When Harry Westcott lost the title Earl of Riverdale after the discovery of his father's bigamy, he shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, where he was near-fatally wounded. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely. Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience, and she has secretly enjoyed her freedom since his...

In Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis’s wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in their houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially...

"Lillie Silva knew life as an empty nester would be hard after her only child left for college, but when her husband abruptly dumps her for another woman just as her son leaves, her world comes crashing down. Besides the fact that this announcement is a complete surprise (to say the least), what shocks Lillie most is that she isn't heartbroken. She's furious. Lillie has loved her life on Cape Cod, but as a mother, wife, and nurse-midwife, she's used...

After becoming lonely, a rare Beast sets out on a journey to find others like himself.

Emily Hunter came to Alaska on the promise of marriage, but is soon on the run from her would-be husband. Stranded in the wilderness, she stumbles across a small plane-- and the rugged bush pilot who would reconnect with his estranged son. She's wary of trusting John Wolf, but sharing his wilderness home means protection from the predator on her trail. Will he be willing to risk everything to keep her safe?

Ever since an accident three years ago, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts letter-writing club for the holidays. The tradition is something she has come to treasure: Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone and receives a letter from another lonely person. Usually, the letters go unanswered. That's the point--the letters are anonymous, and the sender writes whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter...

A collection of short stories about people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home.

"A holiday story about two people who brave loneliness and loss to find love"-- Thinking no one is reading, a blogger who calls herself LBH writes about her most personal feelings, especially her overwhelming loneliness. She longs to know how it would feel if one person cared about her. Alex Bartlett cares. He's reading her posts in Daytona Beach, Florida, nursing his own broken heart and trust issues. Following a trail of clues LBH has inadvertently...

At first Ugly Fish likes being alone in his tank so much that he eats any fish that tries to share it, but when he becomes lonely, he devises a better plan.

Two brothers meet at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback. In an isolated belt of Western Australia, they are each other's nearest neighbor, their homes four hours' drive apart. The third brother lies dead at their feet. Something caused Cam, the middle child who had been in charge of the family homestead, to die alone in the middle of nowhere. So the eldest brother returns with his younger sibling to the family...