Happy Publication Day – 6 January 2025

A Love Like No Other By Kate Frost

Four women struggle with their life choices and the hand fate has dealt them…

All Pippa Green has ever wanted is marriage and kids, but at thirty-four and about to embark on IVF, her dream of having a family is far from certain.

Pippa’s younger sister Georgie has the opposite problem, juggling her career, her lover, a young daughter and a husband who wants baby number two. She seems to have it all. But does she?

Carefree Sienna, Pippa’s best friend, is happy travelling the world with her successful career in film, however, long term boyfriend Ashton is desperate for Sienna to commit to their future. When mother nature has a surprise, will it make or break them?

Happily married Connie shares her fertility journey with Pippa, but while their blossoming friendship is cemented through the highs and lows of shared experiences, Connie underestimates the impact being unable to conceive will have on her and her marriage.

As their lives collide in a way they could never have predicted, will any of them find lasting happiness?

If We Could Turn Back Time By Sian O’Gorman

Three generations; Two families; One secret.

After another relationship disaster Alice Littleton returns home to spend summer in Dublin’s Sandycove with her Mum, Ciara and beloved grandmother Eva at their family deli and grocers.

As Alice settles back into her old life with best friend Becca and her new boyfriend Conal Blake, she begins to fall in love with the comings and goings of their family shop and once more enjoying the rhythms of Irish life.

Meanwhile her mother Ciara, is consumed with running the family deli. Single and with mid-life looming, she feels life is passing her by until best friend Mary-Marg suggests they restart the disco they used to run as teenagers. Could this be what Sandycove’s millennials need or will there be murder on the dancefloor?

But it seems that all small-towns have their fair share of secrets and the past will always catch up with you.

Why does Conal’s grandmother insist on meeting Alice and what happened between her and Eva?

And why hasn’t Ciara spoken to Conal’s father, Paddy, for thirty years?

Is it time for the truth to be told so they can change their future?

Happy Publication Day – 2 January 2025

Forever Love At Wildflower lock By Hannah Lynn

It’s time to meet the family…

Daisy May thought she had everything figured out. After successfully establishing her coffee shop at the idyllic Wildflower Lock and with things going well with charming Theo, she was ready to embrace her happily ever after. But when Theo pops the question, the happiness is overtaken by worries.

Because meeting Theo’s family for the first time is not accompanied by the warm welcome she hoped for. Theo’s parents disapprove of her and they have no qualms in showing it. And when they reveal secrets about Theo’s past, Daisy is left in a spiral.

As insecurities creep in, and with even her own mother expressing her doubts, Daisy begins to question her future with Theo.

Will love conquer all, or will she give in to her fears and cancel the wedding?

Happy Publication Day – 24 December 2034

The Twins That Bind By Jackie Ashenden

Claiming his two heirs…
with one diamond!

Preschool teacher Nell Underwood’s pulse is racing as she makes an agonizing confession to Aristophanes Katsaros: their intoxicating encounter left her pregnant—with twins! But the Greek’s marriage demand shocks her to her core. She knows firsthand that babies deserve love, not convenience.

No isn’t a word billionaire Aristophanes is used to. Haunted by his own childhood abandonment, he’s determined to claim his heirs. Yet using their blistering attraction to persuade Nell to accept his proposal proves futile—she wants more. Can Aristophanes unlock the chains that have forever surrounded his heart?

Redeeming The Past By Linda Goodnight

Can repairing an old house…

Open the door to a new love?

To make amends for his misspent youth, bodyguard John-Parker Wisdom vows to turn his late foster mom’s property into a home for neglected teenage boys. Only there’s a catch—unexpected co-heir Zoey Chavez. The pretty widow needs the house proceeds to support her children, and she won’t let a former bad boy stand in her way. Now they have three months to agree on a plan or forfeit their shared inheritance. But when John-Parker’s past complicates things as the deadline looms near, will they risk everything for a chance at a forever partnership?

Love Letters From Her Cowboy By Sasha Summers

He may be an aloof cowboy…

But still waters run deep!

