Willette Archer has a secret—though some would argue how well kept it actually is. As right-hand woman and best friend to the owner of Bird’s Eye Tattoo Studio, her job has become her whole life. So, she occupies her days with shop decisions to avoid her disappointing dating life.
Of course, that might also have something to do with her two-decade old infatuation with her aforementioned best friend’s older brother.
Derek Tanner is at a loss—with basically everything. His apartment lease is up, most of his belongings are somewhere in storage, and the good doctor has been pulling extra shifts at the hospital due to lack of staff. So, yeah. His life is chaos. Thanks to these wonderful circumstances, dating is nowhere on his radar.
When his little brother suggests he stay in Willette’s spare room for the time being, he’s both grateful and hesitant. Sure, he grew up with Will too, but they’ve never been as close—let alone in close quarters.
It doesn’t take very long for Doctor Derek to start seeing Will in a new light. This makes him think perhaps he should be examined. Will, on the other hand, is this close to feigning injury just so he’ll touch her already.
When boundaries are crossed and relationships are finally taken to the next level, will Willette get exactly what she’s been hoping for since childhood, or will her fantasy be forever ruined?
Will is the second book in Kat Savage’s Men of Bird’s Eye series. Although technically, Will (aka Willette) is a woman, and she’s one of the guys in theory, but she’s our feisty, independent heroine in this story… who has been in love with Hawk’s big brother for nearly 20 years.
Derek’s lease is up, his hours at the hospital are insane, and he needs someplace to crash while he house hunts. So Hawk offers up Will’s spare bedroom, and we have a forced proximity/roommates romance with a bit of secret crush mixed in. Derek has always been a serial dater, never committing because he doesn’t believe in love. Will has always dated losers, because she knows nobody will measure up to Derek. But as they spend more time together as roommates, Derek starts to look at Willette differently and asks her out. There is hesitation from both of them about not wanting to ruin their decades-old friendship… and that is exactly what happens when Derek finds out that Willette has been in love with him since she was a kid. He freaks out, moves out, and leaves Will heartbroken.
I really liked Will and Derek’s story, but I wanted *more* from them. Why is Derek so against love? He’s seen it go bad with his parents, but that was a one-liner and I wanted more about how that affected him. I wanted more of Derek’s inner thoughts when it came to his feelings for Will and his willingness to “hope” for more. The scene was beautiful but I wanted to know how he got there. I also wish that there had been some reference to Will’s family — it would have given her more depth as a heroine. The one reference to her Generalized Anxiety Disorder was kind of a throw-away, and I think there was so much that could have been explored there with how that affects her.
But overall, Will was a great read, and I’m really enjoying this series. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Avery and Hanson! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Kat Savage
Kat Savage resides in Louisville, Kentucky with her three beautiful children, her hunky spouse, and two spoiled dogs. She secretly has hope of getting chickens one day.
By day, she’s an office manager, pushing paperwork and daydreaming. When she’s not at her nine-to-five, she’s writing. Or thinking about writing. Or preparing books and book stuff. Or quite possibly, designing stuff for other people’s books.
She was driven to writing out of a need to distraction and self-preservation after the death of her sister in 2013. Since then, it’s snowballed into a full blown passion she can’t escape. Even on the toughest days, she wouldn’t want to.
She writes poetry packed with real, raw, and sometimes ugly truths. She won’t lie. Her goal is to make you ache, in that perfect delicious way we often secretly crave.
Shortly after putting her poetry and prose out into the world, she turned to novel writing. Savage is a natural storyteller, getting better with each book. She tries to give the characters in her novels depth, whether they’re serious or comical, she builds them in layers with the hope that you see a little of yourself in some of them.
My name is Easton Donovan, and I massively screwed up.
Waste My Time, an all-new emotional and angsty new adult romance from Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
I should’ve given her the world. Should’ve been everything she deserves. Instead, I broke her like every promise I’ve ever made.
The darkness tells me to let her go. Memories of my past keep me from letting her in. Someone should tell her that loving me is a losing game.
