Melissa Schmidt

Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well, mentally, as he says he is. Case in point? Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.

The more I watch her, the more the lines blur between protection and obsession. I never intended to come face to face with her, but in a moment of weakness, I intervened. And it changed everything. She makes me feel things. Things I’m not ready to feel. I never thought I had a heart, but the more I'm with her, the faster it beats. Now, I’m left wondering, will she forgive me for the things I’ve done to protect her?

Chicago hairstylist Bastian Russo has only three things to his name: a pair of $1,200 shears, a Boystown studio apartment, and a list of men's names written on his closet wall. His constant worry that he's not good enough and his chronic inability to trust are what leaves him heartbroken time and again. After he adds the latest name, he turns to his best friend, Andres Wood, for solace. But instead of treating Bastian to dinner, drinks, and the usual effortless banter, Andres makes an interesting suggestion: that Bastian should get over the breakup by dating…Andres.

I hate my boss. Like, loathe him. Two years ago, he semi-broke my heart and he still doesn’t remember who I am. Okay so I was covered in electric blue body paint, and wearing a wig, but is that a good excuse to not remember the girl you said was your destiny? Now I’m stuck working for the jerk because only he can give me the job I really want—manager of his hotel. When he needs a fake fiancé for business reasons, there’s an easy solution—blackmail. He has to give me a trial run as hotel manager in return for wearing his ring.

Faking an engagement to my secret high school crush was not on my to-do list when I landed for a short visit home. But when Amanda Anderson announces that she’s my fiancée, I take a leap and play along with the farce. Why? Because the Capulets and Montagues have nothing on the Andersons and Silvers of Tinsel, Michigan. In the name of bringing peace to our Christmas-themed hometown and ourselves, we’ll play the part of Romeo and Juliet.

In my defense, I thought the plane was going to crash. Otherwise, I never would have blurted out those embarrassing things to a perfect stranger. Did I mention he turned out to be a scorching hot superstar of professional hockey? But wait, there’s more. When the plane lands safely, I rush off, praying I’ll never have to face him again. My luck holds out for less than twenty-four hours, when I realize he’s a groomsman at the wedding I’m attending.

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy. Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone. That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?

Former soldier, now rodeo cowboy, Huck Jones doesn’t believe in love or marriage. Still, a promise is a promise, and he’s prepared to honor his fallen team leader’s wish to walk his sister down the aisle in Marietta, Montana. When the groom bolts moments before the ceremony, Huck offers himself as her alternative groom.

Miles Sexton was the kind of guy I avoided at all costs. The man’s confidence and good looks screamed heartbreaker, and I’d had enough of that for a lifetime. But it wasn’t easy to avoid someone when they parked their food truck right outside the upscale restaurant you worked at as the executive chef. Or when they constantly came in, asking to borrow ingredients because they failed to be prepared.

Local hero Remington Cross has only painful memories of Marietta, Montana. He may want ranch work, but he’ll take it anywhere but here. Still, loyalty brings Remy to Marietta determined to locate Jace’s godchild, ensure his physical and financial security, then close this chapter for good. But a smoldering encounter with a beautiful bartender threatens his timeline and heart, and when he discovers Jace’s godchild is at risk, he enlists the aid of the enigmatic beauty who’s more no-strings than he is.