The boards creaked under Adele Darling’s feet as if they hadn’t been stepped on since women wore hoop skirts. Cobwebs on the porch slung themselves from top beams to bottom ones, and an old wagon wheel leaned against a hitching post in front. It was as if the sidewalk had been poured right around the post, and her Toyota hybrid looked completely wrong parked next to it. It should have been a horse.The building is a ruin, the business is broke and customers are scarce. Add into the mix Nate Houston - the handsome, guitar-playing bartender who had always believed he would be the next owner - and Adele has one potent cocktail on her hands. Blaze: (The Firefighters of Darling Bay #1) Grace is doing just fine—she doesn't need help, especially from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy. Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows what compounds to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing? Is Darling Bay ready for the chemical reaction Grace and Tox generate whenever they're in the same place at the same time? And who will be standing by to put out the flames? On the Market (The Ballard Brothers of Darling Bay #1): Liam Ballard is good at buying houses, fixing them up with his brothers, and flipping them for a profit. When Felicia from the network shows up to offer them a reality show (the brothers renovate a house while one of them dates the buyer), the pay is too good to turn down. With it, they'll finally be able to open the after-school program for at-risk youth to honor the man who raised them. But when the very LA-like Felicia decides she'll be the buyer of the property (and his date), Liam wonders for the first time what set of keys he'll want to pass over to her, and will one of them unlock his heart?

    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.

    PLAYING WITH FIRE: He may be the firefighter, but she’s the one playing with fire. Derek Severson walked away from his career as a Dallas firefighter after tragedy shook him to his soul. Running his uncle’s beachside bar on a south Texas island gives him the chance to heal, find peace, and avoid entanglements. That is, until Macey, his childhood friend, tracks him down. After spending two years abroad in a developing country, Macey Locke has come home ready to dive in to her Peace Corps-inspired foundation. But when she learns Derek is suffering, she can’t turn her back. Six weeks on a tropical island to help the guy she’s loved for years? No-brainer. Derek can’t help but notice she’s not the same girl he used to know. She’s more. More self-assured, more determined, more irresistible. But is she enough for him to let go of his newfound fragile peace and give in to the passion sparking between them? HEAT OF THE NIGHT A future with him would mean facing her biggest fear. Evan Drake may have had a challenging childhood, but he’s overcome it to build a life he loves—a career as a firefighter, with lots of friends and female attention, all on a tropical island. He couldn’t ask for anything more…until Selena waltzes into his world.Selena Jarboe was born into old money, lacking for nothing, except the one thing she aches for most—a stable, secure family. After playing by society’s “rules” her whole life, she throws them aside, walks away from her East Coast mansion, and pursues a life—and a sexy stranger—on San Amaro Island. She can’t regret the no-strings night with Evan…until she learns it has a major consequence.With an uncertain future, Selena is sure of only one thing—that Evan is the last man who could offer her any kind of security. Evan has a lot of experience fighting for what he wants, but will it be enough to win over Selena forever? FULLY INVOLVED This bad-girl drifter could be bad news for his custody case. Firefighter Clay Marlow might have a colorful past, but priorities became black and white fast when he learned he has a daughter. As the custody battle heats up, Clay’s focus is providing the stability his little girl has never known. His alluring temporary renter, Andie, could only jeopardize his case.Carrying everything she owns on her Harley, Andie Tyler is only on San Amaro Island to manage her friends’ bar for four weeks. A self-proclaimed drifter with more emotional baggage than a jumbo jet, Andie isn't interested in a forever relationship, even when she finds herself increasingly attached to an adorable girl and her sexier-than-hell father. She has secrets and a dark past, and Clay and his daughter deserve better.The more she pushes him away, the more intrigued he becomes. Andie’s tenderness and strength draw Clay in, and he realizes she’s the vibrant color and life he and his daughter need. Can he convince Andie to become a permanent part of their family before she rides off again?

    Here you’ll meet wounded warriors as they’re given a second chance at happiness and love at a special physical rehab facility, including heroes from Dale’s other books as they continue on their journeys. Magic happens here! Welcome to Hathaway House. Rehab Center. Safe Haven. Second chance at life and love.This bundle contains the following three books:AaronBrockCole

    . . where bad is, oh, so good. Six men return to the boys' ranch they spent one summer at as troubled teens. They're all searching for different things: peace, family, forgiveness, redemption, hope, and faith. It will take the love of strong Texas women to heal these wounded hearts and make these bad, bad boys realize they're good, good men. He’s a wild Texas whirlwind, trying to outrun his painful past. She’s a sweet Lone Star cowgirl, with deep down-home roots. Life in the fast lane is how bad boy Cru Cassidy escapes the aching memories of his childhood. Fast cars and fast women—not necessarily in that order—keep the sexy cowboy from caring or thinking too much. When a road trip has him passing through Simple, Texas, where he spent one summer on a boys’ ranch for troubled teens, he can’t help stopping in to see the two old cowboys who run it. When he sees the bad shape the cowboys and the Double Diamond Ranch are in, Cru knows he has to stay and help . . . and his job is made more enjoyable by the beautiful daughter of a neighboring rancher. He hopes to score a ride with the feisty redhead, but Penny is harder to catch than an unbroken filly. And when he discovers the soft heart under the womanly body, he soon starts to worry that he’ll be the one getting broken and tamed. Penny Gardener has loved Cru almost as long as she’s loved the Texas ranch she calls home. Unfortunately, when they first met, she was an awkward thirteen-year-old—which explains why Cru fell for her pretty older sister instead of her. Since her family’s happiness has always been Penny’s priority, she tries to push her feelings aside. But when Cru returns and sets his devilish green eyes on her, she struggles to remember that he was her sister’s first love. Discovering his heartbreaking past will finally have her giving into her feelings and putting her own happiness first for a change. But will her love be enough to rope and heart-tie her bad boy? Or will he slip through her fingers like the elusive Texas wind?

