Posted December 24, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Connection to another series, Kindle Unlimited, No Spice Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Western Historical Romance / 0 Comments
A woman running out of hope…
A rancher looking for a wife…
And three chaotic sisters and a sheepdog!
On the verge of being destitute, Phoebe Hale enlists the help of the Sisters’ Mail-Order Bride Company to find her a husband. What she finds instead is disorder, paperwork stacked to the ceiling, and three well-meaning sisters who could desperately use a woman with Phoebe’s practical skills.
Braxton Jones arrives with a similar purpose. Ready for a wife, he turns to the same company, only to discover that before any marriages can happen, the business itself may need saving. Practical, steady, and unwilling to walk away from a problem left unsolved, Braxton offers his help.
Neither Phoebe nor Braxton came looking for love in Chicago. They came for solutions. But as Christmas approaches and the Merriweather sisters press them into service, shared work turns into shared laughter, and cooperation begins to look dangerously like courtship. With the future of the Sisters’ Mail-Order Bride Company at stake, and their own hearts unexpectedly involved, Phoebe and Braxton must decide whether the greatest Christmas miracle might be the one they never planned for.
Because sometimes love arrives not through careful arrangement… but through a little Christmas calamity.
Titles in the Sisters’ Mail-Order-Bride Company series include: Christmas Calamity ~
There is a connection to the Wild Ridge Historicals series, which includes: Val ~ Ella ~ Elizabeth Ann ~ Cornelia ~ Clara ~ Marianne ~ Elinore ~
This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted December 13, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Kensington Books, Kindle Unlimited, Mystery, NetGalley, No Spice Romance, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Small-town Wilfred, Oregon, is poised to step into the limelight, and the citizens behind the renovation of the old movie palace—into a brew pub—certainly want that to continue. Until librarian and apprentice witch Josie Way discovers a dead body . . .
Local librarian Josie Way’s life is in shambles. Her magical abilities are on the fritz, and her relationship with sexy sheriff Sam has cooled way off since she told him she’s a witch. On top of that, Josie senses a bad energy she can’t explain, which seems to be interrupting her connection with the spellbound library books, usually her sure-fire way to get to the bottom of any mystery.
When she wakes to a fierce pounding in the library’s atrium, she hurries there—only to find a corpse. But after she goes for the phone to call Sam, she returns to the atrium to find the body gone—and all the doors and windows are still locked. And that’s just the beginning of a mystery that features Josie as the prime suspect, several shady characters, and possible long-lost relatives. It’s just like the beginning of an old movie, but Josie will need a lot more direction than her grandmother’s magic lessons will provide . . .
Titles in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries series include: Bait and Witch ~ Seven-Year Witch ~ Witch and Famous ~ Witch Upon a Star ~ Gone With the Witch ~ The Witch is Back ~ Witch and Tell ~
This is a no-spice romance/paranormal cozy mystery with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted December 9, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Kindle Unlimited, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
There’s no place like Salem, Massachusetts—aka “the witch city”—for Halloween. As residents embrace their historic heritage to celebrate the season, WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is assigned the decadent task of highlighting the village’s delectable sweet shops—only to learn that some revelers prefer deadly tricks over delicious treats . . .
Casa del Chocolate is one of Salem’s most charming boutique candy shops, making it a perfect profile story. Although preoccupied with her own personal sweet news—Lee and her detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting a bundle of joy—she cheerfully agrees to interview the chocolatier. Since becoming pregnant, the radiant and exhilarated mother-to-be has discovered that she is finally free of the unwanted haunting “visions” she has endured since childhood.
Shirley Parker inherited Casa del Chocolate, housed in her beautiful ancestral home on the waterfront, continuing her family’s sweet tradition of conjuring magical treats for the folks of Salem. Mesmerized by the delightful chocolate-scented aromas filling the air while touring the kitchen, Lee is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Barney Bingham, Shirley’s estranged husband.
As the police focus their suspicions on Shirley, Lee learns that many people had reasons for wanting Barney dead. Now, with help from Pete, tarot reader River North, and clairvoyant gentleman cat O’Ryan, as well as some new feline friends, Lee must unmask the true killer—and cope with the sudden return of her troubling “visions”. . .
Titles in the Witch City Mystery series include: Caught Dead Handed ~ Tails, You Lose ~ Look Both Ways ~ Murder Go Round ~ Grave Errors ~ It Takes a Coven ~ Spells, Bats, and Murder ~ Final Exam ~ Late Check Out ~ Murder, Take Two ~ See Something ~ ‘Til Death ~ Now You See It ~ Death Scene ~ Sugar and Spite ~
This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.
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Posted December 9, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, No Spice Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Love, legacy, and one last Nantucket Christmas …
When Clara returns home for the holidays, she expects a Christmas filled with family traditions and the comforting scent of her parents’ Nantucket bakery, The Flour Jar. Instead, she discovers their beloved shop – an island institution – is facing eviction, and the man behind it is James Carlisle, heir to a powerful Boston real estate family.
But when she goes to confront the landlord in his island rental home and is trapped there by a blizzard in the midst of his extended family’s arrival for the holidays, confusion abounds.
Clara doesn’t know that James is carrying a secret concern of his own and is desperate to make this Christmas special.
As snowbound misunderstandings give way to late-night confessions by the fire, cosy hot chocolate and stolen glances, she glimpses the man hidden behind the Nantucket Grinch façade — one burdened with responsibilities he can’t escape.
And when the storm clears, Clara must find a way to protect her family’s legacy, without risking her heart on someone who could take it all away.
Titles in the Nantucket series include: Nantucket Summer ~ Nantucket Sunset ~ Nantucket Shores ~ Nantucket Christmas ~ Nantucket Wedding (February 2026) ~
This is a no-spice romance with either closed-door scenes or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted December 5, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Previously Published, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
This uplifting holiday collection brings together three clean, heartwarming romances set in the same beloved seaside town. Each is a complete story with a feel-good ending, small-town charm, and just enough sparkle to make the season bright.
Christmas at Candlelight Bay
Mel’s dream Christmas – skiing with her boyfriend’s well-heeled family – goes off-script. A last-minute detour home to Candlelight Bay, a familiar smile, and a town full of traditions remind her what she really wants.
Holly’s Christmas Secret
Holly’s planning the mayor’s New Year’s gala; Colton runs the venue she rejected. When a blizzard strands them, Colton announces to her parents he’s her fiancé – and offers a trade: four days of make-believe for a second chance at the contract.
Saving Candlelight Inn
The inn’s future is on the line, and Angelica will do anything to keep its doors open, even team up with her infuriating, no-nonsense co-worker, James. Opposites attract, holiday hijinks ensue, and the race to save Christmas might just save them, too.
As Christmas lights sparkle across town and the ocean breeze mingles with pine and cocoa, Candlelight Bay feels like coming home.
Come for the festive cheer—stay for the happily ever afters.
Note: This is a story collection of three previously published novellas.
This is a collection of previously published novellas in the Candlelight Bay series: Christmas at Candlelight Bay ~ Holly’s Christmas Secret ~ Saving Candlelight Inn ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. Kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted December 1, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Jade Bennett can handle corporate backstabbing and hostile takeovers. A bakery held together by prayer and expired permits, a reindeer farmer with trust issues, and a vindictive town inspector with a mysterious grudge? Not so much.
When her aunt’s beloved Sugar Pine Sweets faces foreclosure, Jade returns to Frost Pine Ridge armed with an MBA and zero idea how to fix a commercial oven. Her only ally is Leo Carter—her high school almost-romance, who now raises reindeer and is convinced she’ll leave the moment things get hard.
Between learning to bake her great-grandmother’s legendary recipes, navigating small-town politics, and trying not to fall for a man who rescues her from electrical disasters while protecting his heart, Jade discovers that saving the bakery means saving herself. And maybe—if she can prove she’s staying—saving a chance at love with the quiet, stubborn man next door.
Because sometimes the sweetest recipe isn’t in any cookbook. It’s coming home, fighting for what matters, and learning that the people who challenge you the most might be exactly who you need.
Titles in the Frost Pine Ridge series include: Sweet Christmas Comeback ~ Grumpy Glitter Christmas ~ Meddling Christmas Match-Up (12/18/25) ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. Kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted November 27, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Love Inspired Suspense (Harlequin), NetGalley, Romantic Suspense, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Pursued by criminals—with a child’s life on the line.
Just when Sarah Brindley believes she and her son, Liam, are safe from the men who murdered her husband, they are attacked—and Liam is taken.
