
FAMILY MATTERS Small-town cop Luke Walker smelled trouble the moment Karis Pratt arrived on his doorstep, claiming the baby she held in her arms was his. Luke had been devastated once before when Karis's sister left town with the daughter she conf...
THE BABY GIRL NEEDED A HOME... And Clay Callaghan was ready to provide one for her. The Texas cattle rancher knew next to nothing about caring for infants, but he'd never turn his back on his own flesh and blood. As guardian of her younger ...
Meticulous and by-the-book, corporate lawyer Jack Lever was used to order--not the disorder of two small children. When his babysitter abruptly quit, the single dad didn't know where to turn. He couldn't believe his good luck when Zooey Finnegan agre...
BEWITCHED Sure, Lainie Trask had a crush on J. J. Cooper. When she was twelve! But growing up, Lainie had watched the sexy athlete narrow his focus--to World Cup skiing and women, not necessarily in that order. So her interest in J.J. was a thing ...
LESSON PLAN FOR LOVE by Professor Catherine Travis 1. Stop spending every waking moment at my lab. 2. Quit finding excuses for my maintenance man to come fix things. (Mike Clancy is young, gorgeous and way out of my league.) 3. Splurge on a new wa...
THE DESERT NEDS Is Rattlesnake Ranch ready for prime time? Stop the presses! Miss Hospitality herself, Meredith Bingham Turner, has been spotted bringing her unmistakable decorative flair--and delicious recipes--to Rattlesnake Ranch. Rumor has it...
"You heard me. I'll be your new boyfriend. Anything wrong with that?" Raine Crockett stared at the handsome lawyer in disbelief. Just about everything was wrong with Neil Rankin coming down to the Sandbur ranch and posing as her fiance, not the le...
THANKSGIVING NEWS FROM THE ROSEWOOD READER Dear Readers, You've all been wondering what big-city Rebecca Peters has been doing after moving to sleepy little Danbury Way. One thing's for sure: Rebecca's full of secrets -- and surpris...
THE McCLOUDS AND THE HARPERS: ENEMIES FOREVER? After three years in jail for a crime he didn't commit, bounty hunter Chase McCloud made one vow: to steer clear of the Harpers, who'd tried and convicted him long before a jury ever did. Then beautif...
TAKEOVER! Brilliant and beautiful executive Krista Aquilon was shocked when the struggling appliance company she'd slaved over for years was sold in a surprise takeover bid. And even more surprising was her new billionaire boss, corporate raider L...
SISTERS, SISTERS... For years, Kathie Cassidy suffered in silence, determined that no one would ever find out she'd fallen in love with her beloved sister's fiance! And then the unthinkable happened. Her sister's longtime engagement wa...
Mallory Brenner's life was in a tailspin. Her son, Nick, had been diagnosed with a fatal disease and his best hope of survival was Dr. Kent Berger, the one man Mallory never expected--or wanted--to see again. For more than ten years Mallory had ke...
When she moved to her family's ancestral ranch, single mom Sierra McKettrick was disconcerted by the Triple M's handsome caretaker, Travis Reid. But when her son claimed to see a mysterious boy in the house, and an heirloom teapot started popping up ...
‘TIS THE SEASON...FOR LOVE When her best friend was nominated for a Bronze Star one year after her death, Amy Galloway went to Tribute, Texas, to support her friend's widower--and children. Never one to put down roots, Amy was surprised by the w...
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR With three kids to care for and two jobs to make ends meet, the last thing on Angela Schumacher's mind was a relationship. And then Santa delivered the perfect man to her door.... Football coach David Moore a...
It was bad enough that her partners left shy store owner Dana Malone to scout new retail space with devastatingly handsome Realtor C. J. Turner. Then--wham!--her way-out wayward cousin literally left a baby on Dana's doorstep, and a birth certificate...
WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR? Attending her neighbor's high school reunion wasn't exactly Nicole Sawyer's idea of a good time. But widower Joel Brannon had asked her along to help fend off his classmates' prying questions, and she couldn't seem to refuse ...
