Jesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché. He’s been in love with his best friend forever, but when he starts pulling away and goes radio silent on him for six months, Jesse begins to wonder if their friendship is finally over.
Deacon James lives his life at two speeds, a hundred miles an hour and stop. He’s spent the last decade travelling the world, winning races, partying with the most beautiful men and women, and living life on his terms, a life which was pretty close to perfect… with just one caveat… he’s never quite been able to get over the boy he left behind. His best friend Jesse has always made him yearn for something he’s too afraid to face and cutting him out of his life seemed like the only answer.
But things are never that simple. When Deacon wakes from an accident in Italy with Jesse asleep in the hospital chair beside him, he discovers Jesse’s been keeping secrets of his own.
At a crossroads in their life, they’re faced with a choice, build something deeper and stronger from the ashes, or let words unsaid and secrets tear them apart forever.
From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy comes this second chance, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort with a HEA.
I surface through the syrupy depths of consciousness, and this time it’s a little easier. My body still screams in agony, and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. My head is pounding, and my throat feels like it’s filled with razor blades, but as I open my eyes, they don’t feel so heavy and it’s easier to focus.
I tilt my head slowly and glance at the chair wondering if I really had seen Jesse or if it had been some kind of feverish dream.
It wasn’t, unless I’m still hallucinating because he’s curled up in a comfortable looking leather chair next to me, idly leafing through a magazine. I’m sure he’s wearing a different colour shirt than before, and I take a moment to study him.
His short blonde hair is in need of a trim, sticking up slightly as if he’s run his fingers through it in agitation. There’s a light scruff along his jaw, which means he probably hasn’t shaved in a few days, and there are smudges under his eyes, like he’s barely slept.
“Jesse…” My voice is barely more than a croak, causing Jesse’s head to snap up in my direction.
“Deak.” He leans forward with a gasp of relief. “You’re awake. You opened your eyes for a few moments yesterday, but then you were out cold again.”
Yesterday? I stare at him in confusion. “Where…” I try to speak, but my voice sounds like a rusty nail, and my mouth is so dry I don’t even have any spit when I attempt to swallow.
“Here.” Jesse carefully lifts a small plastic cup and guides a straw to my lips. “Sip slowly. They had to put a tube down your throat to help you breath for a while, so you probably have a sore throat.”
Understatement.
I sip gratefully. The water is lukewarm and has a faintly clinical taste to it, but against my painful throat it feels like the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I release the straw, feeling a bead of water drip from my lower lip. I watch as Jesse reaches out unconsciously and runs his thumb along my lip. My heart kicks up a notch, and once again the stupid machine next to me starts beeping faster.
Realising what he’s done, he drops his hand and swallows, staring at the machine. “I’ll go get someone.” He frowns.
“Jesse,” I whisper hoarsely, lifting my hand clumsily to grasp his. “Where am I?”
“You’re in a hospital in Rome,” he replies quietly, his warm hazel eyes searching my face for any flicker of recognition, but so far, I’m drawing a blank.
“Rome?” I frown, and I have a vague recollection of a party. “What happened?”
“You were in a car accident.”
I close my eyes against the sudden flash of lights, the sound of grinding metal, glass shattering.
*****
Review:
Jesse feels like he’s taking care of everyone and everything. He doesn’t mind, he loves them all, but he’s starting to struggle under the pressure he’s putting on himself. While he misses his best friend desperately, having him back may be more than he can take. Deacon is having a bit of a life crisis. He’s struggling with finding enjoyment and purpose in his current life, to the point that he’s cut off the most important person to him. An accident brings them back together, providing the opportunity to connect and maybe develop their relationship into something deeper.
Cassidy delivers a very emotional romance with moments of humor and a bit of heat but also filled with a lot of angst, brooding, and misunderstanding. Not everyone is into that kind but I think those that do will really enjoy themselves. The characters, both main and secondary, are enjoyable and the HEA ending is an enjoyable conclusion to a heartwarming (and occasionally heartbreaking) story. I’m super excited to see what is in store for the rest of them 🙂
*****
Author Info:
Vawn Cassidy is the mild mannered MM obsessed alter ego/ pen name of contemporary fantasy & romantic suspense author Wendy Saunders. She’s a Brit and lives in the UK with her husband and kids.
To celebrate the release of Definitely Deacon, Vawn is giving away 2 e-sets of the Belong to Me Series so far (2 eBooks: Suddenly Beck & Definately Deacon)!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Dante didn’t set out to deceive. His favor for a pal in prison got him this farmhand job, and Jen needs help guarding more than her blueberries. Someone’s set on hurting her, and he’ll make damn sure they don’t. She can’t know who sent him or why he’s handier with a handgun than a hoe. But none of that matters more than keeping Jen safe.
To save the girl, he’ll have to pair old skills with new. A princess tea party and an old-fashioned gunfight? Why not. Grape stomping and grenades? Sign him up.
But as the enemy closes in, there’s one skill Dante finds he doesn’t have: The strength to walk away when the job is done.
I really enjoyed Fenske’s newest. It’s a light mix between romance and suspense, low on drama but with humor and a bit of action to keep things interesting.
Stopping by Jen’s farm as a favor to a friend, Dante finds himself drawn to her and the troubles happening around her. As he gets to know her better, he struggles with keeping who he is from her while also working to find out who wants to hurt her.
Struggling to keep her vineyard going, she doesn’t need an inappropriate attraction to her gorgeous new farmhand. He’s capable, strong, a good cook, and oh-so-sexy but Jen’s self-esteem took a big hit after her fiance is caught cheating. Things change when a fake kiss leads to something more but will they live long enough to see where it goes?
Killer Instincts is a win for me. The characters are appealing, the bad guy a surprise, and the story well balanced between feels, whimsy, and danger. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Fenske has in store next for Mateo and Sebastian.
(I read Killer Looks, which introduced the three men in this series. I don’t think that you need to but it’s hard for me to separate what I know of Dante from there vs what we get here.)
*****
Author Info:
When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, stand up, paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.
What chance does a small-town girl have with a world-famous rock star?
Two years after his wife’s death, rock star Garrett Hayes hasn’t moved on. But he has moved out of L.A. Where better to escape his past than a small town in the northern California mountains? If only he could get the townsfolk of Wildwood to leave him the hell alone.
