Posts Tagged ‘contemporary romance’

 

Can’t Help Falling In Love

by Mariah Ankenman

 

Publication date: February 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Growing up with three brothers, Charlie Jackson had to be tough. Some might call her the B word, but she simply defends those who need it. Unfortunately, not everyone sees her protection as defense. Like the judge who ordered her to take anger management classes after she messed up her jerk ex’s car. Not a problem, a few months pretending to listen to a bunch of people talk about accessing feelings should go down as smooth as the vodka her family makes at their distillery.

Luc Woolf knows all about harboring anger at the world. Growing up with a father who liked the bottle more than his family, he suffered his fair share of rage. But he gave up that emotion long ago when he realized anger did nothing but make a person miserable. These days, he keeps a cool head and helps others process their emotions as a therapist. However, when he volunteers to moderate an anger management course, he meets the one person who tests his careful control, Charlie Jackson.

The two couldn’t be more at odds, but they can’t deny the scorching heat between them. This bad girl wants to show this good boy how much fun breaking the rules can be. After all, opposites attract. But when the struggles of real life interrupt their fun times, will their differences pull them apart or bond them together?

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Luc Woolf sat at the table, a smart-ass grin ticking up the corner of his mouth. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

The smooth, deep voice washed over her like silk. She would not laugh at his ridiculous attempt at humor. But damn it all, she felt the curve of her lips as a smile she couldn’t seem to stop, turned them up.

“Damn small towns.”

He chuckled. “I thought you owned a bar?”

“I do.”

“But you’re a server on the side?” He tilted his head. “There a large abolition following in Kismet I’m not aware of?”

“No. The distillery does great. So great in fact that we expanded into a restaurant. One of the servers had an emergency and needed her shift covered.”

Dark brows rose. “And the boss filled in?”

“We’re a family run establishment.” She shrugged. “It’s what you do when your family needs help. You help.”

Something passed through his eyes. Respect. She had no idea why, but it made a warm fuzzy feeling rise in her stomach. Luc seemed to understand and even applaud her actions of the evening. Stupid. She didn’t give a rat’s ass what he thought.

Then why was her heart suddenly racing?

“So,” he grabbed his menu again, breaking the moment. “What’s good here?”

“Everything. And I don’t just say that because I co-own the joint. Our chef is amazing. What do you like?”

“I’m not picky.”

He said that, but they were half an hour away from Denver. Hipster central. Trends took off like wildfire in the city and spread like the plague to the small tourists’ towns like Kismet. Currently they’d had to accommodate for everything from Paleo to gluten free patrons. She had no problem catering to a customer who had a food allergy, but she really hated the bandwagon eaters who fussed and complained because they were strictly gluten free and then ordered a piece of cheesecake with graham cracker crust.

“No allergies? No weird fad diets?”

“Do I look like I do fad diets?” He arched one eyebrow.

No, he did not. In fact, the man looked like he ate steel for breakfast and iron for dinner. A dark V-neck sweater clung tight to his chest revealing just a hint of chest hair. The sleeves were pushed up past his elbows, revealing tightly muscled forearms. Damn, had she ever found forearms sexy before? She did tonight.

“A meat and potatoes kind of guy?” Her mouth felt too dry. She swallowed, trying for the life of her to find some saliva. “Our steak is amazing, but if you prefer fish, we have a great salmon with dill sauce.”

He held the menu in his fingers, but his gaze focused on her. “It all sounds amazing.”

Her breath caught in her throat, brain blanking. How did this guy render her speechless with just a look? It wasn’t fair. No one should be that sexy.

“Um, yeah. It is.” Clever Charlie. “What can I bring you?”

He placed the menu at the edge of the table, eyes never leaving hers. “You pick.”

“What?”

“You own the place. You know what’s best. You pick something for me.”

Shaking herself out of whatever weird fog she’d been in, she laughed. “You want me to pick your meal.” He nodded. Licking her lips, she placed her hand on the table and leaned down. “How do you know I won’t poison you?”

He wasn’t exactly her favorite person, and she’d made no bones about it. He leaned toward her until they were inches apart. She could smell the sharp mint of his breath, feel its warmth on her lips and cheeks. Her blood began to heat, heart racing in her chest. This was ridiculous! She should not react this way to a man who’d done nothing but annoy the crap out of her since the moment she ran into him.

“You do need me to sign off on your anger management course. If I suddenly die after eating at an establishment you own it might look pretty sketchy to the judge,” he said the words in a teasing tone, the dimple in his cheek catching her eye at his wide grin.

Laughter bubbled out of her. “True. Plus, it’d be a shame to poison all that sexy.”

The moment the words left her mouth she wanted to shove them back in.

Surprise lifted his brow. “You think I’m sexy?”

Embarrassment flooded her, so she did what she always did when she felt insecure. She pushed away from the table, crossing her arms over her chest, and brought out her trademark sarcasm. “Don’t fish for compliments. You own a damn mirror.”

He grinned, leaning back in his chair. “You’re not so bad yourself, Charlie.”

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About Author Mariah Ankenman:

Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her.

Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books visit her website www.mariahankenman.com

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Perfectly Polished
by Lynne Hancock Pearson

 

(Keeney Builds, #2)
Publication date: February 10th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He made good on his promise to call. She refused to answer.

Facing an embarrassing divorce and fighting against her controlling mother, Fiona doesn’t have time for the broody ex-con, despite toe-curling kisses that still star in her dreams.

Surprise doesn’t begin to describe her reaction when he appears in her company’s boardroom months later. And ignores her.

Tomas tells himself he’s no longer interested in the tightly wound executive. But he can’t stop wondering if she’s all right. Can’t stop wanting to pick up the pieces. Can’t stop thinking about how perfect she felt in his arms.

Defying her mother, Fiona gives Tomas a chance, and they connect over their shared dream of building affordable housing. The community rallies around them, but not everyone is on board, and roadblocks are thrown up to challenge their plan and their relationship.

Can they build something solid despite threats to their foundation? Is permanent even possible when family differences turn ugly?

Perfectly Polished is a small-town, opposites-attract romance between a burly builder who grunts more than he speaks and a polished professional who has never known love.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Forty-five minutes.

Fiona Han discreetly turned off the alarm on her smart watch. It wasn’t that she was having a bad time, these were nice people. But they were people who knew far too much about her, and she was ready for this day to be over. With a small smile, she said, “I called an uber. Hilary, thanks for inviting me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I’ll drive you home.”

Fiona blinked and stared at Tomas Alvarado. “Umm… Thanks, but I’m fine.” She waved her phone at him and put it into her purse.

He stood and looked down at her. “I’ll drive you home.”

Eep!

She did not want to make a scene. He didn’t give off the axe-murderer vibe, and her friends were grinning at her like he was perfectly safe, but the man unnerved her.

Marcia Ortiz, a woman in her mid-fifties, and best friend to Fiona’s mother in law Iris, touched her hand. “You’ll be fine,” she murmured.

Fiona rose, tucked her purse under her arm and followed Tomas to the stairs leading from Hilary’s deck to the driveway. She glanced back at Marcia, who winked at her.

Eep!

Descending the stairs, she was aware of the man behind her. It seemed that for the past two weeks, Tomas had been at her back, without saying a word. Reaching the driveway, she faced three white pick-up trucks bearing the logo for Keeney Building Supplies, the company Iris owned. With a hand to her elbow, Tomas guided her to the one in the middle, distinguishable from the others by the rosary hanging from the rearview mirror, and opened the passenger door. Fiona eyed the distance up to the seat of the truck, then down at her pencil skirt and heels. Then she was up. Tomas placed her gently on the seat and reached around to buckle the seat belt.

“I’m not a child!” She glared up at him.

He met her eyes fully for the very first time. “I know you’re not.” He closed the door and walked around the hood of the truck.

Walk was the wrong word. Tomas prowled like a predator. Did that make her his prey?

He climbed behind the wheel, his presence taking up all the air in the truck. Fiona wanted to open the window, to breathe, perhaps to crawl out.

Placing a large hand on the back of her seat, he ignored her as he turned to back out of the driveway. She could smell him. If she turned her head, ever so slightly, she could brush up against his hand and rub his scent all over her. Where had that thought come from? Fiona shook her head and stared forward.

“I live on Dunlop Street,” she told him.

“I know.” Tomas met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “I changed the locks on your doors last week.”

“Right,” she said in a small voice. To keep the douche canoe of her soon to be ex-husband out. Her eyes got big. “I haven’t paid you yet! I’m so sorry, I forgot all about it. I can write you a cheque when we get to the house. It’s just –”

“It’s taken care of.”

“Oh.” Tomas worked for her mother-in-law. Iris must have had him do it. “Thank you.”

He drove in silence.

Not knowing how to converse with someone who clearly didn’t like to talk, she leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.

She awoke to see Tomas scouring the word ‘cunt’ off her garage door.

Fiona threw herself from the truck, stumbling as she hit the ground. She righted herself and flew around the hood of the truck. Tomas whirled and grimaced.

“Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod,” she chanted, pacing back and forth in front of the garage. Scrawled in dripping red paint, each capital letter was at least two feet high.

Eddie.

He’d chosen a public and humiliating way to get back at her.

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About Author Lynne Hancock Pearson:

Lynne Hancock Pearson writes fun, flirty, feel-good fiction that simmers at low heat. Set in the Pacific Northwest, they are stories of people finding their way, even if it takes a while to get there.

She lives near Seattle with two and a half finicky felines and one long-suffering husband. She is a left-handed middle child who grew up in the Great White North and is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Canada.

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Twice A Target

by Susan Vaughan

 

(Task Force Eagle, #4)
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: January 29th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Disaster strikes DEA Agent Holt Donovan twice, when a gunfight ruins his mission and a car crash kills his brother and sister-in-law. Home on the Colorado ranch to raise his infant nephew, Holt enlists a nanny—Maddy McCoy, the woman who once jilted his brother. The world-traveling photographer never expected to return to Colorado, the only real home she ever had, and to the man she never forgot. Burned out from covering too many starving children and refugees and short on funds, Maddy agrees, vowing to keep her heart safe. What neither of them knows is that by bringing her into his home, Holt has placed her in the crosshairs of a killer. As Holt and Maddy cope with their desire for each other and the resentments of the past, their investigation into the brother’s death leads them into escalating danger and a shocking discovery.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Bobby’s siren wail penetrated Holt’s consciousness like a nail in his skull.

He opened one eye. The lighted digital clock beside his bed read two o’clock. Right on time, little guy. “Coming,” he mumbled.

One foot on the floor. The other. He raked fingers through his hair, then pushed to his feet. Starting for the door, he snapped alert as though slapped.

