Spotlight – The Sinful Scot

Tags

Maddison Michaels, Saints & Scoundrels series, The Sinful Scot

I think this is the most intriguing book I’ve run across so far this year.

*****

The Sinful Scot

Saints & Scoundrels #3

by Maddison Michaels

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb:

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, once believed that all she needed in life was a duke. But everything unraveled when she realized her perfect husband was a perfect monster. Now broken beyond repair, she hides her misery behind a perfect Society mask…even from her childhood friend, Alec.

Dr. Alec McGuinness reluctantly finds himself back in Scotland, and checking up on the only woman to ever get under his skin, Connie. After she spurned him many years ago, he knows his humble life as a doctor could never be enough for her. But when the Duke of Kilmaine is murdered in cold blood, with Connie sleeping right next to him in bed, Alec knows he must protect Connie at all costs from those who would frame her for the duke’s murder.

Now on the run, Connie feels a freedom she only ever dreamed about before, and an unexpected attraction to the man who is keeping her safe. But even if they can win her freedom and clear her name, could she ever open her heart up to someone again?

Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | GooglePlay | Indigo

Catch Up on the Series:

Book 1 – The Devilish Duke

Book 2 – The Elusive Earl

*****

Excerpt:

“A penny for your thoughts.” Alec’s warm voice penetrated across the cooling breeze.

She glanced out the corner of her eye at him. “I don’t think you’d want to know them. They’re rather scandalous.”

He raised a brow, and his very expression sent a shiver of delight down her spine. Goodness, he was handsome. His thick brown hair was just begging to have her hands ruffle through it, and the stubble on his face was creating a dark shadow over his jawline that did the oddest things to her. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like brushing against her own skin. Rough, she suspected, but perhaps thrilling, too?

As long as she didn’t make a ninny out of herself again and flinch away from his touch.

“You have me extremely curious,” Alec said.

“Very well.” Connie relented as a sense of daring overcame her. “I’m thinking about what it would feel like if you kissed me.”

She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted that out. But now that she had, it felt good. They were both adults, after all, and she was certain he’d felt the same pull of desire earlier, just as she had. Why shouldn’t they explore that attraction? There wasn’t anything stopping them from doing so. Even if she was technically meant to be in mourning and was still rather scared of physical contact with a man.

But this was Alec, and if she could feel comfortable in a man’s embrace, it would be in his. At least, she hoped so— and that Duncan hadn’t scarred her for life.

A part of her felt guilty that she was talking of kissing Alec so soon after Duncan’s death, but if she was going to end up imprisoned over it, then at the very least she should be able to experience some actual passion for once in her life. An experience Duncan had denied her but that she was certain Alec could provide, if he let himself. And if she allowed herself to let go of her fear.

Though judging by his furrowed brow, she suspected he wasn’t going to be too open to having an affair with her.

But rather than feeling depressed by the observation, Connie actually felt challenged. Which was a nice surprise. She’d always succeeded when she’d had a goal to pursue,

and the goal of kissing Alec and truly eradicating Duncan’s hold over her, physically, seemed like a worthy endeavor. In fact, she’d never felt such determination before, not even when pursuing Duncan and his title.

“Pardon me?” It sounded like Alec was choking slightly on the words.

“You heard me well enough, Alec McGuiness. I might lose my freedom anytime, and I would like to experience what it’s like to actually feel passion before that eventuates. I never have, you see. And I do not want to go to the grave with only the memories of Duncan’s touch. I want to experience the joy of being with someone. Are you up for the challenge?”

“Good God, no!”

*****

Author Info:

Indoctrinated into a world of dashing rogues and feisty heroines when she was a teenager, Maddison Michaels is a bestselling, award-winning Australian romance author, who loves to write sexy history with a dash of mystery! Her debut novel, THE DEVILISH DUKE, won the 2019 RWA Australia Historical Romance Book of the year. Maddison lives in Sydney with her gorgeous hubby and daughter, and always starts her day with a cup (or two) of liquid gold… coffee (just quietly, she’s addicted to the stuff)!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Bookbub

*****

Spotlight – Valentine’s with the Single Dad

Tags

The Single Dads of Seattle series, Valentine's with the Single Dad, Whitley Cox

There’s a reason single dads are kinda hard to resist and Cox has a series just full of them!

*****

Valentine’s with the Single Dad

The Single Dads of Seattle Book 7

by Whitley Cox

Genre: Steamy, Contemporary Romance; Rom-Com; Single Dad; Holiday

Release Date: January 18, 2020

Blurb:

When a business arrangement takes a personal turn …

Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City and home to The Single Dads of Seattle. Ten sexy single fathers who play poker every Saturday night, have each other’s backs, love their children without quarter, and hope to one day find love again.

This is Mason’s story …

Single Dad of Seattle Mason Whitfield made some big changes in his life five years ago, starting with quitting his Fortune 500 job and moving away. Now he’s back in Seattle, he bought a bar and is finally a father—life is good. But when a beautiful mystery woman keeps coming to his bar interviewing men night after night, Mason’s curiosity is piqued and he just has to know more.

Five years ago, cancer nearly killed Lowenna Chambers. Then her husband left her—for her sister. Now in remission, she just opened up her own chocolate shop and is determined to live the best life possible. Until she’s asked to do the impossible: design an enormous chocolate center piece and give a speech for her sister and ex-husband’s wedding, on Valentine’s day of all days. A perfect opportunity to show them she’s moved on. But first, she needs a date. A drool-worthy hunk who will steal the show. Cue, Mason who is tall, dark, dangerous and with two sleeves of tattoos to boot.

But as the wedding approaches it’s no longer a simple business arrangement between Mason and Lowenna. She likes him and he wants her, but love is never that simple and a future together begins to look unattainable.

Can Lowenna get over her pain and heartache and spend Valentine’s with the single dad, or will she let yesterday haunt her today, ruining any chance of a beautiful tomorrow?

**Note: This book can be read as a standalone. It includes lots of steamy scenes, cursing, and of course as with all my books, this has an HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. If you like single dads who take charge, this book is for you.

Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35W2up8

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/378goFS

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2FSGSzo

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2QVcvhV

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48746273-valentine-s-with-the-single-dad

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/valentine-s-with-the-single-dad-the-single-dads-of-seattle-book-7-by-whitley-cox

~

In the series (Kindle Unlimited – Standalones):

Hired by the Single Dad

Dancing With the Single Dad

Saved by the Single Dad

Living with the Single Dad

Christmas with the Single Dad

New Year’s with the Single Dad

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2SyZ2f9

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2XZVkRD

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2GrOXf7

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2YpYHka

*****

Excerpt:

He handed her the water bottle, and she took a sip, pulling her dress down over her knees and tucking her breasts back into the top of her dress at the same time. Even though he told her she wasn’t allowed to be shy, she was having a hard time looking at him.

She located her G-string, but it was too far away on the floor, and for some reason she didn’t think he’d be too pleased with her if she stood up and retrieved it. So instead, she simply sat there, staring at her knitted hands, her stomach churning, her pulse thundering in her ears and her thighs slick.

