When Aoi Narinomiya, the last daughter of a prestigious family, discovers that her grandfather has gone missing, leaving her to carry an astronomical debt, both she and her dog, Sakura, are inches away from finding themselves on the street. When her enigmatic classmate Kei Katsuragi shows up on her doorstep to repossess everything her family once owned, Aoi makes a desperate plea for Kei to take in her beloved Sakura--maybe she could at least be spared...? It seems, though, that Kei is far less interested in owning a dog than he is in calling a pedigreed kitty his own, and Aoi soon finds herself playing the part of the young man's prized pet! Disturbingly, it turns out to be a comfortable and reassuring life that Aoi feels she hastoo quickly settled into, but could Kei have ulterior motives that go beyond just "owning" her?

BRAND NEW FROM DANIELLE RAMSAYFive women; pretty, privileged, perfect, and ultimately protected... but not for long... It was ‘their’ dark secret. For twenty-two-years they kept it buried. Time hasn’t healed my wounds. Instead, they’ve festered. Their actions went unpunished. Until now... Shamed, scarred, and shunned, I watched, waited and plotted how to shatter their enviable lives. Now, finally, they will suffer as I did at their cruel hands that fateful night. Time’s up. I am here for you, Dr Claudia Harper. But first, you’ll witness your childhood friends, one by one, beg for mercy. And I’ve saved the best ‘til last, so watch your back; I’m closer than you think. I’m here to expose your best friend’s secret. The one you’ve all kept hidden... A tale of betrayal, dark, twisted lies and long-awaited retribution. Perfect for the fans of Claire McGowan, Shalini Boland and S. E. Lynes Praise for Danielle Ramsay. ‘A heart pounding read that had me glued to the pages.’ - Keri Beevis 'Bold, brutal, and utterly compelling! My heart was pounding every step of the way. Highly recommended!' - A.A. Chaudhuri 'A truly terrifying tale of destruction and survival.' - Valerie Keogh 'With the propulsive rhythm of lightning, Ramsey's writing strikes all the right places making MY BEST FRIEND'S SECRET her most accomplished work yet. Once started, I couldn't stop reading until I had devoured every last word. A triumph!' - Awais Khan ‘A terrifying and highly personal account of control and domestic violence with a shocking and harrowing realisation that this could happen to anyone. Highly recommended’ – Howard Linksey 'A gripping story, a brilliant writer, an easy five stars from me' - John Nicholl 'A real page-turner with an antagonist you'll love to hate' - Gemma Rogers 'An excellent portrayal of a living nightmare - it will chill you to the core.' - Diane Saxon

Discover your new favourite wines, beers, spirits and cocktails in this unique and ingenious guide, led by your own taste buds 'All about the pleasures of raising a glass. This book tells you what to try next and why . . . Cheers!' Michel Roux Jr 'A kind of Flavour Thesaurus but for drinks. A joyful, thoughtful labyrinth in which you can happily lose yourself for hours' Daily Telegraph 'From floral to fruity, smoky to spicy, this invaluable tome will tell you how to hit every flavour high note' Esquire's 'Best Cocktail Books of 2023' **Finalist in the Guild of Food Writers Award for Drinks Book of the Year** ________ Do you always ask for the same old wine, the usual pint, the reliable spirit? It's all too easy to play it safe, and finding new favourites can take time and effort. Until now. Using the algorithm 'If you like this, you'll love that', this ingenious guide will lead you by your taste buds, using your existing favourite drinks and flavours to reveal vast varieties that will also suit your palate. Fan of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc? Try Sancerre for similar grassy notes. Partial to Vintage Champagne? Believe it or not, you may also like a Brown Porter. Those who enjoy Scotch Single Malt Whisky should give a Californian Pinot Noir a go, while a preference for Pornstar Martinis suggests you'll also be fond of Japanese Sake. Exploring the gamut of flavour styles, from floral and fruity to smoky and spicy, then showcasing all the drinks in which you can find them, from wine, beer, cider, tequila and vodka through to tea, coffee, mixers and everything in between There's a whole universe of incredible wine, beer, spirits and cocktails just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed - if only we can step outside that comfort zone. This book will show you how. ________ 'Rob Buckhaven will help you discover your new favourite tipple . . . He knows his stuff and his enthusiasm is infectious' Sunday Express

