Woods Lake Series by JLynn Autumn

In book one of the Woods Lake series, we meet Marco and Jenna. Each book within the series can be read as a standalone novel, but you get the most from the series if you read it in order.10 years ago Jenna's life changed forever when she watched her brother Ricky die in a race accident. No longer the outgoing party girl who spends her weekends racing the quarter mile strip, she spends her days battling anxiety and tries to just get by... moreIn book one of the Woods Lake series, we meet Marco and Jenna. Each book within the series can be read as a standalone novel, but you get the most from the series if you read it in order.10 years ago Jenna's life changed forever when she watched her brother Ricky die in a race accident. No longer the outgoing party girl who spends her weekends racing the quarter mile strip, she spends her days battling anxiety and tries to just get by. The nightmares still come and the only person who has ever been able to save her from the nightmares in her dreams and the nightmares in her reality is Marco. When she was 12 and he was 16, he was her brother's best friend. When Ricky died four-years later, Marco become her protector. Now 14 years later, they have been debating the should we or shouldn't we and have to decide if their friendship can survive the relationship they both crave.Marco has loved Jenna since he was 16 and she was 12. When Ricky died, his mom had Jenna move into their house because she had nowhere else safe to be. Marco held her every night when the nightmares came for the next year. The friendship has always felt like it was destined to be more than just a friendship, but the timing was never right. Can their 14 year friendship survive the relationship trial he asks her for? Will this week long trial be what they need to finally make things work or will they lose each other in the process?“I’m scared. Okay! I’m so scared. I’m scared that I won’t live up to the expectation that you have built up in your mind or that I won’t be what you want after a while. Mostly I’m scared that if this blows up, then I lose you and I don’t think I can survive losing you. Nothing good ever lasts in my life. I can’t lose you. I won’t survive it.”“Babe, you’re not going to lose me. You and me, we are forever. I made that decision the first night I held you through the nightmares. I’m good and I’ve lasted fourteen years. I’ve loved you for all of those fourteen years. I loved you when I shouldn’t have loved you. I loved you through the good times and the bad time. . . . I held you every night while you slept for almost a year after Ricky died. What else do you need from me to show you that I’m not going anywhere? I’ll give it to you right now. I have no expectations built up in my mind. I don’t want anything from you except you. . . . I want you to let me love you the way you deserve to be loved every day. Those are my expectations. Yesterday you told me you were in. Completely in. Now that you know all my expectations, are you still in?” His hands were on each side of my hips. He hadn’t broken eye contact since he started talking. I leaned in and kissed him. I spread my knees apart and wrapped them around his waist drawing him into me. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said when he pulled away......“We’ve talked about what happens if I decide I don’t want this to continue after the week. We go back to what we were before and file it away as now we know if we should or shouldn’t. We haven’t talked about what happens if I decide I’m in and you decide that this isn’t working for you the way you thought it would and you want things back to how they were.”“Not going to happen, that’s why we haven’t talked about it. There’s nothing to talk about. It’s always been you. I couldn’t act on it because you were too young and by the time you were legal, you lived across the hall from me.”...“I can’t lose you Marco. I don’t know how to not have you in my life. I can’t lose you.”He softly spoke into my ear. “You’ll never lose me. Let’s just see what happens this weekend and next week and go from there. Pretend to be my girlfriend and get an idea of what it would be like to be my girlfriend and then you can decide. If you decide it won’t work or you don’t want to, you’ll still have me, and we will both have the answer to the question of ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ so we can move on.” less

