Rebecca Hunter's Blog, page 4
February 4, 2020
Limited Time in KU
In the mood for a hot, fun office romance? You can read Best Laid Plans with a Kindle Unlimited subscription for a limited time!
“This latest from Hunter will be sure to set readers on fire while still embracing a romantic, feel-good vibe.”—Library Journal, starred review
*2019 Holt Medallion winner
*2019 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award winner
Amazon ->
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
January 30, 2020
Top 5 Reads of 2019
If you know me, you know I read A LOT of books. My Goodreads shelf is just the tip of the iceberg, the books I think/have time to record...which means I have undoubtedly left some gems off this list. Fine. Just take this list as five books I highly recommend, and add them to your TBR lists!
Some of these books are heavy, some are funny, and some are both. All of them are sexy. But the common thread in these books--and what I really love in a romance--is each of these authors really owns the subject they take on and explore it.
#1 & #2:
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan + It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
I'm putting these first two together because I read them in succession, and I highly recommend that approach.
Trigger warning: Both these stories take on the difficult question, Why would a woman stay in an abusive relationship?
Each explores a very different domestic abuse situation, and both give sympathetic, complicated views of the heroines' rationales and choices. Spoiler: Neither of these books are in any way supporting or glorifying abusive relationships. Maybe that goes without saying, but since these are romances, you might wonder...
#3
Captivated by Tessa Bailey and Eve Dangerfield
I read about ten books by Tessa Bailey in 2018. Hungry for more, I picked up this co-written story, only to discover ANOTHER favorite author: Eve Dangerfield! Fabulous, hilarious heroines are her strength, so paired with TB's ultra-sexy heroes, this books knocks it out of the park. It's not for everyone - the book takes on the topic of consensual non-consent with the responsibility it deserves - a la Willing Victim, but much funnier.
#4:
Single AF by Sherelle Green
Sherelle Green is another author who excels at hilarious, OTT heroines and fun, sexy plotlines. Meeka knows she can be a little extra, and Tone realizes he loves her because of--not in spite of--this. The full cast is another bonus, as we get to meet friends that appear in later books.
#5
The Heart of It by M. O'Keefe
I'm always on the lookout for shorter romances that pack a strong, emotional punch, and I was blown away by this one. It digs deep into its subject matter, despite its short length. The emotional complexity is beautifully done. P.S. At the time of writing this, the book is FREE, so get it now!
Hope you discover some new favorites!
xo,
Rebecca
Some of these books are heavy, some are funny, and some are both. All of them are sexy. But the common thread in these books--and what I really love in a romance--is each of these authors really owns the subject they take on and explore it.
#1 & #2:
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan + It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
I'm putting these first two together because I read them in succession, and I highly recommend that approach.
Trigger warning: Both these stories take on the difficult question, Why would a woman stay in an abusive relationship?
Each explores a very different domestic abuse situation, and both give sympathetic, complicated views of the heroines' rationales and choices. Spoiler: Neither of these books are in any way supporting or glorifying abusive relationships. Maybe that goes without saying, but since these are romances, you might wonder...
#3
Captivated by Tessa Bailey and Eve Dangerfield
I read about ten books by Tessa Bailey in 2018. Hungry for more, I picked up this co-written story, only to discover ANOTHER favorite author: Eve Dangerfield! Fabulous, hilarious heroines are her strength, so paired with TB's ultra-sexy heroes, this books knocks it out of the park. It's not for everyone - the book takes on the topic of consensual non-consent with the responsibility it deserves - a la Willing Victim, but much funnier.
#4:
Single AF by Sherelle Green
Sherelle Green is another author who excels at hilarious, OTT heroines and fun, sexy plotlines. Meeka knows she can be a little extra, and Tone realizes he loves her because of--not in spite of--this. The full cast is another bonus, as we get to meet friends that appear in later books.
#5
The Heart of It by M. O'Keefe
I'm always on the lookout for shorter romances that pack a strong, emotional punch, and I was blown away by this one. It digs deep into its subject matter, despite its short length. The emotional complexity is beautifully done. P.S. At the time of writing this, the book is FREE, so get it now!
Hope you discover some new favorites!
xo,
Rebecca
January 17, 2020
FREE - This weekend only!
What the Heart Wants is FREE for this weekend ONLY! (and it's leaving Kindle Unlimited soon, too...)
Add What the Heart Wants to your TBR list and read it today -> http://bit.ly/WhattheHeartWantsUS
***
It was a chance to follow my heart.
