Books published by Kensington Publishing

Lily Roberts pores over the clues in a piping hot new case when a confrontational celebrity chef is murdered at her Cape Cod tearoom during the filming of a popular baking show in the latest Tea by the Sea mystery from national bestselling author Vicki Delany . . .The country's hottest TV cooking show is coming to Cape Cod. And against her better judgment, Lily Roberts is entering America Bakes! with her charming tearoom, Tea by the Sea! Filming is already proving disruptive, closing the tearoom during Lily's busiest season. But tensions really bubble over when infamous bad-boy chef and celebrity judge, Tommy Greene, loses his temper with Lily's staff, resulting in an on-camera blowout with Cheryl Wainwright. Just as Lily thinks the competition can't get more bitter, Tommy is found dead in Tea by the Sea's kitchen . . . murdered with Cheryl's rolling pin. Suspicion immediately falls on Cheryl, but the temperamental star has racked up plenty of culinary clashes in the past, both on- and off-screen. And nearly anyone associated with Tommy or the show could be the killer: be it one of Lily's fierce competitors, a member of the beleaguered film crew, or even one of Tommy's fellow judges-struggling cookbook maven, Claudia D'Angelo or beauty contest winner, Scarlet McIntosh. Now, while she's baking up a storm for the show, Lily must also whip up an impromptu investigation . . . before the murderer rolls someone else away.

A whimsical romcom from the acclaimed author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club Pick Furia, perfect for fans of The Spanish Love Deception and Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. An accomplished young woman decides to throw herself a quinceañera (times two) for her 30th birthday after calling off her wedding, but then discovers what it really means to come into her own. “An enchanting novel overflowing with self-love and second chances.”—Kirkus ReviewsA Cosmopolitan Summer Read You Need | A Goodreads Book to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month | A Scary Mommy Summer Book Pick | Bibliolifestyle Books to Read for Hispanic Heritage MonthOne month short of her wedding day—and her thirtieth birthday—Nadia Palacio finds herself standing up to her infuriating, cheating fiancé for the first time in . . . well, ever. But that same courage doesn’t translate to breaking the news to her Argentinian family. She’s hyperventilating before facing them when she glimpses a magazine piece about a Latina woman celebrating herself—with a second quinceañera, aka Sweet 15! And that gives Nadia a brilliant idea . . .With a wedding venue already paid for, and family from all over the world with plane tickets, Nadia is determined to create her own happily-ever-after. Since the math adds up perfectly, she’ll celebrate her treintañera, her double quinces. As the first professional in her family, raising a glass to her achievements is the best plan she’s had in years. Until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling that became far more than a fling. And he looks even more delicious than a three-tiered cake . . .Full of exuberant heart, Twice a Quinceañera is a pure delight for every woman who needs to be her own biggest fan—and who dreams of a second chance at first love.“Heartwarming…A fun, empowering romp.” —Publishers Weekly “A warm, romantic story.” –Booklist

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black launches a pulse-pounding new series with a taut, compelling forensic thriller that introduces Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies, who must combine their expertise to solve deadly crimes . . .When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she's shocked to discover that the child's mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion-until their infant son is taken. "Every contact leaves a trace." That's the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition.At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca's son-and others like him-will face an unthinkable fate . . .

Apparently, the mouthwatering new ice cream flavors on the menu in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine, are really just to die for . . .Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell doesn't know what to believe when Lydia Partridge, the put-together owner of gourmet Bar Harbor Ice Cream, suddenly reveals fears that her husband may be having an affair. There's no other way to explain why Jamie, a respected professor, was spotted in a remote part of town with a much younger woman. But instead of learning the truth about the secret meeting, Lydia opens her freezer truck to find another surprise-the dead body of a summer employee . . .The shock continues as photographic evidence proves Jamie was spending time off campus with the victim, one of his students. Now, Lydia desperately needs Hayley to discover if Jamie really is a cheater-and, worse, a ruthless killer. With her own complicated family issues to address, can Hayley make sense of a popular college girl's love life and out the true culprit before the case, or another person, goes cold?

