All Rose Hart wants to do is put her past behind her, but it seems she can never escape the drama. Attempting to take control of her life she moves out with a new roommate, Sarah Boswell. Unfortunately, Sarah’s past is littered with questionable choices that affect Rose in ways that could alter her life forever.
Kane Thornton is one of Castle’s top foot soldiers in his empire of crime. He enters Rose’s life on orders from an uncle she never knew existed. For two years he kept a healthy distance, torn over being loyal to Castle and succumbing to his secret love for the woman he has been ordered to protect and not love. He never thought he would be capable of feeling this way over anyone again. His tragic past made him cold…emotionless. Rose was alluring. His need for her insatiable. Despite everything he thought he stood for, he knew he had to do everything he could so she would be his.
Bound together in a world of crime Rose was thrust into, their lives become entwined as they fight to keep their love alive despite the chaos of love, lust, and danger. The greatest battle they will face is the one that has the power to destroy them.
This is a romantic suspense novel and is told by the main character’s’ POV.
This is book three in the Castle series but can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend reading the prior books in the series, as characters play recurring roles throughout
Warning: This book deals with mature subject matters such as coarse language and explicit sexual situations. It is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.
You realize we’ve never been on a date?” He smirks at me, and my stomach flutters. Riddick is right, we haven’t. We couldn’t go out in public when we were younger since we were forbidden. And now we can; we can do anything we want. Go anywhere. Simply just be. It’s as if time has frozen for one split second. A conversation similar to this one pops into my mind. He said the same thing to me once. How he wished we could go out, be seen. Tell the entire town that in spite of the rumors of his father killing my parents, we were two teenagers in love; and if we could overcome it, then they as adults should as well. We were never given that chance.
“Oh. Does this mean you’re asking me out? I mean, I’ve already proven I’ll give you whatever you want, so dating is irrelevant at this point, don’t you think?” He groans, lifts me up and over him. His hardness is pressing into my stomach. I lay my hands on his chest, my eyes fluttering to render my innocence.
“Temptation got you fucked last night. Don’t tempt me, my naughty little angel. I’ll fuck you until the only choice you have to get out of this bed is to crawl. So, yes, I’m asking you out. Just me and you.”
“Okay. Where will we be going?” I agree. My insides are dancing and jiggling about as I watch him reach up and stretch his arms above his head before bringing them down to grab my ass. I sigh. I fizzle, and I may internally blow up with the detonator button being my clit.
“You’ll see,” he utters. Voice stating it’s a secret. Whatever. I’ll go wherever he wants me to go as long as we’re together.
“Tell me about these?” I coax those words out with ease as I outline the spider web tattoo around one of his nipples. He laughs. I scowl.
“I’m serious. Do any of them have a special meaning?” I ask seriously this time. “I bet I could get off just by standing in the shower watching you wash these.” I trot on seductively.
“Same goes for me with watching you arch your back, your mouth-watering tits with those pink nipples begging me to suck them as you wash your hair.” He lifts his hand, tugs my hair out of the confines of the band, and pulls so that my neck is exposed.
From USA Today Best-Selling Author
comes the first book in a series of standalones in The Saint Series.
Riddick by Kathy Coopmans releases on December 5th.
Previously released as an eBook in May 2016, the first book in Tessa Bailey’s Romancing the Clarksons series is now available in print for the first time!
When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.
Tessa Bailey really knows how to get a new series up and running and have you begging for more!!
Too Hot To Handle is the start of the Clarkson’s adventures after their mother passed away. These four siblings have a very strong love/hate relationship amongst them. And learning about each of them along the way in this book is what will keep you interested in the books to come.
In this book, Rita finds herself being the black sheep of the family after a terrible incident during a show and then burning down their mother’s restaurant. So she finds herself explaining to her siblings what their mother’s final wish was, they find themselves on a road trip to New York.
Til fate steps in and halts them in a small town in Nex Mexico. And as fate would have it, Rita meets her match – Jasper. These two couldn’t be more less alike if they tried. But their attraction to one another can’t be denied either. With only a day in town, Jasper has some motivation to keep them even longer.
I love these siblings. Being 1 or 4 siblings myself, I totally get this dynamic. My siblings and I may not always get along, but we will always have each other backs. These four siblings are all unique in their own ways and I know that each of their stories will be amazing.
Another great start to an amazing series by Tessa.
“So.” He plunked his beer down on the bar. “Where were you four headed in that big, rusty Suburban before Hurley reeled you in?”
She looked pensive as her shit-stomping boots started to sway back and forth, bumping the wooden rungs of the stool. “We need to be in Coney Island by New Year’s Day. So we can jump into the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Why—what?” He dropped onto the stool beside her, his drink forgotten on the bar. “That’s pretty high on the list of things I didn’t expect.”
“Oh, I know the feeling.” A beat passed. “It was our mother’s last wish.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded, brushing her hair back in a jerky motion, as if she were uncomfortable having someone’s undivided attention. He’d never had cause to use the word preposterous before, but that was the only way he could describe her lack of confidence. Despite the inappropriate name, the Liquor Hole was his life’s work, and, at the moment, it was nothing more than an unworthy backdrop for Rita. And, God, he was staring at her hands like an aggressive palm reader. “Most mothers want to avoid having their children turn into floating ice sculptures. What was her reason?”
