ser·en·dip·i·ty
/ˌserənˈdipədē/
noun
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
"a fortunate stroke of serendipity"
"Serendipity… You will understand it better by the derivation than by the definition. I once read a silly fairy tale, called ‘The Three Princes of Serendip’: as their Highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of." – Horace Walpole
luck
/lək/
noun
success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
"it was just luck that the first kick went in"
"Luck is a goddess not to be coerced and forcibly wooed by those who seek her favors. From such masterful spirits, she turns away. But it happens sometimes that, if we put our hand in hers with the humble trust of a little child, she will have pity on us, and not fail us in our hour of need." - P.G. Wodehouse
hap·pen·stance
/ˈhapənˌstans/
noun
NORTH AMERICAN
coincidence.
"it was just happenstance that I happened to be there"
"Sometimes I remind myself that I almost skipped the party, that I almost went to a different college, that the whim of a minute could have changed everything and everyone. Our lives, so settled, so specific, are built on happenstance."
-Anna Quindlen
"Thanks to an accidental phone swap, two adorable rescue pups, and a coffeehouse clash, a holiday flirtation goes to the dogs and hilarity ensues, from New York Times bestselling author Julia London. All Harper Thompson wants for Christmas is the huge promotion she's worked so hard for-which she should get, as long as her launch of the hip new coffeehouse, Deja Brew, goes according to plan. Jonah Rogers is spending the holiday season trying to save his family's coffee shop, Lucky Star, from going out of business, which will be tough with the brand-new Deja Brew opening across the street. When Jonah and Harper meet for the first time after accidentally swapping phones, their chemistry is as electric as a strand of Christmas lights. He's a tall, handsome, compassionate hunk of engineer, and she's an entrepreneur whose zest for life is very sexy. They love all the same things, like running, scary movies, greasy food-and most of all, dogs. It's a match made in heaven...until Jonah finds out that Harper's the one about to put him out of business. Only one coffee shop can survive, and a competition of one-upmanship ensues in a holiday battle of the brews. The paws really come out when the local rescue shelter has a fundraiser where local businesses foster dogs, and patrons donate cash to vote for their favorite pup. Harper takes in an adorable old bulldog on behalf of Deja Brew, while Jonah fosters a perky three-legged dachshund for Lucky Star. When one precious pup is crowned King Mutt, and a For Sale sign goes up in the other shop's window, Harper and Jonah must decide if their connection was all steam or if they are the perfect blend"--. Provided by publisher.
""Mystical, magical, and wildly original...If Alice Hoffman and Sara Addison Allen had a witchy love child, she would be Paige Crutcher. Do not miss this beautifully realized debut!"-- JT Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Her Dark Lies on The Orphan Witch. A deeper magic. A stronger curse. A family lost...and found. Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she's around-changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight-and those who seek to bring her into their family quickly cast her out. To cope, she never gets attached, never makes friends. And she certainly never dates. Working odd jobs and always keeping her suitcases half-packed, Persephone is used to moving around, leaving one town for another when curiosity over her eccentric behavior inevitably draws unwanted attention. After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it's time to move on once again. It's lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she's managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn't be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she's been searching for her entire life. Answers. Family. Home. And some things she did not want. Like 100-year-old curses and an even older family feud. With the clock running out, love might be the magic that saves them all"--. Provided by publisher.
"On a snowy evening in January, thirtysomething Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or, even worse, a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. After eight perfect hours together, morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they'll never see each other again but fate has something else in mind. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence"--Page 4 of cover.
"Housekeeper-slash-entrepreneur Ella Bradley prides herself on being ready for anything. After all, with a father who died--and lied to her--and a stepmon and stepsister who despise her, she has no one else to depend on. But on the biggest night of her life, she'd unprepared to be trapped in an elevator with the man of her dreams. Wealthy prince-to-a-fortune Adrian Vassos wants nothing more than to shed his reputation as a party boy and prove that he is a savvy businessman. Even, a gentleman. But when he's trapped with a woman who knows his reputation but not his face, he gives into the temptation to be someone else--and lies. When serendipity brings them together again--this time to work off community service--can their combined sentences spark a new ending? Maybe...if Adrian's lies don't find him out. Again."--Page 4 of cover.
