fiction / contemporary women

"No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Taken in by the splendor of her surroundings Jules accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. She is drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems, that the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her and the next day she disappears. Can Jules discover the truth and escape before her temporary status becomes permanent?"--Adapted from jacket.

"Memphis, Tennessee, 1936. The five Foss children find their lives changed forever when their parents leave them alone on the family shantyboat one stormy night. Rill Foss, just twelve years old, must protect her four younger siblings as they are wrenched from their home on the Mississippi and thrown into the care of the infamous Georgia Tann, director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. South Carolina, Present Day. Avery Stafford has lived a charmed life. Loving daughter to her father, a U.S. Senator, she has a promising career as an assistant D.A. in Baltimore and is engaged to her best friend. But when Avery comes home to help her father weather a health crisis and a political attack, a chance encounter with a stranger leaves her deeply shaken. Avery's decision to learn more about the woman's life will take her on a journey through her family's long-hidden history"--Provided by publisher.

"After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity--and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution . . . Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage--and what it means to be Cuban"--.

"Tessa and Hardin's love was complicated before. Now it's more confusing than ever ... Just as Tessa makes the biggest decision of her life, everything changes. Revelations about first her family, and then Hardin's, throw everything they knew before in doubt and makes their hard-won future together more difficult to claim. Tessa's life begins to come unglued. Nothing is what she thought it was. Not her friends. Not her family. The one person she should be able to rely on, Hardin, is furious when he discovers the massive secret she's been keeping. And rather than being understanding, he turns to sabotage"--Provided by publisher.

Nikole was not expecting a scoreboard proposal at a Dodgers game from her boyfriend of only five months. Saying no wasn't hard considering he can't spell her name right, but the backlash she got from the fans and on social media, was. When a handsome doctor, Carlos, comes to her rescue, she starts a rebound relationship with him. But things are starting to get serious and someone has to put on the brakes.

"Across three generations, the women of the Wise family hunt for contentment amid chaos of their own making. Evelyn set aside her career to marry, and motherhood never became her. Her daughter Laura discovers her husband Gabe expects too much of everyone in his life, especially his musician son. Grace has moved out from Laura and Gabe's house, but can't seem to live up to her potential--whatever that might be. As their story spans from World War II to the present, tethered in their small Midwestern town, they question: is a woman destined to repeat the mistakes of previous generations, or can she transcend the expectations of a place, and a time?"--OCLC.

"After a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, Tessa and Hardin were on the path to making things work. Tessa knew Hardin could be cruel, but when a bombshell revelation is dropped about the origins of their relationship-and Hardin's mysterious past-Tessa is beside herself"--Amazon.com.

"Stella Lane comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old. It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional--which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. . . Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic"--Provided by publisher.

"Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: "Family first." But ever since her dad passed away, leaving his charming kitchen supply store in the hands of his children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn't take care of her father's legacy, who will? It's simply not in Fixie's nature to tell people "no." So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees--she ends up saving it from certain disaster. Turns out the computer's owner is an investment manager named Sebastian. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, he scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off--she'd never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she? Then Fixie's childhood crush Ryan comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie's buttons. She wants nothing for herself, but for Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOU's between Seb and Fixie--from small favors to life-changing moments--ensue"--Provided by publisher.