R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 3
June 16, 2023
NEW RELEASE: If I Asked You to Stay by Brianna Remus
If I Asked You to Stay
Brianna Remus
(Pebble Brook Falls, #1)
Publication date: June 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
For readers of Elsie Silver, Laura Pavlov and Catherine Cowles, fall head over heels for this binge-worthy read of two hearts who have always been destined to come together…even after twelve years of being apart.
*****************
We were both orphans.
While Johnny Moore was the product of alcohol and bad decisions, he never let his family define him. And me? Well, let’s just say that my mother’s unwanted pregnancy almost destroyed her family name and leaving me behind was the best decision she ever made.
Johnny and I made a pact all those years ago—never leave. Two simple words that always gave me hope. Something solid to lean on when things got tough.
But I guess promises are meant to be broken. The memory of Johnny walking away on his eighteenth birthday will forever be burned into my heart like a brand.
Ten years of forgetting him. Ten long years of forging my own path and trying to make my dreams come true…without him.
Nothing could have prepared me for the series of events that brought me back to Pebble Brook Falls and face-to-face with Johnny Moore. The very man I wanted nothing more than to forget…forever.
And nothing could have prepared me for the man that was the embodiment of my weaknesses. With his towering height, southern accent, and a smile that made me weak in the knees, I was completely helpless against him.
He had been my first for everything, and I mean everything. And even though I knew he was the only person who could break my heart, the moment I laid my eyes on him after ten years, I knew I wanted him to be my last—my forever.
The only question was, would he even want me to stay?
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EXCERPT:
Johnny’s hand cradled the back of my head as he brought his mouth to my ear. “Every moment we’ve been apart, there hasn’t been a single second when my thoughts weren’t of you. How your blonde strands feel like silk against my fingers. The way your blue eyes remind me of sweet summer days filled with your laughter. And how your cute button nose crinkles when you’re frustrated or thinking too hard about something. But most of all”—his thumb grazed the bottom edge of my lip, tugging it down slightly and I swore an entire field of butterflies flew came to life in my stomach—“I missed these pretty pink lips and how they taste like honey pulled straight from the hive.”
I closed my eyes as his hand slid up to cup the side of my cheek and a quiet moan escaped from my lips.
When I opened my eyes again, I said, “Coming back to our home made me realize that there is no place I’d rather be because this is where you are, Johnny. I’m not staying for a few more weeks just to see what might come of this thing with my mother’s journal. I’m staying forever to see if I might have a chance of you loving me again.”
A raspy chuckle and then, “Darlin’, haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said? Since the first time I held your hand in the garden behind the orphanage, and probably even before then, every breath in my lungs, every beat in my heart has been for you. I love you, Willow Mae. Nothing has and nothing ever will change that.”
And then he kissed me. Slow. Tender. With such agonizing gentleness, it brought tears to my eyes because this was what I had held onto for twelve long years of his absence. The song his heart sang to mine when he was near—and even when he was far, far away.
Author Bio:
Brianna Remus is a Florida-based author who lives with her husband, three pups, and terrorizing cat. She started her writing journey in 2016 to ward off the woes of graduate school. The light-hearted hobby quickly turned into a passion-filled dream that consistently distracts her from the real world.
When Brianna isn't working as a psychology resident or writing books, you can find her getting lost in the worlds created by others (through writing and movies), spending a day at the ocean, or taking a walk in the forest. She loves to spend her days outdoors surrounded by the beauties of nature.
A true Tolkien nerd, she also spends a lot of her time immersed in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as praying that Amazon doesn't completely fuck up the new LOTR series.
Website / Goodreads / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub
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BOOK BLITZ: The Lying Kind by C.B. London
The Lying Kind
C.B. London
Publication date: April 25th 2023
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
A lie might hurt, but the truth can kill.
On the eve of her wedding to Mark, Carmen’s world is shattered into a million pieces. Forced to make an impossible decision that will determine the rest of her life, she dares to chart her own course. While trying to start over again, she finds herself alone and far from the home she knew in Nova Scotia.
