The dedicated men and women who wear a badge and are sworn to protect and serve make swoon-worthy romantic heroes and heroines. They’re at the heart of these three action-packed tales.
THE SHERIFF’S HEART
Oklahoma author Amy Lillard debuts the Cattle Creek series with Loving a Lawman. Sheriff Seth Langston has lived in Cattle Creek, Texas, most of his life and has known Jessie McAllen nearly as long. Unfortunately, Jessie’s childhood affections were snared by Seth’s charming but feckless younger brother, Chase, who left Cattle Creek after high school to follow the rodeo, chase other women and party. Despite acting like a single man, he refuses to let Jessie move on. Each time he returns to town, his callous disregard for her feelings wounds her afresh, but he refuses to cut her loose.
Hiding his feelings for Jessie is eating Seth alive. He doesn’t know it, but Jessie McAllen is fed up with the younger Langston brother’s careless treatment and womanizing habits. She’s determined to leave Cattle Creek and start over somewhere new, somewhere far away from philandering rodeo-star Chase.
Seth’s honor keeps him from pursuing Jessie—until one night when passion overwhelms his good intentions. This one unexpected, impulsive night with Seth has Jessie rethinking which brother she really loves. When tragedy strikes, she instinctively turns to the one man who has always been there for her. Fate has more than one surprise in store for Seth and Jessie, however, and the next test may tear the Langston family apart forever.
This tale about finding one’s way through the tangle of commitments, family obligations and first crushes holds a thoroughly engaging emotional depth. The small-town Texas setting and the cast of well-drawn secondary characters add to the story’s charm.
WHO'S THAT LADY?
Acclaimed author Debbie Mason returns readers to Christmas, Colorado, in Happy Ever After In Christmas. Deputy Jill Flaherty has been in love with her older brother’s best friend, Sawyer Anderson, since she was a teenager. He treats her like a little sister, however, and as she nears her 30th birthday, she’s determined to change that perception. She dons a sexy red dress and stilettos and walks into Sawyer’s bar to ask him out.
Sawyer takes one look at the incredibly beautiful blond in the doorway and is instantly hooked. But it isn’t until he hears her voice that he realizes the woman is Jill—his best friend’s little sister and way off limits. Unfortunately for Sawyer, once he sees her as sexy Jill in the red dress, he can’t go back to seeing her as a little sister. Jill’s brother sees Sawyer as a ladies man, however, and is adamantly opposed to Sawyer dating Jill.
Sawyer tries to keep his relationship with Jill firmly in the friend zone but fails spectacularly. Meanwhile, Jill struggles to understand Sawyer’s mixed signals. In small-town Christmas, with a full complement of caring, gossipy townsfolk, their complicated relationship is breaking news.
This charming story of two people struggling to trust their love and build a life together is certain to earn the author new fans. Readers will thoroughly enjoy meeting and connecting with the Christmas residents that make up the supporting cast in this endearing romance.
AGAINST THE CLOCK
Christy Award-winning author Lisa Harris delivers the second installment in the Nikki Boyd Files with the riveting thriller, Missing. When investigator Nikki Boyd is called to a homicide scene in a Nashville suburb, she learns that not only are there two dead bodies, but also two missing persons. With her partner, Jack Spenser, Nikki follows the first clue and finds one of the missing people dead on a boat at the local marina. She’s stunned to see her close friend, widow Tyler Grant, standing over the body, with blood on his sleeve. When drugs are also found on the boat, Tyler and his notorious father-in-law are in deep trouble.
With Tyler on the suspect list, Nikki is under pressure to solve the multiple murders as she races to find the remaining missing person. Because this time, her investigation is about more than her job. This time, it’s personal—she’s in love with Tyler.
This twisty police procedural delivers nail-biting suspense that gets more complicated as the bodies pile up. Add in family members threatened with violence and a killer intent on silencing anyone who gets in his way, and the result is not to be missed. Thriller fans are going to love this one.
Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.
