Wednesday, 30 November 2022

RELEASE BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: The Daredevil by Nadia Han

 


Title: The Daredevil
Author: Nadia Han
Series: (WaterFyre Rising, #2)
Publication date: November 30th, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance



Loving her is his biggest risk . . . and also his biggest reward.

Daring, clever, and gorgeous, Royce Viktorsson is a volcanologist who lives life on the edge between the thrill and the pulsing calm before the storm. His unsteady lifestyle masks the man who is seeking to heal the hole in his heart. Nothing has offered him resolve . . . until her.

The lightning that illuminates his soul.
The thunder that stirs his heart.
The lava that ignites his blood.

Thoughtful, alluring, and guarded, travel blogger Michelle Yates is emotionally unavailable thanks to the monster in her closet. Traveling allows her to see the beauty in the world, making her forget the ugliness in her life. One man yanks on that closet door and helps her claim back her self-worth.

The friend who becomes her lover.
The hero who defeats her monster.
The savior who defines her destiny.

As their romance churns, danger erupts, whipping out secrets that demand the truth, but the daredevil is willing to risk everything to defend those important to him.

The Daredevil is a friends-to-lovers, fake-dating, forced proximity, destined moments, billionaire hero, and a suspenseful contemporary romance. It is Book Two in the WaterFyre Rising series but can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

In a blink, he pounced on me, pushing me back onto the couch with his body covering mine. He gripped my wrists and lifted them above my head. Heat spread all over my body as I sensed the bulge pressing into me.

“You cheated, and that calls for a punishment.” His eyes pinned me, while a mischievous smirk slid onto his face.

“I didn’t cheat,” I breathed as my nipples pebbled under my thin bra. “There weren’t any rules about fake injuries. I just maneuvered around you.”

“You manipulated my concern for you. We’re going to set hard rules for next time.” He shifted his body, pushing one of my thighs up with one hand while still gripping my wrists with the other. I was at his mercy, and there was something sexy about that.

“Not my intention—”

His hand ran over my thigh and squeezed my buttock. “Oh, it was your intention, just like this is my intention.” His free hand slipped under my ass, pushing my core into his hard cock.

I let out a moan as his cock throbbed against me, trying to punish me with need. God, I wanted him so badly. Grinding my hips against him, I studied his face.

He growled with satisfaction. Did he realize we were starting a new game?

“I should’ve known you’re a she-devil. All this wild hair and the wicked glint in your eyes should have given me a clue.” He pressed his face into my hair and inhaled. “I love the way you smell.”

The need to touch and feel him surged in me. With my legs, I squeezed his ass, making my claim. “A she-devil is the perfect match for a daredevil, don’t you think?”

“You’re driving me crazy, Michelle. What game are we playing now? How to seduce Royce?”

How had he known? A wild guess? It didn’t matter.

His eyes had darkened to a gorgeous mossy color. “Seduce away, angel. You know how to turn me on.”

Royce swallowed, and the movement of his Adam’s apple increased the need in me. I’d always considered a man’s shoulders to be the feature I couldn’t resist, but right now, his Adam’s apple became the switch that lit me up.

I pressed my lips to the masculine bump on his throat and kissed it.

He crooned. “I’ll accept this defeat.”

“Willingly? You had no choice. You lost.” My voice vibrated against his throat.

He veered back, creating a slight distance between my lips. “I love that you wanted to win so badly.”

I needed to win because I wanted to know what he feared. That desire trumped everything else. “I like to win.”

“So do I.” His eyes flashed with heat. “Since l lost, I have to either answer a tough question or do something that frightens me.” His body shifted, opening my thighs wider, not acting like someone who had been defeated.


Author Bio:

Nadia Han is a dreamer, a visionary, and a believer in karma and kindness. She lives in New England with her family and spends most of her time crafting stories. When she’s not writing, she practices yoga, reads, explores nature, and eats all kinds of foods.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Amazon / TikTok / Pinterest


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

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RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Damaged Player by R.C. Stephens

 



Damaged Player by R.C. Stephens is now live!



He may be a damaged player... but his magnetic touch and warm heart is making me feel alive again. 

Cait
 
Ever since my accident, I feel like damaged goods. I do my best to hide in plain sight until the one guy I want to notice me... doesn't.
 
 Westfall U hockey star, Evan Hayworth, is way out of my league. If I want him to see me as more than just his tutor, I'll need help igniting the spark.
 
