She's been over him for years, until he returns home... In her new role as tourism director, Brianna Renton intends to put Sweetheart, Montana, on the map with the first annual Cherry Blossom festival. She's also supervising the build of a new community hall by her father's log cabin construction company. But the project is stalled and an unexpected visit from a former employee could be the answer to Brianna's prayers. Except he's her ex. Angus Adams never forgot Brianna. When they were together, he put her on a pedestal and was determined to win her hand by proving himself and working hard to eventually buy into a partnership with her father's company. He accepted a scholarship at a prestigious university to get his architecture degree, planning to return for Brianna, but she broke up with him the week before he left with no explanation. Saying yes to helping her during his vacation is easy. Trying to win her heart while protecting his own...

She'll bare everything...except the truth. Tina Borlenghi is a billionaire businesswoman, heiress to the Borlenghi fortune, and living la dolce vita. She's also a magnet for men who crave fame and celebrity. So while in New York City launching a new fashion boutique, Tina is more than intrigued when sports bar owner Luke Pederson mistakes her for a sales assistant. He's sexier than sin and only interested in her. What's the harm in a little steamy role-playing? Luke can't get enough of Tina. And yet, something feels...off. Why is she so secretive? As their role-playing encounters become more erotic, Luke's suspicions grow. The woman rocking his world is hiding something. Something big. He's ready to play for keeps, but finding out who Tina really is may just turn the tables on everything he thought he knew about love.

Renita Thatcher never imagined she'd see Brett O'Connor in town again -- let alone in her office. Over the years, Renita has only caught glimpses of her old crush in the tabloids as Brett jet-set his way to football superstardom.... Oh, who's she trying to kid? She'd followed his career religiously. And his marriage to the gorgeous, high-profile trophy wife. Ex-wife.Now Renita, the only loans officer in Summerside Bay, has something Brett wants. Just like in high school, she's in a position of power over him, but this time, she doesn't want to mess it up. Her next move is critical. Does she want revenge or does she want to surrender herself to a guy who looks even better than her best fantasy?

"You're being audited."That's hardly his most winning opening line, but Rafe Ellersley isn't here to make friends. He'd promised himself—and his boss—that this audit would be different. This time, he would be the consummate Australian Tax Office investigator. Cool, detached, professional. He'd bring Lexie Thatcher, tax-dodging artisan, to justice with ruthless efficiency. No more bending the rules. It's the only way to save his job.But Lexie proves a far greater challenge than he's been prepped for. Her world is a crazy canvas of chaos and confusion, complexity and color, unlike anything he's ever known. So who can really blame a tax guy like him for what happens next....

Promises, promises...Maeve Arden had promised to love forever, but the marriage failed. Now, five years later, Maeve has finally found peace--peace she's promised herself to keep. The last thing she wants is a new man in her life. Her joy comes from her work--designing landscape gardens.Will Beaumont hires Maeve to design his garden. He, too, isn't looking to have anyone else in his life--no matterhow much she attracts him. He's just agreed to a platonic marriage with another woman--and it's a promise he intends to keep.But circumstances conspire to remind Will of a second promise he's made.The most important promise of them all...

The Secret Son: Secrets of Cherry Lake Romance

All right. So Jack Thatcher has experienced deep, personal tragedy. Dr. Sienna Maxwell gets that. But how can the man drop out of life the way he has, pretending to be happy hosting fabulous dinner parties and puttering in his back shed? That's something she will never be able to understand. Because he is only pretending, right?Sienna's a shoot-from-the-hip high achiever, who demands no less from everyone around her. Driven and determined to make her new medical practice -- and everything she touches -- a success, she wants a whole lot more from Jack than charm...and kisses. She wants nothing less than perfect.

