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…

    MEET THE PINK MAGNOLIA CLUBHolly Weeks, whose boyfriend has lured her to the sale under false pretenses, wants to walk barefoot on a Tahitian beach and read a thousand books for pleasure. There are many other goals on her "Life List," but getting married isn't one of them. Never mind that she's in love. Now if she could only figure out what's holding her back. Maggie Prescott is lonely in her empty nest. When her husband forgets their twenty-fifth anniversary, she wonders whether she even wants to share a nest with him anymore. Donating her wedding gown seems like the right thing to do. Grace Hardeman, who's volunteering at the sale, wishes for health, happiness, and a party with loved ones to mark fifty years of marriage. But soon she's facing the fight of her life. Together, these three women at turning points in their lives learn there's nothing like friendship to strengthen a heart that's in danger of breaking.

    Always thinking the grass is greener on the other side. But it never is. It’s still grass. Just a different patch of it, that’s all.’*****The past has a habit of tracking us down. And tripping us up.When Kate was twenty-two, she had an intense and passionate affair with a married man, Callum, which ended in heartbreak. Kate thought she’d never get over it.Seventeen years later, life has moved on – Kate, now a successful actress, is living in London, married to Matt and mother to little Tallulah. Meanwhile Callum and his wife Belinda are happy together, living in Edinburgh and watching their kids grow up. The past, it would seem, is well and truly behind them all.But then Kate meets Callum again.And they are faced with a choice: to walk away from each other . . . or to risk finding out what might have been.Second chances are a rare gift in life. But that doesn’t mean they should always be taken . . .

    That’s what his retiring business partner and secret match-maker, Beverly Neumann, thinks. She’s convinced no-strings, stress-free sex in certain employee contracts would raise productivity and minimize stress — perfect for a busy executive like Ellis. But she’s joking, right?Enter her hand-picked replacement, Dee Henning. Young, hungry, gifted, Dee is the queen of no time for sex. When negotiations on a major project break down, and Dee and Ellis end up in each other’s arms, the Executive Sex Clause suddenly becomes more than a joke. In fact hot executive sex just might be the ultimate secret weapon for success. But secrets seldom remain secret, and Dee and Ellis soon learn there’s no such thing as no-strings where the heart is concerned.

    He’s going to enjoy the day… For hyper-particular publishing heir Jonathan Grief, the day starts like any other—with a strict morning fitness regimen that’ll keep his divorced, easily irritated, cynical, forty-two-year-old self in absolutely flawless physical condition. But all it takes to put a crimp in his routine is one small annoyance. Someone has left a leather-bound day planner with the handwritten title Your Perfect Year in his spot on his mountain bike at his fitness course!Determined to discover its owner, Jonathan opens the calendar to find that someone known only as “H.” has filled it in with suggestions, tasks, and affirmative actions for each day. The more he devotes himself to locating the elusive H., the deeper Jonathan is drawn into someone else’s rich and generous narrative—and into an attitude adjustment he desperately needs.He may have ended up with a perfect year by accident, but it seems fate has set Jonathan on a path toward healing, feeling, and maybe even loving again…if only he can meet the stranger who’s changing his life one day at a time.

    I only have one rule: hands off the neighbors.The single ladies on the block have tried it. I mean, come on. I'm a rich, single dad with a big house and an even bigger... lawn. But playing where you live is a recipe for trouble. Especially since I've got nothing to offer beyond one night/ and a hell of a lot of bitterness.Then the girl-next-door gets locked out and I can't exactly leave her outside, right? This is a bad idea. But it's going to feel oh so good.

    Learning her father picked him out to be her future husband, she is not amused, but neither can she back off the path they’ve begun together. But can two people miles apart in so many ways really make things work?

    Yet one damaged human woman will tempt the man behind the Shadowdweller throne into a dangerous desire...Worlds Couldn't Keep Them ApartAmong the Shadowdwellers, Trace holds power that some are willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realms of Shadowscape, but instead, he is drawn to everything about her—her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.After a terrifying car crash, Ashla Townsend wakes up to find that the bustling New York she knew is now eerie and desolate. Just when she's convinced she's alone, Ashla is confronted by a dark warrior who draws her deeper into a world she never knew existed. The bond between Ashla and Trace is a mystery to both, but searching for answers will mean confronting long-hidden secrets, and uncovering a threat that could destroy everything Trace holds precious.

