Being the heir to Jacobs Enterprises, I’ve been around fake people my entire life. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t change for anyone. Which is the only reason I’m a professional hockey player who lives on the beach and does as he pleases without answering to anyone—except my father.
And now, my daughter.
Being a single dad wasn’t in the plan but after a one-night stand who took off after the baby was born, this is my reality.
My dad’s been harping on me to quit hockey and join the company for years and now that I’m a father, he’s only intensified his efforts. Until he makes me a deal I can’t refuse.
Insert Lena Boyd, the Jacobs’ family PR rep. She’s beautiful and intelligent and not at all the woman for me—ask anyone.
My dad needs us to act happily engaged and sell the idea that we’re in love. If we’re successful I won’t have to join the family legacy—ever. Of course, I agree.
That’s when things get complicated. I thought I had her all figured out until I found out there was more underneath her judgmental sneers and eye rolls. It feels like everything is coming together for the future I really want—with Lena—until my past ruins everything.
Another great Hockey Hotties book from Piper Rayne! I loved everything about this fake relationship story between Ford and Lena. It had so much depth and I loved the growth between these two characters!
In the previous two books, we’ve gotten to know Ford a bit as a playboy. A chaser who is always looking for the next puck bunny to take home. But his life was turned upside down when a one-night stand led to an expected pregnancy. He stepped up to take his responsibility as a single dad, but now that his fling has ditched sweet baby Annabelle, it’s all on Ford. And because he doesn’t want to take his birthplace in the family business, he has no choice but to pretend to be engaged to his dad’s PR whiz, Lena, until his dad can sell a portion of the company and retire. But there is sizzling chemistry between Lena and Ford, and even though they can’t stand one another at first, they soon find that they grossly misjudged the other.
This single sexy dad story was so swoony. Ford is such a good guy underneath the facade he puts out to the world. He grew up surrounded by fakeness and what needs to look good for his family’s business, but he wants no part of it himself. He’s so much deeper than the playboy that we’ve seen him as previously. Lena has not had an easy life, and what Ford first assumes is her being uppity is really her protecting herself financially and emotionally because she’s terrified of losing everything she’s worked so hard to achieve for herself. The way these two come together to take care of Annabelle — and then fall in love — was heartwarming.
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!
The Spark Between Us, an all-new roommates to lovers, opposites attract standalone romance from author Stacy Travis is available now!
When I move to small town Carolwood, I don’t expect to run into a hot-as-sin firefighter with smoldering gray eyes and eight-pack abs. Literally. With my car. Doesn’t help matters that Braden Michaels is my brother’s best friend. And my new roommate.
He’s too busy putting out blazes and igniting them in the hearts of women to pay much attention to me. I’m just here for work—six months of nerding out at a world-renowned science lab, then going home to a nice promotion and the boring men in my comfort zone.
I’m not here for a rescue fantasy, a fire station pole dance, or a romantic walk in a vineyard. I’m certainly not here to fall in love.
Until one earth-shattering night when we collide in a ball of white-hot sparks, and everything changes. We’re no longer just roommates. I don’t know what we are. But edging open Braden’s complicated heart knocks something loose in mine. All my plans and scientific facts start to pale in comparison with feelings I can’t control.
My time here has an expiration date and neither one of us wants to get hurt. Rushing into a burning building seems less risky than chasing the spark between us. Maybe it’s smarter to walk away. Or maybe I’ve found the one reason to stay.
We’ll either fall in love or we’ll go down in flames.
The Spark Between Us is Sarah and Braden’s story in the Berkeley Hills series and is an opposites attract STANDALONE novel.
“Is there something you want if I decide your brownies do live up to the hype?” He winked. The damn fireman was flirting.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s your game, mister? You’re the one who’s in charge here. You get to lay down a verdict once you taste these things,” I said, pointing to the squares in front of us. “You want me to wager something, just so you can find a tiny bit of fault with my recipe and assure I don’t get it?”
He took a step closer to me, and I could feel the heat radiating from his large, muscular body. Maybe that was his intention, to throw me off. It was working. My heart started beating so fast I could feel it in my throat.
Two could play at that game. I took a step closer to him so we were almost touching. I had to tilt my head back to look him in the eye, which emphasized how tall he was, easily over six feet.
