Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 20

#Review: SOME DUKES HAVE ALL THE LUCK by Christina Britton

 

 4 of 5 stars

Ash Hawkins, Duke of Buckley, believes he's doing his wards a favor by providing for them, but keeping his distance. He has his reasons, but the girls feel abandoned and act out whenever the chance arises. Ash knows he needs help with them, but they've chased away every governess he's hired. Now, he's desperate and will seek a wife and a marriage of convenience. He doesn't want any emotional attachment, but he soon finds out that's easier said than done. Where to find such a woman? Bronwyn's parents have always pushed her to be more conventional, but she loves her research of the natural world. When they threaten to send her to her strict brother's house, an opportunity arises for independence and she seizes it. She agrees to the proposal for a marriage of convenience from Ash. Little do either of them know that simmering passions lay just below the surface. Can they stick to their deal or will they succumb to their growing attraction?

This was a very enjoyable read and I loved that Bronwyn was brilliant throughout the book and was not diminished by marrying Ash. She found a way to reach the girls and draw them out of their shells and even began to include Ash in their interactions. Her parents were over the top cruel and I was happy when they got their comeuppance. I wanted to shake Ash for running away when emotions became messy, but Bronwyn wasn't giving up. She wasn't going to let go of the man she loved and though there was heartache, they finally got their HEA. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#New FANTASY Release: STONE'S CURSE by Debra L Martin and David W Small

 

Blurb:
The long-awaited final book in the Witch Stone Prophecy series!

Jeda DeLongo has a bad feeling as he watches his twin daughters Kala and Kara, the infamous children of prophecy, crowned as the Duchess and Countess of Berkshire. His sixth sense has never failed him in the past, and when the king is assassinated during the celebration, the dawning horror that the Kingdom of Tavia is under attack by desert warriors cannot be denied. The new king has declared war, and Jeda, Keisha, and Kara race to Eastford to rescue their gypsy family, but will they arrive in time, or has everyone already perished under the desert onslaught?

Arin, the self-proclaimed Prince of the Desert, has never forgiven the kingdom witch who murdered his father and sister and has vowed revenge. Now he’s done the impossible—united all the desert tribes under his banner. He launches his attack against Tavia with his secret weapon—a Black Coven witch who has learned how to harness the magic of the desert warriors. The only way to stop the witch is for Jeda, Kara, and Kala to unleash the power of the legendary Witch Stone, but will it be enough?
Amazon links:
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Stones-Curse-Witch-Stone-Prophecy-ebook/dp/B0BDG6WDSX
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJV41197
Excerpt:

Jeda grabbed his wife’s hand and led her through the rapidly diminishing crowds in the market's east end where the screams had come from.

“We’ll find her,” Jeda answered over his shoulder, “keep up.”

Jeda dodged a merchant and nearly collided with Franc, one of the other security escorts for today's outing. Franc's distraught face told Jeda everything he needed to know. The three young girls under his protection were not with him. Jeda figured the girls had given Franc the slip to find a little excitement and adventure in the exotic desert city. Unfortunately, it sounded like they found way more than they had bargained for. 

“I don’t know what happened—” Franc began.

“Not now,” Jeda called as he raced past. “The girls are in trouble, and we need to find them.” 

Jeda raced along and soon found himself at the east end of the marketplace. A narrow backstreet ran off to the side, and he heard sounds of scuffling and fighting. He rushed down the alleyway, motioning for Franc and Keisha to follow. The horrific scene they came upon stopped them short. 

One girl was lying against a wall with a blade sticking out of her stomach. Blood leaked through her fingers as she tried to hold the knife in place. She was pale, breathing heavily, and running out of time. Another girl had a nasty gash on her head and was held between two men while a third large guard was wiping blood from his face. The men all wore the uniform of the Palace Guard, and Jeda knew they were in a world of trouble. The gypsies traveling into the city had been warned repeatedly by Jeda and Franc not to trifle with those guards. 

“You’ll all die for this,” the bloody guard said.

Jeda recognized the brute as the same one from the gypsy camp the other night. He shook his head at the irony of the situation.

Of the guards in this city, why do I keep meeting this one?

“Amir,” Jeda called out. “Still trying to get your way with little girls? Can’t get a woman to look your way? Maybe you don’t have the right bigness to satisfy a grown woman.”

Amir whipped his head around at the insult. “You,” he replied, recognizing Jeda from the gypsy camp. He spat a wad of blood on the ground and snarled at Jeda. “You may have won our last meeting, but I was drunk and didn’t have my sword.”