Living in a lighthouse with her dog, Lindsey Bakewell is lulled to sleep at night by the sound of Lake Michigan's waves-and gets up at the crack of dawn to start the day at her bakery café. But someone in Beacon Harbor is about to rock the boat with murder . . .After a career on Wall Street, Lindsey is making a different kind of dough in a pretty lakeside village, and the upcoming blueberry festival-including the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting-is the highlight of the summer. But soon Beacon Harbor runs into a patch of trouble.A local real estate agent gets pranked. A parade float gets pelted with water balloons. It's all laughed off until the stunts start escalating-and looking more like sabotage. As the event turns into a debacle complete with rampaging goats, Lindsey's sweetheart, a former SEAL, starts investigating. But the juicy mystery takes a bitter turn when a man-dressed up as a Viking-is found dead in a boat, and it's no longer mischief but murder . . .

"Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner's daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery--someone's dead body ... One of Whit's best boat tour clients, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn't seem like that's what really happened--not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family's old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo's kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who's innocent ... and who's covering a killer's tracks"--

For a tiny town, picturesque Wilfred, Oregon, has everything, including an impressive library housed in a Victorian mansion, a touch of magic in new librarian and fledgling witch, Josie Way, a visiting movie star-and a curious tendency toward murder . . . Josie and all of Wilfred are buzzing with excitement. A-list movie star Daphne Morris has chosen to interview Roz, assistant librarian and novelist, for her book club. But when the glamorous actress quickly charms both Roz's long-time love and sheriff Sam, the object of Josie's unrequited affection, Josie turns to the whispers from her beloved books for ideas on revising the plot. Yet soon there's another twist . . . At a party to celebrate the interview, Daphne's personal chef is found dead in a scene that all too closely echoes one in Roz's novel. It's clear to Josie that someone's idea of a happy ending means framing her friend. She'll have to read between the lines with the help of the library's enchanted stacks, guidance from her magical grandmother's letters, and her cat familiar, Rodney, to solve this murder before someone decides to stage a deadly sequel . . .

In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder . . .Miranda's business-combining Appalachian adventure tours with art and a bit of moonshine-is the perfect place for an outdoor sporting goods company to hold an employee retreat. It'll be a challenge, but the money they're paying will definitely help with building her new distillery. Miranda has lots of teamwork-fostering activities planned, from sketching classes to Southern cooking, but the executive running things prefers a more competitive spirit. In fact, after the workers are split into teams, they're told that only the winners will keep their jobs, and tensions begin to spike. Even after a participant is found dead, the contest continues-while Miranda starts drawing her own conclusions about the ambitious attendees. Now she just has to find the proof . . .

In the fourth Maidels of Morning Star novel by fan-favorite author Charlotte Hubbard, the five unmarried Amish friends who teamed up to transform an abandoned barn into the Morning Star Marketplace tackle the latest stumbling block to their success. When the elders vote to forbid any maidel to work after marriage, the rule forces one of them to make the choice between running the store she's put so much effort into and the man she loves. When five unmarried Amish maidels turn a ramshackle barn into a thriving business, their small Missouri town is energized by new opportunities. But the Morning Star Marketplace has also brought unexpected joy, as each woman finds her own true love . . . As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she'll have to work hard to gain her mother's approval-because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache. To win Jo's hand, Michael enlists his father's help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing-and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael's hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she's put her heart into, and the man she can't live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way . . .

