I’m going to die an old maid with ten cats… Oh wait, I already have two… I’m never going to feel the arms of a man around my waist again… Well, that’s what I thought until a pair caught me from face planting on the floor of my OB/GYN’s office. I didn’t even notice that my paper gown was open, showing off my double lattes to the man I was least expecting… Greyson Davis is the reason I need to set boundaries and rules—rules that I can’t break.
Greyson
The first thing you’re taught in ethics class is not to fall for a patient. They don’t teach you how to not fall for one, just said that you shouldn’t. Everything changed the second I walked in to see my sixth patient of the day. That’s when I set eyes on the sexy blonde bombshell who would cause me to break every rule ever written.
International Bestselling Author, A.M. Willard resides in Savannah, Georgia. She joined the Peach State many years ago after leaving the crystal blue waters and sugary white sand behind from the Panhandle of Florida. She’s also known for being a wife, mother, and caretaker for her farm animals. A.M. loves anything sassy, glittery, and is a sucker for the Hallmark Channel. That last one might be the reason she believes in soulmates or it could be because she married her high school sweetheart almost twenty years ago.
After releasing her first novella series back in 2014, A.M. set out on a new goal to bring her readers a broad range of romantic stories from her desk. This includes Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance, and from time to time some Sexy Romance.
A.M. is an active member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and has also had an article published in the Writer’s Monthly Review Magazine.
“5 Dirty and
Yummy Stars. I LOVED this book!!! It will have you laughing, smiling, swooning,
and for sure have your panties melting.” – Book B!tches Blog
Are you ready for
some Fun and Games?
Then prepare
yourself for one hot and hilarious romp through Chicago’s underground world of
pleasure full of strange rules, an unconventional bucket list, super sexy
games, and a deal that lands this daring couple in a whole lot of trouble.
This fun and erotic tale features the combustible relationship between a
kinky entrepreneur and a very curious city girl.
Discover why
thousands of readers have fallen in love with these magnetic characters and
their deliciously unusual romance.
The Fun and Games
Box Set Includes:
The Rules
The List
The Game
The Deal
*These novels were
previously published under the series title: Quick and Dirty*
Clare James is the bestselling author of contemporary
romance and new adult novels with spunky heroines and sexier-than-sin heroes.
Her Entangled Brazen debut, CAUGHT, was a #1 Best-Selling Romance Series, and
the touching family drama, Two-Hour Truce, also hit #1 as a category
bestseller. And Clare’s Impossible LoveSeries has
more than 500,000 downloads to date and counting!
A fan of smart, funny, and steamy romance, Clare spends most
of her time lost in books. When she’s not reading, you can find her locked away
writing. Clare is also a former dancer and still loves to get her groove on –
mostly to work off her beloved cupcakes and red wine. She lives in Minneapolis
with her two leading men – her husband and young son – and is always on social
media chatting with readers
Sign up for Clare James’s newsletter and be the first to
hear about new books, bonus content and exclusive offers!
With a twin sister encouraging her to hook up with all the wrong people, Zoe’s being pulled in a million different directions.
Dylan Tuner can’t stand by and watch it happen. He’s tired of loving Zoe Allen from a distance, and he’s more determined than ever to escape the friend zone.
Can Dylan get his best friend to fall for him before they graduate college? Or does Zoe already have a plan of her own?
Author Gia Riley has been in love with writing romance since high school when she took her very first creative writing class. From the small but mighty state of Delaware, she’s a country girl at heart, traveling back to her roots in Pennsylvania as often as she can.
She’d rather pick truth than dare, bake than cook, and will always choose coffee over tea. Just like life, her stories always have a mixture of heart and humor.
Today we have the blog tour for THE REAL THING by Melissa Foster! Check out the blog tour and be sure to grab your copy today!
About The Real Thing:
Fall in love on the shores of Sugar Lake in the small town of Sweetwater with Willow Dalton and Zane Walker.
This sassy, spirited baker is fine with heat—but is her fake fiancé too hot to handle?
