Yes, I’m a single dad who needs a nanny for the summer. But hiring the stranded runaway bride who shows up on my doorstep in a wedding gown with no references, no skills, and no experience? No one is that desperate.

Gabriel Thompson and I are like oil and water. Our New York families control two of the nation’s largest companies and the business rivalry is decades old. We’ve carried the torch ourselves since childhood. But then we bump into each other after a conference in Vegas. Drinks are involved, and he utters the three little words I can’t resist. I dare you. The next morning we wake up hungover, late, and worst of all, married.

I’m not supposed to be on vacation with my best friend’s older brother. I’ve wanted him for so long, and now we’re unexpectedly alone in a tropical paradise. Naturally, I packed a lot of bikinis, but I should have brought armor if I want to have any hope of surviving my week away with Noah Martin…or should I say, Dr. Martin.

I go home to Fairhill for the holidays to escape my cramped city apartment and failed career. My to-do’s are spending time with family, eating turkey, and watching bad Christmas movies. Reigniting my crush on my brother’s former best friend was not on the list.

I’ve sworn off men to focus on my dream job that starts on Monday. But my best friend talks me into a final night of fun—a blind date. I only agree because the guy is going to work as a doctor in Africa. It’s the best date of my life. Dr. Africa makes me laugh and swoon, and I want to give him a thorough physical examination. He turns into Dr. One Night Stand, and I’m not sad about it. Monday morning, I’m enthusiastic and excited, until I bump into...you guessed it.

I kept smiling when I caught my fiancé coming down my sister’s chimney on Christmas Eve. I gave polite congratulations when they got engaged. And I even offered to help decorate for their Christmas wedding despite the fact that was supposed to be my dream wedding. But when my sister cuts up my great-grandmother’s one-hundred-year-old wedding dress and turns it into a skank show, even though that was the dress I was going to wear on my wedding day? Well, this elf is torching down the North Pole.

Thinking outside the box resulted in the best night of my life. Until I discover the man I spent it with is my new boss. Attending a secret party where clothes are optional wasn’t a life goal of mine. But when the exclusive invitation ends up in my mailbox by accident...well. Who wouldn't be curious? It's not like I'm going to do anything. The handsome stranger I meet has different plans. One glance across the crowded party and an hour later we're stretched out on silk. No names and no regrets. But I’d forgotten there’s always a price to pay for pleasure.

Lila James is my best friend’s little sister, and I’ve always looked out for her. She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid. But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.

I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother, but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do. Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade. Even if he should be responsible enough to not wreak havoc at his sister’s destination wedding.

He’s an Army Ranger. She’s a baker. He’s organized and ridged. She’s messy and carefree. He doesn’t do relationships. She’s following her heart. His family chat blows up his phone. She just buried her last living relative. The holiday season doesn’t seem so jolly, as they venture from one mode of transportation to the next.

I touched her confectionary creation, and she told me off. Slapping my hands and cursing in her own unique fashion. No one talked to me that way. I liked it. I liked her cake even more. So, I took her to Italy to bake for me. I should have asked her first, but I had a feeling she'd say no. But I brought her cat, so that should count for something.

Zoe and Luke are trying to play newlywed happy, but they already look ready for a divorce. It’s hate at first sight, but as the night progresses through wild first dances, awkward kisses on full display, and a humiliating experience with the president, the pretend feelings start to get dangerously close to real.

Declan Hardy, All-American heartthrob and retired NFL billionaire, is my complete opposite. He's commanding where I'm cooperative. Spontaneous while I am deliberate. Loud when I stay quiet. The only thing we have in common is that both our names are on my father's will.

Zanders: Chicago hockey isn't complete without me—everyone's favorite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night. What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

Rule number one for having a one-night stand: Don’t fall for the girl. After a lengthy dating slump, I finally met someone who sparked my interest. Well, first the sparks flew when we argued. Later in the evening those sparks ignited into something more. I was drawn to Devyn, in a way I hadn’t felt in a really long time. Needless to say, I was disappointed when she abruptly left after our amazing night together. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. But she hadn’t even given me her number. In a city with eight-million people, I figured I’d never see Devyn again.

