Keeping my heart guarded all my life has never been an issue. Until he saves me in a bar fight.

Charlie Montgomery is one grumpy rancher. Calloused hands, stubborn heart, the definition of a true cowboy.

He dislikes me from the second we meet. Warns me away from his tiny town of Resurrection, Montana. Well, what he doesn't know is I'm armed with a bucket list and a secret. There's no way I'm leaving. I'll just keep my distance.

Only in a small town that distance doesn't last for long. Because I owe him a favor: Work for him for three months and help him save his home. Runaway Ranch.

But our close confines mean I see what's under all that strong. I see the real Charlie Montgomery. The man behind the rugged rancher who yells. Beneath his dark beard hides a rare smile. Beneath his mile-wide chest beats a tender heart. One that slowly starts to beat for me.

And instead of running back onto that open road, I run towards Charlie instead.

But a hidden danger is lurking. Someone who doesn't want Charlie to save his ranch. Someone who is out to get us both. And I could lose more than my heart this summer-I could lose my life...

A sexy enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/grumpy romance from Amazon top 50 bestselling author Ava Hunter

Ash Keller prefers to keep her heart colder than the morgue. Having sworn off love after a disastrous breakup, she's learned to thrive in her new career as a death doula. When her millionaire client, Augustus Fox, asks her to accompany him on an all-expenses paid trip to mend family ties and fulfill last wishes, she agrees.

There's just one nail in her coffin.

Nathaniel Whitford-her client's absurdly gorgeous, grumpy doctor of a grandson-is along for the trip. A man who has hated her guts since she crashed his wedding years ago. It'll be a miracle if she survives this vacation without being tossed into a volcano.

Still, Ash refuses to let Nathaniel's smug smirk and rippling pectorals take her focus away from her death doula-ing duties. She can survive two weeks in paradise with his offensively handsome face. But when falling coconuts and family drama threaten to derail the vacation, Ash and Nathaniel strike a deal: Bury their animosity and make the vacation perfect for Augustus.

Soon, a tentative bond-and mutual attraction-forms between the unlikely pair. With every tropical misadventure and steamy late-night hookup, Ash realizes there's more to Nathaniel than his barbed banter and uptight façade. Suddenly love seems more complicated than death. And as the trip comes to an end, Ash must decide whether she'll keep her heart six feet under or risk it all...for better or hearse.

One bump. Two strangers. Three days to fall in love.

Tessie Truelove has spent her entire life avoiding. . .well, true love. And why wouldn't she? Her dog ran off, her father left to go get cigarettes and never came back, and her mother passed away years ago. Instead, Tessie, a celebrity interior designer, clings to her to-do lists and her Pantone colors and her toxic job to avoid more heartbreak.

But after too much whiskey and a wild night with a rugged stranger has her seeing two little pink lines, she vows to do motherhood all by herself. After all, it might be her one shot at true love.

Nothing will interrupt her plans. Not even Solomon Wilder-her muscled, bearded, brooding baby daddy-who stomps his way into her perfectly planned babymoon after learning about her pregnancy.

Stuck together in paradise, the two strike a deal: spend three days together to figure out how to raise their son.

Complete opposites, they have nothing in common except the bump between them. Tessie has her glamorous career in LA, and Solomon has his wild life in Alaska. Yet as the babymoon takes a turn for the steamy and Solomon breaks through the emotional walls Tessie's spent years guarding, she starts to wonder if she and this gruff, flannel-wearing mountain man might be meant to do more than just share a baby-they might be meant to share a heart.

A Sexy, Small Town, Military standalone romance by bestselling author, Ava Hunter.

I was a good girl who played by the rules. Except when it came to Davis Montgomery.

A handsome former Marine with a rough touch and a filthy mouth. A man I loved.

But when he didn't ask me to stay, I took it as a sign to leave my small town and chase my dream. What a mistake that turned out to be.

Now, I'm back, running from the flames of my past to find a fresh start.

But fresh doesn't always mean easy. Not when I'm now the town outcast. Not when I can't hide my bruises or the baby I'm carrying.

When Davis finds out what happened to me, his protective nature comes out and he does the unthinkable. He moves me onto Runaway Ranch, determined to keep me safe. He says he'll do everything he can to get me back on my feet. But I never expected the deep feelings and scorching attraction between us to come back even stronger.

