A December Bride

A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed. What started as a whim turned into an accidental—and very public—engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the façade in Chapel Springs this holiday season—for the sake of her career . . . and his heart? Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy—the best friend of Layla O’Reilly’s ex-fiancé—would be the last person she’d marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency—a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she’ll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she’s landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart. “Denise Hunter knows how to warm up an inspirational romance with sizzling chemistry. You’ll fall in love with this December wedding story!” —Kristin Billerbeck, bestselling author of What a Girl Wants

Zac knows that if he follows his heart he’ll win back the love of his life—but if Lucy’s memory returns, his would-be bride might say goodbye forever. Now a Hallmark Original movie! She only remembers loving him. But he can’t forget the way she left. Lucy Lovett can’t remember the last seven months of her life. She doesn’t remember leaving her fiancé Zac Callahan weeks before their wedding or moving to Portland, Maine. And she sure doesn’t remember getting engaged to another man. All she remembers is loving Zac more than life itself. Zac was just beginning to get his life back on track after Lucy left him with no explanation. And now she’s back—vulnerable, homeless, and still in love with him. Has he been given a second chance with the only woman who stirs his passion and haunts his dreams? Lucy knows she must unlock those missing months and discover why she threw everything away. “I’ve been a longtime fan of Denise Hunter’s, and The Goodbye Bride has everything I’ve come to love about her romances: a plucky heroine with lots of backstory, a yummy hero, and a terrific setting. Highly recommended!” —Colleen Coble USA TODAY bestselling author of the Lavender Tides and Hope Beach series “Can romance be any more complicated than a bride who doesn’t remember running away from her groom? Denise Hunter’s take on a woman’s attempt to find her way back to happily ever after again is sweetly endearing. Readers will keep turning pages, wanting to know how true love ever went so wrong . . . and if The Goodbye Bride gets her chance to say “I do.” —Beth K. Vogt, 2015 RITA® Finalist and author of Crazy Little Thing Called Love “Denise Hunter has done it once again, placing herself solidly on my must-read list! The Goodbye Bride is a tender, thoughtful look at the role memories play in a romance. The clever plot kept me up way past my bedtime—and happy to be so!” —Deborah Raney, award-winning author of the Chicory Inn Novels series “The Goodbye Bride highlights the abandonment that so many have experienced. More importantly, within the context of a wonderful Summer Harbor romance, the author deftly illustrates that there is One who will never abandon us, and when we trust Him, we can in turn trust the people He places in our lives. All this packaged inside one heart-stopping, page-turning romance that will leave the pickiest romance reader delighted and asking for just a few more pages.” —Cara C. Putman, award-winning author of Where Treetops Glisten and Shadowed by Grace Full-length Contemporary Romance Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs Now a Hallmark Original movie: An Unforgettable Christmas Part of the Summer Harbor series Book One: Falling Like Snowflakes Book Two: The Goodbye Bride Book Three: Just a Kiss

A charming small-town Christmas romance filled with family, love, and hope from the USA Today bestselling author of the Last Chance series. 'Tis the season in Shenandoah Falls and the first time Willow Peterson has been home in years. But she's determined to fulfill the wishes of her recently deceased best friend and restore Eagle Hill Manor to its former glory-all in time to host the perfect holiday wedding. She just has to get the owner of the historic inn to hire her. Unfortunately, that means dealing with Scrooge himself... After the death of his wife, David Lyndon has a bah-humbug approach to Christmas. But as December counts down and the wedding planning is in full swing, it's harder and harder to stay immune to the charms of Willow, especially when he sees how much joy she brings his eight-year-old daughter. After a simple kiss under the mistletoe turns into something more, David is hoping he can turn the magic of the holiday season into the love of a lifetime.

A Christmas wedding in Aspen brings family drama, shocking secrets, and festive flirtations in the USA Today–bestselling author’s holiday romance. The White family has arrived in Aspen for the whirlwind wedding of youngest daughter Rosie. The bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick, are determined to celebrate, even as they hide a devastating secret: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland. Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans . . . Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!

The first book in the Chapel Springs Romance series by bestselling author Denise Hunter! “A tender story of faith cast adrift and lives brought together by currents that can only be God-sent. Barefoot Summer is a satisfying tale of hope, healing, and a love that’s meant to be. Sail away with Denise Hunter’s well-drawn characters on a journey that is at once romantic and compelling.” —Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Before We Were Yours Madison’s heart has been closed for years. But one summer can change everything. In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian in their riverside town, the loss still haunts her. To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast. Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know. Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart. But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their new love. Can their romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks? “Hold-your-breath romance, heartache, and laugh-out-loud moments. It’s more than a good read. It’s a delight.” —Lisa T. Bergren, bestselling, award-winning author

Now a Netflix Mandarin original drama! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger, a Reese’s Book Club pick Yangsze Choo’s stunning debut, The Ghost Bride, is a startlingly original novel infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, and unexpected supernatural twists. Li Lan, the daughter of a respectable Chinese family in colonial Malaysia, hopes for a favorable marriage, but her father has lost his fortune, and she has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim family urges her to become a “ghost bride” for their son, who has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at what price? Night after night, Li Lan is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where she must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family. Reminiscent of Lisa See’s Peony in Love and Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, The Ghost Bride is a wondrous coming-of-age story and from a remarkable new voice in fiction.

Eden Martelli is too busy fleeing the clutches of danger to realize she’s running straight into the arms of a new love. Beau will go to the ends of the earth to keep Eden safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again? Speeding north through rural Maine, Eden Martelli wonders how her life came to this—on the run with her mute five-year-old son dozing fitfully in the passenger seat. When a breakdown leaves them stranded in Summer Harbor, Eden has no choice but to stay put through Christmas . . . even though they have no place to lay their heads. Beau Callahan is a habitual problem solver—for other people anyway. He left the sheriff’s department to take over his family’s Christmas tree farm, but he’s still haunted by the loss of his parents and struggling to handle his first Christmas alone. When Eden shows up looking for work just as Beau’s feisty aunt gets out of the hospital, Beau thinks he’s finally caught a break. Eden is competent and dedicated—if a little guarded—and a knockout to boot. But, as he soon finds out, she also comes with a boatload of secrets. Eden has been through too much to trust her heart to another man, but Beau is impossible to resist, and the feeling seems to be mutual. As Christmas Eve approaches, Eden’s past catches up to her. Beau will go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again? Full-length Christmas-themed romance novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs First book in the Summer Harbor series Book 1: Falling Like Snowflakes Book 2: The Goodbye Bride Book 3: Just a Kiss

A classic Irish novel about a servant girl who bears a child to one of two brothers but will not reveal which one.