Simmering Stu


Book Description

A hot tub can be a great place to decompress—provided your tub toy isn't a Glock 9-millimeter. When Death Diva Jane discovers that Stu Ruskin has taken decompression a little too far, everyone assumes his sudden demise was self-inflicted. The result of a guilty conscience perhaps? After all, no one who knew Stu would describe him as a Boy Scout. Jane begins to suspect murder when disturbing revelations come to light, involving a blood feud, secret recipes, and a (haunted?) bed-and-breakfast inn with a dark history going back to Colonial times. As if a hot-tub homicide weren’t enough to deal with, Jane is more than a little conflicted about yummy bad boy Martin McAuliffe. All she really knows about the sexy bartender is that he has a mysterious past and is a darn good kisser. But hey, Sexy Beast approves of him, and when has Jane’s neurotic canine sidekick ever steered her wrong?




Perforating Pierre


Book Description

Celebrity chef Pierre Dewatre has everything going for him: swoon-worthy looks, a successful restaurant, and a budding TV career, not to mention that drop-dead-sexy French accent. Unfortunately for Pierre, the drop-dead part becomes all too real when Death Diva Jane and her furry little sidekick, Sexy Beast, discover him marinating in his own juices. So to speak. And okay, so the famous chef has been accused of cooking and serving endangered species, but that couldn't possibly have anything to do with his death. Could it? The inept detective in charge of the case has homed in on a single suspect: Jane's ex, who's only the Nicest Guy in the World. She's never gotten over him, even with a certain bad-boy bartender invading her personal space at every opportunity. Throw the victim's hot Parisian brother into the mix and it's little wonder Jane is having trouble concentrating on whodunit. You'd think having a high-strung, seven-pound poodle on your team would be the key to quickly solving a complicated murder. Turns out that's not necessarily the case. Who knew?




Too Darn Hot


Book Description

Raves for Romance by Pamela Burford: “Want to see true character growth, the healing power of love, what happens when you look below the surface? Want to read savvy dialog, good imagery, belly-laugh humor?…I feel very lucky that I’ve been introduced to Pamela Burford’s books. Talented writing such as hers makes up for so many lackluster stories on the market.” — The Romance Reader “Humor and romance under one cover! A delicious treat from Pamela Burford!” — The Literary Times “The characters linger in memory long after the last page has been turned … This one’s a keeper!” — WCRG on AOL Reviewer Board ◊ A delicious romantic comedy with a fun foodie twist! Rule Number One: Never mix business with pleasure. Restaurant reviewer Lina Holland learned that lesson by watching her beloved mentor self-destruct, and she's not about to make a similar mistake, even if the chef and owner of the restaurant she’s secretly reviewing is the most sexalicious hunk who ever seared a T-bone. It's not enough to be scrupulously impartial, she must avoid even the merest whiff of favoritism. Date a restaurateur? She can't allow herself to even think about it. Okay, she thinks about it, but that's all. Really! Chef Eric Reid is a widower struggling to raise twin boys and keep his fledgling restaurant afloat long enough for word of mouth to lift it out of the red. Little does he suspect that the intriguing new customer groaning in ecstasy over his bourbon pecan tart is none other than the legendary Lina Holland, the reviewer whose thumbs-up could spell the difference between colossal success and the extermination of his lifelong dream. No one in the industry knows what Lina looks like, but he's convinced she's a brash, zaftig shrew who applies her makeup with a putty knife. When he finds out how wrong he is, the fun really starts! Throw in a buttinsky roommate, a lecherous ex-husband, bribery by chocolate, and the fishing excursion from hell, and the result is, well, too darn hot! Originally published by Zebra books, a division of Kensington Publishing Corp.




The Boss's Runaway Bride


Book Description

“I would think that we’re all familiar with the old saying, ‘Opposites attract.’ Boy, do they—in a big, enjoyable, fun way… A great vacation book!... Keep water handy—be it pool, lake or ocean water. Okay, a squirt bottle will do. You’ll need to cool down from the heat in Summer Heat [The Boss’s Runaway Bride].” — The Romance Reader (4 stars) ◊ A romantic comedy novella that proves opposites really do attract! Molly Lamb is not the sort of housemate uptight Quinn Marshall is expecting when he takes his former boss up on the offer of a free month at his Cape Cod beach house. Not only does free-spirited Molly shower naked outside, and practice her trumpet at all hours, and encroach on Quinn’s personal space in the most distracting way... she’s the woman who ran out of the church moments before she was due to exchange I-do’s with the boss! All Quinn wants is a solitary vacation, a few weeks alone with no distractions to examine his options and get his life and career back on track. He doubts he’s ever been more distracted with the boss’s sexy runaway bride sleeping right upstairs. And that's before the hurricane hits! Originally published as “July” in the anthology Summer Heat.




