REVIEW : Her Web Master by Normandie Alleman
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-18
Title : Her Web Master Author : Normandie Alleman Series : N/A Release date : November 11th 2015 Rating : 5 Stars Blurb : An online connection. Masked by anonymity. No cameras. No pictures. Curiosity ignited to intrigue. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but had no idea how far we would go...My intention was to test the waters, dip my toe in the wading pool. Instead I surrendered to the world of seduction and submission as he submerged me--body, mind, and soul--into an ocean of
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REVIEW : The Girl’s Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7) by Linda Kage
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-17
Title : The Girl's Got Secrets Author : Linda Kage Series : Forbidden Men #7 Release date : November 28th 2015 Rating : 4 Stars Blurb : Hereâs the same old âgirl posing as a boyâ story but with a rock-n-roll twist.Remy Curran dreams of one day being in a band, except the group she wants to join refuses to hire a girl drummer. So, she auditions as a guy...and makes the cut.Becoming âSticks,â a member of Non-Castrato, isnât quite what she dreamed it would be, though. She spends most of her time
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REVIEW : When We Fall (A Take the Fall Novel) by Marquita Valentine
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-16
Title : When We Fall Author : Marquita Valentine Series: Take the Fall #2 Release date: Dec 8 , 2015 Rating : 4 Stars Blurb : The last time Piper Ross saw her best friend's sexy older brother, Jase Simmons, he was being taken away in handcuffs. Seven years later, two things haven't changed: Piper is still head-over-heels in love with him . . . and Forrestville's chief of policeâPiper's dadâstill hates his guts. So when Piper sees a chance to get close to Jase, she makes her moveâliterally. As
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REVIEW : Somewhere In Time (The Fine Art of Deception, #2) by Alyssa Richards
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-15
Title : Somewhere In Time Author : Alyssa Richards Series : The Fine Art of Deception, Book 2 Release date : Dec 8, 2015 Rating : 4 Stars Blurb : Addison Montgomery has finally found love with the man of her dreams, Blake Greenwood, and is ready to live another lifetime of happiness with him. But the morning theyâre supposed to bring closure to their dark, violent past, all chances of a happily-ever-after turn as dead as the ghosts she sees on a daily basis.Now Addie must team up with her
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REVIEW : Forgetting Augustby J.L. Berg
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-14
Title :Forgetting August Author : J.L. Berg Series : N/A Release date : Dec 1, 2015 Rating: 3 Stars Blurb:She can forgive, but can she forget?Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only
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REVIEW : Say You’re Mine by Diane Alberts
By JerisBookAttic
/
2019-08-13
Title :Say You're Mine Author : Diane Alberts Series : N/A Release date : Dec 7, 2015 Rating : 5 Stars Blurb : She's a challenge he can't afford to lose...Navy SEAL Steven Thomas has only ever been able to count on three things: waking up in the morning, going to sleep sometime during the night, and Lauren Brixton. She's been his best friend since grade school, and what they have is the only relationship he's managed not to ruin.Until one drunken night puts that all in jeopardy.Lauren's watched
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Release – MONSTER AMONG THE ROSES by Linda Kage
By Kate
/
2017-07-24
Will you dare to gaze upon the monster among the roses?
MONSTER AMONG THE ROSES
Fairy Tale Quartet #1
Linda Kage
Releasing July 24, 2017
“Do you know how to
get to the rose garden?”
get to the rose garden?”
“No, you can’t go
there. A monster lives there.”
there. A monster lives there.”
Shaw
Hollander is desperate.
Hollander is desperate.
Broke,
unemployed, and determined to help his ailing mother, he falls on the good
graces of a wealthy benefactor who is willing to give Shaw a job at his mansion
in order to pay off his mother’s debts. Suddenly finding himself surrounded by
lavish riches, he has no idea what his duties truly entail until he’s sent to
the rose garden and meets the tragically mutilated Isobel.
unemployed, and determined to help his ailing mother, he falls on the good
graces of a wealthy benefactor who is willing to give Shaw a job at his mansion
in order to pay off his mother’s debts. Suddenly finding himself surrounded by
lavish riches, he has no idea what his duties truly entail until he’s sent to
the rose garden and meets the tragically mutilated Isobel.
This Beauty
and the Beast story holds true to the core of the fable while shaking off the
element of fantasy and dragging it into present day reality. Shaw and Isobel
are ready to let you climb into their four-wheel-drive pickup and take a ride
with them into their version of happily ever after, but only if you first dare
to gaze upon the monster among the roses.
and the Beast story holds true to the core of the fable while shaking off the
element of fantasy and dragging it into present day reality. Shaw and Isobel
are ready to let you climb into their four-wheel-drive pickup and take a ride
with them into their version of happily ever after, but only if you first dare
to gaze upon the monster among the roses.
I grew up
on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now I live in
Kansas with my husband, two daughters, nine cuckoo clocks, and a cat named
Holly. My life’s been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love.
Writing’s always been a major part my world, and I’m so happy to finally share
some of my stories with other romance lovers.
on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now I live in
Kansas with my husband, two daughters, nine cuckoo clocks, and a cat named
Holly. My life’s been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love.
Writing’s always been a major part my world, and I’m so happy to finally share
some of my stories with other romance lovers.
I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, and I’ve been through a writing
correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s
Literarture, and then I continued my writing lessons by majoring in English
with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State
University.
Release – Love Sick by HJ Bellus
By Kate
/
2017-07-24
HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO HJ BELLUS & HER GIRLS!
LOVE SICK IS LIVE!
PURCHASE TODAY FOR ONLY 99CENTS!
KINDLE US | PAPERBACK | KINDLE UK | KINDLE CA | KINDLE AU
LOVE SICK
by USA Today Best Selling Author HJ Bellus & The Girls
“The Waves of Love Can Make You Sick”
A Reckless Series Spin-off
A Romantic Comedy
Memphis Love knows three things.
