Book Review – A Ring for Rosie

Tags

A Ring for Rosie, Book Review, Maggie Wells, Play Dates series

A Ring for Rosie

Play Dates series

by Maggie Wells

Once burned, this father of twins is twice shy until he realizes the right woman is the charm . . .

James Harper is a great dad, but a lousy judge of women—as evidenced by his twin boys’ flighty mother, who walked out when the babies were just six weeks old. He’s got fatherhood down, but dating is another story—especially when the twins’ mom shows up any time she needs something. His office manager, Rosie Herrera, is the one woman he can count on, actually talk to, flirt with, and . . . come to think of it, has he been overlooking the perfect woman all this time?

Rosie’s been in love with James since her first day on the job, but she’s certain he only sees her as a reliable employee—until one heated kiss changes everything. And then James’s ex shows up, and walks right into his life again. Determined to move on, Rosie tries to forget everything she feels about James—by doing her best to fall for someone else. But James isn’t about to make the same mistake twice. To woo Rosie this time, he needs to prove they’re made for each other . . . forever.

I think one of the hardest parts of this story is that it is a little too real.  You have to feel for Rosie because she’s been in love with James for years but he’s either clueless or actively ignoring it (or a little of both).  While it’s understandable, it doesn’t do her any favors to have her pining away for him.  When things finally came to a head, I found myself cheering for her as she moves on … and a bit hoping that things might work out with one of her new beaus.  And her growing friendship with the wives is one of the brightest parts of the book

James is doing the best he can as a single father.  Dealing with his flighty ex and an attraction to his office manager, who is very much off limits, is just a little too much.  I think that James gets the worst of it when it comes to the realism of the book negatively impacting some readers.  He’s pretty clueless and not the take-charge type we’re used to in a hero.  He caves to his business partners’ demands about dating Rosie, as well as their crazy (and somewhat ill-thought out) plan to get rid of his ex.  I could maybe see something like this happen in real life, where people do stupid things all the time, but in a romance you expect better behavior from your characters 🙂

With a hero that has a lot of moments where he tries to make everyone else happy, and fails spectacularly, and a heroine that holds out hope for love a little too long for comfort, A Ring for Rosie isn’t the smoothest of romances but it is real and has satisfying moments, characters that appeal, and some of the cutest kids on the face of the planet.

Spotlight – Wait Until Dark

Tags

Kat Martin, Maximum Security series, Wait Until Dark

Who’s looking for a romantic suspense?  Best Selling Author Kat Martin has a quick little read to introduce readers to her new Maximum Security series and it is getting some great reviews already.  But what elsedo you expect from someone as loved as much as Martin!

*****

About the story …

Wait Until Dark is a novella, part of a new series set in Dallas that begins with The Conspiracy.  Chase Garrett is the mega rich owner of Maximum Security, a company whose clients cater to the Dallas elite.  The office is staffed by private detectives, bail enforcement agents, and personal security specialists.  Chase also owns branches in Phoenix and San Diego.

Chase’s younger brother, Brandon, works with Chase at The Max, while middle brother, Reese, runs Garrett Enterprises, the family’s billion-dollar business.

In Wait Until Dark, Jonah Wolfe is one of the private investigators who works for Chase.  Wolfe’s client, April Vale, is a beautiful redhead accused of murder.  Marketing director for the mayor of Dallas, April woke up naked in bed with the mayor’s campaign manager.  David Dean was also naked, his body covered in blood from a bullet hole in his chest–a shot fired from April’s gun.

It’s up to Wolfe–with April’s help–to find the truth of what happened the night of the murder.  All the while they struggle with a powerful attraction they can’t afford to feel.  Not when April’s life is in danger.  Not when Jonah is determined to keep her safe.

Together, the pair work to find the killer–before April winds up as dead as David Dean.

*****

Wait Until Dark

Maximum Security #0.5

by Kat Martin

Blurb:

Don’t miss the thrilling prequel to New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin’s brand-new series, Maximum Security!

Private investigator Jonah Wolfe knows trouble when he sees it. So when April Vale storms into his office at Maximum Security, all his warning signs flash red. April’s been accused of murder, except she has no memory of how she woke up in her coworker’s bed—drenched in his blood, as he was shot with her gun. As the campaign manager for the mayor, April’s job and life are on the line if she doesn’t figure out who’s trying to frame her. But the clock is ticking, and the pair must find the murderer…before April winds up dead.

“Kat Martin is a fast gun when it comes to storytelling, and I love her books.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Wait-Until-Dark-Maximum-Security-ebook/dp/B07D7XR8P2

B&N

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wait-until-dark-kat-martin/1128768970?ean=9781488045325

Apple Link

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wait-until-dark/id1388284597?mt=11

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wait-until-dark-4

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kat_Martin_Wait_Until_Dark?id=udRcDwAAQBAJ

*****

Excerpt:

The sound of voices cut through the pounding in her head, dragging her from a dark void into the light of day.  As uniformed policemen streamed into the bedroom, April Vale looked down at her naked body and saw a sea of blood soaking the mattress.  A naked man lay beside her, a bullet hole in the center of his chest.