Her only hope is to team up with her brother-in-law, forest ranger Tucker Brindley, to uncover who is targeting her family.
When they discover her late husband’s ties to an underground medical black-market ring, it’s clear the trail of danger runs deeper than they realized.
With assaults on them ramping up, they must race against the clock to recover young Liam…before they become the next victims.
Titles in the Forest Ranger Rescuers series include: Hunted in the Forest* ~ Abducted in the Woods^ ~ Targeted in the Swamp (March 2026)
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. It is a Romantic Suspense, so there may also be implied or actual violence within the story.
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Posted November 15, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance, Standalone / 0 Comments
I returned to Arborside to transform the old candy shop on the pier into my dream bakery and cafe. Little did I know, a surprise awaited me.
Jonathan Colt, a high school classmate. His presence makes me catch my breath. He is a tall, rugged, handsome billionaire and the town’s handyman to boot!
Despite his quiet life, content with routines and fatherhood, his arrogance and stubbornness pose a challenge.
As we work together cleaning and remodeling the bakery, each brush stroke and tile placed reveals glimpses of his desire for connection. Shared glances and smiles make my heart melt, and his son’s laughter begins to feel like home.
Jonathan remains a mystery because of the tragic loss of his wife and protective instincts for his son.
Balancing fatherhood and business seems to shelter him from the world.
Can I help him overcome the pain and loneliness of his loss? As our lives intertwine, will we grow closer and find love before fate dares to drive us apart?
~Standalone~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. Kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted November 14, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments
A veteran with scars, a single dad with doubts, and a Christmas neither will forget.
Veteran Maggie Majors is in Pine Hill, Kentucky, on a mission, not to get involved in the town’s over-the-top Christmas festivities. Nonetheless, she’s judging their “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” contest. Twinkling lights, silver tinsel, and a borrowed princess costume aren’t going to fix the holes in her tortured-by-the-past heart, but Maggie will do anything to make the most of the second chance she’s been gifted. Even co-judge the games with a man who makes her insides jittery.
Firefighter Walker Bailey isn’t looking for romance, much less a fairytale happy-ever-after. He’d loved, lost, and been left a single dad. But spending time with Maggie has him adding her to the top of his Christmas wish list. If only he believed Santa could deliver the gift of love…
Can the spirit of Christmas bind their hearts, giving them a faith in love that can conquer their pasts?
Titles in the Wrapped Up in Christmas series include: Wrapped Up in Christmas ~ Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy ~ Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope ~ Wrapped Up in Christmas Love ~ Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes.
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Posted November 8, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Lucy Macready believes in three things: peppermint cocoa can fix almost anything, tradition matters, and every December deserves a little magic.
But when the town bans pop-up vendors, her beloved cocoa stand is shut down—and with it, the one piece of Christmas that still connects her to her late grandmother.
Determined to keep the magic alive, Lucy sets her sights on the only place left to set up shop: Fir Lodge Tree Farm.
The problem?
It’s owned by Boyd Granger—the town’s resident recluse, all gruff edges and sawdust, whose idea of Christmas spirit is letting the storm shovel his driveway for him.
She shows up with cocoa and carols. He meets her with scowls and silence.
But when a blizzard traps them together, Lucy’s warmth starts melting more than snowdrifts—and Boyd begins to remember what hope used to feel like.
In a town where traditions are sacred and hearts are stubborn, one cup of cocoa might just be enough to rebuild belief in love.
Titles in the Evergreen Hollow Christmas Romance series include: Mistletoe & Motor Oil ~ Yuletide & Yearnings ~ Snowflakes & Sawdust ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with a Grumpy/Sunshine trope, with either closed doors or fade to black.
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Posted November 7, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, NetGalley, Paranormal Romance, Standalone, Time Slip Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments
Be careful what you wish for….
Hotel sales manager Clara Jenkins has an opportunity to take over as general manager of her hotel. There’s just one problem: she’s asked to shadow her boss for a year, and her boss happens to be her ex. Clara’s not so sure about working in close quarters with him for that length of time.
But her job opportunity isn’t the only major hurdle this year. At dinner the next night, her new boyfriend, Air Force pilot Brent McNally, drops the bomb that he’s being deployed on short notice for an entire year.
While rummaging through her grandmother’s box of Christmas decorations, she finds an old pocket-watch style ornament and, holding it, wishes she could skip the entire year.
