Review: Guilty As Sin by Meghan March

GUILTY AS SIN
Series:  Sin Trilogy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: September 18, 2018

Guilty until proven innocent.

That’s the way the world works, right?

I’m tired of being convicted without evidence, all because my last name is Gable.

The Riscoffs might own this town, but I’m done following their rules.

If only I could forget just how easily Lincoln Riscoff can drag me under his spell.

 

 

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | AUDIBLE

No woman has ever affected me like Whitney Gable. Not before. Not since.


The Sin trilogy continues with another edge-of-you-seat, twisty, read-in-one-sitting installment. Picking up immediately where book one left one, Guilty As Sin continues to deliver twist after twist in the story of the Gables and Riscoffs. We get the flashbacks to the past that bring us closer and closer to having answers. Yet in usual Meghan March fashion, for every answer we get, we’re left with hundreds of questions.

What was broken tonight could never be repaired. A Gable and a Riscoff could never be together. Fate would never let it happen.

Lincoln is determined to right the wrongs of their past and he’s not afraid to fight for what he wants, even if it’s Whitney herself. Twice bitten, once shy, Whitney isn’t too eager to put her heart on the line again when the odds are stacked against them and Lincoln’s old habits resurface.

There’s a great deal of tragedy laden history between these families. And little by little, more details begin to surface in order to put some puzzle pieces together. The book ends with another explosive cliff hanger that leaves you salivating for the conclusion and I for one cannot wait to see how it all ends.


RICHER THAN SIN

From New York Times bestselling author Meghan March comes a brand new saga of forbidden love and second chances.

A Riscoff and a Gable can never live happily ever after. Our family feud is the stuff of legends.

Ten years ago, Whitney Gable caught me off guard with her long legs and grab-you-by-the-balls blue eyes.

I didn’t know or care what her name was.

Like any Riscoff worth the family name, I went after what I wanted. We burned like a flash fire until she married another man.

She hates me, and she should.

I objected on her wedding day.

Now she’s home, with those same long legs and man-eater stare, but there’s no ring on her finger.

They say a Riscoff and a Gable can never live happily ever after . . . but I’m not done with Whitney Gable.

I’ll never be done with her.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | AUDIBLE

Guilty as Sin

Guilty until proven innocent.

That’s the way the world works, right?

I’m tired of being convicted without evidence, all because my last name is Gable.

The Riscoffs might own this town, but I’m done following their rules.

If only I could forget just how easily Lincoln Riscoff can drag me under his spell.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO


Reveling in Sin (October 23)

Whitney Gable is the kind of woman you fight to the death to protect.

To keep.

To cherish.

I’ve finally learned my lesson, and it’s time to prove I’m the man who’s worthy of her.

I don’t care what it takes, because failure is not an option.

No matter who or what stands in our way—this time, she’ll be mine forever

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO


A New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels, Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had.

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

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

FACEBOOK WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST

Exclusive Excerpt: Restless Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

RESTLESS INK
Series:
Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs #2
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 18, 2018

The Montgomery Ink series continues with the so-called sensible sister and the one man she never should have fallen for.

For Thea Montgomery, baking isn’t only therapeutic, it’s also her dream job. She’s worked countless hours keeping her bakery afloat, and now that it’s where she wants it to be, she’s ready to expand and take the next step. When it comes to work and her family, she’s on top of her game. Her personal life, however, is a different story.

When Dimitri Carr isn’t teaching and hiding his ink under long sleeves to keep the bosses happy, he’s trying to be the best brother and friend he can be. After his divorce, he’d thought he would lose Thea from his life forever because she’s his ex-wife’s best friend. But now that he’s free, and the two of them realize they want to keep their friendship. Then he finally sees what he’s been missing all this time.

But there are more problems than the fact that Dimitri is Thea’s best friend’s ex. And when accidental touches and flirtations aren’t enough for either of them, and they’re finally ready to take the next step, they’ll find out exactly what that cost is for crossing that line. And will need to find the strength to face it.

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

They said their goodbyes to Abby and headed over to the bar next door to Kaylee’s studio. Kaylee herself couldn’t make it since she had a later event but told them all to have fun as they strolled to the other building. Soft guitar music drifted out of the open door, and Thea glanced at the sign next to it on the sidewalk claiming it was open mic night.

“This could either be amazing or horrible,” Adrienne said under her breath as Roxie laughed.

But Thea didn’t laugh, she couldn’t, not when she heard that voice.

She knew that voice, dreamed of that voice. Oh, hell, that voice was one that kept her awake at night and sent delicious warmth between her thighs.

“Is that…?” Adrienne’s voice trailed off, and Roxie sucked in a breath.

Thea just blinked as they stopped right inside the door, the three of them standing stock-still, their mouths dropping open.

Dimitri sat on a stool in front of the crowded room, his fingers strumming the guitar as he crooned a song about love and loss with that deep growl of his.

And when he lifted his head, and his gaze met hers, he didn’t pause, didn’t break his concentration, but she knew he saw her, understood that he wanted her there from the glint in his eyes. Realized that this meant something.

And she knew… she knew she was lost.

And so damn screwed.

About Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

Website | Newsletter | TwitterInstagram | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr

 

Exclusive Excerpt: Unlocking Shadows by Kennedy Layne

UNLOCKING SHADOWS
Series: Keys To Love #4
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Kennedy Layne
Release Date: September 18, 2018

The next book in Kennedy Layne’s KEYS TO LOVE is available now – romantic suspense lovers do not want to miss this!

About UNLOCKING SHADOWS

Gwen Kendall spent ten years in the Navy and used the last four to create a life for herself she could be proud of away from the confines of her overprotective family. Being the only woman in the Kendall clan tended to be a bit overwhelming at times.

Chad Schaeffer had been hired on to help restore an old farmhouse for one of the returning Kendall siblings. He’d heard about the trouble the family had encountered and honestly didn’t want to go anywhere near their properties. He had a change of heart when he saw the most recently returned Kendall sibling stepping out of her car with a key in her hand.

Gwen had waited a very long time to have a place to call her own, just as she had waited for the right man to share her life. One night of seduction convinces her she’s found both, but someone wants to take it all away. It’s been said that old houses retain a piece of each person who has lived there, but she never counted on the dark shadows wanting a piece of her.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N

“Did you actually cook for me, city girl?”Gwen would have probably screamed like a little girl at the sight of a spider bouncing on its web had she not first heard the faint sound of her cell phone chiming as the proximity alarm announced Chad’s presence. The security firm who’d set up her system had the surrounding area of the house monitored for any movement. It came in handy for times like this, but for some reason, blood rushed to her cheeks and her heartbeat accelerated as if she’d just run a mile or two.When was the last time a man affected her in such a manner?

Too long to count, which was the sole reason she’d refused to take back her key earlier this afternoon. It wasn’t like they were making a serious commitment to one another, and he would ultimately need to be able to come and go while working on her house.

“City girl?” Gwen opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer to give time for the flush of color to leave her face. “Since when do you consider me a city girl?”

“Well, let’s see.” The intoxicating scent of Chad’s cologne told her that he’d moved into the kitchen and was now in close proximity. “You put in excessively long hours at your new firm, you complained that there wasn’t one of those fancy coffee places in town open twenty-four hours for your convenience, and today was the first time I’ve seen you in a pair of jeans since last weekend. I’d say that qualifies you as more city than country.”

Gwen silently handed over his beer, giving herself time to study him before responding to such a ludicrous claim. Well, it did have some merit, but she’d address that at the appropriate time.

It was obvious he’d showered recently. The ends of his hair that curled slightly were still damp, and her fingers itched to brush them away from his face. He was freshly shaven with a slight sheen where he’d put on his aftershave. She fought the urge to rest her hand against his cheek. She still wasn’t sure he was here for reasons other than he didn’t want to stand her up on her invitation.

“I wasn’t completely sure you were going to show up here tonight,” Gwen finally said rather quietly.

She was unusually tentative to start this conversation considering all of this had been her idea to start with. She also wasn’t usually so cautious with what she wanted.

If she wanted something, she bought it.

If she craved something, she ate it… within her own limitations.

She was a natural born go-getter, but that wasn’t unusual given that she was raised with four brothers. This thing with Chad? She wasn’t quite sure what tactic to take for fear that he’d want nothing to do with her or her offer for more.

“I wasn’t sure, either,” Chad responded honestly, the cap on his beer still secured to the opening. “I’m pretty certain Tobias was about to come out of his house to check on me when I stood by the driver’s side door of my truck for ten minutes debating the idea.”

Many times over the course of the past two weeks they’d had random debates over the silliest of things. She enjoyed a spirited conversation of opposing ideas and listening to his opinions, which were not much different than her own. Well, other than his preference of Dodge over Ford… which was totally insane.

“What eventually changed your mind and had you deciding to hop in that thing you call a truck and drive over here?”

“This.”

Gwen wasn’t expecting Chad to move in for the kill quite so quickly, but he did so with grace and lethal intent. She was a goner the moment his lips brushed over hers. The result was a foregone conclusion before she could take another breath.

Chad must have set his bottle of beer on the counter, because both of his hands were cradling her face. There was no hesitation. There was no uncertainty that he spoke of earlier, and she decided she’d have to take stock in whatever brand of aftershave he used before coming over tonight.

She was now addicted.

How could Chad Schaeffer— the skinny boy she remembered having freckles— turn into a man who could buckle her knees with a single kiss?

