Empire State of Mind Series by Diane Michaels

A dead-end career. A love life that’s DOA. When fate sends her on a wild goose chase, can she land the deal of a lifetime? New York City realtor Lauren Bent is desperate for a break. Five years after earning her license, she’s still looking for a major sale and an escape from the shadows cast by her more-fortunate brother and pushy mother. So, when her estranged great-aunt passes away and her wealth comes up for grabs, the struggling property broker sees her shot to turn everything around... moreA dead-end career. A love life that’s DOA. When fate sends her on a wild goose chase, can she land the deal of a lifetime? New York City realtor Lauren Bent is desperate for a break. Five years after earning her license, she’s still looking for a major sale and an escape from the shadows cast by her more-fortunate brother and pushy mother. So, when her estranged great-aunt passes away and her wealth comes up for grabs, the struggling property broker sees her shot to turn everything around. Forced to compete in a contest to prove worthy of the riches, Lauren finds herself in a war with her greedy, self-absorbed family. And between accidentally setting fire to an apartment, lying siblings, and a poodle mistaking her for a hydrant, the beleaguered young woman fears she has no chance to win after Johnny, the bane of her high-school days, is named the tournament’s judge. Will Lauren’s star-crossed chase for fame and fortune come with a longer-lasting prize? Splitting Heirs is the lighthearted first book in the Empire State of Mind chick lit series. If you like laugh-out-loud humor, relationship drama, and zany characters, then you’ll adore Diane Michaels’ fast-paced story. less

Emma has forty-five-million dollars burning a hole in her handbag.And just as many reasons to flee New York City.She had everything:A billionaire husbandRespect in the art worldAnd impeccable style.Now the only exhibit she can curate is in a Staten Island sports bar. Plus, while wearing an outfit even a dumpster would reject, she bumps into the one person she hoped she’d never meet: the woman who ruined her marriage... moreEmma has forty-five-million dollars burning a hole in her handbag.And just as many reasons to flee New York City.She had everything:A billionaire husbandRespect in the art worldAnd impeccable style.Now the only exhibit she can curate is in a Staten Island sports bar. Plus, while wearing an outfit even a dumpster would reject, she bumps into the one person she hoped she’d never meet: the woman who ruined her marriage.Humiliated and single, Emma escapes to the Catskills, ready for an epic round of retail therapy. The scenery is gorgeous. Especially Matthias, the manager of the town’s tattered resort. But the welcome he shows Emma is icier than winter in the mountains.When she invests in the resort, the battle for the small town’s soul heats up, as do her feelings for Matthias. But it will take more than money to curate a town, and the price may be too steep even for her deep pockets. less

Katie should be in heaven. After nursing a broken heart while cooking in a soulless chain restaurant, her new job as head chef at a Catskills resort is the change she needs. But why would anyone entrust her with a kitchen when she can’t even manage a set of keys?Good thing she lives next door to a locksmith.Kenny churns out spares faster than she loses them. But being alone together always leaves them tongue-tied... moreKatie should be in heaven. After nursing a broken heart while cooking in a soulless chain restaurant, her new job as head chef at a Catskills resort is the change she needs. But why would anyone entrust her with a kitchen when she can’t even manage a set of keys?Good thing she lives next door to a locksmith.Kenny churns out spares faster than she loses them. But being alone together always leaves them tongue-tied.The small town’s gossips propose a cure for the two neighbors’ shyness: falling in love.Just not with each other.When every blind date the women arrange is as horrible as the latest review of the restaurant and Katie’s biggest secret becomes public knowledge, she’s ready to hide from everyone. Especially Kenny.Except he has other plans.He needs help with his own crisis. Can teaching him to believe in himself be the key to Katie learning to trust herself?Get your copy of Keyed Up, the standalone fourth book in the laugh-out-loud Empire State of Mind series, perfect for readers who love chick lit with a lot of heart.Book 1: Splitting HeirsBook 2: Last ResortBook 3: Home CookingBook 4: Keyed Up Book 5: Date Bloomer less