New Releases by Marie Higgins

Romance is ... complicated, but it also can be unexpected and amazing. With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Steven Barnes, on his hilarious adventure of landing the perfect woman as his wife, these seven stories in Rom-Complications should bring a little joy, fun and a lot of laughter. ★ Booked and Too Busy by USA Today Bestselling Author Naleighna Kai ★ Hungry for Love by Bestselling Author Traci Finlay ★ A Second Glance by Bestselling Author Ann Clay ★ Accidentally Yours by Award-Winning Author Marie Higgins ★ Anniversary Hell by National Bestselling Author Pat G'Orge-Walker ★ A Fool & His Honey by National Bestselling Author J. L. Campbell ★ Free Range Love by #1 Bestselling Author Darryl Benally ★ Unexpected Love by Debut Author Royce Slade Morton

A secret that could ruin her. A deception that might save them both. Tabitha Paget lives with a secret so dangerous, its exposure could destroy her future and reputation. And there is one man who must never learn the truth-Dominic Lawrence, Marquess of Hawthorne. Not only would scandal follow, but so would the stirrings of a past affection she's tried desperately to forget. Their worlds are too far apart, and Tabitha knows the devastation of a broken heart all too well. She won't risk it again. Dominic Lawrence is no stranger to regret-especially where Tabitha is concerned. Determined to right old wrongs, he agrees to impersonate his cousin, a country clergyman, to help catch a cunning thief. But maintaining the lie becomes far more complicated when he crosses paths with Tabitha once more. To protect her, he must keep his identity hidden... even if it means breaking her heart all over again. As secrets tangle and old wounds resurface, Tabitha and Dominic must decide if trust-and love-can survive the weight of the past. Tropes/Themes: ✅ Sweet Regency ✅ Second Chance Romance ✅ Secret Identity ✅ Social Class Divide ✅ Hidden Past ✅ Hero with a Mission ✅ Protective Hero ✅ Emotional Angst ✅ Unresolved Tension ✅ Lady with a Dangerous Secret ✅ Slow Burn Romance ✅ Regency Scandal Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader's imagination. Note: This story was previously published under the title The Sweetest Secret. It now has newly added content for you to enjoy.

Two strangers bound by fate-a duke haunted by distrust, and a woman with no memory-must unlock the secrets of her past to heal their hearts. Louisa wakes from a deep, heavy fog, surrounded by strangers and horrified to discover she's been the sole victim of a terrible buggy accident. Worse... she remembers nothing. But oddly enough, she trusts her rescuer and feels protected in his presence. Trevor Worthington, Duke of Kenbridge, can't trust women. Yet after nearly killing the amnesiac Louisa, he has little choice but to open his home to her. His heart softens to the straggly woman in beggar's garb as he strives to help her regain her memory. As proof of Louisa's scars, both physical and those lurking beneath the surface, come to light, Trevor finds himself more and more drawn to the mysterious woman. However, he is hesitant to enter another nightmarish entanglement like his first marriage. Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader's imagination. Note: This story was previously published under the title The Sweetest Touch. It now has newly added content for you to enjoy.

"A philosophical exploration of the value of aesthetics in loss and grieving. Loss and grief are destabilizing forces. As a bereaved person grapples with the reality that their loved one is gone and feels only shakily connected to the surrounding world, the tangibility of sensory objects can be grounding. In Aesthetics of Grief and Mourning, philosopher Kathleen Marie Higgins highlights the role of aesthetics in the grieving process, offering a guide for how being attuned to aesthetics can aid those experiencing loss. While some activities associated with loss-such as participation in funerals-are culturally scripted, many others are relatively everyday, including attending to sensory objects, telling stories, reflecting on artworks, experiencing music, and engaging in creative projects. Higgins shows how attending to these aesthetic practices helps those who have experienced loss, and she also sheds light on the importance of aesthetic engagement with the world for individual and community flourishing"--

Can the faith of a child and a sunflower be the answer to everyone's problems? Single mother of two children, Nikki's life is overturned when one of her daughters is bullied and the other one suspended from school. Then to add insult to injury, the rent is raised on both her home and the flower shop she owns-by the same irritable man, no less. Being a CEO of a big company, Drake is also dealing with his father's Alzheimer's disease and trying to handle his father's businesses in a small Montana town, but he continually butts heads with the very pretty shop owner. Together, they must learn to forgive and forget... and have faith in God through the trials life throws at them.