Just being around her is a high I’ve never known. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll cut me off. Given the chance, I’ll ruin her the way I’ve done to others. But with the bomb she just dropped, she’s here to stay.
She’s flawless innocence. I’m toxic destruction. And the selfish part is, I need her.
Truth be told, Kennedy Lehigh could be the one to save me from myself.
Walking through campus, I keep my head down. The Advil has done as much for my headache as the saltine crackers the school nurse gives you for a broken arm. If there’s one thing I don’t want right now, it’s to make small talk with some shithead who thinks we’re friends simply because Z and I throw the best parties. My only mission is to get to my class, where I can fall back asleep listening to the monotone voice of my professor as he drones on about the fundamentals of programming and problem solving. And yet, when I get most of the way there, I quite literally crash right into someone else. Books fly out of the girl’s hand and land among mine on the ground. “I’m so sorry,” I say, but as I look up, I notice Kennedy staring back at me. Shit. I’ve been trying to stay out of her way. I mean, Tessa found happiness after me, and then I practically destroyed her by trying to get her back. I’d rather die than do the same thing to Kennedy, so if she’s happy with Alec, I’ll force myself to be happy for her. She stares back at me, clearly in shock as I quickly pick up her books and hand them to her. As she takes them from me, our hands touch, and my body reacts to the feel of her skin on my own. The same way it always has. The same way it always will. Seeing her now, my body hurts—literally yearns to pull her back into my arms and just hold her there, never letting her go. But I can’t let myself do that. Not anymore. I go to walk away, to leave her alone like I swore to myself I would, but she stops me with a call of my name. “I actually need to talk to you about something,” she says with a sigh. The air around me feels too thick, standing here with her, but I swallow it down. “Everything okay?” “Uh, yeah. I guess,” she mutters, looking anywhere except back at me. “I, uh…fuck.” A part of me wonders if she’s just trying to keep me around. Keep my attention on her. Like ignoring her the past week was drawing her back to me. But if I’ve learned anything the last week, it’s that she’s better off without me. Where I can’t ruin her life. Letting out a huff, I know I’m going to hate myself for this. “Can you just say what it is you want to say? I have places to be.” She narrows her eyes at me. “It’s not that simple.” “Sure it is. Your mouth forms words, and you say them,” I spit. “Just tell me.” “Easton,” she breathes, and I’m even more sure she just wants to keep me here as long as possible. I roll my eyes. “Fuck it, then. I’ve got to go.” “I’m pregnant,” she announces, freezing up as she realizes the way she just blurted out that crucial information. “According to the doctor, about twelve weeks.” Her words hit me right in the chest. Pregnant. She’s pregnant. And twelve weeks means it’s mine. There’s no way it can’t be, unless she cheated. No. Kennedy is a lot of things, but a cheater is not one of them. That only leaves one person to be the father. Me. “Y-you’re…” Everything starts to spin as the reality sets in that I’m going to be a father. The nausea from my hangover builds in my throat and threatens to bubble over. I try to hold it back. Try to keep it in. But there’s nothing I can do. It all happens in a millisecond. I attempt to turn away but she puts her hand on my arm, keeping me in place as she looks at me in bewilderment. I’m stuck. There’s nowhere to go. Nothing I can do. And that’s when it goes wrong. I bend over, emptying the contents of my stomach all over the ground and Kennedy’s favorite pair of boots. She gasps, holding her books close to her chest and not looking down for a moment. She doesn’t need to. It’s no mystery as to what just happened. “Fuck,” I groan. “Kennedy, I am so sorry.” “It’s fine,” she snips, showing it’s most definitely not fine. As she takes a step away, I stop her. “At least let me help you clean up.” “No,” she barks. “Trust me. You’ve done enough.” With that, she practically runs back toward her dorm, not sparing so much as a glance back at me. I fucked up again.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3 Stars
I am so torn about my feelings for this book. I was so looking forward to Easton and Kennedy’s story — more so than any other couple in this series. I fell in love with them from the first NHU book, and the bombshell that Kennedy dropped in Wreck My Plans was jaw-dropping. But the rollout of Easton and Kennedy’s story just felt kind of anticlimactic in comparison to the other books in this series.
