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“Whoa. Undeniable is one of my top reads! Sizzling chemistry, off the charts sexual tension and all the feels I’ve come to expect with a Melanie Harlow romance!”- Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Undeniable, an all-new sexy standalone second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!

When we were eleven, Oliver Ford Pemberton dared me to jump off a barn roof. He said you couldn’t break a leg from a 12-foot-jump.

He lied.

(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.)

I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took from him, the last bet I ever made with him, the last time I ever trusted Oliver Ford Pemberton.

But it wasn’t.

Because he had the nerve to grow up gorgeous, charming, and sexy. And as we got older, the dares only got dirtier—and the betting stakes higher—until finally, he left me in pieces. I swore I’d never talk to him again.

But twenty years after I took that flying leap, he’s back in my life, daring me to risk everything for him: my job, my self-worth, and my heart.

How many chances does true love deserve?

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Review

If you frequently read my reviews, you know my strong affinity for second chance romances, and Melanie Harlow’s newest release, Undeniable, provides her readers with one heck of a good one because Oliver Ford Pemberton and Chloe Sawyers’ lives have been intertwined since they were young and despite the multiple years they spent apart, every time they reunited, even if it was under less than stellar terms, they were always drawn to each other, remaining in one another’s minds and hearts despite the sometimes volatile nature of their connection due to their respective competitive natures and Oliver’s inability to follow through with his promises and grab hold of his feelings for Chloe instead of run away from them when he gets in too deep.

It’s clear through the then and now chapters just how messy Oliver and Chloe’s relationship has always been, which is why they’ve never been able to define their feelings for one another or allow themselves to completely move on with someone else. And while the blame does seem to rest predominantly on Oliver’s shoulders, the fact that Chloe always allowed Oliver to pull her back into his life makes her just as culpable for continuing a rather unproductive and perhaps even destructive connection.

I do have to admit that even though I thought that Oliver was charming, adventurous, and gorgeous, his immaturity got to me at times, and while I understand that it takes awhile for some guys to mature and not be scared about the depth of their feelings for someone, time and time again, he always broke his promises and caused Chloe to lose trust in his words and his actions repeatedly. But  the ‘Now’ Oliver works diligently to make amends for his past behavior and to prove to Chloe that she can trust him and take a chance on him once more, so that he can prove just how good they could be together doing everything with one another, just as they always promised.

Oliver and Chloe definitely have a hot and cold relationship and they’re about as far as they can be on both sides when it comes to the sexual tension and attraction that surrounds them as well as the way they freeze each other out when they’re mad or jealous. Both are mercurial characters who don’t know how to handle the emotions that they bring out in each other, and while Chloe has always been clear on her feelings for Oliver, being burned one too many times now has her skittish around the older version of him, but while Oliver seems to have his work cut out for him, there’s always hope that they’ll get things right this time around because neither one turns down a dare, and this time they’re playing the biggest game of their lives.

Undeniable is a sweet and steamy second chance romance that illustrates just how unstoppable Oliver and Chloe’s connection is despite everything they’ve been through, and while Oliver has to win back the heart of the only girl he’s truly ever had a deep bond with, readers also learn just how much history these two share and why it was only a matter of time for them to find their way back to each other, even if it did require quite a bit of groveling!

4.5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

Fueled by pent-up lust and scotch, we stumbled into Oliver’s room and tore at each other’s clothes. It was hot and rough and a little bit violent, as if we were furious we hadn’t been able to keep our hands to ourselves and wanted to take it out on one another’s bodies. We pushed and pulled and growled and grasped. We called each other names and cursed viciously. We knocked over a lamp and ripped Oliver’s shirt.

When we finally exploded together, Oliver had me up against the door, and if our yelling didn’t wake the entire floor, then the pounding must have. I’d have bruises for days.

Afterward, we collapsed on the bed, naked and sweaty and exhausted.

“Oh my God,” I said. “I can’t believe we did that.”

“I know. Me either.”

“I think I pulled a muscle.”

“I think you bit me. Am I bleeding?”

I laughed. “No, but I hope you’re not seeing anyone. If you are, she’s going to wonder about all those scratches on your back.”

“I’m not seeing anyone.” He paused. “Are you?”

“No.”

Neither of us moved for several minutes. When I caught myself falling asleep, I sat up. “I should go.”

