Best of
Contemporary-Romance

2004

The House on the Beach


Linda Barrett - 2004
    A script that doesn’t play well for a single woman. Happy childhood summers in Pilgrim Cove pull her back to town and a stay in Sea View House. Matthew Parker, his two young sons and his dad have shared a home since both men were widowed several years ago. And now, no women are needed in the Parker domain. But when Matt meets Laura, he discovers that his home might be missing something vital — a woman’s love. Can these two determined people figure out what’s important and take a chance on a new beginning?

The Seductive Impostor


Janet Chapman - 2004
     Rachel Foster wishes Sub Rosa -- the seaside mansion she helped her father build and the scene of a terrible tragedy -- would crumble into the sea. But Keenan Oakes, Sub Rosa's new owner, is moving in and stirring up the dark secrets of the cliff-perched manor.... Now, in the heat of a sizzling attraction, can Rachel clear her family's name while risking her heart on Keenan...and on a passionate love like nothing she's ever known?

Blue Dahlia


Nora Roberts - 2004
    But there is someone who isn't happy about Stella's growing feelings for Logan: the Harper Bride, an unidentified woman whose grief and rage have kept her spirit alive long past the death of her body.

The Ocean Between Us


Susan Wiggs - 2004
    But somewhere between her husband Steve's demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy's routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces, her discontent comes into sharp focus. Something needs to change. She needs to change.Then duty calls. Now, separated by an ocean of regrets and longing, Grace and Steve are forced to take a hard look at their faltering marriage. But when the unthinkable happens, Grace is left to face a Navy wife's worst nightmare --- the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're looking for guarantees.

Shower of Stars


Nancy Herkness - 2004
    After her marriage disintegrates, she sets her heart on adopting a child. However, her adoption caseworker isn't enthusiastic about Charlie's profession of adventure travel writer when she's a single mom. So Charlie decides to write a book about New York's hottest new celebrity: sexy, enigmatic Jack Lanett. The man has found what may be the most valuable space rock in the world, one that could prove there is life on Mars. Jack hates being front-page news because he's spent a lifetime concealing his ugly past. However, he knows publicity is necessary if he wants to sell his priceless meteorite at the highest price and, even more important, gain the legitimacy he craves in the world of scientific research. He agrees to one interview with Charlie. Charlie offers Jack a business proposition. He counters with a most unusual proposal: a marriage of convenience. As Charlie struggles to adopt a daughter and Jack battles to keep his priceless discovery, they come together with a passion that astonishes both of them. Winner of the Write Touch Readers' Award . "Contemporary marriage of convenience? But it works! Jack's fighting for recognition and Charlie's fighting for a child she wants more than anything in the world. They're both fighting demons from their past and finally, a potent, I mean POTENT, attraction. I adored these two wounded warriors!" --Connie Brockway, New York Times bestselling author "Shower of Stars pleases on so many levels, it is hard to express all that makes it so special, but I do know it is worthy of a Perfect 10." -Sandra Brill, Romance Reviews Today

Doctors on the Frontline


Olivia Gates - 2004
    Doctors on the Frontline by Olivia Gates released on May 10, 2005 is available now for purchase.

Ain't She Sweet?


Susan Elizabeth Phillips - 2004
    She alone had decided what or who was cool. Her spiral perm had been the perm against which all others were measured, and her opinion on which boys were acceptable to date the only one that counted. A beautiful, blonde - if not always benevolent - dictator, she had a reputation for being the wild child in her home town, the girl most likely to set the world on fire, and leave a trail of destruction in her wake. When she left home she swore she'd never return. Only now, fifteen years and several husbands later, she's run out of money, luck and options...But Sugar arrives back home to discover that everyone else is living her life. Her half sister is married to Sugar's high school sweetheart, the teacher she schemed to get fired is now a successful novelist and owns her old house. She also discovers that people have long memories - especially where Sugar is concerned...

The Christmas Cradle


Linda Warren - 2004
    Now, unexpectedly, she's found Colter again—and his adorable seven-year-old daughter, Ellie. More than anything in the world, Ellie wants a mommy....And more than anything, Marisa wants a child. But she's been keeping a secret about the past, a secret she has to tell Colter. She goes to see him at his ranch, and it isn't long before she falls in love all over again. With Ellie...and with Colter.

