A neurotic Cambridge graduate student struggles to cover up her dysfunctional relationship with a narcissistic young man and engages in increasingly absurd lies and acts of self-deception.

A neurotic Cambridge graduate struggles to cover up her dysfunctional relationship with a narcissistic young man and engages in increasingly absurd lies and acts of self-deception.

If he had been with me everything would have been different... I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know—the cause of the argument—is crucial. So let me tell you...

How far would you go for love?Before, Lava thought that she had life all figured out. The man, five kids, a good job and a big house.And then, two years ago, her husband told her about his affair. But she stayed, waiting, hoping that he'd notice her still there. But we don't always get what we want. And once she realized that her husband was in love and having a baby with someone else, she burned with envy, feeling a rage that she never felt. Lava realized, that her husband's mistress, had no plans on giving him back. So, she was going to have to take him. The question was, how was she going to do that?Lava came up with a crazy plan to get rid of her competition. Only the plan backfires, horribly, leaving her praying and wishing. That she'd just divorced him and walked away, but now it was too late. She's desperate, guilty, and unsure of her fate.But....What is it that she's missing? What secret didn't she see? What LIE was right in front of her? Who was really her worst enemy?

Catching a killer is dangerous—especially if he lives next door From the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes an exquisitely chilling tale of a young suburban wife with a history of psychological instability whose fears about her new neighbor could lead them both to murder . . . Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace. But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years ago. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder—an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore, but can’t fully shake either. Could her neighbor, Matthew, be a killer? Or is this the beginning of another psychotic episode like the one she suffered back in college, when she became so consumed with proving a fellow student guilty that she ended up hurting a classmate? The more Hen observes Matthew, the more she suspects he’s planning something truly terrifying. Yet no one will believe her. Then one night, when she comes face to face with Matthew in a dark parking lot, she realizes that he knows she’s been watching him, that she’s really on to him. And that this is the beginning of a horrifying nightmare she may not live to escape. . .

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

An impulsive kiss and a fake relationship. What could possibly go wrong? When chief of police, Will, pulls sassy Layla over for speeding yet again, the last thing he expects her to do is plant a kiss on him. And he certainly isn’t prepared for the fireworks that explode when their lips meet. With a robbery in Maple Creek, Will has his hands full trying to track the criminal down. Matters only get worse when Layla’s flower shop is broken into. Not to mention the creepy guys that keep hitting on her. Can he keep his heart in check around his old crush while keeping her safe? Layla is determined to keep her matchmaking mother from setting her up with the worst guy in town. So when her mom witnesses her getting pulled over, she spontaneously kisses Will and tells her she’s engaged to him. The hilarious fake romance that ensues is all fun and games until her heart decides to get involved. When she teams up with Will to track down the thief terrorizing their town, her feelings intensify, and she’s not sure how much longer she can keep him at arm’s length. If you like witty banter, swoony kisses, and small-town sweet romantic comedy, then you’ll love the hilarious book readers are raving about! Binge the series, get hooked, and get ready to laugh!