The books in the Woods Lake series can be read as a complete standalone novel, but you will get the most out of the books if you read them in chronological order. This will give you the background of the characters and the history of the linked friendships and relationships.Jesse - 28; mechanic; self-proclaimed "not a relationship guy"; described by others as "a fun for a weekend guy not a relationship guy.”Lexie - 22; art teacher; recently out of a relationship and has sworn off dating and men... moreThe books in the Woods Lake series can be read as a complete standalone novel, but you will get the most out of the books if you read them in chronological order. This will give you the background of the characters and the history of the linked friendships and relationships.Jesse - 28; mechanic; self-proclaimed "not a relationship guy"; described by others as "a fun for a weekend guy not a relationship guy.”Lexie - 22; art teacher; recently out of a relationship and has sworn off dating and men.After finding out that they both like pizza, poker, swimming, and video games; they decide to be friends. When Lexie's ex shows up and she needs a place to stay, Jesse offers his guestroom for a week until he knows her apartment is safe to return to. By the end of the week, Jesse may not want Lexie to leave, but he's not sure she would want to stay.....I was always the weird art girl that never fit in because I’m super shy, would rather being reading or painting, and there were exactly zero art classes offered all through school.”“Since when are you shy?”“Since forever.”“But you’re talking to me and telling me everything.”“I’ve literally known you my entire life. It’s different."...“You need to come hang here. It’s a small town. You’ll see people you know.” We both reached for pretzels again and laughed as I pulled my hand back so she could grab first. I took a sip from my beer and then grabbed a couple pretzels.“Not really my scene. I do it when I get dragged out, but I’m more a small get together person. I’m a total nerd Jesse. Backyard BBQs, pool hangouts, poker, or video games. That’s more my speed.”“If you tell me you know how to cook, you might just change my mind about my opinions on relationships. I love barbecues, pool hangouts, poker, and I’m a video game nerd.” She squinted her eyes together a bit. “What’s that face?”She smiled. “I’ve just been warned and heard stories about your opinion on relationships.”“It’s not something I hide. I don’t do relationships. I have no interest in getting married or having kids. I’m honest about that from the start. I’m a fun guy for a weekend, or a week, or few weeks at most. Then girls move on because they realize I was serious when I said I don’t do relationships.”“At least you’re honest about it and don’t hide it.” There was a hurt in her eyes when she said it.“I’m a firm believer in what you see is what you get and with me you get someone to hang out and do things with and have the freedom to walk away anytime because I’m not looking for a commitment.” I reached across the table and touched her hand. “I don’t know what he did Lexie, but if he let you walk away or pushed you away, it’s his loss.”...“Where have you been all my life? You play video games. You can kick my ass swimming. You like poker. You like pizza and beer and you eat brownies from the pan.”“All of that describes a friend. That’s where I’ve been, in the friend zone, and since you don’t do relationships and I only end up with assholes so I’m swearing off men, I think we have potential to become good friends.”...I like coming home to her. Shit. I’m so screwed. I don’t want her to leave, but what if she doesn’t want to stay? What if I’m just a good distraction from what she went through with Kyle? less

A Woods Lake Christmas is a standalone Christmas novella that takes place between books 2 and 3 in the Woods Lake series. Like all of the Woods Lake books, it can be read alone, but you get the most from the book, if it's read in order.See three of the Woods Lake couples (Marco & Jenna, Jesse & Lexie, Joey & Ally) decorate their trees. Go with Shauna on a long-weekend trip and meet Micah, who we will see more of in book 4... moreA Woods Lake Christmas is a standalone Christmas novella that takes place between books 2 and 3 in the Woods Lake series. Like all of the Woods Lake books, it can be read alone, but you get the most from the book, if it's read in order.See three of the Woods Lake couples (Marco & Jenna, Jesse & Lexie, Joey & Ally) decorate their trees. Go with Shauna on a long-weekend trip and meet Micah, who we will see more of in book 4. Then join the couples and the rest of the family; Mom, Rocky, and Tony for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.Gifts will be exchanged. Questions will be asked. Announcements will be made. Come spend the holidays in Woods Lake. less

