Livia Applewhite needs a change. Her awful boss has made the job she used to love a serious drag. On top of that, it seems everyone around her is paired off in romantic bliss. It's enough to give a girl a complex. Hoping a change of scenery will give her new perspective, she sets off for a two-week trip to Tennessee to visit her favorite cousin.It's been more than a decade since Declan Callahan has thought about anything but being a dad. But when his extensive (and meddling) foster family wrangles him into a "chance" encounter with the first love he had to leave behind, he's wise enough not to waste it. He's got a long-overdue apology to make.But as that apology opens a door long shut, Livia and Declan give in to the spell of nostalgia, basking as all those old feelings kindle anew. They're fully grown now, with lives in different places. Will this brief encounter be enough to convince Livia to give the undeniable connection between them a real second chance?

A grump who lost his family...After a devastating loss, Malcolm Niall has spent the past twenty years hiding from the world. As manager of a Highland estate, he's built a life of purpose, caring for the land and animals. And for the past six months, his peace has been utterly destroyed by a sexy Southern whirlwind who's never met a stranger. Worse, they have to work together daily.His sunshiny nemesis who's starting a new lifeNothing about Charlotte Vasquez's life has been traditional. She never married, abandoned her corporate job to raise the son of her late best friend, and now she's followed that grown-up son to Scotland for a chance at something new. While she's enjoying the challenge, she could do without the attitude from the broody Scot next door.Join forces to protect a runawayMalcolm and Charlotte clash over absolutely everything on the renovation project they're tasked to lead. If there's a healthy amount of heat beneath the frustration, neither is willing to admit it. But when they discover a runaway hiding in one of the cottages, they find common purpose at last. Risks are taken and hearts expand as Malcolm and Charlotte pull out all the stops to protect Gavin from the abusive father who'd tear their unconventional family apart.

A cowboy without a homeRobbed of the family ranch that should have been his legacy, Raleigh Beaumont is a man with no roots and no purpose. When a friend drags him to Vegas, he figures he’s got nothing to lose. But after a hell of a lot of whiskey and a high stakes poker game with a beautiful stranger, he finds himself the alleged owner of a barony in Scotland.An heiress with a crumbling heritageWhen her brother’s bride disappears just days before the wedding that’s meant to save their ancestral home from the mad marriage pact that’s held their family captive for generations, Kyla MacKean believes they’ve been granted a reprieve. Until she finds out about the new, single—male—owner of Lochmara and knows she’s next on the chopping block or ownership of both their estates reverts to the crown.A modern answer to a three-hundred-year-old problem.Raleigh’s lost his land once. He’s not about to lose it again. Not even because of some lunatic pact made centuries before he was born. Kyla’s desperate to save Ardinmuir. She agrees to marry him on one condition: They wed for one year to satisfy the pact, then get a quick and quiet divorce. There’s no stipulation against it, and they’ll both get what they want.But this displaced Texan and his fiery bride are about to find so much more than they bargained for.

Can a SEAL without a mission and a widowed baker help each other learn to live again?Jonah Ferguson never wanted to be anything but a Navy SEAL. But after an injury sidelines his military career, he finds himself back home in small-town Tennessee. Opening a bakery with his best friends and daring to re-imagine his life is a whole new mission, but his biggest challenge yet is sticking to the friend zone with the woman who helped give him new purpose.Two years after losing her husband to a traumatic brain injury, baker Rachel McCleary needs a change. With the proceeds from the sale of her business, she's exploring what a new life would look like. For the short-term, it means helping one of her former students make his fledgling business thrive. And hopefully adding some benefits to the friendship that helped bring her back to life.All Rachel wants is temporary, and that's the one thing Jonah can give her. But  when the trouble that's stalked his business from the start lands her in its crosshairs--and the hospital--he can't deny that there's nothing short-term about his feelings. Determined to protect her at all costs, he enters into a dangerous race to neutralize the threat before it torpedoes everything he holds dear.

