Hailey Donovan was never impulsive. Well, until that weekend at her cousinβs wedding when she met the most attractive man sheβd ever seen. They danced, they flirted, and at the end of the night, she threw caution to the wind and agreed to spend the weekend with him. It was never supposed to be more than thatβit made no sense to keep in touch when they lived a thousand miles apart. A positive pregnancy test and a mild panic attack later, she kind of wishes theyβd stayed in touch. As if that wasnβt enough, turns out her baby-daddy-to-be is her cousinβs new brother-in-law. Things are about to get extremely complicated.
Everything in Max Callowayβs life is coming up roses. Sort of. He was currently living above his brotherβs garage, but the expansion of his cybersecurity business and investing in the family bar was going to help change that. And if that wasnβt enough, heβd had the most exciting weekend of his life with a beautiful woman. Itβs just too bad he hadnβt been able to convince her to stay in touch. But his luck must really be turning because Haileyβs coming back to Sweetbriar Ridge for a visit, and heβs determined to get her to give them a chance.
Then she tells him heβs going to be a father.
They may be doing things a little out of order, but Max doesnβt let that stand in his way. Heβs determined to prove to her that what they have is real. But first Hailey needs to learn to trust that whatβs happening between them is more than just a craving.
We’re pretty much thrown right into it with Hailey finding out that she’s pregnant, deciding what she’s going to do. And like a good book boyfriend, Max steps up. He throws himself all in to supporting her, letting her lead & make decisions that work for her.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a book of any length if everything just falls into place. Hailey may be all over the place, but she’s got some insecurities from a past relationship and, I mean, there are the hormones so … But all their issues are realistic and their journey to a HEA worked well.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Samantha Chase book and I think I have been missing out. Craving You is sweet, quick, & low angst and both Max & Hailey are relatable & likeable. Definitely be adding some books to my TBR pile.
*****
Author Info:
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance thatβs hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt β including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and THE WEDDING SEASON which was a Hallmark wedding movie in 2023! Sheβs a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80βs rock. When sheβs not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire when she should be writing, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Mayleneβ¦oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Length: 70,000 words Prior Reading: not required Genre: contemporary, sports Tropes: Light-angst, hockey, enemies-to-lovers Trigger/Content Warnings: n/a
Blurb:
Two rivals, one secret, and a shot at foreverβ¦
Jake
Favorite things and peeps: hockey, family, friends. Least favorite person in the entire history of the universe: Mason Trinsky.
I have my reasons, but since youβre curious, Trinsky is a showboat and a loudmouth. Sure, heβs a great athlete. Good for him. I accept that we have mutual friends, and I grudgingly accept that heβll be a coach at Elmwood Junior Camp this summerβhowever, I plan to keep my distance.
Of course, some wise guy pairs us up for a camping expedition, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.
Guess who Iβm stuck with?
Trinsky
Favorite things and peeps: hockey, surfing, and my kid brother Least favorite person in the entire history of the universe: Jake Milligan
Look, I might be in the minority, but if you ask me, Jake is a nitpicking diva who wants everything his way. I hope my NHL team crushes his, and this summer, I want my campers to out-prank his. Childish? Nah, itβs all in good fun.
Until it starts to feelβ¦complicated. I shouldnβt care if heβs happy, should I? I donβt want to be Jakeβs friend. I donβt want to have feelings for him at all.
The only thing that matters is hockey. It’s all about the puck. Not love.
Or is it?
Puck Love is an MM bisexual, small-town romance featuring hockeyβs hottest rivals, a hiking trip gone wrong, and a shot at foreverβ¦
Y’all, every new Elmwood book is my new favorite. These couples just keep getting better & better and again I have to say that these two may be my favoritist. They just stole my heart. Jake with his quiet seriousness, holding so much of the world on his shoulders. And loud, boisterous Trinsky, who hides a deeper, softer side. Opposites fighting it out on the ice and, mostly thanks to Trinsky’s big mouth, in the media as well. But time spent together gives them the opportunity to see a little further below the surface.
I loved how these two end up spending time together against their will but find themselves slowly getting to know each other. It is so sweet, so touching, as they discover more about each other. Their dedication and love for others, glimpses of the caring men they are. Creating an unexpected connection … and an inescapable attraction.
Puck Love is low angst, adorable, wholesome, sexy, and such a satisfying end to the series. Returning readers will have the opportunity to catch up with characters from past books, but this can be read as a stand alone … why would you want to tho!
