Rose Bend

Look for Slow Dance at Rose Bend, the exciting new novel from Naima Simone, available from HQN books Apr 01, 2021. Pre-order your copy today!

The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store... Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half-sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother's deathbed confession: Nessa's dad wasn't really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then, she meets the innkeeper's ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison. Wolf's big, boisterous family is like a picture-perfect holiday card. Nessa has too much weighing on her to feel like she fits-even though the heat between her and Wolf is undeniable. And the merriment bringing an overdue smile to Ivy's face is almost enough to make Nessa believe in the Christmas spirit. But with all her parental baggage, including lingering questions about her birth father, is there room in Nessa's life for happy holidays and happily-ever-after?

Being a little bit bad never felt so good... A wedding planner who gets jilted at the altar, it's not a good look. Even worse, Korrie Noel's ex-fiancé has finally shown up to a wedding, but it's one she's coordinating. Taking refuge outside, she finds her hiding place already occupied by an insanely hot, young, tattooed Viking look-alike who makes straitlaced Korrie wonder if maybe it's time to try breaking loose. Rose Bend's resident bad boy has no business lusting after the pastor's daughter. But Israel Ford can't help it, even if he's still bruised from a bitter divorce and a two-year writer's block. When Korrie asks him to teach her how to start having fun, he's more than willing. From zip-lining to motorcycle rides, Korrie's learning how to take risks...and Israel wonders if he can convince her to take the biggest risk of all...

He came to Rose Bend to hide. But, she’ll help him find everything he’s been missing. Leontyne Dennison is on a love hiatus. And, that’s just fine, because perfectionist Leo is hyper-focused on the success of her family’s southern Berkshires inn. Volunteering for Rose Bend’s annual spring festival is certain to boost business, and provide the perfect distraction from men, until Leo comes face-to-face with Owen Stafford, the hottest one-night stand of her life. A retired professional football player, Owen came to Rose Bend to escape after a devastating car accident ended his career. Enter the woman he hasn’t forgotten in the year since their sizzling night together. When Owen’s parents arrive, threatening his low profile, Leo helps keep the peace by pretending to be Owen’s girlfriend. Rose Bend was never part of Owen’s long game, but Leo’s increasingly convincing TLC is starting to give Owen every reason to stay.

When the one you shouldn't touch is the only one you want… Against the odds, Erik Mann has overcome his past and built a successful tattoo business in Rose Bend…and he might have just ruined it all by hiring his best friend's sister. It's not that Camille Dansen isn't great at her job, though her insistence on changing everything drives him crazy. It's all the other ways she's driving him crazy that are the problem. He can't fire her. He definitely shouldn't kiss her. But something's got to give… Newly divorced and fresh out of options, Camille warily agrees to work at Forever Ink. To her surprise, everything about this small Berkshires town seems to fit. Erik's more than the surly, hot bad boy she envisioned. It's not just heat between them-there's depth too. Trust is a risk she vowed never to take again, but when love puts its mark on you, there's no way to deny it.

When you marry your sister's ex in Vegas, you're in for a messy trip home... When marketing exec Brooklyn Hayes wakes up in Vegas after a corporate team-building trip, she's expecting the hangover. The ring on her finger, not so much. And nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her best friend, her sister's ex-right there beside her. She has no idea how this happened, but the one thing she knows for sure is that no one from their nosy, close-knit hometown of Rose Bend can find out! Graphic designer Patrick King is used to keeping secrets-starting with his crush on his ex's sister. Since he doesn't remember much about how they ended up married or the night they apparently spent together, it shouldn't be hard for him to keep their elopement a secret too. But the more time they spend together trying to figure out what to do, all while keeping their secret from the whole town, the more uncertain they become about ending their marriage. While their impromptu nuptials might've been a mistake, the growing love between them doesn't feel like a mix-up. They'll need a miracle to make it through without slipping up...or falling.

He's the best mistake she ever made... Back in Rose Bend after a work trip that went wrong, Florence "Flo" Dennison craves the kind of distraction only a searing fling with a gorgeous stranger can provide. And she gets it, in an encounter hot enough to leave scars. But satisfaction turns to shock when Flo realizes her one-night stand is leading the restoration project she's been hired to photograph. And his sweet little girl has decided Flo's her new bestie... Single dad and architect Adam Reed wants stability for his daughter, and he's sure that Flo-young, ambitious, beautiful-isn't looking for that. But when his nanny bails and Flo helps him out, it becomes impossible to keep their distance. Now, navigating tangled family ties and her own trust issues, Flo has to decide if one wild night can become so much more. Bonus novella! Brooklyn Hayes just woke up in Vegas married to her best friend, who also happens to be her sister's ex. Will they make it through a trip back home without spilling their secret...or falling in love?

Remi Donovan doesn’t know what possessed Declan Howard to sidle up to her desk and ask for a kiss, but she’s not about to turn him down. After all, she’s had a secret crush on the sexy-as-sin wealth manager ever since he set foot in Rose Bend two-years ago. Still, why steal a kiss from a small-town librarian when a man like Declan could have any woman he wants? For Declan, the plan is simple: fake a relationship with Remi to keep his ex, off his back and his matchmaking mother happy. As the charade brings them closer, it ignites something real, something neither can ignore. But, before they can build a happy future together, they’ll both have to reconcile with the past…

"Passion, heat and deep emotion-Naima Simone is a gem!" -Maisey Yates, New York Times bestselling author As the ex-mayor's daughter, Jenna Landon has spent her life aiming for perfection-and missing. The pressure and disappointment turned her into a bit of a mean girl, but now she's tired of protecting her soft heart, of hiding her losses-she's ready to leave Rose Bend and start over. But before she can leave, she has to endure the town's carnival fundraiser, her father's reelection campaign…and the pain-in-the-tail giant who just moved in next door. Wrestling coach Isaac Hunter didn't mean to disturb his neighbor with his music while fixing his car. But if anyone could use "messing with," it's prissy, perfect, sexy Jenna Landon. Soon their clashes turn into something hotter. Recently divorced, his focus should be rebuilding his life, not an… entanglement with a woman who spells nothing but trouble. Because Jenna is leaving Rose Bend. And they both know he can't go with her, and he can't ask her to stay... Bonus novella! Tattoo artist Erik Mann never should've agreed to hire his best friend's sister. Against the odds, he's built a successful business in Rose Bend and has everything exactly as he likes it. The last thing he needs is her sweeping in, changing things. He doesn't know whether to throw her out…or kiss her. Not that either is an option. Her brother made it clear that she's strictly off-limits. Rose Bend Book 1: The Road to Rose Bend Book 2: Christmas in Rose Bend Book 3: With Love from Rose Bend Book 4: Mr. Right Next Door

If it was only about her, she might never have come back to Rose Bend. But it's not only about her anymore. Sydney Collins left the small Berkshires town of Rose Bend eight years ago, grieving her sister's death, and heartbroken over her parents' rejection. But now the rebel is back, newly divorced and pregnant, ready to face her fears and make a home for her child in the caring community she once knew. The last thing she needs is trouble. But trouble just set her body on fire with one hot, hot smile. Widower and Rose Bend mayor Coltrane Dennison hasn't smiled in ages. Until a chance run-in with Sydney Collins, who's all grown-up and making him want what he knows he can't have. Grief is his only connection to the wife and son he lost, and he won't give it up. Not for Sydney, not for her child, not for his heart. But when Sydney's ex threatens to upend everything she's rebuilt in Rose Bend, Cole and Sydney may find that a little trouble will take them where they never expected to go.