I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother, but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.
Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade.
Even if he should be responsible enough to not wreak havoc at his sister’s destination wedding.
Even if it means we have to share a hotel room in Hawaii, which might be the final duty that breaks me.
Not only does Theo know exactly how to push my buttons, but he never wears clothes, he’s hiding a litter of kittens in his room, and he keeps showing up with fresh-baked cookies that seemingly come from nowhere.
Also?
I have no idea why he’s being such an utter ass to the groom.
Or why he’s so proud of the world’s most awkward wedding gift.
Or why I suddenly want to know what makes him tick. The story behind his tattoos. How he can afford to rent a convertible in Hawaii. And if maybe all of that utter frustration and irritation I’ve felt for him for years is suppressed attraction that a good girl like me isn’t supposed to feel for the biggest bad boy of Snaggletooth Creek.
But I do know one thing.
When I find out his biggest secret and the answer to all of my questions, it will change everything.
The Worst Wedding Date is a frolicking good time of a destination wedding enemies-to-lovers romcom, complete with a good girl bridesmaid, her best friend’s troublemaking but secretly big-hearted brother, and more than one hitch on the way to happily ever after. It stands alone, has no cheating, and comes complete with ooey gooey goodness.
Pippa Grant is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes romantic comedies that will make tears run down your leg. When she’s not reading, writing or sleeping, she’s being crowned employee of the month as a stay-at-home mom and housewife trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, all the while fantasizing about long walks on the beach with hot chocolate chip cookies.
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Witches, Warlocks, & Vampires
Release Date: April 4, 2023
Cover Credit: Rebecca at Dream2Media
Gangsters with bite.
I should have known better than to sign a deal with a blood-sucking blackmailer. But what choice did I have? He knows my deepest, darkest secret. Our unholy covenant, written in blood, states I must establish an academy for delinquent vampires within thirty days, or he’ll expose me.
I’ve never taught vampires, or delinquents, or teenagers for that matter, but I will risk everything I have, and do anything I can to set up this dream-team school for the undead. On the plus side, I have a PhD in Education and am a talented witch capable of all sorts of sorcery. Getting my brooms in a row, I’ve already started writing lessons on the seven undeadly sins. What could go wrong?
Onyx, a drop-dead-gorgeous night stalker with an extensive knowledge of blood sorcery, has offered his assistance, but you know what they say about deals that appear too good to be true. Should I accept a sidekick with fangs or go it alone?
Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in the small Pacific Northwest town of Mystic Keep where I live. Someone is killing witches. While I expect many bumps in the night await me, I swear no bloody mess will deter me from my goal—to get the academy for naughty vampires functioning on time. Will I succeed, or will I be exposed? Or worse, will I be murdered?
My name is Rebel Black, and this is my story.
Fangsters, the novel, is the first book in Fangsters, an urban fantasy with bite series, set in the Mystic Keep world. A fast-paced thriller, and slow burn romance, it features powerful witches, stubborn warlocks, and sexy vampires, and can easily be read as a standalone.
~A little bit of magic~
Jo-Ann Carson is an award-winning author who loves the magic of storytelling. She writes evocative settings, strong characters, and fast-paced plots. Her current project is Fangsters, a six book, urban fantasy series featuring a witch blackmailed into running an academy for delinquent, teenage vampires.
To date, Jo-Ann Carson has published 31 stories. Her latest series are: Fangsters, the Dial Witch Trilogy, The Perfect Brew Trilogy, the Ghost & Abby Mysteries, and the Gambling Ghosts Novellas.A firm believer in the magic of our everyday lives, Jo-Ann loves watching sunrises, walking the beaches with her poodle near her home in the Pacific Northwest, and reading books by a crackling wood fire. You can find more about her on her website.
I’m determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon, crashing alone at my brother’s best friend’s houseboat. But I’m not alone–he’s here, and he’s tan, toned, and tempting as hell. Readers who enjoy the Man of the Month Club collection will devour Flirt Like a Fool by Ellen Brooks, a steamy, small town, brother’s best friend, beach romance.
I don’t need a change of pace; I need a change of life, but for now I’ll settle for a week of surf, sand, and fun in the sun, along with my new mantra—flirt like a fool.
