Romance in Ellis Library: A Reader's Guide: Contemporary

Broke and living in a shabby motel, beautiful bad girl Jana Franklin has become an outcast in the elite Dallas society she once ruled. With her divorce from wealthy Gray Livingston, her dubious past, and no skills to claim, Jana is unable to support herself. Without friends and without hope, she has no one she can depend on but herself.Then one night she stumbles (literally!) into Olivia Maxwell's store, Midnight Dreams. There she meets Tyler Maxwell - the first man she can't maneuver, toy with, or fool. After this chance meeting, tough girl Jana learns that it takes more than scheming to get her man.

Paradise calls to Chase Wilcox. A man of science, escaping the destruction of his own personal world, he is drawn to the lush beauty of the island of Hawaii and the secrets it holds. Here he intends to immerse himself in his work . . . and somehow heal and forget. A research assistant, an artist, and a dancer, Nicole Ballard also hides a secret pain. Together on an important scientific project in the moist, verdant heart of a tropical wonderland, both she and Chase will be forced to confront their own lingering inner darkness. But in the shadows of Mount Kilauea, a passion that burns like fire will erupt, as unpredictable and dangerous as the living volcano, transforming the very landscape of their lives.Kilauea, all restraints will be broken, as emotions flow as hot and free as rivers of molten lava. And desire will erupt, as unpredictable and dangerous as the living volcano, transforming the very landscape of their lives -- a torrent that no power on earth can contain, a passion that bums like fire.

Eighteen years ago, Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri for the bright lights of Nashville and never looked back. Now, one of country music’s biggest stars, “Mac” is a hardworking woman with little time for a personal life—until her sister insists she come home to help care for their widowed mother. The welcome Mac receives is less than warm, especially from her former next-door neighbor Kenny Kroneck. Now a handsome divorcé with a teenage daughter, Kenny refuses to give Mac the time of day. But when Mac discovers that Kenny’s daughter is a promising country music talent, she assumes the role of mentor and gradually learns to open her hardened heart to the sweet rewards of caring and commitment.

The Sweet Spot has nothing to do with football. . . . Just ask Kahari Brown, one of the NFL's sexiest stars. He knows how to handle a football, and always thought he had a way with the ladies. But his smooth moves off the field are only getting him into hot water these days. And no one is hotter than Zoë Andrews. When she thrusts a mic in his face and asks him if he's the father of a crazy fan's baby, he's ready to tackle her and toss her out of the locker room on her shapely butt. But there's something about Zoë . . . Zoë's Rule Number One: Never Date an Athlete! Zoë will do anything to make it as a top sports reporter, even ask the controversial question that puts her toe to toe with Kahari. Still, she can't help noticing that the brother is mighty fine. Now the heat is on and Zoë is wondering if she should have fanned the flames, because she's falling for Kahari's charm -- something she swore she'd never do. Yet it's hard to resist his smooth moves, making Zoë wonder, is he sweet-talking his way into her heart for love -- or for something else?

Take a children's book illustrator, who's a bit down on her luck; add a handsome new quarterback from the Chicago Stars; and throw in a poignant search for a birth mother. The result is This Heart of Mine, a mesmerizing tale from a bestselling author at the zenith of her storytelling powers.

In Paris, four young women once shared the time of their lives. Now, seven years after they left the prestigious Anya Sedgwick School of Decorative Arts, they are coming back for the eighty fifth birthday celebration of the school's founder and grande dame. Come share their lives, trials and triumphs in this romantic story of intrigue and pasts revisited.