Contemporary Books

If you had the chance to grab on to happiness and not let go, would you?

Kathryn Hawthorne, local Chicago celebrity, thinks everything in her life is just fine. She has friends, money, a job—everything she needs to survive. Except, of course, love, which, after getting her heart broken, she avoids like the plague. Pam Phillips, on the other hand, just buried the love of her life—her husband of twenty-one years. The last thing she wants is a new friend, let alone a new love interest. When the two women meet and swap witty banter, things start to change. Kathryn can feel that familiar tug of desire in her chest as she suggests—in a smooth as silk way—that they meet up again someday. In a moment of pure insanity—or desperation—Pam decides to take a chance. What happens next changes Pam’s life forever

Accountant and financial advisor Lacey Chamberlain doesn’t consider herself a control freak. She’s merely a planner—orderly, neat, and content in her tidy little life. When a marketing firm moves into the empty office next door, the loud-music-playing, stinky-food-ordering, kickball-in-the-hall staff make Lacey crazy.

Marketing expert Alicia Wright is spontaneous, flies by the seat of her pants, and lives in the moment—all the things Lacey is not. She’s also gorgeous, thoughtful, and seems determined to make Lacey like her.

They say opposites attract, but for how long? And is that really a good idea?

Before Grace Henderson began working as a tailor in her father’s bespoke suit shop in Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn, she established a hard and fast rule about not dating clients. The edict is an easy one for her to follow, considering the overwhelming majority of the shop’s clients are men. But when Dakota Lane contacts her to commission a suit to wear to her sister’s wedding, Grace finds herself tempted to throw all the rules out the window.

Dakota Lane works as a bicycle messenger by day and moonlights as a male model. Her high-profile career, gender-bending looks, and hard-partying ways garner her plenty of romantic attention, but she would rather play the field than settle down. When she meets sexy tailor Grace Henderson, however, she suddenly finds herself in the market for much more than a custom suit.

Carrie Longmire loves life with a passion—whether it’s her job as a hospital CEO’s admin, star pitcher for the hospital’s softball team, or her latest romantic possibility, she gives 110 percent and won’t take less from anyone else. Maybe that’s why she’s still single. She’s never met anyone who could convince her they wanted anything more than a fling. Friendly was fun, but not where she wanted to hang her heart.

Gina Antonelli had big dreams once, of riding her athletic achievements all the way to West Point and being the first in a long family line of soldiers to serve as an officer. When that dream died along with the girl she’d planned to marry one day, she’d vowed to forget about happily ever afters. Love hadn’t gotten her anything but a broken heart and a ruined body.

When Gina agrees to renovate Carrie’s soon-to-be new house as a favor to her brother’s boss, she doesn’t welcome Carrie’s overtures at friendship or her own unexpected attraction.

A Rivers Community Romance

Praise from RT Book Reviews: "Love After Hours, the fourth in Radclyffe's Rivers Community series, evokes the sense of a continuing drama as Gina and Carrie's slow-burning romance intertwines with details of other Rivers residents. They become part of a greater picture where friends and family support each other in personal and recreational endeavors. Vivid settings and characters draw in the reader..."

Maggie Jordan can’t wait to convert an historic Nantucket home into a B&B and move on to her next project. However, her intention to flip it for a sizeable profit is something she must keep to herself if she hopes to win the acceptance of islanders and popularize the business. She can’t afford to grow attached to the house, or succumb to Nantucket’s quaint charms, and definitely must not fall in love.

But neither can Maggie resist the conundrum that is Ellis Chilton, a reserved, solitary islander and mariner since childhood. Seemingly content being attached only to her boat and the ocean, Ellis projects a refreshing air of independence, an aura of conviction and grit that tugs Maggie ever closer to a decision that will alter both their lives.

Two rivals. One competition. Winner takes all.

Olive spends her days taking awkward family photos. Her dreams of being a travel photographer are thwarted by a debilitating phobia. Ready to face her fears, Olive enters the Catalina Isle of Love contest where the winner will tour the world as staff photographer for a popular travel magazine. Olive’s biggest opponent is Gabby, who wins the competition every year and has a reputation for doing anything to succeed. Gabby manages her Italian family’s chain of pizza restaurants. She’s ready to break free from her large, overbearing family and live her secret dream of being a photographer. 

