Title: Without You
Author: Jennifer Van Wyk
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance
“Van Wyk slays me with not only her talented writing skills, but also with the way she creates such powerful stories. She is one of very few authors that keeps things original, and I mean that in the best of ways.” ~Ashley, Goodread
Small town romance author Jennifer Van Wyk delivers a friends-to-lovers romance with emotional twists and turns and a touch of humor.
Without her, I was better off.
I knew it the second she walked away and realized how much happier I was.
Knew it the day I interrupted her wedding reception to show her what she was missing and locked eyes with someone I hadn’t seen in years.
Those eyes.
Her smile.
Everything about her turned something around inside me that had been quiet for years.
But I’m not the only one who noticed.
How do I, a grease monkey, compare to what a Nashville star has to offer?
Easy.
Because without her, none of what I’ve taken years to build matters.
Now I get to prove it to her.
Without You is a complete standalone small town romance filled with friendship, love, and second chances.
She moans when I don’t let her answer me and instead kiss her hard, twirling my tongue inside her mouth and pressing my body into her, letting her feel exactly what she’s doing to me.
I grab one of her thighs and lift her leg, wrapping it around my waist. She cries out and grips the back of my shirt, tightening her leg and lifting up on her toes with the other.
Her soft moans and mewls are such a turn-on. Our mouths fit together so perfectly. It’s easily the best kiss I’ve ever had, aside from the last time she and I kissed. But even compared to then…
There’s something about this kiss. Before, we’ve both held back a little bit. This time? We’re devouring one another. We’re all in. We’re falling fast and hard and there’s no end. Damn, I hope she’s feeling that, too.
If I don’t back off, we’ll never go out and while that alternative sounds incredible, I don’t want our first time to be me attacking her against her door.
“Fuck, I don’t want to stop,” I admit on a groan, proving my point by diving back in again.
Katie shakes her head but her lips don’t leave mine. “Then don’t,” she mumbles.
“I’m trying to do the right thing here and you’re making it very hard,” I groan.
“Yes. I feel that.” She does a little shimmy with her hips and grinds against me.
“Katie,” I warn.
She kisses me once more then reaches up higher to whisper in my ear, “You win. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She flounces away and I reach to grab her to pull her back to me, my body alive with desire for her but she slips away, giggling.
After locking up her apartment, I follow her down the stairs to my truck. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just that it seems a lot easier if we just skip to the fun part of the evening.”
From the Ground Up is Jennifer’s first published novel, with the hopes of many more to come. Jennifer makes her home in rural Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen. Jennifer’s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. When she’s not writing or editing/proofreading manuscripts for the many talented authors she’s come to love, she’s sipping coffee or iced tea with her kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.
Title: Between Heaven and Hell
Series: The Guardian series
Author: E.L. Irwin
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing
Genre & Tropes: Romance; New Adult; Fantasy; Supernatural; Angels vs Demons; Good vs Evil
From E.L. Irwin comes the thrilling conclusion to the epic journey of romance and suspense begun in Between Earth and Eden. See how Jane’s story ends in Between Heaven and Hell.
Between heaven and hell…is earth.
For He shall give His angels charge over you…
By his sacrifice…her memories of him removed and her twin, Cash, now restored and awake, Aurek has done what he could to ensure Jane’s safety.
…to keep you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11 NKJV
But dark forces are moving again, that old war is still being waged, and powerful dominions are rising. When Aurek’s protections are shattered and Jane regains her lost memories, she finds herself once more in danger. Now she’ll have to look deep within herself to find the strength to face her fears and to trust her new companions as she travels to the mouth of hell itself to bring Aurek back.
“She was truly delectable, wasn’t she?” Theron crooned in Aurek’s ear. “Those sounds she makes when your mouth is on hers, when your hands are branding her skin, when you’re shattering her mind.”
Aurek didn’t so much as blink his eyes in acknowledgment, though the rage was coursing through him. The thought of Theron and Janet together, in any form, set his blood to boiling. But he kept it all bottled inside, never allowing himself to break.
Theron leaned in and pressed his mouth to the skin on Aurek’s neck. “She liked this; you know? How she’d shudder, her breath coming faster and faster. And her scent. That disgusting human scent of hers… I just wanted to devour her all the time.
“But you know this, don’t you? Don’t you, Aurek? You know firsthand what a treasure Janie is. That’s why you’re here. Letting me do this to you.” Theron ran his hands down Aurek’s back, raking his nails through the tattered skin, ripped open from the whip that Theron had, just moments before, been applying with alacrity.
Aurek kept his gaze ahead, jaw rigid, mind firmly closed against the twisted and warped designs of the demon who held him.
Prepare to embark on a journey with Jane as she discovers what lies Between Earth and Eden.
