Friendship Chronicles (Munro)

Workday friends. Nighttime lovers... A teeny-tiny crush. Maggie Drummond has one on her close friend Connor Grey. Unfortunately, he prefers leggy blondes and Maggie is stuck with her deep brown hair and determined curves. Then, there is her newfound pursuit of kinky-no, more adventurous sex. Nothing too bad, you understand. It was reading the steamy romance that sent her on a jaunt down Spanking Avenue and now she has set up an anonymous blog to explore her interest. Perhaps it's best if she sticks with Greg, her current boyfriend. She can ask him to spank her...even if Connor pops into her fantasies like a seductive magical genie. The recent changes in Maggie don't escape Connor's notice. Now that her boyfriend has dropped her, and luck has gifted him with inside knowledge, he can finally-carefully-make his move. But, given his family history, laying a hand on any woman, even in fun, is a line he's reluctant to cross. As Maggie gives in to the temptation to let Connor add spicy sin to her life, she finds herself juggling lies, half-truths, friendship and sensual delights. Her job is in jeopardy-and she's falling in love. Exploring her fantasy is one thing, but she's beginning to question if indulging her own pleasure is worth the cost to everyone around her.

Never look back...right? Julia Maxwell is a seize-the-moment party girl until the night she spends with up-and-coming rocker Ryan Callander. From that moment, she becomes a one-man woman. Pity he hasn't kept with the program. Tired of the secrets that have kept her out of the press and Ryan's fans happy, angry with mounting evidence of infidelity, Julia is older, wiser, and determined to divorce his cheatin' ass. Ryan's long European tour had more than its share of hard knocks-one of which landed on his head when he was mugged. Divorce papers waiting for him at home are a shock that fills in some of the holes in his sketchy memory. But it could be too late to salvage his marriage. If Ryan thinks flirtatious smiles, seductive touches, and hot-and-heavy kisses are going to smooth things over, Julia's got a hammer with his name on it. To her surprise, he calls her bluff, determined to rebuild a bright future for both of them. But the past is lurking with some missing pieces that could bring their hearts crashing down. Warning: Contains a pissed ex-stripper turned burlesque dancer, a bunch of nosy friends and a smooth-talking rocker with one thing on his mind. Stripper poles and skimpy costumes are optional.

Think finding the perfect lover is difficult? Ask Susan Webb-she knows it is. Lonely, tired of dull routine and dud men who only think with their lower brains, she takes a calculated risk to shake up her lackluster life. Now she's set to take part in a reality dating show. Her objective: to find a good, honest man who's up for enjoying lots of sexy fun on the road to love. Failure is not an option. One look at his older brother's Farmer Seeks a Wife candidate, and Tyler Penrith is intrigued. Prim and proper on the surface, she has a secret smile in her eyes and an exotic dancer sway to her step. And calamity follows her around like a tame dragon. Susan might be in his brother's age group, but Tyler's not about to let Nolan waltz off with the first woman to snare his attention in ages. As the show's ratings go through the roof, Susan finds herself falling for the wrong man-and her simple plan for happiness on the brink of falling apart.

The heart's best defense is a lusty offense. Now that Nolan Penrith is finished with the Farmer Seeks a Wife reality show, he's ready to get back to the farm and a normal life free of publicity. Normal also means resuming his relationship with divorced, solo mother Yvonne McDonald. Except she seems determined to resist any talk of reconciliation. On to plan B: woo her to his way of thinking. And if persuasion includes plenty of raunchy sex, he's ready to man up. Yvonne might still have feelings for Nolan, but she resents the way he expects to pick up right where they left off. Still, she's a healthy woman with a body that-damn it-melts for him, so maybe she can twist this situation to suit her needs. All she needs to do is hold her heart out of reach, hold her head high, and enjoy his brand of lusty sex without a care in the world. Easy-peasy. At least until her plan gets a little kink in it...

Love lurks in enemy territory... When Dallas O'Grady glimpses a woman dealing with a flat tire, he naturally pulls over to help. Of course, the shapely perfection of her rear end doesn't hurt, not that he'd admit that aloud. Then he gets a look at her face and realizes she's one of those Drummonds. The Drummonds and the O'Gradys might both live in the town of Clare, but they've never played nice, not since a generations-old feud started over a cache of stolen gold nuggets. Laura Drummond has fought long and hard to grip independence by the throat and avoid her mother's bulldozing attempts to control her life. She's always admired Dallas from afar, and she's pleased to discover that up close, he's gorgeous, sexy, and nothing like the monster her family has painted. When a landslide blocks the road home, she's forced to accept his offer of a bed for the night. One thing leads to another and soon burning hot-desire melts into thoughts of forging a permanent relationship-damn their families' disapproval. But the feud isn't the only thing conspiring to keep the lovers apart. And the clock is ticking...