“Why? Just stay here.”

I looked down at him. “You want me to stay?”

“Yeah.” He opened his eyes. In the low light, they almost looked black instead of blue. “Spend the night with me.”

I waited for it—the dirty joke, the excuse, the subtle dig—the reason he’d toss out for asking me to stay. It couldn’t just be that he wanted me here.

But he didn’t say anything more. He just reached out and covered my hand with his.

I looked at our hands for a moment, and a thousand memories came rushing back. Some good, some bad, but all us. I felt close to him, and I didn’t want to leave. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

“Good.” He took off his watch and put it on the nightstand.

About Melanie

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, Succession, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the ONE & ONLY series, the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

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INSTANT GRATIFICATION by Lauren Blakely

Release Date: September 3rd

Cover Designer: Helen Williams

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Blurb

Snagging a date? Not a problem. But one that meets my special requirements?

As the premier best-man-for hire in all of Manhattan, I promise discretion, so when I need a plus one for a couple of “I dos,” she needs to be A-Plus in reliability. Fortunately, I have a brilliant solution in asking my best friend’s sister to go on my arm. Truly is my good friend, too, and I trust her completely.

Just look how discreet she’s been about the time we spent the night together. But, it was only once, and it was months ago. We’ve been the souls of restraint ever since. I’m sure we can make it through these weddings without banging each other in the limo. Probably.

Plus, she needs my help with a business proposal. A little I’ll-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine doesn’t have to lead to the bedroom, right?

Good thing we know our way around the friend zone. The treacherous, torturous all-too-easy to slide out of friend zone…

Instant Gratification is told from the hero’s POV, so if you loved Big Rock, Mister O, or Full Package, you’ll devour this new standalone rom-com!

PRE-ORDER TODAY!

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Audiobook preorder coming in late July

Sign up here to receive an alert for it: http://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio)

The cast for this full-cast audiobook will be announced on May 24th! Stay tuned!

About the Author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’ssweet, sexy and witty. Her heroines are strong and smart and her heroes have hearts of gold and fantastic funny bones. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, and she’s sold more than 3 million books.

In June she’ll release SATISFACTION GUARANTEED and in September INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

She’d love to give you a free book today! Check out her web site to grab your free read: laurenblakely.com/one-free-book/

Connect w/Lauren

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Written With Regret, the first in an all-new emotional duet from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez, is available now!

Every little girl dreams of the fairytale. The one where the white knight rushes in to save her from the clutches of evil. They fall in love, have babies, and live happily ever after.

By that definition, my life should have been a fairytale too.

When I was eight years old, Caven Hunt saved me from the worst kind of evil to walk the Earth. It didn’t matter that I was a kid. I fell in love with him all the same.

But that was where my fairytale ended.

Years later, a one-night stand during the darkest time imaginable gave us a little girl. It was nothing compared to the pitch black that consumed me when I was forced to leave her with Caven for good.

At the end of every fairytale, the happily-ever-after is the one thing that remains consistent. It wasn’t going to be mine, but there hadn’t been a night that passed where I hadn’t prayed that it would be hers.

I owed Caven my life.

However, I owed that innocent child more.

And that included ripping the heart from my chest and facing her father again.

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About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

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The Billionaire Boss Next Door, an all-new hilarious romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe, is available now!

My new boss has it all. In spades.

Gorgeous green eyes? Check.

Hard-and-sexy body? Check.

Intelligence? Check.

Success? A big fat billionaire… Check.

Too bad I haven’t started out on the best foot.

My big mouth has already turned him against me, and tempting good looks and success aside, Trent Turner is no peach either. He’s stubborn and thick-headed, and son of a fruitcake, he thinks he knows everything there is to know about the hotel business.

With him running the development of the new Vanderturn New Orleans Hotel and me doing the design, our work relationship is far too intimate for two people who absolutely despise one another.

But that’s not all.

See, he isn’t just my billionaire boss from hell. He’s my new neighbor, too.

Same city.

Same building.

Same floor.

Trent Turner is my billionaire boss next door.

Holy moly, let’s hope my career—and hormones—can survive.

