A Small Town, Second Chance, Firefighter, standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase – Teasing You by Samantha Chase is now live!
Teasing You
The Donovans Series
by Samantha Chase
Blurb:
She’s being suspected of setting her workplace on fire.
He needs to prove it wasn’t her.
Now he’s on a mission to convince the one that got away that they belong together.
Ashlynn Donovan’s life just hit rock bottom. She lost her job, there are no prospects on the horizon, and she just unknowingly flashed the hot new firefighter in town. This isn’t the first time she’s embarrassed herself in front of him, but she was prepared to react the same way she did years ago – by running away. But Reid’s persistent and isn’t ready to let her get away a second time.
Reid Baylor always hoped to return to Sweetbriar Ridge—the only place he’s felt a connection to after a lifetime spent moving from place to place. When he learns of an opening in the fire department, he jumps at the chance to return to the small town he wants to call home again. And just when he thinks life can’t get any better, he runs into the one girl he’s never been able to forget. But reminding Ashlynn of their embarrassing first meeting might not have been the best move, especially when he wants to prove that he’s the man for her.
When Ashlynn is suspected of arson for the fire at her former workplace, Reid’s dream of becoming a fire inspector is on the line—and so is any chance he had with Ashlynn. Will his chance at getting both his dream job and the girl of his dreams go up in flames?
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and THE WEDDING SEASON which was a Hallmark wedding movie in 2023! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire when she should be writing, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Vito Bianchi has never been lucky in love, but the hot single firefighter is about to have his world turned upside down. Never Too Close by Chelle Bliss is now live!
Never Too Close
Star Falls series, Book 3
by Chelle Bliss
Blurb:
Vito Bianchi had given up on love years ago after his wife walked out the door. He immersed himself in his work, letting one day pass into the next so he didn’t dwell on what was missing in his life. But when he’s called out to a fire at the home of Star Falls newest resident, he couldn’t stop himself from being sucked in to her world.
Eden Byrne moved to the small town of Star Falls for a fresh start. The single mother wanted a better life for herself and her daughter far away from her past in Los Angeles. She promised herself she wouldn’t get involved with another man, but when the hot fireman becomes her newest friend, she can’t outrun the world of possibilities.
Never Too Close is a friends to lovers, single mother, protective alpha, family saga, cinnamon roll romance, and the third book in the Star Falls series.
Star Falls Series: Book 1 – Never Too Late Book 2 – Never Too Soon Book 3 – Never Too Close
Chelle Bliss is the Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of Men of Inked Series and Misadventures of a City Girl.
She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, coffee fiend, ex-high school history teacher, and currently lives near the beach even though she hates sand. Chelle loves spending time with her two cats, alpha boyfriend, and chatting with readers.
In the heat of victory, I asked her to be mine forever.
We’d both triumphed in our own way:
Nova broke free from her past.
I led my team to a championship and discovered life beyond the court.
Our journey to “I do” was supposed to be easy.
Except…
The hottest resort in Aspen is only available on short notice.
A new season with the Denver Kodiaks looms on the horizon.
My parents are too obsessed with my career to get to know the woman who stole my heart.
Add dueling bridesmaids, last-minute chaos, and a life-changing decision.
With love and loyalty on the line, it’s time to score the most important win of our lives.
GAME DAY is a King of the Court wedding novella and should be read following Play Maker (King of the Court #3). Get ready for fun and games with Clay, Nova and all your favorite Kodiaks!
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
Game Day is pretty much just a really long epilogue to the King of the Court series and I enjoyed every minute of it. We get to see Clay and Nova figure out how to manage the expectations of those around them, especially when they conflict with their own wants. There’re moments of steam but also big emotions and support, humor and fun. It’s a wonderful way to end their story … and a quick look at what’s coming up next for the Kodiaks.
*****
Author Info:
Piper Lawson is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of smart and steamy romance.
She writes women who follow their dreams, best friends who know your dirty secrets and love you anyway, and complex heroes you’ll fall hard for.
Piper lives in Canada with her tall and brilliant husband. She’s a sucker for dark eyes, dark coffee, and dark chocolate.
I’ve been in love with my best friend and roommate since the first day of boarding school over a decade ago. But Preston has always been oblivious, obsessed with his PhD research, and more importantly, straight.
When the new, sexy grad student walks into my gym, I have to wonder… is it time for me to move on?
