From Carina Rose comes a sexy second-chance, single-mom romance.
Hannah
I suppose it was unfair of me to assume Cash Jameson would be my forever. The golden boy of Blossom Berry Falls went from high school baseball star to the major leagues. Then he broke my heart.
So many times I wanted to tell him about our son, but fate stepped in, and years went by. Being a single mom has been my biggest accomplishment. Though it hasn’t always been easy, the joys of being a mom have granted meaning to the pain of losing Cash.
Now, fifteen years later, we meet again thanks to our high school reunion’s alumni baseball game. Cash had no way of knowing that the young pitcher who struck him out was his son. But after he showed up at the door scouting the ace for the major leagues, I have no doubt he experienced the shock of his life.
Cash
Saying goodbye to Hannah was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Afraid of causing more pain, I never intended to set foot back in Blossom Berry Falls. Yet the draw of the alumni baseball game . . . and the chance to see Hannah again . . . were too powerful to resist.
After spotting Hannah in the stands, my heart sparked to life. I’d thought of her over the years but heard she’d moved on. Rather than harp on what could have been, I focused on the future—namely, the kid with the nasty curveball.
His control reminded me of myself at that age. Turned out there was a good reason for that . . . the young prodigy was the son I never knew I had. I’d missed so much of his life and refused to miss more.
Could the three of us to be a family? Or were the wounds of our past too deep to heal?
The Scout is the kind of story that you can just picture so vividly as a made-for-TV movie. I loved everything about this story!
Hannah and Cash come face to face 15 years after their breakup when he’s in town for the alumni baseball game. There’s one kid on the roster who makes quite an impression on Cash, and with good reason: it’s his own son, Jimmy. So technically, this story isn’t a “secret baby” but a secret teenager book. But in any event, it was phenomenal.
I loved everything about Hannah and Cash’s reunion, and how Jimmy played into it. Who are they now? Can they get over the hurts of the past and move forward as a family? This low-drama story left me with a smile on my face and it’s one I will definitely be re-reading!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
AUTHOR BIO
Carina Rose loves everything about romance. She loves writing about swoony heroes and feisty heroines. Her sweet romance books were in the top 100 on Apple Books and Barnes & Noble (Nook).
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband who she knew was “the one” the day she met him. She also has two sons who own her heart. When she’s not writing, her pastimes include spending time with her family, traveling, reading, golfing, cooking, and baking. Carina also enjoys watching sports and is especially passionate about the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys.
The Stars Are on Our Side by Jennifer Hartmann is now live!
Tabitha Brighton’s name made national headlines when she was kidnapped by the infamous serial killer known as the Matchmaker. She was also known for something else: being the only victim he ever willingly released.
Now, two years later, she’s ready to tell her story.
Through a series of interviews with a local writer, single mother Tabitha relives every harrowing detail of her trauma, haunted by the memory of the man she was held captive with and ultimately lost. As she confronts her demons, she finds solace in Gabe–the new man in her life who will do whatever it takes to prevent her from slipping back into the shadows.
But Gabe has his own troubled past that threatens to unravel their fragile connection. And just when Tabitha begins to believe in the possibility of new love and a fresh start, her world is turned upside down once again.
Gabe always tells her not to look down, to keep flying. But even stars fall…
And no one ever talks about the crash.
** The Stars Are on Our Side is an interconnected standalone in the world of Still Beating and Lotus, featuring fan-favorite characters Tabitha and Gabe. It is HIGHLY recommended that you read both Still Beating and Lotus prior to reading this book for the most effective reading experience.
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Wow, Jennifer Hartmann did not disappoint with The Stars Are On Our Side. It’s set in the “Matchmaker” world, as Tabitha was one of Earl’s victims, and takes place after the events of Still Beating while Cora and Dean are doing their long-distance relationship. For the full effect, I strongly suggest reading both Still Beating as well as Lotus, as Gabe’s stepbrother and best friend are Oliver and Sydney from that book and he played a big part in it as well.
Tabitha and Gabe’s story is not an easy one to read. They both have physical and mental scars that run deep. He is head over heels in love with her, but Tabitha is so reluctant to let herself fall for a man again after her ordeal. She feels so strongly for Gabe, yet is so afraid to take that step. And he is so patient and kind with her, to the detriment of his own mental health.
In addition to the emotional journey these two must overcome to get to their HEA, there is an element of suspense that weaves throughout the book as well that threatens to destroy any chance of happiness Gabe and Tabitha may have in the future.
The Stars Are On Our Side is a hefty book, but one that is so well worth the read! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Jennifer
Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.
Jude Whittingham didn’t expect his football season would be spent in the stands recovering from injury. With rest and rehab his primary focus, Jude finds his mind is becoming as messed up as his Achilles tendon. It doesn’t help that Neva, one of his many ex-girlfriends, and the team’s nutritionist, has now been assigned to his case.
Neva has more to worry about than dealing with Jude. After a series of disastrous dates and time-wasting relationships, her hope of having a baby is fading. Neva’s problem – no one has passed the audition phase or come close to being father material. Well, since Jude.
When a family seems to be out of reach for Neva, not only does Jude find out about her baby dream, but he also offers to help her out. Neva can’t think of a practical reason to say no, apart from the fact that their past should probably be left exactly there.
Jude might be able to give her a baby, but just because he can, does it mean she should?
I read Red Heart Card while I was huddled under a blanket battling a cold, and it was a perfect no-drama story to get lost in. Neva and Jude had a fling a few years ago, but she broke things off after a pregnancy scare, having realized that she was falling for him and figuring that she needed to settle down with someone closer to her age. Now, Jude is recovering after an injury and needs something to focus his attention on while he rehabs — and when he overhears Neva say that she wants to have a baby, he offers up his services. And if he’s lucky, Jude can convince Neva to give him another shot.
I thought this story was so charming. Aside from an overabundance of graphic menstrual-related descriptions that I thought were a bit unnecessary. I get that the baby pact was the central theme, but could have done without those graphic descriptions and instead a passing comment. But I digress…. Neva and Jude had such a lovely connection. I adored the golden retriever side of Jude and how devoted he was to Neva. The age gap didn’t bother him, but she was so hung up on it. I loved seeing her eventually let down her walls and let him in.
Overall, this was a lovely story by a new-to-me author. It is a standalone in a series; I haven’t read any of the other books, and had no issues following along.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Annie Dyer:
Annie Dyer enjoys her alarm to be off, her books to be steamy, and her gin to be dry. Her stories are set in the UK and filled with more heat than an English summer. She writes about strong women and the men who are men enough to make them happy! Her books are made to binge read, and guarantee a happily ever after. Annie lives in Manchester, England with her husband and pets, in a Victorian house with leopard print carpet!
It’s like plucking daisy petals in my head, but he’ll never know.
When Miles Cavanaugh, the best safety in the league, was traded to the Chicago Grizzlies football team last year, I could finally breathe. Temptation was miles away.
How naïve to think it would end there because when the opportunity to write for a national magazine based in Chicago lands in my lap months later, I can’t turn it down. Sure, it’s a big city, but the sexual energy feels like a beacon between us the minute my plane lands.
To make matters worse, I end up having to take over the job of reporting exclusively on the Chicago Grizzlies. Which means traveling with the team, interviewing players, and pretty much having an all-access pass to their lives during the season.
Miles and I put up a great front, quickly hating on one another, but we both know it’s a lie. We also know the rules are simple. For me, don’t sleep with the subject of your articles. For him, don’t sleep with the journalist who can make or break your career.
I thought straight-laced Miles Cavanaugh followed all the rules… oh how wrong I was.
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Having read Piper Rayne’s Kingsman series, I was super excited to dive into Miles and Bryce’s story in the first book of the Grizzlies series, and Something Like Hate did not disappoint!
