Review: Tell Me Pretty Lies by Charleigh Rose

April 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

TELL ME PRETTY LIES
Series: Heartbreak Hill #1
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Charleigh Rose
Release Date: April 5, 2020

Three things my mother acquired when she became engaged:

1. A brand new Tiffany’s ring.
2. A lavish home on Heartbreak Hill.
3. Three privileged stepsons.

The last thing I expected was to fall for one of them, least of all Thayer Ames.
Beautiful, brooding, and untouchable.
I knew it was a bad idea. He warned me himself.
But he was a thunderstorm, and I never could resist the rain.
It was perfect…
Until it wasn’t.
One night was all it took for our world to crumble, leaving only secrets and lies between us.
Now, I have to face him again, but the boy I used to know has become the man who loves to hate me.

AMAZON 

So innocent. So pure. But they don’t know what you like to do with your stepbrother in the dark.”

I’m a sucker for a good bully romance. Give me a tortured alphahole, and I’m putty in your hands. PUTTEH. So of course the second I saw the blurb to this book, I jumped on it faster than you can say GIMMEH.

Tell Me Pretty Lies was an interesting read for me. A part of me loved the somewhat convoluted yet still addictive story. But then another part of me was thoroughly confused for a good chunk of it. This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, so when I was thrown into what felt like the middle of an already developing story in the beginning of the book, I was confused. I had to go back and see if this is a continuing series. Did I jump into book 3 of a series? Was there a prequel novella I missed? I was left scratching my head because this is what marks book one in what I’m hoping is the start of a new series.

The story starts with a funeral and gives you a peek into an already developed relationship between the two MCs. It’s clear that theirs is a relationship that has a lot of history, and I would have loved to see it, rather than being told about it in hindsight. I think that actually experiencing that part of them would have gone a long way in really connecting me to the characters. It felt like the backstory and the true start of their relationship is told off the pages and we only get a small glimpse, where it should have been a full experience. Because of this, I spent a large part of the story trying to wrap my mind around all of the characters, their connection, and what was happening.

Now there’s the other part of me, too. The part of me that was still glued to the pages, confusion or not. There was just a certain zap to this story that kept me riveted. The mystery and suspense kept me turning the pages well into the night. Truth be told, I finished this in one sitting, so that definitely tells you something. It wasn’t without issues, but it was still gripping enough to completely hook me on what I’m hoping is a series, and desperate for more of the brothers. So while it wasn’t a perfect 5 star read, it was still an enjoyable 3 star, and certainly one I’d recommend to any fans of the bully trope that like a good dose of angst with their NA romance.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, New Adult · Tagged With: , ,

New & Upcoming Releases: April 20-23

April 20, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

New and upcoming releases coming at ya this week!

AVAILABLE NOW

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT by Anne Harper

Sloane De Carlo is going to have to move to Antarctica.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that she accidentally made her private blog very public, and all her innermost secrets and embarrassing moments are trending, now the entirety of the Internet is dying to know who her all-consuming, never-get-over-him crush “Guy” really is. She’s even got a literary agent dangling a book deal in front of her nose—but there’s a catch. She’ll have to get closure with “Guy” and give her story that pitch-perfect ending.

Too bad the real “Guy” is engaged to someone else. #Blessed

The only person in her teeny hometown of Arbor Bay who knows the truth is local bartender Brady Knox. And he’s not telling…for a price. He’ll pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she’ll use her newfound Internet fame to bring more business to his struggling local bar. Brady’s always been a lone wolf, but there’s something about the pint-sized, supremely awkward, yet beautiful Sloane that charms him.

But keeping secrets in a small town like Arbor Bay isn’t easy. And Brady was never meant to be the guy for a pitch-perfect ending…

ECSTASY by KV Rose

Zara.
Eli.
Alex.

Three students at Caven U who are all really, really f*cking tired of life.

Zara has a substance problem. Eli is a star athlete with a secret. And Alex? He’s just a f*cking a**hole.

Their paths collide one night at a party that quickly spirals out of control. A series of volatile moments follow, enveloping the three of them in a whirlwind of drama, drugs, and destruction.

Zara feels like she’s slipping under, losing her grip on reality. And if she isn’t careful, one of the boys just might pull her all the way down.

But the thing about almost dying at the hands of someone you hate?

In the moment before you take your last breath, the fear can feel a lot like…ecstasy.

And that’s a high you only get once in a lifetime.

WILD FOR YOU by Kendall  Ryan

A hot new standalone in the series that’s been called “A total, utter must read.” – Book Fanatic

He’s growly. Grumpy. Stubborn.

And now, my new roommate.

Walking away from my disastrous last relationship was an easy decision, but moving in with a friend-of-a-friend hockey star who’s rarely home? Not quite as simple, because Grant makes me feel all kinds of things I’m not prepared for.

Protected. Desired. Unsteady.
• • •

She’s beautiful. Smart. Tempting.

And a little fragile.

I’ve never been anyone’s knight in shining armor, but when Ana needed a place to stay, it was easy to offer her a room with me.

Not so simple, though, is keeping my hands—or my mouth—to myself. And the night she crawls into my bed and shares her body with me? Heaven.

But she’s not looking for a relationship, and to my surprise, I find myself pissed off by that idea.

They say my heart is broken, that I’ll never settle down. I used to think that was true. Now, though? Hell, your guess is as good as mine.

First, she took my bed.
Then she took my heart.
Then she took my everything.

Your favorite hot jocks are back with an all new standalone novel. If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series is for you!

Each book can be read as a complete standalone.

TEMPER by Chantal Fernando

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando returns to the Knights of Fury series with her most complicated hero yet. He may be the epitome of cool, but this MC President isn’t called Temper for nothing…

Every year, the hot, tatted biker comes into Abbie’s bar, orders whiskey, and asks her out. Every year, Abbie turns him down. After all, dating a man that goes by Temper seems like a really bad idea, no matter how attracted she is to him.

But this year is different. Abbie’s different. Older, wiser, and tired of being stuck behind the bar in a sleepy town. This year, she’s ready for whatever adventure the sexy but sweet biker has in store for her.

Or so she thinks…until an elegant candlelit dinner ends with a dead body.

Now, Abbie finds herself on the ride of her life, whisked away to the big city in Temper’s protective custody. She should be scared but—despite his nickname—it’s clear the last thing Temper would ever do is hurt a hair on her head. And when danger catches up with them, Abbie soon realizes that holding tight to her man while straddling a Harley may be the safest place of all.