Disclaimer: If you generally love to suffer, hate fun of any kind, and are allergic to laughter, this book is not for you.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Review

Who better to introduce Max Monroe’s new billionaire story but the Big Man himself – Thatch! Anything who gets his stamp of approval is a sure bet as far as I’m concerned, which meant that I couldn’t wait to get to know Trent Turner and watch how his awkward, unfriendly, and combustible ‘relationship’ with his number one enemy, employee, and neighbor, Greer, played out in The Billionaire Boss Next Door.

Trent and Greer’s first interaction is less than stellar, some might even call it hellacious, and it’s that initial encounter that sets a precedence for what’s to come for this unknowing boss and his employee. And let me tell you…these two definitely know how to ruffle each other’s feathers, so to speak, and throw shade even if it isn’t warranted.

These two are both a bit over-the-top, which means that their bickering, their banter, and their desire to one up each other make for quite entertaining interactions that not only illustrates the amount of sexual tension that surrounds them but also the fact that their hatred for one another has turned into something so much more complicated, begging the question as to the true nature of their respective feelings and what it will take for them to focus on the present instead of what made them despise each other in the first place. 

I truly would have loved to be a referee in the hallway of Greer and Trent’s building because it would provide me with a slew of hilarious moments made even more entertaining simply because of their attitudes and the passive aggressive ways they attempt to deal with one another. And even though it is a bit of a slow burn romance, Max Monroe does a great job building off of Greer and Trent’s mutual attraction and the change of direction their relationship takes the more time they spend together and realize that their hatred is unwarranted and counter productive when it comes to the potential of what they could be.

Enemies-to-lovers, office romances are some of my favorite due to the characters’ need to one up and embarrass each other, and then when you add in the comedic flair that Max Monroe brings to Trent and Greer’s story, it’s the perfect formula for a laugh out loud, quirky, at times adorable and steamy read.

4.5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

It only takes five minutes inside the hotel gym to realize why my original plan was to eat a hamburger in bed.

I do not got this.

I’m not good at working out, I’ve never been good at working out, and I’ll never be good at working out.

I don’t know what to do with the equipment, and it doesn’t know what to do with me.

Clearly, it’s been designed for people with half a foot more height and fifty percent more muscle, and even on the lowest of settings, I fumble my way through biceps curls like an uncoordinated inchworm.

I can barely reach the handles, so I have to kind of stoop to get in position, but the newly formed curve of my spine makes me have to arch and wiggle to complete the curl. If it weren’t for my kick-ass Metallica T-shirt, I might start to worry that I look foolish.

The ten-pound weight clanks as I drop it the inch and a half I managed to lift it in the first place, and I stand up to find a different machine. Surely there’s something in here I can operate without having a special license.

I find some kind of seated thing with weights on one end and a padded face rest on the other. I sit, lay my face down, and attempt to slide my legs underneath the weighted bar. But, it’s completely awkward and uncomfortable, and I start questioning what in the fuck this thing is even supposed to do.

Just before I give up completely, a throat clears deeply beside me, and I look up to see a far too muscular man staring down at me in confusion. “Uh…wow…I didn’t realize you could use it that way…”

Huh?

I nearly ask him what he’s talking about, but his actions answer any and all questions I might have.

He sits down on the machine beside mine—an identical machine to mine—and it’s then I realize the face rest is not a face rest.

It’s a seat. For asses.

A seat for sweaty, workout asses.

Jesus Christ. I shudder and disentangle myself from the machine.

“You okay?” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s long-lost brother asks, but I just nod off his question and put some much-needed distance between us.

Also, I scrub my face with the hand towel I brought down from my room like it’s a fucking Brillo pad capable of removing the ball sweat that’s probably found itself a home in my pores.

Note to self: take one thousand scalding-hot showers tonight.

With a deep inhale, I try to regain some of the pride I lost back there by Mr. Muscles and peruse the room until I find a machine that’s labeled with instructional pictures to boot.

Hip. Abduction.

Do I need aliens to use this thing?

Against my better judgment, I study the pictures and peptalk myself into sitting down on the seat and swing my legs over to the inside of the knee pads.

No face-to-butt-sweat mistakes happening here, folks!

The weight is set on one hundred and fifty pounds from the person before me, and it makes me wonder if Thor is staying at this hideous hotel too.

I pull out the pin and put it on forty instead.

After a quick test push with my legs, the setting seems doable, so I take out my phone and start scrolling through it to set up some music to accompany me.

