Showing results by author "Brooke St. James" in All Categories

I was all set to embark on the most epic adventure of my life. I was ready for anything. My life had been filled with predictability since the day I was born, but that was about to change. I had devised a plan. Over the course of the next five years, I would live in five different cities. I would get to see, taste, and experience things I had previously only read about. I had been preparing for this moment for nearly a decade, and now it was time.

I had always dreamed of falling in love. I was ready and eager to find my happily ever after, but there was just one problem. The man I so desperately wanted to fall for was not available. He was taken - spoken for. He wasn't married, but he had been with someone for a long time. It didn’t help matters that she happened to be my friend.

I wasn't the only woman in the world who had been cheated on. I certainly wasn't the only woman who had sworn off men because of it. I was, however, one of the few who was willing to stick to my guns about it. Men would sometimes see that as a challenge, but before too long they would realize I wasn't interested.

I knew the Blair brothers. It was impossible to grow up in Astoria and not be familiar with them. There were four boys in the Blair family, and all of them had that certain something. They were smart, athletic, funny, and gorgeous. If I was forced to pick my favorite, it would have to be Henry. He was the wild one of the bunch - a rock star.

Every girl imagines meeting her prince charming. It's doubtful, however, that any of these fantasies include it happening when they're soaked with sweat and knee-deep in pond scum. Fate can be funny that way.

Lines had been drawn and sides had been taken years ago. The King family did not interact with the Elliot family, and neither did the Grahams nor the Castros. The Elliots had burned those bridges decades ago, and none of the Bank Street crew made mention of them. They certainly never ate at their restaurant. The Elliots didn't shop at King's Hardware, go to Bank Street Boxing, or the ballet studio on the corner. In fact, they didn't even go to Carson's Diner. The Elliot family stayed off of Bank Street entirely. Both families had a stake in Galveston, but they lived without supporting each other or interacting in any way.

I always wanted to live at the beach. It had been my dream since I was a little girl. I longed to experience the sand and sea. My heart's desire was to become a famous artist who painted scenes with palm trees and blue waters. Finally, I was moving to a coastal town. It was only three hours from where I grew up, but it might as well have been paradise with how excited I was. My sister was coming with me, except she didn't care about painting palm trees and beach scenes. She was only in it for the shirtless guys.

Theo Duval was born and raised in Montréal. He was only 10-years-old when he met a young American girl named Caroline at a public library near his home. Though there were some serious language barriers, the two of them quickly felt the first sparks of young love. Caroline's visit to Montréal was brief, and Theo was soon left with only the vivid memories of his first crush. They had haunted him for years, and he always felt like she was the one who got away.

Tabitha thought moving to New York City would be the chance of a lifetime, but now she was left wondering if she had made a huge mistake. The responsibilities of being a single mom and pursuing her career were becoming overwhelming. Needless to say, falling in love wasn't on her agenda. So when a handsome photographer named Drake Salinger entered the picture, Tabitha struggled with her budding affection for him.

Sidney arrived at Ash and Abigail's wedding with the simple expectation she'd see her friends get married and wish them all the best. Getting caught serenading the fish in the aquarium was one thing she did not expect to happen. She certainly didn't expect the person who caught her to be a handsome businessman who instantly wanted to hire her for her vocal talent. Truth be told, she didn't even think she had any vocal talent. Most of all, she by no means expected to fall in love with the aforementioned businessman.

Bad Medicine was one of television's most popular dramas, and Ethan Prescott was the show's biggest star. And somehow, Macy Tillman ended up sitting right next to him at dinner. Macy was a gifted artist and former resident of the Shower & Shelter Artist Collective. Macy made Ethan experience feelings he had never known. It was about more than just being attracted to her. Somehow, Macy inspired Ethan to want to be a better person. But those feelings were overwhelming, and they made it difficult for Ethan to decide whether or not he should follow his heart.

Zoe Etheridge packed her bags and said goodbye to her small-town Texas life. Her dad's dying wish was that she followed her dreams in New York City, and she was bound and determined to make that happen. It was only a day or so into her trip when she realized she might have bitten off more than she could chew. Zoe assumed that the Shower & Shelter Artist Collective was open to any artist who needed a place to live in the city. She had no idea that landing a spot in the house was highly competitive.

What do you do when your best friend calls and says she's getting married in a matter of days on a different continent? You hop on a plane and go to be with her, of course. Lu Osborne was doing precisely that. She boarded a flight that was headed for Ireland on only a few days' notice despite the fact that she had a lot of irons in the fire. Other than witnessing a fairytale wedding and maybe doing a little sightseeing, Lu didn't expect anything to come from the trip. She certainly didn't expect to fall in love with her best friend's brother, Joe.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Sarah Spicer took this saying to heart, at least where love was concerned. She had given up any hope in ever finding a decent man. She was convinced they had only one thing on their minds and were untrustworthy and unfit for relationships. This was exactly why she had a strict no-dating policy. That was before she met Collin Ross.

Charlotte Ritchie was traveling halfway across the world to attend her brother's wedding. She and a small group of family and friends planned on spending the week prior to the wedding volunteering at a rescue center in Kenya. Her new sister-in-law had grown up there with her missionary parents, and everyone thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the event. Falling in love might not have been on Charlotte's to-do list that week, but as we all know, life doesn't always turn out the way we plan.

Evan Hunt had spent most of his adult life working as an environmentalist and living out of a duffle bag. It came as a total shock when his father suddenly confronted him about setting goals for his future. Evan wasn't much for following rules and his instinct was to simply ignore what his dad was saying. However, he decided it was time to set his sights on success just to prove to his family that he could do it. And that's exactly what he did. Just when it seemed like everything was coming together, Evan was involved in a serious motorcycle accident.

Having a crush on someone who barely seems to notice you is never easy. It only leads to heartbreak and disappointment. Mia Hunt occasionally found herself in that very situation. Fortunately, her dream guy lived all the way across the country and their encounters were rare. When they were in each other's presence, she made every effort to keep her distance and not get her hopes up.

Paige Spears was on her way to a job interview when she first met Diane Hunt. The two of them made friendly conversation while waiting for their breakfast, and Diane ended up asking Paige to come work for her for the summer. Paige was reluctant about beginning her corporate career anyway, so she jumped at Diane's offer. As luck would have it, her first assignment was to spend a week in Myrtle Beach with Diane and her family.

My name is Rae, and this is my story. Regretfully, it begins on a sad note. Everything was taken from me when my husband died in a tragic car accident. The only person on Earth who could have possibly been hurting more than me was my beloved mother-in-law, Laura, who lost her husband and only sons in the same accident.

It's been said that the best time to find love is when you aren't looking for it. Rachel Stephens was a prime example of that. She was solely focused on completing her last year of dental school and love wasn't even on her radar.