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Cam and Jules are just an average young couple. But Cam isn’t quite the everyday man he appears to be. As the son of North Carolina’s richest woman, he tries everything to escape both his inheritance and the home of the legendary McTavish family.

When a family death pulls the couple back to the stately Ashby House, Jules is awestruck at the opulent surroundings. And even more awe-inspiring is the life of the woman behind them- Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, Cam’s late adoptive mother.

Ruby’s storied past began when she was the victim of a famous childhood kidnapping. Her legend continued as she found love, and was widowed…four times over. Amidst the rumors of her husbands mysterious deaths, she earns the moniker “Ruby Killmore.'” Even in death, Ruby oversees Ashby House from a life size oil painting, reminding Cam that one can never run from family. As Cam and Jules unveil the family’s storied past, secrets come to light that threaten their relationship, the inheritance, and the future of the McTavish name.

This was a twisty read told through Ruby’s own letters and the alternating perspectives of Cam and Jules. Rachel Hawkins thrills again with a story of a old money, old secrets, and an even older house. Slightly reminiscent of a gothic novel, The Heiress is a book that will have you flipping pages to find out what happens next.

Put the print copy on hold here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Lessons in Chemistry has the book world buzzing. Published in March 2022, the book has spent time on the New York Times Bestseller list, was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, and will be released as a tv series based later this year. Here at the library Lessons in Chemistry is in high demand, with copies flying off the shelves as soon as they are brought back to the library.

Summary

Elizabeth Zott isn’t your average homemaker. She’s a trained chemist whose attention to detail and scientific methods could have had her working at the best of the best research institutions. Instead, she’s at the Hastings Research Institute, where gender outweighs brilliance and her research isn’t credited under her name. Her 1960s feminist ideals aren’t welcome in her field, and Elizabeth faces discrimination at every turn. When her career as a researcher is abruptly cut short, she ends up hosting her very own cooking show for a local TV station. But instead of asking you to add a pinch of salt, she tells you to sprinkle on the sodium chloride. Because for Elizabeth, cooking is chemistry. It’s a science, not to be trifled with. Her kitchen is unlike any other, filled with beakers and bunson burners. But despite her dry sense of humor, Elizabeth appeals to the masses.

Told in the era of Mad Men, this story tells the untold of early women in STEM, unconventional families, and limiting beliefs of traditional gender roles. It’s a fun read and great for book clubs.

Put yourself on hold for Lessons in Chemistry here.

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