Yes. Yes. That’s exactly what I need. Some workout jams.

Of course, once I’m on it, I get distracted by Instagram, and five minutes go by before I realize I’m sitting on a machine, not a couch, and the purpose here is to do something other than lounge.

I glance up from my phone and scan the room, wondering slightly if anyone knows how long I’ve been sitting here. Mr. Muscles has moved on to a new machine, but a different guy across the room makes eye contact and smirks.

Busted.

Normal human decency dictates he should let me off the hook and go about his day, but this fit, Adonis-looking, sweat-covered, brown-haired, green-eyed—good God, he’s attractive—man apparently has no manners.

Shit.

His sleeveless white T-shirt clings to his tanned body as he strides my way, and his athletic shorts conform to a muscular set of thighs and ass.

I look everywhere but at him, fiddling with the machine as though I’m doing something productive, but he still doesn’t get the hint.

Raspy and firm, the clearing of his throat sounds right next to me.

I look up as innocently as I can manage and pull out my earbuds as though I had music playing.

“Um, hi,” I say with a cute little manufactured laugh. “I’ll be done in just a second.”

He laughs too, but his seems genuine and undeniably directed at me. “If you keep up your current pace, I think it’s going to be a little longer.”

“Excuse me?”

“Come on,” he says good-naturedly—the prick. “You’re just pretending to work out.”

Oh no, he did not just say that….

“I’m not pretending to work out,” I deny. “I’m just getting warmed up.”

He nods knowingly.

“And setting up my music,” I continue.

He hums.

“I’m just about to catch my stride.”

“Sure you are.” He calls bullshit with his smug, green as fuck eyes, and for the briefest of moments, they glance down at my chest and my legs before meeting my gaze again. “But there are people who would like to really use it, so if you’re done…”

What. The. Fuck.

Who does this guy think he is?

“Are you always this rude?” I question, and his green eyes lighten a bit.

“All right, you’re right. I’m really not trying to be a dick,” he says and runs a hand through his hair.

Should it really take that much effort not to be a dick?

“Let’s start over…” He pauses and pushes a small smile to his full, kissable lips. “How are you enjoying the hotel?”

Start over? How about let’s never have started at all?

Still annoyed, I don’t censor my answer. “It’s…swell.”

He laughs at first, but when I raise an eyebrow in contention, he frowns. “You don’t like it?”

“Maybe ugly décor and a whole buttload of pretention are good for some people, but not for me.”

“Ugly décor? Really?”

How can he be shocked by this? Anyone with eyes could see the design flaws here.

“Are you kidding? I feel like I’m in my ninety-year-old grandmother’s living room, except it’s a waking nightmare and I’m about to be eaten alive by the curtains.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s timeless.”

Normally, I’m not such a snob about design, nor do I make a point to make other people feel bad for their likes and dislikes, but for some reason, this handsome prick and his dickish attitude just bring it out in me.

Before I know it, I’m channeling Regina George.

“Well…” I pause and scrunch up my nose dramatically. “I’m sorry to break the news to you, but the design of this place looks like it was done by a blind rat. Gilded sailboat pictures and tapestries with oxen on them aren’t timeless. They’re old.”

His eyebrows pinch together, highlighting the otherwise perfect features of his face. Goddamn this ugly hotel for housing such perfect-looking humans.

“What did you say your name was again?”

Shit. Emory will absolutely murder me if she finds out I got into some kind of confrontational tête-à-tête with a random Romeo in the hotel gym.

Let’s also not forget this hotel gym is located inside a hotel that is owned by the company you’re about to interview with…

Shit. Yeah. I’d better cut and run while I can.

“I didn’t.” I jump up from the machine with the exact agility I’ve lacked during the rest of my workout and offer a saccharine smile. “But, hey, good news. Machine’s all yours.”

“Aren’t you going to wipe it down?” he asks as I walk toward the door, and I can’t help but turn around for my parting shot.

“Why?” I smirk at the pouty-lipped asshole. “After all, I was just pretending to work out.”

Because you know what dicks can do?

They can go fuck themselves and wipe down their own workout equipment, tight asses and chiseled jaws be damned.

Suck on that, workout Romeo.

About Max Monroe

A secret duo of romance authors team up under the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling pseudonym Max Monroe to bring you sexy, laugh-out-loud reads.

