Tag: Jennifer Bernard

#NewRelease “MISCHIEF AFTER MIDNIGHT” by @Jen_Bernard -@InkSlingerPR

MISCHIEF AFTER MIDNIGHT
by Jennifer Bernard
is out now! Check out the gorgeous new contemporary romance and grab your copy today!

Title: Mischief After Midnight
Author: Jennifer Bernard
Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Mischief After Midnight:

A sizzling “brother’s best friend” standalone in the Lost Harbor, Alaska series

Bartender Toni Del Rey is the quick-witted queen of the Olde Salt Saloon, famous for trading barbs with grizzled fishermen and putting rowdy customers in their place. Independent and fearless, she’s only ever lost her cool over one man—the childhood crush who got away. These days she sticks to the F’s: friends, fun, and fu…well, you know. But now Bash is back, and more crush-worthy than ever. Worst of all, he just bought the Olde Salt, which makes him her brand-new boss.

Bash left Lost Harbor long ago to become a professional fighter—and to forget his nightmarish childhood. He’s only back to return a favor, but when he sets eyes on Toni, he may never want to leave again. His best friend’s little sister has gone from tomboy to tempting, from mischievous to maddening—a fact he can’t ignore while they work side by side at the Olde Salt. But between Toni’s fierce independence, his reputation as “Bad News” Bash, and a few deep dark secrets, they’re hardly suited to anything lasting.

Then again, you never know what a little mischief after midnight will lead to…

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Exclusive Excerpt:

Trembling between anger and vulnerability, she’d never looked more beautiful to him. Her wide eyes seemed to take up half her face, her thick lashes damp with tears. She’d been through a terrible twenty-four hours, after all. And now he’d added to it, which was the last thing he’d ever want.

“You can jab me with that cactus if it’ll make you feel better.”

She looked at it as if she’d completely forgotten it was in her hand. “Excuse me? That’s no way to treat a perfectly innocent plant.”

He smiled, hoping that her joke meant she was feeling better. “Are cactuses innocent, though? With all those spikes?”

“It’s cacti, not cactuses, and don’t you dare disrespect mine. I’ve always related to this little guy. We have so much in common. There’s the liquor connection. The South American origins. The prickly exterior.” Her voice caught and he couldn’t bear it any more.

He strode toward her and caught her in his arms—gingerly, because she still held that cactus. “Toni. I’m really fucking sorry I ever made that bet. I’d rather gnaw my arm off than hurt you.”

She trembled against him. He felt her long, fine-boned legs press against his thighs. His brain hazed over, and all he knew in the entire world was her. Would she believe him? Know he was being real? That he wasn’t playing some kind of game with her?

“Really?” she muttered from behind her cactus. He lowered his head so he didn’t miss a word. “Do you mean the right one with the really great uppercut? Or the left one that sometimes drops and leaves you exposed?”

He looked down at her, then took the cactus from her hand and set it on the desk. Cupping her head in his hands, he scanned her face. That Toni bravado undid him. Even when she was injured, hurt, confused—she kept her sense of humor.

His heart gave a slow, helpless somersault, an upside down roundabout turn that left him somewhere very different when it was over. It left him at her mercy. Completely and hopelessly.

“Both my arms. And my legs. All the damn body parts. You can have them. Just tell me you’re okay. Tell me you forgive me.”

She blinked at him, looking a little stunned. “It matters to you that much?”

“That much. Yes.” Was all his pent-up emotion showing on his face? He didn’t care. He wanted her to know how much this meant. Cautiously, braced for rejection, he tilted her head and lowered his mouth to hover above hers. “Are we okay?”

“I’m still quitting the Olde Salt,” she whispered. The movement of her full lips riveted him. He wetted his own lips because his mouth had just gone dry.

“I don’t care about that,” he said harshly. “I just want to know that we’re okay. You and me.”

He caught her rough swallow, the shift of the muscles in her slim throat. Then another soft whisper.

“We could be better.”

“How? What can I do? Just tell me.”

“Take me to bed,” came her answer.

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.

Connect with Jennifer:

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

#ReleaseBlitz “Flirting with Forever” by @Jen_Bernard @InkSlingerPR

Jennifer Bernard is joining us to share her new release, Flirting with Forever! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!

Title: Flirting with Forever
Author: Jennifer Bernard
Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Flirting With Forever:

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?

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Exclusive Excerpt:

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.

Connect with Jennifer:

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

#ReleaseBlitz “Head over Heels for the Holidays” by Jennifer Bernard – @Jen_Bernard @InkSlingerPR

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.

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Exclusive Excerpt:

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.

Connect with Jennifer:

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

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