Publication Day – Page 8

Happy Publication Day – 16 October 2025

Settle For More By Campbell Linden

Tess Hughes thought she’d traded in small-town gossip for the bright lights of Los Angeles. But when her estranged uncle leaves her a gift shop in Danville Falls, she’s forced back to the town she couldn’t wait to escape, and into the heart of everything she left behind.

Moving home at forty-five isn’t exactly a dream come true. Sharing her old bedroom with memories of her teenage years is hard enough, and running into Will Sampson makes it harder still. The boy who once overlooked her is now a divorced contractor with a steady business, a quick smile, and an undeniable pull she never expected.

When Tess hires Will to renovate her shop, their working relationship sparks into something neither of them can ignore. Late-night talks turn into stolen kisses, and soon Tess begins to wonder if home might be more than a place she left behind. But Will has no plans to leave Danville Falls, and Tess still believes her life is waiting in California.

As family tensions rise, an old rivalry stirs up trouble, and her new business comes under threat, Tess must choose between the future she always imagined and the love that could change everything.

Happy Publication Day – 15 October 2025

Playing For Possession By Sasha Lace

“You don’t have to follow other people’s rules all the time.”

“And you don’t have to break them all the time either.”

Joanie

People assume Joanie’s a nepo baby, but they have no idea how hard she’s worked to get back on the pitch after injury.

She just wants to play football. The last thing she needs is to film an ad in Menorca with Kieran Earnshaw, the men’s team bad boy.

Kieran is gorgeous, though—and he seems different with her. Maybe it’s time this good girl finally experimented with her wild side…?

Kieran

Joanie’s dad is on the board. He’s warned Kieran off his daughter, but wants him to watch out for her on their trip. He can get Kieran on the England squad, his lifelong dream, so he’ll have to play by the rules—just this once.

Quiet Joanie likes to stay in the background. But Kieran’s realized anyone overlooking this woman is making a mistake. She’s the total package, beautiful inside and out.

He knows what he wants on and off the pitch—and he always plays to win. He’s risking everything, but sometimes opposites attract. And together, he reckons they could rewrite the whole rulebook…

Anyone But You By Olivia Spring

They say opposites attract… right?

Ex-rock star Jake used to have it all. But a fall from grace has left him with a career in tatters. Trying to salvage his reputation, his agent suggests a trip to sunny California’s brand new five-star Love Hotel. The plan is to instigate a fake whirlwind social media romance to reignite his star power. Simple. Except, Jake barely knows how to use a hashtag. And he’s definitely not looking for love.

Looking for a second chance at finding true love, Halle has categorically sworn off musicians and social media after a painful break-up. So, when matched with notorious bad boy Jake, they’re a dating disaster waiting to happen, right?

Jake’s here for the clicks. Halle is craving a connection. ¬ Except the Love Hotel’s matchmaking team are the experts for a reason. And after two weeks of forced proximity in paradise, Halle and Jake discover that the pairing which at first seemed so wrong starts to feel so right…

Happy Publication Day – 12 October 2025

The Monday Night Heartbreak Club By Jane Lovering

Is your love life a bit of a disaster? You’re not alone…

When Fee finds herself drunk, dumped and directionless on Valentine’s Day, she stumbles across a flyer for a new club, for people united by heartbreak. Intrigued, she joins a motley group of strangers at a quiet Yorkshire wine bar the following Monday night.

There’s Margot, in the middle of a bitter divorce;

Annie, whose husband of forty years she suspects is having an affair;

Wren, quietly nursing her own romantic regrets;

and Fraser, who may have mistaken the group for a dating opportunity.

But what begins as a weekly wallow soon becomes something more, especially when the club starts an undercover operation to discover the truth about Annie’s husband and his infidelity.

For Fee, who’s only just holding on to any self-worth she had left, the Monday Night Heartbreak Club offers something she never expected: purpose, friendship and maybe even a fresh start.

And then there’s Flynn, the sarcastic bartender who might just see the real Fee beneath the chaos.

Happy Publication Day – 10 October 2025

The Old Gals’ Bucket List By Karen King

It’s been eight months since Sandra lost her beloved husband, and she knows something has to change. Her son wants her to sell up her home and move into a retirement apartment, close to him. But she doesn’t feel ready for that yet.

Then she bumps into her old friend Patti, heading off to get her first tattoo. Patti explains she’s beaten cancer and now she’s ready to make every second count… And – sitting down for a cuppa and a slice of cake – the women land on the perfect idea – a bucket list!

As they set out to fulfil dreams, overcome fears, and have the adventure of their lives, their lives intertwine with others who feel the same, including Mary and her anxious husband…

Happy Publication Day – 9 October 2025

A Rookie Mistake By Laura Carter

It was all part of the game plan – so why are their hearts offside?

Kansas Harris – Sas for short – has the potential to be the best agent at her father’s sports agency, and she’s figured out exactly how she’s going to prove that: by giving disgraced football star Colton Quinn an image overhaul.

