Ethan loved Nica from afar throughout high school, but the one night he mustered the courage to ask her out turned into a catastrophe. Ten years later, Ethan is a jaded, billionaire actor looking for a fresh start. He’s tired of playing roles on and off screen and wants something… someone real. Nica is a single mom and unemployed chef living with her parents in their lakeside hometown. It’s not the life she wants to model for her daughter, but it’s all she’s got right now. When Ethan asks her to be the chef in his new restaurant, she laughs in his face thinking it’s another prank. But when her smarmy ex-boss dangles his perceived Restaurant Wars win in her face, she would rather team up with Ethan than let her ex-boss represent the town she loves. Can Ethan and Nica progress through the culinary challenges, overcome old hatred, and find the happily ever after neither of them believe they deserve? ★★★A second-chance, enemies-to-lovers foodie romance perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Susan Wiggs, and Debbie Macomber. All Emerald Bay Chefs Romances are stand-alones and can be read in any order. You are guaranteed a happily ever after with every couple.★★★ This book was previously published in the Elf Hollow Romance Series. Setting details have changed, but the story is the same.

If there’s an emergency, don’t call Isa, has become pastry chef Isa Garcia’s family motto and she’s done being the butt of their jokes. When she finds a puppy in a thunderstorm, it’s the least perfect way to prove she’s reliable. Petrified by the fluffy bag of teeth, Isa will do almost anything to overcome her fear and her family’s prejudices. Dog trainer Bryce Kelley doesn’t want a partner for Elf Hollow’s Obstacle Course Wars, but the Town Council refuses to let him enter the fundraiser as an individual. His best friend’s ridiculously dramatic little sister needs his help with her new dog, and bribery will get him what he needs. Too bad she makes his heart race and his palms sweat for all the wrong reasons. A distractible puppy, barbed wire crawls, and an over-protective best friend can’t stop the growing attraction, but they have secrets they refuse to share. Will they win the race or will the truth destroy the greatest prize of all?

A woman in a man’s sport. The opportunity of a lifetime could save her grandma’s legacy. The only thing standing in her way? Him… To say Camille’s last 24 hours haven’t gone well is an the football coach threatened to fire her, her boyfriend publicly and humiliatingly broke up with her, and her grandma’s athletic coaching facility is 3 months from bankruptcy. Icing on the scone? The hunk who caught her crying—and flirted with her—outside her bakery is the corporate muckety-muck hired to help her fix grandma’s problems. 2 days. Liam allotted 2 days to pick up his new prosthetic arm and hustle back to work. Those mountains won’t change his clients’ lives by themselves, after all. But when his conscience won’t let him turn down an old mentor’s plea, he’s forced to face the football dreams he buried with his amputated hand. Stuck working together, Camille’s passion for the sport and Liam’s pedigree might be the recipe to stop bankruptcy and find their happily ever after, but one wrong play will end the program that ensures bright futures for countless kids. For fans of Debbie Macomber, Nicholas Sparks, and Kate Clayborn, this swoony, contemporary football romance is closed-door. ★★★Emerald Bay Romances can be enjoyed in any order. Preview uploaded. Full novel is 350 pages.