Month: November 2022

Love You More
Julia Kent
(Love You, Maine, #3)
Publication date: November 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Colleen Luview’s love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she’s ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.

She’s untouchable now, and it’s not her fault.

Resolved to branch out and find a way to have a life with a partner, children, meaning, and free from being a love pariah in a town devoted to it, she decides to leave her beloved Love You, Maine—where every day is Valentine’s Day—to find a bigger dating pool.

And a better nickname.

Moore Mottin hates feeling like damaged goods. Married and divorced twice before thirty, he has a fourteen-year-old from a teenage pregnancy, was cheated on during his second wedding, and now even his best friend, Luke Luview, considers him the butt of every bad-luck joke when it comes to love.

When Luke’s sister, Colleen, picks him up from the airport and a freak snowstorm forces them off the road, he rescues her from an icy pond and finds an old hunting cabin for shelter and safety. Vulnerable and shaking, the two give in to long-simmering feelings for each other, but when they’re discovered in the worst way possible, what seemed like a new lease on life turns into a life-altering mess.

Can Moore and Colleen overcome all the obstacles holding them back from a love that’s been in front of their faces all this time?

If you’re looking for a story featuring two star-crossed lovers doomed by unfair reputations, featuring a smooth-talking single dad who runs a jewelry store and his best friend’s sister, set in a small town in New England, with a calico cat named Sandwich, a heroine with a dry wit and a can-do attitude, and a hero who just wants a good relationship with his estranged child and the chance to find permanent love…then this is your book.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe some peanut butter for your burger (what? It’s a thing…), and get your happy meter ready as you read the third book (a standalone!) in the Love You, Maine series—where love isn’t just a feeling…it’s a way of life.

✓Standalone

✓One-night stand

✓Forced proximity

✓Best friend’s sister

✓Single dad

… and a calico cat named Sandwich

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Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

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Just One Night
Felice Stevens
Publication date: November 9th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
In the rough and tumble world of New York City, these men don’t mind getting down and dirty—in business or each other.

It isn’t every day a gorgeous stranger shows up in my bedroom wearing not much more than an arrogant smile. When I discover he’s a high-priced escort and a surprise birthday present from my sister…now she’s gone too far.

Except I haven’t been able to stop kissing him long enough to tell him to leave.
No one has to know he’s spent the night. And when we’re done, he’s gone and out the door. Never to be seen again.

Well, not exactly.
Because for some crazy reason, I can’t quite forget Archer Strong.

It’s a job like all the others. Another evening of million-dollar seduction and fake desire that’s made me the most exclusive escort in New York City.
But after one kiss from billionaire real-estate mogul Madden Steele, I’m not pretending anything.

And when he wants to see me a second time, I break my rule of one and done.
Because just one night with Madden isn’t enough. I want to see him again.
And again.

Now he’s asking for something more. Something that could solve all my problems, and his. But it’s something I can’t give him.
Or can I?

With an enemy from inside Madden’s family scheming to take control of his company and destroy me, we’re in for a fight. Holding on to each other might be the biggest risk of our lives, but it’s the only way to reap the greatest reward—love.

From Lambda Literary Award-winning author Felice Stevens comes a passionate story of two men fighting the demons of their past and unexpected desire for each other. Expect steamy encounters, backstabbing relatives, lots of cuddling and junk food in bed.

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EXCERPT:

I slid my hand to his nape, grasping him hard and bringing him flush with me. “Let’s go to bed.”

Wide-eyed yet still possessing that air of arrogance that was a fucking turn-on, Madden shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

He walked out of the bedroom, leaving me in the unusual position of feeling frustrated. Frowning, I slipped on my briefs and pants, and set off to track him down. The apartment was huge, at least five thousand square feet, and with a killer view. It made sense—if you had more money than God, you’d live in the closest thing to heaven.

I saw him on the balcony, standing by the railing, and went to him. “It’s beautiful here. How old is this building?”

He inched away from me. “About ten years. But this space wasn’t renovated until two years ago.”

I’d read that his father died a couple of years earlier, so maybe that had something to do with the timing. What I didn’t know was why I bothered to ask him that, or anything else personal. It went against everything I stood for in my business: nothing personal, and certainly no in-depth questions about life. Kissing a client was a rarity, and yet I couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. I wanted to plunge my tongue past those soft lips and battle with his. Feel his hot breath stutter in my ear.