Can a grumpy former Ranger find lasting happiness in a marriage of convenience with a sunny single mom?After losing his leg, former Army Ranger Holt Steele is building a new life and a new business with his friends. Sure, he never expected to put small-town baker on his resume, but he finds he likes the quiet, simple life. If only he didn't like the sunny single mom who works across the street--or her adorable kid--quite so much.After escaping a controlling husband, event planner Cayla Black has one focus--growing her business and maintaining a safe, happy home for her daughter. She has no time or interest in a man. Not even one who charms her child with Disney songs and keeps turning up like a mind-reader to help without being asked.But when her ex's conviction is overturned on a technicality, and he shows up to reclaim his wife and child, Holt intervenes with an outrageous lie. The only way to fix it is to make his falsehood the truth. As they struggle to convince everyone that their marriage of protection is real, these two reluctant hearts fall deeper, until the lines between the fiction and the dream begin to blur, and they have to risk it all to protect the family they didn't know they wanted.

Can a Marine turned baker and a jaded contractor find their way to a second chance?Braxton Whitmore needs a change. After leaving the Marines, he’s free to build a new life. But is he gonna be a baker? Really?  When his buddy inherits a decrepit bar and proposes they partner up to turn it into a bakery, Brax figures why not? Until his ex comes walking in.Mia Whitmore has built a new life for herself, far from the heartbreak and secrets that tore her marriage apart. The last thing she expects is for her estranged husband to be business partners with her latest client. Or for Brax to think they’re already divorced.As they’re forced into proximity on the renovation, truths come to light, and Brax and Mia get a second chance. But when past secrets become present danger, Brax puts everything on the line to protect the woman who’s always held his heart.

Griffin Powell has avoided his hometown since he left it in the rearview years ago. But the former Marine understands duty and promises, and that means dragging himself back home as part of his brother's wedding party. Which gets him thinking about a promise he made to a woman, after the best weekend of his life. When she, too, shows up as part of the wedding, it feels like a sign.Always a bridesmaid, professor Samantha Ferguson is dreading this bachelorette weekend. She’s the one of the lone single ladies, and the matron of honor is her high school nemesis. Sam figures she can suck it up and deal, until she comes face-to-face with the big, sexy ginger mistake from her past. Can this trip home get any worse?Turns out it can. Not only are she and Griff paired up for all the bridal party bonding activities, forcing her to relive high school hell, but Sam's best friend goes missing. When no one takes her concerns seriously, she starts a search herself--and ends up with an unwanted bodyguard whose very presence reminds her of a hot Vegas night she’s tried hard to forget.As they work together to solve Jill's disappearance, Griff's determined to prove to Sam that this time, he's going to stick.

A wounded warriorAfter the catastrophic loss of his best friend in battle, Army Ranger Tyson Brooks trades in his fatigues for a badge, moving to Eden’s Ridge, Tennessee to rebuild his life and find a way to live in a world without Garrett. But no amount of protecting and serving the citizens of Stone County is enough to override the guilt that he simply didn’t do enough.An incurable romantic Romance author Paisley Parish has spent her whole career chasing the perfect hero and finding all the real life options lacking. Until she runs into her high school sweetheart—the one who left her for the Army. The old spark is definitely still alive, but the man carries far more scars than the boy.A second chance to save each other When Paisley becomes the target of malicious harassment, the police have no suspects, no leads, no way to make her feel safe. As her stalker escalates, she turns to the one guy she knows can protect her. Ty’s determined to put a stop to the harassment, even if it means moving in with the woman who’s so much more than the girl he used to love. He just has to remember to guard his own heart in the process.

The Money Pit meets Fixer Upper in the next installment of the Men of the Misfit Inn series. After a lifetime spent trying to prove he's not a screw up, contractor Wyatt Sullivan is ready to take his YouTube channel, DIWyatt, to the big time. But he needs more than the one-man flips that built his reputation. He needs something truly big to impress network execs enough to give him his own home improvement show. After a messy, ugly divorce, publicist Deanna James can't afford another mistake. So when she wakes up from a night of too much wine to find out she's bought a historic monstrosity of a house in an online auction, she panics. If she’s going to sell it and not lose her shirt to her ex-husband, she’s going to need some serious help. But how will she afford it? Wyatt's just the guy to ride to her rescue. He'll take on the job if she'll let him film the process. Deanna sweetens the deal with the added bonus of using her PR skills to raise the profile of DIWyatt enough to impress the suits. There's just one problem: They both have to move in. As they battle home improvement hell and rising attraction, can they keep from giving the viewers more of a show than they ever intended?

