Archive for January 31, 2026

 

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Some love stories are not meant to be –

not when the guy
I’ve fallen for is much older and has been in love with my mother for all these
years.

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Rosewood Dreams

Kaleidoscopic Dreams Duo Book 2

by Meghana Sarathy

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Age-Gap Romance

I’ve a long list of stuff I shouldn’t have done.
I should never have looked at her differently.
Never have had the playful banters.
Never have let her confess her feelings for me.
Never have tasted her sexy as sin lips.
Never have given into my primal temptations.
Never have let her work for me.
Never have indulged in her fantasies.
Never have let myself fall for real.

But it’s too late now.
I’m in too deep, consumed by everything Scarlet.

I was foolish enough to hope, daring to dream of a future with her.
But Veronica is back now, the harsh reality finally catching up to me.
She looks to me for support, vesting her trust in me.
She makes a request I can’t refuse.
Not at the cost of betraying her and breaking our bond of twenty years.

Scarlet can never be mine.
Not in this lifetime.
She will always be the daughter of the woman I once loved and can still do
anything for.
I’ve to let go of Scarlet for Veronica’s sake. It’s not even a choice.

Rosewood Dreams is the final book in the Kaleidoscopic Dreams Duology.
It’s an age-gap, forbidden romance.

**New Release on Feb 3 – Order Now!**

Amazon * Bookbub
* Goodreads

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She sniffles, not making an attempt to stop her tears.
They slowly glide down her cheeks, shining like pearls in the brightly lit
hallway. So hauntingly beautiful
—just like our
tragic love story.

“Once we
start, we won’t be able to stop. You and I both know this
,” I state in a
trembling voice.

Cupping her
cheeks, I lean my forehead against hers, using every ounce of my willpower to
not crush my lips on hers. I’m holding on to my last strand of control.

She searches
my eyes for love that is no longer hidden behind a thin veil of anger and
prudence. Imploring me with her tenacious gaze, she plays
on my vulnerabilities that are no longer guarded by my ironclad need to be righteous. She is
stripping away everything that was keeping me from her, and I’ve never felt so light and free.

My voice
can’t get through the ball of emotions stuck in my throat. It’s so easy to
release the words frozen on my tongue – yes. But what would that
make me? I’m the adult here. The one who has
to shoulder her responsibility, while still being a man who keeps his word and
sticks to his principles. But how can I get myself to refuse her when she’s
looking at me like that? Like a mere yes from me and she’ll be the happiest—on
top of the world. I want that more than anything
else, but at what cost?

“I need
time. I really need to think this through. I don’t want to make a decision in
haste that I’ll come to regret later.”

My response
appeases her. Relief floods her eyes as her lips upturn.

I expect her
to peck me
on the cheeks, like
she used to do before—teasing me, testing my
limits, and giving me hints. But to my
surprise, she doesn’t, and steps back instead, putting a respectable space
between us.

“Well, okay.
I understand. It’s still progress. I hope you
’ll tell me your
decision soon. When we meet in the office,
perhaps?”

Two days. You can start
in two days.” It’s hard to contain my
eagerness. I was content with her learning from me
and just being around me, but her proposal has
opened up possibilities that I had never dared
to consider
before.

Her smile
widens, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Sure, boss. Whatever you say. I can’t
wait.”

She just
addressed me
as ‘boss.’ Is that what she’d be calling me in the office?
I can’t wait to find out. Fuck. I love the sound of that.

“Okay then,
I’ll take my new car for a
drive…see you soon.”

She waves
bye, swaying her hips as she heads out.

I’m in
trouble. Deep trouble.

 

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Scarlet Dreams

Kaleidoscopic Dreams Duo Book 1

When I was still a little girl, playing with barbies, I saw
him as my Prince Charming.

The day I learned what a ‘crush’ meant, he was bestowed with
the title of my first crush.

As I transitioned into a teenager, he morphed into the man
of my dreams.

Every time I got myself off, he was the one who starred in
my dark fantasies.

The only one I ever wanted.

But for him, I was merely his best friend’s daughter.

Completely off limits and unattainable.

Until the storm hit.

A tragedy that changed the course of all our lives.

He was there through it all..

The man I so easily fell in love with

The one who finally saw me as a woman who had eyes only for
him.

Hope of finally getting a chance with him blossomed in me.

Only for reality to slap me in the face.

There was only one true love of his life.

It wasn’t me.

It was my MOM.

 

Scarlet Dreams is the first book in the Kaleidoscopic Dreams Duet. It’s an
age-gap forbidden romance.

**Get it FREE 2/2 – 2/4!!**

Amazon * Bookbub
* Goodreads

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Meghana Sarathy is from Bangalore, India.
She is an avid reader and also a writer. She writes Adult and New Adult
romance, and also wishes to try her hands at dark and psychological thrillers.
She especially loves reading and writing love triangles, taboo romance, and
angst filled stories that are quite complex and unconventional. Her books tend
to involve protagonists who are flawed, far from perfect, and as real as they
can get.  Her all-time favorite
characters are her very own characters- Jennifer, Brandon and Linden. She tends
to fall hard for boys who are either cocky, bossy, good flirts and total
charmers.

She spends most of her free time reading,
writing, watching anime or binging shows. Her favorite genres are Psychological
Thrillers, Teen Drama and Sci-fi (especially time travel stories). Being a
Product Owner in a fintech firm, she is plugged into the world of finance and
has also dabbled in cloud technology and Gen AI. She plays platform games in
PS5 when taking short breaks from writing. She is a crazy fan of Dragonball Z
and can be seen watching the episodes in repeat. Vegeta is her all-time favorite
anime character. Steins Gate and Monster come second in the list of her
favorite anime, and currently Mr. Robot and Dark are her fav non-anime series.

  

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $10 giveaway!

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Enter the Rosewood Dreams Giveaway Here

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

NEW CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE BANNER 640.

Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery
by S.K. Derban

CASE OF CURVED STAIRCASE COVER 3
Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Little Italy, San Diego and San Diego Bay
Publisher ‏ : ‎ S.K. Derban
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 27, 2025
Paperback
Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 196318811X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1963188110
Digital
Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1963188103
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FHM8HSH4
Audiobook
ASIN B0FW1BJKX1

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The Little Italy entertainment continues in this second book of the Macaroni on Wheels series. Case of the Curved Staircase has more twists and turns than Terza can handle. And, Detective Nicholas Garza is not on the case. Say it isn’t so, Nico!

Staircases can be fatal, especially on Halloween. After catering a surprise birthday party on the evening of October 30th, Terza returns to the scene of the celebration on the following morning. Instead of being greeted by the happy, party hosts, Terza discovers a dead body at the bottom of the curved staircase. Not again! And this time, Terza’s amateur detective skills are landing her directly into personal danger. She would rather be using her chef’s knife than having one pointed at her face!

As the feisty Italian caterer continues to fill her free time solving crime, she runs head first into a new detective. Unlike Nicholas Garza, the detective now in charge considers Terza a hinderance instead of a help. Fortunately, Jacob Radovan, the medical examiner, continues to be Terza’s ally.

There is also an unexpected wedding in Case of the Curved Staircase. Readers of Uneven Exchange just might cheer out loud. The almost perfect weather in San Diego allows the bride and groom to take a carriage ride from the wedding venue to the reception ballroom. It’s a fairytale come true.

Fans of cozy mysteries will revel in solving another murder along with Terza, and will continue to appreciate her zest for life. Readers will be spending more time with the animated Tiepolo family, and especially Terza’s father. Ezio’s Halloween costume is a moo-ving choice! The Tiepolo’s celebrate their loving, family bond as they join together each Sunday. Food, family, and fun! Once again, you may consider this your personal invitation…

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About Author S.K. Derban

S.K. Derban resides with her husband in Southern California. Although born in the United States she moved to London within the first three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her father, an American citizen, was a decorated veteran of the Second World War. Her British mother was involved with the London Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. After returning to the United States, Derban’s life remained filled with a love of the theatre, and a passion for British murder mysteries.

S.K. Derban’s personal travel and missionary escapades are readily apparent as they shine through into her characters. Readers are often transported virtually across the globe. She has traveled to Hong Kong on five separate occasions to smuggle Bibles into China, and has been to Israel on seven missionary trips. Derban’s other adventures include visits to Bangkok, Greece, Egypt, Italy, and the Caribbean.

Beginning with her faith in the Lord, S.K. Derban relies on all aspects of her life when writing. She hopes her books will allow readers to go on holiday without having to pack!

Author Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter/X / Instagram / Pinterest / BookBub

Purchase Links
Kindle – PaperbackAudio 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 28 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

January 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 31 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 1 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 2 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Salty Inspirations – RECIPE

February 3 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 5 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.