Chile peppers, hot air balloons and white sand dunes mix with a small town mayor, a fake fiance, and a second chance at love. Borrowing Amor: Love is a nuisance when all you want is to disappear. Two weeks before Christmas, Katie is kicked out of her apartment. Again. Rather than wander the streets and continue to work for a dirty cop, she decides to leave the city and disappear for good. But her car breaks down in a small New Mexican town, and everything is threatened when she falls for the charming mayor. Sam Freedman is the first bachelor mayor of Amor. After convincing the locals that having a mayor without family responsibilities means he can dedicate all his time to the community, townspeople watch his every move. Then Katie Andersen shows up. Against Sam’s better judgement, he hires her to replace his event coordinator. Now he can barely think straight, let alone run a town. In the midst of half-truths and outright lies, Katie and Sam desperately search for the place where honesty and trust lead to love. But they have to find it before the past catches up with them. Borrowing Love: It’s better to have loved and lost, they said. They were wrong. Ruby Freedman hasn’t left the small town of Amor in four years--not since her husband died. The memory of his fateful accident was enough to cause her to sell her airplane, and never ride in a car again. Then Parker Loveland comes back to town. Now she has to add him to her list of things she intends to avoid.After years away, Parker Loveland is back in Amor to celebrate his parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary. He has worked hard to escape the clutches of his hometown, but when he runs into Ruby, the only girl he cared about in high school, and the only one that ever stood him up on a date, he’s torn between the embarrassment he felt more than a decade before, and his desire to be around her.Caught between memories of the past and fear of the future, it will take leaving Amor to help Ruby and Parker find the second chance they didn’t know they were looking for. Borrowing a Fiance:  She wanted freedom. She got a fiance instead. Melinda Garrett has been stuck managing her parent’s diner for over a decade, when all she had wanted was to go to college. When her younger sister gets married, Melinda reluctantly agrees to attend with her friend, Daniel, as her date. But when the pressure is on, she claims he is her fiance, in hopes that her parents’ opinion of selling the diner will change.Daniel Armstrong isn’t the kind of guy a girl takes home to meet her parents, but when he offers to attend a wedding as Melinda’s date, he finds himself labeled as her future spouse. Now, challenges lie around every corner, testing Melinda’s claim that she and Daniel are in love.

    Carson, the new sheriff of the town and Alina’s childhood friend, will now feel his heart shiver again and try to save her. When the situation is about to get harder and harder Alina and Carson will have a chance to rekindle their friendship. But will it be enough to help them survive and keep the ones they care for alive? The Bounty Hunter of Her Heart Willamina Billie Starling is haunted by a sobering past surrounding her brother’s mysterious exile. When she asks from Jack, the new sheriff, to help her solve the mystery, she will discover things that will change her life forever... And even though Jack finds by her side a spark that he’s been missing, will he risk his chance for love for the sake of justice? Will Billie find the love she wants and the family she needs, or will it wind up costing her everything, even her life? A Quest of Love and Redemption Willamina Billie Starling is haunted by a sobering past surrounding her brother’s mysterious exile. When she asks from Jack, the new sheriff, to help her solve the mystery, she will discover things that will change her life forever... And even though Jack finds by her side a spark that he’s been missing, will he risk his chance for love for the sake of justice? Will Billie find the love she wants and the family she needs, or will it wind up costing her everything, even her life?

    But when she discovers a collection of old journals and diaries, a terrible truth comes to the surface. How could she break free of the curse that surrounded women in her family? The past seemed doomed to repeat itself and Penelope vowed that she would never be chained to a man’s name, and forced to smile demurely at his whims. Her fire and determination could bring her fortune or ruin, but when she stumbles upon a fallen duke, how could she save herself from the beauty of his face?All Lord Jules Daventry, Duke of Richmond, knew was revenge. His incessant search for truth had brought him to gloomy places full of people envying his blood or his wealth. He would not give up until the truth of his parents’ murders was brought to light and his good name was restored. Yet, in his darkest moments, he came to see an angel. Is she friend or a foe?Lord Jules must let go of his past, in order to see that there is beauty to be had and that revenge is not worth it. During this critical moment, he will have to choose between the dark desire of vengeance and his deeper need for redemption. How can he fulfill his vow without endangering the woman he grows to love?"The Light in the Duke's Shadow" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

    and the last thing he needed was a troublesome woman. Yet this fierce Irish warrior took a deathbed oath to protect a chieftain's rebellious daughter.Triona was a hellion of a woman...who would let no man rule her. Raised in the ways of a warrior, she defied Ronan's every command. So he planned to marry her off, to be rid of the wild lass forever. But in the heat of battle—enflamed by her passionate spirit—Ronan decided he wanted this beautiful, impossible woman for himself!

