Title: Dr. Single Dad Series: Doctors #5 Author: Louise Bay
Genre: Contemporary Romance Tropes: Single Dad/Nanny, Grumpy/Sunshine Forbidden Romance, Forced Proximity Release Date: April 11, 2024
BLURB Unexpected fatherhood, a newborn daughter and a nanny in the next bedroom he can’t stop fantasizing about.
When a one-night stand announces I just became a father to a baby girl, my world is thrown into turmoil.
My choice: single fatherhood or sign adoption papers.
The decision is easy.
Within hours, I’m on a plane to collect my daughter.
I’m in over my head. I barely know one end of a baby from the other. Luckily, I have the perfect plan. I’ll hire live-in help, have limited involvement with the kid, and keep my life just the same as it’s always been.
I finally find a nanny who lives up to my exacting standards. But the only problem is, every time I look at her, the future I thought I wanted starts to crumble.
Nothing in my life is going according to plan… and the wriggling poo machine in my arms is unexpectedly worming her way into my heart.
Life was ordered and logical until I got myself two roommates and started falling in love with both of them.
International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh – the kind she likes to read.
Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.
Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn’t have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).
One night was all it was supposed to be…so why is he sitting in my office right now?
Agreeing to do the floral arrangements for a high profile wedding has opened the doors wide open for Whoopsie Daisy. My friends and I have more than we can handle, and hiring people to help is at the top of our list.
What I didn’t expect is for a job to be given to my one night stand, who happens to be younger than me. I knew he wanted to go out again, but I didn’t think he’d apply for a job at my flower shop. Though, I don’t remember telling him where I worked.
I can handle this. We’re both adults. Working together won’t be a problem. Too bad fighting my attraction to Xander is turning out to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Grabbing the fresh margarita, I take a drink. The sides of the glass are wet from the condensation, and I pick up the small napkin to wipe it off. The chair Eric vacated a few minutes ago moves. I swear he thinks he has to take care of everyone. “Eric, I wasn’t play—”
My eyes move from the glass in my hand to the person who isn’t Eric sitting in the chair. What the hell? This is so random. Who comes and just plops themselves into a seat at a stranger’s table? Well, I guess I can’t really fault them. I’ve done the same thing on numerous occasions. And it was usually some guy I ended up going home with. It’s just weird having the same thing happen to me. This is new.
“Um, who are you?” Hopefully that wasn’t rude, but like who is this guy.
“Xander.” He holds his hand out. His dark brown eyes twinkle in the dim lighting as he smirks. “You looked lonely.”
Oh. My. God. “Does that pickup line usually work?” I grasp his hand and shake it lightly before pulling back.
He shrugs and leans back in his chair. “Sometimes. I mean, it’s got about an eighty percent chance of it, anyway.”
At least he’s being honest. Not many people would be, especially when they are trying to pick someone up from the bar. “Let me guess, you were standing over there, and you saw me sitting alone minding my own business. You decided to come over and really thought those words were the ones that would endear me to you.”
That may have been a tad bit bitchy, but it’s really hard to be in the mood to play games. As much as I try to shake off the worries I have about the shop, it’s just not working.
“Actually,” he leans forward, elbows on the table, “I noticed you when you walked in. I was going to come over sooner, but then that guy sat down,” he pauses to take a sip of his beer. “For a second, I thought he was your boyfriend or something. Then I saw him walk behind the bar and tell one of the waiters to bring you a drink. After that, I spent a few moments talking myself into coming over here.”
“How does him going behind the bar equate to him not being my boyfriend? For all you know he is.” I’m interested in what he has to say about this revelation.
He studies the margarita in my hand for a few seconds, and glances toward the bar. No doubt to the guy in question. “Well, mostly because he watches you like an overprotective brother, and he’s staring at me like he wants to break my jaw. If he was your boyfriend, I probably wouldn’t be in this fine establishment much longer.”
“Oh.” It’s so weird being on this side of the conversation. It’s usually me approaching men. Confidence isn’t something I’ve ever had a problem with. But this…it’s knocking me back a few steps. I have no idea what to do from here. At this point I’ve usually talked them into buying me a drink before we head off to be alone.
“Am I right?”
