Emotional, suspenseful and set in paradise, Hearts on Hold is a novel for fans of Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz. The strongest sunshine casts the darkest shadows... Cate Boyd is searching for a place where nobody knows her name. The sleepy Maltese village of Xlendi offers privacy, anonymity, and the serene life she craves, far from her former world. But her peace is shattered when monolithic development company Vena announces its plans to level her village, and threatens to expose Cate's secrets if she stands in its way. Her peace is shattered when monolithic development company Vena announces its plans to level her village, and threatens to expose Cate's secrets if she stands in its way. The arrival of seductive, nosy professor Brandon Blackshaw seems too coincidental for comfort – especially when she discovers that Vena is his research partner. As the pressure mounts, Cate must decide which is more important: her hard–won privacy, or the future of her beloved Xlendi.