He must, however, work a deal with her. She needs money to save her ranch and he needs access to the spring on her property. Seems simple, right? But nothing’s ever easy with Pearl. The woman is steely and stubborn, but she’s lovely too, with a carefully concealed, vulnerable side. As much as he tries not to notice, thoughts of Pearl distract him plenty. She stirs all sorts of protective notions. He yearns to shield her from the dangerous outlaws that lurk in the nearby canyons. When whispered rumors turn into deadly threats, Levi vows to do whatever it takes to keep Pearl safe.

    Not only does she train search and rescue dogs, but she’s a bestselling suspense author who has waterfront property in the beautiful mountain town of Grand Lake, Colorado. All is well until she receives a call to bring her dog Max and her snowmobile to help rescue a man who is lost in a blizzard up on Gravel Mountain. That man is the one person she never wants to see again—Ryker Anderson—the man who broke her heart the day he called three months before their wedding to say goodbye with no explanation as to why.After being gone for eighteen months, Ryker Anderson is back in Grand Lake where he hopes to win back the woman he loves. He only hopes Shelby understands why he left. Will he be able to convince Shelby that she can trust him with her heart again even though he broke it before?

     The story titles are: Betty’s Birthday It Wisnae Me Jena and Matt’s Honeymoon in Vegas Andrew McInnes’ Book Club The Breakfast Club The Reverend Morrison’s Last Christmas in Invertary Betty Wants Grandkids Aunty Megan Saves the Day The Day Donna Became Housekeeper at Kintyre Mansion Megan and Dimitri on the Job The Wookiee Wants a Wife (or at the very least, a date!) Isobel And Callum Get Married Kirsty and Lake Benson Ryan’s Heart Harry and Magenta A London Night Invertary’s Unofficial Council Has a Plan A New Client for Benson Security Valentine’s Day at Glasgow School of Art Jack’s Next Step Dear Abby Some of these stories have appeared in my newsletters. But some were written just for this book, and you will only find them here. This book is fifty-five thousand words long.

     After a heartbreaking deception, Stephanie Gibson decides to move to the south coast and work as a nanny for the large and scatty Matthews family. They’re friendly and eccentric and Stephanie soon settles in. However, when she finds herself falling in love again, spectres from the past loom up. Has Stephanie made another mistake, and will she ever be able to trust anyone again?

    

    It is a standalone story with HEA and no cliffhanger. Several clean romance stories have been included for your enjoyment. A successful journalist, Lauren has her dream job of writing for a magazine in Boston. When she's confronted by her boyfriend's secret lover at a company party, Lauren vows to swear off men for at least a year, maybe two or three. Luckily her cousin, Amber, invites her to share in an adventure, which is exactly what she needs after her public humiliation at work. She'll have to ditch her business suits and high heels for this undertaking. Amber lives in Alaska and has some friends that need someone to house-sit for them at their "off the grid" homestead. Their horses, chickens and goats need tending, but Amber can't do it alone. She asks Lauren to come and join her. Lauren takes a sabbatical from her job to get inspiration to write the "great American novel" and get over her broken heart, but the peace and quiet her cousin promises isn't working out quite the way they planned. BOOKS IN THE SERIES: A Single Year In The Bush A Summer Nanny In Fairbanks / The River Home Homer: End Of The Road Together In The Wild Something Wild In Anchorage Yesterday Island

    The Smitten study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    Creole looked up and we locked eyes. Praying she wouldn’t try to put me out and cause a scene, my steps towards her slowed down, but I kept going after her. I would always go after her. Her This was the man I promised to love and respect and spend the rest of my life with. This was also the man that put my health and life in jeopardy because of a drunken night. How could I separate the two? Them They promised to love each other for better or worse. Until death pulled them apart. But before Creole could walk down the aisle to marry Nyameka, they were slapped in the face with Kimberly Simpson’s rape allegation. Nyameka makes it his priority to not only clear his name, but to regain the trust of the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Will he succeed? Or will his infidelity, whether intentional or unintentional, be too much for Creole to handle?

    But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever. Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, locking herself away in a secluded clifftop cottage to try to heal her heart and rediscover her passion for writing. But can the beauty of the islands and the kindness of strangers help Merry to fool herself into believing in love again, if only long enough to finish her book? Or is it time for her to give up the career she’s always adored and find something new to set her soul alight??The brand new series from Holly Hepburn, author of A Year at the Star and Sixpence. Parts one to four in the new series are available to pre-order now: BROKEN HEARTS AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, SEA BREEZES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, DANGEROUS TIDES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY and SUNSET OVER BRIGHTWATER BAY ~*~Praise for Holly Hepburn~*~ 'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman 'Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley 'You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from  star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting ... simply wonderful. I want to read more!' Miranda Dickinson 'The Star and Sixpence sparkles with fun, romance, mystery, and a hunky blacksmith. It's a real delight' Julie Cohen 'Like the dream pub landlady who always knows exactly what you want, Holly Hepburn has created the most delightful welcome to what promises to be a brilliant series, in the first Star and Sixpence. The sisters are warm and intriguing, the neighbours are (mostly!) friendly and the gossip is utterly addictive. I was very sad when it was time for last orders, and am already looking forward to the next round. Especially if a certain blacksmith happens to be at the bar...' Kate Harrison 'Warm, witty and utterly charming, Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's day.

