Could one chance meeting change your life forever?
Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer’s assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn’t truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be…
Snowy is hiding from the world. He’s devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl’s Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he’s passionate about both, it’s a lonely existence and he’s starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you’ve pushed away for years…?
When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl’s Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there’s a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.
Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?
The novel is set in the scenic Yorkshire Wolds and centers on Zara, a producer’s assistant with a wandering lifestyle, and Snowy, a reclusive man living at Owl’s Lodge who homeschools his son and cares for injured owls. Despite their contrasting backgrounds and initial tension, they find a common bond in their shared passion for caring for animals.
As their friendship deepens, they both confront their emotional struggles—Zara with her unresolved family issues and Snowy with his reclusive tendencies. The evolving relationship between them allows the author to explore themes of love, loss, and the healing power of connection.
The story stands out for its authentic characters, set against a beautiful countryside backdrop with a cast of charming supporting characters. It ultimately serves as a reminder of the potential for transformation through human connection and shows that even in moments of isolation, new beginnings can emerge.
MARRIAGE Not even a bridal-veil-stealing dog can ruin Haley and Ben’s wedding day. And when Haley’s beloved Aunt Nan gives them a gift that’s not to be opened “until your first big disagreement,” Haley is sure the box will sit gathering dust for a lifetime. After all, she and Ben are the perfect couple. Aren’t they?
MAKING UP But life comes with stresses. Architect Ben’s career dreams are rooted in losses from his past, while bakery owner Haley has her own firmly-set – and conflicting – plans for how to get to a happy future. Each time they decide to open the gift, though, something stops them, pushing them to solve the issue themselves, and before long, the mysterious box takes on almost mythic proportions. They can’t imagine what’s inside that could fix every marital woe, but they want to save it as long as possible.
MIRACLES What happens when a problem comes along that can’t be solved and no gift could ever fix? This one might just take believing in miracles.
Ben, an architect, is excited about his new skyscraper project in Cincinnati, while Haley, his wife, co-owns a bakery with her sister, Hannah. Before leaving for their honeymoon, Haley’s Aunt Nan gives them a special wedding present—a box to be opened only when they face their first big disagreement. Confident they won’t need it, they store it away.
As the story unfolds, told from both Ben’s and Haley’s perspectives, they navigate the usual challenges of marriage, like adopting a pet, buying a home, and discussing parenthood. Despite a harmonious start, these issues cause friction, making them reconsider the wedding box. However, they opt to resolve their problems through conversation and compromise, delaying the box opening. When they eventually open it, the moment feels underwhelming, not just for them but for the reader as well.
Overall, the story is wholesome but lacks dramatic tension and excitement, with a feel-good ending that could have been more engaging. Though I appreciated the couple’s growth and Aunt Nan’s wise counsel, the narrative often felt slow and didn’t hold my attention as much as I had hoped.
Everyone is heading home for the holidays. Everyone except Kate. Having just run away from her boyfriend Lance’s unexpected proposal (in front of her entire family), Kate was the only person in her office happy to take an unexpected last-minute work trip posting to Boston.
Arriving in the snow-covered, fairy-light-filled city, Kate feels immediately at home. That is until she meets Sam, a cross between a lumberjack and an Abercrombie model standing in the kitchen of her new place. Which also happens to be his home thanks to a work mix-up. Given that it’s Christmas and there is nowhere else to stay, they agree to make it work.
But pretty soon it’s clear that Sam is not the ideal house mate. From drinking all the milk, turning the hot water off whilst she’s showering, and insisting she stay in her room for the entirety of ‘game night’ with the boys, Kate thinks Sam is the absolute worst. And he thinks the same of her.
When Sam surprisingly comes to her rescue, his frosty exterior finally thaws and when they open up to each other, they realise they have more in common than they thought. But when Lance unexpectedly arrives, Kate’s heart is torn. Go home with Lance or spend the holidays with a man she hardly knows, but who could turn out to be the one…
Snowed In With You By Heidi Stephens
WHEN THINGS SNOWBALL, CAN FROSTY FEELINGS THAW?