With my camera and an around-the-world ticket,
I arrived in Stockholm with a plan
to satisfy my wanderlust
to build my dream career.
Then I met Niklas
my hot, moody neighbor
with questionable manners and a fresh gash
over his eye.
I thought I knew where I was going
when I left
my old life behind.
But what if my heart wants
two different things?
***
Add What the Heart Wants to your TBR list and read it today -> http://bit.ly/WhattheHeartWantsUS
***
It was a chance to follow my heart.
With my camera and an around-the-world ticket,
I arrived in Stockholm with a plan
to satisfy my wanderlust
to build my dream career.
Then I met Niklas
my hot, moody neighbor
with questionable manners and a fresh gash
over his eye.
I thought I knew where I was going
when I left
my old life behind.
But what if my heart wants
two different things?
***
January 7, 2020
Office Romance - Now in KU
I just saw that you can read Cameron and Jackson's book, Best Laid Plans in Kindle Unlimited! It's a hot office romance, the first in the Blackmore Inc. series about a team of elite bodyguards.
I have no idea how long my publisher plans to keep it there...
📚Amazon -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
November 19, 2019
An Interview with Jeannine Colette
The fabulous Jeannine Colette (Just Ten Seconds) asked me a list of questions about A Winter Wonderland for her newsletter last week, which I thought you might enjoy reading!
***
At the heart of A Winter Wonderland is a magical fruit cake! Where did the idea for this premise come to be?
It's a little wacky, right? I can't claim it as solely my own. The magical fruit cake and the 12 Nights of Christmas anthology where it originally appeared were born at the Romantic Times conference in Atlanta. It's what happens when you put a group of authors in a hotel room with a couple bottles of wine! We came up with all sorts of ideas that night, some of which made it into the anthology, and some...were better left in that room. But anthologies have strict word counts, so once the holiday season ended, I knew wanted to turn Jace and Selena's story into a novella.
This is a second chance love story. Where did these once high school lovers go wrong?
One of my favorite parts of this story was the writing glimpses of Jace and Selena's high school relationship. They were so in love!! Part of their struggle was the deep family obligations that pulled them in different directions, but that itself wasn't enough to break them up. The full story of their break-up is revealed throughout the book, but here's a hint: As he watched their end coming closer, Jace grew more and more desperate, and he made an OTT in-love--but selfish--grand gesture...and it failed. To me, Jace's decision and Selena's reaction capture why they weren't truly ready for each other...yet. :)
Selena is a divorcee, which happens to be a favorite heroine characteristic of mine. What kind of dimension does Selena's past bring to this love story?
Selena has lived a full life before the start of this story, a life that she and, importantly, her parents had dreamed of. Except...it wasn't quite the dream she had hoped for. I think that the divorce, her wariness, but also her I'm-doing-my-own-thing confidence give her the maturity that she needs to see Jace and her past in a new light.
Jace is the smoldering mechanic who still harbors a flame for Selena. Who was your inspiration for this masculine hero?
This probably puts me in the minority, but I never imagine real-life men as my heroes. Generally, when I write a book, the characters and some of their key conversations come first--a complicated relationship, basically. I LOVE books with blue-collar heroes (hello, Tessa Bailey!), but I generally write men who have left their more humble beginnings behind by the time the story starts. I didn't want that for Jace. In the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to write a man who didn't come with the promise of wealth--just true love and devotion.
I read in your acknowledgments there may be another fruit cake story coming. Can you confirm that?
I soooo want to write Jace's brother's story--the epilogue gives a peek at how he gets the fruitcake, too!! But I have a book for the Harlequin Dare line coming out next December, so Drake's story might have to wait for 2021.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
Elf. I probably should think of a more romantic answer, but Will Ferrell is just hilarious.
For readers who read and love A Winter Wonderland, which of your books do you recommend next?
In the beginning of A Winter Wonderland, we meet Selena's biographer friend Melanie, and she has a book, Stockholm Diaries, Melanie. Mel's story takes place on a tiny island in the Stockholm archipelago--far away from Upstate New York--but you'll find some of the same themes about the ways family shapes our lives and love in that book, as well as the same mix of humor and emotion.
***
At the heart of A Winter Wonderland is a magical fruit cake! Where did the idea for this premise come to be?
