Belinda Eaton is dedicated to her job as a history teacher in one of Philadelphia’s most challenging high schools. Committing to a man, however, is not exactly on her agenda. Then a tragedy brings her closer to gorgeous attorney Griffin Rice, and they have to share custody of their twin goddaughters. Griffin never saw himself as husband or father material, but suddenly family vacations and Sunday dinners with the girls are the highlight of his schedule—and getting closer to their smart, intriguing godmother is his number one priority.

Still reeling from her husband’s untimely death, Deborah Robinson needs a fresh start. So she decides to pack up her family and return to her grandmother’s ancestral home on Cavanaugh Island. The charming town of Sanctuary Cove holds happy memories for Deborah, and, after she spies a gorgeous stranger in the local bakery, it promises the possibility for a bright future. Dr. Asa Monroe is at a crossroads. Ever since the loss of his family, he has been traveling from one town to another. When he meets Deborah, the beautiful bookstore owner with the sunny smile, Asa believes he has finally found a reason to stay in one place.

Freedom fighter, brilliant businessperson, devoted wife, master of languages, and ultimately, savior of a European dynasty. Claudia Patterson would become all of these—spurred on by the fiercely powerful loves and losses along the way … Denny Clark. An abused thirteen-year-old White boy whose life twelve-year-old Claudia saves—complicating her own life for years to come.

Rochelle Alers is an Essence best-selling author and winner of two Gold Penn Awards. Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer, another shining example of her exciting work, is a testament to her reputation as one of the most popular authors of romantic literature. Disturbing circumstances bring together three people to sultry, secluded McKinnon Island where each gives the others the courage to make life-altering decisions. Modern women will find inspiration in the independent characters and realistic social challenges.

Bernadine Brown is a woman with money to spend. Henry Adams is a town in desperate need of cash. But after Bernadine puts up the money, she has some ideas about how the town should be run. Will the townspeople be willing to shake up their comfortable lives to share the gift they’ve been given with others who really need it?

As a rodeo champion, Brynn Hawkins is always on the road, but something about older, gruff-but-sexy rancher Garrett Abernathy makes her think about putting down roots. Brynn doesn’t know why she is so drawn to a man who says he doesn’t date, but his quiet dignity makes her rethink everything. As Thanksgiving approaches, Brynn fears she's running out of time, but she’s determined to find her way into this callused cowboy’s heart!

Attorney Nicole Campos hasn’t spoken to local mechanic Fletcher Austen since their high school friendship went down in flames over a decade ago. But when her car breaks down during her return to Wickham Falls and Fletcher unexpectedly helps her out with a custody situation in court, they find themselves suddenly wondering if this time is for keeps...or if their past differences are just too much to overcome.

New Yorker Jasmine Washington had a successful interior design business, a high-powered marriage, and a chance at motherhood - until her perfect husband betrayed her bigtime. Now starting from scratch, the Asian and African American stunner is tackling a lifetime opportunity: comanaging her friend's new luxury inn about to open in the Garden District. The last thing Jasmine needs is romance. New Orleans' most eligible bachelor, investment banker Cameron Singleton, begs to differ.

Rochelle Alers has written over 25 nationally acclaimed novels and stories. Secrets Never Told is a featured alternate of the Black Expressions Book Club. The moving story of a woman who has lost her mother and the love of her husband, it addresses questions of connection, commitment, and honesty.

For three decades, the Seaside Cafe has served delicious meals to locals and island tourists alike. Kayana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the cafe - and to nurse her wounds following a deep betrayal. Between cooking favorite recipes - creole chicken with buttermilk waffles, her grandmother's famous mac and cheese - and spending time reading, Kayana is trying to embrace a life free of entanglements, while staying open to new connections. After striking up a conversation with two customers, Kayana suggests a summer book club.

Corporate attorney Hannah DuPont-Lowell always pictured herself returning to New Orleans to retire - just not yet. But after her Manhattan company abruptly lays off its staff, there's no better place to figure out a next move than the porch of her plantation-style home. Nestled in the stunning Garden District, the DuPont House has been in Hannah's family for two centuries. With its 18 rooms and two guesthouses, it's far more home than widowed Hannah needs. Still, it could make a wonderful inn, especially if she can convince her friends and former coworkers to join in the venture.

Known playboy and award-winning R&B singer Wesley Johnson Jr. puts his dating rules to the side when he has a second chance encounter with the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Finding himself in unchartered territory, he realizes he can’t rely on his fame to earn the affection of this one special woman. Will his new ways be enough for her to let her guard down, or will someone from his past ruin their chances together?

For Maleek Jones, hockey is his wife. Everything and everyone else is his mistress, an aside. When unexpected responsibilities land in his lap, the balance of his world is disrupted, changing the way he sees everything.

The arrangement is simple: a two-week getaway, then a marriage of convenience. Until Garth Outlaw’s potential bride is a no-show. Now family pilot Regan Fairchild is sharing his bed - and he can’t get enough…even though he’s vowed never to love again. Can Regan convince him the wife he needs and the woman he desires are one and the same?

