Gansett Island

Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she's knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy's Resort Hotel by Gansett's "favorite son," Mac McCarth himself. He's back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intentions of staying long. But when he accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. Soon he realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be "maid" for love.

Joe Cantrell, owner of the Gansett Island Ferry Company, has been in love with Janey McCarthy for as long as he can remember. All this time, though, Janey has been dating or engaged to doctor-in-training David Lawrence. When things go horribly wrong between David and Janey, she calls her "fifth brother" Joe, one of the few people in her close circle who lives on the mainland. Janey decides a few days with Joe is just what she needs before she goes home to the island to face her parents and family with the news of her broken engagement. It was bad enough for Joe loving Janey from afar, but having her in his house is pure torture. Will he take advantage of this opportunity to show her what they could have together? And what will Joe's best friend Mac-who also happens to be Janey's protective older brother-have to say about it?

For four of the best summers of his young life, Luke Harris was in love with Sydney Donovan, a wealthy seasonal visitor to Gansett Island. Then Sydney went off to college and never came back. She married another man and had two children, while Luke remained on the island, working at McCarthy's Gansett Marina and wondering what went wrong between him and the only woman he ever loved. Fifteen months after Sydney suffers the tragic loss of her husband and children, she's returned to Gansett to figure out what's next, and that may very well be a rekindled love affair with the one man from her past she's never forgotten. But is she ready for a second chance at love?

Since he won the Academy Award for best original screenplay a few years ago, Grant McCarthy's personal and professional lives have fallen apart. Abby, the woman he was supposed to marry, is engaged to someone else, and Grant is back at home on Gansett Island helping run the family marina business while his father recovers from a serious injury. While all of Grant's focus should be on winning back the love of his life, the pesky marina restaurant manager Stephanie is working her way under his skin-and into his bed. As Tropical Storm Hailey cuts off Gansett Island from the mainland, Grant suspects Stephanie is hiding something big from her past. When he finds out what it is, what will be more important to him? Winning Abby back, or helping Stephanie to right a terrible wrong?

All her life, Grace Ryan has been the "fat girl." Taunted and teased and ignored by her peers, she's tried every diet ever invented to no avail. Desperate to change her life with her twenties slipping away, she decided it was time for drastic measures and had lap-band surgery. More than a year later, she's lost 130 pounds and is venturing into the dating world for the first time. When Grace refuses to have sex with the new guy in her life during a boat trip to Gansett Island, she finds herself abandoned without a dollar to her name at McCarthy's Gansett Island Marina. At home for the summer awaiting the launch of his debut CD, music star-in-the-making Evan McCarthy is performing at the Tiki Bar when he notices Grace looking lost in a sea of happy people. Evan comes to her aid and quickly finds himself smitten. But the last thing Grace needs after all she's been through is a guy who "doesn't do relationships." Will Evan change his ways to win Grace's heart?

Owen Lawry has made a living as a traveling musician and enjoys his footloose and fancy-free lifestyle. But after meeting Laura McCarthy and helping her land the job as manager of his grandparents' hotel on Gansett Island, he decides there's something to be said about a roof over his head and a warm, sexy woman in his bed. Laura, a newlywed who discovered that her husband never quit dating, came to Gansett for her cousin Janey's wedding, but ended up staying after she met Owen and took on the renovations to the dilapidated Sand & Surf Hotel. As Owen and Laura's attraction simmers during months of close proximity, they form a tight bond that will be tested when her estranged husband refuses to grant her a divorce. As summer turns to autumn and Laura and Owen take baby steps toward love, favorite characters from past Gansett Island stories continue to live their happily ever afters...

Series favorite Tiffany Sturgil steals the spotlight in Longing for Love as her new boutique Naughty & Nice opens in downtown Gansett-right in time for the annual spring Race Week festivities. Finally divorced and ready for a new beginning, Tiffany wonders if sexy police chief Blaine Taylor thinks of her as often as she thinks of him since their explosive encounter last fall. Back then, he directed her to call him the second she was officially divorced, but the opening of her store and her unconventional ad campaign have put the island's lingerie queen at odds with the town's top cop. Their clashes make for a steamy build-up that begs for a tension release. Blaine has been burned in the past by love affairs gone wrong, and he's wary about risking too much too soon. But he quickly discovers that Tiffany's sarcastic rejoinders and bitter outer shell hide a badly wounded heart of gold. He also discovers she's a sex-toy fraud and convinces her she can't possibly sell the merchandise without trying it out first... While he finds himself thinking of her all the time, the mayor is after him to curb her sexy advertising, and his mother worries that Blaine has taken on another project that will only break his heart. The McCarthys of Gansett Island take a decidedly erotic turn in this seventh book! If hot, sexy men in uniform cavorting with hot, sexy women who sell sex toys for a living aren't your thing, this book might not be for you!

