June 21, 2016
▸ JUNE 2016
One word.
Stay.
It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him.
That was seventeen years ago.
I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.
Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.
This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been broken . . .
Stay.
It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him.
That was seventeen years ago.
I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.
Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.
This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been broken . . .
Simon Danbury, an internationally sought after motivational speaker, helps women from all walks of life with love, self-esteem, dating and career building skills. Handsome, witty and wealthy, Simon seemingly has everything a man could want. But appearances can be deceiving. While Simon may have the answers for millions of women all over the world, when it comes to his own love life, he’s a giant, sexy mess. Divorced, and convinced that he’ll never love again, the very last thing he expects is one Charly Boudreaux.
Charly doesn’t want to be at this seminar in the middle of nowhere, but her sister made her go. She’s the one who has her life together. Great career, amazing family, nice home, and loyal friends. So what if she doesn’t have a man? She doesn’t need one. If she’s learned anything in her almost thirty years, it’s that men are more trouble than they’re worth. And they have a nasty habit of breaking your heart into a million tiny pieces. So she’ll sit through all of Simon’s touchy feely crap and go home and get on with her life. Except Simon isn’t really spouting crap, and when he smiles at her, the butterflies are ridiculous.
Never mixing business with pleasure, Simon finds Charly, a bright spot in a universe that’s been dark for too long. But will he be able to resist her? And why would he want to?
Life in New York for ex-con Riley Moore is pretty damn good, until a call from his mother shatters the calm: his father has suffered his second heart attack in two years and is in a critical condition. Leaving everything behind, Riley flies home to Michigan for the first time in five years to support his mother and do his best to make amends with his father. He also tries not to think about Lexie Pierce, the only girl he ever truly cared about, and who broke his heart.
When they inevitably meet, memories of their love make Riley yearn to reconnect, despite the pain they both suffered. Though she's wary, and has a secret she’s hidden from him for five years, Lexie has little willpower when it comes to Riley and she agrees. Besides, after all that has gone before, she owes it to both of them to find out if they can love each other again.
Can they both overcome their sorrow and secrets and finally share their life together?
When my husband Oliver died, my life ended. My purpose, my passion, my everything bled out with him on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Ollie was an organ donor. His eyes, his brain, his lungs, his heart…parts of my Ollie went out and saved lives.
Then His heart, beating in another man’s chest, found its way back to me, and I found myself faced with an impossible choice: hold on to the pain and beauty of the past and the memory of the man I loved, or reach for a bold new
future, knowing each heartbeat will be a reminder of all I’ve lost.
•••
I wasn’t supposed to live past thirty.
My grandfather died at forty-five. Heart failure.
My father died at thirty-five. Heart failure.
The doctors told me my whole life that I wouldn’t see my thirty-first birthday. My heart was going to give out. It was just a matter of time: a rare blood type and an unusually large heart meant essentially zero chance of a transplant.
I proved them all wrong…by dying on my thirty-first birthday.
And then I woke up, alive, with another man’s heart inside my chest, and his widow on my conscience.
I spent my whole life preparing for death, and now I have to learn how to live. Only, as I soon discovered, living is the easy part.
Loving, and allowing myself to be loved…well, that’s a whole lot harder.
Ollie was an organ donor. His eyes, his brain, his lungs, his heart…parts of my Ollie went out and saved lives.
Then His heart, beating in another man’s chest, found its way back to me, and I found myself faced with an impossible choice: hold on to the pain and beauty of the past and the memory of the man I loved, or reach for a bold new
future, knowing each heartbeat will be a reminder of all I’ve lost.
•••
I wasn’t supposed to live past thirty.
My grandfather died at forty-five. Heart failure.
My father died at thirty-five. Heart failure.
The doctors told me my whole life that I wouldn’t see my thirty-first birthday. My heart was going to give out. It was just a matter of time: a rare blood type and an unusually large heart meant essentially zero chance of a transplant.
I proved them all wrong…by dying on my thirty-first birthday.
And then I woke up, alive, with another man’s heart inside my chest, and his widow on my conscience.
I spent my whole life preparing for death, and now I have to learn how to live. Only, as I soon discovered, living is the easy part.
