Miller doesn’t affect me. That I’m immune to that wide jaw, taut body, and the
unique woodsy-aftershave-engine-oil scent that makes my ovaries explode.
one problem I can’t solve. Why? If I tell him I love him, I’ll lose him and his
adorable daughter. Maybe the best Christmas gift I can give him—and myself—is
to turn in the keys to my B&B and put some distance between us.
fix cars and romance Kentbury’s female tourists—until I wound up a single
father. For all eight years of Cassie’s life, Knightly’s been my anchor.
every step of the way. But as Christmas lays its mantle of magic over Kentbury,
she drops a bomb—she’s following a dream to New York City. I’ve got one week to
do everything, say everything I’ve never dared. To convince my best friend to
be mine—ours—for all the holidays to come.
Purchase Links
99c for a limited time!!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
away as I watch my sweet little girl sleep in peace. She’s so innocent, she doesn’t know that our lives have been forever changed again.
brown eyes narrow locking her gaze at me. “I need a big explanation,” she says, handing me the shopping bags she carries with her.
asking, she snaps the belt of the bouncy chair open and takes her into her arms.
“Tall, dark hair, light blue eyes and was friends with the Lodge’s owner.”
New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt: Verity by Colleen Hoover
“Sublimely creepy with a true Hoover pulse. I’ve been waiting on a thriller like this for years.” Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author
Verity, an all-new romantic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, is available now!
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity likely didn’t intend for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of the night their family was forever altered.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QL9WA0
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Verity
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2zksQUq
Excerpt:
“What are you wearing?” Corey is staring down at my shirt, perplexed, just now noticing it despite having spent the last fifteen minutes with me.
I look down at my oversized shirt. For a moment, I forgot how ridiculous I look. “I spilled coffee on my other shirt this morning and had to change.”
“Whose shirt is that?”
I shrug. “Probably yours. It was in my closet.”
“You left your house in that? There wasn’t something else you could have worn?”
“It doesn’t look high fashion?” I’m being sarcastic, but he doesn’t catch it.
He makes a face. “No. Is it supposed to?”
Such an ass. But he’s good in bed, like most assholes.
I’m actually relieved when the conference room door opens and a woman walks in. She’s followed, almost comically, by an older man walking so closely behind her, he bumps into the back of her when she stops.
“Goddammit, Barron,” I hear her mumble.
I almost smile at the idea of Goddammit Barron actually being his name.
Jeremy enters last. He gives me a small nod that goes unnoticed by everyone else.
The woman is dressed more appropriately than I am on my best day, with short black hair and lipstick so red, it’s a little jarring at nine thirty in the morning. She seems to be the one in charge as she reaches for Corey’s hand, and then mine, while Goddammit Barron looks on. “Amanda Thomas,” she says. “I’m an editor with Pantem Press. This is Barron Stephens, our lawyer, and Jeremy Crawford, our client.”
Jeremy and I shake hands, and he does a good job of pretending we didn’t share an extremely bizarre morning. He quietly takes the seat across from me. I try not to look at him, but it’s the only place my eyes seem to want to travel. I have no idea why I’m more curious about him than I am about this meeting.
Amanda pulls folders out of her briefcase and slides them in front of Corey and me.
“Thank you for meeting with us,” she says. “We don’t want to waste your time, so I’ll cut right to the chase. One of our authors is unable to fulfill a contract due to medical reasons, and we’re in search of a writer with experience in the same genre who may be interested in completing the three remaining books in her series.”
I glance at Jeremy, but his stoic expression doesn’t hint at his role in this meeting.
“Who is the author?” Corey asks.
“We’re happy to go over the details and terms with you, but we do ask that you sign the non-disclosure agreement. We would like to keep our author’s current situation out of the media.”
“Of course,” Corey says.
I acquiesce, but I say nothing as we both look over the forms and then sign them. Corey slides them back to Amanda.