    He combined his passion for football with camping and is now the owner of a football camp for teens. His summers are dedicated to spending time with family and teaching his campers about the sport he loves. Zoey Zahn is a quirky, introverted writer and self-proclaimed geek. When she's asked if she’ll accompany her nephew, Christopher, to camp, Zoey agrees, envisioning quiet evenings of writing in the great outdoors. After she stumbles upon Gabe, however, quiet evenings alone are the last thing on her mind. The chemistry between Gabe and Zoey is undeniable, but as camp ends, a brewing storm causes their blooming relationship to fumble. All Gabe knows is that Zoey is Too Tempting to deny, and he's determined to overcome the obstacles between them to be the man she deserves. Too Tempting is the first in an all-new small town romance series by Bethany Lopez. Follow the Lewis cousins of Cherry Springs, the kind of place where there are festivals for every occasion and everyone knows your business, as they learn about love and loss.More Cherry Springs:Too Tempting (The Lewis Cousins, Book 1) Too Complicated (The Lewis Cousins, Book 2)Too Distracting (The Lewis Cousins, Book 3)Too Enchanting (The Lewis Cousins, Book 4)Too Dangerous (The Lewis Cousins, book 5)Too Enticing (A Cherry Springs Novelette)

    Succumbing to their desires is the easy part. But when passion opens the door to an intimacy neither has known, can a man known for being unbendable learn to love?

    He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children's candy store, mind you this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss's wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee. Hypothetically speaking, of course. I've been hit on plenty of times, mostly by men with little finesse who thought what was between their legs made up for what they lacked between their ears. Sometimes I went home with them anyway, just because it felt good to want and be wanted, even if it was mostly fake. The problem with wanting is that it's like pouring water into a vase full of stones. It fills you up before you know it, leaving no room for anything else. I don't apologize for who I am or what I've done in or out of bed. I have my job, my house and my life, and for a long time I haven't wanted anything else. Until Dan. Until now.

    That’s all I had time for. I didn’t need a relationship. Just a quick escape from the demands of my high stress career. It wasn’t even on my radar until my eyes locked with his. Call me easy, but that was all it took. I gave in and I chose him to get me through the night. The problem was, after that night, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t have time for a relationship. I was too busy with work. But one night quickly turned into two. Then three. And four. And when I learned some devastating news myself, I saw him for what he really was and knew that finding him was no accident. Note from the author: This is your classic love story, dangling on the edge of romance. It is meant to make you laugh, cry and hug the ones you love.

    Plagued by a rash of mysterious phone calls, she turns to her brother s best friends and fellow officers for protection and comfort.Spending time in close contact with Mason and Tyler, the two men she s dreamed of since her first girlhood crush, seems like the answer to a prayer. Especially when they begin to explore the desire she s harbored for so long.But the partners are holding out on Lacey. Determined to suppress the most extreme facets of their lust, they agree to settle for sharing the woman they crave while concealing their desire for each other. Until Lacey cracks their resolve, unleashing a torrent of emotions that threatens to distract them when they can least afford it.Their blossoming relationship is complicated by secrets. And the only way to evade the killer threatening their lives is to bare their souls in the darkest hours of the night. Or everything will come crashing down, just before the dawn."

    He’s thrilled with his business and happy with his carefree bachelor life. That is until his estranged father dies in a car crash along with his latest wife. Jake would feel bad, but he hardly knew the man. In fact, he’s surprised when he learns his father left him something life changing... An adorable baby boy named Lucas. Problem is, this solo cowboy doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of an infant. For help, he turns to Abbie Jackson, his best friend, who is home on a break from school. As they care for the child, Jake is suddenly having feelings for Abbie that go far deeper than just friends. Can this captivating cowboy and baby Lucas convince the lovely lady to create a forever family?

    Lucky for her, a lovable mutt and his tall, sexy, blue-eyed owner provide enough distraction to subdue her paralyzing panic attack. But Beth’s human tranquilizer turns out to be her future brother-in-law, Joe Dempsey, and their instant attraction is both unwelcome and undeniable. Joe expects his brother’s fiancé to follow the materialistic, blonde-bimbo stereotype that is Lucas’ usual fare. Wild-haired, sweet-natured Beth doesn’t fit the part, but she does fit Joe and his island better than any woman he’s ever met. Though the men haven’t been close for years, Joe would never put the moves on his brother’s fiancé. That means Beth is off limits, no matter how much he wants her. When a demanding case pulls Lucas back to the city, Beth realizes her fiancé is already married – to his work. Are solitary nights and mind-numbing dinner parties really what she wants? Torn between loyalty to Lucas and her growing feelings for Joe, Beth rethinks her choices and contemplates a future different from the one laid out before her. One that includes an island, a dog, and a man she can never have.