Bakery owner Willow Dalton’s friendship with Zane Walker has always been a bit complicated. Now a scrumptiously hot A-list actor, Zane’s always had a reputation as a player. He’s arrogant, and he’s definitely not boyfriend material. Sure, he did Willow a favor by agreeing to take her virginity before college, but is that reason enough for her to go along with a fake engagement a decade later—even if it comes with a real diamond ring?
Zane should have known better. Nothing involving Willow has ever been easy. Still, he knows her better than anyone, and becoming America’s hottest new leading man means cleaning up his reputation. An “engagement” to curvy, sass-mouthed Willow is the perfect PR move…provided no one gets hurt.
Now Zane and Willow’s little white lie has turned into an irresistible recipe for sweet temptation. And soon no one will be able to tell the difference between their fake engagement and the real thing—including them.
This book is being published by Montlake (an Amazon imprint) and won’t be available on other ebook retailers, but you can download a FREE ereader app to read it HERE (or order the paperback)
Oh my, oh my! This is hands down one of the sweetest love stories E-V-E-R! Anything I ever wanted to happen in a romantic novel has happened in this book! Melissa Foster certainly knows how to write a leading man that any girl would fall for. Zane Walker has left his little town and past behind him, including his first love, Willow Dalton. However, he doesn’t even know she was her first love and she certainly does not. Starting out with a fake engagement is just a minor hiccup in their love story. It is filled with love, romance, sweet moments, ugh everything romance is expected to be!
The story is sweetly told with so many romantic moments I could just die. I kept this book open until my eyes were forced closed. Yes, Zane and Willow (also affectionately called Wills) fall in love quickly but they have been in love since they were kids! I am telling you this book makes you just want to fall in love again or just fall in love! For all those romance readers, out there that want a feel-good story- The Real Thing is literally the Real thing!!
Melissa Foster captured my heart in this story and I thank her for that! It is wonderful to read a romance novel that truly embodies what love and romance should be. Melissa does this with grace, style and elegance I have come to love with her writing! She makes me believe in love and all those girly feelings you get with it. I just adored this book and cannot wait for the second in the series.
About Melissa Foster:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, and the Wild Boys After Dark. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented.
Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.
Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.
Taming Mr. Flirt, a sexy all-new standalone from A.M. Madden & Joanne Schwehm is LIVE!
Taming Mr. Flirt by A.M. Madden & Joanne Schwehm Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publishing Date: September 12th, 2017
Here’s a tip: never say never.
It all started in a barn, rolling around in the hay with a hot brunette. When I hooked up at my best friend’s wedding with the bride’s best friend, I had hay in places it should never be. And how my bowtie ended up around my dick was an entirely different story. I’ll give you a minute to consider the possibilities.
That first romp set the tone, and each sexual encounter with her that followed became more intense. The fact that all my fantastic orgasms were coming at the hand of one woman baffled me.
A lifetime of observation taught me that monogamy equated to boredom. Variety was the spice of life, in and out of the bedroom. I enjoyed the company of a sexy, smart, confident woman. It was my kryptonite. I was a master flirt, and my sexual skills were unrivaled.
Until her.
With this woman, I had met my match.
Her carnal appetite a perfect match for mine, and she also taught me a few things along the way.
She called me Mr. Flirt, and could bring me to my knees at every turn.
A.M. Madden is a USA Today bestselling published author with Loveswept/Random House as well as Ever After Romance.
A.M. is a wife, a mother, an avid reader of romance novels, and now an author.
“It’s all about the HEA.”
A.M. Madden is the author of the popular Back-Up Series, as well as several other contemporary romances. She is also a published author with Loveswept/Random House.
Her debut novel was Back-up, the first in The Back-Up Series. In Back-Up, A.M.’s main character Jack Lair caused readers to swoon. They call themselves #LairLovers, and have been faithful supporters to Jack, as well to the rest of his band, Devil’s Lair.
A.M. truly believes that true love knows no bounds. In her books, she aspires to create fun, sexy, realistic romances that will stay with you after the last page has been turned. She strives to create characters that the reader can relate to and feel as if they know personally.
A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, she loves getting lost in a good book. She also uses every free moment of her time writing, while spending quality time with her three handsome men. A.M. is a Gemini and an Italian Jersey girl, but despite her Zodiac sign, nationality, or home state, she is very easy going.
She loves the beach, loves to laugh, and loves the idea of love.
