A.S. Fenichel / Andie Fenichel
Official website of romance author A.S. Fenichel / Andie Fenichel
Instalove Romance by Andie Fenichel
Andie Fenichel writes the same wonderfully independent heroines and the heroes who win their love as A.S. Fenichel, but in novella-length contemporary and paranormal instalove stories. Enjoy!
Leona
I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. My ex just married my sister at a fancy hotel in upstate New York. The party is just getting going when I reach the last of my strength. I can’t take it anymore. With no idea where to go, I run into the woods, hoping to catch my breath. In my panicked state, I get off the hiking trail and lose my way. The music is so far away, I’m not even sure what direction it’s coming from. That’s when I see a lion. I must have lost my mind because there are no lions in New York. My instinct says to run, but there’s something in his eyes that’s almost human. I see pain and hopelessness, and in that moment, I can relate to this beast. Thinking he must be injured, I carefully draw close enough to see there’s an injection dart protruding from his chest. I might lose an arm for my troubles, but I move in and pull the needle.
Cade
At first, I imagined the beautiful brunette running toward me was a woodland sprite. I’ve been stuck in my manticore form for too long. Soon I’ll lose my humanity completely. I don’t know who shot me, but with the poison still pumping in from the syringe, I can’t turn back. Then she speaks, telling me to please not bite her. Her voice is sweet and soothing. She pulls the damned needle. I immediately shift into a man, wanting to know more about the angel who saved me. So, when she runs, I chase her. Why she’s more scared of a naked man than the monster? I don’t know, but I’m willing to spend the rest of my life trying to find out.
Astra
Being a nymph, people generally think of me as a mythological character, but I’m a real woman with things that I want out of life. Having spent my entire existence in the woods of Upstate New York, I long for more. Now my father has promised me to a satyr named Niko whom I’ve never met. This is my last chance to get away, so I charm a local wyvern who’s had his eye on me for many years into flying me far away from this place, my father, and that satyr.
Only Niko finds me before I reach the meeting place. And damn him, but he’s charming. He’s not at all the careless beast I expect. Still, I’m not giving in to an arranged marriage. Of course, that means I’ll never see my father or my woods again. It’s an impossible choice.
Nico
I was reluctant to agree to an arranged marriage, but once I see Astra’s picture, I know she’s my destiny. When word reaches me that she’s running to avoid the match, I go after her. Even after finding her fleeing from me through the woods, I’m smitten. If she feels the bond between us, she hides it well. Unwilling to give up too soon and never have a life with her, I make a deal. If Astra will give me one week at the house I bought for us, I will abide by whatever she decides and make things right with her father.
Drayce
For half my life I have longed for the nymph who frequents the woods of Upstate New York. Finally, she told me she would be mine if I took her away from here. Then she stood me up and mated with the satyr. Having sworn never to be bothered with romance again, I spend my days plotting revenge. I’ve set my trap to humiliate them. When the alarms indicate the trap is sprung, I rush to meet my prey. What I find is the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. I don’t even like humans, but I can’t take my eyes off this one. She struggles against my net in a vain attempt to escape me. The longer I look at her, the more certain I am that this woman is mine.
Kori
I lost my friends on a hike in the woods. If that wasn’t bad enough, I walked into some kind of animal trap and now I’m dangling twenty feet off the ground in a giant net. I scream, but the odds of someone hearing me seem less than zero. It’s more likely that I’m about to be eaten by a bear or mountain lion. The last thing I expect is a dragon to fly through the forest and stare at me with giant blue eyes. My screaming turns to whimpers. Terrified, I start babbling the way I always do when I’m afraid. Instead of devouring me, the monster’s eyes soften, he releases me from the trap and cradles me in his arms. As soon as we touch terra firma, he transforms into a stunning man. If I’m not dead, then this fairy tale is my dream come true.
Brothers of Scrim Hall Series
While connected, each book is a standalone story. The books can be read in any order, however, if you prefer to read chronologically, the author recommends reading Soul of a Monster last.
