Sunrise Beach Series

Stella Britton's life has been flipped upside-down. The scandal involving her now ex-husband was too much to handle. The embarrassment, money issues, and debilitating pain were things she never expected to experience. Running away seemed like the right thing to do. Now she's in a sleepy beach town where she hopes the rumors won't find her or her surly teenaged daughter. Her biggest challenge will be guiding Kelsey through this maze of changes while trying to regain her trust. Her next biggest challenge will be making a living. Her heart's passion has been painting, though she'd abandoned it years ago to be the proper wife to an executive husband and mom to a privileged busy daughter. She hopes her skill and creativity hasn't dried up. But even more, she hopes she can become a savvy businesswoman and sell the work that comes from her heart. As her gallery opens for business, Stella meets a woman who becomes a mentor and friend. Unfortunately, the things Stella wants and needs to figure out most desperately are things she cannot bring herself to talk about. As she tries to manage her heavy burdens alone, the past she's left behind threatens to crash in. Will Stella find the courage to stand up to criticism she's fought so hard to distance herself from? Or will she be forced to uproot her daughter and run again?

Stella Britton is thriving in her new home in Sunrise Beach. She's getting along with her teenaged daughter, her paintings are selling, and she's even thinking about teaching art classes in her studio. Things are beginning to look brighter than they have in a long time. The renewed sense of confidence is short-lived, however. Just as she's feeling like her life is back on track, dread of the unknown sets in. And then it happens. An unexpected visit from her ex-husband's mother is likely to upend the delicate balance she's worked so hard to achieve. Gwen Britton is kind, caring, and fun, but she's also opinionated. And of course she has a fierce loyalty to her son. Stella doesn't want to lose her relationship with the person who has been like a mother to her for decades, but she's not sure if she can handle the constant pressure to take Jeff back. Everything she's built begins to fall apart. Stella struggles to protect her relationship with her daughter, her art career, and the independent life she's grown to love. Will she be forced to cut ties with a woman she loves deeply to keep from losing herself?

Stella Britton continues to build a new life for her and her teenage daughter in the cozy beach town she's come to love. Her gallery is thriving and she's making friends, but the secret of her past hangs heavy over her head. And the past just won't let her go. Her ex keeps sending letters that yank her back into the terrible events that ruined the life she'd thought was near perfect. Her daughter has a budding relationship with a boy she knows nothing about. There's so much uncertainty in spite of the good she's found in Sunset Beach. When her friend's brother asks her out on a date, she just can't find the courage to say yes. He's handsome and confident and most women would be over the moon that he showed interest. Stella isn't ready, especially with the other worries on her mind. Juggling the past, present, and future is a struggle Stella isn't handling well. Maybe a new start isn't all it's cracked up to be. Can Stella can find the courage to confront her ex and the issues from the past? Will she finally accept that her daughter has a right to grow up? If so, she just might be able to grab the future she deserves.

Healing from emotional trauma takes time. The bold move to make changes sometimes pays off. Sometimes healing and pay off happens at the same time. Stella Britton is working hard to make her gallery a success in the small town of Sunrise Beach. She's getting attention from some heavy hitters in the art community and making connections that could push her to a level she never dreamed of. In the meantime, she continues to struggle to rebuild her relationship with her daughter. The most important person in her life, Kelsey is trying to find her own way. The rocky mother-daughter relationship is the source of anxiety for them both at times. As success with the gallery seems to be about to become reality, Stella must decide what sort of businesswoman she wants to be. What is she willing to do and who will she trust to help her take the next steps. Relationships – old and new – could determine what happens next for Stella as she evolves after her messy divorce.

Stella Britton and her daughter Kelsey are happy with their small beach town lives. There were many times when it seemed like happiness would never come and that makes today all the more precious. Kelsey is happy, healthy, and her life is headed in an amazing direction. Stella couldn't be more pleased with how things have worked out for her beloved daughter. With all the struggles of starting her life over, making sure her daughter was settled has been a huge concern through it all. Graham is a part of her life - if only on the fringes. England is a long way from Sunrise Beach and phone calls don't make up for seeing each other in person. Stella can't bring herself to push him away, though. There's something there even if it may never work out to be more than a long distance friendship. In spite of all the good in her life, the past still nags at Stella. Her ex shows up from time to time and every time she sees him all the terrible things he did rush back and make her feel almost as lost as she did when she found out what he'd done. She knows he deserves a chance to rebuild the relationship with his daughter, but he doesn't deserve a chance with her. When her ex springs new information on her, everything she's worked so hard for is threatened. Protecting her daughter and herself may turn out to be one of the hardest things she's ever done. The most painful part of it all is that her relationship with Graham - who had become her rock - might have to be sacrificed.