Synopses & Reviews
From the acclaimed author of The Secrets She Carried
comes a novel about the pull of the past and the power of love. As offseason begins on the Outer Banks, a storm makes landfall, and three unlikely strangers are drawn together
Five years ago, Lane Kramer moved to Starry Point, North Carolina, certain the quaint island village was the place to start anew. Now the owner of a charming seaside inn, shes set aside her dreams of being a novelist and of finding love again. When English professor Michael Forrester appears on Lanes doorstep in the middle of a storm, he claims hes only seeking a quiet place to write his book. Yet he seems eerily familiar with the island, leaving Lane wondering if he is quite what he appears.
Meanwhile, Mary Quinn has become a common sight, appearing each morning on the dunes behind the inn, to stare wistfully out to sea. Lane is surprised to find a friendship developing with the older woman, who possesses a unique brand of wisdom, despite her tenuous grip on reality.
As Lane slowly unravels Marys story and a fragile relationship between Lane and Michael blooms, Lane realizes the three share a common bond. But when a decades-old secret suddenly casts its shadow over them, Lane must choose between protecting her heart and fighting for the lifeand the loveshe wants.
Conversation Guide Included
Review
“A wonderful story about sisters, family, and the things that matter most. I loved this beautifully written journey of self-discovery.”—Wendy Wax
Review
Praise for The Union Street Bakery:
“A wonderful story about sisters, family, and the things that matter most. I loved this beautifully written journey of self-discovery.”—Wendy Wax
“Taylor serves up a great mix of vivid setting, history, drama and everyday life in The Union Street Bakery. Heres hoping she writes more like it.”—Herald-Sun
Review
“A wonderful story about sisters, family, and the things that matter most. I loved this beautifully written journey of self-discovery.”—Wendy Wax
“You will not be able to put this book down until you turn the very last page…I can't wait to read more by Ms. Taylor.”—Fresh Fiction
"Taylor serves up a great mix of vivid setting, history, drama and everyday life…Heres hoping she writes more like it.”—The Herald-Sun (NC)
"This first women's fiction novel...will speak to you with the beauty of the writing as well as the story."—Examiner.com
Review
Praise for the novels of Jennifer Scott “A really wonderful book and a pleasure to read.”—Jen Lancaster, New York Times Bestselling Author of Best of Enemies and I Regret Nothing
“An uplifting story about the pull of the past, the need for forgiveness, and the redemptive power of familial love.”—Liza Gyllenhaal, Author of A Place for Us
“Jennifer Scott deserves accolades.”—The Best Reviews
“A powerful voice in womens fiction.”—Silvers Review
"Will have you laughing and crying at the same time."--Fresh Fiction
"A fantastic story about the (often dysfunctional) ties of family."--Examiner.com
Review
Praise for the novels of Mary Ellen Taylor: and#160;
and#8220;Taylor serves up a great mix of vivid setting, history, drama, and everyday life.and#8221;and#8212;The Herald-Sun
and#160;
and#8220;[A] charming and very engaging story about the nature of family and the meaning of love.and#8221;and#8212;SeattlePI.com
"You will not be able to put this book down until you turn the very last page.and#8221;and#8212;Fresh Fiction
Review
Praise for The Wishing Tide
"Everything I love in a novel: a coastal setting so rich you can practically taste the salt in the air and feel the sand under foot, an old inn, and a deeply-felt and explored love story with a smart, relatable heroine and a handsome hero with a mysterious past. Atmospheric, suspenseful and very romantic, The Wishing Tide is elegant and haunting proof that secrets buried in the heart will always rise to the surface."—Erika Marks, author of It Comes in Waves
“A captivating read about fighting for the life you want and daring to believe that happily-ever-after can exist outside of fairytales. Set on a desolate, storm-tossed North Carolina barrier island lush with family secrets, madness, and ghost stories, this lyrical novel will haunt you from the first page to the last.”—Barbara Claypole White award-winning author of The In-Between Hour
"Beautiful and haunting….Filled with wonderful descriptions of North Carolina's Outer Banks, The Wishing Tide is a book about love and loss and finding your way forward. I could not read it fast enough!”—Anita Hughes, author of Lake Como
Praise for The Secrets She Carried
"A poignant, mysterious and heartfelt story.”—Diane Chamberlain, author of Necessary Lies
“Davis paints a picture of two eras and beautifully flawed characters with evocative and caring words.”—Susan Crandall, author of Whistling Past the Graveyard
“This beautifully written novel tells a tale of epic romance, one that lasts through the decades and centuries….Its a beautiful story, and Davis does an amazing job telling it.”—Romantic Times, 4 1/2 stars
Synopsis
Life can turn on a dime. It s a common cliche, and I d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us...Stuff happens.
