Contemporary Books

Ashling O’Rourke has always seen love through the prism of her vintage romance novel collection. The dukes, the duchesses, and the corsets and carriages help her to experience different kinds of love. She’s content living a sheltered life in a small village and even gets a job working for the Rosebrook Village Trust. Ash’s newly exciting life is only marred by the arrogant Archie, who thinks she’s the office tea girl.

Steff “Archie” Archer is a Townie who never likes to be more than a mile away from a coffee, sushi, or juice bar. Despite being an avid environmentalist and working for Rosebrook Village Trust, she never wants to live there. She’s lived the country life before and vowed never to return.

When unsentimental Archie falls for the hopeless romantic Ashling, Archie needs to learn how to make her sweetheart swoon, but will she be able to settle in the village and make her home where her heart is?

The last person Shelby Ryan expects to run into is Iris Calhoun, the sister of the man who killed her wife four years and three thousand miles ago.

Shelby hasn’t seen Iris since the day Iris testified in court to put her brother behind bars. When Iris becomes an administrator at Hopewell, the local nursing home where Shelby volunteers, avoiding her becomes impossible. Seeing Iris causes her grief to resurface, and she relies on her father and friends to help her through. There’s no way she would consider falling for anyone related to a murderer.

Iris believed her brother deserved a life behind bars, even if her family considers her a traitor. But then he was killed by a fellow inmate only months later, and Iris has struggled to forgive herself. 

Shelby and Iris know the best thing to do is stay away from each other, but neither of them is prepared for the instant attraction they feel. Can they put their horrific pasts behind them and move forward together?

Kendra Blake is having her best year ever. At forty-five, she’s finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of writing a lesfic novel and is excitedly awaiting its publication. Alison Chatterley, a British au pair, aspires to stay in America and become a journalist. While neither woman has finding romance on their radar, when their paths cross at a dance, their chemistry and connection are instant, and they’re swept into a passionate relationship. But is it too much too soon?

Before long, the bloom falls off their rose when a nasty book review, Alison’s secrets, and baggage from Kendra’s past derail their promising future. Unable to trust Alison, Kendra calls it off. Despite a career change taking Alison’s life in a new direction, she is determined to prove what they had is worth fighting for. But convincing a skeptic like Kendra will be harder than she thinks.

In the majestic mountains of Lake Tahoe, true love might be right next door.

Shawn spent much of her adult life running her diner, giving all her passion to the great outdoors, and bedding the occasional tourist. But loneliness has crept up on her, and suddenly in her late thirties, she’s turning over a new leaf and looking for more than transient passion.

Following a bad breakup with her good-for-nothing cheating ex, Morgan escapes to Lake Tahoe to heal her heart. Her temporary neighbor, Shawn, is ruggedly handsome in all the right ways, but Morgan is determined not to notice and risk her heart again.

Shawn helps Morgan to slow down and appreciate the moment but finds it increasingly difficult to deny her attraction. Morgan’s definitely not staying, and the last thing Shawn needs is to fall in love with a tourist.

Three stories of fun in the sun during one unforgettable summer.

In Maui Magic, Addison Bradbury can build anything, but her love life falls apart before it even gets going. Erin Williams, the owner of Maui Magic Catamaran, is more interested in having fun with a woman than building a future with one. Addison is used to getting her way and Erin simply sails through life. There’s no way they’ll fall in love, right?

In Bahama Breeze, Samantha Recker is not a stereotypical CFO. She’s into Harleys, hang gliding, and living life on the edge. When she meets Teresa Tinsdale, Sam is completely thrown. She has met her match in more ways than one. Like magnets, they are pulled together and pushed apart, and there’s no way they’ll stay together, right?

In Jamaican Haven, as an introvert, Cora Donaldson expects to spend her volunteer time quietly cleaning kennels and poop-scooping for a charity dedicated to rescuing stray dogs, until she spills her entire bucket of poo on beautiful, captivating Tyler Sanchez, the shelter’s director. There’s no way Cora is ever going to recover, right?

Audrey Knox has been America’s Sweetheart since she appeared in her first film at sixteen. Never one for a scandal, she’s lived a predictable and well-manicured life. With each movie more successful than the last, she has the world at her fingertips. An undeniable connection with bad girl superstar Harlow Thorne was never in her plan. 

Harlow Thorne left her childhood trailer park with nothing but her guitar and twin brother. Those times are nothing but a distant memory now, and she’s consistently at the top of the pop music world. She has managed to keep her mother in her rearview mirror through all her success, but that all changes when her mother reappears with a family secret.

