For years, I've dreamt of what college life could bring, and while some things changed, there was always one constant. It didn't matter how wild I allowed my imagination to run, it always led me to the same place in the end. It led me to him. My future was clear, and he was it. Until suddenly, he wasn't. Now there's a new man in my life, one who isn't afraid to go after what he wants, and what he wants...is me.

Carter Beckett is the NHL’s resident bad boy, top player both on the ice and in the bedroom, and quite possibly the sexiest man to ever grace my field of vision. But worst of all? He knows it. He’s arrogant, self-centered, and the man doesn’t seem to know what a filter is, let alone how to use one. He’s had everything served to him on a silver platter, including endless strings of women, and apparently, I’m up next. I have the solution to all my sexual frustrations in a drawer at home, and it’s far less complicated than Carter Beckett.

The only plan I had for myself was my career. My career as a buyer for one of the largest high-end department stores was the only commitment for which I had time. The only one I was willing to make. Now, being left with no choice but to return to my hometown, I'm finding it hard to remember why I left in the first place. Because all that's on my mind is Tucker. He is just as sexy. Just as charming. Just as dangerous as he used to be....

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen. When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother's best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can't afford to taste. Colby can't wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Jaymerson Holloway had it all - until one moment. One bad decision. A split second and her life was altered forever. Faced with unimaginable grief and guilt while learning to simply walk again, Jaymerson realizes she will never be the same. Everyone wants her to get back to who she was before. But nothing of her old life feels real to her anymore. The only one who understands what she is going through is someone who has always been cruel to her and someone she hated: the other survivor.

Reed Windsor doesn't do relationships. Though he could charm the pants off any girl he wants, he's not interested. He's always been too captivated by a special someone from his past to get serious with anyone else. Sure, she has no clue he exists, but he's willing to bide his time and convince her he's worth a shot.

It was just another day in the Emergency Department - until she was wheeled in through the doors. Amanda Parks. My childhood best friend's mom, who I may or may not have secretly kissed before leaving for college. I haven't seen her in over a decade, and in so many ways, she hasn't changed. But something new? There isn't a ring on her finger anymore...And I'm much more of a man than I was at eighteen.

Devin and Ayden were my best friends. We were practically joined at the hip since age two. When we were kids, we thought we were invincible, inseparable, that nothing or no one could come between us. But we were wrong. Everything turned to crap our senior year of high school. Devin was turning into a clone of his deadbeat lowlife father - fighting, getting wasted, and screwing his way through every girl in town. I'd been hiding a secret crush on him for years.

I didn't expect to see her again. I didn't expect to want her the way that I do. I didn't expect to peel back all of her perfectly controlled layers. Or for her to see through mine. Emma f--king Winchester. She's the little sister of my ex-best friend, Forrest. She's off limits like tempting forbidden fruit, and I'm the snake slithering through the grass. She ignites a fire in me. One I can't explain. One I sure as f--k can't control. It's raw and primal. She's sweet, and I am not. She's pure, and I'm broken.

Grayson Ford and Emma Kinglsey - close since they were kids, opposites in every way. He's the stuff high school crushes are made of, Mister Popular, and captain of every team. She's artsy, cute, and not in his league, though fully aware of Summerland's "I Dream of Dating Grayson Ford" support group.

"If opposites attract, then I am nothing. Because you, you are everything." There's no easy road traveled to such an intense sentiment, one I never dreamt I'd feel. But I also never planned on Cannon Blackwell climbing aboard my tour bus.

Madison gave her heart to a boy at the age of 16, but all she got in return was a broken heart and a swollen belly. Alone with a baby and desperate for the love she hadn’t found, she turned to a man who sealed his claim of devotion with a diamond ring. He promised her a family. A life. A future. But his lies had only been a cover for the personal hell he introduced her to daily. Now, at 25, Madison has long since stopped believing in love. So when the broody neighbor living in the other side of her duplex leaves a rude note on her door, she’s not interested.

Gemma Summers is unlucky in love. She's known it since third grade, when her first crush blew a spitball into her hair, and a decade-long string of bad dates, boring sex, and abysmal morning afters has done nothing to improve her prospects. But when a random radio call-in contest lands her courtside tickets to the hottest playoff game of the season, Gemma's luck may finally be on the upswing, even if it doesn't exactly seem like it when the dreaded Jumbotron kiss cam lands on her and her date.

