Posts Tagged ‘contemporary romance’

Natural Disaster by Skye Warren And Amelia Wilde ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 16, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
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Natural Disaster

by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde

 

(Deserted Island, #2)
Published by: Dangerous Press
Publication date: December 13th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Carter Morelli had a plan when he left London: deliver the wildlife photographer and then complete his secret mission.

Except a lethal enemy has watched their every move. They tampered with the plane, leaving them stranded on a deserted island.

And they kidnapped June Porter, the innocent photographer.

In order to save her, Carter must confront the mysterious man in the jungle.

Who is he? Savior or betrayer?

He has no choice but to face the greatest enemy of all: the powerful feelings that draw him toward both June and the man in the jungle. Those feelings might kill them all.

Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty… The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.

WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

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Enjoy this peek inside:

A shadow stands up from the sand.

One shadow. Theo.

Alone.

He’s standing in sand that has been thoroughly fucked up by a plane landing on it, and that motherfucker, that green-eyed innocent who needed encouragement to fuck June, is alone. What happened to her? He looks rough, but not particularly beaten. Not shot. The relief is threaded through with stark cold fear. Where the hell is June?

I’m running before I realize it.

Before I’ve had time to catch my breath and assess the situation. Doesn’t matter at all that I’ve just run through the jungle. I could run forever, but I don’t have to. It’s against mission protocol to drop my entire backpack on the ground, but I shrug it off and let it fall.

Theo turns at the sound.

I have two strides to notice his black eye—he has a black eye, someone hit him—and then I’m on top of him. “Where is she? Where the fuck is she?”

He’s just strong enough to stay upright when my fists collide with his chest. His shirt pulls tight in my fists. The crash of the ocean is loud in my ears, or maybe it’s my pulse. “Don’t.”

I want him to tell me she went for a swim. That she’s hiding behind the goddamn jungle leaves. That she’s building a fucking sandcastle.

Anything to disprove the desolation in his beautiful dark eyes.

Don’t. That one word is my worst nightmare.

“What did you do with her?” I shout into his face.

His cheeks are red with the fight and the bruise under his eye is going a deep purple already. It speaks to the force of the hit. I want to brush it with my fingertips, want to demand to know who did it so I can kill them, and that would be the wrong fucking thing, because he’s here and June’s not and her absence strikes me as offensively wrong.

I’ve gone wrong. I’ve gone so fucking wrong.

I shouldn’t want her here at all, but I do. I shouldn’t be relieved that he’s here, but I am. I shouldn’t want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice hoarse.

A heartbeat passes, maybe two, and I back him up toward nothing, toward more sand, and drag him in closer. I make my voice dangerously soft. “Sorry about what, Theo?”

He doesn’t make any move to touch me.

He doesn’t lift his hands to shove me off.

He just…looks away. “I didn’t want to ruin her, Carter. We were touching her. Kissing her.”

“We fucked her six ways to Sunday. I know that. What did you do?”

“I saved her the only way I could. By sending her away.”

Author Bio:

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. Her books have sold over one million copies. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

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Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of steamy contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.

Amelia is a USA Today best selling author from northern Michigan. Be her friend!

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Bookbub

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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.

The Spotlight Is On The Timber Stone by Dave Abare

Posted: December 15, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt
Tags: ,
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Former rock star and world-class drinker Joshua Traxon leaves LA for small town VT, escaping tragedy, finding love…

By Dave Abare

 

 

Book Blurb

 

Josh Traxon, a former rock/reality TV
star, moves from L.A. to Vermont, after a failed reality TV show and the
death of his lover Sasha, for which he blames himself. He and his
spunky pug Pickle soon meet their beautiful neighbor, Laurel, her young
boy, Ethan, and her mother, who Josh often spars with. Laurel’s
ex-boyfriend Barry tries to stir up trouble, but with his wit, humor,
and a little bravado, Josh dispatches him—and wins Laurel’s affections.
Narrating directly to the reader at times, Josh humorously and candidly
describes his fondness for chess, his dog, and his embarrassment and
guilt in being a womanizer for much of his life. His love of tequila and
whiskey, however, is a problem, and much of that is tied to his shame
in lying about the auto accident in California that killed his
girlfriend.

 

As Laurel and Josh grow closer, he
notices her getting sick often, but his focus remains on himself and
dealing with his past. As his drinking intensifies, Laurel expresses
concerns, and he admits the details of the accident to her. He decides
he owes Sasha’s father the truth—that Josh had been behind the wheel,
not Sasha—and plans a trip to Connecticut to confess. Laurel accompanies
him, and despite her hesitations, she falls in love with him as he
recounts poignant and hysterical details of his youth. But soon after
arriving, Laurel gets sick again. Josh thinks she’s pregnant with
Barry’s baby, but she tells him she has cancer. They share a tender
moment before she sends him away to visit Sasha’s father, though he
doesn’t want to leave. During the tense visit, Josh realizes (through
words Sasha had spoken to him years earlier and the father’s current
actions) that he’d sexually abused her, and Josh attacks the man
physically.

 

When Josh returns to Laurel, they talk
more about her illness, cry, and make love. The next morning, as Josh
recounts memories of living there, he mentions his dog Timber and that
there was a heart-shaped stone his mother found and placed on his
gravesite. Laurel says they must go get it, and Josh agrees. They meet
the man who owns his childhood home, and he shows Josh the stone, which
he’d dug up years earlier. The two of them end up playing a chess match
that Josh loses, which is a rare event for him. The man tells him he can
take the Timber Stone, which Josh does.

 

Back in Vermont, all Josh wants is to
get drunk but an unexpected visit from a boy in town keeps him sober, A
battle with Laurel’s ex, Barry, gets Josh briefly thrown in jail. After,
he visits Barry at his home to agree to disagree, but to care for
Laurel like grown-ups. Josh discovers Barry likes chess and they end up
playing, though Josh beats him handily. When Josh arrives home, he
discovers Laurel is in the hospital and goes to see her. She looks frail
and ill, though he tries to lighten the mood with humor and levity. But
Laurel’s cancer has progressed rapidly.

 

She lives only weeks longer, and at
the very end, they share a heartfelt moment where they talk and listen
to music together, and she gives him a letter. It details her love for
him, her joy in meeting him, and hopes that he will continue having a
relationship with her son, as Ethan also loves Josh. Shortly after her
funeral, Josh is talking with Ethan in his backyard and Ethan mentions a
special spot he and his mother had for picnics. Josh gets the Timber
Stone and asks if he can leave it in that spot. Ethan agrees, they cry,
and then Josh mentions how he now has a family, a purpose.

 

A few weeks later, a newly sober Josh
drives down the coast to spread Laurel’s ashes, as she’d have wanted. He
realizes his relationship with fame has evolved, how he’s discovered
what’s truly important to him now—sobriety and being there for young
Ethan—and how he wishes he’d learned that lesson, and met Laurel,
sooner. Still, he’s grateful for the brief time they had together, and
how because of her, he’s found out who he really is, and can now thrive
in his awakening.

Book Information

 

Release Date: October 26, 2022

Publisher: Hear Our Voice LLC

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1957913179; 306 pages; $14.05; eBook $.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Efzf3R

 

Book Excerpt

  

 

The daylight had stretched itself over the landscape of my front yard, bending off the bright white corners of the outside trim and spilling into pockets that had been dark an hour earlier. A lone beam ricocheted off one of the white gutters that hung from the piece of roofing that covered my front porch, illuminating a patch of grass that was withered and amber in color. In L.A. ninety percent of the grass looked that way, and if you were lucky, you’d get a patch of hunter green, shaggy growth here and there on your lawn, which in total was no bigger than a card table. This particular patch, however, wasn’t the result of poor soil or climate, but instead, the ball of wrinkles and eyeballs I was carrying.

When I lived out west, one of the roadies and guitar techs for my band, Jeremiah Stoven—what a name on that guy—showed up at my place with this nine-week-old puppy. It was wiggling and whining to get out of his arms, dead staring me, so he let it go and the dog was about to stroke out trying to climb up my leg. I sat down on the floor, and his wrinkled, smushed-in face released this maniacal tongue that wiped across every inch of my cheeks and chin as Jeremiah told me their dog had four puppies and this was the last one. He knew I was a dog nut and said he wanted me to have it. Ballsy move, just showing up with it, aware that I’d always been enamored with the critters. I hadn’t had a dog in ages, so Jeremiah said, “It’s time, dude,” and just left the two-pound hairball with me, almost four years ago now. Have to say, it was a near genius move on Jeremiah’s part, arriving pup in hand, never letting me get a word in, and then vanishing as the canine was pissing on my Fender jazz bass. The little bugger had some accidents early on, but he was a quick study to housebreaking.

 

Pickle had decided, for reasons that only his tiny, deranged mind could know, that when he peed in the front yard of his new place, it would only happen on this one, now brownish spot of turf. He’d storm out of the house, perform his ritualistic dance of what I’d always called “devil circles,” where he’d speed in figure eights confined to a small stretch of earth, then explode into random darts and weaves with his tongue dangling and flopping like an uncooked slice of bacon out of the side of his mouth. Then, without warning, he’d make a beeline to ‘the spot’ and take a leak. I guess this lunatic expulsion of energy was formally called “the zoomies,” according to whatever experts study dogs going batshit nuts, and it was completely normal, but a sight to behold. He’d always done the frantic running, zoomy whatever it is, but the peeing on that specific patch was new behavior. Of course, I had just taken a small animal that had known the same home for his entire life across the country and plopped him in a place that looked entirely different than anything he’d experienced. There was one dainty tree in our backyard in L.A. that wasn’t any taller than the fence that bordered our property, and now he’s surrounded by hundreds that dwarf most of the houses we had on our old block.

 

Go ahead and take a leak wherever you want, buddy.

More…

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Dave Abare was born in Hartford,
Connecticut, and has spent most of his life in and around the
Connecticut area. He became enamored with writing at a very young age,
writing his first book, “Troll Island” at eleven years old. This work
was never published, thankfully, but it was the beginning of a passion
that has only intensified over his adult years.

His love of music led him to begin a
part-time gig as a music writer, interviewing bands for his own
“Fanzine” in the mid-eighties, including such Metal icons as Slayer,
Metallica, and Anthrax, as well as bands such as Van Halen, Blues
Traveler, Motorhead and Big Head Todd and the Monsters for other
publications. In the last several years, Dave has spent his time working
on short stories, poems, and his debut novel, “The Swing Over the
Ocean,” which was, in his words, “a bit of a mess” in terms of editing,
etc., but an invaluable self-publishing learning experience. Most
recently, he’s completed work on his second novel, “The Timber Stone,”
which is available for pre-order now.

In addition to writing and music, Dave
enjoys reading, travel, cars, and Pugs (and all critters), as well as
frequenting local New England wineries and breweries, with Tree House
Brewing Co in Charlton, MA being his favorite. You can follow him
@AbareDavey on Twitter or look for his Facebook Author Page.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

 

Sponsored By:

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming by Virginia McCullough ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 14, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Doc’s Holiday Homecoming organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Virginia McCullough will be awarding a $50 Etsy Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming

by Virginia McCullough

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Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Could her closed heart…

Still have room for him?

Olivia Donoghue’s life has turned a corner. The radiologist’s eleven-year-old daughter is finally healthy, and she just moved to her best friend’s dreamy hometown of Adelaide Creek, Wyoming. If only her friend’s prodigal brother, Jeff Stanhope, wasn’t complicating matters. It’s clear Jeff’s kindness knows no bounds, having taken in his late roommate’s teenage son and also offering her a cabin to stay in, but Olivia’s heart is already full…and safe. Is the former rancher worth the risk?

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

TALK ABOUT A first impression gone wrong. Please, give her the previous five minutes back and Olivia would start over and do much, much better. As she watched Jeff walk away, she resolved that from now on she’d watch her tongue when it came to his relationship with Heather. As was only right, she’d leave that to the two of them. At the same time, she might have known Jillian would plunge right into a conversation with Jeff about horses. In her daughter’s mind, Heather’s legendary horse-loving brother was a kindred spirit. Maybe it was inevitable that Jillian end up a girl devoted to horses and riding, but not when her body was still recovering from the effects of chemotherapy. Even if the assault to her body wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye, Olivia had absorbed almost too much information about what chemo could do to a child.

Then there was Jeff himself. Olivia had seen photos and even his mother’s paintings of him done over a period of years. No way had those images prepared Olivia for the real guy. They hadn’t done him justice, not even close. He had a presence about him that went beyond his thick dark hair and deep-set eyes that brought to mind luscious dark chocolate. With his wide shoulders and muscular arms, he had a body sculpted by the physical work of ranching or more recently, crewing on trawlers and freighters.

Olivia had expected him to be more as Heather described him, still hardened and bitter about losing his family’s legacy, this very ranch. If those old feelings were still a part of Jeff, he wasn’t showing them at the moment. At least not today, and not with Carson nearby. Whatever. It wasn’t her job to analyze any of this. His feelings about this ranch and his former home were completely irrelevant. She had formed an opinion that would guide all her dealings with the man. No matter how friendly, even charming Jeff Stanhope might be, he was a runner. A man who ran away from anything that smacked of responsibility. Like her dad. And Jillian’s father. She didn’t need a third runner messing up her life.

About Author Virginia McCullough:

Virginia McCullough is thrilled to share her eighth Harlequin Heartwarming release with readers. The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming, available November 29th, is the second book in her Back to Adelaide Creek series. Like all of Virginia’s romances, this holiday story comes straight from the heart and features characters who could be your neighbors and friends struggling with everyday life issues.

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia spent years as a ghostwriter, producing more than one hundred books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell. She’s moved around a lot, and a few years ago she landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she enjoys hanging out with other romance writers, walking on trails, and downing mugs of dark roast at local coffeehouses. Her other award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, and The Chapels on the Hill. Virginia is always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Resting Grinch Face by Alina Jacobs ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 5, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, Holidays
Tags: , ,
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Resting Grinch Face

by Alina Jacobs

 

Publication date: November 17th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

I might not be able to ruin his life, but I will ruin his Christmas.

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Yeah, I’m totally a grinch. But I come by it honestly.
Because of Oliver Frost, I flamed out at Harvard in the most humiliating way possible.
Now I’m back in my small town—just in time to suffer through a display of small-town Christmas cheer so festive it will make you puke your eggnog. But who cares about being home for the holidays when you live with your family like a loser and have to share one bathroom with seven other people?

I plan to spend my Christmas purgatory being tsked at by elderly residents and passive aggressively prodded by my mom’s friends about what I plan to do with my life.
I don’t know, Deborah, work in the Christmas market and get screamed at by tourists because I didn’t put enough sprinkles on their little brats’ coffees? Seriously, who gives five-year-olds that much caffeine anyway?!

See? Like I said. A grinch.
I hate Christmas.
I set a nativity scene on fire.
Got in a fistfight with an elf—I lost, by the way.
And threw a vat of Snowman Surprise all over Oliver. Don’t ask. Small-town Christmas insanity.
Sleigh what? Oliver is here???
The man who humiliated me and ruined my life?

Ho ho ho, fuck no.

He doesn’t deserve a quaint small-town Christmas.
He doesn’t deserve a fancy Christmas tree from my family’s farm.
And he certainly does not deserve to win a bottle of whiskey in the daily Christmas market raffle.
Goddamn, I needed that drink.
He should be haunted like Ebenezer Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Past. Or at least the Ghost of Hookups Past.

Momma’s gonna have herself a very merry Christmas revenge.
Swapping the salt and sugar so his Christmas cookies are ruined? Be still, my shriveled little heart.
Spying on him so I can gather recon to ruin his holidate? Damn, I forgot how ripped his chest was.
Sneaking down his chimney to steal all the presents under his tree? Amateur hour.
Until I get caught…

Guess I’m spending Christmas in jail.
But when he sees I’m not wearing a bra under my ugly Christmas sweater, Oliver smiles like Santa has come early.
Crap! I knew I should have worn my good underwear.

Hold on to your stockings because the eggnog is spicy and mostly booze. This is a fuck-second-chances, Santa-stalker, holiday-revenge romantic comedy. Featuring Christmas-hating heroines with poor decision-making skills, ripped guys who will leave a very large package under your tree, and adorable corgis dressed up as reindeer, this standalone book has a happily ever after, guaranteed!

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

I slid like a squirrel straddling the roof peak, scooting along the ridgeline to the massive brick fireplace. I pried the round ceramic top off and stuck my head inside.

The Victorians liked their fireplaces.

While my parents’ wood-burning fire was more of a stovepipe, this house had been built to hold a massive fire.

I swung my feet over and shimmied into the chimney. Below me, Max must have figured out what was up because he was barking, the noise echoing up the chimney shaft.

“Dang, I can’t believe I fit,” I marveled. The cold air whipped my face, and I had a moment of clarity.

“Maybe this was a bridge too far,” I said and tried to hoist myself back up.

The chimney rim was slick with ice. My hand slipped. Then I fell down into the sooty black tube.

I stopped abruptly, my teeth knocking together.

“Help,” I squeaked.

I was stuck in the chimney, my arms wedged up above my head. Every time I let out a breath I slid farther down. My skirt was wedged under my boobs, and my sweater was wrapped around my head and neck.

“Help!” I rasped, kicking my legs. “Max, get help.”

The dog’s frantic barking changed to excited yips.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my soot-covered thighs.

In any other scenario, I would have been really put out that Oliver was finally touching me only after I had flaked on working out the past year and developed a layer of winter flab. But I just wanted to be free. It was difficult to breathe.

“Save me,” I forced myself to whisper.

“Shit,” Oliver said, giving a solid tug on my legs.

I wedged down farther.

“I think you’re stuck in there.” His hands disappeared.

“Don’t leave me,” I begged.

His hand was back, his thumb stroking me reassuringly on my ankle.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to call the fire department. We’ll probably have to dismantle the chimney. I’m sure my neighbors will complain to me about it.” I heard the eye roll in his voice. Then his phone emitted beeps.

I kicked my feet. “Don’t you dare, Oliver Frost. Don’t you dare call the fire department. My mother will find out. I’ll be the talk of the town for years. Decades. It will be on my tombstone.”

“I can’t leave you here,” he said, voice echoing up the shaft.

“Oh, yes you can. I insist. I’ll be dead and done rotting in about three weeks. Then we can all just pretend this never happened.”

“Are you insane?”

Oh God. I had a horrible thought.

He can probably see straight up my crotch.

Was I wearing my nice underwear? Did I even own any sufficiently nice underwear?

“Please,” I begged. “My life is shit. Please just try pulling me out one more time?”

“I’m afraid to make you more stuck. Embarrassment won’t kill you.”

“It literally will,” I shrieked with my remaining breath.

Oliver muttered something that sounded like “God save me from this woman.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, moving the logs and the metal grate out of the way. “I’m giving this one shot. Then we’re going to host the fire department for the second time in as many days.”

After a rustling of fabric, his large hands slid up my bare legs.

“Sorry for manhandling you like this.”

His bare arms circled my waist, and I squawked as he wrapped them around my bare torso, connecting my body with his.

I could feel his bare chest against my thighs.

His head was somewhere in crotch vicinity, and he squeezed me tight.

Maybe I could just tell him to eat me out and then die happy.

Oliver gave a sharp hard tug. My sweater slipped up.

He adjusted his grasp and pulled, grunting hard.

“I think I’m moving,” I called.

He gave one more strong tug. My sweater ripped, and then I was free, tumbling down in a heap of ash and yarn on top of him.

He was covered in black soot. It was all over his pale skin, turning his hair a dark gray and making his eyes a startlingly bright blue.

“See,” I said, spreading my arms. “I knew you could do it. And you wanted to call the fire department.”

He didn’t say a word. He was staring at me, or more specifically my boobs.

I looked down.

“Elf balls.”

Author Alina Jacobs:

If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I’m your girl!

Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…

Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, AFTER HIS PEONIES, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more!

Mailing List / Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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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.

Second Chance Christmas by Alison Packard ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 4, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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Second Chance Christmas

by Alison Packard

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance

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Struggling actress Maddie Hart is home for the holidays in her small town and comes face-to-face with the last man she wants to see—the one she abandoned four years ago when she ran off to chase her dreams.

Police Sergeant Ben Ashford had an engagement ring in his pocket the night Maddie blindsided him. He doesn’t expect the gut punch of seeing her again or that she’d reignite feelings he’d thought long buried.

Ben’s not about to get tangled up with a woman who’ll just run again, but Maddie has never stopped thinking about him. Can she trade the bright lights of Hollywood for the twinkling Christmas lights of her hometown and a second chance at love?

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

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“The coast is clear,” he said, lowering his voice. “We can sneak in through the back entrance to the garden.”

Her eyes widened. “Isn’t that trespassing?”

“Not if we’re guests of the hotel or attending the dance.”

“We’re neither of those things.”

“No one will know we’re not attending the dance.” He nodded in the direction of the alley. “C’mon. You really should see it. We won’t stay long.”

After a few seconds, she nodded. “Okay. But if we get busted, you’re the one taking the fall. Not me.”

“Way to have my back,” he said, firing a sarcastic grin.

“Hey.” She lightly poked his upper arm. “I’m not built for prison. I’d be someone’s bitch two seconds after the cellblock door slammed behind me.”

He let out a snort of amusement and grabbed her hand. “You do have a flair for drama. Let’s go.”

After they rounded the corner, he walked beside her until they reached the alley behind the hotel. Once they were out of sight from the street, he guided her along the dimly lit alleyway past a large trash dumpster and what looked like an area for deliveries until they reached the white stucco wall that enclosed the terrace.

“You sure know how to show a girl a good time,” she whispered.

He chuckled under his breath as they approached the wrought iron door that would grant them entry. “Trust me. It’ll be worth it,” he said and reached for the handle on the door. “Damn it.” He let out a groan of frustration when the handle didn’t budge. “It’s locked.”

“A sure sign this is a bad idea.”

“No, it’s not.” Ben stepped back and surveyed the white stucco wall next to the gate. “We just need to be creative. Wait here.” He turned and jogged back to the dumpster.

“What are you doing?” she called after him in a loud whisper.

“Just wait there.” At the dumpster, he grabbed a wooden vegetable crate sitting next to it and hurried back to where Maddie stood, wearing a puzzled expression on her face. After a furtive glance over his shoulder, he set the crate at the base of the wall. “I’ll climb over and unlock the door.”

“Are you serious?” she said, keeping her voice low. “Why don’t we try to get inside the normal way?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He stepped on the box, which gave him enough height to pull himself up, swing his leg over the wall, and easily straddle the top. He grinned at her as he balanced himself.

“Sergeant Ashford?”

He froze as one of the hotel’s security guards approached them. As the young man moved closer, Ben recognized him, and suddenly, his idea of harmless fun had turned into a colossal error in judgment. “Hey, Andre.” He looked down at Andre with a sheepish grin. Then he glanced at Maddie, who had covered her mouth with her hand. Probably to hide a gloating smile. “Long time, no see.”

Andre cocked his head and grinned. “It looks like the shoe’s on the other foot. When you were a patrol officer, you came upon me and my buddies trying to jump the fence over at the skate park.”

“Well, it was after hours. And the skate park was closed for the evening.”

“The garden door is locked for a reason,” Andre replied, using similar verbiage Ben used that night to Andre and his friends.

Under Andre’s amused gaze, a knot tightened in Ben’s stomach. He grimaced. Andre was enjoying this. And who could blame him?

“You’re right,” he acknowledged with an apologetic smile. “I shouldn’t be climbing the wall.”

“You don’t have to break in. I’d be happy to open the door for you.” Andre grinned. “You let me off with a warning at the skate park. So I guess I can return the favor and not call this in.”

“Thanks, Andre,” he said, exhaling in relief. He swung his leg back over the top of the wall and eased himself down onto the crate. “I appreciate that.”

“No problem.” Andre unhooked a key carabiner from his belt loop and unlocked the door with one of the keys. “But if I catch you doing this again, I’m not gonna go so easy on you.”

Ben cleared his throat and nodded. “I understand. It won’t happen again,” he said as Maddie stifled a laugh.

“Have a nice evening.” Andre opened the door and motioned for Ben and Maddie to proceed.

“You too, Andre.”

“Merry Christmas,” Maddie called out to Andre as they entered the garden. Then, as Ben closed the door behind them, she burst out laughing. “The look on your face when Andre showed up was priceless. You’re lucky it was him and not one of your officers.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be hearing about this at the station. Andre is Carolyn’s nephew.”

She chuckled. “Small towns. You gotta love ’em.”

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Alison’s love of the romance genre goes all the way back to her high school years when she gobbled up every Harlequin novel she could get her hands on. Back then, she never dreamed of writing her own stories. But years later, her inner writer emerged and she’s now a multi-published author of contemporary romance.

When she’s not plotting her next book, she hangs out with her adorable rescue dog, Bailey, consumes more chocolate than she should, and spends time with her friends and family.

Visit her website at www.alisonpackard.com to subscribe to her newsletter, get information about previous books, and updates about upcoming releases.

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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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.

Country Snow And Mistletoe by Anne Carrole ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: December 2, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, Guest Post
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Country Snow and Mistletoe

A Wyoming Romance Novel Book 1

by Anne Carrole

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance

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To risk or not risk: that is the question? A second-chance, enemies-to-lovers novel.

Career-minded Lexi Russell seeks a calm, predictable life that doesn’t require taking chances. But coming home to Wyoming for Thanksgiving, she finds out her carefully orchestrated life has imploded. Her “perfect” boyfriend has been cheating on her, her lucrative job has been eliminated, and the family ranch is on the chopping block. In addition, the teenage boy who broke her heart one summer a decade ago has turned into a handsome cowboy who’s planning on buying her family’s ranch with a low ball offer and her parents’ blessing. She’s got to figure out a way to help her parents avoid a serious mistake, find a new job, and stop her growing attraction to the cowboy who dumped her. With Christmas on the horizon, things take an unexpected turn that will force her to decide whether love is worth the risk.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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I grew up on a farm where we had cats, dogs, horses, chickens, hamsters, rabbits, and anything else we could convince my parents to shelter. I started writing stories in middle school for an audience of one (me) and in college I majored in English where I dabbled in creative writing. But I put writing aside for many years until I was home, raising my daughter and needed more books to read. I stumbled upon romances and I was hooked. I decided to try my hand at writing them and in 2011 my novella was accepted by The Wild Rose Press and the rest, as they say, is history.

For me, the happy ending of a romance is what I count on the most as both a reader and a writer. With all the craziness in the world today, I like reading and writing about people finding that special someone to love and be loved by. My goal as an author is to capture the magic of that journey in my stories.

For instance, in COUNTRY SNOW and MISTLETOE the heroine, Lexi Russell, is coming off the worst week ever. Anyone who has had their world crash in on them will be able to relate.  She loses her job, her not-so-perfect boyfriend, and finds out her parents are selling the family ranch, all in the week before Thanksgiving. I mean, how much can a gal take?

Turns out the boy she had a crush on as a teenager is the rancher buying her family’s ranch for a lowball offer and with her parents’ blessing. It’s not a set up for a great Thanksgiving. But the biggest challenge may be controlling her attraction to her old flame. Because the timing is not right for so many reasons, including the fact that she’s approached a developer who can pay a lot more for her family’s ranch. With Christmas right around the corner, things take an unexpected turn which will test their budding relationship. Something’s got to give, but are they ready to take a chance on love? You’ll have to read COUNTRY SNOW AND MISTLETOE to find out. If you love Hallmark holiday movies, you’ll enjoy Lexi and Cort’s story. This second-chance holiday romance is available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited. Enjoy! Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Country-Snow-Mistletoe-Anne-Carrole-ebook/dp/B0BMZMH5F6

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Anne Carrole is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical western romances. Raised on a farm with horses, dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and whatever other animals she could convince her parents to shelter, she’s married to her own sweet-talking hero and the proud mother of a twenty-something cowgirl. Besides Country Snow and Mistletoe, you can also enjoy her popular Hearts of Wyoming contemporary series where love gets a second chance. Visit her website at https://www.annecarrole.com

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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.

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Solitude Lake by Adele Darcy ~ Playlist And Giveaway

Posted: December 1, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the the blog tour for Solitude Lake by Adele Darcy. In Solitude Lake a young widow finds healing and a second chance at love in small town Montana.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 28 November till 18 December. You can see the tour schedule here.

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Solitude Lake (Hidden Creek Romance #1)
By Adele Darcy

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Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: May 2022

Blurb:

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Following the tragic death of her husband, Susan Dixon struggles with the realization that the love they shared was crippled by his legacy of secrets and betrayal. Hoping to rebuild her life, Susan moves back to her hometown of Hidden Creek Montana. Settling into her family’s cabin on the peaceful shores of Solitude Lake, Susan searches for healing in the rugged scenery.

Taking a summer job at the neighboring Solitude Lake Lodge, Susan rekindles a romance with her old flame, Jake Arnett. As the couple fall in love under the Montana skies, a past of heartache and missed opportunities haunts them. Susan needs to heal from her husband’s betrayal, while Jake is afraid of repeating past mistakes. Can these star-crossed lovers let go of regrets and fall into a happily ever after?

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon

Playlist

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You can listen to the playlist for Solitude Lake here on Spotify.

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Solitude Lake.
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Adele Dracy

About Author Adele Darcy:
Adele Darcy is the alter-ego of creative artist and travel blogger Adele Lassiter.

Solitude Lake is inspired by Adele’s time living in western Montana, where she spent countless hours exploring Big Sky’s wide-open spaces from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone Country and beyond.

She currently resides in North Carolina, where she loves to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway and spend days relaxing at the Outer Banks

Author links:
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Instagram
– Goodreads
– Amazon

 

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There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Solitude Lake. Five winners will each win a paperback copy of Solitude Lake (US Only).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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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.

Baggage Claim by Juliana Smith ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: November 27, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Baggage Claim

by Juliana Smith

 

Publication date: November 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Olive Moore has been avoiding her hometown for three years now. But a phone call with her mom has her agreeing to spend the holidays back home with her family, she lets it slip she will be bringing a boyfriend with her. The only problem with that is she has no boyfriend. That is until she meets a handsome—albeit annoying—stranger on the plane who makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Finn Beckett has always had good luck, as demonstrated by the gorgeous blonde he’s seated next to on a flight to Aspen. One drink too many leads to Olive spilling her problems in his lap, and he feels compelled to help. So he makes her an offer: he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend to keep her family off her back and make this the best Christmas ever.

Olive and Finn spend the next two weeks going on spirit-filled Christmas dates with her family. Their ruse is working perfectly, but Finn can’t help but notice Olive is holding something back. Something that could ruin everything.

Their relationship may have taken off smoothly, but with all this turbulence, will they ever make it to baggage claim?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Olive,” I said, her name like a prayer. I didn’t have anything else to say; I only wanted her to see me.

Her bright green eyes lifted to mine, and I melted. My hand reached under her chin and rubbed my thumb across it. So beautiful. She took a step closer, her chest brushing my midsection, and I nearly groaned from the simple contact. She leaned into me like she was on autopilot, and I was her only destination. I cautiously slid my hand from her chin to the back of her neck. She swallowed, and the movement of her throat pulled me in like runway lights calling me home. I moved closer, hesitantly, our faces only inches away. She would have stopped me, right? She would have given me that sassy attitude and pushed me away if she didn’t want this. The Olive I knew wouldn’t let me get this far. I paused, unsure.

“Tell me to stop.”

I needed to hear it. To hear her yell at me. To have her say, “I told you no kissing,” and give me a shove. If she didn’t, I would take her on this bed right now, without a care of who else was in the house.

She grabbed my white button-down and pulled me impossibly closer. “No.”

It was quiet, barely a whisper. I tightened my grip on her neck and leaned forward.

This was it. Everything you have thought of nonstop since that flight. I was going to kiss the hell out of her. I was going to leave her lips swollen and numb until she was dizzy and floating.

I tilted her head up with my spare hand and inched my lips toward hers slowly,

ready to throw all caution to the wind.

“Finn.” She moaned my name before my lips were even on her, and I forced my heart not to explode. We were a dyad, two halves of the same whole. She was the best I ever had, and I hadn’t even had her yet. My lips were a centimeter from hers. Finally. Finally.

 

Author Juliana Smith:

Juliana Smith is an author in a small town in Alabama. She is a full-time realtor, and part-time author, but she spends a lot of her time with her husband and daughter. Juliana writes heartfelt romance filled with laughter and warm fuzzies. She can usually be found in a Chic-fil-a drive-thru or listening to Star Wars theory podcasts, often at the same time.

Goodreads / Instagram / Newsletter

 

 

 

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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.

A Home For Christmas by Katie Eagan Schenck ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: November 24, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, Guest Post
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A Home For Christmas

by Katie Eagan Schenck

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance

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Brad has just one wish this Christmas: to find a real home. Having lost his parents before joining the Marines, he misses that sense of belonging and family. When he meets an introverted flight attendant on his journey to start his civilian life, he wonders if this might be his chance.

After a messy divorce, Shelly has decided the only person allowed within the brittle walls of her broken heart is her daughter, Lilly. At least, until she meets a friendly man who hails from her hometown while working a routine flight. When she learns he needs a place to stay, she offers the apartment over her garage out of the kindness of her heart – and her desperate need for extra cash.

Even as Brad endears himself to Shelly by saving the town’s Christmas pageant, she attempts to keep her distance to protect the fragile stability she’s built since her divorce. But Brad’s willingness to walk the fine line between what Shelly’s heart wants and what her head allows slowly wears down her resolve. And when Brad receives a job offer near the only family he has left, Shelly must decide whether she’s willing to risk her heart again before he leaves her home, and her life, for good.

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

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Champagne Books * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Do you have any side stories about the characters?

 

When I wrote the first draft of A Home for Christmas, I actually wrote several chapters from Lilly’s point of view. I loved delving deeper into her character, and it helped me to understand her so much more than if I hadn’t gotten in her head.

 

However, a developmental editor I’d hired didn’t think it worked for the book, as she’d never read a romance that wasn’t from a single or dual point of view. So, I went back and rewrote Lilly’s chapters to make them from Brad and/or Shelly’s viewpoint. But I still have Lilly’s chapters in earlier draft form, and I’ve considered turning them into a short story. She had her own romantic interest, after all, and it’d be fun to delve into that a bit more.

 

I’ve also considered expanding the world of the book to write about the other characters. Whether that would be in the form of more novels or short stories, I haven’t decided yet. But I could see a story for Beatrice and Wallace, giving them their own second chance in a “seasoned” romance. I’d also love to write about Susan and Annabelle, and their journey to being parents. And then there’s Kylie. She could use a love story all her own.

 

Unfortunately, between the fantasy series and the other two books, I don’t know when I’ll have the time to do these stories justice. But I’ll keep them in mind for the future!

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Debut author, Katie Eagan Schenck, writes sweet romance that warms the heart and gives all the feels. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s either working on regulations for the federal government or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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.

Exposed by Anna J. Stewart ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: November 18, 2022 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, suspense
Tags: , ,
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Exposed

by Anna J. Stewart

 

(Circle of the Red Lily, #1)
Publication date: November 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Hollywood Secrets. Deadly Reveals.

Working as a Hollywood photographer means Riley Temple has seen it all, but that theory is put to the test when she finds herself staring at the chilling image of a dead woman. When her questions about the film’s origin results in violence, she finds herself reluctantly turning to the only person who assures her he can help: Detective Quinn Burton. Her history with the LAPD is complicated, her trust in authority, tenuous. But to find those responsible and to protect those closest to her, she’s willing to do anything. Even trust a cop.

After more than a decade on the job, Quinn knows a dangerous situation when he sees it and Riley Temple is up to her ears in trouble. But not for the reason she thinks. The pictures she’s stumbled on calls into question a notorious murder conviction; a conviction partially secured by Quinn’s own police commissioner father. A conviction powerful people have a vested interest in keeping in place. Quinn prides himself on being loyal but seeing this case through means betraying someone: his job, his family, or the woman he’s falling in love with.

As their investigation begins and old secrets are revealed, Quinn and Riley find themselves targeted by members of a secret society that for decades has maintained influence and violent control over Los Angeles and Hollywood’s powerful elite. A society that, until now, has remained hidden in the shadows.

A society that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

Goodreads / Amazon

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SNEAK PEEK:

“What’s wrong?” She wasn’t entirely sure why her stomach clutched at the sight of Quinn using a magnifying glass on one of the photos, but it could have to do with the somewhat dazed and shocked expression on his face.

But that expression vanished when he lifted his gaze to hers. “Sorry. Just thinking.” He set the glass down. “These pictures are … disturbing. I’m trying to imagine someone playing dead for the camera.”

“You think she’s acting?” Of all the reactions she’d imagined the good detective having, that hadn’t cracked the top one hundred.

“Quinn, that woman isn’t playing at anything. You can see the progression. She’s dying. On film. And here? After she’s been in the water?”

She stepped forward, tapped a finger on the final image. “She’s dead.”

“Maybe.”

The distance in his voice pushed her deeper into resolve and incredulity. How could he not see what she did? And why did it bother her so much that he didn’t?

“Did Merle tell you where he got the negatives?” She didn’t hear Quinn in his voice now. All she heard was cop. The hair on the back of her neck bristled even as the little voice in her head sang “told you so.”

“Merle didn’t get the negatives, he got the film,” Riley explained carefully. “There’s a difference. I can walk you through the process—”

“Where did he get them?” The urgency in his voice churned up new bubbles of doubt. “Where did the box they were in come from?”

“A customer.” It was all he was going to get out of her as long as he refused to share what he obviously knew. There was no denying that guarded, suspicious glint in his eyes. A glint that removed any lingering doubt the pictures represented far more than just a macabre photo shoot. He did believe they were real—he was just downplaying his reaction. She was trying to decide what would piss her off more: him not believing her, or him pretending he didn’t. The later won out. She bristled.

He set that last picture on top of the others, closed the folder, and picked it up.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking these with me.” It wasn’t a question or a request, but a flat out statement.

“Fine.” She shrugged. “I’ll just develop another set.”

“No.” He didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate. He ordered. “No, I want the negatives, too.”

So he was going back on their deal after all. Disappointment crashed through her. She should have known. “Why?” she challenged. “If you’re saying they’re not what I thought they were—”

“The negatives, Riley.” Every word sounded like an expertly aimed shot from his gun. “Give them to me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and planted her feet as if standing in front of a linebacker. “No.”

“What do you mean no?”

Her fists clenched so hard her nails bit into her palms. It should have come as a relief, the offer to take all of this out of her hands. Heck, wasn’t she just thinking it wasn’t worth the emotional exhaustion to keep dwelling on them? But she didn’t feel any sense of relief by his command. Instead, she felt only a stomach-churning sense of dread and heartbreaking disappointment. She’d probably just broken the world record for almost-hook-up to bust up.

“There’s not really anywhere to go with the word, detective.” The title tasted more than a little bitter on her tongue now. “No, you can’t have the negatives.”

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About Author Anna J. Stewart:

Award-winning, USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s CAEZIK (Kay-Zehk) Romance. Her sweet Harlequin Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell continuity series. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and has contributed to the bestselling Coltons. Her Circle of the Red Lily romantic suspense series, published by CAEZIK, will launch with EXPOSED in November of 2022.

A Holt Medallion winner (BRIDE ON THE RUN), as well as a Golden Heart, Daphne DuMaurier, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than fifty novels and novellas and hopes to branch out even more (horror romance, anyone?). Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. Visit Anna online at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com and sign up for her newsletter (giveaways in every issue!).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Pinterest

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~~~~~

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.

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