     Playin’ Cop ~ Heroes of Henderson Prequel Duncan James may be a well respected attorney, but he's still a fraternity guy at heart. So when his buddies bet he can't give the local female speed demon a ticket, he adopts a cop's persona and goes in for the kill. Only to find killer lips, a killer body and a whole lot of killer sass challenging him at every turn. Annabelle Devine may be a genteel Southern belle, but she's dealing with her own long-standing bet. So when smooth-talking, sexy Officer Friendly hands her a speeding ticket, she licks her lips and simply insists he escort her to her family's New Year's Eve ball. Well, duh! Duncan is in. In deep. And now he's desperate to come clean and turn one seriously naughty night into a lifetime of hot Southern lovin’. Good Cop ~ Book 1 Local sports heroes Brooks Bennett and Vance Evans are used to being part of a winning team. But when it comes to romance their good cop, bad cop images have them handcuffed. They want a woman’s point of view to help unshackle their reputations, and they’ve picked out one pretty, pony-tailed firecracker to do it. Lolly DuVal longs for a summer fling that can set off all her bells and whistles. So she agrees to tutor Henderson’s hunkiest heroes on what women really want. Now she finds herself caught between two cops and a hard place. And those bells and whistles? They are starting to sound a whole lot more like alarms. Bad Cop Book 2 When Vance Evans tracks down Piper Beaumont, the little blonde who saved his life back in fourth grade, he doesn’t just find the sweet, curly-haired Tinkerbell he remembers. He also finds a complicated woman who proves to be way more than he’s bargained for. Though she’s still Perfect Piper with the soothing touch, she’s also The Lawyer Beaumont, a defense attorney carrying a personal grudge against every cop who crosses her path. So when his newly adopted Good Cop persona can’t break down the lawyer’s defenses, Vance decides to fall back on his Bad Cop ways to coax Naughty Piper into his arms.

    This box set includes the first three books in this sexy fun contemporary romance series. MINE UNTIL MOONRISEIt’s a fine line between feuding and flirting. Ever since single mother Megan Miller first arrived in stunning Lost Harbor, Alaska, she’s been at odds with hottie boat captain Lucas Holt. Until one of Lost Harbor’s wild storms tosses everything up in the air, and a rescue becomes a passionate affair.YOURS SINCE YESTERDAYPadric Jeffers never expected to return to his hometown of Lost Harbor, Alaska—not after the scandal that sent his family fleeing. But once he sets eyes on the stunning grown-up version of his childhood best friend, his mission is clear: do whatever it takes to have her—and keep her—this time around. SEDUCED BY SNOWFALLFirefighter Nate Prudhoe and Dr. Bethany Morrison had one unfortunate “locked out of her house in a towel while trying to take a photo of a moose” encounter when she first moved to Lost Harbor. Bethany is sure they have nothing in common. But when an early blizzard hits—but they’re about to find themselves Seduced by Snowfall.

    When an inheritance brings her to Sweetheart Creek, Texas, she shucks her old life and dives headlong into small town living. Too bad the handsome and serious cowboy Levi Wylder she’s crushing on sees her as nothing more than a princess.Was it the sparkly cowboy boots? Because it couldn’t be due to how she stepped in and calmed that rearing horse outside his stable.The last thing Levi Wylder needs is a high-maintenance woman interfering with his plans. But that’s exactly what he gets when his family ranch suddenly finds itself without a riding stable manager. And the only person he can find to fill those empty boots is a woman who buys her footwear based on looks alone.But when Laura steps into the ring, Levi discovers there’s something about this beautiful stranger that he completely underestimated—such as her power to steal his well-protected heart.

    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!

    She hates her job, hates her boss, and hates her life. And then she receives a letter informing her she’s inherited a slice of land in Apple Pie Creek, Montana. Jack Sutter has just retired from the army and plans to renovate an old grist mill he recently inherited back home in Apple Pie Creek. But when his feisty city-slicker neighbor shows up, everything that can go wrong suddenly does. Is she responsible for all the chaos? Or is it just that he can’t seem to do anything right around her?City girl meets country boy in this sweet and tender love story of two neighbors with no fence between them……oh, and a Moose. A very drunk Moose.Cynthia Dees is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 80 romances. Join her in Apple Pie Creek, Montana where clean and wholesome romance is alive and well. There will be love, laughter, and shenanigans aplenty in this sweet and whimsical series about seven bachelor brothers whose mother who is desperate to get her boys married off so she can start having grandkids."A delightfully light and refreshing read....Ms. Dees never lets me down...What fun. Five stars! Highly recommend..."