This book is approximately 60,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Knights of Fury:

Book 1: Saint

Book 2: Renegade

Book 3: Temper

RELEASING APRIL 21

THIRD A KISS by Pepper Winters

The USA Today Bestselling Dark Romance Series

A brilliantly dark, depraved and sensual romance that will have you begging for more!! 5 stars! Miss Petite Brunette Book Blog

From New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters, comes the third book in the Dark Romance series, Goddess Isles

“There was hate once. Hate born from dangerous attraction and fate’s cruel design.
There was love once. Love destined to kill us if we didn’t surrender to our war.”

Eleanor Grace suffers an awful affliction. She’s falling for a man who doesn’t deserve her affection or her forgiveness. But there is no cure, so she does something reckless, stupid—she throws safety to the sea and leaps into danger.

Sully Sinclair suffers the same affliction. He’s falling for a goddess who will never earn his trust or his heart if he can help it. However, he wasn’t prepared for the lengths she’d go. How far she’d push to either stop such a bond or kill them both trying.

An elixir given to a monster.
A goddess running for her life.
An ending neither of them can survive.

HERE WITH ME by Tia Louise

Sawyer LaGrange.

He’s my best friend’s older brother. He’s quiet, brooding, sinfully sexy…. Dark hair, a scruffy square jaw, and deep lines of muscle I trace my fingers along slowly, followed by my lips…. He always does what’s right. Until me… They say you get in life what you have the courage to ask for. Well, I’m brave. And I want him.

Secrets. 

Everybody has them. Big, small, innocent…forbidden. Mindy was a line I should never have crossed. But I did. She was beautiful…sassy and tempting. And rules were made to be broken. We broke them all. Now I’m home, released from service with hidden scars. Now my secrets are the demons that grow stronger every day. I try to send her away, but I can’t let her go. She’s my reason to fight, and I’ll walk through hell to be the man she deserves. To give her a reason to stay here with me.

(Here with Me is a stand-alone best friend’s older brother, second-chance, military romance. No cheating. No cliff-hangers.)

EMBER by Emma Renshaw

One night changed an entire town.

Ten years ago, I left Hawk Valley.

I never planned to return. Not to the regrets. The bitter memories. The guilt.

My baseball career gave me both the excuse and the money I needed to start over. Then my mom called, and I found myself headed back to the one place I swore I wouldn’t step foot again.

Meeting Delilah wasn’t part of the plan. Falling in love with her adorable son was even less so. And yet, what’s brewing between us is too intense to be denied. The unexpected passion is almost enough to distract us from the crumbling of both our worlds.

But even as the sparks fly, someone is waiting in the shadows to burn it all down.

BATTER OF WITS by Karla Sorensen

Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?

That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.

When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.

It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.

The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.

Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.

‘Batter of Wits’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

GET BUCKED by Lani Lynn Vale

Darby has always been ‘that’ guy.
The guy that no man, woman, or child wants around their loved one.
See, a long time ago he made some bad decisions. Those bad decisions have haunted him ever since. No matter what he does, people still see him as the town’s screw up. The boy that sold his soul to the Devil.
Years later, he’s turned himself around. Made amends and ultimately turned into a generally good guy. Only, it’s hard to act like a good guy when people still treat you like the old you, and not the new you.
Enter Waylynn Jennings.
Waylynn has watched Darby Valentine from afar for a very long time.
She’s witnessed the changes in him and knows the only reason he’s so mean is to protect the man that lies within. A battered, injured soul that deserves more than what he’s received. Even his own family takes him for granted.
She’s made it her new mission in life to prove to everyone that Darby isn’t the bad guy. That he’s a kind-hearted, sweet soul that’s just looking for a place to fit in.
Only, Darby is fairly sure that Waylynn is out to kill him, not help him. How else do you explain all the fights he’s having to break up on her behalf, or all the times he has to come to her rescue when she’s managed to put her cute little butt right in the middle of something where it shouldn’t be?
There’s obviously only one solution. He has to make her his. Then everyone will know not to mess with her. Darby Valentine protects what’s his. No matter what the cost.

CATCHING THE COWBOY by Kennedy Fox

Settling down and starting a family is something Diesel has considered, regardless of his one-night stand reputation. However, he just might be single forever since who he wants is off-limits—his best friend’s little sister.

He’s been in love with her for years, but betraying his friendship could ruin everything.

Rowan Bishop is over men, especially after finding out her boyfriend cheated and left her heartbroken. After graduating from college, she’s back home and has to face the one guy who purposely gets under her skin—her older brother’s best friend.

She hates that she’s attracted to him, but she’s willing to fight for who she wants.

Spending time together is a bad idea, but neither can deny the chemistry sizzling between them. Late night talks turn into spontaneous adventures and just when Rowan’s willing to admit how she truly feels, Diesel’s past catches up with him and ruins their picture perfect romance.

One secret turns into another and before either can grasp their new reality, more truths unravel—threatening to expose their forbidden relationship.

**Catching the Cowboy is a complete standalone and can be read without reading any of the other books or series, but if you prefer to read in order, start with Hitching the Cowboy as the characters and families do interconnect.**

BIG BEN by Nana Malone

It began with betrayal.
And ended in murder.

She was never supposed to cross my path.
She was never supposed to know about the Currency of Secrets or the Oaths of Blood.

But like a thief in the night, she stole my soul even if she wasn’t mine to possess.

As a member of the Elite, I live by simple tenets. A gentleman above all. Private matters stay private. Secrets whispered are never revealed. Enemies and friends are of the same coin. And power is king.

My so-called brothers killed my friend. I intend to make them pay.  And before it’s over, I’ll bend all the rules of morality, decency and legality. I will borrow and steal to set the scales right. But begging–begging, you can forget about.

My name is Ben Covington and I know my sins. 

*This is only the beginning of the story of how a woman I met in a closet turned me into a thief. It takes time for the perfect heist. Join me and the London Lords in the continuation of the story in The Benefactor!

SHE LOVES ME by Melissa Foster

What are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Timesbestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance.

Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves. But while her sisters were dreaming of white weddings, Piper was left heartbroken and commitment phobic by her first love, her best friend’s younger brother. As a woman dominating the male-driven construction industry, Piper has no interest in turning in her hammer for an apron—even if hot and hilarious Harley thinks otherwise.

Burly bar owner Harley Dutch has a bum ankle and two preteen nieces to take care of, and having his best friend, tough-as-nails and sexy-as-sin Piper Dalton, come to his rescue is just the remedy he needs. Piper is her snarky self, and she kind of sucks at caregiving, but she’s owned his heart for years, she’s got a way with the girls, and Harley would sure like to have his way with her…

As things heat up between Piper and Harley, she warns him not to fall in love with her because she’ll only break his heart. Harley is the right man for that challenge—until he makes the biggest mistake of his life, and they begin to wonder if true love really can conquer all.

