Showing results by narrator "Lu Banks" in All Categories

The Crest Stone Hotel is the perfect place for a man like Thomas Drexel to hide. Wanted for crimes he didn't commit, Thomas hopes he can blend in as a handyman at the newly opened hotel. But his past threatens his future when one of the hotel restaurant's waitresses discovers his identity. Caroline Beauchamp ran from Boston to escape an arranged marriage to a despicable man. She's safe in the hotel, hidden from those who want her to return home. Yet she finds herself drawn to Thomas and compelled to help him prove his innocence, even if she risks her position as a Gilbert Girl to do so.

When Emma Daniels's well-to-do family finds itself destitute, she answers an ad for the Gilbert Company seeking young women to be waitresses at hotel restaurants along remote railroad lines out west. The rules for a Gilbert Girl are strict: work hard, act respectably at all times, and no courting allowed. None of them present a problem for Emma, at least until she meets the hotel's builder, Monroe Hartley.

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.

Cashing in on his family's recent good-luck streak, ten-year-old Freddy Peach has been entering his family in a bunch of sweepstakes, but he doesn't really expect to win. And then he does—a free family trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden! Since the Peaches are now the proud owners of their own bed-and-breakfast, they decide they can't pass up on the opportunity. It's research. They'll learn more about what it takes to operate a successful hotel from one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world.

Much to their surprise, the Peaches had a great summer running their food truck business selling their pies across the Mid-West, but they're happy to be back home in Duluth, Minnesota, where they can settle back into a routine just in time for the new school year. That is until Great Aunt Lucinda wants to gift them her historic mansion. But there are conditions: they're to turn it into a cozy bed-and-breakfast, something the Peach kids' mom always dreamed of before she passed away. And they only have until Thanksgiving to do the renovations and prove they can make the business work.

I’ve always been the wingman. The great buddy. The teddy-bear guy women lean on. In elementary school, I was the kid passing notes between infatuated classmates. In high school, I was the guy telling a pretty girl that somebody liked her. In college, I was the icebreaker, initiating casual conversation with women in the bar, so that my buddies could ultimately take them home.

Nia has one rule—don’t date neighbors. Simple, except the guy next door is single, handsome, and not inclined to close his blinds while naked. When her car dies, Conn takes “being neighborly” to a new level by offering a ride to her long-distance destination. Nia has resisted his looks and charm for months. Surely she can handle a few hours in his truck...For months, Conn has blatantly put himself on display, hoping his pretty blonde neighbor would tire of secretly watching and come knock on his door for a cup of sugar—or more.

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects. Herb wants to swim every day. Then their dad makes a big announcement: One of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

Too smart to be “just” a racehorse, too talented to hang out with other lesson horses, and too proud to believe in fairy tales, Milo chose a lonely path in life. He didn’t want cuddles, treats, friends, or even love until the day he met Claire. Her love opened his heart, but it would take nudging from a very special horse to finally open his mind.

What can I do? How can I work towards a solution? How can I be a change agent? How can I be an ally? How can I effectively change my mindset to get to a place of total healing and racial reconciliation? These questions are often asked in response to tough discussions or events relating to race, racism, racial injustice, or systemic racism, both historical and current.

Fifteen years ago, Summer Cole ran away from home, but home never really left her. Even all these years later, she has nightmares about her time there. Her past is even stopping her from being honest with the man that she loves. As an accomplished attorney, she commands the courtroom, but a phone call from her past brings her back to the girl that she was. Faced with the death of her beloved mother, she goes back to Lexington, Texas, and faces the family that almost destroyed her.

When Layla walked into Giovanni’s shop two years ago, all he could think about was having her tied to a St. Andrews cross. After a couple of conversations, he learned that she was all he ever wanted, but his life wasn’t ready for her yet. One year ago, he was ready to claim her as his own, but then she walked in with the ugliest ring in history, declaring her off the market. Tonight, she walked in with no ring and no reason for him to stop. He can finally show her that he is more than a master in chocolate - he is a master in the bedroom, as well.

I didn't realize I was hooking up with my student, but once I saw his hockey-player body, I couldn't help myself. If anyone finds out, I'll be out of a job. Unlike most college boys, he's mature in all the right ways and completely knows how to turn on a woman.

Everyone thinks they know who I am. I'm the TV star who fell in love with her costar, Wesley Rich. But it wasn't real. It was a life designed to entertain millions of watchers each Monday night. A life I had no control over. Until my past came to visit. All it took was one night. One night to relive my past. One night to forget my future. With someone who'd been there all along.

Life is good. I have great friends, a supportive family, and a job I love. Sure, there are ups and downs, but nothing could have prepared me for the return of Mac Evans—the one man who has always gotten under my skin. I haven't spoken to him since overhearing a conversation I wish I could forget. I would never fall for a professional athlete. Mac isn't my type, and I'm definitely not his. Or at least, that's what I've always believed. But now he's back, and everything feels different. I keep reminding myself he won't be here for long, and he'll be out of my life for good.

"The Millionaire" is in jail on a murder charge. Violent inmates beat him savagely, trying to extort money. To save his life, Maureen Gould must find the truth and free her client.

When Penny Sue Paine got Lucky, everyone was in an uproar. Because Lucky was the sweet-faced dog who had inherited the Paine millions! Now somebody wanted Lucky dead. So Penny Sue hired herself a tall, well-muscled hunk of a bodyguard . . . When Vic Noble found out his latest client was a dog, he nearly lost his cool. Then he got an eyeful of Miss Penny Sue Paine, a brunette with a body to die for and an innocence that could do a lesser man in. Good thing Vic was about as tough as they made 'em. But the tougher they are—the harder they fall!

The only mistake I made was walking away instead of facing the man whose heart I broke. I ran away from the life I wasn't ready for, and in the process, lost everything I wanted. I tried to move on and failed epically. There's no moving on from Jake Findlay. Even if he thinks I have. Now that I'm home, I've got to fight my own battles and prove that I'm all grown up. Even if it means letting him in to break me all over again.

No females of my kind remain. Humans have the closest physiology to my species, but our reproductive urges are very different. For their safety, direct contact with human women has always been strictly forbidden. When my time ends, so will countless generations of Gallo lineage. The chains in my dungeon will never have to contain another mating-frenzied beast. I will have done my part to bring a peaceful end to my species while protecting the nearby human population.

I wasn't prepared for Delilah Taylor. Settling down was never on my radar. Almost getting caught with my mouth and hands on her body were definitely not in my plans. Now that I've had a taste of her, I'm rethinking every single f*cking thing.