Showing results by author "Susan Aylworth" in All Categories

Sometimes, hearts find their way home. Luisa Robbins never thought she’d survive the loss of her husband, Mike. For five years, she's carried on, raising their children, Hannah and Michael, and burying her own dreams. Then a little puppy wriggles its way into her children’s hearts—and, unexpectedly, leads her to a man who stirs hers. Dr. Calvin “Cal” Callahan, a former Army vet, has come to Christmas Town to start fresh as the new veterinarian. Leaving a tangle of personal struggles behind, he’s sworn off romance for now. But something about Luisa makes him want to make room in ...

Amanda Velasquez is weary of attending her girlfriends’ weddings when she can’t even get a date. Is it her fault she’s tall and built more like her linebacker dad than her runway model mom? Marco Fuentes admires the striking woman whose quest for good health brings her to the gym where he lifts weights. A mutual attraction draws them together, but their pride and prejudices keep tripping them up. Can a basketful of abandoned kittens help them choose snuggling over sparring?

Kiley Ross postponed her dreams of a university degree for many years, but she’s ready to tackle it now, including the news-writing lab class taught by grad student Nick Santino. Nick’s class challenges Kiley in every way. Trouble is, Kiley can’t seem to stop thinking about her movie star look-alike teacher outside the classroom. Nick Santino knows better than to become involved with a student, especially in his first class as a teaching assistant, but he can’t help his attraction to Kiley; she captured his attention on Day One. Kiley and Nick are coping with the rules and getting ...

A new job brings Claire Reiser to Bedford Falls, California, a Sierra resort village widely known as Christmas Town because it celebrates the Holiday Season year-round. Claire arrives just days before Christmas, reconciled to spending the holiday alone. Ben Scarge is also new in town, whisked in to manage the estate of his late Uncle Simon, a curmudgeonly miser who puts Scrooge to shame. Like Claire, he knows no one and anticipates a lonely holiday. Then a furry visitor delivers a gift neither Claire nor Ben will ever forget. (formerly titled, Joy Comes to Bedford Falls)

Bethany Sheridan has created a comfortable life for herself and her disabled daughter, Grace. But with the daily demands of her bookkeeping clients, her pet fostering, and caring for Gracie, Bethany has no time to date, let alone fall in love. Richard Hale has just landed a challenging new job as director of the county's respite care center for disabled adults, the program where Grace is a client. Richard counts on a stable routine to manage his severe stutter. But his life turns upside down when he meets Gracie's mother, the lovely Bethany. How can a wheelchair-bound Cupid, a sweet-but-...

Can two broken souls overcome the shadows of the past? Raised by an alcoholic and abusive father, Danny Sherwood learned to shield his mother and sister from harm. Now an officer with the Arizona Highway Patrol, Danny stops a reckless speeder. Then his protective instincts kick in when he realizes the luminous young woman is fleeing for her life. Manon DuPre is on the run from a dangerous man who lured her in with charm and charisma, only to trap her in cycles of fear and pain. Knowing her abuser will stop at nothing, Manon has no choice but to trust the handsome officer who offers help, ...

Can two broken hearts make a whole? Marcie Carmody returns to Rainbow Rock both broke and broken-hearted. Betrayed by the man she loved and planned to marry, she swallows her pride and moves back in with her parents after years of independence. With the support of her lovingly quirky family and loyal friends, she lands a new job. But holding onto it proves tricky after an unexpected misunderstanding with her charmingly infuriating new boss. Ryan Fields is a mess. His wife ditched him for a guy she met in an online role-playing game, forcing him to leave his thriving law practice in ...

Emily Draper is getting her big break! A chance to work with a Michelin star chef, creating special allergen-free recipes for the renowned Winter Magic Bakery. After finding a treatment for her rare anemia, she’s finally healthy enough to get on with her life. But what about love? Emily can’t help but wonder if her relationship with Carl Fuentes could be something more, if only they could make that transition from friendship to romance. Carl Fuentes is ready for a big change! He’s on the verge of changing medical specialties, a move that would take him far from Christmas Town. But ...

In the whirlwind of fate and chance, love often finds its way in the most unexpected places. Lydia Sherwood’s heart is unexpectedly captured by the gallant Air Force pilot, Drake Westcott, following a chance encounter. Little does she know, their paths will converge once more, this time in the high-stakes environment of an emergency surgery room where Lydia aids in Drake's life-saving operation. Drake, celebrated as a hero, now battles life-threatening injuries following a daring rescue. Once on the brink of fulfilling his lofty aspirations, he now grapples with shattered dreams and an ...

In time for her ten-year class reunion, Meg Taylor is lured back to the tiny town in northeastern Arizona where she suffered through high school. Overweight, step-daughter to the principal, she was anything but popular. Now she’s slim, attractive, and accomplished—and still wary of all she knew then. Except for Jim. “Little Jimmy” McAllister was one of her two best friends. Ten years have changed Jim McAllister. (No one calls him “little” anymore!) Jim always cared about Meg and seeing her again only enhances those feelings. He wants her to stay in Rainbow Rock, permanently, but...

