As a homeschool graduate, a small town resident, and the only child of two over-protective parents, she’s dreamed of chasing big dreams. But big dreams take big courage. So in a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, Darby leaves the only life she’s ever known and sets off for California to test her skills in Hollywood. It works...until she runs out of money. That wasn’t part of her spur-of-the-moment plan, and she finds herself stuck in an unfamiliar city with too much pride to call home for help.With limited options, Darby finds herself working for dangerously hot Lennon Dixon, the owner of a downtown Los Angeles tattoo parlor. Lennon needs help and finds it in Darby. What he doesn’t expect is her odd aversion to his place of business...or his attraction to her. As for Darby, to call her new job unfamiliar is the world's biggest understatement. But to call her mutual attraction to Lennon unexpected is a very close second.Previously published as part of the Just One Summer collection.

    But she’s not ready for the sparks that fly when she meets local nonprofit owner Eric Hampton . . . or for the sudden reappearance of an unwelcome face from her past. Note from Melissa: Megan Harrow appears in all four of my Walker Family books. She's a reader favorite and I can't tell you how many notes I've received asking when she's going to get her own story. Well, she's finally getting the spotlight now. :) *This novella originally appeared in the RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG collection in 2017, alongside novellas from award-winning authors Deborah Raney and Courtney Walsh

    That’s enough money to bring her brother back from America and reinstate their stolen family fortune. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on the unknown person who stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is blindsided by the anger of the woman he left at the altar.Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the 12 Days of Christmas, Clara and Ben discover that what they've been striving for isn't what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

    After a near fatal plunge over a cliff, she washes ashore to find a family willing to nurse her back to health.Celeste recovers, slowly coming to trust the family, and despite his fierce appearance, even the terrifying ex-knight who speaks only with strange hand signs.Her tenuous peace is shattered when the eldest son, a soldier, sworn to return illegal slaves to their owners, arrives injured and furious with his family for harbouring her. Corporal Mick Haynes must choose where his loyalties lie—with the life as a dutiful soldier who always has a plan and plays by the rules, or protecting the girl he never expected to fall for and risk it all?With war on the horizon, and bounty hunters closing in on Celeste’s location, time is running out…for them both.

    Completely. Unexpectedly. Derrick Knolane escapes to Trinidad Head most evenings, avoiding his apartment and planning for the day he’ll break free of Humboldt County. Working in a music store might be fine for a while, but it’s far from the goal he had in mind when he got his college degree. Not to mention the fact that his roommate is a jerk and his family won’t stop trying to run his life.Then Brielle falls into his world.She claims to be a star. Not from Hollywood, but from heaven. He thinks she’s crazy. Certainly delusional. Yet, he can’t just leave her alone on the cliffs. So he takes her home.And his whole world falls apart.A heartfelt and fanciful contemporary romance novella, How a Star Falls explores the uncertain season of new adulthood and shows that sometimes the worst inconveniences make for the best miracles of all.

    Their marriage of convenience will provide a secure future for her son, while William will be able to claim the inheritance he needs to expand his company westward.To begin their perfect and perfectly safe arrangement, William allots the last twelve days in December to become acquainted with his new family—a task more easily accomplished than he had imagined. For in Charlotte he finds a tender heart and companion, while stepping into the role of father to her son, brings William a great measure of joy as well. Before the twelve days have passed, he finds himself wishing their marriage of convenience could be something much more.For Charlotte, every day with William is one of overwhelming gratitude, as he anticipates and provides for her needs, as well as the fondest desires of her heart. More than material comforts, William offers friendship as well, and a loving concern that Charlotte has gone too long without. Guilt ridden, she struggles with her growing attraction and wonders how she can ever remain loyal to her first husband, while allowing herself to love William as he deserves.

    Today, it's a fine pair of lacy slippers crafted by the renowned Ella's Establishment. To be picture perfect for her presentation to the queen, Charlotte will survive crashed ceilings and falling bricks. Yet, has she met her match in the conservative merchant, whose autumn-colored eyes make her pulse race, especially when he says no? Caught between the glittering world of the ton and the respectable profession of selling shoes, Edwin Cinder can't understand the lady's persistence or the fire lighting her blue eyes when she's challenged. With his lack of pedigree, there's no chance for this common God-fearing man to win her hand, but he'll risk all to save the duchess from the ravages of a London gale. Swept Away is a Regency retelling of Cinderella with a twist.

