TBR Book Blog

New Release ~ Forever with the Chef ~ by ~ Allie York

Heartbroken, Shae leaves everything behind and moves to a small town. She doesn’t expect to be swept off her feet by grumpy chef, Liam. Things are quick to heat up between them, but hopefully neither get burned. Readers who love Hope Ford and Alexa Riley will love Forever with the Chef by Allie York, a friends with benefits to lovers, instalove, small town romance.

Blurb

I don’t do forever. You’re lucky if you get me for a night. Shae Mitchell lives life to the fullest. If she wants something she gets it. After another heartbreak, she leaves everything and heads for small town life. What she doesn’t expect is to be swept off her feet by the grumpiest man she’s ever met. Liam Campbell is the best and he knows it. As the top chef around, his reputation for cooking and a bad attitude precedes him. But he’s not in it to make friends. Until a sassy, stubborn ray of sunshine makes him realize there’s more to life. Are they cooking with fire, or will someone get burned?

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Excerpt

“You asked me to move in,” I remind him. “And to work with you.” I quit the serving job and started training in the kitchen as soon as I could. Tonight will be my first night in my new position and I’m scared as hell I’m going to mess up. But with Liam there, I know it’ll be fine. “It’s because I can’t get enough of you.” Liam stops me at the door and pulls me in for a kiss. I sigh and lean into it. I was with my ex for years and never felt like this. Liam makes me feel safe, wanted, secure. Not that I need a man to make me feel those things, but damn is it nice. He leads me by the hand to his truck, opens the door for me and I climb in. He squeezes my ass in the process and closes my door once I’m seated. In a matter of seconds, his hand is on my leg, the truck is in gear, and we’re pulling away from the cute little house we now share. “That place isn’t forever. I’m going to build you a big one. Lots of rooms for babies and a massive kitchen.” He glances at me, one hand draped lazily over the wheel, the other on my thigh. “Who said anything about babies?” I tease, but his grip tightens. “Joking, Liam.” I say soothingly. “You were planning kids with him.” His words come out with a little too much bite for my taste. “Yes, and he already had three. I was also planning a wedding, but he already had that too,” I snap back. “Is it because…” “Liam, stop.” I cut him off. “I don’t want to talk about him.” “Are you still in love with him?” His voice is tight. “No!” Honestly, I don’t think I ever was. I don’t know why talking about a house and kids with Liam doesn’t freak me out, but it doesn’t. It feels like something we should talk about; like the next step in our process. I feel like I’ve known Liam my whole life and this is where I belong. It’s not the first time he’s mentioned he wants kids, and he seems to want them soon, but I’m not quite ready to not be on the pill. Liam doesn’t say anything else and neither do I. We pull into the lot, Liam gets out and slams the truck door. I lean over, lay on the horn and wait for him to get annoyed with me and come back. He doesn’t. And this is what happens when you pick a brooding man. Fine, I can pout too. I wait until I’m almost late to head inside and start my first official shift as his sous chef. He may be stubborn, but I am so much worse.

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About Allie York I’m a mom, wife, and dog groomer by day. At night I write contemporary romance. I love funny dog videos, I read naughty books, and drink too much coffee.

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Cover Reveal ~ Sweet Redemption ~ by ~ Faye Madden

♦ ♦ ♦

Title: Sweet Redemption

Author: Faye Madden

Genre: Sweet, Wholesome & Clean Romance/ Second Chance Romance

Series: Bluff Bay Series, Book #2

Release Day: November 19, 2021

Cover Designer: https://getcovers.com – Get Covers

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One glorious summer together. After ten years apart, can their broken hearts be mended? Drew Tyler resents the path he was forced to take. Now a highly successful plastic surgeon to the Hollywood elite, he still can’t forgive his father for making him dump his college sweetheart. But after returning home to help his dad’s struggling medical practice, he’s blindsided by unresolved feelings when he sets eyes on the gorgeous woman whose heart he broke… Cecilia Beckett knows she married on the rebound. And after her husband’s tragic death, she feels emptier than ever. So when the only man she’s truly loved returns to town and charms her four-year-old daughter, all the grief from that shocking betrayal comes flooding back. As Drew becomes entangled with the small town’s affairs, he realizes how superficial his own success is… and how much he yearns for the lovely widow’s embrace. And though Cecilia finds herself falling all over again, she fears giving in to her tortured heart’s desires could expose her little girl to an all-too-familiar world of hurt. Will the star-crossed couple put their hopes on the line for another chance at forever? Sweet Redemption is the delightful second book in the Bluff Bay contemporary romance series. If you like wholesome courtships, heartwarming characters, and true-to-life plights, then you’ll adore Faye Madden’s joyful story.

♦ ♦ ♦

Faye Madden believes she is one of the lucky ones, because for her it was love at first sight. It is the moment of that first shy glance, when you know he or she is the one, your soulmate, lover and friend for the rest of your life. It is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe that two people make the biggest decision of their lives on a single look, guided only by the omnipotent hand of destiny. Since that chance meeting with her wonderful husband David, she has raised a family, and now the children have flown the nest, she has the time to write, which is her second love. All of her novels are sweet and wholesome, and through her richly crafted characters she explores all the heartache, pain, yet ultimately joyous happiness love brings, however that journey may unfold. Many of her novels explore this through the prism of a second chance romance, whilst others focus on love lost and found, or in unrequited love. She shares a love of the outdoors with her husband, and together they can be found either sailing on one of the lakes near their home or trekking through the pine forests on horseback. And in the summer like a pair of snowbirds they love to holiday in pretty coastal towns with their beloved dogs, and where many of her novels are set.

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Sales Blitz ~ The Single Dads of Seattle Boxset ~ by ~ Whitley Cox

Title: The Single Dads of Seattle Boxset (Books 1-3)

Titles: Hired by the Single Dad, Dancing with the Single Dad, Saved by the Single Dad

Author: Whitley Cox

Genre: Rom/Com, Single Dad, Erotic, Romance Suspense

Release Date: March 16, 2021

Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City and home to The Single Dads of Seattle. Ten sexy single fathers who play poker every Saturday night, have each other’s backs, love their children without quarter, and hope to one day find love again. These are their stories…

Book 1.) Hired by the Single Dad Mark and Tori The doctor and the therapist Age gap, doctor romance, employee/employer romance, romantic comedy He needs someone to work with his son, she needs a job. They need to keep their hands to themselves.

Book 2.) Dancing with the Single Dad Adam and Violet The professor and the dance teacher. Romantic comedy, overcoming loss, instant attraction, partners to lovers Hanging up your dancing shoes isn’t so easy when you can’t let go of your former dance partner.

Book 3.) Saved by the Single Dad Mitch and Paige. The photographer and the chef romantic comedy, overcoming loss, friends to lovers. Loving yourself is the first step on the road to healing.

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.

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Cover Reveal ~ Protecting Raven ~ by ~ B.P. Beth

Title: Protecting Raven

Series: Heroes of Brooks #1

Author: B.P. Beth

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 5, 2021

Cover Design: BP Designs

HER

As a bounty hunter, my job was pretty straight forward.
Stay detached.
Track them down.
And bring them in.
Simple, right?
Wrong.
Lines got crossed, sparks started flying, people got hurt and an enemy I didn’t know existed was breathing down my neck.

HIM

To be quite honest, my life has never been simple.
But for the last couple of years, I’ve been blessed with living it in peace. Everything was going smoothly.
That was until a certain raven haired beauty turned my whole life upside down.
And it all began with a black vibrator.

B. P. Beth is a European law graduate with a serious passion for romantic suspense novels. If you like your reads to be romantic, yet filled with action at the same time her books are the ones for you. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

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New Release ~ Brutal Boxer ~ by ~ Naomi Porter

Title: Brutal Boxer

Series: Knight’s Legion MC #4

Author: Naomi Porter

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: September 16, 2021

Cover Design: TRC Designs

Aspen. My Snow.

