#DGRFave & Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: A Favor for a Favor by @helenahunting

A FAVOR FOR A FAVOR
Series: All In #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: January 28, 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of Pucked and A Lie for a Lie, a new stand-alone romance about trading favors, battling wills, and winning love.

When I joined Seattle’s NHL expansion team, I thought it was the start of something great. But nothing ever goes the way you expect. Take my introduction to my new neighbor. She came rolling in on the hot mess express at midnight, making a racket while she tried to get into my team captain’s apartment. Did I mention that he’s married to a woman who definitely was not her?

Imagine my surprise when I end up with an injury that has me out of the game for weeks, and she’s the one to offer to help me. I should probably add that she’s not the captain’s mistress. She’s his sexy, pastel-haired younger sister.

So we come up with an arrangement: she rehabs me so that I can get back on the ice sooner, and she can add a professional athlete that isn’t her brother to her client list. Seems simple enough. As long as I can keep my hands to myself and my hormones in check.

AMAZON

“Say you were taking a woman to a formal work function. Would you get her flowers or something?” I’ve gone on my fair share of dates, had a few relationships, but I’ve never been one for hearts and flowers or any of that bull. I’m thinking I might need to do that with Stevie, though, since she’s been screwed over pretty hard.“Is this a date or a favor for a friend?”

“I guess she thinks I’m doing her a favor.” At least that was the impression that I got when I offered to go with her.

“Is that actually what you’re doing?”

“Yes and no.”

“Can you give me a little more to go on?”

“Her ex is going to be there and I don’t want her to go alone.”

“You don’t want her to go alone because you’re worried he’ll be a jerk or he’ll try to take advantage of her?”

“Sure, yeah, that’s part of the reason.”

“Instead of me dragging the information out of you, why don’t you lay it down for me?”

“So, Stevie—”

“Hold up, we’re back to Rook’s little sister?”

“Who else would I be talking about?”

“I thought you said there isn’t anything going on between you, and now you’re taking her to some kind of work function? That’s not a favor; that’s a date. Does Rook know?”

“It’s none of his damn business.”

“I’m not sure he’ll see it that way.”

“Well, he doesn’t have control over her or what she does, or what I do.” I’m agitated now. “She’s not going to that thing alone. I don’t trust that ex of hers, and I don’t want her to end up in a situation she doesn’t like.”

Kingston tips his head to the side. “Dang.”

“What?”

“You like her.”

“Well, yeah, I like her.” What’s not to like? She’s gorgeous, and she’s funny and feisty; her body is rockin’; and she’s fun to be around, super chill, and genuinely selfless.

“Like you actually want to date her, though.”

I shrug, because what am I going to say? The answer to that is yes, I want to date her, but the timing needs to be right. “I don’t want the ex thinking he has another chance.“

“You really love complicated situations, don’t you?”

“They just tend to find me, is all.”

“When’s this event you’re supposed to take her to?” King asks.

“Saturday.”

He frowns. “We get back at noon on Saturday.”

“It’s in the evening.”

“You better hope our flight isn’t delayed.”

I hadn’t considered a delay. The only reason that would happen is if the weather isn’t good. “It doesn’t start until five. I should have plenty of time to get home and throw a suit on.”

Kingston nods and taps restlessly on the edge of the pool. “So would you call this your first date?”

“We hang out all the time.”

“‘Hang out’ meaning what?”

“Other than PT sessions, we watch hockey, eat pizza, stuff like that.”

Kingston blinks several times in rapid succession. “That’s it?”

“I pick her up from work a lot.”

“Have you ever bought her flowers before? Brought her any gifts?”

“I brought her over an aloe plant once. But, like I said, it hasn’t been like that.” I don’t get why he’s so hung up on the flowers.

“Again, please try not to take offense, but are you sure you haven’t inadvertently put yourself in the friend zone?”

“How do I know if I’m in the friend zone?” I haven’t had a lot of friends who are girls. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend who’s a girl who isn’t related to me. And I only have two female cousins, whom I see a couple of times a year at family functions. They’re significantly younger than me, so mostly I avoid them.

It’s Kingston’s turn to blow out a long breath. “If you put your arm around her and she gets all snuggly but doesn’t try to take it any further, it could mean you’re in the friend zone.”

I don’t know what my expression must be, but the panic I feel inside quite possibly reaches my face. I feel like it should be obvious that I’m interested. A guy doesn’t spend endless hours with a gorgeous woman who combines weird pizza toppings for shits and giggles. But then again, I haven’t attempted to make a move on her since the almost-kiss. And any conversation I’ve tried to have with her about it has been shut down. In fact, she wants to pretend it didn’t happen. I hadn’t considered that this might be because she actually didn’t want it to happen at all. She seemed just as into it as I was. Or maybe I’ve been misreading the whole thing. “If I’m in the friend zone, how the hell do I get out?”

I need you to stop touching me!” It’s stupid because I’m still holding on to her, not the other way around.
“Why are you yelling at me?” she shouts back.
“Because you’re half-undressed in my tub,and I’m a guy, and apparently my dick is a fucking sadist. It honestly feels like my balls are on fire right now. A semi has literally never been this painful.” “Well, close your damn eyes and think about dead things.”

FAVORITE. HELENA HUNTING BOOK. EVER.

How do you even top this? This book was EVERYTHING. The blurb was amazing but it didn’t even begin to do this justice. I loved the first in the series, but this story just owned me. It was enemies to lovers with a slow burn to beat all slow burns. It was full of banter and humor and all of the sizzle. GAH! I seriously can’t right now with all of my feels!!

These two were easily my favorite characters that Helena Hunting has created to date.

Stevie is RJ’s younger sister from A Lie for a Lie. She’s feisty, sharp-witted, and currently trying to move on from walking in on her boyfriend having sex with another woman in their bed. The bed in the apartment they just moved into together. The apartment that they got because of a job they both got and will be working together at. Good times. As she runs away to lick her wounds, looking a hot mess, her brother offers up his condo to her. So of course as fate would have it, what happens when everything that can go wrong does and you’re looking a hot mess trying to get the key to work to your temporary new gigs? You run into your ridiculously good looking but terribly tempered neighbor.

To say that these two get off on the wrong foot would be a serious understatement. While Stevie is dealing with her new normal, she now has to deal with her grumpy new neighbor that happens to assume that she’s his married teammate’s sidepiece. So suffice it to say, he’s not that happy to see her. No matter that the relationship between RJ and Bishop is antagonistic at best.

These two begin an intricate dance of antagonism laced with enough sexual tension to set their condo building on fire. It’s enemies to lovers at it’s very best. With amazing banter, sizzling chemistry, and all of the funny barbs and one-liners. When Bishop gets dangerously hurt during a game, he’s desperate to get back on his feet. And then Stevie offers him her help. She’s a physiotherapist specializing in sports therapy. It’s a great arrangement. A favor for a favor. She’d help get him back on the ice, and he’d give her the chance to work with her first professional athlete and make a name for herself without her brother’s help. Thus begins an even more intricate dance of denying their chemistry as they’re forced in tight quarters and to be around each other a lot more often.

Bishop was such an amazing hero. This man is brooding, and while looks are deceiving, he’s not the typical man-whoring athlete. He takes care of his younger brother and focuses on his career. He has no time for a woman, until one quite literally stumbles into his life.

This was such a delicious story. I don’t even have all of the words to describe how good. The chemistry was incendiary, the humor was on point, and the story was addictive. Pure perfection on pages. I can’t recommend it enough. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t read a Helena Hunting book yet, then this is the perfect one to hook you with!

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.
 
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Review: Conceal by Ava Harrison

CONCEAL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Ava Harrison
Release Date: January 11, 2020

From USA Today bestselling author Ava Harrison comes a billionaire romance full of witty banter and a jaw-dropping twist!

I ran.
Escaped the man who wanted to hurt me.

I got in my car and drove.
No destination. No direction. No help.

I hid in the one place I would never be found.
Now in New York with no job, I didn’t know what to do.

