The unexpected death of Rose's beloved aunt ends up being a driving force in her uneventful life. She gives up her lonely, unfulfilled big city existence for the country home and life from cherished childhood memories. But can it live up to them? All she wants is to find her place in the world; the happiness and independence she has been searching for. With her little dog Muffin by her side and a much needed new friend, it does seem possible - until an encounter with the handsome local Laird of the Munro Estate sends her spiralling from young professional woman to hormonal bundle of goo. Their chemistry is undeniable, but with him not seemingly on the market, this might not be the place for her after all. Thrust into the world of country living, will Rose ever find true love? In this roller coaster of emotions and a whole lot of country charm, one thing is for sure: Rose is certainly not going to be bored anymore!
Rose pushed the damp tendrils of hair from her eyes; sweat running down her forehead and dripping along her nose every time she looked downwards. She was physically fatigued, her denim shorts leaving her legs exposed and burning on the hot paving stones, but her determination wouldn't let her give up on the torturous task at hand. The weeds and paving stones had ruined her manicure and her hands felt like sandpaper. She had made a huge start on the mammoth chore and wasn't about to give up now. If anything, Rose was a stubborn woman when her mind was on a task.
Looking up, she could feel the sun burning her already tender face and naked shoulders, exposed by the flimsy white vest top she was wearing. The sun had climbed to the highest point of the day and was mercilessly trying to cook her. Trying was an understatement! Her hot red shoulders were a sure sign it was succeeding. Arching her back, she stopped for a moment, looking at the fluffy cloud in the clear blue sky and contemplated a little break until the heat started to cool down. That way she could get some relief from its beating rays.
Leaning back on her haunches, she looked around the wild overgrown jungle she now called her garden with a heavy sigh; she had managed to clear about four feet of the path from her chipped and faded once bright red door. It was a start, a major improvement at least; She would now be able to come and go through the door without fighting with the plants around her ankles. She only had another two feet until the rickety little gate was clear, and that meant a leisurely walk from the gate to the door; unlike the day she arrived. That day had almost been like an Indiana Jones manoeuvre to get through the wilds and into the cottage.
Her mobile phone began to ring in her back pocket, reaching back she slid it out to answer, her mother smiling back at her from the screen photo, staring up at her in all her beautiful glory. A feeling of warm affection spreading through her stomach.
'Hi Mum.' She smiled and got up on her knees to stretch out lazily, leaning back and sliding to lay flat on the scorching stone path. An impromptu break had been decided for her.
'Hi honey, I hope you don't mind me calling darling? Just checking up to see how you're settling in. We haven't heard from you since your first day there.' Her mother's warm tone made her feel happy and a little bit guilty.
'Sorry Mum, I've been so busy; this cottage had such a lot of cleaning and organising, it was a bit of a mess.' She admitted, straining her back to get the kinks out and tipping her head back to feel the sun on her neck and exposed cleavage, both had been neglected when hunched over.
'That bad? It was left all boarded up and packed... Did she not have a caretaker keeping it habitable?' Her mum sounded confused about the state in which Rose had found the cottage.
'Yes; someone had been doing repairs and such, but the grounds are wild, the interior a sea of canvas sheets and the place just smelled of damp and had about three inches of dust.' Rose glanced up at the window from her crazy angle, seeing Muffin, her fluffy white Chihuahua watching her quizzically from his perch on the wooden ledge. He was dying to get out, but she knew he would just run off into the unfamiliar surroundings if she let him loose.
'Olivia would've been upset to know it had become so unloved.' Her mother whispered tearfully; Rose felt the same tug of emotion at her aunt's name. A sunken ball of heaviness stopped her thoughts and forced her to push her aunt from her mind's eye, bringing her back to the present. She was getting good at dismissing her grief whenever Olivia's name arose.
'I know Mum... It wasn't exactly the cottage of my childhood memories... Colourful and homely it was not; so many memories of being here with her, only to be faced with an almost derelict shell.' Rose picked at her nail with her thumb in distraction. She always found it hard talking to her mother about Olivia, in any way.
'I guess not living there for the last eight years took its toll... She was happy in Shropshire though, with George. I think she missed the cottage, but she had found a new home.' Her mother's wistful tone carried a melancholy through Rose's stomach, she shook it off with a sigh and tried to refocus on the sunny surroundings instead.
'She always loved this place as much as I did; I guess it's why she left it to me in her will.' Rose smiled to herself at the touching legacy her Aunt had left her. What that had meant to her.
'So, what are you doing today, Darling?' Her mother changed the subject quickly, feeling that same pang of loss and heartbreak and eager to brighten the mood. It was still too soon; even after eighteen months of life without her, both women getting so good at pushing it down and misdirecting when it got too painful.
