Brandon Brown is the unlikeliest Santa ever to don a red velvet suit. His abs are more cheese grater than bowl full of jelly, and deploying to Syria is the closest he’s come to the North Pole. But family drama sends the jaded Marine home for the holidays, and lands him an unexpected gig as a part-time Santa. Jade King is hustling to get Jingle Bell Reindeer Ranch off the ground, and she’s not thrilled her sister hired a Santa with sex-appeal. The last thing Jade wants is a beefcake circus, and guys like Brandon bring sleigh-loads of trouble. But Studmuffin Santa proves more popular than anyone dreamed, drawing hordes of happy kids, lusty moms, and a mystery foe hell-bent on wrecking it all. The threat has Brandon playing protector for the reindeer and their sexy keeper, which is risky for a guy who’s sworn off happy endings and the whole Christmas mess. But as Jade and Brandon bond over Santa suit malfunctions and risqué Christmas cookies, they find they have more in common than a craving for gingerbread. Can they find a way to mesh their wish lists, or will ghosts of Christmas past bring things crashing down like a fat man in a cast iron sleigh?

Sean Bracelyn can whip up a saffron-laced lobster risotto in his sleep, but relationships? That’s one recipe he hasn’t nailed. Not that he has time, between launching a new restaurant and building a luxury resort with his awkwardly-blended family. But when his dream girl nearly knocks him unconscious with a dead turkey, it’s all Sean can do to keep his eyes on the gazpacho and off Amber King’s perfect curves. Amber’s done with guys propping her on a pedestal. Transforming her family’s reindeer ranch into a country chic wedding venue is consuming enough, and the last thing she needs is an extra serving of love drama. So what is it about the stupid-sexy chef that gets her desires bubbling like a pot of hot spaghetti? Keeping their distance is tough enough before Sean and Amber get tossed together by wacky weddings, lingerie mishaps, and a surly three-legged cat. When Sean’s mom shows up to dish out huge helpings of family drama, a big secret threatens to spread faster than a kitchen fire. Can Sean and Amber find the right blend of sugar and spice, or will love fall flat as a burnt soufflé?

Bree Bracelyn doesn’t date cops. That’s a problem, since I am one. Also, I might be in love with her. But Bree’s got a secret I can’t figure out. Most folks lace up their goody two-shoes around cops, but Bree’s don’t fit quite right. There’s a story there, but she’s guarding it like a tiger with a pet zebra. And yeah, I know the guy jockeying for police chief should steer clear of a woman with skeletons in her closet, but I can’t stay away. I’ll find any excuse to visit the resort she owns with her siblings, even trotting out my charming pup, Virginia Woof. I’m not proud. Between hot springs hookups and grope-fests in my car, Bree’s breaking her no-cops rule six ways to Sunday, and I’m grateful. But what’ll it take to coax out her secret and convince her I’m not here to slap the cuffs on her? Not unless she asks me to.

I have my reasons for walking into Chelsea Singer’s cupcake shop with an axe. Too bad I’ve forgotten what they are. Hell, I forgot my own name the second she flashed those blue eyes and offered up a double-fudge cupcake with Irish cream frosting. I may look like a grumpy lumberjack, but I’m a softie for sweets, single moms, and my massive, messy family. The family stuff gets messier now that we’re running a resort together on our late-father’s ranch, which brings my siblings that much closer to discovering I’m not who they think I am. As things heat up with Chelsea, I’m falling faster than an old-growth redwood filled with buttercream and lit on fire and then maybe chopped into kindling. It’s a figure of speech, okay? And it’s damned inconvenient, since it turns out someone wants to hurt Chelsea and her daughter. But they’ll have to get through me first. And no way in hell is that happening.

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07PQ286S9 James "Iceman" Bracelyn is wound tighter than a vintage Rolex. Besides his CEO role at Ponderosa Resort, he's guardian of the family's biggest secrets, including a doozy that keeps him up at night. Alone. In that big bed he'd rather not share, thank you very much. That's fine with Lily Archer, who likes her flings flaming hot and fleeting. Her man-eater rep might be slightly exaggerated, but she'll gladly dial it up to rescue James from himself—and a bottle of Glenlivit—at his brother's wedding. Intimacy's the last thing either one wants, but it's tough to dodge when they're drawn together by the world's drooliest dog, a TPing escapade gone wrong, and a good old-fashioned desktop hookup. That's problematic for James, whose ability to hide the family's riskiest secret is complicated by the secret's refusal to get the hell out of his guest room. Can Iceman keep his frigid shell intact while falling for the hottest science geek sex goddess he's ever met, or will the ticking time bomb blow it all to smithereens?

A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA! I’m totally over having my heart stomped six years ago. So what’s with the mule kick to the chest when I spot the girl who ghosted me? Turns out she’s not my teenage fling, but her twin sister—and she needs a fake date to her cousin’s wedding. I’m game, especially since Val fires me up like no one I’ve ever met. She’s smart and funny and sweet and is it wrong that I’m diggin’ this bogus boyfriend role? As our make-believe romance melts into real-deal territory, things get hotter than a habanero on a bonfire. But what happens when her sister shows up? Or worse, when I fall in love with my fake summer fling.

The problem with being the family do-gooder? Sometimes you need to be bad. Or selfish, or whatever it’s called when I lock lips with Blanka Pavlo in a hospital hallway. I’m nuts about the sexy science goddess, but it’s a dick move to ditch a lifetime of rescue work staying here instead of heading back out on the high seas. But it turns out donating an organ gets you grounded a while. A few months at my family’s resort means more time with Blanka, and more chances she’ll notice I suck at self-care. She has a point, and also a plan. That’s how I end up tied to my headboard with balloon animals, adopting a homely cat, and joining Blanka for a bubble bath that’s way steamier than any fully-clothed event ought to be. It’s almost enough to make a guy forget why he’s spent a lifetime struggling to cancel out the sins of dear ol’ dad. Almost.

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA! Rule one when seeking a secret mountain hideaway: Be certain the cabin’s unoccupied. Also, make sure there’s no blizzard coming. I’ve screwed up all of that before I get the key in the door, which shouldn’t be a shock. God knows I’ve messed up plenty of things lately. Is it too much to want a hideout from Hollywood headlines in a place no one knows my name? Maybe not, since Gretchen Laslo has zero clue who I am. That’s the upside of being snowed-in with a stunning professor whose impressive list of appliances includes two ice cream makers and no television. The downside? Cocoa and blanket forts lead to toe-curling sex, which leads to me kinda-sorta forgetting to tell her the paparazzi’s on my tail. It’s a matter of time before she finds out. When that happens, our wintry romance will melt faster than two snowmen boning in a sauna.

Racing heart? Check. Damp palms? Check. All signs indicate I’ve got it bad for Lady Isabella Blankenship. It could be contagious, since Iz shows all the same symptoms. But what’s got her pulling back anytime things blaze between us? I know a modern-day duchess might have baggage from finding out she’s the illegitimate child of a dead American philanderer with more kids than morals. But Izzy’s on edge, and there’s more to it than run-of-the-mill culture shock. Turns out I’m not the only guy drawn to her. She’s shadowed 24/7 by protective siblings, an amorous pig named Kevin, and a deadly-looking stranger skulking around Ponderosa Resort. It’s more drama than I’ve seen since my days as an Army doc, so I’m happy to lend Iz a shoulder or any body part she needs. But what are my odds of diagnosing what ails Izzy before my royal crush makes a run for it?