shallow south novel Audiobooks

No matter how many critics call him an artisan or how much money people are willing to pay for his handcrafted furniture, Will Garrett will always be the son of a drunk from Mill Town. Though he has admired Dr. Arabelle Avery ever since his teenage busboy days at the Merritt County Club, he has no aspirations where she is concerned. A boy from across the tracks doesn't go calling on a state senator's daughter. But he is stoic about all that. He has his work and the home he built with his own hands in the woods where he draws his strength and serenity. At one time, life was easy for Arabelle Avery. She was smart and pretty, with her sister-in-law and cousin as best friends. When her sister-in-law wrapped her car around a tree, Arabelle was devastated. The day her brother remarried was a hard day, and going to Will Garrett's arms for the comfort was unexpected but easy. When she finds herself pregnant and hears, incorrectly, that Will is engaged, she flees to Switzerland to lick her wounds and have her baby. Desperate to do the best thing for her child, she allows her cousin to adopt him - a decision she immediately regrets. When a twist of fate reunites Arabelle with her child, she moves home to Merritt, where she is determined to keep her secret and raise her child in peace. But once Will gets a look at his son and guesses the truth, Arabelle's life spins out of control. Can they find the path to what's best for their son - and each other? Sensuality Level: Sensual

When New York Yankee Marc MacNeal comes to Merritt, Alabama, for a charity golf tournament, he’s shocked to be reunited with his ex-fiancee Bailey Watkins. Their college romance came to a bitter end when he was called up to the majors and the tabloids began printing rubbish about him, dubbing Marc the new bad boy of baseball. Bailey never expected to see Marc back in Merritt ever again, and their reunion proves he’s just as infuriating as she thought he’d be. Then social chair Missy Bragg asks her to attend the charity’s gala as a last-minute fill-in for his date. It’s the last thing she wants to do, but Missy won’t take no for an answer. At the ball, old secrets get revealed and old feelings surprisingly stir to life. Could this unexpected reunion be the perfect chance for them to get some long-awaited closure—or the start of a whole new ball game?

“Patricia writes with heart, integrity and hope. Her stories both entertain and edify—the perfect combination.” —Kim Vogel Sawyer, award-winning and bestselling author In this close-knit Amish community, she’ll hide in plain sight… Pregnant and desperate, Victoria Worthington runs to the only place that’s ever felt safe. For years she’s been controlled, first by her crime-boss father, then by her ex-boyfriend. Donning a hand-sewn dress, a kapp and a new name, she escapes as Abby Martin to the Amish community of Harts Haven, where she spent happy summers with her grandparents. Taking a job as a maid at the local inn, Abby plans to repair her grandparents’ abandoned house and build a new life for her baby. Since a tragedy took his family, contractor Joseph Troyer has traveled from one Amish town to another, refusing to let anyone get close. Not that it stops the inn’s elderly, eccentric owner, Rose, from doing some matchmaking while Joe renovates her kitchen. Though Abby is more outspoken than any Amish woman he knows, something draws him to her—and to the secrets she’s hiding. Taken under Rose’s wing, Abby begins to find her place at last. But even here there’s no hiding from the past. Only by facing it with courage, faith and the unexpected gift of love can this haven become the home she’s longed for.

Hot cowboy twins, a not-so-prim schoolteacher, and a madam with a heart of gold…the West doesn’t get much wilder than this. Wyoming – 1897. Silas McKay earns his reputation as a brawling card sharp who’s short on cash but long on charm. As soon as he claps eyes on Dinah Thompson, the pretty new schoolteacher, he’s smitten. Dinah relocated to small town Wyoming to become a self-reliant woman, not to daydream about a persistent blue-eyed rancher. But Silas’s promises of home and hearth sway Dinah to take a chance on him.   While Jonas McKay is pleased by his twin’s happiness, his contentment stems from his deputy sheriff’s job. His life would be perfect if his longtime love Madame Ruby, local brothel owner, allowed him to publicly acknowledge their relationship. But Ruby refuses to destroy the upstanding deputy’s reputation, even at the expense of her own heart. When the McKays’ long-standing rivalry with Zeke West puts Dinah, Silas and Jonas in danger, each one is forced to make difficult decisions that will forever change their lives and legacies.