“Good question.” A hint of sadness winked in her eyes, and Jasper wished he’d let the subject drop. This was what happened when he avoided talking about sex. He stumbled right into deceased parents. And yet he wasn’t sorry. Not even a little bit. He wanted to know everything. “I think…she meant it as some sort of symbolic bonding experiment. But I don’t know. We’re kind of unbondable.”
“Got the feeling I interrupted a near-melee this afternoon.”
“Aaron called my soufflé decent.” A strand of dark hair caught on her lips when she shook her head. It took one hundred percent of his impulse control not to tug it away, but she beat him to it, anyhow. “It sounds silly now.”
“Nah.” Jasper couldn’t help leaning in to get a whiff of cooking spices. “He would have had it coming just for dressing like a preacher on a weekday.”
Another one of those quiet, smoky laughs. “I guess there’s a fine line between politician and preacher.”
“Politician?” Jasper shivered, then recalled the threat Rita’s brother had leveled at his head back on the highway. “Still, I can’t help but like him for wanting you safe from a stranger. He can’t be all that bad if he worries about you.”
“Worried might be an exaggeration,” Rita said.
When her golden-brown gaze lit on his mouth, Jasper realized he’d moved into her personal space without any conscious thought. One of her knees brushed the denim covering his hip and, God help him, if the bar were empty he would’ve been between her split thighs before she could call for Jesus. For someone who hadn’t felt more than a passing appreciation for the opposite sex in years, his libido was sure trying to play catch-up tonight.
“What are you thinking about?”
Lie. He had to lie. I want to strip you down and fuck you on this seat, but I’m trying my hand at being a gentleman, was not an acceptable line. It was too aggressive when she seemed spooked merely from his close proximity. But she was leaving, leaving his town tomorrow, and the slow-game option had been ambitious for Jasper when he knew nothing about it. So he’d tell the truth while leaving out the oh-so-dirty reality in his pants. “I was thinking it would have been a goddamn shame if you’d broken down one town over.” His voice was gravel, so he cleared it. “More than a shame. I’m kind of finding it hard to think about, if you want to know the truth.”
For long moments, he couldn’t hear a single sound in the loud bar. No music, no crunching ice or raucous laughter. And, somehow, he knew she couldn’t hear the noise, either. It was there in the perplexity of her expression. He expected her to call bullshit or make a joke, but she didn’t. She shocked him instead.
“I’ll think I’ll take that kiss now.”
Dream Cast
When I cast TOO HOT TO HANDLE in my head (and on my Pinterest boards o’course!) I used a more introverted version of Emilia Clarke as Rita Clarkson. All the shiny effervesce and beauty of a brunette Emilia, with more dark makeup and clothing. This is the picture I sent to my editor when casting for the cover, because I think it captures Rita’s personality: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770433476759/
As for Jasper, he is described in the book as a young, revamped Matthew McConaughey and I think his personality totally matches that of a young carefree (non naked bongo playing) version of the actor. I promise he doesn’t say “alright, alright, alright,” but he does have that cool guy, ladies love me spirit. Scott Porter from Hart of Dixie would be my choice to play Jasper in a film https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770433788636/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
“Quietly humorous, profoundly moving, and captivatingly seductive, with supportive secondary characters, this novel is sure to enthrall fans and newcomers to this series.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review of Maybe This Time
Starting over means a second chance . . .
Abigail Jansen is done with hockey . . . and hockey players. After leaving her two-timing NHL-star husband, Abby decides to start over in her hometown of Glenwood Falls, Colorado. There she doesn’t have to deal with people gossiping behind her back or hear the word “hockey”—until her daughter tries out for the junior hockey team. Now Abby has to face her fears . . . and coach Jackson Westmore. He’s tall, dark, handsome—and happens to hate her.
All through high school, talented hockey player Jackson Westmore had a crush on Abby, but he would never make a move on his best friend’s girl. He gave her the cold shoulder out of self-preservation and worked out his frustrations on the ice. So when Abby returns, newly divorced and still sexy as hell, Jackson knows he’s in trouble. Now even the best defensive skills might not keep him from losing his heart.
He smiled. “Fine, but first…” Taking her face in his hands he lowered his lips to hers. The surprise look in her eyes should have given him cause to reconsider, but the hell with it. It didn’t matter that he knew he’d crossed a line and he’d broken some sort of bro code; for the first time in his life, he was ready to go after what he wanted. And after the night they shared, he knew she wanted him to.
She closed her eyes and fell into him, and he deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of her peppermint lip gloss and sliding his fingers through her soft hair. Her hands were pressed against his chest, but she wasn’t pushing him away. Instead, they clutched the fabric of his T-shirt, drawing him even closer.
When he reluctantly broke away a moment later, he was happy to see Abby was as out of breath as he was. “Okay, now you can talk.”
“I don’t remember what I was going to say.” She sighed, resting her forehead against his chest. “What are we doing?”
He leaned back and, placing a finger under her chin, forced her gaze to his. “I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago. Abby, I know I should keep holding back how I feel for you because of Dean, but the truth is, that friendship isn’t worth giving up this chance with you. I’m not even sure I know my friend anymore, after how he treated you and Dani.”
“Jackson, I just got divorced. I’m not ready for…this. Whatever this is. I’m sorry my kissing you and…other things have been misleading, but I’m not sure I can do a relationship right now. Dani and I are starting over and rebuilding a life here.”
