Elana Johnson

Scarlett is trying to save her grandfather's farm, but the place is a huge mess. Hudson is a cowboy mechanic who offers to help her fix up the broken down cars on the ranch. Can Hudson fine tune Scarlett's heart as they work together? Or will things backfire and make everything worse at Last Chance Ranch?Scarlett Adams has had enough. Enough of men breaking her heart. Enough of her boss saying she needs to do better. Enough of the traffic and hustle of the city. So when the opportunity to take over her grandfather's horse ranch in the hills of California comes along, she jumps at it. She'd rather spend her time with horses, dogs, and goats than honking cars, power suits, and men who don't call back.And she's finally happy.Hudson Flannigan knows three things: horses, cars, and that he's never going to make his father proud. Not only that, but he's disappointed his mother too. Well, his ex-wife did that when she found someone else to love, but it's somehow Hudson's fault.When Scarlett needs help getting the rundown ranch back into shape, she hires Hudson to get all the vehicles into proper working order. The spark between them is instant and hot, but neither of them wants to endure another painful breakup.Can Scarlett and Hudson find the faith and forgiveness they need to fix themselves as they restore Last Chance Ranch to its former glory? Or will this fine-tuning of their hearts backfire and leave them more broken than before?

Cassandra Haslam loves plans. Lunch plans, wedding plans, and floor plans-they all bring her joy. In fact, she's had her entire life planned out-career, marriage, and family-since age ten. She's smart, hard-working, and a real go-getter, and everything has fallen into place so far.Until her husband dies suddenly, right when she's about to enjoy the fruits of all of her hard work and planning, leaving Cass reeling and...well, without a plan.When her youngest graduates three months later, making her an empty-nester as well as a widow, Cass decides it's time to make a new plan for herself.It's not a back-up plan.It's a paradise plan.With one of her best friends now living in Hilton Head, Cass makes a move and purchases a piece of waterfront property on the island. It's the perfect place to build her paradisiacal life and her new self as she designs and constructs a beautiful beach house.But when she injures herself-not in the plan, by the way-she meets general-contractor-turned-doctor Harrison Tate. He helps her out of a jammed thumb, a sprained ankle, and a bruised ego.When he keeps showing up unannounced at her construction site, sometimes with her favorite pastries, Cass starts to wonder if she should add him to her daily routine... If she does, will her perfectly laid out plans fall short of paradise? Or could she find her new life and a new love, all without any plans at all?

Beatrice Callahan loves lists. Sometimes she even makes a to-do list of things she's already done, just to go check, check, check and feel accomplished. So it's easy to understand why, when her divorce is finally final and her ex is all moved out, Bea takes a cool, close look at her life...and makes a list.It's not exactly a bucket list.It's a love list.Bea loves the outdoors, so she puts visit 10 National Parks on the list.She loves animals, and on goes get a puppy.She loves the beach, and she adds take a dream vacation to the list, and decides to do that one first. After all she's been through and all she's lost, she needs time to relax, rest, and reset.On the first day she arrives in Hilton Head Island, she meets Grant Turner, the man whose house she's renting for her fabulous beach vacation. He's just there to make sure she settles in properly and has enough towels.But when Bea asks for recommendations around the island, Grant quickly becomes her tour guide and then a friend and then...more than friends.Bea turns to her lists when things get confusing and her love list morphs once again... Can she add fall in love at age 45 to the list and check it off?

The last Cooper sibling is looking for love...she just wishes it wouldn't be in her hometown, or with the saltiest cowboy on the planet. But something about Jed Forrester has Cherry all a-flutter, and he'll be darned if he's going to let her get away. But Jed may have met his match when it comes to his quick tongue and salty attitude...Cherry Cooper isn't thrilled to be back in Sweet Water Falls, though she knows it's the right place for her right now. Her parents are aging and unwell, and she's been gone long enough. She wants to help Mama and rekindle her relationships with her siblings, which would be easier if they weren't all so blissfully happy.She's not unhappy, and a certain cowboy at the farm next door definitely makes a smile brighten her face faster than anything or anyone else has in a long time. But Jed's already broken up with her once because of his short temper and quick tongue, and Cherry really doesn't want to play games.Jed Forrester isn't the game-playing type of cowboy anyway. He's just trying to break down Cherry's impossibly high walls so he can get inside her heart. Or at least her head, to figure out why she's so resistant to him when they have such a great time together-and she sure doesn't seem to mind kissing him...Can Jed use his saltiness in his favor and win over Cherry's heart? Or will she keep pushing back at him until he gives up?