One of Nashville’s fastest rising stars, Kyle Keenan has it all—fame, fans, and a chance at fortune. But the dream he’s busted his tail for means nothing without the woman who holds his heart. With her sassy smile and pull-no-punches attitude, Abbey is his greatest love—and his greatest regret. When he’s confronted in a live TV interview about alleged involvement with a country music starlet, Kyle blurts out he’s already engaged…to Abbey. Abbey Whittaker has come a long way from the starry-eyed six-year-old who made a marriage pact with her best friend. With a thriving business, a loving family, and a tight-knit group of friends, she’s put away childish things. She long ago banished Kyle from her life, so the last thing she expects is him walking through her door or the blistering kiss that follows. Kyle is desperate to convince Abbey that a fake engagement is the best way to get the media off her back—and his. And it just might give him a chance to fix what he destroyed. Even as these two frenemies remember all the reasons they wanted to be lovers, another blast from Kyle’s past returns, threatening to expose the secret he’s spent his entire career hiding. When truths come to light, will love conquer all or will Kyle lose everything?

Athena Reynolds is a goddess in the kitchen, and she’s got her Michelin-starred restaurant Olympus to back it up. Darling of the Chicago restaurant scene, she’s flying high—until a betrayal leads to her sudden fall from grace. Furious and reeling, she heads home to the solace of family in Tennessee. Logan Maxwell has his hands full keeping his organic farm thriving and in the black. He doesn’t have time to do more than wonder about the prickly mystery that is Athena Reynolds and relive their one passionate night together. Her life is in Chicago and his is irrevocably tied to his land. But that hasn’t stopped him from craving more. But small towns are like small kitchens, everyone's constantly bumping into each other and sooner or later something's bound to boil over. Maybe that's why Logan finds it so hard to resist Athena. Well, that and the fact that he's never been able to walk away from a woman in distress. An unexpected confidant, Logan reminds Athena of her roots, and in turn, she begins to question everything she’s spent years working for. They just might hold the keys to each other’s salvation—but when her old life comes calling, can love win out over the temptation of redemption? "STAY A LITTLE LONGER is southern small-town romance at its best. Athena’s journey is one that will stick with you long after the last page is turned. Don’t miss your chance to fall in love with the colorful cast of characters of the Misfit Inn in Eden’s Ridge, Tennessee." - USA Today Best-Selling Author Erin Wright

Good old, reliable Pru. Of the four Reynolds sisters, Pru is the natural choice to take on custody of the girl their late mother had planned to adopt. At thirty, suddenly becoming the mom of a teenager means big changes, but Pru's ready to do whatever it takes to adopt Ari. Before she settles down, though, she wants one thing for herself. Enter Flynn Bohannon, the sinfully sexy Irish musician in town for her sister's wedding. He's led the kind of free, vagabond life Pru can hardly imagine. Definitely not the kind of guy she should be dating, but he's the perfect guy for a crazy fun fling before her life changes. When Pru proposes a brief, no strings affair, Flynn's not about to say no. But when unexpected complications endanger the adoption, the two find themselves in a phony engagement. Now they have to convince a sharp-eyed, skeptical social worker, a teen who's too smart for her own good, three dubious sisters, and one protective brother-in-law that Flynn's willing to give up the gypsy life and settle down. But in convincing everyone that this relationship is real, will they convince each other as well? "Kait Nolan's THOSE SWEET WORDS is a beautiful romance about love, life, and what it means to be family. Pru is every woman who's ever struggled and sacrificed to do what's best for her family, and Flynn is nothing short of a dreamboat. I laughed, I cried, and I can't wait for the next Misfit Inn romance!” - OFFICER’S EX-WIVES CLUB author JAMIE FARRELL

