Showing results by narrator "Ryan Lee Dunlap" in All Categories

I've spent most of my life pretending I don't have a thing for the rancher next door. He's my brother's best friend. My best friend's brother. And now—because fate clearly hates me—he's the firefighter I have to work alongside as Waterford's newest fire inspector. Cody Lawson is steady where I'm stubborn, calm where I'm chaos, and way too good at showing up when I'm trying to keep my distance. Especially now, with my family ranch hanging by a thread.

In a world of vicious beasts, if you are not a predator, you are prey. Aurelia Aquinas is a discarded girl. Forced to live a life of isolation, she is forbidden to speak of her powers and forbidden to find her soul-bound mates . She awaits the day she can escape to a human college and live a life free and away from her father and the beasts that might come But when she is called to heal an injured beast, locked away in a dungeon, he's not the only monster caged there and the course of her life changes forever.

Talk about making a bad first impression. The rookie at Waterford's fire station literally hauled me out of my own home, over his shoulder. Was my kitchen on fire? Yes. Did I have it nearly contained? Also yes. And now he's been tasked with making up for his overzealous rescue attempts by showing up to my bakery to grovel daily. And beg for my donuts. Don't get me wrong, the man is built like a redwood, has the personality of a golden retriever, and eyes you could get lost in for days. But I'm not dating. Not after my last serious boyfriend left town without looking back.

When I took my friend's offer of cheap rent for my five-year-old son and me, I knew it came with a reclusive neighbor attached. I just didn't realize he's the same guy I adored from afar fifteen years ago. Back then, Ian was all smiles and flirty banter, and my teenage heart couldn't help but fall. Now? He's a grouch who's more likely to glare at me than accept my neighborly offers of fresh cupcakes from my bakery. This version of Ian wouldn't know flirty banter if it bit him in the man bun.

Returning to my small hometown after I crashed and burned in the city is bad enough. Having my lifelong rival, Wes Stryker, rub it in my face doesn't make it easier. Even worse, I'm hired to help him pull his family's distillery out of a rough patch. Oh, and I'm forced to be his roommate. That means dealing with his annoying flirting and one-upping all day, every day. He's unbearably cocky, and his dimpled smile charms everyone with a pulse—except for me.

Ford Winters is more than just my ex. He's my first love. He's the only man I've ever truly given my heart to. He's also the father of a little girl he doesn't even know exists. I didn't plan on coming back home, but when I found out my mom needed me, I didn't hesitate. So here we are, my daughter Poppy and I, back in the place where I left my shattered heart all those years ago. What I didn't expect? Walking into the office of my new perfect-on-paper marketing job to discover that Ford owns the multi-million dollar company. He won't even look at me.

Rescuing Mia Hansen from the middle of a field during a storm is my job. I'm a conservation officer, not a hero. And definitely not a guy who goes looking for trouble. At least not anymore. I have a past, but I'm a rule-follower now. And I especially don't need the kind of trouble that comes with a sweet smile, killer curves, and a library card. But Mia is definitely going to be a problem for me. The irresistible, late-night-fantasy kind.

Jack appeared at my door last night after six months of no communication wearing a Mets jersey and holding a dozen red roses. He told me he was sorry, that he loved me, and that he would earn my trust again. It took everything in me to not fall apart at the mere sight of him. I wanted to take him back into my life, but I needed to know that this time it would be forever.

I met him on the worst day of my life—the desperate boy with a gun and the most brilliant smile I’d ever seen. We saved each other’s lives and then walked away, because a hitchhiking criminal and one of the richest men in the world can’t possibly be made for each other. I’m a void, silenced by my power-hungry family and pushed into an arranged marriage like the obedient pawn I am. I’ve given up hoping for anything more.

Adley’s going through it. Her dream job is a nightmare and her boyfriend recently ran off with her best friend and her cat! Alone, friendless, and catless, she asks the universe for someone to love and maybe a cat. The universe more than delivers, sending her two cats that can transform into super hot dudes who claim to be her fated mates. Unfortunately, being a fated mate doesn’t mean you’re miraculously emotionally and mentally prepared for such a relationship. It’s hard to find a therapist when you technically don’t exist in this world and don’t have health insurance.

