Lauren E. Rico

Against the bold beauty of San Juan, a baffling genealogy test connects two twenty-something women across cultures and class in this emotional yet refreshing story about sisterhood and self-discovery for fans of Nina LaCour, Xochitl Gonzalez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Annette Chavez Macias, and Julia Alvarez.

"A masterfully woven tale of mystery, reconciliation, and familial love." –Abby Jimenez, New York Times Bestselling Author

"A compulsive story with engaging characters that hooked me from the start. This is a must read!" –Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post & Amazon Charts Bestselling Author

What if your most basic beliefs about your life were suddenly revealed to be a lie?

As the fact checker for a popular magazine, Gabby DiMarco believes in absolute, verifiable Truths—until they throw the facts of her own life into question. The genealogy test she took as research for an article has yielded a baffling result: Gabby has a sister—one who’s been desperately trying to find her. Except, as Gabby’s beloved parents would confirm if they were still alive, that’s impossible.

Isabella Ruiz can still picture the face of her baby sister, who disappeared from the streets of San Juan twenty-five years ago. Isabella, an artist, has fought hard for the stable home and loving marriage she has today—yet the longing to find Marianna has never left. At last, she’s found a match, and Gabby has agreed to come to Puerto Rico.

A Novel

Familia

When graduate student Katherine Brenner walked into my class, I couldn't stand her -- all perfect skin and big, blue eyes -- just like the woman who broke my heart. If it wasn't for that blizzard, if her car hadn't broken down outside my house, if she hadn't looked amazing by the firelight, I never would have kissed her. No matter how hard I try, every excuse I make not to see her comes up flat. I can't stop thinking of her lips. Or the way her curves fit perfectly in my hands. There's a million reasons why this won't work. I'm her professor. It's against university policy. And if this gets out, I could lose everything.

Solo

How do you find your way back when you’ve left yourself behind?

A painful unsolved mystery resurfaces after decades of confusion, sending one woman and her daughters on a journey of redemption in this emotional story about intergenerational trauma, family, and the beauty of Puerto Rico.

Thirty years ago, musicians Emilia Oliveras and Paul Winstead were married in Puerto Rico. Forty-eight hours later, Paul vanished from their honeymoon cruise, leaving Emilia devastated—and the prime suspect in his disappearance. So, she ran for her life, leaving behind her love, her dreams, and her identity.

Today “Emily Oliver” is a divorced music teacher and mother of two daughters who know nothing about her past: Gracie, a talented attorney who excels in the courtroom but grapples with personal relationships, and Meg, a gifted concert pianist who wrestles with her ambition and purpose.

When a cryptic caller claims the unthinkable—that Paul is alive, Emily returns to Puerto Rico in search of the truth. What she doesn’t know is that her daughters aren’t far behind. Shocked to find their mother isn’t the woman they thought she was, Gracie and Meg wonder how much of their lives have been a lie.

As the paths of the three women intertwine, they are compelled to confront their pasts, reevaluate their relationships, and seek forgiveness. Together they embark on a quest to unravel the mystery of Paul’s disappearance and redefine their futures on their own terms, navigating a maze of family ties, secrets, and redemption.

After the Ocean

Alison Armitage is a powerful woman at the top of her field. But just once, she’d like to give up control to someone else…control of her decisions, her body, her life. It was only a fantasy…until it wasn’t. Until the day she was abducted and brought to a remote island where she was trained to serve a man known to her only as Master. A man who promised to cherish her and keep her safe. A man who considered her to be his personal property. What she never anticipated was developing feelings for the stranger with the dark, stormy eyes and commanding tone. Nor did she expect that his touch would ignite her body with a passion she thought only existed in movies and romance novels. Now, with each passing day, she falls harder and deeper for him and for this lifestyle as she finds a freedom and contentment she never imagined possible. But no sooner has she come to terms with her new role and her new life than her world is up-ended once more, leaving her bereft, heartbroken and furious. This time, it’s Alison who has the upper hand and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants…as soon as she figures out what exactly that is. And until she can untangle fantasy from reality, she is destined to be a slave to both.

Lauren E. Rico

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