What she doesn’t know is that she is about to become a mail-order bride, too. 1881 Oregon Melissa Eversoll Burgess’s hope of a wonderful life with her first husband went up in smoke the day she married him. Not only was his abuse difficult to take, but she also learned that he was deeply involved in crime—on the very day he died. Now that they’re both widowed, Melissa and her mother are ready to start over in a place called Hope Hollow. When she is introduced to a handsome farmer and informed that she is to be his mail-order bride, she doesn’t know whether to hug him…or slap him. Garret Pearce came to Oregon three years ago to claim land and nurse a broken heart. Though he’s smitten with Melissa from their very first meeting, he’s not about to fall into that trap again. That is, until it becomes obvious she needs his protection. Entering a marriage of convenience may not have been in his plans, but now that he’s got a wife—and a pretty one at that—he realizes that keeping his heart from being torn in two is going to be the challenge of his life. One that he just might lose. Will Melissa and Garret get a second chance at love? Welcome to Hope Hollow, Oregon, a place where hope abounds for the downtrodden and weary, and where peace and love abide amidst life’s trials. ***Warning: sensitive topics such as domestic abuse and familial suicide are mentioned as past experiences for Melissa and her mother in the story, though the author has made every effort to keep the focus on the development of the main characters' relationship with each other in this sweet romance.

    To work in her families quilt shop and marry one of the local boys. But when she meets a handsome outsider, plans start to change, forcing Abigail to make the decision of a lifetime.

    In Pinky Promise, how can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not? Secretly Yours: a Winter Romance Novella Chef Lindsey Solberg agrees to cater the church’s Valentine’s Day fundraising banquet as a favor to her teen sister, but she’s shocked to discover the bad boy from her high school days is now Riverbend’s youth pastor. Seriously? How could he have changed that much? Nick Harrison has prayed for years for an opportunity to make amends. Now Lindsey’s back in Riverbend and won’t give him the time of day. What’s a guy to do except leave a trail of gifts from a secret admirer? Lindsey’s heart takes a beating when she realizes the boy who was never good enough is now a far better man than she deserves. Pinky Promise: a Spring Romance Novella Kelly Bryant’s young daughter wants a daddy and sets her sights on her new best friend’s single father. The man may be charming, sweet, and a believer, but Kelly is embarrassed. She extracts a pinky promise from her six-year-old to stop proposing to men on her behalf. Ian Tomlinson isn’t looking for a wife but does need care for his daughter during spring break the week after his move to Riverbend. He hates to ask Kelly — and plant ideas in the girls’ minds — but he’s rather low on options. How can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not? Welcome to Riverbend! 1. Secretly Yours (winter) 2. Pinky Promise (spring) 3. Sweet Serenade (summer) 4. Team Bride (autumn) 5. Merry Kisses (Christmas) Riverbend, BC, is the quaint Canadian town you wish you were from, where everyone knows everyone, seasons are celebrated, and love is in the air. The Riverbend Romance Novellas are a series of contemporary Christian romance stories set in Canada. These inspirational romance novellas are heart-warming shorter reads with true-to-life (but fictional) characters who face challenges in finding their one true love. What Readers Say about Secretly Yours "Overflowing with faith and romance..." ~ JoAnn Durgin, author of the Lewis Legacy Series "What an amazing and beautiful love story!" ~ Joyful "An adorable Valentine romance with realistic characters. " ~ Lollipops What Readers Say about Pinky Promise "Lovable parental figures with impish daughters create a delightful story of love, family, and 2nd chances." ~ Joelle "The plot is cute and the little girls are adorable." ~ Mommynificent "I loved this novella and the antics of two six-year-old girls that decide they want their parents to marry." ~ Linda Scroll up and snag this two-for-one today!

     Rose Mistletoe runs her family's flower shop on Christmas Parade, and loves every minute of her job. So when the Parade comes under acquisition by a redevelopment company, Rose forms a protest group against the bid. But business tycoon Nick Grimsby is determined to make her sell up. His company is planning to knock down the parade of traditional shops and build a block of exclusive apartments instead. And it seems the sexy billionaire will go to any lengths to get her shop. As Christmas approaches and Nick dangles the proverbial mistletoe, can Rose resist his powerful allure? Given how gorgeous he looks in a tuxedo, the answer is probably no. But she's not going to make it easy for him! Because Rose has secret plans of her own ... Warning! This romcom novella contains jokes, oodles of romance, festive wreaths, mistletoe, holly, and a sprinkling of paper hats. Another quirky romcom in the popular 'Oddest Little Shop' series from Beth Good. Titles can be read in any order.

    Never mind that he's her one-time teenage crush and a longtime friend. But when her son, Stevie, needs an expensive surgery, risking her heart is a small price to pay for her little boy's happiness. Ethan Echeverría leaves women before they have a chance to leave him the way his mother once abandoned him. Then his dad gives him an ultimatum: get married and become the owner of the family auto shop chain or stay single and lose it. Considering Ethan has always cared for Mercy, getting married might result in more than ownership of the shops and a loving father for Stevie. It could be the second chance they need. Their feelings toward each other grow, but so does Mercy's jealousy. When Ethan's past crashes into his future, will she end up heartbroken and alone again? This book is also available free of charge if you sign up for my newsletter.

    Now Sophia’s alone, and she can’t help but wonder. Will the magic be gone, or will this year’s love be even stronger? Brew a cup of tea, grab a Christmas cookie, and prepare for a treat. You won’t want to miss this one!

    Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

    Fans of the series will enjoy this chance to briefly revisit Pebble Creek, and new readers will be introduced to an Amish community that is more deeply explored in the three full novels, A Promise for Miriam, A Home for Lydia, and A Wedding for Julia. As a bonus, this eBook also includes Amish homestyle recipes for chicken and dumplings, green beans, and fresh bread. Heavy snow blankets the southwestern Wisconsin Amish community as nineteen-year-old Grace Miller closes the schoolhouse for Christmas break. She’s looking forward to having extra time to help the family prepare for the holiday, and she is hoping to get a few more drawings in of the beautiful, snowy Pebble Creek landscape. Her courtship with Adam Lapp is going on six months, and Grace can’t wait to give him his present: a blue-and-brown buggy blanket she crocheted for him. Yes, this Christmas is going to be especially joyful. Yet, amid the cheer of snowshoe outings, church potlucks, and holiday festivities, Grace is given a bittersweet reminder of the Christmas story. Grief is present with celebration, and though the future is rarely certain, she is given a heartwarming glimpse that God knows our needs before we do and will provide.

    

    She hasn’t seen her ex-fiancé since he mysteriously disappeared without a word their senior year of college. Randi is determined to find out why Brock Parker left two weeks before the wedding. Can he tell her the truth about his illness?

    Kevin Marshall is trapped in a miserable existence with a boss and a fiancé who despise him.The Monday night before Thanksgiving, however, through an act of kindness to a stranger, Kevin receives an invitation to begin a new life and awakens the next morning to find himself living his dream.Now Kevin must discover how to let go of his past and accept the invitation for himself before his new life ends as suddenly as it began.You are invited…to experience the power of faith, the joy of love and the magic of Christmas in this holiday story of life choices and second chances.

    After all, she barely passed high school, flunked the driving test four times, and fell into a pool at her sister's wedding. Marcy is keen to continue her literary success, but she cannot think of a single idea for her next book. Hounded by her agent, family, and friends, she decides to sequester herself in a rustic cabin in the mountains. There, she finds herself face-to-snout with a surprise visitor—a rascally black dog who must have escaped from his owner at a nearby campground. Enter hunky cowboy Jackson Parker, who runs the stables for the campground and helps Marcy survive the antics of the ill-behaved, zany dog. There's something tender and gentle about this man, who could easily grace the cover of any romance novel. Soon Jackson has Marcy rethinking her own beliefs about what heroes are really made of...and what God intends for her life. It's cowboys, canines, and capers galore in this charming novella for animal lovers.

    Over time they have drifted apart; the sparks are dead. Marlee is convinced she married the wrong man, and Jake feels tied down to the wrong woman. Jake is distant and tired of being controlled, while Marlee is tired of being the only one trying to the save their marriage. They go to bed Christmas Eve, in separate rooms, each rationalizing... life is too short to be miserable... love shouldn't hurt like this... their marriage must end for happiness to return.But then something peculiar happens: The ghosts of Marriage Past, Marriage Present, and Marriage Future reveal to them their past choices and present realities, and how their future might look if they do not change their stories.Jake and Marlee experience a Christmas gift that will radically change their thinking and cause them to look at marriage not for what they can get out of it, but for what God can do in and through their marriage.

    Christmas has brought nothing but grief and loneliness for the past decade, after she lost her beloved husband to a fatal car accident. Hearing holiday music day after day during the first few months of the school year is like constantly ripping the scab off an unhealed wound.Determined to keep her husband in her heart, she has kept a fortress around it, allowing only one woman in as a true friend, and avoiding anything more than a passing acquaintance with any man.Until Timothy Fielding, the maintenance man at the apartment complex where she lives, comes along. He happens to love the Christmas season. When circumstances – and Janice’s best friend, Kayla – draw them together, he struggles to keep his growing feelings for Janice at bay. He has his own secret past that he’s sure would repel any woman, once she found out about it.But his desire for love and companionship win out, and he does his best to knock down the walls around Janice’s heart. But even when she finally relents and agrees to spend more time with him, she continues to resist opening her heart back up to Christmas.Because the death of her husband is only the beginning of the tragedy surrounding the day.In the meantime, Lucille Masterson, the great-grandmother of Janice’s star pupil, makes a shocking discovery that almost causes her to ruin Christmas for her family. Again. But then she realizes that if she would face her fear, she could finally release the burden she’s been carrying for the past ten years. What she doesn’t know is that it would release a horrible burden for the very person she’s afraid to face…**********“Christmas Mercies” is the first novel in Emily Josephine’s Christian holiday romance series, “Little River Village Christmas Romance.” A clean and wholesome romance novel, it will warm your heart, build your faith, and leave you feeling refreshed and hopeful.

    She had a face of feral sweetness, its color yellow; her eyes were long and dark, her mouth a taut bow, her nostrils upturned as if she were scenting the wind."In "How Shall I Know You?," a melancholic and ailing writer reluctantly travels east of London to give a lecture before a literary society. Mr. Simister, the organization's secretary, lures the world-weary novelist turned biographer with promises of a modest stipend and lodging at a charming bed-and-breakfast for her trouble. Nevertheless, on that rainy day she meets Mr. Simister at the train station, she wonders why she ever agreed to come in the first place. Driving past steel-shuttered windows and Day-Glo banners, Mr. Simister takes the writer to her hotel for the evening, which turns out to be crumbling and isolated rather than picturesque. As she crosses the threshold into the dank stench of Eccles House she is faced with the feral porter, Louise, and suffers through an evening that may be more than she bargained for.From Hilary Mantel's brilliant and darkly comic collection of contemporary stories, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, comes a tale told with her distinctive blend of subversive wit and gimlet-eyed characterization. "How Shall I Know You?" showcases the extraordinary genius of Hilary Mantel, called one of our "greatest living novelists" (NPR).