Bøger af Jamie Bennett

"She's like sunshine. Like anywhere she is, it's brighter there."Eight years ago, Alex Whitaker crashed his car, upending his life. Since then he has struggled-with his family, with his job, with everything in his life. And has he really been living, or just passing time?For the last few years Cecilia Byrne been making her way north in a highlighter yellow van that she calls Nina. Besides the circuitous car trip, she's on a journey of discovery too, but doesn't expect to find love waiting for her in a coffee shop in Detroit.When problems keep them apart, can Alex and Cecilia overcome their differences and start a new season of their lives together?

Hallie and Gunnar just don't get off on the right foot. There may be a question if either of Hallie's feet are right, based on the number of times she trips and falls over them. But certainly, pegging a guy with a rock (like she does when she first encounters Gunnar Christensen) isn't a great way to begin a relationship. It was by mistake, ok?Despite this beginning, Gunnar wants a cordial friendship with her, his new neighbor. When she next gives him a right jab in the eye (by mistake!), this seems even more unlikely.But, friendship, sure-that's a good goal, and it's also all that Hallie wants from the big, beautiful professional football player who lives next door. Sure, that's all anyone would want with a guy like Gunnar, someone so sweet, and considerate, and gorgeous, and...And she can barely keep herself from grabbing him, in a more than friendly way. That's beside the point.The point is, Hallie has a lot to do to keep her own game plan running. Between tutoring a teenager who hates her, a best friend making poor life choices, her career in the dumpster, and her house falling down around her ears, she has enough to keep track of. Gunnar Christensen and his problems aren't her concern.But at the end of the game, it's the people standing with you who matter the most. And there's Gunnar on her team-and Hallie is definitely on his. Getting to the moment when the last whistle blows won't be easy, but true love never is...

Everything can be fixed. That's what 22-year-old Lia Bissett has always wanted to believe. She hasn't had it easy in life-some might say it's been closer to hell-but now she has custody of her brother, and a house, and a job, and she's making it.Mostly. If her brother hates her, the house is (literally) falling down, and she gets fired, well, she can fix it.Then Connor Hayes, a guy she wanted to forget, shows up in her life. She loved him when she was only 15, but things are different now. No way is she going to fall for him again, not after the way he deserted her when she needed him the most. Not after she saved his life and he disappeared from hers.But if Connor needs her, can Lia stop herself from stepping in? And what if she and her brother need him right back?Can they fix the mess between them? Can Lia fix her issues-her brother, her job, her house, her relationship, her past-can she fix herself?

"You have to ask yourself, Tucker. Is it time to stop playing around?"Everything has always come pretty easy for baseball's Tucker "Tuck" Whitaker. A talented pitcher, he has it all: MVP career, big house in California, gorgeous girlfriend, party-a-minute. He has been living the good life, and why would he want that to change?Meanwhile, Caroline Laurence has been struggling a bit. She has a job she doesn't really like, she lives with her parents, and most importantly of all, she has a baby to raise by herself. She doesn't have the time or inclination to mess around with a playboy ballplayer. Circumstances bring them together. But are they so different that eventually they will strike out?

"I guess I don't see you as a woman." He laughed. "No, I know you're a woman! But I still think of you as the peanut tagging along behind, the little girl whose hair got caught in her bike chain and I had to yank it free. I still remember you looking up at me, asking me not to tell your mom. That's what you are to me, Peanut...And therein lies the problem. Maybe Brooks and Lanie just have too much history for there to be anything more between them. Maybe there's just too big a jump from old friendship to new love, despite what Lanie's heart wants. After all, he has seen her in her diapers (and less), and saved her from jellyfish stings, broken bones, wayward bike chains, and more over all the years they've known each other.The one thing Brooks couldn't save her from was a lot of misery at the school they both attended, the school where Lanie now works as a kindergarten teacher. And there's some tough stuff going on there as well, with students, and with some parents who come back from the past to make Lanie's life more than a little challenging. Not to mention her mother...a whole other story!Lanie has to get it together-with her job, her family, and her love life. And when she does, maybe that will include the guy she's fantasized about her whole life, and maybe he'll be able to see her as the woman she is, rather than the girl she was!

"I told you I don't like ties to the past. I move forward.""Even from the good things?"But there haven't been very many good things in Maura Sutherland's life; she has struggled against almost everything, and almost everyone. Against all odds, she has carved out a life for herself. Maybe it's not the happiest, but it's hers.On the other hand, Iván Marrero's existence has been charmed. He was traveling the world and breaking records, becoming a multi-millionaire before he turned 30. With his handsome face and easy laugh, he has friends everywhere. Everyone wants to be with Iván-especially women.When Maura and Iván meet, the attraction is undeniable. But she has so many dark secrets locked away...Can she trust him? Should she? What if it all goes wrong, again? Can she let go of the past-and will it let go of her?