“I’d never do something so underhanded.” His eyes met mine and moved briefly to my lips before returning to stare me down. His closeness made my body ache with desire, a warm flush spreading under his gaze.
Maybe that’s why I blurted out the first thing that came into my head. “Fine. If the brownies are as good as I say, you have to kiss me.”
I saw the surprise register in his eyes for a split second before he recovered. His shock was nothing compared to my own.
Where the hell had that come from? I swallowed hard and steadied my gaze at him, unwilling to back down.
His smirk returned, and he nodded at me, taking one step back.
“Fine. Deal.”
We shook on it.
“Actually . . .” I started to backpedal, but Braden held up a hand. He picked up the paper towels with the brownies and handed one to me. He even went so far as to clink brownies in a chocolate toast.
“Best of luck to you.” He paused to take a whiff of the brownie, blinking hard. Then he took a generous bite. I was so fixated on watching his straight teeth bite through the chocolate and his lips wrap around the bite he’d just taken that I forgot I held one of my favorite desserts in my hand.
The planet may have stopped spinning in real time and begun moving in slow motion, just so I could see the muscle in Braden’s jaw pop as he chewed the bite, and his stormy gray eyes fix on mine until he finally closed them.
When he swallowed and licked his bottom lip, it was almost like he’d licked me. I went limp. “Oh my God,” he moaned, eyes rolling back.
I barely heard his words amid the whole-body orgasm I was having. But something about the heated look gave me told me I’d succeeded in wooing his tastebuds. “Verdict?”
He took another bite and threw up his hands. “I concede,” he said around a mouthful of brownie. “You win. These are amazing.”
That thought made me happy because I felt pretty stolid in my brownie-making skills, and I liked the affirmation. But then . . . oh shit. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to kiss me. It was like something out of a high-school spin the bottle party. I felt ridiculous.
I started waving my hands. “But forget about the whole wager thing. That was just a joke. You don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do.” His eyes clouded with heat, the barest smile on his lips replaced with serious intention. “A bet’s a bet.”
His hands cupped my face as he leaned in closer, and I felt the air leave my lungs in a whoosh. I inhaled roughly, taking in the scent of woodsy aftershave and fresh soap, watching the fire in his eyes until they blurred in my vision.
The heat from his hands and the way he brushed the pad of his thumb over my cheek caused my eyes to drift closed. His lips brushed softly against mine, like a whisper. My breath hitched, his fingertips licking my skin like flames from a torch.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
What happens when a quirky brainiac temporarily moves in with her brother’s sexy firefighter friend? They fall in love, of course! The Spark Between Us is #3 in the Berkeley Hills series, and now we have physician Sarah needing a place to crash while she’s temporarily working as a visiting professor at a government lab. Big brother Finn’s best friend from childhood, Braden, now happens to be living in the very town Sarah will be working, and he has a spare bedroom to share…
Sarah and Braden’s story was so much fun. I love how quirky she is, and how attractive that actually was to Braden while she assumed that she would not be his type based on the skirt parade of beautiful models he is casually seeing. What Sarah doesn’t know is that Braden was so badly burned by past relationships — his ex, his father — and has closed off his heart.
But the spark between them is undeniable. She’s focused on her career, he is a commitaphobe, but they agree to enjoy the chemistry between them for as long as she’s in town. Which is all fine and well until they both catch feelings and are afraid to go back on the rules they set in place and tell the other one since their fling has an expiration date.
This story has all the feels. It’s sexy and sweet, and the characters are extremely likable. Even though it is part of a series, this book stands on its own. But if you are familiar with the Finley siblings, there is a great family dinner scene with the siblings that also serves as an “a-ha” moment for both Sarah and Braden.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Stacy Travis It’s a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we can’t make it to the beach. I’ve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if I’m doing it right, I’m bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy. I can’t sit still, so when I’m not hiking, biking or running, I’m playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.
Margaret Long’s world looks bright and shiny on the outside. Married to a successful attorney, she lives in a mini-mansion with her husband and their perfect daughter. No one would imagine how dim and dark her life really is. With a fractured heart and a broken body, she wonders how to break free.