Amir drew an enormous scimitar and began twirling the blade around like he knew how to use it. “This time, there will be a decidedly different outcome. Come little man, and let's see how you fare against an opponent who knows how to fight and kill.”  

 While Jeda taunted the giant, Keisha ran to the bleeding girl on the ground. She immediately drew the blade out and put her hands on the open wound, sending healing magic into the girl. The gushing blood soon became a trickle and then stopped altogether. The young girl moaned and leaned into Keisha's arms. She wasn't bleeding, but she was extremely pale from blood loss.

 The other two guards let go of the second girl and drew their swords. Franc drew his sword and met the two men head-on. The guards were well trained, but Franc was an expert swordsman, and the two men never had a chance. They were both dead in short order.

Jeda, on the other hand, stood his ground while Amir swung his sword around, trying to intimate him. Jeda smiled and shook his head.

“If that’s meant to scare me, then you’ve failed miserably,” Jeda said, staring at him with cold dead eyes. “Unfortunately for you, this will end very differently from the last time. You could still walk after our last meeting, but things will be quite different this time.”

To anyone that knew Jeda, the rage growing in his eyes would give them pause. He tried to keep his seething anger reined in, but when he saw what these men had done to these innocent girls that anger would not, could not be constrained. Jeda had been training for many long months with his sword, but that traditional training left him as his assassin persona surfaced. The transformation gave the giant a moment’s pause but did not stop him.

It should have.

"You're right about that," Amir bellowed, rushing forward with his blade held high. Then, with a speed that belayed that man's size, he swung down on Jeda, and it would have cut him right down his middle if it had connected.

It didn’t.

Much to the amazement of the big man, Jeda had easily sidestepped and waited patiently for the man to recover. Off to the side, Franc watched, wondering what Jeda was up to. He was prepared to assist but knew Jeda well enough to stay out of his way.

Amir swung around and guarded against the expected attack he thought sure would come. The big man smiled back at him when he saw Jeda standing, waiting, with no weapon in his hand.

“So you are like the jackrabbit then,” Amir mocked. “Jumping around until you can run away. Come now, let’s finish this farce. Die like a true man, not a coward.”

Jeda shook his head again and finally drew his knives, not his sword. That gave the big man pause as he wondered what the little man would do with his prick sticks.

“I was considering letting you live,” Jeda replied. "But I've known too many men like you. You'll return to your palace hole, nurse your wounds, and try something like this again. I can not let that happen."

Before Amir could reply, Jeda ran forward, dropped, and skidded on his knees, sliding through the giant's legs. As Amir looked down, shocked, he saw the twin cuts on the inside of the legs and his blood pumping out. With a roar, Amir turned and swung his sword down to where his opponent should be.

But he wasn’t. 

Jeda had slid well out of the way of Amir's blade and stood with his two bloodied blades, ready to face him again. Amir stumbled a step forward, and Jeda saw the moment the guard realized he might be in deep trouble. The guard was facing a cold-blooded killer with a crazed look in his eyes. Amir looked around for an escape. He spotted Keisha and raised his sword to launch it at her. Jeda saw everything in slow motion and immediately threw one of his knives. It penetrated the big man's eye to the hilt, killing him instantly. He dropped to the ground with a look of horror on his face.

“I told you this would end differently,” Jeda said, pulling his knife from the man’s eye and wiping the gore off on the dead man’s tunic.”

Jeda turned to see the shocked look on Franc’s face. No matter how well they knew each other, he had never shown that side to Franc before.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Franc said, staring at the downed giant.

#Review: NEVER RESCUE A ROGUE by Virginia Heath

 

  4 of 5 stars
Giles Sinclair, the newly elevated Duke of Harpenden, has a serious problem. He's working against time trying to undo and compensate tenants and staff for the wrongs perpetrated by his late father, but his time may be up. A long-lost evil uncle shows up on his doorstep, claiming to have evidence that will upend and destroy the Sinclair family. Diana Merriwell is not one to let sleeping dogs lie so when Giles confides in her "the Dirty Secret" he's recently found out, she's determined to help him out of his current predicament. These two claim to be barely tolerable of each other, but circumstances throw them together and they are finding it hard to resist temptation. Can Giles unravel the mystery and finally be able to declare his feelings before time runs out?

