I didn’t know what would happen after my client found me sleeping in my car. I’d been cleaning his house as his wife was dying. I didn’t expect them to invite me to live with them. I didn’t expect Suzie to become my lifeline—until she was gone. I didn’t expect him to ask me to marry him when he found out I needed medical insurance. I didn’t expect to fall in love with a grieving man. There are so many reasons to keep my distance from Zach. Every tender moment secreted away. When we’re not together, I miss the man I call husband.

Who gets paid to walk a dog and recline by the pool all day? Sydney Montgomery, aspiring museum curator and professional house-sitter, that's who. When her aunt and uncle need a house and dog sitter for 30 days in Palo Alto, Sydney can't turn down the chance to be closer to her sister in L.A. Within 24 hours of her arrival, Sydney's cleaning up runny dog poo, taking an uncooperative pooch to a handsome yet awkward vet, and being rescued from the bottom of the pool by a naked "pool guy."

The summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable. He played the piano and baseball. I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten. We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations. We were also forbidden to be more than friends. But that didn't stop us. Weeks before graduation, he annihilated my heart, and it's been seventeen years since the day I knew I'd hate him forever.

Conspiracies. Corruption. Serial killers. You name it - I'm fascinated by it. My mom always blamed my overly curious and highly suspicious mind on my dad. My incredibly overbearing dad. Mr. No One Is Good Enough For My Daughter has been terrifying my dates since I turned 15. College is my chance to be free from his control and date any guy I want. I'm absolutely certain he would hate Slade Wylder - almost as certain as I am that I do too. Since when have I shied away from trouble? Slade fascinates me. He lives in a house I'm certain is haunted.

Everything feels temporary when you've experienced tragedy - until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival. Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast. When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she'll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.

Flint Hopkins finds the perfect tenant to rent the space above his Minneapolis-based law office. All the t's are crossed and i's dotted on Ellen's application. Her references are good. And she's easy on the eyes. Until... Flint discovers Ellen Rodgers plays music. Bongos, guitars, singing - not Beethoven administered through noise-cancelling headphones. The cut-throat attorney serves up an eviction notice to the bubbly, constantly humming redhead who's too sexy for her own good. But luck is on Ellen's side when Flint's autistic son, Harrison, takes an instant liking to her.

It all started with an unexpected phone call. Two years after my fiancé passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Brad’s adult special-needs brother with no one to care for him. The next thing I knew, I was on a cross-country drive to New Hampshire where I’d be moving in to look after Scottie until I could get him into a group home. The last thing I ever expected? I wouldn’t be taking care of him alone.

The better captured me; she's who stole my heart and made me realize I couldn’t live without this woman. The worst of her took my breath away - kicked me when I was down and twisted me into a million knots. When I first met her, I thought she was someone I would never see again. The second time I ran into her, it was a random coincidence. The third? I didn’t know it at the time, but she was the girl I was going to marry. But life isn’t always perfect. You have to take the better and the worse - even if it means giving her up.

Cate Forbes, a dedicated college student with a carefully plotted future, doesn't know the first thing about love. When she accepts a blind date with a rumored tasty piece of eye candy, she thinks she can get by with a night of fun. Cate's plans quickly unravel when she gets one look at the sexy Drew McKnight....

Travis King is the worst kind of a**hole. He taunts me for being a good girl and mocks my high standards. He's cruel, crass, and has enough confidence to last two lifetimes. And I hate him. He's always loved getting under my skin, and one night against my better judgment, I let him in my bed. I've succumbed to his manw**re ways, but that doesn't change a thing. Because the King is about to get played at his own game - and lose.

After an erotic one-week fling with a musician she meets in a bar, Thea Cunning never expects to see Levi Black again. Then Monday morning comes around, and she discovers that her former lover is not only her professor, but he's also one of the top criminal lawyers in the state of Massachusetts.

Brooklyn wanted two things: her own bakery and Nate Riley. Opening her own business was the easy part. Trying to forget about Nate when he disappeared was the hard part. Now, years later, she's running her bakery while engaged to the ideal man. Then the unimaginable happens. She is left shattered once more and vows to never love again. An unexpected meeting with Nate has him back in her life, wanting a second chance. He'll do anything to win her back. But Nate must confront his demons before he sends Brooklyn's life into another tailspin.

What do ice cream and Sadie Montgomery have in common? They're both ice cold, but one taste is never enough. I wanted to be friends - I would have even settled for her seeing me as anything but a nerd - but there was no getting through. So just like any hard-headed, red-blooded man out there, I made up my mind. I'd make my coworker fall for me.

