AustLit

'Someone once told me that you have two families in your life - the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

'From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for.

'But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

'That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'New York–based photographer Cat Jordan is ready to begin a new life with her successful, button-down boyfriend. But when she learns that she’s inherited the estate of a complete stranger—a woman named Isabelle de Florian—her life is turned upside down.

'Cat arrives in Paris to find that she is now the owner of a perfectly preserved Belle Époque apartment in the ninth arrondissement, and that the Frenchwoman’s family knew nothing about this secret estate. Amid these strange developments, Cat is left with burning questions: Who was Isabelle de Florian? And why did she leave the inheritance to Cat instead of her own family?

'As Cat travels France in search of answers, she feels her grasp on her New York life starting to slip. With long-buried secrets coming to light and an attraction to Isabelle de Florian’s grandson growing too intense to ignore, Cat will have to decide what to let go of, and what to claim as her own.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Grace counts. The letters in her name, Grace Lisa Vandenberg (19). The steps she takes every morning to the local cafe (920); the number of poppy seeds on her slice of orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she'll take to finish it. Grace counts everything, because numbers hold the world together, and Grace needs to keep an eye on how they're doing. Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (also a 19, with the sexiest hands Grace has ever seen) thinks Grace might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a job, say. Or leave her flat without enumerating the contents of her cupboards or make a sandwich containing an unknown number of sprouts.

Grace's problem is that Seamus doesn't count. Her other problem is ... he does.' (Publisher's blurb)

'This Christmas, Nicola McGillroy will:

'Be a great nanny to Cade Hindmarsh's two adorable little girls, and give them the best Christmas they've had since their mother left.

'Enter into the Christmas spirit and forget the fact she should have been planning her own wedding right now.

'Keep a straight head in her attraction to her gorgeous off-limits boss... Surely this is just a rebound thing and not true love-for both of them?' (Publisher's blurb)

'A story of how love can break our hearts - and heal them. A year ago I met the love of my life. For two people who didn't believe in love at first sight, we came pretty close. Lilah MacDonald - beautiful, opinionated, stubborn and all kinds of wonderful in ways that words could never quite capture. The woman who taught me to live again. My Lilah, who gave me so much, and yet kept from me a secret that she knew would break my heart. My name is Callum Roberts, and this is our story. Me Without You is a book to make you smile, bring you to tears and remind you to hold on tightly to those you love.' (Publication summary)

'After more than ten years away, Australian soap star Ellie Hughes returns to the small country town of Hope's Junction, determined to remain anonymous while caring for her injured godmother, Matilda. But it isn't long until the townspeople are gossiping about her return. Soon Ellie and her former fiancé Flynn Quartermaine are thrown back together again, but Ellie is not the only one with secrets. Flynn has his own demons to battle, and Matilda is hiding something from her beloved goddaughter. Can the ill-fated lovers overcome the wounds of their past or is Flynn destined to be jilted again?' (Publisher's blurb)

'“‘Oh! How adorable! I didn’t know you had a cat!’ she exclaimed. I am always surprised how many people make this observation. Why should His Holiness not have a cat? ‘If only she could speak,’ continued the actress. ‘I’m sure she’d have such wisdom to share.’ And so the seed was planted . . .

'I began to think that perhaps the time had come for me to write a book of my own—a book that would convey some of the wisdom I’ve learned sitting not at the feet of the Dalai Lama but even closer, on his lap. A book that would tell my own tale . . . how I was rescued from a fate too grisly to contemplate to become the constant companion of a man who is not only one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate but also a dab hand with a can opener.”

'Starving and pitiful, a mud-smeared kitten is rescued from the slums of New Delhi and transported to a life she could have never imagined. In a beautiful sanctuary overlooking the snow-capped Himalayas, she begins her new life as the Dalai Lama’s cat. Warmhearted, irreverent, and wise, this cat of many names opens a window to the inner sanctum of life in Dharamsala. A tiny spy observing the constant flow of private meetings between His Holiness and everyone from Hollywood celebrities to philanthropists to self-help authors, the Dalai Lama’s cat provides us with insights on how to find happiness and meaning in a busy, materialistic world. Her story will put a smile on the face of anyone who has been blessed by the kneading paws and bountiful purring of a cat.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Her Darkest Secret… Revealed

'Banker Luke De Rossi must sell the Australian beach house he inherited from his mobster uncle, fast. But then he runs up against Beth Jones. Is she the rightful tenant? A reporter out for a scoop? His uncle’s lover? Luke wants answers - almost as much as he wants Beth.

