Becca Cruz

Jed Walker thinks he’s having a midlife crisis. The only trouble is that it feels too good to stop. Widowed at a young age, he’s spent his life since then avoiding any relationships that might end up hurting him again. He has his successful wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, and a series of uncomplicated hookups, and that’s all he needs in life.

When I’m running on fumes while driving on what feels like the loneliest stretch of road in California, I worry I’m in trouble. Luckily, I happen upon Aqua Vista, a sleepy coastal town with the only pump for miles, and the grumpy owner who is more gorgeous than he has any right to be. When I’m told I’ll need more than fuel to disable the check engine light on my dash, I figure there are worse places to be stuck while my car gets needed repairs.

Sometimes, a simple field trip to the planetarium can be an act of bravery. In Giles Ashby’s case, it could also be a second chance with his lifelong crush. Unbearably awkward and strangled by his anxiety disorder, Giles used surly snarls and abrupt remarks to keep everyone at a distance. As a result and surprising no one, he finds himself divorced and overwhelmed by the demands of parenting nine-year-old Milo—a shy, awkward clone of his father. Not wanting Milo to struggle through life the way he has, Giles enlists the help of Reid Marshall’s new nanny agency.

Living in Christmas Town doesn’t make me a fan of the holidays. Quite the opposite. In fact, eleven months out of the year, I’m perfectly happy running my bookstore in peace and quiet. Of course, that changes in December when it’s mistletoe madness and mayhem. Ugh. But this year, there’s a new cowboy in town and it’s not as easy to grumble about…anything. I admit, Hudson is handsome and hunky, but everyone knows I’m not myself till January, so he’ll have to buzz off and charm someone else.

Someone once said, when life gets you down and you’re feeling blue, brush yourself off and go to Paris! Okay, maybe that was me. Hey, I don’t regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own. Not acceptable. I’m here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friend’s boss.

I’ve made some stupid decisions in my life, and one in particular keeps coming back to haunt me. When I keep running into a handsome stranger, I know I should push him away, if only to keep him safe from my mess, keep him safe from me. But something inside of me—my heart, my magic, or my soul—keeps pushing me toward him, offering to make all my secret dreams come true. And I don’t know how to stay away.

The press calls me this year’s hot shot, the rookie who scores at will and conjures plays out of thin air. Truth is… I’m a PR nightmare. Seriously. Ask my agent. My anxiety is off the charts. I can’t talk to the media without breaking into a cold sweat, but once I get through the season, I can regroup at home. Life is simpler in Vermont. Well, not anymore. There’s a new cowboy in town. Literally, a cowboy. At least, Hank looks like one—he owns a horse, wears a hat, and did I mention he’s hot?

Nothing says you can’t steal a heart. Keeping it though? That’s another problem. Wade Espinoza knows a thing or two about hoards. As a dragon, he’s got plenty. What he doesn’t have is a relationship, and he swears he’s not looking for one. But when he’s sent to Boston to answer a cry for help from another pack, he’s drawn into a mess of fae bargains centered around a selkie who Wade instantly becomes obsessed with.

Stan has never let his blindness hold him back, but he’s beginning to realise his love life is keeping him from moving forward. He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Rafferty is everything to him—his partner in crime, his confidante, and the person who understands him best. But Rafferty is incapable of reciprocating Stan’s feelings. As a successful wedding planner, Rafferty is passionately committed to helping newlyweds begin their happily-ever-afters, but after a rootless childhood he’s equally determined not to seek his own.

Faisel: I've always felt the pressure to succeed, but instead of the conventional path, one that my family wanted, I chose music. As the drummer for Wayward Lane, I've experienced all the highs and lows of rockstar life including addiction. Now there's another battle I'm facing—my intense feelings for my best friend and bandmate, Ronin Stadler. We grew up together, inseparable to this day but our lifelong bond is shifting. Do I keep my feelings a secret or risk our friendship for something more?