When she meets Liam, a handsome carpenter and business owner in Boston, her world is once again flipped on its axis. The attraction is undeniable, and the unimagined possibilities of her life tempt her into happiness again. But things that seem too good to be true, usually are.
As if there isn’t enough on her plate, she’s forced to deal with an ex-fiancé who won’t give up and a violent attack that lands her in the hospital. Unravelling the truth behind this seemingly random attack and Liam’s past proves to be far more than she bargained for. She’s now forced to face the truth, that everyone has secrets. Some are hurtful, and some are downright deadly.
When their old and new lives collide, Carmen desperately wants to protect everything she’s gained, including Liam, but at what cost?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
Chapter One
I turn the lock on the door and slump against it, sinking to the old oak floor. My sweaty thighs suction to the hardwood so that every time I shift, my skin peels and springs back, leaving me stinging. The phone falls to my side and clatters on the floor. The noise sounds out of place, snapping my brain awake and forcing me back to awareness. Resting my head in my hands, I attempt to steady my breathing and stop my body from shaking. I close my eyes, trying not to think. It doesn’t work.
Through the windows across the room, the moon reflects off the lake like a mirror. There’s an outline of a loon adrift on the water. Its soft, sorrowful cry fills the silence. My dress hangs off the curtain rod, the epitome of femininity, reaching to the floor and billowing in an opulent cloud of white. Hundreds of hand-stitched Swarovski crystals glisten elegantly in the moonlight.
Even at this moment, such beauty isn’t lost on me. A bitter taste fills my mouth, like the tip of a tarnished spoon lingering too long on the tongue, sending a dull ache all the way to the pit of my stomach. I’m frozen. The throbbing lump in my throat swells painfully, and I can’t fight it anymore. Tears fall freely, and I sob as quietly as I can into my hands. I gasp, but it sounds like someone else. A disembodied intruder. A lost soul, grieving in such a way that should only be done in private. Vulnerability rolls through the air, thick like fog, permeating my lungs and heaving my stomach.
My muscles tense at the thought of their prying eyes and saccharine sympathy. At least I have the refuge of this room. No one will try to find me until morning. I glance at the clock on the dresser, 11:43 PM. I have, at best, seven hours to figure this out. How can I decide what I’m going to do by morning? The simple task of moving from this spot is daunting. My body’s unsteady, and my mind’s foggy from the storm of emotions whirling through me. Shame surges above the rest like a rogue wave.
How could this be happening? Now? Why now?
My stomach dances, vying for center stage. I dig my nails into my scalp, curling my fingers around fistfuls of hair and tugging. I’m so angry at him but also at myself for how pathetic this devastation is.
Resolving to get up from the floor, I stumble to the large four- poster bed. At its foot is a long cream-colored ottoman. It reminds me of a gymnast’s vault. Like I should take a running leap and spring onto the pillows in Olympic form. I slip off my shoes, leave my dress on, and clamber over the ottoman and onto the bed.
Wrapping the duvet around me, I shield myself from the world like a child hiding from pretend monsters that aren’t so imaginary anymore. The crystals on my gown wink at me one after another, assuring me that it belongs in a fairytale.
Vainly, I wish time stood still for me. Or maybe it could rewind a few hours, to ignorant bliss. Better yet, go back ten years to before Mark. The loon continues his mocking song. In the lull of its calls, the chirping of crickets fills the silence, then its cry rings out again.
I’m trying not to be drawn in by the splendor of my dress hanging in wait, fearful of its lure. Its beauty entices, and with it, holds a promise of a life I thought was mine to unfold. Perhaps my life isn’t created by my choices, not mine to shape at all. Instead, it reveals itself to me, and I bow to it.
I close my eyes to shut out the dress and all it symbolizes. This promise is broken.
Author Bio:
C.B. London lives in Nova Scotia with her husband and two young boys. Her love affair with words began with poetry at a very young age. She still finds great inspiration in written work that has a rhythmic quality, a cadence to the words that begs to be read aloud.
