novels with strong female leads Audiobooks

He’s got all the right moves to fulfill her every fantasy . In Sundance, Wyoming, you can’t throw a boot without hitting a McKay cowboy, so Ben McKay is used to fading into the background. Except at The Rawhide Club, where he’s known as Bennett, an imposing Dom surrounded by female subs eager for the attention of his long…whip. At her first visit to The Rawhide Club, businesswoman Ainsley Hamilton is amazed by how well Bennett read her every secret yearning. Since the club was in another small town, she thought she was safe exploring her darker desires. She's stunned when she and Bennett come face to face in Sundance. Now Ben’s urging her to explore her submissive side outside the club, and there’s something in his commanding gaze that makes it too easy to let him take the reins. Can Ben help Ainsley overcome her fear that a relationship built on physical pleasure won’t last and prove he’s not just another heartbreaker in a cowboy hat?

"The perfect combination of sweet, sexy, and make-you-grin moments." - Lyssa Kay Adams, author of The Bromance Book Club "An ode to everything we love about rom-coms." - Alexis Daria, author of You Had Me at Hola In her trade paperback debut, Melonie Johnson brings her signature humor, sexy romance, and strong female friendships in this hilarious romantic comedy about finding perfectly imperfect love, Too Good to Be Real . She plans to prove there's a dozen reasons why life isn't like a romantic comedy, only to discover the one reason it is… While her friends wish for meet cutes worthy of their favorite rom-coms, Julia is ready to give up on love. Swiping right has replaced getting swept off your feet and good old-fashioned romance has become, well, old-fashioned. A writer for a popular website, love becomes the last thing on her mind when impending layoffs threaten her job. As Julia searches for the ultimate pitch to impress her boss, she stumbles upon a resort offering guests a chance to live out their romantic comedy dreams. Real life dating is so bleak, who wouldn't want to spend a week in a fantasy rom-com world with your best friends? At the resort, Julia literally falls into a not-quite-meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an adorably awkward guy named Luke who is also participating in the rom-com experience. Julia hides the fact she is there to do a story, but Luke harbors a few secrets of his own. Among further encounters with thieving seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and even a karaoke serenade, their feelings deepen quickly. But could their love be real when they haven't been honest about their true identities? Once the fantasy is over, can they have a relationship in the real world?

With the constant connectivity of today’s world, it’s never been easier to meet people and make new friends—but it’s never been harder to form meaningful friendships. In Frientimacy, award-winning speaker Shasta Nelson shows how anyone can form stronger, more meaningful friendships, marked by a level of trust she calls “frientimacy.” Shasta explores the most common complaints and conflicts facing female friendships today, and lays out strategies for overcoming these pitfalls to create deeper, supportive relationships that last for the long-term. Shasta is the founder of girlfriendcircles.com, a community of women seeking stronger, more fulfilling friendships, and the author of Friendships Don’t Just Happen. In Frientimacy, she teaches readers to reject the impulse to pull away from friendships that aren’t instantly and constantly gratifying. With a warm, engaging, and inspiring voice, she shows how friendships built on dedication and commitment can lead to enriched relationships, stronger and more meaningful ties, and an overall increase in mental health. Frientimacy is more than just a call for deeper connection between friends; it’s a blueprint for turning simple friendships into true bonds—and for the meaningful and satisfying relationships that come with them.

For three years, Heidi served Lucas with all her heart, showering him with endless love and doing her best to be the perfect housewife. But on their third wedding anniversary, he slammed the divorce papers on her face. "Did you think I would never know that you married me because of money? Whatever Grandpa paid you, I will triple it. Just sign the divorce." To him, she was just a gold digger. Heidi's reality shattered, and everything made sense when she found out that his Ex had returned. For him, she endured hardships and humiliation. She not only gave him her heart, but also dropped her identity as the wealthiest heiress in Phoenix City. Realizing that all her efforts were futile… She will never be the hopelessly desperate housewife anymore. Lucas is soon to know that he "Shouldn't Mess Up with His Hidden Heiress Ex-wife." As layers upon layers of secrets get revealed, he'll be crawling on his knees, holding her leg and begging her to come back. No way! She has an empire to inherit.