Loving, and allowing myself to be loved…well, that’s a whole lot harder.
The right love is worth the wait.
Sierra
Seven years have passed since I fell for Boone West. The brooding bad boy. We were friends, even when I secretly wanted more, but I settled for what he offered. After he left Wyoming--and me--I grew up. Moved on. Or so I believed until he blew back into my life with the scorching force of an Arizona desert wind.
I'm not that innocent sixteen-year-old girl anymore--I'm a businesswoman who swore never to settle again. But this older, wiser, hotter version of Boone unsettles me. How am I supposed to resist his megawatt smile and his built-army-strong body? Especially when he's inserting himself into every aspect of my life? Now he's determined to prove he can offer me everything that he couldn't before--and he's the only man that can fix the heart that he broke.
Boone
Joining the army? Best decision I ever made. Even though it meant I had to leave her behind. Sierra McKay. The wide-eyed beauty, who saw more in me than I saw in myself. I didn't dare offer her anything more than friendship, because one kiss, one touch and I wouldn't have had the guts to go.
I've worked hard to become the man I am. I have a career. A purpose. After a chance encounter with the one woman I never forgot--I'm not leaving anything else to chance. Now that I've chased her across three states, I'm ready to demonstrate that the passion we couldn't act on before burns hotter than ever between us. And I'll use every weapon in my arsenal to show Sierra McKay that she's always been mine.
Sierra
Seven years have passed since I fell for Boone West. The brooding bad boy. We were friends, even when I secretly wanted more, but I settled for what he offered. After he left Wyoming--and me--I grew up. Moved on. Or so I believed until he blew back into my life with the scorching force of an Arizona desert wind.
I'm not that innocent sixteen-year-old girl anymore--I'm a businesswoman who swore never to settle again. But this older, wiser, hotter version of Boone unsettles me. How am I supposed to resist his megawatt smile and his built-army-strong body? Especially when he's inserting himself into every aspect of my life? Now he's determined to prove he can offer me everything that he couldn't before--and he's the only man that can fix the heart that he broke.
Boone
Joining the army? Best decision I ever made. Even though it meant I had to leave her behind. Sierra McKay. The wide-eyed beauty, who saw more in me than I saw in myself. I didn't dare offer her anything more than friendship, because one kiss, one touch and I wouldn't have had the guts to go.
I've worked hard to become the man I am. I have a career. A purpose. After a chance encounter with the one woman I never forgot--I'm not leaving anything else to chance. Now that I've chased her across three states, I'm ready to demonstrate that the passion we couldn't act on before burns hotter than ever between us. And I'll use every weapon in my arsenal to show Sierra McKay that she's always been mine.
June 20, 2016
▸ JUNE 2016
Lydia De Havilland is shocked when Brogan Ramsay suddenly reappears in her life. Several years before, Brogan was the son of her family's gardener, and the boy she hurt and betrayed. But Brogan is no longer the quiet, sensitive boy she remembers. Now he's a man—gorgeous, powerful . . . and seeking vengeance.
Brogan Ramsay can't let go of the memory of Lydia tricking him cruelly, leaving his heart shattered and his family penniless. And now he's back to destroy her family the way his was destroyed. There's only one problem . . . the girl who wounded him so badly years ago is now a woman who still has the power to render him breathless.
Ramsay is the story of betrayal and wrath, of the strength of regret and the power of forgiveness. It is the story of the thin veil between love and hate, and how more often than not, when we seek to inflict pain on others, the heart we wound is our own.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.
The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.
At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.
Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.
The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.
At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.
Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.
They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.
A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE FILLED WITH DARK DESIRES AND DANGEROUS SECRETS…
Emily Wayborn has made a decision.
She might not fully trust handsome and deadly Reeve Sallis, but he is the one person that gives her what she needs. With Reeve she can finally be herself. Submitting to him is the only thing keeping her grounded as the rest of her life falls apart. But the hotelier is a master at keeping secrets and as she continues her quest for answers someone is making sure she doesn’t find them.
Time is running out and she is questioning everything she thought she knew about friendship and love. She must now make an impossible choice that will determine if she will survive with her heart…or at all.