A huge part of why I just felt so “meh” about this book had to do with Easton and Tessa. And I confess that I did not read the series that came before this one, so I only know Easton and Tessa’s history from the NHU series. I have not read Tessa’s book. But so much of Easton and Kennedy’s problems are hinged on his past as an addict and history with Tessa, and I felt like there were too many references that I was not aware of. So I had a hard time connecting with that part of this story as a result.
There are a lot of ups and downs for Easton and Kennedy before they get to their HFN. So much miscommunication between these two, and them not talking about their feelings. I felt like I was told more about their feelings for one another than I was shown. I didn’t get Easton’s feelings for Kennedy from his chapters. It left me wanting more.
But that epilogue! Holy moly! Way to set up a next-generation spinoff! I am so intrigued!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Kelsey
Kelsey Clayton is an internationally selling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog.
She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.
Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Stevie Foster thought her happy ever after would come easily after saying “I do” to her high school sweetheart at nineteen.
But twelve years later, she finds herself divorced, settling into a new home, in a new town, with a new job as an elementary teacher trying to pick up the pieces as she goes.
On top of struggling to cope with the future she always wanted versus the one she’s been dealt, she soon realizes that her new neighbor is a strict, stone-faced man she’s all too familiar with.
Lieutenant Colonel Fletcher Miller.
The man once in charge of her ex-husband’s unit.
And as if the reminder across the street of what she lost wasn’t painful enough, she also becomes his young son’s teacher.
A single dad. A divorcee. A second chance at love neither knew they’d get.
Make You Miss Me is a wonderfully raw, emotional story of one woman’s journey to start over again after a divorce that completely devastated her. Stevie’s growth was phenomenal. Her desire to stand on her own two feet and be a fierce and strong independent woman came through beautifully, as did her hesitation to get involved with her neighbor, Fletcher.
There were so many layers that hesitation, too. Fletcher was the father of one of Stevie’s students, her ex-husband’s former commanding officer, and just a man who terrified Stevie because he made her feel things she hadn’t ever felt before, even with her ex, Hunter. And Fletcher was a unicorn! He was so gentle and kind, and the things he says to Stevie in his courting of her were absolutely swoony!
This book was a heartwarming story of growth, self-forgiveness, and finding love again! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet B. Celeste
B. Celeste was born and raised in Upstate New York where she still resides with her four-legged feline sidekick Oliver “Ollie” Queen.
Her love for writing began with poetry, which she learned to write after watching her father write poetry for her mother, before she found interest in short stories, novellas, and novels.
After getting two degrees in English and Creative Writing, B has written over 12+ full length novels, been invited to many signings around the world, and hopes to begin traveling to see readers worldwide.
When you say you’re a sexologist, people imagine Marilyn Monroe. They don’t expect a woman who uses a wheelchair. As the host of the All Access podcast, I’m breaking barriers, crushing stigmas, and creating sexual connections that are fulfilling for my fans. I’m like cupid, but with pink hair and fewer diapers.
Only, I’ve hit a snag. A lovely listener wants some advice about accessible rope play and I’m drawing a big fat blank. Which leaves me with no option but to get out there and give it a go.
Which is how I meet Jay Wood—rigger, carpenter, and all-round hottie.
I’d be open to letting him wine and dine me but Jay isn’t my type. He’s not a one-girl kind of guy. Monogamy isn’t even in his vocab, and I’m not a woman who’ll settle for being second choice.
But the closer we get, the more Jay has me tied up in knots.
And it’s making me think, maybe I could compromise and accept a little Wood in my life. Even if it’s only temporary.
Jay
Frankie’s funny, intelligent, and ridiculously sexy. This should be a no-brainer. A little fun in the sheets, and a little romp with some ropes—simple.
