Running his uncle’s beachside bar on a south Texas island gives him the chance to heal, find peace, and avoid entanglements. That is, until Macey, his childhood friend, tracks him down.After two years abroad in a developing country, Macey Locke is ready to dive in to her Peace Corps-inspired foundation. But when she learns Derek is suffering, she can’t turn her back. Six weeks on a tropical island to help the guy she’s loved for years? No-brainer.Derek can’t help but notice she’s not the same girl he used to know. She’s more. More self-assured, more determined, more irresistible. But is she enough for him to let go of his newfound fragile peace and give in to the passion sparking between them?Playing with Fire is a stand-alone novel with a heartwarming and satisfying HEA in the Island Fire series.

    Can a fake relationship make her shine?Mia Black “aka” Black Sheep, is the slightly geeky, kind of smart, but otherwise lusterless middle daughter of a family full of shining stars. Literally, like, movie stars. Austin is the super cute, uber-popular, basketball phenom whose athletic career just took a nosedive when his failing grades landed him in academic probation. Basically Mia’s polar opposite.When Austin impulsively kisses Mia in the hallway in front of everyone, pretending he’s moved on from the girl who just dumped him, he begs Mia to play along and promises he’ll make it worth her while. Mia knows her reputation could use some help, and Austin is the perfect guy to elevate her from not to hot. All she has to do is help him get his grades up, and Austin will pretend to be madly in love with her. Sounds like a win-win for both of them, right?Fake it till you make it, the saying goes, and Mia and Austin soon realize that opposites do attract. But can their relationship, and their reputations, survive when the whole school finds out they were only faking? If you like fun and flirty teen contemporary romance books by authors such as Kelly Oram, Jessica Park, Amy Sparling, or Nicola Yoon, you'll love My Fake Valentine!

    Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too.A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters.Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love.Signed Paperback & Original Music Soundtrack to The Boots My Mother Gave Me can be found at www.brooklyn-james.com

    ADDICTED TO YOU is for a mature audience, due to sexual situations and language.***Dangerous. Sexy. Damaged. These are the words used to describe Justin Brown.Intelligent. Capable. Responsible.These are the words used to describe Lindsay Cramer.Irresistible. Addicting. Passionate.These are the words used to describe their relationship.Good girl Lindsay Cramer has her life completely in order, and she keeps her goals on a checklist -- obtain scholarship to Ivy League University, finish undergrad, and move on to med school. She’s worked hard to get where she is, and she’s determined not to let anything – or anyone -- get in her way.Until she meets Justin Brown. JB is gorgeous, and the kind of guy who is all wrong for Lindsay -- the kind of guy who is all wrong for anyone . He drinks, he fights, and he has a secret past Lindsay’s not so sure she wants to know about.But when the two of them are together, Lindsay can’t help but lose herself in him. It’s the way his eyes burn when he looks at her. The way his smile makes her dizzy. The way his hands feel on her body.Soon, Lindsay and Justin are completely addicted to each other. But when their dangerous game culminates with Lindsay having to make a shocking choice, will she be able to keep JB in her life? And if so, will she lose everything in the process?EXCERPT:I hesitated. Should I really be doing this? A weird shiver of fear slid up my spine. I had no idea who this guy was, or what he was doing here. Last night he was acting like a complete thug, and tonight he was dressed like an investment banker. Every part of me was screaming that this guy was bad news.But I didn’t care. Something about him was captivating me, pushing me towardhim and whatever that entailed, even if it turned out to be bad.I headed out the door, and as I walked back across campus, I had to resist the urge to run. Justin was unpredictable – what if I got back there, and he was gone?But he wasn’t gone. He was sitting on a bench.“Ready?” he asked.I took a deep breath. “Ready.”

    But with all his attention focused on her at her work Christmas party, Hollie couldn’t deny herself the night of inescapable pleasure that followed…Lone wolf Maximo knew their encounter would be unforgettable—and unrepeatable. Yet now Hollie’s at his castle, to reveal she’s pregnant. And a snowbound Christmas will force them to confront the dangerous passion they can no longer escape!From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

    Which is why he'd like his mom, Carol, to start dating. He even knows the perfect man--Alex Preston, his best friend's dad. As it turns out, Alex is interested, but Carol's doing everything she can to sidestep his pursuit. Which only makes Alex--and the boys--more determined!

    Her real job will be to persuade Jude to live life to the full – with her!

    But Christos's demand is not just for Ava-- he wants custody of her son. A child he believes to be his brother's.Temptation leads Ava to join the shipping magnate on his lush Greek island home. This is her chance to prove she never betrayed the imposing, arrogant and lethallyattractive Christos. If only she can win back his trust. For without trust, there can be no love....