“Lowenna.” His deep, calm voice drew her to look at him. How could she not? His gaze was kind but avid, almost concerned. Heat still flickered behind the intense blue, but there was also a wariness there now too. “You okay?”

She nodded for what she felt like was the millionth time. “Yeah.” She exhaled. “I’m more than okay.”

That earned her a big smile.

“Good. Me too.” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering and then cupping her cheek, his pinky finger resting along her neck, undoubtedly feeling her rapid pulse. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Lowenna. Wanted you. Since the moment you came into my bar and sat there with your little notebook and pen, interviewing man after man … ” He shook his head and huffed a laugh, glancing down at his lap. “Even if you weren’t interviewing gigolos or, I dunno … if you were a madam of some kind, I wanted you. Wanted to get to know you, everything about you.”

She blew out a breath and leaned into his hand, closing her eyes. “Mason … I … ” She blinked rapidly a few times as she took a moment to process everything he’d just said. When she lifted her head to his meet his gaze once again, the look that greeted her was no longer worrisome or wary. It was intense and heated, and it made her entire body tremble instantly.

He ran his free hand through his hair, exhaling another shaky laugh. “Hell, I didn’t even know you yet, had the opportunity to kiss half a dozen women on New Year’s Eve, and I didn’t, because all I could think about was you. I’m falling for you.” His lips twisted. “Or maybe I’ve already fallen, I don’t know. But I don’t want this to be a business arrangement anymore. I want us to be real. I want us to be together. I don’t want to just give you the boyfriend experience, I want to be your boyfriend.”

Holy shit.

Desire … and something else rolled through her in big, lazy waves, touching every inch of her until her entire body burned like the surface of the sun for the man whose soulful blue eyes were at that moment looking at her like no man had ever looked at her before.

*****

Author Info:

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, these books have everything we need to satisfy the curious kink in all of us.

Social Media Links:

Website: WhitleyCox.com

Twitter: @WhitleyCoxBooks

Instagram: @CoxWhitley

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CoxWhitley/

Blog: https://whitleycox.blogspot.ca/

Multi-Author Blog: https://romancewritersbehavingbadly.blogspot.com

Exclusive Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234716323653592/

Booksprout: https://booksprout.co/author/994/whitley-cox

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/whitley-cox

*****

Spotlight – Loki Ascending

Tags

Asa Maria Bradley, Loki Ascending, Viking Warriors series

I think I might have just found a new series to read … as if my TBR pile isn’t big enough!

*****

Loki Ascending

Viking Warriors #3

by Asa Maria Bradley

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

LOKI WANTS TO END THE WORLD

Only they can stop him—but at what cost?

Although Scott Brisbane is human, he’s developed an inner warrior—a berserker that wants to claim Irja Vainio as his own.

Irja is an immortal Viking healer, but she hasn’t used her true powers for centuries. The last time she did, someone close to her ended up dead. So instead she relies on medicine and science to protect her tribe while denying her feelings for Scott.

But the Viking warriors are falling mysteriously ill, and without magic, Irja’s knowledge of healing isn’t enough. When the trickster god Loki offers her a cure, it comes with a steep price that could cost Irja everything. She needs Scott’s help, the man whose loyalty to the Vikings is unmatched, whose love for Irja cannot be broken—and whose inner fury has yet to be unleashed.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMDUVL

B&N: http://bit.ly/2Yhmf8p

Apple: https://apple.co/2YhLwPF

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rXC9IQ

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2Yhmh01

BAM: http://bit.ly/2YeI0FY

*****

Excerpt:

Irja took another breath. Beyond the Norse magic borders that protected the house, shades of red and orange twirled and swooped, undulating like a giant caterpillar across the landscape. This was the native magic of the Arizona desert. It lacked the ordered structure of the Norse spells, and its untamed nature made it powerful and unpredictable.

As if the energy noticed Irja tuning in to its presence, the twisting and twirling stopped. She held her breath. The red enveloped the orange and together they became a hot glowing ball. From this bright sphere, tendrils of red energy extended toward Irja, beckoning to her. In her sleep-deprived state, she almost lowered her shielding as if she were about to harness the energy and refill the wells inside her that had been empty for millennia. She’d given up practicing magic when she was a little girl. The power always demanded a sacrifice and usually the price was too steep to pay, as she had painfully learned.

Her berserker stirred and growled. The warning from her inner warrior spirit snapped Irja back into control, and she quickly reinforced her shields against the magic’s pull. The effort required more energy than it should and she grimaced.

The quiet swoosh of the door opening had her quickly schooling her features before turning to greet whomever had joined her. “King Erik,” she said and bowed her head.

“Please. No need for formality. There are important things we must discuss, and I’d rather you just spoke freely. If I have to follow court protocol, it will take forever.”

Irja raised her head to find his cornflower-blue eyes lit with humor, but the strain around the corners showed the king’s worry. He was taller than her six-foot frame by about two inches, and she had to tilt her head back a little to meet his gaze. “As you wish.” Suddenly, she swayed on her feet and gripped the railing. What had she been thinking, leaving herself so unguarded that the magic could seek her out?

The king reached out and gently grabbed her elbow, steadying her. “Are you okay, Ms. Vainio?”

Irja wiped her forehead and forced a smile. “Please call me Irja. I’m just tired.” Hopefully, the king would believe her lie. Sweet Freya, she couldn’t afford to be that careless. She needed to be extra vigilant here. Washington State’s volcanic rock’s magic was easy to shield herself against after living so many years within it. The ancient Sedona red desert’s magic was hundreds of millennia older and so very wild and free. It would tempt the most disciplined practitioner with its promise of raw power.

“Irja,” the king repeated. “Then you must call me Erik.” He released her elbow.

That would probably never happen, but Irja nodded. “I’m afraid I don’t have any good news. I still don’t know what’s wrong with your warrior. My main concern right now is to reduce her fever. I have given her modern drugs as well as herbal remedies, but so far, I haven’t seen results. She is still very agitated, so I gave her a mild sedative to make her rest.”

“It is a comfort to me and my tribe just to have you here to take care of Kari. Odin willing, she will recover and fight again.”

Irja forced a smile on her face, but the truth was that she had no idea how to wake Kari or lower her temperature. In her current state, the high fever might severely damage that Valkyrie’s cognitive abilities. The extreme temperature was literally cooking the warrior’s brain. It was tempting to open herself up to all the glorious red-hot magic just beyond the walls. To allow that energy to flood her body and channel it into a healing burst of power that could possibly cure the feverish Valkyrie. But the magic burst could just as easily kill Kari. Or someone else.

She had once been young and cocky when it came to her abilities. Now she lived with eternal guilt and the goddesses’ punishment of a painful void inside her because she could never again risk to fill it with the energy of magic.

