Sweet Southern Hearts
Willow Hill #3
By: Susan Schild
Releasing January 10, 2017
Lyrical Press

Susan Schild welcomes you back to the offbeat Southern town of Willow Hill, North Carolina, for a humorous, heartwarming story of new beginnings, do-overs, and self-discovery… 
 
When it comes to marriage, third time’s the charm for Linny Taylor. She’s thrilled to be on her honeymoon with Jack Avery, Willow Hill’s handsome veterinarian. But just like the hair-raising white water rafting trip Jack persuades her to take, newlywed life has plenty of dips and bumps.
 
Jack’s twelve-year-old son is resisting all Linny’s efforts to be the perfect stepmother, while her own mother, Dottie, begs her to tag along on the first week of a free-wheeling RV adventure. Who knew women “of a certain age” could drum up so much trouble? No sooner is Linny sighing with relief at being back home than she’s helping her frazzled sister with a new baby…and dealing with an unexpected legacy from her late ex. Life is fuller—and richer—than she ever imagined, but if there’s one thing Linny’s learned by now, it’s that there’s always room for another sweet surprise… 

“This charming and well observed novel about finding the courage to love after loss will make you smile as well as cry more than a few happy tears.  Be prepared for a story of true tenderness, humor, and sometimes nail biting tension. Sweet Southern Hearts delivers all this and more.” --Holly Chamberlin, author of Summer with my Sisters

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Jack strode toward her in his Levi’s and the dark green T-shirt she’d picked out for him—the extralong one that that fit his tall, rangy frame and was also the exact color of his pine green eyes. Her shivering lessening, she grinned at him.
“Let’s warm you up, shug.” He wrapped her in one of his large and slightly doggy-smelling fleece he’d gotten from the truck and began to rub her shoulders.
She leaned in to him, enjoying the warmth and solid heft of him, and rested her head against his broad shoulder. “Okay.” Hugging him always made her feel safe, like finally arriving home after a long, arduous trip.
On the way back to the cabin Jack cast her a sideways glance from the driver’s seat of the truck. “Did you have a good time?”
“I did.” Linny sighed. “This has been the best honeymoon ever.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt her face flame. Why had she said that? She wasn’t ranking her three honeymoons, holding up cards like the skating judges with numbers one through ten printed on them. Linny shot him a glance to see how hurt he looked, but he just patted her knee and whistled between his teeth as he adjusted the rearview mirror.
Linny shook her head. She’d drive herself crazy yet.
The tires of Jack’s red truck crunched on the gravel as they pulled up beside their hideaway. Linny took Jack’s hand as they walked up the front path, admiring the square-cut logs and clean lines of the two-room rustic log cabin. She’d rented it after obsessively comparing reviews on travel websites. Perched on a high ridge, their cabin was skirted by lush pink rhododendron and gave long-range views of the green and blue patchwork quilt of the valley laid out before it. She’d chosen the perfect, cozy honeymoon spot.
Linny took a quick shower, dried her hair, and slipped on a cool floral sundress. Jack was on the front porch playing his guitar, and she smiled as she heard him strumming. Padding barefoot to the tiny kitchen, she opened a beer for Jack and poured herself a glass of the crisp Pinot Grigio they’d bought at the vineyard the day before.
Pushing open the screen door with her hip, she handed Jack his beer. He sat in a rocker, cradling the guitar. A self-taught musician, Jack was still self-conscious about his mistakes, but he was coming along fast. He took a draw of beer, put the bottle on the floor, and eased into the opening chords of James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” Giving her a sorry-if-I-mess-up smile, he began to sing quietly in his warm tenor.
Leaning against the railing, arms crossed, she watched him and felt a wave of contentment. She held out her hand and examined her glittering ring, made from the emeralds Jack and Neal had dug out of a gem mine especially for her. Unbeknownst to her, the father-son adventure weekend they’d taken last summer was for the express purpose of finding stones for her ring. To have Neal involved in the gem hunt was a majorly smart move on Jack’s part, especially because her stepson still watched her warily, worried that she’d try to replace his mother. The stones weren’t particularly high quality, but Linny didn’t care. She loved the ring.
Jack missed a chord and winced. Noticing her ring studying, a smile played at his lips.
Linny smiled back. Ruthie, the office manager in Jack’s veterinary practice, said that after Vera divorced Jack, some women clients feigned reasons to bring their pets in for appointments just to spend time with him. “A woman with a poodle named Precious claimed the dog had ADHD, and another time a tummy ache-toothache-itching issue,” she’d said, rolling her eyes and patting Linny’s arm. “So glad he fell for you.”
Thank goodness he was the type of man who was oblivious to his own charms, unlike her late hound-dog of a second husband. But banish the thought. She wasn’t going to allow regrets to tarnish the present. Linny slid into the rocking chair beside his and sipped her wine. After a moment she began to softly sing along with him. No volume from her. She was prone to sudden scale changes and croaks.
A phone trilled from the kitchen and Jack gave her a smile as he put down the guitar and went to take the call.
His son, Neal—her new stepson, she reminded herself—had called to talk with his dad twice each of the three nights they’d been on their honeymoon. Was that normal for a twelve-year-old? A lot of the other stepmothers in the Bodacious Bonus Moms—the online support and advice blog she'd been reading voraciously for the last few months—complained about their teenage stepchildren not sharing a word with them or their husbands because they were too busy texting and Snapchatting friends.
Linny took a sip of wine and thought about it. How much did Neal’s clinginess have to do with his mother, Vera, and her new husband bickering? Petite Vera, with her little-girl voice and perfect white-blond loveliness, reminded Linny of an airy, sweet pink confection, but with her sense of entitlement and demands, she was no cream puff. Her husband, Chaz, was a trial lawyer, and no pushover either. She could see why they butted heads. And with Vera’s moneyed background and silver-spoon tastes, her wealthy new husband getting into hot water and losing a lot of his—no, their--money probably didn’t sit well with her. Linny felt a flash of mean-spirited pleasure that perfect Vera was having problems, then chided herself. Tension in that household hurt Neal and she didn’t want that.
Jack came back to the porch, rubbing a spot between his brows and talking on the phone in that soothing voice he used with scared animals at his veterinary clinic. “So they’re fighting nonstop. Can you just go to your room and turn on the white noise app on your phone?” He paused and scowled. “That loud, huh?”
Jack looked at her. “Can you hold on, buddy?” He put the phone to his chest, his expression serious. “He’s crying and he never cries. I’d send him to the grandparents, but they’re all out of town.”
Linny inhaled sharply and racked her brain. “My sister loves Neal to pieces, but she’s so overwhelmed with her new baby. I could call her, though…” she said.
Jack shook his head slowly, his face tight. “We need to go home, Lin. Neal needs us.”
Linny nodded mutely, feeling bereft. There went her week-long honeymoon, right out the window. She gazed off for one last long look at the rolling land of the valley and slumped in her chair.
Jack spoke to Neal calmly. “We’ll be back this evening and you’re going to come stay with us for a while until things simmer down.” He paused, listening, and his voice grew firm. “I don’t care if your mama doesn’t like it. I’ll deal with her. Right now, everybody needs to just settle down.” He ended the call and sent her an apologetic look. “Lin…” he began.
She held up a hand and tried to smile. “I understand, Jack. I really do.” Rising, she trudged in to begin packing, trying to fight the disappointment crashing down on her like a great wave. She and Jack had the rest of their lives to spend together, she reasoned, but it didn’t help.
Vera and Chaz were selfish, Linny thought as she thunked the milk, yogurt, and luncheon meat into the cooler she was packing with unnecessary vigor.
Gathering their toiletries and clothes to put in the suitcase, her heart squeezed for Neal. The last thing a sensitive boy like him needed was a ringside seat to the fight of the century. Going home was the right thing to do.

Susan Schild writes wholesome and sunny Southern fiction. She likes stories about charming men, missing money, adventuresome women, sweet dogs, and happily ever afters at any age. 

Susan is a wife and a stepmother. She enjoys rummaging through thrift store for treasures like four dollar cashmere sweaters and amateur watercolor paintings. She likes taking walks with her Lab mix, Tucker, and his buddies. She and her family live in North Carolina.

Susan has used her professional background as a psychotherapist and a management consultant to add authenticity to her characters.
SWEET SOUTHERN HEARTS, the final book in the Willow Hill series, will be released in January of 2017. Readers can look forward to more adventures, new beaus, sinister ministers, lovebirds over fifty, a road trip for Mama and her pals, and maybe even an “I Do”...or two.
You can follow Susan on Facebook, Twitter and on her website or subscribe to her quarterly newsletter for inside scoop, sneak peeks and giveaways.

Author Links:   Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Talking Dirty
Fortune, Colorado #2
By: Jennifer Seasons
Released January 3, 2017
Avon Impulse

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Jake Stone has always been an outsider, even in his hometown. As the misfit son of the town drunk and a descendant of Fortune’s mysterious founders, he’s spent his whole life not living up to expectations. So when Apple Woodman comes poking her pert little nose around his business, trying to sniff out juicy bits for a book she’s writing on the town’s history, he decides he’s had enough. He’ll give her the answers, at a price: one piece of clothing for every question. If the town’s good girl librarian wants the dirt on this bad boy then she’s going to have to bare all to get it.
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Nothing is going to stop Apple from achieving her dream of being a published author, not even surly Jake Stone. She’s got a hefty advance to make good on and a looming deadline, and the last bit of crucial information she needs is being held hostage by the infuriating man. But Apple believes in equality between the sexes and she’s not going to be the only one playing along—he’s going to have to take it all off too. They’re only clothes; it’s not like they’re baring their hearts. Right?

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Chapter One
“You know what your problem is?”  
Apple Woodman smiled victoriously; glad she’d finally gotten close enough to Jake Stone for him to hear her from across the short stretch of sidewalk separating them in downtown Fortune, Colorado.  Shuffling the bag of produce she’d just purchased from the local Co-op, she settled the fabric straps on her shoulder and frowned at his broad, muscular back.  Not that she was noticing that it was muscular or anything.  “You’re not a nice person.”
    There, she’d finally said it.  That had been floating around inside her for weeks.
    Wow, she felt so much better.
    “That hurts my feelings.”  The man turned around and had the gall to say with a blatantly fake hurt-puppy expression on his handsome face.  
    “You know, if it weren’t against everything I’ve been taught about how a person treated others, I’d kick you in the shins so hard right now.”  Annoyance flooded Apple.  Most of it was directed at the most aggravating male in the entire known universe.  The man had mad skills when it came to driving women crazy.  
    She should know.  Jake Stone had been under her skin and scrambling her brains since before the last ice age.  Once, just once, she’d like to have all her mental faculties fully functioning in his presence long enough to tell him exactly what she’d thought of him since kindergarten.  
    Or well, mostly everything.  
    No way would she ever admit that another tiny little part of her was also currently annoyed at herself for considering him “handsome”.  She should be so over that about him by now.
    Turning her attention back to his tall, broad-shouldered form, Apple scrunched her nose against the sun and shaded her eyes with a hand just in time to see the unrighteous gleam in his eye as he taunted her. “I dare you to even try that, woman.  Here, I’ll hold a shin up for you to kick.”  He raised a jean-clad leg and waggled it slowly at her.  She could only scowl at him because she was stuck somewhere between flabbergasted and infuriated, instead of making some fabulously pithy comeback like she’d prefer.  Jake must have taken that as a sign of defeat because a low rumble of humor came from him and he smirked, dropping his leg back down.  “You couldn’t hurt a hornet if it stung you on your ass, sweetheart.”
    “You don’t know that.”  Apple instantly defended, frowning at him.  She conveniently ignored the fact that he’d called her “sweetheart” and the responding quiver that had darted through her lower abdomen.
    Sigh.
Back to the point: simply because they’d known each other since forever didn’t mean he actually knew her.  Not one single bit.   If there’d been a time that she might have wished differently, that time was long past.  Like, ancient as the Indus Valley past.
    There was only one thing she wanted from him now—and it was purely business.  One hundred percent.  So on the up-and-up platonic end of things that it was beyond vanilla.
    And the damned man wasn’t cooperating.  Hadn’t even budged.  
    Which was ridiculous.  It was vanilla, for crissake.   Totally harmless.  Who would be afraid of harmless?  
    Jake raked a hand through his hair recently cut hair and sighed, his brown eyes oddly dark and restless on her before they slid away.  “You’re wrong there, Apple.”  His gruff voice held an edge she didn’t understand any more than that look he’d just given her.  
    “Nice haircut, by the way.”  She retorted because it was the only thing she could come up with.  Lame, but what else could she expect?  He had a way of reducing her to juvenile, brainless behavior.  
    “You like it?”  He shot her a grin and winked, his eyes dancing with sudden humor.  Angsty one minute, amused the next.  She swore the man’s moods shifted faster than the Colorado weather.  “Thought it was time for a change.”
    Apple couldn’t help it.  She snorted.  Right out loud on Main Street with pedestrians strolling by.  “Hah! Since when do you do change?”  He might not know her as well as she once might have wished he did, but she for sure knew him.  He hated change. It was like a dirty word to him. Simply look at the women he dated.  They were all exactly the same—and had been since his first girlfriend, Scarlet Floozy from way back in junior high school (Not her actual name, sadly.).
    That thought had her frown deepening.  Why couldn’t he just do what she wanted so she could stop harassing him?  Stalking wasn’t her most flattering behavior.  But darn it, the blasted man had reduced her to it.  
    Jake braced his long, heavily muscled legs apart and crossed his arms, his biceps flexing in a rather flattering, masculine way—she supposed.  She’d barely noticed.  Her eyes were firmly glued to where the ponytail he’d worn for the past twenty years had been.   Now his sun-bleached light brown hair was a lush, tousled mass that stopped just short of his collar.  She had to admit that it was a little shocking to see him with the short hair.  If she’d thought his features rugged before, the new haircut made them even more so.
    His brown eyes were locked on her, his expression unreadable.  “You’d be surprised by what I can do, Apple.  You’ve always underestimated me.”

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Describe yourself in five words or less.  
My daughter just wrote an essay about me for school and used the words “kind-hearted, friendly, charming, calm and cheerful” to describe me.  I’d say that’s pretty accurate (and super sweet of her).
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Can you tell us a little about your book?  
I would love to! TALKING DIRTY is a fabulous friends-to-lovers story about two people who’ve been driving each other crazy for forever.  Apple is a big-hearted, shy librarian who dreams of being a published author. There’s only one thing standing in the way of her making that dream come true: Jake Stone.  Fortune, Colorado’s bad boy pub owner who’s holding hostage the key information she needs to finish her book. To get him talking, she agrees to one seriously revealing arrangement.
It’s a story full of fun, heart, steamy sexy times—and big love.  You don’t want to miss it, trust me.

What 5 things should readers know about you?

1. I will fight you—and fight dirty—for chocolate. MINE. Enough said.
2. I love baking.  It’s my happy place.  If I’m stressed, sad, restless, anxious, or having a bad day, baking up a batch of cookies or bread makes me feel enormously better.  It’s hard to stay glum while munching your way through a freshly made batch of blueberry muffins.
3. The hardest thing about being an author for me is that I’m an incredibly shy person—a true introvert.  Getting out there on social media and mixing it up takes a lot of energy. As such, my kids are more popular and social than I am.  Heh. ☺  Have patience with me, all.
4. Every weekend when my husband takes the minivan to the store to buy groceries, I pack the garbage and drive the SUV to the dump.  How’s that for empowering gender role reversals? ☺
5. I can ride a horse, speak Spanish, dance the waltz, sing Latin requiems, paint like Matisse, build a wooden fence, rope a cow, run a backhoe tractor like a pro, and hold conferences with Rwandan officials without breaking a sweat.  But I can’t—and I mean I can’t—whistle. That skill is way beyond me.    

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Ha! Boy, do I. You ready?  Here it is: Not everyone is going to get your work, or like it.  That’s okay. It really is! Diversity of thought is a good thing.  Don’t ever internalize criticism you receive as some measure of your self-worth or ability. It isn’t.  It just isn’t.  You created something.  From nothing, and your own imagination.  That’s freaking amazing!  So write the stories you want in your way, with characters who you can appreciate, and let the rest be.  Trust me, it’s easier this way--and you’ll keep your sanity. ;-)

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?  
Thank you so much for reading my stories! Because of you all, I get to do what I love—and that’s create stories filled with characters I truly adore.  It’s a wonderful thing to know you adore them too.

JENNIFER SEASONS has been a lifelong writer and reader. She lives with her husband and four children in the mountains of rural New England. An enormous, yet lovable dog and the world’s coolest cat keeps them company. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors exploring her beautiful new home state, learning the joys of organic gardening-and if she’s lucky, relaxing in her hammock under the trees with a really good book. You can find her online at Facebook. 




​Author Links:    FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Newly pinned deputy Jolie Murdoch’s first big job as a McIntire County deputy is to locate a missing girl. What Jolie doesn’t expect is to stumble upon a corpse—the girl’s father—with a prime suspect still hanging around. But why would local bartender Xavier Hartmann go off the deep end and bludgeon a man to death?

A former marine, Xavier is barely coping with a traumatic brain injury, and he has no memory of what happened at the crime scene. He came to Eider to confront his past, not get embroiled in a murder as the number one suspect. To make matters worse, as the mystery deepens, Xavier finds himself drawn to the reluctant deputy.

As Jolie fights against mounting pressure to get to the truth, she realizes there’s more to Xavier than meets the eye. But someone is lingering on the fringes, determined to put a stop to her investigation and Xavier’s freedom. Will Jolie do her sworn duty or buck the status quo to give her and Xavier’s newfound passion a chance?

Dark and dangerously edgy story where no one is safe from the suspicion of crimes committed, politics around the sheriff department are stewing, and a rookie cop gets caught between family loyalty, attraction to the suspect of a murder and performing her job. 
Jolie is a complex character. She comes off as insecure and hesitant with the job at hands, obviously way over her head with the tasks, yet in the oddest moments, she gets her strength and backbone putting her in peculiar and dangerous spots. Her feud with her father, the former sheriff, and her attraction to Xavier, the man with too many secrets, compromise her with her job in the police force. Her stubborn nature mixed with her determination to solve the cases of missing girls imperil her judgment at times. Yet she pushes on, steadfast to find out what happen, by whom, and why.
Xavier is the man of mystery who creates the aura of secrecy around himself by not disclosing anything, even the trivial matters of his life, to those around him. His TBI with memory loss adds to the enigma, not to mention been found in a compromised setting with a gruesomely murdered man. His quest to find his roots brought him to McIntire County and now the secrets he kept are about to explode on his face.
I'm assuming this story starts right off where the previous book in the series ended, and it feels like you jump in a middle of a tale. The author does a good job explaining the setting and scene in the town for the reader as the tale continues, but I believe it would have been beneficial to start from the beginning with this series. The multitude of secondary characters play a significant role in the development of the investigations to the crimes, and it would have helped to have more knowledge about them to understand the undercurrents with different events. 
There's a lot going on in McIntire County and in the story - the missing girls, cruel murders, political issues, the family dramas on two fronts, and a budding romance. The plot is clever and the horrid culprit behind the crimes stays aptly hidden until the very end. The crimes committed are wrapped up yet some of the family issues are left wide open and unresolved. The narrative is good and has some interesting twists in it, keeping the tension alive and the need to find out what happens next viable. 
A twisted tale of brutal and atrocious crimes that gets the town in an uproar, prompting other issues in the precinct, and families, to boil over and cause scenes. 
~ Three Spoons

Winter Austin perpetually answers the question: “were you born in the winter?” with a flat “nope.” Having returned to her hometown, Winter has stepped into the chaotic world of a full-time wife, mom, author, and employee.

A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter rediscovered her love of her beloved Iowa with its hot summers and snowy winters. She grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability to verbally spin a vivid and detailed story, Winter translated that into writing deadly romantic thrillers. Combining her love of all things rural, agricultural, and military, she’s turned her small town life upside down.

​WEBSITE  FACEBOOK TWITTER  

Clam Jam
By: R.C. Boldt
Releasing January 10, 2017
Self-Published

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Clam Jam
Definition: the female equivalent of a cock block.
Example: You’re chatting with a guy you’re interested in and your friend comes along and lays claim to him. 
Maggie
That’s my life—except it’s worse. My friend who keeps “jamming” me is my gay roommate and if that isn’t a W.T.F. moment, I’m not sure what is.
Fact: He went home with three—yes, three—of the guys I had been so sure were into me.
Fact: He’s really pissing me off. I mean, hello? I’m trying to get back in the saddle, but I’ll never manage to get a boyfriend before the age of fifty if he keeps this up.
Fact: Secretly, I wonder what it would be like if he weren’t gay. Why do all the hot, sweet, tender-hearted guys have to be gay?
Fact: My gay-dar needs a serious tune-up.
Ry
The day I interviewed for the room to rent, everything changed. I knew I had met “the girl”, except there was one small problem: she didn’t want anything to do with men. I recognized a top-notch force field when I saw one. She’d been burned badly and didn’t want to deal with a heterosexual guy as a roommate. I could’ve turned around and found another place to live, but I wanted to live there—with her.
So I had to go “undercover”. 
Fact: I’m in love with my roommate.
Fact: I’m a likely candidate for carpal tunnel surgery since all the action I’ve had for the past year has been my hand.
Fact: She’s going to hate me if I come clean now.
Fact: I’m not giving up. Which means, I’ll just have to continue to run defense until I figure out a way to get Maggie to see the “real” me. 
The me that loves her.
The me that would never do her wrong.
Until then, I’ll keep running off every guy who shows any interest. 
Until then, I’ll continue to Clam Jam. 

“But she doesn’t want anything to do with men, Ry. What are you going to do? Just casually bring it up one morning that you’re actually hetero?” He scoffs, shaking his head at me. “I see that going over real well.”
“I haven’t gotten that far but, this way, I can get to know her without all that shit getting in the way. The whole nervousness, the whole showing the other person your best at all times until you’re really committed and then it all comes out.”
“And you’re going to do this by being dishonest from the get-go.”
Running my hands down my face, I let out a frustrated groan. “What was my other option? To let her go, to never have an opportunity to get to know her—to never get to be her friend, at the very least—without her feeling like I have any ulterior motives—”
“Which you do.”
“—and be faced with the possibility of me being too late and another guy getting to her when she decides she’s ready to start dating again?”
“I’d like to go on record and say that you’ve been watching too many damn chick flicks.”
“Whatever.”
He’s silent for a moment, staring at me before his lips twitch, slowly forming a smirk. “So how long have we been together, love muffin?”
The breath I’ve been holding in comes out in a slow exhale. “For a while.” Holding up a finger, I add, “But we have an ‘open’ relationship.”
His eyebrows arch at that. “Why, you little player, you. Won’t commit to being monogamous, huh?” He tips his beer to his lips, takes a swig, and grins. “I bet I can convince you to be mine within a few months tops, pookie bear.”
I make a face, scoffing, “Not likely.”
He waves a hand dismissively. “You’ll be putting out before long. Mark my words.”
“You’re not right.” I laugh, shaking my head at him.
“You’re the one who’s pretending to be gay.”
“Point taken.”
We both take a swig of beer and fall silent for a moment before Jack finally speaks.
“Can’t say that I’ve ever pretended to be someone’s gay lover before.” His face stretches into a wide, toothy grin.
And, just like that, my best friend is officially involved in my game plan. All for the sake of a woman I’m convinced is “the one.”

Describe yourself in five words or less.
Sarcastic, organized, wino, loud, happy

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Maggie, with her internal dialogue, was the most fun to write. She was definitely quirky in her own right but, I like to think she’s also quite realistic in voicing what I feel a lot of women think.

Name three things on your desk right now.
My planner, my Sharpie ultra fine point pen, and my laptop.

If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?
My daughter, because I never went to Pre-K and I’m pretty much convinced I missed out on something HUGE. Snack time, going to the park, Art, etc. No homework, no bills, singing out of tune without any judgment… Sign me up for that.

What are some books that you enjoyed recently?
Managed by Kristen Callihan, Someone Like You by Lauren Layne, and Vicious by L.J. Shen.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I am so incredibly grateful for your support! I could never truly manage to put into words how thankful I am.
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Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Out of the Ashes is scheduled for release in May. It’s a standalone about a Navy SEAL who was left in the hands of hell’s cruelest gatekeepers and the one woman ready to show him that his life isn’t over, that he’s worthy of love. She might be the only one to prove to him that sometimes even a phoenix needs help rising out of the ashes.

RC Boldt is the wife of Mr. Boldt, a retired Navy Chief, mother of Little Miss Boldt, and former teacher of many students. She currently lives on the southeastern coast of North Carolina, enjoys long walks on the beach, running, reading, people watching, and singing karaoke. If you're in the mood for some killer homemade mojitos, can't recall the lyrics to a particular 80's song, or just need to hang around a nonconformist who will do almost anything for a laugh, she's your girl.

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Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Laid off and down to her last few dollars, Gina Taylor is desperate to provide for her baby boy when she sees an advertisement for a mail order bride in Marietta, Montana. On just a photo of a serious but handsome man and the charm of his kind, deep voice on the phone, Gina packs up her few belongings and leaves the hardships of San Francisco behind.

When widowed deputy sheriff Rory Watson buys a neglected ranch in desperate need of repairs and a homey touch, he realizes how much he misses the companionship marriage offers. His brother found a bride and happiness with an advertisement. Maybe he can too. But Rory gets more than he bargained for when Gina arrives, baby on her hip.

Rory can forgive a lot, but Gina never mentioned a baby. His instinct is to send her home, but his uneasy conscience insists she stay–temporarily. Gradually, Rory discovers that Gina’s smile, love of country life, and can-do attitude wake up something he never knew was dormant, and the chubby baby reminds him of how much he once wanted a family.

Can a down-on-her-luck woman find the home she’s always wanted with a man afraid to love again?

A poignant story in a unique setting for a modern day romance, where arranged marriages are helping Montana cowboys to find their HEA.
Gina, a single mom, is a true survivor, she has managed to make it despite the circumstances with a sheer strength of will and utter determination. She is not used to asking or getting any help with anything she has had to face in life, so accepting aid or support is something she has to learn to obtain. I love her guts, she strength, and her adventures spirit. 
Rory, a widow, is a true alpha man, one of four brothers raised by a single dad, whose drinking and morose after their mother's death shake the family dynamics and causes irk, even affecting the relationships today. Rory is protective, take-charge man, who has a soft spot for those in trouble. His has been mourning for his wife for three years and is now taking unique steps to find companionship for the rest of his days. He has a hard time trusting Gina, his quick emotional reactions cause him to act before reflection, and his stubbornness made me think of a bull, yet he has a big, caring, generous heart, that beats for those he takes under his wings. 
The beginning of the story was filled with emotions, concerns, and careful attraction as Rory and Gina adjust to their new situation, a new life, and a new and different kind of relationship. The feelings go from joy and passion to doubt and aggravation. I liked how the attraction took more and more hold of them and how they were so open about their wants and needs. I was involved with the story and felt the emotional turbulence that was riding at the ranch. But there's a point in the book where it changes its dynamics rather drastically in my opinion, from budding romance to family drama. Some of the big moments in the development of the relationship between Rory and Gina are jumped over, and it is just assumed that they are madly in love while tackling the trouble at their doorsteps. 
The secondary characters in the story contributed to the story and were given a considerable amount of screen time and importance to the plot development. They did raise my interest towards the other titles in the series, the Watson brothers are a passionate and a rather temperamental group of fascinating characters. 
With an intriguing road to their destiny, Gina and Rory find out that nothing in life comes easy, not even an arranged marriage. With a roll-a-coaster of emotions their tackle the heaps of trouble they face, while learning to trust each other, and test the waters if they could find a way to do life together, make a family, and maybe even learn to love each other. This series gets all the three A's from me: an alluring, absorbing and appealing story
~ Four Spoons

The Granger siblings thought they'd left their ranching days behind, until fate sends them home to Wrangler's Creek, Texas and into the passionate arms of those they'd least expect

It's some run of bad luck when Sophie Granger loses her business and gets left at the altar all in one day. Desperate to not appear jilted, Sophie begs Clay McKinnon, Wrangler's Creek's smoking-hot police chief, to pretend they're having an affair. But Clay refuses, leaving Sophie to retreat to the family ranch to lick her wounds.

Hoping to leave his disreputable past behind, Clay moved to Wrangler's Creek for a fresh start. But that looks unlikely when Sophie's ex-fiance shows up married to Clay's impulsive kid sister. Overcome, Sophie resuggests the affair but this time for real. Clay is hesitant. City-girl Sophie isn't usually his type. But he can't deny the desire she elicits or his yearning to have her plant her cowboy roots for good.

Those Texas Nights is a quirky and fun small town romance story that takes a look at the everyday life of the town folks, with its trials and triumphs, drama and celebration. 
I was in awe with the wit and cleverness of some of the twists of the language and the unique sayings the author used in the tale. The humor is subtle most of the time, having me laughing out loud on several occasion and unexpectedly. 
The characters are somewhat peculiar and definitely one-of-the-kind, yet they demonstrate the human mind and the inner thoughts we rarely share with others in a true and straightforward way, open to everyone to hear and see and gossip about, most of the time even without shame and humiliation. I couldn't help but admire the characters and cheer for them, relate to them and share their pain, fear, passion, and adoration. 
The drama and tragedies of the town are told from several different points of view, mainly focusing on the  Granger family and McKinnon siblings. From business investigation to everyday illnesses, from fear of losing to loving with all your heart, and everything in between the characters faces their life and destinies head on with full speed. 
Both Sophie and Clay have baggage from the past that isn't easy to leave behind and effect their life and decisions of their future. The hurt is still there and it takes an effort and time to heal and make things work out as they are destined to be. The chemistry between them was evident to all, the connection obvious, but that didn't make forming a relationship easy or effortless for them. 
Delightful storytelling of charming characters and their lives in a small town Texas where everyone knows each other, where gossip is the way to deliver the news, and where lives, loves, and families find their safe haven to nourish and bloom. I'm looking forward to more in this alluring and whimsical series! 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side 

I’m a USA Today bestselling author, and I’ve sold over 100 novels. Yes, 100! Needless to say, I write a lot. I’ve had the honor of receiving the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and I was a finalist for the prestigious Rita. My books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. I’ve also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines.

​I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com.

Connect with Delores  Website | Facebook | Twitter

Falling for the Best Man
Sisters of the Wishing Bridge Farm #1
By: Amanda Ashby
Releasing: January 9, 2017
Entangled Bliss

​

He’s the best man and her secret fling—who said being a wedding planner was easy?

What's worse than running into your ex-hookup at the airport? When said 'hookup" is the best man for the most important wedding of your career, and he's on the hunt for a fake girlfriend. Between a hysterical bride and a wedding party gone wild, wedding planner Emmy Watson can’t afford any more disasters if she wants to save her beloved Wishing Bridge Farm. Which is why she puts the best man on lockdown. Unfortunately, he also happens to be the one guy who can make her forget everything except the way his kisses make her feel.

All Christopher Henderson needs is a fake girlfriend to convince his bosses that his bad boy reputation is a thing of the past so he can land his dream job. What better place to find said companion than at a wholesome vintage wedding. The only thing he didn't count on was seeing Emmy, the woman who dumped him. The one he hasn’t been able to get off his mind.
​
There's no denying the spark between them, but he’s a globetrotter and she’s a homebody, and falling in love is something neither of them has in their plans.

“Emmy,” he countered, trying not to be distracted by the delectable sight of her chest rising and falling. “One dance. That’s all I’m asking. For old time’s sake.”

Emmy’s lips twitched, and Christopher could almost see the two sides of her battling before the carefree smile he recognized from their time together in New York appeared. It changed the shape of her face and brought everything about their first meeting slamming into his mind. She stood up, so close that his skin prickled with desire.

“Fine. One dance.”

“Great.” He led her to the small wooden dance floor to the left of where the jazz band was playing. Lewis and Miranda were in the middle, and fanned out all around them were the rest of the bridal party, but all Christopher could see was Emmy.

The music pulsated around them, and even the pale yellow moon above swayed to the beat. He sucked in a breath and pulled her toward him. It was a mistake, and his lungs were filled with the smell of her freshly washed hair and the evening clematis climbing up the crumbling brickwork of the courtyard walls. His arms tightened around her waist, and her bunched, tense muscles seemed to relax as she melted into him. The rest of the world disappeared, and all he was conscious of was her pounding heart as it pressed against his.

This was the woman he’d met two years ago.

And it seems I’m just as helpless around her as I ever was. Which is either a good thing, or a very, very bad one. The verdict’s still out.

As if reading his mind, she turned her face up to him, a soft, suggestive smile tugging at her full mouth. Desire flared through him, and if they were anywhere else he would’ve kissed her without a second’s hesitation. He forced himself to return her smile and simply enjoy the way her body molded his.

It wasn’t until the lead singer announced the name of the next song Christopher even realized the music had stopped. Emmy was the first to recover, and she stepped away, her face flushed and her eyes not quite meeting his.

“Um.” She licked her lips. “I’m not sure that was such a good idea.”

“I hate to disagree with you, but I think it was an excellent idea. And one that should definitely be repeated. You can’t deny that there’s still something between us.” Christopher tried to pull her closer as the next song started, but she folded her arms firmly in front of her. Ironically, it highlighted the soft curves of her body.

At this rate I’m going to need a fire engine to cool me down.

“I’m serious,” she insisted before letting out a soft sigh. “You’re right. There is still something between us, but there’s nowhere it can go. I want to save the farm, and you want to go visit every strange nook and cranny in the universe. Don’t you see? Nothing’s changed.”

“My hair’s longer,” Christopher said, but it was obvious by the way Emmy had pushed her lips into two compact lines, she wasn’t in the joking mood. “I know you like to be organized, and I get that, but aren’t you over thinking this? I mean, shouldn’t we be having the fun first and then move on to the serious conversations about why it would never work?”

“I’m sorry.” The muscles around her jaw tightened. “I think we should just be friends.”

“Friends that do friendly things together? Like dancing?” he asked in a hopeful voice.

“How about friends that help other friends ensure the groom’s brother doesn’t do anything he might regret?” she countered.

Christopher winced. Ouch. He’d been friend-zoned. Logically, she had a point. She hadn’t changed her mind, and he wouldn’t change his, which meant it was for the best.

If only someone could inform my body of the situation.

​

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia but now lives in New Zealand where she writes romance, young adult and middle grade books. She also works in a library, owns far too many vintage tablecloths and likes to delight her family by constantly rearranging the furniture.
She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book was listed in the New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age.  Because she’s mysterious she also writes middle grade books under the name, Catherine Holt and hopes that all this writing won’t interfere with her Netflix schedule.
​
Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Properly Groomed
Wedding Favors #3
By: Boone Brux
Releasing January 9, 2017
Entangled Lovestruck

​

Playing house just got real…
When Joya Bennett wakes up after her brother’s wedding, half-naked and lying next to her lifelong crush, she’s mortified. OMG, did she try to jump his bones? Worse, did she succeed? Intending to lay low and housesit for her brother until the embarrassment fades, she sneaks away before he wakes up.
What she didn’t plan on is having company.
Lincoln Fisher doesn’t do relationships, but if he did, his friend’s little sister would be the one to tie him down. Good thing Joya had one too many drinks during the reception or he’d have crossed a line. Her brother would kill him if he found out all the places Linc wanted to kiss the sexy, auburn-haired beauty.
And now they’re stuck in the same house. For two weeks.
​She’s off-limits. And he needs to keep it that way, even if the heat building between them is hot enough to blow off the roof…
  
Each book in the Wedding Favors series is a stand-alone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
 
Book #1 Bridesmaid Blues
Book #2 Random Acts of Marriage
Book #3 Properly Groomed

​

“What are you doing?” Linc asked from somewhere above her.
“Fixing a leak.” She shimmied deeper into the cabinet and adjusted the width of the wrench opening, then latched it onto a section of the pipe. “It just needs to be tightened a little.”
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Though not condescending, his tone did hold a note of doubt.
“Of course I know what I’m doing.” Okay, maybe she didn’t know the exact procedure for this job, but it was a tiny leak, not quantum physics. “I got this.”
With all her force, she torqued the wrench. That might have actually worked if the pipe hadn’t slipped. The mouth of the wrench lost its hold on the metal connector and slammed into the valve directly behind it, knocking the knob off at the neck. Cold water jettisoned from the opening, dousing her torso and filling her open mouth.
Her shriek was quickly cut off by her sputtering coughs. In one swift move, Linc grabbed her legs and dragged her out from under the sink, away from the geyser-like gush. She lay on her back beside him while he fought the powerful spray until successfully stopping the flow.
Water dripped from her hair and T-shirt, pooling on the floor as she climbed to her feet. Sitting on the floor, equally as drenched, Linc leaned against the cabinet door. “You got this, huh?” He smirked and rose to feet. “Might I suggest shutting off the water first as a precautionary measure?”
She swiped her hand across her face, dislodging the droplets from her lashes. “Good idea.”
Being embarrassed took a backseat to her complete inability to focus on anything other than the wet T-shirt clinging to his well-defined chest. Hot, owned a rescue dog, and he could fix things—it was almost too much to resist.
Without warning, he peeled his white T-shirt off and turned to ring it out in the sink. Sweet Jesus, if she made it through these next two weeks without attacking him it would be a miracle. Each muscle flexed as he rung the water from his shirt, and it took all her willpower not to reach out and stroke the glistening planes.
When he pivoted toward her again, her eyes darted to his face, hoping he hadn’t noticed her visually chugging his hotness. “Why don’t you go change?” His gaze dipped to her breasts, lingered, and then drifted back to her eyes. “Or not; I’m good either way.”
She glanced down and heat flooded her cheeks. Like a thin layer of tissue paper, her T-shirt lay plastered to her body, revealing every detail of her breasts. She slapped her arms across her chest and spun, exiting the room without a reply or backward glance.
A simple household chore, that’s all she’d wanted to do. Instead, she’d ended up in a wet T-shirt contest, and from Linc’s expression, she’d won hands-down. He’d made it crystal clear that he didn’t mind her flashing him. And she certainly hadn’t minded his brief bout of nakedness.
She closed the door behind her, inhaled, and then exhaled, forcing her nerves to calm. So what? He’d seen her boobs, kind of. For all she knew, he’d seen them last night. No big deal. Just plain old breasts, that’s all they were, not the lost Ark of the Covenant. He was probably used to it. There was absolutely no reason she should be embarrassed or awkward around him now. Actually, “you’re welcome” might be an even better response.
Heading to the bathroom, she shook off the familiar stirrings she called the Linc Effect. This didn’t have to be weird. They were adults now. She was completely in control of her emotions and actions—right? Sure, they might have slept together, but that didn’t mean something more serious was brewing.
As a matter of fact, her brother had made it perfectly clear—every chance he got—that Linc wasn’t the right guy for her. Anytime he came up in conversation, Kyle was quick to counter with some fact about his friend’s bachelor life, making it sound as if it would be a cold day in hell before Linc would give up his freedom.
Not that she was looking for that level of commitment. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have something in the now, though, right?

Dear Jane
Animal Attraction #1
By: Marissa Clarke
Releasing January 9, 2017
Entangled Lovestruck

​

Jane Dixon is a dating disaster. Flammable tablecloths and broken arms are just a typical evening for her unlucky companions. No wonder Jane never gets past a first date. But luckily her co-worker and new bff says he’s got loads of friends who’d date her more than once. If only she could stop thinking about how much fun he was to hang out with. And she’d never dropped a bucket of ice on his junk. Win.

 All attorney Eric Blackwell has to do to make junior partner is not screw anything up for six weeks, which seems like a slam dunk until he finds himself matchmaker to the office “One Date Wonder” aka the boss’s daughter. It’s hard to stay focused when setting up the hottest girl he’s ever met with everyone but himself. Maybe he could just set her up with all the wrong men, and keep his hands off his new friend… Yeah. His promotion is toast. ​

Operation Smooth Sailing had officially entered week two. All Eric Blackwell needed to do in order to make junior partner at Dixon, Rosenbaum & Schoot was maintain the status quo for the next six weeks. Basically, he just had to stay under the radar and get the Anderson Enterprises acquisition to work out on paper without screwing anything up.
He straightened his tie and pushed the button for the fifteenth floor. Six weeks. No problem. Well, except for that little bit of bad news about some potential negative tax consequences for Anderson Enterprises that the analysis department had missed. Yeah, that.
He straightened his tie again. Being team leader, it was his task to brief Mr. Dixon on the details, and he’d been putting it off, hoping someone in his department would find some case law precedent, or a loophole, or a freaking magic spell to fix it.
The elevator doors slid open, and before he made ten steps into the lobby, a booming voice stopped him in his tracks. “This message arrived yesterday afternoon, Marcie. Why am I only now receiving it?”
The receptionist cleared her throat and slumped in her chair behind the semicircular teak desk in the lobby. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dixon. So many things came at once near the end of the day. I emailed your secretary and she said to—”
Face red, Mr. Dixon waved the paper in front of Marcie’s nose. He wasn’t a small man by any means, but when he was angry, he filled a room. “So, now you’re going to blame someone else?”
“No sir, your secretary said to… I… I…”
“There are two things I can’t abide: people who shift blame, and procrastinators.”
Yep, well, today probably wasn’t a good day to deliver late news about the analysis department’s mistake. Eric froze near the west wall of the lobby and did his best wood paneling imitation, hoping his dark suit jacket was sufficient camo to keep Mr. Dixon from noticing him. This was the last thing he needed first thing in the morning. He hadn’t even made it to his office yet.
“Dixon, Rosenbaum & Schoot prides itself on reliability, punctuality, and accuracy.” Mr. Dixon emphasized his statement with a palm slap on the desk, causing poor Marcie to almost launch out of her skin. “We expect all our employees to uphold this standard.”
“Yes, sir.” Marcie stared down at her hands.
Mr. Dixon folded the message and placed it in his suit pocket. “Well, then.”
Eric held his breath as the man strode with purpose toward the hallway to his office.
“Mr. Blackwell.”
Shit, shit, shit. How did he do that? He’d never even turned around. No way could he have seen him standing there. “Good morning, Mr. Dixon.”
“I believe you are late delivering the financials on the Anderson deal. I’ll hold three o’clock open for you. Since I haven’t heard anything on this, I expect good news.”
“Three o’clock.” Eric’s stomach sank. Yeah…sank. Perfect. Man the lifeboats; Operation Smooth Sailing just hit an iceberg.
Once Mr. Dixon disappeared from view, Marcie covered her face with her hands. Crying did it to Eric every time—yanked his heart out and stomped on it. When he was younger, he’d do anything to stop his mother’s crying, and he’d do anything now. Poor Marcie.
He took a deep breath and approached the desk. “Hey, Marcie. Sorry about that. He’s really not all that bad.” Well, that was a bust. It came out more like a question than a statement of fact.
To his relief, her eyes were completely dry when she lowered her hands from her face. “Yes, he is. He’s…” But she didn’t finish her thought before the phone rang. “Dixon, Rosenbaum, & Schoot, could you hold please?” Without waiting for an answer, she pushed the hold button. “I just had a million things come in at once this morning, too”—she gestured to a foot-tall stack of mail on the corner of the desk—“and I can’t possibly handle all of it and answer the phones. And Mr. Dixon scares me.”
Yeah, second that. His grip tightened on the briefcase containing the bad news report on the acquisition. “Is there something I can do to help you?”
“No.” She adjusted her headset. “You’re sweet to ask, though.”
The elevator slid open, and a delivery guy stepped out with an enormous bouquet of flowers. Making a line straight for Marcie, he set the vase on the desktop and shoved a clipboard at her right as the phone rang again. She put two more calls on hold as the guy stood there, clipboard out, clearly unaffected by the harried receptionist.
“Can anyone sign for those?” Eric asked when the phone rang again. The deliverer handed him the pen, he signed for the flowers, and the guy went on his way while Marcie directed a call to the Worker’s Comp Department and another to the Family Law Division.
She stood and checked the card on the flowers, and with a groan, slumped down in her chair. “I have the worst luck ever. Of course they go to the office farthest from my desk.”
He turned the arrangement to find out who it was for. “Jane Dixon” was scrawled in blue ink on the undersized envelope held in place with a plastic pitchfork-looking thing.
Jane Dixon. Eric played the image of her through his head. Small and blonde with huge blue eyes—not anything like her father, the man currently waiting to kill Eric’s partnership dreams. He and Jane had been in the same meetings on occasion, but they’d never spoken to each other…just stared—well, he’d stared; she probably hadn’t even noticed him.
Jane put in long, long hours, like he did. He knew this because even though she worked in the Family Law Division and he in the Business Mergers and Acquisitions Department, her office was down the hall from his. One of the highlights of his day was when she walked by his open door. On most nights, her office light was still on well after nine o’clock when he packed it in to go home.
He stared at the card, dying to peek inside and see who was sending her flowers. Maybe a boyfriend… A strange ping of jealousy flared and he almost laughed. Jealous. He was the pitiful guy who left his door open to score a look at her. She didn’t even know who he was. It wasn’t like he’d ever dreamed of asking her out or anything—okay, well, maybe he had dreamed of it, but it was a ridiculous fantasy. Not only was there a strict non-fraternization policy at DR&S, she was the boss’s daughter, for fuck’s sake.
Jealous? Nope. Pathetic? Absolutely.
The switchboard lit up again, and the receptionist gave a frustrated huff.
“Listen, Marcie. I’m going down that hallway anyway. Why don’t I just drop these off for you?” He picked up the vase.
“Oh my gosh, Mr. Blackwell. You’re the nicest guy. Thank you so much.”
Nice… Yeah, being Mr. Nice Guy had nothing to do with getting a close-up look at Jane Dixon. Nothing at all. Again, pathetic. “Not a problem. I hope your day gets better.”
“It just did.”
Yeah, so had his.

​

Amazon Best Selling Author Boone Brux’s stories range from high fantasy to humorous paranormal.

Having lived all over the world, and finally settling in the icy region of Alaska, she's always looking for the next adventure. It's not unusual to find Boone traversing the remotest parts of the Alaskan bush, gathering information for her stories. No person or escapade is off limits when it comes to weaving real life experiences into her books or blogs.

Join Boone's V.I.P. Club and be first to hear about new releases, events, free read, contests and giveaways, and so much more. Sign up for her newsletter and stay informed.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Marissa Clarke is a multi-award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives in Texas, where everything is bigger, especially the mosquitoes. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, husband, and a Cairn terrier named Annabel, who rules the house (and Marissa's heart) with an iron paw. 

Marissa Clarke is a pseudonym. Her real name is Mary Lindsey and she also writes young adult novels for Penguin USA.

To receive updates and insider information on Marissa's upcoming books, subscribe to her newsletter.
​
Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

If you're reading this, I'm already dead… 

That's the note seventeen-year-old Haley Cooke leaves behind when she disappears from inside her high school. FBI profiler Evelyn Baine is called in to figure out who had reason to hurt her. On the surface, the popular cheerleader has no enemies, but as Evelyn digs deeper, she discovers that everyone close to Haley has something to hide. Everyone from estranged parents, to an older boyfriend with questionable connections, to a best friend who envies Haley's life. 

Secrets can be deadly… 

One of those secrets may have gotten Haley killed. If she's still alive, Evelyn knows that the more the investigation ramps up, the more pressure they could be putting on Haley's kidnapper to make her disappear for good. It's also possible the teenager isn't in danger at all, but has skillfully manipulated everyone and staged her own disappearance. Only one thing is certain: uncovering Haley's fate could be dangerous—even deadly—to Evelyn herself.

The intense investigation that burst into a riveting action at the moment's notice as the investigators put their own lives at risk as they are trying to solve the myriad of crimes that come to the light while trying to profile the kidnapper of the missing girl. 
If you are a fan of the early production of Patricia Cornwell and her Scarpetta novels like I am, you are going to enjoy the profiler series, as they echo the same kind of atmosphere, darkness, and female lead who is not afraid of taking the dangerous leaps that are required in her job, while struggling with her personal life and with her formerly somewhat secretive romantic life. 
The book is built upon the investigation of the multiple crimes as the team digs deep in, to find who, what, where, and when. I loved how their actions and the conversations build the case, revealed the clues, and at the same time made my mind work double as trying to figure it out in my head what had truly happened. The detail oriented structure of the story compelled to hang on every word, and not miss a moment to keep up with the clues and the evidence coming forward. 
I felt that Haley had warmth and ease within her more than in the previous story, she was easier to approach and had more benevolence than before, and I liked that. It was easier to relate to her, like her and cheer for her. Her family issues brought a human side of her up front and made her more relatable. Kyle is such a natural part of her life now. I loved that they got to work together on the case and that through the story there wasn't a moment when Kyle pulled out superiority on her, they were true equals, even in a gun fight. 
In spite of being a part of a series, I think it would be easy to jump into the action from this title on. The author gives enough back information to make it easy to follow the story without having read the previous books, yet the story doesn't feel repetitive to those who have been following the series. 
Vivid images of a cruel and callous crimes, the kind that seeps into your dreams, vigorous and determined investigation with brisk energy that kept me on the edge and deliberating on the evidence, kept me guessing and in awe with Haley's ability to turn tidbits of information into a solid lead, and her ability to keep on going despite a several severe attacks towards herself as well. 
A story that left me eagerly waiting for more in the series! 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

They're both learning from scratch 
​
Molly Adamson has moved back to the place that made her happiest: Eagle Valley, Montana. Teaching college English classes is also a fresh start…even if he's one of her students. Finn Culver. Athlete, heartthrob, homecoming date. After that disastrous night all those years ago, Molly never wanted to see Finn, now a handsome military veteran, again.

But as she gets to know him through his writing, helping him conquer an undiagnosed learning disability, Molly sees much more than the swaggering charmer.

​Both teacher and student will learn a lot about love, and each other, if they can let the past go…

Starting a new is never easy, but both Molly and Finn has made their minds to make the most of it, even though they have a very different ways to approach the matter in their own lives. 
I liked the community college scene, with the teacher connections, the challenges for both the teachers and the students, and the joy of that 'click' when you learn something new and it all starts to make sense. 

The Lightning Creek community is very tight knit, they are looking after each other, they help and support each other as needed, and even when it's not. There's a lot of fun, humoristic banter and smiles around Mike and his friends.

I also liked Molly and Finn together, the connection and chemistry between them were obvious, they clearly had a lot in common and shared similar values. There were some issues, like Molly's extreme judgmental tendencies that I had to take a step back and think about. Because the further the story went, the more it sounded like Molly was a snob, even though she said she did it just for protection from getting hurt and not making mistakes. 
 
A well-written story that was easy to get lost in as it glided off the pages. The characters charisma was contagious, their struggles with the thoughts of their future known and true. The attraction between Molly and Finn was shadowed by her past and their shared history, and they both had to grow, develop, and mature to be able to start building a sturdy foundation for the rest of their lives. This is a tale that made me think and evaluate my thoughts and gut reactions. 
~ Four Spoons

ACTION LINKS

One night sealed their fate… 

Virginia “Ginny” Valentine didn’t think she could feel so connected to another person after one night of "just talking." The beautiful and famous country singer had everything in her life...everything but that connection. And after experiencing it for the first time, she wanted more, and she wanted it with him… 

Dax Archer felt it the second he laid eyes on her. From that moment, the bodyguard and former Marine knew he had to make her his in every way possible. But when she disappeared from his life after leaving only a note to say she’d never forget him, he didn’t know how… 

With some time set aside to create new music, Ginny was also ready to create something special with the man that consumed her every waking thought. After being reunited with the woman who owned him mind, body and soul, he was ready to make her feel all that he felt and more…

Dax and Ginny's story delivers what the cover promises. Insanely hot, sensuous, and seductive doesn't even cover the heat and magic between them. But it is not just sexy feelings and lust filled thoughts. The magic comes from the tenderness, the refreshing innocence, the desire to be more, and the ability to accept without a clause. And there are all the feels, indeed, in play as Dax and Ginny learn about each other, learn about love, feelings, and relationships. 
I have been intrigued by these two since the last story where they initially met and Dax claimed at the first sight that he was going to marry Ginny. And that straight forward honesty, the bluntness, honor, loyalty, and integrity follows throughout the bumpy, fervent road Ginny and Dax has to follow to their HEA. 
Ginny's life with all the turmoil and uproar was a perplexing way to live. The stress, the demands, the tabloids, the pretense, the suffocating protective mothering were the other side of the coin many don't stop to think about, the world where the closest to you might be the one stabbing you in the back. I love the cross over to Hope Falls when it came to Ginny's career, even the thought of these two worlds mixing up makes me smile. But what brought the emotions up close to the surface was the connecting with the family she didn't know she had, and the absolute acceptance that followed from it. 
Ginny and Dax with their flaming passion and sweet adoration of each other won me over immediately, making this one of those stories that are impossible to put down until the end. I lived in the moment with them, the pictures and scenes clearly in my mind as they fumble with the feelings, life, music, and love. I loved the crispness of the tale, the freshness, originality of it, and the wisdom of the Colonel as he speaks of what love in a relationship truly is. That moment resonated with me so strongly, as I remember having that conversation with my own dad years ago, and I wish everyone could/should hear those words of wisdom and live them true in their own lives, making the world much happier place for all. 
My heart is so full tonight after reading Dax and Ginny's story, the delight, elation, and the pleasure of their love left me smiling, and the end scene swooning. I don't know how it is possible, but these stories are just getting better and hitting harder each one. 
~ Five Spoons

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TEMPTED BY A FAMILY

Travis Read never wanted to settle down anywhere with anyone. He's in Rodeo, Montana, just long enough to fix up a house for his sister and he'll be on his way. Then he meets Rachel McGuire. Beautiful and kind and with magnetic whiskey-colored eyesRachel is everything that Travis could want. Except that Rachel is also very, very pregnant.

A struggling widowed mom, Rachel wants to give her family the stability she's never had. Travis dashed those hopes by buying her dream house. Okay, she can start over. But she wasn't counting on such a fierce attraction between them. And this cowboy was never meant to settle down

I adore this story for so many reasons, but mainly because it is so true to life to many yet managed to be truly uplifting. The struggles they have are real, their life had not been easy yet they had made the most of it and generally held a positive attitude, still looking for joy and jubilee in life and saw the good in people and in the situations surrounding them. 
Rachel had Travis with the first smile. That was all it took and he started to fumble deliciously into the kinds of feelings he had been avoiding his whole life while raising his younger sister. And it didn't take much more for Rachel either even though a romance was the last thing she needed in her life right now.
Rachel's life was not only on a bumpy road, it was on a rough rugged downhill spiral. Not many things were going as she wished, planned, or hoped for. But what I liked about the story was that Travis was not put in the role of a 'savior' in Rachel's life, but that the bond between them was a give and take friendship, where they both were on an equal setting, and rewards were not counted in material goods. 
And when that friendship got to be more, it wasn't all smooth sailing there either, but it was just the kind of awkward, delicate, klutzy stumble that it often is, and it made me sigh and smile and like them even more. 
This story pulled my emotions with its engaging plot, characters that were so easy to like and relate to, life situations that many can refer to in their own life, yet the story had the kind of fairytale-like glow, serendipity that can only happen in romance novels keeping the swoon factor high, and smile on the reader's face. An inspiring and heartening tale, indeed.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

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A Convenient Marriage 

Blake Latherop needs a wife in order to keep his business, and his betrothed has apparently eloped with another man. So when his fiancée's sister, Audrey Prescott, steps off the train in Whisper Creek offering to be his bride, he's in no position to refuse. But it's hardly the marriage he had in mind. 

Audrey knows she shouldn't have answered Blake's letters in her sister's name…but she couldn't bring herself to tell him of his fiancée's betrayal. Now the only way to fix things is through a temporary marriage. But as she comes to love her new life in the West, Audrey dreads the day Blake finds another solution to their situation. Because what started as a marriage of convenience has become so much more for her…

This story with its well written natural flow pulled me into the world of Whisper Creek and held me captive until the very end. And I didn't want it to be done, I wasn't ready to leave Blake and Audrey and the new life they were starting.
My heart broke a bit for both them at the beginning of the story with the thoughtless actions of Audrey's sister and the consequences of Audrey's selfless, sacrificing yet brave actions. The author draws the clear picture of the agony and disappointment Blake and Audrey felt towards Linda as they are starting the marriage of convenience. Linda wasn't drawn in a very good light in the novel, she had made several severe mistakes that had dire consequences to all of them. But in a miraculous way, Linda's mistakes turned into blessings in disguise. 
Even though I am not a fan of love triangles in my romance novels I enjoyed the story watching Audrey and Blake find their footing in the new situation while starting the new life. The faith they had in God was a constant and natural part of them and their everyday life in an exemplary way.
The building of the town was fascinating as well as starting of the store and the life in general in Whisper Creek. From the plumbing to shelving at the store the details charmed me, the authentic history shining through in the details. 
An emotional and moving story of a new life at the prairie where unfortunate and rather distressing situation brings two friends into a new point in life and relying on God's guidance they find a way to reconciliation​, forgiveness, love and unity, bringing them a new hope for future. "God works in mysterious ways".
~ Four Spoons

Love Story
Love Unexpectedly #3
By: Lauren Layne
Releasing February 14, 2017
Loveswept

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Over the course of one wild road trip, feuding childhood sweethearts get a second chance at love in this charming rom-com
 
When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart.
 
After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.

Although listed as a title in the Love Unexpectedly Series, all books in the series stand alone. 

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Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.
A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.
She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL's ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books. 
Hobbies include cocktail hour, a designer purse addiction, and dry rosé.

Author Links:   WEBSITE   |   FACEBOOK  |   TWITTER  |   GOODREADS