I haven’t seen Soren Mathews in ten years, but he draws me right back under his spell. We spend one stormy night together living out our teenage fantasies and in the morning, he’s gone again, leaving me to think about him and the secret I’m keeping. Readers who enjoy romance with childhood crushes and one night stands will love Beards & Babies by Heather Lauren, a steamy, small town, brother’s best friend, beach romance.
The bare naked buns of my brother’s best friend greet me in Florida. I haven’t seen Soren Mathews since the most embarrassing night of my life. Now ten years older, he’s all grizzly man. With a sexy beard and new scars, he draws me right back under his spell. For one night the storm keeps us under the same roof and we finally live out all our teenage fantasies and secret desires. But the sea calls him the next morning and he’s gone. I try to move forward with a new life in Candy Cane Key, but I can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t seem to eat and all I want to do is sleep. I’m restless and lost until he comes back and by then we’ve both got secrets we’ve been keeping.
Ava and Miles try to outwit each other as they battle for the same land. Ava’s determined to claim the land for her boss and get out of town, but there’s something charming about the town… and Miles. Readers who enjoy the Man of the Month Club collection will devour Morsel Enemies by Alexia Chase, a steamy, small town, enemies-to-lovers, beach romance.
Chocolate chips, year-round Christmas decorations, crystal-clear waters, and smoldering nights under the stars. What more could you ask for?
Ava’s boss, Jax, wants the same land Miles wants, and she’s there to make sure Jax gets it and escape Hell Town, Florida, as fast as she can. Miles loves the land and will stop at nothing to get rid of the interloper.
Until Miles and the town charm her. Or is it all a lie?
Morsel Enemies from Alexia Chase is a small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance about Candy Cane Key’s favorite Scuba Diving Charter owner and a woman who hates frizzy hair, bugs, and sunshine.
Sparks will ignite this National Chocolate Chip Day as these two try to outwit each other. It’s going to be a hell of a ride.
Are you ready to meet your April Man of the Month, Grayson Brewdy? His enemy, Chamomile, makes every muscle in his body hard and his throat dry, but he’s thirsty for her curves. Readers who enjoy the Man of the Month Club collection will devour Hate Tea Love You by Annie Charme, a steamy, small town, curvy girl, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, beach romance.
Chamomile When my great aunt left me half of her tea shop in the Florida Keys, I didn’t know she left the other half to Grayson. My enemy who teased me on every family holiday. My first crush and my first kiss, CPR counts, right? Regardless, those lips are still imprinted, even if he is the most aggravating man I’ve ever known.
Grayson She stormed into the tea shop like she owned the place. Technically she does, but I’m not about to let her ruin everything I’ve worked for while she’s been living it up in England all these years. Isn’t chamomile relaxing? Not her. She makes every muscle in my body hard and my throat dry, but I’m thirsty for her curves. She can have the tea cups. I want those double Ds.
Her shoulders drop and for a moment, the woman is replaced by the girl I remember. “I couldn’t get time off work. I tried. I really did try to get here for the funeral, but we had a deadline.” “So did your aunt.” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “She would have understood. She was always proud of my work, which is why I still can’t fathom why she left me her tea shop.” “Half her shop.” I correct her. “Gray can you fix the urn. The spout is sticking again,” Trudy says, waddling to the table with a tray resting on her pregnant belly. “I’ll leave you to it, while I take my things up. I assume Betty’s flat is still in order upstairs. “Upstairs?” I blink fast. “You’re moving in upstairs?” “Where else would I stay?” “There’s a bed and breakfast next door. You’ll have to stay there. I’m living upstairs.” “Since when?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Since your aunt went into a care home and asked me to run the place.” I check to see if Lark is still sitting at the table, hoping she can offer a room at her bed and breakfast. My eyes plead with her, knowing Lark, she’s heard all our conversation. Her lip curls as she sips on her tea. “Sorry but the bed and breakfast is full, so is the inn. You won’t find any spare rooms this time of the year with the Easter holidays.” “Great. Well there’s no room here.” I wave my hand in the air, then pinch the bridge of my nose. I wanted her here, but I hadn’t expected her to just show up unannounced. I’m not prepared for this. She digs a fist into her cocked hip. “Oh my goodness, it’s like Bethlehem. Are you going to put me up in a stable?” “Why you’re not pregnant are you?” She gives me a death stare. “Do I look pregnant to you?” She glances down at her tight denim jeans hugging her belly. “Don’t answer that,” she warns. “It’s just a little holiday weight.” I nod, holding back my smile. I always loved her curves. And she hasn’t lost her confidence. Lark continues to sip her tea with a smile hiding behind her china cup. I scratch the back of my neck. “I guess you’ll have to stay here. There’s a couch.” “Thank you.” She lets out a sigh and continues lugging her case through the back. Damn she’s even more feisty than I remember. Her ass sways in front of me and I have the urge to squeeze it or swat it. Does she expect me to drop everything, give up my bed and wait on her, this ain’t no damn holiday resort. Who does she think she is? Walking in here like she owns the place. Technically she does. Yeah but not for long. She wants me to buy her out. She wants to sell. Her great aunt would turn in her grave if she knew. I couldn’t buy her out even if I wanted to. And up to now it’s the only hold I had over her to get her ass back here after ten years.
I’m a graphic artist by day and author by night, writing real, raw, racy romance. My book boyfriends are inked heroes who like fat, fun, and feisty women (sounds familiar).
My goal is to spread body positivity through my fat and fabulous curvy heroines with a good serving of British humour on the side (not forgetting an extra helping of alpha goodness).
On the very rare occasion I’m not working in my day job…or night job as a writer, I’ll be living my best life in the heart of England with my other half, two wildlings (otherwise known as Veruca Salt and Mike Teavee), and a randy cavalier pup.
My serious book fetish travels with me in our tin cruiser as we roam the English countryside. You’ll usually find me in a field somewhere or curled up on the sofa with a coffee (wine), blanket and dog to keep me cozy, and a good steamy book to make me w—warm.
I’m determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon, crashing alone at my brother’s best friend’s houseboat. But I’m not alone–he’s here, and he’s tan, toned, and tempting as hell. Readers who enjoy the Man of the Month Club collection will devour Flirt Like a Fool by Ellen Brooks, a steamy, small town, brother’s best friend, beach romance.
I don’t need a change of pace; I need a change of life, but for now I’ll settle for a week of surf, sand, and fun in the sun, along with my new mantra—flirt like a fool.
I’m determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon even though, thanks to a cheating ex-fiancé, I won’t be a newlywed lounging at a five-star resort in the Caribbean, but rather crashing solo at my brother’s best friend’s houseboat in the Florida Keys while he’s away.
It might be a Christmas themed small town, but it’s still the beach, right? As long as there’s a fruity frozen cocktail with my name on it, I’ll be fine, really.
Until I arrive and discover my brother’s best friend isn’t away after all. He’s right here and is toned, tan, and tempting as hell. But, he’s off limits… even if his houseboat only has one bed.
It should be the happiest time in Audrey’s life, but from the moment she and Gabe land in Candy Cane Key, nothing seems to go as planned. Readers who love a side of laughter with their romance will enjoy Another One Bites the Dust by Katie Rae, a steamy, small town, everything goes wrong romantic comedy.
When Ellie awoke with an epic hangover the day after she caught her boyfriend cheating, it wasn’t the pounding in her head causing her to scream… it was the discovery of the late-night incoherent message she sent to the boy she loved twelve years ago. The one she hadn’t seen since their week-long whirlwind summer romance when they were only eighteen. The one she gave her heart to and forgot to take it back. You know… the big one.
After they reconnect online and the years hadn’t diminished their chemistry one bit, a few martinis and her meddling wingmen convince her to hop on a plane and surprise him… in Italy. After sobering up somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, she regrets her decision to drop in on him unannounced, but when she arrives and she sees the boy she loved standing before her as a gorgeous man, she puts aside her fears to see if he’s still the one. She ends up on the journey of a lifetime finding out if it’s possible she met her soulmate at the ripe old age of eighteen, or if she needs to swear off the trouble-inducing booze for good.
In my world as a cop, things were either black or white. Right or wrong. Then Bailey arrived, challenging all my principles. She had a mouth on her, the level of sass matching the exaggerated swing of her hips. I couldn’t get her out of my head, even knowing she wasn’t right for me. I tried to stay away, I really did. But once I had a taste, I kept coming back for more. Something didn’t add up though, and I would figure it out even if it ultimately meant we couldn’t be together.
Bailey
The only thing sexier than his dimple was the set of handcuffs the hottie detective threatened to use on me. If only he’d give me a chance to show him I was more than the tough-girl exterior I’d carefully crafted over the years. Oh yeah, and if I wasn’t engaged in criminal activity that would land me in handcuffs…and not in a sexy way. More like an orange jumpsuit way, and I can tell you now, no way in hell would I be caught dead in an ugly jumpsuit.
No matter which way this thing ends, I’ll be in handcuffs. The question is, will Jack join me in the grey area? Or will I have to do the impossible and admit I was wrong?
Can an heiress get down and dirty with a local lifeguard…for longer than one night?
When a hippie girl with a free spirit grows up in an “old money” conservative family, arguments are sure to ensue. Right before her thirtieth birthday, Sage’s father, sick of her bohemian lifestyle, gives her an ultimatum – tear down The Surf Shack in Huntington Beach and build a five-star restaurant, or lose her trust fund AND his multi-billion dollar company.
Jax, the owner of The Surf Shack, has vowed to keep his late father’s shop running while juggling his full-time job as a beach lifeguard…even if the hot little thing in a business suit tempts him with her conflicting personalities. Is she a business shark in a designer suit? Or a Mother Earth loving hippie who wants to get dirty with him?
Ultimately, they’ll have to decide what’s worth fighting for: love or legacy.
An unimaginable trauma. A future that seems impossible. When your world shatters, how do you put it back together?
For 950 days, Kathleen Conners has struggled with that choice. Behind a scarf and sunglasses, she hides from the world, from herself, from The Event, from any future with anyone.
After receiving a box of letters from his deceased mother, Matt Nelson is shoved from his predictable, controlled life to a secluded beach in North Carolina. While trying to understand his mother’s intent, he discovers Kathleen.
Matt must choose whether to follow the path his mother orchestrated or rescue the woman who has captured his heart. When the only person Kathleen blames more than herself reappears, can Matt be the strength Kathleen needs to create a new life, or will he be forced to walk away if she decides the climb is too great?
An Excerpt from Decide To Hope by June A. Converse
“Kathleen, I swear to you that if you are ever in my bed, it won’t be fucking.” He punctuated the final words and wiped away the single tear that moved down her cheek. He leaned across the table, nuzzled her face, and said into her damaged ear, “What I want is for you to be safe. What I want is for you to never push me away, for you to let me make you safe again.” Relaxing back into the bench, he added, “What is it you want, my Kathleen, what do you want? I’ll move heaven and earth to be what you need.”
Her eyes widened and her face jerked out of his hand. Tears streamed down her face. Staring at him, showing him her weariness and her abject terror, her blue irises turned a stormy gray.
“They’re gone, Matt.” She spoke with an eerily calm voice. “All of them. Everyone I’ve ever loved. Gone. I’m so tired, Matt. Do you understand?” She pushed away from the table. Her gray eyes blazed inches from his own. “I want to be gone, too.”
Matt’s arms thwomped onto the table. He sat immobile as Kathleen raced out the door into the pouring rain. The restaurant door thwacked behind her. Shaking himself, he realized she’d left her sunglasses, her bag, and even her shoes. The impact of the last few seconds held him in his seat. Time seemed to stop. Sound dropped away. The shadow of her danced behind his closed eyes.
June happily resides in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband, Dave, and their dog, Sodapop. They have two wonderful adult children and two grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic exerciser and an accomplished cook. She and her husband enjoy hiking with Sodapop, traveling, scuba diving, trying new restaurants, concerts, and whatever other adventures they can find. Reading and a constant desire to learn keeps her busy too.
A trauma survivor who struggles with mental illness, June is continuously reaching for hope like the characters in her books. She openly discusses her personal struggles on her blog, JuneConverse.com
Decide to Hope is her first novel and relies a great deal on her own experience with trauma, choices, recovery and hope. If you’d like to discuss trauma, coping and recovery, contact her at JuneConverse.com or DecideToHope.com
Hessa and Kai couldn’t be more different if they tried. Hessa is a high school teacher who loves her job getting seniors ready to head out into the real world. Her evenings are spent grading papers and falling in love with her latest book boyfriend because she believes she’ll never find a guy like that in real life.
Enter Kai.
Kai is a lifeguard and he loves his job. He’s not looking for a big high powered career and he is grateful for every single day he gets to be close to or in the big vast ocean. The only thing missing is a woman, specifically a woman who wants what he wants rather than one who wants to change him and his goals.
When Kai pays for her hot chocolate, everything changes for them both.
Barefoot Chaos was a good read, not like what I’m used to reading but I did have a good time reading Marika Ray’s beach read. What I enjoyed most about this story is the inherent message that both Kai and Hessa learn which is being happy with who you are and finding someone who likes and wants you just as you are.
Amazon Customer – “I want my own beach squad!”
Amazon Customer – “What do you get when you mix an uptight teacher with a laidback lifeguard? I can tell you it’s not what you’re expecting.”
Amazon Customer – “I love the Beach Squad series and the latest book “Barefoot Chaos”, is a love story about being happy with who you are and finding your soulmate who will always be by your side.”
Chaos – a state of complete disorder and confusion; unpredictable; a gaping void
I spend my days a buttoned up schoolteacher coordinating the CareDare program for my high school English students and my nights with my book boyfriends, not daring to think I could procure one in real life. It’s precise, it’s controlled….and boring as hell.
The tide shifts and I find myself with a hippie lifeguard who provokes me as much as he turns me on, a Senior class in upheaval, a crazy Beach Squad that wants to befriend me, a wild twin sister back in my business, and a public challenge to expose my long-held secret for the greater good.
Do I deduce this chaos is all serendipitous, meant to thrust me into my true place in the world? Ultimately, I have to decide if I can kick off my shoes, dig my toes in the sand, and trust in love again.
Marika Ray spends her time behind a computer crafting stories, walking the beaches of southern California scoping out the lifeguards, and making healthy food for her kids and husband whether they like it or not. Prior to writing novels, Marika held various jobs in the finance industry, with private start-up companies, and then in health & fitness. Cats may have nine lives, but Marika believes everyone should have nine careers to keep things spicy.
Marika enjoys writing all types of fiction novels, based on what inspires her. Right now she’s working on stand-alone romances in the Beach Squad series, all about California lifeguards and their equally fearless women. Moderate suspense, a splash of humor, and lots of steamy romance…all with the beautiful ocean as a relaxing backdrop!
If you’d like to join the Beach Squad, getting access to frequent sneak peeks and access to Handcuffed Hussy (a novella in the Beach Squad series), simply sign up here: http://eepurl.com/db7W6z
Natasha's Book Nook 