Lucky for me, his hockey teammate comes to my rescue and makes me an offer I can't refuse-- I help him with science, and he will educate me in the bedroom.
 
 A fake relationship with the most unavailable guy on campus seems like the perfect solution.
 
Noah is caring, loyal, and very good at pretending. Even I'm starting to believe the chemistry between us is real.
 
He may be a damaged player... but his magnetic touch and warm heart are making me feel alive again.
 
Noah
 
My life has been falling apart. After desperately trying to hold it together and focusing on hockey, the last thing I need is a serious relationship.
 
What I need is to keep my head in the game, but Cait is the exception to that rule.
 
Because hooking up with her is homework... or an experiment, depending on how you look at it.
 
I need a tutor to get my science grade up and she needs my expertise in the bedroom to give her the confidence to go for the guy she really wants... my teammate.
 
It's a win-win, until the variables change, and our combustible attraction takes us from friends to lovers.
 
Suddenly our fake relationship feels much too real and I'm regretting our little deal.


Caroline's Review
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

4.5 stars - I thoroughly enjoyed this story. "It's more like he has needs and I need a teacher." Cait Ellison has a good core group of friends but otherwise keeps to herself. Her prosthetic leg hampers her confidence and she doesn't enjoy being out of her comfort zone when it comes to socialising. Noah Alexander has just transferred to Westfall U for his junior year so he can live close to his mother, who has health issues. Cait has been crushing on Evan for a couple of years but the player has never looked her way. Noah is in need of a tutor and proposes a fake relationship in return for Cait's time, so she can garner Evan's attention. As Cait and Noah become good friends, their relationship starts to get complicated when their it escalates to one with benefits. "She's been an expected surprise in my life." 

I loved Cait and Noah's friendship. They clicked straightaway as they were of similar dispositions. I enjoyed how Noah pushed Cait gently out of her comfort zone and challenged her, and I loved Cait's bravery under Noah's encouragement. She really blossomed as a young woman with the confidence that Noah instilled in her about her beauty, intellect and personality. He made her feel seen and not defined by her prosthetic. Noah's head was so messed up by his family situation that he was blind to his evolving feelings about Cait. The two of them together were so sexy. I adored his patience and passion for Cait. The two of them together felt right and natural. Loved them!


  

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3yoTiuG
Amazon WW: https://mybook.to/damagedp

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Mgwbbg



The Westfall U Series is now available in special edition paperbacks!
https://mybook.to/westfalluseries










Meet R.C. Stephens



R.C. Stephens is a top 100 Amazon bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance novels ranging from hot hockey players to romantic suspense.

When she isn't in her writing cave she is raising three lovely children with her adoring husband.

Her books are filled with humor, heartbreak, emotion and true love.

Born and raised in Toronto, she loves the winter, but Spring and Fall are her favorite seasons.
 
Connect with R.C.
Website | https://www.rcstephens.com/
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3iBrSZM
Amazon | https://amzn.to/2Tve1f1
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3kMdMY0
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3kIR571
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3iHdxej
TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@rc.stephens
Twitter | https://bit.ly/3BsW8P0
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/2UCXFBu
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/2WckCMk

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Tuesday, 29 November 2022

RELEASE BLITZ: Hellfire Box Set by Becker Gray





Hellfire Club Boxed Set by Becker Gray
Release Date: November 29th



The boys of the Hellfire Club from Becker Gray are back in one sexy, and spicy boxed set!


Walk the halls of the most exclusive prep school alongside the band of friends.

The hottest guy in Pembroke wants the headmaster’s daughter…
The popular prince…
The British heartthrob…
The heartless playboy…
The villainous bad boy…

HELLFIRE CLUB contains 5 full-length novels by bestselling author Becker Gray that includes Wicked Idol, Callous Prince, Brutal Blueblood, Ruined Sinner, and Sweet Devil.



AVAILABLE NOW! FREE IN KU!








Add to Goodreads:





Blurb:


Meet the bad boys of the Hellfire Club in this exclusive boxed set!

The hottest guy in Pembroke wants the headmaster’s daughter…
The popular prince obsesses over the bookish girl…
The British heartthrob pursues the scholarship girl…
The heartless playboy toys with the aloof princess…
The villainous bad boy tempts the good girl…

“A forbidden romance full of angst and delicious desire. Wicked Idol is unputdownable and so scorching hot it will melt your kindle. You’re not going to want to leave Pembroke Prep.” – Amazon Top #10 bestselling author Ivy Smoak

HELLFIRE CLUB contains 5 full-length novels by bestselling author Becker Gray including Wicked Idol, Callous Prince, Brutal Blueblood, Ruined Sinner, and Sweet Devil. 
Walk the halls of the most exclusive prep school alongside the band of friends.






