Journey to Five Island Cove for a roaring good time with friends old and new, their sons and daughters, and all their new husbands as they navigate the heartaches and celebrations of life and love. Jean Shields is devastated when the adoption she and her husband were set to complete falls through. Besides her solid-as-a-rock husband, her only solace is her two dogs, her sewing students, and her new friends in the women's group her mother-in-law has introduced her to. Alice and Robin want to help Jean, but they don't know how. Alice is dealing with a pregnancy scare, and Robin is trying to help her oldest daughter navigate collegiate options. AJ has the beat advice, as she's lived most of her life childless too. But her own baby is requiring more from her than she ever imagined. Eloise provides food and offers Jean a job at her inn though she's drowning to keep her head above water there. Kelli brings her son to Jean as much as possible, but it's not until Kristen convinces Jean to spearhead the new Seafaring Girls program in Five Island Cove that Jean starts to find some purpose to her life. Kristen is consulting on the program, as she ran it successfully many years ago, and her heart is happy as she watches a new generation of girls learn to love the sea while staying safe on it. But when someone returns to the Cove that no one ever expected to see again, old wounds open just as they'd started to heal. This group of women will be tested again, both on land and at sea, just as they once were as teens.

For centuries, the sea has been regarded as a male domain, but in this illuminating historical narrative, maritime scholar David Cordingly shows that an astonishing number of women went to sea in the great age of sail. Some traveled as the wives or mistresses of captains; others were smuggled aboard by officers or seamen. And Cordingly has unearthed stories of a number of young women who dressed in men’s clothes and worked alongside sailors for months, sometimes years, without ever revealing their gender. His tremendous research shows that there was indeed a thriving female population—from pirates to the sirens of myth and legend—on and around the high seas. A landmark work of women’s history disguised as a spectacularly entertaining yarn, Women Sailors and Sailor’s Women will surprise and delight.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A mesmerizing new historical novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine) from Lisa See, the bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and devastating family secrets on a small Korean island. Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility—but also danger. Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook find it impossible to ignore their differences. The Island of Sea Women takes place over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War, through the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point. “This vivid…thoughtful and empathetic” novel (The New York Times Book Review) illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge and the men take care of the children. “A wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women” (Publishers Weekly), The Island of Sea Women is a “beautiful story…about the endurance of friendship when it’s pushed to its limits, and you…will love it” (Cosmopolitan).

Fans of Grace Burrowes, Bree Wolf, K.J. Jackson, and Bridgerton are sure to enjoy this new steamy historical romance series about a family of four sisters who must face pride, peril, and adventure before each finds a love that conquers all. Featuring some of your favorite tropes... Enemies to Lovers Grumpy/Sunshine Curvy Heroine Forced Proximity Only One Bed! What would you do for a little adventure? A rebellious young lady... Miss Rosalind Gardner's two older sisters are happily married, but she has no plans to follow in their footsteps anytime soon. Determined to see the world before settling down, she sets out on an ocean voyage to distant lands. Exuberant, warm-hearted, and ceaselessly optimistic, Rosalind has spent her life waiting for this opportunity. But it's one thing to dream about adventure and another thing to live it--especially when doing so means living in close quarters with the coldest, most arrogant man alive. ...and a heartless hero... Philip Calvert has already lived two very different lives. A rebellious rake in his youth, he was thoroughly reformed when he fell in love with his first wife, only to lose her tragically. When he undertakes a perilous sea voyage, Philip is horrified to find himself boxed in with an uninhibited hoyden who has used his name to secure her passage. Having sworn off love and marriage, his resolve will be tested by this high-spirited woman whose passion and beauty threaten to pull him into uncharted waters. ...are about to set sail on a journey into love. Out on the deep blue sea, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, small berths and narrow decks bring hidden desires into the light... along with dark secrets better left buried. Book Details The Gardner Girls books are standalone stories which may be read in any order. Each book in the series is a rollicking adventure featuring a spunky heroine, a romantic hero, a swoon-worthy happy-ending, and at least one villain you'll love to hate! Heat Level: Steamy "A delight which kept me up into the wee hours of the night!" - Elodie's Reading Corner "Fenna Edgewood is a worthy addition to the ranks of Regency Romance." - Lesley H., Amazon Reviewer

Secrets are never discovered during the holidays, right? That's what these five best friends are banking on as they gather once again to Five Island Cove for what they hope will be a Christmas to remember. AJ has a real boyfriend now, and he's really coming to the cove to meet her friends and family. She's turned into a domestic goddess as she preps to host Christmas at a rental that will hold everyone for the holidays. But beneath the bulky sweaters, AJ has a secret she won't be able to keep hidden forever. Eloise is happily wearing her diamond ring, and she can't wait to spoil Aaron's children rotten over the holidays. But when he calls and says there's been an accident, Eloise will never look at Christmas the same. Robin's just found out her husband needs a new fishing boat or he could sink while at sea. But they don't have the money to replace such a big-ticket item, and she's praying for a miracle this Christmas. Kelli comes to the cove on a one-way ticket and more than she and her son need for a couple of weeks, but she's too humiliated to tell her friends that she is not cut out for a polyamorous relationship and that her husband has chosen that lifestyle over her. Alice, struggling to make ends meet for the first time in her life, wants to be the one to bring them all together, bind up their broken hearts, and make Christmas wishes come true. When a mysterious benefactor allows her to do just that, she wonders what the ultimate price will be. Because she knows better than anyone that everything has a price, and nothing comes for free... Gather for the holidays with these five best friends as they celebrate Christmas at the cove, continue to find themselves and their future, and support each other through thick and thin.