Growing up, I had it all—my art, close friends, a gorgeous girlfriend who owned my heart—but then my life exploded. Turns out my father was laundering money, and my whole family got shoved into witness protection. No notice. No chance to explain. I was ripped away from beautiful, blue-eyed Delilah Moon, shattering both our worlds. A decade later, fate has given us a second chance. The cartel my father worked for has been wiped out. I’ve returned to my hometown, determined to win back the love of my life. But Delilah is engaged.

Regret, she's a snarky little bitch. I've tried several times to regret the events that took place on June 5, 2008, but for the life of me, I can't. I'd never regret the pain, the suffering, or the heartache because they ultimately led me to the place I am in now. And I can't regret the place I am in now. What I still can't figure out is this: How is it possible that the single worst day of my life inadvertently became the very best day? Five years ago my life was irrevocably changed. Seventeen minutes was all it took to lose my best friend, to lose the love of my life.

Devin and Ayden were my best friends. We were practically joined at the hip since age two. When we were kids, we thought we were invincible, inseparable, that nothing or no one could come between us. But we were wrong. Everything turned to crap our senior year of high school. Devin was turning into a clone of his deadbeat lowlife father - fighting, getting wasted, and screwing his way through every girl in town. I'd been hiding a secret crush on him for years.

Regret, she's a snarky little bitch. I've tried several times to regret the events that took place on June 5, 2008, but for the life of me, I can't. I'd never regret the pain, the suffering, or the heartache because they ultimately led me to the place I am in now. And I can't regret the place I am in now. What I still can't figure out is this: How is it possible that the single worst day of my life inadvertently became the very best day? Five years ago my life was irrevocably changed. Seventeen minutes was all it took to lose my best friend, to lose the love of my life.

Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only man I have ever loved. He promised he'd love me forever. He vowed nothing would tear us apart. He swore he'd wait for me, but Jack lied. Six years later, when our paths cross again, his broad shoulders, rock-hard chest, and rippling muscles almost make me forget his betrayal. His rugged voice, tempting lips, and sinful smile make it harder for me to deny the feelings I still have for him. He wants to make me his again, but our past may be too much for us to overcome.

Losing your ability to speak at the age of 17; it's not normal or fair. But trauma has a way of throwing normality out the window. Dani lives anything but a normal life: her sister is married to one of the biggest names in Hollywood, her best friends are rock stars, and she has more love around her than most people experience in a lifetime. But that doesn't change the fact their parents are dead, or that it's her fault. It seems her new normal is being a mute, living on the inside, unable to actually communicate on the outside.

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen. When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother's best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can't afford to taste. Colby can't wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend, Landry, and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother's controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she is or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, Sam realizes that it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear that she and Cassie were more like best enemies.

When college freshman Rowan Michaels meets gorgeous, up-and-coming rock star Adam Everest, she knows a player like him is the last thing she needs after her ex-boyfriend shattered her heart. But she can't stop thinking about the kiss they shared on his tour bus. On the first day of school, Rowan is stunned when Adam saunters into her French class. He's soon failing miserably, and, on a whim, she offers to tutor him. But Adam doesn't recognize her as a makeup-free, glasses-clad college student.

When 17-year-old Eloise Stone finds herself half way across the world, moving into her uncle's pool house, she expects things to be...awkward. She doesn't expect to come face-to-face with the boy from last summer. The boy who made her feel things she'd never felt before. But a year is a long time, and Lo isn't the same girl she was then. Besides, they're family now. It's weird.

My name is Lucy Tucker, and my life…it was perfect. I worked the dream job. I had the most incredible family and friends. My home, Whispering Willows, a ranch in Montana, was everything I could ever wish for. My adoring fiancé, Samuel Stone, loved me unconditionally. I had everything a girl could ever want. But one fateful event shattered my perfect life. It’s unimaginable how simple, ordinary words can change a person’s life forever. For me those words were, “There’s been an accident.”

He calls himself Spider. I just knew him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate sat next to me on the airplane. I didn’t know who he really was...British rock star...my stepbrother. He kissed me because he thought we’d never see each other again. We would. Everyone warned me about him. They told me he was ruthless and cold and screwed up. They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart. Maybe I should have listened. Maybe I should have built up a fortress to keep him out. But I crumbled instead.

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns 16 and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test.

Kaylee Rose Burton, kindergarten teacher, has never been a believer in fantasies. Living in L.A. her entire life, she knows the glitz and glam of Hollywood is just an illusion. That is until she stumbles head first into the arms of Hollywood's most eligible bachelor. It was just another day for Paxton Myles on the red carpet until the blue-eyed beauty literally stumbles at his feet. A single glimpse in her innocent eyes and he knows he has to have her. After one night of unbridled passion, Kaylee slips away to live her quiet life, but the paparazzi has other ideas.

