Where This Goes
Nicole Vance is a tough, smart businesswoman with a successful real estate brokerage. When a national franchise threatens to snap up her life’s work, Nicole is more than ready to fight them off. If only Realty World’s representative, green-eyed Peter Dalton, weren’t so attractive.
Peter is certain that Nicole’s management style will work well within the franchise, and he has charmed his way through tougher jobs than convincing Lakeview’s realtors into joining Realty World. On the personal side, Peter senses that Nicole is interested in him and he likes her, a lot, but she isn’t responding as he would prefer.
Why? Because so many complications abound for Nicole. On the darker side, there’s her alcoholic mother’s recent alarming behavior, which might signal dementia. Then there’s Nicole’s “stomach flu,” contracted after a hook-up with an old boyfriend at their twenty-year college reunion, which turns out to be something more lasting: pregnancy.
At forty-one, Nicole chooses her business, her dysfunctional family, and her new baby. She’s certain a romance with Peter will derail her reordered life as a single mother while riding herd on her wayward mother and her growing business. On the other hand, perhaps Nicole should give herself a chance to see where this goes.
This was one fun read. Where this Goes took me into the world of corporate mergers and family dynamics with unexpected connections and friendships. Set in a Seattle suburb and in a vibrant housing market, Nicole Vance enters an adventure she never anticipated. The twists and turns kept me wondering what would happen next and I found the journey satisfying. – Amazon Reviewer
Gillian’s Do-Over
Gillian Griffiths is flummoxed about what to do after she is unexpectedly fired from her job of more than twenty years. While trying to repair her professional life, she steps way out of her comfort zone and signs onto an online dating service. To her amazement, she encounters more men than she’d ever expected. She insists that any mid-life romantic encounter must include world class sparks, but thus far—even with Mo, a local doctor who is smitten with her—no sparks ignite. That is, until she seeks help from attorney Matt Gordon to set up a trust for her.
Unfortunately, Matt is married and caring for a tragically ill wife. Sparks or not, Gillian respects his dedication to his wife and doesn’t follow up on her feelings toward him. She feels deeply for his loss when his wife dies and can’t help wondering … will he act on the sparks he might feel in Gillian’s presence or will grief and guilt overwhelm him?
When Matt mistakes Gillian’s sympathy hug for something else, and he pushes her away, he realizes he needs a do-over. How can he convince Gillian he really does care for her, or has he killed his chance of finding a new love?
This book will make you laugh, cry, and thoroughly enjoy reading it. Five stars are not enough in rating how really great this book is. – S. Carter
Package Deal
Single mom Amanda Gardner begins her first academic appointment at private Buckley College in northwest Washington state, eager to begin a new life, pay off her school loans and become established in her career as an English professor. Two men complicate her life: Carlton Winslow, with whom Amanda must share an office; and, Marcus Dunbar, a journalism professor, who befriends her and captivates her nine-year-old daughter Cecelia. Although Carlton is unpleasant to Amanda, he seems genuinely fond of Cecelia, who doesn’t quite know how to tell her mother why she considers Carlton “icky.” The last thing Amanda wants is a romantic entanglement with Marcus, but she can’t deny her attraction to the man, and after Cecelia is hit by a car and badly injured, Marcus’ investigation raises suspicions that Carlton may have had something to do with the accident. Amanda is no longer sure who she can or should trust. Is Marcus even beyond suspicion? Is it possible that he or Carlton, or someone else Cecelia is too frightened to name, preys upon children? Amanda must get to the truth before she can give her heart to a man who claims he loves her and will cherish and protect her child.
Vale weaves together realistic characters and heartbreakingly real issues of modern life in this romantic suspense. This book won’t just entertain you — it will make you think.– Virginia Herrick
Dream Chaser
Change is scary, and Suzanna Wallace knows she has to take the plunge after her abusive husband’s sudden death. Her grown daughter promises to take care of her, “just like Dad,” without realizing how chilling those words sound to her mother.
