If You Loved Me

 

If You Loved Me
Brianna Remus
Publication date: April 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

My parents would lose their minds if they found out their precious daughter lost her virginity to the town’s notorious bad boy and ex-convict.

Ranger Adams might have been a dangerous pariah after he was released from prison, but he was the only man I wanted. And after I convinced him to take me on a date, I got exactly what my body…and heart desired.

I spent my entire life trying to get away from my parents’ overbearing grasp. They’ve tried to control every part of my life, even down to the man I was supposed to marry. That was the price of being born into one of the South’s richest families.

The second I had a chance to get away, I did. Ten years of pissing them off and making my dreams come true was worth the sacrifice. No fun. No relationships. And no sex.

My life had been all work until Ranger came back into town. Everyone whispered about what he’d done to land in prison. But I didn’t care.

He was rough around the edges, wild, and free.

And I wanted every bit of what he was willing to give me.

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EXCERPT:

“Ranger,” she breathed, my name was a prayer on her lips.

I let her wrist go and reached down to pick her up. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as she kissed me, opening up fully and dipping her tongue into my mouth. She was so warm and sweet. Her little moans vibrated against my tongue making me want her mouth on another part of me.

I settled us on the couch and watched as she leaned back, threading her fingers through my hair. “I love that you have long hair.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked before bringing my thumb to her lower lip wondering what it might feel like to run the head of my cock over it.

Her tongue darted out between her lips and she took my thumb in her mouth, her cheeks hollowed as she sucked. “Mmhmm,” she mused. “It’ll make it easier to keep your head in place when it’s between my legs.”

My cock jolted. I yanked my thumb from her mouth and snagged her bottom lip between my teeth, suckling it with my tongue and lips before letting it go with a pop. When I smacked her ass, she ground her hips into me, another moan slipping out of her mouth. “You won’t have to keep me anywhere, babe. I’ll gladly feast on your sweetness for the rest of my fucking life.”

Her lids fluttered, eyes dazed with lust. “But what if I want to be the one to taste you?”

Fuck. Me.

Grabbing the back of her neck, I brought her closer so I could whisper in her ear, “You wanna taste me?”

Tendrils of her hair tickled my cheek as she nodded.

“Then let me give my girl what she wants.” I lifted her off me and stood before her. The fear I’d seen in her eyes before was gone. Erased with the heady need we felt for one another and I was thankful for it. This I could do. Watching her eyes trace my body as I unbuckled my belt and undid my jeans. Seeing her in pain had been too much for me to bear. My chest had felt like it was caving in.

But this. Just the two of us together. This I could do all fucking night. Hell. All day and night.

Her breathing quickened as her eyes darted to where my fingers slid under the edge of my boxers. “You’re sure?” I asked.

Those molten eyes looked back up at me. “Yes, I’m sure.”

With her permission, I hooked my thumbs into the band of my boxers and pulled them down. My cock was heavy, pulsing upward as she took me in.

She swallowed. “I’ve never done this before, Ranger.” Those beautiful eyes I loved so much were wary like I might flee from her admission. What she didn’t know was that I didn’t give a shit about her being experienced. I only wanted her.

“We’ll take it slow. Whatever you don’t want to do, just tell me, okay?”

She nodded again as I grabbed her hand and sat back down on the couch.

“Kneel,” I commanded and I watched as she lowered herself to her knees.

“Good girl.” Seeing her kneel between my legs nearly had me seeing stars from how much my dick throbbed. Dark eyelashes fanned over her cheekbones when she looked down at my length.

Author Bio:

Brianna Remus is a Florida-based author who lives with her husband, three pups, and terrorizing cat. She started her writing journey in 2016 to ward off the woes of graduate school. The light-hearted hobby quickly turned into a passion filled dream that consistently distracts her from the real world.

When Brianna isn't working as a psychology resident or writing books, you can find her getting lost in the worlds created by others (through writing and movies), spending a day at the ocean, or taking a walk in the forest. She loves to spend her days outdoors surrounded by the beauties of nature.

A true Tolkien nerd, she also spends a lot of her time immersed in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as praying that Amazon doesn't completely fuck up the new LOTR series.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub

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Closed tunnel cover reveal

 

Today Kaitlyn Legaspi and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for BROKEN, her new YA  fantasy book which releases SOON! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

About The Book:

Title: BROKEN (Card Holders Book 4)

Author: Kaitlyn Legaspi

Pub. Date: TBD

Publisher: Kaitlyn Legaspi

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Purchase the first 3 books, Kaitlyn’s Store

The world of the fifty-two domains finds itself fractured.

After the awakening of the rogue leader’s powers and the invasion of the dark creatures known as Vain, Neela answers the summons of the Card Holder of the Ace of Spades. He seeks to rigorously hone and strengthen her powers for the arduous battles to come as she plays her part in the prophecy of sibling gods.

Neela is put through a series of trials that not only challenge her physical abilities, but push her to an emotional limit. Doubts of past decisions fester as her morals are tested. Her fears of becoming someone unrecognizable grow with each passing day. As she reflects on her unsettling changes and increasing isolation, she can’t help but think…

Just one small push could send her plummeting over the edge.

 

Excerpt:

I never thought about it much, but… I’d always known I had my fair share of weaknesses, just like anyone else. I knew I could be hot-headed and impatient at times. I was just as unconfident in my physical appearance as the next teenage girl, and I sucked at socializing with strangers. I just hated interacting with new people, really, especially when my interactions with them had no deeper meaning other than to get acquainted for the sake of maintaining a shallow advantage.

               I also knew I was still pretty naïve when it came to romantic relationships. Had I improved in my knowledge? Yes, especially since meeting Amil and my other friends, namely Mori and Val, but… maintaining a healthy relationship? Being a good significant other? Making sacrifices for my supposed life partner? Outside of my parents’ and Lily and Will’s relationships, I’d never witnessed a healthy romantic relationship. I’d only ever been an outside viewer, never fully recognizing or understanding the intricacies of their interactions, let alone love itself. It was scary… not knowing what a relationship could be like until you got into one. And… I felt bad for Amil. He’d been waiting for so long, and I could only imagine how much longer he would have to.

               Still, among these weaknesses and many more, there was only one I could see truly leading to my downfall. The compassion I was known for… suddenly, I wasn’t so sure if it was a strength. In a time where I had to kill in order to survive, to gain and maintain an advantage, showing compassion towards my enemy just might’ve gotten me killed. I hated my fragile heart.

               That condition I’d placed on my Heart Stone, that condition that arose from the depths of my precious compassion… I found myself regretting it more every single day.

  

About Kaitlyn Legaspi:

Kaitlyn Legaspi is the self-published author of the ongoing Card Holders series, a young adult urban fantasy series, and the Dark Irregular Trilogy, a young adult fantasy trilogy she wrote in middle school and is currently rewriting. Writing passionately on a daily basis, she plans on adding more to her repertoire in the near future. In addition to writing, Kaitlyn enjoys singing, trying new recipes, and reading whatever has caught her interest. Currently, she is working on publishing the fourth book of her Card Holders series, Broken. 

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Sweetheart Book Blitz

 

Sweetheart
Cookie O’Gorman
Publication date: April 25th 2024
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Sweetheart (suh-weet-hart): Someone who is kind, friendly, and/or lovable. For reference, see Scarlett Kent.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Kent likes the idea of love—in theory. She’s just never had time for romance. Voted Most Likely to Succeed, founder of a youth mentoring program, and an aspiring professional violinist, Scarlett has goals—and a list of “firsts” she’d like to complete before graduation.

One thing that’s not on her list: Falling for Sam Bishop.

Flirtatious jocks who sleep through class aren’t her type—no matter how good Sam looks in his jersey. But when her car breaks down, Sam stops to help…which leads to an unexpected offer.

Sam volunteers to help Scarlett complete her list. In return, she’ll help him win back his ex.

It’s a sweetheart deal that should benefit everyone.

But between kissing lessons and pretend dates, Scarlett realizes Sam is the perfect fake boyfriend. And if she’s not careful, he could be her first real heartbreak.

This book features two souls who’re meant to be, one fake arrangement, so many heart-melting kisses and answers the question:

What happens when a perfectionist falls for a player?

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Can I ask you something?” he said.

“Okay…”

“Why are you dressed like that?”

I lifted a brow. “Like a blueberry?”

Sam gave a shrug. “I was going to say a cross between Elsa and Cinderella.”

“Well, well,” I said, “the Sam Bishop knows his princesses. Who would’ve guessed?”

“Thanks to my sister,” he said. “And I still don’t get why you keep saying the before my name. Makes no sense.”

It made sense to me.

He’d always been the Sam Bishop in my head. As in the one and only, the original, the Sam Bishop who stole my heart at age ten and refused to give it back. I couldn’t say any of that to him, though, so I just shrugged.

“I was hired to play a wedding,” I said.

“And they asked you to dress like a princess?”

I shook my head. “The bride wanted a very specific shade of blue. Not baby blue, aqua or cornflower. Royal blue is what they asked for. This is what I had, so…”

Sam nodded. “Looks good on you.”

“Yeah, right,” I said with a scoff.

“I’m serious.”

Feeling my cheeks heat, I crossed my arms.

“Gotta be honest, though, I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to fit all that in the car. That’s a lot of material.”

His words startled a laugh out of me, and I gave a mental curse. I would not be charmed by him. The guy couldn’t even remember my name for goodness sakes.

“Is part of it still hanging out the door or…?” he said innocently.

“Ha ha,” I said, “very funny, Bishop.”

“Got a laugh out of you, Kent.”

Well.

At least he remembered my last name, I thought.

“And I’m assuming if I hadn’t been able to fit inside your inadequately-sized sports car”—he scoffed—”you would’ve just left me on the side the road?”

Sam shook his head. “Nah, I would’ve just had you take the dress off.”

Author Bio:

Cookie O'Gorman Bio: Cookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, and BOOKWORM are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, and The Total Knockout. Her newest release SWEETHEART came out on April 25, 2024!

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Into The Lureof Time Book Blitz

 

Into the Lure of Time
Vera Bell
(Always and Forever, #2)
Publication date: April 23rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Time-Travel

In this gripping sequel to the award-winning novel, Through the Veneer of Time, echoes of Siena’s past life lure her into a shocking indiscretion that threatens to destroy her marriage. She alone can undo the damage, but this chilling revelation is only the beginning of her battle.

1564, ULSTER, IRELAND. After Aedan’s diplomatic visit to Queen Elizabeth’s court results in his compulsory divorce and arranged marriage, Neave’s violent unraveling drives her into another man’s arms. But in seeking revenge, Neave falls into a perfect trap set by Aedan’s enemy. By the time she learns the truth, it’s too late to undo the damage to Aedan, herself, and the hard-won peace in Ulster. When despair makes her reckless, the price will be a lifetime of infamy, confinement, and isolation from what Neave treasures most—Aedan and her son.

2011, WASHINGTON D.C./DALLAS, TX. It seems like a reasonable plan—Siena finishing her final mural in D.C. while Ryan starts his new job in Dallas. But when Siena meets Ryan’s new FBI partner, an inexplicable fit of jealousy sends her on a downward spiral. To make matters worse, the present mirrors the past when her visions take a startling turn. Consumed by insecurities, Siena takes a drastic step, which proves a catastrophic lapse in judgment. When her self-fulfilling prophecy unfolds in a devastating inversion of the past, Siena’s actions could cost her the two people she most fears to lose—Ryan and their baby.

Will Siena and Ryan beat their disastrous odds, or is their marriage foredoomed?

If you love time travel romance with dark undertones, as well as elements of domestic suspense, psychosexual thriller, and a touch of magic, don’t miss the second installment of the Always and Forever trilogy!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Everything—the floor, the walls, the air—fell away. Only this parchment in my hand remained.

Chimeric. Foretold.

Somewhere deep down, I knew I stood very still, calm, and mute, my eyes fixed on Aedan’s precise English hand. But I also hovered above, crumbling into bleeding bits. Watching my life’s blood drain out of me and wash the world in crimson, drop by drop by drop—

Kian said something, his voice familiar, ordinary. It cannot be. I shifted my gaze to the broken seal. An English forgery to foment strife. A cruel trickery to break our spirit. But there was yet a paragraph unread—

As I shall be returning soon after you take delivery of this dispatch, I trust that as my loyal subject, you will abide my expressed demand in the proper and expeditious fashion commensurate with the sensitivity of this matter. As well, it is my uttermost wish that you will, hitherto, regard me solely as your rightful ruler, and as such, would not seek my audience in any unseemly or unsuitable manner. Furthermore, shall you find yourself in my presence, I rely on your good sense and proper decorum to act toward me with such deference and regard as befits my rank.

Earl II of Tyrone, Lord Aedan O’Neal

This 5^th Day of January, 1565

The hall swayed. The parchment slipped from my fingers. His handwriting. His name. His signature. What forgery?

Kian steadied me with his hands on my shoulders, eyes frozen with horror.

He bent to take the parchment, pinching it between his thumb and index finger like it was something vile to touch. Like it would sully anyone mad enough to lay a hand on it.

“Is…is h-he…dead?”

The dais stood wrapped in saffron and gold, awaiting the O’Neal’s return.

I came back to myself. My eyes burned with salt. My throat chafed with sand. My heart burst into icy, piercing shards. How determined he was to go to London, how callous to slam our chamber door.

All content subject to copyright © Vera Bell 2024. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Imagine doing Past Life Regression (PLR) for the first time and emerging with a crazy book idea! That was exactly how I came to write my award-wining debut, “Through the Veneer of Time,” Book One of the time-travel romance trilogy, “Always and Forever.” But while my PLR session was a vivid, impassioned encounter, bursting with colors, sounds, smells, textures, and a bizarrely visceral knowledge, it was incomplete. Yet despite trying to go back, I never could. So I wrote the continuation in my head until it became so extensive and detailed, I had to put it on paper.

Besides being a writer, I’m a wife to my high-school sweetheart, a mother to two teenagers and one fur baby, a former commercial artist and boutique owner, and a member of the Historical Novel Society and Romance Writers of America. My favorite place to write is on my porch, overlooking a pond lined with river birches and magnolias. The topics I never tire of are bygone eras, our universal human condition, and love that transcends time and space.

Want to be in the know? Join my mailing list at VeraBellAuthor dot com and follow me on Facebook @ReadingBells and on Instagram @VeraBellAuthor.

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Hot Take Book Blitz

 

Hott Take
Serena Bell
(Hott Springs Eternal, #2)
Publication date: April 16th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The hard part isn’t acting like we’re falling for each other. It’s pretending we’re not.

Shane: My grandfather’s will has me between a rock and a Hott place. If I don’t score a celebrity wedding, my sister will lose her wedding planning business—and our family’s land. As a playboy movie star, I know Hollywood’s ins and outs. But finding two celebrities in love is tougher than it looks.

Enter Ivy Scofield—the beautiful star of one of TV’s most beloved failures. She’s hiding from her past in Rush Creek, running a community theater for troubled kids. She needs my family’s wedding barn to save her program. So we make a deal: I give her the barn—she gives me her hand in fake marriage. Lights, camera, action—and cut—right?

Not so fast. Planning our fake wedding is way more personal than I was expecting. I’m learning Ivy’s quirks, preferences, and pet peeves—and that’s before I walk in on her enjoying my most infamous on-camera scene. Plus she’s slowly peeling back my layers—the ones I’ve built up to protect myself. If someone doesn’t do something soon, we might discover that the only thing fake about this wedding is the way we keep pushing each other away.

A spicy, movie star, marriage of convenience, fake relationship standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

After Nia told me that Shane Hott is an actor, I watched the first Crown of Spires movies, Lord of Every Sky. It was full of scenes where he was shirtless, badass, and bossy. He’s basically the villain of the first movie—although I get the sense that he’s going to be redeemed later from the way the camera lingers on his…assets.

Even as I watched, I questioned my life choices. I wasn’t at all sure watching the movie was a good idea because in a town as small as Rush Creek, Shane and I were bound to cross paths.

After I watched him in Lord of Every Sky, I wanted to build a small monument to his torso and worship it…with my tongue.

And now, encountering him in the hallway outside of Hanna’s office, my knees feel less solid than I would ideally like.

Never trust a guy so good looking he makes you stupid.

So I do what any self-respecting woman would do in that situation.

I pretend I have no idea who he is.

I can tell he’s waiting for me to recognize him, giving me a beat to say, Holy crap, Shane Hott!

After he got on Bridge and turned into a household name, Anthony used to do the same thing.

Seeing echoes of Anthony in this guy makes me even less inclined to give him what he wants. Another Hollywood fuckboy hopped up on fan worship. It’s the last thing my life needs.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ivy Scofield,” I say, cool and low key, like I’m introducing myself to the manager at the bank.

Surprise flickers behind his eyes, but he hides it, extending his hand. I take it. It’s big, warm, and dry and, unfortunately for my equilibrium, attached to a toned, muscular forearm below a rolled shirt sleeve. The shirt itself is a soft-looking blue gray that clings in all the right places to his movie star–worthy shoulders, pecs, and abs. He has long-lashed dark brown eyes paired with a blade of a nose, square jaw, and lush mouth. Against my will, I admit that he’s gorgeous.

I thought I had permanently rid myself of men who were too good looking to be believed, but apparently not.

“I think we can help each other out,” he says. Actually, he whispers it. “You, um, mind walking with me?” He gestures toward the exit.

“Should I be worried that you’re a serial killer?”

The corner of his mouth turns up. “I’m not a serial killer. I’m an actor.”

“Even worse.”

He laughs, which is terrible because it makes him even better looking, all eye crinkles and white teeth and genuine amusement. Then he stops—because I wasn’t joking and he seems to intuit that.

“Even so,” he says, more seriously. “Please. Just…let me walk you out and tell you what I’m thinking.”

I give him a shrug-nod, and we walk out of Hott Springs together to the parking lot. Now I know who owns the Aston Martin Vanquish I parked next to. I know nothing about cars…but Anthony coveted that car: fast, expensive, and—his words—a dream to drive.

As we draw even with his car, Shane says, “I know you need our barn.”

I flick him a quick, confused glance as hope buys real estate in my chest. It sounds like he’s implying that it still might be possible. I will do anything to save our theater—not just for me, but for the kids. I know Nia feels the same way.

“I can get the barn for you.”

“Hanna said—”

“Hanna wasn’t looking at the whole picture,” he tells me. “I am.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“You need the barn, and I need you to marry me.”

His too-pretty-for-real-life face is deadly serious now. My mouth falls open.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

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Last Seen in Havana Book Blitz

 

Last Seen in Havana
Teresa Dovalpage
(A Havana Mystery, #4)
Publication date: February 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

A Cuban American woman searches for her long-lost mother and fights to restore a beautiful but crumbling Art Deco home in the heart of Havana in this moving, immersive new mystery, perfect for fans of Of Women and Salt.

Newly widowed baker Mercedes Spivey flies from Miami to her native Cuba in 2019 to care for her ailing paternal grandmother. Mercedes’s life has been shaped by loss, beginning with the mysterious unsolved disappearance of her mother when Mercedes was a little girl. Returning to Cuba revives Mercedes’s hopes of finding her mother as she attempts to piece together the few scraps of information she has. Could her mother still be alive?

Thirty-three years earlier, in 1986, an American college student with endless political optimism falls deliriously in love with a handsome Cuban soldier while on a spontaneous visit to the island. She decides to stay permanently, but soon discovers that nothing is as it seems in Havana.

The two women’s stories proceed in parallel as Mercedes gets closer to the truth about her mother, uncovering shocking family secrets in the process . . .

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Sarah stood under a blue pendant lamp in the middle of a huge living room. The faded grandeur of the place still impressed her as it had the first day. She approached an upright piano and played the first chords of “London Bridge.”

Though the piano needed tuning, it had a rich, warm sound. There was a blue vase on top, next to the portrait of a dark-haired woman with a pearl necklace. The frame, heavy and ornate, looked like tarnished silver. The wall behind the piano was covered in paintings. The landscapes of marinas and countryside scenes didn’t impress the blonde, but she examined the portraits trying to discover a resemblance between their faces and Joaquín’s. If there was any, it eluded her.

Through the picture window, she saw people waiting in line across the street—the same people who had stared at her when she passed them. Her new neighbors. In due time she would join them at the grocery store queue, and they would get to know her.

She smiled and two dimples appeared on her cheeks. How fast things had moved! Less than a month ago she had been a guest at Hotel Colina in El Vedado, thinking of the handsome lieutenant who had swept her off her feet after the Triumph of the Revolution parade on January first, but not believing that their relationship (if you could call it a relationship) had any future. After all, she was an American—a “Yankee,” as they said here—who had come to Havana for eight days. But the days had turned into weeks. And the weeks would turn, hopefully, into months, and the months into years . . .

The sound of footsteps downstairs made her jump. She ran down the marble staircase, being more careful this time.

“Joaquín!”

A tall man with angular features, almond eyes and a big smile had just come into the living room. He was wearing the green olive uniform of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, which, in Sarah’s opinion, fit him amazingly well. The fact that she had fallen for a military guy still surprised her. Her father, with whom she had argued for years about everything under the sun, from politics to fashion, had been in the Navy, and she thought that was why he was so pig-headed. But she loved him and was closer to him than to her mother.

“¡Mi amor!”

Joaquín handed her a bouquet of white lilies, mariposas, which by now Sarah knew were the Cuban national flower. They hugged each other and kissed so passionately that a few mariposas were crushed in the process.

“They smell amazing!” Sarah said, pressing the bouquet against her face. “Thanks!”

“And here’s this too.” He offered her a small package wrapped in fancy tissue paper.

She tore it open and discovered a perfume bottle with the cap shaped like a dome. When she opened it, the scent of bergamot blended with the mariposa fragrance. She tried to decipher the name, written in Cyrillic characters.

“It’s called Red Moscow,” Joaquín said.

“It’s lovely! But you didn’t need to—”

“Don’t you know what day is today?”

She did. She had thought of it early in the morning, but he hadn’t mention it. She assumed Cubans didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because that would imply a religious reference to Saint Valentine. Joaquín had told her that religion was considered an “ideological deviation.” It made sense to her. The opiate of the masses and all that.

“El Día de los Enamorados,” he said.

A day for lovers. Sarah liked that. She was enamorada, no question about it. And so was he. No, wait, he was enamorado—she still, sometimes, got her endings mixed up. They laughed, embraced again and hurried to the second floor. The mariposa bouquet and the Red Moscow bottle were left on top of the piano, between the blue vase and the silver-framed portrait.

A truck drove at high speed in front of the house. The piano shook slightly, and the ghost of a melody came from under the closed lid. The vase and the portrait stayed put, but the perfume bottle fell to the floor and shattered. A potent aroma filled the room and snuck upstairs, passed by the master bedroom and reached the library, where the lady in the painting wore an expression of disgust.

Author Bio:

Teresa Dovalpage was born in Havana and now lives in Hobbs, where she is a college professor at New Mexico Junior College. She has a PhD in Hispanic Literature from the University of New Mexico with a specialization in Latin American literature.

She has published twelve novels and three collections of short stories. Her Havana Mystery series published by Soho Crime started with the culinary mystery Death Comes in through the Kitchen (2018), set in Havana and featuring Padrino, a santero-detective. It is loaded with authentic Cuban recipes like arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and caldosa (a yummy stew). The second novel, Queen of Bones (2019) was chosen by NBC News as one of the top 10 books by and about Latinos in 2019. The third is Death of a Telenovela Star (2020). Set on a Caribbean cruise, it showcases the dark—sometimes deadly—side of celebrity, as well as the shenanigans that often happen abroad a cruise ship. Death under the Perseids (2021) also happens on a cruise ship, at first, and later in Havana, taking readers from the streets of La Habana Vieja to the botanical garden La Quinta de los Molinos. Upcoming is Last Seen in Havana, a sequel to Death under the Perseids.

She also wrote A Girl like Che Guevara (Soho Press, 2004) and Habanera, a Portrait of a Cuban Family (Floricanto Press, 2010).

In her native Spanish she has authored the novels Muerte de un murciano en La Habana (Death of a Murcian in Havana, Anagrama, 2006, a runner-up for the Herralde Award in Spain), El difunto Fidel (The Late Fidel, Renacimiento, 2011, which won the Rincon de la Victoria Award in Spain in 2009), Posesas de La Habana (Haunted ladies of Havana, PurePlay Press, 2004), La Regenta en La Habana (Edebe Group, Spain, 2012), Orfeo en el Caribe (Atmósfera Literaria, Spain, 2013), and El retorno de la expatriada (The Expat’s Return, Egales, Spain, 2014).

Her short story collections are The Astral Plane, Stories of Cuba, the Southwest and Beyond (University of New Orleans Press, 2012), Llevarás luto por Franco (Atmósfera Literaria, 2012) and Por culpa de Candela (Floricanto Press, May 2009).

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Sir, Yes Sir

 

Sir, Yes Sir
L. L. Ash
Publication date: April 12th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Ashton

One single moment changed everything. After receiving life-altering injuries on my last operation, I was forced to retire early. What was I if not a Raider and a Marine? When my brother in arms Tommy (Gun) Blair offered his home up to me to finish my recovery, I snatched up the opportunity with both hands because I had nowhere else to go. Amidst all my calculations, however, I realized that I’d missed one significant detail. Freya, Tommy’s daughter. She’d been a kid last time I’d seen her. She was definitely NOT a kid anymore. Living up to her namesake, the daughter of my best friend was beautiful, sweet, and deadly. If Tommy knew the kinds of things running through my head, he’d kill me in my sleep with a rusty spoon. Didn’t matter though. The woman was temptation embodied, and despite all my training, discipline and control, she was the one weakness that I just couldn’t give up.

Freya

I’d never met a man like him. Ashton was solid, confident, rigid, and bold. He also had the body of a god. No joke. But I was just the kid of his best friend. Seeing a man as powerful as him bow to the agony of injuries and PTSD…it broke my heart. It also proved that he wasn’t just a fighting machine. When he started working at Dad’s dealership with us, I started to get to know the man instead of the legend, and I loved what I found. Good with his hands, and loyal to a fault, I fell so deep in love with him it’s almost disgusting. Too bad he was my father’s best friend and would never love me back.

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EXCERPT:

“Sorry,” Freya said from…yep, the kitchen. “Mom’s been into that stuff ever since I can remember. She thinks that good thoughts and crystals can heal just about everything.”

“You don’t buy it?” I asked her.

She just blinked at me.

“She once tried healing my broken arm with obsidian and selenite. It took me two hours to convince my mom that a couple of pretty rocks weren’t going to reset my bones.”

I whistled.

“How old were you?”

“Eight. Eight and a half, I think.”

Holy shit.

“Where was Tommy? Your dad, I mean.”

“Working. In Afghanistan, I think. He’d been gone for months before it happened. Mom always got super sucked into that stuff when he was away for a while.”

“I’m sorry, kid,” I told her, which made her bristle.

“I’m not a kid, you know that, don’t you, Ashton?”

Oh, I fucking knew it. I remembered the feel of her very grown-up breasts pressing against my chest while I was having a full on mental breakdown in the employee bathroom at work.

She’d never brought it up though. After Tommy had led me away, Freya never mentioned the incident again. Maybe she just wanted to forget the traumatizing moment, and I could respect that. I’d taken full advantage of her sympathetic and loving heart, and I knew it.

But I digress.

I didn’t remember things being so bad. Tommy had mentioned that he’d needed to leave the Marines to be with his wife and daughter, but he’d never mentioned how bad it had evidently gotten. Had Freya been dealing with being the grown-up in the house ever since she was a kid? Maybe our pasts were more similar than I ever realized.

“You look like you’re thinking too hard,” Freya said as she dipped to look into the fridge for something.

Damn, that ass…

“I’m afraid that maybe your head will explode or something,” she mused.

I barked a rusty laugh, just as she stood and graced me with a grin over her shoulder.

“You’re insane,” was the only comeback I had, because maybe she was right.

I was thinking way too hard about her and that peachy ass when I should’ve been focused on other things. “Is Tommy still at the dealership?”

She nodded, then slid over a beer to me.

“You know him. Workaholic.”

Yes, I did, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. He had such an amazing life to come home to, why would he choose work over this?

I grunted instead of answering, but took the beer happily.

“So?” she asked after a minute. “You took the day to go to the base. How’d it go?”

I didn’t fucking answer. I didn’t want to.

Funny though, as it turned out, I didn’t need to.

“Oh…Ash…” she moaned, sadness and sympathy coloring her cheeks.

“Guess my nickname Citizen really matches now,” I grunted out, thinking it would be funny, but my voice cracked like a prepubescent boy, showing my emotions.

Freya came right around the counter and took me into her arms, beer and all where she squeezed me harder than anybody had ever hugged me before.

“You’ll be ok,” she muffled a whisper with her face in the crook of my neck and shoulder. “You’ve got us, and we’ll be your team.”

An unwelcome tear started slipping out of my eye, and I quickly tried sucking it back up before she could notice. But funny that, tears don’t suck back up like snot.

When she let me go, Freya looked into my face and lifted her hand, sweeping the trail of that singular tear away.

“You’ve got us,” she said, looking me right in the eyes. “If you need a wingman, I’m your girl. I’ll help get you laid and help you find a place when you’re ready. I’ll even watch sports with you, even though I hate everything other than hockey and MMA.”

I snorted a laugh, which made her sad lips turn into a small smile.

“I appreciate that,” I told her, pressing my palm to her cheek now. “But I’m ok. I don’t need a wingman. I can get laid all by myself. As for sports, what other real sports are there other than hockey and MMA?”

She snorted a laugh, legit making snot burst out of her nose, which made her cheeks flame with embarrassment.

I laughed too while she hurried away to the bathroom to get away from me.

That girl was too much.

And fucking everything.

Author Bio:

L.L. Ash is a Washington-born writer who has traveled and lived across the western coast of the US. Ash has been writing fiction since she was a pre-teen, and while her writing has improved since then, her love for literature has not changed.

Oftentimes you can find Ash reading an indie romance or enjoying a historical fiction. Dabbling in culinary arts and music, Ash has been an artist for decades but found her true love and passion in romances.

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Lady Cosa Nostra Book Blitz

 

Lady Cosa Nostra: Victoria’s Secrets
Contel Bradford
(Lady Cosa Nostra, #1)
Publication date: April 8th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mafia, Romance

Born to a struggling African American mother and a successful Italian American father, Victoria Russo is destined for greatness. But her journey is fraught with pain, drama, and trauma beyond her years. From the treacherous schoolyard to the shadowy depths of the mafia underworld, this coming-of-age story defies convention at every turn.

The first in a trilogy, Victoria’s Secrets: Lady Cosa Nostra spins a gripping journey of resilience, identity, and survival against all odds.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Victoria stammered into the living room, buzzed from healthy swigs of sweet and syrupy cheap liquor. She could hear her mother in the kitchen, bitching someone out on the phone. Rosaline was always in a pissy mood. No matter the time of day. The fact that school had let out hours ago meant she was probably incensed on another plateau of rage. Victoria strategically crept pass her mother and upstairs to her bedroom, hoping she hadn’t tipped off the drunken giant.

“What a day,” Victoria sighed as she flopped down on her messy bed. Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from the events of the past ten hours, she stretched out, confident that she could sleep for another ten.

Sure, there were guys here and there, but Victoria never had what she’d call a boyfriend. On that note, she might have two to call her own in Donnell and Damon⸺—if she played her cards right. Commemorating an official relationship with either would bolster her presence by a few precious notches. Things were looking up. Well, minus whatever repercussions stemmed from that one-sided fight with big bad Keisha. Before she could further relish in the wonderful world of what-if, cold hard reality came banging at her bedroom door.

God dang it. Victoria huffed and braced for the inevitable showdown, knowing she couldn’t win this one. “Come in!”

Rosaline barged in and wasted no time in unloading a barrage of verbal fury. “I am so sick and tired of yo ole triflin’ ass! What you doin’ fightin’ in school? Huh?!”

Victoria sat up and instantly went into panic mode, mind scrambling to decipher how her mother got wind of the fight. She figured she could at least table the issue on the back burner until tomorrow. In reality, none of that even mattered. Didn’t matter who or what instigated the incident. Heads were set to roll, and her noggin was square on the chopping block.

“Ma, it wasn’t even my fault,” Victoria pleaded her case. “She the one …”

“Shut the hell up!”Rosaline had heard enough. She silenced Victoria with a slap that echoed throughout the room, daring the rebellious teen to question her authority. “I don’t wanna hear it, Victoria! They talkin’ bout expelling you from school … permanently. Well guess what … you get kicked outta school, you kicked outta my house! I’m done wit your no good ass!”

Rosaline stomped out of the room, ire raised higher than when she entered. That’s that. No chance for Victoria to appeal with her version of the truth. Rosaline flew off the handle, straight into Psycho Mom town, where she then proceeded to lay the smack down. Victoria never spoke it. Hell, she tried not to even think it into existence. But right then and there, she declared seething hatred for her very own mother. The self-indulgent, crack blazing, booze guzzling whore who never cared for anyone other than herself. Certainly not her one and only child. If Victoria made good on a single promise, accomplished one goal in life, it was to get the hell out of Rosaline’s house ASAP.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Contel Bradford is a seasoned freelance writer and author of multiple fiction tales. Though he is perhaps best known for reality-based hardcore urban fiction titles such as Thug Nation, he is quickly gaining a reputation as a compelling voice in the increasingly popular genre of erotica. Boasting a unique style that combines high-level writing with energetic, engaging storytelling, Contel has emerged as that author you must have in your reading rotation!

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The Spolier

 

The Spoiler
Le Todd
Publication date: June 18th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

College student Rose Maraczek loves movies. Not just any movies, but sweeping period dramas that take her far away from who she is. Her obsession started in high school when a box of movies appeared on her doorstep and she discovered the relief they could give her from her debilitating OCD. What Rose hates are spoilers—especially those that ruin the escape she seeks.

Tristan Moore, Rose’s former crush and her brother’s best friend, is the bane of her existence. Always at their house, everything he does gets under Rose’s skin, the worst of which is his consistent dropping of movie spoilers. Fed up, Rose sets out to find a new apartment, but it’s while trying to distance herself from Tristan that he reveals one final spoiler—one that makes Rose realize it was Tristan who left all those movies for her years ago.

Now it’s Rose’s turn for revenge as she forms a movie-spoiler plan of her own: Destroy Tristan Moore.

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Author Bio:

After years in marketing as a content writer, LE Todd returned to her first love: writing fiction. She had previously shelved the idea of being published, but decided to press on, continuing work on her fantasy series, Harrow Eternus. In 2021, she completed writing the second book in her series, then went on to write a contemporary romance, The Spoiler, which is slated for publication in June 2024.
In 2023, LE Todd wrote a vampire romantasy, Claret, and is now working on a new fantasy trilogy, Warlock of the West.

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Take All The Time You Need

 

Take All the Time You Need
Cate Summers
Publication date: September 24th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Riley Chase is taking her sweet time to move on.

Working as a painter in the West Village in New York City, Riley is still reeling from the loss of her fiancé, Grant, three years later, until an unexpected rent hike forces her to move out of the apartment she shared with him. She takes it as a chance to start anew, at the encouragement of her therapist. After answering a request for proposal to paint a mural in The Red Kettle, a new restaurant owned by none other than Jae Cho, the wickedly handsome chef who just moved into her old apartment.

As Riley and Jae work together to get the restaurant ready for opening night, Jae learns of Riley’s well-meaning but ultimately futile attempts to make a dating app profile. Jae can’t stand to watch his new employee flounder in love—or get kidnapped by a serial killer before she finishes painting his mural— and promises to help get her profile in order including a practice date in exchange for her painting the mural for free. Riley questions what it means to “move on” from her late fiancé, and from the place she called home for so long—all while trying to not fall for her new neighbor who can’t seem to help but feed her dumplings and take her on long walks through NYC.

Maybe it isn’t too late for love after all.

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Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph

 

Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph
Ari Rosenschein
Publication date: May 7th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

It’s the late ’90s—the final days before smartphones and the internet changed the teenage landscape forever. Zack and his mother have moved from Tempe to Berkeley for a fresh start, leaving behind Zack’s father after a painful divorce. A natural athlete, Zack makes the water polo team which equals social acceptance at his new school. Yet he’s more drawn to Matthias, a rebellious skater on the fringes, who introduces him to punk rock, record stores, and the legendary Telegraph Avenue.

As their friendship intensifies, Matthias’s behavior reminds Zack of his absent dad, driving a wedge between him and his mother. Complicating matters is Zaylee, a senior who boosts Zack’s confidence but makes him question his new buddy, Matthias. Faced with all these changes, Zack learns that when life gets messy, he might have to become his own best friend.

Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph is about how a friendship can challenge who we are, how we fit in, and where we’re going.

“Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph is a keenly and compassionately observed coming-of-age story that glows with truth and yearning. Reading this book feels the way falling in love and making a new best friend alight on the young and hungry heart.”

—Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of In the Wild Light

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Author Bio:

Ari Rosenschein is a Seattle-based author who grew up in the Bay Area. Books and records were a source of childhood solace, leading Ari to a teaching career and decades of writing, recording, and performing music. Along the way, he earned a Grammy shortlist spot, landed film and TV placements, and co-wrote the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year.

Coasting, his debut short story collection, was praised by Newfound Journal as “introducing us to new West Coast archetypes who follow the tradition of California Dreaming into the 21st century.” His forthcoming young adult novel, Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph, draws partly from the writer’s adolescent experiences.

Ari holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch Los Angeles, and his work appears in Short Beasts, Drunk Monkeys, Noisey, Observer, PopMatters, The Big Takeover, KEXP, and elsewhere. He lives with his wife and dogs and enjoys the woods, rain, and coffee of his region.

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Xander

 

Title: Xander

Helen of Troy Retelling

Series: Forbidden Ice –

Hockey Gods of Olympus #1

Authors: Drethi A. & Nenia Campbell

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Hockey Romance/Reverse Age Gap

Breeding/Forbidden Love/Stepmother Romance

Cover Design: Temptation Creations

Release Date: June 1, 2024

BLURB

She fought battles for others… and never expected someone to wage a war for her.

Calm. Calculating. Disciplined.

Xander Maxwell thrives on controlling his emotions. The ruthless hockey player leaves it all on the ice but is levelheaded outside the rink. Until he comes face to face with his estranged father’s beautiful young bride.

Jordan—a walking wet dream with heart-stopping curves, a sunshine smile, golden hair, and bright blue eyes.

He shouldn’t be enticed. His only goal is to no longer live under his father’s thumb. It doesn’t matter that Jordan is the most beautiful woman on earth or that she radiates like the sun itself.

There is only one problem. She is everywhere—in his thoughts, in every bone, even in his blood. She has snuck into his dreams, and he can’t wrench her out.

***

Successful, affectionate, and warm.

Jordan Banks makes a career out of selling the perfect life. With clients consisting of the wealthy and famous elite, there is no room for error. Perfection is everything, especially to her controlling husband.

The only part of her life she hasn’t perfected is the one that matters the most—family.

When Xander returns home after years, it’s an opportunity to cement the close-knit family dynamic she has always craved. After all, she is closer to him in age than her husband.

The unlikely bond she forges with Xander isn’t part of the plan, though. Nor does she expect to see the same suffocating loneliness reflected in his eyes, the one she’s found within her marriage.

But their undeniable connection comes at a cost. A series of devastating secrets comes to light, shattering her not-so-perfect life and leaving only Xander to shield her from the glancing blows.

Jordan is used to fighting battles for her clients but it’s Xander who wages a war for her.

Xander is a steamy reverse age-gap hockey romance. This book is inspired by Helen of Troy. It includes explicit content and only recommend for mature readers.

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DRETHI A.

Drethi lives close to DC with her husband and runs a wedding planning business. She loves to travel and tries to visit multiple countries per year.

When she’s not traveling or busy planning a special day, she can be found plotting ways to put her characters through hell. She is all about angst and dark themes in her romance. Drethi loves to put her flawed and disturbed characters through the wringer before giving them their Happily Ever After.

You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. She loves talking with her readers, so don’t be shy.

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NENIA CAMPBELL

Nenia Campbell lives in San Francisco. She writes dark romances about morally grey men who are obsessed with their heroines. Sometimes they have knives. Sometimes they chase her through the woods. They might even be her stepbrother. When she's not writing, she is working in tech, going to local wineries, traveling, or playing cozy games. She has one black cat and a huge collection of retro romance novels that she likes to show off on Instagram.

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