It's a little wacky, right? I can't claim it as solely my own. The magical fruit cake and the 12 Nights of Christmas anthology where it originally appeared were born at the Romantic Times conference in Atlanta. It's what happens when you put a group of authors in a hotel room with a couple bottles of wine! We came up with all sorts of ideas that night, some of which made it into the anthology, and some...were better left in that room. But anthologies have strict word counts, so once the holiday season ended, I knew wanted to turn Jace and Selena's story into a novella.
This is a second chance love story. Where did these once high school lovers go wrong?
One of my favorite parts of this story was the writing glimpses of Jace and Selena's high school relationship. They were so in love!! Part of their struggle was the deep family obligations that pulled them in different directions, but that itself wasn't enough to break them up. The full story of their break-up is revealed throughout the book, but here's a hint: As he watched their end coming closer, Jace grew more and more desperate, and he made an OTT in-love--but selfish--grand gesture...and it failed. To me, Jace's decision and Selena's reaction capture why they weren't truly ready for each other...yet. :)
Selena is a divorcee, which happens to be a favorite heroine characteristic of mine. What kind of dimension does Selena's past bring to this love story?
Selena has lived a full life before the start of this story, a life that she and, importantly, her parents had dreamed of. Except...it wasn't quite the dream she had hoped for. I think that the divorce, her wariness, but also her I'm-doing-my-own-thing confidence give her the maturity that she needs to see Jace and her past in a new light.
Jace is the smoldering mechanic who still harbors a flame for Selena. Who was your inspiration for this masculine hero?
This probably puts me in the minority, but I never imagine real-life men as my heroes. Generally, when I write a book, the characters and some of their key conversations come first--a complicated relationship, basically. I LOVE books with blue-collar heroes (hello, Tessa Bailey!), but I generally write men who have left their more humble beginnings behind by the time the story starts. I didn't want that for Jace. In the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to write a man who didn't come with the promise of wealth--just true love and devotion.
I read in your acknowledgments there may be another fruit cake story coming. Can you confirm that?
I soooo want to write Jace's brother's story--the epilogue gives a peek at how he gets the fruitcake, too!! But I have a book for the Harlequin Dare line coming out next December, so Drake's story might have to wait for 2021.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
Elf. I probably should think of a more romantic answer, but Will Ferrell is just hilarious.
For readers who read and love A Winter Wonderland, which of your books do you recommend next?
In the beginning of A Winter Wonderland, we meet Selena's biographer friend Melanie, and she has a book, Stockholm Diaries, Melanie. Mel's story takes place on a tiny island in the Stockholm archipelago--far away from Upstate New York--but you'll find some of the same themes about the ways family shapes our lives and love in that book, as well as the same mix of humor and emotion.
November 17, 2019
Excerpt from A Winter Wonderland
📚🎄Ready for a fun holiday excerpt from A Winter Wonderland? 🎄📚
This holiday novella features a broken-down car, an incoming storm, a hot tow truck driver, and a...fruitcake.
In this excerpt, you'll get a peek at Jace, Selena and the mysterious fruitcake!
***
Selena tore through the tape and opened the unmarked brown box. Inside was a round tin with a Christmas wreath on the lid. Four travel-size bottles of booze were packed in next to it. On top was a blank white card. She glanced up at Jace, and he raised his eyebrows.
“Come on,” he said. “You’re killing me.”
She waggled her eyebrows and turned over the card in slow motion. Jace groaned.
“Enjoy the magic of Christmas and prepare to fall in love,” she read. “The note is unsigned. Just those words and a web address from the USA Times.”
She set down the card and lifted the tin out of the box. Then she picked up one of the travel-size bottles with a laugh. “An anonymous gift of Wild Turkey? What the hell kind of Secret Santa is this?”
“A damn good one,” he said. “Open the tin.”
She had forgotten how impatient he could get. She looked up at him innocently and batted her eyelashes.
“This tin?” she asked, pointing into the box at the remaining item. She gave him a wide-eyed look, stalling. “You want me to open it?”
“Open it, Lee.”
She stilled. Lee. The nickname he used to use. He was standing close, dressed in his old football sweatshirt, calling her Lee. Her heart surged and her chest tightened, as she fought the warm flood of memories. Selena bit her lip and opened the lid, and the smell of whiskey filled the room.
Inside the tin was a fruitcake. An alcohol-laden one, clearly.
Selena burst into laughter.
“A fruitcake?” she managed between snorts.
“Who sends a fruitcake?”
She looked up at Jace, and he was smiling, his eyebrows raised.
“What?”
“You got one of them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You got one of the Delilah’s Cove fruitcakes.” He bent over it and took a whiff. “You didn’t hear about this?”
