Choose Me by RC Boldt

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Choose Me, an all-new standalone coming-of-age romance

by RC Boldt.

Wearing the nicest suit I own, I stand in the very back with a flask full of whiskey in my inner pocket. I put on a brave face as I watch her walk down the aisle.

Because it’s too late.

I refuse to be the bastard who makes her cry on her wedding day, but I’m dying to tell her what I’ve always known. She’s my best friend, but she doesn’t realize she owns my f*cking heart and soul, too.

Each step down that aisle takes her farther away from me and brings her closer to him, forcing me to face the truth: I’ve fallen in love with someone who can’t be mine. If she’d just turn around, maybe she’d realize I love her more than he ever could.

I won’t ruin her perfect day, but my broken heart begs me to try and convince her.

Choose me.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Download your copy today!

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Excerpt:

“Hollis?”

I startle at the male voice calling my name. When I turn, I find a guy about my height wearing a button-down shirt beneath a sport coat and a pair of pressed slacks. He regards me with a mixture of surprise and recognition while I have no idea who the hell he is. He steps closer with a smile.

“Sorry to catch you off guard,” he apologizes and holds out his hand to me. “Grant Stevenson.”

I shake his hand warily. “Hollis Barnes.” I pause before adding, “But somehow, you already knew that.”

He grins, and if I’m being completely honest, I don’t detect any douchebag vibes. “I recognized you from one of the photos Magnolia has in her room of the two of you.”

It takes all my control to suppress the jolt that zigzags through me at his words. She still keeps a photo of us?

His eyes crinkle at the corners, and he lifts his chin to gesture to me. “Although I have to be honest, the ink and beard initially threw me off.”

A surprised laugh escapes me, and I slide my hands into my pockets.

Grant steps closer and glances around before lowering his voice. “I’m actually glad you’re here. I know you and Magnolia haven’t seen one another in a while, but you’re her oldest friend…”

Oldest friend. Not best friend. I don’t miss the phrasing. Although I don’t feel it’s intentional, it cuts deep just the same.

“I’m nervous as hell, and I’m hopin’ you can tell me if she’d like this.”

It takes me a moment to realize what he’s pulled out of his pocket.

A velvet ring box and a packet of Pop Rocks.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I resist the urge to rub at the center of my chest, where searing pain radiates.

He flicks open the box to reveal a ring with a large diamond that’s fancy as hell. Something Mrs. Barton would love and deem appropriate. But Magnolia? Hell no.

“Her mom helped me pick it out.”

Exactly.

“And I know she loves Pop Rocks since she always has a pack.”

Not the strawberry flavor.

But he’s trying. I can see the nervousness in his expression. The hope. The excitement.

I can’t crush this guy. He’s exactly what her parents have always wanted for her. The kind of guy who doesn’t get his hands dirty. The one with money and connections.

The one who can give her the future her parents expect her to have. The one who won’t come home with rough hands, callused to hell and back from working on a project that’s for a high-end client or due to be auctioned off to a car collector with more money than they know what to do with.

The man who wears button-downs like they’re second skin. Designer clothes.

So caught up in my thoughts, I don’t immediately realize that he’s pocketed the items and is gazing in another direction. When I turn and follow his focus, catching sight of her weaving through the crowd, I take advantage of the moment and let my eyes drink her in. She’s…so goddamn beautiful.

Her long blond hair spills down her back, and even beneath the shapeless graduation gown, her sleek, tanned legs peek out from the bottom hem, her heels accentuating her toned calf muscles.

When she catches sight of Grant, her entire face lights up, and…goddammit.

I can’t do this. This was a fucking mistake. It’s like someone’s performing open heart surgery and just cracked my chest open without anesthesia.

About RC Boldt:

RC Boldt 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. 


Connect with RC Boldt:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcboldtauthor

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RC_Boldt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rcboldt

“Whoa. Undeniable is one of my top reads! Sizzling chemistry, off the charts sexual tension and all the feels I’ve come to expect with a Melanie Harlow romance!”- Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Undeniable, an all-new sexy standalone second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!

