Ryker Falls Series by Wendy Vella, Lani Blake

He was the bad boy no one trusted   Bailey’s burned out, and unsure why she’s landed back in Ryker Falls, but has a feeling it’s got something to do with closure. Bad boy Joe Trainer was once her soulmate, but she wasn’t sure she had a soul anymore. Finding he’d made something of his life is a shock, as he’d been on a one-way trip to hell when she left. This new Joe is sexy and enticing, but she knows all too well there’s a devil underneath the urbane exterior... moreHe was the bad boy no one trusted   Bailey’s burned out, and unsure why she’s landed back in Ryker Falls, but has a feeling it’s got something to do with closure. Bad boy Joe Trainer was once her soulmate, but she wasn’t sure she had a soul anymore. Finding he’d made something of his life is a shock, as he’d been on a one-way trip to hell when she left. This new Joe is sexy and enticing, but she knows all too well there’s a devil underneath the urbane exterior.   She was the good girl who never broke the rules   When Joe finds his childhood sweetheart, Bailey Jones, has returned to Ryker Falls, his life suddenly shifts from settled to off-center. Once they’d been closer than anyone ever guessed; now, they’re chilly strangers. But Joe’s not letting his stubborn, sexy-as-hell ex-bestfriend stay closed off. He lost her once through his own stupidity this time she's not getting away. Joe knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance, but he’s never played by the rules before so he’s not starting now. Game on. less

To keep himself safe, he trusted no one. Sixteen years after leaving, FBI Profiler Dylan Howard is returning to Ryker Falls to see his sick father. He doesn’t do emotion or friendship, this is about duty and nothing more. He didn’t need to connect with the two sisters who were strangers to him or catch up with his old school buddy. The only problem with that is one sexy brunette called Piper Trainer... moreTo keep himself safe, he trusted no one. Sixteen years after leaving, FBI Profiler Dylan Howard is returning to Ryker Falls to see his sick father. He doesn’t do emotion or friendship, this is about duty and nothing more. He didn’t need to connect with the two sisters who were strangers to him or catch up with his old school buddy. The only problem with that is one sexy brunette called Piper Trainer. From the start, she’s determined to make him feel, determined to make him see how empty his life is. He can feel himself changing, but then someone from his past surfaces, and suddenly those he cares for are in danger. He must keep them safe, but to do that he needs to push them away and Dylan fears he’s not strong enough to do that for a second time. Trust was the only thing that kept her safe. Piper didn’t need or want a hot, sexy man in her life, especially not when her best friend died, and she takes custody of her one-year-old daughter Grace. But Dylan Howard is like a burr under her saddle, and everywhere she turns there he is. She watches him try and remain emotionless when faced with his family and friends but the cracks are starting to appear, and the good guy surfaces. Just when she thinks that maybe there could be a chance for them, he pushes her away. Piper takes refuge in her family, but too late, she realizes that she’s given Dylan her heart. Now she must fight for her happiness with the only weapon she has: love. less

He’d waited sixteen years to come home, and the minute Dylan Howard stepped back into Ryker Falls, he knew it was a mistake.First, there was the smart mouthed brunette who’d taken a piece out of him for his attitude, which was the same as it had always been to be fair. Cold and emotionless.Then there were his two sisters who he didn’t know, and thought he didn’t want to know, but now it turns out he’s suddenly filled with this familial longing. It’s enough to drive a man to a drink... moreHe’d waited sixteen years to come home, and the minute Dylan Howard stepped back into Ryker Falls, he knew it was a mistake.First, there was the smart mouthed brunette who’d taken a piece out of him for his attitude, which was the same as it had always been to be fair. Cold and emotionless.Then there were his two sisters who he didn’t know, and thought he didn’t want to know, but now it turns out he’s suddenly filled with this familial longing. It’s enough to drive a man to a drink.As an FBI profiler, he saw bad stuff daily, and dealt with it. But this emotional mind field is something he’s not used to, and throw in a loud-mouthed, hot brunette, and he’s pretty sure this visit will be over before it started.Piper Trainer had a rough start to life, but she’s put that behind her. She’s right where she wants it to be now, surrounded by the people she loves.Just one thing, is causing her angst. The stuck up, sexy lawman who walked into town. Piper didn’t need or want a hot, sexy man in her life. Especially not when her best friend died and she takes custody of her one-year-old daughter Grace. Something about his attitude gets under her skin, but each time she watches him fumble through trying to reconnect with his sisters her heart beats a little harder.When someone from his past comes calling, it will test not only him, but the tender new ties Dylan has made with his family, and the love blossoming between him and Piper. less

