“Locke is back and at her best with another heartwarming Mason brother to fall in love with.” — K. Bromberg New York Times bestselling author
Reckless, an all-new swoon-worthy standalone romance in the Mason Family series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke is available now!
“How did you get in here?”
That’s not what you want to hear when you’re staring into the sea-green eyes of the hottest man you’ve ever seen. Yet I suppose it’s a fair question, considering I’m an uninvited stranger standing in Boone Mason’s kitchen.
If you think that’s bad—just wait. It gets worse.
This charming and wealthy playboy, who can’t pay his bills on time or find his way to the grocery store (but we all have flaws, right?), is sweet. Confident. Playful. He’s almost perfect. And, to make matters worse …
He’s smitten with me.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re rolling your eyes. You’re assuming this is some opposites attract situation—or that maybe we can be friends who turn into something more.
How can this be a bad thing?
Well, it’s simple. I’m not the kind of girl you fall in love with. Just to be sure, the universe reminds me of that in an unforgettable, in-your-face kind of way.
I might have broken into Boone’s house, but I won’t let him break my heart. I won’t break his either. There’s too much on the line to be that reckless.
Okay, Jaxi and Boone’s meet-cute is one of a kind: she accidentally breaks into his house rather than going next door, where she’s supposed to be house-sitting for her cousin. I loved it! This is an adorable instalove story where a reckless decision leads to the happily ever after neither of them expected.
Jaxi is such a sweet heroine. Nothing in her life seems to pan out for her, and she’s constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Especially so when she suddenly is given custody of her late sister’s young daughter, and she and Boone become an instant family when he insists Jaxi and Rosie love with him. She doesn’t want to overstep and has a hard time accepting his help. Meanwhile, Boone, the baby of the family who has always been the partier, the lackadaisical one, finds himself inspired to do better, be better, for Jaxi and Rosie. All of a sudden, the goofball sees his forever in front of him — but then a miscommunication tears it all apart.
Yes, the conflict could have been avoided if they actually spoke what was on their minds, but Adriana Locke beautifully wrote the scene to play upon each of their insecurities and weak spots. It was a tough scene to read through, but it had an impact.
And that Boone Swoon when he makes his grand gesture to win her back? I cried. I’m loving the Mason family series and can’t wait to see the rest of the brothers fall in love!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Adriana Locke
USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, four sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.
Reasons not to crush on Adam: He’s my best friend’s brother. He’s my neighbor. He’s the captain of the hockey team. He’s a serial monogamist who’s sworn off dating.
Reasons not to fake date Adam: See above. He has no idea I actually like him—like really like him.
But do I listen to any of those really great reasons? Of course not. Now, thanks to my amazing and convincing acting skills, one fake date ends with him being my fake fiancé (oops!). My bad crush has gotten me in way over my head.
Bad Crush is another book set in Rebecca Jenshak’s Valley University universe, and the second in the Campus Nights spin-off series. It is a standalone within a series of interconnected characters. And I adored Adam and Regan’s story!
Adam is a serial dater with a bad relationship history. Regan is a girl with trust issues. They both like each other, but figure they are firmly friend-zoned as he is her best friend’s brother. But when Adam needs a fake date for an event at the school, their fake relationship leaders to a fake engagement — and suddenly things are very, very real. Suddenly, the guy who quickly jumps from one relationship to another finds himself wondering if he can be a long-term boyfriend kind of guy. Because Regan is worth breaking all his rules for.
I loved the connection between Adam and Regan. They were just so cute and clicked so well together. This book is hot and sweet, with swoony moments and some very vulnerable confessions. Another great addition to this universe!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Rebecca
Rebecca is a new adult romance author, sports lover, and caffeine addict. When she isn’t writing, you can find her hanging with family and friends or with her nose buried in a book.
New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels returns to the Willow Creek Valley Series in this stunning small town, brother’s best friend romance.
Fifteen years ago, I fell for Jack O’Donnell.
I was just a girl, but I knew my brother’s best friend was the only man I’d ever love.
On my eighteenth birthday, when I asked him to kiss me, I never imagined it would change my life so completely.
I gave Jack everything that night.
In order to move on, we had to go our separate ways and pretend like nothing happened… as though it wasn’t the greatest moment of my life.
But even that wasn’t as heartbreaking as the secret we were forced to keep.
I’ve tried not to think about how much I still love him. How I long to be back in his strong arms or the way his hazel eyes make my heart race.
Until he kisses me again. And this time there’s no turning back. This time I know what it means.
We belong together and there’s no use denying it any longer.
But our feelings aren’t the only thing that won’t stay buried, our past resurfaces and threatens to destroy our second chance at happiness.
When our love is tested once again, will we be strong enough to stand together?
AH-MAY-ZING! Jack and Stella’s story is an emotional rollercoaster like no other that I’ve read by Corinne Michaels. Yes, I’ve said in the past that such-and-such story is better than the last. And I’ve always meant it… but Could Have Been Us totally blew me away! The secret history between Jack and Stella, how they have been in love with one another for 15 years but didn’t want to betray Grayson, how they come together during a crisis — it was all so well-written, pulls on the heartstrings, and had me in tears.
This book had me hooked from the first chapter, and I knew it was going to be a doozy. Twelve years of keeping their history together a secret, 12 years of ignoring what they felt for one another, 12 years of emotional baggage and not wanting to date someone else… I was ALL IN to see how Stella and Jack were going to make things work. The beginning of this book overlaps Return To Us (Grayson and Jessica’s story), and I loved seeing some of those scenes from Stella and Jack’s POVs. Like when Jack gets drunk and shows up at Grayson’s place swearing that he shouldn’t want to like “her” — now knowing that “her” is Stella!
Once Stella and Jack finally decide to give their relationship a go, I loved how strong they were together. I really thought that there was going to be a point where their past history and current situation tear them apart, but they fall back on one another and it was so wonderful to see them be so supportive and really work through things together.
One of my pet peeves in the best friend’s sister trope is when a romance is considered forbidden. I really liked that in Jack and Stella’s case that they were both afraid/hesitant to be together because of their shared tragic past and how Grayson would potentially view that event — not that they weren’t together because Grayson forbade Jack from dating his little sister for some arbitrary reason.
Could Have Been Us is a wonderful tale of past mistakes, future choices, what could have been, what should have been, and what finally is!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Corinne
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
The cocky jock I once wanted to kill with my bare hands is now the only one I trust with my heart.
In a city full of corruption and darkness, knowing who’s on your side gets harder to determine every day. Especially now that Vin’s on the warpath, passing out threats he fully intends to see through to the end. His power here in Cypress Pointe seems limitless, but there’s no time to see if that’s true. I’m prepared to make sacrifices to keep my family safe.
Even if what’s sacrificed is my own happiness.
As our circle of loyal friends becomes clear, we cling to it, because it’s all any of us has. But if there’s one thing Vin didn’t count on, it’s that blood isn’t always thicker than water.
He might just find out firsthand why it’s never wise to cross the king’s queen.
A great conclusion to Blue and West’s story! This book really shows how far this couple has come since the first book, when they just hated the sight of one another.
As they try to come up with a solution to the issues posed with West’s dad, Blue and West really work together. At one point, I thought the book was going to go in a different direction regarding Vin’s illegal activities, but I was relieved that it didn’t go the way I thought it was going to!
This book concludes the trilogy for Blue and West, but there is much more to come in this series. I can’t wait for Dane and Josslyn’s story!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
“This book had me hooked at the first sentence. I have never read a plot quite like this one with so many unique twists and turns. I even shed a few tears for what this powerhouse of a female lead went through. Great read!” ~Audrey Carlan, #1 NYT Bestselling Author
All the Ugly Things, an all-new beautiful and emotional romance in the Love & Lies duet from Stacey Lynn is available now!
One night changed everything. In a single breath my entire future was ripped away.
Now I’m left simply trying to pick up the pieces. Endless nights waiting tables in hopes of keeping a single piece of the dream I left behind.
He came for pie with dark eyes and a cocky smile. But those eyes saw more than they should. Past my walls to all those secrets I’d long buried.
That should’ve been my first warning. I should’ve said no when he offered me a job too good to be true. But I said yes.
Slowly friendship sparked to something more. Stolen moments became an obsession neither of us could kick.
Hudson gave me more than I’d ever dreamed. So much of what I had lost. A home. A family.
I should’ve known it was all a beautiful lie. I should’ve known he’d only leave me with all the ugly things…
This book completely captivated me from the first page. I have read several Stacey Lynn books before, but those were all much more light-hearted. All The Ugly Things has a bit of a darker tone, and is much more angsty than anything by SL that I’ve read in the past. An I absolutely devoured it! Lilly’s backstory is heartbreaking. She’s so alone, and after a stint in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, has no one to turn to and thinks she’s unworthy of love and affection. Her life changes thanks to David Valentine and his son, Hudson, but she has no clue why they are showing such a sudden interest in her. Hudson’s guilt about lying to Lilly practically jumps off the page. I could FEEL how horrible he felt about the secret he’s been keeping from her, and it affects every interaction they have. Whether Lilly knows it or not. And because he’s already heads over heels for her, it guts him every time he can’t be truthful with her about why he and his father sought her out. The reason why David and Hudson are so invested in helping Lilly get back on her feet isn’t revealed yet, but there’s a pretty good indicator of what the reason is based on the cliffhanger of this book, the first in a duet. I need the conclusion to this story now! Yes, Hudson betrayed her, but I’m pretty sure he had good reasons and I can’t wait to see how this unfolds in book 2! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Excerpt
She worked in a shithole diner and probably lived in a shithole place when she was the daughter of a state judge, probably grew up in private schools with a Mercedes gifted to her on her sixteenth birthday and more money than my own parents had. This shouldn’t be her life. She’s better than this. Better than her circumstance and I believe her. She just needs someone to help. The memory of Melissa’s pleading eyes made me squeeze my own eyes shut. “Fucking bleeding heart.” Since she could walk, she had a calling to save everything from kittens and frogs and turtles in the road to classmates and children where she worked. One last request. Promise me. I’d wanted to throttle her slim, pale throat. I gripped the door handle and scowled at the silver-plated handle, before I threw it open. “Happy now?” I asked, and somehow, I knew she was. Lilly was still in the back when I entered. Where Dad said she always stood, there was an old laptop with notebooks spread open. I took the seat at the far end and waited, snagging a menu from the counter on my way. The food was cheap, basic diner food, perfect for the clientele a place like this brought in. Greasy, thick burgers, patty melts, and Reubens. Sandwiches and burgers and two salad options. It was late enough none of it appealed to me. Probably why my dad came for the pies. Fortunately for me, he’d said they were the best he’d ever tasted, and I’d inherited his sweet tooth. The creak of old, squeaky door hinges rang out and I lifted my head. Lilly came out carrying a tray stacked with food, focused on the four-top. I didn’t move for fear of distracting her. Not a great first impression to make if she ended up covered in grease and condiments. The guys at the table did more shoulder-slapping, whooping and hollering like they were watching the Super Bowl and not their food being delivered. I kept my eyes on them, waiting for one to give me a reason to put an end to all of them. The dark-haired guy would be first. He sat at the outer edge of the booth and as Lilly leaned forward to deliver a tray to the guy next to him, his hand hovered inches from her backside. The blond across the table egged him on with a nod but she stood back, put space between them, and barked, “Even think of touching me and none of you are leaving with your dicks still attached to your body.” “Oohh. I’ll show you mine happily,” one said, hands dropping to his lap. She glared at him, resting bitch face I was certain she learned in prison firmly in place. It didn’t look right on her. Too hard. Too forced. What would she have been like as a smiling, happy teenager before life was stolen from her? Damn it. I felt it then. That pull my dad had when he first saw her. She’d lost too much.
Meet Stacey Lynn:
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
How to Nail a Stud Katharine Sadler Publication date: April 16th 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Shel is tired of dating men who don’t appreciate her rock and roll wardrobe or her tomboy tendencies. She’s swearing off dating, and she is not going to give another moment’s thought to the hot single dad next door. She is not going to waste a single moment dwelling on his muscles or his eyes or the way he plays with his adorable six-year-old daughter.
Max has made mistakes, he’s been a terrible father, and he has no problem spending the rest of his life atoning by being the best, most devoted parent he can possibly be. A devoted father does not have wicked thoughts about his sexy neighbor, and he most certainly does not consider an actual relationship.
Except, he can’t stop thinking about Shel, and he’s not sure what to do about it.
How To Nail A Stud is a charming frenemies/neighbors to lovers romcom from a new-to-me author. There is a lot of push and pull between Max and Shel, and it kind of drove me crazy that he was so wishy-washy about things. They both have a not-so-pretty history, and their friendship becomes front and center in the media thanks to an ex with a grudge. And who Shel is, as the daughter of two world-famous singers.
While I didn’t love this story as a whole, there were a lot of parts that I liked. I thought Max’s daughter Addy and her obsession with Shel’s dog was absolutely adorable.Max really tried to do the honorable thing by keeping his distance from Shel. He’d paid dearly for some mistakes he made in the past, and didn’t want to drag her into his world. But he eventually reaches a point where he needs to decide if walking away from her would be another big mistake.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Katharine Sadler lives with her husband in North Carolina. She’s been writing since she was ten and has wanted to be a writer even longer. When she’s not writing or otherwise gainfully occupied, she reads like it’s an addiction, exercises, skis whenever she gets the chance, and adds more books to her Amazon wish list.
THE VIRGIN RULE BOOK, a sexy, friends-to-lovers standalone sports romance from #1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely, is AVAILABLE NOW!
Things you don’t want to miss:
⚾️ Sexy times in a limo
⚾️ A hot athlete in and OUT of a tux
⚾️ Naughty jokes, flirty vibes, & brand-new dirty word combos
⚾️ A hilarious, confident, & caring heroine
⚾️ One swoony elevator scene
Don’t miss getting your hands on this smoking hot hero and his smart, stunning woman for the amazing release day price of $2.99 in eBook! But hurry because the price goes up TODAY!
Grab it at the special release day price of only $2.99!
A sexy, brother’s best friend sports romance from # 1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely!
Let me make a few things clear. I didn’t go to the wedding intending to dance with the best man, to dare him to show me a very sexy pic on his phone, or to accidentally kiss him in the hotel elevator after the reception ended.
But you know how it goes. Things just happen at weddings…
The next day, Crosby and I agree to put all those shenanigans behind us. The fun-loving, stupidly gorgeous, all-star baseball player might be my brother’s best friend, but he’s my friend too and has been for years, so it’s easy to move on, especially because I have a high-profile business to run.
But since he’s newly single and I’m always single, it turns out we both desperately need plus ones. We agree to “publicly date” over the next two weeks of galas, parties and events before his baseball season begins.
The only trouble is the more time I spend with Crosby, the more I keep imagining how much I want him to take my V-card.
And when I broach the possibility with Crosby, his answer surprises the hell out of me.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Nadia hasn’t had much luck in the dating arena, and her brother’s best friend, Crosby, is on a dating hiatus. So they agree to be each others’ plus-one to her brother’s wedding… and then continue to fake date until the start of baseball season for Crosby, a pro player. Things are going so well in their non-relationship that Nadia asks Crosby to take her V card. And that’s when lines begin to blur and this fake dating suddenly begins to feel all too real.
I really loved how strong of a heroine Nadia is. She owns an NFL team and is a confident, kick-ass girl boss. She’s a virgin, and while the crux of her romantic relationship with Crosby rests on that fact, she doesn’t let it define her. She doesn’t apologize for it, but embraces it. And even though Crosby is her brother’s best friend, that is kind of a non-issue as well, since there is nothing taboo about these two young professionals getting involved.
What you get is a typical Lauren Blakely romcom — full of heat, full of witty banter and funny moments, a sweet connection between the H/h and a wonderful group of side characters. The story sets up the further books in the series, and one of the epilogues is told from the POV of Holden, presumably the next book’s hero. I’m intrigued to see what more LB brings to this series, because it is off to a great start!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot, sexy romance and USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.
With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, with more than 50 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 4 million books. She likes dogs, cake and show tunes.
I left our hometown—a place she once called paradise—when we were just a couple of dirt poor teenagers. I left to flee the aftermath of a horrifying event that completely broke us. And now, ten years later, I’m going back to face the wreckage that I thought I’d put behind me—my father’s gruesome legacy, the trauma of our past, and the girl who survived it all without me by her side.
She hates me now for leaving her behind and I don’t blame her.
I don’t blame her, but I want her.
I want her, even though I know I should stay away from her.
I could be dangerous.
I am my father’s son, after all.
Content Warning: This book contains brief scenes of violence and is premised around a theme of trauma and healing. Some parts may be triggering to some readers—discretion is advised.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Wow, this book was tough. This is the first book I’ve read by Brynn Ford and I was kind of blown away.
Jagged Line Paradise is told in two parts — 10 years ago and then the present, when Andres returns to their small desert town a decade after a traumatic event turned Avalon’s upside down and he took off. Everything was perfect and sweet the night of her 18th birthday, and then it all fell apart the next morning. While Avalon was afraid to leave their hometown afterwards, Andres felt like he had no choice other than to leave town afterwards. They never spoke again, until 10 years later when he comes back home to make a documentary about the tragedy that hit their small town.
Avalon felt like she was deserted when she needed Andres the most. He felt like there was no way they could build a life together with the reputation that was following him. Their reunion doesn’t go well at first, but eventually these two figure out how to bury the demons between them and realize that their love for the other never faded.
It’s not an easy book to read, and there is a lot of angry sex involved, so beware if that isn’t your thing. But at it’s core, Jagged Line Paradise is all about finding beauty and strength, that our scars are badges of honor, and that peace and paradise can be a person, not a place.
This emotional story is full of angst, but a beautiful one! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
Brynn Ford is an author of dark and dirty romance for daring readers. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful and strives to bring the unmentionable aspects of passionate romance into her stories.
Brynn resides in the Midwest with her husband and sons, whom she expects will someday be embarrassed by their mom’s books. When she isn’t obsessively writing, you may find her binge watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.
She is quite the idealist, despite her fascination with the wicked and warped aspects of humanity. Some of her stories may run out of words before a happily ever after, but she’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live on outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t end just because there aren’t any more pages to turn.
Vaughn Tucker is the hot playboy drummer of the Tucker Brothers band, whose four albums have all hit number one. Vaughn is drop-dead gorgeous … and completely out of contro
Gigi Hayes’s life is a million miles from packed stadiums and high-profile tour schedules. She’s a small-town girl who spends all her time working in the library and studying to become a qualified social worker. For … reasons.
For the first time in his life, Vaughn is the one who’s star-struck. But Gigi is saving herself for true love. And she’s not deluded enough to believe the world-famous rock star is capable of such a thing.
But when her first case study happens to be a certain patient who’s causing mayhem at the rehab by insisting he’s outpatient material—and when Gigi is the only one he’ll respond to—she finds herself drawn, against her will, to the beautiful, trouble-written-all-over-him superstar.
Vaughn has already fallen hard. And Gigi’s refusals only make him crazier. She’s an angel and he may as well be the devil himself. But when heaven meets hell, all bets are off …
Nashville Nights is a sexy standalone rockstar romance starring an out-of-control alpha musician and the one woman who’s everything he never knew he needed.
Nashville Nights takes the quintessential bad boy rocker, addicted to sex, drugs and alcohol, and makes the stereotypical good girl next door be the one who brings him to his knees, the woman he wants to be a better man for.
I confess that I skimmed a lot of the beginning of Vaughn and Gigi’s story at first, because it seemed like another instalove bad boy/good girl tale. But once Vaughn’s addiction really became an integral part of the story, I was hooked. He isn’t just partying because he likes to party. The guy is carrying around so much psychological baggage, and immense guilt. While he drinks to forget his demons, Gigi wants to be a social worker to put her own ghosts to rest. She couldn’t save her dad, but she knows there is someone out there she IS meant to save. She never expected it to be the tattooed rockstar who moved in next door.
While I found Vaughn and Gigi’s relationship to be a tad codependent, they did balance each other out and bring out the best in one another. She quiets his demons and grounds him, much in the way that helping him work through his addiction gives her purpose. However, I did feel let down that his intervention happened off the page after all of his spiraling and the talk of how bad his behavior had been in the past, and didn’t like how his treatment was handled.
This is book 2 in an interconnected series, and I did not read the first but had no problem following along. I plan to go back and reread Nashville Days because I am intrigued by Travis and Ruby’s story!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Julie Capulet
Julie Capulet writes fun, sexy romance starring obsessed alphas and the sweet and sassy women who bring them to their knees.
Her stories are inspired by true love and she’s married to her own real life hero.
When she’s not writing, she’s reading, walking on the beach, drinking wine and watching rom-coms♥
Hearing the disbelief from my best friend’s mouth makes the events of my failed date sting that much more.
I would like to make it known, I have a lot more swagger than what it seems. I don’t normally ask a girl out, have her fail to recognize it’s a date, and then give me a high five–as if I’m her wingman–and take off with someone else.
No. Normally I’m the one taking the girl home but with Stella, it’s been one failed attempt after another and frankly, I’m done trying.
But thanks to my best friend getting married in Hawaii right before the school year starts, I’m stuck on a tropical island, watching Stella parade around in what she claims is a bathing suit.
Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it, just the tip of the iceberg. Because what I think is going to be a relaxing vacation, avoiding the one girl I can’t seem to make it work with, has turned into a spectacle of being recruited as Stella’s doting fake fiancé so she can save face with an old “friend” from high school.
Now I’m navigating through purgatory while trying not to get turned on by the way she holds my hand or kisses my jaw. It’s all fake, that’s what I keep telling myself, even though it feels entirely too real.
EXCERPT:
“Do you want to sit next to Stella on the airplane?” Arlo asks.
“What? Fuck, no,” I say while turning up the game so I can hear the announcers over my tedious, wedding-planning best friend.
Arlo snatches the remote from my hand and turns off the TV. The room is silent for a moment before uproarious objections fill the air.
“Gentry is up next,” Gunner, my other best friend and former teammate, complains from next to me. “He’s three for three so far.”
“We need to talk,” Arlo says in that stern, alpha-like voice that won over his fiancée. Little does he know it doesn’t work on me.
I reach for the remote but he swats my hand with a resounding thud, causing me to yank my hand back. “What the actual fuck, man?”
When I decided to have the guys over to my loft, I assumed we’d tear up some wings, drain some brews, and watch the Bobbies game. Never in my wildest fucking dreams would I have pictured Arlo Turner, the grumpy curmudgeon of the Forest Heights English department, to roll in like a beaming bride, holding a wedding planning folder to his chest, and consume the night with questions about what he should wear and if coconut cake is too “Hawaiian-y” for his Maui destination wedding.
But here we are.
“Cut the crap, Romeo.”
“Cut what crap?” I reach over to the coffee table and pick up my almost empty glass of beer.
“I’m not about to have the Bickersons attend my wedding, so what the hell is going on with Stella?”
“Nothing is going on,” I answer, then take a small sip of my beer, making the liquid last so I don’t have to get up for a refill.
Gunner leans in and asks, “If we get to the bottom of the problem, can we turn the TV back on?”
“Yes,” Arlo answers.
“Then it was the baseball game he took her to.”
“Dude,” I say in protest while sitting up on the couch. “What the fuck happened to don’t say anything?”
Gunner unapologetically shrugs. “I really want to watch the Bobbies kill the Rebels in interleague play.”
“What baseball game?” Arlo asks. “Do you mean the game you took her and Cora to?”
“Yup.” Gunner pops a chip in his mouth from the bowl on the coffee table. “Except Cora wasn’t supposed to go. It was supposed to be a daaate,” Gunner drags out.
“You asked Stella out?” Arlo asks, shocked.
“Way to sell me out for a game, you dick.”
Not showing an ounce of remorse, Gunner stands from the couch and takes my glass from me.
“I’ll top you off. You’ll need it.”
Seething, I pass my hand over my head and say, “Yeah, I asked her out. She invited Cora. End of story.”
“That’s not the end of the story,” Gunner says from the kitchen, the open concept of my loft allowing his voice to carry to us easily.
When you think a friend is trustworthy and then they go and shock your fucking nuts right off by divulging everything you told them in secret . . . without even a blink of an eye. Gunner is dead to me.
You’re probably wondering why I didn’t say anything to Arlo about what happened, given he’s one of my best friends, right? It’s simple. Gunner got me drunk and I relished in the comfort of far too many cold beers and a listening ear. If it wasn’t for that, I’d have kept my mouth shut, because the entire incident was fucking humiliating.
Between you and me, I’ve liked Stella Garcia, the Spanish teacher at Forest Heights, for a while now. Far too long actually. I can’t quite pinpoint when it happened, but all I know is over the three years I’ve known her, I’ve been pining after the girl for the majority of the time.
Fucking bold, quick-witted with a sharp tongue, loves sports, shy when it counts. Flat-out gorgeous with her long, wavy brown hair and fascinating green eyes that have a ring of brown around the pupil. She’s had my attention for a while and last year, I decided to finally make a move.
Enough was enough. We shared too many dinners together as friends. She’s pressed her lips to my beer glass without a second thought way too many times. The moment presented itself, I grew a pair, and asked her out to a baseball game knowing she loves watching the sport as much as I do.
But fuck did it backfire.
“What’s the end of the story?” Arlo asks, growing agitated. His patience runs thin, which is surprising, given his profession of educating the youth.
He’s not going to drop it.
Arlo’s relentless when he wants to know something.
Dragging my hand down my face, I say, “It was supposed to be a date.” Gunner sits next to me and hands me my refilled glass, which I gladly take. “She invited Cora. Which was fine. We had a good time, I still sat next to Stella, and we shared jokes even if there was a third wheel. But it was what happened afterwards that—”
“That gutted him,” Gunner finishes for me. When I snap a look at him, he smirks. “That’s what you told me. Just thought I’d help tell the story.”
“I wasn’t gutted.”
Maybe I was a little.
Hell . . . I was humiliated.
Gutted isn’t a strong enough word for what happened.
“What the fuck happened after? Christ. Why are you taking so damn long to get to the point?” Arlo practically growls.
“Go easy on our guy.” Gunner grips my shoulder. “He was embarrassed, man.”
“It’s fine, I’m over it now,” I say in a passive-aggressive tone.
“You’re clearly not if you and Stella can’t even be in the same room together. I don’t want anything ruining this trip for Greer, and your constant arguing with Stella is driving everyone fucking crazy.”
“Great, then I just won’t talk to her. Simple.”
“Just tell him,” Gunner says, nudging me.
Christ.
Staring down at my beer, I quietly say, “She went home with someone else that night.”
The room falls silent.
They don’t have to react for me to know what they must be thinking. They know I’ve liked Stella for a while. They know I’ve been trying to figure out a way to ask her out.
And this . . . hell, this was an epic fail on my end.
It wouldn’t be as bad if I weren’t already carrying a chip on my shoulder about the way I was forced to twist my life around.
Five years ago, everything changed.
Five years ago, I was stripped of the one thing that brought me life.
A ruptured Achilles tendon ended everything for me.
I never got the chance to appreciate my last game.
I never had the opportunity to sit on the field and say goodbye.
Instead, playing professional baseball was stripped from me and I was forced to fall back on my teaching degree I earned while playing in college.
To say I’m bitter, resentful, and fucking angry . . . yeah, that’s an understatement.
I live with regret daily and harbor more animosity than anyone should.
So, when I took Stella to the game, on a date, hoping to tell her how I feel, and she went home with someone else, it fucking stung.
Do you know what stung more, though?
The fact that she looked right past me and instead went for a rookie on the Bobbies.
Why go out with a washed-up baseball player turned phys ed teacher with a slight limp in his walk, when you can go out with an unmarred professional baseball player?
Yeah. There’s resentment for a reason. She chose the star. That’s who she wants.
That’s who I’ll never be.
And that’s why I plan on staying as far away from Stella Garcia on this trip as I can.
And when we get back to Chicago and the school year starts, everything will go on as planned.
Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
Too easy, right?
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
AH! Stella and Brock’s story was everything I wanted it to be! These two just COULD NOT get on the same page!
Miscommunication abounds in this story, and it leads to lots of frustration and hurt and anger on both their parts. Neither one of them actually comes out and says how they feel about the other until it is almost too late, and that’s a shame because they are made for one another.
Stella and Brock’s relationship is so easy. They were best friends for a long time before either of them realized that they wanted something more from the other. That friendship is a solid base for them, but Stella has some family drama she needs to work through before she can be the woman that she thinks Brock deserves to be with. And all Brock wants to do is be there for her, to hold her hand, be the shoulder she cries on…. The guy is a saint when it comes to waiting for Stella to be ready to take their relationship to the next level!
I loved all the shenanigans with this group of friends. The way that the guys and the girls both come together for each other is amazing. And I love the interactions between the girl group and the guys as well. Those text messages between the guys crack me up! I know that Cora’s book is coming next, and I would love to see a Keiko/Kelvin book. And this has all made me realize that I would have loved to have read a longer story between Gunner and Lindsay. Oh well!
Great job, Meghan! Bravo! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Sunny Shelly Reads 