Spotlight – The Bad Boy Experiment

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

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Bourbon Brothers series, Reese Ryan, The Bad Boy Experiment

The Bad Boy Experiment

Bourbon Brothers series

by Reese Ryan

on-sale Dec.28

Harlequin Desire

Blurb:

A steamy fling with an old crush who doesn’t do commitment? What was she thinking! Find out in the conclusion to Reese Ryan’s Bourbon Brothers series.

What happens when you say yes to a bad boy? Even if divorcée Renee Lockwood were willing to give love a second chance, she wouldn’t choose Cole Abbott. The sexy, successful real estate developer doesn’t do commitment. But he’s perfect for a no-strings fling—exactly what Ren needs now that she’s moved back home to raise her son. Mind-blowing pleasure with the man she once crushed on is harder to quit than Ren expected. Impossible, in fact. Is time running out before the bad boy bolts…or will the results of her experiment surprise her?

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Boy-Experiment-Bourbon-Brothers/dp/1335735380/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637071403&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bad-boy-experiment-reese-ryan/1139674788?ean=9781335735386

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335735386_the-bad-boy-experiment.html

*****

Excerpt:

Renee turned and started down the stairs. Suddenly, the door swung open, taking her by surprise. She missed a step, tripping but catching herself on the banister before she face-planted in the gravel.

Graceful, Renee. You’re a regular Misty Copeland.

“Ren?” Cole hurried down the stairs. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I thought maybe you’d… I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Changed your mind.”

She was flustered and rambling like a fool. Yep, this was definitely a bad idea.

Stop talking and make a graceful exit, if that’s even possible at this point.

“Not a chance, sweetheart.” Cole extended a hand. “C’mon inside.”

Renee swallowed hard, her hand trembling as she placed it inside his.

Don’t chicken out now.

Cole led her into the kitchen. Like hers, it was outdated. It reminded her of her Aunt Bea standing at the old stove making fried corn or her famous chicken and dumplings—the first thing Ren had ever learned to cook.

“Still feels weird being here, huh?” Cole’s voice shook her from her temporary daze.

“Very.”

They entered the living room where an exercise mat and weights were on the floor.

“You were working out. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have disturbed you.” Ren glanced at the equipment. “I know it’s really late and—”

“Renee…” Cole drew her closer, pulling her attention back to him. His gaze was soft and warm as he stroked her cheek. “It’s okay. We both know why you came here.” He managed to say the words without sounding cocky. “But I need to hear it from you. Tell me exactly what you want from me.”

Ren’s head was spinning. No one had ever asked her that. Not in a relationship or her career. And now that he had, she wasn’t quite sure what to say.

So instead, she clutched Cole’s white Abbott Construction & Development T-shirt, pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his.

*****

Author Info:

Reese Ryan writes sexy, contemporary romance featuring a diverse cast of complex characters. She presents her characters with family and career drama, challenging love interests and life-changing secrets while treating readers to emotional love stories with unexpected twists. Past president of her local RWA chapter and a panelist at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Reese is an advocate of the romance genre and diversity in fiction. Visit her online at ReeseRyan.com.

*****

Spotlight – Tall, Dark and Off Limits

10 Monday Jan 2022

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Men of Maddox Hill series, Shannon McKenna, Tall Dark and Off Limits

Tall, Dark and Off Limits

Men of Maddox Hill series

by Shannon McKenna

on-sale Dec.28

Harlequin Desire

Blurb:

His job is to protect his best friend’s sister…not seduce her! Don’t miss the conclusion of the Men of Maddox Hill series by New York Times bestselling author Shannon McKenna.

When it comes to his best friend’s sister, he’s tempted to be much more than her protector. Assigned to keep an eye on social media darling Ava Maddox, security expert Zack Austin is more than up to the task. After all, she’s like family. But dealing with the dynamic beauty requires every ounce of patience…and sexual control. They’ve been denying their forbidden feelings for way too long and soon professionalism gives way to passion. Zack’s willing to face her overprotective family’s wrath, but is Ava’s talent for finding trouble about to explode in his face?

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Tall-Dark-Limits-Maddox-Hill-ebook/dp/B0974TCK7N/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=TALL%2C+DARK+AND+OFF+LIMITS+by+Shannon+McKenna&qid=1637071256&qsid=133-7575147-1798556&sr=8-1&sres=B0974TCK7N&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS

Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-dark-and-off-limits-shannon-mckenna/1139674789?ean=9781335735393

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335735393_tall-dark-and-off-limits.html

*****

Excerpt:

“No wine,” Zack told the waiter brusquely, realizing too late how stuffy and uptight that sounded. “For me, of course,” he said to Ava. “Feel free to have some. I never drink when I’m working.”

