After being broken by her cheating ex, she’s not about to risk getting hurt again. But when former nerd runs into former cheerleader, Clare finds herself willing to gamble on a second chance at love. After all the bright lights and magazine covers, Mary is searching for a simpler life in her hometown. She didn’t expect to find middle-age butterflies and sweaty palms. A surprise reunion with the shy geek from high school gives her a chance to make the move she never did. The closer they grow, the more clear it is that they’re perfect for each other, but will Mary be able to break through Clare’s fear and self-doubt to show her she deserves a happily-ever-after?

    There’s just one teeny-tiny problem — the room has one bed. But they’re mature adult friends who can handle a sleepover. Right?What happens when love is in the air and suddenly, kissing one of your closest friends seems like the world’s best idea?Get your sandals out for a beachy friends-to-lovers novella with one last sweet ending to The Shrikes' love stories.

    She has always tried to foster a decent relationship with her parents but despite this, there is a lot of tension between them. Tension that comes to a head when Danielle finds out that her parents have moved away from her hometown without even telling her, leaving her stranded at an empty house for the holidays. Fortunately, right across the street is Danielle's old best friend, Elise. They haven't seen each other in years, but when Elise sees Danielle alone and confused she takes hold of the opportunity to invite her to Elise's family's Thanksgiving. As grateful as Danielle is, the romantic feelings she had tried to hide for years start bubbling up inside her and she is not sure how to hold them back anymore. Needless to say, it's going to be an interesting Thanksgiving holiday. During this holiday season, Edie Bryant brings us a sweet Thanksgiving tale of love and reconnecting with those we're truly thankful for.

    By day, she studies at law school, and by night, she serves drinks at an exclusive club to afford her tuition. But the hard-working Melanie will never admit her true desire: to escape from her fast-paced, high-pressure life, if only for a moment. When Melanie meets Vanessa, a glamorous executive and a regular at the club, she is drawn to the enigmatic black-haired woman. Vanessa is relentless in pursuing what she wants—and what she wants is Melanie. Soon, Melanie finds herself caught up in Vanessa’s sensual games of submission, power and control. Melanie insists that her affair with Vanessa remains purely physical. But as her limits are tested, so is the line between lust and love. When ghosts from the past reappear, both women must face their deepest fears. Can Melanie surrender her everything to Vanessa, or will old wounds prove too great?

    When the U.S. government finds out her visa's expired, she fears she'll have to leave the adorable nine-year-old she nannies - as well as her beautiful single mother. Although Claire's a successful businesswoman, her daughter comes first. The little girl adores her nanny, and Claire doesn't want to shake up her life again - so Claire comes up with a daring plan to keep Gloria in the country. The proposal has nothing to do with the attraction Claire's always felt for her employee. As Gloria and Claire strive to portray a realistic relationship, both of them fight their growing feelings. Could these fake brides become real lovers?

    She works as a pediatric nurse at a local hospital, and she is engaged to a wonderful man. When Ronnie meets Amy Vascar, the mother of one of her patients, she realizes just how quickly someone's life can change in an instant of meeting just the right person, and how quickly friendship can morph into something more.

    Kate Martin needs a vacation after a failed romance with her business partner nearly ruins her. Lee Foster is recovering from her first lesbian relationship that self-destructed when her partner moved several states away, leaving her behind. Two failed romances, a double booked vacation cabin, and a blizzard — will fate intervene again and turn a passionate affair with a stranger, into something more?

    First stop: the final weekend of Carnevale in Venice, Italy. When the international leg of their flight is cancelled due to a fast-moving winter storm, Willa refuses to admit defeat and give up her carefully laid plans. All Rae wants is some quiet time to reconnect with her wife after months of wedding madness, but she agrees to attempt a late-night trek across the snowy midwest in a last-ditch attempt to make it to Venice before the festivities end. After surviving a near-death experience on the icy road, Willa and Rae find themselves at odds regarding the entire point of their honeymoon. Can an unexpected rescuer help them rediscover what’s really important, and each other?

    When she wanders into a small, locally-owned bakery to inquire about an opening advertised in the window, she meets Gwen. Gwen is a thirty-something divorcee who decided to give up her lucrative career and start her own business. But little do people know, her business is failing and she has no clue how to revive it, until Temperance comes along. Temperance tries her best to hide the real reason she's put down roots in a place far different than where she'd ever choose to live and far away from home, where she left everything she loves behind for the little girl who holds her heart. Sooner rather than later, Temperance knows that with decisions come consequences, ones she may not be willing or ready to accept. Two women. One tiny bakery. One precocious little girl. Will cupcakes keep them together? WARNING: This novel contains strong language and strong sexual content. Intended for 18+ years and above.

    She eats, she sleeps, she works. On the path to becoming a manager, she doesn't spare much time for anything else.Then she bumps into Nira, one of the regulars she's had a crush on for years, for the first time in a while.Nira isn't in a good place. She needs a friend.Ashley decides that putting the crush aside is a no-brainer. She'll be the friend Nira needs, even if it ends up giving Nira's other friends the wrong idea.There are definitely worse things than people assuming they're dating.

    Harper, the woman she'd been crushing on for the last three years.After five years of teaching accounting at the same college as her brother, Lauren Harper was finally settling in.She'd left behind a high paying, high stress job at an accountancy firm, and although teaching didn't pay nearly as well, she was starting to enjoy the simpler things in life, like sipping on a whiskey while she played cards at a local casino.When one of her students sits down at her poker table, it piques Lauren's curiosity. It wasn't unusual for students and teachers to mix in such a small town, but for some reason, she didn't expect to see Riley playing poker.Lauren had been badly burned by a student in the past, and there was no way she was going there again.No way. Under no circumstances.That's what Lauren keeps telling herself anyway, but as the two get to know one another, Lauren finds herself being drawn to the younger woman.How bad would it really be to date a student?

    After one magical night when they were eighteen, Jess is left heartbroken by Holly.Jess runs away to the city and does everything she can to forget Holly.Fourteen years have passed since she last saw or spoke to Holly. When everything falls apart with Jess's life in the city, she finds herself coming home.Coming home to her small town. Coming home to her Mom. Coming home to herself.

    New home. New job. New town. She's moved in with her politically-active best friend from university who has promised to find Millie a date before Christmas.  When news that the local head of the council, Nightmare Nightingale, has decided that there will be no Christmas tree in the town centre that year, Millie is quick to pick up a placard and join the protests. After all, what is Christmas without a tree? But Millie soon discovers that Professor Kay Nightingale isn't quite the nightmare she is painted to be.  What will happen when Millie gets closer to Kay? How will she explain the confusing relationship to her friends? And will there be a Christmas tree in the end?

    One sleeping bag and a storm that leaves them without power will set into motion a few events that have been waiting to occur.

    She discovers her captor is Dareena, daughter of the Tendarian queen, who intends to return Meorie to Tendaria to stand trial for war crimes of four years ago.Dareena promises justice, but Meorie knows she will only receive vengeance. She is offered the choice of spending the voyage trussed like a turkey with an equally undignified delivery to the Tendarian palace, or she can accept a magical slave collar of obedience, to be removed upon delivery. She accepts the collar, binding her to obedience to Dareena.As the voyage progresses, Meorie attempts to defeat the collar while learning how deep the treachery towards her has extended. She also finds herself falling in love with her captor.This novella of 43,000 words, about 130 printed pages, is the darkest story Julia P. Lynde has written.