New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming tale of three people who are bought together when they’re bequeathed an old Wild West inn that has the potential to pull their lives apart, but instead turns into the gift of a lifetime.
When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home–and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.
It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history–and secrets– causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.
Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace–rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for–acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.
~
Review:
Shalvis’s newest may be more women’s fiction than romance, but it definitely doesn’t scrimp on the feels. Alice is back in her hometown to reluctantly face her past, including her former best friend and her high school crush. For a woman who is quite good at running away from difficult situations, the next few weeks stuck together in the same house is guaranteed to be difficult. Luckily, Knox is amazingly centered and calm, able to handle Lauren’s self-doubt & scattered moments as well as Alice’s prickliness so that they manage to renovate Eleanor’s house … and something more.
Drama, love, healing, and friendship all mix together with a liberal dash of humor to delightfully entertain readers, as these three find their HEA in a meandering and satisfying way. There’s guilt, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings, but also a chance to finally make peace with themselves and each other.
(Part of a series but only in that it is set in the same community.)
M.A. Lee’s Wicked Inkis out now! Check out the gorgeous new adult tattooed romance, and be sure to grab your copy today!
Wicked Ink
Royal Ink Tattoo series
by M.A. Lee
Blurb:
From Amazon Bestselling Author, M.A. Lee comes another exciting new college romance novel.
Melissa is my biggest challenge yet. With her beauty, brains, and brazen sass, she is the first girl not to fall for my charm.
I want her.
I need her.
I’m getting high just from her presence. I know she will cave one day, I can see it in the way she looks at me and the way her body reacts when I touch her.
With each day that passes, I can feel her giving in. Her resistance is fleeting as she slowly falls for what we could be. What I want us to become.
They say bad boys are easy to love. And, Colton is your ultimate bad boy. It’s hard to blame him; with his dark hair, tattoos, striking eyes, and swagger, girls just can’t resist him.
I already had my fair share of bad boys and the last thing I wanted to do was to fall for Colton. Knowing that he owns a tattoo parlor and drives a motorcycle should have me running away at lightning speed–but it doesn’t.
I fell for him hard and we both know it, but I’m the last person to admit it. Call it stubbornness, but I am not the type of girl that Colton really needs.
Now, Colton refuses to give up his chase and I don’t know how much longer I can fight my feelings for him. I can tell he is different, but can I really trust him with my heart?
Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell.
Lily Hinsdale spends her California days designing extravagant hotels for Utopia Resorts. Her nights are filled with the glitz and glamour of upscale parties. Until her grandmother dies and leaves Lily property in wretched Vermont. The woods mean only one thing to Lily—nightmares. When Utopia wants the land for development, Lily is forced to travel to a place she’d rather forget.
Rick Stannard makes maple syrup and builds barns in the peace and quiet of picturesque Vermont. Noisy New York City nearly killed him a few years back, and now he lives a calm, simple life with his coyote, Poe, and his beloved book collection. It’s the only way he’s guaranteed to wake up each morning.
When Lily marches her expensive boots onto Rick’s land and proposes turning it into a mega resort, the serenity of the woods is shattered. Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell. Opposites attract, but they’ll need to compromise, or someone else will do it for them. Someone who is not afraid of the woods or the city. Or spilling a little blood.
The Maple Leaf Series, contemporary romance
“Fears, pride, love, passion ~ beautifully woven together with substance and depth.”
Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.
Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.
She lives in Vermont with her husband and many woodland creatures who defend her fiercely from all evils.
Someone wants Police Chief Emilio Mendoza dead. And if his unknown assailant doesn’t kill him, pining for Sheriff Abraham Beecham just might.
Abe and Lio’s thirty-year journey has taken them from heated rivals to best friends with countless labels and pit stops along the way. Romance is the only avenue left unexplored but not from lack of love or desire.
Abe pushes people away before they can get too close, and Lio doesn’t engage in situations he can’t control. They’ve reached an impasse, and neither are willing to risk their friendship until fate intervenes, forcing them to reassess their priorities.
But when an unhinged enemy targets Lio, will their gamble be too little too late, or will their love truly conquer all?
Just Say When is a standalone romantic suspense novel within the author’s Savannah universe. This book contains mature content and is attended for adults.
“Alex clearly doesn’t get his sportsmanship from his father,” Abe quipped.
