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Blurb
Walking away would be the smartest decision, but no one’s ever accused me of being smart. Cold, determined, brutal, but never smart.
Willa’s mine from the moment I rescue her. I protect her from a brawling crowd and she stares up at me like I’m her prince charming. No one’s ever looked at me like that. No one has ever dared to come that close.
I didn’t know she was the little sister of one of my biggest rivals. Her brother and I have both drawn blood on the field, dislocated joints, broken bones, but I’ll never want to show her that side of me.
I long to be the man she believes I am, but there’s only one way I know how to win—how to survive—and that’s ensuring my enemies lose.
Once he finds out who his sister has been dating it’ll be all-out war, and I might lose the only woman who’s ever looked at me like I’m not built only for destruction.
Changing my ways won’t be easy, but I’m willing to risk it all for her.
The only problem is she’s my band’s manager, and if we get caught, she loses her job.
I only wanted one night with her. One night to fuck her out of my system and be done with her.
The only problem is after one taste of Pen, I’m addicted. I can’t get enough of her, and she’s pushing me away.
She says what we had is a lapse in judgement, but I have to disagree. It’s the most sane thing I’ve ever done, and I’ll do anything to get her back underneath me, beside me, and to make her mine even if that means ruining what I’ve worked so hard to build up.
From the moment they meet, Pen & Walker are drawn to each other, but contract clauses and insecurities have them – especially Pen – wary. But as their feelings deepen and it becomes harder to hide how happy they make each other, will their love story have a happy ending?
This had a pretty good angst-y vibe to it, with lots of off-stage drama that kept me hooked on the story. I really liked Walker, and he and Pen were really great together, with great chemistry between them.
I recommend this read. Pen & Walker’s story isn’t all sweetness and smooth sailing, but it sure is one that was good to read.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Meet Harlow Layne
Indie Author. Romance Writer. Reader. Mom. Wife. Dog Lover. Addicted to all things Happily Ever After and Amazon.
Harlow Layne is a hopeless romantic who is known for her contemporary writing style of beautiful slow-burn, sweet, sexy and swoon-worthy alpha and fast pace, super steamy romance in her Love is Blind series.
Harlow wrote fanfiction for years before she decided to try her hand at a story that had been swimming in her head for years.
When Harlow’s not writing you’ll find her online shopping on Amazon, Facebook, or Instagram, reading, or hanging out with her family and two dogs.
The only problem is she’s my band’s manager, and if we get caught, she loses her job.
I only wanted one night with her. One night to fuck her out of my system and be done with her.
The only problem is after one taste of Pen, I’m addicted. I can’t get enough of her, and she’s pushing me away.
She says what we had is a lapse in judgement, but I have to disagree. It’s the most sane thing I’ve ever done, and I’ll do anything to get her back underneath me, beside me, and to make her mine even if that means ruining what I’ve worked so hard to build up.
Indie Author. Romance Writer. Reader. Mom. Wife. Dog Lover. Addicted to all things Happily Ever After and Amazon.
Harlow Layne is a hopeless romantic who is known for her contemporary writing style of beautiful slow-burn, sweet, sexy and swoon-worthy alpha and fast pace, super steamy romance in her Love is Blind series.
Harlow wrote fanfiction for years before she decided to try her hand at a story that had been swimming in her head for years.
When Harlow’s not writing you’ll find her online shopping on Amazon, Facebook, or Instagram, reading, or hanging out with her family and two dogs.
The Mastermind, a standalone novella set in the Rivers Wilde World from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dylan Allen and 1,001 Dark Nights is now available!
He lives under a golden spotlight. I’m shackled to a past that must stay hidden.
Omar Solomon is the king of the comeback. Ten years ago his career as a star athlete ended in injury and scandal. He may have traded in his cleats for Gucci loafers, but he’s been as victorious in the boardroom as he was on the pitch.
