Spotlight: Excerpt of The Cowgirl's Sacrifice by Tina Radcliffe

 

by Tina Radcliffe

Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired

Publication Date: July 27, 2021
 
This cowgirl has wandered back home…
 
Will she choose her past or her future?
 
Needing time to heal after a rodeo injury, Kate Rainbolt heads to her family ranch to accept the foreman job her brothers offered her months ago. But the position’s already been filled by her ex-boyfriend, Jess McNally, and the only open job reports to him. With Jess as her temporary boss—and turning into something more—might he finally convince Kate to put down roots?
 
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The Cowgirl’s Sacrifice - Excerpt
Tina Radcliffe
Kate Rainbolt’s gaze followed the man who entered Eagle Donuts. He moved past the tables of early morning customers with smooth, long-limbed confidence. A tall man, he wore a black barn coat, faded jeans and scuffed boots, not unlike dozens of other Oklahoma cowboys.
She was ready to dismiss him when something set off an internal warning, urging her to take a second glance. Kate tensed and stepped away from the counter, feigning interest in a display of coffee mugs. When the cowboy lifted his head and tipped back the brim of his hat to assess the inside of the shop, she saw his face, and her heart slammed against her chest.
Jess McNally.
She’d been back in Rebel for an hour, and naturally, she’d run into her former beau.
Her only beau.
Usually, Kate kept her emotions hidden behind a mask of greasepaint and an outrageous, red felt cowboy hat. But she wasn’t a rodeo clown any longer, and it would take work to hide the emotions rocking her to the core. The last time she’d seen Jess was ten years ago, when she’d rejected his marriage proposal. It was unfortunate that time had only improved his good looks. Dark hair peeked out from beneath a black Stetson, and a scruffy five o’clock shadow emphasized the angles of his face.
Jess’s slate-gray eyes connected with hers, and she froze, chin down, her gaze going everywhere but back to the cowboy in front of her. She willed her pulse to slow before she dared to meet his gaze again.
Ten years. He should not have this effect on her after all that time.
“Kate?”
“Hey, Jess.” She shoved her left hand in her coat pocket, ignoring the twinge in her casted arm and the pain that shot through her middle as she jostled her tender rib cage.
“You’re back in Rebel?” he asked.
She lifted her face. “For now, I am. What about you?”
“Yeah. I’ve been back for a few weeks.”
“So you’re visiting?” She prayed that his next words would be that he was leaving town soon. Regret wasn’t on her schedule today, and she lacked the mental stamina for a what-if game about whether or not she’d walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“Visiting? No.” He said the words slowly, paused and looked at her.
A shiver galloped down Kate’s arms.
“I guess Reece didn’t mention…” Jess ran a hand over his face.
“Reece?” Her second eldest big brother hadn’t said anything special when she’d called to let him know she was on her way from Tucson, only that it was about time. His mantra du jour.
“I’m the foreman at Rebel Ranch,” Jess said. “New position.”
Kate blinked and focused her attention on the tips of her hand-tooled Western boots while trying not to reveal how surprised she was. Because she was absolutely surprised. She’d been offered the position of ranch foreman at Christmas. Her brothers Reece and Mitch ran the popular guest ranch and had mentioned it to Kate at their brother Tucker’s wedding.
“Reece is expanding the cattle side. I’ll be supervising production and care of livestock and horses.”
“Yes. I know about the expansion,” she said. Though she worked to keep her voice neutral, anxiety had her gnawing on her lip.
There was another lengthy pause between them. Jess hesitated as if measuring his words. “Is my taking this job a problem?”
There was no way she’d answer a loaded question like that. She was going to be living at the ranch temporarily. Even short-term, that would be way too close to Jess McNally, the man who had somehow managed to steal her job right out from under her. Yes, there would definitely be problems. Several of them.
 
About the Author 

Tina Radcliffe has been dreaming and scribbling for years. Originally from Western NY, she left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Her past careers include: Certified Oncology R.N. and library cataloger.  She recently moved from Denver, Colorado, to the Phoenix, Arizona area, where she writes heartwarming and fun inspirational romance.
 