HIS by A. Zavarelli & Natasha Knight

I’ve been in hiding for four years. On the run from the man in whose bed I once slept.

I saw something I shouldn’t have seen.
Took something I shouldn’t have taken.

And he’s just found me.

But it’s not just my safety I have to worry about. I have a little boy.

His little boy.

The secret baby of a Russian mobster.

He told me in no uncertain terms that I’m his. That we would be a family.

But his uncle still wants me dead and I know the man who’s been hunting me is the only one who can keep us safe.

WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS by Denise Grover Swank

The sixth book in the Rose Gardner Investigations series.

For months, Rose has suspected her ex-brother-in-law, has a foot in the criminal world, and she’s equally sure her deceased sister had the evidence to prove it—evidence stolen days just days after Violet’s death.

Those suspicions turn concrete when a body shows up near one of Mike’s construction sites, and the concrete cracks open wide when her niece and nephew go missing.

Rose might be weeks away from delivering her own baby, she that doesn’t stop her and her best friend, Neely Kate, from looking for the kids. She needs answers and fast, but her search leads her to the man who betrayed her months ago… the father of her baby.

James “Skeeter” Malcolm has been playing games with her for months—refusing to relinquish her paternity but refusing to tell her why. James knows what Mike is up to—Rose is sure of it—but can she convince him to tell help before it’s too late?

GIRL GONE VIRAL by Alisha Rai

In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a reclusive investor goes viral, shoving her into the world’s spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’s been pining for…

OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???

I don’t see any wedding rings <eyes emoji>

Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a random guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire encounter with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae has the world swooning. Going viral isn’t easy for anyone, but Katrina has painstakingly built a private world for herself, far from her traumatic past. Besides, everyone has it all wrong…that #CafeBae bro? He isn’t the man she’s hungry for.

He’s got a <peach emoji> to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, offers his family’s farm as a refuge. Alone with her unrequited crush feels like a recipe for hopeless longing, but Katrina craves the escape. She’s resigned to being just friends with Jas–until they share a single electrifying kiss. Now she can’t help but wonder if her crush may not be so unrequited after all…

‘TIL THE LAST LYRIC by M. Robinson

From Wall Street Journal & USA Bestselling Author M. Robinson, comes a rock star contemporary romance filled with angst and all the feels.

Once upon a time…

There was a little girl who believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters.

Hoping.

Praying.

Waiting…

For her prince to come.

Together they’d conquer the world.

Slaying dragons, demons, and villains.

Until her Prince Charming let his demons prevail.

She cried and begged and prayed.

She hated him.

She loved him.

She couldn’t save him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I love you.”

Were five words she despised more than anything.

Her fairy tale had become her worst nightmare.

She didn’t know how much more she could take.

She didn’t know love could turn into hate.

There were so many things she didn’t know.

Especially, how to tell him, “No.”

OPERATION BAILEY BABIES by Piper Rayne

BUZZ WHEEL PRESS RELEASE: Don’t drink the Lake Starlight water!

Bailey babies are busy growing in their mommies tummies and the Baileys are having a triple baby shower to celebrate.

If you want in on the pool on who pops first and when contact me. 😉

SAVAGE LOVE by Lisa Renee Jones

The third and final book in the Savage Trilogy…

They say all is fair in love and war, but I really don’t give a damn about fair. In fact, when protecting those I love, fair is the last thing on my mind.

Now that I’m back in Candace’s life, those who have used her to try to control me, may well put up a final fight, but they will not win.

They will lose and badly.

EVERYTHING WE LEFT UNSAID by Ashley Cade

Secrets…Lies…and Betrayal.
It’s been far too long since I’ve laid eyes on Abby.

I expected surprise.

I expected anger.

What I got was devastation.

Abby’s been lying to me, keeping secrets that affect us all.

Our past…? It’s complicated.

An elusive truth with the power to alter everything I know, everything I want, and everything I love.

But things aren’t always what they seem.

And betrayal…it never comes from the person you expect.

THE WEDDING WAR by Liz Talley

Save the date for this funny and poignant novel of family, friendship, letting go, and moving on by the award-winning author of Room to Breathe.

Once upon a time, Melanie Layton and Tennyson O’Rourke were inseparable—but their friends-4ever promises were shattered when an explosive secret was revealed at Mel’s wedding, a secret that destroyed her family. The two haven’t spoken for the past twenty-some-odd years, and they’d be happy if they never crossed paths again.

But now Mel’s daughter and Teeny’s son have fallen in love—and announced their engagement.

Which means the two women must tolerate one another and play nice long enough to plan their children’s dream wedding. From the beginning, they clash. Melanie imagines a classy, elegant event, in keeping with tradition. Teeny’s vision is a bit more extravagant, and thanks to her habit of marrying well, she’s got the cash to plan the flashiest wedding of the season.

Complicating matters are the men in their lives: Tennyson is falling for the wrong guy, and Melanie is trying to hold on to a flailing marriage. Amid the flurry of cake tastings, dress fittings, seating charts, and bridal showers, Mel and Teeny confront their past mistakes—with twenty years of pent-up drama.

When the day of the wedding finally arrives, their friendship might just be something old andsomething new.

RELEASING APRIL 22

MASTER OF SALT AND BONES by Keri Lake

Meet the Devil of Blackthorne Manor …

When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He’d ride up on his white steed and break the curse I’ve been fated to carry since the day I was born.

Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined.

In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was.

Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh.

Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself.

Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness.

He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.

Master of Salt & Bones is a dark modern gothic contemporary standalone romance.

DON’T LOVE ME by S. Doyle

An epic new saga from the author of The Bride Series!

Marc

The state took me away from my mother when was I twelve and sent me to live with an uncle, who worked on some fancy estate.

That’s when I met Ash, she was ten and the daughter of the man who owned the estate. She thought I would be her new best friend but I only wanted to be left alone.

For years she was always there, always annoying me, always wanting more from me. But our roles were clear. She was the princess and I was the chauffeur’s charity case.

I told her not to fall in love with me…she didn’t listen.

Don’t Love Me is Book 1 in a 3 Book series.

KILLIAN by Ryan Michele

From Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author Ryan Michele comes a brand new series full of alpha men and the women who fall for them.

The power of a name … Killian Graham.

He was the kind of guy I couldn’t forget. From a high school crush that never went anywhere to now the full-grown alpha male that made my spine tingle, Killian Graham was the total package.

