Harlequin American romance ;

When first love failed her, it took someone special to prove love changes... It took Stacey Andersen five years to put the pieces of her life back together after her fiance walked out. As a successful businesswoman with part ownership in a small computer company, Stacey was satisfied--until Franco Borelli exploded into her peaceful world. Sophisticated and secure, Franco shook her very core, and with burning ecstasy threatened the deepest, darkest secret any woman could ever reveal!

Nothing could prevent Dani Miller from organizing a union at the Intercomp plant in Somerset, Indiana--though Vice President Mick Cavenaugh tried his level best to stop her. To keep Dani away from the day shift, Mick scheduled office meetings so Dani ran late. To keep her away from the night shift, Mick issued dinner invitations. Dani turned them down. She ignored Mick's expressions of love and when she received threats from anti-union hotheads Dani ignored his concern for her safety. The truth was Dani was willing to risk everything for the union, except her heart.

Known as the Grande Dame of the Rockies, The Stanley Hotel had its share of legends. But when a mysterious stranger gave front-desk manager Hayley Austin a magic golden apple, she didn't know she was about to make history. The apple was famous -- as Hayley soon discovered when a horde of apple hunters descended upon The Stanley. Hayley was caught up in the fever, which is why she told no one about her newest possession. Not even Mason Wilder. With his steely blue eyes, Mason was the man Hayley had dreamed of, the man her heart wished for. Was it sheer coincidence? Or was the apple truly magic?

"Will you be the father of my baby?" Jake Roberts was everything Caitlin O'Hara wanted in her baby's father—he was fun, witty and gorgeous. They'd shared every intimate detail of their lives since kindergarten. Why not a baby? Because friends didn't cross that line. No. Caitlin had to find an anonymous donor. But then, late one evening, overwhelmed by the magic of the moment, Jake gave her the night she had wanted ever since forever…and unknown to him, he also gave her the baby. But how was she going to tell him he was going to be a daddy?

Richard Holiday: Single, sexy--and up to his ears in dirty diapers and raging hormones, toddlers and teenagers and kids in between! Becoming an instant single dad put a major crimp in Richard Holiday's bachelor style. But the liveliness of three happy children made his house feel like a home for the first time ever. Now, everyone told him, there was only one thing missing: a wife. Callie Rossovich was a natural mom to the children, but all woman to Richard. She'd ignited a passion in him that he'd never known-and that he intended to hold on to forever. But while Richard had embraced fatherhood, was he ready to give up bachelorhood?

Suzanne Hartwell was all work and no play—until she caught the latest Hartwell bridal bouquet and received a hope chest from Grammy Rose! Suzanne had to convince the most stubborn cowboy in town to sell his ranch, but the magical hope chest suddenly made Suzanne want to mix business and pleasure.... The Lazy M Ranch was Rafe McAllister's heart and soul. He wouldn't sell it to anyone without a fight. But one look into Suzanne's eyes and Rafe had a hard time resisting her sophisticated charms. Could Suzanne turn out to be the cowgirl of Rafe's dreams? The hope chest never lies....

He says it's over Killian Abbott, head of the Abbott family's fashion conglomerate, feels his blood boil at the mere mention of his wife's name. He fell under Cordie's spell, entranced by the cloud of fiery hair and that creamy skin, but when he found her with another man, it was like being doused with a bucket of cold water. She says it's only just begun Desperate to rekindle Killian's passion, Cordie impetuously hatches a plot. The baby she's carrying will lure him back to her the way nothing else can. Her daring scheme appears to be working when he invades her Manhattan apartment and carries her off to his Long Island home. Once they're alone, victory should be just a kiss away. Except, some things never go according to plan….

They Had Nothing In Common. Except One Night...That magical night was everything model Rachel Barlow had ever hoped for. But in the morning, J. D. Stanley was gone, and he'd taken her heart with him. Rachel knew she'd never see him again...until, like a white knight, he charged in and rescued her from exhaustion, taking her to his west Texas ranch to recuperate.Rachel has known her share of hardship, but nothing is as difficult as living with the sexy cowboy who tries his best to avoid her. But the ranch isn't big enough. Her eyes find him out on horseback, with the herd, fixing fences. With J.D. and on his ranch, Rachel is sure she's found her piece of heaven—but how can she convince J.D.?

All work and no play had made Erica Strong's life dull. So when her sister forced her to take some much-needed time off to visit the Rancho Encantado spa, the successful banker longed for a little relaxation and a fling with a real-life cowboy! But she never expected she'd set her sights on a single dad! Hank, the hunky riding instructor, made her pulse race, so she ditched her serious suits and boring haircut for a makeover. Suddenly the two were inseparable. Only, now even more troubling than the fact that her cowboy was a daddy was the secret yearning to call father and daughter her own…. Had fate finally intervened to make her dreams come true?

