When the destination wedding agency Sophie works for merges with an adventure travel company to create unique ceremonies for outdoor enthusiasts, Sophie is horrified to discover her gruff ex-boyfriend Andreas works there. Even worse: he’s been assigned as her guide for a scouting trip to Italy, in search of the perfect location for a summit-top wedding.
Thrown together to make another couple’s romantic dreams come true, all Sophie can think about are the dreams she once had for them. But when the truth of what actually happened eight long years ago finally emerges, will Sophie risk imagining a happily-ever-after and opening her heart to Andreas again…?
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?
J.R. Blackwell is a single mother working on a Texas ranch, where she breeds bulls alongside her coworker, former bull rider Hunter Robbins. When their bosses announce their retirement, J.R. and Hunter find themselves in a competition to take over the ranch. Despite the rivalry, Hunter can’t deny his growing attraction to J.R., especially after he helps her and her daughters when a tree falls on their house.
During a crowded Thanksgiving celebration, J.R.’s unexpected family guests and an uncomfortable encounter with Hunter’s friend Randy bring tensions to the surface. Hunter learns more about J.R.’s past and the woman he’s falling for, remaining supportive despite Randy’s hurtful comments. The story blends competition, romance, and personal discovery, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion in the next and final book.
Can one Greek summer heal the secrets of the past?
Could discovering a family secret encourage Kat to follow her heart?
Shattered by the sudden loss of her twin, Nik, Kat is lost in grief. The comfort of family feels both soothing and suffocating, but everything changes when she inherits a house on the breathtaking Greek island of Agistri from a mysterious uncle she’s never met.
Arriving on Agistri, Kat is mesmerized by its crystalline waters, lush pine forests, and the citrus-scented air. Among the white-washed houses and warm, welcoming locals, she begins to feel her heart heal. The island offers more than solace, sparking courage in Kat to face her loss — and maybe even embrace the spark of unexpected love…
But as she unearths her family’s buried past, Kat must also confront her own fears of belonging, forgiveness — and the possibility of rediscovering happiness in the shadow of heartbreak…
Rosie Redbrush, a travel agent working for Wanderlust Wishes travel agency, is someone who sells holidays but never takes them. At twenty-nine, she lives a quiet, comfortable life in the town she grew up in. But then, just a few days before Christmas, a problematic customer tricks Rosie into becoming a tour guide for a group of ten disgruntled old-age pensioners in Venice! And suddenly, Rosie’s quiet life is thrown into disarray.
Escorting an elderly group through the streets of Italy’s most romantic city is hard enough, but throw in a neurotic aquaphobe, an accidental Santa race, a regrettable selfie, and a missing backpack, suddenly Rosie finds herself extremely lost in Venice, without a penny or a passport to her name.
Rosie can’t go home. And as she travels Italy looking for a solution, what she doesn’t expect to find are a loving family, a group of eclectic new friends, and the possibility of true love in the most unlikely of places…
This novel successfully blends three key themes: an engaging travelogue of Venice and Milan, an insightful look into the lives of ten elderly tourists, and the protagonist Rosie’s personal growth. Rosie, who works for Wanderlust Wishes arranging trips but never traveling herself, is unexpectedly tasked with escorting a group of seniors to Venice. Throughout the trip, she faces a series of chaotic, stressful, yet beautiful experiences that challenge her resilience. The well-drawn characters, including the pensioners, add depth, and the romance with Fox, an embassy representative, unfolds naturally. While the ending leaves some unresolved questions, the story is satisfying, with a heartwarming Christmas backdrop.
When New York-born Cassie O’Hara decides to use the money her sassy Irish nana Nora left in her will to book a month-long stay in a quaint country village, she’s expecting a cozy cottage, steak-and-ale pie and plenty of Christmas cheer. Instead, she gets a draughty disaster covered in dust, a temperamental stray dog and two devastatingly handsome men vying for her attention…
There’s Charles, the dashing English aristocrat with an enormous manor house and a heart of gold. And Ryan, a curly-haired Irish handyman with a past he won’t talk about and an accent that makes her weak at the knees.
When Charles enlists Cassie’s event-planning expertise to save his family estate, she finds herself working shoulder to shoulder with Ryan, breathing new life into Bancroft Manor. As village life weaves its spell, Cassie uncovers some intriguing secrets about Nana Nora’s past. With her return ticket looming and her heart pulling her in unexpected directions, can Cassie find the love and belonging Nana Nora always wanted for her?