Lucy hasn’t left the country in years. In fact, she’s barely left Bristol’s city limits. So, when the opportunity presents itself to join a work trip to the Swiss Alps, she’s wary, especially when she learns that it will coincide with that weekend – the one that, eleven years ago, tore her world in two.
But how can she turn down an all-expense-paid trip to the snow-capped Alps? Lucy knows what Leo would say if he were still with her, and besides, she’ll have her work husband, Jonno, there for emotional support.
What – or who – she didn’t bank on, however, was moody (read: rude) Natestepping in at the last minute. And what’s worse, they’re the only two in the group who don’t ski, so they’re stuck with each other . . . up the side of a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm.
With the weather closing in, an avalanche leaves them snowbound in an alpine bar with an eclectic cast of fellow refugees. But with roaring log fires and steaming mugs of glühwein (and maybe a shot or two of Jägermeister), it’s a chance for Lucy and Nate to discover there might be more to one another than meets the eye.
Where will their mountainside adventure leave them when the snow finally melts?
The Secret Christmas Bookshop By Cressida McLaughlin
Can their Christmas love story last a lifetime?
In a village by the sea, where wintry skies bring a dusting of sparkling snow, somebody is opening an unexpected gift…
When Sophie receives a surprise package, she’s intrigued to find a beautifully bound book inside.
Sophie is desperate to discover the mystery sender, and her hunt draws her to the enigmatic Harry. The subject of much gossip since his return from London, Harry keeps to himself in his crumbling manor house.
But they are both about to learn that the best stories can take on a life of their own.
Christmas With The Knights ByHannah Langdon
When event planner Fallon Honeywood collapses from overwork after a particularly punishing Christmas party, she reluctantly agrees to spend the holidays with her soap opera-star mother at Blakeney Hall, a grand English manor on the frosty Yorkshire moors. But what starts as an awkward family reunion soon becomes an unexpected adventure…
Fallon finds herself drawn into the charming world of the aristocratic owners of the estate – handsome widower Alexander Knight and his sensitive son Theo. As her eyes and Alexander’s meet across plans to launch his new artisanal gin business at the local Christmas Fayre, Fallon wonders if her chaotic city life might have been masking a deep loneliness she’s hidden all along…
With the help of eccentric aunt Constance Knight, a rescue donkey named Heathcliff and her adorably scruffy little dog Runcible, Fallon slowly begins to heal. But as Christmas draws near – pine needles and spicy cloves scenting the air and mistletoe festooning the doorways – Fallon faces a terrifying decision. Could this be the year she finally opens her heart? And will she choose to return to her old life in London, or find an unexpected home among the snowflake-dusted Yorkshire moors, where Christmas wishes just might come true?
She’s no damsel in distress, and he’s certainly not wearing shining armour. But one knight can change everything…
Daisy Hastings has always thought she was born in the wrong era. So when she bags a summer job at the Tower of London helping to run their Knight school, it feels like a step in the right direction.
Theodore ‘Teddy’ Fairfax is a loose cannon. A disgraced distant relative of the royal family, he’s tall, dark and now (begrudgingly) helping with the Tower of London’s summer programme – and there’s nowhere he’d like to be less.
When Teddy’s oath to be an obstruction almost gets Daisy fired, she declares war. But as the two cross swords, they start to discover they both need a little rescuing…
And that maybe, just maybe, love can bloom, even on a battlefield…
“Love at First Knight” focuses on Daisy Hastings, who has struggled with anxiety and shyness for years. She still lives with her parents, feeling at ease mostly with family, friends, and during her live-action role-playing (LARPing) sessions. When a summer position at the Tower of London’s Knight School opens up, Daisy takes the opportunity, stepping out of her comfort zone into an exciting new environment. There, she meets Theodore ‘Teddy’ Fairfax, a disgraced royal and her polar opposite, whom she is tasked with helping.
I was intrigued by the book’s premise, but I found the character development somewhat lacking. It was interesting to learn about the world of LARPing, which seems like a fun activity, and I appreciated the warmth of Daisy’s family. However, the romantic relationship between Daisy and Teddy didn’t quite work for me; it felt underdeveloped and could have used more depth.
