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

    Gabriel is also caught up in his mysterious past, which seems likely to cause even more trouble. Yet the attraction between Amandine and her handsome lover is more intense than ever, and their encounters grow more and more sensual.

    

     BREAK MY FALL When eighteen year old Lee Bennett moves in with her childhood friend Camryn, the last person she thought she'd meet was Kyle Carter. Kyle is everything Lee's been warned to stay away from, yet everything she's drawn to. His boldness, flirtatious nature and jaw dropping good looks have Lee's head in a spin, and she cant seem to stay away. But the secrets of her past still haunt her, which makes her attraction to Kyle all the more scary... Kyle Carter can't keep his eyes off his hot new room-mate, or his hands. Lee is fresh and innocent, and everything Kyle knows he can't have. But that doesn't stop him from wanting her. The pressure of living together, combined with their sizzling chemistry, fuels their unstoppable liaison. Both know they shouldn't be together, yet can't bear to be apart. They fall into a twisted affair of love, passion and deceit. Kyle's on/off girlfriend Rachel has a hold on Kyle. She holds a dark secret of his past over him, that threatens to tear apart his relationship with Lee apart. The first girl he cared about. Lies, deceit, passion and first love fuel together in their tumultuous relationship. Can Kyle break free from the bonds that hold him to Rachel? Can Lee forgive the indiscretion and lies. And will Kyle Carter be the man who can break her fall? FALL TO PIECES Kyle Carter was never going to be an easy man to love. Lee Bennett knew that from their very first encounter, but the secrets of his past have exploded in Lee's face putting an end to their explosive love affair. Pregnant and homeless, Lee must try to find a way to live side by side with the man who destroyed her. The very man she is still desperately in love with, but can never trust. But Kyle isn't about to give up on the girl he loves. Hell bent on winning Lee back, Kyle will stop at nothing in his quest. But even more tests, trials and tribulations face the pair, as Rachel's attempts at sabotaging Lee step up an explosive notch, and Camryn and Derek cause more harm than good in the house. And Kyle's brother Mike, is he truly looking for friendship, or has he an ulterior motive? Will they cope with impending parenthood? Kyle and Lee's romance continues in this spicy novel full of lies, deceit, anguish, sex and passion. Will Lee and Kyle finally get together, or will someone always get in their way.

    And my first kiss.Now he’s back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It’s payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.EVEN BETTERA story about how coming together can break us apart…An old military friend of Blue’s comes to stay with us, and suddenly I have two muscled men surrounding me. Before I can take a breath, we’re diving into something dirty together — something dangerous. Dangerous because three is a crowd.This is Blue’s best friend, and one of us will have to leave.

     Audiobook lovers can also get all three books in one big, 24-hour-long bundle! Narrated by Zachary Webber, Amy McFadden and Tanya Eby. Give your ears something to look forward to!

    Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling. Download a FREE sneak peek today!When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux—only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is—and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    A. Jance.Trial by FireIn the heat of the Arizona desert, a raging fire pushes temperatures to a deadly degree, and one woman is left to burn. Pulled naked and barely breathing from the fire, the victim has no idea who she is, let alone who would do this to her—or why. Then a savior appears. Sister Anselm is a devoted advocate for unidentified patients, but to Jane Doe’s remorseless would-be killer, she poses a serious threat. Ali Reynolds, the police department’s new media consultant, struggles to help Sister Anselm locate the missing relatives. But their efforts may be exposing the victim once more to danger. In the fearless pursuit of justice, Ali discovers a secret even darker and more twisted than she ever could have imagined.Fatal ErrorAli Reynolds begins the summer thinking her most difficult challenge will be surviving a six-week-long course as the lone forty-something female at the Arizona Police Academy. However, when Brenda Riley, a former colleague, shows up in town with an alcohol problem and an unlikely story about a missing fiancé, Ali reluctantly agrees to help. But when the man posing as Brenda’s fiancé is viciously murdered and the police focus their investigation on Brenda, Ali is quickly drawn into a web of online intrigue that may lead to a real-world fatal error.Left for DeadWhen one of Ali’s former Arizona Police Academy classmates is gunned down and left to die, he is at first assumed to be an innocent victim of the violent drug cartels. But the crime scene investigation reveals there’s much more to the story. Summoned to his hospital bedside, Ali meets another seriously injured victim—an unidentified young woman, presumed to be an illegal border crosser, who was raped and savagely beaten. Ali is determined to seek justice in both cases. But as she zeroes in on the truth, the real killer is lining her up in the crosshairs…

    A Scientology Publication.