When she’s not busy with her family or work, you can find her trying to avoid the endless chores of adulthood, curled up under a blanket (yes, even in the summer) with a cup of coffee, reading or writing. She absolutely loves a rainy day! Romance always finds its way into whatever she’s writing, and almost always, whatever she’s reading. If there’s kissing, she’s in.
With degrees in Psychology and Sociology, she’s intrigued by the analysis of social interaction, particularly, attraction, falling in love, and the complexities of intimate relationships. As a contemporary romance and women’s fiction author, she explores these concepts while torturing her main characters as much as she can, still affording them a happily ever after at the end.
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June 11, 2023
NEW RELEASE: Babe in the Woods by Jude Hopkins
Babe in the Woods
Jude Hopkins
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: June 7th 2023
Genres: Women’s Fiction
It’s September 1995, the first year of the rest of Hadley Todd’s life. After living in Los Angeles, Hadley returns to her hometown in rural New York to write and be near her father. In addition to looking after him and teaching high school malcontents, Hadley hopes to channel her recent L.A. heartbreak into a play about the last moment of a woman’s innocence. But she seeks inspiration.
Enter Trey Harding, a young, handsome reporter who covers sports at the high school. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and is the perfect spark to fire up her imagination. The fact that Trey is an aspiring rock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect. She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But the surprising twist that transpires when the two of them go to Hollywood is not something Hadley prepared for.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
“Have you ever fallen in love?”
He winked at her. “All the time.”
She’d have the last word, something she realized was important to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you? I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to see what you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong, They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”
He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They use me, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”
“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if not rhetorically.
He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakish than usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thought perhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He took a step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’re just like the rest and can’t resist me.”
Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over? The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not as passionate?”
“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’s something that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”
He turned around and walked out of the room.
Author Bio:
Women's fiction—with a splash of romance, albeit tempered. I was once an adjunct professor in English at various universities, expecting a lot of my students. But the need to write something besides comments on student essays gnawed at me. I wrote poems and essays, one of which appeared in the L.A. Times. One day, I took out my old self-help book manuscript from a cobwebby drawer and began the process of turning it into a novel. That novel became Babe in the Woods, coming out June 7, 2023. I was a runner-up in the 2018 Personal Essay Contest by Proximity Magazine, judged by Hanif Abdurraqib. Besides the essay in The Los Angeles Times, you'll find me on Medium, including The Belladonna, The Writing Cooperative and others, and have had poems published in Timber Creek Review and California Quarterly, among other journals. My publications can be seen on my website: judehopkinswriting.net/. Thanks for visiting!
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June 10, 2023
NEW RELEASE: The Sorceress Transcendent by Casey Blair
The Sorceress Transcendent
Casey Blair
Publication date: June 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Once mortal enemies on the battlefield, what can they become supporting each other instead?
When Varius, the greatest general of the Aurelian Empire, is forced to flee his homeland, there’s only one person he can turn to.
A powerful sorceress and once his most deadly enemy, Theira is the only combatant who’s ever escaped the war between their peoples. But with the memories of how they kept each other going from opposite sides of a battlefield, when a bleeding Varius knocks on her door, she lets him in, even knowing what will follow.
Theira may have gotten away, but as long as the war goes on, she’ll never really be free. Now with both their peoples actively hunting them, the two most dangerous fighters in a never-ending war will have to join forces to do the impossible: end it once and for all, on their terms.
And if they can dare to dream boldly enough, maybe find happiness for themselves, too.
The Sorceress Transcendent is a stand-alone enemies-to-lovers epic fantasy romance novella about badasses who enjoy a cozy cup of tea after a long day wreaking epic destruction, because why choose? This story is for everyone who knows what’s coming when your former mortal enemy and best rival knocks on the door in the middle of the night and says, “I had nowhere else to go.”
—
EXCERPT:
“I was beginning to wonder,” Theira said, cool amusement in her voice, “if you thought that this time for sure you would be able to simply stare me into submission.”
It was the sound of her voice after all this time more than even the vision of her alive and well and free and gorgeous that almost undid him. His knees tried to buckle, and Varius caught himself.