A child of divorce and abuse, E. L. Irwin found escape in reading and writing, and through the school of hard-knocks, learned to be a fighter. She’s a self-described romantic-rebel who wears her heart on her sleeve and tends to shoot from the hip on subjects that matter. She enjoys riding horses, camping, fishing, wearing heels, shooting her XD.40, tattoos, and of course, a good book and hot coffee.
“Absolute perfection here folks! So good! Definitely a must read!”
Goodreads Review
“This story was certainly romantic and very unique and I loved how the relationship between Gretchen and Weston developed.”
Brittany’s Book Blog
“This book is fantastic! Loved this so much and was lucky enough to read it very early on. Weston is super swoony.” Goodreads Review –
For fans of The Ground Rules trilogy, Weston is back, and naughtier than ever, in this sweet and steamy boss secretary romance.
Gretchen Morris is barely thirty, yet she’s already a widow. Ethan, her two-year old boy, is the light of her life. This is it for her. She will never love anyone like she loved her late husband, Donovan. Every hour, he’s in her thoughts, in her heart, not letting go. She’s completely shattered because he’s gone, and every single day, she must live with the knowledge that she’s the one to blame.
She’s nothing but a hollow shell, going through her life on auto pilot, trying to be strong for Ethan, but failing miserably. She’s looking to become self-sufficient again, to head back into the job market and start a new chapter.
Surprisingly, all it takes is one jolt to bring her back to life; an opportunity to work with the reclusive wealthy man in the penthouse upstairs.
Weston Hanson is odd, beautiful, sweet, playful, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. And he’s as broken as she is. He’s lived a man’s worst nightmare, gone through a divorce, and let go of a woman he loved dearly. He’s still obsessed with this woman and cannot move past the regrets in his life.
Can two people fall in love if their souls are full of broken memories, and their hearts are still held captive by others?
“But this is getting kind of silly, Weston,” I say. “I know it was in the agreement that you could get me gifts but—”
“They’re just flowers, Grasshopper.” He stands and walks toward me. My whole body turns on every time he’s within five feet of me. I love it, but I also kind of hate it. No man has ever had this effect on me. Not even Donovan.
He takes my hand. “They were offered in apology. I’m not quite sure what I’m apologizing for, but last time we played, I upset you.”
I shake my head. “No, you didn’t.”
His brows furrow. “Don’t lie to me. I study people, Gretchen, and I’m very good at reading them. I knew you wanted me the first time I looked into your eyes, and I also know I upset you. You need to tell me what the matter is because I don’t want any secrets between us.”
I blow out a breath. I’m clearly not getting out of this.
“You’ve disappointed me.”
“How so?” he asks with wide eyes.
“I didn’t realize you were the kind of man who could be unfaithful.”
He shakes his head. “How do you mean?”
“The woman you mentioned…” I clarify. “The one you’re trying not to think about. Is she the reason you divorced your wife?”
He hesitates a long beat before speaking, and I wonder if I’ve just hit the nail on the head.
“Kind of… she had a lot to do with our separation,” he confesses. “Quite a lot in fact.”
“Were you having an affair with her?” I ask, desperate to know.
“No,” he says. “Not really. Not in the traditional sense.”
What the hell does that mean?
He blows out a huge breath. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
I don’t hesitate to answer. “Positive.”
AHHHHHHH! If you loved Roya Carmen’s The Rules Breakers Series (The Ground Rules), then you NEED this book. She gave Weston his own story, and nothing could make my heart happier! And if you haven’t read it —what’s wrong with you? Go binge it now! I mean… no worries, you can easily read this one as a standalone and be absolutely fine.
One of the things that I enjoy most about Roya Carmen’s books is that they always have a very real, authentic feel to them. Her characters aren’t these dreamlike, larger than life characters that never do anything wrong. They are real. They are flawed. They make mistakes. In other words, they are like any one of us that pick up these books. They are in one word: Relatable.
In The Boss Upstairs, we have two characters, Gretchen and Weston, who are still grieving the end of their past relationships. Neither thinks that they will ever be able to love again. But when they get together, their chemistry is undeniable. They just click on all levels. And they don’t shy away from their pasts. They (wait for it… novel concept here) actually discuss it with each other. Normally. Naturally. As part of their growing relationship. This makes me just that much more attached to Gretchen and Weston. It made me root for their love even harder.
The Boss Upstairs is a sexy, sweet, heartwarming office romance that will keep you hooked from start to finish!
Roya Carmen is a busy mom, romance writer, designer, bookworm, chocoholic, and hopeless romantic. There’s nothing she enjoys more than making up stories about love, and sharing them with her readers.
I am so excited to celebrate the release of BLACKLISTED by Jay Crownover with you today by participating in the blog tour! BLACKLISTED is part of the Loveless, Texas series and you can grab your copy now. Join Jay’s Group for details about all of her titles.
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a doctor who plays by the rules and the outlaw who breaks them in order to protect her.
