Vegas Rich / Vegas Heat / Vegas Sunrise


Fern Michaels - 1996
    With its shifting sands, smoky saloons and bingo palaces, Las Vegas seems like a paradise. A paradise where an extraordinary twist of fate makes Sallie the most powerful businesswoman in Nevada. Suddenly she is rich. With the help of Philip Thornton, the handsome Bostonian, Sallie is transformed into Vegas's most elegant first lady. Philip gives her two sons, Simon and Ash. One will bring her great joy, the other, heartbreak.Vegas HeatThe powerful story of the Thornton dynasty. . . of Fanny's twin sons, Sage and Brich: alienated from each other, one is content in his conventional life while the other's search for happiness leads to tragedy - and renewed hope. It is the story of Fanny's two daughters: Sunny, betrayed by her husband, fighting a battle no woman should ever have to face. . . Billie, whose obsessive devotion to the Thorntons' children's clothing empire has kept her from finding love. It is also the story of Fanny's search for her own roots. . . and her relationship with Marcus Reed, the wealthy but mysterious businessman who promises her a passion she has been denied for too long.Vegas SunriseFanny Thornton, the proud matriarch of the Thornton dynasty, will do anything for her family. Her four children, now grown, mean everything to her, as does Babylon, the most dazzling casino in Las Vegas and the Thorntons' crowning achievement. But her children have dispersed across the globe, and so she chooses Jeff, the illegitimate son of her deceased husband, to run the casino. But Jeff has plans of his own, and soon devises a scheme to turn Fanny's four children against her. As the siblings vie for their rightful heritage, deceit, distrust, and thwarted dreams of power threaten to divide the Thorntons once and for all.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park II


Kevin Reynolds - 1997
    Jurassic Park, and, The lost world: the complete story, based on the screenplay by David Koep and Michale Crichton.

Justice for Blyss


Reina Torres - 2020
    She had her dolls just like most girls, but her dolls healed injured animals and went fishing. Real life was much more exciting and exhilarating, unless it involved Owen Mercier. 
When there was a gator that needed removing or a snake in someone’s house, the Game Wardens called Owen. He was as muscled as he was irritating, and that was a lot. 
Too handsome, too self-assured, too sexy. He was always telling her that she should give him a chance, but Owen had always been a magnet for women and Blyss found it hard to believe that he could be with one woman, her.
At least that’s what she thought until he saved her life. She had different problems after that. How is she going to keep herself safe from a man who already had her heart? And what happens when the criminals who’d tried to kill her in the first place need to stop her from exposing them?

Zerconian Warrior Series


Sadie Carter - 2016
    She never dreamed that relief would come in the form of a seven-foot tall, sexy alien. One who claimed she belonged to him. Delusional. Except, there was something pulling her to him… a deep, hot attraction she couldn’t deny. Dexanon Xa’a always thought his mate would be a sweet, obedient female. Instead, he was given a maddening, outspoken, outrageous female who didn’t comprehend the honor that had been bestowed on her. Dex might have a rockin’ body, but his ideas about women needed a total overhaul. And she was just the woman to do it. Alien Lover Being newly mated to an arrogant, bossy alien can certainly be trying at times. Luckily for Zoey, Dex also happens to the sexiest thing on two legs she’s ever met. He’s loyal, protective and boy, the things that alien can do with his hands, his mouth, his tongue… well, you get the idea. They should have been on their way to Zerconia in blissful happiness, to celebrate their mating. But somehow, things never seem to go to plan. Some of Dex’s warriors have gone missing. While he attempts to track them down, Zoey is busy just trying to keep herself out of trouble. Easier than it sounds. And really, she isn’t trying that hard. Alien Mate With all the drama and trouble behind her, Zoey is looking forward to arriving on Zerconia and settling down into a normal life as Dex’s mate. Normal? What was she thinking? There is nothing normal about being mated to a sinfully sexy, often times arrogant and overprotective Zerconian warrior. But then normal is overrated, right? Trouble follows Zoey to Zerconia, threatening her very life. But that pales in comparison to her biggest challenge yet… Her mother-in-law.

