Category Archives: Uncategorized

Boyfriend Bargain, an all-new sexy sports romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills, is coming May 6th and we have the sexy cover for you!

Wanted: one hot guy with rock-hard abs and a big stick

Broke and desperate, Sugar Ryan has no use for arrogant, bad boy athletes . . . until she’s forced to bargain with the cockiest of them all.

If only he knew she was alive.

Her mission? Get on this hockey player’s radar any way possible.

Zack Morgan is the king of the ice and the bedroom—but nothing prepares him for the mystery girl who shows up everywhere he does—frat parties, his favorite bar, and finally his front door with an offer he can’t refuse. The only rule in her boyfriend bargain: no falling in love.

But after one (um, two) smoking-hot hookups, he’s done with pretending and vows to make their fake relationship real. Too bad she can’t trust a player with a reputation for breaking hearts.

Will this hockey star score his forever girl or will their Boyfriend Bargain end in heartbreak?

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2ISsCe9

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs

Photographer: Brian Jaime

Model: Wirth

About Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her contemporary romances ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Seven of her ten novels have placed in the Amazon US Store Top Six Best-seller List: Dirty English hit #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You hit #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things all placed #6 in the Amazon US Store.

The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, hit #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa

Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ilsasunicorngirls/

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ENTHRALLED (THE ENSLAVED DUET #1) BY GIANA DARLING

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Blurb

It was the biggest day of my life.

I know most people say that about something joyous; a graduation, a wedding ceremony, the birth of their

first child. My situation was a little different.

Sure, it was my eighteenth birthday, but it was also the day that I was sold.

Sold to a man with hair like a crown of gold and eyes blacker than the darkest pits of Hell.

He bought me to own me, to control me, and to use me as a means to an end.

I was his tool and his weapon.

And through it all, somehow, I also became his salvation.

AVAILABLE NOW! Special Price $2.99!

FREE in KU!

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AMAZON AU: amzn.to/2I13eRI

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39781062-enthralled

My Review

Slave – a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.

That is not what Cosima expected to become or deserved to have happen on her 18th birthday, but because of her father’s gambling debt, she’s forced to blindly enter an environment where she must endure a life of servitude or face heinous and disturbing repercussions at the hands of a complete stranger who paid a high price for her beauty, her virginity, and her obedience.  And he’ll take what he wants, including her body and her freedom, even if it means breaking her spirit bit by bit.

She gives and he takes…it’s as simple as that, and despite her stubbornness and what seems like an endless supply of attitude, he will make her will make her kneel.

Master – a man who has people working for him, especially servants or slaves.

But that definition is not completely accurate for Cosima’s master, Alexander, because she does more than work for him…she is at his mercy, and if she is non-compliant, so much more happens to her than simply losing her ‘job.’

What I find most interesting about this story line is the way Giana Darling presents the two phases of Cosima and Alexander’s relationship – the initial connection which is nothing more than an exchange of property when she becomes shackled to Alexander and is forced to comply to his every whim and desire and then the second phase when the bond that was created between them after Cosima’s submission and after Alexander helps her to unleash the fire within her, helping her to understand that there is power to be gained in her submission.

What also intrigues me about the first part of Cosima and Alexander’s story is who and what is working behind-the-scenes because as much as Alexander believes maintains his position of authority over Cosima, he’s not the only one who seems to be manipulating the situation and with the unpredictable twists and turns that happen the further into the book we go and what the knowledge that things are so not what they seem when it comes to different secondary characters, I truly have no idea where Darling plans to take her main characters in Enamoured.

I can’t conclude my review without addressing the multiple mythological allusions that Darling brings into the text. Their symbolic significance makes this English teacher nerd out even more than I already do when a story that I read has solid writing and multifaceted characters and then adds an absolutely spot on comparison to Greek mythologies Hades and

Persephone.

4.5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

I was locked in the dark but it was more than an absence of light. It was the blackness of my own solitude, the quantum hole at the center of my soul that was slowly sucking away at everything that made me me.

