When Bailey Evans walked into my ER, I had no idea that my perfectly ordered world was about to fall off its axis.
She was the chaos I never wanted.
When Dr. Cole Larkin’s eyes found mine, that night in the small exam room, I had no idea that the walls I’d built to protect my heart, would come crumbling down.
He was a craving I should never fulfill.
But when the temptation is too much to handle… Succumbing to it… might be the only way they can withstand the pressure…
Lillian Bryant lives in Utah with her family. She is a full time nurse but enjoys moonlighting with her dirty words and letting her darker parts of her heart spill across the page.
Lillian Bryant breaking the rules one sin at a time.
Miles Capadonno has made some mistakes. Once part of the Capadonno crime family, he took the fall for another member of the crime family who once tried to kill him. At age 17, they put a contract out on Miles’ head for neglecting to complete a job. It was a matter of priority. Miles went to his dying mother’s side instead of picking up stolen merchandise from the ship yard. When you’re in with the Capadonno’s, whether you’re blood or sworn in, when they say jump you jump, when they say kill you kill. Ignoring an order is an offense of the highest degree. When they couldn’t kill him, they let Miles take the fall for another Capadonno family member. Now 15 years later, Miles is being released. He is ready to put his past behind him. There’s only one problem. There is still a contract on Miles’ head. This time, Miles is man enough to collect on owed debts, and he will not back down from the family that stabbed him in the back.
Leticia “Letty” Alves is a saucy Latina and Miles’ old high school girlfriend. She was only 16 when Miles was arrested, but she hasn’t stopped wondering about the boy who charmed her all those years ago. Now working as a nurse for a home health agency, Letty’s priorities are to take care of herself and her 18 month old son, Gabriel. But when Miles walks back into her life everything changes, and suddenly, the family that she had avoided all her life, is now breathing down her neck looking for Miles. Letty is no damsel in distress, though. She’s a fighter, and she never backs down from a challenge.
Sparks fly when Miles and Letty reunite. Can they put their differences aside to become one again? Can Miles set down his pride and accept the help and love that Letty can provide? Will Letty get over her resentment over being left so long ago when Miles was arrested? Only readers know for sure.
Welcome to Carrion, New Jersey, where the Capadonno’s call the shots. Miles was away for so long, but now the prodigal son has returned. One thing is for sure, the family business isn’t ready for a bastard like him.
Addison Kline is an award winning, best selling novelist who writes mystery,psychological thrillers and romantic suspense novels. She lives inPennsylvania with her husband, their sons and two rambunctious dogs.
Addison has had a love affair with the written word since before sheentered school. Her grandmother taught her the glory of taking anadventure in the pages of a book. When Addison isn’t writing, you can find her reading, going for an adventure with her sons, or traveling with her family.
There is a hunger that blood alone cannot satisfy…
Growing up in a world of privilege, Royal Gabriel never questioned the source of her father’s great wealth or his cruel enslavement of the human-like beings known as “bloodlings.” Now grown to exquisite womanhood, she can no longer ignore Charles Gabriel’s wickedness, especially after encountering his latest captive—the alpha bloodling pack leader he calls “X”—chained in the basement of the family estate. Royal is captivated by the sensuous power of this creature who is expected to battle to the death against others of his race in her father’s underground fighting arena. But only after she sets him free—after surrendering to his poisonous bite and raw passion—does she learn the alpha’s true history, and her bloodthirsty lover’s real name: Maddox.
With bloodling venom coursing through her veins, Royal feels herself growing, changing, awakening as never before beneath the alpha’s tender touch. Now only Maddox can save her. But the inescapable demands of a breathtaking, forbidden love and the fire Maddox has ignited within her are leading Royal down a dangerous path, branding her a traitor and hunted enemy of her own vengeful bloodline.
A strange, distant noise echoed in the chasm of darkness in front of her. The wine cellar stretched on into endless shadows, and she got the eerie sense she wasn’t alone. Royal snatched another bottle of wine before rushing to the staircase.
A low, doleful…was it a growl? Some kind of animalistic grumble carried from the black abyss. He sounded as if he was in pain. Was it coming from a “him” or a wounded animal? Curiosity drove her toward it. She took a deep swallow of wine, then set both bottles on the bar before wandering into the dark.
Royal brushed her long brown hair behind her shoulders and grasped her arms to ward off the chills. She followed the sound through the cold, damp cellar. As she turned a corner, a sliver of light shone in a distant room. The growling grew more distinct as she drew closer.
