That’s how everyone describes Cole McCord, billionaire CFO of McCord Media. As notorious for his bad attitude as he is for his good looks, he’s the one every girl’s mother warns her about.
We spend one passionate, unforgettable night together, two strangers who bond over neat whiskeys and messy confessions in a Beverly Hills bar. Then we go our separate ways in the morning, never expecting to see each other again.
We soon discover that some connections can’t be undone. Some bonds, once made, can’t be broken.
And some loves can be as deep as they are destructive…yet impossible to let go.
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J.T. Geissinger is a #1 international and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over ten million copies worldwide and been translated into more than twenty languages.
She is a three-time finalist in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.
It’s like plucking daisy petals in my head, but he’ll never know.
When Miles Cavanaugh, the best safety in the league, was traded to the Chicago Grizzlies football team last year, I could finally breathe. Temptation was miles away.
How naïve to think it would end there because when the opportunity to write for a national magazine based in Chicago lands in my lap months later, I can’t turn it down. Sure, it’s a big city, but the sexual energy feels like a beacon between us the minute my plane lands.
To make matters worse, I end up having to take over the job of reporting exclusively on the Chicago Grizzlies. Which means traveling with the team, interviewing players, and pretty much having an all-access pass to their lives during the season.
Miles and I put up a great front, quickly hating on one another, but we both know it’s a lie. We also know the rules are simple. For me, don’t sleep with the subject of your articles. For him, don’t sleep with the journalist who can make or break your career.
I thought straight-laced Miles Cavanaugh followed all the rules… oh how wrong I was.
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I have to say I really wished they’d found some way to get Miles and Bryce a story without moving him to Chicago. I felt so bad for him, having to leave his friends (yeah, I understand the reality of the sport but this is a work of fiction), and I don’t quite feel like they gave him a connection with the new team to replace that just yet. It helps to amplify his issues, especially with Bryce’s articles, but I like him so much I just wish he’d been treated a little better 🙂
Having said that, I enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would. I don’t know why the way these two fight never appealed to me in the Kingsmen stories but I should have remembered that Piper Rayne writes a dang good story and I just needed to have faith. Their characters are a delight to read and the stories flow so smoothly to endings that always make me so happy.
Returning readers know that there had to be more to Miles & Bryce’s bickering so it’s satisfying to finally get our answers. And Bryce proves to be just as feisty as we knew she’d be, as well as troubled by her past. It will take a patient man to break through her barriers and luckily Miles is just the guy to do it.
With fun & spicy banter, plenty of sexy times, and moments that deliver the feels, Something Like Hate is a satisfying conclusion to an old series and a good start to a new series. I’m so looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Grizzlies!
(Can be read as a stand alone but will probably be better enjoyed having read the Kingsmen series to really get a feel for Miles & Bryce’s history.)
*****
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!
He’s the new hockey team captain Also my roommate And now my fake fiancé…
When I discover my boyfriend is cheating on me, I quit my job, and move to take up a role as the PR manager for a hockey team. Only problem? There’s a mix up. Now I’m stuck sharing a flat with the grumpy, hockey captain. Worse? (or is that better?) There’s only one bed! Even worse? My ex too has moved, as the captain of the rival team, ugh! When my roomie realizes how much I want revenge he comes up with a plan. He asks me to pose as his fake fiancée on his trip home. In return I get to be seen with him, and show up my ex. I’ve sworn off men, there’s no way I can fall for him. But what happens when sparks fly?
This is a standalone roommates to lovers, fake relationship, one-bed, hockey romance with a possessive hero, a woman who doesn’t hesitate to go toe-to-toe with him, and a champagne guzzling Great Dane who plays matchmaker by mistake. HEA guaranteed. 1-Click NOW
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L. Steele writes stories featuring powerful men and strong women who bring them to their knees. When she’s not writing she enjoys trading trivia with her husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.