I tried to write an encyclopedia of Cosima facts to cement my sense of self in the chaos of night that had become my life.

Cosima Ruth Lombardi.

Born August 2nd 1998 in Naploi, Italia to Caprice Maria Lombardi and Seamus Patrick Moore.

My favourite colour was wine red, captured in a glass and held over rich, warm candlelight.

I loved poppies best of all flowers because they reminded me of me in a way that was narcissistic but true. They were bold as blood, stark against the softer colours of the traditional Italian countryside. They demanded notice and received it. But their beauty was short-lived and fragile as the thin silk of their petals. They fell to bits within a week and scattered on the wind.

I felt very much like one of those black centered blooms, falling apart with every breath I took without even one witness to my dematerialization.

He wanted me like this.

Lost like decaying particles in a petri dish.

I didn’t have to hear his British accented voice clipping the words into neat little explanations to understand why.

He wanted me broken.

A beautiful, hollow shell to break open and f*ck into.

About the Author

Giana Darling is a Top 40 Amazon Best Selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat Persephone. She loves to hear from readers so please contact her at gianadarling[at]gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.

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BAD SAINT by Monica James

Volume One

Release date: May 6^th 2019

Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume One  

Genre: Dark Romance

Cover Designer: Sommer Stein— Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Blurb

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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Excerpt

The pillowcase and gag are certain to kill me soon, and if not, my racing heart will give out in next to no time. Arms link through mine from behind and help me stand. I know it’s the American. His fragrance gives him away. I stand wearily, but I will stagger to my death before anyone carries me.

“Ten steps,” the American whispers from behind me. I flinch at his muffled voice through the pillowcase. He stands at my back, ensuring I don’t fall. I could mistake his actions for him giving half a shit, but it’s clear that wherever I’m going, they need me alive. If not, they would have killed me already.

This isn’t a robbery. It’s a kidnapping.

Once I shakily descend the ten steps, my feet hit the sand, and in any other circumstance, I could appreciate the softness between my toes. But when I’m pushed and shoved as the American no longer seems to be near, all I can appreciate is that I’m not dead—well, not yet anyway.

Through the pillowcase, I can hear the gentle lapping of the ocean against the shore, but it’s none the wiser that three criminals are about to use it to aid in changing my world forever. When my feet tread water, I jolt with the sudden fear that they’re going to drown me. But that doesn’t make any sense.

If I’m going to survive this, I have to keep my head clear.

“Boat. In,” says someone, maybe Russian two or one. They all sound the same.

I’m yanked up—someone pulling on my floppy arms while the other lifts my legs—and I feel like a chew toy being ripped into two. Once I’m dragged onto the boat, I’m directed on where to go as someone shoves me in the back, screaming at me in a language I don’t understand.

I’m then forced down some stairs where I lose my footing and fall flat onto my stomach. Grunting on impact, I instantly search around, hoping to distinguish where I am—I’m in the bottom of the boat. The galley.

“Stay,” someone commands, ensuring I be the good dog they clearly see me as being.

Fuck them.

I rise slowly, using my hands as eyes as I feel my way around blindly. I need to find a weapon. One small enough to hide. Blood is seeping into my eyes from the wound on my temple, so I close them because I can’t see through this thick pillowcase anyway.

My fingers come into contact with what feels like a small torch. Not the weapon I had in mind, but it’ll have to do.

I’m interrupted when I hear someone tsk me before I’m being dragged by my long hair and hurled against what feels like a cushioned bench seat. The pain in my head just amplifies. “Arms behind. Hands together.”

I shakily comply, sobbing around the gag.

He reaches around me, and when the unmistakable feel of metal snaps around my wrists, I know my freedom is dwindling by the second. He yanks at the handcuffs to ensure they are tight. They are.

My breathless panting reveals my fear, but when I feel the predatory touch at the back of my calves, I freeze. Two hands glide up and down my flesh, humming in satisfaction. He’s on his knees before me.

Oh, god.