Daisy McCrae s life is in tatters. She s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a real McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.
Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family and her own heritage than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to find her, she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.
What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good."
Synopsis
Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us...Stuff happens.
Daisy McCrae’s life is in tatters. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family’s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a “real” McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.
Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family—and her own heritage—than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to “find her,” she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.
What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good.
Synopsis
Daisy McCrae knows that change can be suddenand devastating. And while it doesnt have to be a bad thing, change has the power to turn your whole world upside down....
Running the family bakery and living in the stores attic might not be Daisys dream life, but shes beginning to understand what being content feels like. And then she gets some unexpected news. In one moment, Daisys calm existence turns into chaos. Now shes struggling to keep it together, especially with renovations at the bakery spiraling out of control.
But when a box of recipes and mementos is found hidden behind a wall in the bakery, Daisy suddenly has something to cling toa mystery that echoes her own troubles and gives her the opportunity to figure out what she really wants out of life....
Synopsis
In the first novel of the Union Street Bakery series, Daisy McCrae learns how easily life can turn on a dime
Suddenly without a job or a boyfriend, Daisy now lives in the attic above her familys store, the Union Street Bakery, while she learns the business. It doesnt help that, as the only adopted daughter, her relationship with her sisters has never been easy.
When an elderly customer dies, Daisy is surprised to inherit a journal from the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her familyand her own heritagethan she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to find her,” she is compelled to explore the past more deeply.
What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life.
Synopsis
The national bestselling author of The Accidental Book Club shares a novel of four ordinary women rediscovering themselves and their futures at the most unexpected time
. Karen Freeman, Melinda Crocker, and Joanna Chambers have never metbut every morning they get their coffee at the Tea Rose Diner. Karen stops in on her way to the office job shes held for more than twenty years, wondering how her sweet-faced boy turned into a misguided young man. EMT Melinda fuels up for her days helping others, after nights spent worrying her fear of having children could drive her husband away. And Joanna, with her long blonde hair and bohemian flair, digs into the Boston cream pie and hidesfrom her friends, from her family, and most importantly, from herself.
Their paths may have never crossed. But one morning, on the lawn of the Tea Rose, the three women collide during a searing event in the life of twenty-something Maddie Routh. In the nine months that follow, they return to the spot over and over. To discover what it means to be a mother, a wife, a lover, a friend. To find Maddie Routh. And to find themselves. Despite the challenges theyve faced, these four women unite to show us second chances do exist, if only we have the courage to see them.
Synopsis
The author of The Union Street Bakery presentsand#160;a new novel about a woman searching for a fresh startand#151;while unable to forget the pastand#133; and#160;
Adele and#147;Addieand#8221; Morgan grew up in a house filled with pain and loss. Determined to live life on her own terms, Addie moves to the country and finds a job at a vineyard where she discovers stability, happiness, andand#151;best of alland#151;love with the kind owner, Scott.
and#160;
But an unexpected call abruptly pulls Addie out of her new and improved life. Her sister has just given birth and Addieand#8217;s Aunt Grace wants her to return home to help the familyand#151;even if it means confronting things sheand#8217;s tried so hard to forget.
When Addie arrives, she quickly realizes that she hasnand#8217;t truly let go of her former life, at least not completely. After making a surprising connection with her sisterand#8217;s babyand#151;and her sisterand#8217;s ex-husband, Zeband#151;Addie must choose between her picture-perfect future with Scott and the family roots she thought sheand#8217;d left behind for goodand#133;
Synopsis
Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us...Stuff happens.
Daisy McCrae’s life is in tatters. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family’s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a “real” McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.
Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family—and her own heritage—than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to “find her,” she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.
What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good.
About the Author
Jennifer Scott made her adult fiction debut with
The Sister Season. She also writes young adult fiction as Jennifer Brown, including
Hate List, which was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a
VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She has written three other YA novels, including
Bitter End,
Perfect Escape, and
Thousand Words. Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.