The space was lit by a tiny window just below the ceiling. The falling snow outside cast a white glow on the dismal scene. A man, no…he must have been a bloodling, stood in the center of the room, his muscular arms stretched upward, shackled to an iron chain that hung from a wooden beam along the ceiling. A dark shadow of hair covered his shaved head. Stripped naked, his well-built body had taken quite a beating, covered almost completely with bruises and scrapes. An intricate black tattoo stretched over his right chest muscle and shoulder, streaked with blood. His head hung forward, shielding his face.
Britton sat on his heels on the floor, his face against the restrained bloodling’s groin, lapping at his exposed genitals with loud, slurping strokes.
The bloodling growled a deep, miserable sound.
Britton moaned, baring his teeth and gnawing lightly on the poor creature’s testicles.
“Stop!” Royal found her voice, surprised at the authority dripping from her own tone.
Startled, Britton scurried toward her, moving to kiss her satin high heels in apology.
“No…” She took a step backward, uneasy and nauseous. “Thank you. Go, um.” Her brief venture into dominance had passed, and she attempted to regain control. “Fetch, fetch the wine for my father.”
With a strange gleam in his dark brown eyes, Britton stared at her as he crawled out of the room.
The chained bloodling hadn’t moved, his head still hung over his chest, his long lashes lowered. Against her better judgment, Royal slowly walked toward him. The swish of her silk skirt and hollow click of her heels broke the silence in the room.
This must be X, the alpha pack leader Sebastian shot in the shoulder and captured. His dismal growls during Britton’s sexual assault pulled at her heart. He stood naked, broken, and vulnerable, not dangerous.
His heavy dick drew her gaze, larger than any she’d ever witnessed, and she imagined what it would look like erect. A vibrating growl escaped his throat, and she stopped in her tracks, inches away from him. She didn’t have a plan, only a deep urge to see his face
Tilting her head low, her gaze drifted up his beaten body to his tormented expression. His attractive features stunned her for a moment.
X lifted his lashes, his blue-green eyes piercing through her.
“Closer.” His voice was a gravelly murmur.
Her heart thumped faster. Sensations stirred in her lower belly as she moved toward him. She tried to quiet her rapid breath. His sensuous lips would be so easy to kiss, but she held herself steady.
“You’re going to torture me?” X twisted his face toward her, grazing his teeth along her neck.
“No.” She shivered at the sharp fangs, lightly dragging across her skin.
“Royal! Get away from him!”
Gwen’s scream sounded distant as the bloodling sank his teeth into Royal’s shoulder. She gasped at the sudden stabbing pain.
She tasted like a fantasy. He sucked on her silky skin, drawing power. His venom snaked into her bloodstream.
Her tiny hand clasped onto his side. “Please… No.”
He wanted to hear more of her begging. She grew weak, leaning into his body, and X felt it in his groin. Her silk dress brushed against his thickening cock, and a sensual growl rumbled in his throat.
His jagged teeth retracted, and he drew back from her, baffled by his own body’s response to her. This girl was his captor, the enemy. She and her family used his kind as pets.
Royal held her hand over the bleeding wound on her shoulder and stumbled backward. Amber-colored eyes stared at him as if he’d betrayed her somehow. Long waves of shiny brown hair fell around her shoulders, and X was gripped with the ludicrous urge to run his fingers through the thick layers.
Boxers, Briefs, or Commando?
Maddox: I’m not answering that.
Royal: You mean what do I like? On a man? Uh, boxer-briefs. Or commando sounds nice too.
Are you a wine or coffee kind of person?
Maddox: I like Jack Daniels.
Royal: Depends on the occasion, I don’t drink very often. I do love coffee.
What is your perfect type when it comes to dating?
Maddox: I don’t really “date”. I own a bar, and my pack brothers take up a lot of my time, too. Not a lot of time for females.
Royal: Hmm… I’m not very picky. Handsome. Loyal. Smart… the usual things, I guess.
Free and single or happily settled down?
Maddox: Single.
Royal: I’d like to settle down someday, I think. I mean, if I found the right guy, yeah definitely.
Favorite movie?
Maddox: The Godfather.
Royal: I travel a lot, so I don’t get to watch movies very often. The last one I saw was Avatar. I really liked it.
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
Maddox: I’m a pretty open book. I don’t keep secrets.
Royal: I’ve never introduced one friend to any of my family members. My family is a little… violent. Especially my father. I usually only see them on holidays.
What is your dream vacation destination?
Maddox: My pack and I go hunting and camping in the mountains around my hometown. I like being in the woods.
Royal: Some of my favorite places are Rome and Barcelona. But I’ve been traveling for a few years now and I’d like to settle down and make a home somewhere.
I LOVE Christmas. I was so excited to write a holiday-themed story, although Unchained Love does get a little dark for such a sparkly holiday… It’s a rather violent erotic romance. My favorite kind. 🙂
Bloodlings are featured prominently in book three of my Hawthorne Witches series. The characters from Unchained Love may or may not make an appearance in that book.
