The Groom Came C O D

The groom is always the last to know… Imagine confirmed bachelor Ben Howard's surprise when he opened the morning paper and discovered he was about to marry a total stranger! The explanation: bridal shop owner Melinda Carey had accidentally released an imaginary engagement announcement. The thing Ben didn't get: why she'd chosen him as her fake fiancée! Could life be any more embarrassing? Mortified, Melinda had secretly dreamed about marrying her high school crush. Now their "wedding" was the talk of the town, her loopy aunt Bertie was convinced canceling it would be bad luck—and most shocking of all!—Ben declared his intention to go through with the marriage. Happily Wedded After: Jump headlong into these unforgettable stories about saying "I Do!"

Dani Lockhart had always fantasized about her wedding day…walking down the aisle and giving her hand in marriage to the man of her dreams—just not to her enemy, Beau Chamberlain! But apparently that's exactly what she did…and couldn't remember. Sure Beau was movie-star handsome and lived by a value system that would stand the test of time. From work to lovemaking and everything in between, he followed the all-or-nothing rule. And he intended to find out exactly how his name and Dani's ended up on a marriage license—and just how Dani could be expecting his child!

The legendary Hollywood star blazes a fiery trail in this enthralling portrait of a brilliant actress and the movies her talent elevated to greatness She was magnificent and exasperating in equal measure. Jack Warner called her "an explosive little broad with a sharp left." Humphrey Bogart once remarked, "Unless you're very big she can knock you down." Bette Davis was a force of nature—an idiosyncratic talent who nevertheless defined the words "movie star" for more than half a century and who created an extraordinary body of work filled with unforgettable performances. In Dark Victory, the noted film critic and biographer Ed Sikov paints the most detailed picture ever delivered of this intelligent, opinionated, and unusual woman who was—in the words of a close friend—"one of the major events of the twentieth century." Drawing on new interviews with friends, directors, and admirers, as well as archival research and a fresh look at the films, this stylish, intimate biography reveals Davis's personal as well as professional life in a way that is both revealing and sympathetic. With his wise and well-informed take on the production and accomplishments of such movie milestones as Jezebel, All About Eve, and Now, Voyager, as well as the turbulent life and complicated personality of the actress who made them, Sikov's Dark Victory brings to life the two-time Academy Award–winning actress's unmistakable screen style, and shows the reader how Davis's art was her own dark victory.

With more than 100 new entries, from Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cary Joji Fukunaga to Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, and Robin Wright, and completely updated, here from David Thomson—“The greatest living writer on the movies” (John Banville, New Statesman); “Our most argumentative and trustworthy historian of the screen” (Michael Ondaatje)—is the latest edition of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, which topped Sight & Sound’s poll of international critics and writers as THE BEST FILM BOOK EVER WRITTEN. 3/7

Of Human Bondage, Jezebel, All About Eve, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Just this short list of Bette Davis' films gives an unmistakable sense of the role she played in twentieth-century cinema as one of the finest performers in Hollywood history. Drawing on an extensive series of conversations that took place during the last decade of Bette Davis' life, this biography draws heavily on the actresses own words. Looking back over the decades, from her teenage decision to become an actress to the pain and outrage over her daughter's bitter portrayal of her, Davis speaks with extraordinary candour. She explains how her father's abandonment of her a child reverberated through her four marriages, and discusses the persistent Hollywood legend that she was difficult to work with. Immersing readers in the drama and glamour of movie-making's golden age, The Girl Who Walked Home Alone is a startling portrait of an enduring icon.

There was a baby in his back seat! And when Sam Harrison noticed that the infant stowed away in his car was his own daughter, he ran his SUV right into a water tower! Luckily, no one was hurt, but the escapade left Sam and his baby stranded on Laura Evans's land…and she wasn't too happy about her unexpected visitors. Well, baby Annie soon had Laura cooing a different tune, especially when she learned the single dad knew nothing about child rearing. She agreed to take them in—for a limited time only. But between lessons in baby care, her closely guarded heart began to melt, though she would never reveal those feelings to Sam. For Laura had her share of secrets to keep… American Baby: Unexpected arrivals lead to the sweetest of surprises as Harlequin American Romance celebrates the love only a baby can bring!

Clear and Present…Trouble? Mike Wheeler needed to look no further than Charlene "Charlie" Norris to find the cause of the pain in his—leg. Mixing it up with a diplomat one minute, then chasing after an exotic pet the next, Charlie was an international incident just waiting to happen. The woman was pure trouble. With her long, shapely legs and cheery attitude, she had a way of turning his wellordered world upside down every time their paths crossed. Mike already had his hands full, juggling single fatherhood and a danger-filled job. Now he'd pulled bodyguard duty for the free-spirited blonde who made his blood race and lonely heart stir. But was Charlie really mother and wife material? And was Mike prepared to become a secret service husband? Grooms in Uniform: Serving their country, as they follow their hearts…