The Summit Authors Present:
Favorite Romance Themes™
GOOD GUY HEROES
Five complete novels in one volume
Meet the Authors:
Julie Ortolon is a USA Today bestselling author who has earned raves from Publishers Weekly and Booklist for her sparkling romantic comedies filled with passion and heart. Her novels regularly appear at the top of the ebook bestseller lists.
Wendy Lindstrom is a RITA Award-winning author of “beautifully poignant, wonderfully emotional” historical romances. Romantic Times has dubbed her “one of romance’s finest Americana writers,” and readers rave about her enthralling characters and the riveting emotional power of her work.
Lauren Royal has earned raves from reviewers including Publishers Weekly, who calls her “an impressive talent.” Her “truly enchanting” humorous historical romances have appeared on bestseller lists worldwide and won awards including Booklist’s Top 10 Romance of the Year.
Jacquie D’Alessandro is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, spanning the genres of romantic comedy, historical and paranormal romance, contemporary women’s fiction, and non-fiction. All her books are filled with two of her favorite things—love and laughter.
Patricia McLinn is a USA Today bestselling author of 30 “powerful, compelling” contemporary romances cherished by readers worldwide for their memorable characters, sensuality and emotional intensity. There are more than 4 million copies of her books in print.
Samples
If you downloaded the free sample of this boxed set, you can click below to sample the opening chapter of:
Dear Cupid by Julie Ortolon
Kissing in the Dark by Wendy Lindstrom
Lost in Temptation by Lauren Royal
Kiss the Cook by Jacquie D’Alessandro
Prelude to a Wedding by Patricia McLinn
Table of Contents
*
DEAR CUPID
“Just like a valentine…Julie Ortolon’s lively style and brisk pacing are perfectly suited to her playful theme, and her characterizations of Mike and of Kate’s maritally muddled neighbors have a genuinely appealing warmth.” —Publisher’s Weekly
*
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
*
KISSING IN THE DARK
“Awesome underlying emotional power…guaranteed to move you to tears.” —Romantic Times
*
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
*
LOST IN TEMPTATION
“Royal brings her flair for mixing richly detailed historical settings with sinfully sexy romance to the Regency world in the beguiling start to a new trilogy featuring the Chase sisters.” —John Charles, Booklist
*
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Epilogue
*
KISS THE COOK
“Pulsating with sexual tension and a cast of marvelous characters whose dialog is fresh and filled with passion, this delicious tale is a definite keeper.” —Rendezvous Magazine
*
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EPILOGUE
*
PRELUDE TO A WEDDING
Wonderful … I cheered them on all the way” —Rendezvous
*
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
DEAR CUPID
*
By Julie Ortolon
Chapter 1
*
Dear Cupid,
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Seriously Smitten
Dear Seriously Smitten,
Absolutely! I always enjoy a good fairy tale.
In the real world, things take a bit longer. What appears to be love at first sight is actually a subconscious recognition of a potentially compatible mate, a premonition, so to speak, of what could be. Only time will tell if the premonition comes true.
Cupid
KATE NEEDED A MAN. Any man.
The publisher of the online magazine that carried her advice column had been clear: Find a new man, or find a new job. Apparently, the author of Dear Cupid needed romance in her own life in order to connect with her readers.
Romance? Kate hadn’t experienced romance personally for years. Not since the beginning of her disastrous marriage. Maybe not even that recently.
Oh God, she was so going to lose her job.
Glancing around the gate area of the Los Angeles airport, however, she realized any man wouldn’t do. The businessman pacing before the window looked too edgy; the grandfather with the armload of Disney souvenirs too old; and the two men in the corner appeared a little too interested in each other for her purpose.
What she needed was a nice, reasonably attractive sort of man. Someone friendly. Approachable. Someone with whom she could flirt. Nothing more. Just flirt. The last thing in the world she wanted was the emotional turmoil of an actual relationship, but a tiny reminder of how romance felt couldn’t hurt.
She still couldn’t believe that Gwen, the owner and publisher of Gwendolyn’s Garden, had threatened to cancel her column over such a thing. She was Cupid, for goodness sake! They couldn’t cancel Cupid. Her column generated thousands of hits a month for the magazine. Or at least it used to. As Gwen had pointed out, her popularity was dwindling—because her column had lost its spark.
Now, however, was not the time for worry or self-pity. She needed to take control, to recapture the carefree spirit she’d lost during her final years as Edward’s wife.
