The last thing any professional hockey player wants is to be the old man in the game. The guy who doesn’t know when it’s time to retire. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the game.
This past year I’ve reflected on all my regrets, and I told myself that once I retire it’ll be the time to settle down and start a family. But this is where it gets tricky.
I think I’ve found herโmy Mrs. Although she’ll deny our connection to anyone who asks. We’ve been sleeping together casually and since I’m still playing hockey, I’ve let her get what she wantsโmeโwhenever she wants.
After being told my career as a player is over, the owner of Florida Fury grants me a shot to stay in the game. A coaching position I didn’t know I wanted until it was offered. The catch? He’s also passing the family business down to his daughter.
Who’s his daughter?
The woman who’s been in and out of my bed for the past year. Which means the woman I intend to make my wife is now my new boss.ย
I’m sure returning readers already have an investment in Jana & Kane’s HEA but as a new reader I enjoyed it as well – and didn’t feel too left out not having that background. Both characters are strong and pretty sure they know what they want out of life. Which has them bumping heads just as much as … more enjoyable activities. Forced to work together as owner & coach, their relationship changes but it’s hard to turn off the attraction so things quickly get complicated.
While I really liked Jana & Kane (individually and as a couple) and enjoyed their story, there were a couple of suspension of disbelief moments for me. The fact that Kane went from player to head coach in an instant is a little much, definitely something he normally would have worked up to. Jana as new owner is a little easier to understand as she’s been heading there her entire life. Also they both had reasons for not wanting certain things relationshipwise but that changes towards the end and the way it is handled felt a bit rushed to me. Overall though, I liked the book and the way Piper Rayne delivers it, so I’ll definitely be looking for more stories to add to my TBR pile.
*****
Author Info:
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
Welcome to Four Corners Ranch, where the west is still wildโฆand when a cowboy needs a wife, he decides to find her the old-fashioned way.
Cowboy Sawyer Garrett has no intention of settling down. But when he becomes a single dad to tiny baby June, stepping up to the responsibility is non-negotiable. And so is finding a wife to be a mother to his infant daughter. So he decides to do it how the pioneers did: He puts out an ad for a mail order bride.
Evelyn Moore canโt believe sheโs agreed to uproot her city life to marry a stranger in Oregon. But having escaped one near-disastrous marriage, sheโs desperate for change. Her love for baby June is instant. Her feelings for Sawyer are more complicated. Her gruff cowboy husband ignites thrilling desire in her, but Sawyer is determined to keep their marriage all about the baby. But what happens if Evelyn wants it all?
โThereโs no way around it. Iโm going to need a wife.โ
Sawyer Garrett looked across the table at his brother, Wolf, and his sister, Elsie, and then down at the tiny pink bundle he was holding in his arms.
It wasnโt like this was an entirely new idea.
It was just that he had been thinking the entire time that Missy might change her mind, which would put him in a different position. She hadnโt, though. She had stuck to her guns. When she found out she was pregnant, she told him that she wanted nothing to do with having a baby. She wanted to go through with the pregnancy, but not with being a mother. Not even when he proposed marriage. Oh, they hadnโt been in a relationship or anything like that. She was just a woman that he saw from time to time.
In fact, Sawyer Garrett could honestly say that he had a very low opinion of relationships and family.
Present company excluded, of course.
But when Missy had said she was pregnant, heโd known there was only one thing to do. His dad had been a flawed man. Deeply so. Heโd acted like the kids were an afterยญthought and all heโd really done was let them live under his roof.
Sawyer wanted more for his child. Better. Heโd deterยญmined he would be there, not just providing housing and food, but actually being there.
If he could spare his child the feeling of being unwanted, he would.
And that was where this idea had been turning over in his head for a while.
The fact of the matter was, Garrettโs Watch had a lousy track record when it came to marriage.
The thirteen-thousand-acre spread had been settled back in the late 1800s, with equal adjoining spreads settled by the Kings, the McClouds and the Sullivans, all of whom had now worked what was known in combination as Four Corners Ranch in the generations since.
And where the Garrett clan was concernedโฆ There was nothing but a long history of abandonment and divorces. The one exception being Sawyerโs grandparents. Oh, not his grandfatherโs first marriage. His biological grandmother had run off just like every other woman in their family tree. As if the ground itself was cursed.
But then the old man had happened upon an idea. He thought to write a letter to one of the newspapers back east asking for a woman who wanted to come out to Oregon and be a mother to his children. Theyโd had the only successful marriage in his direct line. And it was because it was based on mutual respect and understanding and not the emotional bullshit that had been a hallmark of his own childhood. He barely remembered his own mother. He remembered Wolfโs and Elsieโs, though. Two different women. Only around for a small number of years.
Just long enough to leave some scars.
Hell, he didnโt know how he wound up in this position. He was a man who liked to play hard. He worked hard. It seemed fair enough. But he was careful. He always used a condom. And Missy had been no exception. Heโd just been subject to that small percentage of failure. Failure.
He hated that. He hated that feeling. He hated that word. If there was one thing he could fault his father for it was the fact that the man hadnโt taken charge. The fact that he just sat there in the shit when everything went to hell. That wasnโt who Sawyer was. But Sawyer had to be responsiยญble for his siblings far sooner than he shouldโve had to be, thanks in part due to his fatherโs passivity. If there was one thing Sawyer had learned, it was that you had to be responยญsible when responsibility was needed.
He wasnโt a stranger to failing people in his life, but unlike his father, heโd learned. Heโd never let anyone who needed him down, not again.
โMarriage,โ Wolf said. โReally.โ
โUnless you and Elsie want a full-time job as a nanny.โ
Elsie snorted, leaned back in her chair and put her boots up on the tableโwhich she didnโt normally do, but she was just trying to be as feral as possible in the moment. โNot likely,โ she said.
โRight. Well. So, do you think thereโs a better idea?โ
โReconsider being a single father?โ Wolf said.
โI am,โ Sawyer said. โIโm aiming to find a wife.โ
Wolf shook his head. โI mean, reconsider having a baby at all.โ
A fierce protectiveness gripped Sawyerโs chest. โItโs a little late, donโt you think?โ
โWasnโt too late for Missy to walk away yesterday,โ Wolf said.
โToo late for me,โ Sawyer said.
It had been. From the moment heโd first heard her cry. The weight ofโฆ Of everything that he felt on his shoulders when this tiny little thing was placed into his arms. It was difficult to describe. Impossible. He wasnโt good with feelยญings when they were simple. But this was complicated. A burden, but one he grabbed hold of willingly. One he felt simultaneously uniquely suited for and completely unequal to. He didnโt know the first thing about babies. Yeah, he had done quite a bit to take care of Elsie and Wolf, andโฆ He could see where heโd fallen short. Elsie was just a hair shy of a bobcat in human form, and Wolf suited his name, and, wellโฆbig, a little bit dangerous, loyal to his pack, but that was about it.
โItโs not too late,โ Elsie said. โIn the strictest sense. You havenโt even given her name.โ
No. It was true. He hadnโt settled on anything yet. And he knew there was paperwork that he had to do.