Run away to Seaglass Bay where the waves crash against ivory cliffs, the beach is a perfect golden ribbon of sand, and a little café is about to change Eden’s life forever…
When Eden turns the key in the red door of Four Winds Cottage, the clifftop house where she used to holiday as a child, she is overwhelmed with bittersweet memories. She lost her mother recently, and she’s hoping Seaglass Bay will heal her broken heart.
The villagers welcome Eden with open arms, but she can’t help but notice that life is tough for them when the holidaymakers go home. Her mother always gave so much to those around her, and Eden is determined to follow in her footsteps. She sets up a community kitchen where her new friends can enjoy a homecooked meal, and as she watches people chatting over delicious stews, she feels sure that her mum would be a little bit proud of her.
But Eden’s happiness doesn’t last long. An unwelcome visitor arrives in Seaglass Bay in the form of handsome, chiselled Cam, who wants to buy the land the kitchen stands on. Eden is determined to save it and challenges him to a fortnight working with her so he can see how much would be lost if it closed.
As Cam rolls up his shirtsleeves and whips up his famous roast chicken, sparks fly and Eden feels a sense of triumph – he clearly can’t resist a challenge. The heat rises as they mess around in the kitchen, Cam’s dark hair dishevelled and his blue eyes shining with fun, and she realises that maybe he doesn’t have a heart of stone after all…
But just as she begins to let her guard down, Cam disappears without warning. Has she failed to win over the man she swore she’d never catch feelings for? And can she save the place that’s helped save her?
Christmas At The Little Bookshop By The Sea By Eliza J Scott
A festive treat brimming with the magic of bookshops and Christmas…
In the seaside town of Micklewick Bay, Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte are gearing up for a magical Christmas at the Happy Hartes Bookshop. Florrie’s book-themed decorations are the talk of the town, while Ed’s dazzling window displays could have been plucked straight from a fairytale. With romance in the air, this promises to be their best holiday season yet.
But after a surprise phone call from his father, Florrie worries that Ed is keeping a secret. Why is he spending so much time in the attic? And what’s making him act so distantly?
Determined to make this Christmas unforgettable, Florrie packs their days with festive treats from gingerbread hot chocolates to sleigh rides under the stars. But when Ed disappears just a few days before Christmas, Florrie fears the worst. Will her holiday dreams shatter like a dropped bauble? Or is Florrie in for a Christmas surprise of her own?
At 28, with a Ph.D under her belt and a meteoric rise to head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, Reese feels her decision to put her career first has worked out pretty well for her. Sure, she doesn’t have many personal relationships to speak of, but she does love her team and they like her too.
So when she’s called to the Big Boss’s office and told she will be looking after his son while he does a rotation in her lab, she’s not thrilled that her hard work and achievements have boiled down to being a glorified babysitter – especially to a billionaire playboy with zero experience of mechanical engineering.
But then tall, blond Thomas walks into her office, and Reese realizes this assignment is going to be even harder than she thought. Because the CEO’s son is not only extraordinarily gorgeous, chiseled, and charming… he’s also on course to become her new boss one day, and so extraordinarily out of bounds. As the pair get to know each other, can Reese hold her nerve and her beliefs, or will she fall victim to the billionaire charm?
Thomas Mercer is the heir apparent to his family’s company, but to earn his father’s approval, he needs to get a better understanding of every department. He starts by working in the robotics division with Dr. Reese Campbell. I found Reese and Thomas to be an amazing pair. They come from different backgrounds: she’s an intelligent and quirky robotics expert, while he’s a sociable and dedicated individual. Despite not knowing much about each other’s lives or work, they quickly discover they have great chemistry and a strong connection. I was cheering for them from the start, as their journey together was entertaining, and their chemistry was palpable from their very first meeting.
Julia Volpe’s Italian dream has turned into a nightmare.
Still living with her ex, Luca, a year after they’ve broken up, desperate to sell the dilapidated B&B that was meant to be their future, Jules knows she needs to leave. There are just two problems. Her passport has expired and she’s broke.
Not quite ready to ask her parents for help – at the ripe old age of twenty-seven – Jules decides to head as far away from Luca as she can to work on an olive farm until she has enough money to pay for her passport and a ticket back home.
Jules has sworn off love, but she hadn’t bargained on the beauty of Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Italian town on the banks of the gloriously blue Natisone river. As the community of farmers, neighbours and locals generously welcome her into their lives, Jules can feel her defences crumbling. But it’s when she meets Alex, broodingly handsome yet charmingly gallant, that Jules truly knows she’s in trouble. Because Alex has sworn off love too, and his reasons run deep enough for him to keep his word just as Jules is starting to reconsider her resistance to romance.
Husband For The Holidays By Dani Collins
A billionaire for Christmas… or for life?
To Konstantin Galanis, heiress Eloise Martin was always strictly off-limits. Too young, too innocent—and his late best friend’s sister. Then he spots her in snowy Manhattan dressed as a Christmas elf, and discovers she’s chosen destitution over a loveless marriage. The steely tycoon feels duty-bound to offer her protection with his own festive proposal…
The kiss Konstantin turned down years ago still haunts Eloise. Accepting his convenient ring is an act of desperation, and every minute in his presence inflames her hopeless desire. Has Konstantin saved her from the cold…yet condemned her to burn?
A Guardian Till Christmas By Danielle Thorne
She’s always in charge…
Until two little hearts take over this holiday season…
After the loss of her sister, Kylee Spokes plans to take custody of her orphaned niece and nephew and return to the big city by Christmas. Except corralling four-year-old twins is much harder than the businesswoman expects. And small-town paramedic Evan Hollister refuses to abandon his godchildren to someone who has no experience with kids—and can’t even boil water! Now these opposites must find a way to temporarily co-parent together. As grudging respect turns into something more, can they find a permanent solution…that lasts past the holidays?
Ultimate JusticeBy Tee O’Fallon
While tracking down an escaped felon, FBI Special Agent Evan McGarry and his K-9, Blue, uncover a smoking hot lead on the location of dozens of missing children—including Evan’s own sister. The shocking discovery reopens cold cases throughout Colorado, along with painful wounds and the heartbreaking guilt Evan’s kept buried for decades.
Three years ago, hospital custodian Marlie Foxe’s world imploded, causing her to cut herself off from the world. But when one of the missing boys turns up at her hospital, he only allows Marlie to get close. Now, Evan needs her help with the boy—and he won’t take no for an answer. When she finally agrees to work with him, Evan suspects there’s more to the woman than she’s letting on. She’s hiding something. The question is what.
As Evan and Marlie unearth a cult targeting runaways, they’re forced to confront not only dangerous criminals but the truths they’ve both been avoiding—including the blistering passion they can no longer deny. But when more children disappear, they’ll have to risk more than just their hearts.
Under LockAndKeyBy K.D. Richards
The man who broke her heart…
Must now be her protector.
Maggie Scott has worked hard to become an assistant curator at the Larimer Museum. But following the theft of a rare, priceless jewel and the murder of her fellow employee and friend, Maggie is suspected of complicity. Only investigator Kevin Lombard believes in her innocence. But thanks to their shared history, he’s hardly objective. In fact, this may be the second chance he never thought possible. First, though, he must prove Maggie’s innocence…and protect the woman he never forgot from whoever is out to get her.
Protector In Disguise By Veronica Forand
They’ll have to forgive the past
To save their son in the present.
Fiona Stirling’s latest romantic thriller ends on a happy note when the heroine’s husband comes home after a dangerous mission. Fiona herself wasn’t so lucky. Her husband, Jason, died in Colombia, hunting a drug lord. Or so she thought…until Jason returns five years later. Knowing that Jason went into hiding to protect his family does nothing to dispel her sense of betrayal. But Fiona has secrets, too, and she and Jason are going to have to learn to trust each other again if they want to save their son.
The Wolf Of Mayfair By Christi Caldwell
I don’t want visitors. But when the butler says the caller is a she, I spring to attention. The night just got a lot more interesting.
Turns out the recently orphaned Helia Wallace has come to see my mother, her godmother, for help with a dastardly, dowry-chasing cousin. A likely story. But there’s a snowstorm brewing, and she begs me to let her stay the night. I reluctantly agree.
