Every city needs a hero, but Detroit’s white knight just might be a villain.
A rough childhood branded Jasper Storm trouble. A bad boy. Not worth a damn. His love of cars was the only thing that could battle his delinquency. With the need for speed in his blood, he overcame his wayward ways. Mostly. Now the broken city of Detroit hails him their shining star. And the man behind a new cutting-edge automobile is ready to turn this bankrupt town around.
Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door. She was his best friend. He was her protector. Then tragedy struck and she disappeared, forever—or so he thought.
Everything Jasper does in life is fast. He talks fast, f*cks fast, and drives fast. But when one reckless turn brings him face-to-face with the childhood he has tried very hard to forget, he finds himself on the edge of wondering if he shouldn’t slow down.
Time hasn’t erased who they are though. Jasper has many reasons to hate Charlotte and keep his distance, which is easier said than done. Soon she’s infiltrating his every thought and he can’t stay away. Back in town with an agenda of her own, she should push him aside. Make him turn around. Walk away herself. Yet she can’t.
With the past lurking between them, they proceed with caution. That is until one sex-filled night leads to murder, and things are forced to change. Now that Detroit’s biggest ally has suddenly become suspect number one, will Charlotte—the girl Jasper once kept safe—be the one to save him?
Control is an absolute necessity when driving fast on the road, and there is no other car that applies force to the pavement as directly as the Storm. Whether turning the wheel, accelerating the gas, or stepping on the brake, I am always in contact with the road, and therefore I always have control.
Too bad I can’t say the same for my life, which right now seems to be spinning out of control.
Driving through the streets of the old Cass Corridor, I manage to suppress the bad memories of my childhood from surfacing. Sure, the area’s history is a sad cocktail of drugs, prostitution, and crippling poverty. And even though this section of midtown is a shadow of its former self, I can still see the neglect in the thoughtless demolition. However, as I come to a stop in front of Charlotte’s building, I can also spot change and hope for the future.
Then again, her building isn’t the grimy brick front with a dark lobby lit only by streaks of light through cracked windowpanes that I grew up in. Her stairs aren’t rotting, her hallway isn’t a putrid shade of green, the carpet isn’t worn, nor does it smell like piss, and there isn’t the yelling going on that makes me want to cover my ears.
This isn’t the same place where I grew up.
Slowly, I glance around. She’s right—her building isn’t that bad. As I take the stairs and look out the window, I think I might have been a bit harder on her than I needed to be.
Walking down the hallway, I can’t suppress the smile on my face when I see that her bike is just outside the door. This means she’s planning on coming with me. After my confession last night, I wasn’t exactly sure she would.
Way too soon, I’m standing in front of her apartment.
Not quite ready for this, I give myself the pep talk. This is not a date.
Not.
A.
Date.
Answers.
You’re looking for answers.
That’s all.
You don’t need to be thinking of her in any other way than as someone you used to know. You look only at her face. You definitely don’t watch the way she moves. You don’t need to feel guilty because you f*cked her co-worker. You don’t even remember much about it anyway. And for fuck’s sake, you don’t need to be thinking about how good this girl would feel wrapped around you.
With that out of the way, I’m feeling clear-headed and focused. Before that changes, I hurry up and knock.
No one answers.
I knock again.
Maybe she changed her mind and she isn’t going to come with me after all.
Feeling impatient, I knock one more time.
“Just a minute,” I hear from inside.
The sound of her voice makes me feel desperate to see her. That’s not a good thing. I should leave. I really should. I seriously consider it for about a hot minute. Nothing but bad can come out of this. But my feet seem cemented in place and when I hear the click-clack of a lock and it begins to turn, it’s too late.
Slowly the door opens and she comes into view. As soon as she does, the wind is knocked right out of my lungs. She looks a little disheveled but all the more beautiful because of it. Feeling like I’ve been zapped, I’m overwhelmed by the energy between us and it holds me in place. Everything about her is like it used to be—just the sexier, hotter, grown-up version. Her hair is pulled back, but even so, it still looks wild and untamed. She always said her hair was a bother and she just wanted it out of the way. Because I used to really like her hair, it always made me laugh.
I still like her hair, and the fact that she pulled it back because it might be a bother makes me want to laugh now. That, along with the toothpaste on her lip, is just too much. I try to hold back my laughter but fail miserably.
“What?” she asks with mild curiosity.
“Nothing,” I say with a shake of my head. “It’s just I wasn’t sure you’d come with me today.”
She looks at me as if considering her words, and I use this time to study her further. She’s not wearing any makeup and everything about her face screams how gorgeous she is. For no reason at all, my chest tightens.
It doesn’t mean anything.
So what if it took less than 1.4 seconds for that hurricane within me to start batting around.
It means nothing.
But then that fucking myriad of conflicting emotions starts to mess with my mind and yeah, I realize, it means something. Just like that, it’s as if my pep talk never took place. Still, I can handle this. Find out what she knows. Drop her off. And say goodbye—forever.
How hard can it be?
Reader * Writer * Coffeelover * Romantic
Kim Karr is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She is a daydreamer. So much so that if daydreaming could be a hobby it would be her favorite. It’s how her stories are born and how they take root. An imagination that runs wild is something to be thankful for, and she is very thankful.
She grew up in New York and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She’s always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and with the rest of her time embraces one of her biggest passions–writing.
Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read.
She likes to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.
*** Upper New Adult Spinoff Standalone to the USA Today Bestselling Novel, Under the Influence***
“Shhhh, Cassandra, it’s our little secret.”
Secrets are stubborn things when they refuse to remain hidden. They tear through your soul, clawing and lashing until the pain becomes so unbearable, you’re left no choice but to silently scream your agony. No one hears you, of course. You smile on the outside and drift through life as though your mind is at peace, but all the while, you remain your own tortured prisoner. Sealed inside the darkened, soundproof room of your conscience, deafening cries echo as you plead for someone to unlock the door and release you from your nightmares. And eventually, when no one comes, you find ways to cope. To dull the suffering the only way you know how.
But what happens when you’ve become so numb, when everything around you has become so blurred, that you begin to lose focus on the saving grace standing directly in front of you? When you’ve anesthetized yourself to the point of losing consciousness, forced to watch as his once solid image fades away, lost to your reach in the haze as it smothers you?
What do you do then?
You fight. You heal. Then you bring him back.
Well, my name is Cassie Cooper, and it’s time.
No more secrets.
This is my story.
***WARNING – The subject matter of this novel centers around the psychological effects due to sexual abuse experienced during childhood. For this reason, as well as sexual situations, language, and adult themes, suggested reading age is 17+.***
Only twenty-three years old, and I’m so goddamn tired.
I used to be so much stronger. I somehow kept the voices at bay, the memories locked away safely, contained within the confines of my mind. But with each passing day, I feel the glow of my once-luminous strength fading. Darkness encases me now, bowing the walls of protection I put into place years ago. My past is an ever-present nightmare, repeatedly tapping, slowly fracturing the window of my sanity.
I have no doubt that it’s only a matter of time before the glass finally breaks. Blackness will eventually seep through its cracks and deliver me from the safety of my façade into a reality that will destroy me.
My reality.
I’ve done my part. I’ve kept the secrets thrust upon me with dedicated believability. My portrayal of who I am has become a blurred, hazy version of the once very distinct Cassie Cooper.
I read an ungodly amount of trashy romance novels.
I’m the overtly sexual and foul-mouthed friend who will say anything to get a laugh.
And I have exactly zero fucks to give to what anyone else thinks about my actions.
But the reality, the actuality, is this:
I read obsessively to escape my own world. To live the dreams of others when, for so long, the reoccurrence of my nightmares has been my reality. I read to fall in love and find a happily ever after, even if it is purely imagined. With each story I read, I’m able to live and love vicariously through the characters in my books. It’s the only plausible way for me to survive.
I threw away my virginity at the age of thirteen just to prove something. And when I found that proof, that vindication I was looking for, I sought it every chance I could. Sex is about control for me. Nothing more. The act will never be about making love, like it is for the heroines in my books. I will never be granted the beauty of that gift.
I use humor as a form of avoidance. I draw upon laughter to block the pain. And I smile to mask the agony of the eight-year-old soul who weeps within me.
And the fucks . . . well, that’s not entirely accurate either.
I have given two to be exact: One to my best friend of seventeen years. She knows nothing of my past, and although she so willingly disclosed the horrors of hers, mine remains hidden for no other reason than to avoid the pity she would undoubtedly cast my way if I were to ever tell her. I don’t want her pity. I would sooner die than have her look at me in any other way than with pride.
The other died with the person to whom it was given. Anthony “Rat” Marchione. He was my one allowance of naïveté. The one person I actually wanted to touch me, to hold me, to love me. He was going to rescue me from my brokenness as though I were a character in one of my books. Young and senseless, I thought he was to be my eventual happily ever after, but tragically, he was murdered five years ago.
Black coldness waits in vain to leech the void where his once beautiful existence filled the pieces of my irrevocably shattered heart. Where he temporarily healed the hurt of the innocent child and quieted the voices that tormented her.
He’s gone now. I’ve accepted that. And in turn, I have relinquished all dreams associated with finding the light at the end of this miserable tunnel.
I will keep trudging through this life . . . this sentence handed to me for someone else’s crime, my payment shackled by secrets and weighted with lies. I will continue to do so with the same fraudulent smile on my lips and play the part of the strong heroine so convincingly, that even I believe it.
It’s only a matter of time before my fictional strength wears out—when I’m no longer hidden safely inside my protective blur—and I have to face the very real and lucid image of my past.
But until that time comes, I’ll do all I can do.
All I have ever done.
I will pretend.
Michel’s Review
I was quite surprised when L. B. Simmons announced the upcoming release of Out of Focus. After reading Under The Influence, I was under the impression it was a stand alone novel. Cassie Cooper was Spencer’s crazy BFF. She was wild, loose, and free spirited. The perfect supporting character in Spencer’s story. I never thought twice about her. But like most people, Cassie has a story. Her story is dark and unexpected.
Cassie has always had a secret to hide. A secret that has tormented her since she was a young girl. A secret that has molded her into the woman she is today. Most people look at Cassie as the life of the party. An easy lay. And she is all that but beneath the surface is a very frightened little girl that can’t face herself in the mirror.
When she joins Spencer in a Krav Maga self defense class, it ends up opening the door for her self awareness. Grady Bennett, the sexy instructor, sees beyond Cassie’s facade. He sees the little girl hiding behind the harlot. His main goal is to make Cassie smile for herself not for others. He wants her to see the dynamic woman she is beneath the facade. He wants that little girl that got imprisoned in Cassie’s mind to be set free.
Cassie has a hard road ahead of her. She wants to have a relationship with Grady but before she can do that she has to learn how to fall and let someone catch her. She has to learn to love the image she sees in the mirror. She has to let go of the past and run towards the future. She needs to be whole.
Cassie’s story is heartbreaking. She experienced horrific abuse as a child. The kind of abuse that no one ever really walks away from. With the support of Grady, she may be able to face her demons. But first she has to be ready to open the door and let them out.
L. B. Simmons wrote an emotional story about a very damaged women. It’s not pretty and it’s not an easy fix. She allowed Cassie to reach rock bottom before she could climb back up. Along the way she was lucky enough to find the kind of love that will always be there for her.
I highly recommend reading Out of Focus by L. B. Simmons
________________________________________________
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and
holds a degree in Biomedical Science.
She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three
daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
Prologue Kenzi one day old, Toren fifteen years old…“We want you to be her Godfather,” Asher says as he gently lays his newborn baby into my arms. I have to tear my gaze away from her incredible green eyes to look up at him from the chair I’m cradling the baby in.
“Me?” I glance quickly over at Ember in the hospital bed, who beams back at me with a tired, yet genuine smile.
“Yes, you,” they both say at the same time. “If it wasn’t for you, we probably never would have met,” Ember adds, grabbing Asher’s hand. “And we wouldn’t have this beautiful little baby. We know you’ll always protect her.”
“That’s right, man. You’re Uncle Tor now.”
I’m an uncle. And my two best friends are parents. And we’re all fuckin’ under sixteen.
But Kenzi Allyster Valentine would change us all forever. She needed us.
“Wow. I’m honored, guys. No doubt, I’ll always be here for her.”
I kick back the pang that hits my stomach. I didn’t get the girl…but I got something I never expected. A gift in the form of a little tiny hand wrapped tightly around my finger, huge eyes like jade gems staring up into mine like I was the most amazing person in the friggen’ world, and the first glimpse of a heart-stopping smile.
That was it.
She owned me.
My niece.
My god-daughter.
The love of my life.
Author Bio
I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find, and sometimes lose, the loves of their lives.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
The explosive Sugar Bowl series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett continues in Sugar Rush: a red-hot novel of reckless desire and vengeance long denied.
Sela Halstead lost her innocence in a way that no sixteen-year-old should ever have to endure. She’s spent years trying to forget that night even while wondering about the identities of the monsters who brutalized her—until a telltale tattoo flashes across Sela’s TV screen. The incriminating ink belongs to Jonathon Townsend, the millionaire founder of The Sugar Bowl, a website that matches rich older men with impressionable young women. Obsessed with revenge, Sela infiltrates Townsend’s world, only to come face-to-face with a tantalizing complication: Beckett North, his charismatic business partner.
The tech mastermind behind The Sugar Bowl, Beck always gets what he wants, in business and in bed. And yet, for a man who’s done every dirty thing imaginable, there’s something about the naïve, fresh-faced Sela that sparks his hottest fantasies. Because with her, it’s not just about sex. Beck opens up to her in ways he never has with other girls. So why does he get the feeling that she’s hiding something? In a world of pleasure and power, the shocking truth could turn them against each other—or bind them forever.
Note: Sugar Daddy ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story continues in Sugar Rush and Sugar Free!
_________________________________________
About the Author
USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
Happily Ever After isn’t a destination.
It’s a journey.
The FINAL book in the emotional USA Today bestselling Forever series.
CORABELLE
Most days, I’m fine. I’m married to a hunk. Seriously. He rides a motorcycle, works in a garage, then studies for college on the side. And makes my toes curl, well, you know how.
But a long time ago, when we were young, something really bad happened to us. Bad enough to break us up.
I thought marriage would make things right. And it’s been happy. But something’s missing. The one thing we always wanted, but lost.
And my best friend just got it.
JENNY
I know everybody envies my life. I’m a little wild. I hang with celebrities. I got married in the back of an ambulance by a rock star. And the baby girl who arrived at the end of that lights-and-siren ride is definitely a bundle of joy.
But my life isn’t as easy as it looks. With my husband about to hit big with his first album, and every two-bit floozy in the music industry hanging on him, I really need my best friends. I can’t get through this without them.
TINA
There is entirely too much misery in the world to manage the sparkly pink explosion that is Jenny and her baby. I’ve got so much on my hands already with my art mentor so close to the end. And Darion expecting our wedding to actually, well…happen.
I know the stories tell you that happily ever after is what comes when he pops the question and you say yes.
But life is really messy. And sometimes your horse-drawn pumpkin takes off at full gallop for a cliff.
That’s where I am. And that’s why I had to leave. Because before I can get to the big finish, I have something else I have to do. A bit of business I should have taken care of long ago, but I was only a teenager then.
I can only hope that by the time I get it done, I haven’t lost everyone I care about. Because when you’ve spent your whole life running, you forget that what really matters is your family.
FOREVER FAMILY can be read as a standalone novel, although it is best after learning the history of the girls in the other four books of the Forever series.
Michel’s Review
Wow! Forever Family was an epic ending to the Forever Series. The Forever Series looks at real life with an honest view. Deanna Roy allowed all of the characters to take the next step in their journey to complete fulfillment. She allowed them to stumble along the way, face their fears, evolve into stronger people, and fully appreciate all the gifts in life.
Forever Family should not be read as a stand alone romance. This book picks up where the fourth book left off. Three couples are moving forward in very different ways. Through it all their friendship makes them family.
Without giving away too many spoilers, I will say that this book felt real. The emotions that each of these women experienced hit very close to home. How they dealt with their lives was admirable, frustrating, and at times heartbreaking. They each had to come full circle to find their happiness.
The birth of a baby.
The heartbreak of losing parental visitation rights.
The fear of being a mother.
The fear of never being a mother.
Financial Issues.
A funeral for a friend.
Two weddings.
Facing those they left behind.
The courage of letting go of the past.
The courage to move forward in life.
Accepting the gift of life.
Forever Family was a beautiful ending to an epic series.
The fist three standalone novels in the USA Today bestselling Forever series is available in one volume!
“One of my favorite love stories, ever.” — Brittany and Biana Blab Books
“A love you wish everyone could experience.” — Book Drunk Blog
BOOK 1: FOREVER INNOCENT
A Top 100 Book on Amazon
“Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again.”
Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.
Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.
When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.
BOOK 2: FOREVER LOVED
“Delivered with sensitivity, brutal honesty, emotional scenes, and an everlasting hope that love can conquer all.” — Hesperia Loves Books
“Did I cry? Oh yeah, but not for the same reasons as before. Will this book stay on my shelf for years to come! You betcha!” — 2 Bookaholics
After four long years of separation, Gavin has finally reunited with his childhood love Corabelle. She’s forgiven him for leaving her during the funeral of their seven-day-old baby.
But a message from Rosa, a prostitute he met during their time apart, brings his life to a crashing halt. She claims Gavin has fathered a son. He doesn’t know if he can trust Rosa, or if his delicate reconciliation with Corabelle can withstand the shock if it is true.
Corabelle believes their future together is the right thing despite their past. But when she learns of this other child, the one thing she lost long ago and might never have again with Gavin, Corabelle’s faith that her life will ever follow her old dream is shattered. To make things right for Gavin and his son, she just might have to let go of the only person she always believed would be her forever love.
BOOK 3: FOREVER SHELTERED
“Hooked me from Chapter 1.” — Fire and Ice Book Reviews
“Put this on your TBR list and bump it to the top.” — Eat Sleep Read Blog
Tina would rather sew up her girl parts with dental floss than go on a second date with a man. She’s been dumped enough to know not to get attached.
But when Dr. Darion Marks comes into her art therapy room to ask a favor for a special patient, Tina recognizes the haunted look he buries beneath his stoic professionalism. So rather than be forced to ditch the handsome doctor after a single night, she decides not to date him at all.
So how exactly DO they end up half-naked in Surgical Suite B?
Dr. Darion has a lot to hide. His baby sister is the only family he has left, and he’s not leaving her treatment to some incompetent hack.
But now he’s breaking every hospital rule imaginable. He lied about his sister so he can manage her care, and now he’s banging the art therapy teacher between patient rounds like a fraternity boy at a keg party.
Nobody believes this can end well, but Dr. Darion and Tina have one thing going for them – a fierce passion for each other that just might solve all their problems.
THREE COMPLETE FULL-LENGTH NOVELS.
Catch up on the series for one discounted price.
There will be five books in the series.
Book Four, FOREVER BOUND, is now available.
Forever Bound: A Not Yet Rock Star
Forever Series – Book 4
By Deanna Roy
Synopsis
Jenny is a girlfriend-for-hire, the platonic kind.
While under contract with her movie director boyfriend, glamour has ruled. Designer gowns. Red-carpet premieres. And, of course, seeing her face in the tabloids.
She loves tabloids.
But her reign has come to an end. Her sugar daddy has fallen in love — with someone else. Her contract is over and tonight she has to end it publicly by making sure the paparazzi “catches” her with another man.
She just has to find the man.
Chance has been hitchhiking across the US, playing and singing for tips. This is the life he’s always imagined, and the farther he gets from his disastrous family in Tennessee, the better he feels.
An unexpected invitation to sing with an indie blues group at a movie premiere party gives him a sweet taste of fame. As a bonus, a beautiful girl with pink dreadlocks only has eyes for him.
But the collision between Jenny and Chance is more emotional and intense than either of them expected. When the scandal hits the news, Chance’s family finds him, pushing him to come home and face his demons.
The night has even more consequences for Jenny. She needs to find Chance, but nobody knows anything about him, not even his last name.
Her journey takes her across the country and into the disaster Chance is running from. But she can’t give up on him, because what neither of them realized is that sometimes a single night can be the beginning of forever.
–Full length standalone HEA.
–Includes characters from Forever Innocent and Forever Sheltered and even *surprise* — singer Dylan Wolf from JJ Knight’s Revenge and Blue Shoes series.
–May require tissues.
Happily Ever After isn’t a destination.
It’s a journey.
The FINAL book in the emotional USA Today bestselling Forever series.
CORABELLE
Most days, I’m fine. I’m married to a hunk. Seriously. He rides a motorcycle, works in a garage, then studies for college on the side. And makes my toes curl, well, you know how.
But a long time ago, when we were young, something really bad happened to us. Bad enough to break us up.
I thought marriage would make things right. And it’s been happy. But something’s missing. The one thing we always wanted, but lost.
And my best friend just got it.
JENNY
I know everybody envies my life. I’m a little wild. I hang with celebrities. I got married in the back of an ambulance by a rock star. And the baby girl who arrived at the end of that lights-and-siren ride is definitely a bundle of joy.
But my life isn’t as easy as it looks. With my husband about to hit big with his first album, and every two-bit floozy in the music industry hanging on him, I really need my best friends. I can’t get through this without them.
TINA
There is entirely too much misery in the world to manage the sparkly pink explosion that is Jenny and her baby. I’ve got so much on my hands already with my art mentor so close to the end. And Darion expecting our wedding to actually, well…happen.
I know the stories tell you that happily ever after is what comes when he pops the question and you say yes.
But life is really messy. And sometimes your horse-drawn pumpkin takes off at full gallop for a cliff.
That’s where I am. And that’s why I had to leave. Because before I can get to the big finish, I have something else I have to do. A bit of business I should have taken care of long ago, but I was only a teenager then.
I can only hope that by the time I get it done, I haven’t lost everyone I care about. Because when you’ve spent your whole life running, you forget that what really matters is your family.
FOREVER FAMILY can be read as a standalone novel, although it is best after learning the history of the girls in the other four books of the Forever series.
___________________________________________
Author Bio:
Deanna Roy is the USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction.
She is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She has several books on the subject, including her bestseller FOREVER INNOCENT, a romance about a couple whose baby is taken off life support at seven days old.
She has run the website PregnancyLoss.Info for fifteen years, including many large spin-off support groups both online and in person.
Smooth. Sexy. Irresistible. Those qualities equal only one thing.Big. Freaking. Trouble.Brynne Calloway knows that anything that seems too good to be true usually is. Fenton Abbott and his cashmere voice, Adonis body, and a magnetism like no other clearly falls into that category. But what’s life without a little risk? It was supposed to be a rebound, an uncomplicated escape from reality. But nothing ever goes as planned. Fenton turns out to be so much more … in ways Brynne never sees coming.
The plane begins its ascent, the engines roaring to life. Fenton whips out a file from his briefcase and gives it a once-over. Again, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do and it’s killing me.I pull my Kindle out of my bag and try to become invested in a second-chance romance about a rock star, but it’s nearly impossible sitting next to him. Each time I become engrossed in the words, he moves and my senses are assaulted by his proximity. The third time this happens, I search the ebook for ‘cock’ and start reading a sex scene. I need some form of undoing and if that has to be done via fictional character, so be it.
The heroine is taking the hero into her mouth when a low rumble radiates beside me. Startled, I look up and see Fenton smirking.
“What?” I push the power button on my e-reader and place it on my lap. I realize the jet has leveled off and it’s quiet in the cabin. “What are you looking at me like that for?”
“Just wondering what you’re reading.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he says, his eyes darkening, “your entire posture changed. Your lips parted, your breathing became labored. I’m intrigued.”
“I don’t think you’d be interested in this.”
“Trust me—if it gets that kind of reaction out of you, I’m definitely interested.”
Dragging in a lungful of air, I remember Presley’s pep talk and decide I have nothing to lose.
I switch on the tablet and find the page. “She drew his cock into her mouth, stroking his shaft as she licked a pool of semen from the tip.” I glance over my shoulder and his eyes are wide. I wink. “A growl escaped his throat as she stroked his velvety length, running her tongue—”
“Enough.” He snatches the Kindle from my grasp and places it on his briefcase. “Fucking hell, Brynne. Do you want fucked right here?”
Tracey’s Review
“So have a little faith in the world, rudo. Have just a little faith that the current will take you wherever you’re supposed to go, that wherever it leads is where you’re supposed to be.”
Brynne Calloway is having a hard time believing that the Universe is not out to get her. The last year has been crazy, and not in a good way. So when her phone goes missing, she sees it as just one more thing, something else designed to make her lose her mind. But when Fenton Abbott (and some organic bananas) steps in to save the day, Brynne has no idea what she’s in for.
I’ll start by saying that I am a die-hard fan of Adriana Locke. Her books, always full of alpha men and the strong and sassy women that love them, never fail to win me over. I knew that WHEREVER IT LEADS would be great, because her reads always are, but I also knew to expect the ladies to own the spotlight here, which is a bit of a departure. Never one to let us down, Adriana has delivered a book that I just loved. Fenton is one heck of a hot, mysterious, and sexy man, but Brynne, along with best friend Presley, just steals the show. The two girls have an unbreakable bond, the sort of friendship that gets a girl through anything and makes the two stronger for having found each other. It’s so nice to see two female leads lifting each other up, no questions asked, yet being the voice of reason when the world gets a little crazy. And, I would argue, this relationship is just as important as the one between Brynne and Fenton, because, as events unfold, Brynne really needs her friend to be there for her, and Presley absolutely is.
Fenton, too, is different than any of Adriana’s other leading men. He’s got so much going on that is below the surface, and is sure that he’s not a forever kind of guy. He’s exactly what Brynne needs to take her mind off of the uncertainty that’s been her focus for the last year, and, in turn, to receive the emotion that he’s closed himself off from. His commitment to Brynne, and what’s important to her, is nothing short of swoon-worthy. Watching the relationship between the two of them evolve is sweet and uplifting.
“I just…I can’t wait to be your forever.”
“You already are.”
The story in WHEREVER IT LEADS grabbed be from the first page, and I did not stop reading until the end. I just couldn’t, because the story, both the developing relationship between Brynne and Fenton, and the sub-plot involving Brynne’s brother, was so compelling that I had to see what happened. When a book engages me this way, it’s an easy 5 stars for me, and I would definitely recommend this one. Add it to your TBR and enjoy.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
Author Bio
USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.
LIMITED TIME OFFER: This Box Set will be on sale for $0.99 cents on February 19th, it will go back up to regular price of $4.99 on the 20th. This Box Set will be discontinued as of February 29th you will NOT be able to order this set at all together. Grab your copy today and enjoy the bonus book too!
X: The Hard Knocks Complete Story SURPRISE BOX SET:
Three Books, One Low Price of $0.99 for a limited time only from Michelle A. Valentine.
This edition contains: Phenomenal X, Xavier Cold and a bonus book: Naughty King!
Sale ends on February 20th. Box Set will be gone on February 29th!
Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.
From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and women lose their minds with desire.
Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.
One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.
*** Limited edition box set includes New York Times and USA Today Bestselling books, Phenomenal X and Xavier Cold. Bonus Book to a new series included: Naughty King (A Sexy Manhattan Fairytale: Part One)***
“This book goes straight into the favorite list and will be re-read during the wait for the next part of Xavier and Anna’s story.” Kim, Alphas Authors and Books Oh My!
“This book has it all, romance, action, suspense, and angst. I never could have predicted the ending and I think that was what was needed though. The kind of relationship that X and Anna have couldn’t be finished in one book without it feeling rushed. I am now eagerly waiting for book 2.” Heather, A Book Whores Obsession
“Phenomenal X is Michelle’s best work to date. She gives us a headstrong feisty heroine; a broken yet lovable alpha male, and a tension filled love story that will have you fanning yourself from the moment Anna first lays eyes on Xavier. Phenomenal X will have you rooting for this couple and begging for more.” Holly, Holly’s Red Hot Reviews
“This book was a perfect blend of romance and action that I would recommend to anyone who loves a very dominant man with that softer side that makes you fall in love with them.” Tasmin, Loves Books, Loves Romance
“This book was fantastic! The plot was well written, the characters were lovable, the villains made you want to throat punch somebody and the romance was off the charts!!” Reanell, Book Babes Unite
“I have been a fan of Michelle Valentine since I first started reading her rock star “Black Falcon” series, and now a fan of her Hard Knock series. She has drawn me into the world of Xavier and Anna, and I don’t want to leave.” Janeane, BJ’s Book Blog
“This book had me enthralled the entire time. I cried at the halfway mark when she wrote Xavier’s past from his POV. My heart was breaking for him every time she took us back to his past. I wanted to reach into my Kindle and hug him. I love Anna; she is strong, territorial and a truly lovely female lead. I was cheering for her and Xavier the entire time. This book has some amazing moments.” Jen, Winding Stairs Book Blog
Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.
We are very excited to bring to you the next cover in the Beneath Series from Meghan March. BENEATH THESE LIES will release on March 15. This book will keep the twists and turns going until the very last page.
Look, but don’t touch…she might as well wear a neon sign that says it. It just makes me want her more.
She might be above me in every way, but I still want her under me.
I’ve got no business touching her rich-girl skin, but that won’t stop me from stealing a taste. Because rules were meant to be broken—especially when the prize is so fine.
In a world where nothing is at it seems, what’s buried beneath these lies?
Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.
From the New York Times bestselling author of such “racy, sizzling Stark novels” (RT Book Reviews) as Release Me and Say My Name comes a Stark International Novel featuring provocative bad boy Dallas Sykes—the first in a new trilogy in the S.I.N. series.
It was wrong for us to be together, but it was even harder to be apart.
The memory of Dallas Sykes burns inside of me.
Everyone knows him as a notorious playboy, a man for whom women and money are no object. But to me, he’s still the one man I desperately crave—yet the one I can never have.
Dallas knows me better than anyone else. We bear the same scars, the same darkness in our past. I thought I could move on by staying away, but now that we’re drawn together once more, I can’t fight the force of our attraction or the temptation to make him mine.
We’ve tried to maintain control, not letting ourselves give in to desire. And for so long we’ve told ourselves no—but now it’s finally time to say yes.
Dirtiest Secret is intended for mature audiences.
******
J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).
Meet Tucker McCoy… Deployed 6 Years on a top secret mission… 6 Years away from his family… 6 Years of Waiting… Only to come home and find out he was dead.
His wife and daughter have disappeared without a trace.
He’s not wasting any more time… it’s time to find his family and bring them home.
Tucker McCoy thought the hardest mission of his life was over. After being deployed for six years, all he wanted to do was return home to his wife and daughter. But when he arrives home with roses in his hand, the last thing he expects is to be welcomed by a stranger. Being presumed dead for six years doesn’t help his cause as no one is giving him the answers he needs.
Now his mission is to find out where his family is and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to bring them home, even if that means bringing down the people involved.
Penelope McCoy has a secret and one she’s willing to keep until she can find someone to trust. In order to do that, she and her daughter must hide, change their identities and forget about their previous life.
For six years she’s been running and she soon realizes that time is catching up with her. Now she has to decide whether to run again or face the ghosts of her past head on.
The Series that started it all… The Archer Brothers
Here With Me – Book 1
Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in action, Ryley can barely survive… until Evan’s twin brother, Nate, helps her pick up the pieces.
After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan Archer returns home to find the unthinkable – the love of his life, Ryley Clarke – engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks of as his rival.
Evan and Nate Archer: Brothers, best friends, warriors and now enemies. Both in love with the same woman. Both determined to fight for what they want.
Nate Archer promised to protect Ryley Clarke in the event Evan didn’t make it back. It’s a promise between brothers since the early days of basic training. Nate never considered that his feelings, long buried since high school, would resurface and grow stronger.
Evan Archer wants answers. He wants someone to pay. After being gone for an unprecedented amount of time, nothing is making sense now that he’s home. Most of all, he can’t understand how his brother ended up engaged to his fiancée. Evan is determined to uncover the mystery, and win back his family.
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, two Parakeets, Gonzo & Hedwig, and their newest addition of a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, Jill.
During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she’s writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.
*** Upper New Adult Spinoff Standalone to the USA Today Bestselling Novel, Under the Influence***
X: Hard Knocks Complete Series
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00065]](https://i0.wp.com/www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BeneathTheseLies-2-2-1024x773.jpg)
Look, but don’t touch…she might as well wear a neon sign that says it. It just makes me want her more.
Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at 
Here With Me – Book 1
Choose Me – Book 2
Saucy Southern Readers 