Frustrating, infuriating, and hot as they come, Killian Graham invaded my world and things haven’t stopped spinning since.

My best friend got herself in some trouble. Being the strong woman I was, I came to her rescue. That’s when Killian stepped in to save us both. From there, things got intense both in and out of the bedroom.

Killian Graham the mystery man who rocked my world on every level.

Killian Graham the man who decided he wanted me and would stop at nothing to have me safe and in his bed.

The one man I wanted more than my next breath. The very same man I wasn’t sure I could hold onto because everything about him was a secret. Or so I thought.

He laid his world at my feet. Now, it was up to me to decide if I could accept where things were headed for us and everyone around us.

DON’T GO STEALING MY HEART by Kelly Siskind

“This book sparkles and sizzles with Siskind’s trademark humor and heat. Don’t go missing this one!” ~ Jen DeLuca, author of WELL MET

She wants to steal his Van Gogh. He wants to steal her heart.

Some people would call Clementine Abernathy a criminal. She considers herself a modern day Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Not exactly on the up-and-up, but she knows what it’s like to lose everything. Her latest heist involves swiping a priceless Van Gogh from its owner, who’s supposed to be an egotistical trust-fund brat.

Turns out Jack David is a sexy, kind-hearted man…and Clementine is in trouble. Falling for her mark would make her the World’s Dumbest Conwoman, but Jack is charmingly persistent, always singing sweet songs in her ear.

And that earth-shattering kiss? She never stood a chance.

Now she’s imagining a fresh start with this dashing man, but that means telling Jack about her past. And other nefarious sorts are after the same painting. Too soon, Clementine learns what it means to risk it all for love.

Need an escape from your stressful life? One-click this funny and sexy romantic suspense today!

RELEASING APRIL 23

BY A THREAD by Lucy Score

Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me.


Dominic
I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother.

So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father.

She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.

Ally
Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face.

Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.

KITTY VALENTINE DATES A BILLIONAIRE by Jillian Dodd

SPIN THE WHEEL. DATE THE GUY.

Six years ago, Kitty Valentine took the book world by storm when her sweet debut romance hit number one on the New York Times Best Sellers List, which was followed by a string of successful releases.
Her latest novel, however, totally bombs, causing her editor to suggest she write much sexier books.
To Kitty, writing smut is the literary equivalent of stripping.
But with no advance coming in and her royalties dipping to an all-time low, Kitty has no choice.
Armed with a hot-guy spinning prize wheel, made by her best friend, listing all the different types of men she will date and then write about, Kitty will be spinning–not stripping–her way back onto the best-sellers list.

* Billionaire romance
* Hot neighbor
* Laugh out loud funny
* Standalone
* Fast-paced, easy read

HEARTLESS KING by Maya Hughes- buy link TBA

Two blue lines. That means not pregnant, right? Right? Oh, sh*t.

Five years ago, Colm Frost asked me to marry him and I ran. I ran from my painful past too raw and fresh to escape. He was the only one who looked at me like I wasn’t broken and made me believe it. He made me feel it.

Now, he’s the hot, angry, hockey player on the mend.

I’m the physiotherapist who’s supposed to get him back on his feet.

I don’t think our night together was what his doctor prescribed, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t dreamt of him every time I close my eyes. I woke up beside him with my body still singing from the way he fanned the flames of my desire, but I couldn’t stay.

His lips on my neck. His hands wrapped around my waist. His impressive…ahem, touch leaving me breathless.

One moment of wild inhibition and it’s come back to bite me in the butt. Kind of like he did that night.

But a baby? Our night was supposed to be a one time thing, closing a door on the future I couldn’t handle.

Will this new bump in the road be everything we needed to find our forever?

Heartless King is a standalone friends to enemies to lovers, accidental pregnancy romance that brings all the laugh out loud, angsty feels!

ONLY FOREVER IS ENOUGH by Alexa Kane 

Cage Matthews has made it his mission in life to steer clear of the female population and focus on his career, but being a star quarterback in the NFL can make that difficult. Rosie comes into Cages life just when he decides to make a change, he’s ready to settle down and everything seems to be falling into place for him. But his plans for the future come crashing down when he finds out that Rosie has history with one of his teammates.

Rosie Bradley has been stuck in Willowby, Alabama her entire life. One night, while working the graveyard shift at the local diner she meets Cage. They instantly hit it off and she finally feels that spark she has been missing ever since her high school sweetheart left her high and dry eight years ago. But then her ex shows up at the diner looking for Cage and all those old feelings come roaring back to life. Can she ignore old feelings to explore a new love, or are her feelings towards her ex too strong to ignore?

Only Forever Is Enough is the fourth instalment in the For Keeps series but can be read as a standalone. Due to its explicit content, bad language and graphic sexual content, Only Forever Is Enough is recommended for mature readers of eighteen years and above.

FALLING NORTH by Alyson Santos

Turner Artist Management Urgent Action Item:

✔ Save Falling Back North from implosion.

When your agency’s newest artist shows signs of collapse, you jump on the problem. When it involves a potential rift between the brothers who form the band’s soul, you throw your Hail Mary.

So I did—by hiring a respected marketing goddess to save them. But when demons run deep and the stakes are extreme, it might prove too much for the band’s drummer and leader who’s been carrying them all since childhood. Enormous pressure compounded by impending heartbreak, what’s an agency to do?

See, I’m just the manager. The story that follows actually belongs to my client Xander Silva and the innocent marketing siren about to blow him to shreds.

Because now that both brothers have their hearts set on the same woman, everyone’s desperate to know:

Who is LYDIA CARMICHAEL??

Falling North is a standalone Turner Artist Rocker novel.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Upcoming Releases · Tagged With: ,

Review: The Darkest King by Gena Showalter

April 19, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE DARKEST KING
Series: Lords of the Underworld #15
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 25, 2020

A merciless prince feared by all…

Cursed by a vengeful witch, William of the Dark will die if he ever falls in love—murdered by the woman who steals his heart. His lone shot at redemption is a book filled with indecipherable code. Break the code, break the curse. Now, centuries later, he’s condemned to a string of one-night stands…until he finds the only woman in the worlds able to set him free.

A rare creature of myth and power…

One of the last living unicorn shifters, Sunday “Sunny” Lane works from the shadows as a cryptanalyst, on the run from assassins and poachers. Then the darkly seductive William abducts her, holding her captive in Hell. The closer they get, the more she hungers for his touch…and the stronger a mystical desire to kill him becomes…

Both forever doomed?

