Tag Archives: second chance romance

Cover reveal, New Releases, Romance

COVER REVEAL! ~ Cut Short by Julia Wolf (GIVEAWAY INSIDE!!!)

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Title: Cut Short
Author: Julia Wolf
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: March 22, 2018 

Of all the towns and salons he could have walked into, he had to walk into hers…

 

Rachel Sachs finally has her life together— almost. She owns a salon in the town she’s always loved, dances the Running Man like nobody’s business, has regular wine nights with her girls, and does really good hair.

After a trail of failed Tinder hook-ups, she’s finally ready for something real…

Until she sees Joe Silver— the object of her high school obsession and the breaker of her young heart. That might be a little too real.

Fourteen years ago, Rachel ghosted when Joe made it clear she’d never have him. But now? He’s not letting her get away. And soon they’re right back to where they started, only instead of the all night instant messaging they did in high school, they’re blowing up each other’s phones with texts.

Rachel wants nothing more than to savor the slow, delicious burn of falling for Joe Silver again, but can she trust that what they’re building is the real she’s looking for? Or will history repeat itself and leave her with another broken heart?

 

“Julia lives in Maryland with her patient husband and three crazy beautiful kids. When she’s not writing, momming, or watching Real Housewives, she’s reading a book. Julia’s a lover of all things romance. From sweet, to funny, to steamy, to so dirty you’ll blushing for days, she reads (and writes!) it all.”

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NEW RELEASE!!! ~ Once Bitten by Ashley Suzanne (Excerpt inside!)

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Title: Once Bitten
Series: A Three Weisman Novel #1
Author: Ashley Suzanne
Genre: Contemporary/2nd Chance Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2018 
Dear Diary,
This is a joke? It’s too soon to be April Fools, but is it, really? Because there’s no way that when I finally start working through the pain from the breakup with Walker, he has to come back around.  

 

Who thought it was a good idea to send me to a Three Weisman party?  

 

When all that hurt finally seems like a feeling in my past, why does Walker suddenly want to try again? Does he expect me to end things with his brother and give him another shot? Can he really be the man I need him to be, or am I setting myself up for heartache again? 

 

There’s no right answer …

 

This is either going to end as a funny story we can tell our children or I’ll never live down the disappointment and embarrassment I’ll cause my parents.  

 

Only one way to tell.

 

Walker’s lips part, his tongue sliding against mine. Moving his hands from my thighs, around to my ass and pulling me closer—if that’s possible—I keep mine firmly planted on the back of his head, holding him to me and relishing the feeling of control. Our bodies melded together, his heart hammering against my chest, I completely give myself over to him, relinquishing my power and submitting to my wants. 


What feels like an eternity only lasts a few seconds, maybe a minute if I’m being generous. By far, the best kiss of my life. My greedy pants mix with Walker’s lustful groans, which only add fuel to the fire. The only area we never had problems is confirmed when I tighten my legs around his frame. 

 

Walker’s the one who separates us—God knows it wasn’t going to be me—but he lingers, his mouth hovering over mine.
“Happy New Year,” he repeats, snaking out his tongue and licking his lips.
“Right back at ya, Weisman.” I recover and attempt to feign some indifference, but the effort’s futile; I’m not fooling anyone, especially Walker. “God,” I whine, throwing my head against the bulletin board and shaking it slowly, irritated with my actions and inability to control myself in the one situation it should be easiest.

 


  Instead of making fun of me, Walker takes the opportunity to graze his lips across my skin, starting at my collar bone and ending at the sensitive flesh just below my ear, where he leaves one quick kiss before whispering, “Don’t worry, Maxi, I won’t tell baby brother I got you all hot and bothered, making damn sure it was me you were kissing at midnight, not him.” The fucker winks and smirks—a deadly combination for any woman’s resolve.

 


“What the hell’s wrong with you, Walker? In case you missed the point earlier, you could have had me. We didn’t have to be making out in the staff lounge, hiding from anyone or anything. You decided that wasn’t what you wanted. Not me. That wasn’t my call. You. Fucked. It. Up.”