Something Like Hate checked off all the boxes for an enemies-to-lovers second-chance romance for me. The sexual tension between Miles and Bryce was insane, as was their chemistry. They were part of the same social circle back in San Francisco, where they had a one-night stand two years ago. Bryce ran out the next morning, and they have more or less avoided each other ever since, despite their many mutual friends. But now that Miles has been traded to the Grizzlies, and Bryce is the sports reporter assigned to cover the team, they have no choice but to confront their past and work together.
Over time, Bryce starts to let her walls down with Miles, and he jumps in when he sees the opening. She’s the commitaphobe here, thanks to her womanizing father, while Miles wants nothing more than to settle down like he’s seen his friends and teammates do. Will he be able to convince Bryce to really, truly give the connection between them a fair chance and not run out on him again the way she did that morning two years ago? Fraternizing between the reporters and the players is not allowed, which gives their romance a delicious forbidden twist.
Something Like Hate is the first book in the Chicago Grizzlies series, which is a spinoff of the Kingsman series. Both Bryce and Miles appeared as secondary characters in the Kingsman books, but now kick off this new Chicago world. It is a standalone, but you should just go ahead and read the Kingsman books because Piper Rayne knows how to write a sports romance that will keep you reading for just one more chapter!
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!
This book took all kinds of twists and turns and I loved it! Kane and Hadley had me hooked from the start, and I loved every last bit of the push and pull between them. Their chemistry was sizzling, the Now chapters played nicely on the history between them back Then, and I loved the progression of this enemies-to-lovers/childhood friends/the one that got away romance.
As this story unraveled, my heart broke for Kane and the weight that he’s been carrying around for years. I already had a soft spot for him when his childhood horrors became clear, and then to learn what he’s been dealing with as far as his career goes just made me love this broody hero even more. He made some horrible choices, but did bad things for good reasons, and was really in a no-win position.
P.S. I’m Still Yours is set in the same universe as Eliah’s Easton High series, but other than a mention of Dia, Lacey and Vee as a classmate in some of the Then chapters, this book mostly takes place after Hadley has graduated HS and is a standalone. And I REALLY hope that we get a story about Drea and Scar because there is so much there to unpack!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Eliah Greenwood
Eliah Greenwood is a Canadian, Amazon Top Ten Bestselling Author, coffee addict and cliché lover!
She started her writing journey online at the age of fifteen. She wrote the majority of her first book Unwritten Rules on the bus on her way home from school. When her debut gathered 31,000,000 reads, she decided to self-publish the trilogy that set so many hearts, including hers, on fire.
When she’s not writing and screaming at her computer screen, you can find her binge watching her favorite TV shows on repeat or reading in a warm blanket.
Connect with Eliah Greenwood
To learn more about Eliah and her books, visit linktr.ee/eliahgreenwood
Growing up in a house full of brothers, it’s not a surprise that Alana Ashton is the princess of Hope Crest.
Being the only female of the small town’s founding family means that while she usually gets her way, she has to work doubly hard to earn and keep respect. Veering from her expected path to follow crazy dreams, like opening her own shop, not only isn’t in the cards, it’s also not taken seriously. So when her best friend, the ex-high school quarterback with a smile of gold and a traumatic past, proposes marriage out of the blue after years of Alana not-so-secretly pining after him, the answer isn’t an automatic no.
Marrying him, and the fortune they’ll both inherit if she specifically says I do, could be just the thing to set her vision in motion. But can she keep their decades-long relationship strictly business, or will those long unrequited feelings fool her into thinking this union will be for life?
Warren Teal is the orphan no one wanted but everyone speculated about.
After his father tragically took his mother from him, Warren’s story has been broadcast in the media for years. Cue the Ashtons, who took him under their wings the first time Alana brought him home in middle school. Years later, Hope Crest’s royal family offered him a job at their renowned restaurant, and Warren thought he’d found the quiet, under-the-radar life he’d always been searching for.