When we were eleven, Oliver Ford Pemberton dared me to jump off a barn roof. He said you couldn’t break a leg from a 12-foot-jump.

He lied.

(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.)

I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took from him, the last bet I ever made with him, the last time I ever trusted Oliver Ford Pemberton.

But it wasn’t.

Because he had the nerve to grow up gorgeous, charming, and sexy. And as we got older, the dares only got dirtier—and the betting stakes higher—until finally, he left me in pieces. I swore I’d never talk to him again.

But twenty years after I took that flying leap, he’s back in my life, daring me to risk everything for him: my job, my self-worth, and my heart.

How many chances does true love deserve?

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EjE51C

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/UndeniableMH

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2VKluH2

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2DEajVf

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Another great story from Melanie Harlow in the Cloverleigh Farms series! Undeniable is centered around Chloe, one of the daughters of the family that owns Cloverleigh, and her ex, Oliver.

Chloe and Oliver have been best friends since they were born. Literally. Their moms were best friends and pregnant at the same time. Over the years, that friendship turned to young love, but as often happens, Chloe and Oliver were split apart. And she’s been nursing a broken heart ever since.

Now, Chloe wants to add a distillery to her family’s farm. And Oliver just so happens to be a businessman who can help her do exactly that. As hard as she tries, she just can’t help falling for Oliver all over again. But is the secret he’s been keeping going to tear them apart for good?

I really like when a second-chance romance is between childhood friends and we get to see the past and present of their story, as we read here. It helps me really connect with the characters, and MH does a great job of flipping back and forth between younger Chloe and Oliver and the people they’ve become in present day.

The banter between the hero and heroine is wicked, the sizzle is hot, and the story is heartwarming! I can’t wait for the rest of the Sawyer sisters to get their stories!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Excerpt:

Fueled by pent-up lust and scotch, we stumbled into Oliver’s room and tore at each other’s clothes. It was hot and rough and a little bit violent, as if we were furious we hadn’t been able to keep our hands to ourselves and wanted to take it out on one another’s bodies. We pushed and pulled and growled and grasped. We called each other names and cursed viciously. We knocked over a lamp and ripped Oliver’s shirt.

When we finally exploded together, Oliver had me up against the door, and if our yelling didn’t wake the entire floor, then the pounding must have. I’d have bruises for days.

Afterward, we collapsed on the bed, naked and sweaty and exhausted.

“Oh my God,” I said. “I can’t believe we did that.”

“I know. Me either.”

“I think I pulled a muscle.”

“I think you bit me. Am I bleeding?”

I laughed. “No, but I hope you’re not seeing anyone. If you are, she’s going to wonder about all those scratches on your back.”

“I’m not seeing anyone.” He paused. “Are you?”

“No.”

Neither of us moved for several minutes. When I caught myself falling asleep, I sat up. “I should go.”

“Why? Just stay here.”

I looked down at him. “You want me to stay?”

“Yeah.” He opened his eyes. In the low light, they almost looked black instead of blue. “Spend the night with me.”

I waited for it—the dirty joke, the excuse, the subtle dig—the reason he’d toss out for asking me to stay. It couldn’t just be that he wanted me here.

But he didn’t say anything more. He just reached out and covered my hand with his.

I looked at our hands for a moment, and a thousand memories came rushing back. Some good, some bad, but all us. I felt close to him, and I didn’t want to leave. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

“Good.” He took off his watch and put it on the nightstand.

About Melanie

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, Succession, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the ONE & ONLY series, the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow/?fref=ts

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Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com

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Falling For You, an all-new sexy and emotional brother’s best friend romance from Jennifer Van Wyk is available now!

Fake it ‘til you make it has been the motto I live by since my mother died.

I’m also doing a really bad job at the making it part.

The night we met, I was at my lowest.

But you gave me a reason to feel happy again.

For the first time in over a year, I feel optimistic.

You and I? We’re the same.

Don’t form attachments. Follow the rules. Don’t dream of a future.

