Nadina Galle

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

California

Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet

In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Jonathan Doerr, The Nature of Our Cities is a stirring exploration of how scientists from around the world are harnessing local ecology and innovative technology to protect the planet's cities from the effects of climate change. When it comes to nature, most people romanticize bucolic mountain scenery and verdant pine forests, but anyone who's ever lived in a city can tell you that nature has just as vital a role to play in urban landscapes. And with climate change altering life and mental health everywhere, nature can do more to aid and protect our cities, offering the potential to solve problems as diverse as flood preparation and wildfire management. As ecological engineer Dr. Nadina Galle argues, nature is our most critical infrastructure for tackling the climate crisis. It just needs a little help. A fellow at MIT's Senseable City Lab and selected for Forbes' 30 under 30 list, Galle has been at the forefront of the growing movement to use nature and technology together to prepare urban life for the climate challenges upon us. Now, in The Nature of Our Cities, she embarks on a journey as fascinating as it is pressing, showing how scientists and engineers from around the world are harnessing the power of technology and the natural world to save their cities, a phenomenon she calls the "Internet of Nature." Traveling the globe, Galle examines how urban nature, long an afterthought for many, actually points the way toward a livable future for cities. She reveals how technology can help nature navigate this precarious moment with advances such as: Firefighting robots inspired by ancient forest wisdom Sensors that achieve 99% tree survival in increasingly dry, hot summers Innovative smart ponds that collect and manage water surges from extreme weather Optimistic in spirit yet pragmatic in approach, Galle writes persuasively that the future of urban life depends on balancing the natural world with the technology that can help sustain it. By turns clear-eyed and lyrical, The Nature of Our Cities marks the emergence of an invigorating, prescient new talent in nature writing.

The Nature of Our Cities

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Karen Booth

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

A Romantic Comedy

In this deliciously tender, steamy romance, a burned-out musician swaps city life for cottage country only to find that slowing down means a racing heart, thanks to the grumpy guy next door... When Willow Moore's lifelong dream of music stardom goes bust, she's burned out enough to need drastic change. As in, she's trading her Brooklyn apartment for two months in the Connecticut countryside. Soon she's baking bread, spending Saturdays at the farmer's market and stopping to smell the roses, but some things in her new #cottagecore life aren't so pleasant. Like her landlord, former chef Reid Harrell. As grouchy and reserved as Willow is chatty and outgoing, Reid is an annoyingly sexy keep-out sign. If only Willow was good at staying away. Something about Reid, a sliver of pain poking through that flinty facade, makes her wonder if they're more alike than she thought. Reid once chased success, too, and found it--at a price. Now all he wants is to be left alone to garden, but Willow's not giving up so quick, especially when one of their heated arguments sparks an idea for a song. Her renewed creativity awakens them both, hurling them into a passionate vortex neither expects. As the summer winds down, Willow is forced to confront her needs, wants and desires, not to mention Reid, the hardest puzzle of all to figure out. Maybe it's time for the city girl to stop dwelling on dreams dashed and start following her heart--no matter where it might take her...

Swap and Smell the Roses

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Jaclyn Westlake

A Novel

Rosie Benson does not have it all together. Like most twenty-somethings, she struggles to figure out life and soon finds herself following the advice of her late great-aunt through a series of revelatory emails about pursuing long-buried dreams rather than society's idea of perfect in this fun, highly relatable debut. Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, and Sophie Kinsella. "Compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor...A remarkable debut!" --Stacey Swann, author of GMA Book Club Pick Olympus, Texas What's a twenty-something gal to do when her parents announce a divorce after thirty years of marriage, she finds out her best friend has cozied up to her archnemesis, and she accidentally sleeps with the Wrong Guy? Turn to her great-aunt for advice, of course. Rosie Benson has always struggled to fit in with her over-accomplished family, type-A roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. But she's nearly losing herself as she strives to become everyone else's idea of perfect. When Rosie is abruptly fired from her job at a tech start-up where her boss was way too enthusiastic about synergy and company swag, the illusion that she has life figured out is shattered. Knowing she needs a push, her great-aunt Dotty--a globe-trotting, martini-swilling occasional nudist, and the only person Rosie has ever truly felt herself around--challenges her to pursue a long-buried dream, others' expectations be damned. But then Dotty dies. And Rosie spirals. As new details of Dotty's past emerge through revelatory emails from her many friends, Rosie realizes that maybe her aunt's life wasn't as charmed as she thought. With her career, friendships, and family unraveling, Rosie must drown out the noise of the world telling her what she should pursue--boyfriend, babies, boss-babe role at a corporate job--and finally focus on what she actually wants.

