Her decision to appear as a witness in a bribery trial had placed her in peril so great, Shane had been assigned to protect her. He wanted her to be guilty -- he'd be safe then -- but he knew she wasn't, and he found her innocence irresistible. Faith had no business loving a fierce, dangerous heartbreaker, but she needed to know how it felt to have a man want her as much as Shane did. Lonely, haunted by demons, he'd spent too much time on the dark side, undercover in a world of betrayal. Faith was his shot at sanctuary, his anchor in a an unseen storm that threatened to overwhelm them both. But Shane had always lived in shadows, unwilling to share the risks that came with his job. Could Faith make him see that their two hearts shared one destiny, that he was the end of her rainbow -- and she'd dare anything to have him?

    Toe to toe, theywere an equal match, but together they were animperfect pair. After four long years, they were hittingthe open range again, to bring justice to a lawless land.Attached at the hip until a rustling ring was busted, they had to make the best of a bad situation. Butthe real trouble was Dillon Savage. The cowboy wasas cocksure and adventurous as ever. He had oldscores to settle, and Jacklyn was there to make surehe didn't stray from his path. Only she didn't knowthat she was first in line....

    Ex-con. Joe Brody has been called a lot of things. Some true. Some not. But now that he's out of prison and back in his hometown his focus is getting a job and a home for his ill father to convalesce. Easier said than done when no one will hire him. Ashley Cade has a teething toddler and lives with an elderly man as part of an agreement she made to buy his house. Complicated? Not as much as it sounds. Wilson is a dear and his huge Victorian a gem in the rough. The lonely old man even recommends a friend's son as a handyman to help with the repairs and finally Ashley is making progress. And Joe? Joe is... intriguing to say the least. But when the police chief tracks Joe down and Ashley discovers the truth, everything changes. Wilson swears Joe is innocent. Joe swears he's innocent. But the evidence says otherwise and she doesn't know who to believe when her future business--and her child's life--are at stake....

    Audra Worthington was the reason for both. Well, the baby, anyway. The reputation he already had. It's why rich girl Audra fell for him in the first place.Now Audra's dead. His son, Brandon, is being raised by her family -- good girl Lauren, the perfect daughter, and her uncompromising parents. But Harley's a self-made success down in California and he's ready to take responsibility for his son.She's a woman who knows trouble when she sees it...She's a woman who knows trouble when she sees it.... And Harley Nelson's trouble. He's shown up at her door, saying he wants to get to know his son -- 10 years too late, in Lauren's opinion. Too bad he didn't stick by her sister, Audra, when he got her pregnant. (At least, that's the story Lauren's always heard.) And too bad he still looks so good in that black leather jacket....

    Now three bestselling Harlequin authors honor these remarkable women with stories inspired by their extraordinary contributions.In A Place in Her Heart, Boston bakery owner and women's shelter volunteer Katy McShea has traveled far to overcome her traumatic past. But apparently not far enough, because Callum Walsh suddenly reenters her life. The handsome navy SEAL doesn't have a clue how she felt about him in high school…or what happened after he shipped out. Five years ago, Cal thought he was doing the right thing. Now Katy�along with her mouthwatering miniature cupcakes�are awakening feelings too irresistible to ignore. All Cal wants is to cherish and protect her. Or will his guilt and Katy's reluctance to trust keep their chance reunion from becoming a mission possible?Look for A Place in Her Heart by Trish Milburn, along with two more free ebooks inspired by real-life heroines: Never Too Late by Christi Barth, and A Wing & A Prayer by Andrea Laurence. Visit the Harlequin More Than Words website at www.harlequinmorethanwords.com, or your favorite ebook retailer, to download these free novellas today.

    But the ranch she loves is dying of thirst, thanks to the worst drought the area has ever seen, Hope needs a miracle -- and one day it comes to the Valley of the Sun.A man out of time, Rio is an anachronism in the modern-day West, bringing with him a reputation for finding water in any desert. Hope has no choice but to trust this dark stranger who claims to make dreams real. And Rio, who has never had a dream of his own to follow, has found something in this extraordinary lady whose passion tempts him to defy his own rules.In the midst of adversity, two free spirits must now explore the most closely guarded corners of their hearts...as they search for a beautiful dream big enough to hold them both.

    A scorching summer. Danger lurks... After a raging media storm nearly destroys him, financial whiz Nick Cameron finds himself isolated and laying low on a barrier island off the Florida coast, far away from the reporters and scandals that threaten him. But when little Ronnie Whitcomb shows up on his doorstep, all grown up and breathtakingly beautiful, he tries to deny his feelings for her. Fate intervenes when a hurricane strands them on the island together, and suddenly, keeping Ronnie at arm's length becomes almost impossible. But daredevil TV reporter Veronique Whitcomb has an agenda of her own -- an agenda that could quite possibly get her killed. Recalling the hunky boy who rescued her at summer camp, Ronnie knows there's more to Nick than the hot and juicy scandal he's embroiled in, and she is determined to get the exclusive interview with him that will expose the real criminal. Whether Nick likes it or not, Ronnie refuses to sit by while the world slanders the most honorable and decent man she's ever known...and loved.THE HEARTTHROB SERIES: Book 1: Heart Raider (Nick and Veronique) Book 2: Heart Melter (Ian and Natasha) Book 3: Heart Tamer (Alec and Kate) Book 4: Heart Hunter (Cameron and Evie) Book 5: Heart Tempter (Leo and Teddy)

