Celebrate the season of love with EIGHT BRAND-NEW, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED STEAMY STORIES From Nine New York Times & USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors Ranging from fun and flirty to semi-sweet and suspenseful, this amorous collection of stories will not just hold you captive through Valentine’s Day; it’s romance you’ll find IRRESISTIBLE all year long. Two Hearts’ Reconnaissance: Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: Drawn to each other from the moment they met, Eve Loughlin and Harry Giordano are teenage survivors who’ve overcome the odds. When their careers split them apart, can they find their way back to their hearts? Cupid’s Quest: Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: Can Cupid’s arrow burst through the commitment wall that Ruby has built around her heart to let Josh sneak in? A Little Change of Plans: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Jake saw rookie firefighter Geri and it was love at first sight. All Night Long: Cynthia Cooke, USA Today bestselling author: A fake engagement, A Valentine’s Party, and a St. Bernard rescue on a snowy mountain, and suddenly dreams are coming true. Never Lovers: Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: Can a love that is torn in pieces ever be repaired? The Player: Jacquie Biggar, USA Today bestselling author: Sometimes, love happens when we least expect it… Unexpected Packages: Stacy Eaton, USA Today bestselling author: A birthday gift delivered to her home gives her more than she bargained for. First Class Flirtation: Susan Jean Ricci, USA Today bestselling author: A dispute between two strangers during a cross-country flight leads to a passionate infatuation - and the ultimate rescue. Serendipity Falls: Patrice Wilton, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Something mysterious is happening in this small mountain town. A wedding a month--Is there a love bug in their spring water, or is Cupid playing tricks?

    It springs spontaneously from the lofty hearts and makes its own way to unite with its generous reciprocators. At times, it becomes dry and seeks the abundance of a big-hearted lover. In other scenarios, the river gets frozen and looks for the warmth of a passionate soul. And in some cases, it may just be ready and waiting to leap forth from its humble abode. All it takes is just a little stroke of fate for that river to unleash itself and flow in its full glory.'Unleash That River' is an anthology of six short stories of love and contemporary romance.1) Keys: When Dhyey returns home to meet his mother after several months, he discovers that she has started sharing the house with a beautiful tenant, Nishita who not only holds the key to his house, but to his locked heart as well.2) Dot Every 'i' And Cross Every 't':Varun and Puja met for the first time through an arranged marriage proposal. However, in order to make sure that they are the ones who can really complement each other for the rest of their lives, they must take a step out of their comfort zones, and do something unprecedented and outright crazy.3) Why Not:Neel and Rashi both have miserably failed at their first romantic endeavor. Will they keep cursing their rotten luck and ask why? Or will they reclaim the charge of their lives to embrace the second chance and say why not?4) Immeasurable Nouns:Aditi and Kartik are the academic stars of their class and each other’s arch rivals. Aditi hates boys. But Kartik secretly loves her. To win her heart, he must wait for the right moment and make every move cautiously. One day, during an English class, that moment presents itself in its full bloom.5) Madly In Marriage:Swayam and Soniya have not left any stone unturned to avoid marrying each other. But their families see this union as a match made in heaven and are hellbent to see it through. 6) Hearts And Ice-creams:Tushar is obsessed with finding his childhood crush who disappeared out of his life without a clue. Fifteen years later, will he be able to move on or destiny has yet to play its last trick?

    You'll get HOPEFUL COWBOY, OVERPROTECTIVE COWBOY, and RUGGED COWBOY, all of which feature a cowboy looking for a second chance at life, love, and happiness. These redemptive romances will have you swooning, sighing, and remembering that everyone deserves a second chance to make things right.Hopeful Cowboy: He's struggling to step into his new role as a single dad. She's trying to keep her ranch operational and her heart intact. Can Nate and Ginger build forever out of heartache?Overprotective Cowboy: Can Ted and Emma face their pasts so they can truly be ready to step into the future together? Or will everything between them fall apart once the truth comes out?Rugged Cowboy: He's a cowboy mechanic with two kids and an ex-wife on the run. She connects better to horses than humans. Can Dallas and Jess find their way to each other at Hope Eternal Ranch?Almost 600 reviews on the individual books!From Hopeful Cowboy, Book 1:★★★★★ "Once again, Elana Johnson delivers a spellbinding story full of hope." ~BradTL3, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Fantastic book: Elana Johnson starts this series with a very heartwarming story about a participant in a residential reentry program. The plot has enough intrigue and twists to hold your interest and makes one wonder how the characters would work things out in the end. The growth shown in the main characters with trust issues was definitely worth reading." ~Sandy, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Simply a great read! I loved this book! I felt as though I was right there on the ranch with them." ~Lynne, Amazon reviewer