    With their background, the two girls need a fresh start. In Colby, Montana opportunities are as thick as needles on a pine tree. Savvy and independent, Rosie decides to take a chance and start a business, earning her the respect of many town residents. She catches the eye of two men. One interested in exploiting her past and one interested in redeeming her heart. But Rosie’s secrets and who she really is shadow her hopes for happiness. Can a man love her most when her past refuses to leave? Riding for Redemption Desperate to find her place in the world, Sara Beth dreams of applying for the Miss Wrangler Montana competition that tours with the rodeo circuit. Riding horses has become her anchor until a near fatal accident takes more from her than she’d ever willingly sacrifice. Determined to prove his business training, Johnny seeks out the Rourke family to call in an old favor. When he embroils himself in Sara Beth’s life, he has to prove they’re nothing more than friends. Seeking independence, both Sara Beth and Johnny lean on each other more and more, until love threatens their friendship. Will they seek out each other or be confused by their dreams? Can either of them leave their past and embrace their future? Resisting Redemption With her heart at war with her mind, Lisa’s need to chase dangerous fun over boring responsibilities tugs at her emotions. Love is the last thing she expects to find, especially with her past revolting against her future. The only love Ryan’s heart has room for is for his motherless son. But, when he finds himself yearning for Lisa, Ryan has to convince himself and her that he’s all the thrill she’ll ever need. Will Lisa’s past destroy their future before either of them can accept the true meaning of love? Regretting Redemption Mary's never been completely honest with anyone--especially herself. The man she's supposed to marry reminds her of her father in ways she's suppressed for years--controlling, abusive, and manipulative. The sisters she's finally found don't understand her shame or confusion. When Ian enters the picture with his British accent and Montana tan, Mary starts to question the past and her loyalty to a father who took away all her chances at true happiness. Can Mary help her sisters break free from their father’s diabolical past? Or will his sins corrupt any chance at true happiness with Ian? And herself? Rewarding Redemption Jenny has memories of a happy childhood, of love and laughter. Then her mother’s death took everything away and created a monster in the man Jenny called dad. Her father turned out to be one of the worst outlaws Montana has ever seen. On the run for most of her life, Jenny comes full circle. Now there’s a treasure to be found and sisters she didn’t know about to save. And a man that’s hell-bent on getting to them all first. Alone, Jenny can’t survive. She’s taken on too much with very little payoff and she’s been running for years. Jason is suddenly there – the boy from her past, the good and bad.

    Her life was uneventful; she hated the monotone existence that she had to deal with, where each day blurred into the one before. She dreamed of the day where this would change, the day when she could finally begin to live her life.But when a mysterious young man from out-of-town visits Boutiques with Coffee, Meghan is overwhelmed with emotion. Young, attractive, and more mysterious than a Top-Secret military document, this man by the name of William quickly changes Meghan’s life. Whether the changes were good or bad, she did not yet know.Would this man be good for Meghan? Is he the answer to the boring and uneventful life that she was currently living? Or will the mysterious man break her heart, and make her wish that she had never met him?

    You'll fall in love, too!Love's Replay: David Henderson is so desperate to stop his father from selling their family's auto dealership, he'll even marry to prove he's serious about the future. Enter ex-lover Sandra Miller, who is back in town to help her successful business career. Too bad those prospects hang on partnering with David, the man who once crushed her heart. Will the mistrust and jealousy that tore them apart before prevent a replay of their rekindled love?Just My Type: Janiyah Henderson enjoys her stress-free post-college life, but when her dad insists she can't handle a "real job," she's determined to prove him wrong. Her high-spirited ways clash with the conservative instincts of her new boss, accountant Fredrick Jenkins, yet attraction brews between them. When Fredrick shows Janiyah the man behind the numbers, she realizes she could be just the type of woman he needs.Making It Real: After five years in prison, Kareem Henderson is on the right track as a barber, with a goal to open a high-end salon. But he needs society connections to make his dream a reality. Patrice "Neecie" Baldwin, needs a shield to return home, so she offers Kareem a deal: Pretend to be her fiance, and she'll introduce him to her well-healed relatives. But as they grow closer, this fake relationship might become something very real.From One Night to Forever: When trucker Aaron Henderson rolls into Reliant, Tennessee, for business, a singing beauty at a bar stirs feelings he's long forgotten. Then his one-night stand turns out to be his new partner's baby sister. When Kacey Randal learns that Aaron's working with her brother and has a list of conquests as high as his big rig's mileage, she's ready to pretend their night together never happened. But the fire burns hot between these two--can Kacey tame Aaron's roaming ways to go from one night to forever?Sensuality Level: Sensual

    But Ellie’s idyllic world is interrupted when she is contacted by a woman who knows her oldest and best-kept secret. Viewing her past in a different light, Ellie undergoes an uplifting change-of-heart. Will her relationship with her new acquaintance bring them a fairytale ending, or is that too much to hope for?

     Will Love To Be The Price To Pay? An Angel’s smile…A Devil’s eyes…Are dreams made to be broken? Cheated out of her own ranch and left alone with a son to raise, Serena Snowdon can’t seem to keep ahead of the trouble that haunts her. With her only chance at a normal life hanging on the return of her husband, Serena knows she will just have to hold on until he comes back. But when she finds employment as a cook in the Riley household, she discovers that some things are worse than being out in the cold - like a dark-haired cowboy with the temptation of the devil himself. Known to be a man who loves hard and fights harder, Jasper Riley has a knack for knowing when danger is nipping at his heels. Yet he seems blind to the perils of the irresistible attraction he feels for their new cook, even as he is coerced into a marriage with a woman he has no feelings for. But when all Serena has left is being threatened, she and Jasper realize that if they don’t make a stand, then the worst that can happen is far more than either of them is willing to risk. With their backs against the wall and Serena determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers, Jasper has no choice but to set his sights on the one thing he knows best - protecting what is his.