Maddy McCoy.

He’d finished some paperwork in the office, then slipped off to bed early. But escape didn’t work worth a damn. The image of Maddy’s sassy face and the memory of her scent kept him torturing his sheets for hours before he finally slept.

Damn, she was in the master bedroom. He couldn’t troop through the house in his skivvies. Blinking in the darkened bedroom, he stumbled back and forth like a drugged steer as he searched for his jeans. Didn’t he leave them on the chair? Or on the floor? No. He put away the clean ones and tossed the manure-smeared ones into the washing machine. Where they remained.

Bobby cranked it up a notch. He could rival that opera singer, Luciano something.

Hell with it. Holt hit the door and burst into the hall.

And collided with a slim figure in filmy white.

He stumbled to a halt and braced himself as his arms went around her to stop her fall. She emitted a small yelp like a cartoon eek. Under his hands, her slender body in the silken covering was a miracle of curves and soft, toned female flesh. His body tightened and his pulse raced off to distant planets. The hallway suddenly didn’t have enough air.

He immediately set her away a step. Then he stepped back another. “Sorry. Bobby.” The baby’s cry subsided to hiccups and whimpers. No emergency, to his relief.

“Thought that was my job,” she said. “Two o’clock bottle. Diaper change. Like that.”

“You’re here to spell me when I’m doing ranch work.”

“A rancher needs sleep.” She returned his scowl, although humor tugged at the corner of her lips. “Why do you want me here if you won’t leave Bobby to me?”

He opened his mouth, closed it again with a snap.

Bobby cranked it up again. Only taking a breather. His wail rivaled an air raid siren.

“If you’ll get out of my way,” she said, tossing her hair and smoothing her nightshirt so it highlighted her breasts, “I’ll see to the baby.” The grin popped out, accompanied by a slow perusal down Holt’s body. “Nice…legs.”

He blinked, shot a glance downward. Damn, betrayed by his tented boxers. His Adam’s apple jumped as he swallowed hard. He jerked to the side along the wall, as if someone had pressed a knife to his side. “Bobby’s all yours.”

“Great!” She turned and swung her hips as she flounced toward the baby’s room.

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About Author Susan Vaughan:

I wanted to write as soon as I learned to read. I dabbled with stories and poems for years, but didn’t start writing seriously until many years later. My favorite books have always been mysteries and romances, so the mix in romantic suspense was a natural. I love writing romantic suspense because it throws the hero and heroine together under extraordinary circumstances and pits them against a clever villain. My books have been both a Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Nominee and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Reviewers have called my books fast-paced, thrilling, action-packed, sizzling, and highly emotional.

I have also published a children’s Christmas picture book, Sleigh Magic.

I am a West Virginia native but I have lived for many years on the coast of Maine.

For more information about my books, please visit me at susanvaughan dot com

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The Loathe Boat

by Cindy Dorminy

 

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

The Loathe Boat is about to set sail! All aboard!

Chrissy Parks already has one failed marriage under her belt, and despite being on good terms with her ex, she has no desire to put another ring on her left hand anytime soon. Life is good with Deacon, her amazing boyfriend, so there’s no need to rock the boat.

Deacon Youngblood has other plans. He pops the question just days before they plan to set sail on a role-playing-themed cruise. When Chrissy flips out and turns down his proposal, he begins to think that she may not be over her ex.

The situation escalates into a breakup, but neither will relinquish their cruise ticket. Chrissy climbs aboard the Sovereign of the Sea with the goal of clearing her head and enjoying all the cruise has to offer. Deacon follows with the hope of winning her back.

Chrissy has a nagging feeling that Deacon is hiding something from her. And he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Chrissy must search her heart and decide who she wants. Or maybe she should abandon ship.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

First line: Nothing says love like walking through a parking garage in a bright yellow duck suit. ~ Chrissy

I open the box to reveal the custom-made engagement ring I’ve been hiding in my drawer for a month. Her mouth gapes open, but no words come out – no “OMG, yes” or even “Of course I will” or a squeal of excitement…..

Her breaths come out in rapid pants. “I..I… uh, I…” Her chair falls backward as she runs toward the bathroom.

Relinquishing my ticket to her would be the right thing to do, but there is no way on Earth I’m going to let her share my stateroom with her ex-husband. I’d rather be stuck on the Titanic with her than let her have any sexy times with that twenty-first century Eddie Haskell ~ Deacon

A sword? Wait! A viking helmet too? Most of the people in line around me seem more like they are on their way to a Ren Faire. All that’s missing is a very large turkey leg. ~ Chrissy

Rom-Com readers will have a memorable trip on The Loathe Boat ~ Goodreads

Great for getting in the ‘vacation mood’ without necessarily hearing Jimmy Buffet. ~ Goodreads

For a closed-door romance, they had magnetic chemistry! ~ Goodreads

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About Author Cindy Dorminy:

Cindy Dorminy writes about love when it’s least expected. Quirky dialogue and sassy, southern heroines are a must in her romances. When she’s not in her she-shed working on her next novel, she enjoys walking her dog, gardening, and weightlifting. She shares her house with her musician husband, an awesome daughter, and a miniature dachshund who would eat all the food if he could figure out how to open the refrigerator. She resides in Nashville, TN, where live music can be heard everywhere, even at the grocery store.

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Where the Road Ends

by Kathryn Beck

 

 

Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

 

Bartender Mara Sawyer has sixty days to turn her life around. If she can’t, Mara will lose the chance to regain custody of her daughter. Never having envisioned her life as a living, breathing, public service announcement for the Wyoming judicial system, Mara embraces the judge’s harsh rebuke. Finding a steady job will be easy, finishing school will be easy. Eluding the distraction of the new swaggering Texan, Luke Whitten, will be anything but easy.

With all her cards on the table, Luke and Mara build a strong friendship and along the way, she gives herself permission to fall in love again. When Mara’s ex offers up full custody in exchange for betraying Luke, Mara must choose — her daughter’s happiness, or her own.

Goodreads / Amazon / Wild Rose Press

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Enjoy this peek inside:

New guy held up his finger for the fourth time in an hour.

She swept his plate and silverware into the dirty dishes bucket and pulled the handle to deliver him another beer. “Are you sure you don’t want a shot of something?” She waved at the collection of liquor bottles behind her. “Your something unpleasant is going to get expensive at some point.”

He ran his finger along the grain of the wood, up the condensation of the glass. His hands were large and calloused. Workingman’s hands.

Refusing to bite, or speak apparently, he looked up and smiled.

Twisting around, she grabbed up one of their generic, bar-grade bottles. “You look like a tequila man.”

“A tequila man, huh?” He raised one eyebrow, motioned with his finger for her to pour. “Sure, you want to call that tequila?”

She glanced at the bottle, thought again, and grabbed up a bottle of Sagebrush, her mid-grade agave tequila, and held it up for inspection. “Better?”

“I’m impressed.” He nodded as she was poised to pour.

“So, a man who knows his tequilas. A man not in his element with this weather.” She glanced at his ambiguous touristy ball cap. “You’re from Texas.”

He extended a killer smile that swept all the sharpness away in an instant. “And how would you know that?”

“Simple.” She looked at his hands, at his chest. “We get a lot of oil guys in here. But oil guys in Wyoming are different.”

She nodded at a customer a couple of bar stools down, held her finger up to new guy.

He shot down his tequila and winced, looped his finger as she got back to him. “You realize you’d be laughed out of the Lone Star State with your tequila selection.”

“Maybe, but that means I’m right about the Texas part though.”

He rocked his head from side to side. “Perhaps.”

“Ball cap is a dead giveaway.” She floated her head sideways to indicate the packed bar. “Wyoming boys wear them backward, trying to look cool, or what they think is cool. Texas boys are already confident, wear their caps like grown men should.” She was flirting, but he was a safe sort. The kind just passing through on their way somewhere else. Not like he’d be interested in her anyways. Since the courtroom visit—her sweet and salty explosion of junk food continued, ending last night with an entire key lime pie. Instinctively, she glanced down the counter to Angela. But here new guy sat, had sat. She knew better than to read anything into that.

After three shots, he slowed down, nursing his beer, staring so intently at the coaster, there had to be something unpleasant and deep going on. There was no way one night on her barstool would touch his problems. No matter how many shots he did.

But in an instant, his buzzed ass stared at her with blue eyes, glacier blue, burning straight to her insides. She liked to think she could hold her own looking someone in the eye, but she was the first to look away. She didn’t need anyone trying to analyze her lengthy list of problems.

“Do you have family here?” she asked, trying again. She’d never worked so hard for a conversation. Two nights off diminished her let-me-into-your-world vibes.

“Huh?”

“Mom, brother, sister? What you Texas boys may call kinfolk?”

She didn’t miss the flinch when she said brother. She also didn’t miss his eyes lighting up and the bite at his lip when mentioning a sister. Within ten short seconds he pulled out a photo of not only his sister, but two adorable nephews, in full cowboy attire.

He put his credit card on the bar and returned the pictures to their sleeves. After he signed the receipt, he hitched his hip and jammed his wallet into the back pocket of well-worn, faded-to-soft jeans.

He tipped his cap, looking over the crowd for a minute, and turned his hat around backward, making her laugh. “Does that make me blend better?”

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About Author Kathryn Beck:

Kathryn is a transplanted Canadian who now calls Texas home. She loves writing strong, morally gray women tackling complex relationships and their messy lives. Kathryn enjoys road trips, spa weekend getaways, and spending time with family and friends.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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The Magical Tea Shop

by Aimee O’Brian

 

(Charmed Love, #1)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: January 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In the small town of Hazard, finding your soulmate might require magical intervention.

Ivy Wayland has a bet with her sister, who says you can’t have it all—success in business or love, but not both. Since opening her tea shop, Ivy knows where her priorities should be, but she has her heart set on her landlord. All her life, she’s heard the family lore about how their antique cookie press infuses homemade cookies with so much love that the recipient will fall head over heels for the giver. Ivy decides to take the chance.

Jaxon Langford is ready to move on. The only thing stopping him from selling up is concern about how some of his small business owners would fare with a greedier landlord. When one of his enthusiastic tenants brings him a tin of delicious-looking cookies, he’s charmed. He takes the cookies to his baseball team’s practice, only to watch them be devoured without getting so much as a bite.

Suddenly, Ivy has her pick of the town’s eligible bachelors—except Jaxon. How can she prove her sister wrong and win Jaxon’s heart?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Ivette Wayland caught her breath. With the sun shining down on him, Jaxon Langford always caught her just a little unawares. He only lived upstairs, but every morning she found herself anticipating his first appearance of the day. She gazed through the plate glass window of her cozy tea shop as his little black Scottie dog scampered to keep up with his long strides. Jaxon halted just outside her door.

Would he enter?

She ached to run her fingers through that molasses-brown hair, still damp from the shower and sparkling like sugared ginger crinkles. It was ridiculous how much she yearned to touch him. He was her landlord, for goodness’ sake. Ivy reined in her longing. Jaxon paused on the sidewalk and quickly stepped over to hold open the door for the tiny, elderly Hazel Bestwick, president of the Hazard Historical Society.

Please come inside, Jaxon.

A couple of young boys on their way to school, backpacks swinging, asked him a question. Jaxon leaned down to answer. He fist-bumped the taller of the two boys and grinned. Jaxon’s smile shot straight to her core. As if sensing her watching, he glanced at the window, trying to see through sunlight bouncing off glass, his eyes the color of a well-steeped Irish breakfast tea.

She let out a little sigh. What she wouldn’t give to have him for…

“Focus,” said a voice behind her.

Ivy jumped and blinked twice to bring herself back to reality. “You have customers.

Remember your goals.”

Her older sister’s constant criticism put her on the defensive. Ivy swung abruptly to face her, causing her high blonde ponytail to smack her own cheek. She shoved it back. “Business is steady.”

My business is steady.” Holly drew herself up straighter in her pink bakery smock smoothing a hand over her flawless updo before sweeping an arm out to draw Ivy’s attention to the nearly empty tearoom. “Your business is slow. And he…” She flapped her hand toward the window “…is a distraction to success. You can’t have it all.”

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About Author Aimee O’Brian:

Having lived in both California and Texas, award-winning author Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country where she writes dark, sexy, funny romance. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more flowers in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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Sizzling attractions and romance on the sands of Montauk

Jingle Bell Love

A Montuak Romance Book 2

By P.C. Zick

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A man in mourning for his dead wife. A woman unable to trust
the opposite sex. Blind date fiascos until they discover one another.
Denny’s wife—the only woman he’s ever loved—died the year before and his
friends are intent on finding him a new love. Jill’s first experience with love
in college left her skeptical that she would ever be able to find love. Both
the widower and the bachelorette hope for a second chance at love.
When Denny and Jill find themselves lustfully drawn to one another, they’re
ashamed of their secret encounters. When friends suspect there might be
something between them, they disapprove. Unsure of how they feel about one
another, the attraction continues. To keep things on the downlow, they hatch a
pact to be friends with secret benefits and embark on a hot sexy romance. When
those benefits explode into something more than primal urges, one of them
breaks the pact, and the whole affair and friendship ends up unraveling as the
holiday season approaches. This steamy romance jingles all the bells for the
Christmas season.
Denny, a contractor with a desire to become an architect, designs a home with
Jill foremost in his mind. Their love ebbs and flows in this Hamptons romance.

 

Jingle Bell Love is the second novel in the Montauk Romance series,
which feature novels filled with steamy passion, and always, everlasting love.

 

Buy your copy of Jingle Bell Love to begin reading about the
sexy men and beautiful women who seek meaningful relationships beyond lust at
first sight.

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THE MUSIC BLARED FROM the speakers when Denny entered Last Call. The pulsing beat perked him up and removed any regrets he’d had earlier about showing up. It would be good to see his friends. He needed a break from work and from missing Sara. And it would be nice to go out with friends rather than with a woman who couldn’t carry on a conversation. The date with Barbie lingered, and not in a pleasant way.

“We wondered if you’d make it,” Colt said when Denny joined him and Haley at the bar. “And you beat everyone else. Good job.”

Haley gave him a hug. “How are you, Denny? How did the date go the other night?”

Denny and Colt both groaned as an answer.

“I don’t understand. My cousin recommended her so highly.”

“She just wasn’t my type, Haley. I’m doubtful there’s anyone out there who’s my type, so I’m done.”

“But don’t give up, old man,” Colt patted him on the back. “You just haven’t met the right one yet.”

“I’m taking a break, remember? Even Jeff agreed to back off.”

Colt slapped his forehead. “I forgot, but just in case, I brought you something.” Colt reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out several small square packages. Denny stared at them and wondered why Colt was carrying around condoms.

“Why do you need those?” Denny asked.

“I don’t, but you do.” Colt put them in the pocket of Denny’s blue shirt. “We get these by the caseloads to take with us to the villages. A delivery came today, and I thought of you. No need to thank me.”

Denny laughed. “If I have to wait for my friends to fix me up with a worthwhile woman, I won’t need these for a very long time. And now that I’ve sworn off dating, these are going to rot.”

“Better to be safe,” Colt said. “You never know when something might happen. I’d hate for you to miss an opportunity just because you weren’t prepared.”

Denny turned to look at the woman who now stood next to him. Jill, Kiley’s friend and money handler. They had met only a few times before, but Denny had liked her immediately.

“Jill, I didn’t know you were in town,” Denny said. “Good to see you.”

“Hi there. I just got here today.” Jill greeted them all with a big smile. He’d never noticed what a lovely grin she had. But she looked different.

“Did you do something with your hair?” he asked.

Jill laughed. “You’re very observant. I guess it’s been a few months since we’ve seen one another. I’m letting it go back to my natural color. Platinum was too much. I’m almost thirty after all.”

Again, that smile as the rest of them laughed.

“I like it.” Then he turned to his beer. He hadn’t meant to say that. But she looked so damn sexy in a denim skirt a few inches above her knees and a red stripe top that outlined her breasts and dipped just enough to see her cleavage. He needed to get a grip before he lost his mind completely and kissed her.

“How have you been?” Jill asked quietly when they were settled. “It’s been almost a year, right?”

He nodded. “Next month. I’m surviving. The worst part has been the concern of my friends.” When Jill gave him a puzzled look, he plunged ahead. “They’re all intent on fixing me up on dates. So far, they’ve all been disasters.”

“I can relate to that. To avoid Kiley and my mother pestering me to get out more, I started online dating this past year. After my last date, I’ve sworn off it.”

“That bad? Same thing here. My last date did it for me, too. I didn’t realize there were so many empty-headed women out there. No offense because that certainly doesn’t fit you.”

“None taken, if you don’t mind me saying that there are some pretty lame guys as well. I think I’ve had a date with all of them.”

For the first time in more than a year, Denny felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. It would be all right. And suddenly, the woman next to him with the dark blonde hair curling softly around her jaw aroused in him feelings he hadn’t had since long before Sara died. He tried not to look at her chest as she leaned toward him. She gave his arm a squeeze, which sent a shiver down his spine.

When she rose and headed for the back of the bar, he followed her.

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Love On the Wind

A Montuak Romance Book 2

An uptight builder. A quirky reality TV travel show host.
An explosive passion that surprises them both in this sexy Hamptons romance.
Six years of traveling for her reality TV series has left Kiley Nelson, a
dedicated career woman, longing for a place to call her own. Spending a weekend
at her girlfriend’s beach house is the perfect reprieve, especially when she
purchases property to finally settle down. But her peaceful escape is shaken
when she smashes into a car containing the sinfully sexy and infuriated
passenger, Jeff Hammond, who immediately melts her heart.
Jeff, staying at his friend’s Montauk home to relax after a trying week of
building a home for a spoiled diva, doesn’t count on sharing his weekend with
the flaky, yet incredibly sexy, Kiley. He agrees to build her house, despite
the tug on his heart as Kiley turns him on in every delicious way.
Passionate weekends and shared dreams begin to shape the house they start to
build together as Jeff begins to realize his dream of becoming an architect. As
their relationship deepens, so do the wounds from past hurts, rousing ghosts
from Jeff’s traumatic past when his fiancé cheated on him with his brother.
When a summer storm rolls in at the nearly complete house, they’re forced to
deal with the past before it shakes and cracks the very foundation they’ve
built.
Misunderstanding and stubborn personalities threaten to rip apart the fledgling
relationship until both Kiley and Jeff learn to trust one another and are given
a second chance at love.

 

Love on the Wind is the first novel in the Montauk Romance series,
which feature novels filled with steamy passion, and always, everlasting love.

 

Buy your copy of Love on the Wind to begin reading about the
sexy men and beautiful women who seek meaningful relationships beyond lust at
first sight.

**On Sale for Only .99cents!**

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KILEY DROVE OUT TO Long Island on Saturday morning in the rental car the studio provided whenever she needed it. She put down the top on the BMW, excited to be driving on one of those rare, cloudless days of endless blue sky. At eight o’clock, the temperature was a lovely seventy degrees and rising steadily. She was glad she’d thrown in her new bikini at the last minute, along with a gauzy see-through sundress for wearing over the bathing suit. She loved to dress like an old hippie with lots of lace and wispy material that seemed to float on the air. When she worked, she mostly dressed down because her show took her on adventures not usually chosen by the average tourist. She hiked through rain forests, floated down crocodile infested rivers, and climbed rugged mountains free of cleared paths. She loved it, but she also liked taking off the hiking boots and thick protective socks and running barefoot on the beach. She wouldn’t mind racing naked over the dunes, but she’d heard the beaches on the eastern end of the island could be rocky. Not to mention, crowded.

So now she followed Route 27, the Sunrise Highway, to the eastern end of Long Island to East Hampton, where the community of Montauk plunked itself down right on the Atlantic Ocean as a hamlet on the dunes. The Montauk Lighthouse, still in operation as the fifth largest working lighthouse in the United States, dominated the end of Montauk Point, sitting high on a dune guarding and protecting the hamlet. She felt herself relax as the miles flew by, hoping to make it to Taylor’s well before noon.

She almost missed the turn off for the house and made a sharp right turn a little too fast. Her tires spun in the sand of the beach road, and she lost control as the BMW turned sideways. She worked hard to turn the wheel, not paying attention to anything else on the road. When she’d corrected it and straightened out the wheels, she looked up too late to see a Jeep Cherokee in front of her driving much slower than she was. She tried to brake, but it was too late. She barreled right into the back of the vehicle, bringing them both to a halt.

“What the hell are you doing?” a dude dressed in shorts and a tank top yelled as he jumped out of the Jeep. “You’re driving too fast down this road.”

She got out of the driver’s seat, afraid to look at the damage. Instead, she looked up into angry brown eyes as the man approached her. If he wasn’t so angry, he’d be handsome. But now she needed to focus.

“I guess I lost control.”

“Obviously.” He nearly growled at her.

“It was an accident,” she meekly offered as she approached the front of her vehicle.

“Again, obviously. I’d hate to think what might have happened if you’d meant to hit us.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but she fought them back. No need to give this guy any more ammunition.

“Is everyone all right?” she asked when she realized angry dude was a passenger in the backseat, which meant more people were riding inside.

“Yes, they’re fine.” As he spoke, the front doors of the Jeep opened. Another good-looking man jumped out of the driver’s side, and a female out the other.

“What’s the damage?” the driver asked as he approached the rear of his car.

“Not much that I can see,” angry dude said. “I think that we might have lucked out.”

“I’m so sorry,” Kiley said. “I was trying to get control of my car in this sand, and I didn’t see you in front of me.”

“Don’t sweat it. I’m Colt by the way. This is Haley, and this is Jeff.” He pointed his thumb at the one who’d been so mean to her.

“I’m Kiley.” She held out her hand to Colt and then Haley. She decided not to press her luck with the one called Jeff. He was still glaring at her.

“I know you,” Haley said. “I’ve seen your show, Aroma Roads.

“Yup, that’s where you’ve probably seen me.” She turned to Colt. “Your name is Colt? That’s funny because I’m visiting a friend here this weekend who has a brother named Colt—pretty distinctive name.”

He laughed. “It’s an unusual name, unless you’re a horse. I’m surprised there’d be another Colt out on this road, so who’s your friend?”

“Taylor Bennett.”

He laughed again. “Well, that is a coincidence, because I have a sister with the same name. You must be the friend she said was coming out this weekend.”

“That’s great—I mean, it’s not the best way to meet my weekend roomies, now is it?”

“Just be more careful next time,” angry dude said. “You could have done real damage.”

“Yes, sir.” She gave a mock salute hoping to be funny, but his scowl deepened. Too bad he was so damn attractive. She could tell he worked out because his tight tank only accentuated his broad shoulders and firm pecs, revealing arms that were muscular and thick. She almost licked her lips, but the disgust written across his face stopped her cold.

.

 

P.C. Zick describes herself as a storyteller no matter what
she writes. And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance,
contemporary fiction, and creative nonfiction. She’s won various awards for her
essays, columns, editorials, articles, and novels.

Zick offers a variety of nonfiction books, which include a
book on vegetable gardening, a compilation of her essays and short stories from
her decades-long career as a writer, and a primer for writers on taking an idea
and turning it into a published book. She has also published and annotated the
journal of her great-grandfather based on his experiences as a Union soldier
during the Civil War.

Her novels contain elements of romance with strong female
characters, handsome heroes, and descriptive settings. And all of her works
express her philosophy of living lightly upon this earth with love, laughter,
and passion.

She and her husband live in Tallahassee, Florida, where they
enjoy gardening, kayaking, golfing, hiking, and traveling.

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Wedding Bells in Silverwood

by Dorothy Dreyer

 

(Silverwood Series)
Publication date: November 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

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Silverwood’s most anticipated event of the year is upon us—Holly St. Ives and Nick Mason’s New Year’s Eve wedding. But as one disaster after another strikes in the weeks leading up to their big day, Holly begins to suspect that something is amiss.

Enter Viola Carver, a former culinary prodigy who put her career on hold to care for her disabled mother. Given a last-minute opportunity to cater the event of the season, Viola is determined to prove herself. But she fears she may blow her big chance after several rocky encounters with the dashing venue owner.

With a saboteur on the loose who’s intent on ruining Nick and Holly’s wedding, it might take Nick’s team of Alaskan Malamutes and a New Year’s miracle to save the day.

Goodreads / Purchase

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Did I really agree to this?

Holly St. Ives shielded her eyes from the August sun and glared at the uphill dirt trail in front of her, half tempted to fake a sudden illness so she could go home and hide under the covers. She’d prefer her nice, warm, cozy bed to a thin sleeping bag on a cold, bumpy tent floor anyway.

Nick Mason, her devoted boyfriend for eight months and counting, closed the SUV’s trunk and roped his arms through the straps of the oversized backpack. “You ready for this?”

Nick’s Alaskan Malamute, Cupid, wagged his tail eagerly, waiting for the green light to charge up the hill.

Holly eyed the steep climb and raised her brow. “Would you be upset if I changed my mind?”

Nick handed Holly her rucksack, which was considerably smaller than his. “I thought you said seeing the Northern Lights is at the top of your bucket list.”

Holly squirmed as she slung the pack over her thin jacket. “I could just watch them online.” She yanked her chestnut brown waves out from the purple, pashmina scarf encompassing her neck, hoping Nick might agree with her.

Nick smirked, rubbing a hand over the scruff on his chiseled jawline. “That’s not the same thing.”

“I know.” Holly shifted, kicking a rock with her hiking boots. “But when you invited me on this trip, I didn’t realize how much we’d be … roughing it.”

Nick placed his hands on her hips and tugged her close. “Look, once we get up there and have everything set up, you’ll love it. I booked a premium spot, one the park assured me was a perfect place to experience the aurora borealis. And if that’s not enough to tempt you, I’ve brought hot chocolate and marshmallows.”

Holly swayed, adjusting the weight she carried. “Like mini marshmallows that go in the hot chocolate or big ones for roasting over a fire?”

“Both.”

Holly squinted at him with a half-smile. “Fine. But only because I’m a sucker for cocoa.” And the company’s not so bad either.

Cupid barked, reminding them he was still waiting for permission to start their adventure. The black and white bundle of fur sniffed at the air and paced around Nick.

“Yeah, go on, boy.” Nick grasped the tent bag handles as Cupid took off and then gave Holly a quick peck before pulling a cap over his short-cropped, dark hair.

With a sigh of defeat, Holly gathered her waves into a quick, messy bun. You can do this. It’ll be worth it. Just think of those magical lights.

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About Author Dorothy Dreyer:

Dorothy Dreyer is a Philippine-born American living in Germany with her family. She is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy, romance, and horror books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. Aside from reading, she enjoys movies, binge-watching series, chocolate, take-out, traveling, and having fun with friends and family. She tends to sing sometimes, too, so keep her away from your Karaoke bars.

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Dreams That Bind Us

by Irene Lawless

 

(Romancing The Keys, #3)
Publication date: November 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

What does it mean when you’re tormented by sensual dreams night after night? When you wake aching for your lover’s touch?

Anna Kingsley spends her days crafting custom furniture for Key West’s top galleries and hiding from her psychic talents. Tortured on a nightly basis, she is visited by a mystery man who invades her dreams and sends her soaring to new heights with his touch.

James Armstrong, a billionaire real estate mogul, arrives in Key West to fulfill his deceased mother’s life-long dream. He left New York to open a five-star resort in her memory. But he never expects to be haunted by dreams of a beauty with turquoise eyes.

When Anna and James crash into one another at a local coffee shop, they realize their dream lovers are real. But when Anna runs, James becomes obsessed with tracking her down. He’ll stop at nothing to possess her and make their dreams a reality.

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James jack-knifed in the bed, his hands reaching for the woman who always seemed to hover just out of his reach. He found nothing but air.

Sucking in a deep breath, he slumped against his pillow and groaned, grinding his palms into his eyes. It happened every night now: an amazingly erotic dream of a mystery woman with curly, blonde hair and eyes the shade of mesmerizing teal, similar to the waters surrounding the island. He could barely see her face, as if she were standing in a fog. But it was the silky locks and hypnotic gaze that always drew him in.

His hand wrapped around his rock-hard cock and squeezed, hissing at the sensation. The dreams had started when he’d moved to Key West months ago, yanking him awake and leaving him aching for more. Hell, he hadn’t been this horny since he was eighteen years old, and it was for a woman who didn’t exist.

He padded to the bathroom and braced against the cool porcelain counter, staring at his reflection. There were dark circles under his eyes now, probably from the lack of sleep, and he really needed to shave. He ran a hand over his bristly chin and grimaced. He’d grown lazy since he left New York.

If she were alive, his mother wouldn’t be pleased. She would remind him that, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” A pang of heartache hit at the thought. It had been six months and it still wasn’t any easier. She’d passed quickly from a stroke in her sleep, so she hadn’t suffered. Now the misery was all his because he never had a chance to say goodbye.

If only he had made the time.

He huffed out a sigh and drummed his fingers on the sink. It was time to get his life back in order and somehow figure out how to get that intoxicating figment of a woman out of his head.

If that was even possible.

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About Author Irene Lawless:

I fell in love with the romance genre in my teens and truly enjoy developing well-rounded romance stories that tug at the heart. When I’m not writing, I’m usually out on a hike or have a coffee and book in hand.

You can sign up for my newsletter or reach me at my website www.irenelawless.com

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Last Call

by A.S. Kelly

 

(Love At Last #1)
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Niall Kerry. I’m almost forty years old, and I’m drowning in something that begins with ‘S’ – it doesn’t quite seem appropriate to write it down here.

After a lifetime out on a sports field, living as a champion – as someone who never had to ask for anything – I’ve suddenly found myself starting from scratch. I’m living in the middle of nowhere with my parents, I’m jobless, and I have a teenage daughter who hates me. Oh, and I have to try and regain the trust of everyone I know.

It’s not easy to convince people that, deep down, you’re not so bad; that you’re no longer that troublesome kid they once knew. It’s not easy to work my way into the heart of my favourite headmistress, Jordan.
It’s especially difficult when she wants nothing to do with me.

But you know what? I’m not the kind of guy who just sits back and accepts defeat, or who stops at the small print at the bottom of the page. I’m someone who plays right until the final whistle.
And when her heart is on the line, I’m ready to make my strict, sexy headmistress an offer she can’t refuse.

Each book in the Love At Last Series is standalone:

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Last Call, Love At Last #1

“Please, Jordan. Tell me there won’t be any more contracts to sign.”
I slowly open my eyes and turn my head a little.
“As long as you tell me there’ll be no need for them.”
“Do you really need me to say it?”
“I just want you to be honest.”
“About what?”
I gather my courage. “About us.”
His eyes widen, his hands moving onto my hips.
“Skylar is in the other room,” I remind him. “She might see us.”
“You’re lucky she’s here,” he teases, “or no one could save you from me.”
“I’m not scared of you.”
He grins smugly. “I like that you’re not scared of me. And I like that you used that word.”
“What word?”
“Us.”
“It’s actually more accurate to call it a personal pronoun.”
“Don’t make me close that mouth for you.”
My body shivers at the thought of his mouth on mine.
“Even though something tells me you’d like it.”
I part my lips instinctively, as he gazes at my mouth.
“I know you’d like it, Headmistress.”
“Oh, shut up,” I manage, miraculously.
“Or what?” he teases, pressing his chest against mine. “Will you put me in detention?”

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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.

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