    Tormented by the crimes she has witnessed, Zahra doesn't tell anyone about her nightmares. But, when she meets her new boss, Mr. Jayce Tohmatsu, she soon realizes that they have more in common than just the company they work for, and that her dreams are the storytellers of her long-forgotten past.Unable to resist the magnetic pull between them, Zahra and Jayce embark on an all-consuming and passionate affair-one that is built on love as well as lies. As Zahra's dreams intensify, she will discover that she is not the only one keeping secrets, that the past is never truly forgotten and that all debts must be paid, one way or another.BOOK #2: The Ghosts of Their PastsLOVE HADN'T BEEN ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM.Zahra Foster is alone again and once more haunted by the night. If Zahra thought Raven's past was bad, nothing could have prepared her for Makare's.While Zahra tries to piece together the fragments of her past lives, Jayce is dealing with his own demons. The Tohmatsu family is being threatened, and Jayce blames himself.With a security situation spiraling out of control, Zahra and Jayce are brought back together--along with the ghosts of their pasts. Can they make amends for their mistakes and learn to trust each other? Or are they still keeping secrets?BOOK #3: The Blood of Their SinsSOME SECRETS AREN'T MEANT TO STAY BURIED FOREVER.Zahra Foster screams in the night, and wakes in a cold sweat. But for the first time in her life, she wants to see her dreams. She needs to. Because this isn't just about her anymore--it involves Jayce, too. And her dreams could save their lives.Blood has been shed, betrayal committed, and the sins of their past are coming back to haunt them. Zahra knows that if they want to survive, they will have to uncover the damaging secrets buried deep in their souls. They will need to see who they truly are and what they have done, because those whom they have hurt want one thing: revenge.The Blood of Their Sins is the gripping conclusion of Zahra and Jayce's story--a tale that shows the heartbreak and beauty of life, and that every moment, no matter how insignificant, is designed to make us who we are.

    Until he meets Jennifer McCoy, his outspoken new assistant and development executive.Newly engaged Jennifer has no idea that her devastatingly gorgeous new boss is the man she kissed, blindfolded, in a game of Truth or Dare. That kiss, that man, that beautiful stranger she cannot forget.Blake hasn't been able to stop thinking about that kiss either...and he'll do anything to win Jennifer --even if it means being a beautiful bastard and breaking all the rules.The THAT MAN TRILOGY is a steamy romantic comedy. Written in dual POV, it's approximately 500 pages long and has an HEA.

    Discovering she is a pawn in an arrangement between slobbery Silverton and her calculating father, Grace is devastated when Silverton reveals his true callous nature.Refusing this fate, Grace resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America.When Grace's big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. The captain wants her back in London but his orders, to chart the icy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, forbid it. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam gallantly offers to take Grace off the fretting captain's hands by placing her under his protection.Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence. But when Grace disregards Lieutenant Fitzwilliam's warnings about the dangers of the unexplored archipelago, it costs a friend his life and she realises she is not as free as she believes.DISCERNING GRACE is historical women's fiction that will appeal to fans of Claire Fraser from Outlander and Demelza Poldark from Poldark—in other words, fans of feisty historical female leads.

    To his delight, he discovers she is everything he’d hoped for. Unaware they are already married, Deb is content with her independent life. Julian’s challenge is to have her accept him on his merit, even though she has no choice at all. The future of the Roxton dukedom depends upon it.Set in the opulent world of the aristocracy and inspired by real events, Lucinda Brant delivers another lavish 18th-century experience in her trademark style—heart-wrenching drama with a happily ever after.

    See author's note, below Pulling Home (That Second Chance #1) It's taken nine years and a cross-country move, but Audra Valentine Wheyton has kept her secrets safe. She's created the perfect life: a husband who loves her, a daughter she adores, and a position as head writer for an award-winning daytime soap. When her husband dies suddenly, Audra returns to her hometown for the funeral and faces a community that has not forgotten her meager beginnings and the man who has never forgiven her for marrying his brother. Jack Wheyton is a successful pediatric neurosurgeon who is about to become engaged when Audra walks back into his life with her daughter. He forgave his brother long ago for taking something that had been his, something he hadn't even realized he wanted until it was gone. But forgiving Audra is another story...and forgetting her? Near impossible. When a shattering illness strikes Audra's daughter, she turns to Jack to save her child and risks exposing a secret that will change their lives forever. A Family Affair: The Promise (Truth in Lies #7) Grant Richot sprinted through life, a boy wonder with talent, intelligence, confidence, and charm. He never doubted the world awaited him, just as he never doubted the right woman would come into his life—but only when he was ready for her. Anyone before that was simply preparation for the one. How wrong he was. Years and a tragedy later, Grant arrives in Maggie Finnegan’s hometown of Magdalena, New York—broken, uncertain, and searching for that second chance with the woman he cast aside. But Maggie’s no longer naïve and impressionable; she’s a confident, competent widow with a child, who has more at risk than another broken heart… Note from Mary: I love secondary characters: writing them, reading about them, even watching them on the big screen. Secondary characters support the “stars”; make them more vibrant and compelling. But when the story ends, I’m often left wondering what they’d do if they were in the “spotlight”. That’s why I’ve created special boxed sets that were part of That Second Chance series and the Truth in Lies series. These boxed sets let the reader follow the before and after of select characters as they first appear in That Second Chance series and later in the fictional town of my bestselling Truth in Lies series. Boxed Set One contains Pulling Home and A Family Affair: The Promise. I invite you to follow their journey!

