Penelope Ward

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone, second-chance story of forbidden love... It's natural to want the one you can't have. And for as long as I could remember, I'd secretly wanted my brother's best friend, Jace. He was six years older and always treated me like the sister he never had. Fast forward a decade. We were all in our twenties now. Jace had moved in with my brother, Nathan, and me to help us make ends meet after our parents died. It was just the three of us-an odd family dynamic. Living under our roof, Jace was as bossy and protective as ever. But he certainly didn't look at me like a sister anymore. That was what made things so complicated. I was pretty much hot and bothered twenty-four-seven. And he was torn. The signs were subtle, at first. Like on movie night, I'd casually rest my leg against his, and he wouldn't exactly shift away. Still, I assumed he would never...go there. Nathan would kill us. The knowledge of that wasn't enough to stop the inevitable, though. Eventually our slow burn exploded. But more than the physical attraction, we'd developed a strong connection. We just couldn't get caught, right? That sounded simple. Until it wasn't. This is a story of forbidden love, broken trust, and an unexpected second chance.

From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes a love story about taking chances and the surprises that come with them. My love story all started with a letter. Only it wasn’t from the man I’d eventually fall in love with. It was from his daughter. A sweet little girl named Birdie Maxwell who’d written to the magazine that I worked for. You see, once a year my employer fulfilled a few wishes for readers. Only that column didn’t start up again for months. So I fulfilled some of her wishes myself. It was harmless…so I thought. Until one day I took things too far. While anonymously granting yet another of Birdie’s wishes, I got a look at her father. Her devastatingly handsome, single dad father. I should have stopped playing fairy godmother then. I should have left well enough alone. But I just couldn’t help myself. I had a connection to this girl. One that had me acting irrationally. Like when I showed up on their doorstep.

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel. At first, my neighbor Deacon frustrated me. Sure, he was great-looking and friendly. But our walls were thin, and on occasion, he'd bring women to his place and keep me awake while he "entertained" them. As a single mother to an infant, I didn't appreciate it. So, finally it was my turn. When my daughter wouldn't stop wailing one night, Mr. Manwhore came knocking on my door. Miraculously, at the sound of his voice, Sunny stopped crying. And when he held her...she eventually fell asleep in his arms. Deacon was rough on the exterior, but apparently on the inside? Mr. Single-and-Ready-to-Mingle was a baby whisperer. After that night, we became friends. He'd go for coffee runs. Come over to chat. Normal friend stuff. But over time, our conversations ran deeper. We got closer. Until one night we crossed the line. Our friendship turned into a complicated mess. I'd gone and fallen for a guy who'd sworn off commitment and kids. I knew Deacon was starting to care for me too, even though Sunny and I didn't fit into any plan he'd ever imagined for himself. He was wrong for me-so wrong that I'd dubbed him the "anti-boyfriend." Then why did I wish more than anything that I could be the one woman to change him?

From New York Times New Bestselling authors Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland comes a new, sexy standalone novel. My planned trip for two unexpectedly turned into a trip for one. Rather than let my breakup get me down, I packed my bags and decided a week at a luxury resort was just what I needed. But one calamity after the next, and suddenly I was stuck without a hotel room, along with a few hundred other people. It looked like my fancy vacation was about to turn into me sleeping on the hotel lobby floor. Until I overheard a gorgeous man pretending to be someone he wasn't in order to steal a reservation from a guest who hadn't shown up yet. When I realized there were two rooms, instead of calling him out, I pretended to be his sister. That's how the story of "Milo and Maddie Hooker" began. We were the Hookers. My depressing trip quickly made a U-turn into an adventure. My fake brother spent the next few days showing me around his hometown. When it was time to leave, neither of us really wanted to go yet. So, instead of flying back to our respective homes, we ventured on a road trip. At every stop, we'd pick up souvenirs. But as hot as our chemistry was, we never crossed the line. Milo knew I'd just come out of a tough relationship and didn't want to mess with a vulnerable woman. So instead, at the end of our trip, we made a pact to meet again in three months. It was always my intention to meet him. But when I got back home, reality hit in a big way. And I worried I may have lost my handsome stranger forever. Was there a place for him in my future? Or had the memory of him just become my favorite souvenir?

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel. The beginning of my sophomore year in college was off to a rough start. On the first day of orientation, I had an altercation with an infuriating British dude in a campus bathroom. (The ladies' room was out of order. So, I used the men's room. Don't judge.) I got home later that night and realized that the foreign student we were expecting to rent a room in my parents' house was allergic to our cat. So, the spare room went to someone else: Caleb--the British guy from the men's room. And so it began...my love-hate story with Caleb Yates. Or was it hate-love in that order? The guy knew how to push every one of my buttons. Sometimes I'd email him to express my aggravation and disdain. He'd actually rewrite my own words and send them back to me. That was the type of infuriating person Caleb was. So frustrating. And... Sometimes incredibly funny and endearingly sweet. And hot. He eventually grew on me, and Caleb soon became one of my best friends that year. Too bad he was headed back to England soon, so nothing could happen between us--for so many reasons. I definitely couldn't fall in love with him, especially since all we had was just one year.

Money or love? Which would you choose? You probably just answered the question in your head thinking it's an easy decision. For me, it's not. Did I mention it's a lot of money? A hell of a lot. I needed to go far away to think it through. As I embarked on an impulsive trip, I hit a detour when I met sexy Carter in the airport lounge. We struck up a heated conversation. Then, he left. I thought I'd never see him again. But fate had other plans. Surprise He was the pilot of my flight. The bigger surprise was the adventure that followed after the plane landed. Carter was dangerous and always on the move. Even though our connection was magnetic, I knew it was only temporary. He would give me tickets, and I would follow him around the world to exotic places. A bevy of flight attendant exes and rumors about Carter's reputation were never far behind. I didn't know what to believe. But I was addicted. Nothing else mattered anymore. And I was going to get hurt. Because a part of me wanted to be the one to finally ground the playboy pilot. At the very least, he was taking me on a thrilling ride. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska. A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive. When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours. My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense. I wanted him, but Chance wouldn't make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back. I wasn't supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we'd be going our separate ways. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

It started out like any other morning on the train. Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle. He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world. Who did the stuck-up suit think he was... God? Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it. When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out. I might have picked it up. I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers. I might have held onto the mystery man's phone for days―until I finally conjured up the courage to return it. When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me. So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk's office. I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though. I didn't expect him to text back. I didn't expect our exchanges to be hot as hell. I didn't expect to fall for him―all before we even met. The two of us couldn't have been any more different. Yet, you know what they say about opposites. When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract―we consumed each other. Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn't prepared for where I'd wind up when the ride was over. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

Dear Bridget, I'm writing this letter because it's highly doubtful I'll ever garner the courage to say this to your face. So, here goes. We're totally wrong for each other. You're the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I'm just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England. But here's the thing... for some bloody reason, I can't stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways. I want you. The only reason I'm even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don't believe it's one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we're joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke. So, what's the purpose of this note? I guess it's a reminder that we're adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it's to let you know that I'm leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you'd fancy a British bedmate in the middle of the night sometime. No questions asked. Think about it. Or don't. Whatever you choose. It's doubtful I'll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway. --Simon

It started out like any other morning on the train. Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle. He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world. Who did the stuck-up suit think he was... God? Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it. When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out. I might have picked it up. I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers. I might have held onto the mystery man's phone for days―until I finally conjured up the courage to return it. When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me. So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk's office. I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though. I didn't expect him to text back. I didn't expect our exchanges to be hot as hell. I didn't expect to fall for him―all before we even met. The two of us couldn't have been any more different. Yet, you know what they say about opposites. When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract―we consumed each other. Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn't prepared for where I'd wind up when the ride was over. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

Dear Bridget, I'm writing this letter because it's highly doubtful I'll ever garner the courage to say this to your face. So, here goes. We're totally wrong for each other. You're the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I'm just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England. But here's the thing... for some bloody reason, I can't stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways. I want you. The only reason I'm even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don't believe it's one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we're joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke. So, what's the purpose of this note? I guess it's a reminder that we're adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it's to let you know that I'm leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you'd fancy a British bedmate in the middle of the night sometime. No questions asked. Think about it. Or don't. Whatever you choose. It's doubtful I'll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway. --Simon

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska. A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive. When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours. My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense. I wanted him, but Chance wouldn't make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back. I wasn't supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we'd be going our separate ways. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.