Tranquil Reader

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2015 Genre: Historical Fiction; Romance Blurb: Set in China in the late 1800’s, The Secret Language of Women tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Zhou Bin Lian, a Eurasian healer, and Giacomo Scimenti, an Italian sailor, driven apart by the Boxer Rebellion. When Lian is seventeen years old, she accompanies her Swiss father, Dr. Gianluca Brasolin, fluent in Italian, to tend the Italian ambassador, at the Summer Palace of Empress Dowager, where she meets and falls in love with Giacomo. Through voyage and adventure, their love intensifies, but soon is severed by Lian’s dutiful promise as the wife to another. Forbidden from pursuing her chosen profession as a healer, and despised because she does not have bound feet, she is forced to work in a cloisonné factory while her in-laws raise her daughter, Ya Chen. It is in Nushu, the women’s secret writing, that she chronicles her life and her hopes for the future. Rebelling against the ...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2014 Genre: Chick Lit; Romance Blurb: Madison Nichols, aspiring actress, is floundering. Her rent is due and she needs a job. Desperately. After getting a tip about an open position, she rushes to Jameson Technologies and meets CEO Jared Jameson. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, she is put in the awkward position of pretending to be his girlfriend. Not the job she was applying for. And when she finds out Jared lied to her to get what he wanted, she decides to get back at him. In front of his family. Jared is stunned when Madison announces they are getting married. She pushed her revenge too far. How can he tell them it’s all a lie? And when his sick aunt asks them to be married before she dies, Madison comes up with a hair-brained plan to hire an actor and stage a fake wedding. What they both don’t know is Jared’s father has found out about the fake wedding. And he’s got his own hair-brained plan. This is a sweet romance...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2017 Genre: Romance; Contemporary; Young Adult Blurb: Cat has made the decision to stay with Leopold in Solis, leaving behind any chance of life as an average teenager. With the help of Governor Richard, she has found herself next in line for the throne of Arcadis, which is to be liberated from French control upon her ascension. But when ancient artifacts rumored to be lost centuries ago start to turn up, and Leopold is victim to a tragic and mysterious accident, Cat must step up and rule her people without his direction. With Antoine lurking around every corner, Cat may have to start plotting who will wear the crown of both countries if Leopold doesn’t recover.  Can truth and love survive when the path to the throne and crown is riddled with deception and daggers? About the Author: Lily Burlington is a Canadian born author who has been writing since the age of 15. She loves coffee, reading, and fairytales, and spends mos...

Book Cover Year Published: 2015 Genre: Historical Fiction with a little bit of romance Blurb: Willis Hancocks is a bright, ambitious young man who wants to break out of his small-town existence and make a difference in the world. When WWII breaks out, he rushes to enlist, despite his parents' disapproval. As the world falls apart, Willis finds a way to forge through and finds solace in an incomparable friendship and a surprising, brief encounter with a love that takes hold and eventually threatens to jeopardize the life he strives to build while battling his post-war demons. While Willis is set on building a new world for himself with a single-minded goal for personal success-a lucrative, purposeful, easy lifestyle-obstacles are continuously thrown in his path, and he must embrace, overcome, or dodge them entirely. In the course of the choices he makes, and the destiny that is chosen for him, he unwittingly drags the people who are closest to him down into the darkne...

Book Cover Year Published: 2018 Genre: Chick Lit; Women's Fiction Blurb: Kristy Martin is twenty-something, single and living it up in Chicago. She has a crew of close girlfriends to keep her social calendar active, and is celebrating finally securing employment in her chosen field. While always free-spirited, Kristy is getting tired of the revolving door – or more accurately, bed – of random guys and failed dates, and comes up with a plan to get her act together when it comes to the opposite sex. That idea is quickly shot down by her bestie Breely Laver and replaced with a bet she can’t refuse – a free trip to Paris with her yoga instructor BFF if she can go six months without sex. Enter in charming, sexy, delicious Grey Grahl. Kristy tries to navigate a spicy new relationship without giving away her bet, while also dealing with an incredibly sensitive crisis at her job. Her first year as a full-time elementary school guidance counselor starts off with a devastati...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2015 Genre: Chick Lit; Women's Fiction; Romance Blurb: The final gripping part of the Seven Days Series. Is history repeating itself? With Nicholas gone will Sadie carry on alone? Or will Joel get over his commitment phobia and become a baby daddy? About the Author: Lindy began writing at University but never really wanted to be 'an author'. She wanted to be a princess or at worst a Kindergarten teacher. Her first novel, Heart of Glass, was penned in 2006 and since then she has become known for writing funny, forthright romantic fiction with a cast of crazy, comic characters in outrageous situations - many of which have actually occurred in her life. Lindy is also well-known for her romantic novellas which have repeatedly topped the short stories charts in the US and UK. She gains most of her inspiration from her dreams, listening to music and watching ridiculous amounts of reality TV. Connect with the Author:...

