I always believed in fairy tales, but he preferred horrors.
Damian Blackstone didn’t care about my existence. He came into my world for one reason only. He came to find answers about his past.
He moved like the villain in my favorite fairy tales. He wasn’t the one who received the happily ever afters; he was the one who destroyed them.
Which was why I couldn’t understand why the man who raised me set it up in his will for Damian and me to be married. I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with a man like Damian. We were as opposite as any two people could be. I loved to bathe in the sunlight while he prospered in the shadows.
I didn’t think I’d develop feelings for the one who looked at me as if I were nothing more than a means to an end. Yet in his darkness, sometimes I’d see sparks of light. I’d see gentleness. I’d see his soul.
We became entangled with one another as we fell into mistakes and called them fate. I was his Cinderella, and he was my Beast.
I wasn’t certain that twisted fairy tales ended with happily ever afters.
Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing--poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.
The stakes are higher than money. They're deeper than secrets. They're life or death when Mason Hill sets his sights on the Van Kempt family. Charlotte's hopes and dreams crash down around her. She questions everything, especially her own father. But she's always understood the value of loyalty. She'll defend her parents' lives--even if it means risking her own.
Hostile Takeover is book two in the Wealth trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Amelia Wilde. Net Worth must be read first.
Caroline's Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oooh, this was such a fabulous follow-up to the first book and I can't wait for the final instalment of Mason and Charlotte's story.
"If I start talking to Charlotte Van Kempt I'll kiss her. I'll take her in my arms. Crush her to my body. I'll let her hear everything that's in my head, and I can't do that."
In this book, we see them growing closer together. For Mason, it's almost compulsive and against his will. Everything about them - their family history and the nature of their relationship - is wrong, but he just can't deny that Charlotte is a 'sweet little thing'. Charlotte's loyalties are divided. She loves her parents but Mason's spot in her heart is growing, plus she has a strong sense of what is right. No matter what she's prepared to do to save her family and their company, deep down she knows the debt owed to Mason and his family.
"He's not forcing me back into the wall, trapping me - he's kissing me into it. Like he's hungry. Like he's starving."
This story was sexually edgy and raw but the underlying tenderness battling to come to the fore was unmistakable. Mason showed so much vulnerability and pain. The things that affected him broke my heart. I adored how happiness at Charlotte's presence in his life caught him unawares. She really was sweet and tenderhearted yet so strong and courageous. I loved her empathy. Their connection, their passion, and their desperate need to be with each other was thrilling. Can't wait for the final book in this trilogy.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!
Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of dangerous contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.
That’s right. She’s stunning and the worst bartender I’ve ever seen.
I should have gone home and gone to sleep—dream girl or not. I had an early morning and the season was starting soon. But when she threatened me with boy band karaoke I couldn't help myself. I went. The stars aligned.
I have never felt more alive or wanted anyone more than I want her.
When it’s time for me to head on my annual pre-season boys trip, I barely let her go.
It’s been a week and I can’t stop thinking about her.
Except there she is. Right here at the Wildcat’s kickoff party.
And as luck would have it, my dream girl is the coach’s youngest daughter.
But everyone knows the coach’s daughter is off limits. Right?
Wildcat is a full-length sports romance with a hot-as-puck hero, the coach’s daughter, and an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.
The Wildcats are the youngest team in the NHL. On the ice, they’re cocky, determined, and ready to take the league by storm. Off the ice? They’re always up for a wild time.
Caroline's Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oh, I loved this story!
"I might not like the idea of dating another professional athlete like Leo, but I do like him. Especially when he's kissing me."
Scarlett Miller feels like she's failing at life. Burnt by love, she's back living at her parents' home but hasn't told them that she's dropped out of college, and now struggling to find a decent job. When a hottie college guy catches her eye, she throws caution to the wind and indulges in a one-night-only deal with him. However, she's horrified to find out exactly who he is. Leo Lohan, hockey player for the local Wildcats team - the team that her dad coaches!
"I'm a playmaker, and there's something I really want: Scarlett."
Leo not only plays hockey professionally, but he's also a part-time college student and likes to keep a low profile. An incredible and unforgettable night with Scarlett has him behaving like a teenager with a crush. He missteps a little with her and then finds himself battling to get some time with his 'dream girl'. Unfortunately, not only does she keep resisting his efforts to date her, he also has to contend with the fact that she's probably off-limits.
"I can't show her what she means to me in any way other than loving every inch of her."
This was a such a fab read. I loved how things progressed between Leo and Scarlett. They both had a bit of baggage, but Scarlett was definitely more emotionally affected by her recent relationship. Leo was sweet - perfect boyfriend material - and I loved that he was really thoughtful and patient. His sometime uncertainty and awkwardness were adorable. They had chemistry for days and a great connection. I loved Leo's friendship with some of this teammates - there was humour as well as heartwarming camaraderie. This was an all-round enjoyable read!
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!
Rebecca Jenshak is a USA Today bestselling author of new adult and sports romance. She writes sexy, feel-good stories with lots of swoon-worthy moments.
