What can mend a marriage in trouble? Two meddling kids, one grandfather, and a mischievous puppy.
Nothing But It All
by Adriana Locke
Blurb:
From USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a warm and romantic novel about a marriage in trouble, two conspiring kids, and the meaning of long-lasting love.
After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reedβs marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful question: When did it all go wrong? Now that Laurenβs decided to get on with her lifeβaloneβdivorce is inevitable.
Not to the kids. They arenβt giving up so easily.
Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the familyβs favorite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agreeβthe meddlers couldnβt have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories.
This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilitiesβlike maybe falling in love all over again.
USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows bestβbig families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.
She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.
Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance, Work Place Romance, First Love, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn
Release Date: February 15, 2204
Blurb:
When you know, you know . . .
And Drew knows. He knows he likes menβHolden in particular. He knows heβll have to make the first move. And when he and Holden are together, Drew knows nothing has ever been more right. The problem is that Holden doesnβt know it too.
Holden knows he isnβt good enough for Drewβan ex-con is never a good bet–but that doesnβt stop him from wanting him. He craves Drew more than he wants to breathe, and thatβs the problem. Between his dubious past and all the complicated family issues, Holden is afraid of hurting Drew. And thatβs the one thing he never wants to do.
When two strong souls collide, the stars align and something right is born. But can love survive the storms, or will something right turn into what could have been?
Shaniel Watson is the author of the Imperfections Series. Her first book was published in 2015. She writes stories she likes to read, sultry emotional stories with imperfect characters who eventually get their happy ending.
Shaniel lives in New York and is the proud mother of two daughters.
Love is the last thing on Justinβs mind. Sure, heβs noticed the big, shy guy who comes in for his coffee every morning, but Justin doesnβt have time to indulge in a crush. After his last disastrous breakup, he needs to get his head out of the clouds and focus on climbing out of debt with his pile of part-time jobs. The singing telegram gig is the most embarrassing by far, but at least no one will ever recognize him in his ridiculous costumes. Itβs temporary, just through the Valentine season.
Adam is in love. He just needs to drum up the nerve to do something about it. A daily smile from the cute guy behind the coffee counter is the bright spot in his day, keeping him going through the work week in an office filled with jerks. Especially when one of the jerks starts sending him romantic telegrams as a joke. Thereβs nothing he hates more than public humiliation. If he ever finds out whoβs behind it, heads will roll.
Love songs, lies, and an absurd amount of glitter pave the way to a romance neither of them expected. Adam is everything Justinβs ever dreamed of, but he can never discover Justinβs terrible, fuzzy, off-key secret.
This Valentineβs Day, Cupid doesnβt miss, even if he has terrible timing.
The stares started in the parking garage and only got worse as he entered the lobby.
This latest assignment brought him to one of the four high-rise buildings that defined downtown Belleview, the biggest one, some financial firm. It stood out against the mountain landscape like alien architecture that had dropped from the sky, dark and shining and bleak beside the trees and mountains jagged with life.
Ignoring the gobsmacked expressions on the receptionistsβ faces, he approached the front desk. βHi, how you doing? Iβm here to make a special delivery on the sixteenth floor.β
The older of the two receptionists shushed the otherβs giggling as she dutifully tapped away at her computer. βName?β
Out of habit, Justin almost glanced at a name badge he was no longer wearing. Instead, he passed along the crumpled order form in his sweaty gloved fist. βI represent Seasonβs Greetings, with a telegram delivery for Adam Hubert.β
She perked up immediately, taking in his work uniform with a slowly spreading grin. βAdam Hubert, up in IT? Oh, honey, wish I was coming with you. Thatβs gonna be a sight to see.β
Nothing in her words or her delivery inspired confidence. Oh well, some gigs were more difficult than others. Not everyone appreciated a personalized singing telegram. Justin had already run the gamut of reactions from delight to disgust, and now, he just wanted to get each assignment done so he could move on to the next. βCan you direct me to his office?β
βSays right there on your paper. Floor 16, room 319. I promise youβll know him when you see him; he stands out around here. Not as much as you in that getup, but heβs never exactly blended in either. Big hulking guy, always wears a frown, nobody can get a smile out of him. Folks up on his floor call him βLurch.ββ She added that final aside in a stage whisper with a conspiratorial air that rubbed Justin the wrong way.