 


 

“And if I made a mistake and want a do-over?”

 


“You don’t get it, do you? You’re so used to money fixing everything, or those damn golf rules you and your dad used to joke about. Listen, Walker, this isn’t a game. There are no mulligans. You’re shooting over par, Tiger. Take the loss and deal. It’s too damn late. I’m not a fucking toy you get to rip out of your brother’s hand when he starts playing with it. Act like a man and treat me like a goddamn lady.” 

 


 

I hate him getting to me, and even more than that, I hate giving him a reaction he doesn’t deserve. Why wait until I’m kind of okay to start fucking with my head? Who does that?

 


“So you’re saying I could take you?” 

 


 

I can’t decide if his smug grin’s infuriating or endearing, and I’m frustrated as hell trying to figure it out.
“No. God. What are you even talking about?” I yell, tossing a verbal flashbang into the air, directing any nearby attention to my hiding spot.

 


“I’m thinking if I tried to take you away from Wes, you’d come all too willing. Am I wrong, Max?”

 


 

“Yes, you’re wrong. Dead fucking wrong. Move.”
“Not a chance in hell. Not until you answer me honestly.” 

 


I hate him and his brilliant-blue eyes. I despise way his jaw ticks … his tell … knowing he’s going to get something he wants. I loathe my inability to steer clear of him and his games.
Come out tonight, it’ll be a blast, they said. All these theys … I wanna punch them all.


“What? Now you want me? Because you want me? Or do you just wanna get at Wes?”

 

When his answer’s not immediate, it hurts more than if he would have lied straight to my face. Shoving him hard enough he stumbles backward, I leap off the counter and run straight for the door.
“Just don’t forget I had you first,” he says, his words loaded.


As if I could forget …

 


 

“And he’ll have me last,” I toss back, anger spewing off every syllable. The first lesson they teach the pretty little rich girls who are bound to marry well: don’t just look like a bitch, be bitchy when the situation calls for it, and never let anyone think they have something to hold over your head; be the one with the leverage.

Straightening my shirt and wiping the remnants of our kiss from my lips, I push open the door and run straight into a brick wall of muscle … otherwise known as my boyfriend. 

“There you are, baby. I’ve been lookin’ for you.”

Before I can respond, Wes takes me in his arms and kisses me. Stunned, I don’t return the kiss. He’s too drunk to notice and completely misses the sharp intake of air, followed by the possessive growl from his brother.

 

What a tangled web we weave.

 


This is why girls should save their virginity until they’re married; not because society says so, but because it’s so much easier to not complicate life with an orgasm. Especially when the boy you want to have sex with isn’t the same boy you should be having sex with. See the dilemma? 

Now, how fast can I get out of the spider’s lair before my world implodes?

 

 

Ashley Suzanne boasts many titles … short-order cook, taxi driver, football mom, maid, boo-boo kisser … the list could truly go on and on forever. Other than her moming and wifing titles, Ashley’s favorite designation is author.

 


 

Having written her entire life (mostly hate mail to her sister and cousins), it was no surprise when she penned her first novel, Mirage, in 2013. What started as a way to help her husband heal after losing his best friend, a successful career blossomed.
When Ashley isn’t binge watching whatever the best new show is, you’ll most likely find Ashley hiding in the bathroom from her children, showing homes, begging her husband to watch Hallmark movies with her, gorging on Diet Mt. Dew or buying more Sharpie pens than she’ll ever use.

 


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HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!! ~ His First Crush by MJ Fields

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Title: His First Crush
Series: Firsts Series #2
Author: MJ Fields
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 18, 2018
Cover Design: Jersey Girl & Co. 
FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR MJ FIELDS
COMES A STORY OF LOVES HEALING POWERS IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS 
One tragedy nearly took her away from him.

After Logan saved London from a random club shooting, he thought nothing could ever change the course of his future with the girl he had always loved.
One kiss threatened to prove him wrong.

Then Logan questions his feelings … and hers when she kisses another just to hurt him.
One night is all it takes to make him realize there was never a choice.