Smoke Jensen calls the mountains home. The unforgiving wilderness taught him to survive. There’s no creature he hasn’t fought. There’s no storm he hasn’t weathered. And there’s no man in the untamed West who doesn’t fear his name. The Measure of a Man collects two adventures of New York Times bestselling author William W. Johnstone’s champion of the American frontier in one volume.War of the Mountain Man Nestled in the north Montana Rockies lies Hell’s Creek. A haven for outlaws, every thief and killer with an itchy trigger finger and an appetite for destruction pays their dues to Big Max Higgins, a criminal king seeking to expand his empire. But when he targets the town of Barlow, his gang ends up trading lead with Smoke Jensen, the Last Mountain Man, and the last man they ever should have crossed . . . Law of the Mountain Man In the dead of winter in frostbitten Idaho Territory two ranching outfits are at war, battling over the range. Between them comes Smoke Jensen, traversing the frontier and minding his own business, when he finds himself dodging bullets. Caught in the crossfire, threatened by both sides to sign up or occupy a grave, Smoke declares his own war, leaving casualties colder than the snow across the range . . .  JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE NATURE FORGES THE STRONGEST MEN.

"A woman's choice to betray her friend and to steal another woman's man creates problems she might not be ready to deal with"--

"For seventeen-year-old Delaney Ragein McGuff, life hasn't been easy. Both of her parents are strung out on drugs, so Delaney, the oldest of five siblings, skips straight over her childhood and focuses on being there for her sisters and brothers. At work one day, she meets Onijae Love, and she's instantly attracted to the older man. Onijae, a well-known businessman, is twenty-four and one of the handsomest men living in the state of Texas. With a head full of dreads, a fat bank account, and a body to die for, he's every woman's dream, but Onijae only has eyes for longtime girlfriend Bianca Harris--until he lays eyes on Delaney and finds himself constantly thinking about her. Bianca's been by Onijae's side through everything, and she has no plans to leave it. Even though she has a few secrets of her own, she will be damned if she lets someone else get what she sees as rightfully hers. She's willing to do anything necessary to be Onijae's only woman, no holds barred"--

After facing the wrath of Madame, sisters Rhonnie and Ahli Malone take on the job of being security detail for none other than Sadie Thomas, the head of The Last Kings. With a new drug, Vita E Morte, doing numbers under her belt, it is apparent that Sadie has plans to distribute it all over the United States. But after seeing the deadly side effects of the drug, Sadie agrees to get rid of the formula and take it off the market for good. Only somebody doesn't want her to. In fact, they'll do anything to get the formula for themselves ... including taking out the leader of The Last Kings. -- adapted from back cover

What would you do to hold on to the good life? Would you let your man lie and cheat on you? Would you turn your head when the truth is hitting you dead in the face?Akila Jones had a rough childhood growing up in one of Richmond’s grimiest projects. She learned early on that she had to boss up, go in savage mode, and take care of herself by any means necessary. Things are starting to look up for her when she falls for Mari, a well-known hitta from Virginia Beach. Little does she know she is destined for all the drama that comes with dating a dude with money. She’ll learn fast that good sex and playing the good girl are not enough to keep her wild lover under control. Mari is young, rich, and arrogant. His messed-up mentality toward females only makes it worse when he snatches up this young girl who is desperate for a better life. His ignorant behavior makes him oblivious to the fact that danger is on the way, and his life is about to turn upside down in the blink of an eye. Take a rocky ride with this couple who are toxic for each other but continue to play this dangerous game of love, lies, and betrayal.

Four lives . . . Three relationships . . . One real love.Tiffany Tate works hard for the life she has—one that others would kill for. In fact, the only thing missing is a ring and a husband, which she desperately wants.  That’s why, when her long-distance boyfriend, David, asks for her hand in marriage, she thinks God has finally answered all her prayers.  She doesn’t hesitate to give up all she has in St. Louis to begin her new life in Texas with her fiancé. Tiffany discovers that David is not the same person she’s come to know for the past three years once his many secrets slowly surface. She is forced to face the hard reality that he can never give her the life she truly desires. Terrence Montgomery has the picture-perfect life with his wife, Patricia, at least to those on the outside looking in. However, inside, he struggles with the difficult realities that arise in his marriage. Is their love for one another enough to see them through the challenges to their vows? Both David and Patricia are battling in their own way, trying to keep their relationships intact by any means necessary. When Tiffany and Terrence cross paths, everything changes, turning their worlds—and their spouses’—upside down.  