Ani Bennet returned to her hometown for some much-needed serenity. The last thing she needs is a grumpy, too hot for his own good, rich and famous rock star living next door—and rent-free in her brain.
She set her fangirl tendencies aside and deleted his photo from her cell when they became neighbors. But when Garrett asks for help, she can’t say no. The problem is, spending time together is making those fangirl feelings resurface—and bringing them to a whole new level.
What chance does a small-town girl have with a world-famous rock star? It’s time for Ani to set her fears aside and find out.
My new neighbor arrived at midnight on a Thursday. First came the moving truck, followed by a Jeep Wrangler. Mrs. Cooper, the former owner of the house, passed a while back. A damn shame. The woman was not only nice, but she made biscuits like you wouldn’t believe. For years the grand old Victorian house sat empty at the end of the cul-de-sac. Not unusual for a small town. Few people wanted to move to the middle of nowhere in Northern California, no matter how picturesque it might be. While the place had been sold not long after listing, there’d been no sighting of the new owner until now.
“What the heck?” I mumbled to myself, standing at the window.
Who moved in the middle of the night? It seemed covert and suspicious. Like something a criminal or government agent would do. Although, maybe they just traveled far and this happened to be the time they arrived. But most people would stay at a hotel and wait for daylight to do this sort of thing. Surely.
The only things ever happening at midnight in Wildwood were: 1. Harry, the town drunk, performing Bob Dylan classics in the middle of Main Street. 2. Me, an insomniac, wandering aimlessly around my house. That was it. Everyone else in the whole wide world—or our corner of it—was fast asleep.
Half hidden behind a curtain, I watched the truck being unloaded. A full moon shone down through the pine trees as the moving men hauled stuff inside. The first guy, the one who drove the Jeep, went straight into the house. He was tall and wore a ball cap. That was about all I could see. Maybe he was setting the place up for his wife and family. Maybe he had a boyfriend. He couldn’t possibly be single, heterosexual, under sixty, and emotionally mature. My luck just wasn’t that good. Not that I intended to date again in this lifetime.
Whoever he was and whatever he was doing, it would all be known in due course. Such was the joy of small-town life.
Once the furniture was moved inside, things got a little dull. There’s not much you can tell about a person from their boxes.
I took the opportunity to once again check the locks on all my windows and doors. After that, I made a cup of chamomile tea. Neither of these things helped me sleep, but the rituals were soothing. Mom always said I had a busy mind. I didn’t necessarily think about anything useful, I just thought a lot. At night, I tended to think about books, bad memories, and ex-boyfriends. The last two were often one and the same.
As a child, I was the daydreamer who got busted humming in class when everyone else was concentrating. (Like anybody actually needed algebra. If you can work out the discount at a sale, you’re good to go. Then again, this attitude might explain why my life had gone approximately nowhere.)
I returned to the window just in time to see my mystery man reappear. The new neighbor strode out to the Jeep and opened up the back. When he once more headed toward the house, the ball cap was gone and his short hair was on display. In each hand he carried a guitar case.
I perked up. Musicians were cool. Unless he owned electric guitars and believed in turning the volume up to eleven. That could get old fast.
As he got closer to the house, the porchlight hit him and…huh. Something about his profile tugged at a memory.
Guess he felt my gaze, because he turned toward my place. And whoa. His lips were a thin line, his jaw set to cranky, and none of it mattered—the man was beautiful. Though he really was strangely familiar.
Meanwhile, with only a lamp on behind me, I couldn’t have been more than an outline. A shadowy person lurking in the dark. Great. Nothing like being spied on to make you feel welcome in your new neighborhood. So much better than a casserole or cookies.
Wait! I knew where I recognized him from. Only it couldn’t be, because that would be crazy. Absolutely fucking wild. Yet there he stood.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
My new neighbor was a goddamn rock star.
*****
Review:
I adored grumpy, moody Garrett. He’s had a difficult couple of years after the death of his wife and he’s still wallowing in his grief. Ani is trying to work through a bit of trauma of her own but moving back to her small, hometown provides her some comfort. At least, until things are turned upside down when her new neighbor moves in.
I think readers are going to be in one of two camps – either they are going to enjoy it as a feel good ride or they are going to like it but feel like it needs something more. Scott’s writing is smooth, with characters who are likable, occasionally quirky, and always enjoyable. The unlikely friendship that develops between Ani and Garrett is entertaining but the subsequent romance may develop a little too quickly for some. I do wish that Garrett’s grief and Ani’s issues had been explored a little more. There’s a lot there and I feel like it would have provided even more depth to the story. However, if you look at it as a more light-hearted, fun-filled love story it makes for an excellent read.
*****
Author Info:
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.
by Maisey Yates, Jackie Ashenden, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm
ISBN: 9781335639967
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Publisher: HQN Books
Blurb:
SWEET HOME COWBOY S is a Western-themed anthology featuring four stories from bestselling authors Maisey Yates, Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden and Caitlin Crews!
Four half sisters create the family they’ve always dreamed of in this enchanting quartet from bestselling authors Maisey Yates, Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden and Caitlin Crews.
The Hathaway sisters might have grown up apart, but when they agree to move to Jasper Creek, Oregon, to revitalize their grandfather’s farm, it seems a straightforward decision. Until they meet their neighborhood cowboys…
Sweet-natured Teddy has never met a man worth taking a risk on, until now. Tomboy Joey has more affinity with farm equipment than men, until a brooding cowboy changes her mind. Prickly baker Georgie can’t resist the temptation of the most forbidden cowboy of all, and sparks fly between ceramicist Elliot and the grumpy single-dad rancher next door.
The sisters’ feelings are anything but simple, but with the love and support of each other, they discover that a cowboy might be the sweetest thing of all about coming home.
It was never comfortable for people when four sets of violet eyes zeroed in on them with the level of intensity the Hathaway sisters could manage.
A fact the half sisters had learned when they’d first met at summer camp, thanks to their families, who’d been careful to give the girls the opportunity to meet each other, without the pressure of having to become friends or even real sisters.
But sisters they had become that first day at the age of thirteen. In each other, they’d found kindred spirits. Not just in the unusual color of their eyes, but in the depths of their passions, and in their driving need to forge family out of the fragments their father had left behind when he’d impregnated all their mothers at different points in the same year.
So that, as adults, though they lived in different parts of the country, they were the best of friends. Sisters, through and through, and when Georgie had informed them of Grandpa Jack’s heart attack in Jasper Creek, the rest had rushed to the small Oregon town to see what they could do.
Grandpa Jack looked at each of them with his usual squinty-eyed suspicion. Though their father had never made any effort to be a part of his daughters’ lives, Grandpa Jack had always made it clear he’d be there if needed.
But not to expect him to be cheerful about it.
“Didn’t all have to come,” he grumbled, shifting in his hospital bed.
“Well, of course we did. And we’ll stay until you’re on the mend,” Teddy said, patting his hand. The squinty-eyed suspicion became a full-fledged scowl as he pulled his hand away.
While Teddy was all about gestures of affection, Grandpa Jack was decidedly not.
Which made the fact Georgie was the only local granddaughter a blessing as she shared the discomfort with such goings-on. He turned his glare to her. “Didn’t have to call them.”
Georgie shrugged.
“She was right to,” Joey said firmly, meeting Grandpa Jack’s scowl with her own. “We won’t hear another complaint about it. A waste of time. You know how stubborn we are.”
Grandpa Jack grunted.
Elliot smirked. “Wonder where we got it.”
A nurse knocked on the door, then poked her head in. “Sorry, girls, it’s time to head home. Visiting hours are over.”
“Girls,” Elliot muttered under her breath with a considerable amount of disdain for the word.
But Teddy pressed a kiss to Grandpa Jack’s wrinkled forehead, Elliot touched his shoulder, and Georgie and Joey hovered at the door until they all left the room, chorusing goodbyes.
“I hate leaving him all alone,” Teddy said as Elliot linked arms with her. Teddy reached out and took Joey’s arm.
“He’ll be home soon enough,” Joey reassured her. She gave Georgie an apologetic shrug, then linked arms with her too, so they were a unit as they walked out of the hospital into the cool spring evening.
“He’s not going to let you fuss over him, Teddy. It isn’t his way,” Georgie said pragmatically as they walked to her truck.
Teddy frowned. “I think you misjudge my tenacity.”
Elliot’s eyebrows winged up. “Do we?”
Teddy wrinkled her nose, but didn’t argue with Elliot.
“I found an Airbnb closer to the hospital,” Georgie said, sounding tired as she climbed into the driver’s seat. “I knew this wouldn’t be a quick visit and we’d need more room than Felix and I have.” Georgie had grown up with her half brother right here in Jasper Creek.
The four sisters climbed into Georgie’s truck. Whatever belongings they’d packed were strapped into the bed of the truck from when Georgie had picked Joey and Teddy up at the airport this afternoon, after Elliot had driven down from Portland.
Georgie drove onto the highway, and it was only about fifteen minutes later she parked in front of a pretty little farmhouse just outside of Jasper Creek.
“This place is amazing,” Teddy said.
“Much better taken care of than the main house at Grandpa Jack’s property,” Georgie returned.
The women got out, grabbed what they’d need for the night, then headed inside.
“I’ll make us some dinner,” Teddy said, already moving for the kitchen.
“The host said she left some things for us to eat when we arrived,” Georgie replied, dropping her stuff in the front room.
They all descended on the kitchen, which was quaint and old-fashioned—something that suited all four women to the bone. On the table were a variety of baked goods.
“I found a teapot and some tea,” Teddy said.
“Scones and sweet rolls for dinner sounds good to me,” Joey said, already unwrapping the plate of baked goods and digging in.
Elliot found plates and set the table, shoving one at Joey as she’d already plowed through three-fourths of a scone.
“Do you think Grandpa Jack is stressed about the ranch? And that’s what caused this?” Teddy asked, fiddling with the stove.
“I think he’s an old man who eats poorly and smokes cigars regularly. But…” Georgie sighed.
“He’s been talking about selling off the last piece of land to Colt West next door. He’d keep the cabin and about an acre around it, but the rest would go to Colt.”
“Even the main house?” Joey asked, as she licked crumbs from her fingers.
“You could hardly call it that these days. It’s falling apart at the seams.”
Teddy frowned. “That’s just not right.”
Georgie shrugged. “He hasn’t lived in that house in decades. He’s a single, old, grumpy man. He’s finally accepting he can’t really take care of the ranch. Why not sell?”
“It’s our legacy,” Joey said. Then she looked around the table. “Isn’t it?”
All eyes turned to Georgie, who was the only one who’d ever had any contact with Mickey Hathaway. She lifted her shoulders. “Far as I know.”
Silence filled the room until Teddy’s teakettle began to whistle. She poured tea for everyone, then took a seat at the kitchen table. As far as she was concerned, this was all fate. The timing, the chance of all four of them coming here at a point in their lives where they got to decide what came next.
“We’ve always talked about how much we wanted to live there, so why don’t we?”
“Why don’t we what?” Joey replied, mouth full with her last bite of scone.
“Live there. Do what we all love to do. Put together some kind of…business. Honey, eggs,” Teddy said, pointing to herself. “Produce,” she said, pointing to Joey. “Ceramics.” Elliot’s specialty. “Our sweet Georgie’s baked goods,” she said, grinning at Georgie’s negative reaction to being called sweet.
“Most of us are already selling our wares anyway. Why don’t we do it here? The four of us.”
It would be more than the year her mother wanted, more than just learning some independence. It would be actually, hopefully permanently, forging that independence. Well, with her sisters. Which suited Teddy better. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted to be a part of a family. Her family.
“You’d move here all the way from Maine?” Joey asked dubiously. “Leave your mother?”
Teddy sniffed. “I can leave my mother.” Then she wrinkled her nose. Subterfuge wasn’t her strong suit.
“She wants me to move out anyway.”
“Why?” her sisters demanded, offended on her behalf.
“She thinks I need a year of independence. To find my own way. Apparently twenty-five is too old to have always lived with your mother, according to her.”
When none of her sisters argued, she glared at them. “You agree with her?”
Elliot shrugged. “I don’t disagree with her.”
“Well, anyway, this would solve that, wouldn’t it? We can fix up the house. I’m sure some people need bee removal around here, so I’ll start a new hive. Buy new chickens. Elliot can drive her ceramics van down here. Joey, you could start the farm of your dreams with local produce and flowers—a brand-new challenge, all yours. Georgie, you can design the baking kitchen you’ve been planning since childhood. And we’ll be close enough to Grandpa to help him—and far enough away he won’t beat us away with sticks.”
