Adelaide Jensen has the scoop of the decade and something to prove. She’s not about to let the sleazy press secretary, Ransom Lewis, stand in her way. She wants justice for the senator’s son who died under what she believes are suspicious circumstances. More than that, she wants the truth.
When Adelaide starts snooping around secrets that have long been buried for the good of the senator, his campaign manager gets nervous. Now another man has caught Addie’s eye, and Ransom is lingering around her like he’s the only thing standing between her and certain death.
Soon, her discoveries begin to ricochet beyond her control. Will the reporter recover her scorched reputation? Or will this family’s past be the end of them all?
Lissa Lynn Thomas writes flawed individuals living in stories that mix humor with the darker side of life and love. With Helena Novak, she’s one half of A.L. Shea.
Clara and Zac thought they were headed for their happily ever after, until a break-up slathered in betrayal left them both jaded and vindictive.
Twelve years have passed since they left Wyoming, and during that time Clara found her calling at a prestigious PR firm in California while Zac moved to New Orleans to join his Broussard cousins at River Enterprises. They thought they could forget each other and move on… until a local charity auction in their hometown of Snowy Creek sets Zac up for the ultimate revenge. If he wins, Clara will be at his mercy, forced to work for him for one full week. Tantalized by the sweet taste of revenge, he eagerly ups the ante to claim his prize.
But what starts out as a week of filthy manual labor and bitter rivalry leads to a shocking revelation. Someone has been plotting for over a decade to keep Clara and Zac apart. Can the pair band together to uncover who? Or will their rift from the past continue to ruin their chance at a blissful future?
David held up the gavel, and in just a matter of seconds, I would belong to Zac Ward for a whole week. “Twenty thousand dollars going once, going twice … sold to Zac Ward!”
If I’d have eaten lunch, it would’ve been all over the stage. That was how sick I felt. Plastering on a smile, I made my way off the stage right to my parents. My mother looked angrier than I was.
She grabbed my shoulders. “We’re going to get you out of this. I’ll pay the twenty grand myself and tell Zac to get lost.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll get myself out of this.”
When I looked at my dad, he huffed. “I’m sorry, baby girl. We weren’t expecting twenty grand.”
“It’s okay,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. I could see Zac across the room, trying to make his way over to me. “I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of thinking he won. I just wish I knew what the hell he was up to.”
My mother grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s go. You don’t have to talk to him. We’ll figure this all out.”
I’d waited twelve years to give Zac a piece of my mind. I couldn’t chicken out now. One way or another, I had to face him. “No,” I said, pulling my hand away. “I need to do this on my own.”
Turning on my heel, I ignored my mother’s plea and walked through the crowd with my eyes right on Zac and his on mine. The air in the room turned electric, but I wasn’t about to get burned again. The last thing I wanted was to cause a scene in the middle of the ballroom. Judging by the curious stares of everyone around, they were waiting for something to happen. Snowy Creek was a small town, and one where everyone knew everything. It was no secret that Zac and I were supposed to move away together and build a future. Some might have thought we were young and stupid, but back then, we had it all planned out. He was supposed to be my future and vice versa.
With each step I took, the people around me moved out of the way until there was a clear path to Zac. He smirked at me and it pissed me off even more. “What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, glaring at him.
He glanced around the room at everyone watching us and then back to me. “I wanted to bid on you and I won.”
AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.
Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.
The thing I hated most about Scott Thompson was that he could crush my heart and he wouldn’t even know.
Lea ran from everything she knew. Her family, the boy she loved, and a past she wanted to erase. After three long years she is finally home. But the moment she sees him, she knew she made a mistake coming back. With him, there was no more running. He was hunting her, and he didn’t even know it.
The second he saw her again, he knew. He couldn’t let her go a second time. Three years ago, he let her walk out of his life and he regretted it every moment since. With Lea back and his career skyrocketing, he was on top of the world.
Or was he?
When secrets and lies start to unravel, Scott must make a choice. Protect the woman he’s always loved or be the reason for her demise.
Grief drove Alys and Fletcher apart. Their son’s destination wedding and the double-booked Valentine Suite bring them back together. Will their stay in the Valentine Suite heal their broken hearts or drive them further apart?Readers who enjoy Marci Bolden and Kristin Hannah, will love The Valentine Suite by Tracy Broemmer, an emotional and healing, women’s fiction novel.
Blurb
Grief pulls some families together and rips others—like the Hollands—apart. Two years have passed since Alys and Fletcher Holland lost two of their children in a fatal accident. But time has done nothing for Alys’ broken heart.
