Synopsis: I’m used to going for the easy things in life.
The easy A in school.
The easy lay in bed. The easy life my trust fund affords me.
Until I met Shelby.
Never in my life have I found retro T-shirts and ChapStick so damn sexy.
She’s exactly what I never knew I wanted.
And she’s *anything* but easy.
But suddenly, easy is overrated.
Only one damn problem… For Shelby, *hating me* is easy.
For the first time in my life, I have to work for something. And though she may not be easy…she’ll be worth it.
Excerpt:
I lifted a section of her bangs that were caked in white our and something gooey. Was that…ew, was it egg?
She jerked away, smoothing her palm down her bangs, capturing a bit of the gunky mixture that gathered there. Crap, I forgot about not touching her hair. What had happened to her to cause such an extreme reaction? A biting pain twisted in my stomach at the thought that someone may have hurt her. I tried not to react, but tension pinched my expression through my forced smile. “You have egg or something in your hair.” This time, I slowly brought my hand to her, scooping the goo out of her bangs. “There, got it.”
Pushing her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, she looked up at me. Her brown eyes seemed even bigger somehow. “I was trying to make you croissants.”
“You baked for me? Oh, you so like me.”
She slapped my shoulder, and I caught her hand, pulling her flush against my body. God, I wanted to kiss her. That made it difficult to step away. Instead, I swept my thumb across her cheekbone, wiping off some flour there and holding my white-stained finger in front of her eyes. “I see the baking is going really well.”
She laughed at that, her head dropping into her hands. “Oh my God, look at me. I’m a freaking mess.”
“Maybe they’ll be delicious.”
“Maybe they’ll taste like charcoal.”
I swallowed, my throat feeling like something had lodged there. “Maybe I won’t care.”
“Maybe you have a death wish.”
“More like a Shelby wish.”
ABOUT KATANA COLLINS
Katana Collins bounced between a lot of different careers, including actor, photographer, television producer and finally after ten years of various jobs, she finally found her niche writing romance novels. With over ten books in a variety of romance genres, (paranormal, new adult, contemporary, and suspense to name a few), she’s been keeping very busy these last few years.
She lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and brood of rescue animals. Most days, she can be found hunched over her laptop in a cafe, guzzling gallons of coffee, and wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes. www.katanacollins.com
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @katanacollins.
“What if I touched you right where you want to be touched?” I slide my hand up her thigh, inching her skirt up slowly. Her breath catches, the quiet gasp making me smile. “What if I touched you right where you pretend to be so protective? I know you. I know you like it dirty . . . maybe even a little rough.”
She finds her voice, though it’s affected, sexy. “A lot.”
“What is that?”
Clearing her throat, she says, “I like it rough. Really rough.”
The right side of my mouth curves up, my hand stalling just below the apex of her thighs when my phone buzzes. I release a sigh. Grabbing the phone from my pocket, I sit up and read the text: Let’s get the fuck out of here. I look back at the black-haired raven I’ve left squirming on the metal barstool next to me. I’d like to explore exactly how she likes it, but duty calls. Standing up suddenly, I grab my wallet and slap some bills down for the drinks.
“What are you doing?” she demands, desperation lacing her tone as her eyes go wide.
I tuck my wallet back into the inside pocket of my Vittori suit jacket and kiss her on the cheek. Since I’m there, I add with a wink, “I bet we’d be so fucking good together.” Straightening upright, I smirk. “My apologies. I hate to run, but unfortunately, I have a prior engagement I can’t get out of. Maybe we can pick this up another time. I’ll see you around, sweetheart.”
She huffs. “You’re a playboy bastard, Luke Anders,” rolls off her tongue in frustrated anger as she spins back to the bar.
I know. Not turning back, I nod. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a playboy or a bastard. Name-calling doesn’t bother me. Not getting laid tonight does.
Pushing open the exit door that leads to the alley, my asshole friends are waiting near the car they’ve pulled around.
The rusting red door slams shut, the click of the lock heard loudly behind me. The alley is quiet compared to the loud music that blares inside the club. “Fuckers.” With my arms out wide, I yell, “What the fuck? Where’s the fire? I was closing the deal.”
“We were saving you, man. Trust me on that.” My best friend is standing in front of the car with his arms crossed over his chest. Danny Weston is one of the best people I know, but right now, he’s pissing me the fuck off.
“Saving me from what?”
“Ask Blaise. He has firsthand knowledge.”
When I shoot an annoyed look in Blaise’s direction, he clams up. With hands up in surrender, he backs away toward the driver’s door. “I can’t help that the ladies love me.” Thus confirming he’s already hit that pretty kitty.
I walk to the passenger’s side of the car, punching Danny on the arm when I pass him. “Shit, man, just give me a heads-up next time. I wasted some of my best lines on her.”
Danny claims the front seat, so I duck into the back seat of a restored 1969 black Gran Torino. Cocky behind the wheel, Blaise takes off before we even have our seatbelts on, and says, “Stop hitting on everyone that takes pity on you then.”
“Fuck you. I can get any woman I want. No one’s taking pity on me.”
Danny breaks into the argument, “You guys really need to find a new hobby.”
“One-night stands are plenty entertaining,” Blaise retorts, smiling.
Danny puts his arm on the back of the seat and turns toward me. “I’m not going to lecture you—”
“Again,” I add.
“Again,” he repeats while rolling his eyes. “But we’ve talked about this a fuck ton of times. She’s not Jane and until you figure out what the hell is going on there, or if anything is going on there, these women are all the same—just another disappointment you’re going to have in the morning because they’re not her.”
Blaise verbally steps in, “Damn, dude, why so deep? You’re bringing me down.”
Danny laughs. I don’t. We’ve been friends for many years now, so Danny knows my game. He knows me well enough to know what I’m doing. Until I sort out this mess with the first woman I ever loved, the rest are just regrets waiting to happen, along with the regrets I can’t take back.
But I know him well too. We relate in a way that Blaise doesn’t understand, on a level that one day he’d be lucky to experience. No matter what I’ve been through with Jane, I’ve loved, hard. I know what it means to love and to be loved. I have no regrets when it comes to Jane, except one: letting her go.
Because first love deserves a second chance
Standalone Contemporary Romance
You met Danny’s best friend, Luke Anders in Models on Top. Now it’s time to really get to know this dirty talking, sexy producer in his own standalone contemporary romance.
I fell madly in love at first sight with Jane Lewis.
The girl with bright blue eyes, a pretty smile, and great ass owned my heart. I thought she was happy with the status quo, but ten years later, I foolishly let her go. Despite dating other women, no one compares to my first love. We are meant to be together, and I’m going to try my damnedest to convince her of that.
Luke Anders tricked me. The deal was sealed before I knew he was behind it.
We agreed to be just friends. Simple. Easy. But it’s not just the weather that’s hot in Texas. I was a fool to think I could resist him. He knows how to work his charms and those kissable lips, that great jaw, and biceps. We are here to work, but he has become downright distracting.
I’m strong. I can handle one month of his flirtatious sexual torture. But if I happen to fall in bed with that sexy bastard for a night, or three, does that make me weak? Asking for a friend, of course.
I guess I’m about to find out when love gets messy, it’s not just the talk that’s dirty.
Meet S.L. Scott
New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and willing her days away lost in a good book and the movies.
With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald. She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the world those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones. This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.
Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She’s obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. She dreams of seeing one of her own books made into a movie one day as well as returning to Europe. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she’s a pro.
Living in a world where I was worth more dead than alive was
a choice. I was a bad man, never claimed to be anything else. I’ve done things
I’m not proud of. Seen things that can’t be unseen. I’ve caused pain that I
can’t undo.
It was all my choice.
Every decision.
Every order.
Right and wrong never mattered.
Until her.
She was under my protection, until she became my obsession.
But who was going to save her…
From. Me. The devil himself.
Fate brought us together. Destiny destroyed us.
I lunged forward, clearing all the contents off the table,
to the floor. The sounds of the glass crashing onto the hardwood was mocking
me… my heart shattering the exact same way.
It was everywhere and all around me.
I couldn’t run.
I couldn’t escape.
I had no one.
I kept moving because I knew once I stopped I would crash,
and possibly never get back up again. I darted around the dining room, my feet
stomping with every step, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Throwing
candles, dishware, and chairs. Flipping the table over. I went after anything I
could find, demolishing the perfect night.
“I hate you! I hate you!” I yelled, punching the mirror that
I caught my reflection in. Not even flinching from the pain. I repeated that
mantra over and over, letting it sink into my pores, and making it become a
part of me. Destroying everything in my path, the future I would never have.
I pulled my hair back, taking in the destructive scene
before me. “Get yourself together,” I rasped, making my way to the bar. Taking
four swigs of whiskey from the head, not bothering with a glass, and repeating
it several times until the bottle was empty, and I felt nothing but the burn
through my body.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed another bottle,
wanting to drown myself in the amber liquid. Leaning my whole body against the
wall, I started sliding down, wallowing in the despair of what my life had
become. I don’t know how long I sat there, drinking my life away when I heard
the front door open, footsteps coming my way.
“Sophia?” I slurred.
A part of me hoped that it was somebody that was coming to
put me out of my misery.
USA Today Bestselling Author of The Good Ol’ Boys Standalone
Series, The VIP Trilogy, Tempting Bad, and Two Sides.
M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has
angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been
reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.
She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She
is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left.
She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces.
They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.
✮✮✮ THE SAPPHIRE HEIST is here! The highly anticipated conclusion of New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely’s new contemporary romance Jewel Novel series, this enemies-to-lovers series is filled with sex, wit, glamour, and high stakes, with a rugged, ex-military, dirty-talking alpha hero! Don’t miss this explosive and passionate series! ✮✮✮
EXCERPT:
He grabbed her waist and slammed her close. Her breath caught. He nipped her earlobe.
“Admit it,” he growled. “Admit I am masterful at darts. Then, and only then, will I accept your rematch offer.”
She shook her head and made a move to reach for the dart in his hand. Like she was trying to subtly snatch it away. He clamped his palm around it and raised an eyebrow.
“You trying to pickpocket me?”
“If pickpocketing from your hand counts, then yes. I was.”
“You need a lesson in proper pickpocketing then, woman. You’re too obvious. Like you were in the alley earlier today.”
“You’re telling me you know how to pick pockets, too?” She narrowed her eyes, skepticism in her tone as she grabbed her iced tea from the nearby counter and took a drink.
He laughed. “I do. I don’t do it often, but it’s a useful skill.”
She put down the glass, then parked her hands on her hips, hiking up her purse on her shoulder. “Teach me.”
“Can’t really teach you everything in one night, but it’s all about the art of deception,” he said as he led her back to the dartboard. Grabbing a dart from the green felt, he raised it and took aim at the bull’s-eye. Her gaze followed the dart. “That means you need to get the person to look elsewhere, like at the dartboard.”
She nodded and stared at the dartboard. For one second. Two seconds. Three. Then it dawned on her. When she snapped her focus back to him, he brandished her wallet.
“You got that from my purse,” she said, stomping a foot.
“I sure did. But that was the point. To show you how it’s done.”
“OK,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “Let me try.”
He taught her a few basic distraction tricks, and she practiced on him, dipping her hands in his pockets and trying to pilfer his watch. She was no pro, and he was aware of her moves every time. But her technique improved with the brief lesson. However, the constant gliding of her hands into his pockets zapped his focus away from teaching and onto the next phase of tonight.
“That’s all for today’s lesson,” he said, since he had no more interest in being out with her. “Need to get you alone now.”
Her eyes told him she wanted that, too. “Let’s say good night to Marie.”
She’d been busy all evening pulling the tap and pouring drinks, so he drummed his fingertips against the bar, tipped an imaginary hat to her, and waved good-bye. But she beckoned them over. “Hey. You found your sexy fisherman,” Marie said to Steph, flicking her long braid off her shoulder so it hung down her back. She turned to Jake. “And you found my favorite mermaid.”
“We did find each other,” Steph said in a sweet voice that nailed him right in the heart. We found each other.Those words. They pulsed with double meaning.
THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR & THE SAPPHIRE HEIST are being released by Montlake, which is an Amazon publishing company, and will only be available for sale at Amazon. You can download a free Kindle reading app for any smartphone or tablet here:http://amzn.to/1MIyrHi
**THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR & THE SAPPHIRE HEIST are available for free on Kindle Unlimited!**
ABOUT THE SAPPHIRE HEIST (Jewel Novel #2):
Keep your lover close and your enemy closer…
After giving in to a fiery night of passion, island adventurer Steph Anderson and bounty hunter Jake Harlowe are back to square one. With millions in stolen jewels at stake, it’s hard for Steph not to question her new partner’s true motives—no matter how sexy he might be. Jake is hungry for more of Steph, but he can sense her growing mistrust, which only fuels his own doubts. Worse, there’s undeniable evidence that someone else is now after the jewels—and that they are both in real danger.
Fighting against their magnetic attraction is a distraction these two can’t afford. In order to survive, they’ll have to pull off one more heist—and trust each other with something even more precious than jewels: their hearts.
Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she’ll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter:laurenblakely.com/newsletter.
“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Or so the book of Corinthians tells us.
Alanna Anderson does not agree with this sentiment. At the tender age of thirteen, Alanna believes that she has learned all she needs to know about love. Love is fleeting. Love is callous. Love is a lie. Growing up in the rough streets of South End, Pennsylvania, Alanna Anderson knows a thing or two about guarding her heart. Although there is a boy that vies for her attention, Alanna has no interest. She surrounds herself with the people she loves best, and immerses herself in her music and her love of literature. But one winter day, two boys forever changed Alanna’s life. One cemented Alanna’s belief that love was cruel. Another sought to prove her wrong.
Cris Serrano is new to town. Moving to the United States from Portugal, he is stepping into a world he in unfamiliar with. He is not fearful, though. Stepping forth with confidence, Cris is excited for what this new experience will hold, leaving behind a past he’d rather forget. Upon his first day at Henshaw Elementary, Cris meets Alanna Anderson and sparks fly. Their connection is one that will forever rewrite the map of their destinies – two supernovas colliding amidst a darkened sky. Not everyone believes that Alanna and Cris belong together, though.
Damien Foley has loved Alanna Anderson from the day he first set eyes upon her. Though she ignores his advances, Damien has hope that Alanna will open her heart to him. But when Cris Serrano comes to town, everything changes. Alanna gazes at Cris the way Damien wishes she would look at him. Watching her fall in love in Cris was more than Damien’s mind could take. As Alanna and Cris are enveloped in the joy of young love, a storm is brewing. With Damien’s attraction to Alanna only intensifying with each unrequited sentiment, an obsession was born.
Young love does not come easy in this gritty, romantic suspense novel. In the Phoenix Saga, they love hard, they fight hard, and the stakes are high as teens struggle to step over the echelon of adulthood.
There will always be books out there that will touch a deep part of you and The Phoenix is one of those books. I love the meaning behind this book and the story Addison delivered.
The Phoenix is told in third person POV, which is sometimes a bit hard for me to get into. But with this book and having so many characters and needing to view things from all the different ways, it’s the only way for this book to work. And Addison wrote it very well. My only small gripe is that sometimes that language didn’t fit the age of the character and made it slightly harder to believe their ages. Aside from that -a beautiful story.
This story surrounds Alanna and her friends. I won’t go into details as to what happens because I feel that takes away from the excitement and wonderment of the story. What these young kinds go through will baffle you. But what will amaze you is the strong depth their friendship goes to. They stand side by side and have each others’ backs through good and bad. They’re family.
I have quite a lot of quotes from this book that I absolutely love and will keep with me forever. But one in particular is poem that Alanna wrote. It’s a bit long, but says so much more.
“A year of tumult. An age of irritation. Heart’s bitter contempt, a high security prison. A prior love turned exceptional fiend. An extraordinary façade. You’re not all what you seemed. Deceit in your mind. Venom on your tongue. The maddening ache of anger. A howl building in my lungs. Stop this masquerade. Discard your mask! Your two faces have fulfilled their task! I believe in the myth. I trusted in a lie. Be gone! Bury this deceit to die!
A kaleidoscope mind. A battleground heart. Run for cover. Too late – torn apart. An era of disillusion. A moment of doubt. A flicker of truth; your misdeeds I must surmount. I throw my hands up to the wind. What’s left to say? There’s nothing left to give. Took my security. Fractured my soul. Pillaged and plundered til there was nothing left at all! But wait…what’s this? A faintly beating heart. Mangled and bloody, but still holds a charge. Fighting against the current, a tremendous wave. Your violence and insanity…..It’s my own life I must save. Birdcage, release me! Break these bonds that hold me. Captor, forget me. Set me soul free! Forget the words on your tongue. Rid my face from your brain. My life belongs to me….It was never yours to claim!”
Addison has way with words that gut a person. They make you think, they make you feel, they come alive on the pages. I loved this story! I look forward to reading more from Addison.
Addison Kline is an International Best-Selling Author who resides in Pennsylvania with her family. When she is not writing, she is immersing herself in music, reading to her heart’s content, traveling with her family, or binging on her favorite shows on Netflix that include Wentworth, Bloodlines and Sons of Anarchy.
Addison is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association and while she loves to write in a variety of genres, Addison always says “mystery is her game.” Some of her other favorite sub-genres to write include romantic suspense, psychological thrillers, crime and mafia thrillers.
Some of Addison’s greatest influences to date include Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen & James Patterson.
From NYT & USA Today bestselling author comes a new Bleeding Stars stand-alone novel…
She is his strength and he is her weakness. And this time he won’t let her go.
Edie Evans is gorgeous.
Sexy.
Kind.
She’s also the definition of off-limits.
But that didn’t stop me from sneaking into her room to comfort her at night.
But guys like me? We destroy everything, so it should have been no surprise when I destroyed us, too.
The night I sent her running, I thought I’d never see her again.
Until I saw her standing like a vision in the crowd.
Austin Stone is dangerous.
Alluring.
Tempting.
He broke my heart and I refused to give him the chance to do it again.
It’s been years since I’ve seen him, and now I can’t do anything but stare at the gorgeous, tattooed man playing onstage. I should run. I know I should. But like a fool, I run straight back to him.
Our desire is overpowering.
Our need unrelenting.
She is my hope.
He is my weakness.
We should have known a passion this intense would burn us right into the ground.
I gripped the railing as if it might propel me forward. Instead, my footsteps faltered and slowed. I stood facing away, my back heaving as his consuming presence swarmed over me from behind.
“Please.” This time it was a whisper. A plea.
Sincere.
Slowly I turned.
Drawn.
He’d always been my weakness.
Austin stood at the end of the walkway, just outside the reach of the lights, his body obscured in shadows.
Even larger than I’d imagined when I’d first seen him up on stage.
So foreign.
So familiar.
My heart ached. Because I was looking at the boy who’d been my best friend. The one person who I’d thought would completely understand. One who wouldn’t judge or make it hurt more than it already did.
He’d been my safety.
My haven.
Until he’d dragged me right back into hell.
“Why are you here?” My words cracked. “H-h-how…how did you find me?”
I saw the shake of his head, and he took a single step forward, out of the shadows and into the glow of the single lamp attached high on the exterior wall that lit the way.
It hit him like a spotlight.
The boy was so beautiful.
It was a threatening kind of beauty, a whorl of mystery and pain, sharp lines and corded muscle.
It almost dropped me to my knees.
He fisted his hands at his sides. The question was strained, hard as it pressed from his mouth. “You believe in fate, Edie?”
Old grief I’d bottled for so long burst. It came out as some kind of maniacal cry. Incredulous. Oozing disbelief. “After everything that happened…that’s what you’re going to ask me?”
“Edie…I—”
“Do you have any idea how badly you hurt me?” I cut him off, my own hands fisting as I took a single step forward. “The damage you caused? Careless words, Austin. So fucking careless, thrown out there without a single thought to the repercussions, without any consideration of how they would affect me. How they would change my life. You promised.” My brow twisted with the accusation. “And now you have the nerve to stand there and ask me if I believe in fate?”
I swallowed hard, shook my head. “You can go to straight to hell, Austin Stone.”
He laughed, but there was zero humor behind it. “Come on, Edie. You can do better than that, can’t you? Considering you know hell is where I’ve been all along, and you and I both know I deserve so much worse. And yeah…those words were reckless, but you know they weren’t heedless. You couldn’t expect me to just stand there. Not with him. Not with what he was saying. Implying. I couldn’t.” The last cracked on the emphasis.
I felt as if every cell in my body was being crushed. Squeezed so tight there was no chance but for everything to implode.
“And because you lost it, I lost it all. You. My home. My future.”
His big hands fisted. “I know. I…I fucked it up, Edie. Warned you, I always fuck it up.”
But what he failed to say was he’d promised he wouldn’t fuck it up with me.
I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or terrified when Jed suddenly rounded the corner. His sister, Blaire, was hot on his heels.
“Edie,” Jed gushed out in relief when he saw me. He came to a stop a few steps behind Austin.
As if he’d just stepped into the bristling intensity and it tripped up his feet.
The stand-off.
The war.
Austin standing there? I knew that’s exactly what this was going to be.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jed demanded. His voice twisted into a threat. He glared at the back of Austin’s head, worried eyes flicking to me, hardening when they snapped back to Austin.
Blaire tugged at his arm. “Jed…I told you to give her a minute. Sometimes you need to let people sort out their own issues.”
Jed just grunted and shrugged off her arm.
Refusing to budge.
Austin swung his head to look behind him. When he did, his face shifted to the side, all those hard, beautiful lines exposed in profile, his expression winding into a bitter sneer. “Nah, man. All’s good here. Just telling an old friend hi. Isn’t that right, Edie?”
Aggression curled between them.
Alive and raging.
Jed was a burly, beefy, hulk of a man, a full beard covering most of his face, his brown hair cut short at the sides and longer on top.
Had I ever imagined him and Austin going toe to toe, I would have put all my money on Jed.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
Jed lifted his chin, as if for the moment he was standing down, turning to me as his tone softened. “You okay, Edie?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Lie. Lie. Lie.
I was shaken to my core.
“I just want to go home.” It left me on a desperate breath.
Jed pushed around Austin and stalked my way. “All right, let’s get you out of here.”
As she passed by Austin, Blaire cast a searching glance in his direction, before her attention flickered over to me, a ton of worried questions moving across her expression.
Questions I didn’t know if I had the strength to answer.
With an arm wound around my shoulder, Jed spun me, breaking the spell Austin had me under, and tucked me into his side.
Protecting and shielding.
He began to lead me away, down the planks and toward his car waiting in the parking lot out front.
With each step we took, I could feel the heat of Austin’s stare. That burning intensity I wasn’t sure I could ever escape.
The hurt and hatred.
It was a hatred I couldn’t tell who it was directed at.
If it was aimed at him or me or the rest of the world that had threatened to choke the life out of us.
The world we were supposed to take on together.
Just as we started to round the corner, I paused because I just couldn’t stop myself, turned to look back at the man who stood there staring back at me.
Emotion gripped his expression just as tight as the clench of his fists.
Hard and tortured.
As if I was the one inflicting the pain.
I choked down the sorrow that rose like a cyclone, spinning and spinning, whipping up the old affection that longed for that soft, understanding boy to take me in his arms and sing in my ear.
Dangerous.
I searched inside myself for the shelter that secured my heart. The flimsy cover I wore that just barely kept me together. I forced myself to speak the words I knew would drive him away, as much of a lie as they were. “And for the record…no, Austin, I definitely don’t believe in fate.”
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, as well as the newest BLEEDING STARS novels. Watch for the next installments, WAIT and STAY, coming in 2016.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://bit.ly/NewsFromALJackson or text “jackson” to 96000 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.
The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…
Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without…
“Smart, savvy, clever, and always entertaining. That’s true of Riley Lawless, the hero in Ruthless, and likewise for his creator, Lexi Blake. Both are way ahead of the pack.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
“I love Lexi Blake. Read Ruthless and see why.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
With Ruthless, Lexi Blake has set up shop on the intersection of Suspenseful and Sexy, and I never want to leave. ~ Laurelin Paige, New York Times bestselling author
Ruthless is full of suspense, hot sex, and swoon worthy characters — a must read!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
YES! YES! YES! Lexi Blake has done it again!!
Ruthless is the first book in her Lawless series and she definitely delivers a powerful story-line!!
The Lawless family has nothing to lose as they set out on their plan for revenge. Drew, Riley, Bran and Mia have been waiting to bring their parents’ murders to justice. They each have their own place in this plan. But you can never be 100% prepared when you add emotions into the mix.
“If something looks too good to be true, it always is. Always.”
There is so much I want to say about this book but I am so afraid I will give away too much. Lexi has written a very thorough plot with some incredibly strong characters. You have the Lawless family, Hatch, Ellie, Lily, Kyle, Steven and a few others. All of these unique individuals together make for an incredibly interesting cast and add to the hype of the plot.
Drew is the leader of the plan since he is the oldest and has taken care of the younger 3 since he was legally able to. He’s also the most narrow-minded when it comes to the revenge plan. But he’s also very intelligent and ruthless. Riley is the ladies man. He’s a lawyer and knows how to sweet talk himself into (and out) of anything. Bran is the more thoughtful and caring brother. Yet he’s also got a temper on him – one he has problems controlling. And Mia – she’s married to Case. We all know Case & Mia from Lexi Blake’s most recently release book in her Masters and Mercenaries series (definitely another must read series!).
“There was no real loyalty in the world that couldn’t be bought.”
The intensity and tension is thick. The lies, deceit, secrets and manipulation is insane. Lexi has woven together a very intricate and puzzling plot. Just when you think you have everything figured out, there’s another twist, another player in the game. I LOVE IT!!
This book is very much a romantic suspense. The romance is just as hot and steamy as all the drama, thrills and suspense thrown at you. Trust me, you’ll love it. Lexi has put together another amazing series and I look forward to seeing more from these Lawless men.
“Why did you do that?”
It was the first time she’d spoken without being prompted. “Do what?”
Her face flushed the sweetest pink. The color went all the way down that sexy V-neck. Her breasts flushed as well as her face, and it made his damn dick tighten. “Kiss me. Why did you kiss me like that?”
Oh, so many reasons, but he gave her the most compelling one. “I wanted to.”
The minute she’d opened the door and he’d seen her standing there looking anxious, he’d known how to calm her down. All he’d had to do was put his hands on her and some odd connection flared between the two of them. She hadn’t fought him. He could have gone on kissing her. He’d been the one to pull away.
It was like the minute he walked in, he was the only thing that existed for her. It made him feel ten feet tall, but it also made him want to please her.
It was an unsettling sensation.
Her hands came up, fingers on the sides of the table. “You know what I’m asking. You knew I wasn’t alone. Why did you pretend to be my boyfriend?”
It was easy to see she’d wanted him to wait for her at the restaurant so as to avoid him meeting her sister and ex. When she’d opened the door, he’d immediately known something was wrong. He’d gotten a glimpse of her sister and known Ellie had likely needed a hand. It had to be tough on a woman’s ego to lose even a pathetic excuse of a husband to a younger sister.
“You were alone with your sister who slept with your husband. Excuse me. Ex-husband.”
She shook her head. “At the time, we were definitely married. How did you know he was my ex-husband?”
“He took half your net wealth. I’m your lawyer. At this level, a good lawyer is less legal counsel and more war consultant. I can’t properly perform my duties if I don’t know everything about you, including the fact that you tend to have terrible taste in men.”
She frowned. “I haven’t had a ton of boyfriends. I’m not sure what my taste is.”
He really wanted to understand why she’d married that obvious prick. “What attracted you to him? Because from where I was standing, he looked like a dickwad desperate to be twenty-one again.”
She bit into her bottom lip, her eyes glancing away from him. “He wasn’t always like that. I actually met him when he was twenty-one. He was far more mature then.”
He liked her candor. “You were in college?”
“Last year of undergrad. We dated for two years and then it seemed like it was time to get married. We’d moved back here to Manhattan so I could take my place at StratCast. I thought he was going to go to grad school, but he decided on a different path.”
“What path was that?”
A single brow rose over her right eye. “You don’t know?”
Of course he knew. He knew everything. “Are you referring to your ex-husband’s penchant for swinging for the fences? When it comes to investments, that is.”
It was what he liked to call “idiots who funded ridiculous ideas.” They never wanted a simple profit out of their money. They wanted millions and really fucking fast. They swung for the grand slam when all they needed to do was get on base.
It took a true genius to take a single idea and make millions off it. Drew had.
Her shoulders straightened. “He wanted the easy solution. A get-rich-quick scheme. He wasn’t that way at first. At one point he was very intellectual. It’s what attracted me to him. He was curious about the world and liked to discuss everything from politics to social jus- tice to movies we saw. He changed. I didn’t. In some ways, I blame getting involved with me for what happened to him. He got around my father and real wealth and wanted some of his own. When I met him, he wanted to be a professor. He wanted to teach.”
At least he’d gotten her this far. She was talking. Now he needed to get those shoulders down from around her earlobes. For one moment, for that moment when he’d drawn her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, she’d relaxed against him, given over to him. Her body had softened and she’d leaned into him, and if he’d pressed her, he didn’t know what would have happened. She might have continued kissing him, forgetting all about the other people in the room. He could have cupped her breast, her ass. Put his hands anywhere he liked.
She hadn’t given a damn that they hadn’t been alone. All she’d cared about was him.
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.
When a no strings attached arrangement turns into something more, Cillian O’Malley and Olivia Rashidi must overcome the family ties that bind them. Fans of Jackie Ashenden’s Make You and Kresley Cole’s The Master, will devour the super steamy and fast paced third book, An Indecent Proposal in the wildly popular O’ Malley series by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.
Title: An Indecent Proposal
Author: Katee Robert
Series: The O’Malley Series #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever
Synopsis:
Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the “values” Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O’Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can’t stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian’s own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she’s falling for him.
Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at “hello,” even if she’s more inclined to say good-bye to an O’Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn’t, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying-and dying-for . . .
Another great installment in The O’Malley’s series from Katee Robert!
This book was a bit slower than the first two, BUT I feel that had this book any faster, things would have been more confusing for readers. This book brought on another family into the corrupt ways of the Boston mafia and Katee did a great job of building that tension.
Cillian is still trying to deal with the death of Devlin along with how he sees his family falling apart from the inside out. Olivia was introduced briefly in the last book but we knew nothing about her except she was tough woman who spoke her mind.
I really enjoyed the slow build between Cillian and Olivia. There was an instant attraction between the two but aside from the physical part, neither cared for the other. Until their lives were slowly and unexcpectedly thrown together.
Katee is building a very strong story wtih some exceptionally amazing characters. Her characters are very well developed and their actions are very life-life this plot. I truly feel like I am wathcing a drama show play out with each book. There’s so much deceit, lies, ploys and secrets going on, it’s so easy to sucked into the lives of these people.
And with each book, not only do we get more infomation on the main characters that book is about, but we get introduced slowly to the main character of the next book in small snippets. I love that we get to see where the previous characters are at in life and how they play into the current book.
Katee is weaving quite the intricate and intriguing plot that has left me sitting at the edge of my seat wanting to know how this all plays out in the end.
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram |
A sassy, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com between the hottest man never to be tamed and the woman crazy enough to try
SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
Taylor Reed is no stranger to selfish, uncaring CEOs. She was fired by one, which is why she has created her own executive training program—helping heartless bosses become more human. So Taylor shocks even herself when she agrees to coach Bennett Wade, the cutthroat exec who got her unceremoniously canned. She’d love to slam the door in his annoying but very handsome face, but the customers aren’t exactly lining up at her door. Plus, this extreme makeover will give Taylor the golden opportunity to prove that her program works like a charm.
HE WANTS TO BUY IT.
Bennett Wade is many things—arrogant, smug, brusque—but trusting isn’t one of them. Women just seem to be after his billions. So when he hires Taylor Reed, he has no desire to change. Bennett is trying to win over the feminist owner of a company he desperately wants to buy, but something about the fiery Taylor thaws the ice around his heart, making Bennett feel things he never quite planned on. And if there’s one thing Bennett can’t stand, it’s when things don’t go according to plan.
They are a match tailor-made for trouble.
My Review:
Tailored For Trouble is the first book in a new series form author Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and the first of her work that I’ve read. Well, I can say that I’ve found a new author to keep on my radar because I loved this book!
I love a good enemies to lovers story and this book was a perfect example of that trope done really well. I adored Taylor and her no nonsense attitude. I enjoyed her spitfire personality and her inner dialogue was quite funny. Bennet, while he’s the type of guy you love to hate, I knew I would end up loving as the story progressed…and boy did I. Together these two are sexy and fun and I really enjoyed watching their relationship ebb and flow from start to finish.
Overall this was a fun and sexy read and I will certainly be reading more form this author again!
Four-and-a-Half Loves
About the author:
S.F. Native, MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than 15yrs in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Today we are having a cover reveal for BROKEN GOD by Nazarea Andrews. This book will release September 22nd and will be up for pre-order soon. Broken God is an adult contemporary fantasy, standalone novel. Check out the exclusive excerpt below.
Apollo has lived alone for centuries, content to spin out the years wandering a new and strange world, lost in the past and endless versions of the future. He has cut all ties with the remains of Olympus and his power, and hidden himself in humanity.
His twin thinks he’s depressed, spending his time in coffee shops, hospital waiting rooms, and concert halls…and nothing matters. Not really.
Until her.
Iris. With her teasing mouth and soulful music and eyes that remind him of the past.
He can’t resist her smile.
A girl as wild as he was, once, with a poet’s tongue and the body of a siren, who for one night makes him forget all the years and everything he gave up.
And he can’t stop fate.
Gods knows he’s tried.
He can’t help taking her.
Even if he knows better.
When Iris wakes up screaming, caught up in visions of the future, Apollo realizes that he didn’t leave his power quite as far behind as he thought.
He’s the god of prophecy and he’s been running from it, for centuries.
Iris is everything he has to avoid.
Now he has a furious Oracle on his hands, his sister trying to fix him, and someone is killing the gods.
It’s not just his tenuous sanity that hangs in the balance this time.
It’s all of Olympus.
Godhood really wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
——————- A Note From N:
A few months ago, a friend tagged me in a writing prompt. The word was Apollo and the 500 word short story inspired this book. The Greek pantheon has always been a favorite of mine, and slipping back into that world was intoxicating. I couldn’t shake my slightly crazy Apollo who liked coffee and lived a little too mortal for a god.
So I wrote this book, even though I shouldn’t. Because I couldn’t not. Because I loved it and I needed to write something that wrapped me up and consumed me.
And this was it.
I hope you give my crazy god a chance and I hope you love him as much as I do.
Excerpt:
I spend a lot of time walking.
Artie says its in my nature. That I will eternally chase the sun. But then, my twin is a bit annoying. I just like to walk.
Back when the world was young and I was young, I rode the winds and sunbeams, and when that got old, I walked.
I met Del there. On a dusty road outside what would one day become an empire’s capitol, and then turn to dust.
I met many people on the road, over the years.
But that doesn’t matter.
Today matters.
Artie says I spend more time in my head than I do in reality, and that’s part of my problem.
I think reality is a little bit fucked up when you’re an immortal god, but I’ve long since stopped arguing with her.
I wake before the sun rises. Always. Slip into a pair of scuffed up jeans and loose flipflops that look like they’ll fall apart but that fit like a second skin. I wiggle my toes around and tug on a black tshirt and a beanie over my long hair, and then I push out into the darkness.
I live in the center of the city, in a shitty walkup apartment over a Korean takeout place. It’s dirty and needs to be ripped down and rebuilt, and the lights in the hallway don’t work—neither does the deadbolt.
But it does the job, and it’s close to three of my favorite coffee shop and a little bar that has the best indie bands on the weekends. Sometimes, when I leave the windows open, I can hear the music from my bed, and I don’t even have to leave the apartment to get my fix.
But now, the sun is rising and with it, me.
There’s a spot, a few miles from my place, that I can go. Climb to the top of the ten story building and sit on the edge of the roof, my feet dangling into nothing. It’s not the tallest building—there are others that obscure my vision, but there’s a sliver of horizon, where everything breaks perfectly to let me see for miles.
I wait for her here.
My sister thinks it’s ridiculous for the god of the sun to live in a place that is perpetually covered in cloud.
What she doesn’t understand, what she’s never understood is that my power isn’t bound just because I can’t see her.
I can feel the sun.
I can feel the way the air lightens and the heavy weight of darkness eases back, a little. The way the power that is mine, that I have mostly ignored for centuries, tingles awake like a limb that hasn’t been used in too long. Tempting to shake out and flex, just to make the pins and needles pain go away.
I shove that down and twist my ring and tilt my head back, until I’m smiling into the clouds, and far beyond the dreary gray, my girl rises to greet the day, and me.
I sit there for a long time, while the sun creeps up and the city comes awake.
It’s a strange place for me to choose as my own, but I like it. It reminds me of the little temple where Del lived, all those centuries ago. She always liked the way the mist clung to the grass and the way the shadows played in the valleys and between the sides of the mountains. She would tease and tell me that even as powerful as I was, I did not rule everything.
Del always liked knocking me into my place. Liked to forget that I was a god.
A wide eyed girl shaking with terror and screaming with visions, cowering from me.
I blink.
A girl with a smirk and violet eyes that seem worried and ancient, and her fingers dig into her skin, drawing blood even as she laughs and kisses me.
Del.
I shudder and sway on the edge of the roof.
The past is blurry. So damn blurry, but there are moments that stand out, sharp and painful.
This is a bad idea, Father.
I smile, tight and bitter. She would be so proud of herself, that she was right. My girl was always damn good at reaching into the future, even further than the ones who came before her.
I shake that thought, shake the fingers of madness that clutch too tight today, and push myself off the edge of the building. Power scratches along my skin, clawing at my shoulder and I dangle there, balanced on my toes on the edge of the building, poised between sky and sun and nothingness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nazarea Andrews (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories. When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binging watching TV shows on Netflix. N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of World Without End series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and The University of Branton Series. Stop by her twitter (@NazareaAndrews) and tell her what fantastic book she should read next.
Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them.
Lex hates Gabi. Gabi hates Lex. But, hey, at least the hate is mutual, right? All Lex has to do is survive the next few weeks training Gabi in all the ways of Wingmen Inc. and then he can be done with her. But now that they have to work together, the sexual tension and fighting is off the charts. He isn’t sure if he wants to strangle her or throw her against the nearest sturdy table and have his way with her.
But Gabi has a secret, something she’s keeping from not just her best friend but her nemesis too. Lines are blurred as Lex becomes less the villain she’s always painted him to be…and starts turning into something more. Gabi has always hated the way she’s been just a little bit attracted to him—no computer-science major should have that nice of a body or look that good in glasses—but “Lex Luthor” is an evil womanizer. He’s dangerous. Gabi should stay far, far away.
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Exclusive EPIC news about this AMAZING RELEASE HERE
Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.
After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.
From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
Meet S.L. Scott
About Lauren Blakely:
From NYT & USA Today bestselling author comes a new Bleeding Stars stand-alone novel…
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.
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.
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Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them.
Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.