Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance Release Date: January 10, 2022
Excited about Vi Keeland’s upcoming release, The Summer Proposal? Check out this SNEAK PEEK of CHAPTER 1!
CHAPTER 1
Georgia
“What can I get you?” The bartender set a napkin down in front of me.
“Ummm… I’m meeting someone, so maybe I should wait.”
He rapped his knuckles against the bar. “Good enough. I’ll keep my eye out and stop back over when I see someone join you.”
But as he started to walk away, I reconsidered. “Actually!” I raised my hand like I was in school.
He turned around with a smile and arched a brow. “Change your mind?”
I nodded. “I’m about to meet a blind date, so I wanted to be polite, but I think I could use something to take the edge off.”
“Probably a good idea. What are you drinking?”
“A pinot grigio would be great. Thank you.”
He came back a few minutes later with a hefty pour and leaned his elbow on the bar. “So, blind date, huh?”
I sipped my wine and let out a sigh as I nodded. “I let my mom’s seventy-four-year-old friend Frannie set me up with her grandnephew to make my mom happy. She described him as ‘a smidge ordinary, but nice’. We’re supposed to meet here at five thirty. I’m a few minutes early.”
“First time letting someone fix you up?”
“Second, actually. The first was seven years ago. It took me this long to recover from it, if that tells you anything.”
The bartender laughed. “That bad?”
“I was told he was a comedian. So I figured, how terrible could it be going out with someone who makes people laugh for a living? The guy showed up with a puppet. Apparently his comedy act was as a ventriloquist. He refused to speak to me directly—wanted me to talk only to his dummy. Who, by the way, was named Dirty Dave, and every other comment out of its mouth was obscene. Oh, and my date’s mouth moved the entire time, so he wasn’t even a very good ventriloquist.”
“Damn.” The bartender chuckled. “Not sure I’d give another blind date a chance after that, even after a few years.”
I sighed. “I’m sort of regretting it already.”
“Well, if anyone comes in with a puppet, I got you covered.” He gestured toward a hallway behind him. “I know where all the emergency exits are, and I can sneak you out.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
A couple sat down on the other end of the bar, so the bartender went to help them while I continued to stare at the entrance. I’d purposely taken a seat in the back corner so I could watch the front door, hoping to get a look at my date before he saw me. Not that I planned to ditch if he wasn’t handsome, but I didn’t want him to read disappointment on my face if I felt any. I’d always been terrible at masking my feelings.
A few minutes later, the restaurant’s door opened and a drop-dead gorgeous guy walked in. He looked like he belonged on a men’s cologne ad, probably emerging from crystal blue Caribbean water. I got excited, until I realized he couldn’t be my date.
Frannie had described Adam as a computer nerd. And pretty much any question I’d asked her about him, she’d answered, “About average.”
How tall is he? About average.
Is he handsome? About average.
Body type? About average.
This guy was tall, with broad shoulders, big, blue bedroom eyes, a chiseled jawline, dark hair that was sort of messy, but totally worked for him, and even though he was wearing a simple dress shirt and slacks, I could tell he was buff underneath. Frannie would have to be crazy to think anything about him was average.
Oh.
Oh!
Well, she was a little…different. Last time I went to Florida to see Mom, we went to lunch with Frannie, and she’d glowed orange from an excessive amount of self-tanner she’d bought on the Home Shopping Network. She also spent all afternoon telling us about her recent road trip to New Mexico to attend a UFO convention in Roswell.
But even with that factored in, this guy didn’t look like a computer nerd. Nevertheless, his eyes scanned the room, and when they met mine, he smiled.
Dimples.
Deep ones.
Oh, Lord. My heart did a little pitter-patter.
Could I be this lucky?
Apparently it was possible. Because the guy headed right toward me. I probably should’ve played it cool and looked away, but it was impossible not to stare.
“Adam?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
I thought that was a bit of an odd response, but his smile widened, and those cavernous dimples seemed to turn my brain to mush.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Frannie. My mom is friends with Georgia.” I shook my head. “Sorry. I mean, I’m Georgia. My mom is friends with Frannie.”
“Nice to meet you, Georgia.”
He extended his hand, and when I placed mine in it, mine felt really…small.
“I have to say, you are definitely not what I was expecting. Frannie didn’t describe you very accurately.”
“Better or worse?”
Was he joking? “She may have described you as a nerd.”
He sat down on the stool next to me. “I usually don’t admit this when I first meet a woman, but I do have a Star Wars action figure collection.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “In fact, I almost always have one on me. I’m a bit superstitious, and they bring me luck.”
Adam unfolded his big hand to reveal a tiny Yoda. He leaned over and set it on the bar in front of me, and a hint of cologne wafted through the air. Smells as good as he looks. There had to be something majorly wrong with him.
“Women tend to not like Star Wars for some reason,” he said. “Or a grown man carrying around an action figure.”
“I actually like Star Wars.”
He put his hand over his heart. “A beautiful woman who likes Star Wars? Should we skip the formalities and just grab a flight to Vegas to get married?”
I laughed. “Maybe, but first promise me you aren’t into ventriloquism.”
He crossed his heart. “Star Wars is as bad as it gets.”
The bartender came over to take Adam’s drink order. I was surprised when he asked for a Diet Coke.
“You’re not going to join me for a cocktail or a glass of wine?”
He shook his head. “Wish I could, but I have to work later.”
“Tonight?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I wish I didn’t. But I actually need to get out of here in a little while.”
I’d thought we were meeting for drinks and dinner, but perhaps Frannie had gotten that wrong.
“Oh, okay.” I forced a smile.
Apparently Adam saw right through it.
“I swear I’m not making that up. I do have to work. But I definitely would love to stay. Since I can’t, is it too early to say I’d love to see you again?”
I sipped my wine. “Hmmm… I’m not sure about that. Normally, I get to know someone on a first date, so I can weed out the serial killers and nutjobs. How am I supposed to know you’re not the next Ted Bundy if you’re running out of here?”
Adam stroked the scruff on his chin and looked at his watch. “I have about fifteen minutes. Why don’t we cut the small talk and you can ask me anything?”
“Anything?”
He shrugged. “I’m an open book. Take your best shot.”
I gulped my wine and turned in my seat to face him. “Alright. But I want to watch your face as I grill you. I’m terrible at hiding lies on mine but great at reading others.”
He smiled and turned, giving me his full attention. “Go for it.”
“Okay. Do you live with your mother?”
“No, ma’am. She doesn’t even live in the same state. But I do call home every Sunday.”
“Have you ever been arrested?”
“Public indecency in college. I was pledging a fraternity, and me and a bunch of other guys had to walk through the center of town naked. A group of girls stopped us and asked if any of us could hula hoop. Everyone else kept walking. I figured they were all too chicken, so I stopped. Apparently, the guys weren’t afraid; I was just the only one who didn’t see the cop coming out of a store a couple of doors down.”
I laughed. “Can you actually hula hoop?”
He winked. “Only naked. You wanna see?”
The smile on my face widened. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Shame.”
“When was the last time you had sex?”
For the first time, the smile on his face wilted. “Two weeks ago. Are you gonna hold that against me?”
I shook my head. “Not necessarily. I appreciate the honesty. You could have lied and said a while ago.”
“Okay, good. What else you got?”
“Have you ever been in a relationship?”
“Twice. Once in college for a year, and then I dated a woman for eighteen months, and that ended two years ago.”
“Why did they end?”
“College, because I was twenty and…it was a crazy time in my life. And the woman I dated a few years back, because she wanted to get married and start a family, and I wasn’t ready.”
