You ever met somebody and knew right away they were going to be your forever? Yea, me neither. But when my path crossed with Devyn Banks, I knew she would leave a stain that was hard to wash out.

Billie Hopkins is discontent living life for her mother. The painter and baker spends her days working at her family’s business. Even though she wishes she could change her life, she doesn’t have the motivation to do so… Until her boyfriend of three years breaks up with her and gets engaged just six months later. Worse, his fiancée wants to hire Billie to bake their wedding cake. That seems to be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back and forces Billie to do something different with her life—even if it’s just for three days.

Hiking, cold weather, and cabins in the woods are not my thing. But when my two best friends beg me to join them for a trip to the mountains, I cave. "It'll be fun," they said. "You need to get out more," they said. Everything was fine until I realized it's all a setup. A weekend-long blind date orchestrated with the help of their boyfriends. To say I'm annoyed is an understatement. But then he shows up, looking like a lot more than a tall glass of milk.

I was left a swanky NYC apartment, courtesy of a will I didn't know I was in—but it comes with a caveat. I have to marry an incredibly rude—and fine—stranger. My first reaction is a clear, "I don't." My finances don't let me get that far. And Josh needs this fake marriage to get custody of his late friend's son. Is it enough to make me put up with the most abrasive but handsome white boy I've ever met?

If you told me I'd be on a reality dating show with a man I can't stand while the guy I haven't been able to forget films it all, I'd tell you to kick rocks. Alas, here I am, pretending to fall in love with a man who'd marry himself if he could all while my TV producer best friend has front seats to it all. It'd be a lot easier if the self-centered bachelor wasn't hot as hell and charming beyond reason when the cameras are rolling. Or if I didn't get heart palpitations every time my best friend looked at me.

Shalom Daniels has everything she wants in life outside of marriage and kids. Her career and personal relationships are flourishing, except when it comes to the relationship that matters most—one with a man dedicated to cherishing and protecting her heart. Fresh out of a relationship with a man who was almost perfect, Shalom begins to question if her boundaries and standards are too high, or if it simply isn’t her time for her happily ever after yet.

Megatron Loric Manfield is the definition of perfect imperfection. He is not scared to love—he just knows that when it comes along, he wants it to be God-sent. When the right woman comes along, he will fall in line to receive his favor. Ruth Lindsay Gordon is saved, sheltered, and suffocated. Being a preacher’s kid is never easy and even harder when the preacher sometimes references himself more than the God he claims to serve. Desperately, she wants to be released from the hold that is her father, so she prays for God to send her Boaz. They say to be careful what you pray for.

I can't understand why—out of the four hockey players I'm sharing a house with this semester—Finn Howard's the one who catches my eye. The guy never smiles. He doesn't say much and disapproves plenty. But, something about him feels familiar. Something about him feels safe.

Protection. Monroe Iris has lived her entire life seeking it. She longs to have a safe space to fall in love—to be vulnerable. She's surrounded by things and people that were put in place to fill her with security but has none. Her entire life has been molded around being the perfect wife for an imperfect man. She's stuck following a family tradition that doesn't mean her well, without anyone in her corner to save her.

Emmanuel Santiago has thoroughly enjoyed his bachelor lifestyle. With money, a life of luxury, and women at his disposal, he seems to have it all. He has no immediate plans of settling down with one woman and starting a family. Then he meets her. What was supposed to be a one-night stand quickly turns into a love affair that neither of them saw coming. She taps into his vulnerability and without even realizing it, Emmanuel is falling for a woman who should be forbidden.