“Well, you’re not wrong.” Seriously, Kate, pull yourself together. I take a long pull from my drink. It feels like half of the drink is gone when I’m done. It takes everything in me not to throw my hands to my head from the rush of the drink. Something else that isn’t typical of something I do. Slamming drinks ended in my early twenties.
“Want to dance?” He scoots the chair back and stands. His hand held out to me, waiting for me to take the leap.
Author Bio:
Katrina Marie lives in the Dallas area with her husband, two children, bonus child, grandchild, and fur babies. She is a lover of all things geeky and nerdy. When she’s not writing you can find her at her children’s sporting events, curled up reading a book, or binge watching her favorite shows.
He’s as cold as the void of space… Soulless warrior Drex has been cast out of the Detyen Legion. Eking out an emotionless life on the edge of the galaxy, he knows his days are numbered. There’s no future for a man who’s already sacrificed everything. Then he rescues Pippa and his whole world is set ablaze.
She can fix any machine, but can she fix him? Pippa knows all the secrets to the machines that keep Nebula Outpost floating in space, but Drex isn’t so easy to figure out. But the more time she spends with him, the more she’s eager to know. When tragedy strikes, Pippa and Drex are the only people who can solve the case.
Every clue only leads to more questions, and even more danger. But Pippa can’t walk away from the mystery… or from Drex. He might call himself soulless, but she sees the heat in his eyes. The only question is: will the conflagration burn them to cinders or ignite a bond that lasts a lifetime?
Kate Rudolph is an ex-derby girl who lives in Indiana. She loves writing about kick butt heroines and the steamy heroes who love them. She’s been devouring romance novels since she was too young to be reading them and had to hide her books so no one would take them away. She couldn’t imagine a better job in this world than writing romances and sharing them with her fellow readers.
A marriage proposal from a deliciously handsome and wickedly charming prince sounds like a fairytale.
But for a nerdy scientist with severe social anxiety, it’s a horror story.
Prince Torin O’Grady, with his mischievous blue eyes and cocky grin, is always in the spotlight. And he needs to marry me to inherit the crown.
But we have nothing in common. He’s a future king. And I’m perfectly happy slogging through mud in my work boots.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him?
Maybe because he won’t stop texting me. And sending me gifts. And making me feel like everything I find awkward and weird about myself is special and amazing.
And there’s also that little detail of him offering me my dream job and telling me that together we can change the world.
Well, I could probably 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 for him.
And if I have to marry him 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 to get what we both want, then fine. It’s for the greater good.
It has nothing to do with the way he kisses me. Or that dirty mouth. Or the 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 he gives me in the bedroom.
Fine. Maybe it does. Still, it’s only a year. Then I can turn in my tiara and come back to my normal, boring, behind-the-scenes life.
But Torin is determined to turn me from reluctantly royal to royally 𝘩𝘪𝘴.
She presses her lips together, takes a breath, then asks, “What else do you want?”
I decide to be honest. “I want to whisk you away on my private plane to an actual palace and give you everything and anything you could ever want or need.”
Her eyes widen. “You don’t even know me.”
I tuck my hands into my back pockets. To try to look casual. But also to keep from reaching for her.
“I’ve read all about your work,” I tell her. “I started by just wanting to know about that job you said you hated so much. But then I kept reading. I know all about you.”
She’s staring at me. She’s sitting up straighter now and even in the pale light, I can see her shock.
“You…read about me?”
“Not just about you. I read all of your papers. Your work in college. Your dissertation. The articles you’ve published. I even stumbled upon some social media posts.”
“I…Oh…” She shakes her head. “I thought you wanted to sleep with me.”
I chuckle softly. “Oh, Abigail, I most definitely want to sleep with you.”
She swallows hard.
“I wanted that before I knew you are a damned genius who could come to my country and revolutionize agriculture and completely overhaul our economy.”
I can see that she’s breathing faster now.
“So you want to hire me?” she asks. “Which means we can’t sleep together because you’ll be my boss.”
I step up on the first step.
“I don’t want to hire you. But I do want to bring you to Cara to do your work.”
“I don’t understand.”
I step up onto the next step, but she doesn’t back up. There’s only a step between us now. “I want you to marry me.”
Her eyes widen. But she says nothing.
“Be my princess,” I go on. “You’ll have influence and resources. You can do anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to do.”
