Less of a Stranger

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Then the shooters arrived. The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait - and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

Everyone thought Jessie Benedict's impending marriage to Sam Hatchard was a great arrangement - everyone, that is, but Jessie herself. Was she the only one who could see that Hatchard, her powerful father's protege, had a scheming ulterior motive in marrying her? He was more than just a chip off the old workaholic's block - he was positively lusting after Jessie's inheritance to build his own business empire!  

The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family business, an idyllic spot for vacationers. A little over thirty thousand acres and home to four generations, it's kept running by Bodine Longbow with the help of a large staff, including new hire Callen Skinner. There was another member of the family once: Bodine's aunt, Alice, who ran off before Bodine was born. She never returned, and the Longbows don't talk about her much. The younger ones, who never met her, quietly presume she's dead.

A decade of working for the high-powered Gilchrist family empire has made sassy Katy Wade determined to open her own business. But there's one last problem she must solve before she can leave. The Gilchrists need an heir apparent to save their mysteriously floundering fortunes, and there's only one man for the job: Luke Gilchrist. All his life the Gilchrists have made Luke pay for his father's scandal, and now he's a renegade who's sworn he'll never go home - except to get even. 

Liv Carmichael wants to make her name in television journalism, and Washington, D.C., is the perfect place to do it as co-anchor of the local evening news. T.C. Thorpe is the network's senior Washington correspondent - and Liv's biggest competition. If Liv wants a share of his turf, she's going to have to fight for it. And when they fall hard for each other, they'll have to protect their love from their own rivalry - and the hazards of their celebrity.

For once in her life, Rebecca Malone has decided to follow her impulses. After quitting her job and selling all of her belongings, she heads to Greece in search of adventure. So when a sexy local restaurant owner pursues her, she can't resist playing the role of sophisticated, well-traveled woman. But falling in love with Stephen Nickodemus was not part of the plan! Now she'll have to find a way to break the news of her true identity…without also breaking his heart.

Irish lass Adelia Cunnane had entered a fairy tale! Working at the world-renowned Royal Meadows stables was a dream come true. She was determined to prove her worth, especially to the stables' owner - the very opinionated and ruggedly handsome Travis Grant. Princesses weren't the only ones who could have a happily ever after!

Erin McKinnon had followed her cousin Adelia to America and was immediately captivated by Royal Meadows's charm. But she was not nearly as impressed with Burke Logan, owner of the neighboring property. A womanizing, cigar-smoking gambler, he was exactly the type of man her mind told her to stay away from. The heart has never been very practical, though....

Musician Raven Williams was devastated when Brandon Carstairs broke her heart five years ago. Now he's back, asking for her help co-writing the score for a major film - an opportunity she can't refuse. Despite the undeniable heat between them, Raven vows to keeps things strictly professional. Once burned, twice shy. But when the sparks start flying, it's hard not to melt…

Finally out of the celebrity spotlight and away from her mother's demands, Cilla is free to do what she loves: fixing up houses for profit. Her current project is personal. The Shenandoah Valley farm house was once the vacation home of Hollywood luminary Janet Hardy, Cilla's grandmother. When Cilla uncovers a stash of her grandmother's private letters, and begins asking questions about the past, she becomes the target of a crazed killer.

Princess Gabriella had escaped captivity, but she'd lost her memory and her kidnappers were still on the loose. She needed a protector fast, and brash American Reeve MacGee was the perfect man for the job. The handsome ex-policeman could handle absolutely anything - except falling in love with the stunning, vulnerable woman in his care.

Her voice was like whiskey, smooth and potent, but it was her contradictions that fascinated Detective Boyd Fletcher - the vulnerability beneath her tough-as-nails facade.

Enjoying the view from the mountain she has just climbed, Reece Gilmore sees a woman being attacked. But when authorities comb the area, they find nothing - no signs of struggle. No freshly turned earth. Not even a tire track. No one in town seems to believe Reece, except Brody, a gruff loner.

Successful but shy, Seattle art dealer Mattie Sharpe fell hard for handsome, outspoken, professional adventurer Hugh Abbott. When he broke her heart and returned to his South Sea island home, Mattie vowed she'd only meet him again over her - or better, his - dead body. When they do meet again, it's over someone else's dead body - and now they're running for their lives through a tropical paradise. Hugh's talking fast to make up for his mistake. Mattie's not listening...until his gentle touch ignites a white-hot fusion, and she gives in. But Hugh's past is catching up with them.

Tory Bodeen grew up in a small, rundown house where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt - and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope - who lived in the big house, just a short skip away, and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child. But after Hope's brutal murder, Tory's life fell apart. Now grown, she's trying to find a measure of peace. But Hope's killer is still nearby.