Colton may have got himself in hot water during the off-season, but only he knows the real story behind what happened. Regardless, he needs to pick up his game or risk getting left off the active roster – or worse.

Leaving behind all she knows in New York, Sas arrives in Texas with a surefire plan to save Colton’s career as quickly as possible. But when she gets to know the real Colton, that may be easier said than done.

She says she’s staying in the south strictly as his agent but Colton knows how to read a play and he’s about to call her bluff.

Christmas At Hollybush Farm By Jo Thomas

Jemima Jones is driving home to her family’s magical hill-top farm for Christmas…

And on arrival, she soon learns that her dad has been keeping a secret – all is not as it seems, and Hollybush Farm is struggling to make ends meet! Worried about losing the childhood home she loves, Jemima must pull on her winter wellies and get stuck in.

Amid the chaos of chasing after escaping sheep and organising the Christmas tractor run, Jemima begins documenting her slice of farming life on social media. As she builds a supportive online following, she also forms an offline connection in the shape of charming, retired rugby player Llew, her very own Santa’s helper.

With a sprinkle of festive cheer and a dash of goodwill, might the community pull together to help save the farm in time for Christmas?

Christmas At The French Repair Shop By Sophie Claire

❄️ Can they patch up their broken hearts this Christmas?❄️

Christmas in the picturesque village of Willowbrook should be dreamy – twinkling fairylights, snow in the air, and a busy time for Amélie in the repair workshop she owns, restoring furniture and mending treasured objects for locals to give as Christmas gifts. But in the tiny community, Amélie keeps bumping into her ex, Jack – and it’s killing her festive feeling.

Jack and Amélie were perfect for each other… until one day they weren’t. And when Jack’s attempt at reconciliation goes wrong, he finds himself locked in Amélie’s van.

Driving to her aunt’s house in the South of France, Amélie thinks she’s finally going to get some peace over the festive period, but like it or not, she’ll now be spending Christmas trapped on holiday with Jack. Could it help unwrap the secret to why they split up? Or will it be a gift they’d rather exchange?

Christmas Fling By Lindsey Kelk

One fake romance. One magical Christmas. One chance to fall in love.

Laura was all set for a quiet solo Christmas – just her, a bottle of wine, and flat-sitting for a stranger. But when the stranger’s parents mistake her for his mystery girlfriend, she’s swept off to the snowy Scottish Highlands with Callum and his whole family.

Between the cosy sleeper train, charming pubs and breathtaking views, this could be the no-strings-attached Christmas of Laura’s dreams.

But stranger Callum is hot, hilarious and their ‘fake’ chemistry is off the charts.

So is this just a Christmas fling? Or the start of something more?

A New Life In Amsterdam By Helga Jensen

Could down-sizing her life mean up-sizing her dreams?

Since her daughter grew up and left home, Sandy has found herself filling her house with things – impulse purchases that she just has to have but that quickly lose their sheen. Why would she need an expensive set of copper pans when she has no one to cook for?

Realising that her shopping habit is out of control, she asks herself: can she de-clutter, downsize and start a new life?

She has always wanted to live on a barge, and she reasons that there is no way she would have room for random purchases on a boat. Taking the bravest decision of her life, Sandy buys and refurbishes a barge in the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

Relishing her independence, she is not looking for love, but as the nights draw in and the leaves start to fall from the trees, she finds herself drawn to cafe owner and expert hot chocolate maker Abe.

Is she willing to take a second chance on finding the one?

Happy Publication Day – 8 October 2025

One December Morning By Emma Davies

One chance meeting. Two strangers. And a sprinkling of Christmas magic…

Fifty-five-year-old Peg has been lonely for as long as she can remember. As she battles through traffic while the snow softly falls around her, the best she can hope for is to get home for Christmas safely, and to spend it wrapped in a blanket by a roaring open fire in her tumbledown cottage in the Cotswolds. Little does she know that everything is about to change…

Because Henry is also stuck on the road, and when their cars come to a complete standstill, he and Peg strike up a conversation over a homemade mince pie and a flask of hot tea. Towering over Peg, his navy waffle-knit jumper charmingly threadbare at the elbows, he chats effortlessly. With his tortoiseshell glasses pushed back into his mass of curly dark hair, Henry makes Peg laugh, and the two click. As something shifts, Peg realises that it’s been a long time since she smiled like this.

Peg discovers that Henry is single too, but he’s off to grit his teeth through the forced jollity of another family Christmas with his insufferably perfect daughter-in-law in the next village. Before they get a chance to exchange numbers, the traffic starts to move and Peg and Henry are wrenched apart…

She doesn’t expect to see him again. But then, days later, there’s a knock on Peg’s door: Henry needs her help. In an instant, she knows this will be a Christmas she’ll never forget, in ways she could never have imagined. Can she let herself get involved and risk being vulnerable, or will she shy away?