Oliver
Vampires don’t fall in love. At least, that’s what I’ve always believed. How can you fall in love when everything with a beating heart is a potential food source? Yet from the moment I first saw Britta, nothing else mattered. I don’t even care that the news story she writes may destroy me and my brothers. Fighting my instincts to claim her isn’t an option, but getting her to see beyond my monster may be impossible.
Britta
I came to Scrim Hall to unravel a mystery and write a story that would push my journalism career to the next level. I never believed the stories of monsters living in the woods. I was wrong. Though, this monster has a hold on me that I can’t explain. His bite is magic, but his heart is a drug I can’t resist.
Declan
A grim reaper knows when people are ready to cross over to the next life. That makes it hard to get close to anyone. My brothers are monsters too, so their lives are long, and their deaths far enough away that they don’t invade my senses. Every other human is not as much of a mystery. I touch them and I know when they will draw their last breath. Until Anabelle. From the first touch, I feel need and desire. Not a hint of death in her future. It’s not possible, and yet…
Anabelle
I’ve never met anyone as sad or as caring as the man who came to comfort my grandfather at the end. There had been other hospice workers, but none like Declan. He spent hours with me and Poppy, then he was gone. Unable to shake him from my mind, I search him out at a strange mansion in the woods. I can’t decide if he’s a monster or a man, but I’m drawn in like a moth to a candle and can’t fly away.
Finn
My brothers and I have a vacation cabin on a large piece of property in the wilderness. I often go there to spread my wings. It’s hard to let my dragon free when people are around, and the beast needs to fly. The last thing I expect is to find a woman passed out in our woods. She’s like a precious jewel and my dragon can’t let her go.
Marina
I’ve been searching my entire life for proof that I’m not crazy. I was five years old when I saw the dragon flying over my family’s summer rental. He had golden eyes and his soul spoke to me. Then he was gone and no one believed me. They said he was a dream and when I wouldn’t let it go, they put me in therapy. Even I started to believe I was nuts. Now I’m looking into those same eyes and my dragon is a man. Maybe being trapped in a cabin with a beast is a bad idea, or maybe I’m having a breakdown, but when he looks at me, I don’t want to be anywhere else.
Silas
My gardens are my life. I design and create them. When my wolf needs to run, there’s plenty of space around Scrim Hall. The rest of the time, my life is semi-normal. At least it was until my landscape supplier retired and his granddaughter took over the business. I can’t stay away from the fiery goddess. Now that I have her scent, my beast wants more, and I can’t deny the wolf.
Lucinda
I’ve never met a man as ferocious or as attractive as Silas Dimitri. My brain says run. My heart says he’d catch me—and I’d like it. I’m only supposed to deliver plants to the mysterious mansion in the woods, but arriving at Scrim Hall is like falling into the rabbit hole. However, my wonderland is filled with pleasures beyond the imagination, and I don’t think I want to go home.
Griffin
Demons are not that rare. You’d be surprised how many of us are living right under your nose. A living demon has to make trips to hell from time to time in order to recharge. This time when I push back into the world of man, I miscalculate and land in a public park. Luckily the only one present is one woman. Her level of shock is so severe, I can’t leave her. The beast inside me softens with her in my arms.
Julia
I was meditating in the same spot I do every day when the weather is good. The gates of hell opened up and a sexy-as-F man gapes at me. The next thing I know, I wake up and he’s holding me. His pale eyes hold none of the black I first saw jump from a fiery pit. He presses his lips to my forehead and tells me everything is going to be okay. For the first time in my totally messed up life, I believe it.
Noah
I’m close to my regeneration, but I hold on a few extra days so I can attend my brother’s wedding. I’m sure I look like hell, but the only one who seems to notice is the gorgeous friend of the bride. She’s been on my mind since we first met and if I wasn’t close to doing what a Phoenix is best known for, I’d be all in for a mutual seduction. When I tell her I’ll be better in a few days, her eyes fill with sympathy. Once I’m reborn out of the ashes, there’ll be a lot of explaining to do.
Nina
He was sick the weekend of the wedding. Even so, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. So beautiful and elegant. I’m a little ashamed, but during the rehearsal dinner, I follow Noah into the woods. I don’t know what I hoped for, but he bursts into flames and a minute later he’s in front of me—perfect, naked—and I’m about to lose my mind. He’s weak, and I run to him. A moment later, total chaos erupts around us and we’re attacked by a team in hazmat gear and whisked away in the night.
Wentworth
I forfeited my mating rights many years ago when I took a wife who was not my true mate. She died nearly a century ago, and I have filled the void of lost love by raising six monsters to be fine men. I’m no saint—I’ve also sown many oats with the lovely local women. Even so, loneliness crept deep inside my soul until a human interior designer invaded my home and my heart. I’m a monster descended from lions, but Isa doesn’t run from my appearance. Though, she does run.
Isa
I was hired to decorate some new houses being built on the property surrounding Scrim Hall. I wouldn’t have left New York City for anyone other than my dearest friend, Nina, but she asked, and here I am. While I’m admiring the magnificent home, I come face-to-face with a monster. No amount of warning could have prepared me for the allure of the beast living in the main house. I should want to get away, except something in his sad eyes lures me in. As much as I want this monster to be mine, the mistakes of my past send me running.
Wentworth
I can’t force Isa to accept our mating bond. All I can do is beg her to give me one week to decide our fate. One short week to convince a stranger that I’m the only one, man or beast, who can truly make her happy.
Monster Between the Sheets Series
Each book is a standalone and can be read in any order.
Lorenzo
I rarely eat the food at my upscale Italian restaurant. Vampires need blood, not pasta. I crave the hunt, but I’m not a killer. A lady-killer, yes. There’s something about the vampire in me that lures women. The only woman immune to my allure is my dearest and oldest friend, Lily. She helped me survive my transition to vampirism, despite also becoming a monster of sorts. Kind and full of life, Lily is everything I’m not. My unbeating heart wants more than friendship with the fairy, but I’m afraid to ruin our friendship. Besides, what would she want with a broody vampire?
Lily
As a fairy, people rarely take me seriously. With my glow and wings, I understand why they look at me and think of Tinker Bell, not Aristotle, but the degree I’m working toward will prove them wrong. As if by some miracle, I think I may finally have a boyfriend, too. He’s not the man I really want, but my vampire friend Lorenzo is off-limits. Besides, a human boyfriend may be a better choice since every woman in town isn’t chasing him. If only my heart would accept that Lorenzo isn’t the man for me…
Diego
Being a dragon in a town filled with monsters isn’t so bad. A bunch of scales and wings isn’t the worst affliction to hit this town’s residents. However, I don’t like being alone or having people run away when they see me. And with more humans moving to town, that happens more and more. Most of the time, I keep to myself or with a select group of good friends who are also monsters. I sell my jewelry and rent space in my art gallery. It’s a dreary but acceptable way to live.
The moment Scarlett walks into my jewelry shop, she changes everything. Becomes my everything. I can tell that she’s hiding something, and I’m almost certain someone in her past hurt her. As a man and a dragon, that’s not something I can live with. Now that she’s entered my dragon’s lair, I’ll do anything to protect her.
Scarlett
I stumbled upon Screamer Woods by accident. The unique residents make it the perfect place to hide out from my ex. He may find me anyway—he has before—but this place is so far off the beaten path, it may take a while. In the meantime, I can sell some artwork and refill my coffers before I have to run again.
Seeing a vampire or a fairy doesn’t scare me. I know what a real monster is and does. Meeting Diego is an unexpected bonus. Too bad I’ll have to bolt soon. I could get used to the way Diego looks at me. The way he makes me feel. If only the monster in my past would stay away and let me live happily ever after with the dragon of my dreams.
