Category: Closed Doors/ Fade to Black

Sweet Surprises by Clara Pines

Posted October 12, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

All this single dad wants is a quiet Christmas, but he’s in for a sweet surprise…

Charlotte Kendrick is thrilled when her best friend invites her to run the family ice cream shop in small-town Sugarville Grove. She’s had a rough year with a bad breakup and a terrible loss. But Charlotte isn’t going to let that dampen her spirits. She’s determined to have fun, finish the things she starts, and avoid falling for another guy – especially her best friend’s grumpy, gorgeous older brother.

Tag Lawrence has buried himself in his work on the family dairy farm and his fierce love for his kids ever since losing his wife years ago. People might say he’s a grump, but he’d rather focus on his energetic five-year-old son and increasingly reserved thirteen-year-old daughter than worry about the world outside Lawrence Farm.

But when an early freeze and a burst pipe leave the pretty new manager of the dairy’s ice cream shop out in the cold, Tag feels obliged to offer her a home for the holidays. The upbeat young woman connects with his kids in a way that makes his chest ache, but Tag knows he will never allow himself to fall in love again. And he definitely can’t even think about getting involved with his little sister’s best friend, no matter how much her smiles make him feel like something is awakening in his heart.

Nothing short of a Christmas miracle could bring these two together. It’s a good thing they’re in Sugarville Grove this holiday season.

Titles in the duo-author Sugarville Grove series include: Sweet Surprises by Clara Pines ~ Unexpected Gifts by Tess Thompson ~ Sweet Surrender by Clara Pines ~ Christmas Promises by Tess Thompson ~  Sweet Home by Clara Pines ~ Christmas Treasures by Tess Thompson ~ Sweet Music by Clara Pines ~ Savoring Christmas by Tess Thompson ~ Sweet Fortune by Clara Pines ~ (2/10/2026) ~ Christmas Encore by  Tess Thompson (2/12/2026) ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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Her Second Chance Christmas by Isabella Bruno

Posted October 12, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Love Inspired (Harlequin), NetGalley, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Home for the holidays…

Or home for good?

A frightening diagnosis—and a subsequent breakup—forces marketing executive Penelope Shay to return to Cedar Ridge to find peace.

But when she learns her beloved childhood home is at risk of being sold, she’ll do anything to save it—even if it means teaming up with Matthew Banks, her high school boyfriend. The plan is simple: she’ll offer the contractor her marketing expertise on a project in exchange for his help to raise funds in a cookie contest.

As the two work closely together, old feelings quickly reignite. But with the uncertainties of Penny’s health looming, is a future together possible?

~Standalone~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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A Christmas to Remember by Cassidy Carter

Posted October 11, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

He’s falling for his best friend’s sister. She’s snowed in with the one man she swore she’d resist.

Jack Allen, the newest investor in Cabins in the Pines Resort, is ready to celebrate the season. Between the sleigh rides, the Winter Wonderland festival, and a special countdown to a new baby for the resort’s owners, Christmas in Fairwood, Arizona, promises to be unforgettable. But when his best friend’s sister arrives—reluctantly and with zero holiday spirit—Jack’s plans take an unexpected turn.

Dr. Ella Brent-Collingsworth has no interest in festive celebrations. With her demanding career as a physician, she sees her trip to Fairwood as nothing more than a brief family visit before she moves on to the next chapter of her life. But a sudden winter storm derails her plans, leaving her snowed in at the resort with the most infuriatingly charming man she’s ever met.

When an unexpected challenge threatens the resort’s holiday events, Jack and Ella are forced to work together. As the Christmas magic settles in, so do feelings neither of them saw coming. But when Ella’s dream job in California calls, she must decide—return to the future she’s worked for or risk everything for a love that feels like home?

Titles in the Cabins in the Pines series include:  A Summer to Remember ~ A Wedding to Remember ~ A Christmas to Remember ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses by Jennifer Faye

Posted October 11, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

When she needs help, he’s the last person she would turn to…

Belle Sinclair has recently adopted a stray puppy. It was love at first snuggle. He is the best Christmas present ever. And yet her holiday happiness goes sideways when she hears a siren and spots flashing lights in her rearview mirror.

Sheriff Parker Bishop is a confirmed bachelor. He firmly believes all laws should be obeyed without exception. And so when he spots the beautiful Belle Sinclair once more committing a moving violation, what choice does he have? He has to pull her over.

But this holiday, Belle’s puppy has gone missing. Suspecting foul play, she has to call on the one man in Kringle Falls who can get under her skin with just a look. This Christmas, will they be able to work past their differences in order to help the puppy? And along the way, will they find that opposites just might attract?

Titles in the Kringle Falls, Vermont series include: Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses ~ Puppy Love & Snowflake KissesPuppy Smooches & Peppermint KissesPuppy Hugs & Mistletoe Kisses ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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The Magical Tea Shop by Aimee O’Brian

Posted October 10, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Owned, Paranormal Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

In the small town of Hazard, finding your soulmate might require magical intervention.

Ivy Wayland has a bet with her sister, who says you can’t have it all—success in business or love, but not both. Since opening her tea shop, Ivy knows where her priorities should be, but she has her heart set on her landlord. All her life, she’s heard the family lore about how their antique cookie press infuses homemade cookies with so much love that the recipient will fall head over heels for the giver. Ivy decides to take the chance.

Jaxon Langford is ready to move on. The only thing stopping him from selling up is concern about how some of his small business owners would fare with a greedier landlord. When one of his enthusiastic tenants brings him a tin of delicious-looking cookies, he’s charmed. He takes the cookies to his baseball team’s practice, only to watch them be devoured without getting so much as a bite.

Suddenly, Ivy has her pick of the town’s eligible bachelors—except Jaxon. How can she prove her sister wrong and win Jaxon’s heart?

Titles in the Charmed Love series include:  The Magical Tea Shop ~ The Magical Bed & Breakfast ~ The Magical Christmas Cottage ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black romantic scenes.

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A is for Amish by Shelley Shepard Gray

Posted October 10, 2025 by Marsha in Amish Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Kensington Books, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Siblings Martin, Kelsey, Beth, and Jonny are as different as can be, but they have one thing in common. They’re all longing to reinvent their lives. Raised by their divorced, lapsed Amish father and English mother, they only knew real stability and a sense of family when visiting their Old Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful small-town Millersburg, Ohio. Now the four want to try living with them and joining their faith—much to the Schrocks’ surprise . . .

Martin, the eldest, is reeling from a bad breakup, so he’s especially determined to make a fresh start. When he meets his grandparents’ neighbor, Patti Coblentz, he’s immediately drawn to her outgoing, helpful nature—but is so overwhelmed that he appears blunt and rude. Is there any way he can drop his defenses enough to admit she’s captured his heart?

Always self-conscious about the birthmark on her temple, Patti is resigned to never marrying and busying herself with the responsibilities of the large home and property she has inherited. Besides, Martin’s ill-mannered behavior and disconcerting directness make him the last man she’d ever want to wed—no matter how handsome he is.

Yet given time and patience—and adhering to their grandparents’ unexpectedly challenging rules—the whole family might just find what they’re looking for, even Martin and Patti.

Titles in the Amish ABCs series include:  A is for Amish ~ B is for Bonnet ~ C is for Courting ~ D is for Daisy ~

This is a clean, sweet Amish romance with perhaps only kissing.

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His Alaskan Christmas by Beth Carpenter

Posted October 9, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Heartwarming, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 2 Comments

An instant family…Is a gift he never expected!

The tiny town of Swan Falls, Alaska, has everything engineer Emily Cooper needs—except a nanny for the holidays. But her Christmas wish could be granted in the most unexpected way!

Grounded as he waits for corrective eye surgery, pilot Nick Bernardi needs a place to stay. And helping his best friend’s widow with her two kids is an easy yes.

But it’s not long before the dedicated bachelor starts to feel more than he should…especially considering he’s moving far away to Hawaii. Could falling in love change his flight plan?