Theira tracked the movement, and the thorny vines withdrew abruptly. She never missed anything, even if she didn’t speak. How long had he stood at the door like a dumbass?
And now she also knew he was at her mercy, that he had no hidden strategy she needed to counter, that she could kill him at any time without worry. A first, for them. Varius might have been ashamed if he hadn’t suspected she was nonplussed.
He stared at this sorceress, his once-best enemy, who waited with endless patience for him to get to the godscursed point. He sucked in a breath to greet her politely and make his case, to explain and formally request her forbearance, but what made it out was:
“I had nowhere else to go.”
The words dropped into the night like a stone in a pool.
Theira’s deeply expressive eyes flickered, knowing.
Unimaginable, that his life had somehow come to this.
But the empire he had given his life and body and soul to had betrayed him—betrayed them all. No one there could protect him or anyone else any longer.
Varius had spent almost his whole life at war, and now it was only an enemy he could turn to.
Theira held his gaze for a long moment and then said, “You’d better come in.”
Author Bio:
Casey Blair writes adventurous fantasy novels for all ages, and her serial fantasy Tea Princess Chronicles is available online for free. After graduating from Vassar College, her own adventures have included teaching English in rural Japan, attending the Viable Paradise residential science fiction and fantasy writing workshop, and working as an indie bookseller. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest and can be found dancing spontaneously, exploring forests around the world, or trapped under a cat. For more information visit her website caseyblair.com or follow her on Twitter @CaseyLBlair.
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NEW RELEASE: Prophecy of Gods and Crows by C.D. Britt
Prophecy of Gods and Crows
C.D. Britt
(Clan of Shadows, #1)
Publication date: June 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance
Welcome to Hell’s Half Acre.
Bryndis Kenneally is an anomaly, which is saying something when you live in a place called Hell.
Despite being born into a family of healers, she is unable to follow in their footsteps since disturbing visions overwhelm her with almost every human touch.
With few allies at her back, she keeps her head down… until she starts to see a man made of shadows, and a crow begins to track her every move.
Now, she can no longer pretend to be a normal woman among a town looking for witches to burn.
That is until a freak sandstorm brings more than she bargained for… and quite possibly her salvation.
Book one in the Clan of Shadows series, a dystopian paranormal romance series.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
Bryndis Kenneally had just slipped between the cool sheets of her bed as night relinquished its hold on the small desert town. The sun was just beginning its trek across the sky as it broke over the horizon, but the familiarity of another day ended when the warning horns rang instead of the typical church bells that announced the beginning of morning service.
The only reason for the city guards to sound the horns was one that made her heart pound as her skin grew clammy. Running to her window, she tripped over her bed sheet, catching herself on the sill and earning a splinter in her palm for it. Her concern was not about the small pain, but about what was happening on a much larger scale down on the street below. Something that rarely happened in their small town, and the last time it had, she’d lost her entire world.
The stifling heat radiating from her window did nothing to stop the chills moving along her skin as she took in what the horns meant.
The gate was opening.
Looking through the dirty window, sand having accumulated along the panes, she watched as the last true member of her family, her cousin Jace, stepped out of the church doors.
Just as her father had done ten years ago.
Her mind moving back and forth between two very different times in her life, she watched Jace, the town doctor, donning the same gear her father had to make the same trek.
The exact same type of mask her father had worn ten years ago on his final journey past the gate slipped over a different face. In a tribute to their god, the leather bull mask was adorned with brass horns that glinted in the sun and one glass eye blacked out in tribute.
That same mask now covered the face of the man who was the last of her family.
Her throat tightened as the same brown hood went up over his blond hair, taking all that identified Jace from the rest away as he became a symbol of the end of Bryn’s world.
Identical to what her father had once worn and died in.
The town scrios, the leader of the Church of Baleros, stepped up next to her cousin and nodded as he affixed his own mask, before pulling the hood of his brown cloak up to cover his salt-and-pepper hair.
The two vastly different-looking men were now indistinguishable from each other after having donned the religious regalia.
Uniformity was the town’s unofficial motto.