Joanne is a mother and wife and loves spending time with her family. She’s an avid sports watcher and enjoys the occasional round of golf.
Joanne loves to write and read romance. She believes everyone should have romance in their lives and hopes her books bring joy and happiness to readers who enjoy modern day fairy tales and breathless moments.
She is an independent romance author and has written several contemporary romance novels, including The Prescott Series, Ryker, A Heart’s Forgiveness, The Critic and The Chance series.
Joanne looks forward to sharing more love stories in her future novels.
In TELL ME THAT YOU’RE MINE Ryan McCallister and Eva Romero are two people trying to find a once-in-a-lifetime second chance at love. Fans of Tamarra Webber and Erin McCarthy will adore this emotional and heartfelt conclusion to Victoria De La O’s RITA-nominated family drama.
Rafflecopter for Tell Me That You’re Mine Blitz Giveaway:
Victoria De La O is offering one (1) lucky Grand-Prize winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card and three (3) Runner-Up winners an eCopy of Tell Me How This Ends, book #1 in Victoria’s Tell Me series! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
Title: Tell Me That You’re Mine
Author: Victorial De La O
Publisher: SMP Swerve
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Series: Tell Me #3
Format: Digital
ISBN: 9781250122100
Synopsis:
Ryan McCallister is ready to come home and put the heartbreak of his first love behind him. But when he returns after teaching abroad, the home he once knew isn’t quite ready for him. The woman Ryan once loved is living with his brother; his friends have moved on; and his new landlady, Eva Romero, seems determined not to like him.
But Ryan likes Eva. A lot.
It doesn’t matter that Eva has a six-year-old son and a troubled ex-husband; when Ryan’s with her, everything makes sense. Eva isn’t convinced she’s ready to take another chance on love, but Ryan’s determined to show her he’s worth the risk.
It’s feels like an eternity since I’ve been home. In reality, it’s only been a year.
My slow walk to the house is surreal. The lawn is as pristine as ever, each blade of grass shorn the same height by Jude’s meticulous mowing. The red geraniums I planted years ago are thriving. And the dent in the porch rail, caused by my foot accidentally connecting with the wood, is still visible. But I don’t remember the house being this uninspiring shade of blue, or the crack on the front stoop being this wide. This house, this city, used to be my whole world. It seemed a lot bigger then.
Discordance skitters over my spine: what should be familiar is foreign, relief mingles with anxiety. Time snaps and contracts as I knock on the front door, and suddenly it seems like an hour since I left. A nanosecond.
The door swings open, and the reason for my hasty departure is staring at me. She’s as pretty as I remember—maybe more, damn her. Green eyes that used to flutter when I kissed her, full lips that whispered confidences in my ear.
Now, her face is frozen in a hostess’ smile. Her fingers worry the bottom button of her pink cardigan and the threads begin to loosen. She doesn’t know what to do because she wasn’t expecting me. I guess it wasn’t nice showing up a day early.
“Ryan. You’re home.”
Home. Does she mean mine or hers?
I had almost forgotten what Lizzie’s voice sounded like, but its husky depth brings the memories of the six months we spent loving each other rushing back.
Well, I had been loving her. She’d been falling in love with my brother.
I wait for my heart to ache, but there’s only a small twinge. That’s a surprise. In my mind, this was all so much more dramatic and intense. Hard stares and pinched lips. A little social awkwardness seems so mundane by comparison.
And then the door swings open wider and Jude is there. My pulse stops—doesn’t slow, just ceases to exist for a second. Leave it to him to bring the fireworks.
Like the house, Jude seems smaller than I remember. Or maybe that’s because he has gone expressionless, his discomfort hard-crashing him. His hands dig into his pockets, searching for an anchor, pulling his shoulders into a hunch. It takes a lot to knock Jude off his game. Glad to see I can still have that effect on him.
When he opens his mouth, no sound comes out. It’s unusual for me to have to step up and be the better man when I’m around my big brother. But today is that day.
Victoria De La O is the award-winning and RITA®-nominated author of the Tell Me romance trilogy, including Tell Me How This Ends. A native of California’s Silicon Valley, she spends time hanging out with her family, arguing about films, and practicing Wonder Woman spins, She loves talking to readers, so find her at www.victoriadelao.com.
