Haunted by the ghosts of her former life, the only female to survive a devastating virus is determined to follow through on her father's mission to go back to the beginning and end the plague.

2023-2024 Tome Society It List 2023 University of Wisconsin Madison English Department Early Career Alumni Award Survival is everything. So is love. Ara hasn’t seen another human in months―not since her father disappeared. As the only female to survive a devastating virus, her world is haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister. Kaden and his crew live by a code: stay alert, stay alive. When they catch Ara trying to steal from them, they are furious―and confused. She’s the first girl they’ve seen in three years. And while Kaden knows taking her captive is wrong, he tells himself it’s for her protection. That the only place she’ll be safe is with the clan, his new home. The world of men. However, Ara is determined to discover the truth about the plague, and nothing will stop her. And as Kaden becomes mesmerized by her will and beauty, he realizes that he will do anything to help her, even if it tears their worlds apart. But the world of men isn’t prepared for The Last She, and the odyssey to save themselves means Kayden and Ara have to leave behind everything they’ve come to know. To burn it down to the ground. In the ashes they can start again.

Sweet Home Alabama meets Emily in Paris in this hilarious romp through the world of extravagant southern weddings. When floundering and unlucky-in-love twentysomething Lottie Jones lands a new career as a wedding planner at a top-tier boutique event firm, she begins navigating a cutthroat workplace specializing in over-the-top details, unlimited budgets, and a broad spectrum of taste. Whether planning for parachute landings or wrangling intoxicated groomsmen, she has her hands full at every million-dollar wedding she helps organize. After her boss announces he’s opening a new office, Lottie sees her chance to finally carve out her place—and earn an income that justifies her dating app subscription fees. The weddings get bigger, the clients get wilder, the mishaps get funnier, and the stakes get higher. And Lottie’s forced to discover what she’ll risk for love and how far she’ll go to find herself. Set against the glamorous, ruthless world of high-end Southern weddings and inspired by real events in the authors’ lives, Without a Hitch is a hilarious romp about taking ownership, facing fears, planning your ex-boyfriend’s wedding, and choosing a happy ending that wasn’t what you once expected. Praise for Without a Hitch: “Without a Hitch is a delightfully quirky novel that proves the age-old adage ‘We plan, God laughs.’ Filled with fascinating insights into the world of high-end wedding planning, you can’t help but cheer for Lottie Jones as she learns that you can’t script your life and that, sometimes, the best laid plans are the ones you never make.” —Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted and The Lies that Bind “Put a ring on Without a Hitch—a sweet, Southern confection of a book about what it takes to orchestrate everyone else’s happily ever after when your own heart has been broken. This sneak peek into the world of high-end wedding planning will keep you laughing as Lottie deconstructs the fairy tale and finds her authentic self.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here and The Book of Two Ways “Without a Hitch is a must read. It is absolutely fabulous. As someone who works in the wedding industry, I found this book’s brevity, humor, and the glamorous over-the-top world of Southern Weddings a true joy to read. This is the book you will be gifting to all your friends!” —Mindy Weiss, bestselling author of The Wedding Book Stand-alone novel Book length: 106,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

A reporter searching for her kidnapped son must untangle the connection to her brother’s long-ago disappearance in this “sharp, breathless thriller” (Lisa Jackson, #1 New York Times bestselling author). Thirty years ago, Julia Gooden’s nine-year-old brother Ben was abducted from their shared room. Though she’s tried to recall any clue about what happened, she has no memory of that terrible night. Now a crime reporter at a Detroit newspaper, Julia tries to give others the closure she’s never found. Still, she lives in fear that whoever took her brother could come back. Nowhere seems safe—not even the secluded lake town where she plans to raise her children. And then, on the anniversary of Ben’s disappearance, Julia’s worst fears are realized when her two-year-old son, Will, is snatched from his bed. Convinced that the crimes are related, Julia tries to piece together memories from her final day with Ben. Julia knows she has hours at best to find Will alive, but the deeper she digs, the more personal and terrifying the battle becomes. “A gripping story that I read in one night—I could not put it down.” —Debbie Howells, author of The Bones of You