The Bull Rider’s Return: A 79th Copper Mountain Rodeo Romance

*Just when they thought they were through…* What are the chances of running into your ex-wife on a singles cruise? Apparently very high, as Darcy Lewis discovers. With their messy past, surely he and Emma can stay on opposite sides of the ship and leave each other alone. They can't. Instead, they spend a sinfully hot night together. Too bad the morning after proves they separated for good reason. Even when Emma tells him she's pregnant, they decide they're better apart. Or are they? Because somehow they keep turning to each other for support. And it's clear the attraction is still there. Maybe this is their second chance—a new baby, a new chance to make this work. ### About the Author When Joan Kilby isn’t working on her next romance novel she can often be found sipping a latte at a sidewalk café and indulging in her favorite pastime of people watching. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Joan now lives in Australia with her husband and three children. She enjoys cooking as a creative outlet and gets some of her best ideas while watching her Jack Russell terrier chase waves at the beach. ### Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. *January* *Melbourne, Australia* Darcy Lewis straightened his cream linen jacket. The cruise ship's crowded ballroom was decked out in a Brazilian Fiesta theme and the live band's spicy Latin beat had him tapping his foot. Hot women in sexy dresses clustered around the room, sipping cocktails and eyeing up the men, including him. How long had it been since he'd done something new and exciting? Way too long. His mates in Summerside were right. Twelve months of celibacy was too damn long for any red-blooded man with fully functioning hormones. They'd known what he needed even if he hadn't. "Have a fling," Riley Henning had said as he and John Forster—Darcy's old surfing buddies and now both police officers—presented him with a ticket for a weekend singles cruise. The three of them had gathered one night after hours in Darcy's pub for a few drinks in honor of his fortieth birthday. "No strings attached. No emotional commitment. Definitely no moping. Just hot sex and fun." Darcy cleared his throat, a little choked up at the generosity of his good mates. The past two years had been hard, really hard. "Thanks, guys." John clapped Darcy on the shoulder. "Riley's right, sex and fun. When was the last time you had either?" "Been a while." First Holly's death, then the divorce… His cocooned existence had involved eating, sleeping and working—not necessarily in that order. It was time he made an effort to get into the dating scene. And this cruise was just the ticket, so to speak. He dragged his thoughts to the ballroom and the nearest woman—a brunette wearing a red dress sipping from a drink with an umbrella. "Would you like to dance?" "Thanks, but I've got a partner for this one. He'll be back any second. My friend would like to." She pushed forward the petite woman wearing a blue dress standing behind her. "Tracey, I can find my own— Oh." Emma's blue-green eyes widened. A smattering of freckles stood out against a peaches-and-cream complexion framed by flaming red hair. "Hey, Darcy." Darcy swore silently. What were the odds? What were the frickin' odds? Of all the ballrooms on all the singles cruises in the world… He pasted on a smile. "Hey, Em. What are you doing here?" "On a cruise. Same as you." She glanced around desperately, as if hoping someone would rescue her. Or a fire would break out, or the ship would hit an iceberg. Anything to put an end to this awkward moment. Was she looking for a good time, too? A roll in the sack? Well, why shouldn't she? She was absolutely free to sleep with whomever she wanted. It did *not* make him jealous. Or hurt. Much. He started to ease away. "Sorry to bother you." The brunette grabbed him by the arm. "Where are you going? Do you two know each other?" She turned to Emma and whispered, "Come on, Em—he's hot. This makes the third man you've passed on." "This is Darcy," Emma hissed. "My ex-husband." "Oh!" The woman dropped his arm as if it were infected. Nice. What exactly had Emma said about him? "Wonderful running into you." He gave them double thumbs-up as he moved away. "It's a big ship. I'm sure it won't happen again. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see a man about a dog." "Huh?" Tracey's nose wrinkled. "What dog?" "Forget it." Emma waved a hand. "Let him go." He felt Emma's glare burning a hole in the back of his jacket all the way to the bar. What was she saying about him to Tracey? Was she warning her? *"He likes to party but if you 're looking for happily ever after, forget it."* Darcy slid onto a stool, automatically taking note of the efficient, uncluttered layout of the bar. It was set up mainly for cocktails with features he would never use. But those sliding doors on the fridges would be great instead of the swinging ones he had. Seeing Emma unexpectedly was almost as disconcerting as sitting on this side of the bar. He had an urge to hop the divider and start polishing glasses. He caught the bartender's eye. "Coke with plenty of ice." "Everything okay, mate?" The bartender, a man about his own age with receding blond hair, tipped a scoop of ice into a glass and squirted in the soft drink. "Just ran into my ex-wife." He lifted the glass and took a big swig. Whiskey would have been more welcome right now. "Still got a thing for her, do you?" Bartenders had an instinct for people and their troubles. He knew he did but he didn't care to be on this side of the conversation. "It's complicated." He wanted to hate Emma—but couldn't. He wished he could love her the way she wanted to be loved—couldn't manage to do that, either. Would have liked to stay friends—that was too painful after what they'd had together. He wished he could ignore her—one look and every other woman in the ballroom faded into insignificance. So where did that leave him? In limbo, that's where—unable to forget her, unable to move on. This cruise was supposed to be his first step toward a new life. Instead he was torturing himself by watching her on the dance floor. Even though their last six months together had been the worst of his life, even though they were divorced now, the thought of her on the prowl for another guy twisted his insides into knots. Through the bobbing heads he glimpsed her doing the mambo with some bozo with two left feet. The guy's hands were all over her. Darcy didn't know which was worse, the liberties the guy was taking or that a terrific dancer like Emma was wasted on him. Darcy turned around, unable to watch. He hadn't seen her in nearly six months, not since the house had sold for a song. Both of them wanted rid of the memories and had been unwilling to wait for a decent offer. She'd moved to Mornington, to a rental unit. He'd moved into the apartment above the pub once the previous tenant's lease was up. The first night of this cruise and already her presence had ruined the whole experience for him. How was he going to chat up other women with her on board? Sure he was divorced, but it would still feel like cheating on his wife. He would be constantly looking over his shoulder. Even now he imagined he could smell her perfume— Hell. She slid onto the next stool. Blue-green eyes fringed with dark auburn lashes flashed at him. "I can't believe you're here, too." "I'm fine. Thanks for asking." He gulped his soda, wishing it was Scotch more than ever. They'd both resorted to animosity to cover a whole host of more difficult emotions. It worked but it was draining. "You?" "Pretty crap, actually, now that I've run into you." She signaled to the bartender. "Can I have a mojito, please? Only instead of rum I'd like vodka, and instead of lime, I want pineapple juice. Oh, and no mint leaves, thanks. Lots of ice. And just a dash of pomegranate." Fixing his gaze on the row of liquor bottles lined up in front of the mirror, Darcy gave an irritated chuckle. "Now I remember why I divorced you. Only those cute freckles and that pert nose allow you to get away with orders like that." "My freckles suck. And not every bartender is a purist like you." She dipped fingers with short blunt nails into a bowl of peanuts. "Just for the record, *I* divorced *you.* But never mind that, we need to talk." It had better not be about Holly, or their relationship or his many faults. "Don't eat those." He shoved the bowl down the black marble bar. "You don't know whose hands have been there before you. You ought to know about germs." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm on holiday. Don't mention nursing or hospitals or sick people or bedpans—" "Okay, okay, I get the idea." Instead of getting down to what she wanted to talk about, she said, "How's the pub? Business good?" "Fine. The same." He didn't know why she asked. She'd always resented the time he spent there. In her opinion he should have been home with her and Holly more. But the sixty-year-old country-style pub he'd bought from his father when he retired was not only his heritage, it was his livelihood. The fact that he enjoyed the atmosphere and considered his local customers part of his extended network of friends was a bonus. "How's the hospital?" he said, playing along. "Are you still in post-op?" "No, I'm in geriatrics now. I work with Tracey. She's my friend in the red dress. Oh, and I've applied to do a master's degree in nursing. If I get in, classes start next semester." "That's great. You always wanted to finish that." She looked him over. "You've lost weight. Are you cooking for yourself or relying on takeaway?" He'd lost a few pounds after he'd stopped drinking, but that was none of her business. "I'm living on peacock's tongues and caviar. You said you wanted to talk?" She reached for the tall drink in front of her. "Why are you here?" "Why does anyone go on a singles cruise? To meet people. And in this case, for the dancing." "Well, I won't get in your way if you stay out of mine. That's what I came over here to say. After this one drink together we should act like we don't even know each other." He cast her a sidelong glance. "We wish, eh?" She played with her straw. "Are you seeing anyone? I haven't noticed you on the internet dating sites." "I prefer to meet people face-to-face. You should be careful, hooking up with men online. There are a lot of creeps out there, married men just looking for a fling." What she did was none of *his* business but she'd started it by ...

