Kyla Summers has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime to get her cosplay business off the ground, and only one thing stands in her way. She needs someone to take over the auto shop, and there’s only one person she can think of to call…
Jericho Salomon hasn’t been back in his home town since he joined a biker gang and rode off nine years ago. When his best friend’s kid sister calls begging for help, he knows that he owes the family a debt and he intends to pay. This is easier said than done once he finds that the kid is all grown up…
She needs a pair of skillful hands. He needs to keep his hands off. When sparks begin to fly, can they keep things strictly business, or will their hearts get hopelessly tangled? No more games, it’s time to play for keeps.
Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She likes writing about quirky, crazy adventures, because she’s had plenty of her own: she had her own army in the Society of Creative Anachronism; she’s spent a New Year’s on a 3-day solitary vision quest in the Mojave Desert; she had VIP access to the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Now, she spends her time writing in the wilds of East Seattle, trying to prevent her son from learning the truth of any of said adventures, and riding herd on her two dogs (and one husband.)
Soccer goalie Rachel Jameson is in her final year at Glendale College on academic and athletic scholarships. It’s quite the achievement for a young woman who grew up in a home filled with drunken abuse, who barely made it out of high school alive.
But she’s smart, dedicated, and has her eyes set on that cap and gown next spring. Nothing’s going to get in the way of a hard-fought battle for the freedom and independence she’s so desperately craved.
Until she meets Mack.
He stumbles into her world with a flirty smile and warm eyes – a man that pushes Rachel out of her comfort zone and into his arms. Their chemistry is swift and undeniable, and soon after meeting the two recognize the depth of their connection.
But an unfortunate circumstance forces the two to abandon their romance before it has truly begun. Rachel’s carefully planned life begins to shake like an unstable house of cards, and when she risks losing Mack completely, she has to decide what’s more important.
Nursing student Charlie Davenport has never gotten over her freshman year fling with her best friend’s older brother. Sure, she’s enjoyed her time at Glendale College – maybe a little too much. But for some reason, he’s always been in the back of her mind.
But even though she’s sure their flame would still burn hot four years later, she doesn’t appreciate his sudden and relentless presence in her life. Because he’s suddenly ready to pick things back up, she should drop everything? She doesn’t think so.
That man is one mistake she can’t make again.
***
Professional soccer player Jeremy Jameson has hit a serious road bump in life. Miraculously, his poor decisions have opened the door to rekindling things with his sister’s best friend, Charlie – the only woman that has ever made him consider a relationship.
He doesn’t believe he’ll ever be worthy of her, but he can’t let her slip through his fingers again. And as he realizes its time to make some much needed changes in his life, he recruits Charlie to help. Hopefully along the way, he can convince her to give him another chance.
Jeremy knows Charlie thinks it’s a mistake to start things up again, but he also knows that’s just not true.
The real mistake was letting her go.
***This book is a novella follow up to The Keeper. While it can function as a stand-alone, it is highly encouraged to read The Keeper, as some major plot points and spoilers are referenced.
Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.
She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019
She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.
She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.
A standalone romance in the Lost Harbor, Alaska series …
Dr. Ian Finnegan knows all about brains; hearts, not so much. He’s ready to find the perfect match, someone as logical and sensible as he is. When the matchmaker he’s hired suggests he improve his seduction skills, he’s not sure where to turn—until he plucks a damsel in distress from the side of a snowy Alaska highway. She might be a “hot mess,” but Chrissie Yates could be just the fun and flirty tutor he needs.
Chrissie hasn’t been back to Lost Harbor since her eccentric recluse of a grandfather sent her away at the age of seventeen. Her family now consists of her beloved yellow lab and her broken-down car. Why Gramps has left her his property, she has no idea. She hopes to get in and out as quick as she can, but reconnecting with old friends and her quirky hometown makes her yearn for something she didn’t know she needed. Then there’s the sexy newcomer…
Flirting lessons turn to something more passionate, as Chrissie makes Ian feel things he never dreamed. Is it possible he had the wrong idea about who’s right for him? Can he put his new skills to good use … before a deadly storm threatens all he holds dear?
She slammed into someone, and looked up to see none other than Dr. Ian Finnegan, his horn-rimmed glasses knocked off-kilter by their collision. “Gotta go. Medical emergency.”
