The first time I saw Hamilton, he was balls deep in one of the bridesmaids at my motherโs wedding.
He was lethal. Handsome. Cruel. Twisted.
I was drawn to him like fists to glass. We had an angry sort of relationship. There was nothing kind about the broken man that stole my heart and crushed it in his fist. He was all sharp edges. One touch could ruin me. One kiss could end our happy little family.
When my mother married Joseph Beauregard, son of the governor of Connecticut, I never imagined Iโd fall in love with my stepfatherโs younger brother. I never imagined Iโd uncover the truth about his familyโs bloody legacy.
Hamilton escaped with scars to his name and a ruined reputation. And now? I wanted out, too. I guess the scandal of our relationship was the least of our familyโs problems.
The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card on her Facebook page to celebrate. Stop by to enter!
Holy crap, what did I just read? Bastards & Scapegoats is an absolutely PERFECT title for this messed-up family drama/forbidden romance.
This is the first book I’ve read by CoraLee June, and I am now a fan! She perfectly created these characters. I loved the vulnerability that Hamilton shows around Vera. He’s so wounded and broken and hides it behind cocky arrogance. He finds a kindred soul in his new niece, Vera, another wounded heart who constantly feels as if she needs to apologize for her mere existence. On paper, everything about Vera and her stepfather’s brother being together is wrong…. but when they are together, Vera and Hamilton just have an ease, a comfortability, and all seems right in the very messed-up world they live in.
Until it isn’t.
As secrets unfold and lies unravel, Vera gets hit after hit as the truth about her new family’s deep, dark demons are exposed. Nothing is as it seems, and the few people Vera thought she could trust she learns she can’t.
Bastards & Scapegoats is part 1 of a duet, and does end on a cliffhanger. As I got to the end, I was shocked by the revelation in the second-to-last chapter! I need the conclusion to Vera and Hamilton’s story now — not February!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Coralee June is an international bestselling romance writer who enjoys engaging projects and developing real, raw, and relatable characters. She is an English major from Texas State University and has had an intense interest in literature since her youth. She currently resides with her husband and two daughters in Dallas, Texas, where she enjoys long walks through the ice-cream aisle at her local grocery store.
THE BEST OF US by Kennedy Fox is now available on all retailers! A best friend’s brother, opposites attract, and snowed-in together standalone romance.ย
The Best of Us is a steamy opposites attract/enemies-to-lovers/best friend’s brother romance! It follows the story set up between Eli and Cami in The Two of Us — this time, Cami’s brother Ryan and her best friend Kendall have gone to the St. James family cabin to set it up for Eli and Cami’s honeymoon. The few days stuck together are going to be painful for Ryan and Kendall, who can’t stand each other. He thinks she’s a stuck-up pampered princess, and she thinks he is a holier-than-thou doctor with an attitude problem and a stick up his behind.
But when a record-breaking blizzard traps Ryan and Kendall together for longer than they expected, cabin fever leaves them to give in to their desires for some sex-only fun. Of course, emotions get involved, and both Ryan and Kendall begin to see the other in a different light… and realize that their hateful bickering all these years has really been to cover up a mutual attraction. Once the roads are cleared and they leave the bubble of the cabin, will Ryan and Kendall be able to make a relationship work in the real world?
I loved the heat between them. They both show a vulnerable side with one another, and Ryan and Kendall’s relationship is equally sweet and sexy. I was captivated with the story from start to finish, and read it in a day.
In The Two of Us, we got to see a bit how Ryan’s work as a healthcare worker affected him as a doctor working through the coronavirus pandemic. In The Best of Us, it is now post-pandemic and after a vaccination has been widely available. But we get to know more about Ryan and how working as an ER doctor during the pandemic *really* affected him, to the point of him suffering from PTSD over what he’d seen. I really gave the character more depth, which I appreciated.
The epilogue also sets up the next book in this series in a fantastic way!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Kennedy Fox
Brooke Cumberland and Lyra Parish are a duo of romance authors who teamed up under the USA Today pseudonym, Kennedy Fox.ย
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They share a love of Hallmark movies & overpriced coffee.ย When they arenโt bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas.ย
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One day in 2016, they decided to collaborate under a pseudonym and have some fun creating new characters thatโll make you blush and your heart melt.ย
Today we have the blog tour of Julie Hammerleโs Write Before Christmas! Check out this gorgeous new romance and be sure to get your copy today!
