Böcker av Claire Cain

Tristan Donnelly has been my far away support system since he became the soldier my family "adopted" years ago. I've written to him about everything from my hopes for my future to my grief during deep loss. He's secretly been my rock from afar, but now I'm calling in a favor.I've given up everything to keep my family from falling apart, but my brother's debts have caught up with him and now I'm in danger, too. If I marry, I can access my trust and gain some protection, but the only man I can imagine asking to do this favor is the one I've always loved and have never actually met.Tristan's a retired special ops soldier and he's the most honorable man I know. When he agrees to marry me, we plan to live separately, until he insists I come stay with him so he can protect me. Now I'm face to face with a man who is not only the most important person in my life, he's also so ridiculously handsome it hurts. He's capable and gentle and I'm hard pressed to remember this marriage isn't meant to last.I'd planned to go home when the money comes through, and that's when we'd end things.But now I've had a glimpse of what life could be, and I want something permanent with Tristan. Plus, I'm finding that backbone I lost track of years ago and I've realized I don't want to return to my old life. The problem is, I don't know how I can stay when this was only supposed to be a temporary favor.

Ever been so burned out you become desperate enough to entertain saying 'yes' to a fake marriage? Well that's me, agreeing to be Colonel Justice's holiday plus-one and wife for the next few months.He's my childhood neighbor and almost friend. Now, my faux husband. Our mission? Secure his early Army promotion while offering me a life raft in my sea of chaos. We're dressed to impress and schmoozing his superiors this season. He's all polished medals and stern demeanor; I'm the woman no one's heard of in a designer dress at his side.Underneath his disciplined, all-business facade, I rediscover the man behind the uniform. Even though we both know this is only part of an agreement, things get complicated.We never signed up for emotions. I agreed to a contract with a role to play. But as the lines blur, I have to wonder: is this love? or simply logistics?

My Gram is the only family I have left, so when she asked for my help, I came running. Besides, a fresh start in her small town after blowing up my entire life seemed like the logical solution instead of wallowing in jobless misery for the rest of measurable time.But then Gram's next-door neighbor turns out to be the most gorgeous man I've ever seen, and my calculations show I just made a huge mistake. Being captivated by Bruce Camden is not part of my plan-even if he is a retired special ops soldier with a penchant for shirtless wood-chopping.Thankfully, Bruce finds a way to draw a line we can't cross. Working for his private security company may be the answer to one of my problems, and it means we have a legitimate reason to keep our distance despite the blazing chemistry between us.But seeing how seriously he takes his role as his younger sister's guardian only heightens the pull he has on me, and before I know it, I'm doomed. There's no mathematical proof to solve and find x for what comes next.The man is chopping down my walls left and right, but when disaster strikes in a big way, where will we be when the dust settles?

Between managing her flower shop and preparing for wedding season, Dahlia Price doesn't have time for a relationship. Not that she'd want one after her terrifying past failure drove her to start a new life in a small town.But when that past saunters into her happy place, a corner of the world she's carved out for herself to find peace, and pushes her to get back together with him, for once, she doesn't freeze. She moves. Dahlia pulls John Wallace off the street and calls him her fiancé despite never exchanging anything other than barbs with the man. Before they know it, John and Dahlia are playing at an engagement, not just for her out-of-town ex, but for the entire small town where they live, including John's adorable parents.Despite the fact that he drives her insane with his nice guy, friends with everyone vibe, John is stupidly handsome and might as well be wearing a sign that says, "Danger to Dahlia." She's not about to fall for this man and he's made it clear he has no interest in her... until the lines blur a little too much and they're not sure they're faking anything anymore.Everything he's done for Dahlia suggests maybe there's something good between them. But in the midst of lying to her family and everyone she knows thanks to the mistakes in her past, she can't think about a future with anyone... can she?

Single dad. Divorcé. Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army.All titles I've come to terms with, even if I didn't see those first two coming.I never imagined making a military move to Germany as a single parent. What else I never imagined? Having an insane spark like I've never felt with my son's kindergarten teacher.Livie's a singular force of light and beauty, and I've never wanted someone so much. But after what happened last time, I can't escape the dread of dragging a new wife into this life and failing again.Besides, our lives are too different. Our plans don't match. We definitely shouldn't date and absolutely can't afford to catch feelings.Everything changed the day I walked into that classroom. And now the only thing that scares me more than trying for another chance at love is living with regret if I don't.The Problem with Planning is a dual point of view romance told in first person that will give you all the sizzle and heat but keep it sweet.