For Gabby and Olive, nothing will stand in their way of winning…except maybe love.

Emilie Danvers wins a place in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s company and gets a second chance to launch her acting career. She’s vowed never to repeat the mistakes she made the first time: no following her heart, no putting herself second to someone else, no relationship drama. She won’t let any woman keep her from reconnecting with her dreams.

Arden Philips has stood on the outskirts of the festival for years, tending the gardens of nearby Lithia Park. She’s seen actresses come and go and only allows herself the occasional dalliance. But when she comes across Emilie rehearsing on a mossy riverbank, Arden realizes her heart might not listen to her head.

The stage is set, the house lights dimmed. Is true love merely make-believe or can these two women write it into the script of their lives?

Every date that firefighter Sasha McCray has had in the last year has been orchestrated by matchmaker Samantha Monteiro through Perfect Match, Inc., and she still has nothing to show for it. After a series of near matches, Sasha has all but given up on finding that special spark with someone else.

Accountant by day and reluctant millionairess by night, Abby Rossmore wants nothing more than to be the normal girl she reads about in all those romance novels. But the truth is, once people find out about her family, their interest in her flares for all the wrong reasons.

When Samantha tries to help Abby and Sasha discover they have more in common than being unlucky in love, they have to decide if their shared passion will blaze on or burn out. Could they be each other’s perfect match? Or did the notorious Miss Match strike out?

Praise from Publishers Weekly (starred review): "Riley balances romance, wit, and story complexity in this contemporary charmer....Readers of all stripes will enjoy this lyrically phrased, deftly plotted work about opposites attracting."

Kassandra Haden loves working with kids, her quaint condo on the golf course, and most of all, her dog, Lula. She’s happy being alone, having convinced herself that people can’t be trusted. But when Lula gets lost, Kassandra’s thrown into a different world, one that insists she come out of her shell. As allured as she is frightened, Kassandra can’t seem to stay away from the dog shelter, and the devastatingly attractive owner seems to be the cause.  

Jayden Beaumont isn’t used to taking no for an answer. Running a no kill dog shelter isn’t easy, but Jayden embraces it. She lives for her work and saves many lives in the process. But in doing so, she’s neglected her own, and it’s about to cost her big. When Kassandra walks into Jayden’s shelter, two very different personalities collide. Can either woman open and trust in order to embrace the life they could have together?

How to survive that pivotal moment when admiration turns to attraction?

Hélène Dupont, a scientific translator in Brussels, Belgium, cherishes two things: flowers and her cat. She writes bad poetry to help her survive her painful existence with her husband, until she is forced to undergo a radical lifestyle change. Sylvie Routard, a young Greek photographer, enters Hélène’s world as her new private swim coach. During their daily lessons, Hélène’s admiration toward Sylvie turns to attraction. As unsettling feelings hijack Hélène’s mind and body, daydreams featuring Sylvie enter her world—even her poems. While the two athletes increasingly feel underwater vibes in the pool, Hélène questions her relationship at home, and everything else in life.

Cam Cooper is still recovering from the loss of her lover but has not given up on the possibility of finding love again. Dawn Oliver has been stung by love in the past and avoids the potential complications of romance completely. When Cam moves in next door, Dawn is unwittingly intrigued by her new neighbor. 

Can Dawn put her past to rest and allow Cam to break down the walls around her heart?

Sam Miller followed her heart to the West Coast. Now she’s back, she’s single, and she’s got one mission: spend as much time as possible in Bay West, her favorite all-lesbian condo development. When she meets the sexy owner of Lucy’s Coffee Bar, Sam reshuffles her priorities right on the spot. But Lucy Weston has zero time for distractions, and she’s not about to make an exception—even if Sam’s easy confidence and subtle charm get her every time.  