She’s staring at me. Then when she realizes I’m done talking, she laughs.
“Marry you? Is that how things work for you? You just smile that smile, waltz a couple of waltzes, and women just say yes to anything? Even marriage?”
Well…
“I’ve never asked anyone to marry me before, so I don’t really know,” I answer.
She’s still smiling. “Thank you for the offer. But I’m not going to marry you.”
“As princess of Cara you can see your plans in action. Right now, they’re all just on paper. You’re not actually doing any of it. Don’t you want to see it come to life?”
Now she’s not smiling. She’s just watching me. She takes a deep breath. “Of course I do.”
“This is the perfect way. There’s no red tape. Nothing between your amazing brain and making it all happen for real.”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. My country needs a prince and princess in place before my grandfather steps aside. The country deserves to know who will be there to step up and take care of them. My grandfather needs a successor in place before his heart gives out.”
“He has a bad heart?” she asks.
“He’s already had three heart attacks. I really need to get married to give him and the country peace of mind.”
“So you’re serious about finding a wife?”
“I am.”
She steps down a step.
“Abigail.”
“Yes?”
“If you step down one more step, I’m going to kiss you.”
She wets her lips.
“So if you want to just keep talking, you need to keep your sweet ass right there on that step.”
She looks down at the step that would start the kissing.
“And if you don’t want to keep talking…or anything else… you need to go back inside.”
She’s staring at me. But she seems more fascinated than anything. “Okay. I understand.”
“Good.”
Two heartbeats pass.
Then she steps down onto the step right above mine.
I groan and cup her face, bringing her mouth in against mine.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
While Erin Nicholas is better known for The Landry Family and the small town of Autre – some of my favourite books and series – I’m so looking forward to what’s to come from her alter-ego, Erin Nicolle.
I adored Torin & Abigail. We’d met Torin previously on his trips to visit Fiona and Saoirse in Autre, while Ani had been introduced via her sisters’ stories.
We knew a bit about Cara. That they needed a new king ti take over from Torin’s grandfather as he’s getting older and his health hasn’t been good but the level of expectation on Torin from the old boy was a little more than anyone expected I think!!
I liked how Torin knew Abi was the one for him and even though she seemed set on the end date of their he never listened to sight of the future he wanted with her. Torin grew up quite a bit throughout the read and for me, he was gonna be a really great leader…. if he has the right partner (hint, hint… Abi) by his side.
Then there’s Abi. For someone with social anxiety she definitely bloomed in this book….. her confidence, self belief and understanding of what she could do if she set her mind to it all developed during her first few months with Torin as he was so supportive and proud of her, which he never failed to convey.
This pair were made for each other. They were sweet, funny, engaging and smoking hot in equal measures and I’m hoping we see more of them in future ‘Royals Gone Rogue’ books.
A really fab start to a new series and I can’t wait to see what Erin has in store for Torin’s brothers (and hopefully their best friends/bodyguards!!! 😉)
* *
** My thanks to Erin for an advance ecopy of Reluctantly Royal. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I’ve also got my kindle copy on pre-order. **
Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty sexy contemporary romances and rom coms. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy, and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
While Erin Nicholas is known for her blue-collar book boyfriends and big, boisterous found families in small towns, her alternate pen name, Erin Nicolle writes rich and royal rogues. But they both love a dirty talking cinnamon roll, a damn grump who is reluctantly wrapped around a feisty little finger, and a gruff, protective guy who falls first and hard.
And Erin also writes spicy, why choose rom coms as Emma Foxx with her author bestie, Erin McCarthy (yes, another Erin)!
You can find all three pen names on Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram and Tik Tok!
I wasn’t planning to propose to Raif Jones, the bad boy from the wrong side of town.
The one with the tattooed muscles, naughty blue eyes, and dimpled, James-Dean grin.
It all started with a series of bad decisions.
First was flirting with a dangerous criminal to rescue a little girl I didn’t even know.
Second was throwing a massive, masked gala in my small-town hideout (complete with drag queens) and not expecting to draw attention…
Then Raif rode in on a motorcycle and melted my undies (and my heart), saying he wouldn’t let anybody hurt me.
Of course, I asked him to marry me.
Imagine my surprise when he said yes.
We’re a little naughty and a lot hot, and the perks of being married are very… perky.