She thought she could never go home again. Kennedy Reynolds has spent the past decade traveling the world as a free spirit. She never looks back at the past, the place, or the love she left behind—until her adopted mother’s unexpected death forces her home to Eden’s Ridge, Tennessee. Deputy Xander Kincaid has never forgotten his first love. He’s spent ten long years waiting for the chance to make up for one bone-headed mistake that sent her running. Now that she’s finally home, he wants to give her so much more than just an apology. Kennedy finds an unexpected ally in Xander, as she struggles to mend fences with her sisters and to care for the foster child her mother left behind. Falling back into his arms is beyond tempting, but accepting his support is dangerous. He can never know the truth about why she really left. Will Kennedy be able to bury the past and carve out her place in the Ridge, or will her secret destroy her second chance? "Charming, poignant, and sexy, When You Got a Good Thing pulled me in with its sweet charm and deft storytelling, and didn't let go until the very last page. It has everything I love in a small-town romance!"  - USA Today Best-Selling Author Tawna Fenske

"That girl who got knocked up in high school.” Maggie Reynolds went all the way to Los Angeles to escape that label, but she hears the whispers every time she comes home to Eden's Ridge, Tennessee. She's been burning the candle at both ends for the last twelve years, trying to make something of her herself, trying to give people something else to say about her. Porter Ingram prides himself on being a steady man, a good friend, but he's none too steady when he flies off to California because Maggie's collapsed from exhaustion and she doesn't want her sister, Pru, to worry. Not when Pru's about to have a baby any minute. What Maggie doesn't know is that she's more than just a good friend to Porter. It's an open secret he's been wearing on his sleeve for years, if she'd only see it.  When Maggie's forced to take a sabbatical from work, the obvious choice is to go home to Tennessee. But there's nothing restful about just doing nothing for a doer like her. Throwing herself into getting the Eden's Ridge Artisan Guild off the ground is a natural fit for her talents, and Porter's grateful for her help. But walking in the shadows of their painful past could reveal secrets that just might destroy everything they think they know about each other. "Oh my wow! Maggie & Porter’s story is emotional & swoon-worthy. I was cheering so hard for them through their journey to HEA. Grab some tissues because there are some heartfelt moments along the way, along with laughter and messy life lessons. Kait Nolan weaves the perfect blend of family, heartbreak, humor and love at last. Don’t miss out!" - USA Today Bestselling Author J.H. Croix

Elementary school teacher Mary Alice Reed wanted a nice, stable guy to share her happily ever after. When she thought she'd found him, everyone tried to tell her that the guy she thought was her Mr. Right, was really Mr. Somebody Else's. Living with a town's worth of I-told-you-so isn't easy, but she's coping. And definitely taking a break from love in order to get past her last disaster to chair her favorite Christmas charity. Trauma surgeon Chad Phillips gave up the intensity and long hours of a big city hospital to move to Wishful. He wants a home and family, a town with a slower pace, where he can actually build a life. Being one of Wishful’s most eligible bachelors has gotten him a lot of pie and casseroles, but it hasn’t helped him find that special someone to come home to. When a friend’s accident lands Mary Alice in his ER, Chad finds himself more than intrigued. Part Martha Stewart, part Mary Poppins, and all Girl Next Door, she’s exactly what he’s been looking for. Volunteering for the Fountain of Hope charity seems like the perfect way to get to know his Christmas crush.  But just as he seems to be overcoming Mary Alice's once bitten, twice shy caution, that one tiny thing from his past, that he probably should have told her about, shows up for a Christmas season visit. Chad's gonna have some explaining to do.

Delaney Newell knows what it means to be powerless. Against the family who wouldn’t support her. Against the man she loved who betrayed her. Against the gossips who won’t let her forget it.  But after years of struggling, she’s finally getting her life together. Sean Murphy has spent years fighting forest fires. The former hotshot turned forester knows the growth that can sprout from unfathomable destruction. That’s what he sees in Delaney—someone who got leveled by life but didn’t stop growing. He's spent the past several months watching the shy red-head blossom, and he really likes what he sees. When Delaney is accused of a crime she didn’t commit, everyone is willing to believe the worst of her. Everyone except Sean. The woman he knows couldn’t possibly be behind the rash of fires that are keeping the volunteer fire department hopping. Someone is deliberately framing her. Will Delaney trust him enough to help her find the real culprit? *Please note, this book was originally published as CAN'T STAND THE RAIN. It has been retitled.*