“Are you sure about this?” Chad asked, his tone a little breathless. At least he was able to talk. Her lips were still tingling, and she wasn’t nearly done savoring his taste of mint mouthwash. “There’s still time to—”

“This is exactly what I’ve been dying to do since I pulled up to the house and saw you standing on my porch,” Gwen managed to say, setting her beer down next to his. “The only thing missing was a big red bow.”

Chad lifted her underneath the arms, causing her to lose her breath at his obvious intention. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, not wanting to waste any more time than they already had.

“Did you put any precautions on that list that Reese took to the store today?”

Gwen smiled against his neck, getting the gist of where this very brief conversation was headed. They wouldn’t be talking for long.

“No,” Gwen answered with a laugh, not expecting him to set both hands on her ass and hoist her over his shoulder. “Chad! Put me down!”

“It’s a good thing they were on mine.”

About the Keys to Love Series

 Their homecoming wasn’t so welcoming. Four brothers and one sister each gave twelve years of their lives to serve their country and fulfill their family’s legacy of service. As each of them return to their home of record, they weren’t prepared for what awaited them—an unforgiveable sin that has been hidden for twelve long years. Secrets and lies are concealed in the dark shadows of the very town they were raised in, and the Kendall family will have no choice but to rely on one another to unravel the sinister evil that they all hold the keys to unlock.

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. She loves hearing from readers–find out how to connect with her at www.kennedylayne.com.

Newsletter | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

New & Upcoming Releases: Sept 16- 20

New Releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


REID by Melanie Moreland

You’ve met the men of BAM. Now get to know the rebel.

Who is Reid Matthews?

A child, abandoned and unloved.

A teen, adrift and disregarded, using his superior tech skills for the wrong intentions.

A young adult, his future overshadowed by his prison record, his life an endless loop of loneliness.

Until he is given a second chance and a new life emerges.

A career he once thought he could only dream of, surrounded by people who show him that family and home aren’t simply words.

And a girl who shows him the greatest, most complex code he could ever write.

Love.


PROFESSOR FEELGOOD by Leisa Rayven

What’s a girl to do when a man who’s countless shades of wrong feels oh-so-right?

Ambitious book editor Asha Tate is a hopeless romantic. Despite her mediocre track record with men, she believes in swooning, sighing, and the everlasting love of true soul mates. Sure, sex is okay, but she’s not someone who’s ever been driven by her animal urges.

Until now.

When Asha stumbles upon the scorching hot Instagram feed of someone calling himself Professor Feelgood, she falls in lust for the first time. Not only is she left panting over photos of the professor’s insane body, but his angst-filled poetry about losing his one true love speaks straight to her soul.

Desperately in need of a bestseller for her struggling publishing company, Asha knows the professor’s potential to sell to his millions of loyal followers could be the lifeline her bosses need. However, the ink is barely dry on a book deal before she realizes she’s made a terrible mistake. Sure, the professor is incredibly talented and sexier than any man has a right to be, but the man behind the persona isn’t at all who she pictured. In real life, he’s intense, arrogant and infuriating, and his uncanny ability to rub her the wrong way turns her dream project into a total nightmare.

Knowing that the professor is everything she doesn’t want in a man should help Asha ignore her occasional urges to mount him, but she quickly learns that explosive, unwanted chemistry can make even smart people do stupid things.

Don’t miss this sexy new standalone from the international bestselling author of Bad Romeo!


GORGEOUS by Kristy Marie- buy link TBA

Breck:
My name is Brecklyn Brannon, and I’m not who I claim to be.
A year ago, I packed up my promising life in the city for a man I saw only once.
Accepting a temporary job with Cade and four blazing hot veterans should have been my way in.
Except, Cade acts like he would rather be tortured than speak to me.
He can resist all he wants, but I made a promise that I intend to keep.
Even if it costs me everything.

Cade:
I’ve watched her for over a year.
There’s something about her that seems familiar… but now that she’s living here for two weeks, I could care less what it is.
I just want her gone.
Breck is temptation personified, and some lines can’t be crossed.
I’m Major Cade Jameson, and I made a promise, too.
One that I can’t break.
No matter how hard IT gets.


DANE’S STORM by Mia Sheridan

A gripping, exquisitely romantic new standalone by New York Times bestselling author Mia Sheridan.

Dane was her first kiss and the only man she ever loved . . . until their marriage crashed and burned. Now Audra has built a quiet life for herself running a flower shop she’s put her whole heart into. But Audra is left reeling when an unexpected circumstance brings Dane back into her world. He’s still as breathtaking as he ever was, and he still affects her more than any man she’s ever known. Yet learning to trust him again could be a matter of life and death . . .

When Dane offers to fly his ex-wife from California to Colorado to help correct a wrong, he never imagined the harrowing twist of fate awaiting them. When their plane goes down in the snowy mountain wilderness, Dane and Audra are stranded with no one to turn to but each other. Will their second crash end their lives—or save their souls?

THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY CANCER. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.


LAWBREAKER by Kat & Stone Bastion

Reader Warning: You’ll need to buckle up and load up on snacks and energy drinks, because this baby clocked in at 112,000 words. But the heartwarming story is filled with adventure, dry humor, quick-witted banter, a touch of mystery, and a hard-earned happily ever after. 🙂

Raised on the streets, Shay Morgan yearns for a real family, where love is unconditionally offered—even when trust doesn’t come easy. Before that day arrives, she trespasses and steals in order to provide for the few people who’ve gone out of their way to protect her.

Born to privilege, Ben Bishop loathes his family for the despicable things they’ve done, and not done. He vows to be different, play by the rules, do the right thing. Building a thriving nightclub with those who share his values dominates his world.

One explosive night at his bar, Loading Zone, changes everything. For both of them. Forever.

A dance of opponents commences as they thwart with suspicion, start to trust, then sidestep to protect themselves from a fatal blow. Until they soon wonder if they’ve been fighting for the same side all along.

As they begin to open their hearts, they up the stakes with a one-week pact. She shows him the power in breaking the law. He demonstrates the virtue of following it.

Then a far-reaching crime is suddenly exposed—that his family committed. And for one chance moment, Shay and Ben hold the key to right the wrong, correct the injustice. But at what cost?

Will they be able to return from the other side together? Or will their differences tear them apart?

Flirting with danger…has never been so tempting.

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


RELEASING SEPTEMBER 18


GUILTY AS SIN by Meghan March

Guilty as Sin is the second book in New York Times bestselling author Meghan March’s epically romantic and addictive Sin Trilogy.

Guilty until proven innocent.

That’s the way the world works, right?

I’m tired of being convicted without evidence, all because my last name is Gable.

The Riscoffs might own this town, but I’m done following their rules.

If only I could forget just how easily Lincoln Riscoff can drag me under his spell


MORE THAN CRAVE YOU by Shayla Black

I’m Evan Cook—billionaire tech entrepreneur and widower. Professionally, I’ve got it all. But since my wife died, my personal life has fallen apart. Remarrying seems like the obvious answer, so I place an ad. I’m not asking for much. The ideal woman only needs to be smart, organized, pretty, and helpful—both in and out of bed—without expecting romance. I never thought to look right in front of me…but it turns out that Nia Wright, my sexy, sassy assistant, just might be the perfect candidate.

After an unexpectedly hot night together, I’m ready to stop interviewing strangers and simply marry her. On paper, she ticks every box on my list. Best of all, she’s far too sensible to fall for me. I didn’t see the flaw in my logic until it was too late. I never thought I’d lose my heart for the first time. And I definitely never imagined Nia could consume me. But she’s harboring a secret that could tear us apart. Can I prove I more than crave her before it’s too late?

More Than Crave You is a sexy and emotional standalone novel from New York Times bestselling author in the More Than Words Series.


BOOTED by Pam Godwin

The night I’m released from prison, she’s in my bed.
It’s been eight years since I touched a woman, and the Native American beauty is half-dressed, beaten, bruised, and devastatingly exquisite.

We’re toxic together, but we want the same things. Blood. Vengeance.
Violent relief in a warm body.

Beneath her touch, I’m alive.
Against her skin, I’m redeemed.
Buried inside her, I forget the past.
Until the past takes her from me.

Prison made me cold, but losing Raina makes me cruel. Ruthless. Unforgiving.
I killed before. For her, I’ll kill again.
I’ll end this once and for all or die in my boots.

TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers – must be read in order):
Knotted #1 – Jake and Conor
Buckled #2 – Jarret and Maybe
Booted #3 – Lorne and Raina


HOT Secrets by Lynn Raye Harris

She nearly ruined his life. Now she needs him to save hers.

It was supposed to be a simple job for hacker Bliss Bennett: access confidential files and turn them over to the CIA. But something went wrong—and now Bliss has a target on her back. With no idea who to trust, she heads straight toward the one man she hopes won’t turn her away.

Sky “Hacker” Kelley is a badass Special Operator with lethal moves and mad computer skills. He hasn’t seen his former lover—former wife—in four years, not since she nearly cost him his military career. Her arrival on his doorstep in the middle of the night reveals a gut-deep truth—he might want nothing to do with her, but he still wants her. And as much as he’d love to slam the door in her face, Sky isn’t wired to turn away anyone in distress.

Protecting Bliss won’t be easy. The files she stole are at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy, and someone is willing to do whatever it takes—including kill—to get them back. It’ll take all Sky’s considerable black-ops skills to keep Bliss safe—and all his willpower to resist falling into her bed, and her life, ever again…

**Stand Alone, No Cliffhangers, Happily Ever After Guaranteed!**


DON’T TRUST A KILLER by Cynthia Eden

To catch a killer…you have to use the perfect bait.

