Home Improvement (Pajaro Bay)

Second Edition: Now with a new cover and a sneak preview of The Honeymoon Cottage.

From the bestselling Pajaro Bay series comes a little stand-alone mini romance meant to brighten your day.

Kimberly Bishop married her soul mate. Then he died. Now she's a 27-year-old widow with a broken-down cottage, a bunch of crazy friends--and a big hole in her heart. But maybe a second chance at love is right under her nose....

The Pajaro Bay novels have won dozens of awards, including the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense. Readers praise the series for its "sweetness," its "excellent characterization," and say the books are "adorable, lively and like a warm hug."

Read an excerpt from Home Improvement:

Kim was drowning in pink. Fuchsia mohair vests. Mauve fisherman's sweaters with faux-fur collars. Blush-colored pajamas with matching bathrobes. She continued to pull more clothes out of the delivery boxes, fold them, and place them on the store shelves.

"Rain boots?" she finally said in exasperation as she found a layer of tiny shoes at the bottom of the box. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Jasmine looked up at her from her position behind the counter and laughed. "You'd be surprised."

Her friend Jazz matched her name. Round and bubbly, with ever-changing hair (Clairol Malaysian Cherry this week), rose tattoos winding up from each wrist, and a wild wardrobe to match, Jazz seemed to dance through life with a perpetual grin.

Kim knew her own ash-brown hair, conservative clothes, and minimal makeup helped her blend into the shadow of her flamboyant friend, but she was fine with that. Kim had never been the most eye-catching person in any room, especially one filled with Jazz's overwhelming presence.

Kim picked up one of the tiny pairs of shoes. "Ladybug boots, Jazz? I mean, really. This is too much."

Jazz just laughed at her again. "Oh, Arrow," she called in a sing-song voice. "Booties!"

A brown miniature poodle in a puppy cut came running from the back. "Boots!" Jazz repeated, and Arrow rolled over obediently and presented her paws. In a minute, she was strutting around the store in the tiny red rubber boots with ladybugs printed all over them.

"Walk the runway, Arrow!"

The pup pranced down the main aisle of the shop, lifting her paws in a happy dance as she came....