The Hills of Burlington Books

Return to Cedar Hill, the first of the Hills of Burlington series, is the story of six contemporary women, family and friends of different generations yet drawn together at a time when they are all at a crossroads in their lives…and searching for something they’ve not yet found. In search of something she can’t quite put a name to Mary Lane returns to the place her family has called home for almost two hundred years. Some would say she was looking for a new beginning, and others who thought they knew her well would insist she was starting over. All that mattered to Mary was that she was once again in the city nestled along the mighty Mississippi. And in returning to Burlington she feels as if she is finally coming home. But as she takes on the project of restoring her grandmother’s small house the privacy she thought she long desired isn’t turning out to be what she expected. Then before she knows it her cousin Casey arrives at her door desperate to find refuge from the high pressure job she can no longer sell her soul for…and live with. The price has become far too high. But unlike her cousin Mary she knows exactly what she’s looking for. A new beginning that allows her to look in the mirror each morning and like who she sees. Together as they grapple with the changes in their lives, the two cousins discover long hidden answers to old family secrets. Secrets that lead to a family mystery neither ever anticipated and worry what the answers they may find will mean. But it is Mary’s unplanned purchase of the family ancestral white elephant down the street that brings even more family members unexpectedly to her door in the middle of the night. Her aunt arrives to once again walk through the home she grew up in. More…she came longing to be free of the cloistering and often smothering concern of her grown children. Traveling with Charlie is her young granddaughter who wanted to make sure her grandmother got where she was going safely and who dreams of something far different than what her parents dream of for her. Not long after that Mary’s cousin Carrie arrives in search of her missing mother. Though the mother-daughter relationship between her Aunt Charlie and Carrie is a sometimes uneasy one Mary knows her cousin is guided primarily by her deep love for her mother. With their arrival Mary finds her small house is once again crowded the way it was in the years of her childhood when voices filled the quiet of the night and laughter reigned over the everyday concerns of life. Before long the five women find new purpose for the elegant family home down the street and a new business venture they all have a part in. Joining them is a new friend whose own connections to their family unexpectedly goes back generations. Together the women persevere to reach common goals and in doing so they each find deep wells of strength, determination, and resolve . Return to Cedar Hill is the story of the family we grow up with and the family we find along the way. It is the story of where we go when we need support in our best and worst moments. Where we turn to when life throws all it can at us. Then more. It is the realization that where we go in these times is the who we go to. Family. Mary Lane knows that while so many of the family who fill her cherished memories are gone, their spirits live on in the city they never stopped calling home. Enjoy the other books in the Hills of Burlington series Retreat to Woodhaven Summer Street Secrets Refuge on Leebrick The Hills of Burlington series celebrates both older and younger heroines, a family mystery, the promise of second chances. If you enjoy clean wholesome women’s fiction, this may be the series for you.

Jake Kyle needed to get away and never more so than now. The political quagmire that he’s help to bring to a boil is about to land on his doorstep. It was time to Retreat to Woodhaven. Under normal circumstances he’d be more than happy to take his critics on face to face and had done just that more than once over the years. And more than once he had been the one to walk away smiling. But this time in the midst of everything he’s embroiled in, he has other far more important things to take care of. People who need him in ways they never had before. Family who counted on him though would never admit it. And one person in particular who he was not about to let down if he’s given a chance to make amends. Barely twenty-four hours later, after a few phone calls and only hours before his scathing exposé is scheduled to be published nationally, he’s on his way to the city of his youth. If there was anywhere in the world he’d want to start over, take a chance on a new beginning, it would be along the stretch of the Mississippi River his ancestors had long called home. And like other family members had before him he’s going back home to the Hills of Burlington. But Jake knew he wouldn’t be able to lay low for long. Several best-selling books had made both his face and name recognizable to many. The war-time reporting he’d done for the long years before that didn’t do much to aid in his desire for privacy...for either himself or his family. Now he was making his way to the only place he knew where who you were had more to do with who your parents and grandparents were before you. A place where your value was the weight of your word and not the contents of your wallet. He needed all that now almost as much as he needed time. And he was willing to take whatever time he could get. He couldn’t help but feel grateful that his cousin Mary had recently returned to the hills of Burlington and seemed to be collecting houses the way others collected shoes. He’d snapped up her offer to stay in the most recent of her purchases that just happen to be down the street from where she now lived in the home that once belonged to their grandmother. And it wasn’t a coincidence that his new residence was the house another cousin, also a new resident of Burlington, had grown up in. Connections. They were all around him. As was family. For the first time in his life he welcomed them instead of avoiding the complications they could often bring. And unless his usually reliable instincts were way off another one was about to find their way to Burlington…and him. One he welcomed. One he’d waited for longer than he cared to admit but also one he never expected would actually come to pass. But their arrival is spurred by tragedy. One that he would give anything to have been able to prevent. Retreat to Woodhaven is a story of family. Both the family we're born into and grow up with and the family we find along the way. It is the story of where we go when we need support in our best and worst moments. Where we turn to when life throws all it can at us. And then more. And we find that the where we go is really the who we go to. Family. Jake Kyle knows in coming home to Burlington he is coming home to family. Some who have found their way once again to the city just as he is and others who are long gone but still strong in spirit in the city they loved. Retreat to Woodhaven, the second in the Hills of Burlington series, is the continuing saga of six contemporary women, their family and friends, of different generations but drawn together at a time when all are at a crossroad in their lives…and searching for something they’ve not yet found. Hills of Burlington series Return to Cedar Hill Retreat to Woodhaven Summer Street Secrets Refuge on Leebrick

