Sadie’s lover calls her as he drives to meet his wife at marriage counseling. Gwen pines for her roommate, a man who will hold her hand but then tells her that her palm is sweaty. And Sasha agrees to have a drink with her married lover’s wife and then immediately regrets it. These are the women of Single, Carefree, Mellow, and in these eleven sublime stories they are grappling with unwelcome houseguests, disastrous birthday parties, needy but loyal friends, and all manner of love, secrets, and betrayal. In “Cranberry Relish” Josie’s ex—a man she met on Facebook—has a new girlfriend he found on Twitter. In “Blue Heron Bridge” Nina is more worried that the Presbyterian minister living in her garage will hear her kids swearing than about his finding out that she’s sleeping with her running partner. And in “The Rhett Butlers” a teenager loses her virginity to her history teacher and then outgrows him. In snappy, glittering prose that is both utterly hilarious and achingly poignant, Katherine Heiny chronicles the ways in which we are unfaithful to each other, both willfully and unwittingly. Maya, who appears in the title story and again in various states of love, forms the spine of this linked collection, and shows us through her moments of pleasure, loss, deceit, and kindness just how fickle the human heart can be.

    Stanley is appalled at this assault on his human rights and will do just about anything to avoid the extra work. Stanley thinks up a cunning pl

    Now, the ladies of Bella Flora are back in an all-new holiday novella.When Madeline Singer, Avery Lawford, and Nicole Grant first gained ownership of Ten Beach Road, they didn’t realize that remodeling the house would not only bind their fates together but give them a second chance at rebuilding their lives.Now, as Kyra, Madeline’s daughter, returns to the newly sold Bella Flora for one last Christmas, she’s hoping to get a brief respite from the paparazzi that constantly hounds her and the son she had with famous actor Daniel Deranian. But when a string of bad news threatens to disrupt her happy holidays, Bella Flora’s sanctuary may be threatened for all of the women who call it home…

    But that plan didn’t include moving home after college, single with no job. And it definitely didn’t include falling for her best friend.Travis never asked out the one girl he wanted to in high school. But it’s against the rules to date your best friend.Hoping things can be different now, Travis jumps at the chance to hire Julie at his store. But his plan to spend time with her is foiled when she tells him she signed up with a dating app.As Julie goes on dates that are epic failures in every way, Travis is the one she shares the stories with. He’s more and more sure she’s the girl for him. But admitting his feelings might scare her away.Will their friendship turn into something more, or will fear end their relationship forever?

    He needed to save his ranch. Together they just might make a home. Sgt. Dylan Banks lost more than just his leg in the war. His fiancée and family turned their backs on him as well. Now, he’s determined to create a safe place where wounded warriors like himself can heal. But a hidden zoning law requires all residents of the Purple Heart Ranch to be married. To save his dream, Dylan and his men will have to tie the knot—but can a man with such deep scars inside and out believe in love again?   Maggie Shaw lost both her job as a veterinary technician and her apartment on the same day. Who knew her unreasonable landlord would kick her out for being four dogs over the one pet limit? Now, she and her gang of special-needs dogs are in trouble. Fate puts her in Dylan’s path with a proposal that seems too good to be true—but can her heart bear a loveless marriage of convenience?   Dylan yearns to reach out for Maggie’s healing touch, but he keeps his distance, convinced his wounds are too deep for her embrace. Maggie sees past Dylan’s injuries, but if she fails to capture his heart they both could lose it all: her beloved animals, his ranch, and each other.   Find out if love can truly heal all wounds in this light-hearted, sweet romance of convenient arrangements that unfold into lasting love. On His Bended Knee is the first in a series of marriage of convenience tales featuring Wounded Warriors who are healed with the power of love.

    Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

    A divorced mother of two, Kim resents her ex-husband for moving on with his life and living it up while she struggles to understand what went wrong. When her sons end up spending five weeks of summer vacation with their father, Kim's own father suggests a respite in the family vacation home on tiny Cedar Key Island. As Kim revisits her childhood memories and loves, she soon discovers that treasures in life are often buried, and mistakes--both past and present--become redeemable in God's hand.Readers will be swept away to an island retreat where they walk alongside Kim as she discovers that God's answers may not come easily, but they do come.