    'Tis the season to be daring: Find the perfect Mr Right Now (extra points for a bad-boy-turned-billionaire) and be brave about getting him - even if that means jumping straight into sexy Jace Ryan's car! 2. Enjoy the ride: Once you've chosen your flingee, get swept away by the moment! For once, Cassie's determined to stop worrying about the future. But she must remember one thing...3. This fling is just for Christmas: Jace Ryan's a seasonal special. Do not start falling for him, Cassie. No matter how perfect the package or how much you've enjoyed unwrapping it...

    After all, she's barely met the two men it could be referring to. But as she begins to fall for the man with the striking blue eyes, the disturbing messages increase.Refusing to believe warnings from an anonymous sender, and trusting her own heart, Lily presses forward with her relationship, eventually coming to understand the meaning behind the messages as she fears for her life.He Loves Me Not does not contain any profanity or sexual content.

    But on television it was a different story. There, Evan Taggart came off as handsome. Confident. Single. A state the reality show played up a little more than producer Leandra Clay planned. All too soon women with the same thought in mind--marriage!--started invading their small town in droves. So now it was payback time. Evan's ultimatum to Leandra--masquerade as his fiancee or he was walking (and her career in television was toast). The choice seemed easy at the time. But this Evan didn't act like the childhood friend Leandra remembered. Who knew he could kiss like that? Or that his slightest touch could set her skin on fire? Just friends? Stay tuned....

    Or romance, for that matter. She is weeks away from opening her own catering business, the most important part of her plan to provide her certified genius daughter Patty with all the wonderful things she deserves.Except Patty doesn't want to go to a fancy boarding school. She wants a father and when she meets bartender Murphy O'Rourke at her fourth grade Career Day presentation, she knows she's met the man of her mother's dreams!But can she convince her Mrs. Scrooge of a mom that it was time to give Christmas -- and love -- a second chance?Acclaim for the novels of Barbara Bretton“Bretton’s characters are always real and their conflicts believable.”— Chicago Sun-Times“Soul warming... A powerful relationship drama [for] anyone who enjoys a passionate look inside the hearts and souls of the prime players.”— Midwest Book Review“[Bretton] excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The town’s tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance.”— Publishers Weekly“A tender love story about two people who, when they find something special, will go to any length to keep it.”— Booklist“Honest, witty... absolutely unforgettable.”— Rendezvous“A classic adult fairy tale.”— Affaire de Coeur“Dialogue flows easily and characters spring quickly to life.”— Rocky Mountain News

    But she had every intention of returning to the East after her sister's baby was safely born.Unexpectedly, she felt like changing her mind. She found that she didn't want to say good-bye after all, even though she knew that her sister no longer needed her. Was it because she had fallen in love with the beautiful country, or should she admit to herself that a tall, commanding rancher had corralled her heart forever?

    What started as a college spring break tradition morphed into an annual reunion, ultimately encompassing boyfriends and husbands. Only Allison hasn't brought along a love interest in years, inspiring the others toward goodwill efforts at fixing her up. Faced with the prospect of yet another beach week mismatched with a virtual stranger, Allison's roommate Kate suggests a shocking alternative. Allison can "borrow" Kate's handsome and successful boyfriend for the trip. The trouble is Grady O'Brien stands for everything romantic idealist Allison is against. He's a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to get ahead. What Allison doesn't understand is just how far Grady is willing to go...Wine industry entrepreneur Grady O'Brien knows an opportunity when he sees one. Allison Murphy runs a boutique wine label design company, while Grady heads up a firm that buys those sorts of businesses out. When Grady's girlfriend unexpectedly must attend a conference and their vacation plans are cancelled, she encourages Grady to accompany Allison to the beach instead. Grady agrees to participate in the ruse of playing Allison's boyfriend with a secret agenda in mind. He hopes to pave the way for acquiring Allison's Bella Fortuna Wine Designs by winning favor with its pretty owner and her friends. The one thing Grady doesn't count on losing in the bargain is his heart.

    If only she could get him out of her heart. All Kendra wants to do is get through the holidays and figure out what her daughter wants for Christmas. When Jacob comes back to her small town for Christmas, Kendra is terrified he’s going to break her heart all over again. But what can she do to protect herself when her daughter wants to spend every waking moment with the handsome singer? Jacob is stunned when he sees his ex-girlfriend’s daughter. Kendra denies she’s his, but he can’t believe her. She looks just like him. But why would Kendra have kept her pregnancy from him? Did she hate him that much? She’s pushing him away at every turn, but he’s determined to find out the truth. And if he can, get his family back.