“You pretty.” His English is broken, but I’m not lost in translation. I know what he wants.

“We going to have fun, and it’ll be our secret.” Next, I feel a wet tongue lap its way up the side of my calf. The smell of cigarettes and sweat has my stomach roiling.

Adrenaline takes over, and I attempt to kick him, but he’s too fast, chuckling as he pushes down on my ankles. He then begins to bound them with coarse rope.

Once he tugs at my restraints, it sounds like he stands. I try to kick my feet out, but they’re tied to something hard beneath me. I’m bound. Hands and feet. And gagged. I’m not going anywhere.

“She tied up?” I almost sigh in relief when I hear the American. He was the only one who showed me an iota of mercy. The other two scare me. The American doesn’t.

“Yes, like a present. You want to unwrap her?”

I suddenly feel so objectified and dirty and attempt to recoil, but I can’t move. My heart is racing, and my breathing is uneven. The tears have long dried as I’m awaiting their next move.

“Shut the fuck up and let’s go.”

That was not the response I was expecting. The Russian laughs.

“Calm down, неудачник.”

“Fuck you. Up on deck now.” The American talks big and seems to be calling the shots. I wonder who he is?

My only clue to what’s going on is what I hear, and before the hatch closes, I’m presented with clue number one. “Be in Turkey soon. I hope you don’t get seasick, Saint.” Then the hatch closes, leaving me with the sound of the muted voices above me.

Turkey? Why are we going there? But more importantly, I just uncovered the name of my American captor…Saint.

Ironic, isn’t it, that someone who bears a name denoting nothing but holiness can deliver nothing but hell.

Bon voyage.

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.

Stalk Me!

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Behind the “lights, camera, action” of Hollywood lies a world of deception, love, and seduction.

Are you ready for Hollywood Royalty?

Carter

A blonde, a brunette, a redhead…he can have his pick of them all on any given night and he knows it. They wait, hoping he looks up and gives them his signature smirk, choosing them over the others because that’s his game.

Except now he’s signed the contract of a lifetime, one with a pesky little clause that says his zipper must stay up and his playboy image has got to tamp down. It’ll be fine—a piece of cake, even—he can do this and he’s almost convinced himself of that … and then she walks in the room

The new PR girl whom they’ve hired to change his image, she’s the star of all his dreams, but there’s one tiny little problem … she can’t stand him and all of his player ways.

He knows he only has thirty days to show her why they call him Hollywood’s Prince. He’s up for the challenge, so game on.

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My Review

How much can a person change in only thirty days? Especially someone who has lived recklessly and has been social media and paparazzi fodder for quite some time?

Those are the questions that Erin is tasked to find answers for when she becomes the ‘New PR Girl’ for a celebrity who doesn’t exactly keep a low profile when it comes to his escapades of debauchery, leaving his manager no choice but to hire a publicity firm to improve his client’s image – a job that many people who know this party boy actor believes is impossible.

And when readers are first introduced to Carter, they’ll see the truth behind his less than stellar public image and question whether it’s possible for him to clean up his act in the timeline he’s been given or if he’s a bit of a lost cause like so many people think he is.

I will admit…I did find Carter’s comments and behavior extremely frustrating at times, especially at the beginning. He seemed way too entitled and figured that as long as he didn’t do drugs or get arrested that he could behave however he wanted to, but that’s not the reality that he signed up for when he became a movie star, and if he wants to continue to be successful, he needs to know what’s appropriate and what’s not when it comes to what he does in the public eye because someone so high profile and attractive like he is will always have women throwing themselves at him and others looking for their own 15 minutes of fame.

While Carter and Erin’s story does follow the standard plot line of the good girl who tames the bad boy, Natasha Madison puts her own spin on it and shows a lot more behind the scenes than other writers do, illustrating potential reasons behind the hero and heroine’s respective lifestyles and why they seem to connect in ways that seem improbable given how different they are.

