From USA Today and WSJ Bestselling author Laramie Briscoe comes the next book in the Bradford Station Series!
The heat is on.
Situated on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, this town is nothing like you’ve ever experienced. Hot guys, the women they love, and a town worth saving. Bradford, TN is the epicenter of the next great romance dynasty.
Firefighters, family, and community…
Cameron Hines
I take my job very seriously. Both of them. I’m a Lieutenant at Bradford Station Company One, and I’m a single dad to a little girl who completely brightens my world.
It’s not easy, holding it all together, but I do my best. Honestly, I wouldn’t be doing as well as I am without my best friend’s sister. Natalie treats my daughter like her own, and watches her for me without complaint.
Things are status quo until one day I see her in a different light. She quits being the babysitter, and becomes a woman. One I’ll do anything for.
When her brother finds out all bets are off, and I have to answer for my indiscretions. He and I are sent out on a mission to find a lost child in the woods. We have to bury the hatchet and do our jobs, but when the worst happens, we have to make a decision that neither of us ever imagined.
Rookie: A Firefighter Romance (Bradford Station Book 1)
Danny Ramirez
As a Probationary Firefighter, I’m doing everything I can to impress the members of my company. Knowing I’m the first in my family to be educated makes me proud, and gives me hope for the future.
I hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else, especially with a southern small-town breathing down my neck. One night, on a dark mountain road, I help the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life change a flat tire.
What I don’t know, is she’s the youngest daughter of my Chief. His number one rule? Don’t date his daughter’s.
I try to stay away from her, try like hell, but when a forest fire threatens our town, and the guys in my company. I know I can’t let her walk away from me. Not without a fight.
Meet Laramie Briscoe
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 iBooks, 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.
London Kelly is in love with her best friend and has been for years.
Too bad he’s an adorably clueless idiot who a) just doesn’t see what everyone else sees and b) abides by the rule of ‘don’t screw the crew’s sisters, daughters, or exes.’ And since London’s dad is his fire captain, that puts her firmly in the do not touch category.
Then one night, London decides to throw caution to the wind and kisses him, finding her unequivocally placed in the friend zone.
That’s when London decides that maybe it’s time to move on.
Except fate decides to have the last laugh, calling Luca to the scene of a fire at the very same restaurant where London is on a secret blind date, bringing him face-to-face with the reality that he could lose his girl.
Suddenly all bets are off.
Besides, bending the rules isn’t the same as breaking them… right?
***
USA Today Bestselling Author BJ Harvey brings you Rule Bender – Book 4 and the last book in a spin-off to the Cook Brothers steamy rom-com series featuring first responders in Chicago who are fighting the good fight and also finding love at the same time. This series can be read as a standalone and is set in the same world as the Bliss and Cook Brothers series before it.
“I’m not a child, Luc,” London pipes up. I look down at her mascara-smudged glare, my annoyance level dropping at the sight that’s more hilarious and adorable than menacing.
“Never said you were, Lonnie.”
“I prefer being called beautiful,” she grumbles.
I take a step forward and lift the clean corner of the towel and gently wipe around her mouth, my lips twitching as I look down at her gorgeous face. “Beautiful, you’re a cute drunk but you’re also a messy one, especially when you share your liquor with my turnouts and boots.” She giggles and my anger disappears completely. “I’m trusting Brock to—”
“Perfect Brock.”
The corner of my mouth tips up. “I ain’t calling him that, beautiful. You know there isn’t a man on earth that’ll ever be good enough for my girl.”
Her breath catches, a soft moan vibrating in her chest as her eyes flutter closed before slowly opening again.
“But I want you to go home, grab some water and some Tylenol, and go to bed. I’ll take care of your car and will come get you tomorrow on the way to lunch at my parents’, yeah?”
She stares at me for a good long while, but when the truck’s horn sounds, I know I’ve got to get a move on. “Can you do that for me, Lonnie?”
“Yes, Luc,” she nods, slowly at first then more enthusiastically.
“Good girl,” I say, earning a beaming, blinding smile this time. “And make sure you text me when you get home. Can you do that for me, beautiful?”
After she nods again, I lean in and touch my lips to her temple, ignoring how right it feels.
Before leaving her, I pin Perfect Brock with a knowing glare. “Straight home, man. I’m trusting you with something precious to me here.”
He tilts his head, rubbing his chin and studying me. “I can’t work out if you’re an idiot or you just don’t see it,” he says, pulling London snugly into his side. He looks to Cohen. “C’mon. You see it too, right?”
Cohen purses his lips and shrugs, not exactly denying it.
“What the fuck?” I ask.
He leans in and lowers his voice. “One date with this woman and I already know she’s someone special.”
I grind my teeth together so hard my jaw aches.
“And I don’t owe you anything, especially not after your friendly disposition tonight. But just so we’re crystal clear, this date stopped being a date when she told me she can’t get over her stupid crush on her best friend, and because I’m a nice guy, a good guy, and not the asshole you seem to think I am, I’ll give you some free advice. You’ve got a choice to make, and you’re gonna have to make it sooner rather than later.”
“Oh yeah? Enlighten me, wise one, who seems to know everything about my girl here.”