As tall as the Montana mountains that surrounded him and as ruggedly handsome as an old-time Hollywood cowboy, Ash McKee was the last thing Rachel Brant expected to find when she came searching for the pieces of someone else's past. But one brief gaz...
When Jake Logan joined the Children's Connection, the hospital was overjoyed to have one of the country's top fertility specialists on staff. But when I first laid eyes on the esteemed doctor, I was shocked. The hotshot hire was my former hig...
Journalist Juliet Madsen had been burned by men before, but she certainly hadn't left Dallas for small-town Texas looking for love -- or a family. Until she met single father and wealthy rancher Matt Sanchez, and the two began a steamy affair. ...
“HAVE YOU MET MADELINE MAGUIRE?” SURE HAVE, SPIKE THOUGHT. I SAW HER LAST NIGHT IN MY DREAMS. As far as bad boy Spike Moriarty was concerned, Madeline Maguire defined female perfection. When they'd met, she'd walked up as if she wasn't the ...
PLAIN JANE TURNED KNOCKOUT It was her first time back in Northbridge since graduating from high school and Eden Perry still felt like an ugly duckling. Yet her gorgeous transformation impressed her small-town neighbors, not to mention long-ago crush...
Seeing the woman who'd left him without a backward glance was painful enough for Steve Lindstrom--but Lily Mayfield hadn't returned to their hometown alone. Just the sight of the heartbreakingly lovely single mother and her son awoke bittersweet year...
Zia Peters has had enough upheaval for three lifetimes. Now all she wants is a chance to get back on track--without the distraction of a man in her life. Still, when old friend Jeremy Aquilon offers his spare bedroom and a temporary job, she jumps at...
IT'S BUSINESS -- AND PERSONAL After real-estate mogul Alan Barrett first laid eyes on Lisa Sanders, he couldn't keep the intriguing-- and much younger--office manager from his mind. When Lisa was tapped to assist with a lucrative deal, the sparks be...
HE'S BAAAACK... Which raised a whole host of questions for Mercy Zamora--because when hometown boy Ben Vargas shot out of town ten years ago, he also left Mercy behind. And though she had led the chorus of no strings/no wedding bells/no babies, ten ...
Handsome but cynical Ethan was hardly a believer in Aislinn Flaherty's special "gifts." And despite her attraction to him, the full-time cake maker/part-time psychic vowed to ignore Ethan. Really. Until she started having "feelings" about his lon...
HE WAS THE MOST INFURIATING MAN But on television it was a different story. There, Evan Taggart came off as handsome. Confident. Single. A state the reality show played up a little more than producer Leandra Clay planned. All too soon women with t...
Tess Lucas had carefully planned every detail of her life, determined to create the happiness she'd craved since childhood. But a broken engagement led to a one-night stand with her best friend -- and a baby! Wealthy playboy Craig Richmond nev...
Lincoln Cameron was the man of Val's teenaged dreams. Magnetic. Handsome. Too many years her senior. A decade later, Val thought she'd left her privileged Los Angeles life and Lincoln behind for good. So when the big-shot editor arrived in...
Handsome, ruthless attorney Jordan Logan had an amazing track record: he'd never lost a case. So when he agreed to do a favor for his sister and become a substitute lawyer at Advocate Aid, he thought it would be a piece of cake. What Jordan didn'...
They said he had striking looks -- and Nicolette Saddler certainly felt that something had struck her straight in the heart when she first locked eyes with Dr. Ridge Garroway. But Nicolette had had her fill of good-looking, sweet-talking men and ...
He was about to go to a war zone. He couldn't get involved with a woman now. She was in a battle for custody of her son. She couldn't risk a new romance. He was half Navajo; he embraced the spiritual wisdom of his ancestors. She knew noth...
Blackmailed by her conniving ex-husband, senator's daughter Tess Kendrick went from America's sweetheart to--that awful woman-- how could she?' Coming back to Camelot, Virginia, Tess was older and certainly wiser than when she'd left--and was in need...
