Title: Well Played Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
Genre:Standalone Contemporary Romance Release Date: October 25, 2021
Excited about Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward’s upcoming release, Well Played?
About the book
It all started with a bet. When my young son inherited half of his great grandfather’s historic inn, I decided to move us both to the place where I grew up. Notice I said half of the Inn. The other half now belonged to Levi Miller, the famous quarterback who had other ideas about what we should do with the property. We won’t mention that I accidentally injured him during our first meeting, causing him to get eight stitches. You could say we got off on the wrong foot. We bickered a lot as we both moved into the property while we figured things out. He wanted to unload the rundown place which, admittedly, needed a lot of work. I wanted to restore The Palm Inn to its original beauty and re-open it as a bed and breakfast. We couldn’t agree on anything. So Levi made me a proposal. One he thought I would surely lose. If I could sell out the place by the time he had to leave for training at the end of summer, he would back off and let me run it. But in the weeks that followed, we got more than we bargained for while we were living under the same roof. Levi and I got closer, and before I knew it, my nightly fantasies about the brawny Adonis became a reality. Not to mention, he was so great with my son. We were in over our heads in more ways than one. Because not only was he the last man on Earth I should be falling for because of our deal, but Levi was also my ex’s older brother. And now the inn was the least of my problems.
Check out this SNEAK PEEK!
Presley
Harper picked up the notebook that contained my to-do list from the table and opened to a fresh page. Clicking the pen open, she scribbled across the top. To do with Levi I chuckled. “Are we making a dirty to-do list?” She wiggled her eyebrows and put the pen to the paper. “We certainly are.” “Tell me one thing you fantasize about doing with him.” Yep, I was definitely drunk, because sober me wouldn’t have participated in this. Though, even in this state, I felt my cheeks blush. “Well, every day he goes out back and does pull-ups in that big oak tree. Sometimes I imagine he’s naked while doing them, and then I walk out naked, too. I wrap myself around him like a koala and he’s a tree, and he keeps doing the pull-ups. Hoisting us both up and down.” Harper smirked. “Nice start.” She then jotted down koala pull-ups. “What else you got?” “Well, I also have this running fantasy that I’m watching him do the pull-ups from my bedroom window with binoculars, and then I lie down on the bed and…you know…go to town on myself. And when I’m just about to orgasm, I look up at the window and see Levi with the binoculars. He’s watching me masturbate from outside.” “Oooh… I like that one.” Harper wrote down voyeur masturbation. For the next half hour, we polished off our spiked lemonades, laughed a lot, and added more than a dozen sexual to-do tasks to my list. It was the most fun I’d had in ages. But Harper had to fly home in the morning, and I didn’t want her to have a raging hangover. So rather than make another pitcher of spiked lemonade, I grabbed her a water bottle and some Motrin and told her to drink up before going to bed. But as I walked around and shut off the lights, another fantasy hit me. “That peach cobbler we had for dessert at the restaurant was orgasmic, wasn’t it?” “It sure was.” I pointed to the notepad. “Sit on Levi’s face while eating that pie.” Harper had been drinking water and spit it out all over the place. “Oh my God. That is most definitely going on the list!” She picked up the pen and spoke while jotting something down. “Double orgasmic peach cobbler.” We started to crack up, but a knock interrupted our laughter. At least it interrupted mine. I looked up to find Levi standing in the doorway to the living room. My eyes widened. “Levi… What are you doing here?” His brows lifted. “I own half the place.” “No, I meant I didn’t know you were back.” He looked between Harper and me and seemed to smirk. “Oh, I’m back.” My palms started to sweat. “I didn’t hear you come in. How long have you been…standing there?” Levi tilted his head, and his smirk elevated to a cocky smile. “Not too long.” Oh my God. I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. What if he heard? I suddenly felt pretty damn sober. “Umm…well, this is my friend Harper. She’s leaving early tomorrow, so we were just going to bed.” He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Harper.” Harper stood and hiccupped. She covered her grinning mouth. “Nice to meet you, too. Your family’s inn is beautiful.” “Thank you.” Her eyes shifted to me. “Although there’s a lot to do around here. Presley and I made a list. You might want to take a look at it and get going on some of the new to-do tasks we added.” My eyes nearly bulged out of my head, and I lunged for the notebook on the table. Levi squinted at me. “Everything okay, Presley? You seem stressed.” “I’m fine!” He nodded slowly. “Right.” “Alright….” I grabbed Harper’s arm and tugged. “We’re going to bed. Welcome home.” Levi never moved from the living room doorway as he watched me drag my friend out of the room. Harper waved over her shoulder. “’Night, Levi. Enjoy your to-do list!” Somehow I managed to get Harper to her room without her yelling anything too obscene. But for the next half hour, I lay in my bed with my heart pounding. What if he’d heard us? What if he’d been standing there listening the entire time? Oh my God. I covered my face with my hands. The things I said I wanted to do to him. My head began to ache, and tomorrow’s hangover hadn’t even started yet. After another twenty minutes of lying there freaking out in the dark, my mouth was so parched that I needed a bottle of water. But there was no way I wanted to run into Levi again. So I cracked open my bedroom door and listened for any sounds of someone moving out in the common area. Finding it quiet, I snuck down the hall and peered around the corner to see if any lights were still on. They weren’t, so I breathed a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen for a drink. I guzzled half a bottle of water before turning to slink back to my bedroom. But I froze at the sight of Levi standing in the kitchen doorway. My hand flew up to cover my racing heart. “Oh my God. You scared me.” “Sorry. I was just going to head out to grab a bite to eat.” “Oh…there are leftovers from lunch in the fridge, if you want. I made chicken pot pies this morning.” Levi held my eyes for a moment. “Thanks, but I think I’m going to go out.” He walked over and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I have a real hankering for peach cobbler.” Oh. My. God. My jaw dropped to the ground. I had no idea what to do or say. Levi winked as he walked to the door. “Get some sleep. I wouldn’t want you to be too tired to work on that to-do list.” ★★★
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-six languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Title: Knot My Type Series: All Access #1 Author: Evie Mitchell
Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date: October 4, 2021
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Frankie
When you say you’re a sexologist, people imagine Marilyn Monroe. They don’t expect a woman who uses a wheelchair. As the host of the All Access podcast, I’m breaking barriers, crushing stigmas, and creating sexual connections that are fulfilling for my fans. I’m like cupid, but with pink hair and fewer diapers.