I tapped my pointer to my bottom lip. “Hmm… Yet you just asked me to go to Vegas and marry you.”
He grinned. “She didn’t like Star Wars.”
We were both too busy laughing to notice a guy walk up to us. I figured he must have known Adam, so I politely smiled and looked to him. But the guy spoke to me.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you Georgia Delaney?”
“Yes?”
He smiled. “I’m Adam Foster. Frannie showed me a picture of you, but it was from a costume party.” He motioned to the side of his head, twirling his hand around in a circle. “You were dressed as Princess Leia, with your hair all pinned up on the sides, so you looked a little different than you do now.”
I furrowed my brow. “You’re…Adam?”
The guy seemed just as confused as I was. “Yes.”
Now this man looked like what I’d been expecting: worn, brown tweed jacket, cropped hair parted to one side—sort of the average Joe that worked in the IT department at your office. But…
If he was Adam, then who was this?
I looked at the guy sitting next to me for an answer. Though that’s not what I got.
“Did you really dress as Princess Leia for a Halloween party?”
“Yes, but…”
Adam, or whoever the hell the guy sitting next to me was, put his finger over my lips and turned to the man who was apparently my date. “Can you just give us a minute?” he asked.
“Umm…sure.”
As soon as average Adam walked away, I laid into hot Adam. “Who the hell are you?”
“Sorry. My name is Max.”
“Do you make a habit of pretending to be someone else?”
He shook his head. “I just…I saw you sitting at the bar through the window when I was passing by, and you had such a pretty smile. I came over to introduce myself, and it was clear you were here to meet someone else. I guess I sort of panicked that you weren’t going to talk to me since I wasn’t Adam. So I went with it.”
“And what if my date hadn’t showed up? Would you have pretended to be Adam on a second date?”
Max dragged a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think that far ahead.”
Normally catching a date in a lie would make me angry, but finding out Max wasn’t Adam was more disappointing than anything. We’d had great chemistry, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so much meeting someone new.
“Was every answer a lie? Do you even like Star Wars?”
He held up both hands. “I swear. The only thing that wasn’t the truth was my name.”
I sighed. “Well, Max, thanks for the entertainment. But I don’t want to keep my real date waiting.”
He frowned, but nodded and stood. “It was nice meeting you. I guess asking for your number would be stupid right about now?”
I gave him a look. “Yes, it would. Have a good night, Max.”
He looked at me for a few seconds, then slipped a bill out of his wallet and tossed a hundred on the counter. “You, too, Georgia. I really enjoyed meeting you.”
Max took a few steps away, but then stopped and walked back. He again took out his billfold, only this time he peeled off what looked like a ticket of some sort and placed it on the bar in front of me. “I’d really love to see you again. If your real date turns out to be a dud or you change your mind, I promise I will never tell you another lie.” He pointed to the ticket. “I’ll be at the hockey game over at the Garden at seven thirty, if you would consider giving me another shot.”
What he said seemed heartfelt, but I was here to meet another man. Not to mention, I was really disappointed. I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
With a sullen face, Max nodded one last time before walking away. I didn’t have time to process everything, but I felt a strange sense of loss when I watched him walk out the door. Though as soon as he disappeared from sight, my real date was next to me.
I had to force a smile. “Sorry about that. We, um, just had some business to wrap up.”
“No problem.” He smiled. “I’m just glad that guy wasn’t hitting on you, and I didn’t have to defend your honor. He was a tank.” Real Adam sat down. “Can I order you another wine?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“So…I take it you’re a big Star Wars fan?”
“Hmm? Oh, because of the costume.”
Adam pointed to the bar. “And the little Yoda.”
I looked down. Max had left his Yoda figurine behind. I guess he hadn’t been lying about being a Star Wars fan, considering he carried an action figure in his pocket. At least I hoped it wasn’t just a prop he used when he told strangers tall tales at bars and lied about his name.
***
Real Adam talked about artificial intelligence—a lot.
I tried to get my head back in the game after the Max letdown, but I knew before my actual date and I had finished a drink at the bar that this would be our only date. Adam was a nice-enough guy; there was just no connection, physical or mental. I wasn’t into computers or Bitcoin, which seemed to be a big thing for him, and he wasn’t into any of my hobbies, such as hiking, traveling, and watching old black-and-white movies. He didn’t even enjoy going to the movies. Who doesn’t love bingeing on popcorn and a gallon of soda while watching a big screen? Not to mention, when I told him about my work, he said he was allergic to flowers.
So when the waitress came by with a dessert menu, I politely declined.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a coffee or something?” Adam asked.
I shook my head. “I have to work in the morning. Having caffeine after noon keeps me up all night. But thank you.”
He nodded, though I could tell he was disappointed.
Outside the restaurant, he offered to share a cab, but I only lived eight blocks away. So I extended my hand to set the tone for the end of the evening.
“It was very nice to meet you, Adam.”
“You, too. Maybe we can…do this again sometime?”
It was so much easier to be upfront and tell a guy there wouldn’t be a second date when he was a jerk. But I always struggled with the nice ones. I shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. Take care, Adam.”
It was late April, but the cold weather just wouldn’t relent and allow spring to start this year, and a gust of wind blew while I waited at the intersection at the corner of the restaurant. I shoved my hands into my pockets for some warmth, and inside, something pointy pricked at my fingers. I slipped it out to see what it was.
Yoda.
His plastic ears were tapered to points, and there was a tiny chip on the left one. I’d forgotten I’d stuck him in my pocket when Adam and I had moved from the bar to a table. Looking down at him, I sighed. God, why couldn’t your owner have been my actual date tonight?
It had been a very long time since a man gave me the warm fuzzies in the pit of my belly—not since the day I’d met Gabriel. So maybe finding Yoda in my pocket was a sign? The light changed, and I walked a few more blocks, lost in thought.
Did it really matter that he’d pretended to be Adam? I mean, if he was telling the truth, he only did it so I’d talk to him. Let’s face it, if he had walked over and introduced himself as Max, I wouldn’t have invited him to sit down. I would have been polite and told him I was waiting for my date, no matter how gorgeous the man was. So, I couldn’t really say I blamed him…I guess.
I stopped for another red light at the crosswalk on 29th Street, this time at the corner of 7th as I made my way down to 2nd Avenue where I lived. While I waited, I looked to my right, and the neon lights of a sign hit me. Madison Square Garden. Now that was definitely a sign—quite literally. Between Yoda and walking right past the place Fake Adam had said he’d be…perhaps it was more than that.
I checked the time on my phone. Twenty after eight. He’d said he would be there at seven thirty, but I was sure the game took a few hours. Should I?
I nibbled on my lip as the light in front of me turned green. People on both sides of me started to walk…but I just stood there, staring down at Yoda.
Screw it.
Why not?
What do I have to lose?
The worst that could happen was that our initial connection fizzled or it turned out lying was one of Fake Adam’s hobbies. Or…the spark we’d had might lead to just the distraction I was looking for. I wouldn’t know unless I tried.
For the most part, I was pretty conservative with my choices in men. And look where that had gotten me. I was a twenty-eight-year-old workaholic, going on blind dates with my mom’s friend’s relatives. So screw it—I was going.
Once I made the decision, I couldn’t wait to get there. I practically jogged to Madison Square Garden, even in my heels from work. Inside, I showed my ticket to an usher standing at the entrance to the section listed, and he showed me to my seat.
