Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Excerpt: MEET ME ON LOVE LANE by Nina Bocci

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love—not only with the town, but with two of its citizens. 

Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.

She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.

With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?

A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.





From MEET ME ON LOVE LANE by Nina Bocci. Copyright © 2019 by Nina Bocci. Reprinted by permission of Gallery Books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.



PROLOGUE

We ran across town, holding hands and laughing as we darted through yards. The warm summer night was sticky, the humidity heavy on our skin. Neighbors shouted over the crickets and the owls, yelling for us to get home. It was well past dinnertime, but we’d made each other a promise that we wouldn’t stop until it was safe. What exactly safe meant was another story.

We didn’t exactly have a plan. Who does when you’re ten and running away from home? The idea had formed after we’d read From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler together at the library. We had packed the essentials, just like Claudia and Jamie from the book: clean underwear, our life savings of eighteen dollars and forty-seven cents, a change of clothes, and pajamas.

“I brought some LEGOs in case we get bored,” I told him, holding up a plastic bag filled with a few dozen random pieces.

The tips of his ears turned bright pink. “I brought, uh, some books. You know, in case of boredom.” He opened his backpack to reveal a small library inside.

“Some?” I teased, zipping it back up for him. “Come on, we’ve got to get moving.”

The streetlights flickered on one by one, almost as if they were following us, lighting the way for our families, who were by now surely trying to find us.

“Do you think Emma is mad we ducked out on her party? She hadn’t gotten to the presents yet, and you know how much she loves opening them with an audience,” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

We’d skipped out on our friend Emma’s birthday party just after the cake had been served. It was the height of excitement, and no one except the birthday girl herself knew that we had scooted out the back door. But that was at least thirty minutes ago, and our dads would be at Emma’s to pick us up by now.

“I told her what we were doing. She was going to try to keep them distracted to give us more of a head start,” I explained.

“Was she mad?” he asked, wondering if our mutual best friend was upset that we were running away.

“Worried, I think. You know Emma.”

He nodded in agreement. Our friend was always looking out for us.

“I promised that we’d write to let her know once we arrived safely at your aunt’s house. Are you sure your aunt won’t tell your mom where we’re going?”

He nodded. “She hasn’t talked to my mom in years. They’re mad at each other for something.”

Adults!

Dogs barked, nipping at our heels as we climbed the fence that spilled into the small backyard behind my grandmother’s office.

She wouldn’t come out and yell. Not at us.

Glancing behind me to the large brick building that sat in the fading darkness, I saw her cheering me on from the back window. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I had a feeling what it was.

Run. Or maybe: I love you. At the moment, they both meant the same thing.

If this had been any other day, she might have stopped me, talked some sense into me, as all grandmothers enjoyed doing. Maybe she—Dr. Bishop to everyone else, but Gigi to me and my friends—would have suggested that I stay with her as an alternative, either tucked away safely in her big sprawling house or even hidden away inside the doctor’s office where my dad was staying during the divorce. Anything instead of leaving me to listen to my parents’ constant fighting.

But not today. I think she hoped we would get away with our plan, given the circumstances. Not many people urged two ten-year-olds to run away, but Gigi suggested it without actually saying it. Better than anyone, she understood why I was desperate to leave.

I needed to leave, so that I could stay.

We scaled the last fence, leaving the majority of the small town behind. All that was beyond that was the railroad tracks and the woods.

Freedom.

But as I jumped down from the fence, a strangled cry spilled from my lips. With a thud, he hit the ground beside me, but just far enough away from the prickly branches that grew behind the fence.

The ones that I had landed right on top of.

“That looks really bad, Charlotte,” he said worriedly, glancing down at the two long gashes that had appeared on my leg. Bits of spiky branches poked out from the wound in my pale skin.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” I bit out, wincing when I tried to stand. “We have to keep going.” I wiped a muddy hand through the blood that slid down my leg.

“Maybe Gigi should look at it? Clean it up?” he asked, glancing down at the blood squeamishly. “She’s right there. I just saw her looking through the window when we cut through the yard behind her office.” He looked from my leg to the direction of the building over the fence behind us.

“No, they’ll look for us there,” I explained, trying to blink back the tears that welled up.

We both turned to look behind us. We’d heard the loud voices at the same time.

“If you’re sure.”

