Lila James is my best friend’s little sister, and I’ve always looked out for her. She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid. But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.

I was a small-town girl with big city dreams and more ambition than money to my name. He had everything—money, privilege, and the world at his feet. Opposites in every way, but that didn’t matter. We were lightning in a bottle, and everything felt possible when we were together. Life was perfect.

What's worse than having Rider Kingston, the star quarterback, give you the big brushoff because he doesn't want to get serious? You'd probably think living across the street from him where you get a firsthand view of his hookups, right? That's what I thought. Until someone drops off a baby with a note pinned to her blanket that says one of those jocks - either Rider or one of his roommates - is the father. The problem? Baby mama doesn't mention which of these numbskulls is the sperm donor. I wouldn't care about their paternity problems - except my brother lives there too.

Someone is stalking Audrey Young. And she has no idea why. Complicating matters is her landlord and new neighbor, Josiah Haven. She doesn’t usually go for the big, surly lumberjack type. But there’s something about that broody man. He intimidates her a little, but she kind of likes it. She could totally handle the mess that is her life, except the strange feeling of being watched is just the beginning. Next thing Audrey knows, she’s a target, and she doesn’t know who’s behind it or why. For Josiah Haven, none of that makes her his problem.

Zanders: Chicago hockey isn't complete without me—everyone's favorite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night. What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

I’ve never met someone so determined to piss me off. Soren Brehm thinks he’s my personal hero because he has something I need, but he can’t solve all my problems with a wicked smile and a spacious second bedroom. Not until I get past his football star façade and realize he sees me, really sees me. I don’t need saving—but maybe I need him.

Aurelia Whitlock is an ex-stepsister I forgot long ago. Until she shows up as a design intern at my fashion company. And that's the easy part. The part where she heats my blood, drawing me away from my grumpy, miserable side is another. She has no business being here. The more I learn about how she got this job, the more perilous things become for me and my company. I can't trust her. I can't fire her. And I can't claim her full lips with mine.

In the morning, she was gone and had taken my solace with her. I left for the military that day, vowing never to return to Pennsylvania. When my father dies, I’m forced to go home to bury him. At least I'll finally be rid of his farm, which is grown over and tangled with memories I've fought to forget. And that’s when I find her. She’s even more beautiful than I remember and has the most adorable kid I’ve ever seen. Years have passed, but my feelings are the same, and this time I refuse to let her go. They say you can't bury the past, and they're right.

The moment I saw her walk through the door of Forbidden Ink, I knew she was the one. With her wide hips, thick thighs, and perfect breasts, she's every man's wet dream. Add to that her dark, soulful eyes, pouty lips, and a body covered in gorgeous art, and I knew I needed to make her mine. She's a walking contradiction of sass and strength and determination, hidden by insecurity and self-doubt. She's everything I could ever want or need, but she doesn't see what I see.

I hate Dante Moretti. He is cold, calculating, and vicious. It’s no secret that he wiped out his former fiancée and her entire family on the eve of their wedding. He’s the kind of evil that makes even devils cry. But that’s not why I hate him.

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash. A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this. She'd get ripped to shreds. Most likely by me. There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste.

It was supposed to be the best day of my life. But the second I got up, things started to fall apart. The kitchen just caught on fire. Flowers were from a funeral. My bride-to-be just had an allergic reaction, leaving by ambulance. Oh, and my ex-girlfriend just walked into the church. They say you have to see the signs when they are right in front of you. Maybe she was just mine to have.

Running away from home at 17 wasn't easy. Let's face it, though, nothing before or in the ten years since has ever been easy for me. And I'm doing okay—sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people's way, off people's minds. When a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home and my life, I should be scared, frightened, terrified. I must be more broken than I realized because I'm none of those things. I'm intrigued—and I'm wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.

As the days pass, I begin to realize how much my life is missing. Companionship. Romance. Intimacy. When I discover my heart has space for one more female, it’s a lost cause, another curveball. The hot-as-hell nanny is leaving soon for a mission trip to Central America. No sense in letting myself fantasize about Jessa being a permanent part of my life. The closer we get, the more difficult it becomes to keep my feelings in check, because my heart won’t listen. And neither will my libido.

Niko West is the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on: six feet, four inches of broody, chiseled Greek god in a firefighter suit. He’s also been my best friend since kindergarten. He always says the only solid thing in his life is our friendship. He’s Honey Mountain's favorite player and I’m what you’d call "a relationship girl". But when I find myself single for the first time since turning sixteen, I make Niko an offer he can’t refuse. Who better to show me what I’ve been missing?

Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City, and home to the single dads of Seattle. Ten sexy single fathers who play poker every Saturday night, have each other's backs, love their children without quarter, and hope to one day find love again. These are their stories....

Rule number one for becoming an NHL team’s social media manager: Don’t hook up with the star center in an elevator a week before starting your new job.

I'd never needed a week away with my brothers so bad until I'd broken up with my girlfriend. The female persuasion was the farthest thing from my mind . . . that was until I lock eyes with the stunning brunette sitting on the other side of the bar. It didn't take me long to figure out that she was there alone. My brothers and I had decided to move the party from the bar to my hotel room. Things got loud, and before I knew it she was standing on the other side of my door. Only she wasn't here to join the party, instead she was raging with anger at the fact we'd kept her up half the night.

I'm Karli Brighton, reigning Queen of Epic Screw-Ups. With twelve med school rejection letters burning a hole in my back pocket, I'm back in my quirky hometown for the summer. Grumpy and shame-faced, I'm not exactly in the mood to make new friends. Having a wild one-night stand with the charming pretty boy I meet at a local bar to feel better about myself? Probably not the smartest idea. But I take comfort in knowing that I'll never see the gorgeous stranger again. Until he strolls into my family home one hour later.

Morning yoga classes. Afternoon tea. Peaceful evenings in my perfectly curated apartment. My life was calm, predictable—exactly how I like it. Until one call shattered my carefully built world. My sister and I were never close, but her unexpected death left me with more than just grief. It left me her daughter, a girl with wide brown eyes and enough questions to break my heart. Now, I’m thrust into a life I never planned, juggling motherhood and grief.

Dear Grumpy Horrible Boss, You suck as a lawyer. I don't even know how you passed the bar. Or how you sleep at night taking clients like Jack Whittington. Just in case you didn't know, you can't fire me just because I have a part-time job working bachelor parties. What I do on the weekend is none of your business and not a part of my employment contract. If I want to go back to wearing coconut bikinis and popping out of cakes, I can. As soon as I get my big break as an actress, I will be leaving your employ. I am literally counting down the days.

Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths and lady luck tucked into their back pocket. Then there's people like me, who live to survive. Survive loss. Survive loneliness. Survive the black tar that swallows you whole, stealing everything and anything that could resemble a piece of happiness. They try and fail, try again and fail even harder. Starting life's never ending cycle of wash, rinse, and repeat.

Get married. Have a child. These are the only two rules to get my inheritance. Neither of which I want. My billionaire life doesn’t play well with either idea. But no one asked me. My father’s company is up for grabs, and whichever of my brothers makes it to the finish line first wins. In no time, I’ve found the perfect woman to play my fake fiancée, while I figure things out. Beautiful. Smart. Strong. Everything I crave in a relationship and more. But there’s a problem. She’s got a past I can’t ignore.

One of the cardinal rules of matchmaking I was positive I'd never break. That is until Nathan Wilder walked into Love Moore Matchmaking Agency, needing my help to find him the one. A tall order to ask since he was the most hated man in the NHL. Broody. Crude. Abrasive. The man was a six-foot-three walking red flag. Right off the bat, every fiber of my being told me he'd be trouble. He wasn't looking for love. It was all a PR stunt to clean up his image so he could keep playing for the Boston Guardians. But there was something in his sad, soulful eyes that just pulled me in.

I crafted a perfectly simple life for myself and my son. It was peaceful and lonely, exactly how I wanted it. Then my new neighbor moved in and ruined everything. Archer Green. Not just a member of a motorcycle club but the president. The leather jacket on his broad back, along with all its various patches, might as well have been red flags, warning me to stay away all the while his looks dared me not to. Ignoring him was futile. Still, I tried. Until Archer showed up in my son’s classroom, ready to read for storytime hour.

The single dad falling for the younger nanny seems like such a cliché until it happens to you. Except that's not going to be me. I'm not going to be the mom who fell for her daughter's manny, even if Preston is hot. He's also younger than me and completely off-limits. At least that's what I keep telling myself. But it doesn't help that he's staying in my pool house. Doting on my daughter and restoring a sense of calm and order to our busy lives.

I’ve had more than enough relationship drama to last a lifetime, so romance with Stevie Palmer, the gorgeous server I had a hot one-night stand with, isn’t in the cards. However, she would make the perfect fake girlfriend to help me win my custody battle. When I offer her an obscene amount of money to play along, she agrees. I insist this arrangement is strictly business. No feelings. No complications. Easy, right?

Good looks and wads of cash usually get me whatever I desire, unless I desire a box of my favorite cereal at the grocery store right before it closes. As if tonight's loss wasn't bad enough, I'm now watching said box of cereal, my literal good luck charm, disappear in some woman's cart. The brazen woman denies my cash offer along with my proposal for a more intimate payment. How much loss can a man take in one day? At this point, who cares how rude I am to her? She's public enemy number one, and chances of seeing her again are slim to none.

I never expected to inherit a sprawling estate in a small town I’d never even heard of. To claim it, I have to outmaneuver my scheming cousin and fulfill one impossible condition: Find a groom. Enter Ledger Timberbridge—the infuriatingly charming stranger I crossed paths with on my solo (read: canceled) honeymoon. Now, he’s here in Birchwood Springs, fighting to save his family’s struggling logging company. And somehow, he’s probably my only shot at keeping my inheritance.

Anyone but her. Eva Adams—the entitled, picture-perfect cheer princess. Incapable of empathy, patently manipulative, and absolutely beautiful. I can't afford her drama—I just want to play my last year of hockey without being kicked out of TU, but there she is on my first day back. Crying. In a weak moment, I make her an offer. An agreement I never thought she'd take. Except she surprises me, and now I'm faced with a dilemma. Protect my secrets… or win the girl.