From New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster comes The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch, a new small-town, big-family series of standalone romance novels featuring fiercely loyal, insanely sexy bikers who give horses—and people—a second chance. Buckle up for a wild ride in Hope Ridge, Colorado, as these big-hearted badasses and their sassy sisters wrangle in their forever loves. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and always a happily ever after.
She’s the only woman he’s ever loved, and the one he could never have…
Years after losing one of their best friends to a dare gone wrong, Devlin “Dare” Whiskey continues to live up to his name, endlessly testing fate, while Billie Mancini buried the best parts of herself. Billie is beautiful and tough, and battling demons Dare has no idea exist. But Dare is done watching her pretend to be something she’s not and takes on his most important challenge yet—showing the woman he loves that some dares are worth the risk.
So I’m not sure biker stories are for me, but I keep coming back because Foster is just THAT engaging. Most of the time her heroines are sassy and strong, while the men are all alpha and protective. Every once in a while though they stray into territory that just turns me off. I’m gonna clutch my pearls here and say that the women move into bitchy instead of assertive and the men are ill-mannered (occasionally gross) a-holes. Buuuut usually if I push through it things get better, which is what happened here. In the beginning I didn’t like either Dare or Billie but within a chapter or so I found myself really rooting for them to figure things out.
Both are adrenaline junkies, always have been, but a tragic accident has caused Billie to draw into herself and try everything she can to bury that part of herself. And that includes cutting Dare out of her life. You totally feel for her as she finds herself drowning in her grief and guilt. The girl really needs to talk to a professional. Good thing her former bestie is a therapist and he’s done letting her push everyone away.
There’s a ton of big feels as Billie comes to terms with her past and embraces the person she used to be with the support of Dare and all her family & friends. There’s a few bumps along the way for them but with patience maybe they can find that HEA together.
*****
Author Info:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.
In THE FOREVER GAME By A.M. Williams, Daphne Abrams is used to being the family outcast but couldn’t be happier with the life she’s created, until Jameson Culter turns her world upside down. There are a million reasons why they would never work, but the universe won’t give up while Jameson is hell-bent on winning my heart. Fans of Defending the Rush by Jamie Bennettwill relish this must-read opposites attract, sports romance from the Meet Cute Book Club Series.
The Forever Game
The Meet Cute Book Club Series
by A.M. Williams
Blurb:
Daphne
Being born as a creative with zero athletic ability into a family of athletes means only one thing – I’m the family outcast.
The one who no matter how successful I am, will never fit in.
That’s okay. I’m happy with my life. I’ve got my friends, good books to read, and my very own tattoo studio where I get to live my own dreams.
Things are going just fine for me.
Then he shows up. The definition of tall, dark, and handsome. I don’t think I’ve ever been this wildly attracted to someone at first glance.
There are a million reasons why things between the two of us would never work out.
But, the universe keeps throwing us together and Jameson seems hell-bent on proving me wrong.
Jameson
I’m in town for one reason and one reason only: recover in the off season so I can go back next year ready to dominate on the field.
After a brutal divorce and an even worse football season, I need to recoup and get my head in the game.
What I don’t need is distractions.
That’s exactly what she is. She’s gorgeous, funny, and has curves in all the right places.
There’s just two small problems. I’m on the rebound and she’s the daughter of my mentor. Who would even want to go there?
But, somehow we keep crossing paths and there’s something tempting about breaking through all those stereotypes she has about guys like me.
Can we find a way to give in to what our hearts want and finally win the forever game?
He paused and glanced out the window, his brow furrowing.
I followed his gaze and just barely kept myself from groaning. Of course, my mother would come to the cafe and bring my sister with her.
“Did you tell them we were coming?” I asked Jameson, looking back at him.
He grimaced. “I mentioned we were meeting for coffee this morning.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That was enough. I bet my mom has either been sitting outside waiting, or one of her friends texted her we were here.”
Jameson said nothing in response because my mom sauntered up to us with a huge grin. Dakota followed behind, glowering at me.
What else was new?
“You two look cozy,” Mom said, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
Cozy? We looked like two strangers meeting for coffee.
“He just got here,” I told her. “It’s hard to look cozy when we’re still warming up.”
Mom waved her hand in the air, like she was clearing my words from her presence.
“Nonsense. I just knew the two of you would hit it off.”
I stifled my groan as she gazed at the two of us. “We won’t keep you,” she continued. “But I wanted to drop in and say hello.”
Before either of us could say anything, she and Dakota went to the counter to order a drink and were gone in a few minutes.
Only then did I sag into my chair. “My God…” I muttered.
“Guess I should be glad this was coffee and not something fancy.”
I barked out a laugh. “You jest, but she probably would have crashed that, too.”
“What’s—“ Jameson started, but he snapped his mouth shut when Mrs. Aldrich, a retired elementary school teacher and one of my mother’s good friends, stopped by our table.
“You two make a fine couple,” she said, grinning at the two of us. “Tall, dark, and handsome, with fair and beautiful.”
I wanted to tell her she missed squat as my descriptor, but I didn’t want her to stick around longer than necessary.
“I’m so glad to see you dating,” she said, directing her gaze at me.
I pressed my lips together to keep myself from saying something rude and nodded.
With one last grin, she left the cafe.
Jameson cleared his throat. “I was going to ask you what the deal was with your sister,” he said. “But now I want to know what the deal was with her comment.”
He jerked his head toward where Mrs. Aldrich had disappeared outside the cafe.
“Nothing much to tell,” I hedged, not wanting to get into my dating history and how horrendous it had been. I also didn’t want to talk about my sister and hoped he’d take the hint.
I wasn’t so lucky.
“And Dakota?”
I was saved from thinking of a response by another person, this time my parents’ neighbor Mr. Creech.
“I thought that was you, Daphne,” he said, grinning at me. “But I forgot my glasses at home and my eyes aren’t what they used to be.”
I smiled at him with affection. Growing up, he’d helped foster my love of art and drawing. He also helped me get into the art program at Abbott Ridge College.
“Yep, it’s me.”
He nodded, flicking his gaze to Jameson, then back to me. “Who is this young man? Your beau?”
My face heated at his words, and I quickly tried to correct him. “No! I mean,” I cleared my throat, “no. We’re friends and we met for coffee this morning.”
Mr. Creech grinned at me and winked. “Sure, that’s what I said when I met my wife, you know. And look how that turned out?”
My mouth dried at his words. “Oh, it’s not—“
“I hope to see you next time you stop by your parents’. I have some stuff I think you might like.”
He nodded to Jameson, then shuffled out of the cafe. Thankfully, since he forgot his glasses, he didn’t walk to a car and get in the driver’s seat. He walked away from the parking area.
“Sure were quick to deny that I was your beau,” Jameson teased, chuckling.
I glared at him, wishing I could shoot lasers from my eyes as he continued to laugh while sipping his coffee.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled. “This is pretty hilarious to me.”
I stuck my tongue out at him for lack of anything better to do, and he threw his head back and laughed.
The joy on his face as he did so cracked something in the wall I’d built around my heart and made me question if being so adamant about us not being something was the right thing.
Copyright 2022 @ A.M. Williams
*****
Author Info:
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living in Germany for six years, and now in Florida. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and planning trips to the beach, which is now only an hour away. She’s a total beach bum and would spend every day there if she could. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as crisp, German white wine at any time of day.
Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.
Eight single women bound by their love of books take a monthly break from real life to lose themselves in the chapters of romantic fiction. From friends to lovers to fake relationships and more, each story features a brand new couple and their journey to find love from an amazing lineup of authors including Louise Lennox, Tracy Broemmer, A.M. Williams, Mel Walker, RJ Gray, Rebecca Wilder, Julie Archer, and Kate Stacy.
These eight standalone romances are packed with meet-cutes, heat, and of course a happily ever after!
This promotional event is brought to you by TheIndie Pen PR
Bestselling author Viola Shipman delights with this captivating summertime escape set along the sparkling shores of Lake Michigan, where a woman searches for clues to her secretive mother’s past
Devastated by the sudden death of her mother—a quiet, loving and intensely private Southern seamstress called Miss Mabel, who overflowed with pearls of Ozarks wisdom but never spoke of her own family—Sutton Douglas makes the impulsive decision to pack up and head north to the Michigan resort town where she believes she’ll find answers to the lifelong questions she’s had about not only her mother’s past but also her own place in the world.
Recalling Miss Mabel’s sewing notions that were her childhood toys, Sutton buys a collection of buttons at an estate sale from Bonnie Lyons, the imposing matriarch of the lakeside community. Propelled by a handful of trinkets left behind by her mother and glimpses into the history of the magical lakeshore town, Sutton becomes tantalized by the possibility that Bonnie is the grandmother she never knew. But is she? As Sutton cautiously befriends Bonnie and is taken into her confidence, she begins to uncover the secrets about her family that Miss Mabel so carefully hid, and about the role that Sutton herself unwittingly played in it all.
A small cut in the fabric that is bound with small stitching. The hole has to be just big enough to allow a button to pass through it and remain in place.
My mom told everyone my dad died, along with my entire family—grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all—one Christmas Day long ago.
“Fire,” she’d say. “Woodstove. Took ’em all. Down to the last cousin.”
“How’d you make it out with your little girl?” everyone would always ask, eyes wide, mouths open. “That’s a holiday miracle!”
My mom would start to cry, a tear that grew to a flood, and, well, that would end that.
No one questioned someone who survived such a thing, especially a widowed mother like Miss Mabel, which is what everyone called her out of deference in the Ozarks. Folks down here had lived hard lives, and they buried their kin just like they did their heartache, underneath the rocky earth and red clay. It took too much effort to dig that deep.
That’s why no one ever bothered to check out the story of a simple, hardworking, down-to-earth, churchgoing lady who kept to herself down here in the hollers—despite the fact me and my mom both just appeared out of thin air—in a time before social media existed.
But I did.
Want to know why?
My mom never cried.
She was the least emotional soul I’d ever known.
“How did you make it out with me?” I asked her countless times as I grew older, when it was just the two of us sitting in her sewing room in our tiny cabin tucked amongst the bluffs outside Nevermore, Missouri.
She would never answer immediately, no matter how many times I asked. Instead, she’d turn over one of her button jars or tins, and run her fingers through the buttons as if they were tarot cards that would provide a clue.
I mean, there were no photos, no memories, no footsteps that even led from our fiery escape to the middle of Nevermore. No family wondered where we were? No one cared? My mother made it out with nothing but me? Not a penny to her name? Just some buttons?
We were rich in buttons.
Oh, I had button necklaces in every color growing up— red, green, blue, yellow, white, pink—and I matched them to every outfit I had. We didn’t have money for trendy jewelry or clothes—tennis bracelets, Gloria Vanderbilt jeans—so my mom made nearly everything I wore.
Kids made fun of me at school for that.
“Sutton, the button girl!” they’d taunt me. “Hand-me-downs!”
Wasn’t funny. Ozarks kids weren’t clever. Just annoyingly direct, like the skeeters that constantly buzzed my head.
I loved my necklaces, though. They were like Wonder Woman’s bracelets. For some reason, I always felt protected.
I’d finger and count every button on my necklace waiting for my mom to answer the question I’d asked long ago. She’d just keep searching those buttons, turning them round and round, feeling them, whispering to them, as if they were alive and breathing. The quiet would nearly undo me. A girl should have music and friends’ laughter be the soundtrack of her life, not the clink of buttons and rush of the creek. Most times, I’d spin my button necklace a few times, counting upward of sixty before my mom would answer.
“Alive!” she’d finally say, voice firm, without looking up. “That’s how we made it out…alive. And you should feel darn lucky about that, young lady.”
Then, as if by magic, my mom would always somehow manage to find a matching button to replace a missing one on a hand-me-down blouse of hers, or pluck the “purtiest” ones from the countless buttons in her jar—iridescent abalone or crochet over wound silk f loss—to make the entire blouse seem new again.
Still, she would never smile. In fact, it was as if she had been born old. I had no idea how old she might be: Thirty-five? Fifty? Seventy?
But when she’d find a beautiful button, she would hold it up to study, her gold eyes sparkling in the light from the little lamp over Ol’ Betsy, her Singer sewing machine.
If I watched her long enough, her face would relax just enough to let the deep creases sigh, and the edges of her mouth would curl ever so slightly, as if she had just found the secret to life in her button jar.
“Look at this beautiful button, Sutton,” she’d say. “So many buttons in this jar: fabric, shell, glass, metal, ceramic. All forgotten. All with a story. All from someone and somewhere. People don’t give a whit about buttons anymore, but I do. They hold value, these things that just get tossed aside. Buttons are still the one thing that not only hold a garment together but also make it truly unique.”
Finally, finally, she’d look at me. Right in the eye.
“Lots of beauty and secrets in buttons if you just look long and hard enough.”
The way she said that would make my body explode in goose pimples.
Every night of my childhood, I’d go to bed and stare at my necklace in the moonlight, or I’d play with the buttons in my mom’s jar searching for an answer my mother never provided.
Even today when I design a beautiful dress with pretty, old-fashioned buttons, I think of my mom and how the littlest of things can hold us together.
Or tear us apart.
*****
Author Info:
VIOLA SHIPMAN is the pen name for internationally bestselling author Wade Rouse. Wade is the author of fourteen books, which have been translated into 21 languages and sold over a million copies around the world. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman as a pen name to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction. The last Viola Shipman novel, The Secret of Snow (October 2021), was named a Best Book of Fall by Country Living Magazine and a Best Holiday Book by Good Housekeeping.
Wade hosts the popular Facebook Live literary happy hour, “Wine & Words with Wade,” every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. EST on the Viola Shipman author page where he talks writing, inspiration and welcomes bestselling authors and publishing insiders.
When your best friend growing up is a girl, that’s the song your classmates taunt you with over and over again. But it was never like that… until now.
It’s always been Clara and me. She’s the only one who truly knows me. After I was drafted into the NFL and ended up the starting quarterback for the San Francisco Kingsmen, I begged her to come with me. But she had her own life and responsibilities back in our small Alaskan town, so I didn’t fault her for staying.
We remained the best of friends despite the distance. I’d hang with her in Alaska during the off season, and she’d visit me in California while I was playing. Then, one night the lines blurred for the briefest of moments and set in motion a series of events that changed everything.
I’m not proud of the decisions I made after that fateful night, and I plan on making amends, because I need Clara back in my life. But not as my best friend—as my everything.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!
There was a time or two that I wanted to give Xavier a swift kick (and I imagine as a returning reader that may have been a long time coming). He’s struggling a lot when it comes to love and his relationship with Clara suffered because of it. After too many months of being THAT guy (that oh-so-smackable guy), he’s done not having her in his life. And pretty quickly realizes that he wants more from her, he just has to convince her that she can trust him again.
Clara isn’t going to let him off the hook too easily. He hurt her, horribly, and his actions since haven’t shown him to be worthy of her trust. Or her heart. But with time, she starts to see that maybe she could give him another chance…
I have to say that being new to this series probably did me bad a little. There’s a lot of history to these two that, based on other reviews, played out in earlier books. The romance itself was easy to follow, I got ALL the warm & squishies, and I found it really difficult to put down – I’m guessing, tho, that there is some depth that I missed out on. But as a first book, it was very enjoyable, with delightful characters & an awesome HEA, so I will gladly come back for more.
*****
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!
For Bernadette Ross, there are two things she knows for sure, she loves being a kick-ass gamer girl and she’s been in love with her teammate’s older brother for years. Wade Roberts was forced to put her in the friend zone, but when his feelings can’t be ignored any longer, the only option is to keep their relationship a secret. Fans of nerdy romance, Carrie Aarons, and Kaylee Ryan will adore WIN MY HEART by Lauren Helms, a secret relationship, gamer girl romance.
“Lauren Helms delivers a sweet and steamy romance that packs an emotional punch.” – Mary @ USA Today HEA on ONE MORE ROUND, Gamer Boy 2
Win My Heart
by Lauren Helms
Blurb:
Bernie
When it comes to gaming,
I’m a pro.
When it comes to my love life?
That’s a different story.
I’ve been crushing on my best friend’s older brother forever.
In return, he’s kept me in the friend zone for way too long.
Then things change between us.
And I get to see a whole new,
And incredibly sexy side to him.
But, he wants to keep things between us a secret.
Wade
I made a promise to my brother.
One I refused to break.
Until now.
I’ve ignored my feelings for the girl for way too long.
And the more time we spend together,
The harder I find myself falling.
There’s just one problem,
I can’t let anyone know that I’ve made her mine.
Can I win her heart before its game-over for us both?
I rush to the stairs at the end of the hall. It will be quicker than waiting for the elevator, and since I’m only going up one floor, it makes sense. After taking the steps by twos, I’m standing in front of the guys’ apartment in no time.
Brushing a stray hair off my face as I unlock the door, I realize I never changed out of my workout attire. My capri leggings, which I wear while lounging around at home more than working out, are black with a camo pink design up the sides. Then I’m wearing a crop top tank in the same matching pink.
I’m glad the guys aren’t here, because I don’t dress like this around them. Ever. I’m normally in a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted tee or hoodie. On occasion, I know how to dress up. I’m assuming if the guys saw my midriff, it would be akin to seeing their sister show too much skin.
I take a few steps into the apartment, and it’s dead quiet, as expected. I look around for the speaker and notice the place is cleaner than it was yesterday. Since Dex moved out last month, it’s become blatantly obvious who kept the place clean—or at least held the guys accountable for cleaning up after themselves.
I chuckle to myself at how much fun Gia and Ruby will have when they have to house-train their men eventually.
I remember that we had the speaker back in Link’s room, testing it with his stream set up. So I head down the hall.
I hear a noise and look over my shoulder just as I run into something hard and wet.
I squeak as I whip my face around, and I jump when strong hands grab both of my arms.
“Shit,” a deep voice mutters.
I stifle a scream right as I process what—I mean who—I ran into.
Wade Roberts.
The Wade Roberts.
Dex’s older brother.
My teammate’s big brother and the guy I’ve shamefully had a secret crush on for years.
Yeah, that Wade Roberts.
He grips my biceps tightly as if he fears I’m going to fall over. And once my vision focuses on him and my eyes drift down his body, and I realize that he’s naked, I think I might just pass out.
Well, hello, abs.
“Bernadette. You good?” His voice is deep, and there’s a trace of humor there.
The way he says my name makes my knees weak. Not many people call me by my full name, but Wade always has.
I nod, still taking him in. Okay, so he’s not naked completely. He’s got a towel wrapped low around his waist, giving me a nearly full view of the perfect ‘v’ and the hint of whatever he’s hiding underneath. I force my gaze back up to his chest, then to his face. Shit, he’s got a nice face.
Christ on a cracker.
“I’m wet now,” I mutter.
His eyes go wide.
I try again. “Shit. No, I mean, why am I wet now that you’re here?”
He barks out a laugh, and I nearly die.
“No, frack. Wait, why are you wet? Because now I am. Is this sweat or water?” I peel my eyes away from the half-naked man I’ve dreamed about for the past few years and take a step back. He doesn’t let his hand drop right away, but then his gaze blazes down my body.
I instinctively cover my stomach with my hand, then drop it because it was an awkward move on my part. I just end up bringing more attention to myself as he drinks me in. When I clear my throat, his eyes find mine.
He seems to shake himself out of something and puts yet another step between us.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry. I just got out of the shower. I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone, so I’m glad I even bothered with the towel.” His throaty chuckle is uncomfortable as I think about what would have happened if he had forwent the towel.
I giggle nervously. “Oh, yeah, same,” I reply. “I mean, wasn’t expecting to run into anyone.”
“Right.” He smiles.Wow, this is uncomfortable. Anyone looking in would think we were two half-naked strangers running into each other. But we aren’t. I’ve known Wade for almost five years. While he doesn’t hang out a lot with the gang, he’s around. He supports our team and I’ve eaten many meals with him. Some days, I would even consider us friends. We get along well. I’ve just always had a crush on him, and he’s always looked at me the same way the guys do—as a sister. Which is fine. Totally fine. It’s probably for the best.
Copyright 2022 @Lauren Helms
*****
Review:
Bernie is adorable, a little awkward but also spunky and fun. She’s had a crush on Wade for years but never thought he would feel the same. With him moving into the same apartment building, though, things change. And bring with it complications.
Wade felt something for Bernie since their first meeting but his brother asked him not to ruin their team dynamic by pursuing her. Years later, and living just down the hall, he finds himself reevaluating that promise. He just has to figure out how to tell his brother …
The lying and hiding of their relationship isn’t something I usually go for (and there were a few times I wanted to smack Wade), but I think that Helms actually handles things pretty well. Their relationship felt organic and I could definitely understand how they found themselves in such a situation so I didn’t mind it so much. Overall she does a good job of balancing heat with humor, adding in a ton of sweetness and drama, and just a little bit of suspense to keep things hopping. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what else Helms brings readers.
(This is the first in this series that I’ve read but I had no issues keeping up.)
*****
Author Info:
Lauren Helms is a romance author her nerdy and flirty contemporary words. Lauren has forever been an avid reader from the beginning. After starting a book review website, that catapulted her fully into the book world, she knew that something was missing. While working for a video game strategy guide publisher, she decided to mix what she knew best–video games and romance. She decided to take the plunge and write her first novel, Level Me Up. Several published novels later, Lauren created PR company, Indie Pen PR, to help other authors promote their books.
Lauren lives in Indianapolis, Indiana sharing her love of books and video games with her own Gamer Boy husband and three young kid nerds who will hopefully grow up to share the love of things that united Lauren and her husband on their own happily ever after.
In THE JANE THING by Tracy Broemmer, Gideon Reece finds himself living with his sister’s best friend who is all sunshine and chatter. However, the more time we spend together, the more I’m realizing that Skye Stafford is different from any woman I’ve ever known, but I can’t risk ruining her friendship with my sister. Fans of Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey will devour this must-read enemies to lovers, best friend’s sibling romance from the Meet Cute Book Club Series.
The Jane Thing
The Meet Cute Book Club Series
by Tracy Broemmer
Blurb:
When my best friend asks me to put her brother up at my place for a while, I’m totally on board. After all, I practically grew up in Chloe and Gideon’s house, so I used to kind of know him. Those childhood memories don’t compare to the real Gideon Reece when he shows up ready to be my temporary roommate. He’s grown into a smoking hot guy complete with tattoos, rakish-looking hair, and a face that looks like art. Too bad he’s a pompous jerk.
My sister’s best friend is going to drive me crazy before my stay here is over. She’s prettier than I remember, but she’s all sunshine and chatter, like she thinks we’re going to be besties while I’m here. Spoiler alert: we’re not. I’m here to secure a job and find a place to live, and in the meantime, I have no interest in palling around with Skye Stafford.
Then why did I kiss her? Probably the same reason I can’t get her off my mind. She’s completely different from any woman I’ve ever known, and to my regret, I can’t get enough of her. I have to keep my hands to myself, because I’d never forgive myself if I came between Chloe and Skye.
Frame in one hand and my hammer in the other, I stop just inside my bedroom and look at Gideon.
“What’s it look like?”
My sarcasm flies out the window when he tips his head like he’s actually thinking about it. I feel the heat from his intense stare as it travels up over my black heels and bare legs and skinny gray pencil skirt. What had he called it last night? Corporate getup?
“Kinda like an eighties music video,” he answers with a shrug. “Maybe porn.”
Stunned by his answer, I take half a second to wonder if I’m offended. The laugh pops out before I make up my mind. I hold out the hammer and twist it this way and that and finally shudder when I look back at him.
“I’m going to hang his picture.” I turn my back on him and put the frame and hammer down on my bed.
“Want help?”
I peek at him over my shoulder and shake my head. “No thanks.”
“Well, I mean, you can’t just hammer a nail in a wall and be done with it. You have to measure, so you’re not crooked.”
“I’m not crooked,” I promise him. I kick off my heels and lead him to the spot on the wall I’ve already measured and marked. “I did that first.”
Rather than look at the spot on the wall, Gideon studies me. Up close to him like this, I smell his cologne. Something woodsy but not overpowering. He also smells like old books or at least an old building—like the mix of paper and dust.
“Did you work late?” he asks me, and when I shake my head, he asks, “why are you still dressed like that?”
Wow. He really does have an issue with professional attire.
“Had a date,” I answer. I left my nail out on the counter, so I go to get it. When I come back in, Gideon’s looking around my room. My cheeks heat with embarrassment when I see a lacey black bra tossed over the nightstand. He looks at me again with narrowed eyes, as if he’s trying to work out if I brought my date home and slept with him and forgot to put my bra on when I got dressed again.
“A date.”
“Mm-hmm.” I stick the nail between my teeth and eye the spot I marked earlier with a pencil.
“With who?”
“Mel Kavanaugh.”
“Don’t know him.”
“No kidding.” I speak around the nail in my teeth and roll my eyes. “He works at the bank.”
“That your type?” I wouldn’t swear to it, but he sounds disappointed.
“Will you gimme the hammer?” Nail still between my teeth, I hold my hand out and nod my thanks when he puts the hammer on my palm. Taking the nail out of my teeth, I lean closer to the wall and tap it gently with the hammer.
“Did you use a stud finder?”
“For the date? No.” I shake my head. “Maybe that was the problem.”
I have to look at him when I hear his soft laugh.
“I meant for the nail.” He points at the wall. “I’m surprised you can use nails in a new apartment.”
“Landlord thinks that sticky stuff is the devil’s invention. Told me to hammer as much as I want.”
Gideon’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as his face crinkles with laughter.
“Tell me you meant to say that.”
“Totally did,” I promise him.
Copyright 2022 @Tracy Broemmer
*****
Author Info:
Tracy Broemmer is the author of several contemporary romance novels including The Mississippi Queen Trilogy, Toasted, and the H Books. Tracy also writes women’s fiction and is the author of the Williams Legacy series as well as several stand-alone titles. Tracy’s books have been called gripping, emotional, and timely, and readers describe her characters as real and relatable. Tracy lives in Midwestern Illinois with her husband of 29 years.
Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.
Eight single women bound by their love of books take a monthly break from real life to lose themselves in the chapters of romantic fiction. From friends to lovers to fake relationships and more, each story features a brand new couple and their journey to find love from an amazing lineup of authors including Louise Lennox, Tracy Broemmer, A.M. Williams, Mel Walker, RJ Gray, Rebecca Wilder, Julie Archer, and Kate Stacy.
These eight standalone romances are packed with meet-cutes, heat, and of course a happily ever after! This promotional event is brought to you by TheIndie Pen PR
When trust has been broken, it will take a special man to heal the rift and her heart.
Once upon a time, Elsie Ireland thought she’d found the man of her dreams, only to learn her fairytale romance was just another cautionary tale. Beyond a perfect family image, her husband had little interest in Elsie, and even less in their son. Years later, she and nine-year-old Tony have landed in Fallport, Virginia. She’s working two jobs and living in a motel, but Tony has a roof over his head and plenty of love. For Elsie, however, love isn’t in the cards. She doesn’t have the time to spare…or the trust.
After serving his country as a Green Beret, Zeke Calhoun was happy to get out of the military and settle into small-town life as a bar owner. His position with Eagle Point Search and Rescue fulfills his need to serve and provides some of the best friends he’s ever known. He didn’t realize anything was missing until it was right under his nose every day—his sweet, shy waitress, Elsie.
It isn’t easy to convince the independent, gun-shy single mom to let him in, and with memories of his own disastrous marriage still plaguing him, Zeke isn’t fully certain he’s the best bet for a healthy relationship. But one stolen kiss in a heightened moment, and he’s a goner. Vowing that Elsie and Tony’s lives are about to change for the better, Zeke is up for the challenge of proving not all men are like her ex.
A task made significantly more difficult when a complication throws the couple’s fledgling relationship off course—then quickly spirals into a life-or-death situation no one saw coming.
** Searching for Elsie is the second book in the Eagle Point Search & Rescue Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Audible, Kobo!
New York Times, USA Today, #1 Amazon Bestseller, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last eighteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a retired Army man (and current firefighter/EMT) who now gets to follow her around the country.
She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.
Becoming a famous playwright is all Winnie ever dreamed about. For now, though, she’ll have to settle for assisting the celebrated, sharp-witted feminist playwright Juliette Brassard. When an experimental theater company in London, England decides to stage Juliette’s most renowned play, The Lights of Trafalgar, Winnie and Juliette pack their bags and hop across the pond.
But the trip goes sideways faster than you can say “tea and crumpets”. Juliette stubbornly vetoes the director’s every choice, and Winnie’s left stage-managing their relationship. Winnie’s own work seems to have stalled, and though Juliette keeps promising to read it, she always has some vague reason why she can’t. Then, Juliette’s nephew Liam enters stage left. He’s handsome, he’s smart, he is devastatingly British, and he and Winnie have sizzling chemistry. But as her boss’s nephew, Liam is definitely off-limits, so Winnie has to keep their burgeoning relationship on the down-low from Juliette. What could go wrong?
Balancing a production seemingly headed for disaster, a secret romance, and the sweetest, most rambunctious rescue dog, will Winnie save the play, make her own dreams come true, and find true love along the way–or will the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune get the best of her?
After five years as a personal assistant, I have found that entering a chaotic scene with caffeine is the quickest way to ease panic. It’s a distraction, it boosts morale, and if you’re working in the ever-intense theater world, it’s often as necessary as breathing.
Roshni, our second assistant, is quick to approach as the penthouse door swings closed behind me. She’s wearing a knee-length floral romper, and her flawless ebony hair is parted just off to the side. If I wore a romper, it’d look like a man’s bathing costume circa 1916, but on Roshni, it’s the ultimate embodiment of summer fun. I’m still not positive if I want to be her or marry her, but we’ve happily settled on being ride or die work friends in the meantime.
“Thank you so much,” she says, scooping her iced hazelnut coffee out of the to-go tray I’m carrying and casting a nervous glance over her shoulder. “Okay, so, two things. One, I accidentally knocked a pile of papers off Juliette’s desk, which then led to her calling me an anarchist and threatening to have me arrested. And two, she thinks you’re going to London.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She straight-up told me you were going to London.”
“I am not going to London,” I announce, making my voice loud enough to carry through the spacious four-bedroom apartment. With almost a decade of drama study under my belt, my vocal projection is legit.
“Why are you always so resistant to anything remotely ex-citing? To stand still is to go backwards, Winnie.”
I hear her before I see her. Juliette Brassard. My boss of five years, my pseudo-mother, my often-combative sibling, and the perpetual bane of my existence. Working for her is tiring, demanding, slightly monotonous and bizarre, but I love every second of it.
She looks the same as she does most days. Wide-legged pants and a layered top. Always layered. Today it’s a beige cotton shirt and a charcoal vintage vest. Her straight gray-brown hair just reaches her shoulders and thick-rimmed glasses cover her ceaselessly curious chestnut eyes. Her style is a fair reflection of her life—eclectic and casual but secretly expensive.
“It was never the plan for me to go to London,” I tell her. “Roshni is going with you, and you were perfectly happy with the arrangements yesterday.”
“Yes, well, happiness is fleeting, and I realized today that I need my whole team with me if this trip is going to be a success.”
“I checked with the airline this morning,” Roshni says, taking a tentative step forward. “And apparently there’s one seat left in first class.” I shoot her a loving glare as Juliette raises a victorious arm in her direction.
“You see? It’s a sign from the universe.”
“It’s not a sign from the universe,” I counter. “It’s a ridiculous amount of money to pay, and you’re probably the only non-tech billionaire who’s willing to spend that much for a fully reclining seat.”
“A noble sentiment. You should preach that sermon to the bare foot that caressed our cheeks the last time we sat in coach.”
“Okay, we had one uncomfortable flight from LA, and you know full well that the guy was wearing socks.”
“I don’t know that, Winnie. I’ve repressed the memory so deep into my subconscious that I’ll be shuffling around this apartment and whispering about phantom feet until I’m ninety.” She spins away with her typical dramatic flair, opting to walk over to the windows and gazing out at the traffic below. She also covertly checks to see if I’m still watching her.
I choose to ignore her attention-seeking behavior and in-stead place our drinks down on an antique side table. With my hands now free, I pick up a stack of opened event invitations that I left there the day before, giving them one final look over before handing them to Roshni, who’s still standing nearby.
“I’ll reorganize the papers on her desk,” I tell her. “Just RSVP to these, and then we can go over tomorrow’s itinerary. Blue Post-its are a yes. Yellows are a no.”
“Blue, yes. Yellow, no. Got it.” She exits the room with her coffee and the invites, seemingly happy to get out of the fray. If only I was so lucky.
Juliette’s been dropping hints about me going on this trip with them for the past week, but I’ve always managed to side-step the issue. And now, she’s brought the battle to my door-step. Or I guess it’s really her doorstep, since she lives here. And what a doorstep it is.
Twenty floors up on a cobbled Tribeca street, you’d either have to be born into money or wildly successful to own one of these grandly scaled units. Juliette is both. Already a border-line heiress thanks to her Manhattan real-estate mogul father, she then went on to become one of the city’s most celebrated playwrights. She was given everything but still hustled like crazy for her career and threw all of her time and energy into mastering her craft. Luckily for her, it proved to be a lethal combination.
As a native New Yorker and a fiercely proud West-Sider, Juliette’s lived in this apartment for as long as I’ve worked for her. The furniture is mismatched and romantic, and white walls are splashed with green from her dozens of potted plants. Every available surface is covered with old scripts, books, or mugs with half-drunk cups of tea. It’s scholarly chic. If Jane Austen ever traveled forward through time, I like to imagine that this is what her apartment would look like. Alas, dear Jane is nowhere to be found as Juliette steps away from the windows, moving through the space to sit on the arm of her tufted couch.
“Give me one good reason why you can’t go on this trip.” I roll my shoulders, trying to relieve a sudden stress knot before taking a much-needed sip of my latte. “Because you’re leaving tonight. I’m not mentally or physically prepared, and this is supposed to be my yearly vacation time. I have projects that I need to work on, too.”
“Yes, your grand opus of a play that you’re forever editing. Maybe the change of scenery will inspire you. In London, love and scandal are considered the best sweeteners of tea.”
“Don’t try to mind-trick me with John Osborne quotes.” Juliette groans and pushes up off the sofa. “I’m only trying to help you.”
“It would help me if you read my play and told me what you think.”
She just looks at me then and says nothing, no doubt trying to come up with another lackluster excuse. I’ve asked her to read my play dozens of times over the years, but she always finds a reason not to. She’s too busy, her mind is clouded, she’s not in the right mood.
“I’ll read it when it’s finished. Whatever I say now would alter your creative course.”
Ah, so she doesn’t want to sway my process. Not likely. Juliette’s perpetually happy to give her two cents on everything, especially on another playwright’s work.
“As far as London,” she goes on, “you just need to think about it more. Mull it over, let the idea sink in, and if you could agree to come with us in the next ten to fifteen minutes, that would be great.” She goes to leave the room after that but stops short when her cell phone starts ringing. She looks around but doesn’t find it. I do the same until she digs into the couch cushions and eventually plucks it out. She checks the caller ID and smiles as she answers.
“Liam! To what do I owe the pleasure?”
A little out of breath from her impromptu sofa wrestling match, she twists around and away from me, walking over to the windowsill and picking up a small watering can. She sprinkles her first row of plant babies as she listens to his response. Liam is her nephew and lives in London, which is also where her sister, Isabelle, has lived since she moved there in her twenties. I’ve never met her or him, but I have sent Liam gifts on Juliette’s behalf every Christmas and on his birthday.
“That’s right,” she says, moving on to the next row of plants. “I’m getting in tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Will I be seeing you?” She tries to water the oversized ficus in the corner, but the can is empty. “Sounds great! Here, I’m passing you over to Winnie for a second. Do me a favor and convince her to come on the trip with me. She’s being obstinate.”
“What? No.” My protest is in vain as Juliette’s phone is already in flight. I barely catch it as she disappears into the kitchen, shaking the empty watering can over her shoulder in response.
I clear my throat and put the phone to my ear. “Hello, Liam.”
“Hello, is Winnie there, please?” he asks with mock seriousness.
I fail to suppress my involuntary smile at his polite request and inviting British accent. “This is she,” I answer back.
“Excellent, just the person I was hoping to speak to.”
“My sentiments exactly. To be honest, I’ve secretly been dying to talk to you for years.”
“Have you really?” he asks, surprised.
“No, not really. I don’t even know you.” He says nothing, and I think I might have scared him a bit. “Sorry,” I lightly amend, “I thought we were pretending that we actually meant to have this conversation.”
“Yes, well, that was my initial intention, but it turns out you’re much more convincing than I am. I can only assume that you’ve had formal training?”
“That assumption would be correct.”
“I should have figured.” His voice is surprisingly calm, sounding more like one of my old improv buddies and less like a stranger who’s thousands of miles away. “So,” he goes on, “I’ve been instructed by my aunt to convince you to come to London.”
“She does seem to have that idea stuck in her head.”
“There’s much to recommend it, of course. Red buses. A phenomenal bridge. How do you feel about museums?”
“I hate them,” I tease.
“Absolutely. Nothing to be learned from there. And what about parks?”
“Not into them at all.”
“Couldn’t agree more. I’m violently allergic to pollen, and why should I be forced to carry an EpiPen just so everyone else can enjoy natural beauty? Pure selfishness on their end.”
I smile to myself and pivot around so I’m no longer standing still. “I knew you couldn’t be as normal as you originally sounded. It’s to be expected, though, since you do share a bloodline with Juliette.”
“Yes, we had hoped lunacy would skip a generation, but apparently not.” He pauses then, and I somehow know that he’s smiling, too. “So, how am I faring on my quest so far? Are you packing your bags at this very moment?”
“Unfortunately not. I somehow forgot to bring all my lug-gage and clothes with me to work today, but still, this has been a very pleasant verbal exchange thus far.”
“For me as well. Can I ask what’s holding you back from taking the trip?”
“You may, but I may also choose not to answer.”
“Ah, a lady of secrets, are we?”
“Oh yes,” I answer dramatically. “A lady of many secrets and a play that I need to finish in seventeen days if I’m going to make a contest deadline.”
“Really? I take it that you’re a playwright as well, then?”
“Afraid so.”
“In that case, as you have a very good reason to stay at home rather than crossing the Atlantic, I won’t try to sway you any further…but know that I do so very reluctantly.”
“I appreciate that.”
Juliette sashays back into the room then, the watering can forgotten as she plops down onto the couch with one of her many notebooks. I’ll have to see to the rest of the plants later. She props her feet up on the coffee table and begins to write as I make my way towards her.
“Alright, well, your aunt is now back, so I’ll get going.” “It was very nice meeting you, Winnie.”
“We didn’t actually meet,” I say, correcting him.
“But it sort of feels like we did.”
I find myself grinning once more and shift away so Juliette won’t notice. “I guess it does,” I admit. “Bye, Liam.”
“Goodbye, Winnie.” I pivot back around and hand the phone over. Juliette looks at me with a mischievous sort of smirk as I shake my head and step away to hang my bag in the entryway closet.
KATE BROMLEY lives in New York City with her husband, son, and her somewhat excessive collection of romance novels (It’s not hoarding if it’s books, right?). She was a preschool teacher for seven years and is now focusing full-time on combining her two great passions – writing swoon-worthy love stories and making people laugh. She is also the author of Talk Bookish to Me.
I’m so excited to share a Q&A with Catherine Bybee today!
For anyone wondering the plot of your newest release, you give a great sneak peek with the title—When it Falls Apart. What is “falling apart” in this novel?
All the threads that hold my heroine, Brooke, together are crumbling down around her. When it Falls Apart begins with Brooke’s romantic relationship crashing and burning. At the same time, in a different state, her father is circling the drain in the ICU. And for the cherry on the top of her “falling apart life”, Brooke has found herself demoted at work. In short, everything in Brooke’s life is dissolving around her.
Like all of your books, When it Falls Apart has a beautiful romance, however, there is a rawness about Brooke’s story. How was writing this novel different from your others?
If you read my notes both in the front and the back of this novel, you’ll soon realize that the story was very personal to me. Rawness comes from experience. The relationship Brooke has with her father is hauntingly familiar to me and my dad. The emotions that the heroine experienced when taking care of him were easy for me to grasp onto and write about. Sadly, the love story with Luca was completely made up and I didn’t have the support of a strong Italian family to help deal with the struggles, but I digress.
Relationships with a parent who wasn’t there for you growing up are messy. When that parent ages and needs their child, sometimes that help comes with a bucketload of resentment, even if the child wishes they could stop those ugly feelings from creeping up on them. And THAT is the rawness you speak of.
Books, TV shows, and movies oftentimes glamorize what it means to care for a loved one. However, in When it Falls Apart you don’t sugar-coat anything about caregiving and the toll it takes on a person. How do you think readers who have been in similar situations will be affected by this story?
Justified. Validated. Accepted.
It’s a hard job taking care of an elderly family member. And if there aren’t other siblings to help, or won’t help, it’s made even more difficult. It’s difficult, gritty, dirty work that only has a bad ending…eventually. What I do hope my readers take away is that they’re not alone. That the struggle is very real and that if they don’t find balance (which is almost impossible at times) they will burn out completely and not be fit to help at all. I hope my readers are empowered to set boundaries and balance, so they come out on the other side of caring for an elderly loved one whole themselves.
Brooke gets virtually no support from her significant other, which has her reevaluating their relationship. She realizes she has settled and has to make some hard decisions. Do you think this happens too many times to women in real life?
100% Yes! There is a song by Taylor Swift with a line that says, and I’m paraphrasing here, I can be what you want for the weekend. But often that weekend ends up being a relationship that women hold on to or are convinced they can’t live without. Often it takes a huge shake-up to remove yourself from that situation. But once you’re away from the day to day dysfunctional relationship, the easier it is to see the dysfunction.
After her breakup and move, Brooke is not looking for a relationship. In fact, she tells her best friend: “I haven’t wiped off my smeared mascara from Marshall yet, the last thing I want is to jump into anything else.” Her crying over a man lasts all about two minutes when she meets Luca. Tell us about him.
Hmmm, Luca… he is the kind of man who doesn’t want a place on Brooke’s dance card…he wants to rip it up.
Luca is wired to help the people in his life. Brooke becomes a part of his inner circle simply by moving into the family building where he sees her every day.
Now, if Luca had flat out asked Brooke on a date, she would have run the other way…so no, he doesn’t go about it that way. He simply shows up and does not leave. Not when things get tough, or messy…or when his own past peeks its head in. Luca is a man who is right there at Brooke’s side without question or censor on why she does the things she does. His support and validation of her feelings is the part she was missing. Add in the hunky Italian single father and “Mamma Mia!”
At first, Luca is not thrilled that Brooke is renting a room in his family’s building. What changes his mind about her?
Her strength and vulnerability. I know that sounds contradicting, but some of the strongest women I know have a big vulnerable spot in their life that if you know them well enough, you see. The biggest smiles often hide the deepest pain. Luca sees her struggle and dedication to helping her elderly father and since family is first on Luca’s list, she passes his unconscious test.
Luca’s family, the D’Angelo’s, are incredibly close and share everything from ownership of the family restaurant to helping care for Luca’s daughter Franny. How is this different from Brooke’s relationship with her family?
Brooke doesn’t have that family. She has a father who abandoned her as a little girl that she carved out a relationship as an adult, and now she’s charged with caring for. Even her previous romantic relationship didn’t support her unconditionally the way the D’Angelo’s do for each other. She’s rather dumbfounded when they start treating her like family. It’s a wonderful thing to watch happen.
San Diego’s Little Italy plays a huge part in the story. The community, language, and food are in full display. Tell us about your own experiences in your adopted city.
I love Little Italy, the food, the pace… the people. There are many places in San Diego that are overrun with the college scene, San Diego is a college town. But Little Italy is more family friendly. Very touristy, but there isn’t a day you don’t see locals hanging out. I go to the farmer’s market often. Pick up authentic Italian ingredients for my own home cooking. I try new restaurants and take all my friends there when they are visiting from out of town. Not to mention it was the closest thing to the “real Italy” that I could go during the travel restrictions. So why not write about it and tell the world of this small island within San Diego that shouldn’t be missed?
There are two more siblings in the D’Angelo family. Where will you be taking readers next with the series?
Chloe is a yogi. Think Bali!
And Giovanni loves wine… think Tuscany, Italy.
I cannot wait to show you what I have in store for these two!
When It Falls Apart
by Catherine Bybee
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Publisher: Montlake
Blurb:
Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.
Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?
As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?
*****
Excerpt:
“Oh my God, Carmen. He was standing at his car first thing this morning. Like ‘hop in, bella, let’s get stuff done today.’ Who does that?”
Brooke had picked up the phone as soon as Luca was off in search of a dump guy.
“We’re talking about the single, hot, Italian dad, right?”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Yes. Luca.”
“Oy, oy, oy.”
“Stop it. I need advice. And I need it before he gets back.”
Carmen stopped teasing. “You don’t need advice. You need to relax. He sounds like one of the good ones. Let it happen.”
“Let it happen,” she mocked. “I don’t ‘let’ things happen. It happens to me and it’s never good.”
“You didn’t used to be such a pessimist.”
“Once upon a time the glass was half full. Not these days.”
“Okay, Debbie Downer. You want my advice . . . here it is. Keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I’m not doing anything. Zero effort.”
“Really?” Carmen didn’t sound convinced. “Makeup . . . a nice dress?”
Brooke hesitated. “Maybe . . . a little last night, but that was it.”
Carmen chuckled.
“Carmen!”
“Sorry. Okay . . . any red flags?”
Brooke thought about that. “He loved his ex-wife.”
“That’s a red flag?”
“I guess not.”
“Is he good to his mom?”
Brooke looked back on the dinner the night before. “To the whole family. He takes being the oldest brother quite seriously.”
“And his daughter?”
All Brooke could do was smile. “Great dad. We should all be so lucky.”
“He’s Italian, does he smoke?”
“No.”
“A lot of Italians smoke,” Carmen pointed out.
“In Italy. The San Diego variety are less in that wheelhouse.”
“That’s good.” Carmen sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, Brooke. How does he kiss?”
“He hasn’t kissed me,” Brooke nearly yelled.
“Now then . . . we have a problem.”
“There hasn’t been . . . I don’t even know if—”
“Stop right there. He did not drive your sorry ass all the way to Upland to do grunt work all day if he wasn’t interested in kissing you, bellllaaa. More than that, you want him to.”
Brooke closed her eyes, and even in her own head she couldn’t convince herself that Carmen was wrong.
“Let it happen. You deserve some happiness, Brooke.”
The van with the air conditioning repair guy pulled into the driveway.
“I gotta go.”
“I want a kissing update the next time we talk,” Carmen teased.
“Love you,” Brooke said with a laugh.
“Back at ya, boo.”
She hung up.
Her best friend was such a dork.
*****
Author Info:
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than five million copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite Series, the Weekday Brides Series, the Most Likely To Series, and the First Wives Series.
In THE WINE DOWN by Louise Lennox, Brandi Armstrong leads a life with no room for error—or romance, but when she has to fight for something close to her heart, she turns to her best friend, Riddick Kruger. Can Riddick help to save Brandi’s family farm, and convince her that his love for her is worth fighting for? Fans of Kennedy Ryan’s Kingmaker Series, cultured yet humorous reads, will devour this must-read friends to lovers romance from the Meet Cute Book Club Series.
The Wine Down
by Louise Lennox
Blurb:
Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club, where meet-cutes don’t happen only between the pages of romance novels, and one by one, all the members find their own happily ever afters.
Meet Brandi Armstrong and Riddick Kruger in book one: The Wine Down…
Brandi…
Fearless
Southern
Broken
I’m the heroine saving farms from financial ruin and racism.
Who will save me from my loneliness?
I’m Too Busy.
I’m Too Hurt.
But it’s homecoming weekend and I really want to WINE Down.
Except now, my family’s farm is on the chopping block.
My best friend Riddick vows to fix it.
Because…
I’m the object of his affection.
And money is no object.
He wants me. But I don’t want anyone.
I’m too fractured to put the pieces back together again.
But it’s fun to feel Riddick try…
Riddick…
Dominating
South African
Billionaire
I’m the wealthy Restaurateur all the ladies love…
But I’m in love with my best friend.
Brandi doesn’t want my love, but she does need my help.
She will get more than she asks for.
I’ll destroy the past that’s haunting her.
I’ll own the present by pleasuring her.
I’ll design our future; healing her.
She will be mine, and her heart will no longer hide…
Will Brandi Wine Down long enough to let love rule?
Can Riddick save Brandi’s farm without killing their friendship?
Find out in this hot friends-to-lovers romance from Louise Lennox!
The Wine Down is a standalone, Friend to Lovers romance that is part of the multi-author series, Meet Cute Book Club series. Escape with this swoon-worthy collection of romances where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever after.
“Riddick!” A shrill voice I hate all too well calls out. “Long Time, no see! Did you come to watch me perform? You know I’ve still got all my moves.”
Mandy fucking Foster
I’m going to be sick. And Riddick looks like he may be as well. That’s his fault. No one told him to use Mandy as his go-to fuck toy all throughout college. She’s always thought she had claim to him, even though he never made the slightest gesture to claim her. Now, she’s all over him like a cat with claws.
He clears his throat and seeks me out with his eyes. “Umm… no, I’m actually here to support Brandi.” He nods his head towards me, forcing Mandy to turn around. I give her a saccharine smile and wave. She rolls her eyes but quickly recovers.
“Oh yeah, I forgot she’s like a little sister to you. Of course, you’d want to see her perform. But isn’t it a bonus that you also get me out of the deal? Someone who knows how to use her body very well.”
Bitch. Two can play this game.
I walk over to Kruger and step beside him. Placing my hand in his, I squeeze and throw him a quick wink before bringing his ring hand to my lips and brushing my lips over the back of his knuckles. Sweet baby Jesus, his skin is incredible. I feel his calluses on the inside of my hand, but the skin brushing my lips is soft as silk.
My poor neglected pussy is dripping from his sexy scent alone. Lord, I want to huff him like fiend addicted to glue. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I hear him clear his throat, soft enough for my ears. That’s right, I had a reason to come over here, and getting high off the smell of his skin was not it. I glance at him and peep the right side of his mouth turned up in the beginning of a smile. I look away and glare at Mandy.
“We are not siblings. Far from it, Mandy, what we are goes deeper than that. Wouldn’t you agree, Riddick?”
My eyes never leave her scowl. Her eyes never leave my hand wrapped in his. She looks like she might combust, she’s so angry.
Riddick faces me and his jaw flinches. His eyes are predatory, and I get the distinct feeling that I finally opened a door he was seeking entrance into. “I definitely agree,” he rumbles. “We’re the best part of each other.”
His words almost knock me to my ass. What the hell is that supposed to mean? He returns my earlier gesture by flipping our clasped hands over and dropping kisses on the inside of my wrist. My knees buckle at the gesture and my breath catches. He chuckles and pulls me away from Mandy, winking as we turn to leave. “We’ll see you around, Mandy. Break a leg.”
When we get out of her view, I drop Riddick’s hand and laugh. The sound is nervous and unnatural, but I follow through with it, anyway. Anything to break this awkward tension between us. But when I look up at Riddick’s face, he doesn’t look uncomfortable at all. He looks determined. I place my hand on my neck and swallow.
“Mandy is still hot for you. She never could keep her hands off you.”
Riddick nods. “Yeah, she never could.’ He steps closer to me, and I step back. Still, he stalks me until my back is against a wall and I realize we’re practically alone on the side of the stage. He trails the back of his knuckles across my cheek and smirks.
“But you know, Kitten, I’m curious about your touch, not hers. Do you want me to touch you again?”
“Wh..wh..at.” I stammer.
He nods. “Umm hmm. Unfortunately, Mandy has had the undeserved privilege of touching my body all over. I wasn’t very discerning in the past. She’s had her legs wrapped around my thighs, lips around my cock, her hands grabbing my ass as I thrust into her. But none of those touches set my entire body and soul on fire, like the brush of your lips against my hand a few moments ago.”
Oh, God… his mouth. It’s so dirty. Every word is going straight to my core.
Riddick steps into me, and I gulp at his closeness. Part of me is terrified of being pushed against a wall by such a powerful man. If he wanted to, he could trap me there with his weight. It reminds me of the first time Byron took my innocence. The pressure of his body made me feel trapped in a situation I could not control. With Riddick, I just feel deliciously covered.
Copyright 2022 @Louise Lennox
*****
Author Info:
Contemporary romance Author Louise Lennox is a hopeful romantic writing steamy romances full of heart and healing.
A Spelman College and Georgetown University graduate, Louise provides women with diverse and meaningful representation in romance novel pages. Not seeing enough women like herself headlining positive love stories, she launched #HappyBlackRomance; a community of readers and writers committed to the creation and sharing of positive romance stories featuring Black heroines.
Louise Lennox plots highlight the joys of Black relationships across the diaspora; pushing readers from all cultural backgrounds to admire them for their strength and downright sexiness. In her novels sparks always fly; the sex amazes; and the characters always leave the world better than they found it through their love.
When she’s not writing, Louise is enjoying her work as a school leader, wife, and mother of the two cutest dragons to ever walk the earth!
To learn more about #HappyBlackRomance and to score a free book or two, check out her website http://www.lovelouiselennox.com.
Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.
Eight single women bound by their love of books take a monthly break from real life to lose themselves in the chapters of romantic fiction. From friends to lovers to fake relationships and more, each story features a brand new couple and their journey to find love from an amazing lineup of authors including Louise Lennox, Tracy Broemmer, A.M. Williams, Mel Walker, RJ Gray, Rebecca Wilder, Julie Archer, and Kate Stacy.
These eight standalone romances are packed with meet-cutes, heat, and of course a happily ever after! This promotional event is brought to you by TheIndie Pen PR
Romantic Reads and Such 