Distrust will tear them apart…Alexandra Lauren Knight has reinvented herself in the safety of her rural New Zealand hometown to become Lauren Taylor. She’s cut all ties with her past as a former model whose ex-husband turned out to be ruthless in both the boardroom and the bedroom. While Alexandra allowed other’s expectations to propel her into the spotlight, Lauren prefers the safety of anonymity; restoring classic cars with her brother, and snuggling with her four-year-old son. Nate Fraser, a burned-out photojournalist, plans to fix up the property next door to Lauren and sell it as a celebrity retreat. Always on the move, Nate is only comfortable with short-term assignments and even shorter-term relationships. But it’s not just his buyer’s tight deadline or that the restoration is far beyond his expertise which turns a short-term project into an ordeal. Nate’s plan of travelling the globe is in jeopardy — created by the intensity of his growing feelings for Lauren and her little boy.As the sparks of passion ignite between them it reawakens Nate’s long forgotten dream of having a home and family. Lauren must find a way to trust Nate not only with her secrets, but with her heart — before her safe haven is exposed and she can no longer hide in the shadows.

    It is now being rereleased under its original title The Burning Point.The first contemporary novel by New York Times bestselling author, The Burning Point is a riveting story of the ties that bind two people together—and the incendiary forces that can tear them apart.Kate Corsi always dreamed of working for her family’s world famous explosive demolition business— a wish her old-fashioned father denied until the day he died. According to his will, Kate will receive a fortune while her ex-husband, Donovan, will inherit the family business. But only if they agree to live under the same roof for a year.Forced into a reluctant alliance, Kate and Donovan must discover the truth about her father’s death—and confront the past that almost destroyed them both. And as they face their shattered dreams, their wrenching secrets and bitter resentments, they find themselves sliding perilously toward the burning point where passion catches fire once more…The Burning Point was listed as one of the five best romances of the year by Library Journal.The Circle of Friends series:#1: The Burning Point#2: The Spiral Path#3: An Imperfect Process#4: A Holiday Fling (A Circle of Friends Novella)Praise for The Burning Point:“Powerhouse novelist Mary Jo Putney explodes on the contemporary scene with an emotionally wrenching and dramatically intense story. She tackles a very difficult subject with insight, and compassion. Exceptionally powerful reading!” —Romantic Times Magazine“This passionate love story [unfolds] gradually, in trademark Putney style. The author has created a realistic, well-crafted story, laced with elements of suspense and mystery and featuring sympathetic protagonists whose biggest mistake was marrying too young.”—Publishers Weekly“Kate and Patrick are both complex people, and answers do not come easily for the unresolved issues in their past. Set against the backdrop of demolition work and a question of sabotage, this gripping story sizzles with passion and danger, but is ultimately about healing and forgiveness—not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Mary Jo Putney will no doubt gain new fans with this book.” —The Old Book Barn Gazette“Ms. Putney is one of the very best authors who excel at historical romances—now she's crafted her first contemporary and fans of both genres will be delighted to learn that her incredible talent for compelling characterization and original premises comes through on every page. She takes a taboo issue not normally found in a romance and with touching sensitivity, creates a poignant tale about forgiveness and the awesome power of love to heal all wounds… I could not put it down.” —Rendezvous About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling author, Mary Jo Putney's novels are known for psychological depth and intensity and include historical and contemporary romance, fantasy, and young adult fantasy.

    Resolved to the fate that she couldn't be his, he locked up the deeper emotions he felt for her and loved her as a friend. As friends, they went through it all together. Marriages, births, divorces and even death. But when a shameful secret Gillan has kept from her friends is revealed, Jake realizes that she needs him more than ever. He knew what it was like to go through heartbreak and he wasn't about to stand back and watch her endure it alone. He also knew she would turn to him for support. What he wasn't prepared for was the return of the emotions he had long ago locked away. Could he control these emotions again and did he even want to? Could he make her realize his love for her was real, or would she slip through his fingers again?

    WHEN HE FALLS ~Maggie~ I thought I had found the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with – until he ran off with my best friend on our wedding day. I had to get away from it all - my meddling mother, the cheating couple of the year, and the embarrassment of being stood up at the altar. My sister’s house in San Francisco is the perfect escape. I can get lost in a big city where nobody knows who I am, where I can mend my broken heart in silence. But someone crashes my pity party. Zach Faustino was the quiet boy who lived next door ten years ago. He was my first kiss and - if a young heart can be trusted - my first love. That was before he and his mother left without saying goodbye. Ten years have shaped him into an irresistible, charming young man. But the same ten years have also sharpened his edges, his dark past paving the way to a career that could end in a heartbeat. And despite it all, Zach hopes to change my mind about giving love another chance. But is a broken heart a willing heart? And if we’re both broken, is a second chance at love enough to fix us?

    She's still trying to rebuild herself from a sexually abusive past, and a guy - no matter how gorgeous - would only mess up the fragile balance of her life.Almost-billionaire Luke Pardini is gorgeous, that's for sure. He's also desperate. His dying father thinks he's too irresponsible to inherit the family estate, and Luke needs to convince his dad that he's grown up and ready to settle down with a girl. Any girl.With five billion dollars at stake, Luke can't mess this up. But as he pretends to date Jessica, he finds himself drawn to her more than he'd like to admit. He has been hurt too many times to count, but Jessica is the one person who makes him feel safe. It could have been a Cinderella story, but both of them made a promise that their relationship was just for show, and neither of them is going to step over the line.When Jessica's secret past emerges on the front page of the tabloids, his dad threatens to disown him if he doesn't sever ties with her. If their relationship was only a charade, the solution would be easy. But if it's not…

    Once wild and impulsive, she shut her heart off to love and adventure after her parents died. When she meets Luke Winters, their immediate attraction is overwhelming.Burned once before, Luke has committed himself to nothing but casual dalliances with women. Rugged and smoldering, he finds no shortage of women happy to oblige. When Hannah comes along, he questions what he might be missing. Both fight the depth of their feelings—love is not part of the plan.Hannah’s sense of identity is shaken when she unearths a surprising truth about her family. Meanwhile, Luke’s interfering family and complications from his past challenge Hannah and Luke to face their true feelings for each other. Can two people who don’t believe love is worth the risk find the courage to face their fears and open their hearts?

