Check out the gorgeous new contemporary romance, and grab your copy today!
Title: Sweet Sexy Heart
Author: Melissa Foster
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Sweet Sexy Heart:
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster’s writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.
Amber Montgomery is perfectly happy with her quiet life, running her bookstore, taking long walks with Reno, her Labrador retriever seizure-response dog, and spending time with her close-knit family. Sheโs never needed thrills the way some of her sisters have. In an effort to control her epilepsy, she tries to avoid anything that creates too much excitement or stressโincluding relationships. When Amber hosts a book signing for famed-athlete-turned-author Dash Pennington, heโs everything sheโs spent her life avoiding: loud, aggressive, and far too handsome, as proven by the hordes of women who surround him everywhere he goes. Amber canโt ignore the sparks flying between her and Dash, but this is a no-brainer for her: Ignore their chemistry and hold her breath until he leaves town.
Dash Pennington has spent his life running. Running the ball in for a touchdown, running from town to town to appease his public relations reps, and running into the arms of too many women to count. Heโs also an expert at protectingโhis reputation, his sisters, and lately, his sanity. But heโs ready to make a change. When he comes to the sleepy little town of Oak Falls, Virginia, and witnesses the most beautiful woman heโs ever seen living the life he craves, she refuses to have anything to do with him. But now that Dash has found the one thing he doesnโt want to run from, heโll stop at nothing to win her over.
Find out more about these and many other steamy romance series in Melissa Fosterโs big-family contemporary romance collection, Love in Bloom, featuring characters from all walks of life, from billionaires to blue-collar workers. Youโll love her fun, sexy, and relatable characters, and their real-life issues. Youโre always guaranteed a happily ever after.
LIGHTS TWINKLED FROM the rafters and country music blared from a stage at the far end of the old barn as retired football star Dash Pennington and his old college teammate Sinclair โSinโ Vernon weaved around people dancing and mingling and children darting through the crowd with fistfuls of cookies. Women decked out in jeans and cowgirl boots eyed Dash suggestively. Enjoy the visual buffet, ladies, because thatโs all youโre going to get.
Dash had been thrilled when his motivational speaking gig had been canceled. Heโd jumped on the first flight out to see his buddy and had arrived in Oak Falls, Virginia, about an hour ago. This was just what he neededโa break from his crazy life and the skintight dresses and money-hungry claws of the plastic women in the circles in which heโd run for the last decade. Heโd thought things would slow down after he retired from football, but heโd gone from one media circus to another with motivational speaking gigs, sponsorships, and the upcoming tour for his new bestselling book, Capturing the Fire Within, a guide for young men to find their paths and realize their dreams. The funny thing was, he was still trying to figure out his own path.
โThis jam session is frigging awesome!โ he shouted as they walked past the stage where a group of twentysomething girls were singing with a band that looked more like a family reunion. A kid who couldnโt have been older than ten or eleven was playing the violin beside a man who looked to be about sixty playing a guitar. A teenage girl was on drums, and a handful of other people were playing a variety of instruments. โHow often do they do this?โ
โEvery few weeks.โ Sin raked a hand through his jet-black hair. At six foot three, two hundred and thirty pounds, he stood eye to eye with Dash. โThe Jerichos invite everyone in the area to play music and dance. People bring food and catch up with neighbors. Itโs pretty cool.โ
โKind of reminds me of home.โ Dash had grown up in Port Hudson, New York, which was a college town, not a rural area, but it had the same close-knit feel, and while they didnโt have jam sessions, they had other community activities.