    Twenty-one year old Fenfang Wang has traveled one thousand eight hundred miles to seek her fortune in contemporary urban Beijing, and has no desire to return to the drudgery of the sweet potato fields back home. However, Fenfang is ill-prepared for what greets her: a Communist regime that has outworn its welcome, a city under rampant destruction and slap-dash development, and a sexist attitude seemingly more in keeping with her peasant upbringing than the country’s progressive capital. Yet Fenfang is determined to live a modern life. With courage and purpose, she forges ahead, and soon lands a job as a film extra. While playing roles like woman-walking-over-the bridge and waitress-wiping-a-table help her eke out a meager living, Fenfang comes under the spell of two unsuitable young men, keeps her cupboard stocked with UFO noodles, and after mastering the fever and tumult of the city, ultimately finds her true independence in the one place she never expected.At once wry and moving, Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth gives us a clear-eyed glimpse into the precarious and fragile state of China’s new identity and asserts Xiaolu Guo as her generation’s voice of modern China.

    Adventures, mishaps, and dream destinations—this collection has it all!As our guest of honor, you’re cordially invited on a journey through twelve heartwarming and inspirational novellas that will take you from small-town America to romantic Paris, from the sunny shores of Hawaii to New Zealand. Office romances, friends-to-lovers, second chances, and more await you in these stories full of forgiveness, redemption, laughter, and love.Say “I do” and claim your copy of this limited-time anthology by your favorite USA Today and bestselling Christian romance authors!January Hope by Kari TrumboCleo Myles, a clothing historian, goes on the hunt for a wedding dress from an 1880s fashion magazine. When she discovers it’s been donated to a museum collection, the only thing standing in her way is a the curator, Lowel Johnson. Unfortunately, he has a no-touch policy on all curated items that just might put a stop to her hunt and her heart.A Valentine for Veronica by Lisa PrysockTemp agency owner Veronica Hayworth wonders why she purchased her dream wedding dress without a boyfriend in sight. When an encounter with a former high school peer, now a photo journalist for a wedding magazine, entices her to agree to a wedding feature for the February issue, the pressure is on to find a husband. Will Veronica’s pride and spontaneity lead to her demise, or will her faith lead to love?I Take You by Marion UeckermannSince childhood, Kaia Collins has dreamed about her fairy-tale wedding. But when her father’s choices crush Kaia’s dreams, her fiancé, Leo Campbell, is left scrambling for a solution to their dilemma. Kaia doesn’t want to delay their wedding, and neither does Leo—he’s waited a lifetime to make Kaia his wife.Adoring April by Chautona HavigWhoever heard of a church expecting an incoming minister to marry their only single member as a condition for employment? Is that even legal? What kind of woman would possibly agree to such a crazy idea?What’ll it take for Jesse to go from avoiding April to adoring April in time for their wedding?A Change of a Dress by Hallee BridgemanBelle Merchant struggles to leave the past behind and find a future that has so far eluded her. Scarred by an incredible act of heroism, combat veteran Vince Prince wants nothing more than to become an army chaplain and courageously walk the road less traveled. The two unknowingly come together time and again until they actually meet in person.Her Love So Sure by Jan ThompsonShe is a wedding planner—sort of. He is the man of the castle—maybe. Will the two be able to pull off the wedding of the century in this opposites-attract romance?The Wedding Dress by T. K. ChapinWhat if the dress you wore on your wedding day had a story to tell?Alexa Anderson doesn’t want to wear her mother’s wedding dress when it’s time to marry the love of her life, Brad Jackson. Little does she know, the wedding dress has a story of its own to tell . . .The Wedding Kimono by Camy TangA tomboy massage therapist and her boss discover a mysterious message hidden in her grandmother's wedding kimono. Can her family legacy help her to see her inner beauty and open herself up to love?One Vow for September by Liwen HoShe’s a writer with an unconventional assignment, he’s the jaded coworker playing her husband; together they’re one odd couple about to find out how real love is.Braver with You by Jaycee WeaverShe’d follow her childhood sweetheart anywhere, but first they’ll need all her courage and all his support to make it through the wedding their mothers have planned.Grateful for You by Dori HarrellJeans-only Libby Castleton hasn’t spoken to lawman Jamie Connors since she turned down his proposal. But when she sees a frothy gown in a store window, she knows he’s the guy for her. But winning him back might mean landing herself in jail.Countdown to Her Cowboy’s Christmas Wedding by Shoshanna GabrielA handsome rancher. The girl next door. A childhood promise comes due that could change their lives . . . for better or worse. When their Christmas wedding preparations bring out painful memories of heartbreak, will Kate be able to forgive Jay — and herself — so they can finally be together?