WARNING: Contains a sexy former Marine, a stubborn, independent woman, and an incurably romantic BFF with matchmaking tendencies. Welcome back to Wishful, Mississippi, full of eccentric characters and southern charm, where author Kait Nolan delivers another heart-warming story of a strong, successful woman and the equally strong man who learns how to be her partner. A grown-up Boy Scout Liam Montgomery is the last person who'd call himself a hero, but he does have a tendency to try to save the world. Now that he's left the Marine Corps and returned to Wishful, he feels out of place and unsure of what comes next. He does know one thing: The girl who used to look up to him like a brother is all grown up. No way he can see her as a little sister now. And she won't give him the time of day. Queen of Doing All The Things Riley Gower isn't holding out for a hero. In fact, a knight in shining armor is the last thing she wants. She's been watching her mother chase that fairy tale for most of her life, with Riley the one left to pick up the pieces of unhappily ever after. Running Wishful's downtown pharmacy is a dream Riley's worked toward for years. Now that the business is finally hers, the realities of the current economy have made it seem like the dream is slipping through her fingers. So when her mother calls, expecting yet another rescue, Riley feels like she's spread thinner than the last pat of butter at Sunday dinner. The impossible mission he can’t resist It's hard enough for a woman like Riley to admit she could use a hand, but mix in the embarrassment of a childhood crush and the devastating attraction sizzling between them? No way. Liam is determined to help, but taking down insurgents is less complicated than infiltrating Riley's defenses. This will require reinforcements. And a plan.

A horse-whispering loner After years as an Army Ranger, Sebastian Donnelly is content to be left alone with his horses. He's better with them than with...people. But that changes when his boss's little sister shows up. There's something about her, a vulnerability that tugs at his need to rescue. And a sexy, vivacious charm that ignites an attraction he ought to ignore.  A soon-to-be lawyer Desperate for a break before her last semester of law school, Laurel Maxwell is excited to see her brother marry the woman he loves. Logan and Athena, their happiness, the life they're building at the farm all serve as a reminder that she's barreling toward a future she's no longer sure she wants. One her overbearing father insists is the only path she's meant for.  Who's rescuing who? When Laurel is offered the chance to stay on the farm and dogsit while the happy couple honeymoons, she jumps at the chance to get out her life and into Sebastian's strong arms. He wants to help her make her decision, a choice with haunting echoes of his own past. But is there any path that leads to a forever where a brilliant lawyer and reclusive horse trainer could build a life together?

Will danger catapult these lifelong friends to lovers? Autumn Buchanan has loved Judd all her life. Best friends since they were children, he’s been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years. But years ago, her dreams of more ended in blood and a nightmare that nearly cost them both their lives. Now she’s ready to take the leap and profess all to the friend who’s stood by her through thick and thin. But before she can make her confession, their nightmare returns and secrets are revealed that threaten the very fabric of their lifelong friendship. *Please note, an earlier edition of this book was published as IF I DIDN'T CARE. The book has been rewritten and significantly changed.*

"Just a fling," she said… Tess Peyton wanted to do something fun and reckless and wholly out of character.  A steamy weekend with a Scotsman seems like a plan. When her Scotsman turns out to be a good Southern boy, that's a minor deviation. Then one night turns to two, two turns to more, and suddenly she knows she's in way over her head. This is why one should always stick to the plan. "Bachelor for life," he said...  But that was before all of Mitch Campbell's friends, cousins, and even his little sister started pairing off like someone was building an ark. No wonder he fell, and fell hard, for his "no attachments, no last names" European fling. And just when he's ready to tell the woman of his dreams that he wants to change that arrangement, she disappears, leaving him with no means of tracking her down, and a big ol' hole in his heart.  And then Fate stepped in... Because, guess what? The guy Tess ran out on in Edinburgh shows up at family dinner. He's her dad's new wife's brother's son. What does that make them? It makes them "on again," according to Mitch and the explosive chemistry between them. Tess feels it too, along with a side of awkward, continued uncertainty, and some kind of stomach virus that seems to bother her most in the mornings…

