Böcker av Patricia Paris

Destiny is impossible to escape...Caterina Bonavera had a solid plan. To move up the line from sous chef at one of New York City's top restaurants and then open one of her own. Moving back to Virginia to help her sisters run the family winery had been nowhere on her radar. But neither had landing the head chef's job at a popular local restaurant upon her return, only to find herself unemployed again after three years; nor getting romantically involved with a man who proved her ability to judge one's character hadn't gotten any better than her ability to fly by flapping her arms.Caterina's confident she'll get her life back on track with Serendipity, the boutique hotel and restaurant she and her oldest sister Lucia were opening at the end of the summer, but that's almost a year away, and meanwhile, she's forced to deal with Liam Dougherty, the surly contractor building the restaurant of Caterina's dreams. Liam gets along fine with everyone else, but it's clear to Caterina that he's disliked her since their first meeting, and she has no idea why.To complicate their already tentative working relationship, Caterina begins to develop an unwanted attraction to Liam. She tries to counter it by avoiding him, but then she discovers something that changes her opinion of him completely, and along with it, her desire for the one thing she wants most in her life. Will trusting Liam turn out to be another mistake when it comes to the men in her life, or have her prior mistakes been leading her to him all along?

When winter and romance collide, they create an unpredictable force. Whether a raging storm outside or within our hearts, a touch of romance can be found in the most unlikely of places. Join us in this eclectic exploration of winter romance that includes stories of happily ever afters, wicked seductions, atmospheric attractions, and deadly deceptions. Featuring nineteen short stories from bestselling authors as well as talented new writers, you'll never view romance the same.

After leaving Glebe Point, Maryland over five years ago, Charlene Morrison has returned to the sleepy town she grew up in on Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, the one place she hopes she can start over, rebuild her shattered life, and escape the abusive relationship that almost destroyed her.Surrounded by a loving family, and the refuge of Glebe Point's small town comfort, Charlie opens a gourmet cupcake shop and begins to take charge of her life again. She has a plan, and after her last relationship there's no room in it for a man. But she didn't plan on Cooper Barone, the sexy real estate agent who owns the business next to her shop and makes her question her self-imposed celibacy.Cooper knew the first time he met Charlene she had baggage-secrets. Despite his attraction to the whiskey-eyed beauty, he thinks getting involved with her would be a mistake. Unfortunately, every time he sees her, he does something stupid-like kiss her-and sampling those honeyed lips only makes him want her more.As Charlie and Cooper begin to grow close, Charlie believes she's turned a corner and happiness may be within her grasp. But just when everything seems to be working in her favor, the past rears its ugly head and she must dig deep within herself for the strength to confront it head-on, or lose everything she loves most.

Passion. Love. Lies. Must Be FATE.For Gabriella Fiorelli, starting a new life with her young daughter in the sleepy town of Glebe Point is just what she needs-no complications. But when she meets handsome lawyer Justin Morrison, complications are the least of her worries.Passion and past collide in a delicate web of lies and love, and as Gabriella comes to grips with a heartbreaking choice, will her world come crumbling down?

Will the Masks of Deception steal their Chance for True Love?Sparks fly when Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson meet at the Glebe Point annual costume dance. Known only to each other that night as the leopard and the Lone Ranger, Delaney discovers soon afterward that the cowboy she thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will, she is drawn into an overwhelming attraction to Blake, an attraction she can't give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values more than anything else.During a chance encounter with an old friend, Blake discovered he has a son he never knew existed. Finding the boy has been the only thing he cared about for months-that is until Delaney Brannigan came to town. Now the bewitching woman has him thinking about settling down-but then he discovers Delaney isn't who she appeared to be, and Delaney's hopes and dreams are shattered as the truth threatens to uproot her world.Will these two lovers lose one another in a web of deception, or will the small town boy and the girl from New York find a way to trust their hearts and discover a once in a lifetime happiness?

Can Rachael escape the danger that threatens her by finding the love she thought she'd never find?A woman who values her independence above all else, Rachael Gooding excels at keeping men at a distance. Wielding her exotic good looks and razor sharp wit to intimidate rather than attract, she's managed to avoid the pain and complications she knows would come with a serious relationship.At the top of her game, Rachael believes all's right with her world, but when a dangerous, unknown stalker begins to threaten her, she's forced to turn to Detective Eugene Simms, a man she's wildly attracted to but has never been able to intimidate-one she fears could break her carefully guarded heart if she gave him the chance.When a man from her past is murdered in the park across the street from her apartment, Rachael must decide whether to tell Simms about her past and risk exposing everything she's spent the last ten years guarding so carefully. But telling all she knows may mean giving up something she's always wanted but never thought she could have.

Passion. Second chances. When murder's a game...be careful how you play. Abby Carpenter is a woman with a few problems: a little red diary that has a way of showing up at the worst times, a creepy coworker trying to sabotage her career, and a philandering ex-husband who won't stay dead-and now, the CEO of the largest account to land on the doorstep of the marketing firm she works for, happens to be a man she made a complete fool of herself over fourteen years ago. Abby's convinced if he recognizes her the firm could lose the account, and she could lose her job.Gage Faraday can't shake the feeling his new account manager, Abigail Carpenter, reminds him of someone, he just can't place who. As he begins working with her to develop a marketing plan for his company's new development, he realizes they've run into a snag-he's developed a major attraction for his new business associate-but, he's a man who goes after what he wants, and he wants Abby.Just when Abby begins to think things may finally be going her way, her ex turns up dead-very dead-and she becomes the primary suspect in the murder investigation. Now she's being pursued by a relentless detective, a sleazy tabloid reporter, and a man who won't take no for an answer. Will the forces working to tear Abby and Gage apart prevail, or will destiny have its due? Find out in this sexy, sassy romance with a touch of suspense.

Antonio DeLuca knows exactly what he wants in life.Lucia Bonavera knows exactly what she doesn't.Destiny has something completely different in mind for each of them.Betrothed at birth but never having met, pragmatic inkeeper, Lucia, and sexy architect, Antonio, consider their grandfathers' thirty-year-old marriage pact a meaningless relic. Neither had any interest in meeting the other, but when Antonio travels to the States on holiday, his grandfather blackmails him into visiting Lucia at her family's winery in the Virginia foothills. When he does, their mutual disinterest is replaced by an unexpected, yet undeniable attraction.When Antonio makes a decision that keeps him in the States indefinitely, Lucia decides she's tired of always playing things safe, and follows her heart, straight into Antonio's welcoming arms. But Antonio has a secret, one that impacts Lucia as much as him. A secret that could destroy her trust in him forever.