R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 92

BOOK BLITZ: Royal Trouble by Jennifer Bonds #GIVEAWAY

Royal Trouble
Jennifer Bonds
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: May 17th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

It’s time for everyone’s favorite bad boy, Prince Alexander Stanley, to clean up his act. Given the rare opportunity to lead a new royal program that aids veterans and their families, Xander can’t afford to be making scandalous headlines anymore. He has only two months until the program launches. No more overindulging. And definitely no more women.

Then halfway into it, his good behavior streak is threatened by a devil in a fuchsia dress.

Everly Wilson has kept a secret for years. She was the mastermind behind the celebrity dirt website Royals Gone Wild, which exposed some of her home country of Valeria’s juiciest secrets. But once she was out of school, she left the website and her past behind, moved to New York, and became a serious writer.

A seriously broke writer. If she doesn’t find a fresh story to earn her top dollar, she’ll be out on the street, with nothing but her laptop and a stack of unpaid medical bills to keep her warm at night.

But when a friend’s wedding brings her back home, it seems like the fates have aligned to deliver her the scoop of the year. Prince Alexander is suddenly on a mission to clean up his act, avoiding the escapades he once embraced—and she’s determined to be the one to catch his inevitable screwup. So when things between them start to heat up, and Xander’s walls start coming down, Everly might be the one royally in trouble this time…

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EXCERPT:

“Would you prefer I call security?”

“Grand idea,” he said, not bothering to hide his amusement. “I’m sure they’d be happy to escort you from the premises.”

“Escort me?” she asked, indignation coloring her words.

“Well, you are the one in the wrong loo.”

“No, that can’t be right…” She glanced around taking in the masculine colors of the restroom. Her eyes settled on the urinals even as a crimson flush spread over her chest and up her neck, disappearing into her hairline. “God, I hate weddings. First the dance, now this.”

She blew out a frustrated breath and began gathering the material of her dress—what little of it there was—doing her best to smooth it out over her hips.

Sticking around would be courting trouble Xander couldn’t afford, but his feet were cemented to the marble floor. She was obviously in some sort of bind and it was clear she was too prideful, or maybe too stubborn, to ask for help. He knew better than to offer it, though. She’d probably tell him to piss off.

“So if you didn’t come in here to try it on with me, what exactly are you doing?”

Everly glanced up at him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She studied him for a moment, and seemingly coming to a decision, gave a curt nod. “You have to promise you won’t laugh.”

Oh, this was going to be brilliant. “I promise not to laugh. Much.”

She shot him a dirty look, the corners of her lips pursed in disapproval. “You’re an arrogant ass. Have I mentioned that yet?”

“I believe it was part of the initial greeting.” He shrugged and leaned against the vanity, crossing his ankles. He’d been called worse and he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when she was looking at him as if she couldn’t decide between throwing him up against the counter to fuck him and throwing him up against the counter to fuck him.

“So, funny story.” Everly inched closer, keeping her back facing away from him. “Actually, it’s not so funny,” she said, a small wrinkle forming between her brows. “I ordered the wrong size dress and I could barely zip this fuchsia nightmare, and Lucy made the bridal party do this hip hop dance to a Flo Rida song—he’s totally her hall pass—and then my dress split down the back and now everyone can see my ass because I’m not wearing any underwear, and I can’t possibly go back out there. So, yeah.”

Xander straightened, his pulse quickening. “You’re not wearing knickers?”

“Out of everything I just said, that’s the part you registered?” She grabbed the back of her dress, cinching the fabric together to cover herself. “Men.”

Fuuuck.

She was right. He had to get his head on straight, but how could he think of anything but her plump, round arse when she’d just told him she wasn’t wearing any fucking panties? He shifted his weight, hoping she wouldn’t notice the quickly growing bulge in his trousers.

“Why don’t I lend you my jacket?” He had at least eight inches on her. It would probably do the trick, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun with her first.

Everly sagged with relief. “That would be great, actually. Thank you.”

“Just one condition.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step toward him, forgetting all about the gaping hole in the back of her dress. “Seriously?”

He laughed, his gaze darting to the mirror where the firm globes of her arse were now on full display, then quickly averted his eyes. But it was too late. His cock stirred with desire, not understanding that her arse was off limits.

