The second hardest thing would be watching my twelve-year-old daughter fall to her knees as they lowered her mother into the ground to rest. A heart-wrenching vision that will forever be etched in my mind. Claire was my best friend—she had been since we were barely old enough to talk. I always knew, one day, I would marry her. I think I may have even told her that a few times while we were growing up. Never did I think I would lose her so suddenly. I knew at that moment… Our life would never be the same again…

    At twenty-two, he went in to the Marine Corps a naïve, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind.Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt to keep him company. He’s lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there’s little comfort in the fact that he’s still standing when his platoon isn’t.Ellie Mason doesn’t have time for broken. She’s too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn’t enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who’s just as lonely as she is. But she’s loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded.Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos.Love is war.Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable.

    One to the Army; the other in a tragic car accident. Two years after the latter, a ghost from the past reappears, igniting feelings in Alexa she’d thought long dormant.Jace McAllister has spent the last ten years in the Army, defusing bomb after bomb, trying to forget the girl who once set his world on fire. For him, she’s always been the one who got away. After a not-so-chance encounter places her back in his line of sight, he’s locked eyes on target, and won’t let her go without a fight.Ten years ago their chemistry smoldered, and now the sparks threaten to light a fuse leading to an explosion between them even Jace can’t control. Not that he wants to. But when love has slipped through your fingertips before, how can you trust it will once again remain?Will Alexa’s fear of love and loss destroy their second chance at a beautiful future before it can even begin?

    He’s been in love with his best friend—saucy, smart-mouthed Aurelia Stark—forever. But Ben’s a planner, and timing has never been on his side. When he finally decides to make his move, Aurelia beats him to the punch with a move of her own—to a different town.Aurelia loves her new life in the charming town of Harmony Pointe. She has a great apartment and her very own bookstore, and best of all, the sinfully hot, commitment-phobic friend she’s crushed on for years is no longer just around the corner. Maybe she’ll finally be able to leave her unrequited love behind and move on.But when a baby is left on Ben’s front porch—a baby that is presumably his—Aurelia is there for him. Neither one knows the first thing about babies, but how hard can it be? Ben and Aurelia are catapulted into a world of love, laughter, and tracking down the baby mama, and it might even add up to a very happily ever after… just not one either of them expects.

    Generally, the person in charge of these things shouldn’t fantasize about lighting the whole three-ring dating circus on fire.Anyway, men from all over Southern California, vying for the coveted bachelor role, submitted their personal ads to my paper. The readers voted, and Single Dad Seeks Juliet won by a landslide.Enter Mr. Bachelor Anonymous (40M), the single dad Romeo seeking his Juliet.Blah, blah, blah, right? Wrong.You guys—and I cannot stress this enough—this guy is the ultimate man in a six-foot-three, chiseled-muscle, freaking Adonis package with aquamarine eyes that would haunt the dreams of an insomniac.He’s a former Navy SEAL, successful business owner, motocross-riding, charming, supportive, funny-as-heck single dad, and the more time I spend with him, the more I want to bring this contest thing crumbling to the ground for an entirely different reason.Real talk: I think I’m falling for him.Me, the woman who despises love, might be falling for the completely off-limits Bachelor who I’m ironically assigned to help find love, while five other women think they’re the only contestants competing for his heart.So, Internet. Am I scum? Or is all fair in love and war?

    So I turned him away and never looked back. I haven’t forgotten. And I certainly haven’t forgiven.Now, I’m sort of a hot mess. I’m in between jobs, essentially homeless, and newly divorced.But as I try to put the pieces of my life back together, I know that Ryder’s the one that’s missing. I have to find him, and I have to forgive him.And when I do, I learn that he’s not exactly living the easiest life. He needs someone. He needs me.Despite everything, I know I should be there for him. But doing that means I’ll have to put our past behind us.And I’ll have to try my hardest not to fall back in love with the man who broke my heart beyond repair.

    I want more.I’ve had my eyes set on her for months. The gorgeous brunette captured my attention when I first saw her and stole my heart when I met her. Making it in the music industry has taken its toll on me, chipping away at my confidence and patience. The one thing that keeps me going is having Reese by my side. I’m determined to show her how good we can be together, even if she continues to pretend there’s nothing between us. One night changes everything, risking the only thing I’d want more than a career in country music—her.A friends-to-lovers Rebel Desire series spin-off - can be read as a STANDALONE

    Football club lawyer, Santino Rossi is known in the locker room as the two-month chump. For years he’s been on a mission to find someone he can share his basil plant with and cure him of his former playboy ways. Tilly Logan is a fiery, Scottish lass who didn’t bat an eye five years ago when a smoldering Italian pulled her into a nightclub bathroom. He was dark, dangerous, and exactly the good time Tilly was looking for—even if he worked for her over-protective brother’s team. But a lot has changed and when Tilly returns to London five years later only to find herself trapped in an elevator with the smoldering Italian, it isn’t a happy reunion. Especially because her brother blames Santino for her high tailing it back to Scotland in the first place. Tilly doesn’t want a replay of past mistakes and reconnecting with Santino is playing with fire.But if they keep their relationship a secret, it could be worth the burn.