“I am. Promise.”

He nodded. “I can tie a tourniquet,” he offered, looking surprisingly steady as he examined my leg. “It’s how I got my first-aid merit badge,” he said proudly.

“Always a Boy Scout.” I smiled, but it faded quickly when we saw the telltale sign of a flashlight beam signaling above the fence.

Waving him off, I felt guilty not letting him show me his skills, but we didn’t have time. I rolled back my shoulders, wincing again through the shooting pain. “I’ll take care of it once we get to the river,” I said, limping away.

The sound of voices was getting louder. Shouts from our parents, concerned neighbors, and the—

We both looked back at the fence worriedly at the sound of the police siren.

“How did they get Birdy here already?” I asked, hearing the static from the walkie-talkie.

“Your dad probably called him as soon as he found the note you left. Between him and my parents, there’s no way that they wouldn’t get Birdy, if not all the police, involved.”

I felt defeated, wishing I hadn’t left the note stuck with a magnet on my dad’s refrigerator. “I hoped we would have had more of a head start,” I explained, trying to keep the weight off my injured leg.

Seeing my struggle, he frowned. “Here, hop on,” he offered quickly, turning so his back was to me.

I looked at him, then down at me. I had a couple of inches and at least ten pounds on him. “I’m so much bigger than you! You can’t carry me!” I said, just as another shooting pain radiated through my leg.

“I can do it. Trust me, Charlotte,” he insisted. “We have to hurry.”

His sky-blue eyes shone with kindness and compassion, the sentiment that I knew in my heart was honest and real. That’s what best friends did—they helped when you needed it. And this might be our only chance of getting out of Hope Lake.

I hopped on, wrapping my arms around him. “Are you okay?”

In response, he gently squeezed my legs and took off as fast as he could toward the river, the chorus of voices fading behind us.

When we finally made it to the train tracks, he helped me slide down to sit on one of the large rocks that lay between the tracks and the river.

Our tracks. Our parents and the others searching for us wouldn’t know to look for us here. It was our secret spot. Sure, it was an odd place for a couple of kids to run away to, but in a small town you’re limited to where you can disappear.

That was the first lesson I remembered clearly from my decade in Hope Lake: you can’t keep many secrets; everyone knows everyone’s business.

We would escape here when my parents fought. Or if he was getting picked on at school. Anytime we needed a friend, we knew to head here. Because that’s what best friends did.

“Are you okay?” I asked, swiping the hem of my shirt across his sweaty forehead. He was breathing heavily and collapsed beside the rock I was sitting on.

He nodded, his dark hair slicked with sweat. “I can’t believe how hot it is,” he said, still panting.

It was unseasonably warm for the end of September. “It feels more like the middle of summer,” I groaned, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

School had barely started, which brought up another sad realization. “I won’t be here this winter.” I felt the tears well up. “No snow tubing or sledding through the woods. I won’t even get to be in the Christmas pageant this year.”

“That sucks. It’s our year to be Charlie Brown and Lucy,” he said, reminding me of the parts that we should be performing in this year’s play, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

“Your mom can’t just let you stay until June when school’s done?” he asked hopefully.

I shook my head. “She said her new job in New York starts next week. We have to get settled, so that’s why we’re leaving tomorrow.”

He hung his head, keeping his eyes down. “And she won’t let you stay with your dad?”

“He won’t be here. He’s going on a mission trip to Ghana for the next four months.” I couldn’t keep the tears from plopping onto my hands. “And before you ask, there’s no way she’ll let me stay with Gigi. I already asked. So did Gigi. It’s hopeless.”

“What about Emma? The Peronis would let you stay with them. They’d love it. Or, me. You can come stay with us!”

The hopefulness in his tone was heartbreaking. We had been best friends for as long as either of us could remember, walking into kindergarten holding hands and being virtually inseparable ever since.

He sighed, long and hard. “We should have brought food and water.” He rubbed his stomach. I heard it growl when he leaned over to check on my leg.

Blowing out a shaky breath, he looked up, worried. “You’ve got to clean this, Charlotte. It’s going to get infected. I knew we should have stopped at Gigi’s,” he mumbled.

I dug around in my pack for napkins or tissues but came up empty. Sliding off the rock, I hobbled over to the river to splash water on my leg. “It burns.” I watched the diluted blood slide down and color my white socks pink. “I don’t know if it’s supposed to sting like this.”

