For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the dark to my sister’s light - the awkward loner to her social butterfly. Growing up, she had it all: our parent’s unyielding approval, perfect grades, a permanent spot at the popular table, and the attention of the hottest guy ever - Duke Kincaid. After 18 years of living in her shadow, I couldn’t wait to escape - to finally be my own person. Yet here I am - back in my hometown, once again in Valorie’s shadow. Only now, it’s eternal.

Myla Rose McGraw may be 20, single, and pregnant, but she's no damsel in distress. She doesn't need a man. After all, her Grams taught her a thing or two about making lemonade out of life's lemons. Then she meets Cash Carson.

Ainsley came into my life in a flurry of vibrant colors, lighting my world up when all seemed lost. It wasn't our quiet nights by the creek or stolen kisses surrounded by a sea of cotton that saved me. It was her. She was my comfort when life threw one ugly tragedy after another at me. Until she dealt me the greatest blow. Now, abandonment, betrayal, and death darken every corner of my life. Anger and hurt burn bright where love and trust once lived. But now she's back.

What do ice cream and Sadie Montgomery have in common? They're both ice cold, but one taste is never enough. I wanted to be friends - I would have even settled for her seeing me as anything but a nerd - but there was no getting through. So just like any hard-headed, red-blooded man out there, I made up my mind. I'd make my coworker fall for me.

When some pretty little thing shows up at my doorstep with a suitcase, claiming she rented my house for the summer, I waste no time informing her that my house isn't for rent. Some Internet jack*ss scammed her out of all her money, but that's not my problem. Only when I find her sleeping in her car a couple days later, I can't turn my back. I make her an offer: room and board in exchange for working on my ranch. She agrees, and I open my doors to a girl who sings too loud, sticks her nose where it doesn't belong, and distracts me with her tight jeans and those full lips.

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.

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.

At 35, Gina Bourque is still playing the field. If he’s single, in his early 20s with dark hair and brooding eyes, there’s a damn good chance you’ll find him in her little black book. Jeffrey Ryan never imagined that at nearly 40 he’d find himself widowed and a single dad. But here he is - stumbling through this thing called life with two impressionable daughters watching his every move.

I'm single...so single it's painful. Yup, ladies, Brig Knightly - that's me - is still a lonely bachelor, stumbling through the streets of Port Snow, looking for the girl he's supposed to end up with. That is, I was until my brother, Rogan, presented me with the opportunity of a lifetime. The Summer of Love, a secret pen-pal program in Port Snow is looking for applicants, and I'm the perfect fit. I couldn't sign up fast enough. I found myself quickly falling in love with a pair of red lips at the bottom of a letter...just like in the movies.

Abby Davis isn't wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she's busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn't looking for fun - he's a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions and fallen brothers. Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt has been sidelined by a combat injury, and he is haunted by the loss of his best friend and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL - focused and dedicated.

Conner Burke never expected Sofie Callahan to come back. Where she's been for the last two and half years is a mystery, and so is the reason she left in the first place. Now, though, she's back in their hometown of Shelton Bay, South Carolina, at the same time Conner's band Dirty B. is home on a tour break.

Sadie Slade was the love of my life. I left for college promising her I’d be back in four years. She stayed behind promising me she’d wait. We both broke our promises. When we bump into each other five years later, my feelings for her come rushing to the surface. I want her back. She wants me gone. How quickly my Sadie Girl has forgotten - I’ve never been the type of man who accepts defeat. No matter the cost.

Love is fatal; a snake that slithers into your life, poisons you with its venom, and leaves you there to die. I swore I wouldn’t be my parents. I swore I would stay away from the limelight. Falling in love with a musician was definitely out of the question. Weston Carter was all kinds of wrong for a girl like me. He was a musician, a womanizer, and a first class heartbreaker. I didn't know a love like this could exist. Our love was epic, the kind people wrote stories about. We fell into it hard, unable to control our feelings. I set myself up for a shattered heart.

MacKenzie Cahill has dealt with overbearing and overprotective brothers her entire life, making it near impossible to enjoy her teenage years. Having a boyfriend was practically impossible until she met a guy that wasn't afraid to stand up to them - Dominic. He was sweet, thoughtful, and everything MacKenzie ever wanted in a man. But when they go away to college at Old Dominion University, MacKenzie sees a whole new side of Dominic and begins to wonder if he really is different from every other guy.

Desperate to find a new mechanic, the last thing Reddington expects is a woman to show up, let alone one with a sinful body, sharp tongue, and the inability to just do her job and not give him lip. He can't deny he's hoping to catch a view of her bent over a hood, but there's not a chance in hell that's going to happen. As much as Red wants to take her for a test drive, he knows he needs to keep his priorities straight.