Review: Gypsy King by Devney Perry

GYPSY KING
Series: Tin Gypsy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: October 29, 2019

The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.

As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.

Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.

Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.

One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.


AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | AUDIBLE

Regret was the driving force behind this Tin Gypsy story. Remorse was the reason it was so, so important.

I interrupt this very important review to bring you this breaking story:
“Blogger currently kicking her own butt for only now discovering the brilliance of Devney Perry”

Blogger was no available to comment as she was too busy mumbling about living under a rock and being a complete and total idiot. We assume that her next plan of action is to immediately purchase author’s entire backlist and plan a binge. More to come on this story later.

But all joking aside, holy moly! How is this my first book by this author? Because color me totally addicted. This series has completely hooked me and I’m desperate for more!

The second I saw the blurb for this book, I knew it would be my first book by Devney Perry. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. There’s just something about a strong and sharp witted heroine that just does it for me. Bryce is back in her hometown after discovering that her career as a reporter wasn’t what she truly wanted. Her passion as a journalist returns working for her father’s newspaper. When she learns that Tin Gypsy, shut down their illegal doings years ago, she’s like a dog with a bone to learn the reason why they went legitimate. And when the president of Tin Gypsy is suddenly the main suspect in a brutal murder, she’s determined to break the story.

Dash is happily making a living as a mechanic and leaving the illegal life of Tin Gypsy behind. But then his father is arrested for murder and a sexy journalist is hounding his every step trying to learn his every secret. So what’s a man to do after going head to head with her doesn’t deter her? Work with her.

Dash and Bryce were absolutely sizzling together. The chemistry is instantaneous the second they meet. Bryce is sharp witted and determined and when her and Dash go head to head, sparks fly. What starts as an antagonistic relationship soon sparks into something much more as they investigate what really happened together.

I absolutely LOVED Dash. He’s this wonderful combination of alpha but with a sweet vulnerable side that you can’t help but connect with. Bryce may be tough, but she also hides a soft center that was incredibly endearing. I loved that she gave as hard as she got.

The mystery of the murder unfolds slowly, with plenty of twists and secrets along the way. The story is a bit slow paced in parts, and while it was a touch too slow for me in the mid mark, it picked up enough in the final half to more than make up for it. There’s quite a bit that happens here that doesn’t get fully resolved, so there’s definitely a continuous story arc in the series. I do wish that we got the closure here to make it a true standalone, but I can’t complain too much since I definitely plan to read the series religiously.

I fell in love with Devney Perry’s words and I’m a new fan! I plan on fully binging on her entire backlist, starting with Dash’s brother story in The Clover Chapel. Because second chance romance, YUM!


Devney is a USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her husband and two sons. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.

Facebook | Amazon | Instagram | Website | Twitter | Goodreads | PinterestBookBub

 

DGRFave & Review: Calico Descending by Keri Lake

CALICO DESCENDING
Series: Juniper Unraveling #2
Genre: Dystopian Romance
Author:
Keri Lake
Release Date:
October 29, 2019

Sequel to Juniper Unraveling.

I was fourteen when I was sold to the men in black uniforms. Too young to understand I served a purpose beyond that of the other girls they’d taken.

For the greater good.

Now, after four years in Calico, I’ve seen more death and suffering than during my days of surviving out in the Deadlands against the threat of Ragers and famine. I didn’t think this world could get any bleaker. Didn’t think it could take any more from me than it already had.

Not until I finally learned my purpose.

That same day, I walked the dark halls in the bowels of this hell, where the suffering is in silence, and ghosts of the dead whisper through the walls. A place where nightmares are real.

A place where I met my Champion—the most revered Alpha in S-Block—locked away in his dark cell.

For the greater good.

He’s their weapon, their only line of defense against the mistakes of the past: the mutations that could wipe out all of what’s left of us.

Me, I’m his whipping girl. His reward for good behavior.
And his punishment for acts of defiance.

AMAZON 

He is pain and agony wrapped in fire, but his lips are sheer bliss.
He’s the flame that burns inside of me, the single spark that ignites my soul.

I simply cannot describe to you the sheer brilliance that is this book. It’s not your run of the mill romance, it’s so much beyond that. It’s a gripping and vivid tale of pain and survival in a brutal world the likes of which only the evil genius mind of Keri Lake can create. Think Resident Evil meets romance.

Keri Lake created a dangerous, violent and desolate world that’s so vivid, the entire book is like a movie reel unfolding behind your eyes. I thought I loved Juniper Unraveling but Calico Descending absolutely blew me away. The romance that blossoms in the very pits of hell is one of the most stunning stories I’ve read to date. It was torturously beautiful and heart breakingly emotional. Even if you’ve never read Dystopian Romance before, Calico Descending will make a new fan out of you. It’s an absolute must read.

If you’ve read Juniper, then you’ve already been introduced to this dark and evil world that shows the worst of human ambition, survival and depravity. And if you didn’t, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. But also, you wouldn’t be entirely lost starting with this book. The timeline of the books runs parallel. But where Juniper shows the world outside of Calico, this takes you into the very pits of its darkness.

We get introduced to Cali, a woman that’s been surviving her situation day by day while enduring one terrifying experience after another. Then you also get taken deep into the heart of the Alpha project and meet Valdys, Cadmus and Titus. I don’t want to tell you too much about this story, but prepare yourself for a gut wrenching read. Much like Juniper, this starts as an ember and soon ignites to a fiery conclusion. It’s a slow building, character driven story with plenty of action and a sizzling romance to boot. It was everything I could have hoped from a sequel to one of my all time favorite books and so SO much more!


PRE-ORDER KINGS OF CARRION

New & Upcoming Releases: October 27- November 1

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


THE KINGMAKER by Kennedy Ryan

I’m a wolf in wolf’s clothing, and I’ll consume her if she lets me.

Ambition. Passion. Betrayal.

Rita Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the epic first installment of the All the King’s Men Duet.

Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition.

In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.

My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and will do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.

And neither will I.


BECOMING HIS MISTRESS by Hayley Faiman

As an Underboss for the Zanetti famiglia, Arlo Zanetti has agreed to marry for duty rather than love. In fact, he abhors the woman he’s forced to walk down the aisle with.

However, duty and the famiglia mean everything to him. He’s not a man that skirts his responsibilities, even to his own detriment.

That is, until he sets his sights on Elenora Lewis. She’s everything he’s attracted to and everything he thought he could never have.

Elenora should run from him. She can feel the danger oozing out of Arlo’s very core. However, she has a problem, she’s fallen for him, head-over-heels. His blue eyes hold her completely captive.

Secrets, lies, betrayal, and infidelity plague them both. Guilt fills them, their morals are completely obliterated. Unsure if they’ll make it out alive, this is the second book in the Zanetti empire.

INCLUDES SHORT STORY: BECOMING HER HERO


THE RUNAROUND by Sylvie Stewart

Men are good for two things: orgasms and reaching the wine glasses on the top shelf.

ARI: I’ve always said boyfriends are like martinis; they’re lots of fun at first, but the longer you indulge the bigger headache they’ll give you. With career goals to crush and more than a few balls in the air, there’s no place in my life for the messy complications of love. Jax Crosby thinks he can tempt me to lose control and he’s using his daughter to reel me in. He’d be dangerously easy to fall for, but there are more important things in life than love, aren’t there?

JAX: I like to stay two steps ahead; that way, I’m never surprised. But even I didn’t see this one coming. Congratulations to me—I’m a freakin’ dad. Now I’ve got a teenage daughter who hates me, an ex who wants to cut things off my body I’m not ready to part with, and an attraction to a curvy songbird that couldn’t have come at a worse time. But I’ve never met a situation I couldn’t handle, and I’ve never let a female get the best of me. So why do I have the feeling Ariana Amante might be one more thing I never saw coming?

Grab THE RUNAROUND and get your hot single dad fix tonight!


CONFESSIONS: BAILEY by Ella Frank

Black and white. Right and wrong.
That’s how Craig Bailey has always lived his life.
The son of a fallen, decorated police officer,
he’s had no choice but to follow the rules.
Until he met the ultimate bad boy
and decided to follow him instead.

Henri Boudreaux is everything Bailey never knew he wanted.
Mysterious, sexy, and hiding more secrets than friends.
He’s exactly the kind of man Bailey knows could break his heart.

But there’s a vulnerability to Henri that calls to Bailey.
A longing for a connection that Bailey is unable to resist.
And while Bailey has always lived his life on the straight and narrow, he is now beginning to understand that falling in love is never so black and white.


HOLD ON TO HOPE by A.L. Jackson

A best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . .

Evan Bryant wasn’t your typical hero.
But he was mine.
Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know.
My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.
The day I’d needed him most, he walked away.
He left me shattered and questioning the love I’d thought we’d shared.

Three years later, I wasn’t prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.
It wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.
My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.
And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.
But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.
Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever . . .


RELEASING OCTOBER 29


CALICO DESCENDING by Keri Lake

In a world of suffering and brutality, she’s the key to his humanity …

I was fourteen when I was sold to the men in black uniforms. Too young to understand I served a purpose beyond that of the other girls they’d taken.

For the greater good.

Now, after four years in Calico, I’ve seen more death and suffering than during my days of surviving out in the Deadlands against the threat of Ragers and famine. I didn’t think this world could get any bleaker. Didn’t think it could take any more from me than it already had.

Not until I finally learned my purpose.

That same day, I walked the dark halls in the bowels of this hell, where the suffering is in silence, and ghosts of the dead whisper through the walls. A place where nightmares are real.

A place where I met my Champion—the most revered Alpha in S-Block—locked away in his dark cell.

For the greater good.

He’s their weapon, their only line of defense against the mistakes of the past: the mutations that could wipe out all of what’s left of us.

Me, I’m his whipping girl. His reward for good behavior.
And his punishment for acts of defiance.

Calico Descending is the follow up book to Juniper Unraveling, a full-length dystopian post apocalyptic romance.

SERIES READING ORDER:
Juniper Unraveling (Book 1)
Calico Descending (Book 2)
Kings of Carrion (Book 3)


GYPSY KING by Devney Perry

The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.

As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.

Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.

Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.

One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.


TOO GOOD AT GOODBYES by RC Stephens

Too Good at Goodbyes, an all new standalone from RC Boldt takes us inside the life of Simone King, the “Ice Princess of Pop” and her new bodyguard, Kane Windham, who may be the only person to have the power to melt the ice around her heart.

First Top 40 hit at age seventeen? My first tabloid breakup scandal quickly followed.
Earned my first Grammy? Discovered Mommy Dearest was embezzling my money.
Landed a leading role in a movie? My fiancé called off our engagement the next day.

I might have a multi-million-dollar recording contract, a sold-out world tour, and more money in the bank than I ever imagined, but every time I hit a milestone in my career, my personal life suffers.

Then in steps my new bodyguard, rugged and with a past I connect with. The closer we get, the more powerful my feelings grow, complicating our professional relationship.

I thought Kane would be different. I hoped he’d be the one man to stand by my side, undaunted by the fame and attention that trails me.

The press calls me the “Ice Princess of Pop” because of my unyielding façade throughout heartbreak and betrayal. Perhaps it’s time to show them the real me.

With every syllable, I pour out my emotions and allow them to puddle, forming lyrics from my soul’s breath. And with each word, my broken heart cries out for Kane, begging him to help me break this pattern.

To help me stop being so damn good at goodbyes.


THIS EARL OF MINE by Kate Bateman

Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors—men who work undercover for London’s first official police force—and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?