Dr. Presley Baskin has always lived a quiet, calm life. Unfortunately, nothing about her life in Loveless, Texas — especially not the wild, rowdy, and impossibly close-knit Lawton family who’ve claimed her — is quiet or calm. Which is how loner Presley finds herself roped into patching up local bad boy Shot Caldwell against her better judgment. Presley wants nothing to do with the dangerous, brooding leader of the local outlaw motorcycle club. But when someone starts stalking her, Shot is the only person she trusts to help. Plus he owes her one . . .
Palmer ‘Shot’ Caldwell has always known his life isn’t made for relationships. At least until shy, secretive, Presley reluctantly pulled a bullet out of him. He’s oddly protective of the pretty doctor, so when she comes to him for help, hard-hearted Shot suddenly realizes there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe.
I always enjoy a good opposites attract romance, and Blacklisted was definitely that!
The book picks up just where we left off in Unforgiven. Presley is a doctor who is used to leading a more solitary life. She is struggling to be comfortable around her newfound family. Shot… well, Shot is nothing like Presley. Presley is quiet and a rule follower. Shot is the president of an MC and doesn’t think twice about bending or breaking the rules. But no matter how different these two are, there is an undeniable connection between them from the very start.
I loved watching these two as their connection and attraction mystified each other. As they became closer and you could see how wonderfully they balanced the other. They really are two halves that fit seamlessly together to make a whole.
Blacklisted was full of feeling, suspense, danger, and heart. It was a great addition to the Loveless series.
About JAY CROWNOVER:
Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
With the stakes this high, it’s no longer just a game for the Mustang’s quarterback in this romance by the author of Blitzed.
Elliot Reed is living her best life—or pretending to. She owes it to her dad’s memory to be happy and make the most of her new job as Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs. Things are going well until star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. decides to use the field as his stage and takes a knee during the national anthem.
As the son of a former professional athlete, Quinton knows the good, the bad, and the ugly about football. He’s worked his entire life to gain recognition in the sport, and now that he has it, he’s not about to waste his chance to change the league for better. Not even the brilliant but infuriating Elliot, who the Mustangs assign to manage him, will get Quinton back in line.
A rocky initial meeting leads to more tension between Quinton and Elliot. But as her new job forces them to spend time together, Elliot realizes they may have more in common than she could’ve imagined. With her job and his integrity on the line, this is one coin toss that nobody can win.
I was so excited when I saw that Alexa Martin had another book releasing in the Playbook series. I devoured her first three books and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one!
I love how the author writes. It always grabs my attention and has me flying through the pages. She writes such colorful characters that I can so easily picture in my head.
While I have loved the first three books (they are all standalones, you can easily pick any book in the series and start there and be 100% fine!), I was pleased to see that this book dealt with current social issues. I know that some people may take issue with that for various reasons, but me — it made me love Snapped that much more! It is important for people to be able to see the struggles that others face with racism, identity, and taking a stand for something they believe in.
The characters and secondary characters are what make these books so special. I want to be able to hang with the girls at HERS (the super cool bar) and would love to have friends that really stand by me and are so invested in things working out for me. And that is what these women share — a true sisterhood.
For me, this book had it all — great characters, tension, romance, emotion, strong bonds of sisterhood, timely issues such as racism, and of course, football — all wrapped up in a sexy story that will keep you entranced from start to finish.
And yes, Alexa Martin, I definitely felt “the love and heart” that you put into this book. Thank you!
Alexa Martin is a writer and stay at home mom. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a former NFL player who now coaches at the high school where they met, their four children, and a German Shepherd. When she’s not telling her kids to put their shoes on…again, you can find her catching up with her latest book boyfriend or on Pinterest pinning meals she’ll probably never make. Her first book, Intercepted, was inspired by the eight years she spent as an NFL wife.
Title: Love to Hate You
Series: Hope Valley
Author: Jessica Prince
Release Date: November 16
Contemporary Romance; Small Town Romance; Single Parent Romance
Micah Langford thought he was happy with his bachelor lifestyle…
until Hayden Young fell into his life and shook things up.
There’s just one problem.
The gorgeous single mother can’t stand the sight of him.
After her husband left her for her best friend, Hayden Young moved to Hope Valley looking for a fresh start for her and her daughter. The last thing she expected was to run into the man who had rocked her world in the middle of the wine section of the local grocery store. And no matter how many times she tells herself she hates the egotistical jerk, she can’t stop the tingle she feels every time she looks at him.
Micah Langford was a man who enjoyed variety. He had absolutely no interest in finding one woman and settling down. Then a one-night-stand from his past—and the best sex of his life—came rolling into town, and the self-proclaimed bachelor started wanting more. The only problem is, she can’t stand the sight of him.
When hate gives way to fire, igniting a passion neither of them can deny, Micah finds himself thinking about the future—or more specifically, how he can fit Hayden into his. But when a case he’s working on heats up, and she starts asking questions he can’t answer, Hayden has a decision to make. She can either take a leap and put her trust in him, or she can let the secrets destroy them.
**Hope Valley is a 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.
Title: Off the Record Series: Nashville Fury, Book 1 Author: Chelle Sloan Genre & Tropes: Contemporary Romance; Sports/football romance; forbidden love
Chelle Sloan brings a story of forbidden love as sports reporter Sadie Benson falls for football coach Hunter McAvoy in Off the Record.
Fans of the Nashville Fury come to me for all things regarding their favorite professional football team. Stats, rumors and even what the players like on their pizza. What they don’t turn to me for is information about how their offensive coordinator is in the bedroom. The answer? It’s too hot for print. My name is Sadie Benson and I committed the cardinal sin of being a female sports reporter: I fell in love with a coach. And not just any coach. Hunter McAvoy. On track to become the youngest head coach in football history. And with one panty-melting smile, he made me realize there is more to life than work. It was the story I never saw coming. We both know this is wrong. We both know we should stay away. We know that if our relationship becomes public, it could ruin everything we have spent our entire lives working for. It’s a chance we are both willing to take.
**The Nashville Fury series is a series of interconnected, standalone, sports romances.**
We keep our word to avoid interview questions for the rest of dinner. We share stories of our childhood and families. Well, I did. I tell him about how my mom died when I was five, and how for a while it was just me and my dad until he married Helen. He doesn’t dive deep into the family well, and I don’t blame him. He does tell me a story about one Halloween when he dressed up as a cheerleader and his sister, Whitley, was the football player.
Now that’s the photo I wish his mom would have shown me in Birmingham.
The conversation is easy and flowing. Before I know it, he has paid our bill and we are walking hand in hand toward Beale Street, still talking about everything and anything. It’s a bit chilly for Memphis in February, but I don’t mind. I’m not ready for this night to be over.
“I can’t believe I’m out with a Tennessee graduate,” he says, giving a shiver as if he said something that tasted horrible on this tongue. “Please tell me you don’t own twenty pieces of orange checkerboard clothing.”
“I do not, but even if I did, it’s better than that houndstooth your school insists on claiming for itself,” I say, giving his shoulder a nudge. “You think I like being seen in public with a ‘Bama man? I have a reputation to uphold, ya know.”
“Your reputation?” he asks, pulling me around so I’m now standing in front of him, our bodies just inches away from each other. “I’m one of the most famous men to ever graduate from my school. How would it look if someone saw me out with you?”
I know we are teasing each other about our schools being rivals, but his words are laced in a double meaning that we are both deeply aware of. I’m now looking up at him, my hand still in his. I feel like I’m short of breath, but it’s not because of the chilly air or the walk. It’s because being this close to Hunter is physically taking my breath away.
“Are you okay?” he asks, but instead of taking a step back, he takes a half a step closer.
I look down for a second, because his gaze is too much for me to handle. “What are we doing?”
My words come out as a whisper, and for a second, I wonder if I actually said them out loud. Especially because Hunter doesn’t answer right away. When I’ve convinced myself I only said those words in my head, he takes my chin in his free hand, tilting my head up to look into his eyes.
“I don’t know, Sadie. All I know is that I can’t not touch you. I need to hold your hand. I needed to know what it would be like walking next to you like you were mine to have.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
My breathy words are the truth, but they taste like a lie as they pass through my lips. The sensation of my hand in Hunter’s feels right. The way he is looking at me right now? Like I’m the most beautiful thing he has ever seen? No other man has ever looked at me like that. No man has made me feel as feminine and as wanted as I do right now.
How can something that feels so right and natural be so wrong?
“Sadie?” Hunter’s words are soft, and even though we are on a busy street in the middle of Memphis, I can hear them like it’s the only sound around us.
“Yes?”
“I know we shouldn’t be doing this. But if I don’t kiss you right now, it will be the biggest regret of my life.”
Then he does. Before I can object, before I can utter again why this is a horrible idea, Hunter leans down and presses his lips against mine. In the middle of Beale Street, with strangers walking past us, with jazz music filling the air, Hunter gives me the best first kiss of my life.
And it is better than any fantasy I have ever had.
Chelle is a contemporary romance author who writes happily ever afters with a lot of love with a little bit of humor mixed in. A native of Ohio, Chelle decided that after a decades-long career in sports journalism, it was time to take a step back. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in journalism and is set to graduate from her program in 2021. She is a diehard Cleveland sports fan, is the owner of way too many, yet not enough, tumblers and will be a New Kids on the Block fan until the day she dies. She also does her best writing at Starbucks, where you can usually find a venti caramel frappucino on her table. As for her own happily every after? Maybe one day…
Title: Between Earth and Eden
Series: The Guardian series
Author: E.L. Irwin
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing
Genre & Tropes: Romance; New Adult; Fantasy; Supernatural; Angels vs Demons; Good vs Evil
From E.L. Irwin comes a new supernatural series filled with romance and suspense. Prepare to embark on a journey with Jane as she discovers what lies Between Earth and Eden.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers…
Long ago, when First Eden fell, when the Deceiver came, bringing untruth and corruption, a new realm was formed to blanket the earth. New Eden it was called. Like fabric lovingly stitched together, it was put in place, unseen, to keep the denizens of Earth safe. But war has broken out and fierce battles are being waged between good and evil for the souls of humanity. Guardians, appointed by the King Himself are all that stand between Earth and Eden, between their salvation and their destruction.
Though human and thoroughly unaware of the supernatural world around her, Jane Tanner finds herself hunted and caught up in a web of dark forces. Her twin brother Cash has already fallen prey to one of Hell’s own. Now, to keep her safe, Jane’s Guardian will move heaven and earth to ensure her protection. But those dark powers are moving and dominions are rising and Jane’s Guardian will need to decide quickly just how far he’ll need to go to fulfill his duty and covenant oath.
…against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12, NKJV
It was warmer today than it has been for the last couple of weeks. I didn’t think the weather could quite decide what it wanted — spring, or summer, or fall — though it was still the middle of June. The sun was hot and bright overhead; I had the moonroof open and the stereo on. Turning the corner onto Meridian, I casually followed the wide curve in the road. Suddenly, the rock station I’d been listening to went out, and my speakers were humming nothing but static. Please not again, I prayed as I hit the search button and crossed my fingers. The next clear station tuned in just as Jace Everett’s Bad Things came on. Passing my closest neighbor’s house, I was just approaching the large stand of birch that marked the edges of our property when a football went flying past my windshield.
The brakes squealed loudly as I stomped the pedal and swallowed my heart back down. Looking around in alarm, I wondered if the neighbor kids were playing too close to the road. As I glanced to the right, the direction the ball had come from, I did a doubletake, my heart stuttering in my chest.
A man I’d never seen before — and would have remembered if I had — was jogging toward me. He wore jeans slung low on his hips, and he was fairly muscled. His skin was deeply tanned and glistened a little with his exertions. I could see this quite clearly because he wasn’t wearing a shirt, just those jeans and a pair of shoes. My mouth dried out a little as I took him in. Such was the impact he was having on me that I failed to acknowledge the warning growl that sounded in my head. My heart was tripping inside my chest and I swallowed to ease the tightness in my throat.
Jerking my eyes from his body and up to his face, hoping he hadn’t seen my physical assessment of him, I found his eyes were trained right on me. Gulping, I tried to get my heart rate lowered to an acceptable level. The man jogged across the road and deftly scooped up the football, then came over to my window. I didn’t remember rolling it down, but as he approached me, I became aware my window was indeed down.
His mouth lifting enticingly, knowingly, and he leaned his right hand on the window frame. “Sorry about that,” he said in a beautiful Irish accent, his tone indicating he wasn’t really sorry at all, that maybe he’d intended to get my attention.
Smiling back — I couldn’t help it really — I replied as calmly as I could. “No worries.”
“Didn’t scare you, did I?” he asked, his voice teasing.
I shook my head. “Just startled me.”
His eyes were black, deep pits of darkness, like an endless ocean, bottomless, and effortlessly pulling me in. His hair was shiny, black like a raven’s wing, his teeth very white. I could smell him. Some dark, spicy, smoky kind of cologne. Even sweaty, he smelled good. Wow. The snarling in my head was becoming ferocious, but I did my best to ignore it. This man was entirely too intriguing to overlook. He effortlessly commanded my attention.
“I’m Jane. Jane Tanner,” I said in introduction, trying to get a grip on myself, my body, my mind, the snarling warning. Sticking my hand out the window, I waited for him to take it.
His mouth lifted again in a crooked grin, one designed to pull me further in, even as his hand grasped mine. When he did, I felt a shock all the way through my system, everything going haywire for a moment. The snarling voice was instantly silenced, and for a brief second the world around me seemed to have leached away. Instead of shaking my hand as I’d intended, he lifted it and lightly grazed the back of my knuckles with his lips, causing a new ripple to cascade through me.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Jane Tanner.” His brogue was soft and enchanting, enticing, and I nearly melted on the spot.
It was the sound of my Jeep, the engine idling in high-pitched protest, that alerted me to the idea that I needed to move, needed to not be stationary in the middle of the road. I’d been sitting here in shocked disbelief ever since I’d watched as he loped away from my vehicle, back toward my neighbor’s house. My hand was tingling — still — from where his lips had touched me. It took a few moments for me to come to any coherent thoughts, and the first one was that I really did need to get out of the road. The second was that I hadn’t gotten his name; I didn’t even know who he was.
It was warmer today than it has been for the last couple of weeks. I didn’t think the weather could quite decide what it wanted — spring, or summer, or fall — though it was still the middle of June. The sun was hot and bright overhead; I had the moonroof open and the stereo on. Turning the corner onto Meridian, I casually followed the wide curve in the road. Suddenly, the rock station I’d been listening to went out, and my speakers were humming nothing but static. Please not again, I prayed as I hit the search button and crossed my fingers. The next clear station tuned in just as Jace Everett’s Bad Things came on. Passing my closest neighbor’s house, I was just approaching the large stand of birch that marked the edges of our property when a football went flying past my windshield.