“Oh no, I’m fine,” Ian said quickly. One hand held a clipboard, the other settled on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s just…” She drew in a breath. He looked good. Damn good. He also looked worried about her. He wasn’t even fixing his glasses because he was tending to her first.
She reached up to adjust his glasses for him, but he was in the midst of transferring his clipboard from one hand to the other, and managed to bonk her on the head at the same moment she pushed his glasses. “Ow,” she said as her hand jerked. The unfortunate timing meant that instead of putting his glasses to rights, she knocked them all the way off his face.
“Crap,” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry!”
He dove to grab for them, but they landed on the floor with an audible clunk. How heavy were those glasses? His clipboard went next, slithering from his grip as he focused on the glasses. It too clattered onto the floor.
“Let me help,” she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.
“Please, there’s no need.”
She took a step back, feeling foolish. A sound came from her phone. Damn. She’d never ended the call with Toni. Wincing, she brought her phone to her ear.
Toni was laughing so hard she could hardly get a word out. “What did I just hear?” she gasped. “Was that the handsome Dr. Finnegan?”
“You shouldn’t eavesdrop. I’m hanging up now.”
“I know there’s something going on between you.”
“I told you already what’s going on.”
“Yeah well, you didn’t tell the whole story. What I just heard was a throwback to teenage Chrissie, the one who always lost her cool around a boy she liked.”
“Hanging up now.”
“You can hang up, but you can’t hide.”
She hung up and shoved her phone into the pocket of her flight suit. Ian finally had his glasses back in the proper place, and his clipboard under his arm, and was putting himself to rights.
“I’m really sorry about that, Ian. Chaotic Chrissie strikes again. Are your glasses okay?”
“They’re fine. You?”
“I’m fine. Embarrassed, but fine. I was on my way to get a hot chocolate, can I make it up to you with a hot beverage that I promise not to spill on you?”
“I’m on my way to a consult, but maybe later?”
“I only have another,” she checked her watch, “ten minutes.” She stepped aside to allow him to pass. “I don’t want to hold you up any more than I already have.”
“No, it’s…you didn’t…I’m glad I…” The words seemed to bunch in his mouth, and he shook his head in frustration. “I’ve been hoping I’d…you’d…”
She saw in a flash that he was affected by her presence. Stammering like a teenager.
A sense of joy seized her—and freedom, as if bright wings were lifting her out of gravity. Without a second of forethought, she rose onto her tiptoes and kissed Ian on the mouth. His lips were warm and firm and fresh.
For a micro-moment, it seemed he wasn’t going to respond. Too surprised? Unwilling? Uninterested? Various scenarios flashed through her brain, then evaporated as he returned her kiss—and then some.
Ian might be awkward in some areas, but when it came to kissing he didn’t hesitate. He kissed her as if nothing else existed, as if there were no nurses hurrying past, no hospital walls around them. They could be floating above the roof, alone in their own private helicopter, for all the notice he took of the snickering orderly pushing a gurney past them.
.
About Jennifer Bernard:
Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. Sign up for her newsletter for book news and fun exclusives.
Janie Adams has been a single parent to her nephew since he was a baby. Fifteen years later, she’s finally found out who his father might be, so the two of them travel across the country to find him. She’d do anything for this kid. But when they arrive in the small town of Wishing River, Montana, and Janie finally meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy she’d been told had abandoned his son, his shocked response changes everything.
Aiden Rivers can’t dispute this is his kid when he sees his own features staring back at him, but he had no idea Janie’s sister was pregnant when she left him. He didn’t even know she had a sister—clearly they’d all been lied to. Now he has fifteen years of fatherhood to make up for and no idea how to be a dad. This was never in his plans.
Janie sticks around to help him ease into parenting, everything from showing him how to lure a sulky kid out of his bedroom to keeping up with the latest teen-speak. Together, they surprisingly make a good team, this city girl and country boy. But when the past catches up with them, Aiden and Janie must decide what’s best for the boy who’s connecting them, not only for each other…which could mean splitting them apart.
Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.
Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.
In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.
Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.
Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers! www.victoriajames.ca
You’ve Got Mail meets Grey’s Anatomy in this sweet slow-burn, virtual meet-cute romance.