FBI Agent Bree Harlow is working the biggest case of her career. She’s undercover on the hunt for a killer who has murdered three women—and she isn’t going to stop until she brings down her prey. She’s scored a job at Fantasy, the hottest club in New Orleans, and she’s just caught the attention of the club’s owner, the sexy and dangerous Kace Quick. Everyone knows the guy is shady—and probably linked to every criminal activity in the Big Easy. She shouldn’t find him so attractive. Shouldn’t want to do anything but lock the guy away. After all, he is her chief suspect.

Be careful…sometimes, you can’t see the danger coming.

Kace knows there is far more to Bree than meets the eye. He isn’t a fool, and he can spot a Fed from a mile away, though he does admit that Bree is the sexiest FBI agent he’s ever seen. He lets her play her game, though Kace plans to keep his hands very far off his gorgeous new problem. Then the attacks begin. Attacks all focused on Bree. And suddenly, it’s not a game any longer because Kace isn’t about to let his FBI agent get caught in the crossfire.

To hurt a man, you have to destroy what he wants most.

Kace has a powerful enemy working in the darkness—a man who wants to destroy Kace by making him look guilty as hell. Kace is being set up for murders he didn’t commit. And now, the killer has locked onto his next victim—Bree. Despite Kace’s best efforts, he has let Bree get too close. For the first time in years, Kace cares about someone else—a fatal flaw. And the killer in the dark can’t wait to make Kace pay for past sins…The killer thinks he can hurt Bree, and by hurting her, the mighty Kace Quick will fall.

Things aren’t always as they appear…

Bree won’t be anyone’s victim. She’s not the damsel in distress—she’s the woman ready to take down a murderer. She’ll break every rule in the FBI’s precious handbook in order to protect the lover she knows is innocent. Kace is hers, and Bree won’t let anyone hurt him. She’ll catch the real killer, she’ll prove his guilt, and maybe, just maybe, Bree and Kace can stop their world from going down in flames.

Sex, murder, and lies…just another day in the Big Easy…

Author’s Note: DON’T TRUST A KILLER is a complete, stand-alone novel that contains 80,000 words.


VAMPIRES LIKE IT HOT by Lynsay Sands

New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands brings the heat in this new Argeneau novel, as one woman is rescued by an irresistible immortal …

“Vampires…”

When Raffaele Notte pulls a barely dressed, disoriented woman from the ocean, the last thing he expects is for her to utter that word. The immortal has come to the island resort to help his cousin, but now, it seems, there are rogue vampires dining on unsuspecting tourists. And he soon realizes that not only is Jess a target, she’s also the life mate he’s been waiting for…

Vampires are real. Jess would’ve never believed it until she saw them with her own eyes. She knows she has to get off the island, and her gallant rescuer has offered to help. There’s something about Raffaele that’s unlike any man she has ever met, and his touch sends pleasure through her that is beyond all imagining. But when Jess discovers who he really is, will she risk life as she knows it for a chance of forever by his side?


RESTLESS INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

The Montgomery Ink series continues with the so-called sensible sister and the one man she never should have fallen for.

For Thea Montgomery, baking isn’t only therapeutic, it’s also her dream job. She’s worked countless hours keeping her bakery afloat, and now that it’s where she wants it to be, she’s ready to expand and take the next step. When it comes to work and her family, she’s on top of her game. Her personal life, however, is a different story.

When Dimitri Carr isn’t teaching and hiding his ink under long sleeves to keep the bosses happy, he’s trying to be the best brother and friend he can be. After his divorce, he’d thought he would lose Thea from his life forever because she’s his ex-wife’s best friend. But now that he’s free, and the two of them realize they want to keep their friendship. Then he finally sees what he’s been missing all this time.

But there are more problems than the fact that Dimitri is Thea’s best friend’s ex. And when accidental touches and flirtations aren’t enough for either of them, and they’re finally ready to take the next step, they’ll find out exactly what that cost is for crossing that line. And will need to find the strength to face it.


GOT IT BAD by Christi Barth

In USA Today bestseller Christi Barth’s last Bad Boys Gone Good novel, the brother who’s always followed the rules finally gets to be a little bad.

Kellan Maguire was a semester away from becoming a lawyer when his life imploded. Now he’s in Witness Protection, hiding from the mob and mad as hell that his brothers lied to him about, oh, everything. The only bright spot in his new life is their drop-dead-gorgeous U.S. Marshal handler. Yeah, he wants to handle her… a lot.

Federal Marshal Delaney Evans has protected her fair share of dangerous criminals. But Kellan is a whole different kind of dangerous—dangerously hot, to be specific. The charming, handsome, and utterly law-abiding Maguire brother got under her skin the moment they met and the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to deny their attraction. Delaney’s willing to give Kellan one night—to get him out of her system—and then it’s over.

Except one night isn’t enough and soon they’re breaking every rule of WITSEC to be together. Kellan’s got it bad for her, but Delaney’s career, her entire life, would fall apart if anyone found out. And then the biggest complication of all hits…


UNLOCKING SECRETS by Kennedy Layne

In this heart-stopping romantic suspense, USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings you a page-turning story that will have you staying awake all night long…

Gwen Kendall spent ten years in the Navy and used the last four to create a life for herself she could be proud of away from the confines of her overprotective family. Being the only woman in the Kendall clan tended to be a bit overwhelming at times.

Chad Schaeffer had been hired on to help restore an old farmhouse for one of the returning Kendall siblings. He’d heard about the trouble the family had encountered and honestly didn’t want to go anywhere near their properties. He had a change of heart when he saw the most recently returned Kendall sibling stepping out of her car with a key in her hand.

Gwen had waited a very long time to have a place to call her own, just as she had waited for the right man to share her life. One night of seduction convinces her she’s found both, but someone wants to take it all away. It’s been said that old houses retain a piece of each person who has lived there, but she never counted on the dark shadows wanting a piece of her.

Series Blurb: Their homecoming wasn’t so welcoming. Four brothers and one sister each gave twelve years of their lives to serve their country and fulfill their family’s legacy of service. As each of them return to their home of record, they weren’t prepared for what awaited them–an unforgivable sin that has been hidden for twelve long years. Secrets and lies are concealed in the dark shadows of the very town they were raised in, and the Kendall family will have no choice but to rely on one another to unravel the sinister evil that they all hold the keys to unlock.


WHY NOT TONIGHT by Susan Mallery

Susan Mallery welcomes you to Happily Inc, where true love isn’t just for fairy tales…

Natalie Kaleta will do anything for the artists at her gallery, including risk life, limb and the effect of humidity on her naturally curly hair. Braving a downpour to check on reclusive Ronan Mitchell, Natalie gets stranded by a mudslide at his mountain home, where the brooding glass artist reveals his playful side, sending her inconvenient crush from under-the-radar to over-the-top.

After a secret tore apart his family and made him question his sense of self, Ronan fled his hometown for Happily Inc, but the sunny small town can’t fix his damaged heart. He won’t give in to his attraction for beautiful, perpetually cheerful Natalie. She’s untouched by darkness—or so he thinks.

Natalie knows that when a heart goes through the flame, it comes out stronger. Life may not be a fairy tale, but sometimes dreams do come true. Why not this one? Why not tonight?


KEEPING HIM by Kennedy Fox- Buy link TBA

Jackson Bishop is your typical playboy.
Unpredictable, charming, and overly confident.

Growing up in Texas, the ranch life is all he’s ever known. Horses and late night partying are his lifestyles, and all the local girls know it too. Riding lessons aren’t the only things taught at the stables, and he makes sure clients never leave unsatisfied. Everyone knows Jackson’s a wild card, but not everything is as it seems. He may be a womanizer on the surface, but he’s hiding deep feelings about the one who’s had his heart since he was a teen. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as roping her in and claiming her as his.

Kiera Young is well-known for her sassy nature and outgoing personality. Though she’s one of the best horse trainers in the area, she’s never been able to tame her best friend and the man she’s secretly loved since she was fifteen—Jackson Bishop. She’s waited years for him to confess his true feelings but as time goes on, she decides she’s done waiting. Kiera finally meets a man who promises to give her the world, and when he pops the question, she says yes—knowing they’re both ready to settle down and start a family.

Even if her heart beats for another man.

Jackson’s certain he’s lost Kiera for good and has no one to blame but himself. However, on the day of her wedding, he can’t bring himself to watch the woman he loves walk down the aisle to someone else. Kiera’s already having second thoughts and knows she can’t get married without his support. It’s not until she’s at the altar that she realizes she can’t let Jackson go and will do whatever it takes to keep him—even if it means running out on her own wedding.


REBEL HARD by Nalini Singh 

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rule breaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.


THE BRIGHTEST STARS by Anna Todd

International bestselling author Anna Todd returns with a gripping novel about a young woman’s journey towards love, and the obstacles life throws up at every turn.

Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That’s why she’s forging her own quiet life in her own little house. But she hasn’t turned her back on her family. She’s the glue that holds them together–when her father is deployed, when her brother, Austin, has another brush with the law.

Karina knows that she has to look after herself, that she can’t always fix what’s broken. But when Austin’s behavior worsens and her father’s reactions grow more extreme, Karina feels her own edges beginning to fray. That’s when she meets him–a closed book she’s desperate to open.

At just twenty, Kael is a handsome, brooding soldier struggling with the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. He’s emotionally damaged and closed off. Quiet doesn’t begin to describe him. But as Karina gets used to his stable presence, she finds it hard to ignore the way he makes her feel. In their time together, she finds the stillness she has always wanted and never found. She lets down her guard. And she lets herself fill in the blanks about this mysterious man.

