A captivating woman with blue eyes and big dreams, Emily was engaged to a man whose touch left her aching for something more. Tom, the handsome new man in town, was her father's rival in business, and challenged her heart's destiny with a single, stolen kiss. Whenever they met, sparks flew. Until she showed him how tender she could be, and he showed her how true passion could feel. Until they both realized the importance of taking vows with someone you really, truly love.

Five long years ago, Laura Dalton stood on the bleak Nantucket shore waiting for her beloved husband Rye to return—until the day she learned his ship was lost at sea. Now, Laura's lonely heart has found solace in Dan, Rye's closest friend. Dan has been a beacon of light in her time of darkness, becoming a father to the child that Rye never knew and giving her a reason to live again. But who could foretell that a wind-roughened sailor with sun-bleached hair would come back into their lives? That Laura's heart could betray her soul? That Rye would come home again . . .

High school principal Tom Gardner feels a sense of shock when he sees Kent Arens, a new transfer student. With one glance, Tom can see that this teenager is the son he never knew he had - the result of a one-night stand on the eve of his wedding years before, now grown into an intelligent, athletic, and polite young man. But the boy's presence has a devastating effect on Tom's family.

Lee Reston has a fulfilling life imbued with the love of her three wonderful children. Then a shattering event - the loss of her oldest son, Greg - tears her world apart. In her anguish, she turns to police officer Christopher Lallek, Greg's best friend. Their shared mourning develops into friendship, and then something deeper. But life is never simple. The family that was once the core of her existence becomes a mixed blessing, as Lee explores where family ties end - and her needs as a woman begin.

Innocent and unsure, Theresa Brubaker has lived much of her 25 years trapped in a body she loathed. Never becoming used to the unwanted attention from the opposite sex, her precious beauty was treasured by everyone but herself—that is, until an extraordinary man opens her heart to the wonderful possibilities of love. Sensitive and caring, Brian Scanlon seeks to unleash the butterfly wrapped in Theresa's cocoon of inhibitions. But trust for Theresa comes haltingly, and a bold, courageous decision she makes nearly destroys the promise of their love.

Allison Scott has her mind on her career. As an up-and-coming photographer, she has neither the time nor the inclination for an affair—especially since her last attempt at love with a handsome model shattered her dreams of rising to the top with a partner by her side. Now, Allison is determined to stay detached from the beautiful men she must photograph every day. But Rick Lang, who only models to pay the bills, can see through Allison's aloofness to the aching heart beneath.

In town, they called her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore". But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule - she had been an outsider all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys to raise, and a third child on the way. Will Parker drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.

It is 1916, and Roberta Jewett is surprised to find that her hometown of Camden, Maine, considers a divorced woman little more than a prostitute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So Roberta is taken aback to find the widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley has somehow found his way into her heart.

Agatha was the picture of primness and propriety, but her green eyes could blaze with anger - or sparkle with humor. Scott was the picture of lazy charm and happy indifference to what others thought was right and wrong. They were enemies, then friends. Then the sweet innocence of a child opened their eyes and their hearts - and they were reborn in each other's arms by the soft, wondrous gift of love.

Confident, practical Winn never dreamed that her perfect wedding plans could go awry. But Joseph knows that the heart does not lie, and though Winn is promised to another man, it is with him that she'll find the love of a lifetime.

Shattered by the loss of her husband, Maggie struggled each day to put her grief behind her. To be there for her teenaged daughter. And to face life again. When she returned to her Wisconsin hometown, she never expected to feel a spark of longing for her old high school sweetheart. Eric's marriage to a career-driven woman had left him childless and unhappy - he knew there had to be more to life than always wanting what you couldn't have. Seeing Maggie again filled him with hope. Maybe the answer to his dreams had just come to town.

Linnea Bradenborg expects to find culture and excitement in Alamo, North Dakota, where she's recently been hired as the new schoolteacher. Instead, she finds a sparse little town in the middle of nowhere. Better yet, her train is met by a cantankerous wheat farmer named Theodore Westgaard who doesn't bother to hide his displeasure when he discovers that L. I. Brandenborg is a woman and not the man he was expecting.

Eighteen years ago, Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, for the bright lights of Nashville and never looked back. Now, one of country music's biggest stars, "Mac" is a hardworking woman with little time for a personal life - until her sister insists she come home to help care for their widowed mother. The welcome Mac receives is less than warm, especially from her former next-door neighbor Kenny Kronek. With a teenage daughter to raise, the handsome divorce refuses to give Mac the time of day.

Hoping to escape the shame of her street urchin's life in Boston, Anna Reardon plotted a desperate scheme - to become Karl Lindstrom's mail-order bride in the beautiful, dangerous frontier of Minnesota. A kind and gentle man, Karl forgave Anna for her deceptions. But there was still one burning secret she had to hide from him, knowing its revelation would destroy the love they had come to cherish.

In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours. Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she, and her King, needed. Because George has secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.

Shattered by the loss of her husband, Maggie struggled each day to put her grief behind her. To be there for her teenaged daughter. And to face life again. When she returned to her Wisconsin hometown, she never expected to feel a spark of longing for her old high school sweetheart. Eric's marriage to a career-driven woman had left him childless and unhappy - he knew there had to be more to life than always wanting what you couldn't have. Seeing Maggie again filled him with hope. Maybe the answer to his dreams had just come to town.