One night, the embers of our past are rekindled and I remember all the reasons why I've loved him for so long.

That one spark gives us back our second chance. But second chances don't come easy, especially when the shadow from my past is lurking. And ready to take back what's his. . .

As the reigning country-pop princess, I've had everything this life has to offer, especially fame and fortune. But not what really matters. A minute to catch my breath and reevaluate my life. So when my world comes crashing down, I run to a place where no one knows me. A small mountain town where I can hide from my past.

Only I don't get far. My first day in town, I'm assigned a babysitter.

Ford Montgomery.

A man who drives me crazy with his rude, broody attitude and his backward baseball caps. A man who's my new boss for the summer. A wild, rugged cowboy straight out of one of my songs. Hard body and gorgeous face included.

But beneath the dirty mouth and the sexy smirk, there's a pain in his eyes that matches my own.

As the summer heats up, passion sparks and we connect-on the ranch and in the bedroom. Ford shows me friendship, makes me laugh, but most importantly, we see each other's scars and want one another anyway.

For the first time in my life, I know where I belong. In his arms.

The stage might be calling me, but my heart says it's with Ford.

But there's a price to pay for wanting this new life of mine. My past is watching. Ready and waiting to take my newfound freedom and love and snuff it out...for good.

He can't forget her...

It's been nine months since country superstar Luke Kincaid lost his wife in a tragic plane crash. Unable to cope with the pain of losing her, Luke is damn close to giving it all up-the music, his band, even his life. Until he learns his wife is alive. He rushes to bring her home, only to find himself heartbroken as the woman he loves has no memory of him or their life together.

But she doesn't remember him...

Sal wants to remember this tall, tan country singer who's true, kind and hot as hell. As Luke struggles to help her revive her memories, as well as his own flailing music career, danger threatens their second chance. The madman responsible for Sal's disappearance has found her, and will stop at nothing to claim what is his.

With Sal's life hanging in the balance, Luke vows to do what he couldn't do the first time-protect his wife at any cost.

Sal and Luke's love story continues in this suspenseful new novella in the Nashville Star series.

Sal Kincaid has been to hell and back-and survived.

Now, her life is where it's always meant to be. With Luke, her country superstar husband by her side, her career as a paramedic taking off, and an exciting secret she's keeping close to her heart, Sal's future has never been brighter.

But when tragedy strikes, Sal is left fighting for her life and everything in it- including her and Luke's perfect second chance. And Luke will do whatever it takes to find his wife before it's too late.

Before he loses the one person he can't live without.

Love You Always is book 2.5 in the Nashville Star Series. It's a novella (35,000 words) that ends in an HEA. It's best enjoyed as a continuation of Book One-Sing You Home. Please note trigger warnings for references to abuse and pregnancy loss.

This time, Jace Taylor has gambled more than he can afford to lose.

When a loan shark shows up at his front door demanding he pay him fifty thousand dollars or else, Brothers Kincaid bassist Jace Taylor thinks his life can't get any worse. That is, until his wife, Emmy Lou, leaves him. With his marriage on the line, he's determined to win back his wife's trust-before the love of his life is gone for good.

Former Rodeo Queen Emmy Lou Montgomery loves wide-open spaces, glittery tiaras, and horses, not a lying heartbreaker of a soon to-be-ex-husband who dares to look too damn good in his Wranglers. Determined not to repeat her old mistakes, she returns to her family farm to put herself first.

Only forgetting about Jace might not be so easy when he shows up and moves in, asking her to give him the summer to prove he can be the man she deserves. Emmy Lou does her best to avoid Jace, but when they're stuck working on the rodeo together, soon their summer turns downright scorching as one spark has their marriage catching flames.

But just as Jace and Emmy Lou realize they're ready to go all in on their second chance, secrets from Emmy Lou's past slink out of the shadows. Secrets she's still running from.

Secrets that will do whatever it takes to keep them apart. . .

All she wants is the music. All he wants is her.

Nashville's pop-country princess Alabama Forester is drowning in debt and a bad reputation after a tabloid scandal gone off the rails.

In fact, her entire life's gone off the rails. Without a manager, she's working at a podunk diner unsure if she'll ever record another song again. That is, until she's offered the chance of a lifetime: join country-rock bad boy Griff Greyson on tour and pay off her debt.