    Box: Back of Beyond Cody Hoyt, although a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his friend Hank Winters turns up dead in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like suicide, but Cody knows Hank better than that. As Cody digs deeper into the case, all roads lead to foul play. After years of bad behavior with his department, Cody in no position to be investigating a homicide. But he will stop at nothing to find out who murdered Hank. And why... The Highway When two sisters set out across a remote stretch of Montana road to visit their friend, little do they know it will be the last time anyone might ever hear from them again. The girls—and their car—simply vanish. Convinced by his son and his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, former police investigator Cody Hoyt begins the drive to the girls' last known location. As Cody makes his way to the stretch of highway where they went missing, Cassie discovers that Gracie and Danielle Sullivan aren't the first girls who have disappeared in this area. This majestic landscape is the hunting ground for a killer. Can Cassie overcome her doubts and lack of experience and use her innate skill? Can Cody Hoyt battle his own demons and find this killer before another victim vanishes on the highway?BadlandsTwelve-year-old Kyle Westergaard dreams of getting out of Grimstad and leading a better life. One day, while delivering newspapers, he witnesses a car accident and takes a mysterious bundle from the scene. Suddenly he’s in possession of a lot of money—and packets of white powder—and Kyle can’t help but wonder whether his luck has changed…for better or for worse. When a gang war heats up, it’s up to Cassie Dewell to help restore law and order. As she is propelled on a collision course with a murderous enemy, she finds that the key to it all might come in the most unlikely form: a boy on a bike named Kyle. He seems to know something that Cassie does not about what lies beneath the surface of this small and troubled town… Paradise Valley For three years, Investigator Cassie Dewell has been on a hunt for a serial killer known as the Lizard King whose hunting grounds are the highways and truck stops where runaways and prostitutes are most likely to vanish. Cassie almost caught him...once. Now, she has set what she believes is the perfect trap. But the plan goes horribly wrong, and the blame falls on Cassie. Disgraced, she loses her job. At the same time, Kyle Westergaard, has disappeared and Kyle's grandmother begs Cassie to find him. Cassie agrees—all the while hunting the truck driver. Kyle's disappearance may have a more sinister meaning than anyone realizes. With no allies, no support, and only her own wits to rely on, Cassie must take down a killer who is as ruthless as he is cunning.

    Offering Gemma a job to decorate his new home means she has to come to him. And on his territory, the Aussie knows he can easily woo her into his bed. But this Westmoreland woman is no pushover. If Callum is to get what he wants—as always—the millionaire just might have to utter those three little words first. A WIFE FOR A WESTMORELAND A Night to Remember… For weeks, Derringer Westmoreland is haunted by memories of a woman whose face he cannot recall. But he wants and needs to share their intense passion again. When he finally tracks down his mystery woman, he is blown away by surprise. Lucia Conyers is his sister-in-law's best friend and his fantastic one-night stand! And she refuses to become one of Derringer's women. For the first time in his charmed life, the rancher has some persuading to do. And if he wants to win Lucia's heart, he must be ready to risk his own….

    At extreme personal risk, Shirazi undertakes his assignment. A native Farsi speaker whose family escaped from Iran in 1979, he couldn’t be better prepared for the mission. But none of his training has prepared Shirazi for what will happen next. An obscure religious cleric is suddenly hailed throughout the region as the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders, spread like wildfire, as do rumors of a new and horrific war. With the prophecy of the Twelfth Imam seemingly fulfilled, Iran’s leaders prepare to strike Israel and bring about the End of Days. Shirazi must take action, but the clock is ticking.The Tehran Initiative: The world is on the brink of disaster, and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as the Twelfth Imam—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second Holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.Damascus Countdown: 2014 “Christian Retailing’s Best” award finalist!All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. U.S. President William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.

    He only has 24 hours before he returns to stone.Can he convince her to spend it with him?BLAZE - A computer geek turned rock star…Mike is good at playing with two things--numbers and his guitar. People, not so much. So when he stumbles upon two women having fun in the shadows at an underground club, and a bouncer urges him to get one to safety, he's not sure how to respond. But, when he discovers she's been bitten and her neck is bleeding, something wakes inside of him.He's compelled to protect her. But--why?

    But soon the sexy sheriff isn’t laughing. Someone—or something—is stalking the beautiful defense lawyer, turning her once-grand mansion into a house of horrors. The Betrayed One day on the job and contractor Zach Sargent is ready to believe the dilapidated old LeBeau mansion is haunted. Some intruder—earthly or not—is threatening the youngest LeBeau sister, back to claim her inheritance. And though Danae keeps her distance from the sexy hired hand, he falls for her in a heartbeat. The ReunionBodyguard to an heiress is Tyler Duhan’s idea of hell. The steely, sexy ex-marine has heard—and dismissed—the gossip about the haunted old LeBeau mansion and its “cursed” heiresses. Now headstrong Joelle has arrived to reunite with her long-lost sisters. And as much as he wants her, he needs to keep his distance—or suffer the fatal consequences.

     This sizzling-hot collection features THREE full-length military romances: Getting Hotter, Hotter Than Ever and Feeling Hot, along with TWO BONUS NOVELLAS (A Little Bit of Hot and Hot Zone), available only in this boxed set.