Sometimes the biggest ripples come from the smallest events. Like the day that Emma Guthrie, drop-out college student, walks into world-famous movie star Garrett Walker's trailer, and walks out on her way to becoming Mrs. Emma Walker, wife of an A-list actor. With her husband's encouragement, Emma pens a screenplay based on her life, which becomes a blockbuster sensation. Through it all, Garrett is her ally and her mentor... until Emma discovers an incriminating text message on Garrett's cell phone.

Perpetual good girl Caterina Longo is dependable to a fault. At 33, she’s never called in sick. Never had a one-night stand. Never taken a chance in her entire life. When she walks in on a cheating ex and sees everything wrong with her life, she takes off on a solo vacation, busting out of her comfort zone and into the arms of a guy she never saw coming.

Best-selling author Zeke Nicholas has turned his mathematical genius skills into a mountain of money. But Zeke sits on that mountain all alone, longing for the one thing money cannot buy: a lifelong partner and true love. Enter Mandy Mitchell - the maid at his thousand-dollar-a-night resort. The minute they meet, Mandy knows he's exactly the kind of trouble she should avoid - but Zeke does have one thing Mandy needs to gain the independence she craves. Will he give it to her?

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s short-listed for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it. The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Faith Benson isn’t your emergency contact, she’s the party-girl friend you call for a good time. She's the gal-pal who loves mimosas at brunch and martinis at Happy Hour. But her carefree lifestyle threatens her job at a top Seattle ad agency; there’s no one better at landing big accounts (when she shows up). But now her boss demands she take a leave of absence to get her head on straight.

Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Now it’s called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila’s back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn’t exactly worked out the way they had all hoped.

Here come the (Barefoot Bay) brides! They’re experts at planning dreamy “I do’s 1�7 but haven’t found their own happily ever after...yet. Destination wedding consultant Willow Ambrose has fought a battle with the scale for much of her life, but she has finally won the war. She hasn’t just cut calories - she’s cut all ties to her past, too, and successfully carved out a new body and a new life. But when she comes face to face with someone who left an indelible mark on her heart years before, all that threatens to crumble.

I got the dreaded phone call, the one every baseball player hopes and prays never comes. I was traded - yeah, that phone call - traded from my longtime team of over 10 years to not just any team...to my childhood rivals, the Chicago Rebels. I was completely and utterly screwed, right? Wrong. The trade was the least of my concerns. I met a girl, Natalie. She was perfect, but I swore I would never get involved with anyone during the season. It was too complicated. But can you believe I had zero restraint when it came to this girl?

Reid Jackson - I’m a simple guy. There are only two things I love: my family and playing professional football. I may not understand why people get married, but I’d go anywhere for my brother, even his friend Camille’s wedding. Once I’m there, I realize our Bronx upbringing has left me unprepared for the world of old Southern money. Over 24 hours, I see scandal, threats, and lies. It’s a life I don’t relate to, a place I never want to belong. Even so, when the minister asks if anyone objects, I shock not only myself but also the beautiful bride when I stand up.

If someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs. Well, that is, until I met Beckham. Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness.

I go home to Fairhill for the holidays to escape my cramped city apartment and failed career. My to-do’s are spending time with family, eating turkey, and watching bad Christmas movies. Reigniting my crush on my brother’s former best friend was not on the list.

Gabriel Thompson and I are like oil and water. Our New York families control two of the nation’s largest companies and the business rivalry is decades old. We’ve carried the torch ourselves since childhood. But then we bump into each other after a conference in Vegas. Drinks are involved, and he utters the three little words I can’t resist. I dare you. The next morning we wake up hungover, late, and worst of all, married.

There are a million reasons why I shouldn’t date Fletcher Huxley. He’s a growly-faced, stubborn-streaked, international rugby legend trying to revive his flailing career in the US after being canned by his team overseas. While he might have the good kind of thunder thighs, intriguing tattoos, and a booty of steel, he also holds the top position on my very short nemesis list thanks to what happened the first time we met.

I don't do casual hookups, so I have no idea what to expect when I meet not one, but three hot guys who are into me. I'm an introverted, failing-book-shop-owning, romance-writer wanna be. But after my dating disaster at a hockey game all caught on the jumbotron I somehow have the attention of three men. Nathan Armstrong is the hot, older, sophisticated billionaire owner of the team.