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of more than ten contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

Connect with Max Monroe

Website: https://www.authormaxmonroe.com/

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FALLEN SAINT

Volume Two

Monica James

Release date: July 16^th 2019

Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume Two

Genre: Dark Romance

Cover Designer: Sommer Stein— Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Blurb 

Just as this nightmare began, I once again find myself bound, destination unknown. However, this time,my kidnapper is the man who shattered my world beyond repair.

Aleksei Popov—Russia’s number one mobster, and the man I was sold to.

His intentions for me are clear—submit, obey him, and call him master—but I won’t surrender. I’m not like the other girls. Whether that’s a blessing or curse, I’ve yet to decide.

The problem is, my disobedience intrigues my captor all the more.

When we arrive in Russia, the rules change.

Saint, the man who was once a sinner, is my only salvation. What was forbidden now gives me hope that there is light in the darkness.

He will risk everything to set me free.

But behind these opulent walls, things aren’t what they seem, and when the fine line between pleasure and pain begins to blur, only one thing matters—saving my soul.

I will lie.

Cheat.

Steal.

I was once an angel, but now…I’m a fallen saint, ready to inflict my own pain and burn this hellhole to the ground.

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 Excerpt

“Kneel.”

Without question, I slowly rise from the bed and follow Saint to the middle of the room. When he positions himself so Aleksei can see, I know what I have to do.

I drop to my knees and bow my head.

“Oh my.” A stunned gasp leaves Aleksei. “That is incredible. Just like a trained dog.”

A strong metallic taste fills my mouth, alerting me that I’ve drawn blood by biting down on my tongue so hard.

“What is your name?” Saint asks numbly.

“Aнгел.”

“And who am I?”

“мастеp,” I reply softly, using my hair as a veil.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

Before I have a chance to reply, Saint reaches down and grips my chin, forcing me to look up at him. I arch my neck, locking eyes with him. The amber swirls mingle among the flecks of green and set me alight. He is barely holding on.

“мастеp,” I say, louder this time.

“Good girl.” He releases me while I sag forward in humiliation. “You know what happens when you disobey me?”

“Yes, мастеp.” The truth is, I don’t know what punishment he intends to deliver. He reveals what a moment later.

“Lift your dress.”

And just like that, I’m transported back to the night when Saint first struck me with his belt.

I know for this to be believable, Saint has to make the punishments credible. But the thought of being hit again has me whimpering.

“I said lift your fucking dress.” Saint’s tone is venomous. With no other choice, I do as he demands.

When I hear his belt being unbuckled and threaded through the loops of his pants, I brace myself for what comes next.

My back faces Aleksei, so he has a clear view of my ass. My lace underwear leaves nothing to the imagination, but it appears he wants more. “Take them off.”

I lock eyes with Saint, begging he doesn’t force me to bow to this pervert’s demands, but he maintains his apathetic façade. Yet underneath this disguise, I know he’ll always protect me.

“With all due respect, Aleksei, you asked me to show you, so please allow me to do my job.” Being called a job causes me to flinch as though he kicked me in the guts. I know it’s part of the plan, but it’s hard not to get lost in the past.

“You’re right. Sorry. I got carried away. Continue.” His politeness is beyond insulting, as he’s apologizing for suggesting Saint strip me when he whips me into submission.

This is so fucked up.

Saint walks around me and kicks my legs apart. I suppress the need to scream. He doesn’t give me any warning. I hear the vicious hiss slicing through the air just before the pain hits me. With a loud grunt, I propel forward but remain kneeling.

My ass throbs from where Saint brought down his belt, but I know he could have struck me a lot harder. When he hits me over the back of my thighs, I whimper but remain upright. This strike was softer than the first.

“Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

Whack.

Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to cry. “I’m s-sorry, мастеp. I won’t disobey you a-again.”

Whack.

“Are you sure?” Even though Saint barely breaks a sweat from hitting me, his breathlessness reveals it’s taking every ounce of his willpower not to kill Aleksei.

When I hear the belt being swung into position, I cry out, “Yes! Yes. I’m sorry. I won’t d-do it again.”

I brace myself for another strike, but it doesn’t come. “Put down your dress.”

With shaky hands, I do as he says.

Since I’m facing away from Saint, I can’t see what’s going on, but I’m guessing from the silence it’s not good.

