Families come in many configurations, and every one is unique, made up of the personalities of each member. But the love that connects families is universal. Whether it is the love of parents for their children, the love between a husband and wife, the love between siblings, a love that transcends generations, or even the love for a family member never met, the family ties that bind us are the strongest and deepest emotional connections we experience. Families influence a person's development, how they treat others, and how they view life. In The Gift of Love, eight exceptional writers offer a variety of unique perspectives on what family love means and how it impacts our lives in ways profound and often surprising.Includes 8 Original Stories by New York Times Bestselling Author Lori Foster and Heidi Betts, Jules Bennett, Ann Christopher, Lisa Cooke, Paige Cuccaro, Gia Dawn, and Helen Kay Dimon.The authors are donating all of their proceeds from The Gift of Love to The Conductive Learning Center of Greater Cincinnati, a charitable organization.

    No matter how many times he tells reporters he was just doing his job, they're determined to make him into NYC's newest hero. Coming from a long line of NYPD's finest, Luc knows that being a cop has nothing to do with headlines and viral videos, and he's more than ready to get back to life away from the cameras—until he meets the gorgeous but jaded journalist assigned to film a TV special on him.Ava Sims may be the only woman in NYC who isn't in love with Officer Moretti. That's why she's going after the real story—to find out about the man behind the badge. Ava's determined to keep things strictly professional, but the more time she spends around Luc, even she has to admit there's something about a man in uniform . . . and she can't wait to get him out of his.

    Her parents passing and the fact she’s an only child meant Eden was left with her best friend, Jules and Matt, her boyfriend of three years as her only family. That was until she discovered something about Matt that would turn her life upside down. Eden leaves Sydney in a hurry and begins an adventure that takes her across four Australian states before she lands in Pine Creek, Northern Territory.Jackson Henley has lived in Pine Creek his entire life. He runs a massive cattle and cropping station with his twin brother, Jeremy, which they inherited when their parents retired. He’s had a bad experience with relationships courtesy of The Bitch - Dannika, so lately he’s preferred to play the field. That is, until he comes face to face with the stunning brunette beauty who’s behind the bar at the Cow and Calf. The problem is, she won’t tell him her name, she won’t give him the time of day, and she won’t give him a chance to prove himself.What’s it going to take for Eden to give Jackson a chance? Does he have the patience to even bother fighting for her? How will he handle the competition?In the end, will Jackson have what it takes to convince Eden to start living again, instead of just existing?

    That’s why Brock and I never had a chance. I had to start my life over. College was my chance to become someone new. I changed everything about myself to fit in, but one person saw through my facade. The attraction between Abel and I was undeniable, but I still hadn’t healed from the painful secret I carried around with me. Abel struggled to get me to face my past in order to move forward. In doing so, he revealed a secret of his own; one that changed everything I thought I knew. A secret that would bring Brock back into my life and force me to face the truth of what really happened the day I lost him.

     Blake hated the thought of coming back home, a home that was broken and unfamiliar. Her parents were gone, and her brother, when she needed him the most, was in the NAVY SEALS, far away, and unconcerned with how she was dealing with their parent’s death. Now, because he’s a father, and she’s an aunt. Is she supposed to just forgive and forget, live life like they were a happy little family? No thanks. Aiden, Blake’s older brother’s best friend, and buddy from the SEALS was one bonus for returning home. He was tall, dark, beautiful, and she’d had a crush on him since she was just a little girl. Now, he offered her something that she never thought she’d have again, a family, even if it were pretend. A perfect set up. He gets his mother and Abeula off his back, she gets to marry the man she’d always wanted... And who knows, maybe if she can get his attention while living in his house and pretending to be his wife, she may actually get a family, true love, and everything she’s always wanted.

