Book picks similar to
Lost in the City of Flowers by Maria C. Trujillo


historical
first-reads
historical-fiction
fiction

Juliet


Anne Fortier - 2010
    But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy. This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it? From Anne Fortier comes a sweeping, beautifully written novel of intrigue and identity, of love and legacy, as a young woman discovers that her own fate is irrevocably tied—for better or worse—to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.

Camelot's Cousin: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy


David R. Stokes - 2012
    Its contents include a journal with cryptic writing. He turns to his friend, and boss, Templeton Davis, a Rhodes scholar, popular national radio talk show host, and best-selling author of spy novels and history books, for help figuring out what he's found. They soon realize that they possess materials concealed more than 60 years earlier before by Soviet intelligence and espionage agent, Kim Philby--and also clues to the last great secret of the Cold War. There was another highly placed spy. Someone never discovered--until now. This traitor had unique access to the White House, and was perfectly positioned to influence President John F. Kennedy as he faced challenge after challenge in the era now remembered as Camelot.Templeton Davis becomes obsessed with a story so many found in the spy books he loves to read and write. And some of those very espionage spy thrillers come in handy. The trail of mystery and suspense leads to a picturesque town in Vermont, the streets of New York City, the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and most importantly, Oxford, England. He learns that the beautiful city of spires on the Thames was once also a city of spies.

The Oxford spies may never have reached the level of public notoriety as those from that other British academic stronghold--Cambridge. But clearly the story had never been completely known--or told. And it was a very dangerous mine of intelligence and espionage detail in which to dig, a fact borne out by a couple of suspicious deaths left in the wake of Templeton Davis's travels. 

Davis discovers that during the Cuban Missile Crisis, secrets were being betrayed at the highest levels. And what he learned also connected to a time of great sorrow for mankind--the Kennedy assassination.

 At a crucial moment, Templeton Davis develops a bond borne of necessity with a beautiful young woman from Russia, someone with her own secrets. And when what she knows is combined with what the famous broadcaster has learned, the two unlikely heroes find themselves in danger, yet poised to rock the world. Camelot's Cousin: An Espionage Thriller is a page-turner for readers who enjoy suspense thrillers and mysteries.

Glimmers


Barbara Brooke - 2012
    She can’t explain how or why, but special moments exist inside beloved trinkets — clinging to a letter, a ring, even a worn-out pair of boots. With a simple touch of a cherished token, Paige can relive someone else’s memory, see the world through her eyes, and feel her deepest emotions. When Paige returns from each event, or “glimmer,” a small part of her has changed. Who is this gourmet cook, fashion designer, feisty lover? And how can she explain all of this to her family without their assuming she’s lost her mind? Paige thinks her new talent is a gift … until she’s transported into her sister’s memory and catches a glimmer of her secret life. QUANTUM LEAP meets THE NOTEBOOK meets BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY meets PRIDE AND PREJUDICE when Paige witnesses true love through the eyes of three extraordinary women. Awards include silver-medal winner in the Global Ebook Awards 2013, first place in the eLit Book Awards 2013, runner-up in the New York Book Festival 2012, finalist in the Prize Writer Competition 2015, and finalist in the Kindle Book Reviews Best Indie Books of 2013.

Maniac on the Loose


Steve Hudgins - 2018
    Fearing that he'll lose his job if word gets out, the head of the hospital, Dr. Franklin Grimm desperately attempts to cover up the escape. Meanwhile, there is a Maniac on the Loose.

The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter


Craig Lancaster - 2014
    Thirty-seven years old, soft around the middle, and broke, he’s plummeted from his glory days of title fights to small-time bouts against brawlers and punks. Watching ringside for nearly twenty years has been Mark Westerly, a sportswriter who has struggled to keep a professional distance from the man whose life and career have become enmeshed with his own tumultuous trajectory. Hugo and Mark share a history that runs deep and has at times gotten ugly. As Hugo lands on the ropes again, Mark steps in to try to save him—and unburdens himself of long-held secrets regarding Hugo’s past. But can these two men, who’ve lived so long under the weight of their own tragedies, finally help each other find redemption?

Promise Me This


Cathy Gohlke - 2012
    Determined to carry out his promise to care for Owen's relatives in America and his younger sister, Annie, in England, Michael works hard to strengthen the family's New Jersey garden and landscaping business. Annie Allen doesn't care what Michael promised Owen. She only knows that her brother is gone--like their mother and father--and the grief is enough to swallow her whole. As Annie struggles to navigate life without Owen, Michael reaches out to her through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when Owen did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected. Just as Michael saves enough money to bring Annie to America, WWI erupts in Europe. When Annie's letters mysteriously stop, Michael risks everything to fulfill his promise--and find the woman he's grown to love--before she's lost forever.