This is the first book I've read in the series, and even though I hadn't read the previous Merriwell's sister story, I could follow along easily enough. Both Giles and Diana are engaging characters, and I loved their caustic banter with each other. I got a little tired of the constant use of "skeleton's rattling" and "hornet's nest kicked" sayings and felt some different wording would have sufficed. The story moved along well, but my favorite character was the butler, Dalton. He was hilarious and added so much depth to the story. After so many twists and turns, Giles and Diana finally got their HEA. I can't wait to read Vee's story.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#FREE Nov. 4-6 Regency Romance, DARE TO LOVE A SPY by Debra Elizabeth

 

Blurb:

Miss Hannah Richardson is enjoying a Season in London. She's not looking for a husband, at least not this Season. She wants to enjoy herself before settling down to married life. All that changes, however, when she sees the Duke of Wetherby. He's tall, dark and impossibly handsome and someone Hannah wants to get to know better.

Camden Darkin, the Duke of Wetherby, is not fond of attending soirees, dinners or balls, but his latest mission for the Crown demands he mingle with the ton. He has vowed not to marry because of his dangerous work and the constant bevy of beauties anxious mothers throw into his path is not tempting him in the least. That is, until he meets Hannah Richardson, a young woman unlike any other he's ever met. Can he learn to love or will his hardened heart rob him of the very thing he needs the most?

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IWR62CW

Reviewers Comments:

5 stars "I loved the murder-mystery flair that seemed present and the deliciously tense undertone of the spy network. These points gave lots of flavor to the budding romance and caused lots of conflict well so we ended up with a really meaty story" Unabridged Andra4 stars "A very well-written book, I highly recommend it for those who love a witty, fast-paced Regency romance." Notes from a Romantic Heart5 stars "Besides the strong love story plot, there is also a murder mystery plot. I love a good love story, but a murder mystery just added another level and dimension to the story - plus an extra star in this review." Ally, Goodreads reader5 stars "All in all, Dare to Love a Spy is a charming love story with an intriguing mystery to boot, and I recommend it to any fans of historical romance." Anna, Goodreads reader4 stars "This story pulled me in from the first digital page and I carried my Kindle all over the house, reading while I cooked, baked cookies, and fed my toddler!" Dawn, Goodreads reader Excerpt:

Camden descended the stairs leading into the garden and kept to the shadows as he moved closer to the couple. He had to make sure that Charles was safe. Just as he was about to turn the corner and spy on them, a sound alerted him that he was not alone in stalking Charles and Lady Sargent. He turned, ready to defend himself and Charles, if necessary, only to be confronted by Miss Richardson. What was she doing in the garden? She could easily foil the opportunity for Charles to get answers from Lady Sargent. He did the only thing he could think of.

He pulled the delectable Miss Richardson into his arms.

Her eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to protest, but before she uttered a sound, his lips captured hers. The kiss was hard and demanding, and when he teased his tongue across her lips, they parted, inviting him in.

He deepened the kiss, and his tongue swept over hers as he explored every inch of her exquisite mouth. He wanted to keep on kissing her all night, but he heard Charles and Lady Sargent whispering as they headed back into the parlor. He reluctantly broke the kiss and set Hannah back on her feet.

She stood dazed, staring at him while she got her bearings back. He was about to apologize for his impetuous kiss when she slapped him hard across the face. “How dare you?” she choked out. “You wicked man.”

Camden rubbed the sting on his cheek. “That’s quite the slap; certainly not something I’m used to. My apologies, Miss Richardson, but tell me this—if you didn’t want me to kiss you, why did you follow me into the garden?”

Hannah’s entire being was burning with indignation, her cheeks a flaming red and her lips swollen from his kiss. She was irresistible. He wanted to kiss her again, but did not relish the idea of another slap. He waited for her answer, but none was forthcoming.

“Just as I thought. You crave wickedness and wanted me to kiss you. Perhaps it would be prudent for you to return to the other guests now. Unless, of course, you’d like me to kiss you again? Is that why you’re still out here in the garden?”

#Excerpt:STORMS AND EMBERS by C.D. Britt

Storms and Embers
C.D. Britt
(The Reign of Goddesses, #3)
Publication date: November 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Archon of Zephyr.
Queen of the Goddesses.
A Broken Woman.

Hera has reigned over Olympus and humanity for millennia. Seen as cold, sarcastic, and callous, she uses this to her advantage, keeping everyone, including her sisters, at a distance. It’s a lonely life, but it worked, until the Titans decided that breaking her father out of Tartarus was a good idea. A move that put her and her sisters against the Titans in a battle for their thrones upon Olympus.