He nodded. “I’m not asking for anything except a chance. I know you’ve been through a lot. I know you may still…have feelings for Dean,” he said through clenched teeth. The idea that he might always have to compete for her full affections made him even more determined to prove that he was the right one for her. Had always been the right one.
She shook her head and started to say something, but he placed a finger to her lips.
“And that’s okay. I just want a chance to prove to you I would never hurt you the way he did. I don’t care how long it takes. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere, Abby. My love is not going anywhere.”
She swallowed hard and her eyes widened at his words. “I can’t promise I’ll ever be ready,” she whispered.
“I’ll keep waiting,” he said firmly. Then he smiled. “On one condition.”
She frowned. “Which is?”
“You and Dani come to the fall fair this weekend with Taylor and me.”
“No.”
“It won’t be a date,” he said quickly. “Just two friends hanging out.”
She sighed again. “I think we skipped over ‘friends,’ don’t you?” she asked.
“Well, then friends shouldn’t be that difficult,” he countered. He wasn’t about to let her push him away. Not when he was finally ready to show her how much he cared about her.
“Fine. But I don’t think friends sit on the same side of the table, so get over there,” she said, trying to nudge him out of the booth.
He stayed exactly where he was. “This friend does.”
Jennifer Snow lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and son. She writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance stories set everywhere from small towns to big cities. After stating in her high school yearbook bio that she wanted to be an author, she set off on the winding, twisting road to make her dream a reality. She is a member of RWA, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, the Canadian Authors Association, and the Film and Visual Arts Association in Edmonton. She has published over ten novels and novellas with many more on the way.
Today we have the release of THE PROMISE by J.B. McGee. Check out the release day festivities and grab your copy of this contemporary romance today!
About The Promise:
After nine years of holding her feelings and affection for Holden inside, Cammie can’t seem to keep her hands off him. With new resolve to no longer let high society expectations drive her actions, she says to hell with the ramifications from the gossipers of Magnolia Grove.
Even before she’s had a chance to formally break off her engagement, move out of her shared apartment with her jerk of a fiancé, Oliver, or tell her parents.
When she and Holden are caught in a goofy, yet intimate moment, Cammie questions the decisions they made together in the cabana earlier that morning.
Cammie needs more than gestures from Holden. Talk’s cheap. Promises are easily broken. And the only thing worse than new secrets are old ones.
Can Holden finally open up and give Cammie what she needs in The Promise?
The past finally catches up with Holden and Cammie in book four of the Magnolia Grove Series. Hidden lies have destroyed and robbed him of nearly everything Holden Masters cares about.
As buried truths come to surface, the only question that remains is whether he can finally be redeemed. Well, and will they be strong enough to survive the secret?
J.B. McGee is a mother, wife, and the Amazon Top 100 author of the best-selling This Series. Amazon Crossing acquired the German rights to her debut novel, Broken. Heartfall, her coming of age novel about a bullied ballerina, is a #1 best seller in the Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts genre. Skipping Stones, a military romance about a young woman strongly influenced by her faith and her family all the while searching for her true love, is a #1 best seller in Women’s Christian Fiction.
When J.B.’s not writing, she enjoys reading as well as watching and live-chatting her favorite television shows with her friends. Her favorite shows are Quantico, Blindspot, Grey’s Anatomy, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Below Deck, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Scandal (mainly because of her love of Scott Foley).
Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she attended Converse College and eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006.
In college, she was told by her children’s literature professor she would be the one student from her class to be an author. McGee shook her head and laughed. But in 2012, over six years after that statement was made and after a love of reading had been reignited, she gave writing a shot. J.B. gladly ate crow when she emailed her first book to the above mentioned children’s literature professor thanking her and acknowledging the accuracy of her prophecy.
In 2011, it was discovered that not only do both of her children, but also she and her husband, have mitochondrial disease. Affecting 1 in 2500 people, it has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to care for her family’s unique needs while also providing a platform for raising awareness for this disease.
She is a hopeless romantic who loves to escape into fairy tales—some she reads and some she creates.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia.
Waitress Tiffany Hayes knows what she wants and she wants Sebastian. Top’s grumpy sommelier calls to her in a way no man has before. She simply needs to show him that they belong together. Finding an opportunity to spend some quality time with him turns out to be the easy part. Convincing Sebastian to look beyond his damaged heart and soul is far more difficult.
A thirst he can’t deny
After losing everything he held dear, Sebastian Lowe has finally rebuilt his life and the walls around his heart. Tiffany is a sweet temptation he struggles to resist. She’s bright and complex, but he’s sure she can’t handle his dark desires. When they’re thrown together on an assignment, he can’t help himself.
A perfect pairing
As passion builds, the new lovers are both forced to face their pasts. To have a future, they must find a way to heal the wounds they thought would haunt them forever.
Damn but she was a beautiful woman. She was also something he needed to keep his hands off of. No matter what Big Tag said, he did not date women he worked with.
He didn’t really date anyone. He played with subs. When the need got too great, he found a partner for a brief time. He didn’t sleep with anyone. He fucked, and that was starting to get very old. Empty.
“So you said something about house rules?” Tiffany leaned forward, her elbows on the bar. “Are these housekeeping rules or like big bad Dom rules?”
“I don’t suppose I differentiate.” He couldn’t let those big eyes of hers soften him up. It had almost happened at her apartment. When she’d stood up after he’d spanked her and there had been tears running down her face, his impulse had been to reach for her. He’d wanted to draw her in the way he had that night when she was drunk and she’d cried on his shoulder. He’d wanted to smooth back her hair and promise her everything was going to be all right, that he could fix things for her. It was a path that was sure to lead to discomfort for her and humiliation for him. “I prefer a clean living space. I don’t like for things to be messy. I expect that you will keep your things in their proper place.”
