The Perfect Kiss

To rescue her friend from a loveless marriage, a daring woman dons a disguise and finds herself captivated by a mysterious rake in this “perfect Regency romance”* from award-winning author Anne Gracie. In three years on the marriage market, Grace Merridew has never met a man whose kiss stirred her senses. So she makes plans for a life of adventure instead—to see the moon rise over the pyramids of Egypt and dance amid the marble ruins of Greece. But first she must help a friend in need... Timid Melly Pettifer is being forced to marry Dominic Wolfe, who stands to inherit a huge estate if he weds. The Wolfes have a terrible reputation, and if there’s one thing Grace cannot stand, it’s a bully. When Melly begs for assistance in escaping her impending nuptials, Grace acts as the plain and mousy chaperone on their visit to the groom-to-be. But when they arrive nothing is as they expect, and Grace is scandalized to find herself being pursued by a big bad Wolfe...

Meet the Kings. They’ll warm your heart… then get it racing. Fall in love with the wild, passionate, scandalous men, and the strong, confident women of this big family as they find lasting love in the quaint small town of Crown Creek. Each book is connected or can be read as a standalone. Gabe King is the wrong brother. I grew up in the shadow of the Kings. Literally. Their house is on the hill above mine. So I always had my eyes on our town’s most famous residents. Especially the cute oldest brother. My crush on him was so bad I could barely get two words out in his presence. When he came over to ask for help only I could give, I thought my knees might give out. Then I found out he needed help with his brother. Gabriel King. The bad boy. The risk-taker. The total jerk. He’s laid up after an accident that nearly took his life. And he needs a nurse. I am a nurse. Pretty cut-and-dried, right? I help him heal while ignoring the way his body feels under my hands. I remember his meds while forgetting the way his kisses bruise my mouth. I’m a professional. I can handle his hazel eyes and ripped body. But his smile? And the way he breaks down all my defenses one by one? He’s not the brother I wanted. And he’s my patient. But the more time I spend with Gabe, the more I want to take a risk. The more I want to think I was wrong. Gabe might be the wrong brother but he’s the right one for me. CROWN CREEK is one big series about one special small town, following the lives and loves of interconnected families and friends. The same characters show up in multiple books and each book can be read as a standalone. Or they can be read in the following order for one long series. THE KINGS: Sweet Crazy Song - Jonah’s story (FREE) Lost Perfect Kiss - Gabe’s story Soft Wild Ache - Beau’s story His Secret Heart - Finn’s story Now and Always - Claire's story CROWN CREEK STANDALONES: Last Good Man - Willa and Cooper’s story

She was everything a woman could be. And Zach Christopher wanted her timeless beauty as the symbol of his family's cosmetics firm. But she lived in seclusion, and nothing could draw her into the light--not even the stunning passion that flared between them the instant they met.... The forbidden desire for a mortal man had shaken Anya Valorian to the depths of her tortured soul. But she was determined not to give in to the never-ending hunger that kept her forever in the shadows. For this man could know nothing of the terrible price to be paid for loving one such as she....

This is a story about three women and how their lives intertwine. When Claire and Leslies paths crossed, they had no idea they were about to find a love like never before. Over the next seven years, they found happiness they did not think possible, until tragedy strikes, and Claire fi nds herself alone and unable to forget this woman she loved so deeply. Eight years later, she is still alone, and she assumes she will be this way for the rest of her life because she is fi nding it diffi cult to open her heart to another woman. Could it be she was looking for another Leslie? This was about to change. Experiencing a frightening event, she is rescued by Alix, a dark-haired beauty, and fi nds herself thinking about her day and night. Similarly, Alix cannot forget Claires beautiful green eyes and a laugh that resounded through her, making her smile with happiness. Soon, they will discover that, once again, paths do cross for a reason. Was theirs for a season or a lifetime?

He would give his own life to save her. That's just what she feared. When Anya Delorian reemerged after a ten-year absence from the modeling scene, she looked as if she hadn't aged a day. All it took was one glimpse of her timeless beauty to convince CEO Zach Christianson that she should be the face for his company's newest perfume. Anya was just as captivated by Zach. She knew that she could lose herself forever in his emerald eyes, but that wouldn't be safe for her—or him. Unable to let go of the elusive Anya, Zach follows her to her secluded estate. As he ventures ever-deeper into her world, Zach discovers that Anya's allure has a dark edge…darker than he could ever have imagined. Anya begs Zach to leave when a mysterious man from her past threatens to kill them both, but Zach refuses to leave the woman he loves to face this monster alone. Previously published.

Malcolm They say opposites attract, but I never understood the phrase until Leni Abbott walked into my office-or more specifically-into my office bathroom, while I was naked. Even as the pink stained her cheeks and she stuttered to speak, I was completely intrigued. She's unlike anyone I've met before and, wildly enough, seems immune to my charms. She also has a son. A young five-year-old boy, Trace, who blindsides me with his toothless grin and worms his way into my heart. Together, they make me feel things. Things I've never expected. This single mom might not know it, but she could be everything I never knew I wanted. Leni I've heard all the rumors about Malcolm Wright, the playboy mayor with a trail of broken hearts left in his wake. I try to resist him, really I do, but he's always there with those devastatingly gorgeous eyes and a sexy smile full of wicked intent. When he hires my business to clean his impressive house, I know I should stay away, yet find my resolve slipping. Then he meets my son. I fully expect him to run for the hills, but that doesn't happen. In fact, being near Trace only seems to draw Malcolm and I closer. Now there are two hearts on the line as I put my trust and faith into the one man in Mason Creek who may not be able to give his own heart in return.

“Melody Thomas is an author to watch! [She] kept me glued to the pages!” —Karen Hawkins Melody Thomas brings breathtaking new life to a classic fairy tale in This Perfect Kiss. A poignant, passion-filled Cinderella story unfolding in the Highlands of Scotland, Thomas’s Kiss tells the heart-soaring tale of a haunted “Prince Charming” reunited with the mysterious woman who enchanted him with a kiss at a masquerade ball years earlier. Every reader who misses the lush romance of the emotion-rich historicals of Judith McNaught and Kathleen E. Woodiwiss—and current fans of the work of historical romance superstar Stephanie Laurens—will be thrilled to discover a new favorite in Melody Thomas.