Adam McCarthy has had a really bad week. In addition to nearly losing his three brothers in a tragic boating accident, his now ex-girlfriend has double-crossed him right out of the successful computer company he founded in New York City. What he needs is a few days at home on Gansett Island to make sure his beloved brothers are safe and to get back in touch with what really matters: his family, his friends, and the tiny island that soothes his battered soul. On the ferry ride home, he runs into an old family friend who's had her own share of heartache, and Adam helps her through some rough moments, sparking an unlikely alliance. Abby Callahan has come home to Gansett, single once again after another relationship blows up in her face. After two epic failures in the game of love, she's decided that this is going to be the summer she busts loose and finally has some fun! The new Abby swears, drinks, gets a tattoo, sleeps around, and generally does anything her kinder, gentler alter ego wouldn't have dreamt of. Before too long, Adam has appointed himself her guardian and is determined that the only sleeping around she's doing is with him. What will happen once they realize their summer fling has taken a serious turn-especially once Adam gets the chance to return to New York and fight for the company that's rightfully his? Abby has already followed two men off the island. Does she have it in her to find out if the third time really is the charm?

Dr. David Lawrence has spent the last two years atoning for his sins and recovering from the devastating breakup with Gansett Island golden girl Janey McCarthy. As the island's only doctor, he's had ample opportunity to show his fellow island residents that there's more to him than the guy who disappointed Janey so profoundly. Now if only he could find a way to forgive himself, he might be able to move on with his life without the woman he'd expected to love forever... Daisy Babson, probationary director of housekeeping at McCarthy's Gansett Island Inn, is in bad need of a fresh start after her relationship with Truck Henry took a violent turn, leaving her battered and broken-in more ways than one. As she recovers from her injuries, her days are made brighter by her visits with David Lawrence. The kind and caring doctor who tended to her after the attack has become much more than a friend in recent weeks. Will these two wounded hearts take comfort from one another and move forward on a new path toward love together? Or will ghosts from the past derail them before they get the chance for their own happily ever after?

It's been twelve years since Jenny Wilks lost her fiancé in the 9/11 attacks in New York City. Since then she's been floundering, trying to find her way. Taking the job as lighthouse keeper on Gansett Island was the best thing she could've done for herself. On the island, she's found amazing friends and a wonderful new life. There's only one thing missing, and that's romance. She's recently asked her new friends to fix her up with some of the island's more eligible men. While her friends are busy arranging dates for her, Alex Martinez comes to cut the grass at the lighthouse... Alex has gone from cultivating orchids at the US Botanic Garden in Washington to cutting grass on Gansett, like he did as a teenager. Running the family business with his brother while managing their mother's dementia requires Alex's undivided attention-until a sexy lighthouse keeper shows him there's much more to life than work and endless obligation. During a scorching summer heat wave on Gansett, Jenny and Alex take comfort in each other, and what begins as a hot summer fling quickly becomes something much more lasting. But will it hold up beyond the heat wave when real life intrudes on their sexy interlude?

After forty days holed up in his house on Gansett Island nursing a broken heart, Jared James decides enough is enough. Determined to snap out of the funk he slipped into after his girlfriend refused his marriage proposal, Jared organizes a party for the friends who've seen him through the worst of his heartache. Now, if only he could stop thinking about the love of his life and how he will survive the rest of his days without her... Elisabeth "Lizzie" Sutter knows she has no business chasing Jared after she turned down his lovely heartfelt marriage proposal in a moment of sheer panic. It didn't take long for her to realize how foolish she'd been. Now all she can do is hope it's not too late to set things right with the one man she can't live without...

Owen Lawry is days away from leaving Gansett Island to attend the trial of his father, who is charged with assaulting his mother almost a year ago. He has spent his entire adult life trying to outrun his violent past, but the upcoming showdown with the father he hasn't seen in more than a decade has him spending far more time in the past than in the present. His biggest challenge is convincing his pregnant fiancée, Laura McCarthy, to sit out the trip. The last thing he wants is to expose the woman he loves to the pain of his past. Laura is determined to stand by Owen's side throughout the trial and into the life they have planned together. The trial and her final divorce papers are the only things standing between them and the wedding they have looked forward to all year. Can she convince Owen to let her in and allow her to help him through this difficult time? And what will become of the man she loves if his father walks free? As Owen and Laura prepare for the emotional battle with his father, his mother finally comes clean about her violent marriage, letting Charlie Grandchamp, the man who has been her friend and companion for months now, know what happened. How will Charlie react to hearing her secrets, and will their relationship move forward now that he finally knows the truth about why she can't bear to let him touch her?

