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Adult

by Catherine Adel West - Fiction, Historical Fiction

Sara King boards the bus to Memphis, hoping to outrun her past in Chicago. She is welcomed with open arms by Mama Sugar, a kindly matriarch and owner of the popular boardinghouse The Scarlet Poplar. Like many cities in early 1960s America, Memphis is still segregated, but change is in the air. Black literature and music provide the stories and soundtrack for these turbulent and hopeful times, and Sara finds herself drawn in by conversations of education, politics and a brighter tomorrow with Jonas, a local schoolteacher. Romance blooms between them, but secrets from Mama Sugar’s past threaten their newfound happiness. Sara and Jonas are soon caught in the crosshairs, leading Sara to make decisions that will reshape the rest of their lives.

by Karen Robards - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

On an April day in 1937, the sky opens and fire rains down upon the small Spanish town of Guernica. Seventeen-year-old Sibi and her family are caught up in the horror. Griff, an American military attaché, pulls Sibi from the wreckage, and it’s only the first time he saves her life in a span of hours. When Germany claims no involvement in the attack, insisting the Spanish Republic was responsible, Griff guides Sibi to lie to Nazi officials. If she or her sisters reveal that they saw planes bearing swastikas, the gestapo will silence them. As war begins to rage across Europe, Sibi joins the underground resistance, secretly exchanging information with Griff. But as the scope of Germany’s ambitions becomes clear, maintaining the facade of a Nazi sympathizer becomes ever more difficult.

by Paul Theroux - Fiction, Humor

Cal has always lived in the shadow of his manipulative and domineering brother, Frank, who was doted upon by their mother and beloved by the girls in their small New England hometown --- including Cal’s own girlfriends. In an attempt to escape Frank’s intrusive presence, Cal pursues a different kind of freedom in the world’s wild spaces, prospecting for gold and precious minerals. Soon he is dripping in wealth, his pockets full of gold nuggets and emeralds, but the money means far less to him than his independence. As Cal’s success grows, so too does Frank’s power and his influence in Cal’s affairs, the devastating threat he creates at the center of his little brother’s life. When Frank decides to commit the ultimate betrayal, Cal is left with only one, final solution.

by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton - Fiction, Historical Fiction

At home they are just sisters, but on stage they are The Salvations. Ruth, Esther and Chloe have been singing and dancing in harmony since they could speak. Thanks to the rigorous direction of their mother, Vivian, they’ve become a bona fide girl group whose shows are the talk of the Jazz-era Fillmore. Now Vivian has scored a once-in-a-lifetime offer from a talent manager, who promises to catapult The Salvations into the national spotlight. Vivian knows this is the big break she’s been praying for. But sometime between the hours of rehearsal on their rooftop and the weekly gigs at the Champagne Supper Club, the girls have become women --- women with dreams that their mother cannot imagine.

by Sally Thorne - Comedy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor’s ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own. When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity.

by Jeffrey Archer - Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the “people’s princess.” Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive --- and unique --- responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country --- and the Crown --- in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line.

by Katherine St. John - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that’s home to an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife, Kali. But when Paul mysteriously dies, his entire estate --- including Xanadu --- is left not to Kali, but to his estranged niece, Sveta. Shocked and confused, Sveta travels from New York City to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people and transcendent vibe. But soon the mystical façade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk on promises of an impossible utopia, guided by a disturbing belief system and a charismatic, dangerously capable leader.

by Holly Bourne - Fiction, Humor

From the day they first meet as teenagers, Fern and Jessica are best friends. Despite their differences, they are there for each other throughout everything, navigating the difficulties of growing up and fitting in. That is, until Jessica crosses a line that Fern can’t forgive. But now, more than 10 years later, Jessica has unexpectedly reappeared in Fern’s life. A lot has changed for them both --- but can their relationship be different now that they are older? Is it possible for either of them to rewrite the roles they've been cast in? Or will their shared history ultimately be doomed to repeat itself again?

by Ann Mah - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

In September 1949, Jacqueline Bouvier arrives in postwar Paris to begin her junior year abroad. She’s 20 years old, socially poised but financially precarious, and all too aware of her mother’s expectations that she make a brilliant match. Before relenting to family pressure, she has a year to explore and absorb the luminous beauty of the City of Light. But beneath the glitter and rush, France is a fragile place still haunted by the Occupation. In the aftermath of World War II, Paris has become a nest of spies, and suspicion, deception and betrayal lurk around every corner. Jacqueline is stunned to watch the rise of communism, never guessing she is witnessing the beginning of the political environment that will shape the rest of her life --- and that of her future husband.

by C. W. Gortner - Fiction, Historical Fiction

The daughter of New York financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie Jerome Churchill was born into wealth --- and scandal. Upon her parents’ separation, her mother took Jennie and her sisters to Paris, where Mrs. Jerome was determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families. Fleeing to Queen Victoria’s England after Paris fell to revolt, Jennie soon caught the eye of aristocrat Randolph Spencer-Churchill, son of the Duke of Marlborough. It was love at first sight, their unconventional marriage driven by mutual ambition and the birth of two sons. She brashly carried on a lifelong intimate friendship with Edward, Prince of Wales, and had two later marriages to younger men. When her son Winston launched his brilliant political career, Jennie guided him to success, his most vocal and valuable supporter.