Category: Closed Doors/ Fade to Black

Starlight Over Hollyhock Farm by Georgina Troy

Posted December 24, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, NetGalley, No Spice Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Will sparks fly at Hollyhock Farm this summer?

When a hit TV series sets up camp at Hollyhock Farm, Jersey’s tranquil lanes are turned upside down. Radio DJ Callum Preston is used to high-maintenance guests – but nothing prepares him for interviewing the star-of-the-hour actor Riley Sharp, or meeting his beautiful, overworked PA, Tasha Dodds.

As Callum and Tasha grow closer in the island sunshine, the farm becomes the backdrop for more than just the cameras. But with paparazzi scandals brewing and Callum’s family thrust into the spotlight, will their Jersey summer end in heartbreak – or be the start of something wonderful?

Titles in the Hollyhock Farm series include:  Welcome to Hollyhock Farm ~ Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm ~ Love Blooms at Hollyhock Farm ~ Starlight Over Hollyhock Farm ~

This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Read More

Divider

A Merry Little Irish Christmas by Caroline Grace-Cassidy

Posted December 23, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, NetGalley, No Spice Romance, Small Town Romance, Standalone / 0 Comments

Most people dream of being home for Christmas, but not Maggie. New York has never felt like home to her. Nowhere has. So, when she’s sent on a last-minute writing job thousands of miles away just days before the festive break, she jumps at the opportunity. Especially if it means she’s one step closer to the promotion she has worked so hard for at Ultimate Locations Wedding Magazine.

Nestled in the idyllic Irish countryside, Castlemoon is the perfect wedding location, and all Maggie has to do to secure the position of Feature Writer is sell the legend of the castle – the one that promises a happy-ever-after to those that marry there.

But soon, Maggie discovers there’s more to this impressive, ancient castle – and its grumpy and ruggedly handsome owner, Dan – than meets the eye.

As secrets come to light, so does the magic within the castle’s walls. Could fate be weaving its spell once again? And will it finally lead Maggie home?

~Standalone~

This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Read More

Divider

The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston

Posted December 21, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, No Spice Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Sometimes the road home isn’t on a map.

After a painful breakup and a stalled career, journalist Kaiah Ross sets out on a reporting road trip down the East Coast, hoping the miles will help her find her way again. But when car trouble strands her in the postcard-perfect town of Coral Cove, she’s forced to stop running–and unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a life that feels like something out of a dream.

Reid Turner has spent years putting others first–his career as a firefighter, his spirited young daughter, Piper, and the small town he’s always called home. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. But from the moment Kaiah arrives, her kindness, warmth, and quiet strength stir something in him he thought was long buried.

When Kaiah agrees to help promote the town’s annual “Light the Dark” Festival–a celebration meant to save Coral Cove’s historic lighthouse–what begins as a simple arrangement quickly turns into something more. Late nights of planning under string lights, shared laughter over coffee, and quiet, heartfelt moments with Piper begin to weave Kaiah into the fabric of Reid’s life . . . and into his heart.

But just as love begins to blossom, Kaiah is faced with an offer that could relaunch her career and take her far from Coral Cove. Now, she’s forced to choose between the life she thought she wanted and the unexpected love that’s given her a glimpse of home.

Titles in the connecting stories of Coral Cove include:  The View from Coral Cove ~ The Lighthouse at the Cove ~

This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Read More

Divider

His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert

Posted December 18, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, NetGalley, No Spice Romance, Standalone, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

 

 

Discovering a photograph in her late husband’s coat pocket spurs Claire Didier on a quest to find a mysterious stranger.

Amidst the magical Christmas markets of France, she finds herself unwrapping a flurry of secrets, betrayals, and intrigue—while facing the exhilarating possibility of a later-in-life romance.

~Standalone~

This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Read More

Divider

It Had To Be Yule by Farrah Jane

Posted December 18, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, NetGalley, No Spice Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

On the outside, actress Jules Silver seems to have it all—Rom-com sweetheart, a career on the rise, and the longtime love of Hollywood’s leading man. But after a disastrous red-carpet event sends her life reeling, all Jules wants is an escape into her favorite season—Christmas—and space to figure out what she really wants.

The perfect place to make both happen? Dearing Creek, the magical Minnesota lakeside town where she spent every summer growing up—where the place and people brought her back to life long ago. And where one man has always been there for her.

Ethan Blake has loved Jules since the beginning. She was sunshine and laughter in his world of campfires and starry nights, the girl he’s never been able to forget. So when the stars align—bringing them together for a holiday road trip from Los Angeles back to where they started—Ethan can’t help believing that Fate is tossing him one last chance to prove he is worthy of her.

When a snowstorm strands them in Noel—a Christmas-obsessed mountain town filled with legend, twinkle lights, and holiday magic—the two suddenly find their carefully drawn lines between lifelong friendship and love become blurred. And when Jules’s past comes calling, they both must decide if love is worth the risk—or if happily-ever-after will remain something that exists only in the movies.

Titles in the Dearing Creek series include:  Lake I Love You ~ It Had To Be Yule ~

This is a no-spice romance with either closed doors or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Read More

Divider

Witch and Tell by Angela M. Sanders

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 🙂

Read More

Divider

Sugar and Spite by Carol J. Perry

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.

Read More

Divider

Nantucket Christmas by Melissa Hill

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 🙂

Read More

Divider

Candlelight Bay Christmas by Megan Jacobs

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 🙂

Read More

Divider

Sweet Christmas Comeback by Meredith Summers

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 🙂

Read More

Divider

Abducted in the Woods by Kerry Johnson

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.

Read More

Divider

Hearts Collide in Arborside by Janet Varity

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 🙂

Read More

Divider

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith by Janice Lynn

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 ChristmasWrapped 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.

Read More

Divider

Snowflakes & Sawdust by Harper Pugh

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.

Read More

Divider

Wishing for Christmas by Caroline Stowe

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 🙂

Read More

Divider