But illusions quickly made are quickly shattered. That’s when Karina has to find her own courage–to untangle the truth from the lies, and decide what she’s going to do about it.

A riveting story about love and lies, THE BRIGHTEST STARS will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.


MISADVENTURES WITH A SPEED DEMON by Chelle Bliss

***MISADVENTURES ARE STANDALONE ROMANCES THAT CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER***

Brooks Carter is wild, reckless, and the youngest stock car driver on the professional circuit. He’s the one everyone’s gunning for when they’re not hoping for his failure at every turn. But Brooks is too hot to be left in the dust by anyone. Even with masses of female fans, Brooks only has eyes for one woman—Faith Ridley. Unfortunately, she’s the little sister of his biggest rival, who also happens to be the most notorious hothead on the track.

Faith has spent her life around hotshots like Brooks—gorgeous, cocky, and racing from one hookup to the next. It doesn’t matter that Brooks has had her in his crosshairs for months. She knows better. Until one lapse in judgment turns into more…

As passions rev up and tempers flare, Faith gets caught in the crossfire. But Brooks has come too far to back down without a fight. Can he win Faith’s heart while earning the respect of his enemy? Or will the rivals’ macho bravado force Faith to walk away from them both?

Buckle up. It’s going to be a wicked ride…

****
Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.


JUSTICE FOR HOPE by Susan Stoker

Hiding from her ex is exhausting enough, but for Hope Drayden, putting her seven-year-old son through a life on the run and living on the streets has been mentally torturous. When a kind diner owner offers her a job, Hope begins to claw her way toward a new beginning for herself and Billy, one tip at a time. But since her son’s recent abduction, and with threats from her ex still fresh in her mind, she’s constantly looking over her shoulder. Then a surprising, and lucky, tip from a diner regular puts yet another target on their backs.

At the request of a friend, medical examiner Calder Stonewall has been looking for Hope and Billy for weeks. When they unexpectedly show up at the scene of a crime, his interest soon becomes personal. He’s amazed by the beautiful, brave woman and her resilient son. He’s also surprised by his growing need to take care of them both, although winning Hope’s trust won’t be easy. But when a tragedy thrusts the couple together, Calder quickly proves he’s a man Hope can rely on.

Which is a good thing…because she’ll need all his support, and love, to get through a threat they never saw coming.

** Justice for Hope is the 12th book in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.


LONDON by Audrey Carlan

From Audrey Carlan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Calendar Girl series.

London, England. International Guy is now in service to the queen—of romance novels.

I’d heard of Geneva James, the smashingly sexy, phenomenally successful British author whose steamy novels make her readers’ fantasies real. Now she’s hard at work on her latest piece of sizzling fiction—or at least, would like to be. It turns out that a case of writer’s block is making it hard for Geneva to bring her latest book to its climax.

That’s where International Guy comes in.

She’s desperately in need of inspiration—and open to any kind of help International Guy can give her. Her entire career may be riding on how this fan-favorite story ends. The last thing she wants is to disappoint her fans. The last thing I want is to disappoint Geneva. Luckily, inspiring women is my specialty. Bringing Geneva out of her funk is business. It’s also going to be a pleasure. With my team in play, I have no idea how this story is going to end.

About the Series

Parker Ellis, CEO of International Guy Inc., advises the wealthiest people in the world on life and love. And sometimes he can’t help it when things heat up and he ends up in bed with his clients.

This International Guy knows that there’s a whole world waiting for him. But as he goes from city to city—and from woman to woman—it’s possible that he just might find his own love along the way…

This is the seventh book in a twelve-novella series.


HOT SEAL, DIRTY MARTINI by Cat Johnson

He wants seclusion. She craves the spotlight. The deal they make could give them both what they need…if they don’t kill each other first. Home renovation has never been so hot!

Navy SEAL Clay “Dirtman” Hagan’s retirement plans are simple. Buy the dilapidated beachfront cottage he found listed for a song, fix it up, and live out his days in solitude. Everything is set until an anonymous bidder drives up the price of his future paradise.

TV talk show host Tasha Jones is flying high, until one word—CANCELED—sends her crashing. Now she’s looking to resurrect her career with a new home renovation show if they can get around the buyer standing in the way of the perfect property.

When the competition turns out to be none other then the obnoxious a-hole from her embarrassing drunken one-night stand, the battle for the property really heats up as the insults—and the sparks—fly. The producer notices the chemistry between them and decides the viewers will too and the concept for “Hot House” is born.

If Clay agrees to have the self-centered star and her cameras in his house for the duration of the show, he walks away as the owner in the end. If Tasha can put up with living in the bungalow with the Neanderthal control-freak during the construction, she gets a hit show and her career back. Win-win.

It shouldn’t be too hard since the director loves when they argue on camera, which is good since they agree on nothing. Well, almost nothing. They do both agree that they pretty much hate each other and neither one wants a repeat of their one night together . . . So why does it keep happening?

Hot SEAL, Dirty Martini is a STANDALONE full-length novel. It is a romantic comedy with an enemies-to-lovers theme. It contains an HEA and NO cliffhanger.


STOLEN REDEMPTION by Sidney Bristol

Detective Trevor Walters is drawn to women in need. Each one he helps is a bid to ease the guilt of failing to rescue his mother from a toxic relationship. But his recent one-night stand doesn’t seem like a damsel in distress…at first. As their attraction builds, Dina is under his skin and in his blood before Trevor realizes she may need more protection than even he can provide.

Dina Profaci failed to save her best friend from a lethal menace—her own Mafia parents. Now in witness protection in tiny Ransom, Texas, she’s struggling with guilt as she strives to build a new life. A relationship isn’t in the cards…but she didn’t plan on Trevor. Neither her desire for the local detective, nor the need for his help when her own brother demands deadly payback for her betrayal to the family.

Two damaged souls, both struggling with a past they can’t change. Trevor and Dina could be each other’s salvation…or the last mistake they’ll ever make.

Ransom Texas SWAT; an Aegis Group spin off
Fighting Redemption
Stolen Redemption (2018)
Reckless Redemption (coming soon)
Hot Redemption (coming soon)
Rebel Redemption (coming soon)
Filthy Redemption (coming soon)


RELEASING SEPTEMBER 20


WICKED WEDDING by Sawyer Bennett

It all started with a wedding…
Well, three weddings, to be exact. The one that happened, the one that went up in flames, and the one nobody saw coming.

Andrew Collings has seen a lot of things living in Vegas. Hell, he’s done a lot of things. But one thing he’s never witnessed is a beautiful brunette, hitchhiking her way into the city, wearing a wedding dress. Until now, that is.

Brynne Adams is running away from a broken heart. She expected a lot of things from her wedding day but finding photos of her fiancé and maid of honor and best man in a compromising position wasn’t one of them. She most certainly never imagined that she’d end up marrying the handsome stranger that rescued her from the side of the road that day.

Andrew and Brynne’s quick nuptials may have been the result of a drunken joke, but they soon realize that love can be found in the most unlikely of places if you just stop and take a chance.

* Wicked Wedding is the fourth book in the LEFT AT THE ALTAR series in a collaboration of six New York Times Bestselling Authors: J. S. Scott, Ruth Cardello, Raine Miller, Sawyer Bennett, Minx Malone, and Melody Anne.


AUSTIN by Jeannine Colette & Lauren Runow

Jalynn
I’m the girl who’s always picking up the pieces of other people’s mistakes.
Until tonight.
I accidentally cause one false start, and now I’m being pulled into a guy’s car—who everyone only knows as Falcon—before an illegal street race.
He may not want anyone to truly know who he is, but he’s met his match.
Game on, Falcon.

Austin
People know I run these races.
They know not to mess with me, or my car.
When the identity of the girl who causes a false start is revealed, I have to make an example of her.
Letting her see who I am was never the plan.
Neither was running into her the next day as my brother’s new assistant.
She said she wanted nothing to do with me, but when I yank her into a janitor’s closet, making sure she keeps my secret is the last thing on my mind.
She may want more than my secrets, but my racing may be the last thing I try to hide.


CENTER OF GRAVITY by KK Allen – buy link TBA

Lex
I came to L.A. with dreams bigger than me.
To learn from the best choreographers in the business and secure a professional dance gig working for Hollywood’s elite.
Everything was going according to plan—until I was literally shoved into the arms of the one man who could make or break my career.
Come to find out, it wasn’t my career I had to worry about.
It was my heart.

Theo
Everything about Alexandra “Lex” Quinn screamed amateur, save for the way she moved across the dance floor.
She was athleticism and grace, precision and passion, and she had a stage presence I couldn’t tear my eyes from.
I wanted her…on my team, in my bed.
There was only one problem…
I couldn’t have both.

Review: More Of You by A.L. Jackson

MORE OF YOU
Series: Confessions of the Heart #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: September 8, 2015

My daddy warned me never to fall for a boy like Jace Jacobs…

The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.
A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.
My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I saw something protective and good beneath the fierce, tough exterior.
I fell hard and fast.
He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.
Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.
Sexier than he’s ever been.
Provocative and commanding.
Successful and powerful.
The man I always knew he would become.
But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.
Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.
Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.
Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .

AMAZON

You took my heart when you left,” I whispered.
He took a slow step forward, his confession cracking in the air. “And I left mine with you.”

There’s just something about this author’s lyrical writing style that always manages to enrapture me in every book she writes. But when that book is a a gripping and emotional second chance romance with an dash of suspense? Stick a fork in me. I’m done.

