Contemporary Books

Aren Jacobs trusts no one. Reeling from a devastating altercation with her foster family that left her scarred inside and out, she’s suddenly unemployed and all too happy to isolate herself from the world. But when a severe storm threatens her small community, Aren goes out to help and ends up saving Carol Matthews’s life.

Carol doesn’t know who to turn to after the storm leaves her homeless and grief stricken. Taking refuge with the woman who saved her is only one of her bad options, but there’s something about Aren that makes her feel safe despite all the rumors flying around town about what really happened the night Aren returned to visit her foster family.

The last thing Aren expects is to fall for Carol. Sharing her home is one thing, but sharing her heart means sharing the demons in her past and risking everything to keep Carol safe.

Whitney Ainsworth has had a very tough year. First up was the very public divorce from an A-list actress, and then the third book in her popular suspense series bombed. She’s got a chronic case of writer’s block and feels like a fraud getting paid to give speeches about achieving success. After a particularly disastrous event, Whitney’s manager suggests a romantic distraction might be in order.

Gabriela Talbot never expected to hear back when she requested an interview with her favorite author—certainly not after the scathing review she’d given Whitney’s latest book. She’s thrilled when the opportunity arises.

What happens next isn’t what either expected, and although passions flare, Whitney is furious when she learns she’s slept with the enemy. Their already rocky road to friendship—or something more—is complicated by family, Hollywood’s expectations, and an ex-wife who’s set to star in the film adaptation of Whitney’s first book. Will they find their way to love or will insecurities and outsiders prove too much to overcome?

Lieutenant-Colonel Greyson Walsden returns to her hometown of Gloucester after a fulfilling career as an Army doctor. She takes a position as a general practitioner while pursuing ordination as an Anglican priest. Overworked and naturally reserved, she doesn’t have time or patience for socializing, let alone for falling in love.

For Angela Arlingham, life as she knows it is over. God played a cruel trick on her by robbing her of her daughter, Sybil, and Angela refuses to believe in Him any longer. When she meets Greyson Walsden, she’s impressed by the handsome doctor, but struggling with her loss makes falling in love with a priest all but impossible.

As circumstances throw them together again and again, the choice to follow their hearts may be the most difficult one of all.

Natasha Parsons is a ride-along mental health clinician attached to the local police department. She charges into danger without a gun or badge to de-escalate crises. She’s quick on her feet and confident in her opinions. If only she could convince her by-the-book, humorless partner that she’s an asset, not the enemy.

Being a cop is in Tommy Finch’s blood. She comes from a long line of cops and grew up learning how to protect and serve with honor and integrity. Getting saddled with a shrink who’s reckless and brash isn’t something Tommy signed up for. How can she do her job when she’s responsible for the safety of an unarmed civilian?

No matter how often they clash on the job, an undeniable attraction simmers just beneath the surface. Can they find the courage to change so love has room to grow?

Praise from Foreword Reviews: "[B]rims with warmth, tenderness, and comedic wit. The Queen Has a Cold is a nonconforming romance that’s fun and lighthearted."

Remy, the heir to the throne of the tiny nation of Montamant, is finally free of their royal chains as they start graduate school in Boston. No one here knows Remy is royalty or intersex. It’s the break Remy has been looking for—until they meet Sam, the sassy lesbian across the hall. Sam doesn’t tolerate Remy’s snobbery and won’t let anything distract her from getting a PhD in gender studies. But Sam understands Remy in ways no one else ever has, and Remy pushes Sam to see beyond her books.

As things are starting to heat up between them, Remy is summoned home. The queen has a cold and can’t perform her royal duties. There’s just one problem: the people of Montamant haven’t seen Remy since puberty and the changes might mean Remy’s not the princess they expect. When Remy asks Sam to come with them, it might be the chance they both need to conquer their fears and find true love.

Content advisory: This book contains instances of misgendering and references to medical procedures.

Morgan Thompson likes her life just fine. She has a tight-knit family, two opinionated cats, and her job as office manager for her brother Perry’s medical practice. Perry’s an eligible bachelor, but his divorce left him gun-shy, so Morgan has fun tweaking his responses to potential dates online, using her affinity for words to make him sound impressive. When new pharmaceutical rep Zoe Blake walks into his office, though, he’s smitten, and he needs Morgan more than ever. 