    But his plans to court her are put on hold when he is forced to resume his role as an undercover spy for the Crown. A secret document listing the names of the entire network of British spies-including his own-has been stolen. To protect Sophia, Anthony cuts off all ties to her and exchanges his life as an honorable earl for the façade of a flirtatious playboy. Heartbroken and confused, Sophia travels to India, hoping to find healing in one of the most exotic regions of the British Empire. But the exotic land isn't as restful as she had hoped. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a missing sea captain, a possible murder, and a plot that could involve the prince of India. And when Anthony appears at the British Residency, asking questions and keeping his distance from her, she is stunned. She still loves him, and, in her heart, she knows he loves her too. But how can she rebuild her relationship with him if he won't confide in her? Does she dare offer her heart to him a second time, or will their love be lost under the India sun?

    Which is why Clyde Baxter, a West Point cadet on the verge of graduation, presents a problem. Their attraction is instantaneous, but it threatens Evelyn's lifelong dream of going to college. Clyde's brilliance in the new field of electrical power has him poised for a promising career in the Army's Corps of Engineers. The one thing he never anticipated was Evelyn White, a woman whose soaring ambition matches his own. As they fall in love over the course of one magical summer, they believe dreams are enough to weather any challenge. But when they are tested by forces neither saw coming, will the fragile bonds forged during those dream-filled summer days be strong enough to survive the storm?

    And now granddaughter Virginia faces the test of her young life. Caught in the difficult period between childhood and adulthood, feeling that she doesn't fit in, Virginia struggles against what she considers to be unreasonable restrictions and expectations. A new girl at school represents the daring and freedom that Virginia thinks she wants -- until one fateful day . . .

    Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters' crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer's shine.Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC's most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family's home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic - and when their paths cross at the Shaws' performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

    Her distraught fiancé is certain that she must have been kidnapped.The case takes a new turn when a city detective appears on the scene, looking for a woman who matches the description of the missing girl. Was Charity really kidnapped, or did she have a reason to flee?Mrs. Meade, a gentle but shrewd widow lady who lives across the hall in the boarding-house, feels that there is something wrong with the story of Charity's disappearance...but can she unravel the mystery before it is too late?If you're a fan of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Anna Katharine Green's Miss Amelia Butterworth, you'll love this quick trip back to the mountain West of the Edwardian era, with a shrewd lady sleuth to apply her wits to its puzzles.Get it today!

    Peter, Elliott’s eldest nephew, thinks the entire idea is ridiculous. A widower with two young daughters, he simply needs a governess, not a wife. Julia Hollingsworth certainly has the credentials and the experience, but is altogether too young and pretty for such a job. So why can’t he stop thinking about her? Julia loves working as a governess, despite the objections of her mother, Amelia. And as it turns out, Amelia has a lot to say about the Mayfield men—none of it good. But Julia dismisses the rumors of ruined reputations and instead concentrates on helping Peter with his children and his fledgling business in canine husbandry. His kindness and gentleness is endearing—and increasingly attractive. But Amelia, whose heart was broken thirty years ago by none other than Elliott Mayfield, is determined to prevent any relationship from blooming either between Peter and Julia—or between herself and Elliott. Hearts and history collide as both couples must face their pasts and decide if risking it all is worth the promise of new love and a new future.