The pause in conversation was dragging into awkward territory, and Irja searched her mind for something to say, but she was too tired to get her thoughts to cooperate. Luckily, something distracted the king from scrutinizing her face, and he turned away.

“The warriors I’d sent tracking the wolverines are back from the desert,” he said just as the gate in the concrete wall opened. The king lifted a hand to shield his eyes and peered into the courtyard.

Irja mimicked his gesture and discovered her twin brother, Pekka, striding through the opening, closely followed by Ulf and a red-haired Viking she hadn’t met before. But it was the man bringing up the rear of the group that drew her attention. Scott’s physique had filled out in the year and two months since she’d last seen him. His athletic build spoke more of endurance than brute strength, but his shirt stretched over broad, defined shoulders and a well-muscled torso. Her berserker stirred.

“Excuse me,” King Erik said. “I must go ask the warriors about their mission.”

“Of course,” Irja mumbled. Her gaze lingered on Scott. As was always the case when she was near him, she couldn’t look away. He was her queen’s brother and had been her patient at one point. Both were excellent reasons for ignoring the restless feelings he always stirred within her. So she did what she always did when strong emotions threatened to rise—she retreated behind the protective walls she’d long ago learned would shield her from heartache and painted a blank expression on her face. But she still couldn’t look away from the dark, curly-haired man walking across the courtyard.

Excerpted from Loki Ascending by Asa Maria Bradley. © 2019 by Asa Maria Bradley. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

Originally a native of Sweden, ASA MARIA BRADLEY came to the United States as a high school exchange student, but decided to stay for the next couple of decades and add a few more degrees. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the author at asamariabradley.com.

*****

Giveaway:

3 sets of Viking Warrior Rising & Viking Warrior Rebel

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7854/

*****

Spotlight – Risk It All

Tags

Katie Ruggle, Risk It All, Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I’m super excited to see what happens next … It’s near the top of my TBR pile so hopefully I’ll let you know soon!

*****

Risk It All

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series

by Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

When bounty hunter falls for bounty, they’ll risk it all to save the one they love.

Cara Pax never wanted to be a bounty hunter—she’s happy to leave chasing criminals to her more adventurous sisters. But if she wants her dream of escaping the family business to come true, she’s got one last job to finish.

Too bad she doesn’t think her latest bounty is actually guilty.

Henry Kavenski is a man with innocence to prove. But when his enemies target Cara in an attempt to force his hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Deep in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by danger on all sides, Henry and Cara will have to learn to trust their unexpected partnership if they want to make it out together—and alive.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMEG57

B&N: http://bit.ly/2RpIAz1

Apple: https://apple.co/366ZGWM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/368oHk6

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2PhbaQI

BAM: http://bit.ly/2sPbjmP

*****

Excerpt:

When the woman stopped the stroller next to the bus-stop bench and took a seat next to Kavenski, Cara knew something was up. For one, she would eat her phone if that woman would ever set foot on a public bus. Also, Kavenski, for all his hotness, was a big and intimidating guy. No one would casually plop themselves down next to a dangerous-looking stranger, especially with her baby right there.

With both Kavenski and the woman facing forward, it was impossible for Cara to see if they were talking. She was tempted to move closer to the pair to see if she could eavesdrop, but Kavenski had known she’d been following him earlier, and that made her hesitate. It was one thing for her to follow as he skulked around town, but this meeting seemed very shady and purposeful. He’d let her go once, but who knew what he’d do if she had incriminating information on him.

The woman turned her head toward Kavenski for just a few seconds, and Cara hurried to take a few pictures. With the oversize sunglasses, hat, and scarf, it was hard to get an idea of what the woman actually looked like, especially from a distance. The only things Cara was sure of were that she was white, tall, and fashion-conscious.

To Cara’s frustration, she saw that the woman’s lips were indeed moving. Once again resisting the urge to get close enough to listen to their conversation, Cara watched as the woman reached into the stroller and appeared to adjust the baby’s blanket. When she withdrew her hand, however, she was holding something white and rectangular.

Almost bursting with curiosity, even as her heart pounded from fear of discovery, Cara found herself leaning forward, straining to see what the woman had taken from the stroller. In just the split second it took her to pass the item to Kavenski, Cara was pretty sure it was a legal-sized envelope. Before she could see any other details or even take a few steps closer, he slipped the item into his jacket pocket.

The woman stood and pushed the stroller past Kavenski, and Cara realized that she would be passing right by. After a frozen second, she forced her gaze to her phone screen. Her hair fell in heavy curtains on either side of her face, hiding her profile from the woman’s view, and Cara was intensely grateful that she hadn’t pulled it back that morning.

The seconds seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly as the burr of stroller wheels and the sharp click of the woman’s bootheels drew closer. Cara didn’t breathe as the woman passed just five feet away, and her pounding heart was so loud it made it hard to hear if the footsteps were slowing.

When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, she dared a pseudo-casual glance and saw the back of the woman a half block away. Sucking in a much-needed breath, Cara returned her attention to Kavenski, just in time to see him rocket off the bench right into rush-hour traffic. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that Cara jerked back a step, startled.

“What is he doing?” Without considering the wisdom of what she was doing, Cara bolted toward him, her eyes locked on his big, surprisingly nimble form as he played a terrifying game of Frogger with oncoming cars. Brakes squealed and drivers laid on their horns as Kavenski shot across the road to the far lane. Turning to face the SUV heading toward him, he raised both hands, palms out, like a traffic cop.

He faced down the oncoming vehicle barreling toward him. The tires squealed as the wheels locked, and Cara instinctively reached toward him as if she could somehow snatch him to safety. His huge frame actually looked small as the five-thousand-pound vehicle bore down on him.

Cara reached the curb, a useless shout of warning building in her chest. Kavenski stared down the SUV, not even flinching as it rocketed closer. Just inches from Kavenski, the vehicle lurched to a halt, rocking back from the force of the stop. Cara’s breath escaped her in a rush. She stopped abruptly, realizing that she had been about to run right out into traffic. She’d been so focused on Kavenski’s near death that she hadn’t even thought about her own safety.

As the driver of the SUV rolled his window down and screamed invectives, Kavenski turned and strode over to a small dog huddled in the center of the lane. Scooping up the tiny furball, Kavenski stepped out of the street, waving casually at the still-yelling driver to continue on his way.

Cara gave a small gasping laugh at Kavenski’s nonchalance. He was acting as if risking his life to save a tiny dog was no big deal, while Cara’s heart was still trying to pound out of her chest and her hands shook with an overdose of adrenaline. As if he’d heard her slightly panicked laughter, Kavenski met her gaze across the four lanes of traffic. They stared at each other for an eternal moment before the corner of his mouth kicked up in more of a grimace than a smile.

Excerpted from Risk It All by Katie Ruggle. © 2019 by Katie Ruggle. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, trains her three dogs, and travels to warm places to scuba dive. A police academy graduate, Katie readily admits she’s a forensics nerd. Connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katierugglebooks, or on Twitter and Instagram @KatieRuggle.

