The Pittsburgh Writer I did this “Upcoming Reads” thing for a bit last year but let it go by the wayside as life took its course. This post isn’t to be confused with my Spell the Month, as those are books that I may/may not read. Well, then again, any list is subject to change, including this one. These books, however, aren’t numbered or “spelled out” in any kind of way. In fact, these titles are ones that I recently added to my ebook collection. Let’s take a look at the books I’d like to read this February!
A Duke For Diana
Self-made civil engineer Geoffrey Brookhouse has unexpectedly inherited the dukedom of Grenwood. But he has a secret that could ruin his family. Hoping to save his timid sister from that fate, he seeks to marry her off to a respectable, protective gentleman. With the London Season imminent, Geoffrey hires Elegant Occasions to orchestrate her debut. Yet Lady Diana Harper, spirited fashion expert, proves more than he bargained for. Suddenly, Geoffrey’s sister is emerging from her shell, and he is beleaguered with social invitations and gossip! Worse, Diana is attempting to transform him into a presentable duke—when all he really wants is to make her his own . . .
Diana doesn’t know what to make of the handsome, disheveled duke. The man bristles at the very idea that his fashion faux pas might spoil his sister’s chances. Yet Geoffrey’s stubbornness simply inspires Diana to ruffle his feathers—by setting him on a course of self-improvement. Although there’s something endearing, even irresistible about his flaws, can a man who hates the ton tolerate a woman who makes her living catering to them? Little does either know that they have more in common than they suspect—and that two can create a society all their own . . .
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester.
The loneliness and cruelty of Jane’s childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, “Jane Eyre” has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman’s quest for self-respect.
A Deadly Affair
She’s an unconventional lady who has traveled the world, practices the art of self defense most excellently, and has an interesting tattoo in, ahem… a very unusual place.
He’s a former member of the Metropolitan Police, now a private investigator, who grew up on the poverty ridden streets of Edinburgh and has worked the dangerous back alleys of London’s notorious East End.
A vicious murder brings them together in a race against time that takes them from the sordid back streets of London into the elite private clubs of the powerful and rich, to find the killer before he strikes again and prevent a deadly scheme.
A scandalous affair, deceptions, and secrets will challenge what they know and what they believe.
Come along as the lady and the detective join forces in an amazing time of new inventions, startling discoveries, and unexpected revelations, where a young woman who doesn’t rely on anyone is forced to trust the irascible Scot who is a tough as they come and just might learn a thing or two from her… if they both don’t end up dead!
A Study in Scarlet
The first of the Sherlock Holmes stories, this was also the first of Conan Doyle’s books to be published. In this fascinating and exciting tale, the two towering creations of detective fiction—Holmes, the master of the science of detection, and Watson, his faithful companion—make their auspicious debut. The two detectives are immediately in fine form as Holmes plucks the solution to the mystery from the heart of Victorian London.
Of Manners and Murder
1885: London, England. When Violet’s Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, “Miss Hermione,” in Violet’s hands.
And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead.
She’ll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.
The Roses Underneath
It is August 1945 in Wiesbaden, Germany. With the country in ruins, Anna Klein, displaced and separated from her beloved husband, struggles to support herself and her six-year-old daughter. As a typist at the Collecting Point for the US Army’s Monuments Men she barely has her head above water. When the easy-going American Captain Henry Cooper recruits her as his translator, they stumble on a mysterious stash of art, and Anna finds she has a bigger gift for sleuthing than for typing. And Cooper’s penchant for breaking the rules provides an enticing taste of a newfound freedom that might change the future she thought she had planned.
Now I think that’s a good mix, don’t you? You’ve got some romance, some gothic, some murder and some mystery. 20 year old me would never have considered reading romance OR gothic, so I think that’s personal growth!
