Not since she fled Texas to start a new life. Away from her father’s volatile temper and the ever-watchful gaze of her claustrophobically conservative small town, Nora has freed herself. She can live—and love—however she wants. The only problem is that she also left behind the one woman she can’t forget. Now tragedy calls her back home to confront her past—and reconcile her future.Sophie seems to have everything—a wonderful daughter, a successful husband and a rewarding career. Yet underneath that perfection lies an explosive secret. She still yearns for Nora—her best friend and first love—despite all the years between them. Keeping her true self hidden hasn’t been easy, but it’s been necessary. So when Sophie finds out that Nora has returned, she hopes Nora’s stay is short. The life she has built depends on it.But they both find that first love doesn’t fade easily. Memories come to light, passion ignites and old feelings resurface. As the forces of family and intolerance that once tore them apart begin to reemerge, they realize some things may never change—unless they demand it.

    She gets much more than she bargained for when her talents put her on the team that goes for help.As the two strangers struggle to reach civilization, they must compromise and learn to trust each other, a task that may be nearly as difficult as the journey itself.

    These are the memories that will never fade.Join nineteen fantastic authors as they pull back the curtain and give you a peek inside that one intense moment in their characters' lives when everything changes and nothing will ever be the same again.Featuring stories from some of the hottest names in New Adult, Young Adult, and Romance including New York Times Bestselling authors J.Lynn/Jennifer Armentrout, Molly McAdams, Sophie Jordan, and Carrie Ryan.NOTE: These stories are works of fiction. If you want to know about our first times, you'll have to buy us a pet monkey first.

    They’re both hard-working tradesmen, both love weekends away fishing, both gay, but have never been single at the same time. Until now.What is supposed to be a weekend away fishing with a group of mates, changes at the last minute when friends bail out in an attempt to give Cal and Troy some alone time.With more than just hooks on the line, can these two see what’s been right in front of them the whole time?The Perfect Catch is a short story about falling for your best friend hook, line, and sinker.A 20K short story which was part of the It Was Always You anthology.

    Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass.Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle's new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward.When Darcy begs Elle to play along, she agrees to pretend they’re dating to save face. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family over the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a fake relationship.But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?

    Everything's totally fine, except that it really isn't. Shelley manages depression and crippling anxiety because of the secret she can never reveal: she's gay.Rand Thomas is a psychotherapist, transgender rights activist, and political liberal. Widowed and struggling with her wife's toxic parents, Rand isn't going to allow herself to love again.When Shelley and Rand meet in Manhattan, neither one expects to find that the other is exactly who they need.

    But when she meets Ruby Knight, a pessimistic American C-list TV actress with designs on a movie career, she makes a whopper. The pair get so incredibly drunk together that they end up getting accidently married. In the cold light of day, both women are shocked to find themselves wedded to a virtual stranger. But maybe it’s not such a big mistake? Could Ruby’s marriage to Emily help boost her profile and get her the biggest role of her life, earning Emily a big payday in the process? Only if they can make it seem like they’re really in love. And only if they can navigate the treacherous LA movie scene without tripping themselves up and giving the game away. Or worse, getting carried away with their fake relationship… But what if they do let themselves feel something? Could they fall in love? Or are they Just Married? A witty romantic comedy, ‘Just Married?’ is the latest book from Natasha West, the internationally bestselling author of ‘By Any Other Name’ and ‘The Plus One.’

    As a teacher with two great kids and a boyfriend, she seems to have it all. Except…she’s bored as hell. Perhaps a new hobby’s in order? Something…crafty?Divorced mother and veteran Ollie has been through the wars, emotionally and physically. To relax, she runs a quirky crochet class in her London craft shop. She can’t help but notice the attractive, feisty new student. A shame Anna’s straight as an arrow.But somewhere between the chain stitches, doubles and trebles, Ollie and Anna form a powerful connection they never expected.A quirky lesbian romance about love never being quite where you expect.Tags: crochet · England · London · quirky lesbian romance · teacher · veteran98,000 words

    She is careful to avoid intimacy and does not allow anyone to get close to her. Taylor has convinced herself, against the wishes of her friends, that being unattached will save her from inevitable heartache. However, this all changes when Zoey, a representation of everything that Taylor is not, moves in with her. The more Zoey accepts Taylor for who she really is, the more Taylor worries that Zoey could fulfill her secret desire for true human connection. Now, a frightened Taylor must decide whether she is willing to reevaluate her sense of happiness and redefine it with Zoey, even if it means running the risk of being broken in the end. Something in Return is a story about learning to let people into our lives, as oftentimes getting to know the stranger among us requires getting to know the stranger within us. It is a tale of self-preservation and self-definition. It is about breaking down the confines in which we live that we typically have built ourselves, because it is only then that we are free and able to love truly.

    Her nineteen-year-old daughter Becca is a freshman at Chilton College in Ashton, Vermont. Becca also happens to be a rising star for the Lady Stingers basketball team – just as her mother had been twenty years ago. But back in those early days a dirty little secret had collapsed Liz’s world - a secret she has kept hidden from everyone - especially her daughter. Now Liz finds herself accepting her daughter’s challenge to return to college and finally earn the degree that has so long eluded her. As if that isn’t enough, Liz has also somehow found herself back in the gym – and playing out her final year of basketball eligibility. Soon sparks fly when Liz encounters resistance from the new head coach, Sheridan Ross.Coach Ross has no patience for babysitting an over-the-hill athlete - not while she’s worried about her own plans to move up the career coaching ladder as quickly as possible. Now in addition to battling the coach, Liz’s world begins to crumble when the secret from her past returns to Ashton...

    That includes an epic bachelorette pub crawl, leading him to Portland’s most popular gay bar… and into Hunter Mitchell’s well-muscled arms. A one-night stand with a sexy soldier is the perfect way to ditch that pesky V-card and get himself in the mood for a weekend of flowers, cake, and nuptials.Hunter wants to blow off some steam before he stands up as his best friend’s best man. He's already married to his military career, not looking to settle down. He certainly doesn’t intend for the one guy he met (and, okay, got off with) in Oregon to be his counterpart in the wedding party. Or a virgin. Definitely wasn’t intending that. Luckily, they have the rest of the weekend for Hunter to show Randall what he's been missing.The more they’re thrown together by the wedding, the more Randall and Hunter grow together outside the bedroom… which is dangerous because there’s a lot more than 2500 miles standing between them and a happily-ever-after. If they want a future beyond their wedding weekend hookup, both must find the courage to take a chance on love.Length: approx. 38,000 words

     When Celeste Lamontagne receives a wedding invitation from her ex, she’s furious. The only thing worse than being cheated on? Seeing your ex and the girl she cheated with get married. Less than a year later. And as part of a two-week long Mediterranean cruise. But they say the best revenge is a life well lived, right? Not for Celeste, it isn’t. It’s arranging an elaborate fake relationship with someone to make your ex jealous. Lane Bishop is the perfect someone to do just that. Impulsive to the extreme, she loses her job right in front of Celeste. There goes Lane’s best shot at becoming a stylist in New York City. She can have another chance if she agrees to travel with Celeste, pretending to be her girlfriend so that Celeste’s ex sees her happy and thriving. The only catch? Celeste’s an heiress accustomed to getting everything she wants. She’s rigorous about details—some might say spoiled—which clashes with a free spirit like Lane. Two weeks travelling in close quarters challenges the faux lovebirds. They’ve got to appear harmoniously in love, even when they’d rather rib each other than whisper sweet nothings. But the sparks between Celeste and Lane become harder and harder to ignore. Can they convince the wedding guests of their passion without the flames setting them both alight?