Check out the gorgeous new contemporary romance, and grab your copy today!
Title: Sweet Sexy Heart
Author: Melissa Foster
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Sweet Sexy Heart:
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster’s writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.
Amber Montgomery is perfectly happy with her quiet life, running her bookstore, taking long walks with Reno, her Labrador retriever seizure-response dog, and spending time with her close-knit family. She’s never needed thrills the way some of her sisters have. In an effort to control her epilepsy, she tries to avoid anything that creates too much excitement or stress—including relationships. When Amber hosts a book signing for famed-athlete-turned-author Dash Pennington, he’s everything she’s spent her life avoiding: loud, aggressive, and far too handsome, as proven by the hordes of women who surround him everywhere he goes. Amber can’t ignore the sparks flying between her and Dash, but this is a no-brainer for her: Ignore their chemistry and hold her breath until he leaves town.
Dash Pennington has spent his life running. Running the ball in for a touchdown, running from town to town to appease his public relations reps, and running into the arms of too many women to count. He’s also an expert at protecting—his reputation, his sisters, and lately, his sanity. But he’s ready to make a change. When he comes to the sleepy little town of Oak Falls, Virginia, and witnesses the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen living the life he craves, she refuses to have anything to do with him. But now that Dash has found the one thing he doesn’t want to run from, he’ll stop at nothing to win her over.
Find out more about these and many other steamy romance series in Melissa Foster’s big-family contemporary romance collection, Love in Bloom, featuring characters from all walks of life, from billionaires to blue-collar workers. You’ll love her fun, sexy, and relatable characters, and their real-life issues. You’re always guaranteed a happily ever after.
LIGHTS TWINKLED FROM the rafters and country music blared from a stage at the far end of the old barn as retired football star Dash Pennington and his old college teammate Sinclair “Sin” Vernon weaved around people dancing and mingling and children darting through the crowd with fistfuls of cookies. Women decked out in jeans and cowgirl boots eyed Dash suggestively. Enjoy the visual buffet, ladies, because that’s all you’re going to get.
Dash had been thrilled when his motivational speaking gig had been canceled. He’d jumped on the first flight out to see his buddy and had arrived in Oak Falls, Virginia, about an hour ago. This was just what he needed—a break from his crazy life and the skintight dresses and money-hungry claws of the plastic women in the circles in which he’d run for the last decade. He’d thought things would slow down after he retired from football, but he’d gone from one media circus to another with motivational speaking gigs, sponsorships, and the upcoming tour for his new bestselling book, Capturing the Fire Within, a guide for young men to find their paths and realize their dreams. The funny thing was, he was still trying to figure out his own path.
“This jam session is frigging awesome!” he shouted as they walked past the stage where a group of twentysomething girls were singing with a band that looked more like a family reunion. A kid who couldn’t have been older than ten or eleven was playing the violin beside a man who looked to be about sixty playing a guitar. A teenage girl was on drums, and a handful of other people were playing a variety of instruments. “How often do they do this?”
“Every few weeks.” Sin raked a hand through his jet-black hair. At six foot three, two hundred and thirty pounds, he stood eye to eye with Dash. “The Jerichos invite everyone in the area to play music and dance. People bring food and catch up with neighbors. It’s pretty cool.”
“Kind of reminds me of home.” Dash had grown up in Port Hudson, New York, which was a college town, not a rural area, but it had the same close-knit feel, and while they didn’t have jam sessions, they had other community activities.
“Good old Port Hudson.” Sin cocked a grin. “I need to take a trip out there soon to see how Dawn and Andi are doing, remind them what a real man looks like.”
Dash narrowed his eyes in warning at the mention of his younger sisters, but it was all in good fun. They gave each other a hard time about their sisters often, but they also stepped in like protective brothers when necessary. “Speaking of sisters, did Kiki tell you she finally kicked that guy she was dating to the curb?”
“Yeah, last week. Thank God she listens to you.” Kiki was Sin’s younger sister. “I owe you one. Come on, let’s find Amber.”
“Right. Amber. The only woman on the planet not clamoring to get near me.” Amber Montgomery owned Story Time bookstore and was hosting Dash’s debut signing in a couple of weeks. She was the only bookstore owner who hadn’t immediately agreed to host, which he found odd, considering how much attention his presence would bring to her store. It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of him. By the time she’d accepted, all the tour spots had been full. Dash had been curious about the holdout, and since Sin lived in the area, Dash had Amber’s bookstore added as the first stop on the tour.
Sin looked at him wryly. “She’s out of your league, man. But it looks like you’ve got plenty of fans. People around here don’t usually gawk like this.”
Dash glanced around as they moved through the crowd, noticing that, in addition to the women checking him out who probably had no clue who he was, guys were looking over like they recognized him, and a few cowboys were sizing him up. Don’t worry, I’m not here to take your women for a ride. He’d learned his lesson about meaningless hookups when he was young and stupid, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to screw over some random guy just to get his rocks off.