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything. It couldn’t save their marriage. Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Quiet and aloof rock star Jake McKallister and outspoken, vivacious college student Casey Caldwell are polar opposites: Casey is bubbly and talkative; Jake is reclusive. Casey enjoyed a picturesque childhood; Jake’s childhood could only be described as a well-publicized nightmare. Jake’s life revolves around music, and Casey can’t carry a tune.

What do ice cream and Sadie Montgomery have in common? They're both ice cold, but one taste is never enough. I wanted to be friends - I would have even settled for her seeing me as anything but a nerd - but there was no getting through. So just like any hard-headed, red-blooded man out there, I made up my mind. I'd make my coworker fall for me.

Donya Stewart's chest filled with the soft beating wings of butterflies when she first met Emmet Grayne's green eyes at the ripe age of five. Unable to identify the tugging pressure within her when in his presence, Donya moved through the first several years of her life addled by her feelings for the boy who was her best friend's brother and very much like her own sibling. But one cool autumn night in her mystifying teenage years, Emmet erases any ideas Donya has of him being anything like a sibling.

Five seconds. A deafening blast. Pain. Silence. That was all it took for an IED to end my life as I knew it. The man I was shattered in a hard wave of sound and debris that rained down on me like death itself. And six months later, after waking up to an inescapable hell, I found myself wishing that death had found me. Until her. Miranda Jacobs swept into my life like a cool breeze on a smoldering day.

Regret, she's a snarky little bitch. I've tried several times to regret the events that took place on June 5, 2008, but for the life of me, I can't. I'd never regret the pain, the suffering, or the heartache because they ultimately led me to the place I am in now. And I can't regret the place I am in now. What I still can't figure out is this: How is it possible that the single worst day of my life inadvertently became the very best day? Five years ago my life was irrevocably changed. Seventeen minutes was all it took to lose my best friend, to lose the love of my life.

Three novellas from Alexa Riley: Stay Close: A former Russian mafia soldier is hired to protect a friend’s daughter, but he knows he’ll do more than keep her safe - he’ll make her his. Forever. Hold Tight: A hotshot consultant hired to streamline Osbourne Corp. meets his match in Pandora Justice. Don’t Go: CEO Henry Osbourne has only ever desired one woman - the one who got away. She ran from a boy, but a man of power and persuasion now stands in his place.

One look, one smile, and I didn't stand a chance. The instant my eyes landed on Presley Chambers, I was a goner. She was a force of nature that turned my world upside down. Sweet, sassy, and sexy as hell, she brought me to my knees. But she isn't just any woman, she's a gift, she's a goddess, she's my disease...and I'll fight like hell to erase her fears. Sometimes fate has other plans. Now our future is in her hands.

Charlotte and Nathan were supposed to be forever. They grew up together. Their families were intertwined. Charlotte was Nathan's first love. Nathan was Charlotte's first everything. Until they weren't. How do you hold on to the person you know in your heart you are supposed to be with when everything and everyone in the universe is telling you it's over? How many times does a heart break? When is enough enough? How long is forever?

Four lives. Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life's greatest challenges. The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons...and prove their existence.

Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only man I have ever loved. He promised he'd love me forever. He vowed nothing would tear us apart. He swore he'd wait for me, but Jack lied. Six years later, when our paths cross again, his broad shoulders, rock-hard chest, and rippling muscles almost make me forget his betrayal. His rugged voice, tempting lips, and sinful smile make it harder for me to deny the feelings I still have for him. He wants to make me his again, but our past may be too much for us to overcome.

Desperate to find a new mechanic, the last thing Reddington expects is a woman to show up, let alone one with a sinful body, sharp tongue, and the inability to just do her job and not give him lip. He can't deny he's hoping to catch a view of her bent over a hood, but there's not a chance in hell that's going to happen. As much as Red wants to take her for a test drive, he knows he needs to keep his priorities straight.

Anthony was my best friend and the first boy I ever kissed. The first boy I ever loved. I always thought we would be together. Then, he left town, and I never heard from him again. Now, there’s a new doctor at the hospital in the department where I work, and I can’t believe who it is. It’s Anthony.

Tia Monroe was smart, sassy, and successful. Sure, she could get a little crazy at times - life around Tia was never boring - but that was part of her appeal. And while she didn't see herself as classically beautiful, she had no shortage of options in the boyfriend department. She just hadn't found one who held her interest. Until she laid eyes on Eric Larsson, and then it was lust at first sight. He packed the perfect mix of smoldering sexy and unapologetic cool into his blond-haired, blue-eyed, ridiculously hot six-foot-four frame.

I fell in love with my brother's best friend the first time I laid eyes on him. He walked through the door, flashing me a crooked smile with his blue eyes shining bright. I knew in that instant he was the man of my dreams. As the years went on, my feelings grew stronger, waiting for the day he'd see me as more.