He returns to London, wealthy, influential, and powerful beyond measure. And he spends every weekend in the pub where I work. A law student with a night job and a dark past, I’m hardly the type of woman a man like him would notice.
Or so I thought.
When he offers me a no-strings-attached affair, I forget all the reasons I should say no. He’s straight out of my dreams— with a body and a mouth made for sinning.
Our passion turns my gray existence into a vibrant, colorful life. But it has an expiration date.
When his time in London is over, we will be, too. And it will be for the best. Because he can never find out who I really am.
But my Mastermind has set his sights on a new goal: me. And this time he’s playing for keeps.
**Every 1,001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Dylan Allen has been on my TBR list for some time, but this blurb of this novella really caught my attention. It hinted at intrigue and I was hooked.
“Staying alive and living aren’t the same thing, and I’ve only ever been able to do one at a time.”
Jules has been beaten down in life, and she’s always trying to claw herself out of the depressing hole of her life. Working multiple jobs to assuage her guilt and keep her demons at bay, she is blindsided by the attraction and depth of feeling she develops for Omar, former world famous athlete. Though she originally thought they’d be temporary, her heart has already decided that Omar will stay in it permanently. When her past comes knocking, though, their new relationship will be put to the test.
Omar is a hero you love almost immediately. He’s drawn to Jules in a way he’s never been drawn to a woman before.
“…the beauty that first caught my notice has become the secondary driver of my attraction and respect for her.”
Confused and hurt with family issues, he finds peace in Jules, and seeks to become hers, too. But when the woman he’s falling for suddenly begins keeping secrets, he’s worried that he’s been taken for a fool all over again.
I loved this read. It was romantic, with bits of suspense and lots of twists and turns – but pretty inspiring. It was longer than I expected a novella to be, but it was a satisfying read. At the end, I found myself wishing for more of Jules & Omar. I very much enjoyed the author’s references to calypso/soca music; I felt seen!
I recommend this read wholeheartedly and unreservedly. Jules & Omar will wow you.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Excerpt
He cuts through the crowd of people in glamorous garb, crystal cut tumblers or fragile flutes in their wildly gesticulating hands. Yet they seem to move just as he wants them to so that he doesn’t need to turn sideways to accommodate his broad shoulders or taper his remarkably long strides. Long strides that are bringing him straight toward me. I barely have time to spin around before he’s right behind me. “Scotch on the rocks,” he tells the bartender when he slides onto the empty barstool next to me. I disguise my gasp as a cough, place a hand on the bar to steady myself, and stare straight ahead. The young man nods and grabs a glass. “We’ve got Macallan 18 for the masses, but I’ve got a bottle of Craigelachhie that might be more to your taste.” “I don’t really care, whichever,” he responds in a voice that’s not rude but doesn’t match the adoration in the server’s. Undeterred, the young man leans forward across the bar and lowers his voice to a loud whisper. “I know you’ve been gone a while, but I’m still a huge fan, Mastermind. Can I snap a selfie?” To my surprise, Omar doesn’t rebuff the bartender. “Only if you promise you won’t post it for a bit. No one knows I’m in London yet, and I’d like to keep it that way for just a few more weeks.” I watched an interview from very early on in his career when he was asked about his dislike of public availabilities. He explained that he understood it was part of the job. So he did it. “I play for the love of the game, and if I had my way, I wouldn’t do any interviews at all. I don’t even know why you want to interview me. I say everything I need to out on that pitch. I get it. I had sports heroes, too. But when they fall off the pedestals you put them on, you swoop in and eat them alive.” That interview would prove prescient when he left Chelsea years later. The press tore him to shreds for sitting out an entire season, leaving as soon as he became a free agent and basically abandoning London, his fans, and his team. He still doesn’t talk to the press regularly, but he doesn’t leave their accusations unanswered. He became his own press secretary and posted videos on social media pushing back on false headlines. And when they lost interest, he started sharing his