{"title":"Kaira Rouda","description":"Kaira Rouda is an award-winning entrepreneur and author. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four children and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, @KairaRouda, and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books. For more about Kaira and her books, please visit wwww.KairaRouda.com.","products":[{"product_id":"we-were-never-friends-paperback","title":"We Were Never Friends - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheReads Most Anticipated Thrillers in 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Deliciously fun!\" \u003c\/strong\u003e-- Sarah Pekkanen, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSisters? Forever. Friends? NEVER. Who knew a reunion weekend could be so deadly?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet the sorority sisters of Theta Gamma Mu: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoxy Callahan Gentry, the ruthless former sorority president and current hostess who has painstakingly choreographed every detail of this weekend--even matching the cocktails to her couture--to prove that she remains their undisputed queen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmelia Dell, the widow drenched in old money and alcohol, with her big pot-stirring spoon and uninvited boy-toy in tow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJamie Vale, the double-legacy pledge, straight-A student with no sparkle, now a top cardiologist with a picture-perfect family--and a well-guarded bad habit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeth Harrison, the scholarship student who never quite fit in and was only admitted because her best friend Sunny insisted that the two were a package deal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunny Spencer, the carefree and beloved friend to all, or so it seemed--until she wasn't\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey've been summoned to Roxy's luxurious Palm Springs vacation home to celebrate the engagement of her son to Beth's daughter. But the refurbished 1920s estate is eerily reminiscent of the hotel where tragedy struck during Spring Break twenty-five years ago. Long-simmering tensions and shocking secrets begin bubbling to the surface like bodies--because while the weekend was supposed to be about celebrating the future, it's not so easy to bury the past...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Shari Lapena, Mary Kubica, and B. A. Paris, We Were Never Friends is an unputdownable, riveting train wreck full of dark humor and bad behavior.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101130920159,"sku":"9781464244995","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/551psV9jaT9781464244995.webp?v=1781068318"},{"product_id":"in-the-mirror-paperback","title":"In the Mirror - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat choices would you make if you knew you may die soon?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the multi award-winning, best-selling author of four books, including \u003ci\u003eHere, Home, Hope\u003c\/i\u003e, a gripping and heart-wrenching novel about a young mother who has it all. The only problem is she may be dying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn her previous works including \u003ci\u003eAll the Difference\u003c\/i\u003e, Rouda's characters \"sparkle with humor and heart,\" and the stories are \"told with honest insight and humor\" (\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e). \"Inspirational and engaging\" (\u003ci\u003eForeWord\u003c\/i\u003e), these are the novels you'll turn to for strong female characters and an \"engaging read\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn the Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of Jennifer Benson, a woman who seems to have it all. Diagnosed with cancer, she enters an experimental treatment facility to tackle her disease the same way she tackled her life - head on. But while she's busy fighting for a cure, running her business, planning a party, staying connected with her kids, and trying to keep her sanity, she ignores her own intuition and warnings from others and reignites an old relationship best left behind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you knew you might die, what choices would you make? How would it affect your marriage? How would you live each day? And how would you say no to the one who got away?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kaira Rouda has created relatable characters you'll care deeply about. Emotionally gripping and heart-achingly beautiful, \u003ci\u003eIn the Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e will make you think about what's truly important.\" Tracey Garvis Graves, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Balancing sadness and humor, the retrospective tone of this novel is both therapeutic and affecting. \u003ci\u003eIn the Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e is an emotion-packed novel about a mother facing terminal cancer. It is a nostalgic tribute to the things that really matter: family and friends.\" \u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Rouda writes with a fluent, psychologically subtle realism that cuts Jennifer's pathos (and occasional self-pity) with humor and irony, and she surrounds her with characters-doting dad; vain, shallow mom; mensch of a gay business partner; sarcastic gal pals-who are sharply etched and entertaining. Jennifer is a winning heroine, and readers will undoubtedly root for her as she reaches for a more mature, if achingly uncertain, future. An absorbing story of a woman grasping at life in the midst of death. \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Jennifer's journey through cancer and her struggle to love her husband in the face of the return of her first love is something to cheer and rejoice in. A moving and uplifting novel about family and the struggles we all face to live every minute to the fullest.\" Anita Huges, author of \u003ci\u003eMonarch Beach\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I was completely absorbed by \u003ci\u003eIn the Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e. This is a moving story from the unique perspective of a seriously ill patient who is a wife, sister, daughter and friend, examining all of those relationships with honesty and humor. This story will stay with you because of the questions it asks and the answers it offers.\" Lian Dolan, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eHelen of Pasadena\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101588295903,"sku":"9780984915149","price":25.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/av2pjALVL39780984915149.webp?v=1781071779"},{"product_id":"we-were-never-friends-hardcover","title":"We Were Never Friends - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSisters? Forever. Friends? NEVER. Who knew a reunion weekend could be so deadly?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet the sorority sisters of Theta Gamma Mu: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoxy Callahan Gentry, the ruthless former sorority president and current hostess who has painstakingly choreographed every detail of this weekend--even matching the cocktails to her couture--to prove that she remains their undisputed queen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmelia Dell, the widow drenched in old money and alcohol, with her big pot-stirring spoon and uninvited boy-toy in tow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJamie Vale, the double-legacy pledge, straight-A student with no sparkle, now a top cardiologist with a picture-perfect family--and a well-guarded bad habit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeth Harrison, the scholarship student who never quite fit in and was only admitted because her best friend Sunny insisted that the two were a package deal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunny Spencer, the carefree and beloved friend to all, or so it seemed--until she wasn't\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey've been summoned to Roxy's luxurious Palm Springs vacation home to celebrate the engagement of her son to Beth's daughter. But the refurbished 1920s estate is eerily reminiscent of the hotel where tragedy struck during Spring Break twenty-five years ago. Long-simmering tensions and shocking secrets begin bubbling to the surface like bodies--because while the weekend was supposed to be about celebrating the future, it's not so easy to bury the past...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Shari Lapena, Mary Kubica, and B. A. Paris, We Were Never Friends is an unputdownable, riveting train wreck full of dark humor and bad behavior.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102261809375,"sku":"9781464266904","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/0jKuiZnyPe9781464266904.webp?v=1781079241"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/kaira-rouda.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}