As teenagers, we were always each other’s forever and ever. Until we weren’t.

Today, I am the enforcer for the Knight’s Legion MC. I dole out punishments on soulless criminals with my blade Ricky.

In the MMA cage, I unleash my anger and frustrations. Fighting is my lifeline to living without the only woman I ever loved, my Snow.

My MC life is disrupted when she arrives at the club, nearly frozen to death and battered. I’m shaken to the core. Buried feelings resurface, pissing me off.

Snow needs the club to protect her from her ex.

I need her gone.

After a decade of hating each other, we’re thrust together and it’s about to get brutal. If I can protect her from her lunatic ex, maybe this could be our second chance…

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains dark elements that may be triggering to some readers. Discretion advised.

Naomi Porter always had a knack for storytelling, and she’s finally putting pen to paper to share with you, the reader. Whether she is trying to stay warm in the freezing winter weather or cool in the sweltering heat, she’s pounding away at the keys of her laptop to bring you the latest gritty motorcycle club romance or decadent billionaire saga, or an outlandish, heart-stopping sexy drama.

No matter what story she’s telling, you can bet it has sexy as sin men, sassy and confident women, and plenty of sizzling passion. Enter Naomi’s naughty world today!

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Book Tour ~ With Love from Tokyo

Title: With Love from Tokyo

Series: Voyages of the Heart Collection Volume 8

Contributing Authors: Cassie Lee hart, Elias Raven, Jade Royal, Katherine L.E. White, Kristy Gibs, M. Greenhow, Nancy Chastain, and Teresa Crumpton

Genre: Romance

Release Date: July 28, 2021

Publisher: Royalty Writes Enterprises

Voyages of the Heart…

Passion, adventure, secrets… the cities of the world are each filled with their own unique charm and allure. Our authors have taken up their pens to bring you another series of sensational stories destined to capture your heart and bring forth your emotions, one destination at a time. So, pack your bags and join us once more on this Voyage of the Heart.

With Love From Tokyo…

Whether you are a seasoned traveler with us or a new adventurer, let our many, experienced tour guides lead you through romantic escapades with cherry blossoms along the way. Experience healing from a breakup at the Sensō-ji, coming upon a beautiful stranger in Shinjuku Goyen National Garden, or the awe of the city while standing in the Tokyo Skytree.

Our authors will take excellent care of you, ensuring incredible memories of your time in Tokyo. Each story guarantees uniqueness, love endeavors, and of course a HEA. Grab your passport, your flight is at the gate! Voyages of the Heart: Tokyo is about to begin!

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New Release ~ Greaser ~ by ~ Andi Rhodes

Title: Greaser

Series: Soulless Kings MC #4

Author: Andi Rhodes

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: September 16, 2021

BLURB

Greaser…

The Soulless Kings are my family, my life. I would die for them, bleed for them, kill for them. Patched members, prospects, blood relatives… they all have my loyalty, no questions asked. What I won’t do is tolerate lies, no matter who they come from.

Until I catch a brother in one.

Danger shows up at our doorstep and I find myself reevaluating my boundaries. I don’t have a choice. It could mean the difference between life and death for the woman who’s done the impossible: risen from the dead.

Trinity…

People don’t come back from the dead. It’s impossible, yet it’s exactly what I’m doing. For twelve years, I ceased to exist. My family, my friends, the world thought I was gone forever. I was a statistic, a faceless number among millions. But I’m back and I need to be seen, to be heard, to be remembered.

My escape isn’t planned. It happens fast but I don’t look back. Not until I’m forced to. I manage to track down the one person who will recognize me, my twin. Looking at me should be like looking in a mirror. The problem is, his new family doesn’t know I exist and they don’t take kindly to lies or strangers.

And I represent both.

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EXCERPT

“Answer me,” he barks.