Dr. Viktor Alden understands being alone. As a man who has spent his immortal life as a nomad, living with an oath that has kept him from allowing anyone to really know him, he is fascinated by the enigmatic woman who quite literally runs the world. Too bad they have a battle they may not win, or even live through, for him to learn the intricacies that make up the Queen of the Goddesses.

Now, two people who have spent their entire lives distrusting the world must learn to trust each other if they want to survive the upcoming war.

Storms and Embers is the final book in the Reign of Goddesses series.
TW: violence, cursing, adult situations.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Excerpt:

A horrible scream rent the air, stilling Hera in the middle of the dirt pathway. Before she could move forward, another piercing scream followed on the heels of the first. This time, she knew the voice as it begged their father to stop.

Ignoring her instincts to run in the opposite direction, to find her mother, she ran to the great tree that grew next to her home. She clambered up the tree, her skin scraping on the bark as her limbs climbed from memory.

When she reached the branch that overlooked the window near the hearth, she looked into the house, squinting in the dim light of morning. As she leaned forward, she lost her grip on the branch and barely caught herself. Steadying her hold, Hera held her breath and watched for movement.

She could see a hand, blood streaming from it, grapple with the edge of the window. Black hair and a tear-streaked face entered her view as her sister pulled herself up.

Persephone.

Catching a glimpse of her in the tree, Persephone found her gaze and mouthed, “Run.”

Hera’s heart raced. Run? Run where? To whom? How could she run when something was so, so wrong?

Her sister, her serious and beautiful sister, slumped forward, unconscious. The slight movement of her hair against her mouth from her shallow breaths was the only indication that she was still alive at all.

The fear that crowded her mind was intense, and Hera began to tremble, nearly losing her grip again. All she could see was Persephone not moving and covered in blood. Suddenly, a thump and several screams rang in her ears. Screams she knew would haunt all her days. High screams. Young screams. And deep, wordless shouts of a man’s rage.

It was the silence that followed that punched her into action.

Turning, she scrambled down the tree and ran to the wheat fields where she had left her mother chatting. Her feet pounded the earth as she ran the fastest she’d ever moved, tripping over vines in her haste. She ignored the pain of the rocks digging into her flesh, desperate to get to her mother.

Before she could reach Mother at the end of the path, a large figure emerged from the line of trees ahead of her. A chill ran up Hera’s spine, and she dug her heels into the dirt, pivoting to hide behind a fallen log as she watched her father step out into the road. Her thoughts raced— how had he gotten to the road before her?

Father raised his hand, revealing in his grip a knife dripping with blood. She knew at that moment her sisters were dead.

He rotated slowly, his eyes scanning the tree line.

“Hera, Hera, Hera,” he called out in a sing-song voice. “I saw you running, dearest. I know you are here. Come on out and talk to me.”

Her stomach dropped through to the earth below at his bold lie. She knew her father did not want to talk.

Crouching, she quietly moved to the end of the log, keeping herself as covered as possible by the bracken around her, and the road in sight. Father was on one end and her mother, farther down in the opposite direction. Could Mother see him yet? Would she look over and see Father in this mad state?

Hera knew she was taking a risk getting her mother’s attention, but she had to do something before Father found her.

She backed deeper into the woods, careful not to step on fallen leaves and twigs. Father paced the road, knife still in hand. If she could get closer to her mother…

Snap.

Dread struck her chest as her father whirled toward the sound with stunning speed, and Hera’s heart raced. She’d been able to get closer to her mother by creeping through the undergrowth, but had she gotten close enough?

It would have to do. As her father started in her direction, Hera burst out into the road.

“Mother!” she cried out, straightening and preparing to run to her. Her mother turned abruptly, her smile faltering as she caught sight of the murderous presence behind Hera.

In a split second, her mother disappeared, only to reappear beside her. Stunned, Hera faltered and blinked at the empty space where her mother had been as she pushed Hera behind her. She fell to her hands and knees as her mother widened her stance, standing like a wall between Hera and her father.

Her mind spun. Her mother’s speed. Her father’s rampage. The sight of her sister’s bloody hand and the sound of their screams. Hera was confused by all of it.

“You swore they were human,” he growled.

Human? Of course, they were human. What else could they be? Was there something about her parents that she and her sisters had not known?