Evie is doing just fine, thank you very much! Everything is great, practically perfect, really-until, POOF! Evie's life turns upside down and suddenly, she's more than the fun party-girl she has been all her life. She has responsibilities. Commitments. Out of the blue, she's the one people depend on, and the transition isn't the smoothest. And not that anything is easier when she has to deal on a daily basis with Heath Baldwin, who has a stick up...anyway, he's a little starchy. If he could relax a little, maybe they would get along. If he could just see Evie as something other than a screw-up who needs to be watched, a user with nothing on her mind but what she can get out of him, things would be a lot better. Maybe everyone needs a little work, because if Evie could open her mind to new possibilities, and Heath could open his heart to new love, maybe they could make their unexpected situation a success. Maybe it could become something more than either of them ever expected...

There were plus signs; double pink lines; double blue lines; double black lines; two dots; a smiley face; a big Y; and the topper, the one that just announced it: PREGNANT."Oh, no," I breathed out. Oh, yes, she sure is!Camdyn Riordan is not ready to have a baby-she's the one who lost the class guinea pig in second grade, she's the one who now won't keep a boyfriend long enough to leave a toothbrush at his house! And there's another wrinkle: the father is César Hidalgo, the famous football player, the guy who ran out of her house so fast after their night together that he left a jet trail in his wake. The guy with a list of past girlfriends as long as his hard, muscular arm.They're going to be parents, but first, they're going to be roommates, and then maybe they'll be friends. But there is no way-NO WAY-that this is going to turn into some kind of love story, no matter how much Camdyn likes him, no matter how sweet he is, no matter anything.Absolutely not. Even though César is pretty much the ideal, if a woman was interested in something like a permanent future with a gorgeous, muscled-up guy who also likes to cook.That's not what Camdyn wants-she's positive, as positive as all those pregnancy tests! But life does have a funny way of moving your goal line...

b>"Isobel with an O, Starr with two Rs," I said to her pleasantly. "It's been a while."Isobel's lips moved as she mouthed words. Damned if she wasn't praying.Eight years. That's how long it's been since Rory Morin went away, but now he's back in Detroit to clean up his life. Eight years before, Isobel Starr made an appearance in it, and now he's come looking for her-and she knows that she owes him.Isobel never left the city. She's been getting by and doing better than when she first met Rory. Back then, she was a little kid hiding in the dark from him, a giant of a guy who scared people so much with his size and scowl that they crossed the street to avoid him.She doesn't think that she's same person anymore, but is he? Has Rory really changed after spending eight years of his life in prison? Can she trust him, and can she trust her own feelings for him?And when Rory's past comes roaring back and threatens them both, will they be able to survive it?

'I just understand that people can make mistakes, ' I said. 'Someone could do something that you think is terrible. Immoral, even! But it wouldn't be what defined her...'Because, yes, Gaby Carter has made a few mistakes herself, but she's aiming to fix them, to make amends and to make some big changes in her life.Step one in that process: she'll become a cheerleader for the Woodsmen football team. She'll go up against more than 150 beautiful, talented women to get a spot on the coveted roster, but she'll have to fight her way through mean girls, falls, and tears to do it...Step two: Gaby will show her family and friends that she's smart, strong, and successful, no matter how she may have behaved in the past, no matter how little they may think about her. Or how little she may think about herself...Step three: she will not fall in love with the wrong guy again, not this time. Definitely not with Ben Matthews, the handsome, single-dad Woodsmen football coach who is totally off-limits, in so many ways. Even if in so many other ways, he's just perfect...Step four: she'll work past all the bumps and bruises that life keeps throwing at her, at her body and at her heart...And in the end, Gaby will find the happy ending for herself, for Ben, and for his little girl. It's not going to be easy-but it will be worth it!

A benchwarmer?Nope, Teddy Hayes can really start her up!Second-string. That's been Ellie Wilde's position in life.The daughter of a superstar quarterback and his model wife, Ellie could have been beautiful, tough, desirable-a winner, just like her parents.It didn't quite work out that way, but she's satisfied with things as they are. She has a great job with a professional football team...which would be perfect, except that she's a really just a gofer with her office in a janitor's closet. She has a great boyfriend...or he would be, if he was aware of her existence, and wasn't just the object of her 10-year, secret crush.Yeah. There are a few issues, but Ellie doesn't dwell.Her life takes a definite turn when she meets Teddy Hayes, recently promoted to play on her team as the backup quarterback. He's gorgeous, funny, and struggling. He has the opportunity of a lifetime to play in the pros, but he's messing it up, and his personal life isn't much better. Maybe Ellie can help him, both on and off the field, and maybe he can do the same for her...Maybe both these benchwarmers can step up to the big time and score-together.