“Really? With you around, I’d think they’d be like this all the time.” Dash wasn’t kidding. Sin was impressive as hell on and off the football field. They’d met while attending Virginia State on football scholarships. After graduation, Dash had turned pro, and Sin had followed a coaching path, eventually becoming the athletic program director for their alma mater. A couple of years ago, Sin had taken over as the athletic director at No Limitz, the Oak Falls youth center. Dash had always admired his friend’s determination to follow his heart instead of the money.
Sin gave him a don’t-give-me-that-bullshit glance.
“I should’ve worn a cowboy hat to blend in. How about we don’t mention football to your friends? Tonight I’d just like to be your friend, and when necessary, some guy who wrote a book.”
“Yeah, I got that impression when you called. No problem.”
As he followed Sin through the crowd, his attention caught on a beautiful brunette talking with a group of people. Her fingertips grazed the head of a golden retriever wearing a service vest. He had a fleeting curiosity about the dog, but he got caught up in watching the woman as she talked with the dark-haired guy beside her. A smile as natural and enticing as summer rain brightened her face, giving her an even sweeter girl-next-door vibe. As they neared, he realized her hair wasn’t brown but more of a chestnut color, the long layers a little messy. The kind of hair that beckoned to be touched, the kind of easy smile he hadn’t seen in a very long time. There was nothing overtly sexual about her simple peach sweater or dark skinny jeans tucked into scuffed brown cowgirl boots with pink designs that looked like old favorites, but he found her utterly captivating. He wanted to know who she was and what her voice sounded like. Was it as sweet as she looked? Was she? It had been a long damn time since he’d actually been drawn to a woman enough to want to know more about her.
The beauty shook her head, and her hair tumbled in front of one eye, giving her an alluring edge. She tucked that wayward strand behind her ear, her eyes sweeping over the crowd, colliding with Dash’s, and holy hell, the air between them sizzled with a wild, frenetic energy. He couldn’t look away, didn’t want to, the need to meet her as real as the heat burning beneath his skin, and Sin was leading him directly toward her.
When they joined the group, Sin said, “The best thing about these jam sessions is seeing all the hottest ladies in Oak Falls in one place,” startling the chestnut-haired beauty. She tore her gaze away from Dash, crimson spreading over her cheeks.
A familiar-looking dark-haired guy rolled his shoulders back and cleared his throat.
Sin laughed. “And the hottest guys. Sorry, Axsel.”
“No worries. With a body like that, you’re always forgiven.” Axsel dragged his eyes down Dash’s body. “And hello, gorgeous friend of Sin’s.”
Dash offered his hand. “Hi. I’m Dash. Where do I know you from?” In the next second, he recognized the man as Axsel Montgomery, the lead guitarist in the infamous band Inferno. “Wait, you’re a rock star, right?” He started connecting the dots and wondered if Axsel was related to Amber.
“In and out of the bedroom,” Axsel said flirtatiously, giving Dash’s hand a squeeze. “And you have a great name. Short for Dashing, I assume?”
Dash laughed and shook his head, his eyes finding the brunette’s again, causing a rush of heat to redden her neck and cheeks. She was adorably refreshing, in the sexiest of ways—a rarity in his world.
“Keep your trousers on, Axsel,” Sin said. “Dash is straight, and I brought him along tonight to meet Amber, not to hook up with her brother. Dash wrote a book, and he’s doing a signing with her in a couple of weeks.” He motioned to the brunette, who was staring at Dash again. “Dash, this is Amber Montgomery. Amber, this is Dash Pennington.”
It’s my lucky day. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Amber.” Dash held out his hand. “Shea had wonderful things to say about you.” Shea Steele was his publicist. She’d told him that Amber ran the busiest bookstore in the area, and she was sweet, cautious, and definitely not his type. Shea couldn’t have been more wrong.
The blond woman standing next to Amber, wearing about a dozen necklaces and a blouse with flowing sleeves, nudged Amber with her elbow, startling Amber out of her trance. Amber blinked repeatedly and shook Dash’s hand. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
Her hand was soft and warm, her voice as sweet as honey, and her gorgeous hazel eyes were as lost in him as his were in her. “I hear you own a great bookstore. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”
She continued shaking his hand. “I…yeah. Books…in the shop.”
She was too damn cute.
A tall woman with thick and wild dark hair trailing over her shoulders from beneath a cowgirl hat stifled a laugh, and the blonde nudged Amber again.
“Bookstore, sorry,” Amber said quickly, dropping his hand. Her fingers landed on the dog’s head. “I own a bookstore. But you already know that. Oh my gosh. I better…” Her eyes darted around them. “Nice to meet you. I have to…do that thing. Over there.” She pointed into the crowd. “Sorry. See you in the bookstore. Come, Reno.”
As Amber hurried away, a thin blonde lowered her voice and said, “So much for flirting lessons.”
Flirting lessons? That piqued his interest.