     Chile peppers, hot air balloons and white sand dunes mix with a small town mayor, a fake fiance, and a second chance at love. Borrowing Amor: Love is a nuisance when all you want is to disappear. Two weeks before Christmas, Katie is kicked out of her apartment. Again. Rather than wander the streets and continue to work for a dirty cop, she decides to leave the city and disappear for good. But her car breaks down in a small New Mexican town, and everything is threatened when she falls for the charming mayor. Sam Freedman is the first bachelor mayor of Amor. After convincing the locals that having a mayor without family responsibilities means he can dedicate all his time to the community, townspeople watch his every move. Then Katie Andersen shows up. Against Sam’s better judgement, he hires her to replace his event coordinator. Now he can barely think straight, let alone run a town. In the midst of half-truths and outright lies, Katie and Sam desperately search for the place where honesty and trust lead to love. But they have to find it before the past catches up with them. Borrowing Love: It’s better to have loved and lost, they said. They were wrong. Ruby Freedman hasn’t left the small town of Amor in four years--not since her husband died. The memory of his fateful accident was enough to cause her to sell her airplane, and never ride in a car again. Then Parker Loveland comes back to town. Now she has to add him to her list of things she intends to avoid.After years away, Parker Loveland is back in Amor to celebrate his parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary. He has worked hard to escape the clutches of his hometown, but when he runs into Ruby, the only girl he cared about in high school, and the only one that ever stood him up on a date, he’s torn between the embarrassment he felt more than a decade before, and his desire to be around her.Caught between memories of the past and fear of the future, it will take leaving Amor to help Ruby and Parker find the second chance they didn’t know they were looking for. Borrowing a Fiance:  She wanted freedom. She got a fiance instead. Melinda Garrett has been stuck managing her parent’s diner for over a decade, when all she had wanted was to go to college. When her younger sister gets married, Melinda reluctantly agrees to attend with her friend, Daniel, as her date. But when the pressure is on, she claims he is her fiance, in hopes that her parents’ opinion of selling the diner will change.Daniel Armstrong isn’t the kind of guy a girl takes home to meet her parents, but when he offers to attend a wedding as Melinda’s date, he finds himself labeled as her future spouse. Now, challenges lie around every corner, testing Melinda’s claim that she and Daniel are in love.

    Doesn't matter he's a successful architect and that in his spare time he builds homes for the homeless. His tattoos disrespect his family name, his business partner is too blue collar, too surfer, and Bryan's brother—who the family never talks about—died from a drug overdose.Bryan's passion for art is rekindled when Hailey Ryan comes into town to open a gallery. Without funds to pay for the construction of the gallery, Bryan offers to work in exchange for some of her artwork.He's caught off guard by the strong attraction he has to her. It's the perfect distraction from the issues in his life he wants to avoid. Except secrets have a way of revealing themselves.As they begin a passionate love affair, a secret Hailey is keeping threatens to ruin their relationship and possibly their lives.Every Day - Bryan McBride is lost in darkness. He can't believe his girlfriend Hailey lied and manipulated him. His family is barely together, the death of his brother nearly destroying them. What hurts, Hailey knew about John and never told him. Now trying to find solace in the bottle, Bryan questions everything he ever felt for the woman.The world doesn't stop for the pain of one man. He still has a business to run, and his business partner is interested in changing careers. He still has to deal with his parents, who refuse to acknowledge how his brother died.Bryan wants to forget about Hailey but every time he thinks about her, his heart and his body cry out for her touch. She has awakened a passion he thought was dead.As he struggles to move on, the past threatens to swallow them both. Bryan and Hailey will have to battle against the raging anger threatening to destroy them.Every Time - Bryan McBride thinks he has it all. His brother's reputation has been cleared, and he's rekindled his passionate relationship with painter Hailey. His only real struggle is deciding the best way to continuing honoring his brother's sacrifice by helping the homeless.A deadly brain tumor threatens Hailey's life, but she's afraid the truth will destroy Bryan. Despite her pain, she doesn't want to bring him months of emotional turmoil by having him worry about her. She thinks it'll be best if he doesn't know until the last moment. But it's hard to conceal from your own lover that you're dying.Now caught in a race against her own traitorous body, Hailey struggles to create a positive legacy for her beloved, even if it means she has to hurt and push him away.Fans of Nicholas Sparks will love this sweet-with-heat love story EVERY TIME.