Practical cowboy Dougal McCarrick sure didn’t believe in things like love at first sight. But the moment he sets eyes on Emory Swanson and the injured dog she’s rescuing, Dougal can’t help but be captivated by the beautiful Granite Falls newcomer with the mournful eyes. So much so that the shy rancher pours his feelings out in letters. Racked with guilt over her husband’s death, Emory’s still paying penance for the past. Why does she deserve the beautiful words of a mysterious cowboy poet? Dougal may just be the one to melt the ice from her heart…and in the process, capture his own elusive and forever love. 

A Match For The Sheriff By Lisa Childs

The sheriff vows to find the truth…

But will it be worth the cost?

Sheriff Marsh Cassidy suspects his dad’s nurse, Sarah Reynolds, knows something about the fire at his family ranch. It’s his job and his family duty to find the truth, but he’s torn between finding answers and his growing feelings for Sarah and little Mikey. Sarah would do anything to protect her son, and it’ll take more than a white hat to gain her trust. When the truth about the fire finally comes out, will Marsh and Sarah lose everything…or find a way to have it all?

Beauty And The Brooding CEO By Juliette Hyland

TALE AS OLD AS TIME…

Trekking through snow to a billionaire’s secluded mountainous estate isn’t what art conservationist Cora expected when she took the job. However, the chance to review Everett Winthrope’s private collection—fulfilling her father’s final wish—is far too tempting… And, despite his scars, the brooding CEO is even more so! As her boss, he’s completely off-limits, but that doesn’t stop Cora’s pulse from racing. Yet it’s clear Everett’s fortress hides more than just himself. Could unveiling who he really is help him step out of the shadows…and into a future with Cora?

Stuck In The Country With You By Zuri Day

She’s packing her bags—and her baggage.

Ten years ago, Genesis Washington made a very poor decision. At the time, it seemed great. Fantastic. Explosive. But the truth is, your one-night rebound should never be your younger brother’s rival. And he definitely shouldn’t be someone who allegedly only slept with you to gain the upper hand—even if the sex was amazing.

Now Genesis is blindsided when the farm she’s inherited just happens to be right next door to Jaxson King, the regrettable one-night stand she’s still painfully attracted to. This man has aged like the finest of wines, and what’s worse, he’s now a thoughtful and responsible father. Good thing Genesis has a (*cough* long-distance *cough*) boyfriend. Well, sort of. It’s complicated.

Jaxson and his hotness should be easy enough to ignore. But when city-girl Genesis discovers there’s a serious learning curve to her humble new home, it’s Jaxson who’s there to lend a very skilled helping hand. With every problem that arises, Jaxson is seemingly making all the right moves—both on the farm and when things heat up behind closed doors. But, surely, that doesn’t mean he’s right for Genesis, does it?

Love In Translation By Joss Wood

Up until a few months ago, Rheo Whitlock had it all. Stability, self-confidence and a safe job as an interpreter for the United Nations… It was the predictable sort of existence she, as a dedicated homebody, had always dreamed of—the security she’d needed thanks to her nomadic #vanlife upbringing. But ever since an unfortunate “hot mic” moment threw her career into a tailspin, she’s been struggling—really struggling—with fear, anxiety and uncertainty. A calculated escape is in order, and Rheo knows just the place: her grandmother’s secluded hideaway in the breathtaking town of Gilmartin.

Except she won’t be alone, thanks to a random twist of fate…

Fletcher Wright lives for adrenaline, always chasing the next high. So when he learns he’ll have to share his rental accommodations with Rheo—a stranger, basically—he simply chalks it up to another challenge. It doesn’t hurt that there’s an immediate attraction between them, which neither can explain. Before long, they’re not just sharing a house and new experiences—they’re sharing a bed. But when it’s time for Fletcher to move on to the next adventure, he and Rheo will both have to decide—are they ready to take the biggest risk of all?

Tracking Down The Lawman’s Son By Delores Fossen

A lawman will cross every line

To bring his missing baby home

When Bree McCullough narrowly escapes an attack on her life, Deputy Luca Vanetti rushes to his ex-lover’s side. But the worst is yet to come. When their two-month-old son is kidnapped, Luca and Bree must put their painful history aside and work together to bring Gabriel home. The truth could lie in Bree’s own past and her investigation into her father’s unsolved murder. As the violence escalates, Luca vows to protect Bree and their baby against an unseen threat…and a plot to silence them forever.