The next day, when she arrives at the airfield to see Brent off, to her utter confusion, it soon becomes apparent that she may have skipped a year, and she’s waiting for him to return, not waving him off. Also, Brent—her brand-new boyfriend—goes down on one knee and proposes.
~Standalone~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. Kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted November 6, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
As snow falls over Micklewick Bay, Lark Harker is preparing for the busy festive season at her vintage clothing boutique, creating enchanting window displays of sequinned dresses and crafting handmade Christmas decorations from shimmering silk ribbon.
But her festive preparations are put on hold when Nate Wilkinson arrives at her cottage door. The owner of a local upcycling business, Nate, asks for her help clearing out the long-abandoned Crayke’s Cottage – a place locals whisper is cursed and haunted by its smuggling past.
Deep within the cottage’s shadowy rooms, Lark discovers two mysterious leather suitcases. The first reveals a treasure trove of 1940s clothes that sparkle with wartime romance and mystery. But the second holds a darker collection: smuggling artefacts, cryptic coded messages, and a rusty iron key that gets Lark’s mind racing.
As Lark consults the town’s museum curator to unlock the suitcases’ secrets, she finds herself torn between growing feelings for her dear friend Nate and her inexplicable intuition that warns her away from love. When the rusty key leads to a shocking discovery in the cottage, Lark must trust her instincts and overcome her fears to finally find the greatest treasure of all…
Titles in the Micklewick Bay series include: The Little Shop by the Sea ~ Summer Days at Clifftop Cottage ~ Finding Love in Micklewick Bay ~ Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea ~ Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay ~ A Snowy Seaside Christmas ~ A Wedding at the Little Bookshop by the Sea ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black scenes. Kisses might be involved 🙂
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Posted November 6, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Lila McAllister has built a successful career as a hospitality consultant, but this Christmas, she isn’t chasing five-star ratings; she’s chasing answers. Facing her first holiday alone, she sets out to find the birth mother who gave her up for adoption on Christmas Day thirty-four years ago.
Her only clue is a handmade baby quilt that leads her to Pine Ridge Inn, a cozy mountain retreat in Colorado. But what begins as a quiet search turns into something much more when she’s drawn into the charm of the town’s festive traditions and the warmth of a found family. Then there’s Brady Hanson, the inn’s handsome but protective manager, who challenges her need to control every situation.
As Christmas Eve approaches, long-buried secrets come to light, forcing Lila to choose between the carefully built life she left behind and the family- and love- she never expected to find.
~Standalone~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black.
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Posted November 5, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
When she wrote to Santa as a child, she didn’t know her wishes would come true years later…
Holly Berry is spending her first Christmas without her grandmother, who had raised her. It’s difficult, but she’s getting through it. Then, unexpectedly, she’s asked to foster a puppy. Feeling out of her depth, she turns to her childhood friend, who offers to give her some guidance.
Veterinarian Colin Bishop has given up on relationships after his busy practice keeps interfering with his private life. But when the girl next door needs some help, he’s more than willing to make room in his busy schedule. But he knows not to fall for her infectious laugh or dazzling smile because his patients will always come first.
Holly never thought the wishes she wrote on her Christmas list as a kid would come true, but unexpectedly, ghosts from Christmas past have come to visit. Will Colin be able to bring the joy back to her holiday? Or will those ghosts ruin everything?
Titles in the Kringle Falls, Vermont series include: Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses ~ Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses ~ Puppy Smooches & Peppermint Kisses ~ Puppy Hugs & Mistletoe Kisses ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.
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Posted November 1, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Heartwarming, Holiday Romance, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
Can saving a town landmark…
Restore her faith in love?
When attorney Sloan Lancaster returns to Adelaide Creek to care for his father, he’s shocked at Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center’s run-down state. He considers moving his dad, but is drawn to his high school crush, Bethany, who is in charge of the facility’s restoration.
Moved by Bethany’s community spirit and her adorable young daughter, Heidi, Sloan makes an anonymous donation to the center as the holidays bring them all closer.
But when Sloan’s identity is revealed, Bethany pulls away, anxious about a conflict of interest. Can she overcome her fears to embrace Sloan’s support—and build the loving family she’s always wanted?
Titles in the Back to Adelaide Creek series include: The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins ~ The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming ~ His Wyoming Surprise ~ Finding His Wyoming Sweetheart ~ A Wyoming Family Holiday ~
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.
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