It was extremely important for Madison to reveal Carter’s childhood and what he went through at the hands of the people who were supposed to love him. While it’s in no way an excuse for some of his reckless behavior, it does clearly illustrate why he guards his heart the way he does and why he goes out of his way to keep people at arm’s length, unwilling to risk being hurt again in life-changing ways.

I appreciated that Erin and Carter’s connection…their attraction…their feelings for each other developed slowly as they got to know one another better; it wouldn’t have worked for me if they jumped into bed together at the beginning because work needed to be done before Carter proved himself to be someone Erin could trust and be with in a personal way since she was responsible professionally for improving his image and knew the laundry list of untoward actions he did simply because he could.

I have absolutely loved Natasha Madison’s Hollywood Royalty series; each story and its couple was entertaining, angsty, and steamy…the perfect trio of qualities that makes a romance worth reading.

4.5 Posion Apples

About the Author

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

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Flawless by J.D. Hawkins

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 27th

Cover Designer: Angelica Maria Quintero

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Cover Model: Andrew

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44170179-flawless

Blurb

A sexy single billionaire businessman. A YouTube star. And the hottest night of their lives.

When I first saw him, I thought he was too hot for his own good and too cocky to resist. The perfect rebound from my break-up from hell. So I threw my usual rules out the door and challenged him to an anonymous hook-up. No names, no strings attached.

It left me aching in more ways than one.

So imagine my surprise when I show up for the first day of my new job to find him leading the company’s annual meeting. We lock eyes through the crowd of employees, all the intensity from our hook-up like a live wire between us. And then he embarrasses me on purpose. Dick.

I just need to keep this job and make it big. I won’t let this arrogant hottie get to me or into my panties. But he is so powerful and sexy, that when he gets me in the elevator alone again, I know my plan is flawed.

Excerpt

I stand in the back corner of what I’ve realized is not simply a conference room but an auditorium, illuminated by the glow of the Exit sign. My breath catches in my throat, heart pounding like a fist against my rib cage. The man on the stage, the CEO of Omnilife, the Big Boss—Liam Bartock—glances up through the applause for his speech. Somehow, in spite of all the people in that auditorium, our eyes meet, and I take in the same slate gray eyes, the same stubbled jawline, the same swoop of dark hair.

It’s him.

The man from the hotel.

I flash back to the hotel conference room, a warmth growing inside of me, a longing. The memories vivid enough to send tingling waves shooting through my pussy.

About the Author

JD Hawkins writes erotic romance with modern-classic alpha males and strong, independent women. He currently lives with his wife in Austin, TX. He loves to travel and has lived in many places, including LA, New York City, India and Thailand. When he isn’t writing, JD enjoys surfing, training in Mixed Martial Arts, reading and taking naps. He once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. He’s always loved making up stories, especially ones inspired by real life.

 

 

 

 

Connect w/ JD

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TAKE is book 5 in the DELIVER Series

Dark Romance – Anti-heroes – Sex Trafficking – Cartel

Release Date: Apr 2, 2019

Amazon | Other Retailers | Goodreads

He’s a notorious crime lord, a kidnapper, and an artist.
Scarification is his outlet, and he just captured a new canvas.
Kate refuses to surrender beneath his blade or the cruelty in his beautiful eyes.
But she’s drawn to the man inside the monster. A man who makes her ache with his touch. Who owns her with his kiss.
A man who worships her as deeply as he hurts her.
She can run, but there’s no escape from a bond carved in scars.

DELIVER SERIES

Each book is a different couple. No cliffhangers. Must be read in order.

DELIVER (#1) – FREE
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)

---

DELIVER, Book 1: FREE on all retailers

His name was Joshua Carter. Now it’s whatever she wants it to be.

She is a Deliverer.

She lures young men and delivers them to be sold. She delivers the strikes that enforce their obedience. She delivers the sexual training that determines their purchase price.

As long as she delivers, the arrangement that protects her family will hold.

Delivering is all she knows.

The one thing she can’t deliver is a captive from slavery.

Until him.

And her stubborn slave thinks he can deliver her…from herself.