About the Author:

Becker Gray is the brainchild of two best friends who love rich boys in peacoats. The Hellfire Club is their first series together.

You can contact Becker at beckergray@beckergray.com.

Connect w/Becker:







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Wednesday, 23 November 2022

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW: Maestro by Auden Dar





Maestro: A Love Story by Auden Dar
Release Date: November 16, 2022
Genre: Mature YA/Contemporary Romance



MAESTRO: A Love Story by Auden Dar is NOW LIVE
Grab this all-new angsty second chance romance TODAY!



NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dPEsGm
Amazon INTL: https://geni.us/MaestroAZ





ADD to GR:
https://bit.ly/MaestroTBR





BLURB:


For some, first love is a fleeting spark heralding the greater loves to come. For others, first love is the greatest love.
The only love.

When a music audition at the world-renowned LaGuardia Arts high school brings together two thirteen-year-olds, unassuming Aurelia Ramirez Preston and confident Chadwick David, the serendipitous encounter becomes an unbreakable friendship.

A friendship develops into an unyielding love.
A love spanning decades and continents.

With New York City as their playground, best friends Chad and Aurelia navigate the turbulence of adolescence. They blossom, and so does their love. An awkward first date turns into a night of intoxicating kisses and together, they lose their innocence.

Years later, Chad is “Maestro,” the tattooed virtuoso, the James Dean of classical music.

And Aurelia is an accomplished cellist. His muse. The enduring love behind his greatness.

But when the maestro falters, even for a moment, the most beautiful symphony can spiral into unrelenting chaos. And the greatest of loves can become the most tragic heartbreak.

Maestro is a symphony of words, four movements filled with longing, secrets, betrayal, and the grace of forgiveness.

Caroline's Review
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Top Read 2022



This was an epic opus of a read! One of my Top Reads of the year. Stunningly beautiful, devastatingly heartbreaking, and unabashedly emotional.

"All my compositions and all the music I perform are inspired by her. She's in every note, melody and phrase."

This story follows Aurelia Preston and Chadwick David over a period of twenty years from the moment they met as thirteen-year-olds at the 'Fame' school in New York and formed a fast friendship. We witness an enduring and unbreakable love between them as their relationship ebbed and flowed under the pressure to succeed, through lies, loss and tragedy, through fear, hope and joy, until the stars finally aligned for them.

"Even if I ran to the end of this world, I'd never be able to run away from love. Love clings to a beating heart. And mine still beats for Chad."

I went through a whole gamut of emotions as I rejoiced with our lovers and cried with them, too. Their connection was beyond soulful. They were a fire that burned constantly - sometimes just the embers and sometimes an inferno. Their passion was uncontainable and possessive. I couldn't get enough of them! This story was a mixture of adorable, heartwarming, incredibly sexy, and painfully angsty. And, the music! The author talked with authority and beauty about the music and inspired me to look up the pieces mentioned. Told mainly from Aurelia's POV, we get a few chapters from Chad's viewpoint towards the end of book, as well as throughout the story via emails, letters, texts and voice messages. Aurelia grew up in a dysfunctional family that preyed on her insecurities, whilst Chad grew up in a loving environment, but pressure from his grandfather to fulfil his mighty potential played a huge part in the storyline.

"You're still her. You'll always be her. The one I love the most."

I was absolutely 100% captivated by this book and it will stay with me for a long, long time.





ABOUT AUDEN:


A former Artists & Repertoire music executive, Auden Dar aspires to create the perfect imperfect book boyfriend. Besides her family and contemporary romance, Auden’s other passions include music, foreign films, street art, stalking bulldogs, and learning how to cook like Nigella Lawson.





Connect w/Auden:






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COVER REVEAL: A Wonderful Lie by Carrie Aarons

 



Carrie Aarons has revealed the cover for A Wonderful Lie!



Releasing December 2, 2022

Everyone lies around the holidays. We lie about the money we're spending. We lie that we're following our diets.
 
What am I lying about this year? The fact that my workplace nemesis has become my friend-with-benefits.
 
Collin Machlan and I have been each other's competition since we joined our college's radio station freshman year. Six years later, we're both hosting shows for the country's most popular podcast network.
 
