to spend each big decade birthday together. So far they'd managed it. Now as their thirty-ninth birthday looms, Angel, a famous Hollywood actress, announces that this will be her last birthday. Terrified of aging, she absolutely refuses to turn forty. So Lexi, the mother hen of the group and an artist, invites them to Florida for a week-long celebration of this, their last birthday together. Brenda, mother to five grown-up children, flies in from Dublin, eagerly looking forward to her first foreign holiday ever. Mel, however, has to be prised away from New York where she is a successful partner in a law firm - she is a workaholic with no other friends or love in her life. The four come together for the celebration but soon things start to unravel and the week ends disastrously. Lexi is distraught. Can their friendship endure? Only time will tell.