From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.
Reasons why I should not be drawn to Troy Serrano.
Number one: He’s obnoxious.
Number two: He and I were enemies over a decade ago in high school.
Number three: He’s my friend’s ex-boyfriend.
I could go on and on, really.
When my boss gives me an unwanted assignment and tells me it involves spending time with the grandson of one of our residents—the grandson turns out to be Troy. He’s now as successful as he is undeniably handsome.
Lucky me. Four hours a week of having to deal with his insufferable personality and unsolicited advice.
The only consolation is getting to stare at his annoyingly gorgeous face in between our many arguments.
Eventually, though, we slowly warm to each other and our outings become something I actually look forward to.
What’s happening to me?
Apparently, I misunderstood the assignment, because it certainly didn’t include thinking about Troy when I close my eyes at night, imagining what it would be like with him—just once. All the while hating myself for fantasizing about a guy who’s all wrong for me. A guy whose car I keyed back in the day. (Long story, but he deserved it.)
That’s all this is—a fantasy.
Well, until that one night at the bar.
The night Troy and I run into each other, and all of our pent-up frustration comes barreling out.
Still, I refuse to accept that it means anything.
There’s no way the guy I’m supposed to hate is also the one I can’t live without.
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
The Assignment is a lovers to enemies romance and I devoured this so quickly.
Penelope Ward truly knows how to give her characters depth and growth.
Troy and Aspen have a history and now as grownups they get to reflect on their past. But they also show their growth and explore this new chance they’ve been given.
I enjoyed the banter between Troy and Aspen – it added another layer to their story. There’s no denying the chemistry between the two of them.
The Assignment is written in dual POVs and I that really helped in understanding each character a bit more. There were some scenes that I could have done without, but they were not enough to ruin the book for me.
Overall, another beautifully written story from Ward.
Always Meant to Be, an all-new emotional and forbidden stand-alone romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Siobhan Davis is available now!
He’s my eighteen-year-old son’s best friend, and I’m old enough to know better.
My marriage is falling apart, and Vander’s home life is tragic.
Yet, his broken parts speak to mine, and amid all the chaos, a true connection is formed.
The only peace I find is in those stolen moments when we share our darkest secrets and our deepest desires.
This thing between us has disaster written all over it.
But I’m powerless to resist the magnetic pull that draws us closer and closer.
Until lines are crossed, boundaries are broken, and everything I thought I knew about myself is undone.
This reverse age-gap romance contains mature scenes, dark themes, and situations that may push your boundaries. Reader caution is advised.
Siobhan Davis is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Top 10 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 1.5 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.
TROPES: single dad, workplace romance, grumpy hero, age gap, forced proximity
Synopsis:
USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke delivers a “fresh and fun!” romance between a grumpy single dad and his beautiful, spunky employee—the one he can’t have.
Chemistry is not love.
That’s what my boss, the grumpy single dad with brilliant green eyes, says anyway.
I have my V-card. He’s ten years older than me. I work for him.
Nate Hughes has a million reasons why a relationship between us would never work. Honestly? It’s all a farce.
He can’t deny our connection. His soft smiles, brief touches, and protective behaviors come too easily. And when I need a place to stay? He can’t stop himself from offering me a room—though I’d prefer his bed. After all, there are sparks—delicious, sizzling sparks—when we’re together.
Our forced proximity brings things to a head. Our shared experiences and traumas draw us closer. Our undeniable attraction has us toeing the line between friends and lovers—whether Nate likes it or not.
He’s right—chemistry is not love. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t fall in love with him … even if he can’t love me back.
Excerpt:
“Now it’s my turn,” she says, the strength in her voice slipping.
“For what?”
“You have two choices.”
“Between …?”
She licks her lips. “Choice one is that we can stand here all night and address this situation.”
“Or?”
A slow, so-fucking-slow grin slips across her kissable lips. My whole body comes alive, pushing, pulling, all-out boiling for this woman.
God, help me.
“Or you can get over here and undress me instead.”
The last time my husband gave me an orgasm was … Well, that’s never happened.
And from the way our marriage is crumbling under the weight of his lies, it never will.
Alas, after fighting like hell for a divorce, I promise myself that I’ll never waste love on anyone else.
I don’t even want to ‘date’ anyone else.
But that’s until I literally run into a man who leaves me breathless at first sight, a man who etches his way into my memory with nothing more than a single smile and a question.
He’s an enigma who doesn’t want to give me his first name—a man who has more secrets than answers—and from the sexy smirk on his lips, I know that I should stay far away from him.
I try to keep my distance, but he pursues me anyway …
When he offers me a job I can’t refuse, I throw caution to the wind and take a chance.
I should’ve thought about this a little more.
Little do I know, this man is about to take me on a dangerous ride that might cost me everything.
