Title: Naughty & Nice A Man of the Month Sycamore Mountain Series Novella Author: LM Fox
Genre: Contemporary Romance Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Small Town Release Date: September 15, 2022
BLURB
Trevor
I came to Sycamore Mountain to start over. Focus on my career, not little miss sunshine. The brotherhood of firefighters is the only relationship I want. Trust me. This tart is the last thing I need.
I’ve been down that road. Beautiful girl who can have any man she wants.
Well Addie Briggs can focus on someone else. No sultry siren is worth going through that heartache again, no matter how naughty I think she could be.
Addison
Of all the men to fall for, I have to pick a grumpy hero.
He’s the hottest thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on, throw on his fireman turnout gear and I’d do almost anything he asked.
But this guy is jaded and scarred. He fights me at every turn. Yet, I can tell there’s a softness under his tough exterior. I’m going all in. Because I’m not ready to give up on Mr. Nice guy.
“What the fuck, Ashley?” “Trevor. What are you doing here?” “Last I checked, I live here,” I shouted as the burley naked jock before me hastily reached for his pants. He looked like a linebacker. The thought had barely left me before I noticed his shirt. The big W insignia confirmed he was most likely on the Washington football team. While visiting the training camp in Richmond had long been on my bucket list, I now wanted to kick that fucking pail down the road. “I thought you’d be at work.” “Obviously. How long has this been going on?” All thoughts of grabbing my assignment for my IT class were gone. “I was going to tell─” “Trev, we’ve got a call,” Jamie yelled through the door. I turned to notice he’d paused briefly to verify what he was seeing. “When I get here in the morning, I want your stuff gone,” I’d spat.
That painful memory is charred into my brain. The betrayal made worse when Jamie later confirmed her lover was NFL player Martin North. He was 250 pounds of raw muscle. Nosey neighbors confided later he’d been visiting my home for months. I wondered why she wouldn’t have broken it off with me instead of sneaking around with a baller worth millions. Until Jamie’s continued investigation revealed, the player was just that. A married celebrity who was having an affair with my girl.
Since then, he’s left his wife and children, and he and Ashley have been on the local tabloid circuit. I couldn’t turn on the television or open a local magazine without seeing the two of them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Ashley’s face was plastered on every billboard in town. If she wasn’t modeling jewelry for anyone traveling the interstate to see, she was painted on restaurant murals and large airport advertisements. She was fucking everywhere.
I’m aware I was partially to blame. I dove in headfirst. But there was never a moment I didn’t think both of us were all in. She’d wax poetic about our future, travel, and eventually having kids. But I guess it’s hard to compete with a larger-than-life superstar with a bank account to match.
I hadn’t had many serious relationships prior to Ashley. My plate had been full, beginning my career with the fire department and looking out for my mother. My dad had fought a hard battle with melanoma. They discovered it too late to offer much hope of recovery. Cancer instantly decimated our flawless life. We’d gone from a tight family focused on Sunday dinners and the arrival of Noah’s kids to heartbroken in the blink of an eye.
My mother was tough as nails, but I knew it was a façade. Noah’s wife, Becca, would try to bring the boys over to distract her grief-ridden thoughts, but I imagined the lonely, depressing time between visits was suffocating. Unable to bear the thought of her hurting alone, I decided to move back home, convincing my mother I wanted to save money with plans to pursue my graduate degree. Hell, there’s no faster way to kill your sex life than living with your parents. But I slept better at night, knowing it was the right thing to do. I’ll always treasure that time with my mom.
Caring for her as we mourned my father, we grew even closer. We’d always had a tight relationship, but you don’t truly appreciate your parents until life throws you a curveball. I’d been blessed with a happy, loving cohesive family and knew I’d never settle for anything less if I chose to marry. Moving to Sycamore Mountain would be hard on both of us. In hindsight, it’s clear I was merely mesmerized by Ashley’s physical splendor. Visits with my nephews hadn’t brought out her maternal side. However, like me, I figured she was at a different stage of life. She was focused on her modeling career. I’m not making this mistake twice. Getting caught up with some superficial bitch who’d leave the moment someone with a better reputation or bank account came along.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize what good time I’d been making. My eyes land on the bright green highway sign. ‘Welcome to Sycamore Mountain.’ Exiting the interstate, I quickly determine this is a one-horse town. As I approach the light at the end of the off-ramp, there’s a lone gas station, and I spot a fast-food restaurant across from a bait and tackle shop. Luckily, according to the GPS, the realtor’s office is only about ten minutes away. Miles of desolate farmland interspersed with clusters of evergreen trees engulf the windows of my vehicle. Occasional picturesque hay bails are dotted amongst the tall grass, but otherwise, the scenic area is enchanting. Unspoiled by the strip malls and housing developments of Hanover. There’s not a billboard in sight. This thought briefly brings a relieved smile to my face until it dawns on me that I probably stand a better chance of meeting a bear in this town than a beautiful woman. I might’ve had a better chance of getting laid living with Mom than here.