One look, one smile, and I didn't stand a chance. The instant my eyes landed on Presley Chambers, I was a goner. She was a force of nature that turned my world upside down. Sweet, sassy, and sexy as hell, she brought me to my knees. But she isn't just any woman, she's a gift, she's a goddess, she's my disease...and I'll fight like hell to erase her fears. Sometimes fate has other plans. Now our future is in her hands.

In a matter of seconds, my entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and simply began to exist. In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I'd find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger. I didn't expect him to write back. I wasn't prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn't ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I'd never known before.

I fancy myself a purveyor of truth, a sifter of lies, a cutter of bullshit. It's not a gift, but rather all skill, honed to a razor's edge after one too many trips down the rabbit hole. Some may dismiss my talent as misguided cynicism, but they'd be wrong. Clichés about hope and faith in mankind are an effort to keep the dreamers dreaming. Experiences don't lie - people do. While I'm not proud of the circumstances that led me to this way of thinking, I respect the journey.

Something inside me snapped as her text screamed from the screen of my phone. My heart started pounding as I was instantly sucked into a vortex of emotions, pulled unwillingly into a past I desperately wanted to forget. Teagan Tessler was the love of my life; at least, I thought so. My professional soccer career was part of the future we had planned together, but an offer sent me to London a year ahead of schedule. Just months after I left, she married my best friend Jensen without explanation, leaving me completely and utterly destroyed by the two people I loved the most.

Gorgeous. Sweet. Funny. He made me feel things that I've never felt before. In just one short week over Spring Break, I began to fall in love. That is until it all fell apart. Now, here I am, three years later and I've moved on, at least that's what I told myself until he came crashing back into my life. Things have changed. I've changed, and there's something he doesn't know. He wants me to give us another chance. I try to fight it, but it's not long before all of those same old feelings come rushing back. I know he feels it, too. I can see it every time he looks at me.

At age 14, Zelda Rossi witnessed the unthinkable, and has spent the last 10 years hardening her heart against the guilt and grief. She channels her pain into her art: a dystopian graphic novel where vigilantes travel back in time to stop heinous crimes before they happen. Zelda pitches her graphic novel to several comic book publishers in New York City, only to have her hopes crash and burn. Circumstances leave her stranded in an unfamiliar city, and in an embarrassing moment of weakness, she meets a guarded young man with a past he'd do anything to change....

Darlene Montgomery has been to hell and back...more than once. After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome - but cranky - neighbor and his adorable little girl....

Kacey Dawson has always lived life on the edge - impulsively, sometimes recklessly. And now, as lead guitarist for a hot up-and-coming band, she is poised at the brink of fame and fortune. But she is torn between wanting to be a serious musician and the demons that lure her down the glittering but alcohol-soaked path of rock stardom. A wrecked concert in Las Vegas threatens to ruin her career entirely. She wakes up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before.

This wasn't supposed to be my life. One phone call was all it took to bring me back to the small town I had grown up in. Everything had changed, and staying away was no longer an option. Four and a half years later, I was a widowed single father still here, still trying to pick up the pieces. We were doing fine on our own, my little girl and me. At least, we were until Camryn Parker stumbled into our lives. The woman was like a tornado after a hurricane; she was the storm I never saw approaching. Behind her beauty and sarcastic wit, she was just as broken as I pretended not to be.

Gabby Mastreoni has been in love with Christoff Scutari since she was four years old. Their fathers are in the same business, and nearly 20 years later, their families remain close. With four older brothers, Gabby leads a protected and sheltered life - until she and Christoff cross a line, and she discovers that love can hurt people. Brie Masters left everything and everyone behind to begin again. Starting over in California, she's found her new home.

Ali Rain: Sometimes I think to myself, "How did I get here?" Then the pain hits and I remember...it's because she's gone. I now live in a new town, go to a new school, and I'm supposed to be moving on with my new life. Only, I no longer know who I am anymore. Dancing is all I have left and every day I feel completely alone. Silence has become the theme song to my life. She said to find some joy and light, but I don't know how. Mostly, I feel surrounded in darkness...that is, until I meet him.

The last place Sophia Lancaster wanted to return to was Poplar Falls. It's the place that holds all the painful memories and unanswered questions she's ever had. One phone call causes her life to take a turn, forcing her back to the town she hasn't stepped foot in over 20 years. And right into the path of Braxton Young. His blue eyes, sinful smile, and rough exterior are no match for Sophia. She's there for one reason, and it isn't to fall in love. The sooner she can get out of this small town and back in New York City - the better.