A scream tore free as she recognized David Dean, Mayor Rydell’s campaign manager.  Then strong arms hauled her upright and a wave of dizziness hit her, making her stomach roll.  One of the officers draped a blanket around her bare shoulders and they hustled her over to a chair by the window.

Fighting a fresh wave of nausea, April gripped the blanket, her body shaking head to foot.  “What…what’s happening?”  She didn’t realize her hands were being cuffed together in front of her until she heard metal clanking and cold bands of steel wrapped around her wrists.

“What’s your name?”  The room swarmed with policemen.  The one in front of her was stocky and balding, in his early forties.  A pair of EMTs rushed into the room and began working over the bloody man on the bed, but his eyes were open and staring at nothing and she knew he was already dead.

April swallowed the bile in her throat and fought to clear her head, but when she tried to remember where she was or how she got there, all she came up with was a blank.

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” she said, trying to keep the blanket around her.

“This will all go smoother if you cooperate,” the stocky policeman said.  “Tell us your name.”

“I’m…I’m April.  April Vale.”  She glanced over at David.  The hole in his chest seemed even bigger and bloodier than before.

“Can you tell us the name of the victim?”

Victim.  A thick lump rose in her throat, threatening to choke her.  “That…that’s David Dean.  We work for Mayor Rydell.”

A young officer with black hair slicked straight back from his forehead walked up.  “Looks like we’ve got the murder weapon, Sarge.  It was right there on the floor next to the lady’s purse.”

April frowned, her mind foggy again.  “Wait…wait a minute.  What’s going on?  I don’t understand.”  Her fingers tightened on the blanket, trying to keep it in place over her naked body.  “I don’t know how I got here.  I don’t remember what happened.”

A gray haired man in a navy blue suit brought the gun over in a plastic bag.  She recognized the little .380 she carried for protection.

I’m Detective Sullivan.  Does this belong to you, Ms. Vale?”

She took a deep breath.  “I think it’s mine.  I have one like that.  I have a legal permit to carry.”

The EMTs began checking her over, her blood pressure, her vision, whether or not she had a concussion.

“We need to get her to the hospital,” one of them said, “have her checked out, get a blood sample.”

“Hospital?  I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

A female police officer walked up just then.  “We’ve cuffed your hands in front of you so you can hold onto the blanket.  If you cooperate, we’ll leave them that way.  If not, we’ll have to cuff them behind your back.”

She closed her eyes.  This couldn’t be happening.  “You think I shot him?  I don’t even know how I got here.”

The woman’s expression never changed.  “You need to go to the hospital.  We need to make sure you’re okay.  If you were drugged, it’ll show up in your tox screen.”

Tox screen.  Drugs.  Her pistol and a dead man.

That’s when it began to sink in how much trouble she was in.  That’s when April’s brain finally started working and she began to figure out what she needed to do–before things got a whole lot worse.

 

At the sound of the glass front door swinging open, Jonah Wolfe looked up to see a tall, leggy redhead walk into the office.

“I hope she’s looking for me.”  Jason Maddox, one of the country’s top bail enforcement agents and one of Jonah’s best friends, had an eye for beautiful women.  This one definitely met Jase’s exacting standards.

But being a former undercover police officer, Jonah noticed more than her stunning face and figure.  Her hands were shaking as she approached the receptionist desk and her face was pale.  He wondered what kind of trouble the lady was in.

“May I help you?”  The receptionist, Mindy Stewart, shoved up the tortoiseshell glasses perched on the end of her nose.  She was petite and cute, and smart enough not to date any of the confirmed bachelors who worked at Maximum Security.

“My name is April Vale.  I’m looking for Jonah Wolfe.”

When Maddox groaned his disappointment, Jonah’s focus sharpened on the redhead.  He rose from behind his desk and started toward the front of the office.  A waiting area with a dark red tufted leather sofa and matching chairs, oak coffee and end tables, gave the place a western feel that perfectly suited the misfit Texans who worked there.

“I’m Wolfe,” Jonah said when he reached her.  “What can I do for you?”  His gaze ran over her, taking in her spectacular curves.  He couldn’t help hoping she needed him for something a lot more intriguing than his skills as a private detective.

He might have smiled, would have if a TROUBLE sign wasn’t stamped in the middle of the pretty lady’s forehead.

“My name is April Vale.  Thank you for seeing me.

“No need to thank me, Ms. Vale.  I haven’t done anything yet.”

“I’m hoping you will.”  She had the face of an angel and legs that went on forever.  But she was a redhead and all that fiery hair just ramped up the warning signs flashing in her big blue eyes.

“Is there somewhere we can speak in private?” April asked.

“Conference room.  Follow me.”  As he led her down the hall, she caught an appreciative glance from Jax Ryker and Dante Romero, the only other guys currently in the office, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“This way.”  Jonah held open the door to a glass-walled chamber with a long oak table seating twenty.  April walked in and he waited for her to take a seat.

She smoothed the navy blue pencil skirt she was wearing with a pair of sky high heels.  She looked good.  Classy but not completely untouchable.   “As I said, I appreciate your seeing me on such short notice.”

“Not a problem.”  Jonah leaned back in his chair.  “All right, April, why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”

She took a deep breath, drawing his attention to the full breasts he’d been doing his best to ignore.  Since he never mixed business with pleasure, he shoved the buzz of attraction he was feeling to the back of his brain.

“I work for Mayor Rydell,” April said.  “Currently I’m….  I was just released from police custody a short time ago, Mr. Wolfe.  That’s…that’s why I’m here.”

Jonah straightened in his chair.  “You were under arrest?”

“Officially, I haven’t been charged yet.  But the charge could be murder.”

Jesus.  He hadn’t seen that one coming.  Now she really had his attention.  Jonah leaned toward her.  “So who did you kill, Ms. Vale?”

*****

Author Info: 

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, BEYOND CONTROL, hit both big lists … NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST as well as the USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKS LIST. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

http://www.katmartin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark

*****

Giveaway:

For October, Kat Martin is giving away a copy of AGAINST THE NIGHT to two winners (winner’s choice of eBook or print format).

For November, Kat Martin is giving away a copy of AGAINST THE WIND to two winners (winner’s choice of eBook or print format).

WAIT UNTIL DARK — eBook on sale November 1st, but available for pre-order now!

Don’t miss the thrilling prequel to New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin’s brand-new series, Maximum Security!

https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/

 

Spotlight – A Small Town Christmas

Tags

A Small Town Christmas, Four Irish Brothers Winery series, Nan Reinhardt

Another holiday romance getting great reviews …. I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!

*****

A Small Town Christmas

Four Irish Brothers Winery #1

by Nan Reinhardt

Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 185 Pages

October 29th 2018 by Tule Publishing

Blurb:

Winemaker and single father Conor Flaherty is determined to make this Christmas holiday special for his daughter even though his family’s winery, Four Irish Brothers, is facing some challenges.

High-octane Chicago attorney Samantha Hayes is looking forward to some delicious food, fine wine, small town charm, and a break from her hectic big city life when she agrees to do a favor for her boss and help his younger brother with a lawsuit that’s been slapped on his family’s historic winery in River’s Edge. She’s not expecting that her sexy new client will have a smile that will melt her heart and remind her that there’s more to life than work.

Sam falls hard for Conor, his daughter and the small, friendly town, but can she trust her instincts and risk her heart? Sam hasn’t seen a lot of happy-ever-afters in her life, but Conor and the magic of Christmas make her want to believe.

Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│iBooks│Kobo│GooglePlay

*****

Excerpt:

“Get in here!” the voice commanded, but this time it sounded familiar. “You have got to taste this.” Heavy footsteps hurried toward her and around a tank appeared . . . the man who had changed her tire yesterday? He was holding a bottle in one hand and a small tumbler in the other, but practically squealed his tattered running shoes as he halted mid-step. “It’s you.”

They gazed at one another for a long moment, his blue eyes narrowing, color staining his cheeks. “Um, you want to try this? It’s pretty amazing,” he blurted as the flush on his face deepened from pink to scarlet.

She stepped back. “It’s nine o’clock in the morning.”

He eyed her, clearly debating what to say next. At last, he shrugged and the love of his product won out. “I know. But I wanted to taste it one more time before I put it up in the racks for sale.” He held the wine up to the sunlight streaming in through the high window. “You can just spit it on the floor here if you want. I usually do but, man, this is too good not to swallow.” He swished the wine around in the glass and extended it toward her.

Everything Sam knew about client meetings was suddenly upside down and, for a moment, she was at a loss. One didn’t drink wine at a morning meeting or dress in jeans and a sweatshirt to meet their attorney. At least not in Chicago. She hesitated, meeting his blue, blue eyes over the tumbler and something in her released ever so slightly. Finally, she reached for the glass and offered a tentative smile.

*****

Author Info:

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! Her latest novel, A Small Town Christmas, which is the first book in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series from Tule Publishing, releases on October 29, 2018.

Visit Nan’s website at www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every sixth Wednesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors and is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram

*****

Giveaway:

5 winners will receive: a wine-themed kitchen towel and potholder set, 6 handmade wineglass charms, and an autographed copy of the first book in Nan’s Women of Willow Bay series, ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP

Open to US only, Ends November 7, 2018

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b9a55db3321/

*****

Tour Schedule:

October 29th
Launch
Awesome Romance Novels Blog
Book Reviews & More by Kathy
Hearts & Scribbles
Romantic Reads and Such

October 30th
Rockin’ Book Reviews
Heidi Reads…
deal sharing aunt

October 31st
It’s All About the Romance
E-Romance News
Uplifting Reads

November 1st
Brooke Blogs
Getting Your Read On
Jorie Loves A Story
Coffee, Books and Cakes
Book Lover in Florida

November 2nd
Becky on Books
Teatime and Books
SilverWoodSketches
Christy’s Cozy Corners

November 3rd
Grand Finale

Book Review – Take a Chance

Tags

Book Review, Bridgeport Social Club series, Shelley Shepard Gray, Take a Chance

Take a Chance

Bridgeport Social Club #1

by Shelley Shepard Gray

Kurt Holland wants the best for his younger brother, which is why he moves Sam to Bridgeport. It’s just the place to give his little brother more opportunities—maybe even a scholarship. Emily Springer is passionate about helping all of her students succeed, but there’s something about Sam Holland that makes her want to go the extra mile. When he’s caught in a fight at school, she goes to bat in his defense, and during a conference with the principal she meets Sam’s rugged older brother—and guardian. Emily has a strict no-dating policy when it comes to her students’ parents, but Kurt isn’t technically Sam’s parent. It’s okay to bend the rules a little bit, right?

Shelley Shepard Gray’s new Bridgeport Social Club series is about men who need a place to call home, a community in need of hope, and a group of women who are special enough to help both things happen.

I feel a little bad for the reviews this book is getting.  A lot of the negative comments are based on what the readers expected from the book, which is for it to be like the author’s previous religious love stories.  They are understandably a bit upset that instead they got a “clean” contemporary romance that included cursing and more amorous moments than her previous books.  I’m there with them that when a book is not what you thought it would be, it will usually lower the enjoyment of it.  And I can even see why they would expect a certain thing if that is what the author always delivered before.  (Who doesn’t get a little thrown when a favorite author changes things up significantly?)

Fortunately for me, I didn’t come in with any expectations and I really enjoyed it.

Gray’s writing is very smooth, which made for an easy read, and I found myself engrossed in the characters and everyone’s lives.  There are actually 4 POVs for this story – Kurt, Emily, Sam, and his classmate Kay.  They all come across as super realistic and have to deal with some pretty difficult situations.

Take a Chance is as much about the Holland boys as it is a love story between Kurt and Emily … and is all the better for it.    I found myself rooting so much for those two as they try to get their footing in a new situation & a new town, finding love and friendship as well as the hope for something better.  Things aren’t easy for them but they deal the best they can, giving readers a wonderfully heartwarming tale.  I’m really looking forward to what Gray has in store for us next.

Spotlight – Snowed in for Christmas

Tags

A Christmas Rescue, Holiday Acres series, Love on the Edge of Reason, Noelle Adams, Pine Harbour series, Samantha Chase, Silver Bell Falls series, Snowed in for Christmas, Stranded in the Snow, Zoe York

If there is anything I love better than a holiday romance, it’s when it is found in a Christmas anthology!

*****

SNOWED IN FOR CHRISTMAS

by Samantha Chase, Noelle Adams, Zoe York

Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Romance

Release Date: October 23, 2018

Blurb:

Three all-new holiday novellas about couples finding love while trapped together in the snow.

A Christmas Rescue (Silver Bell Falls, Book 4) by Samantha Chase

Saving a litter of puppies right before Christmas was incredibly rewarding for Bailey Walsh. But getting snowed in with her sexy-yet-grinchy veterinarian boss turns out to be rewarding in a whole other way.

Stranded in the Snow (Holiday Acres, Book 2) by Noelle Adams

Olivia Holiday doesn’t expect to spend the weekend stranded in a romantic cottage during a snowstorm with the one man she dislikes the most. Scott is a player and holds a grudge against her family, and she’s determined not to give in to the deep feelings for him she’s been hiding.

Love on the Edge of Reason (Pine Harbour, Book 8) by Zoe York

Tom Minelli doesn’t know why Chloe Davis has fled Pine Harbour, but she’s pregnant with his baby and he wants her back. But a winter storm rolls in just as he finds her, trapping them together in a cabin on the lake.

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/nhdyu4

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ouaj63

Apple Books: http://smarturl.it/ehtyoz

Kobo: http://smarturl.it/toeits

Nook: http://smarturl.it/1v1ir7

*****

Author Info:

Noelle Adams

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Website: https://www.noelle-adams.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572847.Noelle_Adams

Zoe York

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York is a busy working mom of two young boys, wife to a very understanding soldier, and creator of modern, sexy, small town contemporary romances. Her debut novel, What Once Was Perfect, started the popular Wardham series, and her first military romance, Fall Out, was released as part of the international bestselling SEALs of Summer super bundle.

Zoe is also author of the Hate F**k and Frisky Beavers erotic romance series (with Sadie Haller) under the name Ainsley Booth.

She lives in London, Ontario, and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.

Website: http://www.zoeyork.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZoeYorkWrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZoeYorkWrites

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7106670.Zoe_York

Samantha Chase

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Website: https://www.chasing-romance.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChaseFanClub

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

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2xU05xE

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-chase

***

Spotlight – His Promise

Tags

Amish of Hart County series, An Amish Christmas in Hart County, His Promise, Shelley Shepard Gray

I don’t care if it is still October, I love a good Christmas romance!!

*****

His Promise 

Amish of Hart County series

by Shelley Shepard Gray

Genre Adult Sweet Romance

Publisher Avon Inspire

Publication Date October 23, 2018

Blurb:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest Christmas novel in her Amish of Hart County series.

It’s set to be a white Christmas in Hart County, and Grace King is pet-sitting in a beautiful home with only a difficult dachshund for company. Just as she starts to miss the bustle of her large Amish family, Grace runs into a familiar face. Living right next door is John Michael Miller. He’s a fireman now, but five years ago, he had courted her older sister, then broke her heart. Seeing him again stirs Grace’s anger, but also reminds her of deeper feelings she’s done her best to deny.

The infatuation John Michael once saw in Grace’s eyes is long gone, though his complicated attraction to her remains. He had walked away all those years ago when he realized he was falling in love with the wrong sister. Now, as suspicious fires are set in their community, that’s not an option. Grace dismisses his warnings, and John Michael vows to keep an eye on her. But he can’t help wondering if he’s reconnected with Grace, only to risk losing her again.

Now all John Michael wants for Christmas is to keep Grace safe, in the hopes that they can one day have a future together.

Amazon  https://amzn.to/2RcXeHE

Kobo  https://goo.gl/7M4pz3

Barnes & Noble  https://goo.gl/AxaMtm

iBooks  https://apple.co/2N4Tt3v

*****

Excerpt:

“This?” He looked at his hand like he’d forgotten a bandage was attached to his skin.

“It ain’t anything, just a cut.”

It seemed like a pretty big bandage for a small cut. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

“Jah. I’m fine. I wouldn’t be a firefighter if I didn’t sport a couple of cuts every now and then.”

“It’s such a dangerous job.”

“It is,” he said slowly, like he was attempting to navigate his way through an increasingly surprising conversation. “But I can handle it. I appreciate your concern, though.”

She heard the caution in his voice, and she didn’t blame him for not being sure how to handle this new, kinder version of herself.

Forging ahead, she said, “I know I have no right to feel this way, but now that we’ve reconnected,

I think I’m going to worry about you every time I hear there is a fire in the area.”

*****

Author Info:

SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Hold Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Website https://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/ShelleyShepardGray

Twitter https://twitter.com/ShelleySGray

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1271571.Shelley_Shepard_Gray

Amazon https://amzn.to/2Nb1bJL

*****

Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of HIS PROMISE by Shelley Shepard Gray, we’re giving away a paperback copy of His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray to one lucky winner!

http://bit.ly/2xNOC1X

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance. Giveaway ends 10/29/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Dream

Tags

Carly Phillips, Dream

Again with a second chance romance … and again with the Yes Please!

*****

Dream an all-new emotional and romantic standalone from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips is available now!

Dream

by Carly Phillips

Blurb:

She was his best friend, his first love. And she broke his heart. Now she’s back. Will they find a second chance?

As a little girl, Andrea Harmon wanted to marry a prince, and Kyle Davenport hoped it would be him. But he never told her how he felt, and lost her as a result. Because sometimes the bad guy gets the girl. And Kyle left town to get over her.

Andi made the wrong choice years ago, choosing the bad boy over the best friend she trusted and she paid for it every day since.

Coming face to face with his former best friend was bound to happen once he moved back to Rosewood Bay, but for Kyle, becoming her son’s new teacher is a painful reminder of what they never had. But this time around, Kyle is determined to change their ending. Prince Charming is determined to break down her walls.

Except that no happily-ever-after is won without a fight—and her ex-husband doesn’t like to lose.

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“Carly Phillips is a go-to author for steamy, emotional contemporary romance!” –Jennifer Probst, New York Times Bestselling Author

Start the series of Standalones FREE with Fearless today!

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*****

Excerpt:

“I didn’t mean to drag you away from Kimberly. You two seemed to be hitting it off.”

He didn’t pull his hand away from her face, struck by the tinge of something in her voice. Jealousy? And if so, why did it please him that she cared?

“Kimberly was like a leech who wouldn’t let go. She even used her sick brother’s story to hang on to me. I wasn’t doing anything more than offering sympathy,” he said, opting for the truth.

Andi blinked, unmistakable relief in her pretty brown eyes. “Really?”

“Did it bother you when you thought I was into her?” he heard himself asking, knowing he hadn’t planned to go down this road, but the attraction between them was a real, tangible thing.

His fingers itched to run through her thick, wavy hair, and he couldn’t tear his gaze from her glossed lips as she ran her tongue nervously over them. Not to mention the energy it took not to look down at her full breasts beneath the jersey.

“Would it upset you if I said it did? That watching you with her stirred up feelings that took me by surprise?”

“I shouldn’t want you, Andi. You hurt me. Took a fucking knife to my heart. But that was in the past. And what’s going on now between us is the present.”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, the past alive despite them both wanting to put it behind them. But everything inside him was pulled toward her now, drawn to her fragile strength and beauty.

He dipped his head and pressed his mouth to hers. Warm and giving, her soft lips moved beneath his. His hand slid around her jaw, tilting her head, giving him better access as his tongue delved into her mouth and tangled with hers. Finally, finally, finally, finally. His heart beat out the word in rapid rhythm, a long-held desire coming true as her kiss turned him inside out.

He explored the deep recesses of her mouth, tasting her essence, aware of his body’s reaction, the swell of his cock behind his jeans, the spike in adrenaline, the racing of his pulse.

Despite the pain, the anger, the hurt, this was the girl of his dreams and she was in his arms, eagerly accepting his kiss. He slid his hand into her hair, grasping the thick strands between his fingers and tugging as the kiss turned hotter and he backed her against the vanity, his waist flush against hers, his hard erection cradled between her thighs. His cock throbbed with unappeased need, desire flowing between them.

Until a hard knock sounded on the door, startling them into breaking apart. She looked at him, wide-eyed, the surprise etched in her face as strong as the shock rippling through him.

“Be right out,” he called to the person on the other side of the door.

He glanced at Andi, her face now flushed a bright red. “There’s no way to avoid walking out together, is there?” she asked.

“Whether you go first or last, whoever it is heard my voice.” Her blush deepened.

“Well, then here’s to giving them something more to talk about.”

*****

Author Info:

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels, including the Indie published, Dare to Love Series. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.

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Website: www.carlyphillips.com

Blog:  http://www.carlyphillips.com/blog

*****

Spotlight – A Brand New Ending

Tags

A Brand New Ending, Jennifer Probst, Stay series

I so love a second chance romance and I’m seriously looking forward to reading this one!

*****

Kyle’s Top 5 Memories With Ophelia

In A Brand New Ending, Kyle Kimpton and Ophelia Bishop are only eighteen years old when they decide to run away together to pursue their dreams. Leaving the family farm behind, they escape to Hollywood to get married and chase their careers. Kyle plans on being a famous writer, and Ophelia longs to be a singer as great as Adele. Unfortunately, their paths diverge and rip apart their relationship. As Kyle thrives in Hollwyood as the new hotshot screenwriter in town, Ophelia falters when she realizes in order to be famous in the music industry, she needs to change who she is. Choices are made that rip them apart, and Ophelia returns to the family farm with her heart shattered and dreams destroyed.

Kyle realizes he’s made a big mistake letting go of the only woman he’s ever loved. His memories haunt him. Here are the top five he thinks about constantly:

He remembers the first time they kissed when they were sixteen years old. Riding on horseback through the meadow, Ophelia falls off her horse, and when he frantically checks on her, they gaze into each other’s eyes and he realizes at that moment, he is in love with his best friend. They share their first kiss, and when they walk away hand in hand out of the meadow, everything has changed.

When Kyle’s abusive father blames him for his mother’s death, he runs to the only place he’s ever felt safe: the Bishop family farm. Ophelia opens the door and instantly senses his pain. She holds him tight and for the very first time, Kyle cries in her arms.

When they were young, they hung out with Ophelia’s brother, Ethan, and were called the Three Musketeers. They’d run around the small town of Gardiner, raising hell, and ending up at Bea’s Diner for her famous burgers and pies, detailing the glory of their future.

Ophelia would sneak out at night to meet him at the barns. They kept their relationship secret from Ethan and Harper (Opehlia’s siblings) and spend nights lying on a blanket, under the stars, holding hands and talking about their dreams and future.

Kyle vowed to wait until they were married to claim Ophelia as his. They get married in Vegas in a tiny chapel, by Elvis, and when they return home to their tiny apartment, they make love for the very first time.

After a decade, Kyle returns to his hometown and back to Ophelia. He intends to create many new memories with the woman he loves. He dreams of running the Inn with her side by side as he writes his new books on his terms. He wants to raise a family with her in their childhood town, and be surrounded by the people and animals he’s always loved. He wants to watch her sing again, making people happy, finally owning her special gift without fear. And this is where A Brand New Ending begins…

*****

A Brand New Ending

by Jennifer Probst

Release Date: October 23, 2018

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Ophelia Bishop was a lovestruck teenage girl when she and Kyle Kimpton chased their dreams to Hollywood. Kyle’s dreams came true. Ophelia’s did not. When Kyle chose his career over their relationship, Ophelia returned home to rural New York to run the family’s B & B—wiser, and more guarded against foolish fantasies. Now Kyle has come crashing back into her life, and all her defenses are down.

Kyle can’t think of a better place to write his latest screenplay than his hometown. After all, that was where he met the heart of his inspiration—his first love. He knows the damage he’s caused Ophelia, and he wants a chance to mend their relationship. If anyone can prove to Ophelia that happy ever afters aren’t only for the movies, it should be him.

As much as Ophelia’s changed, she still has feelings for Kyle. But her heart has been broken before, and she knows that Kyle could run back to Hollywood at any time. She gave up her dreams once, but maybe she can dare to change her own love story…one last time.

*****

Excerpt:

He parked the car and cut the engine.

Ten years.

Ten years since he’d come home to the small upstate New York town of Gardiner and gazed upon the staggering Shawangunk Mountains. Ten years since he’d touched snow. Ten years since he’d been surrounded by the eerie beauty of nature’s silence.

And too many years since he’d seen the only woman he’d ever loved.

They’d been the three musketeers—Ethan, Ophelia, and him—caught in a world of their own making. Memories assaulted him. Of running through the woods when they were young and racing horses barefoot as the green meadow flashed below. Of moonlight walks and late nights at Bea’s Diner, squeezed into the cracked red-vinyl booths as they spun dreams of the future and feasted on greasy burgers. Of his first kiss with Ophelia. The taste of innocence and passion mixed with Juicy Fruit chewing gum.

He closed his eyes, staggering under the raw emotions the images brought. Some of those dreams had come true for him, but the price had been brutal.

It was time to make things right.

It was time to reclaim what he’d lost.

Kyle glanced at the passenger seat, his fingers already reaching to stroke the leather laptop case. He’d left a fancy mansion behind, along with rooms filled with expensive trinkets meant to amuse, entertain, and distract the masses. He’d walked away from a gourmet chef, housekeeper, and personal trainer. His garage still held the laser-blue Lamborghini and the sleek black Hummer. He’d left the tuxedoes and designer clothes in his closet; the cedar wine cellar still filled with rare, expensive wine; and the four-poster mahogany bed that had seen too many lonely nights.

Now all he had to his name was one battered suitcase, his laptop, and a Ford Fusion rental car.

And for the first time in way too long, he felt the beginning of a creative spark—the sexy wink of his muse beckoning him closer to his childhood home, where he’d sworn he’d never return.

He grabbed his phone and tapped out a text to Ethan.

I’m here. How bad is she going to take it?

He waited a bit, until the familiar gray bubble with ellipsis popped up.

Don’t know—depends on how pathetic you look. Still have no clue why she’s mad at you.

Kyle winced as guilt punched through him. Falling in love with your best friend’s younger sister was a no-no. Running away with her was even worse. But eloping and not telling his friend about it?

There was no making amends for that one.

He cursed, then tapped his fingers again.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Don’t be stupid—it’s a great idea! The inn isn’t booked up and she’s just being stubborn. Go inside, make nice, and I’ll be there in an hour.

He groaned and resisted the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. When he’d asked about staying at the inn for three months to work on a new project, he’d worried Ophelia would refuse. When Ethan told him to book his ticket, he’d been relieved.

Until he found out on the plane ride that Ophelia had actually said no. Ethan had conveniently left that part out, citing in true guy code it would all be fine.

Her refusal to see him hurt more than he’d imagined it would, but now he had no choice. Everything was set in motion, and he wasn’t about to return to LA. Not only had he committed to writing this screenplay surrounded by his memories, he’d sworn to fight for a second chance with Ophelia. It was time they both faced the past, put some ghosts behind them, and figure things out. After all, it had been eight years.

She had no idea he was about to walk through her door with the intention of staying for the next three months—in the dead of winter.

That’d be bad enough, but when she heard his other piece of news?

Things were gonna get a hell of a lot worse.

He stayed in the car a few more minutes, trying to psych himself up. Maybe she’d surprise him and be open to talking things through. Maybe she wouldn’t be horrified when he told her about what he’d discovered a few months ago. Maybe it would all work out fine, just like Ethan said.

Even better?

Maybe he’d find himself again.

Grasping at all those positive possibilities, he gritted his teeth, grabbed his bag, and got out of the car.

*****

Author Info:

Jennifer Probst is the New York Times bestselling author of the Billionaire Builders series, the Searching For series, The Marriage series, the Steele Brothers series, and The Start of Something Good, which is the first book in the Stay series. Like some of her characters, Probst, along with her husband and two sons, calls New York’s Hudson Valley home. When she isn’t traveling to meet readers, she enjoys reading, watching “shameful reality television,” and visiting a local Hudson Valley animal shelter.

Website: https://www.jenniferprobst.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferprobst

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2965489.Jennifer_Probst

*****

Giveaway:

Digital Copy of Jennifer Probst’s A BRAND NEW ENDING and a $25 Amazon Gift Card

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/07c2363f202/

*****

Spotlight – Seduced by a Scot

Tags

Highland Grooms series, Julia London, Seduced by a Scot

All I can say is Yes, Please!!

*****

From New York Times bestselling author Julia London, comes SEDUCED BY A SCOT—the next standalone novel in her Highland Grooms Series!

SEDUCED BY A SCOT releases on October 30, 2018. Check out the sneak peek below, and pre-order your copy today!

Seduced by a Scot

Highland Grooms series

by Julia London

Blurb:

There’s no matchmaking an unruly heart

When a prominent Scottish family faces a major scandal weeks before their daughter’s wedding, they turn in desperation to the enigmatic fixer for the aristocracy, Nichol Bain. Remarkably skilled at making high-profile problems go away, Nichol understands the issue immediately. The family’s raven-haired ward, Maura Darby, has caught the wandering eye—and rather untoward advances—of the groom.

Nichol assuredly escorts Maura toward his proposed solution: an aging bachelor for her to marry. But rebellious Maura has no interest in marrying a stranger, especially when her handsome traveling companion has captivated her so completely. Thankfully, Nichol loves a challenge, but traveling with the bold and brash Maura has him viewing her as far more than somebody’s problem. Which raises a much bigger issue—how can he possibly elude disaster when the heart of the problem is his own?

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*****

Excerpt:

All right, then, she’d eaten like a sow, but she didn’t care. She pondered her savior. Or was he her captor? A wee bit of both, she supposed. Either way, he was quite handsome. His hair was the color of autumn leaves, a mix of brown, dark red and gold. His eyes were pale green and when he looked at her, there was a certain sparkle in them.

Aye, he was a handsome man.

Yet she had the sense that there was something curiously distant about this handsome man. Perhaps it was because he knew everything about her, and she knew nothing but his name and that he liked to read books about philosophy, apparently. “Who are you?” she asked curiously.

He arched a brow. “I’ve told you.”

“Aye, you’ve said your name, but who are you really, Mr. Bain?”

He gave her a slight, enigmatic smile. “Does it matter?”

Ooh, a secret then. Maura twisted about so that she was facing him. “Aye, it matters who, exactly, is spiriting me away to marry a man I’ve never laid eyes on. You could be a thief or a marauder for all I know.”

“A marauder?”

“A highwayman?”

“That is no’ an improvement.”

“Well? What is your secret?”

“I’ve no secret.”

“But you are a friend of Mr. Calum Garbett, and yet, I’ve never heard your name.”

“Because I’ve only recently made Mr. Garbett’s acquaintance.”

“Really?” she asked skeptically.

He leaned forward, looked her directly in the eye and said, “Really.”

“Then how…?”

“I’m what one might call an agent, aye? Let’s agree that gentlemen often find themselves in uncomfortable situations, and I put them to rights.”

Maura had never heard of such a thing. What gentlemen? What uncomfortable situations? Were there so many of them that a man might make it his occupation? “I beg your pardon?”

Mr. Bain leaned back against the tree and stretched his legs before him, crossing them at the ankle. “It’s no’ as strange as it sounds.”

“Aye, it is,” she insisted.

He smiled, lazily, indulgently, and it made her feel…warm.

“You are a young woman, Miss Darby. You would have no call to know that there are times in a man’s life that he might need help disposing of a complication. I happen to be adept at that.”

He spoke with such confidence! She was rather envious of that sort of confidence, really, particularly as she never felt entirely confident of anything. Well, except that she was not marrying a stranger in Lumparty, Lunmarty, wherever it was he was taking her. She was entirely confident in that. “What do you mean?” She suddenly had the idea that he meant something quite nefarious. She leaned forward and whispered, “Are you an outlaw, Mr. Bain?”

He blinked. He glanced at the lad as if to assure himself he could not hear, then leaned forward, so that he was only a few inches from her, and whispered, “No.”

She swayed backward. “Then how is it you are adept at disposing of another man’s complications?”

He leaned against the tree again. “I just am. In this particular instance, I was once employed by the Duke of Montrose. He is an acquaintance of Mr. Garbett and put forth my name.”

Maura had seen the duke when she’d been called into Mr. Garbett’s study to account for her alleged crime. She knew of Montrose—everyone knew of him. But there was something more that tickled at her memory. What was it that was said of him? She suddenly recalled and blurted, “That’s the man who murdered his wife!”

“He didna murder his wife, Miss Darby. It is true that the lady is no longer his wife, but she is verra much alive. When I said complications, I didna mean unlawful ones. I meant, simply…uncomfortable situations.”

“Is that what I am, then? An uncomfortable situation?”

“Aye.” He shrugged, as if that were plainly obvious. “If it eases you, you are the sort of uncomfortable situation that is easily put to rights.”

“If it eases me!” she exclaimed. “It offends me that my uncomfortable situation is so easily put to rights! And never you mind, Mr. Bain—you may be adept with someone else, for I’ll put my own uncomfortable situation to rights, thank you.”

“Will you,” he said skeptically, and gave her a hint of a smile that made his eyes shine even more. “And how exactly will you do that, Miss Darby?”

*****

Author Info:

Julia London is the New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical romance series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch and The Perfect Homecoming. She has over 100,000+ Facebook followers, is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. You can visit her website JuliaLondon.com. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Website: https://julialondon.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaFLondon

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*****

Book Review – Chased

Tags

Book Review, Chase Brothers series, Chased, Lauren Dane

Chased

Chase Brothers series

by Lauren Dane

Two days. One hotel room. Nothing but complete honesty between them.

Marc Chase is known in the small town of Petal, Georgia, for being the youngest—and some would say wildest—Chase brother. But when longtime family friend Liv Davis signs up for some personal training sessions, Marc realizes the only woman he wants has been right in front of him all along.

Mayor’s assistant Liv has been hurt too many times to let a Chase brother into her life—or into her bed. She’s ready for something more. Something she doesn’t think the six-years-younger Marc is ready to give. Until they share a wildly passionate kiss, that is. Then all bets are off.

Knowing he’ll need more than pretty words to break through Liv’s wall of heartbreak, Marc takes the gamble of his life to prove his love: two days away, full of hot sex and bared souls. But will this bet be enough to win her heart forever?

The Chase is on. One small town. Four hot brothers. And enough heat to burn up anyone who dares to get close. Don’t miss the other books in the series: Taking Chase, Giving Chase and Making Chase.

Of all of the Chase brothers I think Marc’s story was my least favorite.  Part of it is that the blurb really doesn’t do this book justice.  The whole two days away thing doesn’t happen until close to the end, which means that a good portion of the book isn’t covered.  I don’t know about y’all but I kinda rely on what is on the jacket when I make my reading decisions and when I get something else it kinda throws things off track.  And I think that really came into play here.

Marc spends a good portion of the story trying to woo Liv but she’s resistant.  There’s the age difference between them, the fact that she dated his brother, her more recent relationship disaster, and his *ahem* romantic reputation – all of which combine to having her not taking his advances seriously.  But Chases don’t give up easy and Marc is not going to let Liv go without a fight … and what a sexy, heartfelt fight it is 🙂