I listened to “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac on repeat while I wrote most of the book. I usually change up my music choices, but this was such a short little book.
The second book in the Bound in Bloodlust series, Broken Slave, will be about Britton, the slave bloodling house-pet, after he’s been freed. But after talking to the readers, I’ve decided to continue Royal and Maddox’s story and write Unchained Love Part Two next.
I plan to write books for all of Maddox’s pack brothers, but so far I just have one in mind, book three, Taste of the Enemy. Royal’s sister, Gwen starts to turn from her wicked ways and falls for a bloodling herself after using his kind as pets her whole life.
Savannah Hill is an erotic romance novelist diligently working to create a world that readers can truly experience and enjoy along with her. Captivated by romance at a very young age, she began writing love stories in grade school, always imagining new scenarios and characters. Addicted to her passion, her first novel, Paramour for the Devil, is the story that invaded her dreams until the final chapter was written. She is currently writing the sequel to Paramour, Seducing the Devil.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her man, the love of her life, and spends her days chasing their toddler boy who loves to giggle.
I’ve been sold. That’s what he tells me. Sold as a rich man’s plaything to the highest bidder. I’m to be shipped to the other side of the world, where I’ll disappear without a trace. I’ve nobody coming after me, nobody who’ll even know I’ve gone. But I’m no plaything. I’ve already been rejected for sale once. Not fit for purpose. Too fiery, too uncouth. Two choices remain. Submit or perish. They’ve sent in the big guns, him. The dark sheep of the family, and the only man left who stands a chance of taming me. We’ve both got everything on the line – his business empire, and my very existence.
And time’s ticking…
Part one of a three part serial. Part two releasing January 2016. Stay tuned.
*Warning* Contains sexual practices and situations some readers may find offensive. We hope you know the drill by now. 18+ only, most definitely.
Jason Luke is an Australian man who lives on the far South Coast of New South Wales with his long time girlfriend.
Author of the Amazon Erotica smash hit Interview with a Master, and its follow up In Love with a Master.
You can now find Jason Luke now on Facebook visit here
Also there is a Jason Luke Fan page on Facebook which is run by a team of dedicated fans. The page is not connected to Jason. It has currently around 10,000 likes. visit here
Jade West is a contemporary erotic author, real life submissive, and former sex chat-line operator, who is plenty used to getting people all steamed up with her dirty mouth. Her debut release, Dirty Bad Wrong, smashed into the Amazon top 100 in February 2015, followed by Dirty Bad Savage in June – an Amazon top 100 bestseller in 4 countries. Dirty Bad Strangers topped the erotica chart, reaching an impressive 13 overall in the US Kindle Store, and the latest tale of debauchery, Dirty Bad Secrets – returning to the heart of Club Explicit – releases Jan 2016.
A broken girl. A sexy escort. A fancy hotel room and a struggle for trust. When Paxtyn makes an appointment with escort Riot Gallagher of the Bad Boy Escorts agency, she has her reasons, and they have nothing to do with sex or pleasure. But after that first, disastrous meeting, something changes. The tables are turned, the picture shifts. A strong girl. A damaged boy. An attraction that turns into love and a fight for life or death. There was never any question about how this would end…
Jo Raven is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, best known for her series Inked Brotherhood and Damage Control. She writes edgy, contemporary New Adult romance with sexy bad boys and strong-willed heroines. She writes about MME fighters and tattoo artists, dark pasts that bleed into the present, loyalty and raw emotion. Add to that breathtaking suspense, super-hot sex scenes and a happy ending, and you have a Jo Raven® story.
Off Limits:
A Stepbrother MMA Romance by Callie Harper
Tuck
I like to fight and I like to fuck. Now’s my shot to fight for real, step out from my billionaire father’s shadow and be my own man. This summer’s all about going after my goal of becoming a pro MMA fighter. The problem is the girl I want to fuck. She’s driving me crazy with her little yoga outfits, her creamy skin, luscious curves and wide-eyed innocence. Normally, I’d hit it and quit it, get her out of my system and focus. But she’s my fucking stepsister. And she hates me. This summer we’re supposed to spend eight weeks together living under the same roof. I need to taste her. I won’t rest until she’s writhing beneath me, begging me to let her come. I’m a man who gets what he wants, and what I want now is Jewel.
Jewel
I want him so bad it hurts. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never had a problem keeping my distance from bad boys. The more muscles, tats and testosterone, the more I ran the other way. I learned my lesson, growing up with a trainwreck of a mother. Until now. Tuck makes my panties melt. He keeps me up at night, twisting in the sheets, obsessed with fantasies while I touch myself. But he’s my stepbrother. And he’s an alpha, dominant asshole. We’re sharing a house and he’s walking around shirtless, every inch of him ripped with hard muscle, sweaty after his brutal workouts. I don’t think I can hold out much longer. I’ve always been the good girl, but he makes me want to be bad.