They looked at Teddy, varying looks of consideration and concern on their faces. But as the idea took shape in Teddy’s mind, she knew it was exactly right. This wasn’t some new dream out of left field; it was an old dream.
And if she had to be independent, why not make that old dream a reality?
“We always wanted to live in one place. Like a real family,” Teddy said. She would have reached out and grabbed all their hands if she had three herself. As it was, she only looked at them imploringly. “Sisters. Live together. Work together. It’s the dream. Maybe something good can come out of Grandpa’s health scare. If Grandpa lets us live in the house, and we pool whatever our savings are together, it’s not a financial stretch. Elliot and I can keep our independent businesses running while we get our joint business set up. Then we split the farm profit four ways.”
“Profit. That is optimistic at best,” Georgie said.
“You know I am all about optimism,” Teddy returned.
A wind chime tinkled from the front room, which was odd considering there shouldn’t be enough wind to make it move here inside.
“Did someone leave the door open?” Joey asked, pushing back from the table. The girls got up and walked toward the door, which was indeed open.
“Look at that,” Elliot said.
They stepped out onto the porch together. Beyond the dogwood in the front just beginning to bloom, the sun was setting in a riot of colors—bright magentas, deep oranges, fading into lavenders and lighter pinks.
“It’s the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s a tad dramatic, Teddy,” Georgie said gently, though her voice held all the awe of someone who agreed, but would never admit it.
“We have to do it,” Teddy said, her voice almost a whisper. “This is a sign. Don’t you believe in fate?”
Elliot nodded. “Yeah. I’m mobile. I go where I please. Why not right here?”
Georgie shrugged. “Don’t know about fate, but it wouldn’t change much for me, except you guys would be close. I’d like that. Felix is talking about leaving Jasper Creek.”
Teddy reached out, but Georgie stopped her with a quelling look. “It’s fine.” She offered a smile, or Georgie’s version of a smile anyway. “Especially if you guys are here.”
All eyes turned to Joey.
“I have to talk timing over with my mom. I don’t want to leave her short-staffed,” Joey said, her eyes still on the sunset. Then she pushed out a breath and looked at her sisters and grinned. “But why the hell not?”
Teddy smiled at the sunset, feeling a bit teary over the whole thing. But it was meant to be, she was sure of it. “Four Sisters Farm.” She looked at each of her sisters. “That’s what we can call it. Because it’ll be ours. Always.”
The four Hathaway sisters may not have grown up together, and they may be as different as can be, that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other deeply. So when the opportunity arises to make a life together in Jasper Creek, they don’t hesitate. But what started as a chance to be there for their grandfather and start a life together, quickly becomes so much more.
I gotta admit, I’m pretty impressed with how well these authors manage to blend their voices. I don’t think I would have known that the stories were written by different people if they didn’t tell me. Each one is an easy-to-read mix of humor and emotion, romance and familial bonds, but still highlights the distinctiveness of each sister and the cowboy who captures her heart.
The newest anthology in the Jasper Creek series is a delightfully fun read. While I haven’t read the first two, and you really don’t need to, I’m definitely adding them to my TBR pile.
*****
Author Info:
Maisey Yates is a New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred romance novels. Whether she’s writing strong, hard working cowboys, dissolute princes or multigenerational family stories, she loves getting lost in fictional worlds. An avid knitter with a dangerous yarn addiction and an aversion to housework, Maisey lives with her husband and three kids in rural Oregon. Check out her website, maiseyyates.com or find her on Facebook.
Jackie Ashenden writes dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who’ve just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.
She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband the inimitable Dr Jax and two kids. When she’s not torturing alpha males, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, wasting time on social media, or forced to mountain biking with her husband.
Caitlin Crews is a USA Today bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed authorwho 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.
Nicole Helm writes down-to-earth contemporary romance and fast-paced romantic suspense. She lives with her husband and two sons in Missouri. Visit her website: http://www.nicolehelm.com
Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.
What happens when the player gets played?
Sidney Carver has a big problem, and he goes by the name of Dwayne “Gunner” Wicked: six-plus feet of muscular, motorcycle-riding, animal-loving deliciousness. Gunner is her boss, roommate, and best friend. They’ve seen each other through life-altering injuries and unimaginable losses, and they work side by side at Wicked Animal Rescue, fulfilling their passion to save animals. Unfortunately, Gunner is also the man Sidney is in love with, and he’s the ultimate player. As her former military comrade, Gunner sees her as his buddy—just one of the guys. Sidney is at her wit’s end, ready to risk the friendship and job she adores for a chance at forever love with the man she can’t live without. Like any good marine, she comes up with a mission. Enter Operation Get My Guy.
Gunner loves his life. He has a family he adores, a brotherhood that always has his back, and a host of willing women to warm his bed. As the owner of Wicked Animal Rescue, he saves lives and works with his best friend, Sid, the coolest woman on the planet. When Sid concocts a crazy plan to win his cousin’s heart, Gunner reluctantly agrees to be her wingman.
Practices heat up as roommates become teammates. Let the wicked fun begin…
No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed to melt panties and leave readers hopelessly in love with the sinfully delicious Wickeds.
About The Wickeds:
Dark Knights at Bayside
Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. These men are wickedly alpha and intensely loyal, but they are NOT alphaholes.
Audible narrated by Jacob Morgan and Ava Erikson coming soon!
“Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!” – NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely
“You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that’s fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won’t want to stop reading. Every book’s a winner!” – NYT Bestseller Brenda Novak
“Melissa Foster writes worlds that draw you in, with strong heroes and brave heroines surrounded by a community that makes you want to crawl right on through the page and live there.” – NYT bestseller Julia Kent
Also available in The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside series
A Little Bit Wicked
A captivatingly funny and deeply emotional new standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. When the Dark Knights at Bayside and the cast of Bayside Summers collide, sparks fly, and trouble—or maybe love—is not far behind. What do a cocky biker and a businesswoman who has sworn off dating bad boys have in common? According to Chloe Mallery, not much.
Justin came into the Wicked family after a harsh upbringing by a thieving father. He’s gone through a lot to become a true Wicked, and he’s made them proud. Now he’s ready to show the woman he loves exactly what type of man he is. But Chloe Mallery has worked hard to move past her difficult upbringing, and she’s wary of getting involved with a man who looks like he’s walked right out of it. When tragedy strikes, will their trying pasts draw them together, or will Justin’s protective nature be too much for Chloe’s independent heart to accept?
The Wicked Aftermath An emotionally gripping story of love, loss, and hope, with a rich and entrancing happily ever after. Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. Some of the Wickeds’ love stories will be hilariously fun and deeply emotional, others will tear at your heartstrings and include injections of humor, but they will all leave you wishing you could climb between the pages and join them. All Wicked novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances.
When the person you blame for your grief is the only one who can save you from the pain…
Tank Wicked lost his sister and has since vowed to save everyone else in his path. He lives by the creed of the Dark Knights motorcycle club, sworn to protect and respect his community. He selflessly saves lives as a volunteer firefighter and treats the men and women who work for him at his tattoo shop like family. But life isn’t a balance scale where good deeds negate bad things to come, and one foggy night life guts Tank once again. When a car careens over the side of a bridge and into a river, Tank springs into action, plunging into the water to rescue the passengers. Four people go into the river, but only three come out alive.
Leah Yates is just trying to make it through each day. When the man she blames for her grief becomes the only one who can pull her from the depths of despair, she discovers that even hope comes at a price. Maybe this time she won’t have to face it alone.
The Wicked Truth Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.
What happens when you’re not looking for love, but it walks in the door?
When a mysterious stranger crosses paths with Madigan Wicked, their connection is undeniable, yet neither is open to love. He’s on a road to redemption, and she’s been hurt before. But love has been known to bully its way into even the most resisting hearts. When the wicked truth of his dark past is revealed, will it be too much for them to overcome?
And don’t miss RIVER OF LOVE, the first story in which the Whiskeys were introduced!
About the author
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 women’s fiction 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, the perfect beach reads for contemporary romance and women’s fiction lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex relatable issues.
Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!
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I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
Sidney is caring and strong, but a little awkward in her femininity and not much into flirting. Raised by her dad and then becoming a marine, it makes sense that she hasn’t had a lot of practice. It really hasn’t been a problem until she starts comparing herself to Gunner’s conquests. As her heart gets ever closer to breaking with every new woman than joins him in bed, she realizes she has to do something – either convince him to see her as more than a friend or find a way to move on. It’s not going to be easy, and definitely has plenty of potential for going horribly wrong, but she’s gotta take that chance.
Gunner knows that Sidney is the best thing that ever happened to him and the thought of losing her friendship is unbearable. Faced with the possibility of losing her to someone else, especially his cousin, has him in knots. Before long, he realizes that maybe she’s more to him than his best friend who is like one of the guys. But is he willing to risk everything to find out?
Man, I felt for Sidney. Firmly put in the friend zone and living with Gunner while he brings women home with a great deal of frequency … it’s no wonder she gets a little desperate. Watching him wake up and realize exactly what they could be together – very satisfying!
Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Crazy, Wicked Love
The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside
by Melissa Foster
Releasing March 23, 2022
World Literary Press
Blurb:
What happens when the player gets played?
Sidney Carver has a big problem, and he goes by the name of Dwayne “Gunner” Wicked: six-plus feet of muscular, motorcycle-riding, animal-loving deliciousness. Gunner is her boss, roommate, and best friend. They’ve seen each other through life-altering injuries and unimaginable losses, and they work side by side at Wicked Animal Rescue, fulfilling their passion to save animals. Unfortunately, Gunner is also the man Sidney is in love with, and he’s the ultimate player. As her former military comrade, Gunner sees her as his buddy—just one of the guys. Sidney is at her wit’s end, ready to risk the friendship and job she adores for a chance at forever love with the man she can’t live without. Like any good marine, she comes up with a mission. Enter Operation Get My Guy.
Gunner loves his life. He has a family he adores, a brotherhood that always has his back, and a host of willing women to warm his bed. As the owner of Wicked Animal Rescue, he saves lives and works with his best friend, Sid, the coolest woman on the planet. When Sid concocts a crazy plan to win his cousin’s heart, Gunner reluctantly agrees to be her wingman.
Practices heat up as roommates become teammates. Let the wicked fun begin…
No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed to melt panties and leave readers hopelessly in love with the sinfully delicious Wickeds.
Sidney is caring and strong, but a little awkward in her femininity and not much into flirting. Raised by her dad and then becoming a marine, it makes sense that she hasn’t had a lot of practice. It really hasn’t been a problem until she starts comparing herself to Gunner’s conquests. As her heart gets ever closer to breaking with every new woman than joins him in bed, she realizes she has to do something – either convince him to see her as more than a friend or find a way to move on. It’s not going to be easy, and definitely has plenty of potential for going horribly wrong, but she’s gotta take that chance.
Gunner knows that Sidney is the best thing that ever happened to him and the thought of losing her friendship is unbearable. Faced with the possibility of losing her to someone else, especially his cousin, has him in knots. Before long, he realizes that maybe she’s more to him than his best friend who is like one of the guys. But is he willing to risk everything to find out?
Man, I felt for Sidney. Firmly put in the friend zone and living with Gunner while he brings women home with a great deal of frequency … it’s no wonder she gets a little desperate. Watching him wake up and realize exactly what they could be together – very satisfying!
*****
Author Info:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling 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.
My life seemed perfect until he came back to town. With his sights set on me, he’s ready to settle down and face any challenge. Fans of Briar U by Elle Kennedy will devour Our Best Shot by A.M. Williams, a small-town, forced proximity, hockey romance.
Our Best Shot
by A.M. Williams
Blurb:
Rory
On the outside, my life seems perfect. I have my friends, family, and quirky small town to keep me satisfied plus my secret writing career that’s done better than I ever dreamed. What’s not to love?
There’s just one thing missing. But I don’t know what it is.
At least until he comes back to town. The man I crushed on so hard in high school, I couldn’t talk in full sentences around him.
He’s back, he’s ready to settle down, and he’s set his sights on me, the wallflower.
Every time I turn around, there he is. He wants to know about me. And no matter how hard I try to ignore him…I can’t. He’s everything I wanted as a teenager.
And as an adult? I’m discovering that he’s the total package and is ready to sweep me off my feet.
Alex
Deciding to retire from my professional hockey career was easy. I miss my family, friends, and hometown. I crave a slower lifestyle so I can finally settle down.
What isn’t easy? Figuring out how to coach teenaged boys in how to play hockey and win over the woman I can’t stop thinking about.
I think about her constantly and am constantly finding ways to run into her ‘by accident’. I want to know everything about her, but she’s hesitant and I have my work cut out for me to convince her to step outside her comfort zone and date me.
But I’m up for the challenge. I’m ready to show her what being with me could be like and that she doesn’t need to be scared.
With outside forces working against us, can we get it together for our best shot at a happily ever after?
“You want to sit for a little while?” Alex asked, pointing to a bench just ahead of us and off the main path.
I nodded, hoping that the bench would be enough out of the way that people wouldn’t notice us sitting there and stop staring.
We settled in and I sipped my coffee, looking the park over.
Compared to the weekend before, the park looked totally transformed.
There were bright tents throughout the trees with local crafters and artisans, and loud chatter filled the air from people walking around.
“This festival looks no different from when I came as a kid,” Alex said, pulling my attention to him.
I glanced at him and watched as he looked over at what I’d just been looking at.
“Are you surprised? You know we like tradition here.”
Alex chuckled. “Not really. I guess since it’s been so long since I was here, that I expected something to have changed. But nothing has. The same tents, same vendors, same atmosphere.”
I made a noise low in my throat. “There are some new vendors. They’re just peppered throughout. Some ones you’re thinking of don’t come anymore.”
What I didn’t say was that some owners had died because of how old they were and their businesses closed. The town had to get some new life for the vendors, otherwise this festival would have dwindled.
“Still. This is the same. If I close my eyes, I bet I could recall where everyone is and the order of the games at the rink. I feel like no time has passed.”
I said nothing at first. Then I asked, “Are you happy to be here at least?”
Alex met my gaze and nodded. “I am. It’s weird how I didn’t think about so much related to town while I was gone. I came home for holidays and brief visits, but everything else was just background. But now that I’m here, I can’t help remembering coming as a kid with my mom and sister. Hanging with my friends before our games. And all the other shit that the town does throughout the year.”
I thought about what he was saying. I didn’t have any experience not coming to the town events, considering I went to college close by and returned to town the minute I could. I’d kept coming to everything, even throughout college.
Copyright 2022 @A.M. Williams
*****
Review:
I have to admit that a lot of my enjoyment of this book is because of that bookish high school girl hiding deep inside of me. Rory getting a second chance with the popular jock she had a crush on as a teenager is just so gratifying. It helps that Alex has grown into a well-rounded, stand-up guy so you totally get where she’s coming from. There are some moments that hearken back a little too much to those younger years with a villainous mean girl and a jealous ex that at times could be a little bit OTT. Overall, though, Williams delivers likable characters and an enjoyable trip to a satisfying HEA. I’m looking forward to what she brings us next.
*****
Author Info:
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living abroad. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and traveling as much as possible. She has a serious case of wanderlust and wants to go as many places as possible while she can. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as those crystal clear waters on the North Carolina coast.
Already a worldwide success in mass market and trade paperback formats, Susan Mallery’s newest hardcover is an emotional, witty, and heartfelt story about a woman who takes a trip to California to figure out her life and get a break from her family…only to be reminded that life–and your children–follow you wherever you go. With a powerful mother/daughter relationship at its core, fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Susan Wiggs, Mary Alice Monroe, and Nancy Thayer will love this book.
Robyn Caldwell’s family is driving her crazy. There’s Harlow, her daughter, who’s engaged to a man she’s only known a short time and is rapidly turning into bridezilla. And her son, Austin, who would rather work with his dad’s family charter boating business than go to college. Her friend, Mindy, who’s playing with fire by contemplating an affair with her tennis instructor. And let’s not forget her ex-husband whose bad behavior has just crossed the line yet again.
Robin needs some time to catch her breath and figure out what her next step should be. So when her beloved aunt Lillian asks her to come to Santa Barbara for an overdue visit, Robyn jumps at the chance. Her aunt Lillian is working on settling her affairs and a distant relative is staying with her that stands to inherit the house. Trouble is the last thing Robyn needs, but she refuses to let her aunt be taken advantage of.
While staying in her aunt’s beautiful, quirky mansion and spending time in the Santa Barbara sunshine with the woman who’s like a mother to her, Robyn will see herself—and the people she loves most—with a bit more clarity. And it will push her to take chances she hadn’t dreamed of before.
But life has a funny way of following you wherever you go. What began as an escape soon becomes an unforgettable adventure…and Robyn is ready to dive in, feet first.
Robyn Caldwell picked up her glass of white wine and briefly thought about swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. Mindy’s statement was certainly gulp-worthy. But she knew pacing herself through lunch was the responsible thing to do. A lesson her friend had yet to learn.
“You are not,” Robyn murmured, because shrieking wasn’t attractive. Especially at “the club,” where their friends and frenemies were also enjoying Thursday’s lobster salad. The dining room was filled with forty or so women, all dressed in Florida chic—diamonds sparkling, gold or platinum charm bracelets clinking, necklaces resting on tanned and toned skin.
“I might,” Mindy Krause said, picking up her champagne. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Of course. He’s a thirty-year-old tennis pro. What else would he be?”
Mindy, a petite brunette who was six months from turning forty, sighed. “I need a Dimitri in my life.”
“You have a great husband. Payne loves you and the kids, and never has eyes for another woman. Why would you screw that up?”
“Payne would never know.”
“There aren’t any secrets in this town. Not in our social circle.”
Something Robyn had learned the hard way herself. She’d been blissfully unaware of her ex-husband’s affairs until a “friend” had oh-so-sweetly informed her.
“Maybe just some kissing,” Mindy mused. “I want a little Dimitri action. The fantasies make me happy, so imagine what the real thing would do.”
“The fantasies are safe. The real thing could destroy everything you have. Knowing you’ve cheated would devastate Payne.”
Mindy’s mouth formed a pout. “I never see him anymore. All he does is work.”
Robyn stared at her friend-slash-boss. “You two talked about how that promotion would be more work for him but that it would be worth it. You wanted this for him.”
“I didn’t know how much he’d be gone.”
The unreasonable statement grated nearly as much as Mindy’s whine. “This isn’t a good look for you,” Robyn murmured. “You’re changing the rules without telling your husband. That never ends well.”
Mindy dismissed the warning with a quick shake of her head. “I’m not worried. Besides, if he does find out, I can just move in with you.” She laughed. “You’ll soon have that big house all to yourself.”
“You have four kids,” Robyn pointed out. “If things go south in your marriage, I’d rather have Payne move in.”
“Well, that would get people talking.” Mindy held up her empty glass to the server. “More, please.”
The server obliged.
Mindy took another sip. “My sister called, swears she found a Thomas Pister chest in a tiny shop in Wales. It’s dirt cheap, so I’m afraid it’s a fake. She’s looking for someone to prove authenticity. Wouldn’t that be a find?”
“It would. I’d love to see it.”
Thomas Pister had built beautiful chests and cabinets in the late 1600s and early 1700s. His intricate designs with stunning inlays sold quickly and for huge amounts. Depending on the condition and the materials, a good-sized chest of drawers could go for sixty or eighty thousand dollars.
While Mallery’s newest is full of drama, it isn’t a heavy read. Instead readers are given a story perfectly balanced between hilarity and emotion, with plenty of growth and self-discovery. There’s a lot going on but it’s delivered in an enjoyable, light read that has characters you can root for.
Robyn, and pretty much everyone around her, is at a turning point – with her youngest now out of high school, she needs to decide what she wants to do with her life. When things get overwhelming at home, she heads west to take time to think . . . only it turns out not to be the quiet time away she expected.
I like that we get different sides. We have Robyn in her 40s plus her ex and their grown kids, all of whom have life-altering decisions to make. It’s messy and angsty but they manage to handle it with humor and moments of grace. And occasionally poor choices 🙂 It’s a delightful story about growing up, figuring out who you are & what you want, and the importance of family.
*****
Author Info:
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.
Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two Ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.
“I decided it wasn’t smart for me to gamble my heart on you.”
No Match for Her, an all-new swoon-worthy slow burn romance from bestselling author Stacy Travis is available now!
No Match for Her
Berkeley Hills, #5
by Stacy Travis
Blurb:
I need a date to my brother’s wedding in six weeks, and Charlie Walgrove owns a tux. Billionaires are like that.
He’s also my sister’s boss, and I agree to let her set me up with the awkward genius, who apparently has even less luck in the dating game than a struggling artist, aka me.
We’re total opposites, but the date goes okay. We agree to be friends, the kind who won’t become lovers.
Famous last words.
On a series of “friend dates” involving bar snacks, acrylic paint and hedgehogs, I discover that Charlie is nothing like what I expected. Under his hoodie and glasses, he’s handsome and down-to-earth, stuck in a job he hates and afraid to disappoint people by walking away. His heart is as gorgeous as his hidden face.
I’ve always felt like the flaky sister in my family, but Charlie sees me as the artist I want to be. As our friendship deepens, so do my feelings for him. Maybe I’m even falling in love.
But gambling with my heart feels dangerous when all my relationships end in failure–especially if he’s only looking for a friend.
Is it only princesses that get a Happy Ever After? Or is there hope for a hot mess like me?
I’M WEARING RED. It’s a fire engine color that matches my lips and my toenail polish. It’s tasteful, sleeveless, and fitted. I’m hoping it says confident artist, which I don’t feel at all. I’m hoping it doesn’t tell everyone in the room that, on what should be a night of personal victory, my heart still lies in pieces on the gallery floor. I really hope red doesn’t say that.
I still haven’t talked to Charlie. Pulling together the show on relatively short notice has all but consumed me, and I feel like I need to prove to myself that I can take the first step as an artist alone before I investigate what he and I can be together.
Right now, I feel certain the thumping organ in my chest would laugh off the suggestion of anyone getting close to it. Ever again.
With his expression of love, Charlie opened a floodgate that I’d stubbornly wedged closed. I’m the one who chose to drown.
Sadly, more than half the paintings on the walls of the gallery are barely dry, some painted in a frenzy of self-loathing anguish that left me emotionally spent but artistically inspired, along with more than a dozen pieces that are oddly uplifting. Everywhere I look, I see evidence of Charlie.
People are starting to filter through the doors of the gallery space. Or maybe they’ve been here for an hour. I don’t know. I’m looking at them through some sort of fugue state.
If I could, I’d pick up a brush right now and paint through a new emotion twisting in my chest—longing. More than anything, I wish Charlie were here to celebrate this moment with me because he inspired it. Or at least he pushed me out of my comfort zone enough to embrace what my heart has been urging me to do for years.
The gallery space sits in the bottom floor of an art deco building on a corner in downtown Palo Alto, several blocks from the Stanford campus. The surrounding streets boast a collection of restaurants, cafés, wine bars, and retail spaces, so even people who haven’t received invitations to my exhibit are likely to stop in on their walk to someplace else. That has to be the explanation for why the three adjoining rooms suddenly feel noisy with voices. I only invited a handful of people—the design group from work, my family, and a couple of people who play mahjongg with Tatum and me.
“This is amazing!” Becca and Blake are the first of my family members to arrive, which surprises me because they don’t live nearby, and Becca is reliably late. They’re joined a minute later by Isla and Tatum who drove together. “Owen sends his love, and his regrets. He’s stuck in Napa. Some issue at one of the wine cellars.
“Donovan too. Away game tomorrow, and they’re en route.”
“Oh, no regrets. I’m so happy you’re all here. And a little freaked out, honestly, to have this many people looking at my artwork.”
“But your paintings are beautiful. They’re lucky to see them, I’m so proud of you,” Sarah says, hugging me. “Braden’s at the station, so I’m going to spend all our money and buy a big canvas for our house.”
“Okay, now you’re gonna make me cry, and you know how long I spent on my mascara.”
“Ha!” This from Tatum who squeezes in and hugs me. “If I learned anything from you, it’s that you always wear waterproof mascara in case of unexpected emotion.
“Wow, help a person with her makeup, and she throws it back in your face. Fine. It’s waterproof. I was being melodramatic.”
“Melodramatic, you?” Tatum pretends to look baffled. Sarah leans in and drags her away. “Come help me decide which painting to buy. I heard someone say there are crab puffs and I’m hungry.”
“There are crab puffs. Look for waiters. They’re supposed to be mingling,” I call after them, realizing I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. Nerves.
The others follow them, and the temporary balloon that lifted my spirits starts to sag again. I know it’s ridiculous to miss Charlie at a moment when I should be celebrating, but I can’t help it. I wish he was here.
But we still haven’t spoken since our blowup the night he brought me here, and he’s respected my request for space. A little too well. He’s stopped texting and calling after a couple check-ins to ask if I was okay. I hoped that not responding would make me clearheaded enough to avoid hurling myself into the next disastrous decision, as I’m prone to do.
Now I just miss him.
The thinking has settled my mind in that I know I want two things: to paint as much as possible and to be with Charlie as much as possible. I love him and I need him. It’s as much a certainty as the sun rising every morning.
I also need to apologize to him for making him the scapegoat of my insecurities, and I haven’t figured out what to say about that yet. But I will.
I glance around and see that the number of people has already doubled in the one room where I stand with an untouched glass of champagne dribbling condensation down my arm. On every white wall within my line of sight, work I’ve painted hangs beneath perfect lighting. Tiny signs indicate the titles and prices of the pieces, but I don’t expect any of them to sell. It’s my first show, and I feel lucky the gallery owner liked the images I emailed her.
I’m even luckier that one of her clients had to postpone his show, leaving a three-day opening in the schedule. It felt like a sign when she called to ask if I had enough work and felt ready to mount a show.
The past two weeks have been a blur of paint and canvases during every hour I wasn’t at work. I painted feverishly, blocking out every useless emotion I could and letting the fruitful ones past my walls to guide me.
The result is fourteen canvasses, many of them large enough to command a wall on their own, all replete with deep jewel tones, abstract lines, and intense themes of renewal and hope. I have no idea where those feelings came from because I felt a lot of despair. But painting kept me from spending all my waking hours worrying that I’d destroyed the best friendship I’ve ever had.
Now, when I look at each painting, I can’t help but feel the memory of the headspace I was in when I painted it. They all reflect some aspect of Charlie—kinship, love, and heartbreak— and those are three things I’d rather not focus on tonight, so I need to stop looking.
That leaves me staring into my champagne with little enthu‐ siasm for it. Sylvia, the gallery owner, sweeps over to me, her navy layered caftan grazing the tops of brown rugged boots. Her gray hair is impeccably styled in its pageboy and her lips are redder than mine.
“So far, so good, love. It’s a success. You’re a success.” She kisses me on the cheek and moves on to speak to a tall man in a navy suit who beckons her over with a question.
The words echo in her wake as I try to figure out whether she’s just being nice. What constitutes a success at one of these gallery nights? A big crowd of mostly-strangers? I’m just proud of myself for taking a step toward feeling like a legitimate artist.
*****
Review:
Cherry is a fun-loving, free-spirited artist who unfortunately doesn’t have a whole lot of faith in herself. She’s working as a designer but her heart yearns to make art, she just doesn’t think it’s good enough to show the world. Charlie feels the weight of his obligations and has lost some of his enjoyment of his work. Smitten from his first glimpse of Cherry, captivated by her vibrancy and joyous laugh, he’s been waiting for a chance to meet her for real.
From a disastrous first date to a lovely HEA, I really enjoyed Charlie & Cherry’s story. Travis does a wonderful job of slowly building their friendship, developing romantic feelings, and working on boosting each other up. Full of humor, heat, and lots of emotion, No Match for Her may be my first from this author but if this is any indication of her work it definitely won’t be my last.
(Part of a series but can stand on its own. May be better enjoyed if you know the other siblings’ stories.)
*****
Author Info:
It’s a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we can’t make it to the beach. I’ve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if I’m doing it right, I’m bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy.
I can’t sit still, so when I’m not hiking, biking or running, I’m playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.
His body is giving out, his family is bleeding him dry, and he never prepared for life after football. When the Dallas Bulldogs offer him a coaching position instead of a returning roster spot, only two things keep him going—staying fit in case another football team picks him up, and spending time with a gray-faced Boxer at the Unlovabulls Dog Rescue.
Olive Russo is a woman who can walk through a kennel in a white pantsuit without getting a spot on her. The always organized PR pro will need her cool control when she’s forced to plan a fundraising gala for the Unlovabulls with the college boyfriend who turned her inside out. A decade ago, Hayes Walker broke her heart and sent Olive into a spiral of bad decisions that she’d rather her clients not know about. Now she is determined to keep the completely lickable Hayes off her to-do list—even if their chemistry is stronger than ever.
Dumping Olive was the worst decision Hayes ever made. When the amazing girl walks back into his life a full-fledged woman, he makes a play for her heart. But when Olive’s secrets are exposed and the NFL knocks on Hayes’s door, they’ll both need to leave their past where it belongs if they’re going to make it work the second time around.
I feel bad for Hayes, he’s been abused by his mother for pretty much his entire life. And now he’s facing the end of his football career with nothing to show for it except a broken body, an empty bank account, and a whole lot of guilt. Meeting Olive again has him looking to the future a little differently, if only he can break free of his past.
Olive hit bottom and has spent years working to overcome it, so coming face to face with the man responsible is quite a shock. Letting Hayes back in could only mean trouble … or it could mean learning what it is to enjoy life.
I love how much Hayes and Olive support each other. Hayes understands that Olive is strong and can handle most things on her own, but she also needs someone who will remind her to relax. Olive does her best to make sure that Hayes realizes that he’s so much more than just a football player.
Both Hayes and Olive had childhoods that left scars they are struggling to overcome but it’s not easy and it leads to quite a few difficult moments and bad decisions. Model Behavior is not necessarily as refined as what I’m used to – the writing is a little rough and the story development was rushed in spots & slow in others – but it’s an enjoyable read. Lynne knows how to bring the heat and the angst so if that’s your kinda thing then I highly recommend Hayes & Olive’s story.
(Can be read as a stand alone but probably enjoyed a little bit more with some context provided in the first book.)
*****
Author Info:
Tricia Lynne is fluent in both sarcasm and cuss words—a combination that tends to embarrass her husband at corporate functions. A tomboy at heart, she loves hard rock, Irish whiskey, dogs, and Vans shoes. She’s drawn to strong, flawed heroines. Tricia believes writing isn’t a decision one makes, but a calling one can’t resist. She lives in the Dallas area with her husband, the world’s sweetest rescued Cane Corso, and a completely terrifying Clumber Spaniel pupper.
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Romantic Reads and Such 