Preston
Some guy is trying to steal my best friend. I won’t let him. Sawyer’s mine.
Maybe I haven’t appreciated Sawyer enough over the years, but that’s going to change now. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him by my side. Even if it means kissing him.
Stacked is a best friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening, nerd/jock MM romance between possessive, protective, and co-dependent roommates. Expect the most tender caretaking, slipping into each other’s beds in the middle of the night, and adorable clinginess. It is the second book in the Mars Fitness series and can be read as a standalone.
In the doorway is another boy, shorter than me and scrawny. The school uniform he’s wearing is wrinkled, one pant leg is caught in a sock, and the tie is loose and off-center. He’s got a mop of black hair and thick black-framed glasses, but what really catches my attention are his eyes.
They’re blue. Like the ocean. Like the sky. And they’re zeroed in on me with such intensity that my lungs stop working. My brain stops working. The only response I’ve got is whoa and cool.
Beside me, Mom clears her throat and steps forward. She puts on her mom voice when she speaks. “This is Sawyer and I’m his mom, Ms. Paige. He’s moving into this room today. And you are?”
The mom voice works because the boy shrinks back and clutches the textbook he’s holding closer to his chest. “Preston Boyer,” he says, eyeing Mom warily.
“So nice to meet you, Preston.” Then she hooks her thumb over to my side of the room. “Would all this be yours?”
Preston’s eyes dart from Mom to the bed, piled high with clothes, to me. There’s a little furrow in his brow like he’s trying to think of a response and drawing a blank. Like maybe all this stuff isn’t actually his.
Then he blurts out, “You’re not my roommate.”
Mom’s in front of me, so I can’t see her face, but I know exactly what it looks like. Her eyebrows are halfway up her forehead and her lips are pursed into her “What did you just say?” expression.
Oh shit. Preston’s in trouble.
“As a matter of fact, he is. Sawyer’s enrolling as a student at Westbourne and he’s been assigned to this double room. So your choices are to become friends and get along or find another room to sleep in. Either way, you need to move your things. Now.”
With each word coming out of Mom’s mouth, Preston shrinks into himself even further. I kind of feel bad for him, even if he’s being a jerk. Getting on Mom’s bad side is never a good idea.
“Hey, Pres. What’s taking so long?” A pretty blond girl wearing a cheerleading uniform materializes behind Preston. It takes a second for her to notice me and Mom in the room. “Oh! Hi! You must be Sawyer.”
She squeezes past Preston and approaches Mom with a big smile plastered on her face. The girl is brave. “I’m Madison. Preston’s girlfriend.” She extends a hand for Mom to shake, then does the same with me.
“Mads!” Preston hisses like Madison is consorting with the enemy. “What are you doing?”
Madison glances back at him. “I’m welcoming them. Come on, Pres, don’t be a jerk. You knew you were getting a roommate.”
“No, I didn’t!” Preston shuffles into the room, staying behind Madison like she can protect him from Mom. Madison looks like she can hold her own, but no one can stand in Mom’s way if she’s determined.
“Yes, you did.” She rolls her eyes and turns to the mess on Preston’s desk. “The Residence Office sent you a letter, remember?”
She shuffles through his things, tossing them around as Preston’s expression grows pained. He’s probably one of those people who has some weird ass filing system that only makes sense to them.
“Here it is!” Triumphantly, Madison holds a crumpled piece of paper high in the air. It’s the same thick cream-colored stuff that my acceptance letter was printed on. “Sawyer Paige. Moving in September twentieth. Please clear away any personal items that have been stored on the other side of the room.”
As one, we all stare at the personal items that have definitely not been cleared away.
Silence stretches for long moments before Madison breaks it. “No worries! I can help! It shouldn’t take too long.” She marches over with a big grin and grabs a stack of books off the desk.
“No! Wait!” Preston drops the textbook he’s holding and reaches for the ones in Madison’s hands. “You can’t just move stuff around! I have a system!”
Ha. Called it. This guy is strange. Living with him is going to be a drag, but at least I don’t have to worry about being the token loner.
“Fine, here, I’ll hand you the stuff and you put it wherever you want, okay?” Madison takes him by the shoulders and spins him around so he’s facing his side of the room again. “Just keep it all over there.”