Then I met him.
Jaxson Price.
The enigmatic devil who wasn’t only above the law, but played it like a puppet.

He might be the answer to all my problems.
Too bad he’s asking for something in return for his help….
My heart.

He tells me with no words, I’m his. That he owns me with every move of his hips. He tells me he will make sure I’m okay. I feel the truth in it. And I believe him.

This is the kind of story that sneaks up on you slowly. It’s not an in your face, slam bam sort of suspense and romance. It’s a slow burn, with plenty of layers, incredible character development, and a romance that’s as intense as it is satisfying.

I’ve been waiting for Jaxson’s book for what feels like ages. He was the light tempered, easy to laugh, and first to joke sort of man. But beyond the easy smiles and good-natured temperament, you just knew there’s another layer to this man. Conceal shows us those layers, and let me just tell you, they’re deep. There’s so much more to Jax than meets the eye. He’s desperate for his siblings approval. His older brother seems to think he’s more of a party boy that never took running the family business seriously. And while the Price empire isn’t his passion, he’s determined to prove to them he can do it.

But more than that. Max has a heart of gold. This is a man that’s always ready to help those in need, even if he gets nothing out of it. So when he stumbles into a beautiful woman that seems to be running from something. He’s determined to learn her secrets as much as he’s determined to get to her heart. What starts an unlikely friendship soon begins to turn into something so much more.

Willow is on the run, but you don’t know from who or from what. She keeps her secrets well hidden, but her fear is obvious. Admittedly, it took me a bit to get into this story. It’s definitely a slow burn sort of read. It has many different layers that take time to unravel. And while I wasn’t exactly bored, I also wasn’t riveted to the pages. Then when the puzzle pieces began to come together, I was completely sucked in.

This is my second Ava Harrison book and I’m definitely hooked on her brand of story telling.

Review: Kingpin’s Property by Julia Sykes

KINGPIN’S PROPERTY
Series:
Captive #4
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Julia Sykes
Release Date: January 21, 2020

Carmen Ronaldo is my enemy, an influential player in a rival cartel. She’s also been the object of my twisted obsession for years. Her wickedly sharp mind and fierce demeanor have fascinated me for over a decade, but it’s her carefully concealed, sweetly innocent nature that I’ve come to covet. The thorny contempt she displays for me is nothing more than armor, a means of protecting her gentler soul from the monsters that inhabit our cruel criminal underworld.

Monsters like me.

When I decimate her organization, I’m not merciful enough to spare her. For too long, my ruthless instinct to possess Carmen has been denied. I want her sweetness all for myself, and I will mercilessly employ the most deviant methods to earn her surrender.

She’s my trophy, my prize of war. I intend to cage her and tame her; a symbol of my absolute victory and dominion over my newly conquered territory.

Carmen is no longer my enemy. She’s my pet, my plaything.

She’s just mine.

Note: Kingpin’s Property can be read as a standalone dark romance novel.

AMAZON

I won’t stop, not even when you beg me to. You will weep for mercy, and you’ll find that I have none. I will shatter you.” 

This series has quickly become one of my favorite guilty pleasures. There’s just something so satisfying about Julia Sykes intensely possessive antiheroes. And I mean INTENSELY POSSESSIVE. Kingpin’s Property is the story of Carmen and Stefano’s story.

Now I will say that pretty much every antihero in the Captive series is almost borderline sociopath with their lack of empathy and violent streaks, there’s just something so charmingly enigmatic about Stefano. While the previous men in the series have been dark, broody, and utterly terrifying, Stefano is different. Well, he’s still dark, broody, and utterly terrifying. But he’s also charming, in a borderline sociopathic way. Does that even make sense here? Roll with me on this. What I mean is, the man knows how to layer on the charm, while still being the violent and menacing cartel boss that he is.

This story picks up immediately where Pretty Hostage ended, with the siege of the Ronaldo cartel. Carmen thought that in exchange for her help to get Sofia away from the clutches of her cruel brother, she’d make a deal with the devil. She promised Adrián to help his men access their territory, allow them to kill her brother so that she may take over as the head of the cartel. Unfortunately, Adrián’s got a deal of his own with Stefano. And Stefano? He wants Carmen. To take her. To have her. To own her. But Carmen will not go easy.

What I really loved about this book was how fierce Carmen was. Faced with impossible odds and having survived horrors that still haunt her, the woman is a fighter until the bitter end. She gives as good as she gets and she’s not afraid to goad and torture Stefano, even if she thinks it’s to her death. Stefano is a bit of an enigma. He lacks empathy allowing him to be the deadly cartel boss that he is, but his feelings for Carmen confound him.

This was a delicious game of cat and mouse. Reaching the push and pull between these two was incredibly entertaining. There’s also two new secondary characters that are introduced and I’m so excited to get their book next. But as for this one? Satisfying to the last page.

Review: Riven Knight by Devney Perry

RIVEN KNIGHT
Series: Tin Gypsy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: January 21, 2020

Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.

AMAZON

Isaiah looked in the mirror and saw everlasting broken pieces, but maybe my broken pieces would fit with his. Together, maybe we’d make a whole.

Oh.
Oh wow.
My whole heart right now.
This story owned me from beginning to finish.

I remember a day when I used to devour MC romance. Now? Not so much. It all just kind of started blending into one another. Or it was filled with gratuitous violence and crazy plot twists for shock value. This book? This book reminded me all over again why I loved MC in the first place. But it’s so much more then that too. It’s a heart wrenching, heart pounding, and beautiful romance full of suspense and incredible depth.

She needed to leave this town and fade into a memory. Before I forgot that I didn’t deserve her.

You need to read this series in order. Even though Riven Knight is the story of a different couple, there’s an overarching story arc that continues from book one. This is the story of the mysterious Isaiah and Genevieve, and It. Was. Everything.

Isaiah has been the quiet and unassuming recent addition in the Tin Gypsies garage. The man is an ex-con, and you just know those soulful eyes of his hide some dark demons and pain. Genevieve is Dash’s half-sister that he didn’t know existed from an affair he’s still struggling to forgive his father for. But while Dash is dealing with her, she’s struggling just as much with her new reality. Her mother has been murdered, her killer is still on the lose, and the father she never knew about is suddenly wanting to get to know her. Add into this her sudden marriage to Isaiah for a secret that both of them are keeping close to the vest, and there’s a lot of things happening in this story.

The story is multi-layered and the characters even more so. Both Isaiah and Genevieve had so much depth, every new page revealed a new layer. I loved watching them unknowingly fall for each other during their fake marriage. I loved their road to happiness.

There’s a lot of events happening around The Warriors and Tin Gypsy, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. I don’t remember the last time a book was able to evoke so much emotion and reaction out of me. It gutted me, it broke me, and then it put me right back together again. I cannot wait for the next book. I’m so addicted to this series!

Review: Descent by Natasha Knight

DESCENT
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: January 20, 2020

Persephone Abbot is in my debt.
Exactly the way I want it.

The sins of the father should not be inherited by the daughter. It’s unfair, I know, but since when has life been fair?

The events that brought us here began on Halloween night more than five years ago in that chapel ruin. I saved her that night. Carried her home through the storm that was the omen warning of what would come.

I didn’t know it then, but I do now.

Her father destroyed something precious. Someone innocent.
I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I won’t just balance the scales of justice, I’ll tip them so far in my favor his legacy will topple.

I’ll take that which is most precious. His daughter. I’ll own her. Make her mine.

But I’m not the only monster lurking in the dark corners of her world. She’ll sleep in the bed of the beast but I’ll keep her safe. Protect her fiercely.

And maybe I’ll keep her.

Set in the Benedetti Mafia World, Descent is a brand new Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.

AMAZON

Persephone Abbot belongs to me. She always has. And now, she belongs in my bed, too. And I’ll make sure she stays there no matter what I have to do.