Author Bio:

C.D. Britt began her writing journey when her husband told her she needed to use her excessive imagination to write stories as opposed to creating a daily narrative for him. Ever since she penned her first words, life has been a lot more peaceful for him.

She currently resides in Texas where she has yet to adapt to the heat. Her husband thrives in it, so unfortunately they will not be relocating to colder climates anytime soon.

Their two young children would honestly complain either way.

When she is not in her writing cave (hiding from the sun), she enjoys ignoring the world as much as her children will allow with a good book, music, and vast amounts of coffee (until it’s time for wine).

C.D. Britt is the author of Shadows and Vines and the upcoming book, Sirens and Leviathans.

Both books are part of the Reign of Goddesses series.

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#Excerpt: REVENGE HONEYMOON by K.J. Gillenwater

Revenge Honeymoon
K.J. Gillenwater
Publication date: October 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happens in the Caribbean, stays in the Caribbean…

Emily Small has a big heart, a loud mouth, and a terrible taste in men. She’s used to living in her perfect best friend Ruby’s shadow – but when Ruby is left devastated at the altar, Emily becomes desperate to save her friend from heartache… and salvage their non-refundable cruise!

Emily hatches an ingenious plan to soothe Ruby’s broken heart by island-hopping together as an act of revenge. There’s only one teensy problem: the cruise is for newlyweds only. Naturally, they have a solution. They’ll pretend to be a married couple!

But their ten days of fun are about to spiral into a crazy, messy adventure that risks leaving a few hearts broken along the way – because when Emily bumps into the ship’s hot photographer, Max Keeling, she begins to wish she could rethink their arrangement. If her deception gets discovered, would they boot her off the boat? But Emily can’t keep her hands to herself, and her cruise fling could bring everything crashing down.

How can she support her best friend at the worst moment in her life while pursuing an out-of-her-league guy in the Caribbean? And can she somehow find a way to have the best of both worlds?

As a hilarious, sexy, and heartwarming read that strikes the perfect balance between feel-good emotions and laugh-out-loud humor, Revenge Honeymoon is a fun and memorable romantic comedy that you won’t be able to put down. Grab your copy today!

Note: This book was originally released on Kindle Vella in serialized format. This version has been edited with an additional epilogue added.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“That was Tyler,” Emily gulped. Her mouth so dry she wished she had a bucketful of water to drink. “He’s not coming.” Her voice dropped to a bare whisper.

The cousins gasped and clutched one another in horror.

The make-up artist, who had been waiting to do final touch-ups, packed up her case in a flash and squeaked out of the room without a word.

Ruby’s eyes widened, her mouth formed an ‘o,’ and her body vibrated a fine tremor. “Oh no, was he in an accident? I told him not to drive himself. I’ve read so many stories about brides and grooms getting in accidents on the way to the church. Nerves, they said. Should I go to him? Where is he? Was he driving his father’s car or the rental? I hope he wasn’t driving the rental. We have to make it to our suite at the Hilton tonight, and I really don’t want to take an Uber. Or have my father drive. Oh, that would be so embarrassing.”

“Ruby.” Emily grasped her friend’s arm, the fine Mikado silk cool under her fingers. A long-sleeved dress for a late fall wedding maybe was too warm for the Tampa location, but it had been so gorgeous on her friend’s slender body there had been no other choice at the bridal boutique. “He’s calling off the wedding.”

Nausea soured Emily’s stomach.

Why did she have to be the one who picked up the phone?

One of the cousins burst into tears.

Ruby stood stock still in the middle of the bride’s dressing room. “But—”

Rhonda Madison Evers entered wearing a royal blue mother-of-the-bride dress covered in sequins. “My darling. The make-up artist told me the news. How could that man be so cruel?” She curved her arms around her only daughter.

“Mom, I don’t understand. How could he not be coming?” Ruby crumpled to the floor.

“You’ll crush your dress!” Mrs. Evers gasped and knelt beside her. She yanked at her daughter’s arm as if her will alone would lift up the one-hundred-twenty-five-pound woman and her ten pounds of underskirts and heavy fabric. “We can still return it.”

“No, we can’t. It’s been altered.” The bride spoke in a monotone.

“Well,” said Mrs. Evers, “there’s always eBay or Craigslist, I suppose.”

“Facebook Marketplace is better,” mumbled a cousin.

Mrs. Evers shot daggers in the woman’s direction.

“I need to talk to him.” The bride snapped her fingers at Emily. “Get Tyler on the phone. I will just demand that he come.”