Connect with the Author
Website: https://www.tinaradcliffe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.russoradcliffe 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TMRadcliffe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinaradcliffeauthor/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Radcliffe/e/B004FX4TNM
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4400229.Tina_Radcliffe 
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tina-radcliffe
 

Review & Excerpt of Redemption on River's Ranch by Kathy Douglass

Author: Kathy Douglass

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication Date: May 2021
 
The return of his childhood friend
 
leads to the fresh start he never expected
 
Horse rancher Carson Rivers has his own emotional demons. There’s no place in his life for a divorced single mom pulling at his heartstrings. But when Gabriella Tucker and her adorable children move next door—the place of her favorite childhood memories—Carson’s tempted to help the heart-guarded beauty make more adult memories. Maybe Gabriella and her kids are the healing balm he’s been yearning for…
 
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My thoughts:

Redemption at River's Ranch is a small town romance that gets you right in the heart.  Carson and Gabriella had been best friends as children.  Now she is back in town healing from her divorce and trying to figure out a life for her 2 children.  After finding about what his father did, Carson is not sure how he fits in his hometown any more.  

I really enjoyed this one.  It's part of a series, but I never felt like I was missing anything.  It holds up very well as a stand alone book.  I am interested in going back and reading about some of the other characters from the town who show up.  I loved watching Gabriella and Carson figure out their feelings were growing for each other.  It was a sweet journey and a relationship I was cheering for.  I also found myself rooting for Carson to realize he was loved in the town.  I highly recommend this one, especially if you love small town romances.

Redemption on Rivers Ranch- Excerpt
Kathy Douglass

Discovering the truth about his father had been a shock, one Carson had only begun to get over. He couldn’t believe the father he’d idolized as a child, the father who’d held Carson in front of him on a horse as a toddler and who’d taught Carson everything he knew about ranching, had taken another man’s life. It was impossible to reconcile the two sides of his father. Losing Raven had been another staggering blow, knocking him off his center. 
Before all of this came to light, Carson had been a successful horse trainer. He’d worked with previously abused animals as well as teaching horses to accept the saddle. He’d branched out and begun giving riding lessons to local kids. He’d enjoyed it as much as they had and business had begun to take off. But then a whisper campaign had started. Rather than wait for his students to back out, he’d closed the school. Besides, dealing with the fallout from his father’s actions and running the family’s cattle ranch had left him little time for anything else.
Luckily a forensic audit revealed that the business operations were 100 percent legal and aboveboard, so Carson had been able to keep running it with a clear conscience. Which was good, considering the ranch employed over two dozen people, many of whom supported families.
Lately he’d been toying with the idea of restarting his riding school, but something held him back. Would people really trust him to teach their kids? His reputation had been impeccable before, but being the son of a killer scuffed up the shine. At least to hear some people tell it.
Did he need the pain and aggravation? He had plenty to keep him busy.
He passed his neighbor’s house and automatically glanced at it. He’d promised Mrs. Johnson that he’d keep an eye on it when she moved to Willow Creek. She’d been considering putting it on the market but hadn’t made up her mind yet. She said she liked knowing the house was there in case she got tired of her new lifestyle. It wasn’t a problem for him. Mowing her lawn was easy enough and oddly soothing. She only had a handful of acres and he had a riding mower, so it didn’t take much time.
He slowed. Lights were blazing in the house. No one was supposed to be there.
Carson considered calling the sheriff but decided against it. Only the world’s worst criminal would turn on every light in the house and hope nobody noticed. He’d assess the situation and go from there.
Pulling into the driveway, he noticed an SUV with out-of-state license plates. He peered inside. Empty. Mrs. Johnson had given him a key to the house, so he headed up onto the porch, opened the door and stepped inside.
Apparently whoever was inside had made themselves at home. They’d uncovered the furniture and dropped suitcases and backpacks by the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms. Loud music was blaring from the back of the house. Someone was singing a popular song at the top of her lungs. The fact that she was nowhere in the vicinity of the right key didn’t stop her from singing with gusto. Her attempt to hit a high note pierced his ears and propelled him forward if only to save his hearing. 
 
A child laughed.
What in the world was going on here?
Mrs. Johnson would have told him if she’d sold or rented the house. She hadn’t mentioned it when they’d spoken a couple of weeks ago. And the gossips of Sweet Briar would have said something. He might not hang out in town any longer, but his employees did. One of them would have told him if they’d heard anything about his closest neighbor.
The woman laughed and the sound struck a chord inside Carson. Something about the sound stirred a distant memory inside him, awakening a long-forgotten feeling. He silenced the echo, focusing on the matter at hand.
The intruders were so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t noticed him yet. He twisted the knob on Mrs. Johnson’s ancient radio, silencing the music, and then cleared his throat.
 
