Book picks similar to
Speedy Reads by Chris-Jean Clarke


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The Princess Game


Soman Chainani - 2020
    To find the killer, rookie detective Callum Pederson has gone undercover where the Princes hold court. He’s found enough secrets among the bros to bring them in for questioning—but he could very well get lost in the games the Princes play.

Sixteen: Stories about That Sweet and Bitter Birthday


Megan McCaffertyEmma Forrest - 2004
    These hilarious, poignant, and touching tales capture all the emotions and milestones of this age ranging from first love to establishing one's own identity. A perfect read for anyone about to reach this pivotal age, or those who want reminisce about their "sweetest" year. Sarah Dessen's "Infinity" is about a girl confronting two major milestones: getting her driver's license and losing her virginity. The Dead Girls in Jacqueline Woodson's "Nebraska 99" have already decided to "do it" and must now cope with being teenage mothers. And Carolyn Mackler's "Mona Lisa, Jesus, Chad, and Me" explores whether friendship can survive when partying and prayer clash. Also included is a new Jessica Darling story by Megan McCafferty about the last fifteen minutes Jessica spends--or rather, doesn't spend--with her best friend, Hope, who is leaving Pineville.Featuring stories by Steve Almond, M. T. Anderson, Julianna Baggott, Cat Bauer, Emma Forrest, Tanuja Desai Hidier, David Levithan, Sarah Mlynowski, Sonya Sones, Zoe Trope, Ned Vizzini, and Joseph Weisberg.

Horseradish


Lemony Snicket - 2007
    Witty and irreverent, Horseradish is a book with universal appeal, a delightful vehicle to introduce Snicket's uproariously unhappy observations to a crowd not yet familiar with the Baudelaires' misadventures.

A Christmas Jar for Santa - A Christmas Jars Story


Jason F. Wright - 2010
    Most days will yield a quarter, a dime, perhaps two nickels and a stray penny. Occasionally Mother will make change for herself by drop- ping in a worn dollar bill and pulling out an appropriate combination of cool silver coins. Over the months that follow, the gathering change will leave no recognizable void. Occasionally the temptation to borrow for laundry, a movie, or the ice-cream truck will float through the house, over the jar, and out the back door. But it never lands. The money is spoken for.” (Excerpt from Christmas Jars, copyright 2005, published by Shadow Mountain.)Christmas Jars, a New York Times Bestselling novella by Jason Wright, first became a phenomenon during the 2005 holiday season. Readers across America reacted to the message of daily giving and sacrifice by creating their own Christmas Jars.Today, thousands of glass jars rest on kitchen countertops, slowly collecting the spare change generated each and every day. On Christmas Eve, each jar, now overflowing with both money and goodwill, will anonymously find a new home. In turn, the grateful recipients will put the money to good use in their lives and begin their own jar. Thus hearts and lives are changed and the cycle continues.This short story follows in the tradition and spirit of Christmas Jars. If you've read the original, you'll love this sweet addition to the Christmas Jars family.

Icicles Like Kindling


Sara Raasch - 2014
    In it, you will get a taste of the kingdom of Autumn, meet some of Meira’s fellow refugees, and get an introduction to the wicked danger that will soon plague them…

Submit


Crystal Kaswell - 2016
    Tech billionaire Blake is willing to dig her out of debt... if she submits to his terms.The Billionaire's ChristmasThe weather is cold, but the fire between Kat and Blake burns hotter than ever. Until she finds out her stoic fiance doesn't celebrate Christmas. Can she convince him to give the holiday a shot or will she forever live without the season's joy?The Billionaire's ControlIntern Lizzy can't get her billionaire boss Nick out of her head. His need for control excites her. But what happens when his dark secret comes to light?

The Callaways Boxed Set - Books 1-3


Barbara Freethy - 2015
    This special boxed set offers the first three full-length novels in the series. Each book is filled with Barbara Freethy's unique blend of page-turning romance, family and mystery—unforgettable stories that will touch your heart. ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS: The second oldest of the Callaway clan, Aiden Callaway veered from the family tradition of urban firefighting and became a smokejumper, never questioning his choice until the job took the life of his friend, Kyle, and left Aiden with injuries and fractured memories. Everyone blames Aiden for what happened, but he doesn't remember, nor is he sure he wants to remember. The truth may clear Aiden of blame but destroy Kyle's reputation and hurt the people he left behind. 
 Aiden seeks help from an unlikely ally. Sara had always been untouchable, sweet, innocent, his sister's best friend, and the girl next door. But one reckless night in their youth took their relationship to a new level. Sara has never forgiven or forgotten the way Aiden brought it crashing down, but she's no longer that girl with the crazy crush. She's a woman in search of her own truth. The sparks between Aiden and Sara have been smoldering for a very long time. Sara is afraid to take another chance on a man who broke her heart, and Aiden knows better than anyone how dangerous an intense fire can be. As teenagers they weren't ready for each other. Are they ready now? SO THIS IS LOVE: Emma Callaway, a hot fire investigator clashes with Max Harrison, a cool homicide detective in SO THIS IS LOVE, the second book in the Callaway Series. For Max Harrison, love seduces and then destroys. His brother went to prison for love. His father left his family for love. And Max is determined not to follow in their footsteps, until he meets Emma… Emma runs into burning buildings without an ounce of fear and embraces life as if every day is a new adventure. But while she's fearless on the job, Emma is a coward when it comes to love. Betrayed by an ex-boyfriend, Emma has no intention of putting her heart on the line again, until she meets Max… As the fires around the city rage, the heat between them ignites in a blaze of passion that's far more dangerous. Will it destroy them or will they finally get everything they ever wanted… FALLING FOR A STRANGER Ria is as sexy and sultry as a warm tropical night and as beautifully dangerous as the island drinks she serves at the beachside bar on Isla de los Suenos -- The Island of Dreams. But Ria is not as carefree as she appears, and the pretense is wearing her down. One night she risks everything to escape from reality. Drew Callaway is a former Navy pilot looking for his own escape from a life that has seen too much tragedy. Meeting Ria is like embracing the sun, and their single night together is life-changing. But the dream quickly fades when Ria is killed in a tragic accident at sea. Months later, thousands of miles away from where they first met, Drew sees a woman who looks just like Ria. She claims her name is Tory, and that they've never met before, but he can see that she's in trouble, and he can't walk away. He's going to save her whether she wants it or not. Drew isn't afraid of a little danger, but can he risk losing his heart to a beautiful stranger? Also Available in the Callaway Series: Between Now and Forever (#4) Nobody But You (A Callaway Wedding Novella) All A Heart Needs (#5) That Summer Night (#6) W