Titles in the Swan Falls, Alaska series include:  Her Alaskan Summer ~ His Alaskan Christmas ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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The Silver Hills Boarding House by Linda Lael Miller

Posted October 7, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Harlequin, Western Historical Romance / 0 Comments

Lizbet Fontaine will do anything to keep her family together, even leave behind the only life she’s ever known to journey to the West. But as the jitney rumbles away, holding tightly to her little brother’s and sister’s hands, she knows something is wrong. Her stepfather has summoned an associate with a predatory glint in his eyes, and Lizbet knows she needs to save them all. She just doesn’t know how…until a kind man points out the Silver Hills Boarding House.

Gabe Whitfield is no saint. But he won’t let a woman be threatened. Getting involved with Lizbet and little Frankie, and Jubal is the last thing on his mind, though. When his wife and their child died a few years ago, a piece of him died, too. So he’ll help this family find their way at Miss Ornetta’s boarding house. Anything more is out of the question.

But that one chance meeting changes Gabe forever. Lizbet’s fierce strength makes him feel the faintest whisper of hope. And Lizbet can’t deny being drawn to the honest, gentle man whose kindness moves her. Can she trust her heart to a man who can’t let go of the past?

~Standalone~

This is a Western Historical Romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne

Posted October 7, 2025 by Marsha in Author ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Small Town Romance, Standalone / 0 Comments

‘Tis the season for a little white lie…

Christmas has always been single mom Holly Goodwin Moore’s favorite time of year. The twinkly lights on the tree, the cookies in the oven, the snow on the ground. But she’s just not feeling it this year. The wedding in her ex’s family is almost here, her daughter, Lydia, is bursting at the seams to be a flower girl…and Holly couldn’t be dreading it more. She told a little white lie about having a new boyfriend as her plus-one, hoping to save face. She needs a date for the wedding…and she needs it now.

Ryan Caldwell wants to be free this holiday season. So even he isn’t sure how he landed in Shelter Springs, looking after his niece, Audrey, with his estranged father down the road. But when he meets Holly, she makes him want to belong for the very first time. So they make a deal: he’ll be her date if she helps him give Audrey a true Christmas to remember while her mom is away.

~Standalone Title~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses by Jennifer Faye

Posted October 1, 2025 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Owned, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Three homeless puppies, two lonely hearts, and a massive snowstorm.

Candace “Candi” Goodman, an unemployed teacher, is always sharing a smile and helping those around her. This Christmas, she has volunteered to drive three puppies to a shelter in Maine. However, when a road closure sends her on a detour, she gets lost in a snowstorm.

Michael Bishop, a township road supervisor, has spent the past two years mourning the loss of his young family. As he’s plowing snow late one evening, he notices something amiss. When he goes to investigate, he finds a woman and three puppies in a dire situation. The more time they spend together, the more he finds himself falling for her mistletoe kisses. But will it be enough for him to take a chance on love again?

Titles in the Kringle Falls, Vermont series include: Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses ~ Puppy Love & Snowflake KissesPuppy 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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Dangerous Montana Inheritance by Jenna Night

Posted September 24, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Love Inspired Suspense (Harlequin), Mystery, NetGalley, Romantic Suspense, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

A shocking bequest could cost her life.

Attacked on the property she unexpectedly inherited, Rose Balfour barely escapes with the help of former hostage negotiator Henry Walsh.

Someone is determined to keep her from testifying at a loan shark’s murder trial. But when she does and the danger continues, Rose suspects there are answers in the house left to her.

Teaming up with Henry, Rose uncovers surprising evidence and a powerful enemy determined to silence them. Not even Henry’s isolated ranch is a safe refuge.

With their lives on the line and captors closing in, can Rose and Henry expose the web of secrets—before they vanish forever?

Titles in the Big Sky First Responders series include: Deadly Ranch Hideout ~ Witness Protection Ambush ~ Unsolved Montana Investigation (Cold Case) ~ Dangerous Montana Inheritance ~

This is a clean, faith-based romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.  Although there is violence within the story, be aware of that factor.

