Love at First Sight #17

A young woman raised in the theatrical world falls hard for the charming leading man Nick Wallace, but their whirlwind romance leads to a hasty elopement to Mexico—only to discover his true motives were never about love. When a kind stranger named Jack Farrar offers her a second chance and a fresh start back in Los Angeles, she finds herself caught between her past and a future that could be hers, if she can keep her secrets buried.

Pagan Meador has spent seven years trying to escape her past as the daughter of a slain Chicago gang leader, finding refuge in the Women Marines—but when the charming former crooner Sergeant Thoren Newell sets his sights on her, she's torn between the connection they're forming and her deep-seated fear that her dark family history will inevitably destroy any happiness she allows herself. As Thoren pursues her with genuine interest, Pagan must confront whether she can trust love or whether the violence and shame of her past will always pull her back.

Dorrie moves to Chicago and shares an apartment with Marzetta, a girl who believes kisses are the key to landing a man—advice Dorrie initially rejects. When the handsome new office manager Scott Parnell arrives from New York, Dorrie finds herself drawn to him and wonders if Marzetta's philosophy might be the answer to keeping him interested, especially since he's only staying a few months.

Michaela Lewis leads a secret double life: publicly presented as secretary to the powerful Bland Burgess, she's actually a specially trained nurse sworn to watch over his deteriorating health and keep his condition hidden from the world. When she meets the charming Wayne Huntington at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks—but her obligation to Burgess and her need for secrecy keep her at arm's length, forcing her to balance her heart against her professional duty.