It’s her reputation at stake, not mine.
With the duke and duchess wintering elsewhere, Horace House is all mine. I’m free to do whatever I want. And what I want is Helia. The Marquess of Wingrave and virgins don’t typically mix, but this one’s different—too bad I could ruin her forever.
Lones Wolf In LightsBy Stacey Kennedy
Everyone daydreams about a fresh start…but Willow Quinn is making it happen. She’s left her life in Phoenix to open a bar in cowboy-country Montana with her two best friends. It’s a chance to reboot in a new town with a new life—and leave behind the shadows of her past and heal. Hopefully.
All she wants to do is create an empowering space for women who need support. Snow and the holidays are on the way, so surely a craft circle is the perfect way to build community… Except who knew her plans would ruffle so many feathers.
Enter former bull rider Eli Cole. She’s drawn to the green-eyed cowboy, his intensity and the electrical charge between them. (Even though he seems to have as many dark secrets as she does.) And when she and her bar, The Naked Moose, go viral for being interlopers, suddenly Willow’s new life is on rocky ground.
But Eli has the perfect solution—give the fiercely single bar owner a fake relationship with a local. But while it might dim the negative spotlight and convince the town she really does fit in, it definitely won’t protect her heart from the cowboy she can’t resist…
The Anti- Social Season By Adele Buck
In this offbeat holiday romantic comedy, an overworked firefighter turned social media coordinator and a librarian with an unrequited crush break a few rules in the company handbook…
For Thea Martinelli, burnout is real. After working as a firefighter for the Emergency Services Department over the last ten years, she can’t stomach any more close calls. Just when she’s ready to hang up the hose for good, she’s offered an out: stay on as the station’s new social media coordinator. It’s a move that would keep her on the squad and off the truck—if she makes it through the probation period.
Basically, she needs to learn everything there is to know about social media…fast.
Librarian and social media coordinator Simon Osman is shocked to learn his new responsibilities include showing Thea Martinelli—his high school crush—the ins and outs of digital engagement. And the fact that she doesn’t even remember him? Not helpful. Still, this could be his chance to finally turn his part-time role into something long-term.
But as the chaos of the holiday season unfolds, Thea and Simon find that the closer they work together, the hotter their attraction burns. Yet giving in to these feelings could mean giving up their careers. Are they willing to risk everything they’ve worked toward…for each other?
Festive Fling With The Surgeon By Karin Baine
WRAPPED UP…IN EACH OTHER!
Transplant surgeon Tamsin is determined nobody will suffer the post-op complications her sister faced. She certainly doesn’t have capacity for romance. So, succumbing to passion on a visit to Edinburgh with handsome pediatrician Max is a one-night indulgence… Max has his own reasons for being anticommitment, but when he and Tamsin are thrown back together again temporarily, their snow-melting attraction leads to a whirlwind fling. Only, their feelings are deepening along with their desire. This festive season, will they be brave and embrace the gift in front of them?
Book Of The Month By Jennifer Probst
She’s desperate for another bestseller… and she’ll go to any length to get it. Even if it means sacrificing her pride to chase the hottest bachelor in town and get him to break her heart…
Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher. So she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks with a plan to live a story worth writing.
Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: a local heartthrob with a reputation as wild as the horses running free in the town. He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable. His affairs are legendary in the small town, and every woman warns her off, including her sister.
Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.
But Brick refuses to play the game, rejecting all of her advances. When Aspen hears his tour company is on the verge of bankruptcy, she offers him a deal: fake a whirlwind summer romance, then ditch her, drama guaranteed.
Desperate to save his grandfather’s business, Brick agrees to the ridiculous deal. What starts as a contractual fling spirals out of control as lines blur and real feelings emerge. Brick’s falling hard, and Aspen’s rethinking her plot twist. The novel might be her ticket back to the top, but at what cost?
Because Aspen’s finally found her muse, but some stories may be too true to share.
Somewhere Along The Line By Mallory Thomas
Their marriage of convenience was supposed to exist on paper. Can these strangers act convincingly in love when the pressure’s on?