    In the eyes of everyone, he had it all; a successful ranch, natural good looks and a charming (if not a bit arrogant) personality. Why send away for a mail-order bride when he could have his pick of the eligible women in town? No one was prepared for Winifred "Winnie" McArthur. Outspoken, daring and unconventional, she was everything Lyle wanted and couldn't find in Pine Prairie. There was only one problem. While she gave her all to everything else, she kept a tight rein on her emotions, disallowing a relationship with Lyle beyond work. Are they destined to be nothing more than colleagues or is something greater in store for them? Please enjoy this family friendly, sweet historical romance novelette of 50 pages.

    but not impossible.  . Page Count: around 330 pagesBetty Bramble's life is a mess.  It has been since the day her first husband died.Now she's remarried to a man she used to adore.But she's not so sure she loves him anymore.  It's been seven years, and he acts as though she doesn't exist.It's hard being a preacher's wife.  People expect her to be perfect, including her husband.Isaac thinks he knows her, but she's been keeping a secret from him.Now that secret has come back to haunt her.The only man who can destroy her life has finally found her. .  She'll do whatever it takes to protect her family, including her unborn child.  But that's another secret she hasn't told her husband.She's not sure she should.Does Isaac want to save their marriage?Or is Betty all alone in this?Time is running out.  . Page Count: around 330 pages

    Her employers are ungrateful and expect too much of all their employees. Knowing that only she can change her life, she takes her chance and replies to an advertisement in the Matrimonial Times. She knows she could be risking her very life, but when a handsome man arrives on her doorstep will she regret the actions she has taken? Dylan Jones believes that love will never find him again. Left alone to bring up his son after the tragic loss of his first wife he knows that happiness is fleeting. He knows he has already been blessed, growing up to wealth and privilege and having found the one woman who could make his heart sing. But Kyle needs a mother, and he needs companionship as he tries to build a new life away from everything he once knew. He is not looking for anything more, but will he find out that sometimes we don't get quite what we might think we are looking for?

    I loved the humour and poignancy. There were so many brilliant lines that I stopped picking them out and just read.I loved it, the dialogue was very realistic, the characters were easy to picture. This is definitely something I would select in a bookstore.You’re great at really capturing a character with just a turn of phrase or one or two lines.A cracker.An exceptionally well delivered offering in a technical sense - uncliched, crisp, lively prose, top quality constructionA darned good read.First class.Absolutely loved it!Definitely pulled me into the story. Something I would buy.Professional and a pleasure to read.A treat to read some genuinely amusing comedyI really enjoyed this and laughed out loud several times. You demonstrate a compelling wit and kept me amused throughout. Perhaps humour is the best way of dealing with serious issues like Alzheimers but you underpin this with a genuine sense of concern.

    On the verge of giving up—anchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their lives—Van Booy's characters walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them.

    Check out this series if you like age gap, curvy heroines, and hot firefighter romance. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed!

    Faith has abandoned faith and tradition to earn her fortune and protect her sisters and herself from arranged marriages. Can a god-fearing captain in the Royal British Navy teach her about true love? Hope has chased what she thought was love all the way into the Caribbean, but will the sacrifices of a ship builder be enough to show her the truth about love? Grace has piously clung to her version of truth, but will a French mercenary have something to teach her about redemption and love?

    But things are starting to look up when my catering business finally gets local recognition.When my oven overheats in the middle of baking cookies for the annual gingerbread house decorating contest, the smokin’ hot guy next door offers to help with my goodies.Drake is a steamy cup of hot cocoa and I’d love to dip my cookie in his cream.But can I trust my heart to a guy with a notorious reputation and bachelorhood emblazoned across his chest?DrakeVoted Cranberry Corner’s most eligible bachelor is an honor, but it’s not who I aspire to be.Full disclosure: I’m tired of serial dating and one night stands. I want the deluxe relationship package with all the sprinkles and cream filling.Problem is I’ve found the red-headed woman of my dreams, but she thinks I’m nothing more than a smooth talking player.Hope is a curvy swirl of cinnamon and sugar and I’d love to taste her candied ginger center.Can I convince her there’s more to me than what greets the naked eye?Sugar & Spice Nights is a multi-author series of holiday inspired instalove, curvy woman and hot guys stories. Come find out how hot and sweet the nights can get today!Don't forget to meet ALL the hunky sweeties!Sugar Cookies & the Single Dad by Brynn HaleShortbread & the Scotsman by Lana DashGingerbread & the Guy Next Door by Piper CookEggnog & the Engineer by Elsie JamesCupcakes & the Cowboy by Scarlett WoodsPeanut Brittle & the Prince by Kate TilneyMacarons & the Mountain Man by Tarin LexBiscotti & the Bad Boy by Krysta FoxLemon Bars & the Lawyer by Layne DanielsFudge & the Firefighter by Sadie KingBrownies & the Billionaire by R.K. CovenXOX Piper