Only the infuriating woman is asking for more. I’m not that kind of guy. I wouldn’t even know how to be that kind of guy. I’m the definition of easy.
It’ll be fine. We’ll be friends. Just friends.
So, why does my heart feel frayed? And why is it I can’t help but consider taking the ultimate leap of faith—tying myself to Frankie. Permanently.
I adored this book! Knot My Type is fun, flirty, sexy, and refreshing! Frankie was a fantastic heroine. Strong, sassy, knew what she wanted, knew her worth — and the fact that she is disabled didn’t mean a lick. I loved that about her. Her wheelchair didn’t stand in her way at all, and I loved how Jay saw her for the wonderful woman she is.
Frankie is a sexologist and popular podcaster. When a reader wants to know about accessible rope play, Frankie reaches out to Jay — a former high school classmate who she hears through the grapevine is a skilled rigger at the local kink club. As she picks his brain about bondage, sparks go off between them. His attraction to Frankie shocks Jay because he doesn’t do relationships. But for her, he’s willing to try. And once they get together, it is a wonderful, healthy, fun relationship. They connect instantly, it’s easygoing, and they allow themselves to be vulnerable and intimate with the other.
But all of Jay’s fears about not being enough for the kind of future Frankie wants — being the goodtime guy, not husband material, thanks to a past relationship — come to the surface when his past catches up with their present. How Jay comes to terms with his insecurities and fears versus not having Frankie in his life at all left me in tears. It leads to a wonderful Grand Gesture and a heartwarming HEA.
Knot My Type was a refreshing read from a new-to-me author that I binged on a Friday night. It’s a starter to a new series about a group of friends and I can’t wait to read the rest of these books!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
EXCERPT
Jay
Capricorn Cove had experienced a renaissance in the last few years, the sleepy town beginning to emerge from its hibernation as people moved in, and businesses finally occupied formerly vacant storefronts.
Change came slowly in the Cove, but Books and Beans had fast become a local institution.
Inside the small café, warm brick walls were complemented by polished concrete floors, long wood benches, and upcycled tables. Bookshelves stuffed with new and used books were scattered throughout the space, inviting diners to peruse as they waited for their order.
I pushed through the door, the bell tinkling cheerfully above my head.
“Hey, Jay. Want your regular?” Betsy called from her position behind the counter. Dressed in a casual blouse and mom-jeans, the older woman didn’t look like the kind of person who’d own a hipster joint. And yet, a quick glance around showed a surprising number of tourists enjoying generous meals.
“Actually, I’m meeting someone. Got a table for me?”
She nodded toward the back of the café indicating a table set between the currently empty fireplace and a pair of wall-to-ceiling bookshelves.
“Perfect. Thanks.”
I made my way over, calling greetings and stopping for chats with locals. That was the problem with a small town—you knew everyone and everyone knew you.
Everyone, it seemed, except Frankie Kenton.
I settled at the table, anticipation simmering under my skin as I pulled my cell out, swiping to reread her messages.
I still couldn’t figure out why she’d piqued my interest. There was nothing profound in her texts. And yet here I sat, waiting for her to arrive, my pulse unsteady, my body on edge.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Jay?”
I looked up, my cock immediately hardening.
“Frankie?”
Her pink hair and blue eyes reminded me of the cotton candy I used to buy at the annual fair. The colors had me wondering if the taste of her promised to be as sweet on my tongue.
She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she came toward me, hand outstretched. “The one and only.”
I’d have classified her as spun sugar, light and fluffy and extra sweet—if not for her voice. The richness of it forced me to reassess my initial impression—this woman wasn’t sugar, she was spice in masquerade.
Evie Mitchell is a thirty-something woman who loves dirty books, bad boys, and men who know how to treat their woman right. She lives with her husband, their sausage dog, and an ever-growing collection of book-related mugs.
When she’s not writing, Evie loves curling up in the sun with a good book and a cup of tea. Evie specialises in spunky reads for curious minds.
