Always With a Book

First line: The scalloped hem of Caterina Lazzari’s blue velvet coat grazed the fresh-fallen snow, leaving a pale pink path on the bricks as she walked across the empty piazza. From the inside cover: The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century is the setting of the first meeting of Enza and Ciro, who meet as teenagers despite growing up in villages…

First line: A few months after I hunted a vicious killer named the Tiger halfway around the world, I began to think seriously about a book I had been wanting to write for years. From the inside cover: The irresistible story – passed down through the generations – of a courageous fight for freedom by one of Alex Cross’s ancestors. SEPARATED BY TIME From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard…

First line: It took a moment for Emily to realize the car had come to a stop. From the back cover: Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re…

First line: Walt Booth was feeling lonely. Synopsis from B&N: Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraq—his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart? As…

First line: They tell me I will die here. From the inside cover: You’re about to experience the ultimate guilty pleasure. Four best friends on a decadent vacation – thrown in prison for murder. NO HUSBANDS ALLOWED Only minutes after Abbie Elliot and her three best friends step off of a private helicopter, they enter the most luxurious, sumptuous, sensually pampering hotel they have ever been to. Their lavish presidential…

First line: The Mississippi riverboat cake tilted on the table in front of me, its fondant paddle wheel askew, gashes of lemony yellow cake gaping in its once-smooth white surface. From the back cover: There aren’t many things pastry chef Rita Lucero hates more than losing. But two years after her marriage to fellow baker Philippe Renier fell apart, she’s still trying to get him to sign the divorce papers.…

First line: Darlings, love is in the air! From the back cover:   She’s stealing his heart… Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. The right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O’Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has…

First line: Shelby was within ten miles of her Uncle Walt’s ranch when she had to pull over to the side of the highway 36, the busiest stretch between Virgin River and Fortuna, behind an old pickup truck that looked vaguely familiar. Synopsis from B&N: Shelby McIntyre has big plans—plans that include finding Mr. Right. Her dream man will have a clean-shaven jaw, creases in his pants and hopefully and…

First line: Cooper Sullivan’s life, as he’d known it, was over. From the inside cover: A summer at his grandparents’ South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan’s idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he’s discovered  the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Even horseback riding isn’t as awful as Coop thought it would be. Each year, with Coop’s…

First line: Paul Haggerty was finally back in Grants Pass after almost six months in Virgin River and there was an ache in his chest he just couldn’t ease. Synopsis from B&N: In the space of a few months Vanessa buried her husband, Matt, and gave birth to their son—breaking her heart while filling it with a whole new kind of love. But the one man she longs to share…

First line: “Who are you?” From the back cover:  One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would be next. She made headlines again when she was stripped of her citizenship and resigned from the Dutch Parliament. Infidel shows the coming of age of this distinguished political superstar…

First line: The Glitter Baby was back. From the back cover: Fleur Savagar is the most beautiful woman in the world…to everyone but herself. With her oversized hands and paddle-boat feet, her streaky blond hair and funny green eyes, she lives a life filled with secrets that began before she was born. That was when her bewitching mother left home to find James Dean and met Errol Flynn instead. Now…

First line: M, the sun is out and so should we be. From the back cover: Like most sisters, Marguerite and Eleanor were rivals. They were also queens. Raised at the court of their father, Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, Marguerite and Eleanor are separated by royal marriages – but never truly parted. Patient, perfect, reticent, and used to being first, Marguerite becomes Queen of France. Her husband, Louis IX,…

First line: Nash Barron might be cynical about life and more recently about love, but even he normally enjoyed a good wedding. From the back cover: Nash Barron might be cynical about life and more recently about love, but even he normally enjoyed a good wedding. Still, the only good thing about his brother’s wedding is seeing Kelly Moss again. Nash can’t help but admire her confidence and beauty, but…