Rural Romance

I'm not a ho-ho-ho kind of guy. My brother and I were raised in foster care, and the closest thing we had to a father was a career criminal who'd sooner steal Christmas than save it. I followed in his footsteps, I'm ashamed to say, and did things for him that I regret. Like taking a priceless Christmas ornament from a Colonial Williamsburg inn. I'm trying to be a better man, and the first step is returning that ornament. Except I'm too late. The owner passed away and left the inn to her granddaughter, Anabelle—a high-strung, Christmas-obsessed loner whose cat takes an immediate dislike to me.

I built my bakery from nothing. My business. My rules. My life. I don't need help. I don't need Alphas. And I sure as hell don't need them. Julian—the arrogant billionaire trying to buy out my town. Noah—my best friend, who's been waiting for me to finally see him. Elias—the gruff outsider with a past as dangerous as his touch. I was wrong.

Emma Smith closed the door on New Orleans and the painful memories it held long ago. But when her best friend's wedding pulls her back to the vibrant city she swore she'd never revisit, a familiar voice on the plane sends a jolt through her. Suddenly, the memories of one unforgettable summer—and the woman who made it so special—flood back. For Riley, life in New Orleans flows as smoothly as the Mississippi. The family business is her focus, and the dreams of her youth have settled into the past. Until Emma's unexpected return.

I ran from the altar only to land in the arms… ahem… bed of my ridiculously hot ex. Now he's a crazy rich single dad, and the reason for my baby bump. That night, I entered the bar looking like a runaway bride cliché with only five bucks stuffed in my bra. "You look like you need a drink," Oliver says in a voice deeper and huskier than I remember. A few shots later, and all I want is his body driving me wild like only he can. The next morning, as the haze lifts, I remember the shocking reason we broke up all those years ago and why it could never work between us.

The sole witness to a horrific crime, Kaylee Ramay flees to the Colorado Rockies to start a new life. There, she becomes Grace, a dog kennel employee desperately trying to avoid attention - especially from dangerously attractive K9 Officer Hugh Murdoch. Because Hugh is tall, dark...and nothing but trouble. Hugh is anxious to get back in the field after an act of heroism left him warming the bench. Until then, he and his K9 partner Lexi spend their hours teasing the town's mysterious newcomer.

Crystal Malloy owns the beauty salon in Mystic Creek, Oregon. It took years of work to stand on her own after a difficult upbringing and to turn her fledgling enterprise into a successful business. There's never been much time for romance, but when a handsome, friendly man stops in to her salon - he's traveling through town on business - she's immediately taken with him.

Desperate to escape the dome of control my father has dropped over my life, I visit my brother in Texas with no plans to use my return ticket home. But after spending every cent of my savings to pay off my student loans, I need a job. Stat. Otherwise, I'll be forced to ask my brother for help and admit how bad things have gotten at home. So, when the production company I'm interviewing with in Sheet Cake, Texas, wants proof that I've got long-term roots here, I invent a fake local boyfriend. Which would have been fine had they not asked to meet him. Today.

Ava Bedford's quiet existence in Nevada shatters when she becomes the sole witness to a brutal murder linked to rising political star Congressman Richard Callahan. Forced into witness protection, Ava is relocated to Cedar Falls, a rugged Wyoming town nestled in the shadow of towering mountains. But even in this peaceful haven, danger lurks—and it's never far behind.

Running into Lyric Taylor again was a stroke of luck, a second chance at fate. It also brought back the reality of the situation I put us in all those years ago when we were kids. I left when my world came crashing down. Instead of letting her know what was going on, I chose to run and leave her behind, breaking both of our hearts in the worst way possible.

When my mother sets me up on yet another blind date with a pack, I never expected to open the door to them. Now here they are, three men from my past I never wanted to see again, challenging me not to turn them away and starting a not-so-innocent game of truth or dare. When a storm throws us all together with no escape, I realize that they aren't at all like the boys I remember. They've changed in so many ways, and so have I.

Jackson Holt and I have a mutual problem, with an obvious solution. A fake relationship is the perfect way for both of us to get what we want. The sinfully handsome new veterinarian in Dogwood Cove needs to show his boss he’s settling down and here to stay so that he can secure his partnership. I need to get my family and friends off my back so I can focus on my busy bakery, and open my new cafe.

Camden Hunter doesn't belong here. I've spent my entire life in the small town of Sutten Mountain, where everyone knows everyone, and you can spot trouble from a mile away. Camden is trouble. He's an arrogant, self-absorbed billionaire from the city with too much money and not enough manners. And he just opened a fancy art gallery next door to my bakery. When he comes to me desperately needing a favor, I can't help but propose a deal: I'll cater his grand opening, and in return, he has to spend a day with me as a local—to experience the beauty and talent this town has to offer.

Conner Gilroy was my brother’s best friend. Popular. Smart. Gorgeous. With his cocky grin and perfect family, he was the fantasy of almost every girl I knew, including mine. And for some reason, he wanted me. Me, Henley O’Connell; the ugly bookworm with bright orange hair. Poor white trash with a quick temper and a chip on her shoulder. He confused me and made me angry. He treated me like I was something more than what I was. Like maybe what I wanted wasn’t just a silly fantasy.

Back in high school, they made a pact under the big tree on Magnolia Hill: never fall for a local. A crush? Maybe. A forever? Absolutely not. Not the hot single dad. Not the tattooed preacher's son. Not the broody fire chief. Not the grieving doctor. But Wildflower, Texas, has other plans.

Tess McBride manages to snag a mid-year teaching job on Mackinac Island, Michigan. However, her timing is a little off, it's the dead of winter and she's never been in temperatures below fifty degrees. Just her luck, her landlord, Lukas, is as hot as the sun. A Michigan blizzard leaves them trapped in the same house together and things heat up, fast. Tess finds herself falling for Lukas, in spite of the secrets that could ruin everything before it even begins.

Emma Laurent has always preferred helping others to asking for help. But now, she’s the one in need. Her stepmother is selling her late father’s candy shop, her grandmother’s assisted-living facility has become a financial burden, and the anniversary of her fiancé’s death is quickly approaching. Rather than face her problems, Emma does what she does best - finds someone else to help by offering a mother and son with nowhere to go somewhere to stay.

Kelly Jenkins heads to bucolic Blue Moon, Alabama, believing a new life will heal the two orphaned children in her care. Signing on to revive the drive-in theater seems like a worthy venture, until she discovers the property is in deep disrepair. Still, spurred on by the elderly owner’s plea, Kelly takes on the renovation, beginning with an ancient tree that needs to come down—and unexpectedly bringing on the wrath of her reclusive neighbor.

Lucy Parsons wants absolutely nothing to do with the Westmoore family or the maple syrup they produce. When Sierra Westmoore blows back into town after her father's death and tries to rent a room at Lucy's family's bed-and-breakfast, The Maple Inn, Lucy kicks her out on the spot. It doesn't matter that Sierra hasn't set foot in Maple Run in fifteen years—the Westmoores are not allowed. But small towns don't leave a lot of room to hide, and Sierra and her brother, Drake, have set their sights on improving the town's opinion of them now that their father is gone.

My trip to Nashville for my sister's bachelorette trip was going to be my weekend to let go. I was starting my last year of college and I finally felt like I had a plan for my life. I wanted one weekend of freedom. My plan was to drink some whiskey, sing karaoke, and ride that mechanical bull. But after meeting a sexy stranger, the bull took the backseat, and I went on a different kind of ride.

I waited eight years to marry the father of my children. I worked on our relationship. I was patient. I forgave—the thoughtless remarks, the disappointments, the test results when I was expecting our youngest that proved he hadn't been "working late." Then, when we finally made it to the altar, he looked deep into my eyes, smiled, and cracked a fat joke. That wasn't the worst of it. His vows weren't a promise to love. They were a final test of exactly what I'd do to get his ring on my finger—what I'd take—in front of our family, friends, and their cell phones.