Not Your Mama's Mambo
Not Your Mama's Mambo

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2024-03-06

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1948532751

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Billionaire Mike Woodley has always carved his own path, steering clear of his wealthy family’s influence. But when his parents swoop back into town, they treat him like he’s still a kid. His father belittles his business, and his mother drops not-so-subtle hints about settling down. Determined to prove himself, Mike impulsively invites the whole family to Christmas dinner at his new place in Sullivan’s Creek. There’s just one hitch: his home is as empty as his heart, and he's struggling to find an interior decorator who can handle his hands-on approach. The last thing local artist Darren Williams wants is a decorating job, but she has to take it to pay off her sister’s gambling debts—even if Mike keeps getting in the way. As Darren juggles her newfound career and her sister’s problems, she’s surprised to find a spark flare between her and the meddlesome billionaire. As they confront their respective families’ issues, these two independent people realize their partnership could be more than just a solution to their problems—it’s a force to be reckoned with, a bond forged in the heat of passion. Could it also be love?

The Sleepover Clause
The Sleepover Clause

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2024-02-29

Total Pages: 882

ISBN-13: 1948532557

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Aubrey Carpenter has been running away from problems all her life, fearful of her mother’s opinions. When her latest home reno project blows up in her face, she escapes LA and hides out in a small Iowa town where the motor coach for her sister’s concert tour is being customized. That doesn’t stop her from attempting to fix the dysfunctional lives of the three McKenna brothers who own the motor coach spa, particularly Mitch McKenna, the younger, hunky brother who has put his legal career on hold to help his brothers recoup their late father’s financial losses. The more involved she gets, the more attracted she is to the man. Though irritated by her interference, Mitch finds it increasingly more difficult to resist her. When Aubrey’s former client sues, Mitch can’t allow her to face the music on her own. But to defend her, he must reveal his dream of returning to the law to his brothers. Their growing relationship is put to the test when she must decide whether to stay and ask her judgmental mother for help or hit the road again, leaving Mitch behind.

Craks in a Marriage
Craks in a Marriage

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2018-02-06

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 0999091093

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Sydney Bonner overhears a fellow mah jongg player arguing on the phone with her husband and realizes the couple’s “perfect marriage” isn’t all it appears to be. When the husband is found dead a few days later, the widow prevails upon Sydney and her three friends—Marianne, Kat and Micki—to find out who really killed him. Though none of these four take-charge retirees has any training as detectives, the women agree to launch a secret investigation. As they dig under the happy veneer of their community’s social life, they find more than enough suspects, from shady ladies to resentful golf buddies, to keep them looking over their shoulders. Could the murderer be lurking among the talent in a chaotic production put on by Sydney’s husband, who will do anything to keep busy in retirement? Could the sheriff, who may have more than a professional interest in chanteuse Kat, end up pinning the crime on the women instead? Each discovery during their investigations keeps them running as they close in on the killer—but the killer may also be closing in on them.

Wrenched at the Reindeer Run: A Florida Holiday Murder Mystery
Wrenched at the Reindeer Run: A Florida Holiday Murder Mystery

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2023-10-01

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1948532670

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Interior designer Rowena Summerfield is ready to add her festive flair to the reception for her Florida town’s first marathon, even if a local Scrooge turns down her request for a donation. But when he’s found dead under the wreckage of the race’s reviewing stand, it’s clear someone’s reindeer game has turned deadly. Former homicide investigator Ro is once again recruited to help her former partner, Herc Morgan, find the killer. All of their suspects could be on Santa’s naughty list. And given that the victim dumped coal on every life he touched, any one of them could have decided to frost him. Ro and Herc are eager to wrap up the case so they can get back to their yuletide fun. Herc’s agonizing over picking the perfect gift for his new girlfriend. Ro’s boyfriend, Chuck, hints that he has a very special ornament in mind. While Ro sorts through clues to discover the murderer, she must also sort through her loyalty to her late husband and her growing love for this new man in her life. Will the twinkle of the tree lights in her living room be outdone on Christmas Day by the sparkle of a rock on her finger? Maybe, but only if a killer doesn’t murder their merriment first.

Tough Enough to Tango
Tough Enough to Tango

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2024-02-28

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 1948532735

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When her father’s health falters, Shae Harriman leaps into action, taking the reins of his construction empire and spearheading Sullivan’s Creek, the company’s most ambitious project yet. Armed with knowledge but lacking in experience, she faces immediate pushback from her skeptical crews. Enter Ned Collier, the larger-than-life entertainer with a secret mission: to secure a safer home for his mother amid the chaos of his superstar lifestyle. Strapped for cash and determined to keep his struggles hidden, he insists on micromanaging the project, much to Shae’s frustration. As they navigate the challenges of construction and the complexities of their personal lives, their clashes fuel a magnetic attraction. Despite his penny-pinching and her construction crises, they find themselves drawn closer, the tension between them crackling with unspoken desire. But can their fiery chemistry withstand the pressures of the job and the weight of their secrets? Their only way forward may be the hardest—to open up to each other and unlock the sizzling connection that just might be the key to their hearts and future.