They’re perky in the shower, on the kitchen table, against the front door…
Until Bad Decision #1 tracks me down (thanks to Bad Decision #2), and my outlaw husband turns Alpha Protector, risking everything to keep us safe.
It’s just a marriage of convenience. It’s supposed to have an end date.
But when the dust settles, walking away from Raif Jones could be the worst decision I’ve ever made.
(A LITTLE NAUGHTY is a small-town, marriage of convenience romance with single-mom vibes, a protective hero, no third-act breakup, and light suspense. No cheating. No cliffhanger.)
Download todayor read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Tia Louise is the USA TODAY best-selling, award-winning author of super-hot and sexy romances. All her heroes are alphas with hearts of gold, and all her heroines are the smart, sassy ladies who love them.
NEVER miss a New Release or Sale–get her newsletter now: http://smarturl.it/TLMnews OR Get New Release Text Alerts: Text “TiaLouise” to 64600 (U.S. only)
Keep up with her at TiaLouise.com or Instagram (@AuthorTLouise) or Facebook (@AuthorTiaLouise).
A small town, second chance, forbidden romance from bestselling author Kara Kendrick.
I’ve only ever loved one woman.
Juliet Capelli.
The one person I can’t have. Generations of bad blood runs between our two families – and she’s on the wrong side of the feud.
Now she’s back in town and I can’t seem to stay away. From her sexy curves, her beguiling eyes, that sassy mouth.
But it’s going to take more than sliding back into my sheets to get her to trust me again. Fifteen years ago, I broke her heart to protect her from her toxic brothers.
Can I prove to her that we deserve a second chance?
Everyone is against us. I only hope the sins of the past can be undone.
Download today orread for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Kara Kendrick writes fun and flirty small-town romance destined to give you all the feels. A reformed English major, she also has a master’s in counseling and was an elementary school counselor in her pre-mom life.
She loves the beach, wine, and rock hard abs, not necessarily in that order. When she’s not dreaming up Happily Ever After’s, you can find her chasing after her boy-girl twins, working out semi-hardish, or walking her adorable Shiba pups with her husband, who’s not too bad himself.
Title: The Charm of You Series: Sapphire Creek #1 Author: Georgia Coffman
Genre: Contemporary Romance Tropes: Small Town/Grumpy Sunshine Release Date: March 11, 2024
BLURB
I had hoped to attend my high school reunion with a fancy job and a polished man on my arm, every bit the success my hometown had predicted me to be.
But plans never go as, well, planned.
Also unplanned was running into a hot, prickly mechanic on my first day back in Sapphire Creek.
Austin Kyle sure knows how to work a flannel shirt.
And based on the way the brooding man argues with me over an apple pie, it’s safe to say he doesn’t like me.
Call it the former homecoming queen in me, but I need the veiny-forearmed grump to like me. I have a week to change his mind before I return home to the city.
Before I know it, Austin’s occupying all my thoughts. I’m singing karaoke, bringing him coffees at his garage, and doing anything else I can think of to win him over.
And it works—a little too well.
One moment we’re arguing over who’s more stubborn, and the next, we’re crawling into his truck bed, a tangled mess of eager hands and bruising kisses.
It’s not long before Austin’s charming his way into my heart, but this thing between us is only temporary.
From the start, he’s warned me we wouldn’t have a storybook ending.
Georgia Coffman is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy rom-coms. She’s loved being creative and writing stories since she was a teenager, which is why she went on to earn a Master’s in English: Professional Writing. She has since published over ten romances. Outside of books, she enjoys the TV show Friends, online shopping, and traveling with her husband and their two dogs.
She thinks happily ever after only happens in romance novels. He can’t wait to prove her wrong…
Falling in love is not on Raven Walsh’s agenda. Running from her past keeps her way too busy for that. She can, however, handle a friends-with-benefits scenario with the hot billionaire who co-owns The Back Door bar. But trusting him with her heart? Not a chance…
Remington Sterling has had his eye on the smart and sexy Raven since she started waitressing at his bar. He knows she’s gun-shy where relationships are concerned. But he’s ready to do whatever it takes to convince her he’s worth the risk…
When Raven’s secrets catch up to her in a big way, she must decide if the potential cost of trusting Remy is more than she’s willing to pay—and Remy will need to figure out how far he’s willing to go for love…
Just One More Moment, book 1 in the Sterling Family series (all can be read as standalones), is a spicy contemporary romance featuring a ready-to-run heroine and the possessive, protective alpha hero who is more than ready to catch her.
