Things I'd Rather Do Than Die Christine Hurley Deriso

Things I'd Rather Do Than Die

Christine Hurley Deriso

Jade Fulton works at Royal Gym, who is brillant and a bit pretentious with her best friend Gia. One night Ethan Garrett comes into the gym right at closing. Jade is required to stay until Ethan finished his workout. Ethan is the star quarterback, dates a cheerleader, a devote Christian, and all around good guy. While Jade is waiting for Ethan to finish his workout, a masked man enters the gym--robs them and locks both of them in the aerobics room. The duo spend over eight hours together talking, joking and pondering various aspects of their lives. Jade questions Ethan's devotion to Christianity even though Jade's stepmother is a practicing Catholic. 

Shortly after the two are rescued, both return to their normal lives. Jade is still sarcastic but now realizes hoe empty her life is. Ethan questions how much of a nice guy he is. Both teens ponder their roles in life and what impact their actions are within their loved ones lives. Though Jade and Ethan have vastly different lives, they have a common ground--being locked in that room and questioning their place in the world. 

This is a terrific novel for teens who are confused bout their place in the world. 

Tossed Into Love Aurora Rose Reynolds

Tossed into Love

Aurora Rose Reynolds

Libby Reed has a terrific job at one of the posh salons on 5th Ave. She has a side business where clients can rent designer dresses. But she feels empty--not even discount shopping for her favorite designer brands helps. She always feels better after spending a few moments in her favorite pizza place--Tony's. She frequents so often that she has become friends with the owners. When Tony has a heart attack, Libby steps up to help out at the pizza place. Her helpful nature comes at a price--she has to work with their incredibly gorgeous son, Antonio who she has had a crush. Antonio has always been mean and almost cruel to Libby. As the two of them work together, Libby realizes that Antonio has a softer side. 

Antonio has always hated Tony's. He spent copious hours of the day, slept on the office sofa waiting for his parents to close up for the night, summers spent cooking pizza instead of vacationing. Now, that his father has decided to sell the restaurant, Antonio can breathe. No more spending hours working the pizza place after working a 48 hour shift at the station house. But he has been able to spend more time getting to know Libby. He has always liked Libby but he has to protect his heart. Libby loves designer clothes much like his superficial ex who wanted him to change jobs so that he could afford to buy her all the designer things. He's not going to make the same mistake twice. He's an asshole to Libby. It's the only way to protect himself. He only has to make it until the new owners take over. Then he's done. No more Libby even though she's all he thinks about. He walks her home to make sure she's safe after closing. He also decides to take her to dinner. But Libby is keeping a secret that could end their relationship before it even begins. 

The Memory of You Jamie Beck

The Memory of You
Jamie Beck

Ryan Quinn had his heart shattered by his high school sweetheart, Steffi Lockwood. He thought the gorgeous Val was the answer to his prayers. But returning to his parents house with his daughter, Emmy after his marriage to Val failed--Ryan realizes that Val wasn't the only person at fault for the failure of his marriage. 

Steffi Lockwood is starting a new business with her best friend Claire. She doesn't have the option of being picky who her clients are--even Molly Quinn, who Steffi hasn't spoken to since she ghosted Molly's son in college. Steffi thought breaking up with Ryan was the right thing to do. She wanted to see the world without any hinderances. Ryan wanted to start a family and begin a new life together. Steffi ghosted him with the support of her women's soccer team. But ten years later, she questions whether she made the right decision even though Ryan seems happy with his wife and daughter. After Molly hires Steffi to convert the screened in porch to a fuctional family room. Steffi has to deal with Ryan and his daughter Emmy during the construction. Steffi wants closure with Ryan. Ryan hates her for what she did to him. 
Ryan notices how sweet Steffi is to his daughter and how Emmy confides in Steffi. All of his old feelings resurface, but Steffi has a secret that even she doesn't entirely understand. She blanks out and freaks out. Steffi thinks its from the numerous concussions she suffered while playing soccer--the last concussion, a mugging in Hartford. But Ryan knows it's something more. Something that she blocked out and that could keep them apart. 

Blind Kiss Renée Carlino

Blind Kiss 
Renée Carlino

Penny is a suburban housewife living in a McMansion and feeling completing unsatisified with her life. On the outside, she has the perfect life--a 14 year old genius who is going to MIT in the fall, an attractive husband, volunteering at her son's school, yet nothing feels right. She loves her son Milo dearly. But he will be leaving soon for college. Penny sits outside of a Subway that used to be the ballet studio she studied at in her youth. She dreams of what could have been before her dance partner dropped her tearing two of her tendons and ending her dancing career.
Gavin has been in the friendzone since shortly after he and Penny participated in a psych study to help out Penny's best friend Ling. Gavin and Penny were blindfolded and asked to kiss to determine whether people can have chemistry without the physical attraction. Gavin asked Penny out immediately after the study but Penny needed to focus on her studies and dancing. But a decision Penny made her senior year changed their relationship.
Gavin has always loved Penny even after the decision she made that changed their relationship. Now, the table have turned. It's Gavin's turn to decide whether their relationship can be pursued or if they will forever be stuck in the friendzone with each other even though they both have incedible chemistry together. But horrible timing. Will Penny find that something to fulfill the emptiness in her soul? Will Gavin make the same mistake that Penny did 14 years ago?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36622744-blind-kiss

