spring reads

Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is accused of her murder . . . Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire. The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect. Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other. “I truly loved reading This Story Might Save Your Life. The pace was terrific, and it was so smart and engrossing. The pages practically turn themselves in this nuanced thriller. I couldn't put it down!” —Nina Simon, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night

Μπέκετ, Αν διαβάζεις αυτό, τότε ξέρεις πώς πάει με το τελευταίο γράμμα. Τα κατάφερες. Εγώ όχι. Σταμάτα να νιώθεις ενοχές, γιατί ξέρω πως, αν υπήρχε έστω και μια πιθανότητα να μπορούσες να με είχες σώσει, θα το είχες κάνει. Χρειάζομαι ένα πράγμα από σένα: φύγε από τον στρατό και πήγαινε στο Τέλουραϊντ. Η μικρή μου αδελφή, η Έλα, μεγαλώνει μόνη της τα δίδυμα. Είναι πολύ ανεξάρτητη και δεν θα δεχτεί εύκολα βοήθεια, αλλά έχει χάσει τη γιαγιά μας, τους γονείς μας και τώρα εμένα. Είναι πάρα πολλά για να τα αντέξει οποιοσδήποτε. Δεν είναι δίκαιο. Και να το χειρότερο: υπάρχει κάτι άλλο που δεν ξέρεις και διαλύει την οικογένειά της. Θα χρειαστεί βοήθεια. Οπότε, αν έχω φύγει, αυτό σημαίνει ότι δεν μπορώ να είμαι εκεί για την Έλα. Δεν μπορώ να τους βοηθήσω να το ξεπεράσουν. Αλλά εσύ μπορείς. Σε ικετεύω λοιπόν, ως τον καλύτερό μου φίλο, πήγαινε να φροντίσεις την αδελφή μου, την οικογένειά μου. Σε παρακαλώ, μην την αφήσεις να το περάσει μόνη της. Ράιαν

Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow\-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart. Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his? The New York Times bestselling author of Life's Too Short delivers a refreshingly modern fairy tale perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry.

From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build―and the lies we live. They called it hysteria. She called it survival. Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu's carefully crafted life begins to unravel. When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman's constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew―and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept? In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won't want to put it down.

„Působivý, citlivý a strhující román“ (Delia Owensová, bestsellerová autorka deníku The New York Times knihy Kde zpívají raci), který zkoumá smrtící důsledky milostného trojúhelníku v anglické zemědělské vesnici, když se znovu vynoří nebezpečná tajemství z minulosti — ideální pro fanoušky knih Papírový palác a Kde zpívají raci. „Farmář je mrtvý. Je mrtvý a každého zajímá jen to, kdo ho zabil.“ Když její švagr zastřelí psa, který se vrhl na jejich ovce, Beth si neuvědomuje, že výstřel změní běh jejich životů. Pes totiž patřil Gabrielu Wolfeovi, muži, kterého Beth milovala jako dospívající — muži, který jí před lety zlomil srdce. Gabriel se vrátil do vesnice se svým malým synem Leem, chlapcem, který Beth velmi připomíná jejího vlastního syna Bobbyho, jenž před několika lety zemřel. Jak je Beth znovu vtahována do životů Gabriela a Lea, napětí ve vesnici roste a na povrch vyplouvá žárlivost. Beth a její jemný a laskavý manžel Frank jsou šťastně manželé, ale i oni mají svá tajemství a jejich vztah závisí na tom, že minulost zůstane pohřbená. Když začne vycházet najevo pravda, události se vymknou kontrole, tentokrát se smrtícími následky. Beth je nucena učinit volbu — mezi ženou, kterou kdysi byla, a ženou, jíž se stala. Rozsáhlý, smyslný milostný příběh s tempem a zvraty thrilleru, Zlomená země je románem o doutnající vášni, nemožných volbách a výbušných důsledcích, který se přepíná mezi minulostí a přítomností, aby prozkoumal dalekosáhlý odkaz první lásky.

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match. Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter. And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

Perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Jenny Han, this romantic comedy follows a hopeless romantic finishing college who agrees to embark on a fake relationship with her childhood best friend, who, unfortunately for her, also happens to be her first love. Daniella Daisy Maria wanted love. It’s all she hoped for when watching endless rom\-coms every Friday night. What she hadn't hoped for was to find it in her childhood best friend Levi. It was the hand\-trembling, heart\-thumping kind of love that wasn't supposed to happen when you saw your best friend. But it all ended when he didn’t feel the same way and she vowed to never see him again. Four years later and one night in a crowded bar in the West Village, there he was, just as perfect as ever. Maybe it was the lighting or the way his hair curled above his brow, but she couldn’t say no when he asked her to be his fake girlfriend for his sister’s wedding. Another chance at being his friend and mending her immature mistake? How was she supposed to say no? The weight of possible rejection from her dream grad school quickly became the least of her problems. With old, resurfacing feelings at every staged, romantic interaction and stolen glance, she struggles to find confidence. She couldn't help but think that maybe she should’ve said no to protect her heart for a second time.

Return to the Jersey Shore with a new romance by Summertime Punchline author Betty Corrello in which a young woman recently diagnosed with lupus attempts a no-strings fling with a former television star, perfect for readers of Elissa Sussman or Tia Williams. Nadia Fabiola wants to lose herself in Evergreen—the Jersey Shore town where she grew up vacationing with her family—and never look back at her glamorous, gainfully employed former self. After a shocking lupus diagnosis turned her life upside down, she’s desperate for a sense of control over her body, her life, and her mental health. Nadia plans on keeping her life small and boring, while continuing to ignore her sister’s relentless questioning. Nadia’s sister isn’t the only person worried about her. When her rheumatologist not-so-subtly sets her up with his infamous former-actor cousin, Marco Antoniou, Nadia is skeptical. But Marco is gorgeous—despite carrying his own baggage from a very public burnout. After a messy (but fun) first date, they decide that a May-long fling could be just what the doctor no commitment, no strings, just one month of escape. Their undeniable chemistry starts to feel a lot like something more and while Marco pulls Nadia deeper into his life, she is dead set on keeping her diagnosis from him. But there are only so many days in May, and only so much pretending she can do. As the stress of their whirlwind romance takes its toll on Nadia’s health, she’s forced to decide if a chance at love is worth the risk of trusting someone new. Travel from the Jersey Shore to Rome and back in this delightfully funny, beautifully honest exploration of love, intimacy, and vulnerability while living with a chronic illness.