Only, I’ve hit a snag. A lovely listener wants some advice about accessible rope play and I’m drawing a big fat blank. Which leaves me with no option but to get out there and give it a go.
Which is how I meet Jay Wood—rigger, carpenter, and all-round hottie.
I’d be open to letting him wine and dine me but Jay isn’t my type. He’s not a one-girl kind of guy. Monogamy isn’t even in his vocab, and I’m not a woman who’ll settle for being second choice.
But the closer we get, the more Jay has me tied up in knots.
And it’s making me think, maybe I could compromise and accept a little Wood in my life. Even if it’s only temporary.
Jay
Frankie’s funny, intelligent, and ridiculously sexy. This should be a no-brainer. A little fun in the sheets, and a little romp with some ropes—simple.
Only the infuriating woman is asking for more. I’m not that kind of guy. I wouldn’t even know how to be that kind of guy. I’m the definition of easy.
It’ll be fine. We’ll be friends. Just friends.
So, why does my heart feel frayed? And why is it I can’t help but consider taking the ultimate leap of faith—tying myself to Frankie. Permanently.
Jay Capricorn Cove had experienced a renaissance in the last few years, the sleepy town beginning to emerge from its hibernation as people moved in, and businesses finally occupied formerly vacant storefronts. Change came slowly in the Cove, but Books and Beans had fast become a local institution. Inside the small café, warm brick walls were complemented by polished concrete floors, long wood benches, and upcycled tables. Bookshelves stuffed with new and used books were scattered throughout the space, inviting diners to peruse as they waited for their order. I pushed through the door, the bell tinkling cheerfully above my head. “Hey, Jay. Want your regular?” Betsy called from her position behind the counter. Dressed in a casual blouse and mom-jeans, the older woman didn’t look like the kind of person who’d own a hipster joint. And yet, a quick glance around showed a surprising number of tourists enjoying generous meals. “Actually, I’m meeting someone. Got a table for me?” She nodded toward the back of the café indicating a table set between the currently empty fireplace and a pair of wall-to-ceiling bookshelves. “Perfect. Thanks.” I made my way over, calling greetings and stopping for chats with locals. That was the problem with a small town—you knew everyone and everyone knew you. Everyone, it seemed, except Frankie Kenton. I settled at the table, anticipation simmering under my skin as I pulled my cell out, swiping to reread her messages. I still couldn’t figure out why she’d piqued my interest. There was nothing profound in her texts. And yet here I sat, waiting for her to arrive, my pulse unsteady, my body on edge. What the fuck is wrong with me? “Jay?” I looked up, my cock immediately hardening. “Frankie?” Her pink hair and blue eyes reminded me of the cotton candy I used to buy at the annual fair. The colors had me wondering if the taste of her promised to be as sweet on my tongue. She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she came toward me, hand outstretched. “The one and only.” I’d have classified her as spun sugar, light and fluffy and extra sweet—if not for her voice. The richness of it forced me to reassess my initial impression—this woman wasn’t sugar, she was spice in masquerade.
#2
Frankie This can’t be happening. Jay pressed a hot kiss to my mouth, his short beard grazing my cheeks. His tongue stroked the seam of my mouth with sensual ease, my lips parting to grant him entrance. My mind couldn’t comprehend this reality. One second we were talking about dinosaurs, the next Jay’s tongue was in my mouth doing things I didn’t even know a tongue could do. Shock held me rigid, my body tense. Then he made a sound—the noise so raw, so needy, so utterly male, I melted like an ice cream on a summer’s day. What a tongue. What a beard. What a fucking delight. He took advantage of my surprise, claiming my mouth with possessive demand. My traitorous nipples began to tingle, a deep ache building inside me. I leaned into his kiss, my tongue tangling with his, my hands fisting his suit jacket, desperate for more. So much for the friend zone. The fact Jay kept denying our connection was a big fuck off red flag. If this were Annie, Flo, or Mai I’d be advising them to tuck, duck, and roll the fuck out of this situation. So why was I protesting as Jay pulled back? Why did my fingers tangle in his tie? Why did I yank him to me? Why did I moan when our mouths collided? “Frankie.” My name on Jay’s lips snapped me out of it. “Fuck.” I let his tie slip from between my clenched fist. “You can say that again.” My lipstick smudged his mouth and I found I liked the look of it there, liked knowing I’d left my mark on him. My gaze dropped to his lap, pleased to find him as turned on as me. “You’re going to be trouble, Doctor Kenton.” With regret I lifted my gaze, attempting to shove all my emotions into a box. “We shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have done that.” “No,” he agreed, scrubbing a hand over his face, his palm rasping against his short beard. “I’m sorry.” “Why did you?” Our gazes met and held in the dark cabin of the car, a million words and emotions passing unspoken between us, none of which made any sense. “Because I couldn’t stop myself. You’re making me break all my rules, Frankie. And it’s fucking annoying.” Despite myself, pleasure unfurled, warming at his frustrated admission. “We’re still not dating, right?” “Right.” He huffed out a laugh. “You’re the kind of woman who should come with a warning label.” “What? Loves trashy reality TV shows and fails at cooking?” “Makes a man lose his goddamn mind.”