Money
Sex
Women
As long as it has a pond for him to dip his pole into, he’s game, and he doesn’t stick to just one pond for his fishing trips either.
The small, beach town he lives in doesn’t offer much for job opportunities or at least lucrative ones. He relies on his body, the pole, and stage. Oh, and the after hour clients.
Iris, his best after hour customer, takes him on a yearly cruise with her friends. He’s there for one purpose and one purpose only…their boy toy.
Memphis is no fool. A two week, all paid cruise to soak up the sun and sights is a no brainer. Only thing is he didn’t expect a little ray of sunshine on the ship this year. Raylan Moore has the power to rattle everything he once believed.
The doctor is in; he’s willing, able and ready to please. Dr. Love has the cure to your Love Sick (offset in a different font) blues, only this time maybe he’s the one needing the healing.
ADD TO YOUT TBR ON GOODREADS
http://bit.ly/LoveSickTBR
PURCHASE YOUR COPY! ALSO AVAILABLE ON KU!
KINDLE US | PAPERBACK | KINDLE UK | KINDLE CA | KINDLE AU
EXCERPT:
Memphis Love
I lie back in the lounger, finding the perfect snooze zone again while soaking up the rays. Then I hear it. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Every single inch of my body is on alert. I sit right back up, pulling down my Ray-Bans on the bridge of my nose.
I smile.
I smile like the victor of Titty Mania 2017. Give me the belt, bitches. Hand it right over. She didn’t fall into my lap this time. Nope, it’s so much sweeter because I spot her before she attacks.
Raylan. She’s standing at the bar fifty feet away. Her head is thrown back in laughter. A damn fruity drink is in her hand. Her girls at her side are making her laugh at something. It’s a lingering suspicion, but I know Raylan is never this carefree. The edge of a hot tub is feet away. It’s not her clumsiness I’m studying, but what she’s wearing.
Or should I say what she’s not wearing? That scrappy piece is a poor excuse for a damn top. I know what’s under it or at least half of it. She has one of those fancy, see through skirts tied around her lower half. The knot is settled nicely on her hip.
It would take one nip of my teeth to undo it. Fuck, I wouldn’t have to take her bikini bottoms off to taste her. I bet she’s as sweet as those damn drinks she loves.
“Daddy, antennae.”
I peer over to the voice ready to glare at the bastard interrupting my daydream, hot shower research supplying spank bank material. But it’s a little boy pointing right at me.
“That man has Wi-Fi.”
I squint my eyes trying to put together what the hell is going. He begins racing over to me chanting Wi-Fi.
I peer down to see if the little bandit is planning to nab any of my personal items. Kids these damn days are too smart for their good. It’s then I see the Wi-Fi. Spandex and a raging cock are not the right combination and a clear signal for Wi-Fi according to young children. The size of my engorged dick could guide astronauts home from Jupiter.
What has this clumsy girl done to me? I’m a global threat at this point. Draining my remaining drink, I find the perfect excuse to stride right over to the bar where the group of girls are still chatting it up. Hell, Raylan doesn’t notice all the men checking her out. Her friend, Brenna, has at least double Ds and I’d bet my left nut they’re fake. She’s the type the majority of men magnetize to, but not with Raylan next to her. Josi, I’m pretty sure that was her name, is also a knockout with fake assets and plump injected lips. But it’s none of that which attracts me.
The fuck? I don’t remember any female names, and here I’m studying Raylan and her friends like a first rate stalker. I saddle up to the bar, blocking the group of dickheads drinking in Raylan. My size and width get the job done.
“Another, hun?” the busty bartender asks.
I keep up the smolder showdown giving it to her smooth. “Please, darlin’.”
That does the trick. I hear one of the girls squeal. I know it’s not Raylan but not sure which one it is.
“Raylan.” I hear a loud skin slap, but I don’t look, pretending to eye down the bartender. “It’s him.”
Another voice joins. “It is Raylan. Holy shit, he’s on the cruise.”
Hook, line, and sinker.
“Who?” Raylan asks. Hell, her voice erects the Eiffel Tower in a matter of seconds.
“I’d say nipple gate 2017, but it was more of Tit Show Gate 2017 live and in action.”
There’s an audible gasp. I can feel her gaze soaking up the front view leaning on the bar. My elbow is propped on the smooth wood and my face is in the direction of the back shelf with my legs crossed at the ankles. Most men would flex their muscles right now, putting them in the douche category permanently. I remain calm, playing to ignore the conversation.
I’m betting today they’ve had a few to drink since their voices are not a whisper when they think they are.
“You were right about his wiener. It was not your imagination.”
I stifle laughter at that one.
“Don’t say wiener; we aren’t ten years old anymore.”
“I told you it was huge.”
And there’s my cue. I stand slowly, paying attention to each move of my body, grab my drink from the bar, and make eye contact. They react as suspected, ducking their heads and blushing like fools.
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
HJ Bellus is a small town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she’s a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shot gunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.
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div style=”text-align: center;”><img class=” wp-image-5982 aligncenter” src=”https://mrsharbaugh.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/6dab4-hea2bbook2btours2bpr2b252832529.png” alt=”6dab4-hea2bbook2btours2bpr2b252832529″ width=”241″ height=”1
Release Blitz – Right For Love by Aria Cole
By Jeri
/
2017-07-24
Love is only a swipe away…
Pre-med student Carly Samuelson doesn’t have time for things like swoony Valentine’s dates, so when her best friend downloads a dating app to get Carly lucky, her expectations are low. But when her friend swipes right on tall, dark, and dashing Thorn Cartwright, Carly walks into something she never expected—Thorn’s got a proposition: one night, one dress, him and her. But can one swipe right really lead to love?
ONE
Carly
“Girl.” My best friend leveled me with serious eyes, one hand holding a lock of blond hair that was wrapped around a searing hot curling wand above her head. “You need to get some action before those bits turn to dust.”
I burst out in a laugh. “My vagina will just incinerate and float away, huh?”
