Tag Archives: enemies to lovers romance

Blog Tours, book reviews, Fiction, New Adult/NA Romance, New Releases, Romance

BOOK REVIEW!!! ~ Love to Hate You by Whitley Cox

March 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Love to Hate You
Author: Whitley Cox
Release Date: March 12, 2022
Genre: enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, best friend’s brother, road trip, forced proximity, romantic comedy, high heat, erotic romance
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/love-to-hate-you-by-whitley-cox
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60402988-love-to-hate-you

Blurb:

She needs arm candy, he needs her insurance, but first, they need to drive across the country without killing each other.

Eli

Since the first day of kindergarten, I have hated Alexandra Hartford.

And twenty-something years later that hasn’t changed.

But she has.

She’s still a tomboy with a chip on her shoulder, but now she’s a hot tomboy with a chip on her tattooed shoulder who can fight like a badass.

I’d still rather have a bath with fire ants than spend ten days in a car with her, but she has something I need.

Once the deal is done, we can go our separate ways.

That is … if I want to.

Alex

Eli Evans is my nemesis.

He blames me for his sister’s death, our parents’ divorces, and probably global warming, too.

Why on Earth would I help him?

Because he’s as easy on the eyes as he is the bane of my existence and I need a hot date to a wedding in San Diego.

Can we drive across the country without me leaving him at a truck stop somewhere? I doubt it.

But, I’m willing to try.

Ten days in a car, a wedding, and a marriage of convenience, then I’m done with him forever.

Right?

Love to Hate You is an enemies to lovers romance and holy cow are these two enemies when this story begins. Eli and Alex have known each other–a term I use loosely–since they were in kindergarten. She was best friends with his twin sister and he was her bully, her tormentor.

They were hardcore enemies who found themselves living in the same small Maine town years after their lives were blown apart by tragedy and circumstances.

The story itself is mostly entertaining.
Mostly.

My major problem is that I just could not warm up to Eli. I understand where his misdirected anger came from, but those first few chapters just soured me on him and I never recovered from what he said about Alex. I just couldn’t. Not sorry.

But they make a deal which I won’t spoil for you except to say it’s a fake relationship/marriage of convenience which mostly takes place on a road trip. I appreciated the growth shown by both throughout the trip and the heat between them was HOLY SMOKES OFF THE CHARTS!! Together, they burn up the sheets and my kindle.

The story itself was good even if I didn’t like Eli all the way to the very end. I loved Alex though. She was scarred and tough and brilliant and managed to find ways to navigate her pain that were healthy and positive. She is exactly the kind of heroine you can and want to root for, and I did. She wanted Eli and I wanted her to get what she wanted, it’s as simple as that.

Good read, meh hero and awesome heroine.

Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Universal: http://mybook.to/love2hateyou
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3JgqRT6
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09R18H3JH
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09R18H3JH
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09R18H3JH

Blog Tours, New Adult/NA Romance, New Releases, Romance

New Release!! ~ Love to Hate You by Whitley Cox

March 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Blurb:

She needs arm candy, he needs her insurance, but first, they need to drive across the country without killing each other.

Eli

Since the first day of kindergarten, I have hated Alexandra Hartford.

And twenty-something years later that hasn’t changed.

But she has.

She’s still a tomboy with a chip on her shoulder, but now she’s a hot tomboy with a chip on her tattooed shoulder who can fight like a badass.

I’d still rather have a bath with fire ants than spend ten days in a car with her, but she has something I need.

Once the deal is done, we can go our separate ways.

That is … if I want to.

Alex

Eli Evans is my nemesis.

He blames me for his sister’s death, our parents’ divorces, and probably global warming, too.

Why on Earth would I help him?

Because he’s as easy on the eyes as he is the bane of my existence and I need a hot date to a wedding in San Diego.

Can we drive across the country without me leaving him at a truck stop somewhere? I doubt it.

But, I’m willing to try.

Ten days in a car, a wedding, and a marriage of convenience, then I’m done with him forever.

Right?

Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:

The sound of the curtain in her changing room being pulled open echoed into my changing room, so I made sure my dick wasn’t visible, then pulled back my own curtain.

Jamie was zipping up Alexandra’s dress—the royal blue bandage strapless one—but she whipped around to face me when Jamie was finished.

Her eyes widened, pupils dilated, nostrils flared. It was a primal reaction that I would have to be an idiot to miss.

I had a primal reaction of my own—in my pants.

“Holy fuck,” I breathed.