Evie Mitchell is a thirty-something woman who loves dirty books, bad boys, and men who know how to treat their woman right. She lives with her husband, their sausage dog, and an ever-growing collection of book-related mugs.
When she’s not writing, Evie loves curling up in the sun with a good book and a cup of tea. Evie specialises in spunky reads for curious minds.
Title: Coven of Love A Halloween Romance Anthology
Genre: Contemporary & Paranormal Romance Release Date: October 1, 2021
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Beware: Scary-hot romance ahead!
Ever wonder about the things that go bump in the night – Halloween night to be exact? Well these romance authors have added a dash of love to their cauldrons this Halloween to bring you nine tales of contemporary and paranormal romance that will get your cauldron bubbling.
Journey with JD Park, Shanna Swenson, Marla Holt, DL Gallie, Nicole Rodrigues, K.O. Newman, M.L. Broome, Melissa Williams, and Sutton Fox as we weave magically romantic tales of curses, witches, black cats, vampires, ghosts, and even paranormal dragon shifters. Covering tropes from friends-to-lovers to fated-mates and everything in between, these stories are sure to steam up your holiday and have you howling for more.
**ALL proceeds from this anthology will go to the nonprofit charity, American Humane, to help animals in need.
A Limited Edition Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romance Collection
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Release Date: October 12, 2021
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Lose yourself in the magic…
Hearts Unleashed brings you 20+ BRAND NEW tantalizing tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy in this thrilling collection of heart-pounding books featuring Shifters, Vampires, Witches and more.
Unleash your heart, indulge your senses, and satisfy your cravings with this fantastic collection of supernatural fiction featuring sensual heroes and sassy heroines, crafted by some of your favorite bestselling and award-winning authors.
Pre-order only deal! Order your copy now and receive a free digital coloring book on release day!
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
C.D. Gorri • Gina Kincade • Erzabet Bishop • Carrie Pulkinen • Julia Mills • Lia Davis • Skye Jones • Laney Powell • Fiona Starr • Cecilia Lane • Julie Morgan • L.A. McGinnis • Lori King • Theresa Hissong • Rebecca Hefner • Amanda Kimberley • Amy Pennza • P. Mattern • N Gray • Marie Mason • Siren Allen • Jules Crisare • Melissa Bell • Zoe Forward • Elle Boon
Genre: New Adult Older Brother’s Best Friend Romance Release Date: September 23, 2021
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SAMSON
She’s always been off-limits. Forbidden. Way too young for the likes of me.
And yet, she still managed to carve out a space for herself in my heart.
But when push came to shove, I made the only choice I could, and I did it even knowing it would break her heart.
I’m back now, and ready to make her mine. Only, she’s not the sweet girl I left behind. She’s wild, reckless, and sexy-as-hell…a challenge I’m all too eager to meet.
STELLA
He was only ever meant to be a crush. After all, what girl isn’t into her older brother’s best friend?
But somehow, our innocent flirting quickly gave way to so much more. He swore he felt the same way about me… he promised we’d tell my brother together the day I turned eighteen.
Except the night before my birthday, he did the unthinkable, and now I’m not sure I know how to forgive him.
All I know is, I refuse to be anyone’s dirty little secret.
LK Farlow (A.K.A Kate) is a small town girl with a love for words. She’s been writing stories for as long as she can remember. A Southern girl through and through, Kate resides in beautiful, sunny LA–that’s Lower Alabama, y’all–with her amazing husband and four rambunctious children. When she’s not writing, you can find her snuggled up on the couch watching car shows while she crochets or with her nose in a book.
Title: The Baby and the Blueblood Series: Eastport Bay Billionaires #3 Author: Tru Taylor
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She’s risen from the ashes of heartbreak…
As a single mom, I’m not looking for Prince Charming. The last time I fell for a handsome, sophisticated, wealthy guy, he left me at the worst possible time without a look backward or even a word of explanation.
He did leave me with a lovely parting gift though… which arrived nine months later.
With no way to reach him, I picked up the pieces of that shattered glass slipper and moved on. Now I’m running my own business—the Fairy Godmother Cleaning Agency. My hands—and all my hours—are more than full managing my employees (including my two hapless stepsisters) and keeping my four-year-old son happy, healthy, fed, and clothed. It’s not easy doing it all on my own, but I have zero interest in a new relationship.