When I looked up, he was beside me, handing me a shirt from his backpack. “Use this.” His face was pulled tight, expressionless.

“No way,” I said, pushing the Transformers shirt back to him. “That’s your favorite.”

He shrugged, tipping his head back toward the rock I was on.

“It’s what best friends do.” With the shirt balled up in his hand, he bent down and soaked it in the river. Then, with careful hands, he blotted the white shirt against the cuts on my leg, careful not to rub too hard.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a sympathetic voice when I winced from the sting. I couldn’t imagine how sad he was using that shirt. He’d saved his own money to buy it from the mall in Barreton.

Now it was streaked with blood and dirt because of me.

It’s what best friends do. There was a sticker on the pole beside my makeshift seat that read BEST FRIENDS. We had put it there last year when we had coincidentally taken off from another birthday party. That time, it was mine. “I remember that,” I said, pointing up to it. Seeing the sticker brought back the drama my mother had caused at my tenth birthday party.

My father and Gigi had planned all of it: the invites, the food, securing the location and getting a copy of the movie The Goonies for all of us to enjoy. My mother’s only job was to get me a cake. It should have been simple, but she arrived late and forgot to pick it up. When she ran to the bakery to get it, she insisted someone else had bought it—with my name on it—which was unlikely.

My father drove me to Gigi’s with my presents, but the embarrassment was thick and heavy around me and I couldn’t enjoy anything. When we pulled up to her house, my friend was already there waiting. As if he knew that I would be upset and need to escape. We took off for our spot until the sounds of crickets told us it was time to go home.

This time, we were ignoring the crickets. We didn’t have a home for me to go back to.

I smiled up at the sticker, trying to shake off the overbearing sadness creeping in. The sticker looked as though it was brand-new. “I wonder if that sticker will look that good when I come back to visit.”

We both knew that running away wouldn’t work and that we would have to face the inevitable. But it was still worth a shot.

“Of course it will. You’ll be here next weekend,” he said, with his usual hopeful tone. “Your mom promised.”

“Of course,” I lied, hoping to spare him the pain that I was feeling. I didn’t know when I’d be back, but I was determined that it would be soon. I took out the Polaroid camera that was a gift from last year’s doomed party and snapped two pictures. One for each of us.

“What’s this for?”

“To help us remember the good times.” Even though I was leaving, I’d have people back here as an anchor.

We looked at each other as best we could under the darkening sky. “This place won’t be the same without you, Charlotte,” he said, taking my hand in his.

My belly erupted in flutters. My usual defense mechanism was humor, so I went that route, tamping down the nervous energy that I started to get when he looked at me. “Quite literally.” I laughed, pointing over his shoulder.

“They will be building houses over there soon,” he said, nodding his head toward a sign that was stuck in the wet ground. It read FUTURE SITE OF THE LOVE LANE COMMUNITY. The sign sat on the edge of a steep embankment that would be the location of a new housing development. All the houses would look over the rest of the town below, and a massive yellow dump truck was already parked there for when construction started.

“It’s a silly name, isn’t it?” I scoffed. “Love Lane.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s nice, you know, if you like someone.”

My eyes swung to him, wide and curious. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just saying it’s not that bad,” he mumbled, kicking the dirt. “It’s sad that people are going to be so close to this spot, though. It won’t be a secret anymore.” He looked up, and my heart plummeted when I saw the tears in his eyes. “This was supposed to be just for us.”

I nodded, holding back my own tears. “My dad said they’re not building up this far, but it’s only a matter of time before someone does,” I said, patting him on the knee.

“I’m going to miss this place.” I stared up at the chipped white railroad-crossing sign, my hand resting on the BEST FRIENDS sticker.

“Aren’t you going to miss anything else?” he asked, sitting beside me and stretching his legs out. Side by side the size difference between us was comical. His legs were bony, pale, and shorter than mine. My father said I’d had a growth spurt and that eventually he would have one, too, but there was also the chance that he was going to be slight in stature like his mom and not built broadly like his father, who was practically a giant.

