Praise for Natasha Anders.
Praise for Natasha Anders.
“ I loved The Best Next Thing–an emotionally charged, powerful and satisfying read! Natasha Anders is a writer to watch!” –New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
“Sweet, funny, and heart-wrenching, The Best Next Thing is a story of second chances that you won’t forget. A must-read for contemporary romance fans.” –Melinda Leigh, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author
“ The Best Next Thing is a hell of a journey, strap on for a rollercoaster of gut-wrenching emotion. I loved seeing Charity grow. Miles is a bit of a departure from Natasha Anders’ usual alpha male jerks. He is a supportive, kind cinnamon roll wrapped in abs—which makes him absolutely perfect for Charity. The novel is brimming with conflict and delightfully frustrating twists and turns. Another masterpiece from one of the queens of poignant contemporary romance.” –May Sage, USA Today Bestselling Author
“ Hard to put down. This intense story is heavy on the romance and is nontraditional in many aspects, right down to the South African setting.” –RT Book Reviews of A Husband’s Regret, 4 Stars
“ A breathtaking journey of forgiveness, second chances, and the power of true love.” –Woman’s World
“ [A] page-turner that is destined to do a serious number on your heart…definitely one of my favorite first reads this year!” –Red’s Romance Reviews
“ Amazing story…I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!” –Teatime and Books
“ Sweet, funny, and utterly gut wrenching. I really loved this book.” –Dirty Girl Romance
“ Natasha Anders does such a great job with pulling on your heartstrings.” –Steph and Chris’s Book Review
“ [I] enjoyed the book. It teaches you about empathy, to not give up hastily and to fight for what/who you love. And that everything worth having takes a lot of work.” –Reading is Dreaming with Open Eyes
“ A charming, funny second-chance romance.” –Bananas are Tricky
“ Natasha does a wonderful job of bringing emotions simmering beneath the surface to the top. A Husband’s Regret was an easy book to become immersed in with its fast pace and great flow…an intense, emotionally charged romance that I’d recommend to any romance reader who likes a plot you can sink into.” –Harlequin Junkie
About Me.
ABOUT ME.
Traveller: if you cannot find the path that leads to your goal, make your own path… step by step.
Hi there and welcome to my website. I never thought I’d ever find myself in the position of having a website in my name, but here we are. Life can be a bit surreal sometimes.
Well this is the “About Me” section so I guess I should tell you something about me. I suppose I can start with the fact that I have loved reading since I learned how and a love of writing followed soon after. Once I started reading romance that was it: I’d found my passion. I would read a book and halfway through I’d find myself drifting off and creating dialogue and scenes for characters (I still do that). I’d basically make up my version of the perfect ending to the story and when the book’s ending didn’t gel with mine I’d be terribly disappointed. After a while I started writing my own stories. I figured the only way I’d get those perfect endings was to write them myself.
I’ve been writing romance since I was thirteen and at fourteen sent this handwritten, completely unprofessional looking query letter off to Mills and Boon/Harlequin telling them that I’d written the best romance ever! Needless to say, nothing came of that. This early rejection didn’t faze me; I kept writing. Mostly for my own pleasure and allowed only a select few friends to read my stuff.
In 2012 I finally took the plunge to self-publish a little story I’d been working on for many, many years. At that point it was called Untitled 3 and I hastily went through the story in search of a title. I found a line that resonated with me: “she was just his temporary and unwanted wife” and then vacillated between “temporary” and “unwanted” but quickly settled on The Unwanted Wife and that was that. Apparently I’m an author now.
Surreal, see?
Other stuff about me: I have two budgies one—Oliver—is the love of my life, the other—Baxter—is a little green tyrant on a power trip. I also have two Chihuahuas: Maia who can be a total meanie at times and Hana, who at three months old loves everything and everybody. I love chocolate, red wine, action movies, the beach, sunny days and rainy days. Is this starting to sound like an online dating profile? It totally is. I’ll stop there.
Please feel free to contact me on this website, on Facebook or Twitter. I’m always happy to hear from you and happy to answer questions or hear your feedback.
The Books.
THE BOOKS.
Hard to put down. This intense story is heavy on the romance and is nontraditional in many aspects, right down to the South African setting. —RT Book Reviews of A Husband’s Regret, 4 Stars
Best Seller.
THE UNWANTED WIFE
No one had ever looked at her and seen perfection—until now.Delicate, titian-haired Theresa Noble has met her father’s associates in the past, but the gorgeous, Italian-born Sandro De Lucci leaves her speechless. Eighteen months into their marriage, however, Sandro has turned to ice. Desperate to escape a relationship that has proven to be as stubbornly passionate as it is cold and hateful, Theresa summons up the courage to ask for a divorce. But before he’ll grant her request, Sandro demands something from Theresa: a son.