There’s so much going on in Anna’s life. Teaching countless hours at the studio and nurturing the three major relationships of her life – her group of tight-knit friends, all while attempting to not screw up this whole adulthood thing leaves very little time to waste on yet another dating app. At this point, a relationship is off the menu. Being “self-partnered” is more than enough.
A serious relationship has been crossed off Liam Brody’s list of goals, at least for the foreseeable future. Completing his residency and becoming a trauma surgeon is his only priority. Casual relationships, his friends, and books are the only things he’s willing to lose his precious free time to.
When an accidental email starts a deep online connection, both Liam and Anna dive in with zero concern . . . because there’s really no harm in getting close to someone who you’ll never meet in real life, right?
Wrong.
When a turn of events brings their “safe” virtual connection to an unexpected face-to-face, Anna and Liam learn their online chemistry pales in comparison to the real deal. A realization that brings along the bazillion-dollar question – what do you do when you meet The One at the most impossibly wrong time?
** by Mist@ke is book 1 in a standalone series with connected characters, but independent storylines.
Sigal Ehrlich is a bestselling author of refreshing, fun, and sweet romance books. She loves books, cold weather, and the occasional bubbly drink. Living as an expat for most of her life, Sigal has been lucky enough to visit many exotic places and meet some unique people from all corners of the world, while experiencing the sweet triumphs and travails of trying to acclimate to new “homes.” Currently, Sigal calls the Czech Republic home where she lives with her husband and three kids.
Sara Whitney writes sassy, sexy contemporary romance novels packed with wit, heat, and heart. A 2019 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award finalist, Sara worked as a newspaper reporter and film critic before she earned her Ph.D. and landed in academia. She’s a good pinball player, a so-so karaoke singer, and an expert TV opinion-haver.
In a funny twist of fate, Sara’s married to a divorce attorney, and she likes to think that her happily-ever-afters help keep their household in balance. She and her husband live in the Midwest surrounded by books, cats, and half-empty coffee cups.
Today we are excited to share the release day materials for SONG FOR A COWBOY by Sasha Summers by participating in the blog tour! SONG FOR A COWBOY is the second title in the Kings of Country series. Follow Sasha’s newsletter for more details about her and her upcoming titles.
Country star Emmy Lou King is singing the blues over the cowboy who got away…
Emmy Lou King’s whole family is legendary in country music. When she lands the opportunity to sing the American Football League anthem and serve on one of the AFL’s anti-drug charities, she’s sure she can handle working with Brock Watson. She was charmed by the cowboy once upon a time—and she’s never loved anyone else—but she can handle it. Right?
Brock Watson is feeling the pressure. From dealing with his father’s declining health, to keeping their ranch running, staying in game-ready shape, and his dedication to the charity that changed his life, there’s no time for anything else. Emmy Lou included. After six years, he’d like to think she couldn’t mess with his head anymore. But one look, one smile—and he knows she’s as dangerous as ever. He can’t resist her—he never could.
The more time Emmy Lou spends with Brock, the harder it is for them to keep their distance.
Praise for Sasha Summers’s cowboy romances:
“Romance that will keep you reading into the night.”—JODI THOMAS, New York Times bestselling author, for Jace
“The combination of romantic and familial drama in this behind-the-scenes glimpse into the country music world is sure to have readers coming back for more.”—Publishers Weekly for Jace
“Contemporary romance fans will definitely enjoy Summers’s fast-paced, engrossing tale.”—Booklist for Jace
Sasha Summers grew up surrounded by books. Her passions have always been storytelling, romance and travel–passions she uses when writing. Now a best-selling and award winning-author, Sasha continues to fall a little in love with each hero she writes. From easy-on-the-eyes cowboy, sexy alpha-male werewolves, to heroes of truly mythic proportions, she believes that everyone should have their happy ending–in fiction and real life.
Sasha lives in the suburbs of the Texas Hill country with her amazing and supportive family and her beloved grumpy cat, Gerard, The Feline Overlord. She looks forward to hearing from fans and hopes you’ll visit her online.
We are so excited to be bringing you a brand new paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling author
Katie Reus. ANCIENT ENFORCER,
the third standalone in the Ancients Rising series, is out now and it’s one you don’t want to miss! Be sure to get your copy today!
An ancient dragon warrior determined to protect what’s his…
Former general Mikael lost his clan, his family, everything, thousands of years ago. Now he’s awakened in a new world that’s trying to rebuild. He and his brothers are ordered to live with Avery, a human female, and her younger brothers. Avery is nothing he should want. She’s too soft, too sweet…too happy. But he can’t stop his growing obsession with her.