“Kiss my ass, Beecham,” I said softly in deference to the kids around us.
Abe leaned in until his hot breath ghosted over my ear. “Gladly.”
I turned my head and looked at my best friend. His expression held a carnal promise that made me swallow hard. If I gave him the word, Abe would take me home, yank down my pants, and bury his face between my ass cheeks. I could practically feel his hot breath against my quivering pucker. His tongue would swirl and tease the rim before pushing in. Lust gripped my balls and squeezed. God, I wanted him so bad.
“Now I really need to hear this story,” Russ quipped, jerking me back to reality and saving me from breaking my own heart. I blinked away the fantasy, and Abe’s lips curled into a proud, wolfish smile. Unaware of the tension arcing between Abe and me, Russ continued chatting. “I knew you and Beecham went way back, Lio, but it sounds like there’s more to it than I realized.”Few people knew the full story because I was stingy when it came to Abe. Our relationship had been fueled by variations of hate and love for three decades, but there had never been a right time to explore whether those feelings could develop into something more profound. My heart wanted to say until now, but my brain knew better than to get my hopes up. Abe and I had both drawn lines in the sand, and neither showed signs of relenting.
*****
Review:
There’s a few complaints that this one really doesn’t stand on its own but I didn’t have any issues. Yes, we start the book with the main characters on the bring of moving from friends to a romantic relationship but the main block to their HEA still needs to be resolved – Abe’s issues with abandonment. His mom left him as a kid at the mercy of his abusive father, his grandmother died, and now he’s afraid that anyone he loves will also leave him. Lio knows all about Abe’s issues and is willing to wait for him, but he needs him to be open to addressing it before he will take their relationship any further. It’ll take some time and patience but Lio knows their future is worth it. I enjoyed how Abe & Lio worked their way to the new aspect of their relationship. It felt like they were willing to make sure that it was on a solid footing. But then someone puts that future in peril.
**potential minor spoilers ahead**
My understanding is that Walker is great at crafting a good mystery and I can see it. I didn’t guess where things were going until she revealed the threat. I do have to agree with some reviewers that the motive is potentially problematic and while I feel for what the main characters went through, given the who and why, I would have liked more compassion given to the person and their reasons. But if this is any indication of the kind of suspense element brought by the author I’m open to more.
I’ll admit I’m a pretty vanilla kinda girl and while I enjoy a spicier read, it’s not something I would be comfortable with in my own life so I tend to be a bit … unsure of how these scenes come across for others. To me, Wilson delivered the heat & then some, and I’m not really seeing anyone else complain, so if steamy and explicit m/m scenes are your jam, then read away!
A satisfying blend of tension, eroticism, and affection, Lio and Abe’s story was a good introduction to a new to me author and has me interested in what else she has to offer 🙂
*****
Author Info:
Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
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Drake McGinn turned his back on hockey after the league betrayed him. Will the Titans be his chance to clear his name and take back the career he once loved?
After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back.
Having settled into life as a single dad to three boys, I’m content. I have more money than I could ever need, and plenty of time to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and whoever I want. So when Brienne Norcross, the team owner for the Pittsburgh Titans, shows up at my house with a job offer, I have no problem turning her down. But the no-nonsense billionaire, with sinfully seductive red lips and killer heels that would look hot as hell thrown over my shoulders, won’t take “no” for an answer.
Now I need to find balance between hockey, my boys, and the explosive chemistry Brienne and I can no longer deny. A cast-off hockey player and the league’s only female team owner? I can think of a million reasons why it could never work but can’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. Game on.
Drake has some serious trust issues after being betrayed by both his ex-wife and the league. It makes his attraction to Brienne very complicated – he can handle things when its just his body involved but as soon as its his heart things become problematic.
While Brienne tries, she can’t resist the pull she feels for the cocky hockey player. If they can keep it superficial … but as he shows her his caring side, for his family and for her, deeper feelings soon follow.
Bennett is amazing at delivering characters, both male and female, that are strong but with vulnerabilities that need to be overcome on their way to a HEA. Both Drake and Brienne have their reasons for keeping things light but their attraction is so overwhelming that they find themselves spending more and more time together, with emotions developing that neither of them want. Steamy, sassy, and smart Bennett delivers yet another must read. Her Titans are guaranteed to deliver and I’m ready to see what she will bring next.