***Off Limits is a standalone stepbrother romance novel with a HEA (85,000 words).
Callie Harper writes contemporary romances so hot they may melt your ebook. You’ve been warned.
She is powered by coffee, wickedly sexy bad boys, and all things funny, intentional or otherwise. She is the author of OFF LIMITS to be released 12/15 and the BEG FOR IT series which will start being released in January 2016.
She lives in the gorgeous Bay Area with her family.
Sands of Time is a contemporary romance set in a small Upstate New York town called Heart Falls, a town where heroes are born and passion is bred. This spicy romance tests the boundaries of trust, forgiveness, strength, passion, and most of all…love.
Once again, single mom Jade Santiago is trapped under her father’s firm hand. If her existence wasn’t complicated enough, her son’s father, John Sands, has popped back into her life. John doesn’t know JT is his son, and Jade plans to keep it that way. John’s ignorance ensures his protection from her abusive, vindictive father. Especially now that John works for him.
Bad-boy-turned-cop John Sands loves women, but hates relationships. At least, that was, until Jade Santiago came back to town. Now he wants things. Things like family and commitment. Not to mention hot sex. For her, he’s ready to change his priorities. If he can only get past her stubborn indifference and the chief of police, who happens to be her father and his boss, she’ll end up right where she belongs—in his arms and his bed
Keeping JT’s dad a secret for all these years seemed like a good idea, but the more John proves himself a genuine friend and an honorable man, the more Jade struggles with her intense attraction and undeniable guilt. He deserves the truth. A truth that will ultimately destroy all she has worked to protect. A truth that will shatter the trust of the only man she has ever loved. A truth that will change their lives forever.
Pete Cross is struggling with the emotional and physical scars of war, the last thing he needs is to find himself attracted to the one woman he shouldn’t want … his best friend’s sister. K.D. Friedrich is pleased to present Book 1 of her new series, The Heart Falls Heroes. Cross My Heart takes you on a poignant journey of loyalty, love, and above all, the healing power of second chances.
Struggling with the emotional and physical scars of war, Marine Pete Cross returns to his hometown, Heart Falls, New York, bitter and broken. The last person he wants to see is the stubborn tomboy from his past, Cara Sands. The guy code of ethics demands he keep his hands to himself where his best friend’s sister is concerned, but Cara never got that memo. Apparently, neither did Pete’s libido, because his desire for her is stronger than ever. Cara has no clue where the man she loves went, but she’ll do whatever it takes to bring him back. Pete tries to push Cara away with bitterness and anger, but she yanks him right back with understanding and patience. Her persistence drags them closer to an outcome that might destroy them both or show him, once and for all, the power of second chances.
BLP REVIEW ~ Tracy
ABOUT K.D. FRIEDRICH
K. D. Friedrichis a writer of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. A graduate of NYIT, she earned a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in art, social science, psychology, and business. The culprit of that odd mixture was a severe case of indecision. She’s an overprotective mother (her daughter’s words), lifelong New Yorker, and an obsessed reader of everything romance. Most days, you can find her hard at work, creating intricate worlds and compelling characters, hot alpha heroes being her favorite. In 2013, her novel Soul Tie Seduction, placed second in the Golden Palm contest for Paranormal Romance.
My name is Amber.
I’m the girl who dated a rock star.
The girl who supposedly tore said rock star and his girlfriend apart.
A love triangle so heart wrenching, I was left devastated and alone. But that was only the beginning of my story…
I’m a single mother, trying to be a rock chick in a world that hates me, chaos is my middle name. My mother died at Christmas – the anniversary of her death, just around the corner. I’m on edge.
My name is Brax. I’m a returned soldier. A man with dark demons.
I’ve been hired as a bodyguard for my best mate’s sister. This red-headed goddess had my heart from the moment she walked back into my life.
Amber’s life is changing. Can the new man occupying her mind, body and soul, help her realise Christmas is a time for happiness and maybe even… love?
