I’m in London, in disguise, trying to hide from the tabloids, when I slam into a wall.
Except it’s not a wall. It’s a hot hunk of British man.
And I just poured scorching hot coffee all over him.
He goes from burn victim to my fiancé in three days flat. It’s all fake to divert tabloid attention away from my recent breakup with my longtime boyfriend-turned-traitor.
Except it doesn’t feel fake. The way he looks at me makes me shiver. When he touches me, I’m molten lava.
Neither of us is looking for anything serious.
Except…did I tell you how hot he looks playing naked Twister? He might just be husband material.
For real.
A standalone fake relationship romance in the Doctors Series.
Although Louise Bay’s books have been some of my favorites since early days, I had not read any of the books in the The Doctors series. Until now, that is, because I have just fallen in complete and total love with Beau Cove and the entire Cove family, and I can’t wait for more.
DR. FAKE FIANCÉ is easily one of the most enjoyable books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading lately. Likable characters and a modern and relatable story line made for a book that I could not put down. I loved both Vivian and Beau, and the supporting cast of characters are awesome (I must admit to being a little bit in love with Beau’s dad…). This story is an absolute feel good read, which are few and far between, and so stands out as a favorite even more vividly. Can you tell that I really, really liked this book?
If you’ve read the other stories in the series, DR. FAKE FIANCÉ will be an easy and much-loved next step in the saga. For those of you like myself that have not, it will be just the read to send you back to the beginning to devour every one of the books about the Coves that you can clap your eyes on. Truly, do not miss this book. One of my favorites of 2023, and one that I cannot recommend enough. Happy reading! ❤️
AUTHOR BIO
International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh – the kind she likes to read.
Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.
Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn’t have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).
Tempt Me with Darkness by Shayla Black is now live!
I hate her as much as I can’t live without her.
Marrok
I’ve been cursed, and I’m out for vengeance. I’ll do anything to end my damnation, including kidnap an innocent with telling violet eyes.
For over a thousand years I’ve been an immortal recluse. Suddenly, I’m tortured by filthy dreams that leave me craving my captive. Worse, once I lay rough hands on her soft skin, I demand things from her I shouldn’t. I feel things beyond the hatred that has consumed me.
Protectiveness.
Possessiveness.
And a hunger more demanding than any vengeance.
***
Olivia
The second I meet Marrok, my heart stutters. My world stops. I’m drawn to the brash stranger, until…
He abducts me.
He vows to slake fifteen centuries of lust on me.
He commands me to uncurse him—or he’ll kill me.
We should never have met. We’re enemies. Fate makes us lovers. Magic decrees us mates, unlocking secrets and unleashing a dark, paranormal power determined to burn down the world. Unless we band together, we’re doomed.
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TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS is the first book in the Doomsday Brethren series by author Shayla Black. Paranormal romance is one of my favorite genres, and this world also has Arthurian legend tied in, so I was very excited to jump in and meet Marrok, Olivia, and the rest of the cast.
TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS is a long book, and while that’s not a bad thing, you’ll want to prepare yourself to settle in for the ride. I did enjoy the storyline, although it took me a bit of time to get into it. Once things were rolling along, and the action picked up, I was invested in seeing just how things would play out for everyone involved, because the backstory was quite a kerfuffle.
When an author is stepping out into a different part of the book world than their norm, it can take some time to find the groove. I feel like this book was coming into its own by the end, and will be interested to see where Shayla takes everyone in future books. ❤️
Meet Shayla
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly ninety contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.
As an only child, Shayla occupied herself by daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and started pursuing a publishing career. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America, her heart was with her stories and characters, so she left her pantyhose and power suits behind.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, gaming, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Get ready to fall for Roan and Aspen in their grumpy-sunshine, single mom, small town romance, from USA Today Bestselling Author, Catherine Cowles!
It was supposed to be a fresh start. A small town where I could hide my little girl from the shadows that haunt us. A place where I could keep us safe.
The last thing I expected was him.
A surly, broody mountain of a man who helps me save an injured deer in a snowstorm.