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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BOOK BLITZ: Casanova Cowboy by Jamie Schulz
Casanova Cowboy
Jamie Schulz
(The Montana Men Series, #2)
Publication date: June 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
She’s used to the glitzy, big-city life. He hides behind country-boy charm. Will these total opposites spark unquenchable flames of attraction?
Izabel Silva is wary of men. After escaping an awful relationship and a workplace betrayal, the talented marketer seeks refuge with an old friend in small-town Montana. And though worried she’s falling in with another control-obsessed hunk, she accepts the kindly neighbors’ invitation to stay with them and their flirtatious son.
Zack MacEntier longs to live down his reputation. With his ranch’s bank accounts at rock bottom, the one-time lady’s man isn’t ready to take on a gorgeous and strong-willed Latina. But when his mother volunteers him to show the lovely newcomer around, the loyal cowboy is secretly glad of an excuse to spend more days in the fierce woman’s company.
Taken aback by local prejudice, Izabel’s concerns over Zack’s stubborn protective streak start to fade when he comes rushing to her rescue. And even as the brave rancher fears that he has nothing to offer the beautiful outsider, their growing passion has placed them firmly in danger’s crosshairs…
Can they survive the unexpected threat and claim a scorching love?
Casanova Cowboy is the steamy second book in the Montana Men romantic suspense series. If you like determined women, heroes with hidden depths, and slow-burn chemistry, then you’ll adore Jamie Schulz’s fiery path to happily ever after.
Buy Casanova Cowboy to flirt with trouble today!
* No cliffhangers. Though the stories intertwine in places, each book is a standalone suspenseful, western romance with adult content. The perfect read for fans of strong heroines, broken heroes, cowboys, horses, slow-burning love, and small-town romance!
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
Her mind filled with thoughts, and scents, and images of this man, of Zack. She welcomed the hungry nature of his kiss and the hard strength of his body, and she wanted more.
Without breaking the kiss, she slid her hands down his chisel chest and tugged at the navy material of his T-shirt until it came free from the waistband of his jeans. Greedily, she slipped one hand inside and she groaned at the hard heat that flexed beneath her fingers. Needing to touch him, to see him, Izabel sat back and jerk the rest of his shirt from his jeans. Frantically, she pulled and pushed it upward until Zack lifted his arms and allowed her to haul the shirt over his head.
She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. The masculine beauty she’d unveiled sucked it all from her chest as her eyes took in every work-hardened crest and valley of his well-built body. The breadth of his shoulders, the thick layers of muscle that made them and his brawny arms bulge and flex when he moved. The perfect plane of his pecs and the ridges of his belly. Her nails rasped over the dusting of dark, curling hair on his chest, her fingers following its path as it narrowed into a line that disappeared under his jeans.
“Izabel?”
She looked up, startled by the strangled sound of his voice. His cheeks were flushed as his breath heaved in through parted lips, and his soulful whiskey eyes were hooded and full of passion as he stared back at her.
“You are gorgeous, Zack.”
He smiled, but when she swiveled and got to her feet, apprehension filled his face. “What are you doing?”
Reaching for the closure of her jeans, her mouth curled suggestively as she popped the button and slowly lowered the zipper.
Zack’s lips tipped up at the corners and appreciation washed over his expression.
Once she’d shed the jeans, Izabel crawled back onto his lap, but straddled his legs this time.
“Did you think I was going to leave?” she asked, flicking her nails over his nipples. Her grin grew when he sucked in a breath and his eyelids closed briefly. When they opened, he cupped her butt cheeks in each of his huge hands and drew her against the large bulge in his jeans.
“I thought so, yes.” He ducked his head and his lips found her neck. “I thought you might leave me with this,” he said as he lifted his hips and pressed himself against her core.
She moaned as he nibbled the tender column of her throat, drawing gasps of pleasure from her. When he found a sensitive spot at the base of her neck, a sharp pang of desire shot through her belly. Lust electrified her, zapping along nerve endings and driving her need for him…for Zack.
“What do you want, Izabel?” His voice sounded rough against her skin. “Tell me what you need.”