    One song. One kiss. The perfect trifecta to unleash the floodgates of a forbidden attraction between the widow and her husband’s bad boy cousin, Adrian.Celeste endeavors to rebury the feelings that surface after this one night since her powerful family despises him. Kindred spirits, best of friends they attempt to douse their attraction; however, Adrian always seems to know exactly how to push her buttons and may prove too much to resist.Having defied his family by making his way on his own terms, Adrian struggles to regain their acceptance. When he meets his cousin’s wife and wants her for his own, he feels he’s finally lived down to the title—black sheep. But, when his cousin dies unexpectedly, Adrian fights his attraction and swears to honor them both by helping her raise her boys. Finding himself enveloped in a cocoon of love and acceptance, Adrian knows it’s more than just physical attraction. However, unforeseen events threaten to destroy those he now holds dear and his newfound peace.Will the ties that bind them be their undoing?

    But after an altercation with a drunk passenger is posted on social media, he's forced to go on administrative leave until his name can be cleared. To get his wings back, he must attend anger management classes, and to avoid the media frenzy near his home base in Texas, he heads to Rocky Harbor, Maine. Responsible therapist Maggie O’Fallon wants a stable relationship with a man who’s not going anywhere… Maggie grew up with parents who were never around, physically or emotionally. Needing steadiness in her life and in a relationship, she only dates men with normal jobs. But when Graham walks into her office and flashes his charming steel-blue eyes at her, she's at a loss for words. Torn between her ethics and her heart, Maggie asks Graham to see a different therapist so they can explore the chemistry between them. He has everything she’s been looking for—except stability… Maggie touches something deep within Graham and he panics, pushing her away, too scared to face his feelings. But when a private investigator threatens to discredit not only Graham, but Maggie’s practice as well, he is faced with two choices. Fight…or take flight. Battling a lawsuit and his heart, Graham must decide what’s more important—the life he thought he wanted…or Maggie. Maggie might be the only thing that will ever help Graham Stay Grounded.

     JAX: “I have wood and I know where to put it.” HARPER: “I've never seen a trunk in my life.” Jax I've been called wild. Dirty. Untamed. That's because I'm a man. And that's the way I like it. Women like it too, they're just usually too scared to admit it. I moved to the woods to get away from the bullsh*t of the city. People there don't understand a man like me. I carry an axe and I chop down trees. I work hard, and my hands are as calloused as my heart. And nothing is gonna change that. Harper I was raised to believe in true love and commitment. And that when you make a promise you should keep it. Of course, I never expected my fiancé to break things off a week before our wedding. I had to get away from the city; it holds too many memories. And, right now, I just want to forget. So I ran to my uncle's cabin in the woods. I'm locking myself away until I can figure out a way to move on. I never want to see another man again, especially one who doesn't understand a woman's fragile heart.

    Aubrey Tanner is married to her work. With her recent separation from long-time boyfriend and the town’s most eligible bachelor, she definitely isn’t looking for love. Working in her bakery keeps her busy, feeds her the town gossip, and pays the bills, all that she needs… At least until she finds herself under attack with no way to save herself. You can’t see it, but it takes your breath away. Tate Manning travels where the leads take him, like a tourist town with a bakery full of sugary concoctions, the sweetest of which is the owner. In the right place, he pulls her out of harm’s way, allowing him to see through the town’s sleepy veneer to the crime running beneath the surface. Worse, Aubrey is unknowingly in the center of it all, and he can’t bear another innocent to be lost on his watch. In that moment, love changes everything. Neither Aubrey nor Tate expects the temptation the other brings nor the complications. Aubrey must choose between the man that held her heart for years or the stranger who saves her from a bad situation. Unfortunately, Tate brings with him secrets and an agenda. How will he choose between his mission of revenge and the woman who chases away the darkness?

    After years of success and the world at his feet, he is determined to make that pact a reality. A move back to his beloved Los Angeles threatens to change the future he had written for himself when the shy and beautiful, Sophie Barringer, ends up being the Maid of Honor at his sister's wedding. Sophie has been burned at love. The last thing she needs is a self proclaimed bachelor to turn her head. But her heart may have other plans. Forced to spend a week together in paradise, can they deny their steamy chemistry and stay away from each other or will they give in to lust and take the chance? Can Mark get over his player reputation to take a shot at love or will fate be cruel enough to deny them their happily ever after?