    The only problem is...we work on opposite sides of the law and he's running for sheriff. When the election heats up, will he choose me?Be with Me: When Jack comes back to save his father's business, I noticed he's filled out since high school. When he stops by my bakery each morning with a boyish smile and wink, I don't want to be friends anymore. It's time to show him, I'm all grown up. All I want is for him to be with me.

    He’s got a double oven to spare. It’s a recipe for success, until his mother starts stirring up trouble …Cassie Jordan has a sweet dream to open a bakery specializing in wedding cakes. The problem is, the Airstream trailer where she lives has a kitchen the size of a postage stamp, and her job as housekeeper for a vacation rental agency doesn’t pay enough for her to find other arrangements.When the renters at one of the houses in her care cancel their stay, leaving the house empty and its top-of-the-line kitchen unused, who could blame her for seeing it as an opportunity? But Cassie’s unsavory plan starts to look like a mistake when the owner’s son shows up unannounced, catching her with her pants down—literally.If Cassie can sweet-talk her way out of trouble, setting up her business might be a piece of cake. If not, it’s going to be a bitter setback …

    They fight with honor, they defend their nation and their brothers fiercely, and when they love, they do it with single-minded passion.Maximum ForceMax Remington has never been anything but a soldier. The oldest son in a family that served our nation for generations, he’d never considered any other path. The army is his life, his home and his one true love.
 Until he meets Samantha Crewe.Temporary DutyKade Braggs grew up wild and free, surfing on a California beach without much ambition, until an impulsive decision led him into joining the Army. What started out as a joke turned into a career, and now he’s a company commander, leading several platoons of soldiers. Still, Kade does it all on his own terms; he plays as hard as he works, and having a good time is non-negotiable.
 Until he meets Leah Samson.Hitting the SilkOnce upon a time, Delia Rollins was an Army wife, until the unthinkable happened. Now as a young widow and school teacher, she’s vigilant about protecting her heart. Her number one rule for the future? No more military men in her life. She can’t handle the risk. Until she meets Shaw Kincaid.

    Er, Dad got around). Fans of laughter, tears, and tingly bits will love this series from a USA Today bestselling author. This boxed set contains two standalone novellas that not only give you a glimpse of the Ponderosa Resort world, but introduce you to folks you'll be seeing again in the new Juniper Ridge Romantic Comedy Series.About Mancandy Crush (novella 1)A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA!Josh Mattis is totally over getting his heart stomped six years ago, so what’s with the mule kick to the chest when he spots the girl who ghosted him? Turns out she’s not his teenage fling, but her twin sister—and she needs a fake date to her cousin’s wedding.Valerie Vincent would rather shove sewing needles in her eyes than have one more person tell her she needs adventure. All she needs is a quiet reading nook and a chance to enjoy Bree’s quirky Christmas nuptials in the summer sun at Ponderosa Resort. Okay, she’d also like to skip the pitying looks when her twin trots out her fab new fiancé, but Val can fix all that with one rugged river guide who’s happy to play her arm candy.As Josh and Val bond over weird eggnog and messed-up mistletoe hunts, the July sun isn’t the only source of scorching heat. Will the past be a blast of icy cold reality, or can their fling last longer than a peppermint fudgesicle on a hot day?About Snowbound Squeeze (novella 2)A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA!Gable Judson needs a hideout. A safe place to escape the shambles of his Hollywood life. When college pal James Bracelyn offers a secret cabin an hour from Ponderosa Resort, Gable’s got the car pointed toward Oregon faster than paparazzi pouncing on a nip slip.Gretchen Laslo needs a retreat. Not just to work on her PhD dissertation, but to flee the messy breakup that left her inner critic shouting “duh, girl.” Meeting sexy, mysterious Gabe the night before she leaves is just another reminder to stay focused on her brain, because her heart’s kind of a dumbass.When a Bracelyn family mix-up collides with the worst storm to hit Central Oregon in years, Gretchen and Gable end up accidental roommates. Roommates without internet or TV or—God forbid—an ice cream maker. With both hiding secrets they’d rather not reveal, whatever will they do to pass the long winter nights?

    A rocking career in finance, a great group of friends and singing with the community chorus fill her calendar and provide her with total satisfaction. Until the phone rings. Until an upbeat familiar voice from the past reawakens her heart and reminds her of what she’s been missing.Playwright Doug Collins has never forgotten the girl he left behind. Even though it was Jennifer who’d made that final decision. “Go to New York and have a wonderful life,” she’d said before running back to her family, a family that still needed her. But that was five years ago. Five years of Jen in the back of his mind, nestled in his heart. Now memories are not enough! Doug packs up his car and heads to Boston in search of that “wonderful life.”Most reunions have bumpy beginnings and not all end well. Jennifer and Doug have a lot to figure out. But they’re smart, honest, and were once madly in love. Do they have a chance at finding the ending they so richly deserve?