Terry McLaughlin

Charismatic Nick Martelli is all smouldering good looks and animal magnetism. Unfortunately, he's not the man Sydney Gordon is nearly engaged to. The man who's waiting for her to come back from Europe and accept his marriage proposal.

And Nick's certainly not what you'd think of as ideal husband material. Sydney needs somebody steady to help her rein in her impulsive nature Doesn't she?

All architect Tess Roussel has ever wanted is to open her own design firm. She gets the chance when she returns to California and wins a coveted waterfront project. It's the contractor hired for the job who's got her distracted. John Jameson Quinn isn't her choice. And definitely not her type.

Tess doesn't go for brooding bad boys especially one who isn't shy about going after what he wants. And he wants Tess. Never mind that he's got a scandalous past to overcome. A daughter to raise. A boss Tess and a town to answer to. Quinn follows his own drumbeat. Only, now Tess is starting to hear it, too. Because he's good. And they're good together.

Her design. His construction. Can they build a love to last?

Addie Sutton's stained–glass window business may be this close to bankruptcy, but she won't give up, even if it means she'll have to see Devlin Chandler again. All right, so she's still in love with the bad–boy heir to the Chandler estate. Though Addie's too smart to go after a man she knows isn't right for her, especially with the tangled history between them.

But Dev's intent on pushing the envelope. He's always been attracted to the former housekeeper's daughter and wants to see where their relationship could lead. Addie tells him where; to heartbreak. Can he convince her that special something between them is worth taking a chance on?

Charlie Keene has poured everything she's got into running her father's concrete company, and now her brother wants to sell. Worse, handsome acquisitions specialist Jack Maguire's arrived in town and he wants to buy. Charlie's worked too hard to let the family firm go.

One delicious dance and an even more surprising dinner later, all bets are off, as Charlie draws Jack into her Carnelian Cove world. But what does he really want her or her company? And can Charlie ever trust a man in love if she can't trust him in life?

Lesson learned?

High school history teacher Joe Wisniewski may be in a rut, but he dug it himself and he's not planning on getting out anytime soon. The last thing he wants is to mentor a starry–eyed newcomer, so when he gets an unexpected assignment Emily Sullivan, a student teacher with a steamroller smile and dynamite legs he digs in deeper and ducks for cover.

Emily has looked up to the legendary ?Wiz? for along time. In her opinion, the man is coasting these days, and she's sure a little change in his routine is exactly what he needs. Besides this assignment is her chance to prove to her family and herself that she can stick to one project.

The question is: Will Emily get Joe fired up or just plain fired?

Can he be a Montana kind of man?Fitz Kelleran is headed to Montana to film his latest blockbuster. Ellie Harrison, the ranch owner and a widowed mom, is trying to save her land by renting it out, Hollywood–style.

Can she be a Hollywood kind of woman?

The on–screen cowboy and the real–life rancher aren't the likeliest pair, but they definitely have chemistry. And when a series of disasters results in Ellie having to sell her ranch, Fitz decides to be her hero and buy it.

But Ellie is no damsel in need of rescuing, and his saving her home means he's taking everything she's worked so hard to keep. Now this make–believe cowboy has to do all he can to save his one chance at real love.

It could be a screenplay except this is no movie. Film producer Burke Elliot really is snowbound in a remote Montana cabin with his glamorous star. He's here on a mission to convince Nora Daniels to sign a contract and return with him to Hollywood and nothing is going to stop him. Not her meddling friends, not the manure–filled snowdrifts, not the lousy cell–phone service. Not even Nora's spit–up–prone bundle of joy.

But while he's "making nice with the talent," the radiant actress and the unexpectedly sweet baby are wreaking havoc with his carefully laid plan. Could "the original iceman" be melting just a little?