Small changes–buying a dog and getting a jeep in military camouflage colors–lead to her escape on a road trip away from home and her adult children. Suzanna’s goal? Discover who she is and what she really wants to do with the rest of her life.
She becomes reacquainted with Jonathan Kingsley when she arrives in Montana, while looking for a place to stay for a while. He offers her a room in his ranch house, but she refuses to be beholden to another man, and convinces him to rent her a rundown cabin on his property. During the summer, Jonathan falls in love with Suzanna, and she with him.
When daughter Penny delivers an ultimatum to her mother, Suzanna must make choices that will alter her life forever. How can she remain devoted to her children without sacrificing her identity?
The dreams in this book are classic; what every woman wants but rarely finds… Not just characters in a book, but real and believable. This book deserves 5+ stars.– B.J.
Unanswered Questions
In this final story in the Lamberts of Pacific Knoll series, Nathan and Iona Lambert have had a good life together for more than forty years. Only their youngest son, Logan, still lives at home. But when he and big sister Debra are caught and injured in a landslide, Logan’s true parentage is revealed, shocking the entire family.
Nathan, with whom Logan has been especially close, reacts badly to the news. But it’s Iona’s reaction that makes the least sense to the family. How could she not have known that Nathan wasn’t Logan’s birth father? And if she did know, why has she never said anything to anyone?
Iona’s subsequent health crisis forces Nathan to take stock of what he really wants in his marriage. But what does Iona want now that everyone knows she cheated on her husband? Will their marriage survive what has come to light so unexpectedly?
No Dates for Elaine
Elaine Lambert, youngest daughter of Iona and Nathan Lambert, has always known her own mind and taken the lead with her boyfriends. But after her fiancé dumps her, she no longer trusts her own judgment when it comes to men.
She embraces a no-dating mantra, and her recently adopted dog, Bandit, seems to agree with her policy. He won’t let any man come near her. Except for Cliff Wyecliff, her niece’s former kindergarten teacher and seasonal wildfire fighter. Could it be that Bandit knows something she doesn’t know?
Cliff seems ready for more than a casual friendship, and Elaine slowly becomes convinced that she might make an exception for the one male her canine companion approves of. But when Cliff realizes their relationship is turning serious, he pulls away. After tragically losing his first love, can he risk losing another?
Elaine and Cliff face a trial by fire, literally—not to mention the disapproval of the Lambert family matriarch. Can their relationship survive or should they go their separate ways?
Fateful Days
Eden Brinker is eager to rejoin the work force now that her children are in school. Then she learns she’s pregnant. Her mixed feelings about adding another child to their family turn to apprehension when she learns her baby may carry a genetic marker for a fatal disease.
Meanwhile, someone is stealing scholarship funds from her family’s college foundation right out of the office where her husband, Hale, works. Could Hale be the guilty party? She knows how worried he has been about money.
Under the dark clouds of possible embezzlement and a complicated pregnancy, will Hale be able to trap the thief and prove himself innocent? Can the Brinker marriage survive the dilemma of whether to carry to term a child predestined to a tragically short life?
Friends Forever
Chris Lambert and Theodora Jameson have lots in common. He wants to concentrate on building houses and refurbishing furniture, a creative endeavor much like Teddy’s love of carving and stained-glass artwork. They’ve been friends forever, but never connected romantically, something Teddy has dreamed of since she was a teenager.
It takes a series of disasters for clueless Chris to take a good hard look at Teddy. He begins to see beyond her on-the-job skills, to the kind of woman she is—and realizes he’s missed the boat in never asking her out.
But when Chris finally gets up enough nerve to ask for a date, Teddy mistakes his interest for a maneuver to control her and make her a partner in his construction firm. When she turns him down, Chris is forced to rethink how to convince Teddy that he’s serious about deepening his relationship with her.
Only You
High school counselor and middle daughter in the Lambert family, Debra discovers a student bleeding from an attempted suicide. She doesn’t know what to think, when her boyfriend, a professor at Lambert-Knoll College, Sawyer Quinlan, is suspected of having been involved.
