Past transgressions haunted Hope Barrister, whose beauty helped her rise from a tenant farm to a Texas fortune. But her quiet loveliness concealed dark secrets she'd long kept safe, to protect her young son….Chase Barrister found Hope enigmatic and elegant–but she tasted of forbidden fruit. Years ago, Chase had fled his father's legacy, but he'd taken memories of his stepmother and his own bittersweet desire.After his father's death, Chase returned to Texas and Hope. Would he be caught in the web of familial deceit…or untangle an honest love and truly come home?
Even on a tropical getaway, a girl's got to watch out for the sharks…Think working for a leading international shoe company sounds like a dream job? Not if you're Amelia Parker, an overworked, downtrodden temp working for Bellagio, Inc.'s grande dame, Lillian Bellagio. But things are looking up for Amelia. She's just been given the assignment of accompanying Ms. Bellagio to her estate in the Keys. Trading pumps for flip-flops and a cell phone for a conch shell—could be worse, right?Especially when life on the island includes her very own mystery man—one Jack «The Shark» O'Connell, dashing venture capitalist. He dares Amelia to use this time to do something wild: drink a hurricane, go skinny-dipping…have an affair with a dangerously attractive man. Now Amelia will have to decide whether to step into that glass slipper.
SPRING BREAKDOWNIt's springtime again, and all P.I. Maggie Skerritt and her charmingly levelheaded business partner and fiancé, Bill Malcolm, can do is hope that rite of passage infamously known as spring break is quiet and painless. Luckily, as the week progresses, Maggie and Bill find the influx of college kids committing only minor offenses, albeit they're piling up like empty kegs at a frat party.If only life could remain that simple…While the tourists wreak mostly harmless havoc, the murder of a woman and her possible connection to a local politician grabs all Maggie's attention. And when that same connection leads her and Bill back to the unsolved case that changed–and still haunts–both their lives, Maggie suddenly wishes party patrol was all she had to worry about.
Two halves of a wholeOnce, long ago, Skye and Summer had looked so much alike that no one could tell the twin sisters apart. Now there was barely a trace of a resemblance. Once, the two of them had been huddled together against a world that neither one of them could deal with alone. Now they hadn't seen each other for years.But it was time for them to get together once more–for Skye Woods and Summer Russo were on the road again. And this time they're in search of their other sister, Jane–the piece of the puzzle that, once inserted, might finally just make their family whole.Not normal, mind you. But whole…
She'd never been desirable, but Matilda Fortune's secret longing for brilliant businessman Dawson Prescott was about to change all that. Her transformation from mousy wallflower to tempting beauty left Dawson filled with need.Yet he had given his solemn vow to shield the made-over Matilda from overeager suitors–so he couldn't very well ravage her himself. Or could he?One night of indulgent passion left them trembling…and married! Finally Matilda could live out her wildest dream as Dawson Prescott's bride. But could she convince her new groom that their shotgun vows were filled with the promise of an unforgettable love?
Twenty years ago Dana Logan reacted to this statement as any new mother would–with disbelief. Tomorrow? Didn't the years ahead stretch like a long, sunny road…with no end in sight?Well, Dana's just fallen into that end. Hard. It's as if her whole life has been a prep course–only, without warning, they've canceled the test. Her children don't seem to need anything she is able to give.Okay–so she'll just have to find someone who does want what she has to offer. If she has to drive into hell to do it…Judging by the sign she just passed–"Welcome to Hell. Population 512"–she already has….
Corporate hatchet man Eric Quinn Stanton had never let pleasure interfere with business–until now. Arriving early and incognito at the Chandelier House, he planned to see firsthand what was working…and what wasn't. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to see past general manager Cindy Warren's beautiful green eyes…or her other assets. But would Cindy still want him when she discovered he'd been more naughty than nice…?
From Madame of the Million-Dollar Deal to Madam of the HouseIt was a great idea–why not bring lonely hearts together and make money? Real estate agent Cecilia Katz's brilliant brainstorm gave a whole new meaning to an open house. Especially with her hunky new assistant hiring the hot young studs to mingle with bored housewives. Who dreamed a game of Truth or Dare would lead to a flourishing business for the nearly broke single mother?Until a stash of drugs is found and the cops start nosing around. Add in a lethally gorgeous real estate rival, and a risky business just got a whole lot riskier. But Cecilia's up for the challenge. And with the help of Jake the babemagnet, watch her transform a life that's boring and sexless to one that's hot and reckless!
Marriage to a Fortune is risky business–but nobody's listening to attorney Parker Malone. An expert on prenuptial agreements, Parker sees this marriage as a dangerous liability for Texas billionaire Ryan Fortune, and he's more than anxious to stop the wedding.Things get complicated when he falls for the wedding planner, Hannah Cassidy, who just happens to be the bride's gorgeous daughter.Even for a woman whose career is built on love, white lace and promises, Hannah soon realizes with heartbreaking clarity that there will be no «I do's» in her future with Parker Malone. But when crisis and scandal strike the Fortune clan, Parker gets an unexpected lesson in the true meaning of trust and commitment, and discovers that love is not about fearing what can go wrong, but about trusting what feels so right.
Being Strong Is a State of Mind…Everyone in town thinks Holly DeJong has handled her husband's death well, including her. Until the day she spots a cupcake display at Smiley's General Store and lets loose. Holly's husband is dead…because he cheated on her. He didn't have just one Kitty Cupcake on the side; he had boxes of them!Now everyone in town thinks she's lost it, except Holly. For the first time in months she feels as if she can handle anything, including her children, dating-minded family members and a certain deputy with more on his mind than the cupcake massacre. Just like the hula dancer on her husband's favorite lamp, Holly is learning that happiness comes from swaying with whatever possibilities life throws her way.