“That’s it?” Aleksei is far from impressed. It seems he will only be satisfied when I’m crying out in pain and begging for mercy.

“Yes. She submitted, did she not?”

Silence.

The air is thick with challenge. Saint’s methods aren’t satisfactory because Aleksei knows he could have been a lot crueler.

“She fought me like a wild cat. I think she likes you.”

My cheeks heat, but I squash down my embarrassment because this exercise was supposed to convince Aleksei otherwise. I quickly rack my brain, hoping to prove Aleksei wrong, but Saint is two steps ahead.

“She fears me,” he argues. “She doesn’t know you yet, but I’ve broken her. Just allow me to spend more time with her, and I promise, she will fear you too. I’m the only one who can break her.”

“Very well. But if your methods don’t prove satisfactory, and I don’t see a change very soon, I will take over. Are we clear?”

My blood turns cold.

“We’re clear,” Saint replies with bite.

“I won’t have her behaving like a rabid dog because you know what happens to them?” Aleksei pauses while the room drops ten thousand degrees. “I shoot them.”

Make no mistake, he’s warning us both.

Saint grips the back of my neck, hinting I’m to stand. When I do, he leads me back over to the bed. He won’t look at me, and the detachment has me getting onto the bed, desperate for them to leave so I can process this on my own. Without him asking, I place my arms over my head after I lie down.

A tear leaks from my eye when he cuffs me, but I turn my cheek so he can’t see.

“Let’s go into my office. We have some things to discuss.” Just as Saint moves to rise, Aleksei says something which has me questioning how good of an actress I really am. “Gag her. You said she was shouting earlier.”

You’re going to be a good little girl, aren’t you, Willow?

I suddenly find it impossible to breathe.

I’m moments away from blowing our ruse when a tender caress floats across my flank. Though it’s a subtle touch, it’s enough. “That’s not necessary. She won’t scream.” Saint recognizes my panic; he knows what memories claw to the surface when I’m gagged.

“I said gag her,” Aleksei perseveres, needing to hold on to some semblance of control.

I know I told Saint to do whatever it takes, but that’s my hard limit, so I don’t know if I can stomach that. But I should know by now that Saint will always be the alpha. “Aleksei, you just said you’re willing to allow me to do this my way. Are you going back on your word?”

I don’t know why his word is so important. He’s a fucking criminal, for god’s sake. But I remember Saint saying that Aleksei does hold some honor among his men. I can only hope he’s right.

“So be it. But if I hear a peep out of her, it’ll be the last for quite some time.”

I gulp as his threat is filled with promise.

“She’ll be quiet,” Saint assures, speaking for me as he knows I’m close to breaking. “Let’s go.”

When he rises from the bed, I turn my cheek to look at him. But when I lock eyes with Aleksei instead, I realize I have to be more careful. Although we have convinced him today, tomorrow may not be as easy.

Saint doesn’t look back and is quick to leave. I soon find out why that is.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Aleksei blocks the doorway while I watch on in horror. He’s going to kill Saint and make me watch. We haven’t fooled him at all.

When Saint reaches into his pocket and produces the key to my cuffs, I sense he has a plan after all. Aleksei seems disappointed he surrendered it so easily.

Saint opens the door, hinting for Aleksei to move. He eventually does but not before he grins my way. The gesture sends a shiver down my spine.

This is only the beginning of things to come.

 BAD SAINT

Volume One

Monica James

I was kidnapped on my honeymoon by three masked men.

Blindfolded.

Bound.

Destination unknown.

I was told to stay silent and abide by their rules. But they didn’t realize I wasn’t a victim…not anymore.

The open sea was my backdrop for nine torturous days. During that time, glimmers of my fate were revealed by a man with the mysterious chartreuse-colored eyes. He should have scared me, but he didn’t.

He intrigued me. And I intrigued him.

He punished me when I didn’t listen, which was every single day. But beneath his cruelty, I sensed he was guarding a grave secret.

I was sold.

And in a game of poker, no less.

My buyer? A Russian mobster who likes to collect pretty things. Now that I know the truth, I only have one choice.

Sink or swim.

And when one fateful night presents me the opportunity, I take it. I just never anticipated my actions would leave me shipwrecked with my kidnapper.

He needs me alive. I want him dead.

But as days turn into weeks, one thing becomes clear—I should hate him…but I don’t.

My name is Willow.

His name is Saint.

Ironic, isn’t it? He bears a name that denotes nothing but holiness yet delivers nothing but hell. However, if this is hell on earth…God, save my soul.

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Author Bio

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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A Five-Minute Life by Emma Scott

Release Date: May 16th, 2019

A Five-Minute Life, an all-new standalone new adult romance by International bestselling author Emma Scott.

Thea Hughes has five minutes to live.

A car accident stole her parents and left her with the second-worst documented case of amnesia in the world. She now has only minutes of experiences, of consciousness, of life…before her memory is wiped clean. The once effervescent artist with a promising future is reduced to scribbling with pens and paper, living an empty, quiet life, three hundred seconds at a time.

Jim Whelan is on autopilot.

A foster kid shuffled around the system since birth, he’s lived his entire life without knowing love…and it’s taken its toll—until he learned to fight back, carry his armor, and keep his head down.

Working as an orderly in the Blue Ridge Sanitarium, deep in Virginia countryside, Jim looked up…and found Thea.

When Thea has the chance to break free of her five-minute prison with a risky, experimental surgery, it could lead them both to an epic love they never thought possible… or one that could require the ultimate sacrifice.

A stand-alone, new adult romance.

Download your copy today or Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Review

The lives that people live, the memories that they create, and the people they surround themselves with define them…help them to learn…keep them in the present even after they’re gone.

And, through the years…the months…the days…the hours…the minutes…the seconds that make up their existence…that mold who they are…that allow them to be the best versions of themselves, this is where the quality of life is established and where people choose to either truly live or only exist based on how the moments of their lives pan out.

But what if due to uncontrollable circumstances, a life is merely defined by 5 minutes…a mere 300 seconds of time, resulting in old memories lost and new memories forgotten. How does one circumvent that kind of existence? How do people find a way to connect, even if it’s only for 5 minutes, even if it’s a continual cycle of new but old information?

That’s the kind of life that Thea Hughes, the heroine of Emma Scott’s newest release, A Five Minute Life, experiences when she wakes up after a tragic accident takes away Thea’s parents as well as her bright artistic future.

Jim Whelan may experience life more than five minutes at a time, remembering every detail of his past, where he came from, and what he want through, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t prefer to sometimes forget…to have a period of time where he doesn’t work on autopilot so that he can stop remembering the years he was in the foster care system and everything he went through as a product of that environment. 

But here’s what’s so interesting about Jimmy; despite everything that he has been through, despite the bullying, the mistreatment, and the neglect, he remains a compassionate, caring, and just plain amazing man, proving that people can overcome their past and be as present as they can in the here and now and perhaps even offer an amazing young woman a chance to make each round of five minutes, the best they can be.

Thea and Jimmy are both broken characters, and they’re both making strides to heal, but for one, it’s a process that restarts every five minutes and for the other, it’s a constant struggle to keep moving forward without the past threatening to always pull him back. But through it all…through the devastating moments…the ones that offer hope even in its smallest amount…the ones that make readers plead for a miracle…for more than five minutes to make an impact…for more time to connect and to establish something significant…something that will last even when Thea’s five minutes are up and even if she never experiences anymore than that small amount of time.

I’m always in awe of the amount of emotions that Emma Scott manages to draw out of her characters, her story line, and her readers. Each part of the story is seamlessly layered with overwhelming emotions – ones that provide moments of bliss and ones of heartbreaking devastation. I appreciate the fact that most of the story is told through Jimmy’s perspective. It’s necessary due to Thea’s amnesia and her inability to stay in the present, remember the past, and predict her future.

A Five Minute Life has a clear message – one that wants readers to take chances…to live life like every moment is their last…to revel in all of life’s pleasures and to learn from their mistakes. Because in the end, it’s the relationships that are formed and the memories that are created, whether it be five minutes or two decades of living.

4.5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

“Marc Antony,” I said and nodded at her drawing. “Part of your Egyptian studies?”

Thea leaned her cheek on her folded hands like she was warming herself before a fire. “Marc Antony is part of the romance. A love story with Cleopatra. He went to war for her. Died for her. When they told her he was dead, she put her hand in a basket with an asp. Can you imagine? Loving someone so much that the thought of life without them is too unbearable?”

“No,” I said. “I can’t.”