The ink on Carrie’s divorce papers was barely dry when she got the frantic call from her ex-husband’s sister... Carrie’s young niece trusted when she shouldn’t have and everything in her young life changes. Without a second thought Carrie agrees to her former sister-in-law’s request to allow Addie to spend time with her in Burlington. Regardless of the divorce she is still family. Within hours of Addie’s arrival Carrie realizes the damage done to her young niece is far worse than she could have anticipated and that a few shopping excursions weren’t going to do the trick. She turns to her family and before long Carrie’s mother is involved in the efforts to help Addie. Her cousins aren’t far behind. But it’s Grace, Carrie’s neighbor and friend that she met shortly after her return to the city of her most precious childhood memories, who comes up with the idea to give Addie and others like her what they need. And in the process gives Addie a way to do more than to be a victim. Carrie arrived in her family's hometown of Burlington months ago in search of her mother who had been staunchly determined to return to the city she had always called home. And she had done just that without letting any of her family know. While Carrie never planned to stay in Burlington once she made sure her mother was happily settled in, she finds that there is no better place for starting over and beginning a new life than being surrounded by family who know and understand her best. And now in the midst of Addie’s unexpected arrival Carrie’s cautious friendship with Court turns a corner when he reveals to her his own closely held secret. One he is willing to allow to be exposed as part of the overall effort to help her niece. And then there is her cousin Mary’s newly purchased house on Summer Street. It’s a mess both inside and out. But it’s another connection to family. Family who came to Burlington to begin anew generations ago. Connections. They are surrounded by them and even as Carrie and her cousins embark on another of Casey’s business savvy ideas they find the house is not all it seems…but so much more as they come to learn when they discover the long hidden secrets in the house on Summer Street. If you enjoy clean romance and feel-good inspirational women's fiction filled with adventure, love, family, friends, and home, the Hills of Burlington is the series for you. Summer Street Secrets, the third in the heartwarming Hills of Burlington series, is the continuing family saga of six contemporary women, their family and friends, of different generations but drawn together at a time when all are at a crossroad in their lives…and searching for something they’ve not yet found. Hills of Burlington series Return to Cedar Hill Retreat to Woodhaven Summer Street Secrets Refuge on Leebrick A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street