Convincing a rogue to wed comes with a high price. Ellie Middleton has exactly one month to find a husband. If she doesn't, her father will betroth her to a vile man. Although her heart still belongs to the soldier who died in the war, she is willing to enter a loveless marriage. Out of options, Ellie does the unthinkable when she runs into her brother's friend, Vincent Wallace, the Earl of Trenton, and boldly makes him a proposal of marriage in name only. Will the rogue accept the bargain she is offered? Vincent Wallace has no desire to marry and tie himself to one woman. However, he doesn't like the idea of Ellie settling for just anyone, either. He can't get her off his mind, and he desires her more than any women he's ever known. But when he is threatened to stay away from Ellie or die, Vincent doesn't know whether to release her and allow her to be happy or fight for the woman he has fallen in love with. Love's Addiction A Wallflower to Love A Governess to Protect A Maiden to Remember

A story of hope, faith, repentance, and... LOVE! Pretending comes with a price. So does living on the run. Maggie Collings has been running for far too long from people who want to put her in prison. Finally, after two years, she finds a place to call home, and she's able to be herself - to a point, anyway. But when she realizes one of the bounty hunters who has been after her is now working with the town's sheriff, she is ready to run again. But then, he doesn't recognize her. So, perhaps she will stay and watch him closely. And just maybe she can convince him that she is not the criminal he has been hunting, but a woman who is lonely for love and acceptance.

She's hiding from her past. He's looking for his future. Together, will they find love - or will danger lurk in the shadows and make it impossible to find happiness? When Grey Hamilton becomes lost on his journey back home, he stumbles into a gypsy's camp and meets a beautiful woman who captures his interest immediately. The Texas Ranger part of him feels she is running from the law, but his heart tells him he is in danger if he allows himself to fall in love. Which feeling will he believe?

Rachael Swanson looks forward to becoming a mail-order bride, but before that can happen, she's kidnapped and injured badly. Now, with no memory, she must rely on the handsome, charming man who rescued her to help her find her way back home to her family. Edmund Fox was at the right place at the right time when he saved Rachael's life. Yet, he knows she is engaged to another. Can he confess his true feelings this close to the wedding she doesn't remember?

Whitney Brooks compares herself to Robin Hood. She steals from the rich to give to the poor. But she only takes money from bad people. However, after she is crippled in a carriage accident, she must change her ways. Now, she is righting the wrongs in her life, and she ends up in Fort Benton, Montana. When she recognizes a man from her past, she fears U.S. Marshal Jake Sterling might just arrest her. Although Jake Sterling is not a hero, he takes his job seriously and follows an outlaw to Fort Benton. Jake has a gut feeling that the outlaw will steal the rubies coming on one of the steamboats. But the more he gets to know the woman who is lovelier than a desert rose, the more he believes she is a thief and working side-by-side with the outlaw. How can he tell his heart that Whitney isn't the woman for him when her passionate kisses tell him differently?

Ladies' man Anton Romero is smitten with Vivian Wentworth from the very beginning. Her beauty captures his interest, but knowing that she's lying to him makes him want to know why she acts so charming. But when he learns that she thinks he's a spy, he knows he can't hold his secrets any longer. Innocent and somewhat naïve, Vivian wants to prove to her boss that she deserves a promotion from working in the office to actually becoming a field agent. She's determined to catch a spy-even if he's charming and extremely handsome. She's convinced that Anton is her man, but now she has to catch him in the act. But her over-zealous determination puts both of them in danger and he is forced to play the honorable rogue. Sweeping her away to Padre Island off the coast of Spain seemed like a clever idea at the time. But how can he protect them both from his uncle's murderous games when Anton's heart falls victim to a woman as full of independence as she is desirable?

Pinkerton agent, Dusty Sloan, isn't just another cowboy who enjoys charming the ladies. He is dedicated to his job, especially when stolen diamonds and a stubborn woman are involved. Can he protect her and find the mystery of the stolen gems, or will his heart get involved? Miss Callie Beckman needs to find her missing brother. Bad men have kidnapped him, and they have threatened her not to involve the law. Yet, how can she shake off the Pinkerton agent who is determined to be her knight in shining armor? If only Dusty's eyes weren't so dreamy and his kisses so passionate, maybe she would be able to focus better on finding her brother.

Can the death of a loved one bring two strangers together?Cole Langston thought he had found the woman to marry, but her sudden death left a hole in his heart that he didn't think anyone could replace. His odd dreams of his deceased girlfriend led him to her best friend, Ashley Turner. Yet, Cole keeps hearing his girlfriend's voice in his head, urging him to help Ashley. He has two choices - believe that he has gone insane or follow the promptings.Ashley is grief-stricken from her best friend's death, thinking that if only she had kept a better watch over her friend, she would still be alive. Suffering from her own bad relationships, Ashley is not anxious to start dating again. But when she meets Cole for the first time, she sees why her friend had fallen in love. There is more to her friend's death than she realizes, and together, Ashley and Cole search for answers. Both can feel their dead friend helping them with the dangerous journey.

Joel Easton's heart was broken four years ago, and he hasn't fully recovered. He doesn't believe in love any longer. During his ride to the next town over, he sees a woman running for her life out of the forest, before falling down a hillside. When Joel reaches her, he realizes she is the woman he had almost married four years ago. Now he is hesitant to care for her. Yet, when they are caught in a snowstorm, he has no other choice. Maranda Price has lost her memory and it's up to him to help her remember their past.Can he keep his feelings separated while trying to care for her? And will Maranda ever remember who had attacked and shot her in the forest? Only time will tell...

Carrie Porter doesn't know what she's lost until it's gone. With her husband dead, and a young child to feed, she must rely on herself to improve her situation... or find a wealthy husband to care for her desolate family. When she chooses a man looking for a mail-order bride, she prays he will be her salvation.

Terrick Wentworth has loved Bella Walsh since she was sixteen-years-old. Unfortunately, she has no memory of this. Years ago, an accident left Terrick horribly scarred, and he knows the possibility of rekindling their love is hopeless. After all, he is nothing more than a beast. When the opportunity to bring Bella into his employ presents itself, he cannot resist extending an offer.Bella Walsh desperately needs money to help her ailing father. Almost as desperately, she desires answers. Seven years ago, she was abducted - and blessedly recovered - but she has no memory of the experience. The answers she craves lie with the Wentworth Estate, and when the scarred and brooding Terrick Wentworth extends an offer of employment, the offer to satisfy both needs is irresistible. However, a monster lurks in the forest surrounding the estate, and when Bella arrives, the beast follows her relentlessly with its steely eyes. Bella is told this isn't the first time she's encountered the creature, and that she was discovered in it's lair after she was abducted all those years ago.Can Bella uncover the true identity of her beast and slay it before it destroys her once and for all?

Hannah Ross wants only one thing - to leave her rotten hometown where the gossipmongers won't stop spreading rumors, and to start a new life. Becoming a mail-order bride is the only way. Of course, she must not let her new husband know she's pregnant. There's no way to explain why a baby is growing in her belly. Instead, she must put her disastrous past behind her and move forward... even if that means she'll never find a man to love.

Adelaine Campbell is now the sole guardian over her two-year-old sister since their mother died of Tuberculosis. Although Adelaine is old enough to be the little girl's mother, she must pretend to have a daughter to become Dallas Remington's mail-order bride. But starting a marriage with lies is not the best way to start a new beginning. However, even her very handsome and charming husband is keeping secrets. Will she ever get the marriage she's always dreamed of having?

All Callie Cartwright knows is that she's got to get out of town fast. Her husband is dead and she's pregnant. If the truth comes out to how her husband died, she won't live to see the day her baby is born.Thankfully, she had previously gone through an agency to find a man in search of a mail-order-bride. Callie is a city girl, but perhaps living out in the country on a horse ranch is what she needs right now. One week later, she travels to meet the man she has arranged to wed but is sidetracked when the train she is riding breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Time is running out and she's desperate, but can she rely on the handsome stranger with the dreamy eyes to help her?

