Archive for the ‘comedy’ Category

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Handle With Care By Hayden Stone

Posted: October 16, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
13

 



.

Handle with Care

by Hayden Stone

 

 

Publication date: October 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Two rival interns. One art museum. And a missing art museum exhibit.

Dylan Alexander doesn’t need a boyfriend. Having one will only slow him down.

Freshly graduated from university, Dylan’s arrived in London, England from Vancouver, Canada for a summer internship at the London Art & Design Museum. He’s also looking for strings-free fun and a fresh dating scene. This is Dylan’s dream chance to start his career and land a permanent job in London—or else he must return to Vancouver where museum jobs are rare, and the dating pool is old news. Everything’s going great in his new life—except for one thing. Dylan must put up with rival museum intern William Martin-Greene.

Will is everything Dylan can’t stand: flashy, arrogant, and entitled. Forget that he’s too handsome for his own good and knows it. It’s bad luck that they both started on the same internship program. At least they work safely apart in different departments—until one day, they’re forced to work together when Will unexpectedly joins Dylan’s Curatorial team. So much for the avoidance strategy that had worked so far. Will’s arrival on his team is also not helping his unmistakable attraction. When Dylan and Will end up stranded together while collecting exhibits, with only one bed to share, they can’t deny their chemistry.

With only one permanent job on offer at the end of the summer, the competition is on to be the best intern. They both share the blame when an important design exhibit goes missing and risks the unexpected summer romance between them. Then, everything is on the line—including hearts, careers, and a chance at love.

A rivals-to-lovers, opposites attract, only one bed, and boy-next-door romance!

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Day 1

Keep going, Dylan. I splash along a London street that must be hundreds of years old. It’s lined with brick buildings, a mirrored office tower reflecting the moody sky, and followed by even more brick buildings. Then, at street level, there’re all the glass-fronted shops. The museum’s got to be close. You’ve gotten halfway around the world, after all.

With the help of printed out maps and free Wi-Fi, of course.

It’s not far now.

And I can’t stop smiling. I can’t believe I’m actually here. Forget the rain.

It’s a soggy, blustery London day, which admittedly does no favors for my leather shoes or my styled hair. Or for making a good impression on the first day of a new job in a country I landed in three days ago. And it’s the first day where jet lag isn’t totally kicking my ass.

I get a little lost on my way from London Bridge station somewhere along the modern gray tiled path leading past the Old London City Hall. The problem being something called Old London City Hall looks very modern and new, with its endless windows and curved oval structure, which is part of what got me confused. Because everything old in London’s supposed to be, well, old. Like really old. And this building is anything but. I squint at the building through the rain at the edge of an equally sleek plaza, dotted with leafy trees boxed in with low hedges, concrete benches, and contemporary art installations, all overlooking the Thames.

Old London City Hall looks like it was built yesterday.

This must be some prank to play on the tourists.

I pull out a slightly crumpled page from my pocket with one hand and hold on to the umbrella with my other hand. I haven’t sorted out my phone yet, and I don’t want to pay roaming charges. My printed-out map reliably shows Potters Field Park beside the Thames and the Old London City Hall plaza. Plus, there’s the iconic Tower Bridge nearby as a key landmark, and an X in blue pen marks the museum to the east. Raindrops splatter the page with dark spots before I hurriedly tuck it away.

I’m back on track.

The museum must be straight ahead, past the park—my destination—down at the end of the road or the block or whatever people call it here. I start walking again with purpose. Like I belong here amid the Londoners who happen to know where they’re going.

At least, I think it’s the museum at the end of the street. I haven’t actually seen it before, except on Google Street View.

Distracted, I end up making an unscheduled detour down a side street to see more of the surrounding area, which has one-way traffic. But there’re more modern buildings again down this way, and I work on figuring out how to loop back on course before I’m late.

Look right, then left. I keep repeating my new mantra when I cross the street, then hurry up another street toward the museum as the weather worsens. Everyone drives on the opposite side of the street from what I’m used to.

I grip my umbrella tight against another gust of wind.

A red sports car screams past as a wind gust turns my umbrella inside out.

Then an icy tidal wave hits me like a slap, and I reel.

“What the fuck—” I yelp, the umbrella useless in my hand.

An airborne puddle soaks me. Right from my head down to my now very ruined—rather than partly ruined—new shoes. Leather never deserves a flood of water, never mind my face.

Water pours off me in sheets. I’m left sopping wet, gasping and spluttering.

Me and my wet rage, dressed in soggy smart casual. My light cotton blazer, perfect for actual summer, turns out to be incredible at soaking up water like a sponge.

I stare after the red car rocketing up the road toward the museum, its taillights a sharp dazzle against the soft gray world even through the rain. My fists tighten while I drip.

Too bad I didn’t pack a towel in my bag, but I didn’t expect impromptu bathing today.

Asshole.

.

About Author Hayden Stone:

More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. He likes strong coffee and is owned by two cats. You can find out his latest news on Twitter or Instagram, or at his website: haydenstonebooks.com

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / X / TikTok

 

.

.

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.


Handle With Care Blitz

.

~~~~~

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.

Recipe For Love By Sharon Buchbinder ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: September 6, 2025 in comedy, Excerpt, giveaways, Romance
Tags: , ,
6

 

.

Love, laughter, and a little kitchen chaos are on the menu
in Recipe for Love!

When a sous chef with secrets clashes with a showrunner
chasing a viral hit, sparks fly hotter than the stove.

.

.

Recipe For Love

A Cat’s Paw Cove Book 24

by Sharon Buchbinder

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy

.

When it comes to love, all bets are off…

Karmen Artos, a sous chef at Feline Fine Retirement Home, is horrified when two
of the residents hijack her kitchen. Worse yet, they’ve created an Internet
cooking show that has gone viral. The recipes are revolting, but viewers are
wild for ‘Grandma’s Witchin’ Kitchen!’

Devon Winger, a down-on-his-luck showrunner, arrives in Cat’s Paw Cove to
convince the eccentric elderly Internet stars to take the show to the next
level — a ShowFlix series. The magical stars are tickled at the idea, but
Karmen is dead set against revealing the sanctuary for supernaturals to the
world.

Can Karmen convince the sexy Devon that the show will be a dud? Or will Devon
realize there’s more to the quirky retirement home than meets the camera’s eye?

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

.

Prologue

Los Angeles, California

Memorial Day Weekend

Present Day

 

Devon Winger stared at the nightscape of LA. In the distance, a red river of taillights indicated yet another major traffic jam. Horns honked.

In the apartment below, an enthusiastic midnight tuba player took his chances at getting pummeled by a disenchanted audience member. Devon grabbed a broom, turned it upside down, and pounded on the floor. The tuba music stopped mid-toot.

Devon’s apartment was not in a luxurious area, but it was costly. He looked at his email inbox again. Yup, it was still there. The message hadn’t disappeared.

Subject: Overdue Rent.

Devon Winger, this is our third attempt to reach you. Per your contractual agreement, rent is due on the 15th of every month. If you are unable to pay the past-due amount in full, we will work with you to pay it off with my partner’s company, EZ Credit, at a generous 25% interest rate. If you are unable or unwilling to work with us or to pay the past 3 months’ rent in whole or in part, our collection agency will contact you, and eviction proceedings will begin in accordance with the City of Los Angeles’ laws.

Please respond to this email to acknowledge receipt.

Your generous overlord and landlord,

Skeezy McWheezy

Overlord and landlord, indeed. Why had Devon allowed himself to be talked into renting from the sleazeball? Oh, that’s right. Skeezy had been a friend, and the apartment, according to his buddy, was cheap. As in, so cheap, Devon should have wondered why a fully-furnished, two-bedroom, one-bathroom flat with a balcony and view of the LA skyline went for such a low, low price. Hook, line, sinker—and the next thing he knew, per the contract’s very small print, the rent went up like a balloon. Signed, sealed, and stuck in this rat-infested place with a leaky sliding glass door that let the rain and bugs in. His roach motels were so full, they were convention centers.

Devon had tried to keep the place clean, but had become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the hovel in which he lived. The refrigerator reeked of dead fish, despite the fact that he had never left so much as an unopened can of tuna in it. The toilet ran day and night, and the shower dripped in syncopation with the kitchen faucet. The wooden kitchen table had so many water rings, it looked as if an over-sexed octopus had made love to it.

One of the two bedrooms was a closet. If he could find a narcoleptic roommate who slept standing up, he could almost afford the place. Every night, he dreamed he was being devoured by a monster. In reality, it was the pull-out sofa bed and its sagging center forcing him to sleep with his butt on the floor and his head, arms, and feet in the air. The capper on this apartment of landfill rejects was the dresser with no drawers. His clothes, when clean, folded, and stacked on top of the bureau, leaned against each other like drunks at a frat party. When dirty, they simply piled up in the “second bedroom” and gathered six-legged groupies. Every day, Devon kicked himself for allowing Skeezy to sucker him into this rat trap.

A gamer friend from college, Skeezy had inherited a block of questionable real estate from a sketchy uncle. Rumor had it the uncle had been whacked for not paying off a gambling debt. When Skeezy had inherited the apartments, he’d been informed that he now had to pay off his uncle’s overdue bills and the vig. Skeezy had tried to sell the real estate, but these same “friends” of his uncle had blocked the sale.

They didn’t want a one and done. No, these scary dudes desired an annuity, if you will, a steady income to support their other ventures. They had become not-so-silent partners with Skeezy, as collectors and enforcers.

Devon shook his head. He liked Skeezy. It wasn’t his friend’s fault his uncle had dropped all this baggage on him a year ago. He wished there was some way Skeezy could get out of this mess, too. Maybe lightning could strike the place when no one was in it and burn it down? Ha! What was the likelihood of that happening? Now they were both lemons in the mobsters’ game of making lemonade.

If only Devon could come up with an idea for a new series on ShowFlix. They loved his work. His last series had run for almost two seasons—and been killed by a badly behaving actor. Maybe it was time to do a reality TV show. Less likely to have megastars and their egos.

Devon’s production team had abandoned him, moving on to paying work. With a year from idea development to a sale to a streaming service, time was not on his side. If he didn’t come up with something soon, he’d be forced to go back to valet parking and sleeping in his car.

He flexed his fingers and cracked his knuckles. “Okay, World Wide Web, let’s see what you have for me tonight.”

He clicked on the data forum. Pounds of cheese by state. Number of cockroaches per city. Ha. LA was only number thirteen. Shocker. Number of funeral homes by state. Mmm. Of course. It’s God’s waiting room. Number of nursing home residents by state. Wait. He hit the back button. Well, duh, of course, they go together. Proportion of males to females by state. Gentlemen, stay out of Alaska if you ever want to get a date.

Meh.

“Lady Luck,” he whispered. “Where are you? Are you dead? In a coma on life support? I need you. Now.”

His VideoGo subscription was running out. He’d take one last shot at it before they cut him off the list for non-payment.

Idiots doing dumb stunts. Yes, we know that show.

He clicked on the title DIY Wedding Gifts. This ought to be interesting.

“Take a bar of soap,” a middle-aged blonde with a seventies bouffant and black eyebrows as wide as his thumb squealed. “Any color, but I love, love, love this green one because it smells fresh! Use four pushpins to make little feet for the bar of soap. Now, wrap a contrasting-color ribbon around the sides and secure it with a piece of double-backed tape. Add your plastic flowers by sticking them into the top of the soap.” She held the final product up to the camera. “Isn’t that beautiful?”

No, it is not. It is ugly. In fact, it is so bad, it has possibilities.

He looked at the number of views of the DIY video. Ten, including himself. Good grief.

Going to the search bar, he entered the word “trending” and hit return.

Cats, cats, cats. Who watches all these cat videos? He stopped. Aww that’s cute. No, not cute, a time waster.

Dogs, dogs, dogs. Pigs. Elephants. A veritable zoo of animal antics, not one marketable.

Toddler meltdowns. Go to the grocery store if you want to see those.

Off-key singers. No. No. No.

More pranks. “Ouch! That had to hurt!” Are these people working for the emergency rooms of America?

Devon took a deep breath and beseeched Lady Luck. One, please. All I need is one hit show.

He closed his eyes and hit enter.

A woman cackled. “Hello! Welcome, and thank you for joining Grandma’s Witchin’ Kitchen, where you eat what you’re served!”

He blinked and stared at the screen.

A round-faced elder with short salt and pepper hair wearing a shell necklace beamed at the audience. “I’m Grandma Redbird, and this is my friend and co-star, Madame Jinniyah.” She waved a hand at a woman wearing a gold lamé blouse and a feather-topped red turban.

Madame Jinniyah grinned. “We have a special recipe to share with you this evening, one that is sure to become a family favorite.”

“Indeed,” Grandma chirped. “My grandkids can’t get enough of this and beg for it at every meal.”

The feather in Madame Jinniyah’s cap quivered as she pointed at the counter. “All the ingredients are right here, and we’re going to show you how to make the magic.” Lined up before her were a row of cans. “Two fourteen-ounce cans of spaghetti and meatballs, opened; one can of green beans, drained; one can of diced carrots, drained; and four rolls of biscuit dough.”

Grandma pointed to the oven. “We’ve preheated the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees, and we’ve greased this fluted bundt pan. You can use a tube pan, but this one makes a prettier presentation.”

Madame Jinniyah popped the biscuit tubes and lined the bundt pan with two cans of the white dough. “Be sure to crimp the dough over the edges to keep this in place for the next step.”

Grandma poured the spaghetti and meatballs into the pan. “Even this layer out for the vegetables.”

Madame Jinniyah sprinkled the cut green beans and the diced carrots over the pasta. “Take the rest of the biscuits and place them evenly over the top. Now we’re ready to bake.”

“Wait!” Grandma shouted. “We forgot an ingredient!”

“Oh, yes.” Madame Jinniyah waved her hand over the prepared food. “We make every dish with a dash of magic and love.”

Grandma smiled and placed the creation in the oven. “Bake it until the biscuits turn light brown.”

Madame Jinniyah gave Grandma a sly smile. “We can’t wait to show you the results, so we made one ahead of time for our viewers.”

The camera panned to another counter where a basketball-sized puff ball sat in a pan.

“Beautiful!” they yelled in unison.

“It smells like fresh baked bread.” Grandma grabbed a pair of oven mitts. “Now let’s get ready to slice this into individual portions.”

Madame Jinniyah slid a platter under the bundt pan, and Grandma flipped the metal container over. Amid “oohs” and “ahhs” of the chefs, the bundt pan was lifted away, leaving the gleaming, golden mold of the inverted fluted bundt pan resting in grandness.

There was a moment of silence—and then the golden globe erupted like Mount Vesuvius, spraying bits of bread, spaghetti sauce, tiny meatballs, diced carrots, and green beans all over the kitchen—and the chefs.

Stunned, they stood there for a moment, red rivulets mixed with chunks of orange and green running down Grandma’s face and Madame Jinniyah’s turban. Grandma flicked a green bean off Madame Jinniyah’s eyebrow—and burst out laughing.

Giggling so hard she snorted, Madame Jinniyah gasped, “That’s it for today! Thank you for joining us at Grandma’s Witchin’ Kitchen, where you eat what you’re served!”

The screen rolled to a video of bears jumping on a trampoline.

Devon hit replay and scrolled down. The comments ranged from “Holy crap, what are they doing?” to “I think I’m going to hurl, but I can’t stop watching!” to “Imma gonna try this recipe!” and “When is the cookbook coming out?”

The views! Holy cow, the views. A million views. No, two, three, four million—he couldn’t keep up.

He knew how to pitch this show: a mashup of cooking and comedy with two quirky old ladies destined to steal America’s hearts.

“Lady Luck, thank you! I owe you a big one. Now, where are these women?”

,

Sharon Buchbinder has been writing fiction since middle
school and has the rejection slips to prove it. A retired RN and professor, she
is the author of the Hotel LaBelle Series, the Jinni Hunter Series, and the
Obsession Series. She also has seven books in the Cats Paw Cove Series, a
magical place where anything can happen–and does! When not writing, she can be
found walking her dogs, herding cats, or breaking bread and laughing with
family and friends.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 giveaway!

.

$20 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal.

,


Recipe For Love

.

 

 

 

 

 

.

~~~~~

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.

Checking Mr. Wrong By Anne Kemp ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 27, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
13

 

Checking Mr. Wrong

by Anne Kemp

 

(Love in Maple Falls)
Publication date: August 27th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

She’s a grump with a grudge. He’s a sweetheart with a slapshot. Sparks were expected, but the fireworks? Pure magic.

Mabel
Returning to Maple Falls wasn’t part of my five-year plan—or my backup plan. Or any plan, really. But here I am, back in my quirky hometown, dodging my mother’s judgment and trying not to cringe every time someone mentions the viral moment. (Yes, that one. No, I don’t want to talk about it.)

When my editor sends me to cover the NHL’s shiny new team, the Ice Breakers, I’m all in—until I meet Asher Tremblay. He’s their too-charming defenseman with a knack for wrecking my focus and my sanity. Equal parts infuriating and irresistible, but falling for him? Not on my agenda. Nope.

Asher
I’ve worked my whole life to make it in the NHL. A new team means a fresh start, and I won’t let anything distract me—least of all a snarky reporter who seems determined to hate me on sight.

But the more I see Mabel, the more I want to know what’s behind her walls. She’s fire and chaos, and I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe. Maybe she’s exactly what I need. I came to Maple Falls to chase my dream, but now all I want is her.

***

Checking Mr. Wrong is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a grumpy sunshine story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen
Offside and Off-Limits by Kate O’Keeffe
Checking Mr. Wrong by Anne Kemp
Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall
Goalie and the Girl Next Door by Elsie Woods
Soulmates and Slapshots by Melissa Baldwin
The Icing on the Cake by Grace Worthington

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Asher’s POV

“I’m Asher,” I say with a nod, hoping she’ll come to understand that I am not a foe. Not a friend either, yet, but definitely not a foe.

She eyes me, looking at me as if she half expects me to grab her purse and toss it out the window. “Mabel.”

“Nice to meet you, Mabel. You from here?”

She nods. “Born and raised in Maple Falls.”

She still watches me while I take a pause. The tiniest of jokes pops up like a cartoon bubble over my head. “Wait. You’re Mabel. From Maple Falls?”

“I know where this is headed, and you’re not funny,” she retorts dryly as she shoots another glare my way.

“Is your last name ‘Syrup’?” I ask innocently as Joe does me a solid and cracks up from the front seat. “That would be hilarious.”

Even when she glares, it’s kinda sexy. I keep her pinned in my line of sight as I’m hit with a subtle wave of recognition. “Do we know each other from—”

“Nope,” she interjects, looking at me pointedly and still chomping on her ice. The way she gnashes away on it is like she’s mad at the ice and rage-crunching, but who knows.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“How rude of me. Please, finish your thoughts,” she says as her lips form a tight thin line.

“I will.” Little does my new friend know, but I like the challenge of a sassy woman. “I was going to say that I know you from somewhere.”

“I doubt it.”

But I can’t shake it. “I think we must have met before.”

She snaps her head my way and stares at me. This is the second I truly notice her eyes—the kind of green that belongs in legends and treasure chests, brighter and more striking than any emerald I’ve ever seen. “I doubt it.”

“Okay,” I say, keeping my focus on her. “Well, when I remember how I know you, I’ll tell you.”

“Sounds like a plan. DM me,” she says with sarcasm oozing off each letter, and plastering on a fake smile that would make a Ringling Brothers clown cringe. She tips her cup back and tosses more ice into her mouth, chomping down on it as she puts her back toward me and faces the window again. I’m still listening to the crunch of her ice when she suddenly stops.

“Oh, ow!” Mabel drops her cup in between her feet, what’s left of the ice spilling on the mat, as she holds her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no, no, no. No!”

“All good back there?” Joe asks from the front.

Mabel looks at me with fear in her eyes as she nods. “Uh-huh. All good,” she mumbles, sounding like she’s shoved a tissue in her mouth.

I give it a beat. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I can see her moving her mouth around as she stares at the back of the seat in front of her. From my spot, I can tell that her eyes are a little wild; she looks like a three-legged snake just ran in front of the car.

“I think,” she whispers, running her tongue over her front teeth. “I think I’ve chipped my front tooth.”

“Let me see.” She shakes her head, so I do my best to make her feel comfortable. I mean, it’s what I do. My dad said I’m the most people-pleasing of all the Tremblays, so I need to keep my reputation. “If you let me look, I can tell you how bad it is. I play hockey, so having a tooth chipped or getting one knocked out is par for the course.” I point to my two front teeth. “These aren’t even mine. I lost them both in the first game I played in college. If you want, I can also pop my bridge out for you, it’s back here…”

She holds up a hand, genuine worry etched on her face. “No, thank you.”

“So, give me a smile.” I lean over to her. “I promise I won’t laugh. But I can tell you how fast you need to make a dental appointment when you get to Maple Falls.”

It feels like it takes more than ten minutes to coax her, but she finally rewards me with a teeny-tiny, kinda toothy grin. I say kinda toothy because yes, part of her front tooth is for sure missing and the woman needs more than a chiclet shoved in there to make it all better.

“Is it bad?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper, like she’s bracing for a hurricane of bad news.

“It’s…” I pause, searching for the right words. What do you tell someone you’ve just met who is obviously not thrilled about losing half a tooth? “It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.”

Her face crumples like I just confessed that I let her puppy run away. “Why,” she groans, pressing her lips closed and throwing herself against the back of the seat. Her head tips back dramatically, like she’s auditioning for a soap opera. “No, I do not need this right now.”

I bite back a grin, because this? This is comedy gold. I mean, it’s not funny for her, but watching someone overreact to a chipped tooth like it’s the end of the world? Hard not to find the humor.

“Nobody’s even going to notice,” I say, trying to sound sincere but probably failing. “You’ll be in Maple Falls, and everyone’s too busy looking at the trees and drinking cider to care about your teeth.”

.

 

About Author Anne Kemp:

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend’s wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website – come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

 

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.

Checking Mr. Wrong Blitz

;

~~~~~

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.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Fake-Off With Fate By Whitney Dineen

Posted: August 17, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
6

 

Fake-Off with Fate

Whitney Dineen

 

(Love in Maple Falls)
Publication date: August 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

She’s a closet designer for the rich and famous and he’s a broken-hearted captain of a pro-hockey team. Neither of them is looking for love.

Ashlyn
An unexpected trip home to Maple Falls gets even more surprising when I inadvertently become acting mayor.
Add a huge crisis and a smoking hot hockey player, and I’m in over my head before I know it.

I’m only here for a short time, so I will not fall for Mr. Tall, dark, and adorable. I don’t care how helpful and kind he is. Long-distance never works, so the answer is no.

Jamie
I’m sick of the press hounding me about my last relationship, so when the opportunity arose to captain a new hockey team in smalltown Washington, I jumped at it.

Too bad I didn’t ask more questions before moving here, like, “Are there bears, and will they be living in my backyard?”

Then there’s Ashlyn. The last thing I expected was to meet a funny, sassy, and good-hearted woman like her. I swore off love after my last heartbreak, but my heart is acting like it missed the memo.

There’s no way I’m going to pursue her. Unless of course, fate has intervened, and we were meant to be…

***
Fake-Off with Fate is a slow-burn, friends to love, fake-dating small town hockey romcom in the Love in Maple Falls series. Add a town conflict, missing mayor, and bear infestation and you will be laughing and cheering your way to a happy ending!

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

The mayor is ten minutes late for our dinner meeting. I figure I’ll give him another five and then I’ll go ahead and order my food to go.

I’m about to signal to the waitress when a very pretty woman wearing jeans and an orange sweater approaches my booth. She’s average height but not at all average looking. Her hair is a touch lighter than classic auburn but it’s not what I’d call red. “Hi there,” she says while sitting down across from me. “I’m Ashlyn.”

Well, this is awkward. I wonder if she thinks I’m her blind date or something. “Jamie Hayes,” I say, expecting her to realize her mistake.

“I know. You’re the captain of the Ice Breakers, right?”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“I doubt it, because I don’t know you.” She takes a sip of the water glass the waitress left for the mayor.

“If you don’t know me, then why are you sitting with me?”

The question seems to startle her because she looks up and stares at me like a deer in the headlights of oncoming traffic. “I forgot you didn’t know that I was meeting you instead of my father.”

“You’re Mayor Thompkins’ daughter?” Holy heck, is the mayor trying to set me up with his daughter? I don’t care how pretty she is, that’s not cool.

“My dad got stuck in a meeting and he asked me to come in his place,” she explains.

“So, you’ve been tasked with trying to talk me into co-chairing Maple Fest?” If I had to guess, I’d say this was intentional manipulation on the mayor’s part. Little does he know I have no problem saying no to an attractive woman.

“I couldn’t care less if you co-chaired Maple Fest,” she says. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t do it. My dad is a lunatic about that event.”

Now I’m super confused. “So, you’re here to tell me all about Maple Falls?”

“Nope,” she says, before turning her menu over to look at it.

“Why are you here then?”

.


About Author Whitney Dineen

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / X / Instagram

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.

Fake-Off with Fate Blitz

.

~~~~~

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.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ How To Date a Prince By Hayden Stone

Posted: July 16, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , , , ,
9

 

How to Date a Prince

by Hayden Stone

 

Publication date: July 15th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

What happens when the British Crown Prince falls in love with an American man who opposes the monarchy?

Prince Auggie swears he’s no kind of dashing prince: daydreamer, private—and also secretly very gay. He’s instantly horrified when his father, reality TV addict King James, signs Auggie up for a reality TV show to promote the monarchy, where the man with the most talents wins—and to help find Auggie a bride, the very last thing Auggie wants. But duty calls.

When Auggie finds out his co-star is irritatingly gorgeous Thomas Golden, the charismatic dual American-English heir to the Golden hotel fortune, it’s another step too far. There’s at least one problem: Prince Auggie’s already recently crossed paths with Thomas Golden one disastrous night in a London club. Plus, there’s that whole second not-so-small, not-so-secret problem—the Golden family wants to get rid of the monarchy.

Once Auggie and Thomas arrive on set in the English countryside, it’s already unapologetically hate at first sight. It’s going to be a very long summer of filming…until sparks fly behind the scenes, leading them to make a searing heatwave all their own. But soon, real reality strikes, and Auggie must choose between the life he’s destined for as the future king—or dare risk everything for love.

An enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, feel-good gay royal rom-com.

For fans of Red, White & Royal Blue, Boyfriend Material, and The Unlikely Heir.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

In my next life, I’ll be reborn as Harry Styles. Or maybe as the reincarnation of Taylor Swift. I’ll still be famous if I must, but I’ll be famous due to my talent instead of my chance birth as a royal. I’m quite sure I’m a negative ten on the talent-o-meter.

Everything else is just genetics. And training.

It’s Friday night in London, and Mayfair glitters. When I step out of the black SUV, straightening to my full height, I pause in the drizzle for the cameras on the red carpet at the charity ball. Snapping shutters echo, and a familiar blinding flash dazzles my eyes.

I give my best public smile and stop in a flattering pose, then strike another pose for my best angles like the Danish prince once taught me during a secret fling. Work it, babe, Prince Theodor coached me then as we drank spicy margaritas, which incidentally led to more spice.

More confidence, more sultry. Hand on my hip and a three-quarter turn to the cameras.

The crowd cheers their approval as I’m blinded by the lights. I wave, smile broadly, and carry on, mindful of not tripping over my own feet.

“Prince Auggie! Over here!”

“Prince Auggie—where’s Katie? I’ll be your date!”

“Prince Auggie, come back!”

Tonight, I’m shamelessly selling the image of charming Prince Auggie, future British monarch. I’d like to meet him too, to be honest, because he’s great in the press. Cool guy. From the outside, he has it together. The media and public are fascinated, so somehow, I must be doing something right. Or quite possibly, I’m doing something wrong enough that the media sticks to me waiting for my next mistake.

I’m all kitted up in an edgy mohair tux that an up-and-coming London designer sent over to me. I’m at least looking the part of the dashing prince, even if I can’t get over the idea that the dashing prince is supposed to be me.

To be fair, I do look good enough, taking after my mum—see genetics above—though I wish I loved crowds like she had. The looks balance out the panic, my friend Gav told me. He said it’s heaps of fun not knowing what I might blurt out next. For him, maybe. Meanwhile, I try to keep my mouth shut as a preventative measure in case something messy accidentally spills out.

“Prince Auggie, is it true you’re still single?”

“Prince Auggie, would you take a photo with me? It’s my birthday!”

I pause and go to the young woman at the barrier for a photo taken by her friend. The paparazzi goes wild. We both grin, and for a moment, I pretend I’m carefree. “Happy birthday,” I say, on my best behavior as she gives a small curtsy. “How do you do.”

She blushes, too tongue-tied to speak.

My father, the King, told me not to be too extra tonight, as if he can sniff out rising rebellion like the dawn breaks each day. I’m kind of horrified that he knows what being extra means. And that he’s applied being extra to me, specifically. Nothing good can come of that. Especially when I’ve been on my best behavior the last few months.

Which is why I asked the stylist at the earlier magazine shoot I’m coming from to give me a smoky-eye look for evening, after we bonded over our favorite makeup. She tousled my medium-length, light reddish-brown—blond if you’re generous during the summer—hair with product. Plus, a touch of contouring never hurt anyone. Use those cheekbones for the good of the kingdom, she told me, because it’s your royal duty to the people.

.

About Author Hayden Stone:

More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. He likes strong coffee and is owned by two cats. You can find out his latest news on Twitter or Instagram, or at his website: haydenstonebooks.com

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

 

 

.

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

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.

The Synchrotron By Rain Hunter ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: July 9, 2025 in comedy, Excerpt, giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction
Tags: , ,
9

 

.

The End of the World has Never Been This Incompetent!

.

.

The Synchrotron

by Rain Hunter

Genre: Science Fiction Comedy

✔️A deadly virus.
✔️A
world overrun by monsters.
✔️
Six scientists on a dangerous mission to cure the world.
We are screwed…

They only wanted a
Nobel Prize. Instead, they will have to save the world.

It was going to be the experiment of the year. Preparing to blast x-rays
through a piece of palladium at the most dazzling European synchrotron, Anna
and five of her fellow scientists expected a few hiccups.

Not a horde of hungry spleen-eating zombies.

The world has succumbed to the virus, leaving only scattered
survivors.

When Anna and her friends realise that the infected can be cured back into
humans, they pledge to find a cure no matter the cost. Equipped with a lab
wrench and questionable lab ethics, Team ID26 are humanity’s last hope.

But what is the price of saving the world?

Running out of time, Anna and her friends will face the
impossible choices between life and death, morality and cure. When the future
of the world is at stake, what will they have to sacrifice?

**Only .99cents!!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

.

Day 17, 21st of February, Wed

Steve didn’t call back. After I’d checked my phone for the millionth time, Kay patted me on the shoulder and took my phone away for safekeeping. I guess she meant my poor heart, not the phone.

“I heard that’s called ghosting,” Edsie told me.

“I heard that’s called tone-deaf, Edsie,” Kay bit back on my behalf.

Some say there are no heart wounds that a bucket of ice-cream cannot heal. How about treating those with instant noodles?

No?

Our noodle supplies are running dry, and even the chocolate bars we’ve hauled through the Ring back to ID26 won’t last us more than a day or two.

On a positive note, we’ve progressed on the spleen front.

After consulting Google Images, we agreed that the blob we initially identified as the pancreas was the spleen, the key to transforming people into blood-thirsty monsters.

We wrote and attached new labels.

“What do we do with the rest of it?” Tanya asked after we put the spleen aside and packed the other Ali’s organs into plastic sample boxes.

“Bin it. We’ve got the spleen,” said Dan.

“I’ll throw it into the biological waste,” Tanya said, loading the boxes onto a small trolley.

She was going to wheel Ali’s remains back to the wet lab. We could officially rename that wet lab into “Spleen-eaters’ Mortuary”. As one of them, Ali belonged there, too.

“I’ll help you,” said Edsie. “What if you have another seizure?”

Kay, Dan and I stared at them in confused silence while Edsie grabbed the trolley and rolled it out of the hutch. Tanya picked up the hammer and followed him.

Okay. What have I missed?

Since Tanya started taking her meds again, she seemed to be back to her usual self, no issues with her whatsoever, apart from this unexpected feat of helpfulness from Edsie. Had he been bitten?

“What now?” Kay asked after the door closed behind them.

“I don’t know. That’s weird. I’ve never heard him offer help before,” I said.

“No. What do we do with that?” Kay pointed at the chunk of flesh on the workshop table. It smelled rancid and unhealthy. Was it a typical smell of a slowly rotting spleen, or did the presence of the virus make it foul?

“If the virus is in his cells, we should find and isolate it,” I said.

“No shit,” said Dan.

“Microscope?” I suggested.

“We have to cut it very thin for a microscope,” said Kay.

“Not with a knife, I suppose.”

“It’s not a piece of meat, Anna, of course not with a knife. With a microtome. I even know where we can find one,” said Kay.

 

Quotes from reviewers:

 

“Like The Martian meets Zombieland—serious survival mixed with dark humour and fast action”

“surprisingly deep for post-apocalyptic science fiction”

“a mix of science, survival, and zombie action with added dark humour, this book will keep you hooked”

“a totally different take on the genre!”

“absolutely loved it!”

“surprisingly robust contemplations on life scattered throughout this fast-paced book”

“Sad. Humorous. Suspenseful.”

 

Quotes from the book:

 

Sunday! What a holy day for our unholy undertakings!

 

Before I start hyperventilating, let me focus on the facts. Dan says that when emotions are bigger than you, facts never are; they are short and precise.

Octopuses have three hearts.

A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.

Although zombies are a fictional concept, there are “zombie” ants that are infected by fungus and jump off heights, killing themselves.

Ah, crap, ignore this last one!

 

We didn’t see it, Dan! In the movies, zombies are always dead, right? But our zombies – no, our spleen-eaters – they are alive. The virus doesn’t kill them, so we can… cure them. Right?”

“We? As if, in us, the five chemists? Since when does a doctor in your title involve treating monsters back into people?

 

A couple of years after we’d dealt with COVID-19, the UN, WHO, and other important people got together to prepare the world for the next outbreak. Their plan, called “Lock and Block”, prescribed establishing a total area lockdown within 24 hours. Isolate the area, move in the military, fence off the perimeter, and shoot anyone who tries to escape.

The last one’s a joke. Sort of.

 

“How did you know they would make good samples?”

Have I told you about Louise’s proprietary stare? Here it was, telling me all I needed to know about my level of intelligence.

“Good brain samples are the ones that you do not need to scrape off the floor,” she explained, in case the stare was not sufficient.

 

If something walked out on us in search of a late-night dinner, I’d have to fight it off with only my charisma.

Zero chance, then.

.

.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

 

I’d love to have an unknown actor play Anna, the main character. Anna is a narrator, she is full of backstory and opinions, and I would not want the previous roles to overshadow this. On the contrary, I’d love someone famous to play Dan. I’d think Vin Diesel or Jason Statham. Why these guys? Because Dan in the book is bald, has tattoos from his previous – not so intellectually-driven – life and knows how to make Molotov cocktails. With all that, he is a British Chemistry professor, and I thought it would be hilarious for, say, Jason Statham to be a chemistry professor, for once. Hasn’t he played a mechanic, a taxy driver, a courier, a diver, etc? Why not a scientist? He’s bald, too.

Have I mentioned? I have a soft spot for good irony. Life has a habit of dumping it on us by the bucketload, and if you’re not careful, it’s easy to mistake irony for failure. You need a certain kind of immunity to tell the difference.

.

What is similar between science and postapocalyptic
survival?

Everything that can, will go wrong.”

Rain Hunter is a writer of post-apocalyptic science fiction.
Having spent years as a materials researcher, Rain intricately weaves
scientific precision into the stories. “I’ve had a fun lab run over the years
and might have picked some degrees on the way,” laughs Rain. “But the most
important thing for my books is that the science has to be real. No more
can-and-know-it-all characters! If I know how to cook meth from baking soda and
cough syrup, I won’t be able to start a rocket engine, full stop. Even in fiction!”

Rain is a huge fan of the zombie genre, both in movies and
books. “I’d kill to be a zombie extra in a film. Even if they smash my brains
out in the first two seconds. Sign me up anytime.”

Dark humour and irony are the main ingredients in Rain’s
novels. “I am sure the world will die laughing. That’s what I would do.”

Rain lives in Birmingham (England), which serves as a main
inspiration for the goriest post-apocalyptic scenes. In their spare time, Rain
plays a harp in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

​

Nah, not really.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * Amazon * Goodreads

.

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $25 giveaway!

.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

.

~~~~~

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.

The 21-Day Boyfriend By A. S. Kelly ~ Teaser And Giveaway

Posted: June 24, 2025 in comedy, giveaways, Romance
Tags: , ,
0

 

The 21-Day Boyfriend

by A. S. Kelly

 

Publication date: May 21 2025 (Audiobook)
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Eric O’Shea needs to make a decision. The annual event his family forces him to attend is just around the corner, and he doesn’t have a date.

Eric never needs help when it comes to finding men. But this time is different – his ex and his new boyfriend will be there, and Eric can’t just bring along one of his usual flings.

His only hope seems to be him: the best friend of his best friend, who he never wanted to meet.

Sean Quinn is a calm, collected, and cultured man; someone who would rather stay at home and read a book than waste his time chasing a date with no future.

Sean isn’t in a rush to find the perfect man, and he certainly doesn’t intend to go out with Eric: his best friend’s other best friend, who he’s avoided meeting for years.

But Sean has a flaw: he can’t say no to anyone, especially not when it comes to his friend Jake, who has a habit of worming his way into other people’s lives.

But it’s just one date, after all: pure fiction. It’s a shame, then, that when Eric needs Sean for another favour, he can’t turn his back. It’s a shame that just when Sean is beginning to understand that Eric isn’t what he seems, he can’t seem to stop before he gets hurt.

Twenty-one days: that’s the agreement.
Twenty-one days of grazing hands, furtive glances, and unexpected kisses.
Twenty-one days where anything goes; except falling in love.

Goodreads / Amazon / Audible / Apple / Kobo / Google Play

~~~~~

AUDIO TEASER:

.

.

About Author A. S. Kelly:

A. S. Kelly writes Rom-Com, Romantic Fiction and Family Saga.
Avid reader, hopeless romantic, lover of yoga, knitting and home baking.
She was born in Italy but lives in Ireland with her husband, two children and a cat named Oscar.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Newsletter

 

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

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.

Just Another Meet Cute By Jenn P. Nguyen ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: April 26, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways, YA
Tags: , , ,
3

 

 

Just Another Meet Cute

by Jenn P. Nguyen

 

Publication date: May 20th 2025
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Boy saves girl stuck on a disastrous hike. What could go wrong? So. Much.

Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you’re dating the wrong twin.

When seventeen-year-old Nina Riley gets saved by a super cute Knight-in-Faded-Khakis just as she lands in an embarrassingly ‘ahem’ sticky situation during the most disastrous hike known to man, she wasn’t exactly looking for a meet cute. She really just needed some peace and quiet from her complicated family. Unfortunately, he disappears before she can properly thank him or get his number. All she has is his name (Ian Nguyen) and a navy jacket with a dog keychain, a gym card, and laundromat receipt. But a meet cute is a meet cute. And armed with years of watching Veronica Mars and a techy cousin, it should be simple enough for Nina to find the boy of her dreams, right? But when she finally tracks him down, he’s different than she thought ―right down to his name. Ryan is just as cute as she remembers, but the chemistry isn’t there like it was before. After a few dates, she meets Ryan’s family: his sweet grandma, his enthusiastic sisters, and his twin brother ―​​​​​​​―Ian.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“My name’s Ian, by the way.”

“Nina.”

He knelt down beside my bleeding leg and dug around in the box. “That’s a pretty name.”

“Thanks. It’s short for Nina.” After the words popped out of my mouth, I wanted to smack myself on the forehead for sounding so stupid.

Thankfully, Ian mistook my word vomit for humor or charm or something and laughed. He pulled a couple wet wipes from a pack and cleaned my leg and cut as best as he could before shoving them into a small plastic bag. Then he spread some white ointment on the cut and unwrapped a couple of Band-Aids. His fingers were long and moved quickly like this wasn’t his first time. After he put two Band-Aids on my cut, he pressed the edges down to make sure it was firm.

This time I felt the warmth of his fingertips on my skin, and the goose bumps that rose on my arms in response.

Rubbing my arms to make them go away before he noticed, I gently stood up. “I’m okay now. Thanks.”

“Are you sure? Your face still looks kind of red.”

Embarrassed, I adjusted the sunglasses until they fell lower on my face like a shield. “No, it’s just—the sun. It’s hot today.”

He glanced up at the overcast sky. It was so thick with clouds that you could barely see the sun anywhere.

“It was sunny earlier,” I said quickly. “Like scorching sunny.”

“Yeah, Texas’s weather is pretty unpredictable.” Still crouched down, Ian leaned to the left to pack everything up. When he was done though, he still didn’t immediately get up. Instead, Ian stared at something on the rock behind me. I followed his gaze and groaned out loud in horror. There was a dark butt-shaped smudge right where I had been sitting a few seconds ago.

With a puzzled expression, his eyes slid up and down my legs—which sounds way dirtier than it was. I almost wished it was dirty so at least I’d know he was thinking of me in a cute-girl-I’m-attracted-to way instead of a weirdo-girl-he-regretted-bumping-into way.

I knew the exact moment when my embarrassing situation clicked in his head. It was almost like his brown eyes cleared—as impossible as it was. My first instinct was to bury my face in my arms and flee, but my feet were frozen in one spot.

To my surprise, Ian didn’t immediately run away. Instead, he stood up, still digging in his bag. His head ducked down until I couldn’t see his face anymore. Especially as one hand messed with his hat, tugging it side to side. I could see that his ears were flaming red though. “Well, I think I have something else in here to help you with . . . that. If you—you need it.”

“What do you—” I glanced down at my legs and his pink face. Until my eyes finally landed on the tampon and pad he held out in his hand.

Oh. My. God.

.

About Author Jenn Nguyen:

Jenn Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

 

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

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.

My Big Fat Beach Wedding By Melanie Summers ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: April 25, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
18

 

My Big Fat Beach Wedding

by Melanie Summers

 

Publication date: April 24th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The plan was simple: fake the wedding, save her career. Then she met the best man.

Vivian Whitlock’s social media empire is about to crumble. She’s closing in on thirty, and her fans are moving on to their ‘weddings and babies’ era. About to be dropped by her management team, she pretends she and her secret boyfriend are ready to take the plunge.

There’s just one problem: he doesn’t exist.

Enter Dominic James, a charismatic actor working at the idyllic Paradise Bay Resort. He’s got Broadway dreams and the perfect cover story. The two strike a deal—he’ll play her doting fiancé, and she’ll launch him into New York stardom.

But Vivian’s picture-perfect plan takes an unexpected turn when she moves into the beachside bungalow Dominic shares with his brother, Ben—an intense, fiercely-devoted single dad with no time for romance.

Surrounded by swaying palms, ocean breezes, and a precocious five-year-old who steals her heart, Vivian starts to wonder if she’s been chasing the wrong dream all along.

Is she about to lose everything she built—or finally find something that lasts?

My Big Fat Beach Wedding is a STAND-ALONE laugh-out-loud, banter-filled tale of two people who can’t fall in love but do anyway. It’s the perfect heartwarming, feel-good escape from the real world.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Single Dad who would do anything for his young son

Opposites attract
Living in the Same House

World’s most adorable 5-year-old (with cute red glasses)

Loads of witty banter
A slow burn, plenty of steam, and a hint of spice

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Okay, so slight problem. Dominic left for work early for a pre-show meeting, and Josephine has gone to the other side of the island for a two-day solo hiking trip up a mountain (of course she did). I agreed to go for a sunset dip in the ocean with Henry and Ben this evening, which means we’re all frolicking around playfully in the water in our swimsuits, and Mr. Not-Dad-Bod is in a pair of black trunks that are leaving very little to my imagination. And I know I shouldn’t be looking. Like, I actually do know it, okay. No one has to tell me that it’s completely inappropriate to be ogling my future BIL. But at the same time, my eyes are drinking in the sight of him right now as he gets Henry set up on a surfboard laying on his stomach and sends him back toward the shore. Ben’s arms and chest flex as he pushes the board, and I can’t seem to look away. Also, he’s laughing and smiling, and dear God, but he’s got the best smile I think I’ve ever seen. Better than Giancarlo by about ten million percent. I’m in the water up to my ankles so I can catch Henry if needed, but honestly, he doesn’t need my help. The kid is a total pro, and I’m pretty sure he’s been riding a surfboard since he could walk.

Other than us and the odd seagull, the beach is empty. The waves roll gently in toward the shore in white foamy swirls that disappear into the sand. Behind Ben, the sun is about to dip down to reach the horizon, and the only sound competing with the lapping water is that of Henry’s irresistible little giggle. He reaches the shore and I put my foot out to hold the board steady while he gets off, his life jacket clearly making the task a little more difficult. He adjusts his prescription goggles, then grins up at me. “Come on, Auntie Viv, you’ve got to try it!”

“Oh, no, you keep going. You’re having so much fun,” I tell him, picking up the board and holding it under my arm like the real surfers do.

“I get to do this every day. I want you to try it,” he says, taking my hand while we wade back out to Ben against the gentle surf.

Ben grins at me and lifts Henry up onto his hip. “Yeah, why don’t you give it a try? I bet you’ll love it.”

“Do it! Do it!” Henry chants.

Blushing a little, I say, “All right, but I’m not exactly sporty, so try not to laugh.”

Ben takes the surfboard from me with his free hand, his fingers touching mine as he does, sending a thrill right through me to my toes. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’ve laid on your stomach before, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can do this.” He holds the board in place for me while I climb on, trying my very best not to think about the fact that he’s so close to my bikini-clad bottom right now. God, I hope she looks good like this. Be perky, bottom.

No, don’t worry about that, silly beans! He’s not looking. He’s a gentleman.

I grip the board with both hands and hold on.

“You ready?” he asks in his deep voice.

“Yup,” I squeak out, even though there’s nothing scary about what I’m about to do.

“Away you go!” he says, pushing the board toward shore.

I squeal and hold on, feeling like a kid again as I zip toward the beach. When I get there, I quickly stand, then turn to Henry and Ben, who are cheering mightily as if I’ve just done something spectacular. I give them a deep bow.

“Again! Again!” Henry says as I walk back to them.

(Okay, so I’m not walking like I normally do. I may or may not be striding toward them with a little extra hitch in my hips and my shoulders back a wee bit more than normal. Bad Vivian. Bad. And yet, still doing it.)

“You know who hasn’t had a turn?” I ask Henry.

“My dad?”

“Yup! Your poor dad, right? I bet he wants a turn.” I give Ben a smile and I have to say, I don’t hate the look on his face right now. All that hip swaying might not have gone unnoticed.

.

About Author Melanie Summers:

Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

GIVEAWAY!

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

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.

The Revenge Game By Jax Calder ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: April 14, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
8

 

The Revenge Game

by Jax Calder

 

(The Revenge Club, #1)
Publication date: April 11th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Rule #1 of Revenge Club: Don’t fall for your target

Andrew
I’ve come a long way since being the gawky, geeky, gay kid who was constantly picked on growing up. Having just sold my tech start-up for so much money it broke my phone calculator, I’m now at a loose end wondering what to do next in my life.
Then I run into Justin. Justin, the golden boy from high school. Justin, the popular jock who turned my life into a living hell for four years.

And do you want to know the kicker? He doesn’t even recognize me.

Even worse, it looks like karma hasn’t done its thing because Justin definitely hasn’t been punished for his previous sins.

Maybe my next mission in life is to give karma a helping hand…

Justin
My life looks perfect from the outside – good job, good friends, no worries. Only I know it is all based on a lie. I’ve never been honest with anyone about my sexuality.

Then I meet the new IT guy at work who has just moved into my apartment building too. Given I seem to be having an extraordinary run of bad luck with technology at the moment—like having my email randomly decide to spam the entire company with images of trolls in intimate embraces —Drew’s been a lifesaver. And the more I get to know Drew, the more I want to confess my secret in the hope we can become something more.

But I can’t help the niggling feeling Drew is hiding something from me…

The Revenge Game is a laugh-out-loud journey through misadventures in revenge and the unexpected twists of fate. It’s where old grudges spark new attractions, where secrets unravel, and where two men learn all about redemption and love.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

He didn’t even recognize me.

My mind can’t let go of that fact. It lodges in my brain like a corrupted file that keeps trying to load. How is it possible that someone who starred in my nightmares for four years, who shaped every decision I made from which hallway to take to which college to choose, doesn’t even remember my face?

There was that time in gym class when we played volleyball, and Justin and his friends decided that instead of spiking the ball over the net, they would aim for me.

And one of them struck the ball so perfectly that it hit my stomach with a loud thunk, winding me.

I still recall that dizzy breathlessness, my panic when I couldn’t draw oxygen into my body, the struggle to make my lungs recover from fright and remember what their job actually was.

That’s exactly how I feel now.

How could he not recognize me? How? How?

Okay, due to my late growth spurt, I’m a few inches taller than I was in high school, rounding out to a decent five foot eleven. Back then, my dark hair was a floppy mess, whereas now, it’s been carefully cut in a style my barber assures me is the latest fashion. And my face has slimmed down since high school, along with my standard-issue nerd glasses being replaced by a trendier pair.

But I’m still recognizable. I haven’t changed that much.

In all the time I’ve spent thinking about this moment, I never considered the idea he might not recognize me.

How did I miss that possibility?

But then, why would he recognize me? I’m a tiny blip in his life.

Justin Morris is woven so intricately into the tapestry of my teenage years, one of the main antagonists in my story. Meanwhile, I was simply some mild entertainment to amuse him when he was bored.

My features are not etched into his consciousness. He has not spent years scripting our reunion. I’m nothing to him. A nobody.

The unevenness leaves me breathless.

But then the phrase repeats in my head in a different voice. Less defeated. More…intrigued.

He doesn’t recognize me.

According to technology sector analysts, I’m the guy who sees gaps in the market, problems that have yet to be solved. And while it makes me sound like a superhero coding ninja rather than simply a guy who spends countless hours hunched over my laptop muttering to myself, there is some truth to it.

While at MIT, I developed a system that revolutionized how computers share information, basically creating digital traffic lights to improve efficiency.

On the back of that, I started my tech company, which I sold a few months ago for the kind of money that sounds made up when you say it aloud.

Now, my brain is ticking faster than an atomic clock.

I take a large sip of my drink. The smooth tones of the red wine linger on my tongue after I swallow.

I’m a big believer in karma. What goes around, comes around. If you put enough good into the universe, some of it will return to you. I like to think I’ve always been a good person, and as the balance of my bank account testifies, a lot has made its way back to me.

But now, my faith in the all-encompassing might of karma has been shaken.

I study the restroom door with the same intensity a cat studies the red dot from a laser pointer.

Justin emerges after a few minutes. He weaves through the crowd effortlessly, sliding back into the fold of his friends, who greet his return with shoulder bumps and easy laughter carrying across the pub.

My chest constricts with an emotion I can’t quite name—something between rage and despair—watching him hold court. The carefully constructed walls I’ve built between my past and present suddenly feel paper-thin.

Because Justin’s still exactly who he was in high school. The golden guy surrounded by a circle of smiling admirers.

Yes, it definitely appears karma hasn’t caught up with Justin Morris.

Possibilities swirl in my mind. I’m currently footloose, with no set ties or projects lined up. I have almost unlimited funds at my disposal.

And there’s that one important, undeniable, inescapable fact.

He didn’t recognize me.

Maybe just this once, karma needs a helping hand.

.

About Author Jax Calder:

Jax’s stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. Join her Facebook group Jax’s Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Newsletter

 

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Older Entries
Newer Entries