She’s the one night stand I never forgot. And now her dad is about to marry my mom.
It has to be some kind of cosmic joke, right? For once, I feel like I’ve got my life together—good job, great friends, a fresh start in a new place. I’ve been on my best behavior for ages. At last, everything’s coming up Javier.
Until the moment I walk into my stepdad’s house and meet his daughter.
I should say: I meet her again. Madeline and I have already met. It was one night, two years ago. A quick, casual hookup that had no right to be as mind-blowing as it was. I haven’t stopped thinking about it–or her–ever since.
But our parents are getting married, so under no circumstances should we sleep together again.
Or… again. Or one more time after that, just to get it out of our systems.
Madeline’s funny, fiery, and so gorgeous with her pink hair and nerdy tattoos that I can barely look at her without breaking into a sweat. But she has too much going on to be interested in commitment, and God knows I’m a bad boyfriend candidate.
Once the wedding’s over, we’ll be normal stepsiblings who don’t have sex with each other, and Thanksgiving won’t be awkward at all.
I’ve seen The Three Night Stand referred to as an “idiots-to-lovers” story and that made me laugh because it is a great description for Javier and Madeline. A few years after they had a hot and heavy one night stand, they are shocked to discover that their parents are about to get married… now making them stepsiblings. They dance around and ignore their feelings for one another for a long time, and I just wanted to reach through my kindle and knock some sense into them both because they complement each other so well. So yeah, The Three Night Stand is a wonderful, slow burn, idiots-to-lovers story!
This story has some real depth to it, as Javi is recovering from an addiction. He also has a rather traumatic background; I thought that those points were handled well by Roxie Noir, and nicely woven into the fabric of the overall story. Madeline is a quirky heroine, and I loved it when she let her nerd flag fly.
There are also many appearances by the Wildwood gang; I love the strong sense of found family among the group and the support they all give to one another. The Three Night Stand was spot-on with its witty banter, steamy moments, connection between Madeline and Javier, and everything in between!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Roxie Noir:
Roxie is a romance author by day, and also a romance author by night. She lives in Los Angeles with one husband, two cats, far too many books, and a truly alarming pile of used notebooks that she refuses to throw away.
Join her mailing list for release updates, free bonus scenes, and tons more!
In this fun, sexy college romance, a transfer student finds herself living in a house full of football players—and falling for the one she knows she shouldn’t want.
Everleigh
Transferring to UC Santa Mira is supposed to be my ultimate college experience—until housing falls through at the last minute. So when I overhear a group of guys complaining they need another roommate, I jump at the opportunity.
They’re just football players. Even if one of them makes me weak in the knees, it doesn’t mean anything unless I let it. And I won’t.
We want different things. Wanting each other doesn’t change that.
Nico
It’s my senior year and final season with the Santa Mira Dolphins. The last thing I need is a distraction, but that’s exactly what this girl is. Ever is too leggy, too gorgeous, too thoughtful—and a whole lot of too much that gets under my skin.
I guess I get under hers too. I can’t help myself.
We live together. That alone makes it a bad idea…but I never could resist a little trouble.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
End Game is a fun, sexy college romance between college football star Nico and down-on-her-luck Everleigh, who ends up sharing a house with Nico and some of his teammates after her off-campus housing falls through.
Nico is your typical college jock: he doesn’t do commitments, kind of has a big ego, and is a big playboy. But he can’t shake the feelings he’s developing for Everleigh, and that scares the crap out of him. On the other side, Everleigh sees herself as a Plain Jane, and can’t fathom why the popular football star would ever want to be with her.
End Game is a super slow burn. There is definitely a lot of back-and-forth between Nico and Everleigh, and they have some heavy makeout sessions along the way, but the real getting together for this couple doesn’t happen until about 85% into the book. And it was kind of refreshing that there is no miscommunication between the two of them and no Third Act Breakup. Their biggest obstacles are how they both can’t seem to get out of their own ways, and are both incredibly insecure and scared when it comes to telling the other how they feel.
I really enjoyed getting to know the other roommates/friends in this book and look forward to seeing them find love. Especially Gavin and Sienna!!!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Monica
Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.
A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.
Lennox Kennedy is beautiful, loud and the love of my life.
She’s also my ex-girlfriend.