VANQUISH, Book 2

Her life is like a prison cell.
A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside.
Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe.

He belongs in a prison cell.
The 6×8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside.
But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break.
And he just found a sexy new toy.

Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next.
But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

DISCLAIM, Book 3

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.

Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.

Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

DEVASTATE, Book 4

“What is the price you’re willing to pay?”
“Money isn’t an issue.”
“I’m not talking about money.”

Tate is on the hunt to find his best friend’s sister.
Eleven years ago, Lucia Dias was abducted. Presumed dead. He never met her, so why does he care?
Some might call his efforts noble, but his motivation is more perverse, bordering on obsession.

When he follows a chilling lead to Venezuela’s Kidnap Alley, what he finds is neither a corpse nor a captive.

Amid poisonous lies and crippling depravity, the price of love is devastation.
And he pays.
With his body, his blood, and her life.

Deliver Series Audiobooks

DELIVER #1: Audible
Narrated by Teddy Hamilton (Josh) and Abby Crayden (Liv

VANQUISH #2: Coming Feb 26
Narrated by Ryan West (Van) and Jo Raylan (Amber)

DISCLAIM #3: Coming Mar 26
Narrated by Christian Fox (Matias) and Emma Wilder (Camila)

DEVASTATE #4: Coming May
Narrated by J.F. Harding (Tate) and Tracy Marks (Lucia)

TAKE #5: Coming June

 

Pam Godwin

Trails of Sin Series
KNOTTED (#1) – FREE
BUCKLED (#2)
BOOTED (#3)

Tangled Lies Series
ONE IS A PROMISE (#1) – FREE
TWO IS A LIE (#2)
THREE IS A WAR (#3)

Deliver Series
DELIVER (#1) – FREE
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)

Trilogy of Eve
HEART OF EVE – FREE
DEAD OF EVE (#1)
BLOOD OF EVE (#2)
DAWN OF EVE (#3)

Stand-alones
DARK NOTES
BENEATH THE BURN
DIRTY TIES
INCENTIVE

“Kennedy Ryan weaves prose like a magician (or voodoo priestess) without sacrificing heat or page-turning angst to create authentic, living, breathing characters you want to root for to the end. Hook Shot is simply beautiful.” — Emma Scott, Bestselling Author

Hook Shot, a deeply emotional standalone set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion from Kennedy Ryan, is available now and FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.

Cheated on, betrayed, exposed.

My perfect life blew up in my face and I’m still picking up the pieces.

The last thing I need is her.

A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can’t resist.

Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans

from the moment our eyes meet.

I promised myself I wouldn’t trust a woman again,

but I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want Lo.

She’s not the plan I made, but she’s the risk I have to take.

A warrior. A baller. The one they call Gladiator.

Kenan Ross charged into my life smelling all good, looking even better and snatching my breath from the moment we met.

The last thing I need is him.

I’m working on me. Facing my pain and conquering my demons.

I’ve seen what trusting a man gets you.

Don’t. Have. Time. For. This.

But he just keeps coming for me.

Keeps knocking down my defenses and stealing my excuses

one by one.

He never gives up, and now…I’m not sure I want him to.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FA9vk6

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Audiobook Release: April 30th

My Review

‘…the world might try to get you down, but you gotta glow up.’

And that’s exactly what Lotus DuPree has done for most of her life because not only the world but her own blood have tried to stifle her…to break her…to hold her back from being the warrior she’s meant to be and without her tenacious attitude, her resilience, or her inner strength, she wouldn’t be the driven woman she is – the one who Kenan Ross wants to claim despite the many reasons, both personally and professionally, that should make them stay away.

I have to admit…I have a fierce girl crush on Lotus. It’s clear that she knows who she is and she makes sure that she stays as true to herself as she can. She’s authentic and bold; she’s not a pushover but she also knows when to take a step back to reassess situations and process what she’s learned in order to act accordingly. And the way she takes up her own mental health and does what needs to be done in order for her to be ready to experience the connection she has with Kenan.

