TBR Book Blog

New Release ~ Make My Heart Malt ~ by ~ Gia Stevens

Ten years is a long time to be infatuated with your former best friend, especially when she’s dating your brother. So, when a wedding invitation with his name embossed on the front comes in the mail, it feels like a fastball to the heart. But when I discover my unrequited crush isn’t the blushing bride, all bets are off because I’m ready to take my shot and this time, I’m playing for keeps. Readers who enjoy hate-to-lovers and unrequited romances will consume Make My Heart Malt by Gia Stevens, a standalone sports romance.

Blurb

A sizzling hate to lovers, unrequited crush, standalone sports romance by romantic comedy author Gia Stevens…

Dessa should have been mine… until my brother kissed her first.

Ten years is a long time to be infatuated with your former best friend, especially when she’s dating your brother. So, when I receive a wedding invitation with his name embossed on the front, it feels like a fastball to the heart. But it turns out, my unrequited crush isn’t the blushing bride after all.

Now’s my only chance to make amends for my past mistakes and give her the kiss I’ve desperately been holding onto. Unfortunately, she thwarts my efforts with each drink she throws at me.

When we find ourselves locked in a storage room, we’re forced to hash out the real reason I left town—and it wasn’t for baseball. Turns out, there’s a fine line between anger and passion and it doesn’t take long for her to scream my name.

Even after hitting third base, she still hates me. However, I’m determined to prove I’m not the man who ghosted her all those years ago. This time I’m not walking away.

My last game ended in a devastating miss—costing us the world championship, but this is one game I refuse to lose.

Because when it comes to Dessa… I’m playing for keeps.

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Amazon → https://geni.us/MMHM_Amazon

Apple Books → https://geni.us/MMHM_AppleBooks

Kobo → https://geni.us/MMHM_Kobo

Barnes & Noble → https://geni.us/MMHM_Nook

Google Play → https://geni.us/MMHMGooglePlay

Excerpt

He links his fingers behind his head. “I didn’t want her. I wanted you. So fucking bad. You were supposed to be with me. Because,” his hands drop to his sides as if he’s holding lead weights, “I had feelings for you for so long. And you—”

“What?” I step closer to him, preparing for a fight. “What did I do?”

He blows out a breath. “Left with Tony.”

“Because you blew me off! All night I was giving you signs. Touching you. Moving closer. And you ignored all of them.”

“Those were signs? We’d always been like that.”

“Exactly! I wanted to kiss you. I was so excited when you invited me to the lake because I wanted alone time with you. And you blew me off like you didn’t want me!”

He steps closer so we’re toe-to-toe. “I wanted to kiss you so bad that night. It was eating me up inside.”

I bump my chest against his, getting in his face. “And I wanted you to kiss me!”

His nostrils flare as my jaw clenches. Seconds tick by as we stare at each other. My chest rises in time with his. Like a vacuum all the air is sucked from my lungs, and I can’t breathe. After years of built-up tension, a fireball of heat and passion bursts through me. I’m surprised I don’t spontaneously combust. There’s only one thing that can extinguish the flame. I clasp his face between my palms and smash my mouth to his. The brim of his cap stabs me in the forehead, but it’s the least of my concerns. I inch closer to him until the front of his cap pushes off his head. Hops and mint linger on his lips. I’m already addicted. His arm wraps around my waist, desperately clinging to me like if he lets go, he’ll lose me again. All my thoughts are consumed by Garrett. Kissing him. Him kissing me. Having our bodies flush. It’s dizzying.

I jerk away. My chest heaves as I work to collect my breath. His eyelids rise to half-mast. His normally green irises are almost black with desire.

“Fuck,” he whispers.

“Double fuck,” I murmur.

Buy Now At Your Favorite Retailers!