It should be easy.

Except it isn't.

Because Griff, the boy who broke her heart all those years ago, is now a man. A rough and rowdy rocker, with a muscled, tattooed body, and tawny-colored eyes that have her wanting to break every rule in the songbook.

♥♥♥

Country hellraiser Griff Greyson is trying to get his music career back on track after being arrested for disorderly conduct. The last thing he needs is bruised and beautiful Alabama Forester on his tour.

The girl he gave up for the spotlight.

The woman he still loves.

He vows to stay away from her. Vows to keep the real reason he left Alabama all those years ago a secret.

Now, on a whirlwind tour across the United States with hot tempers and even closer quarters, sparks fly whenever they're on stage together. But when Griff's old rock-and-roll lifestyle puts Alabama's life on the line, both discover they could lose everything-before they ever really had it.

What do you do when your entire world is turned upside down?

Lacey Sutton has it all. A booming career in Nashville as an event planner and Seth Kincaid's engagement ring on her finger.

She's never been more ready to say I do to the love of her life.

Until a terrifying twist of fate brings Seth and Lacey's wedding plans to a screeching halt.

And this time, keeping their love strong might prove to be the toughest challenge they've ever faced.

With You Forever is the second novella in the Nashville Star series. It's a steamy country romance with no cliffhanger and no cheating. Please note content warnings: Cancer diagnosis, grief, anxiety. But as always, a happily-ever-after is guaranteed.

She saved him when he needed her. Now he'll save her too.

After making a tragic mistake that nearly cost him his brother, his reputation, and his sobriety, playboy Seth Kincaid wants nothing more than to hide the secrets of his past. When he hears that his sometimes-secret fling, Lacey Sutton is injured, he's determined to step up to take care of her.

But Lacey is off limits. She's Seth's best friend's little sister. Even if her sassy banter, wild temper, and sinful curves are the best kind of addiction.

Event planner Lacey Sutton has time for only one thing in her life: her job. She doesn't have time for relationships, or injuries that could cost her the party of the century. And she definitely doesn't have time for cocky country singers with ocean-blue eyes, broad shoulders, and chiseled jaws.

Love is not on Lacey's carefully planned agenda. Even if the way Seth looks at her, has her wanting to let him into her guarded heart.

However, their close confines soon transform their attraction from lust to love. But when Seth's superstardom calls him back to Nashville-and reality-Seth and Lacey must face the truth about themselves and their secrets, or they'll risk losing what they never knew they needed: each other.

Riley Drake, single mother and owner of her family bakery, has no time for anything but her eleven-year-old daughter and keeping their only financial means in business. But when Gerri Wilder asks her to cater a charity event, Riley jumps at the chance for the extra money. What she doesn't expect is a chance at love.

Lukaz Ryzin, dragon shifter, he's a workaholic because the thought of returning to his lonely home crushes his soul. When he meets a beautiful pastry shop chef, his mate dreams come true. The problem is that she's human which means he has to get her love the hard way: he has to earn it, which he's totally clueless about.

While Lukaz and Riley struggle, an unexpected evil lurks in the shadows. If Riley doesn't give it what it wants, it will take everything from her, including her daughter. Lukas and Riley have to come together, and figure out some hard truths, if they want to save all they love.

Camile Sawyer is a witch living in hiding with her grandfather, secluded away from those who feared her kind. She doesn't know what she's doing when she blows on The Horn of Summoning, and she doesn't understand why a huge dragon soon crashes onto her family land. And her attraction to this dragon is unlike anything she's ever felt before. Her need for him is all-consuming.

First, Slag the Magnificent is awakened abruptly after centuries of sleep. Then, he is shot out of the air by some modern human weapons. Finally, he faces off with a human sorceress who transforms him from his fire dragon form into a measly human. But none of that compares to the fact that he's finally found his one... and she's a human witch. A beautiful, sassy and strong woman he's happy to call his mate.

Slag isn't the only dragon who's been awakened by the Horn, but the others aren't as forgiving. Slag and Camile will have to defend themselves and save cities while continuing to search for a way to turn Slag back. Their troubles don't end there. There are dragon Hunters chasing them, and they're furious that Camile is refusing to fulfill her duties by eliminating Slag.