His eyes flash. “You can either open your eyes to what’s right in front of you and how good it could be, or you can let her go so she can get over you and find a man who’ll give her the world she desperately wants from you.”
Then, like he hasn’t just laid me out where I stand, he carefully turns London around and walks her down the sidewalk away from us, leaving me standing there wondering what the hell just happened.
Excerpt #2
Stepping forward, I reach for the tie hanging from my brother’s fingers, running through the steps of tying a Windsor knot in my head.
Then, in what must look hilarious to anyone looking in, four grown men and a teenager, try—and fail—to get the ties to look right. Of course, Val, London, and my dad just sit back and laugh at us until I shoot desperate puppy-dog eyes to my best friend.
“Please, Lonnie. Help a bestie out? My ties are usually the already tied type,” I explain, not missing the snorts from the guys and Dad’s disappointed groan. I bat my lashes at London in one final plea. She sighs, then seems to take pity on me. She crosses the room, her eyes dancing with humor as she bats my uncoordinated hands out of the way and gets to work. I smile at the deep concentration on her face, and my chest warms when the tip of her tongue darts out to touch the corner of her mouth as she twists and folds and threads the material through the loop.
The problem is, when she lifts her eyes to mine just as she slides the knot up to my neck, there’s this moment where the whole world stands still, and it’s like we’re the only two people left moving. I notice gold flecks in her deep blue eyes that I’ve never seen before. My gaze drops to the perfectly curved Cupid’s bow on her top lip.
My head goes a little fuzzy, and I have what I can only think of as an out-of-body experience because it feels right far too right. Like it’s not just my best friend smoothing her palm down my chest making sure the tie is perfect.
As if sensing my confusion, Lonnie jerks her chin up. Her eyes lock with mine before she quickly steps away, and the moment is gone as she slowly makes her way down the line of groomsmen, helping them, one by one, too.
But I’m frozen in my spot, my heart racing as I try to comprehend what the hell just happened.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
This was a great end to the series.
I loved London and how she felt about Luca… lordy, everybody but the man himself could see how good they were together and that they were all but an ‘official’ couple because they did just about everything together…
I liked the fact that London tried it move on, how sweet a guy her date turned out to be when she outed herself and how the fact that seeing London with another guy made Luca realise just what he had and was potentially gonna lose.
I got Luca’s concerns and understood where he was coming from to an extent but he needed to start thinking more with his heart and a bit less with his head IMHO.
Catching up with the rest of their group and seeing how they’re doing is always fun. I’m sad the series has come to a close but I’m excited to find out what’s gonna be coming next from B.J.
In The Series:
Book 1: Show Stopper: A Knight in Charming Armor Firefighter Rom Com – FREE for a limited time!
BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of angsty contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and sometimes a little bit of romance suspense. She regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer, and a funny romance thinker upper. An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly and loving every minute of it. She’s a miner’s wife, a mom to two beautiful teenagers, and was born in New Zealand and currently lives in Perth, Australia.
London Kelly is in love with her best friend and has been for years.
Too bad he’s an adorably clueless idiot who a) just doesn’t see what everyone else sees and b) abides by the rule of ‘don’t screw the crew’s sisters, daughters, or exes.’ And since London’s dad is his fire captain, that puts her firmly in the do not touch category.
Then one night, London decides to throw caution to the wind and kisses him, finding her unequivocally placed in the friend zone.
That’s when London decides that maybe it’s time to move on.
Except fate decides to have the last laugh, calling Luca to the scene of a fire at the very same restaurant where London is on a secret blind date, bringing him face-to-face with the reality that he could lose his girl.
Suddenly all bets are off.
Besides, bending the rules isn’t the same as breaking them… right?
“Lonnie’s the one who met Luca Rossi and fell head over heels at first sight,” my sister Violet declares.
“That’s old news, Vi,” I mumble, my cheeks burning hot.
“Hey. It’s cute. Kinda adorable. And even after you went away and came back, you’re still friends with him, despite everything.”
“Despite nothing. He’s gone from ‘no, I don’t see you like that’ to ‘I’m going to drop two thousand big ones and give you the date of your dreams with the man of your dreams then give you the best sex of your life and—’” I slap my hand over my mouth, my wide eyes slowly scanning the amused and approving faces of my friends and family.
“I knew it!” Val says. “It’s still eww because he’s my brother, but good on Luc. At least he’s got that working for him. The rest can be a work-in-progress.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, if you’ve got chemistry, respect, honesty, and yes—hot sex—anything is possible, ” Skye adds.
I sigh. “Do I have honesty though? Because he took three years to make a move after more than a few chances.”
Renee shrugs. “Maybe he’s just slow on the uptake.”
“More like a damn snail,” Val says.
Skye giggles. “Or a sloth.”
Val’s brows furrow “Is a sloth slower than a snail?”
“Wait. Let’s look it up.”
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
This was a great end to the series.
I loved London and how she felt about Luca… lordy, everybody but the man himself could see how good they were together and that they were all but an ‘official’ couple because they did just about everything together…
I liked the fact that London tried it move on, how sweet a guy her date turned out to be when she outed herself and how the fact that seeing London with another guy made Luca realise just what he had and was potentially gonna lose.
I got Luca’s concerns and understood where he was coming from to an extent but he needed to start thinking more with his heart and a bit less with his head IMHO.
Catching up with the rest of their group and seeing how they’re doing is always fun. I’m sad the series has come to a close but I’m excited to find out what’s gonna be coming next from B.J.
More in the Series:
Book 1: Show Stopper: A Knight in Charming Armor Firefighter Rom Com
BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of angsty contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and sometimes a little bit of romance suspense. She regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer, and a funny romance thinker upper. An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly and loving every minute of it. She’s a miner’s wife, a mom to two beautiful teenagers, and was born in New Zealand and currently lives in Perth, Australia.
Title: Discovering Mr. X Series: Men #2 Author: Elle Nicoll
Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance Release Date: August 10, 2021
BLURB
Whoever said money can’t buy happiness has never sold their worn panties.
Selling every pair to an anonymous buyer whilst working as a long-haul flight attendant means my lifelong dream is in reach. A home to call my own. It’s so close I can almost feel that front door key in my hand. Until a giant ego in an overpriced suit steals that dream. He’s smug, cocky, infuriating… everything I hate. I do what I must. I declare war. But no one ever truly wins on the battlefield. There will be casualties. He believes he has me. I think I know him. We are both wrong.
It soon becomes clear that discovering who we are to each other isn’t as straightforward as X marks the spot.
I don’t know how long we’ve been dancing before I become aware of eyes on me. I can feel their heat burning my skin. I spin as I dance next to Megan, searching for where they’re coming from. That’s when I see him. Dark eyes burning into my skin, his hand running through his dark, wavy hair. Mr. Wanker from the auction. Oh hell, you picked the wrong club tonight, asshole. Megan’s eyes follow mine to see what I’m looking at. When she sees, they widen and come back to my face. “Rachel… don’t.” But I’m already striding off the dancefloor towards him. His smug face is still watching me, his eyes never leaving mine. He’s asking for it. Game on, Wanker. He stands up as I reach the booth he’s in with his friends. A look of amusement plays across his face—an exceptionally smooth, masculine face complete with dark, chocolate-colored eyes. I watch him run a hand through his dark, wavy hair again. I scowl as I give him a quick glance over. Designer shoes and jeans, smart shirt rolled up at the sleeves, expensive watch. Yep, he’s definitely some kind of smarmy property tycoon with more money than morals. Now I’m right in front of him. He towers over me in height, despite my heels. I can feel my anger rising in my chest. This guy, this stupid, selfish moron, stole my house from me! I’m literally shaking with rage as I glare at him, and he’s not even flustered. “You!” I hiss through gritted teeth as I glare up at him.
Elle Nicoll is a British, ex long-haul flight attendant and mum of two.
She writes sweet, but dirty, contemporary romance novels, all based around love.
Not all the men she writes will be rich alphas. Not all the women will be sassy. Just like we are all different, they will be too.
But she hopes they will feel real. Flawed, insecure, broken maybe. But also warm, considerate and loyal. Any elements that you think of when you consider the people you know.
Because no one is perfect.
When Elle isn’t writing or falling for another new book boyfriend she is trying to look like a parent who knows what they’re actually doing. That, or staring at the sky day-dreaming and running another book idea by her husband, who has perfected his ‘listening with interest’ face.
It means the world to Elle that you’re considering reading her stories, and she loves to hear from readers.
BELOVED is available now on Amazon and FREE with KindleUnlimited! Gwen and Chevy are the fifth and final couple in the Carmel Cove series
If you love… 🩺 A nurse who’s determined to help her surly neighbor 💔 A grumpy recluse on a mission 🐶 A senile dog named Oscar 🔥 Scorching hot romance with a dash of suspense …then grab your copy of BELOVED today!
BOOK BLURB
A year ago, Gwen Reynolds loaned her car to the beautiful, bloodied man in her emergency room. No name. No questions. No expectation she’d see him again.
Until he shows up in the hallway of her building… moving into the apartment next door.
Chevy McIntyre is in town for one reason only: to find the men responsible for his fiancée’s death. He’s not looking for friends, and he doesn’t need help. Especially from the neighboring angel whose bright smile has haunted his dreams for months. But his solitude doesn’t sit well with Gwen’s larger-than-life personality.
As Carmel’s most beloved nurse, Gwen will do anything to help anyone—including the handsome recluse. So, she refuses to back down until she’s helped solve the case and healed his damaged heart.
Though there’s an undeniable spark between them, Chevy tries to fight its pull because desire has always had the power to destroy. And when the investigation takes an unexpected turn, he’ll have to choose between risking his only shot at justice or losing his only chance at love.
I knew going into the final book in the Carmel Cove series that I was gonna love Gwen.
We’ve met her throughout the series to date and we’ve discovered how good a person she is but we hadn’t really found out just how much of herself she gave up for her work and friends.
Her initial meeting with Chevy was understandably tense and intense given the circumstances of his appearance in the hospital she works in. These fleeting interactions had more of an impact on both of them than either would have expected, especially when they didn’t think they’d run into each other again.
Gwen has the biggest heart and is really selfless but I was glad she eventually decided to think more about herself and her own future….. until she didn’t…. and while I got the reason behind her decision it vexed me that she felt herself so dispensable! Her determination to get Chevy to talk to her made for some entertaining moments.
Chevy, the gods, this guy carried so much baggage and guilt around it was a surprise he could think straight… at first I was peeved that he was being such an ass to Gwen but when we got where his head was at it was kinda understandable… but then he got caught up again in his fight for justice and couple of things he did made me want to slap him – thankfully Gwen was more patient with him that me!!!
It’’s sad that Rebecca has wrapped up things in Carmel Cove – I’ve loved this series and all the character we’ve been introduce to but I’m betting that we’ll come across them in future spinoff/crossover books.
MORE IN THE SERIES
The Carmel Cove series is COMPLETE! So, if you’re looking for a series to get lost in, you’ll want to check this out!
If you love: ✅ swoony alphas & strong heroines ✅ a small town setting you won’t want to leave ✅ smokin’ sexytimes ✅ a dash of suspense ✅ five standalone happy endings
Start the series today→mybook.to/ReadBeholden
OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR
💜 Check out the COUNTRY LOVE collection here→https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PPTN3L1
UPCOMING SERIES
Four brothers. Four bodyguards. Four smokin’ hot romances brimming with danger🔥
The REYNOLDS PROTECTIVE series arrives early 2022….. and Archer is the very first brother whose heart is put in the crosshairs!
💗Reserve your copy of ARCHER here→mybook.to/ReadArcher
Add the REYNOLDS PROTECTIVE series to your Goodreads TBR: 💗ARCHER→https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58501794-archer 💙HUNTER→https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58501875-hunter 🧡GUNNER→https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58501888-gunner 💚RANGER→https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58501921-ranger
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Rebecca Sharp, while using a pen name, is actually a doctor living in Pennsylvania with her husband – the love of her life.
She enjoys working in her practice with her father as well as letting her creativity run free as an author. Growing up she’s always loved a good love story and finally decided to give writing one of her own a go.
After graduating with her doctoral degree, she now enjoys spending that thing called free time traveling with her husband, cooking, and knitting.
Dirty Ginger, an all new emotional small town standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy is available now!
Everyone at Three Chicks Brewery knows that Amelia Carter has the magic touch when it comes to creating the perfect beer. Her ales have customers singing her praises and begging for more. Unfortunately, when it comes to love, the only magic she seems to have is the cursed kind. After being left at the altar by her ex-fiancé, Amelia gives up on the idea of happily-ever-after to focus on making the Carter family brewery a national success.
Beckett Stone finally started to believe in happily-ever-after the day Amelia’s worthless ex bailed on their wedding, finally giving Beckett another chance with his high school sweetheart— the only woman he’s ever loved. Unfortunately, Amelia’s broken heart is just one of the obstacles Beckett needs to overcome if he wants to win her for good. He knows he’s not the man Amelia deserves, particularly with his money-pit of a house, a 1975 truck that barely runs, an alcoholic father, and a universe that seems to have a twisted sense of humor when it comes to giving Beckett a break.
But when pressure mounts to make the Three Chicks Brewery’s top beer, Foxy Diva, into a huge success, Amelia starts to fall apart, and Beckett swoops in with his gentle reassurances and hard work ethic. While the last thing Amelia wants is fall in love again, she can’t deny that her heart beats a little faster whenever she sees Beckett walk through the door. Soon, every warm caress and soft whisper of understanding becomes a balm to both of them. As Beckett makes his intentions clear, Amelia must decide if she can overcome her shattered heart and believe in the magic of true love again.
After Amelia arrived back home, the lingering tension of meeting Luka followed her. She skipped the house and went straight for the brewery, needing to figure out a plan on getting it back into shape. With every step she took, she kept waiting for her heart to squeeze tight, missing Luka, to feel more broken, raw, anything, but she only felt glad to keep Beckett from facing jail time. And something about that kept rubbing her wrong. She’d spent nearly three years with Luka, why wasn’t she trying to understand why he ended things so cruelly? Why didn’t she want an explanation from him? Why wasn’t she ready to let him have it and to feel the pain he’d put her through? She amounted this to getting over the worst of her heartbreak in the tropics. But there was this little part of her heart that told her there was a good chance that Luka should have been in her rearview mirror for a long time, and maybe the reason she couldn’t hate him for what he’d done was because, beyond the embarrassment and the sadness that the life she dreamed up was over, maybe the life she thought she had with Luka wasn’t real to begin with.
When she reached for the first tank, she noted the pungent smell in the brewery had improved greatly with the barn doors left open for most of the morning. The dust begrudgingly hadn’t improved. First thing first, the tanks needed cleaning.
She only got one step into the barn, when from behind her, Beckett snapped, “What did you do?”
Whirling around, she found Beckett’s face tight and muscles straining. The one bad thing about small towns was word got around fast, and obviously, he’d learned about her meeting Luka today. Trying to play dumb to avoid the conversation she didn’t want to have, she turned back to her work. “I’m about to clean my tanks,” she said.