Your next trip to Five Island Cove...this time to face a fresh future and leave all the secrets and fears in the past. Kelli is ready to make memories with her son in the house where she grew up. It needs a lot of work, but with the sunlight coming through the colorful stained glass windows, she's confident she can do it. When she gets way over her head, she calls the people who she can rely on for anything. Eloise is only a few weeks away from tying the knot, but she shows up at the house on Seabreeze Shore with sandpaper and her fiancé's power tools. They get to work, only to find Kelli's father's will underneath a floorboard. What's really in the will changes everything for Kelli and her mother. Laurel, Alice, Robin, and AJ arrive just in time to help Kelli and Eloise decide what to do next. At least until the storm warning comes, and they all have to hunker down in a house that has very little food and not enough beds for everyone. As they worry about their loved ones, their bonds of friendship will be tested one more time, when one more devastating secret comes to light... ...all within the walls of the house on Seabreeze Shore. Join best friends, old and new, Robin, Alice, Eloise, Kelli, Laurel, and AJ as they learn about themselves, strengthen their bonds of friendship, and learn what it truly means to thrive.

For centuries the sea has been regarded as a male domain. Fisherman, navy officers, pirates, and explorers roamed the high seas while their wives and daughters stayed on shore. Oceangoing adventurers and the crews of their ships were part of an all-male world — or were they? In this illuminating historical narrative, maritime scholar David Cordingly shows that in fact an astonishing number of women went to sea in the great age of sail. Some traveled as the wives or mistresses of captains. A few were smuggled aboard by officers or seaman. A number of cases have come to light of young women dressing in men’s clothes and working alongside the sailors for months, and sometimes years. In the U.S. and Britsh navies, it was not uncommon for the wives of bosuns, carpenters, and cooks to go to sea on warships. Cordingly’s tremendous research shows that there was indeed a thriving female population — from female pirates to the sirens of legend — on and around the high seas. A landmark work of women’s history disguised as a spectacularly entertaining yarn, Women’s Sailors and Sailor’s Women will surprise and delight readers.

Spend another month in Five Island Cove and experience an amazing adventure between five best friends, the challenges they face, the secrets threatening to come between them, and their undying support of each other. Eloise Hall has reached a turning point: she either wants to marry Aaron or break up. Her scientific mind gets clouded by her heart, and she decides to quit her job at Boston University and move back to Five Island Cove to fix up and open The Cliffside Inn, a building she purchased decades ago on the rocky cliffs of Sanctuary Island. She thinks that'll show Aaron she's ready to wear a diamond and say I-do. Robin and Alice are dealing with their teenage children who've started dating when Alice learns that her ex-husband has lost his high-paying job and is having financial problems. All of the payments she's been getting...won't be coming anymore. With her husband back from Alaska, Robin struggles to learn how to balance home and family with her full-time job as well as her friends. When she has to make a difficult choice between her husband and helping Eloise with the inn, Robin doesn't know which to support. AJ has met a great guy -- or so she says. She's been texting her friends about a man named Peterson, but when they're supposed to come to the cove to help Eloise with the inn, only AJ shows up. Kelli brings her son to the cove for another extended vacation after learning her husband has started another relationship in New Jersey. He's asked her to consider an open relationship where they stay married, and he can still see and date this other woman. With their different personalities and in their different states of mind, none of these best friends are prepared for the secret contained within the walls of The Cliffside Inn. They've survived tough situations before, but this might be the thing that tears them apart for good...

These five best friends made a Summer Sand Pact as teens and have only kept it once or twice—until they reunite decades later and renew their agreement to meet in Five Island Cove every summer. Alice Kelton's marriage is in shambles, and while she's always thought she'd stay with her husband, after her last visit to the cove, she went back to the Hamptons and filed for divorce. She and her twins are moving to Rocky Ridge in Five Island Cove permanently, but she's not telling anyone. Robin's husband is in Alaska for the summer, and she's pretending she's okay. Eloise comes back to the cove every couple of weeks so she can see her new boyfriend, though she's growing tired of the distance between them. AJ broke up with her non-committal boyfriend, and she's happier, freer, and open to another relationship, even though she lives in Atlanta. Kelli brings her son to the cove this time, knowing her relationship with her husband is on the rocks and desperate to fix it. She plans to get some help from her sisterhood during the two weeks in the cove. When she's followed to the beach house where the other women and their children have gathered, Kelli learns a dangerous secret thirty years in the making that could completely undo all the progress she's made... Get ready for more secrets to come to light in Five Island Cove, and for these five women to show each other what it means to love and support someone through thick and thin.