About the Book: As crown princess of Lorencia, Desi can handle other royals, dignitaries, and celebrities without batting an eyelash. But Astin Gold, the suave heir to a hotel empire? No amount of diplomatic training prepared her for him. Or the whirlwind media scandal she’s about to ignite with him. Rumors swirl, and the pressure is on to deflect the attention. But Desi’s feelings for Astin only blossom, despite allegations that he’s using her for his own gain. As she dares to date him under the radar, it becomes clear someone close to her is behind the scandal. And their secret won’t stay secret forever. As tensions rise, Desi must decide if Astin deserves her trust. And, more important, her heart. About the Author: Amy is a sci-fi/mystery addict with a soft spot for humor and romance. She lives in Massachusetts, and loves to bake and watch movies. Connect with the Author: Facebook:  Amy Saunders Facebook Twitter:  Amy Saunders Twitter Autho...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2013 Genre: Contemporary romance coupled with chick lit that has a tiny hint of erotica Blurb: Celebrate the holidays with this special festive romance bundle from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!  In UNWRAPPED… When a unlikely couple gets snowed in on the way to the wedding, a flirty game of truth-or-dare sends temperatures soaring.  In HOLIDAY KISSES… Writer Dash needs peace and quiet to finish his new script, but he wasn’t betting on inn-keeper Ellie and the local Starbright festival to give him a jolt of holiday inspiration. In UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS… Sophie has been dreaming of a magical winter holiday in New York City. Can a chance encounter with musician Austin bring her festive dreams to life? About the Author: Melody Grace is the New York Times bestselling author of the Beachwood Bay series - a worldwide phenomenon with over 2 million downloads! A small-town girl turned SoCal beach lover, sh...

Book Cover Year Published: 2017 Genre: Romance; Historical Fiction Blurb: Sadly ever after . . . unless some dreams really do come true? Elinor Burkenstock never believed in fairy tales. Sure, she's always been a fool for love-what woman isn't? But Elinor knows the difference between fiction and truth. Daydreams and reality. True love and false promises. . . . Until the unthinkable happens, and Elinor's engagement is suddenly terminated and no one, least of all her fiance, will tell her why. Sir Michael Rollins's war-hero days seem far behind him when, after one last hurrah before his wedding, he gets shot and his injuries leave him in dire shape. He wants nothing more than to marry Elinor, the woman of his wildest dreams. But Elinor's father forbids it . . . and soon Michael is faced with a desperate choice: Spare Elinor a life with a broken man or risk everything to win her heart-until death do they part? About the Author: A.S. Fenichel (Andre...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2017 Genre: Paranormal; Steampunk; Suspense with a hint of romance Blurb: Eva Thorne thought facing a werewolf, betrayal, and the army of Death was bad. She learns there are all new kinds of evil—and more enemies, as well as allies, than she ever imagined. All of them have an agenda, and all of them want the one thing she needs to defeat the Dead God and save her world from annihilation. Can she claim the First Soul before they do? The bad guys all want her dead. Fortunately, some want the First Soul more, and they need her to get it. They hope it will make them a god. She wants it for her own reasons. It summoned the God of Death, and it can send Him back to the Void before His armies ‘cleanse’ everything she’s ever known from existence. The last strongholds of humanity have fallen. Only the Three Kingdoms of Avian, Dwarf and Elf still stand. Eva is running out of time, because even that alliance is crumbling, and the Elf King, Fharen,...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 1817 (Originally); 2010 (Collins Edition) Genre: Classic Blurb: Persuasion is an umbrella term of influence. Persuasion can attempt to influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviors. In business, persuasion is a process aimed at changing a person's (or a group's) attitude or behavior toward some event, idea, object, or other person(s), by using written or spoken words to convey information, feelings, or reasoning, or a combination thereof. Persuasion is also an often used tool in the pursuit of personal gain, such as election campaigning, giving a sales pitch, or in trial advocacy. Persuasion can also be interpreted as using one's personal or positional resources to change people's behaviors or attitudes. Systematic persuasion is the process through which attitudes or beliefs are changed by appeals to logic and reason. Heuristic persuasion on the other hand is the process through whic...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2015 Genre: Crime; Romance Blurb: Nick Kozlovsky is not a guy who gives up easily. He grew up on the tough side of town and never met his father. His childhood consisted of an alcoholic mother with a series of step-fathers who beat him until he learned how to fight back. As a policeman, he had plenty of built-in sensors to detect violent criminal behavior.  Nick’s dream to become a police officer is realized, and even though he’s only a few years into the job, the young patrolman has a lot of heart. He’s happy with the job, but his personal life is in shambles. There are women, but, he has never fallen in love. All of his friends have made the trip to the alter, but Nick soothes his loneliness in ways that aren’t exactly healthy. A random trip to the emergency room changes the course of Nick’s life. Meeting Doctor Grace Robertson energizes him. Not only does he admire her, he is convinced she could be the one for him. For th...

My Copy of the Book Year Published: 2017 Genre: Women's Fiction; with a touch of romance. Blurb: Cat Mendoza needs a win. After a business failure and years of dating the wrong men, she’s ready to turn things around. First she must convince the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, that she’s taking her responsibilities seriously. As the events director of the newly restored Wayfair Inn, she has the support of her best friends, Linnie and Jada. But everyone else—including her overprotective mother and the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens—can’t help but chime in with advice about her plans, her apparently too-tight clothes, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the charming ad exec hired to promote the inn. Cat knows she should keep Ryan at a distance, but she’s drawn closer by the heartbreak he tries to hide. Will uncovering his secrets derail the new life Cat hopes to achieve…or will she gain something to cherish forever? About the Author: Award-winning author ...