Not when I became the acting mayor of my hometown after the flood. Not when I kept my law practice afloat out of a booth in my grandmother’s diner. And definitely not when my secret romantasy novels went viral.
Nobody in Gibson Hollow knows I’m the author behind the pen name. And nobody was supposed to kiss me at that book convention—least of all my brother’s best friend, cosplaying the hero he doesn’t know I modeled after him.
Now Ramsey Shaw is back in town. Volunteering. Smiling at me like I’m not on the verge of shattering. Like he remembers the kiss. Like he sees the truth.
I’ve spent my whole life being strong. Quiet. In control. But for the first time, I don’t want to be any of those things. I just want to be his.
In a town held together by hope and heart, it’s the people who show up that make it shine.
Brace yourselves book lovers because Millie & Rex’s story is finally here!! If you love small towns, grumpy billionaires and matchmaking townsfolk you’ll love this new, steamier side of Mustang Prairie!
☀🕶💛𝑫𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒆𝒙𝒚 𝑮𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒚 ☀🕶💛
She’s a dancer fleeing the ultimate betrayal He’s a billionaire running from the spotlight The gossip The paps The fortune hunters He’s her surly neighbor She’s his sunshine neighbor Who does yoga in her yard He’s not looking for love She wants no part of romance But chemistry–and Mustang Prairie–has other plans
The countdown is on! Dirty Sexy Grumpy will be here in just a few short days and I cannot wait for you to meet Millie and Rex!
She’s a reformed city girl, relocating to Mustang Prairie after a devastating betrayal. He’s a grumpy undercover billionaire who can do without his too young, too sexy, yoga-pants-clad neighbor and her bright, sunny smile.
But small towns and meddlin’ old ladies have other ideas!
Set against the rugged charm of Baren Hill, this heartfelt romance delivers a swoony grumpy sunshine dynamic, a heroine rediscovering herself after divorce, and a cinnamon roll mountain man with a beard—and a bar—to fall for. Readers who love a confident, capable older heroine, romantic tension with payoff, witty banter, and filthy dialogue will consume Beard on Tap by Willow Sanders.
Used to be, the family bar was hopping until last call every night. Now? If the bank doesn’t take her away from me in the next two months, it’ll be a miracle. All because some fatcat politician thought building a new highway would earn him a few more votes. The last thing I need? A firecracker who has curves in all the right places and a smart mouth, telling me what to do to save my own damn bar. I can do this alone; except I recognize the pain I see in those moss-colored eyes. Sure I don’t need any help, but it seems like she does.
All I wanted was a relaxing vacation. Fresh mountain air. Some uninterrupted time with a book. Yeah, right. Maybe I could relax if the bar I stumbled upon—literally– wasn’t run by the sexiest, and most annoying, man in the world. Five minutes in, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to drag him across the bar and kiss him or pour my beer down his flannel shirt. He won’t ask for help, but what he doesn’t know? I’ve never backed down from a challenge. Finn’s going to learn just how stubborn I can be. And maybe…we’ll find our happily ever after.
Time had morphed in hyper speed. One minute Finn and Emmett were loading me into the front seat of the biggest pick-up truck I’d ever laid eyes on, and the next Finn was helping me out of the truck, and balancing me against the door while we waited for the bellhop to bring the wheelchair.
“Thank you,” I said. My hands wrapped around his biceps, though I don’t remember putting them there. He looked filled out but not bulky. I wouldn’t have ever guessed that he was as firm in the arms and shoulders that he actually was. “I know I didn’t say it earlier. But, I appreciate it. Well, you. Especially hauling my ass out of that ravine.”
“It’s a baby ravine. More like a gulch than anything.”
I could smell the whiskey on his breath too. It was a homing beacon for the part of whiskey that controls your libido. One minute we’re standing there awkwardly waiting for the bellhop, and the next I’m nibbling on his lips, testing how firm and heavy they felt caressing mine.
“You’ll be gone in a few days.” His fingers cradled my shoulder, holding me at the slightest distance. “This isn’t a good thing to start.”
“That I’ll be gone in a few days is precisely why it’s the best kind of thing to start.”
I tried to go in again, because the first swipe of my lips did little to dampen the molten desire that threatened to erupt.
“Princess, you start this, and I promise you won’t want to stop.”
My fingers itched to bury themselves in his beard. To feel for myself if it was soft or wiry, if he liked being caressed there or if it bothered him. The truth was I just wanted to feel his mouth again. I wanted more of the heaviness of his lips pressed against mine, being wrapped in his scent like a scarf on a snowy day.
“Someone’s overconfident.”
