New York Times and USA Today best selling author J. Sterling has revealed the covers for
the Fun For the Holiday’s series!
Kissing My Co-Worker releasing December 16, 2011 Dumped for Valentine’s releasing February 1, 2022 My Week with the Prince releasing March 1, 2022 Spring’s Second Chance releasing May 1, 2022 Summer Lovin’ releasing July 1, 2022 Falling for the Boss releasing September 1, 2022 Christmas with Saint releasing December 1, 2022
New York Times bestselling author, J. Sterling has created this collection of fun and flirty stories with holiday based themes for you to get lost in and enjoy. Prepare to fall in love today!
I’m a New York Times and USA Today best selling author of over 18 books! My goal is to write stories that you can get lost in, that will leave a smile on your face and a full heart. If you can forget about the real world while you’re reading and fall in love with my characters, then I’ve done my job. A lot of what I write has real life aspects in it, but that’s what makes the stories so relateable- the fact that they could happen to anyone… and have!
I live in California with my only son, Blake. If you can’t find me sitting behind a computer screen, then there’s a good chance I’m sitting in the bleachers of a baseball stadium watching him play. I love traveling to new places, meeting my readers and living life with the Real Jack Carter. ♡
I know you have a million books to choose from and I am humbled, grateful and thankful each time you choose to read one of mine, or tell someone else to read them. Thank you.
“Spider is a delicious, forbidden read you won’t be able to put down.” –Melanie Harlow, USA Bestselling Author
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills has a surprise just for you! SPIDER has an incredible new look, and to celebrate it’s ZERO PENNIES for a limited time only!
From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a new standalone romance about a flawed hero and the woman he can’t forget.
“She crossed my path and changed my whole direction.”
He called himself Spider.
I just knew him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate sat next to me on the airplane.
I didn’t know who he really was . . . British rock star . . . my stepbrother.
He kissed me because he thought we’d never see each other again. We would.
Everyone warned me about him. They told me he was ruthless and cold and screwed up. They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart.
Maybe I should have listened. Maybe I should have built up a fortress to keep him out. But I crumbled instead.
They say an unbreakable thread connects those who are destined to meet. If that’s true, then the moment he sat next to me, we were bound together forever.
He just had to figure it out before it’s too late…
Don’t miss this steal! Grab your copy for ZERO PENNIES today! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pmkFAf Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SpiderNC
About Ilsa Madden-Mills Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.
Connect with Ilsa Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nY2pxT Instagram: http://bit.ly/35xfNfo Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EESfM9 Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GaR6cni Website: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay Sign up for phone alert for book releases (max of 4) Text ROMANCE to 21000 *Text message rates apply*
The Ritual, an all-new dark college romance by USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Shantel Tessier is available now!
The Chosen One I vow. You vow. We vow. Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one. People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom. I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want. After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.
Download your copy today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ugbm6I Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/The-Ritual
Excerpt
INITIATION RYAT
Loyalty Freshman year at Barrington University I KNEEL IN the middle of the darkly lit room along with twenty other men. My hands are secured tightly behind my back with a pair of handcuffs. My shirt is torn, and blood drips from my busted lips. I’m panting, still trying to catch my breath while my heart beats like a drum in my chest. It’s hard to hear over the blood rushing in my ears, and I’m sweating profusely.
We were dragged out of our beds in the middle of the night to serve. Our freshman classes at Barrington University start in two weeks, but we already have to show our loyalty to the Lords.
“You will always have to prove yourself,”my father once told me. “You were each given a task,”the man calls out as he paces in front of us. His black combat boots slap against the concrete floor with each step, the sound echoing off the walls. “Kill or be killed. Now how many of you can fulfill it?”
“I can,” I state, lifting my head to stick my chin out in the warm and sticky air. Sweat covers my brow after the fight. It’s rigged. You are supposed to lose. The point is to wear you down. See just how much you have to give. How far you can go. I made sure to win mine. No matter what it took.
He smirks down at me like I’m fucking joking. “Ryat. You seem so confident in yourself.”
“I know what I’m capable of handling,”I say through gritted teeth. I don’t like being second-guessed. We were each raised for this—to be a Lord.
Wealth got us here.
Yet our determination will separate us by the time it’s over.
The man looks at the guy on my left and nods. The guy walks behind me and yanks me to stand by the back of my shirt. He undoes the cuffs, and I rip the shredded material up and over my head before dropping my hands to my sides when what I really want to do is rub my sore wrists.
Never show weakness. A Lord does not feel. He’s a machine.
The man steps up to me with a knife in hand. He holds it out handle first to me, his black eyes almost glowing with excitement. “Show us what you can do.”
Taking it from him, I walk over to the chair bolted to the floor. I yank the bloody sheet off the chair to reveal a man tied to it. His hands are cuffed behind his back, and his feet are spread wide and secured to the chair legs.
I’m not surprised I know him—he’s a Lord. Or was. The fact that he’s restrained tells me he’s not anymore. But that doesn’t change my orders.
Kill without questions.
You want to be powerful? Then you realize you are a threat to those who want your position. In order to succeed, you don’t have to be stronger, just deadlier.
The man shakes his head, his brown eyes pleading with me to spare his life. Multiple layers of duct tape are placed over his mouth—those who spill secrets will be silenced. He thrashes in his chair.
Walking behind him, I look down at his cuffed wrists. He wears a ring on his right hand; it’s a circle with three horizontal lines across the middle. It stands for power.
Not just anyone would know what it means, but I do. Because I wear the same one. Everyone in this room does. But just because you get one doesn’t mean you’ll keep it.
I reach down and grab his hand. He begins to shout behind the tape as he tries to fight me, but I remove the ring easily and walk back around to stand in front of him. “You don’t deserve this,”I say to him, placing it in my pocket. “You betrayed us, your brothers, yourself. The payment for that is death.”
When he throws his head back and screams into the tape, I press the knife to his neck, right below his jawline. His breathing fills the room, and his body strains, waiting for the first cut.
A Lord does not show mercy. Blood and tears are what we demand from those who betray us.
Connect with Shantel Join Shantel’s Sinful Side Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3d02WHc Facebook: https://bit.ly/2w8PyQQ Instagram: https://bit.ly/39ETUNa BookBub: https://bit.ly/2UWXRHT Stay up to date with Shantel by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2JClgZO
Carrie Aarons has revealed the cover for If Only in My Dreams!
Releasing December 3, 2021
‘Tis the season to … be freshly divorced at twenty-six and moving back into your parents’ house?
Because that’s my reality this Christmas. As if it isn’t bad enough that my entire hometown is buzzing with the news of my failed marriage, who is the first person I bump into at the grocery store? The guy who treated me like his personal booty call in high school just happens to be looking at spices while I’m trying to pick up cinnamon for my mother.
And get this; Porter Kelly, the broody, mysterious recluse who exposed his own secrets to the world by writing a book about his family years ago, is the one who acts like I wronged him. His rude remarks on aisle nine are the final straw as my exhausted unhappiness breaks, and I’m officially calling off the most wonderful time of the year.
Too bad it’s literally impossible for the woman whose parents own a railroad that specializes in Christmas train rides to ignore the holiday season. Because I’m back under their roof, it’s mandatory to work in the middle of the red and green merriment, Santa himself, and wait for it …
Porter serenading us with the greatest festive hits of all time. That’s right, apparently my teenage heartthrob turned nemesis not only works for my parents, but can strum a guitar like he’s trying to get every soccer mom on board pregnant. As we’re forced to spend more time together than ever, his past baggage and my marital rejection make their way to the surface, bonding us in ways neither of us knew possible.
I thought I was heartbroken about my ex-husband wanting to end our marriage, but that pain is nothing compared to what Porter could inflict. He seems like a changed man, one on the precipice of a new chapter, which is exactly where I find myself. Would it be crazy to think we could turn the page together?
Returning home was the only option I had. But as I come dangerously close to counting on the first man who broke my heart, I wonder if all of my future dreams are too good to be true.
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.
The Bayside Heroes series is a set of four interconnected STAND-ALONE medical romance novels that will have you panting, faking an injury for medical attention and begging for more.
Meet Kandi
Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
The Ritual, an all-new dark college romance by USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Shantel Tessier is available now!
The Chosen One I vow. You vow. We vow. Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one. People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom. I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want. After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.
Download your copy today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ugbm6I Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/The-Ritual
About Shantel
Shantel is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. Who lives in Oklahoma with her high school sweetheart, who is a wonderful, supportive husband and their two daughters. She loves to spend time cuddled up on the couch with a good book.
She considers herself extremely lucky to get to do what she loves while wearing pajamas. Going to concerts and the movies are just a few of her favorite things to do. She hates coffee, but loves wine. Although she has a passion to write, her family is most important to her. She loves spending evenings at home with her husband and daughters, watching Netflix.
Connect with Shantel Join Shantel’s Sinful Side Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3d02WHc Facebook: https://bit.ly/2w8PyQQ Instagram: https://bit.ly/39ETUNa BookBub: https://bit.ly/2UWXRHT Stay up to date with Shantel by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2JClgZO
From USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a workplace romance between a grumpy, alpha architect and his new client—who just so happens to have the blueprint to bring him to his knees.
Romance is not in Wade Mason’s portfolio.
This is tragic. It’s unfair that a man so maddeningly gorgeous—an architect with a deliciously squarish jaw, adorably dimpled chin, and the hottest black glasses that straddle the line between professional and provocative—rebukes all things love.
I knew this well before I walked into his office.
The man is a conundrum—a complicated, steel-wall of a puzzle. On one hand, he brushes against me in the conference room with a broodiness that sets me on fire. He demands in-person meetings nearly every day about the house we’re working on together. I catch him watching me out of the corner of his eye with a look that’s anything but platonic. But any talk of hook-ups, love, or relationships—even in general? Completely off the table.
I’m determined to peel back his layers until I get to the bottom of the mysterious businessman. But my plan is foiled by a surprise that leaves both of us reeling. Neither of us see it coming but it changes everything … forever.
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.
Jonah Bennett, an all new emotional and thrilling novella from New York Times bestselling author Tijan and 1,001 Dark Nights, is available now!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tijan comes a new story in her Bennett Mafia universe…
Jonah Bennett wasn’t like his family. The mafia business was firmly what his brothers did, not him.
That changed the day a rival family killed his fiancée.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3A3t52Z Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/JonahBen
Add Jonah Bennett to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3igoyUK
This is a great introduction not only to this series, but to Tijan’s amazing talent. It honestly just gives you brief glimpse into her writing prowess and how she can easily pull readers into her stories.
I did not read the first book in this series and you don’t have to at all. Tijan gives you just enough to piece things together without taking away from the main characters in this story.
Jonah is one of four siblings in the Bennett family. And they are extremely tight; two have stayed in the family business and the other two have opted to say out of it.
Jonah is one of the two siblings who chose to stay out of the family business but he quickly realizes that just because you aren’t involved in it, doesn’t mean you can avoid all that surrounds their family business.
Tijan wrote a fabulous novella and was able to give the perfect depth to the story and characters, even for a novella. I loved every bit of this and will be going back to read the first book in this series.
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.
For More information about 1,001 Dark Nights, visit: Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A Stay up to date on all 1,001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu
The Ritual, an all-new dark new adult romance by USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Shantel Tessier is coming November 19th and we have the dreamy cover!
The Chosen One I vow. You vow. We vow. Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one. People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom. I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want. After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.
Bad Cruz, an all-new romantic comedy with off the charts chemistry and sure to make you fall in love and LOL from Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen is available now!
I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy. But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.
He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician. I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.
He is Fairhope royalty. I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.
He’s well-off. I’m…well, off.
When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise. Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else. Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand. (My fault, of course.) But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question: Can I take another chance on love?
Enjoy a laugh and fall in love today for ZERO PENNIES on Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3y7hM8u Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/BadCruz
Add Bad Cruz to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3AVtPYs
Excerpt
This whole day made me feel super prickly, but I still went with it. Unfortunately, I had no say in this, since I had lost a bet.
Then there was Trinity and my parents’ wrath to think about. And the fact Bear deserved a mother who didn’t look like she practiced the most ancient profession in the world.
Also, privately, I could admit I really, really liked the Anthropologie dresses.
“I think I’m starting to get a feel of what you’re into,” Cruz said when we got out of the store, which by the way, smelled like a new car and someone’s upscale bathroom.
I ignored his observation. I already felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman without being told I was on the cusp of self-discovery and inner transformation.
Next, we went to Free People, where I grabbed a few pairs of pants and some casual shirts and jackets. Then we went to a bohemian boutique, something small and not too pricey, and Cruz splurged on two pairs of sandals for me—both orthopedic but surprisingly not hideous—and a little purse that didn’t look like a tie-dyed squirrel.
I didn’t thank him one time during the entire shopping trip, careful to remind him that it was his idea, not mine.
Finally, around two in the afternoon, when I was ready for my lunch (more like in danger of eating my own arm), he stopped in front of Prada.
He jerked his chin inside. “Ladies first.”
“Are you crazy?” I glared at him. “I’m not really going to let you buy me anything from there.”
I knew I’d joked about it the other day, but I also joked about having Benicio del Toro’s babies, and I sure as heck was closed for business.
“It’s an outlet.”
“It’s outrageous,” I countered. “I don’t care how much money someone has, a five hundred dollar scarf is excessive.”
“Quality costs.”
“Say that to my Kmart shoes. They’ve been servin’ me well for three years and counting. Even when I work double shifts.” I was surprised my feet didn’t slap my face for lying.
“I try not to converse with inanimate objects as a general rule. Why do you even care? It’s my money. I get to decide what I want to spend it on.”
“Why would you want to spend it on a semi-stranger you don’t even like?”
“This semi-stranger I don’t even like is about to become my family. Besides, I’m a shitty tipper.”
We were blocking the entrance to Prada, but that was all right, because no one but us seemed irrational enough to wander in.
There was also a guard at the entrance. A flipping guard. It made me want to throw up. I would never, ever walk into a store where some people might not feel welcome.
People like my mom.
Or like me, for that matter.
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” I thumbed my nose at him, adamant to put up a fight. “I’d hate to be associated with you. You may ruin my reputation.”
“Your reputation’s in the shitter,” he reminded me kindly.
“Yeah, well, maybe it’ll find your kissing technique there, since it seems to be in the same destination. What the hell was that about yesterday?”
Classic aversion.
I was a master of misdirection.
“You enjoyed it,” he said calmly.
“Did not.”
“Did, too.”
Lord, I had.
And not only had I enjoyed it, but the fact that it had been sweet and intimate and not filthy and carnal had completely disarmed me. I still felt my pulse against my lips. Both pairs.
Mental note number one hundred and sixty: Charge. That. Vibrator.
About LJ Shen L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.
She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.
Connect with L.J. Shen Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1 Twitter: http://bit.ly/36ELHZc Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2oMbFsu Instagram: http://bit.ly/2AIOiTo Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/
Bad Cruz, an all-new romantic comedy with off the charts chemistry and sure to make you fall in love and LOL from Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen is available now!
I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy. But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.
He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician. I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.
He is Fairhope royalty. I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.
He’s well-off. I’m…well, off.
When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise. Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else. Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand. (My fault, of course.) But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question: Can I take another chance on love?
Enjoy a laugh and fall in love today for ZERO PENNIES on Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3y7hM8u Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/BadCruz
Add Bad Cruz to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3AVtPYs
Excerpt
This whole day made me feel super prickly, but I still went with it. Unfortunately, I had no say in this, since I had lost a bet.
Then there was Trinity and my parents’ wrath to think about. And the fact Bear deserved a mother who didn’t look like she practiced the most ancient profession in the world.
Also, privately, I could admit I really, really liked the Anthropologie dresses.
“I think I’m starting to get a feel of what you’re into,” Cruz said when we got out of the store, which by the way, smelled like a new car and someone’s upscale bathroom.
I ignored his observation. I already felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman without being told I was on the cusp of self-discovery and inner transformation.
Next, we went to Free People, where I grabbed a few pairs of pants and some casual shirts and jackets. Then we went to a bohemian boutique, something small and not too pricey, and Cruz splurged on two pairs of sandals for me—both orthopedic but surprisingly not hideous—and a little purse that didn’t look like a tie-dyed squirrel.
I didn’t thank him one time during the entire shopping trip, careful to remind him that it was his idea, not mine.
Finally, around two in the afternoon, when I was ready for my lunch (more like in danger of eating my own arm), he stopped in front of Prada.
He jerked his chin inside. “Ladies first.”
“Are you crazy?” I glared at him. “I’m not really going to let you buy me anything from there.”
I knew I’d joked about it the other day, but I also joked about having Benicio del Toro’s babies, and I sure as heck was closed for business.
“It’s an outlet.”
“It’s outrageous,” I countered. “I don’t care how much money someone has, a five hundred dollar scarf is excessive.”
“Quality costs.”
“Say that to my Kmart shoes. They’ve been servin’ me well for three years and counting. Even when I work double shifts.” I was surprised my feet didn’t slap my face for lying.
“I try not to converse with inanimate objects as a general rule. Why do you even care? It’s my money. I get to decide what I want to spend it on.”
“Why would you want to spend it on a semi-stranger you don’t even like?”
“This semi-stranger I don’t even like is about to become my family. Besides, I’m a shitty tipper.”
We were blocking the entrance to Prada, but that was all right, because no one but us seemed irrational enough to wander in.
There was also a guard at the entrance. A flipping guard. It made me want to throw up. I would never, ever walk into a store where some people might not feel welcome.
People like my mom.
Or like me, for that matter.
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” I thumbed my nose at him, adamant to put up a fight. “I’d hate to be associated with you. You may ruin my reputation.”
“Your reputation’s in the shitter,” he reminded me kindly.
“Yeah, well, maybe it’ll find your kissing technique there, since it seems to be in the same destination. What the hell was that about yesterday?”
Classic aversion.
I was a master of misdirection.
“You enjoyed it,” he said calmly.
“Did not.”
“Did, too.”
Lord, I had.
And not only had I enjoyed it, but the fact that it had been sweet and intimate and not filthy and carnal had completely disarmed me. I still felt my pulse against my lips. Both pairs.
Mental note number one hundred and sixty: Charge. That. Vibrator.
Bad Cruz was quite a different read for me from LJ Shen and I quite enjoyed this change of pace in her writing. Bad Cruz is a romantic comedy and Shen delivers the hilarity well.Tennessee (Messy Nessy to the town’s people) is quite an interesting and entertaining character. While she is strong in so many ways, her biggest weakness is her family. But there were also the only ones who were there for her when everyone else cast her out.Cruz Costello is the town’s golden boy; he was a like a celebrity to them. He left town, became a doctor and came back to take over his dad’s practice. He had an image to maintain and did everything he could to avoid tarnishing that image.When Cruz and Tennessee find themselves on the wrong cruise line, that’s when things get entertaining in so many ways. The banter, the scenes, and the mannerisms of these characters made this book so entertaining.I truly enjoyed these characters. Shen gave us a heroine that was relatable on many levels. And Cruz wasn’t exactly who he portrayed himself to be. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and watch them let their walls down with one another.Bad Cruz is a hilarious and sweet romance that moves at the perfect pace. While there were parts that I was not crazy about, overall, I enjoyed this book so much. Highly recommended read.
About LJ Shen L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.
She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.
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