*****

Giveaway:

5 copies of In Her Sights

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7860/

*****

Spotlight – A Cowboy Never Quits

Tags

A Cowboy Never Quits, Cindi Madsen, Turn Around Ranch series

I just love the idea of a place that helps troubled teens … throw in a romance and it makes it all the more appealing.

*****

A Cowboy Never Quits

A Turn Around Ranch Novel

by Cindi Madsen

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

These hardworking cowboys give everyone a second chance…

When single mom Jessica Cook is at the end of her rope, she takes her 16-year-old daughter to Turn Around Ranch. The ranch has a great reputation for teen therapy, and Jessica prays there’s room there for her and Chloe.

Wade Dawson’s first priority is to keep the ranch afloat to help teens and their families. But he can’t seem to keep his boundaries when it comes to Jessica—she’s talked her way into a job on the ranch so she can stay near her daughter and her tenacity and courage are truly impressive. Not to mention she’s a natural beauty and sparks fly whenever he’s in her vicinity.

But as one crisis after another befalls the ranch, Wade is going to have to decide whether he can afford to let a woman get under his skin…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMGE5v

B&N: http://bit.ly/2ql0wzQ

Apple: https://apple.co/2OPlaS3

Kobo: http://bit.ly/33Rce2V

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/350NnLD

BAM: http://bit.ly/2rYVR7m

*****

Excerpt:

A hint of sympathy flickered through Gruff-and-Grumpy’s eyes, but then the firmness crept back in. He reached up and readjusted his cowboy hat, which set off some kind of wave that made the other two brothers do the same.

Seriously, why do they have to look like they belong on the cover of Ride a Cowboy Weekly?

Wait. That sounded dirtier than she meant it. Not that she’d exactly take it back.

They practically dripped masculinity, their bodies speaking to hours of manual labor, and the effect kept hijacking her jumbled thoughts. It’d been so long since she’d more than half-heartedly checked out a guy that apparently now she couldn’t even handle being in the presence of handsome men.

Back when she was in her early twenties—before guys discovered she came with baggage and a five-year-old—she used to be fairly decent at flirting her way into getting a guy to help her out with things like clearing that late fee or giving her a few more weeks on the rent. Once she’d even talked her disgruntled landlord into mowing the overgrown lawn he was harping on and on about. Clearly, she’d lost it, because the expressions aimed her way were immovable ones that conveyed disbelief in exceptions or wiggle room. Or the charity she’d shed her pride to ask for.

A spinster failure-of-a-mom at thirty-one. Well, it took fifteen years, but Mom was right. Just when she’d been so cocky about how much she’d accomplished. Now she wanted to Frisbee the employee-of-the month plaque she’d received from her boss last week, for all the good it did her.

“We’re sorry you drove all the way here only to have to turn back,” Mrs. Dawson said, tucking behind her ear the sandy-brown and gray strands of hair that’d fallen from her bun. The woman had a frail sense about her, her skinniness and the dark circles under her eyes speaking to a recent—or possibly even current—health issue. “I can give you some referrals, and I’ll see if my contacts know of a good counselor in your area.”

In a daze, Jess blinked at the woman, defeat weighing against her chest and tugging down her shoulders. She truly had failed. And curse her DNA for passing on traits she wished it would’ve held back. In a lot of ways, her daughter was too much like her: stubborn to a fault, blind when it came to guys, spurred on by the words no and can’t, and turning the word guideline into loose suggestion.

If they simply returned home, it’d be harder and harder to keep Chloe from bad influences. This past year she’d struggled to fit in at school, and her solution had been to find the worst possible group of “friends.” Friends who ditched and smoked pot and encouraged Chloe to sneak out at night so she could go meet a guy like Tyler. He was two years older and a whole mess of bad influences on his own. Rebellious, disrespectful, and mysterious—the same things Jessica had been attracted to at Chloe’s age.

Not that her daughter was blameless. Chloe had made plenty of bad choices. She’d dived fully into the party lifestyle, snuck out yet again, and gone on the joyride in the stolen car while under the influence. It was a slippery slope, which was why Jess wanted her at the best place in the state.

Even the others were out of her price range. A counselor might be as well. Maybe they’d just move to a different state entirely. Leave it all behind and eat…ramen. Get a nice box hut under a bridge. Really live out the scenarios people had thrown at her when she’d refused to give her baby up for adoption.

Feeling both levels of failure, Jess shakily stood. “Thank you for your time.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Gruff-and-Grumpy said, and she wanted to shout that she didn’t want chivalry. She wanted her daughter enrolled in their program and a way to pay for it.

“It’s fine. I’ve got it. Unless you’re scared I’ll just drive away without my kid, and then you’ll have to take her.”

“Well, I am now.” An almost-smile crossed his face.

She almost returned it, but her lungs constricted more and more as she walked toward the door.

There in the corner, she caught sight of a wall of flyers on a corkboard. Along with a schedule that outlined class time, equine therapy time, and a few other events she couldn’t quite make out, she saw a neon-yellow paper with the words Help Wanted across the top. Even better, it was for a job here at Turn Around Ranch.

“You guys are looking for a cook?” It was as if she’d stepped out of her body and someone else had taken control—someone crazy and reckless, personality traits she’d tried very hard to suppress through the years. When you had a kid who depended on you, impulsiveness went out the window, and recklessness wasn’t an option. Still, even as she told her mouth to hold up before it landed her in trouble, the next words were pushing from her lips. “You’re in luck. I just so happen to be one.”

Those dark eyebrows lowered again, only visible under the brim of his cowboy hat when he was giving the signature scowl he’d given her from the moment she’d stepped inside the office. “You’re a cook?”

“Oh, we’ve been looking for a cook for forever and a day,” Mrs. Dawson said, scooting to the edge of her chair.

Hope edged in desperation bobbed up inside Jess. She’d told her boss she needed some time off, and he’d been super understanding. He might not be as cool about her taking…a month? Two? Whatever. This was her daughter. Jobs came and went, but if she lost Chloe, she’d regret it forever. “Perhaps we could help each other out. If you let my daughter into your program, I’ll stay and cook while she’s here. The only other thing I need is a bed to sleep in. I’m not even picky as to where that bed is.”

“Under the stars, then?” the looming cowboy next to her said.

“Okay, I’d prefer a roof over my head. Like a lean-to, at least.”

That almost-smile quivered his lips, but he tamped it down. Why was he so determined to keep up the steely front? Or maybe it wasn’t a front. Right now, she didn’t care, and since she clearly wasn’t going to get anywhere with him, she turned to Mrs. Dawson. “I can have a list of references to you within a matter of hours. My bosses all love me.” At least that was true. At one point she hadn’t known how to balance books or create databases, but she’d learned. Cooking had never been high on her priority list, but she could learn to do that as well. There were Google and the Food Network, and she could make a box of mac and cheese like nobody’s business. How hard could it be?