Amazon → https://geni.us/MMHM_Amazon

Apple Books → https://geni.us/MMHM_AppleBooks

Kobo → https://geni.us/MMHM_Kobo

Barnes & Noble → https://geni.us/MMHM_Nook

Google Play → https://geni.us/MMHMGooglePlay

About Gia Stevens

Gia Stevens resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and cat. She lives for the warm, sunny days of summer and dreads the bitter cold of winter. A romantic comedy junkie at heart, she knew she wanted her own stories to encompass those same warm and fuzzy feelings.

When she’s not busy writing your next book boyfriend, Gia can be found binge watching TV shows that aired five years ago, taking pictures of her cat, or curled up with a steamy romance novel.

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Release Tour ~ Bound by the Goddess ~ by ~ Selina Bevan

A witch, three mysterious men, and a Soul Bond from The Morrigan herself. Their intensifying bond destabilises her magic, threatening to expose the hidden world of magic. Can they control their magic and passion before they make the front page of the tabloids? If you love destined lovers and paranormal romance, then you’ll devour Bound by the Goddess by Selina Bevan, an opposites attract, bad boy hero, fated love, why choose romance with no crossing swords.

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When the Goddess of War and Witchcraft decides to play matchmaker, you know things are gonna get messy.

I was used to my fire magic causing trouble, but three mysterious strangers ignited something in me I’d never felt before. An eternal Soul Bond gifted by the Morrigan herself, tying me to Knox, Finlay and Rhydian forever.

As witches, keeping magic hidden from humans is key. But there’s nothing subtle about these three men, or the way they make me feel. Soon our passion and powers are spiralling out of control.

We have to master the depth of the Bond before we lose each other… or end up on the front page of the tabloids. ’Cause one thing’s for sure — when the Morrigan wants to stir up chaos, she doesn’t do it by half measures.

This witch has her work cut out for her. But with three irresistible heroes by my side? Bring on the madness.

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Excerpt

I couldn’t miss the way they clamoured to be near her. Knox’s spacial awareness had totally evaporated at the bar. Had I not been my typical paranoid self, he would have driven Edin to orgasm with an audience and regretted it when it backfired on him.

If I lost control like that, it would get me and them killed.

Maybe if I maintained my distance, I wouldn’t get lost in the desperate need to touch her.

Finlay slid a palm beneath her shirt, making her shiver and her head loll back to bare the delicate line of her throat.

Ripe for the biting. Marking. Claiming.

I jerked my gaze away, stomach twisting. Fucking stupid, to let it get to me. I’d seen them with plenty of women over the years. This shouldn’t have been any different.

But watching them touch Edin, tasting her gasps and swallowing her sighs… it gutted me in ways I couldn’t explain. Couldn’t reason.

“Rhydian…” A husky rasp, full of too much sin for my blackened soul to hear.

My head snapped up. Edin watched me from beneath lowered lashes, amber eyes glowing in the dim light. Seeing right through me, down to the howling beast rattling its cage.

Knox lifted his head from her neck, teeth flashing white against kiss-swollen lips. “What’s wrong, Rhyd? Too scared for a taste?”

I should walk away. Retreat to the chilly isolation that kept me sharp. Focused. Sane.

But my feet might as well have been welded to the floor. Trapped by the heated promise in Edin’s eyes, the sway of her body as Finlay thumbed circles into the skin above her hip.

Knox smirked, his gaze flitting between me and Edin. “Fair warning,” he stage-whispered to her, “he’s the grumpy one.” He jerked his chin toward me.

She glanced my way, eyes dancing with mirth, but also concern. “I’m sure I can win him over.”

“You might be waiting a while. He rarely cracks a smile.” Knox heaved a dramatic sigh. “Alas, we bear the burden bravely.”

“Left to your own devices, you’d have burned down the city or started a war by now.” The words slipped out before I could catch them.

Edin laughed again, the sound sliding under my skin as she cocked her head, studying me. I felt pinned in place by her gaze, netted by invisible strings.

Knox blinked in surprise, glancing between us before his grin turned sharper. Plotting, no doubt. I shouldn’t have encouraged him.

“Hidden depths.” Edin’s smile eased the tense lines around her mouth, travelling all the way to her eyes. No longer braced for attack but leaning into Knox’s side, at home in a way I hadn’t expected. “A grumpy exterior masking a secret softie.”

“Soft is one thing he’s not.” Knox slid a sly glance my way. “Isn’t that right, Rhyd?”

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About Selina Bevan

Selina Bevan is a British paranormal romance author who writes delicious heroes and captivating worlds, delving deep into the magic and love, with witches, deities, and a spectrum of supernatural beings finding their soulmates in the most unexpected places. She is a chai tea addict who loves a good gig and finding new alt-rock music when mindlessly scrolling Instagram at night. Selina writes MF and RH/Why Choose romances with strong-willed but flawed British heroines. Also writing as Morgana Bevan.

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Pre-Order Blitz ~ Bound by the Goddess ~ by ~ Selina Bevan

Pre-order Today!

When the Goddess of War and Witchcraft decides to play matchmaker, you know things are gonna get messy.

As witches, keeping magic hidden from humans is key. But there’s nothing subtle about these three men, or the way they make me feel. Soon our passion and powers are spiralling out of control.

This witch has her work cut out for her. But with three irresistible heroes by my side? Bring on the madness.

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Excerpt

“What if I told you I could help you with that little problem?”

My brows furrowed as his gaze dropped to my clenched hands. He couldn’t possibly know… then I spotted the ring of yellow around his blue irises.

What did yellow mean?

I’d known this once upon a time…

It doesn’t matter.

I chose to play dumb. “What problem?”

Knox smirked and leaned forward. “Your uncontrollable need to burst into flames, of course.” His voice dropped, his Scottish brogue brushing over nerves that perked right up and sent a shiver down my spine.

And then his words registered.

I stiffened. “I don’t have a—”

“It’s okay, Firefly. We can help you,” the redhead, Finlay, whispered.

I studied them both, Veronica’s words echoing in my ears. They weren’t giving me creepy vibes. If anything, they felt strangely familiar.

Their proximity alone made my power settle down. It purred in my chest for the first time in months.

“How?” The word fell from my lips, almost lost in the noisy bar.

“A kiss,” Knox said as if it were nothing at all.

Surely not.

“I promise it will help.”

“I don’t know you.” My gaze roamed the pair of them, taking in the details I couldn’t make out across the bar.

A playful glint danced in Knox’s blue eyes, matching the confident quirk of his soft, kissable lips. It was at total odds with his friend’s quiet energy. Finlay’s freckles added a touch of boyish charm. He smiled but there was a tension running through him that made him seem uneasy, almost out of place in the bustling bar, as if he belonged in the quiet company of books.

Magic clung to them as it did all witches, only the flavours changed to match our powers, just as our eyes did — Knox’s felt dynamic and shifting, while Finlay’s had a steady, grounding quality.

But the most striking thing? I felt safe.

Both men exuded an oddly comforting energy, like a warm blanket on a cold night. It was as if just their presence soothed the restless flames inside me.

“How do I know your promises mean anything?”

“You don’t.” Knox leaned against the bar, while his soft gaze devoured me. “You just have to trust your gut, Sparky.”

Sparky. Firefly. No one had ever given me a nickname and two strangers felt they could? Even more surprising, I didn’t feel the need to bristle. The attention washed over me, wrapping me up in a blanket of intimacy I should have wanted to reject. The half-hearted words to do so froze on my tongue.

“Okay,” I said, shocking myself.

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Giveaway!

LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE the pre-order blitz post on Selina Bevan’s Facebook page to win a paperback copy of Bound by the Goddess!

Find the post here → https://bit.ly/4evEwoO

The Indie Pen PR is not responsible for this giveaway. Winner selection and prize distribution is the responsibility of the author.

About Selina Bevan

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Release Tour ~ Rival Hearts ~ by ~ W. Million

Grady Castillo isn’t the biggest fan of Mayor Maggie Sullivan and when he sees she’s up for reelection, he can’t help but throw a wrench into her plans. However, as the race heats up and unwanted feelings arise, Grady begins to realize there’s more to Maggie than meets the eye. Readers who love small-town romances will devour Rival Hearts by W. Million, a slow-burn, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance.

“I had a ball going through this one as your writing is so free-flowing and easy to get into. I could definitely feel the angst between Grady and Maggie, and loved it when all of their secrets began to finally spill out! I found myself thinking of the story even when I was done working for the day… These two will certainly latch onto your heart!” – Proof Positive Editing Services

“Maggie is a shoo-in to be reelected as mayor of Little Falls until her ex-lover Grady comes back to town, sparking a rivalry that’s just as personal as it is political. Scandalous secrets and lies are revealed that bring to light the pair’s complicated past in this romantic story of love, loyalty, and redemption.” Brittany M., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

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Coveting my brother’s girlfriend is one thing, but acting on it is a step too far. It’s too bad it’s a step I’ve already taken.

The first time I met Maggie Sullivan, she was my brother’s guest at Sunday dinner. That should have been enough to keep me away. It wasn’t.

The night I lost control and gave into my passion was also the night of my brother’s arrest for selling drugs—a business I was sure Maggie must have had a hand in.

Overwhelmed with guilt, I seized a chance to try out for Center Stage, a televised singing competition. Winning changed my life.

Now, years later, I’ve returned to Little Falls to reconnect with my family, and Maggie Sullivan has somehow managed to become mayor.

With only twenty-four hours until she’s reelected uncontested, I decide to throw a wrench into her perfect life.

When the race heats up, and old, unwanted feelings surface, I start to realize that Maggie might not fit the box I’ve shoved her into all these years.

Soon, I’m wondering if I want to steal the election, or if the real victory lies in winning Maggie’s heart.

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Excerpt

My body was a traitor. I’d spent the last hour staring at the center of his chest instead of his stupid chiseled face, not giving him the satisfaction of making eye contact. What would I see in Grady’s eyes when I glanced up? Twelve years ago, we’d been this close, closer, and those eyes stole a piece of my soul. I couldn’t afford to give any more away.

With a deep breath, I stepped back and stared at him. He was stupidly tall and broad. I couldn’t remember exactly how tall. Six foot five, maybe? Enough to hurt my neck if I was too close, barefoot, and looked up for too long. I squared my shoulders and gave him a sugary smile. “You must be thirsty.” My tone was so sweet it dripped syrup. “All that singing would be hell on your voice. No need to speak.” I held up a hand in the direction of his face. “I wouldn’t want you to strain your precious vocal cords.”

Grady’s brown eyes scanned me, and I tried to decipher the emotion behind them. Amusement and something else I couldn’t place. He chuckled and raised his bottle of water. “No need to worry, Maggie May. I don’t make a living off my voice anymore, so I can let it get as rough as it needs to be.”

The familiar timbre sent an unexpected jolt through me. I hadn’t heard his voice in person since that night. Goose bumps rose on my arms, and I yanked my sweater tighter. “My middle name isn’t May.”

His lips quirked up, unrepentant, and he didn’t respond. Someone tried to get his attention. He shook his head and gave them an apologetic smile, gesturing toward me. “We’re catching up.” The crowd around him thinned back.

“No, we’re not,” I muttered.

His lips quirked again, but he didn’t say anything.

“You’re back in town, then? Trying to make something of your life?” I jutted out my chin and crossed my arms. Any sense of playing nice disappeared. The goose bumps on my skin were from disgust, nothing else. I hated him.

He scanned the crowded bar. “Seems to be a few people who think I’ve already made something of myself.” He shrugged. “But they’re probably easily impressed—give them a glossy surface and they’ll root for anyone.” He directed his pointed gaze at me and sipped his bottle of water. “I heard you’d graduated from ruining one man’s life to taking down a whole town. Little Falls still standing, or have you demolished it as well?”

His mother lived in Little Falls on the opposite side of town to my family. Penny Castillo had put my sign on her lawn during the previous election. Of all the conflicts I had helped to settle over the last four years as mayor, none of them caused my blood to boil like Grady was doing right now. He knew nothing about anything.

Leaning forward on my toes, I said, “I’ve spent the last four years looking after the people you abandoned while you chased fame and fortune.” I raised my eyebrows in a challenge. I’d been the one to help Penny Castillo fix her garage when a windstorm had taken off half the roof; I’d been the one who picked up Trent from jail when he was finally released; I’d been the one to find his brother a job a few towns over when no one else wanted to hire him. What had Grady done? Won a singing contest and disappeared.

“Only four years?” His intensity drilled into me. “What was Trent’s sentence again?”

I hated the heat creeping into my face.

Rage.

The heat was from rage and not humiliation. “It’ll be me looking after them for another four years twenty-four hours from now.”

“What are you talking about?” His sharp gaze turned curious, thoughtful.

My jaw ached from holding back the diatribe threatening to explode out. “I’m running uncontested for another term as mayor of Little Falls.”

Grady pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked toward the ceiling. “Uncontested?”

“That’s right. Uncontested,” Lila said, appearing out of nowhere to throw her arm around my shoulders. Her words were slurred, but I was so glad for the backup, her level of drunkenness didn’t matter. “It’s because she’s the best fucking mayor in any town anywhere.”

Throwing back his head, Grady laughed. “In any town anywhere?”

With a frown, Lila used one finger and pressed it into his broad chest. “Yes! God. Why do you have to be such a hot prick?”

I clamped my hand over Lila’s mouth. In the morning, Lila would regret those words. “She meant the prick part. The hot part is the Jell-O shots talking. Everyone in this bar is hot to her right now.”

“What makes you so sure no one is going to run against you at the last minute?” Grady’s eyebrows lifted, and he raised his bottle to his lips again.

Lila laughed through my hand and removed it from her face. “Because they’d have to own property in town, get enough supporters or file as an independent, and they’d have to think they could beat Maggie. No one is that dumb or that desperate.” Considering how drunk Lila appeared to be, I was impressed with how smoothly her little speech spilled out of her. “And,” Lila added, holding up her finger, “we know everyone who fits the criteria, and they’re not running.” She cocked an eyebrow at Grady and flicked out a hip. “Maggie’s got it in the bag.”

On instinct, I wanted to correct Lila, but the expression on Grady’s face made me hold my tongue. Technically, Lila wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t like the way Grady’s gaze turned calculating as it dragged across us. He chuckled to himself, and a hint of amusement lit his face.

A Hispanic woman I didn’t recognize appeared at the edge of our circle. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Castillo. But we were hoping to get a selfie and an autograph? You’re like the biggest celebrity around here.”

“Sure.” Grady half turned toward his fan. The smile on his face had faded at the request. “Ladies.” Grady pointed his water bottle at us. “I’ll be seeing you around. I bought some prime real estate in Little Falls. Looks like we’ll be neighbors.”

About W. Million

Million is an award-winning author whose contemporary romances about strong women and troubled men have captivated her loyal readers. She is the author of the Bellerive Royals series and the Tucker Family Billionaires series. Writing as Wendy Million, she is the author of the contemporary second chance romances, When Stars Fall and Miss Matched.

When not writing, Wendy enjoys spending time in or around the water. She lives in Ontario, Canada with two beautiful daughters, two cute pooches, and one handsome husband (who is grateful she doesn’t need two of those).

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New Release ~ Rival Hearts ~ by ~ W. Million