From its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…
Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…
Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Cover art is visually appealing. I do like the more translucent title banner of SERVED HOT a little better than this one. This one is a bit too opague, obscuring the view and hindering the emotional effect portrayed in the fisting of the clothing. The synopsis is flirty and teasing without giving it all away. It intrigues and pulls you in. The story is much more complex, however.
Looking Deeper:
First-person POV, Vic’s perspective. Note: Do not get Robby from book one confused with Robin here. 😉
Vic and Robin both suffer their own demons and insecurities, but a fake relationship and growing attraction bring them together, at least for now. Vic wants to be more than just the rebound guy though, he wants to be Robin’s everything. These characters have such heartwarming, endearing characters, even flawed as they are. The secondary characters add depth and provide good support to an already sturdy lead couple. The plot itself was a bit thin, but that’s often the case with shorter stories. The overall feel was fairly light even though much of the book revolved around “issues” they each were trying to work through. The conflicts were resolved well and the conclusion was solid, leaving no cliffhangers. This story CAN stand on it’s own, there’s only the briefest mention/scene from the SERVED HOT couple and can easily be read through without having read the first book. Another great story from Ms. Albert regarding hope, trust and second chances.
The Portland Heat Series
Served Hot
Portland Heat Series – Book 1
Genre: GLBT, M/M, Gay
By Annabeth Albert
Synopsis
In Portland, Oregon, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…
Robby is a self-employed barista with a busy coffee cart, a warm smile, and a major crush on one of his customers. David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but “the usual”—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?
Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.
From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.
“Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles is everything I love about a new adult romance– angsty, emotional and sexy. I couldn’t stop reading!”
– NYT and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Hawkeye
Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze—more than ever before.
Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas—she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and—unbeknownst their “mark”—secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.
But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.
“A raw, beautiful, poignant story about pain, heartache and first love. I couldn’t put it down.”
– Carly Phillips, NYT bestselling author, on STUPID GIRL
*** Arc provided by publisher, via Net Galley, for a fair and honest review. ***
When I saw Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles on Net Galley, I had to request a copy for review. I have read all of Cindy Miles paranormal books and absolutely loved them. I was intrigued to see that she had released some books in the New Adult genre. And once again she delivered a fantastic book with solid emotional writing.
Harper Belle is the perfect girl. She makes good grades, she is in one of the most prestigious sorority, her appearance is perfect, and her behavior is perfect. She was appalled by the rush stunt the Kappa’s pulled the previous year. She has devised a full proof plan for her sorority to put the Kappa’s in their place and make them model students. She and her sorority sisters are going to make these bad boy frat boys into the perfect boyfriends and model students. They are going to prove that with positive reinforcement that even the baddest of bad boys can be reformed. Her plan is not going to hurt anyone, it is going to make the Kappa’s better men.
Like most plans go, they have hiccups and fall off track. When she meets Brax Jenkins best friend from Boston, bad boy Kane McCarthy, she has found the perfect bad boy. He has come to Texas to “run the numbers”. He’s good at what he does and makes no apology for it. He is the perfect candidate for Harper to reform.
Appearances aren’t everything. Harper soon finds out that there is more to Kane than meets the eye. He is a smart, intelligent, and caring person. Somehow he looks beneath Harper’s perfect facade and sees a kindred spirit. He recognizes a wounded soul. He sees the beauty she has hid behind the perfection.
Both Kane and Harper will learn there are many sides to a person. There is a fine line between good and bad, right and wrong, and everything in between. What is important is to be honest with oneself. Also to give with a pure heart.
Stupid Boy was a very emotional book. Both Harper and Kane have survived horrific childhoods. Their coping mechanisms may be different but in the end they both need the same thing. They both need unconditional love.
Cindy Miles did an excellent job. I enjoyed Stupid Boy so much that I had to download the first book in the series, Stupid Girl. Let me tell you, Stupid Girl was another fantastic book. Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order.
I highly recommend the Stupid In Love series!
The Stupid In Love Series
Stupid Girl – Book 1
Only fools fall in love…
After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston University, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.
A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.
As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.
Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze—more than ever before.
Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas—she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and—unbeknownst their “mark”—secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.
But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.
Cindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.
In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Burns, a woman discovers that the man she least expects is exactly what she needs…
High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration, she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”
Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary. Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers to help her find the “perfect” man.
Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her—he barely meets one of her criteria—but there’s something about the charismatic man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list approved.
Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…
If you are looking for a light hearted book with very little angst and drama then Love After All by Jaci Burton is the perfect book to curl up with. It is the fourth book in the Hope Series and delivers a very satisfying story.
Chelsea is sick of dating the wrong men and decides that she is going to change up her dating techniques. She is going to make up a list of the kind of man that would be perfect for her. Her list includes a man that has a 9 to 5 job, does not like sports, prefers fine dining over fast food, and no crazy exes. She wants a man that wants a relationship and plans to make it stick.
Chelsea has been friends with Sebastian “Bash” Palmer, the owner of the bar she frequents. When she shows him the list he thinks she’s off her rocker. No man can live up to her list. He plans to show her that the list requirements are not what makes the difference but it is the man. He decides to help her with the list.
Chelsea and Bash form a solid friendship. Even though Bash does not want a relationship due to a bad marriage, he finds himself falling for Chelsea. Chelsea’s list does not intimidate him at all.
When it comes to matters of the heart both Bash and Chelsea will learn that expectations don’t factor in. What matters is giving the other person your love and the best of yourself. It’s about being honest with yourself as well as the one you love.
Jaci Burton penned another feel good romance that will not disappoint.
;Author Bio:
Jaci Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 60 books. She lives in Oklahoma and when she isn’t on deadline, she can usually be found trying to convince her husband to remodel some room or another in their house (she blames HGTV for this). She loves gardening, sports, casinos and getting lost in a great book. She’s a total romantic and longs for the happily ever after in every story, which you’ll find in all her books.
