Seasons of the Heart Series by Anna DeStefano

Hoping for the normal life she was denied as a child of the streets, school nurse and social worker Mallory Phillips has moved to quiet, charming Chandlerville, GA, for a fresh start and the Christmas she’s always dreamed of but never had. When motherless seven-year-old Polly Lombard shows up at her house in the middle of the night hiding near the Christmas tree, Mallory knows she needs to help, whether Polly’s recently widowed and still grieving EMT fireman father, Pete, likes it or not... moreHoping for the normal life she was denied as a child of the streets, school nurse and social worker Mallory Phillips has moved to quiet, charming Chandlerville, GA, for a fresh start and the Christmas she’s always dreamed of but never had. When motherless seven-year-old Polly Lombard shows up at her house in the middle of the night hiding near the Christmas tree, Mallory knows she needs to help, whether Polly’s recently widowed and still grieving EMT fireman father, Pete, likes it or not. As she works to help Polly, Mallory helps Pete with his grief as well. Still it isn’t until Mallory finally comes to terms with her past that she finds love and acceptance and truly “comes home.” VERDICT: Issues concerning mothers and daughters, family, and grief are at the heart of this intense, heart-wrenching, yet uplifting romance that would make a solid book club choice. DeStefano (Secret Legacy) lives in north Georgia. less

One day can change your life forever... Three days change a painful past into a beautiful tomorrow... Once, Sam Perry had it all. A loving marriage, an amazing job she adored as a preschool teacher, and a beautiful home. She was safe, happy and secure. Then the unthinkable happened... Watching his once carefree wife withdraw into herself was almost more than Brian Perry could handle. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that he loved her more than life itself... moreOne day can change your life forever... Three days change a painful past into a beautiful tomorrow... Once, Sam Perry had it all. A loving marriage, an amazing job she adored as a preschool teacher, and a beautiful home. She was safe, happy and secure. Then the unthinkable happened... Watching his once carefree wife withdraw into herself was almost more than Brian Perry could handle. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that he loved her more than life itself. Moving her out of New York to Chandlerville, a small, quiet suburb of Atlanta, felt right. Anything, to get her away from the memories of the buildings, and her world, crashing around her. Now, two sons and many years later, Sam cherishes the new life on Mimosa Lane that Brian built for them. Until lightning strikes twice... Called a hero by her small community, Sam feels more like a coward than ever. Instinct draws her into an altercation at her children's school - an instinct that also drives her away from the warm cocoon of her family. Brian refuses to lose his wife again. He agrees to give her the space she asks for, but he soon realizes space isn't something they and their children can afford. He knows their love can still conquer all. But this time he'll need their entire community to help him win his wife back. less

Law Beaumont and Kristen Hemmings have watched each other from a distance for years. But Law, a bartender with a bad-boy past, and Kristen, an assistant principal devoted to helping her community, couldn’t seem more different. When they unite to mentor a young foster child and to help Law’s troubled daughter through the aftermath of her parents’ ugly divorce, their attraction deepens. They face the undeniable connection between them, and a whirlwind of challenges they can only conquer together... moreLaw Beaumont and Kristen Hemmings have watched each other from a distance for years. But Law, a bartender with a bad-boy past, and Kristen, an assistant principal devoted to helping her community, couldn’t seem more different. When they unite to mentor a young foster child and to help Law’s troubled daughter through the aftermath of her parents’ ugly divorce, their attraction deepens. They face the undeniable connection between them, and a whirlwind of challenges they can only conquer together. A stirring love story and a candid look at the complexities of divorce, substance abuse, and our country’s foster care system, Love on Mimosa Lane is a love song to an entire community, and a novel about the power of family—the family you’ve been given, the one you’ve chosen, and the one that can lift you up, even when the world is tearing you down. less

Live and work together, or lose everything that matters… The ultimatum tilts Dru Hampton’s contented life in Chandlerville, Georgia, on its ear. The man that Vivian, her cantankerous boss and benefactor, wants Dru to partner with—live with—is Brad Douglas, who’s let Dru down every way a man can. Sheriff’s deputy Brad Douglas has come a long way since his rebellious youth. He’s back home to care for Vivian, his ill grandmother... moreLive and work together, or lose everything that matters… The ultimatum tilts Dru Hampton’s contented life in Chandlerville, Georgia, on its ear. The man that Vivian, her cantankerous boss and benefactor, wants Dru to partner with—live with—is Brad Douglas, who’s let Dru down every way a man can. Sheriff’s deputy Brad Douglas has come a long way since his rebellious youth. He’s back home to care for Vivian, his ill grandmother. He’s stayed out of Dru’s way all these years to make up for the hurt he once caused her. Now, the delightfully mischievous Vivian’s dying wish is for them to rebuild at least a working relationship together…and she’s betting on them rediscovering much more. The family business and the Douglas home that Dru and Brad both cherish will be sold if they don’t resolve their differences. Can these childhood sweethearts make up and reclaim each other’s hearts before it’s too late? less