New & Upcoming Releases: May 27-31

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


WHISKEY THROTTLE by Riley Hart

Lincoln
I’ve done a good job getting over my past. I’m not only proud of who I am, but revel in it. Still, I don’t let myself get too close to people. With closeness comes questions and those pesky feelings, and I’m having none of that. I’ve got a great job, friends, I’m cute and twinky, and my bed’s never empty. What more do I need? Except I can’t stop sleeping with Rush Alexander. I try, I really do, but I just can’t stay away, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is stressing me out. Rush has the power to hurt me–something I swore I’d never let happen again. Unfortunately, things become a little more complicated when I tell a white lie that lands me in a fake relationship with him. Yeah, not my best moment.

Rush
I’ve always been an easygoing guy and don’t let many things get to me. I’ve worked hard to make my dream of becoming a professional motocross racer come true, and everything else is icing on the cake. Like Lincoln Gray, for example. I need to tread carefully, even though I want more from him than our occasional hookups. If I give what we have too much throttle, we’ll crash and burn. But when Linc accidentally announces we’re boyfriends in front of my mom, the race is on. First, I have to show him there’s more between us than the way we burn up the sheets together. When Linc finally trusts me in ways he doesn’t anyone else, there’s no turning back. I’m a firm believer that nothing worth having comes easily, and Lincoln Gray is worth it all.

Whiskey Throttle is part of the Fever Falls series but can be read as a standalone.

RELEASING MAY 28


ILLUSION ON THE ICE by SR Grey

Confession time:
My name is Noel Sandlund and I play professional hockey–defense to be exact.
I lead a pretty good life. I’m not hurting for money and the ladies seem to like me.
And now things have gotten even better–I think I may have fallen in love.

See, while I was in Sweden playing in the world hockey championships this off-season, I met Maisie Troy.

And, man, she’s it for me.

Confession time:
I’m Maisie Troy.
This summer I met a man who’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more.
His name is Noel and he’s hot and sweet and plays amazing hockey.
I think he could be the one.

Too bad there’s one huge problem–I’m not who he thinks I am.

No, I’m just an illusion.
An illusion that’s about to shatter . . . like ice.

Illusion on Ice is the seventh novel in the bestselling Boys of Winter hockey romance series.


HAVING IT ALL by Christi Barth

Josh Hardwick’s life looks great. He lives with his best friends, runs a gourmet food truck, and spends his nights hooking up with every eligible woman in D.C.. But he hides his daily struggle with dyslexia–which holds him back from expanding his business. The last complication he needs is a relationship. Especially not with an off-limits friend who is dangerously hot…

Annabeth Vasquez wears combat boots because life is a war zone and she damn well intends to be a survivor. She’s clawed her way out of poverty and is still in shock at her amazing new job. Failure isn’t an option. So being distracted by Josh’s playboy moves is definitely out of the question. The boutique job puts her in the middle of his circle of rich, educated friends. Annabeth can’t believe they accept her–or that Josh wants her.

Dating a player always ends badly, and Annabeth can’t risk losing her job. No matter how well Josh kisses… Her job’s at stake. Josh’s friends will kill him if he screws up and hurts her. But they can’t ignore how long–and how much–they’ve wanted each other. So when Josh comes up with a plan to test-drive their relationship, Annabeth’s on board. Will they be able to move beyond their complicated pasts and fears and discover love makes it possible to have it all?


STEALING VENGEANCE by Kaylea Cross

She’s an expert at getting into places she doesn’t belong.

The government created Megan, transforming her into a Valkyrie—a deadly operative only whispered about in certain circles. They took everything from her and made her into a weapon. Now someone is leaking secret information about her sisters-in-arms, betraying them for money. Loyal Unto Death is the Valkyrie motto. So when Megan is recruited to find who leaked the files, she takes the high-risk assignment. Even if it means working with the man who betrayed her trust long ago. Even if it means giving her life. Because she’ll do whatever it takes to find justice.

But this is one situation she can’t escape from on her own.

Tyler Bergstrom never forgot the resourceful woman who escaped during the toughest phase of SERE school. So when he learns the stunning truth about her and his unwitting part in her past, he volunteers to work alongside Megan for a chance at redemption. Except she doesn’t want a partner. Doesn’t want to let anyone into her life, including him—hell, especially him. Yet whether she likes it or not, for this mission they’re partners. Now it’s a race against the clock to bring down the shadowy figure targeting Valkyries. But the threat goes deeper than they ever imagined. No one is safe. And if they can’t overcome the past and learn to trust each other, they’re both dead.


MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL by Katy Evans

Big-city sophistication meets carnal hunger in this devilish contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

Heir apparent to her father’s company, Lizzy Banks needs a man. The perfect man. But when the rich “fundbabies” she usually rubs shoulders with prove impossible to hire, she takes a chance on a raw beast of a man salvaged from the wreckage of a bar brawl.

James Rowan earns a modest income as a YouTube daredevil, but he can’t refuse Lizzy’s million dollar deal. As she polishes his rough edges, creating a sophisticated gentleman fit for the highest circles of society, not only does she bring out the perfect man—it’s like she’s making the man of her dreams. How can she resist?

Though Lizzy loves seeing James in his clothes—and out of them—he isn’t the kind of man you bring home to Daddy. Her father’s disapproval and the pressure of the campaign have her eyeing the straight and narrow, but Lizzy’s finding it awfully hard to resist the devil on her shoulder…


TAKE THE BRIDE by Carly Phillips

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carly Phillips comes a new story in her Knight Brothers series…

She used to be his. Now she’s about to marry another man.
Will he let her go … or will he stand up and take the bride?

Ryder Hammond and Sierra Knight were high school sweethearts. Despite him being her brother’s best friend, their relationship burned hot and fast…and ended with heartbreak and regrets.

Years later, she’s at the altar, about to marry another man.

He’s only there for closure, to finally put the past behind him.

But when the preacher asks if anyone has a reason the couple shouldn’t wed, she turns around and her gaze locks on his.

Suddenly he’s out of his seat.

Objecting.

Claiming.

And ultimately stealing the very pissed off bride and taking her to a secluded cabin.

He wants one week to convince her they’re meant to be, to remind her of the fiery passion still burning between them.

When their time together is up, will she walk away and break his heart this time, or will he finally have the woman he’s wanted all along?

**For fans of Carly’s Knight Brothers, Take The Bride is book two in that series.**

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


REBEL by Beverly Jenkins

The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins’s compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War . . .

Valinda Lacy’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.


PASSION ON PARK AVENUE by Lauren Layne

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.


SAVAGED by Mia Sheridan: buy link TBA

When wilderness guide, Harper Ward, is summoned to the small town sheriff’s office in Helena Springs, Montana, to provide assistance on a case, she is shocked to find that their only suspect in the double murder investigation is a man described as a savage.

But the longer she watches the man known only as Lucas, on the station surveillance camera, the more intrigued she becomes. He certainly looks primitive with his unkempt appearance and animal skin attire, but she also sees intelligence in his eyes, sensitivity in his expression. Who is he? And how is it possible that he’s lived alone in the forest since he was a small child?

As secrets begin to emerge, Harper is thrust into something bigger and more diabolical than she ever could have imagined. And standing right at the center of it all, is Lucas. But is he truly the wild man he appears to be? A cold blooded killer? An innocent victim? Or a perplexing mix of all three?

Harper must find out the answers to these questions because the more time she spends with him, the more she risks losing her heart.


UNSUITABLE by Lavinia Kent

Cougar . . . MILF . . . Mrs. Robinson.

Jordan Robinson knows firsthand that when a woman marries a rich older man, people are going to talk. But now, with her husband gone, Jordan lives a quiet life of seclusion, managing her charities and staying away from the limelight. Then everything changes after an unexpected kiss leads to the best sex of her life—and a secret affair Jordan never wants to end.

A sexy young mogul who’s used to getting what he wants, Clay has wanted Jordan Robinson ever since he was seventeen and saw her emerge dripping from a swimming pool in a white bikini. But now he’s all grown up . . . and now she’s his. But when their relationship is exposed, the fallout is devastating. Yet Clay’s a man in his prime—and Jordan’s a woman worth fighting for. They may have started as a fling, but Jordan Robinson belongs in his bed, in his life . . . and forever in his heart.

Don’t miss any of Lavinia Kent’s Bound and Determined series
MASTERING THE MARQUESS | BOUND BY BLISS | REVEALING RUBY | SARAH’S SURRENDER | RAVISHING RUBY | ANGEL IN SCARLET | A VERY RUBY CHRISTMAS | TANGLED IN SIN


TROUBLE AT BRAYSHAW HIGH by Meagan Brandy: buy link TBA

“You don’t belong.”

No words whispered in anger have ever rung more true.

They’re the Kings of Brayshaw with the world at their feet, destined for greatness and in need of control.
I’m the girl from the ghetto with nothing to offer and as defiant as they come.

They say it doesn’t matter, that I’m one of them now, and nothing could ever change that. Not even me, should I dare try.

But they’re wrong.
They underestimate how far I’ll go to protect them.

Trouble is coming…and they have no idea.
—–

Trouble At Brayshaw High is the the highly anticipated follow up to Boys of Brayshaw High, and should be read only after having read book one.


DESPERATE MEASURES by Katee Robert

My Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice. Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for.

Content Warning: This book contains depictions of consensual non-consent.


BRIDAL BOOT CAMP by Meg Cabot

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot comes the first story in her Little Bridge Island series—which also includes an excerpt from her forthcoming new full-length novel No Judgments!

Looking for a tropical escape?

Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the smallest—and most beautiful—islands in the Florida Keys, home to sandy white beaches, salt-rimmed margaritas, stunning sunsets, and some of the quirkiest—but also kindest and most resourceful—people you’ll ever meet.

Physical trainer Roberta “Rob” James moved to Little Bridge hoping she’d found paradise, but things haven’t turned out quite as she’d hoped. The closest Rob has come to her “happily ever after” is happy hour at the Mermaid Café with her buddy Bree, the bartender slash waitress who’s got romance problems of her own.

But Rob’s situation suddenly changes when sheriff’s deputy Ryan Martinez accidentally enrolls in her bridal boot camp class. Turning mush into metal in time for the big day is Rob’s passion (because even the happiest bride could use a little toning).

But what happens when a guy who’s all mush meets a girl who’s all metal?

They discover they have a lot to learn . . . about each other, themselves, and the island paradise they’ve come to call home.


FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT by Jenn P. Nguyen

Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives.

They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together.

Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently.

All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

It’s the perfect plan – except that it turns out maybe Mia and Jake don’t hate each other as much as they once thought…


THE EARL NEXT DOOR by Amelia Grey

What does a fiercely independent young widow really want? One determined suitor is about to find out. . .

When Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, learns of her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she’s free. At last, she can do, go, and be as she pleases. Finally, she can have the life she has always dreamed of. She doesn’t need, or want, to remarry. Especially not the supremely dashing future Marquis of Marksworth, who makes Adeline yearn for his desire. . .

Lord Lyonwood, son of a philandering marquis, will not be like his father. He wants to run his estates and watch them flourish—and find a wife who brings love to his life. When he meets spirited and self-reliant Adeline in a case of near-scandalous mistaken identity, Lyon feels he’s met his match. But Adeline isn’t interested in a marriage proposal. She will only accept becoming his lover—and Lyon finds it hard to refuse. Unless the fire of his passion can melt Adeline’s resolve. . .


THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.


THE TIGER CATCHER by Paullina Simons

Internationally bestselling author Paullina Simons returns with a sweeping new saga guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love.

All the colors of your world are about to disappear…

Young and handsome, Julian lives a charmed life in Los Angeles. His world is turned upside down by a love affair with Josephine, a mysterious young woman who takes him by storm. But she is not what she seems, carrying secrets that tear them apart—perhaps forever.

So begins Julian and Josephine’s extraordinary adventure of love, loss, and the mystical forces that bind people together across time and space. It is a journey that propels Julian toward either love fulfilled…or oblivion.

The Tiger Catcher takes readers from the dizzying heights of joy to the depths of despair and back again in an unforgettable new novel from a master storyteller.


THE INITIATION by Nikki Sloane

No one knows how new members are selected to the board of Hale Banking and Holding. But there are rumors of a sordid rite of initiation.

Whispers how one woman and nine men disappear into a boardroom.

This time, that woman will be me.

The Hale family owns everything—the eighth largest bank in the world, everyone in our town, even the mortgage on my parents’ mansion. And now Royce Hale wants to own me.

He is charming. Seductive. Ruthless. But above all, he’s the prince of lies. My body may tighten with white-hot desire under his penetrating gaze, but I refuse to enjoy it.

I’ll make a deal with the devil to save my family and sell myself to the Hales. But Royce will never own my heart.


TAMING GEORGIA by Ellie Wade

Georgia Wright has never believed in fairy tales. That is, until Wyatt Gates walks into her life.

But fate has other plans in mind for these two, and their early blossoming romance is over before it’s even begun. Ever since that day, Georgia is determined to live an untethered life. She’s never felt comfortable with the fact that she grew up with a trust fund when others had so little. Now she travels to places where she can help people in need and do her part to make the world a better place.

It isn’t until seven years later, when the two meet again, that they get a second chance to get things right.

Wyatt has never found it easy to trust. Ever since his mother passed away, he has a hard time opening up to anyone. Now the owner of a Pit Bull rescue called Cooper’s Place, he has slowly begun to turn his life around. When the last person he ever wants to see again, Georgia Wright, walks back into his life, the sparks they once shared are impossible to ignore and the walls he so carefully built around his world start to come crashing down.

Will Georgia and Wyatt let the misunderstandings of their past keep them apart? Or will their attraction to one another lead these two passionate souls to finally find their happily ever after?


SMOOTH MOVES by Marie Harte

He may be all brawn
But when it really counts… His heart is all gold

Former Marine Cash Griffith is a brawny beacon for trouble, always finishing a fight that someone else starts. Working at his family’s moving company, he does his best to keep a low profile, but he can’t help but tangle with the newest employee, Jordan Fleming.

When Jordan joins Vets on the Go! she has her hands full with her new job and her rebellious teenage brother, not to mention going toe to toe with the obnoxious, arrogant, incredibly hot Marine at work. Soon their battles turn to camaraderie, and one kiss leads to a connection neither of them expected. But when dark secrets come to light, will their bond break…or strengthen into a happily-ever-after they desperately desire?

Veteran Movers series:
The Whole Package (Book 1)
Smooth Moves (Book 2)
Handle with Care (Book 3)

Praise for Marie Harte:
“A blazing hot, emotionally intense love story.” —Kirkus Reviews for A Sure Thing
“This is truly a must-read!” —Night Owl Reviews Top Pick for Roadside Assistance
“Sexy, sweet, and thoroughly satisfying.”—LAUREN LAYNE, New York Times bestselling author for The Whole Package


SMITTEN BY THE BRIT by Melonie Jognson

DEFINITELY, MAYBE…OR LOVE, ACTUALLY?

English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie’s heart.

With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she’s falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo’s life makes Bonnie feel like she’s wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?


MINE by Courtney Cole

Tessa was prepared for the hurricane. Lindsey was the storm she didn’t see coming.

When Tessa Taylor unlocked her husband Ethan’s iPad to discover nude photos from a twenty-six-year-old bombshell named Lindsey, her seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt.

With a hurricane barreling toward Florida and Ethan stuck on a business trip, Tessa finds herself imprisoned in her own home with a choice to make: Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person, or does she take matters into her own hands?

Increasingly restless and desperate for revenge, Tessa resolves to act. And when she lures Lindsey over a few hours later, there’s no turning back.

What ensues is a battle of wills between two well-matched opponents, blinded by love for the same man but driven by demons of their own. Like storm-ravaged Florida, neither woman will be the same when the skies clear.

He’s mine. Both wife and mistress would stake their lives on it. But only one of them can be right.


UNEXPECTED by Kelly Rimmer

Co-parenting with her best friend. What could go wrong?

The next three decades of Abby Herbert’s life are as carefully planned out as the last three were. Best career ever? Check. Great friends, one of whom she lives with in a stunning Tribeca apartment? Check. Perfect man to share her dream family? Surely just a matter of time. But then she gets devastating news from her doctor—if she wants to get pregnant, she needs to get started on that by…well, yesterday. On the bright side, she has the perfectperson in mind to be the father.

Tech entrepreneur Marcus Ross has been harboring decidedly not-friends feelings toward Abby. He doesn’t want to lose her and, knowing his feelings are one-sided, he’s been trying to move on. When he learns about the curveball Abby’s just been hit with, he promises to be there for her however she wants him to be, even if the idea of fatherhood is a little complicated for him right now. But it isn’t long until boundaries start to blur, and a deal struck between friends starts to turn into something perilously close to feelings that could change everything…


JUST ONE OF THE GROOMSMEN by Cindi Madsen

Addison Murphy is the funny friend, the girl you grab a beer with—the girl voted most likely to start her own sweatshirt line. And now that one of her best guy friends is getting married, she’ll add “groomsman” to that list, too. She’ll get through this wedding if it’s the last thing she does. Just don’t ask her to dive for any bouquet.

When Tucker Crawford returns to his small hometown, he expects to see the same old people, feel comfort in the same old things. He certainly doesn’t expect to see the nice pair of bare legs sticking out from under the hood of a broken-down car. Certainly doesn’t expect to feel his heart beat faster when he realizes they belong to one of his best friends.

If he convinces Addie to give him a chance, they could be electric…or their break-up could split their tight-knit group in two.

Hiding the way he feels from the guys through bachelor parties, cake tastings, and rehearsals is one thing. But just asTucker realizes that Addie truly could be the perfect woman for him—he was just too stupid to realize it—now she’s leaving to follow her own dreams. He’s going to need to do a lot of compromising if he’s going to convince her to take a shot at forever with him—on her terms this time.


AVAILABLE MAY 29


TREACHERY by Lily White: buy link TBA

Ninth Circle.
Treachery.
Also known as Tanner Caine.

He is a temptation with cold, dark eyes.
A man with a seductive smirk and a body built for pure sin.
The linchpin of a group of wealthy bad boys known as the Inferno.

A dark presence that repels as much as he attracts, Tanner is the poisoned apple I want to bite even when I know it will destroy me.

Our story started in college, but I ran from him so far I believed I was safe.
I should have known he’d find me eventually.
I should have known that nobody escapes.

He has me in his sights again with an offer I can’t pass up.
I know better than to make a deal with the Devil.
Not unless I’m willing to pay his sensual price…

(Treachery is Book One of the Antihero Inferno Series. Nine Standalone novels. Nine dangerous men. Nine unrepentant sinners you’ll hate to love.)


AVAILABLE MAY 30


FEARLESS KING by Maya Hughes

My first crush. My first heartbreak. My brother’s best friend.

The butterflies in my stomach turned into full blown eagles the second our lips touched. A kiss under the stars that changed our relationship forever.

After a lifetime of wishing, I stared up into Ford’s eyes with his fingers caressing my cheek and my heart racing.

The evening ended with my heart bleeding on the ballroom floor.

He destroyed my heart two years ago…but now he wants back in my life.

This time I won’t fall under his spell. I’ll resist his sexy, scruffy beard, and panty-melting smirk.

I thought I was over him. Hell, I fully planned to wave to him through my rearview mirror…but with one text, in the middle of the night, I know I’m in over my head.

Ford: I need you.


AVAILABLE MAY 31


REMEMBER ME by Nelle L’Amour: buy link TBA

From USA Today bestseller Nelle L’Amour, a sizzling and suspenseful ripped from the headlines second chance romance like none other. What happens when the past, present, and future collide?

SKYE:
It was love at first sight with Finn. The downtown bad boy with the piercing blue eyes, tattooed biceps, and museum-worthy chiseled body. But while he struggled, I was driven. An investigative reporter determined to pursue the truth to get my story. My credo: Dig deep, then dig deeper. Then one time, I dug too deep and literally dug my own grave, losing everything and everyone dear to me.

Until life gave me a second chance.

FINN:
Being a renowned artist and single dad isn’t easy. My demanding fiancée doesn’t help. No matter how much I try, she wants nothing to do with my precious five-year-old daughter.

Then she came along. The hot as sin teacher. Scarlet Callahan. She’s everything my fiancée isn’t. Warm, funny, and down-to-earth, she adores my daughter as much as my daughter adores her. I’m inexplicably attracted to her, but she keeps her distance. Like she’s hiding something. Except I’m going to uncover her secret even if it means risking everything I’ve ever wanted.

And everyone I’ve ever loved.


ENAMOURED by Giana Darling- buy link TBA

It was the worst day of my life.
I know most people say that about something obviously horrific—a first heartbreak, the discovery of a fatal illness, or the funeral of a loved one—but my situation was a little different.
Not only was it my wedding day, but it was also the day I chose to die.
Two men.
The first, my Master, my captor, and my impossible love.
The other, his brother, a mafioso I was meant to ensnare and ruin.
If I had any hope of living a normal life reunited with my family, I had to make a choice.
End my old life as I knew it and start fresh, or take down the monsters that hunted me and haunted my Master.
In the end, the decision was never really mine to make. Because Alexander Davenport would come to claim me even in death.

** The Enslaved Duet is a standalone dark romance duet about Cosima Lombardi from The Evolution of Sin Trilogy.**

Review: Have Mercy by N.E. Henderson

HAVE MERCY
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Dark
Author: N.E. Henderson
Release Date: May 2, 2019

I never saw it coming.

It’s hard to get over that kind of betrayal. It leaves a mark on the heart. A slow bleed that never goes away. She was my girl. We were supposed to be partners. She was going to be the mother of my children down the road. The only girl to warm my bed. She was my forever girl.

Until she ran away.

I thought she felt the same. But if she did she wouldn’t have ditched me like I didn’t matter. All the plans we made meant nothing to her. She disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Those cuts are the deepest. A gaping hole that can’t be sealed. I could’ve stomached anything else—a meaningless one-night stand, drifting apart, vanishing love. But abandonment is a deadly strike that can’t be forgotten. It sticks with you forever.

Three months later she showed up, expecting me to welcome her back with open arms. Excuses, lies, not even her crying eyes could make me believe the manipulative bullshit coming out of her mouth. For months I felt like I was burning alive. She shattered my heart and stole my soul.

I moved on.

Now, eighteen years later, a nightmare unfolds. Every detail makes my stomach churn. Lies come to the light. The truth is uncovered. And the people I thought I knew become strangers. The heartbreak I felt was only a scratch compared to the sliced open heart in my chest.

Winning her back seems like an impossible feat. She may never forgive me, because the thing about mercy—you have to give to receive.

***Have Mercy is a 107K word standalone, second chance love story.***

AMAZON

Eighteen years have gone by and Elise Thomas still owns me like no other woman ever has—or ever will.

This review is extremely difficult for me to write. I have sat on my rating for it for a solid week and I’m still struggling with it. Why? Because I binge read this story. I’m talking glued to the pages, completely incapable of setting it down for even a second sort of binge here, people. It was like a rockstar soap opera. No lie. If OTT drama, angst, and alphahole heroes aren’t your jam, I’d say this book won’t be for you. But this reader? I froth at the mouth for it. Don’t you judge me either. I yam what I yam.

I think that had it been for different execution on a few plot devices and elements of this book, it would have been a no brainer 5 star. As it was, there were things in this story that I really hoped would be better wrapped up then they were at the end. But I’ll get to those in a minute.

First let me start with what I loved; the set up. DELICIOUS. A second chance romance 18 years in the making. Jamie and Jenna were each other’s world as teenagers. They loved and they loved hard, until they fell apart even harder. Eighteen years later and neither of them is much closer to any sort of closure from each other. Jamie is now divorced and still as bitter as he was back when he though Jenna betrayed him. Jenna has tried to move on from Jamie, but how do you forget the love of your life? But how do you ultimately pick up the pieces when you realize that everything you thought you knew was wrong. And the person you’ve hated for years is not at all who you thought they were and that you’re ultimately responsible for breaking you apart? That’s the premise of the book.

The story unravels in alternating flashbacks. These were cleverly written to give the reader the whole story crumble by crumble, until you’re utterly desperate for the whole picture. I loved the over the top angst and drama of this book. The antagonistic sort of back and forth between Jamie and Jenna was book crack. Jamie made a terrible decision those years ago that essentially got all the dominoes to fall. A decision made by a young and immature boy that didn’t yet have his head out of his own ego long enough to dig deeper. I didn’t hate him for it, but I can see a lot of readers having an issue with it. This reader, however, did not. I loved to hate Jamie. What can I say? I live for some book drama every now and then.

Jenna struck me a great and strong willed heroine at first. I loved her spark and the added edge of what she keeps hidden below the surface with the scars of her past. This is also where the story began to lose me. I wanted Jenna to keep holding on to that edge, but I couldn’t help but feel that she began to lose most of it with Jamie. She gives in so easily to his every whim. After the betrayal that lies between them, I just couldn’t wrap my head around this, no matter how much she still loves him. I wanted her to make him work for it. Make him beg, crawl on his knees! But she does none of those things. The only thing she does do is keep him on the edge by not sharing the full capacity of the truth with him. This ultimately drove me crazy. It just seemed like an unnecessary way to drive the plot forward where there were plenty of other moving wheels in the story to do so. It dragged on for way too long. I also absolutely hate when a heroine is celibate for years while the hero is anything but when they’re not together and have no hopes of being together.  It’s unrealistic and it’s a huge pet peeve of mine so unfortunately this played a big part in my rating.

There is a very heavy element of suspense around the mystery of what happened those years ago. Though to be fair, it’s only a mystery to the reader for a short part of the book. It continues to be a mystery to Jamie for longer. I also really disliked that Jamie continually kept jumping to the wrong conclusion of Jenna no matter how much evidence he had to the contrary. I wanted this man to GROVEL, and I do mean GROVEL. And all he continues to do is jump to conclusions and think the worst of her.

I liked the inclusion of the secondary characters and the kids, however, I didn’t feel it necessary to have their POVs. While it didn’t take away from the story, it did convolute it a bit with the continuous flashbacks.

I wanted Jenna to be as strong of a heroine with Jamie as she is with every other aspect of her life, and unfortunately for me, she just wasn’t. A betrayal of that caliber needs a huge grovel, and that didn’t happen either. I wanted to 5 star this book so much. It took me out of a huge book funk and kept me glued to the pages. Unfortunately I just couldn’t look past the many issues that I also had with it.

I’m definitely a huge fan of the author and will definitely read her future books. This one may not have been perfect, but it still hit the spot, so give it a shot and see for yourself.

Review: Just My Type by @TaraSivec

JUST MY TYPE
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Author: Tara Sivec
Release Date: April 25, 2019

A new standalone, romantic comedy from Tara Sivec!

Live in the best small town in the world? Check.
Have the greatest job ever working on my family’s pumpkin farm? Check.
Marry the town pharmacist and have a nice, quiet life with our son? Check-check.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you say you were happy? LOLOLOLOL!” ~ Life

Ember Hastings never thought she’d be dragged away from White Timber and everything she loved, thrust in the middle of a big city she hated, or have her husband of nine years say, “I can’t do this anymore,” all within the span of three months, yet here she is.

She misses her family, she misses the farm, and she misses having a backbone and caring whether or not the stain on her shirt is chocolate or shit. She works from home doing transcription. Does she really need to shower or leave the house?

Baker Matthews has been bringing everyone down lately with his grouchy attitude. His job is stressful, and sometimes depressing, but he wouldn’t change anything about it. When a glitch with the transcription company he’s using mistakenly sends him notes he wasn’t supposed to see, Baker finds himself laughing out loud for the first time in months.

He’s never met a woman who says whatever she’s thinking and doesn’t fawn all over him when she finds out what he does for a living. Until Ember Hastings comes barreling into his life, calling him Shit Mouth and asking if he has any balls.

But she wants to keep this professional. She made him pinky swear, and you don’t mess around with pinky swears. Baker will have to get creative if he wants to prove to Ember that he’s just her type.

AMAZON

Well, I’m sure if you let your boss stuff his sausage in your omelet, you’ll forget all your troubles,” Brooklyn tells me.
“There will be no sausage stuffing! Stop trying to make sex happen.”

Best. Email. Banter. Of. All. Time.

Seriously. I mean, SERIOUSLY. Y’all! This banter was EVERYTHING.

Whenever I’m in a funk and in need of a guaranteed laugh till I pee myself sort of romcom, I will always reach for a Tara Sivec book. What can I say? The woman always delivers on the raunchy humor, sassy heroines, perfect heroes, and some of the best female positive girlfriend friendships. I love it! And this book was no different.

Ember Hastings thought she had it all, until she lost it all. After a lackluster marriage for which she uproots from her family and beloved home town comes to a screeching end, Ember is left a little lost. She gave everything for the man she thought was the right type for her only to discover that even the seemingly “safe” guys can be a bad bet. Now she’s in a city that she hates, trying to make ends meet as she shares custody of their adorable son. Getting back into the workforce lands her with a transcription job. And then a huge (and most hilarious) tech glitch leads to some even more hilarious email exchanges with a client. And then those email exchanges lead to a meeting and realization that the man that gives her butterflies and makes her laugh over email is just as breath catching in person.

Baker Matthews was one of my absolutely favorite parts of this book. This man. *Swoon* He was perfection. He’s trying to get his gym the ground and gain more exposure. He should be insulted at the notes he sees his transcriptionist had unknowingly included in the file, but he’s only intrigued. A chance email leads to a planned encounter that soon leads to something so much more!

I loved and I mean loved the romance here. Baker is the epitome of a nice guy. This is the type of man you will want to root for. He’s not perfect and he definitely has his own scars, but he’s sweet and caring, and the way that he pursues Ember is sheer swoony perfection. I loved the relationship and banter between him and his sister. I loved the slow burn romance between him and Ember. And I especially loved the way that he develops the most charming relationship with Ember’s son.

There’s also an evil hedgehog, plenty of hilarious moments, and deliciously steamy romance. This book had everything and it had me grinning from beginning to finish. There’s no crazy drama. There’s no stupid misunderstandings. There’s no crazy angst. It was a light-hearted sort of romance with plenty of sizzle that will have you laughing until you cry and totally glued to the pages from cover to cover.

Review: A Cruel Love by SM Soto

A CRUEL LOVE
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: SM Soto
Release Date: May 9, 2019

As a hitman for hire, Percivale is no stranger to violence.
From the moment he saw Blossom Jaymes through the window of her bakery, he knew he was in too deep. Not only was she as sweet as her perfectly crafted treats, but she was a soft-spoken, golden-haired angel that shone like a bright beacon in his dark world. And Percivale didn’t deal in angels. He dealt in death and crime. The even bigger issue? Percivale’s next hit is on said sweet little baker who doesn’t seem to realize how much danger lurks around her with each passing day.
If he doesn’t get the job done, who will?

When Percivale has to decide what’s more important to him—the life of a woman who may very well be innocent or getting his revenge on the men who murdered his family—the lines become blurred. Morals are twisted and a deathly chase ensues that can only result in one thing—Blossom buried six feet under.

Or can it?

Can Percivale let his lust for revenge go in order to save Blossom from the bounty on her head, or will the power she unknowingly holds over him be what gets her killed?

AMAZON

I’m going to enjoy breaking you, Blossom. Piece by fucking piece”

I hate myself a little right now as I write this review. Because here’s the thing; I really REALLY wanted to lovethis book. The blurb and the cover hooked my attention right away, and I was SO ready for a gritty and dark mafia romance. Sadly, that’s not what I got. And you know what? It seriously sucks being the black sheep that didn’t enjoy a book that so many others clearly did. Le sigh.

Now look, if you haven’t read very many mafia or even dark romance books before, I have a feeling you’ll really enjoy this. As for me? I’ve read enough to be extremely picky. And A Cruel Love was rough for me from start to finish. My first clue should have been that I had no problem putting it down. As a matter of fact, I stopped reading it at 5% originally. Then I picked it back up and stopped at 30%. Then I decided to try and power through it, while that annoying inner voice of mine kept screaming “I told you so” the entire freaking time.

The story and the characters were one giant cliche after another. None of it made sense to me. The characterization was so inconsistent that it made my head spin. Here you have a mousy, introverted, scared out of her whits heroine that gets kidnapped by a stranger after shooting a man that tried to rape her point blank in the head in front of her. Said man is also a mafia hit man that was sent by his boss to kill her because she’s been asking too many questions about her missing (actually now dead) neighbor. So this heroine then goes from crying hysterically, trying to make a run for it, being threatened to die by our hero at every turn, crying hysterically, having odd sassy outbursts that revert just as suddenly back to her crying outbursts, to lecturing the man threatening to kill her about his motel room choices and second hand smoke.
Oh and through all this, and Percivale’s constant hot and cold behavior, cruel treatment of her, shackling her to the bed and leaving her for hours on end, and constant reminders that he’ll kill her if she so much as steps out of line, she still can’t help but be sexually drawn to him. I just didn’t buy it. Here’s a woman that’s basically been shying away from anything sexual since a terrible assault in high school, yet a man that’s killed several people in cold blood in front her get her engine revving.

Through all this, Percivale’s characterization is incredibly inconsistent as well. I couldn’t help but feel he was just one giant dark romance cliche. The constant cigarette smoking, the smirks, the reminders of his cruelty and darkness. And then he also discloses to Blossom what happened to his family years ago to make him into who he is today. At a point of the story where it made absolutely ZERO sense for him to disclose such a hugely personal and private detail. He also uses the term “seed”. *shudders* I didn’t buy the reasons for the hit on Blossom. It was weak and hard to believe. I also struggled to connect to them as a couple since I feel like that wasn’t as developed as it could be. It struck me as being very sudden.

There’s too much necessarily obvious descriptions when it comes to the darkness of this book. Like this:

We’re the Cavalieri Della Morte. We surround ourselves with danger, and we’re all the same, violent and deadly.”

And way too many things that are so far out of the realm of believability that I struggled to keep reading. Like a point of the story where Percivale gets stabbed in the stomach and then proceeds to fight in 5 back to back fights to the death. I mean….yeah.

I get that it’s fiction and I should suspend my disbelief somewhat. But there still has to be a hint of SOME believability for me to buy it and connect to it. And sadly this book skated on the skirts of it until finally skating right out of the rink entirely.

The characters were such extremes that it felt cliche. The sweet, somewhat innocent, good heroine that lectures a hit man about second hand smoke and hasn’t seen the right end of a razor in her female area for years. The extremely dark, super violent and cruel hitman with a penchant for chain smoking. It was all just too much for this reader.

I wanted to love this book, guys. I really, really did. But sadly, I’m just way too picky when it comes to my mafia and dark romances, that I spent the majority of the book picking apart almost everything. It’s a problem. I know. But I just couldn’t help myself.

Do I think the majority of readers would enjoy this book? Absolutely. I’m just a picky asshole here. Clearly. So take what I said with a grain of salt and read it and judge for yourself.

Review: The Moth And The Flame by BB Reid

THE MOTH AND THE FLAME
Series:
When Rivals Play #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: BB Reid
Release Date: May 20, 2019

THE FLAME

Here lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin.

I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless too. I should feel guilty that he’s forced to turn on the man who’s been a father to him. Except I’ve always known that Wren’s soul wasn’t as black as he claimed.

He was good.

He was beautiful.

He was mine.

He just didn’t know it yet.

And with Wren keeping me safe, I’ve got time left to rewrite the end of my story. But if he has his way, virgin is already carved in stone.

THE MOTH

I’ve never known anyone as alluring as Lou. Or as frustrating. Since the night she saved my life and stole my wallet for her troubles, I couldn’t stay away.

She became my onus.

My light.

My…anyway.

With nowhere to run, I’m forced to trust someone I never expected. At least with Lou safe in Blackwood Keep—far away from me—I’ll die with my conscience intact. Because she no longer looks at me with friendship in her eyes. Those iridescent blues shine with a different need entirely, and I’ve never been able to deny her.

It is strongly advised that you read The Peer and the Puppet before diving into The Moth and the Flame. Content suitable for ages 18+.

AMAZON

I’m the moth to your flame, Lou. I’d rather be burned a thousand times than be free of you.”

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this story, and holy plot twist, batman! This was so much different than I had expected!

Firstly, this is NOT meant to be read as a standalone. You need to read The Peer and the Puppet to get a lot of the nuances of this continuing story arc. Ever since the end of Peer and the Puppet, I’ve been salivating for Lou and Wren’s book. And while the timelines of the two books cross over eventually, The Moth and The Flame begins earlier than the events at the end of PATP.

This is a much more character driven story than the first book. Lou and Wren have anything but a conventional friendship and it takes quite a few pages for the reader to be ingrained into their world. At times I felt like it was a little too long if I’m being perfectly honest. The first half of this book was much slower paced for me. It builds the backstory of how these characters met and the hugely antagonistic sort of friendship that they develop. Lou is an orphan that has prefers life on the street over putting down her walls around her heart that would allow it to be broken again. A chance encounter introduces her to a gangster with a heart of gold. Lou is anything but accepting of Wren’s choice to stay in Exiled. She also doesn’t agree with his desire to deny the chemistry between them and stay away from her because he’s not good enough for her.

There’s about two years of backstory here and there’s quite a lot that’s packed into it. And while I struggled a little with the first half of this book, I flew through the second half. There’s so much that gets unraveled here that it left my head reeling. Secrets get unearthed, and plot twist after plot twist keep you utterly riveted to the pages.

I loved Lou and Wren together. I love that Lou doesn’t back down from him and she’s not afraid to give as hard as she gets. Sure she can be a little immature with what she does at times, but she’s also fiercely protective of him, even if it’s from himself. I loved her fierce strength and unyielding love for her friend. I loved her broken heart and shattered pieces. Wren was EVERYTHING. This is a man that’s caught between a rock and a hard places and forced to make decisions that still haunt him. There’s just something so endearingly broken about him that you can’t help but love.

This installment was so much more than just a romance. So much happens in this book that I’m practically frothing at the mouth to get my hands on the next one. And if I don’t get my hands on Jamie’s story next, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be crying in a corner somewhere clutching a bottle of wine. True story.

B.B. Reid is a bestselling author of new adult romance. She grew up the only daughter and middle child in a small town in North Carolina. After graduating with a Bachelors in Finance, she started her career at an investment research firm while continuing to serve in the National Guard. She currently resides in Charlotte with her moody cat and enjoys collecting Chuck Taylors and binge-eating chocolate.

Please visit her website for more information: www.bbreid.com

Connect with B.B. Reid:

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Website www.bbreid.com

New & Upcoming Releases: May 20-24

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


UNDENIABLE by Melanie Harlow- buy link TBA

When we were eleven, Oliver Ford Pemberton dared me to jump off a barn roof. He said you couldn’t break a leg from a 12-foot-jump.

He lied.

(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.)

I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took from him, the last bet I ever made with him, the last time I ever trusted Oliver Ford Pemberton.

But it wasn’t.

Because he had the nerve to grow up gorgeous, charming, and sexy. And as we got older, the dares only got dirtier—and the betting stakes higher—until finally, he left me in pieces. I swore I’d never talk to him again.

But twenty years after I took that flying leap, he’s back in my life, daring me to risk everything for him: my job, my self-worth, and my heart.

How many chances does love deserve?


JUST PAST TWO by Elia Winters

Abby Burke put her wild days behind her, determined to be the adult she thought she needed to be. It was just a phase, right? But when her college reunion reveals her…adventurous…past to her straitlaced gentleman of a husband, Abby is terrified he’ll reject her.

Except Sam is more than intrigued by what has his normally bold wife flushing with embarrassment…and desire. So when he and Abby stumble onto an especially hot scene that takes them over the edge, he proposes a challenge: confess their deepest fantasies and fulfill them together.

As their playful explorations escalate, their forays into exhibitionism and kink shift the way they see each other and their relationship—for the better. But when Sam finds himself longing to see her pleasured by other men, and Abby’s all in, they wonder if this will make their marriage stronger or end up tearing them apart.

Each book in the Comes in Threes series is STANDALONE:
* Three-Way Split
* Just Past Two


BOTH OF US by Amber Kelly

After running away across the country, Brie Masters is finally settling into her life in California.

She’s surrounded by loving friends and her brother, who is there to keep her safe—specifically, to protect her from a man from her past who won’t let her go.

But, as the danger starts affecting those around her, she flees back home, back to the life of Gabby Mastreoni.

When her stalker goes after the one thing that could hurt her forever, she has no choice but to run to the last person she wants to ask for help.

And then all of her secrets will be exposed.

*Both of Us is book two in the Cross My Heart Duet.


THE DIFFERENCE by Kaylee Ryan- buy link TBA

I’ve kissed a lot of frogs, just to be covered in warts. I’ve been lied to, cheated on, and used more times than I can count. I don’t have it in me to keep going. I need a break from it all. I need time for the wounds to heal, and the scars to fade.

Wouldn’t you know it’s my luck, to meet a gorgeous man, after declaring my self-imposed break? He’s charming, sexy, and determined to change my mind.

I wasn’t looking for her, but when I overheard her conversation, I had to add my two cents. Within minutes of talking to her, I knew she was unlike anyone I’d ever met. Bruised from past relationships, she’s built a fort around her heart. Doesn’t she know the prince always rescues the princess?

I think about her all the time. The more I’m around her, the more I want to be. I’ve made my choice. It’s her. Now, all I have to do is prove to her that I’m the difference.


SHADOWS YOU LEFT by Jude Sierra and Taylor Brooke

ERIK
The white picket fence.
The happily-ever-after.
That life was never meant for him.
For years he’s been bouncing from city to city—from one cage fight to another.
That’s his outlet. That’s pain Erik can control.
But in Seattle, everything changed.
River’s an artist.
He’s a pretty boy.
He does yoga.
Someone so soft shouldn’t be intrigued by Erik’s rough edges.

RIVER
His life was quiet. He had a simple routine.
Designing tattoos, avoiding drama. Well, mostly.
Then Erik comes along—scarred and dangerous, shrouded in mystery.
A mystery River can’t resist trying to solve.
Maybe a secret as dark as his own.
Neither of them expected a relationship so complicated, so intense.
Neither of them expected…each other.
Erik and River are both trying to escape a shadowed past.
But the thing about shadows is: the faster you run, the faster they chase you.


THE ASSIGNMENT by S. Nelson

Wallowing in grief for too long can be hazardous.

It’s why I allowed my brother to talk me into accepting a new client.

Our security firm needed the money, and the endorsement from a famous director could steer our company to new heights.

Then his daughter walked in, the woman I’d be assigned to, and I knew I’d made a huge mistake.

She was a spoiled socialite who only cared about herself.

She pushed every button I had, frayed every last nerve.

I said things I wasn’t proud of.

I pushed the boundaries of propriety.

But how else was I supposed to protect her from the threats against her family when she insisted on being reckless?


BLOOD BROKEN by Lindsay J Pryor

‘Our love could save us both. Or it could destroy everything.’

Leila McKay is both blessed and cursed. Her potent serryn powers are growing stronger, but they come with a heavy price. And to prove her love for vampire leader Caleb, she needs to bring his murdered brother Jake back to life. The only way is to cast a spell no one has dared to attempt before, that could tear apart the fabric of time itself…

But Caleb fears that treachery runs deep in Leila’s veins. Although the heat between them grows hotter by the second, Caleb’s past has left him with a hard heart and a mistrustful nature, and it was at her sister’s hands that Jake was killed… but with his brother’s life in the balance, giving in to his primal instincts is more tempting than ever.

Time is running out for Caleb. In a matter of hours, Jake will be past the point of saving: and around them, all-out war rages in Blackthorn. With genetically modified lycans and vicious convicts roaming the streets, Sirius Throme at the Global Council has secret plans that threaten to devastate the whole district… and Leila is the only one powerful enough to save them all. But can Caleb really trust her?

With countless lives at stake, will Leila and Caleb’s fierce attraction be strong enough to see them through the ultimate test? Or in unleashing the darkness within, will they destroy everything they hold dear?

The explosive, action-packed conclusion to the utterly addictive Blackthorn series will leave fans of paranormal romance breathless. Blackthorn is an eight-book series with an overarching plot, so if you’re at the start of your Blackthorn journey, read BLOOD SHADOWS to discover how it all began…


RELEASING MAY 21


THE ASSISTANT by Marni Mann

From USA Today best-selling author, Marni Mann, comes a haunting new romantic thriller.

At forty-two, I’m married to my best friend, and we have two beautiful children.

Everything about my life is perfect until my father gets sick.

Before: I owned and operated a massively successful women’s shapewear company.
After: I stay home with my family because I’ve learned the importance of time.

Before: My husband could rely on me to take care of everything.
After: I hire him the perfect assistant.

My entire life can be summed up in before and afters, but something happens in the middle.

A meeting.

And it changes the course of everyone’s lives forever.


SIREN UNLEASHED by Lexi Blake

Re-released in a second edition with new content.

Detectives Ben and Chase Dawson have been sent to investigate an unusual murder at an exclusive resort owned by Julian Lodge. The prime suspect is a young woman who was the last person to see the victim alive. Julian wants them to ensure her safety while also conducting the investigation. The job seems simple enough, until Ben and Chase discover that the beautiful woman they have both come to desire has dark secrets.

Natalie Buchanan came to the Willow Fork Tranquility Spa seeking sanctuary after escaping the clutches of a twisted sadist. Working as a massage therapist at the resort has given her a chance to heal. It also offers her an opportunity to reconnect to the lifestyle she thought she would never be comfortable in again. But when one of her regular clients ends up dead on her table, Natalie fears that the monster she once escaped has come back to claim her.

As Natalie rediscovers her own power, all three will be forced to confront her past.


TWISTED by Aleatha Romig

The underworld of Chicago is far from forgiving. It’s a world where knowledge means power, power money, and money everything.
While I paid the ultimate price to have it all, it wasn’t my decision to give my life..
That doesn’t mean I ceased to exist, only to live.
Going where the job takes me and living in the shadows, with deadly accuracy I utilize the skills inherent to me, not knowing from where they came, not recalling what I’d lost.
And then I saw her.
Laurel Carlson.
I shouldn’t want her, desire her, or need her, yet with each sighting I know she is exactly what I have to have. Laurel has the ability to do what I thought was impossible. She sees what others don’t.
My gut tells me that it’s a deadly mistake to change my plans and open my world to her. My mind says she’ll be repulsed by my twisted existence.
None of that matters, because my body won’t take no for an answer.
I’ve made dangerous mistakes before.
This time, will the price be too high?

From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance bringing us back to the same dangerous underworld as SECRETS. You do not need to read the Web of Sin trilogy to get caught in this new and intriguing saga, Tangled Web.

TWISTED is book one of the TANGLED WEB trilogy which will continue in OBSESSED and conclude in BOUND.
Have you been Aleatha’d?


THE DARK BONES by Loreth Ann White

She’s come back to solve the mystery of her father’s death and confront her own dark past.

When Detective Rebecca North left her rural hometown, she vowed never to return. Her father’s apparent suicide has changed that. The official report is that retired cop Noah North shot himself, knocked over a lantern, and set his isolated cabin ablaze. But Rebecca cannot believe he killed himself.

To prove it, she needs the help of Ash Haugen, the man she left behind. But Rebecca and Ash share more than broken hearts. Something darker lies between them, and the investigation is stirring it back to life. Clues lead them to the home of Olivia West and her deeply troubled twelve-year-old daughter, Tori. The child knows more about the murder than anyone can imagine, but she’s too terrified to say a word.

And as a cold-blooded killer resurfaces from the past, Rebecca and Ash begin to fear that their own secrets may be even harder to survive.


THE PRINCESS AND THE MERCENARY by Victoria Paige

It was hate at first sight.

She is the daughter of rock royalty.
He is a scarred, grumpy former Green Beret.
She thinks he’s an amoral, uncouth soldier of fortune.
He thinks she’s a limelight-grabbing goody two-shoes.
When Yara Emerson embarks on a humanitarian mission to Yemen, her company hires a security team for her protection.
Everything is business as usual until she meets Kade Spear.
Kade wants nothing to do with daddy’s spoiled princess, but he needs the cover of the humanitarian mission to hunt down a terrorist.
Wills clash.
Tempers flare.
But their unwanted attraction burns hotter than the Yemeni desert.
Trust fractures.
Friendships break.
The aid mission unravels and danger comes after Yara from every corner.
Could the man who betrayed her be her only hope for survival?

*Each book in the series can be read as standalone. Mature audience only, 18 +


THE BEST YEARS by Elena Monroe

SAINT
College. My one chance to escape. And I ran as far and fast as I could.
Straight into the arms of something more dangerous.
Oliver.
He thinks I’m a good girl. But he doesn’t know what I’m running from.
He thinks I should stay away from him. But I can’t.
I like his cruel words. And his intoxicating smile.
He’s a temptation I can’t resist.
Am I a sinner or saint?

SINNER
College. Second year.
There are bad decisions at every turn.
Including the new freshman, Layla.
Temptations I can’t fight. Shackles I can’t escape.
I’m only comfortable with the cruelty that slips from my lips.
Her innocent charm isn’t going to polish away my bad reputation.
This wasn’t going to end well.

We all have secrets. What’s your sin?


CHOOSE ME by RC Boldt

In Choose Me, RC Boldt brings us an unforgettable, heart-wrenching coming-of age romance…

Wearing the nicest suit I own, I stand in the very back with a flask full of whiskey in my inner pocket. I put on a brave face as I watch her walk down the aisle.

Because it’s too late.

I refuse to be the bastard who makes her cry on her wedding day, but I’m dying to tell her what I’ve always known. She’s my best friend, but she doesn’t realize she owns my f*cking heart and soul, too.

Each step down that aisle takes her farther away from me and brings her closer to him, forcing me to face the truth: I’ve fallen in love with someone who can’t be mine. If she’d just turn around, maybe she’d realize I love her more than he ever could.

I won’t ruin her perfect day, but my broken heart begs me to try and convince her.

Choose me.


TO TAME A WILD COWBOY by Lori Wilde

What would it take to tame a wild cowboy?

One minute, Rhett Lockhart is a love ‘em and leave ‘em bull rider with a slow, sexy smile, a swagger, and not a care in the world. The next, he learns his free-wheeling days are over: a baby has been abandoned in the hospital, and there’s no question: he’s the father. But from the first moment he gazes into his daughter’s eyes, he knows the moment has come to say ‘no’ to no-strings. It’s time to grow up.

Standing in his way is the baby’s foster mother, Tara Alzate, who doesn’t quite believe Rhett is ready to change his ways. Still, she’s not not immune to his considerable charms. So when he proposes a marriage of convenience and shared custody, against her better judgement, she says “I do.” Can Tara tame this wild cowboy and make her own, long-buried dreams come true?

A Cupid, Texas novel


LUCK OF THE DRAW by BJ Daniels

He may get a second chance at his one true love—if someone doesn’t kill her first

When Garrett Sterling leaves for a horseback ride through his family’s sprawling Montana property, he’s expecting a relaxing break from the construction at the Sterling guest ranch. What he gets is something far more sinister. It all happens so fast that it’s hard for Garrett—and the authorities—to sort out the facts. Two things are certain, though: someone is dead and the killer knows there was a witness.

But when the one woman he could never forget emerges as a key suspect in the investigation, Garrett will do anything he can to help clear her name. She’s still keeping secrets from him—that much is clear. But Garrett won’t rest until he uncovers what really happened that day, how she’s involved—and why everything she’s ever told him is a lie.


FALLING FOR YOU by Jennifer Van Wyk

Fake it ‘til you make it has been the motto I live by since my mother died.

I’m also doing a really bad job at the making it part.

The night we met, I was at my lowest.

But you gave me a reason to feel happy again.

For the first time in over a year, I was optimistic.

You and I? We’re the same. Don’t form attachments.

Follow the rules. Don’t dream of a future.

Too bad our hearts wouldn’t listen.

And this storm we’re going through? The one that threatens to rip us apart?

It doesn’t care that I’m falling for you.

Falling For You is a different kind of brother’s best friend romance. It’s fun, flirty, low on drama and as emotional as it is sizzling.


CLIFF’S EDGE by Meg Tilly

Meg Tilly returns with a second gripping romantic suspense novel set on the idyllic Solace Island in the Pacific Northwest.

Eve Harris is all set to house-sit and run the bakery she shares with her sister while Maggie goes on her honeymoon, but there’s one problem—the house is already occupied. By a movie star. He claims to be her brother-in-law’s friend, and not only does he insist on staying, he also offers to help. Playing house has never been so tempting…

Rhys Thomas is looking for a place to lie low after wrapping up his latest film, so when Luke offers up his house as a safe haven, Rhys sees the perfect opportunity for a little R & R. But rest is the last thing on his mind as he and Eve grow close.

But Eve and Rhys are not as alone as they think. And as danger trails Eve, it will take everything Rhys has to save the woman he loves.


THE COWGIRL’S FOREVER LOVE by Vivian Arend

Return to Heart Falls—a place for family, friends, and falling in love.

The first stand alone novel in a new trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend.

Lisa Coleman committed to stay in Heart Falls until her sister’s baby arrives, but after that, she’s moving on. She’s not sure exactly what is on the agenda, so it’s good to still have a few months to figure out her dreams. While she’s waiting, there’s no reason she can’t enjoy herself with the very sexy local veterinarian. A naughty interlude with a man who knows all the right moves would be the perfect distraction from Coleman chaos: newborn baby! New dog! New found family?!

Josiah Ryder is beginning to feel women only want him for one thing. Playing fast and loose was fun in the past, but it’s time for a change. He’s ready to prove he’s in it for the long haul, but the one woman he truly wants insists she’s in town for six months and not a moment longer. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to make Lisa realize nothing out there can compete with finding forever right under her nose.


TO LOVE A PRINCE by Nana Malone

The good news is, I’m out of exile and I have the woman I love by my side. And I still have my crown, tarnished though it may be.

The bad news is…all of that is temporary.

There are those that want me as far away from the crown as possible. I still have a killer on my tail who has a more permanent solution in mind. Oh and there’s the small matter of all the secrets I’m keeping from Ariel.

For her I risked it all, but will she wind up paying the price?

Once she knows my secrets. What will she do to protect me and the crown?

What will I be willing to do to protect her?

The answer is: everything.


SHOULDN’T HAVE YOU by Carrie Ann Ryan

I’ve been many things in my life: daughter, friend, student, lover, wife…and now, widow. Getting past those labels and finding who I could be without them was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Then I became friends with Brendon Connolly.
Every time I look at him, I see a past, I see a present, and I’m afraid if I look too hard, I’ll see a future.

~~~

I’ve known Harmony Wynham since before she got married. Before she lost everything. I didn’t know that one day she wouldn’t be just my friend but the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Only I don’t think that can happen.
Not when every time she looks at me, she sees what she lost, and I can only see what I can’t overcome.
I love her, even though I shouldn’t. Somehow, we need to find a balance.
Because if we don’t, walking away will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done—even if it’s the only thing I should do.


HOT SEAL, TIJUANA NIGHTS by Cat Johnson

He’s a Navy SEAL. She’s his sister’s annoying best friend . . . and now she’s missing. In Tijuana. And he has to find her. During his leave. F*ck.

Navy SEAL Zachary Browne made it back from Yemen to find a squatter living in his house—his sister’s best friend who is now an apparently homeless and very possibly insane, sexy AF interior designer.

Gabby claims Amanda hired her to redecorate his place as a surprise. His sister should know the two things Zach hates more than surprises is change and people touching his stuff. But Gabrielle Lee Interiors & More has done all that—and more.

Zach survived Houthi rebels, but he might not survive these two women.

When Gabby goes missing—in Tijuana of all places—he has to go find her. But things can get a little wild south of the border—and not just from the chemistry they’ve been trying to ignore for more than a decade.

What happens in Tijuana . . . might just kill you.


COUNTING FLOWERS by Beth Andrews

At seventeen, Natalie Hewitt has her future mapped out. Graduate top of her class, get into an Ivy League School and along the way be a top athlete, the perfect daughter, and nice to everyone. It’s not easy living up to the pressure she puts on herself. Sometimes she feels overwhelmed with anxiety. So she has her quirks, like counting the flowers on her wall, to help her focus, help her get calm.

Lately, it’s taking so much effort—and more counting—to meet those expectations. Nothing is the way it used to be. Her best friend is drifting away. Her brother is in trouble again. And her boyfriend Phillip is convinced there’s something going on between her and Owen Radlowski.

That’s so not true. Owen is just a guy she tutors. A friend. Nothing more. And yet…she can’t stop thinking about him. He gets her—even the counting—and doesn’t ask for too much from her. Still, Owen is not Philip, which makes him the wrong guy for her. He has no place in her future plans.

As her carefully arranged life unravels, her quirks don’t work the way they should, and Natalie has to face what is real. And learn to accept it might not be what she thinks it should be.


THE FALL OF TROY by Dr. Rebecca Sharp

From bestselling author Dr. Rebecca Sharp comes an enemies-to-lovers epic romance with a forbidden twist…

Love is angry. Love is blind.
Love is envious and loathful.
And I loathed Léo Baudin. My new art professor. My enemy.
I didn’t move to Rhode Island for this. I came to forget the Troian Milanovic I’d left behind and start fresh where the damage and betrayal couldn’t follow.
But Professor Baudin wouldn’t let me.
Cold. Caustic. Captivating. He didn’t just push my buttons…
He lit them all up with the indifferent smirk of an aristocratic French asshole.
But how much I loathed him only made my need for him stronger.
To have him would be either victory or loss. There would be no compromise.
To have him would be war.
So I fought back.
But I was Troy. And he was the wooden horse, full of dangerous secrets I never saw coming.
I was the one who invited him inside my walls, celebrating without seeing through his disguise.
And under the cover of darkness, he laid siege to my body, my mind, and finally, my heart.
The first may be a myth, but this time the history books would show that if Troy fell, it was with her all.

The Fall of Troy is the first book in the Odyssey Duet.


RELEASING MAY 22


WORK IN PROGRESS by BJ Harvey

**He’s not just flipping a house—he wants to flip her heart**

Jamie Cook is a work-in-progress. He’s always wanted what his parents have: a good marriage, lots of kids, and financial security. He thought he’d have the first two with his ex-girlfriend while the third would come once he got his house-flipping business off the ground. When his ex doesn’t subscribe to his five-year plan, he makes Cook Brothers Construction his sole focus.

Then he moves next door to April Williams, a sassy single mom he can’t stop riling up. Throw in her matchmaking mother-in-law, who’s set her sights on Jamie being April’s knight in a leather tool belt, and a house threatening Jamie’s sanity, and it should be a recipe for disaster, but Jamie wants this three-month project to last forever. That’s if he can stop being the neighbor from hell and prove to April he’s not just flipping a house—he wants to flip her heart.


RELEASING MAY 23


WRITTEN WITH REGRET by Aly Martinez- buy link TBA

Every little girl dreams of the fairytale. The one where the white knight rushes in to save her from the clutches of evil. They fall in love, have babies, and live happily ever after.

By that definition, my life should have been a fairytale too.

When I was eight years old, Caven Hunt saved me from the worst kind of evil to walk the Earth. It didn’t matter that I was a kid. I fell in love with him all the same.

But that was where my fairytale ended.

Years later, a one-night stand during the darkest time imaginable gave us a little girl. It was nothing compared to the pitch black that consumed me when I was forced to leave her with Caven for good.

At the end of every fairytale, the happily-ever-after is the one thing that remains consistent. It wasn’t going to be mine, but there hadn’t been a night that passed where I hadn’t prayed that it would be hers.

I owed Caven my life.
However, I owed that innocent child more.
And that included ripping the heart from my chest and facing her father again.


SCARLET MARK by Lexi C. Foss

Deceit requires punishment.
But what happens when the mark is innocent?

Killian “Dagger” Bedivere

My latest assignment has evolved into a game of deciphering whom to trust–the renowned politician who hired the Cavalieri Della Morte, or the runaway bride?

She’s gorgeous, conniving, and everything I crave in a woman.

She’s also my target.

Rule number one:
Never fall for the mark.
Rule number two: F*ck rule number one.

Amara “Scarlet” Rose

I never wanted this world, but the decision wasn’t mine to make. I always belonged to him. Now there’s a new player on the board–one hell-bent on destroying all my plans.

He’s lethal, handsome, and everything I should fear.Rule number one:Don’t trust anyone.
Rule number two:Do everything you can to survive, even if it means breaking rule number one.
And rule number three:When in doubt, kill.


BABY YOURS by Kennedy Fox

The worst day of my life happened when Brandon died.
We had our entire future mapped out.
Careers, marriage, kids—in that order.
Then the universe threw a curveball and ended it all.As I come to terms with everything, I learn I’m carrying his baby. Now I’m living with his roommate, the guy who’s made my life a living hell the past two years. Hunter’s now the one to hold me up when all I want to do is fall.

Knowing my religious parents will never accept the pregnancy out of wedlock, Hunter offers to be my fake husband. While I think he’s gone crazy, it’s the only plan that’ll keep them in my life. So I do whatever it takes to make our relationship believable—kissing, touching, even letting him hold me when we sleep. The lines are so blurred neither of us want to admit we’re no longer pretending.

The guilt of what we’re doing eats me alive as I struggle to deal with my emotions. I push him away, but he pulls me closer, showing me how he’s always felt.

Just as I begin to follow my heart, I learn Hunter’s been keeping secrets.
And I’m left to make the hardest decision of my life…

**This is book 2 in the Hunter & Lennon duet and must be read after Baby Mine. Recommended for ages 18+**


RELEASING MAY 24


RING AROUND THE ROSEY by LA Fiore & Anthony Dwayne

After tragedy rocks the small town of Danville Creek, best friends Emma Blake and Branch McKenna are ripped from the only homes they’ve ever known.

Twenty years later, they are called back to… Rosey Plantation.
A getaway shared by their parents and… the place they were all found dead.

As they get the house ready to sell, they uncover clues to a game—a handcuff key in a trinket box, eye bolts anchored into the basement wall, silk bindings in unusual places—and discover it wasn’t a retreat but a place to play.

While Emma and Branch find solace in one another, and explore some of their own dark fantasies, mysterious things start happening. Convinced they need to play the erotic game, or end up like their parents, their lives start to unravel.

Some say ghosts can haunt, but when the danger becomes real, they find themselves racing against the clock to find the killer among friends before history repeats itself.

Are you ready to play, Ring around the Rosey?

They all fall down.

#DGRFave & Review: Midnight Valentine by @JTGeissinger

MIDNIGHT VALENTINE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: February 5, 2018

A hauntingly powerful love story in the tradition of The Notebook and The Time Traveler’s Wife.

“How can you remember someone you’ve never met?”

Megan and Cassidy were childhood sweethearts who thought they’d be together forever, but fate had other plans. Soon after they were married, Cass’s life was tragically cut short. Still grieving her soul mate five years later, Megan moves to the small town of Seaside, Oregon, hoping to rebuild her life.

Her first night there, she meets the town recluse, Theo. Withdrawn, guarded, and mysteriously silent since a terrible accident left him scarred, Theo takes an instant and inexplicable dislike to Megan. But as their paths cross again and again, Megan becomes convinced there’s more to Theo than meets the eye.

When she discovers the reason for his silence, his nightmares, and especially his pointed dislike, Megan becomes convinced of something far more astonishing.

Is a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love possible, or is a broken heart the cruelest kind of liar?

AMAZON 

People say time heals all wounds, but that’s a lie. Grief is a chronic disease. The pain just keeps on coming.

Wow. WOW. Just WOW. What an incredibly powerful, unique, and utterly unforgettable story. I’ve been a long time fan of Geissinger, but after this book? I’m a die hard. Ride or die. I’m talking rabid fangirl here, people!!!

First of all, you need to experience this book blind. Don’t read spoilers. Try to read as few reviews as possible as not to ruin even the smallest detail for yourself. All you need to know is that you’re in for one rollercoaster of emotion.

If there’s one thing I love about J.T.’s books, it’s her heroines. The woman knows how to write some of the best, strong yet vulnerable, sassy yet not overboard sort of females. Megan was EVERYTHING I love in a heroine and yet so much more!

I’m not the kind of woman who thinks surliness is charming. All these alpha-holes from romance novels have given women the wrong idea that bad manners are attractive.

This is woman that lost her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life and is still dealing with the never ending grief of that loss. She may be a grief-riddled widow, but that’s not all she is. There’s this spark to Megan that you can’t help but feel right away. This is a woman that’s tough as nails and isn’t afraid to cut anyone to size. She moves to a small Oregon town in order to fulfill a long time dream that she had with her late husband. And even though he’s no longer with her, it doesn’t mean that she can’t do what they both hoped to; remodel a cute yet debilitated house into a beautiful inn.

I kiss him again. I have to. There is no choice. His mouth is the oxygen I need to survive, and I no longer care about anything else but this

The relationship between Megan and Theo is anything but an easy one. The man seems to hate her on site. He’s the town mystery. He also doesn’t speak. But his eyes seems to speak a thousand words when it comes to Megan. The romance is a sizzling sort of slow burn. And what I loved the most is never once does it diminish the connection that Megan once had with her husband. She still loves him, but the connection that she has with Theo is undeniable.

He fucks me like he owns me, body and soul. And he does. But I own him too. Every look and touch is evidence of his total surrender. Every kiss is one more link added to the chain.

There are so many twists and turns that are to be discovered in this story. But the romance? Oh my heart! THE ROMANCE. It was everything. EVERYTHING.

I fell so hard for these two characters that I couldn’t bear to put this book down for even a second. It was beautiful, emotional, incredibly powerful. It was utterly hypnotizing. I loved it so hard!!

If you’re looking for something truly unique and unlike anything you’ve ever read before, you need to experience Midnight Valentine.

Review: Ache by SM Soto

ACHE
Genre: New Adult, Abuse,
Author: SM Soto
Release Date: April 9, 2019

A second chance romance

What happens when you fall for the boy next door?

Bea Norwood had the market on normal.
Drama free life? Check.
A single-mother who doubled as her confidant and partner in crime? Check.
A neighbor and best friend she trusted more than anyone? Check.
But that was until the day her mother remarried. The day that changed everything.

When her best friend’s cousin, Liam Falcon, is sent to live with his aunt and uncle to clean up his act, Bea finds herself falling for the boy next door. With their hearts so infinitely entwined, Bea turns to Liam as her only escape from her new step-brother’s daily torment at home. Bea thought their love could conquer anything. But she was wrong. Love was for fools, and she was the biggest fool of them all. When Liam left Lakeport, he took her heart with him, shattering the organ to pieces.

Six years later, Liam takes a trip back to Lakeport to visit his family, and to see HER.
His first love.
The girl who holds his heart.
The same girl who shattered it six years ago without looking back.

Liam is hell-bent on seeing Bea again after six years, but what he finds tears his heart in half. Bea Norwood is a shell of the girl he fell in love with. Underneath the baggy clothes, and pale skin, he knows she’s still in there somewhere, he just needs to find her.
Liam will stop at nothing to win his girl back, but sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and Liam isn’t prepared for Bea’s truth.

Warning: Contains themes of abuse. May cause triggers.

AMAZON 

How do you save someone if you don’t know they need saving?

This book has been on my radar for so long that the second it released, I jumped on the chance to read it. Second chance romance is my catnip. The blurb made me damn near salivate because it sounded emotional and angsty.

Truth be told, I struggled with my rating. Because while there were a lot of things that didn’t work for me, it’s clear as day that this author has some real writing chops. I’m definitely a new fan and would eagerly read any of her other books. Unfortunately, not every book is for every reader, and this was that case for me.

First of all, I didn’t find this to be a romance at all. At best, this read like women’s lit with a bit of romance thrown in. But the romance is not center stage. It plays second fiddle to the abuse for practically the entire book. Now normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. But since I felt absolutely zero chemistry between the hero and the heroine, the romance did absolutely nothing for me. The way they got together in the beginning felt rushed and entirely unbelievable to me. And then the way they get together in the end felt rushed again.

The story is told in two parts, and I’m not really sure why it’s broken down that way. Aside from one part being set in the past and the second in the present, there’s still flashbacks that continue well into the second half. I suppose because they separate in the first half and reunite in the second? I don’t know. It felt a little…blah. But I digress. I struggled with Liam. As much as I wanted to love him, I just didn’t have enough of him to love. There was zero, and I mean zero character development to him. He just was. He felt extremely two dimensional, and considering that part of the book is in his POV, that was extremely disappointing.

Look guys, I will tell you to heed that trigger warning. It’s no joke. Practically the entirety of this book felt like it was about the abuse. I’m talking graphic, detailed, constantly happening abuse. It got to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore. And not because I couldn’t handle the heavy subject matter, but because it was just so much that it stopped adding anything to the story. A story can be just as powerful without the repetitive reminders. It felt like that’s all there was to the story, to be quite honest. There’s a little of that second chance romance that’s slapped in there, but it just felt….off.

As for Bea. Man. I really REALLY wanted to love her. But sadly I just couldn’t. This girl was a victim. But as a survivor myself, I wanted to read about her finally finding her courage and being just that. A survivor. But she never came off as that. It takes someone else to constantly ride in to save her. It’s never her. And yes, she has one moment where she takes the leap with something. But it wasn’t enough. She was a victim until the very end to me. I hate stories like this where the man rides in to save the poor helpless little female. And that’s how this felt to me. It was so disappointing.

There’s a little romance that happens at the very end but it felt a little too late and definitely not enough. I think had I connected to the rest of the story, I may have felt different. But sadly, it is what it is. Ultimately there were too many character, plot and overall pacing gaps that just took me way out of the story. The author is an incredible story teller, and I enjoyed her writing style. It takes a lot to pull off a story like this, and I give her so much props for doing it. I’m sad that it didn’t work for me, but I’m sure I’ll be in the minority. So I suggest reading it and seeing for yourself. If you’re in the mood for an emotionally powerful book, this one will certainly fit the bill.

Review: Unbroken by Jay Crownover

UNBROKEN
Series: Loveless, Texas #0.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Western
Author: Jay Crownover
Release Date: May 14, 2019

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes a captivating novella about a rugged rodeo star who will do anything to protect the people he loves.

When rodeo star Crew Lawton loses everything in a bad bet, he has no choice but to take a new job to pay off his debts – even if it means becoming the face of an expensive male skincare line. Crew is used to getting sweaty and rustling in the dirt, not posing for photo shoots. And he’s certainly not used to being bossed around by a woman who doesn’t even know the difference between bulls and broncs. But Crew owes money to dangerous criminals, and he’ll do anything Della says in order to pay them back and keep them far away from his family in Loveless, Texas…

The launch of her new men’s line for her family’s company means everything to Della Deveaux, and she’s not willing to let some rugged, arrogant cowboy ruin her campaign. Crew Lawton is the last man she would have chosen to represent her chic, sophisticated brand. Unfortunately, her father already invested millions in Crew’s stupidly handsome face. Yet the more time they spend together, Della and Crew realize that opposites doattract. But when the time comes for Crew to face his past mistakes, will he be able to protect his family…and the woman he’s come to love?

AMAZON 

You can be my bad habit, Crew. You can be the entirety of my rebellious phase.”

Confession: it’s been a hot minute since I read a Jay Crownover book. I know, I know! I’m ashamed of myself and I don’t even know why it’s been so long. And it has been. TOO LONG. And this was the perfect novella to throw me right back into my Jay lovefest. Consider me hooked. Line and sinker. I’m frothing at the mouth for more of her Loveless series. FROTHING AT THE MOUTH I TELLS YA.

This was a short yet satisfying story to introduce readers to the Lawton siblings. Starting with the bad boy rodeo star, Crew. Crew has been drowning in his own mistakes for a long while under the water starts rising over his head and he realizes just how much trouble he’s in. When a deal that he would never jump on under any normal circumstances lands in his lap, he knows it’s his only way out.

Della Deveaux is Crew’s exact opposite. The good girl to the bad boy. The woman that’s never so much as stepped out of line and has worked her butt off to prove herself to her father and show him that she has the chops to run their company. The attraction between Della and Crew is inconvenient but undeniable and it’s not long before the sparks ignite into flames.

Now look, I hate to be one of those readers that knowingly picks up a novella and then complains that it was too short to be satisfying. But…I am. Because here’s the thing. I couldn’t help but feel that this story should have been a full length novel. There was so much that happens off page (Crew’s fall from grace specifically) as well as some other things that I would have loved to sink my teeth into. There are some stories out there that you know are better suited as a short novella. Yet this didn’t feel like one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, and it was most definitely satisfying. But I also would have loved more. So much more!

I will definitely tell you that it did a heck of a job introducing and launching this new series. Because this reader is instantly hooked! If you’re looking for a quickie novella that has a little of everything, opposites attract, and some sexy cowboys, definitely give this one a go!

Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

THE UNHONEYMOONERS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Christina Lauren
Release Date: May 14, 2019

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.

AMAZON 

Are you nauseated?” he asks me quietly.
“Beyond at the sight of this? Or you? No.”
“Impending diarrhea?”
I stare at him. “How are you single? Frankly, it’s a mystery.” 

This book needs to come with a warning; do NOT read in public! Why? Because you’ll look like a slightly deranged person sitting and giggling to yourself while twitching happily. Ok. Maybe you won’t twice. But I did! Because this book gave me all of the happy tingles and I was a flailing pile of reader goo at the end. Basically, I seriously and I mean SERIOUSLY loved The Unhoneymooners.

I adore all things Christina Lauren but man did they step up their usual a-game even more with this story. If you follow my reviews than you already know that enemies to lovers is my jam. And Olivia and Ethan are the enemies that dreams are made of! I tell you. These two brought the banter so hard. SO HARD.

Picture this: Your twin sister is the epitome of all things lucky. She wins EVERYTHING. Free trips, free dresses, free meals, free everything. Basically her giveaway entries have essentially paid for her entire wedding. And you’re the antithesis to that luck. If your twin is lucky, then you’re the unluckiest person ever. Oh, and your soon to be brother in law is also your arch nemesis that you may or may not have lusted ever for a hot second until he proved to be a total buttonhole. That, my friends, is Olive’s life. She’s a bit dramatic at times. She’s also self-depreciating and self-conscious about pretty much everything revolving around her body. But she’s also endearing AF. I don’t even know what it was exactly, but I couldn’t get enough of her.

Enter Ethan; groom’s brother, buffet avoider, and all around Olive hater. The hate lust is strong between these two, people. But what I loved the most is that it’s subtle and its a delicious slow burn. When every single person at the wedding except Olive and Ethan, manages to get the food poisoning from hell, all of sudden Olive and Ethan find themselves taking her twin’s honeymoon and barely tolerating the other’s existence.

My favorite thing about this book has got to be the banter. I loved the back and forth these two have. I also loved the subtle change of hating each other to the realization that there’s something between them. I loved watching them grow closer and closer until the chemistry between them sparks to fire. If you’re expecting a super steamy romance, you won’t get that here. This was more of a warm heat rather than sparking fire, but it was still so satisfying. It was more sweet than spicy and this reader was perfectly alright with that.

I laughed, I swooned, and I binge read it from cover to cover. This is one of those books that will put a smile on your face and keep it there. It was an endearingly sweet romance of opposites attracting with plenty of bubbly secondary characters that added a bit of flare to an already great story. If you’re looking for a light and funny, feel-good romance, look no further. The Unhoneymooners delivers in spades!

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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