Too bad our hearts wouldn’t listen.

And this storm we’re going through?

The one that threatens to rip us apart?

It doesn’t care that I’m falling for you.

Falling For You is a different kind of brother’s best friend romance and is as emotional

as it is sizzling.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/FallingYou

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2IDkYmf

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Rex and Chloe were just adorable! We actually met both of them in Gone For You — Rex is Ethan’s friend/bartender, and Chloe happens to be Olivia’s hairdresser. This story starts a few weeks before Gone For You ends, because the first meeting between Ethan and Chloe is rather shocking. But Falling For You is a standalone, but read Gone For You anyway, because it was just as good!

So back to Chloe and Rex… She’s having a spectacularly craptastic day when she meets Rex. Neither one of them is looking for a relationship, but that’s always what makes these stories the best. Rex is kind of a nerd, and Chloe is outspoken and sassy. They don’t match on paper, but he is so protective of her and their relationship was really rather endearing.

There is a lot more explained about Chloe’s backstory than Rex’s — he has some baggage as well, but I felt like his wasn’t explored as much as hers was. We also get some more insight to the relationships between Ethan, Paul and Chloe’s late mother.

Overall, this book tied together lots of tangents nicely. I can’t wait for Liv’s brother, Owen, to get a book! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Excerpt:

“Rex?”

“Hmm?”

He won’t look at me. His grip on the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are turning white. He swallows so hard I can hear the gulp from where I’m sitting next to him.

When I lay a hand on his forearm he almost jumps out of his seat.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” he croaks.

“You don’t sound fine.”

I almost start giggling because if I’m reading the situation correctly, he’s nervous about having sex with me. Or, maybe, just what my intentions are. Rex, the sexy bartender that every single female in town lusts over and many have slept with — which I refuse to think about — is hesitating.

I know he wants to.

His body language, actions and words have told me as much.

When he kisses me, it’s real. It sounds simple, because it is. I’ve kissed other men. He’s kissed other women. But it’s never been like this for me. And I know it’s never been like this for him, either.

I know that might make me sound arrogant or overconfident, but I’m not clueless. Nor am I insecure. His feelings toward me are obvious, he’s not hiding it in any way, and unless he’s the most devious person in the world, I think he’s just as turned on by my presence as I am with his. Which is at holy shit levels, if I’m being honest.

I’m in a dang near constant state of arousal around him.

We pull into my driveway and he cuts the engine. His left leg is propped against the door and aside from the constant tapping of his thumb against the steering wheel, he’s the picture of relaxation.

“Just gonna sit out here all night?” I ask, already sensing his hesitation to come inside. I can also see how badly he’s battling with himself right now.

To sex her.

Or not to sex her.

I think we’re on the same page here, though.

It’s just going to be fun messing with him a little bit.

He’s made it very clear that his past relationships have either ended horribly, by way of his brother, the ass, or by the night being over with.

He’s also hinted he would like to see where this thing between us is going to go.

For that to happen, we need to not have sex. At least not yet. Even though every molecule in my body is currently firing and screaming at me to HAVE SEX WITH THIS SEXY AS FUCK GUY ALREADY.

Okay, so maybe I’m not as secure in my decision as I thought but hey, I know he isn’t either.

I open my door and step down.

“Come on, you big baby. I don’t bite.” Then before I close the door I pop my head back through the opening, “Unless you want me to.” I slam the door and run up the few stairs to my front door, quickly unlock it, and rush inside.

I count to five and he’s already charging in after me.

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you? Teasing me like this?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I’m in your head, gorgeous. I know what you’re thinking.”

Pre-order Staying For You, the next standalone in the All For You Series today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VV1PU4

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/StayingforYou

About Jennifer

From the Ground Up was Jennifer’s first published novel and now that she was bitten by the writing bug, has no intention of ever stopping. Jennifer makes her home in small town Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful, hilarious and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen. Jennifer’s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. You’ll be her best friend if you can make her laugh and follow up with asking her what to read next. When she’s not writing, you can find her cheering the loudest at her kids’ sporting events (read as: embarrassing them), sipping coffee or iced tea out of a mason jar with her Kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.