    See author's note, below Pulling Home (That Second Chance #1) It's taken nine years and a cross-country move, but Audra Valentine Wheyton has kept her secrets safe. She's created the perfect life: a husband who loves her, a daughter she adores, and a position as head writer for an award-winning daytime soap. When her husband dies suddenly, Audra returns to her hometown for the funeral and faces a community that has not forgotten her meager beginnings and the man who has never forgiven her for marrying his brother. Jack Wheyton is a successful pediatric neurosurgeon who is about to become engaged when Audra walks back into his life with her daughter. He forgave his brother long ago for taking something that had been his, something he hadn't even realized he wanted until it was gone. But forgiving Audra is another story...and forgetting her? Near impossible. When a shattering illness strikes Audra's daughter, she turns to Jack to save her child and risks exposing a secret that will change their lives forever. A Family Affair: The Promise (Truth in Lies #7) Grant Richot sprinted through life, a boy wonder with talent, intelligence, confidence, and charm. He never doubted the world awaited him, just as he never doubted the right woman would come into his life—but only when he was ready for her. Anyone before that was simply preparation for the one. How wrong he was. Years and a tragedy later, Grant arrives in Maggie Finnegan’s hometown of Magdalena, New York—broken, uncertain, and searching for that second chance with the woman he cast aside. But Maggie’s no longer naïve and impressionable; she’s a confident, competent widow with a child, who has more at risk than another broken heart… Note from Mary: I love secondary characters: writing them, reading about them, even watching them on the big screen. Secondary characters support the “stars”; make them more vibrant and compelling. But when the story ends, I’m often left wondering what they’d do if they were in the “spotlight”. That’s why I’ve created special boxed sets that were part of That Second Chance series and the Truth in Lies series. These boxed sets let the reader follow the before and after of select characters as they first appear in That Second Chance series and later in the fictional town of my bestselling Truth in Lies series. Boxed Set One contains Pulling Home and A Family Affair: The Promise. I invite you to follow their journey!

    Then his elder brother, Edward, marries the beautiful Helen Harrison, and the minute Gil lays eyes on her he falls deeply, passionately in love. Only Abby recognizes the fire in him and it shatters the bond between them. Abby turns to a man she thinks will make her happy enough, and joins a glittering but shallow social scene, but she cannot forget Gil Collingwood and the snow angels they made so long ago.

    Well, according to her twin brother Cole, that is. Cole's resentment toward him has been there for as long as she can remember.So it goes without saying that she needs to stay away from Jake if she wants to keep the peace. That should be easy, right?Except there's one problem: Jake is assigned as her partner for a school paper. And as if that's not enough, she also needs his help to get back in her best friend's good graces.Callie knows that getting close to him is not a good idea. Too bad she's starting to like him...

