Books in series
#1
Close to Home
2012
“Welcome to Westen. I’m Lorna Doone. Yep, spelled just like the cookie and I own the Peaches ‘N Cream Café here in Weston. You might think nothing much happens in a small mid-western town, but as my friend Harriett says, things aren’t always what they appear. Take our girl Emma for example…”
Emma Lewis has a lot on her plate. The single mother of two precocious twin boys and an aging mother who is having trouble getting through each day, the last thing Emma needs is a man in her life, especially a doctor. So when the town’s doctor goes on vacation and his handsome nephew takes over, Emma is shocked to not only find him standing in her bedroom, but accusing her of being a neglectful parent.
Clint Preston came to Westen for the year to fill in as the town doc while his uncle took a long needed vacation. Clint also needed a sense of peace and calm to try to find his passion for medicine burned out by long shifts in an urban hospital’s ER. Angered to find two boys in his clinic with broken wrists and no accompanying parent, he is determined to confront their mother. The feisty redhead he meets quickly dispels his belief that she’s a neglectful mother, but he can see her situation is more critical than she wishes to face and finds himself volunteering to help care for her sons and the remodeling of her home.
As Emma and Clint forge a relationship among the slightly off-beat characters that inhabit Weston a menace from Emma’s past threatens her and her sons. Clint and Emma join forces to prevent the loss of either boy and the love they’ve discovered in each other’s’ arms.
#2
Close to the Edge
2014
Westen Series #2, where small-town romance meets an edge of suspense.
After facing death as an undercover narcotics cop, Gage Justice has come home to heal. His recuperation is cut short by his father’s unexpected diagnosis of cancer and subsequent death. Now he’s honoring one of his father’s last wishes by taking over as the sheriff of his boyhood home, Westen, Ohio. Biding time until his father’s term is finished, he fights boredom more than crime in the sleepy little town—that is until one sexy little teacher-turned-Private-Investigator literally falls into his arms.
Bobby Roberts is looking for adventure. After giving up her own dreams to raise her two sisters after the death of their parents, she’s been trapped in a schoolroom for nearly two decades. The suffocating claustrophobia of the classroom has set her on a new career path. She arrives in Westen, complete with brand-spanking-new PI license, a handgun and a simple case—investigate a lien on property of a dead man.
Little does she realize her “simple little case” will lead her into the world of one sexy sheriff and the path of a murderer intent on keeping them both from discovering his secrets or stopping his plans that could destroy Westen.
#3
Close to the Fire
2014
Westen Series, contemporary romantic suspense, Book 3
They once were lovers:
After ten years of keeping his distance to the one woman he's always loved, Fire Chief Deke Reynolds is finally ready to set aside his grief and confess his guilt to Elizabeth "Libby" Wilson about his part in her brother's death. Libby's own guilty secret has kept her from sharing her life with the man who stole her heart as a teen and awakened her body as a young woman.
Danger has forced them together again:
A fire and their odd connection to a new teenager at the local half-way house have this couple finally sharing their secrets with each other. With an arsonist on the loose, threatening the town of Westen and its citizens, have Libby and Deke waited too long to find their love again?
#3.5
Close to Christmas
2014
It’s been a long dangerous year for the town folks of Westen. A celebration is just what they need. It’s four days before Christmas and the town is not only decked out in their holiday best, but looking forward to the wedding of Sheriff Gage Justice and his love, Deputy Bobby Roberts.
First Bobby’s lawyer sister, Chloe comes to town looking over her shoulder, which has the quiet deputy, Wes Strong wondering what has her running scared. Then problems start to happen with the wedding plans.
Has Chloe brought trouble to Westen?
Or does someone in town want to ruin the wedding this close to Christmas?
#3.5, 3.6, 3.7
Christmas Comes To Westen
2017
This 3-novella romance bundle features one Christmas season in the small town of Westen, Ohio. Starting with Close To Santa’s Heart, through Close To The Mistletoe and ending in Close To Christmas, the characters of Westen will show you how one small town comes together to celebrate the holidays with laughter, love and a dose or two or suspense. CLOSE TO SANTA’S HEART As Westen’s resident Santa, Deputy Cleetus Junkins brings the magic of Christmas to his beloved home town each year. He oversees lighting the tree in the square and raising the huge mistletoe kissing bough in the gazebo. At the parties he visits with children and the elderly. Amid all this joy even Santa can be lonely. Or he used to be. This year, Cleetus has a helper. Sylvie Gillis came to Westen for a fresh start only to have her heart immediately melted by a shy gentle giant of a deputy. Her childhood was short on happiness but playing elf to Cleetus’ Santa makes her want to believe in Christmas miracles. As Cleetus and Sylvie help bring Christmas joy to the citizens of Westen, the holiday magic weaves its way into their hearts. Will the reason Sylvie left home come between them or can she stay Close To Santa’s Heart? CLOSE TO THE MISTLETOE When teacher Holly Murphy walks into Westen’s only bar to help her friend celebrate a divorce, she doesn’t expect hot carpenter Nick Fisher to save her from an embarrassing situation. His heated kisses awaken something deep inside her, but when someone sets his sights on Holly, will Nick be the one to protect her close to the mistletoe? CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS It’s been a long dangerous year for the town folks of Westen. A celebration is just what they need. It’s four days before Christmas and the town is not only decked out in their holiday best, but looking forward to the wedding of Sheriff Gage Justice and his love, Deputy Bobby Roberts. First Bobby’s lawyer sister, Chloe comes to town looking over her shoulder, which has the quiet deputy, Wes Strong wondering what has her running scared. Then problems start to happen with the wedding plans. Has Chloe brought trouble to Westen? Or does someone in town want to ruin the wedding this close to Christmas?