Because no matter how hard he tried, he could still trip. The legs he now walked on were only a year old. He’d spent the first two years in a wheelchair.
The Garden’s Wheelchair Dom.
He still wasn’t completely comfortable in the prosthetics.
“I can try,” she said with a frown. “I’ll be honest, I’m not the world’s biggest neat freak.”
He’d been able to tell that from the state of her apartment. It had been cluttered, a bit dusty. With the exception of her easel. That had been perfectly taken care of. He rather wished he’d taken the time to ask to see her art.
He’d seen one painting that night he’d taken her home. It had been a painting of three laughing girls, the swirling colors so vibrant he could hear them giggling as they splashed in a puddle on a rainy day. The figures had been more impressions than photographic reality, but he’d known what she was trying to convey.
“If you cook I’ll clean, and the other way around.” He’d started a list in his head on the long drive. The drive that would have been considerably shorter had they left at the proper time. As she’d sung along to sugary pop songs after she’d changed his radio, he’d sat and considered how to proceed.
With caution. Lots and lots of caution.
“I’m not the best cook in the world,” he continued, “but I can manage. Most nights, of course, we’ll be eating at Top as our training sessions for the new restaurant will last long hours, but I would prefer to eat breakfast here rather than skipping the meal or picking up fast food. Eric made sure the fridge was stocked with a few items I requested.”
“Breakfast.” She gave him a little salute with her free hand. “I can manage that.”
“In addition to our duties at Top, we will now be taking on the additional task of appearing to be a long-term D/s couple, and we need to talk about what that should look like.” Another thing he’d been thinking about ever since that moment the trap had closed around him. “You know you probably could have gotten us out of this assignment. It’s much more difficult for the Dom to say no. The sub always holds the power. Is there a reason you didn’t use yours today?”
“I didn’t want to,” she replied simply. “I don’t have a full-time Dom and I thought it would be interesting to see what that’s like.”
Was she thinking at all? “You know nothing about how I function as a dominant partner.”
“And now I do,” she replied. “You like rules and schedules and you tend to be very fair.”
“I can be quite exacting in my standards.”
“I can be quite flexible,” she shot back as the sexiest smile crossed her face. “I’m serious about that. I can still do the splits and everything.”
“You’re far too reckless, Tiffany.” He didn’t appreciate recklessness so why was she like a siren calling to him? If he listened, he would end up wrecked.
“You’re far too uptight, Sebastian.”
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
A feisty redhead and an alpha male makes for a steamy pairing you can’t resist. Fans of The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken and Violet Duke’s Resisting the Bad Boy, will love this super sweet and sexy romance from Anissa Garcia.
Title: A Promise Made
Author: Anissa Garcia
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 3, 2016
Publisher: AG Romance Reads LLC
Synopsis:
Josh McKenzie may come off as intimidating with his solid build and cold stare, but when trouble calls, Marla quickly learns there is more to the sexy tatted man with the British accent. And if she’s not careful, she can easily lose herself in his gentle touch and soft voice.
A feisty redhead with a mouth that won’t quit, Marla Sullivan knows how to push all of Josh’s buttons, making him want her in the worst way. His biggest hurdle is breaking through her stubborn walls and proving he’s here to stay.
When Marla’s faced with an unknown danger, Josh is forced to reveal his buried past. Promises made and surfaced truths may be the catalyst that brings them together…or pushes them further apart.
Marla’s form strutted out the door, her long hair flowing down her creamy white shoulders and hourglass frame. That black dress hugged her petite body, and I observed the way her ass moved as she hooked her coat and purse over her arm. Her femininity was alluring. The way she held herself and her delicate skin smelling like cinnamon made me hard. It matched her sizzling mouth that I wanted to suck on and kiss raw.
I lifted myself out of the seat and crossed the room to her as she fumbled to put on her coat. One side hung down and I grabbed it with ease. She jerked away, attempted to escape me as I held it up. Mahogany eyes glared at me. She was on defense, no doubt from Ryan and whatever other idiots had disillusioned her about chivalry and romance. I would prove to her it wasn’t dead.
“Is the date set with Dumbledore?”
Her ruby red colored lips pressed down a smile as she shook her head. “His name’s Gandalf, and he asked me to an early bird dinner at Denny’s.”
Cute. At least she was open to joking with me, if only a bit. But she was also nervous. I could see it reflected in the way she moved, even the way she breathed. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“No, I’m fine.”
She moved at a faster pace and I kept up easily. I wasn’t letting her walk alone at night, especially with the type of men I saw in there. “I’m walking you out.”
“My car’s in the parking garage, they have security cameras.”
She was one tough cookie. Independent, used to doing things on her own, she probably attracted the men who were complete opposite of her. She liked to be in control and so did I. You’d think this would pose some type of problem, but I was attracted to it. I moved closer to her, my mouth near her ear. “You like pushing me away, don’t you?”
She turned her head toward me and rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you’re one of those alphas who likes to see his woman submit. You want the type of woman who will adore you every night, follow you around all day, and tell others how amazing you are at everything you do.”
“You certainly like pretending you know who I am. Since we met you’ve been nothing but judgmental toward me and only me. Why is that?”