My entire body covers in goose bumps and a shiver runs down my spine. I gasp slightly at the sensation washing over me, as I manage to pull my eyes from his and draw them over the rest of his features. His dirty blond hair is disheveled in just the right way, and his chiseled jaw is lightly scattered with an afternoon shadow. My body tenses at how ruggedly handsome this man is, and it’s unnerving. I haven’t reacted to simply looking at someone like this before. He truly has taken my breath away. Swallowing hard, I try to rein in my composure, but I’m finding it increasingly difficult to not just step toward him to be closer to his brilliance. It’s like time stops still as his eyes meet mine again and something passes between us, a reciprocal understanding that this attraction is definitely mutual. I can hear Mason talking, but I can’t concentrate on anything he’s saying as I take a step out of Mason’s grip and toward him. Hunter clears his throat breaking the tension and pulls me to him even further. “Amber, you remember Brax, right?” he asks and I shake my head slightly in disbelief. He’s nothing like I remember. “You don’t remember, Brax?” he asks again and Brax’s lips turn up into a slight smile. “No. Shit, sorry. I do remember you, it’s just you look so…different,” I say my pitch a little higher than what I was aiming for.
Australian author K E Osborn was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. With a background in graphic design and a flair for all things creative, she felt compelled to write the story brewing in her mind.
Writing gives her life purpose. It makes her feel, laugh, cry, and get completely enveloped with the characters and their story lines. She feels completely at home when writing and wouldn’t consider doing anything else.
I knew my acting partner was too young for me, but I didn’t care.
One unforgettable night in my bed was the performance of a lifetime.
Now I can’t get the memories out of my head.
When she shows up in my life again in the worst possible place,
I have to think we’re as doomed as Romeo and Juliet.
“Tell me you don’t love me anymore, and I will walk out this door. I’ll walk out of this town and never steal sight of you again, Fiona.” He rose and took her by the shoulders. Under the bright stage lights, she looked like an angel. “Say it. Tell me you don’t fucking love me anymore.”
“I don’t fucking love you anymore!” Lynn grabbed the collar of his shirt and pressed her sweet mouth to his. Matthew lifted her up to his waist, holding her tight and letting her devour him. This surpassed a stage kiss, this was magic wrapped around the tongue of a gorgeous girl. He lost himself in her, forgetting the stage and Vance and Fiona.
Lynn rocketed him to a place where it was just the two of them, where the floors spun and an erection was begging to burst from the prison within his jeans.
He could do this every day. Oh God, could he do this every goddamn day.
She finally broke it off, leaving Matthew slightly shocked from the absence of her. He helped her slide down him, taking care to lift her off of him and set her down gently before she could get too close to the bulge in his jeans.
They stood side by side and bowed their heads slightly, completely in sync with one another.
“Thank you.” The headless voice floated out from the seats.
They exited on the opposite side of the stage and were funneled into section with the others who went before them. Man-bun high-fived him as he took a seat. Somehow during their crabwalk across the tight aisles, he lost her. Matthew looked around but Lynn was gone.
He tried to push down the disappointment chewing up his chest. This was just an audition, their time together was finished. Expecting her to stick with him was silly and he had always parted ways with his scene partners in the past.
But this time, he couldn’t shake his attachment to the brunette whose kiss made him pitch a tent in the middle of a crowded theater with his potential employer.
Matthew stretched out in the chair and tried instead to focus on his competition. He had missed several auditions while running lines with Lynn in the hall, but there were plenty of others to whittle down. He knew for certain he was better than a solid seventy-five percent of the males auditioning for Vance.
He didn’t just perform the role, he was the role. So many of these guys were choppy and robotic or bland; they lacked the soul needed for a man as complicated as Vance Gray.
How would the blond in skinny jeans handle the role when he went spiraling down the drug trip? He didn’t look like he could dominate a woman the way he dominated Fiona in that scene.
Just like that, his mind shifted from sizing up performances to undressing Lynn and throwing her onto his bed, exploring every inch of that nubile girl, owning her with his lips and tongue. She was like snake venom, tearing up his system and shutting everything else down. A girl hadn’t been able to take ownership of his mind like this in years.
Not since Nadia.
Not since his last show.
He gritted his teeth and pulled his focus back to the stage. In some ways, Nadia was a lifetime ago, but she had taught him an invaluable lesson: don’t let love interfere with your craft. What started off as the best sex of his life turned into a nightmare rapidly spinning out of control. She slept with directors, stagehands, his fellow actors, anyone she could to further her career in New York City. She’d just neglected to share this information with him while sharing his bed.
Matthew became a goddamn laughing stock and had to leave his last company. His career went down the shitter because of a girl with fake tits and faker commitment. As innocent as Lynn looked, he hadn’t expected Nadia to screw him over, either.
“Never trust a starving actress.” That was what his old mentor told him during his MFA program. Words he needed to heed this time and forever, even if he could be missing out on the best pair of tits he’d seen in a long time.
This was his career on the line. His dick could mind its own business until after callbacks.
Jessie K is a high school teacher by day, romance writer by night.
