Iโve known Mia Powell since the day she was born.
Sheโs my sisterโs best friend, my momโs God-daughter and the mother of the sweetest two-year old Iโve ever met. Even if she won’t reveal who his father is.
When she unexpectedly needs a place to stay, I donโt hesitate to offer up my house on the family ranch. However, I didnโt anticipate Miaโs new boss mistaking me for her husband and the father of her child.
The secrets between us may keep us apart in the real world, but a fake relationship… that’s a role I’m happy to play for her.
At least until the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur.
I never shouldโve stolen that first kiss. Never should have thought one night would get her out of my system. Never should have grown so attached to her little boy.
When this is all over, Mia and her son will walk away with my heart.
It doesnโt matter though, itโs always belonged to her.
Lisa Shelby is an international bestselling contemporary romance author. Sheโs also a self-proclaimed love geek and cake-pop addict. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, this is still where Lisa calls home with her husband and their dogs. When she isnโt writing her next happily ever after, you can find Lisa with her husband traveling, listening to live music, and impatiently waiting for her next FaceTime call with her son, who is currently deployed with the United States Marine Corps.
Butting heads leads to knocking boots in this wildly sexy enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town cowboy romance by Jessica Peterson.
My dad and I have been estranged for years. But as his only living relative, itโs no surprise I inherit his massive cattle ranch when he dies. Something that is a surprise? The stipulation in his will, which requires me to live on the ranch and actively manage it for a year before I can access my inheritance money.
I havenโt stepped foot in Hartsville, Texas, population one thousand, since my parents split when I was six. Now a city girl through and through, I never imagined having to move back to cowboy country. But I need the money to invest in my company, and a girlโs gotta do what a girlโs gotta do.
Thereโs just one giant roadblock to my plan: the ranchโs foreman, grumpy cowboy Cash Rivers. I donโt care how good he looks in his Wranglers and chaps. Heโs rude, heโs growly, and he wants me gone. Iโd fire him in a heartbeat, but I need this cowboy to teach me the ropes of running a ranch.
Weโre enemies from the get-go. But turns out, Cash is really good at this ranch thing. Heโs got strong hands, an intelligent mind, and letโs just say everything really is bigger in Texas. Working alongside him leads to conversations beneath the stars. Throw in some cheek-to-cheek dancing at the local dive bar, and it all feels so right that I start to fall in love with life on the ranch. And maybe with him, too.
But my stay in Hartsville is only temporary. And you know what they say about cowboys: they may break horses, but they also break hearts. If only Cash hadnโt already lassoed mineโฆ
CASH is the first standalone book in the brand new steamy, interconnected Lucky River Ranch Series!
Y’all, I’ve never read a Peterson book before and I’m super glad that Cash was the first. Cash & Mollie are a lot of fun together. I liked that while they rubbed each other wrong at the beginning it really didn’t take them long to develop a more positive relationship. Peterson could easily have leaned into the enemies-to-lovers trope but chose to pulled back a little there and I enjoyed that it was lighter on the angst.
Cash is a good person and while he’s disappointed by the way things have turned out he just doesn’t have it in him to take it out on Mollie for long. Drawn to her gumption and how she obviously cares about others, including him, Cash is there to support her too, to help her come to terms with her feelings about her dad, and to be there as she figures out where her heart lies.
It may be predictable but it still has all the feels … and all the dirty talking cowboy that a reader could ask for. I’m looking forward to seeing what Peterson has in store for the rest of the Rivers boys. She’s definitely teed us up for a good one with Wyatt ๐
*****
Author Info:
Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When sheโs not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the southโs best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughter Gracie, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.
A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.
Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone. When their assignment goes awry and theyโre stuck in a remote location with only one bed, the only thing hotter than their emotions is their explosive chemistry. Come along for the fun, sexy ride as Sutton and Flynn discover thereโs a fine line between love and hate.
If you love dislike-to-love, forced proximity romances, you wonโt want to miss Enticing Her Love. Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, and a happily ever after that will leave you breathless. Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles. They have a penchant for pranks, a passion for loyalty, and a trunk full of secrets. All Steele novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to feel about this one. I liked Sutton but Flynn came off a little more a*hole than alphahole but I found myself quickly warming up to him. He’s gruff but he’s also smart, caring, and … good with his hands ๐ Being alone together in the jungle means that Sutton & Flynn have to address the animosity that has been brewing between each other. And face some interesting truths about feelings that are at the core of their sparks. But what does it mean when they are home again? They have a lot of reasons for what happened in the jungle to stay in the jungle but they quickly find themselves struggling to keep things separate.
I’m amused at how easily their issues are resolved, because honestly it is all so obvious, but it’s definitely a very real reaction to the situations they find themselves in. And as with all romances, it’s not about the HEA but about the journey and theirs is sexy, funny, and fun. But what else would you expect for this author?
Foster is a must read if you like dirty talking heroes who can back it up in the bedroom … and the living room … and the shower … and the sassy heroines that keep them on their toes. With this wrap up for the Steeles, she gives us hints at the possibilities of many more stories to come and I’m here for ALL of them.
*****
Author Info:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissaโs emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family orientedโperfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.
Miles Garrett, pro basketball player and star of every one of my fantasies, has decided Iโm moving in with him.
My brotherโs teammate has always protected me out of loyalty. He makes me feel like everything will be okay even when my life is on fire.
But when he looks at me, I wonder what it would be like if he was truly mine. If I had the dream life and dream job and the dream guy.
Did I mention we canโt keep our hands off each other?
I hoped the proximity would get him out of my system. Turns out sharing a bedroom wall changes hungry looks and brushes in the hall into sweaty sessions and late-night confessions.
Miles keeps my secrets and sees me like no one else.
Too bad the playoffs are coming up and my brother doesnโt know.
The truth is going to be hard to take.
Hard to Take is a pro basketball romance with banter, spice, and all the swoony vibes! Itโs the second book in the Denver Kodiaks series. Miles and Brookeโs addictive story begins in Hard to Fake and concludes in Hard to Break.
We pick up pretty much where Hard to Fakeleft off, with a misunderstanding on why Miles had to leave Brooke in Vail. She’s still having to figure out what she’s going to do with her business and he’s worried about his grandmother & his attraction to his friend’s sister. It doesn’t take long for them to cross paths and find themselves back where they were before – in each other’s lives and in each other’s beds. But what happens when their feelings come into play?
Loving Miles & Brooke’s story – the sass, the steam, and the care. Brooke is savvy and hardworking, putting her experience with creating her own social media brand to work for herself, her friends, and her family. Miles recognizes how important the team is to himself and his friends, his career and his grandmother’s future. But he also finds Brooke way too hard to resist and is willing to take a chance to see what it could mean.
I like that Lawson doesn’t take it in a too predictable direction. There’s obviously going to be issues, because otherwise we wouldn’t need another story to wrap things up, but about halfway through I was guessing what the cliff hanger would be and I was wrong, which is always a treat. Really looking forward to finding out how everything wraps up!
*****
Author Info:
Piper Lawson is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of smart and steamy romance.
She writes women who follow their dreams, best friends who know your dirty secrets and love you anyway, and complex heroes you’ll fall hard for.
Piper lives in Canada with her tall and brilliant husband. She’s a sucker for dark eyes, dark coffee, and dark chocolate.
I’ve only read one of Pavlov’s books and I’m pretty sure I had no idea what I was missing out on. I loved Nash & Emerson together. There’s a delightful amount of sparks and all the feels that you could ask for. They find a rhythm that is just the sweetest and his group of friends is just so supportive, smart-mouthed, & fun. They welcome Emerson with open arms and all the love they have. (I’m gonna have to make sure that I go back and find ALL their stories.)
Pavlov could have easily gone for all the drama but instead she balances it perfectly. Showing them addressing their issues in a mature and realistic way. Facing their hurts and fears and problems with love and care, getting support where and when they need it. If everything she writes is like this, I’m pretty sure I have quite a few more books to add to my TBR pile!
*****
Author Info:
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!
A small town, single dad, forbidden romance from bestselling author, Stacey Lynn.
I donโt think anyone wouldโve chosen to be a single dad before their driverโs license even arrived in the mail, but that was the curveball that life threw at me. While my classmates were partying it up at football games and Prom, I was dealing with ear infections and learning how to be the best kind of dad like my father was to me.
I all but gave up on trusting a woman again and finding love as I had more important
responsibilities: being a proud girl dad to Josie, helping my family out on their ranch, and starting my own construction business.
Then Penelope Pesco shows up and kills my resolve to remain alone. Sheโs not only the most alluring woman Iโve ever met, but a forbidden one too: Sheโs my daughterโs new teacher.
Sheโs also my new neighbor.
Sweet Penny is pure temptation in one gorgeous package with her sunflower blonde hair and beguiling sky-blue eyes, and Iโm having a hard time staying away. Keeping myeight-year-old daughter from falling in love with her is hard enough. We both don’t need to fall in love with her and end up with our hearts broken.
Then tragedy strikes my family in an entirely shocking way, and reality hits. Lifeโs too short to keep running and living in fear. This is my chance and Iโm grabbing it with both hands.
I can only hope I havenโt screwed everything up. Hopefully, thereโs a chance I can fix what
Iโve broken. Josie and I love and adore Penny and can only hope that our unbreakable love isnโt shattered beyond repair.
Download today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
This is the first in this series for me (and only 3rd or 4th by this author) so I don’t have a lot to compare it to or any previous feeling for any of the characters. I liked Gavin and it helped getting his perspective so I was willing to give him a little grace – plus, his daughter is adorable – but if I was Penny I’m not sure how many second chances I would have given the man. He was rude WAY too many times to count as he struggled with his attraction to his daughter’s new teacher. And his new neighbor. Burned once, he finds it difficult to trust but the draw to Penny proves hard to resist.
Penny is a wonderful teacher and has a big heart. And a huge propensity to forgive, which is lucky for Gavin after he treats her poorly on more than one occasion. Sure, he apologizes each time and eventually shows himself to be the decent guy he is, but it does take a bit … he may be worth the wait tho ๐
Unbreakable Love is a sweet read, with an enjoyable cast of characters, a sweetheart of a kid, a good balance between lighthearted and serious, and just a touch of heat. With the latest in the Kelley Family series, Lynn gives readers a good way to wrap up their summer beach reads.
(There are a few moments that I’m guessing would be beneficial to have read the previous book but Lynn does a good job of explaining what’s going on that it isn’t necessary.)
*****
Author Info:
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
The rookie superstar, the desperate cowboy, and a naughty propositionโฆ
Denny
The press calls me this yearโs hotshot, the rookie who scores at will and conjures plays out of thin air. Truth isโฆIโm a PR nightmare. Seriously. Ask my agent.
My anxiety is off the charts. I canโt talk to the media without breaking into a cold sweat, but once I get through the season, I can regroup at home. Life is simpler in Vermont.
Well, not anymore. Thereโs a new cowboy in town. Literally, a cowboy. At least, Hank looks like oneโhe owns a horse, wears a hat, and did I mention heโs hot?
And get thisโฆhe has a proposition for me.
Hank
Proposition is a strong word. I prefer to call this a mutually beneficial arrangement. See, I could use Dennyโs help with a family business venture, and though I was planning to offer cash, the jock has a sexier idea.
Not gonna lie, Iโm interested.
This could be a fun distraction while Iโm stuck in Elmwood. Nice enough place, however, the locals are wary of an outsider taking over the neighboring mill. Long story shortโฆthey donโt trust me. But they love their hometown hockey hero.
I get it.
Iโve never met anyone like Dennyโskittish in street clothes and a feral beast with cunning instincts on the ice. Heโs fascinating, sexy, smart, andโ
Whoa! Iโm not falling for the hotshot rookie. No way, no how, no chanceโฆ
Too late.
Hotshot is an MM bisexual, age-gap, small town romance featuring a hotshot rookie, a sexy cowboy, and a proposition that changes everything.
โLetโs get this over with. What did you want?โ
โOuch. I canโt remember the last time anyone was happy to see me,โ he groused without heat. โExcept Steve the contractor. He likes me okay, but heโs being paid well. Our employees do well too, but sadly, they donโt like me at all.โ
โI canโt help you with that. Sorry.โ
Hank sipped his beer and shrugged. โYes, you can. Iโm extorting you, remember?โ
โOhโฆyeah.โ I chuckled.
And fuck, I didnโt want to be amused. I didnโt want to like Hank at all, but it was hard not to appreciate his self-deprecating honesty. He emanated โnice guyโ vibes with the right amount of edge. No wonder drunk me had gotten flirty with him. Fortunately, sober me knew he was more than I could handle.
Which was fine since Hank wasnโt interested anyway. He wanted my alleged star power, not me.
So why was I grinning like an idiot?
Fuck, I had a bad feeling my eyes were twinkling too. I had to rein that shit in, stat.
โSoโฆletโs make a deal,โ he said, thankfully unaware of my inner detour. โI need an Elmwood buddy. My dad gave me the all-clear to make my offer sexy, soโฆwhatโll it be?โ
I bugged my eyes out. โSexy?โ
โYeah, something interesting. If itโs money, name your price. Tell me what you want in exchange for your time.โ
You.
The word tripped to the tip of my tongue. I bit it back and swallowed it, clearing my throat to be sure it was gone.
โI justโฆwant to make sure that whatever I blabbed while I was wasted off my ass stays between us.โ
โYeah, but Iโll do that for free. You can trust me.โ
โI donโt know you,โ I retorted.
โTrue,โ he conceded, sipping his beer. โBut you donโt really have a choice. I canโt prove that I wonโt sell you out. Itโs a trust thing. Letโs talk about the sexy angle, โcause I need an Elmwood buddy like yesterday.โ
โI canโt believe Iโm asking this, butโฆwhat does an Elmwood buddy do?โ
โHe shows the new guy the ropes.โ Hank leaned in. โIntroduce me, give me tips on whoโs who and what to avoid. I suck in Elmwood and I need a champion, a liaisonโฆa friend. That can be you.โ
I huffed in amusement, feeling strangely at ease. He was charming as fuck and I was not immune. โHow can you suck in Elmwood? Everyone is cool there.โ
He slumped on his stool. โI donโt know, but Iโm even worse in Wood Hollow. I donโt get it. People in Denver like me just fine. Even you like me.โ
โNo, I like your hat.โ I reached for his water and winked.
I fucking winked.
Me.
That was me flirting. Ugh. Bad, Denny. Bad.
I felt surprisingly relaxed with him. Like I had last weekend when Iโd spilled my guts andโฆother things. The point was, I could talk to him without feeling immediately depleted, and that alone was a minor miracle.
Hank kicked my shin playfully. โNah, you like me. You did last weekend, anyway.โ
โI was drunk, and Iโm still mortified. Go easy on me.โ I took a swig of water as if I were knocking back whisky.
โIโll try, butโฆyou shook your dick at me, then fell buck-ass naked in my bed, so cโmon.โ
My eyes had to be saucer-sized. โI shook my dick at you?โ
He inclined his chin and winked in a touchรฉ move that made my cock swell against my zipper.
โA week later, Iโm still thinking about it,โ Hank drawled.Whoa. Was he serious?
*****
Author Info:
Lane Hayes lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesnโt mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, whoโs pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write.
Sheโs been telling stories about sexy, funny, sometimes geeky and quirky men who find love for a dozen years now and loving every minute. In her previous life, she sat at a desk and dealt with numbers, so yesโฆromance is much more satisfying!
Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolateโฆin any order. Add a book and sheโs set!
There’s a thin line between love and hate, and I hate that I’m still in love with him.
โ Austin โDaredevilโ Wentworthโ
I hate Greer Rowan.
Hate how I feel when he looks at me, hate the way things ended, and I hate that heโs my older brotherโs best friend.
I hate how badly I want him, and most of all, I hate that Iโm still stupidly in love with him.
But I have a job to do. Greer has hired me to do the impossible with him on an international excursion thatโs going to land us together in his bed. Problem is, I might not hate that.
โ Greer Rowanโ
Iโve been such a fool.
I had my reasons for doing what I did, and I know I hurt him. Austin may never understand, but Iโm going to force him to hear me out. And if pushing all his protector buttons to get him to pretend to be my boyfriend at my nieceโs wedding wonโt do the trick, Iโll dare him to do something else because that angry man is all I want.
Austin is the love of my life. Weโre supposed to be together, and Iโve already wasted too many years without him.
The Billionaire is book three in the Portland Protectors- EHM Security series. It is a not so fake boyfriend, gay for you, brotherโs best friend, grumpy sunshine MM Romance with a swoony HEA.
Greer turned to appraise me with a knowing smile, making my breathing a little raspier than normal. I was no longer Carterโs kid brother. I was more. And his appreciative smile and long assessing gaze that took in my face, my sharp jaw, and my lips said he knew it. And he looked pleased to see me.
โWell, hello there. It’s good to see you, Austin.โ
I smiled and held out my hand to shake his. โHello, Greer. Itโs really nice to see you.โ
He shifted on his stool toward me, then looked momentarily at my hand before sliding his into mine.
When he touched me, a warm sensation started in my hand before heading straight into my pants. I looked down at where our skin made contact and, for the briefest of moments, I wondered if his lips on mine would have the same effect. Would he taste like I’d imagined?
Would kissing him cause an electrical current to run through me, making me want things I knew I shouldnโt? He was my much older brotherโs best friend, and old enough to be my father. But that didnโt stop the tidal wave of longing and desire Iโd carried for him for years. And at that moment, I didnโt think anything could.
Greer held my hand as he looked into my eyes, making me lose track of time. Iโd always been attracted to him, and if the way he looked at me was any indication, he was feeling it, too.