The stalemate sickens her. Never mind that Sandro has yet to introduce Theresa to the large family that means so much to him. Or that Theresa overhears her husband on the phone with a mystery woman. Most damning is that Theresa senses, in Sandro’s treatment of her, the behind-the-scenes machinations of Jackson Noble, her cruel father. From the depths of her anxiety, Theresa must seek an empowering truth about the husband who calls her, with such cold affection, his cara, his beloved.
Revised edition: This edition of The Unwanted Wife includes editorial revisions.
Chemistry was a terrible thing; sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people.
Chemistry was a terrible thing; sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people.
How the hell am I supposed to respect someone who sold herself to the highest bidder? I have no respect for you, Theresa, not even as the potential mother of my child, because, quite frankly, you can’t even do that right.
I told you before, I don’t want out of this marriage. And if you give me nothing but daughters for the next twenty years, I would consider myself blessed.
Wife Trumps all.
You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honours and cherishes! A husband is a lover and a champion… Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!
I want to be here with you. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Regret.
A HUSBAND’S REGRET
Tall and thin, twenty-eight-year-old Bronwyn Palmer has become positively gaunt, a ghost of her former self. That self was—and still is—the wife of a rich, handsome executive with an ocean-view house and his own security staff.
It was in that house, two years ago, that Bryce Palmer learned Bronwyn was pregnant with their first child. But Bryce’s rage over his impending fatherhood touched off a chain reaction of emotional and physical traumas that wounded them both. For Bronwyn, it meant fleeing the perfect marriage to start over with nothing but a precocious daughter named Kayla to care for. For Bryce, it meant a tortuous two years spent blaming his wife for deserting him, and living with the pain of not knowing his child. Now a chance encounter has brought Bronwyn back into Bryce’s life, both bearing scars…and neither knowing the whole truth of that fateful night that drove them apart.
It’s watching the sun rise in your smile and set in your tears.
There you are. I’ve been looking for you. There’s the man I married.
Thank you for everything. For the small, everyday things and the huge, life-altering things.
I never worshiped you, you arrogant bastard! I loved you. More than you could ever comprehend. I now see that you never deserved that love.
I never worshiped you, you arrogant bastard! I loved you. More than you could ever comprehend. I now see that you never deserved that love.
Lover.
HIS UNLIKELY LOVER
Bobbi Richmond has always been in love with her best friend, Gabe Braddock, even if Gabe, who works for her media mogul father, has always treated Bobbi like a kid sister, calling her “Runt.”
After a tipsy Bobbi kisses Gabe at a party, Gabe is surprised to find “Runt” becoming the object of his fantasies, and Bobbi is shocked to find her advances suddenly reciprocated. When Gabe suggests adding “benefits” to their friendship—while keeping their new arrangement secret from their families, of course—should Bobbi feel flattered, or insulted by his insistence on casual sex? Are they even a match? Slick and conservative Gabe dates coiffed blondes, while the tomboyish Bobbi spends much more time fixing cars than her hair.
When Gabe’s twin brother, Chase, senses something’s up between the old friends, he forces Gabe to confront his real feelings for Bobbi—and decide whether or not he could live without her.
I think that the answer to your question lies in a place called Never Land, which is located just east of when hell freezes over and to the north of when pigs sprout wings.
I think that the answer to your question lies in a place called Never Land, which is located just east of when hell freezes over and to the north of when pigs sprout wings.
Your eyes are pretty
Your lips are too
Bobbi, my darling
I’m miserable without you
You can’t expect me to return your feelings just because you actually happened to verbalize them to me. It’s not something that be switched on just like that.
Take my advice, son, there is no right answer to the question, ‘how big is my bum in this skirt?’ especially not if she asks you to rate the size from one to ten.
Gabe’s own life flashed before his eyes—a future life… the one he should have with his Bobbi by his side. A future life filled with laughter, joy, love and children. One that he might lose before he even properly recognized that it was what he desperately wanted.
And while you’re busy deciding if I’m someone you can fall in love with, I’m just supposed to put my feelings on hold? What sort of timeline are you looking at? Will a month or two be enough for you to figure out whether I could be worthy of your love? Six months? A Year?
Ruthless.
A RUTHLESS PROPOSITION
All that glitters may lead right to his heart…
The last thing Cleopatra Knight expects on her business trip to Tokyo is to fall into bed with her arrogant, irresistibly hot boss, Dante Damaso. It’s a mistake—a steamy, mind-blowingly satisfying mistake. But a few nights of passion with the superwealthy bad boy prove to have long-term effects when Cleo’s world is unexpectedly turned upside down.