WILL A FALSE MARRIAGE


Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?

LEAD TO TRUE AND LASTING LOVE?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him—and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together…until actual death do they part?


SLOW DATING THE DETECTIVE by Sue Brown

A gentle bartender might have what it takes to mend a relationship-phobic detective’s broken heart… but first they have to admit they’re dating.

Keenan Day could kick himself for letting the hot, dark-haired stranger he met outside a strip club get away. Instead of a phone number, he gets a punch in the face—from the boyfriend of his prospective employer at the Cowboys and Angels bar. When two cops come to check up on him, one is the sexy stranger, Detective Nate Gordon.

The initial attraction hasn’t cooled, and though Nate is leery of commitment, one hookup turns into another until they’re seeing each other in everything but name. After a recent nasty breakup, Nate balks at being part of a couple, and Keenan agrees, even though that’s all he’s ever wanted.

Just as they reach a standstill, a crisis shows them what their friends have known all along—they’ve already moved way past hookups. Now they just have to decide how to move forward.


ANGEL IN A DEVIL’S ARMS by Julie Anne Long

“Julie Anne Long reinvents the historical romance for modern readers.” Amanda Quick

From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.

He has devil’s blood in his veins. At least, that’s always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford’s notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright . . . and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove’s bed.

Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.

But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn’t believe in it . . . because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove’s heart.


RUIN by Laurelin Paige

“I was utterly consumed.” – R.S. Grey, USA Today Bestselling Author

With her heart literally in his hands, Celia will have to try and bargain with a devil.

Edward Fasbender is my captor.

Trapped on this island he owns everything on–including, it seems, me.

He told me he would break me, but I thought he meant in the bedroom. It turns out Edward is playing a completely different game.

And he won’t stop until he’s ruined me.

Ruin is book two of four in the dark and edgy Slay series. Rivalry should be read first.


FINDING HOME AGAIN by Brenda Jackson

First love. Second chances. In Catalina Cove, anything can happen…

Bryce Witherspoon’s heart races every time she sees Kaegan Chambray. Everyone in town knows they can’t stand each other, but the truth is, even though the man broke her heart ten years ago, she still feels that irresistible, oh-so-familiar jolt of desire.

When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business, he knew there’d be no avoiding Bryce. The woman he thought he’d one day marry was instead the biggest heartbreak of his life. But when Bryce lets slip a devastating secret, he discovers just how wrong he was to let her go all those years ago.

He knows they both still feel the spark between them, but it’ll take more than attraction to convince her. Kaegan will pull out all the stops to show Bryce he’s the man who can give her the future they once dreamed of—if only they give love a second chance.


TANGLED UP IN CHRISTMAS by Lisa Renee Jones

I might be a country girl from the same small town of Sweetwater, Texas, as horse wrangler Roarke Frost, the girl next door who knows him like few know him, but I didn’t know enough to save my heart.

He’s the reason why I left Sweetwater behind.

But now fate proves she loves a wicked twist and sends me back to Sweetwater to pull together a Christmas festival—and I run smack into the man again, quite literally. His body is pressed to mine, his hands on my arms, and I’m melting like chocolate in the sizzling Texas sunshine. And I run.

I know it’s not exactly respectable, but it works, just not for long. No matter how much I try to get tangled up in Christmas, I end up tangled up in Roarke instead—and the man has me feeling the heat of our attraction and the warmth of our past friendship. He feels like Mr. Right, but history says he’s Mr. Wrong.

But if he wants a second chance, Roarke Frost is going to have to work for it. He’ll need to prove to me that this holiday is a season of new beginnings, the kind that last forever.

Each book in the Texas Heat series is STANDALONE:
* The Truth About Cowboys
* Tangled up in Christmas


ROUGH SKETCH by Kate Canterbary

Smart, successful, and sitting pretty at the top of her game, Neera Malik has it all figured out.
Save for the small issue of Gustavo Guillmand.

The artist with a cult—and Instagram—following has a problem and it’s not his preference for shirtless selfies.
No, he has an attitude problem, a minding his own business problem, an infuriatingly sexy problem.

They can’t stand each other and they can’t stay away from each other.

This steamy enemies-to-lovers office romance originally appeared on the Read Me Romance podcast. This edition includes a seriously extended epilogue beyond the podcast content.


EVEN WHEN I’M GONE by Nicole Fiorina

The second book in a heart-consuming series.

Ollie.
Forget everything you thought you knew. Hell, I don’t even know myself anymore. For seven months I’ve been gone only to come back to be tested in every way possible. They say keep your enemies close, and my demons welcomed me back with open arms. My downfall is a necessary evil. But Mia is my endgame.

Mia.
Seven months ago, Ollie surrendered to the darkness, abandoning me in the process. He stripped me of my walls only to leave me defenseless. Now he’s back, along with fresh new faces and obstacles standing in our way. He says trust no one. Not even him. How am I supposed to be strong for us both when I’m losing my grip?

“Just stay with me, Mia.”
“Even when you’re gone?”
“Especially when I’m gone.”


BRED IN THE BONE by Kedra Elliot

In the fourth Widow’s Island novella by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot, the truth of a twenty-year disappearance will finally come to light.

When the town drunk ends up dead in a hit-and-run, FBI special agent Cate Wilde expects that solving the case will be cut and dried. But evidence quickly surfaces that the victim was involved with another crime. A crime that has gone cold for twenty years. A crime of personal importance to Cate.

Cate’s best friend, Samantha, went missing at fourteen, leaving behind nothing except a jacket and an island full of unanswered questions. Samantha’s disappearance has haunted Cate for more than half her life, and she might finally be able to find some closure.

But not everything is as it seems. As Cate unravels what happened on that fateful day, she’ll discover that the community of Widow’s Island is full of secrets. Betrayed by someone she thought she knew, Cate will need to piece together the truth…before someone else gets hurt.


SHADOWS by Kristen Proby

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristen Proby, comes an all new paranormal romance set in the mystical city of New Orleans…

I am never alone. Not even when I am alone.
I see the unquiet dead, the souls that wander through the French Quarter.
They can’t move on, and I can’t stop seeing them.
I wear malachite for protection, and I control what I let in. It’s the only way to stay sane. Everything changes the day Cassian Winslow joins my ghost walking tour and knocks my world off its axis with green eyes the color of the stone around my neck.
An unspeakable evil is loose in New Orleans, taking young women and leaving a bloodbath in his wake. More shadows lurking for me. More unhappy dead. There might be a way to stop it.
Open myself up to Cassian.
If I do, it could spell his death.
But if I don’t, it’s mine.

 


EXPLOSIVE VENGEANCE by Kaylea Cross

Two opposites in uncharted territory.

The government made Chloe Wilson an explosives expert, trained to take out a target with a precise, controlled hit. But there’s nothing controlled about her current situation—or the danger coming after her. When a good-looking stranger is sent to watch her back, she’s not impressed. This mission is personal, and it’s liable to get her killed. The former Valkyrie can’t afford any mistakes or attachments, but this time she has no choice, and soon her new partner proves his worth.

One explosive situation.

When former Pararescueman Heath Barrett gets a call from his best friend asking him to keep tabs on a woman in danger, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Far from a helpless civilian, Chloe holds him at knifepoint the first time they meet. She’s a deadly operative being hunted by lethal enemies and by the time he realizes the extent of the danger, it’s too late to walk away. Now they’re both targets, and he and Chloe must face the threat head on—and if they want to survive, they’ll have to do it together.


LEARN MY LESSON by Katee Robert

A single night with Megaera and I’m willing to do anything to save her from Hades, the man holding her captive, victim to his every whim.

A bargain with the devil himself seems a small price to pay in order for Megaera to go free… Until I learn that she’s exactly where she wants to be.

She’s Queen to Hades’s King.

And I’m the fool that walked right into their trap.

The same fool who desires them both as much as I hate them. I can’t resist Megaera’s touch—or stop from being drawn to Hades’s dark desires. By the time I realize just how deep a game he’s playing, it may be too late…

For all of us.


RAVENOUS by  Helen Hardt

Your Escape Into A World of Dark Mysteries & Spicy Romance.

Bryce Simpson did the only thing he could. He spurned Marjorie Steel. Even though he’ll be living on her ranch, he is determined to stay away from her. She’s worthy of more than he can even think about giving, especially now that long-buried memories are surfacing and he’s learning that his father’s sins may go even deeper than he imagined.

Bryce’s rejection destroys Marjorie, and she descends to a dark place she thought she’d abandoned forever. She emerges stronger, though, and is determined not to let heartbreak rule her life. Change is the answer, she’s sure, so she makes plans—plans that include a handsome personal trainer she meets at the gym.

When Bryce and Marjorie are thrown together, though, their ravenous hunger for each other takes over, leaving both of them more vulnerable than they realize.


OFF-LIMITS by Terri Ann Browning

Lyla was completely off limits.

My best friend’s baby sister was the thing wet dreams were made of. Killer body, sexy personality, and the ability to win my daughter over with that disarming smile of hers.

I’ve loved her since before she was legal, but there was always something in our way.

Her brother would kill me if I touched her though. What Judge ruled, everyone in the Underground obeyed.

Including me.

When I told her I wouldn’t go against her brother, she walked away.

Yet she always came back. Not for me, but for my daughter. I lived off those brief visits. Just listening to Josie giggle every time Lyla was in the same room with her fed my soul.

Now, she was home for more than the random weekend, and I ached to make her mine.

To hell with her brother and the consequences.

Josie and I needed Lyla, and we weren’t letting her go this time.


COLD QUEEN by K. Webster

From USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster, comes a dark, fantasy romance standalone novel!

In a cold, empty castle, a young queen is dying.
Weak. Fragile. Disgraced.
But Queen Whitestone is not alone in her final days.
She has her beloved sister.

Until a wicked king rides onto her land.
Arrogant. Insufferable. Demanding.
King Bloodsun has come with an offer…peace in trade for a bride.
He wants the princess.

The fiery king won’t take no for an answer.
He vows to keep the cold queen captive until she gives in to his demands.

A queen bows for no one, though.
Not even when she’s frail and fading away.
She’ll tap into her strength, protecting the only family she has left.

The king is about to learn why they call her the cruel one…


RELEASING OCTOBER 30


LANDON & SHAY: PART ONE by Brittainy C Cherry

Shay Gable hated my guts, and I hated hers, too.

We went out of our way to avoid one another at all times. When she came my direction, I went the other. When we locked eyes, she’d turn and walk away.

All of that changed the day I was presented with a challenge. It started out as a stupid bet: make Shay fall in love with me before I fell in love with her first.

That was an easy bet for me to win.
I didn’t love, I hardly liked.

Yet slowly the game started to shift. Shay made me crave things I never knew I wanted.
Love.
Happiness.
Her.

The closer we grew, the more she challenged my darkness, and the parts I kept locked away.
The hurts.
The pains.
The truth.

The game between us became too real, our feelings intermixed, and the risks of hurting one another grew higher.

But you know what they say…
All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.

(Book one in the L&S Duet)


MEANT FOR YOU by  Sherilee Gray

At twelve years old, I was torn from my family.

At fourteen I met her: my reason to draw breath.

One look into Everly Williams’s big brown eyes and I knew I’d do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.

But afraid I’d lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.

Now I’m home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We’re different. My body burns for her when she’s near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.

Because I don’t want what we had before. I want it all…for a lifetime.


DEFIANCE FALLS WAR by Ali Dean

We pulled the trigger and braced ourselves for the fallout.

We were ready for anything.

Or so we thought.

War revealed our greatest weaknesses, the ones inside of us that we kept hidden.

It forced us to face our vulnerabilities, to overcome the battles within that threatened to hold us prisoner.

Enemies came in all forms, but so did strength.

As a united front, we were unstoppable.

Our power came from each other, and our greatest weapon was about to be unleashed.


RELEASING OCTOBER 31


BULLY ME THIS by Lacey Heart

Hate is a strong word, but it doesn’t even come close to how I feel about him.

Colby Carter was a monster.
Savage, brutal and evil to the core.

He wasn’t always that way. There was a brief time when he was polite, caring and kind.
But something dark and twisted crept in and took over, and he claimed me as his victim.

When he skipped town I could finally breathe again. I tried to make something of my life, to find happiness, but Colby obviously didn’t want me getting too comfortable.

Five years have passed and now he’s back in town, a little too close to home, and I have no doubts in my mind that my personal hell is about to unfold once again.

Only this time I don’t know if I’ll be strong enough to survive it.


RELEASING NOVEMBER 1


ROOM TO BREATHE by Liz Talley

A funny, emotional novel full of southern charm about a mother and daughter ready to start over.

“Liz Talley delivers. Her dialogue is crisp and smart, her characters are vivid and real, her stories are unputdownable.” —Robyn Carr, New York Times bestselling author

For a good part of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an attentive hunk fifteen years her junior…who happens to be her daughter’s ex-boyfriend.

Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding with her mother.

As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn—not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also about the men in their lives and the women they are each hoping to become.

Spotlight, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: Hard Chrome by @byVanessaNorth

HARD CHROME
Series: American Heavy Metal #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Vanessa North
Release Date: October 21, 2019

Warnings:

Hard Chrome deals with subjects some readers may find difficult, including domestic violence, animal cruelty, drug use, and teen pregnancy.

He’s tough. But she’s tougher.

Tanner Ellis left American Heavy Metal in her rearview mirror. She didn’t see the beauty behind the grease stains and the polished chrome until it was too late. Now she’s back, determined to save her father’s legacy—and bring the South’s premier classic-car shop into the new century. Nothing is going to stop her—especially not the sexy tech who refuses to follow her lead.

American Heavy Metal is the only home Duke Wilson’s ever known, and no high-heeled, sharp-tongued princess is going to take it away. He tolerates Tanner’s advice, and it’s fun to push her buttons, but she doesn’t belong in the shop—never has, never will. The sooner she realizes that, the sooner he can find his new normal.

When Tanner falters, revealing the pain beneath her bravado, Duke comforts her the only way he knows how. And when violence from his past threatens their future, she’ll be there for him, offering him the one thing he’s always wanted—a shot at a real family. He just has to convince himself to take it.

This book is approximately 49,000 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!

 

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

EXLUSIVE EXCERPT

“Take this off?” I pull at his shirt, and he obliges, baring all that warm skin and muscle. I take a shuddering breath, free to look at last. I run my hands over his hard chest, fingertips tangling in the hair, and it sends a fresh wave of want through me.

“Tan…” He groans. “You feel so good. Do I get to see you too?”

I nod and yank my sweater up over my head. Before I can even throw it over my shoulder, his huge hands are on me, stroking my waist and teasing upward.

“You’re so beautiful, princess.” He smiles up at me, his face all soft and full of wonder. “I want to make you feel as good as you look.”

And with that, he rolls us over, driving his pelvis into mine and kissing me breathless. He breaks away to cup one breast in his hand, holding me like a prized piece of art. I squirm under his gaze, raw and needy.

His lips close over the nipple, oh so slowly, and my breath catches as he draws on it, sending heat flooding my groin. Unable to keep still, I twist under him, tears spilling out of the corners of my eyes already. “Duke, please.”

He rises over me, smiling. “Let’s get naked.”

He doesn’t have to ask me twice. I reach for his zipper, and he lets me open it up and pull out his cock. Our earlier encounter had been too wild, and too drenched in conflict and shame for me to appreciate his beauty. He’s large, thick and ruddy, and my mouth waters with the desire to taste his hardness, to tease him and drive him crazy. I sit up and slip out of my own slacks and panties then tug him to the edge of the bed and pull off his jeans, then his briefs.

“You’re gorgeous,” I say, my voice catching on the praise. And then I take him in my mouth, tasting the salt of skin and the sweet of precome. He groans and buries a hand in my hair, not pushing, but caressing. His hips pulse up into my mouth, nearly gagging me, and I shove down farther, taking him deeper, wanting to feel him come unglued.

“Oh,” he gasps, and I double my efforts until he pulls me off him, his callused hands rough on my arms. “You’re way too good at that, princess. But it’s your turn.”

I laugh—are we keeping count? If so, it’s way his turn—and let him push me back down on the bed. His lips find my breasts again, trailing from one to the other, stubble scratching, one big hand pressing against the wetness between my legs, a finger sliding unerringly through my heat to rub my clit. The first time we did this, it had been an act of fighting and desperation, trying to forget the world around us. This time, I relax into his touch, trusting him to take us wherever we need to go, letting him make me feel good.

And oh, oh, oh. His strong, capable hands, hands built and trained to fix things, they set themselves to the work of taking me apart until I finally gasp out a single word.

Please.

He looks up at my face, his eyes warm with lust and something more. “Please what?”

“Make me come,” I demand, and his grin turns feral.

Vanessa North is a romance novelist, a short fiction geek, and a knitter of strange and wonderful things. Her works have been shortlisted for both the Lambda Literary Award and the RITA© Award, and have garnered praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Northwest Georgia with her family: a Viking, twin boy-children, and two large dogs.

 

Connect with Vanessa:

Website | Newsletter Signup | BookBub | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

https://books2read.com/ap/RJkD5n/Vanessa-North

Giveaway: Vanessa North is celebrating the release of HARD CHROME with a big giveaway! Three prizes are up for grabs: (2) $10 Amazon Gift Cards and (1) Signed Paperback of Hard Chrome + some serious auto-shop inspired swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New & Upcoming Releases: October 19-24

New releases coming at ya this week!

AVAILABLE NOW


GIRL IN LUV by Jaw Crownover & Rebecca Yarros- buy link TBA

Langley Vaughn is in desperate need of a date.

But not just any date.
She’s looking for a date to the wedding from hell. It isn’t every day you’re forced to be in the bridal party while your first love marries your arch nemesis… otherwise known as the world’s worst stepsister. The entire situation is a nightmare, and Langley is sick and tired of taking orders and forcing a fake smile. She’s done being the bad guy when she was the one who was wronged.

She needs to find a date who’s not afraid of her family’s money and someone who is willing to shake things up. She needs someone outside of her normal social circle, someone ready to go to war with the well-to-do. She needs someone who won’t back down. Someone willing to play the complicated game of tug of war she’s been engaged in with her family for years.

Never in a million years did she think she was going to stumble across her very own heroic heartthrob when she set her crazy plan in motion.

Not only does Iker show up for her time and time again, he also forced her to finally fight for herself.

He says he’s only there for the money… but his actions speak so much louder than his words.

Iker Alvarez would do anything and everything to get his hands on some quick cash.

Not just any cash, but enough to make sure his younger brother gets into the college of his dreams.

Thank goodness for a desperate, pretty little rich girl with too much money and her heart set on an outrageous scheme. Being in the right place at the right time might just be the answer to both of their prayers — and this smart soldier has never let a golden opportunity slide by.

Iker doesn’t mind coming to Langley’s rescue and being her plus-one… as long as the price is right.

Only, he didn’t plan on liking the blonde socialite as much as he does. He is totally unprepared for the pull he feels toward her, coupled with his growing desire to protect her from the vultures and villains living under the same roof.

He wants to be the guy who keeps her safe and gives her the courage to fight back that she obviously needs… But someone else, someone far more powerful and influential than Langley’s wealthy family, has dibs on Iker’s time and on his future. He knows he isn’t the guy Langley can count on in the long run, but damn if he doesn’t want to do everything in his power to be that man.


BOY IN LUV by Jaw Crownover & Rebecca Yarros- buy link TBA

Distance sure as hell made his heart grow fonder… But it shattered hers into a million pieces.

Langley Vaughn knows she’s never going to make the same mistake again.

Who falls head over heels in love in a week? Langley did, and she’s regretted it every day since she handed her heart to a boy with too many secrets and too much baggage. Iker doesn’t fit into Langley’s world, and he made it clear he doesn’t want to. He left before she even got a chance to try and change his mind or to prove to him how good they could be together. Langley’s spent the last nine months healing her heart and making big plans for the future. Plans that absolutely don’t include Iker… even though he’s back, looking better than ever, and saying all the right things.

Iker Alvarez knows he made the biggest mistake of his life.

At first, the pretty blonde in the red dress was nothing more than a means to an end. But, she quickly became so much more. As soon as Iker walked away from Langley, claiming it was for her own good, he knew he screwed up. He left her so she wouldn’t worry about him when he deployed, so she wouldn’t waste her time waiting around for a guy who was never going to be good enough for her. Only, nine months and a deployment later, Iker still can’t get Langley out of his head… and he totally underestimated the hold she has on his hardened heart. He’s a guy who’s not sure how love should work, or how to go about winning his girl back…he’s about to get a crash course in both.


HALF TRUTHS by Claire Contreras

You’ve heard of these groups – the secretive ones that only the crème de la crème are invited into, the ones outsiders speculate about for centuries – I’m the second in my family invited to attend, but to them, I’m fresh meat. New blood. New money, too.
They think they’ll elbow past me, that I’m here for their amusement, for them to walk all over, they’ll find out soon enough that I’m not.

I may look like one of them, with my designer bags and clothes straight from the Parisian runways, but I’m not. I’m here for answers, to take revenge for blood spilled on their centuries-old Persian rugs.
I transferred here in search for answers about what happened to my older brother, who hightailed out of here, and my friend who seemingly disappeared into thin air. I certainly wasn’t here for the attention of the star hockey player, regardless of how much he willed my eyes his way. I wasn’t here for his scrutiny or his judgment or to read into his mysterious aura. I was here for the society, because only they held the answers I needed. That was, until I found out that in order to get those answers, I needed to go through him. He’s saying if I want in, I have to play by their rules, follow their lead.
It’s a game I’m willing to play.

I may be the second person I know of to be invited into their society, but I’ll be the first to make it out intact.


THE ROYAL ROGUE by Karina Halle

Every family has a black sheep – even the royal ones.

In the royal family of Denmark, that black sheep is me. To the public I’m known as Princess Stella, but I feel anything but royal. As a single mom, divorcee, social outcast, and forever forgotten about under the magnetism and power of my older brother, King Aksel, I’m used to being an outlier. Though it doesn’t matter when my whip-smart nine-year old daughter, Anya, is my whole world anyway.

Then that world of mine gets turned upside down.

I meet Prince Orlando of Monaco, whom the media has dubbed “The Royal Rogue” for many good reasons. I can’t stand that arrogant smirk on his face, the lewd words that leave his lips – pretty much everything about him. I especially can’t stand how infuriatingly sexy he is and how he manages to get under my skin like no one else.

It’s been a long time since a man could make me feel that way, so you can’t really blame me for throwing my willpower out the window and succumbing to a brief but torrid affair with him, full of hot, dirty sex and nothing else.

Until that nothing else turns into something more, in the form of a big surprise.

I thought I got that wicked royal rogue out of my system but there’s a link between us now that neither of us can ignore.

A baby.

**The Royal Rogue is the 4th book in the Nordic Royals series but can be read as a standalone**


RELEASING OCTOBER 22


BEFORE YOU by Marni Mann

From USA Today bestselling author Marni Mann comes Before You, a new contemporary romance and a devastating examination of the things we find, the things we make, and the things we lose.

It was supposed to be a typical work trip. New York to San Francisco, window seat, exit row. Maybe a mimosa.

Then, seat 14B sat down. When our eyes met, the flight became anything but routine.

I could pinpoint the moments in my life where everything changed forever.

Meeting Jared on that flight was first.

Falling in love with him was second.

Discovering the secrets he kept was third.

Putting my broken self back together and forgetting what I learned would be difficult. Forgiving Jared would be impossible.

He said, before me, nothing mattered. But after him, nothing would ever be the same.


LONDON ROYAL by Nana Malone

Rich.
Entitled.
Possessive.
I know exactly what I don’t want.

I escaped to London under the cover of night, never thinking I’d run smack into a man who would turn my world inside out.

I had a plan. Simple, really.

Step one: Follow my dream, away from from the demons of my past.
Step two: Land on my own two feet, preferably far, far, away from the man who hurt me and broke my heart.
Step three: Live a little and avoid all men with dark secrets.

So far, I’m not doing so hot.

He’s a royal amongst peasants, and the last kind of trouble I need–a filthy rich alpha who can see straight into my soul. Our secrets hold us both captive.

Something tells me I’ll be powerless to stop his magnetic pull, especially when he tells me I’m going to be his, damn the consequences.
*********************************************************************
Note: A long long time ago, I wrote a book called LONDON BOUND. You can no longer get that book, but Alexi and Abbie have gotten another chance to tell you their story in a whole new way. LONDON ROYAL and LONDON SOUL are a new take on their story adding them to my royals world! These books have fresh material, a fresh plot, and are being told from a whole new point of view. Enjoy!


BISHOP’S QUEEN by Katie Reus

Return to the Endgame trilogy where blood is thick, but passion is thicker…

He doesn’t believe in fairy-tale endings…

They used to call Evan Bishop the golden boy. He had it all and was about to close the business deal of a lifetime, then marry the woman of his dreams. But everything goes to hell when a faceless enemy wants to destroy his family’s empire and see him dead. Except the bomb meant to kill him fails. He wakes up from a coma to find his face scarred and his brother missing and wanted for murder. Now that he’s damaged, he hides away from the world—including the woman he loves. He refuses to be a burden to her, so even though it destroys him, he sets her free.

She’s about to prove him wrong…

Isla MacDonald isn’t walking away from Evan just because he’s decided to shut her out of his life. He blames himself for the bombing that got her father killed and nearly killed him—but he’s wrong. After all attempts to see him fail, with a broken heart she tries to resume her life and take over her father’s firm. Though it’s not her dream, she wants to honor his legacy. But when someone tries to kill her—twice—she needs a bodyguard. To her surprise Evan steps up and insists on protecting her, putting on a show as the caring fiancé. But he won’t let her back into his life or into his heart. To have any chance at a future together, they’ll have to resurrect the past and stay alive long enough to expose the man determined to see them both dead.

Author note: This book can be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA.

Books in trilogy:
Bishop’s Knight, #1
Bishop’s Queen, #2
Bishop’s Endgame, #3


REDEMPTION by Dr. Rebecca Sharp

From bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes an emotional, small-town romance with a twist…

For years, I was close enough to fame to touch it. Taste it. Drink it.
Until one more drink became my answer to everything.
Until one night I made a mistake which couldn’t be undone.

So, I cut all ties to my former life and the addiction that destroyed it. And I left in search of redemption on the other side of the country.
After months building a new future, I thought my past had stayed put.
Until I opened my front door to find she’d followed me.

Taylor Hastings. My sister’s best friend.
And the good girl I’d never been good enough for.
Not then. Not now. Not ever.

One glance at Taylor’s face told me she’d come searching for a safe haven. One glance at the swell of her stomach told me she hadn’t come alone.
I didn’t hesitate to offer her my help and my home because looking out for her was the right thing to do…
Even if the way I wanted her would always be wrong.

So, I kept my distance. And Taylor kept her secrets.
Until one kiss changed everything.
Until one kiss made me realize it wasn’t our first.


RECKLESS ENCORE by Eden Summers

Six kids, numerous scandals, and many years later…

Reckless Beat are back for an encore!

Memories will be shared.

Secrets will be exposed.

And teenage angst will be in abundance.

Someone may have even lost the naming rights to their kid during a drunken bet.

Yep.

Reckless are back – more seductive, hilarious, and crazy than ever.


THE DOMINA by KA Linde

The unforgettable conclusion to the epic fantasy Ascension series that New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard called “perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas.”

The fate of the world rests on one girl’s shoulders.

And her world has been turned upside down.

With Cyrene’s allies in shambles after a bitter defeat, she has to find a way to bring them back together to stop the dark goddess. But with a war raging and the newly-united magical community barely held together, Cyrene’s leadership has been called into question.

As fate pulls them all toward that prophetic final battle, she has to find the true meaning behind her magic…and within herself.


DUKES, ACTUALLY by Erica Ridley

From a New York Times bestselling author:

The Duke of Azureford isn’t the arrogant, aloof lord his peers perceive him to be. Yes, he’s awkward, but he has a plan to fix it. In order to woo a respectable lady, he must learn how to flirt. The completely inappropriate girl next door would make a perfect instructor, but a terrible duchess. So why can’t he walk away?

Incorrigible hoyden Miss Carole Quincy likes fast carriages, carom billiards, and the beautiful, buttoned-up Duke of Azureford. She’d be delighted to help him out of his shell and into her arms. Who cares if they’re just pretending to flirt? The heady, breath-taking, soul-consuming feeling inside her runaway heart surely can’t be love

The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!


SHELTER FOR PENELOPE by Susan Stoker 

Dubbed the “American Princess” after her rescue from months in the hands of ISIS, soldier and firefighter Penelope Turner has struggled silently since her return to Texas. The media, the danger of her job, the pressure of knowing lives are in her hands…all of it and more has combined to slowly fill Penelope with seething guilt and doubt. Missing memories from her moment of capture cause even more angst. Is she responsible for the deaths of her Army patrol unit? And without knowing what happened, how can she be trusted by her fellow firefighters—or trust them in return?

Worse…how can she ever be worthy of the man who believes in her most?

It took seeing Penelope in the hands of terrorists—in viral videos seen around the world—for Tucker “Moose” Jacobs to realize just how much he loved his fellow firefighter. He died waiting for her rescue, then died all over again when Penelope abruptly left Texas, trying to outrun her past. Now that she’s returned, the kid gloves are off. Moose is a patient man, but even he has his limits. He loves Penelope, and he knows it’s past time for her to face her fears, and remember she has an entire tribe of friends who not only have her back, but need Pen to have theirs, as well.

In the end, Penelope will have to trust Moose, her friends, and most of all herself, if she’s going to make peace with her past…and have any kind of future.

** Shelter for Penelope is the 15th and final book in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings. Penelope’s story started in Protecting the Future, and over the years, she’s struggled with her inner demons. Read on to see her finally get her HEA.


MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS by Susannah Nix

Two best friends. Ten Christmases. One happy ending.

When best friends Alexandra and Lucas share a first kiss on Christmas night their senior year of high school, it feels like the best years of their lives are ahead of them.

Then Alex goes off to college, and Lucas stays behind to work at his dad’s construction business in the small beach town where they grew up. Life, as they say, happens. And somewhere along the way these two high school sweethearts find they don’t have as much in common as they once did.

Lucas’s life is on Beaufort Island, and Alex is all about getting away and moving on. So he makes one of the hardest decisions of his life and lets her go.

But every year when Alex comes home for the holidays, fate conspires to reunite the two former lovebirds on Christmas Day. Year after year, through good times and bad, Lucas and Alex meet up, catch up, and reconnect on the anniversary of their first kiss.

Is it too much to hope that one year they’ll find their way back to each other permanently?

Maybe even this Christmas.


LASTING SHADOWS by Kathleen Brookes

Ridge Faulkner was a renowned luxury house builder. When Ridge was selected at a charity bachelor auction, he was surprised when it wasn’t for an actual date. The woman only wanted him to help fix up her house.

Savannah Ambrose was starting her life over in Shadows Landing. But she needed help with the fixer-upper she was moving into. With little money to spare, she thought her best bet was to buy an expert for a date. She told Ridge Faulkner it was only to fix her house, but one look at Ridge in a tuxedo had her rethinking that plan.

The trouble with making plans is that nothing ever goes the way you want. A fire here, an accident there, and suddenly Ridge and Savannah’s lives are in danger. Only who was the target and why? Ridge and Savannah begin to unravel the mystery, but will they live to see who is pulling all the strings?


SNOW WHITE & THE BIKER by Glenna Maynard

She’s an heiress and he’s the outlaw hired to kill her.

She’s supposed to be an easy target.

One bullet and done.

All I have to do to earn my Original Seven MC patch is pull the trigger.

It sounds easy enough until I make the mistake of falling for her.

When the time comes, I will have to do what I was born for and end her life.

Only I can’t stop thinking about her red as blood lips and how good they taste or her dark as night hair wrapped up in my fist.

It’s either kill her or take her place six feet under.

In this life you can either ride or you die.


HAPPY TRAIL by Daisy Prescott

A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.

Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.

Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?

And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?

‘Happy Trail’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Park Ranger series.


THE DUKE’S STOLEN BRIDE by Sophie Jordan

From USA Today bestselling author Sophie Jordan comes a scandalously sensual romance in her beloved Rogue Files series.

“Deliciously sexy!”—Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author 

An urgent dilemma…

To save her impoverished family, Marian Langley will become a mistress. But she will not be just any mistress. Marian intends to become so skilled, so coveted, that she can set her own terms, retaining control over her body and her fate. Only one problem remains: finding a tutor…

A scandalous solution…

Other men deprive themselves of pleasure for propriety’s sake. Nathaniel, Duke of Warrington, would much rather be depraved. He slakes his desires with professionals who ask nothing of him but his coin. Marian’s proposal—that he train her without taking her virtue—is an intriguing diversion, until their lessons in seduction spin out of control.

And a most unlikely duchess…

When Marian is blackmailed into engagement by a man she despises, Nate impulsively steals her away. Though he never intended to take a wife, he can’t tolerate the idea of Marian forfeiting her freedom to another. But can he bear to give her what she demands—a real marriage?


PROTECTED IN DARKNESS by Nicole Edwards 

Heaven refers to them as Misplaced Halos. Humans don’t even know they exist. This faction of celestial warriors was sent here under the cover of darkness to protect humanity from Lucifer’s demons. In return for their servitude, these warriors expect only one thing: the eternal love they were promised, what angels refer to as an amsouelot.

The first of his kind, Obsidian has spent the past fifteen hundred years fighting alongside his brothers, protecting humans from Lucifer’s demons, all while keeping to the shadows. Their mission is simple. Right up until it isn’t. The day Obsidian learns of a traitor in Heaven is the day everything changes. The entire reason for his existence is put on hold because there’s a new assignment: find the female whose soul belongs to his and protect her, no matter the cost.

Penelope Calazans spends her days sleeping and her nights serving free drinks to the gamblers looking to win big in Sin City. It’s not a glamorous life, perhaps a tad lonely, but she’s content. Or she thought she was. Then he appears. The mystery man who would turn out not to be a man at all, but rather an angel. The angel who would turn Penelope’s mundane life upside down, revealing what really lurks in the dark.

Not only do they have to battle the demons looking to possess their souls, but Obsidian and Penelope must overcome the obstacles that come with falling in love. In the end, an angel and a human must make the ultimate sacrifice, all in the name of a love everlasting.


HEARTSONG by TJ Klune

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine.

Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home.

But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told. Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed?

More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.


JUST TEN SECONDS by Jeannine Colette- buy link TBA

Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for my life to change forever.

I left my posh life in Manhattan and escaped to the Hudson Valley in hopes of a fresh start. It wasn’t until I happened upon a bereavement group when I finally found a place I felt understood. I told them my husband was dead when, really, I was the one who had died inside. It was also where I saw the smoldering gaze of Dean Delgado, the single father whom I’d helped just days before.

Just Ten Seconds
That’s all he wishes he had with his late wife.

Despite Dean’s widowed status, he has a robust thirst for life. He’s a protector and a giver. A man who fixes things with his hands, is devoted to his child, and wants to spend his days with me. I try to avoid him, knowing a woman with my past has no business being in this man’s life. With every run-in, he makes me laugh. With every touch, he ignites me. And with every second, he makes me feel like myself again.

Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado.

I’m in too deep and my secrets are about to be exposed. I only hope he can forgive me for the lies I never meant to tell.


FAMOUS by Marie Force 

I thought I’d finally met the man of my dreams…

Marlowe
I’ve planned this night for weeks, down to the last detail. I want it to be perfect. Bringing someone new into my private life is not something I do lightly, having learned the hard way over the years that celebrity has a dark downside that I go out of my way to avoid whenever possible.

But he is different. We’ve been together for months and the time is right to take this next step with him.

It doesn’t take long for me to realize I’ve made a huge mistake trusting this man.

Before things go from bad to worse, I have the presence of mind to know I’m in big, big trouble.

Marlowe Sloane’s story, FAMOUS, is the thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Quantum Series.


BREAK YOU by MV Ellis- buy link TBA

Xavier
This is not a love story.
I hate you not for who you are, but what you represent.
I’m the whispers in the darkness you can’t quite hear.
I’m the unease that can’t be explained, but won’t go away.
I’m your worst nightmare come to life.
I’m the filthy rich guy who’s coming for revenge.
Everything you’ve ever had.
Everything you hold dear.
I won’t stop until I break you.

Rocky
You were once my savior.
Now you’re my bully.
I’m the girl from the wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks.
No match for your money, your might, or your wrath.
But I’m not going down without a fight.
When I go, I’ll take you with me.
Because we’re more alike than you want to admit.
And more connected than you know.
This is not a love story.


TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.


NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE by Kat Mizera

We have nowhere left to hide…

Erik
Loving her from the shadows shattered my heart.
Watching her move on nearly destroyed me.
I let them both go, knowing it was the only way to keep them safe.

Now the threat is back and there’s only one way to protect them: Come back from the dead.
It’s time to claim what’s mine.
My woman. My kingdom. My life.

Casey
The only man I ever truly loved died to protect us, and nothing will ever be the same.
I’ve spent the last decade becoming someone else, forcing myself to let go of the past.
The past won’t let go of me.
The life I’ve rebuilt is crashing down around me.
I thought it was over, but fate isn’t finished with me yet.


BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN SPIRIT by Catherine Cowles

She’s always been his safe place to land.

Jensen has shared a special bond with Tuck for as long as she can remember, their friendship a language that never needed words. But as life threw her one curveball after another, that secret language turned to stony silence.

He’s always been her protector.

Tuck has looked out for Jensen since the day she was born. As his best friend’s little sister, he’s tried to keep her firmly in the friend category. But she’s always been more.

All it takes is one moment of weakness to send Tuck’s fiercely guarded walls crumbling to the ground. As a new fire burns between them, someone watches. Someone who doesn’t like the new life Jensen’s building for herself.

And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her in the dark.

 


SUMMER HEAT by Jill Sanders

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Sanders is back with another steamy session of adult summer camp.

Though Elle Saunders grew up in Florida, life hasn’t always been sunny. When she and her best friends take over the summer camp where they met as kids, things start looking up. But the camp, now a sexy getaway for wealthy guests looking for fun and romance, is definitely a handful. And the hunky brothers she hired to help manage things aren’t making life any easier—especially that Liam…

Liam Costa wrangled this job to confront the woman he thought had seduced his father and lured him away from the family business. But Liam didn’t count on Elle being so mesmerizingly beautiful, and suddenly he’s having trouble focusing on, well, anything but her.

Elle and Liam have been dancing around each other all summer. He’s powerfully drawn to her, and she to him, but Elle doesn’t trust herself with love. She’s had bad luck with men, and he’s a sexy distraction she can’t afford.


MOONLIGHTER by Sarina Bowen

Five nights. Two adversaries. Only one bed in their hotel room.

I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company so secretive that I don’t even know its name.
Pass, thanks. I don’t need a summer job.
But the jerk ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.
So guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii?
It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other. It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.

Moonlighter is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers, no prior experience necessary. Expect: a growly hero, a lady boss with no time for his attitude, and a war of wills and hormones. Bonus: a hunk wearing a baby in a sling.


THAT DIVORCE by Jillian Dodd

Quarterback Danny Diamond loves to score. Touchdowns.
Get those dirty thoughts out of your minds, ladies. Just because he has two Super Bowl rings, model good looks, and a well-defined athletic body doesn’t mean he’s a player off the field. Sure, he has women swooning over his messy blond hair, brilliant blue eyes, and cocky smirk, but he’s been married to his college sweetheart since he was drafted, and they have two beautiful children.

Just when he’s gearing up for what he hopes is the best season of his career, his picture-perfect wife of fifteen years completely blindsides him when she asks for a divorce.

Award-winning actress Jennifer Edwards also lives a seemingly fairy-tale celebrity life with rock star and international DJ, Troy Malone. That is, until he’s caught on video in an Amsterdam brothel, and their love becomes tabloid fodder.

Years ago, Danny and Jennifer met at a party, and their chemistry was off the charts. After a few months of being just friends, he did the right thing–cut off all contact with her to focus on his family.
It was the right decision at the time. But they’ve never forgotten each other. Or the special connection they felt. And, when Danny’s next-door neighbor offers Jennifer a place to hide out from the paparazzi, they meet … again.

Will Jennifer and Danny find true love after getting sacked, or are they destined to watch from the sideline forever?
THAT DIVORCE is book one in Danny’s Duet and is part of the That Boy Series, although the duet can stand alone.
➜ Football➜ Second chance romance➜ Celebrities➜ Awesome friendships➜ No cheating


TEMPT THE HOOKUP by Natasha Madison

Eliahn
Getting pregnant after a booze cruise hookup was not what any parent wanted to hear, so I picked up my entire life and moved to Paris to start over. Six years later, I was ready to go home.

I was a single mom and the only thing I knew about my son’s dad was his name—Luca. I didn’t need to know anything else.

The universe had other ideas because on our second day back home, the man came crashing back into my life.

Luca
Attending a welcome back party for my boss’s daughter wasn’t how I wanted to spend my Sunday. But walking in and seeing my hookup from a cruise six years ago knocks me on my ass.

It was a weekend of fun and now I’m seeing a pair of eyes, identical to mine, staring right at me. The boy standing next to her is my son.

Now we’re living next door to each other and attempting to co-parent something that would be easy to do if the pull that brought us together wasn’t still there making things more complicated.

For six years she haunted my dreams, now she’s haunting my every waking moment.
I let her get away once, now I want to make her mine.

This time, permanently.

Only one thing left to do. I have to tempt the hookup.


LOVE IN DUE TIME by LB Dunbar

Naomi Winters will be forty—soon-ish—and she’s only been with one man. One night. One time. Long ago. She believes everything happens for a reason, and the universe spoke about Nathan Ryder.

Nathan Ryder isn’t the same man who hightailed his bike out of Green Valley eighteen years ago. As a rule breaker, women are one area he acts a fool. Case in point…the local librarian. He can’t get a read on her, but she’s one risk he’s willing to take. Again.

What do an eccentric librarian and a sexy silver biker have in common? More than you think.

The due date on their love might not be expired after all.

‘Love in Due Time’ is a full-length, contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Green Valley Library series.


KISS ME AGAIN by Emma Hart

WANTED: ROOMMATE. Must be tidy, polite, and absolutely not my brother’s hot as sin best friend.

I have no idea why I said yes.
Maybe I’d had one too many wines. Maybe I’d done it accidentally. Maybe I’d been sleep-texting.
One thing I know for sure is this: I absolutely do not want Ethan Hawkins in my apartment, up in my business, taking over my space.
Yet he’s here. Moving his stuff into my spare bedroom. Sending a wave of panty-melting, musky man-scent my way every time he walks past me.
Here’s the thing.
We don’t get along—at all. We never have, and I don’t think we’re going to start now that we’re under one roof.
There’s also that little issue where I’m kinda, sorta, totally in love with him…

Uh-oh.


RELEASING OCTOBER 23


DEFY FATE by Abigail Davies

Peace and Pain.
Solace and suffering.
Opposites attract like magnets. They went hand in hand; just like we did.

The pain of the past encompassed my soul. It was on a path to destroy me—that was if I didn’t do it myself first.

I was drowning in the depths of my sorrow, trying to push through each day to get to the next. And then he turned up.

There was a time when he was the only beam of light within the darkness.
But he snatched that away when he left and forgot all about me.

Only now he was back, and standing at the front of my World History class.
Cade Easton was no longer the charming sixteen year old who never failed to put a smile on my face. Instead, he was my new teacher.

They said there was nothing quite like your first love. That all consuming feeling—the infatuation.

It should have mattered that I was his student, but it didn’t. And neither did the eight year age gap.

Age was just a number.
Time which would pass us both by.

Lines blurred.
Rules were broken.
And there was nothing that could stop us.

Until my past resurfaced and threatened to demolish everything we’d built. With Cade by my side, I was sure I’d conquer everything.
I just hoped he stayed there.

A thousand steps separated us, but nothing could keep us apart.
Or could it?

Defy Fate is book one in the Fated Duet. A two-part, angst-filled, all-consuming, captivating story of forbidden love.


TAMING MY WHISKEY by Melissa Foster

Buckle up for a wild ride as Dixie Whiskey finds forever love in TAMING MY WHISKEY, a funny, sexy, and emotionally riveting standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. The perfect love story for those who enjoy fiercely loyal and insanely sexy alpha heroes, smart, sassy heroines, strong family bonds, bikers, babies, and more!

In TAMING MY WHISKEY…
Being the princess of the Dark Knights motorcycle club doesn’t come with a white knight or a fairy-tale castle, and that’s okay, because Dixie Whiskey has never needed a man to slay her dragons or make her whole. Even so, after watching each of her brothers fall in love, she’d sure like a shot at her own happily ever after. But with the Dark Knights watching over her and the only man she’s ever wanted out of reach, she’s not holding her breath.

As the launch of Silver-Stone Cycles’ biggest line approaches, Jace Stone is left needing a favor from the one woman who holds the power to take him to his knees. He knows when it comes to sinfully gorgeous and sharp-tongued Dixie Whiskey, he must stay on his toes and keep his walls firmly in place. But Jace needs her for his business—and Jace Stone always gets what he wants.

When the tall, gruff, and darkly handsome biker presents an opportunity that any other woman might see as the chance of a lifetime, Dixie turns him down flat. But Jace is determined, and he pulls out all the stops—sending Dixie’s overprotective brothers up in arms. Rebellious Dixie takes a stand—going after the freedom, and the man, she’s always wanted. One scorching kiss leads to an undeniable connection, but Jace isn’t looking to be tied down, and Dixie refuses to play second fiddle. Can two untamable hearts find forever love in each other’s arms?


RELEASING OCTOBER 24


THE SINCLAIR HEIR by Eliot Scott

Everyone knows when a Sinclair boy loves a Wallace girl people die.

The first time JoJo Wallace smiled, she had my heart. When we kissed, she owned my soul. And when she gave me her everything, I took it…consuming her when I had no right.

At first, we were just kids falling in love. We didn’t know about the generations-old feud between the Wallaces and the Sinclairs. I also couldn’t imagine Jojo’s destruction had been planned by my father when we were babies. To Father, the feud came first. I was simply bred to participate. My love for Jojo became his weapon, and to keep Jojo alive, I became the perfect son.

I never thought Jojo would come back after Father’s death. Never thought she’d smile at me or kiss me again–or that I’d let her. She’s the last woman I should ever touch. Only Jojo’s relentless. She’s no longer a child that can be frightened away. She’s made me dream again…made me feel. But before this goes too far, I need to get her away from this town and the rest of the Sinclairs who would see her dead.

Why? Because she’s a Wallace and I’m a Sinclair. She’s someone I’d kill for, and I’ll hurt her again. It’s what I do. But Jojo Wallace, she’s impossible for me to resist.


THE SECOND SHOT by Bethany Maines

A Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association 2019 Literary Contest Award Winner

 

The Deveraux family is wealthy, powerful and in a lot of trouble.

A drunken mistake in college cost U.S. Marshal Maxwell Ames the love of Dominique Deveraux and six years later, he’s determined to fix the slip-up. But there’s just one tiny problem—someone wants the Deveraux family dead. Dominque Deveraux never expected Max to reappear in her life, let alone apologize, but as Dominque investigates the mysterious attacks on her wealthy family Max quickly becomes far more than her one time college classmate. Now, Max and Dominque must dodge mercenaries and bullets as they try to make sure that they’re the only ones who get a second shot.


NEVER GOT OVER YOU by Whitney G- buy link TBA

Nine and a half years ago, you married a man who wasn’t me. He wasn’t even half of me…

Nine and a half hours ago, you walked through the doors of my billion-dollar boardroom for a job interview.

Although every person at the table fell for your charm and applauded, I didn’t dare. I couldn’t help but notice your bare ring finger. Couldn’t help but notice that you were even sexier now than you were on the night we first met.

I honestly didn’t want to hire you, but I had no choice. (I was outvoted 16-1, but trust me, you got this job by default.)

When you signed the papers and we shook hands, I didn’t bring up the fact that you didn’t “wait for me” like you promised to years ago, or that you just moved on with your life like what we had meant nothing. Instead, I insisted that we keep things one-hundred percent professional.

So, for the record: I’ve long forgotten about you and all the times we shared. (This includes the way your body feels under mine, the way your laughter used to make me smile, and the way you used to breathlessly say my name for hours at a time.)

I’m definitely not in denial, this is all one hundred percent true. You’ll never hear me say that you still have an effect on me, that you’re still the best I’ve ever had, or worse, that I never got over you…

This steamy standalone novel is a part of “Hello Brand New Era,” a literary album by New York Times bestselling author Whitney G.


THE BUSINESS OF BLOOD by Kerrigan Byrne

London, 1890. Blood and death are Fiona Mahoney’s trade, and business, as they say, is booming.

Dying is the only thing people do with any regularity, and Fiona makes her indecorous living cleaning up after the corpses are carted away. Her childhood best friend, Mary, was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper. It’s been two years since Fiona scrubbed Mary’s blood from the floorboards, and London is no longer buzzing about the Ripper, but Fiona hasn’t forgotten.

And she hasn’t stopped searching for Jack.

When she’s called to a murder in the middle of the night, Fiona finds a victim carved in an eerily similar fashion to those of the Ripper, and only a few doors down from Mary’s old home. The relentless, overbearing, and inconveniently intriguing Inspector Grayson Croft warns her away from the case. She might have listened, if she hadn’t found a clue in the blood. A clue that will lead her down a path from which there is no return.

As a killer cuts a devastating swath through London, a letter written in blood arrives at her door, and it is only then that Fiona realizes just how perilous her endeavor is. For she has drawn the attention of an obsessive evil, and is no longer the hunter, but the prey.

Fiona Mahoney is in the business of blood. But she’s not the only one.

With intriguing twists, blood-chilling discoveries, and dazzling prose, USAToday Bestselling author Kerrigan Byrne shows that a woman’s work is never done, even when she is sleuthing out a serial killer.


BREAKER by Harloe Rae- buy link TBA

“Tell me a happy something, Sutton.”

I was only seven the first time Grady Bowen whispered those words to me. Cloaked by the black sky under a blanket of stars, it was easy to get lost. He didn’t have any good memories of his own, and needed to borrow mine. I’d willingly give him anything.

Being infatuated with that boy was a beautiful curse. What could have been special didn’t get the chance to bloom. He’d never see me as more than his best friend’s kid sister. That was a hard lesson to learn, but not the most difficult.

Grady had always been struggling against the odds. Eventually he quit fighting and let his family’s reputation own him. Try as I might, those influences were beyond my reach.

He didn’t mean to break my heart. Or maybe he did. I shouldn’t have made it so easy for him. Either way, our wrongs against each other carved new lines between us.

I went four years without seeing Grady—each one more painful than the last. That distance did nothing to dull my feelings toward him. But things are different now. Most noticeably is Grady. I barely recognize this man he’s become. And that’s the way he intends to keep it. Not that it really matters.

Grady Bowen stopped being my happy something long ago.

✔️Older brother’s best friend
✔️Small town, country romance
✔️Broody, broken hero
✔️Sweet, genuine heroine
✔️Gut-wrenching feels
✔️Total standalone


HEARTLESS HERO by Mary Catherine Gebhard- buy link TBA

There are rules to being Abigail Crowne’s bodyguard, rules to watching the infamous billion dollar heiress otherwise known as the Reject Princess.

Love is off limits, but no one said anything about hate.

Have you…


RELEASING OCTOBER 25


DEVASTATED by RL Mathewson 

Bestselling author R.L. Mathewson takes on the impossible with the Anger Management series.

For readers who love to see someone who’s been to hell and back finally get their happy ending.

Sometimes you have to go through hell to get what you want…

Everyone has something in their past that they’d like to forget, but for Kylie Davis there’s no escaping her past. It followed her everywhere, determined to destroy her, and to make sure that she paid for the one thing that her family could never forgive her for.

Being born.

The last thing that Hunter O’Mallery needed was an assistant, but thanks to the deal that he never should have made, he has one. As long as she stayed out of way, he’d been more than happy to leave her alone, but now that she’s caught his attention, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She intrigued him, drove him out of his mind, and he’d do anything to save her.


WILD OPEN HEARTS by Kathryn Nolan

“I’ve heard that boys with motorcycles have less-than-noble intentions.”

“Not a boy,” Beck said. “And you heard right.”

Luna da Rosa is America’s Vegan Best Friend. The self-made billionaire is a flower-crowned hippie whose Instagram feed is as popular as Wild Heart, her vegan makeup company. When she’s not changing the cosmetics industry, she’s dazzling her online fans with kombucha recipes—until Wild Heart is caught in a scandal, destroying her reputation as a cheerful do-gooder.

Beck Mason is the prodigal son of Miami’s most notorious biker gang. But Beck left his criminal family to start Lucky Dog, rescuing dogs who need the most help… except the surly ex-outlaw never realized leading a struggling nonprofit with a ragtag crew would be so damn hard. They’re in dire need of cash—and fast.

Luna believes working at Lucky Dog will fix her image problem and get Beck the money he needs. It’s a win-win, right? Except Beck doesn’t like the sunny, free-spirited—okay beautiful—billionaire. He sure as hell doesn’t trust Luna not to use him just to make herself look good.

Sure, Beck’s grumpy, stubborn pride and meat-eating ways irritates Luna. Even though his big-heart-and-big-beard-combo is dangerously sexy. And they really shouldn’t have shared The Kiss to End All Kisses on the back of his motorcycle one night…

But as the bohemian billionaire and the burly biker give into their electrifying attraction, will their differences keep them apart? Or will they finally learn to trust their wild hearts?

Author’s Note: Big, grumpy, bearded hero. Happy-go-lucky hippie heroine. Snarky banter. Opposites that don’t so much attract as combust. Motorcycle sex. Steamy Miami nights. Four lady billionaire best friends. All the rescue dogs. Major heart-feels.

Excerpt & Review: Reaper by Larissa Ione

REAPER
Series:
Demonica #19
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Larissa Ione
Release Date: October 15, 2019

For love, he’ll watch the world burn.

For revenge, he’ll light the match.

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione returns to her fan favorite Demonica Series with REAPER, available now!

THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS…

He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.

He is the Grim Reaper.

A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.

Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.

Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…

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

Lilliana woke to someone tap dancing on her bladder.

Groaning, she rolled over and bumped into Azagoth. Pleasantly surprised that he was still in bed, she ignored her need to pee and curled up against him.

She’d missed this so much while she was gone.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his husky voice even more gravelly than usual.

“Morning.” She snuggled into his shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re not working.”

He yawned. “You wore me out last night.”

Smiling against his skin, she trailed her fingers along the hard ridges and deep valleys of his abs.

“I wanted to show you how grateful I was that you threw me a baby shower.” And she’d done it without getting too active. Eidolon couldn’t begrudge her one orgasm, right?

“Mmm.” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “You must have been very grateful.”

She slid her hand under the sheet and meandered her way to the curve of his hip. She might be a million months into her pregnancy, but her sex drive didn’t care in the least.

“I’m still grateful.”

He hissed as her knuckles brushed his shaft. “Not complaining.”

It truly had been sweet of him to gather together the denizens of Sheoul-gra for a big celebration of food, drink, and games in the traditions of people from the human, demon, and angelic cultures. She’d suffered two more bouts of intense nausea and some cramps, but they’d passed quickly. What hadn’t passed was Azagoth’s concern.

Which was probably why he was still in bed with her.

It was cute the way he hovered. Annoying at times, but cute.

“I just want you to know that you’re my life,” he said. “Without you, I’m a monster.”

“And what are you with me?”

He gave her a rare, boyish grin, made even more playful by his mop of bedhead. “A happy monster.”

“I’m very happy about the happy.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Things are good, Lil,” he said. “I never thought much about being a partner, let alone a parent, but I want to do these things with you.” He settled his hand on her belly and smiled with wonder. “This will be my first child born without a predetermined future. He or she can be anything. Do anything.”

“Incredible, isn’t it?” She pushed up on one elbow and leaned in to kiss his chest. She’d kissed every inch of him last night. Maybe she’d lick every inch of him this morning. “And our baby will be born to parents who love each other.”

Determined to show him how much she loved him, she kissed her way lower. Her lips whispered over his nipple, but before she could taste him, a cramp wrenched her insides. She sucked in a harsh breath, her hand going to her belly.