Snowed


Book Description

Raves for Romance by Pamela Burford: “Blending just the right amount of sizzle, warmth and strong plotting, Pamela Burford dishes up a superior recipe for a delectable reading treat.” — RT Book Reviews “I couldn’t tear myself away until I’d read the last page. The writing is fast-paced and provocative as this highly talented author once again provides a stunning story.” — Old Book Barn Gazette “A captivating tale readers will love! FANTASTIC! FIVE BELLS!!!” — Bell, Book and Candle ◊ Snowed in with a billionaire! A fun contemporary romance novel brimming with secrets, witty banter, and surprising twists. The last thing wealthy photographer James Bradburn expects when he turns in after his surprise birthday party is to find a beautiful woman asleep in his bed. The last thing Leah Harmony expects after succumbing to exhaustion during the party is to find herself stranded with the yummy birthday boy at his isolated Gold Coast mansion. A record blizzard has trapped them together for days on end. Leah guards a stunning secret as she struggles to resist their mutual attraction. Of all the men in the world, James is the last one she should even think of that way! Little does she suspect he harbors a secret of his own.




Rags to Bitches


Book Description

“If you love reunion stories, then I’ve got the book for you.” — The Romance Reader (4 stars) ◊ Can Dena and Gabe overcome their past for a second chance at love? The boy named Most Likely to Succeed back in high school? That would be handsome, wealthy Gabe Moreau. Everyone assumed Gabe’s devotion to girlfriend Dena Devlin was mere puppy love, a rebellious stroll on the wrong side of the tracks. Dena was, after all, the janitor’s daughter. Unfortunately, even a love as strong as theirs couldn’t withstand Gabe’s act of betrayal. At their 15th high school reunion, Dena comes face-to-face with the cheating boyfriend who broke her fragile young heart. The good news is, Dena is now a self-made millionaire, thanks to the pet-resort empire she built, inspired by her love of dogs—a true Cinderella story! The bad news is, Gabe is sexier than ever. Well, no worries. She’s no longer the shy, self-conscious girl she was back then. She can handle one awkward evening. What she doesn’t count on is a full week at a Long Island B&B with Gabe and a quirky cast of characters from the old days. One of their housemates is the girl Gabe cheated with all those years ago, the “appropriate” girl his parents always intended for him to settle down with. Well, so what? Dena is over him. Really. All she wants is to get through the week and never lay eyes on the infuriating man again. If only there weren’t all those unanswered questions, all the doubts and longing she’s repressed for so long. If only she could ignore the magnetic attraction that still hummed between them. Forgiveness and do-overs were far from her mind when she signed up for her high school reunion. How is she supposed to get through a whole week under the same roof with Gabe? A feel-good romantic comedy, originally published as A Class Act.




Storming Meg


Book Description

“Let’s hear it for Jack Wolf… A bad boy with gentleman instincts, this sexy W.I.S.H. hero warms our hearts and fires our fantasies with his winning ways… Blending just the right amount of sizzle, warmth and strong plotting, Pamela Burford dishes up a superior recipe for a delectable reading treat.” — RT Book Reviews (4 stars, W.I.S.H Hero) “Oh, what fun you’ll have reading this snappy, entertaining, story!... Ms. Burford once again gives readers witty dialogue and hot sensuality. Thank you very much!” — Old Book Barn Gazette “Explodes and sizzles with sensual romance and super suspense! Ms. Burford's writing is superb! She has the perfect balance of suspense and sensual romance! Romantic suspense at its best!” — The Literary Times ◊ A witty romantic suspense novel about second chances. A violent nor’easter leaves Meg Wolf stranded on her uncle’s private island with a handful of quirky relatives, her three children, her brand-new fiancé... and her ex-husband, Jack! Meg has moved on from her bad-boy ex, really she has. After all, her fiancé is a well-to-do, buttoned-up lawyer, just the kind of stable stepdad her kids need—and the kind of second husband she needs after an impoverished upbringing that left her longing for financial security above all. He’s certainly an improvement over Jack, who owns a brew pub and has no use for the nine-to-five life or a regular paycheck. It’s why they divorced. And if her fiancé doesn’t turn her on the way Jack always has, well, you can’t have everything, right? Once the storm hits and the lights go out, Meg is determined to resist her sexalicious ex and do whatever she has to, to get through the most strained Thanksgiving family reunion in history. An awkward love triangle is one thing. A murder mystery is another. And that’s what it looks like when one of the wacky relatives turns up dead. Suddenly fingers are pointing and everyone is under suspicion, and Meg discovers what really makes a man. Winner of the RT Book Reviews W.I.S.H. Hero Award, thanks to yummy bad-boy hero Jack! Originally published as Jacks Are Wild.