Dante has cultivated an enviable, jet-setting lifestyle: beautiful women, exotic destinations, and luxury without limits. He’s not looking to be domesticated, and certainly not by his assistant—even though he can’t get her out of his mind. Still, he knows he has both the responsibility and the financial means to help Cleo.
Though Cleo has no interest in Dante’s money, her lack of prospects gives her little choice but to accept his help. But living under the same roof, Dante discovers he wants more, and if Cleo lets down her guard, she just might find what her heart’s wanted all along.
Put that thing away. You and your insatiable penis will not be distracting me from my food this time.
So what’s this, some kind of warped revenge? Punishment because I had the nerve to treat you like every other woman in my life? Because you’re so special, right?
Maybe just this once? Just a taste. This was sex, plain and simple, and sometimes that’s all anybody needed.
So what’s this, some kind of warped revenge? Punishment because I had the nerve to treat you like every other woman in my life? Because you’re so special, right?
The Ballerina and the beast.
You’re it, Cleo. You’re her. You’re my she. My other. Mine.
Dante right now was so much easier than loving him. She couldn’t love anybody right now; love led to loss and pain.
Completely relaxed like this, without that challenging look in her eyes and the combative tilt of her jaw, she was goddamned beautiful. The revelation stunned him. He had never really seen this beauty before and he couldn’t be sure why he was seeing it now.
Wingman
THE WINGMAN
RITA®️ Nominee 2018
She was supposed to be his one-night distraction. But their attraction is undeniable.
Introverted Daisy McGregor is used to being a wallflower, but what she lacks in style, she makes up for with an acerbic wit, a passion for life, and a deep devotion to her family. So she’ll suffer through her sister Dahlia’s bachelorette party and accept the cloud of pity for going stag to the wedding.
Out at the pub, sexy bad boy Mason Carlisle is a reluctant wingman tasked with entertaining Daisy while his brother flirts with her oldest sister, Daffodil. When the plan fails and Mason’s true intent is revealed, he feels intense guilt—and a sensual spark of desire for the unlikeliest of women.
Daisy decides to use this unfortunate encounter to her advantage: to make it up to her, Mason will be another kind of wingman, playing the role of her boyfriend and wedding date. Will their ruse unravel completely—or will Mason and Daisy’s undeniable attraction ignite a scorching love affair that knows no rules?
“What do you see when you look at me, Mason?”
“Stop counting my freckles and try to get some sleep,” Daisy whispered.
“Everything,” he grated out. “I see my whole f*cking world, Daisy, I see all my days, my weeks, and my years. Every season of my life. All spent with you. I see everything I want, need, and desire all wrapped up in you.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do; it’s like counting stars, only prettier. So much prettier.”
Bestman.
THE BEST MAN
It has all the makings of a picture-perfect wedding. There’s just one detail that could have used a little more planning…
Hulking ex–rugby player Spencer Carlisle has crushed on Daffodil McGregor since high school. On the field he knew the moves. Off, he was a clueless clod who never gained an advantage. Rejected and rebuffed, his infatuation finally cooled—like ice.
Now, it’s impossible not to feel the chill—since he’s the best man and she’s the maid of honor at their siblings’ wedding. For the sake of harmony, they’re calling a truce.
Daff has her reasons for being a cynic when it comes to romance. And twice as many for not letting on that she finds Spencer attractive—although she’d rather gnaw off her thumb than admit it. Still, there’s more to the sweet and sexy lug than meets the eye. Maybe he is the one who can heal her emotional scars. Maybe he’ll give her a second chance. Because Spencer could be Daff’s own best man—if it’s not too late to come to terms with the past
You’re beautiful, kind, sweet, amazing, smart, funny. You’re everything. Don’t forget that, Daff. Never let anyone make you feel like you’re less. Because you’re not. You’re everything. – Spencer Carlisle
Wrong Man
THE WRONG MAN
No commitments. No expectations. No way this could possibly go wrong…right?
Former special-ops soldier Sam Brand is used to getting what he wants. What he wants is to unbutton the buttoned-down, sweet, and shy Dahlia McGregor. He’s hot to find her wild side. She’s eager to let him explore it. So he makes his proposition—no strings, no hurt feelings, and no promises—save for one: she’ll have the time of her life.
After a broken engagement, Lia’s looking to someday find the right man and settle down. That’s some day. Now it’s all about the night. A hot, meaningless fling with a magnificently weathered blue-eyed stud like Sam couldn’t hurt: he’s sexy, and sure he’s arrogant, but best of all, he’s here. In other words, he’s perfect…for now.