Jesus, get a grip. He’s no different from any other client.

“Well, it’s beautiful. Shall we go inside?” I slid behind him and pressed my mouth to the pulse pounding at his throat. “Unless you want people to watch us.”

He twisted away from me. “Look. My sister is crazy. This whole idea is. I’m fine as is. I’ll pay you whatever you were going to charge her, and you can leave. What do you want, a check or direct deposit to your account?”

Madden pulled away and strode inside, leaving me to scramble after him. Dammit. I should say screw it and leave. I had my money already, so there was nothing to lose.

Except knowing what it was like to fuck Madden Steele.

 

Author Bio:

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance. She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her watching reality TV or procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice’s Breakfast Club.

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Whiskey on Our Shoes
Tonya Preece
Publication date: September 16th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.

Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.

Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?

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EXCERPT:

Eva’s POV

Alex takes a step back toward the swinging kitchen doors and takes a phone from his pocket.

Worried he’ll call the cops, I hop off the barstool and walk toward him, hands up to show I’m harmless. “I was kidding,” I say.

He freezes, shoulders back. His chest is broad. A brick wall. That’s what running into him upstairs felt like. His arm had gone around me, strong and warm, pulling me out of the way and—whoa. Heat creeps into my cheeks, despite the coolness of the kitchen.

Squelching the impulse to fan myself, I shift my focus to Alex’s face. There’s a spark in his deep blue eyes, like he caught me ogling him, and my whole face ignites. Damn fair skin.

What the hell am I doing? This guy poses a threat to mine and Lor’s privacy. He could blab what happened here to everyone.

So why am I thinking of his warm, spicy scent?

I clear my throat. “We wouldn’t kill you. Right, Hector?”

“You’re safe, man.” Hector hands us each a glass of tea.

Alex’s posture relaxes some, but he doesn’t take a drink. He watches me sip mine. I switch from holding the glass with my left hand to my right and wonder if he noticed I don’t have a left index finger. If so, he’s hiding his reaction better than Nadine at ACR did.

He pockets his phone. “Okay, what shouldn’t I have seen or heard?”

“I’ll let her explain it,” I say as Jojo breezes back into the kitchen, NDA in hand. There are perks to having Lor’s personal assistant on the premises.

“Have a seat, Alex.” She sets the papers on the bar. “This is a standard non-disclosure agreement. The band’s keeping DeLorean’s injuries private while he’s recovering.”

Alex shrugs. “Fine. I won’t tell anyone. I don’t even have any idea what’s wrong with him.”

Jojo hands him a pen. “Good. By signing this, you also agree to not mention anything of DeLorean having a sister.”

“Why?” His eyes snap to me. “Don’t people know he has a sister?”

“No,” Hector tells him. “She works hard to stay anonymous. You must forget everything about her.” His tough guy act warms my heart, but he’s no bigger than me, with not much more muscle.

Alex, on the other hand is clearly shredded.

“Don’t worry. I can keep a secret.” His eyes are full of understanding.

“Great.” I gesture to the NDA. He breaks our gaze and reads it. And I mean, he really reads it, like word for word. Finally, he signs it and hands it to Jojo.

“Thank you, sir,” she says. “Eva, will you see Alex to the door please?”

A splash mark on his left boot catches my eye as we walk through the foyer. I point at the dark spot. “Oh no, some of the whiskey got on you. I can have Jojo arrange to replace them.”

“No, it’s fine.” He stops at the door. “But maybe I could get your number?” From the way his Adam’s apple bobs with a swallow, I sense he surprised himself as much as me.

“Um…” I’m tempted, but what is happening? He’s supposed to leave and forget me. I need to forget him. Our lives are so different. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.” I open the door.

Disappointment flickers in his eyes. He nods and goes past me, through the open door. Heading for the black truck, he puts his cowboy hat on and glances over his shoulder at me with what could only be described as a wistful smile. I almost grin back but decide not to encourage him.

Author Bio:

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another. She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm. She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

As an active SCBWI member since 2015, Tonya has volunteered for several conferences and has served as a critique group facilitator. She joined the Writer’s League of Texas and The Author’s Guild in 2021. She’s serving as the 2022 WriteOnCon Financial Administrator and Critique Boutique Coordinator.

Tonya’s 2022 debut, Whiskey on Our Shoes, was selected for the 2019 #WriteMentor program. One of her YA novels, THE MISSING MEMORIES OF CORDY O’REILLY, earned her a 2020 scholarship/mentorship with Austin SCBWI and was a finalist at the 2018 Houston SCBWI conference.

An avid consumer of written stories, Tonya reads and/or listens to an average of 75 books a year. Some of her favorite YA authors include Jeff Zentner, Julie Buxbaum, Sarah Dessen, and Robin Benway. In adult romance – Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, Helena Hunting, Emily Henry, and Abby Jimenez. Series she tries to keep up to date on: Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. Recent mainstream faves are Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Five Fun Facts about Tonya that aren’t reading or writing related:

1. She volunteers at a local food pantry, where she’s enjoyed serving weekly since 2017.

2. Her travel bucket list includes Italy, Ireland, and Bora Bora. Australia would be awesome, too!

3. She loves ziplining, indoor skydiving, and rollercoasters.

4. She’s a fan of bands like With Confidence, Broadside, All Time Low, State Champs, Sleeping with Sirens, and As It Is.

5. 5. In her free time, she can be found indulging a jigsaw puzzle habit and/or binging shows like Outer Banks, Never Have I Ever, Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Good Girls, Veronica Mars, and iZombie.

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The Wedding Laughbox
Julia Kent
(Shopping for a Billionaire, #3)
Publication date: November 8th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Wedding Laughbox contains FIVE full-length novels and ONE ALL NEW NOVELLA! – from a variety of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series.

It’s wedding season, and what’s better than a wedding in rom-com style?

Julia Kent’s madcap style, that is.

How about a campground double wedding with three grooms and two brides? (What? Yep…) Or a billionaire and his betrothed escaping their own wedding to flee to Vegas? Paparazzi galore and a stubborn father of the groom ruining a CEO’s planned nuptials until he takes matters into his own hands and does love his way? A disgruntled older sister watching her sister find wedded bliss and maybe, just maybe, finding her own love with a rival billionaire?

With five different stories you get bridezillas, momzillas — even a billionaire dadzilla – with over-the-top fun and lush, luxurious settings, all wrapped up in community, connection, and loads of fun.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife

Shopping for a CEO’s Wife

It’s Always Complicated

Random Acts of Love

Hasty

And an ALL NEW novella featuring Will and Mallory from the book Fluffy, as they go on their honeymoon and discover that life is nothing but a series of coincidences as their past comes back to haunt them with hilarious results.

Sink into SIX humor-filled books that pour you into wedding planning, bachelorette and bachelor parties, give you all the wedding jitters and proud family moments, all wrapped up in a huge boxed set you can sink into and find your way to long-term love.

Note: each of these books can be read as a standalone, but they are part of larger series. All of my Laughbox boxed sets are designed to give readers a taste of my books, centered on a specific concept (in this case, weddings). Full disclosure for readers.

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Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

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Pretty Evil
Zoe Rosi
Publication date: January 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller
You’ve done a bad thing. She has you in her sights. Now you’re going to pay.

Meet Camilla Black: an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who lives it up in her beautiful Mayfair apartment. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men.

Camilla expects to get away with murder. She’s careful. And anyway, it’s worth the risk. She’s making the world a better place with each predator she kills. But when one of her victims’ bodies is unexpectedly found, his gruesome death is splashed all over the papers.

To make matters worse, she’s now being pursued by Detective Wheelan, a new addition to the Met with laser-sharp focus and a worrying habit of solving impossible crimes…

She knows she should stop, but she can’t. Some men just deserve to die. Will Camilla’s insatiable appetite for justice be her downfall, or can she outsmart the police?

Revised edition: Previously published as Predator, this edition of Pretty Evil includes editorial revisions.

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Author Bio:

Zoe Rosi has a background in journalism and copywriting. She worked as a reporter for local and national newspapers before moving into the fashion industry as a copywriter. Zoe had four romantic comedies published before writing her debut thriller. It was while working as a fashion copywriter that Zoe had the idea for Pretty Evil, which she describes as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho.

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Never Gonna Happen
Linda Kage
Publication date: November 8th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Peyton’s mom and my mom were best friends.

You’d think that should cover the gist of it. But, no… Oh, no.

Not even close.

You see, Mom and Aunt Donna (as I’d always called Peyton’s mother) were not simply just best friends; I’m saying they were the-same-person-inhabiting-two-different-bodies kind of best friends.

And thus, Peyton Royce had been forced on me since the moment she was born.

We were treated like twins, yet always expected to fall in love one day and get married. The only problem with that was I didn’t love Peyton. And I’m fairly certain she didn’t even like me in return.

Don’t get me wrong. I adored our moms—swear to God—but they had to let this stupid notion go, because one thing had become abundantly clear to me over the years. I would never marry Peyton Royce. I think it was my one goal in life, actually.

So… Sorry, Mom and Aunt Donna, but you two just weren’t going to get your way on this.

Peyton and I? It was never gonna happen.

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EXCERPT:

Aria took her turn next. When she immediately turned toward me and Peyton, my stomach dipped with dread.

“York,” she smirked snidely. “Truth or dare?”

“Uh…” Damn. I shrugged, not sure what would be worse from her. I ended up going with, “Truth,” only to hold my breath and hope she didn’t ask about why I’d really broken up with her. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings and admit that I just didn’t feel any sparks.

But she glanced calculatingly between me and Peyton instead, then asked, “You two have known each other your whole lives, right?”

I frowned in confusion. “Uh, yeah. That’s your question?”

“No. My question is if you two have ever kissed before.”

“What? No!” I frowned at her for wasting her truth question on that and then glanced toward Peyton, shaking my head to let her know my group of friends was clearly insane.

She merely blushed and shrugged back.

And Wes took his turn next in the game.

“York!” he cheered. “Truth or dare?”

“Seriously?” I threw up my hands. “Why is everyone picking on me all of the sudden?”

“Truth or dare?” Wes repeated, lifting a challenging eyebrow.

I didn’t like where Aria had been heading with her question about Peyton, so this time I said, “Dare.”

Wes looked at me with victory, letting me know I’d chosen wrong, right before he said, “I dare you to kiss Peyton.”

Author Bio:

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.
Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor…or Hulk (can’t decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

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As The Secrets Turn
B. Truly
(My Darkest Secret, #3)
Publication date: January 17th 2023
Genres: Romance, Suspense, Young Adult

I am patient and kind. I do not envy or boast.
He is not proud or rude. He is not easily angered and always protects.
I am not self-seeking and he does not delight in evil.
We define the essence of Love.

In life’s beauty, there are also challenges as the world turns.
Justin and I have overcome a multitude of struggles, starting with his vindictive brother. When I fought for prosecution, I became a pawn in his brother’s game, but I prevailed.

The shockwaves of ridicule didn’t engulf us—they only made us stronger. The center point is knowing that what Justin and I share is real.
Over the last year, we’ve been in the calm of our life. The key to weathering through tremendous obstacles is to find a balance between the good and the terrible. I discover family who can never seem to be happy for you, and deceit that isn’t mine to share. A surge of turbulence is thrown in our path as we attempt to make it to the altar. Saying ‘I do’ may not be in our future. Is fate trying to show us that our love isn’t meant to be?

A family member disappears, and someone must know of her whereabouts. When it turns out the only person who has a clue is my daughter, it puts a horrific spin on the situation. How can my daughter be involved or know the things that she does?
As the tides rise to threaten us, our fate hangs in the balance. How our journey ends on the other side of the tempest, is yet to be told.

This novel can be read as a stand-alone.
Books 1 and 2 do not have to be read first.

As the deceit turns, it unravels into a spectacle of mystery that will evoke the question of existence. Buckle your seatbelts for the captivating conclusion to Madison’s journey.

Recommended for 16+ due to mature themes, including drugs, sexual content, disturbing situations, and mild language.
If you’re not a fan of forbidden romance, then this might not be the book for you.

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BOOK TRAILER:

Author Bio:

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old. She is grateful to have accomplished this dream. B. Truly has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense and sci-fi. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, sci-fi, dystopian, and paranormal genres.

B. Truly likes to explore conflicted plots of romance with thrilling twists. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

B. Truly has three wonderful children, and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

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