Meant to Be


Edie Claire - 2004
     On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Meara O’Rourke can’t help but feel alone. With her last remaining relative newly buried and her potentially disastrous engagement freshly broken, she makes a resolution to begin her life anew -- only to have an unexpected phone call turn her whole world upside down. Her biological mother Sheila, whom she met only once six years before, lies in critical condition in a nearby hospital. And though the woman once refused to see her daughter ever again -- her last wish is just the opposite.A few whispered words, and Sheila is gone. But the questions she has put into her daughter’s head, and the historic stone inn she has unknowingly bequeathed, sweep Meara up into the whirlwind of another life -- and a legacy of deception. When Meara begins to have memories of a place she's never been, she realizes that while finding out the truth about her birth and adoption could answer all her questions -- it could also tear her apart.

The Men of Medicine Ridge


Diana Palmer - 2004
    The Men of Medicine Ridge by Diana Palmer released on Sep 24, 2004 is available now for purchase.

Still Waters / Night Sins / Guilty as Sin


Tami Hoag - 2004
    Unwelcome newcomers to Still Creek, Minnesota, she and her troubled teenage son are treated with suspicion by the locals, including the sheriff. Yet nothing will stop her from digging beneath the town's placid surface for the truth - except the killer.Night Sins (Engineer: Jill Sovis): A peaceful Minnesota town, where crime is something that just doesn't happen, is about to face its worst nightmare. A young boy disappears. There are no witnesses, no clues - only a note, cleverly taunting, casually cruel. Has a cold-blooded kidnapper struck? Or is this a reawakening of a long-quiet serial killer?Guilty as Sin (Engineer: Melissa Coates): A cold-blooded kidnapper has been playing a twisted game with a terrified Minnesota town. Now a respected member of the community stands accused of a chilling act of evil. But when a second boy disappears, a frightened public demands to know: Have the police caught the wrong man? Is the nightmare continuing . . . Or just beginning?

Blue Skies


Robyn Carr - 2004
    Three friends - Nikki Burgess, who just regained custody of her children; Dixie McPherson, who is searching for true love; and Carlisle Bartlett, who harbours a dark secret - get a second chance at life and love when they join a new airline in Las Vegas, taking a gamble on their dreams.

The Callahan Brothers: Blue Bayou, River Road, Magnolia Moon


JoAnn Ross - 2004
     BLUE BAYOU When Danielle Dupree returns to her childhood hometown as a widow with a young son, she discovers that her "bad boy" first love, Jack Callahan, has also come home. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air...and that the past may ruin their second chance at having a once-in-a-lifetime love. RIVER ROAD FBI agent Finn Callahan owes his brother, the mayor, a favor. So when visiting television star Julia Summers receives a death threat, it's up to Finn to guarantee her safety. Free-spirited Julia figures she'll just use her feminine wiles to keep the stern but handsome bodyguard out of her way...until her attraction to Finn puts them both in danger of falling passionately in love. MAGNOLIA MOON Having just discovered that she's adopted, L.A. homicide detective Regan Hart comes to Blue Bayou to uncover her true identity. With the help of Nate Callahan, the town's mayor and most eligible bachelor, Regan slowly pieces together the puzzle of her family's history -- and finds herself unexpectedly losing her heart to Nate....

Mimosa Grove


Dinah McCall - 2004
    It is this gift—or curse, perhaps—that drove her own mother mad and has left Laurel unwilling to trust in love...except in her dreams.Anxious for a new beginning, she decides to retreat to Mimosa Grove, an old estate outside Bayou Jean, Louisiana. Mimosa Grove belongs to Laurel now, bequeathed by her maternal grandmother. Laurel feels the history and tragedy here, and amidst the primeval beauty she senses something...unfinished. Folks here know about her grandmother's gift and treat Laurel with the same reverence—especially when she is able to help the police find a missing girl. It is then that she sees Justin Bouvier—stranger, soul mate, the man who haunts her dreams. But there is danger here in Mimosa Grove, not from the restless past, but from the deadly present. Laurel must be willing to trust her gift, her love for Justin and, most of all, herself, to stop tragedy and history from repeating themselves.