Just when I think I have a favorite Kennedy Ryan hero, she introduces me to a new one and the fact that Kenan’s nickname is Gladiator is fitting on so many levels. The shitstorm that he has to wade through in his personal life because he’s in the public eye is absolutely brutal, but he holds steadfast to following the course – one that is totally upended by his little PYT – but even when he forges a bit of a new path so that he can include Lotus in his life, he never changes from the honest, patient, and giving man that he has always been.

The one character who had an overwhelming presence throughout Hook Shot, even if it was in spirit alone, was Lotus’ Mimi. The reason that Lotus lived with her grandmother in her early teens is not something anyone should have to endure, but Lo is able to do so because of Mimi’s unconditional love and the fact that she saw the warrior inside Lotus and helped her to heal, as best she could, until there was a time where Lo would have the courage…the fortitude…the desire to face her past and live her best life with those who see Lo the same way her Mimi did and love her exactly how she deserves to be loved, and that’s the true gift that Mimi gives Lo and it’s definitely one Lo doesn’t squalor even when it’s overwhelming and difficult. 

Kennedy Ryan’s flawless prose, her multifaceted characters, and her realistic and emotionally driven plot lines have such a visceral effect on me because Ryan allows me and perhaps even demands me to be so much more than simply a reader of her stories. She wants me to learn through her characters’ triumphs and struggles…to revel in their ability to weather the storm…to rise above the maelstrom of their pasts and find a way to move forward. Ryan wants me to gain insight about life and love through the hero and heroine’s mistakes…through their acts of courage despite their fear…through their resilience as well as the times where their scars and their baggage overpowers them and they’re laid bare for all of us to see. Those are the times that I’m most riveted to the pages, to the paragraphs, to the sentences, to the words that Ryan so eloquently brings to life.   

What I also appreciate about Ryan’s storytelling doesn’t sugarcoat the harsher side of life…the atrocities that people are capable of…the reality of a person’s path being one of highs and lows, ups and downs, light and darkness. And I think that’s one of the components of her writing that not only resonates with readers but captivates them and works its way into the hearts and souls of Ryan’s readers.

5+ Poison Apples

Start the HOOPS series with LONG SHOT today for only 99¢!

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Excerpt

After talking to Kenan for the last few minutes, and looking under his hood, so to speak, I’ve found that he’s a classic. They don’t make them like him anymore, and if I don’t change the subject, change the course of this conversation, I’ll fool myself that we don’t have to keep things simple and that we could be more than just friends, not just for the summer, but for a long time to come. As long as I’d like.

“Okay,” I say, switching gears without a clutch and pulling a tie off another of Amanda’s racks. “I think that shirt could work really well with this tie.”

He doesn’t look at the tie I’m holding up, but keeps his eyes fastened on me. He’s not playing along. I’ve boxed myself into a corner with him. And the quarters are too tight. His scent. His warmth. His intelligence. His thoughtfulness. He is pressing in on me, overtaking my good intentions in all the ways I never thought a man could.

“Try this on,” I say, blindly shoving the mint green shirt at him.

When I look at him, he’s already peeled one shirt off and is reaching for the one I chose. I didn’t think this through. Didn’t forecast that Kenan changing from one shirt into another would mean his naked chest. I lose my train of thought and all my chill. Besides my mouth dropping open at the sight of the sculpted terrain of his chest and abs, I give no other indication that he affects me. Taut, bronze skin stretches across his broad shoulders like supple canvas pulled over a frame, the foundation of a masterpiece. He’s a big man. Not bulky, but instead chiseled to the specifications of a master sculptor: arms roped with muscles, biceps like rocks under skin glowing with health. The forearms Chase raved about are lined with veins and sinew. And I die for a great chest. I’ve never seen one more spectacular than Kenan’s.

Two words.

Male. Nipples.