About the Author 
Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally - both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.
 
After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading.
 
Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.
 
Connect with the Author
Website: https://kathydouglassbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathydouglassauthor/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathydouglass7
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathy-douglass
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4729473.Kathy_Douglass
 

Review: Abel (A Morningstar MC Novel) by D. Williams

Author D. Williams
Publication Date: July 2021

Eloping with the love of my life isn't as easy as finding an Elvis chapel on the Vegas strip. Demons from my wife's past come back to haunt us before the honeymoon can even start. We have to get through all the secrets and lies to reach our happily ever after. Welcome to Paradise NV, home of the MorningStar MC. 

Abel is the first book in a new series about the Morningstar Motor Cycle club.  I wouldn't say this was really romance.  It is more of an introduction to the many characters of the MC.  Abel and Dylan have been in love forever and the book opens right after their elopement.  There is no build up to their getting together.  However, I did enjoy their relationship and didn't really miss their getting together story.  I thought the "curse" of the twins was interesting and look forward to future books to see if it is carried on with these two.  

The bigger part of the story involves something that happened in Dylan and her twin sister Dorian's past.  Their kidnapping also resulted in the death of their mother.  Someone is trying to sabotage and kill Dorian.  So, there is a little bit of a mystery there.  The story is told through multiple points of view, not just Dylan and Abel. I enjoyed that part because it allowed me to get to know the other characters in the MC. The ending left things open for Dorian's story and I am looking forward to reading that one.  I enjoy most of the MC books that I read. However, this one is a bit cruder than I'm used to. Don't get me wrong though,  I did enjoy it.  There is a lot of hot and dirty sex in this book, so be prepared. You won't want to stop reading!

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Safeguarding the Surrogate by Delores Fossen

 

by Delores Fossen 

Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue

Publication Date: June 29, 2021
 
She’d brought him his greatest joy.
 
Now he must save her life…
 
Rancher Kara Holland’s hot on the trail of a murderer who’s been killing surrogates—like she was for her ill sister. But when Kara’s trap goes terribly wrong, she’s thrust headlong into the killer’s crosshairs…along with her sister’s widower, Deputy Daniel Logan. And as she and Daniel stay one frantic step ahead of a deadly foe, the sparks igniting between them rival the danger they face.
 
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My thoughts:

Safeguarding the Surrogate is the second book in the Mercy Ridge Lawmakers series.  This one is Daniel's story.  Daniel and Kara are being hunted by an unknown shooter who has already killed several women.  Being a surrogate for Daniel and his late wife has made her a prime target.  I really enjoyed this one.  There was non-stop action and several suspects.  I also loved the tension between Kara and Daniel. I also enjoyed seeing Barrett from the first book show up in this one.  He is Daniel's brother.  I hope Leo gets a story! It's a quick read and one I highly recommend.

 