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Beach Home Beginnings by Ellen Joy

Posted September 20, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

Starting over at 55 can be difficult, but a new beach house, a sisterhood of friends, and a sweet guy can make things a bit easier. 

It’s been five years since Evelyn’s beloved husband passed, but the 55-year-old is stuck in the past. Evelyn’s sister has had enough, so she buys her a trip to their old summer getaway, Martha’s Vineyard, where Evelyn learns she’s not alone after meeting Wanda, a divorcee with a secret, and Bitty, a sassy widow.

As the three women make fast friends, they help each other learn how to move forward and start living again. So when Evelyn sees that her longtime dream home is on the market, she doesn’t hesitate. But Evelyn’s newfound inspiration to move on is tested when she reunites with an old flame.

Titles in the Cliffside Point series include: Beach Home Beginnings ~ Sea View Cottage ~ Sugar Beach Sunsets ~ Home on the Harbor ~ Christmas at Cliffside ~ Lakeside Lighthouse ~ Seagrass Sunrise ~ Half Moon Harbor ~ Seashell Summer ~ Beach Home Dreams ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

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A Secret Summer Child by Lee Tobin McClain

Posted September 9, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

A struggling single mom must share a home with the former bad boy who doesn’t know he’s the father of her child.

When Elena Meeker moves to Abbott Farm for the summer, she hopes the fresh air, sunshine, and small-town kindness will help her bullied eight-year-old daughter get happy again. She’s almost desperate enough to tell her high school boyfriend, Stone Smith, that he’s the father of her child.

Then Stone moves into the other side of the bunkhouse, where she and her daughter are living. Turns out Elena’s summer job of helping Pop Abbott start a farm-stay program will require coordinating with Stone, who’s slated to run the organic farm. If they want to help their struggling daughter, they must deal with the feelings that still spark between them… and the differences that tore them apart.

Titles in the Home to Orchard Springs series include:  Wintertime Secrets ~ Second Chance Springtime ~ A Secret Summer Child ~ His Autumn Neighbor ~
 
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing.
 

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Poisoned Past by Emmie Lyn

Posted September 8, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

When a festive Christmas party turns deadly, a single mom and a brooding stranger must unravel a chilling mystery before the killer strikes again.

The holiday season is in full swing in Clam Cove, Maine, where twinkling lights and carols set the scene for the library’s annual Christmas party. ER nurse Nina Reyes is looking forward to a peaceful week off with her daughter, Ana, and their mischievous Golden retriever, Ginger. But when the town librarian collapses, poisoned during the festivities, Nina finds herself pulled into a deadly mystery.

Still recovering from a life-altering accident, horticulturist Kyle Walker is drifting until fate throws him into Nina’s path. Despite their differences, her determination and his keen eye make them an unexpectedly strong team. As they investigate, long-buried grudges surface, and the motives, ranging from greed to revenge, run deeper than they imagined.

With danger mounting and sparks flying, Nina and Kyle must stop a killer before they become the next targets.

Titles in the Danger at the Cove series include: Tangled Trust ~ Exposing Secrets ~ Poisoned Past ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing.

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Second Chance Springtime by Lee Tobin McClain

Posted September 4, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Billionaire David Gonzalez never forgot his humble beginnings… nor the curvy country-club queen who stole his heart and then tossed it aside ten years ago.

Former socialite Courtney Walsh wants to rebuild her life—and her bank account—after a bitter divorce. Helping with the renovation of Abbott Farm’s new produce stand provides a place to live and a decent paycheck.

Unfortunately, it also requires working with the wealthy entrepreneur she dated back when he was a golf caddy at her family’s country club. The spark is still there. But David, a cancer survivor, harbors secrets that pull him away from the woman he still adores.

Will their reversal of fortune bring them together or tear them apart?

Titles in the Home to Orchard Springs series include:  Wintertime Secrets ~ Second Chance Springtime ~ A Secret Summer Child ~ His Autumn Neighbor ~
 
This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing.
 

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