We were riding in the lift, but she didn’t dare give me a glance. Instead she pressed the button to the ground floor, even though it had already been lit up. She pressed at it again, as if it would make it go faster.
“I don’t like guys like you.”
“Guys like me?”
“Yeah. I’ve dated guys like you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I rested in the corner against the wall. What to say to a woman who thought she already knew everything about you? I’d give it a go. “So, some idiot who lived in the gym dated and hurt you, and now you think all men who work out are the same?”
“Whether they live in the gym or not, they all end up being the same. They all want a certain type of woman.”
“Which is what?”
The doors finally opened and she scurried out, searching for her keys in her bag. “The easy woman to comply with whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want.”
“That type of woman is boring.”
She turned to her red Toyota Prius and opened the door, throwing her purse in the passenger side and starting her car. “Exactly. Yet they all want it.”
Before she could shut the door, I stepped in front of it and leaned down as she strapped on her seatbelt. “Darling, I’m not afraid of hard work. I know you’re an independent woman, and though most men find that threatening, I find it extremely sexy.”
“You know what I find extremely not sexy? The fact that you find a woman like me to be hardwork. Strike one, pal.”
She threw her hand up holding two fingers, and either she was warning me that I had two chances left, or she shot me the peace sign. I believe it was the latter. Either way, she was not happy. If I wanted to make headway with Red, I was going to have to get some inside help to thaw the icy heart within that fiery woman.
Anissa Garcia resides in Austin, Texas and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communications and English. She held an array of jobs including Public Relations Manager for Barnes and Noble. Wanting a change of pace, she moved to Los Angeles where she attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and trained full-time in theatre. After working in Hollywood, she returned to Texas where she has written articles for Cosmopolitan and Lady Couture. When not writing stories, watching movies, or drinking a latte, she loves to daydream about romantic fictional men.
After We Fall by Melanie Harlow Publication Date: November 28th, 2016 Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Jack Valentini isn’t my type.
Sexy, brooding cowboys are fine in the movies, but in real life, I prefer a suit and tie. Proper manners. A close shave.
Jack might be gorgeous, but he’s also scruffy, rugged, and rude. He wants nothing to do with a “rich city girl” like me, and he isn’t afraid to say so.
But I’ve got a PR job to do for his family’s farm, so he’s stuck with me for ten days, and I’m stuck with him. His glares. His moods. His tight jeans. His muscles.
His huge, hard muscles.
Pretty soon there’s a whole different kind of tension between us, the kind that has me misbehaving in barns, trees, and pickup trucks. I’ve never done anything so out of character—but it feels too good to stop.
And the more I learn about the grieving ex-Army sergeant, the better I understand him. Losing his wife three years ago left him broken and bitter and blaming himself. He doesn’t think he deserves a second chance at happiness.
But he’s wrong.
I don’t need to be his first love. If only he’d let me be his last.
“Second chances are not given to make things right, but are given to prove that we could be even better after we fall.” —Unknown
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
✮✮✮SECOND CHANCES, HOPE, & RED-HOT CHEMISTRY…FIRE IN YOU, the final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Wait For You World is here! Don’t Miss Brock and Jillian’s passionate and richly moving story in this standalone contemporary romance!✮✮✮
Let the FIRE IN YOU burn and grab your copy today!
About FIRE IN YOU:
From the # 1 New York Times and International bestselling author comes a richly moving story about heartbreak and guilt, second chances and hope. Full of familiar, fan-favorite characters and no two people more deserving of a happy ending, Fire In You will burn bright beyond the last page…
Jillian Lima’s whole world was destroyed in a span of a few hours. The same night her childhood love, Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell, broke her heart, her life was irrevocably altered by the hand of a stranger with a gun. It takes six years to slowly glue together the shattered pieces of her life, but Jillian is finally ready to stop existing in a past full of pain and regret. She takes a job at her father’s martial arts Academy and she’s going out on her first date since a failed relationship that was more yuck than yum. Jillian is determined to start living.
She just never expected Brock to be a part of her life again. But he’s firmly back in her life before she knows it, and not only is he older, he’s impossibly more handsome, more teasing and more everything. And when he sees Jillian, he’s no longer capable of thinking of her as the little girl who was his shadow growing up or the daughter of the man who gave him a second chance at life. He sees the woman who’d always been there for him, the one person who believed in him no matter what.
Brock knows she’s the one he should’ve made his, and what begins as a tentative friendship quickly turns to red-hot chemistry that sparks a flame that burns brighter than lust. Falling for Brock again risks more than her heart, because when the sorrow-filled and guilt-ridden past resurfaces, and a web of lies threatens to rip them apart, the fallout could lay waste to everything they’ve fought to build together, and destroy the dreams of those they care most about.
Order a digital or paperback copy of FIRE IN YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J.Lynn, AND fill out THIS FORM by December 3rd, and get an exclusive bonus scene-an Epilogue featuring POVs from all the major couples throughout the Wait For You World!
FIRE IN YOU will be available in paperback and eBook November 28th, 2016!
Just enter your name, age, email address, and the order number from your digitalor paperback pre-order receipt at https://a.pgtb.me/M7KhMCto receive your exclusive FIRE IN YOU bonus scene! All entrants will receive the bonus scene on December 5th, 2016 through email using the email given when the entrant filled out THIS FORM.
