Orphaned and unhappy, Ally Hunter makes a life-changing decision to move across the country to a small town that once felt like home. As she reinvents herself, she realizes there’s one part of the equation missing—love. However, a tragedy from the past makes her hesitate when it comes to giving up her heart.
A betrayed man looking for a sense of pride.
Abandoned by his first love and family, Ronan has one friend he can truly count on—his two-hundred-pound mastiff, Henry. When he returns home from service in the National Guard, though, he finds his entire life catapulted in a different direction with the disappearance of his beloved dog.
A loyal four-legged friend who will unexpectedly bring them together.
When Henry, Ronan’s brindle mastiff, finds himself far from home, Ronan sets out on a journey to bring him back. However, as the trail to Henry leads Ronan to Ridgewood, Virginia, and an interior designer with a big heart, he’ll realize some hardships lead to beautiful discoveries.
The Trail to You is a sweet stand-alone romantic novel.
I’m a sad, lonely housewife who cleans up boogers and deals with Candyland fights. Give me something interesting here.
Well, the guy thinks white socks and black dress shoes go together and believes watching Jaws is a romantic night. I had my doubts.
Her idea of being a foodie was knowing the different types of sauces at Chick-Fil-A.
You know how I spent Christmas Eve? Crying over bed bugs, looking up Pinterest ideas on getting gum out of Aggie’s hair, and reassuring Greg that the bump on his ass was not actually a bed bug bite… even though I’m pretty sure it was. Yeah, trust me, we weren’t exactly singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ either. Of course, maybe you were.
My Review:
This was one of those sweet and touching stories that make me want to run to the pound and adopt all the dogs, ALL of them… And I’m a cat person. As with all Ms. Detwiler’s emotive stories, The Trail to You was thoughtfully written yet pleasantly well-balanced, consistently engaging, relaxing and easy to follow, heart squeezing, insightfully observant, colorfully amusing, and stung my eyes a few times before reaching a satisfactory and sigh-inducing HEA. Her characters were endearing everyday people doing their best and ensnaring my heart along their journey. I adored this couple, they became so familiar I believe I would recognize them if I saw them walking their precious dog Henry on the street.
A high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay’s the English teacher cliché; she loves cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.
She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
Lindsay’s goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she’s done her job.
Lindsay’s hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Red River’s most eligible bachelor has been keeping secrets…
Flight medic Langston Brooks has built a good life for himself in his hometown of Red River. He’s got it all—a close-knit group of friends and family, an exciting career on a life-flight helicopter, and ridiculously good looks that have made him one of Red River’s most eligible bachelors. The only thing missing is someone to share it with.
His secret lover for the past decade isn’t a forever kind of girl. Not with a tarnished reputation over something she didn’t do, and it’s still following her. Now that she’s brought an international winter sports event to Red River, it’s her ticket out of town. She can finally make a clean break as soon as she collects the nice payday that’s coming her way. The only problem with her plan is she’ll have to leave Langston behind, too.
After keeping their relationship under wraps for years—at her insistence—she finally breaks it off with Langston for good. Moving on alone is best for everyone, especially Red River’s sexy flight medic, who doesn’t deserve the baggage from her troubled past. When they’re forced to work together to make the event a success, can she keep up the pretense that she doesn’t love him anymore? Or will she finally give in and become his forever love?
Return to Red River–where the nights are cool and the romance is hot–in this sexy novella.
Find out who hot alpha flight medic, Langston Brooks has been seeing on the sly for years. After keeping their love affair a secret for a decade, will they finally get their happily ever after?
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
Chairperson Clydelle was old, and the council was preoccupied with a discussion about the Chamber of Commerce building needing new gutters before the spring melt started, but her hearing had satellite capabilities when she wanted to scoop the latest gossip.
Mrs. O’s cranberry pecan scones were Sandra’s favorite treat. A secret weapon, and he wasn’t going to bring a knife to a gun fight. He was bringing something much more powerful. Pastries.
Without breaking client-attorney privilege, want to know what I’ve learned by practicing law in a small town?… Everybody has a secret. Small towns are like soap operas.
I get an examination from Doc Holloway and an ambulance ride with some handsome paramedics…They don’t call it the wise years for nothing. It’s one of the only perks of living to be a ripe old age… Well that and vodka. It goes nicely with lemonade on a hot summer day.
“What’s a girl to do, now that the fire department has banned me from watching them wash the fire engine in the summer?” Probably because she wouldn’t stop offering to put a twenty in their utility belts if they’d take off their shirt.
