Showing results by author "Janice Bayne" in All Categories

On one final New Year’s Eve at Marlowe & Hart, Vincent and Joanne Torian sit down for what they believe will be their last shared tradition—a quiet meal marking the end of a marriage worn thin by time, silence, and unspoken regret. As midnight approaches, old wounds surface alongside memories of first kisses, family laughter, and the life they built together. Between clinking glasses, unexpected honesty, and the electric hope of a turning year, they discover that love doesn’t always disappear—it waits, patient and resilient, for the courage to choose it again. The Last Toast is a ...

four romances novellas set in the Windy City A Season of Us Nancy Millard is ready for her first day as a baseball marketing intern. Mark Pendleton is a groundskeeper who knows the field like the back of his hand. Between pranks, unexpected viral moments, and stolen glances under the stadium lights, sparks fly on the mound. Flowers for Yesterday When Tamika Johnson notices a handsome stranger carrying flowers on the Chicago train, she thinks nothing of it—until months later she sees him again, the same bouquet in hand and the same quiet sorrow in his eyes. Falling for the Foodie When ...

four stories of romance ... with baked goods The Pumpkin Pie Romance Claire, a dedicated small-town baker, has always taken pride in her pies—but when Evan, the charming baker at the local grocery store, shows up, her perfect crusts and careful recipes are suddenly under threat. Cupcakes & Crescendos Baker Sofia Grasso doesn’t expect a soulful jazz pianist to change everything. As the ovens warm and the music rises, Sofia discovers hope, healing, and a love that lifts her higher than she ever imagined. Falling for the Foodie When small-town baking star Ally Thompson is invited to the ...

Brett Stone has everything money can buy and absolutely nothing figured out. When his ruthless, self-made billionaire father appears to be dying and drops a single, impossible condition into his will—get married by Valentine’s Day or lose it all—Brett does what any unqualified heir would do: panic, board a private jet, and attempt to recycle his past relationships at high speed. What follows is a globe-trotting comedy of entitlement, rejection, and accidental self-discovery, guided by the one person who’s been quietly holding his life together all along—his sharp, unflappable ...

What if the New Year’s resolutions you didn’t make for yourself were the ones that changed your life? Rachel Colfer loves books more than anything, while Cory McCarthy loves bourbon just as much as he loves writing. When these two meet at a raucous dorm party, a drunken dare sets them on a year-long experiment: Rachel must give up reading, and Cory must give up alcohol. It sounds impossible—until they discover it’s not the rules that will challenge them, but each other. Over twelve months of close calls, late-night check-ins, and awkwardly tender moments, Rachel and Cory navigate ...

She’s a zombie with a craving for brains… and a hopeless crush on a human. Evan is just trying to survive the apocalypse, oblivious that someone’s been following him — silently, awkwardly, and a little romantically. Told with witty first-person humor, Brains Before Beauty is a rom-com like no other: full of misadventures, undead misunderstandings, and the sweet, hopeful story of two unlikely lovers discovering that even the end of the world can’t stop a connection from growing.

Virginia, 1930s. The Great Depression has settled over tobacco country, where the land can be both a family’s lifeblood and its undoing. Samuel Carter, a quiet farmer bound to the soil his kin have worked for generations, shoulders the weight of drought, debt, and solitude. His world is measured in planting and harvest, storms and silences. Clara Evans, a determined young reporter from the city, arrives to bring “fresh perspective” to the county’s small newspaper. With sharp eyes and a compassionate voice, she writes of lives overlooked — the struggles and quiet strengths of a ...

Step into a winter wonderland of flour, frosting, and festive fun! Janet Brown, a talented florist, is about to trade bouquets for baking when she’s chosen to compete on America’s Merry Baking Showdown. From gingerbread mishaps to frozen dessert disasters, Janet must rise to the occasion in a kitchen filled with chaos, camaraderie, and holiday cheer. Enter Bob Tyler, a logical aerospace engineer who may know his way around a blueprint—but has no idea how to craft a sugar-spun masterpiece. As the competition heats up, Janet and Bob find themselves teaming up, sharing laughs, and ...

When immigration attorney Sylvia Parker helps charming Spanish architect Alejandro Martinez become a U.S. citizen, she expects paperwork—and gratitude—but not a spark that leaves her flustered and flustered at the sight of him. As Thanksgiving nears, Sylvia impulsively invites Alejandro to her family’s lively New York home—a cozy, chaotic world of teasing sisters, overenthusiastic mothers, and a father who pretends to be stern but isn’t fooling anyone. Between pumpkin pie mishaps, playful banter, and an unexpected ex-boyfriend, Sylvia discovers that love—like family—is messy, ...

A wild, heartfelt, laugh-out-loud Christmas romantic comedy with a supernatural twist. When Chicago’s winter hits peak chaos, only one man can save the season: Stan the Man—a loud, eccentric, possibly delusional homeless guy who secretly moonlights as an angel on a mission. His goal? Make sure fiery, perfectionist chef Alicia Williams and burned-out computer-scientist-turned-garbage-man Eduardo Smith fall in love before Christmas Day… even if it kills him. (Or kills someone’s dignity. Or a hot dog cart.) With the subtlety of a snowplow and the wisdom of a dumpster-diving prophet, ...