My shoulders tense and heat burns through every cell of my body. “Why? Will my answer change anything?” I ask, years of anger and frustration taking over.

“No.”

“At least you’re honest,” I mumble as I rest my head on my forearms.

“Which is more than I can say for you.”

I lift my head and glare toward the door. I have no idea if this asshole can see me or not, but I’m past caring. I want to get the hell out of here. I want to go home.

You don’t have a home, remember?

“So, if you’re Trainwreck’s sister, tell me something about him.”

I narrow my eyes into the darkness. He’s mentioned this Trainwreck a few times, mostly during his earlier phone call, and I have no clue who he’s talking about. How am I supposed to tell him something about a person I don’t know?

“I don’t know who Trainwreck is. I’m here for Tyler,” I answer honestly. Not that he’ll believe me.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t respond, but the lights turn on and the door swings open. I blink several times so my eyes can adjust to the sudden change. He stomps toward me with a cell phone in his hand.

He bends down and shoves the screen in my face. “This is Trainwreck.”

I look at the picture, and for the first time since I met this man at the gate, I feel a sense of hope flair.

The picture is of Tyler—Trainwreck—and there are half naked women hanging on him. The photo is dark, but I can make out his face… my face.

“That’s Tyler,” I whisper.

He turns the phone to look at the picture and his eyes dart back and forth between it and me. Finally, he sighs.

“You don’t see it, do you?” I ask.

“See what?”

“The resemblance.” I relax my posture. My muscles ache from tension and I no longer have the strength to remain tied in knots. “I can’t believe…” I shake my head and start over. “There is no way you don’t see that we’re siblings.”

“Why not?” He shrugs. “Plenty of people have similar looks and don’t have blood in common.”

“True,” I concede. Lots of people thought I looked like Ma and Pa, but we weren’t related at all. “But we have more than blood between us. We’re twins, you idiot.”

“Bullshit!” he shouts as he rises to his full height.

“Get him here and you’ll see.”

He runs his fingers through his hair and begins to pace. I watch him go back and forth several times before I stand up as well.

“If this Trainwreck is someone you know, call him,” I demand. “Call him and let me talk to him. He’ll tell you I am who I say I am.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s busy.”

“Too busy to come see his twin sister?”

He only nods and I heave a sigh.

“Then take me to him.”

He stops pacing in front of me and pushes me back against the wall. He braces his hands on either side of my head and leans in close.

“You’re pretty ballsy all of a sudden,” he snarls.

I try to avert my eyes, but he grips my chin and holds my head in place.

“If you’re his sister, how come we didn’t know about you?”

The question hurts. It sends an arrow through my heart, piercing yet another hole in the already shredded organ. My eyes burn as tears well up and I try, unsuccessfully, to blink them away.

Images assault my mind. News reports I managed to catch when Ma and Pa permitted me to watch TV flash, one after the other. Phrases like ‘Search called off for missing girl’ and ‘Family has daughter declared dead’ stick in my brain, taunting me, terrorizing me.

“Probably…” The words catch, unable to force their way out.

I swallow past the lump in my throat and lock eyes with him.

“Probably because he thinks I’m dead.”

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COMING SOON

Releasing November 4

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AUTHOR BIO

Andi is an MC romance author who started her journey when her career in social work was no longer her passion. Her books are sassy and suspenseful with a heavy dose of chaos and are guaranteed to deliver an HEA and all the feels. She loves writing about alpha males and the women who tame them. When she’s not writing, Andi is an avid reader of the romance genre and prefers books that teeter on the edge of decent. She also loves spending time with her husband and their pack of dogs. For access to release info, updates, and exclusive content, be sure to sign up for Andi’s newsletter at andirhodes.com, where you will also find links for Facebook and Instagram.

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New Release ~ Salvation ~ by ~ Avery Caswell

Title: Salvation

Author: Avery Caswell

Genre: Women’s/Sibling Fiction

Release Date: September 15, 2021

No one ever talks about what happened …

Summer 1971, Del Munro, a single mother of four, is struggling to make ends meet when Mother Franklin, a traveling evangelist, offers to take her daughters to the beach in Savannah.

