Spotlight – Contemporary Romances from Kensington/Lyrical Press

Tags

A Taste of Sauvignon, Annabeth Albert, Baked Fresh, Book Review, Cindy Fazzi, Heather Heyford, In His Corner, Men Like This, Roxanne Smith, Second Chances, Stacy Finz, Vina Arno

I’ve only read one of these books (and my review is below), but they all look fantastic. With enough variety that you are sure to find something that appeals to you.

*****

In His Corner

by Vina Arno

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

Blurb:

Work Out

No sex for almost a year could kill a guy, but when you’re the boxer known as the Juggernaut, it’s the price you pay for turning pro. Tommy’s fully dedicated to his craft, until he meets the incredibly gorgeous Dr. Siena Carr. Now he’s looking forward to taking on this prim and proper lady in a wet and wild work-out…

Knock Out

Siena has seen many patients come through the ER, but none as sexy as Tommy Raines. With a nasty cut over his eye, she knows he needs stitches, but after he takes off his shirt, she needs some air. With rock-hard abs and taut biceps, it’s clear this man takes care of his body. And all Siena can think about is letting him take care of hers…

For More Information

In His Corner is available at Amazon.

Review:

In His Corner is the only one of today’s books that I’ve read – I just finished it and I have to say I thought it was great! There’s an interesting mix of things going on. Siena is a little uptight and secure in her gilded life. She volunteers to help the less fortunate, works in an ER (but at an upscale hospital) and gives to charity, but she doesn’t really know how the other half lives. Then Tommy steps into her life … and gives it a good shake. At the beginning, we see her fighting her attraction for him because of his more coarse nature – he’s nothing at all like she’s used to. Then once they are together those differences continue to cause issues. I think I’d like a glimpse of how they work things out longer term (because they are so different) but I really loved the ending and the realizations that they come to. It is less a book about a fighter than it is about a high-class girl and a working-stiff, but the old plotline works for a reason. In the hands of a good author, like Arno, it makes for a fantastic read.

Author Info:

Cindy Fazzi was born and raised in the Philippines. She has worked as a journalist in the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. Her two decades of experience as a news reporter, writer, and editor includes working for the Associated Press.

Her first romance novella, In His Corner, written under the pen name Vina Arno, was published by Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing. It’s scheduled for release on April 14, 2015.

Her short stories have been published in Snake Nation Review, Copperfield Review, and SN Review. She’s the author of a series of four nonfiction children’s books about the Philippines, Peru, Pakistan, and Ireland, published in 2005 by the Rosen Publishing Group. The books were part of a series called A Kid’s Guide to Drawing the Countries of the World.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Ateneo de Manila University and a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University. She lives in picturesque Utah with her husband, Vincent, and their daughter, Nina.

For More Information

Visit Vina’s website.

Connect with Vina on Facebook

*****

Baked Fresh

by Annabeth Albert

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

From its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…

For More Information

Baked Fresh is available at Amazon.

Author Info:

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

For More Information

Visit Annabeth’s website.

*****

Second Chances

by Stacy Finz

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

Nugget, California, is a spot-in-the-road that’s easy to miss. But this little mountain town knows how to give the struggling and discouraged many paths back to happiness—and love…

Reporter Harlee Roberts is used to finding the story, not living it. Unfortunately, losing her dream job and glittering city life means she needs a serious rewrite. Downtime at her parents’ cabin in Nugget is a break she could really use. But the less her rugged woodworker neighbor has to say to her, the more Harlee’s natural curiosity is piqued, and the more she wants exclusive access—to his heart…

Nugget’s open spaces and mountain quiet are the perfect refuge for Colin Burke. All he wants is solitude, to mind his own business—and for Harlee to mind hers. Still, her live-wire personality and take-no-prisoners commitment to those she cares about are a temptation pulling him way too close. Is their connection strong enough to survive his secrets—and risk a future together?

For More Information

Second Chances is available at Amazon.

Author Info:

Stacy Finz is an award-winning journalist. After more than seventeen years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns for the San Francisco Chronicle, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction. In 2012 she won the Daphne du Maurier Award for unpublished single-title mystery/suspense. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband.

For More Information

Visit Stacy’s website

Connect with Stacy on Twitter and Facebook

*****

A Taste of Sauvignon

by Heather Heyford

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

Join Heather Heyford as she returns to Napa for a third taste in her series following three wine heiresses, each as vibrant and unique as the grapes for which they were named…

Sauvignon St. Pierre has always been fiercely ambitious. She easily could’ve cashed in on her family’s fortune, but instead, she struck out on her own, breezed through law school, and landed a job at a small firm in Napa. Savvy’s life is as tidy and straightforward as her sizable collection of little black dresses, and she likes it that way—but every now and then, she can’t help but long for her first sip of love…

After a chance encounter with Esteban Morales, the caliente son of Papa St. Pierre’s long-time rival, something inside Savvy wakes up. It could be that Esteban’s interest in cultivating lavender appeals to her passion for perfumery. But there’s something else about the charming but down-to-earth farmer that she simply can’t resist. They both know their families are an unlikely pairing, but together, Savvy and Esteban just may be the ideal varietals for a perfect blend…

For More Information

A Taste of Sauvignon is available at Amazon.

Author Info:

Born in the Northeast, Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. (“Ya’ll want some scones?”) While in Europe, Heather was forced by her cruel parents to spend Saturdays in the leopard vinyl back seat of their Peugeot, motoring from one medieval pile to the next for the lame purpose of ‘learning something.’ What she soon learned was how to allay the boredom by stashing a Cosmo under the seat. Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic. She is represented by the Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA, @nyliterary) in New York City. The first book in her Napa Wine Heiresses Series from Kensington Publishing, A Taste of Chardonnay, is now available in print and ebook on Amazon and B&N!

For More Information

Visit Heather’s website

Connect with Heather on Facebook

*****

Men Like This

by Roxanne Smith

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

Can she trust a man who pretends for a living?

Horror author Quinn Buzzly knows all about the dark side, but when she meets actor Jack Decker, she’s moved to explore something completely different—at least on paper. With his sexy good looks, intriguing manner, and charming Irish-tinged English accent, Jack is the perfect model for her next hero. Quinn decides to spend one year in London writing a historical romance inspired by him. Until real life butts in…

Jack’s jealous ex-fiancée sparks a media storm when she accuses him and Quinn of having an affair. But Jack knows how to play this game. At his insistence, Quinn agrees to go along with the faux romance until the chatter subsides. Then they’ll stage a quiet breakup and go their separate ways. Yet Jack is a shameless—and irresistibly convincing—flirt, and Quinn has to remind herself it’s an act. Or is it? If Jack means business, he’ll have to find the words to convince a wordsmith that their love is the real thing…

For More Information

Men Like This is available at Amazon.

Author Info:

Men Like This, is my debut novel, the first story in a series of three I’ve decided to call Long Shot Romance–long odds and stubborn hearts make love a thing to fight for. I’ve always loved characters who surprise me and make me laugh, with just a tad of the dramatic tossed in, and I hope that’s something I’ve been able to do for my readers. So much of what inspires me comes from the unexpected; the fork in the road you might trip over. Life takes funny turns and there’s not much you can do but hang on.

Most of us pick up a pen with the understanding that the odds are against us. It’s a dream. I decided in my early twenties to take writing seriously and try. With trying came falling flat on my face more times than I can count, but there’s always something to be gained from effort, and I took that and ran with it like I was a wide receiver gunning for the end zone at the bottom of the fourth on Superbowl Sunday. Lots of revising, rewriting, and tears between then and now, and a whole stack of friends and family at my back.

I’m a mom and wife before I’m an author, which is just as well. You can’t leave the little people behind once you’ve ascended to greatness. Remember where you came from. My kids are my two favorite people. They’re weird and hilarious. They’re at that age where they’re forming into something unique and apart from everyone else. They’re developing self. It’s probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced as a parent so far, right up there with teaching them bathroom independence. A teen parent twice over, I’ve done just as much growing as they have in the last decade, and I’ve done it with the perfect partner–married 11 years and still arguing over who gets to drive the hypothetical Corvette.

For More Information

Visit Roxanne’s website

Connect with Roxanne on Facebook and Twitter

*****

Tour Info:

April 3

Books featured at Romantic Reads and Such

April 7

Books featured at Review From Here

April 8

Books featured at Literal Exposure

April 10