But evaluating the art collection of a deceased estate isn’t made easy by the grandson of the dearly departed in question. Indeed, the young man who calls himself Rainbow is a hot-tempered, hotter-than-hell artist whose secrets run deep and passions run raw. He is talented, troubled, tempestuous and deaf… and possibly the one person who can save Miles from his own heartache.
Can Miles finish the job he’s been paid to do… or will two opposites find that they have more in common than they first imagined? Can the pair of them find the strength in each other to rebuild their lives… or will the traumas of their pasts drive them both away? Will Miles turn his back on the handsome, hurt, artistic genius he’s stumbled upon… or will he finally find true love in the arms of a Boy Called Rainbow?
Instead, I tried to compose myself, watching as he squeezed paint onto the palette and began mixing colors together.
An intense focus overcame his handsome features, his brow creasing, eyebrows dancing in deep concentration as he conjured up tones and textures until he was happy with the colors he’d created. Then he began to paint. He lathered the brush and took to the canvas like a man at the whim of a spirited muse. He made strokes both large and small. His eyes looked from my reclining body to the canvas and back again. Occasionally he switched tools, biting the brush between his teeth as he grabbed a spatula and slathered thick gobs of paint onto the canvas, before switching back to his brush. At times he abandoned the tools altogether, using his strong hands, his dextrous fingers, to smear and dab the paint before wiping his hands on his chest and abs, unwittingly turning his torso into an artwork of its own.
The vision of this beautiful, naked artist at work— the sight of his talent unfurling from his hands, his creative genius spilling onto the canvas— made me want him more desperately than ever before. My cock ached. My lungs burned as I tried to calm my heaving chest. I clenched my fists and he noticed, gesturing for me to loosen my hands and relax my fingers. I did as I was told, counting down the seconds until the painting was done.
As soon as he was finished, he stepped back— his cock still hard, his brow beaded with sweat, his belly panting with the physical efforts of his creativity— and looked from the canvas to me and back again once more.
He added several feathery brushstrokes to complete his work.
Then, after putting down the brush and palette, he took the canvas and spun it around for me to see.
I hadn’t really looked at myself— I mean, really looked at myself— in years. Practically the only reason I looked in the mirror at all in the mornings was to tie my bowtie and make sure my hair didn’t look like a bird’s nest. I suppose after being run out of home all those years ago, I didn’t really see much reason to look too long into the eyes of a man who could be so easily rejected by those who were supposed to love him the most.
But as I looked at the portrait of myself that Rainbow had so masterfully conceived— his eyes capturing a vision of myself I had never dreamed of, his hands so skilfully sowing the seeds of his creativity— I saw something in myself that I hadn’t seen in a long, long time… if ever.
The dazzling colors made me bold.
The rough strokes and fearless use of textures made me defiant.
The rawness of my naked body made me brave.
I saw a confidence in myself I almost didn’t recognize.
I saw uniqueness.
I saw beauty.
And all I could wonder was— had Rainbow used his paints to create my portrait… or unravel my mask of insecurity?
I stood from the chaise lounge and walked slowly up to Rainbow’s work of art, my eyes fixed, my heart spellbound.
“This is me?” At first the words came out as a question, but as he gave me the painting and I took it in my hands, the question mark vanished. “This is me.”
*****
Review:
The villains in the story were a bit … over the top. Rainbow’s brother might as well be twirling his mustache and cackling (he does stroke his goatee, does that count?). The family has an almost fanatical hatred of Rainbow and Franklin is set on taking everything away from him now that their grandmother has died. It’s a little much and might come across as cartoonish for some but it is a vehicle to bring the mains together and team up with some of the more quirky townsfolk.
I do wish we’d gotten Rainbow’s perspective, get an idea of his feelings about his family as well as his feelings towards Miles. I think that he’d have a unique voice and also it would help readers feel like he’s participating fully in what happens. But being a single POV we have to infer a lot and it’s a bit of a missed opportunity.