*****
Author Info:
Lane HayesΒ lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesnβt mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, whoβs pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write. Sheβs 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 yesβ¦romance is much more satisfying!
Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolateβ¦in any order. Add a book and sheβs set!
A fact that her older brotherβone of my best friends and the county sheriffβrefuses to let me forget. But I donβt need the warning. Iβm home for the summer to recover from an accidentβone that broke my body and messed with my head. Iβve got three months to get back on the ice and prove Iβm capable of leading my team again, or I can kiss everything Iβve ever worked for goodbye.
But when Jill and I are forced to team up on a community reading program, the sexy librarian is hard to hide from. She looks at me like she knows me. Like she sees right through the act Iβm trying to pull off. When I finally trust her with the truth, she offers to help me in secret, because it turns out sheβs got just as much riding on this as I do.
Getting to know Jill againβall grown up and more gorgeous than everβhas me skating on thin ice before I know it. Pretty soon getting caught by her brother is the least of my worries. With my dream on the line, I need to keep my head in the game, but Jill is more than just a distraction. And this is more than just a summer fling I can slash and burn.
I adored Jill and Grady together. They provide support and understanding to each other, stepping in when the other stumbles or loses confidence, as they handle their individual anxieties and traumas. It gives them a connection they didn’t expect.
As with Down & Dirty, book 2 in the series has great characters and I liked the direction their relationship takes. This one isn’t as angsty but their HEA still takes a bit of work and I’m here for it. I also enjoyed the way that she normalizes mental health in their story.
I am so glad I found Lowe. Her Holden Cove series has been so enjoyable and I feel like she’s just going to keep giving us great reads.
*****
Author Info:
Maddy Lowe is a small town, contemporary romance author who lives in the woods of New Hampshire with her goofy hound, Oliver. When not dreaming up ways to make love bloom in her tiny fictional town of Holden Cove, you can find her floating in a kayak or mixing up margaritas.
Pavlov has become one of those writers that I trust is going to give me a book I love. I was a little hesitant with Lulu – I’m not always a fan of the prickly, black catty kind of heroines – but I adored her. She’s feisty, sassy, and complicated. Her interactions with Rafe are entertaining and they fit together so well as their fake relationship develops into something more real. And speaking of Rafe, he makes a pretty darn good fake boyfriend. And an even better real one. He’s good for Lulu, supporting her and centering her with she needs it. I loved it.
*****
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!
Tropes: Pro Hockey Romance, Fake Engagement, Athlete & Pop Star, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Unrequited Love (or so they think), Opposites Attract, Slow Burn
Blurb:
THIS JUST IN: HOCKEY BAD BOY AND POP STAR EXTRAORDINAIRE ENGAGED!
That was the headline we’d wanted. If only Iβd known the cost to get it.
Aleksander Suter has been my best friend since high schoolβand the only man whoβs ever been able to truly get under my skin. With his reputation for trouble and a smirk that could melt ice, heβs also the NHLβs favorite bad boy.
When my publicistβs plan to fix my image collides with his need to clean up his own, we find ourselves in a fake engagement that feels too real from the start.
Now, Iβm releasing my new album, putting on a show for the paparazzi I usually try to dodge, and falling too fast for a man who never falls for anyone. Every stolen glance, every heated touch blurs the lines between us until Iβm wondering where the lies end and the truth begins.
And when a hurricane traps us together in his high-rise condo, all my carefully built walls collapse, and resisting the pull between us becomes a losing game.
Suddenly, the stakes are higher than just headlines, and the risks feel more personal than ever.
But as our past resurfaces and old feelings reignite, I realize the biggest risk isnβt losing my careerβitβs losing my heart to the one person I thought would never be mine.
Save Your Breath is book four in the Kings of the Ice series: a series of interconnected standalonesfollowing a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees.They do not need to be read in order, but you will gain glimpses of future characters/couples in each book.
Kandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing βemotional rollercoasterβ stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance β in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if youβre a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, sheβs your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Womenβs Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her βfreedom of press.β
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.
When Kandi isnβt writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future: www.kandisteiner.com/events
From #1Β New York TimesΒ bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about love, secrets, betrayal and the family weβre born intoβand the one we choose for ourselves, perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Mary Kay Andrews.
What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she’s even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Janaβs handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Bethβs days…and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another womanβlike, with-withβher visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.
Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths weβll go to for family, from Susan Mallery,Β New York TimesΒ bestselling author ofΒ The Boardwalk Bookshop.
Beth Nield had no choice but to admit that her sixty-seven-year-old aunt had a much more interesting love life than she did. Actual living proof of that sad fact sat at their shared breakfast table, eating a high-fiber cereal while watching the morning news.
Hunter was a still handsome seventy something whoβd worked for the USPS his whole life, retiring with a very nice federal pension. But his βrealβ money had come from playing the stock market. She had no idea where the two had met, but this was the third morning this month sheβd found Hunter eating a hearty breakfast after a night of, well, nothing she wanted to think about.
Despite the fact that Bethβs divorce had been final just over a year ago, she hadnβt been on a date. As for spending the night with a man, well, she couldnβt begin to imagine that ever happening. Sheβd been telling herself she didnβt need that sort of distraction and that relationships were more trouble than they were worth, but thinking about how happy her aunt was these days, she was starting to wonder if maybe she was wrong. Perhaps there was something to falling in love. Not that sheβd ever had much luck in the romance departmentβher divorce was proof of that. Her brother hadnβt been successful in love, either. Maybe there was a genetic flaw.
Not anything she was going to think about this morning, she told herself firmly as she put her breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and called out a goodbye to Hunter.
While the Los Angeles metro area was known to be a nightmare traffic-wise, Beth had what could only be described as a glorious commute. She lived a mere twenty minutes from where she worked, and the majority of that drive was along Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu. Yes, there were plenty of annoying stoplights, and on the weekends, visitors clogged the roads, but it was difficult to mind when just to the west was the Pacific Ocean.
Although Malibu was known the world over, the LA-adjacent community was in fact much smaller than most everyone imagined. The actual population was less than twelve thousand people, with the majority of the businesses and houses clinging to the coast. There were canyons and hills that stretched east, but the area everyone thought of when they heard the name was within a couple of miles of the water.
Beth made the familiar drive with her windows open and the scent of the salt air brightening her day. The ocean was more lively today with whitecaps visible out to the horizon and seagulls circling overhead. A light breeze danced with the palm trees. This early, the beaches would be relatively empty, but by noon, they would fill with locals and tourists, all eager to enjoy natureβs beautiful offering.
When she pulled into her reserved spot behind Surf Sandwiches, the sight of the cheerfully painted one-story building filled her with fierce, happy pride. She might have bought the business out of a sense of obligation and a need to help her brother, but over the years, sheβd grown to love the place. When she and Ian had divorced, heβd asked to buy her out of their house. Sheβd used the money to purchase the vacant storefront next door and had expanded her business, giving her a much larger eating area for customers and a remodeled kitchen and prep area, not to mention additional parking. The latter was a precious commodity in always congested Malibu.
Sheβd kept the surfboard rack and outdoor shower for her customers who came directly from the beach across the street, and had painted the outside the same bright, cheerful yellow she used on the logo. To make the remodel go more quickly, sheβd closed for three weeks, giving her just enough time to second-guess herself and wonder if all her regulars would forget about their favorite sandwiches. But at the grand reopening, thereβd been a line nearly around the block, and since the remodel, sales were up thirty-eight percent. Information that would make any small business ownerβs heart flutter with joy.
She unlocked the back door and walked to the newly enlarged employee space. Big lockers filled one wall, with comfy sofas opposite. During the refresh, sheβd added a couple of sets of tables and chairs and had upgraded the Wi-Fi. By giving up space in her office, sheβd squeezed in a third bathroomβthis one for employees only.
It was barely eight in the morning, three hours before the store opened, but Yolanda and Kai were already hard at work prepping for the upcoming day. Surf Sandwiches was open from eleven until seven. The biggest rush was from about eleven-thirty until one, with a second, surprisingly intense post-school surge, followed by a gentle wind-down until closing.
Yolanda, a pretty, petite brunette with more energy than the battery bunny and three kids under the age of ten, was her go-to morning person. Despite her tiny stature, she had a killer mom glare that could reduce anyone with attitude to submission in less than three seconds. Even more significant, she wielded the Hobart meat slicer with surgeon-like precision. Even Rick, Bethβs actual surgeon brother, agreed Yolanda had mad skills.