She glanced away, but the smile that lifted one side of her mouth was dead sexy.

“You’re getting that one,” I said.

She smoothed her hands down the sides, turned on one foot, and glanced at herself in the mirror. “Yeah, I like it, too.”

“You can’t wear those two together, though,” Jamie said. “The blues are too close in color, but not close enough. If you know what I mean?”

Alexandra and I nodded.

“He should just wear a dress shirt and maybe dark gray pants when you wear that dress.”

“I have dark gray pants in the room,” I said, hooking a thumb toward my changing room and a stack of pants on the bench.

I stepped out and away from my room to get a better look at myself in the mirror outside the changing rooms. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” Jamie said. “Doesn’t even look like you’ll need tailoring.”

Alexandra nodded. “Looks good.” I caught her checking out my ass and grinned, but when she saw me see her, her eyes whipped up to the ceiling as if a flock of geese had just flown overhead.

“You guys got any brown wingtips?” I asked, focusing my gaze on Jamie.

He nodded. “Sure do. Size?”

I glanced back at Alexandra and smiled as I said, “Thirteen.”

I did not miss the flare of her eyes or the way they drifted down to the front of my pants.

“Eyes up here, lady,” I said, catching her gaze back in the mirror.

Startled, she ditched the surprised look and went with a glare before returning to her changing room and dramatically pulling the curtain closed again.

“What is the dynamic of your relationship?” Jamie asked, glancing back and forth between me and the closed changing room curtain.

“She’s my fiancée,” I said chipperly. “But she’d rather not be.”

Short Quotes:

1 – Tomorrow, I would be embarking on the greatest challenge of my life. Ten straight days in a vehicle with my enemy—who was now frustratingly gorgeous and also technically my fiancé.

This was going to be my Everest.

I only hoped that I could make it to the top without losing a limb to frostbite or pushing my climbing partner off the side of a mountain.

2 – “We’re on vacation. If you want two pies, get two pies. No regrets on this trip, right?”

3 – “All set,” he said, zipping up the tent and standing in front of me. “Now for the fire.” I stood there like a complete tool, watching him transform into this sexy, rugged mountain man. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but his ability to just take charge and handle any situation that came to him was seriously hot. He’d also located a flannel shirt in his bag, and although a little wrinkled, it was just adding to this lumberjack, camping-man image he was personifying nicely. My mouth was dry. My panties were not.

4 – His words and the way he spoke were doing things to me. I wanted to open the door and drag him into the shower, take his mouth and let him do anything and everything he wanted to my body so long as he kept talking to me the way he was now.

5 – “How drunk are you?”

“Drunk enough to have a lot of dirty thoughts parading around in my head. Sober enough that you wouldn’t be taking advantage—and to know with immense certainty that we’d regret not doing this in the morning.”

“We’d regret not doing this?”

6 – There was nothing I could do but take. He had me helpless against the door as he mercilessly pounded up and into me, over and over again. His mouth found the other nipple, and he sucked hard enough a gasp snagged at the back of my throat. I tilted my head against the door and moaned.

Every thrust had his pelvic bone grazing my clit. Every thrust had me seeing stars. Every thrust catapulted me closer to another sweet, glorious release.

He lifted his head from my breast and took my mouth again, his tongue pushing possessively inside.

7 – Did there need to be a winner, or could I hand out gold medals to every part of his body that made me feel this good?

Of course, I could. I made the rules here. This was my award ceremony. Gold stars, blue ribbons, and gigantic trophies to his tongue, cock, and fingers

Praise for the novel:

“There was certainly some emotional moments in Love to Hate You and a few times where I was on the edge of my seat whilst reading. This book is a little gem and one I thoroughly enjoyed.”

– Erin Lewis (Goodreads Review)

“Their story is intense and poignant at times but it also has a lighter side to it as well. The authors words draw you into a storyline that holds hard and fast to your heart. Love to Hate You is an exceptional love story.”

– Kylee (Goodreads Review)

“The sexy times between them are nothing to sneeze at either: hot, steamy, sensual and drool-worthy. This book made me laugh one moment and cry the next.”

– Silke (Goodreads Review)

“An irresistible blend of emotion, angst, drama, heat, heart and humor was super enjoyable and made this book a true delight to read.”

– Gladys (Goodreads Review)

About the Author:

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.

Social Media Links:

Website: WhitleyCox.com
Twitter: @WhitleyCoxBooks
Instagram: @CoxWhitley
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CoxWhitley/
Blog: https://whitleycox.blogspot.ca/
Multi-Author Blog: https://romancewritersbehavingbadly.blogspot.com
Exclusive Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234716323653592/
Booksprout: https://booksprout.co/author/994/whitley-cox
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/whitley-cox

Blog Tours, book reviews, Comedy fiction, Fiction, New Releases, Romance, Romantic Comedy/RomCom

Release & Review Tour!! ~ Scammer Girl by Michelle Dayton

January 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Jo is a professional online romance scammer and Jamie is The Conscience of Silicon Valley. They don’t trust one another, and when they meet in person, they quickly discover that not everything appears as it seems. Fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne will love Scammer Girl, a spicy enemies to lovers romance.

Read Now On Your Favorite Retailers!

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3r8gnP2

iBooks→https://apple.co/3CgjYNX

Kobo → https://bit.ly/3Em470Z

Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3pM6qX0

Five years ago, Jo Harper did a bad thing. Dumped, injured, and in crippling debt, Jo did what any desperate woman with a PhD in psychology and above-average computer skills would: become an elite, undetectable online romance scammer. Now Jo and her team of four young women bring in enough cash to keep them securely afloat. Their targets? Married cheaters.

Jamie March, Bay Area royalty known as “The Conscience of Silicon Valley,” hates every aspect of online crime, especially those who defraud people. And when it appears that his brother is the victim of a sophisticated romance scam, he can’t stand idly by.

What’s weird though, is that when Jo and Jamie meet…they don’t hate one another. Not at all. He makes her laugh and feel alive again. She challenges his intellect like no other. But they can’t trust one another, right? And you can’t fall in love with someone you don’t trust—or can you?

Add to Goodreads!

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3Bncjw1

Excerpt

We swayed together as the song reach its climax. It was much more of an embrace than a dance. My lips were inches from that damn freckle, and his hands were roving through my loose hair, tugging my head back. My lips parted—

He stiffened, just the slightest bit. I felt the withdrawal. “What’s wrong?”

There was a storm in those sea eyes. A sharp bite in his voice. “Does every man you target feel like this? Like you’re both the drug and the antidote?”

If he’d physically slapped me, it wouldn’t have hurt more.

I took a step back, dropping my hands and jutting out my chin. Not that it mattered or that he would believe me, but, “You were never a target.”

The song ended, and I raised my hands in applause to the stage before coolly pointing to my sofa, marching to it, and sitting down. “I assume you want to discuss your brother.” Jamie lowered himself to the cushion next to me, but he didn’t relax into the seat. His rigid posture made me want to give him a good shove.

“I’m sorry I said that,” he mumbled. “I’m extremely uneasy about the effect you have on me.” His lips tightened. “I know a lot about the ways people can be damaged by Internet scams: financially, emotionally. But I’ve never been involved in one personally.”

He moved his head from side to side, a little sheepish. “The past month, our letters. There was always the possibility you were acting or lying. But I didn’t think you were. I chose to believe that the letters you wrote were coming from you, not someone you made up. That the conversation we had the night we met was real.” He looked at the band, at the couples swaying. “When we were dancing, I was so … so fucking thrilled, I scared myself. What if you’re pretending? Performing? What if I’m the world’s biggest idiot?”

His straightforward truthfulness was jarring. Maybe I’d been in the game for too long, but I just didn’t expect men to be so open about their feelings, especially ones that made them vulnerable. In writing, yes. In person, no.

“I’m not pretending or performing,” I bit out. The truth came through my lips before I could stop it. “I’m extremely uneasy about the effect you have on me too.”

His shoulders relaxed a few inches. “I do want to talk about Bobby,” he admitted. “But,” he leaned forward. “First I just want to talk. To you. About anything.”

Still a little stung, I just shrugged. “Well, no Jeopardy! tonight. So I guess we won’t be trading quotes from classic literature.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s one perfect quote that’s been boomeranging around my skull for the last several weeks.” He quirked one brow and made meaningful eye contact. “‘You have bewitched me, body and soul.’”

Oof. I hung my head in mock surrender and covered my heart with my hands. He just undid with me with his ridiculous adorableness. “Ok, Indy. You win. You’ve just recited my favorite line in all of fiction. Let’s talk.”

Jamie’s eyes widened with glee. “Indy? That’s the Harrison Ford I am? Indiana Jones? Should I buy a hat and whip?”

I burst out laughing. “I mean, sure. You’d look great in a fedora. But I was referring to Indiana Jones in professor mode. With the three-piece suit, tie, and glasses.”

He slumped down, looking deflated. “Oh. Yeah, that makes more sense.”

I poked him in the shoulder. “Don’t pout. There is a huge population of women who find classroom Indy even sexier than sweaty jungle Indy.”

He cocked his jaw. “Interesting. Are you within that population?”

Oh. This was getting dangerous. But not even a little part of me felt like stopping. I smiled directly into his eyes. “Hell yes.”

Even though it took me a little longer than I normally like to get into Scammer Girl, I loved Jo almost from the beginning and the more I learned about her backstory the more I liked her. She is not your average romance heroine, not even a little bit. Well, not on the surface anyway and that only adds to her charm.

This opposites attract romance doesn’t start typically, because Jo and Jamie interact a lot through their computers, which given their chosen occupations, makes a lot of sense. This format allows us to get to know them both on a deeper level than you’d get with first and second dates. And I think it’s the perfect way to show the truth of both characters’ missions.

Jo is fine with scamming cheating men because they’re cheaters who can afford it, and most of all, it’s easy to tell them exactly what they want to hear online. On the other side of that coin, Jamie knows the damage that can be done by online scammers exactly because it is so easy to pretend to be something you’re not. They both have points and the fun in the journey is finding out who, if anyone, will give in for this love in the making.

Scammer Girl is a fun read, once it gets going, and you’ll love Jamie and Jo equally. There are lots of laughs, a few tears, and some really great conversations in this story. Great read.

About Michelle Dayton

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/MKDaytonWriter

Twitter →https://twitter.com/MKDaytonWriter

Website: https://michelledayton.com/

Goodreads → http://bit.ly/3chZqKQ

BookBub →https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-dayton

Amazon → https://amzn.to/39tTJYc
This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Blog Tours, book reviews, Fiction, New Releases, Romance, Romantic Comedy/RomCom

BOOK REVIEW!!! ~ The Sweetheart Deal by Miranda Liasson

January 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Happy Release day to Miranda Liasson! The Sweetheart Deal is LIVE!

ABOUT

Pastry chef Tessa Montgomery knows what everyone in the teeny town of Blossom Glen says about her. Spinster. Ice Queen. Such a shame. It’s enough to make a woman bake her troubles away, dreaming of Parisian delicacies while she makes bread at her mother’s struggling boulangerie. That is until Tessa’s mortal enemy—deliciously handsome (if arrogant) chef Leo Castorini, who owns the restaurant next door—proposes a business plan…to get married.

Leo knows that the Castorinis and the Montgomerys hate each other, but a marriage might just force these stubborn families to work together and blend their businesses for success. The deal is simple: Tessa and Leo marry, live together for six months, and then go their separate ways. Easy peasy.

It’s a sweetheart deal where everyone gets what they want—until feelings between the faux newlyweds start seriously complicating the mix. Have they discovered the perfect recipe for success…or is disaster on the way?

The Sweetheart Deal, for me, started off a little bit slow. I wasn’t a fan of anyone really at the beginning of the story. Both Tessa and Leo have very selfish parents who would rather see their businesses fail than give paying customers what they actually want, but expect their children to stick around until the business inevitably implodes.

That was my first thought during the first quarter of the story.

Once The Sweetheart Deal became more about the deal and the romance between Tessa & Leo, the story picked up and grabbed my interest. I liked their banter and the way they’d both kind of gotten the wrong impression of one another. It allowed for just the right amount of lack of communication to push the story along, while giving me a reason to root for this couple.

Overall the story was fun and an easy upbeat read.

Get your copy TODAY!!!

erotica, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ The Truce by Becca Steele

August 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: The Truce

Series: London Suits #1

Author: Becca Steele

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Enemies to Lovers

Release Date: August 29, 2019

Olivia

Being hired by Barrett London should have been a dream. Nice job in the city, amazing boss…but then I met Luke. Cocky. Self-assured. Sexy. And the most frustrating man I’ve ever laid eyes on.

When we’re forced to work together, sparks fly. But is the attraction enough to risk losing everything? Or should this truce be in name only?

Luke

The moment Olivia walked through the door, I wanted her. That is, until she opened her mouth and ruined it with her ‘I can do it better’ attitude.

When we’re coerced into working together, I start to see Olivia in a different light. She’s smart, vibrant, and gorgeous. Is that enough to let go of the past or will my demons turn our truce into a lie?

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ The Truce by Becca Steele →

Comedy fiction, Fiction, New Releases, Romance, Romantic Comedy/RomCom

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ The Other Room by Katherine Hastings

August 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: The Other Room

Series: A Door Peninsula Passions Novel

Author: Katherine Hastings

Genre: Rom/Com

Release Date: August 15, 2019

Will an unwanted roommate turn into an unexpected romance?

Even though Jo is furious with her ex-best friend Matt, she takes pity on him when he ends up homeless. The two frenemies and her nasty cat squeeze into the tiny beachfront cabin she scored on the Door County waterfront. But as mad as she is at him for his betrayal, staying that way proves more difficult than she thought when his charms start wearing down her armor.

It’s more than the walls between their rooms that separate Jo from Matt. He’s desperate to gain her forgiveness, and soon he’s desperate for a lot more. The passion igniting between them threatens to burn their little cabin down.

As Matt tries to break down the walls between them, Jo struggles to deny her feelings for him… feelings that are anything but anger.

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ The Other Room by Katherine Hastings →

Blog Tours, erotica, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Pestilence by Natalie Bennett

July 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Pestilence

Series: Perilous Gods Book One

Author: Natalie Bennett

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2019

Their worst mistake was always thinking they knew what I was.

A woman with more riches than she could ever spend.

A pretty doll for them to play with.

A pampered princess searching for her prince.

I wore every one of those faces with effortless grace.

They saw me as a gentle lamb, but I’d always been a savage wolf.

I am Kalila Pestilence, the virulent heroine of this story.

And unbeknownst to Jericho Thanatos, I’m coming for his empire.

I intend to shred it apart with a smile on my face, lurking in the one place he least expects a threat to be.

Underneath him.

In our world, though, I should know to always expect the unexpected.

In this instance, it’s the devastation that plagues everything, and everyone, around us as we engage in a game of predator and prey.

*Pestilence is book 1 in the Perilous Gods series. This is a dark enemies to lovers with a devilish crime lord, and an epically twisted heroine.*

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Pestilence by Natalie Bennett →

Blog Tours, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Dirty Damsels by Peggy Jaegar

July 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Dirty Damsels

Series: DotComGirls #1

Author: Peggy Jaeger

Genre: Contemporary Forbidden Romance

Release Date: July 2, 2019
Publisher: Limitless Publishing

When I first saw Cynderella all covered in soot in that sexy maid uniform, I knew I wanted to be her Prince.

She’s a smart and savvy businesswoman who’s built her cleaning company from the ground up. But now that Dirty Damsels was booming, I’ve been hired to arrange a hostile takeover.

But the temptation of having her was too much to ignore…

We ended up spending one night together—a night neither of us will forget. Now, I want more. I need more. I want to spend every night, skin-on-skin, with my beautiful Ella.

Problem is, when she finds out who I really am, she’ll never forgive me.

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Dirty Damsels by Peggy Jaegar →

erotica, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Real by Kate Roth

June 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Real

Series: Quick and Dirty Neighbors Novella Series

Author: Kate Roth

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: June 18, 2019

She’s a serious painter. He’s a cocky photographer making too much noise in the studio next door. She thinks he’s an idiot, he can’t stand her. But when the tension between them borders on passion they both start to feel something real.

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Real by Kate Roth →

Blog Tours, book reviews, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

NEW RELEASE & REVIEW TOUR!!! ~ Love Under Construction by Aubree Valentine

May 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

RELEASE TOUR for Love Under Construction by Aubree Valentine

Olivia Pierce is fighting to stay above water and the boy next door, the thorn in her side, won’t leave her alone. Jameson Phoenix only wants to protector, but it’s hard to do when she hates him. Things start to shift after a kiss that should have never happened, and now they find themselves questioning everything. The sixth book in the beloved 425 Madison Avenue, is now live. Read Love Under Construction by Aubree Valentine today!

Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon ➝ https://rebrand.ly/LUC_425Madison

Goodreads ➝ http://bit.ly/425Mad6LUC

About Love Under Construction

Jameson

She hates me.

I can’t say I blame her, in fact, I thought it was best this way.

That was until I realized just how much I really cared for her.

Now all I want to do is protect her.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Olivia

I hate him.

He’s always been a thorn in my side.

When my life is flipped upside down, and I’m fighting to stay above water, things between us shift, and I begin to question everything I thought I knew about the boy next door.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I never should have kissed him. It was only a matter of time.

After all, 425 Madison Avenue is the perfect place to fall in love.

*Each story is completely standalone.

Continue reading NEW RELEASE & REVIEW TOUR!!! ~ Love Under Construction by Aubree Valentine →