Both on the mend, hiding from their pasts...Mace Walker can't wait to get home.Being buried deep undercover for the past two years, on the most complex case of his career, has torn him down physically and mentally. Now the FBI agent has come home to recover after having his leg badly injured from a gunshot wound. Arriving home late one night, his relief is short-lived as he's faced with a stranger pointing a gun to his head, acting like he is the one who doesn't belong there!Colby Parks, a biochemist at the local university, had come to town a year earlier to escape an abusive relationship. She vows never to put herself in that situation again. Then the perfect opportunity comes along: house-sitting for Mace's sister while making the house she purchased habitable. But she couldn't anticipate this big snag: the one wearing the tight Levi's and worn leather jacket, looking like he had just escaped prison.Being forced to share a house creates sparks between them in more ways than one. However, things take a turn when their pasts catch up to them, threatening to pull them apart forever.Note: This book was previously published under the title Banged Up and has been re-edits.

    Where they took that first sentence was completely up to them.Every story is different.No story is related.The only thing these stories have in common is their starting point.All of the authors showcased in this anthology were featured in The Bookworm Box charity during 2019.Each author has graciously donated their story so that 100% of profits from this anthology will be going to the various charities The Bookworm Box is able to support because of you, the readers.

    When ballet dancer Clara Campbell arrives in New Orleans, lonely and homesick, she is immediately captivated by the story of Windisle Plantation and the tragic tale that is said to have transpired beyond its gate. Legend has it that it is abandoned by all living souls, but to Clara’s great surprise, it is not a ghost she hears through the stone wall surrounding the property, but a flesh and blood man. A scarred stranger with a pain deeper and darker than the churning waters of the Mississippi river that flows beside his self-imposed prison. The ruined man behind the wall hides himself from the world. The last thing he expects is to find a friend in the selfless girl who speaks to him through the cracks in the rock. The girl who keeps returning week after week. The girl who makes him wish for things he has long since given up on. The girl who strikes both fear and hope within his wounded heart. But there can be no future for them, no life beyond Windisle, for no one knows better than him that monsters only live in the dark. The Wish Collector is the story of shame and triumph, of loneliness and love, and the miracle of two hearts connecting despite the strongest of barriers between them.

    By the time you reach the end you'll be begging for more! Book 1 - To Love a Bear So long as the guys call him Boomer, Theodore Parker is content with his life. He has a place to stay, work to do, guys to hang—or fight with—when he wants, and the wilds of Montana to roam when he needs to be alone or go full bear. He has everything he needs. Until he finds a woman on the side of the hill, hurt and unable to remember who she is. The more he’s around this alluring woman, the more he realizes his life isn’t complete without her. He’s not so selfish as to doom her to a rough life with a bear-shifting mountain man, though. Book 2 - To Save A Bear When Addison Stravinsky finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun at her banking job, she decides life is too short not to pursue her dreams. Her novel-writing dreams, that is. Not the dreams about the sexy stranger who saved her in the bank. But the new dreams won’t go away. Because the more Addison gets to know Reid Bronson, the more she’s attracted to this intelligent, sensitive, sexy, man. The trouble is, the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes he’s hiding something from her—something that’s threatening him from the outside and destroying him from within. Book 3 - To Trust a Bear Morgan and his little gang of rogue bears are stirring up trouble. Never in a million years did Callie want to see Morgan, the cheating jerk who stole her heart and stomped all over it over a decade ago. Unfortunately for her, the leader of her idyllic Alaskan community of bear shifters wants her to bring Morgan’s group back to the fold before they ruin things for bears everywhere. The trouble is, the longer Callie hangs out with Morgan and his friends, the more she comes to doubt her upbringing. As everything she always thought important gets turned on its head, Callie must figure out who to trust and how to earn the trust of those she has inadvertently hurt. Especially Morgan. Book 4 - To Tame a Bear Aimee believes her life may finally be heating up. At last she can follow her dreams of opening a restaurant. And with Callie off with her new mate, Aimee’s got the gorgeous grizzly she’s fallen for (and his gourmet kitchen) all to herself. Dominick is as tasty as the feasts she loves to make, and he seems to find her irresistible. At least he does until the suffering caused by their fight with the Den makes him wild. The post-fight Dom is in constant pain and pulling away from Aimee as if afraid he might break her. Can Aimee convince Dom that she’s stronger than she looks in time to prevent his bear side from overwhelming the man she loves? Book 5 - To Redeem A Bear Orion knows he's losing the battle to control his bear. It's only a matter of time before he's so far gone that one of his friends feels obliged to put him down like a well-loved but rabid dog. That's partly why he welcomes the sexy shifter from the Den who shows up with a silver-bullet with his name on it. Orion figures this will be the perfect end--he'll have a bit of fun with this vixen and then stop complicating everyone's life.

    Marcus is nothing like me. He’s confident, bold, sexy, and oh, did I mention he’s a millionaire? And for some reason, he’s apparently crazy about me. Even though most of my friends are from the books that I read and I can’t use a real swear word without sweating. But the island is my home, and he’s a big city billionaire. What happens when his visit is over?MARCUSI did not want to come to this island. I definitely did not want to enjoy small-town life. I absolutely did not want to fall for a woman who puts Disney princesses to shame with her beauty and heart. But that’s exactly what happened the second I met Ella. She’s the calm to my storm and she’s making me re-evaluate what’s really important in life. It turns out, the answer to that isn’t money or success. It’s love. How do I prove to her that our lives may be very different, but I’ll do whatever it takes to be with her?