Finding her way home Leaving her beloved hometown Ryker Falls was the second hardest thing Rory Haldane had ever done. Forgetting the cloud of shame her family left under, was the first. When circumstances bring Rory back, wounded but not broken, some townsfolk don't appreciate her arrival. As threats against her begin to escalate, she finds support from an unlikely ally... moreFinding her way home Leaving her beloved hometown Ryker Falls was the second hardest thing Rory Haldane had ever done. Forgetting the cloud of shame her family left under, was the first. When circumstances bring Rory back, wounded but not broken, some townsfolk don't appreciate her arrival. As threats against her begin to escalate, she finds support from an unlikely ally. Jack Trainer may epitomize the dark handsome bad-boy, but surprisingly he takes her side, and she finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of losing his heart to anyone. This is one battle Rory refuses to fight, so for her own protection, she'll once again say goodbye to Ryker Falls. He'll fight for her to stay Jack Trainer likes women, he just never had any intention of loving one. Life taught him to guard his heart, and when Rory Haldane walks back into town he’s ready to ignore her. The problem with that is, he also hates injustice, and the way some of the people in his town are treating her has his hackles rising. He's not exactly the stuff heroes are made of, but Rory has his protective instincts on high alert. And his libido. He wants more, way more, from her than a passionate fling, but will Rory drop her guard enough to trust him? less

Finding her way homeLeaving her beloved hometown Ryker Falls was the second hardest thing Rory Haldane had ever done. Forgetting the cloud of shame her family left under, was the first.When circumstances bring Rory back, wounded but not broken, some townsfolk don't appreciate her arrival. As threats against her begin to escalate, she finds support from an unlikely ally... moreFinding her way homeLeaving her beloved hometown Ryker Falls was the second hardest thing Rory Haldane had ever done. Forgetting the cloud of shame her family left under, was the first.When circumstances bring Rory back, wounded but not broken, some townsfolk don't appreciate her arrival. As threats against her begin to escalate, she finds support from an unlikely ally. Jack Trainer may epitomize the dark handsome bad-boy, but surprisingly he takes her side, and she finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of losing his heart to anyone. This is one battle Rory refuses to fight, so for her own protection, she'll once again say goodbye to Ryker Falls.He'll fight for her to stayJack Trainer likes women, he just never had any intention of loving one. Life taught him to guard his heart, and when Rory Haldane walks back into town he’s ready to ignore her. The problem with that is, he also hates injustice, and the way some of the people in his town are treating her has his hackles rising. He's not exactly the stuff heroes are made of, but Rory has his protective instincts on high alert. And his libido. He wants more, way more from her than a passionate fling, but will Rory drop her guard enough to trust him?BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me Close less

An innocent hiding in the shadowsLiving on the sidelines has always suited Mandy Robbins but all that changes when Ted Hosking challenges her to step into the light. For some reason the dangerously sexy Falls Lodge owner has decided to personally play a part in her metamorphosis. She is determined not to fall for the taciturn man who has “commitment phobic” written on his forehead, but Ted is the only man who has ever seen the real her beneath the quietness... moreAn innocent hiding in the shadowsLiving on the sidelines has always suited Mandy Robbins but all that changes when Ted Hosking challenges her to step into the light. For some reason the dangerously sexy Falls Lodge owner has decided to personally play a part in her metamorphosis. She is determined not to fall for the taciturn man who has “commitment phobic” written on his forehead, but Ted is the only man who has ever seen the real her beneath the quietness. As her past comes calling, she realizes that with Ted it’s not just her heart that’s at risk … it’s her life.Her big, bad protectorTed Hosking has no problem with hard work or living in the spotlight; it’s what he knows and how he’s built his business. He’s a take-charge kind of guy, so how is it possible he has no clue how to handle Mandy Robbins? She scares him. There’s no getting around that. Gentle, sweet, and shy, she’s Ted’s opposite in every way. There shouldn’t be any surprises in life, not for a man as jaded as he. But when he leaves her bed after their first night together, everything changes. What he feels for her has the power to change the very foundation he’s built his life on, and that shocks him to the core. When danger looms and threatens Mandy, he knows that staying away for her protection is no longer an option. Their love has only just begun and he’ll fight with everything he has for her, no matter the cost.Ryker Falls SeriesSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me CloseYou're The OneWe Belong TogetherWe Found Love less

