Spotlight – Once Upon a Halloween Night Anthology

06 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

Tags

Courtney W. Dixon, Dating in Disguise, Ghosted, Halloween Dance Floor, Haunted Melodies, Hot Hex on a Platter, Hurricanes & Halloween, Kate Stacy, Katrina Marie, Lauren Helms, Louise Lennox, Masked Love, Mel Walker, Once Upon a Halloween Night, Susan Renee

Join us this Halloween for the exclusive Once Upon a Halloween Night bash in the New Orleans Warehouse District for an evening of fun, costumes, and romance. The Indie Pen PR and Beyond the Bookshelf Publishing are excited to kick off spooky season with seven brand-new, fun, and sexy novellas from Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Kartina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, and Louise Lennox.

Once Upon a Halloween Night

by Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Katrina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, Louise Lennox

Blurb:

Congratulations!

You’ve been invited to attend the exclusive Once Upon A Halloween Night bash.

This year, join us in New Orleans Warehouse District on Halloween Night for an evening of fun, costumes and… romance?

Wait. What?

That’s right.

The Indie Pen PR and Beyond the Bookshelf Publishing is proud to host Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Kartina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, and Louise Lennox – in this fun Halloween romance anthology.

So, throw on your best costume and get ready to sit back and enjoy seven brand new novellas to celebrate spooky season with a romantic twist.

Add to Goodreads!

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/u/3k2QKG

*****

She sets the drink down and turns to me. “You must love Robin Hood if you’re willing to invest.”

“Robin Hood and I have a lot in common, actually.” I inform her.

Her nose scrunches. “Oh really? How so?”

“Well, for starters, I’m a master archer”

“Nope. I don’t believe it.” She giggles.

“I am. Really. I learned at summer camp when I was twelve. Hooked ever since.” I tell her almost defensively.

“Ah, okay then. What else do you have in common?”

“I’m glad you asked. See, I’m also a master of disguise.”

Her eyes widen playfully, “Oh my. I can see that. Is this even your real face?”

I lean my head back and smirk at her. “Everything about me is real, baby. Truth is, I’m not worried about disguising myself tonight, so what you see is what you get.”

“I’ve heard that he’s also a charmer. A ladies’ man. Obviously, that checks out.” She grins.

I nod. “I was born a charmer. It’s in my blood.”

“Right.” She nods in understanding, laughter dancing all over her face. “So what you’re saying is that you are the embodiment of Robin Hood.”

“Oh, I like that. The embodiment of Robin Hood.” I snap my fingers. She’s brilliant and beautiful.

Her brows furrow, “Does that make you an outlaw then?”

“Nah, I mean, if stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is considered breaking the law…”

She huffs out a laugh. “Stealing is totally considered breaking the law.”

I shrug, “Meh, maybe, but I’ve got a heart of gold, so that’s all that matters.”

“I suppose that’s true.” She reaches for her drink and sips it, keeping eye contact with me over the glass. She’s flirty and I’m digging it, but she’s not getting all touchy-feely with me, so I’m a little unsure of where this is going.

“Come with me,” I say, grabbing hold of her hand.

Remi’s laughter rings through the night air as I lead her between the cathedral and museum, slipping into one of the alcoves there. The joy in her voice mirrors the twinkling stars in the sky, and her eyes sparkle with a mix of amusement and excitement. Fuck, she’s beautiful.

Carefree looks incredible on her.

Shrouded in shadows, I watch Remi as her laughter subsides into a contented sigh. She looks at me and smiles, so I kiss her again, pressing her body against the hard stone behind her.

I can’t get enough.

The way she tastes.

The feel of her body against mine.

“Luke,” she murmurs breathlessly against my lips.

I trail kisses along her jaw, groaning when she tips her head back, giving me access to more of her soft, silky skin.

“Luke,” she says again, and I want to hear her say it a thousand times more. “We can’t do this here.”

“Afraid of things that go bump in the night?” I murmur, smiling as I kiss down the column of her throat.

She sucks in a breath.

“No. Just charges for indecent exposure, public lewdness, or—”

Chuckling, I take her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply.

“You promise to wait for me?” She asks the question, already knowing the answer. At a concert in Detroit that had technical issues with the lighting and sound equipment, Aaliyah spent nearly an hour reaming out the organizer. She came out an hour later and was shocked to see me waiting for her. I committed to her that day that I would never leave a venue without her.

“The rest of my life if I have to.” The words slip from my heart to my lips without thinking. My chest thumps heavily with my misstep. She twists to read in my eyes the meaning of my words.

Lights bounce off her glasses, and I fail in my attempt to read hers. An explosion of cheers erupts in front of me, and I look up to investigate. Ali is bowing at the front of the stage. The performance has ended.

The house lights rise in the theatre, and Poppy leads the girls back to their families. Whistles and cheers continue to float in the air.

A warm set of lips land on my cheek. I hold my breath and record this moment, stored alongside a treasure trove of protected memories.

