Annie's domain was home and hearth, and her dying put a hole in his day-to-day rancher lifestyle--far beyond the one she left in his heart.But his heart is only one of his problems when ten-year-old Callie rebels. Missing her mom and unsure how her life is unfolding, Callie pushes back at every turn and John doesn't know how to help her. Then his friend, Buck McGinnis, introduces him to Abby Cooper. Buck thinks John should seek the counsel of a woman for advice dealing with a moody pre-teen female. Suddenly, life becomes even more complicated.The Parker Ranches, Inc. series launches with this short novella, The Rancher's Second Chance, establishing the patriarch of the family, John Rankin, and his second chance at love and healing his family. **** The Parker Ranches, Inc. series is a contemporary western romance series written by award-winning and bestselling romance author Maddie James.Linked by strong family relationships, these stories take place in multiple ranch settings across Montana, South Dakota, Texas, and Kentucky. The Parker and Rankin families--Montana ranchers for generations--anchor the series and provide the foundation for stories to come. As families grow, forming new ranch partnerships, you'll also meet the South Dakota MacKay and the Texas/Kentucky Remington families.Parker Ranches, Inc. books are first and foremost romance stories with happily-ever-after endings. Some are sweet, most are steamy, and a few are erotic. These novels and novellas always feature cowboy heroes and the women who love them--often with complicated relationships and external challenges that require time and attention to sort out.Welcome to Rankin's Rock Creek Ranch.

    To boost her self-esteem, overweight Kate joins Slimforever'. Will it help her find herself again? Jenny longs for a baby but time is running out. If she lost weight, would it help her to conceive? She joins 'Slimforever' in a last-ditch attempt to beat her biological clock. Is it the answer to her prayers? Their friend Lauren, a beautiful ex-model, decides she could lose a few pounds too. Lauren appears to have it all – elegant Georgian home, barrister husband, two lovely children and a successful business as an interior decorator. But is it all as it seems? Meanwhile sexy, voluptuous Diana craves excitement and detests being buried in the backwoods of Ballyfern. She’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants – even if it’s another woman’s husband. Four women – different goals – can they all be winners?

    Though that didn’t keep him from longing for the unattainable prom queen, Jennifer. The one person who did understand his out-of-the-box brain was Darcie, his best friend. After their high school graduation, Zeke and Darcie for one night jolted from friends to lovers. And then he left town, and she knew he couldn’t look back. What he didn’t know was the depth of Darcie’s feelings for him. Now it’s 17 years later, and Zeke’s a self-made billionaire founder of a tech security firm, Darcie’s a local cop and Jennifer’s a divorced mom of a tween girl. And their little town is flagging. At Darcie’s urging, Zeke returns to Drago to boost its economy. Will his new wealth attract the still-beautiful Jennifer? Or will Darcie, the one girl who always made him feel at ease, show him that true love knows no boundaries? * * * * * * * * What Are Friends For?, Book 1 of USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn's Seasons in a Small Town series, is a moving, passionate contemporary romance that will captivate fans of Bella Andre, Roxanne St. Clair and Jill Shalvis.

    Before she can come to terms with being unemployed (yet again), she finds herself up the duff, father unknown. Is it her charming, arrogant and married ex-boss? Or is it the man-child she met one drunken night at the Irish pub. If only she could remember his name… Sally is married to Vincent, a self-absorbed televangelist, obsessed with his TV show and beauty treatments. She spends her days working, ferrying her three children around and listening to her husband preach. How could her hopes and dreams have been so unimportant she waved them goodbye without a second thought? Kat has the perfect life all mapped out: the perfect job, the perfect husband, the perfectly renovated home and the soon-to-come perfect children. But when her suspicions that her husband is having an affair are proved to be correct, she suddenly finds herself single with a handbag full of broken dreams. Can they find their way back to the dreams of their youth – or is it time to accept life’s lemons and start making lemonade?

    She hates the gym, is nice to everybody, and shops at Ross Dress for Less. When she's not teaching preschool, she's wearing yoga pants... to nap in. So when she inherits her estranged grandfather's fitnesswear company in San Francisco, nobody expects her to keep it. Fite Fitness needs a heartless suit to save it from bankruptcy, not a thirty-year-old woman who cries when her students leave for kindergarten.Someone like Liam Johnson. A former Olympic swimmer, Liam is Fite's executive vice president. Unlike Bev, he's devoted his life to Fite's success. Managing one little preschool teacher — and his attraction to her — shouldn't be an issue. Right?But Bev's tired of being underpaid and underrated, and refuses to step aside as an obedient figurehead. To everyone's shock and horror, she moves up to San Francisco, sets up an office, and dives into the business. Nothing — not mockery, not exercise, not sabotage, not a disastrously hot night with her aggravating VP — is going to scare her away.As Liam realizes she's tougher than she looks, he discovers that losing Fite might not be nearly as bad as losing her...A story about the pursuit of love, happiness, and the perfect yoga pants, Love Handles will speak to anyone who's ever had to face the thing that scares her most.Warning: contains at least two loves scenes and a happy ending.