Some loves can't be deniedA lot has changed for musical prodigy Finn Farrell since he spent his summers practicing with his piano teacher—and falling for her socialite niece, Carly Maxwell. After blowing his audition for Julliard, Finn turned his back on performing, his romance with Carly collateral damage. When their paths cross a decade later, it's impossible to ignore how much they've grown apart. But what hasn't changed is how comfortably they fit, or their heart-pounding attraction. Now a high-powered executive, Carly has a life a world away from songwriter Finn's, but she has big dreams for both of them, if she can show Finn he's worth it.

A place called Hope Hayley Sorenson uses horses to help people heal. But when neighbor Adam Banks asks for her expertise with his teenage daughter, she says no. How can she get involved when all she sees is their past? And the attraction Hayley feels for Adam makes her anything but objective! Yet Adam isn’t deterred, and in getting to know the woman they call the horse whisperer, he realizes that she’s dealing with her own pain. As Hayley etches a place in Adam’s heart, all he wants is to give her the home she truly deserves.

A man she can’t refuse…Accountant Cassy Morris knows she’s putting her heart on the line when she agrees to move in with her best friend, multi-millionaire geek Scott Thornton. The arrangement is purely business: she’ll manage his nanotechnology lab and find an angel investor for his revolutionary new product. But there’s a problem: she’s loved him forever even though he’s only ever regarded her as a friend. She’ll have to harden her heart to survive their arrangement.A woman he can’t resist…When Scott is named Seattle’s sexiest man, the unexpected attention from women threatens to get in the way of him meeting his project deadline. Once again, Cassy steps up to the plate, this time pretending to be his fiancé to keep the women away. But a lifetime of repressed sexual tension explodes within her and before long she and Scott are entwined in a passionate affair. Will Scott be able to convince Cassy to trust his feelings and turn their fake engagement into reality?

Paula Drummond is finally back on a police force. And with so much at stake—she's a single mom atoning for an almost career-ending mistake—she's not risking anything but stellar performance. That means, regardless of whatever attraction is brewing between her and her partner, Officer Riley Henning, she will not get involved. Still, working side by side with a man as hot as Riley and not giving in to temptation isn't easy. Especially when he goes above and beyond to help keep her son safe. With all that evidence piling up, it seems as though her partner on the job is destined to become her partner in bed…and maybe even in life.