“What is it?” Azagoth jackknifed up, his expression dark with worry. “Is it the baby?”

Fierce heat swelled beneath the surface of her skin as her abdomen tightened. “I think it might be Braxton Hicks,” she said between panting breaths.

“What?”

“Cara had them.” Closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning, she eased back onto her pillow. “They’re like practice contractions.”

She didn’t remember Cara complaining about being hot and sweating buckets, though. Another cramp streaked through her, and she moaned. Cara had said they were painful, as if someone were squeezing her intestines.

This was more like someone was driving a red-hot blade through them.

“You’re white as a ghost, Lilli.”

Something’s wrong.

No, nothing was wrong. She was being paranoid.

Azagoth rested his palm on her forehead, testing her temperature. “Are these Hicks things supposed to be like this?”

She heard the panic in his voice but not the words. Her ears were buzzing. Her head was pounding. And, suddenly, a wave of agony wrapped around her and squeezed so hard she screamed. Vaguely, she heard Azagoth call out her name as a warm gush spread between her thighs.

“Lilliana? Lilliana!” His voice droned in and out as the room began to tilt. There was shouting. More pain. Her thoughts fragmented.

And then, finally…nothing.

 

For love, he’ll watch the world burn.
For revenge, he’ll light the match.

Holy christ on a cracker, that was intense!!! Wowza!

Admittedly I’m not a fan of additional books for characters that have already received their HEA, no matter how much I loved them. But that rule of mine goes out the window when Larissa Ione writes one. See, her and I have an understanding. If she writes it, I read it. Period. No exceptions. So when I saw that Azagoth will be getting another book, I don’t think I even blinked once before I jumped on it.

This is SO much more than just Azagoth’s book, though. If you haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I really don’t recommend starting with this one. It reads more like a saga and is not meant to be a standalone. There’s a lot of continuing story arcs that you get here and while the author does a great job reminding of past events for the reader, you simply won’t have the same appreciation for the events that happen here if you haven’t read the previous books and been introduced to some of the characters.

This was one epic book. It marks a somewhat story arc conclusion for one thing while launching a brand new story arc for what I’m hoping will be a brand new series (because OMG I need it to be!). If you’ve read Azagoth, then you’re familiar with Azagoth and his beloved mate, Lilliana. Throughout the last few books we got to see many things come to a head as Satan attempts to break free from his prison. Many of Azagoth’s children (Memitim) have been getting killed by a traitor that they can’t seem to identify. Well, the conclusion is one epic showdown with plenty of familiar faces making a cameo. There’s quite a few POVs but of course, the story arc of Azagoth and his mate is the center. A very pregnant Lili gets kidnapped by a dangerous enemy and Azagoth will do anything, kill anyone, and break every rule in Heaven’s handbook to get her back.

There’s so much that happens here that I can’t even begin to describe. But if you’ve read Azagoth’s book than you need to read this one. It’s an action packed thrill ride from beginning to finish. And that conclusion? Holy mother of mackerel! I am DEAD. If that’s the beginning of a new series, I’m desperate for more because GAH!!!!

Fans of Ione will not want to miss this epic conclusion!

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

 

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Review: The Second We Met by Maya Hughes

THE SECOND WE MET
Series: Fulton U #2
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author:
Maya Hughes
Release Date:
October 17, 2019

Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole.

That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead I sent a pleasant and apologetic version.

Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words.

Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.

Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy…

Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project.

Guess who’s my new boss?

Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away.

It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.

Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens…one screw at a time.

**The Second We Met is a standalone new adult romance**

AMAZON 

READ CHAPTER ONE HERE:
https://www.mayahughes.com/blog

He was all my mistakes wrapped up into one bright, shiny package. 

I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers romance and this one checked every box for me. I was dying for Nix’s book the second he appeared as a secondary character in The Perfect First. The charming quarterback with the cocky smile was sure to hit the spot for me, and I was not wrong. What I didn’t expect was for him to be as multi-layered as he was. Nix’s entire life has revolved around his father’s demands and football. As the son of a football player, the stakes are that much higher for Nix. But while his father sees the draft as his future, Nix isn’t so sure. Sustaining multiple injuries and his recent jolt to his shoulder have made him question his future, but it’s hard to move himself off of a path that’s been set for him.

Elle is the not so nice girl next door. Their enemy status has been paved ever since she accidentally walked into the wrong house and saw Nix in all his glory. Now they have an antagonistic relationship living next door to each other and Elle constantly calling the cops on their house. What’s a girl to do when she’s trying to sleep and it’s a non stop party next door? Elle is a bit of a workaholic. When she’s not in school, she’s volunteering for numerous charities and working in order to make ends meet and get a covetous award that’s the answer to all her financial woes.

But then when Nix shoes up at her latest community project, and suddenly she’s forced to realize that she’s grossly misjudged the guy and there’s much more to him than first meets the eye. What starts as enemies, soon turns into an unlikely friendship, and then something so much more.

Elle was gun shy when it came to men after being cheated on by her two boyfriends. But her judgmental and quick to think the worst of men nature did get a tiny bit grating for me. I loved how patient and sweet Nix was with her in turn. Eventually Elle really grew on me too. I loved their sassy barbs almost as much as I loved their chemistry. And these two had a ton of chemistry. This was another fantastic addition to the series and I can’t wait for more!

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe and traveling with my family. 

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Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Rebel Queen by Jeana E. Mann

THE REBEL QUEEN
Series: The Rebel Queen Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Jeana E. Mann
Release Date: October 15, 2019

“Shall we begin?” When spoken by my new husband, these three little words fill me with terror and anticipation.

In private, King Henry rules my body like he rules his country—with unrelenting control and passion. I crave his orders, his punishment, his commands. Outside the bedroom, we’re strangers caught in a web of lies and decadence.

Our marriage is a sham, a business arrangement devised to save my life and secure his crown. He doesn’t love me. He loves my body, controlling it, shaming it, worshipping it. To survive the dangers at court, I need to be smart, but it’s hard to think straight with a man like Henry between my legs.

Each night, he locks the bedroom door, determined to teach me a new lesson. Obedience, patience, trust. I lie awake in bed waiting for the sound of his footsteps and the latest installment in pleasure and pain. My heart pounds when the hinges creak and his broad shoulders block the door. I’m not ready, but I can’t wait to feel his hands on me. He shoves his bowtie in my mouth, binds my hands to the headboard, and whispers in my ear…

“Shall we begin?”

From USA Today bestselling author Jeana E. Mann comes this dark, contemporary romance filled with twists, turns, and unprecedented heat.

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START WHERE IT ALL BEGAN IN THE ROYAL ARRANGEMENT, BOOK 1 in the series:

The Royal Arrangement

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When his key clicks in the lock of the apartment door, my heart almost leaps out of my chest. I slip my hands into the fur-lined restraints. Anticipation heightens my awareness. The silk sheets are soft against my skin. They smell of his cologne and shower gel. I draw in his scent and try not to squirm. With each passing second, my mouth grows drier and the ache between my legs intensifies. I can hardly wait to see what he has in store for me tonight.

His light footsteps approach, sending my pulse rate higher. He doesn’t speak. He shrugs out of his jacket, loosens his tie, and sits in the elegant chair at the end of the bed. My skin prickles under the weight of his scrutiny. I’ve never been self-conscious about my body, but insecurity races through me. He’s the king. How many women has he had in his bed? If they’re anything like Lady Clayton, they’ve been the most beautiful women in the world. I tug on the restraints, wishing I could crawl beneath the sheets.

He drags a finger over his upper lip. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?” Mortification sends heat rushing into my face. Changed his mind? About me? About us? A knot clenches in my belly.

“I’ve always taken the lead in our lessons, but tonight, I’m giving you control.”

I slide my hands out of the restraints and sit up, clutching a pillow to cover my nudity, feeling vulnerable. “I don’t understand.”

“Take the reins, Everly.” He enunciates each word in his haughty British accent. “Show me how persuasive you can be. Make me want you.”

What I want is much more precious and infinitely more difficult to acquire. I want to own you. Inside and out.”


Well butter my biscuit, this was a sexy little page turner. If you’re looking for a guilty pleasure read that brings an intense thrill and a whole lot of deliciousness, look no further. I was immediately hooked on the connection between King Henry and Everly in The Royal Arrangement, and this brought the sinful conclusion.

The relationship between Everly and Henry is anything but ordinary. He’s a man that demands utmost control, and she’s a woman that’s fighting her every urge to give into his demands. Even though she’s almost a kept woman locked away in his tower in this book, she doesn’t take it lying down. Her spark and fire burns hot and I really appreciated that. Henry is as intense as ever, and I wouldn’t have him any other way.

I would have loved for the suspense element in this story to be better fleshed out. As it was, it felt a bit glossed over and overshadowed by the relationship dynamic. Granted, I didn’t mind that too much since I really loved the relationship dynamic, but I still couldn’t help but want a little more from the ending.

All in all, this was an addicting and sizzling read that I read in one sitting and I’m definitely a new fan of this author and will eagerly jump on all her future releases.

 

Jeana is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author from Indiana. She gave up a career in the corporate world to write about sexy billionaires and alpha bad boys. With over twenty books and several awards beneath her belt, she’s never regretted her choice to live out her dream. She’s a free spirit, a wanderer at heart, and loves animals with a passion. When she’s not tripping over random objects, you’ll find her walking in the sunshine with her rambunctious dogs and dreaming about true love.

 

You can follow Jeana here:

Website:http://jeanaemann.net

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JeanaEMann

Twitter:https://www.twitter.com/JeanaEMann

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/JeanaEMann

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Jeana-E.-Mann/e/B00HI4KQB4/ref

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jeana-e-mann

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeana.e.mann/

Text Alerts: Text the word “Jeana” without quotations to 21000

 

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Review, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway: A Lie For A Lie by Helena Hunting

A LIE FOR A LIE
Series: All In #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake

Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.

Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a month long sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.

A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.

AMAZON 

Lainey vs. Puck Bunnies in A Lie for a Lie    

A Lie for a Lie is a heartwarming, sexy, emotional romantic comedy. It’s a second chance romance, filled with secrets and there are definitely some exciting, fun twists. It’s also a story of empowerment, self-discovery, and independence.

Rook Bowman, aka RJ or Rookie as he has been known as previously, has recently taken on the role as captain of Chicago’s NHL team, and with that role comes big responsibility and more fame than he sometimes knows how to handle. As with any professional sport, the NHL lifestyle can often be full of excess and decadence; money, fame and an endless stream of women who will do just about anything to get into bed with them, and it’s not always easy to avoid that kind of temptation.

When we meet Rook in A Lie for a Lie we learn that he has a less than shiny past when it comes to the excess and the puck bunnies (hockey groupies). NHL players are often drafted quite young—just watch a game and you’ll notice that the rookies can often barely grown peach fuzz, let alone a full beard. They’re still teenagers when they start their careers, and Rook was no different. Having grown up on an alpaca farm in rural New York, his focus was mainly hockey and the family farm, but once he hit the pros he found himself surrounded by women who literally threw themselves at him. And being young, attractive and full of testosterone, he fell headfirst down that rabbit hole. At least until the drama found him in the form of a fake pregnancy and a social media firestorm. Because of that, and the impact it had on his relationship with his family, Rook swears off the bunnies and refocuses on his career, rather than extracurricular activities.

He meets Lainey on the way to Alaska, where he’s gone every summer since he was a teenager with his dad and his brother. He lost his father a few years earlier, but kept the tradition with his brother because he craves the escape from the demands of his life as an NHL superstar. Lainey encapsulates everything he misses about being a “normal guy.” She doesn’t recognize him or seem to even know anything about hockey, and that makes her even more alluring. For once, he can just be himself. He doesn’t have to worry about ulterior motives or being used. Lainey is refreshingly innocent, incredibly smart, genuine and overwhelmingly sweet and Rook finds himself enamored with her sense of adventure. As they get to know each other, Rook learns about her traumatic past and realizes that despite the challenges she’s faced, Lainey possesses a quiet strength and resilience. Add some insane chemistry and you’ve got a recipe for love. Unfortunately for Rook, he built their entire fragile relationship on lie he can’t take back.

***


 

When Lainey excuses herself to the bathroom, I rush upstairs and throw on a T-shirt. I know she said whatever makes me comfortable, but sitting around shirtless is such a douche move.I make it back to the kitchen and pour her a fresh drink before she returns from the bathroom.

“How can I help with dinner?” Lainey drapes her sweater over the back of a chair.

And my mouth goes dry. Like I ate an entire sleeve of saltines and chased it with a tablespoon of salt. So far I’ve only seen Lainey in a giant parka or an oversize sweater. Under all that bulky fabric is one hell of a body. She’s wearing a simple white waffle shirt that conforms to her curves. A pair of dark-wash skinny jeans encase her toned legs.

I’m used to bunnies throwing themselves at me, often in questionable states of undress. I stopped getting excited about miniskirts and revealing tops a long time ago. There’s something infinitely sexier about a woman who can show off her body without actually showing it off at all.

Lainey tips her head to the side. Her teeth press into her full bottom lip. I want to do that. Suck that pouty, full lip between my teeth and bite it. I want to do a lot of other, far more explicit things than that, but a kiss seems like a good place to start.

“RJ? Is everything okay?” Her eyes dip down to my chest. I’m wearing a shirt from one of my endorsement campaigns. It afforded me the extensive renovations on this cabin a few years ago.

“Huh?” I give my head a shake. “Oh. Yeah. Everything’s good. Sorry, zoned out there for a second.”

She smiles and pushes up on her toes, her eyes twinkling—like, they legit light up, and her excitement makes her entire body vibrate. It also makes her boobs jiggle. I try to keep my eyes glued to her face. It’s not easy, though.

“I do that all the time! Sometimes my brain is busy with so many thoughts I miss entire conversations. Does that happen to you too?”

I grin. I love that she seems to say whatever is on her mind. “All the time.”

“It’s actually a helpful skill when you’re being lectured, because I can sort through stuff in my head, but it’s not so great when your supervising professor is telling you what’s wrong with your thesis.” She pulls her hair over her shoulder and finger combs it.

“I take it that’s happened to you.”

“It did. Thankfully he also emailed all his criticisms, so missing out on it the first time wasn’t that big of a deal.” She divides her hair into three sections and deftly braids it without looking at what she’s doing even once. It’s pretty damn impressive. I almost want to pull it apart so I can watch her do it all over again. “Anyway, enough about that. Let’s get started on dinner!” She nudges me out of the way so she can wash her hands. She dries them on her jeans and moves over to the fridge, opening it to check out the contents.

I kind of like that she makes herself at home. I’m used to women who expect to be catered to. It’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t want me to pander to her.

I start pulling things out of the fridge as she starts naming items she’ll need and set them on the counter. I manage to locate most of what she asks for.

“What about garlic? Do you have any of that?” She leans over, peering into the fridge beside me. Her braid slips over her shoulder, skimming my arm.

“Uh, maybe we could forgo the garlic?”

“Are you allergic? My oldest brother gets bloated when he eats it. It took us forever to figure out what was causing it. Sometimes I’ll still put some in when he’s coming for dinner, because it’s funny to see him look like he’s expecting.” She tips her head to the side. “Or you just don’t like garlic?”

“I like it sometimes, but it depends.”

Her brows pinch together. “On what?”

“Who I’m eating with. I mean, if I’m going out with buddies, you bet I’m gonna order the honey garlic wings, or the cheesy garlic bread, or the pasta Alfredo. But if I’m eating dinner with a pretty girl, I’m gonna pass on the garlic.”

“Oh.” She twists the end of her braid around her finger.

I hope I’m not reading things wrong and making her uncomfortable.

“Does that mean you think I’m pretty?”

That she sounds genuinely curious as to my answer is unexpected. “You see yourself in the mirror every day—what do you think?”

She averts her gaze, still playing with the end of her braid. “My eyes are too big, so I always look like I’m surprised. My nose is small, and my lips are too full, so my mouth doesn’t really fit the rest of my face.”

“Wow. I think you need a new mirror, because all I see is a whole lot of gorgeous.”

She snorts a laugh and waves me off. “Once, I took a portrait class, and we learned all about proportion and symmetry of the face. Those are just my flaws based on what I was taught.”

“Well, I’m a big fan of all your flaws, and I think they make you more beautiful, not less.”

“Thanks. I think you’re beautiful too.” She cringes. “I mean handsome. You’re very nice to look at, with or without a shirt on. When I fell in your lap on the airplane, I remember thinking, At least I fell on someone nice looking.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm.” She opens a drawer, maybe to avoid looking at me. “And as much as I was mortified when you sat beside me on the Cessna, I couldn’t complain about the view, inside or outside of the plane. That you turned out to be really nice, and just so helpful, was a great bonus.” She hands me a roll of foil. “Why don’t you wrap the potatoes? They take the longest, so we should get started on those first.”

I put the potatoes on the barbecue and let Lainey order me around. She definitely knows her way around a kitchen. When I was growing up, my mom did most of the cooking, but my dad could make a mean Saturday-morning brunch. He also made great bread, which I miss a lot.

An hour later we’re seated at the table, plates full of steak, twice-baked potatoes, and crispy brussels sprouts cooked in bacon fat. I open a bottle of red wine and offer Lainey a glass.

“Just a little bit? I’m not sure I like red wine.”

“Maybe you just haven’t had the right red wine.” I pour a little into her glass.

She picks it up and gives it a swirl, then sniffs it. “I’ve seen people do this in the movies, but I don’t really know what the point is,” she admits, then tips the glass back and takes a tentative sip. Her expression turns thoughtful; then she takes another, slightly more robust sip. “This is actually really nice. I like it. Maybe the red wine I had before was bad.”

“Maybe. Some of the cheap stuff tastes pretty awful.” I pour more into her glass before filling mine. I hold up my glass and wait for her to raise hers.

“To chance meetings.”

“To new adventures and great company to share them with.” We toast and take a sip, each smiling behind the rim.

***

My skin burns.
My heart stutters.
I should tell him my own truth.
But for now we’re tied: a lie for a lie.

ALL. OF. THE. SWOONS.

This series couldn’t have started with a better book. I’m totally hooked, line and sinker, and already salivating for more. I’m head over skates in love with Rook and this swoony hockey romance about a reformed NHL star playboy and the quirky nerd that makes him fall.

On this plane I’m not the NHL forward and team captain with a history of being a player on and off the ice. I’m just a guy, and she’s just a girl.

Rook is an NHL star and a former manwhore. He’s a man that’s used to puck bunnies doing anything to get his attention and then getting even crazier to keep it. So when he meets a beautiful woman on his flight to Alaska that ends up being his neighbor, he loves the anonymity of getting to know someone as just him. Lainey is a bit of a nerd and a lot of adorable. She’s a quirky, shy, sweet, and although slightly sheltered in her home schooled ways has also seen things that changed her irrevocably. They don’t see the other one coming but it doesn’t take long at all for them to being a whirlwind romance in the small town of Alaska. But then Rook has an emergency that forces him to leave and as fate would have it they lose touch due to a number of circumstances. Only to be reunited 14 months later in Chicago. This time, Rook knows that he’ll do anything to keep Lainey, if only he can get her to forgive him for the lie.

This was so wonderfully sweet. It was brimming with emotion and sweet heat. I couldn’t get enough of Rook and Lainey. I also loved Lainey’s friendship with Eden, who made for a wonderful secondary character. All of your favorites make a cameo here and I loved how Helena brought it all together. I loved this sweet second chance romance and can’t recommend it enough for all Helena Hunting fans. And if you haven’t read any books by her yet, this is a great one to start 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: Damage by Natasha Knight

COLLATERAL
Series: Collateral Damage #2
Genre: An Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance
Author:
Natasha Knight
Release Date:
October 15, 2019

We’re a match made in hell, Stefan and I.

He took me to exact his revenge. I went from being a pawn to my father to being a pawn to Stefan. The only difference is I have a ring the size of a boulder on my finger and a husband I don’t want.

And the hardest part is I thought he was different. I thought I was falling in love.

I guess my father was right. I’m not a very smart girl.

Stefan is a powerful man. He doesn’t play nice, not if you’re his enemy. But I’ve learned one thing about my husband.

He takes care of what’s his.

And I am his.

His enemies have become my enemies, but he’ll never let anyone hurt me. He’s fiercely protective. It’s the predator inside that scares me.

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It’s midnight when we’re back at the house and I carry her to my room. She doesn’t resist when I strip off her clothes, her underthings still damp, and put her in the shower under a flow of hot water. I strip too and step in beside her and there’s no resistance when I kiss her. When I take her in my arms and kiss her as the water washes sea salt from us.

She opens to me and I cup the back of her head. I don’t ever want to stop kissing her. Don’t ever want to stop holding her like this.

When the water begins to cool, I switch off the shower and dry her then myself before lifting her up and carrying her to my bed. I lay her down and lie down beside her, shifting so I’m on top of her but keeping most of my weight on my forearms so I don’t crush her.

I slide one hand down and cup the mound of her breast. I run my fingernail over her nipple, and she moans into my mouth. When I pull away, it’s to look at her.

She licks her lips, reaches up to touch my cheek, slides her hand down to my chest and sets it against my heart.

We don’t talk. We don’t say a single word. Not for a long while. We just kiss and kiss and look at each other. And I can’t get enough of touching her. Tasting her. Can’t get close enough to her.

“Christ, Gabriela,” I start. “I want you.” I roll off her and onto my side to slide my hand down over her belly.

She cups my cheek, touches her mouth to mine. “Kiss me again.”

I do.

But she is who she is. The devil’s daughter. And I just brokered my own deal. I’ve stolen her. And I’m not finished yet.

I’m pretty sure I almost had a damn heart attack after the cliffhanger in Collateral. I was absolutely hooked on the story and salivating for more. There was something so intense and addicting about this enemies to lovers romance. It was especially delicious considering how slow burn the romance was. Stefan and Gabriela burned up the pages together with their chemistry, and we didn’t even get a taste for the romance yet. So to say that I was anticipating the second and final book would be a mild understatement.

Damage starts off with a bang and is a non-stop, twisty, page turner full of dark secrets and betrayals. I was riveted to the pages and couldn’t wait to see how everything comes to a head. And let me tell you, people, there’s some real whoppers of twists in this one that had my head reeling. I love a good mafia romance, and this one spared no details on the dark underbelly of the world. I may have set the romance up too much in my head, because I was a little disappointed with how it concluded here. I just didn’t click with Gabi and Stafan here as much as I did in the first book. It seemed like they went from 0 to 60 in a turn of a page, and I had a hard time buying into it. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did. But I think my own personal bias was at play here and I just set up my expectations too high. This was still one high-octane and sizzling read, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that. 

Connect w/Natasha:

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