Over the course of her illustrious career, Mary Kay McComas has written dozens of stories, including novellas and shorts. She has received numerous honors, including two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times. If you're a fan of contemporary stories that are cozy but not short of emotion, McComas is the writer for you. Here are 10 of her best works you should check out now.
Bound to Happen
Leslie Rothe wants to believe in love, but she's a data research analyst whose work has made her cynical about its statistical chances. Her life changes the day she crashes her car into a stranger’s truck in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Now, she's stuck there with Joe Bonner, a local who is dedicated to preserving his Western ancestors’ sacred legacy.
To Joe, Leslie seems like a dream come true, a woman who shares his passion for the land and is all too easy to desire. But she's not his friend; She's actually working for a developer who wants to tear apart the beautiful wilderness that Joe is fighting so hard to save. Has he given his trust to a woman fated to betray him? Or will love make her change her plans?
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Familiar Words
Jack Reardan is not easily seduced. He's got his family to think about and has no time for love, even if he's apparently the most eligible man in town. The same goes for Beth Simms, the new high school English teacher who every single guy is after. When they finally meet, tongues start wagging around town, but they know better than to give into gossip (or their own brimming passions). Yet the chemistry is undeniable, and their respective kids love one another too. Perhaps it's time for them to both take a chance on love.
Favors
The last assignment bodyguard Ian Walker wants is protecting Trudy Babbitt. She's chipper, overly talkative, and doesn't seem to have much in the way of a defense mechanism. Despite being in the witness protection program, she fills her house with boarders and strangers who she quickly befriends, and it's up to Ian to keep everyone safe. Yet, despite her flightiness, Ian can't help but warm to Trudy, who is loving and optimistic despite her tough situation. What would happen if he were to let his guard down and open his heart to this woman?
Obsession
Esther Brite overcame her mining-town roots and rose to incredible heights as a celebrated songwriter, but the fame and riches haven't been able to help her get over her dark past. After a car crash kills her husband and baby boy, Esther returns home to Bellewood and immediately falls ill. She is at the mercy of the town’s new doctor, the stoic but alluring Daniel Jacobey. He helps her to recover and she learns how Bellewood has changed since her youth, and how it's remained exactly the same. The townsfolk don't trust her, but Dr. Jacobey is taken by this mysterious woman who has been mired in such tragedy. Will he feel the same once he learns the truth about her?
Wait for Me
Holly is navigating a crowded Los Angeles International Airport terminal when a devastating earthquake hits California. She's saved from certain death by a stranger who pushes her out of the way when a piece of the ceiling falls towards her. His name is Oliver, and now, he's bound to her after a split-second decision amid intense tragedy. In the aftermath of such destruction, Holly and Oliver find solace in one another, which soon grows into something else. But can love be built from such darkness, and can it last beyond the shock?
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One on One
The last place Noah Tessler wants to be is stranded in the middle of the desolate Nevada desert. He's a diplomat on a mission to find the woman who seduced his brother fifteen years ago and gave birth to the heir to the vast Tessler fortune. He expected to find a shameless gold-digger, not the gorgeous and independent single mom Michelin Ablee. Mich is a mechanic who has turned the tiny town of Gypsum into her personal haven. The fish-out-of-water hunk she's towed to safety has certainly captured her attention. Even her teenage son likes him. But what happens once she discovers that the man she’s falling for is not who he claims to be?
By the Book
Ellen Webster is convinced that the hot guy across the street is staring at her. Jonah Blake is certainly worth staring at himself, certainly more so than the ordinary wallflower Ellen. But things have been tough for her. She has reached her wits end, and after getting passed up for a promotion she rightfully deserves, she decides to throw caution to the wind and go after Jonah. But this man is clouded in mystery and may be more than Ellen bargained for.
Asking for Trouble
Sydney Wiesman is looking for love. Not just any kind of love: electric, fiery, all-consumingly passionate love. She'll do anything to find it, even go on the tacky dating TV show Electra-Love. Contestant Tom Ghorman seems to have it all; he’s smart, sexy, and funny, plus he's clearly the best of the trio of suitors on offer for Sydney. Their first date, however, is a disaster, and the world has to watch it fall apart. With millions of viewers waiting for more drama, Sydney must decide if Tom is the guy of her dreams or her worst nightmare. Why are they so alike?
Divine Design
Meghan Shay wants a baby, but she's single and finding the right man feels like a pipe dream. But then Michael Ramsey walked into her life. A tall, dark, and handsome Texan who is impossible to resist, she decides to seduce the stranger and have him father her child. It's a one-night stand plan and she doesn't expect him to stick around. She certainly didn't expect to fall in love with him, or that he would return to her life eventually. But can she reveal the truth to the man she used so flagrantly?
Necessary Changes
Livy Hubbard and Brian Carowack met on the playground in 1956, and it set off decades of romantic and personal revelations. They're total opposites: Livy comes from intense wealth and privilege while Brian comes from a poor and broken home. The years pass, and they go their separate ways—Livy to an Ivy League university in the midst of the political change of the 1960s, and Brian to college on a basketball scholarship, only to drop out in his sophomore year. Their lives change but they stay in touch, finding solace in one another while everything around them shifts. When their worlds collide, will they find that their feelings for one another have remained?
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