Editorial Content for The Beast You Are: Stories
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Paul Tremblay has always had a way with words, and reading one of his novels becomes a unique and memorable experience. He has been riding high on the popularity of THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD, which was made into a terrific film from director M. Night Shyamalan and retitled Knock at the Cabin. Read More
Teaser
The 15 pieces in THE BEAST YOU ARE are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart. In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside, but he won’t show it to her. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking. The title novella is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every 30 years.
Promo
The 15 pieces in THE BEAST YOU ARE are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart. In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside, but he won’t show it to her. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking. The title novella is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every 30 years.
About the Book
A haunting collection of short fiction from the bestselling author of THE PALLBEARERS CLUB, A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS and THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The 15 pieces in this brilliant collection, THE BEAST YOU ARE, are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart.
In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside. He won’t show it to her and he won’t let the box out of his sight. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.
The title novella, “The Beast You Are,” is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every 30 years.
A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense, THE BEAST YOU ARE is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today.
Audiobook available; read by Johnny Heller, Xe Sands, Ewan Chung, Graham Halstead, Helen Laser, Jorjeana Marie, Joy Osmanski, Keith Sellon-Wright, Kirsten Potter and Neil Shah
Editorial Content for Evidence of Things Seen: True Crime in an Era of Reckoning
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
True crime has fascinated us for a long time, though perhaps we are seeing a heyday. Every week there are countless podcast episodes, books, television dramas and documentaries, and in-depth long-form essays. This is entertainment based on the pain, loss and suffering of strangers, curiosity about the depravity of the perpetrators, and horror that some survive and many do not. What are the responsibilities of the creators of these media tales? What does the consumption of true crime say about the audience? Whose voices are lost or vilified? Why are so many drawn to the genre? Read More
Teaser
True crime, as an entertainment genre, has always prioritized clear narrative arcs: victims wronged, police detectives in pursuit, suspects apprehended, justice delivered. But what stories have been ignored? In EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN, 14 of the most innovative crime writers working today cast a light on the cases that give crucial insight into our society. Wesley Lowery writes about a lynching left unsolved for decades by an indifferent police force and a family’s quest for answers. Justine van der Leun reports on the thousands of women in prison for defending themselves from abuse. May Jeong reveals how the Atlanta spa shootings tell a story of America. This anthology pulls back the curtain on how crime itself is a by-product of America’s systemic harms and inequalities.
Promo
True crime, as an entertainment genre, has always prioritized clear narrative arcs: victims wronged, police detectives in pursuit, suspects apprehended, justice delivered. But what stories have been ignored? In EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN, 14 of the most innovative crime writers working today cast a light on the cases that give crucial insight into our society. Wesley Lowery writes about a lynching left unsolved for decades by an indifferent police force and a family’s quest for answers. Justine van der Leun reports on the thousands of women in prison for defending themselves from abuse. May Jeong reveals how the Atlanta spa shootings tell a story of America. This anthology pulls back the curtain on how crime itself is a by-product of America’s systemic harms and inequalities.
About the Book
From Sarah Weinman, the award-winning editor of UNSPEAKABLE ACTS, a groundbreaking new anthology showcasing the future of the true crime genre.
True crime, as an entertainment genre, has always prioritized clear narrative arcs: victims wronged, police detectives in pursuit, suspects apprehended, justice delivered. But what stories have been ignored?
In EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN, 14 of the most innovative crime writers working today cast a light on the cases that give crucial insight into our society. Wesley Lowery writes about a lynching left unsolved for decades by an indifferent police force and a family’s quest for answers. Justine van der Leun reports on the thousands of women in prison for defending themselves from abuse. May Jeong reveals how the Atlanta spa shootings tell a story of America.
Edited by acclaimed writer Sarah Weinman, and with an introduction by attorney and host of the "Undisclosed" podcast Rabia Chaudry, this anthology pulls back the curtain on how crime itself is a by-product of America’s systemic harms and inequalities. And in doing so, it reveals how the genre of true crime can be a catalyst for social change. These works combine brilliant storytelling with incisive cultural examinations --- and challenge each of us to ask what justice should look like. EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN introduces the new classics of true crime.
