Release Blitz: Excerpt from Feels Like Love by N.D. Jackson

 

Retired at the age of 34, Dylan Parker packed up his life and bought a bar in Mustang Prairie. Small-town life would be an adjustment, or so he thought, until he met Sadie. As a deeply satisfying friendship grows between them, so does their mutual attraction. Readers who enjoy small-town, friends-to-lovers romances will fall in love with Feels Like Love by N.D. Jackson, a steamy, diverse romance.
 

I just wanted to belong…
Sadie had never belonged anywhere other than on stage. A soulful singer and musician, she left home at a young age and never looked back. No one missed her anyhow. Traveling the country with one no good boyfriend after another for work, Sadie settled in New Orleans until another d-bag boyfriend decided she wasn’t enough…and the slutty new bartender was.

She left for Mustang Prairie and the open arms of her half-sister Amelia…or so she thought

I just wanted to protect her…
Dylan Parker retired at the ripe old age of 34. After catching a serial killer who’d tortured Chicago for a decade, he was ready to turn in his homicide detective’s shield.

Needing distance from his high society parents and their social climbing friends he packed up his truck and bought a bar in Mustang Prairie. Getting reacquainted with small town life would be an adjustment…until he met a copper haired amazon with a voice like warm honey.

Sadie was everything he wanted; a friend, a devil’s advocate, a sister, and a confidante. Theirs was a deeply satisfying friendship so Sadie and Dylan fought their mutual attraction.

Can Sadie & Dylan admit that their friendship feels more like love?
 
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Excerpt
Copyright 2025, N.D. Jackson
 
“Everyone gets sick.” She didn’t understand his tone but a moment later it all became clear. “What is this Ty? You think I did something to him? Is that what this is all about?”
He opened his mouth to respond but she didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t want to hear him deny it when they both knew it was the truth. So much for being one of them. She didn’t wait for a response, for him to figure out a way to soften the blow and tell her he didn’t meant it like that. She just threw her keys at him. “See for yourself that I didn’t kill your friend for whatever reason you think I’d do such a thing.” She turned and picked up the first box. It needed to go downstairs.
“Sadie I didn’t mean it like that!” He knew it was no use. She wouldn’t listen, so he took the keys and went to see about his friend.
Four boxes later, Karl was gone and Sadie was nearly finished stacking all the boxes downstairs. She would just finish them now. Hopefully, by the time she got home, Ty would be long gone. She wasn’t in the mood to see anyone right now but she needed to check on Dylan. He had to be sick to just skip out on a day like this.
She locked up and made the quick drive to Dylan’s house, running up the stairs and through the door calling out to him. She went straight up to his bedroom where he lay in a sweaty heap of sheets and blankets. Ty stood to one side of the room, looking concerned. “Dylan! Are you okay?” She felt his face, neck, and chest. He was clammy all over. “How do you feel?”
“He’s sick,” Ty said, very unhelpfully.
Sadie glared at him and then turned her back on him. “Dylan, tell me what you’re feeling.” She began stripping the covers back and bringing him to a sitting position.
“I’m feeling mighty glad you came to save me.” His smile was crooked and his words were slurred.
She gave him a tight smile while trying to keep them both upright. “Of course I came for you Dylan. You’re my guy.”
“Always babe. Now can you make the room stop spinning ‘cause it’s making me feel sick?”
“No problem big guy. I’m all over it.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Can you stand?” He tried but he was too wobbly, and her jaws clenched. Ty stood back, no help at all but she said nothing to him. “Okay stand again, but this time put as much of your weight on me as you can.”
This time he stood up but with most of his weight pressed against her. “Alright let’s get you in the bathroom.” They limped to the en suite bathroom and she sat him on the toilet while she ran a bath. “We need to bring down your temperature,” she told him as she flew back into the bedroom, stripping the sheets off the bed and tossing them down the laundry chute.
“Sadie,” he sang off-key over and over. “Where did my Sadie go?”
“He doesn’t sound too good.” Ty rubbed the back of head, sounding worried.
She inhaled a long breath and let it out slowly, keeping her mouth shut. Eventually, he would leave and she could feel good knowing she hadn’t caused any unnecessary drama for Dylan. Checking on the water, she tossed in a few aromatherapy balls to help. “Alright, Dylan we need to get you in there, okay? So I need you to help me. Hang on to me and don’t let go.” She removed his boxers, tossed them out the door, and helped guide him down.
“Ah, feels good.” The guttural sound of satisfaction vibrated inside the bathroom, echoing off the walls as he sank into the water.
She smiled. Luckily he was too big to possibly drown since Ty was no help at all. She found the bath sponge she bought for him under the sink. Unopened because according to him it was ‘girly shit’. Dipping the sponge in the water, she rubbed is face and chest. “We need to get you warm and reduce your fever. Stay put.” Inside the bedroom, she breezed past Ty and grabbed the bed spray and clean linens. The window was open, the bedding fresh and now scented. “Okay,” she muttered to herself thinking what else she would need. “Food, meds, juice. Trixie.” She pulled out her phone and dialed. “Hey Trix. Dylan’s got some type of bug or something and I need to keep an eye on him. Can you grab fresh fruit, tons of vegetables for soup, and meds to reduce fever, help sleep and clear congestion? I’m not sure what else he has because he’s pretty incoherent but grab whatever else you think he might need and I’ll pay you back when you get here.” She disconnected and went back to check on Dylan.
“I could’ve gotten that stuff for him,” Ty yelled from the safety of the bedroom.
She said nothing, just helped Dylan quickly wash so she could get him dressed and back into bed. He needed to rest. “Stand up for me big guy.”
“You think I’m too big?” His words were slurred and she smiled despite her worry.
“Naw, I think you’re just big enough.”
“That’s what she said,” he snickered.
“Very funny,” she grumbled as she quickly dried him off. He was a big guy and required a towel that was just as big and heavy. “Okay we need clothes.”
“I’m alright like this,” he swayed, wrapping his arm around her waist. “I only stopped sleeping naked because I didn’t want to freak you out.”
That was an image she did not need to think about now. Or ever. They walked into the room, him naked and talking nonsense and her trying to keep them both from wiping out on the hardwood floors. “That’s sweet of you Dyl, but it’s your house so make sure you’re comfortable.” She sat him on the bed and grabbed flannel pants and a t-shirt. “While you’re sick though, I have to insist on pajamas.”