“You’ll have to excuse my sister,” the hippieish blonde said. “She’s had a long day.”
Dash watched Amber moving through the crowd. “No excuse necessary. She made a remarkable first impression.” And he couldn’t wait to see what her second impression was like.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
Sweet, Sexy Heart definitely lived up to it’s title. The book was oh so sweet and OMG sexy…
Amber was a small town sweetheart dealing with health issues that until recently had been under control but dealing with an upcoming event that’s happening in her bookstore things start to slip from the reins she’s tightly held on them. Hosting an event featuring a well-known, retired professional footballer that everyone wants to meet is a coup for a small store owner like Amber but it, and the man in question, are quite overwhelming and have a real impact on our leading lady.
Dash, he was a sweetie, but I kept wondering if he was too good to be true…. I was glad to discover that what we saw was what we got with him. He was all in when it came to Amber, taking care of her and not in the least bit put off or intimidated by her health issues. I loved that he was as thoughtful and caring as he was, even when she herself wasn’t convinced that things between them could work.
Low on angst, heavy on the sweet and heat, I really enjoyed this read from Melissa Foster.
4* and a story I would reread in the future
REVIEW TO COME – Still Reading!!!
About Melissa Foster:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, and the Wild Boys After Dark. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented.
Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.
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Lennon Love Clarke needs to put on a good show. With her reputation sinking, the famous actress has no choice but to grin and bear it because the tabloids were better than the truth. If only Lenni could remember what that was—and who is stalking her. Now, she’s in hiding—or would be if her new bodyguard hadn’t found her first. Dante Lozano is Covington Security’s very own Casanova. With model muscles and a megawatt smile, he’s their most popular security specialist. So, it’s surprising when the gorgeous woman wandering along the highway wants none of his help—especially since she’s the one who hired him. Lenni doesn’t know who to trust, and the hot Italian bodyguard whose smile makes her unmentionables melt doesn’t seem like a good choice. But then the threats start coming. So, she strikes a deal: she’ll cooperate with his protection as long as he doesn’t get personal—until fighting their attraction proves to be the hardest role of her career. Dante knows she bribed him with duty, but he’ll collect on her heart—and the truth. Because it’s the only thing that can stop her stalker and save her life.
“Tell me why the man who saved your life isn’t good enough to protect you?” He demanded with a low voice. My mouth dried and the pain in my head faded against the knot of desire in my stomach. Neither of us moved, staring each other down, waiting for the other to be the first to break. “I never said you weren’t good enough,” I replied quietly, notching my chin up. His eyes narrowed. “You were about to tell Ace you didn’t want me as your bodyguard,” he returned bluntly, crashing us into that inevitable conversation. “Why?” “Maybe I just don’t trust the good-looking ones.” I folded my arms. He drew back slightly, taking in my reply like instead of concealing me, it had done the opposite and revealed something important and deep. “I don’t believe all of that.” I scrunched my brow, wondering, “Which part do you believe?” “The part where you claimed I’m good-looking.” His wide grin broke his somber expression. Ignoring the small wave of heat through my body, I rolled my eyes and turned back to the car. His quick steps caught me off-guard when he jogged ahead to reach the passenger door first and held it open. “Well, as the man in charge of protecting you, I certainly hope you’re wrong,” he said as I sank into the seat. “About you being good-looking?” I returned saucily. “Touché.” He gripped his chest, and I thought he took the jibe in good form until he bent down, his molten chocolate eyes sticking to mine. “You can trust me, Lenni,” he said, the usual smoothness of his voice taking on a distinct rasp. “You can always trust me to protect you, no matter what.” The door shutting released the breath that snagged like a web in my lungs. He’d saved me once. I knew that trusting Dante Lozano wouldn’t be hard. But I worried that was the problem.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
I’m loving this new series from Rebecca Sharp. I thought the Carmel Cove reads were some of my favourites but the Covington Security books are gonna give them a run for their money.
I enjoyed finding out more about the other guys on the security team and seeing another side to Dante from the cocky, committed bachelor he portrayed I self to be. Don’t get me wrong, the guy is still cocky, but gods, watching him fall for Lennie was fun!!
I liked Lennon. Her backstory and the lack of memories had me trying like mad to work out what had happened and who she was running from – and while there were a couple of clues I should probably have picked up on – I enjoyed the storyline and didn’t see who it was likely to be until the last minute.
Catching up with our Carmel Cove favourites throughout this series has been good and I’m looking forward to som more crossover in the series to come.
I cannot wait for Dex and Jo’s story but I am especially looking forward to Rocco’s book when it comes.
MORE IN THE SERIES
Are you caught up on the Covington crew? Books 1 and 2 are available now, book three is releasing right around the corner, and Rebecca will be revealing the cover for book 4 next month!!
Looking for more Carmel Cove romances? Some of the characters you’ve met in the Covington series have their own happy endings in my Carmel Cove series! You can check out the 5 book series now, and all are available in KU!
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.
