Reclaimed Hearts Series by Elle Keaton

The town is worth saving, as long as conspiracy theorists, serial killers, and Vincent Barone all stay out of Xavier’s way. Xavier swore he’d never move back to the flyspeck of a town he’d grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now he's back for good. Vincent never left. After earning his teaching certificate, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days he’s the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs to make ends meet... moreThe town is worth saving, as long as conspiracy theorists, serial killers, and Vincent Barone all stay out of Xavier’s way. Xavier swore he’d never move back to the flyspeck of a town he’d grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now he's back for good. Vincent never left. After earning his teaching certificate, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days he’s the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs to make ends meet. He's perfectly happy with his life. Xavier's mission is to save Cooper Springs. But his efforts are being hindered by his stodgy, straight-laced, rule-following neighbor, Vincent Barone. Dark-eyed, broad-shouldered, and muscly Vincent, who Xav stealthily ogles when he toils in his yard sans shirt. For a high school shop teacher, Vincent is too sexy. And he has a kid. And he infuriates Xavier. And anyway, love is for suckers. Vincent doesn't have time to date. And he certainly wouldn’t date his flashy, arrogant, neighbor who he absolutely did not have a crush on in high school. Who did Xavier think he was, moving back to town and throwing his weight around, causing butterflies in Vincent's stomach, and making his stupid heart beat faster every time he saw him? Cooper Springs has changed since they were kids, and maybe two guys can move from hate to love. But are they ready? Will Vincent bend a few of his rules? Will Xavier reign in his chaotic tendencies? Is love in the air? Then there’s the matter of the grisly discovery in the woods, murder is bad for business. Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer. Adverse Conditions is the first in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, older lovers, silver fox, enemies to lovers, small-town romance, with a little murder. less

A serious health scare forces Martin Purdy to rethink his life. He quits his job, sells his house, and buys a set of fixer-upper cabins on the coast. There’s just one teensy problem. Along with the property comes a very angry man. Nicholas Waugh had his own scare, bad enough that he slunk back to the crappy town he grew up in. With no home to call his own, he finagles a security gig keeping an eye on a set of vacant cabins... moreA serious health scare forces Martin Purdy to rethink his life. He quits his job, sells his house, and buys a set of fixer-upper cabins on the coast. There’s just one teensy problem. Along with the property comes a very angry man. Nicholas Waugh had his own scare, bad enough that he slunk back to the crappy town he grew up in. With no home to call his own, he finagles a security gig keeping an eye on a set of vacant cabins. The deal comes with a free one-year lease–and he’s not leaving a day sooner. Not even if the new owner gets down on his knees and begs him. Okay… maybe if he got down on his knees. Fifteen years of teaching college freshmen and patience is second nature to Martin. But Nick is giving Martin a run for his money. He’s one suggestive chainsaw sculpture away from justifiable homicide. If that wasn't enough, when he's not infuriated with Nick, Martin finds himself fighting an inappropriate and ridiculous attraction to the much younger man Everyone in Cooper Springs thinks Nick is crying wolf, but creepy stuff is going on around town and he is the only one paying attention. Human remains found in the forest, and a body dumped on the property he’s in charge of, have Nick on high alert. Meanwhile, all Martin wants to do is get started on the remodel. Instead, he’s fighting with Nick over things that go bump in the night and losing sleep worrying he’s made a disastrously wrong decision. Failure is not an option. What will it take for Nick to let his guard down? What will it take for Martin to admit that age is just a number and Nick is more than man enough for him? Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer. Below Grade is second in the Reclaimed Hearts series , set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, age gap, only one bed, grumpy-sunshine, small-town romance, with a little murder. less

Ex-US Marshal turned Cooper Springs Chief of Police, Andre Dear isn’t looking for love. He’s too busy hunting a killer. The last person Andre expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean. Dante Brown went into WITSEC for his sister’s kid--sort of. In reality, Dante's DIYing it; he isn’t the trusting sort... moreEx-US Marshal turned Cooper Springs Chief of Police, Andre Dear isn’t looking for love. He’s too busy hunting a killer. The last person Andre expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean. Dante Brown went into WITSEC for his sister’s kid--sort of. In reality, Dante's DIYing it; he isn’t the trusting sort. Daniella was the only witness to her mom’s brutal murder and needs both protection and anonymity--plus as normal a life as possible. It's just a bonus that Cooper Springs has Andre Dear too. He and Andre have a history, and Dante wants to see if they might have a future. Someone is gunning for Andre and, like it or not, Dante is going to protect him. And yeah, feed him too. Does the man never eat? Andre needs Dante’s help even if he doesn’t want to accept it. Dante's ready to settle down but he’s going to have to prove himself before Andre lets him in again. Together, they need to catch a killer and maybe find each other in the process. Red Flagged is book three in the Reclaimed Hearts series. A second-chance, older-lovers redemption story and thrilling romantic suspense set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula. less

Trust is a thing of the past. All that matters is the truth. Forrest Cooper. Has a short list of people he trusts. His sister. Xavier Stone. Magnus and Rufus Ferguson. A nosey newcomer to Cooper Springs is not making his list. Ever. Nero Vik. Produces a podcast about unsolved murders all over the country. He’s in town following his instinct. At last, he may have found his cousin’s final resting place... moreTrust is a thing of the past. All that matters is the truth. Forrest Cooper. Has a short list of people he trusts. His sister. Xavier Stone. Magnus and Rufus Ferguson. A nosey newcomer to Cooper Springs is not making his list. Ever. Nero Vik. Produces a podcast about unsolved murders all over the country. He’s in town following his instinct. At last, he may have found his cousin’s final resting place. Forrest is not giving the new guy an inch, much less discussing his sordid family history with him. His past, his sister’s past, is not up for debate on some nickel-and-dime podcast. Nero was the last of his family to see his cousin alive. He was the one who said, maybe you shouldn’t. But Donny was someone who never backed down. He got into that van. One man has dedicated himself to putting his past where it belongs—behind him. He has a lavender farm and after a lot of therapy, he sleeps at night. Most of the time. The other is determined to expose the truth—no matter how painful it is. He’s lived with crippling guilt since he was twelve. Twenty-five years later he’s close to the truth and he’s not backing away now. The perfect storm brings them together. Will they make it through to the other side? Code Violation is book four in the Reclaimed Heart series. less