He betrayed them all. Is he truly back to make amends? Wendy Markham. Gentle. Compassionate. Loyal. Step-mother to five headstrong children, long-time partner of the cantankerous ex-President of the Black Shamrocks MC, and the woman everyone turns to in a crisis. Patrick “Beast” O’Brien. Brutal. Merciless. Duplicitous. A father in name only, traitor to his own Club, and a man living on borrowed time. He’s broken all of the rules, hurt the one’s closest to him, and then run away like a coward. She’s been left behind to clean up his mess. Pouring every ounce of energy into their abandoned children, the last thing Wendy needs is for her own health to fail. Facing the battle of a lifetime and determined to protect everyone from the fallout, she forges ahead alone. In the meantime, Beast’s found that putting your ego above your family makes for a lonely life. When he discovers Wendy’s secret, will he learn the true value of what he threw away and find the capacity to commence CONQUERING CIRCUMSTANCES? WARNING: This story contains triggering content and is not suitable for all readers. Conquering Circumstances is a novella in the International Bestselling Black Shamrocks MC Series. If you enjoy gritty, authentic, and sexy MC reads, then you’ll love Kylie Hillman’s unique take on MC romance. Continue the epic ride today!

Dee Ernst's Lucy Checks In is a delightful work of romantic comedy about a disgraced hotel manager who travels to Rennes to rebuild a hotel and her own life in the process. Lucia Giannetti needs a fresh start. Once the hotel manager of a glamorous NYC hotel and intimately involved with the hotel’s owner, Lucy had her entire future planned out. But when the owner disappears, taking millions of dollars with him, Lucy's life as she knows it falls apart. Two years later, forty-nine years old and unemployed, Lucy takes a job in Rennes, France to manage the Hotel Paradis. She pictures fur quilts and extravagant chandeliers, but what she finds is wildly different. Lucy is now in charge of turning the run-down, but charming hotel into a bustling tourist attraction. Between painting rooms, building a website, and getting to know Bing, the irritatingly attractive artist, Lucy finds an unexpected home. But can she succeed in bringing the Hotel Paradis to its former glory? Witty and heartfelt, Lucy Checks In is an inspiring and feel-good novel about reclaiming your life, finding love, and creating a home in places you never thought possible.

The last time Brantley Kincaid had an argument with someone, he was eighteen years old—and he regrets it like he will never regret anything again. If only he had not balked at going to pick up his grandfather that day, his mother would not have driven into the path of a truck and there would be two fewer graves in Merritt Cemetery. Though a frequent visitor, he hasn't lived in Merritt since burying his mother and grandfather. But now he's coming back and it might not be so easy to hide behind his wit and charisma. Outwardly, interior designer Lucy Mead is a beautiful, confident professional. Inside, she's the friendless, overweight girl who spent her life following her archeologist parents all over the globe. And who could forget those teenage years of turmoil and unrequited love? It would have been kinder if Brantley had not known she was alive rather than treating her like Robin to his Batman. She carries the humiliation to this day. Their friends and Brantley's family are delighted when he sets his sights on Lucy, though Lucy isn't so sure. She cannot deny the attraction, but something is wrong. Does he really love her, or does he see her as a refuge and another way to run from his grief? If she can’t find answers, what could be a simple, sweet life might go completely south.