โWant a drink?โ
I felt my face heat as his words registered in my lust-addled brain. Thatโs what he reduced me to every single time I was near him.
โUh, yeah,โ I said, clearing my throat and pulling my hand from his. โIโll have a stout.โ
Greer smiled like my choice of beverage answered an unasked question, then turned back toward the bartender, where he raised a hand to get his attention. I took a breath and righted myself on the stool. His familiar cologne filled my nose again, and I wanted to rub up against him like a cat. I wanted his scent all over my skin.
The close confines of the bar caused my thigh to line up with his, igniting an entirely new wave of scorching desire and need through every cell in my body. No man had ever caused this kind of fire in me. And it was dangerous as fuck.
*****
Author Info:
Emerson Beckett is an avid sports fan and lover of M/M romance books, Emerson loves her new career as an author. It gets even better when she can combine the two. Emerson is the co-author of The Package Deal Series and The Portland Protectors: EHM Security Series with Rheland Richmond. The We Could Do This Duet is her first solo project.
Emerson lives in North Carolina and has been married to the same man for 34 years. She is the mother of three beautiful adults, one of whom is completely responsible for her addiction to MM Romance.
Emerson is now mom to an Australian Shepherd, four cats, and a cute bunny rabbit.โฉ
For as long as she can remember, Rheland’s had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else’s creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.
Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.
She’s just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.
Rheland would love to hear from her readers and learn more about y’all. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.โฉ
What started out as a night of fun at a Vegas hotspot somehow turned into saying โI Doโ by an Elvis impersonator.ย
If you think thatโs bad, it gets worse. My new husband lied to me and told me he ran a not-for-profit. That couldnโt be further from the truth.
Imagine my surprise when I realized I married one of the best tight ends in the league.ย
Did I mention my uncle owns the team?
If you think things couldnโt get any more complicated, our plans to get an annulment are unexpectedly put on hold. So, now Iโm trapped in this unforeseen marriage until we can find a way out. He assured me not to worry, proposing a temporary solutionโmove in with him and keep our relationship a secret.ย
Except, the more I get to know my husband, the more I want to stay married, especially when he calls meโ”his wifeโ.ย
But life doesnโt always go as planned, especially when my uncle intercepts our news before we have a chance to tell him.ย
Now his spot on the team is at risk, my heart is on the line, and the fallout could cost us everything.
There’s something endearing about how much Rhett throws himself into this accidental marriage. He feels a connection to Natalie that he can’t explain but that he feels like he must pursue. And while she wants to forget that their marriage ever existed, especially when they realize exactly how complicated it makes their lives, she feels that draw too and doesn’t fight him when he wants to see where it can go.
I think the blurb made me think the uncle-finding-out thing would be a bigger part of the story than it was. It is a concern but the majority of the storage is them spending time together so that when it does happen towards the end of the book they have so much more at stake.
Do I think these two handled their marriage and the issues that it caused in the most mature way possible? No. Do I think that it was realistic, with all of the messiness that comes with real relationships? Definitely. It’s not easy or pretty, but it rarely is.
*****
Author Info:
S. Jones is a contemporary romance author from Upstate New York. She has a strong passion for writing and reading stories that will rip your heart out before itโs put back together again.
If sheโs not buried in her writing cave, sheโs usually reading or planning out her next vacation.
She loves to travel to different places and spends all her free with her husband, and two college age children.
When the weather permits, you can find her outside walking her golden retriever, or enjoying a nice cocktail by the pool. She loves cooking and entertaining for her family and friends. When sheโs not holding a glass of wine in one hand and her kindle in the other, she loves to hear from her readers at authorsjoneswrites@gmail.com
An accidental pregnancy, small town, sports romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.
Pregnant. Homeless. Broke. Not what Iโd expected for my senior year in college. Neither was Rush Ramsey.
We met the day I went camping and got stranded on the side of a gravel road. I didnโt believe in white knights who freed damsels in distress. Life had taught me that if something bad could happen, it probably would. The only person who would save me was me.
But Rush Ramsey rescued me that day. He was sweet and kind and charming. He made a dark, starry night a little less lonely.
I should have realized it was too good to be true. That an incredible night of passion would come with consequences. That the bad luck rollercoaster Iโd been riding for twenty-one years wasnโt ready to stop.
Because Rush Ramsey, Treasure State Universityโs most eligible bachelor and quarterback extraordinaire, just got me pregnant.
Devney Perry is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.
Romantic Reads and Such 