    For Roxanne Rayeaux, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, beauty had its costs. Not only did she have to worry constantly about how she looked, but she was considered stupid by strangers. She became romantically involved with a man who turned out to be married. So Roxanne pitched the world of diets and philanderers and moved her orange cat, Cheeto (the closest she could come to that forbidden food) to Virginia to open a restaurant. She went looking for some peace and tranquillity and instead inherited the restaurant's contentious, but sexy bartender, Steve Serrano.An average joe most of his life, Steve cannot deny Roxanne's obvious physical charms but thinks she is stuck up and pretentious -- not his type. Roxanne, suspicious of Steve's motives after a rash of break-ins occurs at the restaurant and a string of bad publicity appears in the local gossip column, cannot let her guard down around him. Besides he's not her type.If only they weren't so darned attracted to each other...

    But with his son failing at school and his little girl talking only in whispers, he needs nothing short of a miracle…. …when one arrives on his doorstep! Althea Johnson is only meant to tutor Clark's son. But with her help the Beaumont family begins to come alive again, and against the odds Althea hopes that when Christmas morning arrives there will be four stockings hanging over the fireplace….

    In addition, Bowen welcomes readers back to Glory, Alberta, in "The Glory Girl" and Johnson continues her "Patton's Daughter's" tale with "Promise Me Picket Fences".

    When she escaped Diablo Springs years ago, Gracie Beck swore she'd never return. But all that changes on the night of her grandmother's tragic death when Diablo Springs lures Gracie's teenage daughter to its treacherous border. Fearing the threat of that haunted place and the danger it poses to her daughter, Gracie races to the rescue-only to find herself trapped in the turbulent current of a hundred year old curse and the menacing spirits that have terrorized the town's dusty streets for a century. Author Reilly Alexander has ghosts of his own in Diablo Springs-ghosts he needs to lay to rest before he can move on. Tempted by the promise of a bestselling story, he reluctantly returns to Diablo Springs only to find Gracie Beck waiting there. At first, Gracie wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her years ago, but feelings she thought long gone spark to life when she sees Reilly again. She is drawn to his quiet strength and the burning desire he ignites within her. Reilly is determined to help save Gracie's daughter and prove his to love the woman he's never forgotten, but they've come to a dangerous place where even the dark waters are sinister and every lurking shadow should be feared.... Diablo Springs' history wants to be retold, but will the new ending destroy them all?

    After he smears her article on his show, nearly costing Macie her job, she devises a plan to masquerade as a modern-day Cinderella and get her revenge on the infuriating Texan.All Ross wants is a woman with old-fashioned values to be his housekeeper and role model for his troubled teenage daughter. When the perfect woman shows up, Ross is relieved—until he finds himself drawn to his gorgeous, red-stiletto-wearing new employee. “Martha Jane” is opinionated and sexy, and Ross is intrigued…and more than a little turned on.Macie thought Operation Cinderella was foolproof, but Ross, with his rugged good looks and southern charm, proves to be as perfect behind-the-scenes as he does in public. But when she finally uncovers a secret that could destroy Ross's reputation, she faces losing her job or losing the fairy-tale ending she didn't even know she wanted.

    But even that couldn't have prepared him for his hungry reaction to Cat McGuire--toy-store owner, smuggling ring suspect...and his new charge.Only, Dino can't believe the sexy woman under his protection is a crook. Not when she can plant a kiss hot enough to melt all his good intentions...For Cat, Christmas is always a hectic season. But this year she's agreed to a fake engagement, too, just to keep the family peace. It wouldn't be so bad, if only Cat could keep her hands off her new fianc�. After all, he's strong, he's sexy...he's the perfect boy toy. Or he is--until Cat discovers she's just another one of his assignments....

    Racked with grief over her son Danny's brutal death, Sarah Patterson steels herself to take revenge on his murderer. When detective Mac Donovan stops her from shooting Samuel Tate on the courthouse steps, he risks his career--and the case against Tate--to protect her.With a serial child-killer walking free, New Orleans is taut with anticipation of his next savage crime and the police and FBI are helpless. But Tate has developed a sick fascination with Sarah Patterson--and he'll kill to keep her attention. With Mac's help, Sarah positions herself at the center of a dangerous operation designed to stop Tate for good.Nothing can bring Danny back...but Sarah is hell-bent on ensuring no mother suffers as she has at the hands of Samuel Tate.

    Single mother Valerie Sinclair seemed the ideal candidate. Until an evening out led to an unexpected kiss.Organizing the businessman's hectic life was one thing. Wanting to share his life wasn't part of the deal. But once Valerie got a taste of being David's girlfriend--even for just one night--how could she go back to being his stand-in spouse?