Showing results by author "Jessie Gussman" in All Categories

In the friendly town of Sweet Water, North Dakota, Ellen and Travis's friendship flourished, firmly rooted in shared laughter and dreams. As Travis returned to Sweet View Ranch, his purchase of Ellen at auction seemed to shatter the boundaries they had once embraced. Stirred by newfound emotions, Ellen grappled with conflicting feelings when Travis asked her to assist him in finding a wife.

Marlowe Glass happily accepts the responsibility of bringing up her orphaned niece. But the struggling stepmom reaches the end of her rope when a terrifying storm destroys her house. So she doesn’t hesitate to accept her best friend’s offer of temporary lodging. Handsome farmer Clark Hudson longs to be free from his ex-wife’s manipulations. Although preparing to fight for custody of his son, he jumps at the chance to help out his best gal pal from way back in high school.

Armstrong Brant stepped between Glory Baldwin and a charging cow. He ended up with broken ribs and a farm and family he couldn’t care for through the pain. At the prompting of the Sweet Water Piece Makers Quilting Club, Glory volunteered to watch Armstrong’s four children while he recovers. She owed him, and it made sense. But she never expected to fall for a man with four boys.

She led him on, lied about him, then dumped him for his cousin. She was his enemy. He walked. But he loved her still.

I was pretty happy with my life until the hot shot, all-state baller from my teen years moved back in next door. (I babysat him, yes, but I never changed his diapers. Just wanted to be clear about that.) Guess who’s now the assistant b-ball coach? Logic would say me–especially since I coached my entire first year holding the playbook upside down (it turned out to be an old football playbook from the ‘80s, so it’s not like it mattered which way I held it) but the accurate answer is Trey Haywood, my all-star neighbor.

Fire Chief Andrew Coleman has two rooms for rent. Reagan Boyle and her little brother need a place to stay, and fast. It should be cut and dried–she rents the rooms, he lives his life. Except for the memories of the mistletoe kiss they shared. But he’s still dealing with the death of his close friend and because she was weak and trusting she’s carrying another man’s child.

Rancher Cordell Stryker just wants to settle down on his ranch, and he’s convinced the twin sister of his best friend to tie the knot with him. But as the wedding day approaches, he finds himself drawn more to her sister. That just can’t be, because she’s his best friend.

Priscilla Clyborne knows what it’s like to have her dreams come crashing down around her. That’s why, when country music superstar Cooper Cordray comes to the Clybourne dude ranch after suffering the worst dream-busting experience possible, Priscilla feels like she understands the pain and heartache the way few people can. Maybe she even understands that while some of the issues are Cooper’s fault, he deserves a second chance.

Phoebe Clyborne has always been the perfect child, and she'd certainly never been in jail. So, after being released from her first night in the lock up, the new cowboy in town is bound to get the wrong impression about the girl who has been content on her family's ranch, assuming the Lord just wants her to take care of her family and never have one of her own when she runs smack into him, knocking them both down. It wouldn't have been so bad, but later that day, Phoebe realizes he's the new foreman at their ranch.

Lucas Clyborne has had his eye on Sweet Water's librarian, Ryland Solomon, for almost a year. He's even started going to the library and checking out books. Who knew Extreme Ironing was a thing? So, maybe he had a little trouble concentrating on looking for suitable books since his attention seemed to get fixed on the cute librarian who didn't seem to know he was alive. Ryland didn't know why Lucas all the sudden had a fascination with obscure books like The Iliad and Favorite Ties of Latin American Presidents, but she is sure he's up to no good.

After losing his wife to cancer, Gilbert McBride just wants to raise his three kids and give them the best life he can. Now that he's gotten his business in the black after losing his wife to cancer he's going to buy a farm and spend lots of time with his kids doing what they love.

When Lavender met billionaire hunk Thaddaeus Hart five years ago, she thought he was a jerk who needed a major attitude adjustment. She would be absolutely fine to never see him again. She’s perfectly happy working in Sweet Water at her family’s auction barn and taking care of an elderly lady who’s keeping her daughter’s two small children. She never even thinks of Thad anymore. Hardly ever.

Brawley Powers made a mistake he's regretted for almost 11 years. But he didn't realize he had a daughter from that night until a stranger comes to town and puts the pieces together. Brawley sees the truth, but he's not sure if the mother of his daughter even knows who the father is and, whether she does or not, if she'll let him be a part of her life.

Bev became a successful business woman, designing her own line of spandex undergarments for plus sized women and amassing a fortune as the company grew to a multibillion dollar international conglomerate. If she hadn’t lost her baby and broken up with her boyfriend when she was 15, none of her financial success would have ever happened.

Shawn Barclay didn’t plan to stay in Iowa long. He’d only left his family and the close-knit community of Mistletoe, Arkansas, as a favor to his parents. They’d asked him to help the daughter of a friend who was in an accident. After arriving in Iowa, it doesn’t take long before Shawn invests in saving more than the woman’s farm. When he sees how the town avoids her, he decides to save her reputation as well.

Anitra Pollard has lived in Blueberry Beach all her life, an idyllic small, lakeside town where regular people go to escape real life. Unfortunately, Anitra’s real life couldn’t get much worse. Her husband left not long before her oldest son was diagnosed with leukemia. Worse, the head doctor on the team assigned to her son looks very much like the man she had a short, but very sweet, summer fling with…and the father of the child she carries. Her life couldn’t get any harder or messier, but she will let nothing get in the way of getting the very best care for her son.

They were high school sweethearts, but money and pride came between them. Can their twin sons trick them into falling in love again? Reid Hudson would be happy on his Missouri farm except he’d always thought he’d be sharing it with his soul mate, Emerson. Instead, he gets six months with each of his boys and splits the holidays. Not the life he’d planned.

Wilson McBride has been working with Judd Landis to make the lives of the residents of Mistletoe Meadows better through their Secret Saint escapades. But there is one woman who needs more than a few little presents and a Christmas tree. She needs a husband.

Mertie Jardine came home because of her parents’ death, but she has secrets of her own. On a dark night, long ago, she gave away something precious, and the only person who knows lives in Raspberry Ridge. She can’t stay long or the public life she’s built for herself as a Christian speaker and conference leader could come crashing down. Garnet Irving remembers that dark night well. He remembers the scared, hurting girl even better. She’s somewhere under the cool and collected exterior of the woman who’s back in town and he’d like to find her. He never stopped wishing she could be his.

Preston Harding witnessed his best friend’s death in the prime of his life. Alcohol has numbed the pain. Until his son’s mother drops the boy off on his doorstep and tells him she is dying. Suddenly he’s responsible for a young life and is facing another death. Thankfully, hospice is taking care of everything except the child.