A chance encounter with Madeline Reynolds left me longing for a person I hardly knew. In fact, I didn't even know her last name or who she was. Call me an idiot, but I had no idea she was a big deal CEO or record-breaking businesswoman. Maybe that came from living the widowed single-dad life and working myself into the ground.She'd hooked my ruined heart, and even when I find out who she is and know she's out of my league, I can't help wanting her.I can't help doing anything she asks me, even if it makes me a fool. I take the job landscaping her vacation home even though it'll put me in her path constantly when I know I should stay away.I can't help hoping that when she leaves-and make no mistake, she will-that she'll at least remember me. I know I'll never forget her.

Summer Applegate is a nurse by trade, cook by passion, and serial volunteer to keep life interesting. When Sergeant Nicholas Masters refuses her help, her cheerful determination drives her to persist, even if Nick is just as gruff and stoic as she'd heard. She may be the sunshine to his storm cloud but she's every bit as stubborn as he is and won't go down without a fight.Nick Masters doesn't have anyone left, and he hasn't dared want anyone either-he'd likely lose them like he's lost everyone else. When he opts out of receiving meals during his recovery, he assumes that's the end of the story, but refusing Summer Applegate means it's only just begun. Soon Summer's feeding him constantly, but it's more than food-she's looking beyond the physical, getting to know him in ways he never thought anyone would, and it just might be what he's always needed.

Country music superstar Whit Grantham has a reputation problem—nothing a fake boyfriend won’t fix. And handsome, golden boy LT. Ben Holder is the perfect man for the job. The only catch is that he has no idea Whit knows some very personal details about him, which she has no intention of revealing.Ben’s happy to agree to the bargain—after all, he gets to spend time with Whit and step into a world far different than his military life. But when their sham relationship starts feeling real, the truth about the secrets Whit has been keeping erupts in staggering ways.Afraid she’s waited too long to tell him the truth, Whit tries desperately to hang on to the shattered pieces of the man she has now come to love. All the while, Ben fears that what he has to offer, all the broken parts he’s worked so hard to put back together, aren’t nearly enough for Whit.

Captain Rae Jackson has no interest in handsome ER nurse Lieutenant Marquez. She''d never compromise herself or her career for someone else-she''d never break her unbreakable rule. But as they get to know each other, despite telling him (and herself) they have no future, Rae begins to doubt her resolve. For Gabriel, Rae is the stuff of dreams-and despite her insistence they can''t be together, they are. Constantly. Laughing, talking, connecting. At some point, they''ll have to address the sizzling tension, the wanting that spills from Rae''s eyes, and that arm''s length she keeps putting between them. She claims she can''t-won''t-be with him. Rae insists she won''t date someone in the Army, and Gabriel''s caught between respecting that decision and knowing in a cosmically absolute way that she''s wrong. He''ll give her anything if she''ll just let herself want him.

Erin Kelly hasn''t seen Major Reese Flint in ten years-not since she was sixteen. Growing up, he was always kind despite their age difference and her role as the caretaker''s daughter. But their reunion forces her to see the gorgeous man he''s turned into. And Reese is just as shocked by Erin, but evidently not in a good way since he then resolutely avoids her. They''re forced back together when Reese''s mother hires Erin to help him recover from an injury. In theory, that''s easy since she still lives in the garage apartment above the house she watched for him while he was deployed. But when Reese''s mom requests help that puts her at odds with Reese, Erin''s torn between her loyalty to the family who gave her so much during childhood and her newfound feelings for Reese. Just when Reese stops resisting his interest in her, she discovers she''s more at risk of losing everything than she could have imagined.

Dr. Elizabeth Kent never expected to fall for someone like Sergeant First Class Jake Harrison-someone who knocks her off balance and forces her to be honest with herself. She has finally admitted she doesn''t want the life of a professor, even if it means disappointing her family and throwing away years of work. Jake appeals to Ellie on every possible level-too bad he doesn''t date and definitely isn''t interested in her. But she knows things about Jake he hasn''t shared with anyone else. Despite their rocky start, they''ve become friends. Until something shifts, and contrary to everything Ellie knows about him, Jake seems to want her.  Once Jake embraces the idea of committing, he''ll be all in-but everything in Ellie''s life is falling apart. Could Jake want her as much as she wants him? And if he does, can she let herself have him?