Omnipotence Enough

What do you do when the whole world breaks?

Like when you make it through a plague with the woman you’ve loved for way more than half your septuagenarian life—only to watch her die, leaving you alone. And then, just weeks later, the world around you descends into relentless dark and cold.

Besieged, desolate Hester is too numb to know what to do. And even though she’s lucky to have the means to endure for quite a while, she’s tempted—really tempted—to just give it up. What, after all, is she enduring for?

But giving up will have to wait when she stumbles upon people who introduce her to the first rule of survival: Don’t try to go it alone if you don’t have to.

In some ways, Marine Lieutenant Jamie Gwynmorgan has it pretty good. The motherly kindness of Lynn Hillinger, the senator she saved during the war that nearly killed them both, never wavers. Plus she has a great place to stay while she's on convalescent leave—and a steady supply of the best lemonade on earth.

But flashbacks and nightmares shadow her as she tries to decide: Attempt a return to active duty, or...what? Jamie doubts she can ever achieve the peaceful life she dreams of—until she meets smart, idealistic Adele Sabellius. As their relationship deepens, almost anything seems possible.

Soon, however, Jamie learns that something more menacing than nightmares and flashbacks has begun to twist the restless shadows around her. Though she may never understand why Adele loves her, Jamie will do whatever it takes to keep Adele safe when relentless enemies emerge from those darkening shadows to threaten yet another war.

Jamie Gwynmorgan doesn't believe in prayer. She doesn't believe in anything much. Except that people can't be trusted—certainly not anyone she's ever met.

But Jamie knows some things. From experience. She knows if she died, nobody would give a damn. Nobody would even notice. She knows the better she can fight, the safer she'll be. That's why she can't resist the sleek, dark lethality of the weapon—and the recruiter's promise that yes, if she's strong enough, good enough, she'll get to fire that weapon in combat. She doesn't care about the uniform. And screw the pretend-camaraderie. Only Safe matters—and if she can do combat, then maybe she can fight her way to Safe.

Jamie expects a grueling fight that she might lose. What she never expects is to win love.

Reggie Knoll imagined all kinds of new adventures after leaving her job at the courthouse, but getting stuck on a jury for a boring bribery case is not one of them. Picked to serve against all odds, she’s determined to do everything in her power to coax the other jurors to a swift verdict so she can start her new career. But a pushy, beautiful woman is about to send her life spinning in a direction she couldn’t have anticipated.

Brooke Dawson doesn’t want to be on a jury any more than the rest of the people summoned to the courthouse, but she’s one hundred percent certain that when the judge calls the names of the chosen few, she’ll be on the list. The ominous voice on the phone told her that much right before they threatened her. Now she must convince the eleven other jurors, including the infuriating but devastatingly attractive know-it-all Reggie Knoll, to agree on a verdict—the only verdict that will keep her and her family alive.

Alessia Cavalii is a rising star in the competitive international wine scene, and one of only twenty-six female master sommeliers in the world. Her home is a gorgeous, renovated winery on the sun-soaked southern coast of Italy, she has a career she adores, and she has finally managed to end a long-term toxic relationship. But Alessia is hiding a dangerous secret—and she’s edging dangerously closer to losing the beautiful life she’s worked so hard to create.

Parker Haven is a captain in the US Army and stationed at the NATO military camp in Italy. A detective with the military police, she’s recruited to help solve a string of murders in the city and becomes inexplicably drawn into Alessia’s world. As the intrigue surrounding the case—and Alessia—spins dangerously out of control, Parker must choose between her military career and the woman she’s falling in love with.

How can we be sure we truly know the people we love?

Reprint. Previously published as The Last First Kiss.

When Natalie Brewer finally forged the courage to leave her husband, Allen, she thought she’d be able to live life on her own terms. But to Allen, they are still married, and they are to remain that way till death do them part. When Allen begins to stalk her, Natalie does the only thing she can do—she runs.

Horse rancher Vaughn Ruger is having a bad day. Two of her best broodmares have escaped, and two of her ranch hands are no-shows. What’s worse, her ranch is already on the brink of going under, and just one more thing will send it all spiraling. With so many problems on her mind, she almost passes up the woman on the side of the road crying in her vehicle. Almost.

Vaughn and Natalie have chemistry they can’t ignore, but neither is safe to act on it. They join forces to help each other, but the outside world keeps knocking at the door, threatening more trouble and making the love and the life they want together impossible.