Love in O'Leary Series by May Archer

Caelan James should've known better than to let a dating app set him up on a blind date. Nothing in life was guaranteed-perfect, especially not guys... and most definitely not guys in the immediate vicinity of tiny O'Leary, New York. And then sexy Navy SEAL Ash Martin walked into Cal's bakery, and made him wonder if fate might have cooked up something sweet for him after all. Their connection was immediate, all-consuming, and definitely not vanilla.. moreCaelan James should've known better than to let a dating app set him up on a blind date. Nothing in life was guaranteed-perfect, especially not guys... and most definitely not guys in the immediate vicinity of tiny O'Leary, New York. And then sexy Navy SEAL Ash Martin walked into Cal's bakery, and made him wonder if fate might have cooked up something sweet for him after all. Their connection was immediate, all-consuming, and definitely not vanilla... but could their perfect date last for more than just a night, or even a season? Note: This is a 23k word SHORT STORY that first appeared in the Heart2Heart anthology as "The Baker and the SEAL." It has been slightly expanded. less

“I was in free fall the moment we met, and I just keep falling.” Small town police officer Silas Sloane knows every resident of O’Leary, New York. He’s earned the love and respect of its citizens, though living under the small-town microscope grates on him. But though he’s good at his job, there’s one thing he’s not good at: commitments… Until Everett. Widower Everett Maior, O’Leary’s newest citizen, came to the small town kicking and screaming... more“I was in free fall the moment we met, and I just keep falling.” Small town police officer Silas Sloane knows every resident of O’Leary, New York. He’s earned the love and respect of its citizens, though living under the small-town microscope grates on him. But though he’s good at his job, there’s one thing he’s not good at: commitments… Until Everett. Widower Everett Maior, O’Leary’s newest citizen, came to the small town kicking and screaming. He never wanted to become primary caretaker for his grandfather and has no interest in living the provincial life. Snarky and superstitious, he’s proficient at keeping people at a distance... Until he lays eyes on Silas. Strange disappearances are plaguing O’Leary, though, even as Silas and Everett find their growing attraction undeniable. Can they find their way to a future together, even as ghosts from the past threaten to tear them apart? less

Daniel I suck at relationships and don’t trust anyone, but there are reasons for that. For one thing, every person I’ve ever cared about has let me down. The only recent exception: O’Leary’s town veterinarian...my new best friend. I came to O’Leary for a fresh start. To pare things down to essentials. To forget about the failures in my past. The last thing I need is complications, and most definitely Not. A. Boyfriend... moreDaniel I suck at relationships and don’t trust anyone, but there are reasons for that. For one thing, every person I’ve ever cared about has let me down. The only recent exception: O’Leary’s town veterinarian...my new best friend. I came to O’Leary for a fresh start. To pare things down to essentials. To forget about the failures in my past. The last thing I need is complications, and most definitely Not. A. Boyfriend. Julian I’ve lived in O’Leary my entire life and learned to fly under the radar a long time ago. I do what’s expected, say what’s expected, and keep to myself as much as possible. It’s a hell of a lot simpler spending my time working with animals than trying to interact with actual people. The one unlikely exception: the gorgeous guy who moved to a cabin just outside of town and somehow became my best friend. But friendships are complicated, and one morning I find myself accidentally telling the whole town the biggest lie of my life. Which is how Daniel Michaelson, my very straight, very hot best friend becomes my fake boyfriend, even though he’s most definitely Not. My. Lover. less

I was one of the lucky ones. I found my soulmate back in high school, when my next door neighbor wrote me a love note that changed my life -- a love note that promised me "always." But apparently "always" ain't all it's cracked up to be, because here I am, a mere eight years later, planning my soulmate's dream wedding -- the most romantic Valentine's Day wedding in O'Leary's history. The only problem? He's not marrying me... moreI was one of the lucky ones. I found my soulmate back in high school, when my next door neighbor wrote me a love note that changed my life -- a love note that promised me "always." But apparently "always" ain't all it's cracked up to be, because here I am, a mere eight years later, planning my soulmate's dream wedding -- the most romantic Valentine's Day wedding in O'Leary's history. The only problem? He's not marrying me. NOTE: This is a 20K SHORT STORY that was first available as part of a promotional giveaway. No new content has been added. less

Micah Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little... yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year... maybe the century. But now he's in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought. In. My. Bed... moreMicah Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little... yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year... maybe the century. But now he's in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought. In. My. Bed. And how the hell am I supposed to resist him? Constantine I'll be the first to admit I've royally screwed up, but what can I say? I was a stupid teen who lost his dad and spiraled out of control. Almost a decade later, I'm still trying to make amends. The last thing I need is my family's arch-nemesis wading into my life like he's got all the answers. Except... I really need money, and the arrogant jerk offered me a job. I can deal with Micah's attitude. My attraction to him? That's different. He's my boss, not my boyfriend. And he's way too old for me. But God, he's gorgeous. Dominant. Compelling. I don't want to want him... But I can't turn away. less

