The annoying jerk my parents forced me to play with as a kid grew up to be a sexy, grumpy baker who still can’t stand me. Sure, maybe I enjoy our bitter banter, his cocky smirk, his chocolate chip cookies. But there’s a reason I can’t play nice. You’re wondering why—if I hate the guy so much—did I agree to be his fake date to his cousin’s wedding? Look. Just because I love being a pain in the man’s well-formed butt doesn’t mean I want someone else torturing him. Especially not the ex-fiancée who left him for his best friend.

Emmett Lasker is impossible to work for. He might be model handsome and stupidly wealthy, but he also has it out for me. He’s given me more last-minute and weekend requests than anyone else, ruining any plans I make. I should quit. And I will. Just as soon as I hit my two-year anniversary and earn out my signing bonus. But after a particularly awful day at work, a breakup (via text!), and my computer crashing, I’ve had enough! So at 11:59 Friday night, I barge into Emmett’s office to tell him what I really think of him. Only, that’s not what happens. AT ALL.

After You is the final interconnected standalone novel in the Second Chances Series. Please note: After You is not intended for listeners under the age of 18.

My accidental solo vacation takes a turn for the less depressing after a drink that leads to a date with a brawny bedroom-eyed firefighter. I’m 42, divorced, with two daughters at home. I thought romance was in my rearview mirror until the mysteriously intense Leo made me feel like I was the only woman in the Florida Keys. I know better than to get attached. But between midnight kisses and dirty talk under starry skies, our connection feels so real. So right.

After a risky affair cost me my self-respect, my credibility, and almost my job, I jump at the guidance counselor position that opens up in Uncle Keith’s small town. He’s the only father I’ve ever really known and the one I can turn to—even when I can’t tell him why.

My life was always at a simmer… only stewing, never going anywhere. I was left to fend for myself when it came to affection or love, so I learned to go without. I refused to let them see how broken and lonely I was; it was much easier to hide behind a false reality. I didn't want anyone's pity. I didn't need it. Pity wouldn't put food on the table or keep a roof over our heads. That was all me. Now, I have a second chance at a dream long forgotten. It demands hard work and sacrifice - with absolutely no distractions. A recipe I already know all too well, raising a daughter on my own.

Perpetual good girl Caterina Longo is dependable to a fault. At 33, she’s never called in sick. Never had a one-night stand. Never taken a chance in her entire life. When she walks in on a cheating ex and sees everything wrong with her life, she takes off on a solo vacation, busting out of her comfort zone and into the arms of a guy she never saw coming.

First rule of being a nanny? Don’t fall for the single dad, even if he is smoking hot. But that’s exactly what happens when grumpy small-town sheriff Asher Whitlock reluctantly hires me to take care of his daughter for the summer. Neither of us is thrilled with the arrangement, but he’s desperate for help, and I need the money for grad school this fall.

I was a small-town girl with big city dreams and more ambition than money to my name. He had everything—money, privilege, and the world at his feet. Opposites in every way, but that didn’t matter. We were lightning in a bottle, and everything felt possible when we were together. Life was perfect.

I used to believe love was easy to find. My whirlwind romance would begin once I was ready to take the plunge. Spoiler alert—every failed first date on record suggests otherwise. Just when I’m beginning to fault my lofty standards, Garrett Foster saunters onto the scene. The football star turned bar owner is quick to volunteer his services. He vows to deliver the best version of Mr. Right—just to prove first impressions deserve a second glance.

If Renn Brewer would’ve asked me to marry him, I would’ve said no. Why? One, his reputation precedes him. His name is in the headlines at least once a month. Two, he’s not just my brother’s best friend. They’re teammates. And three, I’m in my self-care era. Unfortunately, a version of me equates self-care with bad choices.

After failing my last semester of grad school, I decided to come back to my hometown and wallow in my boyfriend’s sympathetic arms. Instead, he proceeded to dump me...for being boring! Now, I'm not typically a spiteful person, but there's only so much I can take. Hence why I’m holding the box of his most cherished possessions...stolen possessions no less!

A successful writer accidentally sends her new (and super-dreamy) editor the wrong manuscript. Instead of the full-length paranormal novel she promised Longstrand Publishing, she sends the fan fiction she’s written about her crush…on him—including every detail of the hot, steamy “physical activity” she’s fantasized about happening between them.

He’s the last person I want to get stuck anywhere with—it’s bad enough that I have to see him every day at work—and yet, because of a booking error (or curse of the universe, as I like to call it), I’m stuck in the same vacation rental with him for an entire week.

He called me “Goody-Goody.” He called me “Nosy-Josie.” He called me other things while he pulled my pigtails. Now, his grandmother left us a surprise inheritance. The catch? We have to get married and live in her small NYC apartment. For a month. With just one bed. When I arrive, he’s not the cheeky jerk I hated. He’s piping hot. Tall. Sinfully tattooed. A stunning villain. And that damn smirk on his face?

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.

Going from uncle to father overnight meant me moving back to my hometown after two decades away. Now, I'm trying to pick up the pieces and do right by a little girl who just wants her mom. When my twentieth high school reunion rolls around, I come face-to-face with Emily, the ex whose heart I broke before she could break mine. Old feelings come rushing back, but I don't have time to grieve, let alone start a relationship.

My accidental solo vacation takes a turn for the less depressing after a drink that leads to a date with a brawny bedroom-eyed firefighter. I’m 42, divorced, with two daughters at home. I thought romance was in my rearview mirror until the mysteriously intense Leo made me feel like I was the only woman in the Florida Keys. I know better than to get attached. But between midnight kisses and dirty talk under starry skies, our connection feels so real. So right.

After a risky affair cost me my self-respect, my credibility, and almost my job, I jump at the guidance counselor position that opens up in Uncle Keith’s small town. He’s the only father I’ve ever really known and the one I can turn to—even when I can’t tell him why.

I’ve spent the better part of the last few years successfully avoiding my brother’s best friend, Weston Aldrich. As CEO of Andes Inc, the infuriatingly handsome and incessantly grumpy Weston also happens to be my new boss. It shouldn’t have been hard to continue avoiding him. After all, he’s on the executive floor, and I’m one of many copywriters. Weston has his own ideas about how things should go between us. He’s in my emails, leaving notes on my desk, and as if that’s not enough, he arranges for me to accompany him on a business trip.

Sergeant Jude Davis barely has enough hours in the day to protect and serve the small town of Kelly Lakes and take care of his ailing father. After his bitter divorce, he learned the hard way that he doesn't have time for romantic relationships. If only he could get everyone to stop trying to set him up on blind dates…