Zoe is beautiful and a little mysterious and doesn’t seem terribly interested in Perry. Morgan decides she’ll need to get to know Zoe before she plays matchmaker. But soon, she’s talking books and movies and writing to her as Perry, and the more she knows, the more she wants to know, until she begins to wonder: Is she wooing Zoe for her brother? Or for herself?

Sometimes, a second chance comes when you least expect it. 

Kate Cormier thought she’d love Sutton Guidry forever. But when one bad decision ended things, she moved on, building a life for herself and her daughter. These days, she hardly thinks about all those dreams. Until Sutton shows up, acting like she never left and looking more gorgeous than ever.

Sutton has spent a decade avoiding her hometown, memories of first love, and the girl who broke her heart. She’s built a career, but the life that goes with it leaves her uninspired. When her father needs surgery, she decides coming home to help him recover is a chance to face those ghosts once and for all. But with so many pieces of her life still there—including Kate—it’s hard not to imagine trying again. Can she find a way to put them together without falling apart all over again?

Lochlan Paige is one of the biggest stars in Nashville. With her gorgeous stage presence and pitch-perfect voice, she’s earned her countless awards and sold out shows. But being famous hasn’t changed the fact that her favorite place to write music is in the quiet confines of libraries. Everything changes the moment she meets college student Vanessa and her fast-paced, very closeted world of country music is turned upside down.

Vanessa Wallace, a serious pre-med student, aspires to becoming a pediatric oncologist. During a late-night session at the campus library, an annoying hum coming from a secluded section leads to an encounter with Lochlan Paige. Little does Vanessa know she is about to take off on a whirlwind adventure that may end in love…or loss.

Lynette McCarthy was twelve years old when her parents pledged sole loyalty to a charismatic cult leader. At twenty-four, she escaped, armed with the hope that there was a better and kinder world outside. Healing from the trauma of the past and making a life for herself in a new world is a long and challenging process. When she meets a sexy conservation officer, her vow to never be vulnerable again is put to the ultimate test.

Growing up in a military family, Barb Donnelly has pride and a sense of duty. She loves her job as a conservation officer in the upper peninsula of Michigan but needs some time away. In the Wisconsin Dells, she meets the mysteriously reserved Lynette, who captures her attention like no other.

Just when Lynette believes she’s beginning to trust her heart again, her past catches up with her and her secret threatens to destroy her chance at happiness.

After a tumultuous childhood, Harper Sims left her hometown and never looked back. She’s a partner in a successful veterinary practice and loves everything about her job and the big city life she leads with her teenage daughter.

Addison Foster had big dreams, but life hasn’t turned out the way she’d planned. Working as a veterinary assistant in a rural clinic gives her the chance to raise her daughter surrounded by the people she loves, but it’s not easy to be honest about who she really is and what she really wants in a small town. 

When Harper’s father becomes ill, she whirls into town to run the clinic, and sparks fly between her and Addison in more ways than one. Their attraction is undeniable, but Addison isn’t ready to admit her desires, and Harper isn’t sure if she’s willing to stay. 

Home may be where the heart is, but is the journey back worth the pain?

As winemaker at Tangle Valley Vineyard, Madison LeGrange relies on science and logic to make the best vintage possible. It’s also how she manages her life. But with her career in its prime, her accountant thinks it’s time she diversifies her income. Not a problem because her favorite café, the Bacon and Biscuit, is up for sale. What she didn’t plan on was the time she’d spend with Clementine, who has her feeling anything but logical.

Clementine Monroe loves her job managing the Bacon and Biscuit Café. In fact, after escaping a difficult past, it’s all she has. When Clementine is offered the opportunity to step out from behind the counter and buy the place, her longtime dream is about to come true. That is until it’s snatched out from under her by the very same girl she crushed on in high school. Old habits are hard to break, but Clementine has no plans to forgive Madison anytime soon.

Artist Carrie Martin is struggling with the probability of profound loss when she meets Hope Garret in a grief support group. Hope is warm and easy to open up to, not to mention beautiful. Hope makes the perfect model for a series of figure paintings, and they build a friendship that helps Carrie find meaning in life again. Carrie is determined to keep things professional though, even if she can’t deny her attraction.

