In the opening pages of the first book in bestselling author Kylie Scott’s Dive Bar series, a rock-star-turned-bartender discovers a brokenhearted bride in his bathtub. With that, Scott launches into Dirty, a contemporary romance with passion and humor that’s definitely a good time.

Lydia Green’s wedding day is shattered when someone anonymously sends her a video of her soon-to-be husband getting steamy with his best man. Panicking, Lydia bolts, scaling a fence and trudging through an overgrown lawn to reach the house behind her own. With her future in tatters, Lydia breaks in and breaks down, setting up camp in the bathtub of a stranger’s house.

Vaughn Hewson first meets Lydia while she’s wearing a ruined wedding dress and he’s wearing, well, nothing. He was prepared to take a shower, but instead he finds a crying bride in his bathtub. However, as a former rock star, it’ll take more than a ripped white dress and streaked mascara to scare him. From there, the two form an easy friendship that’s sweet and flirty. Both are down on their luck and dealing with their own messes—Vaughn financially and Lydia emotionally. 

Sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

Watching Lydia gain her footing again after the betrayal of her fiancé is fulfilling. She’s angry and hurt, but she remains strong as she picks up the pieces of her life and alters her plans for the future. Vaughn becomes a great support system—building her up when she needs it, giving a comforting touch—and it shows how a sweet friendship formed in a time of need can turn into something much, much more. But as Lydia realizes she wants more than friendship and furtive glances, Vaughn discovers he might have another chance at rock stardom.

Scott fans and new readers alike will easily fall for Lydia and Vaughn’s whirlwind love story, though those familiar with Scott’s other romances will enjoy seeing old characters pop up. With a plus-sized, confident heroine and a tattooed, teasing hero, Dirty is unforgettably fun and reminds us that sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

In Nobody But You, the third in New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis’ Cedar Ridge series, Shalvis delivers a fast-paced love story deftly interspersed with themes of coming home again and learning to move beyond entrenched preconceptions.  

Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid left home at 18 and—aside from quick visits to his mother—has avoided Cedar Ridge, Colorado, ever since. But Jacob’s hometown tugs at him with irresistible force following his Army buddy’s death in a mission gone sideways. This time, he hopes to reconnect with his entire family—especially his twin, Hudson—and soak up the peace and quiet of the spectacular Colorado mountains until he has to report back to duty. Before he can make a dent in his plans, however, he discovers a beautiful redhead tying her boat to his dock.

Sophie Marren’s been in limbo since divorcing her serially cheating husband. She’s living on the boat he loved far more than he ever loved her, but she’s weary of having to move it daily to avoid moorage fees and fines she can’t afford. She’s set aside her own dream of starting a concierge business to accept a series of temp jobs that allow her to (barely) make ends meet. Scoring a dock in front of an empty cabin feels like her first stroke of good luck in way too long. Right up to the moment she comes up against a rule-spouting hunk she assumes is Lake Patrol.

Nobody But You flows like a refreshing Colorado river on a hot summer day. The only glitch is the cutesy treatment of the hero’s mother’s dementia. Readers who have dealt with this debilitating disease with their loved ones will likely wince at the portrayal of a character who, even as she thinks herself back in a time when her grown sons were young, has no difficulty playing chess, understanding social media and verbalizing her wishes without the short term memory loss and confusion that generally typifies this condition. That said, few authors write family dynamics better than Shalvis. She yet again enchants with her trademark style and wit, eliciting tears one moment, delighted laughter the next—and always, always a huge sigh of satisfaction.

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

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.

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.