Emily Wayborn has made a decision.
She might not fully trust handsome and deadly Reeve Sallis, but he is the one person that gives her what she needs. With Reeve she can finally be herself. Submitting to him is the only thing keeping her grounded as the rest of her life falls apart. But the hotelier is a master at keeping secrets and as she continues her quest for answers someone is making sure she doesn’t find them.
Time is running out and she is questioning everything she thought she knew about friendship and love. She must now make an impossible choice that will determine if she will survive with her heart…or at all.
INFERNO is the final part of HEAT, a four-part series.
Cadence Sutton knows that love is fleeting. She never felt it until she met Chef Tyler Monroe.
He set her heart on fire the moment she saw him in Nova's kitchen. She was scared to let herself feel anything for him, but it was futile to fight the attraction. Lust quickly turned to love.
As she prepares to tell him exactly how she feels, fate steps in and rears its ugly head.
The future is changed forever. Lives are altered. Secrets are revealed. Will their love survive it all?
Cadence Sutton knows that love is fleeting. She never felt it until she met Chef Tyler Monroe.
He set her heart on fire the moment she saw him in Nova's kitchen. She was scared to let herself feel anything for him, but it was futile to fight the attraction. Lust quickly turned to love.
As she prepares to tell him exactly how she feels, fate steps in and rears its ugly head.
The future is changed forever. Lives are altered. Secrets are revealed. Will their love survive it all?
Disgraced cop Henrik Vance is having a shit year. Banished to a derelict undercover squad, he’s been tasked with hunting down the daughter of Chicago’s most dangerous criminal. His obsession with saving the beautiful girl destroyed his career. And this time, it might cost his life.
Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.
His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…
Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.
His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…
I'm not a good man.
I'm not a bad man.
But I've made some bad mistakes, made the wrong choices.
Who hasn't? But the consequences are tearing us apart.
I love two people.
I love them differently.
The world tells me I have to choose. Why? Why do I have to choose?
Loving hurts. Dancing heals.
Love makes you soar, makes you fly and sets you free—and then it lets you freefall until you're smashed and bleeding on the ground. Ultimately, love is the worst thing that can happen to a human being.
Im my opinion.
I love two people.
I love them differently.
One is a man.
One is a woman.
And they are brother and sister.
I'm not a bad man.
But I've made some bad mistakes, made the wrong choices.
Who hasn't? But the consequences are tearing us apart.
I love two people.
I love them differently.
The world tells me I have to choose. Why? Why do I have to choose?
Loving hurts. Dancing heals.
Love makes you soar, makes you fly and sets you free—and then it lets you freefall until you're smashed and bleeding on the ground. Ultimately, love is the worst thing that can happen to a human being.
Im my opinion.
I love two people.
I love them differently.
One is a man.
One is a woman.
And they are brother and sister.
REVIEW: Idol by Kristen Callihan
Libby
I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my
lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match,
the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly
wearing me down, making me crave more.
He could be mine if I dare to claim him.
Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone
is intent on taking him away?
“God, that voice. I've been trying to ignore
it because it's the kind of voice that can pull you under, make you lose your
train of thought. Low and deep and powerful. He talks, and it's a melody.”
Killian
As lead singer for the biggest rock band in
the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful
decision. Now everything is in shambles.
Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse—and
kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot
and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.
The world is clamoring for me to get back on
stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the
hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has
changed. Everything.
“Baby doll, I could assert my manly
dominance, thump my chest, and declare you’re mine. But it wouldn’t mean a damn
thing if I’m not yours in return.”
WOW! What can I say! I love this book so
much.. It speaks to my heart and draws me in.
I'm not a huge fan of rock star romance or
that sort but this book just blows me away.
Killian James and Liberty
Bell have a killer chemistry. It screams at you!
The author made a great story line!!
If you want a steamy, romantic, funny, swoon
worthy AND musically talented Hero AND Heroine then this book is for you.
I loved that all through it all, Killian was
very affectionate, understanding and open. He was the one to come
clean to the others and the world about their relationship, while she was
the one who rethinks everything.