A Vet To Heal His Heart By Caroline Anderson

RESISTING HIS UNEXPECTED HOUSEGUEST

Vet Ellie has arrived in Yoxburgh with no job, no home and a sick dog. Finding herself on the doorstep of gorgeous local vet Hugo, she begs him to save her adorable Lola. He does her one better, offering Ellie a role at his practice and a room above his own! Brokenhearted Hugo isn’t looking for a relationship. He’s suffered too much loss already. But working—plus living—together puts temptation repeatedly in his path. Because there’s something special about Ellie… Could she help him to finally move on from his grief and forge a future with her?

Colton’s K- 9 Rescue By Colleen Thompson

Justice awaits a serial killer…

With a K-9 team in hot pursuit.

To search-and-rescuer Malcolm Colton, hunting the fugitive who terrorized his family is worth any risk on a stormy mountainside. But when his trusty K-9 follows a scent, he’s stunned to encounter Giselle Dowling, the celebrity ghostwriter with whom he shares a past tragedy and personal trauma. It’s a bittersweet reunion as the estranged pair decide to work together to stop the killer. As their search brings them closer to the cult leader who threatens the Colton family, Giselle and Malcolm find themselves falling for each other. Can Malcolm’s K-9 help them bring down the killer and lead them to a future filled with promise?

Happy Publication Day – 17 December 2024

Between Now And Forever By Adriana Locke

When Gabrielle Solomon falls, she falls hard. Even if that means literally toppling over a porch railing in nothing but a flimsy towel—right in front of her sexy new neighbor.

Jay Stetson is 100 percent hero material with those arms, that chest, and his deliciously oh-so-sexy smirk. The chiseled hunk in flannel has an irresistible off-limits attitude while plucking Gabrielle out of the bushes and saving her from a snake. Unfortunately, he’s not indulging in what Gabrielle is offering—not with his emotional train wreck of a past.

Just neighbors. Just friends. Or so he says.

Secretly, he’s smitten with the single, fierce mama bear of two who plays Miss Fix-It at the house next door. He doesn’t even really mind the noise or the chaos her young sons cause. What he does mind is how his lonely heart races when looking into her emerald-colored eyes.

Can Jay let his painful memories go, or will he let the woman of his dreams slip between his fingers?

Happy Publication Day – 12 December 2024

Sisters And Husbands By Amanda Brookfield

Ever since the death of their father twenty years before, beautiful thirty-two-year-old Anna has acted as her younger sister Becky’s support, playing the peace-maker in her stormy relationship with their mother, and counselling her through the traumas of a life that has always appeared charmless and problematic in comparison to her own.

Now married to wealthy, handsome David Lawrence, with a luxurious country home and a successful career in broadcasting, Anna’s good fortune looks set to continue. But when she unexpectedly falls pregnant and Becky’s marriage runs into trouble, the door to the sisters past suddenly swings open, exploding all their long-held perceptions both of each other and themselves.

Happy Publication Day – 10 December 2024

Not In My Book By Katie Holt

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian American, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must cowrite a novel that blends their genres. 

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.

Happy Publication Day – 5 December 2024

Reunited At The Lakeside Cottage By Erin Green

Welcome back to the Lakeside Cottage . . .a place to come together, or be driven further apart?

It’s that week between Christmas and New Year, and sisters Kate and Selena, and their friend Paisley, are meeting for an all-girls mini-break – no men allowed. But AffieCarlos and Joseph have a similar idea, involving a sports channel, plenty of beer, and absolutely no women. 

Somehow, there’s been a double booking.

Paisley just wants to escape her worries, to recharge and reset for the coming year. The last thing she needs is complications. 

Kate, the elder sister, is a people pleaser, used to making things run smoothly for her CEO boss, but even she can’t fix this, can she?

Selena, meanwhile, may have a hugely successful career and be about to turn thirty, but she’s her own worst enemy, and, as per usual, this mess may well be her fault…

To make matters worse, Paisley and Joseph have history. 

Can the six of them find a way to navigate nearly a week together? Can the past be left behind and a new future found?