The human female who threatens his jaded heart…
House flipper Avery is no stranger to heartbreak, and knows that the ones you love most can stab you in the back the quickest. When she’s asked to shelter a bunch of dragon shifters, her instinct is to say no. Until she meets the ragtag group of males who are struggling to adjust to the new world. Against her better judgment, she agrees to take them in. Even if the gruff Mikael has heartbreak written all over him, she can’t help but fall for the sexy dragon a little more every day. But when a threat from her past emerges, promising to tear her world apart, things suddenly change between them. As they race against the clock to save her family, Mikael must risk everything and claim her before it’s too late.
Author note: Though part of a series, this book may be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA.
Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, and IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.
However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her book Avenger’s Heat recently won the Georgia RWA Maggie Award for Excellence in the fantasy/paranormal category.
Today we have the release day blitz of Paris Wynters’s Love On the Winter Steppes! Check out this gorgeous new romance and be sure to get your copy today!
Can a magical day at the Ice Festival melt this career-focused woman’s heart?
Marketing consultant Qara Whitaker loves her job, happily putting in endless hours and working through holidays. But when her grandmother asks that she accompany her on a birthday trip to Mongolia to visit their family, Qara can’t say no. Packing up her laptop, Qara boards the plane—never imagining that a shared cab ride with a stranger will change her life forever.
Hoping to push through writer’s block, author Benjamin Lacoy hops on a plane to Mongolia looking for inspiration. A chance meeting with a beautiful and intelligent woman whose smile ignites his heart leads to them playing tourists. Sparks fly and Ben is feeling far more than inspiration, yet each time he and Qara get close, she’s distracted by work.
Ben is torn; he likes Qara, but he always promised himself he’d never let work come before family and friends like his parents did. Opposites clearly attract, but can they learn to balance work with love in order to build a future together?
I’m a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, canine, and exercise. When I’m not writing, I’m at the hockey rink cheering on my son, playing HALO on Xbox, or breaking a sweat in the gym. live in New York with my family and my two lovable and psychotic working dogs. I also run numerous 5k races in the New York area that raise funds to support the military/veteran community.
Today we have the release day blitz of Jennifer Bernard’s Head Over Heels for the Holidays! Check out this gorgeous new romance and be sure to get your copy today!
Title:Head Over Heels for the Holidays Author: Jennifer Bernard Genre: Holiday Romance
About Head Over Heels for the Holidays:
Is he the cure for her holiday heartbreak?
Ever since her ex-boyfriend dumped her on Christmas Eve, the holiday season has been tough for Maya Badger—especially since Lost Harbor, Alaska, pulls out all the stops for the holidays. Sure, she could focus on her police work and her father’s recovery from heart surgery. But when her dad’s home healthcare nurse turns out to be her childhood buddy—all grown up and the stuff of her naughtiest fantasies—she may have a solution to her holiday blues. After all, Jay-Jay always was the perfect playmate!
Rune Larsen hasn’t been skinny little Jay-Jay in a long time…not since he and his teen sister were forced to change their names to avoid Cara’s stalker. Taking a job in tiny, remote Lost Harbor seems like the perfect way to stay one step ahead of danger. The fact that his childhood friend is the town police chief is a bonus. Not to mention the fact that Maya has grown into a beautiful bronze goddess. Hell, even her serious cop side is a turn-on…though he’s up for the challenge of bringing some fun back into her life.
In fact, if they can navigate a stalker, a runaway yak, eleventy-billion holiday parties and a criminal investigation into the dark side of Lost Souls Wilderness, Rune just may convince Maya to fall head over heels for the holidays…and beyond.
Without thinking too hard about it, Maya rose to her feet and grabbed Rune by the collar of his jacket, pulling him close. “How about a fake kiss?” she asked quickly. “Just make it look good from a distance.”
He flashed her a pirate grin and cupped her face with his free hand. “My pleasure. I’m an excellent fake kisser.”
“Come on, hurry.”
He bent his head over hers, but he still didn’t go for the kiss. “You can’t hurry a fake kiss, or it will look fake. We’re flirting, we’re completely caught up in each other, we don’t even care that we’re drifting on the open ocean. Keep looking at me, just like that except without the ‘what the hell are you talking about’ expression.”