Sweet Jesus.

This was a terrible idea.

“So?” Everly asked. “What’s the condition?”

Author Bio:

Jennifer Bonds writes sizzling contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy alphas, and a whole lot of mischief. She's a sucker for enemies-to-lovers stories, laugh-out-loud banter, and over-the-top grand gestures. Jennifer lives in Pennsylvania, where her overactive imagination and weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She's lucky enough to live with her own real-life hero, two adorable (and sometimes crazy) children, and one rambunctious K9. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, a solid Netflix binge, the Winchester brothers, cupcakes, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.

To connect with Jen online, visit http://www.jenniferbonds.com or find her on Facebook and Instagram @jbondswrites.

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BOOK BLITZ: Make Me Wilder by Serena Bell #GIVEAWAY

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Make Me Wilder
Serena Bell
(Wilder Adventures, #1)
Publication date: May 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

This tent is too small for the both of us. And I like it that way.

GabeI was minding my business. Literally. I promised my dad I’d take care of the Wilder family adventure business in our little Oregon town of Rush Creek, which also means looking out for my mom, my sister, and my rowdy co-workers, AKA my brothers.

Now the business is in trouble. Overnight, Rush Creek has become a spa-and-wedding destination, and the new tourists aren’t interested in getting dirty—or at least not in the woods.

Then Lucy comes to town, all blond hair and silky blouses and spike heels. It’s her job to give Wilder Adventures a makeover. Camping to glamping, rafting to paddle board yoga, fishing trips to girls’ night sunset cruises. If she gets her way, Wilder Adventures will become Wilder Romantic Adventures.

Lucy hates small towns, getting messy, and anything involving the woods or the water—which pretty much makes her Not My Type.

That doesn’t explain why when I see her, I can’t look away. Why when I touch her, I can’t stop. And why, even though I know no one can talk a city girl into small town life, I’m still trying.

She’s driving me wild. All I can do is make her wilder.

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EXCERPT:

Here I am again, Mr. Fixer, with the fire-starter.

I still have ulterior motives, too. Not gonna lie. I like being her hero—I have since that first day with the ducks. Sometimes, like when I was cooking fish the other night, or when I was building my shelter earlier, I catch her watching me. With wonder in her eyes.

I’ve had women look at me that way before. But it’s different with her. Having someone I admire so much look at me like that cracks me open.

I feel like I’d do almost anything for that look in her eyes.

Plus, I like to mess with her.

“So, look, you want to put the drill rod in the opening, here—” I murmur. “And then apply just the right amount of pressure.”

I meet her eyes. They’re wide. Her cheeks are pink, too.

“You’re doing that on purpose.”

“Of course I’m doing it on purpose. I’m making a point. It’s all about the friction. And the technique.”

“Gabe,” she grumbles, but she traps her soft lower lip between her teeth, and her breath is quick.

“All that rubbing,” I murmur.

I watch the flush cover her throat, and hope the way I’m squatting conceals my raging erection.

“What’s basically happening here is that the two pieces of wood stop knowing where one ends and the other starts. Their molecules mix. And that’s combustion. Heat. Flame.”

On that note, the wood smolders and I tease it to life with my breath, adding tinder, fanning the flames.

Of course, I narrate what I’m doing, too, checking to make sure she’s with me.The flush, and the way she’s torturing that soft lip, tells me she is.

“What did I say?” I tell her. “Stick with me, and you’ll be just fine.”

“Or dead from sexual frustration,” she mutters.

I grin. “Stay patient, baby.”

“You know I only brought one change of underpants, right?”

“I can’t help it if you underestimated me,” I tell her.

She turns a shade pinker, and I get to test out how hard it’s possible to become without being touched.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

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BOOK BLITZ: The Devil You Know by J.L. Beck & C. Hallman #GIVEAWAY

The Devil You Know
J.L. Beck & C. Hallman
(The Diavolo Crime Family, #2)
Publication date: May 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Romance

Nic is so much more than The Devil.

The night of the auction changes everything.

I thought I knew who he was, and what was going to happen next.

I had no idea how wrong I was…

***This is a continuation of Devil You Hate and can not be read as a standalone. This book has a HEA***

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Author Bio:

J.L. Beck is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, she has written over fifty different romance novels. She started her journey of writing back in 2014 and hasn't slowed down a second since then.

She's captivated by real romance, and loves reading about strong "ALPHA" males, as well as sassy heroines that know or may not know what they want. She is best known for delivering a happily ever after but has ended things on a cliffhanger a time or two.

When she's not typing away at her next book you can find her being a mom to her two adorable kiddos and wife to her high school sweetheart.

She's obsessed with Starbucks, social media, and is definitely more of a dog person than cat.

Author links:
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Born and raised in Germany, Cassandra moved to the United States when she was eighteen. She always had a love for reading, that love slowly transpired into writing. She put fingers to the keyboard and started writing about the dark side of romance.

Cassandra is one half of the international bestselling author duo Beck & Hallman, who are most knows for the writing the Northwood University series.The pair also write under the pen name Jenna Reed.

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BOOK BLITZ: Underworld Bride Trials 1: Playboy King by Meg Xuemei X #GIVEAWAY

Underworld Bride Trials 1: Playboy King
Meg Xuemei X
Publication date: May 18th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

LOKI

She walks in on me fucking another woman for sport.Her blue eyes burn like twin suns at daybreak when they train on me.One sniff in her direction, and I know she’s mine.Ice to my pyre.Scenting its fated mate, my wolf beast awakens for the first time and roars with hellfire.Heat sears through my veins. I’ve never been so aroused by any other female.But Tessa Morrigan can’t be my queen.She came too late.I’ve started the Underworld Bride Trials. All the contestants must fight to the death until the last one stands by my side to claim the crown.

MORRIGAN

Loki, the hot new boss of Hell, is hosting a bachelorette contest. He thinks it’s funny to have a troop of women fighting to the death over him.But he doesn’t expect to attract the most lethal assassin and a rejected queen to his selection game. I didn’t come to ride the playboy king’s sexy body or be Queen of the Underworld. I promised Lucifer his son’s head on a gold platter.I’ve been burned before and vowed never to let a handsome, powerful man touch me again. Yet when Loki and I lay eyes upon each other, sizzling chemistry scorches us. Under his ruthless bad boy exterior hides another man, one that ignites flames inside my icy heart.

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EXCERPT:

“Care to join us, little bunny?” he offered with an enticing smile. “I won’t bite.”

“You expect me to believe that? With that big bad wolf smirk?” I said. “You must think you’re cute when you hide your fangs.”

“I was trying to help.” He grinned wider. “I’m a friendly guy. And I know you’re very much aroused. I know your type.”

“You know shit. That’s what you know and what you’ll get,” I sneered, my voice husky. “And you have no shame.”

He threw his head back and let out a snarky laugh. “What a mouth you have. I wonder what else it can do.”

He had the nerve to dip his eyes toward my lips.

“I can give you a list if you ask nicely next time,” I said sweetly. “This mouth can do wonders, but it’s also full of tiny fangs. I hope they catch your fancy.”

“My kind of fancy girl,” he purred again, then curiosity sparked in his heated eyes. “Why aren’t you afraid of me like the others?”

Afraid of him? I was a great assassin from another world and another time. I came to take his head! Lucifer had specific requirements.

I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Who are you?” he asked after a quiet moment. He must have sensed the surge of menace from me, though he didn’t appear alarmed.

The cocky bastard.

“Your worst nightmare, Demon King,” I said, heat and ice and hate swirling in my eyes all at once.

Author Bio:

Meg Xuemei X is a USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of paranormal and fantasy romance. She finds it delightful to be around drop-dead gorgeous alpha males who are forever tormented by her feisty heroines, unseelie fae, dark vampires, menacing demigods, demon A-holes and fallen angels, fun shifters, and cunning witches.

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BOOK BLITZ: Damaged Bride by Blake York #GIVEAWAY

Damaged Bride
Blake York
(Blood Empire Series, #1)
Publication date: May 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

Nobody will touch what belongs to us, including the women we claim.

Brutal. Fierce. Relentless.

Everything I do I do for my family name.

Now they’re giving me another task—take the bride my father chooses for me. They call it business. I call it revenge. Only one empire with mafia ties can rule.

I’ll use her as a pawn. Break her down. She’s already damaged from the life she’s led. But then something happens.

She rises from the ashes…and learns how to break me too.

**A hero with an out-of-control possessive streak and the woman forced to be his bride. The claws come out, but the surrender is so sweet… DAMAGED BRIDE is a novella-length romance and first in the Blood Empire Series. Happily Ever After? You’ll have to take a chance.**

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EXCERPT:

When I see Avery O’Connor walk into the senior living center, I think she’s going to work a third job.

I approach one of the guards standing near the door giving a quarter of the shits he should. As he glances up, I see the fear on his face. The same thing I see on everyone’s face if they’re so unlucky as to meet my gaze.

He braces his legs and eyes me. Even if I dress less like I’m the son of the meanest SOB in the city, people fear me. And I enjoy knowing I can intimidate them.

“Can I help you?”

I wave him over. He comes wearily, hand twitching toward the nightstick he carries on his hip. As if that will stop me.

“A woman came in here a minute ago. About this tall.” I hold up a hand. “Blonde hair pulled back.”

He nods.

“Does she work here?”

The guard flattens a stare at me as if he didn’t hear the question.

Sighing, I reach into my pocket and withdraw a wad of bills. I peel off two Benjamins and slip them to the man.

He only glances at the bills for a second before he takes them. I can’t blame him—it’s probably more money than he earns all night sitting here guarding the door and the potted plant beside it.

“She’s visiting her grandma.”

I try not to show my surprise and leave the building. For the next half hour, I sit in my car, smoking too much and waiting for the O’Connor woman to emerge from the home.

I can’t believe I’m going to collect my bride. I almost laugh out loud at the idea of me saying vows. Everyone knows I won’t keep them, my father included.

This isn’t about love and romance, though.

It’s a merger.

A business deal.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

Author Bio:

Blake York got started writing dark romance as a teen, when the horrors of her mind lived on the page. Now she invites readers into that shadowed chamber with darker, filthier romance. And what can be more soul-shaking than a forced marriage into a twisted mafia family that rules its empire with bloodshed?

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BOOK BLITZ: A Shiver of Shadows by Hunter J. Skye #GIVEAWAY

A Shiver of Shadows
Hunter J. Skye
(The Hell Gate Series, #2)
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: May 24th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

You’d think stopping Armageddon would buy a girl a bit of R&R with her freshly resurrected boyfriend. But things go south again when celebrity soul wrangler, Melisande Blythe, is abducted and dragged to Europe.

There’s more to the darkness hiding in the reclusive, mountaintop country of Andorra than just garden variety evil. There’s something dangerously wrong with her beautiful immortal hosts too.

Gifted with flesh again by the Grace of God, three-hundred-year-old former ghost, Colonel William Grayford, will move heaven and earth to find his beloved. But Europe’s most wicked monsters stand in his way. Something more painful than death awaits Mel, if Grayford can’t find her in time.

The world’s been living on fifteen thousand years of borrowed time and it’s just run out.

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EXCERPT:

“We won’t make it in time, so I need you to do exactly as I say.” She clutched me by the tops of my arms then shoved me into a small convenience store that blazed white with artificial lighting. She dragged me down a narrow aisle, past products with unfamiliar labels, toward a dead-faced man in a turban. His mottled eyes followed us as the woman pushed past his small counter.

“Santuario,” she whispered to the man, and he nodded stoically. Then she turned to me.

“Don’t stop. Don’t look around. Just keep moving.”

“What?” I asked as her hand closed over mine once more, but we were already moving again. We hurtled down a dark, slender hall to an ancient rat-chewed wooden door with symbols painted on it in a dark, drooling liquid. Something about that viscous fluid made my skin crawl. The dingy walls pressed close, and suddenly the hallway felt as though it was swallowing me whole.

“Wait.” My voice wavered. “Just wait a second.” Something big was on the other side of that door. Something I wasn’t ready for. It peeled away my thoughts. It knew I was coming.

“This is a mistake.” Not a bad tattoo kind of mistake. This was the kind of mistake that would burn through my being. It would hollow me out. I’d already rebuilt myself once. I couldn’t go through that kind of stripping again. “Whatever’s in there…it isn’t for me to see.”

“Then close your eyes.” She yanked the door open and pulled me through.