Safeguarding the Surrogate – Excerpt
Delores Fossen
Kara Holland stood in the darkness and waited for the killer.
With her heartbeat throbbing in her ears and her back pressed to the barn wall, she tried to listen for any sound to alert her that he was coming. Nothing. Not yet. But she’d done everything she could to lure him out and make him come after her.
And she was ready.
She had the Glock gripped in her hand, and thanks to the hours of firearms training, she knew how to use it. If that failed, if he somehow got the jump on her, she’d fall back on the hand-to-hand moves she’d also learned. Of course, those things didn’t guarantee that she would stop him, but she had to try. She was tired of living with this smothering weight of fear.
Finally, she heard something. The sound of a car engine. Then a door closing. He had finally come for her. 
The next thing she heard were the footsteps, slow and cautious. They were coming straight toward her barn.
She’d purposely turned off all but the single light in the tack room, and Kara had left the door cracked just enough for a thin beam to pierce the darkness. She stayed in the shadows by a stack of hay bales, but when the killer came in the barn, she’d be able to see him.
Kara could certainly hear him.
Along with the footsteps, the hinges creaked on the barn door, and she pinpointed every bit of her focus while she lifted the Glock. And she took aim.
“Kara?” the man called out.
She groaned, mixing it with some muttered profanity, because she instantly recognized that voice. Not a killer. But Deputy Daniel Logan.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped once she could manage to speak.
“Checking on you,” Daniel snapped right back.
When he stepped into that beam of light from the tack room, she had no trouble seeing the riled expression on his face. Or the rest of him for that matter. He was wearing his usual jeans and work shirt on his tall rangy body. His Mercy Ridge deputy’s badge was clipped to his belt.
“I’m fine,” Kara assured him. Of course, that wasn’t true, and he could clearly see that. After all, she was waiting in her dark barn while holding a gun. “You can go.”
“No, I won’t.” Daniel sounded “all cop” with that one-word response. And he didn’t budge, either. In fact, he came closer, meeting her eye to eye.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Kara insisted.
“I wanted to have a look around and see for myself if the rumors were true. They are,” he added in a snarl. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“You know what I’m thinking,” she fired back.
That only caused him to release a long hard breath. No doubt one of frustration. Well, she was frustrated, too. And scared. Especially scared. Something that she’d hoped to end tonight.
“Two surrogates are dead,” Kara reminded him. Not that a reminder was necessary. Daniel knew because she’d already told him. She’d taken the news articles to him right away when she had learned about the dead women. “Both used the Willingham Fertility Clinic in San Antonio.”
Just as Kara had done. Again, no reminder was necessary for Daniel since the reason she had used the clinic and become a surrogate was to carry a baby for Daniel and his wife, Maryanne. Maryanne had also been Kara’s sister.
As it always did, just remembering Maryanne made her feel as if someone had clamped a vise around her heart. It was almost certainly even worse for Daniel. It’d been nearly two years since Maryanne had lost her battle with breast cancer, but sometimes it felt as fresh as if it’d just happened.
 
About the Author 
USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 70 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She's received the Booksellers' Best Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. In addition, she's had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at www.deloresfossen.com.
 
Connect with the Author
Website: https://www.deloresfossen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeloresFossen/timeline/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfossen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deloresfossen/?hl=en
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delores-fossen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/240672.Delores_Fossen

Spotlight: Excerpt of The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable

 

Michelle Gable
On Sale Date: August 17, 2021
9781525806469
Trade Paperback
$16.99 USD
400 pages
 

From New York Times bestselling author Michelle Gable comes a dual-narrative set at the famed Heywood Hill Bookshop in London about a struggling American writer on the hunt for a rumored lost manuscript written by the iconic Nancy Mitford—bookseller, spy, author, and aristocrat—during World War II.
 
In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she’s given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics.
 
Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop’s brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy’s life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay.
 
Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present…

BUY LINKS:

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Enjoy this excerpt:

April 1946
Hotel de Bourgogne, Paris VII
 
There they are, held like flies in the amber of that moment—click goes the camera and on goes life; the minutes, the days, the years, the decades, taking them further and further from that happiness and promise of youth, from the hopes…and from the dreams they dreamed for themselves.
—Nancy Mitford,The Pursuit of Love
 
“Alors, racontez!” the Colonel said, and spun her beneath his arm.
                Nancy had to duck, of course. The man was frightfully short. 
“Racontez! Racontez!”
 
She laughed, thinking of all the times the Colonel made this demand. Racontez! Tell me!
 
“Allô—allô,” he’d say across some crackling line. “Were you asleep?”
 
He might be in Paris, or Algiers, or another place he could not name. Weeks or months would pass and then a phone rang in London and set Nancy Mitford’s world straight again.
 
“Alors, racontez! Tell me everything!”
 
And she did.
 
The Colonel found Nancy’s stories comical, outrageous, unlike anything he’d ever known, his delight beginning first and foremost with the six Mitford girls, and their secret society. Nancy also had a brother, but he hardly counted at all.
 
“C’est pas vrai!” the Colonel would cry, with each new tale. “That cannot be true!”
 
“It all happened,” Nancy told him. “Every word. What do you expect with a Nazi, a Communist, and several Fascists, in one family tree?”
 
“C’est incroyable!”
 
But the Hon Society was the past, and this gilded Parisian hotel room was now, likewise Nancy’s beloved Colonel, presently reaching into the bucket of champagne. How had she gotten to this place? It was the impossible dream.
 
“Promise we can stay here forever,” Nancy said.
 
“Here or somewhere like it,” he answered with a grin.
Nancy’s heart bounced. Heavens, he was ever-so-ugly with his pock-marked face and receding hairline, the precise opposite of her strapping husband, a man so wholesome he might’ve leapt from the pages of a seedsman catalogue. But Nancy loved her Colonel with every part of herself, in particular the female, which represented another chief difference between the two men.
 