Skar Florence, dragon shifter, is old fashioned-like seven-centuries old fashion. Just coming out of a five-hundred-year magical coma, he's having to adjust to modern times. With cell phones, airplanes, cars, and fast food, he is blown away with all the change. One thing that's stayed the same? His sweet tooth and his desire for a beautiful woman with curves in all the right places.

Violet and Skar barely have time to wrap their minds around the fact that they're fated mates-let alone their arms around each other-before the witch who put Skar to sleep shows back up. Is their love real? It will have to be if Violet is to break the witch's spell.

Laura loves working at her family's bakery. She's in love with the idea of finding the right man, but realistically, she doesn't think she ever will. Until Gerri Wilder walks into the bakery and promises her the love of her life. Pyrus is definitely what wet dreams are made of, but is he really the right man for her? Hot shudders race down her spine at the thought of finding out.

Pyrus is bored with life. He's tired of everything and finds no pleasure in anything. When a matchmaker sets him up with Laura, he realizes what he's been missing. His mate. Laura's the sunshine in his stormy life. Her smile lights up any room and her body makes his hands itch to hold her.

Unbeknownst to both, a stalker watches them from the shadows. This shifter seeks revenge for a past wrong and he will do anything to keep Pyrus and Laura's future from the happiness they both deserve. If Pyrus can convince his mate to give their relationship a chance, it could mean her death.

An alien warrior. An astronomer. A mission to obtain a rare substance to get the alien and his crew back home safely. What could go wrong?

Ava is having the best night of her life. The monotony of watching computer screens has changed to extreme excitement when a meteor enters Earth's atmosphere. But when she goes out to inspect the crater, she finds nothing there...nothing but a strange and confused man.

Krom is abruptly awoken from his cryo-sleep when his ship is damaged, and things go from bad to worse when his spacewalk to fix the thrusters ends with him crash-landing on Earth. The Earth woman he meets says she's a scientist, which is great-he needs her to help him obtain one of Earth's most rare and dangerous substances so he can fix his ship and help his crew return home.

But his mission is endangered when he discovers Ava is his fated mate. Now he'll have to protect her from a biker gang, a crime lord, and the Navy SEALs-all while trying to protect his heart. A dragon can only resist for so long until he has no choice than to claim his mate!

A museum curator obsessed with an ancient dragon-worshiping culture meets a dragon shifter from that very time and place: too bad she has to tell him she's not one of his devotees.

Rosalie Menendez is thrilled to unveil the latest exhibit in her Utah museum. She's an expert in the ancient dragon-worshiping culture, and all of the rare artifacts are going to put her on the map. What she doesn't know is that modern-day thieves are scheming to steal one object in particular and sell it to the highest bidder.

Liam Crucible-dragon shifter, Burner of Carthage, and Eater of Suns-awoke from a very long nap in a very bad mood. The Dragon Temple is interrupting his slumber, and it seems like a missing necklace is to blame. Since his brothers are busy strategizing, Liam decides to spring into the action. He'll recover the item and show them why the oldest brother is still the best.

But when he tracks it to Utah, things go south fast-in more ways than one. Suddenly the necklace is gone and Liam is stuck in his human form-complete with an insatiable human libido. He'll have to take a quick course in how to talk to women in the 21st century if he's going to convince the raven-haired woman to help him. Luckily, Rosalie is worth learning for.

Eating a sheep isn't usually a big deal for dragon-shifter Tarn. But waking up in a new time and getting shot at for his little snack comes as a surprise. Although he escapes, he finds himself at the mercy of the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. His mate. He wants to heal quickly to show her all the dirty things he wants to do to her. To prove he loves her, of course.

Eva's tired of living in a big mansion with loneliness as her companion. Tarn brings happiness and romance into her life. Okay, so he's a little outdated when it comes to flirting, but that's what makes him charming. Unfortunately, Tarn learns all the latest slang and it's no time before he makes it clear he wants to tap her backside. She should be embarrassed, but the sizzling looks he gives her make it really hard to not be excited instead.

Tarn and Eva need to figure out why he has woken up and why her father is acting so strangely. Dragons are being destroyed with their own magic. It must be stopped. They track down the poachers that want him dead. It's a battle for survival while Tarn and Eva figure out if their romance can survive the dragon hunters.