Together these two could conquer the world—but in a town where careers are made and broken by the press, the secrets and lies may be too much to overcome.

Nev Wakefield is happy working as a blacksmith on her sprawling ranch, until one fateful evening driving home, her past comes rushing back, literally running her off the road. Kinsley Padovano escapes to a spiritual retreat only to be nearly run down by Nev, a woman she never expected to see again. 

Nev and Kinsley share a history of heartbreaking loss. Twenty-five years ago, Nev’s twin and Kinsley’s best friend, Vivian, died in a plane crash, leaving Nev alone with parents too caught in their grief to notice her and spurring Kinsley toward a career as an aviation expert.

Now, Kinsley’s retreat is right next door to Nev’s ranch, and they’re thrust together as undeniable attraction becomes too irresistible to ignore. Can they overcome the pain of their past to turn fate around?

Sometimes opposites really do attract. Fall in love with these butch/femme romance novellas. 

In An Epiphany in Flannel by Meghan O’Brien, small-town waitress Maisie Davis resolves the mystery of her sexuality after an unexpected encounter with a handsome stranger seated in the corner booth of Moe’s Fine Diner. Aiden Crane opens Maisie’s mind and body to exciting new possibilities—but can she find the courage to follow her heart?

In Follow Her Lead by Aurora Rey, venture capitalist Jude Benoit is named Majesty of Artemis, New Orleans’s premier lesbian Mardi Gras parade and ball, and enlists the expertise of private dance instructor Gabriella Viard to save her from making a fool of herself. Jude can follow the steps, but what happens when Gabby challenges her to lead with her heart? 

In Just as You Are by Angie Williams, Dylan Fleming is a confident and capable woman in every way except the stereotypical ways her ex-girlfriend thought she should be. When her insecurities get the better of her and she fumbles on a date with beautiful auto mechanic Carrie Grice, Dylan has to let go of the past. Can she accept that she is loved just as she is?

Fraser Park, the award-winning Scottish nature reserve and theme park, means everything to Beth Fraser. She’s more than a little preoccupied saving her family’s legacy and struggling against a board of directors who all seem to hate her. The last person she wants to need is selfie-obsessed, filtered to perfection, social media influencer Jemma Johnson. But she’s got to protect Fraser Park from a corporate takeover, and according to her brother, that means boosting their online presence. Jemma might be necessary, but Beth doesn’t have to like her, or follow her, or whatever it’s called.

Jemma Johnson, an Insta-success with hundreds of thousands of followers, is proud of her perfectly curated life. When she’s invited to stay at Fraser Park, the trip sounds like a fun adventure for a good cause, until she meets Beth, the only woman who sees beneath her sparkly facade and reminds her that not everything is as easy or flawless as it seems.

On their path to #truelove, will Beth and Jemma discover that reality is even better than illusion?

Unexpectedly, loss can teach us how to love.

For Eliza Walsh, life is full of risk. She knows a thing or two about pain, and not just from her job as chief resident at the hospital. She’s reeling from a car accident that took the life of the only woman she’s ever loved, and her parents’ betrayal has strained their relationship to the point of nonexistence.

But Blake Navarro enters the picture and challenges Eliza’s cautious way of living. Blake’s everything she isn’t: open, carefree, and a little reckless. When Eliza discovers that Blake, too, is healing from a huge loss, she feels seen, understood, and less alone.

As Eliza and Blake fall for each other, they heal in ways they never expected. But when Eliza’s troubled past catches up with her, it changes everything, and she has to decide if fully opening her heart is worth the risk.

Lauren Calloway can’t get a date, her newly lovestruck bestie is never around, and she just blew a major deal at her luxury real estate job. So, a one-night stand with an attractive stranger seems like the perfect distraction and the immediate gratification she’s lusting for.

Thea Boudreaux left her family’s dairy farm to escape the painful memories of her father’s tragic death, but when her mother tells her they’re going to lose the farm to debt, Thea is devastated. Can she live with her father’s legacy being torn down for luxury condos? Or can she still save it and honor her father’s memory?

When Lauren’s boss tells her about a lucrative land sale that could help her get back on track, she jumps at the opportunity. Never would she have bet her unforgettable one-night stand would be the person stopping her from making the deal of the century.

Advance praise from Publishers Weekly: "Riley winningly showcases women's friendships as integral to romantic success. This is a fluffy delight."—Publishers Weekly, 3/25/21

Aren Jacobs trusts no one. Reeling from a devastating altercation with her foster family that left her scarred inside and out, she’s suddenly unemployed and all too happy to isolate herself from the world. But when a severe storm threatens her small community, Aren goes out to help and ends up saving Carol Matthews’s life.

