The Berkeley Beacon

Full Throttle (2007)

Wendy Etherington

Kane Jackson, NASCAR driver and heartthrob, is on the brink of winning a championship. Jackson is a little sullen because he dumped the lady love and crew chief Lexie Mercer, but he's thinking of giving up racing to get a second chance with her. Lexie's father, who also happens to be Kane's boss, thinks the relationship is a bad idea because is will cost him money...er, the championship. In another brilliant example of parental cock-blocking, Kane's father, a former NFL star, thinks NASCAR isn't a sport. Do Lexie and Kane have what it takes to keep the relationship in gear? Or will the desire to cross the finish line first out their love in the fiery death-flames of a horrific racing accident?

Her Colorado Man (2009)

Cheryl St. John

Mariah, an 18-year-old in the 19th century, winds up pregnant and without a baby-daddy to console her in her small Colorado town. Being the notorious liar that she is, Mariah tells everyone around about her "husband" that has run off to Alaska to search for gold to complete the make-believe family. She mysteriously disappears for a year, then returns to find a dashing adventurer by the name of Wes Burrows, who claims to be the husband she invented. Mariah's meddling grandfather has been sending letters to Burrows in Alaska, desperately begging someone to complete the perfect frontier family. Romance, intrigue, and puking ensue!

Irish Thoroughbred (1981)

Nora Roberts

Author Nora Roberts is known for her grocery store check-out aisle fame, her books typically picked up by single ladies and accompanied by nine tins of cat food. Travel back in time to her very first novel, "Irish Thoroughbred" (1981). Sassy Irish girl, Adelia Cunnane, immigrates from Ireland to America to live with her Uncle Paddy at Royal Meadows, where he is a thoroughbred trainer. She takes a job as a groomer, living the American dream of the indentured servant until she lays eyes on the owner, Travis Grant. Uncle Paddy falls ill, and on his deathbed requests that Adelia and Travis marry. The two oblige solely to make him happy, but while Paddy uses his bedpan, the two look across the hospital bed at each other and fall hopelessly in love.

Toxic Bachelors (2005)

Danielle Steel

This one's for the "bros" out there who like to cuddle up by the fire with a good book when they're not playing beer pong. Three handsome 40-something bachelors and commitment-phobes (points for originality) Charlie Harrington, Adam Weiss and Gray Hawk board a wild cruise on Harrington's yacht. They party, they drink and they seduce a lot of ladies, but suddenly, one-by-one they all start falling madly in love with women who have "really good personalities"-not the normal bimbos they approached with their "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" attitude. Will these silly boys really change their ways?

photos from of eHarlequin.com