Scorpion Ridge, Arizona

A WILD HOPE Wild animals can't be tamed - a traumatic lesson Katie Vincent had learned firsthand as a child. So when her estranged father passes away, she has no choice but to sell his beloved zoo to an animal park in Arizona. But when the park's director, Luke Rittenhouse, reports that the panther she'd hand-raised is dying, he threatens to return all the animals unless she comes and nurses the panther back to health. Katie has to try to save the big cat, even though she knows she's doomed to fail. She hasn't worked with animals in more than a decade... and she has an immobilizing fear of them since the accident. But Luke believes everything deserves a chance - even Katie. And if she can let go of her fear, he might just be the one who rescues her.

The last person she wanted was the only one who could keep her safe Janie Vincent had no use for cops. They'd never done her any favors. But when she uncovers a lead into the disappearance of a girl at the college where she's a teaching assistant, suddenly Janie's life depends on the officers of Scorpion Ridge. And one in particular: Sheriff Rafael Salazar. Rafe knows how much destruction a missing-persons case can cause a family, and so to solve this case, he's determined to stick to Janie like glue. She's clearly not a fan of the 24/7 surveillance, but he intends to break down her distrust. And maybe they'll discover that what Janie saw can be the key to healing them both.

Their history can't be rewritten. But their future Bears, eagles and wolf dogs she could handle. But ten years after their split, Nature Times journalist Jimmy Murphy still had the power to rattle Meredith Stone. One look at him and a lifetime of memories came flooding back and a decade of carefully constructed defenses came crumbling down. Defenses she'd need in order to deal with her grandpa's latest turn for the worse, her sister's upcoming wedding and Jimmy's persistent questions. Why was he probing into her work at the animal rescue? And why did she care so much about what he thought? She'd buried her feelings for him a long time ago.

One particular secret could tear them apart Yolanda Sanchez had never been a "follow your bliss" type of girl, always preferring to make practical choices. But since her mom's will stipulated that she had to fulfill a dream with her inheritance, here she was, opening a used book store. With consummate dreamer Adam Snapp, an artist and childhood friend, as her handyman. So much for her comfort zone. But she needs help, and Adam needs the work. It's strictly business until they discover a mysterious book about Scorpion Ridge history. One that reveals not just secrets of their families' pasts, but how deeply intertwined their futures really are.