Reach For The Stars By Maxine Morrey

Felicity was never meant to end up with a money-pit farmhouse to renovate and a broken heart to heal…

But when Fliss attempts to drown the sorrow of seeing her ex-fiancé and his new wife’s magazine-worthy wedding all over social media, one rash decision loses her a job and gains her a doer-upper in the blink of an eye.

The only bright spot of living in the country is the very dishy and very handy loveliest-man-ever Jesse Woods. And when Fliss’s new roof has an ill-advised meeting with a tree in the middle of the night resulting in her literally seeing stars, there’s only one thing for it. She’s going to have to accept Jesse’s help and a place to stay.

City girl Fliss is at rock bottom but if anyone can teach her to turn her gaze from the gutter to the stars it’s Jesse Woods. She’s been burnt trusting men before, but Jesse may just be worth breaking her own rules for…

On The Rocks By Leslie North

Crafting signature cocktails is my passion.Mixing things up with my oh-so-hot, mega-successful ex?A surefire recipe for the world’s most epic hangover.
I only agreed to compete in this mixology contest for one reason.To raise money so I can open my own speakeasy.And I have to admit, it’s a blast…until I see him.
Aiden Calihan. Heartbreaker extraordinaire. Grumpzilla.And now the billionaire owner of a luxury liquor brand.I’d love nothing more than to douse him with a Dirty Shirley.
Then, he goes and insults my already injured pride.The sculpted scumbag doesn’t even recognize me!And he expects me to flog his overpriced booze during the contest?
Oh, hell no!I’d rather drink bottom shelf bourbon from a broken glass.
But then he offers me a job I’d have to be punch-drunk to refuse.Create the perfect nonalcoholic drink.A gig that will fast-track my speakeasy dream.
With any luck, I won’t have to see much of the Grouch King.That is, until he starts invading my dreams.And like an alcoholic craving one more sip, I might be spiraling toward a romantic relapse…

Happy Publication Day – 2 December 2024

The Silver – Haired Sisterhood By Judy Leigh

Five years after seventy-something Tess jetted off to Paris with her best friends, Jen, Rose, Della and Pam – the Five French Hens – for Jen’s hen do, a lot has changed. Prospective groom Eddie has been given the heave-ho, Tess’s husband has been sent packing and the Hens are making the most of their golden years.

But Tess is stuck in a rut. Rather than embrace her independence, she watches on as Rose wows Paris, Jen explores Iceland and Pam heads to Greece. But when tragedy strikes Della, Tess is shaken into action. They both need a change of scenery and longing to see the Northern Lights, they head to the Highlands of Scotland and the magical Isle of Skye.

There Tess and Della get more than they bargained for. Along with stunning scenery and breathtaking history, they find new friends, grand adventures and even romance. And when they’re joined by the other Hens, together they start plotting a fabulous new future for them all.

The Girl With The Irish Secret By Susanne O’Leary

Staring up at the magnificent, rose-covered walls of her grandmother’s house, Violet Fleury isn’t sure she’ll be welcome inside. After running from her hometown in Ireland to follow her dreams of acting, she’s back to play Irish legend, Kathleen O’Sullivan, in a local film. She’s vowed to tell the story of the woman her village are so proud of – and to build bridges with the family she drifted away from. But will they give her a second chance?

Violet’s sisters might be hesitant, but whilst helping with her sweet young nieces and nephews, Violet feels closer to them than ever before. Then Violet’s leading man, dangerously handsome Jack Montgomery, arrives in the peaceful countryside. The instant chemistry between them is as fiery as Violet’s flaming red hair… and discovering stories about Kathleen from the locals, Violet sees Jack’s kindness too. He even wins over Violet’s sisters. Could he help stitch their family back together?

But when Violet finds dusty, handwritten notes from Kathleen in her research, she wonders if this legendary woman was the heroine everyone thinks. And when Jack pulls out of the film, Violet is heartbroken. The villagers, and Violet’s whole family, are in awe of Kathleen’s story – and Violet had even started to imagine staying in Ireland. But without Jack by her side, could these secrets destroy the town’s reputation, and the second chance she’s been dreaming of?