Excerpted from A Cowboy Never Quits by Cindi Madsen. © 2019 by Cindi Madsen. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

*****

Giveaway:

3 copies of A Cowboy Never Quits

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7853/

*****

Spotlight – The Way Back to You

Tags

Blessings Georgia series, Sharon Sala, The Way Back to You

Fans of Sharon Sala’s book will be thrilled to see a new Blessings, Georgia book on the shelves.

*****

The Way Back to You

A Blessings, Georgia Novel

by Sharon Sala

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

What do you do when your whole life is turned upside down?

Sully Raines sets out to find his birth mother, and ends up in Blessings, Georgia. A new surprise awaits him here, but of the best kind—his childhood sweetheart, whom he hasn’t seen since she moved away when they were teens, is living in Blessings now. He’s not sure she’s as happy to see him as he is to see her, but it’s been a lot of years, and a lot of water under the bridge…

Sully’s heartfelt search for answers about his past might just turn out to be the key to his future…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jRq04K

B&N: http://bit.ly/2ppOvbJ

Apple: https://apple.co/2prI4Vy

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/31mxnkc

BAM: http://bit.ly/2YjFkXK

*****

Excerpt:

Sully drove straight to the flower shop. A bell rang as he walked in, and an older woman in a colorful floral smock appeared from the back.

“Hello. I’m Myra. How can I help you?”

“I want to get a bouquet of flowers. Do you have some made up?”

“Yes. Here in the cooler behind this stand of stuffed toys. But if you don’t see what you want, I can easily make something else while you wait.”

“Okay, thanks,” Sully said. “Let me check these out first.”

“Seeing as how fall is upon us, we have several different sizes of fall bouquets, and with different kinds of flowers. And, of course, the roses,” Myra said.

He pointed to a bouquet of red roses in a crystal vase with a ruby-colored base.

“Those, in that vase with the ruby-colored base. How much are those?”

“Well, it’s a dozen American Beauties, and the vase is crystal, which makes it a bit pricier than others. It’s one hundred and ten dollars.”

“I’ll take it,” Sully said.

Myra beamed. Her husband, Harold, had fussed at her nonstop because she’d used a vase that expensive, and now she could say “I told you so.”

“Wonderful,” she said, as she removed the bouquet from the cooler and carried it to the register. “Will this be cash or credit card?”

“Card,” Sully said as he pulled it out of his wallet.

“If you want to sign a card to go with the flowers, you can pick from these,” Myra said, pointing to the little rack on the counter.

“No card, I’m handing them to her in person.”

Myra pulled up a new screen on the computer. “Your name, sir?”

“Sully Raines.”

Myra gasped. “You’re the man who saved Melissa Dean’s life, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This is wonderful. I’m glad to meet you. Everybody loves Melissa.”

Sully smiled. “I’m finding that out, but I’m not surprised. She was a sweetheart when we were kids, and she’s only gotten better with age.”

“You knew each other! Wow. Then you must have been really frantic when you were trying to get her out of the burning car.”

“I’d only arrived in town about an hour before it happened. I didn’t know anybody here, and I sure didn’t know it was her until we were in the ER. The last time we’d seen each other, we were thirteen.”

“Oh my! What an amazing story. If these are for her, please give her our best.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sully said, and then they finished the purchase.

He made the drive back to Melissa’s house slowly and carefully, and he was happy to see her car in the driveway when he arrived. He got out carrying the vase, and then instead of using the key she’d given him, he rang the doorbell.

When Melissa opened the door, her eyes widened in delight.

“Delivery for the prettiest woman in Blessings,” he said.

She laughed. “I think you must have the wrong house.”

“Nope. I know exactly where I am, and these are for you. Where do you want me to put them?” he asked.

“I think here on this table in the foyer. That way I’ll see them all the time, coming and going.”

He set them on the table, then turned around and hugged her.

“Does this mean Elliot gave you good news?” Melissa asked.

“He gave me news,” Sully said, and felt the knowing of meant to be when he kissed her.

Melissa’s heart fluttered from the gentleness of the kiss, but she was dying for information.

“But what news? Did he know where she was?”

“That man talks around a subject more than anyone I’ve ever met. He told me my birth father’s name, thinking I already knew.”

“Oh my gosh! What is it?”

“Marc Adamos. I never found the name on any papers, but now I know.”

“And your mom? What did he say?”

“He told me not to leave Blessings.”

Melissa frowned. “But what does that mean, exactly? That she’s here? Then where?”

“He just kept repeating, ‘Don’t leave Blessings,’ so I’m not leaving.”

Melissa laughed and hugged him. “Don’t expect me to be sad about that.”

“He also said you were my soul mate and wished us a long and happy life together.”

She gasped. “Did he really say that?”

Sully nodded.

Melissa sighed. “Well, it took us long enough to find each other again. Maybe that is why it was so easy to fall back into this.”

“Works for me,” Sully said, then kissed her again until he heard her moan. “The feeling is mutual.”

Melissa felt like her whole body was humming—like someone had turned up the energy in the room.

Sully saw her shiver. “Are you afraid? Don’t be afraid. This is not anything to act on until we’re ready.”

“Afraid? Of you? No, Sully. I just don’t know what to do with what I feel.”

“Then don’t do anything. When the time is right, there won’t be any confusion. That I can promise.” He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s all good, love. It’s going to be all right.”

“I feel like a forty-something idiot. This should not be so hard,” she muttered.

He chuckled, and when he did, she started to push away, then felt his heartbeat. Without moving, she put her other hand on her own. Their heartbeats were in rhythm.

“What’s wrong?” Sully said.

She reached for his hand and put it over his own heart, and then put his other hand on hers.

“Feel that?” she asked.

“Feel what… Oh, wow! We’re in sync.” Then he laughed. “I love this.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing. I adore the roses, and I adore you, too, Sully Raines.”

“Is this where I sweep you off your feet and take you to bed, or is this where we go eat pie?”

Melissa burst into laughter, and once the joy bubbled up, more kept coming, and she laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

Sully grinned and then put his arm around her and led her to the kitchen.

“I think it’s pie.”

“Just because you went to see a psychic doesn’t mean you’re turning into one.”

He stopped in the middle of the kitchen floor. “Are you saying it’s not pie?”

“Not pie. Cake!”

“You and your sass,” Sully said, and kissed the laugh right off her face.

Excerpted from The Way Back to You by Sharon Sala. © 2019 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

SHARON SALA has over one hundred books in print and has published in five different genres. She is an eight-time RITA finalist, five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Book Reviews, and five-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

*****

Giveaway:

3 Copies of A Rainbow Above Us

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7859/

*****

Spotlight – The One for You

Tags

Roni Loren, The One for You, The Ones Who Got Away series

The highly-anticipated fourth book in Roni Loren’s unforgettable The Ones Who Got Away series.

*****

The One for You

The Ones Who Got Away series

by Roni Loren

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

She got a second chance at life. Will she take a second chance at love?

Kincaid Breslin wasn’t supposed to survive that fateful night at Long Acre when so many died, including her boyfriend—but survive she did. She doesn’t know why she got that chance, but now she takes life by the horns and doesn’t let anybody stand in her way.