An assignment has just turned interesting for GFI investigator Malachi Whitetail. When a shy, mousy woman walks into his local diner, it takes him a minute to recognize her as an employee of the real estate office he’s been monitoring. Not a believer in coincidence, Mal decides a closer look at the short brunette might be warranted. It will be the first, but certainly not the last time, he finds himself coming to her rescue.
Kimeo Lowe leads a pretty quiet existence, which is why, when she ends up a witness to a crime, her curiosity into her boss’s suspected shady dealings gets kicked into high gear. She may not be the most sociable of people, but she’s always been independent and industrious, so when an opportunity to dig a little deeper arises, she doesn’t think twice. It would seem that this time she’s bitten off a bit more than she can chew, and when a freakishly tall Native American Adonis intervenes not just once, she decides sleuthing may be best left to professionals. But it’s a bit too late.
Just when life has settled into a comfortable routine, Kim finds herself dealing with not just one, but two threats on her life. With every turn there are new challenges to face, and Mal is not about to let her face them alone. Not even when he turns out to be no match for her most dangerous enemy.
“I’ll have a chicken salad and a glass of water, please.” Her voice is as timid as her appearance. Like a little mouse, she slipped in behind me and sat down at the furthest booth. Shocked, I tried my best not to display any reaction to her showing up here. I never expected to have one of the people I’ve been keeping an eye on show up at Arlene’s Diner. Sure, it’s popular around these parts, but given that I live in the apartment above and take most my meals here, it feels like more than a coincidence. This is why I’m keeping my back turned and my ears perked.
Arlene tags her the minute she comes out of the kitchen and is taking her order. Fucking chicken salad and water, who lives on that? I’ve had reason to keep her in my sights since taking on this assignment, and the woman rarely eats more than that from what I’ve seen. Seems to feel comfortable in the real estate office she works in, but the moment she steps out, she seems to want to disappear in the shadows. Head always low, never making eye contact and wrapping herself up in that godawful blanket thing—some kind of poncho.
It’s her boss I’m really keeping track of. Gus got a call from the Ute Reservation a few weeks ago. The council had concerns about two farms backing onto reservation lands. The chief mentioned that both had sold within a month of the other through Martin Vedica, the little mouse’s boss, and they had moved out within days. A third farm, owned by an older couple, was being targeted as well. The couple, Ezhno and Tiva Walker, had moved off the reservation some thirty years earlier to raise their family. They didn’t go far, since their property backs right onto McElmo Creek near Finley Canyon, which is on reservation lands. In fact, it is wedged between reservation boundaries and the southern border of Canyons of the Ancients National Park.
Gus asked me to keep an eye out and I have, but with Vedica out of town since yesterday, I’d been using the time to do some online digging. So far, I have come up with little to nothing. Keeping my eye on the stainless steel backsplash behind the counter, I can see in the reflection that her face is turned my way. It isn’t busy in the diner right now, being lunchtime, but there are still a few booths occupied. Still I know they are her eyes burning in my back, and I wonder if she could possibly have spotted me before.
Kimeo Lowe. A rather exotic name for the pretty, but unassuming little thing hidden under layers of dark clothing. Soft voice, soft brown eyes, and from what I’ve been able to distinguish, a soft rounded body. Hardly the description for anyone associated with some kind of nefarious real estate deal, but you never know. Looks can be deceiving.
EXCERPT 2
Kim
The moment Mal walks out the door the reality of what happened earlier tonight sets in with a vengeance. Memories of crouching down in the pitch dark, fists stuffed in my mouth while Martin was being murdered on the other side of the door cause my stomach to roll. So much blood. I barely make it to the powder room where I drop to my knees beside the toilet and heave until nothing is left in my stomach. When I sit back I notice it’s dark, not only in the bathroom but there is no light at all. I can’t remember if I turned the lights on or not. I thought I did. At least in the kitchen, but there is no glow under the door.
The shivering starts up again in my limbs and I’m struggling not to hyperventilate. A noise somewhere in the house startles me and my heart starts hammering in my chest. Afraid to move, I wedge myself further between the toilet and the wall. All I can hear is the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. I squeeze my eyes shut and wrap my arms over my head protectively. When the door opens I make myself even smaller.
“Fuck,” I hear, before I’m yanked up on my feet. I struggle against the big arms surrounding me, but they won’t budge. “Hush, Kimeo. You’re safe.”
The whispered words finally penetrate when a wet nose presses against my hand. “Boo?” The responding licks and distressed doggie whimper pulling me all the way into the here and now. Back into the hallway just outside the bathroom, with Mal holding on tight and Boo pushing his head against my side. I’m home—safe. There are no guys wielding guns here, just Mal and Boo coming back from a walk. Fuck, I’m losing it.
“Let’s go clean up,” Mal’s deep voice rumbles. I finally open my eyes and tilt my head back to find his eyes warm and concerned.