private pictures. And sued newspapers that used his images without his permission. I watch the exchange between him and the bartender out of the corner of my eye and am giddy that the wickedly sweet dimple is as deep as I’d imagined. And God, I want to lick it. One day, my pretty. This has to be a sign. He’s so far out of my league, I shouldn’t be able to see him. And at the pub, I wouldn’t dare approach him. But here I am, close enough to see and touch. And I look good tonight. I’m glad I took special care to send my most fashionable friend off. The bustier I invested in makes my otherwise unimpressively small breasts look their very best in the very low neckline of my scarlet red minidress. It’s hugging every inch of a body that even CrossFit and a vegan diet couldn’t kill the curves on. The lighting in this ballroom sets off the healthy glow of my bare legs, shoulders, décolletage, and back that is courtesy of my homemade sugar scrub. It leaves me smelling like a tropical garden at midnight. Liquid courage and my heels give me height and confidence that override my nerves, and I shoot my shot. “Do you want to dance?” I ask loudly so there’s no way he won’t hear me. Those wolf eyes slant down to look at me, unblinking, the smile he’d given the bartender long gone. There’s no flicker of recognition, but there’s no mistaking the interest as he stares at me. He’s never done more than look past me at the pub, so I don’t know why I’m disappointed that he doesn’t recognize me. “Excuse me? I didn’t hear you,” he says when he finally speaks. His voice. It’s deep, smooth—no gravel but a lot of bass. And is there anything sexier than an American accent? I smile as widely as I can manage, the punters at the Effra call it my traffic stopping smile. Then I break my golden rule and repeat myself. “Would you like to dance?” He doesn’t return my smile, and when he turns to look at the dance floor, that scowl reappears. “I don’t dance,” he comments without looking back at me. I follow his gaze. “Childhood trauma on the dance floor?” I ask with a teasing grin. His lips tug up a little, but he doesn’t smile. “No. General observation. People look ridiculous when they dance.” I can’t deny that. But I shake my head in disagreement. “They’re having fun, not putting on a show.” He shrugs. “That’s not my idea of fun. Like I said, I don’t dance.” He reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out his phone, and glances at it. He gives me a quick, stiff smile. “I’m sorry, but I have to take this call.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all and doesn’t wait for me to respond before he walks off. “Ouch,” the bartender drawls, and I want to glare at him and tell him I didn’t ask for his feedback. But he’s so right I can’t be mad. “I know,” I groan. “For what it’s worth, if I wasn’t working I wouldn’t have said no.” He grins, and I wish I was attracted to him instead of Omar. I smile gratefully and take the refill he hands me. But a few sips of it while swaying by myself to a song I’ve never heard before only makes me feel worse. I put my glass on the tray of a passing server and head to the coat check to collect my things.
About Dylan Allen Dylan Allen is a Texas girl with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-proclaimed happily ever junkie, she loves creating stories where her characters chase their own happy endings. When she isn’t writing or reading, eating or cooking, she and her family are planning their next adventure.
He’s the man of her dreams. But their love has an expiration date.
The Mastermind, a swoon-worthy standalone novella set in the Rivers Wilde World from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dylan Allen and 1,001 Dark Nights is now available!
He lives under a golden spotlight. I’m shackled to a past that must stay hidden.
Omar Solomon is the king of the comeback. Ten years ago his career as a star athlete ended in injury and scandal. He may have traded in his cleats for Gucci loafers, but he’s been as victorious in the boardroom as he was on the pitch.
He returns to London, wealthy, influential, and powerful beyond measure. And he spends every weekend in the pub where I work. A law student with a night job and a dark past, I’m hardly the type of woman a man like him would notice.
Or so I thought.
When he offers me a no-strings-attached affair, I forget all the reasons I should say no. He’s straight out of my dreams— with a body and a mouth made for sinning.
Our passion turns my gray existence into a vibrant, colorful life. But it has an expiration date.
When his time in London is over, we will be, too. And it will be for the best. Because he can never find out who I really am.
But my Mastermind has set his sights on a new goal: me. And this time he’s playing for keeps.
**Every 1,001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
About Dylan Allen Dylan Allen is a Texas girl with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-proclaimed happily ever junkie, she loves creating stories where her characters chase their own happy endings. When she isn’t writing or reading, eating or cooking, she and her family are planning their next adventure.
J. Saman has revealed the
cover for Doctor Heartless!
Releasing March 7, 2022
He’s cruel. Insufferably attractive. And broken beyond redemption.
After the nightmare I just ran from, those details should have made him the perfect storm of do not touch. Except I didn’t know any of this–other than the attractive part—when I met him. Our story started on a lie.
He pretended to be someone else, and I didn’t ask a lot of questions. Nor did I try to stop him when he snuck out of my hotel room in the wee hours of the morning. I was determined to start my new life on an uptick and a wild one-night with a hot stranger felt like just the ticket.
Only I should have known something that good wouldn’t end that easy.
On my first night in my new house, our paths cross again when I discover he’s my new neighbor. No longer the charming man I met in the bar, he’s a grump, completely unfriendly, and utterly intolerable. As if this couldn’t get any worse, I quickly learn I’m also his daughter’s new teacher.
A wonderful daughter I can’t help but fall in love with.
Something I refuse to do with him. Our button-pushing back and forth never fails to get under my skin. If anything, his sudden off-limits status makes resisting this devil of a single dad that much easier.
Regardless of the temptation he presents. How searing his heated gaze is when I catch him staring. Or how breathless our stolen moments leave us.
After all, this is the fresh start I so desperately need, and I will not let anything get in my way.
No. I can’t give in to Doctor Heartless. No matter how hard he tries to change my mind.
Cover Designer:Lori Jackson Designs Photographer: Rafa Catala Model: Jorge
J. Saman is a USA Today bestselling author who is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).
She’s an admitted lover of second chance romances, love triangles, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing contemporary romance filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side–especially for their women.
Having to attend my sister’s wedding with a pretend boyfriend had been bad enough, but when that fake date left me stranded an hour before the ceremony, I thought my life was over. No one wore disappointment as poorly as my mother, and I’d already given her a thousand reasons to wish I’d never been born.
Which was why, when a random stranger sat beside me at the bus stop, wearing a crisp suit and a winning smile as though God himself had heard my woeful prayers, I wasted no time in making a rushed deal with the devil:
A night of his time in exchange for money I didn’t have.
It sounded so simple. It sounded easy… if only cash had been what Fraser Scott wanted at the end of the night. A man like him, with his intense grey eyes, hard muscles, and obvious charm didn’t need his wallet filling. He didn’t need anything I was willing to offer freely.
By the time it was all over, what Fraser demanded, in fact, was me…
And it turned out that Fraser wasn’t the kind of man who walked away from a deal without coming out on top.
Review
This is a story that I absolutely adored.
“Some experiences had to be treated like a dream – a well-played trick of the mind that once made you feel alive when really you were fast asleep.”
Fraser & Charlotte’s romance could have easily been a regular fake-relationship-turned-real trope that had a cute ending, but Vicki James made The Bad Wedding Date so much more than a title, bigger than the book’s description, and into a story that made reading it an immense joy.
Charlotte meets Fraser serendipitously, it seems, as she is stood up by her fake date to her sister’s wedding. With Fraser surprising her at every turn, Charlotte must decide whether this new version of herself she is whenever he’s around is one she wants to keep forever, or if her time is supposed to be only a short, sweet memory.
“I promise to be the best mistake you’ve ever made.”
I loved Fraser. He’s all protector on the outside but sweet and considerate on the inside. His tug of war with himself was all the more endearing, since I could tell he only wanted the best for Charlotte. Meeting her has allowed him to focus on something else: truly living life.
“Sometimes, in the middle of chaos lies beauty. Charlotte happened to be mine.”
I liked Charlotte’s quiet, understated and underestimated strength. Unlike the rest of her family, she truly is a good person, with a stubborn sort of determination to be different no matter what it costs. Yet, she is a bit lost. Fraser gives her the confidence to accept herself and find freedom in that acceptance.
This book will shock and enrage you, but still amaze you. I give Vicki James kudos for a book that was very hard to put down; it was thrilling, full of twists and turns, with just that edge of darkness. And underneath it all, sweet and passionate. I recommend it unreservedly and wholeheartedly.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Meet the Author
Vicki James is a pseudonym for Victoria L. James, taking her stories from heavy angst to heavy romance and bad boys you can’t help but fall in love with. She is, however, one and the same person so feel free to follow her on any of her platforms, be it Vicki James or Victoria L. James. Most importantly, enjoy the stories she tells, no matter what name she releases under. Stalk Vicki
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vickijamesauthor
Insta: @Victoria_LJames
Website: www.victorialjames.com/Vicki-James
Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are excited to bring you the Cocky Hero Club: original works from various authors inspired by Keeland and Ward’s New York Times bestselling Cocky Bastard series.
BLURB
A hockey star looking for more than a score. An Olympic figure skater dodging his play.
A desire too ice melting hot to ignore.
My flight was cancelled and I ended up sharing a ride home with a guy I had met on my vacation. But he was no ordinary guy.
Two hundred pounds of sexy.
Six foot three made of steel.
Top scorer both on and off the ice.
This hottie knew how to slap a puck!
He was #35 on the ice and #1 in puck bunny hearts.
I had to protect myself from this cocky devil before he became #1 in mine. Burned by his teammate, I swore off dating anymore jocks and that included this one… No matter how crazy fun my adventure was with him on that wild trip home!
I wasn’t expecting to fall for a sexy snow bunny on my ski vacation, let alone an Olympic figure skater. But after four amazing days with her, she left me high and dry.
Well, I refused to believe good things come to an end. I was determined to melt away her fears and win her back.
It was game on, baby!
Cocky Devil is a fast-paced hockey romance inspired by Cocky Bastard.
Madison is scared to love after her last relationship failed spectacularly, leaving her drained emotionally. Deciding not to date any more hockey players is her mantra until Alex Kane sits beside her on a chairlift and systematically begins to challenge her preconceived ideas about hockey players as well as penetrate the walls around her heart.
While it has a lot of steamy times in it, I didn’t really find that the couple emotionally connected with each other. Madison was iffy for more than 95% of the book, running hot and cold with her feelings for Alex. I understand that she was hurt badly, but the push and pull between her and Alex wasn’t anything that inspired any swooning on my part. Alex is an easy-to-like hero. He’s honest about his attraction to Madison, and upfront about what he thinks their relationship could become. He falls hard and falls fast. I was surprised the book lasted as long as it did, seeing as it was veering off into instalove territory.
There were other deeper emotional issues that added a bit to the storyline, but weren’t fully fleshed out. I did love the scenes with Chance and family, however. They played the role of secondary characters perfectly.
With a nice epilogue/ending, this fast-paced read got a little better for me.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
USA Today Bestselling Author Tara L. Ames is an award-winning author of contemporary romances. She is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and a recipient of the Bobbi Smith’s RT Preconference Award. She has also received awards for The Risk Taker, book one in the Alpha Aviators series, and for the Me + You Summer Romance Anthology. In addition, she is proud of participating in The Hero’s Journey Home anthology that benefitted veterans suffering from PTSD. Tara lives in Florida and writes full-time. Qigong/Tai Chi/Sudoku are her three biggest addictions besides chocolate. https://www.taralames.com
He’s my best friend’s older brother. My boss. And now my new roommate…
In the hospital, death always comes in threes. Apparently, so do mistakes. Mistake number one? My fiancé, who I just learned is cheating on me. So much for being the strong, in control doctor who’s always on top of her game…
Mistake number two? Knocking on the wrong door.