Dear Dotty

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Cathy Maxwell

A Gambler's Daughters Romance

The second book in New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell's humorous and heartwarming series The Gambler's Daughters, in which three aristocratic Irish sisters are determined to make their ways in Regency London...only to learn the path to making a brilliant society marriage isn't easy--especially when Love gets in the way. Here, a disaster in a storm throws headstrong sister Elise into the company, and arms, of a rake on the run. Elise Lanscarr is furious--her very own sister has married the man Elise had marked for herself. Feeling betrayed, she flees London, determined to return to the one place where everything was once as it should be: her family home in Ireland. But when her stagecoach crashes in a storm, she finds herself cast adrift in the wilds with no one to help but a rough-looking, albeit handsome, stranger--one who has obviously never been informed of the "proper" rules of society. Christopher Fitzhugh-Cox, the missing Duke of Winderton, has fled all responsibility, preferring the persona of the devil-may-care rake "Kit." He proudly lives hand-to-mouth, rubbing shoulders with commoners and thieves alike. But while he values his freedom, he's never been one to leave a lady in trouble--even one as opinionated, albeit intriguing, as Elise. But this night of booming thunder and flashing lightning is just the beginning of an unexpected, often dangerous, adventure. And two disillusioned souls who have been caught up in their own webs of expectations and disappointments are about to learn that life always holds surprises, and gifts. And all it asks in return is that they risk everything for Love . . .

One Dangerous Night

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Megan Frampton

In this newest addition to the School for Scoundrels series, Simeon Jones and Lady Myrtle Allen tell all the ton that they are engaged to be wed, fully knowing that once the season is over they will quietly part ways. They each have their reasons, but neither expected love to tempt them into turning a pretense into reality! Simeon Jones has a secret--he is soft-hearted. Despite his scandalous exterior, he will quietly give money to orphans (after all, he was one himself), animals, and damsels in distress. One such damsel is Lady Myrtle Allen--but it's not her funds that are lacking, but rather she needs to get to London--fast. And so begins a wild adventure. First, the pair tells all the ton that they are engaged to be wed--how else to prevent scandal once they are found together--alone! They plan to carry out this deception, fully knowing that once the season is over, they will quietly part ways. But then, they discover that they have fallen in love, which was definitely not part of their plan! Can this scandalous man and adventurous woman turn this pretense into reality?

Her Adventures in Temptation

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Anna Bennett

She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet... Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival. Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake. Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing. Let the lessons begin... Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger...

It Takes a Rake

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Sophie Jordan

The Scandalous Ladies of London

The thrilling second book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton. They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London's wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton. "I liked my husband well enough ... but I like him even better dead." It's been a year since her wretched cad of a husband died and Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is finally her own woman. Flitting from party to party, freedom is sweet and life should be perfect. Until the new duke surfaces. Nothing like the haughty noblemen who populate the ton, Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham, is a big brawny Welshman with an accent that makes Valencia's knees go weak as he boldly moves into her home with his six wild unwed sisters. The rude and humorless usurper thinks her vain and spoiled. But with a pittance to her name, Valencia needs his support to remain in London and enjoy all the pleasures her new position as a merry widow has to offer. So a bargain is struck. Valencia will usher his sisters into Good Society and see them happily betrothed. In return, he'll give her the financial security and independence she craves. But the more time they spend beneath the same roof, the more she realizes it's not safety she wants but the dangerously seductive Rhain. Valencia has vowed never to risk marriage again. And yet how can she resist the tempting man when he might be the greatest adventure of her life?

The Duchess

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Rachel Lynn Solomon

“Brilliant, hilarious, and oh-so-romantic.” —BuzzFeed “Swoony, steamy.” —Entertainment Weekly The Hating Game meets Booksmart by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours. Today, she hates him. It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time. Tonight, she puts up with him. When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other. As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams. Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.

Today Tonight Tomorrow

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Vivienne Lorret

USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret launches a new series with a sparkling romance about a spinster, a duke, and a fake engagement that blurs the lines between enemies and lovers... Verity Hartley always tells the truth. Well, mostly. However, when her snooty neighbor returns to their small hamlet to brag about having a grand Season, a plethora of ballgowns, and so many suitors that she cannot possibly decide which one to marry, Verity tells a lie. She claims to be betrothed. To a duke. Who happens to be her family's sworn enemy. But what are the odds that he would ever learn of this one, little, harmless falsehood? Magnus Warring, the Duke of Longhurst, is on the precipice of marrying an heiress to save his estate from financial ruin. At least, he was. Until he hears an unbelievable rumor that he is already betrothed. To the daughter of a liar, cheat, and swindler! Needing to protect his reputation, he hunts down the culprit. And when he finds the untamed beguiler, she has the audacity to ask him to lie for her. To pretend to be her fiancé! One week, that's all Verity needs. Then Magnus could return to his life. But nothing is ever that simple. Sometimes it doesn't take that long to fall in love, even with the enemy.

It Had to Be a Duke

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Mary Balogh

Includes an excerpt from Someone to love.

Someone to Trust

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Adriana Herrera

"The cultural diversity represented is historically accurate, beautifully integrated, sensitively explored, and incredibly refreshing."--Publisher's Weekly



"A romp-filled and refreshingly diverse historical romance."--Buzzfeed



Paris, 1889



The Exposition Universelle is underway, drawing merchants from every corner of the globe...including Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, heiress to the Caña Brava rum empire.



Luz Alana set sail from Santo Domingo armed with three hundred casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love. In the City of Lights, she intends to expand the rum business her family built over three generations, but buyers and shippers alike can't imagine doing business with a woman...never mind a woman of color. This, paired with being denied access to her inheritance unless she marries, leaves the heiress in a very precarious position.



Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, who has spent a decade looking for purpose outside of his father's dirty money and dirtier dealings. Ignoring his title, he's built a whisky brand that's his biggest--and only--passion. That is, until he's confronted with a Spanish-speaking force of nature who turns his life upside down.



From their first tempestuous meeting, Luz Alana is conflicted. Why is this titled--and infuriatingly charming--Scottish man so determined to help her?



For Evan, every day with Luz Alana makes him yearn for more than her ardent kisses or the marriage of convenience that might save them both. But Luz Alana sailed for Paris prepared to build her business and her future; what she wasn't prepared for was love finding her.



Las Leonas



Book 1: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

 

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

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Tia Williams

A Best Book of 2021: NPR * Kirkus * Marie Claire * PopSugar * New York Public Library * Bustle * Reader's Digest * Literary Hub



A Best Book of the Summer: Harper's Bazaar * Oprah Daily * Shondaland * The Los Angeles Times * CBS News * PureWow * Good Housekeeping * BuzzFeed * theSkimm

 

A Best Romance of 2021: The Washington Post * USA Today * Vulture * Goodreads * BookPage * BuzzFeed * Happy Mag



"Seven Days in June had me laughing out loud and crying with the characters as their hearts are broken and healed. Tia Williams's book is a smart, sexy testament to Black joy, to the well of strength from which women draw, and to tragic romances that mature into second chances. I absolutely loved it."

--JODI PICOULT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways and Small Great Things



Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again...



Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning novelist, who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.



When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can't deny their chemistry--or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.



Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect--but Eva's wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered...



With its keen observations of creative life in America today, as well as the joys and complications of being a mother and a daughter, Seven Daysin June is a hilarious, romantic, and sexy-as-hell story of two writers discovering their second chance at love.

Random Olive

@randomolive

Books Listed

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Nadina Galle

The Nature of Our Cities

Karen Booth

Swap and Smell the Roses

Jaclyn Westlake

Dear Dotty

Cathy Maxwell

One Dangerous Night

Megan Frampton

Her Adventures in Temptation

Anna Bennett

It Takes a Rake

Sophie Jordan

The Duchess

Rachel Lynn Solomon

Today Tonight Tomorrow

Vivienne Lorret

It Had to Be a Duke

Mary Balogh

Someone to Trust

Adriana Herrera

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

Tia Williams

Seven Days in June

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Nadina Galle

The Nature of Our Cities

Karen Booth

Swap and Smell the Roses

Jaclyn Westlake

Dear Dotty

Cathy Maxwell

One Dangerous Night

Megan Frampton

Her Adventures in Temptation

Anna Bennett

It Takes a Rake

Sophie Jordan

The Duchess

Rachel Lynn Solomon

Today Tonight Tomorrow

Vivienne Lorret

It Had to Be a Duke

Mary Balogh

Someone to Trust

Adriana Herrera

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

Tia Williams

Seven Days in June

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