And who has the time? My high society clients expect their Eastport Bay, Rhode Island mansions to be sparkling—on schedule—come hell, high water, or hurricane.
So when a flu epidemic sweeps through my agency the day before the royal family of Aubernesse is to arrive in Eastport Bay, I put on a uniform and pick up the slack, working furiously to make sure their gorgeous vacation home is immaculate and ready for the elaborate ball they’re planning to throw.
He’s looking for the perfect fit…
I’m back in Eastport Bay for the first time in five years—and not exactly happy to be here. There’s a reason I’ve stayed away so long.
The place lost its magic for me long ago—the night the only girl I’ve ever loved proved beyond a shadow of a doubt she didn’t feel the same.
But this trip is non-negotiable, a matter of duty. I’m planning to fly in, attend the ridiculous ball my mother is so insistent upon, then get back to my life in Europe as quickly as possible.
That is until I arrive at the family estate early and catch the cleaning crew still at work.
And get a look at the woman beneath that coating of dust, ash, and spiderwebs…
The Baby and the Blue Blood is a small-town rom com take on Cinderella, filled with heart, heat, and secret baby/second chance/royal billionaire romance fun!
My long-time friend shoved her phone toward me. On the screen was a photo of Alexander Wessex, smiling in a suit and tie, his thick, dark hair windblown perfection, walking beside an equally handsome guy the caption identified as his brother Cameron. “What am I missing here?” Kristal said. “He’s gorgeous, single, worth a zillion dollars, and oh, yeah, a literal prince. What is the problem?” As I was trying to be “out of the office” as much as possible today, I’d asked Kristal to meet me for lunch at Nookie’s Diner, one of our favorite places. I was buying, of course, to thank my friend for watching AJ Friday night. The instant I’d told her who Alex, my long-lost love, really was, Kristal had pulled out her phone and done a search for him. “That is the problem,” I said, using my fingers to count off the reasons I couldn’t have dinner, coffee, or even a Tic Tac with Alexander Wessex. “He lives in a foreign country, he lied about his identity—well he didn’t lie, but he hid the truth from me. He’s not who I thought he was. And he’s way out of my league. He’s in your league. He’s an aristocrat.” I left the biggest reason off the list. I was too terrified to even think it, much less say it aloud.
#2
I laughed lightly and sank deeper into the steamy bath, enjoying the feel of the warm heat on my skin and muscles, relaxing fully now that Alex had left the room. When the water had begun to turn tepid and my fingers had pruned, I wrapped the heavy, soaked towel around my body again, tucking the top edge tightly under one arm and pulling the lower edge down to cover my thighs. I’d actually have to hold that in place because the water kept floating it up. With my good foot I kicked the lever to release the drain mechanism then called for Alex. He opened the door so quickly I suspected he may have been waiting outside it after all. “Have a nice bath?” he asked as he approached the tub. I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t. Alex was shirtless. His feet were bare, and he wore only a pair of black running shorts. As he’d mentioned earlier, we’d seen each other in bathing suits nearly every day of that long-ago summer. But it had been long ago. I’d been in the company of very few shirtless men since then, and none of them had looked like this. Even Alex hadn’t looked like this back then. He’d always had an attractive physique, tall and broad-shouldered with great muscle tone. But he’d been thinner then, lanky as young men often are. Now, at age thirty, he was a male in his prime. His arms and chest were filled out with firm muscle, as were his legs. His stomach was… oh good God I was staring. I needed to look away from all that tanned skin and segmented muscle, or I wasn’t going to be able to handle it when he— Too late. Alex lifted me and held my dripping wet body against him, and now my warm skin was pressed against his, and that amazing scent I’d detected earlier was right there, and, and… Mind on the game. Off the hot man. On. The. Game. Say something. Make conversation. “Were you… exercising?” He barked a short laugh. “No. Why do you ask? Do I smell like a locker room or something?” “You… took off your clothes.” He grinned widely. “This is my mermaid-retrieval uniform.” When I gave him a dazed look, he explained in a tone of voice one would use with a small child. “I don’t have that many changes of clothes here, and we can’t exactly hang things outside to dry. I knew I was bound to get soaked while fishing you out of the tub.” I craned my neck to see water running down Alex’s long legs and pooling on the bathroom floor around his feet. “Oh. Right. Sorry about that.” “No worries. I just wanted to be prepared.” He set me on the bathroom rug and gestured toward the shorts. “These will dry off pretty quickly in front of the fire. When you’re dressed, I’ll take you there too, so your hair can dry and you don’t catch a chill.” He held up a finger. “Which reminds me…” Alex left the bathroom and came back a moment later with a large man’s bathrobe. “I couldn’t find anything left in Janey’s room, but I did find this hanging in the master closet. It seemed like a better option than the pajamas you had on or your clothes from yesterday. The house is a bit chilly.” I took it from him gratefully. “Yes. Thank you. It’s perfect.” Anything to get you and your sexy, shirtless self out of my line of sight as soon as possible.
#3
Alex tensed. “What are you saying? You’ve changed your mind about allowing me to see him?” “No. I won’t stop you from seeing AJ, but the fact is you live in Aubernesse, and we live here. You have to go home sooner or later. I don’t want AJ to… to come to rely on you… to love you… when you can’t really be there for him.” “You’re asking me not to tell him I’m his father.” I had to compose myself before continuing. “I’m asking you to protect him—his little heart. Think carefully before you make promises to him you can’t keep, before you say and do things that will make him love you and then turn around and leave him.” Alex’s eyelids narrowed in an assessing gaze. “I see what’s going on here. Is it AJ’s heart you’re trying to protect? Or is it you who’s afraid to rely on someone and risk your heart?” I ignored his astute question. “You can have visitation with AJ. I’ll make sure the days and times are reasonable and generous. Just… have your assistant or whoever contact me, and we’ll set up some kind of arrangement.” “No,” Alex said. His face was a contorted mask of pain and frustration. He gripped my shoulders, the pressure firm but not bruising. “I don’t want an arrangement. I want a family—with you, with our son.” The words ripped my heart out. How I’d longed for us to be a family. When AJ was a newborn, I’d dreamed of Alex sweeping back into my life and telling me he missed me, that he wanted us both. But that was then—before I knew the whole truth about him. Before I realized how impossible that dream really was.
I really enjoyed The Baby and the Blueblood. A modern take on Cinderella it was a good read.
Set over a fairly short span of time, I got why Cinda reacted the way she did to the arrival and presence of Alex when she met him again after the years apart. Both had hurt feelings and acted out of character but it made for fun reading. When they did get together they were just as compatible as they were when they were younger, maybe more so given they were a little older and wiser.
Some family angst, a little lack of full truths and misunderstandings looked to throw a number of spanner’s in the works for this pair and you had to wonder if they’d manage a future together……
I’m looking forward to the next instalment, especially after being introduced to the main characters at the end of TBatB….. Book four is gonna be interesting, that’s for sure!!!!
AUTHOR BIO
Award-winning romance author Tru Taylor writes romantic comedies to make you swoon, smile, and snort with laughter.
She runs on Coke Zero and dark chocolate, lives for lunches with her girlfriends, and drives to the town beach several times a week to watch the sun set over the water.
She loves LOVE and will attempt to turn any show or movie she’s watching into a romance whether it is one or not. Star Wars? A romance. Lord of the Rings? Clearly a romance. The Expendables? Okay, well not even Tru can redeem that one.
When she’s not writing, Tru enjoys watching movies and reading books with happy endings, spending time with her husband and two kids, and sneaking Hershey’s Kisses from the top shelf of the freezer throughout the day. (Top shelf because… two kids. Enough said.)
Tru is the author of the Eastport Bay small town rom com series and loves living in a small New England town where she’s surrounded every day by the beautiful coastal setting you see brought to life in her books.
Title: The Cowboy and His Angel Series: Rock Springs Texas #9 Author: Kaci Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: September 16, 2021
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He’s a cowboy pastor. She has big dreams that don’t include settling down. Is he willing to risk it all to go after the one girl he can’t have?
I’m not running away. I’m running toward the life I want.
William is everything I always wanted.
A man my parents would love. But Greg is who makes my heart race.
One is a driven businessman in a big city. The other is a small town pastor.
One wants me to be a stay at home corporate wife. The other wants me to follow my dreams and wants to be by my side as I do.
The problem?
The one I’m dating isn’t the one that wants to make my dreams come true.
But the one I’m dating is the one my parents would have picked for me.
What the hell am I going to do?
This is a Steamy, Slow Burn, Small Town, Cowboy Romance. No Cheating, No Cliffhangers. This is Book 9 in the Rock Springs Texas Series. As always there is a satisfying Happy Ever After. If you love steamy romances with insta love, hot love scenes, small towns, and cowboys, then this one is for you.
Kaci Rose runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She writes the type of romance books she wants to read. Kaci loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.
Title: Until Jinx A Happily Ever Alpha World Novel Author: Mary B. Moore
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Jinx
She was meant to be just another appointment, but when Sienna Blake came to get her scars covered up, the story that came with it changed everything. I should have been more aware back then, more clued in to what was going on, but I’d been so focused on finding my path in life that I’d messed up, and she’d become a victim because of it.
I’m going to make it up to Sienna and help her get her life back, this time with me in it. And it’s not just because of who hurt her. It’s because there’s something about her that I can’t stop thinking about. She’s fragile but strong. Hurt but complete. And I can’t stay away from her.
Art’s my passion, and skin’s my canvas, but The Broken Eagles are what brings it all together. At least, it was until Sienna came back into my life.
***
Siennas
I don’t go out, and I don’t speak to people—I just focus on my pottery and designs. So why I finally decided to bite the bullet and get a tattoo, I don’t know. Maybe I did it because it was him?
Covering up the past helps, but you can never erase it completely. This I know well. But that one appointment opens up my life in ways I didn’t expect, and now that we’ve met up again, Jinx is determined to give me a future I never imagined I’d have.
Unfortunately, we can’t always erase the demons chasing us, though, and it seems like she isn’t finished trying to ruin my life. But now she wants everything we’ve built together to come tumbling down.
This time, though, I’m not on my own, and I’m stronger than I was before because of him.
Until Jinx is part of Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Happily Ever Alpha World. If you loved Until July, then you’ll want to read Until Jinx.
I’m a British author who grew up all over the world. My parents were diplomats, so we were posted to all of the corners of the earth and it was a blast. Some wouldn’t seem so awesome if you heard about them, but my parents always made it a fun experience and it molded my brother and I into who we are today.
I live in Wiltshire in the west country of the UK. At random times of the day, I’ll hear a moo from the fields around me, or get a whiff of that…uhhh…’country air’, and I love it! I might not have grown up in the UK, but I’m a British girl to the bone (regardless of the suspicious whiffs coming in from the fields).
I’m a single mother with a son who is nearing his teenage phase. Maybe he’s reached it early? Who knows. But he’s awesome and has a personality and sense of humor that I can only attribute to my family. We’re slightly bonkers, we have a wicked sense of humor and we find the positives in every situation. I’m so proud to be his mum and to watch him grow and mature.
Writing was something that I’d always done. I had a teacher in the third grade who always set us the task of writing a story and making it into a book every weekend. After I left school, I kept this up and wrote as often as I could or just plotted out books. This evolved into me taking the plunge and publishing my first book in 2016 and I’ve been typing ever since.
I’m proud to be an Indie Author, and I absolutely love writing out my crazy Providence characters and the more complex ones in my other series’. It doesn’t matter if it’s romantic comedy or something with more suspense – so long as it has a HEA I’ll do it!
I’ve got so many more planned, so the best is yet to come. Wanna join in on the crazy unicorn loving tainted romance shenanigans? Come and join my group on Facebook, 50 Shades of Neigh!
Aurora Rose Reynolds and her husband, Sedaka Reynolds, created Boom Factory Publishing to use their experiences to expand and promote upcoming and existing indie authors.
With over five years in the industry, and millions of books sold worldwide, we know what it takes to become a successful author and we will use this knowledge to take our authors to the next level.
“As a successful hybrid author in this ever evolving industry, I know that you’re only as successful as the team that is promoting you!”– Aurora Rose Reynolds
The Misfit Brides Series Author: Pippa Grant writing as Jamie Farrell
Genre: Romantic Comedy Cover Design: Najla Qamber
#1 Blissed
Welcome To Bliss, the Bridal Capital of the Midwest!
Single mom Natalie Castellano isn’t feeling so blissful these days… Natalie’s made a career out of screwing up all over her hometown. But it’s redemption time, and she’s putting on her big girl panties to make sure this year’s bridal festival goes off without a hitch. Even if it means she has to play nice with the man who broke her fairy tale.
She’s definitely not the one for him. Or is she… World adventurer and reluctant local hero CJ Blue doesn’t want to be in Bliss anymore than Natalie wants him here. But family obligations have brought him back, and now, and now he’s somehow been roped into saving the town tradition he’d rather forget with the woman whose kiss he can’t forget. She frustrates him and drives him nuts but he’s had more fun giving her a hard time about the bridal festival than he has in years.
And their fun is just starting… Despite their rocky past, these two wounded souls have more in common than they expect. They’ve both loved and lost, they’ve both tried to move on, and now they’ve both been been banned from the local church confessional after…well, they’re not supposed to talk about it. But by joining forces for the sake of Bliss, they might find the courage and the sparks to risk love one more time.
A country music heartthrob and his long-lost love walk into a wedding…
Will Truitt grew up living the saddest kind of country song. Now, though, as superstar Billy Brenton, his life is perfect. Or so people think. But he hasn’t been able to write a decent song in months. Crashing a wedding in a quirky little bridal-obsessed town is supposed to provide inspiration to get his career back on track. Instead, all he finds are regrets when he comes face-to-face with the woman who got away, taking his crushed heart with her.
Lindsey Castellano gave up on love a long time ago. As a cutthroat divorce attorney on the outskirts of a town devoted to brides, weddings, and happily ever after, she’s honed her skills at avoiding love, commitment, and inevitable heartbreak. Or so she thought until Will Truitt reappears in her life.
When Lindsey shattered Will’s heart fifteen years ago, she’d been a sorority girl on her way to the top. He’d been a lowly janitor with a dream. Now he’s on top of the world, and she’s the last person he should need or want.
But she’s the only person who has ever inspired his music. And he’s the only man she’s never been able to forget. Have the years made them wiser, stronger, and better able to love, or this time, will they simply crash and burn harder?
Dahlia Mallard has finally found her destiny—running an ice cream shop in Bliss, the happiest bridal town in the Midwest. Problem is, her heart is bigger than her bank account. After spending her last dime on a less-than-worthy cause, she needs a serious influx of cash to get through the winter. Her last-ditch effort? Convincing country music superstar Billy Brenton to attend the risqué flavor-tasting event she’s planned to boost sales. But the closest she can get to Billy is his drummer, the womanizing Mikey Diamond.
Mikey loves the ladies, and he makes no secret of it. But he’s not such a fan of this town devoted to weddings, love, and marriage. And he’s even less of a fan of people using him to get to Billy. When circumstances land Mikey in Dahlia’s house as her new roommate, though, all his caution—and all his interest in any other single ladies—flies out the window. Dahlia’s quirky and funny and, unlike his usual women, she doesn’t tolerate any of his baloney. But when Mikey discovers that Dahlia, too, is using him to get close to Billy, will he take the chance to be her hero instead, or will he revert to his manwhore ways?
When Chicago’s Hottest Snack Cake Heir… Josh Kincaid went from rags to riches when he was adopted by the family who owns the Sweet Dreams Snack Cakes empire. But now the company is floundering, and Josh will do anything to save his parents the way they saved him. Including using his charm on a small-town wedding cake baker.
Takes on the Misfit Princess of the Bridal Capital of the Midwest… Kimmie is flighty, she spouts off weird dreams when she’s nervous, and her frizzy hair and fashion sense make her the girl least likely to snare a debonair snack cake heir. But Kimmie can bake a cake that’ll make a grown man cry, and that’s exactly what Josh needs to turn his parents’ business around.
They Just Might Find The Recipe for Love Josh’s plan should be easy, except Kimmie isn’t all cupcake underneath. Her help comes with a price. If Josh wants to save his family’s company, he’ll have to do something he’s never done: be himself.
He’s the Spare Heir of Bliss’s most famous jewelry shop Max Gregory’s family is best known for creating and displaying the world’s most cursed diamond ring, but here in the bridal capital of the world, Max is best known for having a cursed love life. Not that he believes in curses. Or he didn’t, until he met Merry.
She’s the daughter of a notorious jewel thief Merry Silver’s parents have wreaked havoc on her life. After her last romantic disaster—thanks, Daddy—she’s fleeing the country for a chance at normal. But first, she has to avoid her favorite ex-boyfriend while she gets her mom married off. Again.
And they’re about to get a second chance at love
Max was horrified when he discovered why Merry disappeared last year. Now she’s back in Bliss for a wedding, and her father may be after his family’s most prized possession. But is it the diamond Max is worried about? Or is he afraid of losing the only woman who’s ever made him want to settle down?
Dueling neighbors, baby fever, fake boyfriends, and pizza… Life in Bliss has never been better!
Pepper Blue wants a baby. Forget the husband. She’s better at training men to be good husbands for other women than she is at getting one herself, so she’s doing this on her own.
But she hasn’t exactly shared the news with her family, and they’re determined to find her a date to the next family wedding. A date that won’t ditch her for one of her sisters or cousins. This time.
Which means Pepper Blue needs a fake boyfriend. A fake boyfriend that she has no chance of actually falling in love with. A fake boyfriend like her obnoxious neighbor.
Tony Cross is a pizza god with a sausage problem. He’s putting on a good show—a different woman at his house every night, flirting with all the right customers, flexing his muscles when called upon—but since his divorce, his meat has been more on the undercooked side. If you know what he means.
Except, unfortunately, when it comes to his annoyingly perfect, always put together, too good for him neighbor. Pepper Blue. Who is not a viable candidate for fixing his “little problem.”
So he’s not sure why he’s coming to her rescue, pretending to be her boyfriend to save her from a bad date at his pizza joint. He just knows it’s fun. And it irritates her. And it turns out, she might be able to help his flagging pizza sales as much as she’s helping his flagging… you know.
So long as this is just business, he’s happy to keep pushing her buttons.
What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas!
Tarra Blue found out the hard way that her Vegas annulment didn’t take, and now she’s hunting down her accidental husband to finish what they started ten years ago.
Ben Garcia left the corporate world behind when his business partner dropped dead of a heart attack, and he’s doing his best to embrace life as a beach bum. But running an umbrella stand isn’t quite enough. And he doesn’t know what he’s missing.
Until Tarra walks back into his life.
Suddenly, the wife he once didn’t want is everything he never wants to give up. But she comes with complications. BIG complications.
Pippa Grant is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes romantic comedies that will make tears run down your leg. When she’s not reading, writing or sleeping, she’s being crowned employee of the month as a stay-at-home mom and housewife trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, all the while fantasizing about long walks on the beach with hot chocolate chip cookies.
Title: Taken by the Pikosa Warlord A Barbarian SciFi Romance Series: Xiveri Mates #7 Author: Elizabeth Stephens
Genre: Barbarian Warlord/Sci-Fi Romance Release Date: August 31, 2021
BLURB
Halima I’m wrenched from a five thousand year sleep into a new world. It was supposed to be uninhabited. Humans were supposed to have died off. Those of us preserved in the stasis tanks were supposed to rebuild.
But there were survivors. And now those survivors have formed factions. The leading tribes enslave those weaker and language keeps them apart.
Funny, because in my past life I was the interpreter and I intend to bridge the gaps so that when we escape, we do it together. But I have to get past the warlord watching me first.
Ero Communication between tribes is unheard of. Forbidden. A death sentence. I should kill the little slave that dares defy this edict.
But the signs suggest something unthinkable. That this little creature is mine.
I need to find a way to get rid of her before she dismantles everything, escapes, liberates slaves, brings warring tribes to my doorstep…but to do that, I’ll have rid myself of this pesky little thing called want.
She makes me want her.
Taken by the Pikosa Warlord is a barbarian SciFi romance that is a complete standalone within the Xiveri Mates series. It features a dark, savage warlord and the brilliant interpreter who defies him, action, steam and a guaranteed HEA.