You've read White Fragility and How to Be an Antiracist, but what comes next? The answer lies in this clear, actionable guide providing an invaluable 4-week program for becoming an ally who makes a real difference in the racial justice fight. Get the tools you need to get off the sidelines and onto the frontlines of allyship, combat racism while supporting Black women, and avoid common pitfalls white people fall into when they think about and discuss racism.Black women have always been the driving force behind real change in this country-especially when it comes to racial justice work. But they shouldn't have to do it alone. If you're ready to stop standing on the sidelines and become anti-racist instead of passively "not racist," then this book is what you need. You'll discover: How to have difficult conversations about white supremacy, racism, and white privilegeHow to listen to criticism without defensivenessWhy it's harmful to ignore race or claim to be colorblindHow to expand your racial justice circle by joining groups led by Black women and cultivating a group of like-minded allies Racism can only be defeated if white people educate themselves and actively engage in antiracism work, especially in their inner circles. With this book, you'll learn how to change from someone who defends and protects racism to someone who fights against it. And you'll become an example to others that true allies are made, not born.

In her most riveting novel yet, New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison delivers an emotional rollercoaster of a tale of four very different friends chasing their heart's desires, no matter the cost . . .For Jordan, Victoria, Kingston, and Chancelor, fast-paced Atlanta offers everything their hometowns couldn't. But career success is easy compared to the city's dating scene of users, losers, and gold diggers. So they decide online dating might be the answer-as long as they take precautions, work their perfect odds-beating plan, and have each other's backs. Maybe they'll even find excitement and real love . . .An accomplished lawyer, Jordan must look hard at potential suitors. But Terrence seems to be the man of her dreams, until accusations and her career threaten to come between them. . . . Sixty-something real estate pro Victoria thinks young men equal satisfaction that a good Christian woman like her deserves, but anything-goes sex makes her bet more than she can afford to lose. . . . Basketball star Kingston has the perfect life and wife, but exploring what he really wants on the downlow is a game he may not win. . . . And for marketing guru Chancelor, the net is a paradise of prey, but the consequences could blow more than his schemes apart.Soon enough, all four friends' lives are in danger of being upended. And the results could rack up a price no one can pay.

Sex holds the power, while intellect soothes the mind, and Tori uses this fact to her advantage. She is a vicious woman who used her virginity as a weapon when she realized that what she has between her legs is worth more than gold. Nabbing the perfect man after just one night alone with him, she is now set for life. When she decides that one man is just not enough, Tori indulges in more to seek out what she is missing sexually. Will Tori's life come full circle for the better, or will temptation cost her everything, including her life? Jace, a young music producer on the come up, has always been popular. Falling in love was never on his agenda, especially while he made a name for himself in the music industry. However, when the universe brings the right woman into his life, things are bound to turn into something beautiful. Still, nothing in life is perfect, and Jace has to find that out the hard way. Success and love, can you really have both?

"In this tale of love and loyalty, jealousy, betrayal, and hate, Imani Mosley finds herself at the center of it all. In addition to restructuring her family's legitimate luxury charter business, Imani is rebuilding their weapons and drug trafficking business. Her brother, Hareem believes the way to expand is to eliminate his enemy, a mysterious woman known only as Diamond. Despite Imani's warnings that his actions might start a war, Hareem sets out to prove that he's right. In an attempt to draw Diamond out, he goes hard at her dealers. Imani's world gets complicated when Brock Whitehall returns after serving a ten-year sentence for transporting assault weapons. Before he went to prison, her father had always seen Brock as his heir apparent. Now he's back, looking for the money he was promised. He has plans to move on once he gets the money, until he sees Imani. Now he wants it all"--