    . .This Christmas, Portia Jackson needs a miracle to save her family's generations-old florist shop. What she gets instead is a car that breaks down during a blizzard. Help arrives unexpectedly when the infamous Aubry Riley pulls over. She only expects him to drive her to the gas station . . . she never expects that kiss. But Portia lives in the real world--she knows this is only a holiday fling for Aubry. Except it doesn't feel so temporary, and the last thing she wants is a broken heart.Sometimes you have to sing some different notes . . .Rock star Aubry Riley has no secrets. Thanks to the media, everyone knows about his troubled past. Six years have gone by since his world crashed, and now he's ready for a comeback. But first he needs to reconcile with his family--starting with his six-year-old daughter. A month-long vacation at a Vermont lake house affords him the perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. He doesn't need any other emotional entanglements, especially not with the bright-eyed florist he can't stop thinking about. But no matter how hard he tries to resist her, he can't. Now all he has to do is to convince Portia that there is nothing temporary when it comes to love.

    Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, where every wish for love comes true...Natalie McCleary couldn't believe her eyes-a lean-muscled, darkly tanned, nearly-naked man stood in her path…and then it hit her: love. Everyone always told her it'd hit like a thunderbolt, and she never believed them. But now she knew: practical, sensible Natalie was head over heels in love-with a stranger.But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn't about to be a stranger for long. He'd ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he'd made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse at Natalie-soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting-changed his life forever.But how can he offer her is love, when he can't even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

    Until the drop dead sexy cowboy next door, Rye O'Donnell, decides he'll only take the farm if he can get the fiery woman who owns it as part of the deal...Praise for Getting Lucky:"Smart dialogue and unmistakable characters will leave readers wanting more." -Affaire de Coeur"The down home Texas feel comes through in spades in Brown's writing." -Leslie's Psyche"This is not your mother's western romance!" -RT Book Review

    Now the girls are publicists in their uncle's firm, The Hot Zone. Despite her upbringing, Annabelle is all woman. She's naturally drawn to real men—like her latest client, businessman and former football legend Brandon Vaughn. The chemistry is potent, undeniable, irresistible. Annabelle soon realizes that Brandon is much more than just another jock. And that she'd better hold on tight if she doesn't want to lose her heart.

    She did not expect a traumatic event to devastate her life and force her to drop out of college. Disillusioned by the cruelty of people, Helen retreated from society to live by herself as a reclusive writer in the woods--where no one could ever hurt her again.When a brilliant young doctor shows up on her doorstep, promising her that his new research can give her the ability to see for the first time, Helen stubbornly refuses. She has learned not to trust anyone, and to rely only on herself. But Dr. Liam Larson will not take no for an answer. He makes it his personal mission to rescue Helen from her loneliness, and bring joy into her world once more--the joy she has denied herself for so long.When Helen's demons come racing back into her life, threatening to rip her apart and destroy the strength she has carefully rebuilt, Liam is the only one who might be able to save her. Can he reach the broken girl in time, helping her to heal and see the world in a different light? Or will Helen's grief send her spiraling out of control, lost to him forever?**********This is the first book of a three-part series.**********

    Tillie Hamilton has made the 180-year old house her sanctuary ever since its owner, a lonely old woman, rescued her from neglect when she was only eight-years-old. When her benefactor's grandson, Greg Buchanan, discovers that Tillie has been exploiting his grandmother's memory by putting out cookbooks and advertisements claiming Gram haunts the house, he vows to debunk the innkeeper’s claims. Until he discovers that Tillie is not what he expected. Greg has a hidden agenda of his own as he came here to prove that Jesse James returned to the house long after he was believed dead. But proving that theory without Tillie thinking he's off his rock might be harder than he thought. Does the infamous outlaw and Gram have something brewing in the hideout—like finding a happily ever after for two workaholics who need each other?

    When tragedy struck and she lost the most important people in her life, she turned away from everything she loved before; shutting out every reminder of the perfect life she lost. It has been one year, three months, one week and six days since the accident; and Nicole is ready to stop counting the days she’s survived, and begin living again. On a dare from her best friend, Nicole encounters Zack Walters - the popular alternative rock star and man who signifies so much of her past – and suddenly everything in Nicole’s safe and quiet life changes. When she’s forced to face the pain she’s carried for so long, will she truly be able to heal from her past and begin to live again? Or will her new adventure ruin her completely?

    Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story.Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point.Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.

    . .Like every other eighteen-year-old in love, Olivia has dreams of spending forever with the love of her life. Luke is all she’s ever wanted – until she overhears something she was never meant to. In a matter of seconds, Olivia’s heart is shattered. Olivia handles it the only way she knows how - she runs- leaving behind her family, friends and the boy she loves. Seeking comfort and an escape, Olivia finds it in resident bad boy Deacon. He’s everything Luke isn’t – and that’s fine with Olivia.Now, seven years later, Olivia is older, wiser and headed back to Chicago looking forward to a fresh start and reconnecting with her best friend Pyper. What she doesn’t expect, is to come face to face with the boy she left behind and discover that even though she may have left, her feelings for him didn’t. Can Olivia put aside the pain in her heart and trust Luke? Will the ties to her past ever let her go, or will she continue to let her life be affected by pretty little lies?