“Her name is Verity Crawford,” she says. “I’m sure you’re familiar with her work.”
Corey stiffens as soon as they mention Verity’s name. Of course we’re familiar with her work. Everyone is. I hazard a glance in Jeremy’s direction. Is Verity his wife? They share a last name. He said downstairs that his wife is a writer. But why would he be in a meeting about her? A meeting she isn’t even here for?
“We’re familiar with the name,” Corey says, holding his cards close.
“Verity has a very successful series we would hate to see go unfinished,” Amanda continues. “Our goal is to bring in a writer who is willing to step in, finish the series, complete the book tours, press releases, and whatever else is normally required of Verity. We plan to put out a press release introducing the new co-writer while also preserving as much of Verity’s privacy as possible.”
About Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of thirteen novels and multiple novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
Connect with Colleen
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2FZ7GAI
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L1LuoI
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-hoover
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenhoover/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleenhoover
SnapChat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/colleenhoover
Join her reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/colleenhooverscohorts/
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Cover Reveal + Pre-Order: Keep It Classy by Lani Lynn Vale
Ghosts are real.
Well, technically speaking, maybe not. But the ones that haunt a man’s soul? Those are very real. So real, in fact, that there are times when Castiel would rather silence them forever in the worst way possible than to go on living with them haunting his every step.
All it took was one single second in time for his attention to drift, and everything changed.
Life as he once knew it, is over.
Now he’s struggling to make sense of the pieces that are left, and he’s fairly sure at least half of them are missing.
He’s living for three things now.
His club—the Bear Bottom Guardians.
His work as a police officer for Bear Bottom Police Department.
And the occasional glimpse of a girl that makes his spirit feel free.
Despite the ghosts that haunt him, he’s not willing to present them with another target. Which is why he has to stay away from her. He can’t touch her. He can’t talk to her. He can’t get anywhere near her.
Not and live with himself afterward.
The only problem is, Turner doesn’t care what Castiel wants. She also has a solution for his ghosts.
You may call her Ms. Ghostbuster.
PRE-ORDER NOW
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iTunes and Nook: Coming soon
Lani Lynn Vale is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.
When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.
Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | BookBub
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New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt + 4-Star Review: The Darkest Captive by Gena Showalter
The demon possessed beast wants his beauty back, and he’ll do anything to win her. Even war with a god king.
From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes THE DARKEST CAPTIVE, a new novella in her addictive bestselling Lords of the Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today
About THE DARKEST CAPTIVE:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series…
For centuries, Galen the Treacherous has been the most hated immortal in the Underworld. With good reason! This bad boy of bad boys has lied, stolen, cheated and killed with abandon. Possessed by the demons of Jealousy and False Hope, he has always lived for a single purpose: destroy everything.
Then he met her.
Former demon turned human femme fatale — Legion Honey — sought to kill Galen, but ended up parting with her virginity instead. Afraid of their sizzling connection, she ran away…and ended up trapped in hell, tortured and abused in the worst of ways. Now she’s free, and a shell of herself, afraid of her own shadow.
Galen’s hunger for Legion has only grown. Now the warrior with nothing to lose must help her rekindle the fire that once burned inside her. But as desires blaze white-hot, will Legion run again? Or will the unlikely pair succumb to love at long last?
Grab your copy of THE DARKEST CAPTIVE today!
Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon AU
EXCERPT:
He teed up Aeron’s number and texted: Just a head’s up. I’ve got my girl. She’s well thanks to me. Hades would have let her get jacked. You’re welcome.
Aeron’s response came in minutes: H told me you saved her. For that, you do have my thanks. But you’re going to have internal body bling if you don’t return her to me ASAP.
Galen: Give me a minute to find the fucks I give…
Galen: Still searching…
Galen: Sorry. Can’t find a single one.
Aeron: I love her, and I want what’s best for her, even if I must pay for her happiness w/ my life. Can you say the same?
Galen responded with a gif he’d made for situations like this. In it, he made a lewd hand gesture while the words “Look what I gave your mother last night” flashed in the center.
Then he typed: Listen, Dr. Usuc Atfilosofee. I didn’t see you braving H’s wards to help L escape that bloodthirsty army. (Drop mic.) (Pick mic back up.) She’s safe, ok. And I CAN say the same. I DID protect her with my life. So be a good daddy and let your daughter spread my wings. Over and out, mo-fo.
He returned the cell phone to the nightstand.
Legion gave a violent shake of her head and released another choking sound. “No. Please, no.”
He could imagine what images plagued her nightmares.
Uncaring about the flare of pain, he leaped off the bed to crouch in front of her chair. He lightly caressed her jaw, then lifted her hand to his face, holding her palm against his cheek. “I’m here, sugar.” His raw throat turned the words to smoke.
A few months ago, Galen had made a deal with Hades. Every time Galen completed a task for the underworld’s top dog, he earned a reward. All he’d wanted? The demons who’d hurt Legion. He’d tortured and killed every one of the bastards but Lucifer.
“No. Please, no. Don’t!” Eyes rolling behind her lids, Legion panted and groaned. Every few seconds, her fingers twitched, as if she tried to deflect a blow. “No!”
He ground his teeth. One day, one day soon, this beauty would rest in the comfort and security of his arms. Fear would lose its hold on her, and contentment would become her constant companion. I’ll make sure of it.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he vowed. “Not now, not ever.”
She melted into the chair, a soft sigh leaving her. Pride suffused him. For once, he’d comforted rather than frightened her.
Tracey’s Review
While I’ve read Gena Showalter before, THE DARKEST CAPTIVE was my first book in her Lords of the Underworld series. All of the snark, sass, and sizzle that I’ve come to expect from Gena, served up as part of a world that only she could imagine, making for an otherworldly romp that is highly entertaining.
Legion and Galen are a match made in…well, they’re a match, and an odd one at that. I think that had I read more of the series, and known more of their backstory, I might have expected a longer book to celebrate their reunion. As a first-time reader of the series, I enjoyed THE DARKEST CAPTIVE very much, and found myself appreciating Gena’s craft in a whole new way.
I found it easy to follow Legion’s and Galen’s thread in the story, but I really did wish that I had more general background on them and the other characters and their stories, as it would have allowed me to appreciate the book more fully. If not knowing the ‘whole story’ doesn’t bother you, and you love a good sexy paranormal read, this one’s for you. It’s fun, steamy, and more than a little zany, and I enjoyed it very much, making it an easy 4 stars for me. Now, to go back and start at the beginning of the series…
Check out THE DARKEST CAPTIVE Trailer
https://video214.com/play/IB08HsHThoUtFQWBebHEmA/s/dark
Gena Showalter’s THE DARKEST CAPTIVE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
December 5th
Booknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt
Diane’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Kaidans Seduction – Review & Excerpt
NallaReads – Review & Excerpt
Read more sleep less – Review& Excerpt
Under the Covers Book Blog – Review
December 6th
Bout-a-Book blog – Review
Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews – Review
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Milky Way of Books – Review
Rantings of a Reading Addict – Review & Excerpt
That Transylvanian Chick Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
December 7th
Binding Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Ilovebooksandstuffblog – Review & Excerpt
Kick Back & Review – Review & Excerpt
Reading in Pajamas – Review & Excerpt
The Romance Rebels – Review & Excerpt
December 8th
Canadian Book Addict – Review & Excerpt
Dreamer’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Family, Books and Food – Excerpt
Lo’s Lo-Down on Books – Excerpt
Nerdy Chic – Review & Excerpt
Sip read love – Review
December 9th
3 Degrees of Fiction – Review
NC 2 DC – Review & Excerpt
I Smell Sheep – Review & Excerpt
Mythical Books – Excerpt
The Book Branch – Excerpt
December 10th
A Book Nerd, a Bookseller and a Bibliophile – Review & Excerpt
Angela’s Opinion – Review & Excerpt
Declarations of a Fangirl – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Dirty & Flirty – Review & Excerpt
PNR Book Lover Reviews – Review
Rainy Thursdays – Review & Excerpt
December 11th
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt
Echoing Books – Excerpt
Feel the Book – Excerpt
Ginreads – Review & Excerpt
Romancing the Readers – Review
Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
December 12th
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
Cupcakesandbookshelves – Excerpt
Little Shop of Readers – Review & Excerpt
Ms. Me28 – Review & Excerpt
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
Ruby’s Books – Review & Excerpt
Shirley Cuypers – Review
December 13th
All Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt
Avephoenix Naughty Readings – Excerpt
Book Addict – Excerpt
PBC – Excerpt
Reese’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt
December 14th
Beneath The Covers – Review & Excerpt
Book Nook Nuts – Review & Excerpt
Clare & Lou’s Mad About Books – Review & Excerpt
My Book Filled Life –Review & Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
Shahla’s World – Review
The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt
About Gena Showalter:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, she’s been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours–and her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com
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New Release + Blog Tour: Everbound by Donna Grant
We are beyond excited to be celebrating the release of EVERBOUND from The Kindred series by Donna Grant! EVERBOUND is the third book in the series. Links to purchase your copy can be found below.
—————-
Purchase your copy of EVERBOUND today!
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Books-a-Million | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Powells
EVERBOUND (The Kindred, #3) by Donna Grant
Available Now!
About EVERBOUND:
To live in the light, they hunt in the dark…
The power of Helena’s magic has made her a target for the Coven. She wanted no part in the war of the witches, but it’s out of her hands now. She has to make a stand – and she does that by helping the Hunters and their allies against their common enemy. And now, the witch who ripped Helena’s future apart is coming. Sybbyl’s vengeance is swift and terrible, pitting the two against each other. But Helena doesn’t have to fight the Coven alone. A seductive warlock offers his aid. Helena is hesitant to give her trust to him – because it’s more than her life on the line. It’s her heart as well.
As the most feared and respected warrior of the Varroki, Jarin is used to being on his own. But with the Coven’s quest to locate the bones of the First Witch escalating, he finds it increasingly difficult to retain his solitary existence. When Jarin encounters Helena, he is helpless to resist her. She’s everything he didn’t know he wanted, and with her help, he’s convinced that maybe his people can finally defeat their foe. But there’s so much more at play than they know―ties in blood and sacrifice―and the loss that’s sure to follow may be greater than any of them can bear.
Add EVERBOUND to your Goodreads TBR here!
Purchase your copy of EVERBOUND today!
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Books-a-Million | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Powells
———————–
Praise for Donna Grant’s Titles
“Grant’s dizzying mix of danger and romance dazzles…a breath-stealing plot that ends on a cliff-hanger―which will make readers desperate for book three.” – Publisher’s Weekly for THE PROTECTOR
“Donna Grant has given the paranormal genre a burst of fresh air…”
–San Francisco Book Review
“Dark, sexy, magical. When I want to indulge in a sizzling fantasy adventure, I read Donna Grant.”
–Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author
“Time travel, ancient legends, and seductive romance are seamlessly interwoven into one captivating package.”
–Publishers Weekly on MIDNIGHT’S MASTER
Previous Books in the Series
EVERKIN (The Kindred, #.5)
EVERSONG (The Kindred, #1)
EVERWYLDE (The Kindred, #2)
Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo
——————–
About DONNA GRANT:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.
Connect with her:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads
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Cover Reveal + Pre-Order: Runaround by Jay Crownover
From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes the next standalone title in her Getaway series, RUNAROUND! Now in Kindle Unlimited, RUNAROUND will be released this Friday, December 14th! And that’s not all! The entire Getaway series is in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE now! So check out the amazing cover below, and grab your copies today!
About RUNAROUND (Coming 12/14/18):
Can two people perpetually moving in opposite directions ever end up in the same place? Or will love just keep giving them the runaround?
Webb Bryant is intimately acquainted with every type of trouble there is. Trouble is all he’s ever known and the only constant in his life.
Webb’s a man constantly on the move. He’s a drifter. A wanderer. He bolts from one bad choice to the next, never able to put enough distance between himself and the ghosts from his past. He lives hard and fast, until everything comes to a screeching halt the moment he lays eyes on Tennyson McKenna. The stunning woman appeared out of nowhere to save the day, and Webb’s been unable to forget her. The leggy, blonde forest ranger might very well be the one person in the world important enough to finally keep him in one place. Only, Ten isn’t impressed by Webb’s knack for finding trouble. And no matter how hard he tries to shake it, he can’t escape his bad habit of falling into the deep end of questionable decisions. When his newest brush with trouble gets Webb in way over his head, Ten jumps after him into the dangerous waters. It’s possible they’re going to sink so fast they both might drown.
Tennyson McKenna makes it a point to be diligently cautious in all aspects of her life. She learned the hard way that leading with your heart instead of your head gets you nowhere.
Ten’s a woman stuck in a frustrating rut. After a string of failed relationships lands her back home, a pit stop to mend her broken heart becomes a hole she’s lost the will to dig herself out of. Coasting through her days was easy until Webb Bryant crash-landed in her path, complete with bullets, blood, and a grin far too charming for his own good. Webb is anything but safe and predictable. He’s everything Ten swore she would never gamble on again, but it’s impossible to ignore the way trouble follows him around like a shadow. And every single time Ten pushes Webb away, she finds herself chasing after him before he’s gone for good. When Webb’s past finally catches up to him, Ten has to decide if she’s brave enough to put her heart on the line for a man who might be gone tomorrow.
AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED! PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
Amazon
Goodreads
RETREAT, SHELTER, and ESCAPE are now in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE for a limited time only! Grab your copies today!
Getaway Series
Retreat
Shelter
Escape
About Jay Crownover:
Jay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, The Saints of Denver series, the Point and Breaking Point series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays, as well as live music and terrible TV shows. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road. For more on Jay and her books, visit www.jaycrownover.com.
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Cover Reveal + Pre-Order: The Hookup Handbook by Kendall Ryan
My love wand is on a strike.
As bad as that blows, pun unintended, it’s ten times worse for me. I’m a male escort, but not just any escort, I’m the escort. The one with a mile-long waiting list and a pristine reputation that’s very well-deserved.
Only now, I’m on hiatus. Because after years of pleasing women all over the city, my man missile decides to get finicky. And the only woman he wants? Someone I can never have—my best friend’s younger sister, the nerdy and awkwardly adorable Sienna.
She’s working at the agency this summer, keeping me organized, handling paperwork, and most importantly, keeping me on track to finish writing my book about sex and intimacy, which is due to my publisher in thirty days.
She thinks I hate her, that I don’t want her here. The truth is much more twisted. I get hard every time she walks into my office. Her wide blue eyes and pouty mouth drive me wild with desire, and if she stays, I’m not sure how much longer I can stay away from her.
Little Miss Overachiever says she’s here to help? Fine. I’m going to put her nerdy, curvy tush to work.
PRE-ORDER NOW
AMAZON | APPLE | NOOK
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.
Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
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New Release + Excerpt + 4.5-Star Review: Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez
“Sometimes love happens when you least expect it.” That was what my husband’s mistress told me the day I found out about their affair.
I didn’t believe it until five minutes later when mouth-watering celebrity chef Tanner Reese walked up, tossed his arm around my shoulders, and told my cheating husband to take a hike.
Tanner and I couldn’t have been more different. He spent his weekends at clubs, rubbing elbows with fellow A-listers. I spent mine in yoga pants with cheese boards and a glass of wine—or six.
Our relationship shouldn’t have worked, but it did. That is until Tanner proved to me that even though love happens when you least expect it…
So does heartbreak.
AVAILABLE NOW
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | AMAZON CA
EXCERPT:
I shifted the phone to my other ear and asked her, “Did you just get in bed?”
“If, by bed, you mean carrying a glass of wine out back to swing in the hammock, maybe.”
I bit my bottom lip, my head falling back against the headrest. For most men, this would have been an innocuous statement. But for a hammock connoisseur like myself, this was the normal guy equivalent of her saying that she liked to give blowjobs during halftime.
“You have a hammock out back?”
There was a delay in her response, which was followed by a subtle kiss of her lips on what I assumed was a wine glass. “Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s one of the most underrated luxuries in outdoor furniture.”
“Oh, I’m not knocking anything. Rope or quilted?”
“Mayan, actually.”
“Oh, sweet heavenly baby Jesus, she’s beautiful and knows her hammocks. I’ve never been so turned on in my life.”
She giggled, pausing for another sip. “You know, if you leaked this hammock fetish to the press, you could probably increase demand by five million percent and singlehandedly lower the country’s unemployment rate.”
Okay, so at some point during the day, she’d figured out who I was.
But! Even with this knowledge, she was trying to avoid a date with me and was not elbow-deep in planning our televised wedding. This was a definite plus in my book.
“Yeah, but then, when I talked to beautiful women like yourself, I’d have no idea if the hammock was your idea or a ploy to impress me.”
“Jeez, that’s sad, Tanner,” she said, her sweet Southern accent like a wave rolling over my name.
I’d meant it as a joke, but it was the absolute truth when it came to dating. Early on in my career, I’d done a rapid-fire interview about my personal life. One of the questions had been: What would your ideal woman order on the first date? Truth be told, the only thing I hoped my ideal woman would order was something she wanted. I didn’t factor into that. But I’d been on my last question in my last interview of the last day of a month-long press tour. My face had hurt from fake smiling, I’d been in desperate need of a shower, a smoke, and sleep, and my mind had been mush, so I’d prattled off the first thing that had come to mind: shrimp and grits.
That one little answer somehow made it onto my Wiki page, and after that, every woman I’d taken out ordered shrimp and grits. One of them even had a shellfish allergy and nearly ended up in the hospital. And this insanity was not limited to women outside of the spotlight.
I’d once gone on a date with America’s princess of pop, Levee Williams. We’d hit it off at a charity event. For one of the most famous women in the world, she was a surprisingly nice girl, gorgeous, and funny as all get out. But the first time I took her out? One guess what she ordered.
I was at the end of my rope with dating and lost my freaking mind before storming out like an asshole. That night, as I was reporting shrimp and fucking grits as an error to Wiki, I noticed that her page listed it as her favorite food. I’d never had the balls to contact her again, and I once hid behind a palm tree on Rodeo Drive when I heard the clamoring of paparazzi calling her name. But that’s neither here nor there.
In short, while finding a woman was all too easy, dating was hard.
But that wasn’t about to stop me from trying with Rita.
Tracey’s Review
I’m going to be honest, I generally associate an Aly Martinez book with angst and heartache, but, let me tell you, ACROSS THE HORIZON is a whole different animal. A contemporary romance filled with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and seriously sexy scenes, this book quickly became one of my favorites of 2018.
I’m a picky reader, and an unabashed DNFer, should the situation arise. I’ll give a book my best effort, but, if it’s not doing it for me, well, my TBR is long, and there are deadlines to meet. This book, though, this absolutely delicious book, had me from the first scene. I mean, I couldn’t put it down. The chemistry and just absolute rightness between Tanner and Rita is instantaneous and non-stop. If there are two people that shouldn’t be together, but unquestionably must be, this is the couple. They just work. They get each other, and reading their story put me in a great mood that didn’t let up.
I love angsty reads as much as the next person, and, yes, there are are some somber moments for Tanner and Rita, but I am over the moon to be wrapping up my reading year with a book like ACROSS THE HORIZON. It’s a definite must-read if you’ve read the books in the Darkest Sunrise duet (I have not, but am totally jonesing for more Porter and Charlotte, now that I’ve met them in ACROSS THE HORIZON), or if you’re just looking for a feel-good read that will have you making a fool of yourself for laughing out loud in public. Do yourself a favor and add this one to your reading list, because this 4.5 ‘Can’t Stop Smiling Stars’ treat is not to be missed.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.
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New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt: Wrapped In Love by Lexi Ryan
Wrapped in Love by Lexi Ryan
Release Date: December 4th, 2018
Wrapped in Love, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by Lexi Ryan.
The rumors are true. I’m a hot mess with an awful track record at love. Single mom. Down on her luck. Yeah, I’m bad news.
If the hardest part of moving back home to Jackson Harbor was going to be people talking, I’d be fine. I’ve kept my chin up through worse than their decade-old gossip.
I was wrong. The hardest part is resisting my boss. Brayden Jackson is the very picture of tall, dark, and handsome. And thanks to an ill-advised one-night stand we had seven months ago, I know exactly what I’m missing when I turn him down. Every. Single. Delicious. Inch.
But I have my son to care for and my job to keep, so I’ll keep on saying no.
Until my string of bad luck continues, and suddenly my precious four-year-old and I find ourselves with nowhere to live. At Christmas, no less. It’s for my son that I accept Brayden’s offer to stay at his place. One by one, my defenses are falling, as fast as I am. If Brayden was smart, he’d run, because it’s only a matter of time before he realizes he deserves better than what a girl like me can offer.
Unless, for once, my bad luck is leading me exactly where I need to be.
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Excerpt:
“Oh, and this box wasn’t labeled. Where do you want it?” Brayden pulls open the flaps of the box he set on the bed when he entered. “Looks like there are some washcloths in here. And . . .” He lifts a stack of washcloths and peers at the contents beneath. His eyes go wide. “Oh.”
The moment my brain registers what he’s looking at, I lunge for him and smack a hand over his eyes. I intentionally put that box in my car, separate from the others. And I forgot.
Brayden’s chest rumbles with laughter, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
Brayden Jackson just saw my entire vibrator collection.
He gently pulls my hand away, revealing eyes full of mischief.
I squeak. “Don’t look in that box again.”
His lips twitch. “But I really, really want to.”
I point a finger at him. “Don’t you dare.”
He presses his lips into a thin line, amusement dancing in his eyes. Then, as if he can’t help himself, he asks, “Are they all pink?”
“Shut up!” My cheeks are on fire.
His voice is the softest caress of a whisper when he says, “Molly, your cheeks are almost as pink as your vibrators.”
I smack both hands against his chest. “You did not just say that word!”
“Vibrators?” He grins. Not one of his smirks or half smiles, but a grin, and damn me and my stupid chemical attraction to this man, because it makes me want to slam the bedroom door closed and climb him like a tree. “If you don’t like the word, why do you have—”
I throw my hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it. We agreed we’d keep our relationship professional—that’s what we both wanted. So don’t say it. Don’t even think about it.” Then, because I realize his lips are pressed to my palm and it reminds me too much of our night in New York when his lips were everywhere, I back away.
The warm amusement in his eyes turns to heat. “First of all,” he says, his voice like silky steel, “those were your rules, not mine. I agreed for you, not because that’s what I want.” He drags his gaze over me, and my heart pounds so fast it feels like a hummingbird’s trying to escape my chest. “Second, even if I tried not to think about you using your little collection of pink toys, I’d fail miserably.” He dips his head, and I can feel his breath against my ear as he says, “I’m already thinking about it, and I will be for a long time yet.”
About Lexi:
Lexi Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles. A former academic and English professor, Lexi 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
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Saucy Southern Readers 