Temptation may prove impossible to resist and Carrie’s heart is on the line when she discovers Hope has secrets of her own. When a past mistake puts everything at risk, can the truth win out and love conquer all?

Romance is in the air on this detour to love.

High-flying executive Celia Scott is on her way to Tokyo to accept a prestigious award heavy with emotional baggage. She’ll make the trip, but she doesn’t have to like it, and she certainly doesn’t have to make nice with a stranger on a plane.

Artist Lily Andersen is excited to finally meet her online crush, the only person in the world who truly gets her. She just needs to survive the eleven-hour flight from London to Japan with a testy seatmate who by turns annoys and fascinates her.

Fate, upgrades, and a troupe of travelling clowns bring them together for a journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Not only do they have nothing in common, they really can’t stand each other. But people are not always as they seem, and Celia and Lily are about to realise, there’s more than one path to love.

Praise from Publishers Weekly: "This charming, low-heat lesbian romance from Radley brings together an unlikely pair of women, both at dark points in their lives, on an eventful plane ride...As their unexpected relationship grows through misadventure and mutual support, readers will grow to care about both characters, too. The result is a sweet love story that’s sure to please."

High school counselor Aislin Kennedy’s charisma and exuberance mask deep scars that prevent her from letting anyone too close. Instead, she throws herself into helping her students. CEO of a fashion conglomerate, Susanna Garry has been through three painfully public divorces, and to say she’s given up on love would be an understatement.

When Aislin agrees to help Susanna connect with her daughter, Cynt, surprising feelings awaken for both of them. But Aislin isn’t ready to trust again and Susanna’s track record is intimidating. If the past were to repeat itself, it could break Aislin for good.

For Veronica Clayton, the sudden death of her mother has turned her naturally bright and happy-go-lucky view of the world bleak. As the Police Protection Officer for the Queen’s children, she has purpose, but for the next six months, the Queen’s family is the focus of a documentary on royal life. The last thing Clay wants is a camera pointed in her face.

Katya Kovach, a refugee to Britain, knows all about death and grief. She saw her family shot in front of her and has never recovered from those dark memories. Now trained at London’s most prestigious childcare school, she’s happy as the nanny to Queen Georgina and Queen Bea’s children.

Clay is usually good-natured, but the rule-oriented Katya is not only a pain, but annoyingly beautiful, and they find themselves facing the awkward reality that everyone else is a couple except them while their every move is being filmed. Loss has defined both their lives, but guarding their hearts may prove to be the biggest heartbreak of all.

Wren Lindley loves her low-tech life far off the grid near the small Pacific Northwest town of Poulsbo, Washington. Her world is untouched by the latest anything until the day social media star Gina arrives to help her market her horse farm…and brings an unexpected and irresistible electricity into Wren’s life.

Influencer Gina Strickland always has her focus forward, toward the hottest trend and the newest way to make a splash. Her glamorous on-screen persona has made her a success, but when her real identity is leaked and threats ensue, she needs a temporary hideout. Wren’s isolated farm sounds like the perfect refuge until Gina discovers just how far off the grid it really is. With this much downtime, how is she supposed to distract herself from the sparks flying between her and tantalizing Wren?

On the shores of Liberty Bay, far from the buzz of social media feeds, can Wren and Gina find a way to forge a real-world connection?

Nico Marshall’s living her best life. Her packaging company’s turning a profit and she’s just been labeled Chicago’s most promising up-and-coming artist. The only thing missing is love. When she meets a beautiful woman on the train with an indescribable sweet and sugary scent, Nico’s ready to make her move.

Sophia Sweet doesn’t have time for distractions. Never mind how fit and tan Nico is, or how she has the most beautiful eyes ever. Sophia only has one goal: keep the family business alive. Her third-generation chocolatier shop, Sweet Stuff, is tanking. In a last-ditch effort, Sophia creates an upscale version of their product and needs the perfect package to ensure success.

When Sophia recognizes Nico from the train but mistakes her for the packaging company’s warehouse employee, Nico doesn’t bother to correct her. She’s been burned by women in the past wanting her for her money. This time, she’s determined to win Sophia over with her charm.