Happy Publication Day – 28 November 2024

The Do – Over By Phoebe MacLeod

Thea Rogers has dedicated her life to her career in corporate law. Apart from her colleague and long-time friend-with-benefits Alasdair, she’s forgone friendships and relationships, and now she’s on track to become her firm’s youngest ever female partner. She should be ecstatic. But when a senior partner dies unexpectedly, Thea realises the people at his funeral are only there out of duty. Suddenly, Thea can’t shake the question: if she disappeared tomorrow, would anyone care?

As the life choices she’s made suddenly make less and less sense, Thea is forced to make a decision. Stick with the original plan or take a completely different path.

Thea has a chance to do it right this time, and fill her world with the things that matter. But can people really change? And once life starts looking up, why does it feel like there’s something… or someone she can’t seem to replace?

Happy Publication Day – 26 November 2024

Church Girl By Naima Simone

What’s a bad boy to do with a woman like her?

Everything

Aaliyah Montgomery isn’t just ditching her wedding. She’s also fleeing her suffocating small town and her family’s expectations. She’s got plans—for college, for finding herself. But landing a job in Chicago that fits her schedule isn’t easy. Good thing Von Howard is desperate to find a live-in nanny. Bad thing that he’s a gritty, grumpy, gorgeous tattoo artist carrying as much baggage as he has ink.

Von’s new hire is inexperienced and a fire hazard in the kitchen. She’s also all thick curls, thicker curves, and a distracting mix of innocence and sensuality. After the upheaval of a divorce, he just needs a nanny, not a sneaky link. Meanwhile, Aaliyah is bonding with his seven-year-old and showing an unexpected flair for tattoo art. Who could resist?

Yet deep down, Aaliyah’s still running—from her feelings and her fear of losing herself to someone else’s expectations again. Even as their pasts return to haunt them, their undeniable heat says maybe it’s time to stand and fight for a love they didn’t see coming.

A Cowgirl’s Christmas Reunion By Cari Lynn Webb

Everything is riding on Christmas…

Especially second chances

Ten years ago, former trick rider Willow Blackwell gave up on Christmas miracles…along with the idea of family and even love. But this year, the ghosts of Christmas past have reared up. Willow has one chance to perform with her sisters—the Blackwell Belles—and prove she’s the riding star she was born to be. But coming face-to-face with her ex, champion bull rider Nolan Elliot, is one reunion she’s not prepared for. It’s the ultimate holiday do-over. But is Willow finally leaving the past behind…or finding the love she was always meant to have?

The Grump Whisperer By Katy James

Horse barn manager Bronwen Jones is just about at her wit’s end. The barn is under new ownership, and things are going downhill fast. Now the situation is dire: bills are unpaid, they’re low on feed and hay, and the mountain of manure is the stuff of nightmares.

Which is when he arrives. Former show jumper Ian Kingston is an absolutely gorgeous wreck of a man with a deep scowl. He had the career she always dreamed of—until his most recent injury destroyed any hope of professional riding. Ian wants nothing to do with Bronwen, the responsibilities for horses or anything that reminds him of what he’s lost.

Only, Bronwen isn’t about to let their resident Mr. Rochester off easy. Not when there are horses that need tending. And when a glorious but skittish stallion arrives, Bronwen and Ian are forced to work together—even as attraction crackles between them. Both must face the pile of crap that’s keeping them from moving forward…and the outcome may be the greatest ride of their lives.

Rediscovering Christmas By Mindy Obenhaus

She feels she’s lost everything…

Will love give her hope?

When a wildfire destroys her home, widowed schoolteacher Tori Stallings finds herself unexpectedly living with her mother- and brother-in-law—and struggling with her faith. With everything Tori owns consumed by the blaze, Micah vows to help his late brother’s wife and son rebuild their lives. The two of them have always been friends, but living under the same roof has their friendship turning into something more. Can love bloom amid tragic loss and shaken beliefs, and give them a fresh start for Christmas?

