The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award, 420 pages

 What happens when the sunshiny pop princess and the grumpy football player discover there's more to this fake romance than inspiration for a new love song?

Kelsey Best is America's pop sweetheart and anyone who says they don't like her music is a liar and needs to be punched in the nads. And I'll do it too, because I'm the guy the NFL dubbed the 'meanest player in the league.' Great for my career on the field, not so much for my reputation off it.

So I'm shocked as hell when Kelsey's team sends my agent a wild idea – they want a showmance between us. She's looking to dodge the media frenzy after her breakup with Hollywood's latest heartthrob, and I apparently fit the bill as her perfect distraction. My agent is convinced this fake dating stunt is the key to fixing my image.

But what happens when I fall for her? The whole world is going to hate me when we fake break up. But she's going to create a blank space in my heart and I don't think I'm going to be able to shake it off.

This plus-size curvy girl romance has a burnt cinnamon roll hero with a mean protective streak and a baddie plus-size pop star who is on the verge of burn out. But a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family you'll wish you were a part of will make sure they get their happy ever after.

At Ease, Beetle Bailey by Mort Walker, 128 pages

 

Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan, 250 pages

 Behold the rat, dirty and disgusting! Robert Sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of this most perversely intriguing, remarkable, and unexpectedly elegant New York Times bestseller.

Love them or loathe them, rats are here to stay-they are city dwellers as much as (or more than) we are, surviving on the effluvia of our society. In Rats , the critically acclaimed bestseller, Robert Sullivan spends a year investigating a rat-infested alley just a few blocks away from Wall Street. Sullivan gets to know not just the beast but its friends and foes: the exterminators, the sanitation workers, the agitators and activists who have played their part in the centuries-old war between human city dweller and wild city rat.

Sullivan looks deep into the largely unrecorded history of the city and its masses-its herds-of-rats-like mob. Funny, wise, sometimes disgusting but always compulsively readable, Rats earns its unlikely place alongside the great classics of nature writing.

Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty, 342 pages

 Zoe Norris writes travel guides for the undead. And she's good at it too—her new-found ability to talk to cities seems to help. After the success of The Sbambling Guide to New York City, Zoe and her team are sent to New Orleans to write the sequel.

Work isn't all that brings Zoe to the Big Easy. The only person who can save her boyfriend from zombism is rumored to live in the city's swamps, but Zoe's out of her element in the wilderness. With her supernatural colleagues waiting to see her fail, and rumors of a new threat hunting city talkers, can Zoe stay alive long enough to finish her next book?

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel, 282 pages

 When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana, was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this witty and lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town America was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period–people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.

Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel's straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor, 429 pages

 Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the Northern Ireland village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there. But Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice.

At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly.

The older physician has his own way of doing things. At first, Barry can't decide if the pugnacious O'Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met or the best teacher he could ever hope for. Through O'Reilly, Barry soon gets to know all of the village's colourful and endearing residents and a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor.

Ballybucklebo is a long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about country life. But with pluck and compassion, and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life--and love--than he ever imagined back in medical school.

Shake Off the Ghosts by Miranda Newfield, 346 pages

 WANTED:

Housesitter for Cavendish House, an expansive medieval manor in the Highlands of Scotland. Must love country living and have maintenance skills. Decent pay for right applicant.

Sounds spectacular, doesn't it? Sadly, what the ad should've said was -

WANTED:
Idiot willing to live in abject misery for two months in the middle of nowhere Scotland. Must love ten-year-old dust bunnies, complete isolation, and have the courage to weather the nightly visits of the Blue Lady - the resident ghost. Great job for the right sucker!

And even that couldn't prepare me for the Cavendish heir, Branson Douglas. Branson is infuriating! Stubborn, smug, and worst of all, infuriatingly handsome. My god, that smile! Branson doesn't want me around and makes no secret of it, but there's one thing I have that might help him save Cavendish House from the auction block - I'm a force of nature with a hammer. Now, it'll take us both working together, day in and day out to get it done. If only I can keep from falling for the handsome bastard between now and then.

With every mystery of Cavendish we uncover, Branson's secrets come to the surface, and soon I see a whole new side to this beautiful creature - secrets that make my heart helpless to him. The way he looks at me - am I right to think he wants me too, or will the worst house-sitting job I've ever had turn into the hardest goodbye I'll ever have to say?"

Wanted:
Impenetrable heart lock. Must repel heart stopping smiles and Scottish charm. Please include money back guarantee.

The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee by Annika Martin, 386 pages

 I'm no Prince Charming, and the last thing I want is a Cinderella.

My instructions were simple: scour the city for a fake fiancée who's not my type at all. Have her on my jet Monday morning, dressed appropriately for a yacht vacation.

I need a woman believable enough to convince a certain client that I've changed my playboy ways…yet nothing like the supermodels and socialites I usually have on my arm.

Somebody too annoying to tempt me—no emotional entanglements, thank you very much. This is business only.

