Lovelorn #25

A nurse's mundane hospital routine transforms when a chance encounter at a charity kissing booth introduces her to Brad Desmond—until his fiancée Ingrid arrives to claim him. When a devastating accident at a country club brings both Brad and Ingrid to the hospital, Marla finds herself fighting to save the man she's fallen for, only to discover that his heart still belongs to another.

A commercial artist celebrating her big break—landing the Breezeway Sportswear account—spots the perfect model on her bus ride home and impulsively hands him her card. When the charming stranger, Charles Dalton, shows up for the job, Leonie Howard finds herself torn between keeping things strictly professional and the undeniable spark between them, especially once she learns he has a girlfriend. As her sketches become crucial to her career success, Leonie must confront what she really wants—and whether the feelings she's been fighting are worth risking everything for.

A young woman named Janet is devastated after a tragic accident claims her sweetheart Bert, leaving her convinced she'll never love again—until a determined stranger named Gordon Simpson literally chases down her suicide note in the park and won't let her throw her life away. As Gordon persistently courts her through dinner and a meeting with her parents, Janet finds herself torn between honoring Bert's memory and the possibility of happiness she never thought she'd feel again. This 1952 romance explores whether a broken heart can truly heal, and whether opening yourself to new love honors or betrays the past.

Nancy's world turns upside down when she's jilted, and this story walks her—and you—through the smart ways to heal and move forward without repeating the painful mistakes others make. From learning not to dwell on heartbreak with everyone you meet, to understanding how to truly let go and eventually open your heart again, Nancy discovers that the real path to recovery isn't dwelling on what went wrong, but refusing to let the past control your future. It's practical, honest advice wrapped in the kind of emotional stakes that made 1952 romance comics so compelling.

A young woman finds herself trapped in a suffocating routine until Ted Downs walks into her life, and she falls so completely that she places him on a pedestal, determined to be the perfect partner. As she smothers him with devotion—fussing over his comfort, guarding their love at every turn—she doesn't see the strain building until it's too late. When Ted begins to pull away, Lina must confront a painful truth about what real love actually demands.

Ellen learns a hard lesson about romance when she decides her easygoing fiancé needs fixing—his grammar, his lack of ambition, his choices—only to discover that expecting him to transform before they even marry might cost her the relationship altogether. "Do You Expect Too Much?" uses three cautionary scenes to show why accepting your partner as they are matters far more than trying to remake them into someone else.

A woman shaped by her strict upbringing has come to view romance as something sordid and dangerous—a conviction she carries into her job at an exclusive finishing school for girls. When a fellow teacher's growing interest in her awakens feelings she's spent years suppressing, Helen finds herself torn between the rigid morality drilled into her and a desire she can't quite control, all while suspicion and old shame threaten to poison everything around her.

Sally Rogers has long been waiting for her shy beau, Teddy Hollister, to pop the question—and when he finally takes her to Mammoth Cave in Edmonson County, an ingenious trick with the Echo River's remarkable acoustics sets the stage for an unforgettable proposal. What unfolds is a clever, lighthearted moment that plays on Sally's own words in the most unexpected way.