Shellwater Key Series by Kristin Wallace

(This novel is a companion to Book 1 in the Shellwater Key Tales series, Left Turn At Paradise, telling that story from another perspective.) Thirty years ago, desperation drove Elizabeth McCarthy to do the unthinkable when she abandoned her infant daughter, Layla, to the care of her mother. Now, after years of trying to outrun the memories and the guilt, Beth has come home to Shellwater Key to make amends... more(This novel is a companion to Book 1 in the Shellwater Key Tales series, Left Turn At Paradise, telling that story from another perspective.) Thirty years ago, desperation drove Elizabeth McCarthy to do the unthinkable when she abandoned her infant daughter, Layla, to the care of her mother. Now, after years of trying to outrun the memories and the guilt, Beth has come home to Shellwater Key to make amends. She has survived deadbeat relationships, becoming a single mother, and cancer, but now faces the most difficult battle of her life…finding a way to connect with the legendary mother she was never able to please…and earning the forgiveness of the daughter who has every reason to hate her. She might even have a chance to find the missing piece of her heart when Layla’s father arrives in town looking for answers. Coming Home To Paradise is a powerful story of a woman who never felt like she was enough, despite being physically beautiful. It’s the story of a woman who has been broken by life, and by illness, and who now only wants to make things right. A story about discovering that it’s never too late to find true love…or more accurately…find the true love that slipped away. less

A sweet, funny holiday novella in the tradition of Debbie Macomber, Kristan Higgins, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Robyn Carr. Experience Christmas in the sleepy town of Shellwater Key on Florida's southwest coast. "This story reminded me of family and friends and never truly being alone." "Stole my heart...A romantic tale that whet my appetitive for more Hallmark-type Christmas stories!" "A fast-moving story that is clean, cute, and filled with humor." One expectant mother... moreA sweet, funny holiday novella in the tradition of Debbie Macomber, Kristan Higgins, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Robyn Carr. Experience Christmas in the sleepy town of Shellwater Key on Florida's southwest coast. "This story reminded me of family and friends and never truly being alone." "Stole my heart...A romantic tale that whet my appetitive for more Hallmark-type Christmas stories!" "A fast-moving story that is clean, cute, and filled with humor." One expectant mother. One gorgeous innkeeper. One Lamb, two Shepherds, and a King. Three days that will change her life forever. Pregnant, single and alone at Christmas, Cassie Stevens decides to take a holiday vacation in Shellwater Key before her baby is born. But then her reservation is lost and she finds there literally no room left at the inn. Thankfully, single innkeeper, Jared Latham, offers to let Cassie stay with him and his young daughter. She won’t have to sleep in a manger, but being in such close proximity to the gorgeous and caring Jared might be more dangerous to her piece of mind…and heart. But the magic of the season can change everything. Cassie is suddenly surrounded by a group of friends, who all seem have names relating to another important birth long ago. And when Christmas Eve brings an unexpected delivery, Cassie will discover that miracles are still possible even in modern times. One expectant mother. One gorgeous innkeeper. One Lamb, two Shepherds, and a King. Three days that will change her life forever. Pregnant, single and alone at Christmas, Cassie Stevens decides to take a holiday vacation in Shellwater Key before her baby is born. But then her reservation is lost and she finds there literally no room left at the inn. Thankfully, single innkeeper, Jared Latham, offers to let Cassie stay with him and his young daughter. She won’t have to sleep in a manger, but being in such close proximity to the gorgeous and caring Jared might be more dangerous to her piece of mind…and heart. But the magic of the season can change everything. Cassie is suddenly surrounded by a group of friends, who all seem have names relating to another important birth long ago. And when Christmas Eve brings an unexpected delivery, Cassie will discover that miracles are still possible even in modern times. less

A beautiful, funny, sweet contemporary romance in the tradition of Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Kristan Higgins. Set against the backdrop of the Florida sun and a forgotten dinner theater that brings three childhood friends back together after years apart. Emma Bertram’s life is a recipe for disaster, but she’s about to discover that love and forgiveness are the perfect ingredients for a happy ending... moreA beautiful, funny, sweet contemporary romance in the tradition of Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Kristan Higgins. Set against the backdrop of the Florida sun and a forgotten dinner theater that brings three childhood friends back together after years apart. Emma Bertram’s life is a recipe for disaster, but she’s about to discover that love and forgiveness are the perfect ingredients for a happy ending. At fifteen, Emma Bertram’s perfect family splintered when her father left her mother for another woman. Anger and bitterness, along with the demands of being a professional chef, have kept Emma apart from her father and his new family for years. Then her father and stepmother are killed in a car accident. Returning to her childhood home of Shellwater Key, Emma learns she has become guardian of her two half-sisters. What Emma knows about raising children could fit on a restaurant napkin. So when her mother offers to stay and help with the girls, Emma can’t say no. She also can’t say no to her childhood friend’s job offer to be the head chef at the old Paradise Dinner Theatre. Renovating the dilapidated kitchen may be even more challenging than dealing with her half-sisters. Then there’s her father’s law partner, Reece Casings, who has no trouble telling Emma what she’s doing wrong. The buttoned-up, so-wrong-for-her, but oh-so-handsome lawyer makes Emma’s blood boil. Or is it heart race? Romance is the last thing on Emma’s mind, especially when her mother and one of her sisters are cast in the debut musical at The Paradise. When she’s dealing with a firestorm of teenaged angst from her other sister. And when her mother is starring in a romance of her own, with the much younger lead in the production. All that is nothing compared to the explosive secret that boils to the surface when Reece reveals a much deeper connection to her family than anyone ever knew. In the end Emma will have to learn how to forgive her father…and herself…and trust in love and faith again if she ever hopes to serve up a happily ever after for everyone. less

“For a while I thought maybe I was supposed to help all the lost souls wandering the halls of The Paradise,” Noah said, with self-deprecating humor… “They’ve all told me how much you’ve counseled them,” Callie said. “There’s a reason everyone thinks you’re an angel.” “Yes, but now I realize it wasn’t just about them.” His gaze centered on her. “I think maybe I was supposed to wait for something else. For someone else... more“For a while I thought maybe I was supposed to help all the lost souls wandering the halls of The Paradise,” Noah said, with self-deprecating humor… “They’ve all told me how much you’ve counseled them,” Callie said. “There’s a reason everyone thinks you’re an angel.” “Yes, but now I realize it wasn’t just about them.” His gaze centered on her. “I think maybe I was supposed to wait for something else. For someone else.” When Callie Dalton’s charismatic, televangelist husband falls into disgrace, Callie goes down with him. Now he’s dead, leaving Callie to face the wrath of the public alone. With nowhere else to go, she takes her two young children and escapes to a place she’s spent most of her life trying to forget. Shellwater Key holds memories of sweet childhood friendships…and the tragic death of her mother. Most everyone is horrified when Callie moves back in to the same house where her mother died, but after the scandal her options are limited. Except that same house now comes with a bonus…a handsome “pool boy” with changeable eyes, a killer smile, and shoulders wide enough to carry every one of her burdens. Noah Johnson isn’t actually a pool boy. He’s the carpenter and resident “angel” at The Paradise Dinner Theatre, now owned by her friend, Layla McCarthy. After a disastrous and humiliating job hunt, Noah helps engineer a position as House Manager at the theatre. A chance to start over is an answer to prayer, but every instinct warns that proximity to the sexy and enigmatic Noah could be the most dangerous complication to Callie's life…and her wary heart. But when she learns the truth about Noah’s story and his former occupation, she's ready to run again. It will take a willingness to face her tragic past and embrace the possibilities of tomorrow for Callie to find the love that will finally set her free. less