The trauma of Sydney's dark childhood is something she would do anything to forget. Now only nineteen, she's trying to start over with a new life and a new name, but you can't escape the past...Caroline is the most stunning woman Sydney has ever seen. Every night, Sydney hears her singing from her apartment window, and every night, Sydney's heart aches with something indescribable. When Caroline offers singing lessons, Sydney jumps at the chance to be in the captivating woman's presence...but her desire for Caroline can't be hidden. And Caroline is over twice her age. Through Caroline's gentle instruction, Sydney finds her voice again. The broken girl feels like she's starting to mend. But her infatuation with Caroline is reaching a fevered pitch...Will Sydney lose everything if Caroline finds out the girl is in love with her?Provocative, passionate and achingly raw, THE LONGING, the latest romance from best-selling author Bridget Essex, explores the unbreakable human heart in a love story that you'll never forget.59,500 words

    Reece Corbett grew up on the mean streets of New York City; abused, used, and in trouble with the law. A mysterious man named Frank stepped in, pulled Reece from despair and saved her life. The obstinant, angry street thug eventually earned respect and makes a name for herself, not to mention a "reputation" despite the demons that still haunt her. When Frank dies suddenly, he leaves her his business, a Gentleman's Club called "The Lounge," which may be the only thing she takes pride in. That, and protecting her "girls," especially one freaky little dancer with a heart of gold named Cori the unspoken friend, ally and confidante of one Reece Corbett. Faith Ashford grew up wealthy with all the creature comforts that wealth provides. Country Clubs, a house in the Hampton's, and debutante balls with white gloves, taffeta and gardenias. There was one difference though, Faith wasn't like the other spoiled rich girls, she had no desire to follow those rather shallow footsteps, instead, she wished to follow her own dreams wherever they may lead her and those dreams lead the aspiring actress into a tenement in New York's Alphabet City, working the night shift in a rather seedy Lower East Side bar whose denizens, a sea of oddities, freaks, and frat boys that call themselves customers. Then one night an exotic dancer with electric blue hair wonders into Faith's bar. Cori of the myriad piercings and tattoos has no idea, but she would become the blonde's ultimate salvation in her moment of desperation, just as Frank was for Reece. Faith needed a break, she needed a change, and bartending at The Lounge would at least afford her something new, more new than she could possibly imagine in fact, a tall drink of water by the name of Reece Corbett who in turn had been looking for "this woman" all her life.

    Ryan Myers’ life is on the fast track with a new career, a supportive group of friends, and an easy going relationship. Then an unexpected death, a diary that leaves more questions than answers, and a few family secrets turn her life upside down. Will Ryan be able to brave the elements and find the joy she has been searching for?

    What if you don't follow the rules and it radically alters the course of your life?What if you get kicked out of the house and lose all your friends and everyone you love? Will you turn the corner into a world filled with unusual friends and create a new kind of family or self-destruct?BOOKLIST *STARRED* REVIEW

     Read the complete Love's Encore Trilogy in this special omnibus edition, which contains all three unabridged books in one convenient bundle. A Road Through Mountains While working back stage at a suburban Connecticut community theater, star-crossed lovers Rorie and Cecily are reunited almost twenty years after their relationship came to an abrupt end. Can they overcome the ghosts of the past to find their happily ever after together? Your Name in Lights The second book of the series finds Rorie and Cecily embarking on a new life in sunny California, but will the pressures of time, distance, and some very persistent paparazzi be too much for them? Fifty Percent Illusion In the final book of the series, Rorie and Cecily are looking forward to a quiet, predictable life when unexpected news changes the course of their future forever. Can the twists and turns of fate lead to a happy ending?

    For Byron Debrek that means putting the good of her clan and innocent mortals over her own desires. When she falls for the first woman to set her blood on fire in centuries, Byron must harden her heart and walk away. For Amelia Honey, a suit designer at a Savile Row tailor, the six months spent with her first love were the most wonderful time of her life. Byron made her feel like a princess and awakened her darkest sexual desires. But then she disappeared, leaving her nothing but a first-class plane ticket and a broken heart.When a dangerous enemy befriends Amelia, Byron is compelled to act. Will she be able to regain Amelia’s trust and protect her? Or will pain and anger drive Amelia into the hands of Byron’s enemies, and into the middle of a vampire war?Cover Artist: Melody PondGenres: Paranormal & Urban Fantasy / Romance

    Three office romance novellas from talented writers Julie Cannon, Aurora Rey, and M. Ullrich. In For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon: Dress for success takes on a very different meaning. CFO Riley Stephenson finds herself in a particularly difficult position when the stripper she's fallen for shows up at her office―as her new employee. In Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey: Attorney Elisa Gonzalez is happy working behind the scenes while still having time for a life. All that changes when her firm takes on a major case and Parker Jones, powerhouse litigator and her law school crush, is named lead counsel. In Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich: Luca Garner is eager and hardworking, but her new boss is a total nightmare―snarky and uncooperative, not to mention an ice queen. VP Stephanie Austin doesn’t mean to be unkind, but the last thing she wants is an assistant getting under her skin, especially one who is as attractive as she is kind.