If she's unfazed by my looks and wealth, all the better.

Should be easy. Right?

Apparently not, because my people go and hire Tabitha. My hairdresser.

What were they thinking? Yes, I said annoying, but I didn't mean her, the most frustrating woman in the world.

Tabitha is sunshiny. She has a pet hamster. She loves Hello Kitty, and she gets under my skin like nobody else.

As if that's not bad enough, the minute we step on deck, she thinks that certain people on the yacht are up to something shady—based completely on her soap opera knowledge.

She won't listen when I tell her she’s being ridiculous.

But as the days go by, I find that we’re actually having fun. And our fake kisses are heating up. And suddenly her wild theories aren't sounding so strange after all…

Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs, 416 pages

 Honey Bee Tea was an elegant affair set in Charleston’s new Petigru Park amid newly planted native grasses and a community beekeeping project. But when a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests, the party erupts in chaos. Worse yet, a shot rings out and Osgood Claxton III, candidate for state legislature, falls to the ground—dead.Holly Burns, the gallery owner who asked Theodosia to cater the tea, is understandably heartbroken. A man is dead, her guests are angry and injured, and the paintings that were on display are left in tatters. When the police don’t seem to have a clue, when old-line politicos don’t want questions asked, Holly begs Theodosia to run a shadow investigation and help restore her gallery’s good name.Between hosting a Wind in the Willows Tea and a Glam Girl Tea, Theodosia questions everyone that had a bone to pick with Claxton. This includes Booker, an angry outsider artist; Lamar Lucket, Claxton’s political opponent; and Mignon Merriweather, the dead man’s soon-to-be ex-wife. But the investigation becomes a political hot potato following a second murder, the revelation of a messy affair, a chase through a swamp, and a vandalized shop.

Marshmallow by Megan Wade, 72 pages

 Marshmallow. Every kid gets a nickname. Marshmallow was mine. And like the squishie confectionary, it stuck. As did the extra pounds that inspired the nickname in the first place.

But that was OK, the plus-size revolution gave me confidence in my curves. I learned to love my body and even show it off for the world to see. #bodypositive was my ticket to Insta-stardom. It was also what attracted him...

Carter Reeves. A model who graced the covers of several of my favorite romance novels. He messaged me with an opportunity. I couldn’t say no. Imagine my surprise when in the middle of a photo shoot, he pressed his lips to my ear and told me he wants to eat my marshmallow.
Holy
Mother
Of god
Carter Reeves wants me.
Me.
He has abs of steel and I have thighs of thunder. Is he serious?

The C*ck Down the Block by Amy Award, 296 pages

 Look, I've had it bad for the girl with all the curves next door forever. She turned me down in high school and since I'm not a total douchecanoe, I lusted after her all by myself in my shower, and we stayed just friends for years.

Now she's the adorkable librarian next door and I'm the star quarterback of the best pro football team in the league.
So when she asks me to be her fake date to her all-girls school reunion I am totally down to show her off to the mean girls who bullied her back then so they can see just how incredible she is.
I'll be the best boyfriend they've ever seen. The best fake boyfriend that is.

Until I find out from her slightly-stalkery classmates that she still has her v-card. I don't see how that is even possible. Not with how sexy and sweet she is. Could it be because she knows she belongs with me?

This curvy girl and football quarterback sports romance has a baddie plus-size woman who knows her own worth and a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family you'll wish you were a part of.

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach by Carolyn Keene, 180 pages

 Mrs. Strook requests Nancy’s help finding an old stagecoach she believes her uncle hid in her hometown of Francisville. Mrs. Strook believes the stagecoach houses a clue that will be valuable for the town! Can Nancy help her find the missing stagecoach?

You Should Smile More by Anastasia Ryan, 245 pages

 Telemarketer Vanessa Blair isn't in love with her job. It pays the bills and feeds her foster kittens, but offers only one other perk: her friendships with Jane Delaney and Trisha Lam. But, as mind-numbing as her job is, things are about to get worse. Xavier Adams, her self-absorbed boss, calls Vanessa into the conference room and fires her. The reason? Her facial expressions. Apparently, she has resting bitch face, and it doesn't matter that her sales numbers are stellar or that she organizes office events.

After a girls' night of schnapps and imaginary retribution, Vanessa awakens to find her friends bent on a revenge strategy based on the classic business book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. At first, Vanessa wants nothing to do with it. She wants to file for unemployment and move on with her life, possibly with Carter Beckett, the cute, cat-loving unemployment rep assigned to her case. But when Xavier contests her unemployment and ruins her shot at her dream job, Vanessa is all in…

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade, 403 pages

 Maria's one-night-stand--the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note--just reappeared. Apparently, Peter's her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they're about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him...but he now wants nothing to do with her.

Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won't sabotage his career for a woman who's already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends--possibly even best friends--but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.

For years, they don't touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don't have a future together, since Peter's going back to Hollywood, while Maria's returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he's determined to change her mind, and he's spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.

