Two classic stories from "New York Times"-bestselling author RossNplus a bonus Christmas novellaNare packaged together for the first time. Includes "Cajun Heat" and "Love Potion #9." Original.

The road to self-discovery leads Maverick Kensington deep into the heart of New Orleans. The colorful characters, beautiful scenery and a hot mess of a woman he finds along the way offer him the perfect place to reinvent himself. The French Quarter and Blue Bayou are exactly the change of pace he's looking for, helping him escape the soul-sucking work he does for his father's company. Carys Matthews is young and inexperienced. Having her family's hotel dropped in her lap after her mother's untimely death, she's struggling to keep her head above water and keep the hotel's doors open. She doesn't have time for relationships, but Maverick Kensington is worth an exception. Besides, his stay is temporary and a fling never hurt anyone, right? His passion and business know-how is exactly what she needs. Her carefree spirit is what he wants. Their whirlwind relationship is one for the books until truths are untold and assumptions are made. Everything comes to a screeching halt just when they were getting to the good part. There's always been a saying around the hotel: eventually, everyone comes back to the Blue Bayou. Will Maverick be the exception?

Elin Hilderbrand, author of the enchanting Summer People and The Beach Club, invites you to experience the perfect getaway with her sparkling novel, The Blue Bistro. Adrienne Dealey has spent the past six years working for hotels in exotic resort towns. This summer she has decided to make Nantucket home. Left flat broke by her ex-boyfriend, she is desperate to earn some fast money. When the desirable Thatcher Smith, owner of Nantucket's hottest restaurant, is the only one to offer her a job, she wonders if she can get by with no restaurant experience. Thatcher gives Adrienne a crash course in the business...and they share an instant attraction. But there is a mystery about their situation: what is it about Fiona, the Blue Bistro's chef, that captures Thatcher's attention again and again? And why does such a successful restaurant seem to be in its final season before closing its doors for good? Despite her uncertainty, Adrienne must decide whether to open her heart for the first time, or move on, as she always does. Infused with intimate Nantucket detail and filled with the warmth of passion and the breeze of doubt, The Blue Bistro is perfect summer reading.

In the tradition of the modern classics The Tender Bar and The Liars’ Club, Blaine Lourd writes a powerful Gothic memoir set in the bayous and oil towns of 1970s Louisiana. In this rags-to-riches memoir of finding your way and becoming a man, Blaine Lourd renders his childhood in rural Louisiana­ with his larger-than-life father, Harvey “Puffer” Lourd, Jr., a charismatic salesman during the exploding 1980s awl bidness. From cleaning a duck to drinking a beer, Puffer guides Blaine through the twists and turns of growing up, ultimately pointing him to a poignant truth: sometimes those you love the most can inflict the most pain. Set against a lush landscape of magnolia trees and majestic old homes, haunted swamps and swimming holes filled with wildlife, Lourd gets to the heart of being a Southerner with rawness and grace, beautifully detailing what it means to have a place so ingrained in your being. Just as the timeless memoirs All Over but the Shoutin’ and The Liar’s Club evoke the muggy air of a Southern summer and barrels of steaming crawfish, so does Blaine’s contemporary exploration of what it means to find yourself among the bayous and back roads. Charting his journey from his rural home to working the star-studded streets of Los Angeles as a financial advisor to the rich and famous, Blaine’s story is about the complicated path to success and identity. With witty grace and candid prose, he pays homage to family bonds, unwavering loyalty, and deep roots that cannot be severed, no matter how hard you try.

Whether you join hands with an armadillo in the pas de deux or pirouette with the panther, you'll find plenty of talented and agile creatures to mimic in this enchanting introduction to ballet for emerging readers. Even the bears are dancing in this picture book from mom, author, and illustrator Alexis Braud. Budding ballerinas will love the humorous illustrations paired with beginner-friendly explanations of dance terms, making the moves both easy to understand and memorable.

Julia Summers is in Blue Bayou, Louisiana, wrapping up her role on the sizzling soap opera River Road before jetting off to play the part of her dreams. But when she recieves an all-too-real threat, her director saddles her with a no-nonsense FBI agent as protection. Free-spirited Julia figures she'll just use her feminine wiles to keep the handsome bodyguard out her way. Finn Callahan has no interest in baby-sitting a spoiled starlet, but he owes his brother, Blue Bayou's mayor, a favor. When danger closes in on Julia, Finn realizes that what he feels for her is much more than physical attraction. Now he'll willingly lay his life on the line for the woman who has shown him how beautiful life can be when it's filled with laughter and love.

Provides a biography of Langston Hughes along with critical views of his poetry and prose.