At war with his brother, Lucifer, and determined to become a king of the underworld at long last, William must resist the irreverent beauty who threatens his future. But every day Sunny tempts him more, his hunger for her unmatched. Will he risk his heart—and his life—or will the curse ensure his end?

AMAZON | NOOK | B-A-M | KOBO 

He wouldn’t be happy until he’d possessed her, body and soul. 

15 books. 15 FREAKING BOOKS! Over ten years I have been waiting for this moment. Never in my life did I practice this much patience. I’m telling you people, I don’t know how I’ve made it. After Paris, William’s book had to be one of my most anticipated Lords. We’re talking about the ultimate manwhore here. And you know what they say about the bigger they are? I couldn’t wait to see the woman that would bring him to his knees.

Now before I get into my review, let me address the pink elephant in the room real quick like. Gillian. I spent years and over 8 books utterly CONVINCED these two would end up together. The build up was there. The chemistry was there. I was THIRSTY for these two. Thirsty I tell you. Then Gillian’s book was announced…and she didn’t end up with William. So color me pissed here. But my love of all things Gena Showalter wouldn’t allow me the doubt. So I dove into The Darkest Warrior with no hopes and ended up absolutely loving it. Was I happy that Willy and Gilly don’t end up together? At the end, I got it. I really did. So I was eager to get to William’s book.

Welcome to Pleasure 101, baby. Class is in session, and Professor Climax has a hands-on assignment prepared. Screamers earn extra credit.”

Enter, stage right, Sunny. One of the last known surviving unicorn shifters. That’s right. A freaking unicorn. Who is also a badass. A badass, unicorn shifter, that goes from sweet and cute to vicious in 5 seconds flat. I kind of loved her.
Sunny may also be the only being alive that can help William break his curse. The problem with that is that she happens to be his mate, who is cursed to kill him once she falls for him. Talk about complicated.

Ah. I understand the switch. You’re a bad shot, so you need a bigger target. No wonder you selected my cock.”
“Good point,” she said, returning the barrel to his face. “There’s nothing bigger than your ego.”

The chemistry between the two of them was downright incendiary. As per Showalter’s usual, the banter was also on point. The woman writes some of the best banter. And Sunny sure knew how to give as hard as she gets. These two didn’t hold back any punches when it came to their complicated relationship. It was a delicious enemies to lovers story with plenty of twists along the way.

The reason I’m taking off a star is this book had some pretty embarrassing grammatical errors. At one point she jokes to William about being “artificially incriminated”. Usually, I’m not a big stickler for grammar, but when an ebook is over $11 and is traditionally published, then yes, I’ll be taking off a star. My expectations for grammar are pretty dang high at that price point. It is what it is.

Did I love this story? Hell to the yes. This marks the end of the Lords saga but there’s a spinoff coming and I cannot flipping wait. I’m sure it will be a hot minute until we get Hades’s book but I NEED it. The other set ups also sounds pretty delicious.

If you’re hesitant to read this one because you were rooting for Gilly and Willy, give it a shot. Gena made a believer out of me with this and trust me, I had concerns. BIG concerns. But I ultimately loved William and Sunny together.

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, PNR · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Madam Temptress by Meghan March

April 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Madam Temptress
Series: Magnolia Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: April 14, 2020

I didn’t choose this path. No one would.

I played the cards I was dealt.

The life made me. The city made me.

I won’t apologize for who I’ve become.

Moses wouldn’t have me any other way.

He says he want forever, and I’m starting to believe him.
But I can’t outrun my past, and my sins are catching up with me.
It’s time to atone, I’ll gladly pay my penance.

We might be getting our second chance, but we have to make it out alive first.

Madam Temptress is the conclusion of the Magnolia Duet and should be read after Creole Kingpin.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY


I’ll always find my way back to you, mama. That’s one thing I can guarantee.”

An epic conclusion to an epic romance!

I fell hard and fast for Moses and Magnolia in book one. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance. And when that second chance comes for a baddie that played the villain in a previous series? Bring. It. On. I’m also a sucker for imperfect heroines, and Magnolia is definitely that. The woman fought and clawed her way through survival. She was a madam. She was a survivor. And she’s a woman that demands her man fights hard for her.

Admittedly, Moses and Magnolia took a little bit of a backseat for me in the first 70% of the book. I was so enraptured with all things Mount, that I lost a bit of focus with them. They were really settling into their love, and my angst craving heart was a bit disconnected from the romance bit. That’s not to say I wasn’t totally in love with them, because I couldn’t get enough. It was just a lower sizzle than it was in book one, which was understandable because they were moving on. The angst of the relationship passed and now they were focusing on the external threats of the danger to Magnolia’s life.

If there’s one thing March can do epically, it’s write one twisty and suspenseful tale. And the hunt for the mysterious man threatening Magnolia’s life was one twist after another. There was one bomb after another, until finally all hell breaks lose in the last 20% and OH MY GOD. It was brilliant. I was completely riveted to the pages.

Talk about your epic conclusion, y’all. This one had everything. And I do mean everything. Including some more Mount POV. What? I’m a sucker for this man. And I was a sucker for the perfect ending.

 

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

Sign up for Meghan’s newsletter and receive exclusive content that she saves for her subscribers:   http://meghanmarch.com/subscribe

 

To get the inside scoop on a daily basis, search Meghan March’s Runaway Readers on Facebook and join the fun!

FACEBOOK |  WEBSITE |  INSTAGRAM |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE |  TWITTER |  BOOKBUB

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: ,

New & Upcoming Releases: April 13-17

April 13, 2020 by ·

New releases coming at ya this week

AVAILABLE NOW

BORN OF MIST & LEGEND by Kat Bastion

Following her award-winning debut, Kat Bastion returns to the Highland Legends series with the epic journey… Born of Mist and Legend.

Amid mythical lands, where Arthurian tales run blood-deep and castles vanish into fabled mist, a stormy sky breaks open with deafening thunder on a dying mother’s whispered enchantment… and her newborn’s die is cast. Eighteen summers later, magick sparks to life within the charmed child’s veins, and the fates resume their course.

Rise of a fallen angel…

Rebirth of a Highland goddess…

Revenge of a legendary wizard, craving their power.

Dark angel, outcast of his kind—lone angelic guardian of time itself—Skorpius receives a bewildering dual directive. Protect a human female. And end her.

Once bright and innocent, sister to the laird of the mysterious Clan Brodie, Brigid awakens to incredible magick within her. And the ability to sense a foreign energy: Another stalks her, a beast hunting its prey.

