Paradise (Brown)

"{You} will flip for this charming small-town tale." -Woman's World for The Sisters Café Small town enemies to lovers romance between two headstrong property owners determined to one-up each other, from the queen of Southern twang herself, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown. Two and a half months have passed since Brodie Carter showed up in Spanish Fort, Texas to meet the father who never knew he even existed. Well, family is family, and Brodie is welcomed in (once everyone gets over their shock). Getting to know his seven half sisters and all their spouses has not been an easy job. Add to that Audrey Ross, the obnoxious, sassy, overbearing woman who owns the orchard next to his. Between Audrey haggling Brodie to buy his property and his matchmaking Great Aunt Bernie setting him up on flop dates, nothing seems to be going right. And then a tornado demolishes the house Brodie and his brothers live in and everything they own. At least the orchard and farm are left untouched. Luckily, his new family offers up rooms to Brodie and his brothers while they work to rebuild. They move into the former brothel known as the Paradise, and try to get on with their lives. Audrey claims the storm is an omen that Brodie should sell, but that's the last thing he's going to do. No one boils his blood like she does, and Aunt Bernie can see it. Can Brodie and Audrey stop arguing over their properties long enough to realize the spark that's growing between them?

New York Times bestseller Carolyn Brown brings her Southern sass to Christmas in this friends to lovers contemporary romance full of Great Aunt Bernie's matchmaking shenanigans and lots of kissing under the mistletoe. Tripp Callahan's leather shop in Spanish Fort, Texas has become more than he can handle and he's ready to hire help. He's so backed up on Christmas orders that he's working sixteen hour days. The answer to one prayer shows up in Hank Gibson, former owner of a leather shop, and happy to work part time. But Hank brings his feisty granddaughter Willa Rose Gibson, and her presence leads Tripp to pray that Great Aunt Bernie won't turn her matchmaking eyes his way. No such luck. Aunt Bernie sees the potential and begins to hang mistletoe in every doorway. Tripp is going to be a goner.

Caution: Fake relationship in progress. Try not to fall in love. Charlotte "Lottie" Johnston, the only woman on her construction crew, has had enough or the catcalls, teasing, and flirting from the men on her team. So, when she spots Knox Callahan on the job site, she hatches a plan: a fake boyfriend arrangement to keep the guys in line. Knox agrees. After all, pretending to date Lottie might also keep his meddling Aunt Bernie from setting him up with a date every weekend. What starts as a simple arrangement soon is anything but as the crew looks for signs to prove Lottie and Knox are pretending. Between long workdays, shared lunches, and stolen laughs, their make-believe romance begins to feel dangerously real. But while Knox's roots are planted deep in small-town soil, Lottie's work will send her hours and miles away. Settling down in one place might be scary, but that's what it will take to build a life together.