This Month From BookEnds… March 2019!

This month has been so busy on the blog with all of our MSWL Madness posts, so our round-up is coming a bit late. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of great books for you to choose from!

Mystery:

Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang (3/13) Barnes & Noble

Essie Lang’s series debut is perfect for fans of Lorna Barrett, Vicki Delany, and book lovers everywhere.
Rookie bookstore owner Shelby Cox must hit the books to learn the ropes before she loses a killer in the stacks.
Shelby Cox never intended to become a bookseller, so when the former editor returns to her hometown of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York’s breathtaking Thousand Islands region, to take over her aunt’s bookstore, she has no idea what to expect. To her amazement, she discovers that she now owns a fifty-percent share in Bayside Books, and will also run the store’s second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island.
But just as Shelby is gearing up for the start of the tourist season, the Castle volunteer coordinator is found murdered in the nearby Grotto. Castle caretaker Matthew Kessler is suspect number one, but Shelby thinks the killing may be connected to an earlier era, when violence among Prohibition-era smugglers was rampant in the region. As Shelby launches her own investigation, handsome and unnerving Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services tries to quell her smuggling theory and keep her safe. But Shelby is determined to summon all her savvy as a book editor to plot the murder—and find the killer before he strikes again—in Trouble on the Books, Essie Lang’s clever and captivating series debut.

Something Read, Something Dead by Eva Gates (3/13) Barnes & Noble

National bestselling author Eva Gates’s fifth Lighthouse Library mystery will carry fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Dark deeds in the Lighthouse Library threaten to send Lucy Richardson’s soon-to-be-wed cousin Josie to an early ‘til-death-do-us-part.

Winter falls on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as Lucy Richardson and her friends joyfully help her favorite cousin, Josie O’Malley, plan her wedding. The owner and head baker of Josie’s Cozy Bakery and her fiancé, chef Jake Greenblatt, want a small, simple wedding.
But to their horror, Josie’s imperious grandmother, Gloria, descends with the “Louisiana Mafia”: a gaggle of aunts and cousins who intend to take control of the wedding plans. Gloria doesn’t do small and simple, and cousin Mirabelle has her own ideas for Josie’s wedding, something grand and lavish—and paid for by Josie’s parents, of course—that will kickstart her fledgling event planning business and get her work shown on the covers of wedding magazines. To make matters worse, Mirabelle focuses her full Southern charm on the prospective groom…and Jake doesn’t seem entirely adverse to her attentions.
To smooth the waters, Lucy hosts a bridal shower at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. But it turns deadly when Mirabelle collapses—soon after eating the gluten-free treats Josie prepared specifically for her. Now, to save her favorite cousin from prison, Lucy will have to bring a crook to book in this fifth festive Lighthouse Library mystery from national bestselling author Eva Gates.

Mayday Murder, by Jennifer David Hesse (3/26) Barnes & Noble

Spring is in the air, but for Edindale, Illinois, attorney Keli Milanni, murder is the only thing blooming…

Keli’s looking forward to Beltane, the time-honored Wiccan holiday that celebrates life with feasting, ceremonial dancing, and ancient Celtic rituals. But since recently leaving her law firm and opening her own practice, Keli has more on her plate than simple abundance. Still, she always has time for a friend. Erik, a Druid from a neighboring town, has had a run of bad luck he blames on a curse cast by his ex-girlfriend Denise, a practicing witch whose expertise in the dark arts can’t save her from her own deadly end.
When Keli finds herself a person of interest in the investigation, she begins to wonder if she herself might be cursed. With a little help from her friends, including her devoted boyfriend Wes, Keli aims to find out who poisoned Denise. What she uncovers is a witch’s brew of spells, hexes, and black magic that raises questions about her own Wiccan worldview. As the community gathers for the May Day festivities, it’s up to Keli to stop a killer from springing ahead to another murder…

Romance:

A Lady’s Virture, by A.S. Fenichel (3/19) Barnes & Noble

Can a broken engagement ignite the spark of true love?
Sylvia Dowder had almost made it to the altar when her fiancé unexpectedly became a viscount, and dropped her like a stale crumpet to make a more “suitable” match. Though Sylvia’s heart has been crushed, her spirit has not. She puts her wits and social savvy to use as a secret gossip columnist-and as the Everton Domestic Society’s party planner to the ton. Luckily, she’s not in danger of ever falling for an aristocrat again…
Especially not one like Anthony Braighton, Earl of Grafton. Raised in America, Anthony sees no reason to marry when he can enjoy all the perks of being an eligible earl. Determined to convince his family he doesn’t need a wife, he hires Sylvia to act as hostess and decorator for upcoming parties. Yet Sylvia is as adept at captivating his interest as she is at beautifying his home. And despite this Everton lady’s aversion to titled men, some attractions can’t be denied-and love rarely does go where it’s told…

An Unwilling Earl by Sharon Cullen (3/25) Barnes & Noble

Jacob Ashland’s life has taken an unexpected turn. He’s now the Earl of Ashland and expected to marry. But he’s done that before and had his heart ripped from his chest. When Charlotte shows up at his door needing protection, he offers to marry her––in name-only.
Charlotte, an orphan, suspects her sinister cousin of terrorizing London. When her maid disappears, she fears for her own life and runs away. Lord Ashland offers marriage, and it’s the perfect solution. But it isn’t long before she finds herself falling for her new husband.
Unfortunately, he won’t allow himself to love anyone ever again. And she knows her dark secret could destroy everything.

Non-Fiction:

The Fragile Bully, by Laurie Helgoe (3/12) Barnes & Noble

 ““Both sensitive and incisive, beautifully capturing the paradoxical dynamic of narcissism—that the grandiosity and surrounding bravado belies an underlying fragility and brittleness.” —Kenneth N. Levy, PhD, Associate Professor, Penn State University; Senior Fellow, Personality Disorders Institute, Cornell University

Even before Donald Trump entered America’s highest office, an international survey revealed that narcissism is part of the assumed “national character” of Americans. While only a small number actually meet the criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, those exploitive few have a way of gaining center stage in our culture.
Fragile Bully: Understanding Our Destructive Affair With Narcissism in the Age of Trump looks beyond the sound bites of self-aggrandizing celebrities and selfish tweets to the real problem of narcissism. We see past the solo act to the vicious circles that arise in relationships with a fragile bully, and how patterns like this generate both power and self-destruction. We also look at the problem of Echo, how so many of us get hooked by the narcissist, and how variations on the destructive affair leave both partners dehumanized and diminished. Once we recognize the steps in each dance, we can break the cycle and allow and the possibility of true engagement.”

Coming Soon:

Los Angeles Times reporter James Queally’s LINE OF SIGHT, in which a former crime reporter is given a video showcasing a troubling act of police brutality, putting him at odds with law enforcement and forcing him to align with street activists and gang members alike as he races to put together the biggest story of his life before the city burns down around him, to Jason Pinter at Polis, by James McGowan at BookEnds (world).

Helen Hoang’s five untitled novels, featuring the sisters of Michael Phan, from her first book THE KISS QUOTIENT, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, in a major deal, in a five-book deal, by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds.

Lara Lacombe’s installment in a new edition of the Coltons continuity, to Carly Silver at Harlequin Romantic Suspense, in a nice deal, for publication in May 2020, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

USA Today-bestselling author Naima Simone’s BOSTON BILLIONAIRES series, following a group of wealthy men who never knew each other existed until their father’s will reveals they are half-brothers, upturning their business and love lives with a one-year inheritance pact, to Stacy Boyd at HarlequinDesire, in a nice deal, in a four-book deal, by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds (world).

Welcome to BookEnds:

We’re thrilled to be welcoming Tara McMullin, Megan Hart and Mary Honerman to the BookEnds Team this month! Here’s to more successes for you all!