New Releases by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Veteran women''s fiction writer Lauren Baratz-Logsted presents the moving story of a family disrupted by fame, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer. Ever wonder what it must be like to be the younger sibling of someone so popular, princes and presidents are excited to meet him? Mona knows. Or thinks she does. Mona is married to Jack, younger brother to Denny Springer, lead singer for The Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band in the World. Jack happens to sing too, of course, not that anyone in the world notices very much. After Denny attends the family Easter dinner in London for the first time in decades, Mona invites Denny to join her and her family for the summer at a rental house in coastal Connecticut. She tells Denny it''ll be a chance for him to finally bond with Jack, from whom Denny has been estranged for twenty years. Denny initially laughs at the idea...but then shows up on their doorstep. As the summer progresses, though, questions arise: Did Denny really have a change of heart and a sudden commitment to family? Or is he hiding something? More importantly, why did Mona invite him in the first place? Most importantly of all, how well do we ever really know anybody? "Lauren Baratz-Logsted writes genuine characters, killer comedic timing and romantic blunders that are truly something special." — RT Book Reviews

1920, England And the three teenage Clarke sisters thought what they''d wear to dinner was their biggest problem... Lady Kate, the entitled eldest. Lady Grace, lost in the middle and wishing she were braver. Lady Lizzy, so endlessly sunny, it''s easy to underestimate her. Then there''s Will Harvey, the proud, to-die-for—and possibly die with!—stable boy; Daniel Murray, the resourceful second footman with a secret; Raymond Allen, the unfortunate-looking young duke; and Fanny Rogers, the unsinkable kitchen maid. Upstairs! Downstairs! Toss in some farmers and villagers! None of them ever expected to work together for any reason. But none of them had ever seen anything like this.

Amazon Editors'' Pick Best Books of June 2017 Semifinalist: GoodReads Choice Awards 2017 Best Middle Grade and Children''s Book National Council for Social Studies/Children''s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2018 The Planetary Society Recommended Space Books for Kids of All Ages 2017 The National Science and Engineering Council of Canada list of books for Science Literacy Week 2018 2018-2019 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Intermediate Grade list 2018-19 Maine Student Book Award Reading List 2018-2019 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award List, Grades 3-5 It''s 1969 and the country is gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting moment in U.S. history: men landing on the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie''s class is given an assignment to write letters to the astronauts. All the girls write to Neil Armstrong ("So cute!") and all the boys write to Buzz Aldrin ("So cool!"). Only Mamie writes to Michael Collins, the astronaut who will come so close but never achieve everyone else''s dream of walking on the moon, because he is the one who must stay with the ship. After school ends, Mamie keeps writing to Michael Collins, taking comfort in telling someone about what''s going on with her family as, one by one, they leave the house thinking that someone else is taking care of her—until she is all alone except for her cat and her best friend, Buster. And as the date of the launch nears, Mamie can''t help but wonder: Does no one stay with the ship anymore? With I LOVE YOU, MICHAEL COLLINS, Lauren Baratz-Logsted has created a heartwarming story about family and being true to yourself. A Margaret Ferguson Book

The Adventures of Sherlock Bones turns snooping on its floppy ear when one day, Dr. Jane Catson, a surgeon injured in the Cat Wars has an afternoon nap interrupted by a most unusual occurrence. On the front lawn of her home, rather loud footsteps disturb her peace as Sherlock Bones, a Great Dane in a deerstalker claiming to be the greatest detective in the world arrives. After a quick critical examination of the intrusive dog whose enormous body blocks the entire sun from view, Catson has her doubts. But that''s not all. The monstrously-sized creature makes an even more astonishing claim. He has come to live with her! Before Catson can collect her thoughts into an intelligent rebuttal, Sherlock Bones has made himself quite at home, inventing things like a jetpack for her Castilian housekeeper-cook, a turtle named Mr. Javier and placing his gigantic food and water dishes next to hers. But there''s no time for protest. The great detective and Dr. Catson have caught themselves their first case: A suspiciously dead human in a nearby abandoned building. Can Sherlock Bones and Dr. Catson crack the case before the killer strikes again? Or will their differences get in the way of solving Case File No. 1? One thing''s for sure, that would be a doggone shame.

