In the past, it has always been followed with disappointment. Now, when it comes to relationships, she's more than a little skittish. When her best friend asks her to be best "man" at his wedding, how can she decline? Through a series of coincidences and mishaps, she and the gorgeous maid of honor end up sharing Jess's apartment for a long weekend. In that short amount of time, Jess discovers something very significant. Things are so much better when you let go and just say yes…

    She should be thrilled, but somewhere along the line she took a wrong turn and ended up in the dreaded rat race of life. When she meets Jolene, a scuba instructor from Bonaire, curiosity stirs deep within. Suddenly, she begins to crave adventure. By getting out of her comfort zone, Sarah soon begins to realize that life begins to bloom beneath the facade of materialism. Purpose and meaning can’t be found on the surface. It can only be found when she digs deep and uncovers things that make her question what’s most important in life. Does Sarah have the courage to embrace her newfound discoveries, even if that means letting go of what brings her comfort in the process?

    Her co-workers are surprised when Coal turns out to be female. Coal, used to the reaction, quickly earns the respect of the crew with her work ethic and skill with horses. Coal uses the strenuous work and friendship of the ranch hands to try and forget her broken past. Melissa Conway, owner of MC2, offers Coal a place to live in her home. They both are shocked to find they are linked in a way neither of them imagined. Mary Leah, Melissa’s sister, arrives at the ranch to recover from a recent tragedy. The attraction between Mary Leah and Coal is instant and mutual. Can the three women survive their personal dilemmas? The love and friendship they develop certainly helps but will it be enough to bring them together. Ride along with the MC2, for boot scootin’, butt kickin’, dirt eatin’, rodeo adventures, with a love story thrown into the mix.

    So, she figures trying a love spell her grandmother left her won’t hurt. Worst case: her life will stay the same. Best case: her fellow second-grade teacher James Friedlander will fall in love with her, and they’ll live happily ever after.Except…oops!Ava accidentally places the spell on her principal, Libby Lubbock. Libby is wrestling with her own issues in the love department, namely the fact that she’s deciding whether to give her ex a second chance after the ex cheated. Libby is beginning to think she’s the type who is better off single.The spell can be undone, but it requires Ava and Libby getting to know each other better. Lots better. Libby agrees to the undo because no way does she want to fall in love with Ava if she can help it. However, perhaps the last paragraph in a letter Ava's grandmother wrote is right: “Why all these crazy steps? My great-great grandmother, the witch, strongly believed that things happen for a reason. This time with the ‘wrong person’ will help determine if the wrong person might be the right person, after all.”Can Libby and Ava cast a love spell that has nothing to do with abracadabra magic and everything to do with the magic of true love?*** This novella is 24,000 words.

    Erin Hughes, a local history professor with a passion for old houses. Dhari’s life is complicated enough without meeting such an attractive and intelligent woman: Her mother needs her, her father relies on her and her girlfriend worries her. But when Erin finds old letters and a diary, Dhari knows she can’t leave until she finds out the truth . . .Marianne K. Martin is the best-selling author of five novels including Mirrors and Love in the Balance.

     Taryn's trip of a lifetime is finally happening. She's saved money, researched, planned, and created an itinerary that will allow her to travel Italy...and finally tell her best friend that she's in love with her. But those plans are ruined when she wakes up alone, her crush gone. Her plans did not include being alone and stranded in Milan. Now Taryn's dream vacation is a nightmare. Enter Holly, a fellow traveler: young, full of life, and comfortable traipsing off the beaten path. Holly feels a connection with Taryn and wants to salvage her trip. After all, they're in freaking Italy! But their radically different travel styles and age differences make for rough terrain. Together, they boldly go into unexplored territories of the heart, and may just discover love.

