Showing results by author "Tara Sivec" in All Categories

Nothing good ever comes from drinking a box of wine alone. So when I decided to entertain my drunken self by setting up some hand-me-down podcasting equipment and reading the steamy parts from romance novels, I never thought anyone would actually listen. The fact that I admitted my huge crush on my sexy next door neighbor made the whole thing even more mortifying. But sometimes life surprises you, and that’s how my podcast, Heidi’s Discount Erotica, was born. Now I, Heidi Larsen, a sweet former kindergarten teacher in Waconia, Minnesota, lead a scandalous double life.

Laura Bennett has spent her life taking care of other people and running the Dip and Twist. With an ever-growing family, she's a mother to them all. But her baby is getting married, and her oldest has her own life changes to deal with. Suddenly, being alone doesn't sound so appealing anymore. Dean Campbell has always been the black sheep. The only one he cares about is his nephew, Palmer. Deciding at the last minute to attend Palmer's nuptials, Dean knows he's going to need to try not to be his grouchy self. But the mother-of-the-bride has him wanting to check plus-one on his invite.

Ava Gilmore has the perfect life. She’s surrounded by people who love her, she’s having sex on a regular basis, and her Coach bag collection just grew by three. The problem? She’s expected to follow in her family’s footsteps at Seduction and Snacks, working with sex toys and baked goods. With her shopping addiction reaching an all-time high and her credit card bills piling up, Ava decides to put her obsession to good use and start a fashion blog. But she has one other problem - the guy she’s having sex with has a My Little Pony addiction

Brooklyn Manning thought her life was perfect in every way, until it crumbled down around her and turned into a dumpster fire. With her pride wounded and her tail tucked between her legs, she leaves New York and goes back to her tiny hometown of White Timber, Montana. No more 24-hour taco trucks, no more shopping at the best designer stores within walking distance, no more giving taxi drivers the finger when they angrily honk at her. She didn’t think it could get any worse. But then Clint Hastings walked into the room and insulted her.

What happens when your life goes to crap the week of Christmas? You invite a hot Marine you met in an airport bar to come home with you for the holidays, to distract your crazy family from the truth. With a handsy aunt, a meddling mother, and a father concerned for the wellbeing of his daughter's eggnog, there's no chance Sam and Noel will have time to fall in love...or will they?

After spending my entire pro golfing career being known as the quiet, controlled, no-nonsense golfer, there's nothing more humiliating than throwing all of that down the drain on national television. Needing some place to hide, I can only think of one place I need to be. Summersweet Island, where they'll all be happy to have me home again. Well, except maybe one person. But I'm sure Birdie Bennett, my best friend since I was 15 and the clubhouse manager of my favorite golf course, has had plenty of time to forgive me for that tiny little misunderstanding.

Carter, Claire and Gavin have formed the perfect little family. Their friends are getting married and everyone is growing up, maturing and ready to face the future. Or are they? From bachelorette party hell, porn addictions, dinner roll baseball and botched wedding proposals to finding out everyone's extended family is chock full of crazy, Carter and Claire begin to question the strength of the ties that bind them.

Ryan Hutton has spent his entire life being the shy, nerdy, rule-following nice guy on Summersweet Island. He's the high school bowling coach and algebra teacher, who's always predictable, and he's always been fine with that. At least until a sexy nutjob gives him the best kiss of his life in his favorite pizza place. Suddenly, he doesn't like being the quiet, obedient nice guy anymore.

Harvest Grove News: Favorite bar owner, Ford Prescott, is back in town for his yearly stay, making this his sixth October in Harvest Grove! Single ladies—try not to overwhelm the poor man with so many baked goods this year. Sidney Tanner wants residents to know her Severed Head Succulents will be buy one, get one free before the countdown to midnight begins on October Eve. Since it's likely she'll be in jail at some point that night, please text her your orders. Still seeking volunteers for various events around town: Someone to organize pumpkin carving night at the Gore House.

The happiest day of Payton Lambert's life was the day she graduated high school and watched Bald Knob, Kentucky, get smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. She wanted more for her life than a tiny town where everyone knows your business and you can't find a decent cup of coffee for at least 40 miles. Twelve years later an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night has her packing up her life in Chicago and racing back home to the one person she ever regretted leaving behind.