I should’ve told Milo. That I loved him. That I was pregnant. That I didn’t want anyone else, except him. But I didn’t. Instead, I left. I ran. Now he’s here, in the hospital after I delivered a baby girl he’s convinced belongs to him. But the truth is, I have no idea. I’ve sacrificed so much to keep my past hidden. To keep my baby safe from her other potential father. It’s a secret I’ll take to my grave. Or at least, I planned to until Milo forced me to move in with him, causing me and my daughter to pop up on a certain someone’s radar whom I never wanted to see again. People might say life gets messy sometimes… But they have no idea just how much chaos will ensue if the truth comes out after I’ve done so much to keep it in the past.
Oh, I am loving the Wrecked Roommates series! Milo and Maddie’s story is an emotional, gut-wrenching rollercoaster of emotions, but full of so much heat, heart, and a beautiful second chance at love.
After getting a glimpse of Maddie and Milo’s backstory with Gibson in Forbidden Lyrics, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. And it was phenomenal. I felt so many emotions for these two as they attempted to repair their fractured relationship and co-parent little Penny. Milo has always been the protector when it comes to his sister and friends, but there was something about Em breaking his heart that made it too much to want to fight for her. But the thing is, Em/Maddie never wanted to break things off with Milo — just with Gibson — but miscommunication and words said in the heat of anger caused a lot of damage between them.
Milo is slow to forgive Maddie for breaking his heart, but once they finally hash out their issues, he sees that her heart was broken too. And things are beautiful between them… until they aren’t because there is one more secret Maddie has been keeping from him that could be the ultimate betrayal. Yes, she should have told him the secret she was keeping, and she was wrong by not doing so. But he’d also told her that what was in her past was in the past and had no bearing on their future as a family.
This book is a standalone, but it is best to have read Forbidden Lyrics first, as there are some details there that really impact Messy Strokes. And Milo and Maddie’s story is quite messy, but has such a beautiful ending.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Jewel E. Ann returns with an addictive new adult romance about a young woman who discovers years of Sunday sermons didn’t prepare her for the many lessons of the crude and sexy man who is now her boss.
It’s official.
I’m eighteen and a young woman with endless possibilities on my way to reunite with my mom in Colorado after five years apart–she had a little weed incident in Nebraska.
At the airport, she springs the news on me … she’s leaving for a month of job training. And me? I’m left on my own in the basement she’s renting from the fisherman, aka her landlord who lives upstairs.
He’s ten years older than me. Never wears a shirt. And makes it hard to remember all the things I learned at Christian Academy.
Did I mention he’s also my new boss?
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
The Naked Fisherman is a gripping coming-of-age story and the first part in a duet that ends on a bittersweet parting between Reese and Fisher.
18-year-old Reese has been so sheltered. Her mom was sent to prison, her dad died, and she’s been raised by her ultra-conservative Christian grandparents the last few years. Now, her mom is out of prison and Reese is spending the summer with her, trying to reconnect with Rory and reestablish their relationship. That’s where she meets her mom’s sexy as sin landlord, Fisher Mann. As the summer goes on, Reese struggles to come to terms with her immense guilt for her feelings for Fisher and how that directly conflicts with her Christian upbringing.
While Reese comes across as kind of immature at times, I had to remember that she is 18 and was extremely sheltered. I really understood her inner conflict but I struggled to connect with Fisher and his motives and reasons for getting involved with Reese. I think that’s because the story is told through her POV and I felt like I didn’t get that insight into his side of the relationship. The scene where he finally explains why he’s so drawn to her and how alike they are really brought it home for me, and things clicked into place.
The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger when they realize that maybe they are meant for one another but the timing isn’t right. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author a with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.
The Deceit of a Devil, the passion-filled and emotional conclusion to The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now!
Sinless. Stunning. Damaged. Tempting. Allie Taylor had been the girl I hated for as long as I could remember. And now she loathed me just as much. It didn’t matter that I betrayed her to save her. Completely devastated and infuriated by my dishonesty, she had no intentions of ever trusting me again. Her trust was shattered, her hate raging on with each second. She would never look at me the same again. Our past was full of pain and lies that could never be forgotten. I knew what I did was irreparable, but I refused to let her walk away without another chance. I should have left things in the past. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I won’t. I needed her. Even if it cost me everything.
“What?” I chuckled as I slipped on my socks and shoes.
“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just impressed, is all.”
I chuckled and Beck shoved his sister’s chair, almost making her fall. “That’s my friend, asshole. You don’t get to be impressed.”
“No. She’s right.” Josie was still staring at me too. “I really expected you to have the smallest dick.”
“I feel like I should be offended.” I leaned back in my chair.
“It’s your personality.” Allie shrugged. “You know, cocky guy, small dick. Showy car, small dick.”
“Okay, Allie.” I pressed my elbows into my knees and looked across the fire at her. “Truth or dare?”
She stared at me, and I had a feeling that no matter what she picked she wouldn’t do it. “Truth.”
I let my gaze slide to Eli before it went back to her. I shouldn’t have even called her name. I should just ask her something stupid and move on, but my heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t hesitate with what I asked her next. “When was the last time that you were truly turned on? I mean really and truly, couldn’t-think-about-anything-else turned on?”
A few people snickered, but I didn’t look away from her. She didn’t pull her gaze away from me either as she answered, but I knew her answer was a lie the moment it left her mouth.
“When Eli kissed me.”
“Carson, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“When was the last time you were really and truly turned on? And I mean to the point that you actually considered kissing the girl?”
“Oh shit.” That came from Olly, but no one said anything to stop us.
“Just about any time I’m with you, but if you’re looking for a specific moment, the night the cops walked in while I was going down on you.”
Laughter rang out around us, but neither of us was deterred.
“Allie, truth or dare?”
“Truth.” There was no hesitation in her eyes. She wasn’t scared of what I had to say.
“Do you actually like Eli, or are you just pissed off at me?”
“This is the exact reason people think you have a small dick.” She crossed her arms. “You assume that everything anyone does it about you when it isn’t. I actually like Eli, for your information.” She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. “Carson, truth or dare?”
“This is about to get messy,” Josie whispered to Beck, but I heard her. She was right. It probably was.
“Dare.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at her.
“I dare you to stop being such an asshole and just tell us what the hell your problem is.”
“My problem?” I rubbed at my jaw. “Currently my problem is you. You haven’t barely spoken to me in days, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague at community service, and now…”
“Now what?” She was angry.
“Now I have to sit here and watch you with him.” I pointed at Eli, and he had the nerve to fucking smirk at me.
“I haven’t spoken to you because the last time we spoke, you made it very clear where we stood. I’ve been avoiding you because I don’t want to deal with you, and you’re going to have to continue to watch me with him because I like him. And it’s the oddest thing, but he likes me too.”
“Truth or dare?”
“I’m done playing this stupid game.” She pushed out of her seat, and I knew that Eli was about to follow her.
“Truth or dare, Allie? It’s not that hard.”
She spun back around to face me, and I could see the anger in her eyes. “Fine. Dare.” She held out her arms because she thought by ending the truths, she was going to end this argument between us.
“I dare you to kiss me.”
“That’s not happening.” Eli had the balls to say that out loud to me, and it took everything inside me not to close the space between us and finish what we had started last weekend.
“The last time I checked, you weren’t Allie’s boyfriend, and you don’t speak for her.” I looked back to Allie, and she was staring at me. “Allie can either kiss me or she can drink.” I lifted the bottle of liquor and shook it between us.
“You kissing me changes nothing.” She shook her head.
“Then it won’t hurt.” I shrugged my shoulders and tried to act like I didn’t care one way or another, even though I didn’t know what would happen if she walked away from me now. “If you’re so into Eli and kissing me won’t change anything, then what are you so scared of?”
The Deceit of a Devil is the conclusion to Allie and Carson’s story within The Boys of Clermont Bay series, and picks up where The Taste of an Enemy left off. This enemies-to-lovers romance is full of so much angst as Carson and Allie fight their way back to one another.
After the cliffhanger ending of the first book in the duet, Allie’s world imploded when Carson’s deceit was brought to light. She was humiliated and hated herself for trusting Carson again against her better judgment. The guy really has his work cut out for him in DoaD as he tries to prove himself to Allie, beg for her forgiveness and make her see that she can trust him. That his intentions are good and his feelings for her are real.
To do that, Carson really puts it all out on the line. He still shows that vulnerability that he showed in the first book, and I loved seeing that side of him. There is so much that both Carson and Allie have to unpack in order to get to a healthy place, and it is a long journey for both of them. But the end of this story is a lovely payoff for all of the heartache and pain that they had to muddle through first.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Holly
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl.
When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife
I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
Five hockey players, a cabin in the woods . . . and little old me, Winnie Berlin.
Sounds like the start of a fantasy, right? But it’s not. It’s my reality.
It all started when I got lost in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. A wicked thunderstorm sent my car mud sliding into a ditch and for a girl whose survival skills involve finding the nearest Starbucks, I was in deep trouble.
Forced to abandon my car in search of help, I stumbled upon a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Soaking wet, irritated, and in desperate need of a hot shower, I knocked on the door for help only to be greeted by five boisterous, burly, and insanely attractive men.
Not just men.
Professional hockey players.
I hit the motherload of fantasies, right? Wrong.
Because as it turns out, one of them is my ex-boyfriend’s half-brother. And when I end up crashing in their spare bedroom for the night, things take a very unexpected turn.
I’m not sure any amount of survival skills can protect my heart from Vancouver Agitators star goalie, Pacey Lawes. But as long as we kiss and don’t tell, maybe everything will be okay . . .
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Pacey is mine!
Kiss and Don’t Tell was all kinds of swoony fun. Pacey and Winnie’s story is full of so much heart and heat and all the swoon! The way Winnie stumbles into a luxury cabin full of five hunking men during a rainstorm could be the start of a horror film, but this ends up being more of a sweet Hallmark movie by the time she and Pacey fall head over heels in love with one another in just a matter of days!
The way their relationship unfolds is so sweet. Winnie has no clue who the guys are, which makes Pacey like her even more. They are both kind of hesitant to get involved, but clearly want each other desperately. And Pacey knows that he should tell Winnie about his half brother (whom he barely knows) once he figures it out, but he’s afraid she won’t give him a fair shot if she knew the truth. When the truth comes out, things blow up spectacularly, but there is a lot of growth in both characters during their weeks apart as Operation Win Winnie Back commences.
Meghan Quinn has started an awesome new series with Kiss and Don’t Tell, and I can’t wait to see what she has planned for Pacey’s other hockey brothers. I didn’t remember at first that Halsey Holmes is the brother of Hayden from One Baby Daddy — and there is such a story there brewing there that I need to know more about! There was a nice wink to MQ’s Brentwood Boys series as well, which I adored.
Overall, Kiss and Don’t Tell was a wonderful, magical, heartwarming instalove story that I will be keeping on my “reread” shelf!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
Tagging Up by Carrie Aarons is live, and if you love age gap or sports romance, you MUST grab this book! The hero is a playboy pitcher with lots of mommy issues, and when he hooks up with his best friend’s baby cousin, the entire rule book goes out the window.
Being the youngest member of her immediate family, and massive network of cousins, she’s always been sheltered. That ends now. After graduating with her masters in nursing, she’s ready to move out of her parents’ house, whether they support that decision or not. While wallowing in the guilt of that choice at the local bar, she bumps into the one guy she shouldn’t go near.
A player for her family’s team and her cousin’s best friend, Clark should come with a warning label. Not only because he’s the league’s number one playboy, but because he’s significantly older than her.
Unfortunately, they can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. That initial night together leads to scorching glances across public parties, secret hookups in hidden places, and way more than either of their hearts bargained for.But being with Clark means lying to those closest to them. When their secret is finally discovered, it sends the already skittish bad boy running for the hills. And although she claimed to want freedom with no strings, Anna can’t help but feel the sharp pull to be with him forever.
Clark Nyle swore a long time ago he’d never be committed to anyone.After watching his mother ruin his father through adultery and abandonment, he knows that love is for masochists and he certainly isn’t one. Baseball and living life like every day’s a party are his only two passions.
Then his father dies, and he’s forced to question everything. It leads to a barstool, too many drinks, and into the backseat of his car with the one woman he should never have touched.
Now that he’s gotten a taste of Anna, he can’t stay away. Even if their secret affair comes with way too many consequences. Her family owns the team he plays for, not to mention his best friend would cut off his balls if he knew what they were up to. Plus, he doesn’t want anything long-term, and eventually he’s going to break her heart.
But the more time he spends with her, the more he seems to want a different future than the one he always planned on. Until they’re found out, and he’s forced to choose between his demons and the disapproval of his closest friends … or her.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
After getting to know Clark a bit as a side character in Dahlia and Griffin’s book (Control Artist), I was excited to see him get his own story. Anna is a character I honestly didn’t expect to be a heroine in the Callahan Family series since she was kind of just casually mentioned in the previous books. But OH. MY. GOSH. Together, Clark and Anna are fire!
Anna is the youngest cousin amongst the extended Callahan family, the owners of the MLB team for which Clark pitches. She’s led a very sheltered life as a result but is ready to strike out on her own. She’s been around Clark for years, and a night at the local bar where they are both drinking away their pain leads to a steamy quickie in his sports car. And then another quickie at a party. And then another… Being friends with benefits suits them both well since she is focused on her career as a nurse and he is a commitaphobe with major emotional baggage stemming from a difficult childhood.
But Anna brings out a sweet, vulnerable side to this playboy, and it’s so amazing to see the two of them together. For a while, their agreement works, and they keep their fling on the DL, but when feelings get involved and their relationship is exposed, Clark goes running rather than face the music.
I am sad to see the Callahan Family series come to an end! I have loved spending time with the Callahans and the Packton players!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
For Love or Honey by Staci Hart is a brand new enemies to lovers romcom, available NOW! This new release is the perfect weekend binge. Grab your copy from your favorite online retailer!
“Leave me with this book, the characters and the bees and I’ll be one happy reader – probably forever.” – The Chatty Romance Reader
When the devil comes to town, you have to meet him head on.
Which is exactly what I did when Grant Stone rolled into our small Texas town, driving a sports car I could fit in the bed of my truck, wearing a suit as black as his soul. He’s here to acquire mineral rights to half a dozen farms in town.
And there’s no way he’s getting mine.
I don’t make deals with the devil.
So when he challenges me to show him the small town ropes, my motivation is the prospect of seeing him make a fool of himself. He might have an angle, but if he thinks he can finagle me into endangering my bee farm, he’s got another thing coming.
Until the line in the sand is washed away.
My farm in danger. A town in upheaval. A man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
And me in the middle.
When the devil comes to town, you have to meet him head on.
And when he sneaks into your heart, he’ll only break it.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
For Love Or Honey was a sizzling, sexy, enemies-to-lovers romcom. City slicker Grant falls for small-town farm girl Jo in this charming addition to the Blum sisters’ books.
Jo and Grant hated each other pretty much at first sight, but there was undeniable chemistry between them. Grant is “the closer” brought in to sway several families into selling their properties to the company that wants it for the raw minerals on the land. Jo — fierce, loyal, Jo — is determined to prevent that from happening and fights Grant every step of the way.
Before long, buttoned-up suit Grant is wearing Wranglers and boots and pitching in around the farm on the very land he was sent to procure. Jo and Grant’s relationship was a wonderful journey as this tortured city boy found a home and family in a quirky small town with an equally quirky leading lady.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t for get that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓 
Sunny Shelly Reads 