Natasha Knight books are like crack for me. I devour them in one sitting and can never get enough. Her stories are sexy and addictive, and Descent was no exception. It was deliciously sinful, gritty, and with a dark undercurrent that I was immediately hooked on.

Hades.
He was my savior once.
Twice.
Now he’s become my tormentor.
And I don’t ever want him to let me go.

Persephone is reeling in the aftermath of her beloved father tragic accident and trying to hold together the pieces of his crumbling empire. Hayden “Hades” is a boy that she was enraptured by in her past, but is now the man that threatens everything she holds dear. He now holds the key to her father’s company, house, and he’s not above making her beg for it. A deal is struck, Persephone, in exchange for her continuing to live in her family house that Hades now owns, and keep the name of her father’s company that now lies in Hades’s ownership as well.

Hades has a clear axe to grind with the Abbots, and Persephone is a convenient collateral. He’s wanted her for years, and now he intends to have her. Even if he has to buy her to do it. He knows something that Percy doesn’t about her father. But Percy also has secrets of her own. Dark secrets that could unravel everything.

Descent was a page turner full of secrets, plot twists, and sizzling romance. It was sinfully sexy and deliciously dark. There’s plenty of secrets that get unraveled here, but it also left me with quite a few questions. I’m not sure if the plot just wasn’t finished and may be continued in the next book, or if it was meant to be that way. It felt a little…rushed towards the end and there were some gaps that I had hoped would be addressed. But that aside, I enjoyed this story thoroughly. And can’t wait for more in this world!

New & Upcoming Releases: January 20-26

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


THE CRUELEST STRANGER by Winter Renshaw- buy link TBA

The first time I saw him was at a bar called Ophelia’s on a misty Thursday night. I was there to drown my sorrows after a trying day, he was there to escape the storm. After a brief yet incredibly cruel exchange, the handsome stranger bolted before I had a chance to tell him off. Incensed and two cocktails deep, I followed him out the door, determined to give the audacious Adonis a piece of my mind—and the umbrella he left behind.

Tearing after him in heels and barely able to keep up in the freezing rain, I ended my chase when I realized where he was going.

They say never to judge someone unless you know their story.

I never could have anticipated his…

And I never could have anticipated the way our paths would cross again—or that I would one day find myself falling for a man with a hollow cavity where his heart should be, a man as callous as he was beautiful, as complicated as he was mesmeric.

They say never to judge someone unless you know their story.

This one’s ours.


CROSSING THE LINE by Kendall Ryan

Recovering from a pulled groin muscle isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my much-needed summer vacation. But being nursed back to health by my gorgeous friend Bailey, who’s just graduated from medical school, doesn’t exactly sound like a hardship.

We spend a week together at my family’s beach house, a week of swimming and barbecues, a week of entertaining my little cousins and sleeping right across the hall from each other. A week of watching Bailey grow closer with my mom and sisters, and my wacky but lovable grandma. A week of enjoying Bailey tending to me—which is saying something, because it involves a lot of shoving ice packs into my underwear and taping up sore muscles.

She’s funny and kind, and after just being myself for the first time in a long time, I find my walls come tumbling down. But when Bailey says she’s not looking for a relationship, I’m bound and determined to be more than just the fun hookup who sprained his groin a second time—this time with her.

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!

(Books can be enjoyed in any order.)


HEADLINERS by Lucy Parker

Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.

This book is approximately 96,000 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!


INAPPROPRIATE by Vi Keeland

From #1 New York Times Bestseller Vi Keeland, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Terminated for inappropriate behavior.
I couldn’t believe the letter in my hands.
Nine years. Nine damn years I’d worked my butt off for one of the largest companies in America, and I was fired with a form letter when I returned home from a week in Aruba.
All because of a video taken when I was on vacation with my friends—a private video made on my private time. Or so I thought…
Pissed off, I cracked open a bottle of wine and wrote my own letter to the gazillionaire CEO telling him what I thought of his company and its practices.
I didn’t think he’d actually respond.
I certainly never thought I’d suddenly become pen pals with the rich jerk.
Eventually, he realized I’d been wronged and made sure I got my job back.
Only…it wasn’t the only thing Grant Lexington wanted to do for me.
But there was no way I was getting involved with my boss’s boss’s boss. Even if he was ridiculously gorgeous, confident, and charming.
It would be completely wrong, inappropriate even.
Sort of like the video that got me into trouble to begin with.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
But sometimes it’s twice as fun.


FACE THE MUSIC by JB Salsbury 

Pastor Ben Langley is irresistible.

His wife died giving birth to their daughter six years ago. His tragic past doesn’t keep me from wanting to unravel him, strip away his buttoned-up goodness, and discover what kind of man lies beneath. If that makes me evil, so be it. I’m far beyond redemption anyway.

Ashleigh Kendrick is freedom personified, an unpredictable wind I want to grasp hold of.

Every Sunday she watches me preach from the front row, wearing her halter tops and tiny skirts, a dangerous temptation. Her favorite words are the four-letter variety, and her smile lights up the darkness inside me. I vowed to love one woman forever. I never realized that vow would be impossible to keep when confronted with a chance to love again.

Face the Music is an opposites attract romance with emotional ties to the past that run so thick they feel impossible to overcome.


DESCENT by Natasha Knight

Persephone Abbot is in my debt.
Exactly the way I want it. 

The sins of the father should not be inherited by the daughter. It’s unfair, I know, but since when has life been fair?

The events that brought us here began on Halloween night more than five years ago in that chapel ruin. I saved her that night. Carried her home through the storm that was the omen warning of what would come.

I didn’t know it then, but I do now.

Her father destroyed something precious. Someone innocent.
I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I won’t just balance the scales of justice, I’ll tip them so far in my favor his legacy will topple.

I’ll take that which is most precious. His daughter.

But I’m not the only monster lurking in the dark corners of her world. She’ll sleep in the bed of the beast, but I’ll keep her safe. Protect her fiercely.

And maybe I’ll keep her.

Set in the Benedetti Mafia World, Descent is a brand new Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.


THE BELLE AND THE BIKER by Kenzie Reed

“Hop on the back of my bike, girl. If you can unclench those knees, that is.”

You can take a girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.

That’s why Crash McClanahan, ruthless enforcer for the Iron Ride bikers, is all wrong for me.
I never wear white after Labor Day.

He never leaves the house without his leathers. I’m monograms and minivans. He’s bar fights and Harleys. You get the idea.

I’m glad he vanished after our one night together, because he’s a distraction I don’t need. I’ve laying low in Manhattan, trying to turn over a new leaf after a lifetime of bad behavior.

Unfortunately, it looks like karma’s caught up to me. I accidentally witness an incident of shockingly rude behavior – murder! – and now I’m in a killer’s cross-hairs.

And the one man who can keep me alive? The man who gave me the ride of my life and then left me by the roadside – Crash McClanahan.


RELEASING JANUARY 21


TOXIC VENGEANCE by Kaylea Cross

A past poisoned by lies.

Toxins expert Eden Foster was trained never to get close to anyone. She’s only broken that rule twice, and each time it ended in heartbreak. Her mentor was murdered in front of her, and now the man she was forced to deceive and leave behind has suddenly become a threat. She wants justice, but the only way she’ll get it is by joining forces with the only man to pose a threat to her guarded heart—the CIA contractor tasked with capturing and turning her in.

Risking a second chance could cost them everything.

Zack Maguire has spent his entire adult life serving his country, but this time, he’s torn between duty and his heart. Eden might not be the woman he thought she was, but he refuses to accept that everything between them was a lie. If she’s being hunted, he’s all in. He won’t sit back and do nothing when her life is on the line. As the danger mounts, he’ll do anything to protect her. And when their enemies close in, the only way they’ll live long enough to have a second chance is to let go of the past and learn to trust each other.


THE DAWN OF THE END (AUDIBLE ORIGINAL) by Kristen Ashley

From the unparalleled imagination of New York Times best-selling author Kristen Ashley comes Book Three in The Rising, an enchanting new fantasy romance series that will sweep you away! 

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake….