She smothered a laugh and relaxed her face into a dazzled smile. As if Rune was the most wonderful thing in the world, better than chocolate and bubble baths combined.
He blinked, as if she’d momentarily thrown him off his game with her smile. A personal triumph, she figured.
“That’s…good,” he said, a little more strained than before.
For a fake kiss, he sure was overthinking it. They needed to get this thing done.
She took command and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. Tugging him down, she offered him her mouth. “Let’s do this,” she hissed. “Tick-tock.”
Honestly, why did she always have to be the one with any common sense? If those men onshore had binoculars, they were already watching. To throw them off, she only had a few moments. If the men thought they’d been busted, they might rework their entire comms system. The lead would be worthless. The source would be burned. The case back to square one.
And then all thoughts of logic flew from her mind as Rune claimed her lips with a kiss that sent shock waves through her system. Warmth…sizzle…sunshine…all of it swirled together in a rush of brilliant pleasure. His lips were firm and generous at the same time, as if they were inviting her into his world. A world where she would be queen and he would be whatever she needed.
A kind of exhilaration swept through her and she parted her lips for more. He gave it to her, sweeping his tongue inside the cave of her mouth, where every surface tingled and warmed at his touch.
Fake kiss, my ass.
This was the real thing and she couldn’t get enough of it. She drank him in as if she’d been starving for this, pining for it. Her mind—always working, always on guard—let go like an anchor releasing her to drift on the current. She lost herself in the flood of pure physical joy.
She staggered as the boat got slammed with a supersized wave. Rune held her tight so she didn’t lose her balance. “I need to steer this thing,” he murmured against her lips before turning back to the helm.
“Yes. Yeah. Of course.” She ran her tongue across her lips, tasting salt from the spray and sweet from Rune. She plopped down onto the bench as he wrestled with the wheel. Picking up her binoculars, she focused on the spot where the two men had been.
They were gone—or maybe her angle had changed and she couldn’t see them anymore.
She dropped her glasses and sighed. Hopefully she hadn’t messed anything up by making them suspicious. “Go ahead and pick up speed. Let’s keep going toward Mount Sage for a bit.”
“Roger that.”
Was his voice a little gruffer than usual? Was it the effect of the salt in the air?
He put the boat in gear and they cruised farther into the bay. She watched the little cove as it receded into the distance, swallowed up by the greater landscape of forests and rugged outcroppings.
What now? How to handle this? She and Rune had kissed, and there was no way she could forget about it the way she had when she was a kid.
Maybe never mention it again?
Or maybe do it again?
The tempting thought hovered out there like the promise of an ice cream sundae after a long week. Treat yo-self, she could imagine her cousin Reecie in Anchorage saying. Go for it, Kate would urge. I knew it, Jessica would say.
“Tell me when you’re ready to head back,” Rune said. “It’s your call.” His voice had returned to normal. She wondered what he was thinking about this situation. Then again, he didn’t overthink things like she did. He probably wasn’t worried about it at all. He probably kissed people all the time—all those non-girlfriend “girls” he’d talked about.
“I will,” she told him. “Give it a few more minutes.”
“The other thing is your call too,” Rune said softly, his attention still on the choppy water ahead.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you’re trying to decide what to do about that kiss. I can see your wheels spinning from here.”
“I’m not—okay, I am. I didn’t intend for it to be like that.”
“It’s my fault.” His voice shifted to a jaunty cheerfulness. “My pride was hurt that you forgot the first kiss. I was aiming for ‘best kiss.’ One that you wouldn’t forget. That’s all.”
It wasn’t all. She could hear it in his voice. It was so much more complicated than that. Friendship, attraction, sizzle…all that, lined up against her better judgment. But even so, it touched her that he was trying to make the whole thing easier for her.
“Best kiss? Isn’t that a little arrogant?” She adopted a teasing tone to match his.
“Second best? Third? Just tell me it wasn’t the worst. Gotta start somewhere.”
“It wasn’t the worst.”
That was as far as she could go right now.
And maybe it was the best. Because right at this moment, she couldn’t think of any other specific kiss that might compete with it.
About Jennifer Bernard:
Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. Sign up for her newsletter for book news and fun exclusives.
About KATIE REUS