But when Sam is wounded in the line of duty and left in Lia’s tender loving care, all bets are off. Because the more time they spend together, the more it becomes clear: this “one night” deal is getting steamier and lasting longer than they counted on. It started as a fun little game. Is it possible they could be playing for keeps?
He was way too… everything. Too sexy, too arrogant, too male, and way too alpha.
“You’re the proverbial rolling stone, Brand… I’m looking for a rock. Someone steady, reliable, and interested in establishing some roots.”
“Any time you want to rip my clothes off, Lia… I’ll be right here waiting.”
“I was your rebound guy, now let me be your final fling guy. Let me be the last wild thing you do before you settle down.”
Anything
MORE THAN ANYTHING
Two lovers strive to trade a grim past for a bright future in this story of bittersweet yearning.
Tina Jenson belongs to the same social stratum as Harris Chapman, but he’s out of her league—at least that’s what she thinks before they jump in bed together. It’s the perfect night, but when she overhears crude, hurtful comments the next morning, she can’t get away fast enough.
Ten years later, Tina’s life is a mess. That night with Harris didn’t just hurt her feelings; it started a cascade of disappointment and heartbreak. Every time she bumps into Harris, her heart twists inside out. She still wants him, but she’s harboring a painful secret from their night together that she’s not ready to reveal.
Crossed signals, high-society whispers, and shame have kept Tina and Harris apart for years, but deep down, they’re hungry for each other and eager to write their own rules. Can they let go of the past and find their way back to each other, or are the barriers between them too high and too strong?
You don’t get to have a fond keepsake of the worst night of my life, Harris. You just don’t!
I’m sorry,” Harris whispered. The most inadequate two words in the English language. No matter how heartfelt, they were nowhere near enough to express his absolute remorse and anguish at the pain he had caused her.
Nothing
NOTHING BUT THIS
A married couple yearns to rediscover lost love in this novel about forgiveness, reconciliation, and emotional growth.
It’s always been complicated between Libby Lawson and Greyson Chapman—and married life isn’t any simpler. But when Libby gets pregnant, she at last sees a bright future ahead. There’s just one problem: Greyson says he’s sterile.
Furious, Greyson abandons the young family. Equally furious and deeply hurt, Libby cuts all ties with him. After all these years, it seems their relationship has finally expired. But love is resilient and endures even when you don’t want it to. Greyson still longs for Libby, and though Libby’s heartbroken by Greyson’s lack of trust, she holds out hope for a complete, happy family.
And so they embark on the journey back to each other, wary of all the obstacles between them. It’s been a long road already—one strewed with fear, doubt, and misunderstandings. Will they keep looking to the past, or will they look to each other and walk hand in hand toward a broad new horizon?
I’ve been trying to find the right words. The proper combination of sounds that would make you forgive me… But those words don’t exist. Nothing I could possibly come up with will ever make up for the things I’ve said and done.
Don’t cry. I’m not worth your tears, Olivia. I’m not. I never was.
I just wanted so much more for us, Greyson.
Me too.
Next
THE BEST NEXT THING
A second shot at love. Her best next chance at happiness.
After years of torment and pain, Charity Cole feels safe again. The isolated house within which she lives and works is her haven. But her sanctuary is invaded when her icy, reserved boss shows up unannounced. He sees her as he was never meant to see her and Charity’s carefully constructed safe world begins to crumble.
Miles Hollingsworth is a stone cold workaholic. His life revolves around his company and when ill health forces him to take time off he heads to his holiday home where he knows he won’t have to deal with anyone but his dour live-in housekeeper, Mrs. Cole. Cut off by violent winter storms and alone in the huge and isolated house, Miles and Charity are forced to spend more time together than they have before.
The attraction between them burns fiercely and uncontrollably but both are reluctant to act on it. Something has to give but both Charity and Miles have too much at stake to be the first one to break.
Sweet, funny, and heart-wrenching, The Best Next Thing is a story of second chances that you won’t forget. A must-read for contemporary romance fans. – Melinda Leigh, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
The Best Next Thing is a hell of a journey, strap on for a rollercoaster of gut-wrenching emotion. I loved seeing Charity grow. Miles is a bit of a departure from Natasha Anders’ usual alpha male jerks. He is a supportive, kind cinnamon roll wrapped in abs—which makes him absolutely perfect for Charity. The novel is brimming with conflict and delightfully frustrating twists and turns. Another masterpiece from one of the queens of poignant contemporary romance. – May Sage, USA Today Bestselling Author.