Devin and Ayden were my best friends. We were practically joined at the hip since age two. When we were kids, we thought we were invincible, inseparable, that nothing or no one could come between us. But we were wrong. Everything turned to crap our senior year of high school. Devin was turning into a clone of his deadbeat lowlife father - fighting, getting wasted, and screwing his way through every girl in town. I'd been hiding a secret crush on him for years.

MacKenzie Cahill has dealt with overbearing and overprotective brothers her entire life, making it near impossible to enjoy her teenage years. Having a boyfriend was practically impossible until she met a guy that wasn't afraid to stand up to them - Dominic. He was sweet, thoughtful, and everything MacKenzie ever wanted in a man. But when they go away to college at Old Dominion University, MacKenzie sees a whole new side of Dominic and begins to wonder if he really is different from every other guy.

Bachelor and self-professed adrenaline junkie Quinten Cohen has no interest in hugging trees or driving hybrid cars. He's accustomed to the finer things in life, the best that money can buy. That is… until he nearly runs over Addy Brecken while she's basking in the sun in the middle of the street.

Behind tinted windows a few yards from mourning family and friends, Jessica and Jude Day witness their parents’ funeral - and their own. Stripped of the only life they’ve ever known, the Days say goodbye to San Francisco forever. Six months and two new identities later, the 30-year-old misfits with elite self-defense skills and penchants for alcohol, sex, and trouble arrive like an earthquake to Peaceful Woods, a retirement community in Omaha, Nebraska, that thrives on rules and gossip. Welcome home, Jackson and Jillian Knight.

Who gets paid to walk a dog and recline by the pool all day? Sydney Montgomery, aspiring museum curator and professional house-sitter, that's who. When her aunt and uncle need a house and dog sitter for 30 days in Palo Alto, Sydney can't turn down the chance to be closer to her sister in L.A. Within 24 hours of her arrival, Sydney's cleaning up runny dog poo, taking an uncooperative pooch to a handsome yet awkward vet, and being rescued from the bottom of the pool by a naked "pool guy."

Sarah is a preacher's daughter and a people pleaser. She's also on the verge of graduating high school and following her dream of singing in Nashville. The only thing standing in her way is that the entire town of Devil's Head, Missouri thinks she will marry Matt, the son of the town's richest rancher. But Sarah's not sure he's her future husband, especially when his older brother, Isaac, returns home after serving six years in the Army. He has tattoos on his arms and bad habits that are not "father-approved."

The summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable. He played the piano and baseball. I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten. We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations. We were also forbidden to be more than friends. But that didn't stop us. Weeks before graduation, he annihilated my heart, and it's been seventeen years since the day I knew I'd hate him forever.

An unexpected tragedy leaves Professor Nathaniel Hunt a widower alone with a newborn baby. He hires a nanny. She’s young but well-qualified, with a simple life, a crazy name obsession, and a boyfriend she met at the grocery store.

Lake Jones has the perfect job, an addiction to binge-watching Netflix, and the world's ugliest cat. She's also a bit sexually frustrated. Until… Fate bestows a breath of mercy upon her in the form of Minnesota's NFL starting quarterback. But this gift is no stranger. Lake met Cage Monaghan three years earlier.

When Jamie Andrews moves in with a house full of firefighters, things start heating up fast. Battling the wilderness of rural Montana, these guys are always charging into danger—for a living, for duty, for the rush—and since Jamie is a psychiatric nurse, they fascinate her analytic mind. She can’t help but fixate on Calvin, a grumpy, enigmatic smoke jumper ten years her senior. She makes playfully tormenting him her pet project, trying to get him to open up. It turns out he gives as good as he gets.

Are humans meant to mate for life? After four kids and an unfortunate but fateful end to her 22-year marriage, Elsie Smith meets the new guy in town. Kael Hendricks is...a little younger, a lot sexy, and too confident for his own good. He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it.

Milo lives in the barn, a cowboy through and through. I live in a castle, but I'm not a princess. When the only person who loves me dies, Milo's there. As I get older, I no longer look at Milo like a big brother. I look at him like the man God made just for me. With the first glimpse of freedom from my pathetic excuse for a father, I imagine a future with Milo. I dream of the day when we won't have to hide our feelings. But Milo has a secret. He is not free. The man I love is marrying the woman I hate.

It's been twelve years since I last saw Scottie Rucker. A grim prognosis has upended my life, and no amount of my hard-earned money can fix it. So, after leaving a note on the nightstand, I search for my first love—I search for life. When I find her in Austin, working at a quaint general store and living in an RV behind it, those twelve years vanish. She's exactly how I remember her. Scottie thinks our reunion is a small-world coincidence, and I'm not ready to tell her the truth.