As I walked down the stadium stairs, I looked around and noticed I was pretty overdressed. Most of the people had on jerseys and jeans. There were even a few shirtless guys with their bodies painted, and here I was wearing a cream silk blouse, red pencil skirt, and my favorite Valentino pumps. At least Max had been pretty dressed up.
I hadn’t noticed the row number on the ticket before handing it over to the usher, but the seats must’ve been decent because we just kept walking down toward the ice. When we hit the very first row, the usher extended his hand. “Here you go. Seat two is the second one in.”
“Wow, first row, directly in the middle on the fifty-yard line.”
The guy smiled. “In hockey we call it center ice.”
“Oh…okay.” But the seat next to the one he’d shown me to was empty, and Max was nowhere in sight. “Did you happen to see the person sitting in the seat at the end?” I asked.
The usher shrugged. “I’m not positive, but I don’t think they’ve arrived yet. Enjoy the game, miss.”
After he walked away, I stood looking down at the two empty seats. This was one outcome I hadn’t thought about: I might get stood up. Actually, would it even be considered standing someone up if the other person didn’t know you were coming? I wasn’t sure. But I was here, so I might as well take a seat and see if Max showed. He’d said he had to work, so perhaps he was running late. Or maybe he was already here, just in the men’s room or in line for a beer.
A woman sat on the other side of me. She smiled as I settled in. “Hi. Are you here to watch Yearwood? He’s on fire tonight, already slashed two in the net. Too bad they’re probably not going to be able to hold onto him for next season.”
I shook my head. “Oh. No, I’m actually meeting someone. I’ve never been to a live hockey game before.” Just as I said it, two guys slammed into the glass wall directly in front of me. I jumped, and the woman next to me laughed as they skated away.
“That happens a lot. You’ll get used to it.” She reached out her hand. “I’m Jenna, by the way. I’m married to Tomasso.” She pointed to the rink. “Number twelve.”
“Oh, wow. I guess I’m sitting next to the right person for my first game.” I put my hand to my chest. “I’m Georgia.”
“Anything you want explained, Georgia, you just let me know.”
For the next twenty minutes, I tried to watch the game. But I kept looking around to see if Max was coming down the stairs. Unfortunately, he never did. By nine o’clock, it was pretty clear I’d wasted my time. Since I had early meetings tomorrow morning, I decided to call it a night. The game clock showed less than a minute until the end of the second period, so I figured I’d wait until then so I wouldn’t be blocking people’s views as I climbed the stairs back up to the exit. These hockey fans seemed pretty into the game.
When the clock hit nine seconds, one of the guys scored a goal, and the place went crazy again. Everyone jumped up, so I did the same, only I used it as an opportunity to slip on my jacket. I leaned to the woman next to me and yelled. “I don’t think my date’s coming, so I’m going to head out. Have a good night.”
But as I turned to leave, something caught my attention on the Jumbotron. The player who’d scored held his stick up in the air celebrating, and a bunch of the guys on his team were whacking him on the head. His helmet covered most of his face, but those eyes… I know those eyes. The player took out his mouth guard, waved it in the air, and smiled right at the camera.
Dimples.
Big ones.
My eyes went wide.
No…it couldn’t be.
I continued to stare at the screen with my mouth hanging open until the guy’s face was no longer on it.
The woman next to me finished cheering. “See? I told you he was on fire. If this is your first game, you’ve picked a good one to watch. You don’t see a lot of hat tricks in a single period. Yearwood is having his best season ever. Too bad the rest of his team isn’t.”
“Yearwood? That’s the name of the guy who just scored?”
Jenna laughed at my question. “Yup. Team captain and arguably the best player in the NHL these days. They call him Pretty Boy for obvious reasons.”
“What’s his first name?”
“Max. I figured you knew him, since those are his seatsyou’re sitting in.”
★★★
Excited? We are too!
RELEASING JANUARY 10th!
ABOUT THE BOOK
The first time I met Max Yearwood was on a blind date. Max was insanely gorgeous, funny, and our chemistry was off the charts. He also had the biggest dimples I’d ever laid eyes on. Exactly what I needed after my breakup. Or so I thought… Until my real date arrived. Turned out, Max wasn’t who I was there to meet. He only pretended to be until my real date showed up. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Before he left, he slipped me a ticket to a hockey game a few blocks away, in case things didn’t work out on my actual date. I tossed the ticket into my purse and went about trying to enjoy the man I was supposed to meet. But my real blind date and I had no connection. So on my way home, I decided to take a chance and stop by the game. When I arrived, the seat next to me was empty. Disappointed again, I decided to leave at the end of the period. Just before the buzzer, one of the teams scored, and the entire arena went crazy. A player’s face flashed up on the Jumbotron. He was wearing a helmet, but I froze when he smiled. You guessed it: Dimples. Apparently, my fake blind date hadn’t invited me to watch hockey with him, he’d invited me to watch him play. And so began my adventure with Max Yearwood. He was everything I needed at the time—fun, sexy, up for anything, and only around for a few months since he’d signed with a new team three-thousand miles away. Max proposed we spend the summer helping me forget my ex. It sounded like a good plan. Things couldn’t get too serious when we had an expiration date. Right? Though, you know what they say about the best-laid plans.
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AUTHOR BIO
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-six languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Title: Don’t Cry Over Spilled MILF Series: G.D. Taylors #4 Authors: Willow Aster & Laura Pavlov
Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: November 18, 2021
BLURB
A hot, sexy playboy and a gorgeous single mother who wants nothing to do with him. Buckle up, Susannah Brighton. Gus is coming for you. No pun intended.
Susannah I make my living writing romance. I prefer my heroes to remain fictional. But Gus Taylor is better than anything I could have dreamed up. Sexy and funny and dauntingly handsome. My little girl and I have been on our own for a long time and that’s the way I want to keep it. But Gus Taylor makes me question everything I believe.
Gus I’m a good-time guy. I’ve always worn the title with pride. But from the moment Susannah Brighton moves next door, I’m a goner. And she’s got a little girl. In the beginning, I think she’s just a mom I’d like to—forget about it. All that’s changed now that I know Susannah and her angelic daughter. I’ll do whatever it takes to win her over. Because when you know, you know. And I plan on writing myself into her happily ever after.
“I don’t want to have dinner with you tonight. That’s it.” She takes a step back and claps her hands together a few times as if she’s brushing off some crumbs. “I am happy to pay you for the job with a dinner here at the apartment with Olive as we negotiated. But a date is not going to be payment.”
I gasp. “I’m not a whore. I want to take you out to dinner because I’m attracted to you, not because I expect payment.”
I turn and storm toward the bookshelves because now I’m offended. And I don’t get offended.
Aside from my disdain for olives, I’m an even-keeled dude. And I don’t need to beg for a date. I have a slew of ladies dying for me to take them out.
“I wasn’t saying you were a … prostitute,” she says, and her tone is much softer now.
I don’t turn around even though I’m dying to, because I like that she’s being nicer now.
I have no shame in my game if making her feel guilty gets her to sway my way.
“It’s fine,” I say, as I run my hands along the wood, giving her a nice look at my oversized hands. They happen to match certain other body parts. I sniff the air, frowning. “I don’t smell cookies either. Clearly, you don’t keep your end of the bargain.”
“You had cookies yesterday,” she huffs and I grin at the bookshelves. She is so fun to rile up.
“Today’s a new day,” I say quietly. “And since you’re not agreeable to dinner tonight and you’re making me wait until Friday, and I don’t want your money, I would take a cookie or five today. I deserve something today, don’t I?”
#2
“She’s coming. Hop back in the elevator so it will look like it just stopped to let you off.” I see her walking toward the building and I hurry into the elevator, yanking my brother back on.
“Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?”
“Do not make me tell Mom that you won’t help me. Put on a smile, and say something nice to me when she gets on, and pump me up,” I say, as the doors close, and then I hit the button to reopen them just as she steps in the lobby.
“See ya, brother,” I shout a little too loud.
“Uh, yes. I will see you at the office, you smart, strong man,” Spence says and I close my eyes with irritation. Dude can’t play a role if his life depends on it.
Susannah chuckles and waves at him as she moves to get on and he moves to get off.
“Hello, ma’am. I’m Spence.”
Jeez, dude. How did he even land a girl like Emma? The dude has no game.
“Hi. I’m Susannah.” Her gaze finds mine and I turn on the smold intensity like I’m going for a motherfucking Oscar. I mean, I feel it down to my core. I am owning my inner Briggs.
“Nice to meet you,” Spence says, and I push the button to close the door and flip him the bird when her back is to me.
“You too,” she calls out, before moving to the other side of the elevator and turning to face me.
“How are you, pretty girl?”
She studies me, and I wonder if that whole shtick is too much. That one worked for both Jacob and Daniel, so I’m confident she must like it.
“I’m fine. Are you coming from the gym?” Her gaze scans my body and it takes all I have not to break out in a Dirty Dancing routine that Pen and I always do when we celebrate.
“Yep. I’ve been pumping some iron this morning,” I say. I give her the look and flex my bicep at the same time, which let me tell you, is no easy feat. We’re talking Karate Kid type of preparation to pull that off. Wax on. Wax off. Full focus. And. I. Nail. It.
She bursts out in laughter and covers her mouth.
What the fuck is she laughing at?
“Wait—are you having some sort of seizure? Do you need a doctor?” she asks, and now she’s looking at me with concern.
“No, Sweetheart. I’m just suffering from a bad case of attraction. The only one who can help me is you.”
Damn. I’m silently patting myself on the back because that shit was smooth. And Briggs never even said those words. Not exactly. I put my own Gus spin on it and made some magic.
She chuckles again, but it’s better than nothing. “Is that so?”
“That is so,” I say, moving into her space.
“What do you think you need to do about that?”
Think. Don’t blow it. She said no to dinner. No to going on a date.
“I think some coffee and a muffin might be a temporary fix.”
She sucks in a breath, and I can’t even believe this shit is working. I’ve never worked so hard for a coffee date, but I’m feeling the way she’s looking at me.
Her grey eyes search mine and I swear I stop breathing in that moment.
“Sounds fair. I am hungry. How about you go grab a shower and I’ll go reply to a few emails. And then…”
“And then we’ll grab coffee. And a muffin.” I’m standing so close to her that I can’t help myself from rubbing my nose against hers. I don’t think Daniel Briggs would do this, but Gus Taylor definitely would.
She puts her hand on my chest and pushes me back just a little. “All right. I’ll meet you in the hall in twenty minutes. But it’s not a date. I don’t date.”
“I will meet you in the hall for our non-date in twenty minutes.”
The doors open and we walk in silence until she puts her key in the door and waves. “See you in a little bit, Gus Taylor.”
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to a couple crazy yorkies. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after.
The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy by Robin Bielman is coming out in one week! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!
Title: The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy
Author: Robin Bielman
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Blitz: October 26th
About The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy:
Kennedy Martin is shocked when her ex calls days before his wedding, expressing serious second thoughts. Doesn’t he see his fiancée’s actually the glaze to his doughnut? Now she’s got no choice but to crash his wedding and convince the man he’s with the right woman.
Instead, she crashes into the absolute last man she ever wanted to see: Maverick Owens, her old college nemesis. Maverick is still as awful, infuriating, and just The Worst as ever—even if he looks way too sexy in his cowboy hat. And of course he’s convinced she’s actually at the seaside ranch to ruin the wedding.
Now the only way to get some face time with the groom and save this marriage is to participate in all sorts of pre-wedding events…with Maverick. Stuck on a canoe, making small-talk at cocktail hour, and even a hoedown with her worst enemy? This just might be the longest week of her life…
He caged her in with his body, one hand going to her waist, the other to her chin to tip her face up exactly where he wanted it. Their first kiss had been tentative. Their second kiss would leave no doubt to how much he desired her. He may never admit it, but he could show her, hidden under the pendulous branches of the weeping willow while the sound of the rain trilled its sweet yet powerful tune, he could show her how much he craved her.
“Mav,” she whispered. She’d never called him Mav before.
About Robin Bielman:
USA Today bestselling author Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her awesome family and her very cute dog, Harry. She writes both sweet and sexy contemporary romances with one goal in mind: to leave you with a smile on your face. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, and frequent coffee shops with friends. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch on social! Xoxo
What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe…
Amy’s life isn’t living up to the famous Heller family brand—her love life and her career—and she just wants to be alone for Christmas. So she takes off to a friend’s secluded mountain cabin. Ho fu*king ho.
Ryder’s workaholic tendencies have made him super successful in his business, but he hasn’t spent time with family for years. That’s all he wants this Christmas, plus a little down time at a cabin in the mountains. He loves Christmas and can’t wait for the family ugly sweater contest!
When Ryder walks in on Amy at an “awkward” moment, she can’t believe the man she’s hated since she was sixteen has shown up here. He has to leave. But Mother Nature has other ideas when a blizzard shuts down the entire region…
Amy thinks a good place for Ryder’s Christmas cheer is up his ass. Ryder thinks Amy’s grown up into a smokin’ hot babe. Christmas is all about giving, and he’s got a really big package for Amy. Maybe naughty is the new nice…
About Kelly Jamieson
Kelly Jamieson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 romance novels and novellas.
Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. She likes black coffee, white wine and high heels…and of course cheering on her Winnipeg Jets during hockey season!
Title: The Baby-whisperer and the Brute Series: Eastport Bay Billionaires #4 Author: Tru Taylor
Genre: Small Town Romantic Comedy Release Date: October 19, 2021
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You can’t appreciate all the implications of the word “conflicted” until you come face to face with the guy you’ve been secretly lusting after for weeks… and then learn he’ll be signing your paychecks—Angelina Rappaport
Some people might call me sheltered. That doesn’t begin to cover it. I’ve been practically sequestered my whole life. Constantly warned by my eccentric and reclusive mother against the “dangers of the world,” I was only allowed outside my home to attend a strict girls’ school. No parties. No sleepovers. NO boys.
Ever.
Even now in my early twenties, the extent of my social life is spending time with the adorable three and four-year-olds at the preschool where I work. I’ve hardly ever spoken to a man, except for exchanging morning greetings with the fathers of my students.
And soon, I’ll obey my mother’s wishes and enter religious service, training to be a nun.
But gazing out my bedroom window in the turret of my family’s crumbling seaside mansion, I secretly dream of a different life, one that involves freedom, adventure, love, and children of my own.
I at least want a kiss before I give up and follows my mother’s plan for my life.
Sullivan Reece
As a heavyweight boxing champion in prime condition, I can easily go twelve rounds with the toughest fighters on the planet—but when it comes to my two little girls… I’m a lightweight.
Now that my ex has declared herself “done” with mothering, and my spirited and mischievous daughters are living with me full-time, I’m realizing just how much I don’t know about raising kids. My own upbringing in a tough neighborhood left a lot to be desired—I basically raised myself, and honestly, didn’t do all that great a job of it.
And then there’s my demanding training schedule and the travel required for my career. What I really need is a live-in nanny. Yesterday.
But as newcomer to Eastport Bay, I have no idea where or how to find the right caretaker for the two most important people in my life. So when my neighbors say they know the perfect person, I jump at the chance to hire her. She has experience with children, she needs a place to live, and she’s exactly the kind of classy role model I want for my daughters.
There’s just one problem… the new nanny is everything I’m not—sweet, innocent, good. It goes without saying she’s completely off-limits.
Oh, and she’s a total knockout.
The Baby-whisperer and the Brute is a full-length small town rom com fairytale retelling of Rapunzel. It’s a standalone single dad/forbidden love/forced proximity/slow burn romance with no cheating or cliffhangers but plenty of humor and heat and a gentle bruiser with a heart of gold.
Sully “So how are the girls?” Wilder asked. “Any great escapes lately?” I chuckled. “Not one. You did a solid job. Though I could probably leave the doors unlocked these days and not worry about it. Their behavior’s gotten way better lately.” “Oh yeah? They get used to the new living arrangements?” “That… and I hired a nanny. She’s amazing with them. They’re like different kids. They absolutely love her.” He studied me with an amused half-smile. “What do you think of her?” Shrugging, I looked away at a TV screen, making my tone as blasé as possible. “I like her. She’s good with them. And she’s… nice.” Wilder sat back in his booth seat, folded his arms across his chest, and shook his head, laughing softly. “Oh man… you’ve got a thing for the nanny.” My eyes lasered to his, my tone suddenly harsh. “I do not. That would not be… smart.” He shook his head, still grinning. “No. But it would be understandable. I mean, she’s there in your house every day, taking care of your kids, making your life easier. Is she young?” I gave him a grudging nod. “Twenty-three.” Wilder nodded. “Mmmhmm. What’s her name?” There was a long moment when I hesitated, sizing up my friend across the table. “Angelina.” Wilder, who’d been in mid-sip, choked on his beer. “Angelina the hot preschool teacher? Oh, dude—you are in so much trouble. That woman is smokin’.” I battled a surge of possessive animosity, actually had to suppress a growl. “I hadn’t noticed,” I lied through gritted teeth. “She’s also planning to become a nun—did you know that?” Wilder said, clearly not buying the lie. “Maybe. She might become a nun. She’s weighing her options right now.” Wilder nodded, his lips twisting in a thoughtful expression. “I see. And do her options include being Sullivan Reece’s new woman?” I frowned. “Of course not. She’s my kids’ nanny. And she’s gonna be a nun.” “Might be a nun,” Wilder corrected. He took another drink. “Say you didhave a thing for her… would that be so bad? She sounds like the total package. It’s obvious you like her. Yeah, it’s inconvenient that she’s the nanny, but it’s not like it would be the first time in history. I mean, it’s practically a celebrity rite of passage.” “Yeah, it would be that bad,” I told him, finally starting to crumble under the strain of interrogation. Rubbing my forehead, I stared down at the scarred wood tabletop. “No matter how amazing she is, how sweet and funny and smart and yeah, ‘smokin’,’ I can’t go there. I don’t want to be thatguy. If I ever made a move… tried to take it to another level, and it didn’t work out… my kids could lose their nanny.” “So get another one. Date Angelina and hire someone else.” I shook my head adamantly. “No. There’s no one like her. She’s the best person to care for my girls, and they deserve the best. I’d be the world’s worst father if they lost her because of my selfishness. I’m just gonna… you know, get over it, put her out of my mind… move on.” My tone of voice wasn’t convincing even to myself, but what else was there to do?
#2
Angelina The girls reached the inflatable bouncer and scrambled inside. One of them squealed, “Let’s hide from Daddy in here. He’s too big to fit.” With Sullivan only steps away now, I also had the impulse to hide. Stepping to the opposite side of the bounce house, I watched the children inside through its mesh window. I could also make out Sullivan’s large form as he stood and looked in from the other side. He shifted back and forth with impatience, appearing barely contained and a little bit dangerous. Though I knew he was wealthy, he looked slightly rough around the edges, like maybe he’d started life somewhere very different from an opulent Eastport Bay mansion. And while he was dressed nicely, I had the impression he’d be more comfortable in a pair of worn jeans or maybe gym shorts and a t-shirt Inside the bounce house, Sullivan’s daughters ignored his watchful presence, springing around like popcorn kernels, their wild hair flying with each jump. He called out to them. “We’ll go home, change real quick, and come back. But only if you get out of there right now and come with me.” In spite of his deep voice and intimidating size, I was surprised to hear no sternness in the man’s tone. Rather, he sounded like he was begging these infinitely smaller humans to cooperate. Suddenly I understood what was going on. He was the one who was intimidated. And his daughters knew it. Like any children, who would gladly accept any and all power you would give them, the adorable little girls were playing him. Sullivan Reece might look like a bruiser, but inside he was a marshmallow, at least when it came to these two girls. The spark of sympathy grew into something larger, something warmer. The man needed help. And if I’d learned anything during my time as a preschool teaching assistant, it was how to get unruly children to cooperate. “I. Want. To. Keep. On. Bounce. Ing,” one of the Reece girls said in an obstinate tone as she jumped even harder and higher. “I mean it now,” her father said, sounding increasingly frustrated. “If you two don’t listen to me, I’ll…” His threat trailed off into nothingness, and he looked heavenward as if seeking wisdom from a higher power. That was when I started moving, walking around to the side of the bouncer where he stood. When I reached his side, he still stood with his head dropped back on his shoulders, his hands low on his hips as he breathed in and out with audible gusts, perhaps struggling to remain calm. His sleeves were rolled up to expose his forearms and one of those tattoos I’d noticed from afar. I also noticed he wore no jewelry. No wedding ring. My heart gave an extra thump. He was even larger up close than I’d anticipated. Being next to him was something like standing near a high stone wall, though this particular stone wall smelled amazing. Some sort of cologne or manly soap, I guessed. And the texture of his hair was anything but rough. The shiny, dark locks looked so soft and touchable I felt a literal ache in my fingertips from resisting the impulse to reach out. What was wrong with me? I’d never felt an inappropriate urge to touch a stranger before. And this man was clearly in distress. The last thing he needed was a ridiculous girl ogling his various physical attributes. Swallowing down the large lump that had mysteriously formed in my throat, I managed to find my voice. “Kids that age can be a handful, huh?” Sullivan dropped his arms to his side and swiveled abruptly in my direction, looking down to locate me. His mouth opened slightly, though he didn’t immediately respond, and his eyelids flared wide, revealing the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.
Award-winning romance author Tru Taylor writes romantic comedies to make you swoon, smile, and snort with laughter.
She runs on Coke Zero and dark chocolate, lives for lunches with her girlfriends, and drives to the town beach several times a week to watch the sun set over the water.
She loves LOVE and will attempt to turn any show or movie she’s watching into a romance whether it is one or not. Star Wars? A romance. Lord of the Rings? Clearly a romance. The Expendables? Okay, well not even Tru can redeem that one.
When she’s not writing, Tru enjoys watching movies and reading books with happy endings, spending time with her husband and two kids, and sneaking Hershey’s Kisses from the top shelf of the freezer throughout the day. (Top shelf because… two kids. Enough said.)
Tru is the author of the Eastport Bay small town rom com series and loves living in a small New England town where she’s surrounded every day by the beautiful coastal setting you see brought to life in her books.
Title: Well Played Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
Genre:Standalone Contemporary Romance Release Date: October 25, 2021
Excited about Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward’s upcoming release, Well Played?
About the book
It all started with a bet. When my young son inherited half of his great grandfather’s historic inn, I decided to move us both to the place where I grew up. Notice I said half of the Inn. The other half now belonged to Levi Miller, the famous quarterback who had other ideas about what we should do with the property. We won’t mention that I accidentally injured him during our first meeting, causing him to get eight stitches. You could say we got off on the wrong foot. We bickered a lot as we both moved into the property while we figured things out. He wanted to unload the rundown place which, admittedly, needed a lot of work. I wanted to restore The Palm Inn to its original beauty and re-open it as a bed and breakfast. We couldn’t agree on anything. So Levi made me a proposal. One he thought I would surely lose. If I could sell out the place by the time he had to leave for training at the end of summer, he would back off and let me run it. But in the weeks that followed, we got more than we bargained for while we were living under the same roof. Levi and I got closer, and before I knew it, my nightly fantasies about the brawny Adonis became a reality. Not to mention, he was so great with my son. We were in over our heads in more ways than one. Because not only was he the last man on Earth I should be falling for because of our deal, but Levi was also my ex’s older brother. And now the inn was the least of my problems.
Check out this SNEAK PEEK!
Presley
Harper picked up the notebook that contained my to-do list from the table and opened to a fresh page. Clicking the pen open, she scribbled across the top. To do with Levi I chuckled. “Are we making a dirty to-do list?” She wiggled her eyebrows and put the pen to the paper. “We certainly are.” “Tell me one thing you fantasize about doing with him.” Yep, I was definitely drunk, because sober me wouldn’t have participated in this. Though, even in this state, I felt my cheeks blush. “Well, every day he goes out back and does pull-ups in that big oak tree. Sometimes I imagine he’s naked while doing them, and then I walk out naked, too. I wrap myself around him like a koala and he’s a tree, and he keeps doing the pull-ups. Hoisting us both up and down.” Harper smirked. “Nice start.” She then jotted down koala pull-ups. “What else you got?” “Well, I also have this running fantasy that I’m watching him do the pull-ups from my bedroom window with binoculars, and then I lie down on the bed and…you know…go to town on myself. And when I’m just about to orgasm, I look up at the window and see Levi with the binoculars. He’s watching me masturbate from outside.” “Oooh… I like that one.” Harper wrote down voyeur masturbation. For the next half hour, we polished off our spiked lemonades, laughed a lot, and added more than a dozen sexual to-do tasks to my list. It was the most fun I’d had in ages. But Harper had to fly home in the morning, and I didn’t want her to have a raging hangover. So rather than make another pitcher of spiked lemonade, I grabbed her a water bottle and some Motrin and told her to drink up before going to bed. But as I walked around and shut off the lights, another fantasy hit me. “That peach cobbler we had for dessert at the restaurant was orgasmic, wasn’t it?” “It sure was.” I pointed to the notepad. “Sit on Levi’s face while eating that pie.” Harper had been drinking water and spit it out all over the place. “Oh my God. That is most definitely going on the list!” She picked up the pen and spoke while jotting something down. “Double orgasmic peach cobbler.” We started to crack up, but a knock interrupted our laughter. At least it interrupted mine. I looked up to find Levi standing in the doorway to the living room. My eyes widened. “Levi… What are you doing here?” His brows lifted. “I own half the place.” “No, I meant I didn’t know you were back.” He looked between Harper and me and seemed to smirk. “Oh, I’m back.” My palms started to sweat. “I didn’t hear you come in. How long have you been…standing there?” Levi tilted his head, and his smirk elevated to a cocky smile. “Not too long.” Oh my God. I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. What if he heard? I suddenly felt pretty damn sober. “Umm…well, this is my friend Harper. She’s leaving early tomorrow, so we were just going to bed.” He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Harper.” Harper stood and hiccupped. She covered her grinning mouth. “Nice to meet you, too. Your family’s inn is beautiful.” “Thank you.” Her eyes shifted to me. “Although there’s a lot to do around here. Presley and I made a list. You might want to take a look at it and get going on some of the new to-do tasks we added.” My eyes nearly bulged out of my head, and I lunged for the notebook on the table. Levi squinted at me. “Everything okay, Presley? You seem stressed.” “I’m fine!” He nodded slowly. “Right.” “Alright….” I grabbed Harper’s arm and tugged. “We’re going to bed. Welcome home.” Levi never moved from the living room doorway as he watched me drag my friend out of the room. Harper waved over her shoulder. “’Night, Levi. Enjoy your to-do list!” Somehow I managed to get Harper to her room without her yelling anything too obscene. But for the next half hour, I lay in my bed with my heart pounding. What if he’d heard us? What if he’d been standing there listening the entire time? Oh my God. I covered my face with my hands. The things I said I wanted to do to him. My head began to ache, and tomorrow’s hangover hadn’t even started yet. After another twenty minutes of lying there freaking out in the dark, my mouth was so parched that I needed a bottle of water. But there was no way I wanted to run into Levi again. So I cracked open my bedroom door and listened for any sounds of someone moving out in the common area. Finding it quiet, I snuck down the hall and peered around the corner to see if any lights were still on. They weren’t, so I breathed a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen for a drink. I guzzled half a bottle of water before turning to slink back to my bedroom. But I froze at the sight of Levi standing in the kitchen doorway. My hand flew up to cover my racing heart. “Oh my God. You scared me.” “Sorry. I was just going to head out to grab a bite to eat.” “Oh…there are leftovers from lunch in the fridge, if you want. I made chicken pot pies this morning.” Levi held my eyes for a moment. “Thanks, but I think I’m going to go out.” He walked over and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I have a real hankering for peach cobbler.” Oh. My. God. My jaw dropped to the ground. I had no idea what to do or say. Levi winked as he walked to the door. “Get some sleep. I wouldn’t want you to be too tired to work on that to-do list.” ★★★
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-six languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Title: Knot My Type Series: All Access #1 Author: Evie Mitchell
Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date: October 4, 2021
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Frankie
When you say you’re a sexologist, people imagine Marilyn Monroe. They don’t expect a woman who uses a wheelchair. As the host of the All Access podcast, I’m breaking barriers, crushing stigmas, and creating sexual connections that are fulfilling for my fans. I’m like cupid, but with pink hair and fewer diapers.
Only, I’ve hit a snag. A lovely listener wants some advice about accessible rope play and I’m drawing a big fat blank. Which leaves me with no option but to get out there and give it a go.
Which is how I meet Jay Wood—rigger, carpenter, and all-round hottie.
I’d be open to letting him wine and dine me but Jay isn’t my type. He’s not a one-girl kind of guy. Monogamy isn’t even in his vocab, and I’m not a woman who’ll settle for being second choice.
But the closer we get, the more Jay has me tied up in knots.
And it’s making me think, maybe I could compromise and accept a little Wood in my life. Even if it’s only temporary.
Jay
Frankie’s funny, intelligent, and ridiculously sexy. This should be a no-brainer. A little fun in the sheets, and a little romp with some ropes—simple.
Only the infuriating woman is asking for more. I’m not that kind of guy. I wouldn’t even know how to be that kind of guy. I’m the definition of easy.
It’ll be fine. We’ll be friends. Just friends.
So, why does my heart feel frayed? And why is it I can’t help but consider taking the ultimate leap of faith—tying myself to Frankie. Permanently.
