Family

All Is Not LOST by Shannon Kenny Carbonell

All Is Not LOST is the story of what happened when one woman set aside a lifelong dream in favor of her kids, only to find herself battling her own ego and unfulfilled ambition. Shannon Kenny Carbonell — wife of actor Nestor Carbonell of LOST, Bates Motel, and The Morning Show fame — knew she was making the better choice for her, no matter how painful, when she decided on full-time motherhood over career. Little did Shannon know she would soon find herself desperate to feed the part of her that was suddenly starved of creativity and accomplishment.

When she found out her family would be relocating to Oahu, Hawaii, while Nestor shot LOST, Shannon helped uproot their lives with as much true love and support as she could muster, thinking, ”I’ll just have to be lost in the midst of LOST.” But not long after the move, a torturous family fight revealed the burden of her loss was also weighing upon those closest to her. Just like the LOST survivors, she had crashed on an island that would test her, heal her, and surround her with the people who would eventually show her the way home.

With a no-holds-barred honesty that is raw, sometimes heartbreaking, and often hysterical, former working actress Shannon Kenny Carbonell tells her tale of attempting to reconcile her growing feelings of failure and sudden loss of her identity. This is her journey.

Coloring Life by Vikki Alexander

By Book Lovers Magazine

Coloring Life by Vikki Alexander

Julie is a seemingly normal middle-aged woman who married the man of her dreams, or so she thinks. She had a very difficult childhood being the youngest daughter of a divorced couple. Her mother is an alcoholic, and her father resents her due to questions surrounding her paternity. Julie’s upbringing left her unsure of how to differentiate between love, sex, and power. Her story is told through a series of therapy sessions. The reader learns of her abusive past and its effect on the present day.

Baked with Love ( A Match Made in Heaven, book 3) by Peggy Jaeger

By Book Lovers Magazine

Baked with Love ( A Match Made in Heaven, book 3) by Peggy Jaeger

Innkeeper Maureen O’Dowd lives to cook and bake, spoils her family and friends, and is an expert at keeping secrets, especially about the man who’s held her heart for years.
Police Chief Lucas Alexander is dealing with an aging father and a moody teenage son, and he’s in love with a woman who only wants to be friends.
How can these two fiercely private people reveal their feelings for one another without destroying the friendship they already have? And if they’re successful, will another secret, if revealed, drive a wedge between Maureen and Lucas that can never be repaired?

His Highland Lass by Celeste Barclay

By Book Lovers Magazine

His Highland Lass by Celeste Barclay

An undeniable love… an unexpected match…
Faced with a feud with the Sinclairs that is growing deadly, Laird Tristan Mackay is bound by duty to his clan to make peace with the enemy. Tristan arranges a marriage for his stepbrother, Sir Alan, but never imagines that he would meet the woman he longs to marry. When things sour quickly between Tristan’s stepbrother and Lady Mairghread Sinclair, Tristan is determined to make her his. A choice that promises to change his life forever.

Raised with four older warriors for brothers and as the only daughter of the Sinclair laird, Mairghread is independent resourceful, and loyal to her family. When her father arranges a marriage to a man she has never met for the sake and safety of her clan, Mairghread tries to accept her fate. Mairghread is betrothed to one man but it is the dark, handsome, and provocative laird who catches her eye. Arranged to marry Sir Alan, Mairghread finds herself drawn to Laird Tristan Mackay. After meeting her intended, Mairghread knows she cannot go through with the marriage, but she must find a way to end the feud that is tearing the two clans apart.

When the wedding is called off by Mairghread’s father, Tristan and Mairghread see an opportunity to be together. Neither of them imagined that they would find the passion that grows between them. However, a spurned mistress and a jilted suitor stand between Tristan and Mairghread’s happiness. Tristan and Mairghread must fight for the love they have found with one another.

Destined for another…
Mairghread Sinclair is not prepared for the danger that awaits her while visiting the Mackay clan. She must use her wits to keep herself alive when dangers pulls her away from the man she loves.

Fated to be together…

Laird Tristan Mackay was not looking for a wife, but could Lady Mairghread Sinclair be the one to open his heart and bring peace to their clans, or will their passion tear the two clans apart?

If you enjoy a romance with strong women and men who can protect, love, and respect them, then you’ll love Celeste Barclay’s steamy His Highland Lass.

Meet the members of Clan Sinclair in this STEAMY first installment of the five book Highland romance series. The Clan Sinclair features Mairghread and her four brothers, Callum, Alexander, Tavish, and Magnus. Each member of the Scottish clan faces challenges as they meet their fated match, but all of the Sinclairs find their HEA. Each STEAMY novel in the series is a standalone, but they are best read together.

You Can’t Buy Love Like That: Growing Up Gay in the Sixties by Carol Anderson

By Book Lovers Magazine

You Can’t Buy Love Like That: Growing Up Gay in the Sixties by Carol Anderson

How do you live an authentic life while keeping a secret?

This award-winning memoir chronicles one woman’s struggle to be true to herself as she grapples with the ramifications of accepting that she’s gay amid the religious, social and legal norms of the Sixties.

Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household, and fearing the rejection of her parents, she keeps the secret of her love orientation for many years until the unexpected death of her father causes her to face what she’s lost in not telling him the truth.

Candid and poignant, You Can’t Buy Love Like That reveals the complex invisible dynamics that arise for gay people who are forced to hide their true selves in order to survive and celebrates the hard-won rewards of finding one’s courageous heart and achieving self-acceptance and self-love.

This book offers hope to those seeking to live truthfully as well as those who value the triumph of love over fear.