“You, Zack. I need you,” she gasped. “I want to see you. I want to feel your skin on mine. I want you to make love to me. Right now!” She reached for her blouse and quickly unbuttoned the first two buttons, but frustrated with how long it took, she reached down and yanked it over her head.
Zack’s passion-filled eyes had followed her movement, but now she sat back and watched as his gaze devoured her. From the disarray of her curly hair to her small breasts and down to the plain white bikini underwear she wore, he soaked it all in as his chest rose with each rapid breath. Slowly, almost reverently, he traced the gentle swell of her breasts above the lace edge of her bra with his fingertips. The touch sent a shiver through her body as need pulsed hot and wet between her thighs.
“Oh, God, Zack,” she cried, the ache from his simple touch so acute, she had to grip his shoulders to keep from tumbling to the ground. Her head dropped back onto her neck and she sighed. “What you do to me…”
“Tell me, goddess,” he said with a throaty growl as his hands bracketed her face and pulled her in for another soul-melting kiss.
“You’ve lit a fire inside me,” she said when he let her up for air. “You give me strength when I feel week. You make me feel strong and beautiful and wanted. You make me want…more.”
Author Bio:
Jamie Schulz lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family, her husband, and their fur babies. Writing has always been a big a part of her life, and she hopes to one day reach the best sellers lists.
Cowboys, ice cream, and reading almost any kind of romance are among her (not so) secret loves. To her, every one of her stories, no matter how dark, must have a happy ending, and she strives to make them impossible to put down until you get there.
She balances her free time between reading her favorite romance authors--in genres ranging from erotica and dark romance to sweet historicals and contemporary romance--and spending time with her family.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon
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June 9, 2023
B@@K REVEAL: Midnight Rapture by Anya Summers coming June 27th!
Midnight Rapture
Anya Summers
(Dungeon Singles Night, #12)
Publication date: June 27th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rescued by a hot, kilt-wearing Scot…
Freya’s on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She’s exhausted and terrified, but if she stops, she knows he’ll find her – and their infant daughter – and make her pay. Desperation drives her to do something she shouldn’t, that she knows is fundamentally wrong…
… and sure enough, she gets caught red-handed. All she can do is beg for mercy.
When Jasper catches the gorgeous new maid with her hand in his wallet, his first instinct is to call the police. But Freya’s tearful plea strikes a chord deep within him, and instead he finds himself offering her the protection of his name and family.
Their union is meant to be on paper only but Jasper soon finds himself enthralled by his new bride. He starts a campaign to seduce her into his bed, never expecting her to wiggle her way into his heart.
And when her past threatens her very existence, he will stop at nothing to keep her safe.
Fall headlong into this steamy, fake relationship, stand-alone romance between a fierce Scottish businessman and a single mother as they navigate the road of love with all its pitfalls.
Author Bio:
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.
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B@@K REVEAL: Cusp of Redemption by Olivia Preya coming August 2023
Cusp of Redemption
Olivia Preya
(The Cusp Series, #2)
Publication date: August 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Mafia, Romance
Salvatore de Marco
It was always about her.Taking care of her.Making sure she had everything she needed.School. Apartment. Living expenses.I took care of it all. For her.And I’ll never regret the decisions I made to keep the smile on her face.
But she left me once, and I’ll be damned before I let her leave again. As the Cafarelli family enforcer, I can provide her with more than I could before–money and protection. I’ll do everything in my power to protect her from whatever demon made her run the first time. But what if it turns out the demon was me?If there’s one thing I know, it’s that our connection is undeniable; I can feel how hot she is for me.Even if she won’t admit it.Yet.—
Naya Okpara
It took a long time to get to where I am now.From foster kid to private investigator, I do whatever it takes to get the job done.Even if that means working for the Cafarelli family.
I thought he was long gone—a distant memory tainted by a figure from our past. But time and distance did nothing to ease my hunger for his touch. Nor did it erase the betrayals that shattered me.When the man who lights my skin on fire appears before me, I’m forced to face the realities I spent years avoiding. Now, Salvatore and I are working for the same family, and I can’t let the connection of our past ruin my future.But what if he is my future?