EXCERPT:
Making my way through the narrow pathways between the tables, I headed back toward the bathroom. Only once I pushed open the double doors and stopped in front of the water-spotted mirror did I realize I’d left my purse at the table, so there’d be no reapplying my lipstick.
I pumped soap onto my hands and waved them under the facet. Water flowed, washing away the suds as I slowly lifted my gaze to my reflection. Normally when I looked at myself, I didn’t really pay attention longer than was necessary to put makeup on without ending up looking like a tutorial gone wrong.
Standing here now, I really looked at myself, though.
I used to wear my hair up all the time, but I’d stopped doing that every day. My hair now hung in waves and the ends curled over the tips of my breasts. I also used to have heavy bangs, but thank God they were long gone. I’d finally learned how to put on eyeliner. That was another miracle. The slight flush of my face darkened my naturally tan skin. My lips were fuller and my nose straight.
My hair was parted to sweep to the left so it shielded my cheek…and my cheek didn’t look that bad, especially considering how it looked the first time I’d seen it after…after days in the hospital.
Hell, my entire face had been one hot mess.
There was a deep indentation in my left cheek, almost like an icepick had been shoved in there, and as I stared at my right jaw line, I was still amazed by what reconstructive plastic surgeons could accomplish. Half my face had literally been pieced back together with an iliac crest graft with a reconstruction plate and a crap ton of dentistry to give me back a full set of functional teeth.
Plastic surgeons didn’t have magic wands, but they were magicians. If you weren’t looking at me straight on, you’d have no idea that my right jaw was thinner than my left.
You’d have no idea what had happened to me that night.
Now I stared back at myself just like I had done that night, six years ago, standing in a bathroom, mere minutes before my entire life came crashing down.
It wasn’t that I hated the way I looked now. The fact that I was alive meant I was one of those rare, walking and breathing statistics.
But even knowing how lucky I was didn’t change the fact that I felt…deformed. That was a harsh word to use. I didn’t like to whip it out often. Doing so on what was so far a pretty good date was probably not a good idea.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. I didn’t need my thoughts going in that direction tonight. So far, the dinner had been amazing. Grady was nice and he was cute. I could maybe see myself going out with him again, to an art exhibit, and maybe coffee.
And that was what had freaked me out.
I was not going to let living freak me out.
Nope.
I could give him a chance and not worry about whether or not I was settling.
Turning from the sink, I dried my hands and then readjusted my hair so it fell forward, over my left shoulder and cheek. I walked out of the bathroom and into the narrow hall, gaze trained on the floor as I took about two steps before I realized someone was standing right outside the door, leaning against the wall. Before I nearly plowed into him.
Gasping, I took a step back. All I could see were finely cut black trousers paired with…with old black and white Chucks? What an odd combination, but those shoes reminded me of…
I gave a little shake of my head and stepped to the side. “Sorry. Excuse—”
“Jillian.”
I stopped.
Time stopped.
Everything stopped except my heart, because it was suddenly pounding in my chest too hard, too fast. That deep, rough voice. I recognized it all the way to my very core. Slowly, I lifted my gaze, already knowing what I was going to see but refusing to believe it.
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.
She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Readers LOVE New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant’s Paranormal Romances; Dark Warriors, Dark Sword and her most recent new series Dark Kings. We are excited to share with you her upcoming contemporary romance, Sons of Texas!!
“The Hero” is the first in the series which releases on Dec. 6, 2016!
The second book, “The Protector” releases on January 3, 2017! Both books are available now available for pre- order!Learn more about “The Hero” below!
The Hero
(Sons of Texas Series, Bk #1)
by Donna Grant
Blurb:
THE HERO’S HOMECOMING
Owen Loughman is a highly-decorated Navy SEAL who has a thirst for action. But there’s one thing he hasn’t been able to forget – his high school sweetheart, Natalie. After over a decade away, Owen is returned home to the ranch in Texas for a dangerous new mission that puts him face-to-face with Natalie and an outside menace that threatens everything he holds dear. He’ll risk it all to keep Natalie safe – and win her heart. . . .
Natalie Dixon has had a lifetime of heartache since Owen was deployed. Fourteen years and one bad marriage later, she finds herself mixed up with the Loughman’s again. With her life on the line against an enemy she can’t fight alone, it’s Owen’s strong shoulders, smoldering eyes, and sensuous smile that she turns to. When danger closes in, she holds close to the only man she’s ever loved…
Pre-Order Now!
Release Date:
December 6, 2016
Excerpt
Owen scrubbed a hand down his face. This was a hit. Pure and simple. But against his aunt and uncle, who were some of the best human beings he’d ever known? This wasn’t about Charlotte and Virgil. This was about something else. He immediately thought of his father. But it could be because of one of them, as well. He and his brothers had enemies of their own.
That soured his stomach. Hadn’t he sworn he wouldn’t allow such things to touch his family again?
He walked back into the house and to the living area, followed by Cullen and Wyatt. He looked at the recliner where their uncle had been killed to the fireplace where one of the shotguns hung.
“It’s untouched,” Cullen stated.
Owen glanced around the room. “Virgil never got to it.”
“He didn’t stand a chance against such firepower,” Wyatt stated.
Cullen strode to the kitchen and stood quietly for several minutes. When he spoke, his voice was low and filled with raw fury. “I’ll not stop until I find out who did this.”
“We feel the same,” Owen said, fully understanding how Cullen felt.