Audiobook available, read by Xe Sands
Editorial Content for Goodbye Earl: A Revenge Novel
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Leesa Cross-Smith, the author of the critically acclaimed HALF-BLOWN ROSE, returns with GOODBYE EARL, a big-hearted novel of friendship, small-town solidarity and, as listeners of The Chicks will no doubt intuit, revenge. Read More
Teaser
In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible. In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school --- and she still hasn’t told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she’s determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her.
Promo
In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible. In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school --- and she still hasn’t told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she’s determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her.
About the Book
Four women take fate into their own hands in this big-hearted story of friendship, resilience and revenge on monstrous men, from the award-winning author of HALF-BLOWN ROSE.
Taking inspiration from the infamous, empowering song, GOODBYE EARL follows four best friends through two unforgettable summers, 15 years apart.
In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible...from falling in love, to finding their dream jobs, to becoming who they were meant to be.
In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school --- and she still hasn’t told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly without looking back. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she’s determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her; this time, she knows how to protect those she loves at all costs.
Uplifting, sharp-edged and unapologetic, GOODBYE EARL is a funeral for all the “Earls” out there --- the abusive men who think they can get away with anything, but are wrong --- and a celebration of enduring sisterhood.
Audiobook available; read by Mela Lee, Kamali Minter, Sarah Beth Goer, Erin Bennett, Traci Odom and Julian Thomas
Editorial Content for Girlfriend on Mars
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Expanding on her compelling short story, “Girlfriend on Mars,” Deborah Willis brings the characters into sharper and brighter focus in her debut novel of the same name. It’s the tale of a Canadian couple stuck in their relationship and the ways in which they seek to both preserve and destroy it. They yearn for freedoms and yet shrink their world for years until one of them seizes on a seemingly impossible way out. Read More
Teaser
Amber Kivinen is moving to Mars. Or at least she will be if she wins a chance to join "MarsNow." She and 23 reality TV contestants from around the world are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task. Meanwhile, Amber’s boyfriend, Kevin, was content going nowhere until Amber left him --- and their hydroponic weed business --- behind. As he tends to (and smokes) the plants growing in their basement apartment, Kevin tunes in to find out why the love of his life is so determined to leave the planet with somebody else. On screen, Amber competes in globe-trotting, “Survivor”-meets-“Star Trek” challenges and seems like she might be falling for fellow contestant Adam. But is that real, or is it just a tactic to keep from being voted off?
Promo
Amber Kivinen is moving to Mars. Or at least she will be if she wins a chance to join "MarsNow." She and 23 reality TV contestants from around the world are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task. Meanwhile, Amber’s boyfriend, Kevin, was content going nowhere until Amber left him --- and their hydroponic weed business --- behind. As he tends to (and smokes) the plants growing in their basement apartment, Kevin tunes in to find out why the love of his life is so determined to leave the planet with somebody else. On screen, Amber competes in globe-trotting, “Survivor”-meets-“Star Trek” challenges and seems like she might be falling for fellow contestant Adam. But is that real, or is it just a tactic to keep from being voted off?
About the Book
A funny, poignant and page-turning debut novel that skewers billionaire-funded space travel in a love story of interplanetary proportions.
Amber Kivinen is moving to Mars. Or at least she will be if she wins a chance to join "MarsNow." She and 23 reality TV contestants from around the world --- including attractive Israeli soldier Adam, endearing fellow Canadian Pichu, and an assortment of science nerds and wannabe influencers --- are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task.
Meanwhile Kevin, Amber’s boyfriend of 14 years, was content going nowhere until Amber left him --- and their hydroponic weed business --- behind. As he tends to (and smokes) the plants growing in their absurdly overpriced Vancouver basement apartment, Kevin tunes in to find out why the love of his life is so determined to leave the planet with somebody else. On screen, Amber competes in globe-trotting, "Survivor"-meets-"Star Trek" challenges and seems like she might be falling for Adam. But is that real, or is it just a tactic to keep from being voted off? And since the technology to come home doesn’t exist yet, would Amber really leave everything behind to be a billionaire’s Martian guinea pig? Sure, the rainforest is burning, Geoff Task has bought New Zealand and Kevin might be a little depressed, but isn’t there some hope left for life on Earth?