Falling for my best friend’s sister was something I never thought I’d do. Not only have I known Violet for almost her whole life, but Renzo was sure to give all his friends the don’t touch my sister speech as soon as she became a teenager. After a drunken night when we were snowed in at a cabin, I may have been too flirtatious. I think I freaked her out, because she’s refused to talk about what happened since then. But after a weekend away with friends, me and Violet end up alone, and confessions are finally made. She’s too good for me—sweet, pure, and innocent. I’m tainted with a reputation that does me no favors. Renzo knows I’ve never committed to anyone. He knows everything about me and the many women I’ve been with, and that’s why I know he’ll never be okay with me and his sister being together. After a taste of Violet, I know I’ve finally found something worth fighting for, even if I have to fight my best friend. This series is an interconnected stand-alone series, taking place in a fictional town in Michigan. They’re all gonna be hot, quick reads that feature some of your favorite tropes.

From Susannah Marren, author of A Palm Beach Wife , comes her next book set in the exclusive, glamorous world of Palm Beach. Marren follows two sisters as one offers the ultimate selfless act to the other, proving the very meaning of family in this novel of artifice and intrigue. Veronica and Simon Cutler and their dazzling adult daughters, Elodie and Aubrey, strike an enviable pose, the ultimate Palm Beach family. In a town where social aspirations, wealth and charm prevail – they are transcendent. While the sisters are polar opposites, they are fiercely loyal to one another. When Elodie receives the shocking news that she is no longer able to conceive a baby, she turns to Aubrey. Aubrey, a free spirit, isn’t interested in marriage or children, yet when her sister asks her to carry her child, she can’t say no, despite her mother’s warnings. And then one stupefying secret, meant to be buried forever, is unearthed and no one in the Cutler clan is able to turn back. As the family is shaken to their core, Aubrey and Elodie must realize their places in the world and the lives they want to lead. In the midst of the unforgiving opulence of Palm Beach, A Palm Beach Scandal is a story for our times. A captivating tale of discovery, sisterhood and love for others where you least expect it.

A HEARTSTOPPING MYSTERY FROM YOUR NEW CRIME FICTION OBSESSION: BIBA PEARCE. His mentor slain. A detective out for revenge. A criminal mastermind always one step ahead. Detective Rob Miller is at home with his crying newborn son when he gets the news. Retired Chief Superintendent Sam Lawrence, Rob’s friend and mentor, has been shot dead. Lawrence had always been his rock. Rob is devastated. An hour ago Lawrence had called to ask him to meet, but Rob couldn’t go because he was on daddy duty. Now he will hunt down the killer — but his boss thinks he’s too emotionally involved. This time it’s personal, but it’s not the only murder Rob’s got on his plate. The body of a young man is found on the south bank of the Thames near the London Eye with an unusual stamp on his wrist. Are the two killings related? Then a suspect has their throat slashed in custody and another body bearing the same stamp turns up. Rob knows this is not the work of some amateur criminal, but someone with terrifying reach — and the name they keep hearing is the Wolf. His baby won’t sleep. His partner needs him. Can he be there for them and bring a killer to justice? AN UNSTOPPABLE CRIME MYSTERY THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN. This gripping page-turner is perfect for fans of Helen H. Durrant, James Oswald, Joy Ellis, Angela Marsons, L.J. Ross, Janice Frost and J.M. Dalgliesh. MEET THE DETECTIVE DI ROB MILLER An ambitious young detective gunning for promotion. He will do anything for his job, but can he also keep his personal life under control? THE SETTING The Murder Investigation Team is based out of leafy Putney, with its overgrown often-flooded riverbanks. One way the river leads into central London, the other out into the countryside. It’s an idyllic setting that masks a criminal underworld. PRAISE FOR THE SOUTH BANK MURDERS : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Fast paced! Riveting! Emotional! Suspenseful! Compelling! Complex! This book brings it ALL!! ” Tam ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is a brilliant read. Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.” Billie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A good read full of twists and turns and an excellent ending.” Carole ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I was gripped from beginning to end . It was a real page turner and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.” Barbara ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Good story line, and characters, making it one to recommend .” Iain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I honestly stayed awake until 3 a.m. to finish this as I just couldn’t put it down , having been hooked right from the first few pages.” Many B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A big twist near the end leads to a fast-paced and very satisfying conclusion.” Paul