(I think there should be a content warning for those who have concerns around consent. Drake is very alpha and a take charge guy in the bedroom. He also recognizes that while Brienne owns her sexuality, most of the time she wants to give up control because she spends so much of her time making big decisions as the CEO of her company. It works for a romance novel but it may be disturbing for some as there are times when Drake pushes her a little. Just putting that out there for those that need it.)
*****
Author Info:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Miss Julia Beaumont has exactly one night to find herself a husband…
The Weatherford Ball is the last chance Julia Beaumont has to escape the clutches of her horrid stepmother. Any potential husband will do–rich, poor, even a reasonably well-groomed walrus. But all of Julia’s matrimonial chances are completely obliterated…thanks to the actions of an infuriating and utterly rakish duke.
Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, would never risk his cherished bachelorhood by flirting with marriage-starved debutantes. But one look at the luscious and refreshingly clever Julia, and he simply can’t resist a stolen kiss–scandal be damned. Then just as things start getting deliciously interesting, the lady flees…leaving only a slipper behind.
And it must have been one dandy of a kiss. Because now Julia has proposed to him. After all, the lady needs a husband, and this roguish duke will certainly do. It’s simply a matter of making him the perfect scandalous offer…
*****
Author Info:
Lydia Drake is a reader of all things romance and a drinker of all the tea. A New Jersey resident, her favorite activities include taking the train to New York City, scouring used bookstores, spending time with her family, and wrangling her hyperactive cockapoo puppy. She loves talking romance with her fans.
*****
Review:
I admire Julia’s gumption – when a chance encounter with one of Society’s most sought after rakes means that she’s lost out on her chance to make a match for herself, she does what any self-respecting spinster with a brain and a lot of courage would do. She proposes to the man.
Gregory is not in the market for a wife. Ever. But faced with a business proposition from one of the first ladies to catch his attention in quite a long time, he’s not going to let a good thing go.
Which leads to a lot of fun for readers – these two are delightful together, with more than enough wit and sass, plus a good deal of humor and sizzle. Their interactions are both entertaining and at times frustrating as they let their insecurities and assumptions lead them away from what they truly want out of their relationship. Forever.
Drake’s newest reminds me once again how much I love historical romances. It includes a rake to reform, a marriage of convenience, and an attraction that they just can’t ignore, all wrapped up in a enjoyable (and winding) trek to a HEA. I’m definitely looking forward to what comes next from this author.
USA Today Bestselling Author, Piper Rayne, begins the Kingsmen Football Stars series with an enemies-to-lovers, second chance story set in the world of professional football.
You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows
Kingsmen Football Stars series
by Piper Rayne
Blurb:
Lee f’ing Burrows
The Kingsmen’s star quarterback.
Legendary throwing arm.
Six-pack abs.
Kissable lips.
Oh, but don’t forget, he’s also a lying, heartless egomaniac who broke my heart in college.
It took me years to build myself back up after his deceit, and now I have the dream opportunity to prove myself working as a sports therapist for a professional team.
The hurdle? Or mountain to be more accurate…
The job is with the San Francisco Kingsmen.
Back when I was a naïve college girl, I felt lucky that he even noticed me. Now eight years later, he’d be lucky if I gave him the time of day.
Which I won’t. Not ever.
Some people don’t deserve a second chance and Lee Burrows is one of them.
Now if someone could only tell him that because he’s hell-bent on scoring the winning touchdown and won’t accept that it’s game over for us.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!
Second chance romances can go either way for me and I feel like Rayne made some good choices here. Shayna definitely has her reasons for holding on to old hurts – Lee did her pretty bad. (I haven’t read the prequel and, while it can be read without it, a good many reviews say that it helps with adding extra dimension to their relationship.) She’s not going to let him keep her from accepting her dream job though, she’ll just have to be strong and ignore him. Which is easier said than done when he’s intent on apologizing for his mistake.
Lee never forgot Shayna so having her walk into his world again is his chance to get her to forgive him … and maybe something more. It soon becomes obvious she’s not going to be won over easily but he’s not giving up. He just has to be patient and prove he deserves a second chance.