To win the game, you must know the other players and how to overtake them.
He will win.
His First Crush is the conclusion to Logan and London’s long-awaited happy ever after.

When I left for New York City, it was hard as hell. It hurt. The pain reminded me of a sliver under my fingernail that I couldn’t pull out, knowing it would hurt too damn much. I knew if I didn’t mess with it, it really wasn’t that unbearable. But I learned that, when it was left there too long, an infection would begin, and that gnawing pain would be far worse than Dad going at it with a pin and tweezers. Then, well, then it would heal and you forgot about it until the next time it happened.

The way London and I ended cuddle season was perfect, but that gnawing pain was there with each text, each time I saw her, each time we hid in a closet and dry-fucked until I was going to, or did, come in my fucking pants.

I didn’t want to be her sliver, her pain, her infection, so the texts stopped.

Sounds sweet, kind, like a loving gesture. It was somewhat. But I also knew the next time she felt feelings for someone else, like a sliver under her nail, she would be reminded of me, her first kiss. And while we can all lie to ourselves about shit ending “nicely,” we know the reality is we will always remember. We will remember the good and the bad, and then we will think twice about ever putting ourselves in that fucking position again.

While in New York, I tried really hard to get Mom to “Mom up.” When I realized I had let too much time and distance come between us, I vowed not to make that mistake again.

Fuck Fletcher. He’s not about to become shit to her.

Fuck Brody. She’s not a little girl.

Fuck love and all the shit that can fail, keeping us guarded from the beauty of it.

Fuck madmen who take the life out of those left living.

Fuck her for not texting me back.

And fuck me for not manning up and believing what I feel, what she feels, can work.

Oh, and fuck those who made me doubt.

I’m a fucking player, and a game is a game.

To win the game, you have to know the other players and how to overtake them.

I know her.

It’s two in the morning, and I can’t sleep knowing she’s so fucking close. I look out the window, see a light on, and her silhouette. Clearly, she can’t sleep either.

I watch her and realize she’s dancing. I see her turn and stop. Then she raises her leg behind her, toes pointed at the damn ceiling. Her lean body appears to be in a straight line.

It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. It’s also making me fucking hard knowing she’s that damn flexible.

I sigh, knowing I’m going to be rubbing one out more than once a day if she keeps that shit up.

I walk out of my room, grab a bottle of Jack, and laugh, thinking I’m about to have a date with my fucking hand while watching a private performance by the girl I love.

I watch her move, stretch, and twirl as I drink, wishing I had bought a pair of binoculars like she mentioned.

When my dick is so hard I can’t stand it, I push down my boxers and stand at the window, gripping the base tightly and stroking it slowly up to the head. When she stops and walks away, I groan, thinking I’m going to have to finish myself off without the visual.

I see the reflection of my phone light up and walk over to grab it.

London.

I sent a text saying goodnight and you didn’t reply. So, goodnight again.

I reply immediately.

Phone was dead. Can’t sleep?

I look out the window as she sits on the bed, holding her phone. The floating bubbles start to appear as she types, then they stop. I look up as she flops back on the bed, seemingly frustrated.


I’m okay.

 

I saw you dancing.

 


The bubbles immediately appear.


How did you see me?

Look out the window.

 


She gets up and walks over. I hold up my phone so she sees the light.


Was watching you dance. You looked amazing.

Are you okay?

 


 

I’m good.

 


 

Do you want me to come over?
No, London, watching you dance and having a couple drinks made things real hard over here. Stay put.
Hard?
Yeah, I’ve got it handled.

 


After I send it, I regret it.


Does that mean you’re…

Jerking off while I watch you dance? Yeah.

 

I watch her cover her mouth as she reads my text then looks out the window.


Binoculars are now being added to my shopping list.

I could come over and cuddle.

 


 

Not a good idea right now. I’m on a date with Jack and Rosie.

 


I look at the window as she receives my text.

She walks away and turns on the light. Now I can see her.

You’re missing out, and so am I.

Damn her… temptress.

You need sleep. So do I.


I slept better than I ever have after the last time we cuddled.

You mean after you came?