“You know, my friends are desperate to take a French lover,” Nancy said, and she tossed her gloves onto the bed. “All thanks to a fictional character from a book. Everyone is positively in love with Fabrice!”
 
“Bien sûr, as in real life,” the Colonel said as he popped the cork.
 
The champagne bubbled up the bottle’s neck, and dribbled onto his stubby hands.
 
“You’re such a wolf!” Nancy said. She heaved open the shutters and scanned the square below. “At last! A hotel with a view.”
 
Their room overlooked Le Palais Bourbon, home to l’Assemblée nationale, the two-hundred-year seat of the French government, minus the interlude during which it was occupied by the Luftwaffe. Mere months ago German propaganda hung from the building: DEUTSCHLAND SIEGT AN ALLEN FRONTEN. Germany is victorious on all fronts. But the banners were gone now, and France had been freed. Nancy was in Paris, just as she’d planned.
 
“This is heaven!” Nancy said. She peered over her shoulder and coquettishly kicked up a heel. “A luncheon party tomorrow? What do you think?”
 
“Okay, chéri, quoi que tu en dises,” the Colonel said, as she sauntered toward him.
 
“Whatever I want?” Nancy said. “I’ve been dying to hear those words! What about snails, chicken, and port salut? No more eating from tins for you. On that note, darling, you mustn’t worry about your job prospects. I know you’ll miss governing France but, goodness, we’ll have so much more free time!”
 
Nancy was proud of the work the Colonel had done as General de Gaulle’s chef du cabinet, but his resignation made life far more convenient. No longer would she have to wait around, or brook his maddeningly specific requests. I’ve got a heavy political day LET ME SEE—can you come at 2 minutes to 6?
 
“It’s really one of the best things that could’ve happened to us,” Nancy said. “Oh, darling, life will be pure bliss!” 
 
Nancy leaned forward and planted a kiss on the Colonel’s nose.
 
“On trinque?” he said, and lifted a glass.
 
Nancy raised hers to meet it.
 
“Santé!” he cheered.
 
Nancy rolled her eyes. “The French are so dull with their toasts. Who cares about my health? It’s wretched, most of the time. Cheers to novels, I’d say! Cheers to readers the world over!”
 
“À la femme auteur, Nancy Mitford!” The Colonel clinked her glass. “Vive la littérature!”
 
Excerpted from The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable, Copyright © 2021 by Michelle Gable Bilski. Published by Graydon House Books.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 

Photo credit: 
Joanna DeGeneres

MICHELLE GABLE is the New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment, I'll See You in Paris, The Book of Summer, and The Summer I Met Jack. She attended The College of William & Mary, where she majored in accounting, and spent twenty years working in finance before becoming a full-time writer. She grew up in San Diego and lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, with her husband and two daughters. Find her at michellegable.com or on Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest, @MGableWriter.
 
SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://michellegable.com/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MGableWriter 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mgablewriter/ 
 

Spotlight: Aphrodite in Bloom by Anonymous

We have the promo tour for Aphrodite in Bloom by Anonymous! Check it out and be sure to pre-order your copy of this very sexy collection today!

Title: Aphrodite in Bloom.

Author: Anonymous

Genre: Erotic Short Stories

Release Date: August 10th

About Aphrodite in Bloom:

Don’t miss this extraordinary collection of twelve inventive and sophisticated stories guaranteed to awaken the forbidden desires of a new generation. From the sweetly romantic to the sublimely taboo, each provocative novella offers an opportunity to explore your most secret fantasies.

 A virgin receives an especially satisfying gift at a masked ball...  

  A duke offers to settle a man’s debt for one night with his wife...

  As an introduction to a secret club, a viscount’s heir is made over into a woman—and discovers her true self...   