These Colors Don't Run: A Collection of Reader-Submitted Medical Stories


Kerry Hamm - 2019
    You can pick up any volume that interests you, as there is no story you need to follow from one volume to the next. Highlights of this volume include: Things first responders wish they would have learned in school/training, hilarious conversations readers have overheard, the miracle that occurred when a child choked, strange things patients have requested of EMS, and times first responders realized they weren't dealing with the sharpest tools in the shed. These stories have been submitted by people just like you: patients, EMS, techs, receptionists, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, LEOs, and other healthcare professionals/first responders.

Hot, Quick & Dirty: 12 Steamy Short Stories (Quickies Series)


Eddie Cleveland - 2017
    Every few weeks, they shared their deepest romantic dreams and naughtiest fantasies to him, and he gave them a free story, written just for them. Now you can get a peek under the covers and see what happens when a romance author writes your deepest desires. If you would like to have your fantasies written in future stories, join our group here -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/13169...

Marine's Curvy Bride (Steamy Alpha BBW Romance)


Amber Branley - 2019
    Lovesick for someone I’ve never even met. Lovesick for someone who may not even exist. Lovesick for the girl of my dreams. I've almost given up on finding her. But when I suddenly lay eyes on her at the diner, I know I have to have her. It's love at first sight. She's everything I've ever wanted. She's the fated mate I never knew existed. Those long, thick legs drive me wild, and I can't stop staring at her neverending curves. I'm not going to be able to rest until I have this girl. I'm going to make her mine. I'm going to make Becca Stanton my curvy forever. Becca: Friends ask me why I haven't had a boyfriend, and I tell them the truth. I've given up on finding a good guy. I'm all but convinced they don't exist. But when I lay eyes on Pete Carver, my heart skips a beat and I feel something that can only be described as love at first sight. But I have to stop being ridiculous - love at first sight doesn't exist, right? And yet, if it doesn't, then how do I explain this feeling I have? Pete is everything I've ever wanted in a man. Tall, muscular, and a total gentleman. To top it off, he acts so alpha that it makes me want him even more... But I'm a super curvy girl, and I feel like he could do better than me. I doubt he's even into girls my size... But I'm still going to try, because I can't relax or focus on anything else until I have him... I want Pete Carver to be my forever guy. I want to be his curvy bride. Marine's Curvy Bride is an instant-love, happy-ever-after steamy alpha BBW romance story, featuring an older alpha male with a younger BBW. This is a standalone story.

The Boy in the Smoke


Maureen Johnson - 2014
    But someone stopped him along the way, sending his life in a new and decidedly strange direction–leading him to London, to two new friends, and to a world of shadows and mystery.

Leave the Window Open


Victoria Schwab - 2015
    A free story from Wesley’s POV, set a few hours after the end of The Unbound.

When Gods and Vampires Roamed Miami


Kendare Blake - 2014
    This tale takes place in the world of the Goddess Wars series for young adults by award-winning author Kendare Blake.

Pull My Hair


Kimberly Kaye Terry - 2006
    No more long, extended love play, spankings or sweet kisses.nothing but "let's get this over with" sex. Sex has become mechanical and the only time Liza catches a thrill is when Greg needs an itch scratched. Enough is enough when she cuts off all her glorious locks and Greg doesn't even notice She is determined to figure out what has gone wrong, and how to get her man to notice her again. After seven years of marriage, Greg realizes he doesn't know his wife and is tired of the game she's playing. He too misses the sweet love they once shared, but a recent surprise from the past shows him that his wife has hidden part of herself from him and has him wondering what else she has hidden. Will Liza and Greg get past the lies and half-truths to rediscover a love worth fighting for, or is their once hot, loving marriage doomed for failure?

The Dance of Love


Angela Young - 2014
    Against a backdrop of high Edwardian luxury, Natalie Edwardes is poised on the brink of adulthood and, in an age when a woman's destiny is decided by marriage, her beauty, wit and wealth would seem to guarantee her a glittering future. But, isolated by her father's position as a self-made man, Natalie has never felt at ease in a society bound by a maze of conventions. Heart, for her, will always rule head, and so it seems that an encounter with a dashing yet gentle artist-soldier contains all the seeds of her life's happiness. The dance of Natalie's life whirls her from the glittering ballrooms of London and the grand houses of Scotland and Devon, to the Scottish Highlands. But the strictures of polite society are far-reaching and Natalie's happiness is abruptly snatched away. She is forced to compromise her romantic ideals and it is only when the tragedy of the Titanic touches her life, years later, that she discovers what love really means and the heartrending choices it poses. Choices that even the cataclysmic events of 1914-1919 seem unlikely to challenge.