As a physical therapist, Christine McKenna is committed to helping her patients find their healing path. Coming off the end of a nasty divorce, however, she may be the one in need of healing. When she meets Aedan, it's clear he'd be happy to help her in that regard, but her heart isn't ready to trust men again. With the skeletons hiding in her closet, she may never open her heart to another again.Aedan Donovan has a bad habit of pursuing women that he can't - or shouldn't - have. His penchant for unavailable women has a tendency to land him in a lot of trouble, and this time it's gotten him hurt and in for a long haul of physical therapy. The moment he lays eyes on his therapist, he's smitten, and for once, the girl he's attracted to is available. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to feel the same way about him. Despite her initial rejection, Aedan can't deny that there is something in Christine's eyes that tell him she's worth fighting for.

"Higgins' love of music and cultural variety is evident throughout. She writes in a relaxed, accessible, sophisticated style...Highly recommended."— Choice From our first social bonding as infants to the funeral rites that mark our passing, music plays an important role in our lives, bringing us closer to one another. In this book, philosopher Kathleen Marie Higgins investigates this role, examining the features of human perception that enable music's uncanny ability to provoke—despite its myriad forms across continents and throughout centuries—the sense of a shared human experience. Drawing on disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, musicology, linguistics, and anthropology, Higgins's richly researched study showcases the ways music is used in rituals, education, work, and healing, and as a source of security and—perhaps most importantly—joy. By participating so integrally in such meaningful facets of society, Higgins argues, music situates itself as one of the most fundamental bridges between people, a truly cross-cultural form of communication that can create solidarity across political divides. Moving beyond the well-worn takes on music's universality, The Music between Us provides a new understanding of what it means to be musical and, in turn, human. "Those who, like Higgins, deeply love music, actually know something about it, have open minds and ears, and are willing to look beyond the confines of Western aesthetics...will find much to learn in The Music between Us."— Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism

"Introducing Philosophy : A Text with Integrated Readings is a topically organized hybrid textbook, introducing core philosophical problems and the many ways they are, and have been, answered. The authors combine substantial selections from significant works in the history of philosophy with excerpts from current philosophy, clarifying the readings and providing context with their own detailed commentary and explanation. Spanning 2,500 years, the selections range from the oldest known fragments to cutting-edge contemporary essays. The chapters present alternative perspectives-including analytic, continental, feminist, and non-Western viewpoints-alongside the historical works of major Western philosophers; this juxtaposition encourages students to carefully evaluate the theories themselves"--

When you wish upon a star... All romance novel photographer Payton Fox really wants is a hero in her life. A man that is dashing and honorable... a man worthy of his own fairy tale! One particularly frustrating evening she casts a fleeting wish upon a shooting star. She doesn't actually believe anything will happen, but in the blink of an eye the man from her fairy tale wishes-a regular Robin Hood-materializes right before her. He even claims to be the legendary Lord of Loxley, and goes by the name of Archer. Uncertain what to believe, Payton is shocked when this hero rescues her time and again, and she can't help but be swept off her feet. Slowly she accepts that this strange and noble man might truly be the fairy tale character of her dreams. Unfortunately, Archer isn't connecting with the modern-day world and longs to return to his time. She also discovers that if he stays with her, his story will cease to exist. Can she send him back, knowing he'll take her heart along with him? Can she deprive the world of his story? How can she do that to those looking for their Champion - the perfect hero?

Scarlett St. John is a lonely rich woman who can't seem to follow society's rules on being proper. She relies on her grandfather and his servants to keep her entertained from day to day until... an ancient artifact is stolen from her grandfather and a Pinkerton Agent arrives to solve the crime. Although Travis Hancock is very handsome and charming, he had broken her heart as a young girl, and she doesn't think she can forgive him. But when the Pinkerton agent involves her in the case of finding the priceless artifact, she's anxious to find her grandfather's ancient shield. Suddenly, the hunt becomes exciting and working with an agent isn't that terrible. Quite the opposite, in fact. The sweetly conniving man just might change her mind about forgiving him after all.