“So I thought we could have an arrangement,” she said.
“Such as?”
“I’ve seen you in occasional relationships through the years… well, not relationships exactly, but you tend to have flings.”
He winced because she had a point. Until Raven, he’d never considered something serious.
“So I figured, we could be… you know, friends with benefits. At the bar, you’re my boss, and there are boundaries, but other times when we’re alone… we’d have the benefits. Would that be good for you?”
F%ck no, he thought. He wanted so much more. But that was the caveman in him talking. The rational, understanding human inside him knew he couldn’t have all of Raven without slowly winning her trust. Which meant giving her what she needed. Time. Space.
He placed his finger on her moist lower lip, running the pad over her flesh. “If that works for you, it does for me,” he said in a gruff voice.
Her shoulders sagged in what must have been relief and his heart squeezed as he realized what it must take for her to hold herself together. She was wound so tight and pressed down so much fear. Something had to give. He wanted to be her safe place.
“So we’re good?” she asked.
Meanwhile, as she sighed and wriggled on his lap, his X#$% grew hard and he gritted his teeth against the desire he wouldn’t be acting on.
“We’re good,” he assured her.
She hugged him, placing her head on his shoulder and her chest against his, as she breathed against his neck. “Thank you, Remy. I feel safe with you.”
And those words both solidified his decision to go slow and caused a warm feeling in his chest, and his heart beat in time with hers.
When she decided to go home anyway, he understood, and let her go.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
*****
Meet Carly Phillips:
Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!
The sexy single dad next door is also my best friend’s brother.
And now I’m playing nanny for his son over the summer.
It’s a good thing I’ve never been into grumpy men because Simon Stone holds the record.
If I were smart, I’d have never taken the job for Simon. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and well, I’d have taken any job that distracted me from my personal life. Plus, it meant not going home to an empty house, and that was really all I ever wanted.
What I didn’t plan for, however, was for Simon’s son to tell his football team that his father and I were dating or for Simon to need me to go with it once his own mother found out. Let’s not forget the time Simon kissed me one night in a dark bedroom, or when he watched me through my bedroom window as I… well, I didn’t plan for a lot of things. Falling for a man who swears he’ll never love again is at the top of the list.
Most of all, I didn’t plan for how life would be at the end of the summer when I went back to my empty house and my lonely life. All it took was one summer for me to fall for Simon Stone, but as it seems, if I’m not careful, that might be all I ever get.
Tropes for More Than Write include single dad, grumpy sunshine, nanny, best friends’ brother, neighbors, small town, and spice.
My name is Jami Rogers and I write fun, fast, flirty romance with heat. I love love and want to share my passion for happily ever afters with the world. My favorite tropes to write are enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, roommates, and my best friend’s brother/sister. Writing a romantic comedy that makes you laugh out loud is what I aim for. Happy reading!
Title: Breakaway Series: Dusk Bay Demons #2 Authors: Maggie Alabaster & Jo Bradley
Genre: Dark Sports Romance Tropes: Reverse Harem/Hockey Romance Release Date: March 7, 2024
BLURB
When you work in the PR department for the Dusk Bay Demons ice hockey team, you have to be ready for anything. Wins, losses, arrogant players and the occasional attack on the arena.
What I don’t expect, is for the player with the biggest ego on the team to notice me. Nor do I expect to be stalked by another. As for the grumpiest player on the team, he might also be the most obsessed. With me.
Things aren’t exactly harmonious between the three of them, but once they’ve claimed me, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me. Including destroying anything and anyone who tries to come between us.
**This is an interconnected, standalone, hockey RH/ poly romance.**
Recommended reading order: Puck Drop Breakaway Power Play
Maggie Alabaster lives in NSW Australia with her husband, two daughters, a beloved dog, countless birds and a growing collection of books and dragons. She writes reverse harem, both paranormal and contemporary.
Jo Bradley writes contemporary romance. She has a writing companion named Bear and a highly inappropriate sense of humour. She’s looking forward to releasing solo books in early 2024.
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