Her gaze dropped to my hand on the table and her fingers reached to trace the scars on my knuckles.

These tell a story, don’t they?” She traced one of the fine lines. “You put your hand in with the snakes, too.”

I nodded slowly, savoring the feel of her warm skin on mine. “So the bullies would leave me alone.”

“And did they?”

“Eventually.”

“I’m glad.” She put her hand in mine completely, her fingers wrapping around and holding tight. “I’m being too… something. Personal. Delia would throw a fit, but I feel like…”

“Like what, Thea?”

“Like I have to hold on to this moment, you know? Or you… I don’t even know you and yet I don’t want to stop talking to you.” Her hand squeezed mine. “I don’t care if you have a stutter, but please keep talking to me, Jimmy. Okay?”

My mouth went dry at the nameless desperation in her eyes.

Jesus, does she know she’s trapped? She can’t. Impossible…

“I won’t,” I said. “I’ll talk to you every day. I promise.”

Thea breathed a small sigh of relief and released my hand. “Thank you, Jimmy. That makes me feel better.”

With a final smile—a parting smile, I realized—she took up her pen and then froze.

She’s resetting.

Confusion passed over her features. She looked up at me, flinching a little to see a big man in close proximity. I instantly leaned back to give her space.

“How long has it been?” she asked.

“Two years,” I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. “But the doctors are working on your case.”

“Yes, they are.” She smiled hesitantly and found my nametag. “I’m Thea Hughes.”

Seven. Seven times now.

“Jim Whelan,” I said.

She offered her hand. Again. I took it robotically, enduring her one-pump shake. Again. Her fingers didn’t linger in mine but released immediately, the way you do with a stranger. Again.

“Nice to meet you, Jim Whelan.”

Fuck. I can’t do this.

I rose to my feet. “I have to get to work.”

Her face fell. “Oh. Bummer. Will I see you again?”

I could promise her I would, but she wouldn’t remember. There was no promise. I could tell her the sky was falling or my name was Abraham Lincoln and she wouldn’t know the damn difference. It’d vanish, like every other word we’d ever spoken to each other. I vanished every time her reset hit and was recreated over again in Thea’s eyes. I could be whatever I wanted; whomever I wanted. And yet she was the one woman I might’ve had a chance to be myself with.

The terrible irony of it was like copper in my mouth.

“Sure, Miss Hughes,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

About Emma

Emma Scott is a bestselling author of emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels.

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SLAY: RIVALRY (Slay Quartet #1) by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: June 4th

Add SLAY #1 to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611401-slay

Blurb

Edward Fasbender is a devil.

He’s my father’s business rival, a powerful, vicious man who takes what he wants and bows to no one. I only took the meeting because I was curious. I thought he was going to offer me a job.

But that’s not what he’s after at all. His proposal is much more intriguing, and I see an opportunity. An opportunity to turn the tables and bring down the devil.

I’ve gotten in trouble playing these games before. I know when the risk is too great, when the stakes are too high. I know how to be cold and strong-willed and destructive. I know how to withstand dominant men with arrogant charm and rugged features.

Yet I can’t resist taking on Edward.

And I can’t resist the pull he has on me.

Soon I’m not so sure which side of the battle I’m standing on–if I’m the warrior meant to slay,

Or the one who will be slain.

PREORDER SLAY: RIVALRY TODAY!

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About the Author

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however.

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

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“Whoa. Undeniable is one of my top reads! Sizzling chemistry, off the charts sexual tension and all the feels I’ve come to expect with a Melanie Harlow romance!”

– Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Undeniable, an all-new sexy standalone second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!

When we were eleven, Oliver Ford Pemberton dared me to jump off a barn roof. He said you couldn’t break a leg from a 12-foot-jump.

He lied.

(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.)

I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took from him, the last bet I ever made with him, the last time I ever trusted Oliver Ford Pemberton.

But it wasn’t.

Because he had the nerve to grow up gorgeous, charming, and sexy. And as we got older, the dares only got dirtier—and the betting stakes higher—until finally, he left me in pieces. I swore I’d never talk to him again.

But twenty years after I took that flying leap, he’s back in my life, daring me to risk everything for him: my job, my self-worth, and my heart.

How many chances does true love deserve?

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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About Melanie

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, Succession, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the ONE & ONLY series, the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

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