Lawyer Todd Prescott is determined to get to know Debra; unfortunately, she’s already spoken for. But when she breaks up with Sawyer, Todd’s hopes soar.
As much as she’s attracted to him, Debra’s hesitant to trust Todd to guard her heart any better than other men who have let her down. Moreover, she’s determined to prove she’s a strong woman, capable of taking care of herself.
But Todd becomes as frustratingly protective as Debra’s brothers. Does he risk driving Debra away by trying to protect her from a stalker? And how can Debra find a way to stand on her own two feet, without losing her chance at real love?
This is the second in the Lamberts of Pacific Knoll series. While it follows closely on the heels of the first book, Chance Encounter which is the story of Fletcher Lambert, the oldest son, and Lexi, they do not have to be read in sequence as each book stands on its own. Only You is the story of the Lamberts second daughter, Debra, a divorced high school counselor – who is, as the story progresses, more than a little headstrong and stubborn – but with a penchant for picking the wrong men with whom to have a relationship. – Jan Barger
Chance Encounter
When Alexis McCord’s abusive boyfriend is arrested, she seizes the opportunity to escape with her young son. Now she and 5-year-old Chance are building a life in the tiny, remote beach town of Sandy Reach, Washington. Lexi is even acting on her dream of becoming a baker with her own shop—if only Hugh never finds her.
For Fletcher Lambert, distraught after the death of his wife and baby daughter, Sandy Reach is a handy place to escape his memories, away from his law office and his large, well-intentioned but intrusive family, who are watching and waiting for him to move on. He’s not sure that will ever happen.
Then Fletcher meets Chance. When he learned that the waitress serving him at Omar’s pub is the boy’s mother, sparks fly in in spite of his intentions never to get close to a woman again. Lexi feels them, too, but her mistrust of men forces her to ignore Chance when he declares that Fletcher would make the perfect dad. After all, who listens to a five-year-old in the midst of all this grown-up angst?
Vale’s crafting of characters offer a new insight into how we can put past abuse behind us and move into a healthy, functioning life. As Lexi confronts an accuser and challenges the attitude and the erroneous conclusion, she takes a major step upward toward her own self-worth. Love, courage, perseverance, and creativity all come together nicely to craft a memorable read with equally memorable characters. – Amazon Reviewer
Isabella and Destiny – On Geneva Shores, Book 6
Isabella Campbell, at seventeen, is forced to give up her newborn daughter. Twenty-plus years later, that adopted child gets the surprise of her life when her birth mother, now a librarian in Evergreen, Washington, contacts her.
Destiny’s adoptive mother’s misgivings, she accepts Isabella’s invitation to visit so that they can get to know each other.
While Isabella enjoys getting to know her daughter, Destiny begins working in a local bookstore with Bella’s friend, Henry, whose nephew, Gavin Cambridge, is temporarily overseeing the struggling store. He doesn’t think it’s worth saving and, frankly, is more interested in pursuing Isabella. But she is especially wary of a long-distance relationship.
Gavin is all about business. Bella is all heart, and not about to give herself away easily—especially if she’ll have to leave her home, her friends, and her beloved job at the Evergreen Library.
What can Gavin do to change Bella’s mind? And will Destiny’s presence interfere?
