Release Day Blitz & Review…Wicked Scandal by Rachel Leigh

Wicked Scandal by Rachel Leigh is now live!

From USA Today best selling author, Rachel Leigh, comes a sexy reverse age-gap, student/teacher standalone romance.

Wilder Cromwell is pure temptation in a delicious package.

Gorgeous. Smart. Athletic.

He’s also my student.

The minute I saw him, I should have known better.

But falling for him was as inevitable as breathing.

He’s more than just a face in my class.

He’s the man who came to my rescue on one of my darkest nights.

Wilder has become a safe haven against my husband’s monstrous brutality.

Being with him is an escape from the cage my life has become.

With him I’m adored and I’m safe—two feelings I’ve never felt before.

But one mistake, on one unforgettable night, changes the course of my fate.

Or maybe, it just put me on the path I was always meant to be on.

Wilder and I might be wrong to the universe, but in his arms, nothing has ever felt so right.

Wicked Scandal is a dark romance with themes that may be triggering to some readers, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, murder, abuse, and cheating (not on the main characters). It is advised to read with caution if you are sensitive to these subjects.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

http://mybook.to/wickedscandal

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3vgtySR

Wicked Scandal is the second book in the Misfits series and can easily be read as a standalone.

I really enjoyed how this student/teacher, forbidden romance plays out. Rachel does a phenomenal job of allowing readers to empathize and understand both Wilder and Catherine’s decisions and their inner battles.

Rachel does a great job of the pacing in this story and how things come to light and play out. Readers get to see that inner turmoil within Catherine. Readers will absolutely adore Wilder and I love that he stays true to himself.

A great addition to this series.

Meet Rachel

Rachel Leigh is a USA Today and International bestselling author of new adult and contemporary romances.

She loves to write—and read—flawed bad-boys and strong heroines. You can expect dark elements, a dash of suspense, and a lot of steam.

Her goal is to take readers on an adventure with her words, while showing them that even on the darkest days, love conquers all.

Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband, three little monsters (who aren’t so little anymore) and a couple of fur babies. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s likely lounging in leggings, with coffee in her hand, while binge watching her favorite reality tv shows.

Connect with Rachel

Website: http://rachelleighauthor.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/rachelleigh

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EBaUWz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelleighauthor

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/rl_ramblers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelleighauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelleigh_1

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelleighromancebooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rachel-leigh

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rachelleighauthor

Release Day Blitz…Cade by Bella Jewel

Cade by Bella Jewel is now live!

The MC SINNERS continues with Cade’s story. Continue the love affair as Addison and Cade navigate his past. It’ll either make or break them. I guess you’ll have to continue to find out. Enter, if you dare.

You all know her story.

You’ve lived it. Felt it. Breathed it.

The focus has always been on her.

Why wouldn’t it be? She’s the fucking sunshine.

She changed my life.

She made me the man I am.

So, I kept my story hidden, in the darkest depths where it belongs.

My life is good, and I have no desire to change it.

That is until my feisty, fiery, stubborn woman decides to make it her mission to find out what secrets lie beneath the surface.

There is no voice of reason.

She won’t hear me when I tell her that I don’t want her going down that road.

Rocky, jagged, and broken – she’s tearing us apart in her quest to find answers.

She doesn’t want those answers, because gone will be the picture she created of me in her already shattered mind.

I’ll no longer be the man who rescued her, who changed her life, who made her better.

Instead, I’ll be cast aside with all the other villains in her story.

Because, if she keeps on digging, I’m going to become the monster in her mind.

I can’t let that happen.

Download today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3V4iUZd

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/CadeBJ

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3UL8e0u

Meet Bella Jewel

Bella Jewel is a self published, USA Today bestselling author. She’s been publishing since 2013. Her first release was a contemporary romance, Hell’s Knights which topped the charts upon release. Since that time, she has published over twenty-five novels, gaining a bestseller status on numerous platforms. She lives in North Queensland with her fiancé and four beautiful kids. Bella has been writing since she was just shy of fifteen years old. In Summer 2013 she was offered an ebook deal through Montlake Romance for her bestselling modern day pirate series, Enslaved By The Ocean. In 2016 she signed a three book deal with St Martin’s Press, and another three just a year later. She plans to expand her writing career, planning many new releases for the future.

Connect with Bella Jewel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7178194.Bella_Jewel

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bella-Jewel/e/B00ENFN352

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBellaJewel

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/193768845264562

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbellajewel

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BellaJewel73

Release Day Blitz…Rule Breakers Fall Hardest by Micalea Smeltzer

Rule Breakers Fall Hardest by Micalea Smeltzer is now live!

Once upon a time, Daire Hendricks was my childhood crush. He was always there, saving me from his annoying brothers. He was my rock, my safe place from my overbearing family.

Until he wasn’t.

Imagine my annoyance when we end up at the same university and I have to see his smug, too-handsome-for-his-own-good face all over campus.

Every time we cross paths, we spew hateful words at each other, so imagine my surprise when he seeks me out and utters the most surprising question.

“Marry me?”

He needs my help, and his solution is marriage. It’s a pretty big ask, but somehow, I find myself saying yes. We might hate each other now, but the benefits of this arrangement are worth it.

But what neither of us expects, is when playing house starts to feel a little too real.

Falling for each other was never part of the plan, but you know what they say about the best laid plans?

They often go awry.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bN3VJG

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheBoys6

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3OVA1cf

Meet Micalea

Micalea Smeltzer is a twenty-something author from Northern Virginia. She has four dogs, which is as crazy as it sounds. As a recent kidney transplant recipient she’s dedicated to raising awareness around the effects of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant as well as educating people on living donation.When she’s not writing you can catch her with her nose buried in a book.

Connect with Micalea

Website: https://micaleasmeltzer.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5371025.Micalea_Smeltzer

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Micalea-Smeltzer/e/B0086Y9968/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormicaleasmeltzer

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/370997336425131

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Release Day Blitz…The Sinner by Marni Mann

The Sinner by Marni Mann is now live!

A scorching hot, he-falls-first, touch-her-and-die, billionaire romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

The first time I saw her, I wanted her.
The second time I saw her, I knew she had to be mine.
Beautiful blonde hair. Cornflower-blue eyes. Body to die for.
All things I knew I couldn’t live without.
But after one night, she ghosted me, leaving me desperate for another taste.
I was usually the one to walk out the door before the morning light came.
This time, it was her, but not without becoming my obsession in the process.
Lily was a mystery.
She had a past shrouded in secrets she was unwilling to divulge.
She was running from something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
And once I did, I’d do anything to protect her.
They called me the sinner for a reason.
Because I wouldn’t hesitate to burn down the world or cross any line to save her.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/TheSinnerSH

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3vSfDlB

Meet Marni

USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives with her husband in Sarasota, Florida. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, boating, or devouring fabulous books. Want to get in touch?

Connect with Marni

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MarniMannFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597153177180837/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/MarniMannIG

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/MarniMannPin

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IsSRWC

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/MarniMannBB

Website: http://marnismann.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5400988.Marni_Mann

Verve Romance: https://ververomance.com/app/marnimann

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marnimann

Release Day Blitz…Sapphire Dawn by C. Travis Rice

Some weddings get the best man hitched.

Sapphire Dawn, an all-new steamy Sapphire Cove novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher writing as C. Travis Rice & Blue Box Press is now live!

Donnie Bascombe has made a lot of people’s fantasies come true in his life, first in the bedroom, then on the set of his adult entertainment studio. But his best friend Logan Murdoch has just presented him with his tallest order yet—help plan the wedding of his dreams. Desire has always been Donnie’s forte. But lavish nuptials at one of Southern California’s premier oceanfront resorts? For that job, he’ll need a partner. And a mentor.

Richard Merriweather has devoted his life to planning fairy tale weddings for celebrities and royalty—only to have his own husband shatter his heart into a million pieces. Remaking the special events office at Sapphire Cove is just the distraction he needs to get his fancy and luxurious life back on track. But the groom’s brash and undeniably sexy best friend has a powerful attraction to Richard Merriweather he can’t keep secret. Problem is, Richard doesn’t do hookups, and Donnie doesn’t do relationships. The closer Donnie gets to Richard, the more he wants something different, something he’s never had before. Something that will force both men to confront the heartbreak in their pasts as they plan Sapphire Cove’s wedding of the decade and find an unexpected future for themselves.

Grab your copy today!
Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited→
https://bit.ly/3KFccmt

Add Sapphire Dawn to Goodreads→ https://bit.ly/3vb7qJm

Start the series of standalones with Sapphire Sunset today→ https://bit.ly/3z8Whu5

Keep reading for a look inside Sapphire Dawn!

For fifteen years Donnie had waited for the return of this feeling at the moment his lips met another man’s, the tug, tug, tug in the center of his chest he’d felt whenever he’d kissed Zach.
Here it was, the instant Richard’s hands had caressed his face and pulled him in.
The instant the man’s arms encircled his back and he tilted his head to one side.
The instant his mouth met Richard’s.
Everything else about the man since they’d first met had been resistance, but this kiss, this yielding, open-mouthed kiss, was pure hunger. Pure need.
When was the last time he’d kissed a man who’d bared his soul? Maybe never. There’d been plenty of lip locks—professional and non—throughout his life, but they weren’t always a given when the clothes came off. For years he’d lived by the swipe and click based rhythm of app-driven sex. Mostly it brought boys to the yard who wanted to dive right into the deep end without checking the temperature of the water first.
This was altogether different. Richard Merriweather had offered up his pain and his inviting lips in almost the same instant, making Donnie feel desired and needed in ways he never had before. He had a crazy, paranoid thought that Logan or Connor would walk in right then and start wailing on him for kissing their wedding planner. But it wasn’t strong enough to make him gently push the event planner away. Maybe because Richard’s lips were soft and tasted like spearmint, but his kisses were hard and determined. And the man’s hair. It was so close. Right there. He could touch it if he wanted to. He’d just have to move one hand up off his neck and into…
Don’t do it, Bascombe. You touch his hair and you’re done for. Touch his hair and this turns into a helluva lot more than a kiss.
Donnie touched his hair. Ran one hand through it gently enough to let its thick locks fill the gaps between his fingers, not so rough that he’d pull the roots. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Richard Merriweather pain. He was in so much of it already. He needed warmth. He needed pleasure. He needed his every fantasy fulfilled. He needed all the things Donnie had learned to give an audience and countless cheap tricks. And he needed them now apparently because his embrace was vise-grip tight, so tight it was pulling Donnie forward off his feet. But Donnie didn’t care. Nothing seemed more important than keeping his lips sealed to Richard’s, and if it meant they both went over sideways and—
He ignored the sound at first. A weird double beep. Like a phone alert. Only it wasn’t coming from his phone. Richard ignored it too.
Then came a pop, pop, pop that sounded like gunfire.

For more information about Christopher Rice/C. Travis Rice, visit:
http://www.christopherricebooks.com/

For more information about the Sapphire Cove Series, visit:
https://visitsapphirecove.com/

For more information about Blue Box Press, visit:
Website: https://theblueboxpress.com/
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Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rTZdo3
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3G98oYh

Release Day Blitz…Entire by Helen Hardt

A tale of four souls…and the effects of near tragedy

After a phenomenal journey spanning thirty memorable books, the epic Steel Brothers Saga from New York Times bestselling author Helen Hardt comes to a breathtaking conclusion in Encore!

When Brianna Steel and Jesse Pike hold each other for what they fear may be the last moment of their lives, they realize they’re meant to be together for the long haul.

But for Brianna’s cousin, David Simpson, and Jesse’s sister, Madeline Pike, the event has more far-reaching consequences.

Dave, after helping his father and his Uncle Jonah deal with horrific happenings on the Steel property, needed a vacation. Joining his cousins on Dragonlock’s European tour seemed like a no-brainer, and hooking up with Maddie Pike was some decadent icing on the cake. But after looking his mortality in the eye, he’s questioning everything about the path he’s on—including his budding relationship with Maddie.

Maddie, too, is evaluating her own dreams and aspirations, and she desperately seeks a deeper connection to the world around her. Is a relationship with Dave, who she’s been crushing on forever, in the cards? She’s not sure where he stands, but she’s having a difficult time keeping her distance because the chemistry between them is hot and sizzling.

But in the end, a family member’s illness and a near-fatal accident could be their undoing.

Start reading today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wLCL6j

Apple: https://tinyurl.com/ehhapple

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/ehhbn

KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/ehhkobo

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/ehhgoogleplay

Add Encore to Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/encoresbs

Start the Steel Brothers Saga today → https://amzn.to/3XsWse8

For more information about Helen Hardt and her books, visit her website:

https://www.helenhardt.com

Cover & Trope Reveal…So Real by Abby Millsaps

Abby Millsaps has revealed the gorgeous cover and tropes for So Real!

Releasing: July 31, 2024

TROPES & MICROTROPES:

❤️ Why choose romance

🗓️ Now and then timeline

🪩 Adventures abroad

🏈 College football

⏰ Second chance

🧍‍♀️ “She’s NOT my sister”

😡 Lovers to enemies

🙏 Jealousy and groveling

🇬🇧 British Billionaire

🧎‍♀️Praise and degradation

📚 He curates a library for her

💊 Mental health rep (PMDD)

Pre-order your copy today!

https://geni.us/soreal

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3JwTsFo

Start reading So Wrong, book 1 in the Boys of South Chapel series!

https://geni.us/sowrong

Meet Abby

Abby Millsaps is an author and storyteller who’s been obsessed with writing romance since middle school. In eighth grade, she failed to qualify for the Power of the Pen State Championships because all her submissions contained the same theme: young people falling in love. #LookAtHerNow

She’s best known for writing unapologetically angsty romance that causes emotional damage for her readers. Abby prides herself in writing authentic characters while weaving mental health, chronic illness, and neurodiverse representation into the fabric of her stories.

Abby met her husband at a house party the summer before her freshman year of college. He had a secret pizza stashed in the trunk of his car that he was saving for a midnight snack–how was she supposed to resist that level of golden retriever energy and preparedness? When Abby isn’t writing, she’s reading, traveling, and raising her three daughters.

Connect with Abby

Website: www.authorabbymillsaps.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/authorabbymillsaps

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HVoK87

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorabbymillsaps/

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/abbysfulloutfiends

Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbymillsaps/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@authorabbymillsaps

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/abby-millsaps

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/authorabbymillsaps/

Text Updates: Text ROMANCE to 1-888-885-1283

Release Day Blitz…Primal by Atla Hensley

Primal by Alta Hensley is now live!

The first time I meet him, he is the hunter and I am the prey.

The second time I see him, the reaper is knocking on my door.

The third time, I am told he will be my husband.

Every time we meet after that, I question if he will be my enemy or my lover.

He says he’ll teach me the rules and consequences to this world of ours.

It’s a dark place of give and most definitely take.

And as my future husband, he’s supposed to protect me at all costs from the shadows that threaten my family.

But am I ever truly safe when I’m with him?

Or with them?

Masked men tasked to watch over me. Stalk me. Rarely leaving my side.

If he can’t always be the hunter, he makes sure they can.

I may be able to run from one, secretly enjoying the primal chase.

But when there are three…

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ygh9zf

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/PrimalAH

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ycIUIW

Meet Alta

Alta Hensley is a USA TODAY bestselling author of hot, dark and dirty romance. She is also an Amazon Top 10 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.

She lives in Astoria, Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd. When she isn’t walking the coastline, and drinking beer in her favorite breweries, she is writing about villains who always get their love story and happily ever after.

Connect with Alta

Website: www.altahensley.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alta-Hensley/e/B004G5A6LI

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltaHensleyAuthor/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/altahensley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AltaHensley

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@altahensley

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alta-hensley

Cover Reveal…A Violent Agenda: The Complete Series by Mallory Fox

Mallory Fox has revealed the gorgeous cover for A Violent Agenda: The Complete Series!

Releasing: July 26, 2024

Cover Design: Temptation Creations

A Violent Agenda: The Complete Series contains the following books:
– A History of Violence: A Violent Agenda Book One
– A Legacy of Sorrow: A Violent Agenda Book Two
– A Promise of Torment: A Violent Agenda Book Three
– A Destiny of Carnage: A Violent Agenda Book Four

Fire burns the worst sins. Trust is overrated.
Killing for pleasure is messy, bloody, chaotic…

He was supposed to die.

But now I have him where I want him, I can’t help but taste him a little.

All of them.

They’ve gotten under my skin. These Sacred Heart boys.

The way they look at me, a need, a hunger clawing inside, I recognize it in the mirror. It’s their eyes. They tell me they don’t give a fuck if they live or die. That I’m the prey and they’re the carnivores. That they’re soulless.

But in the end, they all beg.
Violent, bloody, and raw.
Because I’m the real monster.

They just don’t know it yet.

Pre-order your copy today!

https://mybook.to/AViolentAgenda

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/45jZjb5

Meet Mallory Fox

Mallory Fox is a USA Today best-selling author who is addicted to reading big books that never end, eating chocolate-covered pretzels, and looking deep into heart-melting, big brown eyes…the canine kind. She loves to write deliciously dark romance with wicked, twisty plots. Mallory currently lives in London with her bean-shaped dog and the rest of her non-furry family. When she’s not at her desk writing up a storm, she’s walking her overgrown cocker spaniel, or trying to learn how to cook, badly.

Connect with Mallory

Website: http://www.malloryfoxauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/malloryfox

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/malloryfox

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malloryfoxauthor/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/foxyreadingden/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malloryfoxauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mallorythefox

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@malloryfoxauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mallory-fox

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/malloryfoxauthor

Release Day Blitz & Review…The Sweet Spot by Bella Matthews

The Sweet Spot by Bella Matthews is now live!

From USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author Bella Matthews, comes a hot new hockey coach, single dad, marriage of convenience, small town romance.

A fake marriage with a single dad wasn’t on my dance card but there are worse ways to start the summer.

Our story didn’t begin the night I agreed to marry Deacon Kane to help him keep his daughter. It started ten years ago, with a hotshot hockey player I couldn’t wait to see each summer. He was big, broad, and filled out his board shorts so damn nicely. But holy hell… The memories of teenage Deacon don’t hold a candle to the man he is now, the one who makes me melt each time he says, “my wife.”

What was supposed to be a marriage of convenience quickly spirals into something else. Something I can’t control. Because this man makes me feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in months, and I want more.

More sparks.
More life.
More time.

Can a relationship based on lies last… Especially when I’m the one keeping all the secrets?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3U7CUZr

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheSweetSpotBM

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3w3GGLn

GAH!!! Bella writes some of the best heart-throbbing and panty-melting male characters in this series. Just when I absolutely love and want to devour her newest MMC, she writes another that is just as amazing and now I can’t choose. LOL However, with The Sweet Spot, it’s Brynlee who gave me girl crush vibes

The Sweet Spot is Brynlee and Deacon’s story. Like my other reviews in this series, I won’t tell you much of the story because I don’t want to give anything away.

Brynlee is the physical therapist for the hockey team and while she has this fierce personality, there is so much more to her underneath the surface. She and Deacon knew each other once upon a time and now by chance, they are in each other’s orbit again.

Deacon is a single dad trying to juggle a new job and co-parenting his daughter with his ex-wife. I love how Bella handled this and did not add the unnecessary drama in this situation. But this man won me over with this ability to be sweet with his daughter and then those same lips get dirty with Brynlee (holy hot!!).

The Sweet Spot is the perfect ending to this series.

Meet Bella

Bella Matthews is a USA Today & Amazon Top 50 Bestselling author. She is married to her very own Alpha Male and raising three little ones. You can typically find her running from one sporting event to another. When she is home, she is usually hiding in her home office with the only other female in her house, her rescue dog Tinker Bell by her side. She likes to write swoon-worthy heroes and sassy, smart heroines. Sarcasm is her love language and big family dynamics are her favorite thing to add to each story.

Connect with Bella

Website: www.authorbellamatthews.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20795160.Bella_Matthews

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08NFK9K4M?ingress=0&visitId=8b4845c0-1ab8-467b-ac2a-4ddf36d673fd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bella.Matthews.Author

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bellamatthewsgamechangers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellamatthews.author/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellamatthewsauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bella-matthews

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bellamatthewsauthor/

Cover & Excerpt Reveal…Blue Jeans In Low Beams by Claire Hastings

BLUE JEANS IN LOW BEAMS

Hayes Family #1

by Claire Hastings

Release Date: July 18, 2024

Cover Design:

Y’all That Graphic

Photographer:

FuriousFotog

Model:

Andrew Flanagan

Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone

Trope: Best friend’s little sister, age-gap, forced proximity, summer fling to forever, small town

Synopsis

It was a simple promise—watch out for my best friend’s little sister the same way I would my own.

Turns out, Brenna is a lot more grown-up than I realized. And a lot more beautiful. Which makes sharing an apartment with her this summer tougher than I expected.

Until she shares something with me. Something she’s never shared with anyone. Something that makes me want to step in and help.

Something that changes everything.

Soon enough, my wanting to be with her has nothing to do with that promise I made and everything to do with the undeniable spark between us.

It doesn’t matter that I’m more than a decade older than she is. Or what our small town thinks.

But Brenna’s time in Hickory Hills is limited, making everything more complicated.

The more time I spend with Brenna, the harder it is to stay apart. The more I want to convince her to stay.

I already broke my promise to her brother. But I will keep my promise to her.

Even if I break my own heart in the process.

Add to your TBR List!

GOODREADS LINK

Excerpt

Milo smiles softly at me and I relax, reminding myself who this is. Who we are.

Roommates. Almost siblings. Who cares if he accidentally saw me naked and masturbating and now knows my deepest secret?

“Hi. Whatcha making?”

“Just mac ’n cheese.”

Just mac ’n cheese? Is this man crazy?

I drop my bag, kicking off my shoes and placing them at the mat by the door. Inhaling deeply, I walk into the kitchen, examining the baking dish sitting on top of the stove. Sure enough, this is the real deal. Multiple cheeses melted into and mixed in with a roux, before folded over pasta and topped with breadcrumbs. A quick glance down at the counter reveals a loaf of bread and food processer, meaning these breadcrumbs are real, not store-bought. Fuck, yes.

“Milo, there is nothing just about mac ’n cheese. Especially real deal mac ’n cheese. I know you know it’s my fave. Especially if that’s Hayes mac ’n cheese.”

He laughs, the deep vibrato making my insides feel just as gooey as that cheese. “It is.”

Fuck, I have died and gone to heaven. Hayes mac ’n cheese, made by a sexy-as-sin Hayes man? Yeah…I’m done for.

“It was your first day at your first big girl job. I figured that was worth celebrating.” He gives me a wink, turning away from me to put the dish in the oven.

My first big girl job? Well then, if Milo’s going to talk to me the same way he and Brandt did when they took the training wheels off my bike, then I’d say seeing me naked is irrelevant. Thank goodness.

“Seriously? Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure you had better things to do with your afternoon.”

Milo shrugs his tattooed left shoulder, stepping into me, winking again. My insides melt a little more. This is dangerous.

“I wanted to. You deserve it.”

I sigh, my heart grateful for not only the gesture, but how much he cares. I’m lucky to have him in my life.

“Also, I was thinking.”

“Uh-oh, that’s dangerous,” I quip.

Milo chuckles, stepping in closer, the gap between us now no more than a foot. My pulse kicks into high gear, his musky scent filling my nostrils. I don’t know if that’s his cologne or deodorant or some soap, but damn, he smells good. So good it might fry my brain.

“Whatcha doin’ Friday?”

Friday? Ummmm…

“Errr…ahhh…studying?” I hope that’s the right answer.

“Take a night off.”

“Any particular reason?”

A list of possible answers rushes through my mind. The most likely is that he needs my help again at Pour Decisions. Which, if that’s what he needs, he can consider it done. I’m not only happy to help, but it’s the least I can do since I’m squatting in his apartment all summer.

“I’m taking you out.”

Record scratch—he’s what?

Milo must see the confusion register on my face, because he steps into me even more, this time, taking my hand.

“Let me start over. Brenna, would you like to go out with me on Friday?”

“Like a date?”

Like a date? Oh good gracious, who asks that? Like a date. Of course it’s not a date.

“Yes, like a date.”

I stand corrected.

“You want to take me on a date?” My voice squeaks, betraying me and my excitement.

Milo Hayes wants to take me on a date. Well, dear diary, your preteen fantasies are coming true.

“I was thinking about what you said yesterday—”

“Ugh, could we not?”

“No, we’re gonna. I hate to see you upset, always have. Yesterday was no exception. And I can’t fix everything in this world, but this, this I can. No, not fix. Because you don’t need fixing, Brenna. Change, that’s a better word. This I can change.”

“Milo, you don’t have to do this.”

“Bren,” he whispers, squeezing my hand. “This isn’t about have to, this is about want to. I want to take you. I want to show you what it’s like to experience a second date. And in order for there to be a second, there has to be a first. So, what d’ya say? Go out with me Friday night?”

My heart soars. Milo Hayes wants to take me on a date. How does a girl say no to that?

She doesn’t. That’s how.

I let my smile loose, a giggle escaping with it. I can’t help it. Because I’m giddy.

“I’d love to.”

“Good.”

He squeezes my hand again, keeping the small gap between us. Looking down at me, his blue eyes sparkle, upping my giddiness.

“Can I ask where we’re going?”

“You can ask.” He smirks. “But I’m not gonna tell you. It’s a surprise.”

Oh boy…

His smirk grows and he starts to lean in. My whole body is on high alert, calling out to the universe, trying to manifest something out of thin air. It’s not too much to also want a kiss, right? I mean, I did just get asked out.

Milo continues to lean, and I’m starting to think the universe might be listening to me.

At least until my phone goes off.