 
About N.D. Jackson

Wanderer. Lover of books. Romance author. Vegan. Those are just some of the things used to describe me! When I’m not spinning tales of small town and contemporary romance, I love to travel, cook, and watch/listen to true crime, history & strange documentaries and podcasts. I’m a native Chicagoan currently living in Europe who has been in love with books for as long as I can remember. My first book, Conflict of Interest, was published in 2014, and I’ve been writing books ever since! I’m a full-time writer and part-time author, traveler, vegan blogger, and obsessive fan of Dawson’s Creek.
 
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Review: Cold Truth by Toni Anderson

Author: Toni Anderson
Publisher: Toni Anderson Inc
Publication Date: May 2025

 Rowena Smith may be a top-shelf librarian, but solid investigative skills won’t keep her safe after her newest research project—tracking down her biological father—leads her to a brutally murdered body. The scene offers up one hope for assistance: the card of FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kurt Montana. Alone and terrified in a foreign country, Rowena places the call.

About to board a flight home after a failed mission, Kurt can’t ignore the plea in Rowena’s voice. She could be the killer or she could be an innocent bystander—either way, he senses she holds information vital to his case. When Kurt’s flight takes off without him—only to crash into the African savanna killing everyone onboard—he knows it’s no coincidence. Rowena saved his life.

On the run from powerful enemies, he and Rowena pose as a couple—never mind that she’s much too young for him. As danger escalates and they inch closer to the secret someone is trying desperately to prevent them from revealing, their fake relationship spirals into something far more perilous. And deeply personal.

The game gets deadlier with each and every step toward the truth. But there’s no turning back and they’ll need to rely on their skills and their wits—and each other—if they hope to survive.

Cold Truth is the sixth book in the Cold Justice: Most Wanted Series.  The events of this book take place during the events of a couple of the previous books in this series.  It also ties up some loose ends from the Cold Justice: The Negotiators series.   This one is Kurt and Rowena's story.   When I saw the length of the book, I was a little taken aback.  It's definitely the longest  book in the series.  However, after reading it, I understand why the author took her time to tell this story.  There was a lot packed into this one.  