Keeping It Casual
Keeping It Casual

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2024-02-29

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1948532611

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Talent manager Alex Appleby needs Geoff McKenna's help. Her vicious client is threatening the reputation of Alex's television-star father if Alex can't convince her stepsister to go along with the client's demand. Alex turns to Geoff to make the case to her sister. Geoff has his own proposition for Alex. Thus far, his case of multiple sclerosis has been mild, but he’s unsure of his future. When his girlfriend pushes for a stronger commitment, he enlists Alex as his new pretend love interest so his girlfriend will break things off. Discovering they actually are attracted to each other, they agree to keep things casual, since Alex is only in town briefly and Geoff isn’t interested in anything serious. But fate intervenes as their feelings deepen. Alex must decide whether to relocate to Iowa from LA, and Geoff must place faith in his future.

Saved by the Salsa
Saved by the Salsa

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2024-02-06

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 1948532719

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Stuck in a rut at work, junior architect Lacey Rogers sees her new project as her ticket to the top, only to find herself shackled to the firm’s golden boy, Scott Dalton. Worse, he treats her assignment to work with him as an insult. Struggling with his own aspirations, Scott finds his confidence taking a nosedive when he’s assigned to work with Lacey on a secret project. Is this a subtle demotion, a sign that his star is waning? Despite his resistance to her unconventional methods, he can’t help but be drawn to her. As they reluctantly team up to teach a Salsa class for seniors as research for their project , the pulsating rhythm of the music and the sensuous dance moves ignite a passion between them they can’t deny. But can their connection survive beyond the dance floor? Is this just a workplace fling or the foundation for a future together?

The Dragon Lady Gets Her Due
The Dragon Lady Gets Her Due

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2020-11-10

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1948532271

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When the dragon lady down the street invites Sydney Bonner’s husband to join the block’s holiday lighting extravaganza, Syd figures the venture will distract him while she manages Sheriff Rick Formero’s election campaign. But Trip’s merry mission ends abruptly when the diva suffers a dramatic demise. Syd and her mah jongg friends Marianne, Micki and Kat see a chance to make their amateur sleuthing official with their contributions to Sheriff Rick’s campaign platform. But they’re just as interested in why the skipper of the spectacular light show met her shocking end. Putting their political proposal into action, Syd rides shotgun with Rick as they interview a stocking full of suspects. Serendipity Springs’ secrets come to light as they unravel the mystery against the backdrop of a contentious campaign. From the standoffish widower to the resentful volunteers, it seems everyone on the committee had a problem with the queen of Christmas. As the naughty list grows and the neighbors string the investigators along, can Syd and her friends nail the evil elf before a deadly decorator turns out their lights for good?

The Charleston Challenge
The Charleston Challenge

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2020-09-09

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 1948532263

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Oh, her aching feet! Micki Demetrius questions her sanity for agreeing to compete in Serendipity Springs’ Annual Charleston Challenge when clearly she and her partner, Guy Whitney, have no chance of winning or even placing. Just ask the reigning champion, who points out their low odds of taking home the trophy every chance she gets. But then, Micki’s only dancing in this contest because Guy wouldn’t enter without her, and the poor man needs something to occupy his days. Retirement hasn’t come easy for him. Not that there’s anything special going on between them, as much as Guy would like or his daughter suspects. There isn’t, is there? Micki can’t wait to put their performance behind them—until one of the top competitors is found dead on the ballroom floor. The sheriff warns Micki and her three mah jongg pals not to play amateur sleuth again, but he can’t stop this persistent freelance journalist from pursuing her inside scoop, with a little help from her friends. The trouble with being on the inside, though, is that being so close to her sketchy subjects might just let the killer get dangerously close to her.

Jokers Wild
Jokers Wild

Author: Barbara Barrett

Publisher: Barbara Barrett

Published: 2020-07-09

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1948532239

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Marianne Putnam’s one-act play is about to come to life, if she can put up with the guidance of an egotistical New York director who seems to think his primary job is tormenting the cast and crew at the Serendipity Springs community center. Jason Newhall’s efforts might be working in more ways than one — while the play gets better, everyone hates him more and more, including a trickster playing jokes in the theater. Just when Marianne’s baby is about to have its moment in the spotlight, the director fails to show up for curtain time. Marianne and his wife rush to his house to find him dead. Though no one really liked him, who hated him enough to kill him? Everyone in the cast and crew is considered a suspect, along with the director’s wife and Marianne. Sheriff Formero plays a trick of his own when Marianne and her mah jongg friends want to investigate the case—he invites Syd, Micki and Kat to work with him and his deputies to interview a long list of potential suspects, but only under his conditions. But Marianne can’t resist getting involved too. She enlists the hapless husbands of her friends, and they set out to solve the crime on their own ... only to learn the hard way that independence can be dangerous.