Melanie Greene

Adrian Reyes didn't expect her to show up in his hometown. Maggie Frey didn't return to Honey Wine to see him-not this time. Maggie and Adrian's casual arrangement should have flamed out long ago, except her best friend moved to his small town, and the sparks refused to die. But with sex off the table, she doesn't bother informing him she'll spend the summer in Honey Wine, recovering from her hysterectomy. He's almost as surprised as she is when he accepts her limitations, and pitches in to care for her. Maggie, at personal and professional crossroads, is tempted by Adrian's tender care and their smoldering chemistry. Adrian, spurred by Maggie's determined and courageous advocacy for herself against societal pressure, is fueled to confront his own family expectations. During their stolen weeks together, they wrestle with once-hidden truths about the futures they'd envisioned. Each stripped layer of vulnerability fans embers that could scorch them both, but just might grow into a new flame of love like they've never known.

Amalia Reyes, fierce and bold artist, is determined. She will carve a space for her work and her culture within the gallery scene of Honey Wine, Texas, no matter the challenges thrown up by the old guard that runs things. Dante Morales, quiet plumber, craves reinvention. Mired in the remnants of his socially inept childhood, he struggles for the confidence that will land him a satisfied partner. In Dante, Amalia finds an unexpected ally-a man whose heart is as deep as his insecurities are high. They strike a deal: her lessons in the art of love (and lovemaking), for his connections to Honey Wine's retailers. But as they work together, Dante's fear of never matching Amalia's brilliance clashes with her own need to be truly seen. Together, they have to learn that love-and self-worth-runs deeper than they'd ever imagined.

Two determined souls. One small town.Driven by grief and impulse, Livia DeLacroix quits her job and buys a small-town bed & breakfast inn. It's a bold move, but she needs the peace of a fresh start. Looking to shine his tarnished reputation, Gregory Forst returns to Honey Wine, Texas, sure he knows how to revitalize his hometown's tourist industry. Greg's dreams depend on his taking over Livia's property, but she isn't renovating just for some overconfident stranger to undermine her plans. No matter how they intrigue each other, they're constantly at odds over their common border. Filled with sparkling rivalry and sizzling moments, Common Ground is an irresistible story of new beginnings, second chances, and the power of finding your place.

Cole Dunway's got everything under control.Well, not everything. But the things he can control? Those are locked down. Until he's wheeling through the airport, heading back to the Gulf Coast for Christmas with his family, and smacks into distressed friend-of-a-friend Andi Ennis.Andi's at a loss. Bag packed, they/them badge pinned to their chest, flight on time ... but abruptly uninvited to their family home. Which is fine. They'll figure something out. Especially if know-it-all Cole gets his way and drags Andi home with him.Sharing a cozy beach cottage, and the warmth of family, Andi and Cole find unexpected connections and plenty of heat to draw them together. But is it only holiday magic, or can the romance endure once they've left the sand and Santa behind?

Margo Dunway has wanderlust. It's like regular lust, but with travel thrown in. She's spent years locked in place, and is ready to set off on unfettered adventures as she figures out, well, the whole rest of her life. Karl Moore isn't lonely. Not exactly. He has his golden retriever, and the choirs he directs, and his thousand dreams of settling down, securely anchored to the Gulf Coast town he's made home. Goaded into joining an Advent handbell choir, Margo is shocked to run across Karl, a painful reminder of the church where her faith was shattered. He's as compelling as ever, but she resolves to resist his lures long enough to survive the Christmas season. Then she can sail away from all the temptations that would hold her back from finding her true passion. Margo may be everything Karl ever dreamed of, but her dreams can't come true if she's constrained within the world he holds dear. He can't be her ballast, but can his heart afford for him to stand by and watch while she flies free?