She's avoided men all her life. Growing up with an abusive father, Katie Lawry learned a thing or two about men and has made a conscious choice to stay far away from them-that is, until the day of her brother Owen's wedding when she's rescued from nearly drowning by Shane McCarthy. With everyone who matters to her assuring her that Shane is one of the good guys, she feels safe to give in to the attraction that simmers between them. She's waited a long time to take a chance on love, but is he the right guy for her? More than two years after a painful divorce, Shane has a life on Gansett Island that makes sense to him. With a job that he enjoys and his father, sister, and beloved baby nephew living close by, Shane is content if not entirely happy. One thing he knows for sure is he's tired of living in the past. Spending time with sweet, sensitive, sexy Katie Lawry makes him feel hopeful, and he might be ready to risk his heart again... Surrounded by the Gansett Island community, Shane and Katie take an important step forward together, but is their new relationship strong enough to withstand an unexpected challenge?

Paul Martinez has been run ragged by the demands of managing the family's landscaping business and his mother's battle with dementia. It's been so long since he had sex... he can't remember the last time. The arrival of nurse Hope Russell brings some badly needed help to Paul and his brother, Alex, in managing their mother's illness, but Hope's presence has sparked a whole new problem for Paul-lusting after one of his employees, something his late father would never condone. Hope and her young son, Ethan, badly need this second chance on Gansett Island, and she's determined to make her new job work for both of them. Kissing her boss, however, was not part of the plan. The more time she spends with Paul the more she admires the way he cares for his mother and the attention he pays to her son. But when Paul finds out about her shameful past, will he still want her and Ethan in his life?

On the occasion of their fortieth wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives. Come to Gansett Island to celebrate the holidays and the anniversary of the island's most beloved couple!

Tobias "Slim" Jackson has the perfect life as a pilot on Gansett Island in the summer and in Florida in the winter. He's happiest when he's in the air, or at least that was the case before last summer when he met Erin Barton, Gansett Island's newest lighthouse keeper. Now he can't seem to find his usual enthusiasm for flying, winter in the sunny South, or anything that doesn't include her. Erin has been stuck on pause since she lost her twin brother. She'll tell you herself that her life has been a hot mess since Toby died. After dropping out of law school, she flits from one pointless job to another, existing rather than truly living. Then she comes to Gansett Island to take over as the new lighthouse keeper and meets Slim, who happens to share her beloved brother's first name. That small coincidence is enough to convince her that she needs to spend more time with the dashing pilot-except for the fact that he's spending the winter more than a thousand miles from her. Now Slim's come home to Gansett for the holidays and hopes to pick up where he left off with Erin. He's got twelve days before he's due back in Florida to finish out the remainder of his winter obligations. A lot can happen in twelve days, but will it be enough to convince Erin that it's time to start truly living again?

Mallory Vaughn is at a crossroads in her life. A year after learning that Big Mac McCarthy is her father, she's spending more and more time on Gansett Island, surrounded by the large and boisterous McCarthy family. When she's laid off from her longtime job, she goes to visit her family on Gansett and tries to figure out her next chapter. Soon, an unexpected job offer has her packing up her home in Providence to move to the island for at least the summer, if not longer. She decides to make this the "Summer of Mallory," full of new adventures, new people, and new opportunities. Will a new love also be part of the Summer of Mallory? Anything is possible on Gansett Island, especially true love!

Gansett Island midwife Victoria Stevens loves taking care of people, in her job and in her personal life, especially when it comes to her boyfriend of one year, sexy Irishman Shannon O'Grady. Fueled by combustible chemistry, her relationship with Shannon has been H-O-T from the start. But she's begun to wonder whether theirs is destined to only be a short-term fling or if it may be the love of a lifetime. When she goes looking for answers about his past, she learns something she was better off not knowing and isn't sure what to do with her newfound information. What will happen when Shannon finds out she's been asking questions about him, and will they be able to overcome the obstacles standing between them and happily ever after? Find out in this first Gansett Island Episode, which also includes the arrival of some long-awaited island babies!

A year after his thirty-one-year marriage imploded, Dr. Kevin McCarthy is enjoying life on Gansett Island. He's opened a small practice, goes fishing with his older brothers any time he wants, and has his sons, nieces, and nephews close by. Best of all is his all-consuming relationship with sexy bartender Chelsea Rose. What started as a one-night stand a year ago, has turned into something much more significant for them both. The sixteen-year age difference between them never mattered until they realize they may have differing plans for the future. Will they be able to reconcile their divergent paths, or will their hearts be broken when they go their separate ways?

