Contemporary Books

Singer-songwriter Kenzie McCall thrives on freedom—writing what she wants, when she wants, for whoever she wants, with no strings attached. Deadlines? Not her thing. Commitment? Even less so. But when a movie studio offers her best friend, pop sensation Braxton, a starring role if Kenzie writes the theme song, she reluctantly agrees. There’s just one catch: the song has to be about love, and Kenzie has never truly fallen for anyone.

Rachel has life mapped out: white picket fence, two kids, a dog, and a marriage filled with spark—

and is determined to find someone who wants the same future. When Rachel hears Kenzie sing for the first time, the connection is instant, electric, and impossible to ignore. But how can she plan a future with someone whose life is anything but stable? Kenzie is constantly jetting off to meet with celebrities, and Rachel’s cozy suburban dream feels like Kenzie’s worst nightmare.

Will they be able to write their love story together, or are they destined for different endings?

In the superficial world of Hollywood glamour, tenacious journalist River Westwood’s path collides with Maxine Stone, the ice queen CEO of Stone Enterprises. Maxine is reluctantly paired with River as her biographer for a six-month project, sparking a battle of wills that ignites an unexpected burn of attraction. 

As they clash and spar, their animosity might not be animosity at all. Perhaps it is something deeper. Caught in the crossfire of their own making, River and Maxine are inexorably drawn to each other. Are image and ethics too dangerous to comprise or will the demands of the heart rule in the end?

What would you change if you won the lottery?

Lucy Crowne and Tanner Laszlo have low expectations when they stumble upon a lottery ticket and agree to split any winnings, but life quickly turns upside down when the fantasy of riches becomes reality.

Lucy used to be an eternal optimist, but she’s been stuck. Stuck in a dead-end job with a misogynistic boss. Stuck with an ex dragging their feet in a divorce. She’s desperate for a change, but how does she make it happen?

Tanner doesn’t want to change. She enjoys her construction superintendent job, traveling from city to city every few years for the next development project. With no plans to ever settle down, Tanner doesn’t even realize something might be missing.

Lucy and Tanner turn to each other while navigating the highs and lows of winning a life-changing jackpot, but what happens when, despite suddenly having enough money to buy almost anything, they start to discover that maybe all they need is each other?

After years of hard work, Hudson Greene is keen to launch her tenure-track career at the illustrious Coteau College. But her first day takes an unexpected turn when she walks into new faculty orientation and discovers that Callie Shaw—her unforgettable one-night stand from the local Pride festival—is also the dean of advising.

Callie loves guiding students through the chaos of academia, even if it means dealing with clueless professors. She goes with the flow, and her covert <i>Shit Professors Say</i> social media account provides an outlet for chronicling faculty missteps. Dating one, though? Definitely not on her syllabus.

Mutual attraction proves hard to resist, and technically there’s no rule against faculty-staff relationships. But between campus politics and Callie’s secret, policy might be the least of their problems. Can Hudson and Callie navigate office hours and off-the-clock romance, or will their shot at love turn into an epic fail?

Annika Silberberg hates weddings, despite being a wedding dress designer with her own bridal salon. She doesn’t believe in lasting romantic love, cutting off dates when any of her girlfriends try to get too close. But when her sister Maia asks her to be co-maid of honor with Maia’s adorable best friend Gabi, Annika can’t refuse.

Gabi Mendon doesn’t know how to date. After ending her eight-year relationship with Matt, her no-stress college boyfriend, she is out on her own for the first time in her adult life and finally ready to embrace her true sexuality as a lesbian. Only, she has no idea where to start. What’s an overthinker to do?

Enter Annika, renowned serial dater. What starts as a simple arrangement—Annika giving Gabi tips on queer dating and introducing her to the sapphic scene—quickly turns into hot secret hookups and nights spent getting to know each other better.

Over the course of Maia’s wedding year, from engagement party to dress fittings, to bachelorette and bridal shower, Annika and Gabi must decide if what they have is worth keeping, or if they need to rip out the stitches of their relationship at the seams.

All Karen Petersen has ever wanted is to be someone’s number one. She’s lived in the shadow of her older brother, never getting any attention from parents, who value financial success that she could never achieve as a third-grade teacher in small town Bucks Mill, Virginia. All her girlfriends turn into friends or acquaintances. Even her best friend doesn’t have room for her at the top of her priority list.

So, of course, the intoxicatingly beautiful new art teacher Bianca Harper has an equally perfect butch wife already on her arm. Then again, Bianca seems just as eager as Karen for the limited time together their packed teaching schedules allow. Bianca definitely isn’t a cheater, but things aren’t exactly as they seem. Has Karen finally found the one who truly wants her to be their person?

Helen Cho, film producer and CEO of a new production company, knows that achieving her career dreams means making hard decisions. With her latest feature film in crisis, she needs a new director immediately. At the top of the very short list of replacements? The woman responsible for breaking up Helen’s marriage.