GHOST OF A CHANCE by Cynthia Eden

How well do you know the lover in your bed?

It was the hottest hookup of her life. When Tess Barrett spent the night in the arms of the too sexy to be real stranger, she knew she was walking on the wild side. Sex with James Smith was the best EVER. How was she supposed to walk away from that? From him? So…she didn’t. They planned secret dates. More body-melting hookups. The white-hot sex should have been enough.

So why does she start wanting more?

But they have rules. She has rules. No emotions. No ties. She has a past that is dark and twisted, and she’s worked hard to become a new person. She’s a doctor now. Respected. Controlled. Except…there is no control when she’s around James.

A bad guy…might be falling for the good girl.

James can’t keep his hands off his sexy little doctor. She’s buttoned down for everyone else but goes absolutely wild for him. Sure, she doesn’t know his history. Doesn’t know that the man she lets touch every inch of her body used to spend his days working for Uncle Sam and doing some seriously dirty deeds. What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, right? And if she ever did learn the truth about him, he knew it would terrify his sweet doc right to her core. Terror would make her run. He doesn’t want her running. He just wants her in his bed.

But then…something happens. Danger sneaks up on Tess. She needs help—a very particular expertise and protective skill set. She needs someone lethal and strong…and James is just the man for the job. After all, lethal is his middle name.

Hello, dangerous times.

When James steps in, Tess doesn’t know if she should be grateful or scared to death. Because her gorgeous lover? Turns out he has plenty of mad and dangerous skills. She’s been hooking up with a superhero or…maybe a super villain. It’s sort of hard to tell the difference.

For the moment, she’s going to go with feeling grateful…but as she learns all of his secrets, Tess wonders what will happen next between them. Will they crash and burn? Burn, baby, burn. Or maybe, just maybe, they’ll actually have a GHOST OF A CHANCE at getting a happily ever after ending.

Author’s Note: James Smith is one mad, bad, dangerous guy…but sometimes, bad guys fall hard for good girls. GHOST OF A CHANCE is super hot, charged with lots of feels, and, it’s got some pulse-pounding action for you. Dirty words and dirty deeds are dead ahead. Oh, and there’s plenty of fun thrown in, too. Mystery, humor, sexy times, and danger—all of my favorite things in a book.


KINGPIN’S PROPERTY by Julia Sykes

Carmen Ronaldo is my enemy, an influential player in a rival cartel. She’s also been the object of my twisted obsession for years. Her wickedly sharp mind and fierce demeanor have fascinated me for over a decade, but it’s her carefully concealed, sweetly innocent nature that I’ve come to covet. The thorny contempt she displays for me is nothing more than armor, a means of protecting her gentler soul from the monsters that inhabit our cruel criminal underworld.

Monsters like me.

When I decimate her organization, I’m not merciful enough to spare her. She’s my trophy, my prize of war.

Carmen is no longer my enemy.

She’s just mine.


LEAVE ME BREATHLESS: THE BLACK ROSE COLLECTION

Introducing the darker side of Leave Me Breathless…

When the daylight fades and time stands still. The feeling of flying from just one touch. Moving slowly, kissing softly. The flash of fever, becoming lost in the flames. Surrendering. Going under. These are the moments that leave us breathless!

The Black Rose symbolizes rejuvenation or rebirth, but it can also symbolize death and farewell. This collection of romance books can all be read as stand-alone books and are guaranteed to give you a happily ever after that leaves you breathless! What will it take to tempt you?

THIS COLLECTION INCLUDES:

Master of Control by Sienna Snow (Dark Romantic Suspense)
I’m a prize, a treasure, something to cherish. Or so I’ve been told.
But I know the truth. I’m a commodity recently sold to the highest bidder.

The Sound of Silence by Dakota Willink (Dark Romantic Suspense)
There’s a common expression I remind myself of every day: that which does not kill us, makes us stronger. I’ve learned to accept what is, but I won’t let it destroy me. Instead, I do the only thing I can to survive—I run.

Forbidden Love by Elizabeth Knox (Irish Mafia Dark Romance)
Caprice DiGiovanni has made the decision to run from her father, who runs the Italian Mafia. He’s arranged for her to marry a Russian arms dealer. Only, she’s not going to. She’s running to the only place where she feels that she can be safe – Ireland, straight into the territory of the Mackenzies.

Crimson Dahlia by Patricia D. Eddy (Dark BDSM Romantic Suspense)
His failure cost a good man his life. Now, years later, he has one chance at redemption. Kidnap the man’s daughter.

The Bullet Theory by Sonya Jesus (Dark Romantic Suspense)
There’s a theory about a bullet and a tortured heart: when both exist, the only variable is opportunity—which The Bullet Man willingly provides. The killer carefully chooses Ellie and manipulates his way into her heart. When he gives her a chance at revenge, will she take the shot or turn him in?

Marked by Cayce Poponea (Mafia Romantic Suspense)
Doing the right thing should never leave a scar…
Can Kristine follow the three simple rules for working in the Family? What happens when her loyalty is questioned by the one she trusts the most?

Dare Dark by Pepper North (Dark BDSM Romance)
Are there some dreams that should never come true? Some fantasies that should never be pursued?

Precious Gems by Sierra Hill (Dark Romance)
She has what he wants, but in order to give it to him, she’ll pay the ultimate price.

Dark Desires by Jo-Anne Joseph (Dark Psychological Romance)
The woman in the mirror looks and sounds like Layla Murphy, but it isn’t. She’s been lured by dark temptation, her husband’s best friend, Bradley Carter. He’s devious and cunning, and one taste of this dark desire will never be enough.

Insidious Love by Crimson Syn (Dark Romantic Suspense)
When Rose Blackthorne witnesses a heinous murder, her only choice is to run. Jake Cavanaugh has been hired to find Rose and keep her quiet. His rules are simple: get the job done and never get too close. But what happens when his obsession for this woman blemishes his plans?

Mia by Sin Silverfall (Dark Romantic Suspense)
Venezuelan drug lord, Dantes Belisario, is no stranger to high-risk rewards. Running drugs and weapons is just another day’s work. But Mia Bernard is a prize that’s not only out his league, but she’s also off-limits. She’s gorgeous and vulnerable, and just so happens to be the city Sheriff’s daughter. Just the kind of trouble he doesn’t need.


BITTER FALLS by Rachel Caine

An Amazon Charts, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling series.

She’s investigating a cold case no one else could—by going places no else would dare.

In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues. Just Ruth Landry, a tortured mother in limbo. Gwen understands what it’s like to worry about your children.

Gwen’s investigation unearths new suspects…and victims. As she follows each sinister lead, the implications of the mystery grow more disturbing. Because the closer Gwen gets, the closer she is to a threat that looms back home.

In a town that’s closed its ranks against Gwen; her partner, Sam; and her kids, there’s no bolder enemy than the Belldene family—paramilitary, criminal, powerful, and vengeful. As personal vendettas collide with Gwen’s investigation, she’s prepared to fight both battles. But is she prepared for the toll it could take on everyone she loves?


HUNGRY HEARTS by Julie Hoag

For fans of “The Boys Next Door” by Jennifer Echols and “Holding Up the Universe” by Jennifer Niven.

When an amateur chef attempts to use food as his love language, Landra, who struggles with anorexia, finds his approach off-putting. In fact, she finds Brian to be rather annoying.

Undeterred, Brian snags Landra in a friendship that eventually grows into something else, as she finally trusts him enough to sample some of his homemade gourmet treats.

But things have not evolved to the level Brian would like, and soon he realizes Landra’s issue isn’t only with the food he makes. She’s into the football team’s hottest player. But Brian isn’t about to get one-upped by a jock. He decides to ask Landra out at the same time that Landra manages to snag a date with the football star.

As if dating isn’t hard enough, Landra must battle her anorexic impulses and self-esteem issues if she is to find the boy of her heart. When the voices of self-doubt and shame drown everything else out, Landra will need to give herself permission to be happy. And Brian? Well, he will have to find a way to Landra’s heart, even if it isn’t through her stomach.