This Entangled Teen Crush book contains references to missed connections, mistaken identities, and lots of misbehavior. It may give you all the swoony feels.
Can the write guy be the right guy?
Dakota McCloud has just been accepted into a prestigious art school. Soon she’ll leave behind the artists’ colony where she grew up-hippie dad, tofu since birth, yurt-and join her boyfriend and best friend on the East Coast. It was the plan…until Dakota finds out her boyfriend and best friend hooked up behind her back.
Hurt and viciously betrayed, Dakota pours out her heart on a piece of paper, places it in a bottle, and hurls it into the ocean. But it doesn’t quite go where she expects…Jack Sauvage finds the bottle washed up on the shore and responds to Dakota’s letter. Except what if his straight-laced life doesn’t jive with the free-spirited girl he’s only seen from afar? As Jack creates a persona he believes she’ll love, they slowly fall for each other with each new letter. Now Jack is trying to find a way to make this delicate, on-paper romance happen in real life…without revealing his deception.
Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Cute cover with a light-hearted feel. Synopsis reads like a typical YA/NA feel-good drama.
And Beyond:
First-person alternating POV in present tense. Dakota grew up in a hippie community. She’s vibrant, caring and not as naive as one would imagine her to be. Jack comes from money. His mother shelters and represses him due to a past tragedy she’d never gotten over. Both characters are young, barely old enough to start college in the fall, but he’s already lost his best friend to suicide and she’s suffered the ultimate betrayal from her boyfriend and best friend.
Dakota composes a message in a bottle and tosses into the ocean, only unbeknownst to her, it is found only moments later by Jack. Jack first caught sight of Dakota earlier that day and was immediately drawn to her. When he spots her bottle churning in the tide, he takes it as fate. However, he replies to her message under false pretenses and begins a pen pal-ship that is based only on half-truths. Now he needs to figure out how to transition from his pen pal character to the real Jack without ruining everything.
The characters are young. They both have some maturing and learning to do, especially Jack – but I blame a lot of that on his mother, too. There are several secondary characters in this story, all which seem to benefit the plot in one way or another without threatening to steal the spotlight. There’s a natural and easy way about the dialogue and interaction that was nice, even the intentional awkwardness was conveyed well. While the plot progresses slow and steady, the writing style is fluid and easy to read. There were a handful of conflicts that were resolved in timely and age-appropriate manners. Predictability was low. The conclusion included a solid epilogue that added to the story nicely. Overall, a it was a fun, light read catering more to the teen and young adult crowd.
Author Bio:
Jody Gehrman is a native of Northern California, where she can be found writing, teaching, reading, or obsessing over her three cats most days. She is also the author of ten novels and numerous award-winning plays. Her Young Adult novels include The Truth About Jack, Audrey’s Guide to Black Magic, Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft, Babe in Boyland, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, and Triple Shot Bettys in Love. Babe in Boyland was optioned by the Disney Channel and won the International Reading Association’s Teen Choice Award. Her adult novels are Bombshell, Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in the Land of Skin. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She is a professor of English and Communication Studies at Mendocino College.
Some women always get it right. Kindergarten teacher, Meg Thompson, on the other hand, consistently makes the wrong decisions — and she is currently single, pregnant and alone. Meg is determined to make changes in her life, to be a better mother than her own had been. No revolving door of men. No man, period. Just a single-minded focus on her baby. Her resolution would be easier to keep if not for hot cop, Scott Dare. He insinuates himself in her life, making Meg want to believe in happily ever after, even if history has taught her to know better.
When Scott Dare hears Meg’s friends are determined she have a night of hot sex, before her life changes forever, he decides that man must be him. Their one night is mind blowing and life altering. And Scott, a man already burned by his ex-wife, finds himself all in anyway. While protecting Meg from her violent ex and becoming part of her increasingly complicated life, he’s falling hard and he can’t seem to find distance. Not when their bodies respond to each other with such heated intensity and he’s drawn to her unique combination of strength and vulnerability.
But Meg’s future is one Scott has accepted he’ll never have, even if his growing feelings say otherwise …
Some women always managed to get it right. To make the right choices, to pick the right man, to nail this crazy thing called life. Meg Thompson, on the other hand, managed to end up single and pregnant. But she couldn’t regret the baby growing inside her, and from now on, she was determined to get things right.
She pulled on her favorite pair of jeans, tugged them up over her hips, and unsuccessfully attempted to close the button. She grunted and lay down on the bed, pulling the sides closer together but no luck. She wriggled, sucked in a deep breath, and tried again, only to end up huffing out a stream of air in frustration.
“Didn’t these fit just last weekend?” she asked herself, peeling the denim off her legs and tossing them onto the floor with a groan.
She glanced down at her still-flat stomach, placing her hand over her belly. “How could something I can’t see or feel cause so much upheaval in my life?” And how could she love the baby growing inside her so much already?
A vibrating buzz told her someone was sending her a message. She checked her phone.
Lizzy: Almost ready?
Meg sighed. Her best friend, Elizabeth Cooper, was due to pick her up in ten minutes. Girls’ night out. Or, in Lizzy’s words, hookup night and Meg’s last chance for a hot, no-holds-barred fling before she started to show and her sole focus became being a new mom. Meg was up for girls’ night, but no way would she be picking up a stranger for a one-night stand. Her days of choosing the wrong men were over. Mike was the last in a long line of sucky choices. So not only didn’t she trust her judgment when it came to the opposite sex, it no longer mattered. She was finished relying on men to define her or make her happy.
“Right, baby?” She patted her belly and headed to her closet for a pair of elastic-waist leggings.
* * *
Meg and her friends settled into their seats at Mel’s, a popular spot for casual drinks after work and on the weekends. Mel’s was a dimly lit bistro with a wood-fired oven and grill in the back, dark mahogany-looking tables throughout, and a funky bar where people gathered. Meg loved it here.
She waved to the waiter, who stepped over to their table.
“What can I get you ladies?”
The girls ordered alcoholic drinks, and the good-looking waiter turned to Meg.