For nine-year-old Willie June and seven-year-old Glory, restless at the end of a long, hot summer in Charlotte, it’s a dream come true. To their beleaguered mother, it’s a much-needed reprieve.

But what seemed like a blessing soon turns into a nightmare when the girls are pressed into service by the morbidly obese Mother Franklin whose needs are as outsized as her ambitions.

When the girls fail to return, Del, evasive about the details of her arrangement with Mother Franklin, panics. People begin to wonder if instead of sending her daughters on vacation, she sold them to the evangelist.

Based on a true story, Salvation is an evocative and unforgettable saga about stolen innocence that explores the tragic mistakes made by desperate people and the false prophets who exploit their vulnerabilities.

“…a riveting and deeply moving story… a stunning debut by an important talent.”

—Abigail DeWitt, author of News of Our Loved Ones

“A haunting, disturbing journey through an America of misplaced hope and overvalued faith, and of surprising redemption. With gentle humor and a profound appreciation for the marginalized lives of her characters, Avery Caswell illuminates the America that’s alongside us, and which many of us rarely acknowledge.”

—Arthur J. Magida, author of Code Name Madeleine

Avery Caswell was born just north of Chicago, Illinois. From a young age she was always scribbling, filling stenographer notebooks with observations (like Harriet, the Spy) and drawing scenes from Camelot (Franco Nero!). She grew up in various small towns across the Midwest and lived briefly in upstate New York before making the Carolinas home. An interest in the blurred edges between religion and magic, and a love of history inspire much of her writing. Caswell attended Kent State and Purdue Universities, the University of Baltimore, and Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She holds MFAs in theatre and creative writing.

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New Release ~ A Different Way ~ by ~ Kathryn Shay

Title: A Different Way

Series: Sisters of Fire #5

Author: Kathryn Shay

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 14, 2021

The Sisters of Fire, a hot new firefighter series, follows the path of six women who trained together and remained friends ten years later.

When Battalion Chief Lynn Lucas’ marriage turns cold and she can no longer tolerate the inactivity of a small township firehouse, she decides to change her life. But when she meets Brady Jamison, a younger man with a secret, will she lose sight of her goals once again?

Grab a copy of all six Sisters of Fire novellas: MORE THAN ENOUGH, AT LAST, NO EASY CHOICE, EQUAL PARTNERS, A DIFFERENT WAY and TO TRUST AGAIN.

Prologue

Brady Jamison sat on the stairs watching a little fairy princess dance around the foyer, until a knock sounded on the glass of the storm door. “Look, Daddy. Somebody’s here.”

He moved up behind her as she pushed the handle. The scent of cut pumpkins with candles floated over to them.

“Trick-or-treat.”

Emma squealed with delight as she doled out Hershey bars, tootsie rolls and Three Musketeer bars.

They repeated the process ten times, then Brady said, “We’re done, honey.”

Another child had just climbed the steps. “One more.”

“All right.” Again, he pushed the door open.

“Daddy, she’s dressed like me!” Emma’s eyes widened. “So’s her Mama. And they got braids, too.”

Brady bit his lip when he took in the two of them. “What a sight.”

The adult fairy warned, “Don’t you dare laugh.”

“At two more beautiful fairies? Why would I?”

The little one turned to the woman. “Mommy, I gotta pee.”

Her mom’s eyes widened in makeup that was pretty cool.

“We have toilets,” he said kindly. “She can use one.”

“I’ll have to come with her.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect otherwise.”

They entered the house and Emma practically jumped up and down. She led all three of them to the downstairs bathroom, and the girl went inside, while the mother waited in the kitchen hallway. “She’s nine. She’s growing up fast.”

“Mine is eight going on eighty.”

“I am not, Daddy.” She turned to the woman. “I’m Emma. My daddy’s Brady. Who are you?”

“My name is Lynne. My daughter’s Melody.”

“Do you live near us?”

“No, we’re new to town and were driving around to find a street with lots of trick-or-treaters out.”

“Can you stay?”

Melody opened the door in time to hear Emma’s request. “You said we were going home after this house, Mom. Can we?”

“I—”

“P-l-e-a-s-e!” This from both girls.

She glanced at Brady. He was still entranced by her made up face. She used greens and blues to accent her own big green eyes. “Fine by me. You were going to be our last, too.” He ruffled his daughter’s wings. “How about cider?”

“I want the candy I got today at Trunk or Treat, Daddy.”

Melody asked, “What’s that?”

“Trunk or Treat is a common practice at Halloween in Crystal City,” Brady explained. “Parents and friends we know put candy in the trunks of their cars and drive to a parking lot. The kids go around trick or treating in a safe way.” He addressed Emma. “All right honey. Two pieces.”

“Two for you, too, sweetie,” Lynne told her daughter.

In childhood innocence, Emma grabbed the unfamiliar girl by the hand and led her toward the living room. Melody said, “I love your braids.” He’d learned to do them and was proud of himself.

“Thanks. I like yours.”

The adults dropped down at the table that overlooked the room. Brady and his wife Jenny had renovated the whole back the house into this open layout.

Lynne asked, “What are the chances of matching outfits?”

“Three of them? Slim to none.”

She moved uneasily. “These wings are not for sitting in chairs.”

“If you’re finished, take them off.”

“I, um, can’t do it alone. I’m planning to stop back at a friend’s house to get them off. She put them on me, too.”

“I can help. If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.” She stood. “You’ll need more light.”

They walked over into the kitchen proper. Under an overhead lamp, she turned around and stared at the fridge as he undid the ties. When he leaned in to release a particular clip, her scent of flowers and lemon filled his head.

Clearing his throat, he finished up. “There you go.”

“Thanks.” She took the wings. “May I ask about your fridge flyer?”

“Sure. Which one?”

She pointed.

“Ah, Flying Solo.”

“What is it?”

“A group for parents raising kids alone. The people are friendly and fun. I’m an administrator this year. We hold support groups and social activities.”

“You’re solo?” she asked. Not brazenly. Just with interest.

“My wife Jenny died three years ago.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You?”

“A divorce. It’ll be over soon.”

“That must be hard.”

Her eyes turned bleak. “More than I could have possibly imagined.”

He grabbed the flyer off the fridge and handed it to her. “Here you go, Fairy Princess. Maybe I’ll see you again.”

“Maybe.” She did a cute little curtsey. “Thanks.”

Chapter 1

Captain Harry Zander, rumored to be the nicest guy in the department, and Lynne’s new captain, calmly gave out orders as Engine 4 sped to the fire scene on her first day shift in the CCFD. “Follow me to Incident Command, and you’ll get your assignments there. Lucas, no offense, you’ll stick with me. It’s your first call with us.”

She almost snorted in the backseat with three other firefighters. She’d been a firefighter for eleven years in a smaller department in the village of Dannerville and rose to battalion chief, a rank higher than his.

Zander grumbled, “I can hear you almost snort. Gimme this one.”

“Yes, sir.”

White smoke billowed out of the windows on the burning house, and from where they parked, Lynne saw the fire was really rolling. An aerial truck and another engine were stationed on west side of the structure. They dismounted the rig and the putrid scent of something besides charred wood filled the air. At least it was above forty degrees today, though a bit windy.

They crossed to Battalion Chief Tom Frasier. “Hey, Harry.

Lay a line from the East. Get water on the brick. Then we’ll need ladders thrown for search and rescue. Somebody’s inside.”

Lynne’s coworkers, Dynai Blackfeather and Cameron Loder rushed to the rig, got out the two-and half-inch line and hauled it over their shoulders to the closest part of the dwelling. Billy Braxton, the driver, remained at the water controls on the rig.

In under two minutes, her group was dousing the fire.

The smoke turned even blacker. Zander frowned. “Lucas get the 4-incher and hook it up the plug.” Which was twenty feet away.

Braxton had already pulled the hose out when she got to the rig, and Lynne humped the line over to the hydrant and unscrewed the cap with a hydrant wrench. She knew to open the valve slowly and fully, as a partial release could cause series damages to the plug and the firefighter. “It’s wet.” Which meant there was already water in the barrel. She strode to Zander with the hose. He got behind her.

Lynne levered then nozzle back and the large hose bucked, pushing her into Zander with its force. He groaned. “Lightweight.”

She sprayed the bottom floor and as soon as the flames were out, she did the same on the top. The brick peeled back and they could see the plastic insulation, which must have caused the smell.

The cap shook his head. “A disaster waiting to…”

Pop, pop, pop, pop! Holy hell. From living out in the county, Lynne recognized the sound. “Somebody’s shooting at us?”

“Not necessarily.” Though there had been crazies who opened fire at firefighters. Zander radioed Incident Command. “What is it, Tom?”

“Ammunition in the basement. Let the it run its course and get back as far as you can. Hold onto the hoses in case of reignition from the bullets.”

Lynne stepped two feet further back and listened to the ammo cooking. There had to be hundreds of rounds down there.

Over the radio, they heard, “Mayday, mayday, firefighter shot in the leg.”

“Fuck.” Frasier again over the radio.

The injured man wasn’t in their line of vision. But she could see the aerial raise from the truck and, faster than she thought possible, firefighters climbed up to the top. A stream of water erupted onto the roof.

Sirens sounded close by. Lynne looked over her shoulder. Another engine screeched to a halt in the front of the house, with an ambulance right behind.

Still, they waited. The inactivity chilled her so she jumped up and down a few times.

Finally, they heard, “All clear.”

Zander jogged up to the front of the house and took the steps to the entrance. He ducked inside, but he came out immediately. “The stairs are gone.” He radioed the message.

“Vent from your side then. Another truck is on the way, but got delayed by a detour. Nobody guessed this small fire would turn so bad.” He swore. “Get the Hurst tool from the truck that’s already here. Their crew is busy assisting the engine. You and your probie make the cuts when I give you the go ahead.”

“Go get the saw, Lucas. I’ll get the ladder.” He’d already brought along a halligan and pike.

A probie met her halfway and handed her the tool. She jogged back and saw Zander had already raised a ladder. “You wanna do it?”

“Yeah.”

“Go ahead.”

She started the saw on the ground, a must for venting because if the tool didn’t work on the roof, they weren’t going to open in time. It roared to life. Switching it off, she handed the cutter to Zander and took the halligan and pike from the ground, then climbed the ladder which went up to the peak of the roof. She staged the pike on the ladder, which would be used to lever the roof later. Up here, the wind was worse and she felt its force.

Before she stepped on the roof, she tapped the shingles with the halligan in case it was spongy. It wasn’t, so she hammered the halligan ax into the roof between the lower rungs of the ladder. She stepped up and braced herself with one foot on the ax. She took the saw from Zander who’d followed her up.

He said into his radio, “On the roof, chief.”

“Vent now.”

With the wind at her back, Lynne turned on the saw, then stepped off the ladder. She made the first cut away from her, did a quick second cut on an angle then a third downward cut. Next, she made another cut toward her on the bottom.

She stepped back onto her the ladder because cut five would be the final one to the complete the square. The saw snarled its way through from the first cut down to the fourth. Quickly, Lynne grabbed the pike and hooked it on the far end of the sliced square. It louvered up on a beam and shielded her when the fire burst out in angry flames. The angled piece of roof also funneled the heat and smoke away from her.

Zander said into the radio, “Ventilation complete.”

They descended the ladder and once on the ground, Zander pushed up his facemask. Lynne the same. The cold stung her in the face. “Good work, Lucas.” His smile was big and genuine. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

“Thanks, sir.” She knew she’d done everything perfectly. She should. She’d taught this maneuver to recruits.

Together they gathered the tools and walked over to Incident Command.

“Fuck it,” BC Frasier said when they reached him.

Zander asked him what was wrong.

“A rookie didn’t have his air pack on and it took time to strap him in. And the damn ammo endangered us all, then hit one of my favorite lieutenants in the leg. To top it off, the aerial got stuck. Luckily on its way down. But totally avoidable.”

Zander checked his watch. “We made decent time.”

“Yeah, I know. But I hate mistakes.”

He clapped Frasier on the arm. “Try to look on the bright side, Tom. We did okay.”

“Harrumph.”

When the crew piled in into the rig, which was gratefully warm, Braxton and Blackfeather were chatter-bugs. He said, “I wonder how much ammo and guns the guy lost. I heard he was cryin’ about it on the front lawn.”

Blackfeather’s expression darkened. “I saw Davidson get shot. Scared me shitless.”

“What’d you do?”

“I’d stepped back as soon as the popcorn sounds started. But I dragged him out of the way of more bullets.”

Lynne watched the dynamics. She noticed Zander didn’t chat. Like she never had. Too many things to remember for the debriefing.

When they got back to the house, Lynne bounded off the rig and stopped to take in a breath of early November air. The call had been exhilarating. This was exact reason she’d upended her life and come to Crystal Corners.

More Than Enough – Available NOW
At Last – Available NOW
No Easy Choice – Available NOW
Equal Partners – Available NOW
A Different Way – Available NOW
To Trust Again – PreOrder NOW

A NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher. She has written dozens of self-published original romance titles, print books with the Berkley Publishing Group and Harlequin Enterprises and mainstream women’s fiction with Bold Strokes Books. She has won many awards for her work: five RT Book Reviews awards, the Bookseller’s Best Award, Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year and several “Starred Reviews.” One of her firefighter books hit #20 on the NEW YORK TIMES list. Her novels have been serialized in COSMOPOLITAN magazine and featured in USA TODAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and PEOPLE magazine. There are over ten million copies of her books in print and downloaded online. Reviewers have called her work “emotional and heart-wrenching.”

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Cover Reveal ~ Speeding Hearts ~ by ~ Claire Wilder

We are so excited to share the cover reveal for Speeding Hearts by Claire Wilder, the next book in the Blue Collar Romance Series. Keep reading for more details about this sexy, friends to lovers romance.

Title: Speeding Hearts

Author: Claire Wilder

Release Date: 10/15/2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Trope: Friends to Lovers Romance, Blue Collar Romance, Small-Town Romance, New Adult Romance

STELLA

Stella Archer has never been afraid of a challenge.

She was the first woman mechanic in her hometown. She runs her own garage.

And when her best friend and fellow mechanic Dean announces he’s moving back to his hometown, instead of being devastated, she jumps at the chance to work part-time at his uncle’s dirt track—and finally fulfill her dream of racing cars.

But with plenty of time to train with her best friend, for the first time in my life, Stella’s scared. Scared that racing isn’t really what she wants.

Scared that Dean is.

DEAN

Dean Hughes knows he can handle moving back to his hometown to care for his sick—and surly—father. He can even deal with returning to the scene of all his past mistakes.

The only thing he can’t take is the idea of losing his best friend Stella.

Now that she’s here in Oak Bend, she’s going to see what a screw-up he really is.

Worse, he might see the truth he’s been hiding from himself: he wants more from Stella than just friendship.

And when Stella finds out?

There’ll be no putting the brakes on what comes next.

Pre-Order on Amazon

Add to Goodreads Here!

About Claire Wilder

I write steamy lakeside romance novels (and the occasional sweet & sexy short story). When I’m not writing I’m either reading, taking long walks by the ocean (which I consider a giant lake!), or frolicking in the trees with my husband and three kids.

About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.

From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.

Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.

Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.