There were a few scenes where I felt like I was holding my breath because they were so tense.  I also loved the relationship that developed between Kurt and Rowena.  They are definitely one of my favorite couples from this series.   We get to see some characters from previous series and boy do they get justice finally.  I don't want to spoil too much.  I will highly recommend this one.  I can't wait to see what might develop between Jordan and Daisy!

Review: How to Survive a Slasher By Justine Pucella Winans

Author: Justine Pucella Winans

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Publication Date: March 2025

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight meets Scream in this YA slasher that turns classic horror tropes on their heads.

There’s a reason CJ Smith’s hometown of Satterville is known as Slasherville: it was the site of not one, but two Friday the 13th-style massacres. CJ’s dad survived the first attack; only CJ survived the second. And thanks to the mysterious writer Moon Satter’s bestselling novels based on the events, the town—and CJ—will always be defined by this horrific past.

Then a new, unpublished Moon Satter manuscript shows up addressed to CJ. But unlike the others, this story isn’t about the past. Instead, it predicts new murders. On the day the book says the first murder will occur, CJ sets out to stop it. But in saving one classmate, the final girl ends up dead. CJ and their friends have suddenly gone from extras to leads—and they’ll have to use everything they know about the rules of horror to make it out alive.

How to Survive a Slasher was a fun and unique take on the slasher genre.  Its one that doesn't take itself very seriously.   CJ has grown up knowing the rules of how to survive a massacre.  Her family has close ties to 2 massacres in the past.  The whole family trains constantly, just in case.  When she gets a mysterious manuscript, the murders on the pages start to come true.  CJ must recruit her friends to help her survive and be the final girl.

I definitely enjoyed this take on the slasher genre.  It was the right balance of creepy, cheesy and gory fun.  It was exactly what I want in a YA horror novel.  I could see this as a movie. The characters were interesting and I found myself invested in them.  CJ was a great final girl as she was strong and not a "Mary Sue".  She worked for her survival skills.   The kill scenes were unique.  I was definitely kept guessing.  There was one twist I guessed, but the rest was a surprise.  If you are looking for some good gory teen slasher fun, I definitely recommend this one.

Spotlight: Excerpt from A Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais

 

Bianca Marais
On Sale Date: June 10, 2025
9780778368601, 0778368602
Trade Paperback
$19.99 USD, $23.99 CAD
Fiction / Myster & Detective
480 pages

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Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!
Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place!
She decodes the invitation's hidden message with ease, and its promise to reveal her family secrets proves too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.
Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

Destiny

Sunday, 9:57 a.m.

Destiny Whip warily eyes her bedside table, thinking how it could easily be mistaken for a miniature graveyard, what with all the little pills neatly lined in staggered rows, positioned upright like tiny headstones. It certainly feels as though she’s regarding the burial ground of her hopes and dreams, haunted by the specter of the enormous potential she’s so dismally failed to live up to.

When you’re declared a child prodigy, everyone expects you to go far in life, but all Destiny has managed today is a slow shuffle to and from the bathroom. Even that required Herculean reserves of energy.

Balancing her laptop on her knees, she reaches to the farthest side of the bed for her emotional-support urn, pulling it close and tucking it into her armpit as though cuddling a teddy bear. She kisses the top of the teardrop shape, the metal cold against her chapped lips.

Bex appears in Destiny’s doorway, leaning her head against the frame. “Good morning.”

Her best friend is still too scrawny, but not nearly as emaciated as she was a year ago when all she feasted on was beauty magazines and models’ Instagram pages rather than anything resembling food. Bex looks mostly healthy again, her long chestnut hair gleaming, the hollows of her cheeks no longer reminiscent of sinkholes. 

“You okay?” Bex asks, the corners of her mouth turned down. 

It’s the anniversary of the accident today, one year somehow crawling by on scraped knees. 

Some people act like severe depression is a tarnish, one that can be polished off with the application of enough elbow grease. Luckily, Bex isn’t one of them. 

Destiny tries to speak, but a knot of regret is so tangled up in her throat that the words don’t stand a chance. 