 

I grip my cock, picturing her face as she fell apart.

You’re lucky you’re a guy.

I get an idea. A great idea.

I take a picture of my hand gripping my cock. Then I crop it so you don’t see my dick, just my hand gripping it. I send it and then start typing.


Lie on your bed. I need you to do something for me.

What?

 

Do it.

When I see her lie down, I hit call, and she answers immediately.

“Run your hand down that sexy as fuck belly of yours and push your hand under your waistband.”

“Logan, I’d rather you do that,” she whispers.

“And I’d rather you know how to get yourself off, so when I let that genie out of the bottle, your insatiable appetite can be curbed even when I’m not around.”

“What do you mean, when you’re not around?” she whispers.

“I mean, when you’re at school and you’re thinking of how much you want my cock, you can go and suppress the need in just a few seconds.”

“Seconds?”

“Pretty, I’m gonna teach you everything I’ve learned while trying to get a girl off fast so I could bust a nut and get them out the door, because I didn’t want any of them in my bed, because they weren’t you.”

“Logan…” she sighs.

“Do it. Push your hand under your waistband and run a finger up and down the seam of your pussy lips.”

“This seems wrong,” she whispers.

“I’m over here, stroking my cock, watching a private ballet; is that wrong?”

USA Today bestselling author MJ Fields write books that scorch pages and melt hearts.  
Her style is raw, gritty and authentic.
Love an alpha and a strong heroine? She does too.

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PROMO TOUR! ~ Don’t Be Afraid by C.A. Harms

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Title: Don’t Be Afraid
Author: CA Harms
Genre: A 2nd Chance Romance
Release Date: January 28, 2018 

“Harms takes you on an emotional journey that will tear you down and build you back up. Make sure you have lots of tissues for this one” –Kaylee Ryan, NYT & USA Today Best Seller


“10 STARS!!!!! That’s what I would rate it if I could! This book BLEW ME AWAY!!!” ~ Goodreads reviewer

 

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew,
knew that they were put in your life for a reason?
The one person that would be not only your best friend,
but would be your absolute everything?
That’s how I felt the first time I saw him.
That one day when a few little words changed our entire lives forever…
Don’t be Afraid, he said.
Life can change so quickly.
One moment you can be smiling and feeling as if you’re walking on clouds and the next, everything you love, everything you treasure crumbles at your feet.
I told him to fight, I told him I needed him.
We needed him.
But there are just some fights that can’t be won…
He was my angel then, and he’s still my angel now.
In a way, I believe he’s still looking out for us, giving us a future.
Sometimes it’s as if I can still feel his presence,
guiding us and keeping us safe.
So, I won’t be Afraid.
I’ll live. I’ll fight.
It’s what he would have wanted.
I’ll do it for him…

 


“Hey, pretty girl.” His voice was weak, raspy, and groggy, as if he’d just woken up.“Come over here and give me one of those kisses I love so much.”

With each step I took toward him, I could feel myself falling apart, like pieces of me were being chiseled away to expose my bleeding heart. I wanted to ignore it and to forget that our time together was limited. I just wanted to pretend this was a nightmare and I would wake up to find him happy and healthy.

Only I knew that wasn’t going to happen. That was cleared now than ever.

“Dry those eyes,” he said as I reached the side of his bed. His reached for my hand and linked our fingers, then pulled them to his lips. Seconds passed in silence. Then a long beep made me jump.

 

C.A. Harms is like any other addicted reader. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories. She hasn’t always been a lover of Romance and had once been addicted to a good Mystery. Just recently she has taken on a new liking and now is a full blown Romance novel addict.
She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. You will always find her with her kindle or paperback in hand as it is her favorite pass time.

 

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PROMO TOUR! ~ One Night to Fall by Kelsey Kingsley

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Title: One Night to Fall
Series: Kinney Brothers #1
Author: Kelsey Kingsley
Genre: Contemporary Adult Romance
Release Date: December 12, 2017 


 




 

Do we choose love? Or is it something decided by fate?

