Central Kansas Library System

Irene Steele's idyllic life -- house, husband, family -- is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead. Before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband's death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John...

"In this contemporary novel, widowed orchestral violinist Isabel Delancey finally finds true serenity and love only when she loses what she thought she needed most"-- Isabel Delancey, a classical violinist, has always taken her comfortable life for granted. When her husband's sudden death leaves her with a mountain of debt, she and her two children are forced to abandon their home and move to the Spanish House, a now-dilapidated manor Isabel inherited...

The historic hotel in Boonsboro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen...

"In every life there is a turning point ... For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton. After a lifetime of chasing women ... he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing ... Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant"--...

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who's running her late husband's shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she's been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn't be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast--the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn--ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine. Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they...

When Phoebe Robbins learns her family will move to Sitka, Alaska, she is unsure what this wild, untamed land might offer her. But before she even sets foot on this new territory, she has an unexpected encounter with Dalton Lindquist. When he decides to pursue answers to his past, he finds he must leave Sitka ... and the lovely Phoebe. But Dalton is not the only one who has sought her attention. His best friend, Yuri, determines to claim her affection,...

"In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth. They're driving to Florida for Ruth's 50th high-school reunion. A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the love of her teenage life. She's heard he's alone, too. Bethanne needs time to reflect on a decision she has to make - whether or not to reconcile with her ex-husband, Grant...

Since moving to Cedar Cove, Jo Marie Rose has truly started to feel at home, and her neighbors have become her closest friends. Now it's springtime, and Jo Marie is eager to finish the most recent addition to her inn. In memory of her late husband, Paul, she has designed a beautiful rose garden for the property and enlisted handyman Mark Taylor to help realize it. She and Mark don't always see eye-to-eye -- and at times he seems far removed -- yet...

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married, and that the groom will remain a secret until...