"In the mountain village of Fox Crossing, Maine, everyone knows the story of The Fox. According to local legend, one of the town's founders crossed paths with a curious-looking fox with a distinctive white ear and paw. The unusual fox sighting not only inspired the town's name, it sparked a fantastical piece of folklore that's been passed down for generations. Some people say that whoever sees The Fox will be rewarded with good fortune, love, and happiness. Others say it's just a silly folk tale . . . Annie Hatherley doesn't believe The Fox legend - even though it was her great-great-great-grandmother who spotted the critter centuries ago. But now it's part of Annie's legacy, along with her family business, Hatherley's Outfitters. For years, Annie's been selling gear to hikers on the Appalachian Trail. But she's never seen The Fox - until now. Out of nowhere, this little white-eared vixen leads her to Nick Ferrone, a woefully unprepared hiker who needs her help. The Shoo Fly Bakery owner also spots the sly creature - who takes him to a homeless dog that needs his love. Annie can't deny that something magical is happening - because she's starting to fall for a certain foxy hiker named Nick"--. Provided by publisher.
Ava Granados will never forgive herself for being late to her beloved nana's deathbed. But due to a flash flood that left Ava in a fender bender with a mysterious boy, she missed her grandmother's mystical blessing-one that has been passed between the women of her family upon death for generations.
Then Nana's ghost appears with a challenge from beyond the grave. As it turns out, Nana did give Ava a blessing, but it missed its target, landing with the boy from the night of the storm instead. Was it fate? Ava refuses to believe so. With the help of her sisters and Nana's rather bumbling spiritual guide, she's determined to reclaim her share of the family magic and set Nana free.
For guarded Ava, befriending some random boy is the last thing she wants to do. She's gotten along just fine protecting her heart-keeping people at a distance is a great way to ensure no one ever hurts you. But as Ava embarks on her mission to retrieve the lost blessing, she starts to wonder if getting close to thunderstorm boy is worth the risk.
"Following three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life's curveballs, who are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing--and maybe even a second chance--just when they least expect it"--. Provided by publisher.
Emily and her mom were always lucky. But Emily's mom's luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right for Emily since.
Now, the summer before her senior year, things are getting worse. Not only has Emily wrecked things with her boyfriend Matt, who her mom adored, but her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mom's belongings away. Soon, she'll have no connections left to Mom but her lucky quarter. And with her best friend away for the summer and her other friends taking her ex's side, the only person she has to talk to about it is Blake, the swoony new girl she barely knows.
But that's when Emily finds the list--her mom's senior year summer bucket list--buried in a box in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the pair set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears before everything changes. As they go further down the list, Emily finally begins to feel close to her mom again, but her bond with Blake starts to deepen, too, into something she wasn't expecting. Suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best
"Phronsie Linnelle was conceived at Woodstock in a serendipitous liaison between a free-spirited hippie and a farmer's son. She was born with magical wonder flickering in her DNA and rationality knit into her bones. All her life she's been torn between the two. But now that she's been betrayed by both love and the mother she once idolized, her rational side is winning. So when her best friend from childhood proposes that they give up on romance and marry each other, Phronsie agrees. Who better to spend your life with than your best friend? Maybe the connection they already have is love. Maybe there's no falling to be done. But immediately after they announce their engagement, she encounters someone who makes a very charming and compelling argument for revisiting romance. While her even-keeled stepmother argues for the safety that comes with her new engagement and her mother relays messages from the universe to hold out for true love, Phronsie must look to her own heart to find the answers that have been there all along"--. Provided by publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.