Characters that compel you to keep reading in hopes of their happily-ever-after. – Kris Fletcher, Author of A Family Come True
It’s so very true that we can’t predict what might await us in the future. Kate Vale captures–in the most realistic of ways–the sense of trepidation, longing, and delight we all experience in the surprises life gives us. A storyteller to watch, Vale introduces in Destiny’s Second Chance an irresistible mother-daughter pair…who are just getting to know each other after their separation at Destiny’s birth. This is heart wrenching, sweetly satisfying women’s fiction. – Kathryn Johnson, Author of Mercy Killing
Safe Beside You – On Geneva Shores, Book 5
A plane crash and dangerous hike out of the Idaho mountains cements a friendship between Carrie and Brian that neither can deny. He wants that friendship to blossom with the attraction he feels for her, but she is already engaged to be married and feels guilty that she’s attracted to Brian. Her fiancé Quentin, while continuing to see other women, becomes enraged when he suspects Carrie is cheating on him. He hires a private investigator. Damning pictures that Quentin misinterprets convince him that Carrie needs to be punished and taught a lesson. When Carrie is found badly beaten and unconscious, her neighbor is certain Quentin is the culprit. As Carrie slowly heals from her injuries, her feelings for Brian escalate. But when he is offered a job out of state and asks her to come with him, she refuses, though it breaks her heart. Leaving town would mean her cherished dream —to own the upscale dress shop in which she’s worked for years—must be set aside. How can Brian pursue his professional advancement while denying Carrie’s? Will she stand strong, even if it means losing her chance at love?
Vale creates a page turner complete with despicable characters, a best supporting actress friend who helps Carrie see a clearer reality, a whole host of friends and family you’d like to get to know and a couple who are made for each other. – Kasey Potzler
Choices – On Geneva Shores, Book 4
Melanie Holmes has her hands full when 15-year-old Ken and 13-year-old Anne, react badly to her impending divorce from their father. Only four-year-old Jeffrey is his usual sunny self. Further complicating her life is her attraction to Sam Hudson, the detective called to her home when Ken runs off, and who later rescues Anne after she is abducted from a strip club. Sam is forced to confront his own demons as he contemplates becoming deeply involved with Melanie’s family after she is seriously injured in the same car accident that kills her ex-husband. After she returns home, Melanie’s kids tell her they want to marry Sam, even though he hasn’t uttered the “M” word. How will Sam react when her kids do the proposing for him? Can the long-time bachelor commit himself to her and her children?
“Choices” is a sweet romance novel with a truly heart-warming ending. Each character grows and changes from beginning to end in this novel, making it not only a great read, but an inspiring one as well. – T. Mitchell
Just Friends – On Geneva Shores, Book 3
Life experiences mark a person. The death of Sally Hughes’ mother from breast cancer leaves Sally with a painful emotional scar, and the discovery of a lump in her own breast frightens her to her core. Sally meets Paul James when her best friend’s fiancé introduces his brother. A former Marine, Paul is recovering from injuries sustained during his last combat tour in Afghanistan. Reacting to the demons that continue to assault him in the night, he insists he doesn’t need medical intervention, even as a leg wound refuses to heal. After Sally returns home to Evergreen, Washington, with additional scars of her own, Sally and Paul begin a slow dance of attraction that blossoms into love after he convinces her that the scars each of them carry no longer define who they are. Complications arise with the return of Paul’s previous lover and discovery that Sally is pregnant with Paul’s baby. How can they resolve their fears, set aside the past, and reach beyond being just friends to make a life together?
*Fifty percent of all sales of this book are donated to the American Cancer Society. Won’t you help raise funds for this worthy cause?
I loved Paul and Sally’s story with its ups and downs. They both had serious problems to overcome. Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It’s a book that I plan on reading again sometime in the future. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! – Judith Tullock
Crossing Paths
Decades after the boating accident that Trish Barton believed took the life of her unborn son’s father, she learns Denis is alive. His grown son, Chet, is just as thrilled as she is. Not so much her wealthy, controlling husband, Richard, who persists in making her life miserable, even as she sues him for divorce. Life becomes even more complicated when Eddie, her stepson, finally decides to come out of the closet, a disclosure Richard is unlikely to accept with grace. It’s almost more than Trish can handle when Eddie resigns his position in his father’s company.
After two decades in an unhappy marriage, Trish isn’t sure she’s ready to jump into marriage again. But is Denis willing to accept anything less? And even if he wants what she wants, can he ignore his bossy cousin who insists that Trish isn’t the right woman for him?
