FIRST COME TWINS…THEN COMES MARRIAGE? Caitlin Cunningham was about to make the most heart-wrenching decision of her life. Thanks to a bureaucratic mix-up at the Chinese orphanage, this fiercely independent single mom had to choose between two orphaned sisters. The situation seemed hopeless. Until another solution presented itself—marrying fellow traveler Matt MacAllister! The temporary marriage was supposed to solve her dilemma, but it left Caitlin more conflicted than ever. A man as driven by his work as Matt MacAllister could never be a family man. And yet his kisses and quiet strength told Caitlin that Matt was a man worth fighting for. Could she now make Matt see that he’d never find fulfillment…without her by his side?
Dangerously attractive Brice McAllister has been commissioned to paint a portrait of Sabina Smith. But the elusive supermodel tries everything she can to avoid being alone with him! Realizing that Sabina is afraid to act on the mutual attraction she senses between them, he arranges her portrait sitting at his grandfather's Scottish castle. Brice is determined to seduce Sabina and he knows there is no way she'll resist the temptation....
When Minard Alvaro McAlister began his practice of law in the mid-fifties, his divorce work was only an occasional matter. Yet, beginning in the1960s, a rush of people from all strata of society were beginning to see divorce as less of a stigma and more of a solution. In Anatomy of Marriage, McAlister uses his lifetime of work experience to relate the process of divorce from the attorneys point of view and examines many of the reasons why marriages fail.
MAN of the MonthCODE of the WEST MR. JULY Commitment-Shy Cowboy: Cash Callahan wasn't opposed to marriage. It was fine for other people. For everybody else, in fact, except The Woman Who Was Marrying Mike Dutton on Saturday: Milly Malone Some women had no patience! So she'd been waiting five years for Cash Callahan to pop the question did that mean Milly should change the locks? Start dating a steady, dependable number cruncher? Agree to marry the jerk? Of course not. But she had. And when all his good sense and rational arguments couldn't change her mind, Cash knew there was only one way to save Milly from disaster. He'd have to marry her himself! MAN OF THE MONTH: He'll do anything for the woman he loves it's the CODE OF THE WEST.
Dear Avon Books, Where are my heroes? Whenever I'm reading a book by one of my favorite authors I find I'm falling for the wrong guy -- not the hero, but the other man -- and what I really want is for him to have his own story. Like Jake Linley, from Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas…that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn...he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men -- when do they get their stories? Sincerely, A Romance Fan Some books are so special that there is more than one hero to love, but only a single story is told. So if you find yourself asking, "Where is my hero?" you'll discover the answer right here in this delicious collection by New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn and USA Today bestseller Kinley MacGregor.
Stunning Caledonia MacNeely fights an unfamiliar shiver when she is offered in marriage to the infamous 'Lord Sin'. Though Callie fears this mysterious knight—less for the dark whispers that damn him than for the burning desire he invokes—she is under order of the English King. And with the fate of her troubled clan hanging in the balance, she has little recourse.
Betrayed and determined never to trust love again, Nevada assistant district attorney Jesse Burke heads to California to reunite with his family. Despite his turmoil, Jesse soon finds love with local news anchor Krista Kelly. Original.
Fergus McCloud couldn't quite remember how he'd first met Chloe Fox...but circumstances indicated that they'd slept together pretty soon afterward! Actually, they hadn't. But Chloe's mission was to persuade Fergus not to publish a book that would ruin her family. What better way than to prolong the pretense of their being lovers? Only, Fergus wanted to rediscover the delights of their night "together"—and he intended to be present this time...in mind as well as body!
A ROYAL AWAKENING Born a triplet—and eternally uncertain of her individual identity—Alice MacAllister avoided family gatherings like the plague. Until duty demanded she attend a two-week wedding party, complete with visiting royalty. There, Alice met handsome, irreverent royal Brent Bardow, who tickled her funny bone, seduced her out of her shell and almost made her believe she could find herself in his blue, blue eyes. Well, what the heck? For two short weeks they could laugh, love and ignore the future they’d never have. But running out of time, Alice couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be this magnificent man’s royal bride….