“What do they say…” She tipped her head to the side. “If you don’t use it, you lose it?”
I shook my head, watching as she unrolled the curl and let it bounce into a perfect ringlet as she got ready for her Valentine’s Day date tonight. Lord knows with whom this time. Saying Selma was a free agent was putting it lightly.
“I’m too busy for the kind of trouble you get up to at all hours of the night,” I finally answered. “You know, someday all of that natural beauty—” She wagged a finger at my face “—is going to crack. That young virginal thing you got going on won’t last forever. Why you wasting all your youth with your head in a textbook? You have to live, Carly!”
I crossed my arms, thinking it was moments like these that made me both love and despise Selma for her natural, dark-eyed beauty and that effortless attitude she lived her life with.
“I’m not like you.” I finally shook my head. “I don’t do well with strangers or in groups or in public places on holidays…really, anywhere with people. I just don’t do well with people.”
“Bullshit.” Selma dropped another curl, twisting it softly then setting the wand on the counter. “Anyone can date now, no more awkward first dates or getting-to-know-you conversations. I downloaded this dating app. You just swipe right if the guy is a hottie, left if he looks like a douchenozzle. Welcome to dating in the modern world.”
“A dating app? You downloaded a dating app?”
“You know I like to spice things up in my life.”
I huffed, a little incredulous. I thought online dating was for nerds… Well, I guess I was technically a nerd, considering all I did was go to class, study, sleep, repeat. While Selma was partying the night away at clubs, kissing strange, sexy men, I was up late in a college sweatshirt and pajama pants, poring over anatomy books. With just one more year to go in my biology degree, the end was in sight. All the hard work of the last few years would finally pay off with a diploma and a set of skills that could allow me to get a job at any doctor’s office around the country as a physician’s assistant. The coursework had been brutal—I’d known it would be—but I was too far in to throw it away now, even if my grades were at the top of my class.
“I’m not using a dating app. I can’t even think about dating right now.”
“It’s not dating, exactly…” Selma pushed me in front of the mirror and picked up the wand, twisting a lock of my hair in her fingers and wrapping it around the barrel of the wand. “It’s more like…hookups.”
“Hookups.” I scrunched my nose, catching her eyes in the mirror.
“Yeah, you know, burn off some steam. Sex releases anti-stress chemicals to your brain, you know, and people who have an orgasm within thirty minutes of having a test perform up to five points higher. Five points! You need to fuck off some steam, Carly.”
“Oh my God.” I covered my face with one hand as she continued to curl random sections of my hair.
“I mean it. When’s the last time you got any play at all?” She twirled a soft lock at my face, adding a wave until it lay nicely with the rest.
“Uh…” I paused, pushing back through old dusty cobwebs to the last time I’d even let a man kiss me. “Freshman year, maybe?”
“Oh my God. You’re practically a born-again virgin. We need to get you that app.” Selma set the wand down on the counter. “Finished.”
I glanced up, shocked she’d curled my entire head of hair and was now separating the ringlets until they were only softly defined and falling over one shoulder.
“Your hair looks too good to waste.” Selma swiped my phone and held it up. “Smile, and give me that look in your eye.”
“What look?”
“That one that says you’re really horny but still a good girl.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“No, that looks like you might swipe their wallet when they’re finished. Softer. Less murder-y, more seductive.”
“Selma!” I squealed, swiping the camera just as the flash went off.
“Wait, let me see. That was a good one!” Selma pulled the phone from my hand, swiping to the last picture taken. “Look.” She thrust the picture into my face. “You look fucking hot. Let’s find you a man tonight.”
“No, Selma.” My asshole friend spun, my phone in hand, and shuffled out the bathroom door, her fingers tapping a hundred words a second as she went. “Selma!”
She stopped dead in her tracks, turned to me in the middle of my studio apartment kitchen, and handed me the phone. “There.”
Her smile was big. I wanted to bitch-slap it off her face.
“What did you do?”
“Created your account, uploaded that pic. Now you’re ready to swipe your way to a lay, baby.”
“Jesus, Selma. Why are we friends?”
“Probably because I challenge your very boring and predictable nature.” She twirled a fresh curl at my temple. “And you love me.”
I only grunted in reply, my eyes focused on the screen, the first handsome candidate to show up on my phone. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Swipe left. He looks like a businessman wannabe.”
“Wannabe? What are you, an expert at typing men on this thing?”
“Swipe enough.” She shrugged, peering over my shoulder to glance at the next potential date.
“Ew!” We both swiped left, clearing the older gentleman with the overgrown mustache off our screen.
“He’s not bad.” Selma paused on the third, tilting her head. “If you squint.”
I groaned, swiping left. Then left. Then another left.
“I’ve learned one thing from this app tonight,” I said.
“What’s that?” Selma was swiping left for me, the frown growing deeper with every swipe.
“That we’re surrounded by a million really creepy guys. It’s no wonder I haven’t found a date in ages.”
Selma nodded, taking in my words. “Maybe it’s time I move. When I visited my cousin in Denver, you should have seen the hot guys. Like, h-o-double-t hot.”
“Well, I’m deleting it. All that’s on here is mountain men and college guys looking to score more action. Not interested.”
“Wait, what about him?” She paused, thumb hovering over the handsome face lit with a one-sided cocky smile. His eyes were a clear shade of ocean blue, hair dark and a little mussed, with a dark smattering of sexy five-o’clock shadow across his angled jaw.
“Nuh-uh. He’s married.”
“What? No way! What makes you say that?” Selma squinted, as if trying to read the signals through the screen.
“Because no man that beautiful is still on the market at his age.”
“His age? He’s like thirty-five, tops,” she scoffed.
“Exactly. Married, divorced with kids, something.”
“Well, okay, then. What do you care? This is just a hookup anyway, remember? Not like you have to worry about him proposing on the first date or anything.”
“Selma…” I groaned, ready to swipe left on his gorgeous, smug ass.
“Nope.” Selma slid her thumb across my screen, swiping right. “Got him.”
She grinned up at me triumphantly.
“Oh my God, what are you doing!” I wiped left, left, up, across. “Where are the settings? Can I undo that right swipe?”
She laughed, walking back down the hall to the bathroom. “Nope. No undoing!”
I followed quickly on her heels, stopping right next to her in front of her post at the bathroom mirror. Just then, the little app chimed in my hand. An alert popped up that said a match was made.
Oh, shit.
“Oh, you are such an asshole, Selma Martinez.”
“You got a match! That means he likes you, too.” She nodded, taking every second of this painfully embarrassing moment in stride.
“That wasn’t even a good picture of me! I hate you.”
“Or you could say thank you.” She winked. “Now send that boy a message.”
“What? No way. I’m not interested. Maybe you should go out with him.”
“Nah, I’ll take one for the team. Your vag needs some love, and I think Mr. Sex right there is going to give it to you.”
“I’m not going.”
“You’re an idiot if you don’t.”
I nearly replied that she was an idiot for even downloading the app when another chime popped up.
New message alert.
“Oh Jesus.”
“Ooh, he’s really into you.” Selma snatched the phone from my hands and opened the message.
“Wait! Don’t answer it!”
“Too late, it already shows him that I’ve seen it—or you’ve seen it.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “It says, Would love to meet tonight. I’ll just reply…” She started tapping at warp speed.
“No! No!” I yanked my phone from her. “Don’t reply.”
“Well, you have to. Otherwise, that would just be rude.”
“Rude. Like I care if I’m rude to a stranger, Selma!” I couldn’t contain the shrieky frustration lacing my voice.
“Well, I just wasn’t raised that way, stranger or not.”
I shook my head, finding myself again stupefied by all things Selma. “You’re unbelievable.”
She caught my eye in the mirror, refusing to say a word. I narrowed my eyes, taking in the stubborn set of her jaw, the way her eyes flared with simmering irritation.
“Fine. I’ll answer him. I’ll tell him he was a mistake swipe or something.”
“What? You can’t say that.”
“Why not?” There were too many rules for online dating, exactly the reason it was better I’d avoided it.
“Way to kick a guy when he’s down. No, I would not like to see you tonight. Actually, I think you’re a dog and wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. Have a nice night!”
“Well, I wouldn’t be that harsh.”
Selma shook her head, finishing one last curl in her hair before placing the wand on the counter and unplugging it. She spun, pushing fingers through her hair until the curls bounced and bobbed with enviable volume. “Tell him the truth—you’re a busy college student with a very large stick up your ass.”
“And with a nosy friend who doesn’t know how to keep her hands off other people’s property,” I chimed in.
“Sounds about right. Listen, chica…” Selma paused, catching her reflection in the mirror and adjusting her boobs in the cups of her bra to get more oomph. Her word. Not mine. “I’ve got to meet Pratt outside in twenty minutes. I hope you give yourself a break tonight. You deserve it. Give that vag a little workout, and you’ll feel better in the morning.” She spritzed some of my perfume in a cloud around her. “I’ll call you later when I get home…or in the morning.” She paused. “It probably won’t be until the morning.” She winked, then placed a kiss on my cheek. “Let loose tonight, Carly. God knows you need it.”
She turned, blowing me one last kiss before sauntering out of my apartment in her chunky, laced boots and skirt.
I glanced back down at my phone, then to the puppy pajamas that fell to the tops of my bare feet.
I sighed.
I did need some fun.
I was ready for a life outside of textbooks and professors and exams and essays.
I hovered over the keyboard, not knowing what in the hell to say before I typed quickly.
Sure. Where and when?
Before I could think twice, I hit send.
Maybe Selma was right. If I didn’t use it, I would lose it. Perhaps not so much my vag but my sexuality, my sense of self, my free spirit.
I grinned, shutting down the app and tossing it on the bed, not caring if the handsome guy with the cocky smile ever replied or not. I was having fun making the butterflies in my stomach jump all on my own.
Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache.
For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn’t take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on Facebook and Twitter to see which daring book boyfriend she’s writing next!
Sign up to get a NEW RELEASE ALERT from me!
http://eepurl.com/ccGnRX
For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn’t take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on Facebook and Twitter to see which daring book boyfriend she’s writing next!
Sign up to get a NEW RELEASE ALERT from me!
http://eepurl.com/ccGnRX
Release – The Rhubarb Patch by Deanna Wadsworth
By Kate
/
2017-07-24
Title: The Rhubarb Patch
Author: Deanna Wadsworth
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Release Date: July 24, 2017
City boy, sci-fi novelist, and recovering pushover Scott Howe doesn’t know what to expect when he inherits his grandmother’s house outside the quaint village of Gilead, Ohio—but it isn’t an enormous bald man in nothing but tighty-whities and orange rubber boots shouting at him to keep his weed wacker away from the rhubarb patch.
Scott has never met anyone like Phineas Robertson: homesteader, recluse… Republican. A tender—if unlikely—friendship grows over the summer while Phin and his schnauzer, Sister Mary Katherine, teach Scott about life in the country and the grandmother he never knew. Opposites attract, but widower Phin worries his secret will send Scott running faster than his politics, and Phin isn’t convinced he deserves a second chance at romance.
Scott is convinced—rural life, and his one-of-a-kind, older neighbor, is the future he wants. Before he can settle in, his mother drops a bombshell that strains their already tenuous relationship, and a cousin who believes he is the rightful heir to the property puts Scott in danger. It’ll take a lot of compromises, and even dodging a few bullets before they’re out of the weeds, but nurturing something as special as true love always takes hard work.
Chapter One
“What the…?”
A big, bald man in nothing but orange rubber boots and tighty-whities streaked across the yard toward Scott Howe, waving his hands and shouting.
The high-pitched whir of the weedwacker shredding through the grass and thick, leafy weeds growing along the edge of the small barn went silent when Scott released the handle. Popping out his earbuds, he blinked hard, unable to believe his eyes.
“Stop! Stop!” the man in his underwear shouted. “You’re killing the rhubarb!”
Instinctively, Scott placed the weedwacker in front of him, wielding it like a knight brandishing a sword against an attacking dragon.
At five eight, Scott wasn’t exactly a small guy, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“Stop, dammit!” The man flailed his arms above his head.
Then Scott registered his words.
Keeping the weedwacker in front of him with one arm, he raised the other in truce. “I stopped!”
Scott divided glances between the crazy man and the bits of grass and dark green leaves. All kinds of weeds grew around his late grandmother’s property, making the yard look like crap. Whether he decided to stay or sell the place, it needed a major spring cleanup.
“What the hell are you doing?” The man came to a halt, all but shoving Scott out of the way. He knelt on the ground and began pushing aside the grass. “Dammit, you probably killed this one!”
What’s he talking about?
Scott took a step away as the man in his underwear and orange garden boots hopelessly muttered under his breath, gently picking up the curly green weeds.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry.” Scott brushed his arm across his forehead before sweat ran into his eyes. “I didn’t know this was your property. The realtor told me my property line was five feet past this barn.”
The man stared, bright blue eyes scrunched with incredulity. “It’s not my property, but it is my rhubarb. Nancy and I’ve been growing it for years.”
Scott flinched. “Oh, you knew my grandmother?”
“Yes, she was my best friend, and you just killed some of our rhubarb.” His voice hitched, a twinge of desperation in his eyes.Not in anger but a deep, profound sadness that a hot wash of shame down Scott’s back.
“I’m sorry, but….” He paused, not wanting to sound like a stupid city boy coming out to the country. “But what’s rhubarb?”
Still on his knees, the peculiar man sat back on his haunches. Scott glanced at the guy’s lap, then darted his gaze back up before he noticed the faux pas—but not before taking note the guy was packing some real heat in those less-than-brand-new underwear.
The man gestured to the shredded weeds. “That’s rhubarb. Well….” He pursed his lips. “It was rhubarb.” His broad shoulders slumped, the golden hairs of his chest sparkling a little in the morning sunshine.
“I’m sorry,” Scott said again. “Are you sure I killed it?”
He shook his head and flicked at the plant waste. He straightened a few curly leaves hidden among the shredded ones, but they collapsed. “This one’s done for.” He glanced down the twenty-foot length of the barn. “Thank God I saw you before you killed all of it.”
Getting a little annoyed at this hulk of a man, Scott leaned on the weedwacker, his other hand on his hip. “Hey, I’m sorry you planted stuff on Nancy’s property. But how was I supposed to know? I just inherited this place, and I don’t even know what rhubarb is.”
Those piercing blue eyes scoured Scott from head to toe, then back again. “I suspect you’re Scott.”
He knows my name? “Yes, I am.”
“Well, Scott, I’m Phineas Robertson.” He flipped a thumb over his big shoulder. “That’s my house, and this here’s my rhubarb patch.”
“Hello, Phineas.” He gave the man a courteous nod, wondering if he should’ve called him Mr. Robertson, though he couldn’t be much older. But the guy had a big presence, an authority about him—even in his underwear—that could not be denied.
When Phineas remained quiet, Scott grew awkward. “I’m sorry I weedwacked your rhubarb. Are there any other plants of yours growing on my property?”
Shit, that sounded kinda snotty.
Phineas put his hands on his hips, his fur-dusted belly rounding out. “No, just the rhubarb.”
Feeling bad for sounding like a jerk, because Phineas was clearly distraught about the plants, Scott nodded. “Okay, so maybe you could show me what I can and can’t trim out of this section.”
Hopefully the offer would create a neighborly truce.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Phineas fixed his gaze on the shredded rhubarb, though to Scott it all looked like weeds.
I’m gonna have to google rhubarb.
Phineas climbed to his feet. “Here, let me show you what parts you can pull. I haven’t gotten around here to trim it up, what with the funeral and everything.”
So Phineas had attended Nancy’s funeral. Well, that was more than could be said for Scott.
Phineas towered a good six inches over Scott, and almost all of that burly frame was bare and exposed. Scott gestured to his state of dress—or lack thereof. “You sure you don’t wanna put on some pants first?”
Awareness of being clad only in underwear and orange garden boots dawned bright across Phineas’s face. Glancing down, he gave a rather sheepish smile, which made him very appealing all of a sudden. “Yeah, I should probably do that.” He stood there for another moment before taking a few steps away. Then he paused, pointing at Scott. “Don’t cut anything until I get back.”
“I won’t.”
Then he stomped off rather proudly in his underwear and boots, tossing out over his shoulder, “If you weedwack the asparagus along the fence, you’ll regret it.”
Scott shook his head and laughed.
While Phineas walked away, Scott surveyed the three-acre property that had literally fallen into his lap.
Feathery clouds streaked the pristine sky as if an artist’s brush had smeared a blue canvas with a wash of white. Everything was greening up with spring. The cute white farmhouse he’d inherited looked cheery, though it needed some work. It was connected to a one-car garage by an overhang, and the peaked roof with two dormers gave the two bedrooms upstairs odd slanted ceilings. Not in the best shape, nor the worst. Flowers already popped up in the mulched beds around the house and garage—a sign of brighter things coming my way, maybe?
Smiling to himself, Scott flipped over a dirty old five-gallon pail by the corner of the barn. He took his iPhone out of his pocket and sat down. After unlocking the screen, he opened the Facebook app.
Nobody will believe this.
Since moving into the house three days ago, he’d been entertaining his Facebook friends and fans online with Country Updates. That was the only writing he was getting done these days, much to his editor’s chagrin.
Country Update #4: You guys will never believe what just happened! I was weedwacking at the farm and suddenly I see this big, bald guy wearing nothing but his white skivvies and big rubber orange garden boots barreling towards me! LOL I guess he’s my neighbor. He’s been growing rhubarb along the barn, but I just weed whacked some. Whoops! LOL Now will somebody tell me what the hell rhubarb is? #truthisstrangerthanfiction #cityboyinthecountry
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and is the current President 2017 for Rainbow Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.
HOSTED BY:
Release – Beautiful Beast by Audrey Irons
By Kate
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2017-07-24
Title: Beautiful Beast
Author: Aubrey Irons
Genre: Romance
Cover design: Coverlüv
Model: Stuart Reardon
Photo courtesy of Love N Books
Editing: Ellie McLove
Proofing: Cassie Hess-Dean
Anastasia:
Here’s the first thing you should know: this is not a fairytale. Happily-ever-afters are fables, and Prince Charming is a sweet little lie.
I know all this because he taught me.
Once upon a lifetime ago, the rich, arrogant, sinfully gorgeous, and tragically broken dark prince of the Hamptons was my tormentor. My darkness, my shameful attraction, my all-consuming, forbidden temptation.
I hate Sebastian Crown because nine years ago, for one night, I was stupid enough to think I loved him. And I’ve been paying for it ever since.
Except now, he needs me to help him save his empire.
…And he’s not taking no for answer.
Bastian:
She’s my nemesis. My addiction. My weakness.
My obsession.
I used to tell myself I hated Anastasia Bell – for being poor, for not worshipping the ground I walked on, for looking at me like she pitied me for being me.
When the rest of my world always told me yes, she was the ever-provoking no.
She thinks I’m a monster – a tragic, fucked-up, broken beast.
She doesn’t know the half of it.
Because she can’t begin to know the crimes of my past, or imagine the things I’ve done to her behind the scenes since she left this place.
Years ago, I thought breaking her would fix me.
I was wrong.
Now I’ve got her in my sights again, and this time, I won’t be letting her go. Even if it means we both go down in flames…
Aubrey Irons enjoys writing about bold, sassy, and intelligent women and the dominant, cocky, and quite typically forbidden bad boys who love and lust for them. Gripping stories, happy endings, and plenty of heat to keep things extra steamy!
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her wonderful husband, their two adorable children, and the world’s most ill-behaved puppy.
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her wonderful husband, their two adorable children, and the world’s most ill-behaved puppy.
The Flip by K.L. Montgomery
By Jeri
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2017-07-24
Title: The Flip
Series: Romance in Rehoboth
Author: K.L. Montgomery
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: July 20, 2017
Andrew and Sonnet hated each other in high school. Always rivals for the best grades and top academic honors, there was no love lost between these two nerds after graduation.Ten years later, they’ve both been named heirs to property in Bethany Beach, Delaware, after the passing of its owner, Penelope Vaughn. Ms. Vaughn was Andrew’s Great Aunt and Sonnet’s beloved next door neighbor growing up.
The quaint beach cottage needs serious work before going on the market. Andrew and Sonnet are both willing to bury the hatchet in exchange for drills and saws, especially since they stand to make a pretty penny with the beachfront property, which will finance Drew’s dream of opening a business and Sonnet’s plan to earn her doctorate in astrophysics.
But when they face a multitude of home improvement obstacles, will these two former adversaries be able to pull off a successful flip? Or did Great Aunt Penny have something else in mind with her bequest?
Goodreads Reviewer 5 Star – “The humor in this story made it a 5 star read! I haven’t chuckled this much reading a book in such a long time.”
Goodreads Reviewer 5 Star – “Fun read with plenty of twists and laughs along the way.”
Goodreads Reviewer 5 Star – “This book had me laughing from the beginning. Loved every second of this story!”
By the time we’ve finished up at the house that night, Sonnet and I are both beat. We came inside during the heat of the day to work on stripping the wallpaper in the kitchen. It didn’t matter how many “stripper” jokes I made, I don’t think she ever cracked a smile. See, that’s why we never got along. She could never lower herself to be even slightly amused by the comedic stylings of world-renowned funnyman, Andrew Clark. I was elected Class Clown for a reason, you know.
“What did I do with my shoes?” she asks as soon as I crack open a cold one from the trusty cooler I packed up this morning. “And don’t you have to work tonight?” she asks when she eyes me taking a nice, healthy swig.
She’s such a buzzkill.
“A) I don’t know where your shoes are and B) nope, I’m off this weekend. Fuck yeah!” I wink at her, quickly deciding not to let her sour mood ruin mine.
“How did you manage that in the middle of the season?” she questions, getting a curious look in her eye.
“I told my boss I really needed to work on the house this weekend. She knows we gotta get this place fixed up, so I sweet-talked my way into a weekend off once a month this summer.”
“Well, good for you. I’m probably going to take some time off too once we figure out what the contractor is going to handle and what we’re going to do ourselves. If we only work on this place on the weekends, we’ll never finish before the end of the summer. And we really need to get this thing on the market by August first or we might as well wait until spring.”
That gives us almost two months, I calculate. “Agreed.” Well, at least a quick turn-around time is one thing we can both agree on. I notice she has found her shoes and slipped them on. “Where are you going?”
“I think I’m going to walk over to the boardwalk and grab something to eat,” she answers. I know she sees my eyes light up because her lips turn up with the tiniest smirk. “Do you want to come with me?”
She said the magical words.
But wait. Going with her means being seen in public with her. Willingly. It seems a little….odd. A little too much like a….date. But my stomach is growling, and it gets to make any decisions Drew Jr. isn’t going to make, so I agree to dinner.
As we’re trekking along the few blocks to the boardwalk, I notice Sonnet is walking funny. “What’s going on? Did you hurt your foot or something?” I ask, remembering my mother’s admonishment not to be a dickhead. Of course, she didn’t put it so…colorfully.
“I think there’s something in my shoe.” She sighs as she glances down at her hideous neon-colored running shoes, the kind that looks both ludicrous and outrageously expensive at the same time. “Hold on a sec, okay?” She gives me a little smirk.
I stop walking and watch her take off her shoe. The sunlight is fading into an rusty orange streak as it slips toward the purple horizon, so she fails to see anything when she peers inside. But when she turns the shoe upside down, a small object falls out onto the sidewalk. It looks round, almost like a dollop of poop or something, so of course I have to bend down and inspect it.
“Ewww, it’s a millipede!” I stand back up to poise my foot over it, preparing to smash it to smithereens.
“Wait, no!” She forcefully grabs me by the arm, and even with her tiny body, she manages to shove me a yard or two away from the creepy-crawly creature. “What do you think you’re doing?!” she demands with obvious moral outrage.
“Uh, protecting your honor?” I retort. Come on, she was violated by that stealthy multi-legged worm! Or at least her shoe was.
“It’s just a harmless millipede! It didn’t do anything wrong!” She smiles, crouching down to have a closer look at it. It’s all curled up into a ball, it’s million legs completely hidden by its hard brown shell. It slowly unfurls and starts to wiggle across the sidewalk. “See? It’s so cute!” she fawns over it, her face all animated with a grin.
“Yeah, real cute.” I shake my head.
We manage to have a fairly enjoyable dinner. She eats a huge salad heaped with every vegetable known to mankind, while I scarf down a steak and its rightful, god-ordained companion: steak fries. She tries not to get too grossed out by the salacious way I’m savoring my medium rare rotting cow flesh (as she referred to it multiple times), and I try not to get too grossed out by her unexplainable enthusiasm for broccoli.
“I’m dying to see the estimates,” she says as we head back to Aunt Penny’s house. “I want to get this show on the road!” I nod in agreement, noticing the sun has completely surrendered to the moon, which is hanging over the ocean like a giant pearl. I can hear the waves crashing on the shore from a block away. I’d ask her if she wanted to go down there and take a look, but that feels a little too romantic – i.e. icky – in my book.
“What is the deal with my foot tonight?” she asks as I swing the front door open to what will hopefully soon be a charming beach cottage. “First the millipede, and now it feels…weird and kinda tingly.” She scrunches up her nose with the last word as if she can’t quite decide if she’s freaked out or in pain.
She promptly sits on the plastic-covered couch to take her shoes off. She stretches her sock-covered feet out in front of her, examining them as I head into the kitchen. “Huh, seems normal,” she proclaims. I’m grabbing a beer from my trusty cooler when I hear a loud gasp, quickly followed by a sharp shriek.
I take my time prying the cap off my beer bottle before heading into the living room to see what the fuss is about. I find her gripping her left foot in her hand, her eyes approximately the size of the full moon we saw hanging over the shore.
“Andrew!” she chokes out. “Oh my god, look at my foot!” She moves her hand away to reveal large purple splotches up and down her skin from her big toe to her heel.
“What the hell is that?” I ask. “Looks like purple dye!”
“It’s BURNING!” she screams as the air begins to circulate around her foot.
“What do you mean ‘burning?’”
She doesn’t answer me. Her face turns red as she hops up and down on her right foot all the way into the kitchen where she hoists her slim, perfectly toned leg up onto the counter. She shoves her whole left foot under the faucet, which is turned full-blast on cold.
“Wait, did the millipede do this?” she gasps again. “The millipede!” She turns around to look at me with her dark eyes on fire. “Google it, google it!” she demands, bouncing up and down on her right foot.
“Google what?” I ask her, still confused as hell but highly amused by the scene unfolding in Aunt Penny’s kitchen.
“Google whether or not millipedes can hurt you!” she replies as if I’m a complete moron. It’s the same tone I remember her using in 9th grade when I screwed up the animal we were supposed to dissect in biology class.
I whip my phone out of my pocket, and my thumbs furiously fly across the keyboard until a set of search results appear. My eyes grow to the same size as Sonnet’s as I read aloud: “Certain types of millipedes release a harmful substance if they are threatened or if you handle them roughly. The harmful chemicals in millipede toxin are Hydrochloric acid, Hydrogen cyanide, Organic acids –” I throw my phone on the counter. “Holy shit, Sonnet, you’ve got millipede poisoning!”
“Oh my god, what do I do?” she screams back at me. Her face is contorted with fear and pain, her arms flailing as she wildly gestures at me. I have never seen her look so worried, not even in sixth grade when I snapped her bra so hard the strap broke, and she had to go to the nurse’s office to get some help fixing it. Man, I was such a jerk! No wonder my mom told me to be nice.
I pick up my phone again and continue reading, giving her the highlights, “You may notice a brown stain and/or intense burning and itching.”
“Yes, yes, go on!” she urges me as the cold water continues to run over her splotch-covered foot.
“It says you should wash with soap and water and go to the ER if it’s in your eye. It’s not in your eye, right?”
She shakes her head with a slight sense of relief.
I finish speed-reading the WebMD article. “Looks like you’re good.” I lay the phone back down. “Carry on then,” I encourage her with a little wave and a bow.
Her eyes narrow as she processes my flippant response. “What? That’s it? I’m just going to have these purple marks on my skin or what?”
“Yeah for a while, or so the all-powerful intrawebz say,” I reassure her. I open one of Aunt Penny’s drawers that I suspect contains dishcloths. Turns out I’m right. I hand her one and she pats off her foot, examining the dark patches of skin.
“Oh my god, they’re HOT to the touch!” she gasps.
“Yeah, it’s a chemical burn,” I confirm.
She shakes her head. “Who knew we had poisonous millipedes around here?!”
I laugh. “I bet you wish you’d have let me stomp on it now, don’t you?”
“Don’t even!” she fires back. “Poor little defenseless thing. It’s not its fault my big ole foot tried to squish it!”
“Really?” I look at her incredulously.
“Yeah, it’s still a living creature. I wouldn’t want to harm it!”
“Even though it harmed you?”