Peg doesn’t open her heart to anyone. But can the magic of Christmas persuade her to give it to someone special…?

A Scottish Christmas Hideaway By Ellie Henderson

One snowy village. Two guarded hearts. A Christmas they’ll never forget.

After a year of burying her heartbreak in endless work, Jessica Stewart returns to her childhood home in the Scottish village of Rowan Bay. She hopes the Christmas lights and familiar faces will help her rediscover the woman she used to be.

She doesn’t expect Reuben Campbell.

Once her brother’s infuriating best friend — the boy who teased her endlessly — Reuben is now a ruggedly handsome architect with an easy charm. And he’s suddenly everywhere Jessica turns.

As the village prepares for Christmas, Jessica and Reuben find themselves sharing frost-bitten walks, fairy-lit evenings and gingerbread house disasters. The spark between them is impossible to ignore and Reuben’s steady presence begins to melt the walls Jessica has spent so long building.

But Jessica came home to escape complications — and Reuben, for all his warmth, is hiding heartbreak and secrets of his own.

Happy Publication Day – 7 October 2025

The Holiday Hookup List By Alexis Daria

Valencia

After calling it quits with my cheating fiancé, I’m definitely not feeling the Christmas spirit this year. But when my best friend invites me to a holiday dance party, I show up ready to shake my ass. Except I must be on Santa’s naughty list, because who do I run into? My infuriatingly sexy high school archnemesis, Gideon Noble. The pulsing music, red and green strobe lights, and Gideon’s bitable bottom lip make me reckless, so I drag him onto the dance floor. And then? I take him home with me.

Gideon

If this is my second chance with Valencia, I’m not wasting it. We’re both alone this Christmas, so we create a naughty and nice list that would make Santa blush: twelve days of wholesome yuletide cheer, and twelve nights decking each other’s halls.

As Christmas Eve, and the end of our list, approaches, I realize that twelve days with Valencia Torres isn’t enough. I want forever. But does she?

Happy Publication Day – 6 October 2025

Suddenly Mine By Katie Evergreen

This Christmas, love is the best surprise of all . . .

Merry Sinclair used to adore Christmas — until heartbreak ruined her holiday spirit. Working in New York’s famously festive Carroll’s Department Store over the holidays is not helping matters. Until she meets new employee Christian, whose easy confidence and deep chestnut eyes make her heart skip.

Estranged heir to a global empire, Christian Carroll hasn’t set foot inside his family’s store in years. But when his father tells him the company’s struggling, he reluctantly agrees to return, on one condition — he’ll work undercover as a janitor.

The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of the charming and quirky store-greeter he can’t seem to stay away from.

As Merry and Christian grow closer, their connection becomes undeniable. But when Christian’s true identity is revealed, Merry must choose — can she trust him with her heart, or will past heartaches keep them from finding their own place under the mistletoe?

Happy Publication Day – 5 October 2025

Filthy Rich Temptation By Rachael Stewart

Theo

Making my first billion? Easy. Surviving Sadie — and her three-year-old — moving in? Pure torture. She’s my best friend’s little sister, the one girl I should never touch. Especially after that reckless kiss seven years ago…the kiss that ruined everything.

Now she’s here, under my roof, in every corner of my thoughts. Vulnerable. Off-limits. And so beautiful it hurts. I promised myself I’d protect her, keep my distance. But every laugh, every accidental touch, makes it harder to remember why I ever said no.

Sadie

I ran to Theo for safety, but the moment I walked through his door, I knew I wasn’t just in danger from my ex—I was in danger of falling again. He thinks he’s protecting me, keeping his distance. But every smouldering look says otherwise.

And every night, I wonder: what if I kissed him again? He thinks he’s just helping. But he doesn’t see how he’s rewiring my heart—how my daughter already adores him. I’m supposed to be surviving, not falling. But I know what I want…him. His hands. His mouth. His body. Even if it’s the one thing he swore I couldn’t have…

Happy Publication Day – 3 October 2025

All The Things We Never Knew By Sophie Ranald

A marriage built on secrets. A family torn apart. A love that could heal them all.

When Anna Graham finds diamond earrings in her husband’s drawer the day before Valentine’s Day, she knows they’re not for her – her ears aren’t even pierced. Gray is having an affair – but before she can confront him about his betrayal, he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis that shatters their family.

As Gray lies dying in their Damask Square home, Anna meets Laurel – the nurse who stole her husband’s heart. Despite her rage, Anna finds herself sharing Gray’s final days with this other woman, both desperate to ease his suffering while drowning in their own grief.

But hidden in their loft, Anna discovers traces of a stranger – a boy who was a gifted pianist, who had a different life before he became her husband. As she struggles to hold herself together for her teenage children, Anna realises everything she believed about Gray was built on carefully constructed lies.

Can two women who loved the same man find a way to heal – and help each other discover who Gray really was?