    Each step she takes toward finding happiness turns the dusty Mt. Hope community on its heels. Heart-warming characters will have you laughing until you cry.

     Join the women of Candle Beach as they navigate life, relationships and their dreams for the future. A surprise inheritance. An even more surprising chance for love. Dahlia Winters lives a free-spirited, carefree life…until she inherits a deteriorating small town bookstore and reluctantly moves to Candle Beach. The sooner she can get out from under the bookstore and its mounting debts, the better. Until then, she plans to rekindle old friendships and sketch the beautiful coastal scenery. What she doesn't factor into her plan is her enigmatic and handsome new neighbor... When Garrett Callahan first lays eyes on Dahlia, he’s instantly smitten, and that’s precisely why he must stay as far away from her as possible. No matter how hard he tries to resist, life and circumstance keep throwing them together. But when he learns of her financial troubles, he can’t help but want to lend her a hand, and eventually, his heart – if she’ll have it. How can her friends convince her to stay in Candle Beach and fight for the bookstore's survival? Will the flighty girl with big city sensibilities scare Garrett away or will she open his eyes to the possibility of happily-ever-after despite their differences? The Candle Beach Sweet Romance series novels are "clean and sweet" contemporary romances that can be read as standalone novels and have happily-ever-after endings with no cliffhangers. Book 1: Sweet Beginnings -- Dahlia's story Book 2: Sweet Success -- Gretchen's story Book 3: Sweet Promises -- Maggie's story Book 4: Coming soon

    Here the weather is hot and the cowboys and ranchers are even hotter! Something must be in the water, because a rash of weddings is about to hit the good folks of Rancher's Bend!Emma hasn’t had the easiest life. An abusive and alcoholic father taught Emma to guard her heart. She doesn’t do relationships. She doesn’t believe in commitment. And she doesn’t give her trust easily. One of the very few people to earn her trust and friendship is Lynn James.Now Emma’s best friend is getting married in two weeks. Emma returns to the James family ranch to assist with last minute wedding details. The first sign that things might not go as planned occurs when the bride meets Emma at the airport. The bride and groom are going to Mexico City as part of an earthquake search and rescue mission. That leaves Emma, and Lynn’s older brother to handle any wedding issues.Well-laid plans quickly deteriorate. Lynn and Bruce are incommunicado. Emma and Landon are forced to spend more and more time together as they try to salvage Lynn's wedding plans. Now thanks to fate and a series of small disasters, the wedding is becoming custom made for Emma and Landon.The chemistry between Emma and Landon is explosive, and they fight the rising attraction. Both have avoided serious relationships for very different reasons. That's about to change. The more time they spend together, the closer they become. Will they be able to overcome their insecurities and lack of trust? Do they love each other enough to become the accidental bride and groom?

    I’m 32 years old, accident-prone, a church secretary, and still single. Never-been-on-a-date kind of single. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never been in love. Until I find the second love of my life, I’ll always have my memories of summers past with Aaron, the guy of my dreams, chasing fireflies at twilight. Compared to him, the options at the Highpointe Baptist Church’s singles group just add insult to injury. But my stable pastor’s kid’s life takes an extraordinary turn when a misunderstanding lands me in jail, and that’s where I meet Jordin, a young prostitute. Her troubles make my life look like a dream, and I can’t help but feel that I need to help her in any way possible. Of course, that’s the perfect time for Aaron to reappear in my life, only to befriend Jordin. Just when I think it can’t possibly get worse, Jordin gets herself kidnapped by an underground prostitution ring, and it’s up to Aaron and me to get her back. This story isn’t for the faint-hearted. I have to face off with jilted women desperate for a second MRS degree, survive bad catfish, captain pontoon boats, and fight old people for their motor scooters. This is my story. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

    But she only has four days to decide, which means she will most likely have to cancel her weekend trip away. She dials her friends to let them know, and excitedly launches into a speech about the opportunity. But when she pauses, a sexy, inquisitive stranger is on the other end, and he’s eager to hear about her store, her passions and her life. She’s dialed the wrong number--- and the man on the other end, with his deep voice, his charming jokes and his excellent advice, is a surprise she never expected…Will this wrong number turn out to be right man for Carly?Featuring an excerpt from Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, Sweet Salt Air.

    Neither is love …Frankie’s not interested in romance. Her goal of becoming a champion barrel racer requires her full attention. So when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, she’s willing to chase it halfway across the globe. Now, with her dream so close she can almost taste it, staying focused is more important than ever. Nothing will stand in her way—especially not the annoyingly handsome Brazilian bull rider who seems so determined to rope her heart.Everything Luciano’s ever wanted is finally within reach. Fame, fortune, validation that he’s the best in the world…it will be his. But when he meets a feisty Aussie who sets his soul on fire, he's forced to realize there’s one more thing he’ll need in order to truly be happy—and that’s Frankie. Now all he has to do is convince the cowgirl of his dreams to give him a chance…When the road to happily ever after gets rough, will Frankie find the courage to trust in love and ride off into the sunset with Luciano? Or will they always be destined to go their separate ways?A Cowgirl’s Dream, book 1 in the Barrels and Hearts series, is a clean and wholesome contemporary romance featuring a commanding cowboy with a heart of gold, and a tough, smart, cowgirl heroine who isn’t afraid to go after exactly what she wants. HEAs are always guaranteed. Download your copy today and let the wild ride begin…