Meanwhile, Meg McTiernan’s finally in a steady relationship with Reina Ramirez. So why can’t she stop wondering what Sasha Michaels is up to? When a chance run-in with her ex offers a glimpse into what her life could be, Meg wonders if she will be brave enough to risk it all for the girl she’s never stopped loving.

Bay West Social: where friendship, fun, romance, and drama are always brewing.

When it comes to love, no one is in charge. 

Isabel Chase is reeling. She’s just been offered her dream job as a staff writer on one of the hottest shows on television and quickly trades in the comfort of New England for sun, sand, and everything Hollywood. While stoked for what could be her big break, the show’s stunning executive producer has her head spinning and her feelings swirling. 

Taylor Andrews is at the top of her career. Everything she touches turns to gold and the studios know it. Just when she’s on track for total television domination, Isabel Chase arrives in her office and slowly turns her world upside down. Isabel is intelligent, sarcastic, and dammit, downright beautiful. Unfortunately, she’s the one person that can take away all Taylor has worked for. 

Will Isabel’s success lead to Taylor’s downfall? Or perhaps Isabel is all she needs…

Emerson Lange knows that life comes with no guarantees. After her parents’ unexpected deaths, she drops out of medical school and moves to Provincetown to pursue her real passion—art. Darcy Belo is also no stranger to life’s unexpected twists and turns. She never expected to become a single mother at twenty-two, but she has no regrets over moving back home or the life she’s built with her son. 

A chance meeting at a wedding sparks an instant attraction between them, but pursuing it is not without complications. Neither woman is looking for love, but when their summer romance reveals the promise of so much more, each of them must confront their notions of love, the future, and what it means to be a family.

Praise from RT Book Reviews: "As expected in a small-town romance, Summer's Cove evokes a sunny, light-hearted atmosphere that matches its beach setting... Emerson's shy pursuit of Darcy is sure to endear readers... Darcy desires romance yet is unwilling to disrupt her son's life to have it, and you feel for Emerson when she endeavors to show how there's room in her heart for a family."

A small-town girl returns home and rekindles a relationship with the woman she'd dreamed of in high school. 

Ellis Renois is at the top of the fashion world and has built the Renois Company into a success that dominates the runways of the world. Ellis loves creating clothes, and she loves the beautiful women who wear them. While Ellis deals with design, she leaves the business aspect to others. It’s a mistake that could cost her more than just her life’s work. 

Charlotte Hamner has worked her way through school and is ready to make a better life for herself and her daughter Sawyer. She’s far from the teenaged mother who worked a string of dead-end jobs to fulfill her dreams, so she’s not about to fall victim to Ellis’s easy charm. 

A summer job presents Charlotte with the chance to learn from Ellis, but it might also land her the position of head designer for Renois. But her promotion will come only through betrayal and perhaps at the cost of her heart.

Kate Randall is a successful, sophisticated attorney terminally jaded since the demise of her long-term relationship. Now with best friends Didi and Viv by her side, she’s savoring single life and the sweet taste of hard-won independence. As her friends navigate the poignant and amusing pitfalls of finding lasting love in their forties, she’s quite content to watch from behind a cosmo. 

But when the girls drag Kate to a Pride event, sexy young singer Jordan Squire rocks the stable foundation Kate had struggled for years to build. Despite Kate’s protests, Jordan’s charms prove too powerful to resist, and they fall into a passionate summer love affair. But even if Kate can conquer her fear of repeating the past, can their relationship withstand the pressures of a significant age difference and the demands of Jordan’s burgeoning music career?

What would you do if the woman sitting across from you at the negotiating table is the same woman you shared a bed with twelve years earlier? 

That’s exactly the situation when Adrienne Phillips enters the offices of Foster McKenzie. Sloan Merchant, the opposing attorney, is a rising star in the world of corporate law with one of the premier companies in the world.  Adrienne has never forgotten the thrill of desire in Sloan’s eyes, the sound of her name whispered in the dark, the rising crescendo of the pleasure of her touch, and the heartbreaking loss when it was over. Sloan has the world at her feet and any woman at her fingertips so why does she dream of her college fling? And what in the hell is she going to do now with her sitting across the negotiating table in one of the biggest deals of her life?