My Review:
If you are looking for a quickly paced, light, and amusing diversion with bits of small-town complications and angst mixed with a bit of steam, a lot of snow, and a HEA love story – then look no further. I have enjoyed all the lively installments of Shelly Alexander’s Red River Valley Series, each can be read as a standalone yet interconnect and revisit characters from past volumes.
Be sure to check out the rest of the series by bestselling author Shelly Alexander:
IT’S IN HIS HEART-Coop & Ella’s story
IT’S IN HIS TOUCH-Blake & Angelique’s story
IT’S IN HIS SMILE-Talmadge & Miranda’s story
IT’S IN HIS ARMS-Mitchell & Lorenda’s story
A 2014 Golden Heart® finalist, Shelly Alexander grew up traveling the world, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and worked in the business world for twenty-five years. With four older brothers, she watched every Star Trek episode ever made, joined the softball team instead of ballet class, and played with G.I. Joes while the Barbie Corvette stayed tucked in the closet. When she had three sons of her own, she decided to escape her male-dominated world by reading romance novels and has been hooked ever since. Now, she spends her days writing steamy contemporary romances while tending to a miniature schnauzer named Omer, a tiny toy poodle named Mozart, and a pet boa named Zeus.
She hid secret messages in frosting, thinking no one would notice.
Abby Tyler welcomes you to the witty, well-meaning busybodies of Applebottom, Missouri, where the community takes its pies — and its matchmaking — very seriously.
Sandy Miller became an outcast at fifteen years old. Pregnant, confused, and blackmailed into silence, she spent eighteen years raising her son away from the disapproving stares of her hometown.
But Caden has left for college, and Sandy needs a job. When Applebottom’s tea shop owner sees Sandy’s decorating sketches, she hires her instantly in hopes of putting her little bakery on the map.
And then the town starts spotting secret words of love and longing on her cakes.
Andrew McCallister is the first to admit that he never got over Sandy Miller. In high school, another boy swooped in and snatched her right up. Everything that happened afterward filled him with regret. The town’s censure. His failure to check on her. Her struggle.
But now she’s back.
When the town summons the pair to a meeting to plan the school’s centennial bash, Andrew and Sandy discover they are the only two members of the committee. As they attempt to rekindle the long-lost flame, they realize the community must come together for more than an anniversary party. For their new relationship to flourish, the old guard must learn to support their most vulnerable members even when times get hard.
Abby Tyler is the new small-town romance pen name of USA Today bestselling author Deanna Roy / JJ Knight.
She liked to wave her arms to express herself, and her dress had flouncy sleeves that made her look a bit like a flying squirrel.
Gertrude had always been a sourpuss, but in her heart of hearts, she loved this town and everybody in it. That included Betty Johnson and her evil petit fours.
Some of the things these people had said to her eighteen years ago would ring in her ears all her life. It was one thing to forgive, but quite another to completely forget.
“This is MiMi, Lolo, JuJu, NayNay, Tutu, and Killer.” Killer looked up at the mention of his name. He was a tiny brown Chihuahua with a pink nose. “Killer?” Andrew asked. “He’s a rescue pup. He won’t answer to anything else.”
She wondered if she had died somehow, and this were her afterlife. Nothing felt real.
I’ve loved you since I was too young to know what the word meant.
My Review:
I connected to this delightful book on page one and was an instant fan of the lively and fun yet insightful writing style of Abby Tyler. The storylines were relevant, engaging, and amusingly observant while still tapping on all the feels. Ms. Tyler has deftly captured those small-town foibles and advantages with her irresistibly intriguing, meddlesome, and quirky characters. I am greedy for more.
Author Bio:
Abby Tyler loves puppy dogs, pie, and small towns (she grew up in one!) Her Applebottom Matchmaker Society books combine the sweet and wholesome style of romance she loves with the funny, sometimes a-little-too-truthful characters she remembers from growing up in a place where everyone knew everybody’s business.
Superhero single mum Cath always puts other people first. But now that she’s seen her son safely off to university (phew!), life seems a little, well…empty.
So when Cath unexpectedly discovers some letters written by her great-grandfather during the First World War, she decides to take herself on an adventure to France to retrace his footsteps.
Cath expects to spend her holiday visiting famous battlefields and testing out her French phrase book. What she doesn’t anticipate is that her tour guide, the handsome Olivier, will be quite so charming! Soon Cath isn’t simply unearthing the stories of the past – she’s writing a brand new one of her own, which might end up taking her in a very unexpected direction…
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
I never swear. Ever. But if I did, Hells Angels would blush at the words I’d choose right now.
I’d let him move in about six months ago while he got himself back on his feet, but so far he’s not displayed any signs of getting a job and moving out, and he only uses his feet to walk to the pub.
My comfy nude-coloured pants are from a multipack from the clothing department at work and the mismatched bra is a plain black jersey style. It isn’t even underwired. I could be a poster girl for ‘Agent Preventer’, the lesser-known underwear-brand-slash-birth-control guaranteed to put off even the most amorous of men.
We each get one chance at life, and if this vast number of gravestones represents something it’s how precious life is.
It’s like flying ant day in my stomach.
Being together is like pain relief, so, I suppose we need to see one another for medicinal purposes.
My Review:
It Started With a Note was a pleasantly entertaining and engaging read that hit all the feels from amusing humor to sweet romance and on to poignant and respectful remembrances that stung my eyes and put hot rocks in my throat more than once. I adored the character and become more than a bit besotted with Olivier, he was such a sweet and thoughtful man. I want one just like him and seem to be experiencing an intense urge to wander the French countryside and stalk tour coaches in search of a hot travel guide. I was totally cheated by my last excursion, as the guide I was assigned appeared better suited for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, and I don’t mean that in a complimentary way. I scooped two new addition to my Brit Word List with over–egging – to overdo or exaggerate; and a bit of a doss – which is slang for an easy piece of work or convenient place to sleep.
Author Bio
Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of her career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in her hand, she loves working out in the gym and traveling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first romantic comedy novel, ‘The Secret to Falling in Love,’ in 2016.
Cooke’s third novel, Who Needs Men Anyway? became a digital bestseller in 2018.
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Title: HWY 550 Author: Freya Barker
Genre: MC Romance Release Date: February 17th, 2019 Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Special Agent Luna Roosberg lives and breathes her job. Who needs a personal life when work is so rewarding? When a new case sends her to investigate a local motorcycle club, covering as the president’s new flavor of the week, the lines between professional and personal quickly start to blur. Although the Arrow’s Edge MC stays mostly on the right side of the law since Ouray took the gavel, the appearance of the feds at their gate can still rattle his cage. When a string of robberies points squarely in Ouray’s direction, he’s forced to cooperate and put the blonde, prim and proper half-pint on the back of his bike. With pressure mounting both in—and outside—the club, Ouray no longer knows who he can trust, except the woman who is shaking up his life—and stirring his blood.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
On my best day, I’m not the most sociable person, and this afternoon required me to use up my quota of nice for the week.
I swear the man is probing for my tonsils, his tongue is so far down my throat, and all I can do is go along for the ride.
I’ve turned to putty in her hands. Lovesick bastard. Never thought I’d catch that particular disease, but here I am, gaining on fifty and drinking the Kool-aid, so to speak.
I’ve always been clear on what I don’t want— so it doesn’t take a lot for me to know when what’s in front of me is exactly what I’ve been holding out for.
My Review:
I was engaged and engrossed in this intriguing and entertaining tale of romantic suspense featuring an uptight and petite FBI agent with something to prove and a burly MC club President with a soft heart for street urchins and ugly dogs. Sounds like a highly unlikely pairing but they were tossed together when a string of violent robberies appeared to be framing Ouray and the MC and Luna was the best choice as the agent to send undercover. The line between professional and personal was quickly smudged and gradually blurred before being totally erased. But, really, how could she resist a big-hearted and magnetically sexy man who rescued children and handled her with wizened respect, patience, and sizzling hot kisses?
I adored this sassy couple as well as the large group of likable and oddly compelling secondary characters on both sides of the law. The multiple storylines were active and cunningly paced while taunting and stimulating my curiosity with cleverly contrived suspense when all the while a steamy romance and sweet rescue of a preteen runaway with his own special needs were progressing right along. Freya Barker just gets better and better.
Freya Barker inspires with her stories about ‘real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.
She is the author of the Cedar Tree and Portland, ME Series, the Northern Lights Collection and the Rock Point Series. She is also co-author of the SnapShot Series.
To see Freya’s complete backlist, or to find out what is coming down the pipe, visit freyabarker.com.
Motion, the first in the all-new Laws of Physics Trilogy from Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!
One week.
Home alone.
Girl genius.
Unrepentant slacker.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Mona is a smart girl and had everything figured out a long time ago. She had to. She didn’t have a choice. When your parents are uber-celebrities and you graduate from high school at thirteen, finish college at seventeen, and start your Ph.D. program at eighteen, you don’t have time for distractions outside of your foci. Even fun is scheduled.
Which is why Abram, her brother’s best friend, is such an irritant.
Abram is a talented guy, a supremely gifted musician, and has absolutely nothing figured out, nor does he seem to care. He does what he feels, when he feels, and—in Mona’s opinion—he makes her feel entirely too much.
Laws of Physics is the second trilogy in the Hypothesis series; Laws of Physics parts 1 (MOTION) & 2 (SPACE) end with a cliffhanger.
Talking to her was like arguing with a flat-earther. Ignorance plus arrogance is why we can’t have nice things!
Gabby was a nebulous assemblage of unscrupulousness and exasperating nonsense, and we’d likely never be friends again, but she was undoubtedly charming when she wanted to be.
My Review:
I am awed, enamored with, and flummoxed by Penny Reid. She is the only wordsmith I know who could simultaneously create tension and levity with prunes, Moby Dick, and whale poop. She has stunningly strong word voodoo and magical storytelling skills that mesmerized and fuzzed my sense of reality and time as I somehow lost an entire afternoon to Mona and Abram, and I didn’t even swear at the abrupt cliffhanger, which is so unlike me. I just may have slipped into a mild fugue state on the final page of Motion, I don’t seem to have the words to propel myself from this limbo and fear I may remain in this slightly dazed predicament until the next installment hits my Kindle. Please hurry, Ms. Reid.
My stomach rumbled, long and loud, and I pressed my hand against it. Grunting into the darkness, I tossed off the covers and stood from Lisa’s bed. Food on my mind, I slipped out of the room and down the stairs. The kitchen was dark, but instead of flipping on a light—which might’ve alerted Abram as to my whereabouts . . . which he probably didn’t care about so long as “Lisa wasn’t doing anything crazy”—I crept on quiet feet to the fridge and opened it.
Momentarily dazzled by the bright light within, it took several seconds of squinting and blinking before the scant contents became visible. I frowned. In addition to the pizza box, two suspicious-looking containers of Chinese takeout, and various condiments, I found: shredded cheddar/jack cheese blend, a zucchini, a half a pint of mushrooms, and hot salsa. Opening the hot salsa, I smelled it, and then I dipped my pinkie inside and tasted it while examining the lid. It looked, smelled, and tasted fine.
Placing my finds on the island counter, I shut the fridge. The sudden extinguishing of the bright light meant that the kitchen was now pitch black. Shrugging off my lack of sight, I extended my arms and blindly felt my way over to the pantry until my hands connected with the torso of a person.
A person.
A PERSON!
I jumped back on instinct, my leg hitting one of the stools at the island counter and sending it crashing to the ground. My heart in my throat, I screamed, turned, and darted forward, but my feet tangled with the felled stool and I pitched, bracing myself for a gravitational collision with unseen wooden bars and a granite stool top.
But then strong arms caught me, deftly spinning and lifting me into the air. Cold dread rushed through my body, tensing every muscle. I couldn’t think. I didn’t think. Instinctively, my legs and fists pumped, fighting against my captor. Rocks in my throat as I readied another scream, a hand covered my mouth just as I belted it out.
“Whoa! Calm down. It’s me.” Abram’s voice at my ear soothed, his bulky arm a tight band around my torso, my back to his front, my feet not touching the ground. “Calm down. Shhh. Calm down.”
Hot breath teased my hair and neck, and I stilled, relief at discovering it was Abram didn’t quite chase away the viral panic still attached to my hemoglobin, coursing through my veins. I shook. I was shaking. And I was gasping through my nose, greedy for air.
Perhaps he heard or felt my strained breathing because his arm loosened, lowering my feet to the ground, and his hand covering my mouth slid away. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I said, not sounding convincing. Truth was, I felt like throwing up. “Can you, uh, let me go?”
His arms immediately fell away and I stupidly rushed forward, once more crashing into the stool.
I heard Abram mutter a curse under his breath just as he caught me again, lifting me off the ground again, and saving me—again—from another gravitational collision. This time he turned us away from the stool and carried me across the room.
I didn’t fight him this time. In fact, I relaxed into him. Wired and exhausted, but mostly embarrassed, I allowed myself to be transported without protest. We left the kitchen and I was finally able to see dim outlines of furniture and walls, courtesy of the streetlamp illumination spilling through the windows of the living room.
Abram carried me to my mother’s favorite piece of furniture in our house, a gold velvet chaise lounge said to have once belonged to Napoleon’s sister, Pauline Bonaparte. Depositing me on the soft surface, Abram crossed to one of the Tiffany lamps and pulled the chain, bathing the room in soft blue and yellow, colored light filtering through the stained glass.
He then returned, knelt in front of me, one hand on my leg, the other cupping my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I said, cleared my throat, unable to lift my eyes higher than his black T-shirt, and said again, “Yes.”
He blew out a breath, pushing his fingers through my hair. By doing so, he forced my chin up and caught my gaze. That wrinkle of worry appeared between his eyebrows, and his very pretty eyes—which glowed and sparkled like polished amber cabochons—moved between mine.
“You really freaked out.”
I stiffened, gritting my teeth and yanking my head back, out of his reach. “I didn’t know you were there.”
Watching me with watchful watchfulness, he let his hand drop slowly until it rested on my left leg, next to his other hand which covered my right knee. “I said your name—twice—when I walked in.”
“I didn’t hear you.” I glanced from his eyes to where his palms were hot on my skin. “And I couldn’t see. I’d just shut the fridge, my eyes hadn’t adjusted.”
“Did you think I was a robber?” His left eyebrow lifted as did the side of his mouth, just a hint.
Clearly, he was trying to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, I still felt shaky. And embarrassed.
“I- I didn’t think,” I admitted, releasing an unsteady breath. “I wasn’t thinking. Sorry I fell.”
“No need to apologize. It wasn’t like you could help it.”
“Yeah. Gravity can be such a downer.”
He made a light, laughing sound. “What?”
“Uh, nothing. Whatever.” No physics jokes!
His frown returned, his fingers flexing slightly on my legs. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Reaching for his hands, I removed them from my knees, setting them away. “I’m really fine. I just don’t like—”
He glanced at my knees. “Being touched?”
“When it’s unexpected.” I crossed my arms.
“That makes sense. But your reaction, even after you knew it was me—” He paused and sat back on his heels, as though debating how to continue and finally settling on, “It was a big reaction.” Abram continued to study me with his big, pretty, knowing brown eyes. “Hey, I would never hurt you.”
I winced, just a little, my gaze falling to my knees where his hands had been. I wanted to huff a laugh and roll my eyes, maybe say something like, I know, don’t be ridiculous.
But the word “Okay,” small and fragile sounding, slipped out instead. I immediately wished it back, because I didn’t understand it. I didn’t know why I’d said it, and I hated not knowing.
Get ahold of yourself, Mona. Pull it together. You are fine. Nothing happened.
Meanwhile, he continued his examination of me, I felt his stare, assessing my downturned face. “Out of curiosity, and no big deal if you don’t want to say, but did something happen to you this last year?”
My back straightened and I sucked in a slow, deep breath before asking calmly, “Like what?”
“You’re very . . . different than you were before.”
“Because I don’t want you touching me?” I tried to infuse my words with challenge, strength—wanting to shake off any earlier impression of weakness—and mostly succeeded. Peeking at him, I gauged his reaction from behind a hastily built wall of dispassion.
But then Abram dropped his chin to his chest, a massive grin lighting his features, and the fragrance of him hit me. My lashes fluttered as though he’d blown dust in my eyes, penetrating my wobbly wall of dispassion and sending it crumbling to the ground.
God, he smelled so good, and—unlike visual stimuli—I couldn’t stop whatever cascade of relaxing, soothing, melting awareness smelling his scent set off. Unthinkingly, I leaned forward an inch, chasing and inhaling the smell of him while he cleared his throat, like he was trying not to laugh.
Why he was fighting a laugh, I didn’t know, but the apparent genuineness of Abram’s struggle to subdue his grin only served to increase his attractiveness.
A moment later, he lifted his eyes and they connected with mine. He’d conceded to a shy smile. It was quite a smile.
“Yes,” he said.
“Yes?” I parroted dumbly. What were we talking about? And would it be weird if I buried my nose in his neck?
“Yes. You not wanting me to touch you means that you are very different now than you were before,” he explained.
I appreciated the completeness and thoroughness of his sentence.
My cheeks were hot. I pressed my hands against them while I examined him with suspicion. What was he doing to me?
“How so?” I asked, hoping to keep him talking so I could hunt down the splintered pieces of my concentration.
His eyebrows pulled together as his shy smile became a smirk. “You’re telling me you don’t remember?”
“Tell me your version of events,” I demanded, side-stepping a lie and still holding my cheeks.
“Uhh . . .” He scratched the back of his neck, peering at me like I both confused and amused him.
I was used to confusing people, but not amusing them. My cheeks burned hotter.
“Do you even remember?” I pushed, knowing my tone was belligerent.
He made a sound like he was choking on a laugh. “Yes. It’s hard to forget waking up to a naked girl in my bed.”
Jaw dropping, my eyes grew to their maximum diameter.
Naked. Girl. In . . . bed?
“Are you serious?” I whispered, my mind darting in all directions, attempting to form a reasonable hypothesis for Lisa’s behavior and coming up completely empty. Suddenly, I couldn’t catch my breath.
He shook his head, giving me an astonished once-over. “You honestly don’t remember?”
My mouth opened and closed as I struggled to speak, but it was no use. I was too . . . I was too many things. Shocked. Confused. Incredulous. ANGRY.
LISA!
What had she been thinking? She’d been eighteen! How would she have liked waking up to find a strange, naked, eighteen-year-old boy in her bed?
I was beyond shocked. I was horrified. I was electrocuted by the reality of my sister’s brazen-slash-creepy quotient, because I couldn’t imagine doing anything in the same sphere of possibility. I was beginning to believe that if my twin and I were represented by a Venn diagram, our only areas of overlap would be physical. A minor sliver of shared corporal characteristics, and that was absolutely it.
“Lisa?”
Blinking at Abram, and promptly becoming tangled in his searching gaze, I realized he was still there. And I was still here. And my hands were still pressed against my cheeks as I warred with what I now identified as hot mortification.
What else could I do? I shot to my feet and marched out of the living room, dropping my hands and running up the main staircase.
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes BATTLE OF THE BULGE, Book Four of the OHellNO Series. (A Standalone.)
“Chicks can’t be bodyguards. Especially hot chicks.”
MY NAME IS MITCH HOFER. I’m a world-famous swimmer from Australia, best known for three things: my gold medals, my looks, and filling out a swimsuit with my…eh-hem—bulky equipment. Let’s just say there’s a reason my nickname is “the Bulge.”
But beyond the fame, sponsors, and glory, there’s more to me than people know, including one hell of a mess I’ve gotten mixed up in. Life-or-death stuff, so bring in the professionals. Just don’t give me a chick bodyguard. Especially a young hot one who distracts me at every turn and hates my guts…
MY NAME IS ABI CARTER, and I hate Mitch Hofer. Yeah, he might be the sexiest champion swimmer in the world, but I’d give this guy a gold medal for being a first-class jerk.
Unfortunately, my boss has given me a choice—guard Mitch or get another job. And I really need the money. I can be professional, but if Mitch says “chicks can’t be bodyguards” one more time, I just might strangle him myself.
Still, something about the way Mitch keeps looking at me makes me think there’s more to his story. It’s almost as if he’s trying to drive me away. But why?
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
There’s a market for everything these days. Example: the horrible swimsuits Mr. Jackass wears from his sponsor, Weeno. They have things like panda or elephant faces on the front, positioned just so, in order to make the animal’s nose protrude like little penis puppets.
A generous salami does not make up for his despicable personality.
We cussed like two pirates at a rum festival.
Damn, someone should write a bad country song about it…Kissed at dusk. Dumped at dawn. Pumped my heart into a sad, sad song. And cue twangy slide guitar.
I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have men just look at me like a piece of eye candy. … I’ll find out tonight… My dress is so tight you can see my ovaries.
She takes one look at me, and her smile drops. “Dear, are you all right? I own cotton balls with more color.”
My Review:
I smirked, giggle-snorted, and laughed aloud throughout this delightfully irreverent read. I adore Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s clever humor, witty wordplay, and endearingly flawed characters. She has a cheeky writing style that I will never tire of.
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
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From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes SMART TASS, a new Romantic Comedy.
He’s the hot quarterback all the girls want.
She’s the smart girl he loves to pick on.
And now that they’re all grown up, things are about to get geekin’ ugly…
My name is Tass. I’m smart, I’m driven, and I am determined not to let prankster Hunter Johnson continue raining on my parade. When we were little, he’d pull my hair and call me names. When we were teenagers, he’d throw food and tease me for being a flat-chested virgin.
But now that we’ve ended up at the same college, he’s out of his hot head if he thinks he can keep messing with my life. It’s like he’s fixated on me or something. Well, guess what, Mr. Amazefootball? I’m not that geeky little girl anymore and you do not screw with a smart woman.
From New York Times Bestseller, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Comes OH, HENRY, Book Two of the Ohellno Series. (Stand Alone Story w/ Teaser for Next Book.)
SHE’S GOT ME BY THE FOOTBALLS…
My name is Henry Walton, and though I’ve been called many things throughout my life—tree trunk, moose, walrus—I am now six foot five, solid muscle, and the hottest defensive end in the NFL college draft. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for: fame, women, and glory.
Just one problem: I’m suddenly in a bad slump. And it started the moment I got dumped by Elle, the nerdy goddess with thick glasses, a smokin’ hot body, and a genius IQ.
So what gives? We only dated for a few weeks, and it’s not like I’ve missed her. (Much.) Regardless, all the facts point to one conclusion. Elle is my lucky nerd-charm.
So call me superstitious, but I have to get her back before I lose everything. Even if she’s the last girl I should want and she now hates my guts.
From New York Times Bestseller, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, comes a new Romantic Comedy.
He’s the meanest boss ever.
She’s the sweet shy intern.
They’re about to wreck each other crazy.
My name is Sydney Lucas. I am smart, deathly shy, and one hundred percent determined to make my own way in the world. Which is why I jumped at the chance to intern for Mr. Nick Brooks despite his reputation. After ten failed interviews at other companies, he was the only one offering. Plus, everyone says he knows his stuff, and surely a man as stunningly handsome as him can’t be “the devil incarnate,” right? Wrong.
Oh…that man. That freakin’ man has got to go! I’ve been on the job one week, and he’s insulted my mother, wardrobe shamed me, and managed to make me cry. Twice. Underneath that stone-cold, beautiful face is the evilest human being ever.
But I’m not going to quit. Oh no. For once in my life, I’ve got to make a stand. Only, every time I open my mouth, I can’t quite seem to muster the courage. Perhaps my revenge needs to come in another form: destroying him quietly.
Because I’ve got a secret. I’m not really just an intern, and Sydney Lucas isn’t my real name.
Bestselling Brianna Middleton has won the hearts of millions of readers with her sweeping – and steamy – love stories. But the girl behind the typewriter is struggling… Not only does she have writer’s block, but she’s a world-famous romance author with zero romance in her own life.
So the opportunity to spend the summer teaching at a writer’s retreat in an idyllic villa on the shores of Lake Garda – owned by superstar author Arran Jamieson – could this be just the thing to fire up Brie’s writing – and romantic – mojo?
Brie’s sun-drenched Italian summer could be the beginning of this writer’s very own happy-ever-after…
Escape the January blues with this sun-drenched, heart-warming story from the bestselling author of Snowflakes Over Holly Cove.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
I hang my head, bringing up the rear like some wayward child as everyone files into the sitting room. It looks like there has been an explosion and most of it is snack related.
Where were you when he proposed?
Oh, sitting opposite him in the kitchen watching him chopping garlic.
Did he get down on one knee?
No, but he did stop chopping for a moment.
Sometimes a hero doesn’t arrive on a white charger or knock on your door with his arms full of flowers. Often, he makes you laugh when you least expect to – like when you are staring at a photo of you both naked on the internet and your mother comes up behind you.
‘That’s easy for you to say as it isn’t your naked rear that keeps popping up on the internet.’ The smile he’d given me was wicked. ‘Yes, but you look good, so don’t knock it… and when you’re eighty years old I bet you’ll get a little thrill when you remember that moment. I know I always will.’
It’s officially wine o’clock, and this glass has your name on it.
My Review:
This was a slowly developing story written in the first person POV of Brie, a best-selling romance writer who was initially suffering from writer’s block. The vast majority of the narrative consisted of Brie’s inner musings and observations, which were often lushly detailed from floor to ceiling. Each vista, meal, person, and room was lavishly and colorfully described while bringing each character to life fully formed in my mind’s eye. Brie was a hopeless romantic who was still waiting for “The One” to make his appearance in her life but by age thirty, he continued to remain elusive. She was sent as a last minute replacement to assist with a writers’ retreat to a lovely Italian villa, hosted by Arran, a handsome yet complicated man who primarily did not appear impressed with her romantic ideals and successful backlist, but of course that quickly changed and the sheets were scorched.
The storylines were pleasantly engaging although the writing style was quite verbose and took a slow and somewhat complicated route to arrive at that oh-so-satisfying HEA. And bonus – in addition to amusing entertainment, I actually learned a lot about the process of writing fiction during their interesting and thoughtful lessons and workshop discussions.
About the Author
From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’
Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels and is excited to be writing for both Aria Fiction (Head of Zeus) and Harper Impulse (Harper Collins); she’s represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.
When she’s not writing or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture or working in the garden.
Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award; her novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards.
Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she freely admits she’s an eternal romantic.
Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love, and relationships.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Molly’s dream of taking over her childhood home at Withrin Hill Farm with husband Pip and their three children has finally come true. And, as they settle into the stunning Georgian farmhouse, with their plans to diversify into glamping nicely taking shape, the family couldn’t be happier.
But tragedy suddenly strikes, and Molly’s world is turned upside down.
Heartbroken and devastated, she struggles to face each day. True to form, her fiercely loyal best friends, Kitty and Violet, rally round offering love and support, but Molly doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to smile again. Until the day a tall, dark stranger with twinkly eyes arrives… Follow Molly’s story in book 2 of the Life on the Moors Series set in Lytell Stangdale, a picture-perfect village in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors, where life is anything but quiet. A heart-warming story of love, friendship and hope.
My Rating:
Favorite Quote:
When I get mad, I get absolutely, totally fearless. You should ask my brother, he’s seen me like that loads of times, the annoying toad that he is. Calls me a hellcat.
My Review:
The Talisman is the second book in the series and just as entertaining and skillfully written as the first. Although, while still often humorous and comical, it was a considerably more angsty read than The Letter, due to the untimely death of a beloved character and the subsequent grieving that followed. I adored all the unique and oddly endearing characters and was sorry to see the demise of the easy-going Pip, yet my heart continues to belong to the captivating Master of Mischief known as Jimby. Despite the tragedy of Pip, I frequently found myself smirking at their sassy quips and occasionally laughed aloud at their antics while reading.
Eliza J. Scott is a talented wordsmith and gifted storyteller who deftly laced lush details and cleverly amusing descriptions onto every page. Her characters were intriguingly quirky, oddly endearing, and individuals I would enjoy spending time with. Their teasing and exchanges of lively banter were loaded with sharp wit, irreverent humor, and wry innuendo. Lytell Stangdale appears to be a village generally populated by the eccentric, as most small towns actually are, yet this little village seems to have several extra special sets of the peculiar with an elderly pink haired gentleman who purchased a second-hand set of dentures from eBay and BTW, his carpets matched his drapes. Also of note was a wrinkly miniskirt wearing cougar with the nickname of Maneater; Lycra Len, who only wore bicycle clothing; the extremely fragrant Freida whose pungent aroma typically announced her arrival before she spoke as, she didn’t waste her time or fortune on soap or any form of hygiene; the fun-loving Jimby and his busy terrorist rooster; Violet the burlesque loving 50’s fashionista; and an obscene texting grandmother who blamed the predictive text setting on her phone for her suggestive messages, which often involved the vicar. I adored them all and will be eagerly awaiting a return to the village for Violet’s story. Please hurry, Ms. Scott, I’m renewing my passport just in case.
I truly scored with bonus Brit vocabulary words which included: croggy – to ride on a bicycle as a passenger; gormless – dull-witted or lacking intelligence; ratbag – an unpleasant or despicable person; ploughman’s lunch – according to Wikipedia this is an “English cold meal” with bread, cheese, onions, butter, and some form of pickle with the possible additions of ham, green salad, hard-boiled eggs, and apple; grandad shirt – a button up that doesn’t need to be tucked in; diddlin’ – doing (which would have a sexual connotation in the US but not the UK); now then – hello. However, my most faithful resource, Mr. Google, was unable to assist me with the quaint terminology of knack-naked or skuttle-gob.
About the Author
Eliza lives in a 17th-century cottage on the edge of a village in the North Yorkshire Moors with her husband, their two daughters and two mischievous black Labradors. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book/glued to her Kindle or working in her garden. Eliza also enjoys bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a teashop where she can indulge in another two of her favorite things: tea and cake. Eliza is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to write heart-warming stories with happy endings.
Win The Letter – Kitty’s Story, chocolate and a clutch bag (Open Internationally)
The prize is worth over £40 and consists of a paperback copy of the first book in the Life on the Moors Series, The Letter – Kitty’s Story, 3 bars of Love Cocoa chocolate by James and a Caroline Gardner clutch bag.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for the dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Take a look behind the books of New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Carly Phillips, Mari Carr, and Katie Ashley!
“Where I Write” is a new window into the writing lives of your favorite authors. Whether they prefer noisy coffee-houses or quiet offices, discover where acclaimed authors spin their stories and craft their characters. With this glimpse of the surroundings in which writers work and think hard, be inspired to celebrate your own creative space.
Carly Phillips, Mari Carr and Katie Ashley are each giving away a HUGE gift box including signed paperbacks and special treats. Make sure you enter all 3 rafflecopters.
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Battle of the Bulge
About the Author
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