βMorning,β Beth called as she stepped into the kitchen. βHowβs it going?β
βGood.β Yolanda smiled at her. βKaiβs a worker. I donβt mind when he comes in early.β
Kai, a twenty-two-year-old whoβd walked away from family money to surf rather than go to college, beamed at the compliment. βYo, thatβs high praise. Makes me want to work harder.β
Yolanda winked at Beth, as if silently saying that was the whole point of the words. Then her humor faded.
βWe need lettuce. When I went to get it out this morning, I saw itβs all rotten.β
Beth groaned. βNot the lettuce. What happened?β
Yolanda pointed to the small kitchen where the industrial refrigerator and restaurant-size stove sat. βYou can go look for yourself. I salvaged a few bunches, but weβre going to need a lot more for the day.β
An unexpected but not unheard-of disaster, Beth thought as she went into the kitchen and saw containers of sad-looking lettuce sitting on the counter, the good bunches already off to the side. She calculated the damage, took a couple of pictures with her phone and then pulled the ongoing Costco list from a drawer.
While she ordered most of her supplies from various distributors, like most small restaurant businesses, she relied on a big box store for backup. She added tomatoes to the list, then returned to the front to confirm they had everything else they needed.
She and Yolanda quickly discussed what she would be buying.
βLet me get in touch with my produce guy. Iβll head to Costco as soon as they open.β
βWeβll be fine,β Yolanda told her. βWe know what to do.β
Beth went into her office, where she quickly booted her computer and the pay system she used. She found two large office lunch orders waiting and immediately forwarded them to the kitchen, where they would be flagged and reviewed. Once Yolanda determined what had to be made, the orders would automatically go in queue thirty minutes before they were supposed to be ready. The improved software had been expensive, but worth it. These days a lot of customers wanted to order and pay online, then just drop by to grab their food and get on with their lives.
She sent a quick email to her produce guy, complete with pictures. Sheβd been working with him for years and knew a credit would be sitting in her account by the end of day.
She helped with the prep work until it was time to head out with her shopping list. Getting to the closest Costco required a longer and less interesting drive than her commute to work. She listened to the radio and thought about all she had to get done when she returned to the store. Kai would make the cilantro, pumpkin seed and jalapeΓ±o pesto, which was usually her job. He was her newest employee, but he was a good hire. She was very fortunate with everyone who worked for her. Most had been with the store over a decade, and turnover was low. She paid well, offered great health care and did her best to be a fair and reasonable boss.
When sheβd shut down for the three-week remodel, everyone had been paid their usual amount. Sheβd even arranged for a special evening at a local movie multiplex where sheβd rented the smallest theater and had hosted dinner and a movie for staff and their families. Everyone had had a good time, and a few had mentioned making it an annual eventβa reaction that made her happy. Tragically for her, that was the wildest her social life had been since the divorce. Except for work and her recent commitment to volunteering at a local food bank, she was kind of turning into a grumpy hermit, which wasnβt her nature at all. But she couldnβt seem to get motivated to, you know, get out and be in the world.
She missed having friends to hang out with. She missed being in a relationship, yet given how she was spending her days, she was very much stuck in a rut of doing nothing. Her aunt was warm and caring, but Agatha had her own life, what with her man friend and a new and oddly successful home business of crocheting custom bikinis.
Beth turned in to the industrial area where the Costco was located and drove toward the sprawling building at the end of the street. As she headed through an intersection, her gaze drifted to a large billboard on her right. Immediately her entire body went on alert as her brain struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. She instinctively turned toward the billboardβand accidently steered in that direction as well. Before she could slam on the brakes, sheβd driven off the road, up onto the sidewalk (mercifully empty of pedestrians), stopping less than a foot from a fire hydrant.
It took a couple of seconds for her to start breathing again. Adrenaline poured through her from both the near accident and the billboard itself. She managed to put the car in Park before turning off the engine and getting out to stand on the sidewalk and stare in disbelief.
The billboard was huge and showed a happy couple staring into each otherβs eyes. Not really noteworthy if she ignored both the fact that the man in question was her ex-husband Ian and the heartfelt message next to the photo.
Patti, you mean the world to me. Iβm so grateful to have found you. I love you. Will you marry me?
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if to keep her heart from jumping out and flopping around on the road. Her brain was still having trouble processing what she was seeing, and she honestly didnβt know what was more confusing to her. The billboard itself, the fact that it was two blocks from Costco, or that her very ordinary, believer-in-a-routine ex-husband had proposed in such an un-Ian-like way. Oh, and maybe the fact that he had obviously moved on and fallen in love with someone else while she hadnβt been out with friends, let alone a man.