“Crossing Paths” is a novel about the struggles of real and difficult connections that are glorified and demonized and reflects the conflicts and rapport of myriad relationships, romantic, familial and otherwise. Kate Vale excels at writing classic romance novels. Readers who are wanting steamy sex scenes or action/adventure tales should look elsewhere. Vale delivers real-life scenarios and characters that real-life women can identify with and then supplies the hopeful endings that avid romance readers desire. Pour yourself a cup of tea or a glass of your favorite wine and enjoy. – Raney Jordan
Granddad’s House – On Geneva Shores, Book 2
Olivia Brown, a talented real estate broker has a simple goal: find a family to buy her grandfather’s spacious old home and move him into a more manageable place, even though her late father warned her never to represent a relative. Southern charmer Beau James, a local architect, is the last buyer Olivia wants for Granddad’s house, especially after he declares he’ll turn it into a B&B! And, in spite of their mutual attraction, a romantic relationship with a client would would violate her strictest business rule, a rule she never intended to break. Additionally worrying is a seller who continues to threaten another realtor in her office and then Olivia. Will she have to hit the panic button her father installed in the office, but never used? Life challenges Olivia in ways she never imagined when her beloved grandfather’s health begins to fail and Beau tempts her to include him in her future.
“Granddad’s House” is an engaging read from page one that will make you laugh and cry as author Kate Vale portrays life’s struggles and conundrums with poignancy and touching honesty that rings true. – Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media
Family Bonds – On Geneva Shores, Book 1
At Jane Collins’ five-year high school reunion party in small town Evergreen, Washington, bad boy and law student wanna-be Chet Barton surprises Jane by rescuing her from a would-be rapist. Although she is intrigued by Chet, her guardian Bert doesn’t trust the young man with the bad reputation. In spite of their different upbringings–she from a working-class family and he from one of the wealthiest families in town– Jane and Chet become friends. But his parents are against their developing a serious relationship and Chet still hasn’t won over Bert. Life for Jane becomes even more challenging when Bert is diagnosed with stomach cancer. Through his long decline, Chet and Jane recognize their love for each other and begin to plan a life together, hoping for Bert’s and his parents’ blessings. But Jane finds her mother’s diary and discovers dark and disturbing secrets that shatter her dreams. How can Chet convince Jane that they can be together, despite past evils that haunt both their families?
*Fifty percent of all sales of this book are donated to the American Cancer Society. Won’t you help raise funds for this worthy cause?
In this sweet and wholesome tale of true love, two college students must endure a gauntlet of family confrontations and secrets that test their belief in each other before they emerge smiling. It wasn’t easy… “Family Bonds” is a bighearted tale with an old-school, if at times, ingenuous sensibility. This is your mother’s romance novel, and aficionados of traditional love stories will find that refreshing. – Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media
Secrets Revealed
Single father Owen Haskins is worried about his emotionally troubled 7-year-old son, Ian. The brilliant little boy is placed in Faith Russell’s second-grade class after they move to East Shore on Cedar Island. Although Owen is attracted to her, he isn’t sure Faith is the right teacher for his son.
Faith’s lack of trust in men slowly recedes when, against her better judgment, she begins to date Owen. Over the coming weeks, their relationship deepens, although they agree that it can’t become serious.
Too bad Faith’s heart refuses to listen. Owen proposes marriage, but instead of telling her he loves her, he explains that he wants Ian to have a mother. Deeply hurt, Faith breaks off their relationship. She regrets that she’s allowed herself to fall for both Ian and his handsome father.
Too late, Owen realizes his mistake. But how can he change Faith’s mind about him and prove that he’s more than a cold-hearted lawyer who doesn’t need love?