An audacious debut from a “a dazzlingly smart and strikingly original writer” (Molly Antopol), GIRLFRIEND ON MARS is at once a satirical indictment of our pursuit of fame and wealth amidst environmental crisis, and an exploration of humanity’s deepest longing, greatest quest and most enduring cliché: love.
Audiobook available, read by Landon Doak and Vanessa Matsui
Editorial Content for Sunshine Nails
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
“[T]here was a difference between constructive criticism and personal attack. And this latest review was clearly an attack on their livelihood…. [T]hey had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let some ungrateful people get away with saying nasty things about their salon.” Read More
Teaser
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked. Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent, and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they’ve built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?
Promo
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked. Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent, and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they’ve built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?
About the Book
This “insightful, moving story with striking depth” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author) follows a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do anything to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high-end salon opens up --- even if it tears the family apart.
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked.
Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent, and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they’ve built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?
“Sharp, witty, and warmhearted, [Mai] Nguyen’s debut tackles gentrification, small business ownership, prejudice in the workplace, and --- most importantly --- the depth of familial ties, and the power of a good manicure” (Shelf Awareness).
Audiobook available; read by Carolina Do, David Lee Huynh, Quyen Ngo, Vyvy Nguyen and Trieu Tran
Editorial Content for The Last Dance: The First Detective Miller Novel
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Mark Billingham takes a break from his terrific Tom Thorne crime novels to pen a brand new series. THE LAST DANCE is a breath of fresh air featuring a protagonist who is completely unlike the legendary Detective Inspector. Read More
Teaser
Maverick sleuth Declan Miller is back at work following the murder of his wife (and amateur ballroom dancing partner), Alex. Working with new partner and heavy metal enthusiast DS Sara Xiu, he is tasked with investigating the double killing of gangland family scion Adrian Cutler and IT consultant Barry Shepherd at the Sands Hotel. Initial evidence suggests a hired gun and a botched job. The search for the hitman begins, and Miller starts reconnecting with his old network --- his ballroom dancing friends, homeless informant Finn, and even the ghost of his wife who keeps showing up in his kitchen. The fact that Alex had been investigating the Cutler family prior to her death complicates things, and as Miller gets closer to the truth, he realizes the danger is walking right up to his doorstep.
Promo
Maverick sleuth Declan Miller is back at work following the murder of his wife (and amateur ballroom dancing partner), Alex. Working with new partner and heavy metal enthusiast DS Sara Xiu, he is tasked with investigating the double killing of gangland family scion Adrian Cutler and IT consultant Barry Shepherd at the Sands Hotel. Initial evidence suggests a hired gun and a botched job. The search for the hitman begins, and Miller starts reconnecting with his old network --- his ballroom dancing friends, homeless informant Finn, and even the ghost of his wife who keeps showing up in his kitchen. The fact that Alex had been investigating the Cutler family prior to her death complicates things, and as Miller gets closer to the truth, he realizes the danger is walking right up to his doorstep.
About the Book
The first new series in two decades from multi-award-winning international bestseller Mark Billingham that introduces Detective Miller: a man who's unique, unconventional and criminally underestimated.
Maverick sleuth Declan Miller is back at work following the murder of his wife (and amateur ballroom dancing partner), Alex. Working with new partner and heavy metal enthusiast DS Sara Xiu, he is tasked with investigating the double killing of gangland family scion Adrian Cutler and IT consultant Barry Shepherd at the Sands Hotel. Initial evidence suggests a hired gun and a botched job.
The search for the hitman begins, and Miller starts reconnecting with his old network --- his ballroom dancing friends, homeless informant Finn, and even the ghost of his wife who keeps showing up in his kitchen. The fact that Alex had been investigating the Cutler family prior to her death complicates things, and as Miller gets closer to the truth, he realizes the danger is walking right up to his doorstep.
Audiobook available, read by David Threlfall
Editorial Content for Watch Us Shine
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Cornelia Brown is the protagonist for whom Marisa de los Santos has written two previous books: LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME. This third adventure once again centers on Cornelia, a little woman with a much bigger personality, our well-worded guide through a trip from the past to the future. Read More
Teaser
Cornelia Brown is reeling from a terrifying act of violence when she gets word that her mother, Ellie, has been badly injured in an accident. She returns to Virginia, to the house she grew up in, and in the weeks that follow, she watches her mother struggle to recover. In grief-stricken tones, Ellie begs Cornelia to bring her the Northern Lights, and despite her confusion at this mysterious plea, Cornelia vows to do so. With the help of her prickly sister, Ollie, Cornelia embarks on a mission to piece together the lost years of their mother’s life. Their quest takes them to unexpected places and into the worlds of strangers whose lives Ellie touched and irrevocably changed.