Author Bio:

Hunter J. Skye was born with a rare nightmare disorder, and was raised in a haunted late Victorian home. Those two factors predestined her to write ghost stories. With a Bachelor of the Fine Arts, Hunter first went into museology, but her love of the written word drew her back to the keyboard. She now writes full time and paints part-time.

Hunter's debut novel, A Glimmer of Ghosts, won four RWA awards pre-publication. It is the first book in an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series set in coastal Virginia. Book two, A Shiver of Shadows, will release May 24 2021 from The Wild Rose Press.

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B@@K REVEAL: A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid

A Scoundrel of Her Own
Stacy Reid
(The Sinful Wallflowers, #3)
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: December 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

The conclusion to Stacy Reid’s bestselling Sinful Wallflowers series stars Lady Ophelia, who moonlights as a masked songstress under the alter ego Lady Starlight. When she captures the attention of the rogue Devlin Byrne, the dangerously handsome owner of a gambling den, she’ll need to decide if seduction is worth shedding her wallflower persona.

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Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author Stacy Reid writes sensual Historical and Paranormal Romances and is the published author of over twenty books. Her debut novella The Duke's Shotgun Wedding was a 2015 HOLT Award of Merit recipient in the Romance Novella category, and her bestselling Wedded by Scandal series is recommended as Top picks at Night Owl Reviews, Fresh Fiction Reviews, and The Romance Reviews.

Stacy lives a lot in the worlds she creates and actively speaks to her characters (aloud). She has a warrior way "Never give up on dreams!" When she's not writing, Stacy spends a copious amount of time binge-watching series like The Walking Dead, Altered Carbon, Rise of the Phoenixes, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, and playing video games with her love. She also has a weakness for ice cream and will have it as her main course.

To be the first to hear about my new releases, get cover reveals and excerpts you won't find anywhere else, sign up for my Newsletter @ https://www.stacyreid.com/#newsletter/

Happy reading!

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BOOK BLITZ: Dead Wolf Walking by Rory Miles #GIVEAWAY

Dead Wolf Walking
Rory Miles
(Bad Moon Academy, #1)
Publication date: May 18th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

One bite changed my life.

I was living life to the fullest when a wolf attacked.

Now I’ve been ripped from my home and shipped off to Bad Moon Academy, a place for changed wolves. Or so I’m told.

There’s something sinister lurking within the confines of the academy, and I’m starting to think I was brought here as a sacrifice.

This is a dark academy reverse harem with dangerously possessive shifters.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Pack magic prevents unauthorized people from leaving. You haven’t been granted permission to leave.” He runs a finger over one of the cuts on my palm.

I hiss. “The whole stabbing part seems a bit extreme.”

He hums and sniffs my palm. “This won’t do.” Slipping his tongue past his lips, he licks my hand.

“Hey, gross. Don’t.” I try to yank away again, but his hold tightens.

Lifting his gaze to meet mine, he hovers his mouth above my skin. “Would you rather the vampires smell your blood and come for you?”

Vampires?

I wrinkle my nose and press my eyebrows together. “No.”

“Then let me finish.” Strands of dark hair fall across his forehead, and I fight the urge to brush them away from his eyes.

Am I really going to give him permission to lick me?

Do I really want to be eaten by vampires?

Absolutely not.

“Fine, but hurry.”

He smiles and tsks. “You can’t rush perfection, Little Red.”

I press my lips together and watch him lick my wounds clean. He slowly rolls his tongue over the cuts. Once the blood is gone from those, he slips my index finger inside his mouth and sucks on it. My knees knock together, heat flaring low in my belly. With a gasp, I place my hand on his shoulder to stay upright. He chuckles, and the sound vibrates against my finger as he drags his mouth to the end of it and moves to my middle one.

“Draco! Release her.” Carter doesn’t sound happy.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I say over my shoulder. He’s storming toward us and looks ready to knock Draco out. “The gate cut me, and he’s getting rid of the blood before the vampires— “

“Vampires?” Carter scoffs. “Moons, Draco, is that what you told her?”

The man in question swirls his tongue over my bloodied finger and places a chaste kiss at the tip before releasing my wrist, standing, and smirking at Carter.

“I was helping.”

Carter crosses his arms over his chest. “Fucking hell. What is your problem?”

Author Bio:

Rory Miles is an avid reader, consumer of chocolate, and lover of cats. Her books can best be described as snarky with a healthy amount of romance.

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BOOK BLITZ: The Sick Wife by Loretta Lost #GIVEAWAY

The Sick Wife
Loretta Lost
Publication date: May 17th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Thriller

I fell in love with my patient’s husband. While she was dying of COVID-19. She was comatose and I comforted him, like a good nurse. We talked for hours, every day. He told me all his secrets. We planned to start a life together.

Only one problem… she didn’t die.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Camilla!” the doctor shouts at me. “Prepare the ventilator.”

What? But she’s dead. I stand there feeling like a zombie.

“As soon as we get her back, she needs to go on that thing,” the doctor explains. “Immediately.”

Well, that’s optimistic. But I’ve worked with Michael for years, and if he’s optimistic, then maybe I should have some hope. My body moves without my permission to do as he says and assist him. I bring over the breathing machine for a woman who isn’t breathing—her heart isn’t even beating.

And then a beep.

Oh, thank God.

“She’s back,” Doctor Mike says with a sigh as he removes the paddles from her chest. “Welcome back, Yvette.”

The woman is lying there dazed and confused, struggling to breathe. “Quoi…? What happened?”

“You died for a little bit,” one of the other nurses says, squeezing her hand. “But you’re okay. Good job, girl. Keep fighting it.”

Emotion and anxiety floods my chest like pins and needles. That’s usually me, being comforting, being a rock, but right now I somehow feel incapable.

Yvette looks around the room, dizzy with vacant eyes until she sees me. “Camilla,” she says, gasping for air, and lifting her hand. Her eyes fill with tears. “Can you call him?”

I nod and stop what I’m doing to move over to her phone.

“There’s no time,” Doctor Mike says. “Look, Yvette? I’m sorry, but we are going to put you into a medically induced coma right now so that you can go on this ventilator. It’s your only chance of survival.”

“No,” Yvette says tearfully, “please, no.”

“I’m sorry, we have no other options.”

“Can we flip her over on her stomach?” I ask the doctor.

“It’s too late,” he responds. “We’re going to lose her again if we don’t act now. Sedate her.”

“Call my husband!” Yvette begs me, her voice raw and gasping. She uses almost all her oxygen to say his name. “Call Gabriel.”

I press the phone against her thumb to follow this request while the other nurses set up the machine. For a second, my mind is blank. Gabriel? That’s the first time I’ve heard his name. Then I remember.

He’s the Huge Fucking Asshole.

I press that name on the phone to dial him while they put her to sleep.

“Gabe,” she is crying, sobbing, unable to breathe. “Gabe—I’m sorry. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“She’s too excited,” the doctor is saying. “Her heart is going to stop again. Put her under now.”

“Can we just wait one minute so she can hear his voice?” I ask, as the phone is ringing. I stare at the nurse delivering barbiturates into the IV. “Please. It’s important to her.”

“Sorry, Milla. There’s no time. We need to act now.”

I watch the fluid being injected into her veins, feeling helpless. I look over to her dark eyes, and I see the desperation. I see a human being filled with love and need, clinging to life. Fighting for a chance to fix her mistakes. To finish her unfinished business.

And just like that she’s gone. While the phone is still ringing in my hand.

Author Bio:

Loretta Lost is a USA Today bestselling author who writes stories about survivors. She is the author of the CLARITY series and Sophie Shields novels. She lives in Toronto, Canada with adorable cats, and she hopes to find a good boyfriend who isn't fictional before all her hair turns grey.

Follow @loretta.lost on Instagram, @LorettaLost on Twitter, or connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LorettaLost

You can also subscribe to Loretta's mailing list for updates and a free book: www.eepurl.com/O0WTL

Fun fact: The author's real name is Nadia-- she chose her pen name because her sister's name is Loretta, and her sister is lost.

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BOOK BLITZ: How Not to Fake Marry a Billionaire by Ashlee Mallory #GIVEAWAY

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How Not to Fake Marry a Billionaire
Ashlee Mallory
(How Not to Marry a Billionaire, #2)
Publication date: May 17th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

People say I’m smart.

Probably because I have a PhD in astrophysics and am on the cusp of publishing a theory that just might change our perception of the known universe.