Sliding Beneath the Surface


Doug Dillon - 2011
    Augustine, Florida, teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.

Deceived


L.A. Starkey - 2014
    But what if you had two soul mates, which would you choose? What if your choices had eternal ramification?Deceived, the debut novel in the Soul Keeper Series, is a modern day love story about the implications of having more than one soul mate, and having to choose between the two of them. The decisions of the gods has left the next generation, their heirs, torn between fate and reality, and the balance of the future hangs in anticipation of what's to come.

Daughter of Time


Sarah Woodbury - 2011
    He saves her, and she in turn saves him, thanks to her knowledge of future events. Although powerful forces seek to divide them, by working together, Meg and Llywelyn have a chance to navigate the dangerous and shifting alliances that constantly undermine his rule and threaten the very existence of Wales — and to create a future in which Llywelyn's death does not come too soon.Daughter of Time is a stand-alone novel within the world of the After Cilmeri series. Other books in the series include Footsteps in Time and Prince of Time.

Bacchanal


Veronica Henry - 2021
    But the carnival’s newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come.Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.

The Light Tamer


Devyn Dawson - 2012
    Now that Jessie and her mom are living with her grandma, she finds out the split up of her parents is more complicated than she thought. Living in a retirement community is not how she wanted the summer before her junior year to start. Things begin to look up when she is reintroduced to Caleb, the boy that saved her life one summer at the beach. Caleb is no longer scrawny and nerdy, he is now tall, dark and handsome. The instant he shook her hand, she felt warm vibrations running through her veins. They soon learn what it means to be bound to one another. Fate is more than responsible for their meeting and their future together.This book is appropriate for young teens and people of all ages. Remember what it was like to kiss for the first time, or what it was like to fall in love. This paranormal romance will keep you on the edge of your seat with humor, romance, and determination. Fall head over heels for Caleb and Jessie.

Before Bethlehem


James Flerlage - 2013
    By accepting the Rabbi’s request, Joseph unknowingly thrusts himself and his family into a bitter and emotionally draining life-or-death conflict. Joseph fights to maintain his spiritual integrity while trying desperately to keep his family together and his farm alive. He and James witness abhorring violence at the hands of the Romans, and outlandish abuses of power by their own religious leaders. As his family’s faith and hopes are threatened by scandal and scorn, James struggles between the boy he is and the man he must become.Before Bethlehem is an eye-opening account of the Nativity story told in a suspenseful, historical context that dares to ask the question: If Joseph should have turned Mary over to be stoned, why didn’t he? His profound answer is one that forever changes the life of his son, James. And it may just change yours, as well."Readers who've enjoyed religious fiction from Taylor Caldwell and Francine Rivers will particularly enjoy." - Kirkus Reviews

Phobic


Cortney Pearson - 2014
    My house has a secret. A secret kept behind a closed door. A secret that led my mom to commit murder. Lately, the same secret has begun plaguing me. Voices ring out in the night. Visions appear of people dressed in sweeping ball gowns and elegant top hats, of quiet servants trapped in their love for each other, unable to be together because of their master's obsessive, cruel control--and it all leads back to my mom. Something terrifying happened, something my mom discovered. And the worst part is, I don't think it's over yet. My brother warns me not to open the door--even my best friend, Todd, tells me to ignore this impulse. But I'm tired of ghosts and secrets and lies. All along the answers have been at my fingertips, at the mere turn of a knob. All I have to do is open it. I mean, seriously, would you be able to resist?Hauntingly beautiful and daringly mysterious, if you like intrigue, the newness of first love, and the paranormal twist of the unexpected--all mixed in with a dash of spooky--then open the door to Cortney Pearson's Phobic today.

Arrival of the Traveler


A.L. Tyler - 2011
    Some rooms even seem to have been walled off completely. No one will talk to her. It's been a difficult year for Abilene Collins. Since her father's death, her whirlwind life of adventure and travel has come to an end. Now, she's living with her mysterious uncle. He's a man with secrets, living almost alone in a ridiculously large mansion that he doesn't own. He doesn't like questions, and when Lena starts asking about his job, it isn't hard to tell that he's keeping some family secrets from her. The young and ambitious groundskeeper has become her only friend, and one day he tells her that she was stolen from her mother years before. Lena's family are all telepathic, and that isn't all...they're a religious pillar of the Silenti society. Her grandfather has used his standing to gain political power, decimating his rivals along with anyone who gets in his way. Suddenly thrust into a life of political plots and religious fanatics, Lena finds herself struggling to navigate her own life. Some people aren't fond of the Darays, and the family has nearly died out through assassination. It appears Lena is the latest target.

About the Night


Anat Talshir - 2014
    Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.