#3.6
Close to the Mistletoe
2015
When teacher Holly Murphy walks into Westen’s only bar to help her friend celebrate a divorce, she doesn’t expect hot carpenter Nick Fisher to save her from an embarrassing situation. His heated kisses awaken something deep inside her, but when someone sets his sights on Holly, will Nick be the one to protect her close to the mistletoe?
#3.7
Close to Santa's Heart
2016
As Westen’s resident Santa, Deputy Cleetus Junkins brings the magic of Christmas to his beloved home town each year. He oversees lighting the tree in the square and raising the huge mistletoe kissing bough in the gazebo. At the parties he visits with children and the elderly. Amid all this joy even Santa can be lonely. Or he used to be. This year, Cleetus has a helper.
Sylvie Gillis came to Westen for a fresh start only to have her heart immediately melted by a shy gentle giant of a deputy. Her childhood was short on happiness but playing elf to Cleetus’ Santa makes her want to believe in Christmas miracles.
As Cleetus and Sylvie help bring Christmas joy to the citizens of Westen, the holiday magic weaves its way into their hearts. Will the reason Sylvie left home come between them or can she stay Close To Santa’s Heart?
#4
Close To Danger
2017
MP3 CD Format Danger stalks
For weeks, attorney Chloe Roberts senses someone following her. Always in her periphery, she's been unable to catch them. Then the phone calls and hang-ups start. The only reprieve was when she was in Westen for her sister's wedding. Now, whoever it was, they've progressed to text messages . . . more and more threatening ones.
Danger trails
Six years ago, Wes Strong wandered into the small town of Westen. A lone wolf, he's looking to find a place to put an end to the guilt he carried in his soul over the loss of most of his dark ops team during an extraction of a hostage in the jungle. While Wes hunts the predator stalking Chloe, his own past has him in its cross-hairs.
Danger blows
A winter storm turns into a blizzard, covering the entire state of Ohio. Power outages and arctic temperatures endanger the small town of Westen, traps Chloe and Wes in a cabin on the outskirts of town and forces Chloe's stalker to escalate his threat.
Contains mature themes.
#4a
Tiny Treats
2014
Tiny Treats is a multi-author collection of holiday-themed micro-stories. These are tales that can be read in their entirety in only a handful of minutes. The stories are submitted by dozens of authors who often set them in the larger worlds of their other books.
Stories and Authors in the collection:
Mistletoe Cowboy by Trish Milburn
An Ugly Sweater Christmas by Heather McGovern
Close to Perfect by Suzanne Ferrell
To Santa with Love by Lindsey Brookes
A Perfect Party by Anna Sugden
The Miracle of the Child by Bridget Hodder
Mistletoe Magic by D.B. Sieders
On This Christmas Day by Natalie J. Damschroder
Fashionably Late for Christmas by Tanya Michaels
A SEAL’s Proposal by Tawny Weber
White Christmas Pizza by Donna MacMeans
The Christmas Before Hell Froze Over by Sally Kilpatrick
Snowflake by Monica McCabe
An Unexpected Guest by Beth Pattillo
New Year’s Magic by Jody Wallace
Giving Thanks by Jeanette Grey
A Holiday Miracle by Michelle Monkou
A Bluestone Christmas Homecoming by M.J. Fredrick
Haintsgiving by Maureen Hardegree
All She Wants for Christmas by Janice Lynn
The Solstice Ball by Nancy Northcott
Zombie of Good Cheer by Gretchen Stull
Snow and Ghosts by Nicki Salcedo
A Candle in the Window by Dorien Kelly
In Which Miss Gardella Receives Three Gifts by Colleen Gleason
A Miracle for Molly by Trish Milburn
#5
Close To The Heart
2019
During a state-wide blizzard, Westen sheriff’s deputy Daniel Löwe finds a little girl named Lexie abandoned, freezing and terrified. He takes her—undernourished, dressed in thread-bare clothes—to the only available place in the small town, the Westen House for at-risk teens. Daniel’s protective instincts compel him to check in frequently to assure the girl's safety. A man who gave up all hope of a family, Daniel enjoys spending more and more time at Westen House with Lexie and the four teen boys who live there. But it’s the new housemother, Melissa Davis that drives his heart faster.
After surviving an abusive ex-husband, a wiser, less-trusting Melissa is forging a new life for herself. The moment Lexie arrives bundled in a quilt and asleep in the handsome deputy’s arms, Melissa's fierce maternal impulses rouse and she fears Lexie's drug-addicted mother will find and claim her. As Daniel helps track Lexie's mom and still finds time to teach the little girl how to play baseball, Melissa realizes that Daniel's a good man who keeps his promises, no matter how big or small, and the walls around Melissa’s heart start to crumble.
Their newly forged hope shatters when multiple bodies are discovered in abandoned drug dens and Daniel realizes Lexie's in real danger from her mother's dealer. Fearing for the little girl’s safety, Daniel and Melissa must lean on each other if they want to prevent the monster from stealing Lexie's life.
#6
Close To Family
2022
CLOSE TO FAMILY
is the sixth novel in the Westen Series of small-town romances.
The series timeline has progressed four years, which means Westen has continued to grow and lots of changes have occurred in the lives of its residents.
Dr. Dylan Roberts, the youngest of the three Roberts sisters, is at a cross-roads in her life. The death of a close friend while she is completeing a trauma surgery fellowship, has her questioning the next step in her life. Her sisters have both found happiness and new lives in Westen, but as much as she loves them, she isn’t sure this is where she belongs.
Newspaper owner, Sean Callahan had his own reason for leaving his journalistic career in New York and coming to Westen. Four years ago, he fell hard for Dylan the first time he met her at her sister’s wedding, however he stood firm in the friend category while she completed her residency in surgery. Now that she’s back in Westen on an extended visit with her sisters, he’s hoping to explore the attraction in their relationship, but wonders if it might destroy what they already have.
As Lorna Doone, the owner of the Peaches ‘N Cream cafe often says, “Not everything is like it seems in Westen.” The town is celebrating the opening of a new hospital with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an autumn festival. With all the dignitaries, new citizens and tourists coming for this event, the town’s security is stressed. The past of one of the town’s citizens is catching up with them.
I hope you’ll enjoy another chapter in the world of Westen, Ohio and all the people we’ve come to know as family.
#7
Close to Sleigh Bells
2023
This festive holiday season, Noel Fisher, an Army Reserve linguist, is looking for a chance to reconnect with his daughter, Callie. When Callie gets excited about career day at school, where a horse from a local farm will be present, Noel sees a chance to make his daughter's dreams come true.
Montgomery Taylor, a shy equestrian therapist and horse trainer, runs a business from her farm on the outskirts of Westen. When Noel offers to work on her farm's outdated electrical system in exchange for free riding lessons for Callie, the two of them form an unlikely bond.
But when two innocent people are put in jeopardy, it's up to Noel, Monty, and the people of Westen to save them. With danger, romance, and the holiday spirit, Close to Sleigh Bells is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Authors
Trish Milburn
Author · 42 books
Trish Milburn is the author of more than 50 romance and young adult novels, a huge fan of Asian dramas and K-pop music, prefers Marvel over D.C. (except Wonder Woman is awesome), and loves road trips and visiting national and state parks, and of course is an avid reader with a never-ending to-be-read pile. Learn more about Trish on her website, www.trishmilburn.com—where you'll also find links to her social media. She's most active on Twitter @TrishMilburn. Also, her WordoftheK.com is dedicated to her books set in Korea as well as posts about various aspects of the Korean entertainment industry, Korean culture, etc. Have a question? Be sure to check out the Goodreads option to ask about my books, K-pop, K-dramas, or writing.
Suzanne Ferrell
Author · 25 books
USA Today bestselling author, Suzanne Ferrell discovered romance novels in her aunt’s hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she'd be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories. The author of 20 novels and an Amazon best-seller for both her series, the Edgars Family Novels and the Westen series, Suzanne's books have been finalists in the National Reader's Choice Awards—SEIZED (2013) and VANISHED (2014). Suzanne was also a double finalist in the Romance Writers of America's 2006 Golden Heart with her manuscripts, KIDNAPPED (Long Contemporary Category) and HUNTED (Romantic Suspense). Currently working on more books for her Edgars Family series (KIDNAPPED, HUNTED, SEIZED, VANISHED, EXPOSED, UNMASKED and SHANGHAIED, part of a pre-WWII spy-chaser spin-off series) and the Westen Series (Close To Home, Close To The Edge, Close To The Fire, Close To Christmas, Close To The Mistletoe, Close To Santa’s Heart and Close To Danger), Suzanne hopes to bring readers more passionate and suspenseful books to fill your reading moments. Suzanne's sexy stories, whether they are her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the heartwarming small town stories or historical suspense novels, will keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved. You can Find Suz at: Website: http://suzanneferrell.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanneferre... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzFerrell Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzferrell/