     "A skillfully told story of a woman's journey of healing from a life changing traumatic event—Virginia McCullough pulled me in on page one. I flew through this book and didn't want it to end." —Dr. Elizabeth G. Biggers, Psychotherapist, LPC Despite everything, Sarah Whitmore still believes in lucky breaks… A single act of violence left Sarah pregnant, with her cherished plans for the future in ruins. But she grabs her chance to leave her Wisconsin town behind and create a new life on the South Carolina coast, with help from an aunt and uncle she barely knows. As a single mother, Sarah’s new life includes Amber, who Sarah vows will never learn the truth about her violent father. Over the next years Sarah tries to heal the psychological trauma she endured, but it’s not easy. Sarah includes her job at an island resort another lucky break, along with her unlikely friendship with Woody, who helps her break out of her shell and develop her talent as a portrait artist. But even Woody can’t help Sarah believe a relationship with a man is possible for her—ever. Then Sarah meets Barly Rhoads, a dad who fought for the right to be with his child. Barly believes in justice and righting wrongs when he sees them, including fixing his own mistakes. The past refuses to stay buried when Amber’s father threatens the safe, perfect life Sarah has created for herself and her daughter. Barly proves he will go to any length to protect Sarah and Amber, and in the process exposes some deep wounds of his own. Now Sarah must decide if she’s ready for one more lucky break. Scroll up to buy Amber Light now to experience this romance saga of a single mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter. It is the story of one woman's hard journey after she is victimized in a sexual encounter. Willing to try to make the perfect life for her daughter on the South Carolina shores, as a young teen parent new to motherhood, she tries to get over her psychological trauma and become a stronger woman for her daughter. Side-by-side, they learn together, as she tries to heal through her hurts and learn to love again. Virginia McCullough is the author of three previous women’s fiction novels: Island Healing, Greta’s Grace, and The Chapels on the Hill. Virginia McCullough began her writing career when she moved to the coast of Maine, soon breaking in to magazines with articles about sailing/cruising, family living, and children’s literature. Virginia has written over 100 books for her clients, including 12 titles for Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., a neurologist-psychiatrist and developer of Sensa, the popular weight loss program. Her coauthored books include The Oxygen Revolution, written with Paul Harch, M.D., a pioneer in the field of hyperbaric medicine. In 2011, she and a friend, Lynda McDaniel, co-founded The Book Catalysts, a book writing coaching service that also offers tools for writers, including the e-book, Write Your Book Now! What others are saying about Virginia McCullough's novel, The Chapels on the Hill: “A lyrical story of the healing power of love—it will capture your heart.” —Stacey Joy Netzel, NY Times bestselling author of the Romancing Wisconsin series What others are saying about Virginia McCullough's novel, Island Healing: "Captivating, vivid, heartwarming...

    But when a friend's party means facing her ex and the woman he left her for, Teagan skips town and heads to the scorching heat of Arizona.She never expects to meet Aaron, an Army Major who's smoking hot... and also coming off a divorce. He's so not her type, but he gives her two days and one sizzling night to remember.When Teagan returns to Colorado and her man-free existence, Aaron keeps finding excuses to see her and inch his way into her heart. But when Aaron's past finds them, it threatens to shatter their connection... and break Teagan's heart for good.If you love steamy romance with heart-stopping twists and an HEA, you'll love Afterglow.Afterglow is a standalone novel in the Four Corners series.

    Once wild and impulsive, she shut her heart off to love and adventure after her parents died. When she meets Luke Winters, their immediate attraction is overwhelming.Burned once before, Luke has committed himself to nothing but casual dalliances with women. Rugged and smoldering, he finds no shortage of women happy to oblige. When Hannah comes along, he questions what he might be missing. Both fight the depth of their feelings—love is not part of the plan.Hannah’s sense of identity is shaken when she unearths a surprising truth about her family. Meanwhile, Luke’s interfering family and complications from his past challenge Hannah and Luke to face their true feelings for each other. Can two people who don’t believe love is worth the risk find the courage to face their fears and open their hearts?

    until it's too late. Pregnant heiress Carmen Winters goes into shock when she comes home to find her husband hanging from a chandelier. Her immediate thoughts concern whether she should snap a photo for social media.As she gathers her wits, she begins to question the events surrounding her husband's death. Carmen's quest to understand the suicide is complicated by her difficult pregnancy and aggressive advances from her late husband's best friend. When Carmen discovers information about her husband that makes her realize her entire life was a lie, she finds herself drowning and needing desperately to lean on someone for support. Feeling vulnerable and lost, she gets entangled in a dangerous relationship and is unprepared for the consequences...One man may hold the key to her salvation, while another seems bent on her destruction.