Excerpt & Review: Wicked Ever After by Shayla Black

WICKED EVER AFTER
Series: Wicked & Devoted #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic, Suspense
Author: Shayla Blake
Release Date: April 7, 2020

He’s dangerous. She’s his—even if he scares her. But once he unravels her secrets,

he’ll risk everything to claim her for good.

 

Sniper Pierce “One-Mile” Walker nearly had everything he ever wanted—until a fateful mission stripped it all away. Now an outcast, he’s forced to watch the off-limits beauty who stole his heart slip through his fingers. Left with nothing but revenge, he’s determined to defeat evil and win her back. But when he learns she’s planning a future without him, he vows he’ll break every rule and defy all odds to make her his again—forever.

Brea Bell was always a good girl…until Pierce Walker. Despite everyone’s warnings, she gave the rough warrior her body—and her heart. When she receives news that shatters her world, he devastates her by walking away. Terrified of losing all she’s ever known, Brea tucks away her dreams and commits to a “safe” future. Then Pierce appears in the dead of night, challenging and seducing her. Brea isn’t sure she can trust him…but she also can’t say no.

Angry and betrayed, he leaves to pursue vengeance, while her sins are exposed to the world, forcing her to fight painful battles. Can Brea and Pierce conquer the dangers that threaten their happily ever after…or will fate wrench them apart forever?

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Start the duet, today, with Wicked As Sin!

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Brea trailed the hostess through the dim restaurant. Pierce dropped his hot palm on the small of her back all the way to a booth in one dark corner. She sat and slid in on one side. Instead of sitting on the other, he plopped next to her, nudging her almost against the wall, his big body pressed against hers from shoulder to knee.She shivered. “What are you doing?”

“Being as close as possible so I can kiss you whenever I want. And touch your pussy. That’s important, too.” He winked.

Fire scalded her blood, battling her embarrassment. “You can’t do that here.”

“Why not? I’ll keep it under the table. No one but us will know. Well, unless you scream.”

With him touching her, chances were high that she would. Brea blushed.

It was impossible to tell from his grin if he was serious.

“Do I have to set ground rules? No touching my private parts in public.”

“Ah, c’mon. I probably won’t get to touch you later tonight. Don’t take one of my favorite toys from me.”

“My girl bits are not a toy.”

“But I love to play with them.” His black eyes danced as he leaned in to brush kisses along her neck. And then he dropped a hand on her thigh.

Apparently he was serious.

He would stop at nothing, burn down the world—whatever it took—to remove the obstacles between them until he called her his for good.

The much awaited conclusion to Brea and One-Mile’s story is finally here and it was fantastic! One Mile has been a character that I’ve been salivating since he first made an appearance as a secondary character. Admittedly, Brea wasn’t a character that hit my radar with her overload of sweet innocence. Then I read Wicked Ever After (One-Mile and Brea, part two) and I realized there may be something more to Brea then meets the eye at first.

Two things happened in this book:
1. Brea seriously grew on me
2. I decided I no longer want Cutter to get hit by a bus

Now look, if you’ve read the first book of this duet, then you know why I say that. I hated Cutter and his treatment of One Mile. He was an a-hole with a capital A. Luckily in this book he finally begins to see beyond the first impression he had of One Mile.

Break finally grows a backbone. She really comes into her own in this book and I loved watching this happen. I loved the way that she found her voice and learned to speak what she wants and go after it.

I love Brea and One Mile together. The man is utterly obsessed with her. He’s crude and rude but he worships the ground his woman walks on and then talks dirty to her behind closed doors. Swoon!

There’s plenty of action mixed into this to really spice things up. I particularly loved the way that things get resolved at the end. Admittedly my only quibble with the story is that it just didn’t grab me as much as the first book. I was a bit bored in parts and found myself skimming a bit. Ultimately this was still a fantastic conclusion to one of my most anticipated books and I highly recommend if you’re looking for something steamy with an uber alpha and plenty of action.

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly eighty novels. For over twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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Review: Bastard Boss by Sara Ney

BACHELOR BOSS
Series: The Bachelor Club #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sara Ney
Release Date: January 28, 2020

What is The Bachelors Club?

It’s a gentleman’s club—like the dignified men of the past used to have. Except, we’re not gentleman, and we’re not dignified.

We’re ineligible bachelors, bored, jaded and not looking for relationships. Quite the opposite actually. So committed to being single, we’ve created a high stakes bet to see who can remain single the longest…

Four days co-habitating in a shared work space shouldn’t be a big deal. It shouldn’t be distracting. But Spencer Standish saw me puking in a company trash can, and won’t let me live it down. Cheerful, aggravating Spencer, who wants me to fetch her coffee.

As if she’s the boss of me.

And now I’m stuck sharing her office.

Let’s face facts: I can’t be in a relationship; not when there’s a bet to win—not with Spencer, who loves my uncontrollable basset hound, lazy Sundays, and grilled cheese as much as I do. I refuse to fall for her.

I will be the last Bachelor standing.

AMAZON

Fishing for a boyfriend in the workplace pond is by far the worst idea I’ve ever had. Is it stopping me from flirting my perky tits off? Not one bit.

This was a light-hearted, easy, and fluffy romance, and also just what the Dr prescribed when I wanted to take my mind off of everything happening right now. It was one of those reads that you can enjoy in one sitting, completely shut your mind off, and just put a smile on your face. I love Ney’s brand of humor, and this definitely brought all of the banter with a dash of enemies-to-lovers, office romance trope. It was adorable!

Phillip and Spencer are unwilling office mates while Phillip is basically squatting in his office while the part of the building where he works is being remodeled. And when Spencer watches him spitefully eat a bagel with expired cream cheese and later chuck it all up in a waste basket soon after, it’s hate at first sight. They bicker non-stop and it’s oh so delicious because beneath that is a spark of attraction that sizzles so strong.

This was definitely a slow burn, and if I’m being perfectly honest, a bit too slow for me in parts. I loved the bantering between Spencer and Phillip, but the romance doesn’t fully pick up until well over the 75% mark of the book, and then wraps up too quickly for me to have truly gotten to enjoy it.

The one thing I really love in this series is the inclusion of the quirky pets. Book one brought an evil cat and this one brought an irreverent basset hound.

While I can’t say that this book was perfect, it was still one that I enjoyed, fluffy or not. It was cute and light-hearted read that was fast-paced even while being a slow burn. I love Ney’s brand of douchebags best, but I’m definitely still enjoying her Bastards quite a bit.

New & Upcoming Releases: April 5-10

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


WHERE THE TRUTH LIVES by Mia Sheridan

The follow-up to Where the Blame Lies—Where the Truth Lives is a gripping, page-turning, romantic thriller that will leave you gasping for breath.

When the director of a local mental health hospital is found murdered and mutilated, Homicide Detective Reed Davies is first on scene. What was done to the body is gruesome. Inexplicable. But Reed is dealt another curveball when he finds that the doctor who discovered the victim is someone Reed is intimately familiar with—a woman with whom he shared one passionate night weeks before.

Dr. Elizabeth Nolan is somehow tangled up in the crime, and even while Reed must now question her possible involvement, he can’t help being drawn to the beautiful, enigmatic woman.

As more bodies appear and the devious killer terrorizes Cincinnati, a shocking connection begins to emerge, one that not only involves Dr. Nolan, but Reed himself. A connection more twisted and elaborate than he can imagine. Now Reed must hunt the monster down, a killer who will stop at nothing to see his diabolical plan to its final, deadly conclusion.


GLASS HEART SAVAGE by Lindsey Iler

Glass Heart Savage is a dark, bully romance set in the world of the privileged and depraved that will have you questioning everything you think you know about the boys at the top of the hill.

HAVOC. DECEIT. PRIVILEGE.
The elite come to play on the campus of Glass Heart Academy.

Palmer
My sister was their everything. I’m their nothing.
They waited three hundred and sixty-five days after her disappearance to acknowledge I’m alive.
Their wicked games should scare me.
Except they don’t know I’m not much different than her.

Marek
Palmer Weston isn’t anything like her sister.
She’s sweet and naive. There are plenty of reasons why I should keep my distance.
Except where’s the fun in that.
I’m a boy who loves his toys and I’ve kept her on the shelf long enough.
It seems someone is determined on giving Palmer the same fate as her sister.
Problem is I’ve never been good at sharing.

Warning: Glass Heart Savage is the first title in Glass Heart Academy Series. This is a series of New Adult/High School titles and recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.


BURY ME WITH LIES by SM Soto

Some secrets are better left buried…

Stuck between life and death, Mackenzie is hell-bent on proving her innocence, and getting revenge on the men who murdered her sister.

With one series of unfortunate events after another, Mackenzie must outrun her own fate—death.

When secrets unravel and lies become twisted betrayals, Mackenzie finds herself in more danger than she could’ve realized.

 

Her only saving grace is Baz, the elusive playboy she’s given her heart to.

But will placing her trust in a man like Baz be her downfall?


BOURBON ON THE ROCKS by Shari J. Ryan

Life isn’t a game.

Life isn’t an empty bottle of bourbon spinning on a warehouse floor as I hold my breath.

I feel weak when others perceive me as strong.

I’m passionate though I appear to hate the world around me.

I see beauty in all ugly things.

I feel pain when I laugh.

No one knows the truth.

Well, no one knew the truth until now.

Somehow, Brody Pearson understands more about me than anyone else in my life.

The severed connection should mean something significant, but I don’t know if I can forget all my self-proclaimed promises.


RELEASING APRIL 7


BACHELOR BOSS by Sara Ney

What is The Bachelors Club?

It’s a gentleman’s club—like the dignified men of the past used to have. Except, we’re not gentleman, and we’re not dignified.

We’re ineligible bachelors, bored, jaded and not looking for relationships. Quite the opposite actually. So committed to being single, we’ve created a high stakes bet to see who can remain single the longest…

Four days co-habitating in a shared work space shouldn’t be a big deal. It shouldn’t be distracting. But Spencer Standish saw me puking in a company trash can, and won’t let me live it down. Cheerful, aggravating Spencer, who wants me to fetch her coffee.

As if she’s the boss of me.

And now I’m stuck sharing her office.

Let’s face facts: I can’t be in a relationship; not when there’s a bet to win—not with Spencer, who loves my uncontrollable basset hound, lazy Sundays, and grilled cheese as much as I do. I refuse to fall for her.