'The last thing Beth needs is this hunky magnet for media attention breathing down her neck. She has a lot to hide. And falling hard for Luke as he gets closer - and tries to evict her! - isn’t helping things. Separately, they have each made their bed. Now they’ll lie in it… together.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Gemma fights for what she believes in. Her local beach is under threat from developers—so she's chained herself up suffragette-style in a dramatic protest against tycoon Rory Devlin!

'As an attention-grabbing stunt, it's priceless…only, Gemma's usual dedication is being sidetracked by her inconvenient attraction to the big boss man himself! Gorgeous, rich and ruthlessly cynical, this corporate shark is everything Gemma has sworn to avoid….'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Eleanor has worked hard to transform herself from the lonely girl she once was. Switching braces for a breathtaking smile, dowdy clothes for fabulous dresses, and heartbreak for flirty, fun-only dates, she's now "Ella." But one man can see the real woman beneath.

'Fiercely private billionaire Jake Donner has never forgotten Eleanor, and he's shocked to see how she's changed. Sparks begin to fly as old memories haunt them – for the innocent attraction they once resisted is all grown up and won't be denied again.…' (Publisher's blurb)

'From the wrong side of the tracks, Dominic Wright is fiercely proud of his successful career – and his latest project is his gateway to the big time! The downside? Dominic is expected to babysit the boss's spoiled daughter.

'Bella Maldini knows hotshot Dominic by reputation, and where women are concerned it's a bad one! Still, if Bella wants this project to succeed she must work closely with Dominic. If only he weren't so impossible – cynical, complicated, controlled – and, worst of all, sexier than any man she's ever met!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Author Stella Mills has writers' block. Her swashbuckling debut romance was a mega-hit—and the world is crying out for a sequel. Problem is, her sexy-as-sin hero was based on childhood friend Rick Granville, whose dangerously delicious eyes have never sparkled at her that way!So being forced to spend weeks on adventurer Rick's luxury yacht could be just the thing to trigger her imagination—forget Johnny Depp…modern-day pirate Rick is pure physical perfection. Of course, spending night and day with the temptation that is Rick could be sailing too close to the wind—especially when her fictional fantasies start becoming red-hot reality! ' (Synopsis)

'Three reasons to keep away from Cole Rees...

'1. My mum had a scorching affair with his dad - just think how awkward that 'meet the family' would be...

'2. His arrogance drives me mad - he might be gorgeous, but I hate how he knows it!

'3. Every time he touches me I go up in flames...and it's utterly terrifying. Come on, a fling with the man I love to hate? Like that would ever work out...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Chase Etheridge is organizing the most challenging event of his career-his sister's bachelorette party. Normally cool under pressure, the situation has Chase hot under the collar, and he knows exactly who to blame: Lola Lombard, party organizer, queen of all things vintage, and absolute bombshell!

'... Behind Lola's pin curls and red lipstick hides a girl who's never believed she amounts to much. It's up to Chase to convince her that he loves her just the way she is, whether dressed in old-style glamour or as his brand-new bride! (From the author's website.)

'In a merger tailor-made for the tabloids, tycoon Ryder Bramson sought Macy Ashley's hand in marriage. But his true goal was to buy her father's company – and thereby wrest control of his own conglomerate from his illegitimate brothers. To ensnare Macy in his web of intrigue, Ryder first offered the beautiful businesswoman a job in his start-up. Yet slipping the ring on her finger proved more difficult.

'Being a brash billionaire's corporate pawn wasn't independent-minded Macy's style. On the other hand, being the focus of this irresistible man's passion just might win her over to his scheme….' (Publisher's blurb)

'She was the high school princess. He was the high school nobody. But Marc Duncannon and Beth Hughes were the best of friends-until a heated kiss exposed secrets and ruined everything. Ten years later Beth seeks out Marc, and finds him battling to save a stranded whale. Together on a lonely Australian beach, they face exhaustion, the elements and their own personal demons-for Beth and Marc need to save each other, too. They discover that their friendship is worth fighting for-but between them might be something even stronger ... perhaps a love that could last a lifetime?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Kristi’s Stranded Diary: Day 1

'Being shipwrecked on an idyllic deserted island for reality TV show Stranded sounded blissful. Until I discovered my Man Friday for the week was Jared Malone (aka he-who-broke-my heart! ). I mean, of course I’ll be fine. I don’t feel anything for him any more.

'Female viewers might swoon over Jared’s tanned gorgeousness, but I know he’s just an arrogant, over-muscled heartbreaker! The cameras are rolling, so I’m off to the beach to face Jared. I just hope I look OK in this bikini!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.