Four romance novellas set in the Appalachian mountains ... Snowbound Hearts When a massive blizzard traps nine strangers inside the Willow Creek Diner in the mountains of western Virginia, none of them expect their lives to change. But over the next three days—wrapped in warmth, coffee, and unexpected company—love begins to bloom in the most surprising places. House of Pain Ashfall Ridge in Appalachia —once a coal town, now a graveyard of abandoned houses and empty promises. Jobs are gone, addiction is everywhere, and escape feels impossible. For eighteen-year-old Norma, every day is ...

Four romantic comedy novellas for Christmas The Tree Farmer’s Heart When Alex Chambers, a hardworking Christmas tree farmer loads up his truck for the holiday sales trip, he’s focused keeping his struggling farm afloat for another year. He doesn’t expect tangled lights, muddy boots, or a quick-witted nurse with a smile that lingers long after she walks away. Mistletoe & Manners When dutiful Elenor Worthing steels herself for another dull Christmas at her family’s country estate, she hardly expects to stumble across Jangle—an elf from the North Pole with a mischievous grin and a ...

Four romantic comedy novellas for Turkey Day From Madrid to Manhattan When immigration attorney Sylvia Parker helps charming Spanish architect Alejandro Martinez become a U.S. citizen, she expects paperwork—and gratitude—but not a spark that leaves her flustered and flustered at the sight of him. The Pumpkin Pie Romance Claire, a dedicated small-town baker, has always taken pride in her pies—but when Evan, the charming baker at the local grocery store, shows up, her perfect crusts and careful recipes are suddenly under threat. Talk Turkey to Me Emma Waters is a no-nonsense animal ...

This Thanksgiving, love—and chaos—come in feathers. Emma Waters is a serious, no-nonsense animal rights activist with one mission: save as many turkeys as possible before Thanksgiving. Thomas Gallaway is a kindhearted but bumbling turkey farmer whose flock is her prime target. When Emma breaks into his farm on a midnight rescue mission, sparks fly, feathers fly, and neither of them can deny the chemistry between them. From runaway turkeys in the town square to awkward holiday dinners, meddling ex-wives, and townspeople with opinions, Emma and Thomas must navigate chaos, comedy, and ...

A widowed farmer. A weary nurse. A Christmas season that just might heal them both. When Alex Chambers, a hardworking Christmas tree farmer in the mountains of Ashe County, North Carolina, loads up his truck for the holiday sales trip to Winston-Salem, he’s focused on one thing: keeping his struggling farm afloat for another year. He doesn’t expect tangled lights, muddy boots, or a quick-witted nurse with a smile that lingers long after she walks away. Tricia Winters isn’t looking for romance. Fresh from a painful divorce and buried in hospital shifts, she’s just trying to make it ...

She came home to win the family football game… not to lose her heart to the quarterback. Kara Thompson takes Thanksgiving seriously. Between her massive, loud, slightly chaotic family and their legendary touch football game, it’s the most competitive holiday of the year. But when her brother brings home Steve—a charming, annoyingly hot college quarterback with a perfect spiral and an even more perfect smile—Kara’s game plan starts to fumble. From their first flirty lunch banter to a mud-splattered showdown on the field, Kara and Steve’s rivalry quickly turns into something ...

A single mom. A single dad. One magical Halloween night that changes everything. When Maggie Evans takes her daughter Lila trick-or-treating through their small town of Willow Creek, she’s expecting costumes, candy, and maybe a quiet cup of cider—certainly not love. But when a wrong turn leads them to cross paths with Eli Turner and his son Max, sparks fly beneath the autumn leaves. From pumpkin-lined porches to starlit conversations over hot cider, Boo at First Sight is a heartwarming romantic comedy about second chances, small-town charm, and the unexpected magic that happens when ...

She meant to stake him. She didn’t mean to fall for him. Thelma Jenkins is good at keeping her life simple: steady job, quiet nights, and a book club that doubles as her social calendar. Everything changes the night she accidentally drives a wooden stake into the chest of a velvet-shirt-wearing stranger. Turns out Fred isn’t dead—well, not that kind of dead. He’s a vampire. An awkward, old-fashioned, hopelessly endearing vampire who now insists Thelma help him “blend in” with modern humans… by pretending to be his girlfriend. What follows is a whirlwind of: Fake dating gone ...

A collection of four romance novellas. Where the Desert Blooms Widowed rancher Clara Hayes has spent three long years keeping her Arizona ranch alive with nothing but grit and routine. The land is dry, the days are hard, and her heart—still mourning her late husband—has forgotten how to dream. When Luke Morgan, a drifting ranch hand with a weathered past, rides in looking for work, Clara hires him out of necessity. But as the days stretch into seasons, the two begin to find something in each other neither expected: understanding, laughter, and the fragile spark of hope.The Scent of ...

In the quiet hills of Southern Ohio, secrets don’t stay buried for long. Mara Lynn Carter, a small-town hairdresser, wants nothing more than a peaceful life and a second chance at happiness. But when she’s drawn into the orbit of Roy Beckett — a charming, ambitious politician — her world begins to twist with deceit, desire, and danger. Jake Hale, a steady and principled police officer, sees the truth long before anyone else. As he investigates whispers of corruption surrounding Beckett, he finds himself torn between duty and the woman he’s quietly loved for years. When loyalty ...