Jesus, my mouth is literally watering at the thought of tasting them, sucking them, licking them. And if that pectoral perfection weren’t enough, the two columns of muscles, four each, are stacked over his lean stomach arrowing down to a narrow waist and hips. I can’t look away. I lick my lips, imagining how he would feel under my mouth. How I’d lick around his nipples and drag my tongue down that shallow path bisecting his abdominal muscles. I’d slip that belt off and sink to my knees. Unzip those pants and take him out. God, hold him in my hands and then take him all the way to the back of my throat. I’d choke on him. A man this big . . . I’d be so tight around him.

“Lotus,” Kenan says, jarring me from my torso trance. “Should I go ahead and put this shirt on? Or did you need a little more time?”

I snap a glance up to his face, embarrassed to find him laughing at me. Oh, God. I’m as bad as Amanda. I turn to leave, but he catches my elbow with a gentle hand and turns me back around, walking us behind two of the racks. He bends until he’s almost eye level with me.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he says, searching my face intently. “I’m glad you like my body.”

“I didn’t say I . . .” My words trail off at his knowing grin. “Okay. So you have a nice body. I work in fashion. Do you have any idea how many great bodies I see on a daily basis?”

“I’m sure many,” he says, his smile still firmly in place. “I can’t speak for any of them, only for the way you looked at me.”

“And how do you think I looked at you?” I ask defensively, forcing myself not to look away.

In the quiet that follows, his smile fades, and heat replaces the humor in his eyes. “You looked at me the way I bet I’ve looked at you every time you walk into a room,” he says, the timbre of his voice rolling over my sensitive skin like a caress. “Like I would eat you if I could. Head to toe, everything in between.”

“Kenan,” I protest, closing my eyes on a groan. “We said friends. We said simple. This is not how you start a simple friendship.”

His large hand cups my jaw and lifts my chin. I open my eyes, blinking dazedly at him. I wasn’t prepared for how his touch makes me feel. How I instantly crave more of it; want to lean into the warmth; to turn and trace his lifeline with my tongue. Tell him all the things I could discover just from reading his palm and looking into his eyes.

How can such a large hand feel so gentle, like it’s capable of treasuring, cherishing?

“Okay, Lotus,” he says, regret and reluctance woven around my name. “Simple. Friendship.”

Enter the Release Giveaway for a $50 Gift Card +Signed HOOK SHOT Paperback here

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About Kennedy

A Top 25 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes about women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine and Frolic, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta Autism families, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.

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It’s Here! Time for the 2019 LIFT Campaign!

Every April, it’s amazing to see the romance reading, writing and loving community rally around families living with Autism. A few years ago, authors Ginger Scott and Kennedy Ryan launched LIFT 4 Autism, the charitable initiative raising funds for ASD families during Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month.

With 1 in every 59 children diagnosed, Autism is now the fastest growing and most common disability in the US. Many of the therapies and services those living with Autism require are not covered by insurance. It can be an expensive and difficult diagnosis to navigate. We are once again partnering with Kulture City, an amazing organization that does incredible things for ASD families. Discover more about their programs at kulturecity.org.

HOW WILL WE RAISE FUNDS?

Online Auction, featuring many of your favorite romance authors!

Browse all the amazing items up for bid here:
charityauction.bid/lift4autism
(Must register to bid)

The auction is open for browsing, and BIDDING opens Monday, April 22 and will close Friday, April 26.

If you would like to donate book-ish items for auction, sign up here: http://bit.ly/LiFTDonation2019

* If you want to donate gift cards to the auction, please consider donating the amount of the gift card here instead. Thank you!

Make a financial donation to Kulture City through the LIFT Campaign.

DONATE: https://bit.ly/2JLKLuP

Buy LIFT Wear (T-shirts, totes, mugs, kids tees, onesies, cell phone covers, etc…) All proceeds to Kulture City.

BUY: teespring.com/stores/lift4autism

QUESTIONS?

Contact us at liftauction@gmail.com with questions.

Don’t miss a thing!

*Subscribe to the LIFT mailing list at lift4autism.com.