The day Margaret happens to meet Mick Grantham is serendipitous. With a huge appetite for success after rescuing his mom from a violent situation, he now feeds that hunger by rebuilding broken businesses, not people. Although Margaret has a vibrant personality, her fragile exterior brings out his compassion, drawing him into her world.
It’s a dangerous situation, especially with Margaret’s outspoken daughter involved, who is wiser than her years. Someone is likely to get hurt, but Margaret and Mick’s attraction can’t be helped until changing circumstances force them to a halt.
Not all happy endings are born easily, but those won through adversity are often the most satisfying.
Wow. Faded Sunset was a bit difficult to read at times. I knew going into it that the heroine is trapped in an abusive marriage, but it was still hard to read. But Rachel Blaufeld so beautifully handles how Margaret rises above her abusive marriage and finds a new happy with another man.
Many of the violent scenes happen off-page, so it isn’t difficult to digest them in that way, but rather the way Margaret is so broken as a result of her abusive relationship with Tommy. She feels incredibly guilty over the care and love she gets from her affair with Mick, even though the husband she’s cheating on is a grade-A jerk.
Margaret didn’t set out to find another man the night she met Mick, but they were fated to meet. I loved how wonderfully she blossomed when she was with him, and how he helped her find the strength to break the cycle before her preteen daughter got caught up in the violence. Margaret even found a family of her choosing in the parents of her daughter’s friends she always kept at an arm’s distance.
Mick and Margaret’s story is messy and emotional, but it is full of so much inspiration and bravery and hope.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
A recent poll of her readers described Rachel as insightful, generous, articulate, and spunky. Originally a social worker, Rachel creates broken yet redeeming characters. She’s been known to turn up the angst like cranking up the heat in the dead of winter.
A devout coffee drinker and doughnut eater, Rachel spends way too many hours in local coffee shops, downing the aforementioned goodies while she plots her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end as lusciously as her treats.
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two beagles. Her obsessions include running, coffee, basketball, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
“Helena Hunting is quickly making her way as one of the top voices in romance” –RT Reviews
When Sparks Fly, an all-new emotional and hilarious friends-to-lovers standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is available now!
Charming, hilarious, and emotional…When Sparks Fly is Helena Hunting at her very best!
Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.
Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.
Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.
If you love a slow-burn best friends romance where it just hits the guy like a ton of bricks that he’s a playboy because he never realized he is really in love with his best friend, then Declan and Avery’s story will knock your socks off! I always know that Helena Hunting is going to deliver a great story, and I was NOT disappointed by When Sparks Fly!
The romance between roomies/besties Avery and Declan starts off very much as a friends with benefits thing. But it’s not long before both of them realize just how much they are IN LOVE with the other, not just love them as a best friend. But Declan is so emotionally stunted as a result of his parents’ messy marriage and divorce, and it colors everything he does with Avery. He’s actually quite an attentive and generous boyfriend — until a misunderstanding causes their relationship to implode.
There was fault on both sides leading up to the fight and The Breakup, but I really, really loved how much growth there was on Declan’s part when it came to working on his issues before he wooed Avery back. Oh my goodness, The Grand Gesture was so sweet!
I loved this story so much and I hope that When Sparks Fly is a start to a new series for the Sparks sisters, because I would love to see Avery’s sisters get books of their own!
I received an advanced copy via NetGalley and voluntarily left a review.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.
She didn’t want a one-night stand. He couldn’t promise more than a ten-day fling. Sometimes compromise is all you need.
Zack Weller is timely, orderly, and meticulous. Too bad his seven-year-old, twin sons are hellions. With his divorce final, a two-week vacation beckons him to his best friend’s cottage. Unfortunately, he can’t help the magnetic pull of memories from the house next door—the one that was once his childhood home—or fight the force of nature in the naked woman sunbathing in that backyard.
River Nagle is a free spirit. She understands the trials and tribulations some people face and offers the compassion to deal with them head on. When she inherits a lakeside home, she takes the blessing for what it’s worth: a gift and a new beginning. Until one day two little boys make themselves at home in the tree fort in her backyard and she meets their hot, growly dad who steals her wine, her time, and her heart.
Newly divorced, single father grump meets a ray of sunshine, next-door neighbor in this small town, second chance romance where learning to love over 40 works with the right teacher.