    When he loses a bet to her and the penalty is to go out on five dates with men she’s chosen from Guys4Guys.com, he thinks that’s bad enough. Finding out she used a thirteen-year-old picture of him to score a date with a young guy who looks like a rock star? Epically bad.Jay thought he wanted to fall for an older man. But his last boyfriend left him feeling humiliated and determined to stick to guys his own age. When he realizes he’s been conned into a date with exactly the kind of man he’s sworn to avoid, he’s ready to walk away on the spot. Only Devin’s swift apologies convince Jay to accept dinner to make up for the deception.“The date doesn’t count for the bet unless you get a goodnight kiss.” After one not-a-date dinner with Jay, Devin isn’t worried about his sister’s rules. He just wishes he could convince Jay to go out with him for real. Jay wants no part of Devin, but Devin wants every part of Jay . . . so he asks Jay to help update his look for the rest of his dates. But once Jay’s made Devin over into the perfect date, will he be able to let him go?------------Dear Author,I lost a bet with my sister. I was so sure the Broncos would win. Now it is time for me to pay up. She has decided I need a man in my life. She submitted a profile for me at Guys4Guys.com and set up five dates. I haven’t been on five dates in the past five years. And if the thought of five first dates isn’t scary enough, check out the photo she put in my profile.Yes, that hot, young, guy really is me… thirteen years ago! To be twenty-two again. I miss my thirty-two-inch waist and six-pack.Photo Description: A good-looking, young blond man leans back against exposed pipework. He is shirtless and his jeans look a little old-fashioned with their light wash. His arms are huge and he sports a six-pack, although he’s already looking the tiniest bit soft around the waistline. As if that six-pack might not quite be there in ten years…This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Liz Coleman was just about to give up on love when a brainstorm hits--a mail order bride. The brainstorm turns out to be more than Liz bargained for when Svetlana arrives and utters those magical first words, "You are not man." Liz begins to wonder if the language barrier, complaints from her best friends Ann and Elle and not to mention trouble with Homeland Security are worth what she thought would be the perfect solution to an age-old problem. Find out what happens in this fiendishly funny, warm romantic comedy!

    For me, getting caught screwing the wife of a drug dealer was about as tough as it was going to get. So I got the heck out of dodge. That's how I found myself in New Jersey, with no money and no friends. And certainly no reason to stick around. Until I met Andrea. Married, straight Andrea, who was just as beautiful as she was kind. Andrea, who turned my predicament into an opportunity. Andrea, whose happy marriage wasn't what it seemed... Now I have every reason to stick around. **This is the first book in a 3-book lesbian romance series. Intended for mature audiences only, due to strong language and adult scenes. Book 2, Untamed, is OUT NOW**

    She’s seen how the death of a loved one affects the people left behind and has promised herself she’ll never experience that kind of pain. But being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.Brooke Collier believes she’s responsible for her relationship failures. After a particularly bad breakup, she moves in with her aged grandparents in order to care for them. The last thing she expects—or wants—is the attraction she has to her new next-door neighbor, Logan Swift.As Logan and Brooke find themselves growing closer with each passing day, Logan realizes that trusting in tomorrow isn’t always easy when you deal with death for a living…

    A spur-of-the-moment decision to attend an Anti-Valentine’s Day party leads to an unexpected encounter. She wakes up to a hangover and a surprising complication...Length: 10,230 wordsNote: Previously published in the anthology "Connected Hearts. Four Lesbian Romance Stories".

    She never knew how much until Elise’s sister departs the country, leaving her six-year-old daughter, Lily, behind. That’s when Elise calls on her fix-it girl to come to her rescue. Jill impulsively agrees to help, moves to Headridge, the Ridge country home, to take care of Lily, and immediately comes into conflict with the dysfunctional family. Lily, who is yearning for affection, pulls at Jill's heartstrings, so Jill endures the cold atmosphere within the household for the sake of the child.Elise Ridge survives by making herself a cold fish in the emotional department and throws all of her energies into her business. The warm relationship between her niece and her PA draws Elise out of the shadows of her lonely existence, and she starts to realize that life may hold more for her than merely work and family responsibilities.Can their fledgling relationship survive the manipulations of those whom they trust?This story is a romance with a twist!

    You can stay can't you? she whispered breathlessly as she unbuttoned Dorian's shirt. It was hard to understand why a woman as attractive and likable as successful civil engineer Dorian Sandier would still be living single. Her friends think it's because she's clueless when it comes to picking up on the romantic signals women were always sending her way. But in reality, Dorian has yet to recover from a disastrous relationship that left her numb and empty inside. Enter Lorraine Niles, a beautiful single mom with just the right tools to break down the wall around Dorian's heart. With Lorraine taking the lead, their friendship grows to intense passion, and Dorian begins to fall in love. But, by finally letting down her defenses, is she opening herself up to a devastating betrayal?

    But the object of his desire may be more than Jay gambled on.Warning: light bondage and the blatant misuse of items of clothing.

    When Cassie Hollander spills her guts to her very straight best friend, she doesn’t get the answer she wants, and even though she knew that would probably happen, she’s still crushed. She’s used to hiding in the shadows, masking her true self and pretending to conform to a life that doesn’t fit her. Everything happens for a reason, and in Cassie’s case, being rejected by Jessica Taylor was the catapult she needed to get her life together in more ways than one. Come along as Cassie figures out who she is, where she’s going, and how wonderful things happen when you open your heart to the chance for real love.