    Fearing his daughter losing everything when he dies, Charlotte’s father forces a match with an old friend, Richard Howard. But Richard is much more interested in an heir than a wife, and will do anything to continue his bloodline. Beaten and battered, Charlotte sees no way out of the union… Then the handsome Scottish laird Conner MacLeod crashes the social scene. He sets her body on fire with a mere touch, but he has a bad reputation of leaving a string of women in his wake. Nonetheless, when Conner offers his emerald queen sanctuary in his Highland castle, Charlotte flees with him into the night, escaping her marriage. But those who wish to trap her are never far behind. The Highlands give her hope, but fill her life with new perils… She and Conner begin growing closer, although the shadows of his former relationships haunt her. Still, the magnetic forces that pull them together are making it harder for her to stay away. And just as Charlotte is beginning to settle into her life, she learns someone wants her gone for good and will do so…by any means necessary. When Charlotte escapes one marriage only to find herself on the cusp of another, will she ever be free?

    Stefan, the future duke of Montmouth, no doubt thought his words were welcomed but he couldn't have been more wrong. Oh, he was handsome as a pagan Norse god, but that was unimportant when her life as well as those of her family hung in the balance. With less than six weeks left, Rosalind has stopped believing in the fairy tale, the prince on the white horse, and the stolen kiss that would awaken her from her worst nightmares. Resigned to her fate, she waits for the inevitable curse to run it’s course. "We must marry at once!" Stefan declared, fully expecting Rosalind to be delighted that he had come to save her, but he was sorely mistaken. Rosalind was no simpering docile female; she was a fiery temptress with a stubborn streak only matched by his horse, Samson. Insulting, infuriating, intoxicating and alluring enough to drive a man mad. Stefan found himself thankful for the curse that required him marry her, thankful for the betrothal contract he had so recently tried to release her from...With the fortitude of a sailor shipwrecked, abandoned, and a solider warring for his life Stefan decides to lay siege to the greatest prize, Rosalind's heart.

    She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

    Both recovering from shocking revelations, they unintentionally lean on each other. But as their attraction builds and their undeniable chemistry explodes into passion, a secret threatens their happily ever after.Final stop: Red Maple FallsMad About Matt: When city girl Shay moves to picturesque Red Maple Falls, she opens her own bakery--and reunites with her ex, Matt, the handsome local sheriff. A passionate and engaging small-town romance!Travelers Guide:Willow Cove: BEST LOBSTER IN THE STATE! Check out the locals and their freshest seafood. Don't forget to stop by The Local Bean for that cuppa and catch up on all the town gossip!Morgan's Bay: Are you ready for some New York fun? Get away from the city and visit the cutest book store and eat the BEST BURGERS around! Don't forget to say hi to the very cute bartender.Red Maple Falls: Visit the Happy Apple for a slice of our famous pie! Enjoy a cruise down main street on one of our custom bikes at the Chain and Spoke. Don't forget to say hi to one of the MANY hot Hayes' siblings.

    Having completed her mourning for her late husband, she has no intention of finding herself a new husband nor even allowing herself to be courted by a gentleman.But when an old beau reappears in the form of one Lord Havisham, Emily begins to wonder whether her heart can remain as resolute as she had hoped!Emily discovers that she has something of a follower in young Miss Bavidge, who longs to have the same confidence, gentility, and determination as she. Near to being regarded as a spinster, Miss Bavidge begs for Emily’s help in finding a husband for both herself and her friends. Emily loves a challenge, and Miss Bavidge and her friends certainly need help, but will Emily be able to aid her? And what will become of Lord Havisham and his intention to pursue Emily until she consents to his courtship?This book is the first book of series about The Spinsters Guild, a group of imperfect ladies who are almost “on the shelf.” Can Lady Emily help them find their perfect match before it is too late?

    BUNDLED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. HALF MY HEART BOOK 1: THE CLOVER SERIES At nineteen, Devin Sutton lost his first love, his freedom, and his hope. Years later, the only thing he has on his mind this holiday season is finally settling the score back in Clover, North Carolina. That is, until the girl he thought he’d lost forever crosses his path. Rebecca Farrus is supposed to be off living the life of her dreams, not tending bar in some dive. When faced with the choice, will Devin decide to celebrate what he’s finally found or keep seeking retribution for everything he lost? CHANGE MY HEART BOOK 2: THE CLOVER SERIES You really can't have it all, or so Devin Sutton is finding out fast. Returning to Clover was all part of his plan to exact revenge on the town that robbed him of nearly a decade of his life. Unfortunately, things quickly begin to crumble when he's forced to choose between rekindling an old love or destroying the town. Walking the fine line between both might just end up leaving him with nothing. With his heart full of vengeance is there any room for love?