It's the dead of winter on Gansett Island, and Riley McCarthy's mood matches the lousy weather as he and his family work to bring their new business, McCarthy's Wayfarer, back to life. He can't deny that he's been in a funk since Nikki Stokes and her twin sister, Jordan, left the island last fall without saying goodbye. Riley, who'd been hired to fix the leaking roof at their grandmother's home, had liked talking to Nikki and had been looking forward to getting to know her better. Months later, he still thinks of her every day, even if he wishes he didn't. She's hard to forget. As the manager for Jordan's reality TV career, Nikki finds herself square in the middle of the kind of drama she's had more than enough of, especially since her sister plans to go back to the husband who released a sex tape that devastated her last fall. Enough is enough for Nikki, who quits her job and heads for her happy place-her grandmother's oceanfront home on Gansett Island-hoping she might run into the sweet, sexy guy who fixed the roof last fall. She liked talking to him and wonders if he stayed on the island for the winter. She really hopes he's still there. The minute Riley hears that Nikki has come back to Gansett Island, he has to see her. He has to know if the spark of attraction he'd felt for her is still there, and more than anything, he'd love to know why he's thought more about a woman he met exactly twice than he ever has about anyone else.

He didn’t believe in love at first sight.... Until it happened to him. Finn McCarthy, the youngest of the McCarthy cousins, is at a crossroads. As the lease on his Gansett Island rental comes to an end, he's making plans to return to his “real” life on the mainland. He’s enjoyed the nearly two years on Gansett with his boisterous fun-loving family, but it’s time to get back to the life he put on hold when he came to the island for his cousin’s wedding - and never left. With renovations to the Wayfarer, the family’s latest business endeavor, all but completed and the grand opening slated for Memorial Day weekend, the time is right to make a move. That is, until he stops by the local salon for a quick trim that turns his life plan upside down.... Chloe Dennis, owner of the Curl Up and Dye Salon, is about to close the shop after another ordinary day when Finn McCarthy walks in and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Holy hotness! How has she never met the youngest of the McCarthys, and now that she has met him, why is it that she runs into him everywhere she goes? Despite the undeniable sizzle of attraction between Finn and Chloe, she is dealing with life-changing news that makes her reluctant to get involved with anyone, let alone a man who plans to leave the island for good in two short weeks. Finn can’t understand why he reacts to Chloe the way he does or why she won’t give him a chance to see what they could be. When she makes it clear that it’s not going to happen between them, what else can he do but go forward with his plan to pack up and leave at the end of the month? Unless the push-pull of undeniable desire makes them forget the many reasons why this could be a bad idea.... Return to Gansett Island for another visit with all the series regulars and to find out if Finn and Chloe can overcome the obstacles that stand between them and the possibility of true love. Catch up with Mac, Maddie, Adam, Abby, Riley, Nikki, Blaine, and Tiffany; attend Shane and Katie's wedding; and find out what happens when Blaine’s troubled brother Deacon comes to the island. Get ready for another hot, sexy summer on Gansett Island!

Deacon Taylor stepped up for a friend and got himself thrown in jail, and when he's given a choice of felony charges or leaving town with his police chief brother Blaine, he chooses the latter, consigning himself to a summer under his annoying older brother's supervision. Julia Lawry used the last of her resources to come to Gansett for her sister Katie's wedding and has no idea how she's going to get back to Texas to clean up the mess she left behind. Another relationship has ended in dramatic fashion, and she's put herself on a "dick diet," swearing off men who use and discard her. When Deacon talks Julia into taking off with him during her sister's wedding, neither of them can know how that wild ride on his motorcycle will be the start of the most important journey either of them will ever take.

Reality TV star Jordan Stokes is taking time to figure out her next move, tucked away from prying eyes in her grandmother's home on Gansett Island with her identical twin sister, Nikki. Eastward Look is the perfect place to heal and regroup. And it's not lost on her that her sister was busy falling in love with Riley McCarthy while her own world and marriage were falling apart in front of an audience of millions. Fire Chief Mason Johns might put out flames for a living, but the fitness-buff firefighter with a god-like body sure knows how to heat things up. When he locks lips with the island's newest resident during a rescue, he feels an undeniable spark that he can't ignore-no matter how hard he tries. The recovering alcoholic has had his fair share of bad relationships, but Jordan could be a game changer. He saved her life... but she just might rescue him right back.

An island-wide power failure has thrust Gansett into darkness. We'll take this opportunity to catch up with each of the couples we've come to know and love, and meet a few new characters who'll appear in upcoming books. It's the heart of summer, and things are getting hot on Gansett Island!