    One day, her top client asks her to work on a lucrative project with the notoriously fastidious Georgina Masters, of the American agency Mastery. The temporary merger causes a fiery clash of cultures and personalities. Especially when Georgina sets her romantic sights on Kate’s young intern, Sophie.

    Now, in the little town of Junction, she's known as Nat, a cowboy working on Boss Daddy's cattle ranch. She keeps to herself, renting a room in a local boarding house instead of staying in the bunk house, and with her dungarees and short hair, no one realizes she's living as a man. But Boss Daddy's pretty daughter Miss Lucille takes a notice to "Mr. Nat," and the closer the two become, the more conflicted Nat grows. She likes Miss Lucille a lot more than she knows she should, and it's easy to forget who she's pretending to be around the boss's daughter. Then Miss Lucille surprises everyone, Nat included, by announcing their engagement. Nat knows they can't marry, and if she tells Miss Lucille why, her ruse will be up. Her only choice is to leave Junction behind, even if it means breaking Miss Lucille's heart. But will Miss Lucille let Nat go so easily?

     El Glasse’s mother controls her life. What she does, who she dates, even what she’s allowed to say. El only has two ways of holding onto her freedom. One is her popular anonymous blog, hidden from Mama Glasse. The other is what she so often blogs about: her feelings for Riley, the girl who works at the ice cream parlor. Riley is fierce, free, and rides a killer motorcycle, and El cannot help but love her. But Mama Glasse can never find out about her sexuality—unless El is willing to rebel. When El runs away, Riley feels responsible. She knows what it’s like to be alone, and she can’t deny her deep desire to learn El’s story. In a move she might end up regretting, she makes a devil’s bargain with Mama Glasse to hunt El down. Riley isn’t trying to bring her home though, because she knows an evil spell when she sees one—a spell of fear and shame El is finally starting to break. This huntress might lose her own heart, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take. Word count: 103,000; page count: 325

    She’ll go back, after some rest and relaxation. When her best friend suggests a diversion, she’s quickly smitten with the allure of cards and the intriguing stranger who never seems to lose a hand. Surely she can play with dangerous temptation, just this once. Courtney Langford’s favorite date is with Lady Luck. Ever since she missed a connection and avoided a deadly plane crash, she always comes up aces. Cards, women...seduction is just another way to win. Why should the lovely Ellen be any different? But Ellen turns out to be a wild card in a game Courtney has been trying so hard not to play.Tracey Richardson puts all the cards on the table as two women decide if they’re going to bet on love.

     As a hopeful young actress, Tabby's given the chance of a lifetime: a role in a television series that could make her a star. Tabby is determined to let nothing stop her rise toward fame, but she never could have predicted Moira Knox. Moira, a critically acclaimed actress, sizzles in her roles on-screen, but off camera, she’s cold and so private that no one knows a thing about her life. She and Tabby clash immediately, and Tabby thinks things can't get much worse...until Tabby is cast as Moira's love interest. The two actresses struggle to understand one another as they act out a passionate romance on-screen. Slowly, Tabby begins to glimpse the real Moira Knox, and the chemistry they try so hard to ignore threatens to set them afire. Torn between her career and her feelings for Moira, Tabby is poised for greatness...or a disastrous fall. Can love in the spotlight survive?

    It is a strange world of blistering sun, rolling dunes, and wind-carved plains, ruled by the Scion Zafirah Al’Intisar, a powerful and mysterious woman with seductive eyes of sapphire blue.When Zafirah liberates the caravan the rescue Dae prayed for is not as it seems; Zafirah’s carnal appetite is legendary. Dae is taken into Zafirah’s harem, a decadent world of excess and sexual freedom. At first, Dae struggles with desires she has never before experienced, but as love and lust collide these two women slowly forge a bond as one learns to listen to her heart, and the other to the call of her awakening body.Length: 113,000 words

    Sydney Hyatt doesn’t even do overnight. She attracts women effortlessly, then discards them after an hour or two of mutual pleasure. They meet at a party celebrating Parker’s divorce, and they’re tailor-made for a no-strings encounter. Yet when their paths cross again, lightning strikes, and both women begin to question their life rules in the face of undeniable passion and growing love.But demons past and dangers present threaten the lovers, and Parker and Sydney must fight to find new traditions in dark spaces as they cling to the relationship neither of them thought she wanted.The first book in the Lightning series.

    Shalimar, her wife, wishes Adijan would spend more time at home. Their landlord wishes Adijan would pay the rent. Adijan's brother-in-law wishes she would get trampled by a herd of camels so that he could marry his sister Shalimar to someone affluent and influential. And of all the wishes in the world, Adijan wishes the genie she's saddled with would grant her wishes instead of treating her with disdain. Be careful what you wish for in a world of genies, sorcerers, and flying carpets.