Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Someday Somehow by Claudia Burgoa

Posted on 10/03/2019 by shellbellereads

Title: Someday, Somehow

Author: Claudia Burgoa

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: October 3, 2019

Blurb

Men and women can be friends.

At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself since George walked into my life.

We bicker as much as we have each other’s backs.

We’re inseparable.

So, she left to find herself and I feel like I can’t breathe without her.

It’s okay, it’s only temporary.

But when she walks back into my life, it’s on the arm of a stranger.

Her fiancé.

Seriously, I just realized I’m in love with her and she’s engaged?I have six weeks to convince George we’re meant to be together—not only in the
kitchen or be forced to watch her marry another man.

Time is running out, and soon, she’ll be gone from my life.

I’m risking everything, will that be enough?

Someday, Somehow is a sexy romantic comedy that’s
equal parts funny and flirty.

Made of Honor clashes with When Harry Met Sally in a
sweet and seductive love story of hopeful hearts and second chances.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

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Free in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

EXCERPT

“A junior invited me,” Megan said excitedly. “It might be the party of the year.”

Party?

It looks like Union Square during New Year’s Eve.

What is everyone waiting for?

This party wasn’t worth the three-mile walk from our dorm to here.

The cheap alcohol tops it all. I didn’t get drunk with the first sip of a screwdriver; I got a massive headache. This isn’t for me. The circle of girls gossiping about everything as they wait to be swooped by some guy—not my scene.

Haven’t we done this for the past twelve hours? Chat about nonsense. This is why I don’t have many friends. I was too busy with my extracurricular activities that I skipped socializing 101. Give me a good book to read. A movie to watch or a marathon on TBS or Nick at Nite to keep me up all night. I suggest we leave, and what does roommate-dearest say in response? “I’ll find you a place to crash.”

The bedroom is dark but clean. I grab a sweatshirt and even a bear I find on the floor. It only takes a few seconds for me to fall asleep. It is quiet, smells of sandalwood and pine, and the sheets are soft.

I miss home.

Everything is going well until the guy from the coffee shop wakes me up. I swear it feels like a dream. A nightmare. But after we talk, I realize he’s not as bad as I thought. He’s one of the good guys but likes to pretend he’s anything but.

His food…who knew eggs could taste this great? In exchange for yet another plate, I could offer to fix the light fixtures. This place is off code.

And there I go, thinking like my father. Instead of teaching me construction, he should’ve taught me how to socialize. I wish my aunts had been around more often during my teenage years. I’d be a little cooler, or at least I’d know how to make friends easily.

Auggie takes the empty plate from my hands and offers me some milk. I nod, that sounds better than whatever they’re serving upstairs.

“It must be hard moving away from all your friends and family,” he says.

I shrug and smile. I don’t make friends easily. Well, actually, I don’t make friends at all. Dad and I have always been on the run. Running to school, running to a construction site, running to tae kwon do, running to the grocery store…

There’s never time to exchange more than a greeting and a weak how are you before I have to go again.

During my spare time I help Dad around the house or at work. If I do the latter, it pays for my knickknacks, and I get to spend time with him.

“It’s just Dad and me,” I remind him.

“Any other family?”

“Mom’s family faded away after she died. Dad’s sisters stepped up, but now they have their own families, so during my teenage years it was just the two of us.” I drink some of the milk he poured me.

“Grandparents?”

“How about you?” I fire back without answering his question. And study him.

He’s not as bad as I thought earlier. In fact, he’s very nice. And good looking. Tall, mussed-up, dark hair, hazel eyes. Black t-shirt hugging his lean and defined muscles. There’s a playful tug at the corner of his mouth, and I see a dimple forming on the left side of his cheek.

He turns me on, but he’s he and well, I’m me.

Michel’s Review

Claudia Burgoa has fallen under a special magical star that has transformed her already excellent writing talent to a whole new level. Her last few books have been romantic perfection.

***

I absolutely loved Someday Somehow because I could easily identify with both Georgie and Auggie on some many levels. We all have that special friend that means more than words could describe. This special kind of friendship is a safety zone where anything can be said or done without judgement and complete support.

***

Auggie and Georgie met in college and decided they needed a best friend rather than a one night stand or coed fling. This friendship survived attempted dating endeavors, the pressures of academic success, the floundering of finding the right kind of career that will fit for years, family expectations, and dreams for the future. The one thing they took for granted was each other until it was almost too late. They both realized their love for one another at the wrong times and neither knew how to express the real feelings in their heart. It will take a sabbatical in Europe, an abrupt career change, a creative culinary challenge, and complete focus before they find their happily ever after.

***

Claudia Burgoa captured the perfect friendship floundering to find true love. She brought her characters, both Georgia and Auggie to life through their passions in cooking. They expressed themselves by creating the perfect dish for every emotional moment. Love is hard enough to express with words but even harder when it could ruin the perfect friendship. They both had to recognize their own personal weakness and learn to deal with them by themselves. They had to fix themselves first.

***

Claudia Burgoa created my favorite kind of romance with friendship to lovers theme. I loved every aspect of Someday Somehow.

____________________________________

Author Bio

7202946

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Colorado, working for a small IT. She has three children and manages a chaotic household of two confused dogs, and a wonderful husband who shares her love of all things geek. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Park Avenue Player by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

Posted on 09/23/2019 by shellbellereads

Park Avenue Player

Release date September 23, 2019

A Standalone Contemporary Romance

New York Times Bestselling Authors Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Buy: Amazon / Amazon Print / Audio

*****

BLURB

It started out like any normal day.