Charlotte Madsen's whole world came crashing down six months ago with the words, "I met someone else."Thirty-seven, recently divorced, and childless. That's Charlotte when she disembarks from the plane in Getaway Bay. She wants to get away, that's for sure. She thought the best way to do that was to buy a run-down house overlooking the bay, knowing she'll need all her fixer-upper skills to get it in shape. Which is just fine. She's hoping as she overhauls the house, she'll get a life makeover too.She was not expecting a tall, handsome man to be under the kitchen sink when she arrives at the supposedly abandoned house. She wasn't expecting to get drenched when the non-plumber twists something the wrong way. And she certainly wasn't expecting her heart to be well enough to feel anything for anyone.But former Air Force pilot, Dawson Dane, has a charming devil-may-care personality, and Charlotte could use some carefree laughter in her life. But everything with Dawson isn't sunshine and unicorns. He's estranged from his family, though he does speak to one of his brothers. And he's never committed to anything except his career, even choosing flying over an engagement years ago.Can Charlotte navigate the healing process as she renovates the island house? Can Dawson finally make a commitment to a woman? Or will he and Charlotte decide a relationship is just too hard?

He's got a reputation to uphold and he's not all that amused the way regular people are. Like that time he stood there straight-faced and silent while everyone else in the audience cheered and clapped for that educational demo... Can Lee and Rosalie let bygones be bygones and make a family filled with joy?Lee Cooper hasn't been interested in getting his heart stomped on again, thank you very much. He's the oldest brother, and the entire future of Sweet Water Falls Farm rests on his shoulders. Oh, and he's got his eight-year-old son to consider. So he doesn't laugh or even smile that often. Big deal. Lots of people barely smile, don't they?Maybe not Rosalie Reynolds, who is seriously the brightest ray of sunshine in Texas. At least in Lee's opinion.She develops educational video and board games, and she's the one who had him star-struck and silent after the demo. It wasn't that he didn't want to cheer and clap, it was that...he's forgotten how to act around pretty women.Rosalie has plenty keeping her out of the dating pool too, the least of which is her business, which she runs solo, and her daughter, a four-year-old with a lot more energy than her mother. As Lee and Rosalie start to see each other, she has some past obstacles to clear before the relationship can progress, and he's got some mental blocks about women he needs to erase.It's so hard for him to be positive, and he's not sure he can be different...but he wants to try. Will Rosalie stick around long enough to sweeten the surly cowboy? Or will she decide the smart thing to do is to set Lee free?

A widowed florist, her ten-year-old daughter, and the paramedic who delivered the girl a decade earlier...Paramedic Andrew Herrin delivered Gretchen Samuels's daughter on the side of the road when she and her husband couldn't make it to the hospital in time. When their paths cross again in small-town Hawthorn Harbor, she's a widow and the baby is ten-year-old Dixie.Dixie gets along great with Drew, and Gretchen finds herself falling in love with the man who's rescued her on the side of the road twice now. But when Drew's ex-girlfriend comes back to town, Gretchen's trust issues rear their ugly head.The day Drew drove by Gretchen's van changed his whole life. He wants her and her daughter in his life, but he can't keep reassuring her that he and his ex are over. Way over.Can Drew and Gretchen find their way toward true love?

He can find the negative in any situation. Like that time he got upset with the woman who brought him a free chocolate-and-caramel-covered apple because it had melted in his truck... Can William and Gretchen start over and make a healthy relationship after it's started to wilt?William Cooper doesn't mean to see red the moment things start to go bad. It's the red hair, he swears. And the fact that his attention is pulled in a dozen directions, every day, all day. He just needs a break-and when he finally gets one, he almost sits in melted caramel and chocolate.Anyone would be upset by that, right?Maybe not everyone would then gripe about it right in front of the woman passing out the free apples. That just makes Will the wicked warlock of the west.When he goes to apologize to Gretchen Bellows, a premier chocolatier in Sweet Water Falls, he's struck by her beauty and kindness. Yes, she overheard him, but she appreciates his humility, and when he asks her to dinner...she surprises everyone and says yes.Gretchen has more than enough on her plate, from an ailing father, a brother going through a divorce, and a busy business to run. But as she carves more and more time into her life for Will, she starts to realize what a good heart he has. It's just buried beneath that somewhat forked tongue.When her chocolate shop catches fire, Will's right there to help...but also to criticize the clean-up. He's quick to realize what he's doing and try to fix it, but can Gretchen put up with his grumpy attitude, or will she have to admit that their relationship has gone stale?