*Join the LIFT Facebook group

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One woman on a dating quest. One man in need of a relationship guru. One wild proposal neither can resist.

THE DATING PROPOSAL is a witty, clever new standalone romantic comedy from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely.

And, wait for it, this will be Lauren’s first book to release live into Kindle Unlimited!

But don’t worry — you can get it everywhere else first!

THE DATING PROPOSAL is just 99 cents while on pre-order at your favorite retailer now!

But grab it at this amazing price NOW because the price will be going up to $3.99 on release day and it will ONLY be on other retailers for a few days after that!

THE DATING PROPOSAL will be a LIVE RELEASE on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited on May 6^th!

It will be 99 cents for a limited time only! Don’t miss picking it up at the retailer of your choice!

April 22^nd – Releasing on Kobo
April 29^th – Releasing on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play
May 6^th-Live Release in Kindle Unlimited

Check out the cover below, and pre-order your copy today!

Photography by Wander Aguiar
Cover Design by Helen Williams

About THE DATING PROPOSAL

One woman on a dating quest. One man in need of a relationship guru. One wild proposal neither can resist.

Watch out world — I’m ready to date again.

The seven years I invested in my ex left me with nothing but scorch marks from the way he peeled out and left me at the altar. I’m not looking to put my heart into a relationship any time soon.

What I am looking for? To have some freaking fun. My best friends can’t wait to set me up with suitable single guys, and soon I’ve got three promising prospects. Then I bump into Chris….

Clever and funny, with a sexy surfer’s bod and a brilliant nerd brain, he has just the right screwdriver to fix my hard drive. (Yes, the one for my computer.)

I wouldn’t mind dating him. The trouble is he just proposed to me—to be the new dating guru on his TV show—and I said yes.

***

Don’t get your honey where you get your money.

I’d make a sign or put that mantra on a tattoo, except I’m not likely to forget it, given that the last time I mixed business with pleasure, it almost tanked my career. Now? I play by the book.

That hasn’t been a problem until McKenna. She’s engaging and fun, quick with a snapback or a sensitive, sensible reply—perfect for my TV show. Too bad she’s also perfectly kissable.

But I lock my feelings down. We’ve both worked too hard on our careers to let our connection go further than some sexy banter…and, okay, one impulsive, fantastic kiss—no matter how much our boss, our fans, and our friends propose we make our on-screen chemistry an off-screen romance.

What happens when you meet the right person at the wrong time?

Note: Back in the day, Lauren wrote a book called TROPHY HUSBAND, and though it’s no longer available for sale, the characters of Chris and McKenna seemed to demand another chance in the spotlight. THE DATING PROPOSAL is a complete reimagining of their romance, with 85 percent brand-new material, a fresh plot, and vastly expanded characterizations so you can come to know and love Chris and McKenna like Lauren does. Enjoy!

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Kindle Alert ➜ https://laurenblakely.com/newsletter

✦ Apple Books ➜ https://blkly.pub/AppleDating

✦Nook ➜ https://blkly.pub/NookDating

✦Kobo ➜ https://blkly.pub/KoboDating

✦Google Play Books ➜ https://blkly.pub/GoogleDating

✦Paperback ➜ https://blkly.pub/DatingPB

✦Goodreads ➜ https://blkly.pub/GoodreadsDating

 

 

 

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THE DATING PROPOSAL is narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York!
Lose yourself in this fantastic story, and then, treat yourself to the bonus novella, DELAYED SATISFACTION! It’ll be available for preorder soon!

Get the latest audio news from Lauren Blakely here: https://blkly.pub/news

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About Lauren Blakely

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’s sweet, sexy and witty. Her heroines are strong and smart and her heroes have hearts of gold and fantastic funny bones. She lives in California with her family, including her smoking hot and hilarious husband and her two brilliant and kind children. She has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs — she might have four dogs, or maybe five. If she’s lucky, she’ll soon have six dogs. 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 April she’ll release NOBODY DOES IT BETTER, in May THE DATING PROPOSAL, and in June SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter. laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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