Emily gulped and bit at her lower lip, then got up the courage to tell her best friend since grade school the worst thing a best friend could say. “Tyler doesn’t want to get married. Do you really want to force a man to marry you, Rubes?”

“But he promised me. He gave me this ring.” Ruby held out her hand for the cousins, her mother, Emily, and now the florist who’d arrived with her wedding bouquet. A gorgeous pear-shaped 2 ½ carat diamond decorated her left ring finger. “Would he have given me this ring if he didn’t want to marry me?”

“He doesn’t want to marry you, Rubes.” Emily knelt and put an arm around her friend. The bride sagged against her.

The florist quietly set the bridal bouquet on a chair and scrambled for the door.

Emily led Ruby to an empty chair and her mother sat beside her. “He’s an awful man. A terrible, mean, awful man. Who would do that to my little girl?” Mrs. Evers took her daughter by the hand and gripped it tightly.

“Ow, mother, that hurts.” Ruby pulled her hand out of her mother’s grasp and began to nibble on her freshly manicured nails. “What do we do about the guests?”

“Your father is telling them now,” Mrs. Evers reassured her.

“What will we do about the reception?” Ruby pulled the veil out of her hair.

“We’re inviting everyone to meet us over there,” her mother answered. “We’ve already paid for the hall, the food, the entertainment. We might as well have a party, don’t you think, darling?”

“What will we do about the honeymoon?” Ruby kicked off her satin heels and rubbed her toes.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to cancel,” sighed Mrs. Evers. “Maybe they’ll give you credit.”

“No, wait, I have a better idea,” said Emily.

And that’s when the revenge honeymoon took shape. That very moment. And Emily Small’s life would never be the same.

Author Bio:

K. J. Gillenwater has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Valparaiso University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. She worked as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Navy, spending time at the National Security Agency doing secret things. After six years of service, she ended up as a technical writer in the software industry. She has lived all over the U.S. and currently resides in Wyoming with her family where she runs her own business writing government proposals and squeezes in fiction writing when she can. In the winter she likes to ski and snowshoe; in the summer she likes to garden with her husband, take walks with her dog, and explore the Big Horn Mountains. She has written multiple books and plans on writing more.

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#Excerpt: EMBRACING LOVE by Sara Ohlin

Embracing Love
Sara Ohlin
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When a broken woman risks her heart for the neighborhood hottie, heat rises from the ashes…

Once broken and abused, Sasha Kincaid is slowly rebuilding her life in the quiet town of Corvallis near her brother, his new wife and their group of friends. She’s content to work quietly at the bakery she secretly owns while learning to rebuild her trust in people. But when she starts to have steamy feelings for Connor Duggan, Sasha doesn’t know how to handle her emotions.

Neighborhood hottie and town favorite, general contractor Connor Duggan has only had eyes for Sasha Kincaid ever since she stepped foot in Corvallis a year ago. When she gives him an opening, he jumps at the chance to make her his, no matter how long it takes her to feel comfortable.

Connor’s warmth and patience allow Sasha to fall into a friendship, then an amazing sexual relationship with him—but believing it will be temporary and that’s all she’s worth. As they grow closer, Connor realizes he must win over her heart, not just her body, meaning he must push past his own insecurities of being rejected to battle Sasha’s fears and ghosts.

But the biggest obstacle is Sasha herself. Can she learn to trust again, and believe that she deserves a beautiful life with Connor?

Reader advisory: This book contains references to an abusive relationship, physical cruelty and violence, as well as mentions of non-nurturing parenting.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Excerpt:

Connor grabbed the pastry out of the bag, took an enormous sniff, and this time when he looked at her, his eyes were darker, piercing, like she’d offered him her body as the warm tasty treat. I mean could it get any hotter out? Sasha tugged at the front of her T-shirt, sweat dripping down her back, from the sun, from nerves, she didn’t know.

“I…uhm…added caramel and nuts and dark brown sugar, so it kind of gets all sticky and gooey.” Her words felt thick coming out. Someone had stuffed her mouth with cotton and she didn’t know how to move her lips or her tongue.

“Sticky and gooey,” he said reverently. “My favorite.” Without taking his eyes off her, Connor devoured the caramel pecan pinwheel in three enormous bites. Savoring each taste, she imagined, as it burst on his tongue. When he finished that last swallow, she was unprepared for it, for the show to be over. But it wasn’t. He licked his lips, peered into the empty bag as if he might dare to find all the secrets of the universe. Then, then he took a step closer.

