It’s also the epicenter of our past scandal that nearly killed me and my parents when it broke.Trust me, it made the local TV news every night for two weeks. One night, it went national.Guess who never left King City?Channing.The curb turd.As relentless as he was on the field, I would’ve thought he’d go on to play in the NFL. He never did. Knee injury. Oh, the cliche.Small pond, meet big fish.Only this fish has grown bigger than anyone ever expected, built up his own business empire. Turns out he’s better at business than he ever was at football, and that’s saying something. Despite his knee injury, he managed to keep his college football body, abs and all. Wherever he goes, it’s raining money and marriage proposals.When he finds out I’m home for the holidays, he just has to come knocking at my parents’ house bearing meaningless gifts.News flash, unless he’s hoping for an immaculate conception, he has another thing coming, and it definitely won’t be me.

    But it might take a Christmas miracle for Faith Monroe to give him a second chance...

    Volume 3 of The 12 Days of Book-Club-Mas features twelve, exclusive short stories from twelve authors who curated their stories around a specific wrapped gift that readers were meant to open as they read.

    A retired public school teacher, Miss Budge embarks on a series of slice-of-life adventures that take readers into the intriguing and authentic lives of Southern church women. "What our readers love about Miss Budge is that they all know her personally. In fact, they all are her in one way or another. Daphne's stories are instantly recognizable to those in a church community, and that's where the real humour and real pathos comes from. Daphne is a keen observer of the strange and wonderful subculture of 'the church lady.'" Brett Alan Dewing The Christian Courier (Canada) "Mildred Budge is a forthright, almost larger than life, woman who challenges every reader's faith walk by being transparent about her own. She reminds us that Jesus loves us the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us as we are." Julie Innes Evangel

    Families come in many configurations, and every one is unique, made up of the personalities of each member. But the love that connects families is universal. Whether it is the love of parents for their children, the love between a husband and wife, the love between siblings, a love that transcends generations, or even the love for a family member never met, the family ties that bind us are the strongest and deepest emotional connections we experience. Families influence a person's development, how they treat others, and how they view life. In The Gift of Love, eight exceptional writers offer a variety of unique perspectives on what family love means and how it impacts our lives in ways profound and often surprising.Includes 8 Original Stories by New York Times Bestselling Author Lori Foster and Heidi Betts, Jules Bennett, Ann Christopher, Lisa Cooke, Paige Cuccaro, Gia Dawn, and Helen Kay Dimon.The authors are donating all of their proceeds from The Gift of Love to The Conductive Learning Center of Greater Cincinnati, a charitable organization.

    Fortunately, there's an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes' wiring for almost as long as he's wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn't notice Scott back in high school, but she's noticing him now, and soon they're indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year's.But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other's company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?

    Determined to move on from a breakup and a stagnant life, she heads to Mystic Hot Springs—a resort in the remote town of Twin Hearts, Montana—for a Valentine's Day getaway with her best friend before embarking on a new job in Seattle and a more exciting life. She's armed with a laminated list of rules to keep her heart safe and a simple plan: find a rebound guy, get lucky, put her ex behind her. Not part of her plan: the resort’s sweet and smoking hot bartender, Andrew Trig.Trig, with his soulful brown eyes, thick beard, and Keanu Reeves good looks, is not no-strings-attached rebound material. He's sell-all-your-stuff-and-move-to-the-middle-of-damn-nowhere-for-him material. Kissie is determined to keep her distance, but when he offers to act as her wingman for the weekend after her best friend gets sick in exchange for her help convincing Mystic’s owners not to sell the resort he loves, she can’t refuse.The more time Kissie spends in Twin Hearts, she’s charmed by the town, by Mystic, and by Trig. As the sexual tension between them steams up the windows more than the hot springs water, Kissie will learn some rules are made to be broken. When a single night calls into question everything she thought she wanted, she’ll have to decide if big feelings will send her running away, or if sometimes moving on means staying right where you are.Notes from JessWelcome to Twin Hearts! Where magic is in water, love is in the air, and talking bears play cupid.Kissie and Trig came to me one night begging to meet. They were in the bar. Kissie was wearing a polka dotted mod dress and Trig was in jeans and a flannel. Kissie was all over the place, buzzing around and spilling her drink but absolutely convinced she had her life together. Trig was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, grinning at her and thinking, "She is the woman of my dreams." Literally. I adore these two love-struck goofballs and I sincerely hope you do as well. Stay tuned for book 2 this summer! If Ryan plays his cards right, he might finally get his redhead.

    A young widower with three needy children is snowed in at Henrietta Humblesmith's marrying parlor for the holidays. He has no idea what a special Christmas awaits him. Readers will enjoy Lori's trademark humor and warmth.

    It’s a corporate scheme that was designed to monetize fake romance. It’s a capitalistic scam to profit off performative love. This year, I agreed to be Emmanuel’s date to his cousin’s wedding because we’re friends and he needed me. But attending a Valentine’s Day wedding was high on the list of things I didn’t want to do. He wasn’t my Valentine.He was my anti-Valentine. And as it turned out, an anti-Valentine was exactly what I needed.

    . .Kindred Spirits is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan.Midnights was previously published as part of the My True Love Gave to Me anthology, edited by Stephanie Perkins and Kindred Spirits was previously published as a World Book Day title.

    Julia London's Snowy Night with a Highlander sends a debutante into the wintry Scottish wilds....Searching for her rakehell brother, an earl lying low in the wake of a scandalous affair, Fiona Haines is led by a rugged Highlander who obscures his scarred face. As they journey on, Fiona draws closer to her brave, enigmatic protector -- but will fury or passion ignite when he reveals his identity?

    Spend your holiday with Sebastian and Brooke from His Heart (with appearances by Charlie and Olivia, too!). As well as Beau and Bristol from Heart of Hope. You can sign up to receive your free copy here: http://www.clairekingsleybooks.com/bo...

    

    Using an updated version of a lethal puzzle that astounded forensic scientists at the end of the twentieth century, Katla recreates a diabolical killing method that became a landmark in the forensic sciences. Thwarting forensic scientists is not her only hurdle in fulfilling her contract, as her target has to be killed in his home, an opulent penthouse in a fortress-like apartment building…The Katla KillFile short stories chronologically precede the novels in the Amsterdam Assassin Series. Each KillFile features Katla Sieltjes, expert in disguising homicide, executing one of her contracts. While not mandatory reading, each KillFile provides insight both in Katla’s work methods and skill, and additional background information in her character and personal history. The KillFiles can be read out of order, as the contracts are random samples from her past.

    These stories were then produced as pamphlets, just 1,000 copies, and given to customers of the bookstore as a Christmas present. Now, all seventeen tales have been collected in one volume, showcasing the talents of: Charles Ardai Lisa Atkinson George Baxt Lawrence Block Mary Higgins Clark Thomas H. Cook Ron Goulart Jeremiah Healy Edward D. Hoch Rupert Holmes Andrew Klavan Michael Malone Ed McBain Anne Perry S. J. Rozan Jonathan Santlofer Donald E. WestlakeSome of these stories are humorous, others suspenseful, and still others are tales of pure detection, but all of them together make up a charming collection and a perfect Christmas gift for all ages.