Crystal Seeker


Sophia Sharp - 2011
    A private, prestigious boarding school located on a beautiful, pristine island, it's everything she's ever dreamed of. If she could only stumble upon the right guy there, everything would be perfect.Following a rocky start, Tracy settles in and comes to love the island. Everyone is fascinated by the new girl, and Tracy is quick to make friends and meet not just one, but two different guys.However, it doesn't take long for her friends to help her discover a latent ability deep within herself... an ability that is unlike anything she's ever experienced.And her ability is coveted. There are others who would take advantage of her, to make use of her powers for their own gain. Suddenly, Tracy starts to realize that underneath her perfect little getaway might lurk a threat. A danger. And as she gets deeper and deeper involved, finds herself lost in a world of love, lies, and supernatural magic.

Never Say Never


Anjali Kirpalani - 2012
    To make matters worse, Nikita is in love with her best friend Aziza's boyfriend, Raghav Shetty, who is a radio jockey on the popular radio station, Spruce FM. And that's not all; Nikita doesn't even like, let alone love Deepak, the man she's in a relationship with! Tired of her life going nowhere, Nikita decides to change her life. On the night of her cousin Natasha's wedding, she makes a list of things she will never do. She vows to never marry for money, never doubt her abilities, never have feelings for an unavailable man, never stay in a relationship with someone she doesn't love, never get completely drunk in public and never wear velvet! But life seldom goes according to plan and Nikita learns that you should never say never...

What's Never Said


Susan Shapiro - 2015
    What if you find him—and he doesn’t remember you? In her captivating new novel, Susan Shapiro explores the perils of revisiting past passion. Lila Penn leaves Wisconsin for graduate school in the big city, where she falls for her professor Daniel Wildman. Decades after their tangled link, she arranges a tête-à-tête in downtown Manhattan. But the shocking encounter blindsides Lila, causing her to question her memory—and sanity. Switching between Greenwich Village and Tel Aviv, the saga unravels the sexual secret that’s haunted Daniel and Lila for thirty years.“Frank, darkly funny, entertaining...”—New York Times Book Review“A promiscuously readable guilty pleasure...”—Elle Magazine“Funny and original, with a soulfulness beneath the humor.”—Ian Frazier“Sly, candid, disarming...”—Pam Houston“Shapiro’s voice is so passionate and honest,it’s bewitching.”—Erica Jong“Irresistible energy, winning humor... breathtakingly frank honesty.”—Philip Lopate“Unputdownable.”—Gael GreenePublisher’s Weekly, October 2015:In raw and elegant prose, Shapiro (Five Men Who Broke My Heart) sensitively examines the subject of the one who got away—and what happens when you try to revisit an old romance. When brash, naive graduate student Lila Lerner arrives in New York City from Baraboo, Wisc., she immediately falls for her poetry professor, Daniel Wildman, who is 20 years her senior. As the tale opens, a now-happily married Lila attends the book signing of her former love, and is appalled when he doesn't seem to recognize her. But is his forgetfulness real, or simply a defense mechanism? Shapiro then leads the reader into the past, skillfully illustrating why Daniel's reaction is so upsetting to Lila and even leads her to think that her own memory is faulty. The author deftly toggles through decades, opening in 2010 and often moving to the early '80s, and from New York City to Israel, telling the story from Daniel's point of view as well as Lila's—lending empathy to a character who could have been the stereotypical older man taking advantage of a younger woman. Shapiro's witty, flawed characters leap off the page, showing the before, during, and after of a love affair. Library Journal, October 15, 2015: Lila Penn came to New York City from Wisconsin in 1980 as an idealistic young student in a graduate writing program. She fell in love with the city and with her professor and mentor, Daniel Wildman, but their relationship ended abruptly when he left for Tel Aviv. Professor Wildman turned out to be more indecisive than wild, and Lila was very young. Now, 30 years later, both are happily married to other people. But is there still a spark between the former student and her much older professor? Forward to 2010: Wildman has just won a Pulitzer Prize for his writing. Lila nervously decides to go to his reading and book signing, but it doesn't go well. Could it be that her former love doesn't even remember her? This wistful story of love and poetry is told from the viewpoints of both characters, then and now. Shapiro (Overexposed) is especially clever in her portrayal of the petty dramas and rivalries of creative writing programs. VERDICT This wry look back at a complicated and doomed romance is a sophisticated and witty novel about academia and New York publishing.—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

What in God's Name


Simon Rich - 2012
    For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him. When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs -- uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks -- and they refuse to accept that earth is going under. The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them -- and the rest of us, too.

