Collection: Adult

London barrister Jason Jonquil has spent his entire life working to establish his identity as a gentleman, a man of refinement like his father and brothers. But when fiery Spanish beauty Mariposa Thornton walks into his office, he finds himself losing his grasp on his dignified character. The woman is infuriating, pushing him to the limit of his legendary patience. However, her case seems simple enough--a small matter of inheritance. Or so he believes.

Once a well-born lady, Mariposa fought to survive the brutalities of Napoleon's war on Spain. She braved horrific perils and undertook dangerous missions on behalf of those fighting against the invading French army. But her greatest battle still lies ahead: After being separated from her family, Mariposa sets in motion a plan to reunite with her loved ones in England. To avoid drawing the attention of the French, Mariposa dons a carefully crafted persona to conceal her true purpose.

As Jason and Mariposa are drawn together by the case, they come to know the people beneath the masks they both wear. When the truth of Mariposa's quest is revealed, the couple is pulled into a mystery that will test the limits of their courage--and expose the true desire of their hearts.

Harry Windover adores blonde, green-eyed Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman's hand. To add insult to injury, Athena's brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding the gentleman of her dreams.

But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed, and utterly ridiculous. Athena can't comprehend why she is having so little success meeting eligible and acceptable gentlemen. Indeed, her circle of admirers couldn't be less admirable--nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she's found in Harry.

But how long can Harry's scheme be hidden before it is discovered? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry's deception? Escape into a charming regency world in this delightfully romantic comedy of manners that will entertain you to the very last word.

★ Some rescues require more than medical training. Some battles are worth the risk. ★

The last person Dr. Kira Yassan expects to walk back into her life is the soldier whose life she saved in a war zone three years ago.

She came to Renegade, Colorado to disappear-to work her ER shifts and forget the classified missions that nearly destroyed her soul. But when US Marshals drag her into a witness protection case, every carefully built wall comes crashing down.

Private investigator Luca Saxon thought the mysterious doctor who patched him up in Syria was just a beautiful memory. Now she's standing in front of him, and the chemistry that burned between them in that refugee camp hasn't dimmed. But someone wants their witness dead, and keeping Kira safe might cost him everything.

When cartel enforcers storm the hospital and prison riots explode across town, there's nowhere left to run.

Their witness is Francisco Abalos-former cartel kingpin with secrets that could topple governments. The shadow syndicate controlling Renegade wants him silenced. And Kira's medical expertise makes her the perfect target.

From midnight shootouts to explosive prison breaks, Luca and Kira race against time to expose a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of their small town. But as buried secrets surface and old enemies emerge, they must decide: Can love survive when trust becomes a weapon?

Perfect for fans of:

Medical suspense with heart

Enemies-to-more reunion romance

Witness protection thrillers

Military heroes with dangerous pasts

Strong heroines with deadly skills

Small-town settings with big secrets

Faith-based romantic suspense

Themes:

Redemption Trust Healing Justice Second Chances Faith Under Fire Protecting Family Overcoming Trauma Medical Heroes Shadow Conspiracies

Book 2 in the Heroes of Renegade series, written by Lisa Phillips! Created by USA Today bestselling authors Susan May Warren and Lisa Phillips. Complete story with HEA, but the danger continues!

The 15,000-year story of how grass seduced humanity into being its unwitting labor force--and the science behind it.

Domesticated crops were not human creations, and agriculture was not simply invented. As Robert N. Spengler shows, domestication was the result of an evolutionary process in which people played a role only unwittingly and as actors in a numberless cast that spanned the plant and animal kingdoms. Nature's Greatest Success is the first book to bring together recent scientific discoveries and fascinating ongoing research to provide a systematic account of not only how agriculture really developed but why.

Through fifteen chapters, this book dives deep into the complex processes that drove domestication and the various roles that plants and animals, including humans, played in bringing about those changes. At the intersection of popular history, archaeology, and evolutionary biology, Nature's Greatest Success offers a revolutionary account of humanity not at the apex of nature but deeply embedded in the natural world and the evolutionary processes that continue to guide it even today.

This book tells the story of how I endured covert emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse before I was ultimately discarded. My abuser was a covert master manipulator. His tactics were so subtle that I could not fully see the damage being done to my spirit. This is not just a story of betrayal, pain, and the unraveling of my "so-called" Christian marriage; it is also a story of turning adversity into opportunity and triumph.

This book is an empowering guide to help you rise above your past, while breaking the cycle of trying to fulfil your unmet needs. It will guide you to a framework for rebuilding your self-worth and thrive beyond survival. Your transformation begins now.