Connect with Jennifer

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vZV2Ic

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Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JennifersJavaGirls/

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Book + Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/users/295

 

Pitcher, a Commander in Briefs prequel novella by Kristy Marie, releases June 20th! Here’s a sneak peek inside! Don’t forget to add it to your TBR!

 

 

Blurb:

No one needs that many hookups!
Not even soon to be major league pitcher, Theo Von Bremen.
So, I help him by routinely thinning out his contact list—because I’m the best roommate ever. And he’s optimal baby daddy material.
For me—not Amanda 1, 2, or 3.
But since the man can’t take a hint; I’ll continue to spray his sheets with my perfume and accidentally leave my panties in his laundry.
That has to be enough to break a man eventually. Right?

*This novella is a prequel to Commander in Briefs featuring Aniston and Theo.

EXCERPT:

I wake with a start.

Giggling is coming from the living room.

I’m not a psycho.

I’m not.

I’m jealous.

I know it’s irrational. Trust me, I’ve been in this situation time and time again.

It never gets any easier.

Never.

Climbing out of the bed, I tell my rational self to fucking chill. Just because Theo spent the afternoon with me, holding me in his arms and dragging those long fingers down my spine does not mean he can’t get a quickie in our living room.

I mean, I’ve seen it before.

Many, many times.

So why I am shucking off my pants, leaving myself in his T-shirt and underwear, as I head out into the open area?

Because I’m a closet asshole.

“Don’t mind me.” I wave off, covering one side of my face in a show of giving them privacy. “I just need to use the bathroom.”

It could be true.

“Oh God, I forgot you had a roommate,” the girl of the night adds.

I drop my hand so I can glare at her when I catch Theo’s gaze in the lamp light. His cheek twitches as he peels himself off the bottled blonde. He scratches the side of said cheek with his middle finger, and I almost smile.

Almost.

But Barbie interrupts me. “I bet you’ll be so happy to get your own place.”

My eyes scan for something to throw at her, but I see Theo shake his head.

Whatever. I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life.

I forge down the hall and act like she isn’t shirtless and stroking my man’s leg like she’s about to pounce.

No siree.

I march my petty ass straight into our shared bathroom and grab a pair of panties—not the crime scene ones—and a bottle of perfume, and head into Von Bremen’s room where I proceed to spritz the ever-loving fuck out of his navy sheets.

And when I think I have them completely saturated, I shove my undies under his pillow for good measure.

Two can play this game, Barbie.

He will be relieved to have his own place, my toned ass.

You have no idea the shit I do for this man.

No. Idea.

Fixing Us, an all-new romantic standalone from Miranda Elaine is available now!

Gabriel Starr is the love of my life, even if he breaks my heart time and time again.

Like a fool, I keep going back, so I’ve made a promise to myself—one final night and then I’m done.

One night of passion.

No pressure. Most importantly, no future.

One month later, a positive pregnancy test tells me different.

Our only option is to raise this baby as friends, but how can we make it work when we can’t even keep our hands off each other?

We finally have the chance to be the family we never imagined we could be.

But first we need to focus on Fixing Us.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/FixingUs

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2CvJ1Q5

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

He’s all she’s ever wanted. She’s everything he never thought he deserved.

Fixing Us is another wonderful story in Miranda Elaine’s Fixing series of interconnected standalones. At last, we get Leigh’s story, the perky hairdresser bestie of Temperence and Montana.

Leigh has always been in love with Gabriel, but his suitcases of baggage have prevented him from fully committing to her. Over the years, they’d break up and make up, with each split taking away a little more of Leigh’s soul every time. But when they have one last sex session before she vows to say goodbye for good, the universe has other plans for them, because Leigh finds herself pregnant by her kinda ex who never wanted kids.

There’s a nice flow to this story, and Leigh and Gabe really take the time to get to know who they are alone and together as people in their 30s, rather than the teenagers they were when they first got together. Poor Gabe has such tragedy in his childhood, but he’s made himself a nbetter person despite his upbringing…. now it’s just time to convine Leigh not to give up on them even though he’d broken her heart so many times before.

Gabe struggles with a lot in this story. It’s not an eay fix for him to be the man she wants to, or can co-parent with. There’s a lot of healing and growth that Gabe goes through in this story, and I really felt tht it made him a better man. And even when it broke her heart, Leigh was in his corner time and time again. The payoff was well worth the wait, as poor, broken Gabe got the family he always wanted and didn’t think he deserved.

I reveived an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Excerpt:

Finally, after what feels like a millennium, the door opens and Dr. Mallard enters, smiling. He’s an older man who is always overly happy. I like him, even if I find his cheerfulness somewhat off-putting at this exact second.

“Mrs. Simms, how exciting to have you here today. This must be your husband.” He walks over to Gabe, who stands, hand extended.

“Sorry, no,” I chime in. “Definitely not my husband.”

“My fault,” he apologizes. “Your boyfriend. This is a new age. Lots of people in lifelong relationships nowadays without marriage.”

Awkward.

“Nope,” I say, popping my P with a bit more attitude than intended. “We aren’t together.” I look over at Gabe, who’s holding his laughter in and I silently yell Help me!

“Just got her knocked up,” Gabe finally speaks. “Classic fairy tale story of ex-sex turning into a baby. Turns out those silly condoms serve a purpose and really shouldn’t be skipped. Who knew?”

“Seriously!” I yell while shooting him daggers with my eyes. All he does to respond is shrug his shoulders and give me an evil grin.

“Okay, Miss Simms, if you can lie back and put your feet up we can check on this little miracle,” Dr. Mallard finally says as the nurse pulls the stirrups out and helps me assume the position.

Even if you don’t want your ex-boyfriend back you still always want them to think of you as the sexy one who got away, not the girl nude and exposed with her legs in the air while a doctor probes her. Great, fucking great.

“Sure.” I lie back and my head jerks to Gabe. “But you stay north of the equator.”

“Not a problem, Leigh.” He smiles at me. “But it ain’t nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“Well, it’s definitely something you’re never seeing again,” I snap back at him, causing the nurse to let a small chuckle escape.

I try to act cool by the fact that the doctor seems to think sticking a huge wand up me is perfectly normal.

Thump thump. Thump thump.

Our bickering immediately stops. The room is dark and the monitor next to me is lit up.

“Is that—” Gabe starts.

“That’s your baby’s heartbeat,” the doctor interrupts. “And if you look over here, you see that small little bean shape in the middle there.” He points to the picture on the ultrasound machine. “That’s your baby. It’s currently approximately the size of a raspberry.”

“Wow,” Gabe and I both somehow say at the same time.

We finish the appointment with a plethora of information. Gabe is quiet and the silliness that existed in the examination room is gone. We check out and walk side by side. Neither of us bringing up everything we need to discuss.

Does him showing up mean he wants to be involved? Does he assume we will get back together? Can we even do this together? Do I want to?

All the questions are running rampant in my head and instead of saying a single one of them I simply say, “I’ll let you know when I have another appointment.”

“Thanks.” He holds the door to the building open, letting me walk outside, him close on my heels. “I want to be here for you and our child as best as I can.”

I nod, but my mind is still back in that office with that beautiful baby. My baby.

“We ought to talk, Leigh.”

“You’re right. But today I got to hear my—our, baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Let’s not ruin it, okay?” We’re standing in the middle of the parking lot, neither of us moving to our respective vehicles.

“Okay, but soon.”

About Miranda

Miranda is a loving wife and barely surviving mother of three occasionally good kids. Her hobbies include lying to herself about the calories in donuts and banana pudding, as well as running out of excuses when procrastinating. She’s been an avid reader since she was a young girl. Whether she’s by the pool, curled up in bed, or hiding in the closet, as long as she has a book in her hands she’s happy.

Connect with Miranda

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormirandaelaine/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormirandae

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