Aaliyah’s lips linger for a heartbeat longer than normal, a hesitation I pick up on because when it comes to her, I notice everything. “Really good work today. Congrats. See you in ten.”

“Here, let me …” I take her hand to help her out of the pit. I chew on my tongue to distract myself from the spark that shoots through my body.

“Such a gentleman. Someday, some lucky woman will …” She doesn’t complete the sentence. The words hang like a challenge.

A challenge I’ve yet to answer.

My eyes linger on Aaliyah as she navigates the narrow aisle. She moves with a purposeful stride, a woman on a mission. My eye refuses to look away until she disappears out the exit. Only then do I take a breath. Only then do I realize I hadn’t.

Like I said, I got it bad.

She has work to do. But I’ll wait. I’ll always wait for her. I whisper the words I don’t have the courage to say to her face. The words I pray may come true someday. “Someday. Someday that lucky woman will be you.”

“How do you make it so easy to breathe, Scarlett?” Oliver asks me, his forehead pressed to mine.

“Because I don’t expect you to be someone you’re not, Oliver. You’re free with me. Zero expectations. Consider me your safe space.”

“I’m finding myself overwhelmingly attracted to you,” he says. “And I’m sorry if that’s too much. Maybe Rowena was right. I’m not good at hiding my feelings.”

“It’s perfectly fine to have feelings. I have them too.” I bring my hands to his cheeks. “I wasn’t sure how this day was going to go, but somehow, you’ve managed to make every moment perfect. You let me take the lead instead of treating me like your personal arm candy. You’ve asked about my feelings. My desires. What I want for myself and for my future. Do you know how long it’s been since a man has asked how I feel? Hell, I could marry you right now and have no remorse given what I was about to walk into.”

“I’m really fucking glad you didn’t marry him.”

“Me too.”

“My bad.” He doesn’t look sorry at all. The wide grin he’s sporting as he watches the people still staring at us says he’s pretty proud of himself. I don’t blame him, though. He never would have had the confidence to do that at eighteen. Now, in our mid-thirties, he’s sure of what he wants. Even if that person lives hours away from him, and has no idea how we are going to make this work.

“It’s all good.” I lean my head on his shoulder. “I’d say it was more than worth it.”

We sit in silence as the DJ continues to play music downstairs. There are still a couple of hours until this thing ends. And as much as I want to ditch the rest of the party and head straight to our hotel room, I know we should stay a little longer. Especially since our tickets were essentially free. I know the payoff will be fine with Kelly, though. This was her moment to play fairy godmother. Her way of making my wildest dreams come true.

“Want to see what else this party has to offer?” Patrick squeezes my knee. It might be my imagination, but I think his hand moved further up my leg. There’s a good chance he’s having the same thoughts I am. Both of us are too polite to voice them aloud.

“Sure.” I stand and he does the same. Grabbing my drink, I hook a finger into his belt loop. Not so accidentally grabbing his butt in the process.

“You keep doing that and I’ll carry you out of here.”

The drinks are working their way through my system because what falls from my lips next is something I’d never say. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Greyson sat back in the seat and stared out the window. We were almost there despite the heavy traffic. “How did we meet?” he asked.

“Hmm, how about at my favorite coffee shop? You spilled coffee on me.”

He waved a hand at me. “Ugh. Please. That trope has been done to death.”

I huffed a laugh. Seriously, I was going to give him wine more often. “And what would you suggest?”

“Let’s keep it relatively realistic and almost the truth since it will be easier to remember the lie.”

“Good at lying, are we?”

He smirked and leaned closer to me. “Did you just make a joke?”

“I never joke.” Which was also a lie.

“Anyway! Let’s say I applied to Nomadology, and you found me so hot and irresistible that I swept you off your feet, and you refused to hire me so you could date me.”

For the first time since I could remember, I barked out a laugh and enjoyed watching him blush.

“What? It could happen.”

At this point, I have tunnel vision. I’m focused on taking out the piece of shit who had the nerve to violate my woman. No one touches or hurts what’s mine and gets away with it.

I maneuver around him while he continues cursing and swinging, matching his speed and intensity as he advances closer to me with every step. As he reaches out with both arms to grab me, I take a chance, knowing I need to knock his big ass out and get this over with.

I hit him with a powerful uppercut that sends him sprawling onto the ground below.

He lies there motionless as I stare down at him with disgust; the power of my punch had been enough to knock him out cold, and between that and his intoxication, he’ll be down for a while.

Tessa rushes over to me, her face filled with worry as she glances at the man’s condition and grimaces.

“Thank You. But I had him under control. The violence wasn’t necessary.”

Her voice has a bite of annoyance, but the relief on her face is evident. She didn’t want to admit it, but she liked being rescued, but I’ll gladly admit that saving her has made my dick impossibly hard. I want to love. Protect, and fuck her until she passes out in equal measure.

Maybe there was a chance of staying out of her life if I hadn’t seen her in the flesh. However, now that she’s within arm’s reach, I know I’ll never let her go.