……
What to Expect from Learning at 40
– Grumpy single dad
– Rambunctious twins
– Ray of sunshine, next-door neighbor
– Over 40 romance
– Second chance at love
– Lakeside shenanigans
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Another absolutely charming story in LB Dunbar’s Lakeside Cottage series. In a sea of contemporary romance books featuring heroes and heroines in their 20s and 30s, I really appreciate her over-40 books.
In Learning at 40, we return to the lakeside cottage for Ben’s funeral. The remaining three points are trying to find their way through life without him, as are his widow Anna and teenage sons and sister. This book focuses on Zack, and his struggles to adapt to being a single dad of rambunctious twins as well as the death of his best friend. The night of Ben’s funeral, he swears he sees an angel in the yard next door — the house that was once his childhood home. Returning a few months later for the group’s two-week vacation, he again sees the free-spirited woman, but when he finally meets her, he and River definitely get off on the wrong foot.
But the chemistry! So much chemistry! But what do you do when he’s only there for two weeks and she’s not interested in one-night stand? By the time the two weeks are up, neither one of them can walk away — and Zack finds that the last thing he thought he wanted was exactly what he needed.
I loved how River brought out the best in Zack, and how well she handled the twins. She calmed his rough edges and soothed him when he got anxious.
Learning at 40 isn’t as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the first book was, simply because it doesn’t involve Ben’s illness. But this story still packs quite an emotional punch as Zack learns how to fall in love with River. He started off as so rude and grumpy and a dude with so many issues, but there is a really nice arc for his character as he falls hard and fast for the neighbor.
This book ends with an intriguing epilogue for Anna’s brother, Asher, who I figure will be the focus of the next book, but I really can’t wait for Mason’s story!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Title: Crossing The Line
Author: Jessica Prince
Series: Whitecap
Contemporary Romance; Small Town Romance; Single Mom Romance
Some lines are meant to be crossed.
Trent Montgomery knew all about loyalty and responsibility. Tracking down his friend’s long-lost sister and making sure she was safe was just another job, a favor from someone he cared about. He wasn’t supposed to get attached. But when he started to fall for the woman who had been hiding from the world, things got a lot more complicated than he ever expected.
Cheyanne Knightly knew all about living in fear. The life she’d made for her and her daughter was as stable as a house of cards. One stiff breeze could send her whole world crumbling. But when a new guy blew into her small town, stirring up Whitecap’s rumor mill, she found herself drawn to him in a way she never expected.
Lies were told. Secrets were uncovered. Lines were crossed. When the truth finally came out, Trent had to find a way to protect the woman who stole his heart while he tried to earn her trust back.
**The Whitecap series is a brand new series of interconnected, standalone, small town romances.**
“Monica said the dude was ogling you like you were a three-course meal and he hadn’t eaten in a month.”
“Like I said, she exaggerated.”
Right?
Nope, I silently screamed to myself. I wasn’t going to start questioning it because it didn’t matter. Not at all.
She looked at me, her expression pinched with skepticism. “Was she also exaggerating when she said she thought you’d stroked out for a minute and lost the power of speech when he came up and introduced himself to you?”
I snorted and took a gulp of my margarita, smiling as I admitted, “No, she might have been spot-on with that one.”
Luna’s head fell back on a laugh. “At least you’re willing to own it.”
“It’s not my fault! There isn’t a woman on the planet who could help it,” I exclaimed. “I mean, the dude had dimples, for Christ’s sake. Dimples.”
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Crossing The Line kicks off a new series from Jessica Prince, and is a spinoff of the Hope Valley series. In the last HV book, Charlotte wanted to find her twin sister, Cheyanne, whom she’d been separated from since they were small girls. So now, Alpha Omega Securities agent Trent has tracked down Cheyanne at a small town in Oregon, where she’s hiding out from her abusive ex and raising her young daughter on her own, having changed her name to Sawyer.
I loved how natural the relationship was between Cheyanne and Trent! And Renee was absolutely adorable! They gelled together seamlessly as an instafamily, which scared both Cheyanne and Trent terribly. He knew he was falling from her, but he was hiding this huge secret that he knew who she was in her past life and had, in fact, tracked her down. Meanwhile, Cheyanne felt guilty that she couldn’t tell Trent who she really was since she was afraid for her life and safety.