Piper Paulson’s life is finally on the upswing. She has a new job, a BFF roommate, and a commitment to avoid dating after an ex cost her her peace—and her former career. She may not have two nickels to spare, but that’s a problem for Future Piper.
James Newhouse doesn’t have time or energy to deal with… well, anything. A hotshot banker with a complicated family, he’s determined to keep people at arm’s length. His attraction to Piper isn’t part of the plan, and neither is adding her to a Family Fares commuter pass as his ‘wife’ to save her money on train fare. Too bad his judgment is speeding away faster than their shared train.
Thrown together by chance (and a handful of Elvis impersonators), James and Piper find themselves witnesses to an incident on their commute—‘married’ witnesses, who may be asked to testify if the crime goes to trial. Can they keep up the charade to avoid being outed for their lie? And perhaps more importantly, can they protect their hearts in the process?
A Cowgirl’s Thanksgiving Kiss By Amy Vastine
Turkey, pumpkin pie…
And unexpected love!
Working in a man’s world of Texas bull breeding, stressed-out single mom J.R. Blackwell can’t help being annoyed by her handsome coworker, Hunter Robbins. So when their boss pits them against each other for a big promotion, J.R. is ready to step up and grab the prize. But Hunter’s offer of a place to stay after a tree crushes her home, and his easy connection with her daughter, melts her reserve. Despite J.R. doing everything she can to ignore the feeling—and Hunter’s baby goat winning her daughter’s heart!—will the charming former bull rider be her true prize this Thanksgiving?
Fa-La-La-La Faking It By Teri Wilson
It’s beginning to look a lot like kiss…er…Christmas!
Matchmaking services as a Christmas gift? No thank you! It’s bad enough that, to save her grandmother’s feelings, Adaline Bishop fibs and says she’s seeing someone. It’s worse when Jace Martin, her grade school crush turned nemesis, volunteers that he’s the someone. Now Adaline will have to fake it until Jace’s flannel-shirted, piney-scented goodness leaves town in a couple of weeks.
Jace would like to make up for his past transgressions and for his elderly uncle’s meaner-than-the-grinch behavior during Adaline’s therapy dog visits. In the spirit of peace and goodwill toward all, Jace will happily be her fake boyfriend. It’s just that what began as a lie as big as Texas is starting to feel like the magic of a Christmas wish come true.
Swipe Right For Mr. Perfect By Justine Lewis
THE ART OF DATING A DUKE
For art conservationist Laura, suffering chronic endometriosis means no relationships. Only, thanks to her interfering mother, she’s matched online with @FarmerDan and can’t bring herself to swipe left… But then she learns “Dan” is really her new boss, Henry, and their attraction is as intense in person as in cyberspace! Being a modern-day duke, Henry’s duty-bound to produce an heir. So while meeting Laura is thrilling, it becomes clear that her condition makes her fertility uncertain. With life pulling them in different directions, is their connection strong enough to flourish offline?
Not Exactly A Small-Town Romance By JJ Knight
Kelsey Whitaker knows every hit rom-com by heart and why they work. It’s her job. As a casting assistant to a fearsome boss nicknamed the Demon, Kelsey creates chemistry with perfect leads. Let the tropes take it from there. So where’s the meet-cute in her own life? That she’ll have to make happen herself.
With the help of her best friend and wingman, Zachery Carter—a total Hemsworth, even if his career is ebbing—Kelsey trades in her big-city stilettos for small-town tennies and hits the back roads. Somewhere between Hollywood and her Alabama roots, she’s determined to strategically stumble into the arms of an all-American flannel-wearing, decent-hearted, rustic boy next door. It’s a blockbuster blueprint for success! Isn’t it?
It’s all a secretly smitten Zachery can do not to tell Kelsey she’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If she really wants a happy ending, they may have to do a little rewriting, town by town and mile by mile. Together.
Aurora Henderson and Leo McKendrick were love’s young dream when they first dated as teenagers.
But like many a first love, parents, life, and distance got in the way, and the couple lost touch. Now, twenty years later, Aurora – Rory to her friends – needs a break. Burnt out from her teaching career and longing to write a novel, Rory heads to the idyllic village of Roseford for a summer of writing and relaxation.