“Good for you.” She smiled up at the waiter, whose name was Martin, according to the tag on his shirt. “I’ll have a glass of red wine, please.”

“I have a beautiful 2016 Romanée-Conti that’s open,” Martin told her.

“Sounds lovely.” She gave the waiter that trademarked blinding smile that brought men to their knees. Martin stumbled off, probably to walk into walls and tables.

And Zack just sat there, tongue-tied. When Ava Maddox was around, his foot always ended up stuck so far into his mouth, he needed surgical intervention to get it out. She was giving him that look. Big, sharp blue eyes that missed nothing. So on to him.

The restaurant had low light and a hushed ambience, and they were in the back, tucked in a wood-paneled corner booth. Now the challenge was to kick-start his brain into operation, instead of just staring at how beautiful she was in the flickering candlelight.

She just waited, patiently. Like she was all too used to men losing their train of thought as soon as they made eye contact with her. Like she was accustomed to cutting the poor stammering chumps some slack while they pulled themselves together.

Her cell rang, and she gave him an apologetic glance when she saw the display. “Gotta take this. One sec.” She tapped the screen and held it to her ear. “Ernest? Thanks for getting back to me. Are you still in the office?… Yeah? Could you get a cab to swing by the Mathesson Pub and Grill on your way home?… Yeah, I need my laptop, the pink one with the collage cover. I’m talking to the Maddox Hill CSO about the online harassment…yeah, I know, but still…uh-huh. Okay, thanks. You’re my hero. Later, then.”

She laid the phone down. “Ernest is my assistant. He’ll bring my computer here so I can show you the master list of the last few of years’ worth of Blazon’s projects.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have your laptop with you at all times,” he said.

“I usually do,” she said. “But I had every intention of going back to Gilchrist House tonight. I have a crazy weekend coming up. Ernest and I are flying down to the Future Innovation trade show in Los Angeles tomorrow. It’s a very big deal.”

Zack couldn’t hide his disapproval. “Traveling to Los Angeles? Going back to a deserted office late in the evening? Leaving by yourself, going home by yourself? With all this going on?”

Ava sighed. “Zack, Gilchrist House has a twenty-four-hour doorman. And I would call a car to take me from doorstep to doorstep. I’m not an idiot.”

“I never suggested that you were.”

“I’m not in physical danger,” Ava assured him. “Really. This is just, you know, the new normal. The incivility of our modern electronic age. It’s ugly and unsavory, but I’ve got to get used to it and learn to roll with it.”

“The hell you do,” he said. “New normal, my ass. I’ll tell you what’s normal. When I find that bottom-feeding son of a bitch and grind him into paste.”

Ava gave him that narrow, nervous look, which by now he recognized. It was a signal that he wasn’t behaving professionally. He was too intense. Making it personal.

In a word, scaring her.

“Ah, wow, Zack,” she murmured. “I’m surprised at your reaction.”

“Why? This situation is a disgrace. Why should you be surprised that I’m horrified?”

Her eyes slid away. “Well, I don’t know. It’s just that you’ve never taken me seriously before, so why would you suddenly take me seriously now?”

“I’m sorry I gave you that impression,” he said stiffly. “It wasn’t intentional.”

“Oh, don’t be that way.” Her tone was light. “I’m used to it. I rub a lot of people the wrong way. I’m just too much for people sometimes. Drew’s always on my case about it, telling me to tone it down. And I try, I really do. But it never works. Boom, out it comes. The real Ava, right in your face.”

“He shouldn’t do that,” Zack said forcefully.

“Shouldn’t what? Sorry, but I’m not following you.”

“Drew. He shouldn’t be on your case. He shouldn’t tell you to tone it down.”

Her eyes were big. “Ah… I didn’t mean to get you all wound up.”

*****

Author Info:

Shannon McKenna is the NYT bestselling author of seventeen action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series and the brand new romantic suspense series, The Obsidian Files. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love. Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. Alas, the alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she’d ever dreamed. But what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments.