The books in the Woods Lake series is a series of connected standalone novels with recurring characters. Each book gives a complete story with HEA for the couple. Some scenes and stories occur in multiple books. When this happens, the story is told from a different character’s perspective in each book.Joey and Ally’s story is an epic love story. It’s the longest of the Woods Lake stories in both length and time. It is broken into two parts... moreThe books in the Woods Lake series is a series of connected standalone novels with recurring characters. Each book gives a complete story with HEA for the couple. Some scenes and stories occur in multiple books. When this happens, the story is told from a different character’s perspective in each book.Joey and Ally’s story is an epic love story. It’s the longest of the Woods Lake stories in both length and time. It is broken into two parts. Part 1 is their original love story from the day they meet until their break up. Part 2 is the story of their second chance.Joey was 24 when he met Ally, and he had just reenlisted in the Army for an additional four years.Ally was 19, in college, working toward her goal of becoming a Literacy Specialist.It’s an instant attraction that leads to a week of flat track races, baseball games, lake dates, line dancing, and stargazing. Joey asks Ally to write to him every week, and he promises to email, call, and video chat as much as possible. He knows that he can’t be home a lot, but he promises her as much time as he can give her.Their story is the story of two people who love each other in a way that most people only dream of, but years of distance becomes unbearable and leads them to drift apart. Is their love strong enough to overcome this time apart and find their second chance at a happily ever after?Content Notes: book contains discussions and references to - car accident; death (not a main character); funeral; hospitalization; illness; military deployment, including limited communication due to deployment; special ops; surgery; and past controlling/manipulative/abusive family relationships**********As soon as she had my clothes on, she turned and looked at me, “I’m not giving these back until your next trip home. It guarantees that you have to see me.”I needed her to know that I wasn’t lying when I said I loved her, and I wanted to make this work. “You don’t have to worry. I’m coming back to you as much as I can. I promise. Look at me, baby. I mean it. This isn’t a one-week thing. I’ll be back as much as I can.”I needed her to know that I meant these words. She’s important to me, and I was going to make this work.**********“We don’t have time for everything I want to do in this shower, and I’m going to need to share at least two more to memorize it.”**********“Every other man who overlooked you, Ally, was a moron. You’re amazing. You’re smart, funny, kind, and sexy. I know you don’t believe the last one, but you are. I’m going to tell you it so much you eventually believe it.”**********She leaned in and kissed me softly. I took the kiss and deepened it. She may not have kissed before, but she was good at it. Damn, she was the best kiss of my life.**********“Do you trust me?”“Completely.”*********Reviews –“JLynn, I hate you so much right now. I don’t cry, ever! This book was amazing. I don’t even have words. I’ve loved everything else you’ve written, but Joey and Ally’s story is every emotion in a book. They’re fun and sexy. They’re real. They go through some drastic hard times and keep fighting to make it.The breakup gutted me. I knew it would happen because the other books refer to Joey not being there, and we see him in the up with Ally again. But to get to see the story from the day he meets her through the breakup and then have Part 2 of the book where they get back together, and they try for a second chance is an entirely new experience for your books. Holy crap! I loved their second chance story, and you nailed the epilogues so perfectly.I need more! I need an entire Joey and Ally series.” ~ Chris, advanced reader less

Wedding bells are ringing for Woods Lake’s bad boy and the town sweetheart in this short story.Leave it to the two people who didn’t believe in happily ever after, marriage vows, or wedding bands to plan a destination wedding. Will’s determined to give Kayla the wedding of her dreams and keep his promise to her brothers that they can be there. Just a few weeks after he proposed, he’s planned a wedding that will exceed Kayla’s dreams... moreWedding bells are ringing for Woods Lake’s bad boy and the town sweetheart in this short story.Leave it to the two people who didn’t believe in happily ever after, marriage vows, or wedding bands to plan a destination wedding. Will’s determined to give Kayla the wedding of her dreams and keep his promise to her brothers that they can be there. Just a few weeks after he proposed, he’s planned a wedding that will exceed Kayla’s dreams.A Woods Lake Wedding is a bonus short story companion to Unexpected Love and is best read after reading their full story. It is included in the print version of Unexpected Love. less