“I’ll have a club soda. With a lime.”
“Going for the hard stuff, I see.” He winked and scribbled down her order.
Meg smiled. “Designated driver.” Which wasn’t a lie. Lizzy might have picked her up, but Meg would be the one driving home.
She glanced around at the women she’d ignored for a long time in favor of her asshole ex and, unfortunately, her baby daddy. She was grateful these women were here for her now because Meg had a bad habit of dropping friends in favor of men. Men she looked to for the love and acceptance she’d never received from her own father she barely remembered. Meg sighed and rested her chin on her hands. Her childhood memories included a string of Alicia’s boyfriends who came and went from her young life.
Her mother had set a pattern Meg unconsciously followed. First she’d latched on to Dylan Rhodes, the one and only good guy in her life. He’d been her high school boyfriend and her rock until they broke up before going to college, and then Meg began emulating her mother’s taste by choosing men who always took advantage one way or another.
Luckily she and Dylan had reconnected when they’d moved back to Miami years later, but Meg had over-relied on Dylan instead of standing on her own two feet. It took Dylan falling hard for another woman to wake Meg up to her too-needy ways. Dylan was her friend, but he was now Olivia Dare’s husband. And Meg was determined to be independent. Everything the way it should be.
“Earth to Meg.” Lizzy waved a hand in front of her eyes.
Meg blinked, startled. “Sorry. Just got lost there for a minute.”
“Nowhere good, from the look on your face.” Lizzy tilted her head to one side, her long blonde curls falling over her shoulder. “Everything okay?” Her friend studied her, her brown eyes soft and concerned.
Meg smiled. “Couldn’t be better. I was actually thinking about the changes I’ve made—that I’m determined to keep making in my life. And it’s really good to be out with you guys,” Meg said, meaning it.
“It’s great to be out with you too,” Lizzy said.
The waiter stopped by the table and passed out their beverages. Meg took a long sip of her cold soda, appreciating the way it eased her dry throat.
“Well, you must be doing something right because you’re glowing,” Lizzy said.
“It’s the pregnancy hormones,” Meg muttered.
“No, seriously. You look beautiful,” her friend insisted.
Meg smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Allie Mendez, the office secretary and the third woman in their posse, slipped her cell into her purse and leaned closer to join the conversation. “Maybe I should get myself pregnant, because Lizzy’s right. You’re gorgeous.”
Meg blushed. “And you two need glasses.”
“Not if the guys at the next table are any indication. Look. The blond one can’t take his eyes off you!” Lizzy said, her voice rising in excitement.
Oh no. All Lizzy needed was a target and she’d be aiming Meg his way all night. “I’m sure he’s looking at one of you. Not the pregnant woman in the elastic-waist pants.” Lizzy and her blonde beauty or Allie and her olive skin and luscious curves attracted men wherever they went.
“You must not have looked in a mirror before leaving the house,” Allie told her, a frown on her pretty face.
“Oh, look! He’s coming this way. Now remember. There’s nothing wrong with getting yourself some before your life gets serious.” Lizzy nudged her arm.
“I don’t want some,” Meg muttered. “If he’s so hot, you should—”
“Hi, ladies,” the man said, bracing an arm on the back of Meg’s chair.
“Hi!” Lizzy said too brightly.
“My friends and I would like to buy you all a drink.” He spoke to the table, but his eyes were on Meg.
She shook her head. “We were just having a private convers—”
“We’d like that,” Allie chimed in.
“Mind if we join you then?” he asked, making Meg wonder if he was dense, oblivious, or just that ego-driven.
In response, Lizzy slid her chair away from Meg, making room for the other man to sit. Which, after grabbing his chair and pulling it over to the table, he did. His pals joined them too.
Meg shot her friend an annoyed look.
“Give him a chance,” Lizzy mouthed behind the man’s back.
Rob, Mark, and Ken, they said their names were, as conversation began to flow. Ken was the one closest to Meg, and with his light hair and coloring, he definitely resembled his Barbie-doll namesake. Even if she were interested in a hookup, a preppy man who liked to talk about himself wouldn’t be her choice. She disliked his wandering hands even more.
He brushed her back.
She stiffened.
He sat forward so their shoulders touched. She shoved her chair in the opposite direction.
Somehow he ended up close beside her again, his thigh touching hers.
She was all too ready to go home, but her friends seemed to like the guys they were talking to, and she didn’t want to ruin their time by being rude to Ken. She wouldn’t leave with him, but she’d be pleasant while they were here.
“So what do you do for a living?” he asked.
“I’m a kindergarten teacher.”
He blinked, long lashes framing green eyes. “That’s … brave.”
“Don’t like kids?” she asked, none too sweetly.
He fake-shuddered. “Not for a good long while. But you must have a decent pension plan?” he asked, back on the subject he liked best. Ken was a stockbroker and investor, and soon she found herself listening to all the ways she could save more money by investing with the best of the best. Him, of course.
She hid a yawn behind her hand, and when her bladder informed her she needed a trip to the restroom, she nearly groaned out loud in relief.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go … freshen up. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Meg rose and Ken followed, helping her pull out her chair.
Allie met her gaze. “Gentleman,” she mouthed in approval.
Meg swallowed a groan.
“I’ll be waiting,” Ken said as she walked away.
“Oh, please don’t be,” she said to herself, making her way to the bathroom at the far back of the restaurant.
She spent a long time in the restroom, checking her phone, swiping some gloss on her dry lips, and washing her hands, twice, in her effort to stall returning to the table.
When she did, she paused by Lizzy’s chair and whispered in her friend’s ear. “I’m going to bail. I’m not up to this. I’m really sorry. Will you be okay driving?”
“Of course. I barely had a sip. But I can leave and take you home.”
She shook her head. “No need. You seem to be hitting it off with Mark. I can get Uber,” she said of the car service in most cities, including Miami.
“I’d be happy to drive you,” Ken said.
She hadn’t realized he’d left his seat and had overheard them.
“No, really. Stay and have fun. I’m just not feeling too well.” Which was a lie, but it was nicer than go away, I’m not interested.
Which was ironic, since not too long ago, Meg would have been all too willing to see where things went with a guy who showed her any interest at all. Maybe the baby really was changing her, making her more self-reliant and aware as well as giving her better taste in men.
“Then you really shouldn’t go home alone,” Ken said, grasping her forearm.
Oh no, he didn’t. She pinned him with an annoyed glare. “Let. Go.” And what was it about her that attracted assholes anyway? she asked herself, as she tried to extricate herself without resorting to insults or calling management.
Lizzy jumped up from her seat just as the jerk released her arm, and a familiar voice reverberated in her ear.
“Touch her again and you’ll answer to me.”
Michel’s Review
When the father of her unborn child proves to be one more in a string of bad choices in the man department, Meg Thompson decides that she’s ready to do things on her own terms. Pregnant and alone, she’s determined that she can take care of herself. Scott Dare has been burned in love. Having faced the ultimate betrayal at the hands of his ex-wife, he has no intention of falling for what he sees as the myth of happily ever after.
I am a long-time fan of Carly Phillips and her DARE series. Dare To Hold is the sixth book in the series, and, once again, Carly has another winner on her hands. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Meg and Scott evolve. Meg realizes that tying herself to less-than-desirable men is a pattern for her, and is trying very hard to change. Scott, like all of the Dare men, is one heck of an alpha, and makes no bones about his desire to be with Meg. Having seen firsthand what she is dealing with with her ex, he is not about to let her handle things on her own. The dynamic between the two of them makes for some serious sparks and sizzle, and, in typical Carly fashion, more than a little uber-sexy time.
These books are always quick reads for me, for no other reason than that I cannot stop once I pick them up, and Dare To Hold is no exception. The plot moves quickly, and the presence of the entire Dare clan feels like visiting old friends. I am looking forward to getting Avery Dare’s story in Dare To Rock, but in the meantime happily give Dare To Hold 5+ ‘super-sexy, you really need a fan to read this’ stars.
About Carly Phillips:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites …
The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.
For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.
Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity prank, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.
Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be snuffed.
I heard the band start to play the classic one-two Merengue rhythm that I’d heard my whole life. On the dance floor, the energy picked up as the geezers began to move to the faster beat.
“Let’s go,” I said, standing up. I offered Bella my hand.
But Bella shook her head. Even worse, she scooted her chair toward the wall.
“Don’t leave me hanging,” I said, my hand still waiting in the air. “Come on now. Nobody puts Bella in a corner.”
On the other side of the table, Bella’s sister snorted into her white wine.
Bella rolled her eyes. Hard. “You did not just quote Dirty Dancing.”
I leaned down near Bella’s ear. “I did. Now get your ass out of that chair, like the girl in the movie, or I’ll have to put you in a fireman’s hold.”
Her mouth tight, Bella stood up. Not one to waste an opportunity, I clasped her hand, tugging her onto the dance floor. When we were right in the center, I put one hand onto Bella’s waist and took her opposite hand in mine. She was as stiff as a piece of wood. “Shake it off, chica. This is supposed to be fun.”
“Your job tonight was to make my life less embarrassing. Not more.”
“I am doing that. We’re going to be the best looking dancers on this floor, and everyone in this mausoleum is going to wonder how I got so lucky as to be here with you. Now listen to this rhythm, okay? Just step to the beat. And let your hips absorb the motion.” I began to move to the music. The merengue is a Dominican dance, and every kid in my neighborhood can merengue before his fifth birthday. It’s just not that complicated.
With nervous eyes, Bella began to move.
“Use these hips,” I prompted, touching the silky fabric of her dress. As I watched, she loosened up a tiny fraction. “Yes! But even more. You look great. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. And think of pressing the balls of your feet into the floor.”
Biting her lip, Bella moved with me.
“That’s it! See? Nothing to it.” Just like that, we had a proper merengue going on.
“Can I sit down yet?” Bella asked.
“Not even close,” I laughed. “See, I knew you could move.”
Bella pouted. “We’ve seen each other’s moves, Rafe.”
She lifted her eyes, and the heat in them went straight to my dick.
Jesucristo. That was the trouble with getting so close to Bella. I was always going to be susceptible to her. Anything she did to remind me of that night was always going to knock me right over.
“Ha.” She said. “I finally found a way to shut you up.” Bella put a little more effort into her merengue then, looking smug.
Michel’s Review
The Shameless Hour is the fourth book in the Ivy Years Series by Sarina Bowen. Each and every book in this series has been beyond excellent and made our 2014 Favorites list. The Shameless Hour is following in the foot steps of it’s predecessors with a very unique story and very unique characters. There is nothing predictable about this book. This book paves the path for new characters in the series as well as featuring some of the beloved characters from previous books. She has allowed her characters to mature, grow as individuals, and move forward in their lives. Some have graduated and left Harkness College, others are working towards graduating, some are changing their interests and goals, others are finding new paths to follow; the one thing that remains the same is their dedication to friendship and love. Each character has a story to tell and hopefully each one will get a book. Up on the Harkness Roll Sheet in the Ivy Years series is Bella Hall, the student hockey team manager.
Bella Hall is in a class by herself. She can manage a team full of college hockey players and take any kind of crap from the guys and give it right back, She is a progressive thinker and is very open about her own sexuality. She doesn’t see any harm in hooking up with a guy as long as it doesn’t hurt any one else and there are no expectations for a relationship. She is a free spirit until a horrific mistake makes her the joke of the campus. Her mistake has been posted on the internet as a fraternity prank and it ruins her self esteem. The once outgoing girl turns into an introvert. But another previous mistake ends up being her redemption and the best thing to ever happen to her. It opens her eyes about the true meaning of love and relationships. It opens the door for new friendships. It shows her how loyal and valuable her friendship has been to others. It also gives her an opportunity to focus on her goals and ambitions for the future. Most of all… these two mistakes, one good and one bad, will be life changing for her in a very good way. She will find the kind of love she never knew she wanted or needed.
Rafe Santiago is a sophomore Soccer player at Harkness. He comes from a humble background. He was raised by a single mother in a strict Hispanic Catholic environment. He has been taught to respect women, that one night stand hookups are wrong, and that love should be the only reason to have sex out of wedlock. When a bad break up leads to a drunken one night stand with the beautiful Bella Hall, he is mortified the next day. He isn’t mortified because he had sex, he is mortified that he treated Bella with disrespect the morning after. He truly likes her as a person and has always harbored a secret crush on her. He is determined to apologize and make things right with Bella. He wants to date her and show her what a caring relationship means. When the unthinkable happens to Bella he’s determined to show her what an exceptional and beautiful person she is inside and out.
Rafe and Bella will form a beautiful friendship that comes from true respect. They will find that they have more in common than they think. They will also learn new things about themselves as well as each other.
Sarina Bowen penned another emotional and heart wrenching story. When Bella’s mistake was revealed I was floored. I was having an OMG moment and was completely stunned. I have never read a book with this kind of dilemma as part of the plot. How she handled this dilemma and how the characters reacted to it was amazing. She once again showed that people can overcome the things that hurt them most. This was a beautiful love story that showed the readers the value of friendship and respect. Rafe was another swoon worthy hero in the Harkness Hall of Fame. Well done Sarina! I can’t wait to see what’s coming next…. maybe a movie star, a hot shot soccer player, or some of our beloved hockey players.
Read The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen. It can be read in series order or as a stand alone romance.
The Ivy Years
The Year We Fell Down – Book 1
The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?
She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.
Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.
Also, he’s taken.
Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.
They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.
But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.
She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror.
It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start.
Clutching a shiny new student ID — with a newly minted name on it — she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.
Bridger McCaulley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few sensual, stolen hours he spends with Scarlet.
The two form a tentative relationship based on the understanding that some things must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it alone just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep.
A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?
As a sorority pledge, there are commandments that Katie Vickery must live by. One: thou shalt not show up for the party without a date. Two: the guy shall be an athlete, preferably an upperclassman.
Unfortunately, Katie just broke up with her jerkface football player boyfriend. Even worse, her last encounter with him resulted in utter humiliation. She’d rather hide under the bed than attend a party where he’ll be.
Yet staying home would mean letting him win.
Enjoying herself tonight was out of the question. She could only hope to get through the evening without her blind date noticing that he was spending the evening with a crazy person.
Andrew Baschnagel is living proof that nice guys don’t finish first. He’s had his eye on Katie since the moment her long legs waltzed into his art history class. So when her roommate sets Andy up to be Katie’s date, he’d be crazy to say no. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of practice with either girls or parties. Yet.
What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.
So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.
John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.
And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.
Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.
Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.
Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.
The Ivy Years Collection- Three Full Length Novels + Novella
Life at the elite Harkness College is brought to you in four tales, each one sexier and more heartbreaking than the last. Contains: hockey hotties, snarky T-shirts, a slow-burn love affair, a liar (with reasons,) a virgin (with reasons,) and one adorkable basketball player.
Book 1: The Year We Fell Down
The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.
Corey was supposed to start college as a member of the women’s ice hockey team. Instead, she’ll spend it in a wheelchair. The only upside? Her too-delicious-to-be-real neighbor across the hall.
Book 2: The Year We Hid Away
She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Dorm rooms are supposed to be for sleeping, studying, and partying. Not for hiding your eight-year-old sister.
Novella: Blonde Date
A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?
Book 3: The Understatement of the Year
What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Michael Graham will never tell anyone the truth about himself. Too bad his past walks right into the locker room on the first day of hockey practice.
Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.
The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.
For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.
Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.
Two broken hearts, one chance to make something beautiful with the pieces…
Eight months ago, John Lawson lost his wife and best friend in a tragic accident on his family’s ranch. In the time since, he’s devoted himself to two things–taking care of his two newly motherless sons and proving that Lily’s accident was no accident. Now, he finally has hard evidence that his wife was murdered and he won’t rest until he has the killer’s blood on his hands. He doesn’t have time for anything but vengeance, especially not a crazy ghost hunter wanting to poke around the old spring on his family’s ranch.
Persephone Styles–Percy to her friends–learned about ghosts the hard way, when she was orphaned by a violent crime at the age of seven. Ever since, she’s seen spirits and been obsessed with studying souls beyond the grave. She’s in Lonesome Point to document the town’s spectral activity, but finds herself powerfully drawn to widower John Lawson and empathizing with his grieving children. For the first time in years, Percy is as riveted by the living as she’s always been by the dead and longs to be a part of John’s life.
But when one night of passion becomes something more, Percy realizes John is as haunted as she is and that the man she’s coming to love is walking a dangerous road that may end with him becoming a murderer’s next victim.
John Lawson is a broken man. Having lost the love of his life, he’s having a hard time putting the pieces of his life back together. Although Lonesome Point law enforcement has ruled Lily’s death an accident, John is sure that there is more to the story, and lives for the moments that he meets Lily in the in-between, the space between waking and sleeping.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Styles has a gift. Able to communicate with the spirit world, and having spent all of her time with those no longer here, she’s ready to focus on the living, and to bring comfort to a man she doesn’t even know. After encountering a psychic exchange between John and Lily, Percy feels called to visit Lonesome Point and to help John heal, and Lily to pass over to the next world.
The Lonesome Point, TX, series by Jessie Evans has been a favorite of mine since the first book. Small-town life, quirky and loveable characters, mystery and intrigue, and, oh, yes, absolutely swoony cowboys and the ladies that are lucky enough to capture their hearts, make for a winning combination at every level.
I have loved each and every book in this series, but the Lawson brothers hold a special place in my heart. Loving, loyal, and completely committed to family, these three men are truly something. John, the eldest, is the rock of the family, the man that had stepped in when his father died, who has always been there for his mother and brothers, and who had found happiness with his true love only to have it ripped away. Losing Lily has thrown him into a tailspin, and the feeling that her death was no accident has kept him from being able to move on. When Percy shows up, he wants nothing to do with her particular brand of ‘help,’ figuring her for a nutcase, and pushes her away.
“I understand that’s not part of your belief system,” she said. “And I can respect that, but I have reason to believe there are spirits here who need my help and I’d like to stay until they feel safe enough to make contact.”
“Safe enough to make contact,” he echoed, his next breath emerging with a huff. “What are they going to do, come whisper in your ear?”
“Something like that,” she said, lifting her chin.
Percy quickly shows that she is what she says, and John, eager for answers, and intrigued by Percy and her gifts, finds himself working with her to unravel the mystery of Lily’s death.
This wouldn’t be a Jessie Evans book without a sweet, sexy, and heart-melting romance, and she does not disappoint. Almost from the beginning, John finds himself drawn to Percy, not only as someone to help him in his quest, but as a woman. She is unlike no one he’s known before, but his guilt over being attracted to her is a major stumbling block. Percy, for her part, has never felt the way she does about John for anyone else, and is determined to show him that his place is in the here and now, with her.
“…You deserve better than a man who doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to love someone else again.”
“Maybe I don’t want better…And I know I don’t want to leave. I want to stay until you get your answers.”
“I care about you, Percy,” he said, his chest aching as his heart stretched in two different directions. “I don’t want to see you hurt, and I especially don’t want to be the one doing the hurting.”
“If you ask me to leave again, you will hurt me,” she said. “I need to see this through. Not just for you, but for me too. I need to see where this goes. Not just the investigation, but this. Us.”
Ropes and Revenge is the last book in the Lonesome Point series, and, although I am sad to see this series end, I am completely satisfied with the way that everything is wrapped up. I’m excited to be able to say that I will get to revisit the characters and place that I have come to love, as Jessie will be writing an off-shoot series based on the children of Lonesome Point. What could be better than a whole new generation of people to love? As ever, 5+ ‘happily ever after, what a fantastic story’ stars for Jessie Evans and Lonesome Point, TX.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.
She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.
When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.
Genre: YA/ NA Crossover Suspense/Psychological Thriller
By S. Walden
Synopsis
Book Description:
~A lot can change in the space between devising a plan and carrying it out. That space is called the Interim.~
High school seniors Jeremy Stahl and Regan Walters aren’t friends. Not even close. He’s a picked-on, picked-apart loser outcast. She’s a cool kid running with the popular crowd. It’s unlikely they’d ever speak to one another. Too bad he’s madly in love with her. But what does it matter, anyway? He’s got no time for love. Only revenge.
Meticulously detailed in the pages of his battered red notebook is his master plan: April 14, 9:30 A.M., two guns, eighty rounds of ammo, backup knives, eleven victims. He’s finally ready to answer every single taunt, jeer, and flying fist—unwarranted abuse that’s spanned six years of his lonely life. He’s justified. He’s ready. But he never readied himself for her.
Regan finds his journal. She reads it, and when he discovers her intrusion, he has to switch tactics. She’s a liability now.
Better fix that.
(WARNING: This is a New Adult standalone that contains graphic language and violence, including gun violence. If school shootings are an especially sensitive subject for you, then I urge you to refrain from reading this book.)
Not many authors will discourage you from reading their work. After all, the goal of our stories is to grow our readership, not diminish it. I’m well aware of that, but when I first became inspired with Jeremy’s story, I knew I would have to go about promoting it in an entirely different way—something far removed from my past marketing campaigns. I knew I would have to hide the book, stamp disclaimers all over it, plant seeds of doubt in your minds, decline requests for advanced reviews—in essence, all the things an author SHOULD NOT do when marketing her book. That’s why it took me so long to write the damn thing—over a year of worrying, second-guessing, flip-flopping, arguing. Jeremy sat waiting patiently, and I stared back at him wondering just how much he would destroy my career.
Then I remembered that his story is exactly the type of controversial social issue I enjoy tackling. I knew I had to write it because I could. I could be sensitive to the subject matter without being PC. I could leave my political and moral opinions out of it. I could make it a human story, not a gun story. I could do all these things if I worked very hard—if I was diligent and faithful to my characters and their experiences. Once I realized these things, I stopped fretting and just started writing, careful to keep all the details private and sacred. That’s how writing should be: private and sacred.
Now Jeremy’s story is no longer private, but I hope you will find it sacred. I hope you will throw off your preconceptions and bury your social and political views, your moral judgments. It’s too easy to go into a story like this already angry, especially if you or someone you love has experienced gun violence. I urge you to think long and hard before starting Interim if you are especially sensitive to the topic of school shootings. There are extremely violent, descriptive scenes, and I do not wish for my book to be a trigger for you.
I am well aware of the social debate a book like this may provoke. I did not write it for debate. I did not write it to make a statement about guns, gun control, gun access, Constitutional rights, etc. I am not interested in comparing my story to the horrific school shootings that have taken place in the United States. I have no motive other than to tell a story about an abused boy who felt he deserved justice. What you take away from the novel is entirely up to you.
Love,
Summer
Excerpt
Who was he? What was his purpose? He knew it once. Once, a long time ago, he decided to be a hero. He decided to avenge himself and all the other kids who were helpless against abuse. Once, a long time ago, he learned the difference between justice and mercy. He learned when justice was required. He learned when mercy was allowed. Once, a long time ago, he faced himself in the mirror and saw a stranger—a better boy than he could ever be. A boy with a mission. A boy with convictions. And he reached out to take hold of that boy, through the looking-glass, falling into a wonderland where righteousness ruled supreme and evil was destroyed with the pop pop! of a gun. The world made sense to him. Then.
Twenty-three years ago, Pearl Jam released the alternative rock single named Jeremy. Jeremy is one of the most widely-recognized songs performed by Pearl Jam and is based on two different true stories. The main inspiration for Jeremy was a newspaper article about Jeremy Wade Delle of Richardson, Texas. On the morning of January 8, 1991, Jeremy Delle shot himself in front of his second-period English class. This song is also inspired by a student songwriter Eddie Vedder knew when he was in junior high school in San Diego. Instead of taking his own life, this student decided to gun down his classmates.
Now that you know the story behind the song, have you ever taken a moment to focus on the words of Jeremy? Go on…..pull out your iPod or do a search of YouTube videos and listen. It’s a very deep and dark song about a troubled teenager who decides to take control of his life and fight back on his own terms. It didn’t take long for me to recall Pearl Jam’s Jeremy once I began reading Interim, and the song will forever mean more to me now that I have read this novel.
It wasn’t easy for S. Walden to write her story about Jeremy Stahl. It took her a long time to come to terms with what was bouncing around in her head. Walden wants readers to know she is not speaking to a point. She has no agenda. She just has a story. Knowing Walden’s proclivity to write about dark and controversial subjects, I was nervous about reading Interim. In fact, I have never feared the content of a novel like I did with Interim. I had a healthy respect for this story based on the synopsis and personal discussion with the author before I began reading.
Walden truly agonized over writing Interim. Bullying. Parental neglect and abuse. Gun violence in schools. When you combine controversial subjects with violence, you have a recipe for something dark and scary. Something to be feared. This is the truth of the matter – the events that take place in Interim could happen at any school or shopping mall or workplace on any given day. So before you begin reading Interim, please be sure to read the letter from S. Walden at the beginning of the novel and be very sure you can handle the content.
I’m going to get straight to the point. Interim is a 6-star novel. It’s everything I could have hoped for in a thriller. Intense emotions, anger and panic. Darkness. Suspense. Graphic violence. Young adult romance. The authentic feel of the high school social scene. Issues teenagers deal with on daily basis. Walden was a teacher for several years, and she’s acquainted with the age group. She’s familiar with bullying. The dialogue, conversations between Jeremy and Regan, Hannah and other secondary characters, kept me on the edge of my seat. Interim completely held my interest. It’s one of the finest examples of character development that I can recall. It may have taken a long time for Walden to write this story, but I applaud the amount of time and thought she put into writing it. There is nothing rushed or sloppy about Interim. It’s one of the best novels I have read this year, and it has definitely earned a place on my list of 2015 favorites!
S.Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about it.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.
The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.
Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moment most precious to a father. Until now.
I didn’t know you were killing yourself with work. I didn’t know you’re raising our daughter. So help me God, had I known, there is no military force on earth that would’ve kept me from you.
Love needs to heal all, or they won’t survive the collision of their separate lives. Emma must reach deep into her heart that is barely hanging on and find forgiveness. Grayson, wrecked with PTSD-filled nightmares, must prove that he’s here to stay and able to rebuild his family against all odds.
I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.
Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.
“I’ve done nothing for you to give me that trust, but I need you to anyway.”
I’m not pressed against his chest anymore. The warmth that encapsulated me moments ago is gone, but I feel different. Life’s shifted—I’ve been hanging on this roller coaster for years, and now it’s as if we’re cautiously slipping toward smooth sailing. The lump in my throat eases, and my eyelids lift, my gaze falling on the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
“What do you say?” He inches closer.
“I love you, Grayson.” Deep breath. “When it comes to us, I’m all in.”
Michel’s Review
Grayson and Emma have found their way back to one another. Their separation was the catalyst to a very hard journey for both of them. For Grayson it was turning his back on the only thing he loved to serve in the military. For Emma it was mission of daily survival after the only man she ever loved left her without a word. The only thing that has made this betrayal easier is the beautiful baby he doesn’t know he has left behind. Their daughter is the only thing that came out good and pure.
Now Grayson is back and wants to reclaim the future he and Emma should of had. The separation has left a lot of mistrust and emotional scars. He vows he has become a better man. A man that will honor the woman he loves and cherish the daughter they created.
Emma and Grayson want to put their lives back together. They want to hang onto the love they have for one another. Although they have accepted and forgave each other, their path still will not be easy. They will have to win over Emma’s family, put Grayson’s childhood in the past, and find a new path to travel. First on the agenda is for Grayson to find a job in the civilian world. Lucky that Titan has their eyes on him. He may find a job that suits his skill set and will keep him close to home with Emma. It may be dangerous but not as bad as his job in the military. Emma will have to come clean to Grayson on how she has been supporting her daughter while going to college. It could be a deal breaker for them.
Just as things look like they are going to work out, Emma’s secret will be exposed in the worst possible way. What happens next? Cliffhanger. The final installment in the Only series, Only Forever, will release soon.
The Only Series is addicting. Cristin Harber has written an emotional story of first love and true love that will forever stay true. Read this series!
Only Series
Only For Him
Only Series – Book 1
Genre – New Adult
By Cristin Harber
Synopsis
Grayson Ford and Emma Kinglsey–close since they were kids, opposites in every way. He’s the stuff high school crushes are made of, Mister Popular, and captain of every team. She’s artsy, cute, and not in his league, though fully aware of Summerland’s “I Dream of Dating Grayson Ford” support group.
I can’t say no. The girl’s had my heart since before I knew it went missing.
He hides a life of hell. His father hates him, his mother’s gone. Emma is his only savior, yet she doesn’t know her power over him. She’s the only girl he wants, the only one he could ever tell–though he won’t.
I’m stronger, bigger, more of a man than he’ll ever be, but because I ruined his life, I’ve taken his crap, his attacks, the vulgar nature of his existence.
Until she discovers Gray’s embarrassment, his humiliation. Emma fights for him and for a chance. Theirs is a Cinderella story that she believes impossible. But as the layers peel back, it’s just a guy who needs a girl in order to keep breathing.
My mind is already doodling Mrs. Grayson Ford in imaginary notebooks. He has no clue where my head is at… But, given that I didn’t see what just happened coming, maybe I have no clue where his head is at either.
Only for Him. Only series, Volume One.
All novellas will release Spring 2015.
The second installment in the Only series. Must read book one first!!
First loves never die but Grayson Ford comes close. Bleeding out in a war zone, he barters with God. Bring him back alive, and he’ll make it right with his girl.
All I want is Emma. I need her, and I fight for her memory. A story. A smile. Anything. But it’s all blank.
Emma is not his girl anymore. Time has skipped by and life’s been hard. She strips to pay the bills, waitresses to fill the hours between classes and her third job. All while working to be the best mama she can be to the little girl who will never know her daddy. Even though Grayson abandoned her, she mourned his death. Until he calls, and everything she knew was wrong.
It’s him. The him that ruined my life. That made my life. That confused my mind to the point that I can’t figure out if I’ve been destroyed or set free. The him that… is… dead.
He’s back with one objective–Emma Kingsley–and she never sees it coming.
The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.
Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moment most precious to a father. Until now.
I didn’t know you were killing yourself with work. I didn’t know you’re raising our daughter. So help me God, had I known, there is no military force on earth that would’ve kept me from you.
Love needs to heal all, or they won’t survive the collision of their separate lives. Emma must reach deep into her heart that is barely hanging on and find forgiveness. Grayson, wrecked with PTSD-filled nightmares, must prove that he’s here to stay and able to rebuild his family against all odds.
I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.
Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.
The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.
Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moments most precious to a father. Until now.
I didn’t know you were killing yourself with work. I didn’t know you’re raising our daughter. So help me God, had I known, there is no military force on earth that would’ve kept me from you.
Love needs to heal all, or they won’t survive the collision of their separate lives. Emma must reach deep into her heart that is barely hanging on and find forgiveness. Grayson, wrecked with PTSD-filled nightmares, must prove that he’s here to stay and able to rebuild his family against all odds.
I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.
Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.
ABOUT CRISTIN HARBER
Cristin Harber is a USA Today bestselling romantic suspense and military romance author. Fans voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was #1 romantic suspense, #1 military romance, and a USA Today Top 100 bestseller.
She lives outside Washington, DC with her family and English Bulldog.
We are so, so excited to bring you guy the Release Week Blitz for Laura Kaye’s HARD TO BE GOOD!! HARD TO BE GOOD is a novella in Laura’s Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Romance. We absolutely loveLaura’s Hard Ink men and are so excited to see Jeremy and Charlie get their HEA!!
Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.
Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.
With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…
EXCERPT:
“You should be inside celebrating,” Jeremy said, his voice a raw scrape. “You and Marz did an amazing thing this morning.” An hour ago, Marz and Charlie had cracked open a heavily encrypted microchip that contained a wealth of information that not only seemed likely to help the team clear its name, but proved that Charlie’s father hadn’t been dirty, like they’d all thought. “And I’m so happy for you about your dad.”
A wounded darkness passed through Charlie’s gaze, but he finally nodded. “Didn’t feel right without you there.” Pink filtered into his cheeks, and damn if that wasn’t as cute as it was sexy. Jeremy wasn’t sure anything had ever made him blush.
“I’m just not—” Jeremy shrugged and looked down at Charlie’s chest again. Having seen the guy dress more than once, he knew that shirt covered lean muscle that ran from strong shoulders down to his narrow hips. Jeremy fisted his hands against the urge to burrow them under the hem of the tee. After weeks of looking, and wanting, he was dying to touch. Jeremy found Charlie hard to read though, and hadn’t wanted to do anything to scare him off. “—very good company right now. I’m sorry if that—”
Charlie nudged Jeremy’s chin up with his hand, his fingers just barely touching Jer’s stubble-covered skin. But then his thumb landed softly against his lips.
Jeremy’s heartbeat kicked up and his lips fell open. Slowly, oh so tentatively, Charlie stroked the soft pad of his thumb back and forth across them.
“Charlie,” Jeremy whispered as arousal surged through his body, spiking his pulse, tensing his muscles, hardening his dick.
Uncertainty poured off Charlie as the man’s hand trembled where it touched him, but those blue eyes absolutely blazed desire. No way was Jeremy imagining that.
“You’re always good company, to me,” Charlie said in a low voice, his gaze dropping to Jeremy’s lips. Charlie leaned in closer, and closer still, and Jeremy could hardly believe the other man was the one to initiate this. But he was fucking thrilled.
Jeremy swallowed, his lips anticipating that first soft brush. Charlie was so close his shaky breath caressed Jeremy’s lips. His pace was maddening but so damn sexy Jer could barely breathe. And then Charlie’s eyelids fluttered closed and he was right there…
And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:
“TOP PICK! If you’re looking for danger, gritty action, and sizzling passion, then Kaye has just the book and the series for you.” ~RT Book Reviews Magazine
Michel’s Review
Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye is the one book that the Hard Ink Fans have been dying for. The build up throughout the series has left the readers wondering when Jeremy and Charlie would get their happily ever after. This novella gives the readers what they want and so much more. I am amazed how Laura Kaye can pack so much into a novella. The emotional depth of this story was phenomenal. The pacing wasn’t too fast or too slow. The sexual tension and chemistry between Jer and Charlie was sizzling hot.
Although the story didn’t revolve around all the suspense that has been going on at Hard Ink, it did move the overall plot closer to the final revelations. This book focused more on the relationship between these two strong men. It showed how even in today’s society it is still hard to find acceptance of gay relationships. Exposing your deepest feelings and vulnerabilities to your loved ones, family, and friends is hard enough without the added taboo. Also trying to find your footing in a committed relationship whether straight or gay is very hard. We all have insecurities about showing our true emotions. The freedom of letting these emotions out and allowing them to grow is the ultimate surrender. Jer and Charlie will take the readers on an emotional journey that will not only touch their own hearts but capture the readers as well.
Once again Laura Kaye has written a beautiful love story.
About Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.
Saucy Southern Readers 