2018 RITA ® Award Winner Best Contemporary Romance-Short Professor Audrey Graham shouldn't be alive. But she didn't walk away from the accident that should've taken her life. She shouldn't have ever walked again according to the doctors. But after two years of physical therapy and countless surgeries, she's got a second lease on life. First stop? Camp Firefly Falls to try and catch up on some of the living she never did before her accident. Firefighter Hudson Lowell shouldn't be alive. In the wake of losing two members of his team in a structure fire gone wrong, he's been unable to work, unable to pull himself out of the survivor's guilt. In a last ditch effort to snap him out of it, his family surprises him with a 2 week reunion session at Camp Firefly Falls, reminder of a simpler, better time. The last thing he expects to find is the woman he helped cut out of a snarled up wreck of a car two years before. As sparks ignite between rescuer and rescuee, Audrey finally gets the chance to repay her hero. But can she convince this proud, stubborn man that life is still worth living? Or will Hudson let this chance at happiness slip through his fingers?

The only thing Rowan Beale ever wanted was to be a cop. But in the wake of her partner’s death, she still hasn’t been cleared to return to duty. Amid rumors of PTSD and struggling under the weight of survivor’s guilt, she’s starting to believe she never will be. Already at loose ends, when her Uncle Robert has a heart attack, she doesn’t hesitate to go to Wishful to take care of him.  Reserve officer Nash Brewer is a born care-taker, so of course he pitches in after his neighbor and mentor has heart surgery. But it’s not just the former Wishful Police Chief who needs his help. Robert’s strong, gutsy niece is hurting and haunted—and someone’s been targeting her. Nash can’t help but fall as he and Rowan investigate, while keeping the secret from her fragile, but sharp-eyed uncle.  When evidence points to Rowan herself as the perpetrator, the former Navy pilot knows in his gut there’s something more going on. But how can he ignore the facts of the case? And how can Rowan stand for one more person to believe she’s unstable, especially the man she wants to trust with her heart? This is a Wishing for a Hero Novella. You should expect a quick read, a fast-moving adventure in Wishful that's a complete and satisfying story--no cliffhangers here!--and a "happy for now" ending.

A grumpy lumberjack Former Army Ranger Harrison Wilkes isn’t actually a lumberjack, but he's doing his best impression while hiding out in the mountains of East Tennessee. He needs to rest, recharge, and stay the hell away from people, while he wrestles with ghosts from his past and figures out his future. Neither includes a snowbound rescue of his favorite author. A runaway writer Ivy Blake is on a deadline. Her hero is MIA, and she's desperate to find some peace, quiet, and inspiration to get her book—and her life—back on track. She doesn’t plan on driving off a mountain. Or the mysterious stranger who shows up to save her. Who’s rescuing who? When Winter Stormageddon traps them together, Ivy finds the inspiration she didn’t know she needed in her real-life hero. As more than the fireplace heats up his one-man cabin, they both find far more than they bargained for. This intuitive author just might have the answers Harrison's looking for, but will their newfound connection survive past the storm?

The road to redemption  Struggling single mom Corinne Dawson doesn't have time for fun. She's too busy making a new life for her son and trying to avoid being dragged down by the ghost of who she used to be. But when an accident knocks her boss out of a local "Dancing With The Stars" style fund-raiser, she finds herself face-to-face with the worst mistake from her past. One slow step forward Attorney Tucker McGee has always seen past the prickly exterior of this former mean girl. He knows there's more to the story than simple spite. When they get partnered for Dancing With Wishful, he finally gets the chance to act on the spark he's felt since she moved home. But getting past her regrets just might be the biggest challenge he's ever faced. Two quicksteps back  As the competition heats up, so do the feelings between them. Will Tucker be able to convince Corinne that she's more than the sum of her mistakes? Or will she be forced to leave town to find a new beginning without him?