LIFE'S A GAMBLE...But Jolie doesn't want to play games. She has too much going on, taking care of everyone and everything, most especially her three-year-old daughter. What she's really looking for is something quick and easy peasy, lemon squeezy-in other words, a guy to call for some fun, one who won't interfere in her life and, above all, need time and attention that she doesn't have to give.Enter Luca, who is equally relationship-averse. But he's a little lonely, and he is looking for a friend. And he's also charming, and sweet, and Jesus, is he handsome...and if one thing leads to another...When Lady Luck deals you this hand, you may have to play it!

BOOM.That's the sound from the football field when Knox Lynch takes down the offense. He's big and strong, the best defensive end in the league. Tough. Scary. Dumb. At least, that's all that most people seem to see of him. Except... BOOM.That's also the sound Daisy McKenzie's heart makes when it beats hard against her ribs when she's anxious and worried. She's doing great now-she's moved beyond her past and is focused on her future, taking steps to lead her to independence and happiness, like getting her degree and working as an art conservator. Yes, she's doing great. Except... BOOM.That's the sound of two lives colliding when Daisy and Knox meet. And the sound of both of their hearts, when they start to beat for each other.

"I thought maybe I had hallucinated that you were here," Nico commented. "I drank too much last night.""It does seem like a dream," I agreed. "Isn't it amazing?""That wasn't exactly what I meant..." Tatum and Nico are meant to be.They're perfect for each other! Just ask anyone, except maybe Nico, because he doesn't seem very thrilled that Tatum has shown up uninvited at his new penthouse apartment, in the new city where he lives after being traded away from the Woodsmen football team. The city that's five states away from where they had known each other before...and by the way, she's moving in.But he's been acting off ever since he got traded-acting in ways that are going to sabotage his pro-football career, and Tatum is going to help him. She'll be his life coach, even if he doesn't think he needs one. Or wants one, or even wants Tatum in his life at all.No matter what, she knows that they can make it work, through legal problems, family problems, teammate problems, anything. Because in his heart of hearts, Nico loves her.Now he just needs to realize it too...and with Tatum there to nudge him along the way, they'll find their happily ever after!

He stared at me. "You wrote that? I want to know what happens. Tell me what happens." "Well, I'm not totally sure yet. What usually happens is that they fall in love despite themselves..." Maggie lives in a world of aliens, dragons, cowboys, and Happily Ever Afters. As a (slightly-maybe more than slightly) pornographic romance novelist, she's able to escape everything in her writing. Almost everything, even though her life before coming to northern Michigan will not let her go, no matter how far, or how fast she's running from it.Mostly, she's too busy hiding from the world to meet people, and certainly she isn't looking for anyone to sweep her off her feet like one of the stern cowboys or hard-bodied aliens in her books. But then, suddenly, there's Mason, who's sweet, and funny, and damn, is he handsome-and they end up taking a trip together that will change both their lives.For everyone who remembers Mason Whitaker from THE CHECKDOWN, here's his story!

Her: free spirit. Open door (literally). Open heart. Him: serious. Steady. Closed off to love? On paper, Ione and Cooper just don't make sense. Luckily, Ione loses all the papers that she accumulates, along with her phone, her purse, and her shoes, so she's not paying attention to what anything says about her and Cooper! When they meet in Japanese class, things are flowing along in her life, taking her with them. But the more she thinks about it, she may not be entirely happy with how things are flowing, and where she's headed. Cooper is everything Ione isn't: driven, responsible, and unfortunately, totally unavailable. He thinks that she would be a good study partner, maybe even a friend-and that's all. But when things go sour and Ione's life turns upside-down, Cooper's the guy who has her back. So will this be love, or just friendship? Can Ione and Cooper find common ground, a common language to speak to find happiness, together?

Things can only get better...right?Emily Brennan dropped everything to move back home to northern Michigan to take care of her sister and nephew. Her sister is sick; her brother-in-law is MIA; money is tight. With everything she has going, she's certainly not looking for love, certainly not in the form of a guy that she's secretly crushed on since the sixth grade. She doesn't need some knight in shining armor to swoop in and make things right for her and for her nephew, Charlie. But maybe that wouldn't be so bad...And just when things might be working out, she has to remember to expect the unexpected-in love, and in life.

This Christmas is going to be perfect!Mostly.Amy Whitaker is determined: this Christmas is going to be a holiday like none other. Little does she know how true those words will become...She thinks she can do it all, and she's going to make it the most fun, most loving, most memorable, most perfect, most everything for her amazing husband Steve and all their family.Until the homemade gifts set on fire in the oven. And her pre-Christmas party ends with a beach in her front yard. And her new assistant shares the same name with her horrible ex, and it's bringing up a lot of memories...and suddenly, her perfect plans collide with the not-at-all perfect reality.And most importantly, things with Steve are strange and stained, and by the time what feels like a hundred Whitaker relatives start to arrive, Amy's just not sure if she can pull it all together to make this holiday happen at all...A Merry, Many Whitaker Holiday is a 135-ish page novella with many familiar characters and (of course) a merry Christmas ending!

