Carrie Aarons has revealed the cover for Tagging Up!
Releasing September 24, 2021
All Anna Callahan wants is her independence.
Being the youngest member of her immediate family, and massive network of cousins, she’s always been sheltered. That ends now. After graduating with her masters in nursing, she’s ready to move out of her parents’ house, whether they support that decision or not. While wallowing in the guilt of that choice at the local bar, she bumps into the one guy she shouldn’t go near.
A player for her family’s team and her cousin’s best friend, Clark should come with a warning label. Not only because he’s the league’s number one playboy, but because he’s significantly older than her.
Unfortunately, they can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. That initial night together leads to scorching glances across public parties, secret hookups in hidden places, and way more than either of their hearts bargained for.
But being with Clark means lying to those closest to them. When their secret is finally discovered, it sends the already skittish bad boy running for the hills. And although she claimed to want freedom with no strings, Anna can’t help but feel the sharp pull to be with him forever.
Clark Nyle swore a long time ago he’d never be committed to anyone.
After watching his mother ruin his father through adultery and abandonment, he knows that love is for masochists and he certainly isn’t one. Baseball and living life like every day’s a party are his only two passions.
Then his father dies, and he’s forced to question everything. It leads to a barstool, too many drinks, and into the backseat of his car with the one woman he should never have touched.
Now that he’s gotten a taste of Anna, he can’t stay away. Even if their secret affair comes with way too many consequences. Her family owns the team he plays for, not to mention his best friend would cut off his balls if he knew what they were up to. Plus, he doesn’t want anything long-term, and eventually he’s going to break her heart.
But the more time he spends with her, the more he seems to want a different future than the one he always planned on. Until they’re found out, and he’s forced to choose between his demons and the disapproval of his closest friends … or her.
Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She’s a Jersey girl living in Texas with her husband, daughter, son, and Great Dane/Lab rescue.
I can’t seem to keep my hands off her. No matter what I try, I’m drawn to her. My hands need to stroke her. I need that connection.
And while we were in the gym, there was a hell of a lot more I wanted to do with her, and it didn’t involve lifting weights. I wanted to lie down across the bench and pin her there while I found out what her lips tasted like. Push her up against the mirror and watch her face as I slowly peeled down her bike shorts to expose that beautiful ass of hers. I wanted to make her know what it feels like to be with a real man. A man who would take care of her.
My will is slipping with her. I can feel it, especially the frustration I felt when she suggested asking one of the other guys to take her into town.
Screw that.
I would’ve been pissed.
She thinks she’s taking up too much of my time, when really, I want more of hers. And I want to be the one who shows her the town of Banff. I want to see her face light up when she takes in the picturesque views. Not Eli . . . because I know that’s who would probably take her if she asked.
Dressed in a pair of navy-blue chino shorts and a simple white T-shirt, I head down the hallway, slipping past her door and into the main living space. The boys are gathered at the table, plates of eggs in front of them, Stephan at the helm in the kitchen.
The chatter at the table slowly dies out as I walk by them, and I know I’m about to get shit because normally I wouldn’t be dressed like this. If Winnie weren’t here, we’d all be in a pair of athletic shorts and no shirt, but that’s not the case.
Blurb:
Five hockey players, a cabin in the woods . . . and little old me, Winnie Berlin.
Sounds like the start of a fantasy, right? But it’s not. It’s my reality.
It all started when I got lost in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. A wicked thunderstorm sent my car mud sliding into a ditch and for a girl whose survival skills involve finding the nearest Starbucks, I was in deep trouble.
Forced to abandon my car in search of help, I stumbled upon a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Soaking wet, irritated, and in desperate need of a hot shower, I knocked on the door for help only to be greeted by five boisterous, burly, and insanely attractive men.
Not just men.
Professional hockey players.
I hit the motherload of fantasies, right? Wrong.
Because as it turns out, one of them is my ex-boyfriend’s half-brother. And when I end up crashing in their spare bedroom for the night, things take a very unexpected turn.
I’m not sure any amount of survival skills can protect my heart from Vancouver Agitators star goalie, Pacey Lawes. But as long as we kiss and don’t tell, maybe everything will be okay . . .
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
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.
He’s a player. I’m a virgin. Yet, I can’t seem to stop myself.
The Rulebreaker by Claire Contreras is now live!
Maverick Cruz and I started off as pen pals and became besties when we went to the same sports camp at age twelve.
He rooted for me at my soccer games. I cheered for him at his hockey tournaments.
Through heartbreaks, new relationships, and failed friendships, we knew we could always count on each other.
That’s why no one is more surprised–or panicked– than I am when I start to develop different feelings for him. But Instead of telling him the truth, I agree to help him find a girlfriend.
Someone who is not me.
Someone who is so opposite of me that I have to make a list for the charade. The problem is, he wants to practice his dating skills with me. The corny pickup lines, the hand-holding, the door opening, the staring.
Before this, I thought sharing a house with him was an excellent idea. Who wouldn’t want to room with their best friend? Now, the close proximity is killing me. What’s worse is that I can’t stop looking at him like he’s a Greek god, and he can’t stop seeing me as his virginal little sister. Still, I push it aside, until one night, when he’s lying beside me in bed and I’m the one who forgets the rules and crosses the line between friends and something more.
It’s a horrible idea. He’s a player. I’m a virgin. Yet, I can’t seem to stop myself.
New item on my list: DO NOT FALL FOR YOUR BEST FRIEND.
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The Rulebreaker is Claire’s next sports romance that focuses on Maverick and Rocky. I love Claire’s ability to blend the sports aspects beautifully with the romance and deliver an entertaining read. Mav & Rocky are best friends and are both very dedicated to their sports. They’ve been extremely supportive of each other and always there for another with everything else. Now that they’re older and in college, things are starting to blur, but neither wants to ruin their friendship. I really enjoyed how this story played out. Mav & Rocky are both mature college students and Claire stays true to that. She doesn’t sacrifice characteristic changes to fit a particular narrative to develop the story. The whole plot plays out naturally and real. I really enjoy Claire’s writing style. I can sense she pulls alot from her own experience and that just adds another layer to the stories. It also makes them more authentic and real. The Rulebreaker is another great sports romance from Claire that I’d highly recommend.
Meet Claire
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated in seven different languages.
She was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Miami, and now lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, two adorable boys, and French Bulldog. When she’s not writing, she’s usually lost in a book.
As the most hated player in baseball, I had two options: either clean up my image or pack my bags. Being traded wasn’t an option which only meant one thing, I had to become compliant.
That’s how I found myself sharing a small bistro table with Kate Chapman, the Chicago Bobbies newest PR Manager. Devastatingly beautiful, vastly intelligent, and incredibly cunning, she knows exactly how to handle my grumpy demeanor.
It was supposed to be simple. Book some PR events, show up, smile for the camera, and be done. But one massive mistake on my end sends me into the trenches with Kate, forcing me to open up to her.
Innocent glances turn into cordial encounters.
Secret touches turn into tempting invitations.
And dangerous nights alone turn into consuming desperation.
I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want her. And I know she wants me, but there’s a no fraternizing with the players rule. Neither of us can afford to lose our jobs, but we also can’t seem to keep our hands off each other either.
I slip on my clothes, going for a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved Henley. I push the sleeves up, still heated from the shower. I leave my hat in my locker, opting for a quick swab of styling pomade through my hair. I couldn’t care less what I look like, but Coach always likes us to be somewhat presentable after a game in case we run into any press.
Hungry and ready for my bed, I head out of the locker room and am making my way toward the players’ exit when a throat clears behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find Kate Chapman standing against the wall, her purse draped over her shoulder and a beautiful smile gracing her delicately freckled face.
She quickly gives me a once-over and says, “It was the socks.”
I can’t help it, I let out a low chuckle while slowly shaking my head and turning toward her. Hands in my pockets, I say, “It wasn’t the socks.”
Her mouth drops open in disbelief as she approaches me. “It was so the socks.” She points her finger at me.
“Don’t even deny it.”
“It was all my practice.”
“Yeah, practice with me. Just admit it, Rockwell, you had fun last night, the socks were a good luck charm, and you played your ass off tonight.”
I don’t believe in superstitions, which is unheard of when it comes to a baseball player, but I’ve never geared my play around being a habitual player, either. Instead, I do what feels right. So, believing in socks having a special power and helping me gather some hits tonight—nah, not real. But I will say this—having my socks up reminded me why I was behind that plate. It reminded me of being small again and taking joy in the little things.
Was it the socks? Maybe.
Was it the thought of the girl standing in front of me?
Maybe a little more.
“It wasn’t the socks.”
Her head falls back as she groans. “You’re so stubborn.” She makes eye contact with me again. “Do you realize that?”
“Yeah.” I rock on my heels, trying not to stare at her too much.
Just picture me pitching to you.
When I said that would be too distracting, I meant it. With her softly curled hair and her gorgeous smile that doesn’t seem to ever falter—unless I’m a total dick and walk out on her—she’s caught my eye.
She’s starting to imprint herself on my brain.
She’s starting to make me feel shit I shouldn’t be feeling.
“Well, I’m—”
“What are you doing right now?” I ask out of the blue, surprising myself, and her.
“Uh, I was going to give you a hard time and then go home?” she says with a hint of question at the end.
I nod at her. “Hungry?”
She eyes me suspiciously. “Starving.”
“Want to get some food?”
She chews on her bottom lip, thinking about her answer, and I know it’s not in a joking around way, but more so she’s afraid. Afraid of me, possibly. Afraid for her job, most likely.
So, I add, “You know, to discuss business.”
It’s against team policy to fraternize with the players. I know that, she knows that, but, for the life of me, after seeing that infectious joy on her face, I had to ask her. I had to try to spend more time with her.
“Well, if it’s business . . .” She smiles brightly and then nods behind her. “Follow me.”
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
As the most hated player in baseball, I had two options: either clean up my image or pack my bags. Being traded wasn’t an option which only meant one thing, I had to become compliant.
That’s how I found myself sharing a small bistro table with Kate Chapman, the Chicago Bobbies newest PR Manager. Devastatingly beautiful, vastly intelligent, and incredibly cunning, she knows exactly how to handle my grumpy demeanor.
It was supposed to be simple. Book some PR events, show up, smile for the camera, and be done. But one massive mistake on my end sends me into the trenches with Kate, forcing me to open up to her.
Innocent glances turn into cordial encounters.
Secret touches turn into tempting invitations.
And dangerous nights alone turn into consuming desperation.
I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want her. And I know she wants me, but there’s a no fraternizing with the players rule. Neither of us can afford to lose our jobs, but we also can’t seem to keep our hands off each other either.
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
They say you never forget your first. Falling for my roommate is a terrible idea.
The Heartbreaker by Claire Contreras is now live!
They say you never forget your first.
Jagger Cruz, the popular, gorgeous, athletic, heartbreaker, was my introduction to college flings.
Over the years, I’ve tried to pay no attention to every wicked rumor I heard about him, even though deep down I knew they weren’t just rumors. Unable to face the consequences of what we’d done, if we were ever in close quarters, I ran in the other direction. If we were coincidentally put in the same class, I dropped it.
Avoidance was the name of the game and so far I was winning.
That is, until we’re assigned the same apartment.
Living with Jagger during my last semester was definitely not in my plans, but I’m determined to make it work. As long as I don’t look at him for too long or let his innuendos get under my skin, I should be fine, right? I have to be.
They say hooking up with your roommate can be messy, and losing my heart to Jagger would be disastrous.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
The Heartbreaker is Claire’s newest standalone NA sports romance. There is a good mixture of steam, some angst and great dialogue.
Josephine (Jo) and Jagger have known one another since childhood. Their families are quite close and both end up attending UNC. They have a one-night stand after a college party their freshman year but never see another afterwards.
Now they are both seniors and working on their futures. Jo is now single and has sworn off all athletes after a terrible breakup, but she’s also struggling with a few other things. Jagger is recovering from an injury and trying to find his way again. But they both find themselves as roommates their senior and it turns out to be quite the eye-opening experience for both of them.
I really enjoyed this book and the banter between Jo and Jagger. There is a lot of miscommunication or lack of communication that causes a lot of their problems. But it’s also what adds to the angst and drama. There would be no story without all that going on.
Claire always gives her readers some of the best characters, both main and secondary. They all give another depth to this story and help make the story more real and relatable in ways. I am hoping that we see stories from the siblings of both Jo and Jagger in future books – hint, hint.
Hearing the disbelief from my best friend’s mouth makes the events of my failed date sting that much more.
I would like to make it known, I have a lot more swagger than what it seems. I don’t normally ask a girl out, have her fail to recognize it’s a date, and then give me a high five–as if I’m her wingman–and take off with someone else.
No. Normally I’m the one taking the girl home but with Stella, it’s been one failed attempt after another and frankly, I’m done trying.
But thanks to my best friend getting married in Hawaii right before the school year starts, I’m stuck on a tropical island, watching Stella parade around in what she claims is a bathing suit.
Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it, just the tip of the iceberg. Because what I think is going to be a relaxing vacation, avoiding the one girl I can’t seem to make it work with, has turned into a spectacle of being recruited as Stella’s doting fake fiancé so she can save face with an old “friend” from high school.
Now I’m navigating through purgatory while trying not to get turned on by the way she holds my hand or kisses my jaw. It’s all fake, that’s what I keep telling myself, even though it feels entirely too real.
Excerpt:
“Do you want to sit next to Stella on the airplane?” Arlo asks.
“What? Fuck, no,” I say while turning up the game so I can hear the announcers over my tedious, wedding-planning best friend.
Arlo snatches the remote from my hand and turns off the TV. The room is silent for a moment before uproarious objections fill the air.
“Gentry is up next,” Gunner, my other best friend and former teammate, complains from next to me. “He’s three for three so far.”
“We need to talk,” Arlo says in that stern, alpha-like voice that won over his fiancée. Little does he know it doesn’t work on me.
I reach for the remote but he swats my hand with a resounding thud, causing me to yank my hand back. “What the actual fuck, man?”
When I decided to have the guys over to my loft, I assumed we’d tear up some wings, drain some brews, and watch the Bobbies game. Never in my wildest fucking dreams would I have pictured Arlo Turner, the grumpy curmudgeon of the Forest Heights English department, to roll in like a beaming bride, holding a wedding planning folder to his chest, and consume the night with questions about what he should wear and if coconut cake is too “Hawaiian-y” for his Maui destination wedding.
But here we are.
“Cut the crap, Romeo.”
“Cut what crap?” I reach over to the coffee table and pick up my almost empty glass of beer.
“I’m not about to have the Bickersons attend my wedding, so what the hell is going on with Stella?”
“Nothing is going on,” I answer, then take a small sip of my beer, making the liquid last so I don’t have to get up for a refill.
Gunner leans in and asks, “If we get to the bottom of the problem, can we turn the TV back on?”
“Yes,” Arlo answers.
“Then it was the baseball game he took her to.”
“Dude,” I say in protest while sitting up on the couch. “What the fuck happened to don’t say anything?”
Gunner unapologetically shrugs. “I really want to watch the Bobbies kill the Rebels in interleague play.”
“What baseball game?” Arlo asks. “Do you mean the game you took her and Cora to?”
“Yup.” Gunner pops a chip in his mouth from the bowl on the coffee table. “Except Cora wasn’t supposed to go. It was supposed to be a daaate,” Gunner drags out.
“You asked Stella out?” Arlo asks, shocked.
“Way to sell me out for a game, you dick.”
Not showing an ounce of remorse, Gunner stands from the couch and takes my glass from me.
“I’ll top you off. You’ll need it.”
Seething, I pass my hand over my head and say, “Yeah, I asked her out. She invited Cora. End of story.”
“That’s not the end of the story,” Gunner says from the kitchen, the open concept of my loft allowing his voice to carry to us easily.
When you think a friend is trustworthy and then they go and shock your fucking nuts right off by divulging everything you told them in secret . . . without even a blink of an eye. Gunner is dead to me.
You’re probably wondering why I didn’t say anything to Arlo about what happened, given he’s one of my best friends, right? It’s simple. Gunner got me drunk and I relished in the comfort of far too many cold beers and a listening ear. If it wasn’t for that, I’d have kept my mouth shut, because the entire incident was fucking humiliating.
Between you and me, I’ve liked Stella Garcia, the Spanish teacher at Forest Heights, for a while now. Far too long actually. I can’t quite pinpoint when it happened, but all I know is over the three years I’ve known her, I’ve been pining after the girl for the majority of the time.
Fucking bold, quick-witted with a sharp tongue, loves sports, shy when it counts. Flat-out gorgeous with her long, wavy brown hair and fascinating green eyes that have a ring of brown around the pupil. She’s had my attention for a while and last year, I decided to finally make a move.
Enough was enough. We shared too many dinners together as friends. She’s pressed her lips to my beer glass without a second thought way too many times. The moment presented itself, I grew a pair, and asked her out to a baseball game knowing she loves watching the sport as much as I do.
But fuck did it backfire.
“What’s the end of the story?” Arlo asks, growing agitated. His patience runs thin, which is surprising, given his profession of educating the youth.
He’s not going to drop it.
Arlo’s relentless when he wants to know something.
Dragging my hand down my face, I say, “It was supposed to be a date.” Gunner sits next to me and hands me my refilled glass, which I gladly take. “She invited Cora. Which was fine. We had a good time, I still sat next to Stella, and we shared jokes even if there was a third wheel. But it was what happened afterwards that—”
“That gutted him,” Gunner finishes for me. When I snap a look at him, he smirks. “That’s what you told me. Just thought I’d help tell the story.”
“I wasn’t gutted.”
Maybe I was a little.
Hell . . . I was humiliated.
Gutted isn’t a strong enough word for what happened.
“What the fuck happened after? Christ. Why are you taking so damn long to get to the point?” Arlo practically growls.
“Go easy on our guy.” Gunner grips my shoulder. “He was embarrassed, man.”
“It’s fine, I’m over it now,” I say in a passive-aggressive tone.
“You’re clearly not if you and Stella can’t even be in the same room together. I don’t want anything ruining this trip for Greer, and your constant arguing with Stella is driving everyone fucking crazy.”
“Great, then I just won’t talk to her. Simple.”
“Just tell him,” Gunner says, nudging me.
Christ.
Staring down at my beer, I quietly say, “She went home with someone else that night.”
The room falls silent.
They don’t have to react for me to know what they must be thinking. They know I’ve liked Stella for a while. They know I’ve been trying to figure out a way to ask her out.
And this . . . hell, this was an epic fail on my end.
It wouldn’t be as bad if I weren’t already carrying a chip on my shoulder about the way I was forced to twist my life around.
Five years ago, everything changed.
Five years ago, I was stripped of the one thing that brought me life.
A ruptured Achilles tendon ended everything for me.
I never got the chance to appreciate my last game.
I never had the opportunity to sit on the field and say goodbye.
Instead, playing professional baseball was stripped from me and I was forced to fall back on my teaching degree I earned while playing in college.
To say I’m bitter, resentful, and fucking angry . . . yeah, that’s an understatement.
I live with regret daily and harbor more animosity than anyone should.
So, when I took Stella to the game, on a date, hoping to tell her how I feel, and she went home with someone else, it fucking stung.
Do you know what stung more, though?
The fact that she looked right past me and instead went for a rookie on the Bobbies.
Why go out with a washed-up baseball player turned phys ed teacher with a slight limp in his walk, when you can go out with an unmarred professional baseball player?
Yeah. There’s resentment for a reason. She chose the star. That’s who she wants.
That’s who I’ll never be.
And that’s why I plan on staying as far away from Stella Garcia on this trip as I can.
And when we get back to Chicago and the school year starts, everything will go on as planned.
Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
Too easy, right?
3.5 Stars
Earn Your Extra Credit features, Romeo and Stella, who readers met in See Me After Class. Don’t worry, you don’t need to read that one to read this one, but it definitely helps in getting a deeper connection to everyone.
I was really looking forward Romeo and Stella’s book – this two have quite the interesting relationship. They have been coworkers for quite awhile and even close friends after working together for so long. They watch baseball games together and compete on the faculty league team.
At some point, things became strained between them and nothing has been the same since. Romeo and Stella, along with their other friends, are all now in Hawaii for their best friends’ wedding. But that’s not the only problem, they both find themselves fake dating because Stella has some point to prove.
I want to say so much more, but I hate when reviewers talk about scenes in reviews or give away plot points, accidentally. But there is a lot that goes on this on this book – growth, acceptance and moving forward.
Yea – not sure what to say about this one, to be honest. Did I enjoy the book? Yes. But, it dragged for me. Stella annoyed the hell out of me, a lot. Her antics, while entertaining, just became annoying after a bit. Romeo – the man has the patience of a saint.
It kills me to say this because I truly love Meghan, the characters she bring us and their stories. But this book was right down the middle for you. While I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite. But I am definitely in the minority on this one. I would still recommend this book to others because while it wasn’t a 5 star for me, I know that other readers will enjoy it.
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
Football club lawyer, Santino Rossi is known in the locker room as the two-month chump. For years he’s been on a mission to find someone he can share his basil plant with and cure him of his former playboy ways. So when he ends up stuck in an elevator with the one that got away, he thinks a replay is a great game plan. Download now or read in Kindle Unlimited
Anyone can fall for their brother’s best friend…Tilly Logan fell for her brother’s enemy.
Football club lawyer, Santino Rossi is known in the locker room as the two-month chump. For years he’s been on a mission to find someone he can share his basil plant with and cure him of his former playboy ways.
Tilly Logan is a fiery, Scottish lass who didn’t bat an eye five years ago when a smoldering Italian pulled her into a nightclub bathroom. He was dark, dangerous, and exactly the good time Tilly was looking for—even if he worked for her over-protective brother’s team.
But a lot has changed and when Tilly returns to London five years later only to find herself trapped in an elevator with the smoldering Italian, it isn’t a happy reunion. Especially because her brother blames Santino for her high tailing it back to Scotland in the first place.
Tilly doesn’t want a replay of past mistakes and reconnecting with Santino is playing with fire.
But if they keep their relationship a secret, it could be worth the burn.
“Sei bellissima stasera,” I growl, sliding my hands into her loose, straight locks as I press my lips to hers for a quick kiss. I drag the backs of my fingers down her pale cheek and add, “Beautiful.”
She grips my arms, her eyes wide and challenging. “How did I never know you spoke Italian?”
“I’m a man of mystery.” I dip my nose to the area below her ear, inhaling her intoxicating scent of honey and citrus. After spending the night making out with her a few days ago, I haven’t been able to stop craving her scent. She arches into my touch, and the motion causes my cock to stir inside my jeans. Pulling back, I stare at her lips. “And no one said I spoke good Italian. I might have just told you that you look like a beetroot.”
Her hands slide up the short sleeves of my shirt, her fingers biting into my biceps. “I love beetroots.”
“Nobody loves beetroots.” I laugh and tilt my head with a smug look. “Hai delle labbra così deliziose…Vorrei tanto baciarti.”
Her jaw drops. “What did you just say?”
Smiling, I lean in and whisper against her lips, “I said your lips are so delicious…I would really like to kiss you.”
Without pause, I fuse our mouths together and tease my tongue along her lush lips. She tastes minty, and that, coupled with her honey scent, has me deepening the kiss even further. Her hands move from my arms to my waist as she fists my T-shirt. When I thrust my tongue deep into her mouth, she inhales sharply, and her faint moan vibrates against my lips. Moving my hands down to her arse, I pull her into me so she can feel the effect she’s having on me.
“Okay, Sonny Corleone, no need to get cheeky.” She breaks our kiss, her face adorably flushed as she glances around nervously and finger combs her mussed locks. “We’re in public, after all.”
I shove my hands into my pockets. “It’s been a long time.”
“It’s been a few days.”
“Give or take five years.” I wink playfully, causing her to roll her eyes.
Amy Daws is an Amazon Top 13 bestselling author of sexy, contemporary romance novels. She enjoys writing love stories that take place in America, as well as across the pond in England. When Amy is not writing in a tire shop waiting room, she’s watching Gilmore Girls, or singing karaoke in the living room with her daughter while Daddy smiles awkwardly from a distance. For more of Amy’s work, visit: http://www.amydawsauthor.com
Unfortunately, I am not one of those girls. Not when I lost my apartment because my roommate let the lease lapse while I was traveling for work. Not when my brothers keep finding love and my mother keeps reminding me I’m still single. Not after a one-night stand during my older brother’s wedding has me waking up pregnant.
I have to keep it a secret—from him, and my family. I sure can’t tell my brother his teammate, Mateo Jose Espinoza, is the man I slept with. Confident, funny, Mateo…
A GUY CAN’T CATCH A BREAK
Just when I thought I’d found the girl of my dreams, she ghosts me. Worse? Her brother refuses to give me her number, and my calls to her office go straight to voicemail. I thought I was a catch; professional athlete, charming, raised with six sisters—I’m a guy who knows his way to a woman’s heart! What reason could she possibly have for avoiding me?
When I finally catch up to True Wallace, I’m going to get the answer.
Hard Luck is the fourth book in the Trophy Boyfriend series and can easily be read as a standalone.
This was just an ok read for me – it was right down the middle of the road. There were things that I like and things that I did not like, which evened out the book for me.
Having a surprise pregnancy will have anyone making poor decisions that aren’t normal for them. But I couldn’t for the life of me understand her reluctance to tell Mateo. Especially when he was trying so hard to get in touch with her.
Their chemistry was hard to believe. I could definitely tell Mateo was attracted and wanted to get to know her better. However, I wasn’t getting that vibe from True.
I enjoyed the family dynamics on both sides, but sometimes they felt too over the top.
And then there’s the ending. I’m used to Sara’s writing so I know her endings are different than most. However, this one truly felt as though we were abruptly cut off.
This book was right down the middle for me. The series itself is really good, this book just wasn’t the best of them, in my opinion.
Meet Sara Ney
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.
Born into one of the richest, most notorious families in the country, the black sheep title was stamped on him from an early age. While the rest of his relatives earn their keep at the top tier baseball team they’ve owned for generations, Sin prefers spending his time and money on booze, babes and bad decisions.
Until all three land him in a coma, fighting for his life.
One year later, with a sober chip in his hand, he arrives at spring training ready to turn it all around. But when he meets the only woman who doesn’t recognize just who he is, he can’t help omitting a few important details … like his last name. No stranger to charming women, Sin uses one of his old skillsets to kick off what is sure to be an epic hookup.
But when she shows up five months after their brief Florida fling with a secret that will topple his privileged world, he might just lose everything he’s worked so hard to rebuild. Including a real shot at love with the sassy redhead that he’s been too much of a coward to pursue.
Can he shoulder the responsibility he’s always shrugged off? Or will he balk at the real-life complications and strike out completely?
Francesca Kade is an independent goal-getter.
As one of the only female strength coaches in the league, she’s used to invading the boys’ club. After putting up with being passed over and not promoted for a number of seasons, she’s finally got her shot.
A consummate professional with blinders on, there is no way anything will screw up all she hopes to achieve. Well, except for maybe the new employee with eyes the color of ocean waves and a smirk that’s the definition of sin. When they catch fire in the southern heat, it’s almost impossible to put it out.
Until she finds out that he’s her boss’s boss’s boss.
Burned from the betrayal and panicking with a fresh secret of her own, Frankie is shocked when she lands her ultimate dream job. There is no way she’s turning it down. But when she bumps into Sinclair on day one, all of the old feelings and new problems come hurtling at her like a baseball to the face.
Will she ever be able to trust that he’ll put both her and his responsibilities before his vices? Or will their differences cost them the game?
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Read it now: mybook.to/CheckSwing
Check Swing is the third book in Carrie’s Callahan Family series. I have been eagerly awaiting Sinclair’s book and Carrie did not disappoint.
I finished this book over a week ago and I can still remember every thing about it. And that it to me, says everything about the book and the author.
Sinclair is trying to find out what he wants to do with this life now that he has been sober for a year. He’s had everything handed to him because of his family. And he’s once again, given the opportunity that most don’t get but this time he is determined to prove that he deserves to be there.
Frankie has been busting her butt to prove that she is just as good as her male colleagues when it comes to training and conditioning athletes. She’s been given promoted to head strength and conditions coach for spring training, which is just another step closer to her ultimate goal – working with team during the season in their strength and conditioning department.
Sinclair and Frankie have an abrupt meeting but what makes it even more interesting is that Frankie doesn’t know who Sinclair is. However, there is an immediate attraction on both their parts. They both were not wanting anything more than a fling as they both had other goals in mind. However, life never goes as we want.
Five months after they last saw one another, they meet unexpectedly again. And sparks fly – just not the kind you are thinking., They are so many secrets and lies that need to be dealt with. Will their second chance give them the opportunity to become more??
Carrie wrote this book so beautifully. I love how real and natural everything felt. This story is written from both Sinclair and Frankie’s POV, which truly helps readers connect to each character. You get a feel for what each is going through but keeps the book flowing perfectly.
Carrie has delivered another exceptional sports romance to her readers. I cannot wait to see what she brings us next.
Author of romance novels such as The Tenth Girl and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She’s a Jersey girl living in Texas with her husband, daughter, son and Great Dane/Lab rescue.