Nora Darmody’s dreams of a directing career have not panned out as she hoped. When the offer from up-and-coming Propolis Pictures falls into her lap, there’s no way she can say no, even if that means working with Helen Cho. Because the last time Nora checked, their friendship died the moment Nora moved out of her pool house.

Both their careers hang in the balance. If they’re going to work together, Helen has to ignore her angry feelings of betrayal, and Nora must dim the spotlight of attraction that glows whenever Helen reenters the frame. Can they let go of the past and trust each other again, or will old wounds and unspoken feelings derail them before the final cut?

Maya Sanchez never planned on starting over—not like this. After losing her wife in a tragic accident, she moves back to her Arizona hometown with her four-year-old daughter, determined to rebuild their lives. But their fixer-upper needs more than she can handle alone. Enter Nolan Wright—skilled contractor, ex-Army machinist, and exactly the kind of reliable help Maya needs. What she doesn’t need? The way Nolan makes her feel something she thought was long buried.

Nolan is trying to move forward, too—one renovation, one day at a time. Helping Maya should be just another job, but from the moment they meet, the connection is undeniable. As attraction kindles, so do the secrets neither of them are ready to share.

Falling wasn’t part of the plan, but love doesn’t wait for perfect timing. Can they trust each other enough to build something real, or will the past tear them apart?

Honey Singh and Cara Espinoza have two things in common: Their despicable, odious, lying spouses are having an affair, and they need a vacation.

They take a road trip, filming their adventures and posting them online to prove to everyone back home that they’re fine—not heartbroken and not staying home grief-eating cartons of ice cream. What better way to make a new friend than late nights and long drives? As their heartbreak takes a back seat to healing, they realize that they want more from each other than just conversation. Passion and friendship are a potent combination, but a seemingly small secret could end their romance before it truly begins.

Set against the backdrop of ever-changing landscapes and starlit skies, Anywhere with You is full of hope and humor, a second chance at love, searching for aliens, hooking up in nature, and avoiding dangerous wildlife (most of the time).

Both Pirin Basamendi and Gracie Olwyn have way too much to hide, not to mention a virulent contagion to avoid. Which is why they'd have preferred to never meet each other. But Gracie has what Pirin is eager to retrieve and Gracie is desperate to get rid of: the lightning stone. So, reluctantly, they do meet—and discover an instant attraction that's impossible to resist.  

Soon, despite themselves, they begin to reveal their secrets—and become deeply entangled in each other’s lives. For Pirin, this means immersion in Gracie’s unsettling, scary-vivid episodic dreams about two women, Analergin and Kaldi, and events that somehow eerily echo her own ancestral past. For Gracie, it means helping Pirin confront the very real threat of a man determined to kill her.

Amid self-doubt, stealth, a pandemic, fear of attack, and attempted murder, their attraction turns to love—and their lives will never be the same.

Hazel Ross isn’t your average pet photographer to the stars. She’s got a secret: she can see other people’s memories, playing out right in front of her. When a desperate plea for help yanks her from her glitzy life, Hazel plunges headfirst into a century-old romantic mystery.

Scientist Jo Steward thought she was escaping heartbreak by fleeing to her seaside haven in Northern California. Instead, she’s in the eye of a different storm. As a steadfast skeptic, Jo is determined to find a logical explanation for the strange energy now in the house. But what if the truth can’t be contained?

As Hazel’s and Jo’s paths intertwine, they’re swept up in a whirlwind of long-buried secrets, sizzling chemistry, and memories that won’t be denied. Can these two unlikely allies come together to solve an age-old mystery? And in the chaos of the past and present, can they discover a new future: their own echo of love?

Megan Montgomery has no idea that Mike, the guy she’s dating, is married—until a late-night call from his wife, Tara, forces her to see the truth. But the surprises don’t stop there. When Tara asks for her help to prove Mike’s infidelity to secure a million-dollar prenup in their divorce, Megan agrees. She knows what it feels like to be cheated on and can’t help but feel sorry for Tara. What she doesn’t anticipate is falling hard for her. 

Tara Foreman is determined to free herself from her unfaithful husband and claim what’s rightfully hers. The money isn’t just for her—she’s desperate to keep helping her sister by supporting her autistic nephew’s private education. But Tara has secrets of her own. Trapped in a loveless marriage forced by on her by her abusive parents, she has always yearned for the love of another woman—a love she thought she’d never get to experience.

The more time Tara and Megan spend together the more the chemistry between them becomes undeniable. Yet their complicated beginning and Mike’s threats cast a long shadow over the possibility of a romance. Can they overcome the heartbreak and betrayal that brought them together and build a future filled with love?

Every fight has stakes, and the hardest jabs are the ones you don’t see coming.