As I continue down the road, I stand corrected. There’s at least one female under sixty here. I spot a woman out for a walk with her baby along the grassy edge of the highway. Looking about, it seems an odd place to meander. While wearing yoga pants and a hoodie, I’m surprised at my fixation on her. I’m not usually into MILF’s. I’m in no way ready to settle down with a girl with a kid. But she’s got a fucking phenomenal ass. It’d be a crime not to look. As I grow closer, my eyes are drawn to the face of the child looking back at me. That’s either the ugliest kid on the planet or… Is that a chicken?
AUTHOR BIO
Born and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Laramie Briscoe, comes the special edition of a fan favorite series.
Nobody writes blue collar romance like Laramie Briscoe, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the Moonshine Task Force: Special Edition Series.
This edition includes a never-before-released short story, as well as all the slices of life scenes and text messages I’ve written for this couple.
The sexy, single dad of the MTF finally gets his turn…
Mason “Menace” Harrison
“Single and ready to mingle…”
Those are the words above every picture of almost every female that strikes my interest on this dating app my son talked me into getting. After being a single dad for seventeen years, I’m ready to spread my wings, just not with most of the co-eds who keep hitting on me and calling me daddy.
Now that Caleb’s in his Senior year of high school, I feel like I can let go of the iron-clad control I’ve had on myself without his Mom in our lives. I’ve enjoyed raising him, love the relationship we have, and while he went off the rails for a bit last year, we’re closer than we’ve ever been. He’s got a full ride to the University of Alabama, and I’ve settled into my spot with the Moonshine Task Force.
But my son doesn’t warm my bed, he isn’t someone I can share my dreams with, and he’s not the person I want to grow old with by my side. I’m not sure who that is yet, but the smokin’ hot lady going by the name BeachBum83 definitely has every single bit of my interest.
Karina Holland
“Looking for a good time, maybe more…..”
Those were the lamest words I ever typed in my life, but it was the best I had for the dating app my friend, Violet talked me into joining. I didn’t have any high hopes for myself. As a High School English teacher, I’m sick of pervy Dad’s hitting on me when they come in to discuss their child’s lack of motivation to read the classics and apply themselves.
Until the day Mason Harrison walks into my classroom. I had no idea Caleb’s Dad was the man I met off that dating app who showed me how flexible I really am in the back of his Jeep. Within minutes of the parent/teacher conference he proved the sparks weren’t one-time only when we christened my desk.
Mason and Caleb? They touch a part of my heart that no one’s ever touched before, and when a threat from the past shows up, I prove just how tough I really am.
About Laramie:
Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.
Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.
When she’s not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.
The Rebel, an all-new steamy opposite-attract small-town romance full of heat from bestselling author Lena Hendrix is available now!
I was supposed to lay low while my Hollywood drama blew over. Not fall for a man with golden retriever energy who isn’t afraid to take what he wants.
When I find myself back in the odd little town of Tipp, Montana, the last person I expect to fall for is an army vet turned cowboy.
Let alone discover he was my first kiss all those years ago. Back then, I never even knew his name.
Josh Laredo is smart, successful, and sexy as hell.
When my efforts to sneak onto his federally protected ranch blows up in my face, he covers for me.
Bit by bit he breaks down the walls I’ve created to protect my heart. And there’s a filthy mouth buried beneath all that good guy bravado.
He’s determined to peel back every one of my layers and give us the second chance he thinks we deserve. All he wants is to see the real woman beneath the Hollywood smile.
But I’m searching for answers, and as more secrets are revealed, I’m learning that things aren’t always what they seem in Tipp, Montana.
“One dance.” Even as the words left my mouth, I knew it was probably a lie. From his scuffed boots to the way his shirt strained against the muscles of his shoulders, everything about him was my type. Carefree. Charming. Dangerous. A mixture of small-town boy and wild, roguish charm. There was just something that told me if he asked for a second dance, I’d say yes.
My heels pinched my toes, but it was a familiar feeling, so I stuffed the discomfort down and concentrated on the ruggedly handsome man in front of me. God was he beautiful. His dark hair was long around his ears, curling the tiniest amount at the ends. I couldn’t tell if the stubble on his cheeks was intentional or if he’d just not bothered with a shave, and I could see how easily the local girls must moon over him. His movements were slow. Languid. Even the casual way he moved across the room screamed, Big Dick Energy.
But it was his smile that did me in. It was all white teeth and earnest charm.
As the music pumped from the speakers, his solid arms pulled me around the dance floor. Despite not knowing the steps, he led with confidence, his hand at my lower back, pushing and pulling me into the correct position. From the outside, it may have even looked like we knew what we were doing.
I let myself smile at him. Not the polished, demure smile that had been drilled into me since I was young, but my real, too-wide smile that rarely appeared.
He didn’t have a clue.
When he’d made the comment about rolling out the red carpet, I thought maybe he knew, but the flash of recognition never came—that dawn of realization when someone discovers I am the Madison Colt. It wasn’t there.
Maybe Des was right about my hair after all. Dyeing my typically platinum-blonde hair back to my natural auburn was an act of defiance and a night of one-too-many glasses of red wine, but it did a damn fine job hiding the fact that a celebrity was drinking watered-down cocktails and dancing with the sexiest man in the bar.
For the briefest moment, I was free of her.
As the song died down, Josh kept his strong hands planted at my lower back, our hips pressed together. We’d laughed and stood, breathing in each other’s air, as the room continued to dance around us.
His hand stroked up my back as he leaned toward a table of people staring in our direction. “Come hang out for a minute.”
I wanted to. More than anything I wanted to be Effie Pierce, normal girl passing through town. A thousand reasons to stay flipped through my mind. I could enjoy a night out, free of the expectations and schedules and rigidity of my life. I could be a different version of me.
Until someone recognized me.
They always did.
I smiled up at him. “I should go.” I pulled away and took measured strides toward the door.
“Wait a second,” he called at my back. “Can I see you again? Get your number?”
I closed my eyes as the pang of what-ifs shot through me. But I knew how this ended. If I left now, I’d be saving myself from the uncomfortable conversation later. “Thank you for the dance.”
“Effie.”
My name was liquid over gravel in his throat. I flushed with heat as he leaned over me.
Kiss me. Kiss me and I’ll stay.
We stayed locked.
Waiting.
About Lena
Lena Hendrix is the author of steamy, contemporary romance novels. Her love of romance started with her grandmother’s Harlequin paperbacks and now Lena’s stories are full of heart, humor, and plenty of strong Alphas with marshmallow insides-she likes her coffee hot and her heroes hotter!
Lena lives in the midwest with her husband, three children, and two derpy Australian Cattle Dogs. When she’s not writing or devouring new novels, you can find her hiking, camping, fishing, and sipping a spicy margarita!
The Misfit Brides Series Author: Pippa Grant writing as Jamie Farrell
Genre: Romantic Comedy Cover Design: Najla Qamber
#1 Blissed
Welcome To Bliss, the Bridal Capital of the Midwest!
Single mom Natalie Castellano isn’t feeling so blissful these days… Natalie’s made a career out of screwing up all over her hometown. But it’s redemption time, and she’s putting on her big girl panties to make sure this year’s bridal festival goes off without a hitch. Even if it means she has to play nice with the man who broke her fairy tale.
She’s definitely not the one for him. Or is she… World adventurer and reluctant local hero CJ Blue doesn’t want to be in Bliss anymore than Natalie wants him here. But family obligations have brought him back, and now, and now he’s somehow been roped into saving the town tradition he’d rather forget with the woman whose kiss he can’t forget. She frustrates him and drives him nuts but he’s had more fun giving her a hard time about the bridal festival than he has in years.
And their fun is just starting… Despite their rocky past, these two wounded souls have more in common than they expect. They’ve both loved and lost, they’ve both tried to move on, and now they’ve both been been banned from the local church confessional after…well, they’re not supposed to talk about it. But by joining forces for the sake of Bliss, they might find the courage and the sparks to risk love one more time.
A country music heartthrob and his long-lost love walk into a wedding…
Will Truitt grew up living the saddest kind of country song. Now, though, as superstar Billy Brenton, his life is perfect. Or so people think. But he hasn’t been able to write a decent song in months. Crashing a wedding in a quirky little bridal-obsessed town is supposed to provide inspiration to get his career back on track. Instead, all he finds are regrets when he comes face-to-face with the woman who got away, taking his crushed heart with her.
Lindsey Castellano gave up on love a long time ago. As a cutthroat divorce attorney on the outskirts of a town devoted to brides, weddings, and happily ever after, she’s honed her skills at avoiding love, commitment, and inevitable heartbreak. Or so she thought until Will Truitt reappears in her life.
When Lindsey shattered Will’s heart fifteen years ago, she’d been a sorority girl on her way to the top. He’d been a lowly janitor with a dream. Now he’s on top of the world, and she’s the last person he should need or want.
But she’s the only person who has ever inspired his music. And he’s the only man she’s never been able to forget. Have the years made them wiser, stronger, and better able to love, or this time, will they simply crash and burn harder?
Dahlia Mallard has finally found her destiny—running an ice cream shop in Bliss, the happiest bridal town in the Midwest. Problem is, her heart is bigger than her bank account. After spending her last dime on a less-than-worthy cause, she needs a serious influx of cash to get through the winter. Her last-ditch effort? Convincing country music superstar Billy Brenton to attend the risqué flavor-tasting event she’s planned to boost sales. But the closest she can get to Billy is his drummer, the womanizing Mikey Diamond.
Mikey loves the ladies, and he makes no secret of it. But he’s not such a fan of this town devoted to weddings, love, and marriage. And he’s even less of a fan of people using him to get to Billy. When circumstances land Mikey in Dahlia’s house as her new roommate, though, all his caution—and all his interest in any other single ladies—flies out the window. Dahlia’s quirky and funny and, unlike his usual women, she doesn’t tolerate any of his baloney. But when Mikey discovers that Dahlia, too, is using him to get close to Billy, will he take the chance to be her hero instead, or will he revert to his manwhore ways?
When Chicago’s Hottest Snack Cake Heir… Josh Kincaid went from rags to riches when he was adopted by the family who owns the Sweet Dreams Snack Cakes empire. But now the company is floundering, and Josh will do anything to save his parents the way they saved him. Including using his charm on a small-town wedding cake baker.
Takes on the Misfit Princess of the Bridal Capital of the Midwest… Kimmie is flighty, she spouts off weird dreams when she’s nervous, and her frizzy hair and fashion sense make her the girl least likely to snare a debonair snack cake heir. But Kimmie can bake a cake that’ll make a grown man cry, and that’s exactly what Josh needs to turn his parents’ business around.
They Just Might Find The Recipe for Love Josh’s plan should be easy, except Kimmie isn’t all cupcake underneath. Her help comes with a price. If Josh wants to save his family’s company, he’ll have to do something he’s never done: be himself.
He’s the Spare Heir of Bliss’s most famous jewelry shop Max Gregory’s family is best known for creating and displaying the world’s most cursed diamond ring, but here in the bridal capital of the world, Max is best known for having a cursed love life. Not that he believes in curses. Or he didn’t, until he met Merry.
She’s the daughter of a notorious jewel thief Merry Silver’s parents have wreaked havoc on her life. After her last romantic disaster—thanks, Daddy—she’s fleeing the country for a chance at normal. But first, she has to avoid her favorite ex-boyfriend while she gets her mom married off. Again.
And they’re about to get a second chance at love
Max was horrified when he discovered why Merry disappeared last year. Now she’s back in Bliss for a wedding, and her father may be after his family’s most prized possession. But is it the diamond Max is worried about? Or is he afraid of losing the only woman who’s ever made him want to settle down?
Dueling neighbors, baby fever, fake boyfriends, and pizza… Life in Bliss has never been better!
Pepper Blue wants a baby. Forget the husband. She’s better at training men to be good husbands for other women than she is at getting one herself, so she’s doing this on her own.
But she hasn’t exactly shared the news with her family, and they’re determined to find her a date to the next family wedding. A date that won’t ditch her for one of her sisters or cousins. This time.
Which means Pepper Blue needs a fake boyfriend. A fake boyfriend that she has no chance of actually falling in love with. A fake boyfriend like her obnoxious neighbor.