Her acting career over before it began and her bank account drained, Lilah Owens returned to her tiny hometown of Kalamoose, North Dakota, with the one thing she did have, a big secret in the form of her eleven-year-old daughter. Not five minutes in ...
THIS NANNY'S DIARY For Amy Logan, living with wildly attractive widower Dan Major for the past three years was a fantasy come true--even if it was only as nanny to his six-year-old daughter. But now Dan had just stunned her with a proposal every w...
THE HOMETOWN HERO RETURNS... And for Sarah Clay, that was the bad news-because Max Scalise had rejected her outright seven years ago. And now Max was back in Weaver, working as a sheriff and everywhere she turned. His slightest touch still cause...
When yet another scandal rocked the Children's Connection, it was PR whiz LJ Logan to the rescue. Sharp and sophisticated, LJ was confident he could salvage the center's battered reputation. But Eden Carter, one of the Connection's most beloved birth...
YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF THE TRAILER PARK Which Karleen Almquist had surely tried to do. But the thrice-married-and thrice-divorced!-personal shopper had sworn off men, and their inherent complications...aka babies. Until the most gorgeous wid...
THE REBEL DOCTOR Turning his life around, Luke Wynter had worked hard to become a doctor, to give back to the community he'd taken from years ago. And he had been doing just fine...until Leilani Stephens snuck back into his life. Twelve years ...
SOMETIMES KEEPING A SECRET Left for dead in a ditch by the side of the road, Trey Harper had no idea why he was in Granger, Montana, although it was clear someone wanted him out of the way. The smart thing would be to lie low until his memory re...
"WHEN WILL YOU TAKE A CHANCE?" It was a question Catherine Wilson had asked herself -- when would she stop worrying about her son and start focusing on life? The truth was she was scared her son would relapse; scared she had forgotten h...
When Charlene Cooper was eighteen, she turned to Brand Bravo in desperation...and he couldn't get away fast enough. And then ten years later, Charlene was forced to turn to him again--this time with a baby in her arms and a burning question in her he...
LESSONS IN LOVE Schoolteacher Lisa Kittridge had sworn off men for a while, but when she met Ian Malone, her gorgeous, if exasperating, new volunteer, that promise went out the window! She'd vowed never to get involved with another man, yet sh...
LOOKING FOR ONE GOOD MAN When Children's Connection nurse Alicia Juarez came to private investigator Scott Logan's door, she was desperate: Her brother was in jail for a crime she was convinced he didn't commit, and his two kids were left in her c...
TO LOVE A TEXAN Sweeter than the sugarcane on her father's Louisiana plantation, Anne-Marie Duveuil had been taught to avoid cowboys like Cordero Sanchez at all costs. But something about the handsome Texas horseman tempted her to take a crazy...
Small-town elementary schoolteacher Kim Cassidy -- gorgeous and sweet -- had fallen for a crook while on a cruise, without a clue who he really was. Now she was home, waiting for her prince, and secret agent Nick Callahan's task was to track her ...
SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A MAN OF JUSTICE Dylan Justiss, that is. Because when high-powered district attorney E. D. Martel found her whole world falling apart, she needed one man she could trust who was upright, protective and fair. Sexy as hell was ju...
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE STICK TURNS BLUE 1. Take the test again...and again...and again. 2. Try to convince yourself the five tests you have now taken are defective. 3. Accept that you are pregnant...for the second time in your life. 4. Start makin...
MELTING THE ICE QUEEN Shy and inexperienced, Jillian Logan had walled herself off from everything--especially men. But when she was paired with usher Gil Reynolds at a wedding, there was no mistaking the unexpected sparks that melted even Jillian'...
Growing up in a family of alpha male ranchers had taught EMT Angeline Clay all about arrogant men like Brody Paine. She'd even mastered the art of rejecting the sexy agent's none-too-subtle overtures. But this time, Angeline was out of her league--be...
