Books by My Bedside - Laura

The pile of books balanced precariously on my bedside table is constantly growing -  as any good book pile should be. I am happy to read both paperbacks and ebooks, which is just as well because the paper weight of the books piling up in my ereader would crush any table to smithereens.

However, my current shortlist is:

1) Sunset Shadows by Bronwyn Parry. I’ve just finished reading this absorbing romantic thriller. The beautiful backdrop of country NSW is a stark contrast to the dark cunning of a cult leader determined to protect his secrets, including murder, at all costs. Police officers Steve Fraser and Tess Ballard battle to protect the lives of former cult members, themselves and their fledgling relationship from the fallout that follows the break-up of the cult’s hideaway. Sunset Shadows was shortlisted for this years

2)  A Scot in the Dark (Scandal and Scoundrel 2) by Sarah Maclean. I am a big fan of Sarah Maclean’s historical romances, which are both entertaining and wise. Alec, a Scot who inherits an English dukedom, and his ward Lillian disagree vehemently on what her future holds, a disagreement that sets up an entertaining and witty romp through 19th century London. And, yes, he does prefer a kilt to a suit!

3) The Joyce Girl by Annabel Abbs is a fictionalised history of Lucia Joyce. I am really looking forward to reading this story of a young woman caught in the maelstrom created by three of the most powerful men or her era: her father James Joyce, her lover Samuel Beckett and her psychiatrist Carl Jung.

4) A Taste of Seduction by Bronwen Evens. There are always at least two historical novels hovering near the top of my reading pile. This time there are three! USA Today bestselling New Zealand author Bronwen Evans earned her spot on my auto-buy list with To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield. A Taste of Seduction is the latest in her popular Disgraced Lords series.

5) The Princess (The Young Royals 3) by SA Gordon. I’m always on the lookout for books and series I might have missed along the way. These contemporary romances by Australian author SA Gordon are fun, sexy and glamourous. Book 3 came out earlier this year, and I’m hoping there will be a fourth soon. If not, I’ll have to console myself with her Open Season series about tennis players, their on court rivalries and off court entanglements.