Snatched


Book Description

A humorous romantic suspense novel that’s fresh, quirky, and surprising! Find out why Snatched has been described as “Janet Evanovich meets the Coen Brothers.” Is an uncomplicated divorce and a fresh start at forty too much to ask? Apparently it is for Lucy Narby, whose life goes from blah to bizarro when competing kidnappers lock horns in her kitchen. And really, does the victor have to be that hot? If this is the Stockholm syndrome, it sure didn’t take her long to catch it! Lucy’s kidnapper calls himself Will but looks suspiciously like former child TV star Ricky Baines, whose acting career was cut short when he himself was snatched and held for ransom 25 years ago in a notorious cold case that remains unsolved. Will’s gang includes an aging French bombshell, an outlandish Irish giant with a mysterious past and a thing for Will’s sister, and long-lost Cousin Hal—a charming fellow who neglects to mention that he happens to be the twisted sociopath who kidnapped Will when he was still America’s favorite little star. Hal spent the past quarter century in the slammer for an unrelated murder, and now he’s out and determined to locate the $2 million ransom Will’s family paid. Someone else dug up the cash while Hal was behind bars, and that sort of thing tends to make twisted sociopaths a tad grouchy. Fortunately (or not), Lucy’s bigamous ex is on the case. But so are a gay private eye in a fat suit and a bad-tempered parrot with an ax to grind, so no worries. Everyone has a secret and no one is who he seems when Kidnap Fever strikes.




Icing Allison


Book Description

What, Jane Delaney asks herself, could be better than skating on a frozen lake with sexy Martin McAuliffe? After all, Martin's thought of everything: • Yummy picnic lunch, complete with the requisite hot chocolate? Check. • Adorable, if slightly neurotic, canine sidekick? Check. • Chainsaw (don't ask)? Check. • Frozen corpse? Dang! And just when things were starting to get romantic! The authorities decide Allison Zaleski's death was an accident, but Death Diva Jane isn't so sure. For starters, some of the wealthy young woman's nearest and dearest had reason to want her out of the picture—her boy-toy husband and his greedy mistress for starters. But it isn't until Jane discovers Allison's secret video diary that the questions really start piling up. Such as: Who left a decapitated Barbie doll, altered to look like Allison, in her mailbox? And what, if anything, did Allison have to do with her first husband's death?




The Wedding Ring Matchmaker Series: Complete Four-Book Romantic Comedy Box Set


Book Description

Four romantically minded high school girls, besties forever, vow to find one another husbands in the laughably unlikely event any of them are unmarried at age thirty. They’re not laughing twelve years later when the Wedding Ring pact kicks in for the four single pals! Each girl—Raven, Charli, Sunny, and Amanda—gets her own story in this feel-good romantic comedy series. Book 1: Love’s Funny That Way The Prospective Bride: Raven Muldoon, hypnotherapist by day and aspiring stand-up comic by night. She realizes her matchmaking friends have made a grave mistake—and that’s no joke. The Prospective Groom: Brent Radley, a blind date who appears to be perfect husband material… until Raven meets his sexy-as-sin younger brother, Hunter, owner of the local comedy club. Did her pals pick the wrong brother? The Hitch: Hunter is no choirboy, but not even he would steal his brother’s girlfriend, no matter how tempted he might be. But how committed is Raven to Brent, and he to her? Book 2: I Do, But Here’s the Catch The Prospective Bride: Carlotta “Charli” Rossi, last of a dying breed: the thirty-year-old virgin. It’s love at first sight when her matchmaking friends set her up on a blind date with Grant—but does he feel the same way about her? The Prospective Groom: Grant Sterling, a handsome, rich, worldly lawyer, always in control. This confirmed bachelor’s only goal is to make partner at his stuffy law firm, and for that he requires a mousy, undemanding wife who doesn’t turn him on. The Hitch: Charli is thrilled to become Mrs. Grant Sterling, but maybe she should have paid closer attention to the details before the wedding! Grant thinks he’s planned the perfect marriage of convenience, devoid of messy complications like sex and commitment. Good thing perfect plans never go wrong, huh? Book 3: One Eager Bride to Go The Prospective Bride: Sunny Bleecker, who’s been waiting tables at Wafflemania for twelve years… and waiting just as long for her knight in shining armor to come rescue her. She can’t wait for her matchmaking friends to find him! The Prospective Groom: Kirk Larsen, who’s a college professor, a widowed single dad, and Sunny’s high school sweetheart. Between teaching and raising a toddler, Kirk isn’t looking for romance, but his unexpected reunion with Sunny feels so perfect. The Hitch: Sunny is dubious when her blind date turns out to be her old boyfriend, but her doubts quickly evaporate. Soon she’s walking on air, dreaming of a white picket fence and a passel of kids... until a devastating secret threatens their second chance at happiness. Book 4: Fiancé for Hire The Prospective Bride: Amanda Coppersmith, successful at everything except marriage. Been there, done that—twice! No way is she going to let her matchmaking pals fix her up with another husband. She’s determined to remain single, which means outwitting her well-meaning friends. The Prospective Groom: Nick Stephanos, studly New York taxi driver and the perfect choice for fake fiancé. The Hitch: Nick is willing to play along, and the meddling matchmakers are completely taken in. So how did a simple fake engagement become so darn complicated?