โGood old Port Hudson.โ Sin cocked a grin. โI need to take a trip out there soon to see how Dawn and Andi are doing, remind them what a real man looks like.โ
Dash narrowed his eyes in warning at the mention of his younger sisters, but it was all in good fun. They gave each other a hard time about their sisters often, but they also stepped in like protective brothers when necessary. โSpeaking of sisters, did Kiki tell you she finally kicked that guy she was dating to the curb?โ
โYeah, last week. Thank God she listens to you.โ Kiki was Sinโs younger sister. โI owe you one. Come on, letโs find Amber.โ
โRight. Amber. The only woman on the planet not clamoring to get near me.โ Amber Montgomery owned Story Time bookstore and was hosting Dashโs debut signing in a couple of weeks. She was the only bookstore owner who hadnโt immediately agreed to host, which he found odd, considering how much attention his presence would bring to her store. It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of him. By the time sheโd accepted, all the tour spots had been full. Dash had been curious about the holdout, and since Sin lived in the area, Dash had Amberโs bookstore added as the first stop on the tour.
Sin looked at him wryly. โSheโs out of your league, man. But it looks like youโve got plenty of fans. People around here donโt usually gawk like this.โ
Dash glanced around as they moved through the crowd, noticing that, in addition to the women checking him out who probably had no clue who he was, guys were looking over like they recognized him, and a few cowboys were sizing him up. Donโt worry, Iโm not here to take your women for a ride. Heโd learned his lesson about meaningless hookups when he was young and stupid, and he sure as hell wasnโt going to screw over some random guy just to get his rocks off.
โReally? With you around, Iโd think theyโd be like this all the time.โ Dash wasnโt kidding. Sin was impressive as hell on and off the football field. Theyโd met while attending Virginia State on football scholarships. After graduation, Dash had turned pro, and Sin had followed a coaching path, eventually becoming the athletic program director for their alma mater. A couple of years ago, Sin had taken over as the athletic director at No Limitz, the Oak Falls youth center. Dash had always admired his friendโs determination to follow his heart instead of the money.
Sin gave him a donโt-give-me-that-bullshit glance.
โI shouldโve worn a cowboy hat to blend in. How about we donโt mention football to your friends? Tonight Iโd just like to be your friend, and when necessary, some guy who wrote a book.โ
โYeah, I got that impression when you called. No problem.โ
As he followed Sin through the crowd, his attention caught on a beautiful brunette talking with a group of people. Her fingertips grazed the head of a golden retriever wearing a service vest. He had a fleeting curiosity about the dog, but he got caught up in watching the woman as she talked with the dark-haired guy beside her. A smile as natural and enticing as summer rain brightened her face, giving her an even sweeter girl-next-door vibe. As they neared, he realized her hair wasnโt brown but more of a chestnut color, the long layers a little messy. The kind of hair that beckoned to be touched, the kind of easy smile he hadnโt seen in a very long time. There was nothing overtly sexual about her simple peach sweater or dark skinny jeans tucked into scuffed brown cowgirl boots with pink designs that looked like old favorites, but he found her utterly captivating. He wanted to know who she was and what her voice sounded like. Was it as sweet as she looked? Was she? It had been a long damn time since heโd actually been drawn to a woman enough to want to know more about her.
The beauty shook her head, and her hair tumbled in front of one eye, giving her an alluring edge. She tucked that wayward strand behind her ear, her eyes sweeping over the crowd, colliding with Dashโs, and holy hell, the air between them sizzled with a wild, frenetic energy. He couldnโt look away, didnโt want to, the need to meet her as real as the heat burning beneath his skin, and Sin was leading him directly toward her.
When they joined the group, Sin said, โThe best thing about these jam sessions is seeing all the hottest ladies in Oak Falls in one place,โ startling the chestnut-haired beauty. She tore her gaze away from Dash, crimson spreading over her cheeks.
A familiar-looking dark-haired guy rolled his shoulders back and cleared his throat.
Sin laughed. โAnd the hottest guys. Sorry, Axsel.โ
โNo worries. With a body like that, youโre always forgiven.โ Axsel dragged his eyes down Dashโs body. โAnd hello, gorgeous friend of Sinโs.โ
Dash offered his hand. โHi. Iโm Dash. Where do I know you from?โ In the next second, he recognized the man as Axsel Montgomery, the lead guitarist in the infamous band Inferno. โWait, youโre a rock star, right?โ He started connecting the dots and wondered if Axsel was related to Amber.