Her surviving son’s destination wedding means a reunion for Alys and Fletch, who divorced shortly after the accident. Alys intends to keep to herself for the wedding festivities and hustle back home to her quiet, sterile life when the big day is over.
When the double-booked Valentine Suite at the Kahalina Resort puts Alys and Fletch in close quarters, Alys soon finds it’s difficult to ignore the man she fell in love with over twenty-five years ago. Fletch frustrates her, but he protects her, too, acting as a buffer between her and the rest of his family and their son’s wedding guests.
Will their stay in the Valentine Suite drive them further apart and send them home as strangers or will their time together in the suite mend their broken hearts and put their family back together?
No idea how much time had passed, Alys stepped inside and closed the door. She padded bare foot to the kitchen for a drink of water. Bottle in hand, she rested her elbows on the counter and stared at the other bottle, the one she had begun to rely heavily on to get through even the easiest of days.
“Allie?”
“What, Fletch?” she asked with a sigh.
“Don’t drink more. Please?”
“I’m not.” She straightened and waved her water bottle at him.
“It’s after one. Come to bed.”
The words used to mean so much more. Now it simply meant that Fletch was worried that she would break open the bottle of whiskey the second he turned his back on her. She wanted to argue but only capped the water bottle and put it back in the refrigerator.
He hadn’t moved when she turned to the door. Lamplight glowed faintly from the living room, giving Alys a good look at his strong, muscular legs beneath his shorts. Deeper in the kitchen, she was in darkness and free to drink him in.
“I need—”
“Aren’t you—”
They spoke at the same time. A small smile perked his lips up, and he nodded at her. “You first.”
She was going to say I need this to end. Because she couldn’t get used to sleeping with him again. And then get used to sleeping alone again. She wouldn’t do that to herself.
“Never mind.” She shook her head.
She knew when he stepped closer that he was going to kiss her. She knew she would kiss him back. What she didn’t know was how good he would taste and how much it would hurt. He had kissed her forehead the day she walked out. Papers filed. Marriage ended. Love supposedly gone. A chaste kiss on her forehead. Before that, there had been a frenzy of hard, animal sex as they both tried to drive the demons from their minds. Kissing then had been teeth crashing and biting, and both of them cussing and crying out.
Now, though. This kiss was cautious and tender.
Not sweet. God, no. They had been through far too much to share a sweet kiss on a night like tonight after the loss they had shared. His fingers hovered near her chin, just short of touching her. His lips brushed hers, lazy and light. Back and forth. Again. And again.
The fingers of his other hand were soft on the back of her neck, under her hair. That touch was almost more intimate than the kiss. Until she gasped at the shock of how badly she wanted this. And more. And then he stroked her lips with his tongue, and she responded, and the kiss was slow and sad and so intimate, it hurt.
Tears in her eyes, she broke the kiss and backed away from him.
“Allie.”
She shook her head and held a hand up to stop him. No excuses. No apologies. She didn’t want to hear his voice right now. Because it was laced with pain, and she couldn’t handle his pain on top of her longing for him.
About Tracy Broemmer
Tracy is the author of the women’s fiction series, the Williams Legacy, and several stand-alone women’s fiction novels. She has recently dabbled in contemporary romance, as well.
When Garrett Andrews finds something that catches his eye, he goes after it, letting nothing stand in the way of what he wants to possess…
The first woman to arouse his heart could be the one person who helps him to finally open up and feel again.
Laurel Hart was a swimming champion until a frightful event and unknown health issues derailed her career…
With a recent degree from MIT in Bio-Medical Engineering, and an offer to join one of the leading innovators of medical equipment in the world, she plans on making a new life for herself. Letting the nightmares from her past, stay in the past, or so she thinks.
Garrett Andrews has controlled every aspect of his life for as long as he can remember…
Whatever he wanted, he took, especially when it came to Laurel Hart. She was the first person to make his heart skip a beat and capture his soul, allowing part of his control to slip, which uncovered his lie and destroyed her trust in him.
Laurel now lies battered and broken thanks to Chase Peterson, a stalker from her college days, who won’t accept no for an answer…
Control can be a wonderful feeling, especially when you’re an alpha like Garrett Andrews Waters…
But how do you control a beast from the past intent on destroying everything you hold dear? He’s already lost his parents and his aunt. But now threats against him, his fiancé, Laurel, and their unborn child pushes him into hiding to try and protect all he cares for.
Can he outsmart Walt Peterson and regain control? Or will he lose everything he’s come to trust and love, including his own life?
Grace Hart was a force to be reckoned with…
She’d fought hard in her life to overcome hurt, rejection, and humiliation and won. Her only fear was opening her heart to love. She put up a persona of dominance and kept people at a distance, in order to avoid emotion. But, secretly she craved someone to take control and move her forward in a life she seemed to be stuck in.
Jonathan Waters never believed in love at first site…
Even scoffing at his brother Garrett, having fallen in love with his wife Laurel at first glance. But, when Grace entered his restaurant, he knew he had to make her his, no matter what it took.
I grew up in a small town in South Florida and moved to Central Florida to attend college. There, I married my friend, love, and soul mate and still reside with our amazing son, and a feisty, four-legged little boy.
In my books, I draw on my work background in healthcare and business, along with my husband’s engineering knowledge.
I write in all areas of Romance from tame to off the charts steamy with tons of “edge of your seat” suspense mixed in. If you’re looking for tame, swoon worthy characters, with some historical and paranormal elements, be sure to check out the Remembrance Series. If your preference is for hot dominant alpha males, then you’ll want to give Elusive, A Learning Series, Need Series, and Titan Security a try. Each Need and Titan book are standalone novels with HEAs, no cliffhangers, plus loaded with edge of your seat, heart pounding suspense.
I try to make my writing very personal and close to my heart. Regular life is the inspiration for my books, through watching others to living it, but my imagination takes it to new heights, opening up possibilities that would normally not exist.
In my downtime, I’m a voracious reader. I love to spend time with my family, cook, bbq, create new recipes, play the piano, walk, ride bikes, do cross stitch, dance, and sing. I enjoy the fact that we live in Amusement Park Central and so close to the beach!
To learn more about the author, please visit Cynthia’s website at: www.cynthiaponeill.com
Title: Crossing The Line
Author: Jessica Prince
Series: Whitecap
Release Date: September 13
Contemporary Romance; Small Town Romance; Single Mom Romance
Some lines are meant to be crossed.
Trent Montgomery knew all about loyalty and responsibility. Tracking down his friend’s long-lost sister and making sure she was safe was just another job, a favor from someone he cared about. He wasn’t supposed to get attached. But when he started to fall for the woman who had been hiding from the world, things got a lot more complicated than he ever expected.
Cheyanne Knightly knew all about living in fear. The life she’d made for her and her daughter was as stable as a house of cards. One stiff breeze could send her whole world crumbling. But when a new guy blew into her small town, stirring up Whitecap’s rumor mill, she found herself drawn to him in a way she never expected.
Lies were told. Secrets were uncovered. Lines were crossed. When the truth finally came out, Trent had to find a way to protect the woman who stole his heart while he tried to earn her trust back.
**The Whitecap series is a brand new series of interconnected, standalone, small town romances.**
Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.
Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.
In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.
Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.
It wasn’t something she thought about, day in and day out. She didn’t feel she was owed a single thing in this life—she learned that early on.
She wanted something, though.
That something else went by the name of Chase Carmichael. The very man who’d taken possession of her heart, years ago.
He just didn’t know it.
He also wasn’t supposed to know about the worst night of her life, let alone witness it.
But he did.
For Chase, it was the debt of all debts. The thing he lived for, on a mission to make things right between them.
He didn’t want to believe a secret could destroy so much—let alone the same girl he so desperately wants to save.
Will the perfect time ever come for them, or will his attempt at payback make them both sorry they ever tried to begin with?
“What was your peach and pit of your day, Chase?”
“My what?” He looks down at me curiously. Chase is six-foot-three to my five-foot-three.
“Your peach, the good part of your day. And every peach has a pit, a bad part. Or maybe a part of your day you wish went differently. But the peach is the good part. I want to know what your peach for the day was.”
He looks out to the ocean for what feels like eternity but is probably less than twenty seconds.
My heartbeat skips. It feels like something is about to happen.
“My pit is I wish I got here earlier.” He looks at me, taking his hands from his pockets as he reaches over and pulls my hood up. His hands drop from my face but his eyes stay on me, catching every reaction to him. “And my peach, that’s easy, G. Right now, with you.”
Quinn Miller lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two daughters, and a crazy dog who her family calls her boyfriend. She loves to write stories that make readers feel, with a dash of spice added in.
Cover Design: Karen Hulseman of Feed Your Dreams Designs
Bookeverlasting Blog – “Age of Ava by Melanie Moreland is an EPIC read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!”
Goodreads Review – “This was an entertaining, emotional read, from the first chapter to the last I was drawn into the story that Ms. Moreland wove and had a hard time putting it down when real life got in the way.”
Goodreads Review – “I loved everything about Age of Ava, I was intrigued by the blurb and I fell hook, line and sinker for Ava and Hunter.”
Carol’s Review – “The chemistry between Ava and Hunter was electric.”
Ava Callaghan A woman working in a male-dominated field. Organized, strong, and tenacious. That’s how she has to be to succeed. Hunter Owens A loner. He needs no one, has no ties, and his future is an unanswered question mark. It’s all he knows.
Until the day their lives intersect. He sees the woman she hides from the world. She nurtures the part of him he lost long ago. But they both agree—their connection is temporary. They are only for now. Can their stubborn natures allow them to bend and accept that maybe, just maybe, there is more to life than they believed? That love can heal. That happiness can exist. That for now can be forever.
As we got to the top of the bluff, the dog raced ahead of me, wagging his tail. I stood for a moment to catch my breath, and he stopped, as if waiting. I cocked my head to the side, studying the large black truck in front of me. It was familiar. My stomach clenched as I moved toward it, recalling why it was familiar.
Intense fire-and-ice eyes came to my mind. Strong arms and a wicked, passionate mouth that was possessive and gentle poked at my memories.
I rounded the back of the truck and stopped, the dog sitting down beside me.
There he was.
Hunter.
He didn’t see me at first. I didn’t interrupt him.
He was too busy dancing. I was too busy staring.
His jeans hugged his ass. His T-shirt was stretched tight across his back and arms. His hair glinted in the sunlight.
And his hips moved. Gyrated. His torso bent and swayed. His arms rose and fell with the beat of the music. He sang, his voice rich and deep, his feet and body keeping perfect rhythm with the song. He spun on his heels and froze. Our eyes locked and held.
And, unexpectedly, he smiled. Wide and carefree. He held out his hand.
“Dance with me, Little Dragon.”
I found myself taking his hand. Joining him under the sun. Letting him lead me, spin me around, pull me to his hot, sunbaked chest as we moved. He crooned in my ear, making me laugh. He joined me, the sound of our shared amusement fading away as the song ended and we broke apart. Slowly, carefully, as if neither of us wanted this moment to end.
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com
TEMPTING TASTE by Sara Whitney is free for a limited time! Now’s the perfect time to start the award winning rom-com series!
Title Tempting Taste
Author: Sara Whitney
Genre: Rom-Com
Release Date: August 20th
About Tempting Taste:
“Definitely one of my top 10 favorite book boyfriends of all time.” Laurie, Laurie Reads Romance
Josie Ryan is everything that quiet, risk-averse Erik has always tried to avoid: Loud. Pushy. Distractingly gorgeous.
But now that he’s opening his own wedding cake bakery, he needs her business savvy almost as much as he needs to bury his hands in her fiery red hair.
With scorching chemistry both in and out of the kitchen, can they find the perfect balance of salty and sweet, or will they be a recipe for disaster?
“Erik picks and chooses his words, but when they come, they are SO HOT.” Amy, Amazon reviewer
Tempting Taste is a high-heat standalone romance featuring a cinnamon roll hero who actually bakes cinnamon rolls and the big-hearted heroine who appreciates his, um, hot buns. Like all Sara Whitney books, Tempting Taste is bursting with playful banter, upbeat vibes, and a very happy ending.
“Sexy, sassy, and downright delicious! Tempting Taste brims with Whitney’s trademark wit, humor and warmth.” Kate Bateman, author of This Earl Of Mine
Sara Whitney writes sassy, sexy contemporary romance novels packed with wit, heat, and heart. A 2019 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award finalist, Sara worked as a newspaper reporter and film critic before she earned her Ph.D. and landed in academia. She’s a good pinball player, a so-so karaoke singer, and an expert TV opinion-haver.
In a funny twist of fate, Sara’s married to a divorce attorney, and she likes to think that her happily-ever-afters help keep their household in balance. She and her husband live in the Midwest surrounded by books, cats, and half-empty coffee cups. Keep up with Sara by subscribing to her mailing list here.
MEMENTO MORI by Jane Morris is on sale now! Check out the lushly gorgeous contemporary reimagining today!
Title: Memento Mori
Author: Jane Morris
Genre: Contemporary Historical Retelling
About Memento Mori:
A modern-day reimagining of the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite artists and the women they painted obsessively and fiercely loved. Beautiful and strong-willed Jane meets her match in enigmatic artist Gabriel. He immediately challenges her assumptions about art, life, and love. And for Gabriel’s enormous ego, Jane represents an exhilarating yet exasperating game he refuses to lose. When Jane’s brilliant but naïve friend Lizzie insists on accepting Gabriel’s dinner invitation, they are swept into a circle of passionate artists who reside in an old Gothic mansion. Jane embarks on a life-changing journey of desire, romance, despair, and self-discovery as she becomes the muse for Gabriel and his friend and rival, Will. A desperate inner battle wages within Jane, who is drawn in by Gabriel’s magnetic personality and gorgeous looks, yet equally as captivated by Will’s kind heart and steadfast devotion. Underneath an immersive and dramatic world is a deeper storyline, as Jane and Gabriel can’t fight the nagging feeling that they have done this all before. Fates collide as lovers and friends become entangled in past, present, and future. An artistic, genre-crossing tale, Memento Mori will appeal to both history and romance lovers alike.
He moved faster and followed us out of the exit. Then he stood directly in front of us, blocking our path. “Yes?” I said a bit bitchier than I meant it.
“I’m sorry. I know this must seem weird. There’s just something about you. I can’t let you go just yet.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You can’t let us go until what?”
“Until you let me paint you,” he said as he stared intensely into my eyes. “Both of you.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of girls who would die to be painted by you,” I offered. I can’t say I wasn’t flattered, but it seemed like a cheap pick-up line.
“I don’t want other girls. I’ve had plenty of other girls-”
“Oh, I’m sure you have!”
“I mean, I’ve painted lots of other girls!” His face was inches from mine. Then he turned to face Lizzie. “You have one of the most stunning faces I have ever seen. It’s like you just stepped out of a Florentine fresco. Your hazel eyes that change in the light, that pouty bottom lip you see so often in paintings of saints, and your dazzling blonde hair that shows a touch of copper when you step into the light… You are just what I’ve been looking for, and I’ve been looking for a long time.” She swooned while I laughed out loud. But then he turned to me and stepped up so close that our noses practically touched. “We have definitely known each other before, but where or when, I can’t quite say. Your long neck, blue-gray eyes, graceful hands… You’re so profoundly beautiful; it’s startling. I want to paint you as a goddess or an ancient queen. Please, let me preserve your beauty forever in my art.” He turned a page in his sketchbook and held it up. There was a sketch of me in front of a mass of trees, and he captured my likeness really well but made me look much prettier than I actually was. Stunned by his words and the sketch, I was locked in silence, unable to speak.
“I’ll admit,” he continued. “I was drawing you for a while today before we spoke. I couldn’t help it. You captivated me.” It seemed sincere, and I almost leaned in to kiss him but shook it off.
“Look, this is really weird. We don’t know you at all.” I couldn’t come up with anything else to say, so I crossed my arms and waited for his response.
“Have dinner at my house tonight. And if you feel comfortable, maybe after that I can do some sketches of the two of you.”
“This is crazy. I don’t think this is a good idea.” As cliché as it sounds, my mouth was saying no, but my body was screaming yes. I knew there was no way I wasn’t going to his house, but the sixth sense I had developed for bullshit was begging me not to. Lizzie stepped in front of me and exclaimed, “We’ll be there!” He flashed that coy smile as he took out a scrap of paper and scribbled his address on the back, then handed it to Lizzie. He turned to me and whispered, “Isn’t there something so familiar about this, you and me?” He looked so intensely into me that I couldn’t even formulate a response. There was definitely something familiar about him. But I wasn’t about to let my guard down just yet. “I don’t know about that.”
“I feel like we’ve been here before. You feel it too, don’t you?” If he weren’t so fucking stunning, I probably would have laughed in his face. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but we have to go.”
“7 P.M. tonight,” he said more to Lizzie than to me.
“Yes, we’ll be there!” she called back as I pulled her away from him.
“Don’t count on it!” I added. We exited the museum in silence until we were far enough away. Then we turned to each other and screamed, “Holy shit!”
About Jane Morris:
Jane Morris is the bestselling author of four comedic memoirs about her teaching career. She has taught English for over 15 years in a major American city. This is her first novel. She received her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from a well-known university. She earned her M.A. in writing from an even fancier (more expensive) university. She loves dogs and trees and other things that can’t talk. She has a loving family and cares about making people laugh more than anything else.
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