Calling all Sci-Fi & Romantasy lovers! Get ready to be amazed!Universal Tides: Barbed Wire BluesA quest for the Light in times of change.By M. J. Milne

Author of 12 Golden Keys for a New World, and, Secrets of the Italian Villa

THEME: Love conquers all even in the midst of revolution. What the world needs now!

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WHAT'S IT ABOUT?: Bounty hunter Skip McCord teams up with microbiologist Dierdre Browne, and a boy genius who appeared out of nowhere, plus brave Outlanders, who race to save the planet from a secret organization influencing world leaders. Guided by an ancient indigenous prophecy, the 12 Golden Keys, and a mysterious blue star, they must awaken humanity's higher consciousness before time runs out. Follow the Blue Light to a new world. Spiritual (R)evolution is the solution. Join the battle for Earth's awakening!

- Included is a chart of the 12 Golden Keys; and Appendices of terminology, and other related items; includes several images throughout the book.

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GENRE: Speculative Fiction + Sociological Science Fiction + Eco-Literature

TROPES: Near-future situations, alternate universes, climate realities, ethical dilemmas = What if...?

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A FEW REVIEWS:

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"What a well written book! This is an imaginative and uplifting blend of sci-fi adventure and spiritual awakening. The story weaves together high-stakes action with a heartfelt message about love, consciousness, and humanity's potential for transformation. With a compelling cast-ranging from a rugged bounty hunter to a brilliant microbiologist and an intriguing ET ally-the novel keeps readers engaged while inviting deeper reflection on our collective future. Milne's vision stands out for its optimism, offering a refreshing reminder that even in times of global upheaval, love and higher awareness can guide the way forward. The inclusion of the 12 Golden Keys and thoughtful appendices adds an extra layer of meaning, making this not just a story, but an experience. A must-read for fans of sci-fi with soul."

John Pritchard, author & filmmaker, AI Will Love Humanity

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"With compelling characters and fast-paced action, Universal Tides transported me into a fictional future that reflects where we might be heading."

Jeane Manning, Breakthrough Power

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"Universal Tides is very well written, is ever-gripping. Wonderful book!"

Barbara Hand Clow, The Mayan Code

In international bestselling author Jean-Luc Bannalec's The Secrets of the Abbey, between large inlets, the wild Atlantic, and enchanting apple orchards, a tricky and highly personal case unfolds for Commissaire Georges Dupin and his team.

Summer in Brittany has carried merrily into October, bringing warm, sunny days and balmy nights. For Commissaire Georges Dupin and his team, it also brings a heavy blow. Second inspector Kadeg's aunt has passed away after being struck by a series of omens of death. And when Kadeg travels to the former abbey where his aunt lived, he's attacked and critically injured.

Dupin and the rest of his team quickly head to the aunt's estate on the Côte des Légendes to look into what happened. But the more they look, the more questions are uncovered, and the more secrets Kadeg's family seems to have.

What do you do when love turns deadly?

THE PERFECT COUPLE

Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple. Happy and in love, Freya enjoyed a rewarding job heading up a charity's fundraising efforts, and Charlie was fast becoming one-to-watch on the London culinary scene--if you couldn't be them, you wanted to be with them.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

They had it all . . . until one night a devastating accident tears their lives apart, and they're awoken by police at their door, asking whether they are aware that their car had been involved in a hit and run.

A BITTER FEUD

Torn apart by accusations and guilt, the trust that Freya and Charlie once shared is shattered as they turn on each other, looking for someone to blame for the fallout. Told from both Freya and Charlie's perspectives, a cat and mouse game ensues, both of them desperate to have someone to point the finger at. But is it more important to be right, or to win? Can Freya stay one step ahead of the man who knows her best? Or will Charlie's stoic conviction to get what he wants be the death of her?

Sandie Jones's next addictive novel is a wickedly twisty tale of obsession, and the deadly consequences of loving someone too much.

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Victorian Scotland in the latest in the genre-blending Rip Through Time series.

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She's built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.

Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray's undertaking business, and they assume there's been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray's presence. The ghost is Lady Adler's former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she's dead or alive. But unsure if there's been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling--and more dangerous--than it first seems.

