FICTION

Against the unforgiving landscape of a hospital, I fell in love with a mischievous, sun-eyed boy who became my only joy in that desolate place. That’s what made it all the more soul-crushing when he committed suicide in front of me. Since then, I've sworn never to love anyone again. With three exceptions: My friends, Sony, Neo, and Coeur, a little gang of rebellious, dying kids. Sony leads the charge with the air of freedom and only one lung to breathe it. Neo, a bad-tempered and wheel-chaired writer, keeps track of our great deeds from stealing to terrorizing our nurse. Coeur is the beautiful boy, the muscle, the gentle giant with a failing heart. Before death inevitably knocks down our doors, my thieves and I have one last heist planned. A great escape that will take us far from abusive parents, crippling loss, and the realities of our diseases. So what happens when someone else walks through the door? What happens when a girl joins our party and renders me speechless with her mischievous smile? What happens when she has suns in her eyes, and as terrified as I am to lose again, I start to fall? Trigger warnings found in foreword.

<p>A gripping tale of romance, intrigue and deadly secrets – for fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Colleen Hoover’s Verity and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Last night I dreamt I went to Malibu again... Once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is in a downward spiral. After her second novel, a retelling of Rebecca, fails, her third novel can’t find a publisher. And Olivia's boyfriend breaking up with her hasn’t helped her creativity much either. Broke, newly single and struggling to write another book, she jumps at the chance for a high-paying ghostwriting job when her agent calls with the opportunity. </p><p> It almost seems too good to be true: all she has to do is spend a few weeks in Malibu interviewing Henry ‘Ash’ Asherwood, a recently widowed billionaire recluse, who wants her to write a book about a stunning family secret involving his grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. </p> But when she arrives at his Malibu estate, nothing is what it seems. For one thing, Ash is strangely reluctant to truly share his family secrets with Olivia, and she keeps catching him in lies. For another, he seems more interested in her than their writing project. (Though is that really such a bad thing?) And when she discovers a more recent secret, Olivia finds herself caught up in a gothic mystery of her own. Can she rewrite the past to reveal the deadly truth?

From the author of the viral TikTok phenomenon, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, comes a brand new spicy romance! ‘Unputdownable, I devoured [it] within days… Dream Harbor is not short of a vibrant and hilarious cast of characters to help breathe life into the already charming town’ Reader Review ‘A charming break from reality’ Publishers Weekly When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just needs someone to help her out. Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help! Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells… The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed! Tropes: • opposites attract • small town • forced proximity • he falls first Readers have fallen for Laurie Gilmore ‘I absolutely loved this small town, cosy romantic and very steamy novel just as much as The Pumpkin Spice Cafe’ ‘Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness’ ‘Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative’ ‘A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice’ ‘I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate’ 'This book makes my heart happy!’ ‘The perfect kind of romance for me’ ‘Perfect for reading in the evening with a little fire going’ ‘I enjoyed this so much! Completely heartwarming and unputdownable, the steamy scenes were a bonus’ ‘[This] gave me everything I needed from an easy read and was the perfect addition to the Dream Harbor series’ ‘I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t bear to put it down’ ‘Just the perfect amount of sugar and spice… a literal dream to read’

A MOST ANTICIPATED ROM-COM SELECTED BY * BUZZFEED * LGBTQ READS * BUSTLE * THE NERD DAILY * ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT * FROLIC MEDIA * AND MORE! A BEST BOOK PICK BY * HARPER’?S BAZAAR * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY “The Charm Offensive will sweep you off your feet.” —PopSugar ????In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer. Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star. Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off. As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.

THE ALL NEW NOVEL FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR<p></p>THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOLLOW-UP TO TIKTOK SENSATION THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER AND 2023'S THINGS WE HIDE FROM THE LIGHT<p></p>_________________________________________________________________________<p></p>There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything.<p></p><p></p>Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father's mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats.<p></p><p></p>Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night . . .<p></p><p></p>Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father's quest for justice. She'll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to - or for - her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.<p></p><p></p>When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.<p></p><p></p>Broken men break women. It's what Lucian believes, what he's witnessed, and he's not going to take that chance with Sloane. He'd rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats.<p></p><p></p>It's the second time he's ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There's no way she's going to give him a third chance. He's just going to have to make one for himself.

'We were perfect together. Until we met.'<p></p> <p></p>I can't help but smile at the lyrics in her letter. She misses me.<p></p> <p></p>In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.<p></p> <p></p>It didn't take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever...<p></p> <p></p>And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.<p></p> <p></p>Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there's one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She's the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am. <p></p> <p></p>We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?<p></p> <p></p>Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name's Ryen, loves Gallo's pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?<p></p> <p></p>F*ck it. I need to meet her.<p></p> <p></p>I just don't expect to hate what I find.<p></p> <p></p>--------<p></p><p></p>He hasn't written in three months. Something's wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.<p></p> <p></p>Without him around, I'm going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It's my own fault. I should've gotten his phone number or picture or something.<p></p> <p></p>He could be gone forever.<p></p> <p></p>Or right under my nose, and I wouldn't even know it.<p></p> <p></p>Punk 57 is a stand alone romance. It is suitable for ages 18+

A steamy and swoonworthy standalone novel in the iconic Formula 1 romance series, from the bestselling author of The Fine Print and Love Redesigned. Santiago: One mistake destroys my career, and I go from the most eligible Formula 1 driver to a grumpy recluse. I’m committed to staying away from everyone, until Chloe Carter breaks into my house and accuses me of stealing her phone. I should have her arrested, but I decide to pretend she’s my girlfriend instead. My plan is risky, but fake dating Chloe could solve all my problems with my family. Or so I think until our act transforms into something more, and I’m left wondering what could happen if we drop it altogether. The only problem? Chloe hates liars, and I happen to be the biggest one of all. Chloe: My whole life changes after an ancestry kit matches me with a long-lost father in Italy who has no idea I exist. Next thing I know, I’m in a fake relationship with a local who happens to be my father’s favorite Formula 1 driver. The catch? I had no idea who Santiago Alatorre was when I agreed to be his girlfriend, so I’m stuck continuing the ruse. Fulfilling our arrangement is one thing, but falling in love in the process? Never going to happen, even if Santiago is determined to prove me wrong.

Moving, passionate, and unforgettable, this novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover follows two young adults from completely different backgrounds embarking on a tentative romance, unaware of what the future holds. After a childhood filled with poverty and neglect, Beyah Grim finally has her hard-earned ticket out of Kentucky with a full ride to Penn State. But two months before she’s finally free to change her life for the better, an unexpected death leaves her homeless and forced to spend the remainder of her summer in Texas with a father she barely knows. Devastated and anxious for the summer to go by quickly, Beyah has no time or patience for Samson, the wealthy, brooding guy next door. Yet, the connection between them is too intense to ignore. But with their upcoming futures sending them to opposite ends of the country, the two decide to maintain only a casual summer fling. Too bad neither has any idea that a rip current is about to drag both their hearts out to sea.

<p>What connects a botanical illustration of a butterfly with a missing baby and an enigma fifty years in the making? A twisty historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.</p> <p><strong>1868 Morpeth </strong>Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family's country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie's new-born son goes missing and everything changes.</p><p><strong>1922 Sydney</strong> When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation - an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?</p>

<p><strong>A fossil discovered at London's Natural History Museum leads one woman back in time to nineteenth century Australia and a world of scientific discovery and dark secrets in this compelling historical mystery.</strong></p> <p><strong>The Hunter Valley 1847</strong></p><p>The last thing Mellie Vale remembers before the fever takes her is running through the bush as a monster chases her - but no one believes her story. In a bid to curb Mellie's overactive imagination, her benefactors send her to visit a family friend, Anthea Winstanley. Anthea is an amateur palaeontologist with a dream. She is convinced she will one day find proof the great sea dragons - the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur - swam in the vast inland sea that millions of years ago covered her property at Bow Wow Gorge. Soon, Mellie shares that dream for she loves fossil hunting too...</p><p><strong>1919</strong></p><p>When Penelope Jane Martindale arrives home from the battlefields of World War I with the intention of making her peace with her father and commemorating the death of her two younger brothers in the trenches, her reception is not as she had hoped. Looking for distraction, she finds a connection between a fossil at London's Natural History museum and her brothers which leads her to Bow Wow Gorge. But the gorge has a sinister reputation - 70 years ago people disappeared. So when PJ uncovers some unexpected remains, it seems as if the past is reaching into the present and she becomes determined to discover what really happened all that time ago...PRAISE</p><p>'Fans of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton will absolutely devour <em>The Fossil Hunter</em>. It is the kind of story you can easily get swept up in. Readers interested in Australian history, museums, and the fascinating world of fossils will be especially delighted with Cooper's stunning new historical novel.' <em>Better Reading</em></p><p>'Cooper is an accomplished storyteller, employing the dual-timeline device to foster tension and suspense about the fate of Anthea and the girls. The result is an absorbing tale with a strong mystery element and feminist bent, with special appeal for those interested in the history of dinosaur hunters.' <em>Historical Novel Society</em>, US</p>

<p><strong>A young woman's quest to heal a family rift entangles her in one of Australia's greatest historical puzzles when an intricately illustrated map offers a clue to the fate of a long-lost girl. A mesmerising historical mystery set in the Hunter Valley from bestselling author Tea Cooper for readers of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton.</strong></p> <p><strong>1880 The Hunter Valley</strong></p><p>Evie Ludgrove loves to map the landscape around her home - hardly surprising since she grew up in the shadow of her father's obsession with the great Australian explorer Dr Ludwig Leichhardt. So when an advertisement appears in <em>The Bulletin</em> magazine offering a one thousand pound reward for proof of where Leichhardt met his fate, Evie is determined to figure it out - after all, there are clues in her father's papers and in the archives of The Royal Geographical Society. But when Evie sets out to prove her theory she vanishes without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that taints everyone's lives for thirty years.</p><p><strong>1911</strong></p><p>When Letitia Rawlings arrives at the family estate in her Model T Ford, her purpose is to inform her great aunt Olivia of a bereavement. But Letitia is also escaping her own problems - her brother's sudden death, her mother's scheming and her own dissatisfaction with the life planned out for her. So when Letitia discovers a beautifully illustrated map that might hold a clue to the fate of her missing aunt, Evie Ludgrove, her curiosity is aroused and she sets out to discover the truth of Evie's disappearance.</p><p>But all is not as it seems at Yellow Rock estate and as events unfold, Letitia begins to realise that solving the mystery of her family's past could offer as much peril as redemption.</p>

<p><strong>For readers of <em>The True Story of Maddie Bright</em>, <em>The Woman in the Green Dress</em> and <em>The Birdman's Wi</em><em>fe</em> comes this atmospheric and richly detailed Australian historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.</strong></p> <p><strong>Maitland 1913</strong> Miss Elizabeth Quinn is something of an institution in Maitland Town. For longer than anyone could remember she and her brother, businessman Michael, have lived in the impressive two-storey stone house next to the church. When she is discovered cowering in the corner of the exhibition gallery at the Technical College the entire town knows something strange has come to pass.</p><p>Was it the prehistoric remains or perhaps the taxidermy exhibition that had reduced the whale-boned encased pillar of society to a quivering mess? Or is there something odd about a striking painting on loan from the National Gallery?</p><p>Mathematical savant Jane Piper is determined to find out. Deposited on the doorstep of the local orphanage as a baby, she owes her life and education to the Quinns' philanthropic ventures and Elizabeth has no one else to turn to.</p><p>As the past and the present converge, Elizabeth's grip on reality loosens. Can Jane, with her logical brain and penchant for puzzles, unravel Elizabeth's story before it is too late?</p><p>Ranging from the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, the bucolic English countryside to the charm of Maitland Town, this compelling historical mystery in the company of an eccentric and original heroine is rich with atmosphere and detail.</p><p>PRAISE FOR TEA COOPER</p><p>'Boasts <strong>strong female protagonists</strong>, an infectious fascination with the past, and the <strong>narrative skill </strong>to weave multiple timelines into a <strong>satisfying </strong>whole...<strong>smartly edited, cleanly written</strong>...easy to devour.' - <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> on <em>The Woman in the Green Dress</em></p><p>'Cooper excels at creating <strong>strong and unique female characters</strong> set within interesting backdrops of Australian social history.' - Historical Novel Society on <em>The Girl in the Painting</em></p>