Cassie O’Hara, a New York events planner, is going through a rough patch. After being left at the altar, losing her beloved Nana Nora, and coping with the fallout of COVID, she’s demoted to organizing children’s parties and is dreading the Christmas season, especially since her wedding was supposed to happen on Christmas Eve. To avoid her critical family, her best friend June suggests she escape to Ireland, Nana’s homeland.
Instead, Cassie ends up in the Cotswolds just weeks before Christmas. Her rented cottage is in poor shape, but at a local pub, she meets a charming Irishman named Ryan, a kind elderly woman named Eileen, and unexpectedly, her landlord, Charles, Lord Bancroft. Charles, apologizing for the cottage’s condition, offers her a stay at his manor, which is in financial distress.
Throughout the story, Cassie bonds with both Charles and Ryan, using her event-planning skills to help Charles revive the manor while finding healing from her heartbreak. Though her journey is full of challenges, Cassie blossoms into the person she was always meant to be.
This heartwarming Christmas story is about self-discovery and finding where you truly belong. With plenty of humor and touching moments, it’s a book you’ll want to revisit time and again.
Cordelia Franks never finishes anything and has spent a lifetime hiding in the shadows.
So, when she decides to train to swim the English Channel, she understands why no one believes she can do it. She doesn’t really believe she can either, but she’s determined to try.
As she strides into the Channel with hours stretching ahead of her, Cordelia swims against every milestone in her life so far. Every failed relationship, every friendship let go, every exam failed, every tricky job she quit. A life lived never giving it her all. Until now.
With every stroke, with every mile, Cordelia knows that this is finally her moment. Because if she keeps this promise to herself, if she doesn’t give up, nothing will ever be the same again.
And waiting in France is an unimagined future and someone who does believe in her…
Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
George Holloway is here to sell his granduncle’s house—and to reconsider whether he and his fiancée are right for each other. Amid home repairs, George notices strange noises and missing food, but as much as he gets his rental agent on the phone, Tilly dodges every invitation to meet. He’s sure that someone’s here with him, and it’s certainly not the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Future.
As Tilly and George circle each other, they both wonder where their lives are headed and if, maybe, meeting each other is just the Christmas miracle they need.
Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews is a delightful holiday romance, brimming with charm and humor. Tilly Farriday, fresh from a divorce, retreats to a rental property, only to have her peace interrupted by the arrival of George Holloway. What ensues is a playful game of hide and seek as Tilly tries to stay unnoticed while George becomes suspicious of the unusual happenings. Although the story is brief, the ending felt a bit rushed, and I wished there had been more time (and pages) dedicated to the characters reconnecting and deepening their relationship. It would have been nice to see their bond develop further. It would have been nice to see their bond develop further. This cozy novella combines comedy and romance, making it the perfect holiday escape!
Michael Woodbine was seven years old when a near-fatal fireworks accident scarred him and led to his placement in foster care. Now a college freshman, he is still trying to hide the effects of his trauma from his classmates, his adoptive family, and himself.
When Michael signs up for a film class, he meets Robert Dunning, a teacher who wears his own scars unapologetically. Robert encourages Michael to make a documentary that explores body image and self-perception. Michael places an ad seeking people who feel unattractive and rejected by society—and is surprised to learn that this is essentially everyone. Although some participants are recovering from injuries or surgeries, others are dealing with more everyday factors like aging or the changes to a body from giving birth.
As he collects these stories—and finally tells his own—Michael feels more connected to the world than he ever has before. But he knows his journey of self-acceptance has one more obstacle: his crushing doubts about why his birth parents wouldn’t fight to keep him.
So That Happened By Christy McKellen
Two strangers. One Bed…
After three months of travelling, all entrepreneur Connor Preston wants to do is return to his holiday home in the South of France, sink into his own bed and shut the world out temporarily. The last thing he expects is to find a stark-naked woman already there….
Forced by her business partner to take a break in her sumptuous French farmhouse, workaholic Josie Marchpane wasn’t anticipating company either. So imagine her shock when six foot four inches of pure muscle with a disturbingly sexy smile stranger and apparent co-owner of the house walks in and tells her to leave!
Knowing she has every right to be there, Josie stands her ground, she’s not about to give up without a fight. Because Josie plays to win. The problem? Connor does, too. And with only one bed between them, things are about to get interesting….
Closest Kept By Kitty Johnson
Best friends Lily and Inga do everything together—they even meet their future loves at the same bar. After one serendipitous night, it seems like it’s going to be Lily and Alex and Inga and Matt forever.