    When a handsome stranger shows up just before Christmas should she trust his marketing advice or keep doing things her own way?Jake Tyler has two motivations for traveling to the tiny town of Holly Springs: he needs to learn why his parents have kept him from his grandmother his whole life, and he’s got orders to evict a diner owner from his family’s building. But when he meets Madison, the charming woman running the diner, he realizes that he has a real shot of helping her keep her business. If only he can keep his motives a secret.But as feelings begin to develop, will Madison and Jake find a way to come together in order to save the diner, and themselves?

    Blah, Blah Blah, insert sad story here about negligent parents, and shitty siblings, and you have my life story in a nut shell. When my college boyfriend dumped me, it was just icing on the cake. Five years, and a booming career later I am here to collect my revenge.That was until a delicious plaything walked into the kink club I frequent, and rocked my typically un-rockable world. Causing me to break the one rule I have lived by since Daniel Alexander walked out of my life, never have sex with the same person twice. Ever. Warning!!!! Hers contains sexually explicit situations that may be uncomfortable for some. These include FF, FMF, and MFM interactions.

    But how can she face Nathan Teague after seven years of lies? To ease into it, she enrolls her boy in the Cowboy Camp run by the Teague family on their Texas Hill Country ranch. Little Evan is bursting with excitement over horses, ropin' and hanging around real cowboys! Oh, my!Nathan is in shock when Grace comes back to town. Then when he discovers he's the father of her cute little boy—a miniature Nathan—he's not sure if he should be angry, grateful or both. He decides to go with angry. For a while, at least…until he gets the sense that Grace is still hiding something. What's the secret—and how can he ever trust the woman who stole his son from him?

    Lord help her… NOTE: This volume contains the first three books of the Jessica Christ series, including ... Book 1: The BeginningBook 2: And It Was GoodBook 3: It's a Miracle!*Plus* the first chapter of Book 4: Nu Alpha Omega The Beginning Jessica McCloud knows first-hand that it’s tough to fit in when you’re God’s only begotten daughter. While she has the power to smite, and she’s privy to most of the juicy gossip in her West Texas town, nobody is knocking on her door with frankincense and myrrh. The Messiah-in-the-making still has to contend with algebra tests, her first crush, and menstrual cramps with the power to spark lightning storms…As if dealing with her overbearing Father and a scheming preacher wasn’t enough, Jessica must face down the demons that lurk around every corner. No matter what she wants from life, everything seems to lead to a final showdown with the devil. The daughter of God has a choice: face the destiny thrust upon her or find some way to forge her own path…And It Was GoodAs she enters the uncharted territory of high school, Jessica McCloud could use a few more friends who believe in her. Of course, that means something entirely different for the daughter of God. After her two-millennia-dead half-brother visits her in a dream and tells her it’s time for her to stop messing around, Jessica begins the hunt to discover what miracles she can perform. And if one of them happens to win the heart of her long-time crush, Greg, then so be it. But when a reporter with a grudge against God catches wind of her first miracle, Jessica stumbles her way through one scandal after another until she wonders if the world wouldn’t be a much happier place with no miracles at all. It's a Miracle! Miracles happen when you least expect them. And if you’re Jessica McCloud, God’s only begotten daughter, they happen when you least want them. Is an uneventful senior year of high school too much for Jessica to hope for?Yes. Yes it is.Instead of focusing on college applications, Jessica must juggle Jimmy’s newest scheme, Eugene’s latest slander, and a gruesome (unpaid) internship at Midland Memorial Hospital. And just when she’s starting to get the hang of it, a serious PR blunder ignites a firestorm of brand new accusations. It would take nothing short of a miracle for Jessica to come out on top this round, and she isn’t holding her breath…

    It doesn't help that he's a by-the-book cop who expects everything done his way. It also doesn't help that he's hot. Ignoring that little fact is impossible-she's tried! Then Layne's world is turned upside down when human remains are discovered...and the case has a personal connection. Suddenly she's glad Ross is so thorough, because he'll get to the truth. And his search brings them closer, fueling the attraction that's out of control. As secrets and lies from the past surface, Layne's biggest challenge is fighting for a future-with Ross in it.