    This second edition is filled with some old faces and some new ones.Wrap up your presents neatly under the tree, because the naughty helpers are going on vacation this year.That's right, all of our stories will be taking place in resorts or on vacation. After all, you never know if you might meet in a foreign place, or if you might come in contact with the one who got away, your best friend's sibling, or maybe even your overbearing boss.Santa's Naughty Helpers: Second Edition includes stories from: Elizabeth Knox & J.H. Wolfe, E.C. Land, Heather Young-Nichols, Rae B. Lake, Jen Talty, Jewelz Baxter, Liberty Parker, Emily Sharp, Eva James, Cedar Rose, and Zara Teleg.

    It could cause you to pee your pants... Most of all... It could cause your mind to escape from the stresses of a long day.*I’m the type of girl who turns crimson red when she hears the word penis, so just imagine what happens when I have to say it to a crowd of strangers. Yes, I turn red and then here comes the clumsy state of mind. My life is always upside down, but it’s because I’m Charlie— the clumsy, and somewhat curious girl who gets herself into weird predicaments, and that’s how it’s always been. Oh, did I mention my hot boss who I might be in love with thinks I’m a stripper by night? Guess I didn’t, but I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. This is why I should’ve stuck to my motto of not mixing business with pleasure, it’s either going to backfire or end up being the best thing I’ve ever done.

    Add in a crazy grandma, picturesque island settings, and three handsome heroes. Read and enjoy!Getting Lei’d: Jilted nearly-at-the-altar by text message. Honeymooning with her grandma. The resort's bartender may look like Jason Momoa, but Roxy is NOT interested.Cruising for Love: A reality TV show looking for ratings. Kardashian wannabes on a cruise ship. What could possibly go wrong? Get swept away with Ruthie as she searches for true love on reality television.Island Hopping: Lizzie is the workaholic everyone loves to hate. Shay is perfectly content basking on the beach. Can these two polar opposites find enough common ground to let their undeniable spark of attraction ignite?These beach (or wishing you were at the beach) reads are loaded with opposites attracting, humor, and second chances at romance. Escape with them today.This delightful romantic comedy series is perfect for fans of Barbara Freethy, Bella Andre, and Melissa Foster. Whisk your mind away to the islands now!

    That's why I want her so badly.Construction work is just the start. I've got big dreams.All I've gotta do is keep my head down and stay out of trouble.Just hammer away...Until Cassie shows up on site and all I wanna do is hammer her - hard.She's interning for the summer.The boss's little girl.Off limits and taboo.So I'd better keep my tool in my pants. Because there's one thing that would screw everything up more than screwing her...... A forbidden baby. Forbidden Baby is a full novel with no cheating, a sassy heroine, one hell of an alpha hero, and a delicious HEA. It also contains bonus novels for your enjoyment. Candy Stone. Naughty romance for good girls.

    But everything goes wrong when she gets lost on the back roads of Montana in a snowstorm. Just her luck, her rental car hits a patch of ice and skids off the road. She’s praying she can survive the night inside her car, when a man appears at her window. A man who looks exactly like her book hero!Country music star Max McCoy hasn’t sung since his wife died. He stays on his ranch and takes care of his nine-year-old daughter. He’s isolated and he likes it that way. Until a magazine article names him "one of the country’s most eligible bachelors” and reveals the location of his ranch. Now crazed females keep showing up at his door, hoping to snag a husband.When Max finds one of those intrusive fans stranded on his private road in the middle of a snowstorm, he has no choice but to offer her shelter. He’s shocked when Amy doesn't seem recognize him. Could it be true, or is it all an act? Soon, Amy wins his daughter’s heart, but Max’s heart is completely dead. Or is it?Will Max open himself to love again? Does he really know Amy well enough to trust her?Amy’s agent has already bought her a ring. Will she settle for a safe relationship or take a chance on a man she’s only known for a week?“If you like Hallmark movies, you’ll love this sweet Christmas romance from USA Today bestselling author Tamie Dearen.”Grab your copy now!

    . . ahem . . . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

    Be careful what you wish for...When a lowly antiques dealer who's in love with the governor's girlfriend releases a genie from a magic lamp, he unwittingly wishes himself into a hole the size of the Grand Canyon!

    But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.

    After Tempest Cassidy walks in on her husband banging her high school nemesis, her whole world gets turned upside down. She goes from being known as the Duchess of Muffins to the town crazy. Her new MO: revenge. Eventually, Tempest grows weary being arrested. Yet what choice does she have? If she’s not angry, then she’s simply . . . sad.Just as she decides to get her life back on track, in walks Cage Erickson, the new bouncer at the local strip club. He’s scary-handsome and the polar opposite of her ex. She’s attracted to him, but she’s not looking for a rebound. He’s attracted to her, but he’s not looking for a serious relationship. So, they agree to be friends.But when lines get blurred in the friend zone, will they both get burned? Or will it be a TKO?'Stud Muffin' is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Fighting For Love series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

    Land, H.J. Marshall, KE Osborn, Heather Young-Nichols, Rae B. Lake, Jen Talty, Kathryn C. Kelly, J. Lynn Lombard, Cedar Rose, Amy Briggs, and Elena Gray.