'Gardening...With a spoon.' Rose laughed, and her mother followed, she had never been the one with green fingers in the family, and this only proved it. 'I'm almost done. The house is habitable, she left almost all the furniture behind. I have my studio set up ready to work and well, Muffin, seems to love taking walks in the surrounding rural emptiness.' She sounded more positive than she felt today. She didn't want to admit that she still had so much more to do and hadn't left the cottage in the two weeks here, due to endless cleaning of the two-bed, one-story thatched roof cottage.
So much for a fresh start and new friends!
So far it had been a new life as a recluse, in a stinky musty cottage with endless manual labour.
'So, you're settling in well then? Do you regret leaving London to go back to the highlands?' Her mum sounded wary, concerned almost.
Rose had always followed her own heart impulsively, ever since she was a child, and now coming here and leaving everything behind her. All her life she had been fiercely independent.
'Not even a little bit.' She assured her, and it was true, she hadn't even thought of her six years in the big city since her arrival. She had always felt there was something more out there for her in the world that London hadn't given her. It was as though she was holding her breath, waiting for that moment of clarity as to where her next steps were to be taken. Holding on, treading water, rather than just living and moving forward until the elusive something better came along. The cottage had been that chance for her.
'I'm glad you decided not to sell it Rose, Olivia would be so happy to know you've decided to make it your home... Much like she did at your age and she was really happy there, Darling.' The uplifted tone in her mother's voice made Rose feel better. Confirmation that she had made the right choice coming here, although she had never needed it, she knew it in herself that this place was the key to a her own happy ever after.
'I always had really good times here to Mum, with her... Painting and drawing and just enjoying this crazy, small town, and its quirky inhabitants. I needed a fresh start; my life was becoming so stale.' Rose flipped onto her stomach, her fingers working into the edge of the overgrown lawn and twisting stems distractedly.
'Rose, you've always been my baby, but, out of the three of you, you were the one who was most self-sufficient, who followed the beat of her own drum... Olivia washed off on you so much in your young life. I guess because you were her only niece and she couldn't have a child of her own. You were like a daughter to her too and you make me so proud, I love you Darling.' The emotion in her mother's voice was raw, her mother obviously just wanted to get it out there, between them. An acknowledgement that dismissing her aunts name in conversation was not because they didn't miss or love her. It was because it was still so hard to accept she was gone.
'I love you too Mum. Look I really should go, I'm starting to burn, and I think Muffin is crossing his legs, he needs out.' Rose didn't really want to end the call, but her heart ache was becoming a little too prominent, she didn't want to upset her mother more by asking her to stop talking about Olivia.
They said their goodbyes and she hung up the phone quickly, sighing to herself before turning, rolling to her knees to get up from the ground. She was about to head into the cottage when the sound of tyres on the gravel behind her alerted her to a visitor and halted her in her tracks.
Turning to see the small red post van approaching she pasted on her friendly smile, although he came daily they had never actually met as he usually posted letters through the slot while she was still inside cleaning and fixing up her new abode. Today she had been up and outside early to get some much-needed sun and it was about time she met her mailman.
As soon as the van pulled near, it parked by her rickety gate and she was faced with a little, old, red-cheeked man, with white receding hair and a smart royal mail uniform in navy blue. As he rounded his van with a handful of letters he smiled her way with a devilish twinkle in his merry face.
Sohla Kim has everything you could want in life. Born rich and smart, to a family that has status, money, and power, while dominating the investment world. A pre-set betrothment to her childhood best friend, Jyeon Park. The handsome, equally wealthy, and smart, future heir of OLO, their joint family company. An unbreakable bond between two families, a future that looks bright and rosy. Only the perfect picture is only that, and ten years on, alone, holding her head above water, in a loveless marriage laced with tragedy, her entire world is turned upside down. Everything she thought she had and knew comes crashing down one fateful night. New waters, new faces, and a denial of the past will bring her back full circle to really question everything she was born for. Was it always about money? Was she always a tool to elevate Jyeon to higher levels? Did none of them really love her?
Leyanne Cruden is a very old yet powerful witch in present day who is dissatisfied with the world as we know it. An immortal who stopped ageing in her late twenties. She has lived through so much and lost so many that it has jaded her personality and she no longer knows if she is good or bad. A vision leads her on a purpose to find an awakening hunter who threatens the existence of all supernatural beings. Like her he's young, immortal and everything that can destroy her. His creation was purely for the purpose of wiping the earth free of supernaturals. To prevent this tragedy she must assemble a coven of mixed creatures and figure out how to avert the destruction of magic before it's too late. They do say that sometimes the one thing which is the worst for you is the one thing you want the most - Dante Torres, a hunter with the ability to end her life. She will need to let people in if she has a hope of succeeding, as even a witch as powerful as her can not do it alone. With a collection of supernatural characters, love and heartbreak.