Switch and Bait Ricki Schultz

Switch and Bait

Ricki Schultz

Blanche Carter is the manager of Literature and Legislature--a book store in Washington DC. She also runs a side business to help women connect with men. As part of Blanche's services, she takes control of the client's dating profile and begins the small talk with potential dates until the meet up. Then they switch back. This has never been an issue until klutzy Ansley picks an old flame, Henry--who is Blanche's best friend, Isla's brother-in-law. Henry and Blanche had a one night stand on New Year's three years ago. Henry is the adviser to House Representative Byrd. Blanche helps Ansley become comfortable around men Ansley finds attractive by guiding and talking Ansley through her dates. Until finally Ansley is ready to meet Henry. Unlike with her other clients, Blanche doesn't pretend to be Ansley when chatting online with Henry. Blanche blurs the lines between Blanche and Ansley. The more Blanche chats with Henry the more she falls in love with him. Blanche decides to distance herself from Henry by expanding her own love life through a gorgeous book store customer that Ansley spilled hot coffee on--Cliff. But Cliff is not what he appears to be. Can Ansley and Henry find the sparks or are the sparks only online with Blanche and Henry?

Against All Odds N.L. Taylor

Against the Odds: Redline Series

Jake Masercotti is a broken man. His mother committed suicide when he was 12 and his little brother is still in foster care. Yet thanks to Jake's bad choices is unable to gain custody of his brother, Dario. At 21, he is still mourning her death. When he was a teen, he used to spend every Sunday at her gravesite mourning her death. Every Sunday, a blonde angel was doing the same. They both felt alone in their anguish but hearing the other gave them both comfort that someone knows how the other feels. Ironically, both keep a journal about their suffering and mourning. Jake works for Tiger's Den, automotive shop that Sean owns. Jake is Sean's best mechanic even though cars are not his true passion. Photography and art is but that won't pay the bills or help him get custody of his brother. Jake helps out his best friend Johnny by looking at a Mustang when he sees his "angel" at the gas station driving a Sunbeam Tiger. He is determined to find her. His life has been a wreck since he lost his journal in the cemetery and losing his "angel."

Nikki Elliot lost both of her parents. She was lucky that a family friend--Sean took her and her older brothers in instead of going into the system. She was able to continue her racing career that she and her father started when she was 5. But now her mentor, coach, and greatest fan is gone. The only thing she has left of him is his Sunbeam Tiger and her racing. Both of which are put to the test after a horrible crash at Le Mans. Nikki crashed her own Tiger during that race and she lost part of her short term memory. She cannot remember the days leading up to the race or the after the race which is bothersome for her since every racer learns from every race. 

Nikki's racing career is hanging on by a thread. Her older brothers own their parents' auto body shop and occasionally assist her with her racing team. But she's running out of money and sponsors. Her friend and ex-boyfriend Damon who has Mafia connections tries to encourage Nikki to quit racing. He is also still in love with her. But other forces keep them apart. Damon is scared that Nikki will eventually regain her lost memories. What will happen to her if she does?  Will Jake find Nikki? Who will Nikki be with at the end? Will she find her sponsorship to return to the professional circuit?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39922836-against-the-odds?from_search=true

Clutch by Lisa Becker

Clutch

Clutch features numerous types of handbags that the designer Caroline Johnson creates. It is the name of her designer handbag company, she started after graduating Harvard MBA program. During her graduate program, she meets Mike Barnsworth or as his family calls him Michael Fredrick Barnsworth the Third, whose family owns the largest brokerage firm in New York--Barnsworth Brokerage Firm. Mike doesn't want to follow in his father or grandfather's footsteps instead Mike wants to own a bar--just like in the move Cocktail that he used to watch with his favorite nanny.
Each chapter is a different type of handbag--backpack, messenger, doctor bag, diaper bag, briefcase, wallet, cosmetic bag, and clutch. Each type of bag represents the various men that Caroline is dating. Through all the types of bags, men, and business meetings, Caroline and Mike maintain their friendship. Caroline goes to Mike's bar on a regular basis even bringing her dates to the bar for Mike's opinion of the men. While Mike is a love 'em and leave 'em mode especially with the women in his bar. Caroline doesn't understand why one of the waitresses that Mike has "dated" refuses to be friendly with her until the head bartender informs Caroline that the waitress thinks that Mike is in love with Caroline that why none of the women have a chance with him. Will Caroline see how Mike really feels?

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