Ignatius "Scorch" Madigan is all alone. At last. He's left his band and retreated to the seclusion of a friend's beach cottage. He has a couple of weeks to pull together his first solo album and prove to the world-and himself-that he has what it takes to be a star in his own right. Sarita Dunway needs a refuge.\When her careless mistake injures Scorch, she jumps at every excuse to rush to the cottage to 'help' him out. Even cleaning for the surly musician is better than being forced into cheerful Christmas closeness with her godmother's son. He doesn't want to need her. She only wants to use him. But what they unwrap in each other might be the biggest holiday surprise of all.

Austin Wells: everyone's comic relief, the unmotivated baby brother with the occasional bright idea. In other words, nowhere good enough for brilliant, driven, gorgeous Leyla Robinson. He tries to content himself with admiring her from across the barista counter while she works on taking the world by storm.Austin is, Leyla's sure, just as sweet and funny and attentive and flirty with her as he is with everyone else he serves at Pier Three Coffee. She's nothing special. To be blunt, she's boring. All she ever does is follow the rigorous schedule she sets herself to get through grad school and fight for the career she craves and the oceans she loves.They've been watching each other for so long, each so sure of their own opinions about themselves and each other. But when Leyla finds she can help with Austin's secret ambitions, so long as she gives up a few layers of her own self-protections, they must both decide how much to risk on the other's behalf. And what happens if, in the process, they begin to see themselves the way they see each other?

Every damn thing in Callie Hamasaki's life is gone in a puff of smoke. With nowhere else to turn, she sublets her best friend's apartment, desperate to rebuild her career one canvas at a time. And if her friend's brother would stop intruding on her with his dictates, she'd unstick and unlock a way forward.Did she ask Abraham Wells for his help? Not even a little. But he's giving it anyway, because helping is what he's good for. He takes care of people, and so what? No one else complains with over-the-top insults and pointed comments about him acting like a martyr. Only Callie, with her sass and her talent and the way her hips move when she dances.She could paint a mural full of all Abraham doesn't know about how he's messing up his own life. But if he's going to keep griping at her, why would she bother telling him? After all, baring their truths could leave them stripped down to nothing but the attraction between them, and that's-probably-not worth the risk.

When the seams of her past unravel, a stitch in time saves ... love. Quilter Ashlyn May has her hands full. When she accepts a spot at the FireWind Artist Retreat, she's prepared to defend her craft against the skepticism of her fellow artists, even as she struggles to rediscover her creative drive. She doesn't expect to learn a devastating family secret, or to find comfort in the arms of photographer Caleb Kendall. As spring blooms in the rolling hills of Central Texas, the pillars of her life crumble, leaving her to choose between breaking her grandmother's heart and honoring the values of honesty and openness her grandparents instilled in her. Meanwhile, the dramas of her new friends and artistic debates range around her, leaving Caleb her only safe harbor. But can their relationship possibly survive once they're outside the insular world of FireWind? Filled with Melanie Greene's trademark humor and intelligence, this contemporary romance asks timeless questions about love and how to build a future over the rubble of the past.

In a handicap, horses are assigned weights based on their past performances as a way to try to create evenly matched fields. The better the horse, the heavier the weight assigned. In the United States, handicaps once accounted for the majority of stakes races and were known to boast large purses attracting the leading horses of the day. Kentucky-bred horses such as Discovery, Equipoise and Kelso won under the heaviest of weights, dominating the handicap division year after year, and were immortalized in the hall of fame. These equine stars brought recognition to the Sport of Kings and became renowned athletes for their courage, fortitude and durability. Join author and turf historian Melanie Greene as she recounts the harrowing tales of these noble steeds.

Nasrullah arrived in Kentucky in 1950 and forever changed the modern American thoroughbred. Bred in royalty by the Aga Kahn, Nasrullah's journey from Europe to America was one of glorious victories and grand potential. He was the first horse to lead both the American and English sire lists, which led to a legendary line of descendants that includes nine U.S. champions, three Hall of Famers and ninety-eight stake winners like Bold Ruler, Noor and Nashua. Nasrullah is even grandsire of the famed Secretariat. Ride along with author Melanie Greene as she recounts the compelling history of a truly remarkable horse that is sure to take any equestrian fan beyond the bluegrass.