The brakes squealed loudly as I stomped the pedal and swallowed my heart back down. Looking around in alarm, I wondered if the neighbor kids were playing too close to the road. As I glanced to the right, the direction the ball had come from, I did a doubletake, my heart stuttering in my chest.
A man I’d never seen before — and would have remembered if I had — was jogging toward me. He wore jeans slung low on his hips, and he was fairly muscled. His skin was deeply tanned and glistened a little with his exertions. I could see this quite clearly because he wasn’t wearing a shirt, just those jeans and a pair of shoes. My mouth dried out a little as I took him in. Such was the impact he was having on me that I failed to acknowledge the warning growl that sounded in my head. My heart was tripping inside my chest and I swallowed to ease the tightness in my throat.
Jerking my eyes from his body and up to his face, hoping he hadn’t seen my physical assessment of him, I found his eyes were trained right on me. Gulping, I tried to get my heart rate lowered to an acceptable level. The man jogged across the road and deftly scooped up the football, then came over to my window. I didn’t remember rolling it down, but as he approached me, I became aware my window was indeed down.
His mouth lifting enticingly, knowingly, and he leaned his right hand on the window frame. “Sorry about that,” he said in a beautiful Irish accent, his tone indicating he wasn’t really sorry at all, that maybe he’d intended to get my attention.
Smiling back — I couldn’t help it really — I replied as calmly as I could. “No worries.”
“Didn’t scare you, did I?” he asked, his voice teasing.
I shook my head. “Just startled me.”
His eyes were black, deep pits of darkness, like an endless ocean, bottomless, and effortlessly pulling me in. His hair was shiny, black like a raven’s wing, his teeth very white. I could smell him. Some dark, spicy, smoky kind of cologne. Even sweaty, he smelled good. Wow. The snarling in my head was becoming ferocious, but I did my best to ignore it. This man was entirely too intriguing to overlook. He effortlessly commanded my attention.
“I’m Jane. Jane Tanner,” I said in introduction, trying to get a grip on myself, my body, my mind, the snarling warning. Sticking my hand out the window, I waited for him to take it.
His mouth lifted again in a crooked grin, one designed to pull me further in, even as his hand grasped mine. When he did, I felt a shock all the way through my system, everything going haywire for a moment. The snarling voice was instantly silenced, and for a brief second the world around me seemed to have leached away. Instead of shaking my hand as I’d intended, he lifted it and lightly grazed the back of my knuckles with his lips, causing a new ripple to cascade through me.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Jane Tanner.” His brogue was soft and enchanting, enticing, and I nearly melted on the spot.
It was the sound of my Jeep, the engine idling in high-pitched protest, that alerted me to the idea that I needed to move, needed to not be stationary in the middle of the road. I’d been sitting here in shocked disbelief ever since I’d watched as he loped away from my vehicle, back toward my neighbor’s house. My hand was tingling — still — from where his lips had touched me. It took a few moments for me to come to any coherent thoughts, and the first one was that I really did need to get out of the road. The second was that I hadn’t gotten his name; I didn’t even know who he was.
Prepare to embark on a journey with Jane as she discovers what lies Between Earth and Eden.
A child of divorce and abuse, E. L. Irwin found escape in reading and writing, and through the school of hard-knocks, learned to be a fighter. She’s a self-described romantic-rebel who wears her heart on her sleeve and tends to shoot from the hip on subjects that matter. She enjoys riding horses, camping, fishing, wearing heels, shooting her XD.40, tattoos, and of course, a good book and hot coffee.
Title: Bittersweet Author: Jessica Prince Series: Redemption Romance: Contemporary, Small Town, Second Chance, Single Parent
I loved Jensen Rose with everything I had; then he stomped my heart to dust. Now I hate him, so why is it that I can’t get the sexy, infuriating father of my child out of my head?
She thought he was just a cocky, spoiled rich kid. She had it so very wrong.
Shane Hendrix had a hundred-foot reinforced steel wall around her heart to keep people out, so when she first laid eyes on Jensen Rose, she wanted nothing to do with him. But what started as disdain quickly grew into something so much more. He went from being the boy she hated to the man she loved with all her heart. Then he left without so much as a goodbye, leaving her shattered.
Jensen Rose didn’t have much good in his life. That was until he stumbled on a ray of light standing in the middle of his bedroom. He had to have her, and once he did, he loved her with every single piece of himself. But when his past threatened to rip them apart, he did the only thing he could think to protect her. He walked away.
When he returned to Redemption, Tennessee, it was with every intention of winning back the love of his life. But she’s not giving in without a fight.
And this is a battle he intends to win.