Her laptop suddenly squawks with an incoming video call. In the months that Destiny has been seeing Dr. Shepherd, they’ve never once had a virtual consultation over a weekend. But today is going to be a tough one, which is why the psychiatrist insisted on the appointment. 

As the ringing continues, Destiny gently places the urn beside her and instinctively reaches for her notebook before paging to the list of tasks the doctor assigned last month. 

Bex sidles up next to her, reading over her shoulder. 

1. Leave the apartment once a day to go for a walk or grab a coffee. 

2. Reach out to an old friend or colleague to suggest a meetup. 

3. Replace all the dead plants. 

4. Keep a dream journal about the white-haired ghost woman. 

5. Email the council expressing your wish to return. 

6. Accept one of the consultancies that you’ve been offered (one that doesn’t require travel). 

7. Work on forgiving Nate. 

8. Limit your interactions with Bex.

Bex side-eyes the last item on the list. “Rude,” she huffs. “You’d think I was a bad inf luence or something.” 

Rather than answering Bex or the incoming call, Destiny thinks of how she’s never f lunked an assignment in her entire life. Always top of her class, and despite being admitted to university as a twelve-year-old, Destiny cannot fathom this degree of failure. 

She’s ticked nothing off the list, not even throwing away the plants whose shriveled corpses goad her, their untimely deaths undoubtedly due to the curtains constantly being drawn tight. That, and Destiny forgetting to water them. 

The laptop’s ringing grates on Destiny’s nerves, but she can’t force herself to answer and face Dr. Shepherd’s disappointment. It will be carefully concealed, of course, with the psychiatrist gently pointing out there’s always next week, or the week after that, to achieve these seemingly simple goals. But it doesn’t matter how much of an extension Destiny is given. 

It’s no use. 

For how can she possibly cut ties with Bex, who’s her dearest, not to mention only, friend? 

Plus, there’s no way the Council of Enigmatologists will take her back after she’s been AWOL for so long. Each time an envelope drops through the mail slot, Destiny fully expects it to be a letter informing her that they’ve completely revoked her membership. It hurts to remember how thrilled she was to be appointed president of the prestigious group just thirteen months ago, and how she, Bex, and Nate all splurged on a fancy dinner to celebrate. 

When the call finally drops, Bex exhales, a long whoosh of defeat. “I know I shouldn’t enable you with all the talking, but it’s not like I can call anyone on your behalf.” 

They both look down at the wallpaper on the home screen of Destiny’s laptop. 

It’s a photo that was taken thirteen years ago when Destiny was eight. In it, her mother’s arm is f lung across Annie’s shoulders, happiness radiating from the two best friends in waves. Destiny’s eyes fill with tears as she studies her mother’s straight black hair and pale skin, and those enormous glasses obscuring most of her face. 

Jutting her chin at Destiny’s mother, Bex murmurs, “I wish I’d known Liz.” 

Destiny nods before turning her attention to Annie, with her striking Afro and beaded shoulder-duster earrings, and her smile as bright as the sun. 

The image was captured two weeks before Liz died. A year later, the paperwork went through to officially make Annie Destiny’s second adoptive mother. Their deaths were a wrenching loss, a tearing in the fabric of Destiny’s being that she never quite stitched back together. 

There were times in the before when Destiny experienced the sting of loneliness, that awful yearning of the one forever stuck outside, nose and palms pressed against the cold glass, gazing in at what belonging looked like: foreheads bent together, raucous laughter elicited by inside jokes, sentences finished by those who knew you best. 

But this is not loneliness, in the same way that a drop of water is not a deluge, the way a sigh is not a hurricane. 

“I’m so sorry that you’re having such a rough time of it,” Bex says, reaching out to tuck a f laming red curl behind Destiny’s ear. She freezes upon seeing Destiny’s expression, her hand hovering like a ghost between them. “A year is a long time, though, and Dr. Shepherd is right despite the fact that she clearly has it in for me. You need to move on.” 

God, that Bex is apologizing to her, of all people, when everything that happened was Destiny’s fault. 

“No, I’m sorry,” Destiny says, her voice pulled so taut that it snaps. Seeing the pills all standing to attention—no longer a cemetery full of headstones, but rather an army ready to fight the last battle—Destiny reaches for the urn again, stroking it like a security blanket. “If you stop talking to me, Bex, I don’t know what I’d do.” 