Book 1 in the wickedly addictive Wasted Love trilogy.
Whitney G. is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. Her books have been published in twelve languages.
Whenever she’s not penning a new novel, you can find her blogging about self-publishing at The Indie Tea, drinking hot coffee, or traveling the world in sweater boots.
You can connect with Whitney via whitneyg.com & via social media:
Don’t forget to sign up for Whitney’s monthly newsletter, The F.L.Y. List, by clicking here.
Affiliate links used. If you purchase something through these links, the affiliate may get awarded a commission for that purchase at no additional cost to YOU.
WHITNEY!!! This was fantastic!!!
I read this originally on the author’s website when it was available for free on there as she released each episode. She’s now gathered all the episodes together into one season and it’s just as infectious as it was when she released them episode by episode on her website.
Wasted Love With You is the start of Whitney’s episodic series, Wasted Love. If you’ve never read an episodic story before, it’s written in episodes and seasons. Each book will be a season filled with many episodes as each season plays out over specific period of time. It’s comparable to a dramatic TV show and you will find yourself devouring the entire season in one sitting.
Readers are pulled into the dramatic plot right from the start. Autumn is in a very unhappy marriage and she finds herself struggling to get away. Mister R is as mysterious as they come. I have so many questions running through my brain and I cannot wait to find out what happens after that bomb drop at the end.
Whitney gives readers small snippets of information as the plot plays out daily. You will find yourself knee deep in the mystery and suspense along with the tension that fills these pages.
K.K. Allen is the USA TODAY Bestselling and award-winning contemporary romance author of sweet, sexy, and inspiring stories that evoke emotion at every turn.
K.K.’s debut romance novel, Up in the Treehouse, was named the Best New Adult Book of the Year by RT Book Reviews, an honor beyond belief. And she continues to take reader’s emotions on an epic ride every single time with real, layered, coming of age romance stories that will make you fall in love over and over again.
Born in Hawaii, raised in Washington, and currently residing in Florida, K.K. lives for laughs with her little dude, the great outdoors, watching football, dancing the night away, and her eclectic taste in music.
K.K. also loves connecting with her readers and attends signings when she can! You can find upcoming event dates and other information at:www.kkallen.com.
The world gave me everything. And then it took it all away.
The Difference Between Somehow and Someway, the second book in the moving and captivating The Difference Trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez is now live!
The world gave me everything.
After surviving a plane crash, I was lucky to be alive. It was a harsh truth, but one that changed my perspective on how fragile life could be.
So when a fellow survivor caught my eye, I owed it to myself to take a chance and follow my heart.
Bowen Michaels was guarded and broody, but I saw through his well-formed armor. Much like me, he was broken and lost, but together we found our way through the darkness.
For a brief moment, wrapped in his arms, it felt like maybe he was right about fate and we’d been destined to find each other all along.
But when buried secrets of the past erupt, igniting us both, it was hard to believe we’d been fated for anything other than failure.
The world gave me everything. And then it took it all away.
It’s been over a week since I finished this book and I still can’t get over it.
This book picks up exactly where the first one left us and readers will not be able to catch their breath reading this one.
Aly does a phenomenal job of keeping readers right at the edge of their seats throughout this entire book.
The story goes back and forth between past and present but it just helps add another layer to the story and gives readers more insight into the story and along understanding Remi and Bowen even more.
I knew we were building to something as they story got closer and closer to the end, but I never anticipated the blow that came. I am still in shock.
I cannot wait for the last installment in this series. Aly has truly outdone herself with this one. You must read these in order.
Start the trilogy today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3u82l1L Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SomebodySomeone
Pre-order the rest of the trilogy today!
The Difference Between Someday and Forever Releasing March 24th Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FMcUte Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SomedayForever
About Aly Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four hilarious children. Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys movies that can surprise her with a twist, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person. She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine by her side.
Connect with Aly Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA Twitter: http://bit.ly/2DUCq1Z Amazon: https://amzn.to/2We92eT BookBub: http://bit.ly/2V32S4B GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UKGUOM Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh Instagram: http://bit.ly/2DUgzrJ Website: https://alymartinez.com/ Stay up to date with Aly by joining her mailing list today: http://bit.ly/2WnkxjS
From Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes a second chance sports romance.
Blackmail isn’t the most romantic way to propose, but with the history between us … I had no choice.
Long story short–I broke her heart and pushed her away. Years later we reconnected, and this time she walked away.
Neither of us knew she was pregnant.
So when we had a second chance to be a real family, I led her to believe our marriage was fake— that one football season by my side was the only way to prevent another scandal for my career.
We were a publicist’s dream. I was football god and she was a world famous romance author.
M. Robinson is the Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author crowned as the “Queen of Angst” by readers around the world.
Dive into her visionary world that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and leave you wanting more.
She writes everything from contemporary to suspense romance and is best known for her novel, El Diablo.
When M isn’t in the cave writing her next epic love story, you will find her shopping and living on a boat in Florida with her real life pirate, her lobster, her husband Bossman. Sipping on Starbucks and hanging out with their two dogs, a German shepherd mix and a gordito Wheaten Terrier reading a good book. Or spending time with her family, who she is extremely close with.
Above all, M loves her readers more than anything and loves to connect with them! She is on all social media platforms but you will find her in her happy place the most. Her VIP Reader Group on Facebook or her second favorite happy place, Instagram.
On the surface, Talent has it all. The respect from his city, a successful law firm he shares with his brother, and a beautiful woman by his side. Nothing is as it seems. When the workday is over and the lights go down, the charming and sophisticated lawyer loosens his tie and takes rank in the mob he grew up in.
The elusive Lydia Montgomery changed everything the moment she stepped into his office and his heart a year ago. They navigate the delicate balance between their public and private lives as they delve deeper into the world of organized crime.
As a lawyer, he swore to abide by the law. As a made man, he pledged his life to the mafia.
Mary Elizabeth was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She’s a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night.
Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it’s perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she’s not letting go until every story is told.
I have been patiently waiting for this book to be released and Mary did not disappoint at all.
Criminal is the third book in this series and you must read the previous books to fully grasp all that is going on in this book.
In the first book, Tramp, readers met Talent and Lydia and watched them fall for one another. But their story was far from over and now we finally get more of it. Mary has truly upped her game with this book. We not only get the continuation of Talent and Lydiai’s story, but we are finally seeing how everything is starting merge together.
I will say that this was a bit slow for me in the beginning but around the 40% mark, things started picking up and Mary really started bring the suspense fully into the book. I do wish that romance and suspense blended a bit better, but it didn’t hurt the story too much.
It was great to see Lydia grow a lot in this book; she’s still 100% there but her growth was amazing. Talent has the patience of a Saint but it’s because his love for Lydia is so strong, there is no other choice for him.
I loved seeing all the secondary characters playing bigger roles in this book as we get more of the mafia parts in this book. I am really hoping to see more of Rip and the mafia side of things in the next book (read the novella Kiss of Death to get more on him) along with romance and suspense aligning more together than being separate.
Mary has definitely set us up perfectly for the next book. It’ll be interesting to see where things go next.
When she begs me to come on a weekend getaway so I can bond with her new boyfriend, I can’t say no—no matter how badly I want to. After all, who will keep an eye on the guy; he’s your stereotypical, professional football player (emphasis on PLAYER) and I don’t trust him with my friends heart.
Worse? He has the nerve to bring his single best friend Davis on the trip, too. Davis is too handsome, so funny and smart he can’t possibly be human. Grandma’s, babies and kittens all fall for his smile.
In fact, everyone adores but me **narrows eyes** What’s he hiding?
I refuse to fall for his act; at some point he’ll will drop the Good Guy act and show his true colors: he’s a player, too. He must be.
You know the saying: if he seems too good to be true, he probably is.
Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances.
Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced lattes, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
The Player Hater is the first book in Sara’s next series, Accidentally In Love.
This story focuses on Davis and Juliet, who are both requested to join their best friends on a trip for them all to get to know one another better. However, the trip doesn’t go exactly as Juliet intended. Plus both Juliet and Davis’ best friends end of making it more of romantic getaway for the two of them and it’s left up to Juliet and Davis to find things to do.
I don’t know where to start this one. While I enjoyed this one, something was missing. Juliet was a bit prudish to me, even though Sara does her best to make sure not seem that way. Davis was a bit too easy going for me. I struggled in the beginning to see their connection. But I did enjoy that they got to know one another in a friendly way before moving into the more romantic territory immediately.
I know that with Sara’s stories, she tends to avoid epilogues but, I always just assumed because they were college romances. I was apparently wrong in that assumption and felt as though Davis and Juliet were sort of gipped of their HEA. This books ends setting up the next book, which I am looking forward to.
Overall, I didn’t hate the book, just felt like it was lacking. It was truly right down the middle for me.
“Tijan delivers on the fun, edge, and angst. Her books never fail to please!”―Kylie Scott, New York Times bestseller
The Damaged, the next unputdownable romantic suspense in The Insiders Series from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is now available!
No longer an outsider, Bailey has a family and love that she never could’ve imagined.
Used to living in the shadows, Kash will now do anything to protect his family and his woman.
They will take on the world together…
In the meantime, stunning motives, lies, and explosive secrets continue to unfold.
1. Quinn is in jail, awaiting trial.
2. Friends might actually be enemies.
3. And what is Calhoun plotting? More importantly, will Kash discover it before it’s too late?
Everything will come to a head as passion and danger ignite in The Damaged.
Excerpt
Swish, swish. The windshield wipers were busy at work this morning. It’d been raining since late the night before, and now there was just a whole dreary feel to the day. Dark and gloomy, matching my mood. It was perfect. Swish, swish. “Are you nervous, miss?” I wasn’t responding, because this isn’t how things were supposed to be. I wasn’t supposed to wake up in the middle of the night and find the bed empty. And I wasn’t supposed to have to be escorted by one of our guards down to the apartment building’s gym to find my boyfriend , the guy I loved, the guy who was so not a secret from the entire world anymore, pummeling a boxing bag so hard that his knuckles ripped open every night. It was not right that I had to stand on the side, waiting for him to fight through his haze before he noticed I was there, and then watch as blood dripped from his hands to the floor. But all of that was happening. Because three weeks after there’d been a kidnapping attempt on me, after he had saved me, everything was just, simply, not okay. To be more frank, everything was shit. And here I was. In the back of an SUV being driven by one of my two personal bodyguards, to a school that I used to daydream about attending, while my boyfriend, that guy I had come to love so much, was heading into his own personal nightmare. Fitz, my guard, clued in on my state and didn’t ask again, but his eyes were on me . He saw. He more than saw, and I knew I’d be getting a call from Kash about two minutes after the first chance Fitz had a moment to text his boss that I was not okay. Because I wasn’t. Today was the day all my dreams were supposed to come true. Instead, I was a week late going to my graduate program and I wanted to be anywhere except where I was going. And I had no say, because the world found out in a big way I was the daughter of Peter Francis, a tech legend that I’d grown up idolizing until I found out myself, this past summer, that he was also my father. And then there was my boyfriend, Kash Colello, whose grandfather was one of the richest men in the world, but that came with strings and dangerous alliances with the dark underground of the world. My boyfriend, with his inherited wealth, now that he had come out of the shadows to the world, and whose “coming out” was even bigger than mine because of his connections and his family, was now the ninth wealthiest man in the world. Life as Peter Francis’s daughter, life as Kash Colello’s girlfriend, was a whole lot different than life had been as Bailey Hayes. There were rules and expectations and lots and lots of people watching you. So no, I was not okay.
4.5 Stars
The Damaged continues right after The Insiders and is a great second book in this trilogy.
We get to see not only Bailey and Kash’s relationship build, but we see Bailey’s relationship with everyone else develop over time. Bailey herself is moving forward, as best as she can but also still trying to come to grips with what happened to her.
Tijan does a wonderful job of building this story and give readers more details about key players in this suspenseful story. There are some filler parts and I understand why they are there, but they don’t mesh perfectly into the story. It doesn’t hurt the story in any way, it’s doesn’t help build the overall story either.
Tijan holds nothing back when it comes to twists and turns in this story. Just when readers think they are getting a grasp on things, another curve ball is thrown into the mix. I love that Tijan keeps the readers right at the edge the whole time.
The Damaged moves at the perfect pace. The story progresses perfectly and the timing of everything is on point. Tijan blends the romance and suspense beautifully and readers are literally left gasping by the end.
The third and final book cannot come out fast enough!
About Tijan Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don’t recommend it.
Especially if he’s anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump.
To be clear, I didn’t want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be.
He’s suspicious, never talks about his past and has the comfort skills of a cactus. I’m a happily ever after kinda girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life.
Erik’s words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me.
He’s just as stubborn as I am, but when our fake dating plan starts to feel a lot more real, it’s only a matter of time before his professional walls come crashing down.
I just have to hope my heart doesn’t get buried in the rubble.
Well, let’s see … I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone’s face, then I’ve done my job.
I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob.
If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies.
I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I’ll love you forever.
The Plan is another amazing story from Karla Sorensen.
I started reading Karla’s books almost a year ago and so far, I haven’t read a book that I have not thoroughly enjoyed.
The blurb gives you just the right amount of information needed to jump into this story. Hell, you don’t even need to read the blurb to fully love this story. I will say that the fake dating portion is not what you think either – and that is something that I truly loved about this story. Karla takes a trope and gives it her own flare.
Karla gives her characters and their story so much life. I felt like I was watching this whole story play out in a movie. The story flowed beautifully and nothing ever felt forced or out of place. I enjoyed getting to know both Erik and Lydia as the story moved along and their banter was quite entertaining.
The Plan is told from both POVs which truly helps in getting to know both characters and understanding their mannerisms. While the story did flow extremely well, there were certain areas that I felt needed to be fleshed out a bit more, but didn’t hurt the overall vibe of the story. Karla stayed true to her characters and I felt this was a huge plus due to their ages and their social status.
Overall, another great story from Karla Sorensen. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, what are you waiting for???