Love (Collins)

Madeleine Becker's parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love. That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality, and breathtaking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past. Contains mature themes.

If you're lucky, you'll fall in love-truly, madly, and deeply in love. Maddy and Reid had that kind of love-the all-encompassing, Earth-shattering, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped open, and they are forced to face the possibility that maybe they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.Together they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.Contains mature themes.

Melanie Crane has always been perfect at everything. But when she lets her insecurities get the best of her, she falters in her pursuit of perfection. Numbed by sadness and guilt, she is determined never to let anyone find out how broken she really is.Bryan Mahoney may appear to have everything in order. He's charming, witty, and completely swoon-worthy. But appearances can be deceiving. When the landscape of Bryan's family changes in an instant, he's left to pick up the pieces.Now, weary and afraid, Melanie and Bryan must find a way to let love heal their broken and jaded hearts.Contains mature themes.

Maddy and Reid have seen their fair share of trials and tribulations, of love and loss. Facing down the biggest challenges of their young lives, they have managed to survive and endure. With the future stretching out before them, they must learn to navigate new and unfamiliar paths. Becoming new parents, starting new jobs, and continuing college is enough to overwhelm any couple. New challenges come up daily, as do small victories. Watch Maddy and Reid grow stronger together in this "one year later" tale of the everyday stuff that happens in real life.With a solid foundation of love under their inexperienced feet-and with the help of their family and friends-Maddy and Reid learn how to let love shine, lighting the way for a beautiful future to come.Contains mature themes.

When her husband is killed in a tragic accident, Lucy loses her desire to live, but only one thing keeps her going-her unborn daughter. Focusing on being a mother helps Lucy to cope with her loss, but kids grow up and they leave home, eventually. Eighteen years after losing her first and only love, Lucy is faced with the opportunity to find the happiness for which she's always longed.Evan Donovan is also facing his own struggles. Forced to retire from the FDNY because of lung damage caused by 9/11, Evan moves to upstate New York, where he hopes to find a little peace and quiet. Old habits die hard, and Evan's hero complex and survivor's guilt constantly remind him of how difficult it is to be vulnerable. But for the first time in his life, he's tired of being alone.Drawing strength from one another, Lucy and Evan discover how beautiful it is to let love be a part of their lives.Contains mature themes.

Who would you become if you lost the only person who ever mattered? For twenty-six-year-old Dylan Hopkins, the answer is easy. He's become no one. Memories of the happier times are all he has left, as he finds himself meandering numbly through his now dull life. Though he cares about his work and family dearly, he has yet to let himself find love again. Afraid of letting go of what he once had, Dylan chooses to keep his heart buried, where it belongs, having died a long time ago. Conner Michelson is about to change everything Dylan knows. He's every bit the bad boy persona-tatted up, ex-MMA fighter-but after an injury leaves him unable to fight, he has to rethink his goals. Having just opened his own gym, Conner can cross his first major life accomplishment off his very short list. Next up: find a man he can settle down with and build a family. Seems simple enough-a dream most people have-but when he meets Dylan, his carefree, easy-going life is thrown into a tailspin. Contains mature themes.