I do like Miles. He’s a little frumpy in his personality but he’s got a good heart. The effort he puts into his relationship with Rainbow, to helping him and understanding him, is sweet. It may be a little fast, especially with how his last relationship imploded, but if you go into it knowing there’s a bit of insta-love I think it’ll be more enjoyable.
With quirky characters, outrageously vile villains, and a touch of magic thanks to Rainbow’s grandmother, A Boy Called Rainbow isn’t going to be for everyone. But I think that it’ll definitely be a hit with the right audience.
*****
Author Info:
Robin Knight is the author of gay fiction novels, novellas, and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense, and gay comedies.
The heroes of Robin’s books love to spend their time jumping off the page, stumbling through misadventures, and falling in love.
Robin has worked in advertising, politics, journalism, and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories.
This is the second of this series that I’ve read and I enjoyed it just as much – Jenshak has definitely converted me to a reader of new adult romances. I will say there were a few moments that stretched reality just a little, mostly around Hendrick’s career, but the writing is so smooth and the characters are so charming that I just didn’t care.
Hendrick and Jane are adorable together. They are flirty and fun – Jane with her upbeat take on life and Hendrick’s with his broody sexiness. Her safety issues have them spending a lot of time together quickly which has them falling fast, not insta but close, however it works here. Jane works well with both Hendrick and his life that it feels right.
I do wish we’d gotten more of the girls together, because I remember that was one of my favorite parts of the other book. But I feel like Jenshak makes up for it with the brother dynamic. I’m really hoping this is her way of introducing us to the next series because these guys are all the feels with how they support each other and do what they can to handle all the things that life has handed them. With Jane there as a badly needed feminine touch and outside voice, it’s just a heart squeeze to see them come together.
The mystery of who is threatening Jane is a lesser concern over the romance and family dynamic but I feel like it was well done and I believed the person could have done it. I think if that was something important to you as a plot point then you might be disappointed in how it wasn’t more of a focus but if you are coming at it as a romance with a little bit of a suspense for drama then I think you’re good 🙂
Looking forward to what Jenshak has in store next (and hoping it has one of Hendrick’s brothers getting his HEA).
*****
Author Info:
Rebecca Jenshak is a USA Today bestselling author of new adult and sports romance. She writes sexy, feel-good stories with lots of swoon-worthy moments.
Rebecca lives in Arizona. When she isn’t writing, you can find her cheering on local sports teams, hanging out with friends and family, or curled up with a good book.
A rich heiress down on her luck and a brooding mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks make sparks fly. Readers who enjoy small town romance will love Uptown Girl by Emma Bray, a steamy, opposites attract, beach romance.
Uptown Girl
Man of the Month: September
Candy Cane Key series
by Emma Bray
Blurb:
Are you ready to meet your next Man of the Month?
A rich girl down on her luck and a brooding mechanic make sparks fly in this small-town, opposites attract beach romance about a rich heiress and a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.
The MAN OF THE MONTH CLUB is a steamy small-town collection featuring a new hottie (or two!) every month. In 2023, escape to Candy Kane Key, Florida, and celebrate ALL the holidays with your favorite group of romance authors and their delicious mountain men. Can’t wait to see you there!
The purr of my pink Cadillac’s engine fills the air as I pull into the garage, echoing off the walls and sending a shiver down my spine. I’ve been through hell and back lately, but one look at this place tells me I’m in good hands.
“Hey there,” a deep voice calls out, snapping me from my thoughts. The rugged mechanic approaches me, his hands wiping on a greasy rag. The sight of him makes my heart race, and I find myself struggling to maintain my composure.
The sight of his thick arms pumping up and down as he wipes the oil from his hands to his sleeves has my heart beating out of my chest. I can feel my body flush with desire as I watch him, a nervous smile spreading across my face.
