Bøker av Mariah Ankenman

"You have to marry me." As far as proposals go, a demanding plea for marriage is hardly what every girl dreams of. Especially since it comes from her nemesis and best friend's younger brother Delta Jackson. But it's the only one Cassandra Brown gets and she's desperate. She has six months to nab a husband or she'll lose her grandmother's house, the only place she's ever called home.Del knows Cassie is in a pickle, but so is he. He needs cash to fund his restaurant and prove himself to his family, but no bank will give him a loan. Seems to him they could solve both of their problems. He'll play the doting fiancé and she'll give him the startup money, everyone gets what they want.But soon the two realize their desires aren't what they first thought and their years of feuding have been hiding a volcanic attraction that's poised to explode, taking their fake relationship into very real territory.

What do you do when a ghost is haunting your attic?For Tally, the answer is simple: enlist the help of her grumpy, yet capable, neighbor Ruby. The woman who does all the maintenance around the apartment complex hasn't said more than a dozen words to her in the two years they've known each other, but that's all about to change.Ruby knows two things. One, seven in the morning is too early to be woken up by her annoyingly cheerful neighbor. And two, ghosts don't exist. Tally might be beautiful, but the aerialist had some strange ideas about the sounds coming from the attic. Ghosts? More like rats.When a late-night ghost hunt ends in injury, the two grow closer. But will their differences lead to a happily ever after, or is their love as doomed as the ghost who haunts their attic?

When life is a ball of anxiety, it's hard to form relationships. That's why Ellie Clark prefers animals to people. As one of the head aviary keepers at the Sunlight Zoo, she enjoys spending her days with the feathery friends who don't judge her OCD compulsions. So, when she saves a child who falls into the penguin pool, Ellie finds it strange she ends up connecting with the young girl. Stranger still is this burning attraction to the young girl's handsome father.Dr. Sullivan Green had been taking care of his daughter on his own since his ex-wife left. Charlotte is the top priority in his life. All his care and focus centers on her. But for the first time in years, he feels a yearning to take something for himself. The woman who saved his daughter intrigues him and wakes up something he thought long dead. Something he isn't sure he can survive again.The more time Ellie and Sullivan spend together, the more the heat between them builds. Passion ignites, but that's not all. They discover the bumpy, broken pieces of themselves fit perfectly to form a beautiful picture. One filled with love, family, and acceptance. But are they brave enough to take a risk on love when heartache is always lurking in the shadows?

Josie Saunders has had a crush on her brother's BFF for years, but the older woman has only ever seen Josie as Max's kid sister. Lucky for her, a chance road trip back home might be just the opportunity she's been looking for. Time to convince Bex she's all grown up.Bex Kirkel would do anything for her best friend. Including driving two and a half hours away to pick up his little sister from the airport. Wouldn't be a big deal, except she's had a crush on the younger woman for a few years now. Rule number one in the BFF code "thou shalt not bang siblings." All she has to do is drive for a few hours and keep her hands to herself. Easy, right?When disaster strikes, the two women have to spend the night in a roadside motel. Suddenly their secret attraction isn't so secret anymore. Can Josie convince Bex to see her as more than Max's sister? And Can Bex risk following her heart if it ends up costing her her best friend?

Firefighter Stephanie Díaz won't let anyone stop her from becoming the youngest female fire chief in Denver. Not the jerks who'd like to see an ambitious Latine woman admit defeat. Not the ultra-bro firefighters she has to work with. And definitely not her ridiculously hot and often infuriating, fellow firefighter Eli Ward. Now Stephanie has the chance to prove to everyone that she's got what it takes...but there's one helluva catch. The Battle of the First Responders is a live, balls-out competition in the secluded Rockies and Stephanie has been selected-along with Ward as her partner. On the line are their reputations, a whole lot of cash...and the promotion they've been fighting for. Teaming up is the perfect chance to finally settle their never ending one-upmanship, but it also exposes the smoldering attraction they've held at bay. Now their days are fueled by a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled competition. Their nights are filled with sizzling deep kisses that steal her breath away. But this sexy little fling is about to set off a five-alarm blaze she can't control...

After enduring a terrifying mating claim hunt on the orders of her father, pack princess Freya Cirillo escaped with the help of the pack's strongest hunter, Daxton Graves. Now, eight years later, he's back. Her father is dead, her pack is in trouble, and she's the only one who can save them. But not everyone believes she's capable of leading. She's not as strong as the other shifters. But she has something none of them have… a need to prove herself.Dax believes in Freya. He always has. She might be physically weaker, but the spark of fire inside her burns brighter than he's ever seen. He would do anything in his power to help her, protect her, and if she'd allow it… love her.When Freya's claim to the throne is challenged, she needs to prepare for a fight. She'll need to rely on more than brute force to take down her adversary and claim her crown. She has a pack to protect. But will her weakness cause her to fail in her mission? And will these feelings she had for Dax be her salvation or her downfall?