Reunion Prom? Is this really a thing? In Wishful it is. Lexi Morales never imagined her life would turn into the premise for an 1980s teen movie. But when her big high school trauma hit like a ton of bricks, she spent the next decade trying to hide the truth. After years of careful avoidance, she's back in town to care for her injured mother, just in time for the high school reunion she never planned to attend—a reunion that evokes memories she's tried to forget. Wishful's friendly neighborhood photographer, Zach Warren, has no idea why he and his best friend drifted apart. But from the first, flashbulb moment he sees Lexi all grown up, she's all he can think about—and his thoughts keep straying right out of the friendzone. Zach’s offer of temporary employment while she’s in town should be a perfect fit, but acting like she's never thought of him as more than a friend turns out to be harder than Lexi ever expected. All she wants to do is get through this with her secret—and her heart—intact. One thing's for sure: Lexi is NOT going to this prom. But what if ten years is just the right amount of time for Zach to finally get a clue?

Jaded Army medic Ryan Malone never expected his next mission would bring him back from Afghanistan to tiny Wishful, Mississippi. His great uncle's health is failing and the cantankerous old coot has pushed everyone in the family away. Ryan is their last resort to get Uncle Percy to move into assisted living before he breaks a hip—or something worse. He's looking to get in, get it done, and get back out. That definitely doesn't include taking time out for a sweet-faced waitress with a heart bigger than the Atlantic. Interior designer Hannah Wheeler is a long way from the high-powered clients of her old Atlanta firm. Despite the fact that she's currently spending her days waiting tables, she's discovered she really enjoys the small-town life she found with her sister. This Christmas season, she's finally ready to introduce Wishful to her true capabilities by using her skills to spread some holiday spirit. But with Ryan and Percy, she's definitely got her work cut out for her.  Will Hannah's evergreen cheer thaw their frosty hearts and remind these two that the most important part of the holidays is family?

An heiress in hiding... For graphic designer Cecily Dixon, building a successful life on her own terms, independent of her family's name and wealth, has been an all-important goal. That's why she followed her boss to tiny Wishful, Mississippi. While she's fallen in love with the town and the work being done to bring it back to life, her internship is over and it's time to take the next power-house step in her career...somewhere else. A bookstore in trouble... Reed Campbell is Wishful born and bred. He loves his small town life, and it suits him just fine. When he needs help breathing life into his struggling bookstore, the brilliant and sexy Cecily is the last person he expects to volunteer. Since one chemistry-fueled summer weekend, she's been giving him the cold shoulder, and he can't figure out how he blew it. A romance with an expiration date... Working together will start the thaw, but they both know the clock is ticking and Cecily will be moving on. Or will she? Wishful is just the right size for Reed, but can he convince Cecily that his small town can support her big dreams? Wish I Might was originally a part of the Virtually Yours anthology (now out of print). It has been expanded into a short novel.

The best things happen while you’re acting… The historic Madrigal theater, in the heart of downtown Wishful, is about to close its doors forever.  A last ditch fund-raising effort, a production of White Christmas, is probably the only thing that could bring Tyler Edison out of retirement.  She fell in love on that stage, but when Brody Jensen abandoned her, she lost the heart to sing and dance for the crowd.  Maybe it’s time to take that back… It seems like pure chance when Brody’s job, which has taken him all over the world, brings him back to his little hometown to oversee his boss’s latest secret project.  Brody’s looking for closure, planning to sell the house his parents left him and finally put his past, and his memories of Tyler, behind him.  What better way than to be a part of this last show?  Even though his leading lady is surely long gone… Put on your dancing shoes, auditions start at six o’clock.

Exhausted by the futility of her efforts against the city’s endemic problems and the revolving door of violence in her Chicago emergency room, Dr. Miranda Campbell came home to Wishful, where she knew she could make a real difference in people's lives. Between her clinic, a rotation in the hospital's ER, volunteer work at the new women's shelter, and time spent with family and friends, her life is full. But it's not too full to notice a sexy lawman when she sees one. Former US Marshal Ethan Greer is still settling into the job as Wishful's new Chief of Police, but he's starting to realize it may be years before he'll ever be considered one of the locals. Fair enough. He's the first to admit that making the shift to small town policing is a big adjustment. After losing his marriage and almost his life in line of duty, the slow pace of Wishful is a change he's happy to make. While Miranda's and Ethan interest in each other is mutual, he's not sure about taking on a serious relationship. That's just fine with her. But when Miranda is targeted in an escalating chain of threatening events, Ethan's Marshal instincts go on overdrive. Miranda's rose-colored view of Wishful is putting her in danger. She's become more than a casual fling or a job responsibility. With Ethan's training screaming at him to put her in protective custody, can he find out who's behind the threats before he pushes Miranda away?