He's been accused of being far too blunt. Like that time he accused her of stealing her company from her best friend... Can Travis and Shayla overcome their differences and find a happily-ever-after together?Travis Cooper is the youngest son in a family stuffed with loud opinions and ginger-haired powerhouses. Yes, he has a loud bark too. He has to in order to get the ten thousand dairy cows he's responsible for to listen to him.But when he happens upon Shayla Nelson stranded on the side of the road, he probably doesn't need to tell her A - that he used to date her best friend, and B - that Shayla stole her successful outdoor outfitters company from that best friend.Besides the fact that it's not true, Travis should know better. And he does, honestly. He was just flustered that his most recent girlfriend had broken up with him only the day before.Shayla not only didn't steal the company from her former best friend, she's worked hard to mend the bridges between her and everyone that had gotten hurt in that tangled mess. When she runs into Travis again a few months later, there's still plenty of sparks flying between them.This time, though, it's the romantic kind and not the accusatory type. When he asks her to be his date to the annual Fall Ball in Sweet Water Falls, Shayla finds herself wanting to say yes to the handsome cowboy.He's never had a relationship for longer than a couple of months. She won't be able to put up with his attitude for long, but can Shayla tame the cross cowboy and capture his heart, or will she have to cut Travis loose the way every other woman has?

Take a chance on romance......from small town to big city dreams.From billionaire bosses to a brother's best friend, caring cowboys and flirty firemen, & many more.Love happens when you least expect it.Twenty-six authors have combined their talents to bring you an 800-page smorgasbord of the best in sweet romance. These are all original, never before published tales from established favorites and exciting new talent. Love, laughter, and occasional tears - no need to turn on the Hallmark Channel this winter. Snuggle up with stories that dig deep into your heart and won't let go.Warning: reading this anthology may cause cravings for cider sugar donuts, French toast, pimento cheese, cherry cola, and maple syrup ice-cream, as well as happily ever afters. Pick it up right now and give yourself permission to laugh and cry.

A Coast Guard captain would rather spend his time on the sea...unless he's with the woman he's been crushing on for months. If Dave asks just one more time, will Brooklynn give their second chance at romance another shot?David Reddington has spent years in the Coast Guard, and his career brings him a lot of joy. But he's lonely even surrounded by his crew, and he feels like he's perpetually looking out to the ocean, hoping and wishing he could be as fulfilled on land as he is at sea.Brooklynn Parrish lost her husband three years ago to an accident on the ocean, and she can't bring herself to accept Dave's invitations to dinner. Or lunch. Or even coffee. How he can go out on his ship each day baffles her, and she's not willing to lose another loved one to the relentless ocean waves.But Dave only has eyes for her, and when they get put together to organize Hawthorne Harbor's Spring Fling, Brooklynn can't deny the attraction between them. As they go through the bachelor auction, tour the blooming apple orchards, and judge the dessert bake-off, their relationship deepens and strengthens. Will she be strong enough to battle the unyielding ocean? Or will she lose her heart to another man destined for a catastrophe at sea?

A wounded Marine returns to Hawthorne Harbor years after the woman he was married to for exactly one week before she got an annulment...and then a baby nine months later. Can Hunter and Alice make a family out of past heartache?Hunter Magleby hasn't been back to Hawthorne Harbor in nine years. His parents have moved from the small beach town, but Hunter feels called to return to his roots after a career-ending injury overseas. He limps, literally, back into town, some unfinished business between him and the wife he left all those years ago.Alice Kopp got an annulment only a week into the marriage, and she hasn't heard from Hunter since. She sees him almost every day though, when she looks into her son's eyes, so much like his father's. Yes, Westin is a spitting image of Hunter, and Alice dreads the day she'll have to introduce the two of them, because Hunter will be furious with her.When Hunter goes to the hospital for his physical therapy appointment, he runs into Alice, who works as a nurse in the NICU. She's eating lunch with her son, and when her mother shows up to pick up the boy so Alice can go back to work, it becomes a jolly good family reunion.Hunter just didn't realize he was part of the family.He's furious with Alice but also desperate to get to know the son he didn't know he had. As he battles his war injury, his depression, and his anger with Alice, only two things calms him: his therapy dog and his son. The more time he spends with Westin, the more he has to see Alice too, and the old flame that was there almost a decade ago is still burning brightly.Will the day he came home open a new door for Hunter and Alice to find a way to forgive one another and build a family with their son?

A K9 cop, the woman he hires to build him a deck, and the magic of Christmas that could bring Trent and Lauren together this holiday season...Police officer Trent Baker lost his wife four years ago and moved back to Hawthorne Harbor so his parents and sister could help with his toddler. He trains K9 police dogs for the force, raises his son-and needs a new deck. So he calls Lauren Michaels, a general contractor and the woman who asked him out years ago.Lauren has made a name for herself in the beach town of Hawthorne Harbor, but finding a man to share her life with hasn't been easy. She knows Trent can't remember when she asked him out, but as they start working together on the Festival of Tree and his backyard, she's hoping to build a relationship with him.But she doesn't like kids, and he's got a six-year-old. As she works through some of her maternal issues, she realizes Trent might not be as interested in her as she is in him. He feels disloyal to his first wife, but he desperately wants a mother for Porter. Can Trent learn to let go of the past so he and Lauren can find love and build a family?