Cullen released a breath and faced his brothers. “I was in the middle of a mission when my team was pulled. No way was I picked up and immediately brought here just because they were murdered.”
“You weren’t the only one, kid,” Wyatt said. “I was on a mission, too.”
Owen crossed his arms over his chest. “Make that all three of us. I can’t think of any of my enemies who would know to track me here.”
“Me either,” Cullen replied.
Wyatt gave a single shake of his head.
Owen’s anger burned brightly. “This involves Dad. It has to.”
A muscle ticked in Wyatt’s jaw. Owen ignored the telltale sign that Wyatt was furious and frowned when he heard the sound of an automobile approaching. The three instantly fanned out. Cullen took the back door while Owen positioned himself at the front. Wyatt squatted behind the sofa in the formal living room.
The motor shut off, and a moment later, a vehicle door closed. Owen glanced out the window and caught sight of the front of a dark gray BMW 6 Series.
Seconds ticked by without the sound of anyone approaching. Wyatt turned his head toward the back of the house when the front door was thrown open, and someone stepped inside. Owen stilled a second before he grabbed the slim form.
He had the intruder flipped onto their back immediately. In the next moment, Owen found himself on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He jumped to his feet and tried to look beneath the baseball cap of the person, but he couldn’t make out anything.
Owen didn’t waste any time getting the advantage and slamming the person against the wall. There was a gasp that sounded distinctly feminine as the air in the intruder’s lungs was forced out.
That caught his attention. With a shove, he knocked the hat off. A wealth of light brown hair tumbled free.
All the breath left him as he stared into green eyes he feared he’d never see again.
“Natalie?”
“Hi, boys,” she said off-handedly.
He frowned, suddenly furious to find her there. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“She’s looking for me,” came a voice behind them.
“Callie?” Wyatt asked in a strangled voice full of surprise and annoyance as he stood.
Callie Reed glared at each of them as she walked around Owen and nodded to Natalie. He released Natalie, and she moved to stand beside Callie. He exchanged a look with his brothers, though Wyatt couldn’t stop staring at Callie.
“Someone please tell us what’s going on?” Owen demanded.
Callie shrugged. “I work here.”
Green eyes met his. “I came to help.”
Sons of Texas Series
The Protector (The Sons of Texas #2)
Release Date: Jan. 3, 2017
Pre-Order at
Visit Donna’s website to learn more about the series and read sneak peeks!
About The Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.
We’re just under a week away until the release of INK EXPOSED by Carrie Ann Ryan (!!!), but we couldn’t wait. So we’re revealing the first chapter of Carrie Ann Ryan over the next three days! Find out more about INK EXPOSED and read the final part of the first chapter below!
About INK EXPOSED
The Montgomery Ink series continues with the brother that deserves a second chance, and the woman who has always loved him.
Alex Montgomery lost his first love and then proceeded to leave himself in the bottle. Only he and his ex-wife truly know why he fell so hard and so fast down a path he never thought he’d take. Now he’s clean, out of rehab, and learning how to be a Montgomery once again—a task that isn’t quite as easy as some of his family assumes.
Tabby Collins is an honorary Montgomery and the organizational mastermind behind Montgomery Inc., the family’s construction company. She loves her planners, friends, and a certain dark-haired man who’s never given her a second glance.
Alex is slowly re-immersing himself back into the world, but the demons he faced before aren’t out of the picture, and he’ll have to learn to rely on others to make it out whole. When Alex discovers that Tabby’s life is in danger, he not only finds a way to help her but also learns the true woman behind the soft smiles he’s always seen. Their romance won’t be an easy one, but nothing this passionate and heart-pounding ever is.
He focused on one side of the room, snapping a few photos as his sister Meghan threw her head back and laughed at something her husband Luc said. Luc held their daughter, Emma, in his arms. The little girl was about five months old now if he was counting right. In fact, his three sisters had each given birth to a child five months ago, which just went to show how close the Montgomerys were. They even bred on a similar schedule so their children could grow up together. Though he knew they hadn’t done it on purpose, it was still a little weird.
His other sister, Maya, leaned back against one of her husbands, Border, while their third, Jake, held their son, Noah. Beside them, Miranda, Alex’s final sister, held her son, Micah, while her husband, Decker, stood to the side of them, smiling like a proud papa.
Alex continued to take photos, ignoring the ache in his chest at the sight of all of his family members finding their own paths and making families of their own.
He’d fucked up the family he had, and knew he wouldn’t be getting a second chance. His ex-wife was long gone, thankfully, and he wasn’t about to fall into that trap again.
He didn’t figure he was strong enough to do it a second time.
Once again, he pushed those thoughts from his mind and kept taking photos. Griffin and Autumn cuddling in the corner. Austin and Sierra wrangling heir brood in the center of the room. His parents dancing to the delight of Tabitha, Storm, and Wes. With each click of the shutter, he captured the memory for eternity without actually living it himself.
It was what he did, though, and he’d be damned if he failed at this one thing.
The timer went off behind him, and he turned as his mother clapped her hands, signaling the troops. “Okay, crew, find your seats. Storm and Alex? Come help me put the food out on the table.”
When his mother spoke, people listened, so he put away his camera and went to place the plates of food on the table. Each sibling took their turn acting as sous chef and waitstaff, so Alex took his role in stride. Thankfully, those talented with building things with their own two hands in his family had built a large banquet table to fit everyone at once. Though he figured with all the children popping up everywhere, it would be a tight fit soon.