    But when I take a drive into town to pay my electric bill, I lay eyes on my soulmate. I used to laugh at the idea of love at first sight, but now I know it exists. Because I fall for Hannah the second I see her. She's everything I've ever wanted. Curvy, cute, and with a sweet personality. And those long, thick legs - God, I can't stop thinking about them. But I'm a broken man with a checkered past, and she's a goody-two-shoes type girl who wouldn't go for guys like me. But I can't stand not having her, and I know she's the one for me. I'm going to do everything I can to win this girl over. I'm going to make Hannah Thompson my curvy forever. I'm going to make her my bride. Hannah: I just moved here three weeks ago, and I haven't met anyone. I'm so tired of my new boss flirting with me, but I feel like I'll have to get used to it. I've all but given up on finding a good, decent man. But that was before I laid eyes on Darryl Anson - the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. He's a combat veteran who seems like the perfect guy - handsome, muscular, and a total gentleman. But I'm a curvy girl who could stand to lose a few pounds, and I feel like he could get so much better than me. A guy like him wouldn't be into me, would he? I can't stop thinking about him, and I can't focus on my work. All I can do is daydream about Darryl, and wish that I had him in my arms... The only thing that can calm me down is knowing that I have him, so I'm going to do everything I can to get this handsome alpha and call him my own... I want this good looking soldier to be my forever mate... I want to be his curvy bride. Soldier's Curvy Bride is an instant-love, happy-ever-after steamy alpha BBW romance story, featuring an older alpha male with a younger BBW. This is a standalone story.

    Yet when the darling woman known as Mama Soto to half of Cliffside Bay meets the handsome Dominic Perry, she's suddenly ready for her dry spell to end. Even if the rich and powerful Dominic could never be serious about a nobody like her, Rosa is more than happy to have his company, and his kiss, for one New Year's Eve. But when the pair is still kissing in stolen moments almost a year later, Rosa has fallen for the big man with the chocolate eyes despite knowing he will eventually grow tired of her. Can she brace herself for the disappointment, or will a Christmas surprise save her from a broken heart?

     Whatever I want, I buy. I need a sexy escort for the evening - the best money can buy. When the annoying girl I –met on the plane is on the list, I can’t refrain from hiring her. She was stunningly beautiful, though she seemed a little stupid, and since I didn’t like her, the evening should be “clean”, just the way I wanted. No strings attached. No sex. No commitments. But I was wrong, and I hate being wrong. JACIE: I’m a “clean escort”, the summer job I took hoping to make some extra cash. A clean escort means no ties…or sex. Just dates with lonely men who take me to fancy places. All is going well until the jerk from the plane hires me for the evening. I’m furious and want to refuse, but I have bills to pay. A few hours won’t hurt. Plus, he’s incredibly sexy. I expect to have a horrible night, but I go home with him and give him my virginity. So much for being a “clean” escort. NO STRINGS ATTACHED is a full-length Sexy Romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger! This copy contains another full-length romance story.

    Nina likes her life exactly as it is. Happy(ish) in her job, and with no love interests on the horizon she knows she can’t get hurt if she doesn’t rock the boat. But Nina’s octogenarian grandmother, Flossie, has plans to drag Nina kicking and screaming from her comfort zone.Arriving on the turquoise coast Nina’s plans for a quiet holiday are blown out of the water by the sheer amounts of vodka, adult games of "pin the tail on the donkey" and tabletop dancing - and that's just her gran! Join Nina and Flossie for Summer on the Turquoise Coast as they learn to let go, enjoy the time they have and maybe even find love in the process.

    

     When Emily Dorne is kidnapped off the street, she has no idea what kind of dangers await her—or what long forgotten feelings will be stirred up by the man who buys her. Her crush from high school is no longer a starry-eyed boy; he’s a powerful and sexy sheikh, and he’s ready to make Emily his. The last person Sheikh Adnan al Mahsi expected to see during his sting operation was an old flame. Now that he has her in his sights again, he wants to explore the sizzling heat between them. But will Emily let him, or will she run? Note: Story contains steamy scenes of passion and romance between an alpha Sheikh and a passionate young woman.

    She’s pulling an all-night drive to reach her next rodeo. It’s past midnight on a lonely mountain road, and if she doesn’t catch a few winks, there’s a better than average chance she’ll run her rig into the river. Her barrel racing dreams are interrupted when a stranger knocks on her truck's window. He’s a cowboy by the looks of his black Stetson and tight Wranglers. But what’s the man doing out here? His deep blue eyes and sexy smile have her reaching for the door handle when her brain finally takes control. Her mama taught her manners, and her daddy taught her to be tough. But, her brother and her ex pounded home the fact that not everyone is trustworthy. His offer of aid is tempting. She knows being safe is better than sorry, but he’d helped her earlier at the rodeo. Sometimes a cowgirl has to go with her gut.