June

Avelina Ramsay despairs that she will never fall in love. Though every lad she meets is entranced by her comeliness, shyness prevents her from speaking with them. Part of what silences her is the fear that beauty is all she has to offer. She longs for something more, for a deeper calling and sense of purpose, for a stronger connection with a lad. Desperate for help, Lina leaves home to stay with Jennie Cameron, her closest childhood friend.

When you gamble with desire, be prepared to risk everything.... Unlike the rest of the Hell's Eight brotherhood, Ace Parker's home isn't on the range. This restless cowboy craves the hustle of Simple, Texas, a lawless town where he can sate his darker appetites without guilt. At least he could until Petunia Wayfield arrived. The prickly new teacher is insisting that Ace help her rid the town of drunkenness and card playing. For that kind of miracle, Ace demands a reward the spinster schoolmarm will surely never give.