Category Archives: Blog Tour

Spotlight – A Place to Belong

13 Monday Sep 2021

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When Felicity Bell walks into her new rental, the last thing she expected was to find Wyatt Dawson, her hot new neighbor, half-naked in her kitchen. Despite their misunderstanding and rough start, things heat up quickly for this unlikely pair. Fall for this hard-working hottie in A Place to Belong by Alexa Rivers, an Opposites Attract Romance, the next book in the Blue Collar Romance Series.

A Place to Belong

An Opposites Attract Romance

Blue Collar Romance Series

by Alexa Rivers

Blurb:

From Alexa Rivers comes an opposites attract romance packed with humor, emotion and a sizzling happily ever after.

Horror author Felicity Bell moves to the charming town of Oak Bend after being shunned from the last place she called home. When she walks in the door of her new rental, she doesn’t expect to find a half-naked man standing in her kitchen. There’s just one problem: Wyatt Dawson seems to think it’s his kitchen. Misunderstandings aside, her new neighbor is lumberjack hot, and his grumpiness only makes her more determined to bring a little joy to his life, even if he’d rather be left alone.

Burned by his past, Wyatt isn’t about to let the cheerful free spirit next door into his heart only for her to crush him when she flits out of town again. But with his well-meaning, matchmaking, mother on the case, these two end up spending far too much time together and things between the unlikely pair quickly heat up. It may be true what they say—opposites do attract, but only if their relationship can survive Wyatt’s interfering ex-girlfriend and Felicity’s fear of history repeating itself.

Welcome to Oak Bend, where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.

Add to Goodreads!

Read Now!

*****

Excerpt:

I should have known the moment I saw her that this was no coincidence. A hot crazy lady randomly appears in my house? Not fucking likely. This has Mom’s fingerprints all over it, and the keys clutched in the blonde’s hand are the nail in her coffin. I sigh. The woman is eyeing me like I’m a rabid dog about to strike. Or at least, that’s how she’s looking at me now. I caught the flash of heat in her gaze when my towel dropped a moment ago.

Groaning again, I lean against the doorframe and wonder what I did to deserve this. I’ve spent a long day completing work on a brick fence. My back aches, and all I want is to crack open a beer and watch hockey.

“So?” The blonde clasps her hands together, fidgeting. She’s pretty, if a bit skittish. Her moss-green eyes dart around the kitchen, returning to me every few seconds as though she’s wary of taking her attention off me for too long. “What’s going on?”

I nod toward the keys in her hand. “Those belong to my mother. She owns the house next door, which is the one you actually rented.”

“Oh.” Her slim shoulders slump in relief, and her curls bounce. “Thank goodness for that. It’s all a big misunderstanding.”

I laugh dryly. “It’s no such thing.”

A furrow forms between her brows. “What do you mean? Surely she just gave me the wrong set of keys.”

“If only.”

She seems baffled by my cryptic comment, and I sigh, already able to tell that she’s the type who’s curious enough to stick around until I explain everything.

“Mom intentionally sent you here,” I say, figuring I may as well get the awkwardness out of the way. I’m sure it’s not the only time she’ll be subject to Mom’s match-making machinations if she plans to live next door. She has a wholesome, sweet vibe that Mom will just eat up.

Yeah, I’m going to be dodging this woman for the foreseeable future.

“She hoped we’d run into each other, and that I’d be smitten with you. She set us up.”

“Oh.” This time, there’s a whole other level of meaning to the word. But then she cocks her head, and the furrow deepens. “I wouldn’t have thought you needed to be set up.” Her gaze rakes over me once again, and I can’t help but puff out my chest. It’s been a long time since anyone looked at me with such blatant appreciation, and I can tell she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it, or else she’d be mortified.

“I don’t,” I reply firmly, and her eyes snap up to mine. A delicate, pink flush journeys down her neck. Damn, I need to get rid of her before I actually do start to find her charming. “Here. I’ll get you my key for the place next door, and you can give me that one.” I nod at the key in her hand. She drops it on the counter.

“I’m so sorry about this.” She wrings her hands, looking awkward as fuck. “I didn’t mean to just walk into your house and make myself at home.”

“I know you didn’t,” I assure her. “I’m going to come closer now, is that okay?”

She nods, but her eyes remain on me as I enter the kitchen and head for the key hook by the fridge. I remove the one for the rental and replace it with the key she left on the counter, then offer her the one she actually needs. Our fingers brush as she takes it, and something jolts in my chest. Shaking it off, I snatch my hand away and check that the towel is still secure. The last thing I need is to give her another peep show.

“That key will open the front door of the house next door. Hold onto it for now, and I’ll get Mom to drop by with the proper key tomorrow.”

“I can do that.” She smiles, and I resist the urge to fall back a step, because it lights up her entire face, elevating her from pretty to gut-wrenchingly beautiful. “I don’t want to put you out any more than you already are.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Despite my frustration, I find my lips curving. “It’s not you I’m angry at.”

Her expression softens. “Please don’t be too mad with Nadine. She seems like such a nice person, and I’m sure she only wants to make you happy.”

Damn, she has a point. But whether her intentions are good or not, it’s going to stop me from giving Mom a piece of my mind. She needs to know it’s not all right to hand out my house key to total strangers just because she wants grandbabies.

Copyright 2021 Alexa Rivers

*****

Author Info:

Alexa Rivers is the author of steamy and heartfelt small town romances.

She lives in a small town herself, complete with nosy neighbors and quirky traditions.

She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys travelling, baking and decorating cakes, eating those cakes, cuddling fluffy animals, drinking excessive amounts of tea, and absorbing herself in fictional worlds.

Follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon

*****

About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.

From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.

Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.

Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Spotlight – The Lights on Knockbridge Lane

10 Friday Sep 2021

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The Lights on Knockbridge Lane

by Roan Parrish

Available September 28

Harlequin Special Edition

Blurb:

Can one man’s crowded, messy life fill another man’s empty heart?

Raising a family was always Adam Mills’ dream, although solo parenting and moving back to tiny Garnet Run certainly were not. After a messy breakup, Adam is doing his best to give his young daughter the life she deserves—including accepting help from their new, reclusive neighbor to fulfill her Christmas wish.

Though the little house may not have “the most lights ever,” the Mills home begins to brighten as handsome Wes Mobray spends more time there and slowly sheds his protective layers. But when the eye-catching house ends up in the news, Wes has to make a choice: hide from the darkness of his unusual past or embrace the light of a future—and a family—with Adam.

Add The Lights on Knockbridge Lane to your Goodreads!

Buy The Lights on Knockbridge Lane by Roan Parrish

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335408129_the-lights-on-knockbridge-lane.html

*****

Excerpt:

Everyone on Knockbridge Lane had a different theory about Westley Mobray. It was the first thing Adam Mills heard about as he introduced himself around last week, when he and August moved in.

The eight-year-old McKinnon twins next door said he was a vampire. Their parents, Darren and Rose McKinnon, scoffed at that, but said he could be a witch. Marisol Gutierrez three doors down insisted she’d seen him skulking around the neighborhood at night, hunting for animals to sacrifice to the devil. A teenager at the end of the street reported that anyone who looked him in the eyes would be hypnotized, and anyone who touched him would turn to stone. Mr. Montgomery on the corner just said freak.

Westley Mobray was never seen before sunset, though mysterious packages arrived on his doorstep often. He never spoke to anyone and never waved hello. And late at night, the windows of his run-down house glowed an eerie green.

At least, that’s what they told Adam.

So when he saw the man in question through the twilit haze of his own front window—with his daughter in tow—he was understandably startled. Especially since he’d thought she was playing quietly in her room.

He’d slammed two coffees to prevent it, but he’d been asleep. The kind of light, unsatisfying sleep he often fell into when he had a moment of quiet. Which was something that didn’t happen that often as the newly single parent of an eight-year-old.

His insomnia had been pretty bad since the divorce, and worse since they moved back to Garnet Run, where he was the only one responsible for Gus.

The knock at the door jerked him out of that strange sleep, and he scrambled for the door, stubbing his toe in the process, so that when he yanked it open he was biting back the kind of words that he tried with varying degrees of success not to say in front of Gus.

He focused on Gus first. She was all in one piece and was even smiling. It was her I did something bad and delightful smile, but a smile was good—at least when on a child who seemed to have been forcibly dragged home by an irate stranger.

“Where is your coat?” is what came out of Adam’s mouth.

Sometimes he tried to remember what it was like when he talked about things like the composition of his next shot, which restaurant’s tiramisu he preferred, or the latest cozy mystery he was reading.

Now he said things like “Where is your coat” and “Don’t take that apart” and “If you don’t stop making that sound I might have to throttle you.” Okay, he didn’t say the last one so much as think it. Often.

“It’s not that cold,” his wonderful, brilliant daughter said, her lips only vaguely blue.

Adam counseled himself to breathe.

Once he’d determined that Gus was all in one piece and frostbite wasn’t imminent, he turned his attention to the man who’d brought her home.

“Um,” he said intelligently.

Westley Mobray was tall and severe, with shaved dark hair and strong dark eyebrows over piercing blue eyes. Those eyes were narrowed slightly, either in anger or—if the neighborhood rumors were to be believed—because he never went outside when there was the slightest bit of light still in the sky, as it would, of course, burn him to ash.

“She broke into my house,” he said. His voice was low and rough with disuse.

“She’s eight.”

*****

Author Info:

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she’s gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre. When not writing, she can be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through the city while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Website: https://www.roanparrish.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/roanparrish/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoanParrish 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roanparrish/ 

*****

Spotlight – Second Chance to Wear His Ring

09 Thursday Sep 2021

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Second Chance to Wear His Ring

by Hana Sheik

Available August 24

Harlequin Romance

Blurb:

A forgotten past…

Could pave the way to forever!

When millionaire Mansur Ali is called urgently home to Somaliland, he’s shocked to find that the woman who broke his heart needs his help. After an accident, Amal has lost many memories…including Manny’s marriage proposal and her rejection! Manny will help her seek treatment in Addis Ababa, but he’s resolved to keep his heart firmly off-limits. A promise that is tested when their journey brings them closer than ever before…a whole lot more?

Add Second Chance to Wear His Ring to your Goodreads!

Buy Second Chance to Wear His Ring by Hana Sheik

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369712974_second-chance-to-wear-his-ring.html

*****

Excerpt:

Facing the door, his mother had noticed his entry and now called to him, her eyes as large and disbelieving as the young maid’s. The sound of the truck’s running motor grumbled in with the cool breeze. The door to the veranda was open, as were all the windows in the tastefully furnished living area.

She shouldn’t look surprised. She had known he was coming. Manny had left a message for her before he’d boarded his private jet. He’d figured she must have heard it as she’d sent the driver to fetch him.

Then again, she was likely shocked that he had shown up. She hadn’t expected him to heed her summons. And what did that say about him?

That you’re a failure of a son, maybe?

He scowled at the thought and fixed his attention on the scene before him.

His mother stood with the help of a woman who had her back to Manny. He assumed it was another maid. That was the wrong assumption.

“Amal…” Manny breathed her name. It felt too long since he’d allowed himself to think about her. A whole year, to be exact.

If he’d known they would cross paths so quickly he would’ve arranged for his mother to meet him elsewhere. Perhaps in his old bedroom. She’d likely furnished it for him, in the hope that he would opt to stay with her rather than check himself into a hotel.

But it was difficult to think about his accommodation when his mother was approaching him with Amal.

He flinched as they neared, his instinct roaring at him to flee. His heart, a battering ram, drummed so loud he feared that Amal would hear it. That she would know how easily she continued to affect him.

Curiosity kept him rooted. But he was seconds from storming out of the house to spend his first day here in a hotel.

Only the flash of emotional pain in his mother’s wet eyes cooled his indignation. Halima Ahmed Adan didn’t shed tears lightly. Only two instances came to his mind before this: when his father had died last year and when Mansur had announced his plan to leave for America on a college scholarship at the impressionable age of seventeen.

But she was crying now, her shawl forgotten where she’d left it on the ornately patterned floor cushions.

“Hooyo,” she said, and the Somali term of endearment wrapped itself around his heart. It meant mother, and by choice he hadn’t had one this past year, for reasons he was still ashamed to contemplate.

Moved by her tears, Manny stepped into her open arms and sank into her embrace.

She pressed her mouth to his ear. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Manny murmured.

Over his mother’s shoulder, he met Amal’s eyes. Her face free of makeup, her tawny, reddish-brown skin glowed as if freshly scrubbed. She wore a neutral expression. Her midnight-blue silk veil was styled to match her dress. Snug around her chest and curvy hips, its flowing design was meant to discourage the kind of heated thoughts slipping into Manny’s head unbidden.

Squeezing his mother tighter, Manny eased his hold when she gasped and gave a small laugh. He’d almost forgotten he was hugging her.

“Forgive me,” Manny mumbled, releasing his mother.

When his hands dropped to his sides again he flexed his fingers, the lingering feel of her warming his gut and falling over him like a comfort blanket. It was easier to hold on to the grudging anger.

Noting where his attention was directed, his mother grasped Amal’s hand and pulled her closer. “Have you forgotten Amal?” she asked.

Like he could forget Amal Khalid.

*****

Author Info:

Hana Sheik falls in love every day reading her favourite romances and writing her own happy-ever-afters. She’s worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, and ghostwriter—but being a romance author is without a doubt the best job ever! Born in Somalia, she moved to the beautiful capital of Canada as a toddler, and still lives there happily with her family.

Connect with the Author 

Website: https://hanasheik.com/

~

Blog Tour – Chasing Down the Dream

06 Monday Sep 2021

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Asher Wallace has always had a crush on Kasey Ruggieri, but as his best friend’s older sister, not only was she off-limits, but completely out of his league. Now that Kasey’s returned home after her fashion design business imploded, the heat between them is undeniable. Can Asher prove to Kasey that Oak Bend has all that she’s looking for? Fall for this hard-working hottie in Chasing Down the Dream by Jaymee Jacobs, a Best Friend’s Sibling Romance, the first book in the Blue Collar Romance Series.

Chasing Down the Dream

Blue Collar Romance Series

by Jaymee Jacobs

Blurb:

From USA Today best-selling author Jaymee Jacobs comes a best friend’s sibling romance packed with heat, heart, and happily ever after.

When Kasey Ruggieri returns to her hometown after her fashion design business implodes, she barely recognizes the handsome guy with a smokin’ body who comes to fix the HVAC as her brother’s best friend. The skinny teenager she once knew is gone, and when Asher strips off his shirt to work in the boiling heat, Kasey can’t take her eyes off his glistening, muscular chest. Now she needs more than air conditioning to cool her desires.

Asher Wallace has had a crush on Kasey ever since he realized girls don’t have cooties. She’s beautiful, talented, and fun. But as his best friend’s older sister, she’s completely out of his league. Once Kasey left Oak Bend to pursue a fashion career in New York City, Asher shelved his boyhood crush and moved on from his college hockey days and into the family’s heating and cooling business.

When Kasey and Asher finally connect, there’s enough heat to melt a Michigan winter. But when Kasey stumbles onto a new, profitable fashion venture, will she leave Asher behind for the bright lights of the big city once more? Or can Asher prove to Kasey that love and success can be found close to home?

Welcome to Oak Bend, where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.

Add to Goodreads!
Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3vwOkrg

Read Now! 
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3i2Gu5i

*****

Excerpt:

If I had thought the temperature in this house was hot before Asher showed up, it was absolutely tropical after he arrived. Asher was just a kid the last time I’d seen him, before I’d gone off to college. His voice hadn’t even changed by then. And now, well, now he was all man.

I leaned against the boxes of my stuff stacked in the hallway, watching the way his biceps bunched under the tight sleeves of his T-shirt as he did whatever the hell he was doing to the thermostat. Asher used to be so scrawny.

Of course, I’d seen the way he’d looked at me back then. He was always over at our house, hanging out with Owen, staying for dinner. I knew his parents both worked, but I always wondered if he came to my house so much because of me. As a teenager, that had been a very conceited thought, and I’d forgotten all about it—and Asher—when I’d moved away.

Watching him now was a pleasant distraction from everything. From the fact that I’d had to pack up my life in New York City and move back home to Oak Bend, Michigan, because I couldn’t hack it in the big city. Because I’d made the leap and tried to break out on my own, but I had failed. Now I was back in my hometown with nothing to show for myself except for credit card debt and boxes of stuff.

In fact, watching him do his thing was the first time in a month that I hadn’t been overwhelmed by the heavy feeling of despair in the pit of my stomach weighing me down. I felt relieved to get a break from that sense of despondency, but it was more than that. It wasn’t just a lack of sadness but actual happiness at watching Asher do his thing. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he wiped the beads away with his forearm. I figured it was time to do something more than just watch.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said, turning to look at me with eyes that I’d never realized were so damn blue. How had I never noticed that before? “That’d be great.”

“One sec,” I said, heading into the kitchen. Owen always kept the place stocked up for when he came back into town. He was hardly home, but he liked to be prepared and well-hydrated.

I grabbed two bottles from the fridge and went back into the living room, and oh my God—Asher had peeled off his shirt and was using it as a towel. He had a well-defined six pack and a dusting of dark hair between his pecs. His broad shoulders met up with the bulging muscles of his arms.

Was this real life? Or was I dreaming?

“Here you go.” I reached out to pass him his water. The smooth sheen on his skin caught a glint of sunlight, and I thought maybe I was in the presence of a Greek god. Damn.

Copyright 2021 Jaymee Jacobs

*****

Author Info:

Jaymee Jacobs is a USA Today best-selling author and author of the Dallas Comets series. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English literature and a psychology minor.

Her books have the same two themes: hockey and the “millennial” experience. The first is because she’s a die-hard fan (particularly of the Pittsburgh Penguins). The second is because she felt that there weren’t any books to which she could personally relate. So she began to write the stories she wanted to read. Her books spotlight those in the up-and-coming generation as they navigate this new era of ubiquitous technology, online dating etiquette, and what it means to “adult.”

When she’s not writing, you’ll find Jaymee curating her cats’ Instagram account, listening to true crime podcasts, scrolling through Pinterest for fructose-free recipes, or yelling at the TV during Penguins games.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon

*****

About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.

From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.

Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.

Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Spotlight – A Delicious Dilemma

03 Friday Sep 2021

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A Delicious Dilemma

by Sera Taino

Available August 24

Harlequin Special Edition

Blurb:

Different worlds collide in Sera Taino’s debut novel.

It’s hard to remain enemies when you’ve broken bread together

Val Navarro’s first mistake: going out dancing after a bad breakup when the chef should be focused on her family business. Her second mistake? Thinking the handsome, sensitive stranger she meets could be more than a rebound – until she discovers he’s Philip Wagner of Wagner Developments. His father’s company could shut down her Puerto Rican restaurant and unravel her tight-knit neighborhood. When Philip takes over negotiations, Val wants to believe he has good intentions. But is following her heart a recipe for disaster?

Add A Delicious Dilemma to your Goodreads!

Buy A Delicious Dilemma by Sera Taino

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369710208_a-delicious-dilemma.html

*****

Excerpt:

Val took a sip of her añejo, listening to the beats of a reggaetón mash-up as it boomed through the room. People made their way to the dance platform, dappled in colors from the strobe lights. Val loved the way the music blasted through her body, the reverberations of the pumping bass through her bones; it had been too long since she’d felt this loose.

Olivia, who had stopped to talk to people she knew, grabbed Val by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

“I also forgot how much fun dancing could be,” Val shouted.

“Yeah, that Luke did a number on you,” Olivia shouted back.

Val waved her hands, indicating she didn’t want to talk about Luke or anyone else. She just wanted to enjoy the music, let her mind grow empty of everything except the lyrics and the beat. Reggaetón was a gift to someone like her—US born but every bit as Puerto Rican as a transplant could be without having lived on the island. It was the soundtrack of the vaivén, or the back-and-forth movement that characterized the migration of people going from the mainland to the island and back again.

Val danced until the song changed. Olivia’s face split into an uncharacteristically dazzling smile at her girlfriend’s arrival. Aleysha’s smooth, dark skin contrasted sharply with light brown eyes the color of burnished bronze that were shocking even from a distance.

Aleysha raced over to them, giving Val a glossy, messy kiss on her cheek before flinging her arms around Olivia. “Why didn’t you text me when you got here?”

Olivia shrugged. “I figured you’d be late, like always, so why stress you?”

“You’re one to talk. Let’s go sit with Malena.” She gave Val a wink. “She’s been seeing this one guy and he brought a friend of his.”

Ugh, not a spontaneous blind date. That was the last thing she needed tonight. But of course, before she could say no, Olivia spoke for her. “Why not?”

“I’m not really—” Val started but Aleysha put a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re just hanging out. No pressure, okay?”

She just wanted to dance, maybe catch a buzz and go home in peace. But Olivia and Aleysha were wrapped up in each other, so Val had no choice but to follow them. At the far end of the patio, she recognized Malena, who often stopped into her family’s restaurant for a late lunch. She sold real estate in one of the smaller boutique agencies in Wagner Financial Place. Malena was leaning into a good-looking man she introduced as Étienne, who said his name with a voluptuous, Creole accent.

At the end of the table, almost in his own orbit, sat Étienne’s friend.

“And this is Philip,” Aleysha said.

He was whispering something to Étienne, initially unaware of her, but when he turned, the overhead lights flashed, illuminating the most striking blue eyes she’d ever seen. They reminded her of the Caribbean lapping at the beaches of Ponce, where her family used to vacation when she was a child. Music skipped through the space between them before passing her by. How long had she been staring at him. A few seconds? Minutes?

She gave him a cursory wave, determined to cover her dazed reaction before taking the seat next to Olivia. He had the kind of face that was just shy of being too good-looking and it kept dragging at her attention. Through sheer force of will, she fixed her gaze on her cousin to tame her wayward eyes, focusing intensely on her conversation without really processing the meaning of her words. Maybe if she ignored him, he’d forget she was there.

But she didn’t have that kind of luck. He slid into the chair next to her and cleared his throat.

*****

Author Info:

Debut romance author Sera Taíno has been selected for Harlequin’s Romance Includes You Mentorship, an initiative launched in 2019 to reach out to diverse communities of writers and bring more own voices stories to romance readers. Her unpublished, #ownvoices novel, Incomparable, will be published with Harlequin Special Edition in 2021 as part of the mentorship initiative. When she is not writing, she can usually be found teaching, traveling, or wrangling her family.

Website: https://serataino.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serataino

Twitter: https://twitter.com/serataino

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serataino/

*****

Spotlight – The Bride He Stole for Christmas

02 Thursday Sep 2021

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The Bride He Stole for Christmas

by Caitlin Crews

Available October 26

Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

There’s only one reason this bride won’t walk down the aisle…and he’s back! A captivating Christmas romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews.

She gave him her innocence.

Can he win her back by Christmas?

Certain that she will never love again, Timoney George has agreed to a convenient marriage. If she can’t recapture the hot, all-consuming chemistry she discovered with Crete Asgar, she might as well have cold security.

Crete tried to forget Timoney, but the idea of another man possessing her is intolerable. With just twelve hours until she walks down the aisle, Crete steals her back. And now he has the night before Christmas to prove to her—and himself—that he won’t break her heart all over again…

Add The Bride he Stole for Christmas to your Goodreads!

Buy The Bride he Stole for Christmas by Caitlin Crews

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335569097_the-bride-he-stole-for-christmas.html

*****

Excerpt:

Tell me your name, he had ordered her. And then tell me what it will take to make you mine.

She shuddered at that, here on her frigid bench on this lonely Christmas Eve, her body as alive and greedy as she had been that night.

And Timoney wanted to scream out all the anguish, all the artless fury that he’d left her with. His betrayal so absolute that it had taken her whole months to fully comprehend exactly what he’d done. Chucked her out. Forgotten her name. Washed his hands of her completely.

Yet tonight, when she should have been reveling in exactly how cold and dead inside she’d become, it was as if he was here. A ghostly presence in the mist, and it seemed deeply unfair that any ghost could fill a cold garden the way he had always overwhelmed a room.

She blew out a breath and told herself not to be such a fool. For once.

Crete was immovable. A terrible wall of stone and silence, and some part of her had known that from the start.

And still she had run straight for all that brick and smashed herself apart.

“Have you fallen asleep, Timoney?” came the terrible, wonderful, familiar voice.

Timoney wrenched open her eyes, and as she did, the moon came out from behind the clouds.

And it was impossible, but Crete was there. He stood before her looking beautiful and dangerous, as ever. He was sheer male glory in his typical uniform, one of those dark, bespoke suits that made love to his body in all the ways she longed to do.

It was not possible, and yet every hair on her body seemed to stand on end, so she knew that it was real. That this was no dream.

That somehow, Crete Asgar was stood in the remains of the garden while her uncle and her husband-to-be carried on toasting the wedding up in the manor house. 

“Crete…” she whispered.

And all the feelings she’d been holding at bay slammed back into her, and worse, were lit up with hope.

Because he had finished with her because she’d committed the cardinal sin of telling him she loved him. Why would he be here, on the night before her wedding no less, unless he was finally ready to admit what she had always suspected, that he loved her, too? What else could bring him out on Christmas Eve?

“You can’t possibly marry that old man in the morning,” he told her, and he did not sound like a man tortured by love. He did not sound tortured at all. Or in love. If anything, Crete sounded impatient. “I have standards, Timoney. Obviously any lover after me will be a downgrade. But this verges on an insult.”

*****

Author Info:

USA Today bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Caitlin Crews has written more than 100 books and counting. She has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, thinks everyone should read more category romance, and is always available to discuss her beloved alpha heroes. Just ask. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, is always planning her next trip, and will never, ever, read all the books in her to-be-read pile. Thank goodness.

Website: https://megancrane.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganCraneAndCaitlinCrews 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/megancrane 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganmcrane/

*****

Spotlight – Just for the Holidays …

01 Wednesday Sep 2021

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Just for the Holidays …

by Adriana Herrera

Available October 26

Harlequin Desire

Blurb:

She’s snowed in at Christmas…

with a man she must resist!

Casting director Perla Sambrano knows Gael Montez is the perfect actor for her new film project. As long as she forgets his oh-so-tempting allure and keeps her heart out of it. Because their chemistry’s no act and she needs to be careful…

The Montez men hurt the women they love. Or so Gael believes. Keeping things professional with Perla is the only way to protect her. Until a snowstorm strands them together, leading to an unplanned Christmas fling that lands them both on the naughty list!

Add Just For the Holidays… to your Goodreads!

Buy Just for the Holidays… by Adriana Herrera

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335735249_just-for-the-holidays.html

*****

Excerpt:

Gael leaned back, considering the information his sister had just given him. It was exciting to think about. A series about Francisco Rios, the leader of the Puerto Rican independence movement, was a dream project. The man had led an extraordinary life. He’d graduated from Harvard Law School in 1921—the first Puerto Rican to do so. While studying there he’d met Claudia Mieses, a Peruvian biochemist—and the first Latina to be accepted to Radcliffe College—who was remarkable in her own right. Gael had always thought their love story was a romance for the ages. And that Rios’s life story deserved to be told. Being a part of bringing something like this to the big screen was more than a dream…it was the kind of opportunity that had drawn him to be an actor in the first place.

“I want it,” he said with finality, feeling a buzz of excitement he hadn’t felt in months. “Who do we talk to?” he asked. Hell, he’d probably be willing to do the part for free. But his sister frowned at his question, her expression almost reluctant. When he looked at Manolo, Gael noticed the man looked smug. Clearly, the other shoe was about to drop.

“The studio producing the series is Sambrano,” Gabi blurted out, as if trying to quiet their uncle before he could get the first word in. No wonder the older man was smiling. What felt like a ball of lead sank through Gael. The skin on his face felt hot. He shouldn’t be surprised that the mention of the Sambrano name still had this effect on him after all these years, but it did.

“Tell him who’s in charge of casting, Gabriela.” His uncle sounded a little bit too pleased with himself for that nugget to be anything other than the person Gael suspected.

Gabi fidgeted, her eyes everywhere but on Gael. “Perla Sambrano’s doing the casting.” Unsurprisingly, he felt the blood at his temples at the mere mention of his ex-girlfriend. Perla Sambrano was someone he took pains not to dwell on. “She’s working for the studios now,” Gabi added, pulling him from his thoughts. “She’s their new VP of global casting and talent acquisitions.” His sister’s tone was sharp, laced with recrimination. Perla Sambrano had been the reason for the one and only time his twin had stopped speaking to him.

“I don’t know if this is the right project,” he said, ruthlessly tamping down the pang of discomfort that flashed in his chest. He stared at his sister, expecting her to rehash old arguments. But she just stared at him, disappointment written all over her face. He knew enough not to take the bait. That conversation  as over and done with. He would not apologize for making the choices that had them all sitting in a private jet heading to the ten-million-dollar mansion his money had bought.

“This is not going to work, Gabi,” he told his sister, before turning away from her withering glare. He looked at his uncle and felt a surge of irritation at the pleased little smirk on his face. He was not some damn toy for Manolo and Gabi to compete over. “These aren’t going to work, either,” Gael quickly added, gesturing to his uncle’s pile of scripts. “Let’s keep looking.” That made Manolo’s smile flag, but he wasn’t here to save anyone’s feelings. This was his career, and family or not, they worked for him.

Gabi nodded tersely. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then seemed to let it go. Gael focused on the book he’d been reading on his phone and tried very hard not to think about Perla or the project.

Dwelling on ancient history was not a habit he indulged in.

*****

Author Info:

Adriana Herrera was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last 15 years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings. 

Website: https://adrianaherreraromance.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.adriana.94801

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladriana_herrera/

*****

Spotlight – Redeemed by His New York Cinderella

31 Tuesday Aug 2021

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Redeemed by His New York Cinderella

by Jadesola James

Available September 28

Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

What if the man from her past is the key to her future? Don’t miss Jadesola James’s thrilling romantic debut for Harlequin Presents!

She could save him…

If only he’d let her!

Kitty Asare will do anything for the foundation inspired by her tumultuous childhood. Including charming her way into Manhattan’s most exclusive gala…then sparring with the man from her past who catches her there!

To land his next deal, Laurence Stone needs a stunning woman on his arm. Kitty agrees to the ruse for her foundation, but the electricity between them is more than make-believe! After breaking away from his family, Laurence vowed never to need anyone. Yet could Kitty be the exception to his rule?

Add Redeemed by his New York Cinderella to your Goodreads!

Buy Redeemed by his New York Cinderella by Jadesola James

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335568090_redeemed-by-his-new-york-cinderella.html

*****

Excerpt:

Laurence was relieved to see that the dining room was empty, except for a young woman seated alone at a table in front of a large stone fireplace.

“Do you mind, sir?” A harried-looking waiter ushered him to a table close to the young woman’s. “We’re short on staff right now, as there’s an event taking place in a couple of hours. They’ve closed off most of the dining room.”

“Very well.”

It mattered little to him, and as the waiter fussed about with clean linen and water glasses, and a long, rambling recitation of the wine list, he found his eyes lingering idly on his dining room companion. She was tucking into an enormous meal with so much enjoyment he stifled a smile. She hadn’t skimped on quality, either. On her table he identified the remains of a caviar starter, oysters, and a steak smothered in fresh mustard greens.

“Sir?”

He blinked, looked up. “A glass of whisky and water, please. And those oysters—” He gestured at the young lady’s table. “Are they grilled?”

“Rockefeller style, sir.”

“I’ll have those, and the new potatoes in cream.”

“Very good, sir.”

The waiter swanned off, and Laurence was left to feel annoyed at the fact that he’d have to log into his email manually, since his rarely used personal phone had none of the many apps he used to keep his work organized. He hadn’t used it in a couple of weeks, and he felt a rush of physical relief as he switched it on and began to scroll.

He was halfway through a report on viewing statistics for a motorbike ad when the waiter came back with a bread basket, dropped it off with little ceremony, and headed over to the young woman’s table.

“Are we all set, then, ma’am?” he heard the waiter say solicitously.

Laurence listened with half an ear; he was curious to hear what such a voracious eater’s voice sounded like.

“I am, thank you.”

She spoke quietly, almost inaudibly. Her voice possessed a low husk that, despite himself, made him look up. It was familiar, in that elusive kind of way that nagged until finally the brain identified it. He registered wide eyes in the clearest shade of brown he’d ever seen, a full, bow-shaped mouth painted berry-red, and a dimpled chin before he looked back down at his phone.

Pretty, he thought idly. He’d look up again when she stood, see if the body matched the face. And there it was again—that sense of déjà-vu. Who could she possibly be? He’d gone to university abroad, so that was out. She looked far too young—and too broke—to be a client. Perhaps one of the many interns who filtered in and out of Laurence & Haddad each summer? No, it couldn’t be that; he avoided them like the plague.

“Shall I charge it to your room, ma’am?”

“Oh, yes, please.” Again, in that soft, cultured voice. “I’m in Suite 700.” 

“Ah, the penthouse. Very good, ma’am.”

At that, Laurence did look up. He knew for sure that the woman wasn’t staying in Suite 700, because that was his room.

Brazenly, she signed the bill with a flourish, and took a long, last sip of champagne with every indication of pleasure before looking up. She had the gall to shoot him a shy smile and lowered her lashes, touching the napkin to those soft, full lips.

*****

Author Info:

Jadesola James loves summer thunderstorms, Barbara Cartland novels, long train rides, hot buttered toast, and copious amounts of cake and tea.

When she isn’t writing, she’s a reference librarian and a scholar of American romance publishing. Her hobbies include collecting vintage romance paperbacks and fantasy shopping online for summer cottages in the north of England.

Find Jadesola and news about her upcoming books on Twitter at twitter.com/JJ_Nicola!

*****

Spotlight – A Very Intimate Takeover

27 Friday Aug 2021

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A Very Intimate Takeover

Devereaux Inc. series

by LaQuette

Available September 28

Harlequin Desire

Blurb:

Falling for the enemy never felt this good in the debut novel of LaQuette’s Devereaux Inc. series.

She’s ruthless in business,

but vulnerable in his arms.

Trey Devereaux is out to prove her corporate mettle to her skeptical father. When she sees a chance to take control of Devereaux Inc. from her estranged grandfather, she pounces. But Jeremiah Benton, his second-in-command, is fiercely protective of the Devereaux patriarch…and absolutely enticing. The intensity of their attraction overwhelms her defenses, and Trey even finds herself warming to her grandfather under Jeremiah’s influence. Can Trey maintain her resolve—or is Jeremiah winning this high-stakes merger? The fate of a billion-dollar Brooklyn legacy lies in the balance…

Add A Very Intimate Takeover to your Goodreads!

Buy A Very Intimate Takeover by LaQuette

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335735201_a-very-intimate-takeover.html

*****

Excerpt:

The envelope was smooth yet had enough texture that she took her time sliding her finger across it. The deep sandalwood beige, trimmed in a dark mahogany and gold foil, had enough flare to let you know the sender cared about making a good impression, but not so much that it was gaudy. 

She opened the envelope and pulled out the folded paper carefully. She was curious to see what this J. Benton had to say.

Dear Mr. Jordan Dylan Devereaux,

I’m Jeremiah Benton, the COO at Devereaux Incorporated.

Please forgive my forwardness in sending you a physical letter. However, I needed to confirm delivery of this message while ensuring our communication remained private. What I have to say is too important to risk getting lost in your spam folder or intercepted by prying eyes. The elder Mr. Devereaux has forbidden me to share this with you, but I felt that as his son, you needed to know. I regret to inform you that Ace has fallen ill. Ill enough that his physicians have determined he may have less than six months of life remaining. I know I am a stranger, and this is a personal topic, but your father and his business need you now as his next of kin. If left to his sister, Martha Devereaux-Smith, Devereaux Incorporated will suffer. You are the only person who can stop her. Please don’t delay. For your father, and his legacy, I beg you to return to Devereaux Manor immediately.

Sincerely,

J. Benton

Trey rose in one quick movement, heading for her father’s office. When she arrived, she immediately paused. The grandfather she’d seen nowhere but on television and in business magazines was dying. She tried to process what this new knowledge made her feel, and all she could identify was numbness. But her father, having spent the first twenty-two years of his life at his father’s side, might feel something more than the nothingness that spread through her veins.

The door was slightly ajar. She was about to knock when she heard her parents’ voices.

“Destiny, she’s too quick to act. I’ve told her she couldn’t rely solely on her usual tactics, and she ignored everything I said and did it her way instead. Now, she can’t make this right.” Her father’s words cut deep, like a heated blade. He was still angry with her, his focus so fused to her failure, he couldn’t see her ability to get this job done.

“Deuce, practically from the moment we found out I was carrying Trey, you have demanded greatness from her. You used to place your head on my belly every night when she would kick me so hard I couldn’t sleep and say the same thing over and over until she calmed down. ‘Trey, you are Deuce Devereaux’s daughter, and there isn’t a man or woman that can stand against you.’ You believed that then, and in all this time she’s never given you reason to doubt her.”

“This is different, Des. This was her test, to prove to me she could handle everything I’m leaving to her. Now, after this disaster, I can’t retire. I can’t leave DD Enterprises until I know she’s ready. I’m so tired, baby.” The hitch in his voice yanked at Trey’s heart. His lack of faith in her might have raised her blood pressure, but hearing him this way, so fragile, so hopeless, felt like something crushing her from the inside out. “I’ve been fighting this fight with Ace for over thirty years. It’s taken so much away from my life with you. I’d thought I could retire early and leave it all to her, but now…”

“Don’t doubt her, Deuce. She will find a way.”

*****

Author Info:

An activist for DEIA in the romance industry, LaQuette writes bold stories featuring multicultural characters. Her writing style brings intellect to the drama. She crafts emotionally epic tales that are deeply pigmented by reality’s paintbrush.

This Brooklyn native’s novels are a unique mix of savvy, sarcastic, brazen, & unapologetically sexy characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page. Find her at LaQuette.com & at LaQuette@LaQuette.com.

Website: https://www.laquette.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaQuetteRomanceAuthor  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laquettewrites 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la_quette/

*****

Spotlight – Manhattan’s Most Scandalous Reunion

26 Thursday Aug 2021

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Manhattan’s Most Scandalous Reunion

by Dani Collins

Blurb:

He can’t turn her away, and it has nothing to do with the media storm outside his penthouse! Enjoy this sizzling romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Dani Collins.

She left him.

That doesn’t mean she’s forgotten him.

When paparazzi mistake Nina Menendez for a supermodel, she takes refuge in her ex’s New York penthouse. Big mistake. Guarded Reve Weston is incapable of emotional intimacy—and is intensely seductive…

Reve has had enough of scandal. To keep his name out of the tabloids, he insists Nina stay with him. But as their spark reignites and she shares the mysteries of her past, Reve realizes his cynicism has a downside. If he can’t give Nina the fairy tale she dreams of, he’ll have to let her go…for good!

Add Manhattan’s Most Scandalous Reunion to your Goodreads!

Buy Manhattan’s Most Scandalous Reunion by Dani Collins

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335568953_manhattans-most-scandalous-reunion.html

*****

Excerpt:

Dear God, they were everywhere. She was surrounded. Her airway tightened and her wild gaze swerved every direction, seeking a path of escape.

A blue-and-silver awning struck her eyes. She had walked in this direction unconsciously on purpose because, deep down, she was a masochist.

Normally, she would have stayed on this side of the street and glared upward as she walked by, but in her agitation, she darted straight for the entrance, not computing that she was running into traffic.

A car squealed its brakes and stopped on a dime right before it would have struck her. The driver laid on the horn, then honked again as the horde of cameramen chased her, all of them batting and bumping into the car in their haste to get around it.

Nina brushed past the startled doorman and ran inside, straight to the security desk where Amir sat today.

“I’m sorry. Please, can I stand here a few minutes while I figure out what to do? They won’t leave me alone.”

She was quivering with reaction, breathless and barely able to speak. She looked back to see the doorman holding out his arms while he ordered the men, “Back off! No entry.” 

Amir frowned at her, then at the disruption outside. One of the men evaded the doorman and pressed his camera lens to the window, clicking and flashing through the glass.

Amir picked up his phone and dialed.

Was he calling the police? Nina’s scrambled brain tried to decide whether she should involve them.

“It’s Amir, sir. Ms. Menendez is here in the lobby.”

“What?” she whispered. “I didn’t come here to see him.”

Her stomach began to churn. She held her breath in dread-filled anticipation.

“Yes, I understand, sir. But she seems upset.”

Her heart stalled out. How humiliating. After seducing her and leading her on, Reve had dumped her when she had asked if he wanted to meet her father. Three months later, he didn’t even want to see her.

She covered her face, turning her back to the windows so she had a shred of privacy while she tried to think of where she could go or who she might call. The few friends she’d made in New York had fallen away when she’d been fired and moved in with Reve. And the friend who’d gotten her today’s interview lived in London. The one who was loaning her his studio was backpacking in Australia.

She didn’t know what to do. She was upset by more than the fact those men had chased her. It was everything that had happened lately. Her ears were rushing with the sound of her galloping pulse. Her life was falling apart at the seams, but she couldn’t crawl home this time. Where was home? Who was she? 

“Miss…” Amir’s voice was loud enough to make her jerk her head up. His frown told her he’d had to repeat himself to get her attention. She saw he had opened the doors for Reve’s private elevator.

“Mr. Weston will see you. Would you like me to come with you? You seem unsteady.”

She stared into the elevator, longing to see Reve even though she knew he only pretended to rescue damsels. Deep down, he was more of a dragon who lured them in and ate them.

Still, she could hear the doorman arguing with the men outside. She had to leave the lobby so they would disperse. She desperately needed to be transported out of her entire overturned, mixed-up life, and, God knows, Reve’s world was the furthest thing from her own.

*****

Author Info:

When Canadian Dani Collins found romance novels in high school she wondered how one trained for such an awesome job. She wrote for over two decades without publishing, but remained inspired by the romance message that if you hang in there you’ll find a happy ending. In May of 2012, Harlequin Presents bought her manuscript in a two-book deal. She’s since published more than thirty books with them and is definitely living happily ever after.

Website: https://danicollins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniCollinsAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniCollinsBook

*****