Heart of Vallantine

Southern drawls & y'alls. Come fall in love in the Heart of Vallantine! It's been ten years since Rebecca Moore left idyllic small town Vallantine for the big city and even bigger dreams of becoming an award-winning journalist. Her career a puff of smoke in her wake, she returns home for her grandmother's funeral, grieving and with her life at a standstill. But her two childhood besties have a plan to restore the historic library to its former glory and convert part of it into a bookstore. It seems like so long ago residents had named their trio the "Bookish Belles," yet nothing cures troubles like good friends and a purpose. The problem is, she needs a job until the renovations are complete, and just her luck, the new editor of the local newspaper is a Yankee. He's also sullen, sanctimonious, and sexy. And with the gossip mill a-buzzin,' how is she supposed to keep her cool amid all the southern Georgia heat? Graham Roberts hasn't exactly acclimated to the south. Yet, he moved for a purpose, and there's no reason why he can't help an old friend with a favor by hiring someone who is more than qualified. They could work side-by-side without complications. Right? Wrong. Bless her heart, Rebecca is the feistiest female on two legs with an innate ability to crawl under his skin faster than a hot knife through butter. Not to mention, she's gorgeous as all get-out. Beneath her sass, though, is a girl who's striving for acceptance and love. He's just not certain he's the right man. Plus, she's given no promises to stick around. Worse, he's starting to think falling for her may not even be a conscious choice. The heart wants what the heart wants. And between all of Vallantine gunning for their ever-after and Rebecca's alluring charm sucking him in-again…and again-what chance does a guy stand? Fans of Sweet Magnolias by Sherryl Woods and Virgin River by Robyn Carr will enjoy Heart of Vallantine.

Southern drawls & y'alls. Come fall in love in the Heart of Vallantine! Scarlett Taylor is all too aware that others in Vallantine view her as dramatic as the literary character she was named after. Yes, she may be a tad eccentric at times, but life is too short and too stale in a small southern town to not add more Georgia heat when the moment calls for it. Her besties know the real her, though. They've been an inseparable trio since childhood when the local residents had aptly dubbed them the "Bookish Belles." Their plans to renovate the historic library and convert a section into a bookstore is well underway, fulfilling a dream of theirs. Plus, her event business she loves out of her sprawling mansion is thriving. So, why, then has she felt so lonely and dissatisfied lately? And why on earth has she suddenly been having lustful thoughts about a certain amiable, aw-shucks, too-handsome-for-his-own-good guy who has done nothing her entire life but leave her fit to be tied? Aden Abner's family has worked for the Taylors spanning three generations. With Scarlett's blessing and support, he's proudly broken that cycle by starting his own successful company on a former section of their estate. However, he's never truly severed the stigma of being her hired help, nor has he been able to define their relationship. Sometimes friends, often frienemies, and always flirtatious, the push-pull between them has constantly stuck in his craw and confused him. Or turned him on. And now the proper lil pain-in-his-hide has gone beyond merely toying with him by batting her pretty as a picture eyelashes and straight to… Well, he didn't know. Opposites may attract, but that didn't mean they should. Her folks dislike him immensely, he has zilch to offer her, and everyone in Vallantine seems to be raising their brows at the situation. The whole thing has disaster written all over it. Still, hope keeps dangling "what-if" in front of him. Fans of Sweet Magnolias by Sherryl Woods and Virgin River by Robyn Carr will enjoy Heart of Vallantine.

Southern drawls & y'alls. Come fall in love in the Heart of Vallantine! Known as the strong, level-headed one in their besties trio, Dorothy Wilson has not been feeling very tough lately. Her "Bookish Belles" are in the finishing stages of remodeling the historical library and converting part of it into a bookshop. It's been a dream of theirs since the residents of Vallantine had given them the nickname in their youth. She should be more excited. Instead, old insecurities keep surfacing every time she encounters her devastatingly handsome former teenage crush. It's difficult to avoid him in a small town. Harder yet since he's now on the board overseeing renovations. Though he may have been kind back then and not part of the mean crowd, he's still a silent reminder of the overweight, naive girl who secretly hoped he would like her in return. But all of a sudden, it's almost as if he's seeing her in a different light, and she's not certain it's wise to risk her heart for a man on the rebound or who just decided to open his eyes. Forest Truman has sworn off the female species. They are nothing but a lick of trouble, especially his ex-wife, who thinks the sun rises just to hear her crow. And being Mr. Nice Guy has gotten him nowhere except heartache and loss of respect from his hometown. Or worse, pity. Determined to start fresh, he dives into Dorothy's project and his job at the bank by way of a distraction. Yet, the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes she's a lot like the woman he's been searching for all along. The kind he just didn't think existed. A true partner in love and life. Funny, smart, and attractive, she's been right under his nose. But for some strange reason, no one in Vallantine seems to think he'd date her, including Dorothy herself. The odds, paired with her stubbornness, aren't working in his favor the slightest. He considers himself a patient man, so he'll just prove them all wrong. Fans of Sweet Magnolias by Sherryl Woods and Virgin River by Robyn Carr will enjoy Heart of Vallantine.

FIRST NOVELLA IN A NEW SERIES BY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER KELLY MORAN! Wallflower Rosemary Fillmore has never endeavored anything more than a good book, a cool glass of sweet tea, and a cat to curl up in her lap after a long day of teaching teenagers how to dissect literary masterpieces. Dowdy and shy, hardly anyone in her quaint southern town of Vallantine, Georgia, knows she exists, and the only time she has an ounce of confidence is if the world is a fictional one. So, when three of her star students suddenly start to show an interest in her personal life, or lack thereof, she wonders what on earth the girls are after. Or why. And how it involves a certain town librarian. Because she hasn't exactly agreed with how he's been running the beautiful landmark into the ground since taking over, and frankly, she's been more than a little upset about it. Besides, he is probably the sole person more awkward than herself, despite how kind or understatedly handsome he may be. As the only living descendant of the original town founders, saving the Vallantine Library from destitution falls on Sheldon Brown's shoulders. And he's failing. Miserably. The one-hundred and forty-year-old historical building, erected by his ancestors, has been in near ruins for a decade, and the state of the library system is declining. What he doesn't need adding to his burden is giggling teenage girls hanging out between the stacks, spying on him, and asking silly questions about their teacher. Even if the woman in question is Rosemary. Pretty, sweet, and utterly endearing Rosemary, who he's been attempting to ask on a date since forever. Except he's chronically gotten the impression she doesn't approve of him or his attempts to save the library. But then a mishap one night and a strange challenge from an unlikely source changes everything, and he wonders if perhaps two introverted bookworms can get a happy ending, after all. Fans of Sweet Magnolias by Sherryl Woods and Virgin River by Robyn Carr will enjoy Heart of Vallantine. "The writing is phenomenal, and I'm genuinely excited to see where this series goes." -More Books Please Blog Tropes: geek small town mature love southern romance last to know secret crush matchmaker secret crush