We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

When Mr. Earnshaw, master of Wuthering Heights, returns from a trip with an unkempt orphan in tow, he announces that the child, Heathcliff, is now a member of the family. While young Catherine Earnshaw becomes close with Heathcliff, her older brother, Hindley, sinks into bitter resentment. As Catherine and Heathcliff mature, and their affection blossoms into desire, Hindley’s resentment boils over into hatred, setting the stage for a tragic drama whose aftermath will shake the foundations of their world.

They call him Il Diavolo When the devil dressed in black crashes my wedding I know he didn’t come to offer me his blessing He came to collect what was always his For months, he’s watched me from the shadows Haunting me Biding his time Planning his revenge Before he was King of the Cosa Nostra I was fated to be his queen I promised him forever Now, he’s here to remind me what forever really means.

When I’m stalked and kidnapped from the convent by my father’s enemy, a cowboy hellbent on revenge, everything changes. I’m torn from my cloistered life of simplicity, thrown into the center of a bitter fight, and held at his mercy in a small cabin in the middle of the Colorado wilderness. There could be a silver lining though. The quiet, bespectacled, heavily tattooed horseman has an offer: If I give him what he wants, he’ll grant the only wish I have. He might even be the one person capable of delivering it. It’s a dangerous temptation. Just like the way he looks at me. If I’m honest, the more I learn about the man underneath all the scars, the more I’m questioning everything I thought I believed. Especially when he makes a confession of his own. But the cost for our deal? It’s steep. I’ll have to break every vow I’ve ever taken.

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever. Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost—especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory. Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds. But Nolan Rhodes isn’t your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he’s saved the best for last: the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling. The problem? Harper isn’t the monster he expected. And she won’t go down without a fight. When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she’ll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage—including their fragile love. Tourist Season is a darkly funny, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance where destruction and desire are balanced on the edge of a blade—and where love is the most dangerous battleground of all.

Willow Knightley has just been through it with her ex-mooch of a boyfriend. But sadly, he’s just the latest in a long string of men (starting at birth) who didn’t treat her right. She decides her only recourse is to give up on men forever. The problem is, her friend/acquaintance/one-time bodyguard, member of the Nightingale Investigations & Security team, Gabriel Stark, has targeted her as His One. Gabe’s been through it at the hands of women too, so he knows exactly what he wants. And he wants Willow. Willow states her case against them being an us, but she doesn’t count on the fact that not only does Gabe love a challenge, he lives for them. Up against an onslaught from a man who rinses his own whiskers out of the sink, Willow might not stand a chance. But then, while the Angels are trying to figure out what’s got one of their informants very jittery, she gets a hint that there are demons in Gabe’s history, and she has to know. The bets are on… And luck favors a Stark.

Harlow O’Neill is waiting for Javier Montoya to make his move. She has it bad for the gorgeous new investigator at Nightingale Investigations and Security. She’s sure he knows it. She’s also sure he’s just as into her. And she’s read the Rock Chick books. She knows how those Hottie Squad men are supposed to win their women. Javi is just not trying to win her. Then one evening Harlow is undercover on a mission for the Avenging Angels, and Javi blows her cover. She’s not happy about it. They share words and some of the ones Javi uses aren’t all that great. Harlow retreats. Javi goes on the advance. And the man Harlow was investigating winds up dead. The Angels go all in to discover what’s happening with a dating app scam that ended up with a dead guy. The Nightingale men aren’t fans of the women wading in on such a dangerous case, and they’re doing something about it. It’s a race between the Angels and the Hottie Squad as to who’s going to solve the mystery. While all of that happens, Javi’s not taking any chances with Harlow’s safety. He moves her into his place and Harlow learns firsthand what it means to be in the romantic crosshairs of a member of the Hottie Squad…and the heartbreaking reasons why Javi kept her at arm’s length.