Jorge
When I left Florida, I figured I’d be a lone shifter. It’s not ideal. I am a panther shifter, and cats like to live in prides, but my family is dead, and my pack let me down. Well, maybe I let them down too. Broken Arrow, Montana, is a long way from home, but I got a job cooking at the local diner and the Devil’s Pack Motorcycle Club hasn’t asked me to leave. I call that a win, considering how my life has been going lately. All I have to do is forget the past and stay out of trouble, but when Daile walks into the diner and asks if she can put her fliers in the window, all bets are off. I’d let this woman put anything she wants anywhere she wants. She’s not a shifter, so trouble, here I come.
Daile
Moving from one small town to another isn’t too much of an adjustment. I like Broken Arrow and the sound of motorcycles when the club rides through. I came here to get away from heartbreak, so I have no business checking out the tall, dark, and dangerous cook. As soon as he catches me staring, I turn my head. I’m just going to find a way to make a living selling my art and not get involved with anyone. That’s my plan, except those sexy eyes and the mysterious way he slinks through town at night might be enough to steer me off course.
Mantus
I have a job to do. I don’t like it, but that doesn’t change anything. Find the shifters and send them back to hell. That’s the work. It’s not as if I have a choice. I’ve been tracking this last assignment for nearly a month. He’s a crafty one. I’ve got him pinned down at a fancy wedding venue when I’m stopped at the door by a woman who clearly doesn’t know who I am or have any instincts for danger. As my prey disappears onto a crowded dance floor, I’m struck by just how perfectly beautiful this party planner is.
Felicity
I don’t care how big or how hot a wedding crasher is, no one uninvited gets in on my watch. It doesn’t matter that my lady parts are on fire from the moment I see him. He’s imposing and grumpy, but I can’t take my eyes off him. For the briefest moment when he stares into my eyes, I think I’m too weak to stop this giant. Then I remember I’m the wedding planner and two can play the intimidation game.
Lane Family Series
Fall in love with the Lane family! While connected, each book is a standalone story. This series can be read in any order.
Dawson
My Colorado mountain cabin is supposed to be off the rental market for the holidays. Thanks to a glitch, it’s been booked for a girls’ week. Only one of the women made it here before all the flights were grounded. My deadline to finish this book doesn’t include time to deal with a rental mistake, though, I’ll admit Mia is the most stunning mistake I’ve ever seen. I can’t send her away in the middle of a blizzard. Christmas is coming and my book is due, but if Mia is the only present under my tree, I want to unwrap her right now. When the snow stops, it’ll all be over. That’s what I want… isn’t it?
Mia
My life is a dumpster fire. I lost everything these last two years, and my emotions are teetering at the edge of an abyss. I finally get a break from my job—which I hate—and a blizzard ruins my much-needed girls’ trip. I’m alone in Colorado. Well, not exactly, the sexy and famous author who owns the rental cabin is here. If it weren’t snowing, I’d get lost in a hurry, but we’re both stuck, and Mr. Sexy and Famous is looking like a very tasty distraction. All I have to do is open up to some fun. Oh, and not get attached to the best mistake ever to happen…
Ariana
When the power goes out for the fourth time in a week and there isn’t even any weather to blame, I’m at the end of my rope. I can’t get any work done. I run into the street to give the man in the cherry picker a piece of my mind, and before I know it, I’ve got a date with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. Putting aside my calculator isn’t easy for me. Taking chances is even more difficult. I should stand him up. It’s the sensible thing to do. This is either going to be the biggest mistake of my life or my best day ever. Too bad there’s no mathematical equation for falling head over heels.
Tyler
It might have been a normal repair assignment except for the gorgeous resident who comes barreling out of her house to yell at me. I have no idea what she’s saying because, from the moment I see her, my mind goes blank. When I come to my senses, I apologize for the inconvenience and ask for a date. It was a whim. She’s clearly out of my league, looking like a librarian, complete with a pencil sticking out of her perfectly twisted hair. I’m pretty sure her saying yes is as likely as winning the lottery. Except she does. Dating someone smart enough to split the atom isn’t usually my style, but the spark between us has nothing to do with her voltage issues.