Conservative businessman Jake Braddock had a heart that was all cowboy -- and closely guarded. Following his stepmother's death, he learned he'd be sharing custody of his five-year-old half sister with a sexy dancer -- not his notion of the i...
SENATOR'S SECRET DAUGHTER REVEALED! It was quite the shock when popular family man Senator Kendrick recently announced he had an illegitimate daughter--and yours truly has tracked down this mystery woman, hoping for an exclusive! But small-town te...
SOCIETY SCANDAL As owner of a transportation company catering to the jet set, Logan O'Brien had reached a very comfortable cruising altitude in his business dealings. But his social life was another story--until he met his billionaire client's dau...
THE THUNDER CANYON NUGGET There's a reason Grant Clifton's one of the most eligible bachelors in Thunder Canyon: This rancher turned business whiz makes women melt like Montana snow on a hot summer day! And this mover and shaker's many charms aren...
FROM BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR...TO DEDICATED DADDY? Wild child and wealthy heir Lucas Chandler used to dance with starlets and socialites -- until he had to dance at his own wedding! New York society was stunned when the former playboy announced his s...
FROG FOR A HOUSEMATE...PRINCE FOR A HUSBAND? Feisty tomboy Samantha Hopewell wasn't the marrying kind--and neither was her handsome new housemate, Italian speedboat driver Niccol Verdini. But when the sexy, oh-so- charming playboy was nearly kille...
FROM DONOR...TO DAD It was a call that changed Will Rubens's life. The rugged Alaskan bush pilot had just learned he was his nephew's biological father. And the bearer of this shocking piece of news was a remarkable, irresistibly attractiv...
Julene Santiago couldn't understand why Rafe Garrett had let her leave all those years ago. Sure, no one believed that the rough-and-tumble rancher could measure up to the beautiful, brainy Jule. Certainly not Jule's father nor Rafe's adpotive ...
Charlotte Fagan's unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant had strained her marriage to the breaking point. Then the call came -- the Fagans were approved for adoption. Her estranged husband, Sean, agreed to pose as the happily married father-to-be ...
When beautiful heiress Mia Smith arrives at Thunder Canyon Resort, everyone notices-- including staff doctor Marshall Cates. Handsome and successful, Marshall is one of Thunder Canyon's most notorious ladies' men. But when he sees Mia, he has a new m...
SEAN O'BANYON HAS GOT IT BAD FOR LIZZIE BOND. AND THAT'S NOT GOOD . . . Take-no-prisoners deal-maker Sean O'Banyon (aka SOB) ate Wall Street financiers for lunch. So why was he losing sleep over a fresh-scrubbed nurse in old jeans and a too-big T-...
I, Philippe Zabelle (wealthy software designer, callous playboy, totally un-handy man), do hereby hire contractor Janice Diane Wyatt to renovate my home (but not make significant changes in my life, like making me fall for her, a single mom). I ...
Workaholic Susan Collins wasn't the Gold Buckle Ranch's typical visitor--or camp counselor. The high-powered CEO was more likely to write a check to help disabled children than to teach them arts and crafts. For Susan, it was all business, never pers...
ABOUT THAT NIGHT... It was supposed to be a sexy one-time indulgence. Two rivals in the self-help world coming together for an evening of fun. But Miranda Reed soon realized she was pregnant and was horrified at having to confront her baby's fathe...
THERE WAS MAGIC IN HER TOUCH Mariah Cade was a holistic healer whose knowledge of plant medicine helped her young daughter. But Mariah's peaceful world was interrupted by a stranger on a motorcycle. A man whose injuries required her healing ha...
HOME WAS THE LAST PLACE HE WANTED TO BE... Only the direst emergency could bring Jared Perry back to the small town he'd left at eighteen, swearing he'd never return. But he couldn't turn his back on a family member in trouble. And he never expected...
DJ Traub's back in town and opening one of his famous Rib Shacks right here in Thunder Canyon, and the food's not the only thing that's delicious there! Gorgeous DJ has definitely changed over the years. But one thing has remained co...