Eve of Man


Giovanna Fletcher - 2018
    . .All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past.But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate.Until she meets Bram.Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom.But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?EVE OF MAN is the first in an explosive new trilogy by bestselling authors Giovanna & Tom Fletcher.

Of Love and Life: Can You Keep a Secret? / If My Father Loved Me / Blessed are the Cheesemakers


Sophie Kinsella - 2003
    Three novels selected and condensed by Reader's Digest.

The Hope Valley Hubcap King


Sean Murphy - 2002
    Bibi, the first male in twelve generations of Browns not to have taken his own life, has a furious crush on a beautiful nine-fingered woman and an unbearable urge to understand the meaning of Time, the Universe, and America. So Bibi begins his quest--careening through a world of bizarre cults, gravity-defying crones, and lunatics of every stripe--all for a chance to meet his long-lost uncle Otto, a legendary junk-dealer who lives on the Hope Valley Hubcap Ranch. Because in a world that is spinning a little too fast, and a little too wildly, Bibi’s destiny is to find the essence of hope, the beauty of hubcaps, and the meaning of life in the Valley of the Hubcap King....With a touch of Candide, a dash of Don Quixote, and healthy dose of Zen, Sean Murphy’s wondrous, riotous novel is the story of an ordinary man searching through a hilariously off-kilter world--for the truths that might just save us all.From the Paperback edition.

His Blushing Bride


Emily Tilton - 2020
    The humiliating chastisement leaves her with blushing cheeks and a burning backside, but the real lesson will be taught in a far more shameful fashion.For nineteen-year-old Mary Johnson, the only thing more embarrassing than her husband’s strict correction is her inability to hide her helpless arousal as she is punished. But no matter how desperately she begs, she will still be claimed in just the way a naughty wife needs to be claimed.Publisher’s Note: His Blushing Bride includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

Alien Mail Order Bride: Alyssa


Meg Cooper - 2015
    So when the opportunity of a lifetime came to become a mail order bride for a man from a female-lacking alien race, she jumped at the chance. Jumping into a marriage with a well-built seven foot tall was one thing. They might meet the technical requirements to get married, but would they be physically compatible — both in terms of chemistry and getting the massive Tab A into her smaller Slot B? And most of all, did she dare to risk her heart to that universal thing called love? Mail Order Bride: Alyssa is a short & spicy sci-fi romance in the Love Across the Universe series. It is a 11,000 word stand-alone story, perfect for reading at a trip to the park!

Next of Kin


Sue Welfare - 2015
    . . Home should be where the heart is, but for Sarah, it becomes a place of fear, menace and terrifying choices. Her new lodger seems like the dream tenant for the rambling Cambridge town house that Sarah shares with her brother, Ryan. But before long it’s clear that their guest has his own chilling plans for all of them. When Ryan finds himself in deep water, Sarah faces losing all her hopes, dreams and any chance of a happy ever after. Just how far will she go to protect the people she loves? And will even the ultimate sacrifice be enough to save them… Dark, gripping and utterly compelling, Next of Kin is guaranteed to thrill fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl or Before I go to Sleep.

Rex Electi


W.P. Kimball - 2016
    He soon learns that every aspect of his life so far, including the staged deaths of his parents, has been arranged by the Senate Tribunal in an attempt to mold him into the perfect leader. Now there are only thirty candidates, including Caius, left competing to be the Emperor's heir. Success in a series of Trials will reunite him with his family and make him the most powerful man in the world, but failure will lead to a life of isolation and imprisonment hidden in the eaves of the palace. As Caius enters the trials, it becomes apparent that the tests themselves are not the problem: it is the twenty nine other candidates willing to do whatever it takes to win, including maim or kill their top competitors. Can Caius navigate the pitfalls of imperial politics and cutthroat competition, all while performing well enough to succeed in the trials fair and square?