Tony Cross is a pizza god with a sausage problem. He’s putting on a good show—a different woman at his house every night, flirting with all the right customers, flexing his muscles when called upon—but since his divorce, his meat has been more on the undercooked side. If you know what he means.
Except, unfortunately, when it comes to his annoyingly perfect, always put together, too good for him neighbor. Pepper Blue. Who is not a viable candidate for fixing his “little problem.”
So he’s not sure why he’s coming to her rescue, pretending to be her boyfriend to save her from a bad date at his pizza joint. He just knows it’s fun. And it irritates her. And it turns out, she might be able to help his flagging pizza sales as much as she’s helping his flagging… you know.
So long as this is just business, he’s happy to keep pushing her buttons.
What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas!
Tarra Blue found out the hard way that her Vegas annulment didn’t take, and now she’s hunting down her accidental husband to finish what they started ten years ago.
Ben Garcia left the corporate world behind when his business partner dropped dead of a heart attack, and he’s doing his best to embrace life as a beach bum. But running an umbrella stand isn’t quite enough. And he doesn’t know what he’s missing.
Until Tarra walks back into his life.
Suddenly, the wife he once didn’t want is everything he never wants to give up. But she comes with complications. BIG complications.
Pippa Grant is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes romantic comedies that will make tears run down your leg. When she’s not reading, writing or sleeping, she’s being crowned employee of the month as a stay-at-home mom and housewife trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, all the while fantasizing about long walks on the beach with hot chocolate chip cookies.
If I’d known he had dimples, I never would’ve agreed to marry him.
Some people are born for parenthood.
Not me.
But I’m about to get it anyway, since there’s no one else who can take care of my wild child baby sister. I’m supposed to be spending my days running a flight adventure company with my best friend, but instead, I’m inadvertently getting myself into trouble, just trying to do the right thing and keep her out of trouble, to the point that it’s clear I cannot do this on my own.
But who else would want to help us?
Turns out, my biggest enemy.
Mr. Tall, Dark, and Cranky just inherited a country, but in order for Amoria to crown him as King—you know, that job they give to people with no more demanding qualifications than flared nostrils, proper manners, and a taste for crumpets—he needs a wife. Now. Obviously the only person he would ask is as irresistible (and desperate) as me.
And I see no better way to prove I’m ready to take care of my sister than to wear the crown of a queen. No one’s ever found fault with royalty, and hey, the job comes with round-the-clock security.
Except in return for helping save my sister, Mr. I’m-Not-Sure-You’re-Even-A-Real-Prince Viktor tells me he needs the teeniest, tiniest favor. You see, he doesn’t just need help saving his crown. He needs help saving his country.
Remember when I said no one ever found fault with royalty? Try asking that question after you see your frazzled face under the front-page headline of a small country’s leading gossip mag…
Hot Heir is a romping fun marriage of convenience romance between a surprise heir and a southern hot mess, complete with the bedroom to end all bedrooms, a run-down alpaca, and that thing with the hot air balloon. This romantic comedy stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers and ends with a royally awesome happily ever after.
But soothing a terrified, sobbing, otherwise competent woman is not something I’ve often—ever—accomplished successfully, nor have I ever found myself in many situations in which it was necessary.
I stroke her back, and gradually, they both cry themselves out.
Which is good, because seeing a chink in Peach’s armor is bloody terrifying.
“Papaya,” she says, her voice thick and wobbly, “you’re on kitchen duty for the next four weeks.”
“What?”
“And if you get fired by the chef, you’ll be on maid duty. And if you get fired by the maids, you’ll be shoveling shit in the stables. And you don’t get to see Fred until your chores are done.”
I suck in a surprised breath.
Papaya gasps. “You can’t do that.”
“And if you don’t show up for kitchen duty, you won’t be going to Joey’s wedding next weekend.” She swipes at her eyes, which silences any objections I might have to keeping track of Papaya whilst Peach is away for a week. “You scared the ever-loving patootles out of me. I thought you were kidnapped. And instead, you’re here, spooking the daylights out of these poor guards who were trained on an invalid king who couldn’t even get out of his own bed to pee.”
Ah. I’m beginning to see from whom Papaya gets her creativity.
And it hasn’t escaped my notice that Peach is still leaning on me.
My knees are going quite numb from squatting, but I could crouch here for hours if that was what was required to make her feel better.