The first time I saw her after ten years apart, I slammed into the plexiglass minutes before our game was set to begin. The second time I threw up. But third time’s a charm apparently because as my fiancée and I walked into an appointment to meet the woman hired to plan our nuptials–there she was again.
Obviously, I did what any smart man would do–I called off the wedding.
I don’t have a plan per se, other than winning back the only girl I’ve ever loved.
As a future hall of famer and one of the best centers hockey has ever seen, I know a thing or two about winning, but convincing Lennox Kennedy to give this hockey boy another chance might just be the challenge of a lifetime and this game I’m playing may turn out to be nothing but a pucking disaster.
I love a second-chance romance set years after a couple’s breakup — and Aiden and Lennox’s story was all that and more. It is a delicious it’s-always-been-you romance!
It’s been a decade since they split up, and even though Aiden is now engaged to someone else, Lennox has always been the one that got away. There are two “ooof” moments when they cross paths for the first time in years, and I cringed on Aiden’s behalf both times. But it’s that third time that gets really awkward because Lennox is the event planner his fiance wants to plan their wedding.
Determined to win Lennox back now that she’s been dropped back into his life, Aiden calls off the wedding… and sets out to prove to her that they should have been together all along. Does all go smoothly? Of course not! But the bumpy ride is entertaining! They easily fall back into the friendship they had, with witty banter and some super sweet moments.
Hockey Boy isn’t all flowery romance; there’s a strong mental health rep in the storyline that I felt was handled well and made both characters relatable.
I look forward to the rest of this series! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Brittanée Nicole:
Brittanee is an author who lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two children. Her town is a character in itself in all of her books.
When she is not writing she enjoys spending time outdoors by the water with her children, reading at the beach or by the pool (or really anywhere), dancing with her friends, singing Karaoke, spinning, bike riding and boating.
Some of her favorite authors are Sophia Kinsella, Elin Hilderbrand, Liane Moriarty, Mary Higgins Clark, Meghan Quinn, Daphne Elliott, Amy Alves, Claire Kingsley, Melanie Harlow, Christina Lauren, Sally Thorne and Sarah Adams. (Clearly, she has a problem and can’t pick favorites.)
Single dad Garrett Haven doesn’t have time for dating. With a teenage son and a high-stakes job in law enforcement, he has enough on his plate.
Besides, he risked his heart once. He has no intention of doing it again.
Until he meets her.
Harper Tilburn brought her passion for baking to the small town of Tilikum to take over her aunt’s bakery. Anything else will have to wait, at least until her bad luck curse runs out.
Her dating hiatus is essential, and she’s sticking to it.
Until she meets him.
The sparks that fly between Garrett and Harper are instantaneous—their attraction undeniable. And suddenly, the practical, responsible sheriff’s deputy is throwing caution to the wind, boldly pursuing Harper, determined to make her his.
But when the cold case Garrett is investigating takes a chilling turn, he fears the perpetrator will strike again—and Harper will be his target.
With his career—and his life—on the line, he’ll sacrifice everything to protect the people he loves, and catch a killer before it’s too late.
Author’s note: a buttoned-up sheriff’s deputy gets thoroughly unbuttoned by a sweet as sugar baker. A hero who falls hard and fast, a heroine you’ll root for, a teenage son who will steal your heart, page turning suspense with a shocking twist, and heartwarming found family vibes with a big HEA.
What can you expect from Garrett and Harper?
A hot single dad who falls hard (and fast!)
A quirky, superstitious heroine you’re going to adore
A teenage son who will steal your heart
Heart-pounding, page-turning suspense
Touch-her-and-unalive vibes
A super swoony romance that will give you all the feels
Heartwarming found family
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Oh, Sugar Cookies, this book was so entertaining! Return to Tilikum and all of it’s small-town goodness and crazy squirrels with Temptation Trails, book 3 in the Haven Brothers series.
Harper is new in town, having arrived in Tilikum to take over her aging aunt’s bakery. She’s had a string of bad luck for the past (nearly) 7 years after breaking a mirror. I loved that through-line with Harper, and how so dang unlucky she was. At least, until she met Garrett, the handsome town sheriff. Neither one of them are looking to get into a relationship, which is what makes their relationship so great. There are some tough conversations that these two characters need to have, and those scenes are well-written.
I also really loved the friendship that Harper developed with Garrett’s son, Owen. The teen goes through a change of his own throughout the book, and really blossoms as he becomes more at ease with himself. I loved how he teased his dad about liking Harper, and how protective he becomes of her as the book goes on.
Amid the swoony romance, there’s the suspense storyline. As Garrett is investigating a cold case, it seems as if the killer is preparing to strike again, with Harper as his victim. Will Garrett be able to save the woman who is quickly becoming his everything?
Jason Clarke and Rose Diorio were fantastic with this story! Not only were they wonderful as Garrett and Harper, but they did a fabulous job with the other characters as well. I especially loved the way Jason was able to go back and forth between the villain and Garrett.
I am so hoping that Owen grows up to get a book of his own in some future spin-off, next-generation series!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Truly Madly Deeply, an all-new enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, standalone romance and the first book in the Forbidden Love Series from New York Times bestselling author L.J. Shen is now available!
Conceited, unattainable, and downright delicious, renowned Michelin-starred chef Ambrose Casablancas has one passion in life―food.
Women are a distraction, and he doesn’t do those. Especially Cal Litvin, his baby sister’s best friend. Her entire existence is a complication; she’s awkward, eccentric, infuriating…
And, much to his chagrin, hotter than his kitchen.
Ambrose has a lot on his plate: a new restaurant to open, a multimillion-dollar property deal to execute, and a violent stalker to tame.
Then Cal shows up at his doorstep, looking for both a job and salvation after their messy goodbye. His resolve, like his patience, is ebbing each day she works at his restaurant.
Because Cal is no longer a doe-eyed girl.
Now? She’s the woman he’ll do anything to conquer.
***
Quirky, compassionate ball of sunshine Calla Litvin can’t catch a break, and not just because she swore off running. Back in her hometown to nurse her mother’s broken heart after losing her father, she finds herself jobless, hopeless, and penniless. She hopes to rekindle her friendship with her former BFF, but Dylan is attached at the hip to her cruel brother―the one Cal’s been secretly crushing on since middle school.
Falling for the bad boy the second time around would be a mistake of gargantuan proportions.
Keep Reading for a look inside Truly, Madly, Deeply!
Age Eighteen
If someone told me an hour ago that I would be pinned beneath Row Casablancas, partially naked and writhing against the hood of his black Mustang, I would have guessed he’d gotten himself into some kind of trouble and had resorted to drugging me and harvesting my organs to make a quick buck.
Row didn’t hate me. He didn’t love me either. I would guesstimate his feelings toward me were somewhere on the spectrum between look at this adorable little moron and shit, I forgot she existed.
I was his baby sister’s best friend. The awkward klutz who suffered from bouts of verbal diarrhea and extremely questionable fashion sense.
Fine. I didn’t suffer from the questionable fashion sense. I owned it. Sue me for celebrating my individuality.
I always figured he liked me in the same way people liked puppies—because they were cute, dumb, and adored the ground you walked on, even if you were a terrible human who peeled clementines in public places. But I digress.
Harboring a small, totally manageable crush on your best friend’s brother was a cliché. However, I was obsessed with the nineties, an era that celebrated true and tested formulas. Ergo, pining after him fit me like a tattoo choker.
In my defense, Row made it impossible for my adolescent self not to lust after him on account of him: 1) being six foot four inches of lithe, corded muscles, having floppy onyx hair, and a jawline stronger than my lifetime of New Year’s resolutions combined, and 2) having the entire bad-boy vibe down to a T—including a sports car, athletic genes, witty one-liners, a dimpled smirk, and unlaced combat boots with tight-fitting jeans stacked upon them.
To sum it up, he was a morally gray hunk who was a total red flag—my age group’s favorite color scheme. So, yes. Of course I, too, wanted to be ruined by Dylan Casablancas’s older brother. Who didn’t? Our entire high school worshipped at his altar. Fenna McGee once even made a sticker that said, I’m not saying that Row Casablancas and God are the same person—but have you ever seen them in the same room?
Point was, Row’s tongue was currently shoved so far down my throat, we were playing tonsil hockey. His ballistic missile–sized erection pressed against the buttons of my yellow plaid skirt, threatening to snap them and send them past the Milky Way. And all I could think about was how I was doing Dylan dirty.