The life he has always known is about to changeFindlay Hudson, landed in Ryker Falls, Colorado, leaving a dysfunctional family and his bad attitude behind. He has friends he now thinks of as family, and considers himself happy. All that changes when Maggie Winter, a sexy, alluring red-head, returns to Ryker Falls. She’s had her big London adventure, but Maggie’s clearly hurting and vulnerable now.They’d always struck sparks off each other, but never moved on them... moreThe life he has always known is about to changeFindlay Hudson, landed in Ryker Falls, Colorado, leaving a dysfunctional family and his bad attitude behind. He has friends he now thinks of as family, and considers himself happy. All that changes when Maggie Winter, a sexy, alluring red-head, returns to Ryker Falls. She’s had her big London adventure, but Maggie’s clearly hurting and vulnerable now.They’d always struck sparks off each other, but never moved on them. Second time around though, Fin doesn’t seem able to keep his distance, and suddenly the comfortable life he’d always thought he wanted is turned on its head. Maggie’s arrival brings overwhelming desire and hidden threats. Now Fin’s embroiled in a potential homicide, his estranged father arrives in town, and Maggie… well, Maggie, slides into his heart and this time he can’t shake her.Coming home was meant to heal herMaggie Winters left home excited for her big adventure, then everything changed one chilling day when she faced an horrific attack. Determined to put the trauma behind her, she arrives in Ryker Falls, ready for the best acting job of her life. Of course, she’d counted on Fin Hudson, a long tall drink of handsomeness who had always made her feel a little off balance, still keeping his distance. Turns out she was wrong. Way wrong.Maggie’s defences are weakened and now Fin wants to know what she’s hiding and he’ll do whatever it takes to find out. Fin Hudson could seduce secrets from a stone, but Maggie is no pushover.With a murder to solve, scars to hide and a business to run, she doesn’t have time for love.But kisses that touch her soul, a confession and the cheering squad of a close-knit community give her the strength to accept that she and Fin deserve a chance.BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me Close less

He’s the man his friends call Mr. GrumpsterAfter a life working his family’s ranch, Nash Winter understands animals better than people. He loathes social media, and twitter to him is a fancy word for talking. So, when his friend’s sister gets excited over the arrival in Ryker Falls of model, and social media influencer, Luna McKinley, he’s going to make damn sure she does no influencing of young minds in the town he now calls home... moreHe’s the man his friends call Mr. GrumpsterAfter a life working his family’s ranch, Nash Winter understands animals better than people. He loathes social media, and twitter to him is a fancy word for talking. So, when his friend’s sister gets excited over the arrival in Ryker Falls of model, and social media influencer, Luna McKinley, he’s going to make damn sure she does no influencing of young minds in the town he now calls home.She may be one fine woman, but it’s just not natural for anyone to be that happy and positive all the time. Nash watches closely for the real Luna to emerge. But the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes that the lady who’d once walked catwalks worldwide is open and honest. She also has him feeling things he’s never felt before.She’s the woman her friends call Miss HappyLuna didn’t exactly run all the way to Ryker Falls when her old college friend said it was time to catch up, but it was a near thing. Her life was too fast, too crazy, and too much of everything. She wasn’t walking away, just taking a break. She’d fought hard for what she’d achieved and no one, not even the past she’d run from, was taking that from her.Okay, so the town was full of people who seemed to know everything about everyone, and it had him, Nash Winter. A tall dark drink of bitter water, who was determined to see her for what she wasn’t. She didn’t need him looking at her like a bug he wanted to squash. She’d had worse than that in her lifetime. Why then did he bother her. Why did his touch make her want something she’d never had? And why was he the one she turned to, to keep her safe?When her past catches up with her, Luna has to decide to stay in the town where her heart now lies, or run again, and not look back.Can Nash convince Luna to trust him? Can Luna keep Nash safe? The town cheer squad is determined they will find their HEA, but they must navigate the road to true love with care!BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me CloseYou're The One less

He’s happy as a lone wolfFirefighter Luke Trainer loves his family, but that was where he drew the line. He had no interest in opening himself up to the pain of loving anyone who doesn’t share his blood after the hell that was his childhood. Luke’s carefully controlled life seemed on track. That is, until Quinn Harper came home and wreaked havoc on his heart.She’s beautiful, distant and wanted to be left alone, which suited him just fine... moreHe’s happy as a lone wolfFirefighter Luke Trainer loves his family, but that was where he drew the line. He had no interest in opening himself up to the pain of loving anyone who doesn’t share his blood after the hell that was his childhood. Luke’s carefully controlled life seemed on track. That is, until Quinn Harper came home and wreaked havoc on his heart.She’s beautiful, distant and wanted to be left alone, which suited him just fine. Then her father’s barn burns down, and a series of accidents suggest that something is off with the Harper family and he finds himself wanting to keep her safe.Luke gets news that the mother who left when he was a child is dead. She leaves a younger brother that he and his brothers must step in and claim. The life that he’d carefully built for himself was imploding fast. But the one person he found himself turning to constantly was Quinn.She’s got no time in her life for loveAfter joining the air force at eighteen, Quinn worked hard to become a fighter pilot, a goal she’s had since childhood. There was no time for boyfriends or fashion, or the things her old school friends had been doing. Dedication and focus was how she lived her life.She hadn’t planned to go home to Ryker Falls. Her life was the air force, but when her father has an accident, she knows it’s time. Time to reassess what she’s realized. Quinn wanted a place to call home, and someone to share it with.Finding the sexy Luke Trainer still there had been a surprise. The man had turned his life around, but like her, she knew beneath the surface there were demons. When they are continually thrown together, she realizes that in Luke she’s found something she never knew she was missing. Someone who understands her.As their spark of attraction flares into a fully fledged inferno, Quinn and Luke are facing a scary, uncertain future. Will forgiveness allow them the chance to make things work? Or will the scars and danger of the past keep them apart forever?BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me CloseYou're The OneWe Belong Together less