Ignoring a sudden wave of sadness, she sagged back onto the driverβs seat and pulled her phone from her handbag. Within seconds she was on Instagram and scrolling through to find Ianβs account. As their divorce had been as low-key as their marriage, sheβd never blocked him, and apparently heβd never blocked her, either. Which meant she could see everything heβd posted for the past couple of weeks in color photographs and videos.
If the picture of the two of them holding champagne glasses and smiling at the camera was any indication, Patti had said yes. But instead of staring at the happy couple, Beth found herself searching the crowd of friends that was gathered around them. Friends sheβd thought had been her friends as well, back when she and Ian had been married. The three couples had been tight, hanging out together, even taking the odd vacation as a group. But when the marriage had fallen apart, sheβd discovered she was actually only the friend-in-law. The other two women hadnβt wanted to get together and had finally explained they were picking Ian. At the time, that had hurt about as much as the end of her marriage.
She flipped through more pictures and saw one of Ian and Patti with Ianβs large, extended family. The family sheβd thought of as her own, appreciating the sheer size and volume of get-togethers. Growing up it had just been her, her brother and her mom. Sheβd always dreamed of being part of a big family, and with Ian, that had happened. Only once she and Ian split up, her relationship with them had ended as well.
Beth dropped the phone on the passenger seat and stared at the billboard. Ian was getting married again, to Pattiβwhoever she was. They would have a life, possibly kids. All the things sheβd thought would happen when she and Ian had been together. Only they hadnβt.
She knew she didnβt want him backβtheir relationship was long over. But she did envy his future, or at least all the possibilities. Ian had kept living his life and looking for ways to be happy.
And here she was, in her car, alone and semi-friendless. Except for Jana, a relatively new friend she really liked, there was no one. Yes, sheβd done great things with her business, but what about her personal life? Why was she half-parked on a sidewalk, staring at a billboard while on her way to Costco? Didnβt she want more?
A sharp pain cut through herβtwo parts regret but one part intense longing for more than the nothing sheβd apparently chosen. She needed friends in her life and possibly a man. While the latter seemed like more than she could comfortably take on right now, the former was doable. She was a good person. She was likeable. The friend thing shouldnβt be so hard.
She needed more than just work, she told herself. She needed to get out of the house and start doing things. Anything. Beginning right this second. Or possibly after she made her Costco run. But today for sure.
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1Β New York TimesΒ bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women’s livesβfamily, friendship, romance.Β Library JournalΒ says, βMallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agreeβ40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. Sheβs passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created.Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press
Price$18.99
Blurb:
She’s got everything planned–including when she’ll have kids. Until something completely unplanned turns her world upside down.
World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away–and they will come in that order.
That is…until a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse. Oops. Whitney suddenly has a daughter…whose biological father is reluctant to share her.
One in a Million is a fun celebrity rom-com with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.
Scratch that. He was more than annoyed. He was pissed and currently doing his best not to glare at the woman sitting in the chair next to him.
Dear God, heβd never resented anyone more in his life, and the fact that he was married to her made the nightmare they were living through one hundred times worse.
It would be fair to say their three-year marriage hovered on the brink of failure, and the outcome of this meeting might be what sent it plunging to its demise.
Myles clenched his jaw as he regarded Holly, taking in her unsmiling face and rigid posture. His wifeβs beauty turned heads everywhere they went but had failed to turn his since sheβd demanded the DNA test.
βWould you stop looking at me like that?β Holly huffed, cutting a pair of ice-blue eyes at him. She sniffed and abruptly looked away, her chin notched a fraction higher as she presented him with her profile. βWhether you want to admit it or not, weβre doing the right thing.β
Sheβd worn a light blue dress for the occasion. As if she hadnβt made her hopes for the outcome of the meeting clear enough. Blue was her lucky color. Her long manicured nails kept up a rhythmic tapping on the wooden arm of her chair.
βAnd what exactly is that?β he asked, his tone like shards of glass.
Exasperated, she rolled her eyes and flicked a wavy lock of platinum-blond hair over her shoulder. βGod, I hate when youβre like this. You know exactly what Iβm talking about. I canβt believe you donβt want to know who she belongs to.β She addressed the empty desk in front of them more than she did him.
