Melanie Benjamin introduces readers to the lavish, heady world of her novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue with this exclusive ebook short story! In this enchanting prequel, New York society and Hollywood royalty collide during the doomed and decadent life of Ernest Hemingway. Spain, 1959. Slim Hawks Hayward likes to think she doesn’t get jealous. But when her dear friend Lauren “Betty” Bacall learns that Papa Hemingway has come to watch the bullfights and insists that Slim make introductions, she can’t help feeling protective. Slim has known Papa for years. He always makes her feel like the most beautiful woman in the room—even when his wife is standing right beside him. Truth be told, Slim could have learned to love him all those years ago, in the streets of Havana or the mountains of the American West. Now, Slim is sure that Papa will fall for Betty. What she doesn’t anticipate is the feeling that Papa himself has changed—and their relationship will never be the same. Features a captivating preview of Melanie Benjamin’s highly anticipated novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue! Advance praise for Melanie Benjamin’s The Swans of Fifth Avenue “The strange and fascinating relationship between Truman Capote and his ‘swans’ is wonderfully reimagined in this engrossing novel. It’s a credit to Benjamin that we end up caring so much for these women of power, grace, and beauty—and for Capote, too.”—Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants “A delicious tale . . . Melanie Benjamin has turned Truman Capote’s greatest scandal into your next must-read book-club selection.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet “Reading The Swans of Fifth Avenue is like being ushered into a party where you’re offered champagne and fed the sumptuous secrets of New York’s elite—without having to pay the price afterward. The swans are outmatched only by the elegance of Melanie Benjamin’s prose—captivatingly earnest and sophisticated.”—Vanessa Diffenbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of The Language of Flowers “Benjamin convincingly portrays a large cast of colorful historical figures while crafting a compelling, gossipy narrative with rich emotional depth.”—Library Journal

"N.M. Kelby writes beautifully. Her characters are unforgettable, and her use of oddball details adds to the particular flavor of the story, which has moments of melancholy and tenderness among the fireworks." -The Capital Times

"Sweet, funny, romantic and oh so very sexy! Prepare to swoon mightily." -SAWYER BENNETT, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cold Fury Hockey series COLLIN MONTGOMERY Between boot camp and two TOD's in Iraq, my buddies Max, Gavin and me have been through some serious hell. So the last thing I ever expected was to find the biggest challenge of my life back home. My girlfriend died. I couldn't even attend her funeral, let alone tell her goodbye or that I'm sorry I wasn't there like I should've been. But she left me a gift. The best and scariest one I could've ever asked for. One I didn't think I could handle...until the day I saw her tiny blues looking up at me in that airport. Chloe. Now here I am, raising my baby girl-with the help of my two best friends. Things couldn't be better. Until she walked into my life. All I wanted was a nanny. Someone to take care of my girl when I couldn't. What I didn't count on was Addison, the brown-eyed temptress with a body of sin, and everything I didn't need, but suddenly wanted. Reckless Hearts series Reckless Hearts (Book 1) The Right Kind of Reckless (Book 2) Recklessly Ever After (Book 3) More praise for Reckless Hearts: "An emotional, heartfelt, and absolutely beautiful story. I wanted each character to be my best friend. Reckless Hearts was so real, with gorgeous writing that kept me hooked from first page to the last." -Jennifer Blackwood, USA Today bestselling author of The Rule Book "Beautifully written, sweet and sexy, with the perfect amount of banter. You'll fall in love with these rugged Marines and their Reckless Hearts!" -Kelly Gendron, USA Today bestselling author of the Breaking the Declan Brothers series "Van Fleet has mastered the alpha hero. With perfectly flawed characters and miles of scorching heat, Reckless Hearts is a must read!" -Kelly Siskind, author of A Fine Mess

A sexy and evocative Regency romance e-novella! Jilted overseas and abandoned without a penny, Amanda Thomas is desperate to get home. She’ll do whatever it takes to secure a berth on an England-bound ship, even if it means pretending to be the wife of the absentee viscount who jilted her. But when the anchor lifts, she’s not the only impostor on board—for the stranger in her bed claims to be the real Viscount Ripton. Can she trust this devastatingly attractive scoundrel? Or is his offer of friendship only a pretext for seduction...and revenge?

My life has been destroyed by two men. One, my hero. The other, my worst nightmare. I taste the bitterness of betrayal every day as my body bleeds, suffering the touch of my enemy. It’s a fate chosen for me by others and it’s not something I can escape. At least, not yet. I’m determined to survive, my need for vengeance feeding me. I’ll play this game until every piece is in place so I can break them all. My plan includes Rylan Wolfe, the FBI agent eager to strike a deal. I give him the information he needs to take down a criminal threat, and he gives me the satisfaction of bringing my enemies to their knees. But my hunger for justice won’t be sated until they’ve burned to ash. And for my plan to succeed I have no choice but to deceive Rylan—the one man who manages to thaw the ice in my veins. In the end I’ll have to decide whether the revenge I’ve dreamt of for so long is worth losing the man who might be able to free my heart.

Meg Thurgood, former society girl, took the blame for her friend and paid a steep price. Now all she wants is solitude and a chance to rebuild her life. She thinks she's found that in an isolated house she rents from a mysterious stranger. Simon McAlter has hidden in his house on the coast of Maine since a fire left him scarred. A successful landscape architect who conducts his business and teaches his classes remotely, he's lost his inspiration and is trying to pretend he's not lonely. Simon's new neighbor is more than he bargained for. When he learns Meg's secret, will he retreat into the shadows or will he learn to see past the surface and trust in Meg's love?

From the award-winning author of "My Steadfast Heart" comes the irresistible second novel in Jo Goodman's powerful trilogy about three brothers, separated by fate, who dare to reclaim their lost legacy.