I loved the too-real secrets finally revealed about Ian, Owen, and Faith. They each had to learn to have faith in others before they realized they could also love. How nice that it all worked out in the end. – Barbara Morrisette
Her Daughter’s Father, A Cedar Island Tale, Book 3
Gretchen Martindale, a former foster child herself, steps up when Laine, 12, and Nettie, 5, need a home after they run away from their foster home to stop the foster dad from molesting Nettie. Gretchen’s heart becomes entwined with the girls and she decides to adopt them, creating the family she thought she’d never have. But Laine aches to find her birth mother. When school counselor, Craig, offers to pay for a DNA search, no one is more surprised than he with the results. Laine is Craig’s daughter, the result of a long-ago hook-up. Since Gretchen is already falling for the handsome counselor, and he for her, things might work out well. Or maybe not… Laine says she doesn’t want a dad, just a mom. And Craig? He’s a dedicated commitment-phobe. Does this family stand a chance of getting together?
This highly emotional story tackles some real life difficult issues in a reasonable and hopeful way. I think it’s important to read stories where injured people become survivors rather than victims…This is also a love story that goes way beyond the typical “lust” love story that I see so much of today. Excellent writing too. – Ronna Lord
Heartstrings – A Cedar Island Tale, Book 2
Veterinarian Joel Taylor has been in love with his wife, Angela Wright, a family physician, since they met in college. At a conference, he has a drunken one-night fling with an old girlfriend–the biggest mistake of his life when . Ridden with guilt, he is desperate to preserve their marriage, begs for forgiveness and insists Angela can trust him to remain faithful. But months later, when she discovers that she’s pregnant again—at 45!—she continues to wrestle with her doubts. Will Joel be tempted to cheat again, perhaps with one of the customers at his vet clinic? Is Roxy really out of the picture, now that her brother owns a llama farm on Cedar Island and enlists Joel to care for his animals? And does Joel really love Angela, or does he simply want to stay married for the sake of their children, whom he adores? Angela no longer feels she can control her own body, much less her relationship with Joel. An emergency cesarean birth saves the baby but spins her deeper into depression. Joel enlists the assistance of her obstetrician and a pair of marriage counselors. But have they reached Angela in time?
Absolutely recommend it as a read. Keep in mind it isn’t a lighthearted, fun easily dismissed romance novel. This has meat to it. The theme of sorrow and redemption is profound…. Jan Barger
Concealed Attractions – A Cedar Island Tale, Book 1
Dannilynn Kelly may have been date-raped, but she sets aside how badly her first year at college ended, eager to work at Joel Taylor’s veterinary clinic on Cedar Island in Washington state. There she meets Ben Edwards, a veterinary extern. His friendship becomes her key support when she discovers she’s pregnant. Determined to keep her pregnancy a secret from her parents, she returns to college, but her worst fears are realized when her father pays her a surprise visit at private Buckley College. Convinced that Ben is the baby’s father, he demands that Danni give up the baby. Unwilling to do so, she moves into a little cabin in the woods and Ben is present when she gives birth and the two of them revel in parenting Danni’s child. Then the unthinkable happens. Although each is in love with the other, neither Ben nor Dannilynn acknowledge their feelings for each other until a final crisis, precipitated by Danni’s former boyfriend, threatens Ben’s externship and his future career as a veterinarian.
The interpersonal dynamics in this touching romantic drama are sometimes painful to read, but Vale carries her characters through every misfortune with sensitivity and integrity. We come to care for them, root for them — and rejoice when their strengths pull them out of seemingly hopeless situations. A good read! – Virginia Herrick
The Christmas Car (A Short Story)
A short story that explores what happens when Anita Rayburn is introduced to Brian Skolnick by his sister. But Brian is not interested in making a new female friend; he still grieves the death of his spouse.
When his sister invites Anita to come with them on a ferry ride, Brian inadvertently offends Anita and she feels guilty that she went along with Brian’s sister’s clumsy matchmaking efforts.
As Christmas approaches, Brian calls Anita to apologize. She invites him to join her at the Space Needle for dinner, a retirement gift from her former boss.
After dinner, Brian invites her for a spin in his new sports car. She can’t imagine riding in such a vehicle. Is it true that a car reflects the man? And if so, where might such a ride lead? Will she step out of her comfort zone and accept his invitation?