*****

Spotlight – New Year Kiss with His Cinderella

07 Friday Jan 2022

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Annie O'Neil, New Year Kiss with His Cinderella

New Year Kiss with His Cinderella

by Annie O’Neil

on-sale Dec.28

Harlequin Medical Romance

Blurb:

From a midnight kiss…to a reunion in the ER!

When Dr. Carter shares a New Year’s kiss with a captivating stranger, he doesn’t expect a reunion. Then he walks into Saint Dolores’s ER the very next day…and discovers she’s his new colleague! Awkwardly, their smoking-hot attraction hasn’t gone away! But for Carter, life has meant staying mobile, and he can’t simply lay down roots. Yet there’s something about Nurse Avery and Nashville that’s starting to really feel like home.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Year-Kiss-Cinderella-Nashville-Book-ebook/dp/B09715F19Q/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=NEW+YEAR+KISS+WITH+HIS+CINDERELLA+by+Annie+O%27Neil&qid=1637072953&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-year-kiss-with-his-cinderella-annie-oneil/1139663410?ean=9780369712417

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335408990_new-year-kiss-with-his-cinderella.html

*****

Excerpt:

“You’re that confident, are you?” she asked, her tongue dipping out for a quick swipe along her lips.

She was warming to him. Good.

The guy who’d climbed on the bull after her had been thrown off and someone else was climbing on. Carter would glue himself to the bull if that’s what it took to stay on the longest. But it wouldn’t take that. Back in Texas, he’d called his riding paying the bills. His sister had called it sheer stupidity. They’d both been right.

“Never met a bull who didn’t take to my winning personality.” He tipped the brim of his hat to her.

Her eyes didn’t leave his. “If you win my money, I’m not taking it.”

“And I’m not letting you walk away empty-handed.”

She frowned. “I guess you’d better come up with something else, then. I don’t steal prizes that aren’t mine.”

He held his hands out, then ran them alongside his body. “Apart from my guitar, this is the only other thing I’ve got on offer.”

He wasn’t actually broke. He wasn’t a thief, either. That role in the family was already taken.

A loud roar from the crowd filled the air as another contender climbed aboard the longhorn.

She tilted her head to the side, and he took the few moments she was assessing him to do the same. Skin that looked so soft there probably wasn’t a thread count high enough for it. A body that rocked the hell out of her double-denim getup. A pair of cowboy boots that definitely weren’t just for show. Goddamn she was sexy.

“Well, then,” she said. “I guess you’d better get on up there and show me what you got.” When she met his gaze, he was pretty sure he wasn’t only seeing neon lights flaring in her eyes.

She put out her mittened hand. They were going to shake on it, apparently.

Carter smiled. Progress. She liked him, too. Enough to want to see him show his stuff atop a mechanical bull anyway. Maybe she merely wanted a good laugh. Either way, he could work with that. Not that he’d be seeing her again, but…it was New Year’s Eve. The bit of him that believed in destiny, that hoped that fate wasn’t something only poets spoke of, wanted her appearance in his life to signify something more than a chance meeting. Yet another moment in time that would slip through his fingers when reality reared its head and cut things short. Again.

It surprised him how much he wanted her to be a sign of good things to come. Needed it, even. Perhaps if he won that kiss…

He put his thumb and index finger on the tip of her thumb. “May I?”

She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t refuse. Just watched, mesmerized, as he tugged off her mitten, slowly, so that when their hands finally met, it would be flesh on flesh.

The atmosphere changed. The sounds of the crowd dulled and somehow, the way the world can sometimes, everything stilled so that it seemed like it was just the two of them out here in the middle of Nashville with nothing but a few flakes of snow between them.

*****

Author Info:

Annie spent most of her childhood with a leg draped over the family rocking chair and a book in her hand. Novels, baking and writing too much teenage angst poetry ate up most of her youth. Now, Annie splits her time between corralling her husband into helping her with their cows, listening to audio books whilst weeding and spending some very happy hours at her computer writing.

*****

Spotlight – Buried Cold Case Secrets

06 Thursday Jan 2022

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Buried Cold Case Secrets, Sami A. Abrams

Buried Cold Case Secrets

by Sami A. Abrams

on-sale Dec.28

Love Inspired Suspense

Blurb:

Recovering her missing memories could be the key to solving a murder.

Searching for her best friend’s remains could help forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton regain her memories of when they were both kidnapped—unless the killer gets to Melanie first. For her safety, Melanie must rely on Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sister’s death. Can Jason set the past aside to solve the cold-case murder…and shield Melanie from the same fate?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Cold-Case-Secrets-Abrams-ebook/dp/B094R941NW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=BURIED+COLD+CASE+SECRETS+by+Sami+A.+Abrams&qid=1637072482&qsid=133-7575147-1798556&sr=8-1&sres=1335554785%2CB07L1S92HW&srpt=ABIS_BOOK

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buried-cold-case-secrets-sami-a-abrams/1139453334?ean=9781335722867

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335554789_buried-cold-case-secrets.html

*****

Excerpt:

“Does it still hurt?”

She jumped.

“Didn’t mean to startle you. Guess I have a habit of doing that.” Jason rested against the neighboring tree.

Several deep breaths later, she forced a smile. “It’s okay.”

He narrowed his gaze and studied her a moment. “Well? Does it?”

“A little.” Truthfully, a lot, but Jason didn’t need to know that. “I, uh, wanted to thank you for watching out for me today.”

“Just doing my job.” The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed.

“We both know it’s more than that.” She wiped her hand down her face. “Jason. We’re going to be working together for the foreseeable future. Do you think we can call a truce, at least while we do our jobs?”

His jaw twitched, and he remained silent.

She’d asked a lot, but the strain between them had to stop. She watched him for a few minutes then shook her head.

“Never mind.” She pushed from the trunk and limped to the hole in the ground. Her lead-filled heart threatened to drop to her feet. To think that fifteen years ago, she’d had a crush on him. He’d teased her and Allison, but he’d never allowed others to speak unkind words to them. If only she could return to those carefree days. The days before she had died on the inside and her friend had died for real.

Someday, Allison, I’ll find your body. I promise.

She swiped the wetness from her cheeks and lowered herself into the grave. The movement mimicked her mood. She picked up her trowel and searched for more bones.

An hour later, Melanie’s headache had become unbearable, causing her stomach to roil. Just what she needed, to lose her lunch in front of Jason. Scanning the grave, she spotted the paintbrush she used for delicate work. She grasped the handle, but dropped it. She tried again, but her fingers refused to cooperate. Her eyelids grew heavy. Something was off. She sat on the edge of the hole.

“Jason, help.” Her words were slurred. She struggled to stay upright. The trees in front of her blurred and swayed.

He kneeled down and came face-to-face with her. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Help me out here. What’s the last thing you did?”

“I—I…” She struggled against the gray cloud jumbling her thoughts. “Took a break a while ago. Only digging since.”

His gaze flew to a spot behind her.

She wilted into him. Her vision tunneled, and darkness closed in.

“Keith! Grab the cooler and her bag!”

Jason’s frantic voice registered, but her body had shut down.

His warm arms lifted her. Her head bobbed and landed on his shoulder.

Her cheek bounced against his chest in cadence with the pounding of his feet on the path.

His rhythmic breathing was the last thing she heard before the world went dark.

*****

Author Info:

Two-time Genesis winner Sami A. Abrams and her husband live in Northern California, but she’ll always be a Kansas girl at heart. She enjoys visiting her two grown children and spoiling their sweet fur babies. Most evenings, if Sami’s not watching sports, you’ll find her engrossed in a romantic suspense novel. She thinks a crime plus a little romance is the recipe for a great story. Visit her at http://www.samiaabrams.com.

*****

Spotlight – His To Defend

05 Wednesday Jan 2022

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His To Defend, Sharon C. Cooper

His To Defend

by Sharon C. Cooper

on-sale Dec.28

Harlequin Romantic Suspense

Blurb:

A romantic reunion…threatened by their past.

Amina Kelly broke Sergeant Maxwell Layton’s heart when she married his best friend. But the detective never forgot her…or the sizzling attraction they never acted on. Years later, while Maxwell and Amina work together to find her ex’s killer, Maxwell finds his desire for the nurse stronger than ever. As he puts his life on the line to keep Amina safe, Maxwell realizes that the greatest risk of all might be to his heart.

*****

Excerpt:

“Do you think the break-in is connected to the mugging?” Amina asked.

Maxwell’s eyebrows shot up. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought she was a mind reader. Earlier, when he considered the two incidences might’ve been connected, he hadn’t planned to say anything to her just yet. But in case they were, he needed to do some digging. What he didn’t want to do was scare her, but he also wanted her to be on alert.

“Yes,” he said honestly. “It’s too much of a coincidence. I’m even wondering if that botched mugging wasn’t an attempted kidnapping.”

Her hand went to her chest. “If you’re trying to scare me, it’s working.”

“Sweetheart, the last thing I want to do is scare you, but something is going on. Until we figure out what, I think you should stay here. In the meantime, can you think of anything you have that someone might want? A family heirloom? Gold? Bonds? A limited-edition book? Anything?”

“No, nothing like that. I have a pair of diamond earrings that my parents gave me when I graduated from high school.”

“I might be way off with this next question, but I have to ask. Do you have anything of Jeremy’s?”

She frowned. “Not that I can think of—why?”

“I don’t know. I might be way off, but I wonder if any of this has to do with his murder?” Maxwell wiped his hands and grabbed his cell phone off the counter. About a half an hour ago, Danny had texted him a still shot of the suspect.

Maxwell held up his phone to her. “Do you recognize this guy?”

Amina stared at the photo for a few minutes. The quality wasn’t great, and much of the man’s face was hard to make out, but she might know him.

She eventually shook her head. “He doesn’t look familiar. Should I know him? Who is he?”

“The suspected killer.”

*****

Spotlight – Little Girl Gone

04 Tuesday Jan 2022

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Amanda Stevens, Little Girl Gone

Little Girl Gone

by Amanda Stevens

on-sale Dec.28

Harlequin Intrigue

Blurb:

Nothing matters more to her when a child’s life is at stake.

Special agent Thea Lamb returns to her hometown to search for a child whose disappearance echoes a twenty-eight-year-old cold case—her twin sister’s abduction. Working with her former partner, Jake Stillwell, Thea must overcome the pain, doubt and guilt that have tormented her for years and denied her a meaningful relationship. For both Thea and Jake, the job always came first…until now.

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335489357

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Girl-Procedural-Crime-Story-ebook/dp/B09798Q8BQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=LITTLE+GIRL+GONE+by+Amanda+Stevens&qid=1637001796&qsid=133-7575147-1798556&sr=8-1&sres=B09798Q8BQ%2CB003KVL35W%2C1250209765%2C1250132363%2C1250153964&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-girl-gone-amanda-stevens/1139689805?ean=9781335489357

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335555557_little-girl-gone.html

*****

Excerpt:

“While I was trying to fish the doll out of the pool, someone came from behind and hit me over the head hard enough to daze me. Next thing I know, I’m caught in a whirlpool several feet below the surface. I lost my flashlight, so I was spun around underwater in complete darkness. No up, no down.” He paused. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure how I’d get out.”

Thea watched his expression as he spoke. He still seemed shaken from the experience. She’d never seen him like that. “I knew something bad must have happened.”

He summoned a brief smile. “I know what you’re thinking. I even thought so myself at the time. So much for my keen instincts. Someone came up behind me and I never sensed a thing.”

“That’s not what I’m thinking.”

“No?”

“I’m thinking you could have died down there and I would never have known what happened to you.”

“Thea.” He said her name so softly she might have thought the tender missive was nothing more than a breeze sighing through the treetops.

The sun bearing down on them was hot and relentless, but Thea felt a little shiver go through her. It hit her anew how much she’d missed that tender glint in his eyes as their gazes locked. How much she’d missed his husky whispers in the dark. The glide of his hand along her bare skin, the tease of his lips and tongue against her mouth. The way he had held her afterward, as if he never wanted to let her go. But he had let her go and she’d done nothing to stop him.

She drew a shaky breath. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“Get caught in a whirlpool? I’ll do my best.”

She scowled at him. “Don’t make light. You know what I mean.”

“I’m fine, Thea.” He seemed on the verge of saying something else, but he held back. Maybe he thought she wanted his restraint. She did, didn’t she? They were in a precarious situation. Adrenaline and attraction could be a dangerous combination. Throw in unresolved issues and they were asking for trouble.

*****

Author Info:

Amanda Stevens is an award-winning author of over fifty novels. Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas.

*****

Spotlight – Her Hometown Hero

03 Monday Jan 2022

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Her Hometown Hero, Jacquelin Thomas

Her Hometown Hero

by Jacquelin Thomas

on-sale Jan.25

Harlequin Heartwarming

Blurb:

Can a wounded hero let go of the past?

Wounded marine Trey Rothchild has returned to Polk Island. People call him a hero, but will he ever feel that way after losing his team? Reuniting with high school crush Gia Harris buoys his spirits. Though she’s focused on making her physical therapy clinic a success—and avoiding romance with patients—Gia can’t bear watching the former athlete sit on the sidelines of life. Could helping Trey recover include loving him fearlessly?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Her-Hometown-Hero-Clean-Romance/dp/1335426582/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=HER+HOMETOWN+HERO+by+Jacquelin+Thomas&qid=1637073833&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-hometown-hero-jacquelin-thomas/1139574485?ean=9780369714619

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335426581_her-hometown-hero.html

*****

Excerpt:

“Justrelax and float…”

Trey hadn’t felt this relaxed in months. He closed his eyes, allowing his body to become one with the water. Regaining this small sense of movement was a defining moment for him—he felt a sense of freedom he’d thought was long gone.

“You’re doing fantastic,” Gia murmured.

At every encouraging word and smile from her and Gia’s obvious faith in him, Trey’s heart turned over in response. There was no fighting it any longer. He wanted something more than friendship from her. He’d been crushing on her at first like before, but what he felt now defied words.

However, reality sank in. What could he offer Gia?

Yet…the way she looked at him motivated him to take a chance with her. After all, she was his biggest cheerleader and she often reminded him that he could continue to improve his quality of life, including having a family.

At the end of the aquatic therapy session, Gia assisted him back into his wheelchair.

He decided to take the leap. He didn’t just want to be her friend. He wanted more. He wanted Gia.

“How do you feel about mixing business with pleasure?”

She dried herself off. “I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

His eyes traveled over her face, studying her expression. “Will you have dinner with me? As in a date.”

Gia gave a slight nod. “I’d love it.” She handed him a towel. “But I can’t unless you fire me, or I quit. It’s not ethical for me to date my patients.”

“Then you’re fired.”

Grinning, she responded, “In that case, I have a replacement in mind for you.”

He was surprised. “Were you planning to quit on me?”

Gia laughed. “No, I simply wanted to be prepared in case something happened to me, or if we decided to be more than friends.”

“We have gotten pretty close,” Trey said. “I’ve tried to keep it professional, but I really care for you.”

“I feel the same way,” Gia responded.

Her words thrilled him. Clearing his throat, he stated, “If you don’t mind coming to the

house later, I can order some food from the café. I really don’t enjoy eating alone. I never really have.”

“How about I cook something?” she suggested. “I’ll have to check your refrigerator to see what I have to work with.”

He chuckled.

*****

Author Info:

Jacquelin Thomas’ books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award, and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. She was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction in the Young Adult category. Jacquelin has published in the romance, inspirational fiction and young adult genres.

*****

Spotlight – His Road to Redemption

30 Thursday Dec 2021

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by Lisa Jordan, His Road to Redemption

His Road to Redemption

by Lisa Jordan

on-sale Dec.28

Love Inspired

Blurb:

A veteran in need of a fresh start will get more than he bargained for…

Veteran Micah Holland’s scars go deeper than anyone knows. An inheritance from his mentor could be a new beginning—if he shares the inherited goat farm with fiercely independent Paige Watson. Now the only way they can keep the farm is to work together. But first Micah must prove he’s a changed man to keep his dream and the woman he’s falling for.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/His-Road-Redemption-Uplifting-Inspirational/dp/1335759026/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=HIS+ROAD+TO+REDEMPTION+by+Lisa+Jordan&qid=1637073791&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-road-to-redemption-lisa-jordan/1139670411?ean=9781335759023

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335759023_his-road-to-redemption.html

*****

Excerpt:

“You’re an inspiration, Micah.” She stared at him, as if the intensity of her gaze could convince him.

“No, not even close. I’m just a guy who was stuck in the mud and was handed a shovel to dig his way out. Someone reached out and gave me a hand up. I want to do the same for others. Because of Phil and Ian, I had the break I needed to change. That’s why it’s important to stay on track with meeting our goals. A Hand Up isn’t a handout, but a second chance. Everyone deserves that. Now I can be the one to hand out a shovel.”

“But your compassion helps change lives. That’s evident by what you’re doing here.” She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe God allowed you to go through everything you did so you’d be in a place to help someone else. Maybe you had to become homeless to understand their pain and give them the security they needed.”

Micah laughed, the tone a bit raw and ragged.

“Seems ironic that I had to lose an arm to give a hand up to others.”

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through.” Paige reached for Micah’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “God has a purpose for you. For this house. And for the men who will be living here.” She tapped his chest. “And it started here. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have come home for Ian’s funeral. You wouldn’t be going through all this to get the transitional home set up. You wouldn’t be talking to men like Jerome, encouraging them to take the next step.”

And she wouldn’t need to guard her heart to keep from falling for Micah. Because he was right—they needed to stay on track to meet their goals. And she couldn’t lose sight of that, either, by doing something silly like falling for a man who had a hard time recognizing love in his own family.

*****

Author Info:

Heart, home and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Happily married for over 30 years to her real-life hero, she and her husband have two grown sons. Lisa enjoys family time, good books, and creative time with friends. To learn more about her writing, visit http://www.lisajordanbooks.com.

*****

Spotlight – Nursing Her Amish Neighbor

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Marta Perry, Nursing Her Amish Neighbor

Nursing Her Amish Neighbor

by Marta Perry

on-sale Dec.28

Love Inspired

Blurb:

Healing his physical wounds is just the beginning…

Seeking a break from her nursing duties, Miriam Stoltzfus returns home to Lost Creek—and encounters her most difficult patient yet. Her childhood neighbor, Matthew King, is suffering after an accident left him injured and his younger brother dead. But he doesn’t want anyone’s help. Can Miriam guide him through his grief to prove he’s still the strong, confident man she remembers?

Amazon:https://www.amazon.ca/Nursing-Amish-Neighbor-Brides-Creek-ebook/dp/B09734ND19/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=NURSING+HER+AMISH+NEIGHBOR+by+Marta+Perry&qid=1637073755&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nursing-her-amish-neighbor-marta-perry/1139670406?ean=9781335758972

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335758972_nursing-her-amish-neighbor.html

*****

Excerpt:

“It takes time to come back from lying in bed,” Miriam said, as if she knew his thoughts. “I’ve heard a therapist say a week of exercise for every day in bed.” She’d moved closer, and as he tried again, she put her hand on the middle of his back, pressing.

He could feel how much easier that made it to pull up. And he could also feel the shape of her palm and the warmth of her skin through the thin cotton of his nightshirt. He looked at her, feeling that awareness move between them.

“Here, let me help.” Betsy charged in, inserting herself between him and Miriam.

Jealous? He couldn’t be sure.

“That’s right.” Miriam, unruffled, moved Betsy’s hand slightly. “Good. Now don’t push. Just use your hand for a little extra support. We want his muscles to work but not strain.”

“Yah, I see. I can feel it.” Betsy sounded pleased, her antagonism slipping away.

With the two of them behind him, he couldn’t see either of their faces. But he didn’t like the idea of them ganging up on him.

“Betsy, do we have any lemonade?”

“I don’t think so. Do you want some? I can make it.” All her eagerness to please him rushed back.

“We could all use some after we finish here, ain’t so? Why don’t you make a pitcher?”

“Right away.” She hurried off.

“Don’t worry about it.” Miriam seemed amused. “She’s still your willing servant.”

“That wasn’t the idea,” he said stiffly, his temper flaring that she could read him so easily. “In case you haven’t noticed, it makes her happy to do things for me.”

“I noticed.” She looped the handles back up over the bar and pulled down a pair of stretchy bands. “As long as she’s helping you to get stronger, I don’t object.”

“Stronger.” He almost spat out the word. “Stronger for what? None of this is going to do any good. It’s useless. I can’t be the person I was.”

She seemed unaffected by his anger. “We’ll never know that if you don’t try, will we?”

He glared at her for a long moment as

He glared at her for a long moment as a thought formed in his mind. He turned it over, looking at it from all angles. Would it work?

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“What kind of a deal?” Miriam’s expression was cautious.

“I promise to do everything you say…to try my hardest…for a month. If I’m not much better by then, you agree to quit.”

Miriam stood very still, considering before she spoke. “I can’t speak for Tim. Just for myself.”

“Yah. Just for yourself.”

“Who’s going to decide whether or not you’re much better?” she said. “You?”

His jaw hardened. She wasn’t going to make this easy.

“No,” he said abruptly. “How about… Betsy?”

Her lips twitched. “Don’t you think Betsy has her own reasons for wanting to be rid of me?”

He raised one eyebrow, a gesture that used to attract the girls. “If you’re really making progress, you’ll have won her over by then. What’s wrong? Don’t you have any confidence in your work?”

She seemed to wince at that. After a long moment, she nodded. “All right. It’s a deal.”

*****

Author Info:

Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren. Visit her online at http://www.martaperry.com.

*****

Spotlight – The Christmas She Married the Playboy

28 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Louise Fuller, The Christmas She Married the Playboy

The Christmas She Married the Playboy

by Louise Fuller

on-sale Nov.30

Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

Scandal leads to wedding bells in this uplifting, emotional marriage-of-convenience romance by Louise Fuller!

The one thing not on her Christmas list? A convenient winter wedding!

Louis Albemarle has tried to bury the pain and guilt of his father’s death with his playboy antics. So when a photo of his stolen moment with figure skater Santina Somerville proves one scandal too many for his company’s shareholders, Louis must contemplate the unimaginable: marriage!

Marrying Louis is the only way to save Santa’s pristine image. But after a past betrayal, it’s not the gossip she really fears. It’s the burning attraction between her and Louis that might just make resisting her convenient husband impossible…

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-She-Married-Playboy-International/dp/1335568212/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=THE+CHRISTMAS+SHE+MARRIED+THE+PLAYBOY+by+Louise+Fuller&qid=1637071458&qsid=133-7575147-1798556&sr=8-1&sres=1335568212%2CB091HY4P7V%2CB06ZY896ZM%2CB01M4MCUAF%2CB07S4D3LGF%2CB010TS23SE%2CB087JJLH6M%2CB0817WL4QX%2CB01152AI6W%2CB07H55M1ZR%2CB08C5JBVWJ%2CB079397GCQ%2CB07VG64XB7%2CB00KYK5FCE%2CB078X12B3V%2CB086183BWV&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-christmas-she-married-the-playboy-louise-fuller/1139151746?ean=9781335569172

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335569172_the-christmas-she-married-the-playboy.html

*****

Excerpt:

Santa stared at him, groping for some way for his words to make sense.

Marry him!

But of course he was being stupid again—mocking her, trying to punish her for what he saw as a problem of her making.

‘Good idea,’ she snapped. ‘Why don’t we fly to Vegas? We could get married with Elvis as the celebrant and afterwards we could invite all our new paparazzi friends to the reception.’

His face hardened. ‘If you like—although I thought the whole point of getting married was to get them off our backs.’

She felt her face dissolve, her mouth forming an O of shock. He was being serious. ‘Are you out of your mind?’

Marry Louis? The idea was absurd, and wrong on so many levels, and yet she couldn’t stop a hectic pulse from leapfrogging across her skin, or deflect a sudden vivid memory of the moment when his mouth had fused with hers.

‘No!’ Shaking her head to clear the image from her head, she took a step backwards. ‘I wouldn’t marry you if my life depended on it.’

‘What about your reputation?’

His voice was cold—but, looking into his eyes, she saw the heat of wounded male pride.

Louis’s pride was the last of her worries right now.

‘We can’t get married,’ she said firmly.

‘Why not?’ he shot back. ‘It would solve our immediate problems. Unless, of course, you’re already married.’

His eyes locked with hers and she stiffened. ‘I’m not married.’

‘And you don’t have a boyfriend right now, do you?’

Her cheeks were flaming with a shame she hated feeling. ‘I would hardly have kissed you if I did.’

Something shifted in his face—something she hadn’t got a name for.

‘It’s not always an obstacle,’ he said silkily.

‘Only for someone like you.’

‘If you say so.’

He tilted his head back, the coldness in his eyes making her shake inside.

‘Okay then, as there appears to be no legal impediment as to why I, Louis, may not be joined in matrimony to you, Santa Somerville, let’s get married.’

She stared at him, trying and failing to read his expression. No legal impediment maybe, but what about a moral one?

‘You can’t just use marriage as some kind of sticking plaster to fix this mess.’

He shrugged. ‘That’s exactly what I want to use it for.’

Her head was starting to spin. Why was he being so contrary?

‘Well, I don’t. It would be dishonest, wrong—’

‘It would also be expedient and mutually beneficial. And it’s not as if it’s going to be till-death-us-do-part. We’ll be lucky if we last a month without killing each other.’

And what about kissing each other?

*****

Author Info:

Louise Fuller was a tomboy who hated pink and always wanted to be the prince. Not the princess! Now she enjoys creating heroines who aren’t pretty pushovers but strong, believable women. Before writing for Mills and Boon, she studied literature and philosophy at university and then worked as a reporter on her local newspaper. She lives in Tunbridge Wells with her impossibly handsome husband, Patrick and their six children.

*****