My new neighbor, Waylon Stryker, is Jepsen's most eligible bachelor—gorgeous, built, and kindhearted. I stick out like an LA-shaped thumb in this small town after inheriting a dilapidated house and a tiny dog. But when I need my ex to back off and he needs his family to stop pressuring him to settle down, Waylon comes up with the perfect solution—a fake relationship. It would have been perfectly transactional if I hadn't drunkenly told him about my spicy bucket list. I prayed he'd forget about it. Instead, he vows to help me check off each task.

Is Patrick O'Connell gorgeous? Unfortunately, yes. Jet-black hair, smoldering eyes, and those muscles I accidentally saw when my friends dragged me to spy on the fireman calendar photo shoot. Is Patrick O'Connell also the bane of my existence? Absolutely. He wrecked my dream years ago, and I'll never forget what he—and his family—took from me. Now the O'Connells want to dump a big-box store right next to my cozy bookshop. Over my dead body.

Known as the NHL’s grumpiest player, it’s obvious that I’ve always made it a point not to get to know anyone outside of my family or my team. After losing my dad as a kid, I never wanted to put myself at risk of feeling that kind of loss ever again. And it’s been easy to go through life this way—closed off. At least...until I'm forced to volunteer at a youth hockey clinic.

Hell hath no fury like a scorned mafia queen. They couldn't have my blood so they went after my husband. Their mistake was underestimating me. Controlled by my past and the responsibilities my true heritage bestows on me, I’m driven to make decisions I never once considered. In the midst of chaos, families either come together or choose deceit, allowing the tragedies born from the war to scar us beyond recognition. But we stand together, fight together, and seek out our truths together as one. I have lost. I have suffered. I have grown.

My life is my work. There's nothing wrong with being a strong, career-driven woman. And especially nothing wrong with keeping a lover on the side. Dominic has his life in the States, and I have mine here in Paris. It was all working just fine. Until my former best friend suddenly shows up.

I'm indoorsy with a capital I, but I need to fake a little outdoorsiness to get a promotion. A five-day hike sounds like my nightmare, but after upending my life and moving from the city back to my small hometown, I need a win. I didn't expect to find someone like Grant Irwin in the wilderness with me. A cinnamon roll in mountain man form, he's freakishly competent out here, and endlessly patient with my missteps. But after everything with my critical ex-fiancé fell apart, I'm not looking for love. Especially not with someone who's only here on vacation.

I screwed up my perfect bachelor life in one single night. After that, I end up crashing at my cousin Charlie’s house with her family, which means kids. It gets worse… Charlie doesn’t care for my single life. She has it in her head I am a heartless playboy—Noah Mason will never commit to a woman. My only saving grace is Kate, Charlie’s best friend. Kate is everything I need in my life right now—she’s sexy, intelligent, and willing to have unadulterated fun.

After discovering her entire life was based on a lie her mother told, Katya and Alpha Ezra must navigate through the lies to break a curse on her bloodline bestowed by the Moon Goddess. Yet as tensions rise and relationships blossom, Katya finds herself at another crossroads when she learns she is not only cursed but everything goes back to the moon goddess and the tricks she has played.

Bathsheba (Beth) Ryan can’t thank her best friend enough for helping her land the job of her dreams. After being relegated to second-string security for politicians in DC, being hired as an undercover personal security specialist by a giant Hollywood studio is exactly the kind of action she's always wanted.

Supermodel Lior Flynn is at the top of her game: gorgeous, confident, and successful. But as her thirtieth birthday looms, she finds herself growing tired of the constant media scrutiny and even more tired of men who only view her as arm candy. Yearning to travel the world’s beautiful places rather than just pose in them, she’s ready for a change and ready to make a real connection—if she can find the courage to take the first step.