In an attempt to regain her family's castle in medieval England, one woman holds a prince for ransom--only to become a hostage to his love. Co-winner of the New Historical Voice Contest sponsored by Leisure Books and Romantic Times. Original.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers and Beach Read comes a sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love. Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven't spoken since. Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees. Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong? Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Newsweek ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ The Skimm ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Parade ∙ The Wall Street Journal ∙ Chicago Tribune ∙ PopSugar ∙ BookPage ∙ BookBub ∙ Betches ∙ SheReads ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BuzzFeed ∙ Business Insider ∙ Real Simple ∙ Frolic ∙ and more!

Even the deepest-buried secrets can find their way to the surface... Moments before she dies, Nicola's grandmother Betty whispers to her that there are babies at the bottom of the garden. Nicola's mother claims she was talking nonsense. However, when Nicola's daughter finds a bone while playing in Betty's garden, it's clear that something sinister has taken place. But will unearthing painful family secrets end up tearing Nicola's family apart? 'A chiller with a puzzling mystery that manages to be a tearjerker too. Prepare for sleepless nights' Grazia 'A thought-provoking page turner' Jane Corry, author of The Dead Ex _____________________________________ What readers are saying about the unmissable Richard & Judy pick: 'A heartbreaking story about loss and love' 'Fast-paced with in-depth characters and spooky surroundings, it ticked all my boxes' 'I sobbed my heart out. I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author' 'Dark, intriguing and heart-breaking. First book I've read by this author but certainly won't be the last' 'I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book' 'Beautifully written, deeply moving and highly recommended!' 'A heart-breaking story of secrets, loss and regret' 'A great tense read! Full of gripping moments and twists and turns'

In 1851, a sixteen-year-old girl named Yehonala entered the Imperial Palace of China as a concubine third grade, leaving behind her family, the love of her life, and nearly all contact with the outside world. She emerged as Tsu Hsi, Dowager Empress of China and one of the most powerful autocrats in history. A fascinating tale of love, betrayal, murder, intrigue, and survival, The Last Empress offers remarkable insight into life behind the closed doors of the forbidden city.

Fifteen-year-old Noelle's life is messy. Her dad left when she was little. Her mom would rather be someone's girlfriend than her mother. And her half-sister pretty much hates her. With so much family drama to deal with, making friends is the last thing on Noelle's mind. But when she receives a mysterious invitation inviting her to the cemetery at midnight, that all changes...Noelle thought having friends was supposed to make life better but soon finds herself trying to solve a murder instead. And when everyone's a suspect, it won't be easy. At least Noelle has a grandma who adores her and a boy in the neighborhood who does too--oh, wait, isn't he a suspect also? Noelle's grandma has an unusual gift and Noelle may discover she has a talent of her own.

Lies and misdirection rule the game. To some, Fiona O'Dell is clever and manipulative. To others, she is a dangerous sociopath. One thing is certain - she's trouble wherever she goes. Now she has vanished from her job at a cutting-edge genetic technology firm, but not before being seen leaving a motel room where one man is found dead, another on the edge of death. When a genome-editing tool of incredible potential also goes missing, the CEO is convinced that Fiona has it. Millions of dollars are at stake. His fear-she will auction it off on the Dark Web. After the devastating loss of his wife, Lee Stone leaves the Chicago homicide unit to search for a new career opportunity in the private sector. Things go smoothly, and he is comfortable at the firm until he is assigned the case of Fiona O'Dell. In a race to find her, he tracks her across four states in an attempt to obtain the gene-editing tool. Fiona continually eludes his grasp and leaves a trail of dead men in her wake. With little information and even less evidence, each new crime scene brings more questions than answers. It is not until Lee teams up with the bright and forthright NYPD detective, Belle Hughes, that he connects the dots. As their personal relationship heats up, the pair encounters a growing number of potential suspects including the CEO himself. But are the murders and theft connected? While secrets are revealed, Lee and Belle can draw only one conclusion: Fiona controls the game, the players, even the course of the investigation. As the danger to their own lives escalates, they must master the game or fall victim to it.