โIn and out of the bedroom,โ Axsel said flirtatiously, giving Dashโs hand a squeeze. โAnd you have a great name. Short for Dashing, I assume?โ
Dash laughed and shook his head, his eyes finding the brunetteโs again, causing a rush of heat to redden her neck and cheeks. She was adorably refreshing, in the sexiest of waysโa rarity in his world.
โKeep your trousers on, Axsel,โ Sin said. โDash is straight, and I brought him along tonight to meet Amber, not to hook up with her brother. Dash wrote a book, and heโs doing a signing with her in a couple of weeks.โ He motioned to the brunette, who was staring at Dash again. โDash, this is Amber Montgomery. Amber, this is Dash Pennington.โ
Itโs my lucky day. โItโs a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Amber.โ Dash held out his hand. โShea had wonderful things to say about you.โ Shea Steele was his publicist. Sheโd told him that Amber ran the busiest bookstore in the area, and she was sweet, cautious, and definitely not his type. Shea couldnโt have been more wrong.
The blond woman standing next to Amber, wearing about a dozen necklaces and a blouse with flowing sleeves, nudged Amber with her elbow, startling Amber out of her trance. Amber blinked repeatedly and shook Dashโs hand. โHi. Itโs nice to meet you.โ
Her hand was soft and warm, her voice as sweet as honey, and her gorgeous hazel eyes were as lost in him as his were in her. โI hear you own a great bookstore. Iโm looking forward to getting to know you.โ
She continued shaking his hand. โIโฆyeah. Booksโฆin the shop.โ
She was too damn cute.
A tall woman with thick and wild dark hair trailing over her shoulders from beneath a cowgirl hat stifled a laugh, and the blonde nudged Amber again.
โBookstore, sorry,โ Amber said quickly, dropping his hand. Her fingers landed on the dogโs head. โI own a bookstore. But you already know that. Oh my gosh. I betterโฆโ Her eyes darted around them. โNice to meet you. I have toโฆdo that thing. Over there.โ She pointed into the crowd. โSorry. See you in the bookstore. Come, Reno.โ
As Amber hurried away, a thin blonde lowered her voice and said, โSo much for flirting lessons.โ
Flirting lessons? That piqued his interest.
โYouโll have to excuse my sister,โ the hippieish blonde said. โSheโs had a long day.โ
Dash watched Amber moving through the crowd. โNo excuse necessary. She made a remarkable first impression.โ And he couldnโt wait to see what her second impression was like.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
Sweet, Sexy Heart definitely lived up to itโs title. The book was oh so sweet and OMG sexyโฆ
Amber was a small town sweetheart dealing with health issues that until recently had been under control but dealing with an upcoming event thatโs happening in her bookstore things start to slip from the reins sheโs tightly held on them. Hosting an event featuring a well-known, retired professional footballer that everyone wants to meet is a coup for a small store owner like Amber but it, and the man in question, are quite overwhelming and have a real impact on our leading lady.
Dash, he was a sweetie, but I kept wondering if he was too good to be trueโฆ. I was glad to discover that what we saw was what we got with him. He was all in when it came to Amber, taking care of her and not in the least bit put off or intimidated by her health issues. I loved that he was as thoughtful and caring as he was, even when she herself wasnโt convinced that things between them could work.
Low on angst, heavy on the sweet and heat, I really enjoyed this read from Melissa Foster.
4* and a story I would reread in the future
REVIEW TO COME – Still Reading!!!
About Melissa Foster:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, and the Wild Boys After Dark. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented.
Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.
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โBooks are a uniquely portable magic.โ
โ Stephen King
My favourite genre is PNR - yep, more than happy to admit that Iโm a bit of a #parawhores...... but small town is a very close second!!! In saying that, Iโll read and review a real mix of genres - from the better known authors to new-to-me authors and everything in between.
I hope you enjoy the posts and that they might lead you to some โnew to youโ authors.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tracy ๐ค๐๐ค
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