Psychologist Jamie Thompson comes home to Peak Town, Colorado to follow her dream of opening an equine therapy ranch. She's stayed away for years because of the boy who broke her heart. But he's long gone. Or so she thought. Chef Tony Ortiz has come a long way. With two successful New York restaurants, he should be on top of the world. But something is missing. When he gets called back to Peak Town to help his uncle, he wonders if the small town and its charming people are what his life has been lacking. Trouble hounds Jamie's new business, including her chef up and quitting. Lucky for her there's a renowned chef in town offering his services. But working with her ex provides a whole new set of problems...especially when an unknown threat becomes apparent. Can Jamie and Tony free themselves from the past and give love a second chance...or will it be taken away forever?

Hidden in the shadows of our world, supernatural creatures wage war for the fate of humanity. Euadaemons protect the innocent, Kakodaemons desire absolute power. Both have altered Krista Culver's life. After spending the past ten years as a Drone for evil, she's finally awake and doesn't want to waste another moment. No one will stand in the way of her kicking Kako butt. Not her sister, not her father, not even her incredibly tempting boss. Racine is about to go mad trying to find his evil twin brother responsible for the Kako uprising, but Rysis is in the wind. Adding to his problems, Krista returned from Enforcer training. Gone is the sweet girl. In her place is a fierce woman who stirs something deep inside. Something he thought long dead and buried. As their desires grow so does the danger surrounding them. The Kako threat is mounting and the time for a reckoning has come.

As a witch, and one of the smartest scientists around, Celia's job is to help the Enforcers defeat evil. Her latest task is to decipher the new language of the Kakodaemons. It should be easy, but she finds it nearly impossible with the demanding, frustratingly attractive council head breathing down her neck. Euadaemon Damien has been called tough, but he's tasked with protecting the innocent and war is brewing. He recruits Celia Dahl. Though he needs her brain, he finds much more about the sexy woman appealing. As they work together, they find themselves engaged in more than just a working relationship. But even those closest can hide dark deceptions. Celia and Damien discover sacrifices must be made if there is hope for humanity and love.

Assistant District Attorney Julie Ryder plans to hide out at her brother's ranch house in Peak Town, Colorado after a killer she put away escapes. Hoping for a little peace and quiet, what she gets instead is hot and bothered when she discovers the good sheriff is gone, and his sexy best friend is house-sitting. FBI agent Liam Graham is on medical leave after a career-jeopardizing injury. He's taking the time to rethink his professional choices while watching his buddy's place, but he never expected to watch the guy's sister, too. Julie is a fiery ball of sweet temptation he's been denying himself for years. When she finally reveals the real reason for her visit to Peak Town, Liam does everything in his power to keep her safe. But with his focus on protecting her body, Liam fears he may lose his heart.

Falsely accused of the murder of her best friend, Kayla Jenkins is on the run for her life. She ends up lost in dark, snowy woods off some backcountry road in the middle of nowhere. Frightened and colder than she's ever been in her life, she almost thinks she's hallucinating when a warrior on a white steed saves her. In all his years as the sheriff of Peak Town, Colorado, Jake Ryder has never come across a half-frozen woman alone in the woods. She's terrified...and lying to him, yet something about her calls to him on a primal level. Even with her trust of law enforcement lower than the harsh temperature, Kayla finds it difficult to keep her secrets hidden from the kind and far too handsome sheriff. But as her faith in Ryder grows, she not only risks the real murderer finding her, but losing the one thing she has searched for her whole life and only just found...love.

For Elizabeth Hayworth, tiny Peak Town, Colorado is a far cry from her life in L.A., but working at her best friend's cupcake shop makes her think things are pretty darn good. Until she's forced to spend time with said best friend's grumpy future brother-in-law. Dade Denning takes the hard work of running a horse ranch seriously. What he can't take seriously is his future sister-in-law's flighty best friend. Lizzy is everything he's not-flirty, outgoing, and loud. The woman just rubs him the wrong way. So why does he fantasize about rubbing her the right way? When circumstances force the two together, sparks fly and passion ignites. But sometimes the wildest love can burn too bright and the consequences can leave a lasting impression.

The world of the supernatural is real and living among us, a fact Tabitha Culver knows all too well. Ten years ago, evil supernatural creatures she never thought existed attacked Tabitha. Now, she works for the Supernatural Council to defend humanity against the malevolent forces unknowingly hunting them. A new darkness has risen up in the form of Kakodaemons. Tabitha, a by-the-books straight arrow is teamed up with the Euadaemon Kiernan, a bend-the-rules, sexy bad boy. With Tabitha and Kiernan the sparks fly, sometimes literally! To take down the bad guys, they have to put their differences aside and work together. However, a dark secret and sizzling attraction could prove to be distractions they can't afford. Tabitha must learn to trust her partner, and her heart, in order to eliminate this new threat to humanity.

Maggie Evans is back in Peak Town, Colorado to take over her grandmother's cupcake shop, but problems keep arising. Is it rotten luck...or something more nefarious? To top it off, her former best friend/childhood crush, Colton Denning, won't leave her alone. He's sexier than ever. But Maggie has no time for love. When his best friend comes back into town all grown up, Colton finds his feelings for her go far beyond friendship. Unfortunately, the pretty baker only sees him as the town playboy. He plans to convince her otherwise, but may not get the chance when someone starts threatening Maggie's life. Whether she likes it or not, Colton plans to take her safety into his own hands. How will Maggie keep her shop afloat with a madman after her? More importantly, how will she keep her heart intact when Colton admits her safety isn't the only thing he wants in his hands?