His shipwrecked Swede doesn't stand a chance.

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh, 277 pages

 Troy Alleyn, Inspector Roderick Alleyn's beautiful young wife, is engaged to paint a portrait of Sir Henry Ancred, famed Shakespearean actor and family patriarch, but she senses all is not well in the dreary castle of Ancreton. When old Henry is found dead after a suspicious dinner and an unfortunate family fracas, Troy enlists the impeccable aid of her husband to determine who among a cast of players would have a motive for murder -- and the theatrical gift to carry it out.

Breaking the Billionaire's Rules by Annika Martin, 420 pages

 Max Hilton is my high school nemesis turned billionaire. And tomorrow I deliver his lunch order. In a cat costume.

You know he’s going to love it. He’ll smile that smirky smile, sitting there all superior in his gleaming tower, the wealthiest and most notorious playboy in all of New York, the king of everything.

Turns out it wasn’t curiosity that killed the cat—it was mortification.

I’m almost ready to quit my lunch delivery job, but then my roommate tosses me a copy of The Max Hilton Playbook: Ten Golden Rules for Picking up the Hottest Girl in the Room.

It’s the book that catapulted him to stardom. And it’s my new bible.

I’m going to use his own techniques against him. I’ll wrap him around my little finger, bring him to his knees, and crush his steely heart. Call it payback for all the single girls who had to endure legions of losers wielding his legendary tactics.

But seeing Max every day, I’m discovering a side of him
I didn’t even know existed--he’s not the jerky guy I thought he was. He has
this smile he shows only to me, and it melts my heart. His touch sends shivers
down my spine. And those forbidden kisses are driving me wild.

Falling for him was not in my plan.

Am I breaking his rules or will his rules break me first?

A Villain For Christmas by Alice Winters, 337 pages

 “I want you to help me rob a bank.”

The moment I heard those words, I should have slammed the door in my brother’s face and cracked open a book. Though if I had, I wouldn’t have run into August, the city’s main superhero… and the man of my dreams. He’s sexy, kind, and sweet—everything I’m supposed to dislike.

You see, I’m a villain… well, kind of. Honestly, I’d rather curl up and read than commit crimes, but life doesn’t always go the way I want it to, especially after being raised by some cut-rate villains who can’t even steal toilet paper without getting caught.

Suddenly, I find myself spending time with August and realize that maybe there is more to life than petting my hairless cat, but the issue is… what happens when he figures out that I’m Leviathan, an extremely powerful villain? Can he still love me regardless of who I am?

When actual supervillains start targeting August, I might be forced to show everyone who I truly am, but villains and heroes aren’t supposed to save each other, let alone fall in love.

Although, I’ve never been one to do what I’ve been told.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie, 212 pages

 It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks.

But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?

The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery… before tongues start to wag.

Fatkini by Monica Ross, 261 pages

 Big boobs, tiny waist, wide hips, and long legs. That's me, Zelda Gordon.

The world calls me plus-sized.

My parents call me voluptuous.

My ex-boyfriend Tristan? He called me an embarrassment. So I kicked him outta my house and outta my life. But the damage was done and my confidence crawled into the gutter with him.

Until two of the sexiest, sweetest guys I've ever met lifted me up.

Drew and Aithan call me a Valkyrie, they call me beautiful, and they love me just the way I am. And you know what? I think I can learn to love myself, too. Unless jealousy rears its ugly head and murders our happiness just as it's taking shape.

Because an ex's spite is more dangerous than my curves.

NOTE: If you find cussing offensive, if you skip past the sex scenes, or if the idea of multiple love interests makes you clutch your pearls (not in a good way), The Fatkini Chronicles ain’t the books for you. But, if you love curvy girl, chronic illness romance with a why choose relationship and two cinnamon roll heroes who are all about her happiness, then this series is calling your name.

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun, 192 pages

 Jim Qwilleran is not exactly overwhelmed by his new assignment for the Daily Fluxion. Interior design has never been one of his specialties and now he's supposed to turn out an entire magazine on the subject every week! But the first issue of Gracious Abodes is barely off the presses when Qwilleran finds himself back on more familiar territory -- the exclusive residence featured on the cover has been burglarized and the lady of the house found dead...now Qwilleran and Koko -- the brilliant Siamese -- have their respective moustache and whiskers twitching, and when Koko starts pawing clues in the dictionary and sniffing designer furniture, Qwilleran finds himself doing a feature on a very clever murder.

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer, 409 pages

 Under the reign of Louis XV, corruption and intrigue have been allowed to blossom in France, and Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon and proud of his soubriquet 'Satanas', flourishes as well. Then, from a dark Parisian back alley, he plucks L-on, a red-headed urchin with strangely familiar looks, just in time for his long over-due schemes of revenge on the Comte de St. Vire. Among the splendours of Versailles and the dignified mansions of England, Justin begins to unfold his sinister plans -- until, that is, Leon becomes the ravishing beauty Leonie ...