The door I thought still belonged to my best friend now belongs to his older brother, my obnoxious, overly cocky, gorgeous-as-sin attending physician, Carter Fritz.
The billionaire playboy gives me a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. But when he makes me feel seen for the first time in I don’t even know how long, I tell myself I don’t regret what was easily the hottest, most earth-shattering night of my life.
That is until mistake number three comes along…and I’m staring down at a stick with two pink lines.
Having a baby at this stage of my residency could cost me everything I’ve worked so hard to build.
But Carter? He’s undeterred. He doesn’t just want more; he wants it ALL.
Including me.
But what happens if following my heart turns out to be my biggest mistake of all?
I discovered J. Saman last year, and she’s one author I’ve resolved to keep reading this year. She has a way with words and emotions, that even when the setting is chaotic it makes you feel the depth of feeling she’s trying to convey.
Grace & her attending physician, Carter, have history – she’s best friends with his brother, and have known each other since they were children. Carter has been able to do an unbiased job evaluating her residency for the past year. However, when her engagement ends suddenly, Carter suddenly finds it hard to keep hiding his feelings for her. But Grace doesn’t trust easily, and her insecurities present Carter with an uphill battle.
“There is no one else for me but you.”
I enjoyed this read. I thought I loved Oliver & Amelia, but Carter & Grace have my heart right now. Carter is afraid that Grace would reject him because his feelings are too much, while Grace fears that she isn’t worthy of unconditional love. I loved the way he pursued her, as well as the unconventional methods to get her attention. When Grace finally stopped running, she had absolutely no doubt that Carter did love her.
“My heart doesn’t beat without yours beside it.”
I recommend this read unreservedly and wholeheartedly. It’s sweet, warm, oh so hot and full of secondary characters that have you excited to see where this series will go.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Meet J. Saman
J. Saman is a USA Today bestselling author who is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).
She’s an admitted lover of second chance romances, love triangles, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing contemporary romance filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side–especially for their women.
Eight weeks of forced proximity is a long time to hate someone you’re trying not to love.
Sebastian Stremmel doesn’t need another headache. He has enough of his own without Sara Shapiro, the noisy new reconstructive surgeon, stomping all around his surgical wing with her chippy, chirpy cheerfulness.
But Sebastian doesn’t usually get what he wants.
No one gets under his skin like Sara – so much so a heated “debate” and an exam room left in shambles later, they land themselves in eight weeks of hospital-mandated conflict resolution counseling. Now they’re forced to fight fair…which quickly leads them to playing dirty when no one’s looking.
They know it’s a mistake.
They promise themselves it will never happen again.
They swear they got it out of their systems.
They didn’t.
Author’s Note: Grumpy/recovering people-pleaser sunshine. Introverts attract. Enemies-to-lovers in the workplace. Banter, bicker, and button-pushing foreplay. Don’t tell the friend group, get jealous when the friend group tries to fix her up.
Heat: rip her clothes off before you get the front door open.
Sebastian & Sara work together at the same hospital. Sebastian is a grump who believes that he is the worst person to be friends with, and to fall in love with. However, there’s something about Sara that makes him wish he weren’t all that difficult, though the two don’t get along. When their latest disagreement lands them together in hospital admin-mandated counseling for eight weeks, their expectations of each other and life in general are put to the test.
I had to keep rereading and rechecking the secondary characters to make sure that I had everyone straight in my mind, but I think I figured it out – mostly. The push and pull between Sebastian & Sara was very captivating, addicting and steamy. I felt that they stayed hating on each other a bit too long, but was it entertaining? Yes. Yes, it was.
I related to Sebastian a lot, and while I liked and understood Sara, he was my favourite. I felt like I really understood him.
“No one… No one will ever love you the way I do.”
I recommend this steamy, enemies-to-lovers workplace romance. I definitely enjoyed it, and intend to read more from this series.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Meet Kate Canterbary
USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
Ree Cee's Books 