It all started in college, in the turbulent sixties, when Randolph and Jenna became lovers. Randolph knew the moment he saw Jenna Haywood that he had to make her his. But the path to love is not an easy one. His wealthy Grandmother Julia disapproves of the match and unbeknowst to him, his brother’s seemingly docile fiancee has a few plans of her own that she would like to set in motion. Betrayal and devastation lurks in unexpected places and tests the bond they believed was unbreakable.

Belinda Eaton is dedicated to her job as a history teacher in one of Philadelphia’s most challenging high schools. Committing to a man, however, is not exactly on her agenda. Then a tragedy brings her closer to gorgeous attorney Griffin Rice, and they have to share custody of their twin goddaughters. Griffin never saw himself as husband or father material, but suddenly family vacations and Sunday dinners with the girls are the highlight of his schedule—and getting closer to their smart, intriguing godmother is his number one priority.

In this first ever short story collection, New York Times bestselling author Francis Ray takes us on five steamy, sexy adventures. From a timid, dowdy duckling who turns into a confident, sexy swan which sends her into the arms of a handsome artist; to a bridesmaid’s explosive encounter with the best man; to an unproven actress who is being wooed to the stage by a handsome Broadway director.

Idealistic good girl Madelyn Grayson believes in doing what's right. Even as a high-powered executive in the mad world of advertising, she doesn' t cut corners, making her ad campaigns sizzle without having to burn anyone along the way. Rival exec Zack Douglas never wastes an opportunity to land the next big deal - especially when it benefits him. A bad boy with a reputation to match, he has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get ahead, no matter who gets in the way.

After her marriage ends in bitter divorce, all Lorren Jacobs wants is to leave California behind. Returning to her roots in Texas seems to be just what the doctor ordered...until she meets real-life physician Justin Madaris. Lorren has vowed never to give her heart to another man, but she can't stop herself from responding to the handsome widower's sensuous whispers of love. Justin thought no woman could ever move him as deeply as his wife had. Until Lorren.

Verena Valent is at the helm of her family's legendary Swiss skincare company in Beverly Hills. After her parents die, she becomes the sole provider for her younger twin sisters and her grandmother, rising to the challenge to guide and expand her family's business. She is in the midst of a critical international expansion when her carefully organized life begins to unravel. While she struggles to save the business that means everything to her, she meets Lance, an executive chef at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Liberty Jones dreams of the wider world beyond Welcome, Texas, and has the determination to find it. She also has an untamed heart that leads her into trouble . . . and into the arms of Hardy Cates. Liberty is forbidden fruit Hardy knows he shouldn’t taste. He’s got ambitions and Liberty is a complication he doesn’t want. But neither can deny the attraction between them, a fire that’s both magical and dangerous. Then Hardy is gone. Raising the young sister who needs her and tending her bruised heart, Liberty is vulnerable to the charms of a billionaire tycoon.

Maggie O'Shea knows that because of her dark past, there's no place for love in her life. She owns a successful store in Philadelphia, where she uses her special gifts to help the people she meets. Though this doesn't fulfill her, she is content. Most of the time.

“Live in the moment with me.” That’s what he asked Dahlia to do, and she did, because after a near-death experience, her motto was to live life to the fullest. Then it all came to an abrupt end. She didn’t anticipate he wouldn’t trust her. She didn’t anticipate she couldn’t trust him. He wants his son. Three years later, Prince Kofi returns and he’s not the same man. He’s bitter and angry and knows he has a son. He’ll do whatever it takes to bring his heir back to Zamibia, even if it means marrying the woman he believes betrayed him.

Mr. December: Duncan Patrick, CEO Scrooge. A powerful businessman, Duncan didn't like ultimatums, unless he was making them. But the board demanded his public image change. When he encountered sweet kindergarten teacher Annie McCoy, he knew she'd make him look like a perfect angel, though it would take some devilish manipulation.

When Debra Prentice discovers she's pregnant, she knows two things are true: that she can't wait to become a mother...and that she can never reveal the father's identity to anyone. Because not only is Trey Winston her boss' son, he's also got his eye on the North Carolina senator's seat - and he doesn't need a scandal. But when Debra must work with Trey in organizing his fund-raising dinner, the sparks from their one night of passion still sizzle.

In the still shadows of the confessional, a madman tauntingly reveals his plan for a murder he is going to commit, pulling Father Thomas Madden into a twisted game by disclosing his next intended victim: Tom's sister, Laurant. In a frantic race to protect her, Tom calls upon his best friend, elite FBI agent Nick Buchanan, to track the predator who is closing in on Laurant. Now, as an electrifying attraction grows between Laurant and Nick, so does the danger - and one false move will cost both of them everything that matters.

One week. No future. No past. No more. Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree - no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as "Charli", she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day.

Madison is booming with dreamers and drifters, visionaries and entrepreneurs. Among them is Sydney Richardson, the daughter of a cop who died on these streets and now the proud, stressed-out owner of Hush Money, one of the city's top new restaurants. Like everyone else in town, Sydney is shocked when Madison's popular mayor - a crusty, charismatic man of the people - is shot to death in his own home. But the news hits especially close to home for Sydney because one of her own stands accused of the brutal crime. Sydney's the one person that Wanda Fields, a quiet, hardworking waitress and single mother, can think to call after her arrest.

Jason Reagert has made his own millions, and now he’s determined to become an even bigger success. Then startling news breaks and Jason discovers he’s about to become a father. He can't afford even a whiff of scandal, but can he marry his lover of one night, the beautiful heiress Lauren Presley? Surely she’ll agree to a lifetime of convenience, if only for the baby's sake?

NYC's most eligible bachelor Brit Bencher is also known as The Slayer for his reputation in the boardroom - and the bedroom. And he'll do anything to take care of his family, even seduce high-powered corporate attorney Tori Anderson in the hopes of getting her to reveal confidential information about one of her clients. But for the first time in his life, he finds he's falling for a woman - and then he started to break them.

For three decades, the Seaside Cafe has served delicious meals to locals and island tourists alike. Kayana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the cafe - and to nurse her wounds following a deep betrayal. Between cooking favorite recipes - creole chicken with buttermilk waffles, her grandmother's famous mac and cheese - and spending time reading, Kayana is trying to embrace a life free of entanglements, while staying open to new connections. After striking up a conversation with two customers, Kayana suggests a summer book club.

Belinda Eaton is dedicated to her job as a history teacher in one of Philadelphia’s most challenging high schools. Committing to a man, however, is not exactly on her agenda. Then a tragedy brings her closer to gorgeous attorney Griffin Rice, and they have to share custody of their twin goddaughters. Griffin never saw himself as husband or father material, but suddenly family vacations and Sunday dinners with the girls are the highlight of his schedule—and getting closer to their smart, intriguing godmother is his number one priority.

Sportswriter Nina Richardson had the perfect life away from her family's famous shadow. But a social media blowup and rejection by her boyfriend brought her back to their peaceful Charleston, South Carolina B&B to figure out what went wrong. So there's no way she's going to trust the crazy-hot sparks flying between her and handsome new employee Clinton Jefferson. It's just reckless, rip-his-clothes-off, one-night-and-forget-it lust - right?

Among Virginia’s horse-country elite, Nicholas Cole-Thomas is the ultimate eligible bachelor. After escaping one disastrous relationship, he plans to remain single. Yet when the beautiful veterinarian working on his horse farm needs help, he invites her to stay under his roof. And the closer he gets to her, the closer he wants to be. Blurring the lines between business and pleasure is risky for Peyton Blackstone. It’s not just Nicholas’ charisma but his gentleness that enthralls her.

New Yorker Jasmine Washington had a successful interior design business, a high-powered marriage, and a chance at motherhood - until her perfect husband betrayed her bigtime. Now starting from scratch, the Asian and African American stunner is tackling a lifetime opportunity: comanaging her friend's new luxury inn about to open in the Garden District. The last thing Jasmine needs is romance. New Orleans' most eligible bachelor, investment banker Cameron Singleton, begs to differ.

Corporate attorney Hannah DuPont-Lowell always pictured herself returning to New Orleans to retire - just not yet. But after her Manhattan company abruptly lays off its staff, there's no better place to figure out a next move than the porch of her plantation-style home. Nestled in the stunning Garden District, the DuPont House has been in Hannah's family for two centuries. With its 18 rooms and two guesthouses, it's far more home than widowed Hannah needs. Still, it could make a wonderful inn, especially if she can convince her friends and former coworkers to join in the venture.

At age 11, Alex Sinclair pledges an oath to the Duke of Chatham promising to serve and protect his illegitimate daughter, Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, the duke unexpectedly takes Alex up on his vow, offering the future Laird of Balforss his daughter's hand in marriage. Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy - who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot - to go through with the arranged marriage.

She couldn’t do this anymore. After watching her best friend and the man whom she’d been in love with her entire life propose to another woman, Morgan decided that it was time to finally move on. She made plans, plans that Eric didn’t know about, and she planned to keep it that way, but unfortunately for her, one bet destroyed everything, leaving her with no choice but to be there for her best friend one last time.

Sometimes you go in search of a new beginning. Other times, it finds you. Tonya Martin enjoys her job as a professional chef for a Wall Street bank, her East Harlem walk-up, and the freedom to live and love by her own rules - right up until the day she finds herself suddenly downsized. But a spontaneous trip to New Orleans opens up a new opportunity. With time on her hands and her daughter soon graduating college, Tonya has the chance to reach for her own long-cherished dream - opening a restaurant on her friend Hannah's beautiful Garden District estate.

Beginning in 1864, Through the Storm chronicles the tumultuous lives of onetime lovers, Raimond Le Veq and Sable Fontaine. The Le Veq family was a proud, prominent black New Orleans family until their fortune was plundered in the chaos of the Civil War. It's the charge of former Union Major Raimond Le Veq to restore the lost wealth of his family. Raimond once loved a woman--the lusty, beautiful, and complex former slave, Sable Fontaine--but she coldly betrayed him during the war.