It wasn’t just our height, though, that made us appear so different in age. He still looked like a little boy, whereas I—much to my dad’s dismay—was moving solidly toward preteenville. Doctor or not, my dad was jarred by the fact that his baby girl needed a training bra. My hair was growing faster, becoming more wayward with its curls, and my skin was starting to get the telltale signs that acne was going to be starting soon. Hormones were awful.

The only real similarity between us was the road map of scars, scabs, and black-and-blue marks that marred both of our limbs. It was thanks to hours of horseplay outside with friends. Friends I wouldn’t see every day anymore.

“Charlotte?” he said, bumping my leg with his.

“Oh, sorry, I was thinking. What did you ask?”

He sighed. “I asked if you were going to miss anything else.”

I smiled sadly. “I’ll miss my dad most of all. Three hours is a long way away to visit me, and he’s already so busy.”

“Are you going to miss anybody else? Teachers, classmates …” He paused, shrugging his shoulder. “Friends?” In hindsight, I should have realized what he was referring to.

Friends.

Him.

“I’m afraid.”

“Of leaving? New York is so cool! And you’re going to be so close to the city. Just a train ride away! We went with Cooper and his parents. There are shows on Broadway that you’ll love and the park has a zoo!”

I smiled weakly. “I know that. Dad mentioned it when he was trying to cheer me up.”

I sniffed, wiping my tears away with my shirt. “I’m worried everyone’s going to forget about me.”

A lump in my throat prevented me from continuing.

Taking my hand, he held it gently between his. “I’ll remember you, Charlotte.”

“I think I see them!” someone shouted from behind us.

He looked at me; the look of sadness and heartbreak that must have mirrored my own was written over his face. We lunged at each other at the same time, and I held him in the tightest hug I could muster up.

My tears plopped onto his shoulder, and I felt a wall, brick by brick, form around my heart. Protecting it from the hurt that I was feeling. This wasn’t a pain I ever wanted to feel again. I wouldn’t allow it.

What I didn’t realize was that by shutting out the pain of leaving him, I pushed him away completely. And I wouldn’t know what I was missing until I returned to Hope Lake.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Uscomes a poignant novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.




Purchase on Amazon! Also, available for KU subscribers for FREE!

4.5 WOW Stars

You can't go wrong with a Ms. Hoover book and Regretting You is another 'suck-you-in' read that had me up all night. It's a heart-wrenching book about love, family, and betrayal - sometimes the truth, no matter  how hard it is to hear, can set you free. 

Morgan and Clara Grant has a special mother and daughter relationship. It's a typical loving and sometimes fighting bond, but it all changed after a tragic accident that left this family with more questions, disbelief and anger. 

Trying to work out the last seventeen  years of her life, Morgan is dealing with pain and trying to protect her daughter from the truth. But the more she protects her, the more Clara lashes out in anger and hate. 

This book will take you on wild and emotional ride of wanting to just shout out the truth to these characters, but also made me want to protect them from everything. I honestly could not put this book down. I can't say it enough, but this is a must-read!

Friday, December 6, 2019

Meet Me on Love Lane (Hopeless Romantics #2) by Nina Bocci

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love—not only with the town, but with two of its citizens. 

Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.

She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.

With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?

A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.







4.5 Stars

This book! I'm loving this series by Ms. Bocci. Meet Me on Love Lane is a sweet, romantic read that is all about rekindling relationships, friendships and family. I couldn't get enough of Charlotte and Henry. 

Sure, when I first read the synopsis, I thought "NO! No love triangles!" But this story is far from it. It's clear who the real love couple is from the beginning. The characters from main to the side characters all have chemistry. I love the relationships that starts in their small town of Hope Lake -- from Charlotte's sweet Gigi to her childhood friends.  

Charlotte Bishop is back years later in her small hometown after leaving with her mother over a nasty separation between her parents. She's been living in NYC and coming back to small town living is only temporarily. Once she figures out her life, she plans on heading back to the big city and leave Hope Lake behind. But when she realizes all the small and heartwarming relationship she rekindles with childhood friends, her grandmother and father and especially her one-time best friend, Henry - Charlotte has a new out look on her future. 

When Charlotte had to move away with her mother at the age of ten, Henry was heartbroken. He lost his best friend and almost twenty years later, Charlotte is back and if she doesn't plan on sticking around, it will break him all over again. 

Meet Me on Love Lane is a fabulous read and looking forward to more from Ms. Bocci! Can we get Nick's book next?  


Forever Friends by Sarah Mackenize

Perfect for fans of Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis, two mothers -- one pregnant, one sending her child to college -- form an unlikely friendship, finding love, hope, and a new start at life in this charming, laugh-out-loud read. 

Single mom Renee Rhodes seems like a woman who has it all together -- perfect house, perfect kid, perfect yard. But now that her daughter is away at college, she doesn't know what to do next. Without weekly PTA meetings and after-school chauffeur duty, Renee isn't sure who she is anymore. What she is sure of is that she probably shouldn't be crushing on her new boss, who couldn't possibly be interested in a middle-aged mom....
Sadie Landry is drowning in the stay-at-home mom life. With a toddler running wild, a husband who is growing more distant by the day, and a mother-in-law who has a comment on every-little-thing, Sadie is one mommy-and-me class away from losing it. When she learns that she is pregnant again, Sadie knows that something has to change for the sake of her family -- and her sanity. 
After a birthday party bake-a-thon nearly turns into a three-alarm fire, Renee comes to her neighbor Sadie's rescue with comfort, competence, and a killer pie recipe. With their unlikely friendship and a newly hatched plan to open a bakery, 
 can Sadie and Renee finally have the lives they've always dreamed of?





4.5 Stars

Forever Friends is a fabulous read about friendship, family, and finding love again. Single mom Renee doesn't know what to do with herself, since her daughter left for college and started to live her own life. She's always been the caretaker and now she's left in an empty home and has been secretly crushing on her boss - single doctor in town. 

Sadie is a young mom, who put her career on hold to help raise their toddler, while her husband has been traveling and away from home for work. Between being a new mom, dealing with her mother-in-law and trying to figure out where her relationship stands with her husband, Sadie needs a break and a friend to talk to. 

Being next door neighbors, Renee and Sadie always been cordially and didn't really know each other. Not until they both realize that they have something in common and it turns into a great friendship. 

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young

“Callihan and Young teamed up in what can only be described as a winning combo of heavyweight championship proportions. Sexy, sassy and so much fun, Outmatched was a page turner that I wished never ended. I want MORE!”  — USA Today Bestselling Author T Gephart


What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek? 

Parker Brown can’t believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she’d be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are “settled.” Thankfully, she’s found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother—Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she’s stuck with the manipulative jerk.

Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he’s trying to hold together his late father’s gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker’s boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he’ll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym. 

Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn’t so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have? 

They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.




Download your copy today!

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/OutmatchedKCSY



AngryTink: Hey. This is Parker. Parker Brown.
My phone dinged loudly. I fumbled around my bed, finally finding the damn thing under a pillow. Wiping the sleep off my face, I rolled onto my back and read the text that had pulled me out of a pleasant sleep. I smiled. It was just so … Parker. Settling in, I answered her.
RhysThis: Don’t have to tell me who you are. Your number is programmed on my phone. What do you want?
AngryTink: Well, good morning to you too, Happy Pants.
My smile turned into an evil grin. The girl was always going to punch back and make it count.
RhysThis: That’s Mr. Happy Pants. Though, TBH, my pants aren’t too happy at the moment. Want to help me out with that?
AngryTink: Tempting. Truly. But, no.
RhysThis: RU sure? ‘Cuz Happy Pants Rhys is much more agreeable than Sad That He Had to Self-Satisfy Rhys.
AngryTink: Would you please behave?
RhysThis: I’m not the one who mentioned the emotional state of my pants.
AngryTink: ARGH!
A chuckle rumbled in my chest as my thumbs tapped out a response I knew would piss her off more.
RhysThis: Was that even English? Honestly, Ms. Brown, I thought you were educated.
She took a moment to answer. I could picture her, phone in hand, grinding her teeth.
AngryTink: You’re deliberately trying to annoy me, aren’t you?
RhysThis: You’re quick. I’ll give you that.
AngryTink: Mr. Morgan, I’m about ten seconds away from finding an alternate fake boyfriend. A goat on a rope would be a better candidate at this point.
It was cute she thought that was threatening.
RhysThis: Yeah, probably. But the goat doesn’t have a signed contract. I do, Tinker Bell.
AngryTink: ARGH@!!

RhysThis: You’re kind of cute when you talk pirate. 

5 Knockout Stars

When two of your favorite authors decide to write a book together, you just know it's going to be a hit and Outmatched is a knockout read! I loved everything about this story and couldn't get enough of the chemistry between the characters. 

Parker Brown is such a quirky character. She's very passionate about the environment and found herself the perfect job. But one catch, the CEO of her new company is a jerk and wants his employees "settle" both in their personal and professional life. So Parker needs to find herself a boyfriend - fast. 

Rhys Morgan is a retired pro-boxer, who owns Lights Out, a gym that is struggling financially. This gym has been in his family and all he wants to do is save it, but refuses to go back into the the boxing world to make it happen. He just needs money quick to stay afloat.  So when Rhys meets Parker unexpectedly and opportunity for money happens. And not getting attached to the rich girl, Parker, should be easy money. But it's not! Every stereotype that Rhys had of Parker goes right out the door. She is not what he expected!

Their secret business pact doesn't play out as they expected. The more time these two spend together, the more they realize their relationship isn't fake!

Outmatched is a fantastic read with plenty of humor and romance. 




About the Authors


Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer's Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine's Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading. 

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Play On. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young. 

Man Cuffed (Man Hands #4) by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby

A new comedy from the USA Today bestselling duo!

Mac
A good cop can always spot trouble. That’s why my senses started pinging the moment I met the hottie next door. The neighborhood may never be the same. First she confuses me for a male stripper and tries to remove my uniform. (The guys on the force will never let me live that down.) And then there’s the breaking and entering.
I don’t know what to do with her. My libido has a few ideas of its own, though. Bad, bad ideas.

Meg
Hey, it’s not my fault that Hot Cop’s nightstick gets excited every time we see each other. And I can’t help that someone broke into his apartment. 
Fine—that last thing was totally my fault. And I intend to make amends. So when he needs a date for his sister’s wedding, I’m there. This is right up my alley. I’m an actor. By the time it’s over, his entire family will believe we’re a couple. 
Even him.

Warning: may cause unrestrained giggling in public. Contains: a bridezilla with a turkey leg, a flash mob, and a growly hero.








Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Cover Reveal: Riven Knight (Tin Gypsy #2) by Devney Perry

Releasing January 21, 2020





Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.



Purchase Details: www.devneyperry.com/books/riven-knight

About the Author

Devney is a USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her husband and two sons. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Leave Me Breathless by Jodi Ellen Malpas


From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series comes a sexy and emotional follow up to her wildly popular standalone romance The Protector


Ryan Willis has spent years in the protection business, a job that requires constant vigilance and quick thinking. His only chance to truly relax is at his secluded cabin in a small town where there are never any surprises. So when Ryan returns after an assignment and encounters a beautiful stranger, he isn't only surprised, he's also instantly intrigued.

Hannah Bright is a breath of fresh air, and Ryan is soon completely consumed, unable to stop from falling for her. As the two grow closer, his instinct tells him something is amiss. Yet nothing could prepare him for what he discovers when he starts digging into her past.

Hannah spends her days painting, running her arts and crafts store...and hiding too many secrets. It's why she won't let the ruggedly handsome bodyguard get too close. But their chemistry is undeniable, and Hannah quickly finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance with Ryan. He is peace personified, a balm to her battered soul. Yet the gorgeous, captivating man who has swept Hannah off her feet doesn't even know who she really is. And the moment he finds out, both their lives are at risk.





4 Stars

Leave Me Breathless is everything you want in a book: humor, suspense and romance! This book is connected with The Protector with Jake and Camille, and we are introduced to Ryan Willis, who gets his story in Leave Me Breathless. Both can be read as a standalone!

Ryan Willis is ready to hang up his protection hat and just live life in his secluded cabin. His work in the protection business had him running around full-speed in dangerous situations for years and now he's just ready to relax. But when he meets the intriguing and beautiful Hannah Bright, he's protectiveness gear kicks in again. 

Hannah is new to the small town and runs a quirky arts and craft store. Her personality brings warmth and friendliness to the community. But there is something missing and secretive about Hannah. And Ryan wants nothing for to find out what that is and to protect her from any danger. 

This book will take you on a wild ride of suspense about finding out the truth of one's past and doing whatever it takes to protect those you love. Ryan and Hannah had chemistry from the very first time they met.