Tom Holland arrived in Burlington after making a couple of life-changing decisions. One of them he would never regret…the other he was still wrestling with. But even before the recent events that sped up his plans, he’d been considering that he needed a change in his life…and his career but hadn’t been able to push himself into action. After the last couple of weeks he realized it was no longer an idle consideration, it was a necessity. When he chose Burlington as his destination it wasn’t with a dart tossed at a map. In large part it was because the city was the new home of an old friend…his college roommate. A man who wasn’t just a good friend but a trusted one as well. Yet it was something more than friendship , more than needing a new job…there was something more that drew him to Burlington. When he showed up at his old friend’s office things began to happen faster than he could have ever anticipated. By the time he walked out of Jake Kyle’s office he had a job, an invite for a hot home-cooked meal that night, and within days he had a place to stay. And not just a place…but a house rich in Jake’s family history. A place his family called the Summer Street house. It wasn’t long before Tom was drawn into the growing circle of Jake’s family and friends who had also come to Burlington in search of something different than what they’d left behind. He became part of the seemingly regular gatherings at his cousin Mary’s kitchen table where the coffee pot was always full and the conversation rarely stopped. It was there he learned the answer to one of the many secrets of the Summer Street house. One that answered many of his own. Refuge on Leebrick is a story of family, and life-long friendships. Both the family we’re born to and grow up with and the family we find along the way. It is the story of where we go when we need support in our best and worst moments. Where and who we turn to when life throws all it can at us. And then more. Tom finds that Burlington holds all of this and more as he learns that some secrets are meant to be shared. He also finds someone who is part of his own past that may hold the answer to his future as well… If you enjoy clean contemporary feel-good women’s fiction, older and younger heroes and heroines, sometimes entangled and complicated family relationships, and real life emotional stories, the Hills of Burlington may be the series for you. Refuge on Leebrick, the fourth in the Hills of Burlington series, is the continuing family saga of six contemporary women , their family and friends, of different generations but drawn together at a time when all are at a crossroad in their lives…and searching for something they’ve not yet found. Perfect for Fans of: Wholesome women’s fiction with a dash of mystery. Second Chance Romances. Feel good stories about family life with its humorous moments and not so humorous moments. Hills of Burlington series Return to Cedar Hill – Book One Retreat to Woodhaven – Book Two Summer Street Secrets – Book Three Refuge on Leebrick – Book Four A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street – Book Five

There’s really only one thing Fran Wrightmire wants for Christmas…it is also the most unlikely gift that she’ll receive. Her husband, Cade, knows that it’s beyond his power to deliver the one gift he knows would make his wife happiest this holiday season. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t without other ideas of what will make her Christmas one to remember. He’s taking her home to the hills of Burlington for a reunion with family and friends and the yearly tradition of Christmas dinner at the historic Marshall Street house where so many generations of her family lived . On their arrival in Burlington, Fran is reunited with aunts, cousins, and other family members she spent so many of her childhood summers with. And it doesn’t take long before her Aunt Charlie reminds her of everything that made those summers so special…visits to the little store on the corner that still carries everything from long forgotten antiques, fragile vintage glassware, and gorgeous embroidered pillowcases…and even more important…the family and friends that still remain in the Hills of Burlington. Fran soon finds out that her husband has been busy in Burlington too. And his surprise means more to her than she suspects that he’s aware of. In his gift to her, Fran sees how well he knows her heart. And as Christmas draws near, Fran comes to understand the words her father had once shared with her so many years ago during another visit to Burlington. Home isn’t always a place…it’s the people who live there, he had told her. She understands now, no longer the child she’d been then, of what and who he meant. Family was what made it special. A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street is a story of family. Both the family we’re born to and grow up with and the family we find along the way. It is the story of where we go when we need support in our best and worst moments. Where and who we turn to when life throws all it can at us. The Hills of Burlington series is the continuing family saga of six contemporary women, their family and friends, of different generations but drawn together at a time when all are at a crossroad in their lives…and searching for something they’ve not yet found. A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street is the fifth book in the Hills of Burlington series. Other books in the series include Return to Cedar Hill, Retreat to Woodhaven, Summer Street Secrets, and Refuge on Leebrick. If you enjoy heartwarming women’s fiction, clean wholesome romance, family sagas, dueling sibling loyalty and rivalry, and older heroines and heroes who are lovable, stubborn, strong, and sometimes quirky, the Hills of Burlington may be the series for you. Perfect for Fans of: Sweet and emotional Women’s Fiction, Later in Life Romance with older heroines and heroes. Charming small town Christmas stories. Feel good stories about family life with its humorous moments and not so humorous moments. Enjoy these other Romance and Christmas stories anytime of the year…all Clean and Wholesome stories of love and family. Her Letter - ASIN: B01LYL4DJR Home Again for Christmas (Return to Summit Falls series) - ASIN: B01M0QO92R Christmas (Andersen Family Saga series) – ASIN: B07KS1VCB1 The Last Christmas Ornament – ASIN: B0158TERQ0 Sanctuary of Us – ASIN: B0787RMBDW The Hills of Burlington series Return to Cedar Hill – Book One Retreat to Woodhaven – Book Two Summer Street Secrets – Book Three Refuge on Leebrick – Book Four A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street – Book Five