TWEET CUTE by Emma Lord

“A witty rom-com reinvention … with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up.” – Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest

“An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist.” – Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.


DREAM WITH ME by Kristen Proby

From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes Dream With Me, an all-new addition to the series that has sold more than
a million copies to date, her beloved
With Me In Seattle Series!

Kane O’Callaghan knows what it is to have his work shown all over the world. His pieces are on display in palaces and museums, including the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass just outside of his beloved hometown of Seattle. Kane is a bit of a recluse, spending time on his farm alone and committed to his art. His life is full.

Until the day he meets her.

Wandering through museums is Anastasia Montgomery’s favorite way to spend her time. Not only does art feed her soul, but it inspires her own art of designing wedding cakes. When her muse seems to be gone, she finds her again among the beauty in the museums of Seattle, and the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass is her favorite. She’s never met the artist, but he must be absolutely brilliant, if he can make such beautiful things out of glass.

Bumping into a grumpy stranger at the museum wasn’t in Anastasia’s plan. And then discovering it was Kane himself was absolutely humiliating.

But when she sees him again at a charity fundraiser, and ends up spending an incredible, unforgettable night with the mysterious glass smith, Anastasia finds herself thinking of Kane and little else, even her precious work. Will this relationship bloom into the romance of a lifetime, or will their dreams of success get in the way of true love?


RIVEN KNIGHT by Devney Perry

Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.


THICK & THIN by Tabitha Vargo

Book 3 in the Chubby Girl Chronicles, a series of standalone novels with hot alpha males and curvy heroines.

Joshua Black.

What can I say about him?

He was my best friend until he wasn’t.

He was my childhood until I was no longer a child.

Now he’s something else entirely.

A man instead of a boy—a soldier instead of a high school quarterback.

He’s forbidden thoughts and secret desires.

Our situation has changed and so have I.

I’m no longer the love-sick tomboy he left behind. I’m a woman with needs, a secret, and an extra fifty pounds.

We promised through thick and thin, but I’m not sure how thin the lines are or how thick he’s willing to go.


NEVER TRUTH by Jill Ramsower

Sofia

My life fractured when I was only five years old.

I thought I’d never be whole again, but a boy helped piece me back together, one day at a time. Nico Conti became my world—ten years later, he shattered my heart.

He took away the light, so I learned to see in the dark.

Now he’s come back, trying to explain away his absence and pick up where we left off. He doesn’t understand everything’s changed. I’m not the same girl he left behind, but he doesn’t seem to care. He wants all of me. That’s more than I’m willing to give.

Nico

They say you don’t know what you’ve lost until it’s gone, but that wasn’t true. I knew exactly how devastating it would be to lose Sofia, and I did it anyway. I thought our separation would be permanent, but I’ve suddenly been forced back into her life. Walking away once was hard enough; I’m not strong enough to leave her again. Now that I’ve seen her, tasted her, I have to make her mine.

Seven years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I plan to do everything in my power to correct that mistake, even if it means coming clean about the past. There’s a chance the secrets I carry will push her further away, but that’s a risk I’ll have to take. Sofia Genovese was made for me, and I’m determined to win her back.

**Never Truth is the second book in The Five Families Series but can be read as a standalone novel.


FOREVER FREED by Kathleen Brooks

Jackson Parker has seen evil first hand as a Tier 1 government asset with the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. After months of black ops work overseas, he’s finally coming home for a break. But with Keeneston’s wedding of the century, a stowaway on the run, and a plot that could kill thousands of civilians, Jackson gets anything but rest and relaxation. Especially when the stowaway turns out to be the love of his life and is in the sights of a mass killer.

Evie Scott is running from evil. She’d tried to warn the authorities, but now it’s too late. Her only option is running. But he found her like he always did. She had never felt safe before. But being in Keeneston and with a man she’d fallen for might do the trick.

One escape. One chance to live. One man who will do anything to protect her. And one chance to love.


WHEN HOPE ENDS by Freya Barker

It’s the best day of his life–the worst of hers.

She left her soul behind in the dead silence of a hospital room.
He is bright with hope after being so close to losing faith.

One moment in time leaves their paths unavoidably entwined.

An invisible connection held by one heart beating between them.

***Previously part of the anthology; Then There Was You.


ALMOST JUST FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world—and the people who make it home.

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.


WHATEVER IT TAKES by Krista & Becca Ritchie

I HAVE A BAD REPUTATION.

Call me what you want: Bad Boy Next Door. Trouble. That Kid Who Can’t Do Anything Right.

When Willow moves into my neighborhood, nothing should have happened. She’s geeky. Shy. A true wallflower.

Willow is a good girl.
Too good for me.

And how the hell was I supposed to know that she’s related to Loren Hale—yeah, that douchebag celebrity that lives on my street. The same guy I’ve been pranking by spray painting vulgar words on his mailbox and worse. Much worse.

Don’t ask me why I do the things I do.
Don’t ask me why it had to be her.

I’m cursed. Simple as that. But here’s the thing about people who are cursed—they break everything they touch.

And yet. . .I still want to touch her. ​

Whatever It Takes is the first book in the Bad Reputation Duet and can be read and enjoyed without reading any of Krista & Becca’s other novels.


HERO’S HAVEN by Rebecca Zanetti

He’s her darkest fantasy. . .
 
After years of struggling, Haven Daly has finally accepted that she’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Why else would she see visions of a beautiful but tormented male every night . . . and actually believe she can talk to him, even feel his touch?  But thanks to those dream journeys, she can paint images nobody else on earth can duplicate. In each brush stroke, she captures the blatant masculinity and raw desire in his eyes that promise he’s coming for her…and soon.

She’s the light that keeps him going. . .

Quade Kayrs has already suffered a lifetime of pain and torture. Completely isolated, he kept his sanity  thanks to one beautiful female, a vision with kind emerald eyes. In the end, her soft voice led him out of hell. Now, naked and alone, he’s in a strange world that bears little resemblance to the one he left behind. All he knows is Haven.  All he wants is Haven.  His final mission? To protect her from the evil hunting them both—whether she likes it or not . . .


RELEASING JANUARY 22


WHISKEY MOMENTS by Emily Bowie

What happens when the legend you love, becomes the man you hate?

Camilla:
Do I love Rhett Steele? Absolutely not.
Do I like Rhett Steele? Not even close.
Do I hate Rhett Steele? Yes.
This is the man who destroyed my world, shattering my dreams the very first time I met him. It’s like he purposely pushes buttons I don’t even realize exist. I wouldn’t live with him if he were the last man on earth. Then how did he end up being my newest most hated roommate?

Rhett:
My singing career is tanking, my fans are turning against me, and I’m told I need to clean up my image. I should have done it with America’s sweetheart on my arm. But what’s the fun in that? Instead, I turn to the woman who hates me more than anyone. I’ve already hit rock bottom, I can only go up from here, or so I thought.


MAKING YOU MINE by Melissa Foster

Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster’s writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone or may be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance featuring Graham Braden’s business partner, Knox Bentley!

In MAKING YOU MINE…
Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He’d distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can’t close, the precious jewel even his billions can’t buy. Now that he’s back in the States, he’s determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

**

Love in Bloom novels feature alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women’s fiction. For avid readers of the Love in Bloom series, you may have met sexy and hilarious Knox Bentley, Graham Braden’s business partner, in Trails of Love, and Aubrey Stewart, one of the badass billionaire founders of the Ladies Who Write (LWW), in Anything for Love.


RELEASING JANUARY 23


LOVE ACCORDING TO SCIENCE by Claire Kingsley- buy link TBA

For psychology researcher Hazel Kiegen, science is everything. Her decision to swear off dating? Totally backed by her own calculations. Just don’t ask about her missing orgasms. She hasn’t been able to science her way out of that little conundrum.