Five years. I would've stayed away longer if I hadn't received the letter. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about her, haven't missed her smile, haven't wished that things were different. The last time I saw my two best friends, I vowed to not stand in the way of their happiness, even if that meant I couldn't be a part of their lives. Cameron James and her emerald-green eyes were too much of a temptation and I couldn't stay and watch them together. Cameron deserved better than me. She deserved him. But now that I am back, things are different.

Twenty-five-year-old Gavin Ellis has always had the love and support of his family ever since he was a little boy and couldn't stop talking about his penis. He's also always had their unsolicited advice and uncanny knack of embarrassing him at all costs. Now that he's an adult and trying to convince the love of his life to love him back, things haven't changed very much from when he was younger. When Gavin's best friend, Tyler, suggests he make a to-do list of items that will ensure he wins the girl, Gavin is 100 percent on board: after a few six packs.

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through Summersweet, Tess Powell was annoyed and wanted to retreat. With a BIC in her hand and a frown on her face, everyone knew she needed a break from this place. Wanting the holiday to be nothing but the best, Bodhi took his girlfriend to the mountains to rest. While visions of fire happily danced in Tess' head, soon she would see she had everything to dread. Crying kids, singing hippos, and a stalker with a van definitely weren't part of Bodhi's evacuation plan.

After war veteran Kennedy O’Brien returned home from Afghanistan and caught her husband in bed with the nanny, she lost her faith in all things male. So she started Fool Me Once Investigations to stick it to the man — because there’s no better bounty hunter than a woman scorned. Her latest job is a wild dog-chase to slap cuffs on a bail jumper turned Chihuahua thief, but thanks to her meddling family, Kennedy will have to put up with a partner. And it’s about the last man she’d ever pick: Her cheating ex-husband’s best friend, Griffin Crawford.

It’s been a lot of years and another lifetime since Dax Trevino was a playboy detective for the Franklin Police Department. He’s been through hell and back, and now he just wants to be left alone so he can cuddle his otters. When two of his babies are kidnapped in the middle of the night and Claws and Effect Pet Detectives are called to the rescue, quiet, broody Dax never expects to be tackled and handcuffed by the only woman he ever regretted being a douchebag to all those years ago.

Ember Hastings never thought she'd be dragged away from White Timber and everything she loved, thrust in the middle of a big city she hated, or have her husband of nine years say, "I can't do this anymore", all within the span of three months - yet here she is. She misses her family, she misses the farm, and she misses having a backbone and caring whether or not the stain on her shirt is chocolate or s--t. She works from home doing transcription. Does she really need to shower or leave the house?

Two years ago, I was a pretty big deal. I thought I had it all, until a blast from my past popped up on my social media feed, keeping my ego in check and reminding me how basic I am. Except sassy Wren Bennett isn't just a blast from my past. She's the only woman I ever saw a future with. Even though my soul leaves my body every time she says she hates baseball and has never watched me play, a year's worth of messages filled with laughter and sarcasm only remind me how amazing my "pen pal" is.

Emily Flanagan has been living her dreams the last four years as a professional cheerleader for the Los Angeles Vipers, thousands of miles away from her tiny hometown of Summersweet Island, Virginia. She's got the world at the tips of her pom-poms...until she tells her boss to shove those pom-poms where the sun doesn't shine.

Claire is a 20-something, single mom who grudgingly helps her best friend sell sex toys while she attempts to make enough money to start her own business to give her foul-mouthed, but extremely loveable (when he's asleep) toddler a better life. When Carter, the one-night-stand from her past that changed her life forever, shows up in her hometown bar without any recollection of her besides her unique chocolate scent, Claire will make it a point that he remembers her this time. With Carter's undisguised shock at suddenly finding out he has a four-year-old son and Claire's panic that her stretch marks and slim-to-none bedroom experience will send the man of her dreams heading for the hills, the pair will do whatever they can to get their happily ever after.

"I'm pregnant." Molly Gilmore had a good life before she uttered those two stupid words. While preparing to graduate from culinary school and building up the courage to make a move on her hot, sugar-cookie-smelling pastry instructor Marco, she can't wait to finally have the GREAT life she's always dreamed about, instead of just the good one she's been living. Always known as the quiet ninja, she fully intends to stay hidden in the shadows with her nut-job family, so they have no chance to embarrass her around the man she's crushed on for two years.