A Rather Charming Invitation

A Rather Charming Invitation
Author: C.A. Belmond
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2010-02-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101196661

Her work has been hailed as "a return to the golden age of romantic suspense," and Belmond is back with her beloved characters and their search for a missing bridal tapestry. Dateline: London, Paris, Antibes. It's time to get down to wedding planning. But while heiress Penny's distant relatives insist that the nuptials be held in their native France, Jeremy's kin won't have it anywhere but England. And either choice might just re-ignite the Hundred Years' War... Then, in a family château high above the perfume fields of Grasse, Penny's French cousin offers her the loan of an ancient bridal tapestry. But Penny has barely begun to crack its perplexing imagery before a series of strange events unfolds, threatening to derail the wedding. From a secret chalet on Lake Geneva, to a nostalgic stop at the opulent Train Bleu, to a winner-take-all gamble in Monte Carlo, Penny and Jeremy are off on another romp...while the clock is ticking down until they say, "I do."

A Rather Lovely Inheritance

A Rather Lovely Inheritance
Author: C.A. Belmond
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2007-01-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780451220523

After her Aunt Penelope dies, historical researcher Penny Nichols is astonished to learn that not only is she a bona fide heiress-but she's also been invited to put her research skills to work. This time, the history she's researching happens to be her very own. What she discovers about Aunt Penelope-a pair of wills, double lives, secret histories, and a family tree of vultures-is about to sweep Penny and a long-lost relative across France, over the hills of Italy, and throughout half of Europe on the adventure of several lifetimes.

A Rather Remarkable Homecoming

A Rather Remarkable Homecoming
Author: C.A. Belmond
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2011-09-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 110154404X

Join the fun and frolic with American heiress Penny Nichols and her English hero Jeremy Laidley, as the adventurous couple sets off for more elegant travel and delightful sleuthing together! Penny and Jeremy are just returning from their honeymoon, only to be greeted by eccentric friends of Prince Charles bearing a rather royal request: to rescue a historical village on the coast of Cornwall, England. A property developer is bulldozing his way across the countryside to build a monstrous new development, and he's heading straight for Grandmother Beryl's old homestead where the newlyweds first met long ago as kids. Can Penny and Jeremy solve an ancient puzzle in time to save Grandma's house-and the entire village-from total destruction? On the romantic rocky cliffs of Cornwall, amid Celtic lore and tales of Shakespeare, smugglers, and shipwrecks, Penny and Jeremy must contend with a rakish cast of local characters: a bird-watching earl, a famous TV chef, a vain actor, a New Age farmer, a pair of thuggish real-estate tycoons, a rebel rock-and-roller, and a band of determined "eco-warriors." Following a trail of cryptic clues, Penny and Jeremy's new caper takes them to the lush island of Madeira and the legendary castle of Tintagel, in a race against time to find the astonishing truth... before the wrecking ball strikes. With her trademark wit, wisdom, and verve, C.A. Belmond's newest novel in her beloved "Rather" series provides a perfect armchair voyage of Europe's glamorous locales, with plenty of mystery, history, food, wine, love, and life's little pleasures.

A Rather Curious Engagement

A Rather Curious Engagement
Author: C.A. Belmond
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2008-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780451224057

Belmond's much-beloved debut novel, A Rather Lovely Inheritance was "a rare gem" (Romance Reviews Today) and "An entertaining yarn with family drama and intrigue aplenty." (Booklist). Now, in the eagerly anticipated sequel, A Rather Curious Engagement, our American freelancer-turned-heiress Penny Nichols is back for more fun--and another engaging international romp with her English hero, Jeremy. Penny has the great London flat, the classic car, the villa in France, the fabulous bank account, and a great guy to share them with. So everything's perfect, right? Right? Er, well... Pursued by gigolos, gold-diggers, an ex-wife, and highly aggressive salesmen chasing after their millions, Penny and Jeremy decide to take the summer off and sock away most of their inheritance for one year. But they allow themselves one big "splurge" from their wish list--and that's where all the trouble begins. At an auction on the French Riviera, Penny and Jeremy win much more than they bargain for, uncovering a centuries-old rivalry involving the theft of a priceless treasure linked to Beethoven's Germany, the mysterious island of Corsica, a luxurious 1920s yacht, and a medieval castle on Lake Como, Italy. A Rather Curious Engagement is a stay-up-all-night read, with an irresistible, unbeatable heroine seeking answers to intriguing questions about history, art, fortune, and love. It's the perfect companion to the first novel.

An Invitation to Sin

An Invitation to Sin
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2009-10-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 006174526X

Seven marriageable daughters . . . And Lord Zachary Griffin is just the man to help them. After all, what could be more tantalizing than teaching the beautiful Witfeld sisters all the special ways of driving a man into submission—and marriage? And leading exquisite Caroline Witfeld, the most spirited and least frivolous sister, to temptation would be wildly delicious. Zachary doesn't realize that Caroline's longing gazes have less to do with attraction and more to do with admission—to a prestigious arts conservatory. If only she could set those high cheekbones, that aristocratic brow, and those powerful shoulders to canvas, her dreams would all come true. But Caroline is soon having dreams of a very different sort—ones that involve the charming rogue and some improper behavior hardly befitting a lady dedicated to her art . . .unless she becomes dedicated to the art of love.

The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending
Author: Julian Barnes
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2011-10-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307957330

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

Alanna

Alanna
Author: Tamora Pierce
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2009-12-08
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1439120293

A girl disguises herself as a boy to train as a knight in this first book in Tamora Pierce’s Margaret A. Edwards Award–winning young adult series—now with a new look! From now on, I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight. In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and, disguised as a boy, begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart. So begin Alanna’s adventures—filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil—that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body under the Piano

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body under the Piano
Author: Marthe Jocelyn
Publisher: Tundra Books
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2021-04-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0735265488

A smart and charming middle-grade mystery series starring young detective Aggie Morton and her friend Hector, inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot. Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn't got much to do since the death of her beloved father . . . until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot and discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room! As the number of suspects grows and the murder threatens to tear the town apart, Aggie and her new friend will need every tool at their disposal -- including their insatiable curiosity, deductive skills and not a little help from their friends -- to solve the case before Aggie's beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie is sure she didn't commit.

To Love and to Loathe

To Love and to Loathe
Author: Martha Waters
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2021-04-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982160888

Named a best romance of the year by Entertainment Weekly Named a most anticipated romance by Oprah Daily, Marie Claire, BuzzFeed, PopSugar, and more! “There was no romance novel more fun this year than this extremely witty enemies-with-benefits confection.” —Entertainment Weekly The author of the “hilarious...joyful, elegant” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) To Have and to Hoax returns with an effervescent, charming, and swoon-worthy novel about a man and woman who never agree on anything—until they agree to a no-strings-attached affair in this Regency-era romp. The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition. After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover. Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts. With Martha Waters’s signature “cheeky charm and wonderfully wry wit” (Booklist, starred review), To Love and to Loathe is another clever and delightful historical rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Evie Dunmore.

Invitation to Provence

Invitation to Provence
Author: Elizabeth Adler
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2005-08-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1429901209

Take a journey with internationally acclaimed bestselling author Elizabeth Adler to one of the most sensuous places on earth--a place where lavender-filled fields meet an azure sky, where rosemary scents the air, and where love and intrigue are just around the corner. Franny Marten's life is unraveling--after arranging to meet her boyfriend, Marcus Marks, for dinner, she finds his wife waiting for her instead. After the initial shock wears off, Franny finds she has more in common with Clare Marks than she could ever have imagined. And, amazingly, the women become fast friends. But even more surprises are in store for Franny Marten: She is unexpectedly offered an all-expenses-paid invitation to a reunion of her estranged family in Provence. And Clare decides to charge the trip to Marcus (for his sins) and come along. Franny knows very little about the French side of her family, but how stressful can meeting long-lost aunts and cousins be after what she and Clare have just gone through? Provence is everything Franny pictured, but nothing at all what she expected. There are dangerous family secrets buried deep in the lovely, lush landscape of Provence, and there's also a person who will go to any lengths to keep Franny from uncovering them. Jake Bronson is an American with ties to the Marten family, and he seems to know more than he's saying. He's the most intriguing and compelling man Franny's ever encountered, but there are treacherous currents surrounding him. And at the center of it all is the matriarch, Rafaella Marten, a woman with secrets going back decades. Her two sons have caused her both heartache and joy, but Franny may ultimately be the key to truly reuniting the Marten family---and putting to rest the shadows, scandals, and the rivalry of a dynasty. Evoking the lush descriptions of everything that is Provence, Elizabeth Adler casts an unforgettable spell as Invitation to Provence transports you to a truly magical place.