Rebecca lives in Arizona. When she isn’t writing, you can find her cheering on local sports teams, hanging out with friends and family, or curled up with a good book.
Everything was going so well. I have a job that I adore and I just earned my degree in library science.
I also have the best friends a girl could want, who weren't about to let my graduation pass without a celebration.
It's not their fault. They couldn't have guessed how it would turn out. If I can help it, they'll never know all those drinks lead to Marty's satisfied face smiling down at me in his bed the next morning.
My concern when we decided to share this apartment with the guys was that we'd be dealing with a steady stream of women running through Marty's bedroom, not that I'd be one of them.
The idea is laughable. Yes, he's good looking. Tall and muscular with golden brown skin from working out in the sun every day. It isn't hard to understand why women fall at his feet when they see him. But I know him.
This is the same guy who never misses a chance to take his shirt off to flex around women and once asked his Alexa to call him Daddy.
It's safe to say nothing will ever happen between us again.
Caroline's Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
This was a hilarious, sexy romcom.
"I want that. I want that easy affection. I want someone to miss me. Not just someone. Zara."
Zara and Marty have always had a fun, snarky relationship. He likes to flirt with her and she likes to bat him down. She's never taken him seriously because he is a bona fide manwhore. However, recently, Marty's realised that he wants more than a fling with a random woman. He wants to really matter to someone. He wants that someone to be Zara. A drunken night leads to some serious stealth moves on Marty's part in his quiet campaign to win her over but, as it happens, something else speeds things along between them.
"I know you melt underneath me and it p*sses you off...And I f*cking love it. I love to make you lose control."
This story was full of funny shenanigans with Zara, Marty and their housemates. I haven't read the other books in this series, but plan to get right on that! Zara had spent years avoiding being a notch on Marty's belt, yet I thought it was adorable how much he wanted something more with her. I loved his devotion and his certainty that no one else would do for him. I adored the way he caught her off-guard with his sweetness and kind gestures. Zara spent a lot of time doubting him, but I was thrilled when she gave in to her feelings and what was clearly growing between them. This was such a fun read with some crazy characters and amusing banter! LOL. Zara and Marty were sweet, hot and pretty adorable! Really enjoyed this story.
EXCERPT
I grab my phone and text him.
Me: Dude, I need you to bring some lube to my room.
Owen: Look, you’re pretty, but I’m not interested.
Me: It’s an emergency.
Owen: A lube emergency?
Me: Yes! I got a cock ring stuck. I can’t get it off. I’m out of lube.
Owen: Is today my birthday?
Me: Just help me, asshole!
A moment later the door opens, and Owen walks in to see me sitting on the edge of the bed, my dick caught in the neon rubber ring. He glances down at it, holds up his finger, and says, “Hold one moment, please.” He steps back into the hall.
S.M. Shade is a full time author who is hopelessly addicted to iced coffee, love stories, sunshine, and men with full sexy lips, though not necessarily in that order. A voracious reader since she sounded out my first word, she started writing as a teenager and rediscovered her love of writing as an adult. Originally from Indianapolis, she now lives in a small Kentucky town.
The Final Play isn’t always the end. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of something far more beautiful.
The Final Play, an all-new must-read sports romance from Amie Knight is coming February 3rd!
As a professional linebacker, I lived and breathed football.
The only thing I loved as much as the game was my twin brother, Max, who kept me almost as busy cleaning up his messes.
The most recent of which landed him behind bars.
So, it shouldn’t have surprised me when a beautiful woman showed up on my doorstep, claiming to be pregnant with Max’s baby.
Glory was unexpected, infuriating, and flat-out crazy most of the time.
But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, that tiny spitfire slammed into my boring life with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, blowing through my defenses until she’d carved her name in my heart—permanently.
I feared we would never work. She was a single mom, my brother’s ex, and one more chance for me to fail yet another person I loved.
But if football was my church, then Glory was my heaven.
Amie Knight has been a reader for as long as she could remember and a romance lover since she could get her hands on her momma's books. A dedicated wife and mother with a love of music and makeup, she won’t ever be seen leaving the house without her eyebrows and eyelashes done just right. When she isn't reading and writing, you can catch her jamming out in the car with her two kids to '90s R&B, country, and showtunes. Amie draws inspiration from her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, and can't imagine living anywhere other than the South.
From USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a workplace romance between a grumpy, alpha architect and his new client—who just so happens to have the blueprint to bring him to his knees.
Romance is not in Wade Mason’s portfolio.
This is tragic. It’s unfair that a man so maddeningly gorgeous—an architect with a deliciously squarish jaw, adorably dimpled chin, and the hottest black glasses that straddle the line between professional and provocative—rebukes all things love.
I knew this well before I walked into his office.
The man is a conundrum—a complicated, steel wall of a puzzle. On the one hand, he brushes against me in the conference room with a broodiness that sets me on fire. He demands in-person meetings about the house we are working on together. I catch him watching me out of the corner of his eye with a look that’s anything but platonic. But any talk of hookups, love, or relationships—even in general? Completely off the table.
I’m determined to peel back his layers until I get to the bottom of the mysterious businessman. But my plan is foiled by a surprise that leaves both of us reeling. Neither of us sees it coming, but it changes everything … forever.
Caroline's Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a cracker of a book to finish the series!
”I’m resolved about one thing: come hell or high water, I will get to the bottom of Wade Mason. Even if it kills me…or my heart.”
Wade Mason is the serious brother. He’s antisocial, grouchy and avoids intimacy, although it’s clear that he loves his family and would do anything for them. When Dara Alden bursts into his life, he’s thrown off kilter by her cheerfulness, sassiness and beauty. No matter how hard he tries, she burrows her way under his skin. What no one in his family knows is that he’s carrying some major baggage that has seen him living a solitary life – a life that is no match for Dara’s colourful presence in it.
”I’m not going to be able to feel the way I felt before I knew what it was like being inside you.”
I absolutely adored this story! It was funny, sexy and angsty. Wade was the black horse of emotions. He tried so hard to appear uncaring but lurking beneath his stiff, grouchy exterior was a heart of gold and a dry sense of humour. Dara’s heart was feeling particularly vulnerable and tender and she was in no place for any kind of relationship, yet Wade was her catnip – he was totally her type, and she just couldn’t resist him when he finally began to lower his shield and open up to her. I loved watching his defences break down, as he slowly began to fall for her. Once he was in it with her, he subconsciously committed to her. Dara was sweet and likeable. I hurt for her loneliness but adored her playfulness and cheekiness. This was a such a fantastic read to end the series, and I loved the ending as a teaser for a new series.
Excerpt:
Much to my surprise and annoyance, she laughs as she walks by me. Her elbow grazes my stomach in a move that I think is intentional. Before I can react, she’s down the hall and standing in front of Eliza.
“That dress is stunning on you,” she tells Eliza as if we weren’t in a strained conversation five seconds ago. “Where did you get it?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I grumble as I slam my door. The framed copy of the first building I ever designed shakes against the wall.
I lean against my desk and suck in a deep lungful of air. The scent of coconuts only intensifies my frustration.
I open a window and then sit down.
“Busy men always go through the motions and never have time to be creative. I’m not sure that fits my needs.”
What the hell?
Relational intimacy.
Loads of rubbish, just as it was ten years ago.
Instead of listening to spoiled, silver spoon-fed women who want their ridiculous projects handled, I have real work to do.
My heart pumps from the interaction with Dara, and I find myself replaying much of our conversation. It’s not until I get to relational intimacy do I realize how much time I’ve wasted—and am still wasting.
I put my phone on Do Not Disturb and get back to the only thing I ever want to know intimately—my work.
About the Author:
USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.
I always believed in fairy tales, but he preferred horrors.
Damian Blackstone didn’t care about my existence. He came into my world for one reason only. He came to find answers about his past.
He moved like the villain in my favorite fairy tales. He wasn’t the one who received the happily ever afters; he was the one who destroyed them.
Which was why I couldn’t understand why the man who raised me set it up in his will for Damian and me to be married. I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with a man like Damian. We were as opposite as any two people could be. I loved to bathe in the sunlight while he prospered in the shadows.
I didn’t think I’d develop feelings for the one who looked at me as if I were nothing more than a means to an end. Yet in his darkness, sometimes I’d see sparks of light. I’d see gentleness. I’d see his soul.
We became entangled with one another as we fell into mistakes and called them fate. I was his Cinderella, and he was my Beast.
I wasn’t certain that twisted fairy tales ended with happily ever afters.
Still, I was determined to find out.
Caroline's Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Top Read 2021
This was a beautiful, heartrending read.
”I liked being alone. Loneliness was safe. People couldn’t hurt you when you were by yourself.”
On the day that Stella Mitchell buries the man she thought of as ‘dad’, she meets his long-lost son, Damian Blackstone. He is the opposite of Stella in many ways. When the will stipulates that they must marry for six months in order to claim a vast inheritance, they both reluctantly agree to it for different reasons. For both of them, the marriage is a start of an emotional journey of personal discovery and a gorgeous love story.
”It turned out the knot in my chest wasn’t a knot. It was my heart. My heart was skipping. My heart was skipping because of her.”
This story totally captivated me. Stella was a cheerful, optimistic woman, looking for the good in everyone. Damian was cold and closed off, looking for the bad in everyone. They were yin and yang and balanced each other out. They both brought something to the table as they began to see each other for the people they really were. I was riveted by their growing connection. Damian was a revelation. Once earned, his loyalty was solid. I swooned for him as he showed Stella how beautiful she was, how worthy, how precious. I loved how she gradually broke down his walls, and she wasn’t even aware that she was doing it. I loved how much she owned him without her realising it. Both characters had a lot of emotional baggage to work through. There was so much pathos in this story that it was impossible not to engage my heart and soul. Gah! They had banter, snark, and so much tenderness that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I loved these two so much! Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend!
Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing--poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.