On a quest to protect her clan and save humankind, Brigid forges beyond the only home she’s ever known into the wilds of Scotland. Her destiny—to battle an ancient lurking menace—beckons her. She braves her task with fierce determination, even though she’s a mere novice among masters.

Upholding his vow to protect time against any threat, Skorpius is duty-bound to guard the female, with or without her consent. For he alone presides as judge and executioner.

As unprecedented danger to the fabric of time looms, the two beleaguered souls walk a tightrope between cure and cause. Yet while the destiny of every realm hangs in the balance, they are all that stand between salvation and destruction.

But against insurmountable odds…will they both survive?

*** Born of Mist and Legend is a standalone full-length romance told in dual POV. Due to mature themes and adult language, this book is for those 18 and older. ***

RELEASING APRIL 14

ASK ME IF I CARE by Lani Lynn Vale

Ares saw him for the first time at a Kilgore Police Department benefit dinner. She’d gone with her dad as his plus one. Hayes Romine had gone by himself and brooded silently across the same table as her, drinking whiskey and not saying a word.

It only took that one time for her to become interested.

The next time she saw him, he was doing another benefit—but this one requiring a whole lot fewer clothes. And that was when she knew. She wanted him. Badly. But the morose Hayes was too busy thinking about his sins to see what was right in front of his face—Ares.

***

Hayes Romine knew the moment that he saw the feisty Ares Downy again that he should’ve stayed away. Maybe if he hadn’t done the stupid calendar, he wouldn’t be questioning every single woman’s intentions.

Maybe if he’d listened to that niggling feeling telling him to stay away, he would’ve been able to do his job a little better. But seeing her with a knife to her throat, in the middle of a building set to blow, made his usually well-wired brain start to malfunction.

Because nobody was allowed to touch her like that—only him. Nobody was allowed to scare her, either. Not and live to tell the tale.

MADAM TEMPTRESS by Meghan March

From New York Times bestselling author Meghan March comes the stunning conclusion to the highly-anticipated Magnolia Duet.

I didn’t choose this path. No one would.
I played the cards I was dealt.
This life made me. This city made me.
I won’t apologize for who I’ve become.
Moses wouldn’t have me any other way.
He says he wants forever, and I’m starting to believe him.
But I can’t outrun my past, and my sins are catching up with me.
If it’s time to atone, I’ll gladly pay my penance.
We might be getting our second chance, but we have to make it out alive first.

Madam Temptress is the second book of the Magnolia Duet and should be read after Creole Kingpin.

DARK PROMISE by Danielle Rose

There’s a little witch in all of us…

Ava López’s best friend from childhood is missing, and her former coven has asked for her help to find her. Despite all the pain the witches have treated Ava to with their rejection, she is determined to find Liv—even though her new allies harbor resentment.

Ava hopes finding Liv will put an end to the feud between the two groups, but she realizes that to help the witches, she must turn her back on the vampires. But this is the least of her problems.

Ava must choose sides and test loyalties with a decision that comes at a cost—one even Ava, with her ever-growing powers and connection to spirit magic, never could have foreseen. To repent for her disloyalty, Ava must bind herself to a dark promise. A promise no magic can break.

NOT THAT KIND OF GUY by Andie J. Christopher

An office attraction becomes something more when they’re off the clock in this delightful romantic comedy by the USA Today bestselling author of Not the Girl You Marry.

State attorney Bridget Nolan is successful in all aspects of her life—except romance. After breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, she’s been slow to reenter the dating scene. To be honest, she has more important things to do like putting bad guys behind bars. But with her brother’s wedding right around the corner, she suddenly needs a date and fast. Lucky for Bridget, the legal intern is almost done with his program.

Matt Kido is dumbstruck by Bridget—total love at first sight—but there’s one problem. She’s totally off-limits while she’s his boss. But the moment he no longer reports to her, Matt decides to take a chance. An impulsive decision takes them to Las Vegas where, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Unless you put a ring on it.

THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST by Abby Jimenez

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes a fresh romantic comedy full of “fierce humor and fiercer heart” about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers. (Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue)

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.
Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

MONEY MAN by Nancy Herkness

She’s small-town business. He’s Manhattan high finance. Together they ignite in a novel about unexpected love and danger by Nancy Herkness, award-winning author of the Wager of Hearts series.

New Jersey bookkeeper Alice Thurber has a carefully constructed risk-free life. Everything in perfect balance. Until little discrepancies show up in her clients’ accounts. Most would ignore it. Not the impeccably precise Alice. In desperation she reaches out to a high-powered consulting firm for help. New York City’s movie-star handsome financial wizard Derek Killion reaches back. All he has to do is smile and Alice’s fantasies stir. A girl can dream, can’t she?

A cofounder of KRG, Derek’s promise is to advise small-business owners in trouble. He never guessed that assisting the diffident but sexy Alice would be so captivating and make it so hard to keep his desires in check. But just as intriguing is the alarming puzzle behind the computer glitch that’s unsettled his client. As the investigation unfolds, they must also confront an attraction too palpable to ignore. Every new dark twist they follow is only bringing them closer together—in passion and in danger.

CUTIE AND THE BEAST by M.E. Carter

Living with her mother seemed like a good idea at the time. But Elliott Donovan’s living arrangements are not working for her anymore. Desperate to get back on her financial feet after a divorce and out from under her mother’s thumb, Elliott takes a job in the child care center at Weight Expectations, a local gym.

It has everything she needs – family friendly hours, more pay than she expected, and a super cute trainer who just happens to have part of his house for rent.

Abel DiSoto was living the good life until his wife walked out taking half of the family income with her. The blow to his ego was bad enough, but after a fire at the gym scattered Abel’s clients, and consequently his commissions, he’s stuck figuring out how to make ends meet, too. Renting out the master suite of his house to his new co-worker seems like an easy solution. They’re both mature adults, they both have eight-year-old daughters, and their work schedules coordinate so they can lend each other a helping hand to ease the burden of single parenthood.

The only downside? Living like a blended family when you’re not actually a family can present some challenges.

Welcome back to Weight Expectations, where the unexpected is likely to happen.

‘Cutie and the Beast’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Cipher Office series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

SUNRISE ON HALF MOON BAY by Robyn Carr

Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…

Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.

Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.

SONGBIRD by Cecilia London

Christine Sullivan isn’t an easy person to love. She knows how the world sees her – aloof, standoffish, cold…perhaps even bitchy. After a lifetime in politics, including a stint with an expat government in exile, President Sullivan has taken her share of body blows, but now she’s back in Philadelphia…a widow, a recovering Republican, a former public servant seeking a quiet, private existence.