Once upon a time, I had everything: money, power, a multimillion-dollar company, a loving family. Well, at least I thought I had everything. Then my parents died, and I found out my whole life was based on a lie. That’s pretty much the moment when I went numb. Told the world to f*** off and went on a bender of epic proportion, just to see how far I could fall before I hit rock-bottom.
Now I’m back and all I want in this world is my morning—okay, afternoon—coffee. Then one of my employees has the nerve to call me out for cutting the line at the coffeehouse at the company I own. Sure, I’m a little scruffier than usual, but come on, bitching out the CEO? Not a smart career move. Just who does this smart-mouthed ball-buster think she is? And more important, what do I have to do to get her number?
Holland O’Dell may be uptight, but I wouldn’t mind taking her back to my place and ripping off that business-casual blouse/skirt combo and burying myself in her curves. She pushes my buttons, but at least I’m feeling something. And whatever it is, I won’t stop until I get more.
Advance praise for Mr. Big
“Mr. Big is the kind of smart, sexy delight that every woman deserves to read! [Delancey] Stewart will make you believe in true love in this steamy, heart-wrenching tale.”—USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone
“With a smart, feisty heroine and hot, tortured hero, Mr. Big has everything I look for in a contemporary romance. Witty, sexy, and full of heart!”—Melanie Harlow, USA Today bestselling author
I stayed up in the wee hours to read and finish Mr. Big. It was not only funny but was sexy as hell to read. I adore Oliver and Holland together! Oliver is a complex character because he is a CEO who recently lost his parents as well as the idea of what he thought his family was. Not having a care in the world or the “want” to keep his company afloat, Oliver finds himself just wanting to give up on life. Of course, we know a lady will walk in and change all of that but here is what I loved the most, it’s not the sweet girl next door type lady.
Holland is a bad ass! She is strong, independent and wants to prove herself to the company that really does not hire women. Come on, how can you not love a character who not only fights for what she wants but also goes for it! Delancey Stewart really took a topic we hear little about in our society but know it exists-the fact women are not getting hired nor paid for the same job a man does. She does this eloquently by using her characters and without going away from her storyline. Perfect!
Oliver and Holland really have a connection throughout the story and you will find yourself routing for them to just do it all ready! I was unable to put this book down and found myself up until 3 am just to finish one more chapter. I cannot wait to read more by Delancey Stewart!
Delancey Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She’s been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wine seller. Despite lots of other interests, she has always been a writer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler, story reader, and tech writer. She tackles all these efforts from her current home outside Washington DC.
We’re so excited to share a sneak peek at COLD MALICE by Toni Anderson – check it out below and preorder your copy, so you can dive in to COLD MALICE on September 12th!
About COLD MALICE
Available September 12th
ASAC Steve (Mac) McKenzie is out to prove himself by leading a task force investigating a series of murders in the heart of Washington, DC. His undercover work in an antigovernment compound twenty years earlier is related—as is the sweet, innocent girl he befriended back then. Now that girl is a beautiful woman, and she has something to hide.
Tess Fallon spent a lifetime trying to outrun her family’s brand of bigotry, but someone is threatening her anonymity by using the anniversary of her father’s death to carry out evil crimes and she’s terrified her younger brother is involved. She sets out to find the truth and comes face-to-face with a man she once idolized, a man she thought long dead. As the crimes escalate it becomes obvious the killer has an agenda, and Tess and Mac are running out of time to stop him.
Will the perpetrator use a decades-old dream of revolution to attack the federal government? And will the fact that Tess and Mac have fallen hard for each other give a cold-hearted killer the power to destroy them both?
“You want me to provide an alibi?” The glow drained from her cheeks.
Tension sizzled through the air as Mac watched her body language to see if it matched her words. “You know I have to ask.”
She crossed her arms, every line of her body defensive and resentful. “I don’t remember exactly where I was on Monday morning.” Her eyes moved up and right.
Shit. She was lying. People lied to cops and FBI agents all the time. The question was, what did she have to hide?
“But this morning, when the DJ was shot”— She’d already put together what the cops were officially refusing to admit—“ I was in a coffee shop and then on the Metro.”
“Got people who can verify that?”
She gave him the name of a coffee shop near Tenleytown and the metro stop where she’d got off the train.
“Don’t tell them why you’re asking,” she said. “Please.”
He grimaced.
She cradled her forehead in her hand and looked like she suddenly felt ill. Because, really, what were they going to think when the FBI started asking questions about her movements? He made himself push on. She wasn’t his friend or his date. He had a job to do.
“Any idea who might be committing these murders?”
“I told you. I’m not in touch with anyone from that life anymore.” “What about your brother?”
“Eddie?” An ugly laugh escaped. “I don’t have anything to do with that wacko.”
Eddie Hines was still incarcerated in the Idaho State Correctional Center. They’d pulled a bullet matched to his gun out of a SWAT officer’s vertebrae. The policeman had been lucky to not be paralyzed. To prove that point the officer turned up in a borrowed wheelchair and a “here but for the grace of God” sign every time Eddie came up for parole.
“I meant your other brother.”
She reached out to hold on to the back of the couch. “He doesn’t know about any of this.”
Mac frowned. “You mean the murders?”
“No,” she bit out sharply. “Any of it. Not the Pioneers. Not Kodiak Compound. Not who our family really is. Nothing.” Her fists clenched and unclenched. “And I want it to stay that way.”
What the hell? “Where does he think he comes from?”
“I told him we were the children of Trudy’s second-cousin on her mom’s side. I told him our parents died up in Oregon and Trudy took us in.”
“You lied to him about his parents?” Holy shit.
She put her hand on her hip. “Don’t use that judgmental tone with me, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steve McKenzie.”
“Sorry, Tess.” He strode toward her until they were only a foot apart. “I didn’t realize you had the monopoly on changing your identity.”
She flinched and blinked rapidly as if fighting tears. “If anyone should understand why I wanted to leave that ugliness behind it should be you. You need to leave. Now.”
When he didn’t move she went to the front door and opened it, waiting for him to take the hint. Damn. He’d blown it. When he stood in front of her again he opened his mouth to speak.
She beat him to it. “Don’t leave town, right?” Bitterness was rife in the lines around her mouth. In the bite of her tone.
“I was going to say that if anyone from Kodiak gets in touch—”
“They won’t.”
“But if they do—”
“They won’t!” She appeared on the verge of crying, but fighting it.
He’d seen all sorts of tears during his time on the job. It was always the ones that didn’t fall that affected him most.
He pulled a business card out of his pocket, took her hand and folded her fingers over it. The skin on skin contact made something unexpected spread through his body. Despite her anger she felt it too— he could tell by the way her pupils widened and her lips parted on a gasp. She tried to pull away but he didn’t let go and he didn’t back down.
Instead he pulled her toward him into a stiff embrace. His breath brushed her hair as he kissed the top of her head— like she was still that little girl he’d known all those years ago.
“I’m not the bad guy here, Tess,” he murmured against her hair.
She kept her head bowed, and eyes closed, hand pressed like a fiery brand against his heart.
“Neither am I, but no one seems to care.”
She pulled away, and he let her go. Then he walked away just like he had nearly twenty years ago.
He sat in his car, staring at the house, knowing she was inside watching him right back.
The unexpected attraction had caught him off guard. He’d forgotten what it felt like to actually want someone. But he couldn’t afford to start something with the daughter of one of the most notorious white supremacist leaders in history. That would not look great on his résumé.
That stupid hug had knocked him off balance and made him sit here like a damn stalker. He’d hoped to neutralize some of the antagonism his turning up out of the blue had created and keep her onside should he need her help in the future. But now the fresh scent of her shampoo invaded his nostrils, and the feel of her soft skin tantalized his senses. The sight of her in that damp robe— knowing that she was naked underneath— had distracted the hell out of him. And damned if that embrace hadn’t felt like coming home.
Chances were she wasn’t involved in the current murders. It didn’t seem likely that an accountant, raised by a woman of color, would turn around and start killing people based on her daddy’s evil doctrine. But who knew? He’d seen crazier things in his career. Tomorrow he’d check out her alibi and cross her off his to-do list.
More’s the pity.
And so what if his mind turned dirty. It wasn’t going to lead anywhere. She was off limits. And he was in control of his wants and needs.
See the COLD MALICE trailer
Did you know the first book in the Cold Justice series is available for free? Get your hands on A COLD DARK PLACE!
New York Times and USA Today international bestselling author, Toni Anderson, writes dark, gritty Romantic Suspense novels that have hit #1 in Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, the Top 10 in Amazon and Kobo stores, and the Top 50 in iBooks. Her novels have won many awards. A former Marine Biologist from Britain, she inexplicably ended up in the geographical center of North America, about as far from the ocean as it is possible to get. She now lives in the Canadian prairies with her Irish husband and two children and spends most of her time complaining about the weather.
Toni has no explanation for her oft-times dark imagination, and only hopes the romance makes up for it. She’s addicted to reading, dogs, tea, and chocolate.
If you want to know when Toni’s next book will be out, visit her website (http://www.toniandersonauthor.com) and sign up for her newsletter. If you want to read other fascinating stories about life in a city that, during winter, is sometimes colder than Mars, friend her on Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/toniannanderson).
Are you ready to meet Oliver? MR. BIG by Delancey Stewart is available today, and you don’t want to miss this sexy and fun contemporary romance! Find out more about MR. BIG below and pick up your copy now!
About MR. BIG
Once upon a time, I had everything: money, power, a multimillion-dollar company, a loving family. Well, at least I thought I had everything. Then my parents died, and I found out my whole life was based on a lie. That’s pretty much the moment when I went numb. Told the world to f*** off and went on a bender of epic proportion, just to see how far I could fall before I hit rock-bottom.
Now I’m back and all I want in this world is my morning—okay, afternoon—coffee. Then one of my employees has the nerve to call me out for cutting the line at the coffeehouse at the company I own. Sure, I’m a little scruffier than usual, but come on, bitching out the CEO? Not a smart career move. Just who does this smart-mouthed ball-buster think she is? And more important, what do I have to do to get her number?
Holland O’Dell may be uptight, but I wouldn’t mind taking her back to my place and ripping off that business-casual blouse/skirt combo and burying myself in her curves. She pushes my buttons, but at least I’m feeling something. And whatever it is, I won’t stop until I get more.
Advance praise for Mr. Big
“Mr. Big is the kind of smart, sexy delight that every woman deserves to read! [Delancey] Stewart will make you believe in true love in this steamy, heart-wrenching tale.”—USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone
“With a smart, feisty heroine and hot, tortured hero, Mr. Big has everything I look for in a contemporary romance. Witty, sexy, and full of heart!”—Melanie Harlow, USA Today bestselling author
“That’s a good question.” I wasn’t trying to dodge, but I didn’t have an answer. Plus, I wasn’t sure he was speaking geographically.
“Were you born and raised in Los Angeles?”
So he was speaking geographically. “Maybe,” I said. “I was raised here. I don’t know where I was born, actually.”
He raised an eyebrow in question.
I took a deep breath. “I was abandoned. They found me in a cardboard box at a hospital in Long Beach when I was a couple weeks old.”
I watched his eyes, waiting for the predictable sorrow, the sympathy most people offered when they heard about my inauspicious beginnings. Hale’s eyes reflected something else, though—they flashed with anger.
“I grew up in foster homes.” I shrugged.
“You were adopted?” He whispered the words, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.
I shook my head, a little confused at his reaction. For a moment I wondered if the revelation made him think less of me. It had certainly made me think less of myself for a lot of years. “Nope. Never adopted. Just fostered.” My salad came and I was thankful for the distraction.
Hale watched me intently, a crease between his dark eyes. He seemed about to say something, but then turned his head and stared out at the ocean instead. The sun was flashing on its surface, glittering like cellophane ribbons. I waited for him to ask more questions, but he seemed lost in thought.
We ate in relative silence, me enjoying the sunlight and warmth, and the entire avocado I’d convinced the waitress to bring me. Hale appeared to be focused on something inside his mind, something he didn’t seem apt to share. I decided to push. “What about you?”
His eyes snapped back to mine and then he shook his head, saying nothing.
“Seriously? I share but you don’t?” After spending most of the morning being thoughtful and kind, Mr. Big Dick was back. His face was closed and anger bubbled in his eyes as he turned his focus to his burger. “I see how it is,” I pressed.
He paused, a fry partway to his mouth, and then his hand lowered again, his shoulder slumping. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.”
“Okay . . .”
He dropped the fry and leaned back in his chair, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “It’s more that I don’t really know.” He stared down at his plate as he said, “I was adopted, actually. But I’ve only found that out recently.” His voice was cold, almost clinical, like this was a distant fact to be examined, not something integral to who he was.
“And you’re upset?” It was a stupid question. A dark frown had crept over his face and he looked much more like the broody asshole I’d met at Cody Tech than like the almost sweet man who’d been helping me since then. He was clearly upset.
A smile flickered over those incredible lips, but it did nothing to tamp down the sadness in his eyes. “I don’t know. Yes. It’s complicated.”
Without stopping myself this time, I reached for his hand, my own fingers covering the long square tips of his where they rested on the table. He started slightly, as if I’d shocked him, and then relaxed, his thumb reaching around to rub a line across the top of my fingertips. I suppressed the shiver that ran through me. The pain in his eyes had ebbed, and he looked up at me with something that felt a bit like wonder.
I stayed up in the wee hours to read and finish Mr. Big. It was not only funny but was sexy as hell to read. I adore Oliver and Holland together! Oliver is a complex character because he is a CEO who recently lost his parents as well as the idea of what he thought his family was. Not having a care in the world or the “want” to keep his company afloat, Oliver finds himself just wanting to give up on life. Of course, we know a lady will walk in and change all of that but here is what I loved the most, it’s not the sweet girl next door type lady.
Holland is a bad ass! She is strong, independent and wants to prove herself to the company that really does not hire women. Come on, how can you not love a character who not only fights for what she wants but also goes for it! Delancey Stewart really took a topic we hear little about in our society but know it exists-the fact women are not getting hired nor paid for the same job a man does. She does this eloquently by using her characters and without going away from her storyline. Perfect!
Oliver and Holland really have a connection throughout the story and you will find yourself routing for them to just do it all ready! I was unable to put this book down and found myself up until 3 am just to finish one more chapter. I cannot wait to read more by Delancey Stewart!
About Delancey Stewart
Delancey Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She’s been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wine seller. Despite lots of other interests, she has always been a writer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler, story reader, and tech writer. She tackles all these efforts from her current home outside Washington DC.
In Wild Ride Cowboy, Alex Donnelly returns to Copper Ridge, Oregon to keep a promise, but the last thing he expects is to fall for his best friend’s sister, Clara Campbell. Fans of Maisey Yates’ Copper Ridge series will love this sweet, sexy romance releasing August 29th!
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He’s come back to Copper Ridge, Oregon, to keep a promise—even if it means losing his heart…
Putting down roots in Copper Ridge was never Alex Donnelly’s intention. But if there’s one thing the ex-military man knows, it’s that life rarely unfolds as expected. If it did, his best friend and brother-in-arms would still be alive. And Alex wouldn’t have inherited a ranch or responsibility for his late comrade’s sister—a woman who, despite her inexperience, can bring tough-as-iron Alex to his knees.
Clara Campbell didn’t ask for a hero to ride in and fix her ranch and her life. All she wants is the one thing stubborn, honorable Alex is reluctant to give: a chance to explore their intense chemistry. But Clara has a few lessons to teach him, too…about trusting his heart and his instincts, and letting love take him on the wildest adventure of all.
Reluctantly, she covered the coffee with a white to-go lid then turned to walk out the door. She didn’t make it very far, though, because she ran right into a brick wall.
Well, it wasn’t really a brick wall. It just felt like one. Large, hard and uncompromising. But breathing. Which brick walls definitely didn’t do.
“Clara Campbell. Fancy meeting you here.”
Clara blinked and stared up into Alex Donnelly’s forest-green eyes and felt a strange response that seemed to originate in her stomach and travel upward to her chest, where it twisted, hard and sharp.
After looking at Asher, his understated physique and much softer brown gaze, the sight of Alex was jarring. Too intense. Too masculine. Too a lot of things.
His dark hair wasn’t military short anymore. It was long enough to hang into his face. He pushed it back off his forehead and again, something twisted, low and deep inside of her.
And then it wasn’t only his features that seemed too sharp. It was seeing him at all. She had been studiously avoiding him ever since he had moved back to Copper Ridge. If ever she’d caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, she’d gone the other way.
The last time she’d seen him up close had been at Jason’s funeral.
Pain washed through her, canceling out all of the good Asher feelings from only a moment before.
No wonder she’d had such a strong, immediate response to the sight of Alex. The man was dragging a bunch of her baggage in with him. Another thing she liked about Asher. He was separate from her life. From her pain.
Alex was all wound up in it.
“Hi, Alex,” she said, clutching her coffee cup tight, the warmth bleeding through to her palms. Which she was grateful for at the moment since her stomach had gone ice-cold at the sight of him.
“I’ve been meaning to stop by,” he said.
“That’s really okay,” she said, and she meant it. More than okay. Jason’s death meant that she was alone. Both of her parents were already gone. They’d had children later in life, and when her mother had gotten sick, her father had done everything he could to make his wife comfortable as her health declined. She’d died when Clara was twelve. And there had been no amount of preparation that could soften the blow. No amount of expectedness that could have made it feel less like a giant, ugly hand had reached into their life and wrenched the beauty out of it, leaving nothing but a dark abyss.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Down-on-her-luck teacher, Daisy Clemmens, is about to learn some hard lessons. (Not like that, you perv.)
Lesson One
No matter how broke you are, never agree to a job that includes a rabid eight-year-old, requires a tetanus shot or where your boss is a sexy (and cranky) rock ‘n’ roll god.
Lesson Two
Do not, do not start to have tender, gooey feelings for the sexy commitment-phobe rock ‘n’ roll god. You’ll only get hurt.
Lesson Three
Okay so you’ve slept with the sexy rock ‘n’ roll god. But it’s not too late. Just whatever you do, don’t fall in love. Whoops. Too late.
Lesson Four
Never love someone, even if they are a sexy rock ‘n’ roll god, more than yourself.
What a fantastic book! Hard Lessons is hands down a must read! This is the second book in the Wild Mind series and it is
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
Daisy is a teacher looking for a job and as most teachers seeking a teaching job know it is a hard to get. She finds herself applying and getting the job as a nanny to a rock star’s daughter, Addy. A job she only accepts because she thinks it will be short term because she plans on still applying for teaching jobs. However, years later she finds herself still working for Billy and loves being with Addy. I loved the dynamic of Daisy and Addy’s relationship because it was a wonderful way to see who Daisy really is as a person. Daisy is loving, smart, kind and best of all does not put up with any BS from Billy, Addy’s father. Daisy is not secretly swooning after Billy either. She truly cannot stand him most of the time and only finds him to be a decent person when he interacts with Addy.
Let me tell you, I had no idea if I loved to love Billy or if I loved to hate him the most. He was everything I always expected a rock star to be written like in a book. He is attractive, wild, sleeps around, drinks and smokes. It is refreshing actually to see a lead character, especially a rock star, to be written like all the tabloids say they act at times. He is really a jerk most of the book and I kept saying to myself, “Daisy you could do better”. The next page I was saying to myself “aww he is so sweet”.
This is why I loved this story! It is not a whirlwind romance and it sure is not all roses and rainbows. Charlotte West writes these characters so well that I was not sure if they even liked each other let alone if I wanted them to be together. I even loved that Hard Lessons takes place over years. I never felt Charlotte West rushed the book to get to the end. I have to say it is one of my top books of the year and I cannot wait to start the next book in the series that stars Addy!!
Charlotte West writes romance about strong heroines and the sexy alpha males who love them. She lives in Washington state with her husband and very large dog (think miniature pony size). She spends way too much money on books, and way too much time reading. When she’s not reading, she’s feeding her reality television addiction, eating chocolate, or traveling. She’s been known to eat her weight in Girl Scout cookies. She has a degree in Science and a Master’s in Education, neither of which she is currently using but is still paying for. Occasionally, she moonlights as a YA author.
About COLD MALICE
