In eight stories, a master of the form extends and magnifies her great themes—the vagaries of love, the passion that leads down unexpected paths, the chaos hovering just under the surface of things, and the strange, often comical desires of the human heart. Time stretches out in some of the stories: a man and a woman look back forty years to the summer they met—the summer, as it turns out, that the true nature of their lives was revealed. In others time is telescoped: a young girl finds in the course of an evening that the mother she adores, and whose fluttery sexuality she hopes to emulate, will not sustain her—she must count on herself. Some choices are made—in a will, in a decision to leave home—with irrevocable and surprising consequences. At other times disaster is courted or barely skirted: when a mother has a startling dream about her baby; when a woman, driving her grandchildren to visit the lakeside haunts of her youth, starts a game that could have dangerous consequences. The rich layering that gives Alice Munro's work so strong a sense of life is particularly apparent in the title story, in which the death of a local optometrist brings an entire town into focus—from the preadolescent boys who find his body, to the man who probably killed him, to the woman who must decide what to do about what she might know. Large, moving, profound, these are stories that extend the limits of fiction.

Complex family novel including the involved coming-out

This is the first book in the Love of A Good Woman Series. WARNING: If you're looking for a sweet, mushy romance, then keep scrolling. This isn't your run-of-the-mill story of boy meets a rain-drenched damsel in distress on the side of the road kind of novel. Sure, it includes an HEA, but how they get there will leave you tied up in knots and suffering from paper cuts, cat scratches, and a possible concussion from a frozen turkey. When you meet the man of your dreams and your life is finally going just the way you want... He's charming, sexy, and basically the perfect man. But then you open your mouth and screw it up by threatening his life...all because he asked you to move in with him. Yeah, that's pretty much how this story goes. A comedy of errors that will force you to really contemplate the sanity of your relationship. Get lost in the humor, romance, and heartbreak as Jack and Harper struggle to find balance in their relationship in this crazy and wild tale. ✔️Sarcastic and humorous banter ✔️Kindle-burning sexy times ✔️A secondary cast of characters you will fall in love with!

From the glittering ballrooms of Manhattan to the fires of World War I, #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel takes us on an unforgettable journey in this spellbinding tale of war, loss, history, and one woman’s unbreakable spirit. . . . Nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington was born into a life of privilege, raised amid the glamour of New York society, with glorious homes on Fifth Avenue and in Newport, Rhode Island. But everything changed on a cold April day in 1912, when the sinking of the Titanic shattered her family and her privileged world forever. Finding strength within her grief, Annabelle pours herself into volunteer work, nursing the poor, igniting a passion for medicine that would shape the course of her life. But for Annabelle, first love, and a seemingly idyllic marriage, will soon bring more grief—this time caused by the secrets of the human heart. Betrayed, and pursued by a scandal she does not deserve, Annabelle flees New York for war-ravaged France, hoping to lose herself in a life of service. There, in the heart of the First World War, in a groundbreaking field hospital run by women, Annabelle finds her true calling, working as an ambulance medic on the front lines, studying medicine, saving lives. And when the war ends, Annabelle begins a new life in Paris—now a doctor, a mother, her past almost forgotten . . . until a fateful meeting opens her heart to the world she had left behind. Finding strength in the most unlikely of friendships, pulling together the broken fragments of her life, Annabelle will return to New York one more time—this time as a changed woman, a woman of substance, infused with life’s experience, building a future filled with hope . . . out of the rich soil of the past. Filled with breathtaking images and historical detail, Danielle Steel’s novel introduces one of her most unique and fascinating characters: Annabelle Worthington, a remarkable woman, a good woman, a true survivor who triumphs against overwhelming odds. For Annabelle’s story is more than compelling fiction, it is a powerful celebration of life, dignity, and courage—and a testament to the human will to survive.

'One of the wisest and most versatile of our novelists' CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, GUARDIAN 'So intelligent and clear-eyed that every page seems to peel another layer of pretence' ISABEL QUIGLEY, FINANCIAL TIMES 'Nina Bawden's novels are self-perpetuating pleasures' KIRKUS REVIEWS 'Today, Tuesday, the day that Penelope has chosen to leave her husband, is the first really warm day of spring . . . ' Penelope has always done her best to be a good wife, a good mistress, a good mother - and a good magistrate. Today she is more conscious that usual of the thinness of the thread that distinguishes good from bad, the law-abiding from the criminal. Sitting in court, hearing a short, sad case of indecent exposure and a long, confused theft, she finds herself examining her own sex life - what would that sound like in court? - and her own actions and intentions. How would the court judge what she's about to do this afternoon . . . ?

Sean is the sixth book in the For The Love Of A Good Woman series and is best read in order. Never fall for two women. It may sound like an awesome situation to any man, but finding a way out is nearly impossible once you're in the thick of it. And deciding between them? Impossible. The first woman is the one I'm meant to be with. I know it in my heart. I've been chasing her for so long, I can't remember a time without her. And then there's the second woman, the one I need to stay away from. She's so uptight, so religious, and...infuriating. Yeah, there's no other way to put it. She corrects my grammar nonstop. She refuses to have any fun. Worst...she drives an electric car. I'm sorry, but how do you chase down a suspect when the leaves are falling off that tree on the dashboard? Still, I have to choose. One woman could ruin my life, and the other could finally give me everything I want. I just have to be smart enough to realize which is which.

Drew is a new beginnings romance and the fourth book in the series, For The Love Of A Good Woman. It can be read as a standalone, but the characters are intertwined in the whole series. Iris. I swear I could feel her on the breeze, standing here in the serenity of the country. She was my life, my dreams, my love, my wife, but above all that, she was my reason for being. I closed my eyes as memories of the smell of her perfume wafted around me, pulling me into a daydream of her walking toward me and teasing me. I could see her beautiful, huge smile that lit up my whole world. Her sharp, blue eyes sparkled as she gazed at me, my chest aching, knowing this was all a dream. Still, I kept my eyes closed, relishing in every piece of her I took with me six years ago. Her long, chestnut hair was blowing in the breeze as she walked closer to me, her voice floating in the wind. I could feel her hand resting against my chest as she leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I'm forever yours, Drew. Nothing can take me from you." How do you move on when you lose the love of your life in such a tragic way? Even seven years later, getting over the woman that you planned to spend your life with and have a family with seems impossible. When that person is so ingrained in who you are, is there really any hope of creating a life you can be happy with, let alone finding someone new to love? When Sarah walked into Drew's life and interrupted his most intimate moments with his dead wife, he cursed her and vowed that he would never like this woman. She was a screw up and possessed something that was so precious to him, but just out of reach. Their paths continued to cross in ways that left him angry and confused, until one day he found himself becoming intrigued with his new neighbor and needing to know what it was that drew him to her. Could he move on from the woman he loved more than anything in this world, or would he find himself unable to let her go when the time came? My life went from blissfully wonderful to completely devastating in a matter of hours. No longer able to live the life I once had, I was forced to become someone new. Even the gift that I was given wasn't enough to bring me out of my depressed state. Still, I had no choice but to move forward with my life and make the most of the last and greatest gift I was given. No one would ever be able to know who I am or the secrets I carry. I would forever be another woman who couldn't even properly mourn what had been lost. My new neighbor, Drew, was surly and completely hateful, at least he was with me. For some reason, I set him on edge and made him lash out at me. When we finally fell on someone even ground, would I be able to give him what he needed or were the secrets I held just too much of a burden to truly move forward?