    There are right and wrong ways to do things, and I always make sure that I'm on the right side. My brothers call me a wet blanket. They say I'm buttoned-up, boring, and that I don't know how to let loose. There's a reason I'm that way, and she just walked through my door. With one wild night, I've thrown all my moral guidelines out the window. Now I'm stuck with her and there's no possible way this could work between us. We're complete opposites in every way, but damn she's sexy. Not that it matters. There will never be more between us. One of us will end up killing the other first.KatAfter a long shift in the cancer ward at the children's hospital, I just want to let loose. My friend set me up on a date, and I gladly took it to let off some steam. I've got a fun outfit and I'm ready to let loose. But my one night of fun was spoiled the minute he walked through that door. I was just looking for a good time, and I got him instead. He's good-looking, but that's about all that he has going for him. He's not at all my type, and now he seems to think that I'm some loose whore. It was one night! But I'm stuck with him, so I have to find a way to make this work. If I don't figure out a way to make the man loosen up, I'll go insane.

    He refuses to allow gorgeous but determined reporter Sophie Armstrong to dredge up his family’s dark past—or circulate rumors of his secret child. But Joshua’s fierce pride is at war with his heated desire for Sophie, the only woman who could ruin him…or save him from himself.USA TODAY Bestselling Author

    A split second in time that completely blindsides you. Lex is a cut-throat lawyer.Always focused and in control. There are no colors in his life. Black and white with no in between.Cold and ruthless in his work, his life is sorted, and his path is clear.Then the unthinkable happened.One night my armor slipped.I met the real him.And I let him meet the real me.It was wonderful. Breathtaking Except happy endings have a way of escaping me.And sometimes epiphanies cause heart break.Which means for Lex to find his happiness,I may have to sacrifice mine.

    Getting dumped by your boyfriend days before your best friend’s wedding? It doesn’t get much worse.Did I mention that the guy who cut me loose was country music’s number one rising star?And my client.I thought I was walking into a proposal. Instead, I crashed right into humiliation—dumped and fired.The silver lining? In a restaurant, there’s plenty of wine to drown my feelings.In strolls Tyler Nichols, the restaurant owner. He’s charming, handsome and does a good job of trying to make me feel better. A really good job. Sharing my heartbreak with a beautiful stranger is the last thing that I expected.Turns out, Tyler Nichols is my ex’s best friend. And according to the local gossips—mainly my cousin—he’s got a mysterious past.No worries, I’m the gal with everything going for her—great job, fabulous apartment and a glamorous life half way across the country in sunny Los Angeles—far away from my hometown and my family’s bourbon empire. I’ll be leaving after the weekend wedding festivities.That is until my best friend, Sage, finds herself in a jam and needs my help before jetting off on her honeymoon.So, I’m staying in Mayfield a little longer than anticipated. In just a few short weeks, I’ll march my happy ass back to the West Coast, far away from Tyler’s smoldering gaze and his panty-melting smile. And the chemistry between us that burns hotter than a hickory stump.But the longer I’m in town, the harder it is to stay away from him. And maybe I don’t want to.

    Not the drama of working in a tattoo parlor, which seems to be around every corner. When things get him down, he smiles and cracks a joke. But he’s not the kind of man you cross, or you’ll find yourself at the wrong end of his fists.Annika Belousov takes everything seriously.Like her job as a reality television producer, given that she typically has something to prove. Or her love life, which is defined by a series of requirements — affluent, ambitious, accomplished, to name a few. Definitely her family, who worked their whole lives to afford her every opportunity, a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. When she’s tapped to produce a reality show at Joel’s shop, she doesn’t think twice, just goes in for the kill, as if there were any other way.The second Annika walks into Joel’s shop, he makes it his mission to crack her open, but she’s not having it. He’s all wrong — too crass, too hairy, too un-serious. But it doesn’t take her long to find out there’s more to him than smirks and tattoos. And what she finds could put her career and his heart on the line.Not that Joel cares. Because for the first time in a long time, he’s found his tonic.

    My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world.At eighteen, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn’t live without.We were young. Madly in love. Invincible. Strong enough to weather any storm.Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us.When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized.𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑. 𝐼’𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦.Now, after six long years he’s back. Only my heart ... it doesn’t beat just for him anymore.

    Jo has almost everything she's ever wanted, including a condo on the beach (though she's the youngest resident by thirty years) and an exciting job (albeit below deck) that lets her travel the world.Jo is on track until a family tragedy turns her life upside down, and the list falls by the wayside. But when her two nieces show up unannounced with plans to stay the summer, they discover her list and insist on helping Jo finish it. Though the remaining eight items (which include running a marathon, visiting ten countries, and sleeping in a castle) seem impossible to complete in twelve weeks, Jo takes on the challenge.When she summons the courage to complete item number five--kiss a stranger--and meets Alex Hayes, all bets are off. As her feelings for Alex intensify and Jo's inability to confront difficult emotions about her family complicates her relationships, she must learn to quit playing it safe with her heart before she loses what matters most.