Erin Dutton

When almost-strangers take a road trip through America's national parks, love may be the final destination. Maggie Matthews is desperate. What self-respecting accomplished suspense author has a two-year creative slump? Her, apparently. Following the only seed of inspiration she has, she's set to embark on a van-life road trip. Only she's never so much as driven out of state. Out of her comfort zone and hopelessly unprepared, she needs friend of her agent and seasoned adventurer Laike Cardinal as a guide. Laike regrets giving in and letting Maggie join her latest journey. Maggie has no concept of personal space and occupies way too much of her thoughts. If only she could drop Maggie off at the nearest airport and send her home. She'd even pay for the ticket if Maggie would go--mostly because she doesn't want to think about how much she wants Maggie to stay.

Winning the heart of your secret Valentine? These award-winning authors agree, there is no better way to fall in love. In I Met Someone by Julie Cannon: Hayes Martin shares everything with her BFF Claire Wheeler. Well, almost everything. Hayes has kept a secret from Claire for years, and she can't take it anymore. Tonight is the night she comes clean and risks it all to gain everything she's ever wanted. In Taking a Risk by Erin Dutton: Police officer Jo Forsythe thinks she could find the love and family she's been longing for with Kayla McC all. Kayla's focused on running her business, and if she was looking for love, it wouldn't be with Jo. Can Jo win the hearts of both Kayla and the small town that's so protective of her? In Bouquet of Love by Anne Shade: It's been twenty-five years since English teacher Alyssa Harris was on the dating scene, but romance is too old-fashioned for love in the digital age. Tennis coach Collette Roberts doesn't think so and sets out to sweep Alyssa off her feet.

In the midst of tragedy, can these first responders find love and healing? Three stories of courage, bravery, and passion. In Rescued, firefighter Britt Everett's job is to protect life and property. On her scenes, once a victim gets out, they don't go back in. But when Claire Willows's dog is trapped inside her burning apartment, Claire wants him rescued at any cost. In Pushed, Nicole Klein thought she'd moved out of her comfort zone by attending a popular music festival, until a man plows his vehicle into the crowd right in front of her. Police officer Traci Sam is there to help Nicole tend to the victims, but how will they deal with the aftermath? In Healed, after being seriously injured in an act of violence at a music festival, paramedic Jenna Teele returns to work alongside her EMS partner and best friend, Candace Cooper. Will discovering Candace's feelings run deeper than friendship help them both heal from the tragedy?

Maggie Davidson lives in fear after being robbed on the street outside her office. But the trauma has only just begun, and now she must face her attacker in court. A chance encounter with a beautiful woman in the courthouse caf is the only bright spot in her day, until she finds out just who the woman is. Ally Becker has always been her brother's hero, and she's at the courthouse to support him as he faces up to his mistakes. When she discovers that the stranger she shared coffee with is actually Maggie, the victim of her brother's crime, she is torn between family loyalty and an attraction she can't seem to forget. Maggie and Ally have absolutely no intention of falling in love, but what they find in each other just might heal them both.

Former U. S. Army pilot Lauren Henley and police training instructor Kim "Monty" Montgomery share a love of country, a sense of duty, and grief for a woman who left them too soon. That the woman they lost was a friend to one and a lover to the other should at least give Kim and Lauren something on which to build a friendship. But from the moment they met, they've been at odds. When Lauren gets a job at the same police department as Kim, they are forced to at least fake professional respect. Eventually, respect and begrudging attraction turns to affection, then something deeper.

Wedding coordinator Faith McKenna doesn't believe in the happily-ever-after that she promises her clients. So she has no qualms about giving a few brides one last fling on the side before they commit for life. When maid of honor Rachel Union catches her best friend fooling around with the wedding coordinator before her wedding day, she swears she'll out Faith to everyone if the bride doesn't make it down the aisle. Against her better judgment, Rachel agrees not to tell the groom, but she vows to keep a close eye on Faith until after the big day. But spending time with Faith challenges Rachel's opinion of her as shallow and opportunistic.

Jacqueline Knight is driven and ambitious, always focused on getting to the top. But when her father s failing health demands her attention, she must consider putting her career on hold. Though she struggles with her new responsibilities, she won t admit she can t do it alone. And the last person she wants to accept help from is her ex, Casey. Since their breakup eight years before, Casey Meadow s has concentrated on co-parenting their son and making a new life for herself. While she s happy to offer her help, spending time with Jacqueline threatens to open the box in which she s locked away their past relationship. Will the lessons learned in eight years apart be enough to mend the mistakes of the past?"

Veteran emergency dispatcher, Hillary O Neal can handle any crisis, until she gets the call that destroys her confidence. Now she spends every shift dreading what could happen and doubting whether she ll be able to handle another tragedy. Olivia Dennis joined the sheriff s department for the action and to fulfill the family legacy. But she could lose both when she s caught up in an internal investigation and assigned to a security desk at the communications center."

Maya Vaughn, the hottest young pastry chef to emerge from the reality television machine, enjoys spending time with men and women alike. When she takes a turn as a judge on the very show that launched her career, she expects to find a nice change of scenery and a little diversion. A late-bloomer at forty-two years old, Shannon Hayes is finally on the precipice of achieving her dreams. She has one shot to prove she can compete with chefs half her age with much more experience. Engaging in a fling with a judge fourteen years her junior would almost certainly kill that chance.