The first part of the story is the resolution of their past hurts. It’s handled well and I feel like Lee redeems himself nicely. I’m with Shayna, those kinds of broken hearts take a lot to get over, but his sincerity is easy to feel. So their struggle soon moves from their history to their present circumstances, which forbids any fraternization between Kingsmen players and staff. And we all know how that’s going to go 🙂 I will say that while the intent may have been to show that Lee has embraced his privilege, he instead reads as very naive. He’s the leader of his team, wealthy, and in the public eye. How he didn’t see the way things would go from the beginning, like Shayna told him it would more than once … instead it just has him come across as unworldly and inexperienced. He may feel like his position has power but Shayna knows the truth. So then the question becomes what happens next.
I enjoyed getting to know Lee & Shayna and seeing how they resolve their issues. I also really liked meeting their friends and I’m anxiously waiting to see what Rayne has in store for them. Brady is quite the character and I’m hoping his new nanny can keep him on his toes!
*****
Author Info:
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
When there’s Love as Sea, can a former one-night stand turn into forever? Being on a lover’s cruise wasn’t hockey star, Dylan Harding’s idea of a dream vacation, but when he runs into a past one-night-stand, it suddenly has its perks. For Maureen Burke, avoiding the hunky athlete and all their chemistry while at sea is the key to keeping her job. Fans of forced proximity romances will love THIS PUCKING SHIP by A.M. Williams, a sexy sports romance.
This Pucking Ship
Love at Sea series
by A.M. Williams
Blurb:
What started as a one-night stand has become an entire week stuck at sea. Can these two unlikely lovers figure things out or will one of them jump off this pucking ship?
Maureen
Taking a job working in the gym on a cruise ship seemed like a good plan, especially after being dumped and fired from my last job, thanks to my cheating ex.
What I wasn’t counting on was running into the hockey superstar I had a one-night stand with.
Now I’m stuck trying to avoid the chemistry between us despite his relentless pursuit before I find myself put out to sea.
I just need to survive this cruise with my head down and avoid the drama.
Dylan
Being a guest on a lover’s cruise wasn’t my idea of a dream vacation.
But running into the woman I can’t get out of my head? Now, that’s a dream come true.
I swore I wasn’t interested in a relationship, but the sparks between us make it hard for me to resist. Except she’s more worried about protecting her job aboard the ship than me.
Maybe it’s for the best if we go our separate ways especially once we’re off this pucking ship.
But back on land a unique opportunity to help Maureen secure her dream job presents itself. I’ll stop at nothing to make it happen because as much as she needs this job, I need her and this position will give us both what we want.
This Pucking Ship is a sports romance with a slightly forbidden twist, part of the Love at Sea multi-author series. Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of your favorite authors – happily ever after guaranteed!
Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades, guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.
It was October in New Orleans, so it wasn’t exactly cool outside.
But it was better than the oppressiveness of the inside.
I glanced up and down the street, noting more people were out now.
As I looked around, I noticed a small patio area I hadn’t seen before when we arrived, too busy sticking close to Heidi to notice anything about the place she’d taken me to.
A quick glance confirmed it was a part of the bar I was at and that it wasn’t packed.
There were empty tables scattered throughout the space. With the realization I could sit down, my feet started throbbing.
I practically sprinted to an open table along the wooden fence, sinking down and sighing as the pressure was taken off my poor feet.
That’s what I got for letting Heidi talk me into wearing one of her cute pairs of boots instead of the sandals I wanted to wear.
I sighed in relief as I sipped my quickly warming beer, watching the knots of people outside.
There were several groups clustered at tables and on the other side of the patio was an outdoor bar.
I briefly wondered why everyone hadn’t come outside instead of staying in, but realized that inside was where the real party was. It seemed like outside was where people came to hang out.
I was fine with the hanging out over the partying. I felt too old to be inside in the thick of things.
Come to think of it, the last time I’d partied hard had been my last year of grad school. Heidi had taken me out then, forcing me to drink shot after shot after graduating.
I suddenly remembered why I didn’t party hard and grimaced with my next sip of beer.
I shuddered at the memories and was glad I was sticking to beer and not drinking hard liquor.
“You look too serious to be sitting here alone,” a husky male voice said to my right.
I sipped my beer as I looked toward who was speaking and promptly choked on it when I got a look at the guy standing there. Tall, dark, and handsome barely scratched the surface of how good he looked.
I coughed as I put my glass down, sputtering and trying not to spit beer on him.
He smirked as he sat down across from me, a beer in his hand. “I can say I’ve had a lot of reactions over the years, but not sure I’ve ever had someone choke when they saw me.”
I wheezed as I tried to catch my breath, a knot settling in my throat as I tried not to hyperventilate.