Isabel is fifteen years too young, too kind, and far too attractive for this to be anything but a problem. Nannying requires her to move in, living close enough to reach out and grab... Not that I would. I’m old enough to know better. She’s a professional ballerina recovering from an injury, and I’m the CEO of a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. She needs a job. I need a nanny. It’s a simple win-win.

Hayden Cole was my brother's best friend and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Broken smiles, dark hair, and eyes that had seen far too much for his age. We spent a summer together in secret. In the darkness, in the silence, our hearts spoke the same language. Until he left without a word and tore mine right out of my chest. Ten years later, he returns from the Navy, demanding a second chance. He's every inch the rogue I remember—crooked smiles and dark eyes—but now he's a man grown. Tall and broad and persistent.

A prince on a white horse swooping in to save the day... Isn't that every girl's dream? Maybe for some, but I've never expected to find my own happily ever after. I've made one bad dating choice after another, and it doesn't help that my only example of marriage is my dad leaving my mother before I was even born. I'll never be a believer in fairy tales. So, imagine my surprise when I meet Zac Ledger at my sister's wedding. He is the total opposite of my usual type: gorgeous, confident, and genuine. He's also athletic, and I am so not.

One letter changed my life. One night with him might change my forever. Inheriting a beach house in a small town you've never heard of is less than ideal. Falling for the broody bar owner who hates me because he wants the house? Even worse. I came to Carrington Cove for one reason: to renovate the home I knew nothing about, sell it, and get back to my life in D.C. and my multi-million dollar business. There was nothing on the agenda about falling for Dallas, the sexy former Marine who chastises me about my manners and withholds how to fend off the murderous geese on my property.

I'd spent my entire life loving my best friend's older brother. Every single one of my birthday wishes was spent hoping Cade would finally notice me. And then, one day, he did. But not all love stories have happy endings. It's been years since I left the small town of Sutten Mountain devastated and heartbroken. I'd used the pain to fuel a bestselling novel that solidified I'd never have to return. Until tragedy struck, forcing me to face the man who shattered my heart.

He was my boyfriend's best friend-and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough. Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened-my best times, and my worst. Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever. Only this time, it's more dangerous too.

Growing up, Jude McCallister was the bane of my existence. My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world. At 18, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn’t live without. We were young. Madly in love. Invincible. Strong enough to weather any storm. Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us. When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized.

Secretly hooking up with the team captain's sister was a bad idea. In my defense, the first time I saw her I didn't know who she was. Kind, gorgeous, a little naïve. Ginny brightened my world from day one. I knew I was no good for her. She was just out of a relationship, and I had a reputation for having a new girl in my bed every weekend. I tried to do the right thing. Honest. I'm the one who insisted we should be just friends. That lasted about as long as you'd expect. But Ginny? She's the best - best friend, best everything.

I have a history of picking the wrong guy. Gay? Player? Momma's boy? Check, check and check. Now I can't stop fantasizing about one of the customers at the coffee shop I work at between classes. It's just a harmless crush, right? It's not like I ever see this guy outside of the coffee shop. It's not like I'm going to see him while attempting to get birth control at the student clinic. While wearing a paper gown. While sitting on an exam table. Because he's the doctor. Shoot. Me.

I meet a handsome man at the bar, the kind you only dream about. You know the one? He drinks his whiskey neat and power oozes from his suit-clad form. The night we spend together is perfect - I’ll treasure the memory for as long as I live. Until I discover who he is. My one-night stand. Correction: my rich, handsome, calculating one-night stand. I hate his determination and his ruthlessness. I hate the way he smirks and the thick fall of his hair. But most of all, I hate that I can’t look at him without remembering our night together - a night he’s keen to repeat.

The moment I met Aston Cage, I knew my life had changed. A single dance later, we’re both all in. Until he ghosted me. Then my boss fires me for dancing with the enemy. Three months later, working for the Cages is my last resort. Now I’ll work beside him day by day, trying not to let my feelings take control. It’s heaven and hell. Except I’m starting to think there’s a part of this story I’m missing.