Eighteen years ago, Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, for the bright lights of Nashville and never looked back. Now, one of country music's biggest stars, "Mac" is a hardworking woman with little time for a personal life - until her sister insists she come home to help care for their widowed mother. The welcome Mac receives is less than warm, especially from her former next-door neighbor Kenny Kronek. With a teenage daughter to raise, the handsome divorce refuses to give Mac the time of day.

Hoping to escape the shame of her street urchin's life in Boston, Anna Reardon plotted a desperate scheme - to become Karl Lindstrom's mail-order bride in the beautiful, dangerous frontier of Minnesota. A kind and gentle man, Karl forgave Anna for her deceptions. But there was still one burning secret she had to hide from him, knowing its revelation would destroy the love they had come to cherish.

Lorna Barnett is tired of playing the role of "good girl" that her mother has always lived, and that high society prizes. It isn't until she meets Jens Harken that she realizes she yearns to be cherished for herself. Although Jens is a servant, his strength and intelligence put all the society men she's met to shame.

In town, they called her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore". But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule - she had been an outsider all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys to raise, and a third child on the way. Will Parker drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.

A captivating woman with blue eyes and big dreams, Emily was engaged to a man whose touch left her aching for something more. Tom, the handsome new man in town, was her father's rival in business, and challenged her heart's destiny with a single, stolen kiss. Whenever they met, sparks flew. Until she showed him how tender she could be, and he showed her how true passion could feel. Until they both realized the importance of taking vows with someone you really, truly love.

Agatha was the picture of primness and propriety, but her green eyes could blaze with anger - or sparkle with humor. Scott was the picture of lazy charm and happy indifference to what others thought was right and wrong. They were enemies, then friends. Then the sweet innocence of a child opened their eyes and their hearts - and they were reborn in each other's arms by the soft, wondrous gift of love.

When Sarah Merritt arrives in Dakota Territory in 1876, she steps off the dusty Cheyenne stagecoach determined to start this ramshackle gold-rush town's first newspaper. In Deadwood, her runaway younger sister, Addie, is living and working as domestic help at Mrs. Hossiter's boardinghouse, according to her letters. Five years after Addie's flight from home, Sarah is carrying the sad news that their one remaining parent, newspaper publisher Isaac Merritt, has died.

Bess Curran, 40, is an interior designer in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, still lonely and bitter after her traumatic divorce six years earlier. Her adult daughter, Lisa, anxious for her parents to reconcile, arranges a surprise dinner meeting where she informs them that she is pregnant and about to marry. Bess and former husband, Michael (he left her for another woman, who, in turn, has just left him), can barely control their mutual animosity yet must come to grips with the startling news.

High school principal Tom Gardner feels a sense of shock when he sees Kent Arens, a new transfer student. With one glance, Tom can see that this teenager is the son he never knew he had - the result of a one-night stand on the eve of his wedding years before, now grown into an intelligent, athletic, and polite young man. But the boy's presence has a devastating effect on Tom's family.

Five long years ago, Laura Dalton stood on the bleak Nantucket shore waiting for her beloved husband Rye to return—until the day she learned his ship was lost at sea. Now, Laura's lonely heart has found solace in Dan, Rye's closest friend. Dan has been a beacon of light in her time of darkness, becoming a father to the child that Rye never knew and giving her a reason to live again. But who could foretell that a wind-roughened sailor with sun-bleached hair would come back into their lives? That Laura's heart could betray her soul? That Rye would come home again . . .

Confident, practical Winn never dreamed that her perfect wedding plans could go awry. But Joseph knows that the heart does not lie, and though Winn is promised to another man, it is with him that she'll find the love of a lifetime.

Innocent and unsure, Theresa Brubaker has lived much of her 25 years trapped in a body she loathed. Never becoming used to the unwanted attention from the opposite sex, her precious beauty was treasured by everyone but herself—that is, until an extraordinary man opens her heart to the wonderful possibilities of love. Sensitive and caring, Brian Scanlon seeks to unleash the butterfly wrapped in Theresa's cocoon of inhibitions. But trust for Theresa comes haltingly, and a bold, courageous decision she makes nearly destroys the promise of their love.

Allison Scott has her mind on her career. As an up-and-coming photographer, she has neither the time nor the inclination for an affair—especially since her last attempt at love with a handsome model shattered her dreams of rising to the top with a partner by her side. Now, Allison is determined to stay detached from the beautiful men she must photograph every day. But Rick Lang, who only models to pay the bills, can see through Allison's aloofness to the aching heart beneath.

Confident and practical, Winn never imagined anything - or anyone - could overturn her perfect world and perfect wedding plans. But in a single passing moment, her heart told her otherwise. Joseph knew Winn's love was promised to another man, that he must hide his heartfelt passions. But he also knew that the heart doesn't lie: This was that love of a lifetime. They met at a spring wedding, only months before Winn's own. Were they carried away by the intoxicating spirit of the moment? Or was this the start of a love they would cherish forever?