“Not gonna happen,” Bex replies breezily. And then more firmly she says, “Okay, it’s tough love time. You seriously need to shower because you’re stinking up the place. Plus, the kitchen needs cleaning. Those take-out containers have grown thumbs. I swear I caught them trying to hitch a ride to the nearest primordial swamp.” 

Destiny laughs at how incredibly bossy Bex is. 

Especially for a dead person. 

Still, it’s reassuring that no matter how much has changed, some things stay exactly the same.

Excerpted from A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais, Copyright © 2025 by Bianca Marais. Published by MIRA Books. 

 
About the Author:

Photo Credit:
Brendan Fisher

BIANCA MARAIS cohosts the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers get published. She teaches creative writing through the podcast and was named a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She lives in Toronto, where she loves playing escape-room games and writing about strong female protagonists. 
 
Social Links:
Author website: https://www.biancamarais.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biancamaraisauthor 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/biancam_author/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ 
 

Spotlight: Excerpt from Let me Go by Tricia T. LaRochelle

 
 

When Jacob Sullivan’s grandfather passes away, he leaves the high life behind to honor his grandfather’s final wish: spend one month in his vacation home and decide if it’s worth keeping. However, Jacob never expected to find Iris Flynn, a mysterious woman determined to forget her past. Readers who enjoy heart-wrenching, emotional stories will fall in love with Let Me Go by Tricia T. LaRochelle, a small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance.

 

Jacob “JC” Sullivan is living the high life in New York City, where his stockbroker career has earned him everything he ever wanted—except someone to share it with. A childhood shaped by his parents' toxic marriage has left him convinced that love is a trap. But when his grandfather passes away and leaves him a vacation home in the quiet town of Buckingham, Vermont, JC reluctantly follows through on his final wish: spend one month there and decide if it’s worth keeping.

What JC doesn’t expect to find is Iris Flynn—a mysterious woman living in isolation with a past she’s determined to forget. Her beauty and guarded nature intrigue him, but it’s only when he witnesses the threats from locals targeting her that he’s forced to confront the undeniable chemistry between them. As they become closer, JC starts to see that his life in the city, filled with fleeting relationships and shallow success, has left him empty.

Iris, scarred by mistakes from her teenage years, has spent too much time running from her past, but JC makes her want to face those truths she’s so skillfully buried. Together, they discover that healing begins when you let go of your fears—and gamble on each other. But their growing connection threatens dark forces determined to keep Iris alone.

Let Me Go is a heart-wrenching, emotional journey about love, redemption, and the courage to forgive—not just others, but yourself.
 
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Excerpt
Copyright 2025, Tricia T. LaRochelle
 
 “Who are you? And what do you want?”
 
This would have been a fine question to answer under normal circumstances but not when the question had come from a woman holding a shotgun aimed at my head. A large hat pulled low, shaded her face completely, those long, curly locks stuffed inside. And she wore a long trench-looking coat that covered her sleek body from shoulder to ankle. If I had seen this woman, first, I would have understood what everyone was talking about.
 
“I said, ‘what do you want?’ And you have about five seconds to answer before I put a slug in your chest.” She cocked the gun, the little pup hopping up and down, ear-piercing barks flying from its little mouth.

 
About Tricia T. LaRochelle

Tricia T. LaRochelle is the award-winning author of the Sara Browne Series, a gripping romantic suspense along with Sun in My Heart and A Collision with Love, her stand-alone romances with a twist. (Her next stand-alone, Let Me Go, launches in June 2025.) Gut-wrenching romances with unforeseen plot twists are where she thrives. Her apologies ahead of time for the tears. ☺
Coming from a background and education in Marketing, Tricia has spent the past eleven years pursuing her author endeavors. She now lives in Virginia with her husband and new pup, Daisy, who keeps her on her toes. She enjoys long walks with her hubby, time with her two grown sons and DILs, and board games that bring out the silly.
Subscribe to her newsletter at tricialarochelle.com, where you can receive updates on her work and win prizes. You can also find her on social media. 
Subscribe to her newsletter at tricialarochelle.com and receive updates and opportunities to win prizes or follow her on X, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Pinterest.
 
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Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Author: Julie Soto
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: May 2025

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but sadly, I was not happy when I finished.  This review may get a bit spoilery, so skip it if you want to read the book.  The premise of the book is that there is a popular group called The Thrashers in the local high school.  Emily desperately wants to be a part of the group.  When she dies, the Thrashers are blamed for it after the police read her journal. Of course, there is more to her death and the truth in the end is a direction that I couldn't get behind. 

Suicide as a form as revenge is not a likable plotline.  All of the teens in this book were horrible, even Jodi. She made some really poor decisions. Of course the golden boy Zach gets away with his crime and Julian, the only semi-likable character, gets the worst ending. It made me want to through my book across the room. I really would not recommend this book. 

Cover Reveal: Feels Like Love by N.D. Jackson

 

 
Join us for the cover reveal of Feels Like Love by N.D. Jackson. Fans who love Friends to Lovers Romances will sink their teeth into this sexy, small-town, diverse romance. Keep scrolling for more details about this sexy cover.
 

Title: Feels Like Love
Author: N.D. Jackson
Re-Release Date: 07/09/2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Word Count: 63K Words
Tropes: Small-Town, Friends to Lovers, Interracial Romance, Holiday Romance, Forced Proximity, Opposites Attract, Grumpy Sunshine, BWWM, Diverse Romance
 
I just wanted to belong…
Sadie had never belonged anywhere other than on stage. A soulful singer and musician, she left home at a young age and never looked back. No one missed her anyhow. Traveling the country with one no good boyfriend after another for work, Sadie settled in New Orleans until another d-bag boyfriend decided she wasn’t enough…and the slutty new bartender was.
She left for Mustang Prairie and the open arms of her half-sister Amelia…or so she thought
I just wanted to protect her…
Dylan Parker retired at the ripe old age of 34. After catching a serial killer who’d tortured Chicago for a decade, he was ready to turn in his homicide detective’s shield.
Needing distance from his high society parents and their social climbing friends he packed up his truck and bought a bar in Mustang Prairie. Getting reacquainted with small town life would be an adjustment…until he met a copper haired amazon with a voice like warm honey.
Sadie was everything he wanted; a friend, a devil’s advocate, a sister, and a confidante. Theirs was a deeply satisfying friendship so Sadie and Dylan fought their mutual attraction.
Can Sadie & Dylan admit that their friendship feels more like love?

Pre-Order on Amazon!
 
Add to Goodreads Here!

 
About N.D. Jackson

Wanderer. Lover of books. Romance author. Vegan. Those are just some of the things used to describe me! When I’m not spinning tales of small town and contemporary romance, I love to travel, cook, and watch/listen to true crime, history & strange documentaries and podcasts. I’m a native Chicagoan currently living in Europe who has been in love with books for as long as I can remember. My first book, Conflict of Interest, was published in 2014, and I’ve been writing books ever since! I’m a full-time writer and part-time author, traveler, vegan blogger, and obsessive fan of Dawson’s Creek.
 
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Spotlight: Excerpt from Click of Fate by Lauren Helms

 

Click of Fate by Lauren Helms is a flirty, heartfelt romance with heat, humor, and a whole lot of chaos. With tropes like one-night stand to more, he-falls-first, and forced proximity, it’s perfect for readers who love emotional depth, found family, and a hero who falls hard—and a heroine who’s terrified he means it.

Make sure to check out my review here.
 

Read Now!

Once upon a time, there was a charming climber and a stubborn photographer who swore she'd never fall—until she did.
Stella
I don't do roots. Or relationships. Or anything that involves the word “forever.”
But Luke Farley? He’s the kind of man who makes one night feel like a promise. With that stupidly perfect smile, a body built for sin, and hands that know exactly what they’re doing—he’s dangerously easy to want.
It was supposed to be casual.
A few non-dates, a little flirting, and zero expectations.
Now I’m staring down feelings I swore I’d never catch… and falling for a man who climbs like he was born to take risks.
And worst of all? I don’t want to run.
Luke
Stella Young walked into my life like a dare I couldn’t resist—smart mouth, with a camera around her neck and zero intention of sticking around. She warned me not to catch feelings.
Too late.
She’s the one I want—complicated, messy, and magnetic as hell.
She says she’s not built for love.
I think she’s just scared of falling.
Good thing I’m here to catch her.
Click of Fate is a swoony, one-night-stand romance about climbing risks, letting go of fear, and finding the kind of love worth falling for.
 
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Excerpt
Copyright 2025, Lauren Helms
 
On my tiptoes, I make my way through his room and into the living room. His door is a rolling door, so unfortunately, I can’t shut it behind me; I don’t know how much noise it makes. I spot my undies and slip them on as I hunt for my bra. I can’t find it, but I’m not opposed to leaving it.
After a few more seconds, I finally spot the bra and slip it on as Luke’s voice, still thick with sleep, breaks the silence.
“Wow. You’re good at this. Almost too good.”
I freeze, then let out a breath and roll my eyes.
So much for a clean getaway.
Turning, I find him leaning against the doorframe, watching me with an easy smirk.
“You make a habit of this?” he asks.
Unoffended, I smirk right back at him. “Not really, just have a thing against sticking around.”
This earns me a raised eyebrow. “That so?”
“Yep, and I also have a thing against relationships,” I tell him as I snag my jeans off the floor and hoist them on. I wait for the usual reaction—the awkward pause, the immediate ego that insists he can be the one to change that—but it never comes.
Instead, he just nods, shrugs his shoulders, and says, “Fair enough.”
Really?
Wasn’t expecting that.
He stands in the doorway and reaches his hands above his head in a deep stretch. Gym shorts hang from his body and do hardly anything to hide his semi-hard cock. His chest is bare, and I have to remind myself not to drool.
Running a hand through his hair, he pads through the living room toward the kitchen area. “At least let me make you coffee before you escape.”
Pulling my shirt over my head, I grin. “I don’t usually stick around for coffee.”
He shrugs, popping a K-cup into his machine. “Then take it to go.”
I hesitate. Why is he being so easy about this? Is this a red flag? I’m normally so removed from the relationship itself, I’ve not had to look for red flags.
The coffee starts to drip into the mug before it hits a steady stream. The pleasant and teasing aroma hits my senses, and damn, I suddenly need some caffeinated goodness in my life.
“Fine. I’ll have it to go.”
The man just grins like he won something as he pulls out another coffee pod from the holder.
I walk to the stool at the wooden island and take a seat.
He pulls his mug away from the machine. “I’d offer you this one, but you said you want it to go.” He sits it down in front of me, as if to tempt me. Staring at it, I realize I don’t have anywhere to be until around lunch.
Snatching up the mug, I blow over the steam, breathing in the fresh brew. Watching me, he asks, “So, the aversion to relationships thing. Just a personality quirk, or is there a story there?”
I lean over the counter, pretending I don’t feel the weight of this question.
“Let’s just say my job isn’t relationship-friendly.” Seems straightforward enough.
He hums, sipping his own coffee now. “Photojournalist, right? Travel a lot?”
“Yep. Can’t exactly date when you don’t stay in one place long enough to finish a carton of milk.” That’s almost the truth. It’s not just the job. It’s everything else, but I’m not about to get into all of that with him.
Luke just nods, like he gets it. He doesn’t push for more of an explanation. I can tell he isn’t judging me. Maybe he really does understand.
“Fair.” He takes another sip. “Gotta say, though. You don’t seem as detached as you think.”
My eyebrows rise unintentionally. “Oh?”
“You stayed the night,” he says.
And my reply to that sexy fucking smirk?
I just huff out a laugh—he has a point.
 
About Lauren Helms

Lauren Helms writes romance that’s nerdy, flirty, and just a little bit dirty. Her stories are set in big cities with small-town vibes, where every couple gets their happily ever after—and probably a few swoony gaming references along the way. Her love for love stories started with a book blog and leveled up fast—thanks to her background in video game strategy publishing and a passion for stories that make your heart race. That magic combo sparked her beloved Gamer Boy series, and she's been writing HEAs ever since.
 
She’s also the founder of Indie Pen PR, where she helps fellow romance authors bring their book boyfriends to life and make some serious buzz in the process. When she’s not plotting meet-cutes or helping other authors promote theirs, Lauren’s all about iced coffee, perfectly color-coded planners, and binge-worthy TV.
 
She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and their three aspiring nerds-in-training—where love, laughter, and chaos are always part of the storyline.
 
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