Cusp of Redemption is book two of the Cusp series but can be read as a standalone. It has a guaranteed HEA, swoon-worthy anti-hero, and badass heroine. This is an interracial mafia romance containing explicit sex scenes, graphic violence, and is recommended for readers 18+.
Author Bio:
Olivia Preya is a romance fanatic and author living in Toronto, Canada. She writes about what she loves—love, spice, and panty-dropping men with a soft spot for the love of their lives. When life gets a little tough or bland, she finds that fictional men are the best medicine.
Olivia considers herself to have two personas, like Wonder Woman, but with a pen––corporate marketing specialist by day and spicy romance author by night. She also likes to embrace all forms of sensuality, from pole dancing and erotic novels to good food; she believes that sometimes the best things in life are a little sinful.
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June 8, 2023
NEW RELEASE: The Unseelie's Wallflower by Elisa Rae
The Unseelie’s Wallflower
Elisa Rae
(Courts of Conflict, #1)
Publication date: June 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Greyson hides many things from the Unseelie Court when they invade his estate each autumn for the Wild Hunt. During his required appearance as host, he is surprised to find a human among the glittering fae. She can see him even when he is using his stealth magic, which means only one thing—they are soul mates. Can he protect her amidst the swirl of fae politics and a plot against her life?
Lyra has grown up among the fae. She has been trained to be the perfect servant. Then her master brings her to the Unseelie Court event of the year and demands she demonstrate her skills to nobles. With the promise of freedom as a motivator, she willingly agrees. Then she realizes her master’s true plan thanks to the intimidating fae lord hosting the event. Though why he would be invested in her fate is a mystery.
The Unseelie’s Wallflower is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between an Unseelie and a human woman. It features faes, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a servant, all played out against a backdrop of the peril, politics, and maneuverings of the Unseelie Court.
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EXCERPT:
Greyson
Then I noticed her, the singular human. A female, small even for her species, hid among the ferns at the foot of one of the massive pillars supporting the soaring ceiling. Dressed simply, she watched the crowd with wary attention, burrowing deeper into the plants’ accommodating fronds every time a guest wandered near her hiding place.
Curious, I meandered that way. Slipping around the far side of the pillar, I settled in the deepest shadows of the plant next to her fern and set my back against the stone. She had chosen a good spot for spying. Most of the foot traffic flowed around this central point, but few of the passersby glanced in our direction. They ignored the greenery placed around the walls and bracketing the windows of my entryway.
“Bored with eavesdropping?” she asked.
I glanced over at her. Fronds framed her features as her bright eyes scanned the mingling crowd. She hadn’t turned my way, but somehow, I was certain she spoke to me. Assessing our surroundings, I noted no one else stood close enough to overhear or be the object of her query.
“Are you speaking to me?” I asked.
“Who else?” She flicked a glance over her shoulder. Blue eyes focusing on my face and the softening of her mouth hinted at a smile.
“You see me?” Utter surprise brought a great rush of excitement. No one saw me when I wished to be hidden. Not even my own kind could detect my passing. Yet this slender human, magicless and helpless, not only saw me but didn’t hesitate to speak to me. It meant one thing. My breath caught in my chest. She was my soul mate.
“Of course, I see you.” Her mouth deepened into a suppressed smile while hidden laughter brightened her eyes. “You are a bit hard to miss.”
Author Bio:
A reader of fairytales and folklore, Elisa Rae loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.
Elisa Rae is the pen name of Rachel Rossano.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon
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BOOK BLITZ: It Had to be You by Tracy Solheim
It Had to be You
Tracy Solheim
Publication date: June 5th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
It’s hard to keep a big secret in a small town . . .
When Paige Hollister discovers her “Mr. Right” already has a “Mrs. Right,” she swears off men forever. Even more humiliating, she suddenly finds herself labeled the other woman and out of the teaching job she loves. So Paige does what every unemployed single woman staring thirty in the face does: She hightails it to the beach. Bad luck like hers is hard to outrun, however. Her getaway is stalled when her car breaks down in a small-town chock full of meddling, nosy residents. The worst of them being the local sheriff—none other than her estranged father.