But her biggest problem? Corban Nash. He’s frustrating. Infuriating. And deliciously adorable, but that’s neither here nor there. He claims to have cracked the code to falling in love, and Hazel is determined to prove him wrong.

Corban Nash created the theory of accelerated intimacy after numerous successful tests on his friends and family. Every couple who used his questionnaire fell in love, until Corban found himself the last single guy in his social circle, and a groomsman in dozens of weddings.

The only problem is, it’s never worked on him. And science hasn’t explained why.

Despite being the lone aberrant data point, Corban believes in his research, and with his new job, he’ll have the resources to prove it. Verifying his theory right under the nose of his nemesis, Hazel Kiegen? Even better.

There isn’t a theory in existence that will make Hazel fall in love with Corban. Not even with his sexy half-smile and temptingly muscular body. But from the moment these two rivals meet, sparks fly. And when they put his questionnaire to the test, the results aren’t what either of them expect.

Author’s note: Stand-alone romcom featuring a hot nerdy hero in hate-lust with his sworn enemy. A heroine with book smarts and a fluffy cat named Erwin. So much awkwardness and geeky banter. Super hot hate sex. Badass lady friendships with a widening circle of trust. And an HEA that will leave you swooning with happiness and your heart exploding with glitter.


SILVER PLAYER by LB Dunbar

Billy Harrington is the biggest player in Blue Ridge, only his wild card is about to be tabled by a feisty silver vixen.

Billy Harrington.
A young girl walks into a bar…
I’d like to say this is the start of a bad joke, but it isn’t really.
It’s my life.
Can you be called a baby-daddy if the secret baby shows up as a teenager?
I don’t know anything about raising a teen.
And the one person who could help me the most is my nemesis.

Roxanne McAllister.
I should hate him for being her father.
Only I don’t fault him for sleeping with my sister.
This is the story of my life.
I’ve always been runner-up to my older sibling.
Then tragedy strikes—again—and I’m left with a dilemma.
Can I count on the person I despise the most in Blue Ridge?


RUTHLESS KNIGHT by Ashley Jade

Welcome to their kingdom.

Cole Covington is the most popular heartbreaker at school.
Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to screw him.
Except me.
His devastatingly good looks, golden arm, and flirty smiles don’t do it for me anymore…because I know what’s lurking underneath the star quarterback’s gorgeous armor.

At least I thought I did.

Sometimes the most beautiful people…hide the ugliest truths.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to walk beside them through hell.

Sawyer Church is the bible-thumping nerd of Royal Hearts Academy.
Girls pick on her and guys don’t notice her.
Except me.
Sweet, curvy, and sarcastic, she’s impossible to ignore.
No matter how much I try.
Everyone at school has her pegged as the chubby, Jesus loving geek, but unlike them—Sawyer’s real and never pretends to be someone she’s not.

Until I ask her to be my fake girlfriend.

Sometimes the most beautiful souls…hide the greatest pain.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to fight for them.

This is book 2 in the Royal Hearts Academy series. Please note: Although this is Cole and Sawyer’s book, Cruel Prince (Jace and Dylan’s book) should be read first for a better understanding of the family dynamic.
WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone. The characters are flawed. If you’re looking for a safe, sweet romance with nice heroes and heroines who are perfect all the time, this series is NOT for you.


BOSS MAN BRIDEGROOM by Meghan Quinn

“Will you do me the greatest honor of all time and be my bridegroom?” she asks, hope in her eyes . . .

How did I get here? My assistant, bent on one knee, holding my hand, her expectant face waiting for an answer.

Just . . . how?

How did I go from being insulted by Charlee Cox to hiring her to be my assistant? How is it that she’s chaos in color – making me crazy and my life better at the same time?

I never thought I would be staring down at her bright blue eyes begging me to go along with this ridiculous scheme I suggested.

Yes, I suggested. Like the idiot I am, I thought hey, why not start an HR nightmare and have my assistant ask me to marry her?

Confused? Don’t worry, so am I.

But try to follow along, because this is how I became Boss Man Bridegroom.


MIX TAPE by Jane Sanderson

You never forget the one that got away. But what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?

Daniel was the first boy to make Alison a mix tape.

But that was years ago and Ali hasn’t thought about him in a very long time. Even if she had, she might not have called him ‘the one that got away’; she’d been the one to run away, after all.

Then Dan’s name pops up on her phone, with a link to a song from their shared past.

For two blissful minutes, Alison is no longer an adult in Adelaide with temperamental daughters; she is sixteen in Sheffield, dancing in her too-tight jeans. She cannot help but respond in kind.

And so begins a new mix tape.

Ali and Dan exchange songs – some new, some old – across oceans and time zones, across a lifetime of different experiences, until one of them breaks the rules and sends a message that will change everything…

Because what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?


REBEL SOUL by LK Farlow

West Larson comes from old money—the kind of wealth that comes with expectations steeped in archaic traditions. So, it’s not surprising when he learns the conditions of his trust fund: produce an heir before he turns twenty-five.

Enter Stacia Kellan. Her lowkey personality makes her the perfect baby mama…without the drama. And thanks to her wild-ass hair, colorful tattoos, and smart mouth, she’s exactly the kind of girl his parents would never approve of. Add in the fact that she’s a total smokeshow…knocking her up certainly wouldn’t be a hardship.

Stacia lives her life fast and loud. The idea of settling down isn’t on her radar. So, when her long-time friend asks her to have his baby, her immediate answer is a big, fat hell-to-the-no. Seriously, is he crazy?

West pulls out all the stops in wooing her and with every heated encounter, Stacia finds herself falling a little more for his charm and wit. Oh, and his forearms…yum.

Obligations. Lust. Friendship. Love.

The lines begin to blur as emotions enter the equation and besides, everyone knows you can’t deny your rebel soul


ROCK STAR, UNBROKEN by SM Shade

I knew better and I let it happen anyway.

I was drawn in by her kindness and the way she sees into people.

The way she looks through their motivations, their fears, into the heart of them where the good waits.

One glance and she’s stripped away the layers we wrap ourselves in to keep from being unique.

She saw into me.

Then used it to her advantage.

Now, my son is in danger and if she’s behind it, there won’t be a hole deep enough for her to hide in.

I broke my own rules for Naomi.

My son will not pay the price.


OVER THE TOP by Rebecca Sharp

From bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes a sexy, winter sports romance with a flurry of suspense that will heat up the slopes and keep you on your toes …

Jac
Ice Princess. Cold Queen.
The best skier in the world who only cares about winning.
It’s what the media claims. It’s what I let everyone believe.
My fiancé’s betrayal taught me not to care about anything except the mountain. Especially not men. Or love.
Kyle Masters was only supposed to be a distraction.
A one night wonder before the Alpine Ski World Cup.
It doesn’t matter if I can’t stop thinking about him.
He wants more. I see it in his eyes.
He wants to be my White Knight.
Too bad for him I don’t need saving.

Kyle
Everything in my life was great.
Great job. Great friends. And the great alone.
Who would’ve thought it would be so hard
to find a woman who wanted a serious relationship?
And serious was the last thing Jaclyn Blanchard wanted from me. Or so she says.
But after one night, she’s mistaken if she thinks I’ll give up on my stubborn Cinderella.
Especially when danger lurks on the mountain.
She wants more. I see it in her eyes.
But she hides her warm heart behind a frozen shield.
Too bad the Ice Princess can’t help but melt under my touch.

Over the Top is the fifth standalone in the Winter Games series.


RELUCTANT TO LOVE by Rebecca Gallo

I don’t believe in love, fate, or second chances.

But Roderick Payne just might make me a believer.

Years ago, his stunning betrayal shattered my heart.

Unexpectedly, he comes to my rescue, leaving me no choice but to accept the help he’s offered.

When we’re forced to share a room, more than just secrets are revealed in the dark.

Old flames reignite and scars finally heal.

But even after truths are told, there is still one more secret I have to share.


RELEASING JANUARY 24


THE FOREVER CREW by CM Stunich

The secret is out.