Personality is the Key to Professional Success Personal relationships are key to success: In a time when workplaces are becoming more digital and more automated every day, our mindsets and our personal relationships will determine whether we succeed in tomorrow’s markets. We all have one shot to make a lasting impact. Innovators with the changemaker mindset know how to see that opportunity when it comes and make it matter. The human success factor: In the coming years, the human success factor will determine who is among the winners and who is among the losers. All business adventures start with a focus on the self. When you know who you are and develop a deep sense of confidence in yourself, you’ll have the flexibility to roll with the punches. Change comes from within: Whether your goal is to lead a self-determined life, position your company for the future, or be a successful part of a team, external change starts with internal transformation. With The Changemaker Mindset , you’ll master the three Ps of personal development: Purpose. Reconsider what motivates you and find your non-negotiable core principles. People. Build a strong inner circle of peers, because nobody wins alone. Persistence. Develop the confidence to take action, navigate setbacks, and implement change. Readers who liked The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Leading Change by John Kotter, and The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton Christensen will love this new approach to effective business management from personal development.

Popular blogger Ilana Jacqueline offers smart and savvy advice, humor, and practical tips for living with an invisible chronic illness. Do you live with a chronic, debilitating, yet invisible condition? You may feel isolated, out of step, judged, lonely, or misunderstood—and that’s on top of dealing with the symptoms of your actual illness. Take heart. You are not alone, although sometimes it can feel that way. Written by a blogger who suffers from an invisible chronic illness, Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness offers peer-to-peer support to help you stay sane, be your own advocate, and get back to living your life. This compelling guide is written for anyone suffering with an illness no one can see—such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), Lyme disease, lupus, dysautonomia, or even multiple sclerosis (MP). This book will tell you everything you need to know about living with a complicated, invisible condition—from how to balance sex, dating, and relationships to handling work and school with unavoidable absences. You’ll also learn to navigate judg-y or skeptical relatives and strangers and—most importantly—manage your medical care. Suffering from a chronic illness doesn’t mean you can’t live an active, engaged life. This book will show you how.

A legend returns to find that his wife has kicked him out for someone richer. He reveals his identity in a fit of rage, resulting in countless beautiful women in power flocking to him. His wife is at a loss for words!

Relieve anxiety, fear, and worry for good! Fully revised and based in the latest research, this second edition of Coping with Anxiety includes the latest DSM updates and provides immediate, user-friendly, and effective strategies to stop anxiety at its source. If you suffer from anxiety, you may try to avoid the situations that cause you to feel uneasy. But avoidance isn’t the answer—and letting your fears and worries constantly hold you back will keep you from living the life you truly want. So, how can you learn to cope with your anxiety while it’s happening? In Coping with Anxiety, Second Edition, renowned anxiety expert and author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, Edmund Bourne, offers a clinically proven, step-by-step program to help you overcome the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of anxiety. The exercises in this book can be done in the moment, whenever you feel anxious, and will help you move past your fears and start living the life you were meant to live. Don’t let anxiety keep you one step behind. This book will show you how to face your fears, overcome panic when it happens, and take charge of your anxiety once and for all.

From Sylvia Day, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crossfire novels, comes Taking the Heat , a novella of the Shadow Stalkers--where men in uniform are trained to enforce the rules. Out of uniform, those rules are made to be broken. He had three days to fix everything. Three days to remind her of how good they were together. She was a captive audience... Layla Creed and Deputy US Marshal Brian Simmons have a history that is as hot and heartbreaking as it is unforgettable. Now their paths have crossed once again. This time things are twice as hot. Layla--a protected witness--has to come out of hiding and testify in a sensational murder trial. But as far as Brian's concerned, there's an even more pressing problem. Once Layla testifies she'll get sucked back into the Witness Protection Program. A new identity, a new location, a new occupation--and a new inspector to check up on her. In other words, out of his life forever. There is one more option--take Layla and go on the run. Rekindling what they once had should be easy. But a stranger in their shadow has plans of his own, forcing Brian and Layla to risk everything in the name of love.

An entertaining and insightful pageturner about modern marriage and a tight-knit group of friends navigating their 30s and beyond. It's tradition that on everyone's birthday, the three couples gather to celebrate. They've toasted each other's big life milestones, and been there for each other through loss and disappointment, too. Nathan is the first to turn 40, and when the cake arrives, he makes a shocking announcement. The birthday ritual, and the group of friends, will never be the same again. Confessions follow, and secrets get revealed. One couple's crumbling marriage forces the other two couples to reexamine their own marriages, and the fault lines that lurk beneath. Will their bonds be strong enough to survive issues like infidelity, infertility, and waning passion, plus a series of crises that push each relationship to the brink? The answers may prove surprising. A year after Nathan's big declaration, as the group gathers for the year's final birthday celebration, every person and every relationship will be fundamentally changed. Perfect for fans of Emma Straub, J. Courtney Sullivan, and Rebecca Serle, Reservations for Six is a deeply satisfying novel full of wisdom, humor, and heart. It shines a spotlight on the phase of marriage when the fabric has started to fray, and deftly observes how couples cope, grow, and eventually thrive-together or apart.