Jordan
I had a great gig making cabinets for a big developer until the bastard went to jail for taking more than his share. I moved to Roseville because my friend needed a good carpenter and I needed the work. So here I am in New Jersey, glad to have something to hold me over for a few months while I figure out my next move. Not exactly how I dreamed my life would go. Still, this town is growing on me and the money is good. After meeting my new boss’s cousin, Faith Lane, I’m not sure I could leave even if I wanted to. Talk about a lightning bolt.
Faith
The last thing I ever wanted to do was move home because I failed. Yet here I am, sleeping in my childhood bedroom after a nasty divorce left me unemployed and nursing a dark pit where my heart used to be. It’s not that I don’t love my hometown. Roseville is great. I have a huge family that loves me. It should be the best place to work out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.
Joy
Maybe it’s weird that on the evening after my mom’s funeral, I’m in front of my computer typing an email to my pen pal. Okay, so I’m a grown woman with a pen pal. We got assigned to each other when we were in the third grade while he lived overseas. My class had an arrangement with the Italian school he attended. All of my friends wrote one or two letters, but Aiden and I never stopped. Eventually, the handwritten notes became emails and text messages. Even though we’ve never met in person, we’re connected in a way no one else seems to understand. I need that now, more than ever.
Aiden
I’ve spent my entire adult life comparing every woman I date to one I’ve never met in person. Joy is kind, smart, funny, and full of life. When she emailed to tell me her mother passed away, I regret that she waited until after the funeral to share that information. We’ve been writing long enough for me to know how devastated she is. Able to take my work anywhere, I pack up and drive from New Jersey to South Carolina. Seeing her for the first time, as she stocks shelves at her bookstore, I can hardly breathe. Coming here may be the biggest mistake of my life—or the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
Landon
I’ve never been happier to be bullied into taking a job. As a Hollywood studio caterer, I can’t say no when I’m called and this time, it was worth it. On day one, I spot the girl who got away. I’ve been pining for Grace Lane since we had one date, two years ago, and never managed a second. I’m not letting her slip away this time.
Grace
Christmas is bad enough with all the lovebirds when you’re alone. Having to work Christmas week is the pits. That is—until the sexy caterer hands me a plate of pasta and rekindles all the feels I’ve been suppressing for two years. I may be risking my heart all over again, but I can’t resist Landon’s mouthwatering food or his sexy smile. Honestly, I don’t want to resist anything he’s offering.
Georgia
It’s a terrible idea to accept a date with the guy I found passed out on my porch, but there’s something about Drew Hill that I can’t resist. I’ve been working as the outdoor activities director at Mountain Ridge Resort for a couple of years and have never been tempted to date a guest. I’ve steered clear of getting involved with anyone. I don’t like to let the grass grow under my feet. I move around. I like it that way. Don’t I?
No one has ever looked at me the way Drew does. As terrified as I am, my Lane family instincts tell me to roll with it. Besides, he’ll be gone in a week. Maybe a few days of heaven are worth a broken heart.
Drew
The last thing I need is to get involved in a serious relationship. Family history taught me counting on anyone will just get you burned and leave you broken. It’s not as if I made a good impression on the stunning Georgia Lane. I got drunk, lost my way, and passed out on her porch. Not my finest moment. Instead of rolling me down the hill, as she should have, she took care of me. She might be the kindest person I’ve ever known. I tell myself to walk away, enjoy my guys’ golf week with my friends, and go home unshackled. Still… I’m not ready to walk away from her. One date can’t amount to anything. Can it?
Samantha
So what if I said yes to a date with the hot bartender? The other university professors gave me hell, but I don’t care. There’s something intriguing about Hunter Lane. One date can’t hurt. I spend my days immersed in Shakespeare and Chaucer, so I deserve a little fun with a guy who isn’t boring and stuffy like the men I’ve dated recently. I’m tired of highbrow, and one night of a good time can’t amount to anything anyway.