But life gets more complicated. A job offer moves Inga and Matt from Norwich to London. Lily, who craves stability after a traumatic childhood, is already struggling with the change when Inga confides in her a secret that could tear the group apart for good. At the same time, Lily’s friendship with Matt deepens, and she wonders if she was always meant to be with him instead of Alex.
As the two couples try to hold on to their dreams and one another, Lily’s life is further upended by the reappearance of her long-lost sister—and all the terrible truths she brings home. Lily needs her chosen family more than ever, but in order to heal the rifts, she must find the courage to be honest with herself and reveal the secrets she’s kept hidden from her loved ones for too long.
Annie is heading into the holidays alone. And as a confirmed singleton, she decides to open a shop selling the kind of treats every single woman would want to find under the tree. After all, who doesn’t like to get a ‘Premium Sensual Lifestyle Product’ for Christmas, right?
Penn is in a bind. He needs to come home for Christmas with a girl, or his parents will set him up with someone ‘suitable’. Nothing is too good for the Honourable Peregrine Burton-Edwards after all. But that’s not what Penn wants. He just wants to sell vintage records in his shop and meet a nice, normal girl.
The first time Annie and Penn meet, Annie feels a flutter in her chest – he’s tall, dark and handsome, with cheekbones you could sharpen a blade on. So when he offers to share the shop with her to save on rent, she gladly accepts.
Huge mistake… Annie and Penn are poles apart and butt heads at every turn. But with the holidays looming, Penn will soon need to ask for a big favour, and Annie, with no plans to speak of, is the only girl who can help. As the arguments get more heated, so do the sparks flying between them. Will they put their differences aside and come together? And could it be for more than just Christmas?
This is a delightful holiday rom-com, blending popular romantic tropes into a heartwarming story. It follows Annie, selling her mother’s failed MLM products, and Penn, a musician selling vintage records, as they share a pop-up shop space. The story explores fake dating, enemies to lovers, and grumpy x sunshine dynamics, with forced proximity playing a key role in their budding romance.
Though the novel starts with a memorable meet-cute, it loses momentum early on, only picking up after the fake dating plot kicks in around 40%. The festive holiday backdrop adds charm, complementing the cozy romantic atmosphere. A standout feature is the mystery of who’s sabotaging the pop-up shop, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative.
While the pacing struggles initially, the chemistry between Annie and Penn, their witty banter, and gradual softening toward each other make up for it. In the end, “Stuck Together” delivers humor, mystery, and romance, making it a satisfying and enjoyable read.
When Nancy opened her dream bookshop overlooking the golden sands and shimmering waters of Driftwood Bay, she may have taken on a little too much. She might know all about books, but doesn’t know the first thing about business! She did however, want to do something meaningful with the inheritance money she got from her beloved Aunty Theresa.
When Dennis, visiting grandson of one of her dearest friends, offers to help, Nancy knows she can’t say no. Dennis is a high-flying businessman, with a fancy London job and a successful banking portfolio to prove it.
Trouble is, he makes the worst first impression. Nothing short of an insufferable know-it-all, Dennis takes every opportunity to remind her how out of her depth she is.
But Nancy knows her strengths, and just as much as she needs Dennis, he needs her too. There’s plenty she can teach him, and the more she shows off her world of Driftwood Bay, where the pace of life is slower and the morning sunrises are the most beautiful thing you can witness, perhaps they could become more than just business partners?
Nancy finally achieves her dream of opening a bookshop after receiving an inheritance from her Aunt. However, she soon realizes that running a business isn’t easy—more money is going out than coming in. Enter Dennis, a business analyst temporarily staying with his outspoken grandmother, Vi. Despite an initial attraction between Nancy and Dennis, they are polar opposites: Nancy is a dreamer who believes in fate, while Dennis is practical and focused on maximizing profits. Their first meeting doesn’t go well, but Dennis has a personal reason for wanting to help Nancy turn her struggling bookshop around.
As their relationship develops, deeper issues from their pasts emerge, causing tension between them. Nancy’s brother adds to the stress, having been kicked out of his house again, reinforcing Nancy’s doubts about relationships and their ability to work. Despite this, the residents of Driftwood Bay, a close-knit community, step in to help where they can, adding warmth and support to the story.
With humor, heartfelt moments, and a few chuckle-worthy scenes, the book delves into themes of personal growth, overcoming past hurts, and finding new ways to navigate life. Nancy’s journey is beautifully intertwined with creative ideas for her bookshop, and the community’s efforts to help her match her free-spirited approach to life. This novel offers a charming mix of romance, reflection, and community spirit, making it a delightful read for fans of contemporary fiction.
My Sanctuary 