Just as everything starts turning red and green, our boss announces a promotion, and whoever gets the most listens during this merry season will be crowned the winner.
 
There is just one catch; the only way to draw an audience in December is to theme every episode around Christmas. For a woman who typically celebrates alone with takeout and slasher flicks, I'm at a big disadvantage.
 
Going toe-to-toe with the guy I've never been able to intimidate is only made harder by the fact that Collin doesn't seem to want to play our usual games. Add in some mistletoe and a Secret Santa swap, and I finally give in to his shameless flirting.
 
Maybe it's the delusion of cuffing season, but suddenly I'm spending every night with him. No one at work knows. Neither does his family, or my friends. I lie that it's just physical. That me, a self-proclaimed bachelorette, couldn't possibly be on the brink of a relationship. I lie that we're still competing for a job he doesn't even want.
 
Until one too many lies threatens to topple my life like a crooked tree with poorly-distributed ornaments. And I'm left to decide between my lonely and blue traditions, or a love that lasts all year round.



Cover Designer: Okay Creations

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/AWonderfulLietbr






Meet Carrie Aarons



Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.

When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, two children and ninety-pound rescue pup.
 
Connect with Carrie
Website | www.authorcarrieaarons.com
Goodreads | https://goodreads.com/carrieaarons
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3do0EDf
Facebook | https://facebook.com/carrieaarons
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/2DDt1xX
Instagram | https://instagram.com/authorcarriea
Bookbub | https://bookbub.com/profile/carrie-aarons
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3fzcrkI
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/authorCAnewsletter

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Tuesday, 22 November 2022

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Scrooge-ish by L.B. Dunbar





Title: Scrooge-ish
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Release Date: November 22, 2022





Blurb:


I hate Christmas.

I don’t know who thought every female must love shopping, wrapping, baking and hosting but I missed the memo. On top of that, I manage an upscale department store. Sprinkle in the fact I’ll be turning forty during this holiday season, and my life is a Christmas cookie recipe gone wrong.

And every year I become a little more Scrooge-ish.

But the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year <insert sarcasm> seems to have a plan for me and my midlife-crisis attitude.

First, my past returns when I attend a high school reunion happy hour and run into that boy—the one I had a summer fling before I left for college, then promptly ghosted me.

The torture continues because that boy is now a man, worldly and wise and sexier than I remember. And he invites me to attend a holiday work party with him.

That’s where I learn this forty, fine, former NFL quarterback, now fireman has a new role: single father to the sweetest little girl, putting me at risk of falling for both of them.

However, I have my reasons not to believe in love and the happiest time of the year. And the first twenty-five days of December tests all my strength.

Just what the Dickens is happening? Charles himself might approve of this plot.

Even I’m a little curious to see how it all plays out.


+ + +


What to expect:
❃ prickly heroine
❃ cinnamon roll, single dad hero
❃ the spirit of Christmas
❃ reunited lovers second chance


Caroline's Review
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Loved this second chance romance so much. It was hot, sweet and emotional.

"I've never been able to forget you."
"Did you want to forget me?"
"No. Not ever."

Eva Nazar hates Christmas - with good reason. She's single, about to turn 40, and is very much alone. So, she works. A lot. When her colleague cajoles her into going to her own high school reunion at a local bar, she unexpectedly bumps into Zebb Scroggs. The guy she had a secret summer affair with before they went their separate ways to college - he had NFL dreams and she wanted to own a boutique store in a small town. What they don't realise is that they've been back in the same city for the past twenty years.

"How do I look at you?"
"Like I could be your world, if you let me."

I loved this story so much. Eva was prickly and mistrustful of good things that came into her life. Everybody that was ever important in her life left her. She was alone and lonely and she filled the emptiness with work at a famous department store. My heart squeezed for all her hurts and made me feel pretty emotional. I adored Zebb! He was cheerful, thoughtful and so caring. I giggled at some his cheesier lines and loved how determined he was to break through Eva's walls. He was a fabulous dad to his cute daughter, Tam. They were pretty hot together - I loved their intimate moments that were not only sexy but also about connection. Fab, festive read!






SCROOGE-ish:




Coming in audiobook, too.
With Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter




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Monday, 21 November 2022

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Promised Love by Vikki Jay

 



Promised Love by Vikki Jay is now live!



Getting stuck sharing a honeymoon suite with a hot, ex-NAVY Seal sounds like it should be a good time. Except Lukas is my husband and we haven't spoken in years. 