โYou want me to give her back?โ He shook his head. โItโs not like I have a receipt, Els.โ
โThatโs not what I meant,โ Elsie said. โItโs justโฆ Itโs a hard life here.โ
โAnd I aim to make it a little less hard.โ
โSo, youโre going toโฆ What? Put an ad in the paper?โ
โGranddad did,โ he said.
And it had changed their lives for the better. The history of Garrettโs Watch might be rich with failed love stories, but it was a marriage of convenience that had brought real love to the ranch.
Their grandmotherโtheir real grandmother (blood didnโt matter here, staying mattered)โhad loved them all with a ferocity their own mothers hadnโt managed, let alone their father.
She had taught Sawyer to tie his shoes and ride a bike. Sheโd hugged him when heโd fallen and scraped his knees.
She taught him tenderness. And he was damned grateยญful for it now, because he had this tiny life in his care, and if it werenโt for her, he would have never, ever known where to begin.
And thanks to his grandfather, he knew what else he might need.
However crazy his siblings thought it was.
โItโs not 1950,โ Wolf pointed out.
Though, sometimes, on Four Corners you could be forยญgiven for not realizing that. For not realizing it wasnโt 1880, even.
Time passed slowly, and by and large the landscape didnโt change. Sure, the farm implements got a little bit shinier.
On a particularly good year, the savings account got a little bit fatter.
But the land itself remained. The large imposing mounยญtains that surrounded the property that backed Garrettโs Watch. The river that ran through the property, cutting across the field and the base of the mountain. The pine trees, green all through the year, growing taller with the passage of time.
They were lucky to have done well enough in the last few years that the large main house was completely upยญdated, though it was ridiculously huge for Sawyer by himยญself. Wolf and Elsie had gone to their own cabins on the property, which were also sturdy and well kept.
In truth, this whole thing with the baby had been a wake-up call. Because whether or not he could look out the winยญdow and see it, time was passing. And when Missy had asked him what he wanted to do about the baby, the anยญswer had seemed simple. It had seemed simple becauseโฆ He had no excuse. He had plenty of money, and had the sort of life that meant he could include a kid in most anyยญthing. His dad had done him a favor by showing him what not to do. They were largely left to their own devices, but it was a great place to be left to your devices. And heโd had to ask himselfโฆ What was he hanging on to? A life of going out drinking whenever he wanted, sleeping with whoever he wanted.
He was at the age where it wasnโt all that attractive, not anymore.
Thirty-four and with no sign of change on the horizon. In the end, he decided to aim for more. To take the change that was coming whether he was ready or not.
Turns out not very ready. But again, that was where his plan came in.
โIโm aware that is not 1950,โ he shot back at his brother. โI canโฆsign up for aโฆ A website.โ
As if he knew how the hell to do that. They had a comยญputer. Hell, he had a smartphone. They had a business to manage and it made sense. But the fact remained, he didnโt have a lot of use for either.
Elsie cackled, slinging her boots off the table and flipยญping her dark braid over her shoulder. โA website? I donโt think people swipe on their phones looking for marriage. I think they look forโฆ Well, stuff you seem to be able to find without the help of the internet.โ
His sister wasnโt wrong. He found sex just fine withยญout the help of his phone. That was what Smokeyโs Tavยญern was for.
โThe way I see it,โ Sawyer said, speaking as if Elsie hadnโt spoken, which as far as he was concerned was the way it should be with younger siblings, โmarriage can work, relationships can work, as long as you have the same set of goals as the other person. Itโs all these modern idealsโฆ Thatโs what doesnโt work.โ
โWhich modern ideals?โ Elsie asked. โThe kind that saw every woman in our bloodline leaving every man in our bloodline all the way back to when people were riding around in horse-drawn carriages?โ
โYes,โ he said. โThat is what I mean. People thinkยญing that they needed to marry for something other thanโฆcommon need.โ
He was pretty sure his grandparents had loved each other in the end. But it reminded him of something other than roยญmance. It reminded him of his connection to the land. You cared for that which cared for you. It sustained you. You worked it, and the dirt got under your nails. The air was in your lungs. It became part of you. Of all that you were.
That was something better than romance.
Excerpted from Unbridled Cowboy by Maisey Yates. Copyright ยฉ 2022 by Maisey Yates. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
*****
Author Info:
Maisey Yates is a New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred romance novels. Whether she’s writing strong, hard working cowboys, dissolute princes or multigenerational family stories, she loves getting lost in fictional worlds. An avid knitter with a dangerous yarn addiction and an aversion to housework, Maisey lives with her husband and three kids in rural Oregon. Check out her website, maiseyyates.com or find her on Facebook.
Especially when the player is the sinfully handsome, foul-mouthed Holden Sandersโฆ my new library assistant.
The benched bad boy needed an image makeover, I needed to save my job, and his star status was just what the library ordered to raise awareness for our fundraising campaign. The press canโt get enough of Mr. Growly reading to kids.
It’s win-win and completely platonic.
Until I need a shoulder to cry on after drowning my heartbreak in too many margaritas. I only typed that invitation to his brawny biceps and perfect pectorals for funโI never meant to hit send. Holden isnโt the kind of guy to care about tears and feelings, least of all mine. Heโs made it clear good girls arenโt his type.
But he shows upโwith his strapping shoulder, a box of tissues and a supersized bag of Doritos.
Thatโs when I realize thereโs more to him than meets the eye.
One soulful, smoldering mistake of a kiss has me craving more, and the heat between us quickly builds to a blaze neither of us can control.
But Iโm not the only one guarding secrets, and Holdenโs might push us to the breaking point.
Even if Iโm surrounded by books, I know better than to believe in storybook endings.
And yet, I want to believe… Because I know he’s a keeper.
โMare, I had no idea what I was in for when you stormed out of the library that day, looking to kill me for skirting my parental responsibilities.โ
She squints, then her expression turns wry. โIโd never kill a person.โ She tilts her head from side to side, considering. โWell, unless you burned a book.โ
Nodding, I kiss her softly. โI respect that. And I want you to know you can trust me. I know people have left you behind in your past, but I hope you believe me when I tell you Iโm not going anywhere. Iโm here for you.โ As I say the words, I believe theyโre true. If I move to England, I hope she loves me enough to come with me. Even if she hasnโt said the words.
I donโt know what Iโm expecting. Maybe relief or acknowledgment that sheโs not going anywhere either. I want to believe she feels the same way.
I donโt expect her forehead to crease and her eyes to glisten with tears, which swell until they can no longer be contained and roll down her cheeks before she buries her face in my shoulder.
Turning us to the side, I wrap her in my arms, as the flow of tears turns to quiet sobs. I smooth her hair and give her the outlet she needs, even though I feel guilty for making her cry.
With a sniff, she leans her head away and meets my gaze. Her wet eyes glisten above pink cheeks. I wipe a remaining tear away with the pad of my thumb and rub her back gently.
โIโm sorry. I didnโt mean to make you cry.โ
โYou didnโt,โ she whispers, wiping her eyes. A moment later she laughs at the lie. โIt was stuck inside me. You just let it out.โ She exhales, tucking the emotions away.
โYou okay?โ I want to tread carefully until I know where she is in her head.
Nodding, she reaches for my cheek and cups the side of my face. โThank you for saying that. Iโd never ask that of you, but thank you. I love you. So much.โ
Iโve been waiting to hear those words. For a moment, Iโm convinced that everything between us can stay this easy. Weโre both cautious, but we can cross each new line together. It feels powerful to be able to do that with her.
โI know youโd never ask. Thatโs why I said it. I wanted you to know.โ
โIโm not going anywhere either.โ
Iโm struck by a foreign but welcome feeling, a realization that I canโt go backward now. I canโt be okay without her in my world. I need to tell her about the Premier League, but it can wait another day. She likes to live in the present.
She loves me.
Everything between us is still so fragile and new and good. I donโt want anything to change us.
One more day wonโt hurt.
*****
Review:
Either Molly works some magic on him or Holden isn’t as much of a grump as he pretends to be, because he’s pretty awesome, in a gruff and foul-mouthed kinda way. He wooed me just as much as he wooed her, every step of the way. And, though I’m surprised that Molly hadn’t found a way to address her problems up to this point, I’m happy that it brought these two together.
He’s a Keeper is definitely that – the characters are fun, their interactions are adorable (and hot), and it’s an easy read to a feel good ending. And while you can see the drama coming a mile away, I appreciate the way that Travis has them evaluate their feelings and come back together. It’s a satisfying HEA to a satisfying story and I’m definitely looking forward to what is coming up next with this series.
*****
Author Info:
Itโs a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we canโt make it to the beach. Iโve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if Iโm doing it right, Iโm bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy.
I canโt sit still, so when Iโm not hiking, biking or running, Iโm playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.
In this delightful new Regency romance from New York Times bestseller Candace Camp, a feisty commoner and a ruthless aristocrat spar in all the right ways.
Noelle Rutherford would do anything for her young son, Gil. A fiercely independent woman recently widowed, Noelle is determined to raise Gil alone. After all, her late husband Adam Rutherford married her for love, which infuriated his aristocratic family. Gil is Noelleโs whole world, and she will not have him wrested from her by haughty nobles.
But she may not have a choice unless sheโs prepared to run.
One awful night, Noelle is confronted by Carlisle Thorne, a handsome yet severe, irascible man sent by the Rutherfords. Noelle is horrified when Carlisle offers her money in exchange for taking Gil to be raised at the Rutherford estate, Stonecliffe. Knowing that Carlisle will use any means necessary to take her son from her, Noelle flees, Gil at her side.
Thus begins an epic rivalry that spans five yearsโa battle of wits between two unforgettable characters bound together by fate and fortune. However, when danger threatens, these enemies must come together to protect what matters mostโฆ even if it means losing their hearts.
Noelle gazed down at the sleeping baby. How were they to live?
At first she had been too numb to think, moving through the past few days in a dazed state, unable to believe that this was real. Adam was too young, too full of life to die. Why had he been so reckless? And why, dear God, why had she argued with him that night?
She shivered. Their home was still and silent, empty of his laughter, his words, even his scowls or curses when his work went badly. Noelle wished she could return to her earlier befogged state. But this morning, as she had stood at his graveside, the Paris sky fitยญtingly gray and drizzling, her heart had accepted what her mind refused to the past three days. Never again would she see her husbandโs smile or feel the touch of his lips on hers.
But she could not allow herself to sink into a morass of grief. She had a baby to care for. As she watched her child sleep, a fierce surge of protectiveness rose in her. She must face the harsh truths, the bitter reality, for Gilโs sake. There was no one to solve her problemsโor even to give her advice.
Adamโs artist friends? His models? They were all as penniless as she was. Her father was far away in Oxยญford, and in any case, he was an impoverished academic who could barely manage to support himself. Even less likely to help was Adamโs aristocratic father, who had been so opposed to Adam marrying โbeneath himโ that he cut his son out of his life.
Noelle glanced around their flat, forcing herself to take stock of her situation. There was no money here. Noelle had used the pittance she had stashed away just to pay for Adamโs burial and the small headstoneโand oh, how it hurt that a man of his artistry should have so little to mark his passing! The butcher refused to sell anything to her until she paid their bill. The wine merchant was already dunning themโthat was what set off her argument with Adam and sent him storming out into the night. The flat itself was paid only through the end of the next week, and their landlord was a hard man who would not care that he was tossing a widow and a fatherless baby into the street.
It was enough to make her dissolve into sobs, but Noelle had cried so much the last few days that she was utterly drained of tears, and in any case, it would do no good. Crying never solved anything. She must think of what to do. Madame Bissonet would take her back at the millinery where Noelle had worked before Gil was born. Noelle had been a good clerk as well as an excellent model for Madameโs hats, not to mention the added benefit of being able to converse with English customers.
But how was she to work thereโor anywhereโwith a small baby? She could hardly carry an infant about the showroom with her or take time from making bonยญnets to feed and tend to him. Even if she could find a way to do so, the money she could earn would be very little. They had always lived on the stipend Adamโs famยญily sent him despite his estrangement from them. Noยญelleโs salary had merely helped make ends meet when Adamโs extravagant spending sent them into dun terriยญtory. It wouldnโt be enough to live on. And she had no hope that the Rutherfords would continue to provide Adamโs much-disliked widow any aid after his death.
She could sell Adamโs work. She looked across the room to where his easel stood by the window. Finished paintings crowded all around itโthe fruit of his genius, the rich glimpses into his soulโsome dark and stormy, others visions of stunning beauty, and all of them comยญpelling. It made her heart ache to think of letting them go, but she would have to try to sell at least some of them. That would bring in enough to live for a while, but he had been able to sell too few of them in the past for her to think she would be able to reap any great sums. They were worth far more to her than they ever would be to someone else.
Noelle turned away, going to the alcove that served as their bedroom, and began to take off the black dress she had worn to Adamโs funeral. Adam would have hated that; he had always said she was suited only for color. She had but one black dress. It was old and unยญcomfortably tight across her breasts, so full now since the baby was born. Tossing it onto the bed, she pulled on the bright silk wrapper Adam had bought her. It was far too extravagant, as were so many of the things that he bought, but it was soft and comfortably loose, and it made her feel closer to Adam.
Taking an ornate box from the dresser, she sat down on the bed and opened it. The jewelry Adam had bought her was the most valuable asset she possessed. She began to pull out the pieces, laying them out on the bed beside her. The diamond earrings Adam had given her when Gil was born. Gold bangles. An enameled brooch. A jeweled hairpin that looked like a dragonยญfly. Pendants, earrings. That foolish narrow ruby-and-diamond tiara that Noelle would never attend anything formal enough to wear.
Indeed, she would never wear most of them. She had protested time and again that Adam spent too much on jewels and clothes for her; it would have been far more useful for him to pay the rent. But Adam was the son of an earl, and heโd never completely adjusted to his new financial circumstances. He would complain about his lack of funds and call the monthly payment he received from England โblood money.โ He would make periodic vows to follow a budget. But then he would see someยญthing he wanted, and he would buy it on the spot, withยญout regard to the price.
That first bracelet heโd given her, she had promptly handed back to him, saying heatedly that she was not the sort of girl to accept such a present from a man. She smiled to herself, stroking her finger over the delicate chain of sapphire flowers. Adam had kept it and presented it to her again after they married, smiling in that irresistible, mischievous way of his and saying he believed she could accept it now.