This was a refreshing book for
me, definitely will follow more of the VIP series.
Loving all the secondary characters. Can't
wait to read their story.
“You’re my reason, the answer to all
questions.”
- (IDOL) KRISTEN CALLIHAN
REVIEW: Ramsay by Mia Sheridan
Lydia De Havilland is shocked when Brogan
Ramsay suddenly reappears in her life. Several years before, Brogan was the son
of her family's gardener, and the boy she hurt and betrayed. But Brogan is no
longer the quiet, sensitive boy she remembers. Now he's a man—gorgeous,
powerful . . . and seeking vengeance.
“It’s always been you, and no one else.”
- (RAMSAY) MIA SHERIDAN
▸ JUNE 2016
Libby
I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.
He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?
Killian
As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now my world is in shambles.
Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse—and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.
The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find away to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.
One night … one kiss … one touch … will change everything.
Kelley Moore’s tragic home life should make him a survivor. But when he’s uprooted yet again, his plans for a better future seem impossible. Being a player on and off the football field is all he knows, until Lenora Wells. The beautiful town princess makes him feel and want things he never thought he could have…
Lenora will do anything to get out of her town, even if it means dating the wrong guy. There’s one problem: she can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, complicated boy with the unusual eyes who gives her butterflies and makes her question her choices.
When their lives collide, the world shifts and not in their favor. Four years later, the sins of their past can never be taken back and forgiveness won’t come easy.
College is a different game, a second chance for something better.
She’s not the girl he remembers and he’s the one boy she can never forget.
He’s made a name for himself as the star quarterback — the golden boy who can do no wrong. But he’s only interested in being her hero.
Despite everything, she can’t deny he still makes her heart flutter; and she’s got him chasing butterflies.
What do you do when your soul mate marries your best friend?
If you’re Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane’s in the military and away for long periods helps-but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.
After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel’s death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.
Shane’s been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too – for sleeping with his wife’s best friend and liking it . . . liking her. Kate’s ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.
Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate’s only choice is to fight for the future she deserves – with or without Shane…
“I hate that I love you,” she said. “You left me.”
“I lost you, there’s a difference. Now that I found you, I intend to keep you.”
Lost.
I’d tasted the sweetest fruit of temptation, and I wanted another bite. I had promised myself before, but once wasn’t enough. The savory flavor of her lingered long after I’d lost her. Contending with the pressure to return to the fight, in order to prove myself to my father and the world, I had to let her go.
Found.
It has been a year. Sofie Vincentia and I had played a dangerous game. For one night, we pretended, only to discover our farce was real. I’d lost her, but I hadn’t stopped searching, hoping for her return. I was used to getting what I wanted, so when she didn’t come to me, I had to go after her. This would be the greatest fight of my life.
When cybercriminals doxed undercover hacker Ian Bradshaw and forced him to flee, he begged Kate Watts for forgiveness and vowed never to hurt her again. He also convinced her to marry him, and when their idyllic summer on Roanoke Island comes to an end, the newlyweds relocate to their new home deep in the heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country. Ian still struggles with boundaries, but he keeps Kate’s lingerie drawer filled with surprises, and there’s no shortage of number-six kisses. There’s even a fast, new car to replace his beloved Shelby.
Ian promised Kate that life with him would never be boring, but spending her days picking out paint colors and going to Pilates isn’t going to cut it. Meanwhile, Ian discovers that building a white-hat security firm from the ground up seems harder the second time around, and he might have underestimated how much he’d miss the undercover work he walked away from. To make matters worse, the hacktivists are threatening national security, and the task force could really use Ian’s help.
Kate and Ian have always worried that their past would catch up to them, and when faced with the biggest showdown of their lives, they must capitalize on the one thing they excel at most: teamwork. Ian claims no one is a better hacker than him, but in order to triumph, he’ll have to prove it. And if he can’t, he risks losing the woman whose heart he worked so hard to hack.
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.
Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.
That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?
Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.
June 14, 2016
Advanced Reader Copy
LAST KISS by Laurelin Paige
When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.
Now Emily is on the hunt to find out what happened to Amber, a hunt that leads her to sexy enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Reeve might have had something to do with Amber's disappearance, but Emily can't help the way she reacts to him.