Of course, it all comes to a head, and Cheyanne feels terribly betrayed. But with some prodding from her sister and the family she’s built in Whitecap, she realizes that Trent wasn’t totally wrong in his reasons for not telling her who he was from the get-go.
Crossing The Line is a beautiful starting over romance, with steam and sass, and lots of sweet and tender moments. I loved all the crazy characters we got to meet in Whitecap, and just like the Hope Valley and Redemption folks, I can’t wait to get to know them better!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.
Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.
In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.
Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.
Unputdownable! Grumpy, tatted bad boy is really a gushing romantic? Yes, please!
I read The Lie in a single night because I just could not tear myself away from Faith and Dominic! The Lie is set in the Washington Wolves world, and is another next-generation book like the Ward Sisters series. Faith is the daughter of Luke Pierson and Allie Sutton Pierson from The Bombshell Effect, the book that started this world. I loved getting to see Luke and Allie all grown up and happily married!
But back to Faith and Dominic. They clash immediately. He’s grumpy, has a bad attitude, and a reputation for being a troublemaker. She’s sunshine and rainbows, and he hates her on sight. Yes, Faith is privileged, but she’s also a super hard worker, and busts her butt working for the philanthropic foundation her stepmom Allie had started years ago. So when Allie has Faith “babysitting” Dominic while he does some community service after a mess-up at the stadium, neither of them are very happy to be spending forced time with the other.
But oh, how things change! Something clicks for Dominic and makes him realize that he was completely wrong about Faith. And though she’s got whiplash from his 180, she soon realizes that he’s really a big old softy with an incredibly generous heart — even if he doesn’t show it often to people. But even though Dominic lets his walls crumble down around Faith, there is one huge secret left between them, and his lie of omission could ruin everything they are building together.
How I loved this story! The Lie checks all the boxes for a feel-good romance, and I absolutely devoured it. The banter between Dominic and Faith is amazing. I totally fell for this couple as they went from hating one another to falling head over heels. I cried during the breakup, and then cried again when Dominic worked on his own issues to win Faith back.
The Lie is perfect! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Karla Sorensen
Well, let’s see … I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone’s face, then I’ve done my job.
I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob.
If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies.
I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I’ll love you forever.
“Some mistakes can’t be forgiven or left behind. Some mistakes, leave a mark on us and we have to carry their consequences forever.“
Hazel
Six years ago, my life fell apart and ever since I was living within those broken pieces.
Until I met him.
The moment I walked into the Starbucks on my first day of work and laid eyes on him, everything changed.
He saw me.
For the first time in three years, I wasn’t invisible. I’ve grown used to staying on the sidelines and living in the shadows until I met him.
Aiden Hitchings was my father’s favorite player. Our university’s soccer star. The one who lived in the spotlight.
I knew I shouldn’t have tempted fate, but falling for him wasn’t a choice.
History was about to repeat itself, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Aiden
Last year of college was going to be epic. Juggling our NCAA Championship, coursework and my part-time job at Starbucks wasn’t easy, but it was all going to pay off once I signed my professional contract.
That was before she walked in.
The hazel-eyed girl with a sharp tongue, the one who always blended into the background, was staring right back at me. The Coach’s daughter, one I should have avoided at any cost but kept being drawn to.
She shattered my carefully built-up world and inked herself deep into my soul.
But she carried a secret with her that stood between us, slowly breaking us.
And for the first time in my life, I lost control and I felt helpless.
The coach’s daughter and the star soccer player hate each other on sight. He thinks she’s holier-than-thou, and she assumes he’s another smarmy jock. But as they work together at the local Starbucks, they find that those initial assumptions were wrong, and they begin to fall for one another. But she’s got a major secret, and he’s potentially headed to Europe to play pro soccer — does their relationship have an expiration date?
The Sky Between Us had good potential, but it fell kinda flat. I liked Aiden more than I liked Hazel, but I had a hard time shipping this couple. I figured out right away what Hazel’s secret was, and while it is life-changing, it isn’t traumatic and really didn’t ruin her life the way she made it seem. Unfortunate? Yes. Traumatic? No. Sure, she has a jerk of an ex, but she had lots of family support after the event, and was in a much better position than some other young women in her situation could have been.
Also, this author isn’t American, and there is a clear language barrier. Her phrasing is kind of clunky, and there is dialog between some characters that is not natural. So that was a bit jarring for me in reading.
I thought there was some nice growth between Hazel and Aiden by the end of the story, and I really liked the epilogue. But generally, this book just didn’t work for me.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily let a review.
Meet Mia Kun
Mia is a Young Adult and Contemporary Romance author.
She grew up in Budapest, Hungary, but she is currently living in London.
She’s been dancing since she was six and that’s why ballet is heavily featured in her books. If she is not writing she loves to spend time with her friends and dog, and reading.
Keeping You, an all-new laugh-out loud small-town romance from Lena Hendrix is available now!
When I moved to my sister’s small town, I was looking for a fresh start—no more shallow relationships, no snotty fake friends, and definitely no charming, dirty-talking musicians.
We had a fun, red-hot night together and we agreed that hooking up was a mistake, a one-time thing. But when my dream bakery location happens to be right next door to his bar, every day I’m forced to see that chiseled jawline and remember the feel of his incredible body on mine.
No. I’m starting over. I have rules. No more bad habits, definitely no falling in love. No matter how hard he tries, hooking up with him again would prove I’m the flake everyone expects me to be.
But here I am, stuck between wanting to make something of my life and wanting to grab him and make another delicious mistake.
Excerpt
Honey
Two weeks after I gave the one finger salute to my former boss, I pulled my vintage matte black Chevelle onto Main Street of Chikalu Falls, Montana. The ninety-minute drive left behind the flats and wound through beautiful mountain highways. Chikalu Falls was nestled at the base of the mountains and from the church on the corner, to the grocer on the right, it always felt slower and a little like stepping back in time. Childhood memories of the summers Jo and I spent with Grandma Nana and Pop flooded back to me. A bubble of excited energy squirmed in my chest. Nearly every person I passed raised their hand in greeting, and whether they knew me or not, I waved back enthusiastically. I peered over the steering wheel as I entered town to watch someone rolling white paint high on the town’s water tower. Are they painting over a drawing of a dick? I shook my head and laughed about this quirky town—Jo always had great stories about it. I passed the town bar and dance hall, The Dirty Pigeon, and fractionally slowed my car. Willing myself to look straight ahead, I still managed to sneak a side-eyed peek at the front door. My palms felt sweaty against the steering wheel. It wasn’t all that long ago I spent the most incredible, panty-melting night of my life with the bar’s owner, Colin. My chest warmed just thinking about it and a tingle settled between my legs. Get it together. You both knew it was just one, hot night. Squashing the thought, I pressed the gas harder and cruised forward, leaving behind all thoughts of Colin’s thickly roped arms pulling me close and the scrape of his stubble against the sensitive skin of my neck. Four turns later, I pulled into the hidden driveway of Joanna’s farm property. The long and winding gravel path opened up to a stunning piece of land. Off the road, the Big House was a gorgeous white home with black shutters and a huge wraparound porch. A small river cut through the landscape and near it were several little cottages. I wasn’t sure where Jo wanted me to stay, so I parked near the house and found her sitting on the veranda, waiting for me. “There’s my girl!” I called up to Jo. The excitement expanded in my chest at seeing my sister after so long. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and a sense of relief. She pulled me into a tight hug, “I’ve missed you!” Jo and I used to share an apartment, but with her now living in Chikalu Falls, it felt like an eternity since we’d been together. “Mmmm,” she replied, squeezing me a little harder. “I just still can’t believe you’re really here.” “It didn’t take too long to sublease my apartment and I need a change of scenery.” “Well,” she moved away from me to sweep a wide arm around the impressive, rural land, “this is definitely a change!” We both laughed and held each other tightly. It was fantastic to see Jo’s face so full of life and happiness. I shooed away the brief pang of jealousy. She deserved this life and it suited her. “You’re welcome to stay for however long you need. Mr. Bailey is in Cottage Four, but all the others are open. I think the best view is from Cottage Two.” “Cottage Two it is! Help me unpack?” Jo looked past me to see my car practically bursting at the seams with bags and luggage. She didn’t know it, but the trunk was full, too. “How is it possible you have so much shit?” “Well,” I answered, “a girl’s gotta look her best.” I winked at her and lifted a shoulder. “Honestly, Honey. If you’re going to survive here, you at least need one pair of good work boots.” She eyed my ankle booties and their sharp heels warily, but then we got to unpacking. It only took a few—ok, fine, several—trips for Joanna and me to lug my clothes into the cottage, but we managed to get it all in. After she helped me put some things away and stack the suitcases in the closet, we stood together in the dimly lit kitchen. Jo wrapped her arm around my shoulders and squeezed as we both looked out the large picture window overlooking the riverbank. “You did what so many people are afraid to,” she whispered in my ear. “You started over.” My eyes misted and a small, scratchy lump formed in the back of my throat. I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth and willed the tears away. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “Thanks, Jo.” I hoped with every fiber of my being that I could get it right this time. * * * After getting cleaned up, Joanna and I decided to meet her fiancé, Lincoln, at The Pidge. A flutter danced in my stomach at the possibility of running into Colin. He was Lincoln’s best friend and hot as fuck. I glanced around to see if I would spot him. Bumping into someone I’d slept with had never been a big deal before, but Colin just did something to my insides. Since he was Lincoln’s best friend, Colin and I had been thrown together to help with Jo’s fundraiser. At the time, she hosted a fishing event for veterans and he insisted that the bar cater for it. The food was spectacular, and his generosity did not go unnoticed. Neither did his thick arms, hazel eyes, or that tight ass. I needed to think about something—anything—else. “Can you believe this place?” Jo was perched on a stool across the high-top table. “It is pretty incredible,” I admitted. The walls were covered with old photographs of life in Chikalu Falls mixed with posters for local bands. It had a real honky tonk vibe but with an upscale flair to it. The name might suggest it was a dive, but the parts of my brain trained in marketing knew it was intentional. My eyes swooped across the stage and dance floor, still secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of Colin. No. Remember the rules? No men. Especially men who make you tingle straight down to your toes. “Well aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes,” Lincoln’s deep, rumbling voice had us looking behind us. He wrapped both arms around Jo and left a trail of kisses up her neck. She giggled and tried to move away, but it was obvious she loved the attention of her man. “Hey, Linc,” I said between sips of my vodka gimlet. “I heard you stepped away from your old job. Planning to stay a while?” “More like lit my old life on fire and danced on the ashes. But yeah. You’re stuck with me now.” We all laughed but a heaviness lingered around my shoulders. I took another sip of my drink and added, “I still need to figure out what the fuck I’m going to do about a job. But that,” I finished my drink in a burning gulp, “is a worry for another night. Who needs another?” Jo lifted her glass and Lincoln unwound himself from her. “I got this, ladies. You just sit back and enjoy.” Joanna’s gaze wandered over her fiancé’s muscled back as he walked up to the bar. “You going to eye fuck him all night, or what?” I teased. A blush immediately rose to her cheeks. “Cut it out.” She slapped her napkin against my arm, but not before I caught her sneaking another peek and drooling over him again. When I followed her gaze to the bar, my heart sputtered and my mouth went dry. Colin McCoy was behind the old wooden bar, filling glasses from the tap with beer in beautiful shades from dark amber to gold. “You know,” Jo added hopefully, “now that you’re in town again, maybe you and Colin could pick up where you left off.” I tried to sound as indifferent as I could manage despite the warmth feathering across my chest. “Nah. I think it was just a one-time thing.” Over my drink, I took a peek at him again. Fuck. That man is a walking orgasm. “We agreed it would be better to be friends—especially with you and Lincoln now back together. Your friend group doesn’t need us tangled together and complicating matters. Plus, we were separated by ninety miles.” I shrugged my shoulders and flicked my eyes to the dance floor and hoped to look confidently unaffected by his presence. “Well not anymore. He’s right here.” Jo bumped my shoulder and winked. Since getting together with Lincoln she’d become a hopeless romantic. I can’t even handle being around him—he’s too tempting and my life is a literal train wreck right now. As if my thoughts wound through the crowded bar and tapped him on the shoulder, his eyes flicked up and locked onto mine. The familiar thrum of desire bloomed in my chest, sinking lower into my belly. It really was a fucking shame that I had sworn off meaningless sex—all sex for that matter—before getting to see Colin McCoy naked again. Damn, the things I would do to you. Colin’s eyes didn’t leave mine, but a smile quirked his lip up and that lopsided grin was nearly my undoing.
Another great book from Lena Hendrix! I adored her debut novel, Finding You, and have been looking forward to Keeping You. Honey is Jo’s sister from Finding You, and I was excited to read her story, see how she starts her life over in Chickalu Falls after a career faux pas in big-city Butte. She’d had a one-night stand with Colin before Keeping You takes place, and I loved seeing how this second-chance romance came together.
Honey had big plans when she moved to Chickalu. She was kind of flighty and a bit of a screw-up, so she had a list to guide her through opening a bakery in her new town. Meanwhile, Colin is already an established business owner, but he is crumbling inside over the immense guilt he feels for his perceived role in his brother’s suicide. But Honey caught his eye months ago, and he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind. Even though she’s so focused on building her bakery, Colin swoops in and woos her before she even realizes what is happening! Swoon! But Colin has been lying to her by omission, and when the truth is revealed, will it break the bond that they’ve formed?
I thought that LH handled Colin’s family’s grief brilliantly. I read in the author notes that she is a survivor of sibling suicide herself, so it’s no wonder that she wrote Colin’s emotional turmoil so well. There is a really lovely scene between Colin and his mom where he lets it all out, and I loved that vulnerability.
So far, the Chickalu Falls series has been a big hit for me, and the teaser that LH dropped at the end about Maggie and Deck’s upcoming story… I can’t wait!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Lena Lena Hendrix is the author of steamy, contemporary romance novels. Her love of romance started with her grandmother’s Harlequin paperbacks and now Lena’s stories are full of heart, humor, and plenty of strong Alphas with marshmallow insides-she likes her coffee hot and her heroes hotter!
Lena lives in the midwest with her husband, three children, and two derpy Australian Cattle Dogs. When she’s not writing or devouring new novels, you can find her hiking, camping, fishing, and sipping a spicy margarita!
I can’t have him because he’s my older brother’s best friend. I can’t have him because I broke his heart five years ago; because he’s now engaged to someone else—someone kind and dependable who deserves his whiskey eyes, his soft mouth, his fierce intellect.
I can’t have Elijah because I’ve chosen God instead.
The Bell brothers, though . . . well, we don’t exactly have the greatest track record with vows. But I’m determined to do this monk thing right—to pledge myself to a cloistered life and spend the rest of my years in chastity and prayer. But now Elijah’s here. He’s here and he’s coming with me on my European monastery road trip, and between the whispered confessions and the stolen kisses and the moments bent over an ancient altar, my vows are feeling flimsier by the day.
And vows or not, I know in my heart that it would take more than a good and holy monk to resist Elijah Iverson right now. It would take a saint.
And we all know that I’m no saint.
(This is the third full-length standalone in the Priest Collection, featuring Father Bell’s brother, Aiden Bell. You do not have to read Priest or Sinner to read Saint.)
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Sierra Simone does it again with this emotional, smoldering, sexy, forbidden romance! If you know the Bell family, you know Father Tyler Bell (Priest) and big brother Sean (Sinner). Now middle brother Aiden gets his turn in the spotlight with Saint. As with the previous two books, Simone masterfully blends a forbidden romance, but this story has so much more than just a forbidden romance between Aiden, who is a year away from taking his final vows as a monk, and his ex-boyfriend Elijah (who happens to be Sean’s best friend and the older brother of Sean’s wife, Zenny).
Aiden — or Brother Patrick, as he’s been called since he literally left Elijah in the middle of the night nearly 5 years ago — is such a tortured hero. His long battle with depression plays a huge part in this story, and his inner conflict as he tries to reconcile his saving grace (the church and God) with his heart’s true desire (Elijah) is a wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant journey. Is it possible for him to have both God in his life and Elijah? Does one have to exclude the other? As Aiden and Elijah play their many “what if” games as they explore European monasteries, what if they are really able to make their relationship work again in the real world?
Saint is a beautifully crafted story!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.
Sunny Shelly Reads 