**The Redemption series is a 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.
Title: Without You
Author: Jennifer Van Wyk
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance
Release Date: November 12
Cover Design: Oh So Novel
Small town romance author Jennifer Van Wyk delivers a friends-to-lovers romance with emotional twists and turns and a touch of humor.
Without her, I was better off.
I knew it the second she walked away and realized how much happier I was.
Knew it the day I interrupted her wedding reception to show her what she was missing and locked eyes with someone I hadn’t seen in years.
Those eyes.
Her smile.
Everything about her turned something around inside me that had been quiet for years.
But I’m not the only one who noticed.
How do I, a grease monkey, compare to what a Nashville star has to offer?
Easy.
Because without her, none of what I’ve taken years to build matters.
Now I get to prove it to her.
Without You is a complete standalone small town romance filled with friendship, love, and second chances.
From the Ground Up is Jennifer’s first published novel, with the hopes of many more to come. Jennifer makes her home in rural Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen. Jennifer’s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. When she’s not writing or editing/proofreading manuscripts for the many talented authors she’s come to love, she’s sipping coffee or iced tea with her kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.
Title: Bittersweet Author: Jessica Prince Series: Redemption Romance: Contemporary, Small Town, Second Chance, Single Parent
I loved Jensen Rose with everything I had; then he stomped my heart to dust. Now I hate him, so why is it that I can’t get the sexy, infuriating father of my child out of my head?
She thought he was just a cocky, spoiled rich kid. She had it so very wrong.
Shane Hendrix had a hundred-foot reinforced steel wall around her heart to keep people out, so when she first laid eyes on Jensen Rose, she wanted nothing to do with him. But what started as disdain quickly grew into something so much more. He went from being the boy she hated to the man she loved with all her heart. Then he left without so much as a goodbye, leaving her shattered.
Jensen Rose didn’t have much good in his life. That was until he stumbled on a ray of light standing in the middle of his bedroom. He had to have her, and once he did, he loved her with every single piece of himself. But when his past threatened to rip them apart, he did the only thing he could think to protect her. He walked away.
When he returned to Redemption, Tennessee, it was with every intention of winning back the love of his life. But she’s not giving in without a fight.
And this is a battle he intends to win.
**The Redemption series is a series of interconnected, standalone, small town romances.**
“Sure you’ve noticed already, but it looks like big brother wants to rip your organs out through a hole he’s plannin’ to punch in your chest.”
I turned to look over my shoulder toward the section I knew Shane’s family would be sitting in, along with their other friends. They never sat anywhere else but at the pool tables whenever they came in. And sure enough, Stone Hendrix was looking at me exactly how Gage had described.
The dude had about two inches on me and a couple pounds worth of muscle. Every inch of his beefy arms was covered in colorful ink in intricate designs, only making him look even more menacing than he already did.
I’d only met the man twice back when Shane and I were together, but it had been enough for the dude to scare the absolute piss out of me. Now, not so much. I hadn’t been in a fight in years, but that didn’t mean I’d gotten rusty. If anything, with the skills I’d picked up during my time in the service, I was even better at it than I had been back then. It was just that I had my anger issues in check now.
I looked to his left and spotted Scooter sitting next to him—only slightly smaller but no less threatening—looking at me with the same scowl. Instead of turning away, I jerked my chin up, letting them know I wasn’t going to be intimidated into leaving. They knew why I was here. Hell, everyone in Redemption knew. I was here to get my family back, and I wasn’t going to let anyone get in the way of that.
I just absolutely love the small towns that Jessica creates. And I am super grateful that she chooses to write interconnected standalones in these towns. For me, it is the best of both worlds — we get a story that stands all on its own while at the same time continuing to be able to check-in and visit with old friends.
Bittersweet was another excellent addition to Redemption. Second chance romances have always been something that I gravitate toward. What I especially appreciated about this one was that we got flashbacks to their past. We got to see exactly how and why they first fell for each other and then the wreckage that followed. Both Shane and Jensen have grown so much since they fell for each other as teens, and I am so glad we got to see that evolution.
And can we take a moment to discuss their five-year-old son, Brantley? That little hurricane brought a smile to my face every time he crashed into the story (and I do me crashed! LOL)
Bittersweet was a sexy, sweet read that hit all the right buttons for me.
The Redemption series is a 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.
Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.
Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.
I didn’t know he was a rock star.
I didn’t know his real name.
Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.
And I sure never expected to see him again.
Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.
At a quarter to twelve, I kissed Vivi goodbye, leaving her to play a hand of Go Fish with Adam. I climbed onto my old bike, first pedaling in the wrong direction to pick up a six-pack of beer at the store. “Adam shouldn’t drink so much,” my father said, writing down my purchase on our home tally.
“He’s fine,” I mumbled, feeling guilty for allowing my father to assume that the beer was for Adam. But I was too busy quaking from nerves to invent another explanation.
The stop at the store had used up a good solid two minutes. So I put the beer in the bike basket, then pedaled slowly back around the lake. I needed to get my head in the game. I’d sit Jonas down and calmly tell him what had happened. He’d listen. He’d be shocked, but then he’d be okay with it.
He just had to be.
I pedaled onward toward the Nest Lake Lodge, which was just a rustic, oversized house with beds for ten people and a big communal bathroom. Most of its customers were there for fishing weekends, or family reunions.
When I was a little girl, I’d thought of the lodge as a place that rich people rented. Now I knew better. Rich people didn’t come to Nest Lake at all. They went to Kennebunkport and the coast.
Last night I’d slept very poorly, tossing and turning in my old bedroom, thinking about Jonas Smith and the bomb I was about to drop on him. The beer bottles gave a little rattle as I went over a rock. I’d bought Shipyard’s Summer Ale, which had been Jonas’s favorite all those years ago.
Now there was a clue that I’d missed. During our summer together, he’d drunk expensive local microbrews, which was not the stuff of starving composers. I’d been too much in awe of him to stop and wonder about things like that.
The other gift I’d brought for Jonas was the photograph of Vivi in my back pocket. Our one night together had totally changed my life. And now it would upset his.
I pulled up in front of the lodge and leaned my bike against the furrowed bark of a pine tree. The ride had taken barely any time at all.
Stalling, I stared at the giant tour bus parked twenty feet away. It was purple, and there was a picture of Jonas’s face on the side.
“Ugly, isn’t it?”
I whirled around to see him watching me from the steps up to the lodge’s private dock.
“It’s okay, you can say it.” He smiled at me, crossing his arms. “When I complained, they told me that tasteful busses don’t sell records.”
I had absolutely nothing at all to say to that. In fact, I’d forgotten how to speak entirely. My mouth was bone dry, and my knees felt spongy. To hide my growing anxiety, I reached into the bike basket for the beer.
“Oh, yes!” he said when he saw the label. “I can’t believe you remembered. I haven’t had any of this in a long time. Thanks.”
I smiled weakly as he crossed the gravel drive and took it out of my hands.
“You want this left open, Jonas?” another voice called out. I looked up to see a tall black man stepping down from the bus door, his arms around a pile of sheets and towels. “You can show her the bus,” the man offered. “It’s almost civilized again.”
“No thanks, man,” Jonas said. His chin dipped, as if he was embarrassed by the idea.
“Ethan, this is my friend Kira. Kira, Ethan is my boss.”
Ethan laughed, as if Jonas had made a joke. He tucked the laundry under one arm so that he could hold out a hand to me, which I shook. “I’m the tour manager,” he said. “It’s a really thankless job, but somebody has to do it.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said, finding my rusty voice.
“Likewise.” He gave me a big smile. “I’ll find you both with lunch,” the man said, before striding away.
“Thanks, Ethan.” Jonas held a hand out to me and cleared his throat. “You okay, Kira?”
No, I sure wasn’t. But I needed a little privacy to say my piece. “Is there somewhere we can talk?” I took his hand, and when his warm fingers clasped mine, I had to close my eyes for a moment. For five years I’d believed that I would never again feel his touch. And now having him so close to me was torture.
“Sure,” he whispered.
Holding my hand, he led me up onto the deck. The dock angled off in one direction, but we made a left turn around the front of the building, where two people were lazing on lounge chairs. Seated under an umbrella, the woman I’d seen on the beach yesterday was reading a book. She was unnervingly beautiful, with long, blond hair and a tiny silver ring in her cute nose.
A man—tattooed and scruffy-looking—lay back in the sun in the chair next to hers.
Jonas ignored them both, leading me across the deck without a word. As we approached the far end of the space, the guy called out to Jonas. “Whatcha got there? Aren’t you going to share?”
“Fuck off, Nixon,” Jonas said without a glance in his direction.
“I meant the beer.” The guy laughed.
“With you, a guy can never be sure.” Jonas stopped when we reached the end of the deck. He dropped my hand in order to take two striped towels from a neatly folded stack. “Kira, this is Nixon, our lead guitar. And Quinn, our drummer.”
They both murmured greetings, while watching me with undisguised curiosity. “Nice to meet you,” I repeated.
“Watch your step, Sweetness,” Jonas said as we approached a ramp down to the grass below.
That’s when I heard a sharp intake of breath from Nixon. “No shit,” he whispered.
I looked up to find him staring at me. In fact, now everyone was staring. “Is something the matter?” I murmured.
“Not a damned thing,” Jonas replied, reaching for my hand.
Sarina Bowen is the award-winning author of more than thirty contemporary novels. She has hit the USA Today bestseller’s list thirteen times and counting. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.
Sarina is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. On a few wooded acres, she lives with her husband, two boys, and an ungodly amount of ski and hockey gear.
Sarina’s books are published in a dozen languages on four continents.
About JAY CROWNOVER:
The Redemption series is a series of interconnected, standalone, small town romances.
Love Affair With Ficti 