"In an offbeat alternate universe romantic comedy, Daisy, an underachieving, 30-something cleaning lady wins a million dollars and follows a lifelong dream of going to London and meeting Prince Charles. Through a series of misunderstandings, the Royal Family doesn''t realize Daisy''s station in life until after she and Charles have fallen in love"--

What would happen if your parents went missing? Gone! Poof! The Huit sisters, octuplets to be exact, experience just this. Mommy was supposed to bring hot chocolate, and Daddy more wood for the fire. But they’re gone! What are the young girls to do? The Sisters Eight are determined to find out what happened to their parents. Maybe the notes that keep appearing mysteriously behind a loose brick in the fireplace have something to do with it. It’s a good old-fashioned mystery, with missing parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin! Jump right into this series, one book for each sister, and discover which secret power lies within the sisters! Annie’s the oldest, and thus her power appears first. Unravel the mystery with the Sisters Eight starter pack. This starter pack contains three books: Annie’s Adventures, Durinda’s Dangers, and Georgia’s Greatness.

As Katie''s father and Drew''s mother vie for the Presidency, the sixteen-year-olds start--and end--a romance, but the press finds out, both candidates'' poll numbers rise, and the two are asked to flaunt their former relationship.

"A warm, wise and witty tale [that] lovingly evokes the lives of four ordinary women who become each other''s surrogate families." —Elizabeth Letts Some families you are born into. Some you choose. And some choose you. Four women have little in common other than where they live and the joyous complications of having sisters. Cindy waits for her own life to begin as she sees her sister going in and out of hospitals. Lise has made the boldest move of her life, even as her sister spends every day putting herself at risk to improve the lives of others. Diana is an ocean apart from her sister, but worries that her marriage is the relationship separated by the most distance. Sylvia has lost her twin sister to breast cancer, a disease that runs in the family, and fears that she will die without having ever really lived. When Diana places an ad in the local newsletter, Cindy, Lise, and Sylvia show up thinking they are joining a book club, but what they discover is something far deeper and more profound than any of them ever imagined. With wit, charm, and pathos, this mesmerizing tale of sisters, both born and built, enthralls on every page.

A fake pregnancy, a real baby, and a madcap adventure: This follow-up to The Thin Pink Line is "even better than the first book" ( Booklist). London editor Jane Taylor pretended to be pregnant for months. Now she has rescued an actual abandoned baby—which would have come in handy for keeping up her charade, except that the infant is black and Jane is white. Finally giving up her ruse, Jane comes clean to the people in her life—but she wants to keep this precious little one. To do that, she''ll have to battle Social Services and take on anyone who tries to get in her way, with some help from her ex-boyfriend Tolkien. But as she tries to reassure others—and herself—that she would make a fit mother, it''s clear that she''ll always be crazy Jane . . . This is a delightfully comic and touching tale from an author with a "deft touch and sure eye for character" (Elizabeth Letts, New York Times–bestselling author of The Perfect Horse).

Broken, smashed and stomped in the mud That''s how Charlotte Bell''s heart ended up the last time she let her emotions heat up on a nanny assignment. So taking a new position in frigid Iceland, working for Ambassador Edgar Rawlings, might be just what Charlotte needs in order to heal up—and chill out. This time, she''s determined to be intrepid and courageous. She''s even read all fifty-six original Nancy Drew books in preparation. Unfortunately, she''s neglected to find out anything about Iceland or to look into the background of her oddly compelling employer. When Charlotte stumbles onto the trail of a mystery that only she can solve, she''ll need every shred of Nancy''s wisdom to keep her life—and her heart—safe!

