MAKO BAY
OTAGO WATERS - BOOK 1

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Maybe friends really do make the best lovers?
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Shal Hoffner’s back in Dunedin after eight years of self-imposed exile. Setting up a new fashion boutique, and juggling bridesmaid duties for her best friend’s wedding, she’s determined to forget her ripped-up past, soulless love-life, and the guy who broke her heart.
​She should’ve known it wouldn’t be that simple.
Assuming the proximity of Cameron Dante (builder, guitarist, surf-buddy, and old flatmate) the least of her worries? Big mistake. Huge. Because there’s more to the past than Shal knows, on a collision course with her immediate future, and if she can’t stick to friends-with-benefits there’s a chance she could snap. Just like before.
‘No promises, no commitment, and no exclusive rights.’ Shal’s mantra is fast losing traction, and it’s all Cam’s fault. He’s not the shy surfer-down-the-hall he once was, and he’s out to prove something. No matter the cost. He’s been in love with Shal forever, so what’s he got to lose? His new-found roots, his music career, his very heart and soul... Pretty much everything, actually.

Winner of the Daphne Clair de Jong First Kiss award, and finalist in the Koru First Book Award of Excellence, MAKO BAY is the first story in Stephanie Ruth's Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Intended for readers who enjoy their slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance on the steamy side, with the promise of a happily ever after.
Reader discretion advised, this novel deals with the trauma of a past car accident.

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RUBY ISLAND
OTAGO WATERS - BOOK 2

First impressions are hard to shake...
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Big-headed ex-rugby star, Daniel Dante, refuses to believe a word celebrated ceramicist Kanako Janssen says, though why her new landlord’s opinion bothers her so much is anyones’s guess. She has enough to worry about, with her soon to be ex-husband refusing to sign divorce papers, Daniel’s dog appearing regularly to freak her out, and an exhibition date looming.
Kanako is everything Daniel isn’t, and nothing he’s used to. Commitment doesn’t come easily to a player who’s been burnt so publicly before, but if he can’t learn to trust this fresh-faced, quirky artist, he could well lose her altogether.
Like the swallows, Kanako’s only in Otago for the season. But willing or not, the self-proclaimed introvert is being slowly absorbed into small town life on the lake, and she’s in grave danger of falling in love with it.

Editor and agents choice in the RWNZ Great Beginnings competition, and finalist in the Pacific Hearts Award, RUBY ISLAND is the second story in Stephanie Ruth’s Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Intended for readers who enjoy their opposites attract romance on the steamy side, and promising a happily ever after.
Reader discretion advised, this novel deals with past addiction and a historical drowning.

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LAKE TAIMANA
OTAGO WATERS - BOOK 3

What does it take to shift deep-seated betrayal?

Adele Fergus switched back to her maiden name with plans to never look back—never think about her naïve, short-lived marriage to James Montague. But that was before he turned up on her Wānaka doorstep with her missing diamonds, a crazy backstory, and persistent requests for visitation with his ex-stepdaughter.
Adele’s hell-bent on keeping James at arms-length, but it’s not easy with old attractions still running hot. What’s more, she’s beginning to suspect she may have left him on false information.
Divorce was never in James’ game-plan, so when his ex-wife’s jewellery comes to light, he’s drawn back to her—welcome or not—and he isn’t leaving until he has all the answers.
The more the exes re-learn to trust each other, the more they come to realise someone was intent on dragging them apart from the very beginning. Someone close.
Is it worth risking everything to start again?

Winner of both the Daphne Clair de Jong First Kiss and RWNZ Great Beginnings competition, LAKE TAIMANA is the third love story set in Stephanie Ruth's Otago Waters series, set in the stunning Lakes District in southern New Zealand. Intended for readers who enjoy their second chance romance on the steamy side, and promising a happily ever after.
Reader discretion advised, this novel includes references to a historical miscarriage, depression, and suicide. 

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TANIWHA CREEK
OTAGO WATERS - VALENTINE'S NOVELLA

Sometimes you find the solace you've been seeking in the one standing next to you.
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Barista Maddie Stalwart-Jones has known Todd Kaihanga all her life, but no matter where her brain wanders when she's not vigilant, she refuses to consider her brother’s best mate as anything other than off limits. It would be all wrong, right? The self-proclaimed pessimist is intent on ignoring the fact her cafe manager is the only guy she can relax and be herself around, and the only person she's comfortable talking about her dead brother with.
Intent on escaping Wānaka, where everyone seems to have an opinion on her intimate business and family history, falling for Todd would be highly inconvenient.
Todd’s a patient guy, but he’s over waiting around for Maddie to notice he could be so much more than a shoulder to lean on. When Maddie’s mother finally agrees to accept some much needed help with her run down property, it’s a perfect catalyst for Todd to prove to his high school crush that his optimistic streak isn’t a curse, it’s the perfect yin to her yang. The wedding of the year is about to kick off, and there’s only one woman he wants to be dancing with.

A mid-summer Valentine's Day novella, TANIWHA CREEK joins Stephanie Ruth's award winning Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Each book stands alone, but reading them in order provides a deeper experience. Intended for readers who enjoy their slow-burn, feel-good romance on the steamy side, with the promise of a happily ever after.
Reader discretion advised, this novella deals with the trauma of a past road accident, and hoarding.

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ADD A SPLASH OF LOVE
OTAGO WATERS' SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY

“People maintain there are six degrees of separation,
but they’ve clearly never been to Aotearoa. 
Make it two, and you’re getting warmer…”
- Stephanie Ruth

Six addictive short stories celebrating warmth of connection, and the Kiwi phenomenon of one-degree-of-separation. Linked to the Otago Waters series, these quirky romance tidbits can all be read as standalone.
A beginning and ending for Poppy and Clementine, torn apart by distance, but stoutly stitched back together with shared history. The Bit That Means Something is concluded in Lead a Horse to Water. Katie weathers a stinky pheromone experiment in Scent, Not Sensibility, a newbie gardener learns all about life’s laterals in Heads or Tails, and identities and intentions are not what they seem in Second Act. Fancy a spot of baking? Perhaps not from Talulah’s kitchen, who refuses to follow the recipe in Heaped Teaspoons!

Add a Splash of Love is the first anthology of short stories in Stephanie Ruth’s Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.

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VALENTINES IN THE VINES
​MULTI AUTHOR NOVELLA ANTHOLOGY


Three worlds collide on Valentine's Day in this collection of novellas from award-winning authors set in Central Otago, New Zealand. Courtney Clark Michaels, Stephanie Ruth, and Esme Brett welcome you to the wedding of the season! 

THE ANTHOLOGY, VALENTINES IN THE VINES, WAS AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED SEASON AND IS CURRENTLY ON HIATUS.
However,  two of the three interconnected stories that make up this anthology are now available as individual novellas from their respective authors. Please follow the links below.

Ginger Kisses by Courtney Clark Michaels
Taniwha Creek by Stephanie Ruth
Heart Eyes by Esme Brett