Then the fender bender happened.

The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.

Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.

Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident.

Whoops!

Yeah, so I didn’t get the position.

The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids.

So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance.

To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece.

At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed.

But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.)

We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened.

This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right?

Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs.

Ours was one I didn’t see coming.

PURCHASE LINKS:

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Audio ➜ https://adbl.co/2KGXyx

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***

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live! ➜ https://www.subscribepage.com/2FreeBooks

***

Excerpt

By Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

“Would you like something to drink, Hollis?”

“No, thank you.”

He looked completely uncomfortable standing in my kitchen, so of course, I needed to make it worse. I tilted my head. “Did you touch any?”

“What?”

“My panties. Did you touch any while you were in the bathroom?”

He tugged at the collar of his polo and looked down the hall. “Where did she go? We need to get back on the road.”

Oh my God!

I’d been kidding around. But…holy shit…he had! I covered my mouth and cracked up. “You did, didn’t you! You perv!”

Hollis walked down the hall. “Hailey…let’s get going.”

I couldn’t get the smile off my face. Something about the thought of Hollis touching my underwear amused the hell out of me. I wished Hailey wasn’t around so I could ask him if he’d smelled them, too. That thought actually made me snort.

Hollis came back to the kitchen. His face was stern. “We’ll see you on Monday.”

I walked them to the door. Hailey surprised me with a hug. “Your art stuff is awesome.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

I grinned at Hollis, who was impatiently holding the door open for his niece. “Your uncle thinks my stuff is awesome, too.”

Park Avenue Player is the latest release by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland. This dynamic writing team is known for their sexy, sassy, snarky, sizzling hot romance novels. It all began with a sexy Aussie and a fainting goat and has evolved from road tripping to the busy streets of NYC with the Park Avenue Player. They have kept their readers enchanted with their ultra sexy hero’s, sassy leading ladies, and unusual lovable pets.

Hollis LaCroix and Elodie Atlier started off on the wrong foot, or should I say with a fender bender. They were both late for an appointment. The appointment just happened to be with one another. Elodie was interviewing to become the nanny for his eleven year old niece who was quickly entering the TWEEN era. Hollis needs someone who can handle a rebellious tween and sensitive girl. He needs someone who is stable and dependable. His first impression of Elodie is not good and he thinks she’s a bit quirky until he sees her interacting with his impressionable niece.

What begins as a “Nanny” + “Employer” romance evolves into something else entirely.

Park Avenue Player is an emotional story about family, friendship, love, heartache, and every aspect of life. Hollis is an exceptional human beneath his polished surface. Elodie is more than a quirky woman, she is dependable in the most important way. Hollis and Hailey can count on her to be there for them through thick and thin. Together the three of them will find their ” happy” in life. Add a magnificent bird named Huey that Baaas after he meets a certain goat at the vets office and some very endearing friends and Park Avenue Player becomes more than just a typical romance. It becomes an extraordinary story of life and love.

I highly recommend reading Park Avenue Player by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland. It is their best novel to date!

______________________________________

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

PENELOPE WARD:

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/penelopewardauthor

Facebook Private Fan Group:

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Instagram

@penelopewardauthor

http://instagram.com/PenelopeWardAuthor/

Twitter

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VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Facebook Fan Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViKeelandFanGroup/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/vi.keeland

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Website

http://www.vikeeland.com

Twitter

@vikeeland

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Instagram

@Vi_Keeland

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Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6887119.Vi_Keeland

*****

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD AND VI KEELAND:

Hate Notes:

Amazon: https://fave.co/2WO8WtG
Amazon UK: https://fave.co/2RocfGN
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THE RUSH DUET:

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Cocky Bastard:

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Stuck-Up Suit:

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Playboy Pilot:

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British Bedmate:

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OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD:

The Day He Came Back:

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When August Ends:

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Love Online:

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Other Books From Vi

All Grown Up:

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We Shouldn’t

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The Naked Truth

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Sex, Not Love

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Beautiful Mistake

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Egomaniac

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Bossman

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The Baller

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Life on Stage series (2 Standalone Books)

Throb

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Beat

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Worth the Fight

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Worth It All (Complete Fighter Series)

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Belong to You

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Made for You

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Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

By:Vi Keeland & Dylan Scott

Amazon: https://fave.co/2VU2gyI

Latest Release + Giveaway + 5 Star Review: Chasing Fireflies by Claudia Burgoa

Posted on 09/19/2019 by shellbellereads

Chasing Fireflies
Claudia Y. Burgoa
Publication date: September 9th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa brings you an emotional and inspirational story that will tug on your heartstrings.

The first time I met Oliver Tanner he was five years old.

I was four.

That day he was entrusted to my keep.

He was as large and loud as a church mouse.

That day I taught him how fireflies were magic with the persistence of a person.

That’s what I loved about them.

No matter how far they strayed,

they remembered where they came from and who their family was.

After high school, he joined the army and left Knox Ridge.

Years later, the town had changed.

My dreams were shattered.

We had nothing left.

I had forgotten all about the magic of the fireflies.

Until he came back to town.

Everything about him was comforting.

He brought some light to my darkness,

But I knew the light could only last for so long.

Fireflies only stay for the summer.

He had outgrown our small town.

It was time for me to stop chasing fireflies.

Don’t miss out on this stunning, second-chance friends to lovers romance.

This full-length novel was originally published in the Cards of Love collection as a novella. It has been revised with additional scenes.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I decide to bring up Ollie, preferring to deal with that than the topic of my sister.

“Did you hear that Oliver Tanner is back in town?”

She squints. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Josey Tanner’s son,” I say, unamused by her attitude.

Paige wrinkles her nose. “Little Ollie AWOL? Showing his face back here? That idiot?”

I hate when she refers to him as that. I hold back a frustrated groan. I don’t need more reminders of how he left me here—embarrassed and heartbroken.

It’s not like they were friends or anything, I think sarcastically. Then again, she’s always the first person to remind me that he broke my heart—twice.

“Yeah, that one,” I say dryly, regretting the subject. “He’s staying at the old Tanner place while he decides what to do with his life.”

“He’s going to f*** up my hydrangeas, isn’t he?” Paige says.

“So not the point,” I say.

“Is he as hot as I remember him?” she asks.

I smirk. Oliver is good looking. He has tousled brown hair, which is thick and lustrous. His eyes are a mesmerizingly deep brown, and flecks of amber light dance throughout them. Like fireflies. His face is strong and well defined. His features look like they were molded from granite. He has thick eyebrows, which slopes downward in a severe expression.

My stomach does a few flips as I remember his playful smile. My body shivers, remembering the tingles that his strong hands created when they touched me. They were rough but warm. And when those beefy arms wrapped around my body, it felt perfect.

His body was toned and inviting as he hugged me. Everything about him was comforting. His voice was deep and rich. We saw each other a couple of days ago, but I’m still thinking about him.

Michel’s Review

Chasing Fireflies by Claudia Burgoa is one of my favorite books she has written. This coming of age romance spans over twenty years of family, friends, life, and love. It captures the complete untainted innocent hearts of children to the jaded, weary hearts after life has reared it’s ugly side. Through it all the the strength of family and friendship is the glue that holds Kaitlyn Blythe and Oliver Tanner together. Their story begins at the precious age of four and five, when popsicles on lazy summer days and chasing fireflies are the most important things to do in Knox Ridge, GA.

Small towns like Knox Ridge hold more than southern charm, they hold a history of generations of families and friends sharing their lives with one another. These towns hold their secrets close to heart but share their generous souls with generations. Knox Ridge is the heartbeat for generations of Blythes and Tanners.

Kaitlynn and Ollie have known each other all of their lives. They became friends when Ollie’s mother moved in next door to the Blythe family home. The moment they met they were destined to share their lives. From the childhood innocence to the angsty teenagers, both Kaitlynn and Ollie grew up depending on one another until Kaitlynn’s sister stepped in and changed it all. It sent them both in directions in life, away from Knox Ridge. It will take years for them both to find their way home and back to one another. Good things are worth waiting for and the magic in chasing fireflies is still there. Kaitlynn and Ollie both need that special magic to soother their weary souls. They need each other.

Without saying too much more about the content of the book I will say that this book was alsolutely magical. Ollie and Kaitlynn came to life and jumped off the pages. Their magical fireflies illuminated their story and made their lives special.

“Fireflies knew how to call each other back home”

Read Chasing Fireflies by Claudia Burgoa!

________________________________________

Author Bio:

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Colorado, working for a small IT. She has three children and manages a chaotic household of two confused dogs, and a wonderful husband who shares her love of all things geek. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Release & 5+ Star Review… 2019 Favorite: Where The Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan

Posted on 09/16/2019 by shellbellereads

Where The Blame Lies

By Mia Sheridan

Buy:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2LyWX0Z
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2miICvr
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2kAnEaU
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2lUm7fO
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/2kMtkOP
Paperback: https://amzn.to/31iMEmW

*****

Blurb:

Abducted.
Terrorized.
Imprisoned.

At nineteen-years-old, college student Josie Stratton was kidnapped by a madman and held shackled for ten months in an abandoned warehouse before she finally escaped her hellish prison.

Eight years later, when the body of a young woman is found chained in the basement of a vacant house, Cincinnati Police Detective Zach Copeland is instantly reminded of the crime committed against Josie Stratton. Zach was just a rookie on the perimeter of that case, but he’s never forgotten the traumatized woman with the haunted eyes.

As more information emerges, the crimes take on an even more sinister similarity. But Josie’s attacker died by suicide. Does the city have a copycat on its hands? A killer who picked up where the original perpetrator left off? Or are they facing something far more insidious?

Josie has spent the last eight years attempting to get her life back on track, but now there’s a very real chance she could be the unknown suspect’s next target. As Zach vows to keep her safe, and Josie finds herself responding to him in a way she hasn’t responded to any man in almost a decade, the investigation takes on an even more complex edge of danger.

As past and present collide, Josie and Zach are thrust toward a shocking and chilling truth. A revelation that threatens not only Josie’s life, but everything she’s been fighting so desperately to reclaim.

Michel’s Review

*** 2019 Favorite ***

Mia Sheridan’s latest release, Where The Blame Lies, is by far one of her best books she has written. That is saying a lot because this woman can write a book. In this particular book she stepped out of her comfort zone with contemporary romance and wrote a Romantic Suspense / Thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. I read this book in one sitting and was glued to the pages. She kept the readers guessing and when she gave the big revelation of who it was, there were still so many questions as to the why’s and motive. Mia was meticulous with the plot, the timing, the characters, and the revelations. Everything gelled perfectly in this book. What I liked most is the strength of survival and the will to move beyond being a victim. Mia gave Josie power even though she was broken.

I am not going to say anything more because this is a book each reader needs to experience for themselves. It is a page turner!

Read Where The Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan!

________________________________________

About Mia Sheridan:

Mia Sheridan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Her passion is weaving true love stories about people destined to be together. Mia lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband. They have four children here on earth and one in heaven. Mia can be found online at http://www.miasheridan.com or http://www.facebook.com/miasheridanauthor.

New Release + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: If It’s Only Love by Lexi Ryan – The Boys of Jackson Harbor Series – Book 6

Posted on 09/13/2019 by shellbellereads

It’s time for Shay’s story. Find out what secrets she’s been keeping from her family in this final book in The Boys of Jackson Harbor series.

If It’s Only Love, a sexy new standalone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan is LIVE!

It’s Only Love

The Boys of Jackson Harbor – Book 6

Buy: Amazon / B & N / Kobo / Apple / Google Play / Amazon Worldwide

******

Meet single dad Easton Connor as he leaves the NFL and returns to Jackson Harbor to fight for another chance with the love of his life.

***

I don’t regret much.

Not my decision to enter the NFL draft before finishing college.

Not fighting custody of my daughter—even if, biologically speaking, it turns out she’s not mine.

And certainly not seducing my buddy’s little sister ten years ago.

But when it comes to Shayleigh Jackson, my no-regrets attitude stops there. I screwed up royally where she’s concerned. Then I made another mistake when I let her shut me out of her life.

Now after more than a decade living in different time zones, I’m coming home to Jackson Harbor. My first priority is getting my daughter away from the media circus in LA, but the moment I see Shay, I know I’ll stop at nothing to win her back.

So what if she won’t speak to me? So what if she’s changed? So what if she’s fallen for some douchebag professor? I’ve never gotten over her and I know she feels the same about me. I’ve let her go twice. I won’t make that mistake again.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/ITOLLRAMZ

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/IfItsOnlyLoveLR

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRAB

Nook: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRK

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2NCcWfZ

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRGR

Excerpt

“We need to figure this out.”

She spins back to me, her eyes blazing. “Do it yourself.”

I huff out a laugh and prowl toward her. “What did you say?”

Those defiant eyes brim with tears and her bottom lip trembles. “I said do it yourself. I have nothing to say, but you’re the one so determined that we have this conversation.”

I come closer. She backs against the wall, and I keep coming until there are only inches between us. “That’s real mature, Shay.” I cup her jaw and stroke her bottom lip with my thumb as I study her face. “This is what you want?” I dip my head and bring my mouth a breath from hers. “You want me to corner you and make you talk? Maybe I need to remind you how good we are together.” I cock my head to the side, touching the bridge of my nose to hers. “You try to keep hating me, but you lose your grip on it when I get close, so I wonder what would happen if I got closer.”

Her breath is sweet against my lips, and she grabs my arms and curls her fingers into my biceps.

“Is that how it has to be, then? You want me to press you against this wall and kiss you until you can’t remember your name and can’t blame yourself for letting your guard down?”

Her pulse quickens beneath my fingers and her back bows as she arches into me. “We have nothing to talk about.”

“Bullshit. But maybe first you want me to track down that fucker you’re sleeping with—the one who you’re fine to let ‘see other people’? I could throw my weight around a little. He’d probably leave you alone just so he doesn’t have to deal with me.” I drag my nose along her cheek until my mouth is at her ear. “Then you wouldn’t have to tell him that you don’t want him. You wouldn’t ever have to admit that even after all these years, even after all the shit fate threw at us and all the mistakes I made, you still want me more than you’ll ever want him.”

She swallows, and when she draws in a breath, I think she’s going to deny it. But she doesn’t say a word. Her only response is sliding a hand up to cup the back of my neck. Fuck yes.

“I’m not going to do that for you.” It takes every drop of my will to force myself to step back. “I want you to talk to me. I want you to scream at me for every shitty decision I ever made. Then I want you to kiss me and tell me I get another chance. I want you to break it off with that douchebag completely and be with me, but I’m not going to do it for you.” I take another step toward the door. “You’re going to have to make the choice yourself.”

Michel’s Review

I have been waiting for Shayleigh Jackson to finally get her happily ever after reading all the books in the Boys of Jackson Harbor Series. Throughout the entire series each of her brothers has found their happily ever after. Readers have gotten to know the Jackson family and all their flaws. They have also gotten a taste of living in the small-town of Jackson Harbor, Michigan.

Shayleigh has been there for her family. She has been a rock for her brothers, a true friend to her new sister in laws, and the favorite auntie to her nieces in nephews. She has kept her private life under wraps by staying busy with her family and working on her doctorate degree thesis. She’s finally at the finish line, almost ready to defend her thesis. She’s ready to move up to the next level until her past comes blowing back in town.

Easton Connor has always been a part of the Jackson family. They became his second family while his single mother struggle to provide for them. He has always loved Shayleigh but knew her brothers would not approve of them being together. He broke her heart in high school when he left for the NFL. He shattered her heart in Paris while she was in college. He completely destroyed her hope when he married another woman and had a child. Their love story would never have a happily ever after when it never really had a real beginning.

Easton may be back in Jackson Harbor but Shayleigh isn’t going to let him derail her life again. She has worked too hard. She is involved in an easy relationship that does not interfere with her carefully laid plans. She just has to get her heart on board and Easton out of way until she can move onto the next steps in her carefully planned life.

Life has a way of changing carefully laid plans and derailing everything.

The heart wants what it wants. Easton wants Shayleigh and will do everything in his power to win her love once again. Shayleigh may be running from her feelings but Jackson is ready to catch her and keep her forever.

If It’s Only Love by Lexi Ryan is my favorite book in the Boys of Jackson Harbor series. Easton Connor was the perfect man for Shayleigh and could definitely knock her sexy brothers down a peg or two.

I loved this book!

____________________________________________

Meet Lexi:

Lexi Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles. Lexi is the 2018 winner of the Romance Writers of America® RITA® award for Best Long Contemporary Romance. She considers herself the luckiest girl around to make a living through storytelling. She loves spending time with her crazy kids, weightlifting, ice cream, swoony heroes, and vodka martinis.

Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and a spoiled dog. You can find her at her website: http://www.lexiryan.com

Connect with Lexi:

Website: http://www.lexiryan.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanFB

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/qymaH
Bookbub:http://bit.ly/LexiRyanBB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanIG
Twitter: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanTW
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanGR

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bIYjGa

New Release + Excerpt and 5 Star Review: All The Forbidden Things by Lesley Jones

Posted on 09/12/2019 by shellbellereads

🔥🔥 HOT NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

All the Forbidden Things by Lesley Jones is LIVE on Apple, Nook, and Kobo and will be exclusive to Amazon on September 12th! Purchase today!!

All The Forbidden Things

By Lesley Jones

Release Date: September 12, 2019

Pre-Order : Amazon

*****

BOOK BLURB:

When all that you want, is all that’s forbidden…

I’ve known him my entire life.

Before marriage.

Before fatherhood.

Before betrayal.

Now, he’s one of rock’s bad-boys trying to be good.

Trying to be the best father he can for his daughter.

He’s my brother’s best friend.

He’s my boss.

He has a wife.

Max isn’t mine to have, but I want him all the same.

And I haven’t survived all that I have to not go after what I want.

Her story is a tragedy, mine’s a publicity disaster.

Just when I needed her most, she walked back into my life, and the timing couldn’t be worse.

With a newborn baby, a divorce, an album to record, and a world tour to plan, I don’t need the distraction.

She’s off limits.

She’s my best friend’s little sister.

She’s my nanny.

Billie’s a golden drop of sexy sun on a grey autumn day, tempting me into the light and a life full of possibilities.

A life not meant for us.

Add to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/2YKvG2Q

PURCHASE LINKS

iBooks|Nook|Kobo: https://geni.us/ALLOTHER

Amazon: https://geni.us/ATFT

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/all-the-forbidden-things-by-lesley-jones

EXCERPT

It’s at that point I notice Billie climbing from the car. Although, if Mel hadn’t told me, I’d never have recognised the girl standing on my drive as Billie Wild.

She closes the car door and turns towards me.

Silence.

She stares down at her feet as she moves slowly along my driveway. When she reaches the front of the car, she looks up. The bluest of blue eyes meet mine, and she stops moving.

Deafening silence.

No birds singing.

No traffic sounds.

The silence is so loud it hurts my ears.

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

She takes a step towards me, and my hearing returns. The gravel crunches beneath her green biker boots, a pigeon coos, brakes screech, engines rev . . . a bomb could fucking drop, but nothing, not a single thing can divert my attention from Billie Wild as she moves towards me.

Michel’s Review

Lesley Jones is the queen when it comes to rockstar angst! She has a way of making a rock star larger than life while also showing his perfectly normal everyday side of life. He is an average Joe just trying to make a good life for those he loves. Her characters have a way of separating their stardom from their personal lives. And this is what makes her books so wonderful.

All The Forbidden Things is exactly that. A married man who is a new Father falling for a woman more than sixteen years younger who is his best friend and bandmate’s little sister. Only Lesley Jones could pull a book like this off and make it absolutely acceptable. It’s not about what’s forbidden in life but what is deserved… a life of love and happiness.

Max is struggling to take care of his new born daughter Layla. Layla is only four weeks old and it appears his wife Whitney doesn’t want to care for her. He’s shocked when Whitney announces that she is leaving him and Layla for another man. She’s walking away from her daughter. While he’s reeling from shock and sheer exhaustion, he’s also willing to do anything to protect his daughter. Thus begins his greatest love story, one that includes his baby girl.

Billie is Max’s best friend and bandmate’s younger sister. Her brother raised her after her parents were killed when she was a kid. She has known Max almost all of her life. She understands his fame as well as his need for privacy. She also is a professional nanny who loves children. Coming home to England not only brought her home to her family but also led her to Max and Layla. This will be the beginning of a love story worth fighting for!

Whitney hasn’t finished destroying Max’s life. She is only beginning. This time it isn’t going to be easy because Max is playing for keeps when it comes to his daughter. The battle is just beginning.

Life and love are never simple in a Lesley Jones novel. She has to wield her magical pen and create turmoil and strife. Her characters have to earn their happiness. They have to experience heartache, despair, anger, lust, passion, and hope before they can live happily-ever-after. The journey is worth it because not only do her characters win their love , the readers get to experience it through every word and magical moment. This is what makes a Lesley Jones novel fantastic.

I highly recommend reading All The Things Forbidden by Lesley Jones!

__________________________________________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lesley was born and raised in a small working-class town in Essex, just outside of East London. She’s married with three sons and in 2006 they all moved to the other side of the world, settling on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, about fifty kilometres outside of Melbourne, Australia.

Lesley is currently ‘a stay at home mum’, but in the past, she has worked at ‘good old Mark & Spencer’ for thirteen years and as a teacher’s assistant.As well as writing, Lesley loves to read and has been known to get through four or five books a week, when she’s not writing that is.

Her other interests are watching her boys play football… the round ball version. She’s happy to admit to being an addict of social media and owes a lot to her Facebook and Twitter family in promoting her book. Lesley is also rather partial to a glass or bottle of wine, a nicely chilled Marlborough Sav Blanc being her favourite.

Being a born and raised Essex girl, she will happily admit being a big fan of spray tans, manis, pedis, and is regularly, waxed, tinted and sculpted, although she doesn’t own a pair of white stilettos.

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook Reader Group: bit.ly/LJBOOKBAR

Facebook Page: bit.ly/LJFBPAGE

Website: www.lesleyjoneswrites.com

Newsletter signup: http://bit.ly/NLSIGNUP

Amazon: http://geni.us/lesleyjonesamazon

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lesley-jones

Goodreads Author Profile: http://bit.ly/2hAfiOv

Twitter @LesleyKJones : http://bit.ly/2DIBCwo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleyjoneswrites/

Pre- Release + Excerpt and 5 Star Review… All The Forbidden Things by Lesley Jones

Posted on 09/10/2019 by shellbellereads

🔥🔥 HOT NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

All the Forbidden Things by Lesley Jones is LIVE on Apple, Nook, and Kobo and will be exclusive to Amazon on September 12th! Purchase today!!

All The Forbidden Things

By Lesley Jones

Release Date: September 12, 2019

Pre-Order : Amazon

*****

BOOK BLURB:

When all that you want, is all that’s forbidden…

I’ve known him my entire life.

Before marriage.

Before fatherhood.

Before betrayal.

Now, he’s one of rock’s bad-boys trying to be good.

Trying to be the best father he can for his daughter.

He’s my brother’s best friend.

He’s my boss.

He has a wife.

Max isn’t mine to have, but I want him all the same.

And I haven’t survived all that I have to not go after what I want.

Her story is a tragedy, mine’s a publicity disaster.

Just when I needed her most, she walked back into my life, and the timing couldn’t be worse.

With a newborn baby, a divorce, an album to record, and a world tour to plan, I don’t need the distraction.

She’s off limits.

She’s my best friend’s little sister.

She’s my nanny.

Billie’s a golden drop of sexy sun on a grey autumn day, tempting me into the light and a life full of possibilities.

A life not meant for us.

Add to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/2YKvG2Q

PURCHASE LINKS

iBooks|Nook|Kobo: https://geni.us/ALLOTHER

Amazon: https://geni.us/ATFT

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/all-the-forbidden-things-by-lesley-jones

EXCERPT

It’s at that point I notice Billie climbing from the car. Although, if Mel hadn’t told me, I’d never have recognised the girl standing on my drive as Billie Wild.

She closes the car door and turns towards me.

Silence.

She stares down at her feet as she moves slowly along my driveway. When she reaches the front of the car, she looks up. The bluest of blue eyes meet mine, and she stops moving.

Deafening silence.

No birds singing.

No traffic sounds.

The silence is so loud it hurts my ears.

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

Michel’s Review

I highly recommend reading All The Things Forbidden by Lesley Jones!

__________________________________________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook Reader Group: bit.ly/LJBOOKBAR

Facebook Page: bit.ly/LJFBPAGE

Website: www.lesleyjoneswrites.com

Newsletter signup: http://bit.ly/NLSIGNUP

Amazon: http://geni.us/lesleyjonesamazon

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lesley-jones

Goodreads Author Profile: http://bit.ly/2hAfiOv

Twitter @LesleyKJones : http://bit.ly/2DIBCwo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleyjoneswrites/

Release Blitz & 5 Star Review: If It’s Only Love by Lexi Ryan – The Boys of Jackson Harbor Series – Book 6

Posted on 09/10/2019 by shellbellereads

It’s time for Shay’s story. Find out what secrets she’s been keeping from her family in this final book in The Boys of Jackson Harbor series.

If It’s Only Love, a sexy new standalone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan is LIVE!

It’s Only Love

The Boys of Jackson Harbor – Book 6

Buy: Amazon / B & N / Kobo / Apple / Google Play / Amazon Worldwide

******

Meet single dad Easton Connor as he leaves the NFL and returns to Jackson Harbor to fight for another chance with the love of his life.

***

I don’t regret much.

Not my decision to enter the NFL draft before finishing college.

Not fighting custody of my daughter—even if, biologically speaking, it turns out she’s not mine.

And certainly not seducing my buddy’s little sister ten years ago.

But when it comes to Shayleigh Jackson, my no-regrets attitude stops there. I screwed up royally where she’s concerned. Then I made another mistake when I let her shut me out of her life.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/ITOLLRAMZ

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/IfItsOnlyLoveLR

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRAB

Nook: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRK

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2NCcWfZ

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/IIOLLRGR

Michel’s Review

Life has a way of changing carefully laid plans and derailing everything.

I loved this book!

____________________________________________

Meet Lexi:

Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and a spoiled dog. You can find her at her website: http://www.lexiryan.com

Connect with Lexi:

Website: http://www.lexiryan.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanFB

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/qymaH
Bookbub:http://bit.ly/LexiRyanBB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanIG
Twitter: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanTW
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/LexiRyanGR

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bIYjGa

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Chasing Fireflies by Claudia Burgoa

Posted on 09/09/2019 by shellbellereads

Chasing Fireflies
by Claudia Burgoa
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Subgenre: Military Romance, Small Town
Release Date: September 9th, 2019

Blurb

The first time I met Oliver Tanner he was five years old.
I was four.
That day he was entrusted to my keep.
He was as large and loud as a church mouse.
That day I taught him how fireflies were magic with the persistence of a person.
That’s what I loved about them.
No matter how far they strayed,
they remembered where they came from and who their family was.

After high school, he joined the army and left Knox Ridge.

Years later, the town had changed.
My dreams were shattered.
We had nothing left.
I had forgotten all about the magic of the fireflies.
Until he came back to town.
Everything about him was comforting.
He brought some light to my darkness,
But I knew the light could only last for so long.
Fireflies only stay for the summer.
He had outgrown our small town.
It was time for me to stop chasing fireflies.

Don’t miss out on this stunning, second-chance friends to lovers romance.

This full-length novel was originally published in the Cards of Love collection as a novella. It has been revised with additional scenes.

Purchase Links

It’s 2.99 for a limited time!

Amazon / iBooks

Nook / Kobo

Playlist

Excerpt

In the beginning, there were fireflies, crisp floating dots wading through the summer breeze.

There were children in the streets and popsicles being passed out by a local grandmother. There were skinned knees, too much sunscreen, and the wafting scent of freshly cut grass. There were long days and even longer nights.

Summers in Knox Ridge were just as much about mosquito nets and cicada songs as they were about lemonade and sunshine.

Knox Ridge wasn’t the biggest town in Georgia, but there were too many of us to learn each other’s names by heart. Most people grew up on the same street their parents did all those years ago.

They grew from a twinkle in their parents’ eyes into people who would one day take their places in the layout of our town. Their legacies casted shadows on every succeeding generation—what they’d do, where they lived, and who they loved. The town had a blueprint most didn’t question, but also didn’t consider too much.

“Being a part of Knox Ridge was a privilege,” my Nana used to say.

It was a privilege to live around people who truly care for you and an honor to have a place like Knox Ridge to come home to.
“Every town on Earth says they’re the best,” Nana always said. “But how many towns can say ‘if you’re with us, we’ll accept every part of you?’”

Only Knox Ridge.
She swore that no one truly left Knox Ridge once they’d gotten a taste of living here, but some took breaks. She was right, some people drifted in and out of our sleepy town, but they always came back home. Even if they hadn’t realized they’d left.

I met Oliver Tanner one blistering afternoon in July.

He was five years old, moving back into the childhood home of his recently deceased father. I was four, sitting next door on my front porch with my best friend, Paige, munching on watermelon as we did nearly every afternoon.

Paige’s father had been my father’s best friend since childhood. Like I said, there was a blueprint to this town. Even Oliver with his ripped cargo shorts and dinosaur toys clenched tightly to his little chest. I had never seen anyone in that house. Not until they arrived.

“I never thought I’d live to see another Tanner live in that house,” my grandmother said.

I wouldn’t learn until years later the tumultuous history of the Tanner family in town. Once one of the most respected families of Knox Ridge, Oliver’s grandfather had left them disgraced and destitute three decades earlier when he ran off to California with a woman he barely knew. The Tanners had been on a downward spiral ever since.

“Well come on, sweeties,” my grandmother nudged Paige and myself. “Let’s go say hello. See if they need anything. That girl doesn’t look a day over twenty.”

Nana had been more or less right. Josey Tanner was twenty-five, freshly widowed, and out of money from living out west. Her only option was moving to this house she’d inherited from her husband’s passing and spread out his meager life insurance for as long as she could.

Nana introduced us to Oliver and his mother. Josey likewise introduced him to us.

“You got movers to help you with that truck?” Nana asked.

“No,” Josey said.

“Are you renting it by the hour or the day?”

“Day,” she answered. “I’ve got it rented for the whole week.”

Nana nodded before waving them both over. “No use doing anything now, then. Come over for some lemonade. My sons get off work at about five. They’ll wrangle up some friends to do it for you.”
That day was one of my first memories of Nana being Nana, pulling people together for the common good as she always did.

“Now you two be nice to the Tanner boy,” Nana told Paige and me. “He looks like he could use a bit of TLC.”

That day was also the day Ollie was entrusted to my keep. He was a year older than me, but back in those days, he was as large and loud as a church mouse. His sandy blonde hair stuck up in ways that defied gravity and he mostly muttered as we asked him about his dinosaurs.

We dragged him out back where all the magic happened, spending hours in the sun as the clouds and world passed us by. Our parents filtered in and out to keep an eye on us.

When the sun started to go down, and the fireflies started to peek out from their slumber, it was like his whole face lit up. I think that was the first time I knew I never wanted to stop looking at that smile.

_________________________________

Michel’s Review

Kaitlynn and Ollie have known each other all of their lives. They became friends when Ollie’s mother moved in next door to the Blythe family home. The moment they met they were destined to share their lives. From the childhood innocence to the angsty teenagers, both Kaitlynn and Ollie grew up depending on one another until Kaitlynn’s sister stepped in and changed it all. It sent them both in directions in life, away from Knox Ridge. It will take years for them both to find their way home and back to one another. Good things are worth waiting for and the magic in chasing fireflies is still there. Kaitlynn and Ollie both need that special magic to soother their weary souls. They need each other.

Without saying too much more about the content of the book I will say that this book was alsolutely magical. Ollie and Kaitlynn came to life and jumped off the pages. Their magical fireflies illuminated their story and made their lives special.

“Fireflies knew how to call each other back home”

Read Chasing Fireflies by Claudia Burgoa!

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New Release…Excerpt and 5 Star Review: Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner

Posted on 09/05/2019 by shellbellereads

Cancer sucks … and then you die.

Styx and Stones an all-new emotional, mature young adult romance from USA Today bestselling author Carmen Jenner is available now!

Alaska Stone is a walking wet dream.

My wet dream.

For years, I’ve watched her in the halls, wanted her, but she never knew I existed.

Not until she walked into my chemo session.

For me, it was love at first sight.

For her? It might take a little longer.

But hey, it’s not like we’re on a deadline or anything.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L2KhjG

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/StyxStones

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2FgFw1i

Excerpt

“Come here,” Styx says, giving my arm a weak tug.

“Where?”

“Come lie with me.”

I laugh and shake my head. “I can’t. I’ll squash your lines.”

“They’re plastic; they’ll bounce back.” His face turns serious, and the desperation in his eyes claws at my resolve. “Get your sweet ass up here, Stones. I wanna hold my girl.”

It takes a little maneuvering with his central line and heart-rate monitor, and my IV, but eventually I settle in against his side and he wraps his good arm around me, holding me as tightly as his weak body will allow.

I wish we had the power to make time wait for us.

I’d make it wait forever, right here. I’d use up all of the seconds it’s stolen from me, from us, and the lifetime it’s going to steal from our future. If I had the ability, I’d hit pause right here, and I’d never let him go.

Michel’s Review

Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner is more than a story about two teenagers finding love while battling cancer. It’s a story about living life to it’s fullest, accepting things that cannot be changed, and making the most of every moment. It’s about finding a partner to spend the rest of your life with even if it has an expiration date. It’s the story of LIFE in all it’s beauty as well as all the undeniable ugly realities.

Styx Hendricks has always been the boy with “cancer”. He has spent most of his school years alone, isolated from the other kids because they just don’t know how to relate with him. They are afraid of death. They are afraid of sickness. They are afraid of loss. He has sat back on the sidelines of life observing it all. Then one day everything changes when the girl he has admired and crushed on walks into his chemotherapy session. As elated as he is to have the opportunity to get to know her, he is also disheartened that someone as vital as her would end up like him. He not only wants to befriend her but also wants to help her navigate her way through her chemo treatments.

Alaska Stone never thought she would become friends with the weird loner kid from school let alone fall hopelessly in love with him. When she walked into chemotherapy it changed the rest of her life.

Styx & Stones found the true meaning of their lives. They lived life to the fullest, savored every moment, and loved with all their hearts. That is what LIFE is all about.

Make sure you have a huge box of tissues on hand. Carmen Jenner doesn’t pull any punches, she slams you in the face with emotional knockouts. She gave validation to Styx and Stones lives with every word she wrote. She gave them LIFE.

*** On a side note, there is a surprising appearance of another beloved character from a previous book that lends his strength and wisdom right when it’s needed the most. That made me cry even harder!***

I highly recommend reading Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner. It is an emotional event!

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About Carmen

Carmen Jenner is a USA Today and international bestselling author.

A hardcore red lipstick addict and a romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

Connect with Carmen

Amazon → http://amzn.to/1IjRUdg

Newsletter→https://www.subscribepage.com/carmenjenner

Website→http://www.carmenjenner.com/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/CarmenJennerAuthor/

Sugar Junkies (reader group) → http://bit.ly/2x3K4pP

Instagram →www.instagram.com/carmenjennerauthor/

Bookbub → https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carmen-jenner

Books + Main → https://bookandmainbites.com/users/2266

Pinterest →https://www.pinterest.com.au/carmenjenner/

Saucy Southern Readers

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New Release…Excerpt and 5 Star Review: Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner

Cancer sucks … and then you die.

Styx and Stones an all-new emotional, mature young adult romance from USA Today bestselling author Carmen Jenner is available now!

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Blurb

Purchase Links

Amazon / iBooks

Nook / Kobo

Playlist

Excerpt

Author Bio

Follow her:

Giveaway

Share this:

Cancer sucks … and then you die.

Styx and Stones an all-new emotional, mature young adult romance from USA Today bestselling author Carmen Jenner is available now!

Share this: