This is another super exciting review for me to share with you guys! Although, as with everything this week, I am running a day behind. Seriously holiday weekends are great, but man do they throw me for a loop.

Can we just please start with this cover? Because yes, I very much DO judge a book by its cover and this one is STUNNING! Okay I might be mildly biased because men with facial hair is a BIG weakness of mine. And Jacob certainly fulfills that need for me.

That said… Jacob is basically a walking, talking fantasy all on his own. He has that incredibly enticing level of confidence just bordering on arrogance, but in a stupidly sexy way. Not only that, but he isn’t the typical romance story billionaire. He is a blue collar worker who actually put in the blood, sweat, and tears to create his dream career… and a nice bank account to go along with it. Something that may very well all be put in jeopardy when he is forced to work on a project with Greta at her father’s command. He had no idea that a short time before, Greta and Jacob had already met, in an incredibly intimate way.

Yep, that’s right folks, on a rainy summer day, Greta and Jacob hooked up when he knocked on the door of her mother’s home to deliver an ornate chandelier. An encounter that stuck with them both, even more so with Jacob because of the sting of presumed rejection he felt when Greta rushed away without giving him any hope for the future.

The chemistry between these two as they work alongside each other is just THROUGH THE ROOF and nearly palpable to the reader. Ms. Marie is incredibly gifted at bringing you into the scenes with them and making you feel their tension and longing. Her sensory details are on point and absolutely perfect.

For me, even more than their growth as a couple, seeing Greta grow into herself and her identity was a beautiful and charming trip to take with the characters.

Fairy Tale Lies is a salacious and endearing contemporary romance that you’ll easily devour and will be available for purchase on June 3!

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We are a day late thanks to the holiday weekend (in the U.S. at least), but here is the next sneak peek from Meant to be Different, book two in the Meant To Be series featuring Wyatt Carlisle.

Today’s sneak peek is half of a scene from their high school days. And one that never fails to make me tear up.

And if you haven’t met any of the Carlisle clan yet, check out the first book of the series Meant to be Kept on Amazon now!

Wyatt

Twelve years earlier

Her lids had only been shut for a precious few moments when the doorbell chimed again and she jumped beneath his arm. Another condolence. Another offer of help. Another casserole. The table overflowed with them. Southern manners at their shining best. Gigi’s grandmother flitted about the kitchen, looking for containers and muttering about not having enough room to store the plethora of food, all in between crying jags. His heart ached for the family he’d come to love almost as much as his own, but he focused all his attention on the one nestled against his ribcage.

Gigi blinked up at him, her hazel eyes clouded with confusion briefly before reality sank in once more. He hated seeing her remember over and over the loss that shook her world. “It’s okay, you can go back to sleep. Just more food.”

Her chin quivered and she leaned impossibly closer to his side on the sofa. “I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”

In any other scenario he would have rolled his eyes. At any other time he would have told her that fifteen minute cat naps didn’t constitute sleep. But he banked every drop of his swagger and somewhat pushy personality. “Then how about you try to eat something?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Wyatt pressed his lips to her forehead. “I didn’t ask if you were hungry, I said you should try to eat something.”

In the slightly more than twenty-four hours since her mother passed, she’d eaten exactly ten crackers, a third of a bowl of cereal, and one chocolate chip cookie. He’d been counting. Even though grief was clouding her brain and distracting her from anything but the all-consuming pain, his mind was in laser sharp focus and he took it as his personal duty to make sure she was as taken care of as possible.

He stood and held out a hand, helping her to her feet. She stood in front of him with dark rims beneath her lids and pale cheeks that were naturally far too close to the pasty color she normally applied.

His arms wound around her waist and he dropped his forehead to rest against hers. “Please, Angel. Something little, but you need to eat something.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. “Fine.”

It was a small victory, but one he’d gladly take. He led her to the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her before dancing around her still grumbly and weepy grandmother to warm up a bowl of the beef vegetable soup his mother had sent with him on his brief return home for a quick shower and change before rejoining Gigi.

Both his parents had been less than thrilled with the amount of time their second eldest had spent away from home, especially the nights, but assurances from both Gigi’s father and Wyatt himself that they were well monitored and never really alone allowed him a privilege he was grateful for. The chance to take care of his girlfriend.

He set the bowl down in front of her and held a spoon out. “We’ll start here.”

She pursed her lips and gave him a half-hearted glare before taking the proffered utensil and lifting a spoonful of the hearty soup to her mouth. Wyatt plopped down in a seat beside her and grinned when a small, expected moan escaped her mouth. His mother was a damn good cook.

“This… this is pretty good.”

He chuckled as she downed several more bites in rapid succession. Within a few minutes she tossed her spoon into the empty bowl. She sat back in the chair and folded her hands across her abdomen.

Wyatt quirked a brow. “Dessert?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, I…” Her words trailed off as fresh tears filled her eyes. “Isn’t this wrong?”

He reached forward and pulled her hands apart, lacing his fingers through hers. “Isn’t what wrong, Angel?”

A fat drop trailed down her cheek. “Being happy. Enjoying food. Enjoying… anything.”

The deep crack his heart carried since he witnessed her unravelling at the news of her mother’s passing widened with the statement. He cursed his brain for not having the right answer immediately. Or at all. “I don’t know.” The truth was all he had. “I’ve never lost anyone as close to me as you were to your mom. I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. But I know your mom loved you and I’m pretty sure she’d want you to take care of yourself.”

She blinked and he held his breath. Finally she nodded. “Maybe another chocolate chip cookie.”

Austin’s Ward

Devil’s Outlaws 3

By Lynn Burke

Publisher: Changeling Press

World-Wide Release Date: May 24, 2019

He won’t stop until her safety is secured—even if it means his heart is lost in setting her free.

Blurb:

As the Devil’s Outlaws Sergeant at Arms, Austin Butterbaugh has no intention of getting involved. A self-proclaimed bachelor for life, he endured a broken heart and refuses to suffer the same again. But the second Cadence Fraser crosses his path, with her long blonde hair and curves, she owns him.

Sleeping with a senator didn’t offer Cadence the ticket to a better life she’d hoped for. Instead, she’s on the run for her life, straight into a badass biker’s arms—as his ward, under the Outlaw’s protection. Although fire flares to life between them, and Austin satisfies her in ways she’d never known, fear has Cadence’s sights set on something more.

With the senator hell-bent on eliminating every trace of his indiscretions, bodies will fall in Austin’s determination to protect Cadence. Failure won’t be tolerated, even if saving her could mean losing her forever. Her happiness is all that matters, but can Cadence fight past her fears to see a future with Austin before it’s too late?

*Warning: Contains adult content and graphic violence.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Changeling Press – 15% sale: https://www.changelingpress.com/austin-s-ward-devil-s-outlaws-mc-3-b-2872

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/AUSTINSWARD

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/austins-ward-lynn-burke/1131510578

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/austin-s-ward

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/austins-ward/id1462824697

EXCERPT:

“Take the bed,” he said and closed himself in the bathroom—with the bottle of whiskey.

Eyeing his bed, I chewed on the inside of my lip. I glanced at the couch he’d vacated. It wasn’t nearly long or wide enough for his height and bulk.

“Shit.” I heaved a sigh and crawled under his comforter, burying my face in one of the two pillows. Perfume a la Austin flared heat up through my body, and I closed my eyes as the devil on my shoulder insisted scratching an itch never hurt anyone.

“The fuck it didn’t,” I muttered, punching the feather pillow and curling up on the bed’s edge, facing away from the bathroom door.

The shower turned on, and I imagined Austin using that bar of soap I’d had all over my body running down the bumps and valleys of muscle lining his. Did he grow hard while washing his cock? His balls?

I bit the inside of my lip, determined to keep my hands beneath his pillow.

Did he stroke his length, head tipped back, while thinking about me in his bed? I knew he wanted me—the sexual tension between us could have electrified the entire compound for a goddamn week.

A low groan snapped my eyelids open, and I held my breath, ears straining.

“Fuck.” The low, drawn-out curse coming from the bathroom pebbled my skin.

Did I imagine the fisting slaps of a hand wrapped around a cock? Did my ears deceive, allowing me to think one final muffled grunt shot cum from the swollen head of his dick?

“Damnit.” I growled, my entire body like a live wire, ready to burn down my fucking life.

The water shut off, and again, I held my breath, ears ringing for sounds of his movement. Water ran again, and I realized I hadn’t brushed my teeth—not that I had a spare toothbrush in my bag anyway.

A quick exhale into my cupped hand revealed I wouldn’t knock out a dragon, but still.

What did I care? I grumbled a bit more in my head, but the opening of the bathroom door stalled all thought.

Austin moved into the room, and I listened as he opened a cabinet and shut it. Unable to help myself, I shifted onto my back.

A towel slung low around his hips.

Goddamn, the muscles…

My mouth flooded with drool, and I bit back a moan as he turned. Rippled abs snagged my focus. The sexy as fuck V of muscle disappearing beneath the towel turned my mouth’s drool factory on maximum.

“Just going to grab my pillow,” he muttered, moving toward the bed, his low voice pebbling my skin again.

“There’s plenty of room in the bed,” I heard myself say, hating the breathless tone that escaped—and how the final word cut short on a squeak as I lifted my gaze to his face.

Quiet rang in my ears for a few heartbeats as we stared at one another, heat licking over my skin, flushing me from head to toe. The promise in his eyes of more than a mere fuck, in and out, thank you darlin’, sent a shudder through me.

Austin wouldn’t be kind or gentle in the sack. He seemed the type that would tie a girl up, use her to satisfy his every whim, and leave her a spent and smiling from exhaustion. My mouth dried, nipples pebbled to painful points.

“Couch is kind of small,” he said, tearing his gaze away first, his brow furrowing.

I tried to swallow the dryness from my throat as the tension simmering between us intensified, crackling with energy enough the hairs on my arms rose.

“You’re very alert and cautious,” I said, desperate to get my mind off fucking and how good every inch of him would feel pressing me down into his mattress.

He grunted in agreement, hands fisting at his sides, but didn’t move otherwise.

I remembered how his gaze had scanned the strip joint’s parking lot before we’d left, the glimpses he’d tossed from mirror to mirror as the miles had faded behind us, until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and had ended up with my head against his truck’s passenger window.

“What made you that way?” I asked, needing to fill the silence, needing to end the sexually charged atmosphere choking me.

“Long fucking story that’s none of your business.”

Grumpy much? At least his abrupt words eased the unbearable ache between my thighs. “Is your name really Austin?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your last name?”

He hesitated a moment before answering. “Butterbaugh.”

The name didn’t match his badass biker sexiness one bit, and I found myself wanting to giggle. “Are you really from Texas?” I asked what Hannah had already told me.

“Yes.”

I nibbled on the inside of my lip again, unable to help from ogling his massive chest as he studied the apartment around us as though desperate to keep from looking at me in his bed. “What brought you to D.C.?”

“Another long fucking story.”

I frowned at his disinterest in elaborating. “Are you always this closed off?”

“Are you always this nosey?”

I huffed and considered turning away, but he dropped the goddamn towel and slid under the comforter before I could move.

Blinking didn’t erase the image of his semi-hard cock hanging low between his thighs I’d caught a quick glimpse of. So much for the desert mouth. Drool flooded, and I swallowed. “You could at least put on some boxers,” I managed to croak as if I had zero desire to have his naked ass in bed with me.

“I don’t wear underwear.”

Lovely. The thought boiled my blood—and also pissed me the hell off. I didn’t want to be turned on by the mountain of a man whose care I’d been placed under. I didn’t want to be all wet, warm, and willing for his huge cock to plunder all three holes of my body.

Scratching the itch won’t hurt. I scowled at the ceiling at the devil’s voice in my ear.

“Close your eyes and sleep, Cadence. You’re safe.”

Safe. I held in my snort. Perhaps safe from the senator for the time being, but certainly not from my libido.

© Lynn Burke 2018

ABOUT LYNN BURKE:

Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.

Website: https://www.authorlynnburke.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Lynn-Burke-555282497937461/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorLynnBurke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlynnburke/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynn-burke

It has been FAR too long since I’ve posted a book review, but writing, editing, and regular life have taken a toll lately, my lovelies. However, that dry spell absolutely has to end with the release of an incredibly special book.

KING: Unveiled is the debut release by a brilliant author Taralynn Moore. As soon as you begin flipping the pages of KING, you will realize something, Ms. Moore is a gifted author who weaves incredibly beautiful prose that are practically lyrical in their presentation.

As beautifully complex as the author herself, KING will appeal to both lovers of YA and NA (and if you’ve never noticed from my millions of hours of gushing, I adore NA) as it straddles the lines between the two. It also is far more than a tale of a love triangle romance between Bria, David, and Jon, but also a gripping tale of brotherly and self-sacrificing love between David and Jon. Connected at a soul deep level that transcends the bonds blood relation could supply.

However, my dear friends, there is another intriguing facet to KING, a thread of science fiction that is twisty and enticing. The “Unveiled” portion of the title is an understatement as our heroine Bria uncovers layer after layer of deceit, half-truths, and manipulations that have been put upon her and those she loves the most by her mother and Jon’s father. Her entire life that she once viewed through a simple lens has been orchestrated to fulfill plans that are bigger than she could have ever dreamed.

Ms. Moore does a fantastic job of drawing you into the deep emotions of the characters to the point you are as conflicted as they are about what the right choice is both from a relationship standpoint, and a life choice point of view. You will spend hours upon hours sucked into the world of KING and are guaranteed to have that lovely book hangover when you’re done.

Check out KING: Unveiled today!

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Title: ROBBY

By: Jen Davis

Release Date: June 4, 2019

Preorder: May 24, 2019

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

No one knows me–not the true me shaped by my sordid past. I cover the scars on my soul as well as I hide the ones on my skin.

I’m living proof that only the strongest survive on these streets. But I paid a heavy price for my survival.

Now I’m ready to move on, to forget my past. In my dreams, I do it with Matt. I’ve had my eye on him ever since he joined Cooper Construction. Like me, he keeps his true self hidden, locked inside a shy and silent shell.

Somehow, I break through. Touch the untouchable. But when love strips us both naked, the truths we reveal may end up tearing us apart.

Happy Monday my lovelies! Here is the second half of the scene I shared 2 weeks ago from Meant to be Different, the second in the series about the Carlisle clan, that is releasing in July. These two are something special and were a TON of fun to write.

Georgia

Present day

“Three of a kind.” He spread three Jacks on the barrel serving as their makeshift poker table with a cocky smirk. Damn him. The overly confident air that radiated off him was nearly as irresistible as the mischievous twinkle in the deep blue eyes that had haunted her far more than she’d ever admit.

Georgia sighed dramatically, laying down a pair of tens. “Shame I only have two of a kind.”

He smacked the wooden surface with a bark of laughter then motioned her to stand from the black leather office chair he’d rolled over to place opposite his seat on the couch. “Hot damn, Gigi, lose that shirt.”

Over the course of the past hour she’d won far more hands than him and the result was her still retaining possession of her panties, bra, and t-shirt while Wyatt sat across from her in only boxers, jeans, and his hat. Which he’d heatedly argued counted as an article of clothing.

She lifted one brow and countered with a wicked smile of her own. “Not so fast there, Cowboy. See, my pair just so happens to be accompanied by three two’s.” She laid her remaining cards beside the others. “I believe that’s called a full house and means that round goes to me.”

When he stood and flicked open the button on his pants she wasn’t sure she should gloat too much. The muted grind as he slowly unzipped the fly shot fire and ice through her veins. His thumbs hooked beneath the waist band and pushed the denim down his legs at a tortuous pace.

His penetrating stare caused her heartrate to kick up a notch, but she couldn’t look anywhere but at the length of thigh being revealed inch by excruciating inch. Her tongue darted out to trace along her parched lips. She hadn’t even realized what she was doing until his deep groan broke through the haze of lust blanketing the air between them.

“Are you trying to kill me, Gigi?”

He kicked his jeans across the room and flopped back onto the sofa. His head falling back against the exposed wood wall, but not before she caught sight of the thickening bulge straining against the front of his boxer briefs.

A strangled laugh escaped her mouth as Georgia collected the cards and began shuffling them with shaking hands, commanding her body temperature to drop to something back in the double digits. “I was just gonna ask you the same thing, Cowboy.”

He pulled the cards from her grasp and began dealing them out. “My turn to deal, Angel.”

Never, not if they lived to a hundred, would Wyatt ever understand the power of that single nickname on every part of her. It didn’t just ignite her raging libido. That happened simply from sharing the same air space with him. No, it spoke to the tender place in her heart, the one that iced over with the terminal prognosis her mother was given and didn’t thaw until a stupid freaking cowboy waltzed into her life.

Georgia shook her head and cleared her throat, picking up the five small rectangles and investing far too much emotional energy in the cards she held in her hand. And promptly swore in her head. It would take a miracle to win. She laid more than half of them down. “Three.”

The corner of his mouth curled up and his eyes bounced from the cards in his hand to the ones she’d set down to her. He plucked a single one and set it on the barrel next to hers. “Just one for me.”

She swallowed down a growl as he dealt her three more cards and himself one. Another litany of curses she was certain would make the man sitting across from her chortle with delight ricocheted through her mind as she managed to scrape together exactly two cards that matched. Fours. Dammit.

“Whatcha got there, Gigi?”

Her lids narrowed into slits for a brief second and his answering laugh was proof enough that her poker face sucked. She lifted her chin at him. “You first.”

An exaggerated, and clearly fake, frown accompanied a shake of his head. “Ladies first. My mama raised me to be a gentleman.”

Both of her brows lifted. “And would your mama be proud of her darling little boy to know he was up at midnight playing strip poker in his barn?” If she was destined to lose, she could at least stall a little.

Wyatt chuckled and shook his head. “You can’t distract me that easily, Angel. Show me what you’ve got.” He leaned in, eyes simmering with lust. “And if you bring up my mama one more time this night might not end the way I’ve been planning.”

Him? The pulsating need that ached between her legs was begging her to forfeit the game, rip the small patch of fabric that still remained on his body, and satiate her overwhelming desire. Although history had taught her that would last for approximately fifteen minutes before she’d be drowning in need again. Nothing was ever enough. Not with Wyatt.

She laid her pathetic hand on the barrel. “Pair of fours.”

He tossed his cards down as he stood, thumbs beneath the elastic waistband of his boxers. “I think this means you win, Angel.”

Georgia rose, rounded the barrel, and stood in front of him, one hand on his bare chest. Right over the tattoo she’d never admit meant the world to her. “You’re going to let me help you?”

