Kirjahaku

If only life were as simple as a good-looking guy and a great dress. Samantha "Sam" Cathner gave up needing Peter years ago, but now her theater needs his play. She knows how fairytales end once the house lights are up, so she steadies herself to work with the brilliant playwright who once broke her heart.Peter Everoad is back in Pasadena, the hometown he traded for the bright lights of New York as soon as he graduated. The Pasadena Playhouse, where his oldest friend and one time lover Sam works, is in financial trouble, they need him and his new play Looking In. Sam is flustered to reencounter this new version of Peter-as always, witty and smart, and now handsome and successful. But he's still the jerk who crushed her happily-ever-after. She's not going to let him waltz in and unsettle her carefully ordered life. But she's drawn to him and intrigued by the autobiographical undertones of Looking In-is the Pasadena debutante "Sally" supposed to be her? Can Sam ever really trust Peter again, or will the demons that drove them apart the first time, tear them apart again?

If only life were as simple was choosing between Toaster Strudel and Fruit Loops. Katherine Galloway is two years divorced and still living out of boxes. Between her brothers (cops that work with her ex) and her mother's constant reminders that her clock is ticking, Kate is trying to hold it all together. When it comes to public relations, there's nothing she can't handle . . . or at least that's what she thinks. Grady Malendar, the only son of California State Senator Patrick Malendar, has a reputation as a playboy who likes to have a little too much fun. The senator is running for re-election and needs Grady's help with the youth vote, so they hire a PR firm. Grady is willing to participate in the dog-and-pony show to help his father win, but there are some things about his life he wants to keep hidden. Especially from his snoopy new PR "babysitter," Kate Galloway. Somewhere between campaign stops and fundraisers, Kate and Grady discover that neither of them are what they appear to be. Tensions between them grow until there is no denying they are falling in love behind the scenes of a fa ade they both need to keep in place. Will scandal, old wounds, and secrets tear them apart, or will Kate and Grady realize that they are both candidates for love?

If only life were as simple as following a recipe. In her twenties, Kara Malendar found herself at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, thousands of miles away from the harsh media coverage of her political family. But Paris ended abruptly when she was summoned home to Los Angeles and expected to stand in again as the senator's perfect daughter. Now, thirty, Kara has made a different kind of life for herself. As a food critic for the Los Angeles Times, she casts a critical eye on other people. That is, until her past finds his way back into town and opens a new restaurant. Logan Rye, the youngest son of the Ryeland Farms family, is a chef and knows exactly what he's doing with his life. After a few years spent getting his head and heart together, he's opened a new farm-to-table restaurant, The Yard, in Los Angeles. It's his passion, but according to the LA Times, he's a trend. Kara and Logan haven't seen each other since she left him in the lobby of her Paris apartment building, but when she is asked to write a feature on him, it's not long before they are rediscovering the delicious parts of each other. As things heat up, all recipes are forgotten, and Kara and Logan realize nothing was what it seemed in Paris. If Logan can only find a way to trust, he may be exactly what Kara needs . . . if she's ever going to taste life again.

If only life were as simple as making a reservation.Makenna Rye Conroy was living the dream-with an amazing husband and a beautiful new baby daughter-when one night changed everything. Almost six years after Adam's death, Makenna and her daughter Paige have built a solid, happy life together. Makenna manages her brother's trendy restaurant, The Yard, and helps out at Ryeland Farms, the family business, all while navigating the world of private school parenting. Sure, being a single mom has its challenges, but she hardly has time to pack her daughter's lunch in the morning, let alone think about dating. Travis McNulty, the middle child and biggest disappointment of the McNulty clan, is a chef at his best friend's new restaurant. He gave up apologizing for not being the football hero his family wanted a long time ago. In fact, Travis apologizes for very little these days. He loves creating great food-it's more of a passion than a job-and he lives life on his own terms with few complications. For the past couple years, Makenna and Travis have worked side by side at The Yard, bickering, teasing, and never taking each other very seriously. That is until Makenna has her usual reoccurring dream; but this time, instead of her late husband as the featured man, Travis stands in his place. Travis may be attracted to his best friend's sister, but she's a widow and a mother, which tops the charts for complicated in his book. As the game changes, Makenna and Travis, with a little help from Paige, have to figure out what they are willing to risk to reserve a table for three.

If only life were as simple as choosing between shaken or stirred. Sage Jeffries grew up an overachiever. She studied, excelled, and became a mechanical engineer for a firm in San Francisco. Yet much to her family's surprise, right before turning thirty, she made a bold move to Los Angeles and became a bartender at The Yard. Now, she spends her time mixing drinks and trying new things. Her life is good, fun . . . except for two teeny tiny challenges-she's in love with her best friend's older brother, and her sister bought her a book, Nice to Naughty in Ten Easy Steps and dares her to master every step. Sage never backs down from a challenge. Garrett Rye is Ryeland Farms. He grew up under his father's wing and has now taken over operations. Working the fields was nothing compared to the hassle of managing, but keeping the farm running without hiccups is what's expected. His brother and sister may run The Yard, but Ryeland Farms is the rock of their family. No matter how many changes swirl around him, Garrett intends to keep it that way. It's New Year's Eve and Sage, who's had too much tequila, is realizing it's easier to read about "naughty" than actually put it into practice. Instead of a wild night, she ends up tucked into Garrett's truck, spilling her heart. Now, Garrett is finding it impossible to concentrate on keeping things business as usual when the woman he's only noticed behind the bar suddenly wants to raise the bar. Both stirred and shaken, Sage and Garrett will have to decide whether to keep mixing things up or if they should put their feelings on ice.

