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.
Professional Day Dreamer Sophie E. Clark has gotten the last laugh.ย
Those who told her she would never make money daydreaming can bite her curvaceous derriere, because she has just landed the day-dreamiest of daydream gigs with Naked Runway. Of course, if you want to get technical about it, for tax purposes and what not, sheโs listed as a columnist. But her assignment is toโdrum roll pleaseโsearch out Manhattan men who could match up against the winners of this yearโs Swooniest of Book Boyfriends contest.
Former ex-Navy SEAL Stone Blackthorn is on the injured list at the security firm he co-owns with his brothers. When a friend calls in a favor, he reluctantly agrees to become an undercover bodyguard. As such, he will play the part of a cinnamon roll boyfriend for a fluff-reporter. A no-action assignment if ever there is one.
Little does he know, his clientโthe president of a romance book clubโwill piss off members of motorcycle gangs and mafia sorts in her quest to find real men who are the living, breathing equivalent of the fictional Book Boyfriends her club drools over at weekly meetings.
Coming out of this assignment unscathed isnโt looking favorable for either of them.
**maybe minor spoilers ahead … maybe, I’m not sure**
I enjoyed so much of this book. I like Sophie and Stone and I think they complemented each other well – the whole grump/sunshine thing. I think the premise of finding real life book boyfriends is fun (kinda wish we’d gotten more of the guys because it’s a fun idea). But there are a few things I didn’t like as well.
I’ve never read this author before so I had no idea what to expect. A little bit in I found out that there was a smidge of paranormal to this one, which is fine – love a good supernatural romance – but I had no idea it was coming and I’m not sure that I got a good understanding of how their world works. Maybe this story is part of a bigger world that I don’t know about since I’ve not read anything else in the series? But it did make me struggle just a little. Without any kind of background, it just felt like it was vague for no reason or to be mysterious and instead was confusing.
I also wish I’d gotten more of a feel for Stone’s family because I think there could be some great interactions between the brothers. I like Stone as a character and I wanted more of his history, of his family, & what made him into the man he is today. I like him and want to know him even better.
Sophie is an entertaining heroine. She’s bubbly, passionate about her HEAs, and willing to work hard for what she wants. I love her connection with her Poppie and her creativity in making a life she can be proud of. In working with Stone to make sure that her dreams can come true.
The back & forth between Sophie and Stone is entertaining and I was rooting for them to figure things out. It’s lighthearted with a bit of steam and quite a few laughs. I’m intrigued enough I might pick up the other books in the series to see if it’ll help clear a few things up.
*****
Author Info:
Lisa Wells writes romantic comedy with enough steam to fog your eyeglasses, your brain, and sometimes your Kindle screen. On the other hands, her eighty-year-old mother-in-law has read Lisaโs steamiest book and lived to offer her commentary. Which went something like this: You used words Iโve never heard ofโฆ
She lives in Missouri with her husband and slightly-chunky rescue dog. Lisa loves dark chocolate, red wine, and those rare mornings when her skinny jeans fit. Which isnโt often, considering the first two entries on her love-it list.
Kendall Hale is a daydreamer and a bookworm with a dangerous addiction to chocolate and wine.
At night, sheโs a fiery wordsmith with a penchant for creating romantic mayhem with a lot of heat. She believes in the power of laughter, love in its messiest form, and the magic of happily ever afters.
When sheโs not crafting swoony, steamy stories, Kendall can be found at home with her family, including her adorable furry companions. She loves experimenting with new recipes, watching movies, and losing herself in her favorite books while music plays in the background.
Heโs perfect for me. Heโs also my cousinโs fiancรฉ.
If thereโs anything life has taught me, itโs that men are not to be trusted. Case in point, the night three men corner me on my walk home. I froze, they closed in, and I was sure history was about to repeat itself. But this time, I had a knight in shining armor. Brayden Winters, who used his quick wit to rescue me and prove that not all guys are bad. In fact, I canโt fight the unmistakable connection between us, including the realization that he fits every single thing I once listed about my perfect man, right down to his deep dimples, love for country music, and the way he calls me Sugar.
But this cowboy isnโt as perfect as I thought. I discovered this at a family dinner, sitting across from my estranged cousin and that gigantic rock on her fingerโฆand Brayden Winters sitting right next to her.
And as if life canโt wait to throw more curveballs, I somehow get roped into letting my cousin live with me. So I not only have to navigate the fragile eggshells of our family dynamic under the same roof, I am also unable to let go of my insane attraction to her fiancรฉ.
Life is about to get messy.
Savior Complex is the story of Nina Chance and Brayden Winters…and Jordy Gallo โ a steamy dual POV love triangle romance with sizzling scenes and a fully-developed love story. This is the third book in the Sunset Bay series. All novels in the Sunset Bay series are complete standalones with HEAs and no cliffhangers, and take place in the same small coastal town.
There’s a trigger warning at the beginning that mentions infidelity, SA, and toxic family relationships (which all are present in spades), so please make sure that you are OK with these. Langwell doesn’t shy away from these and delivers them with a bluntness that may not be for everyone.
As for me, I really wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one because I am not usually a fan of cheating in my romances. But Langwell does such an amazing job of showing how messy and hard and complicated life can be. It definitely helps that we are given both Brayden and Nina’s POV, since that lets us see it from his perspective and have an understanding of where his head is. We truly see the conflict for the two of them and the depth of their connection as they grow closer. It’s so real and raw and heartbreaking. Readers will feel for them as they struggle with an attraction that they shouldn’t do anything about but find too strong to ignore.
*****
Author Info:
Crissi Langwell is the author of 13 published books, with genres that include romance, young adult, and womenโs fiction. Her upcoming novel is Naked Coffee Guy, the second book in her Sunset Bay romance series, which will be released on October 24. Crissi is the vice president, web editor, and newsletter editor of her writing club, Redwood Writers, and she is the Communications Director for Oakmont Village Association. She lives in Petaluma, California with her fellow writerly husband and a sassy Maine Coon cat.
Sabotaged brakes didnโt kill Rueben Sanchez, but waiting for his assailantsโ trial to start just might. A potential witness for the prosecution canโt explore his lusty feelings for the hunky sheriff who saved him, but that doesnโt stop his imagination from running wild. Rueben has already shaped his traumatic mountainside meet cute with Seth Burke into a happily ever after to tell their future grandkids. When the delay threatens to stretch on for years, Rueben feels his dreams slipping out of reach. Should he surrender gracefully or fight for his man?
Pressure and scrutiny are nothing new to Seth, but shouldering his duties has never felt like a burden until they keep him from the man he wants most. Cracking an unsolved murder, safeguarding a high-profile trial, and winning re-election should be enough to keep him busy. But he canโt stop thinking about the perfect weekend he shared with Rueben before everything careened off course. Are they as good together as Seth remembers, or is his memory swayed by the allure of the forbidden? And does he dare to find out?
Late-night phone calls and shared secrets lead to stolen kisses and a lakeside cabin rendezvous. But one encounter isnโt enough, and the two men will risk everything to explore their deepening bond. When a series of chilling events rock the county, Rueben and Seth must put more than their hearts on the line because one misstep could prove fatal.
The Keeper is book five in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Keeper contains mature themes and is intended for adults.
Seth scanned the hallway again, and his gaze landed on the stockroom. โIn here.โ He curled his fingers into fists to avoid doing something stupid like reaching for Ruebenโs hand. Seth opened the door and turned on the light. The space wasnโt huge to start with, and rows of tall metal storage shelves aligned both walls, leaving only a narrow aisle between them. Seth shut the door and gave in to the urge to take Rueโs hand, guiding him past stacks of toilet paper, napkins, and nonperishable food items. They stopped by a section of table condiments toward the back of the room. The aisle was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, and Seth ended up crowding Rueben against the metal shelving. Body heat drew him in, or maybe Rueben gave Sethโs heartstrings a little tug. Either way, it was nearly impossible not to react to the energy pulsing between them. โI want to apologize.โ
Ruebenโs gorgeous mouth curved into a wicked smile. โI canโt fault your style.โ
Seth almost laughed and replied with a snappy comeback, but they didnโt have much time. He went for a direct approach instead, though he didnโt step back to put distance between them. How could he when Rueben smelled so damn delicious? Seth tried not to be too obvious when he inhaled a little deeper on his next breath. Mmmm. Sunshine and clean clothes. โAnd clear the air,โ he added.
โIโm trying to decide if your growing erection is making things clearer or if itโs muddying the water,โ Rueben said.
Sethโs exhale came out sounding more like a needy whimper than the heavy sigh heโd intended. Ruebenโs warm chuckle was such a small sound, but it rippled over him like a seductive caress. Seth needed to take a step back, screw his head on right, and put things in proper perspective, but he settled his hands at Ruebenโs hips and held on for dear life. Being together was so wrong but felt so fucking right.
โNot that Iโm complaining, but Iโm getting mixed signals from you today,โ Rueben said. โYou iced me out at the prosecutorโs office and wouldnโt even look at me. And now, youโre a few heartbeats away from rubbing one out against me.โ Seth hadnโt moved his hips so much as an inch, but grinding against Ruebenโs answering hard-on was the only thing on his mind. โUse your words, Burke. I donโt have enough emotional spoons left in the drawer to guess where your head is.โ He raised his hand and caressed Sethโs jaw with two fingers. โThis one, I mean. The other headโs desires are pretty self-explanatory.โ
*****
Author Info:
Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titlesโwife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
Want to be the first to know about my book releases and have access to extra content? You can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dlhPYj
My favorite place to hang out and chat with my readers is my Facebook group. Would you like to be a member of Aimeeโs Dye Hards? Weโd love to have you! Click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AimeesDyeHards/
Kieran Sullivan is broken when he arrives at Redemption Ridge. A wrongful conviction and twenty months in lockup will do that to a man. The ranch is a place for second chances and fresh starts, but for him, itโs an opportunity to discover who set him up. Get in, get answers, and get out. The plan sounds easy enough until Kieran meets an equine specialist whose sunny smile could warm the coldest heart.
Finley Ashe is a sucker for bruised spirits and sad eyes. The horse whisperer and broken-boy magnet is six months into a hiatus from love when Kieran, the king of emotionally unavailable men, gets assigned to work under his supervision. Mutual attraction is gasoline on proximityโs flame, testing Finleyโs resistance in new ways.
Priorities shift, shields come down, and truths get exposed. Will the inevitable combustion redeem Kieran and Finley or consume them?
Guys Like Him is book one in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Guys Like Him contains mature themes and is intended for adults.
My name is Lux Weston and Iโm a matter of national security, apparently.
All I did was meet a beautiful girl in a bookstore, then rescue her. Oneโฆ twiceโฆ and maybe a third timeโfrom a creeper.
The problem? The creeper turned out to be Secret Service, and the girlโฆ well, sheโs Radley Andrewsโthe Presidentโs only daughter.
It has disaster written all over it. I should stay away.
Sheโs a student, Iโm a major league baseball player.
Sheโs trying to hide from the spotlight, Iโm standing underneath it.
Not to mention Iโve never had a relationship, and Radley has her own demons to battle.
When she starts looking at me the way Iโm looking at her, staying away becomes impossible. Soon weโre sneaking secret dates and Iโm making her breakfast.
While Radley might be the most beautiful girl Iโve ever seen, sheโs become something better.
This is the first of Moore’s books that I’ve read and from their very first meeting to their HEA, I loved it. Lux is smart, caring, and sensitive to Radley’s needs. She’s dealing with some trauma from her past, but she wants to move on, to be “normal”. And Lux and their friends are there every step of the way to support her, push her, and help her when life throws her a curve ball.
I will say that I wished that Radley was just a touch older. I understand, based on her past, why she needed to be 19. And her history probably helped her to grow up pretty darn quick, but it still is awfully young. I did appreciate the way Moore had Radley working with a therapist and putting those sessions into work in her real life. (I love how authors today are normalizing mental health in stories.)
Full of humor, steam, and straight up adorableness, The Baller might have been my first Moore story but it won’t be my last.
*****
Author Info:
Lulu started writing by accident, and somehow found herself stuck in a fictional world of ice hockey, baseball and billionaires. A world she has no plans to leave. She’s the creator of The New York Players Series, The Tuesday Club Series, and The New York Lions – the worst team in the M.L.B.
More recently she’s ventured across the Atlantic to where her latest novel is set – the beautiful cities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the annual rowing showdown on the River Thames.
She’s a big fan of strong heroines, because those fierce alphas need someone to keep them in check. You’ll find hear navigating her way through Romance Land one HEA at a time, and trying to figure out the latest social media platform she needs to post to.
A close proximity, rockstar, secret romance from NYT Bestselling author, Samantha Chase He’s the pop superstar dubbed the friendliest celeb alive. She’s the jaded publicist forced to represent him. Working together should be impossible. But the connection they find in each other is…completely indescribable.
Whenever his childhood became too much, Simon Bennett could always find comfort and escape in music. Like any kid, he’d thought about becoming a big star, but he’d never imagined the level of success he’s found. When documentary producers approach him for some behind the scenes footage for his fans, he isn’t prepared for the painful memories they unearth that he’d rather keep quiet. But when you’re known as one of the sweetest guys in the business, no one takes you seriously when you try to push back.
Juliette Bellucci has a reputation for being a strong and confident publicist. Unfortunately, when you keep working with celebrity trainwrecks who make the wrong kind of headlines, that reputation doesn’t mean a whole lot. And with her latest fiasco still in the press, she’s this close to losing her career and everything she’s worked for. Enter Simon Bennett-the quintessential good guy and her chance at redemption. After all, how can working with the nicest guy in the world go wrong?
Nothing about them makes sense, and yet the closer they become, the more they realize they belong together. Keeping their relationship a secret was supposed to keep them out of trouble, but when Simon’s past threatens to destroy his present, everyone is quick to blame Juliette and her bad track record. When the glare of the spotlight disappears, will they realize the indescribable love they share is the foundation to the future they both want?
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance thatโs hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt โ including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and THE WEDDING SEASON which was a Hallmark wedding movie in 2023! Sheโs a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80โs rock. When sheโs 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 Mayleneโฆoh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Itโs the classic storyโbest friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing.
Jude would do anything for me. Heโs stood by my side since we were six, and Iโve done the same for him.
When my father dies, leaving our family farm drowning in debt and on the brink of being auctioned, Iโm not surprised Jude steps in to help. I just never dreamed heโd fall to bended knee and devise a plan for us to fool everyone into thinking thereโs more than a lifelong friendship between us.
Soon, Iโm moving into his house, weโre planning a wedding on his familyโs ranch, and we discover a new side to our relationship. I keep reminding myself itโs not realโitโs only to secure a loan to save the farm.
Iโve secretly loved Jude all my life, and now that I know how good we are together, Iโm not sure we can return to being just friends.
Jude & Sadie have been friends for decades and everyone is just waiting for the day that they get together. Of course, they both want more but, not knowing how the other feels, neither is willing to take the chance on losing their friendship. Until life throws Sadie a curve ball that changes everything.
I’ll admit I loved the story leading up to their wedding. They are great friends and there are so many great moments as they work their way to the point of getting married. And I loved them together. Sweet and sexy, fitting together so well. I just wished they’d do a better job of talking to each other … argh! I mean, it’s pretty much par for the course when it comes to their relationship because otherwise it wouldn’t have taken SO long for them to get together. But … *sigh* … Grovelling Jude is pretty darn sweet, tho ๐
The One I Stood Beside is a perfect example of why any book with Piper Rayne on the cover is a must read for me. The characters are always interesting, realistic, and fun, with great relationships with their partners, friends, and families. Once they get over any drama, of course. And there will be some kind of issue but it doesn’t seem forced or too much. Instead there is just the right amount of bumps on the way to an enjoyable HEA ending.
I love all of the misc members of the Noughton family and I’m looking forward to what Piper Rayne has in store for us next!
(Can easily stand on its own but there’s only one other story so why not catch up!)
*****
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!
What happens when the bookworm becomes the main character?
Paige Turner and her book club friends live a thousand lives through the characters of their romance books. In real life, theyโre just one of the millions of people running around New York City. That is until a New Yearโs Resolution to lose her virginity forces Paige to step out from behind the pages of her books. Paige strikes out on romantic adventures inspired by the main characters of her favorite romance books from every genre and trope to fulfill her resolution.
Paige learns that itโs a truth universally acknowledged that billionaire bosses are hot, that some meet-cutes arenโt cute at all, that furries can fill in for shifters in a pinch to fulfill a paranormal romance trope, and sometimes that sexy cop really is there to arrest you.
Paige is in for the adventure of her life, from virginity auctions to secret clubs to emergency room visits. But she learns that itโs not the romance that makes the heroine the main character. Itโs finding her inner strength, determination, and confidence that makes her the heroine of her own story. Can Paige fulfill her New Yearโs resolution without getting arrested or fired and maybe even find herself and love by the end of the year?
Kathleen Brooks is a multiple time New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Kathleenโs stories are romantic suspense mostly set in small fictional towns. Kathleen loves writing about strong female heroines, the men who love them, quirky characters, funny animals, strong communities, sassy octogenarians, and happily-ever-afters.
Kathleen lives in Kentucky with her husband, daughter, and dog who is waiting to make her appearance in one of her books. When not writing, Kathleen always finds time to enjoy reading a good book.
Best way to get rid of an evil ex? Snag a gorgeous heartbreaker, plan our wedding, and let the small-town gossip fly. What could possibly go wrong?
Just when Iโm about to inherit my familyโs winery, the one Iโve dreamed of bringing to life, my old-fashioned parents throw a wrench in my plans. Convinced I canโt succeed without a manโs business savvy, they make my ex my partner.
Now thereโs only one way outโฆ get marriedโto anyone but him.
When Dash Corbett rescues me with a pretend kiss in a cowboy bar, we devise a one-year plan that will help us both. Makeover Dashโs reputation and fulfill my parentโs antiquated expectations. Win-win.
Falling for my fake fiancรฉ? Not a chance.
Dash might have a distractingly hot exterior, but heโs a reputed playboyโand Iโm done with men who donโt walk the talk. But then I do something stupid. And dangerous. I get to know him.
Beneath the surface, he has vineyard dreams and a cinnamon roll heart. Heโs the first man to see beyond my social butterfly exterior. And when he touches me, I melt into a puddle of wine, a vintage that forgot it was supposed to be sophisticated.
Soon our pretend relationship feels like forever. Especially with the possessive way he says โmy wife,โ making me believe our lie.
Falling for Dash could ruin more than my wine country dreams. But what if I love him truly?
Love You Truly is a standalone, small-town romance in the Buttercup Hill series, where the wine is chilled and the men are hot.
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.
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 