 

To Kinsey McKenna, Patrick Kinney was a persistent glob of sticky peanut butter. He had been stuck to the roof of her mouth, since they were both three years old, when fate seemed to send his family next door to hers. All the way from the coast of Ireland to River Canyon, Connecticut.
Over twenty-nine years, fate has been both kind and cruel and many choices have been made. Can things go back to when they were more innocent and magical? Patrick has a plan and just one night to try and take back the reins of his destiny and put the wrong things right with a trip down memory lane.
Fall in love again with this novella of firsts and second chances, in a little town where everything meant everything.

 




“You don’t want to miss meeting those amazing people in this beautifully written romance.” – Bianca & BJ’s Book Blog


“I’m going to say this is a must read. Come join me. Fall in love with an Irish b*****d too.” – V. Theia, author of the Renegade Souls series


“You know, when you’re reading a book, and it takes you to a place where the world around you ceases to exist… That is One Night To Fall by Kelsey Kingsley.” – Love2ReadRomance






 

“This Town” by Niall Horan

 

“Too Much to Ask” by Niall Horan
“Holy Days” by Sean McConnell
“Greatest Love Story” by LANCO
“Legends” by Kelsea Ballerini
“Lost” by Secondhand Serenade
“Sweet Thing” by Hozier (Van Morrison cover)
“Have I Told You Lately” by Van Morrison
“These Are the Days” by Van Morrison
“Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison

 




Kinsey McKenna.

 My sweet thing across the Long Island Sound.

 I’d laugh about it sometimes, lying on the couch in my basement. I had to cross the pond to give her my heart, and she had to cross the Sound to take it away.

 It wasn’t very funny, but I’d laugh anyway, because what else could I do? I couldn’t just call her up, beg for her to take me back-I was married. Not happily, but married nonetheless, and I wasn’t a cheater. An arsehole, maybe, for allowing my soul to remain tethered to another woman, but I wasn’t in the habit of being unfaithful.

 “Patrick?”

 Kate’s voice stole me from my thoughts, and with a gasp, I scrambled to lay her memory back in my heart, tucking it in where it had remained hidden for all those years.

 “What was that?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

 “I had asked if you’ve seen Kinsey around here, while you were waiting.”

 “What? Kinsey?”

 Kate nodded. “Yeah, my sister Kinsey. You remember her?” She said it with the old teasing tone I had gotten to know so well during the years of my youth. The voice she used when she’d catch us kissing on the old swing set in the back yard, when she’d catch us closing her bedroom door, when she … “Patrick?”

 There I went again. “Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “So, Kinsey is here?”

 I caught the upward twitch of Kate’s cheek, just above the corner of her mouth. “Yes, she is, but I’m telling you right now, she does not want to see you.”
“Were those her explicit instructions?” I asked, glancing around me in the waiting room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

 “Something like that,” she said with a smirk, but then she stepped toward me, dropping her voice to a whisper. “But between you and me, I only promised to keep you away from her until after the surgery.”

 “Ah, Kate. I could kiss ya.”

 She rolled her eyes. “You better not be kissing anybody but your wife, Patrick Kinney. You’re still married.”

 “Watch how fast I get divorced,” I said, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.

 “Patrick,” she hissed. I had heard that before, so many times.

 I relaxed my face, smiling softly. “I’m only kiddin’, Kate. But listen, it’s getting late, and I really should get home. Keep me posted on your dad, will ya? And tell Kinsey I said hi.” She nodded, stepping forward to give me another tight hug, and I turned to leave.

 And the thing was, I had lied to Kate McKenna. Kinsey was back, and if I saw her, if I felt there was any chance of us getting back together, any chance at all, I would file for a divorce. I would unpack all of those memories I kept tucked away in my heart, I would hang them on a wall and display them on a shelf, and I would make her remember.

 Because ten years had gone by. Ten whole years, and nothing was getting better. Nothing was hurting less, and nothing was getting that woman out of my head.


 


 

Kelsey Kingsley lives in New York with her family and a cat named Ethel.
She believes there is nothing better than a good doughnut and a cup of tea, and that there is a song for everything.