Logan
I never expected the buttoned-up professor to say yes. My heart literally leaped for joy when she did. The only problem is she’s not a one-night-stand kind of girl, and I’m not a keeper. If I was the kind of guy looking for forever, Samantha Day would top my list. Better just count myself lucky to get one date. Opposites might attract, but I own a bar, and she’s a professor of literature. That’s a chasm too big to cross. Still, when I look at her, I see our future. Who am I to buck destiny?
Lydia
I don’t date athletes. It’s a rule. I almost married a big football star. After a very messy and grossly public breakup, I promised myself never to date another professional athlete. It’s a good policy. Since I interview them for a living, dating would be complicated. Not that I’ve met one I wanted to date in the last six years. That is, until Hunter Garrison. The guy is retiring at the height of his career. He’s a superstar. The last thing I want is to become the story rather than tell the story. Still, when he looks at me, I’m lost in a lifetime of possibilities.
Hunter
My career has always come first. Most of the time, dating isn’t worth the trouble, and I don’t take it seriously. Reporters are the worst part of being a professional hockey player. They’ve made any kind of social life nearly impossible. Not that I’m complaining. I have a great life. I’ve reached all my goals. Now it’s time to call it a day. I told the team I’d be icing itat the end of the new season, and they insisted on making a big deal about it. Then the sports network chimed in with an in-depth television show about me and my life. As jaded as I am, Lydia Lane is different. Talking to her, even with the cameras on, is like sharing memories with my best friend. I want more Lydia, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t fight needing her.
Ben
The heart attack I thought I had turned out to be an anxiety attack. My doctor’s orders—take a month off from being Mayor of Roseville. Bulldozed by my large but tightknit family, I agree to a yoga and meditation retreat in Southern California. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the woman who owns the place would turn my world upside-down. Portia is too young for me. Geographically, too far away from me. She’s also everything I never knew I wanted.
Portia
When my friend asks me to help her cousin-in-law manage his stress, I agree immediately. I’d do anything for a friend. She told me he’s the mayor of her town, so I’m expecting some old guy. Far from it. Ben Lane is six-feet-two inches of I-want-to-strip-you-naked-and-take-you-to-bed man. I’m turned on the minute I see him. How I could go from someone who’s never been infatuated to I-can’t-live-without-you is some kind of miracle. I’m pretty sure the miracle is Ben.
Alyssa
My lifelong fear of dogs is keeping me from my dream job. Fortunately, my best friend Sally is about to become a veterinarian, and her Labrador retriever just had a litter of puppies. So, I’m back in my hometown of Roseville, New Jersey to get over my fears before I take a job on the other end of the state. I never dreamed Sally’s brother would be staying with her too. I thought nine years was enough to get over my childhood crush, but the minute I see Jacob Lane, I’m head over heels in love all over again. Seconds later, I’m knocked to the ground—and my senses—by a huge beast. This will not end well…
Jacob
Alyssa Evans is my sister’s best friend. That made her totally off-limits when we were younger. Now we’re all grown up, and she’s finally back in Roseville. I want her as much now as I did when she left for college, but I also want to see her overcome her fears and pursue her dreams. First, I have to save her from being licked to death by my dog then convince her I’m the guy for her. Fears, stigmas, a long unromantic history, and geography isn’t too much to overcome, right? If I want my dreams to become reality, I’ve got to find a way.
Sally
Okay, so it’s a little crazy to become infatuated with a guy just because he saves a puppy. I know it. But something about Colin Mannis calls to me. It’s not only that he’s extremely hot, though he’s a firestorm of every-woman’s-dream proportions. There’s a softer side to the solider with a rock-hard exterior…I sense it, and I need to know more. It might be a huge mistake, but I’ve never met anyone like him. That’s why I kiss him the first chance I get. Risking my heart is new territory, but that kiss, and Colin, are so worth it.
