Showing results by narrator "Holly Fielding" in All Categories

Katie Johnson may make her living consulting with new moms on the latest, greatest baby gadgets no parent should be without, or which mommy meet-ups are the most socially desirable, or whether melon truly is the new black, but the success of her marriage to her husband, Alex, depends on controlling her own urges toward motherhood. He's adamant that they stay childless. Sure, Katie understands that he's upset over the fact that his out-of-town ex-wife rarely lets him see their 10-year-old son, Peter. But living vicariously through her anxious clients and her twin sisters' precocious children only makes Katie resent his stance more deeply.

Caroline Townsend is a nightmare for her children. The former actress and current alcoholic hits her nadir on Christmas Eve. Her five young children hope for a Christmas celebration. Instead, they get a fight with their mother, who's absolutely plastered and fresh off yet another failed relationship. After lashing out at her children, Caroline passes out under the bent and mangled Christmas tree. For the Townsend children, this proves to be a rare opportunity - a chance to set things right with their mother. Together, they concoct an elaborate ruse designed to teach her a lesson, once and for all.

Who are the people you’ll never forget? For Mary Murphy, there are five, eulogized here in an utterly unforgettable voice. Mary tells the story of her own life - her childhood spent trading one home and father figure for another, her efforts to track down her rebellious sister, and her winding search for purpose - through her experiences and encounters with the people who shaped her path. The result is an unconventional and moving story about identity, family, and belonging.

A widowed mother of two, Annie Harlowe has a secret: She likes to call her late husband's cell phone just to hear his voice, even if it is only a recording. Then one night she dials - and something extraordinary happens.... Thomas Brannock IV has had his life mapped out since he was a kid, but a free-spirited woman with flowing hair and sun-kissed cheeks is about to change all that. Still reeling from her heart-to-heart with the other side - and wondering if she's so lonely she's gone off her rocker - Annie literally bumps into Thom at the posh soiree she's catering at his family's Southampton mansion.

When freelance advertising artist Kelli Ann Harrison agrees to oversee the final phase of construction on her brother's glamorous Lake Tahoe house, she intends to make a holiday out of it: lend her brother a helping hand and at the same time enjoy the area's winter sports. An unexpected encounter at a holiday mixer, however, leads to a job offer that throws Kelli's plans into disarray. Grant Pembroke, founder of Pembroke Advertising, is in town to bid for the lucrative Cassera's Casino account.

When Michelle Maisto meets Rich - like her, a closet writer with a fierce love of books and good food - their single-mindedness at the table draws them together, and meals become a stage for their long courtship. Finally engaged, they move in together, but sitting down to shared meals each night-while working at careers, trying to write, and falling into the routines that come to define a home-soon feels like something far different from their first dinner together. Who cooks, who shops, who does the dishes?

At thirty-one, Kat Fallon's luck with men shows no sign of improving. But when she asks her best friend Nav Bharani to be her date at her younger sister's wedding in Vancouver, she has no idea that she's about to get on board the most surprising ride of her life…Nav has been secretly in love with Kat ever since he moved in next door. When she reveals that she loves taking train rides, especially the meeting-strangers part, Nav devises a plan to win Kat's heart. On every leg of her trip to Vancouver, he shows up disguised as a different sexy stranger.

FBI agent Brant Law was on a mission to bring down associates of an international criminal. This was his last case and he was determined to succeed, so teaming up with Anita Caballo, an attractive agent with a desire for justice, made him leery. But when his new partner was shot at and her life nearly cut short, Brant found his quick reflexes matched his desperate need to protect her. As his trust in Anita grew, so did his passion for her intelligence and beauty.

Jill McCorkle's new collection of 12 short stories is peopled with characters brilliantly like us - flawed, clueless, endearing. These stories are also "animaled" with all manner of mammal, bird, fish, reptile - also flawed and endearing. She asks, what don't humans share with the so-called lesser species? Looking for the answer, she takes us back to her fictional home town of Fulton, North Carolina, to meet a broad range of characters facing up to the double-edged sword life offers hominids.

No one knew what Noah Graydon looked like, but they’d all heard the rumors. How he'd been broken, even scarred, on his last case. How he never showed his face…until the day he took an overwhelming interest in one very special agent. Angel Carter would have been a serial killer's next victim if not for Noah. The rescue gave her a glimpse into his world of shadows - yet she dared to want more. To really know if the passion between them was real. They would have to come face-to-face if the killer was to be caught - and Noah could only conceal his body from Angel for so long....

Investigative journalist Zoe Greene, traumatized by a serial killer, has switched to writing for a soap-opera digest. Obsessed with soap star Warren Clark, she delights in joining him at his home in Mexico. But nearby, the mutilated body of a teenager was found recently, his heart torn from his body. From the moment Zoe arrives, things go wrong. Warren disappears for long stretches of time. Other Americans she meets hide strange black crosses and blood-tipped cacti in their homes.

Shying away from commitment of any kind, Jenna Fallon's rules in life are to have none. So when her car breaks down en route from California to Vancouver - and she's forced to hitch a ride with a sexy stranger - she's thrilled to discover they share the same no-holds-barred views. As a globe-trotting marine biologist, Mark Chambers is used to changing locations - and women. Yet as he and Jenna make their way up the Pacific coast, camping, skinny dipping, and having scorching hot sex, Mark's not so sure he wants to say goodbye.

Reporter Sutton McPhee knows how to get a story - and this time she's taking her sleuthing skills to the scene to solve the murder of a top Senate aide. But during the investigation, there's another murder - the wife of a House of Representatives candidate. And her police source on the case has a problem or two with female reporters - and a problem or three with Sutton.

Chef Nicky Landry is more than co-owner of Skinny's; she's the low-cal eatery's #1 success story. (According to the billboards, anyway. She's gained most of the weight back...shh!) Now Nicky and her business partner, Toni, will be on national TV. They'll be rich. And famous! Which is great, though Nicky would really prefer if people didn't recognize her when she hits the fast-food shack. Then one night a deranged woman threatens to kill her.

Determined to revitalize her imploding career, blacklisted movie star Ashley V takes on her biggest role yet: posing as one of 10 scientists invited by aliens to a universal summit. But when the aliens seize, strip, and implant the entire delegation to extract their knowledge, she is quickly found out and sent to a cell to await recycling.

The private life of journalist Sutton McPhee is plunged straight into the headlines when her younger sister Cara is found murdered in a bank parking lot. Cara was a church secretary without an enemy in the world - and the police are baffled by the case. But when Sutton learns that Cara's death may be linked to her church congregation, she won't stop until she solves the case.

Lauren and Seth were the high school "it" couple—until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a chance to show Lauren an evening long overdue.

Owning a restaurant is as crazy for Nicky Landry as an alcoholic owning a bar. But despite having to cram herself into a body shaper to look decent in a dress, life is pretty good. She's throwing the party of the year for her graduating doctor boyfriend, Rob, who she's sure is going to propose - until his new girlfriend shows up at the party. After ordering Rob to get his stuff out of her house and get lost, Nicky finds him faceup with her expensive Chroma knife sticking right out of his cheating heart. As the prime suspect, Nicky is in hot water.