Right. I’m suddenly very aware of the fact I probably have puke-breath. That thought alone is mortifying enough, but add that to my smelly shirt, stringy hair and whatever my face looks like now, and I want the ground to open up and swallow me. Determined to create as much space as possible, I push hard against his chest. He immediately releases his arms and allows me to step back. “I’ll be okay now. You can go home.” I try to make my voice sound firm, but the little hitch in my breath at the end ruins the effect.
“Not happening.” Mal doesn’t seem to have a problem sounding firm. I have no energy to fight him and without another word, I turn and walk to my bedroom, close the door and peel out of all my clothes, tossing them in the hamper on my way into the bathroom. There I turn on the tap until the water runs hot and I numbly step into the shower where I scrub myself raw, the faint light of dawn slipping through my window by the time I’m done.
EXCERPT 3
Mal
“Kimeo, you’ve gotta snap out of this.” At the mention of her full name her eyes finally snap open, looking wild and disoriented. It’s Boo’s soft whimpers from where his head is perched on the pillow next to hers, that seem to pull her back into the here and now.
“What?” Her voice sounds hoarse from the screaming. Turning her face away from Boo, her eyes finally focus on mine and she repeats, “What?”
“You were having a nightmare. Pretty bad from what I could tell. Do you remember?” The confusion seems to disappear from her eyes only to be replaced with horror as she scans my face.
“Oh my God…did I do that?” Her shocked whisper has me raise a hand to my cheek where I feel a slight burn. It comes away bloody and instantly Kim’s eyes fill with tears. “I am so sorry…” Her fingers skim over my face, leaving a cool soothing trail in their wake.
“It’s fine. Just a scratch, honey. You did worse damage to yourself. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Without waiting for an answer, I reluctantly push up from her body and get off the bed, before pulling her off too. My hand firmly on the back of her neck, I guide her into the bathroom where she stares in shock at her reflection.
“I did that?” “Mmm.” I grab a washcloth from the shelf and wet it under the tap before gently wiping her throat while lifting her chin up with my other hand. “It’s not that bad, have a look. Just a scratch,” I reassure her.
“I was in the supply closet and the door opened, but it wasn’t you. Just two eyes behind a mask. He had a knife.” Her body does a full on shiver and against my better judgement, I dump the washcloth in the sink and wrap her tight in my arms. “Just a dream,” I mumble in her hair.
“Yeah, but you rescued me again,” she whispers in my chest before tilting her head back to look at me. “Thank you.”
Fuck me. Those big liquid eyes, plump pouty lips, hell even the red blotches on her nose are impossible to resist. Keeping her gaze trapped with mine, I slant my mouth over hers and on her gasp of surprise, sweep my tongue inside for a taste. Sweet, hot, with a hint of spice—damn. Big mistake.
When I feel the vibrations of her moan against my tongue I know I have to pull back or I’ll lose all control. That moan travels all the way down to my cock and I know there’s no way she missed that pressing in her belly.
Rather abruptly, I push her back by the shoulders. She has a dazed look on her face and I know exactly how she feels. In a last indulgence I run my thumb over her soft bottom lip before completely letting go of her.
“Have a shower. It’ll make you feel better. I’m gonna whip us up some dinner.” With that, I leave a not quite coherent Kim in the bathroom. So much for staying away from her…
This is not going to be a very long, drawn out review but only because there are only so many ways to say how much I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Freya Barker is one of my favourite authors…ever. I adore her writing style and LIKE ARROWS is now my favourite book in her Cedar Tree series. ~ Kez Korner
After reading Like Arrows by Freya Barker I have now added a new author to my “To be read” list. Kimeo and Malachi’s story sucked me in from the start. I love how she had these characters evolve in a way that brought them together as a strong couple with flaws, but who complimented and boosted each other up. ~ Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
I have read all of Freya Barker’s books in the Cedar Tree series and Like Arrows was freaking amazing. The story was fast paced and easy to read. I was hooked from the first page to the last. ~ Goodreads Review
BLP REVIEWS
REBECCA
Pure Beauty. Pure fucking beauty that spoke to my soul, even got me to shed a tear and we all know I’m the unemotional one of this blogging partnership, the one who is all “yeah it was emotional” while my bestie is a sobbing wreck telling me I have no heart or soul! I think the reason this story touched me so deeply is I’ve been Kimeo, without giving away huge spoilers – because nothing is worse than a review that does that – I’ll just say that the lack of control over aspects of your life due to medical issues, if you’ve lived it, hits deep, body issues and how society dictates and judges hits deep, but when an author is as talented as Ms Barker is at real, REAL characters, people you can see yourself actually knowing…. people you can see YOURSELF in, combined with hot as fuck and romantic to it’s very core, then you have a special and haunting story that stands out from the crowd.