His voice tightened. “That is not the answer to my question, and you know it.”
She refused to look back, hearing the anger in his low voice, and not wanting to see it on his face. “I did what had to be done,” she told him. To keep her hands busy, she reached for a cloth and began dusting along the stairs that led up to the top of the tank.
“That payment was mine to make, Amelia, not yours,” he said, his voice barely controlled. “If you had asked me, I would have told you that I rejected his offer to pay him because I don’t want the prick to fix his nose. He should wear that shame for the rest of his life.”
She’d never missed pina coladas on the beach more than she did right now. With a heavy sigh, she turned to face Beckett, spotting the vein in the middle of his head bulging like it would burst any second. Of course, she had expected him to show up, but she wasn’t expecting his anger. But it didn’t matter, she wanted this behind her. For good. “What is bothering you the most here, Beckett: that I paid to fix your problem or that Luka will get his nose fixed?”
Beckett arched an eyebrow. “Do I need to pick one? Can’t both piss me off equally?”
A laugh nearly escaped her, but nothing about any of this was funny. She knew all too well that fate was not in her hands. The death of her parents taught her that. But she didn’t need to sit by and let fate decide everything without fighting back either. “What did you expect me to do?” she countered, glaring at him. “Let you go to jail for me?”
To anyone else, he’d look intimidating with his legs planted wide and his nostrils flaring, but she heard the warmth in his voice behind the tightness as he said, “I expect for you to come and talk to me about it, instead of giving that bastard your money.”
Yeah, well, she could play the intimidating part too. She flatted her lips, placing her hands on her hips. “You never would have agreed to pay him if I’d asked you.”
“You’re damn right I wouldn’t have,” he growled, his face reddening.
Heat flushed through her body as she ground her teeth, turning away from him. God, he’d always been a hard wall that she’d beat her head against. But she realized in this moment that her arguments were so different with Beckett than they were with Luka. Luka got upset when she wouldn’t change something about herself for him. Beckett only ever got upset when he felt she was treated wrongly. Her stomach roiled in awareness that she’d forgotten what it was like to have someone support her. “Well, it’s done and over and now we can all put this behind us and move on.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Amelia. Nothing is behind us,” he said slowly and coldly, flicking her gaze to him. His look was all knowing. “You can’t simply brush this under a rug and hope it all goes away.”
“Why not?” she asked, throwing up in hands in frustration. “Why can’t I pay Luka off and end this entire shitshow? What is the harm in that?”
Beckett’s expression softened. A smidgen. “The harm is that you caved when you shouldn’t have.”
Her chest heaved, breathing become rough and rapid. “I caved to protect you.”
A gust of wind swept up dirt up around him as he crossed his arms, his brows knotting. “I didn’t ask you to do that. If I had wanted to pay the asshole off, I would have fucking paid him.”
“Yeah, right.” She snorted. “You have too much pride for that.”
“This has nothing to do with pride,” he snapped, reaching into his back pocket. “This was my problem. Not yours.” He offered her a check. “I won’t pay him, but I will pay you. Take it.”
“No,” she said, firmly. “My problem, not yours.”
His eyes slowly narrowed into slits. “Amelia.”
Her gut began to boil. She’d had about enough of men today. She tossed the cloth down on the stairs and closed the distance between them, getting into his space. “I get you’re pissed, really I do, but can’t you just say thank you and be done with it?”
A laughter with an edge escaped him. “Do tell me what I should be thanking you for.”
She was pushing him. She knew it. She also wasn’t about to back down. “For making this all go away. For ensuring that you wouldn’t get jail time. For protecting you like you protected me when your fist hit Luka’s face.”
A pause. His gaze flared. “I will never thank you for that.”
She stared him down, and he glared right back for many, many seconds. Years they’d been together, and from those years, she knew that he wouldn’t give, not when it came to protecting someone he cared about. The silence drudged on until she threw her hands up. “Honestly, Beckett, you’ll have to explain this to me. Why are you so mad?”
Intensity simmered on his face as he closed the distance between them, bringing the hard wall of his chest nearly against hers. She felt the heat emanating off him and was shocked when her nipples puckered in response to him being this close. Tingles raced through her all the way to the tips of her toes as he said, tightly, “I’m mad about all of it. I’m mad that you left for college, and I was too much of a fucking mess to go with you. I’m mad that you met that fucker, and he got his damn claws into you. I’m mad that instead of you being blissfully happy, I watched your heart shatter before my eyes.” His chin dipped, bringing his mouth near inches from hers, his warm breath brushing across her face. “I’m mad that instead of that prick suffering, he has your fucking money to fix his stupid face. And I’m mad that I have no way to stop any of it.”
The world narrowed on him with each and every meaningful word that passed his mouth. The affection, the protection, the sheer helplessness, all affected her in a way she never anticipated feeling again. She became tangled in the safe energy he projected. The familiarly of having him close. She took in his simmering eyes with so much emotion in them she could barely breathe. The heat of his body, the strength of him, so close to her. His sculpted lips drew her in, closer and closer, until her hands fisted his T-shirt and her mouth met his.