Did she say she was his girlfriend? How the hell did a confident, pretty cheerleader end up with this disaster of a guy? I exchange a look with Mom, who has to be thinking exactly the same thing.
Then she sighs and pats me on the shoulder. “Looks like you’re all going to get along just fine.”
It’s going to be a long year.
*****
Author Info:
Linden Bell writes contemporary MM romances that heat you up and make you smile.
Check out Book 1 in the Mars Fitness Series: Ripped
Sometimes heartache is a blessing in disguise.
I thought my life was perfect. I lived with my amazing boyfriend. I worked with my ride-or-die best friend. I was on track to made-it-ville.
Then I came home one day to find my boyfriend sleeping with my best friend.
Now I’m lost with no one to turn to except Donnie, the silver fox who lets me crash at his house until I can figure out what the hell went wrong and how I’m supposed to fix it.
But once I’m there, I’m not sure I want to leave.
Donnie’s a lot older than me and he’s still grieving the death of his husband. My life is a trash fire and my career is non-existent. He’s a svelte spin instructor and I’m a film geek. We couldn’t be more different, but we need each other like we both need to breathe.
So maybe my boyfriend sleeping with my best friend wasn’t the worst thing to happen. Maybe it was the best. It brought me to Donnie.
Ripped is an age gap, nerd/jock, opposites attract MM romance between roommates who cuddle on the couch while watching classic movies. Expect steamy shower rooms, teary confessions, disapproving family, and brand new starts. It is the first book in the Mars Fitness series and can be read as a standalone.
CW: off-page sudden loss of a spouse, off-page homophobia, cheating secondary characters. Happily ever after guaranteed.
A delightful Caribbean-set romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course…
Sloane Cooper is up for her dream job as a designer for a top video game company. During the interview, though, she somehow promises the all-male panel that she’ll remain single and fully dedicated to the work. It’s actually fine—after her last boyfriend cheated on her, she vowed to focus on her career anyway.
Enter Charlie, aka Hot Neighbor Guy, a near-stranger who shocks her with the offer of an all-inclusive trip to a Turks and Caicos resort. The catch? Charlie originally planned the trip with his ex, and asks Sloane to pose as his new girlfriend to make his old flame come running back. Against her better judgment, Sloane says yes; she can use the time away to develop a game design that will dazzle the Catapult team and get her a job offer.
Despite sparks flying in paradise, the trip can’t lead to more. As their connection deepens, Sloane is reminded that she can’t fall for Charlie and get knocked off her professional path. Besides, he’s trying to win back his true love. Can Sloane figure out a way to move past heartbreak, land the job of her dreams, and avoid catching feelings? The zombie apocalypse would be easier to solve—at least she’s prepared for that.
“Tubati Alexander is a writer to watch!” —Emily Giffin
“In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander was a delight from start to finish…When I reread this book, let it be on a beautiful tropical beach, please!” —Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
“Neely Tubati Alexander does it again, and this time even dreamier than ever. I felt like I was right there with Sloane in beautiful Turks and Caicos, and for a lighthearted vacation read, this tackles some real issues of sexism in the game industry. I loved every second and cheered for Sloane every (mis)step of the way!” —Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Tropes you’ll love: Love on vacation, forced proximity, fake dating
Laugh-out-loud moments: Neely’s signature voice shines in this release — bringing humor to the relatable moments in our own not-so-perfect worlds
Relevant: Sexism is a barrier many women face today when pursuing their passions in male-dominated industries
*****
Author Info:
Neely Tubati Alexander is originally from the Pacific Northwest and resides in Arizona with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, LOVE BUZZ, won the Zibby Award for Best Beach Read and was hailed by Good Morning America as “the perfect escapist read…absolutely delightful.” Her books have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Nerd Daily, with starred reviews of her work from Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Kirkus. Booklist declared her “an exciting new romance writer.”
Will Aster excels at two things: soccer and self-sabotage. Following a viral incident involving him and the club owner’s wife, his only option to continue playing is overseas on FC Kluvberg—a team known for not tolerating scandal. A last chance and a harsh wake-up call.
Sophia Beck has spent her life avoiding football. Growing up in the shadow of her family’s stratospheric success in the sport left scars. About to begin her final year of university, she’s eager to pursue a career in photography, not receive an internship assignment involving her brother’s team. The last thing she expects is to meet a guy—a player—who makes her want to watch a game.
He loves soccer.
She resents it.
Those contrary viewpoints collide when Will and Sophia discover something stronger than their conflicting emotions toward the sport—their feelings for each other.
Five years ago, Astrid O’Malley experienced the ultimate in public humiliation. Being dumped at the altar by her childhood sweetheart was horrifying enough. That fact that he was a professional hockey goalie and her dad was his coach? It was all anyone in sports could talk about.
Eff hockey. Eff goalies.
These days, Astrid lives a life (mostly) free of hockey and free to pursue whoever she wants with exactly zero shame in her game. Like tonight’s hook-up. This guy’s nailed the lumberjack aesthetic perfectly. Especially when he has the stamina and creativity to back it up.
Because the rule is: it’s one night only. Which is gonna be a problem because she’s just discovered he lives in the apartment upstairs.
And he’s joined her dad’s team. As the goalie coach. To train her ex.
Now Astrid is in some kind of hockey hell–filled with her ex, her family, and the best sex of her life. And somehow she’s been roped back onto the team.
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives outside of Washington DC with her family, Dwight the cat, and a pack of five dogs all named after food. If she’s not reading romance or binging reality TV, she’s most definitely plotting to take over the world so she can banish Crocs from existence. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.
Keep your friends close, and your competitor closer
“Lulu Moore created a perfect book boyfriend in OAR THAN FRIENDS. Oz is the very definition of boy obsessed and his pursuit of Kate is absolutely delicious! This book is sweet and sexy and I didn’t want it to end!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy
Oar Than Friends
by Lulu Moore
Blurb:
She’s rowing for Cambridge. He’s rowing for Oxford. But they just can’t keep one another at oar’s length . . .
Arthur Osbourne-Cloud has his future mapped out for him – graduate Oxford and follow his dreadful father into politics. Except Arthur wants anything but that. He’d rather spend his days rowing for gold at the Olympics,.
And this year he has the Boat Race to win.
Kate Astley also has her future mapped out. Fly half-way across the world, and win a scholarship at Cambridge University to study medicine. Oh, and crew for the legendary Boat Race. Seems simple enough.
But then she meets Arthur.
For Arthur, this feisty American challenges everything he’s been taught to believe, while Kate battles between what she’s expected to do, and what she wants to do.
The bitter rivalry between their universities ought to destroy them. Or will it just be a matter of time before they surrender to the sizzling chemistry between them?
But In The Boat Race, there can only be one winner. Who will sink and who will swim?
PRAISE FOR OAR THAN FRIENDS:
‘Icould not put this book down‘ Goodreads Reviewer
‘A breathtakingly unique take on the college rivals and sports romance tropes’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘5+ stars!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘This book gives it all, and I’m not ashamed to say, I laughed, I cried, and I may have bit through my lip because of the tension in the end’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘It’s a 5-star read – if I could give more I would’ Goodreads Reviewer
Lulu started writing by accident, and somehow found herself stuck in a fictional world of ice hockey, baseball and billionaires. A world she has no plans to leave. She’s the creator of The New York Players Series, The Tuesday Club Series, and The New York Lions – the worst team in the M.L.B.
More recently she’s ventured across the Atlantic to where her latest novel is set – the beautiful cities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the annual rowing showdown on the River Thames.
She’s a big fan of strong heroines, because those fierce alphas need someone to keep them in check. You’ll find hear navigating her way through Romance Land one HEA at a time, and trying to figure out the latest social media platform she needs to post to.
A marriage proposal from a deliciously handsome and wickedly charming prince sounds like a fairytale.
But for a nerdy scientist with severe social anxiety,it’s a horror story.
Prince Torin O’Grady, with his mischievous blue eyes and cocky grin, is always in the spotlight. And he needs to marry me to inherit the crown.
But we have nothing in common. He’s a future king. And I’m perfectly happy slogging through mud in my work boots.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him?
Maybe because he won’t stop texting me. And sending me gifts. And making me feel like everything I find awkward and weird about myself is special and amazing.
And there’s also that little detail of him offering me my dream job and telling me that together we can change the world.
Well, I could probably 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 for him.
And if I have to marry him 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 to get what we both want, then fine. It’s for the greater good.
It has nothing to do with the way he kisses me. Or that dirty mouth. Or the 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵he gives me in the bedroom.
Fine. Maybe it does. Still, it’s only a year. Then I can turn in my tiara and come back to my normal, boring, behind-the-scenes life.
But Torin is determined to turn me from reluctantly royal to royally 𝘩𝘪𝘴.
NYT & USA Today bestseller Erin Nicholas is writing this fun new modern royal romance under her new pen name Erin Nicolle!
She presses her lips together, takes a breath, then asks, “What else do you want?”
I decide to be honest. “I want to whisk you away on my private plane to an actual palace and give you everything and anything you could ever want or need.”
Her eyes widen. “You don’t even know me.”
I tuck my hands into my back pockets. To try to look casual. But also to keep from reaching for her.
“I’ve read all about your work,” I tell her. “I started by just wanting to know about that job you said you hated so much. But then I kept reading. I know all about you.”
She’s staring at me. She’s sitting up straighter now and even in the pale light, I can see her shock.
“You…read about me?”
“Not just about you. I read all of your papers. Your work in college. Your dissertation. The articles you’ve published. I even stumbled upon some social media posts.”
“I…Oh…” She shakes her head. “I thought you wanted to sleep with me.”
I chuckle softly. “Oh, Abigail, I most definitely want to sleep with you.”
She swallows hard.
“I wanted that before I knew you are a damned genius who could come to my country and revolutionize agriculture and completely overhaul our economy.”
I can see that she’s breathing faster now.
“So you want to hire me?” she asks. “Which means we can’t sleep together because you’ll be my boss.”
I step up on the first step.
“I don’t want to hire you. But I do want to bring you to Cara to do your work.”
“I don’t understand.”
I step up onto the next step, but she doesn’t back up. There’s only a step between us now. “I want you to marry me.”
Her eyes widen. But she says nothing.
“Be my princess,” I go on. “You’ll have influence and resources. You can do anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to do.”
She’s staring at me. Then when she realizes I’m done talking, she laughs.
“Marry you? Is that how things work for you? You just smile that smile, waltz a couple of waltzes, and women just say yes to anything? Even marriage?”
Well…
“I’ve never asked anyone to marry me before, so I don’t really know,” I answer.
She’s still smiling. “Thank you for the offer. But I’m not going to marry you.”
“As princess of Cara you can see your plans in action. Right now, they’re all just on paper. You’re not actually doing any of it. Don’t you want to see it come to life?”
Now she’s not smiling. She’s just watching me. She takes a deep breath. “Of course I do.”
“This is the perfect way. There’s no red tape. Nothing between your amazing brain and making it all happen for real.”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. My country needs a prince and princess in place before my grandfather steps aside. The country deserves to know who will be there to step up and take care of them. My grandfather needs a successor in place before his heart gives out.”
“He has a bad heart?” she asks.
“He’s already had three heart attacks. I really need to get married to give him and the country peace of mind.”
“So you’re serious about finding a wife?”
“I am.”
She steps down a step.
“Abigail.”
“Yes?”
“If you step down one more step, I’m going to kiss you.”
She wets her lips.
“So if you want to just keep talking, you need to keep your sweet ass right there on that step.”
She looks down at the step that would start the kissing.
“And if you don’t want to keep talking…or anything else… you need to go back inside.”
She’s staring at me. But she seems more fascinated than anything. “Okay. I understand.”
“Good.”
Two heartbeats pass.
Then she steps down onto the step right above mine.
I groan and cup her face, bringing her mouth in against mine.
*****
Review:
Pretty sure that there isn’t a better book boyfriend (or husband) than Torin. He’s hot, caring, and intelligent. He listens to Abi, really listens, and does his best to make her world perfect. He supports her and helps her navigate difficult situations. He gives her gifts that actually matter to her and makes sure that ALL of her needs are met *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* 🙂
Not that Abi doesn’t do what she can to support him in return. She believes in him and helps him embrace his future as a monarch, leading Cara into a delightful future. But no one can do it with the flair that Torin does.
I appreciate that we avoid what could have been a huge conflict towards the end. Instead we are given a satisfying slide into a HEA and a glimpse of a delightful future. Erin has always delivered the heat and the fun, continuing to do so with a new series and a new name, and I’m so looking forward to what she has in store for us next.
(Can be read as a stand alone but there are character appearances and references to previous books.)
I’ve given up on love by the time tall, dark and handsome sweeps me off my feet — literally.
Mal
Everyone around me is sickeningly in love. And I’m happy for my friends. I really am. But when is my turn coming? Why am I still a disposable hookup?
I’m ready to give up on love entirely by the time a bunch of drunk jocks decide to jump me on my way home from the Boyfriend Café. But before a single punch can fall he sweeps in, my dashing hero, my literal tall, dark and handsome, the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.
Please tell me this isn’t a dream.
Omari
The second I hear a scream I run toward it without thinking. My own teammates are threatening someone, and I rush in to stop them. But the man I save is … beautiful. And funny. And smart. And he brazenly gives me his phone number right then and there.
He has no idea that he just gave his number to the most hunted man at this university.
I’m Omari Carter, a football player everyone assumes is destined for the pros. Scouts are hounding me. Coach is pushing me to decide on my future. My whole family is depending on me. But Mal doesn’t know or care about any of that.
With all the expectations weighing me down, I don’t have time for love. So why can’t I walk away from this?
Mint to Be is an opposites attract MM romance with a major size difference, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, an athlete meeting a lovable fashion nerd and spicy open door scenes.
Broccoli cocks his hand back. I stumble away, but I’m not looking and my foot catches on the curb. I fall backward onto the sidewalk, screaming in terror as I thump to the ground. It’s a real scream, too, a full-throated shriek of panic as my doom approaches. I cover my head in my hands. It won’t do a bit of good, but I don’t have anything else to protect myself with. I can’t run. I can’t hide. I can’t talk my way out of this. When that fist comes down on me, I’m pulp on the sidewalk.
“Hey. Assholes.”
Everything stops as someone shouts at the football bros. Broccoli hesitates, his fist in the air, his dumb neanderthal face going slack with surprise as he sizes up the man sprinting toward us like his shoes are on fire. Seriously, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone that fast in my life.
He doesn’t slow down when he reaches the group, either. He keeps running, slamming into Broccoli and tackling him to the pavement. They grunt and shout, but the new guy has the upper hand. He doesn’t seem drunk, for one thing.
“Cut it out, Derek,” New Guy says.
“Fuck, Omari, what the hell? That really hurt!” Broccoli says.
“As much as it would have hurt that dude you were about to punch? What is wrong with you, man? You really think Coach won’t sit your ass on the bench for that shit?”
“I don’t know, man. I was drunk. He was in our way. He said some shit. I got mad.”
“Well, get un-mad. Real quick. And then get the fuck out of here, understand?”
Broccoli nods, and New Guy lets him up. I’m still on the ground, mouth agape as I watch this interaction play out. The other guys in the group all mutter apologies before they drag their buddy away. And then it’s just me and that new guy, the one they called Omari.
He turns toward me, and I instantly forget how to breathe.
People jokingly call Albert tall, dark and handsome, but this guy is literally tall, dark and handsome. He might be taller than Albert, and he’s built from nothing but lean muscle. His every movement bears an athlete’s grace. When he looks down at me, his eyes are deep and vast and dark, nearly as dark as his close-cropped hair and beard. He extends one smooth brown hand toward me.
“Are you okay?” he says.
I don’t know how to answer that with my heart flailing around in my chest.
I just got superhero rescued by the most gorgeous man on this entire campus.
*****
Review:
Readers are gonna have to be ok with a bit of a rollercoaster with Ray’s newest. Omari is really conflicted about his future and struggles with how Mal & their attraction for each other can fit into it. Getting both of their POVs helps to see where each of them are coming from so you understand Omari’s struggle. I think my favorite part is that both of them have people there for them. Mal is a little bit better at embracing that support, I think because of how they’ve all been there for each other up to this point, but once Omari accepts they want to help and want the best for him, it leads to a satisfying ending.
There are some complaints about how Omari treats Mal and how Mal reacts, but I remember what it was like to be in college so this really struck true to me. Usually it didn’t end in a HEA tho so I’m pleased that Mal & Omari were able to figure things out. And the way that Mal is able to help Omari figure things out is just the sweetest.
*****
Author Info:
F. A. Ray started writing fiction as a child and has never stopped. When they aren’t writing, they enjoy rock climbing and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they live with their partner and cat.
Visit linktr.ee/faraywrites to find out more. You can also sign up for my Patreon, where I post WIPs, updates, bonus scenes, deleted scenes and short stories that don’t appear anywhere else.
Romantic Reads and Such 