I’m officially dating the entire Student Council, but that’s not the only thing that’s outside the norm at Adamson All-Boys Academy.

Nah, I think the murders are a bit more remarkable, although my dad might disagree. He’s not exactly thrilled with my fake fiancé or the other four boys that make my pulse race.

With two current students dead, and three attackers on my tail, it looks like I’m next. The fact that I’m a target isn’t in question, but are the people closest to me involved somehow? Everyone’s a suspect—my family, my classmates, even my new boyfriends.

Okay, that’s it. I’m going to do it: I’m going to attend Adamson in a fucking skirt, and kick some ass.

Follow the clues, catch the bad guys, secure my future. Because, murder-mysteries aside, this is my final year of high school, and nothing lasts forever, right? Not even a forever crew.

***THE FOREVER CREW is a 120,000 word lighthearted reverse harem/high school/murder-mystery romance novel with a bully/suspense twist. This is book three of three in the series (with a fourth book crossover coming, titled “Orientation”, that connects this series with my “Rich Boys of Burberry Prep” series). Contains foul language and sexual scenes; any sex featured is consensual.


THE ART OF HOLDING ON by Beth Ann Burgoon

Life happens, whether you’re ready or not. All you can do is hold on and go along for the ride.

That’s the motto Hadley Jones lives by, and for good reason. Most of the women in her family have repeated the same pattern. Single motherhood. Working two jobs just to scrape by. For Hadley, wanting more is not an option.

Which is why her friendship with Sam Constable was doomed before it even began. He was sweet, popular and destined for great things outside their small town. But when he risked one kiss, and told her he loved her, Hadley refused to believe they could ever stand a chance. Hurt and angry, Sam moved to his father’s place in Los Angeles, leaving Hadley alone.

Now, a year has passed. Sam is back and more determined than ever to convince Hadley they’re meant to be. But Hadley can’t forget how Sam deserted her. And when Sam learns of the mistake she made while he was gone, she’ll have to decide whether to let him go again, or finally take a stand and fight for the future—and they boy –she wants with all her heart.


THE REALIZATION OF GRAYSON DESCHANELLE by Nancee Cain

Despite a high-profile clientele, fashion photographer Grayson Deschanelle prefers being behind the lens, away from public scrutiny. After his movie star girlfriend dumps him, he flees to his stepbrother’s remote cabin to hide from the paparazzi.

Related to Grayson by marriage, Lissy Carlton decides his plan to run from his problems might work for her, too. And perhaps he can help her out of the predicament that tanked her grades this semester of college as well.

Caught by surprise, Grayson finds Lissy much different than the girl he’s known for years. She’s no longer a child—though her teenaged crush is still very much intact. Snowed in with her, he tries to fight his growing attraction. But being with Lissy brings what his life is lacking into sharp focus.

The ice melts, and they return home. When their families discover their secret, Grayson must decide what kind of life he truly wants—and whether he’ll fight to keep Lissy by his side.

Review: Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly

TWISTED HEARTS
Series: The Camorra Chronicles #5
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: Cora Reilly
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Savio Falcone has a few non-negotiable rules when it comes to girls.
They need to be hot as f*ck.
Spread their legs without much prompting.
And leave as soon as the fun is over. Preferably minus any bitching or tears.
With his easy-going bad boy attitude, a last name that rules over Las Vegas and a body to die for, girls have always been at Savio’s disposal.
Unfortunately, the hottest girl in Vegas comes with a price Savio isn’t willing to pay. For Savio to get Gemma he’d need to seal the deal and put a ring on her finger. Settling down is out of the question, no matter how hot a piece of ass waits at the altar.
Gemma Bazzoli has had a crush on Savio from the first moment she came face to face with his arrogant smile, but for him she was always his best friend’s annoying little sister—until her hard-earned curves catch even his attention.
But Savio likes it easy, and Gemma is anything but. When she’s promised to another man, Gemma resigns herself to the fact that the man she’s wanted all her life, doesn’t want her badly enough.
Savio has to decide how much work he’s willing to invest, because bending the rules in his usual style might not be enough to get the girl that haunts his wet dreams.
– Can be read as a standalone-

AMAZON

Gemma was the hottest girl in the city and didn’t even realize it. She was the girl I wanted most and couldn’t have.

Ever finish a book and you struggled to feel any which way about it? This was that book for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was something of that middle of the road story that I don’t enjoyed reading, but also would never be something I’d come back to either. Does that even make sense? I hope it does, because there’s no better way for me to describe how I felt about Twisted Hearts.

I love mafia romance. I love unconventional love stories with imperfect characters that make their fair share of mistakes. And it just doesn’t get more imperfect than womanizing Savio. Savio and Gemma have known each other since they were kids. Savio was Gemma’s older brother’s friend and a boy that she crushed had on. Her crush was so obvious and at times desperate when she was a teen, that it was almost uncomfortable to read at times, admittedly. Luckily, she doesn’t carry that into adulthood either. Gemma lives in a highly traditional world of old-world mafia family where the women are kept innocent and naive and marriages are a contract and not of love. That doesn’t stop her from hoping beyond hope that Savio will ask for her, since his family is one of the most powerful business alliances her father can make. But Savio is much too concerned with sowing his wild oats with every single available woman out there to even think of marriage. That is, until Gemma is promised to another.

Now I loved the fact that the author stayed true to her character with Savio and didn’t have him turning a complete 180 the second he decides he wants Gemma. He’s not a perfect character and I loved that about him. What didn’t gel for me was the lack of everything else outside of the back and forth he and Gemma go through. The world, the suspense, the story all kind of fell sideways and got lost in the frustrating back and forth of I want you but I can’t have you and I’ll have you but won’t give you all of me. It started off so strong and then all just sort of fizzled for me. I was skimming parts and growing more bored with each page. And while Gemma did grow a backbone in her adulthood, I did also found myself wishing that she made Savio work for it in a different way than she did. Although, I do respect the hell out of her for the way she did handle their relationship.

Ultimately, the romance just didn’t grab me. I didn’t fully buy into it and I just didn’t love Gemma and Savio. They were entertaining, sure, but just not memorable characters for me. Did I enjoy the book? Sure. Most definitely. Was I glued to the pages reading it? Not really. A fun read, but ultimately not an entirely memorable one. But hey, different strokes for different folks right? Give it a read and judge for yourself.

Review: The Fight For Forever by Meghan March

THE FALL OF LEGEND
Series:
Legend Trilogy #1
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Author:
Meghan March
Release Date:
January 14, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Meghan March concludes the Legend Trilogy.

You can only keep what you can protect.

That’s all I’ve ever known.

It’s the way I’ve lived my life.

Now, everything I never knew I needed is at risk, and I’m not letting anyone take it from me.

I won’t let anyone take her from me.

They say love is a battlefield, so I’m ready for war.

This time, it’s the fight for forever.

 

The Fight for Forever is the third book in the Legend Trilogy and should be read after The Fall of Legend and House of Scarlett

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


You aren’t broken. You never were. You don’t need me, Scarlett. But it’s the greatest privilege of my life to be with you.”

How does she continue to do this? How does she create an immensely satisfying conclusion for a story while leaving me a salivating mess for more with intriguing secondary characters? I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is that I need it all! ALL OF IT!

I live for Meghan March alphas, but Legend’s book was different for me. Having read her entire backlist, I can attest that no one can create a sinfully sexy alpha male quite like March. And Gabriel Legend was definitely an alpha male. And while he’s got that edge that all of her male characters always have, he also had a softer side to him which I adore. You know that saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall? Well, that saying couldn’t fit Legend any better. Because when this man loves, he loves HARD. And the way that he loves Scarlett made my heart happy. I love how supportive, sweet, and protective he is with her without also losing that delicious edge that he always has.

The conclusion of the trilogy brings with it plenty of intrigue and many answers. I was at the edge of my seat turning each page because I was desperate for answers. The mysterious Moses gets his page time here, and I’m so conflicted with his character it’s not even funny. Only Meghan can give us a villain while also leaving her readers desperate to know more about him.