On her to-do list – rebuild her relationship with her estranged daughter and invent the rest of her life. She has her best friend Caroline, her brand spanking new condo, and her ever frustrating Secret Service detail to keep her company. That should be enough for anyone, right?

Until Alexander Guardiola comes along… liberal, emotionally unguarded, younger. A lot younger. Everything Christine isn’t. And isn’t ready for.

But opposites attract, don’t they? And hearts and minds can always be changed…

This is a standalone spinoff in the Bellator Saga series that takes place after the events of Bellator Saga #1-6.

Content Warning: grief, psychological and physical trauma, death

JUST ONE KISS by Layla Hagen 

Success. Willpower. Ruthless negotiations. Those are three things that have defined my name – Ryker Winchester. It’s what I’m good at. I always get what I want.

I was completely unprepared for Heather.
She challenges me and melts under my touch. She’s a feisty single mom, and I can’t get enough of her. The way she gives in to me is intoxicating, but I need more than hot nights and sexy dates.

When she introduces me to her daughter, I fall for that little girl hook, line and sinker. No one has ever played me for a fool like that kid can do with a single dimpled grin.
I want to keep them both. I want them to be mine to love and to protect.

Heather doesn’t trust easily, but I’ll prove to her that we’ll have an incredible future together.

I’m Ryker Winchester and I’m relentless when I go after what I want.

PROVOKE by Rachel Van Dyken

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Seaside Pictures series…

The music industry called me a savant at age sixteen when I uploaded my first video and gained instant fame. And then Drew Amherst of Adrenaline became my mentor, and my career took off.

Everything was great.

Until tragedy struck, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to perform again. I fought back, but all it took was a falling light to bring it all back to the fore. So, I walked away. Because I knew it wasn’t just stage fright. It was so much more.

The only problem?

Drew and the guys are counting on me. If I can’t combat the crippling anxiety threatening to kill me, I might lose more than I ever dreamed of.

Enter Piper Rayne, life coach, with her bullshit about empowerment, rainbows, and butterflies. She smiles all the damn time, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure there’s not a problem she can’t solve.

Until me.

She was given twenty-one days to fix me. To make me see what’s important. What’s real. The problem is, all I can see now is her. The sexy woman who pushes me. Provokes me.

Only time will tell if she’s able to do her job—and I can make her mine.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

SOUTHERN COMFORT by Natasha Madison

Buried secrets never stay hidden in the South.

Olivia
When you find out that your fiancé is arrested for swindling over ten million dollars from his clients, you do what any sane woman would do. You escape reality and go undercover, trading in your city-girl Louboutins for country-pumpkin cowboy boots.

It wasn’t a forever change—it was temporary. I only had to stay here until things back home got straightened out, or so I thought.

Casey

I was riding horses before I was walking, or at least that was what they told me. I always knew I would take over the family farm. It’s in my blood.

Country boy at heart, the minute I saw her dragging her luggage up the gravel driveway I knew she was out of my league.

I shouldn’t have started anything with her, because I knew she was just passing through.

I couldn’t stop it, I fell in love with her. Even though I knew, in the end, she would leave me.

RELEASING APRIL 16

TENNESSEE TRUTHS by Ashley Munoz

Faith:
Our story was classic.
A typical fairytale.
Two young kids falling in love under an onyx sky.
He was my dream …and I naively thought I was his.
Until he bartered our love and sold me a lie.

Now, I’m returning to the life I once knew…but not as the pathetic mess that left five years ago.
I’m a married woman, wed to the richest man in Nashville.
But it seems I wasn’t the only one who changed during my time away…

Hardened by life, Jace Walker’s glares drip with heat and derision.
He has war in his eyes and venom in his veins.

I thought I would be safe coming back home, but it seems I only ran from my present to be caught in the crosshairs of my past.

Jace:
I traded my future for a life.
I knew what was on the line when I made the deal, I knew what I could lose, but I also knew that I didn’t really have a choice.
I gambled and lost.
Now the one person I had dreamed of having a future with was walking back into my life bearing the last name and wearing the ring of another man.
Lips painted red, hair that same honey gold and there against her creamy throat was our promise to one another, still dangling, reminding me that I may have lied, but she ran.
I was a liar, she was a coward.
Now she was home, and she wasn’t mine.

This is a standalone- second chance- enemies to lovers romance 

EASY PUCK by Melissa Belle

Turns out we both need to score… a second chance hockey romance.

Hunter

I can’t be alone. But I can’t be in a relationship. And now I can’t even score on the ice. I’m in a slump.

I figure an off-limits pet sitter is just what I need. Until I see who the agency sent me.

Winter Allen is standing all grown up at my front door.

She’s my hat-trick: the looks, the heart, and the history.

I let her run off to Broadway because she deserved to follow her teenage dreams as much as I did.

We both got everything we wanted. So why does she look so damn lonely?

Winter

I didn’t plan to see Hunter Storm again. And I don’t plan to tell him why I’m back home in New Orleans.

But after one devilish grin, my body tells me Hunter’s the only man who can help me.

Turns out we both need to score again. So who’s to say it’s a bad idea to mix his fire and my gasoline?

What are we doing? I’m not sure, but it feels too good to stop.

FINAL SERENADE by N.N. Britt

A secret affair with your teenage celebrity crush? Yes, please!

Music journalist Cassy Evans believes her career is made when she snags an exclusive interview with rock singer Frankie Blade.

Once a superstar of the generation, Frankie has been a recluse since a freak motorcycle incident sent his career into a tailspin seven years ago. Now that he’s returned to claim back his crown, Cassy hopes to kill two birds with one stone—secure her magazine a top spot in the rankings and meet with the man of her adolescent dreams.

A dinner invitation isn’t what she expects to get out of this interview, but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

With paparazzi watching Frankie’s every move as the two jump into a stormy relationship, Cassy risks her career and her privacy—and possibly her heart—to be with the biggest rockstar on the planet. But is Frankie worth it? Is he the humble man she thinks he is or is he just that good at hiding his demons?

Final Serenade is the first installment in “The Encore” series. Cassy and Frankie’s story concludes in One Last Verse.

RELEASING APRIL 17

FAVOURITE HELLO. HARDEST GOODBYE by E.S. Carter

Ellis.

I feel him.
Before I even lay eyes on him, I sense him.
The air in the room seems charged, my awareness of him heightened, but he is a stranger to me.
Unfamiliar, yet familiar.
Unknown, yet known.
And something inside me says, “Hello, I’ve been waiting for you.”

Macsen.