“You have two choices.” Her voice is growing steadier, more Peach-like. “You do your punishment, and we’ll find you a better outlet for all your creative energy, or we’re going to have one hell of a rough year.”
Papaya scowls. Her tears have also left her. “I don’t like those choices.”
“They’re what you’ve got.”
“I want to go home and live with my daddy.”
Peach’s entire body goes so rigid, I have to stop myself from grabbing Papaya and dangling her by the ankle for being such an ungrateful arse.
“He lost the privilege to keep you.” Peach’s voice wobbles again. “Meemaw and me and Viktor and Alexander and Samuel are what you’ve got.”
An emotion I cannot name blooms in my chest, swells into my throat, and renders me momentarily tongue-tied.
She’s just claimed us all as family.
“Get up. I want that armor shined and sparkling before it goes back where it belongs in the tower study, and don’t you dare give me any lip, or you’ll be shining and sparkling every single suit of armor in this whole entire castle if you so much as think at me wrong.”
I swallow hard, wishing my own voice were not so much more husky than I intend it to be. It seems emotions are going around. “I believe there are fifty more stored in the dungeons, my lady.”
My shirt is damp and cold where the tears from Peach’s cheek have soaked through, I’ve nearly watched a teenage girl outwit and terrify an entire team of guards who were quite ready to maim, if not outright kill her, and I’m playing parent for the first time in my life.
Being a team.
With Peach.
It’s disconcerting at best.
Irresistibly attractive at worst.
I’ve a kingdom to run. There’s no time to fall for my wife.
But I fear it might be too late.
AUTHOR BIO
Pippa Grant is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes romantic comedies that will make tears run down your leg. When she’s not reading, writing or sleeping, she’s being crowned employee of the month as a stay-at-home mom and housewife trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, all the while fantasizing about long walks on the beach with hot chocolate chip cookies.
When you grown up in a small town like Great Meadows, you learn to create your own entertainment. You can either spend your time getting high, partying at The Field, or working on cars. For Veronica Russo, there’s a certain solace found underneath the hood.
As the youngest sibling of the Russo Family, Veronica is under the watchful eyes of her four older brothers. Four very protective, very overbearing, and very outspoken brothers. Every guy in town knows Veronicas label — Strictly Off-Limits. They have succeeded in enforcing it; running off every guy that so much as looks in her direction. That is, until Chase arrives back in town.
Close family friend and motor head, Chase Daniels, returns from his deployment and his world is turned upside down when he comes face to face with Veronica again; shocked to find that she is all grown up. The more he surrounds himself in her company, the more he feels an intense pull towards her. There’s just one problem — his best friends won’t allow it.
Is the fallout of a life-long friendship worth the possibility of something more?
The Chandler Brothers from New York Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips are back!
In honor of THE BACHELOR’s 20th Anniversary all three books have been updated and will be reissued with gorgeous NEW covers with the same content but modernized for your reading pleasure. The BACHELOR was the first book that Kelly Ripa chose for her Reading with Ripa Bookclub.
The Bachelor
He’s got wanderlust and no intention of settling down.
She’s home to stay and has put her bad boy ex in her rearview mirror.
After spending his life abroad, embracing his freedom at every turn as a foreign correspondent, Roman Chandler finds himself the brother nominated to deal with his ailing mother’s matchmaking shenanigans. Thanks to a coin toss, he needs to find someone to marry and fast. It shouldn’t be that hard in sleepy Yorkshire Falls where women fall over themselves to hook a Chandler man.
But Roman only wants the one woman who got away.
Charlotte Bronson is back home to put down roots and get her lingerie business off the ground. She’s not interested in her past or a man that chose to chase breaking news stories to the far corners of the earth over her. No matter how good they used to be or how combustible their chemistry still burns.
It’s up to Roman to convince Charlotte he’s a changed man and here to stay.
Police officer, Rick Chandler, has managed to fend off the marriage-minded women in his small town but it’s getting more difficult with each passing day. After all, there’s something about the Chandler charm that keeps them coming back with hope in their hearts. What’s a man determined to stay single to do?
Kendall Sutton is a cliche, a runaway bride stuck on the side of the road, until she’s rescued by the sexiest cop she’s ever seen. In spite of her pearly gown and tiara, Kendall vows to never get married—which makes her the ideal fake girlfriend to ward off Rick’s legion of admirers.
But when their charade starts to feel real, suddenly the town’s most popular playboy has marriage on his mind – but will a woman with Kendall’s jaded past ever say “I do”?
He’s a loner who indulges in a one night stand out of town.
She’s a senator’s daughter who never expects to see her indulgence again.
Small town journalist Chase Chandler has waited a long time for the chance at a national story, putting his dreams on hold to help with his younger trouble-making siblings and taking over the family newspaper. His trip to Washington D.C. is business only until he gets a look at the seductive red-head.
Sloane Carlisle isn’t just any woman. She’s a senator’s daughter whose world has been rocked by news that devastates her and she finds solace in Chase’s arms. She was never supposed to see him again except when she heads to the small town of Yorkshire Falls to uncover the truth about her family, she runs headlong into the man she can’t forget and suddenly he’s by her side. All. The. Time.
Because unbeknownst to Sloane, in exchange for an exclusive, all Chase needs to do is keep her safe. He’s watched his siblings fall in love and marry and suddenly the man who thought he was finished raising a family wants one with the woman who made him believe in love at first sight. What will it take to get Sloane to say the two words that could turn the town’s most eligible bachelor into the world’s sexiest spouse?
NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
Kiss the Blarney Stone, Hope Dunn is going to need some good ole fashion Irish luck! In the chaos of tax season the Arizona accountant is pulled away to stand in her cousin’s wedding. All it takes is one step back in the Big Apple, and she regrets making the trip. True to character, her mother uses their time together to hound Hope about getting married and settling down.
Still, Hope fulfills her bridesmaid obligations by joining the bridal party for a shamrock wearing, pint chugging St. Paddy’s day blow out. There she runs into best man—and smokin’ hot ginger—Kellan Townsend. Far too much green beer later, she finds out exactly what that fine Irish lad keeps under his kilt.
Afterwards, Hope wants nothing more than to walk of shame her way into a dark room and nurse her hangover. Unfortunately, wedding demands won’t allow it. As if facing Kellan isn’t awkward enough, her mother picks that moment to launch into a fresh guilt-trip over her lack of grandbabies. Like a lucky little Leprechaun, Kellan cuts in with a magical offer.
A pretend romance, to get her mother off her back, seems like a wish granted. But Kellan has an agenda all his own. Can he use this opportunity to jig his way straight into Hope’s heart? Or will he need a four-leaf clover to get past this workaholics defenses?
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot. When she’s isn’t writing one of the many stories planned for release, you’ll find her sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games. Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Roth, in theaters January 19, 2018.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Doveris a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.
Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.
Evan Griffith has had a hell of a day…
And that was before he met the stunning, sexy woman having a meltdown.
Evan Griffith has had many careers in his life. But who knew working for his family’s moving company would hold just as much action as his stint in the Marine Corps? On an unforgettable job, Evan finds himself taken by a teenage conman and confronted by a woman wielding a knife—and promptly falls head over heels for her.
Kenzie Sykes is doing her best to raise her little brother and keep him out of jail—all while dealing with her own broken heart that just hasn’t healed. She doesn’t have time for romance. He’s not asking… Until he is, and she finds herself saying yes.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
One day she will rule, but first she must be broken.Locked away in her tower, Princess Aya spent years hiding from the truth as her people suffered terribly under her uncle’s tyrannical reign. Now she will pay the shameful price for her silence…
Awakened by the cries of the oppressed, Kazriel will not rest until things are made right. But putting Aya on the throne is only the beginning. Before he allows her to rule, the princess must be stripped bare and mastered so thoroughly she will never forget how it feels to be powerless.
Naked, bound, and at his mercy, she will scream and beg as her helpless, quivering body is put on display and tormented with pain and pleasure, then claimed so publicly she may never stop blushing. She is not just going to be humbled, punished, and ravaged. She is going to be broken.
Publisher’s Note: Broken Princess includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
Prologue
GUILTY
The word tolled from a thousand throats like a bell. It resonated through Aya’s tender frame, her silky soft skin turning to a myriad of bumps of fear as the energy of those voices passed over and through her.
She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling fingers clasping at the fine silk of her gown. Those who denounced her wore scraps of cloth and threadbare cloaks of wool, but their voices were clear, and they rang with truth.
GUILTY
The word was intoned with a collective gravity which chilled the princess to her core. They did not shriek the words. They barely shouted them. She would rather have faced a screaming mob than this civilian intensity which sunk into her bones and made her wish she could curl up on herself and simply disappear.
“I didn’t know!” She tried to argue, her soft voice carried away by the wind. “I couldn’t have known…”
GUILTY
Three times the pronouncement rang out from the mouths of the people. Her fate was sealed. The word shot into her heart and made it pound with abject fear. She could not be guilty. A princess could never be guilty, not ever. A princess was above the law.
The gaze of the peasants was shameful enough, but it was the least of her concerns. She felt a much more powerful stare on her. Celestial green eyes swept over her and it was as if she was entirely naked though she remained clothed. The people were common, but he was not. He was more than royal. He was the one creature in all the world who could be said to rule over a princess. More than a king.
She looked into the eyes of Kazriel and met a gaze which was not meant to be incarnate. He did not merely see the surface of her. He saw everything. Every thought. Every hope. Every desire. Her mind rebelled at finding itself prematurely laid bare. Perhaps after death she might have found herself judged, but there had never been any indication that a wayward princess like pretty Aya might find herself called to answer before the guardian of justice.
“I didn’t know…”
Her voice was as soft as her excuse was weak.
“You knew.”
His voice was deep, and not unkind. He spoke with the voice of the world, with the grinding of stones and the growing of trees. His voice was not merely sound, it was a resonance which touched every part of her and made her tremble with the guilt she had long denied and now could not.
“I had no choice…”
Again she tried to argue her way out of what was to come. She could not have known what the guardian had in store for her, but she sensed that it would be enough to make amends – and there were so very many amends to be made. She cowered in fear of the consequences as much as at the great beast of a god who stood before her, taller, broader, stronger, perfectly masculine in the carved planes of his body, human ideal made flesh.
He reached out. She flinched away. His touch would not bring comfort. She knew what she deserved. She knew what he would do to her. She knew that the fine garments protecting her from the eyes surrounding her would not remain intact much longer. She knew shame awaited, a shame she might never recover from.
But this was not her fault. She had only been trying to do what everyone else was trying to do: survive.
Perhaps she had been doing it differently from those who now stood in collective judgement of her, but that was an accident of birth. She had no more chosen to be a princess than any of the commoners around her had decided to be peasants. Why didn’t this creature who held her prisoner understand that?
She had begged for this chance to plead her case to the people, so certain that they would pardon her. But there was no pardon on their lips, and there was no mercy in their gazes. She would take the punishment. All of it. And they would be witness to it, from the scribes who would write this into the history books, to the common men who would tell the story to their sons so it may be told to all sons thereafter.
Princess Aya swallowed the lump in her throat and faced her destiny.
“Very well,” she murmured, a touch more rebellion than was wise entering her tone. “Do your worst.”
A soft chuckle escaped Kazriel. “My worst? Princess, you would not survive a fraction of my worst.”
She clamped her lips together and did not reply, but her look said everything. She had survived more than he could imagine, and she could take more than the guardian could inflict. It was a curse even he could not lift.
It was beginning.
Harsh ropes wrapped around her wrists and drew them high above her head, making her body stretch before the crowds. They would see through the sheer of her robe. They would make out the curve of her body, the lines of her most intimate places.
She heard the sound of hundreds of people looking at her, an intense, focused silence which made her every hair prickle at attention.
He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. He was so tall, powerful beyond compare. She reacted to him on a visceral level. He called to more than her flesh. He called to her soul.
“Guilty,” he said, his hand running up the inside of her thighs, his fingers moments away from making contact with the virginal core of her.
“Do you repent, princess?”
Aya turned her eyes on him. She was so small in comparison. So weak. Her brown gaze was of earth, unlike his eyes which were iridescent with power. She could have said so many things in that moment. She could have apologized. She could have begged for forgiveness. She could have declared herself reformed. Instead, she took refuge in the haughtiness of her station and stared down the deity she had been worshipping since she was forced into the world by birth.
“I repent nothing.”
It’s just as well Loki Renard became an author because other career paths proved disastrous. She was once thrown out of someone’s house for trying to sell them citrus based cleaning product, and her brief brush with corporate life ended when she wrote profiles for her fellow employees likening them to various feral animals then attempted to negotiate the idea of not coming into the office and getting paid anyway. Perhaps if she’d had the dedication to slug herself in the face a la Fight Club, things might have turned out differently.
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