Noelle swallowed the lump in her throat and fastened the bracelet on her wrist, holding her arm out to adยญmire it. She pulled out the matching necklace that heโd given her on their first anniversary. Going to the mirยญror, she fastened it around her neck. She smoothed her finger over the delicate stones, remembering the way he looked as he gave it to her. Tears welled in her eyes.
A thunderous knock sounded at the door, breaking into her reverie. Whirling, she ran for the door in the futile hope she might keep the visitor from waking the baby. But, naturally, Gil began to howl, his tiny face screwing up and turning red. In exasperation, she flung the door open.
A tall, lean man stood outside her door, his strong-boned face set in a stony expression and his eyes the cold gray of a winter storm. His brown hair had no silยญver to it, but his fierceness gave him an authority that his age, and even his obvious peerage, didnโt.
Noelle took an instinctive step back. The manโs eyes flicked down her and beyond to the cradle. โI believe your child is crying.โ
โNot until you started banging on the door.โ Her temยญper flashed at his tone. Turning, Noelle scooped Gil up and held him against her chest, murmuring soothing noises. When she pivoted back to the door, she saw that the man had walked into the room uninvited and closed the door behind him. He stood there silently, his coolly assessing gaze roaming over the small living quarters.
His eyes fell on the unmade bed, the contents of the jewelry box spread across it, and his lips lifted in a sneer. โSorry to disturb you. I can see that you are deep inโฆum, sorrow.โ
His tone gave a sarcastic twist to the words that made them sting and brought a flush of embarrassment to Noยญelleโs cheeks even as they angered her. โWho are you? What do you want?โ
Suspicion of the manโs identity was already tickling at the back of her mind. English, aristocratic, contempยญtuousโฆand surely she had seen a charcoal drawing of this man among Adamโs sketches.
โI am Carlisle Thorne. I am a friend of the Rutherยญford family.โ
โI see.โ Adam had spoken of him several times. Though not related to Adam by blood, Thorne had been the earlโs ward. He had lived with Adamโs family for some time and had been something of an older brother to him. When Adam first mentioned him, it had been with affection, but after their marriage, his references to the man had turned bitter. Adam had believed Thorne would intercede with his father, but instead he had, like the earl, opposed the marriage.
Noelle remembered well the letter Adam had reยญceived from Carlisle Thorne. Heโd torn it up and flung it on the ground, but Noelle had pieced it together and read it: It is entirely understandable, even expected, that you should dally with the lasses while you are at university, but it is out of the question for a man of your heritage to marry one of these common girls.
It had only exposed the manโs arrogance and narrow mind, but the words had made Noelle feel ashamed. Even now, she could remember the pang of hurt, asยญsuaged only partially by Adamโs fierce denouncement of Thorne.
It was not surprising that this icy man was the auยญthor of that missive. She felt sure his opinion of her had not changed. Certainly, she had no liking for him. But still, she could not help but feel a quiver of hope. Thorne had been something of an emissary between Adamโs father and his renounced son in the past; the earl had sent Adam his monthly stipend through Thorne. If the earl had sent Thorne himself to pay a visit, surely that meant he would help his sonโs widow and child, no matยญter what he thought of Noelle herself.
Thorneโs gaze went to the bundle in Noelleโs arms. Gil had once again fallen asleep against her chest. Thorne shifted awkwardly, tilting his head to look at the babyโs face. โIs thisโฆโ
โYes. This is Gil. Adamโs son.โ
He gave a short nod and turned away. For a moment Noelle thought he was about to simply walk out the door, but then he swiveled back to face her. โI am here to return Adam to his family.โ
โReturn him to his family! They would not accept Adam when he was alive, but now that my husband has died, they want his body?โ Noelle flared. โItโs a trifle late, isnโt it?โ
His eyes darkened and for the first time it was fire, not ice, that flared from them. โI am well aware that I did not arrive in time to save Adam from the disastrous consequences of his marriage to you.โ
Noelle drew in a sharp breath, shocked. โAre you implying that I harmed Adam?โ
โI am implying nothing. I am saying plainly what we both knowโif he had not run off with you, Adam would be alive today.โ His words pierced her, and Noelle could say nothing as he continued, โI will regret to my dying day that I did not keep him out of your clutches. But I am not too late to save his son.โ
Tears sprang into her eyes, and Noelle turned away to hide them from him. She laid Gil back in his little bed, buying herself time to force down the pain and anger that threatened to swamp her. She hated this arrogant man. But she had to think of her son. She must take care of him, and Carlisle Thorne was the only person who might do that. If he was offering to provide supยญport for Adamโs baby, then she must accept it, no matยญter how humiliating, no matter how much it galled her.
Not looking at him, carefully keeping her voice drained of emotion, she said, โAnd how do you proยญpose to do that?โ
โAh. Yes. Now we are at the heart of the matter, arenโt we? No need for any pretense; you are ready to bargain. What is your price?โ
โMy price?โ She turned to face him, confused. Was she supposed to figure out how much it would cost to raise her child? And what an odd way to put it. โIโIโm not sureโโ
โYou must have a number in mind. What will you take to give me Adamโs son?โ
Noelle stared at him, stunned. โYou want to buy my baby?โ
โIf you want to call it that.โ He frowned. โDid you expect me to hand over a pile of banknotes and leave him here with you? To let the earlโs grandson be raised inโฆโ he gestured vaguely around the apartment โโฆin this? In the sort of life you will lead? No. I can assure you I will not. The earl is his legal guardian, as you must know. The child will be earl one day, and he shall be raised at Stonecliffe, just as Adam was, in the care of his grandmother and grandfather. You will take the money and be on your way. A thousand pounds.โ
โNo,โ Noelle said weakly. She was too shocked to put her thoughts into order. He could not really expect her to sell him her child.
His mouth tightened. โTwo thousand, then. Youโll have money, your jewelry, your clothes, and you wonโt have the burden of a child. Even a woman of your face and form would find it difficult to attract a protector with a baby in tow. Here.โ He reached inside his jacket to pull out a small pouch. โI havenโt that much in coin with me. I will have to visit the bank. But here is a deยญposit on that.โ He tossed the pouch down on the table. โIโll return tomorrow for the boy.โ
Excerpted from An Affair at Stonecliffe by Candace Camp. Copyright ยฉ 2022 by Candace Camp. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
*****
Author Info:
Candace Camp is a New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels of contemporary and historical romance. She grew up in Texas in a newspaper family, which explains her love of writing, but she earned a law degree and practiced law before making the decision to write full-time. She has received several writing awards, including the RT Book Reviews Lifetime Achievement Award for Western Romances. Visit her at http://www.candace-camp.com.
Rowe brings a story that balances suspense, danger, and emotion. WIth Caleb not being able to remember anything about his life before he wakes up hurt and surrounded by rubble, he’s running on pure instinct. It also allows him the opportunity to embrace the man he is at heart and not just who time and circumstance has turned him into. WIth the help of Jenna and her spunky daughter Gracie, Caleb has to work fast to figure out who he is and why someone wants him dead.
Overall I enjoyed this book (although there may be a bit too much of instalove for some), and it can definitely be read on its own, but I think that it would have even more of an impact for someone who has read the series. It seems that each of the Stockton’s has had to fight to let go of their childhood and find their way back again. With Caleb being the last to return, there is probably a lot more feels for someone who has been there every story. I’m not saying not to give it a shot, but maybe start at the beginning – if the rest of the books are anything like this one, you should be set on reading materials for a while ๐
*****
Author Info:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is both “contemporary romance at its best” (Bex ‘N’ Books) and a “paranormal star” (JR Ward). The author of more than fifty novels, Stephanie is a 2021 Vivian Award Nominee, and a 2018 winner and a five-time nominee for the RITAยฎ award, the highest awards in romance fiction. As an award-winning author, Stephanie has been touching readers’ hearts and keeping them spellbound for more than a decade with her contemporary romances, romantic suspense, and paranormal romances. For more info on Stephanie, visit http://www.stephanierowe.com, follow her on Facebook: @StephanieRoweBooks, Twitter: @stephanierowe2, and Instagram: @stephanierowe2.
My new boss is my best friendโs older brother and the golden boy of Paradise Shores.ย
Me? I’m the misfit single mom who never wanted to fit in…ย
Being forced to move back to my hometown after a decade away is embarrassing, but Iโll do anything to protect my little girl.
Iโll even wait tables at the elite Yacht Clubโฆ now owned by the boy I once had a huge crush on. Heโs grown up and claimed his rightful place as King of Paradise Shores.
Parker Marchand was a star athlete and professional sailor who never looked at me twice. Heโs strong and steady, everything my abusive ex wasn’t, but I’m a struggling single mom and professional screw-up. What could we possibly have in common?
But Parker doesn’t believe in no win situations. He wants to be my knight in shining armor.
His plan: Charm my daughter. Take me sailing. Out to dinner…and into his bed.ย
Make me forget everyone but him.
The man Iโve always wanted is within reach, but I’ve been burned too many times to trust again. Parker has a brilliant future and Iโm running from my past.
Everyone knows knights in shining armor aren’t real, and Iโm too old to believe in fairy tales. Even if Parker is making it hard not toโฆ
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He smiles, slow and wide, and lowers his head. โNo,โ he says, and then he kisses me. Itโs salty and warm and water drips from his hair onto my temple, cold against my flushed skin.
My eyes are still closed when he pulls away. โThere,โ he murmurs. โNot too little, not too much. We did it right this time.โ
โDonโt Goldilocks this, Marchand.โ
He chuckles hoarsely and then doesnโt make another sound, not as I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss him again. Itโs intoxicating being this close to him.
And just like last time, he becomes a stranger under my lips. Familiar and yet novel, an entirely new landscape to explore. Parker and yet not Parker.
โJamie,โ he murmurs, his hands finding my waist beneath the towel.
My hands settle against his chest. His bare chest. Heโs warm and hard under my hands, skin deceptively soft over the strong muscle beneath.
โJamie,โ he murmurs again, moving his lips to my ear. He laughs softly. โWeโre in the middle of the boardwalk.โ
โOh,โ I whisper against his chest.
โI donโt mind, but I have a feeling you might. You know how this town talks.โ
โYes.โ I turn my head and peek past his shoulder. An SUV drives by us on Ocean Drive. โWhat do we do?โ
He rubs a large hand up and down my arms, as if to warm me. It sends a shiver down my back. โWeโll go home,โ he says, โand start our days, and do this again. When weโre alone.โ
โI like that plan,โ I say. My voice doesnโt sound like my own.
He smiles, small and crooked. โCome on, James. Youโre getting cold, and Iโm in danger of overheating.โ
*****
Review:
Parker really is the golden boy – patient, kind, and understanding right from the start. If you are looking for any growth from him, you aren’t going to get it, but there’s plenty on Jamie’s side to go around ๐ And I find it interesting that there are a number of reviews that didn’t like the book because of Jamie’s recovery from the abuse she’d received at the hands of her ex. I don’t know if they only want strong heroines … or those that quickly get over their troubles … or … I’m not sure. It’s not easy for her to get her confidence back. She feels like a failure for letting it go so long and still bears some of the emotional scars from his words. It’s hard for her to come home and face people she knows, people that seem to have everything together. With Parker’s help she starts to let go of some of her past, to realize she’s tougher than she thinks she is, and that she can start over with her daughter. It’s not easy for her and it does take some time, but she gets there.
Small Town Hero is a slow build but satisfying read about second chances and finding yourself again.
*****
Author Info:
Olivia is a twenty-something hopeless romantic who loves billionaires heroes despite never having met one. Taking matters into her own hands, she creates them on the page instead. Stern, charming, cold or brooding, so far she’s never met a (fictional) billionaire she didn’t like.
A voracious reader of romance, Olivia picked up the pen a few years back and what followed was a love affair of her own. Now she spends her days grinning at the steamy banter she’s writing or swooning at happily-ever-afters. Or, to be frank, struggling with writing about herself in third person for the purposes of marketing.ย โ
She’s been writing contemporary romance novels since 2018.
They’re all exclusively available on Amazon and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.ย
(Phew. Now I can go back to first-person love stories!)
A wedding planner, who has resigned herself to spinsterhood, organizesย other peopleโsย happy endings in this romantic new womenโs fiction fromย New York Timesย bestselling author Lori Foster.
A light, romantic family saga centered around Yardley Belangerโs country wedding planning business and her eccentric family, and set in a quirky small town with the unusual name of Cemetery, Indiana. (Sure, people have tried, but Betty Cemetery, who is descended from the town founders, will let the name be changedโฆover her dead body.)
At 31, Yardley Belanger is really good at her job as a wedding plannerโorganizing other peopleโs happy ever afters. Yardley doesnโt care that she has zero love life…all the eligible guys in Cemetery are men she grew up with, and none of them interest her anyway. Sheโs put her heart and soul into her business and has built a reputation specializing in country weddingsโcomplete with a cottage by the lake for honeymoonersโattracting happy couples and their families from all around.
Travis Long had to take on too much responsibility too soon. When their parents died, he took care of his younger sister, Sheena. For years, it was just them against the world. But now his baby sister is getting married, and Travis is struggling to accept this change. He thinks Todd isnโt good enough for Sheena, and without meaning to, Travis is noticebly judgmental of his sisterโs intended.
Travis and Sheena are in town to plan her country wedding. Travis wanted something classier for his sister, but then he meets Yardley. He notices she puts her heart and soul into everything, and that she really listens to what the bride wants. Yardley has this no-nonsense way of interpreting what his sister says and doesnโt say.
How the hell is he falling in love during wedding prep for his little sister?ย Easy. He never expected to meet someone like Yardley Belanger.
โMother, didnโt you plan to go out?โ It was nearing noon, and Aurora Belanger had yet to leave. Lilith, her motherโs sister, also lingered in the foyer right outside her office. It was as if they knew she had an appointment and they wanted to oversee the process. It was a fact that no matter how she succeeded, they expected her to fail, or sometimes they just disapproved of how she succeeded.
โWhy the rush?โ Aurora asked as she adjusted the V-neck of her sleeveless blouse to show more cleavage.