Accepting his love, could she repay the sweetest of debts? Lainie Randall was shocked by Rita's engagement. Not that Ethan Ward wasn't a nice man, but surely her aunt knew that marriage only hurt people--hadn't Lainie spent a year in Rita's Gettysburg home recuperating? Even now the thought of marriage frightened her. Matthew Ward was delighted by his father's engagement but he understood Lainie's feelings. Matt too knew emotional injuries, psychic scars. Unlike Lainie, Matt believed that love could heal, restore, renew. And suddenly it became extremely important for him to prove it-both for Lainie's sake and his own....

It seems that Kate Duncan may achieve her ambition to become an actress - until she falls foul of Michael von Kessler! He later reappears in her life, proposing that she takes the place of his fiancee, with whom he has quarrelled, but whom he has to present to his grandfather. As Kate becomes involved in von Kessler's life, she realises that something has been missing from her own. Dare she continue to aspire to touch the stars? Or has she discovered something that will bring greater fulfilment?

From the moment Rebecca Barlow starts her job at a law firm, she knows she's in for a lot of surprises. Especially when her new boss unexpectedly turns out to be her first love—her son's father. Now she not only has to reveal the five-year-old secret she's been keeping from Jeff Jacobs, but also face her unresolved feelings. And spend day after day with him and his fiancee coaching them about parenthood...Jeff is as delighted as he is shocked to see Rebecca, but her little secret isn't the only one in his life. Because although he's committed to another woman now, he's still in love with Rebecca.Not until she's about to leave with her son does the truth finally come out!

Another Match Made In...CactusSuddenly a single mom and a ranch owner, city girl Suzanne McCoy needed help in a hurry when the matrons of Cactus, Texas, came to her rescue. Their solution—Ryan Walker, the best rancher in town and a single parent, too. Suzanne offered Ryan her homemaking skills in exchange for his farm help, but the sexy cowboy got the wrong idea. Before she knew it, she was Mrs. Ryan Walker and the mother of three! This Texas-sized wedding had certainly saved their sorry situations. But when passion unexpectedly struck, would they find themselves hogtied in a marriage all too real?Judy Christenberry celebrates her 50th book with another compelling story in her beloved TOTS FOR TEXANS series.

There's nothing like Southern hospitality Unfortunately Jaime Faber got off on the wrong foot in New Orleans, insulting a high priestess of voodoo, who in turn put a curse on her. In short order her car died, her telephone began spitting static, fuses blew and electric lights exploded at her touch. Matters soon reached the breaking point--how could Jaime be an effective social worker when her terrified clients avoided her like the plague? On the other hand, Dr. Quaid Gerreau was the picture of hospitality. But it made no sense that straitlaced Jaime found it so hard to resist a man who scorned rules, befriended every reprobate in town and believed in voodoo. Unless, of course, Quaid wasn't above casting a few spells of his own.

First she jilted him... Then she jailed him. Arid now she said she wanted back in his life. Half-Navajo journalist Chase Whitelaw had a one-word answer for that, and it wasn't yes. Sure, he wanted a wife and family--he was tired of being the only remaining bachelor in his Southern California crowd. But give Joanna Hancock-Smith another chance? Not on your life! What was he complaining about? Joanna wondered. Five years ago, when she left him at the altar, she'd saved them both from disaster. Now she was giving Chase a chance to have what he'd wanted. But this time, was he ready?

They Had Their Differences As a Chicago cop, staring down a gun barrel had never fazed Jack Dawson. But his being in constant danger was his wife's undoing. About a decade was all Maggie could handle before she left him for the safety of a Montana rancher's life. Now Jack's going to visit her, and he's accepted the fact that after his son's graduation ceremony he'll turn around and go home -- alone. At least, that's the plan until Jack sees his ex. Never one to be predictable, Maggie is not just thirteen years older since their divorce, she's better -- more of a knockout than ever. And Jack wouldn't say no to having fabulous Maggie as his wife all over again. But what about those differences? Will they matter the second time around?

She'll Show Him... After a nasty crack on the head, smooth-talking lawyer Sophie Addison wakes up convinced she's Sunny the showgirl, sworn to save the ramshackle saloon she was supposed to be selling for her best friend. That might be good news for the thirsty cowpokes of Tranquility, Texas, but it's a problem for rancher Gray McBride, who's a shoo-in for mayor -- if he cleans up the town. Unfortunately, getting Sunny to see reason becomes a full-time job and threatens what's left of his reputation. Because wagging tongues have noticed that while the gorgeous blonde from Reno can't tell a tango from a Texas two-step, she's saved the last dance for him!

