Speakeasy

Time-honored cocktails like the New York Sour and the Sidecar were born during the era of Prohibition, the blessedly bygone social experiment that turned drinking into an underground adventure. In those days, hard beverage options were usually made with homemade hooch and flavorings of dubious origin and quality. Thankfully, a cocktail renaissance has emerged in many of today’s bars, where inventive drinks showcase both the artistry and craft of bartending. At their moody and atmospheric West Village bar-restaurant Employees Only, master mixologists Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric can regale you with colorful tales of cocktail origins—or just pour you a mean drink. In Speakeasy, Kosmas and Zaric take their inspiration from traditional favorites, then use the finest spirits, the freshest ingredients, and a good measure of reverence for their craft to elevate the mixed drink to artisanal status. More than 80 imaginative libations that riff on the classics are showcased in this one-of-a-kind collection. Recipes emphasize fresh fruits and herbs, homemade syrups and infusions, and a careful balancing of flavors, with a mind toward seasonality. A Ginger Smash is offered in four different versions: kumquat, pineapple, pear, or cranberry, depending on the time of year. The Millionaire becomes the Billionaire with the addition of homemade grenadine and 107-proof bourbon. And the South Side becomes the West Side by replacing the gin with sun-kissed Meyer lemon–infused vodka. With the specter of Prohibition firmly in the past, Speakeasy shares recipes for the choicest potent potables, reimagining the finest drinks of yesterday for today’s thirsty imbibers.

The novella is centered on Eddie Durante, owner of a speakeasy who's supported by his mobster uncle—the boss of the Durante family. Eddie is a young widower after his family's rival, the Caprice family, murdered his wife over a territory dispute. After devising a plan that retaliated against four of the rivaling capos, Eddie is left with the daunting task to try and move on. That is, until he's notified that the Caprices have put a hit man in the speakeasy—and Eddie's name is on the list. But things take an unexpected turn when Eddie instead starts to find the dead bodies of his relatives, the ones who had helped in the retaliation. Behind the backdrop of jazz music and glistening flappers, murder after murder begins to unravel as revenge takes center stage, and Eddie soon learns that some secrets can’t be taken to the grave.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER Sometimes you fall for Mr. Right. And sometimes for Mr. Right Now… May Did you hear the one about the girl who walks into a bar and catches her live-in lover kissing someone else? No? You’re the only one in town who missed it. Luckily Alec is there to wrap me up in strong arms and carry me out the door before things get too ugly. And that’s not all Alec is good at. Our unexpected chemistry makes him the perfect rebound guy. Alec I should know better than to hook up with my rival’s little sister, but the fiery look in May’s eyes really turns my crank. She needs cheering up, and I’m just the guy for the job. It’s not like I’ll fall in love. Not even after a string of scorching hot trysts, and the realization that we’re good at the same things: wild nights and familial disappointment. I don’t do love, never have, never will. So this is the perfect arrangement, for both of us. Nobody would approve, but nobody has to know… This is a stand-alone novel set in the True North world. For fans of: Melanie Harlow, Corinne Michaels, Meghan March, Lauren Blakely, Julia Kent, Elle Kennedy, Tijan, CD Reiss, Kendall Ryan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Jana Aston, K Bromberg, Katy Evans, Jessica Hawkins, Kristen Proby, Penny Reid, Helena Hunting, Sally Thorne, Kristen Ashley, Helen Hoang, Kylie Scott, Christina Lauren, Jana Aston, Sawyer Bennett, Lexi Ryan, Karina Halle, Skye Warren, Kennedy Ryan, Jodi Ellen Mapas, Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis, Max Monroe, Susan Stoker, KA Linde, Kate Canterbary, Kristen Callihan, Samantha Young Keywords: Vermont romance, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, craft beer, entrepreneurs, bartender, best friend's little sister, big brother's best friend, small town romance.

A former undetected outlaw who ran with Bill Bagley’s notorious gang during the Depression, Lena Stillman is now an elite codebreaker in a position to know the nation’s strategic secrets. Good under pressure, good at keeping her mouth shut, Lena never had trouble keeping her double lives compartmentalized—at least not until Bill is sentenced to hang, and her old Clockwork Gang becomes newsworthy. Despite mounting fear that her secrets might be revealed, Lena excels at work and her skills attract new, unwanted attention. She is assigned to root out a spy at the Esquimalt base, and even her friends become suspects. Intricate and entertaining, Speakeasy is a riveting West Coast caper, but like enemy submarines patrolling offshore, deeper issues lurk below. With the violence of war encroaching on Canada’s shores, Lena must grapple with her past and use all of her skills, linguistic and otherwise. She discovers that loyalty is simply a form of love. Who knows what causes it—or what revelations could make it disappear?

Mob boss Helen Byrne loves the new breed of women in the Roaring Twenties. She loves them every chance she gets. But when she finds herself attracted to bad girl Maria Falco, things change. MariaÕs boyfriend is Franco Moretti, Al CaponeÕs right-hand man. Helen has vowed to protect the men in her gang, but her need for Maria is powerful. Is the imminent gang war worth it to her and her men? Can she convince Maria to leave the powerful Moretti for her? And if she does, how will she survive being the target of the most powerful mob in town? Maria and Helen burn hot, but so does MorettiÕs firepower. Helen is determined to make Maria hers and hers alone. But at what cost?

Set in the roaring 1920s during the Prohibition era in Chicago, a young and ambitious journalist stumbles upon a hidden speakeasy run by a mysterious and charismatic figure known as "The Whisperer." Intrigued by the allure of the illicit world within, the journalist decides to infiltrate the speakeasy to uncover its secrets and write an exposé that could make or break her career. However, as she delves deeper into the underground world of bootleggers, mobsters, and jazz musicians, she discovers that not everything is as it seems, and her investigation puts her in grave danger

Of all the speakeasies in town He walked into hers… Guilt drives New York cop Patrick McCormick, who promises to reunite schoolteacher Lisa Walters with her long-lost father. Only, Lisa also runs an underground speakeasy! Tough yet innocent, Lisa might be the only one who can help Patrick overcome his past, but she’s on the wrong side of the law. Patrick must remember he’s there to fulfill a promise, not fall in love… From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past. Twins of the Twenties Book 1: Scandal at the Speakeasy

It is the roaring '20s in Chicago. The federal government enacts the Volstead Act. This does not stop the activities of the underground world, both in the coloured and white side of town. Helen Williams is an astute, but bashful upper class coloured detective who wields her heirloom magnifying glass more than she brandishes a gun. She goes undercover with her partner, Stephen Patterson, to further investigate murders where a vacant field is used as a dumping ground. She is surprised to know who was the head of operations all along. The suspects all lead to the illegal underground establishment--a speakeasy. Williams learns the latest dance crazes, fashion and even hairstyles of the atypical flapper. Yet, at least one person can readily tell that she does not belong in the illegal club. Helen meets Thaddeus, a handsome Englishman who courts her. Thaddeus eventually proposes. On the final night of her investigation, Williams uses a secret passageway to confront the female 'executioner'. The detectives, Thaddeus and the mastermind of a criminal organization confront one another in an upper suite of the speakeasy. Who will leave alive?