Until today, we were living separate lives, waiting to get out of this arranged marriage. But my family's meddling has pushed us together. And now he's here filling out his t-shirt just a little too well and staring at me just a little too intensely.

Don't even get me started on the cleft on his chin that pops up every time he smiles. The man has temptation written all over him.
We manage to stay out of each other's way–mostly. Until the tension boils over one night in a car.
I straddle his lap. I press my lips to his. I feel his body against mine. And that one hot moment has me offering something I never thought I would.

What happens in the honeymoon suite, stays in the honeymoon suite. 

But what Lukas and I share in that room is so much more than just physical. With every kiss, every caress, every touch, I start forgetting our reality, and wonder if we've got it all wrong.
We planned our divorce four years ago. But what if our plans have changed?



Caroline's Review
🌟🌟🌟🌟


This was a really enjoyable solid read.

"My loner heart found its twin flame in the one I've promised to set free."

Autumn Smith was 16 when she found out that she had been promised in marriage to a complete stranger. Lukas Spencer is a Navy SEAL and 12 years older than her. What starts off as a hotheaded angry email to Lukas turns into a long-lasting pen-friendship. When Autumn is 18, she and Lukas meet for the first time to go through with their marriage to appease her grandparents. She doesn't see him again until four years later, when she finds out that he's been wounded. With some meddling by her grandparents, she finds herself sharing her living quarters with a man who is at the same time a stranger, yet her friend. They'd agreed from the outset that they would eventually divorce, but the more time they spend together, the more they start to wonder if that's what they really want.

"I want to be more important for his existence than oxygen. I want to be bigger than any need, any desire. I want to be enough for him."

The main thing I loved about this story was how their friendship developed over the years through their correspondence. They were there for each other through every major event in their lives, even if it was in a virtual sense. My heart went out to Lukas who was a loner and, deep down, just wanted to belong somewhere and to somebody. Autumn wasn't a typical 22YO - she was mature and had a good head on her shoulders. I loved the way she made Lukas feel seen and cherished, and the fact that she was determined to fight for him. I melted at their heartfelt words of love and what they meant to each other. The two of them together were sexy, connected, and just perfect!




Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
https://mybook.to/promisedlove

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3CzRHok











Meet Vikki Jay



In those early morning hours when I'm alone, my imaginations run wild and I pen down the life of people living in my head. All my life, I have lived in small towns in different parts of the world. The friendships, the camaraderie that people share around me inspired me to create Cherrywood and St. Peppers, the two towns where all my stories take place.

I write about beautiful coincidences, finding love in unexpected places and times, and fighting hard to get that happily ever after.

I reject to read, see, write anything that does not promise a HEA. My characters are sexy yet shy, strong yet reserved...

I am married to a man whom I fell in love at an age of 15, proposed him at an age of 23 and married at an age of 30. He has no clue what I write or do when he is snoring quietly in the next room.
 
Connect with Vikki
Website | https://vikkijay.com/
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3LBlNu1
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3BBC4dJ
Facebook | https://bit.ly/352Ioic
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3gQOC7D
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3Nh43EV
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3uYTijZ
Newsletter | https://vikkijay.com

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Friday, 18 November 2022

BLOG TOUR: He's a Player by Stacy Travis

 

The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous . . . ego.

He’s A Player, a spicy fake engagement standalone sports romance from Stacy Travis, is out now!

To the world, he’s a sexy soccer superstar.
To me, he’s the arrogant jerk who broke my teenage heart–and my new fake fiancé.

The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous . . . ego.

Fifteen years later, with a medical degree under my belt and a new dream job with The Strikers soccer team—his team—I’m not about to let Tim’s bad attitude and grumpy scowl ruin it for me.

But when my chauvinistic boss implies that he doesn’t trust single women to stay on the job long-term, I panic and tell him I’m engaged. And to my surprise, it’s Tim who comes to my rescue, offering to play my fake fiancé if I’ll do him a favor–cover up the truth about his injury.

The lie could derail both our careers, and I’ve got no desire to spend more time than necessary in Tim’s surly presence. And falling for him again? Ha! That’s never going to happen.

So with my job on the line, I say yes. Now, the more time I spend with Tim, the more I sense a softer side beneath those chiseled muscles and broody exterior. But the more I understand him, the harder it is to pretend that we're just for show.

And when a rival player threatens to expose our secret, I’m terrified I’ll lose everything.

They say you have to fake it to make it. But what happens when love is the goal?

Download your copy today!

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3g9Mk6o

Keep reading for a look inside He’s A Player!

“Hello.” The voice is accented. Gruff. Deep.

Even amid the din, I recognize the voice as huskier than Charlie’s. My stomach drops to my feet, and I fight back a surge of adrenaline mixed with nausea.

I turn, and I’m met by broad shoulders under a tight black Henley with the Strikers logo on the front. Even in heels, I have to look up to see Tim Cheltenham’s face.

It’s gorgeous. Undeniably gorgeous—angular jaw, olive-colored eyes under criminally long lashes, lips that inspire fantasies among virgins. And everyone else.

Except right now, those beautiful eyes are squinting in confusion, and his luscious lips are pressed into a line. The only thing harder than this man’s muscles is the intensity of his stare, and his muscles could tear holes in his shirt.

My eyes go rogue, taking a slow tour of his frame, starting with his ripped, low-slung jeans and those sculpted soccer player thighs, hugged tight by the denim fabric, which is probably having its own orgasm from the contact.

Lucky-duck jeans.

His shirt is tight enough that I can clearly see his six-pack abs, right below carved pecs that have me swallowing hard, so I don’t open my mouth and take a bite out of his bicep. It would be embarrassing but so worth it.

“Tim.” That’s all I can muster.

Bringing my glass to my lips, I feel a tremor in my hand, which I hope he doesn’t notice. Fifteen years since I’ve seen him in person. Same damn reaction.

I take a long sip. Then another.

Thank you, bartender. I’m drunk now.

Just looking at him brings back age-old hurt coupled with memories I’ve pushed down hard and tried to forget. Tried and failed.

Tim had burrowed in deep, affected me in ways I couldn’t fight and couldn’t fathom. I stopped thinking about him eventually out of pure self-preservation, but I never forgot about him.

Besides, it’s pretty hard to forget when his name and face are plastered all over the sports news, which I started looking at when I applied for jobs as a medical director. And for years before that, right about the time I met Tim. Coincidentally.

“What are you doing here?” His eyes flicker under the dark blond hair that falls across his forehead before he pushes it back with a large hand. His gaze bears down on me, and he jiggles the sudsy remains of a beer in a pint glass.

You’ve earned this. Own it. Just breathe in and out, in and out.

I choke halfway through my inhale. I sputter my exhale. I don’t own a damn thing.

“I work here. Or at least I will in a month.” I feel a tic in my cheek.

He stares at me like my words make no sense. Like I make no sense. “Doctor Jordan Page.”

“Yes?”

He shakes his head. “You went by Danny. Back then.”

“Nickname. Jor-dan. Dan-ny. No one calls me that anymore, except my mom on occasion, and even she mostly doesn’t because I’ve asked her not to. Of course, I think that makes her want to do it more. Or maybe old habits die hard.” I’m oversharing. Or under-explaining? Or rambling because he makes me nervous—that hasn’t changed at all.

But he still seems flummoxed. “Doctor Jordan Page. Fuck me for thinking it was a bloke,” he mutters, raking a hand through his hair. My eyes track the motion, fixated on how much better he looks in person than in recent photos. Pure masculine virility radiates from him.

And yet…

“Because you assume all doctors are men?” My sexism radar flares to life, my bottom lip jutting out with my retort.

“No, I—”

“Good. You shouldn’t.”

“You’re the team doctor?”

“Director of Sports Medicine. Yes. I’m—”

“Part of Charlie’s new brigade. Coming to fix what isn’t broken. Right. I know all about it. Don’t think much of the plan.” His accent makes him sound so much more polite than his sharky smirk suggests.

My confidence shrivels like a sunburned grape. I feel my attempted smile pull down into a glower.

Is that what all the players think?

I tell myself I don’t care what he thinks, that I’m a professional. But I do care. And I have worked hard to get this job. I should own it. I’m tethered to my resolve by a fraying thread.

As I try to kickstart the syrup in my brain to find a witty retort, I’m jostled from behind by someone big—big enough to send me off-balance in my stupid two-inch shoes.

I lurch forward toward Tim, who puts his hands on my shoulders to steady me, but not before his entire beer spills down the front of my blouse.

His eyes go to the spill, which makes my shirt virtually sheer. And now it’s sticking to my bra, which has demi-cups made of thin baby blue lace—a stupid gift from my mother, who hoped I’d wear it on a date. Instead, I wear it on laundry day when all my plain cotton bras are in the wash.

After a mortifying second or six, Tim wrenches his eyes upward and releases his grip on me. I close my eyes to blot out the image of him. Of everyone.

Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of my future, the culmination of everything I’ve worked to achieve. It was supposed to be proof to my mother and anyone else that I don’t need a boyfriend to be happy. I was supposed to drink and celebrate and meet the players who’d be grateful to have me on their team.

But apparently not. They’re not all grateful, starting with this one.

I must have stepped on a puppy in a past life.

Because karma’s acting like a little bitch.

About Stacy Travis

It’s a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we can’t make it to the beach. I’ve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if I’m doing it right, I’m bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy.

I can’t sit still, so when I’m not hiking, biking or running, I’m playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.

Connect with Stacy

Facebook: https://bit.ly/2UbPlWv

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Website: https://stacytravis.com

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Thursday, 17 November 2022

BLOG TOUR: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

 

“Before I Let Go is a masterpiece… A beautifully honest portrayal of love in its many forms, and the most raw, poignant, and romantic journey of healing I've read in a long time.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author

Before I Let Go, an all-new sensual and poignant second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan, is out now!

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It's hot. It's illicit. It's all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

Discover the romance everyone is raving about!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Fk8s6I

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Paperback and Hardback

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Book Depository: https://bit.ly/3QFPr2p

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Audio

Amazon: https://rb.gy/pxrsnv

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Pre-order Signed, Personalized Paperbacks!
Quail Ridge (Raleigh, NC): https://bit.ly/BeforeILetGoQR
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In addition to appearances in North Carolina, Kennedy will also be on tour in Atlanta, New York City & Los Angeles!

Find all tour details here: www.kennedyryanwrites.com

Keep reading for a look inside Before I Let Go!

I knock and wait for Josiah’s deep baritone telling me to enter. He sits behind his desk, eyes trained on the laptop in front of him. He doesn’t look up, but keeps typing. The silence persists, stretches to awkwardness, so I drop into one of the armchairs in the center of the room along with a sofa and coffee table, and set my purse on the floor.

“Harvey’s on his way,” he says, still not looking away from the screen. “His last meeting ran a few minutes over, but he’ll be here soon.”

“Oh. Sure. Great.”

I run damp palms over my legs, the jeans smooth and cool beneath my hands. Fidgety and looking for something to do, I tighten my topknot. I got box braids last weekend because I was tired of messing with my hair. This morning they’re studded with a few gold cuffs scattered throughout the strands. All in all, I feel pretty. And confident, and I won’t be shook by the pissy mood Josiah seems to have saved just for me. Finally, he closes the laptop and walks over to the sitting area. I study my nails, taking my turn to ignore him.

“I like the braids.”

Surprised, I glance up to find him sitting on the arm of the leather sofa across from me. I didn’t expect him to say anything personal. Definitely not about my appearance. When I meet his eyes, they’re cool like they’ve been for weeks, and his face remains unreadable.

“Thanks.” I scour my mind for something else to say. Gone are the days when I couldn’t get the words out to him fast enough. We’d watch couples eating dinner in absolute silence and promise each other that would never be us.

“Um, did you see Deja’s report card?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He frowns. “I can’t believe she got a C in English.”

“It used to be her best subject. It’s not just the grade itself, but I worry she’s spending too much time on social media.”

“I think she’ll find the balance without us having to come down hard. Your relationship with her is already strained enough and—”

“Strained?” I ask, my voice dropping to a quiet warning.

“You’ve said that yourself, Yas.” He crosses his stupid muscular arms

across his stupid broad chest. “Let’s not fight over how we need to handle things with Day. Have you given any more thought to Kassim playing football?”

“You mean since I said never when you asked last time? No. Besides, he has soccer.”

“He really wants to play football too.”

“A kid can really want a lot of things that aren’t good for him, like literally ramming his brain into a brick wall over and over again and risking his life, his mind, for what? A game? With all that’s come out about CTE, I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. Lots of parents aren’t doing football anymore.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic? I played football. Preach played. Theo’s playing.”

“I love Preach, but him letting Theo play doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. What he and Liz decide for their kids has no bearing on what we decide for ours. Kassim has barely mentioned football to me.”

“He hasn’t mentioned it,” he returns with obvious stretched patience, “because he loves you and he doesn’t want to displease you, but he asks me almost daily.”

“Of course, because you’re the cool parent.”

“Well, I’m not the one who says no to everything because I’m too scared or too uptight to allow my kids some freedom to make their own decisions.”

“How dare you!”

I surge to my feet, unable to stay seated one more second. I need to move, let this anger circulate, or it will clog in my veins. My steps eat up the space separating us, and before I know it, I’m right in front of him, standing in the vee of his powerful legs. The air sizzles with a lightning strike, sudden and hot and dangerous. Unpredictable. I should take shelter, but I don’t step back. His expression remains inscrutable, the stark beauty of his face unaffected, but his breathing deepens. In response, my breasts rise and fall with the struggle to draw breath as the air between us thickens. This close, his presence overwhelms me and my deprived senses devour him. The way his cologne mingles with his unique male scent. The hardness of his jaw at war with the sensual curve of his mouth. The heat his big body radiates, even at rest, surrounds me.

I lick suddenly dry lips, and he tracks the movement with narrowed eyes. I feel hunted by that look, like I stepped into a trap laid by my own body, devised by my own mind. Something I thought we’d buried long ago rises, encircles us, breathing new life into a connection I thought was dead. I’ve known for months that I’m still attracted to Josiah, but right now, with his eyes darkening and his jaw flexing and his hands curling into fists, I can’t help but wonder . . .

Is he still attracted to me too?

About Kennedy Ryan

A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish, and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TIME, O magazine, and many others. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.

Connect with Kennedy

Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!

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RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Love + Other Lies by Donna Alam



LOVE + OTHER LIES by Donna Alam

Release Date: November 17th

Old flames that burn bright/Forced Marriage/Billionaire Bad Boy/Brother’s Best Friend/Secrets & Lies



LOVE + OTHER LIES by USAT bestselling author Donna Alam is NOW LIVE!

Make sure to grab this all-new billionaire bad boy romance TODAY!

 

 

NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3UJlrp8

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3GkjYRT

Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/3EaQp2n

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/3GlzJrU



Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63188001-love-other-lies 






Blurb:

“Until death do us part, darling. This is my solemn vow.”


Niko Vanyin.

Mogul. Criminal? Dirty talker extraordinaire, and my brother’s best friend.

He broke my heart fifteen years ago.

I thought that was the end of our story, 

But he’s been playing the long game.


Recently divorced and raising my sons, 

He was supposed to be a fun rebound,

An excellent ego boost.

But what I got was a dance with the devil … all the way to the altar.


The man has more secrets than the Kremlin,

I should be terrified by him.

Because he’ll scorch the earth to protect me,

Ruin those who get in his way,

But when he looks at me with those cool blue eyes, the world just melts away.


Ours is a story of three parts. 

Before. Now. And what comes after I'm forced to marry him. 


Caroline's Review
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another fab read by this author!

"By any means, foul or fair, this woman will be mine."

Lady Isla Dalforth and Niko AKA Van Vanyin met under somewhat unusual circumstances on Isla's 25th birthday - one that she shares with her twin brother, Alexander, Duke of Dalforth. Who is also Van's best friend, which means she's off-limits but it doesn't stop them having a hot secret affair. One that leaves Isla with a broken heart. Fast forward fifteen years later and Isla is a divorced mother of two and Van is well and truly back in her life, as he seizes this second chance to make Isla his again and forever. While Van is busy rescuing Isla from a dangerous situation, secrets from the past and the present threaten the happiness that is finally their's for the taking.

"I want to be so deep inside you I can feel your heartbeat."

Wowsers! This story was edgy, incredibly sexy, and heartbreaking as we follow this couple's story as it unfolded in the now and then. My heart absolutely melted for Niko (he was totally Niko to me rather than Van!). I loved his dominance, his authority, and his vulnerability where Isla was concerned. I mourned the loss of the fifteen years between them and the choices that Niko made to keep her safe. Isla was stubbornly independent, but she was a tigress where her kids were concerned, which I could totally relate. Her boys were knowing and so cute! The chemistry between Isla and Niko was off the charts! They were hella hot together! 🔥🔥🔥 His words of love and devotion had me swooning! Gah! I really love this author and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get Griffin's story soon!




About the Author:

USA Today bestseller Donna is a writer of love stories with heart, humour, and heat. When not bashing away at her keyboard, she can often be found hiding from her responsibilities with a book in her hand and a mop of a dog at her feet.

Get to hear all the news by joining her newsletter or come say hello in her private reader group, Donna’s Lambs.

Connect w/Donna:

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