"My darling girls. You were once so happy in this house. Now I'm gone, all I ask is that you spend one last summer here together on Dune Island. And please forgive me, your Nana, for the secret I'm about to tell you..." Arriving at the honeysuckle-covered beach house inherited from her beloved grandmother, recently heartbroken Jill hopes to convince her two feuding sisters not to sell a place so full of happy childhood memories. But the envelope waiting on the driftwood table changes everything. In her elegant handwriting, Nana Rose promises a new letter will arrive each day of the summer revealing a family secret she took to her grave. Shaken, Jill anxiously awaits each letter filled with Nana's bittersweet memories of her own sister who she loved more than anyone-and lost far too young. But why did Nana never speak of this tragic loss to her grandchildren? Watching the sunset each night and wondering how well they really knew Nana Rose, Jill feels her family is closer than they've been in years. And after a chance encounter with blue-eyed tree surgeon Alex, she wonders if Nana believed being back on Dune Island would help Jill find love, too? But when Nana's final letter arrives, the revelation about how her sister died is more shocking than Jill ever imagined. Suddenly, despite the chance of happiness with Alex, selling the house seems the only way forward. Will Jill find a way to forge new bonds of sisterhood and save their inheritance, or will Nana Rose's secret tear them all apart? An absolutely gorgeous, gripping and heartbreaking read about the importance of family, and how even our loved ones can keep shattering secrets. Perfect for fans of Carolyn Brown, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Munroe. Read what everyone's saying about Kirstin Harper: "I have absolutely loved this book and been completely unable to put this one down... This is a perfect summer read... Absolutely gorgeous." Little Miss Book Lover 87, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "It was like a Hallmark movie in book form... heart-warming and satisfying ending... I loved this book and it made my heart super happy! It was just what I needed and I cannot wait to read the other book by this talented storyteller!!!" Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This book was such a fantastic read, I read it within a day as I just couldn't put it down... so many heightened emotions... very relatable... I would highly recommend this book!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I enjoyed this story so much and cannot wait for something else by this author! I was so emotionally drawn to this book that I can't even tell you. The characters were fabulous... will grip you until the very last page." Crossroad Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Loved this book... had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it! I can't wait to read more books by this author." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One young woman finds friendship, community, and romance in a small, beachside town in this heartfelt novel perfect for readers of Mary Alice Monroe and Nancy Thayer. Grieving the loss of her family in a terrible accident, Emily escapes to Hope Haven on remote Dune Island, where they all vacationed every summer. She hopes that fixing up the house will also mend her broken heart, but the cottage holds more than just childhood memories. Emptying her father's antique writing desk, Emily finds a letter that reveals a devastating secret about her parents. Full of questions, Emily worries that returning to the island was the worst decision she ever made . . . until she meets Dr. Lucas Socorro. Perhaps he will be the one to help her finally heal. But when Emily's family secret spreads through the local gossips, her fragile heart breaks all over again. Luke is the only one who could have started the rumors. Was she wrong to trust him so easily? Now Emily has a difficult decision to make. Does she pack her bags and leave the island for good? Or take a risk that Hope Haven has everything she's been looking for?

Clearing out the attic, Zoey opens the carved trunk and smiles as she picks up the small, leather-bound diary hiding inside. Curious, she leafs through the pages, and realises this will change everything... All Zoey's happiest childhood memories are of her great-aunt Ivy's rickety cottage on Dune Island, snuggling up with hot chocolate and hearing Ivy's stories about being married to a sea captain. Now, heartbroken from a breakup, Zoey escapes back to the island, but is shocked to find her elderly aunt's spark fading. Worse, her cousin--next in line to inherit the house--is pushing Ivy to move into a nursing home. With the family clashing over what's best for Ivy, Zoey is surprised when Nick, a local carpenter and Ivy's neighbor, takes her side. As Zoey finds comfort in his sea-blue eyes and warm laugh, the two grow close. Together, they make a discovery in the attic that links the family to the mysterious and reclusive local lighthouse keeper... Now Zoey has a heartbreaking choice to make. Nick's urging her to share the discovery, which could keep Ivy in the house she's loved her whole life... but when Zoey learns that Nick and her cousin go way back, she questions if the man she's starting to have feelings for really has Ivy's best interests at heart. Will dredging up this old secret destroy the peace and happiness of Ivy's final years--and tear this family apart for good?

French realism's immortal siren crawled from the gutter to the heights of society, devouring men and squandering fortunes along the way. Zola's 1880s classic is among the first modern novels.

Two sisters are suddenly sent from their home in Brooklyn to Barbados to live with their grandmother, in Naomi Jackson’s stunning debut novel This lyrical novel of community, betrayal, and love centers on an unforgettable matriarchal family in Barbados. Two sisters, ages ten and sixteen, are exiled from Brooklyn to Bird Hill in Barbados after their mother can no longer care for them. The young Phaedra and her older sister, Dionne, live for the summer of 1989 with their grandmother Hyacinth, a midwife and practitioner of the local spiritual practice of obeah. Dionne spends the summer in search of love, testing her grandmother’s limits, and wanting to go home. Phaedra explores Bird Hill, where her family has lived for generations, accompanies her grandmother in her role as a midwife, and investigates their mother’s mysterious life. This tautly paced coming-of-age story builds to a crisis when the father they barely know comes to Bird Hill to reclaim his daughters, and both Phaedra and Dionne must choose between the Brooklyn they once knew and loved or the Barbados of their family. Naomi Jackson’s Barbados and her characters are singular, especially the wise Hyacinth and the heartbreaking young Phaedra, who is coming into her own as a young woman amid the tumult of her family. Praise for The Star Side of Bird Hill: “Once in a while, you’ll stumble onto a book like this, one so poetic in its descriptions and so alive with lovable, frustrating, painfully real characters, that your emotional response to it becomes almost physical. . . . The dual coming-of-age story alone could melt the sternest of hearts, but Jackson’s exquisite prose is a marvel too. . . . A gem of a book.” —Entertainment Weekly (A)

From a New York Times bestselling author, a breathtaking second chance love story, perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Christina Lauren. Teagan Berkeley and Derek Hartz were best friends in high school. There was always something more between them–but Derek abandoned her when she needed him most, and they grew apart. Years later, Teagan is a single Mom in her small beachside town, and Derek is back–also a single parent after his marriage fails. He wants to make things right with Teagan, but he’s not sure if he deserves her trust. As they confess their deepest secrets to one another, it's impossible for them to deny what's always been between them. But just when their happily ever after is within reach, their complicated history surfaces again and threatens to keep them apart. Forever.

1956: When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant, she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret's: a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave. Present day: Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret's before it is too late. Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret's set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost forever.

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 to 7 From the award-winning author of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet, a hilarious and heartwarming story about cheerleading, popularity, and middle school survival told exclusively through lists and letters. Always Abigail is the perfect growing up book for girls, and with its illustrated format, this book is perfectly suited for reluctant readers kids aged 9-12 who love graphic novels. Sixth Grade To Do List: Make the Pom Pom Squad! Be best friends forever with Alli and Cami Don't panic when #1 and #2 look like they're totally not going to happen Abigail and her two best friends are poised for a life of pom-poms and popularity. But not only does Abigail end up in a different homeroom, she doesn't make the squad. Then everyone's least favorite teacher pairs Abigail up with the school's biggest outcast for a year-long Friendly Letter Assignment. Abigail can hardly believe her bad luck! As her so-called best friends and dreams of pom pom fame start to slip away, Abigail has to choose between the little bit of popularity she has left or letting it go to be a true friend. A Texas Bluebonnet Nominee A South Carolina Book Awards Honoree "Brimming with honesty and heart."—Caroline Starr Rose, award-winning author of MAY B. "Told in the hyper-chatty, status-obsessed voice of your secretly sweet best friend, Always, Abigail is always adorable."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Eve Great for parents and educators looking for: A story told in a unique format, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readers A good conversation starter for girls who are having trouble adjusting to a new grade or school A realistic story about a girl who struggles to balance social pressures and her own moral compass

Book 3 of Cowboys & Brides From New York Times and USA Today-bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a contemporary Western romance filled to the brim with sexy cowboys, gutsy heroines, and genuine down-home Texas twang. Emily Cooper promised her dying grandfather that she'd deliver a long-lost letter to a woman he once planned to wed. Little does adventurous Emily know that this simple task will propel her to places she never could have imagined...with a cowboy who's straight out of her dreams... When sexy rancher Greg Adams discovers his grandmother Clarice has installed Emily on their ranch as her assistant, he decides to humor the two ladies. He figures Emily will move on soon enough. In the meantime, he intends to keep a close eye on her—he doesn't quite buy her story of his grandmother as a mail-order bride. A lost letter meant a lost love for Clarice, but two generations later, maybe it's not too late for that letter to work its magic. Fans of Linda Lael Miller and Diana Palmer will thrill to this charming story of a sexy Texas rancher and the mail order bride who brought him to one knee. Cowboys & Brides Series: Billion Dollar Cowboy (Book 1) The Cowboy's Christmas Baby (Book 2) The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride (Book 3) How to Marry a Cowboy (Book 4) Praise for Bestselling Contemporary Western Romances by Carolyn Brown: "Sizzling hot and absolutely delectable."—Romance Junkies "Charming...a smoking-hot romance...there's nothing sexier than a cowboy."—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars "Witty dialogue and hilarious banter... Carolyn Brown delivers yet another steamy cowboy romance."—Night Owl Reviews