If you’ve read From Dust then you know already that darker and emotional is in Freya’s repertoire. If you’re familiar with the Cedar Tree series you’ve met Mal, you know some of his history and difficult past, so may be expecting that different tone to this one, but when you add Kimeo and her story into the mix it’s heart-breaking perfection. Every ingredient that we’ve come to expect is in here- snappy sassy dialogue, recurring characters, family made by choice – as well as blood – with strong loyalties, hot as fuck sex, real issues not sugar coated or dismissed yet done with such sensitivity and class that it adds to the story while not taking away any of the fantasy we read these alpha romances for ……..and did I remember to mention the HOT AS FUCK sex?!?!?!?!?!!
Freya really puts a lot into the cultivation of her characters and, in this book especially, the heroine. She is a woman that you can relate to in so many, if not all ways. We all have our physical drawbacks and a person in our lives that makes us feel inadequate, but when it’s those who should love and support us unconditionally that do this, then the damage is worse. When Kim finds her backbone I was cheering in my head and twirling pompoms!
“It’s no wonder you two have to put up with each other, with personalities that ugly, It’s no wonder I’m the one standing here with a good man, a decent man“ – I lean in for more emphasis,- “and yes, a gorgeous man at my side. There isn’t a man worth his salt who would put up with such ugliness.” Mal tugs at my hand but I’m not done. “You think you can tell from the outside what a person represents? What their life is like? You think you know by just one look? Well feast your eyes as my fat ugly ass walks away with my amazing boyfriend. And in case you were wondering? He’s hung like a stallion and knows how to use it.”
Mal has his demons as we already know and as the relationship unfolded I was thinking they could fix each other, this is gorgeous, then right at the last quarter of the book a twist gets thrown in that had me unable to put the book down, turning the pages in horror, crying (never, never happens) and thinking no HEA was going to be, WTF is going on, NOOOOOOOOO…………………….
I should have trusted Freya because we get a HEA and it’s beautiful.
Real.
Warts and all.
Life, Karma, Beauty. Total fucking perfection.
“I love all of you Malachi. Each part, every nuance, the dark, the light, the protective, the vigilant, the tender, the wounded-I love them all. Each separately and all combined. There isn’t a part of you I want to hide from or want hidden from me. I love you.”
(**I normally call dibs on all of Freya’s boys but for this one I’m calling dibs on Boo!)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TRACY
I’ve loved and felt an empathy with the gals from the Cedar Tree series – Freya’s characters are so very real and face troubles and issues that we all know happen in real life – but while reading LIKE ARROWS I really felt a connection with Kimeo.
There’s a few reasons for this I suppose – any and all of which I’m not gonna count out in this review as her issues are a huge part of the story – but I know that there are a lot of people who will understand where our heroine is coming from and the challenges she faces on a daily basis.
Kim was so very down to earth, pulled into a mess that was not her own making and that’s where she first got the interest of Malachi. Now there’s an alpha character who knows how to take care of someone – both physically and emotionally – though Kim was as good for him as he was for her! Now, there’s one thing I’ve got to admit – the first couple of times that Mal came across Kim in person I could happily have gutted the bugger – regardless of what his intentions were!!! – but as hoped, he did redeem himself and I have to say that he’s now one of my top 2 leading men from the CT series.
So much emotion and feeling was experienced throughout the read. We had action and adventure and intrigue that left us not knowing what the hell was gonna happen. A couple of scenes where I could only cheer Kim on and wish that she had that strength and belief in herself always! There was the much loved appearance of family (choice & Blood) and friends – the camaraderie, care and affection between that group of people is heartwarming. The heat, attraction, passion and sexual tension between our main characters was intense.
All in all LIKE ARROWS was one helluva read and I absofuckinlutely adored it!!!
If you’re already a fan of the Cedar Tree series you’ll love this latest instalment. If you haven’t yet visited their little corner of the fictional world you’ll be able to read this wee treasure as a standalone BUT to fully enjoy all that is Cedar Tree and Freya Barker, I’d suggest you take the time to read the previous books in the series before you pick up Malachi & Kimeo’s book.
I rate LIKE ARROWS 5 stars – but this still isn’t enough in my opinion!! *****
About The Author
Author of the popular Cedar Tree series, as well as the critically acclaimed standalone “From Dust,” Freya Barker is driven to make her stories about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.
Recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None,” Freya has hit the ground running. She loves nothing more than to meet and mingle with her readers, whether it be online or in person at one of the signings she attends.
With her kids grown and out in the world, Freya has poured her creative energy into spinning story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Book Loving Pixies 