A mother of the groom billionaire romance for the Wishful wedding of the year Mayor Sandra Crawford has survived divorce.  She's survived cancer.  But she's not at all sure she'll survive the discovery that her town's billionaire philanthropist benefactor is actually the man she nearly left her husband for almost thirty years ago. Gerald Peyton, III didn't fight for Sandy back in college--a decision he's regretted ever since. Now Trey's older, wiser, and determined to win the heart of the woman he's never forgotten. When they wake up married in Vegas, Sandy chalks it up to a reckless mistake, but Trey's not willing to let her go so easily.  Can he convince her to give their marriage a legitimate chance, or will she let him go for good this time? When they wake up married in Vegas, Sandy chalks it up to a reckless mistake, but Trey's not willing to let her go so easily.  Can he convince her to give their marriage a legitimate chance, or will she let him go for good this time?

A madcap modern marriage of convenience tale sure to leave fans begging for more Maybe there hasn't been actual blood, other than a few paper cuts, but Myles has put plenty of sweat into his independent, local newspaper, and he's even willing to admit to a few manly tears. Certainly, the paper has been his mistress since he moved to the small town of Wishful, Mississippi, and he doesn't feel it's hyperbolic in the least to say it owns a piece of his soul. He's building his dream, independent of the life laid out for him by his family, and that means everything. There's nothing he wouldn't do to ensure its success. Piper fell hard for Myles when they co-stared in the production of White Christmas that saved Wishful's historic Madrigal Theater. Not in love, she's careful to remind herself, but into very serious like, and certainly outrageous, chemistry-fueled attraction. But Piper knows that the bright lights of the stage can wreak havoc with perspective. She's been burnt by them before, when an on-stage passion fizzled into disappointment and heartache. That's why she put on the brakes with Myles, and she admits to herself that the fact that he played by her rules and waited only adds to his appeal. When Myles tells her that a major investor is pulling out of the paper, leaving him with a huge loan to repay or lose his control over what he's built, Piper is devastated for him. But when he jokingly admits that the best option he's come up with is to marry a showgirl to gain access to a trust fund, well, that just sounds like a plan to Piper. After all, why not take this great guy on marriage test drive?  He's worth having just for this moment, however long it lasts.  But as their fake marriage turns alarmingly real, they'll have to decide if they're in it for the moment or forever. Welcome to Wishful, Mississippi, a small town with big hearts, where folks come together to make their dreams come true. We first met Myles and Piper when they auditioned for White Christmas in BE CAREFUL, IT'S MY HEART, when another of Piper's zany schemes helped bring her friends Tyler and Brody together. We followed their story in ONCE UPON A SETUP, a Wishful Meet-Cute Romance, which tells the story behind Piper's cooling off period. But if you haven't read either of those, don't worry about jumping in here. Every Wishful story can stand on its own, just like the sassy women of this charming, southern town.

Hart of Dixie Meets Hallmark Channel Just a city girl, living in a lonely world Displaced Steel Magnolia Norah Burke has always been an overachiever. The word "failure" was never a part of her vocabulary. So it comes as quite a shock when she gets canned from the marketing firm where she's built her career after threatening to blow the whistle on some shady business practices. Licking her wounds, she heads to her best friend in Mississippi for a little home-grown Southern comfort. Just a small town boy With his iron-clad Mississippi roots, Councilman Cam Crawford is a man who values tradition, preservation, and the love of a good woman. When a big box warehouse store tries to capitalize on his hometown's economic downturn, he's not about to let anyone's ambition destroy what he holds dear. He'll raise hell if he has to in order to stop them. Don't stop believin' This unlikely pair just might be the perfect allies--in war and out. But as the battle to stop GrandGoods heats up and sparks of attraction turn to something more, will this city girl's bigger-picture perspective go with this small-town boy's "keep it as it is" attitude? And even if they can send the suits packing and get the town on its feet again, can she really give up her corner office and power lunches for the corner booth at the local diner? What's a nice executive like her going to do in a place like this?