She should have stepped back, but she couldn’t, frozen in place by his sparking brown eyes, by the force of him. She was tall, but not Connor-Duggan tall, so she was forced to either stare at the baby attached to his chest or look up. She knew what the safer choice would be. But somehow her body didn’t care right this minute as a warm breeze swirled around them, as if they were the only two people in the park, no neighbors, no babies, no dogs, no responsibilities, no pasts.

“Damn.” His voice was hot and hushed, pure disbelief in his words. “That was the best thing I’ve ever tasted. In. My. Life.”

He had a dusting of brown sugar at the edge of his lip, where his tongue hadn’t reached. He didn’t speak, didn’t say anything else after his last words whispered around her, but still his body spoke to hers. She reached up without a thought and brushed the sugar off his mouth. “Sugar,” she whispered.

Neither one of them moved, and when she started to pull her hand away, he caught it in his large, warm one. Sasha sucked in her breath and watched as he carefully ran his thumb over her fingers, studied them with his intense focus.

“There’s something special here, in these fingers, that can create something purely outstanding.” He met her gaze again. “Something that tastes so good it makes a man swear.”

Sasha huffed out a laugh, not feeling one bit humorous. “Damn is hardly a swear.”

“Trust me.” He rocked her world again with those hooded eyes. “It takes something pretty serious to get a damn out of me.”

Author Bio:

Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher, Salvaging Love, Seducing the Dragonfly and Igniting Love.

She has over fifteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Although she’s the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.

If she’s not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story.

She once met a person who both “didn’t read books” and wasn’t “that into food” and it nearly broke her heart.

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#New Release: THE PRINCE'S PREGNANT SECRETARY by Emmy Grayson

The Prince’s Pregnant Secretary
Emmy Grayson
(The Van Ambrose Royals, #2)
Published by: Harlequin Presents
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In this royal baby romance by Emmy Grayson, becoming pregnant with the prince’s heir was completely unexpected!

One night. One baby.

One royal wedding!

Though Clara Stephenson takes five different pregnancy tests, she’s still unprepared for the result: she’s carrying her royal boss’s baby! The last thing that Clara wants is to become Prince Alaric’s convenient princess when the painful memories of her previous relationship still remain.

Making Clara his bride is the only way for Alaric to save his heir from a scandal-filled childhood like his own. But when their honeymoon reminds Clara and Alaric of the desire that led them to the altar, will they realize that more than duty binds them?

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Read all The Van Ambrose Royals books:

Book 1: A Cinderella for the Prince’s Revenge
Book 2: The Prince’s Pregnant Secretary

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Author Bio:

Emmy's interest in romance can be traced back to her love of Nancy Drew books, when she tried to solve the mysteries of her favorite detective while rereading the romantic chapters with Ned Nickerson. Fast-forward a few years when she discovered a worn copy of "A Rose in Winter" by Kathleen Woodiwiss on her mother's bookshelf, and she was hooked. Over 20 years later, Harlequin Presents made her dream come true by offering her a contract for her first book.

When Emmy isn't writing or reading, she's chasing around her baby boy, feeding her menagerie of fur babies or carving out a little time on her front porch with her firefighter hubby.

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#Excerpt: LIKE A HERO by Michael J Bowler

Like A Hero
Michael J. Bowler
Publication date: October 18th 2022
Genres: Action, Adventure, Young Adult

Courage can be costly. Orphaned brothers Vincent and Dennis Villanueva learn the truth of those words when they create a masked crime fighter and turn him loose on Los Angeles. The brainchild of fourteen-year-old Dennis and embodied in twenty-one-year-old Vincent, “Invictus” hits the streets to jumpstart apathetic Angelenos into taking a more active role in their city.

But reality isn’t a comic book. Vincent finds poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, abuse, and cast-off children. Labeled a vigilante and criminal, the shy grad student with formidable martial arts talent and abysmal people skills soon doubts his ability to make an impact.

Forced to straddle an ambiguous line between moral and legal, he becomes disheartened and secretive, hiding the truth of what he’s doing from Dennis and driving a wedge between them. Feeling neglected, Dennis infiltrates a dangerous drug ring to show Vincent he can be just as heroic, not knowing that the woman in charge is weaving an insidious plot against Invictus as part of her citywide scheme of vengeance. In a race against time, Vincent must regain Dennis’s trust before the brother he loves is lost to him forever.