Title: Write Before Christmas
Author: Julie Hammerle
Genre: Holiday Romance
About Write Before Christmas:
Youโve probably heard of me. Reclusive fantasy author turned famous when his series got developed into a mega TV hit. Except now Iโm way behind deadline, and the whole world is waiting to see what Iโll write next. The pressure is getting to me, and I. Canโt. Write. Cue: small town where people donโt recognize me. Cue: my assistant insisting on a personal chef to keep me fed and nothing more. Cue: finding the first bit of inspiration Iโve felt in months whenever sheโs aroundโฆ Am I a walking cliche now, or what? Dani Cooper seems to have her own hurdles to jump this holiday season. Newly divorced, looking for her next move. Sheโs the first person whoโs seen me for me in way too long. And I see her, too–as way more than just an employee, a divorcee, a cook. Sheโs becoming my museโฆ But when my Christmas deadline hits, will it spell the end of us, too?
If you love the feel-good quality of a Hallmark Christmas movie, then Write Before Christmas is definitely a swoony story you will want to check out.
Matt is a well-known fantasy author hiding out in a small town following a scandal so he can finish his next novel before the next season of the TV show needs to start filming. Dani is a recent divorcee with a 19 year old daughter, struggling to get her life back together and gain some independence. Their paths first cross on a random walk around the neighborhood. But their worlds collide when it turns out that the reclusive author Dani just took a job housekeeping for is the cute guy Matt she’s seen — and spontaneously kissed — around the street.
The discovery of their true identities is not a dragged-out process, thankfully, so we get to see Matt and Dani without him hiding his true self from her. In fact, she becomes his muse during a time when his deadline is looming and the words aren’t coming out. She helps him come out of his shell and begin to trust people again, and he helps her gain a sense of independence and, in a roundabout way, career goals after 20+ years of being a housewife. I really loved that Matt and Dani are both over 40. They know what they want — a no-strings fling — and they don’t play games with one another. Their relationship starts out as a holiday fling, but there’s so much more simmering underneath the surface… And when Matt realizes what a mistake he’d made, his Grand Gesture to win back the girl goes hilariously wrong, but is better than anything he could have scripted himself.
Write Before Christmas is a great holiday escape! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Julie Hammerle:
USA Today bestselling author Julie Hammerle writes young adult novels that focus on nerds, geeks, and basket cases falling in love. On the YA side, she is the author of The Sound of Us (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). For adult romances, look for Knocked-Up Cinderella in the fall of 2018. A graduate of Butler University with degrees in secondary education and Latin with a minor in music, Julie lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.
Blurb: Twelve years ago, our fates were sealed with a kiss.
We are all, for better or worse, doomed to love each other until death do us part. My heart belongs to Proserpina and St. Sebastianโeven if he no longer wants it. Even if she has left it behind to follow him.
Delphineโs fled back home, and Becketโs holy calling is in peril.
And now only Rebecca and I remain at Thornchapel to face the unknown.
The door is open. The door that shouldnโt exist; the door that people have died to close. I donโt feel like the lord of the manor…I donโt feel like a king or a wild god. I am a friend and a boyfriend and a brotherโand a failure at being all of these things. But the door doesnโt care about my guilt. It only cares about the sacrifice Iโll make to close it.
As the bruising dark of Samhain approaches, so does the fate of our circle, of Thornchapel and the village and the valley beyond it. And I must don the crown, because one thing is still true, even if I must face it alone.
Here at Thornchapel, the kings must go to the door.
Here at Thornchapel, all kings must die.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
The Thornchapel series comes to a conclusion with Door of Bruises. (This book is definitely not a standalone.) It’s dark and twisted and not your conventional romance. It’s a story full of big emotions, ancient rituals, mysterious happenings, and a lot of gasp-worthy moments (and the kinky scenes that we’ve come to expect from Auden, Poe and Saint). The mystery behind the door at Thornchapel is finally revealed, and it’s heartbreaking, shocking, and surprising all at once.
Beyond the mystery of what lies behind the door, this book sees Poe, Beckett, Saint, Auden, Delphine and Rebecca need to make some decisions as to the next steps of their lives. It’s impossible to really review the happenings of Door of Bruises without getting into the nitty-gritty of the story. But this series is an epic masterpiece and Sierra Simone is a master storyteller!
As soon as I have the time, I want to binge-read this series, uninterrupted, from start to finish!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author: Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.
Rush McKenzie is a bad boy soccer player who’s running from a scandal. Lennox Kincade is an ex-beauty queen who’s trying to revamp her reputation. What starts as a bit of fun, ends with something they never saw coming.
Hard to Hold by K. Bromberg is now live!
New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, is back with a heartfelt, standalone romance and a new hero to steal your heart . . . The contract with Major League Soccer was supposed to help repair my damaged reputation.
Then I discovered that I’d made a deal with the devil: the player I’m supposed to recruit is none other than the bad boy, star Premier League footballer, Rush McKenzie.
British. Tattooed. Sexy. A man currently at the center of a huge scandal.
The goal? To convince him to stay in the States.
But what’s wrong with a little fun in the meantime? No strings. No sweet nothings. Just a way to pass the time while we’re both struggling to prove our true selves to the world. If someone found out our relationship was anything more than professional, it would only serve to prove all our critics right.
*** I never should have agreed to take the fall.
But I did and I’m a man of my word.
Even if it means risking everything I’ve worked for.
Sharing a house with the gorgeous sports agent should have been a fun distraction from the turmoil. Someone to help pass the time while the tensions back home die down.
But what started as nothing, ends up as something I never saw coming.
Download today on Amazon, Apple, Audible, Google Play, Kobo, Books & Noble!
Hard To Hold is the second book in K. Bromberg’s Play Hard series about a family of female sports managers. It took me a while to really get into Lennox and Rush’s story, but once I got into the meat of the story, it was incredible. Hard to Hold tackles so many themes: sexism in the workplace, family loyalty, celebrity scandal, ruined reputations, and falling in love with someone at the wrong time.
Rush is trying to lay low after a career-threatening scandal, while Lennox is feeling unsettled in her place in the family business. They meet at a mutual friend’s house, where they are both staying and Lennox’s new job is to essentially babysit the British soccer superstar while he’s playing in the States. She brings out the sensitive side that the cocky athlete has been hiding from the world, and he grounds her wanderlust. But outside of their bubble and a fling with an expiration date, will they be able to make things work in the real world?
I loved Rush’s backstory. I love seeing a hero with that kind of vulnerability, and how when push comes to shove, Lennox is the person who stands up and fights for the guy who has always felt like that homeless and hungry teenager even though he’s become one of the most successful soccer stars.
Just because a love may be hard to hold on to doesn’t mean it’s not worth fighting for.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Kristy
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.
With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter (http://bit.ly/254MWtI) or follow her on Bookbub (http://smarturl.it/KBrombergBB)
Years ago I was faced with the choice between two women. Both were perfect in opposite ways. One was carefree and against commitment. The other was a woman youโd bring home to mom.ย
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I was young, naรฏve and stupid. Iโm sure you can guess who I chose.ย
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Now, Iโm older, wiser and know what the hell I want.ย
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So, when the same two women pop back into my life itโs my chance for a do-over. But they flipped the script. Just like me, they want different things now. Leaving me with one choiceโconvince the woman I want that she wants me too.ย
Ooooh boy, this one was a doozy! From start to finish, Knox’s story was ah-may-zing. The Do-Over is all about how one decision, one choice, can change the trajectory of your life. When faced with the chance to do it all over again, would you make the same choices? This love triangle between Knox, Leilani and Kamea was a brilliant, unexpected twist on the second-chance romance trope.
I loved getting to know Knox and finding out what makes the Rooftop Crew police officer tick. We have seen him and Leilani in some of the previous books, and saw glimpses of how dysfunctional their relationship is. So I was excited to really get into the nitty gritty of it, and Piper Rayne did not disappoint with The Do-Over! When push comes to shove, will Knox be able to convince the woman he loves that he’s making the right choice?
And that ending! OMG! I need Jax and Frankie’s story ASAP! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Piper Rayne
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Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because weโre not one author, weโre two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one.ย
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Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have “Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle” (okay…you caught us, that’s our tagline).ย
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A little about us…ย We both have kindleโs full of one-clickable books.ย We’re both married to husbands who drive us to drink.ย We’re both chauffeurs to our kids.ย
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Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
โ NOW AVAILABLEโ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ is live! You will love our sexy Sagittarius in this Holiday Romantic Comedy!
Purchase ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ for ๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ค: https://amzn.to/35A0UfZ
BLURB: All I want for Christmas is Branson Ford.
Iโve been starry-eyed for my handsome boss since the day I started working for him at Empire Media. Problem is, he doesnโt see me as anything more than his sweet assistant.
I need help becoming a vixen. I need someone to teach me how to be sensual, how to be desired, and how to get the man Iโve pined over for the last two years. So, I enlist the help of my co-worker.
My very sexy, very charming co-worker, Hunter Johnstone.
Hunter loves the thrill of the chase. Heโs spontaneous, honest, and just the man I need for a lesson in passion. When he suggests we start a fake relationship, I think heโs crazy, but who am I to question his jealousy-inducing ways?
His little trick worksโmaybe too well. The line between friends and lovers is blurred, but maybe thatโs because it was never really there. And just as Iโm about to start seeing clearly, my Christmas wish comes true.
The co-worker she thought she wanted turns out to not be the one she ends up falling head over heels for in this charming book by Jeannine Colette and Lauren Runow. Charming Co-Worker is the 2nd book in their zodiac series, and is an absolutely delightful holiday romance about a Sagittarius hero.
Desperate to sex herself up in order to catch her boss’ eye, Katie asks her colleague, Hunter, for some sexy lessons. Hunter is a player, but he and Katie are friends and she’s sure he’s the perfect guy to assist her with her mission. It’s not long before Katie discovers that Hunter is her perfect match. This story is swoony and sweet, set at Christmastime with lots of holiday puns, witty banter and the Christmas spirit.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Who hits on someone in the chemo room? Me, apparently. But, this was a first even for me. I don’t fall in love. I don’t pine over women. I planned on going to the grave a proud bachelor.
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Until Lin…
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She should have come with a warning label. She was feisty, distant and secretive. Too gorgeous by any standards. Too headstrong for my taste. Too much like me.
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I ignored the warning signs and dove in headfirst. but despite our love, she was holding back. She had a secret that could be the end of her. And us.
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I promised I would be there for her. Little did I know, life would hold me to that.ย
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Would the love I have for her be enough to carry me through?
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
I am so glad I read this book! I can’t believe Brooke McBride is a relatively new author. Not only was this story fantastic, the characters were wonderfully developed, the story was plotted beautifully, flowed at exactly the right pace and there is not a single thing I would change about it. Carry Me Through is not your typical romance. It’s not just a story about a guy who meets a girl who is dying of cancer. It’s an amazing story about loving with all your heart, of letting go even when you want to hold on tightly, and finding the strength to be selfless when every fiber of your body is shouting to be selfish. And that special, pure, life-altering kind of love that will carry you through even the darkest of days.
Lin and Colt’s story is one that I won’t soon forget. I practically read the entire thing — 55 of the 60 chapters — during this covid Thanksgiving when I had extra time on my hands. I could not put it down. Literally, I was reading it on my Kindle app while cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family. Carry Me Through is a remarkable story. Caitlin may not have been Colt’s forever, but he was hers for the short time they had together.
I was not prepared for how much I would love this story, how much I would sob over Lin and Colt… but I am so glad I took a chance on reading it!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
ย From the award-winning author ofย UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES,
comes a sexy story of love, second chances, gratitude, and finding beauty in the broken and the forgotten.
Will her fling become his forever?
Leia Scott has sworn off love. Fresh from a messy, public divorce from her hockey player ex, the twenty-six-year-old fashion designer temporarily trades New York for London to heal and embrace her freedom. Her vow? To protect her heart, steer clear of relationships, and say yes to flings without strings. She throws herself into designing upcycled dresses and exploring London with her sister. But Leia’s carefully curated plan encounters a flirty complication with an irresistible British accent.ย
Wealthy, charming, and devastatingly attractive, Tarquin Balfour is tired of meaningless hookups and dates that go nowhere. For years, he has played the bon viveur with reckless abandon, throwing decadent parties, sleeping with a parade of women, and diving into extreme sports around the globe. But now the young property developer wants more. He craves love and commitment, to prove his kind heart matters more than the abundance of zeroes attached to his bank balance. Struggling with undiagnosed depression, Tarquin worries he’ll never find The One…until he meets his princess, a fashion designer named Leia.
Afraid of falling in love and fearful of being alone, Leia and Tarquin enter into an entanglement that threatens to hurt them both.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars
Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye was an enjoyable fling-to-forever romance. Leia is just visiting London when she meets Tarquin at Ikea and they form an instant connection. The chemistry between them sizzles, but she isn’t planning on staying in England and, recently divorced, isn’t looking for a relationship. Meanwhile, he’s pretty much decided that she is the one.
When Leia eventually returns to NYC, she and Tarquin do the long-distance relationship. There are a lot of ups and downs as they attempt to figure things out. She’s just looking for a Mr. Right Now, but Tarquin is sure she’s his Mrs. Right. As time goes on, Leia discovers that Mr. Right Now might be the guy for her after all. There’s also a nicely developed subplot with Tarquin’s mental health and Leia’s own depression and mental health issues, which I thought was handled delicately.
Jacquelyn Middleton is a new-to-me author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I enjoyed the story and thought that Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye was well written, but parts of the story dragged for me. I also thought that there were a lot of secondary characters. This book is part of a series, and is an interconnected story. There were some parts where past books were referenced and I would have liked to have had more background. For fans of Jacqueline Middleton, I’m sure it’s great since there are lots of cameos from other characters, but I felt a little lost in some places.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Jacquelyn Middleton is an award-winning author of love stories for hopeful romantics–‘hopeful’ because her novels are always full of optimism and a ‘happy ever after’ is important now more than ever before. But life is messy, relationships are messy, and her books aren’t afraid to go there, too. If you enjoy character and relationship-driven stories about people dealing with the triumphs and disasters we all face, Jacquelyn’s books are for you.
In 2019, she was named BEST CANADIAN AUTHOR at the RWA’s Toronto Romance Writers ‘Northern Hearts’ Awards for UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES. She is also the author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME, LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? andย SAY HELLO, KISS GOODBYE.
An own voices author, Jacquelyn has dealt with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression all her life, and is dedicated to depicting mental health challenges realistically and empathetically in her novels.
Jacquelyn’s books have been featured by The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today, Cosmo, Redbook, and the Huffington Post.
She lives in Toronto with her British husband and Japanese Spitz dog.
And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.
Make Me Yours, an all-new rom com that is all too sexy from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow is available now!
Heโs my brotherโs best friend.
The hot single dad next door.
And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.
Itโs my own damn fault. Iโm thirty years old, for heavenโs sake. Iโm a kindergarten teacher and a (reasonably) responsible adult. I should know better than to get tipsy and draft a fake text listing all the dirty things I wish Officer Cole Mitchell would do to me.
I wasnโt supposed to hit send.
He wasnโt supposed to see it.
And he definitely wasnโt supposed to text back telling me to go on . . .
Because after that, things escalate quickly.
Cole is everything Iโve ever wanted. Heโs sexy and protective. A devoted father to his little girl. A dedicated cop the whole town adores. The kind of guy you can trust to keep his hands to himself, even when youโre desperately hoping he wonโt.
Iโm not the girl he thought heโd end up with, but after all this time, I might finally get the chance to say the words Iโve always dreamed of . . . make me yours.
Return to Bellamy Creek with the ultimate feel-good small town romance! Make Me Yours has it all: a hot widowed single dad, the best friend’s little sister who has been in love with him since she was 12, an adorable little girl, a pair of meddling moms, and all kinds of heartbreaking moments and equally swoony ones.
We first met Cole and Cheyenne in Griffin and Blair’s book — she’s Griff’s little sister and Cole is his best friend who grew up next door. Cole has been living with his mom for 9 years, ever since his late wife died during childbirth, and Cheyenne recently moved home to take a teaching job at the local school. The close proximity definitely plays a part in Cole suddenly noticing Cheyenne in ways that he hadn’t before — and WOW, that opening chapter really lays it all out there and sets up the complicated relationship!
An accidental sext is what finally pushes Cole to act on what he’s been feeling from Cheyenne — but before they can move things into real life, Cole and Cheyenne put on the brakes when they realize that they are not on the same page. She is looking for forever, and he’s too hung up on his vow to Mariah to never get married again to really move forward with another woman. My heart broke for Cheyenne when she walked away from what she’s wanted since she was 12, but she was so amazingly strong and I was so glad that she didn’t let Cole walk all over her feelings and stood up for what she really wanted.
Eventually, Cole gets himself on the same page, and he and Cheyenne make things official. But it’s still not all rainbows and unicorns for the couple since the grief and feelings Cole stuffed deep inside after his wife passed come roaring to the surface in a big way. Will Cole get over his fear of losing someone he loves yet again, or is being happy with Cheyenne for however long he will have it be worth the risk?
Cole and Cheyenne’s story is set around Blair and Griffin’s wedding at Cloverleigh Farms — so not only do we get to see Blair and Griffin get married, but there are some cameos made by Frannie, April, Tyler and Mack from Melanie Harlow’s Cloverleigh series. MH also did a great job of sparking my interest in Enzo and Bianca, so I really, really hope that theirs is an enemies-to-lovers story coming next in the Bellamy Creek series! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Excerpt
Darlene spoke up. โMy mother passed them down to me, and I want to make sure theyโre in good condition so I can leave them to Cheyenne when she gets married.โ Then she crossed herself and closed her eyes, her lips moving in a quick, silent prayer.
Cheyenne ignored her mother and addressed Mariah again. โMy brother and I always had to wash and dry the wedding china on holidays before we went to bed. It took forever.โ
โIโd stay and help you, sis, but I have to get Blair home. Sorry.โ Griffin gave her a grin that said he wasnโt the least bit sorry, and Cheyenne stuck her tongue out at him.
โCole, why donโt you stay and give Cheyenne a hand?โ My mother suggested, wrapping her scarf around her neck.
โThatโs a great idea,โ Darlene said brightly. Then she sort of bent over and rubbed one hip, her expression agonized. โIโd help her myself but Iโve been on my feet a lot today and the doctor said that isnโt good for my joints.โ
โYou should just get to bed, Darlene,โmy mother said, shepherding Mariah toward the front door. โCole will be more than happy to stay and help Cheyenne.โ
โOh, thatโs okay.โ Cheyenne smiled at me and shook her head. โI can handle them.โ
But Darlene beamed at me, reaching over and snatching my coat out of my hands. โThatโs so nice of you, Cole. Iโll just hang this in the front closet.โ Before she left the room, she and my mother exchanged a look that had me wondering if the whole helping-with-the-dishes thing had been a set-up.
Either way, ten minutes later Cheyenne and I were pushing up our sleeves in the kitchen, the house dark and silent except for the running faucet and the hum of the dishwasher.
โIโll wash, you dry?โ she asked, adding dish soap to the side of the sink sheโd plugged and lined with a towel.
โSure.โ
She took a plate from the stack to her left and placed it in the warm soapy water. โOh! I almost forgot.โ Slipping her rings and bracelets off, she set them on the windowsill above the sink. โSo I donโt scratch anything,โ she explained.
โOh.โ I glanced down at my wedding ring. โItโs okay,โ she said quickly. โYou donโt have to take it off.โ
โItโs fine,โ I said, working it off my finger and placing it on the sill next to her jewelry. For some reason, I felt compelled to explain why I still wore it all the time. โMariah once told me she likes when I wear it, so . . .โ
โI think itโs nice, โshe said. โI like a guy who wears his ring. It says something about him, you know?โ
I nodded, my attraction to her growing even stronger. โStill, weโd better be careful with these dishes.โ
โDamn right, weโd better,โ she deadpanned. โThis is my fucking wedding china, Cole. If we even look at it wrong, I might end up a spinster.โ She laughed as she gently scrubbed the plate with a cloth. โMy God. Is she not totally ridiculous?โ
โSheโs pretty bad,โ I agreed, taking the plate from her and carefully drying it with the soft clean towel sheโd given me. โBut mine wasnโt much better tonight. Did you have the feeling something was up between them as we were saying goodnight?โ
โYes,โ she said. โAnd itโs probably my fault because I made the mistake of telling my mom you bought me dinner last night. In her mind, I believe we are now betrothed.โ
I laughed. โThatโs all it takes, huh?โ
โApparently. Tomorrow Iโll be pregnant because we washed dishes together after dark.โ
โWow. Guess I should have worn the rubber gloves.โ
About Melanie
USA Today bestselling author 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 Schittโs Creek, Homeland, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, 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.
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