I’d never loved anyone the way I’d loved him. He was a fire that consumed. A strike in the night. So wrong. So right.

Ten years ago, Jace was Faith’s entire world. She fell fast and hard for the troubled and angry boy with the soulful eyes as a sixteen year old girl. Their romance was pure and potent. Faith was the good girl. Jace was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks that spent his childhood sacrificing to protect the ones he loved. They were each other’s world….until Jace walked away and broke her heart. And while she never got over the boy that took her heart, she tried to move on with her life.

Now ten years later, Faith finds herself a single parent after her husband is brutally murdered. And when there’s a threat to her life, Jace is back and determined to stand between her and any threat. But his presence quickly brings back all of the buried pain and feelings, and it doesn’t take long for things to turn complicated.

I adored Jace. He’s such a caring and protective alpha. He’s a man that’s been through so much but he never got over the woman he was forced to leave behind. He’s paid for his mistakes and determined to right the wrongs of the past. He may have walked away from her once for reasons that he can’t share, but he refuses to do it again. He’ll protect Faith and her adorable daughter even if she’ll never let him into her heart again.

Faith was the quintessential good girl. And while I’m not a reader that typically enjoys that, there was just something so endearing about her and her sweet little girl. This was such a beautifully written and emotional story. I loved the added suspense element that had me eagerly turning the pages. I already can’t wait for more in this series, especially Jace’s enigmatic brother, Ian. I’m totally hooked!

New Release & Review: No Tomorrow by Carian Cole

NO TOMORROW
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Carian Cole
Release Date: September 13, 2018

The people we love are thieves.
They steal our hearts. They steal our breath.
They steal our sanity.
And we let them.
Over and over and over again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They say you never forget your first time.
Mine was with a homeless musician who effed my brains out under a bridge.

He was my first love. And fourteen years later, I still can’t get him out of my head.

He broke all my rules.
He also broke my heart.

I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.
But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.

Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.

You can’t go back, but I want to. Back to the bridge. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.

I thought I knew everything about him.
But I could not have been more wrong.

He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.
And hoping.
Again.

AMAZON

FREE with KU!


If memories had a flavor, ours would be salt and blood.

Oh.
Oh wow.
Just WOW.
I feel like I’ve just been through an emotional rollercoaster. My heart hurts. My hands are shaking. My head feels fuzzy. And I’m so in love with this incredible story that I can’t even think of how to begin reviewing it.

I love you like there’s no tomorrow.”

I’ve never read this author before, but when I first saw the blurb for this book a few months ago, I knew this would be my first book by her. It hooked me immediately. Then I started reading it and I was DONE FOR. It sucked me right into its dark depths and didn’t let me up until the very last page.

This man is a drug and I’m an addict. I’m high on him and us, lost in the twirling world around me, every smell, sight, and touch heightened and vivid and so incredibly disconnected and hazy.

The story spans years and spares no emotional detail. Piper and Blue first meet when she’s only 21 years old and she spots a beautiful homeless man with a haunting presence playing guitar in the park that she frequents. Their connection is immediate. The two of them couldn’t be more opposite, but you know what they say about that. Piper is the good girl to Blue’s bad boy vibes, and the attraction between them sparks to life and entwines them in a fiery connection. Piper tries to understand the complexities behind Blue’s eyes, but you always get the sense that there’s something dark and painful that’s brewing beneath the surface with him. He’s a recovering addict and a troubled musician. He loves Piper in the only way he knows how. But love isn’t enough to keep their tattered peaces from scattering in the wind.

But what we have is a real love. It’s dark, and ugly; raw and passionate. It brings pain and it brings happiness and everything in between. This love—our love—is a love that never dies. It withers in the dark and comes back to life again under bright moments even stronger than it was before.

Spanning fourteen years, No Tomorrow tells the story of their up and downs. And boy were there a lot of downs. A part of me wanted to hate Blue for his choices, but a bigger part of me just couldn’t. This is a troubled man with many demons. I respect the author so much for not glossing over his issues. You get all of it; the good, the bad, and the worse. And while the story is told in predominantly Piper’s POV, the few snippets we get inside of Blue’s mind are incredibly potent.

She’s the glue that held all my jagged cracks together, and I love her endlessly for it. Unfortunately, I’ve always known that eventually I’d break myself all over again and she’d be left with nothing but pieces.

I fell in love with these characters. My heart ached right along with them. I rooted for them, I cried with them, and I was a ball of anxiety just thinking about how their story may end.

No Tomorrow is a hauntingly beautiful romance full of depth and emotion. It was utterly captivating and sucked you right into the story. It was a book I won’t be forgetting any time soon and one that I can’t recommend enough. Blue was a rockstar unlike any I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for something different and that’ll make you feel, you’ve definitely found your next read.

I fell hard and fast for her. She haunted me; lived in the fabric of my soul and inspired all the emotions and words that had always eluded me. 

I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts.

My first novel in the best-selling Ashes & Embers series, Storm, published in September of 2014. I have many books and sequels slated for this series. My new spin-off series, Devils Wolves, launched in 2016 with the best-selling novel, Torn. There are several books planned for this series as well.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.

Sign up for her newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Email 

New & Upcoming Releases: September 10-11

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


MORE OF YOU by AL Jackson

My daddy warned me never to fall for a boy like Jace Jacobs . . .

The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.

A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.

My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I saw something protective and good beneath the fierce, tough exterior.

I fell hard and fast.

He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.

Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.

Sexier than he’s ever been.

Provocative and commanding.

Successful and powerful.

The man I always knew he would become.

But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.

Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.

Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.

Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .

More of You – a Confessions of the Heart second-chance, stand-alone romance


BLOCK SHOT by Kennedy Ryan

An enemies-to-lovers second chance standalone romance set in the cutthroat world of sports management.

They’re two sharks in a fish tank…

JARED
If I had a dollar for every time Banner Morales made my heart skip a beat…
The heart everyone assumes is frozen over.
Her anger is . . . arousing.
Every glare from those fire-spitting eyes, every time she grits her teeth, gets me . . .well, you know.
If I had a dollar for every time she’s put me in my place, I’d be an even richer man.
I’m a successful sports agent because I assume “no” means you’ll think about it.
I’m sure what you meant to say is “Coming right up.”
They say even rich men don’t always get what they want,
but those men don’t know how to play the game. The trick is to keep them guessing.
Take Banner. She assumes she’s winning, but this game?
She doesn’t even know how to play.

BANNER
If I had a dollar for every time Jared Foster broke my heart, I’d have exactly one dollar.
One night. One epic fail. One dollar . . . and I’m out.
I’ve moved on.
I’ve found success in a field ruled by men.
Anything they can do, I have done better.
They can keep the field while I call the shots, blocking them when I have to.
And Jared has the nerve to think he gets a second chance?
Boy, please. Go sit down. Have several seats.
I’ll just be over here ignoring the man carved from my fantasies with a lust-tipped chisel.
Oh, I didn’t say the struggle wasn’t real.
But I’ve got that one dollar, and Jared won’t have me.


SUGAR by Lauren Dane

A Cake sequel

An impromptu road trip makes for the honeymoon Gregori and Wren didn’t know they wanted

Bad-boy artist Gregori Ivanov wants nothing more than to marry Wren Davis. He’s asked her before—more than once—but she insisted on waiting until she’d established her own career. Now that the time is finally right, Gregori has one hell of a celebration in mind. Restaurants, museums and NYC luxury all the way…on top of all the newlywed sex they’ll be having.

The universe, unfortunately, did not get the message. When their plane is grounded in Idaho, they’re forced to improvise a road trip to get back to Seattle instead of the romantic getaway Gregori painstakingly planned. But that they’re together is what’s important, and with giant roadside potato museums, funky galleries in towns with little more than two stoplights and some seriously great diner food—in between all the great sex—Gregori and Wren find a honeymoon as unique and memorable as their love.


FIGHTING HER by Gillian Jones

We all have that voice inside our heads.

The one that speaks to us incessantly. That voice we trust to make the right decisions, to keep us on a positive path, even when others try to bring us down.

But what happens when that voice changes?
When it’s no longer a voice of reason, a voice of comfort giving us a pep talk when we need one?
What happens when that inner voice turns into a bully?
You’re fat.
Don’t you dare eat that.
You’ll never be as pretty as her.
You’ll never be as good as them.
You’re lazy. You’re stupid.
You are disgusting.
You. Are. Nothing.

What happens when that inner voice makes your body take its side?
Binge.
Purge.
Binge
Purge.
And what happens when the bully starts to win?

If you are 18-year-old Alina Cassidy, then you fight like hell.

Warning: This book may contain sensitive subject matter for some readers. Please note this is the YA version of the previously released adult romance Fighting Weight.


THE RED LEDGER: 5 by Meredith Wild

Tomorrow isn’t promised…

I’ve seen death. I’ve watched my place in the world fall away. Every day, the life I’ve chosen with Tristan changes shape. It’s not the life I wanted for us, but it’s ours. I accept this, as unready as I sometimes feel to face the dark side of humanity he knows too well.

Now the person who’s responsible for putting us on this path has slipped from our grasp. Our grand plans to free Tristan from the life of a mercenary are unraveling. Friends are looking more like foes, and the truth we’ve been searching for is uglier than we could have ever imagined.

Every tomorrow brings a new fight I pray we can win.

But what if tomorrow is something I’ve taken for granted all this time?

What if we’ve met our match?

What if tomorrow never comes?