Colin
When I met the cute veterinarian, I had no idea her family was so large and influential in Roseville. I do know that Sally is too sweet and good for a damaged guy like me. I should back off and never see her again. Instead, I’m going on a date with this woman who’s perfect in every way. We’re a total mismatch. I’m bound to mess the entire thing up. But I’m hooked from the first kiss, and I can’t help but want more of the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Mathew
Sadie Baker is the most beautiful, kind, talented, and out-of-reach woman I’ll ever know. Rockstars don’t date small-town photographers. Rockstars date other celebrities and live miserably ever after. I know it, but I can’t get her out of my head. So, when she needs a little time away from the roar of the crowds, I’m all in. I’ll take her to my beach house to write her next album. Forever might be out of reach, but a few stolen moments in heaven is worth the risk.
Sadie
Mathew Lane is the best medicine for my busted-up heart. With my label looking for the next big album, and my band counting on me to feed their families, I’m torn in a million directions. Songwriting used to be my greatest pleasure, but now I’m in an artistic death spiral. A few days at the beach with a hunk is just what the doctor ordered. It can never last. Nothing ever does.
Willa
I bought a dump. It’s the worst house in the most charming town I’ve ever seen. It was Roseville that sold me. Standing in my exploding kitchen, with my house falling down around my ears, my friend sends over a handyman. He’s big, handsome, and I can’t take my eyes off of him. Everything I see as a problem, he sees as an opportunity to make my home beautiful. I’m holding back because, just like this stupid house, I’m full of flaws, and he has a little girl to think about. I can’t risk hurling the Willa-disaster-zone at him, even if my heart yearns to take the leap.
Denver
My business is flipping houses, not fixing them for other people. Yet, when a friend asks me to take a look at our new neighbor’s rundown house, I cave. Wow, am I glad I didn’t refuse, because I could look at Willa all day. In fact, I want to do more than look. I want to touch, feel, and cherish her. I can’t get her out of my mind, but what would a sophisticated, big-city girl want with a small-town single dad from New Jersey? Since she’s all I can think about, I guess we’re going to find out.
Jackson
It’s Carnival and I’m planning to party hard before heading back to New Jersey and my normal boring existence. That’s a bit harsh. I love the town of Roseville and my life there, but it’s not my dream. It’s safe. I never expected that I would meet a woman on vacation in Italy who would
rock my world. The fact that she’s willing to go out into the Carnival streets of Viareggio with me, is some kind of miracle.
Allegra
Playing piano is what I do. I came to Europe to get a few great orchestras on my resume, so that someday soon I can return and play in the Philadelphia. Career setbacks and bad relationship choices aside, I’ve had a good time living and working in Europe. Italy is my big chance. It was probably a mistake to take a date the party where I need to make a big impression, but facing my ex solo makes my stomach ball up. Besides, Jackson Lane is the perfect date, smart, good-looking, and he’ll be gone in a few days. That’s what I want, right? Now if only my heart would listen to reason.
Emma
After my ex-fiancé trampled my heart with his betrayal, I’m officially done with dating. Being absurdly attracted to the guy who ruined my game-day shirt with mustard from his hot dog at a ball game threw a wrench in my plan. Six months later, when his Christmas cocktail drenches the front of my dress, I’m positive this man is only perfect for a one-night stand. Don’t judge…it’s been a long dry spell. The last thing I expect is for the man to play hard to get, but I’m okay with him getting hard.
Lucas
From the moment we collide and I accidentally smear mustard all over her chest, I can’t get this woman out of my head. But I’m only back in my hometown for a break, after the death of a friend. My life is in London, where I return to bury myself in work. When the beautiful blonde keeps surfacing in my thoughts and heart, there’s only one thing to do—move back to Roseville, New Jersey and convince her to fall as hard for me as I’ve fallen for her. Unfortunately, she’s on a self-imposed break from dating. Good thing I like a challenge.