Until the day he received a letter leaving him a fortune. There was just one catch; he must marry to receive it. And not just anyone, but the gorgeous, stubborn woman he’d always loved in secret but never felt worthy of. Knowing he could return the favor and grant her wildest dreams, he popped the question.
But when his past comes for the future they’re building, she gets caught in the crossfires of the danger and darkness meant for him. Divorce, and breaking his own heart, seem like the only options to keep her safe.
Even if doing so means he may never get to confess that their fake marriage is the realest love he’s ever experienced.
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Honeyed is the second book in the Ashton Family series and I was so happy to get back to visit with this family through Alana, the strong-willed, only daughter, and her marriage of convenience with her best friend, Warren.
I adored these two together. Warren had a troubled background, and for a large part of his life, the Ashton family was his safe place. That has a lot to do with why he never pushed for anything more than being just friends with Alana, even though he’s long carried a torch for her. Carrie Aarons wrote a beautiful tale with this fake marriage story. I loved how these two circled around each other for years, never crossing that line when they both so clearly wanted to.
Honeyed is a great romance with a hint of suspense mixed in!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Carrie Aarons
Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, two children and ninety-pound rescue pup.
I, Drew Colter, have a confession to make…I’m burnt out and need a break.
From school, from football—from living with roommates, my obnoxious twin brother and our older brothers girlfriend. The only person who I can talk to these days is my best friend from high school, and he’s back in our hometown and halfway across the country. Somehow he convinces me that maybe…
…Maybe it’s time to take a trip. Party. Have some fun.
That fun does not include his sister.
Long black hair and even longer legs, Tess Donahue had lost the braces and gained the confidence she never had as a teenager. She’s hilarious, pretty—and when I see her in those cowboy boots?
Whoa.
Stolen glances. Flirty banter. One drunk filled night.
Suddenly, my uncomplicated weekend of ‘living a little’ in my hometown becomes a lifetime being tied to the one girl that was off limits.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars
How To Score Off Field by Sara Ney wraps up the stories about those hunky Colter brothers. Finally, sweet, sensitive Drew gets his shot at love… or something like it?… with Tess, the younger sister of his childhood best friend.
Tess has had a crush on Drew since she was about 10, but he never noticed her as anything other than Grady’s little sister. That is, until he goes home one weekend to visit Grady, get away from the pressures he’s feeling at college, and starts to see Tess in a whole new light. They have a one-night stand that weekend, and despite the distance between their respective colleges (she back home in Texas, he in Wisconsin), they keep up a flirty banger through text messages and video chats. But then… things go south.
I have some mixed feelings about this book. I really liked Drew and Tess and thought they had a great connection. And I loved getting to know them as they got to know each other through their chats after their Weekend of Fun. The romantic in me LOVED Drew’s confession/apology for not “seeing” Tessa when they were younger. I loved how Tessa’s diary entries from when she was a teenager were interspersed throughout the chapters.
But when The Thing happens, I felt that parts of the story fell apart a bit. So much of it happened off-page, and I wish I got to see it take place on the page between them. Not to mention that Grady’s behavior was appalling.
While the story ends with a HFN between Drew and Tess, but I thought there were too many loose ends. What happened with Drew and Grady? Did Drew ever come to a decision about his future? Did Tessa forgive her brother?
Overall, How To Score Off Field was enjoyable, but it wasn’t my favorite in the series. For the endcap on a series, I wanted more from the story. And maybe an epilogue in the future that shows the Colter brothers all together so we know where their lives went. Am I glad I read it? Absolutely. It’s an emotional story with some sweet and tender moments, and I really enjoyed seeing Drew and Tessa navigate the obstacles thrown at them and come out the other side, together.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Sara Ney:
Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
To find out about Sara’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here!
To learn more about Sara Ney & her books, visit here!
Former hockey star Declan Dash loves to play the game, and the one with his friend’s little sister, Violet Spears? He plans to win…
Running into your brother’s billionaire ex-hockey-playing best friend at a special kind of party should have been a red flag. Pulling one another’s names from a bowl at said party was a coincidence. Having a wild night together that we said we’d forget was probably our mistake.
Especially when Declan shows up weeks later as the new owner of the hockey team that practices in Lake Spark, and he has an offer for me.
Meet him every day in his hotel room for a week to enjoy a little fling while he passes through town.
Yep, I stupidly agree. But the man has a few talents, and I need to take a lunch break from my flower shop anyway. Except, our timeline gets extended and the game Declan plays doesn’t come with a rule book. The lines between us get blurry. My brother will go through the roof if he ever finds out that his friend laid a finger on me, but it’s my heart that feels fragile because I can’t figure out if we have a future or if I’m just a big game where he’s been waiting to score…
After reading the Lake Spark series, this spinoff series starter was the perfect next book. I loved the connection between Declan and Violet from the moment they ran into each other at a seggs party and how both of them kept thinking about the other even after that one night. When he begins spending more time in Lake Spark on business, they continue their fun fling… and of course, it isn’t long before they both catch feelings.
Ah, but Declan is a playboy who doesn’t have time for a commitment, whereas Violet was burned by a past boyfriend and isn’t looking to be played in a relationship. Will that lead them to a face-off, or will Declan realize that scoring with Violet just might be the biggest win of his life?
There are some great moments between Violet and Declan and Ford and Brielle. There’s a pick-up of a scene from the epilogue of Worth The Wait. Also, Ford and Brielle’s son Connor plays into this book quite a bit, setting up his next-gen story to come next. I cannot wait for Connor and Hadley’s story!!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
From Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author Natasha Madison comes a small town, one night stand, secret baby, second chance romance.
When two worlds crossover. From the This Is Series and The Southern Series.
From Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author Natasha Madison comes a small town, one night stand, secret baby, second chance romance.
When two worlds crossover. From the This Is Series and The Southern Series.
Addison
I never thought I would see him again.
Especially while I was planning someone else’s wedding—yet there he was holding hands with his girlfriend.
Our one night was wild and passionate; I could never forget him because it changed my life.
Now he’s here—and the result of our one night is twirling in a princess dress at our feet.
Stefano
I didn’t make mistakes.
I was the one you called in when you needed answers.
I was cutthroat but they didn’t pay me to be nice.
I was in control every single second.
The only time I let my guard down was five years ago.
If I thought seeing the woman I could never forget again would throw me off—it’s nothing like seeing our daughter for the first time.
Mine to Promise was fantastic! I loved that both Stefano and Addison considered the other the one that got away… their “What If?”
Addison never even got the last name of the guy she had a one-night stand with. So imagine her surprise when Stefano shows up at a wedding she planned as the groom’s cousin. Talk about awkward! From the moment Stefano sees his daughter, it is game on. He is dedicated to getting to know sweet Avery, and winning Addison back.
There’s a nice development to their reunion; I didn’t feel that it was rushed, which I appreciated. Stefano really goes above and beyond to protect his girls.
This swoony story may be my favorite in the series! 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…
If you ever had dreams of being whisked away to an Italian villa by a handsome billionaire, then My Favorite Kidnapper is for you! I mean, sure, Dante crosses ALL KINDS of lines when he first meets Brianna, including literally kidnapping her in the middle of the night. But let that slide, because it’s a swoony story between two people who are complete opposites that never meant to fall in love with the other.
I loved the banter between Brianna and Dante. I loved that she was sassy and full of attitude around him and had zero issues getting lippy with him. And Dante ate it up, completely enamored with his little bee.
My Favorite Kidnapper is a rather unconventional love story, but most definitely an entertaining one!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Melanie Moreland
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of thirty-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Annie Dyer enjoys her alarm to be off, her books to be steamy, and her gin to be dry. Her stories are set in the UK and filled with more heat than an English summer. She writes about strong women and the men who are men enough to make them happy! Her books are made to binge read, and guarantee a happily ever after. Annie lives in Manchester, England with her husband and pets, in a Victorian house with leopard print carpet!
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Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
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…
Sunny Shelly Reads 