Now, Roan Hartley keeps showing up with his glowers and grimaces. But they only make his rare smiles and the gentle way he talks to my daughter mean that much more.
When forces from my past find us, Roan is determined to keep us safe—even if that means sleeping on my ancient couch every night.
As days turn to weeks, his touch has my walls crashing down. But someone out there doesn’t want me to find happiness. He doesn’t want me left breathing at all…
With no exaggeration, welcome to one of the best books that I’ve read this year…SHADOWS OF YOU by author Catherine Cowles is the fourth book in her Lost & Found series, and she just continues to blow me away with her beautiful stories.
I’m not going to lie, I have a serious thing for the wounded hero, and Roan Hartley is one of my most favorites to date. This beautiful man has so much to give, and watching him evolve into the most true version of himself had me reading through tears. His love for Aspen and Katy, for his family, his town, completely did me in.
And Aspen, I want to be like her when I grow up. Strong and fierce, loving and kind, she’s exactly what Roan needs to show him how very strong he is, and how worthy of love. I can’t not mention Miss Katy, because she, like all of Catherine’s kids, are so lovable, and integral to these books. Her acceptance and love for ‘Mr. Grizz’ (her name for Roan) is one of the first things to crack his tough exterior, and start thawing out that grumpy heart.
Catherine’s books are must-reads for me, and all of them are on my list of absolute favorites. If by some chance she and her books have not been on your radar, now is the time to remedy that, because they are some of the best out there. I’m already prepared to be dazzled by ASHES OF YOU, the next book in the Lost & Found series, and Lawson Hartley’s book. In the meantime, all I can say is read SHADOWS OF YOU. It will have your heart and stay with you in the very best way. ❤️
About Catherine Cowles
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
Submerge yourself in the final enthralling installment of New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby’s The Curse of the Blood Moon series.
Torn apart by tragedy, Lorelei has kept Xander at arm’s length, focusing on her career and gifts, rather than rekindling their love. But now that she’s back in Salem, she can’t avoid him and finds herself slowly softening toward the man she’s loved all of her life. However, the witch hunter they’ve been fighting still hasn’t been vanquished. Between that and breaking the curse of the Blood Moon, now is not the best time for her to give the sexy Xander another try.
Despite Lora pushing him away, Xander has never stopped loving her. But now that the stakes are higher with evil threatening them more than ever, he is done giving her time and space. With the curse that Jonas put into place long ago creating havoc with the innocent residents of Salem, the core six, their coven, and the witches from Hallows End need to work together to overcome true wickedness.
Will Xander and Lora find themselves once again amidst these stormy seas and their recent separation? Or will evil reign, throwing the core six, Salem and Hallows End into unimaginable peril?
Well, this is the book that I have been waiting for! While I have loved each of the books in The Curse of the Blood Moon series, Kristen really pulled out all of the stops with SALEMS SONG, delivering a story that is spooky, sexy, and redemptive, and I fell completely in love with it.
Because this is (finally!) Xander’s and Lorelei’s story, most of the action revolves around the two of them, but Kristen is great about weaving all of the characters from the other books into the fabric of this one, and together they make an awesome evil-thwarting, bad juju-fighting team. I had been waiting to see how the tension and Fatedness would play out between Xander and Lorelei, and it was just as intense as I’d expected, and, did I say steamy? There was also healing to be done and knots to be untied, and I loved every single word of it, and because Kristen is so artful with her words, it was like I could see the story unfolding in my mind.
If you’re a fan of paranormal romance, SALEMS SONG is a must read, and if you haven’t read the other books in the series, now is the perfect time. Pop these beauties high atop your TBR, and enjoy! ❤️
Meet Kristen
Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.
When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.
She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all… He’s an up-and-coming coder…
Start Us Up, the steamy, swoon-filled first standalone romance in The Park Avenue Promise Series from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is available now!
Three young women make a pact in high school— to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.
She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…
Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.
He’s an up and coming coder…
Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.
When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.
“Were you planning on introducing me as your boyfriend?” I shake my head. “No, but I wasn’t going to correct anyone if they got that impression, and now that I’m saying the words, I feel like an idiot. I’m not some sad chick who always needs a boyfriend. Nick was actually only my second long-term relationship. I’m perfectly content on my own. I don’t know what came over me. I can tell him the truth.” “And waste my knight riding in moves? That feels harsh. Was the kiss that bad?” “You know it was not. It was a perfectly fine kiss.” “It was a pretty good kiss.” There’s a wealth of masculine arrogance in his tone, and I wish I didn’t find that charming coming from him. It had been my only kiss in the last six months, and probably the most passion I’d had from a guy in a couple of years, and that was so sad. “It was a kiss we both need to forget because we’re going to be working very closely together for the next couple of months. We’ve got to hire at least one, maybe two contractors.” “Where are we going to put them? I don’t know if you noticed, but neither one of us has a whole lot of space. I was a little worried about where I was going to put you.” “They can work remotely if we can’t find someplace cheap.” The remote work might be a necessary thing since I intend to have one of the coders working on what I want them to work on—an interface for a social media/commerce app. I can give Heath a little, but I know what CeCe wants. The AI and Heath’s unique framework is what will sell this project. “And if we get full finding?” I like that he’s an optimist. One of us needs to be. “Then we find a small office probably somewhere in Jersey because that’s what we’ll be able to afford and we spend the next three or four years working our asses off only to fail because some asshole swoops in two months ahead of our launch date with something too similar. Then we can decide if we want to spend the money on the inevitable lawsuits, but that’s only if we get the choice. There’s also the possibility that someone out there gets word of what we’re doing and preemptively files for a patent that will block us even though the fucker doesn’t have enough to prove concept. Then, it’s back to the lawyers and we decide if we have deep enough pockets to fight, and that answer is almost always no.” Heath stands, and I can’t help but notice how tall and fit he is. I need to take some me time because my brain is spending too much energy on how hot he is. He starts to lift one long leg over the railing. I pop up. “What are you doing?” His head turns slightly, lips curling in a mischievous grin. “Ending it all. I’ve seen the future, Ivy. It’s not worth it.” He’s teasing me. I’m not sure why it rankles. Or maybe I am. “It can happen, and it does all the time. This is the big leagues, and it’s a battle every single day.” He looms over me, so close I can practically feel the warmth of his skin. “Is it war or baseball? I need to know because you are the queen of mixed metaphors, and I want to be sure I’m all kitted up. So glove or rifle?” He’s really not ready for this. “Both.” “All right, then.” He glances down at his watch. “I should go. Apparently I’ve got both a game and a war to prepare for. I’m going to need some sleep. Now I know you said we shouldn’t kiss again, but we already went there so…” I take a big old coward’s step back. If I let him kiss me now, it won’t be because someone’s watching and we need keep up our “cover.” It will be because I want him to, and I can’t want him to. I just can’t. I’m lying to him. Oh, it’s for his own naïve good, but I’m still lying.
I made the worst mistake of my life when I was twenty-two.
I let love and fear destroy everything I ever wanted, and now I have a choice to make.
Run and hide, or stay and face the consequences.
I’d always known I wasn’t allowed to love her.
I’d always accepted that I wasn’t allowed to keep her.
But that didn’t stop me.
I broke every rule and choked on every secret to have her.
The only problem is, those secrets aren’t just hunting me anymore, they’ve found me.
I can’t run.
I can’t hide.
For a moment, I had it all. I had all my dreams and the girl I would kill for.
But now, I have to pay the price.
I have to pay…
And I won’t survive.
A true coming-of-age story that spans a lifetime. This book deals with heavy subjects and is advised you check the Content Warnings on the Author’s website.
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Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 Apple Books bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Romance Thriller.
Pepper currently has close to 40 books released in nine languages. She’s hit best-seller lists almost 40 times, is a self-confessed hermit, yoga convert, has a house rabbit, six horses, and a long suffering husband.
To learn more about Pepper please visit:www.pepperwinters.com where she regularly posts videos of behind the scenes writing, horses, books, and more.
Four nights. Three days. The human son of two powerful vampires has been taken from his home, and if Carwyn and Brigid can’t find him, the delicate balance of power in an immortal haven might just go up in flames.
Las Vegas holds a special appeal in the immortal world. It’s a city of darkness, debauchery, and vice; a city where inhibitions are low and blood runs hot. Rose Di Marco and Agnes Wong have been running Sin City as immortal bosses for nearly a century, but when their son is kidnapped, they turn to their neighbors for help.
Carwyn and Brigid know how to find the lost, but what they don’t know is why Zasha Sokholov, a Siberian fire vampire and offshoot of an old crime family, became fixated on them. Carwyn has his suspicions, but all Brigid can think about is a fifteen-year-old boy who’s been taken as bait. She’ll need a clear head and the help of some unexpected allies to find him.
Bishop’s Flight is the fourth book in the Elemental Covenant series by Elizabeth Hunter, ten-time USA Today Bestselling author of the Irin Chronicles and the Elemental Mysteries.
“We may try to run from our past, but it finds us. We can put continents—even millennia—between us, but in the end, the sins of the fathers will come back to visit.”
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ELIZABETH HUNTER is a ten-time USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in both Central California and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over forty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of the Glimmer Lake series, Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes an all-new novel, The Setup, in her Single in Seattle series, featuring Keaton Williams!
I’m a sucker for pretty things. Give me a roaring engine in a souped-up vintage muscle car with cherry red paint and brand-new leather interior, and that’s about as pretty as anything I could ask for. I’m a simple man, who doesn’t need or want the kind of wild celebrity that my father has. I restore one-of-a-kind vehicles and sell them to the highest bidder. Usually, that bidder just also happens to be a celebrity.
But no matter how often my cars steal the spotlight, staying out of it is my number one priority.
Which is why Sidney Sterling is absolutely out of the question.
She’s a country music superstar. She’s in the spotlight. People can’t get enough of her.
It doesn’t matter that our one night together was hotter than a full throttle muscle car, or that she’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.
I. Need. To. Stay. Away.
And I was doing a great job of just that until our friends set us up on a blind date, and now here I am, sitting across from the only woman who made me want more. How am I going to handle the fact that the rest of the world wants her almost as much as I do?
And do I even have a choice in the matter?
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My babies are all grown up, and I am feeling all of the things…Thank you, Kristen Proby, for keeping the Seattle love going strong with THE SETUP, Keaton’s and Sidney’s book, and the latest in the Single in Seattle Series.
Luke Williams was one of my very first book boyfriends (and one that I’ll claim forever!) way back when I entered the world of romance lovers. To be reading the love stories of his kids (his KIDS!) is both strange and wonderful, because, like myself, the original Williams/Montgomery sibs are forever young in my mind. But Kristen has done a wonderful job of giving us kids that have become wonderful adults, just like their parents, and I am thoroughly enjoying this series.
Keaton’s and Sidney’s story is sweet and sexy. They are great for each other, and seeing their relationship unfold gave me all of the feels, because it truly is like I’ve been there as these kids have grown up. There are plenty of appearances from everyone in this huge and wonderful family, and Kristen also let us know that this series is slated to cover ALL of the cousins, so I am excited to see what’s next. Also, can I just say how much I love the epilogues from the OG parents? Soooo good! Do the thing and grab THE SETUP and enjoy! ❤️
Meet Kristen
Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.
When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.
“You will go to Rathe University, live among the giftless and those of light magic. You, Knight Deveraux, will learn to coexist.”
I’ve never heard more wasted words in my life. Then again, the gifted counsel never did have much to say that wasn’t. The only members amongst them who speak a thing worth listening to are my parents, the King and Queen of the Stygian’s, the people of Dark Magic.
Unfortunately for me and my brothers, they’ve chosen to play nice instead of sinking their talons into anyone who dares demand a thing from their heirs. In this instance at least.
Every gifted is forced to leave our realm behind after graduation to spend the next four years in a world that isn’t ours, while pretending it’s enough for those with something deeper clawing beneath their skin.
It isn’t. Not by a long shot, and while it’s as boring as I thought it would be, we find ways to entertain ourselves.
A little Fae Dust, the power of persuasion, and it’s a party worthy of a royal … or four.
That was fun the first year, but it’s my second now, and the minute I got back to campus, I knew it would be worse than before. I felt it, that pull buried beneath my skin, the whisper of a warning deep in my mind I could hear but couldn’t reach.
It starts with a human party and ends with a fucking nightmare.
I five foot, white haired one.
With eyes like ice and a body begging to be bitten, she’s a problem.
A giftless one.
That’s right, she’s human.
Worthless.
And if the shadow circling my soul is telling me what I think it is … she belongs to it.
My new obsession … is my fated mate.
But there is no way the fates would give me, a Lord of Rathe, a heir to the throne of dark magic, a giftless girl.
The writing collaboration of the year, Fate of a Royal by Amo Jones and Meagan Brandy blends the captivating and unique writing styles of these two into one deliciously all consuming PNR romance.
This books brings together some of our favorite tropes of:
🖤Bully Romance
🖤Dark Romance
🖤PNR Romance
🖤OTT Possessive Hero
Knight and London are something else to say the least.
Their connection is undeniable and the push and pull is palpable.
I enjoyed the guessing game of trying to determine who wrote what. I felt these two blended their writing well together to bring us a great story.
This one ended on a cliffhanger though so prepare yourself for that.
Overall rating 4.5 stars!!
Meet Meagan Brandy:
Meagan Brandy is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author of New Adult and Sports Romance books. Born and raised in California, she is a married mother of three crazy boys who keep her bouncing from one sports field to another, depending on the season, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Starbucks is her best friend and words are her sanity.
Meagan Brandy is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author of New Adult and Sports Romance books. Born and raised in California, she is a married mother of three crazy boys who keep her bouncing from one sports field to another, depending on the season, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Starbucks is her best friend and words are her sanity.
A jaded single dad. A woman returning to her small-town roots. Neither was prepared for their paths to collide…
I should have known I was in trouble when I backed my old, beat-up truck into the shiny Range Rover.
The driver looked like a gorgeous fallen angel – one who’d been booted right out of paradise for being a giant prick.
Good thing I’ll never have to see him again.
Except when I show up for my new job to teach a little girl how to ride her horse, I find the same icy blue eyes glaring back at me.
Paisley Dae is completely reckless. She’s also the best trainer in this small town. And Evelyn gets the best.
Protecting the little girl is my one focus.
Only the sassy trainer in her cut-offs and cowgirl boots quickly gets under my skin. Distractions are dangerous, but she soon becomes everything I crave.
One reckless night of giving in, and Caleb and I spiral into a web of passion.
But when I begin to unravel the secrets hiding in this place, I find there is more riding on this job than I thought.
Caleb and Evelyn are worth any sacrifice – only Caleb has to decide what he will sacrifice for me…
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A new series from author A.L. Jackson? Sign me up! Add a single dad, adorable kids, tight knit friend group, and passion galore into the mix and I’m a goner. Yep, Amy has totally brought her usual bombshell of a read with LOVE ME TODAY, the first book in her new Time River series, and I am SO here for it.
I have to be honest, I fell in love with Evelyn first. Amy writes kids so well, and Evelyn is one of my favorites so far. Her sweetness, her resilience, the unbounded love living within her beautiful little self, had me falling fast and hard.
And Caleb. There’s just something about a dark, dangerous, and broken man, and he is all three. Who could resist trying to save them? Not Paisley Dae, with her own resilience, her sass, her spark, and her big heart. These two have the whole opposites attract thing going on, and it is just explosive.
LOVE ME TODAY has elements of a small town story, with plenty of suspense, making for a great angsty read ribboned through with sweetness. And I am already so invested in seeing the rest of the gang get their happily ever afters that I can hardly wait for their stories to roll out. In the meantime, LOVE ME TODAY is a must-read for fans of small town romance with just the right amount of drama and intrigue, so make sure that it’s on your TBR and enjoy. ❤️
Meet A.L. Jackson
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Saucy Southern Readers 