After a few moments, I was breathing easier and looked back at the guy.
It was Dylan Harding. I recognized him immediately, which is why I choked.
He was starting forward for North Carolina’s hockey team. While hockey in North Carolina might not be as popular as you’d think, I took notice when there was a hottie on the team.
And Dylan Harding was the hottest of the hotties. When he’d first started playing, I was just starting my career as a physical therapist and hoped to work with professional athletes at some point.
He was only a few years older than me and dead sexy. Light blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and a physique that would make most grown men and women cry. I didn’t know anyone that was in better physical shape than he was.
So while I watched little hockey or really understood it, I understood a sexy man.
“Sorry,” I finally said, after realizing I was staring at him. I thought fast and quipped, “I wasn’t sure if I was really seeing a demon or not. You took me by surprise.”
Dylan grinned and laughed, shaking his head as he sipped his beer. “Quick on your feet. I like it.”
I shrugged and sipped my beer much more carefully this time.
“You from here?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nah, here for work. You?”
He got a funny look on his face at my question, but shook his head as well. “Nah, just visiting.”
Silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
I looked around us as I took another gulp of my drink, trying to grasp onto something to talk about with my celebrity crush, but was drawing a blank.
“I’ve seen some of your games,” I finally blurted.
Dylan’s eyes widened. “Games?”
I nodded quickly. “Yeah. At PNC Arena.”
He stared at me for a few beats. “You recognize me?”
He sounded baffled by this thought, and I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, I recognize you. I’m from North Carolina.”
His eyes widened briefly, then his expression cleared. “Sorry, I meant nothing by it. You just said nothing when I sat down, so I assumed you didn’t know who I was.”
I pursed my lips as I considered what to say.
“I wasn’t going to admit to knowing you,” I finally said. “But couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I panicked.”
He nodded slowly, studying me, his gaze raking over me.
“So you’re a hockey fan?”
Copyright 2022 @A.M. Williams
*****
Author Info:
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living in Germany for six years, and now in Florida. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and planning trips to the beach, which is now only an hour away. She’s a total beach bum and would spend every day there if she could. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as crisp, German white wine at any time of day.
Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of your favorite authors – happily ever after guaranteed!
Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades, guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.
Each story features a brand new couple and a fun trope from our amazing line up of authors including: Kate Stacy, HM Thomas, Mari Sol, S.A. Clayton, T.L. Anderson, Karigan Hale, Susan Renee, and A.M. Williams.
This promotional event is brought to you by TheIndie Pen PR
Luke Kessler is known for his daring play on the field and his carefully scripted life off it. The Growlers’ wide receiver has a strict rule of dating one carefully chosen woman per season, then letting her down gently. After all, his game is football, not love. That is until his dopey mutt falls for a French bulldog owned by a hot mess of a woman whose sassy mouth and mind-blowing curves have him fumbling his best laid plans.
After a humiliating concert performance played out in front of the world on social media, cellist Summer Pearson has sworn off a career in music. Forever. She’s hiding out with her grandparents in Milwaukee, licking her wounds and preparing for a predictable, if not boring, law career. The last person she needs challenging her life choices is a sexy, dog-rescuing jock who loves his grandma as much as he loves a good dare.
Especially when that same guy is dating her perfect cousin.
This fun, flirty sports romance delivers a happily ever after that will have you laughing, crying, sighing, and cheering in the endzone. One-click it now for doggy hijinks, senior citizens bent on shenanigans, sexy ax-throwing, locker room bromance, steamy private cello performances, and all the feels as two people discover they are worthy of love.
Double Dog Dare is book 2 in the Milwaukee Growlers Football series but can be read as a standalone with no cliffhangers.
Solheim gives readers a wonderful set of secondary characters, a satisfying romance, and a couple that you can truly root for. And while Luke’s view on relationships may seem a bit misogynistic, he actually is very upfront about it, only getting involved with like-minded people. Everyone is aware of the situation and is in agreement of what it is and what it isn’t. Then he meets summer ,,, and realizes maybe he wants something else after all.
(I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the fact that Luke was dating Summer’s cousin first, cheating in any shape or form is definitely a firm no for me, but it actually resolved itself in a satisfying way.)
Summer is struggling with her confidence after a disastrous viral performance, unsure if she can ever play again and what that means for her future. Meeting Luke quickly upends her life and has her rethinking things. And while he may feel that he’s not relationship material, he quickly proves that wrong, showing himself to be so amazingly supportive as she works through her issues with performing again.
The assorted friends and family bring additional moments of humor and emotion throughout the story, adding depth and feels to an already delightful story. I’m very much hoping to see more in this series going forward.
A cross between Firefly Lane and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a dual-narrative about two sisters who realize their mother isn’t who they’d always thought when a legendary movie star shows up at her funeral, unraveling the sweeping story of a friendship that begins at a nursing school in Iowa in 1967 and onward as it survives decades of change, war, fame—and the secrets they kept from each other and for each other.
The Sunshine Girls
by Molly Fader
ISBN: 9781335453488
Publication Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Graydon House
Blurb:
A moment of great change sparks the friendship of a lifetime…
1967, Iowa: Nursing school roommates BettyKay and Kitty don’t have much in common. A farmer’s daughter, BettyKay has risked her family’s disapproval to make her dreams come true away from her rural small town. Cosmopolitan Kitty has always relied on her beauty and smarts to get by, and to hide a devastating secret from the past that she can’t seem to outrun. Yet the two share a determination to prove themselves in a changing world, forging an unlikely bond on a campus unkind to women.
Before their first year is up, tragedy strikes, and the women’s paths are forced apart. But against all odds, a decades-long friendship forms, persevering through love, marriage, failure, and death, from the jungles of Vietnam to the glamorous circles of Hollywood. Until one snowy night leads their relationship to the ultimate crossroads.
Fifty years later, two estranged sisters are shocked when a famous movie star shows up at their mother’s funeral. Over one rollercoaster weekend, the women must reckon with a dazzling truth about their family that will alter their lives forever…
There were too many lilies. Clara wasn’t an authority on flowers or funerals. But, it was like a flower shop—that only sold lilies—had exploded in the blue room of Horner’s Funeral Home.
This was what happened when everyone adored you. They buried you under a mountain of your favorite flower—in this case, stargazers with their erotic pink hearts and sinus-piercing pollen—before they actually buried you.
And it was just a cosmic kick in the pants that Clara Beecher was allergic to her mother’s favorite flowers.
“Clara!” Mrs. Place, her eighth-grade language arts teacher, clasped Clara’s hands in her bony grip. Mrs. Place had not changed at all. She was the kind of woman who seemed middle-aged at seventeen and just waited for time to catch up. “Your mother was so proud of you. You and your sister, you were her pride and joy.”
“That’s nice of you to say,” Clara said, keenly aware of her sister, Abbie, across the room doing the sorts of things that would make a mother proud.
“At book club, she’d go on and on about you and the important work you were doing in the city and, well, most of it went right over my head,” Mrs. Place said. There was nothing complicated about Clara’s work; Mom just lied about it so, as a former hippie, she didn’t have to say the words my daughter is a corporate shill. “But you could tell she was just so proud.”
Clara pulled her hand free in time to grab a tissue from one of the many boxes scattered around the room and held it to her allergy-induced, dripping nose. “Thank you,” she said through the tissue.
“Everyone is going to miss Betts,” Mrs. Place said. “So much. There’s not a part of this town that she wasn’t involved in. Church, the library. Park board. Community gardens.”
Like an invasive species. Invite her to something and she’d soon be running the show.
Grief is making you sharp. That was something her mother would say. If she wasn’t dead.
The Blue Room of Horner Funeral Home was hot and wall-to-lily packed with people coming to pay their respects to one of Greensboro’s favorite citizens.
BettyKay Beecher had lived her whole adult life in this tiny town, and the town had shown up bearing casseroles and no-bake cheesecakes for the reception after the burial, wearing their Sunday best, armed with their favorite BettyKay stories.
She sat with my dad when he was dying.
She helped us figure out the insurance paperwork when our son was in his accident.
They were all mourning. The whole room and the hallway outside and the people still sitting in their cars in the parking lot. People were crying real tears, huddling, sobbing—actually sobbing—in corners. And all Clara could think was:
Did they know?
Had Mom, in true fashion, told the entire town the secret she’d kept from her own daughters for nearly forty years? The bombshell, life-rearranging, ugly secret she’d blurted, exasperated and furious with Clara in their last phone call?
Would they be mourning so hard if they knew?
Clara sneezed.