Ivy Kidman's dream is to assist the big movie producers, and when a billionaire hires her to make a commercial for his son's island romantic resort, she can't turn it down. After meeting the owner of Cupid Island, however, she's definitely ready to turn around and go home. How dare he call her accident-prone when he is the one falling all over himself? As she works closely with the handsome man who makes her laugh, she slowly starts to change her mind.Steele "Cupid" Holliday is frustrated with his father for sending the determined woman to his island. His father insists that Steele needs to be in the commercial, but he's not a photogenic man and he wants Ivy to leave and never come back. However, his competitiveness kicks in when she proves to be just like him, he wants to keep her around a little bit longer... just to see who wins. He feels himself losing quickly, especially when his heart becomes involved.

As a physical therapist, Christine McKenna is committed to helping her patients find their healing path. Coming off the end of a nasty divorce, however, she may be the one in need of healing. When she meets Aedan, it's clear he'd be happy to help her in that regard, but her heart isn't ready to trust men again. With the skeletons hiding in her closet, she may never open her heart to another again.Aedan Donovan has a bad habit of pursuing women that he can't - or shouldn't - have. His penchant for unavailable women has a tendency to land him in a lot of trouble, and this time it's gotten him hurt and in for a long haul of physical therapy. The moment he lays eyes on his therapist, he's smitten, and for once, the girl he's attracted to is available. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to feel the same way about him. Despite her initial rejection, Aedan can't deny that there is something in Christine's eyes that tell him she's worth fighting for.

Texas Ranger, Wyatt Donovan comes to Topeka, Kansas, to face his past heartaches. He works closely with the town marshal who needs help finding clues to why young women in his town are dying suddenly. When he meets his childhood friend's sister after thirteen years, he's more than ready to become the hero she sees in him.Josette Allen was always an odd girl, but as a woman, her inquisitive mind makes the town believe she's insane. Although her cousin, Elizabeth Brody, is shaping Josie into a lady while working at The Brody Hotel, her tomboy personality always takes the lead. When her childhood crush saunters into town, stirring up old feelings, Josie is ready to catch his eye. Unfortunately, the only thing she's good at catching is mayhem.Will she ever be the reason he has stars in his eyes... or will she always be the thorn in his side?

Kurt Hamill has traded his police detective badge for a small county sheriff's badge, and he's living the easy life in Big Sky, Montana. His plan is to keep the heartaches and inadequacies from his past locked away so he doesn't have to deal with them. But when an old friend from Seattle wants him to stop her daughter from marrying the wrong man, Kurt is sucked into a dangerous roller-coaster ride. If he can't face his fears, they could all die. Riley Peterson lives a simple life-thanks to the way her wealthy parents sheltered her-but once she meets the gorgeous sheriff, she knows her life will never be the same. Instead of going to the church to get married, she is dodging bullets and running away from the bad guys. The problem is, she's not too sure who the bad men really are...

When Adrianna Olsen agrees to play the role of her super-model twin sister she figures it's a reasonable price to pay for an entire month living the high life in Venice. What Adrianna isn't prepared for is the Italian seducer, Gabriele Marcelli, who swoops in and makes her feel things she's never experienced before. For one whole month she's tasked with transforming herself into her sister, but how can she pretend to be Valerie when Adrianna is falling hard and fast for the sensual and hypnotic Gabriele? Revenge is the only motive Gabriele Marcelli has in mind for Valerie Olsen. The cruel vixen crushed his best friend two years before, and Gabriele intends to take advantage of the opportunity to get close to Valerie and give her a taste of her own medicine. Gabriele lays the seduction on thick and is gratified when Valerie falls right into his hands. He's confused, however, by the sweet and naive Valerie he finds himself spending time with. She hardly acts like the cold woman who broke his friend's heart. Is this all part of her game?

Ashley Reynolds needs to find her memory of the past four weeks, and soon! Something horrible happened to her, but she can't remember. All she knows is that a dangerous man is chasing her, and there is a suitcase full of money in the trunk of her car. When she meets the handsome bartender, Hunter Ryan, she feels safe. But when a crime boss wants her dead, will Hunter be able to protect her at all? Or will she discover he's the one she should fear, after all?