Granted, for an almost-fifty-year-old woman, her mother still had it. The problem was that she knew it, and she focused on looking sexy more than she did on making the business work. Yardley forced her mouth into a smile. โI thought you had some local honeymoon locations to scope out today.โ
โI donโt scope out locations. And stop slouching.โ
Automatically, Yardley straightened, but damn it, she hadnโt been slouching anyway. โSo, what would you call it?โ
โI visit, investigate, and collect valuable information that will enhance our clientsโ experiences.โ She shot Yardley a superior look. โItโs a key part of the business, you know. Certainly, the locations I suggest are more appropriate than that rustic Honeymoon Cottage you always recommend.โ
โThe cottage is amazing and you know it.โ
Aurora sniffed. โMost people are more interested in their honeymoon than the actual wedding.โ
Meaning her motherโs contributions were more valuable than Yardleyโs efforts? Baloney. She knew one thing though: Auroraโs choices were certainly more expensive. Folding her arms, Yardley said, โHuh. I guess a lot of happy clients didnโt realize that, because more than half choose the cottage, soโโ
โBecause itโs so disgustingly cheap,โ Aurora insisted.
โAffordable,โ Yardley countered, but why she bothered, she didnโt know. Theyโd disagreed on the point too many times to count.
โI need to leave soon for the cafรฉ,โ Aunt Lilith interrupted. She was four years Auroraโs senior, and though they shared similar features, she was more concerned with flaunting her intellect than her sex appeal. At least the niche, tea-parlor-type cafรฉ Lilith owned turned a small profit, even though theyโd transitioned from meeting prospective clients there to having them at the home office instead.
Lilith focused on Yardley with nerve-rattling acuity. โWhatever are you up to, Yardley? Do you have an appointment, hmm?โ
โYes, I do, and I need to prep for it. Soโฆ Iโll see you both later.โ She took a step back. Then another. Neither of them budged. Damn.
Lilith gave her a longer look. โDonโt you have something more appropriate to wear?โ
Looking down at her summer dress, Yardley frowned in consternation. It was one of her favorites. She adored the way the soft, flowing material gently draped her body. The skirt ended mid-calf, and it had just enough adornment to make it professional while still being comfortable. Plus Mimi had told her that the pretty blue floral pattern matched her eyes. โI love this dress.โ
โIt doesnโt scream professionalism,โ said her aunt.
โIโm not sure I want my clothes to scream.โ
Ignoring that, her aunt said, โYellow would be better for you, to offset your dark hair. Perhaps a business suit.โ
A yellow business suit? Sheโd look like a block of butter.
โNonsense,โ said her mother. โJust the opposite is true. It wouldnโt kill you to wear something a little less matronly.โ
โMy dress isnโt matronly.โ Was it? No, no, it was comfortable, damn it.
โYou have breasts. Even though theyโre small, you should showcase them.โ
Yardley started to sweat. โLook, both of youโโ
Aunt Lilith cut in. โOnly you, Aurora, would think she needed to be sexy to sell a wedding. If youโd furthered your education, as I did, instead of getting pregnant so youngโโ
โThat wasnโt my fault,โ Aurora gasped in affrontโas she always did when this debate got started.
โWell, it certainly wasnโt mine.โ Lilith scoffed. โI didnโt have unprotected sex.โ
โLikely because you, dear sister, have never experienced real passion.โ
Lilithโs face went red. โNo one said passion must equal an unwanted babyโno offense, Yardley.โ
Yardley obligingly replied, โNone taken.โ This whole argument was so old, she knew the lines by heart. There was always some variant of the same thing. Over and over again.
It infuriated Mimi. If her friend was here now, sheโd be blasting them both.
โI did the responsible thing,โ Aurora specified with flair. โI raised my daughter. Youโd probably have given her up.โ
โHow dare you?โ Lilith pointed one manicured finger Yardleyโs way. โI love Yardley.โ
โNow you do. But while I was carrying her?โ
โI was attempting to be the reasonable one.โ
โYou didnโt want her around, but now you try to claim her as your own.โ
โAt least I donโt advise her to show off her breasts!โ
Yardley lifted her phone to look at the timeโฆand then she heard two things. A man clearing his throat, and a young woman giggling.
OMG. Awash with humiliation, she turned to face her clientsโฆand holy crapola. Pretty sure her ovaries just danced.
Travis Long was a feast for the peepers. She knew because her eyes were gobbling him up from head to toe.
He wasnโt the intended, thank God, just the brother. Is he married?
Good Lord, why did she care? But she answered herself real quick as she took him in feature by feature. Sandy-blond hair, steaked by the sun.
Dark brown eyes, fringed by ridiculousโlike, really ridiculousโlong, thick lashes.
Broad muscled shoulders.
Lean torso.
Long, strong legs.
Of course he had to be married. Heโd probably had a dozen proposals by now. Some lucky woman would have snatched him up already.
Unlessโฆ Remembering her initial phone conversation, she thought maybe he was too aloof. Too unfriendly. A discerning woman wouldnโt be reeled in by mere good looks. Somehow she didnโt feel all that discerning right now.
Whatever this man does for a living, it works in his favor.
The young woman laughed aloud this time. โDonโt worry, Ms. Belanger. He has that effect on everyone.โ She nodded at Aurora and Lilith, and Yardley realized they were both gawking, too.
Appalled, Yardley loudly cleared her throatโand accomplished nothing. Her mother and aunt continued to stare.
โIโve told him he could have made more money as a model,โ the young woman said, โbut no, my brother went into construction instead.โ
Attempting to ignore the heat in her face, Yardley stepped forward, hand extendedโtoward the woman. Who would be her client. She was the one who mattered. โHello. You must be Ms. Long.โ
โSoon to be Mrs. Borden, with your help.โ
โOh, I do hope so. That I get to help, I mean. Not that you become Mrs. Borden. Iโm sure thatโs a foregone conclusion or you wouldnโt be here.โ Shut up, Yardley. โPlease, just call me Yardley.โ
โIf youโll call me Sheena.โ
Beside her, Travis shifted but said nothing. Compared to him, his sister looked extra petite. Her hair, lighter blond than Travisโs, hung just past her shoulders. They shared the same striking dark eyes and sinful lashes.
Sheena appeared to be just out of her teens. Maybe twenty or twenty-one. Young, excited, and brimming with optimism. Total opposite of her silent, possibly brooding, brother.
What could she say with her aunt and mother still eyeballing him as if theyโd never seen such a fine specimen before? Honestly, in Cemetery, they probably hadnโt. โIโm thrilled for the opportunity to help plan your wedding.โ Reluctantly, because she wasnโt yet prepared to gaze on him again, Yardley turned to Travis. It took her a second to get her lungs to work, and then she gasped, โI take it youโre Travis Long, the Victorian home enthusiast?โ
โI am.โ He briefly clasped her hand.
Very perfunctory. Not at all personal. Purely business.
But he had magic hands or something because she felt that touch radiate everywhere. With her tingling palm, she lamely gestured to the gawking duo. โMy mother, Aurora Belanger, and my aunt, Lilith Belanger.โ
Sheena greeted them with a little less warmth than sheโd shown Yardley.
Travis merely gave them a nod, then said to Yardley, โIโm relieved to see youโve kept the house true to the period.โ
Oh goody, a safe subject, and one she was comfortable with. She could talk about the house and stare at him. โIโve tried. Remodeling it has been a pleasure, but a slow process.โ She wrinkled her nose. โMatching all that trim, finding the right valance windows, the iron railingsโโ
โAnd the slate roof. That impressed me.โ
Oh, hey. Sheโd impressed him. Score one for her. โMost recently the kitchen got a facelift. I hope I did it justice.โ
Sheena glanced around. โItโs beautiful. Can we do a tour of it later? I know itโd make this whole trip worthwhile for Travis.โ
She shot a warning look at her mother and aunt. โAbsolutely. Iโll show you everything.โ What? โI mean, every part of the house. All the rooms. And stuff.โ If only her mouth had a spigot she could turn off. โEven the upstairs rooms have been remodeled.โ Had her mother and aunt left when they were supposed to, sheโd have tidied their rooms for them. Now she couldnโt, meaning they were probably messy disasters.
Oh, how sweet it was to have a little payback against them. They were fanatics when it came to designing their rooms, but not so big on keeping them decluttered. Yardley knew exactly how theyโd reactโand they didnโt disappoint her.
โExcuse me,โ Lilith said, exiting in a dignified, unhurried strideโฆuntil she was out of sight. Then they all heard the rushed clomping of her short heels on wood treads as she raced up the stairs.
Aurora managed a wan smile. โYes, I should go as well. Good luck, dear. Oh, not that my daughter needs luck, of course. Sheโs quite the talented wedding planner. Very popular here and in the neighboring towns. Why, her vintage weddings are heavily trending, or so she tells me. Personally, I prefer something a little more chic, which of course she offers.โ
โMother,โ Yardley said, feeling her cheeks burn. โYou donโt want to be late.โ
โOh, no. No, I donโt.โ Aurora barely lowered her voice when she said in an aside, โDonโt slouch.โ Then she turned and sashayed away, making a little less noise on the stairs than Lilith had. Unfortunately, they could hear them rushing around in their rooms, probably tucking away bras and shoes, clearing clutter from their desks, and hopefully tidying their beds.
It was the one thing she had in common with them: they each loved to show off the house. Since Aurora and Lilith had personally helped with the decor choices for their rooms, they were especially proud of them and loved to show them off.
Yardley pinned on her most professional smile. โWe finished the upstairs as a divided living area, so both my aunt and my mother have their own private suites with bedrooms, bathrooms, and seating areas. My mother chose the side with the balcony, and Aunt Lilith has that romantic turret.โ
โYou live here, too?โ Sheena asked.
โYes, my bedroom is off to the right of the foyer, and the kitchen is to the left.โ She gestured down the hall. โOnly the dining room is used as my office. If youโd like to come this way, we can all get comfortable while you share your wedding ideas. Once I have a grasp of what youโre thinking, I can show you my portfolio and we can go over the budget.โ
Excerpted from The Honeymoon Cottage by Lori Foster. Copyright ยฉ 2022 by Lori Foster. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
*****
Author Info:
Lori Foster is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author with over 10 million books sold. She received the Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews and her books have been chosen as editors picks by Amazon multiple times. Foster is actively involved in charity work, and all of the author proceeds from her anthologies have gone to various organizations, such as the Animal Adoption Foundation, the Conductive Learning Center, and One Way Farm. She lives in Ohio with her high school sweetheart.
Enemies to friends to almost lovers … then back to kind-of enemies … to lovers. For a guy who wanted to keep things simple this is anything but.
Fiona knew Knox would be mad when she moved in next door.
And not because she brought a collection of wild animals with her.
And she was right.
So she intended to leave him alone. Mostly.
But heโs not ignoring her. Heโs actively working to send her and her โridiculous menagerieโ (rude) right back out of town.
Still, as hard as she tries, itโs impossible to stop thinking about the small town grumpโs long hair and tattoos and that mouth.
Not the one thatโs almost always set in a grim line and says things like, โyou got a permit for that?โ
Nope, the one that kisses her like sheโs everything heโs ever wanted and says very dirty things in her ear. And sweet, protective, supportive things. Sometimes. Accidentally. When she catches him off-guard.
The one that also says he only wants a long-distance fling with her. Nothing serious. And that he never dates women he sees every day. Like his neighbor.
Well, fine. If he doesnโt want herโand her unbelievable past and that-canโt-be-real futureโthen she doesnโt want him either. He can just kiss herโฆgiraffe. (Yeah, she actually has a couple of those.)
Now she just needs to convince her heart to give him up.
โRemember that thing we talked about at Christmas?”
Knox felt his gut clench. They’d talked about sleeping together. And him becoming the temporary foster dad to three baby otters.
And they’d kissed for the first time. A kiss that had been causing annoying, unwelcome, frustrating dirty dreams for three fucking months.
“About having a salacious affair where we sneak around behind our friends’ backs and sleep together whenever I’m in town?” she pressed when he didn’t answer.
“Yes. I remember.”
Too well. He was incredibly pissed about how often he’d replayed that conversation and how restless he’d been waiting for her to call or come back to Autre.
He didn’t pine for women. Ever. He did the opposite of that.
But now she was here. And Knox wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Her showing up unannounced wasn’t unusual. Fiona Grady rolled into Autre without warning more often than not in her grape-soda-purple truck that sent his heart hammering and cock hardening.
But it had been three months since he’d seen her. Since they’d talked. Since he’d had any clue what she was doing, where she was, how she was.
Suddenly, she was on his doorstep asking about their plan to bang whenever she was in town for a couple of days?
“Okay, well, there’s something I need to tell you that will make you not want to do that anymore,” she said. “So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get naked together once before I told you and ruined everything?”
He opened his mouth to reply. Then shut it without a word. What the hell?
He glanced over his shoulder. Three minutes ago, he’d been sitting at his kitchen table doing paperwork with a cup of coffee and listening to a podcast about new creative urban development ideas.
Now the woman he was low-level obsessed with was on his porch asking if he wanted to have sex before she told him something that would make him not want to have sex with her anymore.
He ran a hand through his hair. This was why Fiona Grady was no good for him. She came into his carefully controlled and organized life and made things chaotic and messy.
“Are you sick?” he asked.
“Sick? No.”
“Dying?”
“No.”
“Is anyone dying?”
“No.”
“Are you married?” He braced himself. He knew very little about this woman, actually, and if she belonged to someone else, he’dโฆ leave her alone. And hate that man. And never forgive her for stirring him up like this.
“Absolutely not.”
“Engaged?”
“No.”
Okay, that was allโฆway too much of a relief. He should not be this happy to hear that.
“Did you kill someone?” he asked.
She tipped her head, her mouth curling. “Is that a definite deal-breaker?”
No, probably not. Knox narrowed his eyes.
“No, I haven’t killed anyone.”
“Are the Feds looking for you? Or will I be implicated in some kind of crime if I let you in?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“That’s not a no.”
“I’m just being honest.”
Fair enough. Fiona was a wild animal advocate. The type of person to show up at roadside petting zoos and ‘circuses’ to monitor how the animals were treated and hand out literature to people attending the events, raising awareness about the poor conditions and treatment of those animals. She showed up to help rescue and care for animals, wild and domestic, after natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. She regularly lobbied local, state, and even the national government for animal protections.
The chance that she could have done something in the “gray area” for one of her causes was pretty good.
The problem with that was he knew that wouldn’t keep him from wanting her.
She was precisely the kind of woman he should be avoiding.
He studied her face for another long moment, then gave in to the inevitable. He pushed his door open.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
She wasn’t dying, wasn’t married, and hadn’t killed anyone. And he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman in his life. So how was he possibly going to shut the door on her? After three months of missing her? He wasn’t that strong. Or stupid.
*****
Review:
So I’ve been enjoying Knox and Fiona dancing around each other for quite a few books now, and I was really looking forward to their story, but I’ll admit that I was really convinced early on that Knox was beyond a … jerk. Then he shares his reasons for wanting a long distance relationship (which was a big of a surprise) and my heart just went out to him. I didn’t think that I could like him any more than I did coming in but then he showed us his ooey-gooey center and he’s now my favorite book boyfriend – nerdy, sexy, intense, and sweet.
Fiona is still sassy, strong, and committed to her animals, to her loved ones, and to ruffling Knox’s well put together feathers. Her secrets are just as audacious as she is and nothing less than we should have expected from her. I loved getting to know her (and those close to her) better as the story unfolds. She understands Knox as no one else does and truly appreciates him. If she can only convince him that they can make a relationship work.
Small town charm, boisterous characters, and enough heat to keep things interesting all mix together to give readers a satisfying conclusion to the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series (although, never fear – there are more books coming from this world).
*Part of a series but can be enjoyed as a stand alone, although the prequal Otterly Into You is a must read and currently free on Amazon.*
*****
Author Info:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as sheโs been reading them. To date, sheโs written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as โtoe-curling,โ โenchanting,โ โsteamy,โ and โfun.โ She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be โshockedโ by the sex scenes in her books).
In this mesmerizing Regency romance by Jennifer Monroe, a mysterious marquess and a misunderstood beauty need to realize that when love and magic mingle with desire, the results can be extraordinaryโฆ
Spellbound by a glamorous manโฆ
Miss Diana Kendricks is the rarest of young women: She is actually looking forward to becoming a lifelong spinster!
Disillusioned by what she has seen of married life, she eagerly awaits the day when she is considered securely “on the shelf.” However, Diana fails to take into account the most treacherous twistโher own traitorous heart, which finds itself skipping a beat when she meets Lord James Barrington, mysteriously labeled as the Marquess of Magic.
Love is the greatest enchantment of allโฆ
Lord Barrington has always loved magic. Since childhood, he has found it thrilling to perform illusions and conjurations, to shock an audience, and leave them breathless. But in ordinary life, no magic can vanish away the dangerous secret he hides. James should not even be considering marriage. But when he chances upon Diana, she seems like his perfect matchโbeautiful, witty, with similar interests to his own. He cannot risk losing her to another suitor, and soon James has hopelessly ensnared both their hearts.
But James’s secret will not stay hidden in the shadows. When it comes to love, the truth may be the greatest magic trick of allโand James must soon reveal it, lest he lose his one true love forever…
The Full Sisterhood of Secrets Series #1 Duke of Madness #2 Baron of Rake Street #3 Marquess of Magic #4 Earl of Deception #5 Knight of Destiny #6 Captain of Second Chances https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KCHWB5V
*****
Author Info:
Jennifer Monroe writes Regency romances you canโt resist. Her stories are filled with first loves and second chances, dashing dukes, and strong heroines. Each turn of the page promises an adventure in love and many late nights of reading.
With over twenty books published, her nine-part series, The Secrets of Scarlett Hall, which tells the stories of the Lambert Children, remain a favorite with her readers.
Enemies become lovers in this hot and hilarious marriage of convenience.ย
The Alphahole’s Guide to Marrying The Enemy
by Piper Marlowe
Blurb:
The Brooklyn warehouse is filled with graffiti and pigeon poo. Itโs practically begging to be converted into luxury loft apartments.
And yet, will my mother sell it to me, her only son, the investment wunderkind?
โDarling, buildings have souls,โ she says, between sips of green juice.
โShow me that youโre on the path to spiritual wellness, and Iโll give it to you.โ
Enter Sydney Taylor, my best friendโs little sister, spiritually well enough for even my motherโs past selves to approve of, and my least favorite person on earthโฆin this life or any of the others Iโve supposedly lived. I wouldnโt date her if she was the last woman on earth. Iโve repeatedly fantasized about shipping her to Mars.
Instead, I marry her.
I know, I know, my crew has quite the history with phony relationships, but this oneโs different.
No matter what my mother sees in our auras.
Or how much I want to hate-boink her maddeningly sweet little…
Yep, once my mother signs over that building, Iโm definitely going to walk away from this hot-fakery totally unscathed.
And if you buy that, Iโve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
Love just means you havenโt scored yet. Keep playing. Keep hitting that ball until you make a winner out of yourself. In tennis, a winner canโt have love.ย
And Iโm a winner. Iโm the one who wins, and wins, and then sleeps with the prom queen. Normal people wish they could walk in my shoes for a few hours, then they feel jealous when they meet me.ย
Iโm a stone-cold winner. Twenty-eight, TriBeCa penthouse, over a billion in the bank, a dick that could choke a giraffe. Women love me, then hate me later on. Thatโs fine, as long as they love me first. Iโve won every single game Iโve ever played. Wellโฆ except this one.
โThatโs the match!โ my mother says, beaming at me from across the court.ย
Fuck, I let that last volley of hers sail right past my head. I glare at the stupid yellow ball as it bounces off the court.ย
Yep. Thatโs the set. Four games to two. At least I didnโt get love though. Thatโd make me a real fucking loser.
โGood job, Maryann,โ I mutter. Mom doesnโt mind that I call her by her first name. She didnโt think it was weird even when I started doing it at six.ย
โChin up, sweetheart.โ My mother walks off the court at my side, beaming as she slides her sunglasses on top of her ageless blond head.ย ย ย ย ย ย
โYou know, you only lost because you never commit to your backhand.โ
โI lost,โ I say, โbecause Sydney Taylor kept distracting me.โ
Honestly, the Kensington Tennis Club is the exact last place I ever thought Sydney fucking Taylor would show her face. Itโs the summer meet-and-greet locale for all of New Yorkโs high society. While Sydney got a membership to that club by being born into one of the richest families on the planet, sheโs never wanted to hang around with any of us โtrust-fund assholes.โ Her term, not mine. Like I said, WASP-y tennis club isnโt her idea of a good time. Iโd have expected her to be building outhouses down in Guatemala or getting into a fist fight with Richard Spencer.ย
Not that Iโd blame her.
But here she is, seated at a table on the patio, shooting me one smug grimace after another. When she catches me staring, she cheerfully flips me off. Then, in case anyone becomes shocked by her unladylike display, she uses her middle finger to scratch her forehead.ย
Classy save, Syd.ย
I fucking hate her, and the feelingโs mutual.
*****
Author Info:
Piper Marlowe is an absolute legend, if you know where to look. And trust us, you donโt.
For national security reasons, her identity is a secret. As a matter of fact, thereโs a good chance that at this very moment, sheโs undercover, speaking with a bad Lithuanian accent to a bunch of shady characters. She can neither confirm nor deny that sheโs writing ultra-fun, uber-witty, hot-darn-sexy romance to distract from the stress of her current clandestine operation.
Or maybe romance writing is the cover for a cover?
She could tell you, but then sheโd have to . . . you know. That.
Romantic Reads and Such 