Plus nine more sensual stories of libidinous lust, catering to the tastes of varying sexual appetites. Whatever your fancy, Aphrodite in Bloom is ready and willing to serve…    

Pre-Order Your Copy:

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

Advance Praise:

“The varying stories and sexual proclivities of the characters is wonderful and opens up (pun intended) a whole host of new fantasies for the reader. I liked the fact that a trigger warning preceded each new story so that the reader could choose whether or not each story was for them. Very hot and flustering read - heartily recommended.” --Jacqueline W, NetGalley

“An enjoyable set of short erotic stories with something for everyone.” --Ruth’s Romance

“A series of steamy erotic stories that will set your e-reader on fire.” --Kristin B, NetGalley

“This was a great steamy read full of many historical novellas. I really enjoyed it but recommend not reading in public.” --Sarah R, NetGalley

“if you are looking for some steamy reads that take place in the historical realm, then prepare to be tantalized!” --Jen W, NetGalley

“Quick and HOT.” --Stacia N, NetGalley

Cover Reveal: Chasing Down the Dream by Jaymee Jacobs

 

We are so excited to share the cover reveal for Chasing Down the Dream, by Jaymee Jacobs, the first book in the Blue Collar Romance Series. Keep reading for more details about this sexy, best friend’s sibling romance.
 

Title: Chasing Down the Dream
Author: Jaymee Jacobs
Release Date: 9/3/2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Trope: Best Friend’s Sibling Romance, Blue Collar Romance
 
From USA Today best-selling author Jaymee Jacobs comes a best friend’s sibling romance packed with heat, heart, and happily ever after.
 
When Kasey Ruggieri returns to her hometown after her fashion design business implodes, she barely recognizes the handsome guy with a smokin’ body who comes to fix the HVAC as her brother's best friend. The skinny teenager she once knew is gone, and when Asher strips off his shirt to work in the boiling heat, Kasey can't take her eyes off his glistening, muscular chest. Now she needs more than air conditioning to cool her desires.
 
Asher Wallace has had a crush on Kasey ever since he realized girls don’t have cooties. She’s beautiful, talented, and fun. But as his best friend’s older sister, she’s completely out of his league. Once Kasey left Oak Bend to pursue a fashion career in New York City, Asher shelved his boyhood crush and moved on from his college hockey days and into the family's heating and cooling business.
 
When Kasey and Asher finally connect, there’s enough heat to melt a Michigan winter. But when Kasey stumbles onto a new, profitable fashion venture, will she leave Asher behind for the bright lights of the big city once more? Or can Asher prove to Kasey that love and success can be found close to home?
 
Welcome to Oak Bend, where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.

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Amazon → https://amzn.to/3i2Gu5i

 

Add to Goodreads Here!

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3vwOkrg

 
About Jaymee Jacobs

Jaymee Jacobs is a USA Today best-selling author and author of the Dallas Comets series. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English literature and a psychology minor.
 
Her books have the same two themes: hockey and the "millennial" experience. The first is because she's a die-hard fan (particularly of the Pittsburgh Penguins). The second is because she felt that there weren't any books to which she could personally relate. So she began to write the stories she wanted to read. Her books spotlight those in the up-and-coming generation as they navigate this new era of ubiquitous technology, online dating etiquette, and what it means to "adult."
 
When she's not writing, you'll find Jaymee curating her cats' Instagram account, listening to true crime podcasts, scrolling through Pinterest for fructose-free recipes, or yelling at the TV during Penguins games.
 
Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon
 

About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.
From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.
Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.
Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.
 

Spotlight: Sweet, Sexy Heart by Melissa Foster

Author: Melissa Foster
Releasing Aug 4, 2021
World Literary Press

Goodreads link 
Goodreads series link
 
For this sweet bookstore owner, avoiding the charms of a famed-football-player-turned-author was supposed to be easy… Funny, sinfully sexy, opposite-attracts romance.
 
Amber Montgomery is perfectly happy with her quiet life. She loves running her bookstore, taking long walks with Reno, her Labrador retriever seizure-response dog, and spending time with her close-knit family. She’s never needed thrills the way some of her sisters have. In an effort to control her epilepsy, she tries to avoid anything that creates too much excitement or stress—including relationships. When Amber hosts a book signing for famed-athlete-turned-author Dash Pennington, he’s everything she’s spent her life avoiding: loud, aggressive, and far too handsome, as proven by the hordes of women who surround him everywhere he goes. Amber can’t ignore the sparks flying between her and Dash, but this is a no-brainer for her: Ignore their chemistry and hold her breath until he leaves town.
 
Dash Pennington has spent his life running. Running the ball in for a touchdown, running from town to town to appease his public relations reps, and for years, running into the arms of too many women to count. He’s also an expert at protecting—his reputation, his family, and lately, his sanity. But he’s ready to make a change. When he comes to the sleepy little town of Oak Falls, Virginia, and witnesses the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen living the life he craves, she refuses to have anything to do with him. But now that Dash has found the one thing he doesn’t want to run from, he’ll stop at nothing to win her over.

 

Buy Links:

➜KINDLE

➜APPLE 

➜NOOK 

➜KOBO  

➜GPLAY 

➜PAPERBACK 

Available in audio (Narrated by Tim Paige and Meg Sylvan)

➜AMAZON 

➜APPLE  

➜AUDIBLE 

 

Excerpt:
Read Sneak Peek here, https://melissafoster.com/sweet-sexy-heart-sneak-peek/

 

Author Info

Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.
 
 
Author Links:  
Website:  http://www.melissafoster.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
Newsletter: http://melissafoster.com/newsletter/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melissa-foster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissafoster_author

Review: Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

Author:  Lyssa Kay Adams
Publisher: Berkeley
Publication Date: July 2021

Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance—both on and off the page.

The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love—and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena’s past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt.

Isn't it Bromantic?  is the fourth book in the Bromance Book Club. This one is Vlad's (aka The Russian) story.  Vlad is married to Elena, but it's a marriage of convenince.  Vlad wants it to be more, but Elena is determined to return to Russia to continue her father's work as a journalist.  OF course, the members of his book club are all in when it comes to helping Vlad.

This is definitely my favorite of the four books in the series.  I have always loved Vlad and was happy he got his own book.  He was big and tough on the ice, but he was a  a marshmallow inside.  I will admit that Elena did have to grow on me a bit.   I could understand her drive to figure out what happened to her father. However, I thought she was a bit too obsessed and should have been more upfront with Vlad. The biggest problem these two had was a clear lack of communication. They had been friends since childhood, so the connection and affection was clearly there.  I was definitely rooting for them. Vlad's revelation about a secret he had been keeping was very sweet.    

The best part of this series is the relationship between the men in the book club.  Their interactions are both funny and really touching.  I thought the Loners were a fun addition to the book.  I would love to have some of them be explored in future books.  I highly recommend this one.  I can't wait to see what is next.

Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. martin's Press
Publication Date: July 2021

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.
All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book featuring Sherriff Sunshine Vicram.  This one picks up a couple of months after the events of the first book.  Honestly, I wouldn't read this one if you haven't read A Bad Day for Sunshine.  That book is kind of spoiled in this one.  This time around, Sunny is busy solving why a man was stabbed in a bar fight, dealing with a rogue raccoon, and a daughter who is keeps sneaking out and finding trouble.

I loved this one just as much as the first one.  It has the perfect mix of laughs, drama, suspense and romance.  I love the relationship that Sunny has with her daughter as well as her parents.  I laughed out loud so many times reading this book.  In fact, I ran through a range of emotions within the short span of a few chapters.  The momma bear in me just wanted to hug Cruz and never let go.  Man that one scene toward the end wrecked me.  I don't want to spoil anything, but there are so many secrets exposed and questions answered.   You won't want to stop reading.  I hope the next book comes out very soon.  That ending left me craving more.  I highly recommend this one.  It's definitely going to be in my top 10 for this year!

 

Blog Tour: Excerpt of Cliff's Descent by Dianne Duvall

 

Cliff's Descent: A Vampire's Tale
Immortal Guardians #11
By Dianne Duvall
Releasing date: July 27, 2021
 goodreads

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers a novel--set in the "fast-paced" (Publishers Weekly) and "totally addictive" (RT Book Reviews) world of the Immortal Guardians--that revolves around a vampire... one who has become a friend and trusted ally of the powerful warriors.
 
Every mortal who works at network headquarters knows that vampires reside below them. They were the first to surrender to the powerful Immortal Gumardians who hunt them. And they did so, hoping they can be saved, that the doctors and scientists the Immortal Guardians employ can halt the progressive brain damage that robs all vampires of their sanity. Though curious, Emma never thought she would meet any of the vampires who remain under heavy guard several stories beneath her office. Then mercenaries strike, bombarding the building with heavy artillery. The vampires are freed to join the fray... and Cliff saves her life.
 
From that moment on, she can't stop thinking about him regardless of the restrictions placed on interactions with vampires. When Emma discovers a way to speak to Cliff at network headquarters, she becomes even more fascinated by him. He's smart, charming, and honorable to his core despite the darkness that lies ahead. And he seems to crave her company as much as she does his. Aware of the eyes that watch them, they keep their encounters innocent, limiting them to those of mere acquaintances. Nevertheless, their attraction grows and she soon falls in love with him even as the madness begins to claim him.
 
Cliff realizes his future is dark. As one vampire friend after another succumbs to insanity, hope that network doctors will be able to find a cure in time to keep him from meeting the same fate begins to dwindle, leaving him little to look forward to... until he meets Emma. Just speaking to her brings him a happiness and contentment he hasn't experienced since before his transformation. And when they finally find a way to be alone together, everything changes. Emma burrows her way right into his heart and quiets the voices. She sparks dreams of a future with her that strengthen his determination to beat back the madness. But as time passes, the voices grow louder and insanity begins to chip away at him until he fears it will eradicate every part of him she fell in love with.
 
Will the two of them find a way to defy the odds and find their happily-ever-after? Or will Cliff's descent consume him?

AVAILABLE FOR ORDER

 

𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸

Kindle — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_Kindle

Kobo — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_Kobo

Nook — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_Nook

Apple — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_Apple

AmazonUK — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_AmazonUK

AmazonAU — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_AmazonAU

AmazonCA — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_AmazonCA

AmazonDE — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_AmazonDE

AmazonFR — http://bit.ly/CliffsDescent_AmazonFR

 

𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸

Amazon/Audible — https://amzn.to/3zGf9fZ

Here is a sneak peek:

 Cliff looked around for the woman he’d seen helping the others and saw no sign of her. Swearing, he tore through the wreckage in search of her. An explosion took out more of the ceiling. Rubble rained down on the other side of the pile he dug through. “Come on,” he whispered. “Where are you?”
 
A moan reached his ears, followed by a cough.
 
Leaping toward it, he grabbed slabs of concrete and flooring and tossed them aside, reducing the pile until he found her.
 
Dust coated her like ash, powdering her braid and turning her skin a grayish white. She blinked up at him. Her forehead glistened with blood that oozed from a gash on one side.
 
“It’s okay,” he told her. “I’m here to help. Don’t be afraid.”
 
Her chin dipped in a brief nod.
 
Another explosion hit what was left of the ground floor.
 
Cliff swiftly leaned over to shield her as flaming bits rained down around them.
 
As soon as it stopped, he knelt beside her.
 
“Y-Your eyes are glowing.”
 
“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I just want to help. Are you injured?” He swept his hands over her in a quick, impersonal search for injuries, concerned by the splotches of blood that marred her clothing.
 
“Th-there’s a woman,” she said. “Sadie. Sh-she’s old. She can’t make it down the stairs.”
 
“I already got her to safety. Are you Emma?”
 
Surprise lit her dark brown eyes as she nodded.
 
“I think your arm is broken, Emma. I need to bind it.” Tearing a strip of cloth from his T-shirt, he wrapped it around a deep gash on her arm. Then he tore another and—preternaturally fast—fashioned a sling.
 
She moaned.
 
“Sorry,” he said, knowing every movement caused her pain.
 
Nodding, she gritted her teeth. Her lips pressed tightly together as he lifted her into his arms, spawning even more pain.
 
“I’m sorry,” he said again as he dashed over to the elevator shaft.
 
She looped her free arm around his neck and looked over his shoulder. Her hold tightened. “Mercenaries,” she whispered in his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver through him.
 

Trailer:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, the Aldebarian Alliance sci‐fi romance series, and The Gifted Ones medieval and time‐travel romance series.  The Lasaran, the first book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a #1 Audible Mover & Shaker. The Segonian, the second book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a Barnes&Noble Top Indie Favorite. Audible chose Awaken the Darkness as one of the Top 5 Best Paranormal Romance Audiobooks of 2018. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews),   "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully  imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Dianne's books have twice been  nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards. And her audiobooks have been awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence.
 
Dianne's books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and/or Kobo Bestseller lists.  The first book in Dianne's The Gifted Ones series, A Sorceress of His Own, is a prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A USA Today bestseller, A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that was awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence and was an Audie Finalist. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, is a time travel romance that won the GraveTells Readers' Choice Award for Best Historical Romance.
 
In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play  (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a  spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also  been published in anthologies.
 
When she isn't writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film  industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit  grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in  her books.
 
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com or sign up for her Newsletter. You can also find Dianne online . . .
 
Blog — dianneduvall.blogspot.com

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