The last time Brantley Kincaid had an argument with someone, he was eighteen years old - and he regrets it like he will never regret anything again. If only he had not balked at going to pick up his grandfather that day, his mother would not have driven into the path of a truck and there would be two fewer graves in Merritt Cemetery. Though a frequent visitor, he hasn't lived in Merritt since burying his mother and grandfather. But now he's coming back and it might not be so easy to hide behind his wit and charisma. Outwardly, interior designer Lucy Mead is a beautiful, confident professional. Inside, she's the friendless, overweight girl who spent her life following her archeologist parents all over the globe. And who could forget those teenage years of turmoil and unrequited love? It would have been kinder if Brantley had not known she was alive rather than treating her like Robin to his Batman. She carries the humiliation to this day. Their friends and Brantley's family are delighted when he sets his sights on Lucy, though Lucy isn't so sure. She cannot deny the attraction, but something is wrong. Does he really love her, or does he see her as a refuge and another way to run from his grief? If she can’t find answers, what could be a simple, sweet life might go completely south. Sensuality Level: Sensual

USA Today Bestseller Welcome to Merritt, Alabama, where everybody knows your name but not necessarily your secrets. These five contemporary romances explore the not-so-simple joys of small-town living, where the heroes are hotter than temperatures in July and the heroines know just when not to mind their manners. Grab a glass of sweet tea and sit a spell: Sweet Gone South: Chocolatier Lanie Heaven has good friends, a booming business, and the adoration of the citizens of Merritt, Alabama - and a big secret. Then widower Judge Luke Avery moves upstairs and threatens to turn her life into a sticky mess. Scrimmage Gone South: Lawyer Tolly Lee is pearls, debutante balls, and polished silver on the breakfast table. High school football coach Nathan Scott holds her responsible for his aborted NFL career. Can these two ex-lovers find a way to co-exist in the same small town - without becoming fodder for every gossip in town? Slugger Gone South: When New York Yankee Marc MacNeal comes to Merritt, Alabama, for a charity golf tournament, he's shocked to be reunited with his ex-fiancée Bailey Watkins. It could be the perfect chance to get some long-awaited closure - or the start of a whole new ball game. Simple Gone South: The last time Brantley Kincaid had an argument with someone, a loved one ended up in Merritt Cemetery. He's high strung enough about moving back home to the memories without running into his childhood playmate, Lucy Mead, who's all grown up. Secrets Gone South: Will Garrett grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and never expected debutante Arabelle Avery to end up in his arms during an emotional moment. Now she's returned to Merritt, his son on her hip. Will he ever be good enough to raise his son and win Arabelle's heart? Sensuality Level: Sensual

Two twentysomethings struggle to let go of their idea of a perfect world on and off the ice in this emotional third book in the Nashville Sound series. Ambitious, smart, and straightlaced, Nashville Sound forward Jarrett MacPherson is determined to walk in the footsteps of his All-American hockey-playing grandfather. He prides himself on doing the right thing above all, with ethics so sharp they could cut the heart out of a saint. Hard-working Merry Sweet toils by day in a paper shop and coffee bar in Sound Town and at night at the arena, cleaning, selling concessions, and taking tickets. Jarrett notices and admires Merry’s determination and believes her when she says she needs money for law school, even offering to help solve her financial problems. When she refuses him, his esteem for her only grows. But when the public catches wind of their budding relationship, a surprising secret from Merry’s past comes to light. Now, Jarrett must decide if he’ll let his image take precedence over his heart and cost him the chance at something perfectly real. Sensuality Level: Sensual

To the world, professional rodeo cowboy Rafe Beauford is the fearless rider with an easy smile who never backs down from a challenge. But when a buckle bunny he knew back in Odessa dies in a motorcycle accident and Rafe learns he's the father of twin baby girls, he finally gets a taste of real fear. There's not much call for a Shakespeare scholar in Beauford, Tennessee, so widowed single mother Abigail Whitman is coming up short on earning options. Then blond, sexy Rafe rides into town needing a nanny. He's willing to pay generously--not to mention Abby and her son can live at the family plantation, Beauford Bend. Abby agrees to take the job, on the condition that he stays home for a month to bond with his daughters. There aren't any bulls at Beauford Bend to distract Rafe, but there is Abby with her classy ways and heart-stealing eyes. When she manages to cut through his defenses to his vulnerable heart, Rafe's new biggest fear is that he'll fall hard and end up hurt all over again. What's a cowboy to do? Sensuality Level: Sensual

The world loved Heisman trophy winner and two-time Super Bowl champion Gabe Beauford - until he blew it and cost San Antonio the chance to make history. Now his brother's wedding back in Beauford Bend offers the perfect hideout. Neyland MacKenzie has a passion for jewelry making and a hatred for football. Neither is working out very well. With sales down, it's getting harder to pay the rent or buy new materials, and she can't escape the notoriety of being the daughter of the beloved Beauford high school coach. Still, when Gabe walks into her shop looking like a cross between a GQ model and a Viking warrior and picks out the most expensive piece in her case, Neyland refuses to sell to him. Everybody knows he sends women jewelry as kiss-off gifts, and her art will not be part of that, even if Gabe does have the bluest eyes in Tennessee. Gabe has never been one to walk away from a challenge, especially when he needs a distraction - and most especially when that challenge has legs that would stop a locomotive. But if Neyland tackles his heart, could it cost him another ring? Sensuality Level: Sensual

From USA Today best-selling author Alicia Hunter Pace comes this emotional gem in the Beauford Bend series. Heath Beckett would have never moved his renowned stained glass business to the artisan boutique town of Beauford, Tennessee, if he'd thought there was any chance Hope MacKenzie would return there. Ambitious and career-minded Hope left him with a bleeding heart years ago when she couldn't fathom that his art would ever turn out to be more than a hobby. Now she's back because her family's bank needs her desperately. Although she reluctantly settles into a quiet life in her hometown, she's soon embraced by the knitting circle at a local shop, and Hope finally begins to understand the charms of small-town living: the neighbors who truly care for you and the slower pace that affords an appreciation of more simple joys. She steers clear of Heath, knowing she foolishly lost her chance with him long ago. But when she gives a personal loan to the women who own the local knitting shop without consulting Heath, who has helped them with their finances for years, the two must work together to ensure the ladies' business plan is in tip-top shape. Surely a man capable of creating such pure beauty has a heart that can forgive. But can he still love? Free knitting pattern inside! Sensuality Level: Sensual

Born an orphan in Russia, Nashville Sound center Nickolai Glazov never knew the warmth of a big family. Luckily, at age six, his talent for hockey was discovered. Now, with a multitude of championship titles, a berth on the 2014 Russian Olympic team, and plenty of puck bunnies to warm his bed on cold nights, he's not wasting his energy crying over his lack of roots. Even if he wouldn't mind a special someone to come home to . . . Artisan quilt maker Noel Verden, on the other hand, has so many roots they're threatening to strangle her. Her family depends on Noel for everything, from talking them through using the television remote to deciphering the telephone bill—all from 200 miles away. She loves them, but wishes they were more self-sufficient and would stop trying to force her to close her quilt shop in Beauford, Tennessee, to move back home to Kentucky. If only she had the strength and power to stand up to her family . . . A chance meeting and a snowy ice storm bring this unlikely pair together on the most enchanting day of the year, and a special connection flares between them. But when the ice melts, will the magic disappear too? Sensuality Level: Sensual