Family Of Three Under The Tree By Traci Douglass

AN UNEXPECTED GIFT IN THEIR STOCKING

Radiologist Riley isn’t interested in romance. After an accident left her in a wheelchair, she’ll prove she doesn’t need anyone’s help—especially neurosurgeon Sam’s. But despite his being infuriatingly gorgeous, she can’t knock her new research partner’s commitment to their study. Single dad Sam’s still fighting his grief and is hell-bent on curing the disease that stole his wife. Yet he can’t stop thinking about Riley…or the way his little girl lights up around her. With their undeniable attraction growing, could a family of three top their Christmas lists?

Taken At Christmas By Jodie Bailey

Keeping a little girl safe

means trusting no one…

When ex-deputy Mia Galloway is assaulted and threatened at her town’s Christmas parade, she’s convinced her adopted daughter is also in danger. Mia is rescued just in time by investigator Hayden McGrath, her late husband’s best friend, who vows to protect Mia and Ruthie. And the stakes only get higher when Ruthie’s birth mother is found murdered. Someone desperately wants this child, and they’ll stop at nothing to get her. With time running out, uncovering the truth is Hayden and Mia’s only hope of saving an innocent child…

Pregnant Enemy Christmas Bride By Maisey Yates

It’s cold outside…
but they’re playing with fire!

CEO Florence Clare’s relationship with Hades Achelleos is…complicated. By day, her corporate enemy is the devil himself, their rivalry a thing of headline-grabbing legend. By night, they indulge in a clandestine affair. Equally brilliant, equally headstrong, they are one another’s forbidden rebellion…

Hades is fire personified, and Florence has always known their entanglement becoming public would be disastrous. But this Christmas, two little lines threaten to reveal her darkest secret—she’s pregnant. And the paparazzi sense scandal when the Greek tycoon announces his shocking new bride-to-be…

Christmas Bride’s Stand-In Groom By Sophie Pembroke

SOMEONE BORROWED, SOMEONE NEW…?

Conveniently marrying her best friend will give florist Millie the child she craves. Yet when her husband-to-be is called away on business, best man Giles comes to the rescue… Giles doesn’t believe in marriage. He’s learned the hard way that women only want his wealth. But this pre-Christmas rehearsal isn’t real, so he’ll happily step in for practice “I dos.” Trouble is, there’s nothing fake about the connection between this bride and her stand-in groom… With the big day looming, dare they speak now and find forever—together?

Fortune’s Holiday Surprise By Jennifer Wilck

He’d lost the holiday spirit…

Until she brought light back into his life.

Rancher Arlo Fortune is devastated when he loses his best friend in a tragic accident. The only thing that heals him is opening his heart to his friend’s adorable daughter, Aviva…and his friend’s grieving sister-in-law, the brand-new guardian to the orphaned child. Carrie Kaplan has one mission: to lavish her niece with love in a Jewish home like her sister always wanted. Her stop in Chatelaine is only temporary. Right? But as she teaches Aviva about the miracle of Hanukkah, holiday magic might just beckon from Arlo’s ranch around the bend…

Second – Chance Bodyguard By Patricia Sargeant

He needs her help…
And he wants her love.

Hezekiah Touré cares about two things: looking after his younger brothers and managing the Touré Security Group. To protect his family, he agrees to go into hiding with Celeste Jarrett after a serial killer threat. As a private investigator, Celeste has information Zeke’s family can use. As a woman he tried to love, she’s always been hard to reach. Sharing a safe house might lead to sharing her bed, but can he convince her to trust him? Or will the wounds she suffered in the past drive them apart again?

Still The One By Aimee Brown

Eve Cassidy thought Guy Foster was the only man she would ever love. Theirs was a whirlwind romance and marriage – until it all ended in tears…

Five years after their break-up, Eve still hasn’t found a reason to believe in true love. But when Foster has an accident and she discovers she’s still listed as his next of kin, Eve knows she can’t let him wake up in hospital with no one by his side. After all, those devilishly blue eyes have always been hard to say no to…

Foster isn’t sure if his poor battered brain is playing tricks on him when he sees the only woman he’s ever loved sitting next to his bedside. Maybe Eve never got over him like he never got over her? And when Eve agrees to him moving into her one-bedroom apartment to recover, it’s clear these exes have unfinished business.

Will weeks in close quarters be the making or breaking of this smouldering second chance love story? Up close and personal, old habits can be hard to break.