I will be the last Bachelor standing.


CRAVE by Tracy Wolff

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy.

Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it.

Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters.

I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all.

I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega.

A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.


YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER by Sarah Hogle

For fans of The Hating Game, a debut lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about two unhappily engaged people each trying to force the other to end the relationship–and falling back in love in the process.

Naomi Westfield has an Instagram-perfect life, including the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family every bride dreams of being a part of. They never fight, complain, or disagree. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And they are miserably and utterly sick of each other.

Tired of contorting herself to fit the ridiculous standards demanded by Nicholas’s family, Naomi wants out of the relationship. But there’s a catch: Whoever calls off the engagement will have to foot the enormous bill for the wedding. When Naomi finds out that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of wills to see who can annoy the other into surrendering through pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves. They’re having so much fun getting on each other’s nerves that it starts to feel like something else entirely. As Naomi discovers hidden feelings for Nicholas buried under three years of simmering resentment, she wonders if he feels the same way. Suddenly, the countdown to the wedding that may or may not come to pass feels more like a race to mutual destruction–and Naomi doesn’t want to be left alone at the finish line.


HATE TO DATE YOU by Monica Murphy

Stella Ricci is bored.

Her overprotective family barely let her out of their sight, despite the fact she’s a grown woman. Yes, she loves her job at her family’s café and she’s the best barista in the entire Monterey Peninsula, but is that enough? She’s thinking no. But what else can she do?

Enter Carter Abbott. Burnt out after the never-ending grind of selling high end real estate in Los Angeles, he’s returned home, unsure of what to do next. He needs someplace to crash temporarily until he gets back on his feet.

It’s easy for Stella to suggest Carter move in. Temporarily of course. It’ll give her someone to talk to. The only problem?

That one night stand Stella and Carter had about a year ago. They never talked about it. They still don’t really talk about it. Despite the fact that the old chemistry has come back full force. Living together has made that obvious. Should they admit that one night wasn’t enough? Or will dating each other turn into an epic fail?

Only one way to find out…


TO HAVE AND TO HOAX by Martha Waters

In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.

 


TAKE ME HOME by Carrie Elks

A jaded rock star falls for a small-town girl in this all-new standalone romance from author Carrie Elks.

Gray Hartson is coming home after years of playing to sold-out stadiums around the world. The tattooed singer is determined to build bridges with his sick father and reconnect with the family he left behind.

But then he meets her . . . the beautiful waitress with the smart mouth who makes him laugh more than he has in years.

One small problem. She’s his ex-girlfriend’s sister. The only woman he shouldn’t want.

Maddie Clark was an awkward teenager when Gray left. Now she slings hash in a backwater diner, her dreams of being a famous concert pianist left in tatters.

Don’t ask her why. She’ll never tell. Strong women do what it takes to keep a roof over their heads.

Until he walks through the door and complicates everything.

Their attraction is wrong.

But foolish hearts never listen to reason.

Maybe he should write a song about that.

Take Me Home is the first book in the Heartbreak Brothers series of emotional standalone romances, set in the small country town of Hartson’s Creek.


WICKED EVER AFTER by Shayla Black

He’s dangerous. She’s his—even if he scares her.  But once he unravels her secrets,
he’ll risk everything to claim her for good.

Sniper Pierce “One-Mile” Walker nearly had everything he ever wanted—until a fateful mission stripped it all away. Now an outcast, he’s forced to watch the off-limits beauty who stole his heart slip through his fingers. Left with nothing but revenge, he’s determined to defeat evil and win her back. But when he learns she’s planning a future without him, he vows he’ll break every rule and defy all odds to make her his again—forever.

Brea Bell was always a good girl…until Pierce Walker. Despite everyone’s warnings, she gave the rough warrior her body—and her heart. When she receives news that shatters her world, he devastates her by walking away. Terrified of losing all she’s ever known, Brea tucks away her dreams and commits to a “safe” future. Then Pierce appears in the dead of night, challenging and seducing her. Brea isn’t sure she can trust him…but she also can’t say no.

Angry and betrayed, he leaves to pursue vengeance, while her sins are exposed to the world, forcing her to fight painful battles. Can Brea and Pierce conquer the dangers that threaten their happily ever after…or will fate wrench them apart forever?


SCORING OFF THE ICE by Stacey Lynn

Sometimes scoring off the ice leads to the greatest rewards.

I’ve had only one goal in life since I first strapped on a pair of skates—make America’s pro hockey league.

I left Denmark. I made it to the top. Now, I’m determined to be the best. No distractions. I eat, sleep, and breathe hockey.

Until my birthday when my teammates convince me to live a little.
But living a little takes on a whole new meaning when less than a year later I’m confronted with a crying baby on my doorstep, drooling on a note that declares he’s mine.

Suddenly, I’m a single dad in way over my head.
There is no playbook for situations like this.

Luckily, I have Paisley.
My gorgeous neighbor, my long-time crush, and now—my savior.
She’s there any time I need her.
Helping. Guiding. Gazing at me with those green eyes that make me feel capable of this after all.

With her at my side, I’m quickly learning there’s more to life than winning a hockey game.


BROKEN ANCHOR by Ella Miles

I’m broken.

He’s broken.

We are broken.

But sometimes you have to shatter to pick up the pieces.

 

To start over.

 

To overcome our enemies.

 

And find out if we can love again.

He’s my anchor, but can our love be repaired?

This is the final book in the Sinful Truths series.


WHEN HE’S DARK by Suzanne Wright

Cat shifter Bree Dwyer doesn’t fear much. Ironically, what she fears most is the person who was put on the Earth just for her. Your true mate wasn’t supposed to be cruel and twisted; wasn’t supposed to be someone who’d never love or want to claim you. The rumors that her true mate is dead bring her only relief. Bree’s intent on moving forward with her life and building a future with someone else. Sadly, the male she wants most is one she can never have—a hot-as-sin wolverine shifter who happens to be her boss … and the cousin of her predestined mate.

Aleksandr “Alex” Devereaux detests being bullshitted, but he’s been lying to himself for years—pretending he thinks of Bree as extended family; that he doesn’t want her so bad he aches with it; that he can’t feel himself weakening against her pull. The night they spend together changes everything. He’s done fighting himself on what he wants. Someone isn’t happy about that. Possibly the same ‘someone’ who’s playing mind games with Bree, trying to scare her. They’re succeeding, because too many leads point to the possibility that the culprit could be the one person that she’s determined to believe is dead.


ASHES by Aleatha Romig

“From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire…” ~ Robert Frost

Patrick has awakened a fire I forgot existed.

Will this renewed desire warm my soul or consume my world?
Is it too late?
Will the life we yearn to have survive the ashes?

From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance, ASHES, set in the dangerous world of Sparrow Webs. You do not need to read the Web of Sin or Tangled Web trilogy to get caught up in this new and intriguing saga, Web of Desire.

ASHES is book three of the WEB OF DESIRE trilogy that began with SPARK, continued with FLAME, and concludes in ASHES.
Have you been Aleatha’d?


 

 

 

ALWAYS ENOUGH by Kelly Elliott

The second novel in New York Times bestselling author Kelly Elliott’s Meet Me in Montana series turns up the emotion with a story about finding true love and healing broken hearts.

Grieving the loss of her fiancé two years ago, Kaylee longs for a fresh start. When she follows her best friend from Atlanta to Hamilton, Montana, Kaylee looks forward to the wild terrain and a new town to help her forget the memories and dreams of a life that will never be hers.

After a tragic car accident, Ty Shaw is told he may never walk again. But Ty doesn’t easily accept defeat, and through grit, determination, and more physical therapy than any man should ever endure, he beats the odds. Even though he’ll never ride again, Ty longs to feel alive—the way he did on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

When Kaylee meets Ty, she finds him just as captivating as the rugged landscape of Montana. When Ty is with Kaylee, he remembers just how good life can be. But can they move beyond their broken hearts and dreams to find a second chance with each other?


A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE by Darynda Jones

New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram seriesA Bad Day for Sunshine!

“Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun.” – New York Times Bestselling author Allison Brennan

“A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us.” – Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee—and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff—thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her—and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one’s got Levi, Sunshine’s sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol’s normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty—and find the kidnapper who’s terrorizing her beloved hometown—without falling head over high heels in love…or worse?


RELEASING APRIL 8


MAKE YOU MINE by Fabiola Francisco

A hate to lovers small town romance

I’ve had a fifteen-year-plan since high school—get a degree in hospitality, learn the ropes working for a big hotel, before opening my own bed and breakfast.

Eli Hastings isn’t part of that plan. The sexy-as-sin contractor I hired to renovate my bed and breakfast is the kind of man I’ve learned to stay away from.

I can’t stand him most of the time, especially when he’s interfering in my dreams like a know-it-all. That doesn’t mean I don’t imagine what it would feel like to have him pressed against me, but those fantasies are my best kept secret.

I try to hate him, but one kiss is enough to give in to my desires. Eli challenges me to live outside of my box, until one major deviation in my plan is too big to ignore. I refuse for anything to stand in the way of my dream, even if it causes me to break my own heart.


POP STAR by Eden Finley

Harley

What happens when the most successful boy band on the planet breaks up?
How about twenty thousand fans screaming my name.
But the price of fame comes with an increased risk to my safety.
I’ve been avoiding the dreaded B word for as long as I can, but after a close call with a rambunctious fan, I can’t do it anymore.
It’s time to give in.
I need to hire a full-time bodyguard.
And when he shows up, he not only screams badass, he’s another B word I try to stay away from: boyfriend material.

Brix

Protecting people is not what my company usually does, but the boss knows I need money, and the pop star is offering an insane amount to live with him and make sure no more crazy fans break into his house.
I’m doing it for the money and nothing else.
He may be the prettiest man I’ve ever seen, and I may feel sorry for the celebrity life he’s been forced into since he was a teenager, but that doesn’t mean anything.
Just because he fascinates me, that doesn’t mean I like him.
It doesn’t.
Professionalism. I’m gonna live it. Breathe it. Enforce it … Mostly.


ROYAL WATCH by Stacey Marie Brown

There are many stories about regular girls meeting a prince, falling in love, and living happily ever after…blah, blah, blah.