Me, apparently. While I can’t say that this “wasn’t like me” because quite honestly, I’d been a “me” alongside someone else for so long I don’t even know what my singular identity was.
“Oh, I’m sure of it. I’m not the kind of person that has missionary style penciled in my agenda– sex, with a blow job kicker for birthdays and anniversaries. I’m a flip you over, pull your hair, plunge my finger into your hidden treasure and tell you to take it like a good girl. I’ll wreck you. You won’t want it any other way after me. And I’m not the matching retirement account and monogrammed towels kind of man.”
“The towels just end up going to the Goodwill anyway,” I tell him, before pushing myself into his space. It was all the invitation he needed. He cradled my jaw firmly between his thumb and finger, and plundered my mouth like there was buried treasure that could only be unearthed with a very adroit tongue.
My whole being melted. Liquid heat erupted down my spine, sending the most delicious of sensations from the tips of my ears all the way to my curling toes.
“Ahem.”
The bellboy appeared. Top notch customer fucking service. Great timing too. The Yelp review practically wrote itself.
“Ms. James, I’m here to take you to your room. I’ve just come from there, the staff is setting your dining room for dinner, so we best get moving so it doesn’t get cold.”
Alistair, according to his nametag, had the good sense to school his features and not indicate he’d just walked into what felt like a pornographic display of lips, teeth and tongue.
The atmosphere cooled. Finn stepped back wiping his lips and shooting me a sheepish wink.
“Feel better, Ms. James. Hopefully I’ll see you around.”
Before I could even say thanks for rescuing me, or hey come back to my hotel room and prove it, he was behind the wheel of his truck and pulling out of the roundabout.
Unfortunately for me, every blood cell in my body vibrated in concert, and the song it sang was about a bar owner named Finn with concrete gray eyes, and a dirty, pouty mouth.
About Willow Sanders
A marketer by day, and author by night, Willow Sanders is a best-selling author of sweet with heat Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. She loves to write spunky, take no shit women, and understanding men with a strong side of sarcasm and an extra helping of BDE. When not writing you can find her torn between her loyalty to the Fighting Illini and her husband’s loyalty to Michigan State, bemoaning traffic, feeding her caffeine addiction, and trying to find the connection between her and the Gilmore Girls–because she is certain she is a long-lost family member.
◆ Finn ◆ Used to be, the family bar was hopping until last call every night. Now? If the bank doesn’t take her away from me in the next two months, it’ll be a miracle. All because some fatcat politician thought building a new highway would earn him a few more votes. The last thing I need? A firecracker who has curves in all the right places and a smart mouth, telling me what to do to save my own damn bar. I can do this alone; except I recognize the pain I see in those moss-colored eyes. Sure I don’t need any help, but it seems like she does. ♥ Gemini ♥ All I wanted was a relaxing vacation. Fresh mountain air. Some uninterrupted time with a book. Yeah, right. Maybe I could relax if the bar I stumbled upon—literally– wasn’t run by the sexiest, and most annoying, man in the world. Five minutes in, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to drag him across the bar and kiss him or pour my beer down his flannel shirt. He won’t ask for help, but what he doesn’t know? I’ve never backed down from a challenge. Finn’s going to learn just how stubborn I can be. And maybe…we’ll find our happily ever after.
It’s here book lovers, the first book in a new, spicy Mustang Prairie off-shoot! If you love grumpy sunshine, steam, summer fun and undercover billionaire’s, pre-order Millie & Rex’s story here: https://mybook.to/DirtySexyGrumpy
A cheating ex. A backstabbing former bestie A roommate situation straight out of hell. Moving to a small town wasn’t on my BINGO card, but it suddenly made perfect sense. One dart aimed at a map, and I landed in Mustang Prairie. Turns out, small-town America isn’t all tractors and apple pies. Now I’ve got silver-haired ladies showing up early to my dance class,a solid new crew of friends, and the hottest man I’ve ever seen—who just so happens to live next door.
He’s short. He’s rude. He’s grump AF. And somehow, he’s exactly what I didn’t know I needed. We’re both battle-scarred Both running scared Both a little bit broken Is this thing between us real enough to heal us, Or will we end up running…again?
Set against the rugged charm of Baren Hill, this heartfelt romance delivers a swoony grumpy sunshine dynamic, a heroine rediscovering herself after divorce, and a cinnamon roll mountain man with a beard—and a bar—to fall for. Readers who love a confident, capable older heroine, romantic tension with payoff, witty banter, and filthy dialogue will consume Beard on Tap by Willow Sanders.
Blurb
◆ Finn ◆
Used to be, the family bar was hopping until last call every night. Now? If the bank doesn’t take her away from me in the next two months, it’ll be a miracle. All because some fatcat politician thought building a new highway would earn him a few more votes. The last thing I need? A firecracker who has curves in all the right places and a smart mouth, telling me what to do to save my own damn bar. I can do this alone; except I recognize the pain I see in those moss-colored eyes. Sure I don’t need any help, but it seems like she does.
Gemini
All I wanted was a relaxing vacation. Fresh mountain air. Some uninterrupted time with a book. Yeah, right. Maybe I could relax if the bar I stumbled upon—literally– wasn’t run by the sexiest, and most annoying, man in the world. Five minutes in, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to drag him across the bar and kiss him or pour my beer down his flannel shirt. He won’t ask for help, but what he doesn’t know? I’ve never backed down from a challenge. Finn’s going to learn just how stubborn I can be. And maybe…we’ll find our happily ever after.
The time has finally come! If you subscribe to my newsletter then you’ve been teased long enough about the secret project I’ve been working on. I wasn’t sure if I’d do it and then when I started, I wasn’t sure if it would ever see the light of day…but here we are.
Mustang Prairie Billionaires Book 1 – DIRTY SEXY GRUMPY
Release date: August 19, 2025
If you’re a fan of small town romance, grumpy-sunshine and opposites attract, you’ll love this steamy new contemporary romance!
Genre/Tropes: Small Town; Blue Collar; Alpha Male; Playboy MC; Sunshine FC; Best Friends Little Sister; Enemies-to-Lovers Vibes; Accidental Pregnancy
Release Date: June 9, 2025
Cover Design: Karen Hulseman at Feed Your Dreams Designs
Off-limits. That’s what we are to each other.
Eirik has been my older brother’s best friend since we were kids. Back then, he was nice to me, friendly, even though I was the annoying little girl who constantly shadowed them. But as we’ve gotten older, our relationship has become strained. Instead of showing kindness, we pick fights and bring out the worst in each other. He’s known as the town playboy, and was never supposed to be on my radar. So why do I find him so irresistible?
Amelia is the forbidden fruit that’s only gotten sweeter with age. I’ve been captivated by her since we were teens. I considered us friends once, but now we’re more like frenemies. We fight like cats and dogs. No matter what I do, I annoy her. But I’ve never lost sight of how incredible she is, and when I realize I have feelings for her that are more than just a passing fancy, I have to make my move. Damn the consequences.
But what if something unexpected happens just as we’re starting out? Will we be able to survive it?
Title: Rule #1: Never Call Him Grumpy Collection: Rules for Dating a Single Dad Author: Lily Love Release: June 1, 2025 Top Genres: Sweet romance, Small Town Romance, Closed Door Romance Tropes: Small Town, Billionaire, Single Dad, Nanny, He Falls First, Instalove, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine
I’ve been called a lot of things in my life—gruff, intense, overprotective—but grumpy? That’s a new one.
After losing my wife, I left the noise of professional hockey and billion-dollar boardrooms behind, trading city chaos for small-town peace in Passion Pointe, Tennessee. I’ve got one mission: raise my son right and keep our world calm, quiet, and free from emotional chaos.
Then Linda Carter shows up, all curves, sass, and bright opinions wrapped in a nanny application.
She’s completely wrong for the job… and somehow, exactly what my son needs.
What I didn’t expect? That I’d need her just as much.
One smile from her turns my world upside down. One laugh makes the walls I’ve built start to crack. And the way she looks at me? It’s dangerous.
But she’s got rules, and so do I.
Rule #1: Don’t get attached.
Rule #2: Don’t mix business with pleasure.
Rule #3: Definitely don’t fall for the nanny.
Too late.
Because the more time I spend with Linda, the more I realize this fiery, big-hearted woman isn’t just helping us heal—she might be the piece we didn’t know we were missing.
And if breaking every rule is what it takes to make her ours?
Well then…
They can call me grumpy all they want.
“Rule #1: Never Call Him Grumpy” is a heartwarming closed-door hockey romance featuring a protective billionaire single dad, a sassy curvy nanny who refuses to be intimidated, and the small town that might just help them heal. Perfect for readers who love emotional stories with all the feels but none of the steam. A Sweet, Closed-Door Hockey Single Dad Romcom – Mistakes & Promises Book 2.5 & Rules For Dating A Single Dad #1
Each story in ‘Rules For Dating A Single Dad’ series celebrates the unique journey of finding love as a single father, showing that sometimes the most rewarding relationships are built on a foundation of Lego bricks and soccer practice sidelines.
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Natasha's Book Nook 