Jay Capricorn Cove had experienced a renaissance in the last few years, the sleepy town beginning to emerge from its hibernation as people moved in, and businesses finally occupied formerly vacant storefronts. Change came slowly in the Cove, but Books and Beans had fast become a local institution. Inside the small café, warm brick walls were complemented by polished concrete floors, long wood benches, and upcycled tables. Bookshelves stuffed with new and used books were scattered throughout the space, inviting diners to peruse as they waited for their order. I pushed through the door, the bell tinkling cheerfully above my head. “Hey, Jay. Want your regular?” Betsy called from her position behind the counter. Dressed in a casual blouse and mom-jeans, the older woman didn’t look like the kind of person who’d own a hipster joint. And yet, a quick glance around showed a surprising number of tourists enjoying generous meals. “Actually, I’m meeting someone. Got a table for me?” She nodded toward the back of the café indicating a table set between the currently empty fireplace and a pair of wall-to-ceiling bookshelves. “Perfect. Thanks.” I made my way over, calling greetings and stopping for chats with locals. That was the problem with a small town—you knew everyone and everyone knew you. Everyone, it seemed, except Frankie Kenton. I settled at the table, anticipation simmering under my skin as I pulled my cell out, swiping to reread her messages. I still couldn’t figure out why she’d piqued my interest. There was nothing profound in her texts. And yet here I sat, waiting for her to arrive, my pulse unsteady, my body on edge. What the fuck is wrong with me? “Jay?” I looked up, my cock immediately hardening. “Frankie?” Her pink hair and blue eyes reminded me of the cotton candy I used to buy at the annual fair. The colors had me wondering if the taste of her promised to be as sweet on my tongue. She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she came toward me, hand outstretched. “The one and only.” I’d have classified her as spun sugar, light and fluffy and extra sweet—if not for her voice. The richness of it forced me to reassess my initial impression—this woman wasn’t sugar, she was spice in masquerade.
#2
Frankie This can’t be happening. Jay pressed a hot kiss to my mouth, his short beard grazing my cheeks. His tongue stroked the seam of my mouth with sensual ease, my lips parting to grant him entrance. My mind couldn’t comprehend this reality. One second we were talking about dinosaurs, the next Jay’s tongue was in my mouth doing things I didn’t even know a tongue could do. Shock held me rigid, my body tense. Then he made a sound—the noise so raw, so needy, so utterly male, I melted like an ice cream on a summer’s day. What a tongue. What a beard. What a fucking delight. He took advantage of my surprise, claiming my mouth with possessive demand. My traitorous nipples began to tingle, a deep ache building inside me. I leaned into his kiss, my tongue tangling with his, my hands fisting his suit jacket, desperate for more. So much for the friend zone. The fact Jay kept denying our connection was a big fuck off red flag. If this were Annie, Flo, or Mai I’d be advising them to tuck, duck, and roll the fuck out of this situation. So why was I protesting as Jay pulled back? Why did my fingers tangle in his tie? Why did I yank him to me? Why did I moan when our mouths collided? “Frankie.” My name on Jay’s lips snapped me out of it. “Fuck.” I let his tie slip from between my clenched fist. “You can say that again.” My lipstick smudged his mouth and I found I liked the look of it there, liked knowing I’d left my mark on him. My gaze dropped to his lap, pleased to find him as turned on as me. “You’re going to be trouble, Doctor Kenton.” With regret I lifted my gaze, attempting to shove all my emotions into a box. “We shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have done that.” “No,” he agreed, scrubbing a hand over his face, his palm rasping against his short beard. “I’m sorry.” “Why did you?” Our gazes met and held in the dark cabin of the car, a million words and emotions passing unspoken between us, none of which made any sense. “Because I couldn’t stop myself. You’re making me break all my rules, Frankie. And it’s fucking annoying.” Despite myself, pleasure unfurled, warming at his frustrated admission. “We’re still not dating, right?” “Right.” He huffed out a laugh. “You’re the kind of woman who should come with a warning label.” “What? Loves trashy reality TV shows and fails at cooking?” “Makes a man lose his goddamn mind.”
Evie Mitchell is a thirty-something woman who loves dirty books, bad boys, and men who know how to treat their woman right. She lives with her husband, their sausage dog, and an ever-growing collection of book-related mugs.
When she’s not writing, Evie loves curling up in the sun with a good book and a cup of tea. Evie specialises in spunky reads for curious minds.
A Limited Edition Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romance Collection
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Release Date: October 12, 2021
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Lose yourself in the magic…
Hearts Unleashed brings you 20+ BRAND NEW tantalizing tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy in this thrilling collection of heart-pounding books featuring Shifters, Vampires, Witches and more.
Unleash your heart, indulge your senses, and satisfy your cravings with this fantastic collection of supernatural fiction featuring sensual heroes and sassy heroines, crafted by some of your favorite bestselling and award-winning authors.
Pre-order only deal! Order your copy now and receive a free digital coloring book on release day!
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
C.D. Gorri • Gina Kincade • Erzabet Bishop • Carrie Pulkinen • Julia Mills • Lia Davis • Skye Jones • Laney Powell • Fiona Starr • Cecilia Lane • Julie Morgan • L.A. McGinnis • Lori King • Theresa Hissong • Rebecca Hefner • Amanda Kimberley • Amy Pennza • P. Mattern • N Gray • Marie Mason • Siren Allen • Jules Crisare • Melissa Bell • Zoe Forward • Elle Boon
Title: The Baby and the Blueblood Series: Eastport Bay Billionaires #3 Author: Tru Taylor
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She’s risen from the ashes of heartbreak…
As a single mom, I’m not looking for Prince Charming. The last time I fell for a handsome, sophisticated, wealthy guy, he left me at the worst possible time without a look backward or even a word of explanation.
He did leave me with a lovely parting gift though… which arrived nine months later.
With no way to reach him, I picked up the pieces of that shattered glass slipper and moved on. Now I’m running my own business—the Fairy Godmother Cleaning Agency. My hands—and all my hours—are more than full managing my employees (including my two hapless stepsisters) and keeping my four-year-old son happy, healthy, fed, and clothed. It’s not easy doing it all on my own, but I have zero interest in a new relationship.
And who has the time? My high society clients expect their Eastport Bay, Rhode Island mansions to be sparkling—on schedule—come hell, high water, or hurricane.
So when a flu epidemic sweeps through my agency the day before the royal family of Aubernesse is to arrive in Eastport Bay, I put on a uniform and pick up the slack, working furiously to make sure their gorgeous vacation home is immaculate and ready for the elaborate ball they’re planning to throw.
He’s looking for the perfect fit…
I’m back in Eastport Bay for the first time in five years—and not exactly happy to be here. There’s a reason I’ve stayed away so long.
The place lost its magic for me long ago—the night the only girl I’ve ever loved proved beyond a shadow of a doubt she didn’t feel the same.
But this trip is non-negotiable, a matter of duty. I’m planning to fly in, attend the ridiculous ball my mother is so insistent upon, then get back to my life in Europe as quickly as possible.
That is until I arrive at the family estate early and catch the cleaning crew still at work.
And get a look at the woman beneath that coating of dust, ash, and spiderwebs…
The Baby and the Blue Blood is a small-town rom com take on Cinderella, filled with heart, heat, and secret baby/second chance/royal billionaire romance fun!
