It’s release day for IF ONLY YOU HURT by Stefanie Castro!

Laney and Grant grew up together, and their lives were intertwined in a way that only made their love for each other blossom. The moment both see a future beyond friendship, tragedy strikes.

Laney James had her life on the right track. She grew up surrounded by love, and as the years passed, her best friend became her soulmate. Unfortunately, life had a different plan, and she didn’t realize the cataclysmic effect that would have on her future. In the span of a few minutes, Laney’s existence shifted into a shell of what it once was, and now she was left to cope and navigate down a path that consumed her with fear and the unknown.

Grant Stanley was always the carefree person who knew no matter what life handed him, he’d tackle it with his best friend nearby. What started as an innocent friendship blossomed into a love he never expected. His movements became centered around whatever outcome would lead to his love for Laney. The moment her life took a drastic turn, his heart had to shift with her. Laney was his everything until one day when she unearths a secret that might destroy the one relationship that meant the world to each of them.

This is a best friends-to-lovers story about heartache, love, and redemption. Laney now lived her adult life realizing the fragility of each moment; however, the pain crippled her ability to see past all she lost on that fateful day. Grant wanted love and she didn’t know how to embrace that.

If only he hurt…

I absolutely loved the If Only series! While I was sad to see it come to an end, I think Stefanie Castro saved the best for last with Grant and Laney’s story! Having read the two previous books, there were many breadcrumbs dropped about these two characters and their friends-with-benefits situationship hinted at. I was so excited to really dive into this book, and I thought that SC did a fantastic job exploring not only their friendship and romance but the nuances of grief, trauma and loss!

Laney survived the unthinkable. She has carried grief and trauma with her every day for the past 12 years. She became a shell of her former self, but Grant was there with every step of the way in her recovery. Steadfast, golden retriever, cinnamon roll Grant. I adored him. And I appreciated how we got to see how he handled the grief of losing their romance as well. These two were on the precipice of changing their relationship forever the day that Laney’s life changed forever, and it took a really long time for them to reclaim what they once had. Years! And while both of them dated in the interim, they each knew that the other was home. A safe place. But when they finally reconnect and move forward, will a secret Laney has been keeping all this time threaten to tear them apart for good?

This book was so well done, told through chapters set in the past and in the present. All three of the If Only books have an overlapping timeline, and it was really interesting to re-read previous scenes from the perspective of Grant and Laney. And I can’t thank the author enough for that lovely epilogue, set 10 years in the future, told from the perspective of the three husbands where we get to see where each of the couples (and their kids) are a decade from now!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

My Royal Showmance by Lexi Blake is now live! 

From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, discover The Park Avenue Promise Series…

Three young women make a pact in high school—

to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

My Royal Showmance

Anika Fox knows exactly where she wants to be, and it’s not on the set of a reality TV dating show. She’s working her way up at the production company she works for and she’s close to achieving some of her dreams. The big boss just wants one thing from her. She’s got a potential problem with the director of The King Takes a Bride and she wants Anika to pose as a production assistant and report back.

As the king of a tiny European country, Luca St. Marten knows the world views him as one of the pampered royalty of the world. It couldn’t be further from the truth. His country is hurting and he’s right there on the front lines with his citizens. When he’s asked to do a dating show, his counselors point out that it could bring tourism back to Ralavia. It goes against his every desire, but he agrees.

When one of the contestants drops out at the last minute, Anika finds herself replacing the potential princess. She’s sure she’ll be asked to leave the first night, but Luca keeps picking her again and again. Suddenly she finds herself in the middle of a made-for-TV fantasy, and she’s unsure what’s real and what’s simply reality TV.

  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3QrhFzO

Apple Books: https://bit.ly/49mIa23

Nook: https://bit.ly/46Xi04s

Kobo: https://bit.ly/46SgMay

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3tXJaJQ

Audible: https://bit.ly/3suyiTu

Narrated by: Kitty Bang

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QHfGZE

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

My Royal Showmance was a really cute, easy read. It’s a fluffy tale where girl eets hot boy at a NYC bar and they spend a great night together, only to find out the next day that the boy is actually a king of a small country and the new bachelor on a reality TV dating show where the girl is a production assistant on an undercover mission for the production company owner. But now the girl has to fill in for one of the contestants and date the king along with a dozen roommates. Happens every day, right?

I thought that Luca and Anika had great chemistry. Their relationship felt easy and natural, and she saw him as Luca the guy, not Reginald the King. While they are in the bubble of the Park Avenue mansion where the show is being filmed, these two bond during secret clandestine midnight meetings in her room. It really gives them a chance to get to know each other outside of the drama of the show.

And there is drama with the show! Of course, there is the standard drama you would expect behind the scenes on a dating show, but there’s also a harassment subplot with the director that I found really intriguing. I really liked the way Lexi Blake handled that, and tied it into Luca and Ani’s breakup… and then the Grand Gesture. Swoony!

I did not read the first book in the Park Avenue Promise series, and that was totally fine. There are crossover characters, but Luca and Anika’s story completely stands on its own. This story is perfect escapism!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review

Meet Lexi

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi

Website: www.lexiblake.net

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5124235.Lexi_Blake

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When our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.

My Heart Still Beats, an all-new must read, emotional, dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Helen Hardt is now available!

Some days I can almost see the person I used to be. See the version of myself that felt joy, even passion. But she’s gone…just out of reach.

Life moves on for everyone else, though, and as my best friend’s maid-of-honor, I have a bachelorette party to plan—in Jamaica, no less. And that means working side by side with the best man: Benjamin Black.

Billionaire. Workaholic. Ultimate bachelor. The perfect catch for any woman—unless she’s lost her sense of self.

Apparently my body hasn’t gotten the memo. Because from the second we meet, something begins stirring, warming my blood.

And when our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.

He’s nothing like I thought. Every moment with him unshackles a little more of my fears, cracks another layer of ice.

But I should be afraid—and so should he. Because the past never lets go so easily.

Start reading today!

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Keep reading for a look inside My Heart Still Beats!

“Your lips are so beautiful, Tessa…” Ben thumbs my lower lip, sending tingles down my spine.

Kiss me.

The words hover in my mind.

They make it from my brain, to my tongue, almost to my lips…

But I can’t say them.

I can’t bring them forth.

My body is so hot. In a different way than ever before. Does this mean these emotions I’m feeling for Ben are different? Or is it simply that I’m different from all of my experiences?

I don’t know. I may never know. Does it even matter?

Kiss me.

Kiss me.

Kiss me.

Again only in my mind.

“So fucking beautiful,” he says again. “I’d give my entire fortune to kiss your lips right now. If that were the cost, I’d gladly pay it.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I say nothing. My heart thumps wildly, though. The thought doesn’t frighten me. No.

It arouses me.

I want his kiss.

I want it so badly.

“But I’m not going to kiss you, Tessa. Not yet.” He caresses the side of my face with his other hand. “When I kiss you, it’s going to be a spectacular kiss. I’m talking rockets and fireworks. A fucking explosion, Tessa. The earth will move when we kiss for the first time.”

I can’t help the soft sigh that escapes my throat.

“Part of you wants it as much as I do. I know you do.”

All I can do is nod, my lips trembling.

“I see it in your eyes, in those big, beautiful brown eyes that reflect something truly remarkable back at me.”

“What’s that?” I ask, willing my voice not to shake.

“You have a depth about you,” he says. “A depth so great that I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it.”

Depth? I’ve never thought of myself as deep. I always thought I was kind of shallow. I rejected my parents’ and grandmother’s religion for boys and parties. I was into my looks, into my body. Obsessing over those ten pounds I thought I had to lose. Wanting fun, to live life day by day.

Carpe diem was my mantra.

Let your hair down was another.

“You say more things with your eyes,” he continues, “than most people say in words. I see the pain reflected there. But I also see the pleasure. I see the good life that you’ve led. I see the memories. The memories of what life was before. They’re still in there, Tessa. We both know that. We both know you can be whatever kind of woman you want to be. You’re healing. Healing takes time. I should know.”

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Holy Moly, My Heart Still Beats is a doozy!! I have to admit, even though I read the author’s notes about the content warnings, I was still blown away by how emotional and dark this book was! But it does have a happy ending, so if you are willing to stick it out, Tessa and Ben’s story is a rollercoaster of a ride that is gut-wrenching and beautiful all at once!

Both Tessa and Ben have their demons that they are dealing with. While Ben’s stem back to childhood trauma (losing his mom at a young age) and then a secret he has desperately been trying to keep buried, Tessa’s is much more recent: She was SA’d by her ex. It takes a lot of Ben to coax her out of her shell, and it surprises him how much he feels toward her so quickly after meeting Tessa. As they spend more time together, she begins to let down her guard around him. He is so patient and kind and gentle with her, building back up her trust in men and proving to her that she really can depend on him.

I thought that Helen Hardt did a lovely job of dealing with Tessa’s assault and all the other things that go along with it; the anxiety, the depression, the distrust, etc. This story was a beautiful tale of healing and growth, finding your other half, and moving past the pain and coming out stronger on the other side.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

For more information about Helen Hardt and her books, visit her website: 

Homepage

Now Available!!

Quiet Beautiful Things by Samantha Christy is a small town, single dad romance.

Link: https://geni.us/SC-QBT

Blurb:

Being a single dad was not on my short-list of life plans. 

Especially since I didn’t know my daughter existed. 

Now, I’m not only juggling all that goes with having a four-year-old, I’m also trying to provide my daughter the skills to communicate her needs.

I’m failing. Epically.

I need big help with this small person.

The woman assigned as my daughter’s mentor is a dream come true. Right up until she accuses me of neglect. Dr. Ellie Stone is fierce and determined and understands my daughter in a way I can’t.

It’s not long before I come to realize I might not be able to do this without her. What’s more… I don’t think I want to.

Because not only is Ellie perfect for my daughter, she’s perfect for me.

Her drive to protect people in need has me falling for her. It also puts a target on her back.

But the beautiful doctor is not the only one with a protective nature.

And I’ll end anyone who tries to take her from me.

Cover Design by Steamy Designs

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Quiet Beautiful Things was such a lovely story! This story is a spinoff between the Calloway Creek series and the Stone Brothers series: the hero is Blake Montana, who was a secondary character in the Cal Creek books, and Ellie was Alexa’s baby in Stone Vows. I never read that one, but with the way Samantha Christy brought Ellie’s past into her present situation, I am very interested in going back to read it!

But back to Blake and Ellie…. his world is turned upside down when he finds out that he has a 4-year-old daughter he never knew about. And she is profoundly deaf. It broke my heart thinking about how scared and sheltered little Maisy was, and how she couldn’t even communicate her most basic needs! But Blake jumped into fatherhood with both feet, and was determined to get the best care he could for his little girl. Including learning ASL.

Enter Ellie. New to Calloway Creek and a mentor at the local Deaf school. I loved that Ellie and Blake had several moments before they were officially introduced. I was invested in them as a couple before they even began interacting!

This story was beautiful. There was so much raw vulnerability from both characters. Ellie really struggled with being with a hearing man because things that happened in her past. Meanwhile, Blake struggled with trying to parent a virtual stranger and balance the relationship he wanted with Ellie with what was best for Maisy.

Quiet Beautiful Things is a well-written story about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery. I fell so in love with these characters! And knowing from the Calloway Creek series what Blake’s brother, Dallas, had gone through, I can’t wait to read his book next!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

BUTTERFLY by Jo Brenner is AVAILABLE NOW

Blurb:

A college romance about a morally grey, obsessed, possessive hockey player who will stop at nothing to get the girl…

Mason Calloway.
Beautiful. Cruel. Inescapable.
When we met at our parents’ wedding, it was hate at first sight. From then on, the hockey star set out to make my life miserable, and I made sure I gave as good as I got.
I thought I’d be free of him when I went to college.
I was wrong.
He’s the big, bad man on campus now, and I’m trapped in his crosshairs…and his bed. He’ll do anything to make me his—no matter how vile or depraved.
He’s made it clear he’ll never let me go…
…And I’m no longer sure I want him to.

An older version of this story was published on Kindle Vella under the name Vice and Vixen. It has been heavily revised. It contains several dark themes that some readers may be sensitive to. For more information, please visit the author’s website, jobrenner.com.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3 Stars

Mason and Leslie meet for the first time the night that his dad marries her mom. He is instantly attracted to her, but believing that her mom is a golddigger, he makes it his mission to taunt, tease, and humiliate Leslie during the summer they live together before going off to college. But one night, Mason realizes, ‘Hey, I’m actually in love with her’ and then sets out to do whatever he can to make Leslie his.

And that involves a lot. LOL

Butterfly is a quick and very spicy read. Forbidden, maybe, but it’s not like Leslie and Mason were raised together. They didn’t even know one another before the wedding. But Mason is borderline stalker as he sets out to claim Leslie. He does some dubious things, but you kind of have to let that go! Meanwhile, Leslie is a spitfire and gives it back just as well. At first, she hates herself for wanting her stepbrother, but she gets over that rather quickly LOL

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Jo Brenner:

A lover of dogs, mountain adventures, and HGTV, Jo Brenner writes romances that are little bit twisted, a lotta bit sexy—and always have an HEA.

Connect with Jo Brenner:

https://authorjobrenner.carrd.com

Downpour by Maggie Gates is now live!

Ray
Rule #1 of almost dying: Make sure someone knows your passwords. It’s hard to cancel your phone plan if you’re dead.

Rule #2 of almost dying: Make sure your house is clean before you walk up the steps to the pearly gates. It makes selling off your life easier.

Back-up plans are for people who plan on losing.
All it took was eight seconds for me to win the biggest competition of my life, and one second to lose everything except that championship buckle.
I had left my family’s cattle ranch at eighteen with no intention of ever coming back for good.
Now I was back, stuck in a wheelchair with a beautiful disaster attempting to burn my house down.


Brooke
Rule #1 of trying to not get fired: Don’t piss off the grumpy bull rider.

Rule #2 of trying to not get fired:  When you do get fired, keep your chin up. The grumpy bull rider was hot.

It was just a little fire. Tiny, even. But that didn’t change the fact that Ray Griffith didn’t want me anywhere near him.
But we came to an agreement: I ignore him, and he doesn’t fire me.
Easy, right? Not so much when we can’t keep our hands off each other.

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aDEp8m       

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3xs9oGf 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Downpour is the first book I’ve read by Maggie C. Gates, and I just loved Ray and Brooke’s story!

Ray was a champion bull rider whose world shattered in a matter of 8 seconds when he was tossed off a bull and paralyzed. Needless to say, he has not been handling the change in his life very well, and has isolated himself from his family and the world over the past 18 months. He’s fired home health aides one after another, determined to live a life of solitude. And that’s when plucky heroine Brooke enters the picture, just one more mistake away from being fired from her job.

Of course, Ray wants nothing to do with Brooke. But with sheer determination to make it to her next paycheck, she just plows through in taking care of grumpy Ray. The girl is a hot mess, but she is kind and sweet and a beacon of sunshine – and her sunny demeanor eventually wears down our grumpy hero. I loved how she simply understood him. She was patient with him, and somehow never made him feel like he was “less than” just because he was in a wheelchair.

I loved the metamorphosis that Ray went through thanks to their friendship and how he eventually trusted her to hold his heart. That’s not to say it was easy for these two: Any kind of personal relationship was forbidden due to the nature of their aide-client contract, so they kept things a secret… which led to miscommunication between them and some hurt feelings. Brooke never tried to “fix” him as their relationship deepened, and being with her made him want a life for himself that he never envisioned having after his accident.

I also thought the family dynamics between the Griffin brothers (and their wives and Ray and his nieces) played into this story nicely as a secondary plot. Add in the spice between Ray and Brooke, and Downpour was a perfect read!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Maggie Gates

Author Maggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.

For future book updates, content warnings, teasers, and more➜ www.maggiegates.com

Connect with Maggie

Website | www.maggiegates.com   

Goodreads | www.goodreads.com/author/show/21193725.Maggie_C_Gates   

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🩷 FRAGILE SANCTUARY IS LIVE 🩷

Get ready to fall for Anson and Rhodes in this brother’s best friend, age gap, small town romance, from USA Today Bestselling Author, Catherine Cowles!

The scowl should’ve been my first clue to stay far away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend? Reasons two and three. Not to mention, he’s

the new contractor working on my house.

He’s everything I’m not: grumpy, rude, and more than a little attached to his solitude. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won’t crack.

Until he sees me shatter.

Because when my world comes crashing down around me, Anson is the one catching me as I fall. And as so-called accidents start plaguing every part of my life, it’s Anson who steps in to keep me safe.

As he does, I can’t help but feel a flicker of heat. And it only takes a single moment for that spark to ignite into flames, engulfing us both.

But Anson’s a man with secrets, and they have a price. When they’re revealed, neither of us will make it out unscathed…

Get Your Copy ➝ https://geni.us/FragileSanctuaryAmzn

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Fragile Sanctuary starts off a great new series from Catherine Cowles! We first met Anson, a former FBI profiler, in Lawson’s book in the Lost & Found series, Ashes Of You. I just knew there was something dark and traumatic in Anson’s past, but getting to the heart of his backstory was just heartbreaking. And Rhodes — she had been through so much and was so strong and brave.

Anson and Rhodes were so perfectly matched. They were each so scarred, and they were a balm to the other’s soul. He is grumpy and closed off, and despite his best attempts to keep Rhodes at arm’s length, there was something about his best friend’s foster sister that called to him. As with Catherine Cowles’ other books, there is an element of suspense in Fragile Sanctuary. The twists and turns in the story had me second-guessing my instincts as to who the villain was, and I’m amazed each time how she crafts such wonderful stories!

There is a great cast of secondary characters in Fragile Sanctuary, and I can’t wait to read the books to come with Rho’s foster siblings.

I read this book and listened to the audio in tandem, and Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About Catherine Cowles

Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

Connect with Catherine

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