The Eights are off to rescue Mommy and Daddy from inside a snow-globe-shaped Christmas ornament, in the exciting final volume of the Sisters 8 series.

With the arrival of August, Zinnia, the youngest of the Huit octuplets, eagerly anticipates getting her power and gift, both of which hold big surprises that are revealed to the sisters on their eighth birthday.

When Rebecca demonstrates superhuman strength she brings unwanted publicity to the Huit octuplets, but much greater danger is in store when she acquires the power to shoot fire from her fingertips.

Questions! Questions! Questions! The Sisters Eight have so many questions and so few answers! Luckily, one more month means one more Eight will discover her power and her gift, which means they''re one step closer to discovering what happened to Mommy and Daddy on New Year''s Eve. Marcia’s month is about to begin. You remember Marcia, right? The sensible one? The one who would never do anything . . . crazy?

During the month of June, Petal, one of the eight Huit octuplets, gets her power, which she uses to great advantage when Crazy Aunt Serena tries to kidnap Rebecca and throw her off the Eiffel Tower while the rest of the family attends a wedding.

On New Year''s Eve, the octuplets Huit--Annie, Durinda, Georgia, Jackie, Marcia, Petal, Rebecca, and Zinnia--discover that their parents are missing, and then uncover a mysterious note instructing them that each must find her power and her gift if they want to know what happened to their parents. Simultaneous.

Noticing that their neighbor, Wicket, has taken a sincere interest in what their mother had been working on before her disappearance, the girls become more suspicious than ever--especially after their favorite teacher suddenly doesn''t show up at school one day! Simultaneous.

A rather large problem has befallen the Huit girls. (Sisters, actually. Octuplets to be exact.) One particular New Year''s Eve, the girls wait for their mommy to bring them hot chocolate and their daddy to return with more wood for the fire. But they don''t. Mommy and Daddy, that is. They''re gone. Poof! Maybe dead-no one knows for sure. You must see the problem here. Eight little girls on their own, no mommy or daddy to take care of them. This is not a good thing. So now these little girls, must take care of themselves. Get to school, cook the meals, feed the cats (eight of them, too), and pay the bills. They can''t ask for help, oh no. Any self-respecting adult would surely call in social services, and those well-meaning people would have to split them up. After losing their parents, being split up would be completely unbearable. At the same time, the question remains:What happened to Mommy and Daddy? The Sisters Eight (as they are called, affectionately and otherwise) are determined to find out. Luckily, they do seem to have someone or something helping them. Notes keep appearing behind a loose brick in the fireplace. It''s a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery-let the fun begin! Annie''s Adventures, wherein the girls''parents go missing (or die) and the girls learn each one has a power and gift. Annie, being the oldest, is the first to discover hers.

April Fools'' Day is long and hard for the third-grade Huit octuplets, but it is nothing compared to the challenges of Tax Day, through which Jackie discovers her special power and gift and learns more about their parents'' mysterious disappearance.

In turn-of-the-century London, an exemplary Victorian wife begins a noble-minded project: writing letters to a lonely local prisoner. What happens next in this brilliantly crafted novel of literary suspense will change Emma Smith’s life forever—and ignite a dark, erotic drama of suspicion, loss, and awakening. In the year 1898, Emma makes a New Year’s resolution: to become a better person. So, under the tutelage of her novelist husband, she begins an innocent correspondence with Chance Wood, a man serving his sentence for the murder of his wife. But from the beginning, in words that shock and intrigue her, Chance dares Emma to unveil her unspoken thoughts and desires. And when Chance receives a pardon, Emma is set dangerously free. She will use her freedom—and Chance’s—to pursue the fantasies that have been swirling dizzily around her. Slowly, recklessly, Emma exchanges all that was familiar and safe for her new, dangerous double life. As the risks mount and a friend turns blackmailer, Emma cannot stop her fall. For once she has given in to her truest, basest desires, she cannot avoid the ones that come next.…