My long-time friend shoved her phone toward me. On the screen was a photo of Alexander Wessex, smiling in a suit and tie, his thick, dark hair windblown perfection, walking beside an equally handsome guy the caption identified as his brother Cameron. “What am I missing here?” Kristal said. “He’s gorgeous, single, worth a zillion dollars, and oh, yeah, a literal prince. What is the problem?” As I was trying to be “out of the office” as much as possible today, I’d asked Kristal to meet me for lunch at Nookie’s Diner, one of our favorite places. I was buying, of course, to thank my friend for watching AJ Friday night. The instant I’d told her who Alex, my long-lost love, really was, Kristal had pulled out her phone and done a search for him. “That is the problem,” I said, using my fingers to count off the reasons I couldn’t have dinner, coffee, or even a Tic Tac with Alexander Wessex. “He lives in a foreign country, he lied about his identity—well he didn’t lie, but he hid the truth from me. He’s not who I thought he was. And he’s way out of my league. He’s in your league. He’s an aristocrat.” I left the biggest reason off the list. I was too terrified to even think it, much less say it aloud.
#2
I laughed lightly and sank deeper into the steamy bath, enjoying the feel of the warm heat on my skin and muscles, relaxing fully now that Alex had left the room. When the water had begun to turn tepid and my fingers had pruned, I wrapped the heavy, soaked towel around my body again, tucking the top edge tightly under one arm and pulling the lower edge down to cover my thighs. I’d actually have to hold that in place because the water kept floating it up. With my good foot I kicked the lever to release the drain mechanism then called for Alex. He opened the door so quickly I suspected he may have been waiting outside it after all. “Have a nice bath?” he asked as he approached the tub. I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t. Alex was shirtless. His feet were bare, and he wore only a pair of black running shorts. As he’d mentioned earlier, we’d seen each other in bathing suits nearly every day of that long-ago summer. But it had been long ago. I’d been in the company of very few shirtless men since then, and none of them had looked like this. Even Alex hadn’t looked like this back then. He’d always had an attractive physique, tall and broad-shouldered with great muscle tone. But he’d been thinner then, lanky as young men often are. Now, at age thirty, he was a male in his prime. His arms and chest were filled out with firm muscle, as were his legs. His stomach was… oh good God I was staring. I needed to look away from all that tanned skin and segmented muscle, or I wasn’t going to be able to handle it when he— Too late. Alex lifted me and held my dripping wet body against him, and now my warm skin was pressed against his, and that amazing scent I’d detected earlier was right there, and, and… Mind on the game. Off the hot man. On. The. Game. Say something. Make conversation. “Were you… exercising?” He barked a short laugh. “No. Why do you ask? Do I smell like a locker room or something?” “You… took off your clothes.” He grinned widely. “This is my mermaid-retrieval uniform.” When I gave him a dazed look, he explained in a tone of voice one would use with a small child. “I don’t have that many changes of clothes here, and we can’t exactly hang things outside to dry. I knew I was bound to get soaked while fishing you out of the tub.” I craned my neck to see water running down Alex’s long legs and pooling on the bathroom floor around his feet. “Oh. Right. Sorry about that.” “No worries. I just wanted to be prepared.” He set me on the bathroom rug and gestured toward the shorts. “These will dry off pretty quickly in front of the fire. When you’re dressed, I’ll take you there too, so your hair can dry and you don’t catch a chill.” He held up a finger. “Which reminds me…” Alex left the bathroom and came back a moment later with a large man’s bathrobe. “I couldn’t find anything left in Janey’s room, but I did find this hanging in the master closet. It seemed like a better option than the pajamas you had on or your clothes from yesterday. The house is a bit chilly.” I took it from him gratefully. “Yes. Thank you. It’s perfect.” Anything to get you and your sexy, shirtless self out of my line of sight as soon as possible.
#3
Alex tensed. “What are you saying? You’ve changed your mind about allowing me to see him?” “No. I won’t stop you from seeing AJ, but the fact is you live in Aubernesse, and we live here. You have to go home sooner or later. I don’t want AJ to… to come to rely on you… to love you… when you can’t really be there for him.” “You’re asking me not to tell him I’m his father.” I had to compose myself before continuing. “I’m asking you to protect him—his little heart. Think carefully before you make promises to him you can’t keep, before you say and do things that will make him love you and then turn around and leave him.” Alex’s eyelids narrowed in an assessing gaze. “I see what’s going on here. Is it AJ’s heart you’re trying to protect? Or is it you who’s afraid to rely on someone and risk your heart?” I ignored his astute question. “You can have visitation with AJ. I’ll make sure the days and times are reasonable and generous. Just… have your assistant or whoever contact me, and we’ll set up some kind of arrangement.” “No,” Alex said. His face was a contorted mask of pain and frustration. He gripped my shoulders, the pressure firm but not bruising. “I don’t want an arrangement. I want a family—with you, with our son.” The words ripped my heart out. How I’d longed for us to be a family. When AJ was a newborn, I’d dreamed of Alex sweeping back into my life and telling me he missed me, that he wanted us both. But that was then—before I knew the whole truth about him. Before I realized how impossible that dream really was.
I really enjoyed The Baby and the Blueblood. A modern take on Cinderella it was a good read.
Set over a fairly short span of time, I got why Cinda reacted the way she did to the arrival and presence of Alex when she met him again after the years apart. Both had hurt feelings and acted out of character but it made for fun reading. When they did get together they were just as compatible as they were when they were younger, maybe more so given they were a little older and wiser.
Some family angst, a little lack of full truths and misunderstandings looked to throw a number of spanner’s in the works for this pair and you had to wonder if they’d manage a future together……
I’m looking forward to the next instalment, especially after being introduced to the main characters at the end of TBatB….. Book four is gonna be interesting, that’s for sure!!!!
AUTHOR BIO
Award-winning romance author Tru Taylor writes romantic comedies to make you swoon, smile, and snort with laughter.
She runs on Coke Zero and dark chocolate, lives for lunches with her girlfriends, and drives to the town beach several times a week to watch the sun set over the water.
She loves LOVE and will attempt to turn any show or movie she’s watching into a romance whether it is one or not. Star Wars? A romance. Lord of the Rings? Clearly a romance. The Expendables? Okay, well not even Tru can redeem that one.
When she’s not writing, Tru enjoys watching movies and reading books with happy endings, spending time with her husband and two kids, and sneaking Hershey’s Kisses from the top shelf of the freezer throughout the day. (Top shelf because… two kids. Enough said.)
Tru is the author of the Eastport Bay small town rom com series and loves living in a small New England town where she’s surrounded every day by the beautiful coastal setting you see brought to life in her books.
Title: The Cowboy and His Angel Series: Rock Springs Texas #9 Author: Kaci Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: September 16, 2021
BLURB
He’s a cowboy pastor. She has big dreams that don’t include settling down. Is he willing to risk it all to go after the one girl he can’t have?
I’m not running away. I’m running toward the life I want.
William is everything I always wanted.
A man my parents would love. But Greg is who makes my heart race.
One is a driven businessman in a big city. The other is a small town pastor.
One wants me to be a stay at home corporate wife. The other wants me to follow my dreams and wants to be by my side as I do.
The problem?
The one I’m dating isn’t the one that wants to make my dreams come true.
But the one I’m dating is the one my parents would have picked for me.
What the hell am I going to do?
This is a Steamy, Slow Burn, Small Town, Cowboy Romance. No Cheating, No Cliffhangers. This is Book 9 in the Rock Springs Texas Series. As always there is a satisfying Happy Ever After. If you love steamy romances with insta love, hot love scenes, small towns, and cowboys, then this one is for you.
Kaci Rose runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She writes the type of romance books she wants to read. Kaci loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.
Book Loving Pixies 