His grin faded and face sobered. “I came back for you. I planned all of this in Asheville instead of Texas or Colorado for us and for our future.” He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her hips bumping against his. “Dammit, I know I screwed up, but I’m back for good, forever, and I’ll do whatever you need to fix this. I wanted to do this on my own, but if there is anyone I’d let help me it would damn sure be my Dark Angel. She’s kinda been bailing my sorry ass out since I was seventeen.”

She pushed lightly against his chest, stepped out of his embrace, and peeled her shirt over her head. “Pretty sure this means we both win, Cowboy.” She motioned to the cotton barely containing his rapidly growing length. “Lose the boxers and tell me you’ve got a condom close by.”

He fished a foil packet out of the pocket of his discarded jeans and dropped his underwear in the space of a heartbeat. With more confidence than any man should possess, he turned back to her and stole any oxygen that remained in her lungs.

Georgia flattened her palm on his abdomen and pressed lightly. “If I win that means I’m in charge, Cowboy.”

He fell back onto the couch and sucked in a breath as she removed the two remaining pieces of clothes separating them. “I’d never argue with a lady.”

Too many days had passed with no contact. After a dozen years apart, seeing him on a damn near daily basis, touching him, tasting him, they were things that had become needs rather than wants. And she didn’t have the self-control to draw this out.

She straddled his lap, grinding against him and reveling in his answering groan. His mouth moved to her neck and made a path down the front of her as she leaned over to grab the condom. Her teeth ripped the foil packet open as he landed one of the hardened nubs, his lips wrapped around it and sucked lightly. His thumbs made circles on her hip bones as she rocked against him.

The brim of his hat bumped her shoulder. Just as he reached up to remove it, she planted a hand on top of it. “Don’t you dare, Cowboy.”

Her hand dove between them and she wrapped it around his shaft, stroking up and down a few times until a frustrated growl erupted from his chest. Georgia pressed her mouth against his as she slid the condom on him. She lifted up on her knees slightly before lowering herself onto him.

“I love you, Angel.”

All of her intentions to go slow flew right out the window as he filled every part of her. Her lips met his again and every ounce of desperation bled into the kiss. Desperation for his body. Desperation for relief. And desperation to not confess just how much she still loved him too.

She raced up the mountain of desire and paused at the pinnacle, dangling on the edge of climax. His fingers snaked between their sweat slickened bodies and he teased the tiny bundle of nerves with his thumb, making her lose every ounce of control. She moved her hips three more times before he screamed his own release. Their cried mixed, mingled, and filled the small room, echoing off the walls.

Georgia laid her damp forehead on his shoulder, trying to catch her breath. “Listen, Cowboy,” she panted the words between gasps, “spending the night on this thing is a non-negotiable point.” She sat back up, resting against his slightly trembling thighs. “Hotel? We can get a decent night’s sleep and have a mediocre continental breakfast in the morning.”

The damned grin curled his lips as his fingertips stroked up and down her spine. “A decent night’s sleep and… round two?”

She climbed off his lap, snatched her shirt off the floor, and tossed him his boxers. “I’ll flip ya for it, Cowboy. Clearly poker doesn’t work out for you.”

A light smack collided with her ass when she bent down to retrieve her panties and she spun on her heel to find herself greeted with an unabashedly grinning cowboy. “I’d say it works out pretty damn well.”

I am SUPER thrilled to share with you guys that Meant to be Different, book two in the Meant To Be Series, is going to be released July 9th! To celebrate I am going to share an excerpt from the book every other Monday leading up to the cover reveal and preorder. And today is the first day for that, so without further ado… meet Wyatt and Georgia:

Wyatt

Present day

Wyatt lifted the hat from his head, ran his fingers through his hair, and pushed it back down with more force than was necessary. He pressed his fingers in the corners of his eyes and rubbed at the gritty sand collecting there. A weighty sigh preceded his push away from the cherry desk that was so massive it took up nearly a third of the space of the small office he’d created off the edge of the biggest barn.

It was a space intended for whoever he deemed worthy of entrusting with the day-to-day operations of the ranch so he could focus on his true passion, the competition. A mythical person who had yet to present themselves in the dozens of interviews he’d conducted. The very same ones that were now on hold like everything else in his life at the moment.

He crossed the room and flopped onto the futon, a pathetic, second-class choice that somehow turned into a five star hotel quality bed when it was occupied with Gigi. He turned his head and buried his nose into the pillow that still held a trace of her scent.

Groveling was going to become his newest hobby if her responses were any indication. The middle finger emoji she sent most recently instead of an actual reply was his favorite.

Tanner and Wyatt always had a stronger bond than their other brothers and he was grateful Tanner and Izzy both welcomed him to stay at their house for as long as needed while his own was under construction. Being under the watchful eye of his parents at this stage of life was pretty low on his list of desires right now. Somewhere below taking another ride on Crosshair, one of the nastiest bull’s he’d ever encountered, and slightly above having each toenail removed.

Despite their bond, confessing all to his brother – something that was sure to happen as soon as Mr. Fix It caught onto the fact something was off – wasn’t an option either. Because Tanner could fix this. Their father could fix this. Both of them would in a heartbeat. Family trumped any and everything for the Carlisles and Wyatt was grateful most of the time for their unwavering support.

But taking their help would mean Wyatt would be left to be the screw-up who couldn’t make it on his own in the real world. The Carlisle brother that wasn’t capable of handling a real job that didn’t involve taking his shirt off to model jeans or getting his ass handed to him by a fifteen hundred pound angry beast. Yeah, that was a title he was pretty damn sure he didn’t want to wear.

His feet dangled over the end of the short mattress and he tossed his hat on the floor beside him. Darkness enveloped him as his lids closed, numbers ping ponging through his brain.

“I’m getting really tired of chasing after a stupid freaking cowboy more than a decade after I swore I’d never even think of him again. This is basically the opposite of getting me to trust you again.”

Her voice cut through the avalanche of dark thoughts consuming his mind and was a much needed balm to his aching heart and wounded pride. Gigi had a way of fixing him, even when they weren’t together. Even when the only way she was present is when he pulled her picture out of his wallet or cued up the one he’d saved after he stalked her social media one drunken night. The same site he visited far more than he would ever admit.

And the one where he saw his Gigi wrapped up with some blonde haired, overly tanned creep for months on end. He’d breathed a sigh of relief when the asshole disappeared. Right around the same time her location changed too. Back home to North Carolina. That had been a damn good day.

He partially opened one eye and drank in the beauty of a furious Gigi. One of his favorite sights. “I’m not too hard to find, Angel. If I’m not with you or Tanner… well there aren’t too many places for me to go.”

A string of muttered curses accompanied her fingers raking through her hair. “Insanity. Wyatt Carlisle brings chaos, frustration, and total insanity with him everywhere he goes.”

Reflexively he reached for his discarded hat and plopped it on his head as he moved into a sitting position before pushing against his knees and standing. “And you bring hunger, desire, and every other thing I need to feel better. What’s your point?” He gripped her hips, pulling her close before his hands moved to flatten against her spine and align her body against his.

Her lashes fluttered for a brief second before she shoved him away. “You’re missing a huge issue here, Cowboy. You bailed once, when you do it again it doesn’t help your cause, it hurts it. If you’re dealing with a problem and we are supposed to be…” The incomplete sentence hung in the air between them. The title he wanted taunting him from its unspoken hiding place. “Friends, then we need to talk. Instead you take off. Again.” She sighed and dropped her forehead against his shoulder. “I need you to talk to me when something’s going on and I really need you to not run.”

Pain lanced through Wyatt’s chest with her words. It wasn’t what he was trying to do. This was one hundred percent self-preservation and injured pride. “Shit, I’m sorry.” Apologies were becoming his most repeated phrase. Whether it was desperation to bring something good into his world or sheer stupidity, he never really figured out, but the next words tumbled from his mouth without any input from his brain. “If I promise to stop running will you promise to give us a real chance?”

The widening of her hazel eyes – not to mention the loss of the comfort her body offered him when she took three steps away – was confirmation he’d said too much.

Gigi wrapped her arms around her abdomen. “I have reasons, Wyatt. I’m not just trying to get revenge on you.”

He called himself every kind of asshole he could think of and closed the space between them. His arms pulled her close and she quickly locked her own around him. “I’m sorry, Angel. I’m just… frustrated as hell right now. I’ve been staring at every account, every expenditure, every payment and I can’t seem to make sense of it. There’s nearly fifty thousand dollars missing that I can’t account for.”

“What would you say if I told you that I could fix this? At least a temporary band-aid that will give you time to talk to your insurance agent—and an attorney I might add—without screwing up your timeline.” Her brows lifted in a silent challenge.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’d say I always knew you were an Angel, but that might be a miracle just slightly out of your grasp.”

She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. “Do you want to know or not? This deal might expire if you’re gonna pull the Rhinestone Cowboy routine.”

“You always did like giving me options.” His brows popped twice.

Gigi moved to dig in the small container sitting on his desk before producing a silver coin. “Flip ya for it? Heads I tell you my plan and you don’t give me shit, tails I let you figure this out on your own.”

He tilted his head back and laughed, releasing her before rounding his desk and reaching into the drawer. “Now, Angel, this is my life, my career, and my future.” Our future, he corrected in his head, but wasn’t sure that was something he was confident enough to speak out loud. “We need something a bit more grown-up than flipping a coin.”

She lifted one shoulder. “We’ve always done pretty well with it in the past.”

Wyatt held a pack of cards between his fingertips. “Poker, Angel. Something this serious requires a serious game.”

A mischievous grin curled her lips and every nerve ending on his body took notice. The wicked promises the small gesture offered nearly wiped his mind clear of the looming threat to the future he was so carefully constructing.

“If we are playing poker, let’s make it really interesting, Cowboy.”

He swallowed his suddenly parched throat three times. “What’d you have in mind there, Gigi?”

She leaned across the desk and plucked the deck from his hand. “Strip poker. Winner gets to decide what our next step for your ranch is and where we end up tonight.” Her tongue darted out to run along her bottom lip. “I have a lot of ideas.”

The answer was quick, easy, and required absolutely no thought. “Deal me in.”

I’ve been in a bit of a writer’s block lately and decided to take a break and revisit some beloved books I’ve read in the past. Now, I have a confession to make before going any further. I’ve always been a rabid and voracious reader but… not so great at that whole reviewing thing. Yep. So basically I have now been properly educated on the importance of every review and feel like I need to pay homage to some of my past loves.

One of those books is BLIND ATTRACTION by Eden Summers. Right off the bat, I was in love because… musicians are a weakness of mine. It’s sad, but true. A guy who can wield a wicked ax, pound out a killer beat, tickle ivories with practiced perfection, or hit amazing vocal notes basically can ask damn near anything of me and get it.

Mitchell is just one such guy. He is the front man for Reckless Beat which is basically a kick ass rock band so you know what that means… they are impervious to women throwing themselves at the band mates hoping for a night they can remember long into spinsterhood. Mitchell is not displeased to oblige.

Right up until he is caught off guard by a girl with brilliant green eyes in the front row. As soon as he lays his rock star charm on her she… walks away.

See, folks, Alana isn’t a normal groupie. To say she’s led a sheltered life would be an understatement of epic proportions. Thanks to some trauma her mother has lived through which subsequently gave her mother a life’s passion of helping other women by offering a therapeutic retreat, Alana has been raised in a secluded, but stunning, rural setting. A sanctuary to many, but more like a wide open cage for Alana. Her trip to see Reckless Beat is her first concert experience.

And what. an. experience!

So, not only does Alana become the center of Mitchell’s very focused attention, but when she meets with him after the concert she finds herself mistakenly in the cross hairs of a disgruntled employee who launches a glass which shatters and catches Alana in the eye. Yes, folks, the “Blind” in BLIND ATTRACTION is literal. Alana is incapacitated for a while due to the trauma.

Here I must pause.

Okay, this is my ONLY complaint with BLIND ATTRACTION… the medical/ophthalmological information is slightly off. Yes, I am going to get technical here with you guys for a moment. I have worked in this field for more years than I’d like to admit and reading this has made me cringe a little. Alana’s trauma and subsequent care as well as treatment and symptomatology don’t exactly line up with reality. Yes, I know, literary license. But for me personally, this was a stumbling block.

But let’s put my weirdness aside, because this truly is a delightful and sexy-as-hell read with a VERY interesting sex scene later in the book that made me sit up, take notice, and then quickly become very uncomfortable in the very best possible way.

BLIND ATTRACTION is a fabulous book if you love rock star romances and girls who are pretty damn strong when confronted with demons from their past. Oh yeah, there are demons here folks, it isn’t all smexy hotness.

Check out BLIND ATTRACTION today!

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I have been knee deep in edits and writing new words (squeeee) which hasn’t left a lot of time for reviewing, but I am breaking that bad habit right now!

She Laughs In Pink is a New Adult novel by an amazing author Jess Calla. Now, anyone who knows me knows I am such a sucker for New Adult. It is literally my Disney, happiest place on earth. But I digress.

We start off with Chase and I gotta tell you, he had me hook, line, and sinker from the word “go.” Chase is a reforming bad boy (but, listen, you can’t blame the kid. He was raised by his well-meaning grandmother after losing both parents. Boy has some issues) who is taking the freshman year at NJU as the fresh start he needed to work on his NLP. And, seriously, I love characters with quirks and his repetition of NLP was EVERYTHING for me. (NLP = New Life Plan, cute, right?)

In the subway station, he finds a girl who puts those three letters in jeopardy damn near immediately. She is tall, lithe, and stunning. And basically everything that Chase does NOT need to be paying attention to. However she also plays hard to get, never gives him her name, and dances out of his life quickly.

Okay, maybe not so quickly. Because we soon find out that not only is sexy, mystery girl also a student of NJU, but just so happens to be a resident of Sheridan Hall. Just like Chase. And… on the same floor too. When I say floor, I mean basement, but still…

I’m sad to say that for all of his charm, Juliet is practically impervious to Chase’s wiles because she has eyes for one man and one man only: her BFF for 4 years, Ben. The entire reason she has chosen NJU. Ben who just so happens to be Chase’s roommate. And an actual nice guy, which kind of irritates Chase because… who wants to like the competition amirite?

Now, all of this happens in the beginning of the book. What I like to call the “I am going to lead you on and let you believe this is a light-hearted read that won’t rip your soul out” portion. You know where I’m going with this right?

Yup, because Ms. Calla is an excellent author and about halfway through I began to get that churning in my gut that let me know trouble was afoot. And shortly there after she dropped the bomb and all hell broke loose. You see, Juliet… has secrets. Chase… has secrets. Ones that have been eating them alive from the inside out for far too long.

The best part of this all is that not only does Ms. Calla create a beautiful, heartwrenchingly addictive story that keeps you turning the pages… IT IS BOOK ONE! That’s right folks, this is a series based on all the people you’ll meet and fall in love with in Sheridan Hall.

Small spoiler alert… I promise it’ll be okay. You’ll find out when you read, but just trust me, it will be okay. I am only telling you because I DEFINITELY had moments of doubt.

Check out She Laughs In Pink today!

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Hey guys! This cover reveal is the only one in the world that could possibly be more exciting for me than my own because it belongs to my very best bestie. And let’s not overlook the fact it has a SMOKIN’ hot leading man in Adam Littrell featured front and center. Check out this to die for cover, a small excerpt from the book, and then get your hind end over to pre order this gem and add to your Goodreads TBR!

Title: Beauregard and the Beast

By: Evie Drae

Release Date: August 20, 2019

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Genre: Contemporary MM Romance

Blurb:

His greatest prize can’t be won in the octagon.

Champion MMA fighter Adam Littrell needs no distractions as he approaches the fight that will determine whether he retires. But when he opens the door of his swanky Las Vegas home to his new personal assistant, Bo Wilkins, staying focused becomes a struggle.

Aware of Adam’s surly reputation, Bo doesn’t expect to like his new employer, let alone fall for him. But the man surprises him. A shared love of books leads them to study for their GEDs together and plan for a life after their current careers. Adam won’t be able to fight forever, and Bo wants a relationship on equal footing.

But just as that relationship is getting off the ground, the sister Bo raised needs his help, and he drops everything. With Adam’s final match looming and Bo in a different city, reuniting will be the real challenge.

Excerpt:

The smell of fresh laundry mixed with strong cleaning chemicals assaulted Adam’s senses the moment he walked through the garage door after his morning training. He scrunched his nose in protest. The clean linen smell was pleasant, but what the hell kind of biochemical warfare was Bo waging on his home? The pungent scent of corrosive bleach and all manner of other caustic solutions burned his nostrils and left his head spinning.

He headed for the laundry room to drop off his gym bag and found Bo on his hands and knees in the hallway, scrubbing at the stone tile flooring.

“Fuckin’ hell, Bo, you’re gonna asphyxiate from all these fumes.” Adam tossed his bag down the hall in the general direction of the laundry room. “Why don’t you take a break? We can grab lunch somewhere and hit the grocery while we’re out.”

Bo sat back on his haunches and swiped a wrist over his brow. “I’m almost done here any—” His eyes bugged, and he scurried to his feet, the sponge dropping from his hand. “Holy crap on a cracker, what the heck happened to you?”

Adam froze when Bo’s soapy fingertips grazed his jaw. A jolt of electricity fired under his skin at the connection. He followed the tingling path of Bo’s touch with his own fingers, marveling at the intensity of the impression that brief contact left behind.

“Did you get jumped?” Bo’s brows pinched, his lips turning down at the corners. “Did you call the police? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

A laugh bubbled up Adam’s throat at the unexpected barrage of questions and the look of genuine concern twisting Bo’s face. When was the last time anyone cared he’d been hurt? Hell, unless they bordered on life-threatening, even he failed to notice his injuries more often than not. So was the life of a mixed martial arts fighter. Sparring was the best way to train, and sparring equaled wounds. Rarely as intense as those suffered at an official fight, but colorful and bloody nonetheless.

“I’m fine. Just a few scratches.” Adam tried to grin, but the act tugged at his already split lip and fresh blood trickled down his chin.

Bo gasped and clamped a hand over Adam’s wrist. “That’s more than a scratch. Where’s your first aid kit?”

“First aid kit?” Adam cocked a brow. He didn’t keep anything like that at home. If his injuries required mending, Eddie, his coach, would tend to him after he hit the showers. Today, the damage was minimal, so he’d left without patching up.

Gaping, Bo shook his head. “Don’t tell me you get beat up for a living and don’t keep basic first aid supplies around the house.”

Adam knuckled the blood off his chin and shrugged. “It’s a split lip. I’ll be fine.”

“A split lip, a black eye, and a gashed eyebrow. That is not fine.” Bo scowled and dropped Adam’s wrist with an adorable little huff. “I’m adding medical supplies to the grocery list. If you’re going to come home looking like roadkill on a regular basis, I’m going to need some necessities. In the meantime, will you at least let me put some ice on that eye?”

Preorder the paperback today

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