Lio: There's a Monster in My Socks

To save her sister, Crystal Miller must woo Reginald, the Viscount Foxley, obtain the Carthage, an ancient stone of great powers, and give it to their evil father, Tom Mrasek. Tom locked a choking device with clockworks around the sister’s neck. Crystal has two months to get what he wants or else her sister will die.

Both Reginald and Tom are immortals. Over the centuries, Tom has sent many a woman to seduce Reginald into giving up the ancient power, and Reginald nearly succumbed twice.

Since Crystal knows nothing about seduction, and despises her abusive father, she doesn’t plan on following through–although she vows to save her sister. But her father’s spies are watching her so she must try her hand at wooing. It’s a juggling act since she also builds her listening ears disguised in her robomaids to spy on establishments her father frequents in an attempt to discover where he has imprisoned her sister.

Reginald is suspicious of her, and isn’t convinced she is who she says she is. However, his dear Lady Eliot–a woman who posed as his grandmother before her death–believed in Crystal, so much so that she named Crystal in her will with the stipulation that Reginald marry the girl in order to obtain Lady Eliot’s fortunes. Crystal claims she had nothing to do with the will, but Lady Eliot befriended her when she most needed it, and she wants to honor her benefactor by trying her hand at courting, which Reginald finds amusing and unusual.

When Reginald discovers her sister is missing, he joins her in the search. He admires her ingenuity with gadgets, and the way she uses her strengths to find her sister. She is both vulnerable and brave, a mixture he finds rare in women. He senses she has secrets. Her attempts to flirt with him in order to honor Lady Eliot captivates him; the mystery of her fascinates him.

Reginald’s determination to find her sister endears him to her. As she gets to know him better, the lies swamp her in guilt. Chivalry shines through from his ancient training as a Knight Templar, with an honor code her father and his acquaintances lack. She never anticipated falling for Reginald herself. Can she keep him from discovering who she is–the daughter of a man who has been Reginald’s archenemy for centuries?

With a little interference from pixies Allegro and Glissando, magic just might separate the truths from the lies and the horsehair from the crinoline.

Union Square Cafe serves some of the most imaginative, interesting, and tasty food in America. The restaurant and its owners, Danny Meyer and chef Michael Romano, have been lauded for their outstanding food and superb service by Gourmet, Food & Wine, the New York Times, and the James Beard Foundation. Now its devoted fans from down the block and across the globe can savor the restaurant's marvelous dishes, trademark hospitality, and warm decor at home.

Offered are recipes for 160 of Union Square Cafe's classic dishes, from appetizers, soups, and sandwiches to main courses, vegetables, and desserts. Hot Garlic Potato Chips, Porcini Gnocchi with Prosciutto and Parmigiano Cream, Grilled Marinated Fillet Mignon of Tuna, Herb-Roasted Chicken, Eggplant Mashed Potatoes, and Baked Banana Tart with Caramel and Macadamia Nuts are some of the all-time favorites included in this long-awaited collection.

Union Square's recipes are easily mastered by home cooks. They call for ingredients that are widely available (mail-order sources are listed for those few that are not), employ familiar techniques, and take a reasonable amount of time to complete. Amateurs and pros alike will find the dishes here as accessible as they are irresistible.

Beyond just providing recipes, The Union Square Cafe Cookbook inspires confidence in home cooks by sharing Michael Romano's tips for success. Readers learn that soaking baby onions in warm water makes them easier to peel (in the recipe for Sweet Peas with Escarole, Onions, and Mint); that the Corn and Tomatillo Salsa served with Polenta-Crusted Sea Bass also goes well with barbecued chicken or pork; that leftover Sautéed Spinach with Garlic makes a great sandwich filling; and that yesterday's sourdough bread should be kept for such soups and salads as Ribollita and Sourdough Panzanella. Danny Meyer's wine suggestions, inspired by the restaurant's remarkable cellar, accompany almost every recipe.

The Union Square Cafe Cookbook does the rare job of capturing the bustling energy and ebullient enthusiasm of the restaurant itself and the spirited personalities—those of Danny and Michael—that drive it. Folks will still go out of their way to eat at Union Square Cafe, but this cookbook—filled with the restaurant's vitality, warm artwork, and tempting recipes—ensures that its pleasures are as close as your bookshelf.

Cunning, reclusive Yard man Phineas Gunn is as skilled at capturing surly criminals as he is at charming beautiful women. But the dashing agent’s latest assignment is really testing his mettle. Officially, he’s investigating beguiling prima ballerina Catriona de Dovia Willoughby, a suspected anarchist. Unofficially, his attraction to his devilish former flame is hotter than ever.

Unsure whether to trust the enigmatic lover who betrayed her once, Cate nevertheless enlists Finn’s help to recover some priceless family jewels. Their pursuit erupts into a cross-continental adventure that begins with a double cross and crackles with secrets, lies, and sexual tension. The crime is clear—breaking and entering each other’s hearts—but as the clock ticks down, who will be the first to surrender?

Inspector Archie Bruce, who runs the newly formed Scotland Yard crime laboratory, is suddenly shifted from his duties behind the scenes to directly in the line of fire. When mysterious happenings in the laboratory seem threatening, a local pharmacist’s beautiful daughter might be just the one to help him solve the mystery. Can Archie solve the crime in time to protect the Yard and get the girl?