She shook her head.
He picked up the card and pointed at the web address. “I didn’t know anything about it until the USA Times ran an article on it early last month. It’s all very secretive. No one knows who makes them or who will get them.”
Selena took the card from him and studied it. The magic of Christmas? Fall in love? She wrinkled her nose and studied it. “I’m just supposed to ignore the fact that it’s crazy to eat it an unidentified fruitcake that shows up in my mailbox?”
Jace shrugged. “Someone baked a cake, added Wild Turkey, bought four more little bottles to throw in the box, wrote a card and paid to send it to you. If it’s a hoax, it’s pretty damn elaborate.”
Selena furrowed her brow. “I still think it’s a little nutty.”
Jace laughed. “Are you making bad fruitcake jokes?”
“Evidently,” she groaned.
They both stared at the fruitcake on top of the island. The rain whipped and pounded on the windows, cutting through the silence of the kitchen.
“Go for it, Selena. You know you want to open up the Wild Turkey.”
***
Hope you loved this taste of Jace and Selena's story! It's available now on Kindle Unlimited:
Amazon US -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandKU
Amazon UK -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandUK
Amazon AU -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandAU
Amazon CA -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandCA
And don't forget to add A Winter Wonderland to your TBR shelf!!
November 12, 2019
A Winter Wonderland is LIVE!
📚🎄Ready for a fun holiday treat? 🎄📚
A Winter Wonderland is live!
This holiday novella features a broken-down car, an incoming storm, a hot tow truck driver, and a...fruitcake. Curious?
Read this sexy, feel-good, second-chance romance today!!
❤️ $0.99 + Kindle Unlimited ❤️
Amazon US -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandKU
Amazon UK -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandUK
Amazon AU -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandAU
Amazon CA -> http://bit.ly/AWinterWonderlandCA
And don't forget to add A Winter Wonderland to your TBR shelf!!
November 7, 2019
Coming November 12
❄️❤️5 more days until A Winter Wonderland is LIVE!!❤️❄️
Are you ready to fall in love with Jace and Selena's story as they try to get it right the second time around? There may or may not be a fruitcake involved. Seriously. :)
October 14, 2019
One Month Countdown!!
One month until A Winter Wonderland is live!! This holiday novella is a fun, sexy, second-chance romance, and I hope you fall in love with Jace and Selena! P.S. The book will be on Kindle Unlimited for a limited time.
Add A Winter Wonderland to your TBR list today!!
***
What's worse than a broken-down car during a winter storm?
When the hot tow truck driver is your ex-boyfriend, the one you left behind.
Coming face-to-face with Jace after nine years is a reminder of everything Selena tried to forget when she left her hometown. A very sexy reminder. And it’s even more dangerous when mixed with a little holiday magic.
Jace is supposed to be long over Selena, but he still hasn’t forgotten that she left for college without saying goodbye and never looked back. When she calls from the side of the highway, the temptation to see her again is too strong to resist.
Can a taste of holiday magic bring them back together?
Add A Winter Wonderland to your TBR list today!!
***
What's worse than a broken-down car during a winter storm?
When the hot tow truck driver is your ex-boyfriend, the one you left behind.
Coming face-to-face with Jace after nine years is a reminder of everything Selena tried to forget when she left her hometown. A very sexy reminder. And it’s even more dangerous when mixed with a little holiday magic.
Jace is supposed to be long over Selena, but he still hasn’t forgotten that she left for college without saying goodbye and never looked back. When she calls from the side of the highway, the temptation to see her again is too strong to resist.
Can a taste of holiday magic bring them back together?
September 30, 2019
Cover reveal - A Winter Wonderland
A Winter Wonderland is coming soon, and I'm so excited about this cover!! Add it to your TBR shelf today.
***
What's worse than a broken-down car during a winter storm?
When the hot tow truck driver is your ex-boyfriend, the one you left behind.
Coming face-to-face with Jace after nine years is a reminder of everything Selena tried to forget when she left her hometown. A very sexy reminder. And it’s even more dangerous when mixed with a little holiday magic.
Jace is supposed to be long over Selena, but he still hasn’t forgotten that she left for college without saying goodbye and never looked back. When she calls from the side of the highway, the temptation to see her again is too strong to resist.
Can a taste of holiday magic bring them back together?
** A shorter version of this sexy, second-chance romance originally appeared in the 12 Nights of Christmas anthology. It has been revised and expanded into a novella. **
