Darlene Gardner Books In Order

The Hero’s Sin

Murderer. That’s what they call him. That’s what he calls himself. It’s nine years since Michael Donahue set foot in his Pennsylvania hometown, but they’re all still pointing fingers. Even after he risks his life to save a young boy from drowning, everyone’s ready to think the worst of him.

Except attorney Sara Brenneman. The outspoken Indigo Springs newcomer doesn’t judge, doesn’t listen to rumors. Like the town, she’s also made up her mind about Michael only, she thinks he’s a hero. Not even Michael himself can shake her unswerving faith.

But when the accusations begin again, will she still believe in him? And when she realizes the truth, will he be able to let her go?

The Stranger’s Sin

Accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Kelly Carmichael skips bail and heads to Indigo Springs. It’s a shot in the dark, but with her freedom at stake she has no choice if she wants answers. When forest ranger Chase Bradford starts asking questions, Kelly tells him she’s a stranger passing through. That’s the first lie. Now she has to keep lying. She’s walking a dangerous tightrope…
especially when she starts falling for the single father. How will Chase react when he finds out who she really is? Will the honorable guy feel duty bound to bring her in? Or will he stand by her? If only she had the courage to trust him with the truth…
.

The Secret Sin

Annie Sublinski was sixteen when a brief encounter with Ryan Whitmore left her pregnant. Ryan stood by her decision to give up their baby for adoption. Now that child is here in Indigo Springs, forcing Annie to confront the man she’s been avoiding all these years .

It seems she underestimated Ryan. He wants to get to know the daughter he thought he’d never see. And her mother. As old feelings resurface, Ryan surprises Annie with the intensity of his passion. He refuses to give up on her on all of them. But Annie has to forgive herself for the past if she has any hope of building a future.

That Runaway Summer

For Jill Jacobi, who’s on the run with her younger brother, Indigo Springs is the perfect place to hide. So no matter how powerfully attracted she is to the kind veterinarian, Dan Maguire is a risk she can’t afford to take.

Except every instinct is telling her he’s a man she can count on. And Dan seems so sure that they’d be right together. It’s tempting to lose herself in her own growing feelings for this tender, handsome man. If she could only trust him with her secret…

Lies brought her here. Will lies keep them apart?

Born for Each Other

Annie Kubek is heartily sick of her mother insisting that she and Michael Reeves were Born for Each Other. The ludicrous becomes the preposterous when Michael visits Annie’s beloved rural community twenty five years after they shared a crib. No way can park naturalist Annie see herself with a man who lives in Los Angeles and looks like he just stepped out of the pages of GQ. Despite her big, meddling family, she’d never leave Pennsylvania. And Michael, who equates success in business with happiness, would never dream of staying there. Annie’s mistake is in cheerfully spelling out the multitude of reasons Michael doesn’t attract her. Because Michael, although he first tries to deny his attraction to Annie, is determined to prove to this headstrong and stubborn career woman that the sparks between them are real.

Clash of Hearts

Michelle Germaine doesn’t want, or think she needs, a man in her life. Her ex husband took off before their son was born and she learned the hard way not to rely on anyone but herself. She’s not looking to replace him with anyone, least of all infuriating Chase Fletcher. And from the minute they face off in the principal’s office, over the heads of their battling sixth graders, their run ins get progressively contentious. Landscape architect Chase is usually laid back and easy going…
when Michelle doesn’t have his defenses up. He wants to eventually marry again and provide a mother who can smooth out his troublesome daughter’s rough edges. But Michelle is all about business and building her real estate contacts list. Will Chase be able to get over his disdain for career women? Can Michelle learn to depend on and love a man again? Fate will decide for these star crossed lovers.

A Time to Forgive

Every moment counts When Connor Smith has to unexpectedly care for his nine year old niece, he isn’t prepared. In fact, he’s overwhelmed. Blending their lives poses one problem after another until Jaye’s violin teacher throws them a lifeline. Abby Reed not only knows how to get through to his niece, she also makes an impression on him. Soon their time together means everything to Connor and the tragedy his family faced a decade ago begins to have less power over him. Then he discovers Abby’s family’s connection to his own Can their love survive Connor’s bitterness and Abby’s insistence that her brother isn’t the awful person he’s been branded?

The Other Woman’s Son

Clay Dillon is everyone’s hero especially to his family. So when his kid sister needs a kidney, he tracks down Jenna Wright. Jenna’s the only one who can help, but to gain her trust he has to lie. Jenna believes Clay can be everything to her until she finds out who he really is the son of the woman who ruined her life. In that instant Jenna’s dreams for a future with Clay dissolve. Jenna is in so deep, she actually considers doing what Clay asks. But how can she help his family at the expense of her own?