Showing results by narrator "Amanda Ronconi" in All Categories

When Anna Benoit wishes she’s married to the enigmatic owner of the chateau she cleans, she wakes up in a topsy-turvy world where she’s Max Barone’s wife. Anna is a romantic who believes in The One and Love at First Sight. Why? Because it happened to her. The second she saw Max Barone she fell desperately, hopelessly in love. It didn’t matter that they were from completely different worlds—he owned a jewelry empire, she cleaned houses—love had no barriers. Except one.

When trauma enters the lives of the unsuspecting, it steals from their very soul. It not only robs them of peace and joy, it can take years and decades from their lives while they desperately try to fill the hole in their heart, pretending that their soul isn't leaking out of it. No one is ever prepared for trauma, and no one is ever left unchanged by traumatic events.

In the US, there is a wide-ranging network of at least 370 food banks, and more than 60,000 hunger-relief organizations such as food pantries and meal programs. And yet hunger still affects one in nine Americans. What are we doing wrong? In Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries, Katie Martin argues that if handing out more and more food was the answer, we would have solved the problem of hunger decades ago. Martin instead presents a new model for charitable food, one where success is measured not by pounds of food distributed but by lives changed.

Thanks to her unwanted superpower, fashion designer Bella Bulluci may be the luckiest woman in Bigtime, New York. But luck can be good or bad, and it seems like just as many embarrassing things happen to Bella as do positive ones. Like when a charity event that Bella plans get crashed by Hangman...

Piper Perez has always wanted to be a superhero. Always wanted to wear a cool costume, have amazing abilities, and save the day. There's just one problem—Piper doesn't have any superpowers. So she focuses on other things. Facts, figures, memorabilia. Piper knows and collects it all, about both...

“Good sarcastic banter, discussions of top comedians and enough food descriptions to make me salivate.”—USA Today Two down-on-their-luck comedians embark on a road tour and find more than a few good laughs on the way. Olivia Vincent dreams of stand-up comedy stardom. Bustling around a busy...

The Facile Omnibus, Volume 2, offers an enchanting assortment of spicy, sassy heroines. In Steamed, hostess Abby gives a recently dumped customer the night of his life. Pastry artist Lydia takes no lip from the world's pickiest diner in Whipped, no matter how mouthwatering he may be. In Sizzled, food critic Lakshmi just wants to sate her hunger...for food and her delicious yet frazzled ex.

When Princess Caroline of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent eloped with a race car driver, she forfeited her royal title and her family. Now a widow and exiled from Drieden, Caroline is working as a journalist, writing exposes under a pen name. When, one day, she catches sight of her sister Thea's ex-fiance, she's stunned - Christian is supposed to be dead. Here could be the scoop of the century. But Caroline's plans to uncover Christian's deception are foiled by the arrival of Hugh Konnor, her former bodyguard and Caroline's first - unrequited - love.

All Beulah Land wants is to play piano in her favorite honky tonk, take care of her elderly bestie, and thumb her nose at the church across the road. Life has other plans. Soon Beulah finds herself playing piano in the very place she swore she'd never enter again. The church choir goes on strike, the minister is as irritating as he is handsome, and everyone has an opinion on what Beulah should do with her life. So what's a girl to do? Create her own misfit choir out of barflies.

Novelists Jonathan Moss and Sage Merriweather should be a perfect match. They share not only the same publisher but also a deep friendship full of mutual respect and encouragement. But when an ill-fated attempt at taking their relationship to the next level fails in spectacular fashion, it appears as though that once-treasured bond is doomed for good. One year later, however, the duo gets a chance to salvage their relationship when Jonathan invites Sage on a do-over road trip from Phoenix to Tacoma.

Travel writer Jill Curtis loves her job, but she desperately needs a break if she's to achieve her dream of becoming an investigative reporter. Sent to Kentucky by her boss to find out why thousands of tourists flock to Bourbon Country every year, Jill's dream seems to be slipping further away. After all, nothing interesting ever happens in small-town America...does it? Staying at an estranged relative's B&B, Jill's plan to uncover what makes the state's bourbon tours so popular goes awry when she trips over a body at one of the distilleries.

Posey Love doesn't ask for much: a loving husband, charming children . . . oh, and for people in town to stop blessing her heart. She married Chad for that very reason, but now he's left her homeless, penniless, and childless. So, what's an ex-preacher's wife to do? Give up church for Lent and explore the Seven Deadly Sins, that's what.

A playful romantic comedy featuring dueling delis, fake dating, a shockingly awesome ex, and just the right amount of amnesia “[A] delightfully tropey rom-com . . . This is a sweet confection.”—Publishers Weekly Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining...

The authors joined forces professionally when Kathy hired Shannon to be a member of her leadership team. This book describes the transformation they led to convert operations from traditional manufacturing to a lean enterprise. Kathy (executive leader responsible for profitability) and Shannon (transformation leader) share the finer points of a comprehensive change process, the challenges and triumphs, and the real emotion involved during their quest for success.

Eleanor Ross has it all: fame, fortune - and Brian MacCafferty, the perfect combo of bodyguard and assistant who makes every day a breeze. MacCafferty anticipates her needs, puts out her fires, and - once upon a time - nearly put a ring on her finger. And when a scandal erupts that could ruin El, it’s Brian who rushes to the rescue and joins her in hiding. Will El discover there’s no hiding from true love? And is she finally ready to take a second chance for her own, real life happily ever after?

It’s July 1946, and after a decade of Depression and war, life in America is returning to normal. But for Charlotte and Mary Oswald, one tumultuous summer will unearth all their secrets and upend their world, once again. Charlotte Oswald’s life is dictated by rules. Where she can go. Whom she can speak to. How she can spend her long, dull summer days. It’s a small, closeted existence, but necessary to protect Charlotte, who has suffered from debilitating fits since childhood.

Hello, grown-ups of all ages! Eclectic, bite-size bursts of advice abound in this playful guide to feeling like the grown-ups we all wanted to be as kids. From thoughts on the best way to open a champagne bottle to a short list of the kitchen tools you actually need, these tips and tricks reveal secrets that are attainable, not intimidating. Anyone can make a life upgrade using these insights alongside the traits they already have - their wits, creativity, and enthusiasm.

Delia Montgomery is on the worst date in the history of dates. The charming, funny version of Chip that she met online was an Internet mirage, dissolving to leave her with an overcoiffed raging douche canoe. Chip seems to be following some sort of handbook entitled How to Make Your Date Want to Stab You in the Face in Three Easy Steps. Between the backhanded compliments and "helpful" suggestions, Delia is seriously considering tunneling her way through the floor of Facile with a shrimp fork.

All Jason Parker wanted was to do was throw a nice anniversary dinner for his parents at Facile, just one nice dinner that his parents didn't end up planning, cooking, or funding. It's too bad that his family seems hell-bent on ruining it. Between his older brother stealing credit for the planning, his uncle stealing the silverware, and his sister' stealing everyone's joy, it's enough to send Jason running for the comfort of Facile's bourbon supply.

Kate Ravineux expected her romantic dinner at Facile to end in a proposal from her boyfriend, Scott. She did not expect to open that sacred little blue box to find a keychain. A keychain. Stinging from the realization that her boyfriend considers her a "fixer upper" worthy only of cohabitation he has to hide from his mama, Kate ditches Scott at the table and makes a run for the elevator.