They say that when a love burns too bright, it’s bound to burn out—especially those wrapped in secrets and doused in lies.
A Drop of Pretty Poison, an all-new angst-filled, brother’s best friend, new adult romance and the second book in the Pretty Poison Trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton is available now!
They say that when a love burns too bright, it’s bound to burn out—especially those wrapped in secrets and doused in lies.
After a risk is taken and a confession is made, one relationship heats up while another hangs in the balance. When everything rests on shaky ground, we find the stability we need tangled up in each other. Guards are let down and trust is repaired, but all vulnerability comes with a side of weakness. And the betrayal that hits us is one we never saw coming.
Revenge is a dangerous game, especially when fueled by jealousy. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our own, even if it means seeking help from unlikely sources. While every favor comes at a price, choices made in distress have a tendency to backfire.
As our world comes crashing down around us, loyalties are put to the test. Nothing should be able to shatter the promises we made, but there’s a fine line between tenacious and toxic.
Someone should’ve warned us that even a drop of pretty poison will spread until all that’s left are shattered pieces and broken memories.
Playing by the Rules by Monica Murphy is now live!
Camden Fields is the star quarterback of our college football team. Quiet. Smart. Absolutely gorgeous. He’s the man all the women on campus rave about. And while he’s had a few casual hookups over the years, it’s never anything serious. Cam doesn’t do serious. He also doesn’t do me. See, I’m his best friend’s little sister, and whenever we’re around each other, he’s always warning me that I’m off limits. That nothing can ever happen between us. But I see the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not watching. The heat in his gaze. The hunger. He can deny it, but that man wants me. I want him too. I’m tired of always being the good girl and doing what everybody expects. For once, I’m going to break all the rules that have restrained me my entire life. I’m going after Camden Fields. And no one can stop me.
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Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson. A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, two kids, one dog, and four cats. When she’s not writing, she’s an assistant coach for her daughter’s high school cheer team, which is a two season sport. Meaning, she’s at practice with a bunch of teenage girls all the time. Or she’s at a football game. Or a basketball game. Maybe someday, she’ll even write about this experience.
Playing By The Rules is Blair and Camden’s story and second book in The Players series.
The brother’s best friend trope seems to be a huge and popular right now and with every trope, I have certain expectations for it to work well for me. And this book definitely checks off the right things for me. It also helps that I love Monica’s writing style.
As with most of Monica’s YA reads, this is low in angst but the chemistry is off the charts. Cam and Blair definitely compliment each other well and I love that Blair has no qualms about putting Cam in his place a few times.
This story flows well and I enjoyed how everything played out.
Another great hit from Monica. I am looking forward to Ruby’s book next.
A new stand alone fake relationship romance set in the glitz and glamour of the Cruel world from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde…
The most eligible bachelor in New York City just asked me to be his fake fiancé.
Gavin King is six and a half feet of delectable billionaire with a devil’s smile that says he knows exactly what he’s going to do to me later. Because he has.
Three years ago, I caught him in the shower and promptly fell into his bed. But neither of us were relationship material. Not to mention I’d just broken up with his best friend.
Now, I’m back in the city and he has a plan:
Go to his cousin’s wedding.
Convince his family that he’s not an eternal bachelor.
Post a huge elaborate break up later.
With those big puppy dog eyes begging me to agree, claiming I’m the only one who can pull it off, I say yes. What could go wrong? Other than pulling it off so successfully that the line between real and fake blurs.
When my family flips the whole script, I can’t see a way out. And I’m starting to wonder if I even want one.
K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of the Avoiding Series, Wrights, and more than thirty other novels.
She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team.
She loves reading fantasy novels, binge-watching Supernatural, traveling, and dancing in her spare time.
She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super-adorable puppies.
Join her newsletter for exclusive content, free books, and giveaways every month.
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Gavin and Whitley!!! OMG!! YES!!
That’s it – can that be my review?!
The blurb is all you need to jump into this one. If you have read any of Linde’s books previously, you know that you are getting steam and angst!
If you read Cruel Kiss, then you have some background on the chemistry between Gavin and Whitley. If you didn’t – no need, but you will want to. Trust me!