Find out what happens on Cooper and Gigi's crazy first date and whether or not these two can make a go of it after she finishes shooting her show on the island. When it's time to head home to LA, will Cooper give her a good reason to stay? You'll also hear more about what happens with Cooper's brother Jared and his wife, Lizzie, who've had a baby come into their lives under less-than-ideal circumstances. Are they in for more heartbreak, or will the baby be the start of a new chapter for them? The summer is winding down on Gansett Island, but you can count on plenty of hot days and steamy nights ahead before the winter sets in.

The storm has passed, but the hard work is just beginning… Gansett Island has withstood the fury of Hurricane Ethel, and now the cleanup is underway for many islanders, including McKenzie Martin, who barely escaped the storm with her life and that of her son, Jax. After Police Chief Blaine Taylor rescued them and brought them to his home, her island neighbor, Duke Sullivan, showed up with belongings he collected from the collapsed cottage she recently inherited from her grandmother. When Duke invites McKenzie to use his empty garage apartment while she figures out her next moves, McKenzie is thankful for his offer-and his friendship-as she navigates the complexities of rebuilding on an island. Duke is smitten by his old friend Rosemary's granddaughter, the loveliest woman he's ever met. But what would she want with a long-haired, tattooed dude like him who's nine years older than her and more than a little rough around the edges? Turns out, she's quite enchanted by the man she refers to as a unicorn. Not only is he sexy, thoughtful and funny, he's also kind, which is the most important quality to her after encountering too many selfish men who disappointed her, especially Jax's father, who's about to hear from McKenzie's new lawyer, Kendall James, sister to Jared, Quinn and Cooper. As the friendship between Duke and McKenzie deepens, other islanders are caught up in the search for two missing men, one of whom has deepties to several longtime residents. Others are dealing with the emotional fallout from their close calls during the storm. In good times and in bad, island residents come together to support each other and to rebuild their beloved community. Bonus! Attend the wedding of two island favorites in a special short story at the end of RENEWAL AFTER DARK!

Cindy Lawry needs a new roommate now that her sister has moved in with her fiancé. When she can't find anyone, she puts up a flyer in the window of the Curl Up & Dye salon where she works as a hair stylist and at other places around town. With the summer season ending, she can't afford to live alone, and she doesn't want to move in with her mom and her new husband. So the roommate search is on, but she's not getting many inquiries. After growing up in an abusive household, she's anxious about letting a stranger into her home and her life. Jace Carson needs to find a new place to live. The employee housing at the Beachcomer is right out of Animal House, and he's way past the point in life where living like that is fun. All he wants is a quiet place to be in between working as a bartender at the Beachcomber and visits with his young sons, who live on the island. When he sends a text to the number on the flyer he saw at the grocery store, he doesn't expect the recipient to be Cindy, the woman he's been flirting with for weeks at the Beachcomber bar. She comes in and orders water because she suffers from migraines and apologizes for taking up a seat at his bar. He loves having her and her sweet smile at his bar, but he's not sure that living with her would be such a good idea, especially since all he thinks about every time he sees her is how much he'd like to kiss her.

Is the world ready for four more McCarthy boys? Ready or not, here come Adam and Abby's long-awaited quadruplets, two sets of identical twin boys, who along with their brother Liam, will turn their parents' lives upside down in the best possible way. The quads will be in good company as we'll meet Dan and Kara's baby as well as Tiffany and Blaine's third child. It's December on Gansett Island, and the residents are looking forward to the holidays while continuing to clean up and recover from the aftereffects of Hurricane Ethel. Fall in love with two new couples and catch up with many of your past favorites-and finally celebrate the graduation of Dr. Jane McCarthy Cantrell, DVM. The tourists have gone home, the seas have gotten choppy, and the air is frigid, but as the year-rounders hunker down for another long, cold winter, love will keep them warm!

Return to Gansett Island for a story full of twists, turns, romance and a couple of weddings! Make sure you listen to the very end for an exciting announcement! With Category 2 Hurricane Ethel expected to make landfall on Gansett Island, residents are scrambling to prepare for a direct hit. Meanwhile, Piper Bennett is on her way back to the island to help Laura Lawry at the Sand & Surf Hotel and runs into her months-long crush, RI State Police Lt. Jack Downing, on the roughest ferry ride of her life. Sparks have been flying between the two of them for months. Will the storm help to move things along or will confessions from Jack's past derail their fledgling romance? Return to Gansett Island for a story full of twists, turns, romance and a couple of weddings! Make sure you read to the very end for an exciting announcement! Their tiny island is under a major threat…