If she was going to build a new life in Elm Ridge, she needed to become a social animal again. Basically, she needed to get a life, and that wouldn’t happen if she remained hidden under the covers. The invitation won over the impulse. “Boys,” Ashton said to his two assistants, “meet Grace Baker. She joined my firm a few weeks ago, and I still can’t get over how lucky I am to have snatched her away from the big city.” “Thank you, but I’m the lucky one.” This time she meant it. Desperate to get away from Manhattan, she’d had no idea where to go. And then, by accident, she’d stumbled onto his ad. At the time, she’d thought it divine intervention. Incredibly, there was a human-sized law firm in a small town looking for a non-belligerent general practitioner. Yep, the ad was every answer to her prayers. “Grace, these handsome devils are two of my nephews,” Ashton said. “This is Jaxon. He’s a horseman.” She shook the hand Jaxon extended. Rough and calloused, just how she’d imagined a cowboy’s hand would feel. His sky-blue eyes shone with kindness. “Nice to meet you, Grace.” He flashed a magnificent smile…

Fake marriages are so fun to read (and write!). I love it when characters are caught off guard, and when they are forced to be in each other’s company on a continual basis, lots of unexpected things happen. Especially when they’re going places and doing things where they’re supposed to act like a couple. It’s easy for the lines to blur at that point. My characters always have huge barriers in place to ward off the opposite gender, but when it’s all fake, they can pretend without violating their own personal no-dating rules. Cue the fireworks. It’s even better when one of the characters has a secret crush on the other. So then they’re doubly pretending, desperately hoping the other doesn’t figure out that they’re not really faking it… Another aspect I love about fake marriages is the implied intimacy that goes along with being a permanent couple—and I don’t mean what happens in the bedroom! I’m talking about the real magic of being a couple. Sharing a sink while brushing your teeth. Making your spouse a cup of coffee in the morning. Wearing a ring that declares you married. All of these things having this underlying romance that can’t…

As I’m finishing up writing my now 13th book, I’ve realized something about my stories. I’m stuck in a trope rut. What is a trope? By definition, the word trope is a commonly recurring literary device or cliché in works of fiction. Once you recognize a trope in a book or movie, it’s like slipping into a pair of comfy slippers. You get a general idea of how the story will play out and don’t care that you know. You just want to see it again and again, especially if done in different ways. And it seems I happen to have a few favorite tropes that I automatically go to when I create a story. And not only do I love to write these specific tropes but naturally, I love to read them as well. They seem to hit a sweet spot with me and make me happy. What are they? I’m so glad you asked! 1) Enemies to Lovers   Apparently I wrote four books with this trope, and I know exactly why. For a sweet romance writer like myself, an enemies-to-lovers trope is where I can create the most chemistry without resorting to sex—just fun banter, witty one-liners, and…