Leo needs a change too. Ex-pat life in Australia has come to a sticky end so the opportunity to run his family’s B&B, Roseford Villas, for the summer is too good to turn down.
Neither Rory nor Leo believe in fate, but when Leo opens the door to his latest guest, he might just have to reconsider. And when a sultry summer fills with nostalgia and memories and six weeks flies by too fast, love’s young dream might just get a second chance…
Rory, an English teacher from York, is eager to spend the summer in Roseford to finally work on her dream of writing a novel. However, her plans are disrupted when her reserved chocolate-box cottage gets switched to a lodge at Roseford Villas. Although the new accommodation has its inconveniences, like not being able to plug in her laptop at the table, it’s still within walking distance of Roseford Hall, where the archives can aid her research for her book. Plus, her former friend, who lives nearby, is available to discuss her ideas, and the village pub is ideal for observing local life. The real surprise comes when Rory discovers that Leo, her first love from 20 years ago, is temporarily managing the B&B at the Villas while the regular owners are away.
Their unexpected reunion ignites a heartwarming second-chance romance, with both Rory and Leo carrying baggage and secrets from their long time apart. As their slow-burn relationship starts to rekindle, they find themselves facing practical complications—Rory’s commitment to her teaching job, and Leo’s plans to start a new position in London—which raise doubts about whether their relationship can last beyond the summer.
The book captures the emotional journey of reconnecting with the past and the challenges of overcoming obstacles on the path to a happy ending. It balances the romantic elements with Rory’s journey as a writer and the historical discoveries that come with it. Although this could be the final book in the series, it leaves readers with a sense of closure and a feeling that the residents of Roseford are well on their way to their own happy-ever-afters. With strong characters, a captivating setting, and thoughtful storytelling, it’s a charming and engaging read.
Another favor can mean another problem for Ann and Rhonda …
When Ann and Rhonda receive a request from the vice-president to provide a private space at the hotel for a nighttime talk show host having difficulties, they’re worried. Trouble always happens when they do something for her. Sipping nightcaps, they watch Darryl Douglas’ show and decide to allow him to rent one of the guesthouses at the same time their beloved daughter-of -heart, Tina Marks, is renting the house next door along with her personal trainer, Abbie Hathaway. When Darryl’s ex-wife appears at the hotel a lot more than the usual problems appear, leaving Ann and Rhonda to fight for the hotel’s reputation.
The Island Girls By Rachel Sweasey
1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war feels like it’s right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.
1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.
But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible…
When Jared Sotheby arrives in Peak, Virginia, to search for his identity—and his Filipino roots—he doesn’t anticipate an instant connection with a stunning woman he meets on his first night in town. And he certainly doesn’t expect her to be managing the B & B owned by the biological family he’s searching for!
One passionate night aside, Matilda Matthews needs a cook, and Jared, a chef, needs a way in. She’ll give him the job if he keeps his identity a secret—for now. Their subterfuge quickly grows complicated as Jared yearns for a connection—not only with his family, but also with the once-bitten Matilda. But first he’ll have to convince her to let a younger man into her heart…
In “It Started With a Secret,” Tif Marcelo introduces Jared, a character whose journey begins with a revelation: he’s the product of a one-night stand, and his father has recently passed away. As we follow Jared from Louisville to the town where his late father’s widow and daughters live, we see him join their family business—a bed-and-breakfast that has just lost its chef. Jared, being a chef himself, steps into the role, but he keeps his true identity hidden from the family. During his early days in town, he meets Matilda, and they quickly hit it off. Despite Matilda’s hesitation due to their age difference—Jared is ten years older—their chemistry is undeniable, and they end up hooking up after a night at the bar.
Tif Marcelo takes on a heavy premise with a light touch, avoiding the potential heaviness that could have overshadowed the developing romance between Jared and Matilda. Instead of focusing solely on the weight of Jared’s secret, the story remains centered on the evolving relationship between the characters. It’s a beautifully told tale of two people finding love, meeting halfway, and dealing with the challenge of revealing a life-changing secret.
My Sanctuary 