Each book can be read as a standalone novel.
The Crescendo of Love (City Lights, Book 1)
Heather Watts plays occasional gigs at dive bars in New York City, her dreams of musical success still elusive. She keeps her emotions hidden behind self-deprecating humor, cynicism, and a tough exterior. Paying the bills with a day job at a diner, she’s convinced herself that her big break in the music industry will never happen.
Carrie Sutton is a driven event planner, known for her meticulous attention to detail and ambitious nature. She’s polished and professional, working tirelessly to climb the corporate ladder. But her rigid approach to life masks deeper struggles, including a strained relationship with her conservative parents.
A citywide music festival draws them together, but they have to overcome their difficult past in a small-town high school. Back then, Carrie played along with her friends’ jeers and taunts, so she could fit in with the cool crowd. Can these two women put their differences behind them and build a future together?
The Ceremony of Love (City Lights, Book 2)
Kelsey Donovan thrives in the fast-paced world of social media marketing, balancing her role at an event planning agency with freelance work. She’s confident in her professional abilities, but she’s prioritized her work over romantic relationships.
Arisa (Ari) Mitchell works at her family’s traditional Japanese tea shop, caught between honoring her heritage and modernizing the struggling business.
When Kelsey offers to help the tea shop develop a social media plan, Ari sees the opportunity to turn the business around. At the same time, desperate to avoid her mother’s matchmaking attempts with “nice Japanese men,” Ari proposes that she and Kelsey enter a fake relationship.
Can they save the tea shop and navigate their own complex emotions when the line between pretense and reality begins to blur?
The Cuisine of Love (City Lights, Book 3)
Diana Rodriguez’s fusion pastry business is thriving, but her dream of opening her own café remains out of reach. Despite a proven track record and solid business plan, loan after loan is rejected. Diana is recruited to teach fusion techniques at a culinary school, but she’ll have to work alongside Dr. Rebecca Sullivan, a rigid, classical French pastry instructor who views fusion cuisine as a corruption of proper technique.
Becca is committed to traditional methods and high standards, convinced that excellence comes from mastering the fundamentals. The last thing she needs is a collaboration that challenges her entire teaching philosophy. And yet, as she reflects on how her life in New York has progressed, she begins to regret the lack of any close relationships.
Can these two women overcome the barriers that keep them from their dreams? Or will the price of success be too high to pay?
Cultural Differences (Love in Downeast Maine, Book 1)
Lauren Clarke spends her days surrounded by books. She enjoys working at the bookstore in the small town of Zachary, Maine, but she regrets never finishing college after her life was disrupted by a tragic event. She’s also sworn off serious relationships after her last girlfriend cheated on her.
Nalini Mehta has recently moved to Zachary, starting graduate school at the university. She’s never had a serious relationship because she knows she has to face her inevitable fate—being married to a man she’s only met once in her life.
After Nalini and Lauren meet, they agree to keep things casual and settle on a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Their relationship progresses, overcoming the differences in their cultural backgrounds. But when it’s time for Nalini and Lauren to face their very different futures, can they still remain friends?
Academic Matters (Love in Downeast Maine, Book 2)
Val Lydon moves to the small town of Zachary, Maine to fulfill a lifelong dream: a tenure-track faculty position at the university. It’s a fresh start for her, a year after her divorce, and that experience has taught her to be cautious about getting into any relationship with a younger woman.
Sophie Rinaldi is a graduate student who spends most of her time in the lab, working on research projects for her thesis. However, she’s not sure an academic career is the best choice for her. When things don’t go as expected with her research, she questions whether she should finish the graduate program.
When Sophie meets Val, she develops a crush that soon turns into much more. Val’s afraid of history repeating itself, much to Sophie’s disappointment. Will Val and Sophie manage to look past their age difference, and sort out their personal and professional lives?
Novel Experiences (Love in Downeast Maine, Book 3)
Ellie MacLean dreams of being a full-time writer while working her day job as a real estate agent. She prides herself on not forming attachments to any of the women she sleeps with, and her casual lifestyle suits her busy schedule just fine.
Sienna Blake is a tenured professor at the University of Maine in Zachary who devotes her life to her research. Her last serious relationship was many years ago, and she had little interest in dating the few men she met over the years.
After Sienna gets to know Ellie, she promises to read one of Ellie’s lesbian romance novels. The book awakens feelings in Sienna that she’d never experienced before. Will Sienna and Ellie let go of their independence to chase their dreams together?
Arya Collins, Author 