Years after a prom-night accident claimed his best friend, Brody Austin decided it was time to stop running--and return to Troublesome Gulch, Colorado, to overcome the pain and guilt. Right away, a chance encounter on the ski slopes brought Brody fac...
IF PRIMROSE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WAS THE TOWN TIME FORGOT... Then Rafe Burnside fit right in. Because at one time the single father had been hopeful for his own future, and that of his little boy, but now he was barely getting by. Until a flu-stricken ...
Teacher Laurel Tanner couldn't stop hearing her ex-husband's words. And then she met Cort Morente. The injured, brooding detective was the hottest hunk in her new hometown. And when Laurel and Cort worked together to help Tommy, a troubled boy at sch...
Landy Wisdom was a survivor. Her former husband's abuse hadn't broken her spirit -- no, she'd picked herself right up and helped run the local Underground Railroad for battered women. But when it came to love, Landy felt that the train ha...
SEEN AND HEARD The Thunder Canyon Nugget You might remember bubbly Lizbeth Stanton from behind the bar at the Thunder Canyon Resort--and on the arm of every eligible bachelor in town. But after a messy breakup with her fiance, Lizbeth's looking for ...
She was just what the doctor ordered.-- When he rescued Vienna Hollenbeck and her grandfather from a fiery car wreck, Dr. Georges Armand wasn't prepared for his reaction to the petite blonde. Vienna aroused his most protective instincts. And that ...
The iceman cometh.-- Hotel mogul Eben Spencer had learned long ago to keep his eye on the ball and his emotions under wraps. And where had this philosophy got him so far? In business, to the pinnacle of success. And in his personal life, it had br...
First love -- found. Meg McKee kept the peace in Sweet Creek as the no-nonsense chief of police. But to elusive Ethan Red Wolf, Meggie wasn't just the town's most capable officer. She was the soul mate he'd run away from, the woman the...
The perfect woman? Beautiful big-city transplant Zoe Kozlowski came to Pinehurst to heal from a failed marriage and a frightening battle with breast cancer. So the passionate photographer instantly threw herself into an ambitious project: transfor...
THE WAY TO A WOMAN'S HEART... When Lindy Monroe separated from her workaholic husband, Travis, after a devastating miscarriage, she fled to her beloved grandfather's country farm. After he died, a brokenhearted Lindy was shocked to learn that he'd...
Managing the Clip 'n' Curl and her daughter Kayla leaves Shandie Solomon no time for romance. But little Kayla has other plans for her wonder-woman mom...and they all involve Dax Traub. Recently divorced Dax has lost some of his swagger, but he's ...
FROM ROYAL NANNY TO PRINCESS BRIDE? Dedicated teacher Kayleen James was determined to safeguard the future of her orphaned students--even if it meant defying Prince As'ad of El Deharia himself! But the seductive ruler stunned her by offering to ad...
WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND? Being stranded without electricity in a houseful of orphaned dogs wasn't high on Alain Dulac's agenda. But when a car accident landed the West Coast attorney in the care of Kayla McKenna, he had a change of heart. Something ab...
HIS DAUGHTER'S BIRTH MADE HIM A FATHER. BECOMING A DADDY WOULD TAKE A BIT LONGER.... Connecticut mogul Grant Braeburn never thought he was father material, even though his nearly four-year-old daughter should have convinced him otherwise. But then...
When curmudgeonly software tycoon Harrison Hunt issued a challenge--his four sons had to marry within one year, or forfeit their inheritances--Justin Hunt couldn't believe it. The family ranch was his flesh and blood, and he'd do anything to keep it....
BURNING OUT OF CONTROL... When a deadly apartment blaze sparked memories of the prom-night accident that took her fiance and unborn baby, firefighter Erin DeLuca ran...and lost herself for just one night. Erin was left pregnant, and the stranger w...
She wanted his baby... and he wanted her! Meg McKettrick longs for a baby--husband optional. Perfect father material is gorgeous Brad O'Ballivan, old flame and new owner of his family's ranch in Stone Creek. But Meg--as strong, proud and stubborn ...
WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO HER DOOR... ...Marcus Reid couldn't say. But then Hayley Bravo opened her door, and he got a good look at her burgeoning stomach! She appeared to be about eight months along. So was this proof that she'd gotten over him fast......
Hotel heiress Melanie McFarlance thought running the Hopping H guest ranch would be a breeze. But after one crisis too many, she realized she needed to ask for help and came up with a crazy solution--marrying a bona fide rancher Russ Chilton. Both...
Settling down was not on J.T. Hunt's to-do list--until his ailling father delivered an ultimatum. Now the millionaire bachelor was suddenly shopping for a bride. But, happily-ever-after came with strings attached: His prospective wife had to marry hi...
THE WRONG BROTHER? For Keely Stafford this holiday season already left something to be desired. First, she'd caught Bradley Alexander, her now ex-fiance, in the act with another woman. Then he -- and millions of dollars -- had gone missing, an...
She ran away with the Groom... Too bad she wasn't the Bride! No one was more shocked than Trae Andrelini when her best friend left wealthy Rhys Paxton standing at the altar on his wedding day. Trae was determined to find out what really went wr...
THE GOOD DOCTOR After his father's death, successful doctor Peter Wilder faced off against a formidable enemy: a huge conglomerate vying to take over the small-town hospital his family had run for years. At least Peter knew he had every member of th...
WELCOME HOME... When she was sixteen Julia Blair found more than fun in the sun on the sands of Cannon beach. She found a home--especially in the arms of her teenage crush, Will Garrett--and she knew that life, sunny and beautiful, stretched out i...
FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE... When Alex Hunt's father challenged his four sons to a marriage showdown, Alex had to come up with a plan--fast. But the bride-hunting billionaire didn't expect to find the perfect candidate in P. J. Kinkaid, his all-bu...
HE TOOK ONE LOOK...AND FELL IN LOVE From the moment Rudy Vaccaro saw her, he was a goner. Never mind the fact that his twelve-year-old daughter hated the house on site. The old girl might be nothing to look at, but Rudy saw her potential. So did V...
Twelve years ago Jonas Eberhardt was run out of Troublesome Gulch on prom night by the jackbooted police chief. Even worse, the chief's daughter, Cagney Bishop, love of Jonas's life, seemed to go along with Daddy's wishes. But the boy from the wrong ...
It had been years since Colin McCarthy was run out of the town by Abby Hopewell's wealthy, tyrannical father. Now he was a single father determined to make a stable home for his little girl. Until a stormy night brought the former bad boy face-to-fac...
Nine years ago Kelly Bravo and Michael Vakulic went their separate ways--he to a new name and a new life, she to a family she never knew she had. And then Kelly comes across a tantalizingly familiar photo in the newspaper. Her long-lost Michael has r...
UNEXPECTEDLY EXPECTING! Carmen O'Brien has a lot on her plate -- including raising her orphaned siblings. And if that isn't enough, a gorgeous, sexy new man has just entered her life -- Jack Davey. But who has time for gorgeous, sexy ne...
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY? Newly minted doctor Ella Wilder just wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and practice medicine--even as a conglomerate vied to take over her family's beloved hospital. Then said company's executive accidentally lost...
IF THE RUNNING SHOE FITS... As head of his family's Seattle-based software empire, workaholic Grayson Hunt was married to the job. Then Dear Old Dad issued Gray and his brothers an ultimatum--find brides, fast, or lose their fortunes. Gray was at wit...
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY As a teenager, Faith Perry couldn't wait to escape her small Montana town. Now, after eleven complicated years away, she was back, determined to figure out where she truly belonged. And it certainly wasn't with the hard-mus...
COULD HE BE HER LITTLE BOY? Six years ago, Sara Hobart helped a childless couple create their own miracle. Now she needed one of her own. All her instincts were telling her she was Kyle Barclay's birth mother. Only one thing stood in her way: Kyle...