<strong>For readers who loved <em>Remarkable Creatures</em>, <em>The Naturalist's Daughter </em>and <em>The Birdman's Wife</em> comes <em>The Woman in the Green Dress</em>...</strong> <p><strong>1853 Mogo Creek, NSW</strong></p><p>Della Atterton, bereft at the loss of her parents, is holed up in the place she loves best: the beautiful Hawkesbury in New South Wales. Happiest following the trade her father taught her, taxidermy, Della has no wish to return to Sydney. But the unexpected arrival of Captain Stefan von Richter on a quest to retrieve what could be Australia's first opal, precipitates Della's return to Sydney and her Curio Shop of Wonders, where she discovers her enigmatic aunt, Cordelia, is selling more than curiosities to collectors. Strange things are afoot and Della, a fly in a spider's web, is caught up in events with unimaginable consequences...</p><p><strong>1919 Sydney, NSW</strong></p><p>When London teashop waitress Fleur Richards inherits land and wealth in Australia from her husband, Hugh, killed in the war, she wants nothing to do with it. After all, accepting it will mean Hugh really is dead. But Hugh's lawyer is insistent, and so she finds herself ensconced in the Berkeley Hotel on Bent St, Sydney, the reluctant owner of a Hawkesbury property and an old curio shop, now desolate and boarded up.</p><p>As the real story of her inheritance unravels, Fleur finds herself in the company of a damaged returned soldier Kip, holding a thread that takes her deep into the past, a thread that could unravel a mystery surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress; a green that is the colour of envy, the colour buried deep within an opal, the colour of poison...</p>

<p>From a bestselling Australian author, this compellingly realised novel brings to life the story of an enigmatic figure, wife to feted colonial architect Francis Greenway, and asks, whose hand really shaped Sydney? Who is the talented Mrs Greenway?</p> <p><strong>1814 Sydney</strong> When Mary Greenway, freshly arrived from the old country, steps into the maelstrom of Sydney Town with three children at her skirts, she has high hopes of a new beginning, despite having little money and a husband in irons. After all, the sudden death of her sadistic first husband has meant freedom from her gilded cage and Francis Greenway is an architect of some promise, under the protection of Admiral Phillip himself.</p><p>Mary herself is a woman of great resources and an even greater creative passion, a passion that will surely burn through anything that the filthy, burgeoning, vitality of colonial Sydney can throw at her. Soon ensconced in a tiny cottage in George Street, Mary sets about moulding a life for her family from the unpromising clay of this new colony, with a determination fired in equal parts by guilt for her disastrous past action that nearly brought ruin to them all and desire to see her true calling realised.</p><p>When she is befriended by Elizabeth Macquarie it seems that fate is smiling on them with the promise of a better life in her grasp. But fate is a difficult mistress and with past secrets to keep, and current betrayals on the brink of discovery, the stakes are higher than ever. With Mary's grip on this new life slipping, will her past lies come back to haunt her?</p>

Hating her was my end game, loving her was just the beginning … A grumpy small-town boxer meets a sunshine girl as sweet as pumpkin spice. Welcome to Magnolia Falls, perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Lucy Score and B.K. Borison!*** Demi Crawford is Magnolia Falls royalty. I'm the boxer from the wrong side of the tracks. We couldn't be more different.Her family is enemy number one, and it made her guilty by association. I despised her before I even knew her. It was easier that way.But now she's moved in next door to me, and she's everywhere I turn. She is beautiful and honest and sweet. Everything I know I shouldn't want.They say there's a fine line between love and hate, and I don't know when I crossed over. She is the right hook I never saw coming. But the secrets between us will threaten to tear us apart.Lucky for her I'm a born fighter. And she is definitely worth the fight …Readers have fallen for LOVING ROMEO, will you?'A delicious slow burn with all the feels' 'I laughed, I cried, I blushed and kicked my feet like crazy, this book was EVERYTHING!' 'The spice in this book was top tier' 'I loved Romeo's friends … cannot wait to read their stories' 'A perfect small town, enemies-to-lovers romance' Tropes: Grumpy x sunshine Small town Opposites attract Found family