Laila Moretti was on the verge of making her UFC dream a reality. A standout in the regional circuit, she was one win away from a contract—until a crushing defeat shattered her confidence. Convinced she’s not cut out for the big leagues, she walks away from the cage, her coach, and the future she fought for.

Harlow Hayes doesn’t believe in limits—only opportunities. Running an underground fight promotion takes nerve, ambition, and a willingness to play dirty. She’s built an empire on giving fighters a shot the system never would. But the audience craves blood, and with her reputation on the line, she needs a star who can do more than survive—she needs someone who can win.

When Laila steps into Harlow’s world, she sees the fighter Laila refuses to believe she is. Their attraction is undeniable, their ambitions impossible to ignore, and as the lines between business and something far more dangerous begin to blur, Harlow faces a choice: push Laila to reclaim the dream she abandoned or admit she’s already lost sight of her own.

Luna Kirkman has been in the limelight since she was six years old. A child of Hollywood, she’s known both great success and great struggle. Now, after a long stint in rehab, she’s back on her feet. There’s only one problem. Her love life. As she nears her fortieth birthday, her heart, as well as her management, want her to settle down. So when her manager sets her up with fellow actor and heartthrob, Beau Paget, Luna is game but a bit hesitant. Beau has the looks and the reputation she needs for her image, but it’s his sister she’s interested in.

Chloe Paget hates everything Hollywood: the fuss, the fame and even the fortune. And for the most part, she avoids it at all costs. Unfortunately, her brother Beau is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. So she’s less than thrilled to hear that he’s dating Luna Kirkman, Hollywood’s most notorious wild child. But as she tries her best to warn her brother off Luna, she discovers there’s more to Luna than her image. A lot more.

Drew Barker is used to having to fight for acceptance, and when they get the chance to represent non-binary people on a popular podcast, they are determined to make the most of the opportunity. They’re even more excited once they get to know the elusive host.

Hannah Carr spends her spare time focusing on her passion project. Her books podcast was a welcome distraction as she recovered from the breakdown of her marriage following becoming polyamorous. Drew gets her, and they share an extraordinary passion, but is she ready to date again?

As a queer autistic woman, Hannah knows that not everyone can be trusted to understand her. As Drew pushes her to put more of herself out there, they risk pushing her away. In a world that does not make space for either of them, they must learn that there is more than one way to have pride.

Green Valley, Alabama, is a quiet, close-knit community and Hazel Quinn intends to keep it that way. Her family, neighbors, and renters mean the world to her. Unfortunately, modernization is knocking on the door, and as her hometown grows from cute and quaint to up-and-coming, Hazel is constantly on the lookout for anyone who would attempt to change the slow-paced, Mayberry feel. Even if that person is an incredibly stylish and attractive blonde.

Andy Richter was just as stunned as everyone else that she inherited her great-aunt’s property in Green Valley. The small-town realty scene is exactly what she needs to escape the pressures and dirty past of defense law. She’s determined to modernize the town at a profit and put the nightmare of her last client behind her. The only thing standing in her way is Hazel Quinn.

Andy is thrilled by the newer conveniences, while Hazel feels her town slipping away. They can’t deny their attraction, but will they ever agree on the place they call home?

Meet Lily Chambers—the hugely successful, book-tour loving, swoon-inducing romance writer at the pinnacle of her career. At least for now.

When Lily sent her last manuscript to her publisher, she had no idea it could be her last. Struggling with more than a terminal case of writer’s block, Lily has lost her passion. For writing. For romance. For life. How can she not feel like a fraud after being on her own for years?

Hoping to shake things loose, Lily’s BFF suggests she spend some time in one of the most romantic cities in the world: Rome. If the architecture, the history, and the food don’t inspire her, nothing will. Or it would, if Lily was able to look away from Marina Troiani, her witty, smart, and unassumingly beautiful Italian tour guide.

Marina makes Lily feel <i>something</i>. Finally. Slowly the words start flowing. But the age gap and continent that separates them make starting a new chapter together impossible. What’s even worse than torpedoing your career? Falling in love only to have your own HEA just out of reach.

When an office attraction threatens her career, Hollis Reed’s carefully laid plans demand revision.

After a painful breakup, Hollis is determined to climb the corporate ladder by charting a meticulous three-year plan. Just as she vows to keep love at arm’s length, her new boss threatens to disrupt everything. Ainsley Jones is a force to be reckoned with—brilliant, sophisticated, and irrefutably attractive.

As Hollis navigates her new role, she can’t deny the magnetic pull between them. But workplace policies against fraternization, Hollis’s doubts about mixing business with pleasure, and Ainsley’s micromanaging style prevent their budding romance from blooming. With the unwavering support of her best friend, Harrison, Hollis must risk everything she thought she wanted to have the love she can’t live without.