Our latest superstar is my newest problem. Until I meet his mother…
Chicago Ravens captain Ledger Cole believes in earning your stripes, not coasting on golden boy status. So when Austin Hart becomes the NHLโs youngest signee, Ledger is determined to give him a pretty steep learning curve.
Auburn Hart is barely clinging onto her sonโs meteoric rise to stardom. Uprooted to a new city, a new job (working in a coffee shop in your thirties is fiiine, right?) and being forced to keep an eye on Austinโs troublemaking tendencies is…a lot.
When loneliness and chance create the perfect hookup, neither Auburn nor Ledger realizes their awkward real-life connection โ until the truth spills out. But with more than one career at stake, and Auburnโs scars hovering at the door, they canโt just follow this irresistible pull. Can they?
Your Pucking Mom is a dual POV, forbidden love, forced proximity hockey romance for fans of Becka Mack.
TW: for abusive relationship with her mom and past sexual assault
Auburn has a lot of trauma she’s spent years working on, and she still has a long way to go. (I do kinda wish she was still seeing a therapist because I think that it’s needed, especially with the move and changes in her & Austin’s lives.) Her connection to Ledger, tho, is pretty hard to ignore.
For not having had a relationship before, Ledger is a pretty stand up guy … as well, as a sexy and forceful. I appreciate the patience he takes with Auburn, in and out of the bedroom. He’s supportive, caring, and understanding.
Some may have an issue with how quickly they fall into a sexual relationship together, but I think that it works OK knowing that she’s been thru therapy. Getting her POV for it helps as well. Not that making that step is easy or without bumps (big bumps) along the way.
This is the first by Taylor that I’ve read. While the writing isn’t what I am used to (it’s a little quirky) and there are some times when it feels like things don’t flow quite right, overall I enjoyed it a lot. I’ll be interested in seeing what comes next in this series.
*****
Author Info:
Vee Taylor is a passionate writer based in the suburbs of Chicago. With a lovingly supportive husband, two dogs, and two children, she finds inspiration in her daily life and uses it to fuel her writing. Her passion for reading and writing began ten years ago, and she hasn’t looked back since.
As an avid book lover, Vee is obsessed with all things bookish. She loves exploring new worlds, discovering new characters, and delving into different genres. Her favorite genres include dark romance, romantasy, and good ole smut. When she’s not writing, she can often be found with her nose buried in a book or scrolling aimlessly on social media.
Aside from writing, Vee is also a talented photographer that worked for years in the wedding industry. She loves spending time with her friends and family, and enjoys trying new things. With a zest for life and an unwavering passion for writing, Vee Taylor is so excited that you are here on this journey with her.
Get ready to fall hard for the mysterious Seeley โDocโ Whiskey and the one woman he never thought would walk back into his life, in this sexy and emotional second-chance standalone romance. The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch is a small-town, big-family series of standalone romance novels featuring fiercely loyal, insanely sexy bikers who give horsesโand peopleโa second chance. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and a happily ever after that will leave you breathless.ย
Love, Lies, and Whiskey
The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch
by Melissa Foster
World Literary Press
Blurb:
First loves that were ripped apart, and the epic love that saves them.
At nineteen, Seeley โDocโ Whiskey fell hard for the governorโs daughter, and then she was torn away. He risked his life and his familyโs legacy to get her back, only to find out that everything he believed about her was a lie. His heart has been locked down ever since.
Betrayed by everyone she loves, Juliette Chambers has been through hell and back. Now a single mother and veterinarian, Juliette moves back to Colorado to start over. The last person she expects to run into is the man who completely destroyed her.
A chance encounter turns into a moment of fury, sending them into an emotional maelstrom. Tears and accusations fly and passion ignites, but in their wake they discover a trail of secrets and lies and a life-changing blow that takes them to their knees.
The Whiskeys are stand up people and Doc is no different. He can be grumpy and rigid but he’s hiding a heart of gold, one bruised by a lost love. Meeting her again, learning the truth, gives them another chance and bringing out the man he used to be.
Juliette is a good match for Doc. She had a rough start but she’s created a good life for herself & her son and getting to the truth of their past also has her looking at the future with brighter eyes. And with Doc & the other Whiskey’s at her side, she’ll find out that she can face down just about anything life has for her.
Foster’s latest did not go at all like I expected. And it was a gut punch every step of the way. From Juliette and Doc’s meeting again after so long, to finding out the truth of what happened all those years ago, getting to know each other again and the troubles life sometimes gives you. It’s emotional hit after emotion hit, both good and bad. Make sure you are ready, then throw yourself whole body into this roller coaster of a read!
*****
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.
From USA TODAY bestselling author Nana Malone, a romance about a Ghanaian American heiress faced with the dilemma of choosing between culture and a love connection.ย
During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts.
But Ofosuaโs identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of Ghanaโs Gold Coast, and her hand is already promised to a man that even her overbearing mother loves. Yet, when her big Ghanaian wedding transforms from a fairy tale into a spectacle, sheโs thrust into a whirlwind of heartbreak and self-discovery.
In the midst of it all, Cole enters her life once again, under circumstances far different from their magical first encounter. Can Ofosua and Coleโs rediscovered spark overcome the weight of tradition?
Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author, Nana Malone writes Sexy Feel-Good Romance and loves all things romance and adventure.
That love started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin. It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen year old. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.
Sign up for my VIP Reader List to find out when my next release is:https://geni.us/nananl
From bestselling author Monica Murphy comes a sweet, sexy story about the secret crush between a college QB and his teammate’s sister, and the obvious chemistry that keeps them in the huddle.
Sienna
I’ve had a thing for Gavin Maddox ever since I was a freshman, but it’s a mission doomed to fail. Of all the guys I could have picked on campus, I had to go too far with the quarterback, my brother’s best friend.
We’ve spent the last two years avoiding each other. It’s not that easy when you have the same friends, not to mention I can’t forget the way it felt to be with him. But I can be civil. Polite. Detached.
I think…
Gavin
Sienna Cooper is off limits–except for that one time. I can’t forget it, but I need to forget her if I want to keep my head in the game. This is my senior year and, more importantly, my last season of college football. I can’t let anything distract me.
I’ve respected Sienna’s boundaries for this long. I can do it for another year.
Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.
A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When sheโs not writing, sheโs thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.
As a high school hockey star, I was on track for greatness. Until an opponent attacked me on the ice, leaving me half blind.
For the past twenty-seven years, Iโve avoided hockey and its painful memories. But when my old teammates get back together to play in a local recreational league, I realize it could be a chance to rewrite history. The only person standing in my way is Jack Gross.
Hockey isnโt complete without a rivalry, and ours comes courtesy of the Blades: theyโre younger, faster, and fronted by Jack, a former professional hockey player who hates my guts after a rooftop hookup gone wrong.
His cockiness and penchant for pranks make me hate him right back. But Jack has a special way of getting under my skin that makes me want to get into his pants. And well, I only have so much willpower.
As our teams get closer to a showdown on the ice, Jack begins shedding his armor of confidence. Despite getting to live the life I dreamed of, maybe Jack is as messed up as me.
The championship game could redeem the past for us both. But there can only be one winner. Will victory taste as sweet if it costs me Jack?
Gross Misconduct is a rivals to lovers, age gap, single dad, gay romance with no cheating and an HEA. It is book 1 in The Comebacks, a series about a friend group of single dads who were hockey all-stars in high school and looking to recapture the magic in their forties. Whether they win or lose, there’s always a post-game beer.
*****
Review:
Griffin had his dreams for the future taken from him at 18, but he’s managed to create a good life for himself. A job that he enjoys and 2 beautiful kids. And now he’s starting a new stage of his life, divorced and newly out as a gay man in his 40s. Then he meets Jack … and things got drastically wrong.
Jack is struggling post NHL life. He’s broke with no idea what he wants to do with his life and a difficult relationship with his dad. And finds himself battling on and off the ice with Griffin.
This was my first book by Truman and I enjoyed the heck out of it. It’s a fast read, funny and steamy and heartfelt. It has a sweet mix of found family and romance, with a bit of angst to keep things hopping. I’ll definitely be looking for another read from him.
Even the wildest hearts need a place to call home.
Wilder
Freshly released from prison, Wilder goes back to the one place he never thought heโd find home. But Blackwood Ranch is a home in which he doesnโt feel welcome. The ranch, and his brother, thrived in his absence, and Wilder wonders whether he belongs there at all anymore. How does a man find his place in a world that wonโt forgive him for his past?
Cash
Cash has called Blackwood Ranch home for seven years, but heโs never truly had a place of his own. He doesnโt realize heโs missing anything until he meets Wilder. He wants to show Wilder that thereโs more to life than survival, but getting past the manโs defenses will be a lesson in patience for the both of them.ย
*****
Review:
Wilder has been thru so much and I wanted to just yell at all of the townspeople that let their childhood reach the state it did. (And there was a moment toward the end that I just wanted to punch one particular selfish old man.)
My heart went out to both of the brothers, living with the consequences of that night and struggling to figure out how to move forward. (I really wish we’d gotten a little more of Lain’s POV. It made me a little angry that things went as far for as long as they did.)
Cash is patient and supportive and good for Wilder. He shows him the love and understanding that he so desperately needs, setting him up for a chance at a good future if he’s willing to trust.
Cash & Wilder’s path to a HEA is not an easy one. There are a lot of 2 steps forward and 1 step back moments for them as they try to work thru Wilder’s adjustment to being out of prison. And having to face his past and his brother again. It’s an emotional story but a satisfying one and I just loved it – every angsty, slow burn, gut punch page.
Okay, I might have a reputation as a playboy, but I swear thatโs not my fault.
Cade – When your small tourist town is lacking in single people, your only option for company is the temporary kind. And if given the choice between sleeping alone or sleeping around, well, can you blame me for choosing the latter?
If you think about it, Iโm a victim of circumstance. A product of my environment. And that suits me just fine. Or it did, until a sexy stranger knocked me over, literally.
The newcomer is an angel to my devil. The type A to my slacker, working on a PhD thesis while I do everything in my power to delay taking over the family business. We should be totally incompatible. Yet somehow, I feel more at ease with this outsider than people Iโve known my whole life.
For the first time inโeverโI don’t want to be just a fling, but how do I win over a relationship prone genius when Iโm a notorious flirt? Thatโs not even the worst part. Did I mention Iโm crushing on a guy, and until I met him, I considered myself straight?
This opposites attract MM romance features a small-town bad boy, the studious boy next door, townspeople who love an excuse to wear a costume, and a not safe for work drinking game.
*****
Review:
Worthy is low angst, steamy, and sweet. These two together are delightful and I loved being with them as they fell in love over the course of a summer. It just grabbed me with its mix of feels and flirty fun.
My only complaint is that I’m not sure why Cade is so hard on himself. Sure, he’s slept around but he’s also young and only with those more than willing. He’s also got a lot to offer others – he’s caring, hard working, playful, and supportive of his friends & community. And Maddox sees that as well. With his help, maybe Cade will too.
It’s a slow burn romance so it won’t be for everyone. But those who do pick it up will get emotion, growth, and a LOT of heat, mixed with a good dose of small town charm, humor, and fun. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from Lenard so far and I’m adding her to my list of go to authors.
Dirty dancing leads to a chance at forever in this sizzling single parent, found family, small town romance by Jessica Peterson.
Sawyer
A Lucky River Ranch Novel
by Jessica Peterson
Blurb:
As a recently divorced single mom, I have zero interest in flirting with guys while on a rare girlsโ weekend away with my sisters. I just want to have fun, celebrate my new job, and listen to live music at a honky tonk.
But when I literally stumble into the most gorgeous guy ever on the dance floor, those plans go up in smoke. Growing up on the barrel racing circuit, Iโm not immune to the charms of a cowboy. But this particular one is hot as hell: Sawyerโs got a mustache, some sexy tattoos, and a very filthy mouth.
Needless to say, we end up naked in his swanky hotel room. Itโs the best sex of my life. And the way Sawyer treats me like a queen? Letโs just say a girl could get addicted to that kind of adoration.
Good thing heโll always be just a one night stand I can look back on with a smile. Iโm rebuilding our life from scratch, and I need to focus on my three-year-old daughter and the dream job I just landed.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I move to Hartsville and run into a tattooed cowboy with an endearing daughter of his own. Now Sawyer wants more than the occasional playdates between our girls. But the closer we become, the more determined this sexy single dad is to keep me forever.ย
As much as I am falling for Sawyer, Iโm terrified. Iโve been down this road before with my ex, and I wonder if I can trust this cowboy. Will he rope the moon for me? Or is my heart destined to be trampled all over again?
Oh my, the Rivers boy … *sigh* I love these dirty talking, big hearted, noble cowboys. Sawyer is trying so hard to be a good dad, good brother, and good cowboy. He’s struggling with feeling like he’s not enough and should be able to do more. But meeting Ava helps take some of that stress away for a little while.
I liked Ava and I liked her with Sawyer but I am not sure I quite understand why she hangs on to her concern about getting involved with him as long as she did. I get that her previous relationship was awful and toxic and abusive but … surely she understands that not every relationship is like that? Maybe it is because they got together so young that it imprinted those feelings about herself.
Their night together at the beginning was steamy, fun, and a chance for them to let go & remember themselves as people not just parents. And it is a feeling that they are able to keep going once they meet again later. They work well together, as adults and as parents, and I enjoyed their relationship a lot.
There’s not a lot of drama in this one. Mostly it’s whether Ava can let go of her issues with relationships to give Sawyer a real chance. He does have a few hang ups of his own, especially with stretching himself too thin. Overall, it’s about them creating an amazing little family together and learning to trust in others – to trust they truly accept them and are willing to bet there when needed. And I enjoy seeing them create connections and relationships with each other & those around them
Full of adorable kids, sassy women, and sexy cowboys, Sawyer is a cute (and hot) addition to the Lucky River Ranch series. Sawyer is such a good man and Ava is the perfect person to help him remember to enjoy life and I’m here for it. And I’m also here for what comes next thanks to that little tease at the end!
*****
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.
Since then, Tweetie Sorenson has embraced the professional hockey player bachelor lifestyleโhis social media is a highlight reel of clubs, friends, and a never-ending stream of different women.
Itโs hard to believe heโs the same man who stole my heart the very night we met. With him, everything felt wild, spontaneous, and absolutely perfect. I thought he was my forever.
Then, he broke my heart. Or maybe we broke each otherโs. Either way, it was over.
Iโve moved onโnew city, dream jobโuntil my boss throws me back into Tweetieโs world. Iโm sent to Chicago to manage the Falconsโ social media, which means working alongside the one man I never truly let go of. FML.
Audio Full Cast Narration by: Troy Duran, Christine Lakin, Sean Masters, Connor Crais, JF Harding, Teddy Hamilton, and CJ Bloom
*****
Review:
I love this series (and pretty much everything that Piper Rayne gives me). I’ve been curious about Tweetie as we’ve worked thru the other stories … and I’m so sad that this one was my least favorite. The last half or so was great, exactly what I’d expect.
But early on, especially the journal entries, things were occasionally awkward. Part of it may be the bouncing back and forth in time. Plus I think maybe we needed a good reminder that these two were young when they first got together, with a lot of baggage from their childhoods. Although even in the present they make some choices that seemed a little … juvenile.
Buuuut, saying that, I loved that Tweetie finally got his girl and Tedi is a good match for him. I felt for him every step of the way, how he has to work with his abandonment issues and need to be wanted. The glimpses of the deeper guy that we’ve gotten over the other stories make so much sense.
As with all of the others, it’s the friendships between the guys and now their partners that elevate these stories. They love big and bold and with a lot of heart. I love seeing them support each other, tease but at the same time truly care about each other. And Tweetie & Tedi need all they can get.
There’s a lot of pain and yearning and hurt and want all wrapped up with these two and having to spend time together means that it doesn’t take long for all of that to bubble over. My heart went out to both of them as they struggle with those feelings and have to decide if they can trust in themselves & each other.
We get a look at baseball players Decker & Easton throughout this story and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when the guys move into the condos above Peepers. Looks like Ruby may have her hands full ๐
*****
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!
When a health issue ends Christinaโs dancing career, she finds herself on a new path as a co-owner of an NHL team. But, when a friend needs help at her dance studio, the last thing she expected was for the hottie taking private lessons to wind up on her brotherโs hockey team. Readers who love secret, workplace romances will enjoy Dances with Pucks by Debbie Charles, a steamy, sports romance.
Dances with Pucks
Texas Tornadoes series
by Debbie Charles
Blurb:
CAM
Guarding the net is not my only goal
While other players relax on the golf course, my off-season is spent in the ballroom. Dancing keeps me limber and the memory of my mom alive. My father dismissed hockey as a career and moved on to a new family. Jokeโs on him. Iโve made it to the NHL, and Iโll clear close to a mil at age twenty-four. The only thing left on my life plan is a family, and I have my eye on the beautiful dance instructor who keeps me on my toes.
CHRISTINA
I prefer numbers to people. Theyโre far more predictable.
Numbers make sense; people donโt.
After a health issue ended my competitive ballroom dancing career, I took over management of my familyโs financial empire. Then my brother insisted on bringing pro hockey to Austin, so here I am, co-owner of an NHL team and agreeing to give free financial advice to the players. When a friend needs help at her dance studio, the hottie taking private lessons is more tempting than a macro-enabled spreadsheet, until his headshot pops up on my brotherโs hockey roster. Talk about a conflict of interest. Worse, he wants what I canโt give himโkids. Maybe just a flingโฆ
Dances with Pucks is a workplace romance between two incredibly flexible people, which means things get steamy, stretched, and sometimes twisted. It introduces the Texas Tornadoes, the hottest, coolest expansion NHL team in hockey.
As he raises me to his shoulder, my leg extended, and begins to twirl, my only thought is how close his hand is to my *****. I moan, and he inhales deeply. If heโs smelling me, Iโll be so embarrassed. That might be worse than if my arousal leaks down onto his hand.
He clutches me tight for an instant before allowing me to slide down. I wrap my arm around his back, the arch of my spine more pronounced than before. Iโve forgotten the move. My *** craves his **** against it and my legs are splayed wide to get maximum friction where I want it. Iโm too high, though, so Iโm splayed across his belly, his big hand inches above where I need it to be. He releases his left hand where it had moved under my knee and I slide down, leading with one tiptoe so I can slow my slide over his ****.
I am shameless and over this lesson almost before itโs begun.
I donโt spin around and instead shimmy my *** against him.
His hand tightens around my waist as he pulls me even closer. We breathe in unison. My back brushes his chest with every inhale.
โChristina?โ he asks into my hair. Iโm sweaty and horny and I donโt care about resisting any more.
I whisper, โCam. Please.โ
Spinning me around, he responds with a husky, โThank ****,โ as his hands go to my head and his lips meet mine.
He kisses far better than anyone Iโve ever experienced. Iโm lost. My brain skitters along the hard floor under us before I remember that my bedroom is literally feet away. But Iโm afraid to break the spell. I want to sink into these sensations, this pleasure, and wallow in it.
My hands roam his hard muscles. Arms, back, chest, shoulders are all explored as our lips and tongues play. I tunnel under his shirt, craving skin to skin, and he moans. I flick his nipple with a fingernail, and he shudders around me.
He also starts to explore. His fingers knead the muscles of my upper back, around the base of my spine, and my ***. He skims as far down my legs as he can reach and mutters against my mouth, โGod, I want these wrapped around me.โ
I nod.
He raises his head, looking a little surprised. โAre you sure?โ
โIโm sure. Itโs been a while, though, so please take it slow.โ Iโm not ready to share my specific worries about penetration, angle, or position, but Iโm safe with him. This is a man who worries heโll drop me a few feet from a simple lift.
Nor is this the time to talk about keeping this whole thing secret. Maybe I can get my fill of him today and then move on. Iโll worry about all that later. Right now, I need the pleasure his body has been taunting mine with for weeks.
โIf you need me to do something different, tell me.โ Heโs done asking for permission, however, because he peels the straps of my leotard down to my hips in one move. Plucking the knot of my filmy wrap skirt open, he tosses it aside and gets me naked except my shoes in seconds.
I suck in a breath. The mirrors reflect a three-quarter view of the back of me, so he can see all of me at once. And while heโs in his prime, both age-wise and being a professional athlete, Iโm no longer the lithe competitive dancer I once was. Iโve filled out, although I stay fitter than most thirty-year-old women.
โGod, youโre gorgeous. Even more beautiful than I imagined.โ His voice is reverent, allaying the few worries my thoughts had room for. Itโs time to bask in this experience.
He lowers to his knees; I assume to take my shoes off. But no, he runs his hands up and down my legs, testing the muscles with light squeezes. โYour legs are my greatest fantasy.โ
Well, thatโs hot. And original. I brace my hands on his shoulders. Even with him kneeling before me, the power dynamic of me naked and him clothed is a little overwhelming. I tug on his shirt. โOff, please.โ
He does that young guy thing, grasping it behind his head with one hand and yanking it up and off, flinging it aside.
My hands return to his shoulders. Warm, smooth skin covers muscles that are hard even at rest. I could fondle him all day.
He has other ideas. Tucking a hand behind my knee, he braces me by holding my other hip and slides my knee over his shoulder, opening me to him.
Copyright 2025, Debbie Charles
*****
Author Info:
A lifelong romance reader, I cut my teeth on Johanna Lindsey, Jude Deveraux, and Kathleen Woodiwiss, along with Silhouette and Harlequin for palate cleansers. Opting for a career that provided both a food and travel budget, I earned a BA, CPA, and MBA, and spent far too long being a corporate drone, then consulting other corporate drones. Along the way, I was one of the few 1990s NBA season ticket holders never to see Michael Jordan play (โ93-โ94). I also attended a few NFL games, the Belmont Stakes, the NHL playoffs, the World Series, and managed to see more than 20 MLB parks, several of which have since been demolished. More recently, Iโve enjoyed the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. Throughout those years, I made sporadic attempts to write my own romance. I now have 9 spicy Regency romances under the pen name Maggie Sims (www.maggiesims.com), and am ready to tackle contemporary romance, starting with hot hockey romances set in Austin, where I now live with my husband and three furbabies.
Romantic Reads and Such 