Love On The Lazy Y? She'd sooner sleep with a snake! Yet Amanda Johnson had no choice but to do business with barracuda Scott Beringer. This millionaire wanted to go from computer wizard to prime cowboy material, and he had Amanda hanging by the ankles--well, he had the deed to her beloved ranch. All he wanted were cowboy lessons, and he'd sell her back the family homestead. It seemed like a simple exchange, but teaching Scott "the ropes" had Amanda in a tizzy. For while he might not know how to lasso a steer, Scott was running circles around Amanda's carefully guarded emotions, stirring up her true passionate nature and making the cowgirl wish she could teach Scott some "groom" lessons...ASAP!

Laredo Jefferson was eight seconds from shaking the dust of Union Junction, Texas, from his boots. Eight seconds from discovering the Something Big he was destined to do. He couldn't reckon how he'd promised those eight seconds to sweet filly Katy Goodnight, but he sure as shootin' knew why. He wanted to be her hero. And that meant riding the beast Bloodthirsty Black.Laredo was a lover, not a bull rider. Still, he craved a challenge—and so, it seemed, did Katy. For this gun-shy Lonely Hearts gal handpicked him to unsaddle her of her virginity. Suddenly, where Katy was concerned, eight seconds could never be enough....

All He Wanted Was The One Woman He Couldn't HaveArtist, rancher, bull rider, Crockett Jefferson has always been a man of strong passions. So when he finds himself thinking passionately about the one woman he shouldn't—Valentine Cakes, the mother of his brother's child—this sensitive cowboy knows he's in trouble.Valentine has no idea of how Crockett feels about her, but she does think the handsome cowboy is sexier than any man has a right to be. Of course, she isn't about to let on—trying to win Crockett would confirm everything the Jefferson men once thought about her: That she was a gold digger after a wealthy cowboy.Crockett and Valentine are sitting on a powder keg—and it'll take only one sweet kiss for the whole thing to explode!

That Man's Only Interests Were Boots, Babes And Beds!A love-'em-and-leave-'em cowboy was not what Nina Cakes wanted when she asked for a muscular man to help move her heirloom bed. After all, it was a cowboy who had gotten her sister into trouble, and no handsome rancher—not even a notorious Jefferson brother named Navarro—would make Nina forget why she'd come to Lonely Hearts Station: to save her sister's good name.Staid, ordinary, respectable, Nina was a librarian on a mission, and it would take more than sweet talk, teasing grins and world-shaking kisses to tempt her onto the wild side.... She'd settle for nothing less than lassoing his untamed heart!

"That Bride On The Run Is Just Begging To Be Slowed Down."—Bandera JeffersonWhen Holly Henshaw, wedding planner extraordinaire, left her no-good fiance at the altar, she decided then and there: no more true love. Adventure, excitement, freedom—that's what she wanted. She'd change her business, change her life...and if she was lucky, she'd kiss a cowboy along the way. That's when she flagged down Bandera Jefferson, a long, tall Texan offering her a ride into the sunset...and much, much more. Ornery, possessive and sexy as the dickens, he was making wild-at-heart Holly think she just might like belonging to Bandera.

"You Haven't Dated A Real Cowboy Till You've Been A Jefferson's Girl."The only good things she'd ever gotten from a cowboy were her daughter and her son. And rodeo gypsy Olivia Spinlove had vowed she'd never again let an elusive, sexy cowboy corral her heart. This single mom had been born racing barrels and had no trouble outrunning love—until Calhoun Jefferson strolled into her arena. Unlike any cowboy she'd ever known, he had artistic vision, concern for her kids—and dark eyes that said, "Hey, pretty lady," even from a distance. He almost made her wild heart want to stop wandering. Because the promise in his kiss said that catching Calhoun might make it worth getting caught—for good.

She'd Traveled To Texas For Two Things: A Real Cowboy And A BabyAnd her e-mail buddy, Archer Jefferson, fit the bill. From his jeans to his hat to his crooked smile, the man was more cowboy than Australian stuntwoman Clove Penmire had bargained for—perfect for helping a friend make one little baby. And although she was known as a plain Jane, Clove refused to let her lack of glamour—or the odd twist of her heart when she saw Archer—interfere with her baby-making mission. She'd be the one to love 'em and leave 'em this time...until a makeover and one passionate night changed all her plans!