Emma Anderson has everything in her life worked out. She has her perfect job in a Manhattan empire allowing her to live a quiet and organised safe existence. A necessity to her, after a childhood filled with bad memories, abuse, and a mother who was less than useless. But, with it comes a problem, one that could derail everything she thought she needed in her life. Her promotion sends her straight into the close employment of young, gorgeous, playboy billionaire, Jacob Carrero with his formidable reputation for being a player. Stuck as his right-hand man, every waking moment of every single day, she realises he is exactly the type of person who could drive her crazy, and not in a good way. Like chalk and cheese, he is everything she's not. Compulsive, confident, laid back, dominant and fun, with a seriously laid back attitude to casual sex and dating. Jake is the only one with an ability to steamroll over her manicured ice maiden exterior, who is not phased by the closed in demeanour and cool manners, but as much as she wants to, letting him in is another thing entirely. A past that made her man wary and no desire to ever let one close enough to hurt her again, Jacob Carrero has his work cut out. He is not someone who takes NO for an answer and will have to learn how to break through if he wants more than the mask she shows the world. Jake needs to show her that even some one like him can change when that one girl that matters breaks through. Love-able sexy characters and deep emotional topics.
TangShi is a girl without much luck in the world. Despised by her father after her mother died giving birth to her, she has grown up in a cold and unloving environment and hated by her stepmother. Blamed for things she could never control and treated as an outcast by her own blood. Forced to come home after finally escaping to school on a self achieved scholarship abroad, she is promised to the son of the Leng family. To create a beneficial business alliance to further her own father's greed in the corporate world. Only YuZhi Leng is as unwilling as she is, with a girlfriend already in place that he adores and no desire to honor the contract put in place - to produce an heir in the first year of marriage and solidify the two families union. TangShi must bear living as a third wheel in this unwanted life and accept or be thrown aside by her family. Until upon meeting, she realizes that YuZhi may not be the stranger to her she thought he was and recognizes him on sight. Could he be the man she met eight years ago at a masked ball, who swept her off her feet and made her feel alive, and yet left her heartbroken that fateful night? A rollercoaster of a marriage is about to be embarked upon.
Alora Dennison is an orphaned child from a shamed bloodline, surviving in her family's old pack.On the dawn of her transition pushing her into adulthood, in an unexpected turn of fate, she imprints on the mate she will be bonded to for eternity. Only he isn't the man of her dreams. He is the only one in the entire state she would never have wanted to bond to. Colton Santo is the arrogant, dominant son of the Alpha from a rival pack, which is set to unite the packs and reign in one kingdom. In years gone by, his disdain for her and any from her bloodline has been prominent. Her treatment by his pack has pushed her to live in near isolation, fearful for her existence. And now, on the dawn of her awakening, before all those assembled, they see her imprint on their future leader. Fate has decreed it, but everyone around her is about to try and stop it. Fate isn't about to make it easy on her either, as a long-forgotten war erupts in their lands, bringing an age-old enemy with a thirst for blood back into the forefront of Lycanthrope life.Will she survive long enough to ever find out why she has borne a black mark on her lineage her entire life? And why Colton's father is so eager to see her dead. Will Colton step up and honor the bond, or will he be the one to deliver the final blow?
Jennifer Bennett, the rightful heiress to the Bennett legacy, fought hard for her family's recognition, only to be eclipsed by an impostor. Faced with false accusations, bullying, and public humiliation, Jennifer eventually gave up trying to win their approval. Vowing to rise above the injustice, she became the bane of those who wronged her. The Bennett family's efforts to break her only fueled her success, leading her to heights her rivals could only dream of. Someone asked, "Do you feel let down by your parents?" With a calm smile, Jennifer said, "It doesn't matter. In the end, power prevails."
Andrea Deciding that I was going to skip a day at work so I could have first time sex with my boyfriend seemed like the most absurd decision I could ever make. Or at least that was what I'd thought. Until I'd walked in on my said boyfriend cheating on me with some redhead and decided to get my revenge by losing my virginity to his wealthy billionaire father instead. Crazy, right? Trust me, I know. Like that's not enough, things take a drastic turn for the worst after I realized I was in love with him and pregnant with his child. Before I could get the chance to come clean about every including my feelings formhim and the pregnancy, he finds out about my trickery. Alejandro's not one to condone being lied to and deceived so he immediately tells me he doesn't want to see me again. So what do I do? I pack up and leave the country. But it seems like the universe isn't done with us just yet. . . Alejandro I should have known better than to get involved with someone way younger than me. It was something I've never done before. But like the saying goes, there's a first time for everything. The first time I met Andrea I was captivated by her beauty. More than that there was this innocence in her that called out to me like a moth to a flame. I ignored all the warnings in my head and went after what I wanted. And what I wanted was her. Unfortunately what she wanted was revenge against my son. I told myself that it had to be some kind of mistake. There was no way she had been playing with my feelings and planning some silly revenge this whole time. But she had. It had taken a surprise visit from my son for me to find out her true intentions. Even then it had been hard to believe it. But I couldn't deny that she'd fooled me real good alright. So naturally I cut ties with her. And that's supposed to be the end, right? Wrong. Turns out that our story was never destined to end just there. . .
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"