He retrieved his order form and stuffed it in his pocket. βThat doesnβt seem like a very nice name to call somebody.β
βHeβs not very popular. Alright, hereβs your badge.β She slapped a little barcode sticker on his furry chest with uncalled-for glee. βThat should let you in the right doors. Tell Charlene up in reception to call me when you get there. I wanna listen in.β
He left with a half-hearted wave, his bossβs ancient boom box weighing heavily in his hand. βThanks.β
This book has all the corn syrupy feels you would expect from a Valentine’s Day novella. Justin and Adam together have that OTT cute & funny thing going on and the meet-cute between the two & the sweet interactions once they start actually talking to each other is just the bestest. There was plenty of awww moments and a quite a few chuckles before the end.
Being a novella, it does’t take long to get to the conflict and their happily ever after but I liked them so much I really wish we’d gotten more. I wanted to know more about why Adam feels the way he does about himself, how he is with his coworkers and others besides Justin. And I wanted more of Justin finally getting a good relationship and getting himself back on his feet. And I really wished I’d gotten a bit of a better conclusion to the “secret admirer”. I guess there’s always some of that with a novella but can we make this into a longer book, please?
But I think the fact that even with all those wants I still finished it with a smile shows that Thomas does a really good job of creating those characters and moving them through well to that HEA ending.
*****
Author Info:
A.C. Thomas left the glamorous world of teaching preschool for the even more glamorous world of staying home with her toddler. Between the diaper changes and tea parties, she escapes into fantastical worlds, reading every romance available and even writing a few herself.
She devours books of every flavorβscience fiction, historical, fantasyβbut always with a touch of romance because she believes there is nothing more fantastical than the transformative power of love.
Iβve been friends with Cooper Rice from the moment we met. He was just as famous a decade ago on our college campus as he is now being the star quarterback for the Chicago Grizzlies.
But heβs not only talented on the field, heβs also the gorgeous football star women fawn over, posing in underwear and razor ads.
Hereβs a secret those women donβt knowβCooper Rice isnβt a playboy. Heβs the kind of man who wants to settle down with a family. Heβs content ordering pizza and massaging my feet after my long shift as an emergency room doctor. He listens to me as if heβs as invested as I am in my patients. He has never let me down.
This is exactly why I refuse to live without Cooper in my life. Eight years ago, I made him promise me that weβd never cross that line. And just like I knew Cooper would, heβs held to that promise.
Despite our best efforts, our relationship is evolving, shifting into new territory and I find myself unsure if I want Cooper to keep that promise. Ignoring the obvious could tear us apart, but so could giving in, meaning thereβs a chance Iβll lose Cooper forever no matter what decision I make.
There’s a comment at the end that the authors find it hard to write a friends-to-lovers story and I agree that it can be hard to pull off. I think they did well with what they had. I appreciated that they didn’t do a ton of flashbacks to their college years (I struggle with that as a reader) and that they concentrated the first half on the “will they” and the second half on the transition.
Cooper is just about perfect, as he has been throughout the series. He does pretty much everything for Ellery and lets her set the rules when it comes to their relationship, even when it isn’t what he wants. It’s worked so far … until it doesn’t any more.
Elle struggles a lot with what she wants. She’s allowed her dad to dictate her career (and a good portion of her life) so any changes to her relationship with Cooper scares her. But losing him would be even worse.
I can definitely see both sides of this relationship and what brings them to the brink of throwing everything away. While I appreciate that their struggles get them to their HEA, I do wish Elle had maybe handled things a little differently. I still really enjoyed the story but once I saw where it was heading I kinda didn’t want to go there π
Piper Rayne knows how to deliver somewhat spicy romances with a satisfying HEA. I always plow through their stories, enjoying the characters and their struggles and finishing them in just a couple of days. They have definitely become a must read for me!
*****
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!
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes an all-new small-town series set in Montana, starting with WILD FOR YOU, an Age-Gap, Single Dad, Nanny, Grumpy/Sunshine romance!
Wild for You
The Wilds of Montana series
by Kristen Proby
Blurb:
Remington Wild is a single dad of two adorable kids, and as the oldest son of the Wild family, has recently taken over the Wild River Ranch from his father. Life is crazy, and heβs finally willing to admit that he needs help, and the sooner the better. He has no idea that the beautiful woman he sees every day at Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co. is the woman who would show up for the job.
Erin Montgomery couldnβt get out of Seattle fast enough. Itβs not that she doesnβt love her big, loud family, but living in the big city just wasnβt for her. The minute she stepped foot in Bitterroot Valley, she knew she was home. She loves the slower pace, the friendly people, and her job at the coffee shop. Even the smoking hot grumpy guy who stops in every afternoon canβt put a damper on how much she loves small town life!
Thanks to car trouble, and her stubbornness when it comes to using her trust fund, Erin needs a second job and applies for the position of a part-time nanny. Sheβs surprised to find that itβs Grumpy himself who answers the door at the ranch, but Erin quickly learns that she loves his kids and the ranch, and itβs a no-brainer to take the job. She just has to remind herself to resist the sexy rancher and keep it strictly professional.
Remington is attracted to his younger nanny, and finds himself falling headfirst in love with her. He and his kids have never been happier, and he knows she is the perfect addition to their family for as long as sheβs willing to stay. Hopefully forever.
But when secrets are exposed, one of which endangers his children, will their love survive? Or will it tear them apart?
If you read The Stand-In, then you were there when Erin decided to stay in Bitterroot Valley. It’s been a few months and she’s settling in, fully embracing her new small town lifestyle. She loves the people, the town, and Montana. She even loves trying to get a response from the grumpy (and gorgeous) guy who comes into the coffee shop every afternoon.
Remington Wild has a lot on his plate being a single dad and taking over being in charge of the family ranch. The last thing he needs is to be attracted to the new girl in town. Even more so when she becomes his nanny.
There’s not a lot going on here, except for a bit of a suspense element in the last half, but that works for me. I enjoy a slow burn romance so it was nice getting to know Rem and Erin, Rem’s family and the others in town, and seeing Erin fit in so well with Rem’s kids (who are just adorable). Things aren’t always smooth but they figure it out with a little patience and some work on their communication skills.
While there is nothing all that new, I liked Proby’s latest. I thought Erin and Rem are cute together – she helps brighten his day then later lighten his load and he shows her the beauty (and danger) that can be found in her new home. It’s a good start to a new series, introducing some possible future plot lines, and even though Erin is from a prior series Proby does a good job of making sure that anyone can join her on her new adventure. All needed information is provided so new readers can easily keep up.
*****
Author Info:
Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.
When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.
A Sexy, Close Proximity, Secret, Office standalone Romance by New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase.
Irresistible Love
The Wylder Love series
by Samantha Chase
Blurb:
Sheβs the darling ballerina of the renowned Montgomeryβs.
Heβs the sexy numbers nerd who works for her family.
Three years ago at a New Yearβs Eve party they had a moment and kissed at the stroke of midnight.
Now sheβs back and everything isβ¦irresistibly complicated.
Lily Montgomery has danced her way through life, getting opportunities that few get, but that doesnβt mean she hasnβt earned every single one. But with a career-ending injury, she returns home to nurse her wounds and figure out what comes next. What she didnβt expect was seeing the ruggedly handsome man she impulsively kissed three years ago and the simmering attraction that still burns between them.
Noah Wylder is committed to his five-year-plan β climbing the corporate ladder at Montgomerys. Three years ago, that plan almost got derailed thanks to an unexpected kiss with Lily. Heβs since put in the work to redeem himself and stay under the radar. When she suddenly reappears, he canβt seem to escape her or the memory of their kiss. He knows in order to keep his job, he has to make sure he stays away from the alluring woman thatβs never left his mind.
When Lily comes to him needing his help in figuring out what is happening within the Montgomery family, sneaking around leads to heated glances and harmless kisses. Will they realize that the connection they share is real, lasting, and irresistible for either of them to resist?
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.
Austin Moore found his purpose in the military, but there was always something missing. He wanted what everyone in his family had…someone to call his own. But his life didn’t make it easy to find a soul mate, someone to be his forever.
Sage Hill enlisted to follow in the footsteps of her father, but never wanted to be in his shadow. And when her friend ditches her at a dive bar, she catches the eye of a handsome stranger. But Sage doesn’t have time for relationships, nor does she want the complication.
When Sage is stuck, Austin tries to be her saving grace and a challenge leads to a lip lock neither one of them can forget. She swore she’d never fall for a strong and bossy man like her father, but she soon learns there’s more than meets the eye underneath that sexy exterior.
Chelle Bliss is the Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of Men of Inked Series and Misadventures of a City Girl.
She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, coffee fiend, ex-high school history teacher, and currently lives near the beach even though she hates sand. Chelle loves spending time with her two cats, alpha boyfriend, and chatting with readers.
“I’ll rock your world. If you let me. I’ll rock your entire universe.”
KAYLA: Raise your hand if you’ve ever found out your American football player boyfriend of four years was cheating on you… via a scuzzy daily gossip show… right before you two were scheduled to go on an all-expenses-paid vacation to Paris that was supposed to include a marriage proposal!
Nobody else? Just me?
So maybe you’ll understand why I’m crying in first class on the second leg of my flight to the City of Lights.
And why I accept a glass of champagne from the rough-talking Brit sitting in the seat originally assigned to my ex…
And why I don’t say no right away when he boldly proposes a βuniverse rockingβ one-night stand after we deplane Paris.
But I’m going to say no.
I mean, I should say no.
Shouldn’t I?
Don’t say no, Kayla.
MICK: Iβm headed to Paris with one intention: proving to my London-based football team that if they wonβt pay the pounds it takes to keep me on, I can and will accept a better offer in euros.
But I didn’t expect to meet an intriguing American on the flight who hates pro athletes and has no clue I’m a world-famous footballer. Iβm charmed before I know it, and suddenly this trip becomes less about contract negotiations and more about getting this sweet-natured lass in my bed.
Just one tasteβthat’s all I crave. But will one taste truly suffice?
And what will happen whenβifβshe discovers who I really am?
Will this Soccer & Prejudice romance between a ruthless, rough-talking Brit with an ultra-famous celebrity secret and a sweet-as-pie American with a huge distaste for pro athletes end in tears or love? Discover whether one sexy night in Paris can change everything in this super-steamy and delicious standalone contemporary romance.
After logging time as a music journalist, playwright, and radio writer, Theodora Taylor began writing hot books with heart in 2012. With thirty plus romances published to date, she has earned four KDP All-Star bonuses. Known for writing alternative heroes and smart, feisty heroines, Theodora’s 50 Loving States series has become a one-click stop for an ever-growing number of rabid readers. When not thinking of ways to write and sell even more hot books with heart, she enjoys spending time with her amazing family, going on date nights with her wonderful husband, learning German, watching ALL the Shonda Rhimes shows ever, and attending parties thrown by others. She also loves hearing from voices that don’t originate inside her head, so please…
A smoking hot standalone romance in the small-town Harbour Village series, featuring a single dad, a nanny, and an accidental pregnancy!
I Wish You Were Mine
Harbour Village series
by Jessica Peterson
Blurb:
I know Tuck Monroe is trouble the second I walk in to interview for the nanny position. Six-four and covered in tattoos, heβs distractingly hot. Heβs also grumpy as hell. But I need to pay for school, so I take a job as his daughterβs live-in caretaker and move into the apartment above his garage.
I fall hard for Katie, his adorable four-year-old. But I never expected to fall for my new boss, whoβs a decade older than I am. Turns out thereβs a heart of gold beneath Tuckβs broody exterior, one I work to reveal bit by bit. Casual small talk leads to late-night conversations I canβt get enough of.
No surprise our simmering sexual tension explodes with one deep, toe-curling kiss.
He tells me Iβm his good girl; I tell him I love the praise. We give ourselves one night, and one night only, to explore the fiery attraction between us.
Itβs the best sex of my life. But when I wake up, Tuck is gone, and life goes back to normal. Or at least I think it does, until I start to feel nauseous. Turns out I was right: my boss is trouble. The kind that comes with one night I canβt forget and two pink lines that will change our lives forever.
Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When sheβs not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the southβs 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.
Known for her witty sense of humor, Chelle Sloan is a former sports editor who recently completed her Masters in Journalism. She’s now putting that to good use–one happily ever after at a time.
An Ohio native, she’s fiercely loyal to Cleveland sports, is the owner of way too many — yet not enough — tumblers and will be a New Kids on the Block fan until the day she dies. She does her best writing at Starbucks, or anywhere that’s not her house. Oh, and yes, you probably saw her on TikTok.
Romantic Reads and Such 