Finally on top of the golf world, Tanner Gillette is poised to show everyone he’s not just an entitled playboy coasting through tournaments on his pedigree. That is until his life is turned upside down by a little girl who shows up on his doorstep with a birth certificate inexplicably bearing his name. Complicating matters more, the kid isn’t talking. When the stress of caring for a child whose mother is AWOL gives Tanner a bad case of the yips, he’s forced to enlist help from the one person in town who can’t wait to leave.
Sticking around Chances Inlet and her father’s shiny new, über-successful family isn’t on Paige’s to-do list. Especially when she’d prefer to keep her embarrassing incident under wraps. Yet she can’t walk away from the troubled little girl. Or the sexy Australian golfer who just might make her want to take a chance on trusting her heart again.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
She snatched up one of the beach-reads she’d brought from home. The well-worn paperback was one of her “comfort” books. Part of a Victorian era romance series featuring a group of wallflowers trying to find love. The familiar words kept swimming on the page, however, before Paige finally slammed it closed.
“There’s more to life than finding a man, sister,” Paige mumbled. Sighing heavily, she smacked her head against the pillows. “Yet another thing Jon ruined for me. Romance novels.”
She was about to reach for the TV remote when a sound from Whitney’s room caught her attention. Flipping back the covers, she listened intently for it to come again.
“It was probably something outside,” she told herself.
Except it wasn’t. Whitney was crying out in her sleep. And it sounded like she was calling for her mother. Paige raced through the bathroom and into the adjoining bedroom. Whitney was tossing and turning as sobs wracked her small body. As sweet as it was to finally hear the girl’s voice, Paige was devastated by her cries.
“Shh.” Paige crawled into the bed, gathering Whitney up beside her. “Shh,” she repeated. “Everything is going to be okay. You’re safe. I’m here.”
Whitney’s gulping sobs eventually subsided. She curled against Paige, remarkably, still fast asleep. Paige rubbed the girl’s back, softly whispering reassurances. She wiped Whitney’s tear-stained cheeks with the sheet. Within minutes, the child was sleeping peacefully.
A noise in the doorway alerted Paige they were not alone. She looked up to see a shadow of a man illuminated by the hallway lights. After resettling Gladys in Whitney’s arms, Paige replaced her own body with a pillow. She waited a moment to make sure Whitney was settled before slipping out into the hallway where Tanner waited.
A shirtless Tanner.
“She okay?” he whispered.
Paige picked a spot beyond his muscled shoulder where she could fix her gaze to avoid openly drooling at the man.
“Mmhmm,” she answered with a nod.
He took a step closer. “Are you okay?”
She wanted to be blasé and mature, but she wasn’t that skilled at playing it cool. The man’s chest was a freaking work of art. And who knew golfers had six-pack abs? Weren’t they supposed to be pot-bellied or some damn thing? It was the trail of dark hair disappearing beneath his flannel joggers that sent her over the edge.
“Could you—” She wiggled her fingers in the direction of his chest. “Could you cover that up, please?”
He looked at her as though she’d just asked him to shoot a hole-in-one on the moon. Then he chuckled sadistically before turning on his heel and padding down the long hallway leading to his bedroom.
“Water.” Paige fanned herself. “I need some water.”
Hurrying to the kitchen, she filled a glass using the dispenser on the refrigerator door. She was gulping down its contents when Tanner reappeared. Thankfully, he was wearing a T-shirt with what looked like German writing on it. A pair of sheepskin moccasins covered his feet.
“I’ve got something stronger in my study,” he said when he walked past, presumably on his way there.
A smarter woman would have returned to her bed and listened for signs Whitney might be having another nightmare.
Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually best-sellers. The books, not the men. When she's not writing, she's practicing her curling. . . bottles of wine, that is. She's been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she'd rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough. (See the note above about cooking.) Check out her romantic suspense series featuring the Men of the Secret Service--shirtless, of course!
See what she’s up to at www.tracysolheim.com
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