She nods emphatically. “I’ll be fine,” she assures me. And just like that, all traces of panic are gone from her face and voice.
I’m honestly impressed her freak out session was so short in duration. Hell, I would have freaked out a lot more. Better her than me, that’s for sure.
K.L. Montgomery grew up in Greencastle, Indiana, and studied psychology and library science at Indiana University. After a career as a librarian, she now writes novels and wrangles three sons and four cats at her home in rural Delaware, which she shares with her husband and the aforementioned creatures. She has an undying love of Broadway musicals, the beach, the color teal, IU basketball, paisleys, and dark chocolate.
HOSTED BY:
Trixsters Anonymous by Ahren Sanders
By Jeri
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2017-07-24
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Sassy, dramatic, hot-headed are just some of the words used to describe me since the time I was born. A few little mishaps growing up and my mom has a running ‘Emerson Baker’ prayer circle, and I have the reputation of a spit-fire that won’t go away.
I prefer the terms loyal, passionate, fiery, and possibly a bit impulsive.
So when my best friend proposes the concept of starting our own business, I jump on the idea.
CHEATERS BEWARE!
That should be our motto… because your secrets can’t stay hidden for long with Trixsters Anonymous on the case.
We are the moonlighting duo hell-bent on helping those who suspect their lovers are cheating. We’re professional, careful, and completely anonymous…What could possibly go wrong?
Walker Scott… that’s what goes wrong.
I never stood a chance against the gorgeous, hazel-eyed, fiercely determined man who storms into my life and completely blindsides me.
He’s the proof that opposites attract—and when they do, the chemistry is explosive.
Did I mention he’s also a detective? A very, very, talented detective?
Pretty soon being a Trixster is a lot more complicated.
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Click HERE to check out the Release Day Giveaway!
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Ahren spent her formative years living in an active volcano. There her family made collectible lava art. She studied rock collecting at the Sorbonne in France. There she met the love of her life-her pet pig Sybil. She returned to the states and started writing. She is happily married to a guy who used to live under a bridge and she met while pole-dancing.
Now, meet the real me. I grew up in the south and consider myself a true “Southerner”. Most of the special locations mentioned in my books are reflections of my favorite places. Living on the Florida coast, my family spends a lot time at the beach, which is where I usually can be found with a book in my hand.
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Release – Claiming Her Innocence by Vivian Wood
By Kate
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2017-07-23
Title: Claiming Her Innocence
Author: Vivian Wood
Genre: Romance
From Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Vivian Wood
He’s gonna make sure he’s her first.
Ryan Scott is big, bad, and he has a body made for sin. When he leaves the SEALs and heads home to D.C., the first person he wants to see is his best friend, Poppy Baker. Just to be around her, of course… nothing funny. Their friendship isn’t like that.
Except… one look at the beautiful blonde and he starts to question how he never thought of her as more than just a friend before. Ryan likes to imagine how it could be more. It doesn’t hurt anyone if it’s just in his head.
When Poppy starts to give him that look — the seductive eyes, the pouty lips, the head cocked just so — he can’t help but imagine bending her over and taking her right there. How her eyes would close, her breasts would bounce, and the noises she would make…
Ryan has to get his act together, because that’s his best friend he’s thinking about. They have a long history together and he can’t lose her friendship. He won’t risk it.
But once Ryan has a taste of Poppy, she’s all he can think about. She’s a walking, talking fantasy… and she’s only a hair breadth away… One wrong move could take what he values most.
Vivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees.
Vivian’s lasting motto in romance is a quote from a favorite song: “Soulmates never die.”
Be sure to follow Vivian through her Vivian’s Vixens mailing list or Facebook group to keep up with all the awesome giveaways, author videos, ARC opportunities, and more!
THE BARS BETWEEN US by A.S. Teague
By Jeri
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2017-07-23
Preorder THE BARS BETWEEN US!
I don’t have a damn thing in common with the beautiful rich girl who walks in to my bar. She’s southern class, fancy cars, and designer shoes.
I’ve got a drunk for a mother, a cheater for a father, and a reputation for trouble I’ve more than earned.
I look the other way, pretending I don’t notice how perfect she is. She wouldn’t give me the time of day anyway. Until she shatters that first impression and shows me she’s so much more––everything I never thought I deserved.
After a lifetime of being a disappointment, I want to prove to her that I’m better than my past.
We have one tragic thing in common, and the thread that binds us together will tear us apart as it unravels.
Are we strong enough to break through the Bars Between Us?
ABOUT A.S. TEAGUE:
A.S. Teague enjoys the warmth of South Carolina with her husband and two daughters.
The stereotypes about peach cobbler and sweet tea are not overstated
After years in the medical field, she is now enjoying every minute of being a stay-at-home mom. She loves wine, the beach, wine on the beach, and crying at Disney movies. When she doesn’t have a book in her hand, she can be found pestering her husband with pictures of animals she wants to rescue, as well as debating whether to exercise or take a nap.
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Going Down Easy by Carly Phillips is FREE for a limited time!
By Jeri
/
2017-07-23
Going Down Easy by Carly Phillips is FREE for a limited time!
✮ ✮ ✮ FREEBIE ALERT! ✮ ✮ ✮
Going Down Easy by Carly Phillips is FREE for a limited time only!
Grab your copy today!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2uEBtrA
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ufn3ND
B&N: http://bit.ly/29cu2um
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iBooks: http://apple.co/
Google Play: http://bit.ly/29mfjjo
Meet Kaden Barnes.
Alpha-licious in the most unexpected ways, Kaden Barnes always gets what he wants.
Enigmatic and exacting, he’s unable to keep an assistant for long. Until Lexie Parker arrives. She’s no-nonsense, efficient and all business… She’s also hot as sin and soon starring in Kaden’s dirtiest fantasies.
When their passion for each other reaches a boiling point, Kaden may think he’s calling the shots, but for this billionaire bad boy, going down easy has never felt so good.