I loved The Best Next Thing–an emotionally charged, powerful and satisfying read! Natasha Anders is a writer to watch! – New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
Need
ALL I’LL EVER NEED
Previously published as Promises of Forever in the Wedding Season Anthology (2019)
Juniper Taylor and her husband, Lincoln, have been living as strangers in the same house for the last six months, their relationship cold, strained, and sterile. After so many months of icy civility between them, things come to a head at a family member’s destination wedding. June is ready to pull the plug on her lifeless marriage. She is ready to move forward without the man she had once loved beyond all reason, the man who had abandoned her when she needed him most. But when June tells him she wants a divorce, Linc’s response stuns her. Suddenly everything June believes about her marriage is brought into question and her plans for a quick and easy divorce spiral hopelessly out of control.
June now finds herself caught in a battle she’s not sure she can–or wants to–win.
Please note that this standalone short story has been re-edited and contains scenes not included in the previous publication.
What did I see in you? I saw the woman of my dreams. I saw my present and my future. My whole world. My forever after.
Linc, there’s nothing left between us. This marriage has been dead for so long, it’s beyond resuscitation.
Protect
PROTECT ME NOT
Some temptations are just not worth the complication.
Victoria Hollingsworth does not need a surly, uncommunicative bodyguard cramping her style, following her everywhere, and intimidating any would-be male callers. She’s a florist for goodness sake, not a princess or a pop star. Having a massive, mysterious bodyguard always hovering is an inconvenience. And yet… there he is, Tyler Chambers, her unwanted protector, ultra-serious, no-nonsense, and off-the-charts hot. Vicki doesn’t want, or need, him as a bodyguard. Yet, disturbingly, he may be everything she wants, and needs, in a man.
Ty hates his current long-term assignment. It’s mind-numbingly tedious. Vicki Hollingsworth is a pain in the butt who talks too much, laughs a lot, and frequently tests his patience. And her life isn’t exactly filled with intrigue and action. Ty is ready for this job to be over. He has just a couple of months left before reassignment. He’s mere weeks away from being out of here. The last thing he needs is to find his cute-as-a-button charge irresistibly attractive. She’s not his type. Wholesome, adorable, and sweet, Vicki is the kind of woman who needs long-term commitment. And all Ty has to offer is a few short weeks of far-from-wholesome pleasure.
June now finds herself caught in a battle she’s not sure she can–or wants to–win.
How much chaos can one little florist introduce into his regimented life? Ty is about to find out.
“Don’t.” The word was uttered in a voice so broken, it was nothing but a ragged wisp on the air between them.
“I’m not doing anything,” Vicki whispered.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
If only she knew how much she truly bothered him. With her short skirts, and her bouncy curls, and her pretty smile. Hot and bothered, that’s how she left him.
Fornever
FORNEVER YOURS
Elizabeth Finch thinks Gideon Hawthorne is arrogant, pushy, abrasive, and too cocky by far. While Gideon makes no secret of the fact that he finds Beth to be a smug, condescending, know-it-all. If she could, Beth would avoid him at all cost, but he’s her best friend’s husband’s best friend, and thus inescapable.
Their friends have developed a handy system: Beth Days and Gideon Days, but there’s no avoiding the big celebrations, where Beth and Gideon have to grin and tolerate each other. And when Beth finds herself falling into bed with Gideon after one of these celebrations, she knows that she’s making a colossal–no–gargantuan mistake. And Gideon makes it clear that he feels exactly the same way. It’s a mistake. Never to be repeated, or spoken of, ever again.
But these two arch enemies are now aware of each other in ways that they had never been before. And the urge to touch and kiss is becoming even stronger than the need to argue and snipe. Just because she dislikes him, doesn’t mean Beth can’t enjoy his hot body, right? Just because he thinks she’s obnoxious, doesn’t mean that Gideon can’t–constantly–fantasize about the addictive taste of her lush lips, does it?
Beth and Gideon’s enmity is insurmountable, but their chemistry is undeniable and soon they’ll be forced to choose between hating each other and desperately wanting each other.
Forever Yours? Not in this lifetime.
“So… arch nemesis, huh?” Gideon speculated. “Does that make me the villain in your story?” “You know you are!” Beth retorted.
“You have such a nefarious mind,” Gideon said, and Beth smiled and replied, “The better to be your arch nemesis with.”
Exciting Writers.
11 EXCITING WRITERS FROM SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR
“Great writers come from everywhere. Everyone knows New York, but when was the last time you read a book from a writer from the southern US, or the midwest? Or even Ireland or Australia? Finding authors who grew up with different perspectives is not just important, it leads to more enjoyable reads. Which is why something on our list of authors from the southern hemisphere is bound to pique your interest…