Turning her head, she saw a new passenger stroll into the gate area. Her tumbling thoughts slowed at the sight of him. He had potential. First thing in his favor, he looked nothing like her uptight ex-husband. He had the sun-streaked hair and rich tan of a man who spent a lot of time relaxing in sunny places. The Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants gave him a casual, lived-in look that told her status didn’t rate high on his priority list. Edward, on the other hand, was been dark-haired and model gorgeous, and he wore designer clothes as easily as some men wore jeans. He’d also turned into a self-absorbed, materialistic workaholic who cared more about his career―and the social status that came with it―than he did about his family.
The stranger’s battered gym bag, which he carried as luggage, made her briefly wonder if he even had a job. Not that it mattered, since she didn’t want to date him. She just wanted to dip one toe back into a pond she’d thought had dried up.
When the stranger reached the ticket counter, he lifted his blue-mirrored sunglasses and smiled at the ticket agent. Kate’s heart did something it hadn’t done in years; it gave a hard thump of desire against her ribs.
Goodness. She pressed a hand to her chest. Where had that come from?
His smile, she realized. The man had a devastating smile and relaxed posture that conveyed both confidence and easygoing humor. Generous laugh lines winged outward from his eyes, marking him as older than she’d first thought. Late thirties, perhaps. As for his body, the baggy shirt hid a lot, but watching him move, she suspected the broad shoulders tapered down to narrow hips.
Some long-dormant part of her stirred to life.
That scared her nearly as much as the thought of approaching him. Not that shyness had ever been an issue for her. Far from it. She loved people. She just hadn’t interacted with a man in a romantic sense for more years than she cared to think about.
She could do this, though. She would do this.
The minute he took his seat, she stood and tugged at the jacket of the red power suit she’d worn in an attempt to bolster her confidence for her meeting earlier that day. Time to take her first baby step toward getting her fun, romantic self back. All she had to do was approach a stranger in an airport and flirt his pants off—figuratively speaking.
***
MIKE PULLED OFF his sunglasses and stowed them in his bag as he collapsed on a seat. Dropping the bag at his feet, he took a moment to make sure his computer rested safely on top. Then he slumped down with his head resting on the back of the seat to wait for his flight.
Exhaustion closed his eyes. He was getting too old to put in these sixteen-hour workdays for weeks on end. What he wouldn’t give to just pass out for the duration of the flight. Unfortunately, he had too much on his mind to give in to sleep. Squeezing in some time to visit his family between back-to-back meetings had pointed out the big gaping hole in his life where a wife and some children should be. His twenty-year high school reunion had driven the point home. What a reality check that had been! He couldn’t believe some of his former classmates had children in college, while he had yet to even get married. How had twenty years flown by so fast? One of these days, he really needed to catch up on everything he’d let slide.
The problem was he enjoyed his job a little too much. Make that way too much. As a special effects movie animator, he loved everything about his work. Even the demanding schedule that pushed him creatively, mentally, and sometimes even physically, gave him a thrill. That was the price you paid for living the dream.
But was that really living?
As his mind searched for possible solutions to the problem, a jangling thud sounded right in front of him. He ignored it. Working on movie sets for the past twenty-odd years had taught him to tune out all manner of chaos. Whatever bumped into his leg, however, demanded attention.
“I’m so sorry,” an anxious voice insisted. “Please excuse me.”
He opened his eyes and found a woman crouched before him as she reached beneath his seat.
“How terribly clumsy of me,” she said. Her purse had fallen and spilled its contents at his feet. Long, coppery curls obscured her face, brushing his knee as she hurried to collect her belongings. He leaned forward, intending to help her on her way as expediently as possible so he could get back to mulling over how to find some balance in his life.
“I swear, I’m such a klutz today,” she rushed on, gathering up pens and breath mints, a mobile phone, some loose change, a set of keys, and several business cards.
Shaking his head, he reached for a runaway tube of lipstick only to have his hand collide with hers. The lipstick tried to skitter away, but he grabbed it before it made good its escape.
“Gotcha,” he said, chuckling. He lifted his head to address the lipstick’s owner and found himself face-to-face with the most enchanting woman he’d ever seen. She had a heart-shaped face with an impish nose, stubborn chin, and pouty lips that begged to be tasted. Gazing into her shamrock-green eyes, he felt his insides swirl, as if he were falling forward into a field of clover—a field where a man could lie back and rest with a woman snuggled to his side as he lazily watched the clouds float by. A smile slowly turned up the corners of her lips, and he realized her eyes tipped up at the corners as well.
“I really am terribly sorry,” she said in a breathy voice that reached inside him and tied his stomach into knots of pure desire. “It’s the flying, you see.” She placed a hand over her chest. “Planes make me very… nervous.”