He’s happy as a lone wolfFirefighter Luke Trainer loves his family, but that was where he drew the line. He had no interest in opening himself up to the pain of loving anyone who doesn’t share his blood after the hell that was his childhood. Luke’s carefully controlled life seemed on track. That is, until Quinn Harper came home and wreaked havoc on his heart.She’s beautiful, distant and wanted to be left alone, which suited him just fine... moreHe’s happy as a lone wolfFirefighter Luke Trainer loves his family, but that was where he drew the line. He had no interest in opening himself up to the pain of loving anyone who doesn’t share his blood after the hell that was his childhood. Luke’s carefully controlled life seemed on track. That is, until Quinn Harper came home and wreaked havoc on his heart.She’s beautiful, distant and wanted to be left alone, which suited him just fine. Then her father’s barn burns down, and a series of accidents suggest that something is off with the Harper family and he finds himself wanting to keep her safe.Luke gets news that the mother who left when he was a child is dead. She leaves a younger brother that he and his brothers must step in and claim. The life that he’d carefully built for himself was imploding fast. But the one person he found himself turning to constantly was Quinn.She’s got no time in her life for loveAfter joining the air force at eighteen, Quinn worked hard to become a fighter pilot, a goal she’s had since childhood. There was no time for boyfriends or fashion, or the things her old school friends had been doing. Dedication and focus was how she lived her life.She hadn’t planned to go home to Ryker Falls. Her life was the air force, but when her father has an accident, she knows it’s time. Time to reassess what she’s realized. Quinn wanted a place to call home, and someone to share it with.Finding the sexy Luke Trainer still there had been a surprise. The man had turned his life around, but like her, she knew beneath the surface there were demons. When they are continually thrown together, she realizes that in Luke she’s found something she never knew she was missing. Someone who understands her.As their spark of attraction flares into a fully fledged inferno, Quinn and Luke are facing a scary, uncertain future. Will forgiveness allow them the chance to make things work? Or will the scars and danger of the past keep them apart forever?BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me CloseYou're The OneWe Belong Together less

Beauty and the tormented beastFord Winter, the oldest, and, according to his siblings, ugliest, is a man with carefully hidden secrets. Outwardly relaxed, laid back, and happy with life on his family’s ranch, Ford takes comfort in the daily rhythms of his life. Under the surface, however, he is battling with the demons of something he will never share with anyone... moreBeauty and the tormented beastFord Winter, the oldest, and, according to his siblings, ugliest, is a man with carefully hidden secrets. Outwardly relaxed, laid back, and happy with life on his family’s ranch, Ford takes comfort in the daily rhythms of his life. Under the surface, however, he is battling with the demons of something he will never share with anyone.Business takes him from his hometown, and when he finds a desperate woman standing outside his hotel room, clearly in pain, he does what he does best. Steps in to help her. What he doesn’t realize is that life as he knows it, from that moment, is about to change after their encounter.Autumn Harris, the sweet new teacher in town, and woman he rescued, is a single mother and way too nice for the likes of him. He doesn’t want nice and sweet, or a relationship, because at night, when the door to his room is closed, often Ford’s life changes for the worst. Plagued with nightmares from an event that changed his life, he never wants anyone to see his demons. Especially Autumn.Can their demons be tamed?Autumn desperately needs a life change, both for herself and her son, Ritchie. So, when she reads about a teaching position in Ryker Falls, Colorado, she jumps at the chance. Finally, she can escape the man who had once held her heart. A man who thinks he can still be part of their lives, despite Autumn’s protests.The Ryker Falls community welcome her and Ritchie, wrapping them in a secure blanket of love and support. After the hell that she’s come from, it’s like the best kind of dream come true. Right up until the day she walks into Ford Winter again. He’s the man who tenderly looked after her, the man who showed her such gentle kindness when she’d no one else to turn to. The tall, imposing rancher with the easy smile but shadowed eyes.Autumn senses something is off with Ford. Something dark is plaguing him, his unspoken demons obvious in his manner and rejection. Autumn is both scared yet drawn to an inward struggle she well recognizes, but also knows her heart can never be truly his. Not when she has so much at stake to lose.Can Ford and Autumn heal each other, or will the past that comes calling and stop them from finding a future together?BOOKS IN THE SERIESSomebody To LoveFrom This MomentLove Me TenderOnly Just BegunHold Me CloseYou're The OneWe Belong TogetherWe Found Love less