Beckett stiffened. He did not return the kiss.
At the coldness against her mouth, she gasped and broke away, horror making her blood run cold. “Oh my God, Beckett, I’m so sorry.”
Only silence greeted her. Was he shaking?
His eyebrow slowly arched. “Did you do that to shut me up or because you wanted to kiss me?”
Heat crept over her face. “I don’t know why I did that.” She swallowed deeply, and then began rambling, “No that’s not true. I was just thinking how nice it felt to have someone protecting me and caring about me… and it seemed familiar and safe… and your mouth looked good…”
More silence descended. Until all the shock on Beckett’s face was swept away to reveal raw, unadulterated lust, an expression she hadn’t seen from him for a very long time. It occurred to her then she missed being looked at like that – with fierce hunger. Like no other woman compared to her. Like he didn’t care what hell he had to walk through to reach her, he’d do it time and time again. Like he was just the reckless kid that wanted something and didn’t care what the consequences cost him.
She wanted to be that person she was back then with him. The one who didn’t know what heartbreak felt like. The one who laughed often and believed anything was possible. She swallowed again, swearing her heart was beating loud enough for both of them to hear.
A beat.
Then a gasp ripped from her throat as he grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her against the hard planes of his body. He did what she didn’t do. He finished the kiss.
A moment later, her back hit the beer tank, and Beckett wasted no time devouring her neck with his hot kisses. She pushed off his cowboy hat to run her hands through his hair, feeling her sane mind unravel at his passion. Her mind shut off and only her body was thinking now. Beckett’s touch was imprinted on her skin, reminding her of teenage freedom and wild affection.
“Ew, my eyes,” Maisie screamed.
Amelia broke away from Beckett with a loud gasp, snapping her eyes open, finding her sisters standing in the barn’s open double doors. Maisie was blinking rapidly, and Clara’s back was ramrod straight. Amelia stared at them for a second before they both turned and walked away.
Beckett chuckled proudly. But Amelia wasn’t laughing at what her sisters had caught her doing two weeks after she was dumped at the altar. “There is something wrong with me,” Amelia muttered. “Seriously, something wrong with me. I can’t believe I just kissed you like that. I’m sorry, Beckett. Please forgive me.”
Right as she raised her shaky hands to cover her face, Beckett grabbed her wrists. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he stated. The kiss he dropped on her mouth was indecent and the best kiss of her entire life. He gave her a panty-melting smirk. “Just to clarify, I’m not one bit sorry about that kiss.”
When he released her, she wobbled. Sure, back when they dated, Beckett had always known how to make her blush and kiss her just right, but this was a man’s kiss, not the kiss of a kid looking for some fun. This kiss had intent, power, and made her hunger to taste it again.
Before she could even think straight, he was striding past her sisters, giving them a simple hello like what they’d walked in on was everyday business.
Clara whirled around to Amelia, her eyes huge and mouth gaping open. She appeared to try to talk, but nothing was coming out.
Maisie gave a shit-eating grin. “If that’s not a spectacular welcome home, I don’t know what is.”
About the Author
Stacey Kennedy is a USA Today bestselling author who writes contemporary romances full of heat, heart, and happily ever afters. With over 50 titles published, her books have hit Amazon, B&N, and Apple Books bestseller lists.
Stacey lives with her husband and two children in southwestern Ontario—in a city that’s just as charming as any of the small towns she creates. Most days, you’ll find her enjoying the outdoors with her family or venturing into the forest with her horse, Priya. Stacey’s just as happy curled up indoors, where she writes surrounded by her lazy dogs. She believes that sexy books about hot cowboys or alpha heroes can fix any bad day. But wine and chocolate help too.
At forty, my track record with women wasn’t too crash hot.
My track record with long-term submissives was even worse, despite being part-owner of our local BDSM club, Obsidian.
My ex-sub, Crystal Barton, did the one thing I told her I wouldn’t tolerate.
She cheated on me.
Not with just anyone. With one of my ex-best friends, Carlo Irving.
Maxine Johnson, a sub from Obsidian, was there to scratch my itch with our standing weekly arrangement.
From the moment I saw the sexy woman inspect the house that overlooked mine, I knew I wanted her.
Seriously hot … Check. Long legs … Check. Thick long hair … Check. Curves … Check.
Enough tits to fill out her shirt nicely, so breasts … Check.
Now … if she’d just turn around so I can take stock of her ass.
When she moved in, I came up with a plan to make her mine.
Will Crystal become a problem?
SIENNA HODGESON
I left Lucan McCallister, a Criminal Defense Attorney, almost two years ago with the aid of my best friend, Latisha Breaux, and husband, Christian.
For the past twelve months, I’d stopped looking over my shoulder.
Numerous times I’d had to call Police when my neighbor, Pixie Adamson, was beat up by her on-again-off-again husband, Clinton.
My home had become a safe haven for Pixie, and her daughter.
I loved their little six-year-old girl, Skye, to pieces.
I couldn’t take anymore and arranged to view a house for lease in prestigious Willoughby Lakes Private Estate, one street back from the river.
The view of the river was beautiful.