Ero hisses, “Halima.” “Halima.” I blink and see waves, but they don’t belong to the river. They belong to the ocean. I look up and a man is smiling at me. He has my eyes and my stubborn chin, at least, that’s what my mother tells me. I’m crying but he’s chuckling lightly as he reaches forward and pulls the plastic bag out of my hand. I’d been devastated to see so much trash on the beach, but my father just grins gently and says, “It resists. That’s how the ocean survives, despite all the harm we do to it. It resists, remaining unbroken. And though it is unbroken by us, it can break us so easily. There are too many droplets and, when they gather, they are capable of magnificent violence. Its calm now is just an illusion so be careful, habibty, with the ocean. “Respect it, but know that if it can remain unbroken by us, then you should not be broken by this.” He holds up the plastic bag and stuffs it into his pocket. “Now come. Let’s catch up to your mother, aunt and uncle, and all your cousins. The family is waiting.” “Halima.” I look up. Ero is frowning at me and the entire room falls away. I waver as I come out of the dream and my slick leather sandal slips on a couple of the rocks. I fall back onto my butt, quickly pulling my toes out of the stream. When I look up, Ero is perched forward on the edge of his seat, veins in his forehead popping proudly. I can see his tension even from here. He opens his mouth, but doesn’t say anything, so I use the opportunity. “You shouldn’t have done that to Haddock. It was my betrayal. I wanted you to sleep, not to die. I don’t want anyone to die.” Leaning his elbows onto his knees, he sneers, “It is a bit late for that now, don’t you think?”
#2
“What is Ahrabiq? Another Tanishi language?” Her eyes get large at that and, whatever pretense she’d been protecting, is shed. She looks around, searching for something. She doesn’t find it. Instead, she comes to me and takes me by the hand. “Yes, it is a Tanishi language, but I…I don’t know how to say it. I must show you.” She leads me by the hand to the tray of food, most of which is empty. I’m pleased by the sight of it. She uncorks the wine, releases my hand and repositions her fingers around my wrist. She dips my longest two fingers into the wine and my fingers drip onto the stone, but she moves them to hover over the half-eaten tablet. “Ahrabiq was the language I spoke first. But it isn’t like Inglesh, another Tanishi language. Ahrabiq…you have to feel it.” She smiles up at me as she says the Pikosa word for feel and it makes me feel strange, like we’re sharing something private. She takes my wine-dipped finger and moves it across the tablet to form a peak, then brings it down and to the right before sweeping back in and up. The long upward stroke links to another upward stroke, this one much shorter, before creating a fluid circle and then another shape that’s somewhere between a triangle and a circle. She concludes by adding two dots above the triangle and two more dots below the shortest line.
حليمة
“Ha-lee-ma,” she whispers. “That is how you illuminate my name, how it should be inscribed.” She lowers my hand and I suffer from the loss of contact. I stare down at the tray. The foods pushed aside. A bone that’s been gnawed at. The wine stains the dry stone in loops and swirls that don’t mean anything to me. Only that isn’t true, is it? Halima. In her language. The language she learned first, long before she learned Pikosa. She learned so many other languages between now and then. It makes me jealous of every single person she spoke those languages with. “And this,” she says, moving my hand again in a different pattern this time, “is Ero. This is your name in Ahrabiq.”
ايرو
I drag my fingers over the letters and feeling hits me with sharp suddenness — a full frontal assault — and I find myself incapable of fighting back. “You…” I watch the letters disappear, evaporating against the stone until it’s blank and bare. My voice is thick with feeling that I can’t seem to swallow as I say words I didn’t think myself capable of. Gentle words. “You miss this language, don’t you?” She smiles weakly, but her gaze is pinned to the tablet between us. Her fingers on my wrist smooth down my palm and my eyelids flutter. I want to put my arm around her shoulder…and then I do. She jolts, as if surprised by the contact, and when she looks up at me, there’s a wetness to her gaze that makes me feel like I’ve somehow failed her. “Don’t do that,” I whisper. Her gaze flicks up to mine and she sniffs and shakes her head, like she’s shaking off a weight far too heavy for her slim shoulders to bear. “You’re right. I don’t miss it,” she says, but it’s a lie I can feel to my core. “Don’t do that,” I growl. I snatch both my hands away from hers and use them to cup her face. I stroke the sides of her cheeks, disconcerted that she feels so soft, but not disconcerted enough to stop touching her. I smooth one hand down her throat and touch the tender lines of her collar bone, then smooth that hand underneath the linen flaps covering her shoulder. My other hand slides around her neck, fingers threading through her tangled curls. I angle her head back and before I can interpret my actions, catch them and stop them, my mouth is covering hers. I kiss her hard, crushing her lips, shocked by how they feel and how good this is. Feel. That’s what I told her. Pleasure. That’s what she’s teaching me.
Elizabeth Stephens writes romance of the SciFi, paranormal and suspenseful varieties. Her favorite trope is enemies-to-lovers and she loves to world-build so much so that she sometimes gets lost in places that don’t exist.
One year into her author journey, she’s been shocked to see her books listed among Amazon’s bestsellers in their categories. Still, her favorite pieces of fanmail are from BIPOC women expressing surprise and gratitude that they’ve found an author who looks like them and (does her very best!) to write books that make them feel included.
Other than writing, Elizabeth also likes to throw very exciting-looking pottery on her balcony in Berlin where she lives with her loving husband (who bought her said pottery wheel for her last birthday) and her doggo, King Louis. Though she’s lived over half her life abroad, she still calls Seattle home.
To find out more about her projects and upcoming releases visit her website at booksbyelizabeth.com.
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