Does your kid ask questions you can't answer? Good. This book can.
Every curious child deserves real answers - and this is the book that delivers them. 100000 Whys Book for Kids is the ultimate children's encyclopedia for ages 8 to 12, packed with interesting questions that kids actually ask, answered in a way that is smart, vivid, and impossible to put down.
From the birth of stars to the secret life of ants, from the moment dinosaurs ruled the Earth to the mystery of black holes, every page opens a new window onto the world. Questions are ranked by difficulty so readers can start simple and level up. Wild facts appear every few pages to stop kids mid-sentence. Mini-experiments turn reading into doing.
Inside this book your child will discover:

• Why the sky is black in space but blue on Earth
• How a caterpillar completely dissolves inside its cocoon before becoming a butterfly
• What really killed the dinosaurs and why birds are the survivors
• How ants build cities without a single leader giving orders
• Why your heart never gets tired even though it beats 100,000 times a day
• What happened in the first second after the Big Bang

This is not a textbook. It is the book that turns a quiet afternoon into a two-hour conversation about the universe. Written in plain, punchy language with zero filler, it respects young readers the way the best teachers do: by treating every question as worth a real answer.
Perfect for curious kids ages 8 to 12, classroom libraries, birthday gifts, and any child who has ever looked at the world and asked why.

One retired detective. One frightened boy. One daring librarian. The case that will unravel everything. A tense, emotional mystery perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Liz Moore.

He usually had something to go on: a body, a name, a weapon . . . What did he have now?

Retired detective Ster McCaffrey has lived in isolation since the death of his beloved wife. Recently disabled from a traumatic brain injury, his quiet life is interrupted when he wakes in the dead of night to find a child sobbing on his doorstep--leaving him with more questions than answers.

After learning that the boy and his missing mother are unhoused with no official investigation underway, Ster decides to solve the mystery himself. To do so, he'll need to interview a community whose voice is rarely heard: the houseless of Portland, Oregon. Diving deeper into their tight-knit circle, Ster realizes trust is hard-won, and answers even more so. The further he goes, the more difficult it is to tell where the case ends, and his past begins.

With threats to his home, new evidence found in the river, and signs pointing to murder--friends and enemies are closer than Ster realizes. Only one thing is clear: the boy is in grave danger.

For fans of Cindy Brown's Macdeath, now comes a fresh take on classic crime thrillers.

A vandal's final act in Yosemite National Park uncovers a hidden message--and a deadly legacy.

When a graffiti artist defaces part of Yosemite National Park, Special Agents Clarence Johnson and Alison Nance expect a straightforward case. But when the suspect falls to her death from Glacier Point--just as another member of her synagogue did years earlier--the investigation takes on a far more ominous meaning.

The eerie coincidence hints at a deeper, darker truth behind the artist's final work. As Johnson and Nance unravel the layers, their search points to a historical puzzle stretching back to 1938, when a Jewish violinist, fleeing the shadows of Nazi Germany, disappeared into the park's vast wilderness, carrying a secret that could alter the course of history.

Decades later, the past refuses to remain hidden. The agents begin to link the contemporary murder to the long-unsolved disappearance and a mysterious legacy hidden in Yosemite's rugged terrain. But as they close in on the truth, they realize they are not the only ones searching. A relentless adversary is also on the trail, willing to kill to claim the secret and reignite a dark chapter of history. Now, Johnson and Nance must outwit a ruthless enemy before history's darkest forces rise again.

In The Firefall, Mark Thielman delivers a gripping tale where history's buried secrets collide with a modern-day investigation. With a masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and historical intrigue, this dual-timeline thriller is perfect for fans of Steve Berry and Gary McAvoy.

The glitter of Venice's lights hides a dark truth: when the floodwaters rise, no one is safe. Koru knows better than to trust anyone but her own. Hidden deep in the winding twists of Venice's narrow alleys, Koru and her found family must disguise themselves to survive. They are Rhunlokni, an ethnic minority gifted with the ability to channel the power of the Earth, their Goddess. They have long been vilified and prosecuted for their strange abilities-and Koru's gift is the strongest of her generation. So when the police arrive in St. Mark's Square to arrest Koru for a crime she didn't commit, she does the only thing she can-she runs. Though Koru manages to escape the police, a larger threat is drawing near. Koru must figure out what the Goddess is trying to tell her, protect those she loves, and uncover the truth of her past before it's too late-because Venice is sinking. Tonight.

A young black lesbian activist reclaims land from a greedy billionaire but struggles to hold peace against a rise of fear-based security culture and a toothache that seems whisper to her. An alien intelligence marvels at the human form, then horrifies at the ugly human condition underneath it. When two childhood friends reunite on different sides of a lunar corporate hierarchy, romance and possibly something more blooms. On Mars, a birthday party is ruined by an interstellar decree yet somehow saved by a tantric sexual experience. In Saturn's orbit a black lesbian scientist trains for interdimensional travel while yearning for a woman she's never met but half-remembers. On the cusp of the Year 3000 millennium a group of dirty clones find community and forgiveness, but at a cost. Orbital Bebop spans both the solar system and the human race in plotting out how societal ills on Earth travel with us while also offering the seeds for how humanity can redeem and heal itself.