I’m determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon even though, thanks to a cheating ex-fiancé, I won’t be a newlywed lounging at a five-star resort in the Caribbean, but rather crashing solo at my brother’s best friend’s houseboat in the Florida Keys while he’s away.
It might be a Christmas themed small town, but it’s still the beach, right? As long as there’s a fruity frozen cocktail with my name on it, I’ll be fine, really.
Until I arrive and discover my brother’s best friend isn’t away after all. He’s right here and is toned, tan, and tempting as hell. But, he’s off limits… even if his houseboat only has one bed.
With one towel wrapped turban-style around my wet hair and another around my body, I emerge from the bathroom, belting out the chorus and dart to grab my clothes from the dryer down the hall, not expecting to slam directly into AJ’s broad frame.
Startled, I slip, and my wet feet slide out from underneath me. I flail one arm out and try to grab the doorjamb but go down, landing unceremoniously on my ass with a loud, “Oomph.”
My other hand keeps a deathlike grip on the towel, which fortunately, has prevented it from falling off completely. As it is, the slit gapes wide, and my entire thigh and half of my ass are on display. I squeeze my legs closed and hope he’s tall enough that, from his angle, my position doesn’t reveal any more than that.
AJ springs forward and reaches down to help me to my feet. With one warm hand on each of my shoulders, he holds me steady. His eyes, wide with concern, meet mine. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” I insist, aware of how my breathless answer sounds completely unconvincing, and add a firm nod.
Our bodies are mere inches apart. Close enough the towel brushes him. I secure it tighter around my naked body. The fall jarred the one wrapped around my head, and it’s about to slide off, so I reach up and pull it down, shaking out my hair. The wet strands fall past my shoulders. I don’t even want to think about how I look right now, not that my thoughts are anywhere close to coherent at the moment. Not with this sexy man so close his body warmth is raising my temperature—fast.
Then I register his appearance. If someone told me an athletic apparel company was doing a photoshoot on Candy Cane Key and AJ was the model, I wouldn’t doubt it. His face is flushed, eyes bright with energy, and the light stubble across his cheeks and jaw beg for my touch.
A sheen of perspiration glows on his skin, and sweat darkens his light blue shirt. He opens his mouth as if he is going to speak but then snaps it closed without uttering a word. He shakes his head. Not a vigorous movement. In fact, it’s barely noticeable. Likely, I would have missed it if he wasn’t so close. And staring directly at me.
My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and his gaze falls to my mouth. His eyes narrow, and it might be my imagination, but he leans in, and I tilt my head up.
He’s going to kiss me. I feel it in my bones. But the boat rocks on a wave and interrupts the moment. As if coming to his senses, he releases my shoulders and steps back. Cool air rushed to fill the gap, and I shiver.
Ellen Brooks believes in love at first sight, eating cake for breakfast, and staying up way too late. She’s a classically trained pastry chef who now spends her days whipping up sexy and satisfying modern day love stories. When she’s not dreaming up her next characters, or plotting a happily ever after, you’ll find her absorbed in a book, relaxing into shavasana, or downing a caffè americano. Oh, and belting out the lyrics to Hamilton. Ellen lives in the desert southwest where she still *occasionally bakes a batch of cookies for her real-life hero and two girls. *code for not often enough, if you ask them
How does a woman without so much as a speeding ticket find herself taken hostage by a biker gang with a vicious grudge?
Ask the twin sister I never knew I had.
Staying squeaky-clean has always worked for me, and I love the life I’ve built—but evidently my sister can’t say the same, and her choices have led the Road Raiders MC straight to 𝙢𝙮 door.
Being dragged into their world is a total shock to my system, but I can’t deny the connection I feel with 𝘼𝙭𝙩𝙤𝙣, 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠. I see through their rocky exterior, and part of me wants to explore what’s between us, if only I can convince them of my true identity.
𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚…
♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
I expected her to kick me out of the bed once Doc closed the door behind him. So, I started to shift. I unraveled my arm from around her and pulled my leg out from between her gloriously comfortable thighs.
And to my shock, she grabbed my wrist and tugged me back.
“Just a few more minutes,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded softly; her hair splayed against the white pillowcase. “I’m sure. I just… don’t want to be alone right now.”
It didn’t take her long to drift off to sleep. As I settled back down next to her, drawing in the scent of whatever she used for shampoo, it took every single shred of self-control inside of me not to flip her over, pin her down, and take that pillowy ass of hers as mine. She was so beautiful and smelled so divine. She was a hell of a firecracker, too. Always willing to get into trouble and rarely ever complaining about the consequences. I knew she wanted to go home. She had to have missed her family throughout all this time. But we couldn’t relinquish her. Not until we knew she was safe. Not until we knew that the bitch still running around out there wouldn’t come after her simply out of spite.
So, I held her. I held her and felt her rocking against me with soft movements that eventually ceased. And after ten or so minutes, she was out like a light. I couldn’t sleep, though. Not after what had happened. My mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. All sorts of what if’s and different nightmares that could have come straight from a scenario like the one we had found ourselves in.
No matter what, though, I knew one thing for certain.
I sure as fuck wasn’t leaving her side until she was ready to kick me out.
Savannah Rylan is a romance writer that spends most of her time writing and reading with her cat, Gris. When not writing about sexy bikers and the women that love them, you can find her on the beach with a drink in her hand or at the gym testing out some strange new position. Yoga, obviously. She lives in Southern California with her husband and Gris, the true love of her life.
Taken, I’m bound inside the home of a dangerous man. He may have saved me from his sadistic cousin, but it seems I’ve only traded one monster for another. Fans of The Five Families series by Jill Ramsower will love Violent Ascension by Giorgia Blake, a steamy, enemies-to-lovers, forced marriage, mafia romance.
I’m a Rising Star. A boss. A Real One.
Yet I’m here. Taken and bound inside the home of Alessandro Parisi.
A dangerous man who holds my life and my secrets close to the chest.
He has all the answers but refuses to answer any of my questions.
All he’s told me is that I’m his and the key to his ascension.
He saved me from his sadistic cousin; but it seems I just traded one monster for another.
The first one stalked and taunted me until I was convinced death was around every corner.
This one orders me to cooperate, bend to his touch, and obey.
Too bad obedience isn’t in my nature and sacrifice is my birthright.
We probably won’t make it out of this blood war alive…The likelihood of my heart surviving Alessandro is even less.
Violent Ascension is the first book in the Made Men of Chicago Collection, and can be read as a standalone.It is a forced marriage mafia romance with themes of organized crime, violence, and BDSM. If this is your type of romance, the happily ever after will knock your socks off!
Please read responsibly!
“Why would your sick cousin, if he does indeed exist, want anything to do with me? He doesn’t even know me but I’m supposed to believe he had some plot to kidnap and torture me? Why would he do that? WHY THE FUCK AM I HERE?!”
I scream the latter with as much effort as my weakened voice can carry and tears stream uncontrollably down my face.
I’m making a spectacle of myself. Something my proud Creole mother taught me never to do. I can imagine her strong posture and head held high while reading the letter my father left for her. She was pregnant and alone. Then she found out she was tied to the mafia and its dangerous liaisons. I know she never cowered. Chrisette Augustin never cowered. But my response to Parisi can’t be helped. I’m not as strong as my mother. I never was.
I’m scared shitless.
Parisi leans back on his haunches to examine me. Yet again, I’m the specimen under his microscope. I feel naked inside and out when he fixes his eyes on me and I hate it. He’s digging out all the parts of myself that I hide away from the world. He ogles them to feed a sick fetish. Refusing to be his meal. I turn away and look at the wall, but he simply reaches out and draws my face back to him.
“Look at me Isabella.” His voice is quiet and surprisingly tender; like he’s coaxing a wild and wounded animal out of a trap. Chained to his floor, that’s exactly how I feel. He strokes an errant strand of my curly hair behind my ear and levels me with his attention.
“You will marry me, because that’s the only way to save your life and the lives of many others. You will sacrifice your freedom, to ensure blood doesn’t run down Chicago’s streets. I know you don’t understand any of that now, but you will as you begin to understand Cosa Nostra and your father’s place inside it. You are the key to everything, because he who has you, has your father in the palm of his hand. I can’t let Leonardo have that kind of power. You are just going to have to trust me from this moment on because life as you knew it is over. As a matter of fact, the life you were living was always temporary. At some point, your debt as Matteo’s daughter had to come due. The sooner you accept that; the happier you will be.”
Something inside of me registers what he’s saying as fact. It doesn’t make any logical sense, but I know whether it’s his fault or not, my life as I knew it really is over and I need a release.
So, I slap him.
I slap him like my Creole mother used to slap me whenever my mouth wrote a check my butt couldn’t cash. Parisi’s head jerks to the side and I immediately regret my action. I contract my body to make myself smaller, but I don’t take my eyes off of him.
He’s eerily calm and that scares me more than the rage I thought was sure to come. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a key to unshackle my ankles. I dart my eyes to the cell door, trying to estimate how far I can go before he catches me and his eyes arrest me.
I’m not going anywhere.
I’m a contemporary romance author dedicated to the dangerously delicious world of Mafia Romance. Every story will dare you to believe in the power of love, even when there doesn’t seem to be one sane reason to do so!
My stories feature sexy alphas and smart heroines finding love in the most breath stealing of circumstances. If someone can’t die at any moment–it’s not a Giorgia Blake Romance!
Every plot is full of heat, suspense, and steamy passion that would make the Karma Sutra blush.
So come join me on this wild ride…you won’t regret it!
From USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Knight, comes the conclusion to the story that left you speechless and begging for more.
“Stacey isn’t coming.”
Those three words leave Blake with a broken heart and a non-refundable trip to Mexico.
Wanting to drown his sorrows in alcohol and women, he turns his would-be honeymoon into the ultimate bachelor trip. Much to his surprise, he runs into an old friend on his first night there.
Sarah is celebrating her divorce and, like Blake, looking for a good time in Cabo to forget the past. The pair quickly reconnect, becoming closer than they had been that summer years ago.
When their trip is over, and it’s time to leave the sunny sands of paradise, they go their separate ways, unhappy their time together has ended so soon. Sarah returns home to Vegas to work on her dreams of opening a veterinary clinic, and Blake returns to his nightmare.
Blake soon discovers the reason Stacey left him at the altar, and her secret turns his world upside down. The betrayal is too much for him to handle on his own, so he turns to Sarah for help. When she suggests he comes to Vegas to escape his troubles, they expect to have hot sex with no strings attached, but unforeseen feelings leave them confused … and wanting more.
But Blake can’t hide from his problems forever, and eventually, he’ll need to make a choice.
Will he end up with the one who has held his heart for years but left it shattered into a million pieces or the one who helped put it back together?
Kimberly Knight is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in the Central Valley of California with her loving husband, who is a great research assistant, and young daughter, who keeps Kimberly on her toes. Kimberly writes in a variety of genres, including romantic suspense, contemporary romance, erotic romance, and paranormal romance. Her books will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and fall in love before she throws you curve balls you never see coming.
When Kimberly isn’t writing, you can find her watching her favorite reality TV shows, including cooking competitions, binge-watching true crime documentaries, and going to San Francisco Giants games. She’s also a two-time desmoid tumor/cancer fighter, which has made her stronger and an inspiration to her fans.
C.E. Johnson writes protective hero romance with a side of suspense!
She wrote her first book in 2017 and hasn’t stopped writing since. C.E. is best known for her romantic suspense series, The Elements of the Heart, which features protective heroes, strong heroines in danger, small town feels, and love that will have your heart swelling.
She’s a dog lover, iced coffee enthusiast, and dreams of living in a cabin deep in the woods one day like so many of her characters do.
C.E. Johnson currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, two kids, and a bunch of spoiled rotten animals.
When the new theater director wants to shake up the routine, Candy Cane Key’s mayor has some issues to take up with her. Readers who love Jessa Kane and Jamie Schlosser will enjoy Tidal Ides by Layne Daniels, a steamy, small town, enemies-to-lovers, beach romance..
My job as mayor of the most Christmasy town South of the North Pole comes with enough perks to overlook the headaches of municipal leadership. Most of the time. The new owner of Candy Cane Key’s Community Playhouse is putting that theory to the test.
Austie Norman, with her holly berry red lips and evergreen eyes, fits in perfectly. If I ignore the way she’s messing with tradition and making changes. And if I ignore the way she blazes past tradition and brings fresh energy to town. Definitely if I ignore the way she makes my heart trip over itself every time we argue about her plans to produce an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Ides of March. We can’t do Shakespeare when we’re meant to be doing Seuss. This is Candy Cane Key and people have certain expectations when they come here.
I can ignore all of that to fall in love. I just need to find a way to make Austie ignore all the ways I drive her crazy so she falls in love with me, too.
The MAN OF THE MONTH CLUB is a steamy small-town collection featuring a new hottie (or two!) every month. In 2023, escape to Candy Cane Key, Florida, and celebrate ALL the holidays with your favorite group of romance authors and their delicious men. Can’t wait to see you there!
Layne is a USA Today Bestselling Author, a long time reader of steamy romance, and began writing her own stories in December of 2020. Her favorite books to read are about Daddy Doms, strong alpha men who fall in love with fierce women, and sex positive living. When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her family of jocks into some semblance of chill, running a business, getting ALL the tattoos, and living her love-at-first-sight fairytale with Mr. Mine.
NHL veteran player Kieran Marsh has had more relationships than trips to the sin bin, making him a player on and off the ice. And two years ago, I had a one night stand with him when I thought I would forever stay the anonymous girl in the hockey jersey.
But now my city has an expansion team, and guess who’s one of their star players?
Of course I accept an offer to go see the opening night game. I can’t stay away, even though hockey destroyed my family, and so much about Kieran reminds me of the worst things my father ever did to my mother.
And when Kieran sees me in the stands? I know nothing is going to be the same again. This is his game, and he knows how to win.
Ainsley Booth is a three-time USA Today bestselling author of erotic romance. Between her two pen names (she also writes contemporary romance as two-time New York Times bestseller Zoe York), she has published more than seventy books since 2013. Notable hits include Prime Minister and Hate F*@k.
When David found Delaney sleeping in his bed, he never thought they’d be more than friends. But as time passes, he quickly discovers that the smallest spark leads to possibilities he never expected. Readers who enjoy spicy romances will devour Defeat by Evelyn Sola, a steamy, friends with benefits romance.
“ I loved this book from beginning to end! Max and Summer were such a sexy couple. Summer was such a poised young woman. An old soul. The way Max loved Summer…whew!”- Amazon Review for Downfall
A self-proclaimed bachelor, content on his own. A runaway bride, searching for her freedom.
They may seem like they’ve got nothing in common, but the tiniest sparks make the biggest flames.
Delaney Lewis is desperate for her freedom. From her controlling mother and the man she left standing at the altar.
Her best friend is more than happy to help her escape and sets Delaney up at her soon to be brother-in-law’s house while he’s out of town, confident that when David comes home—he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Delaney safe from her crazy family.
David Sutton finds the surprise of a lifetime when he discovers a woman sleeping soundly in his bed. When she explains how she ended up there, David’s heart and mind slowly open, leading to a permanent place to stay, a job, and best of all, a new outlook.
The woman who was much like a stranger before, slowly becomes his friend…with a few intimate perks and before they know it, real sparks start to fly.
She holds up her hand and says, “Fine. Be a confirmed bachelor, David. There is nothing worse than being in a relationship when you don’t want to be. I get that. Go and live your best life, and I’ll do the same.” She turns her back and starts toward the glass door. I take her elbow and keep her in place. “So, you’re just going to walk away from me?” I ask. “When we agreed to just sex. Those were the terms, remember? I was going to see someone else, and I let you know. You agreed to it. You don’t get to agree and throw a hissy fit.” I want to bite my own tongue. That’s not what I came here to say, but her dismissive attitude is infuriating. “So, you want to talk about rules?” She yanks her elbow from me but turns to face me. “What else did you say? No sleeping in your bed. No cuddling. No dates. Remember that? And only fucking. No lovemaking. Guess what, David? You broke every single rule. I haven’t spent a night out of your bed. Not only that, I sleep in your arms. You took me out on dates where you fed me lobster, made me laugh, and made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman who ever lived. You told me about your past. You promised to be my protector. You made love to me time after time. So, to hell with you and your rules.” She shoves my chest, but it has no impact. She does it again, and I wrap my hands around her wrists. “You’re right. I freaked out—”
About Evelyn Sola
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor.
She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.
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