This is not that story.

As a lowly Baron’s daughter, I sit on the outskirts of the noble circle, watching the royal family from afar. Exactly where I’d rather be. To me that world was anything but magical or fantasy, their lives under a relentless microscope, controlled by traditions and expectations. I was the girl dreaming about becoming a veterinarian and surrounding myself with animals instead of people.

A wallflower who suddenly bloomed, I somehow nabbed the attention of the arrogant, but undeniably handsome, Theodore Alexander Philip Robert David Livingston.

The Prince of Great Victoria.

I never imagined falling in love with a prince, but I did.

When Theo comes back from the Royal Air Force with an extremely sexy, but extremely arrogant new bodyguard, Lennox Easton, everything is flipped upside down. Tattooed, mysterious, and cruel, our mutual hatred for each becomes even more complicated when I move into the palace, becoming the official girlfriend of Prince Theo, and now under Lennox’s watch.

Thrown in a society which controls my every move, social media viciously coming after me, and paparazzi looking for any juicy gossip, my world becomes a cage. Glided or not, my life becomes nothing like I imagined, I find myself turning to the very last person I should.

When family secrets start to surface from the past, old enemies come for revenge, along with black mail, forbidden love, and devastating revelations.

Everything is set to bring me down and even take my life.

I knew loving a prince would come with sacrifices, but when you give up everything …when does the fairytale become a nightmare?


RELEASING APRIL 9


EDGE OF DARKNESS by Freya Baker

Road rash and Jack meets handcuffs and street smarts.

I am a wandering disaster.
A hedonist, a lover, a son, and a rebel.

My name is Yuma.
I’m sober enough to see the need for redemption, but too blind to realize I already found it.

I am an independent seeker.
An overachiever, a friend, a misfit, and a cop.

My name is Lissie.
I’m determined enough to find acceptance, but too stubborn to see all I need is my own.

We shouldn’t get involved—all the odds are against us—but when bodies turn up on common ground and lines between duty and purpose get blurred, our future becomes clear.


HE HATES ME by Rina Kent & Isabella Starling

Once upon a time, there was a monster.

When the night falls, he comes out to harvest souls.

He’s silent and invisible —no one notices when he strikes then retreats to the shadows.

Our paths shouldn’t have crossed, but they do.

One day he sees me.

Then he can’t unsee me.

Once upon a time, there was a monster, a killer, a devil.

My stalker.

This is book is a dark stalker romance and contains dubious scenes.

He Hates Me is part of a duet and is NOT standalone. The entire duet will be released two weeks apart.


DIRTY ROCK by Vicki James

The master of the tease.
The god of rock.
Frontman of the world’s most desired band, Youth Gone Wild.
I’m Rhett Ryan, and I get what I want.

Women? They were lining up.
Money? I had enough.
Accolades? My shelves were full
Love? I didn’t have time for that.

Not until I had no choice but to pay attention to the last woman I expected to fall for.

My beautiful, sassy publicist, Julia goddamn Speed.

She was a vital part of the band’s success, and she was as off-limits as they came. I’d never wanted anything more in my life. But Julia wasn’t like the rest, and my advances only pushed her further away. She was the first woman to make me work for it, and Christ, did I suddenly want to work for it!

Even if I knew it would end in disaster.

Even if I knew there would be tears.

I was willing to play dirty to make it happen.

I just had no idea how much I’d change in the process, or how something that had once been my everything would soon become nothing because I’d jumped into the forbidden with her.

Stupid, Reckless Rhett.


ONE MOMENT PLEASE by Amy Daws

That awkward moment when an ER doctor has to inform you that you’re pregnant…with his baby.

Three things Lynsey Jones knows about the hot doctor: he’s grouchy, an arrogant jerk, and strangely obsessed with pie.

Three things Dr. Josh Richardson knows: he doesn’t talk about his past, he doesn’t do relationships, and the crazy girl in the hospital cafeteria who ate a fistful of French silk pie…is annoyingly irresistible.

After a chance meetup at a bar and a heated cab ride together, things come to a head and now instead of hating each other, they’re horizontal in a bed.

Three months later, the weird cafeteria stalker who crept out of Josh’s house like a thief in the night, winds up as his patient in the ER after her Tinder date from hell.

The doctor is prepared to keep it cool and professional. That is until her bloodwork reveals that she’s pregnant.

What really throws him for a loop…is that the surprise baby…is his.


DANGEROUS SECRET by Brooke Summers

Sometimes the enemies closer to home are the ones you have to watch out for.

Hudson’s world is rocked on its axis when Mia is kidnapped.

 

With a list of enemies a mile long, and barely any clues off where to start, Hudson’s got to figure out who’s brazen enough to take the one he loves.

As secrets are exposed and lies come to the surface, there’s only one thing that is certain: Hudson will go to any lengths to have her safe in his arms again.

Will he be able to find Mia before the time runs out or will the Kingpin bathe the streets with blood in vain?


RELEASING APRIL 10


REBELLION by Siobhan Davis

Everything changed the night he betrayed me, and now, the game has entered a new level.

Galen did me a favor, reminding me the only person I can count on is myself, and I’m more determined than ever to avenge my father’s death and avoid the destiny Sinner has mapped out for me.

Saint is used to calling the shots, but there are new rules, my rules, and if he wants me in his life, and in his bed, he’ll toe the line. They all will, because I can’t pull this off alone, and they owe me.

Sinner thinks he’s in control, but forcing me into initiation plays right into my hands. War has come to Lowell as rival gangs battle The Sainthood for ultimate power, and I enjoy rebelling from the inside, placing more obstacles in Sinner’s path while I exact my revenge.

But I’m not some innocent thirteen-year-old anymore—I have blood on my hands and lethal enemies on my tail.

I’m playing a dangerous game, especially where my heart is concerned, but there’s no turning back. I haven’t come this far to walk away empty-handed, and the more secrets we uncover, the more we realize how far-reaching the betrayal and corruption extend, and there’s no choice anymore.

The Sainthood must be taken down, and we’re the only ones who can do it.

This is book two of three and it’s not a standalone read. Due to dark themes and content, this #whychoose romance is only recommended to readers aged eighteen and older.


THE ITALIAN HEARTTHROB by N.J. Adel

Forbidden is what we are…
I was 10. You were 19.
You wanted to be a chef. My mom made you a star.
I’m 24. You’re 33.
You hold the record for the Sexiest Man Alive.
I’m still the lost, rejected, damaged girl who can’t find herself anywhere but in your protective arms.

I loved you when I was 10. I love you now.
You call me your best friend, and you still see me as a kid.
I’m 25 with a man on one knee in front of me.
You’re watching through the glass. One word from you is all I need.
But you hold a secret that can destroy us both.

I’ve known you my whole life. Loved you my whole life.
Never thought when I die, it will be because of you.

This is NOT a Mafia novel. The Italian Heartthrob is a forbidden friends to lovers standalone. The dark themes may set you in tears.
Get it now because you have to.

Review: Stealing Cinderella by A. Zavarelli

STEALING CINDERELLA
Genre:
Dark Romance
Author:
A. Zavarelli
Release Date:
April 2, 2020

Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was… me.

It should have been simple.

Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity.

But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected.

He was dark and intense and eerily quiet.

When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin.

He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again.

Then he came for me.

And he took me.

And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived.

He’s the crown prince of Norway.

And, now, I’m his captive.

AVAILABLE NOW! FREE IN KU!

AMAZON 

 

Against my better judgment, I’m here. I’m giving him two months of my life to torment me, control me, own me.

Oh this book was all sorts of yummy. Full disclosure, I don’t really bother to read blurbs when A. Zavarelli releases a new book. I already know I’ll be reading this. But when I realized this was a modern-day retelling of Cinderella with a dark twist, I’m pretty sure my need for this book became rabid.

He’s a beautiful terror. A hypnotic aura of black and red. I’ve never wanted anything so much.

I love the inner workings of this woman’s brain that allows her to come up with these captivating anti-heroes. And when said anti-heroes are in place of prince charming? Sign me the hell up!

Ella tragically lost her father in the worst way possible, only to be left behind with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters that live to make her life hell. Forced into an almost servitude existence with them, Ella will do anything to escape their ire. Admittedly, I was frustrated with her at first. I like my heroines with a backbone, and seeing Ella take everything these women threw at her was painful. Then I had to talk myself off the ledge and remind myself that this IS Cinderella we’re talking about. And then I was even more pleasantly surprised to see Ella really grow into her own and develop a spine of steel.

His is a high that a chemical can’t give me. A force of nature true to his namesake. He is the God of Thunder.

Thorsen is the anti-thesis to the prince Charmings out there. The man is cold, aloof, and being the oldest twin brother, he’s up to take the throne after his father. His childhood has been anything but sweet, and made the man he is today. His beloved mother is dying and his cruel father that he can barely tolerate is threatening him to marry for duty. Then a charity ball allows him to set eyes on a mysterious beauty, and his obsession begins. When he finally discovers her, he’ll stop at nothing to have her. Even if he has to trap her, kidnap her, and keep her at his beck and call. GAH. DELICIOUS.

I loved how Zavarelli made this story her own while also keeping true to the bones of the Cinderella tale. It was sinfully sexy, deliciously gritty, and oh so dark and depraved. I devoured this book in one sitting. I loved Thor in all of his dark depravity. The man is sin personified and I couldn’t get enough of his tortured self. I loved watching Ella give as good as she got even when the odds were stacked against her. I especially loved watching Thor fall deeper and deeper under Ella’s spell, no matter how much he fought it.

If you like your fairy tales with a modern day dark twist, this book is simply not to be missed! 

 

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli:

Facebook Page | Facebook Reader Group | Instagram | Twitter | Mailing List | Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub 

 

 

Excerpt & Review: Pike by TM Frazier

PIKE
Series: The Pawn Duet #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: March 24, 2020

Pike, the first dark and fast-paced story in The Pawn Duet from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier, is available now!

I was raised by the violent laws of the streets, spilling blood without the hindrance of useless emotions or connections.

Unfeeling. Unloved. Alone.

My life was perfect.

Until her.

While on a manhunt for a mysterious enemy, one hellbent on taking both my business and my life, I find Mickey. She’s covered in mud, rambling nonsense, and clearly out of her mind.

She’s also a distraction I don’t need.

That is until I discover a connection between the girl and my enemy.

Mickey isn’t a distraction anymore.

She’s the perfect weapon.

One I’ll use to exact my revenge.

The plan is an easy one, but there’s something about Mickey that’s making it more and more difficult.

A familiarity I can’t place. A need I can’t explain.

A want I have to deny.

After all, she’s not mine to keep. She’s a tool. My pawn.

My sacrifice.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO 

Pre-order Pawn, the stunning conclusion, today!

Releasing April 28th

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

I raise the gun in both hands, aiming it at his chest. “I have to go. You can’t stop me,” I say, with all the resolve I have left. “You’re going to trade me and ambush them, but don’t you think they have the same plans for you? I have to go, and that way, fewer people will die. YOU won’t die. So, just let me leave. I have a plan. It will work. I’ll take them down for both of us.”“No.” Pike looks from me to the gun. “And as I’ve told you before, you’re not going anywhere.” His words are dark and menacing. An amused smile turns up the corners of his lips.

It’s infuriating. He’s infuriating.

I straighten my shoulders. “What’s so funny?” I ask, swallowing down the rising fear in my throat. I remind myself of one important fact to keep from choking on that fear.

I’m the one holding the gun.

Instead of freezing or retreating as one would do in this situation, Pike takes a bold step forward, catching me off guard. I stagger backward, but I’m not fast enough. He reaches out, and at first, I think he’s going for the weapon, but he doesn’t. He confuses me as he wraps his hands around mine, tightening my grip around the gun. He lifts my hands and bends slightly at the waist, forcefully pressing the barrel against his forehead. “You wanna shoot me, Mic? Then, fucking shoot me,” he dares, with wild blood shoot eyes.

My mouth drops open, but words don’t come out. I expected Pike to defend himself. To come at me. To step aside and let me leave, even though it was the least possible of all the outcomes. I didn’t plan for this.

I can do this. I have to do this.

“Not what you were expecting?” His tone is both mocking and rage-filled. “I know what that pretty brain of yours is thinking. You want me to attack you and make pulling the trigger easier on that conscious of yours.” He bites out a laugh. “Not gonna happen. If you want to do this, I’m not going to stand in your way, but you’re not fucking leaving either. So, come on. Shoot me. Go ahead. Do what you planned to do.” His eyes narrow with determination. My hands shake in his. “Pull the fucking trigger!”

The air around us is thick and charged. My skin breaks out in a sheen of sweat. My adrenaline spikes and I feel all too alert. Too aware of what’s taking place between us.

I grip the gun tighter and gaze into his dark eyes, his pupils are large and covering every hint of color within them. Behind the anger and determination, there’s something else that I didn’t expect. Something that I’m all too familiar with. Hurt. Pain that mirrors my own. Desperation that calls out to me like a piece of my soul trapped within Pike.

“Shoot me!” he cries, his face red with anger, teeth bared like a wild animal. “Fucking shoot me!”

With those words, my fiery resolve dissolves into ash.

I step back, needing to put some distance between us, but Pike doesn’t have the same thought. He follows me backward, keeping his grip tight on my hands and the gun between them.

“I…I can’t do this,” I whisper, releasing my grip on the gun.

Pike releases his hold on me, catching the gun before it can fall to the floor.

Shit.

I look to the window, but it’s too high, and Pike is directly in front of the only door. There’s no escape. So much for being brave. Instead, I’ve signed my own death warrant. My heart races erratically with the realization that this is it. It’s over.

I’m over.

“This was a really stupid fucking move for someone who claims to be so smart, ” Pike sneers. He raises the gun.

I pinch my eyes shut, waiting for the feel the bullet of his wrath to pierce my skin. I hear a thud, and my eyes fly open and land on the carpet where Pike’s tossed the gun to the floor.

My eyes meet his in silent question. Why?

He answers by charging, a one-man stampede I can’t avoid as he barrels toward me. His chest crashes against mine, and my head connects with the wall with a thud that rattles my bones. I’m dizzy as fear lands in my gut like a ball of fire. My pulse races as his closeness consumes me. The smell of cologne and cigarettes lingers between us—a trace of whiskey on his breath.

“You’re going to regret not pulling that trigger,” he sneers. The darkness in Pike’s eyes tells me that, gun or no gun, I’m not getting out of this unpunished.

Or possibly even alive.

I swallow hard.

He cages me in with his hands against the wall beside me, engulfing me in the heat and rage radiating from his hard body. I feel his heart beating fast beneath his chest now pressed against mine. “What to do with you now?” Pike muses, his breath ragged. His voice full of promise and warning. He brushes his lips over my temple. I tremble at the contact. “You’re going to pay for that little stunt, Mic.”

He’s close. Too close. I’m entirely rigid, frozen in place. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did I let this happen? I’m the most terrified I’ve ever been, and yet there’s something else I can’t understand. Something else between us that’s charging the air, causing me to shake, and it’s not just from fear. Hatred mixed with need. The yearning I’ve denied for him is no longer lying dormant. It’s as real as the ache growing in my stomach, the wetness between my thighs. If I thought the room felt charged before, it’s damn near on fire now. The flames of desire and hate lick at the walls around us, setting everything ablaze, making the small room feel smaller, closing in around us.

My nipples harden as they brush against his chest. I suck in a gasp.

He doesn’t miss my reaction. He looks to where my nipples are straining against my shirt with heated eyes.

The only sound in the room is our mutual heavy breathing as he slowly pulls his gaze from my chest. His eyes lock on mine. For a few seconds, we just stare at each other—foreheads lined with confusion and anger.

A silent dare.

My mind, on the other hand, is anything but silent.

“Should I kill you or fuck you?” he muses. And I’m honestly not sure what scares me more. His anger or his desire. He brushes the backs of his knuckles against my jaw. “Maybe, both.”

“What do you—” I don’t have time to finish my question because his lips are on mine. He hoists me in the air, and my legs wrap around his waist on instinct.

It’s an angry joining of clacking teeth and biting lips. A war we are still fighting both with each other and ourselves. He growls at me when I pierce his lip, drawing blood. He licks the blood with his tongue then kisses me again, this time harder. A punishing kiss that has me growling at him in return. His coppery blood on my tongue tastes like victory. He licks his way between my lips, pushing his tongue into my mouth, licking and devouring with rough determined strokes. With a jerk of his hips, he presses the massive erection beneath his jeans between my legs, the pleasure that courses through me has me momentary seeing stars. I grind down on him in return.

He hisses in response, baring his teeth against my lips. “You’re going to pay for that, Mic,” he warns, taking my mouth in another kiss that has us grunting and growling at one another like starved animals fighting over the last scrap of food. But neither of us is about to give up. He pushes me back onto the bed, falling with me over my body, my legs splayed on both sides of his hips as he presses his cock again between my legs. I arch my back, needing to feel more. Needing for there to be nothing between us but desire. For each other, and to win. But, this is no longer a game we’re playing. It’s a battle. A war neither of us can win.

But, one in which we will both go down fighting.


Pike (The Pawn Duet, #1)Pike by T.M. Frazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 STARS


When it comes to this girl, my instincts are at war. One tells me to punish. The other to protect. Only one can win.

It’s been a hot minute since I read a TM Frazier book and I can’t even tell you why. I love this woman’s brand of gritty and she knows how to deliver one deliciously dark romance that keeps you glued to the pages from beginning to finish.


Pike and I aren’t at war. We never were. We are what’s left over after the battle’s already been lost on both sides. We’re not soldiers. We’re carnage.

Pike and Mickey’s story absolutely owned me. Pike is not a good guy by any means. He’s a criminal who’s not above violence and torture to get what he wants. His past has painted his present, and he has no qualms about who he is.

Mickey is a survivor. The more you learn about her the more your heart breaks for everything that she’s been through. But it also makes you appreciate her tenacity and thirst for revenge. This is a woman that’s not afraid to fight her own battles and I loved that about her.

The story itself unravels almost like a movie reel before your eyes. Full of twists and turns it had me absolutely riveted. Pike was an anti-hero that I loved to hate and hate to love. He was perfection wrapped in barbed wire. I loved seeing all my previous faves (Preppy!! How I missed him) and many others make a cameo here.

There’s so much that happens and so much that’s left unanswered. Of course all of it is wrapped up with a killer cliffy that has you begging for more and desperate for the next book.

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world.

T.M. enjoys writing what she calls ‘sexy wrong side of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines.

Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay.

She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she’s not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

Facebook: http://bit.ly/TMFRAZIERBOOKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JWHAv8

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Join Frazierland:http://bit.ly/frazierland

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Twitter: @TM_Frazier

Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

For Text Alerts: TEXT “TMFRAZIER” TO 77948

*Standard text messaging rates apply*

New & Upcoming Releases: March 30

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


SECOND CHANCE SPRING by Delancey Stewart

Sometimes love makes plans for you while you’re busy making plans of your own…

Finding myself over thirty and divorced, living in the same small town where I grew up, was not exactly the fast track to personal success. So I took action.

I landed a job with a bigger practice in a big city where I’d find more opportunities at work, and hopefully in my social life. I was ready to move on.

But when Cormac Whitewood and his adorable daughters came into my life, suddenly my big plans didn’t seem so shiny and exciting. Suddenly, I was finding myself drawn to the lonely widower, wishing for more time with him.

The thing is, Cormac made it clear he wasn’t over his late wife—and I’d never force my way into someone else’s family. Besides, I’d already made my plans.

So why do they feel so wrong?

Second Chance Spring is a full-length novel with an HEA about second chances, spring, and taxidermy. Okay, not really. It’s about the plans life makes for us while we’re busy making plans for ourselves, and it’s full of snort laughs, touching moments, cake, and maybe a kangaroo or two.


ROUGH EDGE by Lauren Landish

This ain’t no love triangle.
This is people not knowing when to let fate do its thing.

Brody Tannen has been the boss for way too long, putting everyone’s needs above his own.
It’s the way his family farm stood while fate took shot after shot against them.
But now he’s got a chance to figure things out for himself.

Everyone keeps pushing him one way, but deep down he knows which way he should go.
Towards her… Erica Cole, the rough and rowdy woman that’s always been one of the guys.
Except to him.

Brody loves her inappropriate humor and smudges of grease on her cheeks.
He wants nothing more than to be the one who cracks her exterior shell to find the sweetness he’s sure is inside.

Erica Cole has been in a man’s world her entire life.
First in the military, and now, taking over her dad’s mechanic shop.
She’s not the sugar and spice girly type that guy’s normally go for.
She’s grease and engines, snark and bite, responsibilities and expectations.

So when Brody Tannen sets his sights on her, Erica doesn’t know how to handle it.
Not when everyone else thinks she’s destined for a man that does nothing for her.
Erica can’t say the same for the broody, cocky cowboy that saunters into the shop though.
Brody’s tall, dark, and won’t give up, which is a problem because Erica desperately wants to know what’s lurking beneath his hungry gaze.
Even if she should stay far away from the heat he promises.

They both know what they want, but can they stand strong against those who think they know better to get the happily ever after they deserve?


BEYOND HIS CONTROL by Clarissa Wild

Her heart. Her duty.

My biggest mistake was seeking out Noah.
He wants to own me.
Ruin me.
He took me to his home, a community he rules called ‘The Family’.
Just so I could become his wife.
When I find out who he truly is … who I’m supposed to be…
I run.
But this man is no man you could ever run from.
This man will come to claim my heart… forever.

Beyond His Control is the sequel to the exciting Dark Romance & Psychological Suspense Under His Rule by New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Clarissa Wild. This is the last installment in this duet.

WARNING: This book includes scenes that may be disturbing to some readers.


RELEASING MARCH 31


 

FATE by Helen Hardt

Bradford Steel never believed in fate…until he met the girl of his dreams.

As sole heir to the Steel ranch and fortune, Brad knows what his future holds. He’ll marry and have children, but he’s not cut out for love. Fate has other plans, though, when he meets college freshman Daphne Wade—an innocent and beautiful young woman who loves sunrises, animals, and the color yellow.

Daphne is on her own for the first time, and she vows to make the most of every minute. Never again will she fall victim to the anxiety and depression that plagued her through high school. Instead, she’ll treasure the joy in even the most mundane and live her life to its fullest. When handsome senior Brad Steel shows an interest in her, she gathers her courage and dives in.

Their relationship moves more quickly than either of them expect, and before long, fate blooms into love. Brad is determined to eliminate all the obstacles in their way and protect Daphne. It’s a promise he’ll ultimately keep…no matter the cost.


THE REDEMPTION by Nikki Sloane

Once, the name Macalister Hale was uttered in the boardroom with respect. Now, it’s whispered in disgrace at cocktail parties hosted by Boston’s elite.

Scandal nearly destroyed me, but the one thing larger than my infamy is my bank account, and I’ve learned money can solve anything.

Well—almost anything.

Sophia Alby’s preferred currency is secrets and the way she trades information puts Wall Street to shame.

This girl charges into my life and claims a partnership can restore my reputation. My downfall was swift, but with her, my climb to redemption will be greater.

Our arrangement is professional. Appropriate. It has to be, because she’s half my age. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting . . .

To move on. To control and indulge in her. To hear the name Macalister Hale echo in her breathy moans.

But I can’t. Giving in to temptation led to my undoing before, and I won’t survive it a second time.


HOME WITH YOU by  Liza Kendall

 

Anything is possible in Silverlake, Texas when love takes the reins…

Rhett Braddock swore to himself that he’d never return to Silverlake. But when the opportunity arises to buy a piece of his lost, happier youth, he’s drawn to the community–and the family–he once loved. Mending fences might not be as hard as he thought–until he ends up in bed with his best friend’s sister.

Julianna Holt is over Rhett Braddock. So what if he’s a self-made billionaire? His less than flattering dash the morning after they spent the night together made it clear he wants nothing to do with her. Besides, she has her horses and the Holt stables to save.

So when Rhett buys the Holt property as a favor to her brother, Jules makes him feel as welcome as a skunk at a garden party … but is it possible that Rotten Rhett isn’t so rotten after all? Or is the Texas heat melting her resolve to hate him?


A HOPE CITY DUET by Kris MichaelsMaryann Jordan

One City…Countless Stories.

A new series begins with two full-length books by two USA Today Authors

Brock – Book 1

It had taken five years for Detective Kallie Redman to become emotionally and psychologically available after her cop-husband devastated their marriage and her career. The Hope City Police Department offered her a new beginning and over a thousand miles between her old life and her new. Being partnered with Brock King didn’t hurt either. He was smart, generous—and too sexy for words.

Placed under a microscope and intense pressure to solve a high-profile murder, homicide detective Brock King didn’t need or want a new partner. He managed his stress-filled life via sleep deprivation, a metabolism fueled by sugar and caffeine, and an all-consuming passion for his job. He had little time for anything else—and he was soul-tired of that wash-rinse-dry-repeat cycle. He’d written off finding a woman who’d put up with the odd hours, physical danger, and emotional stress of his job—until Kallie Redman. The woman was wicked sharp, ran on caffeine, and rocked one smoking hot body.

Unfortunately, the profession they chose had a way of grinding people into the ground, and the high-profile nature of this murder case guaranteed scrutiny from the press, the victim’s extremely wealthy family and politicians at the highest levels. He’d begun to question if he’d have a job at the end––or a shot at a life with Kallie.

Sean – Book 2
The last thing arson detective Sean McBride expected while entrenched in the ongoing investigation of a serial arsonist was to meet a feisty insurance company fire investigator. But when she landed at his feet, breaking her wrist, he had more on his mind than just finding the elusive fire-starter. Picking her out of the ashes was easy. Needing to work with her…not so much.
Harper Walsh was stunned when the handsome detective insisted on taking her to the ER…even more stunned when he suggested they work together. But the stoic detective gave mixed messages…did he want her arson experience or something more?
Finding a woman who understood the demands of his job quickly had their partnership grow into love. He even introduced her to his large, crazy, but loveable family. But the arsonist was not as hidden as they suspected, and Harper gets too close to danger before Sean has a chance to smoke him out.
Will Sean be able to save Harper before the arsonist goes up in flames, taking her with him?

Scenes and language similar to an R-Rated movie. 18+ readers only. 


IMAGINE ME by Tahereh Mafi

The explosive finale to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series.

Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie?

Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated.

As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur.

And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control.

The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming.

But she may not get to choose what side she fights on.


BADGER TO THE BONE by Shelly Laurenston

USA Today Bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of the Year Selection

“When it comes to combining offbeat humor and mayhem, it is tough to beat Laurenston.”
RT Book Reviews
 
She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly . . .

Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has.

But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome jaguar shifter into her world and show him everything he’s been missing out on. A move that might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done once she realizes how far her enemies will go to wipe her out. Too bad for them Zé is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive . . . and honey badgers are just so damn hard to kill!


CODE NAME: HACKER by Sawyer Bennett

I’m not the same Bebe Grimshaw I was years ago. The woman I was spent years behind the bars of the highest security women’s prison in the nation, my punishment for hacking nuclear codes as part of a crime syndicate I’d gotten in way too deep with. The woman I am today doesn’t regret what I did, or the fact that I got caught, but I am remorseful for the years I lost with my son, Aaron. Released from my sentence early thanks to Kynan McGrath, I joined his team at Jameson Force Security and now put my skills to use helping people.

I’m just trying to get back a piece of what I lost, focusing solely on raising Aaron and my work at Jameson. As long as I have my son and my career, I’m content. But life has a funny way of letting you know exactly what you need, and when a devastatingly handsome stranger named Griffin befriends Aaron at the park, I have to consider I might be missing something. A part of me that was locked away long ago reawakens, and I find myself looking at Griff in a way I’ve not looked at a man in more than a decade.

Just when I think things are starting to look up, my world is turned upside down. Turns out that meeting wasn’t an accident, and things aren’t going my way at all.

Griffin Moore is the man sent here to kill me.


DEAR ENEMY by Kristen Callihan

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan comes a smart, emotional contemporary romance about finding love with the most unlikely of people.

As kids, they hated each other. Macon Saint was beautiful, but despite his name, Delilah knew he was the devil. That he dated her slightly evil sister, Samantha, was no picnic either. When they broke up, it was a dream come true: Delilah never had to see him again.

Ten years later, her old enemy sends a text.

Delilah’s sister has stolen a valuable heirloom from Macon, now a rising Hollywood star, and he intends to collect his due. One problem: Sam has skipped town.

Sparks still sizzle between Macon and Delilah, only this heat feels alarmingly like unwanted attraction. But Delilah is desperate to keep her weak-hearted mother from learning of her sister’s theft. So she proposes a deal: she’ll pay off the debt by being Macon’s personal chef and assistant.

It’s a recipe for disaster, but Macon can’t stop himself from accepting. Even though Delilah clearly hates him, there’s something about her that feels like home. Besides, they’re no longer kids, and what once was a bitter rivalry has the potential to be something sweeter. Something like forever.


BEAUTIFUL VENGEANCE by Kaylea Cross

They made her into the perfect weapon.

Kiyomi Tanaka is the final piece needed to unlock the deadly threat stalking the remaining Valkyries. After years of sacrifice as the ultimate femme fatale, she’s prepared to give up everything to find justice. But suddenly that’s not such an easy choice anymore, because now she has more to lose than she ever thought possible: her freedom, the family she’s always longed for…and the wounded warrior who’s stolen her heart.

Now she’s coming after them.

Marcus Laidlaw survived captivity, torture and certain death because of a Valkyrie. Now his solitary existence has been turned upside down by a team of them determined to hunt down the corrupt government officials who stole their lives. He’ll do whatever he can to protect them, but there’s one Valkyrie he’d do anything for—a brave, beautiful survivor who showed him what it means to live again. And when the unknown threat hovering over them is finally revealed, Marcus will be forced to do the unthinkable to save the woman he loves.


THE INFINITE ONION by Alice Archer

The truth is harder to hide when someone sharp starts poking around.

Grant Eastbrook hit the ground crawling after his wife kicked him out. Six months later, in Seattle without a job or a place to live, he escapes to the woods of nearby Vashon Island to consider his options. When he’s found sleeping outdoors by a cheerful man who seems bent on irritating him to death, Grant’s plans to resuscitate his life take a peculiar turn.

Oliver Rossi knows how to keep his fears at bay. He’s had years of practice. As a local eccentric and artist, he works from his funky home in the deep woods, where he thinks he has everything he needs. Then he rescues an angry man from a rainy ditch and discovers a present worth fighting the past for.

Amid the buzz of high summer, unwelcome attraction blooms on a playing field of barbs, defenses, and secrets.

Standalone romance novel. HEA.


MUM’S THE WORD by Staci Hart

Bestselling author Staci Hart is back with a brand new romantic comedy and clever spin on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Meet the Bennet brothers, get to know Longbourne, and fall in love in this steamy forbidden romance.

Falling in love with a Bennet is not an option.

My mother has summoned me home to take my place at Bower Bouquets, and as the heiress, I’m expected to do as I’m told. I’m expected to sit by her side as she does her best to decimate the Bennet family and their flower shop, Longbourne. I’m expected to play by her rules, or she’ll ruin me too.

But the day I crash into Marcus Bennet changes everything.

And the kiss seals the deal.

If my mother finds out, I’ll lose everything—my family, my life, my security. Worse, she’ll make sure the Bennets pay for my mistakes.

Falling in love with a Bennet is not an option.

But I might not have a choice.


A ROYAL MISTAKE by Piper Rayne

He’s not your average Joe from the corner bar.
He’s the heir to the crown.

I should know, I’ve followed him for years.
Not in a stalkerish way. Magazines and online gossip blogs are fair game when you’re royalty.
But I do know every detail about him, down to the brand of boxer briefs he wears.

All my studying of the man who plays a starring role in my dreams pays off when I win a dinner with him. As if that wasn’t enough, he barters a deal with me that has him moving into my spare guest room.

I forgot that fairy tales don’t exist though because just as I’m about to get everything I want, including the prince, I find out there’s someone in Prince Adrian Marx’s life I don’t know—his fiancée.


RELEASING APRIL 1


LEGACY OF LIES by Whitney G

We’re in this together—lie for lie, truth for truth.

We’ve both been damaged by our pasts, both terrified of building a future…

 

Still, there’s a sliver of hope for the both of us—if one of us is willing to fold first.

 

He’s the king of lies, I’m the queen, and together we’re going to build one hell of a legacy…

 

*This is the final installment in the Empire of Lies trilogy. *


DARK PRINCE by Michelle Hercules

There are only two ways a human can cross the gates of Bloodstone Institute: as a familiar to one of the Blueblood vampires who attend the elite school or as a snack.

I’m neither, but I have to get in at all costs. My brother made a big mistake, and now I have to fix it by stealing from the most powerful and cruel vampire to ever come to Bloodstone, Lucca Della Morte. If that wasn’t almost suicidal, I need to get it done before the spell concealing my human nature wears off.

But I forget that I’m only pretending to be a vampire. I’m still human and susceptible to Lucca’s dangerous allure. His darkness calls to my soul. His savagery makes my blood sing. I’m falling for the dark prince, craving him in a visceral way that’s frightening and exciting at the same time.

If he discovers my secret, he’ll destroy me. And yet, I can’t help wanting to get closer. I never thought I had a death wish until I met him.


CHANGING LANES by Season Vining

Stella Locke is starting over. After an ugly divorce, she picks up her Southern roots and transplants to upstate New York where the air is crisp and no one knows her name. She’s an enthusiastic reader and just so happens to pick the quaint little spot where her favorite author lives. The small town of Grace welcomes Stella with open arms, a new job, and a smoking hot neighbor.

Lane Holder is a bit mysterious with his midnight jogs and brazen flirting. He’s got an adorable corgi named Chap who immediately steals Stella’s heart. In time, Stella is blown away by Lane’s charm, maturity, and undeniable interest in her. Being out of the dating game for 20 years has filled her with self-doubt and the hurt endured from her marriage has made her want to keep that part of her past hidden. Still, Lane convinces her to take a chance on him.

Their relationship is a slow, steamy burn that seems to be building toward something special and permanent. But as with any relationship built on secrets, one wrong move and it all could come crashing down.


ACROSS ETERNITY by Elizabeth O’Roark

The exciting conclusion to Across Time!

 

 

Separated from Henri by 20 years, Amelie discovers that what she thought was a weakness may be her greatest strength, and that nothing about her family and her gift is what it seemed.

 

 

 

 

Now, with war on the horizon and a challenge she never saw coming, Amelie will learn what the prophecy really means for them—herself most of all.


RELEASING APRIL 2


EASY THIS TIME by JH Croix

Nash Reynolds is the man of many dreams. Just not mine.

He checks off plenty of boxes. Wealthy, brilliant, hot, and with a southern drawl that makes my toes curl.

Oops. Not my toes.

I don’t need a man. I most definitely don’t need Nash Reynolds. He might’ve come along at a time when I could use a distraction, but the answer is still no.

My ex taught me plenty of lessons. The most important one: never count on any man to treat me right.

I’m smart woman, and I learn from my mistakes, so I’m not about to fall for Nash. Not his Southern charm, not his way-too-hot for my eyes good, not his touch … Just no.

Okay, maybe he does make my toes curl and make me wonder about things a girl shouldn’t be wondering about. Maybe he helps me out at a time when I really need it. Maybe, just maybe, he shows me he might be worth it.


SOUTHERN STORMS by Brittainy C. Cherry- buy link TBA

All I wanted to do was run away, I never expected to crash into his arms…

After leaving the city life behind to escape my loveless marriage, I moved to small town Havenbarrow for a fresh start.

What I didn’t expect was to find myself drawn to the town’s black sheep.

They called him troubled. Cold. A man with a dark past.

What everyone seemed to miss about Jax was the splashes of light in his eyes. The random acts of kindness he performed when no one was watching. The way he made me smile and laugh.

Jax helped unpack the baggage I’d been carrying around with me. He was patient with my pain and gentle with my scars. He was the stillness during my hurricane.

Yet when both of our pasts came back to haunt our present days, we realized quickly that sometimes love stories didn’t end the way we’d hoped.

Sometimes you were left with only the damage from the storm.

*Book One in New Compass Series of Standalone Novels.
Coming April 2nd, 2020.*


STEALING CINDERELLA by A. Zavarelli- buy link TBA

Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was… me.

It should have been simple.

Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity.

But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected.

He was dark and intense and eerily quiet.

When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin.

He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again.

Then he came for me.

And he took me.

And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived.

He’s the crown prince of Norway.

And, now, I’m his captive.

 

 

 


RELEASING APRIL 3


REGRETTING You by JL Beck &  C. Hallman

Once upon a time she was my sister’s best friend.

I’d always wanted her to be mine, that is until the night everything changed and my love morphed into pure hatred.

Now I’m a vile bastard with a chip on his shoulder. Cruel black hate is all I know. My only focus *ucking my way through Blackthorn’s elite women and partying.

Then she shows up at Blackthorn. She’s different now, quiet and reserved, but just as beautiful as she was the day she disappeared.

One look and my focus changes. I decided then that my time for revenge is now. No way does she get to enjoy herself. No, I’m going to make her life hell. Destroy her from the inside out.

I’m going to make her regret ever walking my way, because if it wasn’t for her…my sister would still be alive.

**This is a standalone DARK bully romance. This book contains scenes that may be triggering to some readers. This is not a YA romance novel and should be read by those only 18+ or older. **

 

 

RELEASING APRIL 4

 

 

 

 

 

RELEASING APRIL 5


WHERE THE TRUTH LIVES by Mia Sheridan- buy link TBA

When the director of a local mental health hospital is found murdered and mutilated, Homicide Detective Reed Davies is first on scene. What was done to the body is gruesome. Inexplicable. But Reed is dealt another curveball when he finds that the doctor who discovered the victim is someone Reed is intimately familiar with—a woman with whom he shared one passionate night weeks before.

Dr. Elizabeth Nolan is somehow tangled up in the crime, and even while Reed must now question her possible involvement, he can’t help being drawn to the beautiful, enigmatic woman.

As more bodies appear and the devious killer terrorizes Cincinnati, a shocking connection begins to emerge, one that not only involves Dr. Nolan, but Reed himself. A connection more twisted and elaborate than he can imagine. Now Reed must hunt the monster down, a killer who will stop at nothing to see his diabolical plan to its final, deadly conclusion.

The follow-up to Where the Blame Lies Where the Truth Lives is a gripping, page-turning, romantic thriller that will leave you gasping for breath.

 

Review: Queen of Lies by Whitney G.

QUEEN OF LIES
Series: Empire of Lies #2
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney
Release Date: February 17, 2020

Book 2 in the Empire of Lies trilogy.

 

The twists and turns in Michael & Meredith’s story continue…

The woman I fell in love with is a walking contradiction…

She’s sexy as hell, yet infuriating.

Hopelessly in love with me, but carefully plotting to get the hell away.

She honestly thinks that I’m the ‘king of lies’?

Well, she f-cking fooled you…

 

She’s the queen.

AMAZON 

She was a mere chapter in my book and this is our final page. No happily ever after included.

I’ll keep this short and sweet. I devoured the first book. I was so sucked into this story, it’s not even funny. It had the delicious vibes of the Whitney G books I fell in love with in Reasonable Doubt: Full Series.

I devoured this too, but it was also missing something. Ultimately, with the short length of these books, I was hoping that each installment would offer more depth. But that wasn’t quite the case here. The story continues to move forward, but it’s too quick paced. I struggled with buying into the connection between Michael and Meredith. There’s simply not enough meat here for me to get fully invested. The bones are there. But it’s missing quite a bit of backstory. I’m hoping the final installment will bring that, but I just couldn’t help but feel this one merely grazed the surface of what it could have been

Review: King of Lies by Whitney G.

QUEEN OF LIES
Series:
Empire of Lies #1
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney
Release Date: January 30, 2020

The man I fell in love with is a f*cking liar…

I don’t have much time to reveal all the details, but I will say this: The “Woman disappears after wedding” and “Woman flees before honeymoon” headlines are lying.

I’m not missing.

I didn’t run away after my wedding.

I would’ve never run away right before our scheduled honeymoon.

My husband has taken me.

No, correction: He’s kidnapped me because he claims that “it’s what’s best”. That I’m a mere pawn in his twisted game of chess.

Despite the fact that my heart is still tethered to his, or the fact that he’s still the most gorgeous and beautiful man I’ve ever met in my life (he can still make me wet with a single sentence), I have to focus on getting away from him.

I have to accept that he’s no longer the man I fell in love with.

He’s the king of lies

AMAZON 

The man I married no longer exists. The king of my heart is long gone, and he wears a new name. He’s the king of lies.

Heed the warning! The author makes it very clear that this is a different book than what we’re used to from her and ends on a major cliff. She ain’t lying, people. This is certainly edgier than anything I’ve read of hers in the past. And having read her entire backlist, I really do mean that. It also held notes of the vintage Whitney G that I’ve missed since reading Reasonable Doubt and Turbulence.

The story features a mysterious and enigmatic anti-hero with a sexual prowess that practically sparks off of the pages. And you know I’m all about that! This is a somewhat short read and the story is broken into what’s planned to be a trilogy. It doesn’t look like we’re going to have to wait long between books either with the next one releasing in March.

Now what can I tell you without disclosing any spoilers for you? Umm…almost nothing. *sheepish grin*

I’ll tell you that I read this in one sitting. The story seems a bit convoluted at first, but Whitney brings a lot of the pieces together at the end while still leaving you desperate for answers. It’s told in alternating POVs with parts in present and the rest in the past leading up to the current events. The story is fed to the reader in short somewhat hazy glimpses. The anti-hero is deliciously dirty, as only Whitney knows how to deliver. We know next to nothing about him, except for the few small bits that are slowly disclosed.

The heroine is pretty easy to like from the very beginning. Perhaps because she’s so open about her sexuality. She’s been in a bit of a dry spell and isn’t above using Tinder to find a spark that will keep her warm for a night. She’s also an heiress that gave it all up to live a life of her own, until everything as she knows it comes crashing down when a short affair with a gorgeous stranger turns her work upside down.

It’s tough to rate this one with so many questions still up in the air, but it kept me glued to the pages and left me desperate for more. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Review & Excerpt: Mating Theory by Skye Warren

MATING THEORY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: March 17

A Trust Fund Standalone Novel by New York Times bestselling author, Skye Warren

Billionaire Sutton Mayfair has nothing left to lose…

My best friend is getting married to the woman I love. They say the nice guy finishes last. So what’s the point of being a goddamn gentleman?

Maybe I should take what I want.

Even that sexy little thing on the street corner.

She needs a hot meal and a place to sleep. Instead I’m taking her home to soothe the savage beast inside me. I was born a bastard, and for the first time in my life I act like one.

Except the more I use her, the more I need her.

I didn’t know I had someone left to lose.

But for a single heartbeat, I had her.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO 

 

“Which one broke your heart?”I couldn’t describe the sledgehammer I’d taken to the brain when I met Christopher in a dimly lit private club. Too dark to be called lust or even love. Competitive and all-consuming. I couldn’t describe the desire that slammed through me when I met his stepsister.

There was no way I could choose between them, but it had not been a choice. They wanted each other. Electricity crackled in the air whenever they were in the same room.

Well, I could be happy for them.

That’s what a good man would do. A gentleman, and I’ve worked so fucking hard to pretend that’s what I am. Until the liquor stripped my skin away. Until this girl sat beside me, asking which one broke my heart. She watches me with clear eyes, her gaze impossibly wise. What does she see?

“Both of them.”

A sympathetic sound that feels like a stroke to my cock.

She doesn’t look shocked that I fell for a man, even though it shocked the hell out of me. I questioned my sexuality, fought with it—lost myself to it. Wanting Harper did not diminish wanting Christopher.

There’s something worldly in that dark gaze. Any other day I would find out what.

Tonight, I don’t care. She isn’t a person with wants and dreams and needs of her own. I’m going to use her body the same way they used mine. I’m going to take what they took from me.

“Your name,” I say, though it doesn’t really matter.

“Ashleigh.” She sounds uncertain for the first time tonight, her name drawn out into two parts. Ash, like the soot in a fireplace. And leigh, leigh, leigh. She’s beautiful, and I’m wasted.

“Come here, Ashleigh.” Except I don’t give her a chance to come here. She might use it to leave, to disappear down that metal staircase where I can’t follow.

My hand wraps behind her neck, pulling her close. My lips are harsh against hers, hungry and hard. I want to punish her for the emptiness inside me, except when she makes a little sound of fright, it fills me up with something else. Pleasure like black velvet, the kind of darkness I want to stroke my fingers over, back and forth, to feel the fibers pull against me.

Her shuddery breaths are like water, and I drink and drink. My tongue slides against hers. It’s a graphic act, this kiss. More obscene than actual sex could be. More invasive as I push her head back and explore her mouth, not waiting for permission, not leaving any place untouched.

I must taste like whiskey, but she doesn’t pull away.

I’m the one who breaks the kiss, panting hard. Liquid dark eyes stare up at me.

Surprise. More than that. There’s outright shock in her expression. Is she younger than I thought? More innocent than anyone I ever met? I should ask her about sex, but those aren’t the words that come out of my mouth. “Have you ever been in love, Ashleigh?”

A slow shake of her head. “No,” she whispers.

“Good. That’s good.”

“I can pretend.”

“What?”

“For a hundred dollars.”

There’s a drum in my head, pounding, pounding, telling me I’ve got something wrong. Really wrong. “A hundred dollars,” I repeat, wishing my veins weren’t running hot with liquor.

“For an hour. I know how much that suit costs. You can afford it.”

I pull back, moving careful so I don’t tip over. “What are you talking about?”

A cool breeze skates over us, and she shivers. I want to comfort her, but that’s not what this is about. A fast fuck on an abandoned rooftop while the sounds of a massive block party bounce off the buildings around us. And a hundred dollars, apparently. Jesus. I was about to fuck a prostitute.

What’s worse is that I still want to do it. More, because I know she’ll let me do anything.

For a price.

I want to fall in love. That’s what’s wrong with me, my fatal flaw. The insistent desire to enmesh myself with another human being.

How do you not fall head over heels for Sutton Mayfair? How, I ask you? The man is just so perfectly broken. Not only did he fall hard for the woman that his best friend wanted, but he fell for his best friend too. Now as their wedding day approaches, he’s nursing his broken heart through an alcohol fueled daze.

Ashleigh is barely keeping herself alive on the streets. A teen runaway, she’s turned to the only resort she has to make ends meet; selling her body. When she stumbles across a drunken Sutton on a rooftop, their story begins. Sutton is too broken hearted to look too deep into anything. He sees a beautiful woman that’s come on hard times and he’s not above giving her any cash she needs to find comfort in her body.

This may have been a short read, but it was filled with so much depth. Actually, I’m stunned at just how much depth Skye Warren fit into under 250 pages. It wasn’t a novella, but it read like one. Why? Because I devoured it in the time it would usually take me to read a novella. I couldn’t put it down.

There’s just something so incredibly endearing about Sutton. His unrequited love and coming to terms with moving on from a broken heart. Falling for a woman that’s selling her body to him no matter how much he fights it.

Ashleigh was one of the most endearing heroines as well. She’s damaged but not broken. She’s vulnerable but not weak. She’s this perfect balance of someone you want to shelter and protect while showing that she’s capable of fighting her own battles. I loved the two of them together and I loved this sexy and emotional story of two broken people finding shelter and love with each other.

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Connect with Skye:

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2DEpMn9

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2SQgiir

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2GDYiBq

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Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2SyDFhh

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2STxF1I

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http://www.skyewarren.com

Spotlight Exclusive Excerpt & Review: Kill For You by Ayden K. Morgen

KILL FOR YOU
Series:
A  Warrior For Her #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romantic Suspense
Author: Ayden K. Morgen
Release Date: March 17, 2020

I never believed in angels until I saw her standing in the middle of a crime scene, covered in the blood of a girl she knew nothing about. One look and I knew I needed to know more. Turns out, Faith Donovan is the answer to a lot of prayers…and my one shot at taking down Los Zetas, the biggest drug cartel left in Los Angeles.

The way I feel about her has nothing to do with my job though. She makes me want to wrap her in my arms and keep her for myself. Too bad for me, she’s off limits.

Witness protection, they call it.

I call it a sentence in hell.

I’m allowed to look, but I’m not supposed to touch the woman who’s been abused by her mother and imprisoned by a gang for most of her twenty-one years. I’ve never been a rule-breaker…but that’s exactly what I want to do when she turns those big brown eyes in my direction.

When Los Zetas paint a target on her back, all bets are off. I’ll find a way to keep her safe and keep her to myself, even if I have to kill every single cartel member along the way.

My name is Detective Octavio Hernandez, and Faith Donovan belongs to me. Once I claim her, no one will ever touch her again.

Kill for You  is the second book in a series of interconnected full-length novels featuring law enforcement officers willing to do whatever it takes to protect the women who need them most. Each book can be read as a standalone, has no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

(This book deals with human trafficking and slavery and gun and gang violence. There are graphic scenes of violence).

AMAZON | B&NAPPLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | BOOKBUB

On March 17th, 100% of author proceeds from Kill for You will be donated to Operation Underground Railroad to aid in the rescue of child victims of human trafficking. Post release day, 10% of proceeds will continue to go to Operation Underground Railroad. To date, Operation Underground Railroad has rescued over 3,200 children from slavery and has helped prosecute over 1,800 human traffickers. Learn more about O.U.R. and pledge your support here.


“What is it, angel?” I ask.”I…I just wanted to say thank you,” she whispers. “For today, I mean.”

De nada, conejita.”

She stands there for a moment and then turns to leave, but I don’t want her to go.

“Did you have a good time? At the movie, I mean.”

She pauses, turning those wide eyes back to me. “I did,” she whispers. “The movie was good.” A shadow passes through her eyes. “Sad.”

“You mean Mufasa’s death,” I guess. She cried during the movie when Mufasa died, but I don’t think she wanted me to know it. I ached to dry her tears for her but didn’t. Every expression that crosses her face and every thought in her mind fascinates me. I want to know all of them. I want to be the one she turns to when she’s happy and when she’s sad. Hell, I just want her.

She nods.

“I’m sorry you lost your father so young, Faith.”

“Me too.” She bites her lip. “I’m sorry you lost your sister too.”

“So am I.”

“Can…can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What happened to her?” she whispers.

“I don’t know.” I glance away from her for a brief moment, steeling myself against the inevitable rush of memories her question brings roaring to the surface. “Alivia was ten years older than me, but we were always close. When she left home for college, she decided to stay on campus with friends. She started dating a guy her junior year, but no one knew much about him. He didn’t attend school with them. They thought he was involved in a gang, but she swore he wasn’t. She left campus to meet him one night and never returned.”

“Oh no,” Faith whispers, her honey eyes swimming with sympathy. “Did…did you ever find her?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I believe the man she was seeing was a Zeta.”

Faith’s stricken eyes widen.

“He took her across the border into Nuevo Laredo. No one in Nuevo Laredo was willing to talk with the threat of the Zetas hanging like a sword over their heads. Leads dried up from there.” I scrub a hand through my hair, expelling a heavy breath. “I accepted long ago that I’d never know what happened to her.”

It’s not hard to guess though. They either killed her or sold her into slavery. It’s a horrible thing to hope your own sister is dead, but for her sake, I do hope it. It’s been twenty years. God only knows the horrors she would have lived as one of the Zetas’ sex slaves in that amount of time. I would wish that kind of pain on no one.

“What happened to your parents?” Faith asks.

“My mom had a fatal heart attack when I was nineteen. My father had a stroke three years later. He passed not long after.” I was a surprise baby, born late in life. Losing Alivia aged my parents considerably. They were never the same after she vanished. They never recovered. Eventually, the grief of loss and the pain of not knowing took them both.

“I’m so sorry, Octavio,” Faith whispers.

“No more than I am.”

“Was your dad a cop too?”

“No. He worked in the IT field. My mom was a pediatric nurse.”

“Is your sister the reason you went into law enforcement?”

“Yeah. I wanted to find out what happened to her, and I guess I wanted to help make sure no one else ever had to go through what my family went through.” I glance at the file in front of me before flipping it closed with a heavy sigh.

As Franklin suspected, our tipster might not have been wrong about Kincaid. I’m not sure where that leaves me, or what I’m going to do about it. Kincaid is a damn good cop, one Roman trusts. Hauling him in on charges is going to cause a lot of problems for this city, and I don’t know what to do about that. We need him on the streets…but can I really leave him there if he murdered three people?

“Can I ask you a question now?” I ask Faith.

“Yes.”

“If a good cop did something wrong a decade ago to avenge his family and you found out about it, what would you do?”

She tilts her head to the side, studying me. “How wrong?”

“He may have killed the people who murdered his family.”

“Was his family innocent?”

I nod.

She thinks over my question for a moment, considering it carefully. “I don’t know what I would do,” she admits, “but I think what you’re really asking is what you should do.”

I sigh. “I have no fucking clue what to do. If I pursue this case against him, a lot of people are going to get hurt. Including some that mean a lot to me. If I don’t pursue it, I’m essentially looking the other way when my instincts are telling me there’s something here.”

“You pride yourself on doing the right thing.”

“I took an oath to uphold the law and do the right thing, even if doing it isn’t the easy thing.” I scrub a hand through my hair, truly baffled. The world isn’t black and white, not even when murder is involved. I know that. I accept it. But this case has so many shades of gray I don’t know what the right thing to do is. “If I pursue this case and find out he did it, I’m not jeopardizing just his future. Roman believes we need him to help keep our gangs in line, and I don’t necessarily disagree with him.”

“Look into it,” Faith says, taking a step into my office. “You can always decide what to do when you have your answers, but if you never even look for them, I think it will always bother you. You don’t strike me as someone who is content to have only bits and pieces of the puzzle.”

“I’m not.”

She nods like she already knew that and takes another step toward my desk. “You’re a good cop, Octavio. You’ll know what to do when the time comes. Until then, follow the clues. Maybe you’ll find out you’re worrying for nothing.”

“Maybe.” I lean back in my chair, folding my hands together on my stomach to study her. “You think I’m a good cop?”

“Yes,” she whispers.

“But you don’t trust me.”

“I tr–”

I cock a brow, daring her to finish that lie, but she doesn’t. Having confirmation that she doesn’t trust me shouldn’t bother me, but it does anyway. It’s also my fault.

“I’m sorry I threatened to take your door off the hinges,” I murmur to her. “I shouldn’t have said that, no matter how frustrated I was. You should know that I didn’t check it. If you want to lock your door, that’s your right.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything.

“I’m going to earn your trust again someday, angel. One of these days, you’ll tell me what you’re trying so hard to keep from me. You’ll let me help you.”

“The only thing I need help with is getting the Zetas to stop looking for me so I can be free,” she mutters, refusing to meet my gaze. “The only thing I want is freedom.”

“You’re free with me, Faith.”

“No, I’m not.” She offers me a sad smile, turning for the door. “You may be nicer about it than they are, Detective, but I’m as much a prisoner here as I was there. My cage is more comfortable, and my captor is less of a brute, but any freedom I have is an illusion, as easily snatched away as ever.”

“That’s not true.”

“No? If I wanted to walk out the front door right now, you’d let me?” she asks.

I grind my teeth together, pissed because she’s right and we both know it. There’s no way in hell I would let her walk out that door. She thinks it’s because I need her help, but she’s wrong. I can’t let her go because I think it might actually kill me if something happened to her. If the Zetas found her or hurt her, it would tear my world apart. I already lost a sister to the bastardos. I won’t lose Faith too. But I can’t tell her that. She wouldn’t believe me even if I did.

“Oscar wants me back so badly because my mom and stepfather stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from him before they fled,” she whispers after a moment. “He’s certain she’ll come back for me someday, so he decided to keep me close to ensure she had to come to him to get to me.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I know you care about what happens to me, but I’m a means to an end for you just like I was for him, Octavio. I don’t kid myself about that. Maybe you shouldn’t either.” She offers me another sad smile and then ducks out of my office. “Goodnight.”

I sit there for a long time after she leaves, staring into space. Every part of me wants to stomp after her and tell her that she’s wrong. I want her to know that I’m nothing like he is and that the only thing I want from her is whatever little crumbs she’s willing to give me.

My entire adult life, I’ve focused on finding out what happened to my sister. Even after my parents died without answers, I kept searching, hoping to piece together which of the Zetas took her and what happened to her. Eventually, I had to come to terms with the fact that I’d never know. I started focusing on finding a way to make them pay after that.

I want them out of this city so badly it borders on desperation. But I think I’d walk away from that mission if it meant keeping Faith. She’s been here for two weeks, and she’s already becoming something vital to me. Something irreplaceable.

Too damn bad for me, because to her, I’m just another man keeping her in a cage.

I sigh heavily and flip open the file on Kincaid again, reading through it from cover to cover. By the time I’m finished, I’m almost certain there’s something here. Something I have to pursue. I jot a few notes and then stow the file before opening the one on Faith and the Zetas, flipping through it without really seeing anything.

Why is Fuentes so sure her mom will come back for her?

Nothing I’ve found thus far holds any answers on that front. Her mom was physically and emotionally abusive. Not even Faith has any illusions about the woman having any soft feelings for her. I doubt Fuentes has any either. So what does he know that I don’t?

I have a feeling finding the answer to that question is the key to giving her the freedom she so desperately craves. It might tear my heart out of my chest to watch her walk away…but letting her go is the only way to prove to her that I’m nothing like Fuentes.

Más tira el amor que una yunta de bueyes,” I mutter the old idiom about love being a strong motivator, returning her file to the drawer and climbing to my feet to go to bed. I stop in shock right outside her bedroom.

For the first time in days, her door isn’t closed against me.

It’s standing wide open.

Octavio,” she whispers in her sleep, snuggling closer. I don’t intend for it to happen, but in that moment, she steals a little piece of my heart.

I’m on a mission this year to read as many new-to-me authors as I can. The second I read the blurb to this book, I knew Ayden K Morgen would be going straight on my list. And once I finished? Holy crap balls!!! How have I not read her before?

First of all, if you like gritty romance with plenty of suspense and a hero that’s a balance of swoony and lethal with an edge, you need this book!

Octavio and Faith’s story was utterly addicting. Octavio is a detective working to take down of the most dangerous cartel gangs in LA. A rival gang shootout at a bar lands him the middle of chaos when he spots Faith and realizes she may be his in in bringing the gang down.

Faith is young but what she’s lived through in her short life has been a pure nightmare. She’s been a prisoner of one of the most brutal gangs and her scar covered body tells a tale of horrifying torture and abuse. But Faith, beyond all else, is a survivor. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her character. She’s been through hell and back and even though she’s terrified, she knows she has to do the right thing and try to help the police bring the gang down. Even if it may come at the cost of her own life.

Their relationship quickly progresses from victim/witness and cop to something much more. Octavio is immediately drawn to Faith and knows that he’ll protect her no matter the cost, even if it’s no longer a part of his job.

I loved the gritty and suspenseful tone of this book. I also loved that Ayden is able to build a picture without going into truly gory details and miss none of the effect. I was immediately sucked into this world and know I’ll be going back to read the previous book along with Roman’s story in Devour Me. I already can’t wait for the next book.

This is a true standalone set in the same world and you can definitely see the crossover and interconnections. I didn’t have a problem reading this book without having read the first. But the few glimpses I had of the couple from book one in this one, I know I need to read their story next.

My only (very minor) quibble was with the slight overuse of endearments. It was cure in most parts and in some parts it was just a touch too flowery for my personal tastes. But this is entirely a personal bias. I loved how Octavio treated Faith like he absolutely worshipped her. The man truly looked at her like he wanted to protect her from the world and would die doing it. I loved that!

If you’re looking for something different, fast paced, sexy and completely addicting, you need to check this series out!

Ayden K. Morgen is the Amazon Bestselling author of the Ragnarök Prophesies series. She lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart/husband of sixteen years, and their furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army.

She graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law.

She puts her education to use as a 911 Dispatch Supervisor, where she’s responsible for leading a team of dispatchers as they watch over police, EMS, and firefighters for her county. Her books feature law enforcement officers, the women who love them, and the difficult cases that drive them.

Ayden has been published by Curiosity Quills Press, Limitless Publishing, Cobblestone Press, and Tirgearr Publishing. She also writes New Adult Fantasy as A.K. Morgen.

Author Links

Email: akmorgen@akmorgen.com

Website: http://akmorgen.com

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Facebook: http://facebook.com/akmorgen1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/akmorgen

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