Her sister steps over the unconscious man, who is now snoring loudly and shakes her head. The man she was with was long gone. “Tessa, are you kidding me? You couldn’t control him, and I swear if I had known he was that disrespectful, I would have never dragged you up here.”

Tears well up in her sister’s eyes. “I’m sorry; I should have listened to you.”

Yeah, she should have.

Tessa gives her a sweet smile and pulls her into a hug. “It’s OK; you didn’t know how bad he could be because I never told you how he harassed me in high school. I was too ashamed and thought I was leading him on or something.”

“This fool harassed you in high school?” I roar. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

Both women look at me like I’m crazy, but I don’t care. The idea of him hurting my sweet girl in any way makes me want to wake him up to knock him out again.

Tessa looks at me warily. “Umm, thank you, I guess.”

She looks back at Foolio lying on the ground and ponders something before returning to me. I hate the look of worry on her face, and all I want to do is kiss every stress line away.

“Look, Marcus, it’s been a long night. We’re heading home, and you should probably get home before he wakes up. He will be furious, and I’d hate seeing you get into trouble on my account.”

I frown. “I’m not scared of him. Didn’t you see me lay his ass out?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, Action Jackson, we all saw you, but do you even know who you knocked out?”

Exasperated, I step closer and breathe her in. She smells like cherries and doesn’t flinch away like she did with the man lying on the ground. Instead, she subconsciously steps closer to me.

That’s because she’s mine.

I brush the back of my knuckles over her arm. “No, sweetheart, I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

Her sister Selene snorts and speaks up. “Well, you should care Romeo because he’s Richard Harris, the Chief of Police. What do you have to say now?”

I give her an incredulous look but say nothing.

This can’t be life.

*****

Author Info:

Lauren Helms is a romance author her nerdy and flirty contemporary words. Lauren has forever been an avid reader from the beginning. After starting a book review website, that catapulted her fully into the book world, she knew that something was missing. While working for a video game strategy guide publisher, she decided to mix what she knew best–video games and romance. She decided to take the plunge and write her first novel, Level Me Up. Several published novels later, Lauren created PR company, Indie Pen PR, to help other authors promote their books.

Lauren lives in Indianapolis, Indiana sharing her love of books and video games with her own Gamer Boy husband and three young kid nerds who will hopefully grow up to share the love of things that united Lauren and her husband on their own happily ever after.

Author of emotionally-gripping, contemporary romance, Kate Stacy’s novels feature sassy heroines, swoony heroes, life, love, friendship, and all the angst. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family and friends in small-town North Carolina, Kate can most likely be found nose deep in her Kindle. She stays up too late, swears too much, and loves too hard.

Mel Walker has been writing fiction most of his adult life. Specializing in Short Stories and Contemporary fiction and Romance Novels. A native New Yorker and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan. He loves to write about ordinary people placed in difficult situations, especially as it relates to their closest relationships.

Mel Walker is a rare bird, the male romance author. Specializing in heartfelt small town romance, he enjoys telling compelling romances with all the feels. A native New Yorkers and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan, he enjoys long walks, bike rides and taking in the energy of the city.

Susan Renee wants to live in a world where paint doesn’t smell, Hogwarts is open twenty-four/seven, and everything is covered in glitter. An indie romance author, Susan has written about everything from tacos to tow-trucks, loves writing romantic comedies but also enjoys creating an emotional angsty story from time to time. She lives in Ohio with her husband, kids, two dogs and a cat. Susan holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music Education and a self-awarded Doctorate in Sass and Sarcasm. She enjoys laughing at memes, speaking in GIFs and spending an entire day jumping down the TikTok rabbit hole. When she’s not writing or playing the role of Mom, her favorite activity is doing the Care Bear stare with her closest friends.

Katrina Marie lives in the Dallas area with her husband, two children, bonus child, grandchild, and fur babies. She is a lover of all things geeky and nerdy. When she’s not writing you can find her at her children’s sporting events, curled up reading a book, or binge watching her favorite shows.

Courtney W. Dixon loves to write steamy romance, but in each story, she gives her character’s challenges and struggles. She writes m/f and m/m stories within one series to add a variety to her characters. And she writes her characters as having flaws, imperfections, and who don’t always do the right thing. Humans are never perfect, and make a lot of mistakes in their lives. In the end, she tries to help them grow to be better as they achieve their HEAs.

You can find Courtney working in Central Texas with her husband, two boys, and two crazy dogs, none of whom know how to knock on a door while she’s working.

Contemporary romance Author Louise Lennox is a hopeful romantic writing steamy romances full of heart and healing.

A Spelman College and Georgetown University graduate, Louise provides women with diverse and meaningful representation in romance novel pages. Not seeing enough women like herself headlining positive love stories, she launched #HappyBlackRomance; a community of readers and writers committed to the creation and sharing of positive romance stories featuring Black heroines.

Louise Lennox plots highlight the joys of Black relationships across the diaspora; pushing readers from all cultural backgrounds to admire them for their strength and downright sexiness. In her novels sparks always fly; the sex amazes; and the characters always leave the world better than they found it through their love.

When she’s not writing, Louise is enjoying her work as a school leader, wife, and mother of the two cutest dragons to ever walk the earth!

To learn more about #HappyBlackRomance and to score a free book or two, check out her website http://www.lovelouiselennox.com.

*****

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Review – Twist of Date

24 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Book Review, Happily Ever After Inc series, Lauren Helms, Twist of Date

Layla James has always been in the business of love and never mixes business with pleasure, but when Cole Reed walks back into her life, she’s left questioning everything. Can this blast from the past convenience Layla to set her rules aside and take a chance on love? Fans of secret fling romances will love TWIST OF DATE by Lauren Helms, a steamy matchmaker romance.

Twist of Date

Happily Ever After, Inc. #2

by Lauren Helms

Blurb:

Once upon a time, there was a charming restaurant owner and an unsuspecting matchmaker who refused to mix business with pleasure…

Layla

I’ve always been in the business of love. Happily Ever After, Inc. has thrived under my leadership and the hard set of rules that I set for myself. But when a never quite forgotten blast from my past walks into my life, I’m suddenly questioning everything and everyone around me.

Cole Reed is everything I want in a man – handsome, successful, and charming.

There’s just one small hiccup…Cole is Happily Ever After’s latest client, and he’s got his sights on me.

Cole

I’m used to getting what I want and I’ve never left a date unhappy. So when my grandmother insists I need to work with a matchmaker…her lifelong best friend at that…I’m skeptical. Especially when my path crosses with the girl that always seemed to get away.

She’s sexy, smart, and determined – everything I’ve always admired about her. And this time, I refuse to let her get away.

There’s just one small problem…Layla James is my so-called matchmaker’s granddaughter – and the owner of the matchmaking company that’s just taken me on.

It feels like a weird twist of date that’s put the two of us back in each other’s life, but Layla doesn’t quite see it that way.

Can I convince her to break a few rules and take a chance on our own happily ever after?

Add to Goodreads!

Read Now!

*****

Excerpt:

“For real, though, a matchmaker? Really, Cole?”

I groan and cover my face with my hand, scrubbing my palm over my eyes then down my cheeks and chin. “Long story short, my grandma asked Ruth to do her a solid and get me settled down. So Ruth went through her song and dance. I think she may have mind ninja’d me into agreeing to be her newest client.”

“Well, shit.” He barks out a laugh.

“Yeah. So I guess I’ll be going on prearranged dates and stuff. I’m not one hundred percent sure what this whole thing involves.”

“I’m here for it, though. This is gonna be one hell of a ride, brother. Entertaining as fuck, I’m sure.” Travis is going to have a blast with this.

“Here’s the crazy thing, though. Ruth’s granddaughter, who actually owns the company, I went to school with her. We had a few business classes at IU and kinda hung out in the same crowd. We were never a thing, but I think we both wanted to be.”

“Oh, snap,” he mutters. “Tell me more.”

“I didn’t know she was related to Ruth, but I saw her today. We chatted a little. I gave her my number. I want to catch up with her.”

“Is she hot?”

I glare at him, his use of the term hot rubbing me the wrong way when it comes to Layla.

He throws his hands up and adds, “What? It’s a legit question. It’s okay if she’s not. You don’t always have to date a ten, man.”

I shake my head, annoyed. “No, Layla is a fucking twelve. She was a solid ten back in college, but she’s even more beautiful now.”

Travis whistles. “Damn, you’ve got it bad.”

“No, I don’t, just wasn’t expecting to run into her today. It’s been ten years.”

Travis hits me with the back of his hand. “Oh, oh, what if Ruth sets you up with her? Can’t you just ask your matchmaker to set you up with people?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I doubt it works like that, but maybe.” I trail off. Maybe I should ask Ruth about Layla. If she’s single and I’m single, maybe we can finally give it a go.

“Well, I’m team Layla then, man. That’s who I want you to give your first rose to. Oh, and then I’ll be the friend that she gets to meet before you take her home to meet the parents. It’s gonna be an intense ride getting to that final rose ceremony.” He gushes. I see the smirk.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, man? This isn’t a dating show, it’s my life, and I’m not even sure I’m going to go through with it.” I stand from the chair and walk toward the door.

“You’ll do it. Or Dorthy is gonna come hunt you down,” he says from the couch.

He’s not wrong.

“I’ll be back down around six on my way out. You better not be here.” I point at him and give him my best “I’m your boss” glare.

“Oh, hey, if you can fit it into your busy dating schedule”—I roll my eyes at his dig, but he doesn’t miss a beat and continues—“trivia night is coming up at that books and coffee place a few blocks from my apartment. Theme is ’90s Pop Culture. Wanna go and destroy the other teams?”

I chuckle because of our hobbies, the pop culture trivia is the one we both enjoy the most. He is training at becoming a blacksmith, and me, well, I’m a sucker for a good Dungeon and Dragons campaign. But trivia? Put us in a team and we are unstoppable.

“Sure, send me the info and I’ll add it to my calendar.”

“You got it, boss.” He salutes.

“Don’t call me that,” I grumble as I walk out his office door.

“If the shoe fits,” he yells after me. I raise my hand and flip him off, shaking my head at his laugh that follows me down the hallway.

He’s got about two hours before he needs to be kicked out for the night, so I’ve got two hours to get some work done and focus on my task list.

No more thinking about the gorgeous brunette from my past.

At least that’s what I tell myself anyway.

*****

Review:

Just like Wed Like Wildfire, Helms’s newest is sweet, fun, & sexy and I had a tough time putting it down. Cole & Layla work seamlessly together as a couple. From the moment Layla gives in, it’s like they’ve always been together. . . if only he wasn’t in the process of being matched to someone else.

As for the matchmaking, it’s obvious there is something going on, and from the outside looking in we know what Ruth is up to, but it takes a bit for the characters to catch on. Plus, Layla fights it every step of the way – I’m not 100% sure of all her reasons but she does take her company seriously. If they’d only talk to each other, and to those around them, things could have been handled a lot easier (usually the lack of communication is a big problem from me, but somehow Helms takes those things and make them OK. She did it in Win My Heart, too, which was the first book I read by her.)

There were a couple of things involving the conflict that didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but it was overshadowed by how much I enjoyed these two and couldn’t wait for them to get to their HEA. I’m so enjoying Helms’s writing and look forward to checking out more of her books.

(Part of a series but can easily stand on its own.)

*****

Author Info:

*****

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Review – Wed Like Wildfire

27 Thursday Apr 2023

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Book Review, Happily Ever After Inc series, Lauren Helms, Wed Like Wildfire

Wedding planner, Cassie Winters can’t wait to find her own happily ever after, and when she meets wedding hater, Theo Abbot, she realizes she’s got her work cut out for her. Theo’s grumpy, set in his ways, and determined to never fall in love again, but the more time they spend together, the more Cassie begins to wonder if she can change Theo’s position on love. Fans of Claire Kingsley and Kaylee Ryan will adore WED LIKE WILDFIRE by Lauren Helms, a steamy, grumpy sunshine romance.

Wed Like Wildfire

Happily Ever After, Inc #1

by Lauren Helms

Blurb:

Once upon a time, there was a grumpy CEO who met a wedding planner who never stopped smiling…

Cassie
You could say that I live and breathe weddings and love, and as a wedding planner, a happily ever after is the main event. So when I learn that Theo Abbot absolutely hates weddings, that should be my clue to run for the hills as fast as my sexy little black stilettos will take me.

But I digress.

I’m on the hunt for my own epic love story, one T-Swift herself could write a song about. Which means unavailable and seemingly uninterested CEOs are off limits. Even if the man oozes sex appeal and his grumpiness turns me to mush.

A little flirting never hurt anyone.

Theo
Cassie Winters shines so bright I need a pair of Ray-bans to look directly at her. Problem is, once I’ve set my eyes on her, I can’t seem to look away. The woman is a walking, talking promotion for all things love and happiness.

Hand me an antacid.

Counting, on one hand, the amount of times I’ve failed in my life, leaves me knowing I won’t ever do “love” again. I’m set in my ways and not even this sexy little spitfire could sweet talk me out of my decision to never get married.

Yet it only took one drink to derail that plan.

But, things aren’t always as they seem and when real life gets in the way of this fairy tale, we’re both forced to take a hard look at what we truly want.

Are we both ready to wed or is this a wildfire that’s about to burn out?

Add to Goodreads!

Read Now!

*****

Excerpt:

I hear my sister and Mateo agree with her, and the woman continues.

“I mean, just look at the stage. It features more than fifty hand-painted scenic backdrops. It’s just absolutely remarkable.”

Despite the fact that I could get lost in this woman’s voice, I don’t appreciate that she barking up the wrong tree trying to sell this space to my sister.

I come to a stop behind the three of them, my attendance going unnoticed. I resist the urge to clap for her performance, but interrupt her words with my own instead.

“Well done, sounds like you could sell religion to the damn Pope.” Harsh, but I don’t like when people think they can take advantage of us just because we have money.

Both my sister and the woman startle. Mateo snorts. I glance at Nora and the glare I’m getting could cut ice, but I’ve survived the look before. I nod a hello at Mateo before sliding my gaze to the best damn saleswoman in the world.

Taking in the woman standing in front of me, no goddamn joke, my heart skips a fucking beat. I draw my hand out of my pocket and slowly rub my chest absentmindedly.

The woman is utterly exquisite. Her soft blond hair is braided in a way that is messy but perfectly styled and falls over her shoulder with strands of soft gold framing her face. A face that at first glance looks flawless. I’m unable to continue my perusal as I’m stopped in my tracks by two sparkling blue eyes staring back at me. Taking in all of her, I see that the smirk she wears tells me she’s not about to let me get away with what I’ve just said.

“No doubt you are correct, Mr. Abbot. However, I wouldn’t attempt something so outrageous.” Her eyes gleam. “I was just telling Nora and Mateo some very well-known facts about this beautiful cathedral.” She glances up and waves her hand around as if to encompass the whole space.

“Theo, this is Cassie Winters, our wedding planner. It’s nice of you to join us,” Nora bites out in a pleasantly terse tone. She walks up to me and kisses my cheek. As she pulls away, she whispers, “Be nice.”

I ignore her and focus on the wedding planner. Cassie.

“Well, I’m just confused as to why we are even here, Ms. Winters. Or is it Mrs.?” I ask.

She doesn’t miss a beat. “Ms. Thank you. And we are here because the couple getting married”—she gestures to Nora and Mateo—“wanted a tour.” Her tone straddles the line of condescending and courteous. And it’s sexy as fuck.

Nora punches me lightly in the side, typical sister shit. “Yes, I asked if we could check out the cathedral as well as some other places. We’ve already ruled some out due to availability, but this place has an opening twelve months from now,” she informs me as she walks back over to Mateo, lacing her fingers through his. His eyes flash as he looks down at her.

“I thought you didn’t want to wait a year,” I say, my eyes darting back at Cassie. She stands there, smiling with fucking stars in her eyes at Nora and Mateo.

“True, but places book up quickly, and I wasted too much time floundering before hiring Cassie,” Nora says.

I nod. Makes sense. I take a second to look around this place. I want to vomit, it’s so extra. We may have grown up with silver spoons in our mouths, but we didn’t grow up around such fancy-ass stuff such as weddings in the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

“Why the grumpy face?” Cassie’s beautiful voice breaks me out of my stupor.

“Oh, no, that’s his normal face,” Nora tells her.

“I don’t understand why you picked this place. It’s a church…”

“Are you not religious, Mr. Abbot?” Cassie interrupts.

“I’m not sure why that matters to you,” I snap.

Her eyes widen a tad at the venom in my tone. “You said it’s a church.”

“You didn’t let me finish, Ms. Winters. I was saying, it’s a church that was built in the ’20s and this place fits, like what? Twelve hundred people? Do you even know that many people, Nora?” I stuff my hands in my pockets out of frustration.

“No,” Nora offers shakily.

“Mr. Abbot, the theater space is only one of the locations available for a ceremony. This was our first stop. I wanted them to get the full tour,” Cassie says and I so badly want to ask her to call me Theo, but I don’t know if I’ll like the way she says my name more than the way she calls me Mr. Abbot.

I grunt, not having time for this argument. “Okay, then let’s look at a more accommodating space.”

“You know what, I think this place has lost its magic for me,” Nora grumbles. “Let’s check out that last place on my list. I know Theo has a busy schedule.”

“If you are sure, we can head over to INDUSTRY then,” Cassie says as she follows Nora and Mateo toward the exit.

I’m not into games. I’m not going to ask Nora if she’s sure or apologize for raining on her parade with this place. It’s not a good fit for her. She knows it. I know it. And this ridiculous wedding planner needs to learn it if she wants to keep my sister as a client.

Cassie walks by me, her shoulder nearly brushing mine, and my senses are immediately taken over by a soft smell of amber and vanilla.

“I’m so happy that you were able to join us today,” she says softly. I look down at her. She’s a few inches shorter, and the sparkle in her eyes is mischievous.

Clenching my jaw, I don’t reply as she walks on by, but the urge to wrap my hand around her arm and pull her back to me is strong.

I think what gets under my skin the most is that she has yet to drop the smile this whole time. Is it stuck on her face? Is this a Botox gone wrong? She doesn’t look like the type of woman to be obsessed with Botox, but what the fuck do I know?

I close my eyes for a minute to gain my wits.

One, two, three…

*****

Review:

Ford may be grumpy (and sexy), but it’s because he took a lot on his shoulders at an early age. Add in a romance gone wrong and he’s got reasons to be the way he is. His sister’s bubbly, happy (and sexy) wedding planner has him feeling all sorts of feels, both good & bad.

I loved these two together. Cassie brings out the best in Theo, the kind of guy he could have been before life handed him a lot of responsibility and heartbreak. She makes him laugh and their connection is definitely unmistakable. But with different outlooks on life, can they find a compromise?

Was it a predictable story? Yes. Was it an enjoyable read? OMG yes! Fun, funny, and full of feelings, I found it hard to put it down. It’s light-hearted, but also not, and easily moves you to that HEA ending you crave in a romance.

*****

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*****

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Spotlight – Wed Like Wildfire

20 Thursday Apr 2023

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Lauren Helms, Wed Like Wildfire

Wed Like Wildfire

by Lauren Helms

Blurb:

Once upon a time, there was a grumpy CEO who met a wedding planner who never stopped smiling…

Cassie

You could say that I live and breathe weddings and love, and as a wedding planner, a happily ever after is the main event. So when I learn that Theo Abbot absolutely hates weddings, that should be my clue to run for the hills as fast as my sexy little black stilettos will take me.

But I digress.

I’m on the hunt for my own epic love story, one T-Swift herself could write a song about. Which means unavailable and seemingly uninterested CEOs are off limits. Even if the man oozes sex appeal and his grumpiness turns me to mush.

A little flirting never hurt anyone.

Theo

Cassie Winters shines so bright I need a pair of Ray-bans to look directly at her. Problem is, once I’ve set my eyes on her, I can’t seem to look away. The woman is a walking, talking promotion for all things love and happiness.

Hand me an antacid.

Counting, on one hand, the amount of times I’ve failed in my life, leaves me knowing I won’t ever do “love” again. I’m set in my ways and not even this sexy little spitfire could sweet talk me out of my decision to never get married.

Yet it only took one drink to derail that plan.

But, things aren’t always as they seem and when real life gets in the way of this fairy tale, we’re both forced to take a hard look at what we truly want.

Are we both ready to wed or is this a wildfire that’s about to burn out?

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*****

Excerpt:

I spot Cassie immediately, in the corner, at a table for four. I wonder if she knows it will just be us. Taking advantage of the fact that she hasn’t noticed my arrival yet, I take a moment to study her. She sits tall, facing the entrance, looking at her phone. She seems to be scrolling through an app as her lips tip up and her eyes glitter as she looks at what’s on her screen. There is an untouched water in front of her, but her menu is closed.

The sheer happiness that radiates off this woman irritates me. I don’t know why, but as I approach the table, what tumbles out of my mouth is unexpected.

“Let me guess, you just took the most epic selfie ever and can’t wait to share it with all your followers?” My tone takes on a mocking tone and immediately I want to take it back. Damn I’m an asshole.

To her credit, she doesn’t even bat an eye at my rudeness. Her face turns up toward me and she smiles. “Well, good afternoon to you too, Mr. Abbot.” She puts her phone down on the table and gestures toward the seat across from her. “Please, have a seat.”

And I do, begrudgingly, because being around this woman causes me to not just be my normal grouchy self, but clearly a prick as well.

As I take my seat, she slides her phone into her bag that sits on the floor next to her chair.

I clear my throat, my attempt to shake myself out of my head. “Nora won’t be joining us. I assume you already know.”

Now this does give her pause. Her brows dip. “No, I didn’t know. She didn’t…” her voice trails as a faint ding from her phone sounds from below. In the few times I’ve seen this woman, I think this is the first time I’ve ever not seen a smile on her face. She studies her smartwatch, clearly reading the message that just came in, her elbows still propped elegantly on the table, as I watch her realize that it will just be us for lunch.

Her creased brows even and she plasters on a smile as she drops her hands to her lap. “Well, her timing could be improved, but you’re correct, she’s not joining us.”

I can’t stop myself before barking out a laugh. She tilts her head, her features dancing with happiness. I shut down my amusement at her words and offer a terse, “Excuse me.”

“No, that was enjoyable to watch. I didn’t know you had it in you, Mr. Abbot.”

I make the decision, in this moment, to put an end to the formalities. “Theo. Please, call me Theo.”

Her grin widens. “All right, Theo,” and just as expected, the sound of my name on her lips fucking gets to me. I shift in my seat as she continues.

“So tell me how I managed to get that laughter out of you moments ago? I get a feeling it’s not a commodity around you.”

“Nora has always waited until the last minute when it comes to communication over things that may cause contention. You’ve known her a short time and already know her tells.” I pick up the menu, though I already know what I will order.

“Ah, yes, well, I read people pretty quickly.” She shifts the menu slightly on the table in front of her, not picking it up.

“Yeah? What’s your read on me?” I don’t know why I ask. Glutton for punishment, I guess.

This time she lets out a laugh. “Let’s keep this lunch civil and not go there.”

*****

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*****

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Review – Win My Heart

11 Monday Jul 2022

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Book Review, Lauren Helms, Win My Heart

For Bernadette Ross, there are two things she knows for sure, she loves being a kick-ass gamer girl and she’s been in love with her teammate’s older brother for years. Wade Roberts was forced to put her in the friend zone, but when his feelings can’t be ignored any longer, the only option is to keep their relationship a secret. Fans of nerdy romance, Carrie Aarons, and Kaylee Ryan will adore WIN MY HEART by Lauren Helms, a secret relationship, gamer girl romance.

“Lauren Helms delivers a sweet and steamy romance that packs an emotional punch.” – Mary @ USA Today HEA on ONE MORE ROUND, Gamer Boy 2

Win My Heart

by Lauren Helms

Blurb:

Bernie

When it comes to gaming,

I’m a pro.

When it comes to my love life?

That’s a different story.

I’ve been crushing on my best friend’s older brother forever.

In return, he’s kept me in the friend zone for way too long.

Then things change between us.

And I get to see a whole new,

And incredibly sexy side to him.

But, he wants to keep things between us a secret.

Wade

I made a promise to my brother.

One I refused to break.

Until now.

I’ve ignored my feelings for the girl for way too long.

And the more time we spend together,

The harder I find myself falling.

There’s just one problem,

I can’t let anyone know that I’ve made her mine.

Can I win her heart before its game-over for us both?

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*****

Excerpt:

I rush to the stairs at the end of the hall. It will be quicker than waiting for the elevator, and since I’m only going up one floor, it makes sense. After taking the steps by twos, I’m standing in front of the guys’ apartment in no time.

Brushing a stray hair off my face as I unlock the door, I realize I never changed out of my workout attire. My capri leggings, which I wear while lounging around at home more than working out, are black with a camo pink design up the sides. Then I’m wearing a crop top tank in the same matching pink.

I’m glad the guys aren’t here, because I don’t dress like this around them. Ever. I’m normally in a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted tee or hoodie. On occasion, I know how to dress up. I’m assuming if the guys saw my midriff, it would be akin to seeing their sister show too much skin.

I take a few steps into the apartment, and it’s dead quiet, as expected. I look around for the speaker and notice the place is cleaner than it was yesterday. Since Dex moved out last month, it’s become blatantly obvious who kept the place clean—or at least held the guys accountable for cleaning up after themselves.

I chuckle to myself at how much fun Gia and Ruby will have when they have to house-train their men eventually.

I remember that we had the speaker back in Link’s room, testing it with his stream set up. So I head down the hall.

I hear a noise and look over my shoulder just as I run into something hard and wet.

I squeak as I whip my face around, and I jump when strong hands grab both of my arms.

“Shit,” a deep voice mutters.

I stifle a scream right as I process what—I mean who—I ran into.

Wade Roberts.

The Wade Roberts.

Dex’s older brother.

My teammate’s big brother and the guy I’ve shamefully had a secret crush on for years.

Yeah, that Wade Roberts.

He grips my biceps tightly as if he fears I’m going to fall over. And once my vision focuses on him and my eyes drift down his body, and I realize that he’s naked, I think I might just pass out.

Well, hello, abs.

“Bernadette. You good?” His voice is deep, and there’s a trace of humor there.

The way he says my name makes my knees weak. Not many people call me by my full name, but Wade always has.

I nod, still taking him in. Okay, so he’s not naked completely. He’s got a towel wrapped low around his waist, giving me a nearly full view of the perfect ‘v’ and the hint of whatever he’s hiding underneath. I force my gaze back up to his chest, then to his face. Shit, he’s got a nice face.

Christ on a cracker.

“I’m wet now,” I mutter.

His eyes go wide.

I try again. “Shit. No, I mean, why am I wet now that you’re here?”

He barks out a laugh, and I nearly die.

“No, frack. Wait, why are you wet? Because now I am. Is this sweat or water?” I peel my eyes away from the half-naked man I’ve dreamed about for the past few years and take a step back. He doesn’t let his hand drop right away, but then his gaze blazes down my body.

I instinctively cover my stomach with my hand, then drop it because it was an awkward move on my part. I just end up bringing more attention to myself as he drinks me in. When I clear my throat, his eyes find mine.

He seems to shake himself out of something and puts yet another step between us.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry. I just got out of the shower. I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone, so I’m glad I even bothered with the towel.” His throaty chuckle is uncomfortable as I think about what would have happened if he had forwent the towel.

I giggle nervously. “Oh, yeah, same,” I reply. “I mean, wasn’t expecting to run into anyone.”

“Right.” He smiles.Wow, this is uncomfortable. Anyone looking in would think we were two half-naked strangers running into each other. But we aren’t. I’ve known Wade for almost five years. While he doesn’t hang out a lot with the gang, he’s around. He supports our team and I’ve eaten many meals with him. Some days, I would even consider us friends. We get along well. I’ve just always had a crush on him, and he’s always looked at me the same way the guys do—as a sister. Which is fine. Totally fine. It’s probably for the best.

*****

Review:

Bernie is adorable, a little awkward but also spunky and fun. She’s had a crush on Wade for years but never thought he would feel the same. With him moving into the same apartment building, though, things change. And bring with it complications.

Wade felt something for Bernie since their first meeting but his brother asked him not to ruin their team dynamic by pursuing her. Years later, and living just down the hall, he finds himself reevaluating that promise. He just has to figure out how to tell his brother …

The lying and hiding of their relationship isn’t something I usually go for (and there were a few times I wanted to smack Wade), but I think that Helms actually handles things pretty well. Their relationship felt organic and I could definitely understand how they found themselves in such a situation so I didn’t mind it so much. Overall she does a good job of balancing heat with humor, adding in a ton of sweetness and drama, and just a little bit of suspense to keep things hopping. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what else Helms brings readers.

(This is the first in this series that I’ve read but I had no issues keeping up.)

*****

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