I see him.
I’ve seen him a hundred times before and I know this will not be the last, but each time I do, I feel it.
That invisible tether.
I remember everything.
I remember him.
His eyes lock with mine and then move away too quickly.
I am nothing more than a stranger, another face in the crowd.
While he is my favourite hello, and my hardest goodbye.

DO ME A FAVOR by Christina Hovland

Some days things just click. Today is not that day.

Love is a battlefield, and divorce attorney Sadie Howard is entrenched on the frontlines. She thought she might have met the right man once, but he was a career military guy who got shipped overseas and left her heart on the tarmac. These days, the only commitment Sadie wants is the one she’s made to her Denver law practice.

Combat photographer Roman Dvornakov is back. Fresh out of the U.S. Army, he’s using family connections to snap photos at a few weddings while he builds his civilian photography practice. After all he’s captured on film, a few posed wedding shots should be a cakewalk. Seeing so much death through the camera lens, he’s now ready to build something worth living for. A thriving photography business, definitely. But he’s certain his new mission also includes Sadie, the girl who slipped away.

Sadie isn’t convinced, and she’s not willing to open her heart anytime soon. Besides, she’s got a high-profile divorce case taking up all her attention. Winning the case for her client will make or break her practice.  So what if it’s a custody dispute over a ridiculously expensive fish tank? When Roman discovers the soon-to-be divorced couple are still in love, he and his slightly-nutty grandmother, Babushka, are determined to convince them to cancel the proceedings. He’s not camera shy when it comes to matters of the heart, but interfering with Sadie’s clients could wreck her career and any chance they’ll ever have together…

· Filed Under: Upcoming Releases · Tagged With: ,

Review: He Hates Me Not by Isabella Starling & Rina Kent

April 11, 2020 by ·

HE HATES ME
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: Hate & Love Duet #1
Authors: Isabella Starling & Rina Kent
Release Date: April 9, 2020

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.

AMAZON

PRE-ORDER HE HATES ME NOT:

He Hates Me Not, the conclusion of Love & Hate Duet is releasing on April 23rd. Pre-order today!

AMAZON | ADD TO GOODREADS

She has always been mine to own, mine to break and to destroy. Some would call this stalking, but I call it keeping an eye on her. 

Well hot damn. What a deliciously thrilling ride this book was. While I’ve read Rina Kent, I haven’t read anything by Isabella Starling. And as a writing duo, these two are absolutely fantastic.

If you follow my reviews, then it’s no secret how much I love a good anti-hero. And it just doesn’t get more delicious than a borderline sociopathic mob hitman. Jasper’s intensity practically leaps off of the pages at you. The man is ruthless, unfeeling, and gets a sick sort of satisfaction from meting out his brand of punishment. His name alone sends fear into grown men and his reputation for being a stone cold killer is nothing to sniff at. An assignment by his boss to find and eliminate an heir to the mafia throne lands him in the parking lot of a hospital where he sets his sight on a beautiful nurse…and the obsession begins.

Georgina is a lonely soul. With her cats to keep her company, she years for something more. But unfortunately no man has ever made her feel beyond a slight interest that wanes as quickly as it appears. She may not be everything that she appears to be at first sight with her fake smiles and when Jasper sees her, he’s immediately obsessed.

If you’re like me and love your anti-heroes possessive and obsessive, you will fall in lust with Jasper. The man stalks her. Finds any way to insert himself into her life, even murder. And when his expert maneuvering has her best friend from work setting Georgina up with him, he knows nothing short of getting a taste will lessen his obsession.

Thus begins one of the most delicious push and pulls of their relationship. Jasper is crude but in the most yummy way. He’s a man that likes it rough and a little resistance doesn’t put him off. If you like dub con, this has some of the most delicious scenes. And no, not in a rapey way, but in a true dub con way. Georgina may not fully understand her needs, but the more demanding Jasper gets, the more she feels herself pulled into his orbit. Theirs is not exactly an orthodox relationship. They are a back and forth of hot sex and pulling back, but neither seems capable of staying away. Jasper knows his job won’t allow for anything permanent but he’s completely incapable of leaving her alone. The more time passes, the more obsessive he becomes. GOD it was good.

The suspense and grit of the story is on point. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming that were pretty jaw dropping. I devoured this book, cliffhanger and all. Luckily the wait for book two isn’t that long and I can’t wait to see how everything ends.

To celebrate the release of He Hates Me, Isabella Starling and Rina Kent are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Head to Rina’s Facebook page to enter: https://www.facebook.com/rinaakent/

Dark, dirty and taboo is what Isabella Starling is known for.

An Amazon top 25 bestselling Author, Isabella has 10 books under her belt in under a year. She is a self-proclaimed Tumblr gif addict and always looking for her next forbidden story.

If you pick up a Starling book, you can count on a bad-mouthed, bossy man who will dominate his woman with a rough hand.

Add just a sprinkle of taboo, a touch of BDSM and a pinch of suspense, and you’re all set for a story you won’t forget.

Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.

Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.

Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.

Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.

Don’t forget to Sign up to Rina Kent’s Newsletter for news about future releases and an exclusive gift.

AUTHOR LINKS

Isabella Starling Social Media:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorisabellastarling

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/isastarling

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goodgirlslovebadboys/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorstarling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorisabellastarling/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/isabella-starling

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Isabella-Starling/e/B01HK6XGZW/

Book+Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/users/45

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15291934.Isabella_Starling

Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/isabellastarling

Rina Kent Social Media:

Website: https://rinakent.com/

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/rinakent

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/rina-bookbub

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RinaIG

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RinaFCB

Exclusive Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/RinaGroup

Twitter: http://bit.ly/RinaTwitter

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/RinaPinterest

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/rina-goodreads

· Filed Under: Author Spotlight & interview, Dark · Tagged With: , , ,

Excerpt & Review: Wicked Ever After by Shayla Black

April 8, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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?

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY

Start the duet, today, with Wicked As Sin!

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

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.

Connect with Shayla

Facebook: http://bit.ly/37I9BDl

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2S748PE

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2vBsY2N

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/36LoQdb

YouTube: http://bit.ly/36HKhfo
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2SerYsQ

Website: http://bit.ly/2S7fq6L

Stay up to date by signing up for Shayla’s mailing list:
http://bit.ly/38g4sCV

 

 

 

 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Bastard Boss by Sara Ney

April 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

New & Upcoming Releases: April 5-10

April 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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 series—A 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.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Upcoming Releases · Tagged With: ,

Review: Stealing Cinderella by A. Zavarelli

April 2, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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 

 

 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark · Tagged With: , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: