Fighting Dirty
Worth the Fight #5 By: Sidney Halston Released January 5, 2016 Loveswept
If you love the MMA romances of Vi Kreeland and Kendall Ryan, Sidney Halston’s Worth the Fight series will knock your socks off! In Fighting Dirty, a geek-chic cage fighter proves that appearances can be deceiving . . . and oh-so-tempting.
With his preppy clothes and horn-rimmed glasses, Enzo Silva is the last dude anyone expects to find in a mixed martial arts gym. A wealthy Brazilian banker who never had to fight for anything, Enzo’s stuck in the amateur circuit—but he burns to make the pros. Maybe that explains the heat he feels whenever he’s around Jamie Lynn Calhoun. The pint-size, magenta-haired bartender with the Texas drawl is everything he’s not . . . and everything he craves. Tough as nails and independent to a fault, Jamie Lynn—JL to her friends—works hard to pay her bills and keep life simple. Enzo is doing his best to complicate that. Even though she likes to bust his balls, he’s got some kind of a nerdy-hot vibe that makes JL wonder if she might finally be able to let her guard down. It might do the boy some good to spend some time in her world, where blood, sweat, and victory are as sweet as the first taste of real love.
JL knew that, short as she was, she often intimidated men with just a look. That’s what confidence did. And she had it in spades. It made you as tall as you wanted to be. As pretty as you wanted to be. As rich as you wanted to be. Because if you had confidence, nothing else mattered. That was a lesson she’d learned a long time ago.
But even with all that confidence, she wasn’t blind to the differences between her and Enzo. He was from a different world, and she could feel the distance between their worlds every time she thought about going out with him. It had all been harmless flirty fun until he’d taken things too far and kissed her a few weeks ago. And what a kiss it had been. He’d kissed her as if he were stuck in a desert and her mouth were the only thing that could quench his thirst. She still felt all sorts of things running through her body when she thought of the way he’d backed her up against a wall, not caring who the hell was around, gripped her neck, and slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She’d embarrassed herself by melting into him and mewling in need. In fact, she might have even dry-humped his leg. It had been that good a kiss. Then he’d let her go and challenged her by saying, “Next time you’ll beg me to kiss you.” Like she’d ever beg a man! But now, with his glorious body on full display. . . As if he could sense her inappropriate thoughts, his eyes met hers. His stare felt like a warm caress all over her already ignited body. The charcoal fell out of her hand and a shiver ran down her spine. Is it getting hot in here? She shifted uncomfortably on her chair, but he didn’t break eye contact. Then, the ultraconservative man who had been asking her out constantly for almost a year winked at her. It caught her by surprise, and she quickly hid behind her canvas. B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo Sidney Halston lives her life by one simple rule: “Just do it.” And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in South Florida with her husband and children. Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | Website | GoodReads
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A reporter helps a sexy senator evade a deadly assassin in this thrilling Man on a Mission tale
TV reporter Carly Edwards has the scoop of a century! She's discovered that Senator Shane Jones was diagnosed with a life-altering illness, but she can't help but be drawn to his courage. So when Shane saves Carly's life from a killer, she resolves to keep her story—and the irresistible politician—alive… A politician and a media personality are a recipe for romantic disaster. The last thing Shane wants is to endanger Carly. But how can he prevent her from getting close when the very air between them sizzles? As their lives are threatened, Shane realizes Carly's the one woman he wants forever—if he can keep them both safe!
Enthralling political thriller with threats and danger cleverly twisted with the political ambitions, building up a story that was difficult to put down even in the early hours of dawn. With the peril from the continued attacks, the delicate romance budding between Shane and Carly captured my mind.
I loved how the romance was built in the story, the growing and strengthening feelings between Shane and Carly, despite all the odds against them, from their professions to the issues of their pasts to the failing health. The way they saw each other, so clearly, honestly, the true person that was behind all the masks and fronts people normally hide behind. Either of them was perfect, yet they were the one for each other, so well fit, like the missing link in their lives. The past loves and losses they carried in their hearts were safe there, they would always guard each other's true self, learn from the past and use it to better themselves. The health battles Shane was fighting to win, the scar from an old wound that was now changing his life, oh so real and raw, and for me coming close to home, that it broke my heart a bit. But his struggle to accept it, to find a balance with the medicine, and for Carly to prove him what it really meant to love someone, to stand by them, and to accept them as they are was a triumph and joy that was easy to join in. The smooth flow of the story, the mystery of the attacks, the suspense and actions of the aftermath, even the politics, and not to mention the passionate, yet fragile relationship, all built a story that made me smile, sigh, and live every moment with the characters like I was there, bearing witness to it all ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
EXPECTING—AND IN DANGER
Attacked in her classroom, widowed teacher Ariel Martin's only thought is for her unborn child. When her student's brother, rookie K-9 officer Tristan McKeller, and his faithful dog save her life, she can't thank him enough. She knows Tristan won't rest until she's safe, but she doesn't want him or his police colleagues digging into her dangerous past. After all, the only person who would want to hurt her is dead…or is he? With her and her child's life on the line, she'll have to trust Tristan with her secrets if she wants to finally get the fresh start she's been desperately seeking.
A great new instalment for the series I have been following since the start. There are suspense and danger coming from a few different fronts, and keeping the K-9 team busy, looking for clues and keeping their loved ones safe.
Ariel and Tristan were sweet together. They obviously cared for each other, and even though both of their lives were utter chaos, they somehow managed to insert themselves into each other's life so firmly, there was no other choice, but to give the attraction a chance. I liked how they interacted together, how they helped each other, how concern Tristan was about the baby, and Ariel about Mia, Tristan's sister. It was like they were meant to be together, and instant little family was formed when they were in each other's presence. I enjoyed them as characters, they were both easy to like and relate to. I wish their faith would have had more place in the story, not just their activity at the church. The suspense had some tense and dangerous moments through the tale. Some of it was little predictable, but the story held interest nicely all the way to the end, wondering how and if the culprits were caught. There's one more book in the series, can't wait to read the grand finale, and to find out the motives of the killer. This story was a great, entertaining mix of threats, peril, dread, and terror, teenage parenting, and a budding, gentle, and tender forever kind of love ~ Four Spoons
DEADLY SHOWDOWN
While reporting on a fire, Montana TV journalist Elizabeth Kramer is abducted—and saved only by the heroics of rival reporter Zachery Beck. But her kidnapper returns, taunting her, luring her to danger and making her relive a past she never put to rest. Elizabeth doesn't like asking for help, but this time she can't stay alone and stay alive. And Zach knows how to evade danger. When tragedy thrust him into the public eye, he changed his identity to remain hidden. Protecting Elizabeth means stepping out of the shadows…but as her stalker closes in for a deadly showdown, it's a risk Zach has to take.
Breathtaking, non-stop, close combat action, that seems like a nightmare you can't wake from, the attacks just keep coming, the threat is not ceasing, there's no help, no escape, and the madness just goes on and on, until you have held your breath for fear for so long you feel like your lungs are busting. Seriously intense, toe-curling, violent and savage action and suspense. I felt like I had ridden a roll-a-coaster after I finish the story, and needed a moment to collect my breath.
The action is not the only case for the intensity of the tale. Both Elizabeth and Zachery has a past, that they are still working on overcoming. Tragic, violent events in their past have molded them as persons and changed their futures paths. Zachery learned to trust and lean on God and His guidance while he was held captive and encourages Elizabeth to trust in the Lord if she can't trust him as a man. Confiding in the Lord, to guide them from the evil attacks, and to keep them alive, they embark to escape the insanity of the attacks, running and crawling for their lives. The escape is one the most intense, vivid, and fierce action scenes I have read for awhile. The images the author draws into the mind of the reader are so clear, so animated, the terror of the characters crawls under your skin. As a suspense lover, I was amazed. With all the action happening, I understand there wasn't much time to develop a deeper relationship between Elizabeth and Zachery. They did get to know each other well under the siege, and while working side by side, but to come from where Elizabeth was at the beginning, to being able to be in a relationship, I wished for just a little more assurance they had a fighting chance. Maybe an epilogue would have been ideal from the relationship point of view. But the suspense and action clearly were a winner and gave a thrilling, hair-raising story that I truly enjoyed ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
Can this bachelor bodyguard save his true love from mortal danger…on her wedding day?
Bride-to-be Megan Lynch has just learned her ex, presumed dead marine Gage Huxton, is alive after surviving enemy captivity. But before she can break up with her fiancé, gunmen storm her wedding and take hostages! Megan will do anything to stay alive—for herself and a second chance with Gage. But there's more terror to endure before she can say yes to the dress—and her dream groom! What do the gunmen want? Gage works double time to unravel the mystery and save the beauty who still holds his heart. As the wedding crashers open fire, Gage puts his life on the line to protect Megan and convince her of his love.
What a wedding day, filled with drama, danger, and death, the whole story takes place on one chaotic, fatal day, that no one expected to see!
This story is different, the time span of the tale is just that one day, but the reflexions on the past, the memories, the recollections all bring forward the full story, and gives an eye to the prior events, feelings, and growth and change the characters has gone through. The intensity is high, the danger is palpable, the people in the wedding chapel have very few they can trust and no way to contact the help outside. The turmoil in the chapel, in the minds, and in the hearts, the tragedies, all plays a critical point in the story, they don't know who is the target of the attack, and why, all they know is everyone's lives are in danger. I nearly want to say, read the other books in the series before this one. Yes, I read it as a stand-alone, it was okay so, but I am sure I would have gotten much more out of the story if I would have read the previous books in the series first. The characters are fascinating, they all have points of interest to the reader, and the two love stories developing made me sigh at the end. There's complex family situations, trust issues, self-esteem issues, past hurt, pain from the war, and an incredible survivor story. Yet I felt like some points were repeated several times in depth, yet others got just a superficial glimpse to the matter, giving an unbalanced feeling of the tale. Savage, mortal, violent action, mixed with romance that puts the hearts on the line, and desire that has only fragile hopes of forever kind of future. ~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
You Before Anyone Else
By: Julie Cross and Mark Perini Releasing August 2nd, 2016 Sourcebooks Fire
Bestselling author Julie Cross teams up with international model Mark Perini to create You Before Anyone Else, a poignant and authentic contemporary YA novel and companion to Halfway Perfect
The supportive friend, the reliable daughter, the doting big sister: Finley is used to being the glue that holds everyone together. But while her sweet demeanor makes her the perfect confidant, her wholesome look isn’t landing her the high-paying modeling jobs, which are what Finley needs if she is going to reopen her mother’s dance studio. Enter Eddie. He’s intense and driven, not to mention the life of every party, and he completely charms Finley. The last thing she wants is another commitment to stand in the way of her dreams, but when she’s with Eddie, their chemistry takes over and she can let go of her responsibilities and just be. After all, what’s so wrong about putting herself first once in a while? Except Eddie is hiding a secret. A big secret. And when it surfaces, he and Finley are going to have to choose between their love for each other and everything else…
FINLEY
“What are you so afraid of?” Summer asks. I take a sip of the beer Dima brought me a few minutes ago. “Oh, I don’t know, addiction, overdose, puking on some innocent victim’s shoes, random drug testing by the agency…” Summer laughs. “Drug testing on models? Yeah, that’ll be the day.” Okay, so maybe I just don’t want to do it. Even if I should be in my so-called experimental phase. I wouldn’t exactly label myself a rule follower, but I guess I’m just cautious. I haven’t always been this way. Not that I’ve done drugs, but before high school, I was all about ballet. Let’s just say I had a rep for being the sassy troublemaker. My mom being my ballet teacher may have had something to do with my behavior. My fingers immediately move to the cross dangling from my neck—I’ve only removed it a couple times over the last four years. Somehow, it’s always warmer than my hands. I debate texting my dad to ask him if he’s done coke or molly. He’d probably tell me. But I wouldn’t want to freak him out. Seems like a conversation better reserved for a weekend visit instead of late on a Friday night when I could be too far gone to help, for all he knows. I glance around the room and finally spot someone I know: my friend Alex and his girlfriend Eve. Alex and I did a big Calvin Klein shoot last year, and Eve was the photographer’s assistant. Actually, Eve used to be a model too, another preteen/teen phenom like Elana, who headlined that CK shoot along with Alex. My part had been fairly small, and still, that was my biggest job ever. “Have you met Alex?” Summer shrugs, grabs two more shots of vodka, and hands me one. “Like I would remember.” I down the shot quickly and prepare to talk to Alex and Eve. Maybe they’ve done drugs and can advise me. But my buzzing phone distracts me. I pull it out of my purse and glance at the new text. JASON: Yeah, it’s so weird to be home again. But I missed it. My stomach flip-flops. He replied to my text. Hours later, but still…this could mean— “Oh lord, you’re pathetic.” Summer is leaned toward me, reading over my shoulder. “That’s probably enough for you to live off of for another six months or so, right?” I glare at her and shove the phone back into my purse. “No comeback? Wonder why…” She pretends to be in deep thought. “He said he missed it. Not you. Cut the fucking cord already. It’s not healthy.” If only it were that easy. When you’re in a relationship with someone for four years, you get so comfortable with that person. It’s daunting to start all over again. I make my way across the room to see Alex and Eve, who are leaning against the back of the couch, more absorbed in each other than anything else. “I heard Elana’s back from France?” Alex asks me, keeping his voice low. “Yep, her and her mom. I think her mom is driving her crazy, but that’s to be expected. French Mama is driving me crazy too.” They both laugh at the mention of French Mama, but I can’t take credit for that title. Summer made it up. “I can’t believe her parents let her come back to New York,” Eve says. Alex smiles at her. “You’re just upset that they’re here and not in France where we can hit them up for lodging.” My gaze travels back and forth between the two of them. “You guys are going to France? Are you going for Fashion Week?” Eve shakes her head. “Nope. I did the Prada shoot, and I’m done for good. Got tuition for next year covered.” Even though Eve had supposedly quit modeling a few years ago, she pulled a one-last-job stunt last spring to cover her tuition at Columbia. She’s a photography student with a lot of experience under her belt. “We’re doing the cheap travel, backpacking in Europe but without actual backpacks thing,” Alex explains. Across the room, another beer pong player is being requested. This could possibly be the most adventurous thing I’m willing to do here. I turn to Alex and Eve again. “Well, good luck in Europe. I’m gonna go play beer pong.” “Hey.” I grab Dima’s shirt sleeve. “You need another player?” He looks me over, deliberating. “Sure. Be the new guy’s partner.” “The new guy?” I glance around. What does that even mean? New to the party, like he just walked in? I’ve been here fifteen minutes. “He’s new to the agency,” Dima says. “First casting, and he books some big job.” “So we hate him then, right?” I joke. I turn around to head toward the game table and run right into a guy about my age with wild, dark curly hair and designer jeans. “This guy,” Dima says to me and then turns to the new guy. “Got you a partner. Finley. She lives in the agency apartment downstairs.” They exchange a look that says I’ve been mentioned before. I’m not liking that too much, but usually, I don’t come to these parties. Instead, I bang on the door at two in the morning to tell them to stop thumping around like elephants. Maybe I got a bad rep. While we wait for Dima to find a partner, I snatch two beers from a nearby cooler and offer one up to New Guy. “So, Dima said you’re new, but he didn’t say where you’re from.” “Uh…the Midwest.” “The Midwest.” Okay. Someone doesn’t want to get personal. “Like Wisconsin or like Chicago?” “Chicago…well, not in Chicago, but around it, you know?” he says. “Right.” I pop open my can and take a drink. “What’s your name? I’m sorry, I don’t think Dima said…” “Eddie.” He lifts his gaze again. “Eddie Wells. And you’re Finley Belton, the girl who lives downstairs.” Summer breezes past me but stops when she spots me holding the beer pong ball. “Beer pong? Oh, you wild animal…grrrr.” She holds up her tiger paws and growls at me. I give her the finger and then turn back to Eddie. “I’m one of the girls who live downstairs.” “One is too bitchy, one is too underage, and one is nice,” he recites, most likely quoting Dima. This is exactly what I’m trying to escape tonight. “Dima called me the baby bear?” I’m secretly hoping he catches my reference to Goldilocks. “No,” Eddie says. “He called you Finley Belton, but I added the nice part, because you brought me a beer. And it is just right, not to mention you’re talking to me instead of staring and whispering to other people about me.” Points for his fairy tale knowledge, and I’m sure the whispering is the result of whatever big job he’s landed. Too many models at this party. Eve tries to be Dima’s partner, but he refuses and tells Alex to play with him. Eve opens her mouth to protest, but Dima holds up a hand. “Don’t even. I know your type. You’ll engineer some fancy trick shots. No Ivy League players showing me up. I got a rep to protect.” “Fine,” Eve snaps. “I’ll just stand here and look pretty. And I’m definitely rooting for Fin and…” She gestures toward the new guy. “Eddie,” I fill in for her. “Eddie from Chicago.” “Eddie from Chicago,” Eve repeats. “Good luck.” Summer returns and stands beside Eve, both leaning against the back of the love seat. “Fin makes a great partner,” Summer says to Eddie. “She knits. Lots of finger dexterity.” I shoot her a glare and will my face not to heat up. So not cool.
Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).
She’s also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come! Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credibility’s, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Julie Cross and Mark Perini, along with Tasty Book Tours, are celebrating those who have taken the steps to Break the Mold on society’s expectations, like Finley, the heroine from YOU BEFORE ANYONE ELSE! We are looking for anyone who would like to share their story and be entered to win a 2017 Erin Condren Life Planner!
Head over to fb.me/TastyBookTours and leave a comment with your story. Feel free to share picture of your journey and use #breakingthemold at the end of your comment! Entries must be in by 11:59pm, Aug 15th, 2016. No purchase necessary to enter. If under 12 years old, you must have approval by a guardian to enter.
Justin Archer is a Texas Ranger through and through, a loyal man devoted to the dangerous job he loves. But when the grisly discovery of a skeleton in a local vineyard turns an old missing-persons case into a vicious homicide, Justin finds that the toughest challenge of his professional career will be keeping his hands off his chief suspect: the dead man’s beautiful, young trophy wife. Did Lori Roberts kill for vast material gain? The only thing Justin knows for sure is that their chemistry is instantaneous—and overpowering.
Lori worked hard to build a new life for herself and her daughter. She turned her husband’s struggling vineyard into a thriving enterprise, and now she stands to lose it all over something that happened eight years ago. Justin could lock her up and throw away the key, but Lori desperately wants to trust him. More than that, she wants to let him into her wounded heart. Because Lori’s been running from the past for a long time . . . and she’s ready to start living for the future.
What would it take for the hero Texas Ranger to risk his career and future as a ranger? The right woman. And the chemistry between Lori and Justin is sizzling. They have a connection that is palpable, and the pull is strong enough for Justin to break his famous self-discipline, and act on the attraction.
The murder case is peculiar. There's very little to point out that Lori would be the killer, but there's enough to get her arrested. The clues are few and far in between, yet they manage to build a case, that will satisfy everyone involved. The tempo in the suspense part wasn't even or smooth, at times there was a great concentration on details, at others the information was just scampered through. The solution was wrapped up fast, and most details left to be assumed by the reader. The romance happens on insta-style, but Justin gets an inside track to Lori's world when he has a chance, with a permission, to read her journals while investigating the case. That window opens up his eyes to see Lori's true personality, the troubles, and loss she had to endure with her husband, the joy of being a mother, and the strength she had to have to build the life and business she now has. I loved that part of the story, it was touching. The biggest 'problem' I had with the story was the personal political views the author took the time to share with her readers. The first time it happened, I was annoyed, but later thought maybe it was okay with the plot, maybe it was sort of justified. But when it was repeated, with very one-sided information and obvious opinion, that reflects on one particular political party's views, I nearly didn't finish the story, and it was towards the end of it. I have said this before, and I will say it every time I see this happen, please, don't use this platform to share your political opinion, I, as a reader, don't care about it. Especially now when politics are coming at us from every media forum, romance novels are not the place they should be in. The author managed to hit my other pet peeve as well: unprotected sex while writing a detailed sex scenes without any consequences. Clear of those two issues, I enjoyed the story. The fondness and bond between the brothers were delightful, their respect and care for the Grammy adorable, the humor had me smiling, the banter chuckling, the murder mystery was intriguing, the danger and fear actual and sincere. The romance had a true sweetness to it even though zest with passion and Justin and Lori's daughter seemed to be instant allies. A very entertaining story, a quick summer read in a sun ~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
Harmony Briggs always knew what she wanted—until she realized she wanted more. The gorgeous Southern beauty knew that only one man would be able to fulfill her wildest dreams and fantasies, but unfortunately, he was just out of reach…
Hudson Reed was used to playing by the rules and sticking to reality. And for the rippling cop, reality meant loving her from afar… When it comes to love, she’ll learn that the heart wants what it wants, and he’ll learn there’s more to her than meets the eye in Discovering Harmony…
A fun summer read, filled with sizzling scenes, tempers flaring, superheroes, and lifelong friends.
I love the way Melanie Shawn created the small towns their romances are set, I am keen to live in any of the places, to mingle with the people, and be part of the scene. As you read the story, you feel like you know them like they are your friends, you feel their sorrow, fear, and joy, and as the series unfold, you get the feeling like you have known them all your life like you were there witnessing it all happen. Harmony and Hudson take the heat level to another, higher, atmosphere. Both being alpha type personalities, used to be in charge and in command, the battle of minds is to be expected, as the sexy scenes are smoldering hot. There's more to the relationship than just the physical yearn they have for each other. Harmony and Hudson have known each other all their lives, they grew up in the same small circles in the small town, and over the time Hudson is convinced that he could not make Harmony happy, that she needs to be free to explore the world, free to be able to be the person she was meant to be. Harmony has her work cut out for herself to convince Hudson, that she has changed. But will he believe her, before it is too late, before too many hurtful things have been said? An array of emotions, from joy, pleasure, and elation, to fear, hurt, and doubt, from laughing out loud to few tears, I went through it all while reading this very entertaining tale of lifelong wishes come through ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
United
Alienated #3 By: Melissa Landers Releasing August 2, 2016 Ever After
After thwarting a deadly coup and saving the alliance between their worlds, Cara and Aelyx have finally earned a break. Their tiny island colony is everything they dreamed it would be―days spent gathering shells on the beach and nights in each other’s arms.
But the vacation is short-lived. The treaty between Earth and L’eihr has awakened an ancient force that threatens to destroy them all. The Aribol, mysterious guardians charged with maintaining interstellar peace, deem the alliance a threat to the galaxy. They order a separation of the races, decreeing humans and L’eihrs must return to their own planets within the month or face extinction. In fact, they already have agents in place on Earth, ready to begin. With the clock ticking, Aelyx and Cara assemble a team of colonists and race back to Earth, where they unite with old friends to solve the mystery of who the Aribol are, what they want, and the real reason the alliance has provoked them. As tensions build to a full-scale war, Aelyx and Cara must fight harder than ever―not just for their future, but for the survival of both their worlds.
Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Sweet Carolina Morning
Willow Hill #2 By: Susan Schild Releasing August 2, 2016 Lyrical
Life down South just got a whole lot sweeter in Susan Schild’s new novel about a woman whose happily-ever-after is about to begin…whether she’s ready for it or not.
Finally, just shy of forty years old, Linny Taylor is living the life of her dreams in her charming hometown of Willow Hill, North Carolina. The past few years have been anything but a fairy tale: Left broke by her con man late-husband, Linny has struggled to rebuild her life from scratch. Then she met Jack Avery, the town’s much-adored veterinarian. And she’s marrying him. Everything should be coming up roses for Linny. So why does she have such a serious case of pre-wedding jitters? It could be because Jack’s prosperous family doesn’t approve of her rough-and-tumble background. Or that his ex-wife is suddenly back on the scene. Or that Linny has yet to win over his son’s heart. All these obstacles—not to mention what she should wear when she walks down the aisle—are taking the joy out of planning her wedding. Linny better find a way to trust love again, or she might risk losing the one man she wants to be with—forever…
from Chapter 1: Trouble in the Stepmother Hood
Though it was February, the galley kitchen at her future husband’s old farmhouse was steamy and hot, but Linny hardly noticed. Peering at the pages on the counter, she pushed back up her nose the reading glasses she'd had to borrow from Jack and double-checked to make sure she’d not left out any key ingredients. Why had she printed the recipe in ten-point font? Tonight’s menu came from a website she’d found called Recipes for Picky Eaters, and she hoped it was a winner. She shook her head, chagrined at Jack’s reaction to the first possible menu she’d suggested. He’d kept that pleasant smile on his handsome face, but his eyebrows had shot up. Once they’d come back down to normal, his veto had been so diplomatic. “Darlin’, the mountain trout, braised Brussels sprouts, and beet salad sounds tasty, and I hope you cook them for me real soon, but eleven-year-old boys’ tastes tend to be more… well, mainstream.” Blowing back a stray lock of hair, she turned on the oven light and peeked inside. The neat rows of crusted chicken breasts were browning nicely in their casserole dish home. The side dishes—creamy-looking mac and cheese and green bean casserole topped with onion rings—were both bubbling gently. She breathed in cooking smells and was transported back to Sunday suppers at the farm when Nana and Paw-Paw were still alive. Sighing, she felt a wash of safety, contentment, belonging. Those were just the feelings she wanted to infuse in this new little family. Sliding into the chair, Linny admired the old kitchen table and touched the swirls of the tiger oak. It felt warm, solid. How many other families had sat around it and shared their lives over meals? She pictured her and her two men gathered around like in a scene from the Hallmark Channel, talking and laughing about their day. Jack and Neal would lavishly compliment her on her cooking, she’d blush, wave them off, and act as though it was no big deal. “I just threw the meal together,” she’d trill. Trouble was, it was a big deal, and not just because Linny was just learning to cook. She rubbed her chin and thought about it. This morning, Jack had sat his son down after they’d cleaned up from their pancake breakfast and told him that he and Linny were marrying in the summer. Linny had just sat beside Jack and let him do the talking but felt a stab of sadness as she saw Neal’s face fall. Forlorn. He looked forlorn. When he asked in a trembling voice, “So, you and Mom aren’t ever getting back together?” she thought her heart might break. He still held out hope for his family to be whole again, the way it used to be. Never mind that Neal’s mother, Vera, had already remarried the year before. Though Linny and Jack had been dating officially since October, she’d only just started spending a lot of time with the two of them. Jack hadn’t wanted to introduce her to his son until they knew they were serious, so Linny was only just getting to know the young man. Linny got a nervous flip in her stomach when she thought about becoming a stepmother. She’d gone thirty-eight years without children, and in a few short months, she’d be slipping into this new role without even a course or certificate. Linny got up and made herself a mug of Chamomile tea. Calming, the label said. She sat back down and blew on the tea to cool it and tried to quell the thrum of the squadron of butterflies that was revving up in the pit of her stomach. Staring out the window, she thought of the other scenarios she’d been imagining, in living color and the minutest detail. If she messed up in this new job, he’d be that troubled teen with the shaved head who sold pot and lived in their basement after he dropped out of school in tenth grade. Neal would end up being the inebriated driver of a speeding car full of kids who drove them into a tree after leaving an unchaperoned party. Her heart banged as she tried to obliterate the image she’d seen in this morning’s News and Clarion -the mangled wreckage of a barely recognizable car driven by a teen going the wrong way on I-40. He’d killed himself and badly injured a whole vanload of kids on the way home late from a church youth group retreat. Pulling out her phone, she scrolled through her emails as the good smells wafted from the oven and felt her shoulders relax as she reread Mary Catherine's note. Nice to have a best friend who practiced family law. Under the subject line, Impending Stepmother Hood, her friend wrote: You asked for advice on your new parenting gig. Remember, a lot of divorced couples and blended families don’t talk civilly and don't act in the best interests of children. In my practice, we serve more of the send-the-kids-home-dirty and talk-trash-about-the-stepmother crowd. What not to do may be more useful than what to do. Another disclaimer: I’m no expert on teenage boys just because I had one. Remember just a few months back, my nineteen-year-old almost got a DUI on a bike. Boys are knuckleheads between the ages of eleven and twenty-four. Your nerves will fray no matter how hard you try to be a good mother—or, harder yet, stepmother—but I will tell you what I know. Meet me for a quick breakfast 7:00 a.m. Wednesday at Jumpin’ Joe’s Bean House? Blowing out a sigh of relief, Linny replied, Perfect. She let herself sink back into the chair for a moment. Thank goodness for Mary Catherine. Glancing at the clock, she rose and fretted as she checked the timer. Last weekend’s cookout at her place had been a bust. Neal had picked at his food, claiming he “'just wasn’t hungry.”' What American boy didn’t like grilled hamburgers and French fries made from scratch—from the actual potato? Could it be that he didn’t like her? She tried to dismiss the thought. How could he not like her when she was already so fond of him? He was whip smart, mostly well mannered, sensitive, and had an offbeat sense of humor that would catch her when she wasn’t expecting it and make her burst out laughing. Tonight would be different, she decided, setting flatware firmly at the three places at the table. After grilling Jack extensively about his son’s food likes and dislikes, she’d scoured the internet for the perfect menu. If she was finally going to embark on this mother thing, she sure as heck was going to excel at it. She’d do the whole shebang: soccer weekends, volunteering on field trips, deep talks about life. She’d waited long enough for this little family, and now that she’d got it, dang it, she was going to do it right. The water glasses spilled over as she set them too firmly down on the table. Jack and Neal were still at the barn with the mare that was about to foal. She picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the button. “Supper’s ready, men.” The line crackled. “Be right up,” Jack said cheerfully. “I’m hungry as a bear.” She’d just finished putting on a slick of lip gloss as they clattered into the room, bringing with them a wash of fresh February air. Her heart still skipped a beat when Jack gave her a boyish grin, and she longed for a kiss, but there was sweet-faced Neal, right on his heels. She felt a pang of regret. She and Jack had talked about it and agreed on the rule of no smooching or PDAs in front of the boy right on the brink of becoming a man. She felt wistful. Leaning against the stove, she smiled as she took them in, amazed at how much commotion the two could make just walking into a room, with their thudding boots, unzippering coats, biceps punching, and easy laughter. Linny raked back her hair with her fingers. Man, her too quiet life had sure changed.
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. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Welcoming the Bad Boy
Hero's Welcome #3 By: Annie Rains Releasing August 2, 2016 Loveswept
From the bestselling author of Welcome to Forever (“Full of heart and emotion!”—Lori Wilde) comes a sweet, sexy novel about breaking all the rules. In Seaside, North Carolina, the boys on the base are heroes—but that doesn’t mean they’re always well-behaved.
As a preacher’s daughter, Valerie Hunt only dates the very respectable, very boring men who meet her father’s strict standards. In private, however, she leads a double life as a romance writer of steamy stories about the least respectable sorts of men. Valerie has always kept her hottest fantasies separate from her real life, but when she nearly runs a hot-blooded biker off the road, the lines begin to blur. Even though Valerie almost killed him, Griffin Black can’t be angry after he learns the reason for her distracted driving: an unruly puppy belonging to her ailing friend. As a member of the military police K-9 unit, Griffin insists on training the dog himself. But he soon wonders how he’s ever going to stay disciplined around the most alluring, down-to-earth, and totally unattainable woman he’s ever met. Valerie is the ultimate good girl. And Griffin is going to need all his old tricks to unleash her wild side.
This story resonates with me on so many levels, it hit me directly to the heart and took a good hold of it. Considering I am a romance novel loving preacher's daughter, who worked in a nursing home for three years to save money for college, and who's both parents have a disease that affects their memory, you can just imagine the connection I had with the characters, the story itself and world it created.
I loved both Valerie and Griffin, together and as characters. Their chemistry was off the charts, they were so good together, caring, sweet, protective, helping each other, supporting each other, and then when they get together, and the heat level rises, it was so amazing I could feel it at the bottom of my being. And I might have whimpered a little, because really, hot and sweet and adorable and steamy and sexy all at the same time, so beautifully written, it just took my breath away. Both Valerie and Griffin has been labeled, not necessarily by who they are, but by their appearances or by their family. The bad boy and preacher's daughter together might have gotten some raise their eyebrows, but when you get to know them, the kindness, sweetness, caring side, or the adventures, daring, sexy side, you know they are nothing but perfect together. They both have a difficult relationship with their parent, something they both actively tried to work on while supporting the other in their efforts. They listen to each other and tried so hard to find a way to overcome the challenges, to make a peace with their parents and find a way to live with the past mistakes. From fun humorous moments to heartache and grief, to deliciously delectable and delightful swoon-worthy romance, and the most adorable dogs on the side, this story captured my heart and left me enamored. ~ Five Spoons
She wrapped the dry towel around her body and collected her clothes to go seek out Griffin’s dryer. When she opened the bathroom door, he was standing in front of her. His eyes traveled south. Really, a towel covered as much as any of her strapless dresses. Strapless dresses involved hooks and zippers, though. All Griffin had to do if he wanted to see her naked was pull the end of the towel tucked beneath her arm.
She took a breath, really wanting him to pull. What was the point of a summer fling if she couldn’t live out her wildest fantasies? In fact, if she were writing one of her books right now, her heroine would probably tire of waiting to see what the gorgeous bad boy was going to do and drop the towel herself. Val slowly lifted her arm and dropped the towel to her feet. No going back now, which was completely fine with her. “What are you doing?” Griffin asked. There was a deep edge to his voice. “Drying off.” Her heart thudded inside her chest. Her hands were shaking. This wasn’t like her. She didn’t seduce men. She should pick her towel up off the floor right now and pretend like that was an accident. Instead, she stood frozen. Griffin reached for her in the dark hallway, tracing a finger from her neck down to her breast. Then he anchored a hand on her waist and pulled her toward him, kissing her again, harder this time. Deeper. A little gasp caught in her throat as his other hand reached between her legs and started to caress her, finding a rhythm that had her clutching his still wet body to keep from falling on the ground. She reached for the hem of his shirt and started to lift his wet clothes off him. Unbuttoning his jeans, she pressed them down, working until he was as naked as she was. “Are you sure this is what you want? We’re breaking all the rules in those romance novels you like to read,” he said, his voice gravelly. She swallowed, burning for him. Needing to feel his hands on her. His mouth. His tongue. “I want this. I want you.” A small smile lifted his mouth. He took her hand and started leading her down the hallway, passing Trooper as they went. “Sorry, buddy. You have to stay behind,” Griffin called, pulling her into his bedroom and shutting the door. “If it starts to thunder we’ll have to stop,” he said between kisses. “A woman should never come between a man and his dog,” Val agreed. “You know me so well.” He kissed her again and then he pulled her toward his bed.
What are my favorite Go-to foods on deadline?
Anything convenient! I like sugary finger foods best, especially Skittles, Starbursts, and CHOCOLATE! Coffee is a must-have if I'm writing in the mornings, although I’ve recently switched to decaf (I was drinking so much coffee that I was a jittery mess by the time my family woke up!) If I'm writing in the evenings, I love hot tea. And that's it. Deadlines mean no cooking, although my husband does a majority of the cooking most days anyway, which pretty much makes him my perfect hero! This is what my desk looks like when I’m struggling to get words! Candy wrappers galore!
Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
A Moment to Cherish
A Whistle Stop Romance, book 1 by Jennifer Faye Release Date: August 1, 2016 Genre: Contemporary Romance
Whistle Stop is abuzz...the mayoral election is just weeks away.
Candidate Mason Noble has a vested interest in fast-tracking the town's revitalization project. But the votes he'd counted on are drying up because his engagement to Bella Nez ended abruptly. The local grapevine is humming with rumors, but only he and Bella know the truth. And they aren't talking! When an emergency puts Bella in the proverbial tough spot, she needs money and fast. There's only one person who can help--Mason. He agrees to a loan, but he has a condition. He needs Bella by his side again. A reconciliation would win over the townspeople--and it would give him a chance to win back the only woman he's ever loved. Bella hesitates to accept Mason's terms. Until she's blindsided by unexpected news that has her rethinking everything. Bella is expecting a baby, and there's a heart-wrenching choice to be made...
Bella started walking, and Mason fell in step beside her. For a while neither spoke, and then they both spoke at once. They stopped and turned to each other.
“Sorry,” Mason said. “Go ahead and finish what you were saying.” “Oh, okay. I was just going to ask what you plan to tell people about that, um, kiss.” “What do you want me to tell them?” She frowned at him. “That’s not fair. You turned the question around on me.” “Fine. I probably won’t tell them anything. It’s none of their business.” She nodded as though she approved of that approach. “But why did you do it?” Mason shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Would you believe me if I said I got caught up in the moment?” She shrugged. “You know, it’ll probably be in the newspaper.” “I don’t think it was that newsworthy.” He tried his best to downplay it, but deep inside embers still burned for her. “I was referring to the election. Everything you do is news. If you drink coffee from Fill-It-Up Joe, it’s news. If you get your hair cut, it’s news.” “Wow! I had no idea this town was that boring. If that’s what qualifies as news, I’ve got my work cut out for me as mayor to liven things up.” But that would come after he gave their economy an infusion of new life to pump it up. “Mason, be serious.” “What? I am. By the way, what did they say about my last haircut? Was it a little too short in the back?” She lightly swiped at his arm as a smile lifted her lips. “Mason, quit joking around. I don’t want everyone thinking that we’re, well, that we’re getting back together.”
First book in the Whistle Stop series:
A MOMENT TO LOVE The notorious cowboy meets his match… Cord Lawson instantly distrusted the young woman in a smart suit who’d just arrived in Whistle Stop. She was very pretty and clearly a city girl—but with memories of his failed marriage still darkening his mind, he’s determined to steer clear! But she’s sniffing around his land—land that had been in his family for generations. There was no way he’d let it go—even if the bank was threatening to foreclose, and selling could give Whistle Stop a new lease on life. Alexis Greer had one mission in mind—close the deal on the Granger estate; without it, her father’s land development company would go bankrupt. But the word around town is to keep clear of Cord and to stay away from his precious land. What in the world had happened to cause such a handsome cowboy to live such a solitary existence? However, determination was Lexi’s middle name, and she just had to keep on trying to breach Cord’s barriers, appeal somehow to his head and heart—even if it put her in danger of losing both of hers…to him.
NOTE: each book in the series can be read as a standalone. Each couple has their own HEA.
Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming romances. Step into the pages of exciting destinations with rugged cowboys, sexy tycoons & enchanting royalty. She is the author of the WHISTLE STOP ROMANCE series.
Jennifer is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, has been named a TOP PICK author, and has been nominated for numerous awards. Now living her dream, she resides with her patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. Website | Newsletter | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest | Tumblr | Tsu
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