Years after her parish priest imposed an unusual penance, a penance she has at last fulfilled, Gabrielle Chevalier returns from Paris to her home in Quebec aware that while the Church may have forgiven her, she has not forgiven herself.

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Gabriella de Conte Thornsen, Gaby, a former young plantation owner from Louisiana who'd followed her cherished cousin Cardinal Thornsen, to the old continent to pursue an operatic scholarship at the Académie de Musique in Paris has become the new sensation in the City of Light and across Europe in the late 1800's. She is crowned as one of the greatest divas ever to sing on the myriad stages of the European Royal Courts. On her way to a singing engagement in Rome, an invitation by the Director of the Palais Garnier in Paris is received requesting an acceptance to sing the lead in Fromenthal Alévy, La Juive. Her singing contract has been purchased at an astronomical price by a mysterious aficionado. Stunned by the change of venue, she nonetheless accepts the role, knowing that her overbearing aristocratic former husband has returned to Paris from the Americas. An uncommon coincidence. An unexpected turn of events which could affect her relationship with her former husband unfolds which takes the Duke, his first officer, Cunnan, and Cardinal Thornsen to a journey in England and Ireland to unravel the mystery. Has the Duke de Bourbonne, Jean-Louis-Pierre de Pleyssis schemed the unusual outcome to once again control his former's wife professional goals? Gossips has it in the City of Light that he wants Gaby's return to their charmed lives at any cost. Will the Diva succumb to his wishes? A monumental life changing discovery could alter their views of reunification as they ponder the ignominies of familial deeds committed for the sole purpose of saving his lineage, grand titles, and social hierarchy.

With its tree-lined streets, vibrant downtown and curbside planters of spring bulbs, Amberley, Massachusetts, seems a good place for Cate Saunders to start over. It's been two years since her husband, John, was killed in Iraq and life has been a struggle. Her new job as a caregiver doesn't pay much, but the locals are welcoming. In fact, Cate has barely unpacked before she's drawn--reluctantly at first--into a circle of friends. There's diner-owner Gaby, who nourishes her customers' spirits as well as their bodies; feisty Beatrice, who kept the town going when its men marched off to WWII; wise-cracking MaryLou, as formidable as Fort Knox but with the same heart of gold; and, Sheila, whose Italian grocery is the soul of the place. As Amberley reveals itself to be a town shaped by war, Cate encounters another kindred spirit--a Holocaust survivor with whom she feels a deep connection. When revelations about John's death threaten Cate's newfound peace of mind, these sisters-in-arms' stories show her an unexpected way forward. And Cate comes to understand that although we suffer loss alone, we heal by sharing our most treasured memories

Descended from the last king of Poland, born in France, educated at a British grade school in Mexico and a Catholic high school in the United States, Hélène Elizabeth Louise Amelie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor—otherwise known as Elena—is a passionate, socially conscious writer who is widely known in Mexico and who deserves to be better known everywhere else. With his subject’s complete cooperation (she granted him access to fifty years of personal files), Michael Schuessler provides the first critical biography of Poniatowska’s life and work. She is perhaps best known outside of Mexico as the author of Massacre in Mexico (La noche de Tlatelolco) and Here’s to You, Jesusa! (Hasta no verte, Jesús mío). But her body of published books is vast, beginning with the 1954 publication of Lilus Kikus, a collection of short stories. And she is still writing today. Schuessler, who befriended Poniatowska more than fifteen years ago, is a knowledgeable guide to her engrossing life and equally engaging work. As befits her, his portrait is itself a literary collage, a “living kaleidoscope” that is constantly shifting to include a multiplicity of voices—those of fellow writers, literary critics, her nanny, her mother, and the writer herself—easily accessible to general readers and essential to scholars. Available in English for the first time, this insightful book includes 40 photographs and drawings and an annotated bibliography of Poniatowska’s works—those that have already been translated into English and those awaiting translation.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Ultimate series, a former MMA fighter returns to the ring while a beautiful investigator watches his every move... With his perfectly chiseled, lava-hot body, Simon Evans, ex-fighter, also has a perfect life—great job, great girl, and more than enough dough. All that changes, though, when he catches his girlfriend cheating. To shake things up, Simon goes full-force back into the ring, ready to take out his rage on his opponents… To make matters worse, the father who walked out on Simon and his mom eons ago wants to be back in the picture. He’s hired his stepdaughter, Dakota, to find Simon. Hot on Simon’s heels, the gutsy P.I. puts love on the back burner. But when attempts are made on Dakota’s life, Simon steps in to protect her, all but putting both their hearts on the line…

The third Polly Deacon novel finds our heroine in the unlikely (and uncomfortable) job of designing a mascot (Kountry Kow) for a new mega-grocery store, despite vitriolic opposition by local merchants, including her aunt. The scene starts to get really ugly when people start dying - not exactly the family environment that the developers desire!