βShe,β he stressed through gritted teeth, βhas a name. Her name is Haylee, and she is our daughter.β His voice was low and controlled while he seethed inside. It didnβt matter what the DNA results revealed. Haylee was their child. After all theyβdβsheβd gone through to have her, how could she say otherwise? That was the thing he couldnβt understand. His part had been easy. Hers had notβas sheβd frequently reminded him.
Holly huffed out a sound of deep frustration, her narrowed gaze taking a glancing stab at his face. βSheβs not ours, Myles, and for the life of me, I donβt understand why you refuse to accept it. Itβs as obvious as the nose on my face that she belongs to another couple.β
βSheβs ours.β He was the only father Haylee had ever known, and no test was going to change that.
βIβm sure her biological parents will have something to say about that.β His wife had made up her mind and refused to be swayed.
Recognizing the pointlessness of arguing with her, Myles kept his mouth shut and averted his gaze. These days, it was impossible to look at her without feeling a profound sense of betrayalβ¦and angerβso much anger. Feelings far removed from how heβd felt the day theyβd exchanged their wedding vows.
βMyles, they have as much a right to know as we do. Wouldnβt you want to know if you were in their place?β Holly said, her voice cajoling, indicating a switch of tactics. Good cop, bad cop, meet Holly the Bully and Holly the Sweet-Talker, the same woman employing two tried-and-true methods to get her way.
Well, itβs not going to work this time.
The office door behind them opened, and Dr. Kelly Franklin walked in, saving him from more of his wifeβs attempts to convince him her motivation was altruism, not selfishness.
Small in stature at barely over five feet and clad in a white lab coat, Dr. Kelly had brown shoulder-length hair and carried herself with the confidence of the framed Harvard MD degree hanging on the wall.
βGood afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Redmond. Thank you so much for coming in on such short notice.β
The doctorβs greeting was warm and respectful. More importantly, she didnβt sound as if she was about to plunge a knife into his heart. That said, it was clear she hadnβt come bearing tidings of joy either.
Myles made a move to stand, but she stayed the act of male courtesyβingrained in him by his fatherβby motioning for him to remain seated.
Quelling his instincts, he subsided back into his chair and watched as she quickly took hers behind the desk.
βSorry to keep you waiting.β
She was nervous but doing her best not to show it. As a former defense attorney, Myles had learned to pick up on the subtleties of body language. She hadnβt blinked once since sheβd greeted them, and the distinct tapping sound that began shortly after she sat down was her nervously tapping her shoe on the floor. Hollyβs hands were on her lap.
βWe were early,β Myles said. Fifteen minutes, to be precise. Because this was important. The rest of his life hinged on what she was about to tell them. Despite vowing to himself that heβd remain calm, he felt tenser than ever.
For a beat, her brown eyes bounced between them. Then she blinked and said, βThe DNA test confirmed thatββ
βShe isnβt ours, is she?β Holly asked, cutting the doctor off midsentence.
Myles turned and narrowed his eyes at his wife. Why not put up a billboard? I donβt want her. Give her to someone else.
As far as he was concerned, Holly had checked out of motherhood and their marriage before she packed her bags and took off to San Diego to stay with her mother after telling him she needed space.
What kind of parent needed βspaceβ three weeks after the birth of her daughter?
His wife, that was who.
Look, he got it. They had hired a surrogate, so Holly didnβt get to bond with Haylee the way mothers usually did, but sheβd known that from the outset. Theyβd both gone into this with their eyes wide openβ¦and then some. Furthermore, parents didnβt walk away just because their child didnβt turn out the way they wanted or expected. That wasnβt the way parenting worked.
At the end of the day, though, he had to face some hard truths. He was just as much to blame for what was happening. While he might be successful in other parts of his lifeβhe was a loving father, son, brother, and uncle and a loyal friend, and had been elected president of the California Bar Association two terms in a rowβhe sucked when it came to romantic relationships.
How did he know?
Because he already had one failed marriage under his belt, and it looked like he was coasting for divorce number two. In sports terms, heβd soon be 0-2.
Dr. Franklin tentatively cleared her throat before continuing. βUnfortunately, your case is a little more complicated.β
βComplicated? What does that mean? Either sheβs ours or sheβs not.β She turned and looked at him as if expecting him to echo her demand for clarity. βAlthough I think itβs obvious she canβt be.β The latter she muttered as an aside meant to be heardβjust in case the good doctor didnβt know where she stood on the matter.
Mylesβs jaw locked. According to his wifeβwhoβd gone from being the top-producing female real estate agent in Southern California to self-ascribed geneticistβHaylee couldnβt be the product of two white, blue-eyed parents. If she has a drop of Nordic ancestry in her, Iβm the Queen of England, Holly had said in reference to her parentsβ Swedish heritage and Hayleeβs slightly darker complexion, dark brown curly hair, and brown eyes.
Never mind that he was a quarter Sicilian on his motherβs side, and his hair was dark and wavy. In her summation of their daughterβs parentage, it was clear Holly hadnβt factored his genes into the equation.
βWould you mind elaborating?β he said, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Dr. Franklin inhaled and treated them to another unblinking stare. βIt means that youβre right. There was a problem, but not what I assumed. The error occurred during the egg selection portion of the fertilization stage, not the implantation stage.β
For the first time since they walked into the office, Holly appeared genuinely confused. βAre you saying thatββ She broke off, as if unable or unwilling to give voice to whatever conclusion sheβd drawn in her mind. Unusual for her.
The doctor met Hollyβs puzzled stare. βIβm sorry to have to tell you this, but you arenβt your daughterβs biological mother.β Her gaze then shifted to him. βHowever, you are her biological father.β
Hollyβs gasp cracked the air like a thunderclap. The deafening silence that followed was just as loud.
Myles was too stunned to speak, his heart pounding so loud in his ears that, for a few moments, it drowned out all possible thought or comprehension.
βNo, no. That canβt be right.β Holly turned to him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
If he could speak, he didnβt know what he would say, given the state of his mind. Completely blown.
The doctorβs composureβwhich had remained relatively calm thus farβbegan to show cracks. Based partly on the dates on her diploma, he guessed Dr. Franklin was in her early forties, but the depth of the lines now bracketing her mouth and fanning out from her eyes spoke of the toll this must be taking on her and made her look years older.
Swallowing visibly, she continued. βWe had the test run by two different labs. The results are the same.β
Accompanying his wifeβs cry of dismay came the realization that his claim to his daughter was as solid as any fatherβs could be. Haylee was his. Relief began to seep into every part of his being. Seconds later, it washed over him in a flood. He could breathe again.
Dr. Franklin regarded them, self-reproach stamped all over her face. βIβm sorry. Iβm so very sorry. I donβt know how this happened. Itβs never happened to us before. But I promise to get to the bottom of it and do whatever it takes to make this right.β
Coming into the meeting, Myles had prepared himself for only two possibilities. Either Haylee was biologically theirs, or she wasnβt. And in the latterβs case, heβd been fully prepared to fight to keep her even if his marriage would be one of the casualties of any battle heβd have to wage.
The one thing he never imagined was discovering he had a babyβ¦with a woman heβd never laid eyes on.
BEVERLEY KENDALL has published over ten contemporary and historical romance novels. She also manages the romance review blog, Smitten by Books (smittenbybooks.com). Bev writes full-time while raising her son as a single mother. Both dual citizens of the US and Canada, they currently call Atlanta home.
When they first meet, sparks flyβ¦but not the romantic kindβ¦
Ella Westhoff is a marketing genius. But romance? Not her strong suit. So, while sheβs prepared to return to her small hometown and help her grandmother successfully reopen her B&B, she will not fall for the grumpy landscaper on the jobβthe one who so thoroughly annoyed her at first sight. That was the plan, anywayβ¦
Cooper Daniels isnβt cut out for love, either. His bitter divorce certainly taught him that. One-night stands are all heβs willing to commit to these days. Which means that even though he enjoys bantering with the brilliant Ella, he knows he canβt be the kind of guy she deserves. No matter how much she makes him wish he could beβ¦
Somewhere between fresh starts and past hurts, business and pleasure, Ella and Cooper might be able to claim a happily ever after. But only if theyβre willing to cross some lines along the wayβ¦
Lines We Shouldnβt Cross, book 1 in the Innocence series, is a sweet and spicy, emotional contemporary romance. Download today and get ready to fall for Ella and Cooper.
**Releases March 20th!! Get it for On Sale for a limited time!**
This, this⦠guy! I stalk out of the dining room, fuming.
Of all the people for Pippa to rent the carriage house to, it had to be him. And now heβs living right next door, invading my sanctuary, the space Iβve always considered mine.
Why did he have to ruin my hope of living in the carriage house? There must be plenty of places available for rent in town. I sigh, trying to let my frustration go because bitching and moaning wonβt change a thing.
Iβd spent countless sleepovers there with my best friend, trading secrets, and dreams. Later, losing myself in romance novels, Iβd imagined my own epic love story. Yeah, well, that had been a big naΓ―ve fantasy. Most guys turn out to be jerksβlike my exβnot some swoon-worthy hero who sets my body ablaze while cherishing my soul. That kind of guy only exists between the pages.
Now, another real-life example of an arrogant jerk stands right there in the dining room, pouring wine as if he owns the place. His broad frame fills the space like a quintessential guyβs guy. His large hands tell a different story. Hands that could build barn walls or something, not pouring wine with unexpected gentleness. Strength and softness, wrapped in those sexy, veiny forearms. If heβd be anyone else, Iβd be hopelessly flustered.
Fine, the manβs hot enough to melt steel, but that’s where my appreciation ends. His charm could strip paint of wood, and it’s just about as healthy to be around. He might have fooled Pippa, but not me. And now weβre supposed to work together? Fricking perfect.
In the kitchen, I muster a smile. βNeed a hand?β The lasagnaβs rich scent fills the room, promising comfort.
Pippa, beaming as though sheβs crafted a culinary masterpiece, hands me a tray bearing the nightβs first course. In the center, a mason jar filled with her homemade ranch dressing takes the spotlight amid the salad greens and a basket of still-warm bread.
βCould you bring this in?β
Her warm smile tells me sheβs missed me and is happy Iβm home.
βOf course.β I wonβt rain on her parade, so I nod and smile. One quick taste of the creamy dressing first, then the breadbasket joins the greens as I steady myself to face Mr. Arrogance Next Door.
βThanks, darling.β Pippa smiles. βIβll be right there.β
Yes, please, I pray silently. I donβt care to be alone for even one minute with that infuriating man. I let out an inaudible sigh, part frustration, part resignation.
βAlright,β I say, forcing a cheery tone. With no excuse to dodge McCocky, I carry the tray out of the kitchen.
*****
Author Info:
I write the kind of romance novels that blend sweet and spicy into something deliciously real – stories that’ll warm your heart one minute and make you reach for a fan the next. My characters are flawed souls who stumble their way to love with enough emotional baggage to fill a cargo plane, but they’re worth every messy moment.
Life handed me my own romance novel when I fell for an American military man while living in Germany. Now I’m living my happily-ever-after in a cozy Kentucky town, where my European roots tangle perfectly with Southern charm. You’ll find me powered by excessive amounts of coffee, testing ice cream flavors (strictly for research purposes), and soaking up cuddles from my golden retrievers, Dakota and Tucker.
Iβm an actress whose reputation is currently circling the drain, thanks to a string of public relationship disasters. All I want is to adopt a baby and leave my tabloid trainwreck days behind me.
When the adoption agency doubts my ability to provide a stable home life, I agree to a fake engagement with a guy who screamed βPR-approved.β
Easy enoughβuntil Archer Corbett blows it all to pieces.
Turns out, Archer has a guarded heart, a fierce loyalty to his family, and a self-sacrificing streak a mile wide. Heβs also infuriatingly hotβand impossible to resist. One stolen kiss turns into carwash-steamy nights and a bond I didnβt see coming. But thereβs a problem: he doesnβt want kids, and I canβt imagine a life without them.
Our lives donβt fit together. Our dreams are miles apart. But what if Archerβs exactly what I need to rewrite my story? And what if Iβm the one to thaw his frozen heart?
If only this were a movie, I might get the happily ever after Iβve always wanted.
Love You Always is a standalone romance with a HEA, and it’s the anticipated final book in the Buttercup Hill series.
Stacy Travis writes spicy small-town romance about bookish, sassy women and the hot heroes who fall for them.
Writing makes her infinitely happy, but that might be the coffee talking.Β
She’s worked as a journalist, camp counselor, TV writer, SAT tutor, corporate finance researcher, education technology editor, and non-fiction author. When she’s not on a deadline, she’s in running shoes complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game.
She’s never met a dog she didn’t want to hug. And if you have no plans for Thanksgiving, she’ll probably invite you to dinner.
Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her two sons and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks. And she’s serious about the Thanksgiving thing.
Romantic Reads and Such 