The view of the hot guy who lived on the lower level behind was spectacular.
Broad shoulders. A wide muscled chest. Narrow hips. Powerful thighs.
And definitely a decent package hidden away in those track pants.
After I moved in, I couldn’t keep my eyes away from his house.
Not even when he had company.
Who knew I was a closet voyeur?

About the Author:
Carol Delmornay writes predominantly erotic romance. Always a veracious reader, the urge to write didn’t hit until later in life. Carol poured many hours, blood, sweat and tears into her first four book series; “His Word-The Trusted Saga”, and is currently continuing on with “His Word – The Shattered Series”. She has also penned a duet; “Reluctant Substitute” & the sequel, “Alison’s Awakening”. Carol has also dipped her toe into the world of dark erotica with her novel, “Lick of Darkness”. Her novels are explicitly detailed, and not for the faint of heart.
Carol was born and raised in the beautiful city of Perth, Western Australia, which is where she met and married husband, Mark, 28 years ago. She and Mark moved to a small town in the Goldfields region of Western Australia in December 2015 to renovate their home and design their gardens. Together, they’ve raised three children and are proud new grandparents to a gorgeous grandson who arrived in September 2020. Carol spends all her spare time writing and listening to music, swimming, walking and enjoying the peaceful life of the country.
Title: From Shadow and Silence Series: Elements of Five #4
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: YA Romance
Release Date: March 9, 2021
BLURB
The unforgettable conclusion to the epic fantasy Elements of Five series from NYT Bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan.
The end of the centuries-long war is almost here, and the fate of the realm rests on one girl’s shoulders. The Gray has gathered his forces—and has Lyric in his clutches. The enemy’s plan to control the kingdoms has been revealed, but traitors from both sides might alter the course of fate.
Lyric must return to Easton and the others before all is lost. Battle lines must be forged, and surprising alliances cast. The prophecy has never altered, and life comes at an ultimate price. Not all who fight will survive, but in the end, it will come down to the choice of a Priestess and her soul.
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance.
Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and
Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She
started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.
As a young boy, abandoned by my parents and ripped apart from my twin sister, I learned early on that the world was full of evil and hate. I survived by living between the light and darkness, using my shifter abilities to stay alive…until one mistake should have cost me my life. Instead, it became my salvation and gave me a family and band of brothers who had my back no matter what.
The Dark Leopards MC was not a gang to be trifled with, and many gave us a wide birth, and as the Sergeant At Arms, I ensured that’s the way it stayed. But someone was trying to encroach on our territory and begin a war. I suspect the woman I saved, the woman whom I discover is my mate, is tied to it all somehow. I just have to figure out the puzzle before it’s too late.
VERITY
I was only trying to help a friend. The last thing I ever thought is that my friend would try to kidnap me, but thankfully someone or something saved me. Rushing to meet my roommate, Siam, I got another shock when the gang responsible for my brother’s death are her friends. I didn’t care if her brother had mesmerizing eyes or if I had a hard time not thinking about him. He was the enemy!
But even as my enemy, he may be my only chance to stay alive and learn the truth. And if Snow is the one protecting me in and out of bed, I wouldn’t complain too much.
**Previous published in Dark Leopards MC, Michigan Chapter, it has been expanded and contains new content.
I was on the verge of turning sixteen and needed some money. A thick billfold attached to a chain caught my attention. Easy pickings. Some shifters’ gifts could only be used while in their animal counterparts, but not mine. I had the ability to use mine both in animal and human form, and I took full advantage. It meant, if I wanted to, I could sleep with a roof over my head, and no one would be the wiser.
Ducking into an alley, I kept my eye on my target and stripped before activating my gift. I’d learned at ten that suddenly disappearing in front of anyone tended to make people freak out, and it was worse if you disappeared, but your clothes didn’t. In addition, no one wanted to see a kid strip down naked in the middle of the room so they could become invisible.
Stepping out of the alley, I noticed my target leaning against a big blue mailbox, scanning the area. Maybe he was looking for someone. Good. It meant his attention would be on whatever he was doing, and he was less likely to notice the disappearance of his wallet. He was making this too easy for me.
I moved closer and realized the man was a shifter, and my heart thudded. I swallowed hard, and it sounded loud in my ears. I inched my way toward him, slow and steady because I didn’t want him to realize I was there. There was always a higher level of danger when I stole from a shifter. However, it never stopped me.
His leather cut made me pause, but only for a second. This man was giving off a don’t fuck with me vibe, and I had the feeling many didn’t argue with him. I needed his wallet, though. Three more steps. The pounding pulse in my ears drowned out the sounds around me. This man was bad news. One more step. I could do this. I’d done it a million times, and this was no different than anyone else, except this guy could probably kill me. He had that look about him.
Reaching for his wallet, I noticed the back of his cut. FUCK ME! Not probably kill me. Definitely kill me. Dark Leopards MC was spelled out in bold letters along with their logo. I’d picked the wrong person to steal from…or had I? If I managed to get his fat wallet, not only would I have his money, I could have the satisfaction of knowing I’d stolen it from a patched member of the local badass MC.