If only life were as simple as filling a vacancy. Hollis Jeffries is a "dynamo" as her father likes to say. She's the youngest vice president at Dobbins Capital. She wows investors, runs marathons, and speaks three languages. As the oldest, Hollis is always first to try and first to succeed. According to the other Jeffries sisters, she's practically perfect. . . until she's not. Matthew Locke grew up in the shadow of his brother's death and with the added pressure of his parents' expectations. They want him to take over the family coffee shops someday, but Matt has other plans. Despite the grumblings of his working-class parents, he has found success in Silicon Valley even after dropping out of Stanford a semester shy of graduation. Matt has spent most of his life under the radar and there's not much he's willing to rock the boat for. . . until there is. Hollis and Matt met on Tomales Bay the summer they both turned twelve and during the summers that followed, they grew up and fell in love. One night, after an unexpected test, they fell apart. Now, twelve years later, Hollis, who seeks refuge at her uncle's seaside cottages to ride out a storm of her own making and Matt, weighed down by obligation to his parents, both return to Tomales Bay. Forced to share another summer in the small town that brought them together, will Hollis and Matt be able to move beyond the echo of their past and into a future filled with ever after?

If only life came with instructions.Boyd McNaughton is working on balance. He is a father, a brewmaster, and the oldest brother of four. When he's not running Foghorn Brewery with two of his brothers, his days are packed with carpools, teenage angst, and well-intentioned school moms determined to send him on the perfect blind date. After a simple argument ends with a visit to the emergency room, Boyd discovers the one thing he's been neglecting-his life.Ella Walters is working on connection. Having grown up in a less-than-affectionate family of overachievers, she moved to Petaluma for a slower pace and to escape her past. She has friends now instead of accolades, chooses chocolate croissants over super foods, and cherishes the peace that's replaced the drama. Sure, she occasionally misses the buzz of the San Francisco General Hospital ER, but Ella is learning that navigating a fuller life can be just as exciting.When Boyd's son, Mason, seeks out Dr. Ella for "advice" and Boyd stumbles all over her newly healed heart, she finds herself longing for something she never knew existed. But families are messy, and they'll both need to let go of the past if they want to find a future that's more than by the book.

If only life came with a guarantee.Patrick McNaughton wants more. More people drinking Foghorn's beer, more money to push their brewery past the competition, and more cooperation from his brothers, who have no sense of urgency. He's all about conquering one challenge on his way to the next, so long as there's a remote chance of winning. That's why Aspen Pane sits in the office down the hall, oblivious to his attraction. Patrick has always wanted more with her, but he never was one to risk it all.Aspen Pane has more than enough. As business manager for Foghorn, she keeps the brewery in the black and lives up to the nickname the McNaughton brothers gave her-Wonder Woman. She's worked hard her whole life for the money she now has in the bank, the small house she calls home, and time with her friends. So, even though it seems everyone close to her, including her brother, is inconveniently falling in love, Aspen sticks with her to-do list. Because love risks everything and she doesn't do that for anyone.After an unexpected flight and an eccentric venture capitalist thrust them into a battle of wits and lies even they're not sure they can win, Patrick and Aspen must learn the difference between making a connection and making money. They may need to face their fears and risk it all in the name of finding a new work-love balance.

If only life were as simple as a clever pickup line.Cade McNaughton is the last man standing. His brothers have all found love. Despite his recent oh-so-revealing Instagram nightmare and his family's subsequent disappointment, Cade is ready to fall for a woman who cares more about the last book he read and less about his body. But amid the buzz and banter of tending Foghorn Brewery's bar, Cade is not exactly settle-down material. All that's about to change, starting with buzzing off his fauxhawk and sporting a cardigan that has everyone talking.Sistine Branch has more bills than money, yet she's fine eating barbecue chips for dinner if it means keeping her knitting shop open. But when her lights go out and the electrician puts a ten-thousand-dollar price tag on renovations, Sistine's back is against an old and crumbling wall. For the past two years, she's relied solely on herself, which makes selling out to the one woman from her past who can ruin everything the worst decision ever.Cade and Sistine are backgammon and end-of-the-bar friends. One rejection, a literal fall into Cade's arms, and a dinner date with farm animals has them enmeshed in feelings neither thought possible. But, it only takes one lie, a literal fall from grace, and a date with the she-devil to unravel everything they've come to know.If they want a real shot, they'll need to start from the beginning and realize that love is often a tangled mess, sometimes a funny T-shirt, but never perfect.

If only one breath could change everything.Millie Hart has built her career on love. Between the pages of her bestsellers, women find their heroes and pursue the lives of their dreams. But despite millions of happy readers, Millie is hungry for the approval of the literary world, specifically her father. So, despite her agent's objections, Millie embarks on a new, grittier writing project.All she needs is four months in Bodega Bay. No meet-cutes, no kissing, just blissful silence.Drake Branch's life has been a masterclass in persistence. Ever since the accident, he's had to tackle hurdles - mental and physical - to stand on his own. But years into a successful glass business with his best friend, Drake is back, save the panic-inducing noise from the metalworks shop next door.Not a problem. All Drake needs is music - loud music.Millie and Drake are soon at odds with everything from playlists to pajamas, and it's going to be one long, hot summer - unless they can learn that some books are more than their covers, one breath can change the shape of everything, and true family often shows up in the most unlikely of places.