Showing results by publisher "-emdashery books-" in Small Town & Rural

Wren Paisley is living her dream: she’s a successful author and poet, she adores the New York brownstone she calls home and, most importantly, she’s about to marry the love of her life. But everything changes when her fiancée, Lucy, dies in a tragic car crash that leaves a young bystander paralysed. Unable to escape the media frenzy, Wren goes on a road trip and winds up staying in the charming small town of Everston, Colorado.

An accident and a lost passport mean Gemma's six-month sabbatical to go travelling is not off to a strong start. She heads to Polkerran Point to stay at her aunt's while her new passport is processed and to find temporary work in the meantime. Enter musician Matt. Newly moved into a secluded, renovated mill – complete with a recording studio – Matt is preparing for his band's big reunion tour. Focused on writing new music for the album, he needs a live-in housekeeper.

Good men don’t fall for students. But apparently, I’m not the golden boy our small town thinks I am, because that’s exactly what I did. I planned to wait until after her graduation to tell Tally how I felt. Then she told me I was her person and everything changed. Now, I have to figure out how to turn forbidden romance into a happily ever after. Because letting Tally go? That’s not an option. Not anymore…

Lizbet Fontaine will do anything to keep her family together, even leave behind the only life she’s ever known to journey to the West. But as the jitney rumbles away, holding tightly to her little brother’s and sister’s hands, she knows something is wrong. Her stepfather has summoned an associate with a predatory glint in his eyes, and Lizbet knows she needs to save them all. She just doesn’t know how…until a kind man points out the Silver Hills Boarding House.

High-flying exec Lauren Kirkham is having a bad week. Unexpectedly pregnant, out of work and – when dumped by her boyfriend – with nowhere to live. She needs a respite, and so goes to visit her friend Anna in Polkerran for a short stay. Polkerran's local handyman Daniel Tremayne is busy building his own 'grand design' on one of the cove's cliffs. With the TV crew due to turn up to film, expecting a happy couple, he urgently needs a fake live-in girlfriend since he's also split with his ex.

A collection of stories capturing what it means to be a cowboy.

It's been a few months since murder tore apart the community of Champton apart. As Canon Daniel Clement tries to steady his flock, the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, bringing a new tide of unwanted change. But church politics soon become the least of Daniel's problems. His mother - headstrong, fearless Audrey - is obviously up to something, something she is determined to keep from him. And she is not the only one.

Emery Blackwood's life was forever changed on the eve of her high school graduation, when the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her best friend, Lily. She'd once dreamt of running away with August, eager to escape the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and chase new dreams together. Now, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence among this tight-knit community steeped in folklore and tradition, ruled by the seasons and ancient superstitions.

A brutal murder in a town called Treachery? It's a story most journos would kill for, but for Stuart Dryden, it's a major inconvenience. He didn't take the gig at the local rag for its bustling crime beat. He'd sacrifice a career-making story for happy hour at the pub, but not even he can let a grisly murder through to the keeper. Especially when he keeps getting scooped by a persistent kid with a disposable Kodak.

Helen is a retired teacher living on the Irish coast. She enjoys the peace and quiet—despite the burden of Margaret, her unpleasant sister. Margaret arrived three years ago for a short holiday but somehow managed to stay and worm her way into Helen's life. One day, Helen sees a man struggling in the sea and decides to investigate. She doesn't quite know what it is, but something about it feels very strange.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother moved them both from the Alaskan wild to Toronto, leaving their extreme, rural lifestyle - and Calla's father - behind. But when Calla receives a call from her father with unexpected news, she makes the long trip back to the remote town where she was born. There, she meets Jonah: a quiet, brooding, proud Alaskan pilot who is convinced that before long, he will be flying a pampered city girl back to where she belongs. And whilst he is probably right, Calla is determined to prove him wrong.

Bree Johnston has given up trying to be the perfect lawyer. It's time to focus on her own dreams, so she decides to leave the city and set up an alpaca farm and wool shop. Her grandmother Rose might be her only supporter, but that's fine. Bree's done trying to win her parents' approval. She finds the perfect property in the charming small town of Wagtail Ridge but gets more than she bargained for when sparks start flying with the handsome real estate agent.

Willow Tree Hall, the proud ancestral home of the Earl and Countess of Cranley for centuries, has seen better days. Annie Rogers takes the job as housekeeper at Willow Tree Hall, having to work with a reluctant heir Sam Harris to renovate the failing estate. With Sam running from his past and Annie hiding from hers, just maybe together they can bring Willow Tree Hall back to life.

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good. Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates. After a run-in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing. But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more.

Gertie has always had her head in the clouds, wondering what her life might be like if she could only pluck up the courage to leave the remote Scottish island where she was born. It's the only place she knows, but you can't do anything there without everyone knowing - the glue of this close-knit community is the Knitting Circle, a group of strong, capable and frankly nosy women who work hard, gossip, knit and support each other through thick and thin. At the centre of this sisterhood is Gertie's mum Jean and her grandmother Elspeth, and the three generations of women live together.

Far North Queensland, 1993: at 74, former cane farmer Grace Maud is feeling her age, and her isolation, and thinks the best of life may be behind her. Elsewhere in town, high school teacher Patricia has given up on her dreams of travel and adventure and has moved back home to look after her ageing parents, while cafe owner Dorothy is struggling to accept that she may never have the baby she and her husband so desperately want. Each woman has an unspoken need: reconnection. And that's how they find themselves at Orange Blossom House, surrounded by perfumed rainforest.

A dramatic and heartwarming Victorian saga, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Anne Bennett. Shropshire, 1875. Hettie Jones has grown up in Ironbridge. She has never known her father and, since her mother's death, has been brought up by the Malone family, who treat her as one of their own. She works as a pit girl at the local coal mine, alongside her childhood playfellow, Evan - although lately, their friendship seems to be blossoming into something more. But when Queenie King takes a fancy to her, Hettie's life is transformed.

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendant of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady…or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

When we met at the rodeo, I only knew his first name. Sparks ignited between us, and we spent an unforgettable night together. It's not until the morning after when I recognize his last name do I realize who he is. So I do what any rational woman would and make the walk of shame while he sleeps. It's not like I'll ever see him again or have to explain why I left. But I'm proven wrong when he shows up at my family's ranch as the new farrier.

From interviewing local flower growers to receiving blue ribbons for her show baking, Lauren Bickford's genuine love for her hometown is almost as strong as her ambition to become a radio presenter. But is it enough to outweigh the series of on-air stuff-ups that have plagued her career?