The verdict, however, is still out for me.

After all, I fell for a colleague who broke my heart and then stole the grant money from the Camella Franklin Foundation that had been funding my research. Did I mention he’s also engaged to Camella Franklin?

Then the gorgeous and charming billionaire Colin Fitzgerald came to me with a proposal that might just change my life.

A marriage in name only in return for the grant money needed to fund my research.

Marrying a hot billionaire wouldn’t be so bad, right?

Except that from the moment I laid eyes on the guy, it felt like the stars had aligned and I had actually met my destiny. He, on the other hand, had been totally in love with my best friend.

But, as people say, I’m smart. I wouldn’t do anything so foolish as to fall in love with my fake husband.

Like I said…the verdict is still out.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Excuse me, but I’m looking for Holly Mazinski,” said someone with a distinctively British accent.

I whirled around and stared at the guy standing in the door, looking all tall and dignified and sexy—yes, definitely sexy. I blinked my eyes as if to clear them from this possible apparition. Could Colin Fitzgerald actually be standing in the doorway of my office here in Tucson? Jane’s Colin, who she’d dated as part of her operation to marry a billionaire that ended with his proposal—that’s right, for marriage—and her ultimate rejection? Twice?

As I pondered this, Colin’s gaze swept the room. When he saw me, his mouth curved into a smile that made my stomach feel like a dozen circus monkeys were flipping somersaults inside.

Yeah, so I kind of liked him. A lot.

“Holly. There you are.”

I sat frozen in my seat as he walked into the room. Our prior two meetings in Hawaii—once when he came to pick Jane up for a date and the other when I had a sort of weird double date with him, Jane, and Jane’s bartender—had both left me tongue-tied in his presence.

“Colin. Hi,” I croaked out.

It was safe to say that today was not going to be any different.

He stood in front of me, close enough that I could see the warmth in those lovely light blue eyes made lighter by the sky-blue sweater he wore. He’d had a haircut since I last saw him, shorter on the sides but a bit messy on top and swept over in a casual but sexy style. His jawline had a hint of stubble that hadn’t erased the slight indent in his chin or the perfection of those lips that any Italian artist worth his salt would beg to chisel onto a sculpture of a god.

I looked away to get my bearings, settling on the breadth of his shoulders—which might have been a mistake.

“Are you going to introduce us to your guest, Holly?” Katrina asked, poking me in the side.

Right. Introductions. “Colin, this is Katrina.”

“How do you do?” Colin said in his delectable accent and nodded in greeting.

“And that’s Remy and Julia,” I continued while each of them waved in greeting. I stopped when I reached George and Camella. George had a funny look on his face as he stepped forward and held his hand out to Colin. “George McConnell. And this is my fiancée, Camella Franklin.”

Colin turned to me and I saw a wave of understanding cross his face as he met my gaze. He’d been there in Hawaii after I heard the news of their engagement and knew how devastated I’d been.

With barely more than a nod to George, Colin trained his attention on me. “I’m terribly sorry to bother you while you’re at work, but I thought that our discussion might better be handled in person.” He checked his very expensive-looking watch. “It’s almost lunchtime. Would you care to grab something to eat?”

I blinked a few more times before Katrina jabbed me again. “Lunch? Yes, I could probably get away for a few minutes.”

“Excellent.”

I was still confused about why he would have come all the way here to seek me out. I knew that he’d arrived at Jane’s office in Legal Aid last week and renewed his marriage proposal and been shot down. I had assumed that he would have returned to England by now or wherever he usually did whatever work a billionaire did. Unlike Jane, I didn’t know much about this particular handsome billionaire and hadn’t seen any reason to, other than…

A new possibility hit me. Could he be here to discuss the email? I’d sent it last week and hadn’t heard a word since.

Well, I could sit here for another five minutes ruminating on the reason or just get my butt out of the chair and follow him.

Author Bio:

Ashlee Mallory is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and thrillers. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and two kids. She aspires to one day include running, hiking and traveling to exotic destinations in her list of things she enjoys, but currently settles for enjoying a good book and a glass of wine from the comfort of her couch.

Keep up with all upcoming releases by following me here, or joining my Newsletter at http://bit.ly/1lPwwE3 for updates and giveaways!

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