Layla S Luck

A clever tale of a ladybug who learns that success comes from her own smarts, skill, and hard work—not lucky charms and chance. Discover all of the lovable creatures and their stories in the Once Upon a Garden series. Layla is a ladybug with a lucky charm for every occasion: lucky socks for running, a lucky pencil for tests, and a lucky watering can for her flowers. When Layla enters a baking event, she is counting on her good luck to help her bake a delicious cake. But is luck the only ingredient that matters?

Roger Strauss was a pilot for the US Air Force, a young soldier with a promising career. His record was impressive enough for him to be chosen to test an experimental vehicle, the like of which the which the world had never seen before, and of which most of the world had never imagined. In theory, the vehicle would instantly travel from one point in the universe to another by leaving the physical universe and coming in at a different point. But what would happen when the vehicle was actually tested, and where would the pilot go when it left the physical universe? Would it even work at all? Those were the questions that Roger Strauss was to answer, and the answers would be more than he had ever imagined.

"Thrilling and illuminating."—LA Times "A hypnotic psychological thriller." —People A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this new gripping and complex psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and the upcoming page-turner Don't You Cry, Mary Kubica She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head… Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home. Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated. More Praise: "Hypnotic and anything but predictable." —Kirkus, starred review "A superb psychological thriller…stunning."—Publishers Weekly, starred review Read the New York Times bestselling novel that everyone is talking about, The Good Girl, by Mary Kubica! Look for Mary's latest complex and addictive tale of deceit and obsession, Don't You Cry. Order your copies today!

“Effortlessly transports readers back to India on the brink of independence . . . fans of women’s romantic fiction will be enchanted.” —Booklist, starred review My name is Layla and I was born under an unlucky star. For a young girl growing up in India, this is bad news. But everything began to change for me one spring day in 1943, when three unconnected incidents, like tiny droplets on a lily leaf, tipped and rolled into one. It was that tiny shift in the cosmos, I believe, that tipped us together—me and Manik Deb. Despite being born under an inauspicious horoscope, Layla Roy is raised to be educated and independent. By cleverly manipulating the hand fortune has dealt her, she finds love with Manik Deb—a man betrothed to another. All were minor miracles in India that spring of 1943, when women’s lives were predetermined—if not by the stars, then by centuries of family tradition and social order. Layla’s life as a married woman takes her into the jungles of Assam, where the world’s finest tea thrives on plantations run by native labor and British efficiency. Fascinated by the culture of expats who seem unfazed by earthquakes and man-eating leopards, she struggles to find her place among the prickly English wives, and the servants now under her charge. Navigating the tea-garden set won’t be her biggest challenge. Powerful changes are sweeping India on the heels of WWII. Colonial society is at a tipping point, and Layla and Manik are caught in a perilous racial divide that threatens their very lives. “A lyrical novel that touches on themes both huge and intimate.” —Kirkus Reviews

I was a part of the invisible crowd in high school, but when I started my freshmen year at college, everything changed. I met Karen, my best friend for life; Kyle, a gorgeous graduate student who I fell for my first day on campus; and Gunnar, a buff rugby player with a great smile and big heart. I heard rumors that the most popular girl from my home town was also at my school. We weren't rivals, she had dismissed me long before our senior year of high school, so we were able to become almost-friends. Yet, this geeky girl, meaning me, of course, would be the one to save the prom queen after a sordid night trying to mend her broken heart with alcohol, frat boys and a fateful walk down a dark alley alone. In between trying to do the right thing, I was falling in love, studying and partying way too hard, and singing with Kyle in his band. Just when I thought my dreams were all coming true, along with a few amazing surprises, I discovered it was my own heart I had to protect when Kyle’s past crept into our lives and changed everything... maybe forever.

From the winner of the inaugural Matilda Prize comes a heartwarming coming-of-age story about growing up in Australia when you're caught between two cultures Layla Karimi has been cursed by the evil eye. Well, that's what Layla's superstitious grandmother tells her. And Layla reckons it makes sense as she's sort of Australian and sort of Lebanese: a 'halfie' who doesn't really fit into either world. And when all hell breaks loose at the first beach party of the summer, Layla finds herself caught between her friends and the Lebanese kids who call themselves 'the Cedar Army' (of which her cousin Sufia is the Queen Bee). One group has been wrongfully accused and Layla knows the truth that would clear their name. But will she speak up? PRAISE 'a warm-hearted and authentic coming-of-age story about the impact of race and place on our sense of self and belonging ... perfect for fans of other recent Own Voices releases like Sunburnt Veils by Sara Haghdoosti and Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim' - Mischa Parkee, Books + Publishing

Family Feuds The stunning acquittals of Scott and Layla West reverberate throughout the justice system, and the powerful cartels take notice. The Wests were untouchable, and their drug empire is still intact, but family ties begin to unravel. New mom Lucky has a lot on her shoulders as she continues to deceive the head of the Juarez cartel. Partnering with her twin brothers, Lucky lines up the pieces on the chessboard, but she underestimates the king and queen.

Graduate student Autumn McShane has had her share of heartbreak. She’s been abandoned and betrayed and she lost her beloved mother in a tragic car accident five months ago. That loss damaged her body and fractured her spirit but she’s learning to recover, until her ex-boyfriend returns to town, intent on making her life miserable. Declan Fraser hates her ex as much as Autumn does, but the last thing she needs is to put her trust in the hands of another man, especially one like Declan: his hard body and lulling Irish accent makes more than a few girls weak-kneed. The talented rugby player is rude and sarcastic, with tattooed, muscular arms and a cocky attitude, but he's the only one who can help Autumn win an ill-advised bet that, if lost, could cost her more than she's willing to pay. The reluctant alliance between Declan and Autumn stirs up cravings she doesn't want to admit, but Declan is a hard man to resist. Just when Autumn starts letting down her carefully constructed walls to the sexy bad boy, he betrays her when she needs him most. Autumn suspects Declan has secrets, and she is determined to uncover what drove him away from her, even if that means fraternizing with the enemy. But will the truth return Declan to her arms or add to the scars on her heart?