AustLit

'Crippled by writer’s block, New York Times best-selling author Kristen Winters fears her career is slipping away. Her publisher’s on her back, and her motivation is at an all-time low. When an opportunity to relocate brings Kristen to Hope’s Ridge, she hopes the gorgeous views and welcoming townsfolk will inspire her writing. What she hasn’t anticipated is making an enemy in the form of Hope’s Ridge’s resident artist, Ryan Williamson.

'For the past four months, Ryan has been floating on cloud nine. His artwork is being featured as part of an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and he’s been offered an opportunity of a lifetime on the international stage. However, his charmed existence comes crashing down when a medical emergency sees all he has worked for come under threat.

'Will Kristen and Ryan recognize how alike their circumstances are and unite to support each other, or will their rivalry become so intense that one of them will need to leave town?' (Publication summary)

Who is behind the Christmas Secret?

Excitement builds in Hope’s Ridge in the lead-up to Christmas as whispered conversations, incorrect assumptions, and plenty of scheming keep the town buzzing. Who is the organizer, what is the connection to the uninhabited Lake House, and why does the instigator insist on remaining anonymous?

'Becca Hamilton can’t answer any of these questions. New to Hope’s Ridge and hoping to keep her demons locked in the past, she’s yearning for the fresh start the new town and job offer her.

'Local bar owner Isaak Trader also craves a fresh start. To have any chance at a relationship, he believes he needs to leave Hope’s Ridge and start again—until he meets Becca.

'With the Christmas Secret whirling around them, the flame igniting Becca and Isaak’s instant attraction is quickly extinguished as her past comes back to haunt her. Becca will need to put her demons to bed and move forward for the pair to have any chance at love. But how can she do that when Isaak’s lifestyle represents her biggest fear?

'It will take more than a Christmas miracle for these two to have any chance of a future together, but as the Christmas Secret builds momentum, anything is possible.' (Publication summary)

'When Jenna Larsen dreamed of her wedding day, she never visualized it being the most humiliating day of her life. But it was. Devastated and mortified by the turn of events, Jenna returns to Hope’s Ridge single and seeking solace in the comfort of her parents’ home.

'Matt Law has spent the last six months proving to the residents of Hope’s Ridge that he’s changed. He wants to be part of the town and part of the community, but one act undoes all of his hard work and makes him an enemy—Roy Larsen: the influential owner of the town’s mill; a major supplier to Matt’s businesses; and furious father of the bride. While Matt does his best to tame Jenna and her father’s fury, there are bigger issues brewing. His father, the majority owner of his businesses, is persuaded by an outsider to move his investments from Hope’s Ridge. But who exactly is venture capitalist Susan Lewis, and why does she have so much influence and power over his father?

'As Jenna does her best to move on from the wreckage of her wedding day, an opportunity arises for her to work with Susan. Their business collaboration could ultimately destroy Matt’s businesses. Matt ruined Jenna’s life—she’s single, unemployed, and without a home because of him—and now she has the opportunity to ruin his. But will she?' (Publication summary)

'Can shattered hearts be healed?

'Dealing with the trauma of recurring nightmares and nursing a broken heart, Zane Larsen arrives in Hope’s Ridge resolved to recover his self-confidence and find a new direction for his life. However, he’s stunned to discover he still has feelings he can’t ignore for his sister’s best friend, the one woman in Hope’s Ridge who’s hated him since high school.

'When her business plans crumble overnight, Asha Jones is wrong to assume life can’t get any worse. She’s made an enemy of an influential local property developer, and the man who crushed her heart ten years earlier has returned to town. Sure, she can do her best to ignore Zane’s existence, but what will she do when her feelings resurface for him? She can’t go there again…can she?

'Zane needs to redeem himself and fight for a second chance. But is working with the man who wants to destroy Asha’s business a guaranteed way to reignite her hate - or could it be an opportunity to change her opinion of him?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When dark memories haunt you, is it possible to move forward with an open heart?

'Twelve months ago, an accident destroyed Steph Jones’s easy-going outlook. Plagued with the horror and memories of that day, Steph is unable to forget and unable to forgive herself.

'In the nearby town of Drayson’s Landing, one man has the ability to help Steph move on. Only, he’s hurting more than she is.

'Can Steph muster the courage to leave the comfort of Hope’s Ridge, face the nightmare of her past, and confront the man she’s been avoiding for the last year?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.