What do the hot, genius entrepreneur and I have in common? Absolutely nothing. Taika Parata may be rich as hell, but he’s a total jerk. He spends his days traveling the globe in the lap of luxury, while I dreamed of leaving my tiny hometown for a nomadic life and never got further than Boston. But when fate throws us together, our preconceptions are challenged and suddenly we both have an entirely new perception of the world… and each other... moreWhat do the hot, genius entrepreneur and I have in common? Absolutely nothing. Taika Parata may be rich as hell, but he’s a total jerk. He spends his days traveling the globe in the lap of luxury, while I dreamed of leaving my tiny hometown for a nomadic life and never got further than Boston. But when fate throws us together, our preconceptions are challenged and suddenly we both have an entirely new perception of the world… and each other. NOTE: This is a 12K SHORT STORY that was first available as part of Volume 2 of the Heart2Heart charity anthology. No content has been changed or added. It has ties to the O'Leary universe, but can easily be read as a standalone. less

JAMIE Parker Hoffstraeder is gorgeous, cocky, and totally irrational. He also broke my heart when he left town eleven years, four months, and twenty-eight days ago. Not that I’m counting. I don’t mind admitting it: I was young. I got burned. I learned my lesson. But the guy swaggers back into O’Leary like he owns the damn place and suddenly I’m expected to welcome him to my town — to my life — like nothing’s changed? Yeah, that I mind... moreJAMIE Parker Hoffstraeder is gorgeous, cocky, and totally irrational. He also broke my heart when he left town eleven years, four months, and twenty-eight days ago. Not that I’m counting. I don’t mind admitting it: I was young. I got burned. I learned my lesson. But the guy swaggers back into O’Leary like he owns the damn place and suddenly I’m expected to welcome him to my town — to my life — like nothing’s changed? Yeah, that I mind. It’s only a matter of time until he’s gone again. And there’s no way I’ll give him a chance to take another piece of me when he goes. PARKER Jameson Burke is the most arrogant, infuriating human on the planet. He’s also taller, broader, and impossibly hotter than he was before I left town. But, whatever. It’s fine. I can handle it. Coming back to O’Leary was supposed to be like coming home. I hadn’t realized that there’s no statute of limitations on how long your first love and former best friend is allowed to hate your guts, or how much bad luck can befall a person in a short time. But, I can handle that, too… or at least pretend to. When Jamie and I are thrown together in a blizzard, though, everything changes in the space of one single, scorching night. Suddenly, I’m dreaming of a future I can’t have, and he’s stuck in a past he can’t let go. It feels like we’re playing with fire... And this time I’m the one who’s gonna burn. less

One night in Vegas I gave him my heart… one day later, he broke it.   Look, I’ve never claimed to be a nice guy. I don’t do pretty words, I don’t give polite smiles, and I refuse to be sucked into the sappy bucket of sentimentality that is Christmas in small-town O’Leary. Smiling neighbors, overly decorated trees, a town parade, a Santa contest ? Ho ho no . I do shifts as a firefighter, and I go home alone... moreOne night in Vegas I gave him my heart… one day later, he broke it.   Look, I’ve never claimed to be a nice guy. I don’t do pretty words, I don’t give polite smiles, and I refuse to be sucked into the sappy bucket of sentimentality that is Christmas in small-town O’Leary. Smiling neighbors, overly decorated trees, a town parade, a Santa contest ? Ho ho no . I do shifts as a firefighter, and I go home alone. I fell into the trap once — that stupid night in Vegas — of believing there was more out there for me. I took a chance on a guy with magical green eyes and a gorgeous smile. The next day, Liam McKnight was gone. He took my heart with him… and left his wedding ring behind. Except now my once-upon-a-time husband has reappeared with a kid in tow, and there are carols, lights, and cookies everywhere I turn. And worst of all? The spark between us burns brighter than ever, because whatever happened in Vegas definitely didn’t stay there. Liam came to town looking for an ending, but what’s building between us feels an awful lot like a beginning. Too bad it’s going to take more than a dozen interfering O’Learians to convince me to take a second chance on heartache, on love… on us . Note: While The Night is very much Liam and Gideon's story, characters from past books do make an appearance, and you'll enjoy the book exponentially more if this isn't your first trip to O'Leary. less

Brian Carr believes in fairy tales—princes, castles, once upon a times, happily ever afters. He's been that way since we were kids, and no matter how many times it all goes wrong, Brian's never given up hope of finding his one true love.It's beautiful. Adorable. Charming.It's also annoying as hell, because I've spent decades standing on the sidelines while guy after guy crushed my best friend's heart, leaving me to pick up his pieces.The truth is, for as long as Brian has dreamed of fairy tales... moreBrian Carr believes in fairy tales—princes, castles, once upon a times, happily ever afters. He's been that way since we were kids, and no matter how many times it all goes wrong, Brian's never given up hope of finding his one true love.It's beautiful. Adorable. Charming.It's also annoying as hell, because I've spent decades standing on the sidelines while guy after guy crushed my best friend's heart, leaving me to pick up his pieces.The truth is, for as long as Brian has dreamed of fairy tales... I have dreamed of Brian. But if he's waiting for some dude on a white horse to wander into O'Leary, there's no way he's gonna notice the guy who's been by his side all along. less