I can see his lips moving, but his words are drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. He’s beautiful, in a rugged sort of way. His chest is huge and muscled, and his arms are thick. His dirty, ripped jeans fit him perfectly, and I wonder if they’re going to burst at the seams. His black work shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a chiseled, ripped torso. His arms are sculpted, leading to a bulge in his jeans. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
“Welcome to Wolf’s Garage. I’m Billy. What can I do for you?”
“Hi, I’m Claire,” I stammer, my cheeks flushing with heat. “I, uh, think my car needs an oil change.”
As soon as our eyes meet, I feel the connection. My lingering gaze alights on his rugged features – the stubble lining his strong jaw, the gentle curve of his full lips, the intensity in those blue eyes that seem to see straight through me. And when Billy smiles at me – a crooked, teasing grin that makes my heart skip a beat – I know without a doubt that this attraction is mutual.
“Your car’s a real beauty,” he says, nodding towards my pink Cadillac as he leans against the side of it. “You don’t come across many like her these days.”
“Thank you,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. The air between us is electric, charged with an energy I can’t quite put my finger on, and I find myself wondering just how much of it is simply a product of my overactive imagination.
“Mind if I have a look under the hood?” he asks, his gaze never leaving mine.
Copyright 2023 Emma Bray
*****
Author Info:
USA Today bestselling author Emma Bray writes intense, steamy romances with possessive alpha males who’ll stop at nothing to claim the women they want. Emma’s instalove stories are filled with heat, passion and happily ever afters. Get a free book when you sign up here: http://www.authoremmabray.com
I came to the lake to be left alone, to lick my wounds. I wasn’t counting on neighbors and I especially wasn’t counting on her.
Lucie was a little kid the last time I was here. Now she’s grown—and God, did she ever grow up—with two young kids of her own.
She’s everywhere I look, no matter how hard I try to avoid her. I’d forgotten all the things I used to want, used to dream about. She’s reminding me…and making me want every last one of them again.
LUCIE
From the moment I first saw Caleb when I was six, I knew he belonged to me. And I knew I’d have to save him—because how else does the girl nobody wants win over the boy beloved by all?
Nothing about his life or mine has gone to plan. He’s isolated and miserable. I’ve got a vindictive ex and more problems than I can count.
But what hasn’t changed is this: it still feels like he’s mine.
This one is listed as “an Angsty, Single Parent Romance” on Goodreads and it’s not a lie. There’s SO much drama going on here. Lucie’s ex is quite the piece of work. He’s controlling and manipulative and pretty much a horrid human being. He doesn’t really care for her or their kids and shows it every way possible, but he also can’t stand to lose so he’s not going away. It leads to more than one moment of trouble.
Caleb has never really recovered from a few traumatic events in his past. They’ve made him hard and detached and sometimes pretty self-absorbed & crappy. He’s a terrible boss, which has caused some retention issues, which is where Lucie comes in as the newest hire at his company.
While I feel like Lucie gives Caleb more than he sometimes deserves, I found myself liking him just because she does. She’s had a terrible childhood, unloved and ignored, and just as bad young adulthood but she’s resilient and so very obviously loves her kids. It makes her appealing as a character and I felt compelled to keep reading to make sure she finally gets a HEA she deserves.
But I do feel like both of the characters could probably have done with some therapy. There is a lot of hurt on both sides and I don’t know that they properly address them. I do have hope for them though and feel a lot of that is due to O’Roark’s depiction of them. I’m curious to see what else she can do.
(Part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was the second book until today.)
*****
Author Info:
Elizabeth O’Roark spent many years as a medical writer before publishing her first novel in 2013. She holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and arts from the University of Texas, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She is the recipient of the 2017 IBPA gold medal for romance. She lives in Washington DC with her three children.
People and pets find their forever homes in this charming small-town romance from Babette de Jongh featuring:
*A single mom doing her best *Her young son who needs a helping hand *An animal trainer who might be the answer to their troubles *A bustling animal rescue where everyone gets a second chance *The magic of humans who know how to communicate with animals
Coming Home to Magnolia Bay
Welcome to Magnolia Bay Book 3
by Babette De Jongh
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
Sara Prescott’s eight-year-old son Max wants a dog. But their apartment doesn’t allow pets, and the divorced single mom can’t afford the certified seizure-alert dog Max needs. Instead, she and Max volunteer at the Furever Love Animal Shelter. Max forms a special bond with Jett, a big black bully breed and three-time loser who keeps getting dumped.
Animal Trainer Justin Reed comes back home to Magnolia Bay and visits the shelter to find a dog actor for a TV series set in nearby New Orleans. Justin chooses Jett, but the shelter’s director rejects his application because Jett needs a finally-forever home, not a job with an end date. The shelter’s resident animal communicator proposes a win-win. Justin can use Jett as an animal actor if he also trains Jett as a service dog for Max.
Sara and Justin have no business indulging their mutual attraction. Sara is focused on her son, and Justin will be leaving soon. But Max and Jett have other ideas…
“Close your eyes,” Reva said in an I’m-about-to-hypnotize-you tone. “Allow the seat to support your body. Relax into it.”
Justin sighed, releasing a little of the tension he’d been holding on to. Maybe if the telepathy thing didn’t work, she’d let him take a nap.
“Put your focus on your breath, on the sound of your breathing, on the feeling of the air moving into your body and filling your lungs.”
The sound of the car’s tires receded, and he found that it wasn’t so hard after all to focus on his breathing.
“Now, imagine that your body is an empty straw, and that your breath is moving through you, coming up from the soles of your feet when you inhale…then moving back down through your body from the top of your head when you exhale.”
She paused while he took a few slow breaths. “How’re you doing?”
“Mmm.” He might fall asleep if she didn’t hurry up with the animal telepathy bit.
“Imagine what it would look like if you were sitting in a quiet room with Jett. Imagine it like it’s a movie scene you’re remembering. You’re sitting in a soft, comfortable chair, and you see Jett walk up and sit in front of you. Imagine him giving you his attention as if he’s waiting for your next command.” She waited a few beats. “Can you imagine it?”
“Yes.” But he couldn’t believe that imagining scenes in his mind had anything to do with animal communication.
“Good. Hold on to that scene in your mind. In a minute, you’re going to ask Jett a question. He might answer with words, or you might imagine a visual image like a snapshot or a short movie clip. Or he might send emotions or even the memory of a taste or a smell. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” But even as he said the word, anxiety skittered through him. What if he couldn’t do it?
Even more disturbing, what if he could?
“Ask Jett to let you know where he is.”
Justin’s anxiety intensified. The visual image of Jett and him sitting together in a room had fled his mind, leaving nothing but darkness. Strange swirls of color and light bloomed behind his closed eyelids. “I don’t see anything. Just color and light and swirls of energy.”
“You’re trying to see with your eyes. That’s not the way telepathic images come through. It’ll feel more like dreaming or like remembering something that happened a long time ago. Like remembering a place you’ve been or the way someone’s voice sounded.”
He quit focusing on the swirling energy behind his eyelids and tried to recapture the visual of him and Jett sitting together. A flash of something—like a word he was trying to remember but couldn’t—caught his attention but faded before he could catch it. He made a sound of frustration.
“That’s okay,” Reva said in a calm, quiet voice. “Just start over.”
Once again, he brought that image to mind, of Jett sitting in front of him, waiting for instruction on what to do next. The snapshot morphed into a movie clip… Justin imagined Jett coming closer and propping his chin on Justin’s knee. Justin manipulated the scenario by reaching out and stroking Jett’s head. He imagined himself leaning forward and asking the question again. “Where are you?”
Water. The word popped into Justin’s mind, immediate and clear. Then he remembered going to the river with his parents when he was very small. He remembered being afraid to step into the muddy waves. Afraid that he’d be swept away.
His father had been so angry, so dismissive of Justin’s fears. He’d picked Justin up by the arms and thrown him backward into the cold water. It had hit him like a smack on the backside, then shot up his nose and down his throat when he went under. Anxiety swamped him, and he sat up, shaking his head to dispel the vivid memory. “This isn’t working.”
*****
Catch up with the rest of the series:
Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay
Welcome to Magnolia Bay Book 1
Welcome to Magnolia Bay where: *The animals interfere in their owners’ love lives *Everyone (humans and animals alike) has an opinion about everything *The neighbor is as infuriating as he is gorgeous *And a sprinkle of hope is just the right thing to have you believing in love again
Abby Curtis lands on her Aunt Reva’s doorstep at Bayside Barn with nowhere to go but up. Learning animal communication from her aunt while taking care of the motley assortment of rescue animals on the farm is an important part of Abby’s healing process. She is eager to begin a new life on her own, but she isn’t prepared for the magnetism between her and her handsome, stubborn and distracting new neighbor.
Quinn Lockhart snapped up the foreclosed estate next door determined to renovate and flip the beautiful bayou property. It’s all part of a plan to make a financial comeback and reconnect with his estranged son. Definitely not part of the plan is the noisy petting zoo next door dragging down his property value. But getting rid of it becomes more difficult when he falls for the lovely and passionate Abby and bonds with an abandoned wolf dog who’s mournfully waiting for his family to return. For humans and animals alike, it will take all the courage they can muster to learn to love again. But that’s a journey worth taking—with a little help from their furry friends.
You’ll fall in love right along with Abby as animals and humans alike find unexpected ways to connect, nurture each other, and thrive.
Babette de Jongh brings you a bright and hopeful romance filled with: *People and animals who get a second chance *A community that makes everyone feel at home *Friends-to-lovers romance that proves everyone deserves a forever home
Struggling widow Heather Gabriel takes a job at Magnolia Bay’s Animal Shelter to provide for her family. She isn’t ready to be anything more than colleagues with Adrian Crawford, the shelter’s new business consultant. But the shelter’s animal communication expert Reva Curtis knows there’s more attraction between Heather and Adrian than they let on, and she’s determined to bring them together. With the help of Heather’s three children and all the animals at Bayside Barn, Heather and Adrian soon realize they can have a future together…if they can let go of the past.
Small town romance will never look the same once you’ve traveled to Magnolia Bay!
“Charming…a satisfying blend of romance and animal cameos.”—DEBBIE BURNS, bestselling author of the Rescue Me series
“Babette de Jongh’s books are crafted with heart and humor, roaring heat and cuddly love.”—JOANN SKY, author of the Biggest Little Love Story series
**Celebrate National Black Dog Day on Oct 1 with Hear Them Speak!**
Hear Them Speak
A Twelve-Week Course in Telepathic Animal Communication
by Babette de Jongh
Genre: Nonfiction, Pets, Animal Communication
Would you like to know what your animal companion is really thinking? If you’re holding this book, the ability is literally within your grasp. Hear Them Speak is an engaging and easy-to-follow twelve week course that guides you through the process of discovering your own superpowers of telepathic animal communication. With real-life examples to increase understanding and tasks to help you practice your emerging skills, animal communicator Babette de Jongh walks you through every step of the journey to claim your innate ability to hear them speak.
Babette de Jongh is a telepathic animal communicator, energy healer, Reiki Master, and award-winning romance writer who has taught ballet, yoga, elementary school, and animal communication. Whether it involves a happy-ending romance, a way of self-nurturing, or help in understanding our companions, the cohesive thread that ties all these things together is a desire to save the world, one happy ending at a time.
Babette’s first romance novel, Angel Falls, won two Readers’ Choice awards. In Hear Them Speak, Babette helps humans better understand their animal companions. In Welcome to Magnolia Bay, a romance series from Sourcebooks Casablanca, a telepathic animal communicator conspires with the human characters’ animal companions to help everyone—humans and animals—find forever love.
All this is only the beginning for a late bloomer who is just getting started. To find out more about Babette, everything she does, and everything she’s up to these days, please visit her website at http://www.BabettedeJongh.com.
The hometown hockey hero and his best friend’s brother…
Vinnie
Hockey is in my blood. I learned to skate before I learned how to ride a bike. I’ve been on a wild ride, playing at the highest level for some of the biggest and best teams in the league. But now it’s over, and I’m not sure what to do with myself.
So I’m going home to Elmwood.
But I’ll tell you what I’m not gonna do—I’m not going to coach my buddy’s junior hockey league. No chance. I don’t know how to deal with kids, and besides, the other coach—who happens to be my best friend’s brother—hates me. With reason.
That may be old news, yet something tells me we’re going to have to deal with the past.
And that’s almost as scary as coaching teens.
Nolan
No, I don’t hate Vinnie, but he drives me nuts.
He’s cocky, goofy, selfish, and yeah…after all these years, I’m still attracted to him. But I’m a responsible adult now. I run my family’s business, and with the help of my ex, I’ve made Elmwood Diner into a New England institution.
So maybe my life isn’t particularly exciting at the moment, and maybe Vinnie isn’t the worst. Nonetheless, I have no desire to rekindle a friendship with the hockey hero who no doubt will be on the first flight out of town the second he gets bored or gets a better offer.
And I’m not coaching with him. No way.
Ugh…
I can’t believe I’m doing this again.
You, Again is an MM bisexual, best friend’s brother, frenemies to lovers romance featuring old friends, a new quest, and a little hockey HEA!
Vinnie set a twenty on the table and stood. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“It’s on the house,” I insisted, pushing the money toward him.
“No, no. I support local businesses. Keep the change.”
His over-the-top wink practically begged me to roll my eyes, but I had more to say. We had to clear the air…at least a little.
“Um…hey, even if you don’t make it through summer, your presence alone is good for business for the whole town. ‘NHL Hero Comes Home’ and all that bullshit. If you don’t mind the attention, and I’m assuming you don’t—come help out at the rink. It’s easy and fun. You won’t regret it.”
Vinnie rubbed his scruffy jaw thoughtfully. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
I smiled tentatively and raised my hand for a high five. “Great.”
“But only if you’re my assistant.”
“What?” I pulled my hand away before he could slap it, furrowing my brow. “No way. Gavin is perfectly capable of—”
“Nope. It has to be you.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“ ’Cause…” Vinnie blew out an exasperated breath. “I want to fix this. Me and you. And I can’t do that if you ignore me.”
And just like that, the invisible wall between us shook in its foundation.
“We’re fine,” I bluffed.
Vinnie arched a brow. “You’re mad at me. I know why, and I get it. We don’t have to go into it now, but at the very least, we should call a truce ’cause if we’re working with impressionable teens, you really oughtta be nice to me, Moore.”
My mouth opened in a perfect O. “I’ve been perfectly civil to you. More civil than you deserve, Kiminski.”
“See? That wasn’t nice,” he teasingly scolded. “I can’t believe I’m the voice of reason here.”
I fixed him with a bored sardonic stare. “You are never the voice of reason.”
“I kind of am now.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you—oh, my God.” I pointed at the door. “Good-bye, Vinnie.”
He snickered, flashing a lopsided devil-may-care grin my way. “Wait up. Let’s seal the deal on this truce.”
“Oh, brother.”
“I’m serious. Let’s shake hands, hug it out, kiss and make up, or all of the above.”
I regarded his outstretched hand suspiciously and cautiously slid my palm against his. “Fine. Truce.”
“See, that didn’t sound friendly. You ruined it. Gimme a hug,” he demanded, pulling me into a bear hug, squeezing me hard enough to crack a rib.
I let out an oomph of surprise and tried to wriggle out of his hold. He took the hint and loosened his grip. I knew it was all in good fun or at least meant to playfully rile me up, but when he bent to kiss my cheek, I turned my head just as he swooped in and bam! Our lips collided in an actual, honest-to-God kiss.
A fucking kiss.
I couldn’t speak for Vinnie, but I was too shocked to move.
We’d been here before.
Sure, it had been almost twenty years ago, but I was positive neither of us was looking for a repeat. I certainly wasn’t. Any second now, he’d back up, swipe his hand across his mouth and make some ridiculous joke to right the balance. But he didn’t.
He softened his lips and molded them to mine, tilting his chin as if testing a new angle. And suddenly, this felt real.
Oh, no.
Oh…no.
I pushed out of his arms, sucking in a gulp of air.
Holy shit.
My heart beat like a drum, and my mouth was bone dry.
“I think—I think we’re good now,” I rasped.
Vinnie’s shell-shocked expression gave way to something unreadable. He scratched his nape and stepped aside.
“Yeah. Uh…what time is practice?”
“Thursday at three.”
He nodded and tried a smile that never reached his eyes. “Cool. See ya, Nol.”
I froze in place as the door swung shut behind him, willing my heartbeat to calm the fuck down.
Did that happen?
It wasn’t real. I knew that, but he didn’t pull away. He lingered, he pressed closer, he…he kissed me.
Reality check: Vinnie was a notorious prankster. He was always doing something to push boundaries—make you laugh, make you mad, make you stop taking life so damned seriously. Silly was his fallback language. If lighthearted pranks and teasing kept some uncomfortable parts of the past at bay, I was all for it.
But I was still confused. Very confused.
*****
Review:
I’m going to say straight up that I’m pretty sure the reason I didn’t like this one as much as the other books by Lane Hayes that I’ve read is … me. I just didn’t like Vinnie as a character. He’s one of those overgrown guy’s guys that just irritates me to no end. He’s in his late 30s, still giving people noogies, playing practical jokes, and acts the class clown. Not that I’m against people having fun but that’s not my idea of fun and that colored my reading of the book. I get that he’s got a lot of issues – from his mother’s death to his father’s absentee parenting to coming to grips with his future and sexuality. But I just couldn’t let the rest go to really invest in him. When he was more serious, though, I definitely could see the appeal.
On the other hand, I loved Nolan. He’s a pillar of the community and his family, a fabulously loving & supportive uncle, and once he gets over the way things ended between them he’s there for Vinnie too. Even knowing it most likely means another broken heart.
I always enjoy Hayes’s writing — she gives readers robust characters (even when they aren’t my type), compelling stories, and satisfying HEAs. And I’m definitely excited to see what happens next – the little teaser with JC has me impatient to see him and Riley together. This one character being not my favorite in no way reflects on Hayes and her skills, it’s just a me thing.
*****
Author Info:
Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and her fabulous pup, George.
We’re stuck together for a night when our plane is forced to make an emergency landing, and that’s all the promise we make—one night, then we go our separate ways.
Except she pops up again.
Then again.
Suddenly, she’s everywhere. In my head and in my bed, completely taking over my life and ruining all my plans with her quippy comebacks, her smarts, and a body that fits against mine just perfectly.
The problem? Auden is off limits. Forbidden. Strictly in the DO NOT TOUCH zone. She goes against all the rules, but never have I wanted to bend them as badly as I do when it comes to her.
TEAGAN HUNTER writes steamy romantic comedies with lots of sarcasm and a side of heart. She loves pizza, hockey, and romance novels, though not in that order. When not writing, you can find her watching entirely too many hours of Supernatural, One Tree Hill, or New Girl. She’s mildly obsessed with Halloween and prefers cooler weather. She married her high school sweetheart, and they currently live in the PNW.
Romantic Reads and Such 