ONE-EYED ROYALS by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Spoiler Alert! The following blurb contains spoilers for Cash Plays, book three of Seven of Spades.

Shattered by their devastating breakup, Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo find themselves at war right when they need each other most. While Dominic is trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction, Levi despairs of ever catching the Seven of Spades. The ruthless vigilante’s body count continues to climb, and it’s all Levi can do to keep up with the carnage.

When Levi’s and Dominic’s paths keep crossing in the investigation of a kidnapping ring with a taste for mutilation, it feels like history repeating itself. Thrown together by fate once again, they reluctantly join forces in their hunt for the mastermind behind the abductions.

But the Seven of Spades hates sharing the spotlight, and they have an ace in the hole: a new batch of victims with a special connection to Levi. Their murders send shockwaves through Las Vegas and change the rules of the game forever.

The Seven of Spades has upped the ante. If Levi and Dominic don’t play their cards right, they’ll end up losing everything.


THE TENTH GIRL by Carrie Aarons

Never play a game you can’t win.

For Cain Kent, that rule is golden. Losing is not in his vocabulary, and up until now, everything has come easy. Football, school, girls … his charm-laced ego may just be bigger than Texas itself.

The competition he started freshman year with his friends, to make ten notches each in their bedposts by graduation day, is practically in the bag. One more to go, and then it’s off to college fame and eventually, the big time. Attachments aren’t something he wants to form, but when the quiet new girl challenges him in front of his classmates, his curiosity is piqued. She would be the perfect final score, and what fun to break her in the process.

Too bad Harper Posy has no intention of being just another warm body, especially to the bad boy quarterback. Even if he does quote Forster and Huxley when no one is listening. An aspiring author herself, Cain and his hidden soft side are dangerous to her heart. She’s seen men ruin her mother’s dreams time and again, and she’s determined to fly far away as soon as she has that diploma in her fist.

But as the school year’s end looms closer, both realize they didn’t quite understand the rules to begin with. Is winning a dirty bet worth the gamble when the stakes, or the other’s heart in this case, are so high?

Harper is the one girl who isn’t up for playing games. And she just might make Cain lose. Everything.


ON HIS TERMS by Madison Quinn

Fleeing an abusive relationship normally doesn’t lead to a contract.

After being burned by an ex Nicholas doesn’t trust easily. However, his refusal to have a serious girlfriend threatens everything he has spent the last five years working to accomplish. Somehow, instability in his love life has convinced the public that he can’t manage a multi-billion dollar investment firm. If he doesn’t change things quickly, he’ll risk losing everything he’s worked his entire life for.

To solve his problems, Nicholas hires Kenzie to be his pretend girlfriend. With the terms of their contract firmly in place, Kenzie is confident this arrangement will allow her to ditch at least one of the deadbeat jobs she’s endured to keep from returning to the horrors she left behind.

Keeping their arrangement completely professional slowly becomes complicated as attraction rises to the surface. Both of their futures are riding on this arrangement working and neither can afford to lose the other.


ONCE UPON A REAL GOOD TIME by Lauren Blakely 

From #1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely comes a sexy new standalone rom-com!
That smoking hot one-night stand with a former rock star? Turns out he’s my son’s new music teacher. Oops.
But I didn’t know that the night I met Campbell. All I knew was he played my body the same way he played a guitar — like he owned it.

My libido is still high-fiving me after being self-served for too many years, and we’re both ready for another night or two of fun, especially since we don’t just have chemistry in bed — we connect over everything.

That is, until I learn he’s the man who’ll be coming to my house twice a week to teach my son — the best music lessons money can buy.

Time to turn down the volume on our shenanigans. Only that’s easier said than done.

***

I can rock a guitar solo in front of thousands, I can write chart-topping tunes, and I can absolutely stop thinking about my student’s mother naked.

After all, I’m a single parent too, and I know what it’s like to put your kid first. That’s what I do every damn day.

Trouble is, now that I’ve had Mackenzie, it’s hard — and I do mean hard — to stop wanting her. Harder too when I get to know her, and learn she’s an awesome mom, a great friend, and, oh yeah, she happens to get along perfectly with my daughter.

All we have to do is set some rules. No dating, no nookie when the kids are around, and no one gets hurt.

It’s all working out beautifully. Until we start breaking the rules, one by one.

Making music with her in the bedroom is easy. But will we be more than just a real good time when the music stops?


THE MISTAKES I’VE MADE by JL Berg

From USA Today bestselling author J.L. Berg comes an enemies to lovers stand-alone romance.

I was waiting for my life to start…

After forgoing college to help run the family business, I’d given up on the idea of a different life, and finally made peace with something a bit simpler.

That is, until Leilani Hart showed up.

There is nothing simple about about the hotel heiress and the minute our eyes meet, I know my carefree existence is a thing of the past. She has big ideas for our sleepy town and the motel she plans on transforming into a spa destination for the rich and famous.

She’ll have to go through me first.

From our first meeting, we’re like fire and ice and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to pin her down and melt some of those frigid layers right off.

But, my town comes first. Or, at least, that’s what I keep telling myself. Unfortunately, my heart and head don’t seem to agree and soon, I don’t know where my loyalties lie. I’ve never believed in love, but for her, I just might be willing to risk it all.

Even if it means falling… for the enemy.


BUT FIRST, COFFEE by Sarah Darlington

She’s the boss.
I’m only a barista in her company.

I really don’t give a f**k about her one way or the other.

And then there’s Doug Maddox, a man with a lot of power over me. He’s blackmailing me. Making me spy on her. I’m supposed to find her weaknesses and destroy her. But the closer I get, the more the lines between us start to blur.

She’s sweet. She’s kind. She’s sexy as hell.
Why am I the only man who see’s this?

So now I’m stuck—between keeping my sister safe against Doug, because that’s what’s really at stake here, and these feelings I can’t deny for a woman who shouldn’t mean anything to me.

I know what I have to do. I’ll destroy her.
It doesn’t matter if I have to destroy my own heart in the process.


HAPPY ENDING by J. Kenner

Weddings, proposals, and babies…oh my!

What happens after you’ve found your happily-ever-after?

The Fisher boys learn that life is unpredictable and nothing is certain.

Will they get to keep everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve, or will they lose it all?

Come join the brothers for one last round at the bar and let’s cheers to a happy ending!

RELEASING SEPTEMBER 11


INTERCEPTED by Alexa Martin

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there’s a new player on the horizon, and he’s in a league of his own…

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She’s definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There’s just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he’s nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team’s wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee’s return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin’s relationship to survive the season.


LOVE LIKE OURS by Melissa Foster

One wrong move, and she meets a guy with all the right ones…

Talia Dalton lives her life on cruise control. Despite her successful career as a professor, she prefers protecting her broken heart to taking chances. She’s calm, cool, collected, and steady. Until the morning she takes her eyes off that familiar road and almost runs over the sexiest man she’s ever seen. It may not be the best way to start the day, but it might be the type of shake-up she needs.

Male dancer Derek Grant has goals, and nothing is going to get in the way of achieving them. As a graduate student and the sole caretaker of his ailing father, he hasn’t much time for relationships. Then Talia crashes into his life. Sweet, pretty—and so buttoned-up that he can’t wait to help her cut loose.

For Derek, falling in love was a beautiful accident waiting to happen. And it might be exactly what Talia needs—if she’s willing to let go of the past and embrace every surprise Derek has to offer.


WOUND TIGHT by Lorelei James

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorelei James comes a crossover story in her Rough Riders/Blacktop Cowboys® series…

A May-December romance hotter than the 4th of July…

Bull rider Justin Donohue spent his youth hell-bent on winning world championships. After hitting the big 4-0, Justin takes a job at the Grade A Ranch and Rodeo School, where he immediately locks horns (and lips) with the sexy, sassy Callie—a 22-year-old cowgirl set on seducing him. Discovering their age difference doesn’t deter Callie; neither does Justin’s warning that she deserves more than a busted-up former rodeo cowboy.

From the moment Callie Morgan encounters the hot-as-fire new ranch hand, she knows his gruff manner is an attempt to mask his attraction to her. But she’s never backed down from a challenge, especially not when Justin’s actions speak louder than his denials. Callie doesn’t give a damn that he’s older than her or what others might think of their relationship. The uptight cowboy needs to relax and she’ll do whatever it takes to loosen him up, proving there are no age restrictions when it comes to lust…or to falling in love.


BOUND TO THE BEAR by Kathy Lyons

From USA Today bestselling author Kathy Lyons comes a sexy new enemies-to-lovers shifter romance.

Hard-bodied and military-trained shifter Hank Coleman will always do what’s best for the clan. With a mysterious virus ravaging the city and transforming anyone with shifter DNA into dangerously unstable hybrids, that means asking a human scientist for help. Hank knows that getting Dr. Cecilia Lu involved will mean exposing the shifter world and his black bear self, but it’s the animal attraction that sparks between them that could be the real danger.

Cecilia trusts data and what she can see with her own two eyes. So when the hottest man she’s ever met transforms into a bear right in front of her, she has no choice but to accept that shifters are real. And with hybrids attacking humans and shifters turning on their own kind, Hank and Cecilia have zero time to fight the desire that’s burning hotter by the minute. But war is brewing between the shifters, and Cecilia will be forced to choose between the world of men . . . and the world of her sexy beast.

Alpha Unleashed is a fast-paced, wild bear-shifter ride! I loved it!”New York Timesbestselling author Jennifer Ashley


YESTERDAY IS GONE by HJ Bellus

They say going home is easy, and in all reality, it should be. Just not for me.