Ashton Isaacs was her best friend when disaster struck all those years ago, but he chose to run as far away as he could. Now fate has brought him back to town, and Ash doesn’t know how to cope with his feelings for Kincaid and his grief over their lost friendship. For Ash has been carrying secrets, and he knows that once Kincaid learns the truth, he’ll lose any chance he might have had with the only woman he’s ever loved.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jRrlZk

B&N: http://bit.ly/2qEGIaZ

Apple: https://apple.co/2QVnUPi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/34QgQrx

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/35FDzXg

BAM: http://bit.ly/2rS5Fjs

*****

Excerpt:

A sleepy voice came through the door. “Come in.”

Kincaid opened the door and found Ash shifting to sit up in bed, shirtless, tattooed, and with full-on bedhead. Every womanly cell in her body gave a cheer of appreciation, and she had the sudden annoying urge to tilt her head and twirl her hair like a smitten schoolgirl. Luckily, she stopped herself from that embarrassment. She wasn’t there to ogle.

“Everything all right?” Ash asked, swiping a hand across his face and trying to wake up.

Kincaid lifted the phone. “Your ex has been burning up your phone. I got aggravated and answered. Sorry. She’s still calling herself your fiancée, and I believe she wants to yell at you about something.”

Ash groaned. “Hell no. I’m not starting my day off with that. Tell her I’ll call her later or just hang up.”

“I could. Or,” Kincaid said conspiratorially, “we could have a little fun and piss her off in the process. You game?”

His eyebrows lifted, mischief in the tilt of his lips. “I could possibly be game.”

Kincaid grinned and unmuted the phone so they could be heard. “Hey there, sleepyhead,” she said in a flirty voice to Ash. “Rise and shine.”

Ash cocked his head in confusion, but when he saw the look on her face, he caught on fast. “Morning, gorgeous.”

Kincaid put a knee on the bed, knowing the guest bed squeaked and that Melanie would be able to hear and draw her own conclusions. “I know you wanted to sleep in after last night, but that Melanie woman has some sort of emergency and just couldn’t wait.”

Ash smirked, a deliciously evil look on his face. “Baby, you know you shouldn’t be answering my phone this early. We have better things to do right now.” Ash grabbed Kincaid’s wrist and tugged her forward, making her tumble onto the bed and inadvertently laugh. She landed next to him, and he lifted her arm to his mouth, kissing the tender skin of her wrist with an audible sound. On the phone, that kiss could be imagined anywhere.

Kincaid’s skin heated despite the fact that this was a farce. “You probably should take it or she’ll keep calling. I don’t want to be interrupted in the middle of anything, you know?”

Ash chuckled softly, this deep, private laugh, a lover’s laugh. It sent hot shivers through Kincaid, waking up sensations that had been dormant as of late. “Of course not. Wouldn’t want that. Give me just a minute.” He took the phone, the smile dropping from his face. “Melanie.”

Kincaid could hear the rapid-fire voice through the line and remained next to Ash on the bed. Melanie was saying something about him leaving the apartment messy when he moved out. About the landlord keeping the deposit.

Ash grunted, his tone and entire demeanor bored. “I wasn’t paying for a cleaning service to clean up after you. Just because you moved out first doesn’t mean it was my mess. You made this mess.”

More yelling on her end, the volume notching up.

“Melanie,” Ash said patiently, “clearly you feel passionately about this. I can’t say I give a shit, so that puts us at an impasse. How about you send me back your ring, and I’ll consider sending you half the deposit? Otherwise, I’ve got better things to do right now.”

Melanie’s next words were clear as a bell. “Right. You probably can’t even afford the deposit. Are you back to the living-on-ramen plan, Ash? Don’t have your woman’s money to use up now? Or did you just find a new one to pay the rent?”

Ash’s teeth clenched, his skin flushing red from the neck up—the words a match to a fuse. Kincaid saw what was happening, the fire racing up through him. She’d been there. That moment when an ex or a bully gets the best of you, and you stoop to their level. You lose your shit and end up looking like the dumb one or the hysterical one or the one who still cares too much. No way was she letting Melanie win this round. Without thinking, she scrambled to sit up and then swung her leg over Ash’s middle, straddling him.

Ash’s lips, which had been parted to yell, froze in almost comic silence. His shocked gaze jumped up to Kincaid’s, her ambush plan working to stop him in his tracks. She took the phone from him and put it to her ear. “Hey, sugar, time’s up. And I can promise you, neither of us are here for each other’s money. Don’t call again. Bye now.”

Melanie gasped. “Kincaid.”

Kincaid bit her lip, not sure if it was good for Melanie to know her identity and to think she and Ash were together, but that cat was already bolting away from the bag, too far to catch.

“Ugh,” Melanie said into the phone. “I should’ve known. He always had a taste for the cheap stuff.”

Kincaid smiled, almost entertained. Oh, sweet, misguided Melanie. If Melanie were here, she’d pat her on the hand and shake her head at the lame attempt. The woman was going to have to do better than that to get under her skin. “Oh, bless your heart. It’s so cute when women try to throw other women under the bus just because a guy’s involved—or in your case, two guys. Really moves that feminist needle forward, don’t you think? You should burn a bra.”

“You—”

“Enjoy your new relationship, sugar,” Kincaid said, cutting her off. “I hope you two are made for each other in every way.”

Melanie was silent, and Kincaid took the opportunity to hang up.

She tossed the phone to the side and braced her hands on either side of Ash on the bed. “Well, if you needed a sign that things aren’t going so well with her new guy, that was a clear one. If she were happy, she wouldn’t give a damn about a couple hundred dollars of a deposit, especially when she has money. And she certainly wouldn’t care if you were sleeping with me—”

“Kincaid.”

“And I know I probably shouldn’t have answered. But she wouldn’t let up, and I just couldn’t help it and—”

“Kincaid—” Ash said more urgently.

“What?”

“You need to—” He grabbed her by the waist, shifting to hoist her off him, but before he could, she sucked in a breath as she became all too aware of the distinct firmness beneath her.

“Oh shit,” she said, rolling herself off him as if he’d caught fire.

Ash made a pained sound and fell back against the pillow. “Yeah, that.”

“I…uh.” Her cheeks burned as she sat up.

Ash pulled the covers higher and shifted onto his side so the blanket wouldn’t reveal his current condition. He gave her a droll look as he propped his head on his hand. “I really appreciate the effort to irritate my ex, I do. But maybe don’t straddle a guy first thing in the morning. Little hard to control things.”

Kincaid couldn’t stop a snort from escaping. “Did you just say a little hard?”

Ash gave her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look and then hit her with a pillow.

She laughed as she defended herself from the blow and then couldn’t stop, the laughter bubbling up from deep in her belly. “A little hard,” she said between laughs. “Maybe more than a little. I mean, give yourself some credit.”

Excerpted from The One for You by Roni Loren. © 2019 by Roni Loren. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

Roni Loren wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. She holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, but now she writes full time from her cozy office in Dallas, Texas where she puts her characters on the therapy couch instead. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Visit her online at roniloren.com.

*****

Giveaway:

3 sets of The Ones Who Got Away, The One You Can’t Forget, & The One You Fight For

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7855/

*****

Spotlight – Pathfinder

Tags

Anna Schmidt, Cowboys & Harvey Girls, Pathfinder

It doesn’t happen very often but I do occasionally crave a good historical western romance and Anna Schmidt has just the book!

*****

Pathfinder

Cowboys & Harvey Girls

by Anna Schmidt

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

Return to a time when the West was Wild…

Captain Max Winslow was once a pathfinder for the Army, blazing trails and keeping his brothers-in-arms safe. Now he’s the star of a Wild West show, reminding curious audiences of days long gone. The world around him may be changing, but that doesn’t mean he has to accept it—not when there are frontiers yet to be explored.

When Max first sets eyes on no-nonsense Harvey Girl Emma Elliot, he knows that anything between them would be impossible. She’s a realist embracing what the future holds, while he’s a dreamer, determined to preserve the West he once knew. And yet something about Emma’s strength of will calls to him. It isn’t long before Max must decide: is there room in his dream for love, or will his resolve to hang on to the past jeopardize their future?

Award-winning author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for the reality of her characters—exposing their flaws as well as their strengths as she delivers strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin and Florida.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jRpILc

B&N: http://bit.ly/2O1Xzfu

Apple: https://apple.co/36W2fw4

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2Q8An1y

BAM: http://bit.ly/2O3q6kG

*****

Excerpt:

Having practically counted the ticks of the large clock in the lobby, marking time until the supper shift ended, Emma changed out of her uniform, released her hair from the bonds of its chignon, and fastened it with a barrette at the nape of her neck. George had mentioned a surprise, but she wasn’t sure what she should do. Wait in her room? Wait outside the kitchen door where he had come before? Of course, the surprise might be tomorrow or next week for all she knew.

In the end, she settled on a compromise. She would sit in one of the rocking chairs on the hotel veranda. It was not at all unusual for her to do that before retiring for the night. No one would think it odd. Yes, that was the right choice. She carried along a basket of knitting. She could form stitches even in the dark if necessary, although there was always light coming from the lobby windows.

Knit one, purl one, repeat.

As she worked, she kept an eye out for Diablo. The stallion would be the clearest sign of Max’s arrival. As the minutes clicked away, she counted out the pattern, nodding politely to guests returning to the hotel

for the night while she waited. She was about to pack up her yarn and needles when from behind her, she heard the unmistakable sound of dishes rattling on a metal tray.

She turned and saw Max struggling to keep two glass ice cream dishes plus spoons and napkins at an even keel.

“This is harder than it looks,” he grumbled.

Emma set her knitting aside and relieved him of the tray. “What on earth?”

“I promised you ice cream.”

“That you did,” she said, setting the tray on a small side table.

“I can’t take full credit. I had help. George is responsible for the whipped cream and the cherries. He insisted. Truth is, he was so set on getting it all perfect, I figured you’d be long gone by the time I got here.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

Max chuckled. “Folks tend to keep an eye on you, Emmie. One of the waitresses came through the kitchen while George was fussing with the sundaes, and I reckon she just assumed this was all for you. She reminded George vanilla is your favorite and then told me you were out here.” He handed her a cloth napkin and spoon, waited for her to drape the napkin over her lap, and then presented the stemmed glass bowl brimming with the sundae.

“Thank you. It looks delicious.”

“It’s not for admiring, Emmie. Take a bite before the whole thing melts.” As if to demonstrate, he filled his spoon with a heaping bite of his chocolate ice cream and savored it. “Mm-mm.”

Emma took a much smaller bite and relished the cold sweetness that filled her mouth. “Oh, that’s so good,” she murmured and quickly took another bite.

“If you think that’s good, try this,” he said, offering her a bite of his.

The gesture seemed far too intimate to be proper, and yet it was hard to resist his enthusiasm. She opened her mouth, and he slid the spoon between her parted lips. The chocolate was rich, almost decadent. She closed her eyes. Slowly, Max withdrew the spoon. When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, the spoon still suspended between them.

“Do you really prefer vanilla?” he asked, his voice husky.

“I prefer variety,” she replied and, to prove her point, took a bite of her ice cream.

“You could share.”

This was getting out of hand. She was not immune to the game he was playing, but really, they were seated in a public place where they might easily be observed by anyone. Instead of filling her spoon and feeding him, she handed him her dish. “Help yourself.”

He set his dish on the tray and accepted hers, filling his spoon not once but twice before she objected.

“I didn’t say take it all,” she protested with a laugh. When she reached for her dish, he turned away, protecting it. “Very well,” she announced. “Two can play this game.” She picked up his dessert. Caught up in the silliness of their contest, she ate three small bites of his chocolate sundae in quick succession, then closed her eyes as the cold went straight to her head, giving her a sudden headache.

Max set the dish he was holding aside and took hers from her, then clasped her hand. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and smiled as she shook off the headache. “One forgets ice cream is to be savored, not gobbled like a last meal.” She leaned back in her chair as did he. She noticed he did not let go of her hand. They set the rockers in motion.

After a moment, he said, “You gonna eat that last cherry?”

She laughed. “It’s all yours.” She watched him pop the fruit in his mouth. “How did the first show go?”

“I think we were a hit, as they say in this business. Folks were definitely on their feet cheering.”

“Someone mentioned they could hear the roar of the crowd all the way in town.”

Max chuckled. “I kind of doubt that, but it’s nice to think about. You should have seen Reba in that blouse you fixed up for her.”

“You didn’t tell her I did the work, did you?”

“No, but why shouldn’t I?”

“I just think Pearl should have the credit.”

She heard him let out a long breath. He sounded exhausted, and it occurred to her that if she thought her day had been long and hard, his had begun well before dawn and included not just the parade and the show but also the emergency of Reba’s costume. And that was just what she knew. Yet he’d made time to come to meet her.

She stood and set the dishes and her napkin on the tray. “Thank you, Max, for this lovely treat.”

“You’re leaving me here alone?”

She couldn’t help laughing. “Tomorrow is another day. I have four trainloads of people to serve, and you have two performances to deliver. I think we could both use some rest.”

“Are we still going to meet your friends a week from Sunday?”

“Are you sure you have time?”

“Show’s up and running, and we don’t perform on Sundays, so the answer is I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” she admitted.

“I’ll rent a buggy if that suits.”

“That would be fine.” The playfulness they’d shared while eating their ice cream had disappeared. Emma wondered if there would ever come a time when they could be completely at ease in each other’s company.

Max took a step toward the back of the hotel.

“There’s no need to see me to the door,” Emma protested.

The lamplight from the lobby caught Max’s smile. “Now what kind of gentleman allows a lady to walk home alone?”

“It’s no more than a few steps,” she reminded him.

“You’d be surprised what can happen in just a few steps,” he replied.

They walked along the path that led around the side of the hotel and on to the kitchen entrance. Emma balanced the tray with their dishes while Max reached for the door.

“Well, here I am, safe and sound,” she said, wishing there were more time. “Good night. Thank you for the ice cream.”

“Emmie?”

She looked back at him with a questioning smile. Gently, he relieved her of the tray, setting it just inside the door, then took hold of her shoulders and turned her so their faces were only inches apart. He was wearing his hat, and his face was in shadow, and yet she knew what he wanted—what she wanted.

As if driven by outside forces, she placed her hand on the back of his neck and raised herself to her toes. “Yes,” she whispered, although he had not asked, at least not in words.

She felt the warmth of his breath and then the fullness of his lips meeting hers. She felt as if she could stand in that place all night.

Excerpted from Pathfinder by Anna Schmidt. © 2019 by Anna Schmidt. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Giveaway:

3 sets of Trailblazer and Renegade

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7857/

*****

Spotlight – The Wedding Dress Christmas

Tags

Rachel Hauck, The Wedding Collection series, The Wedding Dress Christmas

It’s that time of year – so happy to see so many holiday romances!!!

*****

The Wedding Dress Christmas

A Novella in The Wedding Collection

by Rachel Hauck

Romance, Holiday Romance

Published: October 2019

Publisher: Hauck House

Blurb:

December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music.

JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?

With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might be a Christmas miracle.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/38khNKF

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wedding-dress-christmas-rachel-hauck/1133982215?ean=2940163612949

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-wedding-dress-christmas

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-wedding-dress-christmas/id1482567444?mt=11&app=itunes

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781734136609

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Excerpt:

Jo touched an angled, bell sleeve. The material was beautiful with a silky sheen and sweetheart neckline. The dress seemed to breathe with a life of its own. “So this is the ancient wedding gown from 1912.” She knelt to inspect the seams, the material, and to look for any blemish. How could a dress so old be so fresh and beautiful?

How did it seem to speak to her? Turning over the V-cut hem, she found a neatly stitched TH.

“Taffy Hayes,” Haley whispered over her shoulder. “She was the black seamstress who sewed the gown for a very nouveau riche Birmingham society family. Emily Canton married Daniel Ludlow and became Charlotte’s great-grandmother. But she never knew anything about Emily or her family until she found the dress in an old trunk. It sent her on quite the journey.”

“And the journey ended with you.” Jo gazed up at Haley.

“I guess so. I felt unworthy, yet honored, to be invited into the unique sisterhood of the dress. Like, why me?” Haley began to remove the dress from the form. “But the moment I put it on, all my guilt and shame, especially over Dax, melted away. I could barely remember how I felt when I found out he was married. I could look at myself square in the eye for the first time in years. I knew this dress was special. If Charlotte was offering it to me, I was going to take it. I don’t know how it got out, but I’m putting it away. I don’t want it damaged. I feel responsible, you know, to protect it for the next hundred-plus years. To guard the stories of the other brides. Help me, Jo. Open the trunk under the window. See the linen bag? The dress goes inside.”

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Author Info:

Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is also the recipient of RT’s Career Achievement Award.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

Website: http://www.rachelhauck.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rachelhauck

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

Promo Link: http://bookbuzz.net/blog/romance-the-wedding-dress-christmas/

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Spotlight – His Reason to Stay

Tags

His Reason to Stay, Jennifer Hoopes

I so LOVE a good friends to lovers story!

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His Reason to Stay

by Jennifer Hoopes

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Award-winning wildlife photographer, Elijah Ellis, has come back home due to the tragic accident that killed members of both his and his best friend Tabitha Brodie’s family. Despite their grief, Eli hopes that he and Tabby can pick up their familiar friendship. He’s never forgotten the way Tabby makes him feel—full of hope and a sense of home—but she seems determined to keep him at arm’s length.

Tabby has always loved Eli. He’s everything she wants in a man. But he left Gatlinburg to make a name for himself outside of his famous family.  Even though there’s no one better to help her through this time, she refuses to be an anchor to a life he never wanted. Not to mention Tabby’s hiding a secret that will change all of their lives.

As Eli and Tabby spend more time together, he’s determined to show her they could be perfect together. Too bad she’s spent years building her walls against him…

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Google | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Entangled

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Excerpt:

Fate was being exceptionally bitter today as footsteps sounded on the worn boards. Heavy footsteps.

She pushed off the floor, the damp cloth sliding off and landing with a thwack, just as her unwanted visitor came into view.

Oh, fate was just being a downright witch this morning.

“I knew I’d find you here.” He grinned. “It’s been far too long, Tabby.”

Elijah Ellis strode across the small space and enveloped her in a warm embrace. The heat of his body surrounded her and brought up memories she needed to drown. His scruff tickled her cheek as she forced herself to return the hug as a friend would. Pushed those passionate memories back down. Forced herself to toe the friend line even though their bodies had been more intimately acquainted one glorious—on constant replay—night.

She knew he’d return at some point. He’d missed the funeral, not surprising since no one in either her or his family had known exactly where he was, besides somewhere in Bolivia trying to photograph some elusive cat. But she was surprised at how long it had taken him to come home.

Thankful, but surprised.

Eli stepped back, and Tabby indulged for one moment. Catalogued his jet black hair brushing his shoulders, his brown eyes sucking her in with their charismatic twinkle. His swimmer’s body, firm and solid. And for a moment she needed to confide in him. Tell him her most treasured secret. A gift left behind. One no one else knew. One he could help her bear.

Increasing the distance between them, she forced the crazy notion back into a deep hole where the fantasy of her and Eli resided. Giving him any reason to feel protective of her or, rather, more protective than he normally felt was the wrong move. For all of them.

“It’s good to see you. You’ve been missed.” I’ve missed you.

Eli cocked his head to the side. “Are you okay?”

She waved his concern away. “As well as can be expected.”

He moved closer. “Tabby?”

And the floodgates opened. “I lost my sister, Eli. My sister and my father and brother-in-law in one fell swoop. No one’s okay.”

Steel arms folded around her, his chest shouldering the wracking sobs. No one had seen her cry like this. She’d held it together for almost a month. Not only for her stepmother and stepsiblings, but for the life inside her. But God, it felt good. Safe to be unburdening it to the one person who understood not just the loss but the repercussions.

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Author Info:

Contemporary romance author, Jennifer Hoopes, lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband, and two daughters. Add two cats and a dog and the fur flies sometimes. Stories have been in her head for as long as she recognized every person had one and figuring out how two people meet and fall in love makes for a rewarding dream job.

When not writing she wears the many mom hats of PTO, dance, and music, all while driving a mean, mom-taxi. She loves caramel and roller coasters, plays a solo version of Carpool Karaoke, and cannot live without coffee and Jane Austen adaptations.

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Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Giftcard

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb877/

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