From USA Today, #1 Amazon, and BookTok bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes a sizzling, second-chance romance set on the high seas—perfect for fans of Below Deck and readers who crave angsty, high-stakes love stories.
Ember Reed is finally living her dream: chief stew on a Mediterranean superyacht, sun-kissed days at sea, and the star of Close Quarters, the hottest new reality TV show. But just as she finds her stride, the producers throw her a curveball—by hiring the one man who nearly sank her.
Finn Pearson was the one that got away. The boy who kissed her like they had forever, then left without a word. But now he’s the chef in her new crew, and the cameras are watching their every move, innocent, or not.
Even on a superyacht, there’s nowhere to hide from the past. Every stolen glance, every whispered argument, every lingering memory threatens to ignite what never fully burned out. And as the tension spills into their day jobs, even the dinner service is spiralling into disaster.
They’ve crashed before… but could eight weeks at sea be their second chance to get it right? Or will it be the storm that finally sinks them for good?
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If you read my reviews, then you know I am a huge ran of Kandi’s. I adore her, her writing and the characters she brings to life. She is my queen of angst.
I really enjoyed the layout of this book and how Kandi chose to write it. Each chapter starts off with crew talking things over with the producer as one would with a reality TV show. This was a unique way of getting other character’s perspectives without actually having multiple POVs in this book. I would like to notate this book could easily be written like Kandi’s PSU series (my favorite by her), and she could write one season per book with POV from multiple characters – just throwing that out into the universe – HINT HINT Kandi!!
I loved the dramatics and antics that happened throughout this entire book. I enjoyed how everyone interacted with one another, including the guests they all waited on. It showed multiple sides to these characters and what they were capable of handling. Did I like every characters, no, but I think that is to be expected in this environment.
Since I am a huge fan of hers, people will assume my review is biased based on that alone. Trust me, there are one or two of her books that were not for me, and my reviews of those books speak to that. So no, my reviews are always honest because not every book will connect with me and I truly believe that not every book will be for everyone.
Overall, I did really enjoy this. I did wish we got to read from Finn’s perspective, but that’s a personal preference. Kandi did a great job of showing Ember’s growth and her finally understanding that she doesn’t need anyone’s acceptance to realize how amazing she is.
From #1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes a marriage of convenience, billionaire, sports romance.
I never wanted to get married. Until the night my life went up in flames, and Ryker Beneventi walked into the fire to save me.
The Philadelphia Kings’ scorching hot defensive end has a tendency of doing that . . . Protecting me is instinct. Marrying me is strategy. Calling me “his wife” . . . That’s for fun.
One carefully crafted press release later, and I’m standing beside the most photographed man in football, wearing a diamond I didn’t choose, and bearing a last name revered in this town.
It’s supposed to be temporary. A clean solution to a messy problem. But nothing about our marriage is as it seems.
Because somewhere between the locked doors and late nights, the lines between love and legacy blur. Until the only thing left more terrifying than the night that forced us together . . . Is how scared I am to walk away.
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I don’t think there will ever be a book that Bella writes that I do not devour in hours and absolutely love.
Listen, every new book she releases, I feel like I love it more than the last one. But it’s really just Bella’s ability to make me want to live in her stories and be a part of these fake places she creates.
Sweet Oblivion is Ryker and Delaney’s story. Let me just preface this by saying I previously thought I found my favorite Beneventi man, but Ryker just took that title easily.
I want to say so much about these two and what all went on this book, but I won’t. But I will say these two are perfect for each in every way. I love how attentive Ryker was to Delaney. And Delaney – my heart is with her through this entire book – lover her.
A first love shaped by crisis and a young man’s search for emotional clarity unfold in Some Love Lasts and Getting to Yes by Tim Hunniecutt. Together, the stories explore how formative relationships influence identity and memory.
Some Love Lasts On the Florida coast, fourteen-year-old Madi anticipates peaceful days with her grandparents. Instead, she becomes drawn to Matthew, the older neighbor admired for his lifeguard strength and steady courage. Though many watch him, it is his attention toward Madi that transforms her quiet summer.
Their connection deepens gradually, moving from admiration to something intense and unforgettable. When a hurricane strikes, Matthew risks everything in a rescue that permanently alters Madi’s understanding of sacrifice and devotion. The experience shapes her perception of love long after they part. Years later, a reunion in college forces both of them to confront what remains between them and whether their shared past can become a future.
Getting to Yes Nineteen-year-old Chris enters adulthood determined to find something authentic. Reflecting on his encounters with women, he navigates attraction, miscommunication, and emotional growth. Through colorful and often humorous episodes, he attempts to understand what intimacy requires.
Each relationship contributes to his evolving perspective. Some moments are sweet, others bittersweet, but all leave an imprint. Then he meets Chloe, and the connection feels distinct from the rest. Faced with the possibility of something deeper, Chris must decide whether he is ready to embrace vulnerability. The story captures the uncertainty and hope that accompany the journey toward lasting love.
Tim Hunniecutt has loved words since childhood, writing poems and stories for family and friends from an early age. Lifeguards have played a meaningful role in his life, from the rescue of his younger brother to several of his own children who later worked as lifeguards. He studied psychology and English at Florida State University, where the emotional spark for this story began after he fell in love during his first summer home from school. He now lives in Lithia, Florida, with that same girl, now his wife, and enjoys traveling, escape games, ballroom dancing with her, and time with his grandchildren.
When did this story or idea “click” into place for you—was there a single moment you knew you had to write it?
Getting to Yes: I had long thought about using the subject matter for this novel, but had never been able to think about how to frame it and end it. One day, I was thinking about it, and the solution came to me. I started writing the novel the next day.
Some Love Lasts: I was thinking of a backstory for another novel centered around the hurricane and the rescue, when the story of this girl came into dazzling focus. An image popped into my head of her standing in the road, covered in blood, in the hot Florida afternoon, having just saved the man she loved, who had saved her as a teenager. I knew I needed to tell her story.
Which character or real-life person surprised you the most while writing this book, and why?
Getting to Yes: When Chris realizes his relationship with Colleen imploded because he failed to tell her how intense his feelings for her had become. He had denied to himself what he really felt and his realization that failure to communicate leads him to sharing with Chloe too soon which causes him a new set of problems that sets up the whole last part of the novel. Some Love Lasts: Madi’s mother, Elizabeth. As the story progressed, I was surprised at how Elizabeth’s strength had come from overcoming trauma, and that experience caused her to show her daughter tenderness when she needed it most. Madi inherited more than her looks from her mother. She also got her mental toughness.
What’s one belief, question, or emotional truth you hope readers carry with them long after they finish your book?
Getting to Yes: Despite his rejections and heartbreaks the male lead never stops trying until he finds his love. It all starts by trying.
Some Love Lasts: Love is more than an emotion. A lot of this book is an attempt to illustrate what that “more” means.
If your book were invited to join a shelf with three other titles, which ones would make you happiest—and what would that shelf say about your story?
Getting to Yes:
A Room with a View by Ford Madox Ford
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All stories of a male protagonist falling hard and fast and initially being not accepted. None of them give up until they are each successful.
Some Love Lasts:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
All great books about the enduring power of love that some love lasts regardless of the obstacles or time itself.
I read a good amount of YA romances and they tend to be more on the light and sweet side and usually not a whole lot of depth to the story itself. And that isn’t a bad thing (I enjoy those stories) but Tim’s YA romance definitely hit on a more mature YA and I absolutely loved.
The blurb is all you need to know going into this book. I won’t rehash that in my review. But what I will say is that I loved being able to visualize and experience the growth of these characters from their respectful perspectives.
Tim does a wonderful job of capturing these two at two different points in their lives and brilliantly showcasing those actions, emotions and mannerisms at each point.
The writing is in this book just pulls you in and keeps you there the entire. Something that normally doesn’t really stand out to me in romance novels is the setting, unless it’s small-town romances that involve certain things. Tim brings Florida to life in this story; their college lives are so vivid on these pages.
I truly loved that I could not only feel what these characters are going through, but I could visualize the settings, the nuances – everything – and that just adds another layer to this story that made it magnificent.
Definitely going to read his other book, Getting To Yes.
When Callan Hunt arrived at Ryemont High senior year, I couldn’t have predicted the hot Irish football player would become my everything … and end up breaking my heart.
College and dreams of a career in interior design were my sole focus until my new neighbor bulldozed his way into my life. Callan had ambitions too. He planned to leave Vermont after graduation to pursue his dream of playing for an English Premier League club.
We weren’t looking for love, but fate had other plans.
When Callan was scouted during our freshman year of college, I couldn’t have been prouder.
Until everything came crashing down in one crippling blow.
I was devastated, and it took years to recover.
After finally moving on from the heartache of my past, I now have a successful career and a billionaire CEO fiancé.
Then my first love reappears.
Callan says it’s time I learned the truth about that night.
He claims he’s never stopped loving me and vows to fight for me in a way he couldn’t before. He seems determined to keep every promise he ever made me, but how is it possible after everything that’s happened?
Now, I’m torn … torn between my fiancé—the man who resurrected my faith in love—and the man who still owns a significant part of my heart.
I have no idea where to start, or what to say and not spoil anything.
This story definitely went in ways I was not expecting. But in true Siobhan fashion, she knows how to deliver the angst and emotions, and keeping the reader fully engaged the entire time.
I really enjoyed how Siobhan told this story in two parts. Astrid and Callahan’s story starts off when they are both seniors in high school and he just moved to the area from Ireland. We get to see their relationship go from friends to more and how explosive their chemistry is – not just physically, but emotionally.
The second part if them as adults and they come face to face once again after being torn apart all those years ago. And that is all that I am saying on that part.
Astrid and Callahan’s story is an emotional journey that will keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. There will be tears, curses and smiles throughout it all and it will be worth every emotional whiplash.
Bravo Siobhan!
Meet Siobhan Davis:
Siobhan Davis™ is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold over 2 million books, and her titles are translated into several languages.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
She lives in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.
Join the author’s mailing list to receive a free e-book plus tons of bonus content. Refer to the official author website.
From #1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes an enemies to lovers, surprise pregnancy, sports romance.
Hating Jameson Murphy is easy. Wanting him is where everything gets complicated.
He’s my best friend’s older brother. My father’s star player. A charmingly infuriating football god I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding and failing to ignore.
He should be the last man tempting me into bad decisions. But when a snowstorm grounds our flight, and champagne blurs our judgment, one reckless night shatters every rule I’ve put in place . . . leaving me with two little pink lines and one very big problem.
Now, thanks to an unreliable mother, a surprise baby sister, and a new living arrangement I never saw coming, my carefully crafted life is unraveling faster than the worn satin ribbon on my favorite old pointe shoes.
And Jameson?
He’s everywhere.
In my space.
In my secrets.
Looking at me like he already knows how this ends and how it doesn’t.
Forcing me to face a truth I’m not ready to accept . . .
What if surrender doesn’t mean losing yourself?
What if it’s about trusting someone else?
And maybe . . . just maybe, what if it means finally finding home?
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The title for this book is perfect – what a Sweet Surrender this story was.
Ashton and Jamie have always been in one another’s life in some way. Ashton never had the easiest life and she finds herself having to return to Kroydon Hills unexpectedly. But she doesn’t expect to run into Jamie, let alone live with him, while she figures out how to navigate an unexpected surprise. And the surprises just keep coming for Ashton.
Jamie – wow. He is such a caring and doting man when it comes to Ashton. I love how he supports her but also lets her do her own thing and grow.
Bella delivers another emotional story with some twists I hadn’t seen coming, even with all the hints in your patreon posts.
One guest house. One week. One slow-burn disaster waiting to happen.
Dean Whitaker has zero interest in weddings, fairy lights, or the perky woman currently turning his guest house into a scented-candle crime scene.
He’s a divorce attorney. He thrives on prenups, logic, and not getting glitter on his suits.
Poppy Monroe is a wedding planner with a checklist for everything—except how to survive living next door to a hot, brooding, tightly wound lawyer—aka the groom’s brother.
They’re opposites in every way—except for the undeniable chemistry neither of them wants to talk about.
Their mission: survive one week of wedding chaos.
Her vibe: sunshine and glitter pens. His vibe: whiskey and restraint.
I enjoyed this one more than I expected. It’s a slow-burn in the best possible ways.
Poppy and Dean could not be any more opposite if they tried. Poppy is sunshine and all about love, while Dean is more of a grump and loves ending those happily ever afters through paperwork.
These two know from the get-go that there are going to bumps and bruises along the way of planning this wedding for Dean’s brother. However, neither are willing to let the wedding be a failure and try to find a way to work together.
There is alot of sparks flying, close encounters and a slow-burn romance that’s impossible to ignore. I loved the banter, the flirting and the growth between the two of them.
This is definitely one of Kendall’s best books to date.
In The Coopers, family power meets forbidden passion, and one wrong move can cost you the team… or your heart. Perfect for fans of the ruthless tension of Succession and the dark, aching obsession of Wuthering Heights. At thirty-six, Fin Graham is a legend, a veteran quarterback, dangerously handsome, and built to win. The field. The season. Me. I never thought I’d see him again, not after he disappeared and shattered me without a word. But now he’s been traded onto my family’s team, the Lexington Coopers—my turf, my legacy, and the one place I swore he’d never touch. No one knows our past. No one knows how hard I loved him… or how deep the betrayal cut. And if I have any sway with the team’s owner—my father—Fin’s contract will be the shortest in franchise history. But the problem with old heartbreaks? They remember how to start beating again. Fin wants a second chance. I want revenge… or maybe I just want him. And the time clock is almost out. With the future of the Lexington Coopers on the line, we have to decide if we’re working together or against one another.
From the bestselling author of Infidelity and Sin comes a scorching, high-stakes romantic suspense series set in the seductive, cutthroat world of the NFL. The Coopers is a four-book saga following one explosive couple. INTERCEPTED ends on a cliffhanger—an unforgettable Aleatha blindside.
Intercepted is a great start to this newest series from Aleatha.
This is a second-chance, sports romance and I am here for this.
First off, I can tell that Aleatha took time to learn not only about the game of football, but owning a team and running it. I absolutely loved all the nuisances added in about the actual sport and the ins and outs of how everything is done from top to bottom.
Second, this story has alot of depth to it with these characters and their story. This particular book is about Maeve (Vee) and Fin but we get to meet all of Maeve’s family (not just immediate either) and how everyone is connected.
Third, the pacing of this story is perfection. I love that it’s not only told from both Vee and Fin’s POVs but it also jumps back to the past, so we can how well these two connected in the past, where things went off-rails, to the present and where they go from here.
Aleatha delivers a very emotionally-charged story with strong characters that you will love. The secondary characters play a pivotal role in the overall plot and but they do not overwhelm things.
I love how everything just blends so well – from the sports aspect, the family dynamics, to the romance – it all just flows perfectly and keeps you engaged in the story the entire time.
As for the ending – I was not expecting that at all. In true Aleatha fashion, she leaves me speechless and wanting the next book NOW!
A definite MUST READ!!
Meet Aleatha Romig:
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they’ve raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
Wicked Altar: A Dark Irish Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance by Jane Henry is now live!
I’ve hated Cavin McCarthy since the day he made me cry in a school cupboard.
He was my tormentor—the cruel bastard who turned my name into a joke and my life into hell.
Now? He’s my fiancé.
An arranged marriage neither of us wanted, brokered by families who deal in blood and power. I’d refuse if I could. But my sister is dying, and the McCarthy’s hold the key to saving her life.
So I’ll walk down the aisle. I’ll say the vows. I’ll become Mrs. Cavin McCarthy.
But I’ll never forgive the arrogant jerk.
Except… the monster I remember isn’t the man before me now. The boy who destroyed me has become someone who’d burn the world down to keep me safe. Who touches me like I’m something precious instead of ruined. Whose rough hands and rougher words unravel every defense I’ve built.
When his fingers wrap around my throat and his voice goes low in my ear, I’m not thinking about revenge anymore…
I’m thinking about surrender.
And in the McCarthy family, surrender might be the most dangerous thing of all.
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Complete standalone, interconnecting, no cliffhanger
Genre/Tropes: Dark Romance / Stalker / Masks / Obsessive/Possessive / Touch Her and Die / Mafia / Secret Society / Protective Hero / Morally Gray / Only Soft for Her / Neurodivergent FMC / Storm X Sunshine /Tortured Artsy Hero / Second Chance / Untouched Hero / Woman in Peril
PRETTY PREY by A. Zavarelli is NOW LIVE!
Make sure to grab this all-new, secret society, dark mafia romance TODAY!
NOW AVAILABLE!
BLURB
It started with a message from a stranger.
Or so I thought.
Beneath a veil of anonymity, he lured out my secrets, fears, and desires.
Behind the mask, he could be anyone.
And somehow, it felt safer not knowing.
He comes to me under the cover of darkness, pulling me deeper into this forbidden game.
I give myself to him, knowing the consequences could destroy my life.
I just didn’t expect him to be the one to ruin me.
When the mask comes off, the truth cuts deep.
He isn’t just a man obsessed.
He’s the same man who’s hated me for the last nine years.
In the Cosa Nostra, they call him Il Lupo.
The wolf.
And all this time…
I’ve been his prey.
This book was everything!! It was so good, I never marked that I was reading it, and over a week after finishing it, I can still vividly picture this story in my head.
Romeo – wow this man impressed me with his unhinged ways. He is why women love fictional chaotic, and psychotic stalkers.
Gabi – Zavarelli wrote this character perfectly and beautifully. She is neurodivergent, and Zavarelli captures this so well – she is one of my favorite characters ever written. I was able to so easily understand and relate to her so well.
I will not go into story details, just know that the blurb only scratches the surface, and Zavarelli delivers a compelling story with multifaceted characters and a very well-developed plot. And while this is lower on the mafia-level side, it was still high-octane in other ways, and that definitely made for a very intriguing read.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
About A. Zavarelli:
A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.
When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
A spicy grumpy-sunshine, age-gap, close-proximity romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …
I’m the mysterious one. The angriest alphahole who never bends. And she’s the woman who will bring me to my knees.
As the executive chef and face of my family’s billion-dollar empire, time is the one luxury I don’t have. With endless responsibilities and nonstop demands, I lost my passion and love for the art of cooking. What used to be my dream job is now my worst nightmare. I was ready to walk away and give up everything we’d built …
Until Alivia happened.
She was supposed to be a temporary diversion so we could satisfy each other’s desires and then never see each other again …
Yet I knew she was different right away. A woman who was my complete opposite, the calm to my storm. The sunshine to my darkness. With a body that left me speechless.
What I didn’t see was how much we both craved a break. Me from a career that would eventually kill me, her from an abusive home life.
When two people in pain connect, an explosion erupts. That was us. All fire and longing, mixed with a genuine need to seek shelter in one another’s arms.
While I’m still savoring the taste of her on my lips, I see her again unexpectedly and wonder … is our connection enough to surpass the secrets between us, or were we only meant to have those two nights together?
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I do believe Walker just became my favorite Weston sibling.
This book started off with fire in so many ways and continued to keep glued to the pages.
The chemistry between Walked and Alivia is immediate from the start. I love how these two both go into this with the expectations of no strings and neither expects more when it’s over. However, neither can let the other far from their mind.
Marni wrote the perfect untouchable Brute in Walker, but created the ideal match for him with Alivia. Their banter and her ability to be so blunt with him created a perfect harmony for them. These two are far from different walks in life, are total opposites in disposition, and yet they somehow are what the other one needs.
Troy Severin thinks he’s gotten away with it. Why else would a billionaire live in the cursed estate where my sister, Nell, died? Leave razors like calling cards? He’s taunting me, hunting me, drawing me into Grayfleet Hall’s shadows, where edges have teeth and every mirror lies.
He watches me sleep, plays with my fears, and knows exactly how to make me fall. He’s untouchable—a predator in designer suits with poison-green eyes and a brooding look that cuts deeper than any blade.
But as I dig into his past, the truth slips through my fingers. These blood-soaked walls hold more than his secrets. They hold Nell’s.
Troy might be temptation wrapped in danger, who can shatter my resolve with one glance and, steal my breath with just a whisper, but I won’t go quietly to the altar.
He thinks I’m here to marry him.
I’m here to bury him alive.
Publisher Note: On Edge is Sage and Troy’s story. A dark gothic enemies-to-lovers romance intended for mature readers, containing material that some may find triggering or offensive.
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On Edge is the perfect title for this book as I felt like I was on edge from start to finish.
I will say that this book started off feeling like I was missing something at first, but then I realized as I continued reading, that was part of the whole mystery and suspense of this story.
The vibes that Mallory gave off with her writing and the entire goth setting – yea, it just set the stage for a great story. The twists and turns and the building romance – everything was paced perfectly and flowed flawlessly.
Definitely a recommended read for anyone who loves dark or gothic romance.
