Melanie Scott returns to her New York Saints sports romance series with a tale of unlikely love between a baseball player and a Wall Street economist. Full of heat and heart, Playing Hard is a lesson in being selfish when it comes to taking a chance on love.

First baseman Oliver Shields is nearing retirement after nearly 15 years of playing with the New York Saints. The cocky, young upstart, Finn Castro, is poised to take his place, and he’s making more enemies than friends on the team. Finn has a penchant for partying, and Oliver is tasked with escorting Finn home after one too many at a team function. Heartbreakingly, the ride home ends in an accident that leaves Oliver with a season-ending injury, one that could quite possibly force him into early retirement.

Amelia Graham has had her nose to the grindstone for as long as she can remember. Taken in by Finn and his family after her mother got sick, she’s lived her life for other people and set aside her dreams of traveling the world. With a 6-year plan in place to climb the Wall Street ladder, Amelia doesn’t have much time for fun and games, let alone love. She certainly doesn’t plan on being attracted to Oliver Shields, the very man who jeopardizes her surrogate brother’s shot at sports stardom.

The attraction between Amelia and Oliver sizzles off the page, and it’s impossible not to be whisked away by their whirlwind romance. Though Amelia feels as if she’s sleeping with the enemy, she can’t help herself around Oliver. However, as the two become more serious, she finds herself wondering if she’s just a convenient distraction while he recovers from his injury. And when a once in a lifetime opportunity is offered at work, one that requires relocating across the globe, Amelia just might take the advice everyone’s been giving her and do something for herself for a change.

Scott does a wonderful job of creating a couple that complements one another. Watching Amelia grow from people pleaser to a woman who takes charge of her own life is a beautiful and at times emotional journey, and Oliver proves himself to be an ultimate beta hero: caring, supportive and genuine. With their relationship threatened by Finn’s disapproval and Amelia’s promotion at work, the pair discovers that there are things worth fighting for, and a once-in-a-lifetime love is certainly one of them. 

USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lang offers up the second book in her Magnolia Beach series with Everything At Last. Molly Richards has built a new life for herself in the charming coastal Alabama town of Magnolia Beach. Her coffee shop, Latte Dah, is a success, and little by little, she’s widening her group of acquaintances. Life is good. 

But then her new friend Helena begins trying to set Molly up with Helena’s best friend, town veterinarian Tate Harris. Molly, however, has become adept at sidestepping Helena’s matchmaking efforts. Not that she wouldn’t like to have sex again sometime in this decade, but a downside to small-town living is that everyone knows everyone else’s business. Well, that and the fact that although she would welcome the chance to blow off some pent-up steam, she’s definitely not looking for love.

Tate has burned some bridges, dating-wise, in Magnolia Beach. It’s difficult for Tate not to when the dating pool is filled with women he has known since birth. So on general principal alone, he wants nothing to do with Helena’s new friend. Still, he has to admit that Molly is funny. And sweet. And hot. But when he makes a move on her, she shuts him down and makes it clear that while she would like to have him as a friend, she’s not looking for romance. 

Molly feels that she can’t afford to fall for Tate. Her track record with men is less than stellar, and she has secrets—secrets she has no desire to share. But after a sudden, middle-of-the-night emergency with her cat, the tension between Molly and Tate explodes. But just as their relationship takes off, Molly’s past comes calling.

Filled with relatable, sympathetic characters, Everything at Last is a delightful peek into small-town life. This sexy, heartwarming read will lift your spirits as the novel races toward its supremely satisfying conclusion.

Susan Andersen is a New York Times bestselling author of 23 romance and romantic-suspense novels.

Bestselling author Lorelei James introduces a brand new contemporary romance series with What You Need. This sexy office romance is about what happens when two people learn to let go of their pasts and begin rethinking the roles they should play.

Lennox Greene has been there, done that when it comes to living in the moment. She’s toured with a band, decorated her body with ink and played the part of a rebellious teen. But that’s all behind her, and she’s ready to fully embrace the buttoned-up atmosphere of her new job. What she didn’t account for was the company’s CFO feeling the need to get in touch with his wild side, preferably with her help.

Brady Lund is used to having all of the responsibilities. As the first-born and an important member in his family’s business, he’s burdened with both 80-hour workweeks and the pressure to settle down with a worthy girl. His life has been privileged and regimented for as long as he can remember, though after catching Lennox out at a bar one night, he finds that he wants a taste of the freedom and fun that seems to exude from her tattooed skin.

 Could the rumors circulating around the water cooler be true?

Lennox and Brady are complete opposites in every way, from their upbringing to their family dynamics. However, Brady hopes that Lennox can teach him how to live a little, and, in the process, Lennox will learn that there’s a happy medium between the life she lived and the one she's living. But as Brady and Lennox spend more time together and their romance becomes public, they have to wonder if the rumors circulating around the water cooler are true: Could Brady just be interested in a flavor of the week to break up the monotony, and could Lennox just be looking for a way to get ahead at work?

Though this isn’t a book about cowboys or martial arts experts like previous James novels, fans of her writing will recognize the way Lennox and Brady’s attraction sizzles off the page—their chemistry is unmistakable, even when they’re too stubborn to admit it. What You Need is a fantastic start to a new series and one that James fans will be clamoring to read.

New York Times best-selling author Jaci Burton returns to Oklahoma with Make Me Stay, the fifth book in her Hope series. A contemporary romance with a fun, close-knit cast of characters and adorable pets, Make Me Stay shows that sometimes the right person at the right time can make all the difference.

Reid McCormack and Samantha Reasor are at distinctly different places in life. Reid’s stay in Hope, Oklahoma, is only temporary. As soon as he finishes his restoration project, he’s on the first flight home to Boston. Samantha is a local business owner with ties deeply rooted in the small town, and any free time she has goes toward taking care of her grandmother. But in a town like Hope, where everyone knows everyone, Sam and Reid can’t seem to stop running into each other, and they can't help developing feelings for each other.

Reid knows that his time in town is limited, and as he and Sam grow closer, it’s hard for them not to visualize the countdown to Reid’s departure. But as fate keeps throwing them together, Reid slowly begins to realize that maybe Hope has everything he needs: family, love and some amazing burgers.

Sometimes the right person at the right time can make all the difference.

Sam is sweet and genuine, and her flower shop is a staple in the Hope community. She’s also independent and successful, and she’s looking for love that’s everlasting— something Reid isn’t in the business of supplying. However, something about Reid just seems to reach her core, and it’s impossible not to grin at their easy, adorable flirtations. As Reid gets closer to finishing his home renovation project, Sam hopes that he’ll find a reason to stay.

Quaint and full of character, the small town of Hope provides the perfect setting for this heartfelt romance. Fans of Burton’s previous Hope novels will enjoy seeing previous characters as well as meeting new ones. With relatable dialogue and characters who seem plucked straight from our daily lives, Make Me Stay demonstrates how love can disrupt even the best-laid plans. For those who prefer their romances with the perfect blend of sweet and sexy, don’t pass this one up.

The Bollywood Bride by critically acclaimed author Sonali Dev starts with a bang when an impulsive act by Ria Parkar, the Bollywood scene’s reclusive Ice Princess, threatens to expose her family’s history of mental illness—a history she’s sacrificed everything to keep private. In a moment of vulnerability, Ria agrees to attend her cousin’s Chicago wedding. She knows she shouldn’t go, because the last person she wants to see will also be attendance. But she’s so homesick for her favorite cousin, aunt and uncle that she can’t stay away.

Vikram Jathar, Ria’s first friend and only love—the man she fled 10 years ago in the most bridge-burning manner she could devise—is every bit as furious with her as she expects. In his eyes, Ria exchanged their relationship for a glamorous life in the spotlight. Yet he can’t seem to stay away from her.

Objectively, Ria knows better than to get involved with Vikram again. She understands that they have no future and that she should return to Mumbai. But it’s so wonderful to be back with the family who gave her childhood normalcy, who provided the best summers of her life. And no matter how sternly she tells herself that she must go back to India, she can’t tear herself away from them, nor from Vikram. Then everything changes.

I fell in love with Dev’s writing in her first novel, A Bollywood Affair. The Bollywood Bride is its polar opposite in tone: darkness and angst to her first novel’s lightness. Yet it’s filled with the same complexity of characters, rich sense of family love and enticing peeks into a culture of which I now have a bit more knowledge. Dev’s ability to weave these elements throughout the story is admirable, and she has created a lush, satisfying second-chance-at-love tapestry.

Susan Andersen is a New York Times best-selling author of 23 romance and romantic suspense novels.

New York Times best-selling author Jodi Thomas introduces readers to her new series, Ransom Canyon, with an eponymous novel about four families struggling to hold it all together. Set against the beautiful, rugged landscape of a West Texas town, Ransom Canyon is a subtle, sweet start to a new small-town saga.

Rather than focus on a couple trying to make a romance work, Thomas deftly weaves multiple characters into the narrative of Ransom Canyon: a widower coping with the loss of his son; a lavender farmer helping her late best friend’s husband through his grief; a man recently released from prison who finds acceptance from the residents at a local retirement community; a young girl trying to navigate life and the pangs of first love, despite her sheriff father’s overprotection; a teenage boy longing to shake his humble roots with a fresh start in college. All call Ransom Canyon home as they struggle to make sense of loss and love. Each of these characters is compelling; their emotions and actions are as realistic as the setting Thomas paints. Regardless of where each character is in life, some experiences are universal, like redemption and first love.

The setting of Ransom Canyon, though, is a character in and of itself. Watching the characters interact with the setting, the ranches and the animals is on par with seeing them interact with one another. With great, easy pacing, readers won’t realize that they have fallen in love with the charming Ransom Canyon until the very last page.

Thomas could make a city girl hang up her pumps for a pair of boots with her descriptions of clear, blue skies and dusk-red dirt. Each characters’ journey is worthy of a happy ending, and it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Fans will anxiously await the next book in the series because, like meeting with old friends, catching up with the characters of Ransom Canyon can’t come soon enough.

Brown-Eyed Girl is the final book in the Travis Brothers series by beloved romance author Lisa Kleypas. This contemporary series is about a family of rich Texans, and each book in the quartet works as a stand-alone.

Avery is a wedding planner with a huge fear of commitment. Both of her parents were serial cheaters, and her last boyfriend left her at the altar. So when she meets Joe Travis, she refuses to consider dating him—despite the fact that he’s quite the charmer. But Joe is a determined guy, and he will do whatever it takes to convince Avery to try a relationship.

Meanwhile, Avery has a wedding to plan for a reluctant groom and an overbearing mother. She also has a new dog and a romance to referee between her assistant and her sister, Sofia. On top of all that, Avery is auditioning for a show filmed in New York. With all these demands on her time and a thousand reasons to avoid a serious relationship, will Joe win her over?

As is usually the case with Kleypas, you can expect a lot of humor in this book, along with incredibly engaging characters. Joe is pushy in the sense that he persists in courting Avery despite her saying that she's not interested, but he is also kind, generally respectful, and sweet to his family. Avery's competence as a professional is never in question and never used as a mark against her—her combination of competence and ethics are a significant part of why Joe is so attracted to her. The supporting characters are engaging (or, in the case of the antagonist, gratifyingly evil). The sex is hot, and Avery and Joe make sense as a couple—she has drive, and he can offer a kind of stability and depth of relationship that she's never known.

This is a feel-good book, especially for those who don't mind a rather aggressive male lead. The theme of family runs throughout the book, and while Brown-Eyed Girl is fine on its own, readers of previous installments will be pleased to see the other Travis siblings passing through the story. This is a sweet, satisfying conclusion to the series.

USA Today best-selling author—and our very own romance columnist—Christie Ridgway returns readers to Blue Arrow Lake in Can’t Fight This Feeling, the third book in her Cabin Fever series. Former soldier and current landscaper Brett Walker is content with his bachelor life in the mountain resort town where his family has lived for generations. His past involvement with spoiled rich girls, however, has left him with a scarred heart, and he no longer believes in love. Therefore, he fights his attraction to beautiful heiress Angelica Rodriguez, unwilling to believe she’s any different than the other snooty women who frequent Blue Arrow Lake.

Angelica is equally drawn to the handsome, tough Brett, but she’s baffled when he kisses her, and then avoids her for days. He’s the first man she’s ever really lusted for, and she’s clueless as to whether he dislikes her as much as he seems to desire her. But Angelica has bigger problems than her confusion over Brett because her father, a hedge fund manager in Los Angeles, has been arrested for financial misdeeds. She quickly learns that he drained her personal savings, and she’s now without funds. Within a very short time, her situation becomes desperate.

Brett’s determination to stay far away from the enticing Angelica goes up in smoke when he overhears her tell his sister that she’s been sleeping in her car. Every protective instinct he has kicks in, and before Angelica knows what’s happening, she finds herself wrapped up in the generous Walker family circle. Angelica is an only child with distant, uncaring parent, and the big, bustling Walker family is everything she’s always longed for.

Blue Arrow Lake feels like home to Angelica, and she desperately wants to stay. But her financial circumstances and uncertainty about Brett’s feelings make her question whether she can remain in the welcoming town. As she struggles to reach a decision, only Brett can keep her anchored—but will he be able to forget the pain of the past and claim a future with her?

There is so much to like about this latest novel from Ridgway. Brett and Angelica’s struggle to reach beyond their emotional scars and trust each other is heartwarming and powerful. The heat between them is volcanic, the romance tender, their need to protect each other endearing. The story has everything romance readers love—a broodingly handsome hero, a beautiful and smart heroine, lots of hot sex, many heart-meltingly sweet moments and a wonderful ending.

Lois Dyer writes from Port Orchard, Washington

Authors Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGee, writing together as Laurelin McGee, offer up their charming first collaboration, Miss Match. A standalone novel featuring a cheeky matchmaker and her businessman client, this romance is a flirty love story complete with plenty of laughs.

Andrea Grayson, called Andy, finds herself employee non grata in the corporate world following a bitter parting with her former boss. The last career she wants to pursue is the position of matchmaker for a businessman who is too lazy to find his own dates. And not just dates—he wants the matchmaker to find him a wife. However distasteful Andy finds the idea, she’s also fond of eating and is tired of allowing her sister, Lacy, to carry the financial load for both of them. So when Lacy presents the interview opportunity as a fait accompli, the least Andy can do is look into it.

Blake Donovan is far too busy to find a suitable wife. His Craigslist ad for a matchmaker seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution—until he discovers that most of the matchmaker applicants are hoping to snag the wife position. Then Andy Grayson strolls into his office with her crazy auburn hair, scrumptious scent and smart mouth. She’s the antithesis of everything he’s looking for in a woman. But she’s skilled and exciting, and suddenly he can’t imagine hiring anyone else.

Andy can’t believe a man as rich, successful and attractive as Blake needs help getting dates, never mind a wife. Then he opens his mouth—and she can’t imagine a woman alive willing to put up with him. But she needs the money (there's that whole liking-to-eat thing), so she takes the job. And that’s when the fun begins.

This isn’t your mother’s matchmaker story: the author duo Laurelin McGee has penned a hip, sizzling tale, and Andy and Blake’s mismatched personalities and red-hot mutual attraction take the reader on a wild ride. I found it difficult to put this book down; it made me smile, laugh out loud and root for this couple’s happy ending.