He had left once before, and nothing would stop him from leaving again. Coming back to West Grove was the last thing Ian wanted to do. If it hadn't been for the rental property, the small town would've never seen him again. Two weeks and he'd be gone. Until he sees Jenna Avery and realizes there's more than a house needing repaired. The only problem - Two weeks may not be enough time to save her.

    Yet it seems like only yesterday when I had my first book, Let's Meet on Platform 8, published. I'm so lucky to have an enthusiastic and devoted following of readers - some who've stayed with me from the very beginning and some who are recent converts. Without you reading and enjoying my books, I would never have had the fabulous career I've been blessed with. We make a great team!I thought it would be nice for you all to join the celebration with me and to offer a small token of my thanks and appreciation for all your support over the years. I love writing short stories and that's what helped to get me started on this road so I've put together a collection of a few of my favourites that have interspersed the last twenty-five books. Each one is very special to me for a different reason and has lovely memories. I hope you enjoy them too. Find half an hour to curl up on the sofa with them and raise a glass to toast twenty-five books and us!*Includes an exclusive extract from The Cake Shop in the Garden*

    and visions of the past.

    After learning that Tracy has died in a terrible car accident, he is devastated. But after arriving at the restaurant to console his mother, he discovers that Tracy isn’t dead after all – in fact, she is working her shift, and no one else seems to think anything of it. While trying to make sense of the situation, Andrew begins to experience an overwhelming sense of dread: something isn’t right. He needs to decide whether to tell Tracy and risk sounding like a lunatic, or ignore what all his senses are telling him and enjoy what appears to be a second chance.

    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 has endured heartbreaking tragedy in her childhood and hopes the future would be more kind to her. But, due to a strange turn of events, she ends up in a marriage of convenience with Arjun, an attractive and adventurous entrepreneur. They both agree to be married for just a year. Their carefully laid plans shatter during the one year of marriage. Arjun discovers Neha is not as conventional and plain as he believed. There lurks a strong-minded, intelligent girl beneath the plain exterior which captures his attention. Neha, on the other hand, catches a glimpse of an amazing person in Arjun who just takes her breath away. Do they get the divorce that they had both desperately wanted? Or does life have something else in store for them? This is a lighthearted, happy, romantic book which will make you fall in love all over again.

    Tall, athletic, drop dead gorgeous. The perfect combination to make a girl swoon. His family however, are a real piece of work. Ungrateful, rude, manipulative - he doesn't have the heart to tell them ‘no’. Why does he have to be such a sweetheart? A disastrous tackle towards the end of the Superbowl final has left him in agonizing pain… And zero feeling in one of his legs! Lucky for him I’m the best physical therapist in the business… And luckily for me I get to spend the next few weeks manhandling him through all his exercises. How on earth will I manage? Problem is I’m not allowed to date patients. How do I stop myself from falling for this smoking hot Superbowl champion? More importantly, how do I help him recover from this life changing injury? Rough Tackle is a football romance with a very HEA. For a limited time, this story comes with two bonus stories at the end: Family First & The Singer.

    One of her debts is with the owner of a landscaping company. Could she pay him back in services? He seems nice enough...Excerpt:As soon as Jeff walked into his office, he knew something was amiss because it was Monday morning and Todd and Alan were all smiles. When he stepped in, Mitch seemed to come out of nowhere, slapping him on the back and telling him what a glorious Monday morning it was.In his seven years working with Todd and Alan, Jeff had never seen them smile; he didn’t even know they could smile. And as for Mitch ... he must have smelled too many of those weeds they were taking out of their clients’ yards.Completely dumbfounded, he turned the corner into his office and immediately realized it wasn't weeds or weed. The reason behind the smiles on and the cheery disposition of these clowns on this glorious Monday morning took another shape altogether.Stumbling into his office after being caught off guard and slapped on the back, he was immediately greeted by the most gorgeous, ass-thetically pleasing tush in tight jeans he had seen in a long, long time.He wondered what the face looked like and quickly decided it didn't really matter as he focused on her assets while she was bent down shuffling through some papers and totally unaware of the eight eyes boring through her. Four pair of eyes who should have been working on something, but couldn't disengage.The fact that she was rummaging through his papers didn’t immediately register.The woman turned around without looking up and carried a stack of papers to a file cabinet that had come with the building and had never been used. As far as he could recall, the cabinet had never been opened, and so far, had been used as a shelf for a silk plant his mother gave him as a gift when he started the business.To his dismay, the plant was now in the trash bin next to the file cabinet. That hurt.The woman was oblivious to the attention she was getting and after depositing the stack of papers in a neat pile in the top drawer of the file cabinet, she turned around to see a gaping Jeff standing before her.The first thing Jeff thought before hinging his jaw back into place was that the woman's front-side was just as pretty as her backside. She looked to be in her early thirties, and not only wore the jeans very well, but the white t-shirt she had on was filled out in all the right places and looked like an advertisement for trouble.She was petite, but disproportionately bigger where it really mattered. Her hair was tied with one of those elastic fabric bands his nieces always wore, and her eyes were as green as the silk plant had once been.Jeff gave himself a few seconds before giving in to reason. Regretfully, he decided it was time to put an end to his enjoyment - nice tush or not. After all, this was his office, he was the boss, and he had no idea what the hell was going on.“What did you do to my plant?!” was somehow the first thing that came out of his mouth. As if realizing how stupid his remark was, Jeff rather forcefully shoved his amused employees out of the way and out of his office.She looked down at the trash bin he was pointing to, and she suddenly seemed very confused when she looked up to see his expectant and slightly flushed face.“It’s dead. I don't think it can be saved, so I threw it out." Bending down to get it, she added, "I can put it back up he ..."Now that really hurt. Not to mention the fact that her bending down again completely disarmed him.“How can silk be dead?” he snapped.“That was silk?" she replied smiling. "Wow, I never met anyone who could kill silk before.”Jeff tried to ignore the chuckles coming from the room next door, but just as he was about to snap at them, the intruder...

    Modern day matchmaking is tough – people are busy, their hearts are harder to hit and he’s had enough of wall-to-wall romance. And St Valentine has noticed…Annelise is a Lost Cause. She runs a dating agency but her heart is colder than a penguin’s feet. She thinks love is about compatibility and has no time for passion.Can Cupid prove to St Valentine that he hasn’t lost his touch by melting Annelise’s heart? Or is it curtains for Cupid?A romantic comedy novella - 23,000 words long'Gorgeously romantic, unputdownable and utterly delicious!' Miranda Dickinson, Sunday Times Bestseller (Fairytale of New York, It Started With A Kiss, When I Fall In Love)'A completely charming, fantastically funny, romantic romp, perfect reading for a sunny afternoon.' Scarlett Bailey (Married by Christmas, The Night Before Christmas, Santa Maybe)

    He’s all she has left of her sister, Debbie, who was killed in a car accident six months ago. She’s prepared to fight for joint custody even as she battles feelings she knows she shouldn’t have for the man who is Kyle’s father – and her sister’s husband.Ben Martin is outraged that Shelby wants joint custody of his baby. Yet after his initial anger and feelings of betrayal, Ben suggests a marriage of convenience so that together he and Shelby can provide the love and security he and Debbie wanted their baby to have. What first seems like a workable solution quickly turns into a nightmare of grief and guilt when Ben and Shelby find themselves fighting a fierce attraction – an attraction that seems the worst possible betrayal of Debbie. But Debbie has her own opinion and reaches out from the other side to Shelby and Ben, bringing them the love and healing they need to move forward with their lives.

    On top of that, fans glory in her sweet yet sensual stories that are praised for their "cleaner than usual" language--and old-fashioned values galore.     ...So if you've loved the past writings of 'The 3Ms'--Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Ava Miles--but find that you're clamoring for something fresh, fun and exciting, turn to the books penned by award-winning author Barbara Catlin. Fall in love with the captivating heroes and heroines, with all the endearing characters, of tiny Bitterpill, Texas 78020! THE COWGIRL TAKES HER MAN:  Could she live with Cam . . . but without his love?Struggling to operate her ranch, Terra Lee Bradford realizes the full extent of the Glory B's dire financial straits. Cameron Stoner's neighboring ranch, on the other hand, is thriving. Yet he's overwhelmed with problems trying to tame his three motherless children--not to mention his libido.. . . Concocted as an instant solution to everyone's woes, their marriage of convenience soon turns into a lusty battle of wills. He'll be damned if he'll give her his heart, and she refuses to settle for less!

     Sometimes the best Christmas presents are the ones you aren't expecting ... When Kat James exchanges the city for a solitary Yuletide in a Cornish fishing village she's fully expecting a quiet time. What she isn't prepared for is a little meddling from her well-meaning best friend and a visit from the Ghost of Boyfriends Past. Romance, festive or otherwise, isn't on Kat's Christmas list. The last thing she is looking for is love. Is coming to Cornwall for Christmas a big mistake for Kat? Has her broken heart set harder than the granite cliffs? Or will Polwenna Bay and its inhabitants work a little festive magic after all? CORNWALL FOR CHRISTMAS is a festive return to Polwenna Bay, the warm -hearted Cornish set series by the bestselling author of ESCAPE FOR THE SUMMER and KATY CARTER WANTS A HERO. It continues on from where TREASURE OF THE HEART but also stands alone as a Christmas novella. * * * * * Praise for Ruth Saberton: "Fresh, fast paced and funny" Company Magazine "A real treat of a read" Fiona Walker "Clever and fresh" Richard Madeley "A roller coaster of a read - I was gripped by emotion" Krafti Reader And reader reviewers say: "I feel like I've been to Polwenna Bay and fallen in love with it." "You can even smell the fudge cooking and hear the gulls crying." "This book transports you to a beautiful place."

    But as a penniless and partnerless house-painter with an expired lease on her flat and a twelve-year-old daughter, she could hardly turn down her parents' offer to take them on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Caribbean. She'd just have to put up with her sister Theresa (making no secret of preferring Tuscany as a holiday destination) and brother Simon (worrying that there might be some sinister agenda behind their parents' wish to take them all away) with their various spouses, teenagers, young children and au pair. In a luxury hotel, with bright sunshine, swimming, diving, glorious food and friendly locals, any family tensions should have melted away in the fabulous heat. The children should have been angelic, the teenagers cheerful, the adults relaxed and happy. But...some problems just refuse to be left at home.

    I'm filthy rich, filthy mouthed, filthy in the bedroom and in the boardroom. I've never met a woman I couldn't charm. Into my penthouse and out of her panties. Socialites like a guy with...ahem...assets. Even better if he's smart and loyal. And I get everything I want whenever I want it.Until I meet her.Sexy, smart, Chastity. Unexpected. With a voice ripping through my phone line seductive enough to make my d*ck twitch in my Armani. She's pure, untouched and totally off limits...ChastityCharming NYC playboy, Chase Bradenton, is yanking my chain. He's trying to chase away the ghosts of his past with aged scotch and sleazy hook-ups. He's bored and he's acting out. I'd love to know why but he holds his emotions locked inside his chiseled body. I want nothing more than to throw him down and devour him.But I have to resist. I will resist. Because I'm a senior in college and I'm laser focused on graduating at the top of my class so I can fulfill my dream of becoming a social worker to help underprivileged kids just like me. I'd been doing so well juggling college and my unique part-time gig in the Banks Realty high rise.Until I meet him.He's so hot he could make Satan sigh. Charming. Intelligent. Out of my league and totally of limits...

    Many residents call the island home year-round, but day visitors and tourists bring plenty of excitement with them. Like other resort islands, there are quaint shops, cool restaurants, and friendly bars. There are several resorts on the island, but the queen of them all is the elegant Grand Hotel on a bluff with an ocean view. Owned by the extensive, multi-generational Phillips family, the Grand Hotel offers elegant service, five course dinners, and plenty of romance. White Pine Island Novella #1: Ned & Bethany Sometimes the heart hits a hole in one… Bethany Hinkle arrives at White Pine Island’s Grand Hotel for her sister’s wedding and to do a little environmental snooping. She snaps pictures of the hotel’s pristine golf course to ensure its compliance with EPA standards. Soon, she realizes that the course’s manager is as attractive as the course he so carefully protects. Ned Phillips feels the weight of family expectations squarely on his broad shoulders. The Phillips Family has owned and operated the Grand Hotel for three generations. For now, he manages the hotel’s golf course and makes plans for its future—plans that could be destroyed by Bethany’s spying. He gets close to the lovely environmentalist to watch for her next move until he gets too close to let her go. ***** White Pine Island Novella #2: Ellen & Pete What happens when you fall in love with your best friend just when it’s too late? All her life, Ellen Phillips has loved working for her family’s Grand Hotel on White Pine Island. Flying the hotel’s airplane and piloting the island ferryboat while knowing someday she will inherit the luxurious resort is a fairy tale existence she has no desire to change. She’s always loved Pete McCormack, too. After all, he’s her best friend, confidante, and playmate. Until she suddenly sees him in a different light just before Christmas. Pete McCormack has made sacrifices for his family’s golf cart rental business on the island, choosing to stay home and run it instead of pursuing his dream of his own career on the mainland. When his parents announce their plans to sell the business so Pete can leave the island, he has to choose between the future he thought he always wanted and his newfound love for the woman he would be leaving behind.