DISCUSSION GUIDES

A USA Today bestseller * A Good Morning America Book Club Pick * A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick * An ELLE Best Mystery/Thriller of 2025 * A BookRiot Best Mystery/Thriller of 2025

“It starts out feeling pretty light and fun, but I promise you, you have no idea where this story is going.” -Taylor Jenkins Reid, recommended for her Must-Read Book of 2025 in TIME Magazine

An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

An Amazon Charts and USA Today bestseller.

Gina Royal is the definition of average--a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband's secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor--the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband's crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she's starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake--and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed--or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she's learned how to fight evil. And she'll never stop.

I curse th’ one who stops my heart, t’ burn in agony afore his time—that each generation suffer the flames lit here t’night. Only death can stop it!
 

At its core it is a story of survival, reminiscent of the novels of Eric Ambler where the protagonist, who appears at first to be relatively ordinary, is drawn into a mystery she only barely comprehends.

Thea’s incredibly powerful and inspiring story is based on authentic personal diary entries, writings, newspaper clippings, and photos found by her daughter in boxes tucked away in the attic.
 

* Publishers Weekly Best Books of Summer 2025 * Bookbub Best Non-Fiction Release of the Season * MSNBC/Afar Magazine 10 Best Books for the Summer Traveler * Newsday’s Top Must-Read Book for Summer * Christian Science Monitor Best Book of May 2025 * Longlisted for the 2025 American Library in Paris Book Award

A riveting and stylish work of historical nonfiction set in Paris during World War II, The Art Spy uncovers how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the world's most treasured masterpieces.

On August 25, 1944, Rose Valland, a woman of quiet daring, found herself in a desperate position. From the windows of her beloved Jeu de Paume museum, where she had worked and ultimately spied, she could see the battle to liberate Paris thundering around her. The Jeu de Paume, co-opted by Nazi leadership, was now the Germans’ final line of defense. Would the museum curator be killed before she could tell the truth—a story that would mean nothing less than saving humanity’s cultural inheritance?

Based on troves of previously undiscovered documents, The Art Spy chronicles the brave actions of the key Resistance spy in the heart of the Nazi’s art looting headquarters in the French capital. A veritable female Monuments Man, Valland has, until now, been written out of the annals. While Hitler was amassing stolen art for his future Führermuseum, Valland, his undercover adversary, secretly worked to stop him. She came face to face with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, passed crucial information to the Resistance network, and faced death during the last hours of Liberation Day.

At the same time, a young Free French soldier, Alexandre Rosenberg , was fighting his way to Paris with the Allied forces battling to liberate France. Alexandre's father was the exclusive art dealer for Picasso, Matisse, George Braque, and Fernand Léger. The Nazis had taken everything from their family—their art collection, their nationality, their gallery, and their home in Paris. 

Vivid and atmospheric, this gripping narrative of Paris history moves from the glittering days of pre-War Paris, home to geniuses of modern culture, including Picasso, Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel, and Frida Kahlo, through the tension-riddled cities of Europe on the eve of war, to the harrowing years of the Nazi occupation of France when brave people such as Valland and Rosenberg risked everything to fight monstrous evil.

In the spirit of Hidden Figures, with the sweeping narrative of The Rape of Europa, The Art Spy is an inspiration for us all—an extraordinary tale of courage in a time of violence.

How did one woman stand against the Third Reich to save a continent’s culture?

• A True Story of Espionage: Based on newly discovered documents, this is the untold story of Rose Valland, the unassuming museum curator who became one of the most effective spies against the Nazis in Paris.
• The Fight Against Nazi Art Looting: Go inside the Jeu de Paume museum, the Nazi headquarters for stolen art, and witness Valland’s cat-and-mouse game with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring himself.
• The French Resistance: Learn how Valland secretly passed crucial information to the Resistance, risking her life during the last hours of the Liberation of Paris.
• An Untold Story of Women in History: Discover the crucial role of a real-life “Monuments Woman” who fought monstrous evil to preserve priceless works of art from destruction.

'Never want this series to end!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.

As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it's suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.

Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless... Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes

• Single Dad
• Forced Proximity
• Slow Burn
• Found Family

'Gives off the same level of endorphins as taking a sip of an actual pumpkin spice latte... all the makings of a top tier Hallmark movie that happens to include a nice dash of spice' People

'With a name this cute and a cover this autumnal, how could I not cozy up with my blanket and relax with this adoring book?' New York Post

'Laurie Gilmore has done it again; another solid 5 star read!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'As a devoted lover of the single dad trope, I hereby crown Laurie Gilmore as the undisputed queen!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Literally amazing. I can't say enough good things about Laurie Gilmore. I've fallen in love with every single one of her books' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Laurie Gilmore's book 'The Strawberry Patch Pancake House' was a No.1 New York Times bestseller w/c 2025-03-24.