It is with an open mind and familiar excitement that Carolina moves to the Land of the Rising Sun, where ancestral culture intermingles tightly with high-tech modernism, and social rules are taken to the extreme. She discovers a country filled with subtle beauty, well-preserved traditions and polite, respectful people. The experience teaches her how important it is to appreciate the simple joys in life, to be accepting of things that cannot be changed - "shoganai" - and to fully respect the power of Mother Nature, who always has the upper hand.

In a world where espionage knows no bounds, where secrets are currency, and betrayal is a way of life, one book dares to delve into the heart of the clandestine underworld. Welcome to a realm where the line between loyalty and deception is razor-thin, and where the stakes are higher than ever. Follow the riveting exploits of secret agents and double agents as they navigate a landscape fraught with danger, where alliances shift like sand and trust is a luxury few can afford. But let’s not forget the allure of the gorgeous lady spies, their serpentine bodies a sight to behold as they maneuver through a world of danger and desire. These agents are not just skilled in espionage; they’re masters of seduction, swapping sex partners to abstract strictly classified secrets, finding not only the thrill of the mission but also divine pleasure in their pursuits. From the deserts of the Sahara to the lush oases of distant lands, from the depths of betrayal to the heights of redemption, this is a tale of epic proportions that will grip you from the very first page. Prepare to be enthralled by a world where danger and desire collide, where nothing is as it seems, and where the fate of humanity rests in the hands of those who walk in the shadows. But amidst the treachery and intrigue, there’s another force at play: extraterrestrial beings who have witnessed humanity’s self-destructive nature and have a plan to save the Earth from its own demise.

'" Also known as Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, the manga version of the coming-of-age novel that inspired two films! In this deeply moving first-person story, an introverted high school boy finds his classmate''s diary--and learns her biggest secret. Yamauchi Sakura is dying from a pancreatic disease and now he is the only one person outside her family to know the truth. The last thing the boy wants is to be her friend, but Sakura''s cheerful demeanor and their shared secret draw them together in this heartrending tale of friendship and mortality. "'

"The international passion for mergers and acquisitions of the last two decades is creating corporations of immense dimensions and power. The M&A torrent reshaped the world of business, locking it on an irreversible course of oligopoly. Many emerging global giants are larger and more influential than the countries in which they operate." "The Secret Empire shows how these mega-national companies create perturbing global problems. Janet Lowe explores the dangers of corporate leviathans and their ability to wrest control away from governments, manipulate the flow of currency, set prices, sway political policy, and change the fundamental nature of countries in which they do business. Lowe also tells how these corporations spread technology, medical discoveries, and other social advances throughout the world. Some even enhance world peace, since countries that have friendly trade relations and are economically linked are less likely to go to war. Many of the world's most influential companies - among them Nestle, Matsushita Electric, Daimler-Benz, Philip Morris, and Bristol Myers-Squibb - find themselves playing both roles." "The Secret Empire identifies the leading meganationals, describing what they do, their corporate personalities, and who runs them; shows the impact meganationals have on shareholders, workers, consumers, and governments; examine the who, what, and why of the M&A trend and tells how it affects global enterprise." "This insightful account explores the compelling question of global oligopoly. Who will win? Who will lose? Where will it end?"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This is a comparative examination of financial institutions in the inter-war period of the UK, US, Germany, France and Japan. In this latest addition to the prestigious FUJI Business History Series, the contributors to the volume analyze the ways in which different institutions coped with the financial crises at this time, and how they competed with each other. They also ask how this affected the financial climates of the countries in question. The discussion is divided into three parts: commercial banking, universal banking and insurance and securities.

Heart Of Darkness. The story of the civilized, enlightened Mr. Kurtz who embarks on a harrowing "night journey" into the savage heart of Africa, only to find his dark and evil soul. The Secret Sharer. The saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth -- and comes face to face with the secret itself. Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer.