New Release ~ Capturing the Bride ~ by ~ Samantha Holt

Title: Capturing the Bride
Series: The Kidnap Club #1
Author: Samantha Holt
Genre: Regency, Adult
Release Date: April 7, 2020

 

 
If one is very, extremely desperate, then one may call on the services of a clandestine group of men.
 
The Kidnap Club—known to few—specialize in helping women out of difficult situations.
 
Arranged marriages to awful men, for example.
 
Miss Grace Beaumont is at her mercy of her uncle who is determined she marry the depraved Mr. Worthington. Desperate times call for…well, the Kidnap Club.
 
It seems insane. Perhaps it is. But anything is better than being married to that man.
 
Lord Nash Fitzroy has looked after many a kidnapee over the past few years, but none make him want to break the cardinal rules as much as Grace. Her determined spirit, quick wit, and, let’s be honest, her pretty looks have him struggling to remember his role in this.
 
Protector, defender, and occasional shoulder to cry on.
 
His way with women and the almost derelict offerings of his ancestral home as a hideaway make him a perfect pretend kidnapper. He doesn’t much mind the money involved either, seeing as his father cut him off.
 
Which means, he cannot afford to get this wrong. No matter how tempted he is to show Grace that Worthington is not a prime example of how a man should be and burn the damned rule book.
 
Capturing the Bride is the first in a steamy new Regency series by USA Today Bestselling author Samantha Holt and can be read as a standalone.
NASH SHOULD HAVE declined. Said no. Told her to scram. Nein. No. Nyet. 

It would have been easy enough. But, no, he had to ask her to help and put himself in such a position that he was struggling hard to control his body. 

He peered at the top of her head. There was nothing exciting about the top of a head, he told himself. In fact, Grace went out of her way to make the top of her head exceedingly dull. He never once saw her with an elaborate hairstyle or some curls gracefully touching her skin. Her dark, glossy hair remained tied tightly in a no-fuss sort of a knot and a parting down the center, revealing a pale line of scalp. 

Exceedingly dull really. 

However, being so close to her was anything but dull and no matter how much he considered how unexciting her hair was, his body would not listen. 

Drawing in a long breath, he gripped the vine in his gloved hands. He’d had some thoughts that doing a little physical labor might dampen his needs but even after an hour of ripping and pulling at weeds, his desire would not be abated.

And there was no denying it now. Hell, he’d almost kissed her the other night. She’d been ready for it too, eyes closed, lips pursed. It would have been so damned easy to take what he wanted.

“Hold it firmly,” he ordered, groaning inwardly at the image that created. “And give it a little tug at first.”

Good Lord, what the devil was wrong with him?

He closed his mouth and they pulled on the vine together. The stubborn plant refused to give way, so he let go and used his knife to cut away some of the smaller offshoots that clung stubbornly to the window. 

“This is harder than I thought,” she commented.

He stared at her. 

“What’s wrong?”

Nash shook his head and took up his position behind her again. The woman had no idea what she was doing to him. First, he’d nearly broken his promise to the others that he would never, ever touch any of the women in his protection, and now he had taken up manual labor in some odd bid to impress her. The fact was, her words still grated—the idea that he did nothing aside from sit around and play the country gent. 

Of course, her words still grated because they were somewhat true. He did whatever he could for these women and was not unproud of helping them but his role as protector had never meant doing much. He’d certainly never had to worry about awful uncles or violent fiancés potentially chasing them down. 

He could not help but wonder if, perhaps, his father had been right too. He hadn’t done much with his life and would have continued to remain aimless had they not fallen out.

 

Samantha Holt is a USA Today Bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and medieval romance. When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her twins and her sausage dog or exploring all the beautiful places in the UK (especially if a hot tub is involved!)
 
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New Release ~ Cougar ~ by ~ Elise Faber

Age was just a number…
Cougar by Elise Faber is available now!

Amazon — https://amzn.to/33MxhFq
Universal — getbook.at/CougarEF
Apple — https://apple.co/2IkdhA1
Nook — http://bit.ly/32P27wF
Kobo — http://bit.ly/2TAmuJK
Google — http://bit.ly/39qTdbk

Age was just a number.

Or rather, for Artemis Lang, anything over eighteen was just a number.

She was nearly forty, in excellent shape, with a nice face, and a decided weakness for pretty boys. She also didn’t care if those pretty boys were her age or much younger. A man was a man and she loved men.

But just because she was open to seeing younger men, didn’t mean she was open to a future with them.

Artemis lived her life in temporaries.

Temporary relationships. Temporary production contracts. Temporary lengths of time in different locations around the world.

No ties. No strings.

That was better for everyone.

Except, Pierce didn’t see it that way, didn’t understand they’d had their temporary fun and it was time to move on. Fifteen years her junior, Pierce was a talented young director, lovely on both the inside and out, great sense of humor, and frankly, he had the best set of abs she’d ever seen on any human. But the key word in the previous statement was young.

And circling back to temporary.

Except, Pierce had gotten it into his head that he didn’t want temporary. He wanted Artemis and not just in his bed.

He wanted her in his life . . . permanently.

The scariest part? Artemis was worried she might want that too.

#StandaloneRomance #RomanceNovel #RomanticComedy #EliseFaber #BillionaireRomance #AgeGapRomance

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team — the Sharks! — are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise is the mom to two exuberant boys and lives in Northern California. Connect with her in her Facebook group, the Fabinators or find more information about her books at http://www.elisefaber.com.

Connect with Elise!

Website: https://www.elisefaber.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisefaberauthor/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/elisefaber
Twitter: https://twitter.com/faberelise
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bdnmEj
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2Ilspyd

New Release ~ Shattered Skull ~ by ~ Tabatha Vargo

Title: Shattered Skull
Series: Sons of Sinister #1
Author: Tabatha Vargo
Genre: New Adult MC Romance
Release Date: March 17, 2020

The first time I saw Aiken Cross aka Skull, he was standing atop a speeding motorcycle.
 
The second time, he was putting his fist through my brother’s face.
 
Now he’s everywhere I look.
 
He’s making my life hell with his vulgar remarks and seductive lure, but it’s not my fault my brother joined The Border Lords, his rival crew. I keep my nose out of their business and my head in the books, yet he’s always there provoking me. Dragging me into their conflict.

Everyone in town knows you don’t mess with the Sons of Sinister, but no one ever told me what to do when a Son of Sinister messes with me.



Tabatha is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author, best known for her sexy adult romance Little Black Book.
 
Tabatha writes in all genres, including adult and new adult, and isn’t afraid to venture into the dark side on occasion, as she proved with her dark, prison romance, Slammer. 
 
She’s an avid reader of all things smutty and the writer of sexy stories featuring redeemable alpha bad boys and sweet, strong women.
 
Her other loves include her children, her loving, supportive husband, anything historical, and wind chimes.
 
When she isn’t writing, she’s texting book ideas to herself.
 
Tabatha is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
 
Subscribe to Tabatha’s newsletter and get a FREE BOOK!
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New Release ~ A Cinderella Story ~ by ~ E.K. Woodcock

Title: A Cinderella Story
Author: E.K. Woodcock
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 3, 2020
Cover Design: Callie Rae at Literary Designs

 


“See a lost shoe, pick it up. Prince Charming, you will find.”Skylar O’Conner is many things: a cat lover, a flirt, a currently unemployed dreamer. One thing she’s not is a believer in magic or mysticism of any kind. When her mother gifts her a psychic reading on her 26th birthday, Skylar’s jaded outlook has her bored before she even steps inside. What she was not prepared for, was her own curiosity to act on the psychic’s advice when she finds an abandoned purple rainboot at the mall.

Since his wife died two years ago, Carter Montgomery’s entire world has centered around his daughter, Everly. He raises her to know her mother is a constant loving presence watching over them, one he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to move on from. But when a blonde with curly hair and emerald eyes waltzes into his life, she awakens yearnings within him he thought no longer existed.

Neither Skylar or Carter were prepared for what fate had in store for them, yet their attraction was undeniable. But when a simple gift causes a horrible misunderstanding, Carter pulls back out of fear the scars on his heart still cut too deep. Will pain from the past deny them the chance at a beautiful future?

 

 
Ebru Kartal is a book blogger turned into an author. She is currently working on publishing her very first novel “A Cinderella Story”. 
 
When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, blogging, or running after her gang of hooligans at home. 
 
Ebru lives in Cochrane, Alberta with her two lovely children and husband. She was born in a land called “Turkey” and became Canadian in May 2015. She loves to travel and hopes to travel the world one day.
 
To contact Ebru, please email her at authorekwoodcock@gmail.com
 
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New Release ~ Escaping the Mafia Collection

 
Collection: Escaping the Mafia 
Authors: Evelyn Kiss, Cam Johns, Nikki Belaire, Sophia Peony, SG Zertuche, and Sonya Jesus 
Genre: Romance Suspense/Mafia Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2020

She’s willing to start a war for love.
 
Escaping the Mafia is not simple, especially when Isabella’s father is known to chase enemies across state lines and obliterate them, so she has to be careful—and smart.
 
This Mafia princess comes up with a deadly plan. One million dollars to any organized crime syndicate who will help her with her six steps to freedom. The smell of easy money brings different crime syndicates to her side, and with their help, she destroys her own family. Nothing like a little revenge on the open road to happiness.
 
Each book is written by a different author and revolves around one of the deadly steps.
 
One, distract.
Two, liberate.
Three, eliminate.
Four, escort.
Five, war.
Six, love.
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New Release ~ Charmer ~ by ~ Kayley Loring

 

Title: Charmer
Author: Kayley Loring
Genre: Steamy Romantic Comedy
Release Date: March 25, 2020

 

Blurb
NICO
She serves me coffee late at night when I come around to write lyrics,
but it’s not the caffeine I’ve gotten addicted to.
We’ve got the spark, but she’s the only woman in town
who seems to be immune to my charms.
When it’s time for me to leave for my cross-country tour,
I just can’t imagine not seeing her for months.
So I offer her a job on the road with me.
KAT
Everyone in LA knows that Nico Todd has a way with songs and with the
ladies.
What he doesn’t know is that I would love to let him have his way with
me.
But my life can only revolve around one infuriatingly cute guy—
the six-year-old that I live with.
Imagine my surprise when Nico finds out about my little boy
and tells me to bring him and my mom on the road too.
And imagine Nico’s surprise when he realizes my son
is the biggest charmer of them all.
Purchase Links
99c for a limited time!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
I may have studied to be on the wrong side of the camera, because I am
the Meryl Streep of acting like I don’t want to lock myself in a closet with
Nico Todd and lick him all over.
I can feel his beautiful brown eyes on me as I walk away, but I’m not
going to look back at him. If I look back at him, he’ll think I’m flirting. And
I’m not flirting. I’m just a really awesome waitress who obsesses about the
well-being and voice and eyelashes and butt and hands and full lips of all my
customers. I check in with my other table to see if these non-Nico people want
anything else, and quickly glance over my shoulder at him.
He’s scribbling in his notebook. Not looking at me. Good. Why should he?
But praise the Disney gods, he grew up good. I wasn’t a huge fan of that
wizard show—always more of a movie nerd—but I watched the first season if I was
at home when it was on. I was thirteen and my friends had pictures of Shane
Miller and Nico Todd up in their lockers. I may have had Annie Leibovitz
portraits and stills from Ken Burns documentaries taped to mine, but I had eyes
and hormones. Still do!
I didn’t recognize him immediately the first time I saw him walk into the
coffee shop, but my stomach flipped in a way that it hadn’t in years. We get
all kinds of celebrities in here pretty much every night, because Beachwood is
that kind of neighborhood. It’s a casual hipster restaurant, so most people
roll in here wearing T-shirts and jeans, unless they’re talent agency
doucheholes. But some people look better in T-shirts and jeans than others.
Some people have that glow about them, even in a dimly lit retro coffee shop.
And all the other waitresses who were on that shift were talking about Nico in
the back of the house. It seemed like every one of them knew someone or had
heard about someone who’d been out with him—once or twice. I’ve been somewhat
out of the loop for about six years, so that was the first I’d heard of him
becoming a musician, and that was when I knew for certain that he’d be
off-limits for me.
But I mean, it’s my job to take good care of him while he’s here. And to
occasionally wonder what the fuck he’s up to when he isn’t here. And to think
about him every time I take a shower.
Because once I had listened to him on Spotify, I became a fan.
I fell in love with the songs and tried to stay detached from the singer.
Which is impossible, because he’s so good. His voice is sexy, sure, but
he has this way of singing with his whole heart and soul even though he isn’t
usually belting things out. And he’s got magic fingers because the way he plays
guitar—I swear it feels like he’s strumming my clitoris. His songs are cool but
warm at the same time, like an ice cream sundae. They’re all about women, of
course, and it’s so easy to close your eyes and picture him singing to you.
Even the songs that are about things not working out with a girl are somehow
poignant and swoony.
But by the tenth time I’d listened to every song on all of his albums, I
realized something: even though he writes and sings love songs—he never once
says the words “I love you.”
Which is why he’d be nothing but trouble.
But I can still appreciate his talent when I’m alone, in the privacy of
my bedroom.
I can still have a crush on him.
Everyone needs a little crush to get through the day.
Also Available
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Before writing steamy romantic comedy novels, Kayley Loring
got a BFA in creative writing from a Canadian university and had a fifteen-year
career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles (under a different name). She mostly
wrote PG-13 family comedies that studios would pay her lots of money for and
then never make into movies. In 2017 she decided to move to the Pacific
Northwest and write about all the fun stuff that she wasn’t allowed to write
about in those PG-13 scripts. Now she’s breathing cleaner air and writing
dirtier words. It’s an adjustment she’s happily getting used to.
Author Links

 

New Release ~ The Torn Duet ~ by ~ Mia Kayla

Duet Title: The Torn Duet
Titles: Torn Between Two ~ Choosing Forever 
Author: Mia Kayla
Genre: Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2020

 

 

Bestselling author Mia Kayla delivers an emotionally charged love triangle featuring a young woman in a new city who finds herself torn between a famous sexy rockstar and a non-for-profit lawyer who is trying to save the world.

 

 

A rockstar versus a lawyer.

 

 

 

Fast and furious versus deliberate and calculated.
Intense and passionate versus strong and devoted.
Chaos versus stability.
I fell in love with one in the craziness of a concert.
I fell in love with the other in the silence of his compassion.
And now I am Torn Between Two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Life is made up of choices.
Single choices like bricks laid out in a path. A path that leads to your future.
At twenty four years old, I would have never guessed I would be stuck between two men—two men from opposite spectrums of the universe.
Their lives, their worlds, their demeanor is as different as the darkest of nights and the lightest of days.
I love them both, but I have to choose.
There is only one choice I can make.
And I choose forever.

This story is simply the most beautiful, uplifting, heart-breaking, love-affirming, soul-shattering roller coaster I’ve ever read. – Kristy, Obsessed with Romance Blog

 

 

I absolutely loved this book. My heart was rooting for the rock star. Some books make you smile, some make you cry. This one does both. – Goodreads Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mia Kayla is a New Adult/Contemporary Romance writer who lives in Illinois. She is the wife to the husband of the year and mommy to three unbelievable cute little girls who have multiplied her grey hairs. 
In her free time she loves reading romance novels, jamming to boy bands, catching up on celebrity gossip and designing flowers for weddings.
 
Most of the time, she can be caught on the train with her nose in a book sporting a cheeky grin because the main characters finally get their happily-ever-after at the end. 
 
She loves reading about happy endings but has more fun writing them.
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New Release ~ Her Perfect 10 ~ by ~ Brianna Cash

Title: Her Perfect 10
Series: Stars in the Sand #1
Author: Brianna Cash
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2020
For the online writing course I’m enrolled in, I’m assigned a partner for the entire semester. The syllabus says we’re to remain anonymous. While I never learn her name, she breaks every other rule there is. She’s dragging my grade down with hers, even after I’ve repeatedly asked her not to.
 
As our conversations turn personal—another broken rule—she encourages me to push my boundaries, and I learn why she has none: she doesn’t believe in love. Instead of looking for a guy who’ll sweep her off her feet, she rates them in different categories in an equation she created to find someone that’s supposedly perfect for her.
 
I have no idea what she looks like, how old she is, or where she lives. But I know I can change her mind about love.
 
Too bad I’d never measure up.

According to her equation, there’s no way I’m her perfect ten.
 
I’ve never played these games before, but they’re kind of childish. I like to have a say in who I kiss. Not that the two girls I kissed during that first game were bad kissers, but I don’t even know their names. Maybe Rob and Alena should’ve had everyone go around and introduce themselves first. That would’ve made me a little more comfortable.

This whole thing was probably Rob’s idea. He’s always making fun of me, talking about how inexperienced I am. Just because I don’t sleep with anyone who gives me a second glance doesn’t mean I have no idea what I’m doing.

Alena locks us in some kind of housekeeping closet, yelling through the door. “Seven minutes, starting now!”

The girl I followed in spins around to find me watching her. She steps closer, swallowing the distance between us in two quick strides. She’s almost pressed against me, she’s so close. I step back, creating some space, reaching for her hand, ready to introduce myself. But she grabs my waist instead, tipping her head back and pushing up on her toes to press her lips to mine.

Her lips are soft and sure, melting instantly beneath mine as I kiss her back, and I quickly forget that she was making out with two other guys before me, a short time ago.

She pulls away, her eyes wide as she stares at me. There’s something familiar about them, the color, or the shape, or the incredibly long eyelashes that are framing a shade of green that matches not only her mask, but also her dress. There’s something about those eyes I can’t quite put my finger on.

I reach for her again. My hands slide around her hips and pull her closer, right up against me. She’s short, but with her heels, she’s just tall enough. Her eyes flutter closed as her head leans back, her lips parted in a silent invitation that my body is very intent on accepting, with or without my brain’s permission.

I’ve never been this close to anyone without knowing their name.

The thin silk of her dress caresses my fingers as I lower my face to hers. The warm cavern of her mouth teases me as her lips move under mine. Her body leans on me more fully—a silent protest as I pull away. I’m only changing the angle, though. I don’t hesitate to come back in for more.

And more.

And more…

Her lips part farther, wordlessly asking me to deepen the kiss. But I’m content to keep kissing her like this, with open mouths and soft lips merging together repeatedly. Her hands, which are still around my waist, pull my shirt out of the way, and then her fingertips are on my skin, trailing confidently over my back, right along the edge of my pants.

She smells like honeysuckle, like early summer nights spent catching fireflies in the backyard. There’s something else mixed in with that sweet memory. Something that’s probably all hers, whoever she is. Her eyes fly open when I take a second to breathe her in. I want to keep the memory of her scent forever, so I can relive this moment later, when I’m lying in my bed remembering how good she feels. When I need some fascinating moment to focus on. Something good. Something happy. Something…perfect.

“Kiss me,” she whispers, her breath warm on my cheek.

“Pretty sure we were kissing,” I whisper right back. No one can hear us. We’re totally alone, but it feels like we’re under some kind of spell, and we’ll break it if we’re too loud.

“No, really kiss me. Like you mean it.”

“I did mean it.” My voice rumbles in my chest as I try to keep quiet. I don’t know anything about this girl except she’s good friends with my future sister-in-law. But I also don’t know if I could stop myself from kissing her again if my life depended on it.

“That’s not what I meant.”

There’s a frown on those delicious lips, and all I want to do is change it into a smile. I clear my throat and keep whispering. “Kiss you like I know you?”

She gives a quick nod. “Kiss me like I’m the person you’ve been waiting for your entire life.”

Her eyes move back and forth between mine, her hands still on my skin under my shirt, making me want her in ways I never would’ve imagined possible at this point. She flexes her fingers on my sides before pushing both my shirt and her hands up, up, up.

It gets caught on my damn mask, but I reach up and untangle it. She then drapes my shirt over a shelf beside us. The mask stays on my face.

Her eyes are on mine as her fingers trail down my chest and stomach, lightly brushing over the dusting of hair that will lead her directly to something she has no right to discover. Not like this. Not in a closet. Not when I know so little about her. Not when she knows nothing about me.

When I inhale, the pressure of her touch lingering on the button of my slacks has my heartbeat pounding in my ears. She tilts her head to the side.

She’s daring me.

Kiss her the way she wants, or she’s going to do her best to get me out of the rest of my clothes.

I want to kiss her again. The simple kiss we shared was by far the best I’ve ever had.

But I also want to see how far she’s willing to take this.

Her gaze dips down, to where her hand is about to undo my pants, and then back at my face.

Which direction am I going to take us?

Cupping her cheek with one hand, I raise her face. With my other hand on her hip, I make sure she stays as close to me as is physically possible. And then I kiss her like she’s the person I’ve been waiting my entire life for.
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New Release ~ Stealing Cinderella ~ by ~ A. Zavarelli

Title: Stealing Cinderella
Series: Sinister Fairy Tales Collection
Author: A. Zavarelli
Genre: Dark Fairy Tale Retelling
Release Date: April 2, 2020

 

Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was… me. 

 

It should have been simple.
Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity.
But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected.
He was dark and intense and eerily quiet.
When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin.
He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again.
Then he came for me.
And he took me.
And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived.
He’s the crown prince of Norway.
And, now, I’m his captive.

 

 

 

 

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.
When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

 


 
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New Release ~ Second Chance Spring ~ by ~ Delancey Stewart

 

 

Title: Second Chance Spring

Series: Seasons in Singletree #4

Author: Delancey Stewart
Genre: Small Town Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 1, 2020
Blurb
Paige Tanner grew up in the small town of
Singletree—but she knows she has to leave to find what she really wants.
Singletree might have other plans for her…
I did everything right—got engaged to my high school boyfriend, stayed
faithful through college and med school, came home and got married. That
was how I’d always thought my life would go. 
What I didn’t realize was
that my husband wasn’t super clear on that whole monogamy thing.
Yeah.
Finding myself over thirty and divorced, living in the same small town
where I grew up, I realized I needed a new plan. So I took
action. I landed a job with a bigger practice in a big city where I’ll find
more opportunities at work, and hopefully in my social life. I was
ready to move on.
But when Cormac Whitewood and his adorable daughters come
into my life, suddenly my big plans don’t seem so shiny and exciting. Suddenly,
I’m finding myself drawn to the lonely widower, wishing for more
time with him—even though he seems to have a strange fascination with exotic
taxidermy. I can overlook a lot for a pair of deep golden eyes and
strong broad shoulders.
The thing is,
Cormac’s made it clear he isn’t over his late wife—and I’d never force my way
into someone else’s family. And I’ve already made my plans.
So why do they feel so wrong?
Second Chance
Spring is a full-length novel with an HEA about second chances, spring, and
taxidermy. Okay, not really. It’s about the plans life makes for you while
you’re busy making plans for yourself, and it’s full of snort laughs, touching
moments, cake, and maybe a kangaroo or two. 
Purchase Links
99c for a limited time!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
“How are you,
Mom?” 
She crossed her arms
and swayed a bit, turning back and forth like a little girl. “Good, Cormac’s
been keeping me company lately. Such a nice man.” 
“He is,” I
confirmed. I wanted to say something else, but didn’t know quite what, so
instead, I asked for a pumpkin muffin. “And tea,” I finished. 
“Actually,” Mom
said, a little sparkle coming into her eye. “Come back here. I need your help
with something.” She bustled toward the swinging door separating the kitchen
from the shop. 
“You want me in the
kitchen?” I asked, coming around the counter. I hadn’t been planning on helping
out with baking, but I guessed I could. I helped sometimes when things got busy
or if Mom was baking for a special occasion. I glanced longingly at the pumpkin
muffins, all orange and plump behind the glass, and then followed my
mother. 
“Yes, and oh, you
know, I’m going to need another opinion too.” She pushed past me again, leaving
me standing in the kitchen before a long metal table full of little plates with
cookies and muffins cut into fourths all lined up. She’d clearly been planning
this, and I wondered if she’d sprung into action, formulating her plan the
second I’d texted her that I might stop by. 
A moment later, she
was dragging a confused-looking Cormac through the swinging door and pushing
him to stand at my side. She went around the other side of the table and
grinned at us both. “I need you to taste test a few things,” she said, and she
wrung her hands dramatically. “I just can’t decide which of these I should
offer as my Cherry Blossom special.” 
Cormac laughed, a
hint of discomfort in his voice. “What’s the Cherry Blossom special?” 
I turned to face
him, swallowing hard before I was able to speak as the full force of his
presence hit me. “Mom makes a big deal out of the annual Cherry Blossom
festival. She bakes like ninety cakes for the cakewalk, and she always makes a
special cookie or muffin for the week of the festival.” 
“So these are all
cherry-themed?” Cormac asked, pointing at the assorted baked goods. 
Mom clapped her
hands. “Exactly!” But then she frowned. “But they’re not all cherry flavored,”
she clarified. “Like this one is chocolate hazelnut because I have it on good
authority that George Washington enjoyed a nice bit of Nutella now and then.
You know he cut down a cherry tree.” 
“Um,” Cormac said,
and it seemed he might be about to question my mother’s ‘good authority’ about
that Nutella thing. 
“Best not to ask,” I
suggested, leaning close to him with a stage whisper. 
Mom shot me a
narrow-eyed gaze, but then went on. “So the Washington cookie is here. This one
is a cherry-vanilla blondie. This one here is the cherry crumb muffin, and that
one is a Kahlua cookie.”
“Kahlua, Mom? What’s
the cherry relationship there?” I asked. 
She shrugged. “I had
a bit of Kahlua back here for inspiration. I spilled a cup into the first
batch, but they were so good, I went with it.” 
“You drink Kahlua
while you’re working?” Cormac asked, grinning.
“It’s my bakery,”
Mom said. “I do what I want.” 
Cormac burst out
laughing at that. “As you should,” he told her. 
“Okay, I’m leaving
you to it. Come out and tell me which one wins when you’re done.” 
And then Cormac and
I were alone, faced with a long table of baked goods and my mother’s obvious
and embarrassing attempts at matchmaking. 
“If you need to get
going, you totally don’t have to do this. She’s a little bit …
manipulative.” 
He laughed again,
the sound rolling through me like warm sand churning under gentle waves. “I
like baked goods, actually. And I like your mom.” 
“She means well,” I
agreed, looking up at him to find those gold eyes on me. I cleared my throat as
heat rose to my cheeks. “She’s just always trying so hard …” 
“To …?”
I couldn’t hold his
eyes, so I picked up a piece of Washington cookie instead. I popped a piece in
my mouth and then said, “to set me up.” I hoped the muffled words would be
enough of an answer for Cormac to drop it and that he might have the grace to
pretend he’d understood me. What I’d said had sounded a lot more like, “oo fett
be aaa.” 
He picked up a piece
of muffin and shoved it between his lips and then mimicked me, saying, “I’m
sorry, I didn’t get that last part.” But his words were closer to, “I arrrey, I
ninny ett aa ass mar.” 
I burst out
laughing, bringing my hand to my mouth to keep from spitting cookie, and was
relieved when Cormac’s shoulders shook to match mine, both of us laughing over
a childish joke. But it took off the edge. 
“She’s always trying
to set me up,” I said, my mouth clear now. 
He looked down at
the table and then glanced at me sideways, that little smile lifting one side
of his mouth again and sending my heart racing. “Your mom is trying to set you
up with me?” 
Oh man, this was
embarrassing. “Yeah. But you can just ignore it. She does this all the time.” I
popped a piece of cherry vanilla muffin in my mouth and chewed, leaning against
the table. “She’s worried I’ll die old and alone, since my marriage failed.” He
might as well know I was a withering divorcee, if he didn’t already.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he
said, looking back up at me. “I didn’t realize you’d been married.” 
“My husband also pretty
much had no idea he was married,” I told him, having long since moved past the
hurt that came with Adam’s unfaithfulness. 
“Oh no,” Cormac
said, trying not to laugh. 
“Yeah, it didn’t go
all that well. I’m better off.” I shrugged. 
For a minute, we
just tasted cookies and muffins, comparing our opinions of each. And then,
Cormac turned to face me again. 
“Well, for the
record,” he said, not quite meeting my eye. “If I were in a position to be set
up, this would definitely have worked.” 
It felt like the
breath was sucked out of my lungs. What had I expected? That my mother’s
ridiculous scheming would actually work? Of course, he had a girlfriend or
something. “You’re not, though,” I said. It was only kind of a question. “In a
position like that,” I clarified.
“I wish I were,” he
said, and I almost believed him, based on the wistful tone of his voice. 
I looked at my
neighbor then, allowing my appreciation for his charm, his rugged good looks,
and his clear affinity for family to color my voice. “I kind of wish you were
too,” I said.
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Author Bio
Delancey Stewart is an award-winning author who writes fiction with
humor, heart and heat!
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