The small, one-horse town that gave me my roots, that made my soul thrive, is also the place I never wanted to set foot in again. I left everything behind and never looked back.

Until now.

With the death of the man who raised me, I’m forced to return to Boone.

Old wounds resurface, and heartache and loss trump everything once more.

Seeing the man who shattered my world the night of our high school graduation almost brings me to my knees.

Jessie, my once best friend and love of my life, ruined it all for me…for us.

I’m back in Boone…and my secret is about to rattle the tiny town.


A FIREFIGHTER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Vivian Arend

This firefighter has the perfect gift for a single mom and her little girl – if they’ll take him.

A holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend.

All Bradley Ford wants this holiday season is a date or three with sweet Hanna Lane. He’s the new fire chief, recently returned to Heart Falls to help his father after an accident. And while he wasn’t expecting to find someone like Hanna so soon, Brad’s certain that Hanna—and her adorable daughter, Crissy—are perfect for him and his plans to settle down.

Hanna’s been taking care of herself since she became a single mom at sixteen. The only pure, honest love she trusts is her little girl’s, but for the first time in eight years, her libido flares to life. Something about Brad draws her like a moth to a flame—which is always a bad idea for the moth.

When a fire leaves Hanna and Crissy homeless, Brad offers them shelter at his family’s homestead. Crissy insists they’ve moved in with Santa. Hanna’s not sure how she keeps ending up under the mistletoe with Brad. And Brad? He’s hoping for the best Christmas gift of all…


RELEASING SEPTEMBER 13


THE TRUTH ABOUT US by Aly Martinez

Truth: Penn Walker entered my life like a summer storm—dark, ominous, and filled with thunder.

After witnessing my husband’s murder, I didn’t have much of a heart left to offer a man.

But Penn took it all.

Every jagged shard.

Every broken bit.

Even the dirty and twisted pieces that I wish never existed.

Lie: I didn’t need him to save me.

Lie: I knew exactly who he was.

Lie: Losing him wouldn’t destroy me.

But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.


IF WE FLY by Nina Lane

We fell in love. Then our world fell apart.

I wished so hard for Cole Danforth. And one day, he came true. He was my first crush, my first lover, my first and only love. He should also have been my last.

But in a split-second, we were ripped apart, our lives broken, my heart shattered. After ten years, I’ve returned to my hometown, the place of my greatest joy and darkest pain.

Cole is still here, but the beautiful boy I’d loved is gone. Now he’s a ruthless, unforgiving man determined to feed both my resentment and my lust.

Then our torturous past encroaches again, trapping us in a violent storm.

But this time, there is no escape.
Reading order of What If:

IF WE LEAP
IF WE FALL
IF WE FLY

ANY GIVEN LIFETIME by Leta Blake

He’ll love him in any lifetime.

Neil isn’t a ghost, but he feels like one. Reincarnated with all his memories from his prior life, he spent twenty years trapped in a child’s body, wanting nothing more than to grow up and reclaim the love of his life.

As an adult, Neil finds there’s more than lost time separating them. Joshua has built a beautiful life since Neil’s death, and how exactly is Neil supposed to introduce himself? As Joshua’s long-dead lover in a new body? Heartbroken and hopeless, Neil takes refuge in his work, developing microscopic robots called nanites that can produce medical miracles.

When Joshua meets a young scientist working on a medical project, his soul senses something his rational mind can’t believe. Has Neil truly come back to him after twenty years? And if the impossible is real, can they be together at long last?

Any Given Lifetime is a stand-alone, slow burn, second chance gay romance by Leta Blake featuring reincarnation and true love. This story includes some angst, some steam, an age gap, and, of course, a happy ending.


MANHATTAN SUGAR by V. Theia

Once upon a time there was a party-girl called India Rivera… ah, who am I kidding?
This is no fairytale.
My whole life is crap right now.

Bad Ideas:
Relying on anyone.
Drunk texting.

The sexiest man alive; shoe kingpin, Gray Ellison, is back in my life.
We had a combustible flirtation a year ago.
My begging, lonely heart doesn’t stand a chance against his sweetness… especially with his extraordinary proposal.
He wants to take care of me.

HE’S NOT MY SUGAR DADDY

This gorgeous man wants all my broken parts.
Two passionate, captivated magnets.
It’s impossible not to fall for him.

BUT HE SURE IS SWEET

Immerse in his love … or self-destruct our perfect relationship.
Only time will tell what I’ll do.
I mean, I did mention I was screwed up, right?

Not all bossy heroes are alpha-holes. Sometimes they just want to shower you in sugar.

——–

You saw their meet-cute in the Taboo Love Duet.
Now it’s Gray and India’s turn to get sweet.
Complete Standalone novel.


FLIRTING WITH FIRE by Piper Rayne – Buy link TBA

Everyone knows that if you play with fire you’ll end up getting burned…

What happens when you attend a first responder’s bachelor auction with your best friends? Well, if your name is Madison Kelly like me, your friends end up bidding on a date for you with your high school crush.

That’s right. Even back when I was ‘Fatty Maddie’ to all my classmates, I had eyes for the quarterback of our football team. Not like I was the only one.

Mauro Bianco may fight fires for a living, but he still sets my heart ablaze. One look at the rugged, muscular man he’s turned into and I want to slide down his pole.

One date. That’s all I’m committed to. A few hours and I can tuck him back into that tattered old shoebox in my closet.

As always, the universe has other plans. I never would’ve predicted that in a matter of days he’d turn from my dream guy into my business partner-and that’s when things got interesting.


NO TOMORROW by Carian Cole – buy link TBA

The people we love are thieves.
They steal our hearts. They steal our breath.
They steal our sanity.
And we let them.
Over and over and over again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They say you never forget your first time.
Mine was with a homeless musician who effed my brains out under a bridge.

He was my first love. And fourteen years later, I still can’t get him out of my head.

He broke all my rules.
He also broke my heart.

I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.
But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.

Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.

You can’t go back, but I want to. Back to the bridge. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.

I thought I knew everything about him.
But I could not have been more wrong.

He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.
And hoping.
Again.


RELEASING SEPTEMBER 14


MUSE by Katy Evans

A brand new sizzling standalone contemporary romance by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

It was supposed to just be a quick trip to Manhattan.
My best friend was heartbroken. She needed support, and I needed inspiration.
I hoped to love the city. Bustling. Crazy. Inspiring New York.
But I ended up at the airport, heading home in the same condition that I arrived.
In a rut.
Add to all that, missing my flight and losing my laptop—the laptop, where the Best Love Story Ever sat on my hard drive.
Enter Noah Steele. Eerily familiar. Movie star. Heartthrob. Sultry romeo with bedroom eyes.
(But we’re not going there.)
He missed his flight too.
Noah is so smoldering, lip-bitingly hot, he’s not taken seriously as an actor, and is struggling to launch his career in New York.
He’s only ever had superficial girlfriends, so he’s having trouble showing true passion in his acting—the same challenge I’m having with this book.
When we met, we didn’t know that our connection would bring us the change we’d been craving.
That we’d be the very thing the other needed and didn’t know.
Each other’s muse.

*This book is a complete standalone and no previous reading is necessary to enjoy.


PROPHET by SM West – Buy link TBA

Money is my mistress.

Solving problems, my trade.

Until the tables turn, and trouble finds me.

Now on the run, I need a plan.

But not before I’m blindsided by a pain-in-the-ass stranger.

Maggie.

Curves, startling blue eyes, and she hates me.

I don’t trust her and with good reason.

My plan is simple: use her.

Then I kiss her. Touch her. Crave her.

She was my way out, now she’s my downfall.

Prophet is a full length, standalone enemies-to-lovers romance with a HEA.

#DGRFave & Review: Dirty Headlines by LJ Shen

DIRTY HEADLINES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: September 7, 2018


Célian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
…And my new boss.
I could have impressed him, if not for last month’s unforgettable one-night stand.
I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory—namely, his wallet.
Now he’s staring me down like I’m the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I’m supposed to take it.
But the thing about being Judith “Jude” Humphry is I have nothing to lose.
Brooklyn girl.
Infamously quirky.
Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.
When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.
He knows it.
So do I.
Every day in the newsroom is a battle.
Every night in his bed, war.
But it’s my heart at stake, and I fear I’ll be raising the white flag.

AMAZON

Part of me wanted to screw her, the other to spank her. Those two didn’t necessarily contradict one another.

An über alphahole, a chuck loving, sharp-witted heroine, laugh out loud humor, and a romance hot enough to set every ovary within a 100 mile radius aflame all blend together into another page-turner from the awesome LJ Shen! It was sinfully delicious with some of the HOTTEST sex scenes and one dirty talking mega asshole. *swoon*

Did I mention the alphahole part? Because I swear, no one writes a hot alphahole quite like LJ Shen.

How had this guy not been assassinated yet? He was a walking, talking personal offense.

Dirty Headlines was a refreshingly different tone than what we’re used to from this author. Yes, it had all of the sexy and yes it had that sizzling enemies to lovers vibe that she’s oh so good at. But it was a lighter and more fun book than her usual, and I loved it for that! There was no crazy angst, but it was still ridiculously addicting. So much so, that I never even missed the angst I’ve come to love from her. What it did have was perfectly timed and quirky humor that I couldn’t get enough of. I simply adored the voice she used to write this one, and gobbled it up like the Shen Addict that I am!

Judith “Jude” Humphry is a down on her luck, poor girl struggling to make ends meet for herself and her beloved ailing brother. She’s also a chuck loving sasshole and I loved her for it. This is a chick that speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to give as good as she gets. And when it comes to Célian Laurent, there’s a lot of taking. Uhem.

Célian is the ridiculously rich, too sexy for his own good heir to a media empire. He’s also Jude’s new boss. But before that, he was Jude’s one night stand and the man she left sleeping in a hotel room while making off with his wallet. Desperate times and even more desperate measures make a girl do some things she never thought she would. Sparks fly immediately between these two, but when they run back into each other in the newsroom? Hells fire but I was addicted! The antagonism is strong here, people. And the back and forth sharp witted banter with a HEAVY undercurrent of sexual tension? INCENDIARY!!!

Dirty Headlines is one of those books that will set your loins on fire while also putting a smile on your face. It’s fun, sexy, full of witty banter, and a page turner from beginning to finish. In a word? LOVED!!!!!

#DGRFave Review: Josh + Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating by @ChristinaLauren

JOSH + HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Christina Lauren
Release Date: September 4, 2018

From New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren comes a new romantic comedy about two friends who are definitely, for sure, in no way dating…maybe 

Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold. JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING tells the story of two people who are definitely not dating, no matter how often they end up in bed together.

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?

AMAZON | B&N | B-A-M | INDIEBOUND | iBOOKS | BLIO | GOOGLE BOOKS | KOBO

Sometimes your lack of filter kills me,” he says. “It’s not even like you lack a filter; you lack a funnel.”

Oh my gosh! I loved this book! If you’re looking for a fun, quirky, put-a-smile-on-your-face-and-keep-it-there rom-com, this book is it! I was immediately hooked from the first page and stayed glued to my kindle until the end. It was the most fun I’ve had reading in a while! Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was a refreshingly different take on friends to lovers and I loved every adorably quirky page!

It’s cool.” I wave an extremely casual hand. “Josh has already seen my boobs.”
The party stops. Air stills.
“I mean, not because he wanted to see them.” My brain desperately tries to fix this. “They were forced on him.”
A wind chime rings mournfully in the distance.
Birds stop flying midair and fall to their deaths.

Josh and Hazel first met in college when she threw up on his shoes at a party and proceeded to have a few more fun run ins when he was her TA. A particular favorite of mine was the email she sent him while hopped up on pain killers after having her wisdom teeth removed. Suffice it to say Hazel is the sort of woman that makes a lasting impression. She’s adorably different with her borderline manic personality, and I loved how comfortable she is in her own skin. This is a woman that knows she’s different, and she makes no apologies for it. She is who she is, and she accepts that about herself. She knows that she can be a lot to take and she won’t settle for anyone that will make her feel like she should be embarrassed about herself. I absolutely LOVED that about her.

Sorry. I’m being too Hazel-y.”
I watch her wash the dishes and manage to clean up the kitchen quite capably while I pick at my breakfast. She isn’t pouting, and it doesn’t seem like I’ve hurt her feelings—she honestly just seems to have heard something in my tone that I didn’t intend.
“What does that mean,” I ask, “ ‘being too Hazel-y’?”
Turning with a dish towel in her hand, she shrugs. “I tend to be too chatty, too silly, too exuberant, too random, too eager.” She spreads her hands. “Too Hazel-y.”

Hazel was simply adorable with her brood of equally quirky pets. There’s Winnie the poodle, Vodka the parrot, Janice Hoplin the rabbit, and the fish Daniel Craig. I mean, seriously! This is rom-com magic right here. But I digress. Hazel knows what her faults are, and she knows that she’s doomed to short lived relationships because of it. Men seem to think that her over the top personality is cute at first, but then they expect her to settle into being a ‘normal’ girlfriend. And when she doesn’t, things end.

Josh Im is Hazel’s best friend’s brother. And as fate would have it, they stumble back into each other’s life years after college. Hazel takes one look at Josh’s calm manner and unassuming personality, and immediately decides they’re going to be best friends. She makes no secret of the fact that she had a huge crush on him in college, but she knows that they’re simply not suited for each other. And when Josh’s current relationship comes to a crashing end, they make a bid on setting each other up on blind dates until each of them find ‘the one’. What ensues can only be described as one hysterically bad date after another. I was eagerly turning the pages just to read the next laugh out loud disaster of a date they’d inadvertently line up for each other next. And as the dates continue, Josh and Hazel’s unlikely friendship blossoms.

I can’t believe I’m encouraging this conversation, but you were telling me about your gynecologist snubbing you and I’m actually curious to hear how it turned out.”
“So I stopped in the middle of the gymnasium and smiled at him—not my courtesy smile, but my real one—and he just walked by.”
“Maybe he didn’t see you.”
“He definitely saw me—and don’t get me wrong, I run into guys all the time who’ve seen my vagina and pretend not to know who I am. Things don’t work out and that’s fine. But I paid this guy.”

I adored Josh. Where Hazel was a refreshingly different heroine, Josh was definitely a refreshingly different hero. He’s a serial monogamist that doesn’t sleep around. He’s sweet, serious, and in any other book he could have been entirely forgettable. But Christina Lauren made him one of the most lovable and memorable characters here; with Hazel being the perfect kooky balance.

Your turn.”
“Me?” I honestly have no idea how many guys I’ve been with, so I pull a lowball number out of the air. “Maybe twenty.”
His eyes go wide and he coughs as he swallows. “Twenty?”
“Actually probably more? Let’s say thirty.”
Josh shakes his head and laughs. “Wow, okay.”
This response is not an improvement.
“Don’t do that.” I point a finger at him. “Don’t act like I’ve crossed some magical threshold of appropriate numbers for a woman. If I was a dude and said that, you’d reply, ‘In high school, right?’ and then high-five me and call me brah.”

This was easily my favorite rom-com I’ve read all year. It was absolute perfection that kept a goofy smile on my face the entire time! I couldn’t get enough! I adored everything about this book and the characters. If you’re looking for your next read, look no further. Because this book is simply not to be missed!

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. They are New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Sublime, The House, Dating You/Hating You and the critically acclaimed Autoboyography. Roomies (released December 2017), has been optioned for film by Jenna Dewan’s company Everheart Productions, with Christina and Lauren set to write the screenplay.  

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Review: Siren In Waiting by Lexi Blake

SIREN IN WAITING
Series: Texas Sirens #5
Genre: Erotic Romance, Menage, MFM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: September 4, 2018

Re-released in a second edition with new content.

Bethany “Mouse” Hobbes spent her entire life waiting, especially for the love of Bo O’Malley. But for the first time in her life, she is ready to start living, with or without him. She has found her dream, restoring a rustic farmhouse on the outskirts of town.

Trev McNamara left Deer Run a high school hero and has returned, his football career in ruins. When Trev meets Mouse, he discovers a passion strong enough to overcome his past. But can she accept his need for control?

Bo O’Malley has lived his whole life in the shadow of his brother, never committing to anything or anyone. When the woman he secretly loved all his life begins an affair with the man who betrayed his trust, Bo will do anything to claim her as his own.

Transformed by their love, will Mouse be enough woman for both of them?

AMAZON

This is it. You understand? This isn’t sex. This is the rest of my life. I won’t ever leave you. I won’t ever touch another woman.” 

I’m not usually a reader that enjoys super shy mousy heroines. So when you have a book in which the heroine’s nickname is “Mouse”, you give it some serious thought. Unless that book is written by Lexi Blake. Then you just dive in without batting an eyelash and be glad you did.

If you’re a fan of the unrequited love trope like me, you’re going to love this story! I became intrigued by Bo O’Malley in Siren Beloved. He comes across as the ne’er-do-well good time boy, but beneath the surface is the heart of a wounded man. And while we got bits and pieces of that in the previous book, it really becomes apparent here. Bo is a man of many layers. Bethany “Mouse” Hobbes has been in love with Bo since childhood but he’s only ever seen her as his best friend. She’s always been there for him in what’s at times seemed like a very one sided relationship. Mouse is very much the epitome of her nickname in the beginning of the book.

He was never serious about those women, but one day Bo O’Malley was going to fall in love, and it wouldn’t be with her. He considered her a friend, a sister. They had an odd relationship, and there was no way it would last. When he found a serious girlfriend, she would be out.

Trev was the true draw of this book for me though. He’s such a tortured and broken soul, yet there’s something so powerful about his presence. This is a man that almost lost everything to his addictions until he truly hit rock bottom. D/s was a part of his saving grace, but discovering he’s a Dom doesn’t cure him. He’s forever a slave to fighting his addiction. Trev has such a magnetic presence to him and the minute he’s back in the small town of Deer Run, it becomes clear that things are about to tilt on their axis. The town doesn’t want him and the gossip mill truly gets their fodder the second his sets his sights on Mouse.

Sometimes he was sure he was two utterly different people. There was the dumbass addict who didn’t care about anything beyond his next high, and the caveman who thought everything belonged to him. Those two sides of him fought constantly for control. He needed to make her understand.

I loved watching the budding relationship with him and Beth. And I truly loved watching Beth bloom into a woman she’s meant to be under his attentions. She’s sweet but fierce in her loyalty and love. She’s impossible not to love. This was a menage but an MFM. And while I love me my boy touching books, but I’ll admit that I really loved this change of pace. Their triage is unique yet no less powerful and loving. I loved watching all three of these characters grow into their own and find strength in each other.

Siren In Waiting was such a satisfying and sinfully sexy romance. With a dash of suspense thrown in, it was a guaranteed one-sitting sort of read that I loved from beginning to end.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: