Hallmark-esque Novels: Romance

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

In a small town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth "Evvie" Drake rarely leaves her house. Everyone in town, including her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and she doesn't correct them. In New York, Dean Tenney, former major-league pitcher and Andy's childhood friend, is struggling with a case of the "yips": he can't throw straight anymore, and he can't figure out why. An invitation from Andy to stay in Maine for a few months seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button. When Dean moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie's house, the two make a deal: Dean won't ask about Evvie's late husband, and Evvie won't ask about Dean's baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken--and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. But before they can find out what might lie ahead, they'll have to wrestle a few demons: the bonds they've broken, the plans they've changed, and the secrets they've kept. They'll need a lot of help, but in life, as in baseball, there's always a chance--right up until the last out.

Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter

When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down...Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. Still angry over the demise of their marriage, he confronts her for the first time in months. They discover that Josephine neglected to file the final paperwork and they are, in fact, still married. Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage--and okay, the botched divorce--was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes. But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. For Noah, being trapped with Josephine is a test of endurance. He wrestles with resentment and his inability to forgive her, but underneath it all the embers of love still glow. Josephine's very survival depends on her ability to fight the feelings that never went away. And bearing up under the heavy burden of guilt is no picnic either. Old wounds surface and tempers flare as the storm brews outside. But when their situation worsens, they are forced to connect in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she's never been loved unconditionally by anyone--including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine's heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

Love Story by Karen Kingsbury

From the day they met, John and Elizabeth were destined to fall in love. Their whirlwind romance started when they were young college students and lasted nearly thirty years -- until Elizabeth died of cancer. So when John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story for his grandson Cole's high school heritage project, he's not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great. But he agrees, and allows his heart and soul to go places they haven't gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together. At the same time, Baxter family friend Cody Coleman is working through the breakup of his complicated relationship with Andi Ellison. He is determined to move on when a chance sighting changes his plans -- and heart. Can Cody convince Andi to give their love another try, or is it time for them to say goodbye for good?

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart.

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

After thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law of Allie and Noah Calhoun (of The Notebook), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Desperate to win back his wife, Jane's, heart, he must figure out how to make her fall in love with him... again. Despite the shining example of Allie and Noah's marriage, Wilson is himself a man unable to easily express his emotions. A successful estate attorney, he has provided well for his family, but now, with his daughter's upcoming wedding, he is forced to face the fact that he and Jane have grown apart and he wonders if she even loves him anymore. Wilson is sure of one thing--his love for his wife has only deepened and intensified over the years. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' magnificent fifty-year love affair as his guide, Wilson struggles to find his way back into the heart of the woman he adores.

Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband. Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs--her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy...and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon?

No Judgments by Meg Cabot

The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida--and it's sending waves crashing through Sabrina "Bree" Beckham's love life... When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island--as well as its connection to the mainland--twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn't worried... at first. She's already escaped one storm--her emotionally abusive ex--so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake. But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it's up to her to save as many of Little Bridge's cats and dogs as she can... but to do so, she's going to need help--help she has no choice but to accept from her boss's sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café's most notorious heartbreaker. But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge's power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

In order to fix their shattered sibling relationship--and Addie's broken heart--Addie and Ian take a road trip across Ireland filled with unexpected detours and a stop at a major musical festival.