Showing results by narrator "Lu Banks" in All Categories

As a mother and a professor of environmental education, Mallory McDuff wanted to give her two daughters and her students a roadmap to engage in climate justice in their communities, rather than be left feeling paralyzed by the enormity of the problem. She set out to find women of diverse ages, backgrounds, and vocations—one from each of the fifty US states—as inspiration for a new kind of leadership focused on the heart of the climate crisis.

I learned one lesson early in life: Trust no one. This isn't the first time I've woken up with a stranger looming over my bed. But unlike last time, this dangerous man swears he means me no harm. For some reason, I believe him. But I never expected to fall for him. He's more deadly than the men who kidnapped me, yet I've never felt safer. But is it all an illusion, or is this dark prince truly my white knight?

Lucky for me, I'm immune to the Silver Spoon Falls matchmaking water. I've been watching all my business associates fall victim to its effects, swearing it will never happen to me. Little do I know, Karma already has me in her sights. A relaxing Saturday at my private retreat nearly turns deadly when a bear knocks me overboard. An actual black bear. When a curvy little siren saves me from certain death, the beauty steals my heart in the process. To my horror, my little savior disappears before I'm able to discover her identity.

In 1988, Sloan Hadfield's brother Ridge went fishing with their father and never came home. Their father was arrested and charged with murder. Ridge's body was never recovered, and Sloan's mother slowly descended into madness, insisting her son was still alive. Now, twenty years later, Sloan's life is unraveling. In the middle of a bitter divorce, she's forced to return to her rural Texas hometown when her mother is discharged from a mental health facility. Overwhelmed by memories and unanswered questions, Sloan returns to the last place her brother was seen all those years ago.

Edie Dutton left Kansas with nothing but a few pieces of clothing, a handful of stolen bills, and a forged letter of reference. Since then, she's found a home as a Gilbert Girl at the Crest Stone Hotel. Even despite her transgression at the hotel last fall, she has a second chance to live the life she wants. But Edie Dutton is not her real name, and arriving along with all the newcomers to town comes word that her past may be on its way to put her future in jeopardy.

My brother's best friend was officially off duty . . . and off-limits. The wounded soldier had scars that couldn't be seen, and it was my job to help him heal, not fall for him. Ransom Parker was as grumpy as he was gorgeous, but that didn't stop the sparks from flying between us like the Fourth of July. He could push me away all he wanted, but in his arms was the only place I wanted to be.

Dora Reynolds is just another Gilbert Girl at the Crest Stone Hotel, and she needs it to remain that way. If anyone found out who she truly is, she'd lose her friends and her position. But when money begins to disappear from the hotel's safe and a handsome new desk clerk arrives, she finds her security-and her heart-under threat.

Penny May would do anything to forget her past, even traveling all the way to the Colorado Territory to become a Gilbert Girl. Learning to be a good waitress wasn't easy, but Penny is happy with her new life and friends at the Crest Stone Hotel. At least until the handsome and infuriating county sheriff arrives in search of his kidnapped sister.

After dropping out of NYU, moving across the country, and spending the last two years as co-owner of a successful activewear brand, Mackenzie Jean has decided it's time to go back to school. Does she want to finish her degree? Absolutely. But enrolling at Michigan State University is about so much more. Somewhere along the way, she lost herself in the fog of her anxiety, and it's time she rediscovers who she is.

Elizabeth Hartley Campbell arrives at the Crest Stone Hotel, widowed and searching for the brother she hasn't seen in seven years. Distraught to learn he's left, she takes a job as a Gilbert Girl at the hotel's restaurant. She quickly befriends the other girls and finds comfort in helping the hotel prepare for Christmas—until a wayward cowboy wanders in from the snow and sits at her lunch counter.