When faced with a birthing emergency in his prized breeding stock, farmer Chris McAllister calls the local veterinarian for help. He expects the wiry middle-aged man his family has long trusted, not a petite and feisty young woman whose no-nonsense personality could qualify her as an Amazon queen from Greek Mythology. Even so, he can’t avoid a magnetic attraction to the pretty, red-haired vet. Beneath her tough professional demeanor, Sarah McGill hides deeply painful secrets. She’s only returned to Rainbow Rock to fill in for her dad while he recovers from a nasty knee injury. The last ...

Skye Ray had the kind of childhood that nightmares are made of before her loving aunt and uncle adopted her and her older sister Sunny. After many turbulent years, Skye is finally on track and pursuing her dream of completing her degree and becoming a professional artist. She’s determined to focus on her goals, but when she meets Peter Koury, Skye wonders if perhaps her dreams could include the tall, dark, and unequivocally appealing grad student and glass artist. Peter Koury’s last relationship was a disaster and he’s sworn to focus on his art career. Battling his own tumultuous past...

Six months after the deadliest fire in California history, Sunny Ray drives through the rubble and ash of the once-lovely town of Paradise. She’s there to document the history of the Camp Fire for her university studies, one survivor story at a time.Sunny has an ability to understand and connect with the devastated townspeople of Paradise, given her own troubled childhood before she was adopted by her aunt and uncle in neighboring Destiny. If only she could help Deputy Sheriff Evan Millett. Distant and simmering with resentment, Evan refuses to speak to Sunny at first until he sees how ...

A country music superstar taking a detour from his hectic career, crosses paths with a charming pie-maker in the quaint town of Rainbow Rock. Roman Kincaid has it all: fame, fortune, and a meteoric rise as a country-pop performer and Hollywood celebrity. But his demanding agent drives him to exhaustion. Depleted and dispirited, Roman takes an impromptu holiday, disappearing into Arizona's high desert. A chance encounter leads him to Lottie Beale's café and pie shop. Lottie Beale is humming along to one of Roman's new releases when the man himself walks through her door. Keeping her cool, ...

Alexa Babbidge is about to hit it big as a Hollywood scriptwriter — if only her car will cooperate. Stranded near Rainbow Rock, Arizona, she’s rescued by Could-Be-Mr-Right. Too bad she isn't looking for romance! But she is looking for a job, at least until she can reschedule her meeting in movieland. Kurt McAllister is looking for a scriptwriter, not a wife. But Alexa fits easily into his video production company, and almost as easily into his life. As they work together, taping a documentary about Navajo weaving, he longs to persuade her to stay. Gold beckons at the end of the rainbow,...

Paris is back home but not for long. Emotionally gut-punched after losing her job in Sacramento, Paris Cutler returns to her grandmother’s home in Destiny, California to take a breath and figure out what comes next. She loves Gran and Aunt Jess and is thankful they’re always there for her, but Destiny has never felt like home. Paris is anxious to get back on her feet so she can get back to the city. When she runs into Greg Frantz, her high school crush who’s now the high school principal, she can’t stop thinking about how handsome and charming he is. She also can’t stop feeling ...

Joe Vanetti was deeply in love with his late wife, Roberta. Even thinking of another woman feels disloyal. Although his romantic life ended with Roberta's death, he still has their children to raise. He’s come home to Rainbow Rock so his kids can grow up close to his family. The last thing he’s thinking about is dating, but when Joe runs into Angelica DeForest, the former “Ice Queen” from high school, he can’t help but wonder at the change in her. Despite a successful career as a violist, Angelica DeForest lives a lonely life. Socially awkward since childhood, she spent her young ...

Max Carmody was married once. It wasn’t pretty. Now he finds himself stuck for the summer with a thirteen-year-old daughter he barely knows and a sister who will take her in, but not unless he comes with her. Marcie tells her dad she wants him to marry again, but the last thing this Mozart-loving car-parts manufacturer needs is romance. In fact, the odds of his ever marrying again are about as likely as finding a rainbow in the night sky. Cretia Sherwood was married too, and it definitely wasn’t pretty. She is finally healing and regaining some independence after years of struggling to ...

Eden Grant vowed never to go back home. A painful childhood growing up in Rainbow Rock made Eden swear off marriage and a family of her own. With a successful childcare business in Phoenix, Eden can lavish all the love she has on the children of others. But when her best friend, Sarah McGill, asks her to be her maid of honor, Eden makes the trip home to Rainbow Rock for Sarah’s wedding. What Eden doesn’t count on is her immediate attraction to the best man. Logan Redhorse might be the best man at his friend Chris’s fairy tale wedding, but holding Eden in his arms feels like his very ...

Amber Reyes gave up a chance at love to take her dream job as principal of the elementary school in her beloved hometown of Destiny, California. Two years later, Amber has her days full, but her evenings empty. She yearns to marry and have a family, but the lack of eligible men in the quaint small town leaves her questioning if she made a mistake coming home. Devastated by his ex-wife’s volatile life and tragic death, Max Burnett moves his grief-stricken six-year-old twins, Kate and Will, to Destiny, hoping that the town of his youth can offer a healing change. Believing himself too ...