“Oh, bless you, honey,” Mrs. Place said.
“It’s just allergies.” Clara folded up the tissues before putting them in the pocket of her new black Marco Zanini suit with the sash tie and the sky blue silk lining. She’d thought the lining might be a bit much for a funeral, but that was before she knew about the lilies.
And don’t get her started on all the men wearing camouflage. To a funeral. Were they all going hunting after this?
“She’s with your father now. I hope you find comfort in that.”
“I do, thank you.” It was, as it always had been in Greensboro, Iowa, easier to lie.
Another person came up with another story about BettyKay Beecher. “Is that your sister?” She pointed across the room after sharing an anecdote about their time together in the Army Nurse Corps. “Abbie?”
Abbie was surrounded by her friends from childhood—who used to be Clara’s friends from childhood, not that it mattered—who kept bringing her mugs that were not filled with coffee. Abbie’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright and she was half-drunk, crying and hugging and not at all bothered by the lilies.
“Yep. That’s my sister,” Clara said, ushering the woman toward Abbie and not even feeling bad about it. “She’d love to hear your story.”
Three years ago, they’d stood in this exact same room, mourning their father, Willis Beecher. It was hard to be home and not see him in the corners of rooms. She couldn’t drink rum or Constant Comment tea and not miss him. The smell of patchouli could bring her to tears. A sob rose up in her throat like a fist, and her knees were suddenly loose. She put a hand against the table so she didn’t crumple onto the floor.
I’m an orphan. Me and Abbie—orphans.
She was a full-grown adult. A corporate lawyer (about to make junior partner, fingers crossed) who billed at $700 an hour. She had a condo on Lakeshore and a good woman who loved her. Abbie had two kids of her own, a husband of twenty-five years and kept slices of homemade lemon loaf in the freezer that she could pop in a toaster in case someone stopped by for coffee. They were far from orphans.
But she couldn’t shake the thought.
Clara found the side door and stepped out.
The wind was icy, blowing across the farmland to the west, picking up the smell of fries and burgers from The Starlite Room, only to press her flat against the yellow brick. She felt the cotton-silk blend of her suit snag on the brick.
The first few days of March were cold, too cold to be out here without a jacket, but the freshness woke her up. Spring hadn’t committed to Iowa yet and the cornfields were still brown, lying in wait, like everything else in Greensboro, for the last blizzard to come hammering down from the Dakotas.
Her phone buzzed. She left it in her pocket.
Horner’s Funeral Home was on the other side of town from the Greensboro University, and St. Luke’s School of Nursing’s white clock tower was just visible over the trees. The university had all the flags lowered to half-mast for the week. It was a nice touch. Mom had been a student there and then a teacher and for the last twenty years, an administrator.
She closed her eyes, letting the wind do its work.
“Hey.”
Clara felt her sister lean back against the wall next to her, smelling of vanilla and Pinot Grigio.
“Hey,” she said, eyes still closed.
“The lilies—”
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
Clara hummed in her throat, a sound that wasn’t yes or no. That was, in fact, the exact sound of the exhausted limbo the last few days had put her in.
“Me neither,” Abbie said. “It just… I feel like I’m missing something, you know? Like I’m walking around all wrong.”
Clara felt the same. Being BettyKay Beecher’s daughter was a part of her identity she didn’t always carry comfortably, but it was there.
“Where’s Vickie?” Abbie asked, and Clara caught herself from flinching at the sound of her girlfriend’s name.
“She wishes she could be here but she has a case in front of the Illinois Supreme Court.”
She felt Abbie’s doubt, the way she wanted to probe and pick.
“Did you have to blow up that picture so damn big?” Clara asked, before Abbie could get to her follow-up questions.
All around the funeral home were pictures of the Beecher family. And—God knows why—Abbie had decided to blow up to an obscene size, the picture of their mother that was on the back of her book: Pray for Me: The Diary of an Army Nurse in Vietnam. In it BettyKay was a fresh-faced twenty-two-year- old, with a helmet-shaped brunette bob wearing an olive green United States Army Nurse Corps uniform.
“Darn.”
“What?”
“Fiona’s turning into a little parrot, so we don’t swear anymore. We say ‘effing’ and ‘darn’ and ‘poop.’”
“That’s effing nonsense.”
“Probably.” Clara could hear the smile in her sister’s voice. “And yes, I did. I love that picture of Mom. She looks so brave.”
Clara thought she looked terrified.
“Max and Fiona don’t understand what’s happening,” Abbie said. “They keep asking why Gran is lying down.”
Clara’s laugh was wet with the lingering allergic reaction to the flowers. “That’s awful.”
“Denise from the hospital keeps trying to get the kids to touch Mom’s hand. So they can feel how cold she is and then they’ll understand.”
“What will it make them understand?”
“That she’s dead.”
“That’s morbid even for Denise.” They were both laughing, which felt alien but sweet.
“She says it will give them closure.”
Abbie reached out and grabbed her hand. Clara started to pull away, but Abbie didn’t let go.
I should tell her. Part of her even wanted to. To share the burden of information like they were kids again. And Abbie, who liked the view from the perch her reputation as a Beecher in this town gave her, would tell Clara it wasn’t true. Couldn’t possibly be. That Mom had been wrong. Angry. Something.
Some excuse to keep everything the way it was.
That was why Clara couldn’t tell her. Because Abbie had to live in this town side by side with the memory of Mom. Bringing Abbie into it would make her sister’s life harder.
“Abbie, don’t get upset but I am going to leave after the reception at the church.” There. Done. Band-Aid-style.
“And go where?” Abbie asked.
“Back home.”
And here comes the look. “Chicago? You’re kidding.”
“We have a new client—”
“You’re leaving?” Accidentally Clara caught Abbie’s furious gaze and wished she hadn’t. She could see her sister’s rage and her grief and it felt worse than her own.
“I’ll be back,” Clara lied.
“Bullshit.” So much for not swearing.
“Abbie—”
“You know. I should have expected this. You show up last-minute in your car and your ugly suit—”
“Hey!”
“With your nose in the air—”
“I’ll pay to have the house boxed up.”
Abbie sucked in so much air Clara went light-headed from the lack of oxygen around her.
“Can we please not make this a big deal?” she asked.
“What did I ever do to you, Clara? To make it so easy for you to leave me behind?”
The wind caught the side door as it opened, banging against the brick with a sound that made Clara and Abbie jump like they’d been caught smoking.
Ben, Abbie’s husband, stuck his head out and Abbie stepped forward. Ben was a good-looking guy in a gentle giant kind of way. Constantly rumpled, but usually smiling. He reminded Clara of a very good Labrador retriever.
She wanted to pat his head and give him a treat. And then yell at him for tracking mud across the rug.
“There you are,” he said.
“I was just getting some air,” Abbie said, with surprising defensiveness. “Is everything okay?”
“There’s…” Ben glanced over his shoulder and made a face, bewildered and somehow joyful in a way that made Clara and Abbie push off the wall. It was his mother-in-law’s funeral after all. Joy was a strange sentiment.
“What?” Clara asked.
“Well, I think you should come in and see for yourself.”
Ben held the door while Abbie and Clara walked back into the packed room. Everyone was silent now, pressed to the walls and corners in little clumps, whispering in that painfully familiar way out of the corners of their mouths and behind their hands. There was a path down the center of the room right to Mom’s casket, where she lay with her arms crossed, wearing her favorite green dress and way too much blush.
Standing at the casket, was a woman. A stranger.
Everything about her screamed not from around here. She wore an elegant long black skirt and a pair of boots with low heels of rich black leather. A gray sweater (Ralph Lauren Collection cashmere or Clara would eat her own boots) with a black belt around her trim waist. Her hair was long and silvery blond, the kind that appeared natural but Clara would put money on the fact that it cost a lot and took a lot of time to keep that way.
She kind of…glittered.
“Who is that?”
“You don’t recognize her?” Ben whispered between Abbie and Clara’s shoulders, his breath smelling of coffee and cough drops.
Something about the woman did seem familiar, polished.
“Is she from the publishing company?” she asked Abbie.
“I don’t think so. They sent a cheesecake.”
“That morning show Mom did sometimes, in Des Moines? Ramona?”
“Ramona Rodriguez died, like, ten years ago.”
Clara should know this woman. But her mother’s funeral was throwing her off.
“Are you kidding me? You really don’t recognize her?” Ben asked. “It’s Kitty Devereaux.”
MOLLY FADER is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season, and more than 40 romance novels under the pennames Molly O’Keefe and M. O’Keefe. She grew up outside of Chicago and now lives in Toronto.
Romantic Reads and Such 