 





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💙😘 The Art of Us by Hilaria Alexander 💙😘

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Title: The Art of Us
Author: Hilaria Alexander
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 26, 2018 
Two years ago, his kiss left her reeling, but she pushed him away and they never spoke of it again.

 

Lena Andrews is bad at love, and has no intention of getting better at it. 

Men are good for one thing, and love isn’t it. 

She’s perfectly okay with finding happiness in her job as a comic book artist. 

Yet, she can’t shake the memory of her coworker’s kiss. 

Amos St. Clair has stayed the hell away from Lena Andrews for the last two years.

Work has filled his time and he’s on the cusp of making a name for himself. When an opportunity to complete a project that’s dear to Lena’s heart presents itself, Amos seizes the opportunity – even if it means being with the woman he’s avoided all this time.

Through their mutual passion for art and each other, their love blooms like a lotus flower out of a dark, muddy pool. But, is their love strong enough to withstand the challenges posed by the most important job of their careers?

Hilaria Alexander was born and raised in the south of Italy, where her family still lives. She was bit by the travel bug early on and lived in Tokyo and Orlando for a while before settling down in Oklahoma City with her husband and kids. 

 

She loves books – obviously – as well as movies and TV, and is addicted to award shows. She can’t play an instrument to save her life, but she loves music, which is one of her biggest inspirations when plotting new stories. If you have questions about her or her books, ask her on Facebook and Twitter, or email her at hilaria_alexander@outlook.com

 


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REVIEW ~ His Redneck Girl by Lindsey Brookes

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Get your copy HERE!!!

ABOUT:

Jimmie Joe Johnson has spent years living up to his hound dog reputation. If he can’t have the one female he truly wants, then any female will do. When he isn’t off diddlin’ some female, he’s practicing for pool playoffs, determined to get his pool team to Vegas. Not only for bragging rights, but for the free trip to ‘Sin City’ and cash prize that comes along with it.
Baylee Jean Brown has never gotten over her first and only love, Jimmie Joe Johnson. So when she discovers the truth about why he really ended things with her all those years before, she sets out to get her man back. And no other thigh-parting female is going to stand in her way. She just has to find a way to make him take notice of her, considering he’d been avoiding her since that day her spell-threatening aunt (yes, she does come from a long line of witches), threatened to place his man-parts in a jar on her windowsill.
Avoiding Baylee Jean Brown in a town the size of Possum Hollow is hard enough, but all of the sudden she’s dressing sexy and aiming all that female heat in his direction. He tries to convince her that she’s better off without him, but how can he expect her to listen to reason when his own heart and body refuse to? Now his man-parts are in a whole different kind of danger. Not because her aunt might still carry through with her threat to pickle them, but because he knows no other woman will ever do.

Baylee Jean Brown is still in love with her first and only big love, Jimmie Joe. But he broke her heart and now that she knows why, Baylee has to find a way to forgive her meddling aunt and win her man back! And that just gets us past the first couple pages of His Redneck Girl! Unfortunately in the years since they’d broken up, Jimmie Joe has become a bit of a…hound dog. Bouncing from one female to the next, never staying long enough to form an attachment, which means turning him into a one woman man—again—was going to be an adventure. Lindsey Brookes set the stage wonderfully in this story, filled with fun and yes, hijinks.

His Redneck Girl is firmly a laugh out loud romantic comedy. Watching Baylee Jean get all dolled up, dressing sexy and flashy to get his attention was hilarious. Watching Jimmie Joe try and resist her though? Priceless. Baylee is exactly the kind of heroine you want to root for, strong and independent and ready to do what it takes to get her man, even if it means chasing off “every hussy in the county”. Lindsey Brookes has crafted such a fun story, completely with elements of paranormal with the reputed witches in the family and who can forget the talking possum?

The way the characters talk does take some getting used to, but after the first chapter it kind of flows off the page. His Redneck Girl is a fun, redneck love story that will have you laughing and swooning til the end.

book reviews, Novellas, Romance

Review ~ April Fool Bride by Joan Reeves

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Get your copy HERE!!!

ABOUT:

Is it a marriage of convenience or something more?

Oil heiress Madeline Quinn needs a husband by the time she turns twenty-five in order to claim her full inheritance. Mad Maddie, as the tabloids christened her, has learned the hard way that men only see dollar signs when they look at her.

Maddie decides a marriage of convenience is the only answer. She turns to the one man in the world she can trust, her housekeeper’s son who always treated her like a little sister when they were kids growing up together.

Jake Becker hasn’t seen Maddie since the night she tried to seduce him. Why should he help the woman who changed the course of his life? Simple. Revenge.

Or is it something else? Something that sizzles like steam heat between Maddie and Jake that neither can resist!?

April Fool Bride was a fast, fun read. What appealed to me about this story is that it is—technically—a second chance romance and a marriage of convenience, two of my favorite tropes. Years ago oil heiress Maddie had a huge crush on the housekeeper’s son, Jake. One night she decided to act on that teenage crush and let’s just say that it didn’t end all that great for him. Or her, really.

Fast forward to the future and Maddie needs a man she can trust and there’s only one man she’s ever met who fits the bill. Jake.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this story is the deft way Joan Reeves was able to flesh out the characters by using the other character’s perspective. When we first learn about Maddie, it’s through Jake and it ain’t pretty. He makes her seem almost irredeemable, which did color my opinion of her. But we learned more about the new grownup Maddie through Jake’s perspective, which also made it clear why he fell for her.

This is a fast read, only about 120+ pages, but it reads like a full length story in that there are no elements missing. The mom and the stepmom were fun, meddlesome, characters who added a few layers of depth to tell us who our hero and heroine really are. It was hot, fun and fast, but most of all it was a good time!

April Fool Bride is book 1 in the All Brides Are Beautiful romance series.

New Releases, Romance

RELEASE DAY ~ Free Fall by Emily Goodwin

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Title: Free Fall
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: 2nd Chance Standalone Romance
Release Date: February 1, 2018 
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Nora Fisher. The way my heart sped up in my chest and blood rushed through every part of me. I was drawn to her the moment our eyes met.

 She was beautiful. 

 Guarded. 
Damaged.
Just like me.

I never meant to hurt the only woman I’ve ever loved. She was light, and I was dark, casting shadows on everything around me. Letting her go meant spiraling back into the darkness only Nora could pull me from. But I’d sacrifice myself a thousand times for her.

Four years later, she’s back, and the passion she ignites makes the fight for her stronger. But the more I try to make things right, the more I realize how complicated things have become.

And now I’m starting to see that maybe her light was never meant to be mine.
They call me a hero.
But to me, I’ll always be the guy who shot his best friend. Some nights, when the air is still and the house is quiet, I can hear it. The whisper of metal on metal as the hammer is pulled back on the gun. Everything comes rushing back. The way the gun felt heavy in my hand. The pungent smell of blood filling my lungs. My finger slipping as I pulled the trigger, slick from my own blood. And most of all, the way Jason’s blood splattered my face as the bullet hit him.

 

I tell people I blacked out after that, but I remember it all. The screams. The feeling of panic and remorse and terror all at the same time, ripping my heart into a million bloody pieces. When they ask, I tell them the pain from my own bullet wound intensified and I collapsed. Sometimes, I feel bad for lying. But the truth won’t change anything.

 “And how are you feeling today, Jack?” Mr. Levine asks, not looking up from his computer.

 “Fine,” I reply in a huff, already eyeballing the clock. It hasn’t even been a minute yet.

 

“Are you still having nightmares?”

 

That’s the only kind of dream I have, well, if I sleep at all. “Nope.”

 

“Good, good.” Mr. Levine stares at his computer during most of our meetings. I assume he’s looking at porn. If he is, it makes these meetings a lot less serious. “And what about school?”

 

“What about it?”

 

“How are you doing in your classes? What kind of grades are you getting?”

 

“Can’t you look that stuff up?”

 

“Oh, I can,” he says, and I want to roll my eyes and call him out for being lazy. But that puts me at risk for getting another counselor, and I like Mr. Levine for exactly that: he’s lazy and doesn’t probe. Nearly a year of these godforsaken meetings is bad enough. I’d lose my shit if I had to sit in with anyone else. “But I want to hear it from you.”

 

“I get Bs and Cs. Nothing special but nothing terrible.”

 

“What about football? You still enjoy that?”

 

“Yes,” I say honestly. It’s probably the only thing I enjoy. It’s the one place I feel the most free. I can’t run away from my life, but I can run on the field. I can’t push, shove, or block my problems in real life, but I make one hell of a defense, even though I’m the quarterback. 

 

“You’ve gotten quite a few marks for unsportsmanlike conduct already,” Mr. Levine says and lifts his gaze from his computer to me. “And it’s the beginning of the school year.”

 

I shrug. “Just making up for lost time and feeling extra competitive. Don’t want to break our winning streak. Go Bulldogs.”

 

“Sounds good.” His eyes are back on his glowing computer screen. “You know I’m here if you need to talk. See you Friday.”

 

I grab my shit and leave his corner office, emerging into a hall that empties into the main office building of Dale Hollow High School. There are three rooms back here: Mr. Levine’s office, the other counselor, Mrs. Freeman’s office, and the conference room they sit you down in when bad shit happens.

 

I’ve been in all three more times than I can count.

 

Between the doors to the two counselors’ offices is an ugly armchair that smells like mothballs. I’ve clocked serious hours parked there, waiting to be seen, or waiting while my parents talked with the principal behind closed doors. Today it has a different occupant, and I slow without meaning to.

 

Her head is turned down to the book in her lap, and raven hair is covering half her face. Noticing me, she looks up, and I’m taken aback by her beauty. Eyes as green as emeralds stare back at me, and her full lips part. She’s gorgeous.

 

There’s something familiar in her eyes that I can’t place. She looks to be the same age as my sister, who’s two years younger than me. Yet something about this girl makes me think she has experience, and I don’t mean with sex.

 

With life.

 

She knows life is full of bullshit.

 

There was a time when I’d flash a smile, lean in, and introduce myself. But those days are gone. Her long lashes come together in a blink, making my heart skip a beat and a rush of blood go to my dick. I quickly walk away before she has the chance to say anything.

 

Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boy and happily ever afters. 

 


 

She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends. 

 


 

Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.

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Review ~ Redeeming Lottie by Melissa Ellen

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Things I never planned on happening in my life: Getting married, being a mother to a house full of kids, and returning to my small hometown in Texas.

I especially never planned on seeing Tucker Monroe again.
Sexy smile. Country charm. A man and a life I left behind for a reason.

The only plan I had for myself was my career.

My career as a buyer for one of the largest high end department stores was the only commitment I had time for. The only one I was willing to make.

Now, being left with no choice but to return to my hometown, I’m finding it hard to remember why I left in the first place. Because all that’s on my mind is Tucker. He is just as sexy. Just as charming. Just as dangerous as he used to be…

When you’re a woman like Lottie, you know what you want in life, an more importantly, what you don’t want. For her she didn’t want marriage and kids and definitely not a life in her small Texas hometown. She has a fabulous life in the big city and a great job, but life laughs when you make plans and following Lottie on her journey was both hilarious and sobering.

What I enjoyed about Redeeming Lottie was that she’s like most women of a certain age, certain in what she wants her life to look like. But somewhere along the way that changes for her, and she can’t seem to figure out why. This to me was the most compelling part of the story, watching her figure it all out. Sometimes, we think we have to stick to our set course instead of taking a step back to see if it’s still the right course for us and this was a message the reader gets loud and clear in Melissa Ellen’s story.

I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of most first person stories and it took me some time to get beyond the whole ‘jet setting, super fabulous’ life Lottie created for herself. It was clear from the beginning this was a surface happiness and I was eager to find out more. The writing itself was solid but not great, however Redeeming Lottie is all about the story and the message.

Tucker was…amazingly everything and his little niece just the most adorable girl. Watching this story unfold was a joy, and the story had a surprising depth that kept me reading to the end.