There were plenty of secondary characters introduced in this trilogy that I’m desperately hoping will be getting their own books. *Cough* Q *cough*

But beyond that, it was a thrilling and riveting conclusion to a deliciously addictive trilogy. While answering plenty of questions, it also left one big one wide open. Which leaves me thinking that March will definitely be doing a spin off where we may get those answers. Or at least I’m being hopefully optimistic because I NEED THAT BOOK. But I digress. This was the perfect conclusion to Scarlett and Legend’s story, and I couldn’t have hoped for a more satisfying ending for them.

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!

FACEBOOKWEBSITE | INSTAGRAMAMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | BOOKBUB

Review: The Maddest Obsession by Danielle Lori

THE MADDEST OBSESSION
Series: Made #2
Genre: Contemporary, Mafia Romance
Author: Danielle Lori
Release Date: April 15, 2019

She fears the dark.
He rules it.

Her dresses are too tight, her heels too tall. She laughs too loudly, eats without decorum, and mixes up most sayings in the book. Little do most know it’s just a sparkly disguise, there to hide one panic attack at a time.

Nobody can crack Gianna’s facade . . . no one anyway, until hecomes along.

Most see a paragon of morality; a special agent upholding the law. In the New York underworld, others know him as a hustler, a killer, his nature as cold as the heart of ice in his chest. Christian Allister has always followed the life plan he’d envisioned in his youth, beneath the harsh lights of a frigid, damp cell. With a proclivity for order and the number three, he’s never been tempted to veer off course. But perhaps one should never say never . . .

One winter night and their lives intertwine. She hates him—his stone-cold demeanor, his arrogance and too-perceptive eye—but over the years, even as their games consist of insulting each other’s looks and intelligence, she begins to live to play with him.

Nowhere in Christian’s plans had he ever prepared for Gianna. She’s chaos embodied, not his type, and married, but none of that can stop his eyes from following her wherever she goes.

All along, she doesn’t even know that she’s his—his frustration, his fascination.

His maddest obsession.

AMAZON

If you ran, Gianna . . .” The words were malicious yet somehow as soft and desperate as sex in a war-torn field. He pressed his lips to my ear. “I would find you.”

Where has this book been all my life?!!!! I’m talking about all of my favorite book crack in one story here, people! And it’s amazingly written. And it’s set in a world that I can’t get enough of. And it had Russian that was 100% correct. So for me, this was the holy grail of reads. Because let’s be honest here, I’m a ridiculously picky shit when it comes to Russian in books. But I digress.

Now I thought that I loved The Sweetest Oblivion, but nothing could prepare me for how obsessed I was going to be with this book. Ha! See what I did there? Ok, that was weak, but whatever. You see where I’m going here. The Maddest Obsession was addictive, enrapturing, and all consuming. One of those stories that you read that stay with you.

His eyes were what nightmares were made of, ice and fire, and filled with secrets no one wanted to know. He could only pass as normal because of his too-handsome face—otherwise, he’d be locked up somewhere, the world seeing him for what he really was.

A story with characters that are so vivid and unique, that they’re impossible to forget. And Gianna and Christian were definitely impossible to forget.

We all searched for strength in life. Unfortunately, mine just happened to lie at the end of a line of powder.

First of all, I highly recommend that you read The Sweetest Oblivion first. There are parts of the story here that run parallel to the events in the first one that are spoilers. You would certainly have a better appreciation for all the characters, if you read the series in order.

I was making a deal with the devil. And I couldn’t even find the grace to save myself.

If you read book one, then you definitely remember Gianna. Gianna grew up in the mafia life, and as such, she’s certainly been quickly broken of her innocence and nativity. She used to be Nico’s stepmother, while young enough to be his sister. Her husband’s infidelity and inability to care for anyone other than himself has ultimately broken her. She’s disillusioned by life and her role in it, and finds her oblivion in the additional hit of coke. But in her world, you don’t marry for love, and she’ll never put her heart on the line again.

He was cool, icy control. But something burned hot beneath the surface. Something shrouded by ice for so long. I wanted to watch it melt. To unravel him until I understood every layer. I knew it was dangerous. I even knew I wouldn’t win. But sometimes, even the best gambler doesn’t know when to quit.

If you thought Nico was intense, nothing can prepare you for the full effect of Christian. The man is a dark enigma. He’s cruelty and obsession all wrapped in one of the most deceptively handsome packages. A crooked fed that’s a law onto himself. He takes orders from no one, not the FBI, not the mob, and definitely not women. He has a rule of three when it comes to his lovers, and no one has ever tempted him to break his icy control.

It’s immediate sparks when Gianna first notices Christian. Their story spans many years, from her first husband to ultimately her second. Their relationship is complex game of cat and mouse, chock full of sexual tension, and witty barbs. They hate each other, seemingly. But beneath the glares and insults, there brews something intense and fiery.

I loved this story beyond words. Gianna was such a broken and imperfect heroine, and I couldn’t get enough of her. She may appear broken, but she has the heart of a lioness. She’s smart, strong, and gives as good as she takes. The woman has been through hell and back in her young life, but she doesn’t let it break her. She’s just shattered in parts.

Christian was just….GAH. My god. The man was everything. Intensity oozes from his every pore, almost as much as his sexuality does. And the two of them together? Sweet mother of all that’s holy. They’re incendiary.

The story was twisty, dark, and full of grit. It was a page turner, edge of your seat sort of read that I couldn’t bear to put down for even a second. This is a book that I would recommend for all mafia romance lovers out there. If you haven’t been introduced to Danielle Lori’s brand of awesome, you’re definitely missing out.

#DGRFave & Review: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

LOVE HER OR LOSE HER 
Series: Hot & Hammered 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: January 14, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation.

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippy. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.

AMAZON

I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”

*Flails happily*
Y’all. This book. I can’t even right now.
I think this may be my favorite Tessa Bailey book to date. And that’s something something considering I’ve devoured the woman’s entire backlist.

The second Rosie and Dom appeared on the pages of Fix Her Up as secondary characters, I could practically taste the tension between them. I was dying to get my hands on their book, so the very second this landed in my grabby little hands, I devoured it in one delicious sitting. I couldn’t bear to put it down for even a second.

This was…I don’t even have words. Perfection! Swoony, sexy, and brimming with feels. It was everything I wanted in their story and yet so much more.

Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts. They fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers. But as adults, that love is no longer enough to hold the pieces of their marriage together. Lack of communication, too many things left unsaid, too many assumption have all come together to leave Rosie feeling empty. She misses the man her husband used to be. Their marriage is crumbling around them and she has no idea how to hold it together.

All Dom ever wanted was Rosie. This is an inevitable fact and something that’s a constant in his life that will never change. So when his beloved wife tells him he’s leaving, he knows that he’ll do absolutely anything to save their marriage, and he’s not above fighting dirty. Withhold their physical connection until she agrees to come back to him? Check! Agree to see a quirky and borderline crazy marriage counselor? Check! Take every opportunity to remind her just why the fell in love? Check and CHECK.

GOD. You guys. I don’t even know how to begin to describe this to you. Dom was easily one of my favorite Bailey heroes. He’s a little troubled and a lot obsessed with his wife. He’s a dirty talking god, even if he doesn’t have much to say in his day to day. He’s quite, broody and intense. But the man is captivating and practically sizzling with sexual chemistry.

Rosie was perfection, too. This is not a woman that blames their crumbling marriage on her husband only. She takes full accountability for her faults as they fight to work through their issues. Add into this a kooky counselor, favorites from the previous book, and a brand new hero introduced to drive Bethany insane and I was HOOKED. Line and sinker. I was glued to the pages. Riveted. Captivated. And utterly charmed. I loved this story from beginning to finish. With the glimpses of the hate lust between Wes and Bethany, I’m already gagging for the next book. But if you’re looking for a swoony, sexy, and totally charming second chance romance, look no further. SO GOOD.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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