Time is running out and Emily must figure out who she can trust and if she can trust her feelings.
COVET by Janet Nissenson
She was the only woman he wanted…but the only one he couldn’t have
Ian Gregson had been born into wealth and power – one of the privileged heirs of the top luxury hotel chain in the world. To the outside world, he was seemingly the man who had everything – money, prestige, good looks, charisma – a man who could have any woman he desired. But the only woman he’d ever truly coveted was forbidden to him for far too many reasons to count – her youth, her employment within his company, and especially her commitment to another man.
Tessa Lockwood’s young life has been one of deprivation, misfortune, and heartbreaking loss. Working for the Gregson Hotel Group offers up a glimpse into a world she had never before imagined – one of affluence, sophistication, and splendor. And meeting the suave, elegant Ian Gregson for the very first time awakens feelings in her that she struggles to repress, never imagining that a man like him could find a nobody like her attractive.
Ian and Tessa fight their feelings for the other, knowing that a relationship between them can never exist. But when matters of the heart are involved, things are never quite that simple. How long will both of them be able to hold on before betraying their forbidden attraction to each other? Or will they be destined to remain forever apart?
SEARCHING FOR HARMONY by Kelly Elliott
Firefighter and first responder Preston Ward thought he had grown immune to the job's emotional burns. But when he goes out on a particularly tragic call, he realizes that some scenes are too devastating to forget. And yet, if it weren't for that terrible night, he never would have met the woman who makes him want to risk his heart.
More than once, Harmony Banks has watched her perfectly ordered world torn apart by fate. Now she's finding out that what she lost wasn't as perfect as she thought—and it's tearing her apart. The only thing that keeps her going is the kindness of a stranger: the firefighter who saved her life the night everything changed.
Preston isn't like the men who have come before. For one thing, he's far more genuine. And the love Harmony feels growing between them is almost too intense for her wounded soul. But if she and Preston can push past heartbreak, they'll find that something incredible awaits in each other's arms.
More than once, Harmony Banks has watched her perfectly ordered world torn apart by fate. Now she's finding out that what she lost wasn't as perfect as she thought—and it's tearing her apart. The only thing that keeps her going is the kindness of a stranger: the firefighter who saved her life the night everything changed.
Preston isn't like the men who have come before. For one thing, he's far more genuine. And the love Harmony feels growing between them is almost too intense for her wounded soul. But if she and Preston can push past heartbreak, they'll find that something incredible awaits in each other's arms.
EDGE OF GLORY by Magan Vernon
"Welcome to Conti's. I'm Lia, and I'll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer Jay Morningstar…and I just made an idiot of myself.
The rest of the table looked up to see me standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team. They didn't say anything, they didn't even blink.
"Uh…I mean…"
I couldn't even put together my words, and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties-box smile and those icy blue eyes.
What was I supposed to say? Sorry I just made a weird noise, it's just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD by Serena Bell
The reunion is supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. But when Trina Levine sees the soldier she promised to love forever, Hunter Cross looks at her like she's a stranger. The connection is gone, lost in the blank stare of those soulful brown eyes. Hunter remembers his young daughter but not Trina, and he certainly can't recall why Trina and her own child are living in his house. Although his lean, rugged frame bears the scars of battle, his mind took the worst hit.
But Hunter Cross hasn't forgotten everything. His body remembers caressing Trina's delicate curves, holding her close, never wanting to let go. Was it just a dream, or was it real life? Now, as he tries to put the pieces back together, Trina's the one who comforts him when his night terrors strike. It's Trina whose warm touch rekindles a connection no man could deny. Even with the odds stacked against them, Hunter wants to believe. Because passion has the power to awaken the past—and remake the future.
But Hunter Cross hasn't forgotten everything. His body remembers caressing Trina's delicate curves, holding her close, never wanting to let go. Was it just a dream, or was it real life? Now, as he tries to put the pieces back together, Trina's the one who comforts him when his night terrors strike. It's Trina whose warm touch rekindles a connection no man could deny. Even with the odds stacked against them, Hunter wants to believe. Because passion has the power to awaken the past—and remake the future.
SWEAR ON THIS LIFE by Renee Carlino
When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.
Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.
That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.
The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?
Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.
That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.
The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?
BODY SHOT by Kelly Jamieson
Former Navy SEAL Beck Whitcomb left a world of privilege to prove he could make his own way. Money, mansions, expensive cars—none of it could heal the loss of his older brother, or buy his parents' love. Now, after using his trust fund to open the Conquistadors tequila bar with his brothers-in-arms, Beck has it all: good friends, fine liquor, and hot hookups. When it comes to women, commitment's not his thing—until he gets a taste of the pretty professor who walks into his bar . . . and winds up in his bed.
Hayden Miles knows all too well that emotional decisions can lead to heartbreak, and nothing screams “bad decision” like a playboy bartender with inked biceps and a wicked smile. Still, their chemistry is off-the-charts explosive—and Hayden knows her chemistry. For once, this good girl longs to let loose. But is she willing to risk the pain to quench her thirst? With the promise of more on the table, Hayden's eager to believe . . . before she misses her shot.
Hayden Miles knows all too well that emotional decisions can lead to heartbreak, and nothing screams “bad decision” like a playboy bartender with inked biceps and a wicked smile. Still, their chemistry is off-the-charts explosive—and Hayden knows her chemistry. For once, this good girl longs to let loose. But is she willing to risk the pain to quench her thirst? With the promise of more on the table, Hayden's eager to believe . . . before she misses her shot.
June 13, 2016
REVIEW: The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar
TITLE: THE PAPER SWAN
AUTHOR: LEYLAH ATTAR
GENRE: DARK CONTEMPORARY
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 4 2017
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
They lie.
For 21 days she held on.
But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.
A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense.
Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.
June 5, 2016
REVIEW: At Peace by Kristen Ashley
Violet Winters once
had it all but lost it when her husband was murdered by a criminal madman.
During a cold winter night Violet has to leave her warm bed to tell her
neighbor to turn the music down. And that’s when she meets sinister, scarred,
scarily attractive security specialist, Joe Callahan.
She wants to deny it, but Violet can’t beat back the hunger
she feels for Joe so she gives in again and again. Feeling it himself, Joe
feeds Vi’s hunger, breaking his own rules to keep her in his bed.
Even though Violet had only one man in her life, she’s sure
Joe is giving her the signals and Vi decides she’s ready to take a second
chance at life and, maybe, love. But Violet doesn’t know the dark secrets in
Joe’s past, secrets so soul-wrenching, they’ve drained him dry. With nothing
left to give, Joe’s determined to live his life alone and he breaks Violet’s
heart.
Crushed by Joe’s betrayal, Violet comes to terms with the
fact that, no matter what signals he gave, Joe was not theirs to win. But
Violet’s husband’s murderer is obsessed with her and heartbreak again haunts
the door of the Winters home. When it does Joe is forced to face the knowledge
that he can’t fight Violet’s pull, she’s under his skin and filled him full to
bursting.
Joe needs to win her back and put his life on the line to
keep Violet safe. But, having had it all once, can Violet endure losing Joe?
★★★★★
From the first page to the last,
At Peace brings so
much heartache, so much family drama, and yet, so much hope, humor, passion,
love and devotion… I can’t remember how many times I was in tears, but it was
often. Vi and her daughters, Kate and Keira, are awesome, and then with Sam,
Mel, Bea, Gary, Pete, Vinnie, Theresa… we got an incredible supporting cast who
I loved getting to know, as well as revisiting with many of the folk from For You . And Tim…
wow… even in death he had a powerful presence and I loved getting to know him,
and mourned him as though he’d been right there all along. But then again, in
ways he was. The bottom line – Time and time again, Kristen Ashley
has given me stories I can immerse myself in, characters I can believe in, and
she has given me hours and hours of absolute reading pleasure. As with most of
her books, the page count is huge, and yet, never enough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)






























































Social Icons