Her Forever Cowboy


Debra Salonen - 2004
    Single mom Anne Fraser has sacrificed plenty to get ahead in the world of corporate hotel management. Just ask her eight-year-old daughter, Zoey. When her stepfather asks Anne to fill her late mother’s shoes at the Silver Rose Guest Ranch, Anne can’t say no. Even if the job includes sharing the reins with the man whose kiss she’s never forgotten. Will Cavanaugh planned to be the top bull rider in the country. He’s come close in his fifteen-year career, but now an injury has him sidelined for the summer. He answers his grandfather’s plea for help but soon realizes he’s facing a new dilemma. Could one summer with Anne and her daughter possibly be enough? Or is it just the beginning? Battered and a bit disillusioned by life, Will and Anne return to the Silver Rose to repay old debts. To fall in love again. But, just for the summer. Or, maybe...for a lifetime.

Deadly Shadows


Jaycee Clark - 2004
    If she keeps to herself, she can’t get hurt. Haunted by the past, Jesslyn never again wants to experience the soul-shredding pain of losing loved ones.But a murder changes that.Aiden Kinncaid is running from his own secret loss. As the CEO of Kinncaid Enterprises, he travels to this remote Colorado resort town to oversee the opening of the new Highland Hotel. Though he’s not interested in any kind of relationship, he finds himself drawn to this temperamental, brown-eyed beauty. And her rough-edged attitude is a challenge to him.But whether or not either sought a relationship—they’ve found one. Aiden wants to protect Jesslyn even if she claims she can take care of herself, and she finds she can’t stop thinking about Aiden, even when he annoys her. Will they get their second chance at love and life before the killer eliminates one problem he doesn’t need?

Stranger in Town


Maggie Shayne - 2004
    But not before Caleb Montgomery returns to Big Falls, drawn to a woman he can't forget and still trying to escape a world he'd like to ignore. He swears he's back to stay, but this time she's almost afraid to hear the answers he refused to give her before.Brand-New HeartacheAfter years as a high-paid L.A. model, Edie Brand is practically a stranger in her own hometown. Now, pursued by a stalker and troubled by the sense that her success comes down to being merely another pretty face, she runs right into her past when she sees Wade Armstrong again. The boy she left behind is now a man who can protect her — but it's not until danger is at the door that they realize these feelings are definitely made to last.

Summer by the Sea


Susan Wiggs - 2004
    For Rosa, though, there has been no real romance since her love affair with Alexander Montgomery ended suddenly and without explanation a decade ago.But Rosa's life takes an unexpected turn when Alexander arrives back in town and asks for her help sorting through his late mother's affairs. Reunited at the beach house where they first met and fell in love, Rosa and Alexander discover that the secrets of the past are not what they seem. Now, with all that she wants right in front of her, Rosa searches for happiness with the man who once broke her heart --- and learns that in love, as in life, there are second chances.

One Magic Moment


Yahrah St. John - 2004
    But when she meets handsome, sexy banker Damon Bradley at her company Christmas party, she’s instantly smitten. Damon pulls out all the stops to win Nia’s heart including hiring her advertising firm. Soon the two embark on an old-fashioned love affair – until Damon’s ex-fianceè enters the picture. Kendall is desperate for another chance, but Nia’s the only woman for Damon. After a series of misunderstandings helped along by Kendall and his meddling family, Nia ends their relationship. By the time she realizes Damon truly is the one for her, will it be too late?

Snow Angels: Snow Baby / Undercover Christmas


Brenda Novak - 2004
    Daniels

Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer


Rochelle Alers - 2004
    HOPE SUTTON has everything she's always wanted: a winning career as an advice columnist and a hard-lovin' man who is not afraid to commit. But just when she's ready to settle down she finds out her man's been living a double life. Now she has to get a new one of her own — starting with a soul-searching trip to McKinnon Island. REBECCA OWENS is a devoted wife and stay-at-home mother in desperate need of a vacation — alone. But will spending the summer on McKinnon Island help her to get it together...or will she be tearing her family apart? THEODORE HOWELL has had a lot of success as a screenwriter. But his personal life? It's a mess. Suddenly the guardian of two half brothers and a half sister, how will this tried-and-true bachelor find room in his life for surrogate fatherhood and his demanding career?Their answers lie somewhere on sandy shores....

Texas Heartthrob


Jean Brashear - 2004
    In disguise, traveling through the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he encounters a rail-thin, starving woman who has lost everything but the dilapidated cabin where she once lived with her grandmother in happier days. Raina Donovan is determined to make her stand there, but winter is coming, and Liam cannot desert her until he can make her safe, however much she tries to make him leave.Day by day, they draw closer, but Raina has secrets and so does Liam. Before they can trust enough to confide in each other, the world catches up with them. Can they overcome the stunning shock of their deceptions to find a way to be together, or will the price of their lies ruin any chance they might have for a future?Revised and updated edition of A Real HeroThe TEXAS HEROES contemporary western romance series includes:TEXAS SECRETSTEXAS LONELYTEXAS BAD BOYTEXAS REFUGETEXAS STARTEXAS DANGERTEXAS ROOTSTEXAS WILDTEXAS DREAMSTEXAS REBELTEXAS BLAZETEXAS CHRISTMAS BRIDETEXAS TIESTEXAS TROUBLESTEXAS TOGETHERTEXAS HOPETEXAS STRONGTEXAS SWEETTEXAS HEARTTHROBTEXAS HEALERTEXAS PROTECTOR

Northern Lights


Nora Roberts - 2004
    With nowhere else to go, he accepted the job as Chief of Police in a tiny, remote Alaskan town with the hopes of starting over. Despite the name, Lunacy provides a balm for Nate's shattered soul—and an unexpected affair with pilot Meg Galloway warms his nights...But other things in Lunacy are heating up. Nate suspects the killer in an unsolved murder still walks the snowy streets. His investigation will unearth the secrets and suspicions that lurk beneath the placid surface, as well as bring out the big-city survival instincts that made him a cop in the first place. And his discovery will threaten the new life—and the new love—that he has finally found for himself.

It's Magic


Daryn Cross - 2004
    Kasey Bell, feminist writer, and Guy McLane, radio's famous chauvinistic psychiatrist, are his targets. Even with carefully executed plans, the road to true love is strewn with mishaps, mirth and money-hungry nighttime talk show hosts. Will Kasey and Guy risk their reputations by exposing secrets buried beneath layers of shame and self-doubt for a desperately needed big money pay-off? Or, will they claim what has evaded them their entire lives-a love that lasts forever?

Man in Control / Thorn's Challenge


Diana Palmer - 2004
    

Heaven Round the Corner & Victory for Victoria


Betty Neels - 2004
    

A Cowboy and a Kiss


Dianne Castell - 2004
    A Cowboy and a Kiss by Dianne Castell released on Nov 24, 2004 is available now for purchase.

Secrets Vols.9 & 10 Special 2 In 1 Edition


Bonnie Hamre - 2004
    packed with eight all-new enticingly erotic tales,secrets:vol.9&10 will surely become a fast favorite!

Dangerous Affairs: Legacy AND The Waiting Game


Jayne Ann Krentz - 2004
    Sara Frazer had no choice. She had to break into Adrian Saville's house to look for clues to the whereabouts of her Uncle Lowell. And once she was inside, she couldn't help doing some additional snooping around...just a little bit...Long before he opened the front door, Adrian Saville knew someone was in his house,for he had a special alarm system that trapped an intruder inside instead of keeping him out. But when Adrian saw who his visitor was, he couldn't believe his eyes. Sara. He had dreamed about her, had fantasised about their inevitable meeting-a meeting that was inevitable because only Adrian knew what clues Sara was looking for!LegacyHonor Mayfield was about to walk into a trap. She thought that her chance meeting with Conn Landry was a fortunate stroke of luck. In fact, he had cleverly set her up a long time ago.As a member of the thoroughbred horse-racing set in California, Conn was well respected. But Honor was about to discover the real man beneath the controlled exterior. Too late she realised she was falling for someone who was seeking to avenge a legacy of murder and betrayal. A piece of her past was mysteriously linked to Conn, and now they were tangled together in a web of deception...and desire.

The White Straw Hat


Hitomi Akino - 2004