It wasn't called the Bermuda Triangle for nothing! Most people would have enjoyed vacationing in sunny Bermuda after being injured on the job. But for Mariah Conners, the timing couldn't have been worse. She wasn't just an FBI agent, she was a biomedical scientist. And the cancer research she was conducting just might help to save her supervisor's life. But her charismatic partner, Quinn MacAllister, wasn't giving her a choice. She needed a break, and he was going to make sure that she took one. Two glorious weeks of scuba diving, sailing, deep-sea fishing, water skiing, and horseback riding would refresh them both. Then their small charter plane went down in a freak electrical storm, and they found themselves cast adrift in the treacherous Bermuda Triangle with two spoiled teenagers and an elderly retired couple. The remote tropical island that sheltered them was lush and gorgeous--but it also held a deadly secret. And their old enemy, Bryce Spencer, was in hot pursuit! Could Mac and Conners keep their four unlikely companions alive, and escape the mysterious island, before Spencer killed them all?ÿ ~~~~~ÿ Excerptÿ ~~~~~ ?Mac!? Mariah stared in blank horror as the plane?s shattered nose sank beneath the choppy storm-darkened waves, leaving behind only a trail of shimmering bubbles. ?Mac!? Someone was holding her back, pleading with her, clutching her arms in a fierce paralyzing grip. ?Let me go!? she yelled, wrenching free despite the blazing pain in her shoulder. ?He?s my partner!? Saltwater stung her lacerated forehead as she plunged headfirst into the churning waves. She barely even noticed. ?Mac, where are you?? she shouted, awkwardly treading water. ?Mac!? The bubbles were slowly fading away. She had to act now, or it would be too late! She dove, kicking hard, following the plane?s lazy descent. Icy darkness enveloped her. Her lungs began to ache and fiery spots danced before her eyes, yet still she struggled deeper. She couldn?t give up, she just couldn?t! More rising air bubbles suddenly exploded in her face, blinding her. Then her groping fingers brushed against something slippery. Mac?s leather jacket! One last frantic surge of energy moved her weakening legs, propelling her upward again, dragging his heavy weight behind her. She couldn?t give up, she couldn?t? Please, Mac, don?t die! Cold rain suddenly lashed against her upturned face. Sputtering, she sucked in deep breaths of precious air. Lightning flared overhead, painfully bright against her dilated eyes. The iron bands constricting her chest slowly eased as she fought to keep Mac?s sagging head above the waves. ?Over here!? Reuben?s lilting voice cut through the howling wind, and she caught a brief glimpse of his pale face through the churning spray. ?We?re over here! Hurry!? Thunder rumbled in her ears as the heavy waves knocked her back and forth. Frigid water cascaded over her head, and she resurfaced with a strangled cough. Fresh pain lanced through her shoulder as she clumsily splashed toward the heaving orange raft. Her legs were going numb from the bitter cold, and she was so tired?but she had to keep trying! Mac?s life depended on her! Something hard stung her flailing hand. A rope? She wrapped stiffening fingers around it, and felt the waves tug harder in protest as the raft suddenly jolted closer. New energy surged through her aching frame when Reuben?s fingers locked around Mac?s limp arm, and pulled hard. ?Hurry!? she shouted. ?He?s not breathing!? Esther leaned out perilously far to help, and slowly they hauled his long body into the raft. Then it was Conners? turn, and she wanted to sob with relief as the ocean reluctantly loosened its death-grip on her thrashing legs. Mac was sprawled face-down in the sloshing raft. ?Help me roll him over!? she gasped, clutching her throbbing arm with bleeding fingers. Oh God, his lips were blue, and his open eyes were glazed. ?He can?t die, not yet!? Esther braced herself against the rolling waves, and pressed shaking fingers against his cold throat. ?He still has a pulse!? she shouted. ?It?s slow, but he?s still alive!? Both teenagers looked shell-shocked, too dazed to react. Conners ignored them, and focused on her partner?s deathly pale face. ?Come on, Mac, come on!? she chanted, thrusting hard against his inert diaphragm. ?Breathe!? Helpful hands steadied her as she bent to force air down his windpipe. Again. And again! Breathe, thrust? Breathe, thrust? Breathe, thrust? Suddenly his limp body convulsed, and a gush of salty water erupted from his open mouth. Conners tilted his head to one side and let the water drain. ?Breathe, Mac!? she ordered, pushing hard against his ribs one last time. ?Come on, damn it! Breathe!? He jerked again, and this time she heard the sweet rush of air filling his lungs. His chest began to rise and fall in a slow, rhythmic cadence as his taut muscles relaxed. Slowly his eyes flickered open, and he focused on her tear-streaked face. ?Hey!? His pale lips twitched into a faint teasing grin as they formed soundless words. ?You weren?t worried about me, were you?? For one crazy moment, she didn?t know whether to hit him or kiss him. Regulations be damned, this was a moment when she needed to touch him, just to reassure herself that he was still alive! ?Jesus, Mac, I thought I?d lost you! Don?t you ever do that to me again!? Lightning flashed overhead. He tried to push himself up on one elbow, but she laid a restraining hand on his chest. ?Lie still! You need rest!? Another huge wave crashed into the raft, drenching them with icy spray. Reuben wrapped his fingers tighter around the support rope, and leaned close enough to shout in her ear. ?How long will this storm last?? His aging face was drawn with fear. ?The raft is filling up with water fast!? ?Emergency rafts are built to handle a lot of water!? she yelled back. ?Just hang on!? Suddenly the black clouds and shrieking winds vanished. For one ageless, nauseating moment, the entire world seemed to whirl in dizzying spirals. Then a soft, warm rain began to patter down around them. ?Mac!? She bolted upright and stared wildly around. ?What the hell?? ?I don?t know!? It was impossible. Fierce squalls didn?t just appear and then disappear in the blink of an eye. But the violent electrical storm was gone. The gigantic crashing waves were gone. And as they watched in stunned disbelief, the hazy gray clouds overhead simply melted away, and the golden sun began to shine down from a perfectly clear blue sky. The ocean around them was calm, gentle?and empty. The other life raft was nowhere to be seen.