Slowly and carefully, I detached the wallet from the chain and began to pull it out of his pocket, and then all hell broke loose. His large paw grabbed my wrist, squeezing hard, and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying out. It hurt like a motherfucker! How? How had he noticed me? He shouldn’t be able to see or smell me. I was completely invisible.
“Big mistake, boy,” he growled. See? Very naïve little shit.
Maria Vickers is a bestselling and award-winning author who currently resides in St. Louis, MO with her pug, Spencer Tracy. She has always had a passion for writing and after she became disabled in 2010, she decided to use writing as her escape. Life is about what you make of it, you have to live it to the fullest no matter the circumstances.
From a young age, she has always loved books and even dreamed of being an author when she was younger. Growing up in the Navy, she used to weave tales for her siblings and her friends about anything and everything. And when she wasn’t creating her own stories, she had a book in her hand. They transported her to another world. She hopes that her readers will have the same experience when reading her stories, and that, in some way, they can relate to her characters.
Getting sick changed her life forever, but it also opened doors for her that she thought would always be out of reach.
Dragon Revealed an all new not-to-be-missed Dragon Kings Novella from New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant is available now!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant comes a new story in her Dragon Kings series…
The capture of a Dragon King is cause for celebration. Jeyra never dreamed she would actually face one of the creatures who destroyed her home. But the longer she’s around him, the more she finds herself gravitating to him. All it takes is one reckless kiss that unleashes desires and the truth that has been hidden from her to set them both on a course that could be the end of them.
Varek, King of Lichens, has known nothing but a life with magic. Until he finds himself on a different realm unable to call up his powers. Worse, he’s in shackles with no memory of how it happened. When he sees an enthralling woman who leaves him speechless, he believes he can charm her to free him. The more she rebuffs him, the more he craves her, igniting a dangerous passion between them. Can he protect the woman he’s fallen for while uncovering the truth – or will peril that neither see coming tear them apart?
**Every 1,001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
She came to a sudden halt when her gaze landed on him. Varek had his back to her, and despite what little light was available from the torches, she saw he was naked from the waist up. There was a large bruise on his left side that extended onto his back. Her thoughts quieted when he dumped water over his head, and the sound of the chains rang loudly. She watched droplets run down his back and into the waist of his pants while more fell onto the packed ground and beaded there.
Even as she told herself not to look, her eyes moved to his head. His blond hair fell onto his forehead and cheeks as he bent at the waist. He splashed water on his face before dumping more over his head. Her eyes followed his right hand as it scrubbed at the back of his neck, then down his left arm. His left hand repeated the movements on the right side. He then tossed his head back, spraying her with water.
She barely noticed as her eyes ran over the thick sinew of his shoulders and arms. Varek twisted toward her and raked a hand through his wet locks before wiping a hand down his face to dispel the water.
“Good mornin’,” he said and sat back on a stool.
She frowned at the stool and the bucket of water. Neither had been there the day before. “I see you’ve already had company.”
“Aye,” he replied, not giving her any more.
Jeyra looked around, wondering if someone was in the shadows, watching.
“There isna anyone else here, lass.”
She snapped her head back to him. The retort she had died on her lips when she saw his chiseled abs. He didn’t have an ounce of fat anywhere on him. All the moisture left her mouth, making it impossible to swallow. Then her eyes saw something on his left arm.
Jeyra wanted a closer look. She moved forward before she realized what she was doing and found herself close enough to touch the bars of Varek’s prison. But she didn’t move away as she took in the artwork that covered his arm.
“Is this what has your attention?” he asked with a chuckle and turned so that she could see his arm.
“What is it?”
His brows snapped together. “Do your people no’ have tattoos?”
“Tattoos?” she repeated, testing out the word on her tongue. “No one decorates their body in such a way. Why do you have it?”
He shrugged and glanced down at the dragon. “When we shifted for the first time into this form, each Dragon King found one somewhere on his body. We might have always had them, but we didna see them in our true form. We honestly doona know.”
About Donna Grant
Donna is the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author of over a hundred novels. Her most popular series is the breathtaking Dark King (aka Dragon King) series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae. In addition to her novels, Donna has written short stories, novellas, and novelettes for digital-first and print release. She has been dubbed as giving the “paranormal genre a burst of fresh air” by the San Francisco Book Review. Her work has been hailed as having “deft plotting and expert characterization” by Publisher’s Weekly and “sizzling” by RT Book Reviews. She has been recognized with awards from both bookseller and reader contests including the National Reader’s Choice Award, Booksellers Best Award, as well as the coveted K.I.S.S. Award from RT Book Reviews. Donna travels often for various speaking engagements, conferences, and book signings. She is also a frequent workshop presenter at national conferences such as RT Book Lovers Convention and Thrillerfest, as well as local chapters. Born and raised in Texas, she also has ties across the border in Louisiana. Growing up with two such vibrant cultures, her Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding. She is never far from her faithful 80 pound dog, Sisko, or her cats. She can often be found at the movies or bookstore. Or buying makeup. And shoes.
RT @EveLanglais: The latest A Lion's Pride book is out today!
A slick lion is about to get sticky this holiday season when he meets his u… 11 hours ago
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