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SNEAK PEEK:

Dennis lay face down on the soccer field, while men in ski masks strolled among his prone classmates waving semi-automatic weapons at anyone who moved. He considered employing his martial arts skills, but being skinny and only passably good, such foolish courage would probably get him killed.

He shook his hair from in front of his eyes with a slight jerking motion and focused on James and Linda, lying on the field off to the side with the rest of the parents.

James had his head slightly raised and Dennis caught his eye. When a gun- man approached, James quickly returned his face to the grass. James wanted to intervene. That was obvious by the way he kept looking around for some kind of opening. But could he do anything without getting people killed?

The masked men called themselves “anarchists” and were well armed. Despite lying prone for the past forty minutes, Dennis had managed to spot sentries pa- trolling the rooftops, apparently stationed there to prevent the cops outside from storming the school and making their way to the field. He’d also noted the types of weapons these guys carried and considered how best each could be disarmed if this was a comic book scenario.

Except it wasn’t.

He considered the anarchists’ claims. They said they were “anti-capitalism” and “anti-public-school indoctrination,” but then they demanded twenty million as ransom for not killing him and his classmates, which sounded pretty capitalistic to him.

Raising his eyes once more, he noted a big, broad-shouldered dude wearing a black and blue ski mask, staring right at him while chatting with a burly guy holding an Uzi. Dennis averted his eyes and hoped he hadn’t called too much attention to himself. He’d overheard them earlier as they conversed by walkie-talkie. Masked guy was called “C-1” and burly guy “C-2” by the other anarchists, so he figured they ran the show.

He glanced over at Jackson and Kenny lying a few feet away. His two best friends looked terrified. Jackson’s curly hair partially hid his brown eyes, but Kenny’s bright blue ones screamed pure fear. Dennis tried for an encouraging smile, but it was difficult with his cheek pressed against the grass.

All his comic book scenarios started much like this one, except the hero al- ways knew what to do. As annoying as Robin could be, he’d know what to do even if Batman wasn’t around. Dennis’s mind raced with ideas. He knew James was packing—on duty or off, James always packed. But if he pulled his gun, kids would die.

I wish I’d thought of something when these guys first showed up.

Instead, he’d frozen with fear when the masked men flooded onto the field. And now with everything that had gone down since, Dennis trembled with the terrifying possibility that someone would die. Maybe him. Sadly, he wasn’t the hero of his dreams.

He peered at the administration buildings. Long and single story, the two main wings spread the length of the field. His gaze traveled up and he squinted with confusion. The sentry who’d been on duty at the north end was gone.

What the…?

Dennis knew his weaponry from playing Call of Duty and other war games, and that guy had been patrolling with an Artic Warfare Super Magnum sniper rifle, likely a .338 Lapua Magnum, but Dennis was too far away to be sure of the model.

Only now the guy was gone. With C-2 barely ten feet away, Dennis used caution to scan the south roof. That sentry was gone, too. SWAT maybe? He knew James’ mean-ass boss would have called in the big guns for something like this. But he was also sure those sentries had been up there no more than two minutes ago.

Could it be Invictus?

His heart thumped with hope. Vincent must know about this by now. Dennis pressed his face into the grass and pretended to look scared. Hell, he didn’t have to pretend. He was scared!

Author Bio:

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California, both in general education and to students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing, he serves as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, but mostly he takes care of his recently adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California and hopes that his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.

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#Review: THE LADY AND THE SCAMP by Shana Galen

 

 3.5 of 5 stars

Emily Blythe-Coston, Lady Averley, is serving Queen Victoria after her husband's death and has found peace within the royal household. That is until Will Galloway shows up. At first, Emily thinks he's just a rogue concerned only with his own pleasure, but the more times they are thrown together, the more her opinion changes of him. What she doesn't know is that he's been sent to investigate her possible involvement in a plot to kill the queen. Will is determined to stay impartial to find out Emily's guilt or innocence. Can he keep his feelings in check for the pale beauty or will his growing attraction cause them both irreparable harm?

I usually love Ms. Galen's books and thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series especially the banter between the two main characters. This book started out very slow, and I admit I put it down a few times without any "need to know what happens" urgency I usually have reading the author's books. However, the plot picked up at about the 30% mark, and it was nonstop action after that. Ms. Galen does a good job of weaving historical facts into the story regarding Queen Victoria, and that was very interesting. While this book wasn't my favorite, I look forward to reading more stories in The Royal Saboteurs series.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.