Promo
Cornelia Brown is reeling from a terrifying act of violence when she gets word that her mother, Ellie, has been badly injured in an accident. She returns to Virginia, to the house she grew up in, and in the weeks that follow, she watches her mother struggle to recover. In grief-stricken tones, Ellie begs Cornelia to bring her the Northern Lights, and despite her confusion at this mysterious plea, Cornelia vows to do so. With the help of her prickly sister, Ollie, Cornelia embarks on a mission to piece together the lost years of their mother’s life. Their quest takes them to unexpected places and into the worlds of strangers whose lives Ellie touched and irrevocably changed.
About the Book
Marisa de los Santos returns to the world of her beloved, bestselling novels LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME in an enthralling tale of sisterhood, sacrifice and the enduring power of love.
“Bring me the Northern Lights.”
Cornelia Brown is reeling from a terrifying act of violence when she gets word that her mother has been badly injured in an accident. Cornelia returns to Virginia, to the house she grew up in, and in the weeks that follow, she watches her mother Ellie struggle to recover, fluctuating between her usual crisp, can-do clarity and periods of delirium during which she seems haunted by a devastating loss from her past. In grief-stricken tones, Ellie begs Cornelia to bring her the Northern Lights, and despite her confusion at this mysterious plea, Cornelia vows to do so: “She was my mother and she wanted the Northern Lights; I was her daughter and would have given her anything, anything.”
With the help of her prickly sister, Ollie, Cornelia embarks on a mission to piece together the lost years of their mother’s life: people, places and events spanning Ellie’s late teens through her mid-20s. Cornelia and Ollie’s quest takes them to unexpected places and into the worlds of strangers whose lives Ellie touched and irrevocably changed. As the sisters uncover truths about their mother’s life --- some beautiful, some ugly, some tragic --- Cornelia herself begins to heal, to forgive herself and to find her way back home.
Alternating between two timelines --- Cornelia’s story in the present, and that of the young Eleanor Campbell in the 1960s --- WATCH US SHINE explores the complicated bonds between sisters, the impossible demands of motherhood, and the power of human love to save us again and again.
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett and Nan McNamara
Editorial Content for August Blue
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Anyone who has ever performed has probably had a fear of failure on stage. In Deborah Levy’s new novel, AUGUST BLUE, a professional pianist has seen her worst fears come true. While performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 on stage in Vienna, Elsa M. Anderson --- a former child prodigy who is now in her mid-30s --- inadvertently went off script. She started to play a seemingly improvisatory composition that, as the orchestra conductor made very clear, bore little resemblance to the original. Read More
Teaser
At the height of her career, the piano virtuoso Elsa M. Anderson --- former child prodigy who is now in her 30s --- walks off the stage in Vienna, mid-performance. Now she is in Athens, watching an uncannily familiar woman purchase a pair of mechanical dancing horses at a flea market. Elsa wants the horses too, but there are no more for sale. She drifts to the ferry port, on the run from her talent and her history. So begins her journey across Europe, shadowed by the elusive woman who seems to be her double.
Promo
At the height of her career, the piano virtuoso Elsa M. Anderson --- former child prodigy who is now in her 30s --- walks off the stage in Vienna, mid-performance. Now she is in Athens, watching an uncannily familiar woman purchase a pair of mechanical dancing horses at a flea market. Elsa wants the horses too, but there are no more for sale. She drifts to the ferry port, on the run from her talent and her history. So begins her journey across Europe, shadowed by the elusive woman who seems to be her double.
About the Book
A new novel from the Booker Prize finalist Deborah Levy, the celebrated author of THE MAN WHO SAW EVERYTHING and THE COST OF LIVING.
At the height of her career, the piano virtuoso Elsa M. Anderson --- former child prodigy, now in her 30s --- walks off the stage in Vienna, mid-performance.
Now she is in Athens, watching an uncannily familiar woman purchase a pair of mechanical dancing horses at a flea market. Elsa wants the horses too, but there are no more for sale. She drifts to the ferry port, on the run from her talent and her history.
So begins her journey across Europe, shadowed by the elusive woman who seems to be her double. A dazzling portrait of melancholy and metamorphosis, Deborah Levy’s AUGUST BLUE uncovers the ways in which we attempt to revise our oldest stories and make ourselves anew.
Audiobook available, read by Alix Dunmore
Editorial Content for Crazy Bao You
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
CRAZY BAO YOU is a rom-com for our times. An attraction begins on Instagram. Who would have thought that an introverted Etsy seller in Oklahoma might fall in love with a handsome firefighter in New York City? Diverging a bit from her clever mysteries, Lyn Liao (Butler) has written a book that could almost appear to be based on her own life. She was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. She is married to a FDNY firefighter. She also fosters dogs in need of rescue. Are you hooked yet? Read More
Teaser
Kimmie Park has finally met a man who gets her and laughs at her jokes. Matt West is kind, compassionate and a smoking hot FDNY firefighter. But they’ve never met in person. He doesn’t know that her life recently imploded when she very publicly quit her retail job and became a meme in a viral video, known as the woman who twerked as she tells off her boss. Kimmie now focuses on her Etsy shop designing purses and accessories. She’d posted pictures of her best friend Alicia with her merchandise, not realizing that people would assume Alicia was Kim from My Crafty Bao. As the chemistry between her and Matt sizzles, she knows that she needs to tell him the truth. Especially since Matt’s father, the CEO of a huge retail store, sees Kimmie’s shop and wants to partner with her.
Promo
Kimmie Park has finally met a man who gets her and laughs at her jokes. Matt West is kind, compassionate and a smoking hot FDNY firefighter. But they’ve never met in person. He doesn’t know that her life recently imploded when she very publicly quit her retail job and became a meme in a viral video, known as the woman who twerked as she tells off her boss. Kimmie now focuses on her Etsy shop designing purses and accessories. She’d posted pictures of her best friend Alicia with her merchandise, not realizing that people would assume Alicia was Kim from My Crafty Bao. As the chemistry between her and Matt sizzles, she knows that she needs to tell him the truth. Especially since Matt’s father, the CEO of a huge retail store, sees Kimmie’s shop and wants to partner with her.
About the Book
Can an Etsy shop owner in Oklahoma and a FDNY firefighter make things work when he doesn’t know what she really looks like?
Kimmie Park has finally met a man who gets her and laughs at her jokes. Matt West is kind, compassionate and a smoking hot FDNY firefighter. There’s just one problem (or many). They’ve never met in person because he lives in New York and she’s in Oklahoma. He also doesn’t know that her life recently imploded when she very publicly quit her retail job and became a meme in a viral video, known as the woman who twerked as she tells off her boss. And he has no idea what she really looks like.
After quitting her job, Kimmie focuses on her Etsy shop designing purses and accessories. She’d posted pictures of her best friend Alicia with her merchandise, not realizing that people would assume Alicia was Kim from My Crafty Bao. That’s fine with Kimmie since she’s still hiding out from her recent unwanted internet fame. But as the chemistry between her and Matt sizzles, and their every interaction threatens to set them both on fire, she knows that she needs to tell him the truth. Especially since Matt’s father, the CEO of a huge retail store, sees Kimmie’s shop and wants to partner with her.
As Kimmie prepares to visit New York City for the first time, she grapples with the sorrows of her past, which have kept her in Oklahoma ever since her parents died when she was 16. Will she be able to let go of her fears and embrace who she really is, or will it cause her to lose the man of her dreams and the opportunity of a lifetime?
Audiobook available, read by Gabriel Spires and Jennifer Aquino
July 14, 2023
When we took a break last week and did not do a website update, we joked that we all were taking deep breaths for the first time since our holiday break in December. We took advantage of the short week to do some brainstorming and leisurely planning.
I also had plenty of downtime during the long weekend to read and found three new Bookreporter.com Bets On selections: LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur, THE BETTER HALF by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans, and HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler. We reviewed LITTLE MONSTERS two weeks ago, and I interviewed Adrienne this week. We are reviewing THE BETTER HALF and HER, TOO this week. My Bets On copy for all three will come next week.