Bile coated the back of my throat. Dylan hated it when her friends fell at her brother’s feet. She’d make gagging sounds every time someone we knew flirted with him, which made what was happening right now completely inexcusable. But I was semi-drunk, exceptionally raw, and uncharacteristically reckless. Plus…Dylan was so used to seeing Row ruining her friends like it was an Olympic sport, what was adding one more into the mix?
I was also a people pleaser, and I really wanted to please Row. So I made complimentary moaning sounds I’d learned from the Pornhub University of Fake Orgasms. This included head lolling, enthusiastic panting, and girly gasps.
Row took this as an invitation to move to second base, coiling his calloused fingers around the front of my throat and flattening me against the hood of his car. The hood still exuded heat from the engine, and I wondered if I’d sport second-degree burns tomorrow morning. My butt cheeks were squeezed together to accommodate his lean waist between my thighs, my heartbeat thrashing against my eyelids like an angry woodpecker.
We were parked on a rocky cliff overlooking the glacial-tipped Maine mountains. The ocean stretched like a tight, black sheet across the horizon. The briny scent floated into my nostrils, and goose bumps coated my arms.
It felt so good and yet so wrong, I didn’t know whether to burst into giggles, tears, or flames.
Stop this right now, Cal. Dylan is going to strangle you.
Actually, my BFF was more the type to steal my clothes and go on a killing spree. Dylan Casablancas was creative, innovative, and delightfully hilarious. I loved her so much. She deserved better than this.
Row’s hand snuck under my beige turtleneck and my yellow plaid vest, cupping my left boob as his mouth trailed along my jaw, leaving wet, hot kisses in its wake, making my spine tingle. His lips were sinful, his tousled hair as soft as silk between my greedy fingers.
Dammit, I’m only human.
We were grinding against each other, and I was in awe of how different his body was from mine. Hard to my soft. Tall to my short. Tan to my pale. He was doing everything right. The way he swirled his tongue over my sensitive spots, drawing happy whimpers from me. The way his thumb rubbed the tip of my hard nipple, making it tingly and sensitive and desperate for more, felt like some kind of dark magic.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
What a terribly un-asshole-y thing to say. Then again, Row never directed his infinite wrath at me. Probably because I was like a sister to Dylan.
There was a bonfire happening in the moorlands below the cliff where we were parked. A farewell bash for us seniors before we all scattered away to our respective colleges. Row had dropped by to pick Dylan up—he was in town for a couple weeks, visiting from his fancy culinary school in Paris—but Dylan had wanted to stick around a little longer. Meanwhile, I’d wanted to go home, eat pickled eggs, and binge-watch Riverdale.
Yet we’d ended up on the notorious Make-out Mountain, where couples went to lose their virginity, and sometimes lacy thongs, without being interrupted.
Row and I were friendly. He was always protective of me. I’d asked him to drive up to the cliff so I could take one last look at the ocean before I moved to New York. I definitely hadn’t planned on attacking his mouth with mine like a rabid raccoon when we’d both stared at the yolky sun crawling up the sky.
Yet…it had happened. It had happened, and now I was in his arms, the cold recipient of his kisses and licks and roaming hands. I froze, yet again feeling guilty about Dylan. She’d forgive me, surely. It wasn’t like he was her boyfriend.
Row ripped his mouth from my skin, staring me down through a disapproving scowl. “Are you still alive?”
“Hmm-mm.”
“Should I stop?” His fingers immediately loosened around my waist and back, and I suddenly remembered what had made me want to have sex with him in the first place.
“No!” I wrenched him closer and pressed my lips to his, doubling down on that rabid-wildlife conduct. “You…you can’t stop.” But maybe he should? My mind and my body were definitely not in sync.
“Sure I can.” His mouth moved over mine again, his voice velvet and smoke. “Consent is a real thing. Google it.” I was blushing so furiously, it was a medical miracle my head didn’t explode. His mouth grinned against mine, teeth grazing my bottom lip. “Fuck. You’re so sweet. So innocent. I want to eat you out.”
“I want to eat you out too.” Wait, what? That didn’t sound right. Having social anxiety and literally zero filters when I was nervous sucked.
“Do you, now?” I could hear the smirk in his smartass tone.
Dammit, Cal. “Not, in, like, a cannibalistic way—”
“Show me, then. Use plenty of examples. I’m a slow learner.” He growled, deepening our kiss. Our teeth brushed together, and a wave of pleasure rolled along my spine. My skin was cold, but my insides were ablaze. I pushed my palm against his groin over his black jeans. I couldn’t believe I was touching him, really touching the guy who literally made women melt into a pool of hormones just by glancing at him.
He ripped his mouth from mine, eyeballing me hard. We stared at each other, panting. I had no idea what I was doing.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Roe is my favorite kind of hero! Bitter, prickly, grumpy… and secretly in love with the one girl he can’t have.
Row and Cal are such broken characters. They each have past trauma that left them shattered and unable to trust easily. And it is that trauma that draws them together, because there is a very thin line between love and hate, and Row doesn’t hate Cal at all. There is such growth from both of these characters as they face their fears and find the strength to move forward.
One of my favorite things about this book was just how hopelessly in love Row is with Cal, even all these years later, and his inner monologue every time he interacts with her. He comes across as a major jerk in order to protect his heart from breaking once again, but it’s just always been her for him. And she can’t fathom a world where he could be into someone as odd and quirky as her.
The playlist that Shen included with this book — each chapter is marked by a classic 1990s song — was the soundtrack of my college days. I loved that little extra and found myself humming each song with every new chapter.
This book has quite a few trigger warnings, so check the content list provided by Shen before diving in. It’s dark and gritty, but a gripping story and I was so satisfied by the time Row and Cal got to their well-deserved HEA.
I am so excited to see what comes next in the Forbidden Love series. I really liked the connections and friendships between the group of characters, and would love to see them all find their HEA. I am especially shipping Kieran and Dylan!! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
For more information about L.J. Shen and her books, visit her website:
The One I Didn’t See Coming by Piper Rayne is now on ebook, paperback & audio!
Duet narration performed by: Jason Clarke & Ava Erickson
It’s the classic story—girl returns to her hometown only to end up moving in with her high school crush, who she hates.
Returning to Willowbrook was my only option after Chicago chewed me up and spit me out. Technically, it wasn’t Chicago’s fault. It was his fault—the man I thought I knew who turned out to be a liar.
My older sister, always the one to swoop in and fix things, secured me a job as a yoga instructor on her fiancé’s family ranch. As my self-assigned protector, she’s keeping one eye on me and one eye on Emmett Noughton, her fiancé’s brother.
He’s the charming, fun-loving, take-life-as-it-comes kind of guy, and once upon a time, his name was scribbled in my notebooks. Back then, I was invisible to him. Now, he’s looking at me like I’m the only thing in the room. But he lost his chance with me a long time ago.
It’s easy to keep him at arm’s length and nurse the grudge I’ve held onto for years. Until the house I’m staying in sells, and I have nowhere to go except his house. Now, resisting him isn’t just difficult—it’s impossible.
Book 3 in the Plain Daisy Ranch is the youngest Noughton brother, Emmett, and Gillian’s baby sister, Briar. I loved the connection between these characters, and the evolution of their romance from Briar hating him (thanks to something that happened when they were teenagers) to reluctant roommates, to friends to more.
Briar comes back to town after her life implodes. She’s hiding a major secret, and is hesitant to tell her sister about it. Things between Briar and Emmett’s relationship really take a turn once he figures out what she’s going through, and a friendship develops. Emmett, meanwhile, has been struggling with his hopes/plans for the ranch, and what is expected of him, and Briar becomes his sounding board. Eventually, it gets to the point where they can no longer deny the sexual tension building between them, and they start up a secret relationship.
It was really enjoyable to watch the progression between these two characters. I really loved the sweet connection that both Briar and Emmett have with his cousin’s little girl, Wren, and the way the two of them connected over the loss of their mothers. Narrators Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson did a beautiful job with the duet narration of Emmett and Briar, and I enjoyed listening to them bring this story to life.
I loved the tease in the epilogue about Lottie and Brooks, and am so excited that this series will continue on! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Piper Rayne
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
Life doesn’t always go as planned, but sometimes, that’s where the magic happens.
About That One Night, an all-new frenemies to lovers, forced proximity romance from bestselling author Kendall Hale is now available!
She’s a corporate lawyer; he’s a carefree bodyguard. When their worlds collide, sparks fly in ‘About That One Night’—a romantic comedy about opposites attracting in the most delightful way.
Life doesn’t always go as planned, but sometimes, that’s where the magic happens.
Enter me: Zoe Harper.
Let me tell you, life has a funny way of flipping you upside down when you least expect it.
Case in point: I’m currently packing up my life into cardboard boxes after leaving my long-term, commitment-phobic ex-boyfriend.
Just when I think things can’t get worse, I find myself at a destination wedding with a grumpy but ridiculously handsome bodyguard, Maximillian McCallister.
Max and I have always been frenemies: he’s annoyingly charming, and I’m just trying to figure out my next move without losing my mind.
But one night, fueled by tequila and maybe a little bit of spite, we end up having the most incredible one-night stand. It changes everything.
Now I’m back in Boston, trying to figure out my new life with my meddling family, my stressful career, and stupidly hot Max popping up everywhere I go.
He’s infuriatingly perfect, and did I mention he’s my brother-in-law’s best friend? Yeah, it’s complicated. Even before factoring in the positive pregnancy test that flips my world upside down.
Keep Reading for a look inside About That One Night!
“And just like that, my life became a series of cardboard boxes and half-hearted pep talks. As it turns out, my emotional baggage is the only thing that doesn’t require bubble wrap.
While packing, my fingers trace the edge of a framed photo. Suddenly, I’m transported back to Cabo. The phantom warmth of the sun kisses my skin, and I can almost feel Tom’s arm around my waist. We’re grinning at the camera, blissfully unaware that our happiness came with an expiration date.
“It feels like a lifetime ago. With a sigh that seems to come from my very bones, I wrap the frame in an old newspaper and gently place it in the box labeled “Memories” in my loopy handwriting. Then I pause, gnawing on my lower lip. Is it even worth saving?
Maybe I should just remove our picture and donate the frame. It’s a cute ornament . . . I think. Then again, I could be completely wrong. If there’s something I’ve learned in the past couple of weeks, it’s that my judgment is about as reliable as a chocolate teapot.
There’s a huge difference between what I believe and what is real.
I believed Tom and I were heading to a happily ever after.
Reality check: here I am, packing my life into boxes and preparing for a glamorous new chapter on my parents’ lumpy futon. If only I could kick out the people who are currently renting my brownstone.
“Look at the silver lining, Zoe. This is only temporary,” I remind myself, eyeing the mountain of boxes. “Nine months, and you’ll be back in your cozy and beautiful brownstone. Assuming the renters don’t turn it into a frat house.”
For more information about Kendall Hale and her books, visit her website:
About That One Night is the second book in Kendall Hale’s Happily Ever Mishaps series, and wow, is this a happily ever mishap!
Max and Zoe had insane chemistry, and I loved how well they balanced each other out despite having such opposite personalities. Max and Zoe are part of a larger friend group, so they’ve known each other for years and have a kind of frenemies relationship. I thought it was really sweet how he checked in on her after her breakup; I wasn’t expecting him to do that knowing that they kind of drove one another crazy. They give in to their crazy chemistry and have a one-night stand, and then a secret no-strings situationship… but growing feelings and a positive pregnancy test soon tie them together forever.
I thought the banter between these two was really top-notch. Max challenged Zoe in so many ways, and after living just a ho-hum life with a guy who was just “okay” to be with, I felt as if being with Max was like a burst of color for Zoe.
This book gave me all the feels.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
My brother’s best friend brought me back, but nothing was the same. I can’t remember what happened. My parents dragged me away from my island home in the name of keeping me safe, and thrust me into hell instead.
I came back to Hatterwick to rebuild my life and–hopefully–my memory.
Now a new inheritance threatens to expose those long buried secrets, and someone will stop at nothing to ensure I never remember what really happened that fateful night.
The only thing standing between me and whoever wants to hurt me is a marriage of protection with the boy who saved me–now a man grown and determined to keep me safe at all costs.
But what began as protection turns into more. Because he’s the key to unlocking what hides in the shadows of my mind, which will either save or damn us both.
Won’t Back Down is the start of a new series from Kait Nolan’s other author name, Harper Jackson. It’s a brother’s best friend, secret crush, arranged/marriage of convenience romance set in a small town on the Outer Banks of NC, with a hefty dose of suspense mixed in.
The prologue takes place 12 years ago, the night Willa drowned and her heart stopped beating. She has huge gaps in her memory about that night. Now, she’s estranged from her parents and has returned to Hatterwick to rebuild her life and hopefully reclaim her memories about the night that her brother’s best friend, Sawyer, saved her life. They’ve always had a crush on each other, and now that they are in a marriage of convenience/protection, things progress to a bona fide relationship.
After some misunderstandings, Sawyer and Willa get on the same page, and I liked the progression of their relationship. The quest to find out what really happened the night Willa ended up in the water is full of twists and turns — and I was happy that my suspicion about who was the bad guy was correct!
Having spent many summers on OBX, I kept imagining Cape Hatteras as the setting, since the town name, Hatterwick, is so similar! I’m still not sure why the group of friends consider themselves the “Wayward Sons,” but I liked the relationship between the friend group, and how supportive they are of each other in this found family. I’d be interested to read the rest of the books in this series to learn more about the disappearance/murder that night of Willa’s friend Gwen!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Harper Jackson:
Harper Jackson has rescued her co-workers from a hostage situation, battled ninjas, and stopped international espionage—in her head anyway. Now that she’s no longer busy devising ways to make staff meetings more entertaining, she’s pouring that imagination into tales of breath-stealing, small-town romantic suspense. She believes that peach cobbler with ice cream is the best dessert ever and has a black belt in taekwondo to back it up. She lives in the Deep South with her husband and three canine furbabies.
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After finding out that her fiance had been cheating on her, Zara heads down South to her sister-in-law Sofia’s house, and ends up having a steamy fling with Sofia’s dirty-talking, Cowboy cousin, Gabriel. They aren’t supposed to be anything more than a two-week affair, but when Zara accidentally gets pregnant, everything changes for both of them. But when her life is in New York, and he runs a bar and the family horse business on a farm in Georgia, how will they make co-parenting work?
These two characters were on fire! I loved Zara’s sass, and Gabriel’s drawl and possessiveness and dirty mouth. There are lots of appearances from the other characters in this larger series, and the reader gets to know Sofia’s family a bit more during the time Zara spends on Grandpa Casey’s farm.
i received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Natasha Madison:
When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…
Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin delivers an emotional and riveting love story. Charming and heroic, there’s nothing about Gabriel Woodruff that Avery Burke doesn’t love. His warm brown eyes, his generosity, that small scar above his lip. The newspaper photo of him carrying her from a burning home only adds to the romance of it all.
A fairytale beginning and a picture-perfect marriage practically guarantees Avery and Gabriel a ride into the sunset. But every relationship has flaws, and what they ignored while they were busy being flawless eventually surfaces. The unraveling begins with the smallest tug on the tiniest string.
Their fall is spectacular, the kind that makes the paper.
When the fairytale goes up in smoke, Avery and Gabriel are forced to ask themselves hard questions.
What does for better or worse really mean? Is this their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love? What do we keep, when we lose it all?
*What We Keep is a full-length love story with NO CHEATING, no other woman/other man drama, and an HEA. Trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book.
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This book was beautiful! I read it in a day because I could not put it down! I love an intense marriage-in-jeopardy book, and Jennifer Milliken delivers with What We Keep! Avery and Gabriel’s story will warm your heart, make you cry as they are torn apart, and then feel all glowy as they fall in love for a second time.
I love how the story is set up. The first half is told as flashbacks during Avery’s therapy sessions. She and Gabriel were on fire from the moment they met (quite literally! As well as figuratively). But when they crashed and burned, they fell hard! The reader goes along on the journey with Avery and Gabriel’s picture-perfect romance, the fissures that made them crack, their marriage eventually crumbling to bits, and her struggle to pick up the pieces and move on.
The second half of the book is in present time, when karma… fate… destiny… brings them back together. They have both changed so much over the past three years. There is so much hurt to move past, and they are in this suspended state for a while, living in a bubble where they don’t need to face the past. But when time runs out and they have to make some hard decisions, will Avery be able to forgive Gabriel and trust him again?
If you are looking for a second-chance romance that is raw, gritty and intense, don’t miss What We Keep! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Jennifer
Jennifer Millikin is a bestselling author of fifteen contemporary romance and women’s fiction novels. She is the two-time recipient of the Readers Favorite Gold Star Award, and readers have called her work “emotionally riveting” and “unputdownable”.
Following a viral TikTok video with over fourteen million views, Jennifer’s third novel, Our Finest Hour, has been optioned for TV/Film. She lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, children, and Liberty, her Labrador retriever.
A hot single dad who falls hard (and fast!)
Sunny Shelly Reads 