Carol doesn’t know who to turn to after the storm leaves her homeless and grief stricken. Taking refuge with the woman who saved her is only one of her bad options, but there’s something about Aren that makes her feel safe despite all the rumors flying around town about what really happened the night Aren returned to visit her foster family.

The last thing Aren expects is to fall for Carol. Sharing her home is one thing, but sharing her heart means sharing the demons in her past and risking everything to keep Carol safe.

Whitney Ainsworth has had a very tough year. First up was the very public divorce from an A-list actress, and then the third book in her popular suspense series bombed. She’s got a chronic case of writer’s block and feels like a fraud getting paid to give speeches about achieving success. After a particularly disastrous event, Whitney’s manager suggests a romantic distraction might be in order.

Gabriela Talbot never expected to hear back when she requested an interview with her favorite author—certainly not after the scathing review she’d given Whitney’s latest book. She’s thrilled when the opportunity arises.

What happens next isn’t what either expected, and although passions flare, Whitney is furious when she learns she’s slept with the enemy. Their already rocky road to friendship—or something more—is complicated by family, Hollywood’s expectations, and an ex-wife who’s set to star in the film adaptation of Whitney’s first book. Will they find their way to love or will insecurities and outsiders prove too much to overcome?

Lieutenant-Colonel Greyson Walsden returns to her hometown of Gloucester after a fulfilling career as an Army doctor. She takes a position as a general practitioner while pursuing ordination as an Anglican priest. Overworked and naturally reserved, she doesn’t have time or patience for socializing, let alone for falling in love.

For Angela Arlingham, life as she knows it is over. God played a cruel trick on her by robbing her of her daughter, Sybil, and Angela refuses to believe in Him any longer. When she meets Greyson Walsden, she’s impressed by the handsome doctor, but struggling with her loss makes falling in love with a priest all but impossible.

As circumstances throw them together again and again, the choice to follow their hearts may be the most difficult one of all.

Natasha Parsons is a ride-along mental health clinician attached to the local police department. She charges into danger without a gun or badge to de-escalate crises. She’s quick on her feet and confident in her opinions. If only she could convince her by-the-book, humorless partner that she’s an asset, not the enemy.

Being a cop is in Tommy Finch’s blood. She comes from a long line of cops and grew up learning how to protect and serve with honor and integrity. Getting saddled with a shrink who’s reckless and brash isn’t something Tommy signed up for. How can she do her job when she’s responsible for the safety of an unarmed civilian?

No matter how often they clash on the job, an undeniable attraction simmers just beneath the surface. Can they find the courage to change so love has room to grow?

Praise from Foreword Reviews: "[B]rims with warmth, tenderness, and comedic wit. The Queen Has a Cold is a nonconforming romance that’s fun and lighthearted."

Remy, the heir to the throne of the tiny nation of Montamant, is finally free of their royal chains as they start graduate school in Boston. No one here knows Remy is royalty or intersex. It’s the break Remy has been looking for—until they meet Sam, the sassy lesbian across the hall. Sam doesn’t tolerate Remy’s snobbery and won’t let anything distract her from getting a PhD in gender studies. But Sam understands Remy in ways no one else ever has, and Remy pushes Sam to see beyond her books.

As things are starting to heat up between them, Remy is summoned home. The queen has a cold and can’t perform her royal duties. There’s just one problem: the people of Montamant haven’t seen Remy since puberty and the changes might mean Remy’s not the princess they expect. When Remy asks Sam to come with them, it might be the chance they both need to conquer their fears and find true love.

Content advisory: This book contains instances of misgendering and references to medical procedures.

Morgan Thompson likes her life just fine. She has a tight-knit family, two opinionated cats, and her job as office manager for her brother Perry’s medical practice. Perry’s an eligible bachelor, but his divorce left him gun-shy, so Morgan has fun tweaking his responses to potential dates online, using her affinity for words to make him sound impressive. When new pharmaceutical rep Zoe Blake walks into his office, though, he’s smitten, and he needs Morgan more than ever. 

Zoe is beautiful and a little mysterious and doesn’t seem terribly interested in Perry. Morgan decides she’ll need to get to know Zoe before she plays matchmaker. But soon, she’s talking books and movies and writing to her as Perry, and the more she knows, the more she wants to know, until she begins to wonder: Is she wooing Zoe for her brother? Or for herself?