Eventually, he found himself seated next to Jake on one side, and his nephew, Austin’s son, Leif, on the other. Tabitha sat in front of him with Storm and Wes on either side of her. While his mother hadn’t put out place cards, he had a feeling she’d had a hand in that particular seating arrangement. His mom really wanted Tabitha as part of the family.
Everyone piled their plates high with food, though he was very careful to only take small portions of each dish. Everything was so carb and fat rich, and he had to be careful and not gorge himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat everything, but now that he didn’t have drinking to binge on, and had never turned to smoking, he was afraid he’d overindulge with food. Too many of those in his program had done that, and he didn’t want to trade one vice for another. His therapist was okay with the way he policed himself for now, but Alex knew he would always be balancing on the line of obsession and a new addiction.
“Did you get enough?” Leif asked from Alex’s side. The kid was almost a teenager now, which scared the hell out of his dad, as well as Alex. “I can reach the Alfredo if you want more.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m good. I have enough on my plate. Thank you.”
Leif shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
“You sure you’re eating enough?” Storm asked, and Alex narrowed his eyes.
“Yep. I promise.” His tone must not have been as smooth as he’d have liked because the others went a bit quiet around him. “I’m eating plenty, I promise.” And he was, though he’d eaten more in the past. But now that he was working out more, he’d added additional protein to his diet and not carbs. He hated that he even had to justify it, but he’d messed everything up before by becoming an alcoholic so he figured his family might not trust him to take care of himself anymore.
Not that he blamed them.
He didn’t entirely trust himself.
Everyone continued to eat and talk, and Alex spoke quietly with Jake and some of the others when they asked him questions. He still wasn’t completely comfortable so it was easier to sit and observe rather than participate.
“Hey, I might have a job for you if you’re interested,” Storm said, breaking Alex out of his thoughts.
“Really?” he asked. He needed the money, and if Storm could help him find a legitimate job, then he’d take it. He didn’t want handouts, but he’d work for it.
“Yeah. Actually, it was Wes and Tabby’s idea.”
Alex turned to the others, his brows raised.
Tabby blushed, but Wes was the one who answered. “We’re redoing the website, and we want to have a couple of printed books to hand out and for the office. Hardbound for the office, but I don’t know yet about the other printed materials. We want to focus on what we’re good at and show off what we’ve done. Storm and I could easily snap a few photos, but they wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as what you do.”
“We’d pay you your normal fee, too,” Storm added. “It’s not like we’d expect you to just do it for us because you’re family.”
Alex frowned. “But you should expect that.” “Uh, no,” Maya put in. “You all pay for your ink when you come into the shop.”
“And I get paid for doing work with Montgomery Inc. even though I’m family,” Meghan said softly. “We all work together because we’re family, but we need to make a living, as well.”
Alex swallowed hard, aware that everyone was looking at him. He felt exposed, raw, but he ignored it. He’d felt even more exposed before when he’d tried to drink himself to death, only this time, he didn’t have the booze to numb it all.
“I think I can do that. Just tell me what you want.”
He didn’t miss the way his mother reached for his father’s hand, and the two of them looked at him as if he’d made a giant leap.
He let out a breath and tried to ignore the stares. Finally, it was Tabitha who made a noise, breaking the tension. She yelped as she reached out for her water, spilling it on her lap and some of the table. “Oops! Sorry!”
She winked at him, but he wasn’t sure anyone else had noticed. He stood up to help her, but Storm and Wes were already on the case. He didn’t know why Tabitha had done that and taken the heat off him, but he sure was grateful. Soon, the others went back to what they were doing, and Tabitha came out with a new glass and more napkins.
When they were finished eating, everyone took their plates to the kitchen and picked up more drinks if needed. Alex pulled out a soda. Though he didn’t need the sugar, he wanted the caffeine and wasn’t in the mood for coffee.
Austin and Wes pulled out beers for themselves while in the middle of a conversation about Wes’s next tattoo. When Austin popped the top, the sound echoed at just the right frequency within the kitchen so that everyone heard it. In fact, every single person froze where they were and turned mortified looks toward Alex.
For the first few dinners, everyone had stayed away from drinking around him, but he’d hated that. None of his family members had ever abused alcohol and had always been really careful about who was driving even after one drink. He’d eventually convinced them to start drinking what they wanted, but it hadn’t been easy. Alcohol wasn’t evil, but Alex didn’t know how to say no after one or two drinks. It wasn’t within him to do so, and therefore, he had to stay away from it entirely. But after a long day where his family worked until sweat soaked through their shirts at their demanding jobs, if they wanted a simple beer, then damn it, they deserved it.
And he’d learned to live with it. One step at a time.
In response to the stares, he deliberately opened his soda slowly, the pop of the top echoing just as much as Austin’s beer had. The tension in the room popped like a balloon, and he could practically see everyone take a deep breath as one.
One day, he figured he might be forgiven for how he’d betrayed his family, but it wouldn’t be anytime soon. He’d broken their trust, and he’d broken himself in the process.
His gaze met Tabitha’s across the kitchen, and she swallowed hard, her eyes wide. He deliberately turned away and headed into the living room where some of the others were. He didn’t deserve to look at Tabitha that way. She was too sweet, too innocent for a man like him.
She deserved someone who hadn’t carved his path through the world with a broken bottle. And he deserved…well, he wasn’t sure what he deserved, but it wasn’t her.
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
A table for two
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
About INK EXPOSED