I love these two. I want to say so much. I love how they are so alike and yet fit so well together. GAH!!
Cruel Beginnings, an all-new dark academia, enemies-to-lovers romance and first book in the action-packed Cruel World Series from USA Today bestselling author Lili St Germain & Lyra Parish is available now!
I’m not a girl who expects to be saved.
I gave up on fairytales a long time ago.
So when my knight in shining Armani stalks into town and delivers me from my tragic fate, I’m grateful.
Darius Prince shouldn’t be in the seedy strip club where I’m paying off my mother’s debts, one piece of my soul at a time. And he definitely shouldn’t be the one who claims me in exchange for a suitcase full of trust fund cash and a deal inked in blood.
His dark eyes shine with a hatred so deadly, I wonder why he wants me at all.
Especially when I find out he thinks I’m somehow connected to his twin sister’s disappearance.
Darius doesn’t rescue me.
Instead, he drags me into his web of tragic secrets and forbidden desires.
He binds me so tight, I can’t find my way out of his grasp.
I rub my fingers across my chin as I size up Rafe Marin. Videos are horrifyingly easy to doctor. He could be making this whole thing up.
‘What do you want?” I ask finally. “Why are you showing me this?”
“I don’t want anything—other than your assurance we never had this discussion.”
“What discussion?” I reply quickly.
Rafe’s a smart guy, he catches my drift. “Exactly.”
“You didn’t tell me why you’re showing me this. If it’s legit, you know I’m going to have to find out who those guys are. Especially the one she arrived with. That could fuck with your family’s business dealings. So why risk it?”
Rafe nods, taking the phone and sliding it into his jacket pocket. “Because if my sister went missing and someone knew something, I’d want to be told.”
Huh. “That’s interesting.”
“What? That I care about my sister?”
“Oh please, we both know how much you care for your sister. Almost as much as your father cares for her, right?”I knew Rafe and Faye had some twisted thing going the moment I met them both, and my suspicions were only amplified when I had the misfortune of meeting their father at the beginning of our business relationship. That family is beyond weird. “But that’s not what’s interesting. What’s interesting is that you referred to my sister as missing. Most people refer to her as dead. Including the coroner, who issued her death certificate.”
“Well, there’s no body, right?” Rafe asks, completely ignoring my pointed jab at his incestuous little family. “No washed-up remains? A femur? A skull? A dismembered foot?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. Not even a single fucking strand of her hair.”
“Then she’s still missing,” Rafe states. “Especially in the world you and I live in. No remains, no proof of death.”
He regards me silently for a moment. And then, finally: “Do you think she’s dead?”
“Not for a single fucking millisecond have I ever thought she was dead,” I reply confidently. “Who’s the guy with her in the video?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you know something. What are you leaving out?”
Rafe struggles to articulate the next part. “There, ah…there might be somebody who knows who he is. She hasn’t told me, but for the right price, she might tell you.”
“She won’t tell you, and she might tell me. Sounds like a great fucking lead, Marin.”
“For the right price,” Rafe clarifies. “Question is, how much is your sister worth to you?”
It takes every bit of strength and self-control I possess not to stand and rip his larynx out of his throat with my bare hands. “She’s worth every penny I have. She’s worth the entire ocean. You understand. You have a sister you love. Maybe even more than I love mine.”
Rafe snorts, but he won’t bite. He won’t address his fucked up relationship with Faye, no matter how much shit I give him about it. Oh, well.
“This mystery woman got a name?” I ask.
Rafe smirks. “You know I can’t tell you that.”He glances at my balled fists. “I can arrange a meeting. Okay? It’ll be on the mainland, most likely, somewhere public. This woman, she’s paranoid. And rightly so, by the sounds of it. She’s got people looking for her.”
“If she’s got people looking for her, toss her on your boat and bring her to me. I’ll come unarmed, by myself, and she can name her price. If she’s worried about retribution, I’ll take her to Valmont Island and give her asylum.”
Rafe immediately looks worried. “No island. She can’t go there.”
“But I can keep her safe there!” I explode. I’m frowning so hard, trying to figure out Rafe’s reluctance, when it smashes into me like a wall of bricks.
“She’s from the island,” I whisper. “Your informant. Isn’t she?”
Rafe pales. “You shut your fucking mouth,”he jabs his finger into the table. “I find out you breathed a word of this to anyone, I’ll have your goddamn head, Prince.”
I fall back in my seat, stunned. “She’s from the fucking island.” My mind is going a million miles an hour as I try to think of who this mystery woman could be, who’s from Valmont Island who just might know the guy my sister was fucking two nights before she disappeared?
“Nobody gets away,” I whisper. “Nobody.”
“You know that’s not true,” Rafe says pointedly. “What, your father?” I reply. “He didn’t get away. He was banished.”
Rafe shrugs. “Being banished isn’t common, but it happens.”
I shake my head, my skull burning with the start of a blinding headache. “The only reason Javier’s not dead in a hole somewhere is because of his seat at the Empyrean Table. I’ve never heard of another person being granted the same. Ever. Have you?”
“Sometimes the dead don’t die,” Rafe says cryptically. “Like your sister, maybe.”
Cruel Beginnings is the first book in the Cruel World series and these two authors start this series off well.
It is very intense and riddled with lots of suspense and secrecy. There are a lot of moving parts and the authors keep readers on their toes the entire time.
Cruel Beginnings has a lot of complex characters and I will honestly say that I am still undecided on most of them. I love how we as readers are given little nuggets of infromation about each character and their role in story and it’s just enough to make you wonder about their true agenda.
I absolutely love the suspense, mystery and secrecy of the entire plot. These two authors did a wonderful job of giving readers just enough bread crumbs to keep us guessing and excited as to what comes next.
I purposely kept this review vague as I do not want to give too much away because that just ruins the overall vibe of this book and the start of this series.
I enjoyed the writing style, the flow and the multiple levels to this story. I’m anxious to see what they bring us in the next installment.
USA Today Bestselling Author, Jane Anthony, delivers a provocative tale of lust, love, and all-out war. Opposites attract when Dylan Masters — a golden boy from a wealthy political family — meets Darla Burke—smart-mouthed former bully with a big attitude—on their angst-fueled road from hate to love.
Dylan Masters is the worst. Our only date ended with me doing the walk of shame with his taste still lingering on my tongue. I never expected to see him again . . . nor did I want to.
But when he walks into my restaurant the next morning, I have no choice but to serve him lunch with a smile. Turns out, Dylan isn’t just a date gone wrong—he’s the governor’s son. And I’m nothing more than poor trailer trash, only good for one thing in his eyes.
He acts as if I’m beneath him, but sometimes I wonder if his callous behavior is more than class warfare. There is something else brewing behind his obvious disdain for “the help.” He hates me in public, but when we’re alone, the mask falls away. We’re caught up in a dangerous game, one I fear we both may lose in the end.
In a world where cash is king, Dylan Masters finally found the one thing he wants that money can’t buy: me.
Jane Anthony is a USA Today best-selling author of contemporary/new adult romance & women’s fiction. A reader proclaimed “queen of angst”, she approaches tough subjects with a gritty voice that tugs on your heart and leaves you breathless.
Cauldrons Call, by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby, is the highly-anticipated second book in The Curse of the Blood Moon series. Breena has known Giles all her life—and has loved him for nearly as long. Linked by the ties of family and coven, Breena has had a lifetime to discover everything there is to know about him. His intelligence and specialization in crystals and gems are truly things to admire, but it’s how he smiles at her that really makes her cauldron bubble. Too bad he’s completely oblivious. Giles isn’t as oblivious as Breena thinks he is. A powerful witch, he’s spent most of his life hiding his true feelings from her, but he can’t ignore the fact that she’s hurting and plagued by the same nightmares that haunt him every night. So, getting her to move in with him so he can do just that seems like simple common sense. The hard part will be resisting the way Breena makes him feel. But evil has invaded their world, and it has the power to kill every witch in Salem. Breena has no time to wallow in what might have been and Giles’ desire to protect her is stronger than the power contained in his crystals . Together they must lift the curse of the blood moon before time runs out. If they can’t, the people Breena loves the most are all in danger. It will take every skill she’s honed as a witch to protect what’s hers and the man who cast a spell on her heart. Will they have time to kindle their love for each other, or will the clock run out at the hands of fate?
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo!
Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series. Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats and dog.
I may have let it slip to my new co-workers that I have an ex-husband. Now they’re fascinated with the details, specifically with him.
Why wouldn’t they be? He’s gorgeous, has exceptional skills in the bedroom, and is determined to win me back.
But there’s a problem. He doesn’t exist.
The bigger problem? I have to produce him to save my job.
This is where you come in.
I’m seeking someone to play a smitten ex-husband for two weeks. You’ll need to remember our love story—details matter when it comes to romance! Please be prepared to travel in-state at a moment’s notice. We may be in close proximity and sharing a bed may be required.
One more thing—kisses are required for optics as necessary.
If this sounds interesting or, at the very least, entertaining, let me know.
Signed,
Your Future Ex-Wife
Buckle up for a steamy adventure between friends-turned-lovers in this new “fresh twist on a favorite trope!” take on fake dating, close proximity, and romance in the workplace from USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke.
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.
She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.
Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty-five years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.
My Dark Romeo, an all-new marriage of inconvenience, enemies to lovers, standalone romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling authors L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington is available now!
From Wall Street Journal bestsellers L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington comes an explosive marriage of inconvenience…between a tarnished Romeo and a reluctant Juliet.
It was supposed to be a harmless kiss at a lavish debutante ball.
A clandestine moment with a handsome stranger.
But unlike his namesake, my Romeo isn’t driven by love.
Before my birth, Daddy had already promised me to someone, which the diamond ring on my engagement finger reminded me.
This always seemed like a problem for the future—up until I discovered the official announcement on the society pages two days ago. “I hear Romeo is dead-set on becoming the CEO of his daddy’s company.” Lord, Sav was still droning on about him. Were they planning on penning the man’s Wikipedia? “Already, he’s a billionaire.”
“Not just a billionaire. A mega billionaire.” Emilie fingered a marquise diamond on her Broderie bracelet, her poker tell. “And he’s not the type to blow it all on yachts and gold toilet seats or funding self-indulged pet projects.”
Sav snuck a desperate glance at them through her compact mirror. “Do you think we can be introduced?”
Emilie’s eyebrows pinched together. “Nobody here knows them. Dal? Dallas? Are you even listening to the conversation? This is important.”
The only grave situation I’d witnessed was the lack of shortbread, too.
Reluctantly, I fixed my eyes on the two men that parted the thick crowd of silk chiffon and frozen updos.
They both stood at least six-three. A towering height that made them look like giants trying to squeeze into doll houses.
Then again, nothing about them was conventional.
Their similarities ended with their height. Everything else was arctic opposites.
One was silk and the other leather.
If I had to guess, the live-action Ken clone was von Bismarck. Dirty-blond, square-jawed, and adorned with shabby whiskers of stubble, he looked like something only a Walt Disney illustrator could sketch.
The perfect European prince, down to the scandalous blue eyes and Roman-like structure.
Silk.
The other man was a polished savage. Menace decanted into a Kiton suit.
He wore his inky hair in a gentleman’s cut, trimmed into submission. Everything about him seemed carefully crafted. Intentionally designed to deliver lethal doses straight into a woman’s bloodstream. Sharp cheekbones, thick brows, lashes I’d risk jail time for, and the frostiest gray eyes I’d seen to date. In fact, his eyes were so light and frosty, I decided they had no business coupling with his otherwise tan Italian features.
Leather.
“Romeo Costa.” Savannah’s voice curled with longing as he breezed right past us, heading toward the table reserved for VIPs. “I would let him ruin me as thoroughly and impressively as Elon Musk destroyed Twitter.”
My Dark Romeo is a very entertaining, modern day fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast.
My Dark Romeo is co-written perfeclty – you can never tell who wrote which portions as the story flowed beautifully. The story is told from both Romeo and Julia’s POV and the pacing was perfection.
Julia may be forced into an arranged marriage, but she is no pushover. I love her strong-will and her keen sense to know exactly what to do to get what she wants.
Romeo may crave control but he had no idea what he was in for when he married Julie. She may irritate him to no end, but she also kept him guessing at every turn.
I enjoyed every bit of this story. From Julie and Romeo’s interactions, to the dialogue amongst their friends and family. I loved all the many facets that made this story engaging from start to finish.
Definitely a must read!
For more information on L.J. Shen’s books visit her website:
If my parents had it their way, I’d be off at college. Instead, I’m drowning in secrets…
A Dose of Pretty Poison, an all-new angst-filled, brother’s best friend, new adult romance and the first book in the Pretty Poison Trilogy from USA Today Bestselling author Kelsey Clayton is available now!
If my parents had it their way, I’d be off at college. Instead, I’m drowning in secrets, every one of them involving my brother’s best friend.
Hayes Wilder is a walking red flag, warning me to stay away. And yet, all I can think about are his calloused hands on my skin. He’s a total player, on and off the ice, but right now, the only playing he wants to do is with me.
Sneaking around isn’t easy, especially when you live in a small town where nothing stays hidden. And when our secret ends up in the wrong hands, decisions and regrets come as a package deal.
I’ve got everything I’ve always wanted right in front of me. All my dreams lying at my feet. But I’m forced to decide if loving him is worth losing myself.
I wish someone would’ve told me that the prettiest of poisons are also the most lethal.
Oh, Kelsey – you naughty little thang…that’s quite the cliffy.
I’m all in!! I need the next book, pronto.
A Dose of Pretty Poison is probably the most accurate description of this book. It is sweet yet spicy!! The chemistry between Hayes and Laiken is strong enough to light my kindle on fire – DAYUM!!!
Kelsey starts this trilogy off brilliantly. She sets the story beautifully and builds it up just right. We see all the dynamics between each and every character, adding layers to a very captivating plot.
The flow of the story is perfect as readers see the relationship between Hayes and Laiken continue to escalate throughout the book and just when you think you know what’s going to happen – BAM. You’re at the end. Evil genius, Kelsey.
A highly recommended forbidden romance that you leaves you wanting more…
Pre-order A Drop Of Pretty Poison, the continuation of Hayes and Laiken’s story!
Xander Love makes you weak and vulnerable. He vowed long ago to never feel that way again. But when he rescues a woman who’s been held hostage, she challenges all his beliefs. The attraction is staggering. The urge to keep her near him, to keep her safe, is overwhelming. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t resist her. And he’s not sure he wants to because deep down he knows he’s the only one who can protect her.
Isleen There’s only one reason she survived the past eight years of torture and starvation. Her nightly dreams of him: The man who finally rescues her. But now that she’s safe, the outside world no longer makes sense, and she’s questioning her own sanity. Is she a bad person? Was humanity better off when she was locked away? The only thing she knows for sure is that she feels secure with him. But what if he’s in danger because of her?
No one is safe. Everyone is at risk. Who will survive? Who will die? Only fate can decide.
By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, but always with hope and a happily-ever-after. She loves true crime and good inspirational quote.
HOLY SHIT!?! I feel like standing up and applauding Abbie for writing such a unique and harrowing story.
Dangerous Dreams is like nothing I have read before. It’s dark and suspenseful tale with supernatural and other worldly elements that just make this story all the more enticing.
I was pulled into the story from the very start and couldn’t stop reading because page after page became more and more intriguing.
Abbie has woven an astounding psychological thriller that will leave you speechless. The pacing of this story is perfect and the storyline is superb.
Damn. This story was phenomenal. Go read it. You won’t regret it
My Dark Romeo, an all-new marriage of inconvenience, enemies to lovers, standalone romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling authors L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington is available now!
From Wall Street Journal bestsellers L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington comes an explosive marriage of inconvenience…between a tarnished Romeo and a reluctant Juliet.
It was supposed to be a harmless kiss at a lavish debutante ball.
A clandestine moment with a handsome stranger.
But unlike his namesake, my Romeo isn’t driven by love.