IT'S 4TH AND GOAL FOR LOVE...SHOULD KATIE GO FOR IT?Katie Bell is Nutty. You know, Nutty the Chipmunk? Katie is the woman inside the costume, one of the mascots for her town's football team, and Davis Blake-handsome, forbidding, tough Davis Blake-is the starting quarterback. Until he gets injured and his season, and possibly his career, are over.Davis needs her help, and Katie sees a temp job working for him as an opportunity to secure her future with the football team. But is there more possible for both of them? Maybe friendship? Maybe...love? When it's fourth down, can both Katie and Davis put their hearts on the line and take a risk?

"You're not going to do some crazy fangirl thing, are you?" "Oh, please!" I scoffed. Yes. So what if Dylan McKenzie came back home to northern Michigan? It wasn't like he would ever notice me, the shy girl lurking around the edges of the pool deck while he passed around his gold medals like it was no big deal. He was one of the best swimmers in the world now, not a 13-year-old who said a few nice things to a little girl following him around like a puppy. So what if he asked me to come with him to the biggest international swim meet of the year in Spain? He was just interested in my writing skills to finish his autobiography. And if he kissed me, well, it was probably just due to the adrenaline after winning his race! So what if he had secrets in his life that were tearing him apart? It wasn't like he needed me. Or we were going to end up together. But maybe...

On the outside, Scarlett Wolfe is perfect.Gorgeous, beautifully dressed, a cool job in fashion PR-what doesn't she have going for her? She meets a guy on a Hawaiian vacation, and his interesting scars and tough exterior get her heart pumping. She could wrap him around her little finger if she wanted to, and why not? It could be fun to have a little fling with Nate, then go back to San Francisco. Back to cocktail parties and clubs and excitement, back to her adoring family, her sweet job, and her busy, full life. That's Scarlett on the outside-and maybe that's who she used to be. But now, on the inside, Scarlett Wolfe is coming apart, splintering bit by bit, and she's scrambling to hold everything together. Things are not as they seem, with her job, with her family, with her friends, and certainly not with Nate Lange, the former soldier she met in Hawaii. Home in California, her life is suddenly entwined with Nate's and Scarlett finds herself losing her heart to him. She needs to bring herself back the brink of chaos, and hopefully, Nate will be with her when she comes through to the other side...

Jory Morin is a little...weird.And Meredith Roberts is not. She likes her life and everything in it to be clean, neat, and orderly. And it was, until her father took the position as head coach of the Woodsmen football team, uprooted their small family, and moved them to Michigan. Now she's living in a place where she has no job, no college, and no friends. Awesome.That's how things are going, anyway, until she meets Jory Morin. He's a giant of a guy who plays for her dad, and Meredith can't figure him out-the way he shows up at her house uninvited, his wild hair and beard, his RV full of concrete animal statues and cat food. And he doesn't have a cat.Yeah, a little...weird.And then there's the thing about him fighting, in trouble with his team, and making her wonder if the violent way he plays football is just who he is. Should she even be with him?But there is more to Jory, as Meredith finds out. He has a heart that's bigger than his old truck, and a brain that may not go in the same direction as hers, but it's always going. In fact, Meredith will need to work keep up with him. Jory also has work to do to, to break down the defenses that she has built up to protect herself from the hurt in her past.It won't be easy to figure each other out, but together, they may have created an unstoppable rush!

What if you lost your health? How far would you go to get it back? Health is a fundamental human right that we all take for granted and abuse daily.In this book author Jamie Bennett takes you on a walk through memory lane. Spanning over a decade and a half, this is a story about the seemingly-impossible steps one must go through to get back what was rightfully theirs. It's a journey through chronic illness, faith, family, and healing; wrapped in the down-to-earth learning lessons of humble farm ownership. This story will lead you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Inevitable, life-altering changes cultivated moments that molded Jamie Bennett's family. Transformation arises from both good and bad, but this family never let it destroy them or their commitment to one another. Jamie fought through apathetic doctors, single parenting, farming mishaps, a chaotic family life, and dozens of ailments to recover. And more than that, in the process she learned not just how to survive-but how to truly live and thrive. If you've ever questioned the sheer determination it takes to fight for the lives of you and your family when modern medicine has failed, all while still trying to live as normally as possible, this book is for you. Inside, you'll discover: That disease does not need to define youHow to live with an illnessHow to find yourself in your darkest hourHow to find joy in the midst of life's toughest circumstancesGet There's a Deer at the Door and a Cow In the Mudroom today!