I had one job. One responsibility. Lust wasn't a distraction that I had time for, and love was even further off the table. My career was demanding and required my undivided attention which left little time for romance. But when my sister went missing after meeting a guy from the same dating app as the beautiful way too young for me college student that I had been assigned to protect, everything changed.

I wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas, nor were my troubles out of sight. I had a demanding job and pressing deadlines, which meant it was far from being a silent night. When I asked my grandma if I could stay in her cabin over the holiday, she was more than thrilled to have me back home. But she failed to mention the sexy handyman remodeling the house, or that he might not make it down the mountain with the snowstorm moving in.

There are worse things than turning 40. However, I can’t seem to evade the worry of my biological clock, and my fear that time is running out. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, and with each passing day, there is a greater chance that might be a dream of mine that will never come true.

I believe that everyone is destined to find their one true love, their happily ever after. That’s why I run a relationship advice column to help those who need a little guidance. Granted, I’m by no means an expert, but it is my favorite subject, and I’ve spent plenty of years studying it as I’ve watched others fall in love.

Hailey Rose writes the love stories that people fantasize over, but when complications in her personal life make it impossible to write the steamy scenes she needs, she finds herself desperate for something to bring back the spark. She finds inspiration in the place she least expects it when moans of pleasure float into her apartment through the thin walls. When the sexy guy next door brings home a different woman every night, she finds it increasingly difficult to stop eavesdropping.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Five Years Earlier: Henry Dunne knows three things: that agreeing to host this raucous house party was a terrible idea, that he absolutely cannot show up to his nursing shift tomorrow with a hangover, and that the beautiful redhead in the corner will be sleeping in his bed tonight.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant.

Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death”. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive. Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal.

Hockey coach Ashley Jaswal doesn't take nonsense from anyone … except her overbearing and superstitious family. They believe she's a good luck charm for her brother Jas, the newest Vancouver Canucks draft pick, forcing Ash to attend all his games as he rises up the NHL ranks, sacrificing her personal life (not that she has one—who decided hockey season needed to be 10 months long anyway?). Ash also clashes with Jas’s teammate, Canucks captain Devin Snyder.