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BAD LIAR (Reed Rivers Trilogy #1) by Lauren Rowe

Release Date: February 24th

An all new, STANDALONE Trilogy from USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Rowe starts in ONE WEEK. Bad Liar, the first book in the highly anticipated Reed Rivers Trilogy will release in ebook, paperback and audiobook (narrated by Andi Arndt & Jacob Morgan).

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50540658-bad-liar

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER IN AUDIO & PAPERBACK!!

Narrated by Andi Arndt & Jacob Morgan: https://adbl.co/2UFn2An

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2SxZThR

Blurb

Swallowing lies has never felt so good.

Reed freaking Rivers. I wouldn’t trust a word out of the arrogant music mogul’s mouth if his gold-plated tongue were notarized. The Man with the Midas Touch would say anything to get me into his bed, and I know it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to succeed.

Indeed, the moment I laid eyes on Reed while he was speaking at an on-campus event I’d crashed, my body physically ached to feel his golden fingers—and tongue—all over me. Unfortunately, though, I can’t give into my powerful craving to jump Reed’s cocky bones. Not until I’ve figured out my best strategy with him . . .

The truth is Reed has something I desperately want. Something my heart desires even more than my body craves one night of delicious fun with the yummiest man alive. Reed assumes he’s running this game of seduction. He thinks he’s a thirty-four-year-old big cat on the prowl, and I’m nothing but a blushing twenty-one-year old field mouse with stars in my eyes.

Yeah . . . no.

As Reed is about to find out, he’s not the only cat on the hunt in this game of cat-and-mouse . . . .

BAD LIAR is the first book of the standalone REED RIVERS TRILOGY. The full trilogy is BAD LIAR, BEAUTIFUL LIAR, and BELOVED LIAR, to be read in order.

Excerpt

As I start wrangling glasses off the bar, my gaze finds Georgina’s on the other end of the bar. Instantly, my blood flash-boils at the way she’s looking at me— like she wants to suck my dick.

I smile, and Georgina looks away, her face blushing crimson. And, just this fast, I know a certain something about Little Miss Georgina Ricci . . .

I’m not sure how much of my exchange with the blonde Georgina overheard, but I’m pretty sure it was enough for her to realize I’m maybe more of an asshole than she’d previously thought . . .

Which is okay. Because, based on the heated look Georgina just flashed me before looking away, she very much likes assholes.

About the Author

USA Today and internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, takes embarrassing snapshots of her ever-patient Boston terrier, Buster, spends time with her wonderful family, and narrates audiobooks.

Much to Lauren’s thrill, her books have been translated all over the world in multiple languages and hit multiple domestic and international bestseller lists. With enticing characters, enthralling situations and a general love of romantic fiction, Lauren has created a world of her own, full of wit and sensual desire.

Connect w/ Lauren

Website: https://www.laurenrowebooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenrowebooks
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/760337070730959
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenrowebooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenrowebooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9699494.Lauren_Rowe
Amazon: https://amzn.to/37v8PcH
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lauren-rowe
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🔥🔥 HOT NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

The Affair by J.L Berg is LIVE!! #OneClick today!!

Blurb

There are some paths in your life you’re never meant to take.

Yet, by some twist of fate, you find yourself on the forbidden road all the same.

Those are the words I stumble upon when I unearth a hidden journal that once belonged to my grandmother.

A hidden journal that details a heartbreaking affair with her husband’s brother. It’s a family secret I’m unprepared to deal with, especially when my own life begins to parallel hers.

Sawyer Gallagher was never on my radar. The moment I met his younger brother, I was taken. Done for. Love-drunk.

But, some things aren’t meant to last and at the age of thirty-three, I find myself divorced, penniless and living with my parents. When Sawyer stops by our family’s antique store, asking for a job, I figure: Why the heck not? Life can’t get much worse.

It doesn’t take long to realize just how different the Gallagher brothers are. Sawyer is kind, supportive, and, oh, did I mention sexy as hell?

In a small town like ours, I can’t help but ask myself…

Can I fall for my former brother-in-law?

Or is this just history repeating itself?

My Review

Every  J.L. Berg romance I’ve read has been an emotional journey – one that doesn’t offer many clear answers about the characters’ lives and their choices until they struggle through their bad decisions, their complicated past and the mistakes that were made due to fear or misjudgments.

In her newest release, The Affair, Berg fuses the past and the present together, weaving the journal entries of the heroine’s grandmother with what she herself is facing as she tries to move on from her father’s death and the dissolution of her marriage. And while her nana and she do not share the same experience, what Elle learns through her grandmother’s thoughts and revelations is much needed insight about making a choice and holding to it as well as letting go of the past and living in the present without dwelling on what could have been. But those lessons aren’t easily learned because as much as Elle wants to move forward, confusion and fear seem to have their grasp on her and until she can release their hold on her, she won’t be able to start her new life and hopefully find her way once more.

Elle’s struggles are many given what happened to her father as well as the dissolution of her marriage, but what she struggles with the most is letting go of the life she thought she would have because it’s clear that’s not how things played out and quite frankly, as much as it hurts, it definitely seems like she’s better off. And despite the fear and confusion she feels as her feelings for Sawyer grow, it doesn’t mean that her new chance at love will end up like it did with Reed, she just needs to have the courage to push through the self-doubt and the self-sabotage that will undoubtedly occur.

There is so much push and pull between Elle and Sawyer, which is expected given the nature of their past relationship and the feelings that Sawyer has always had for her, but I didn’t feel like what was building between them was forbidden, even if she was married to Sawyer’s brother. The choices that her ex-husband made led to their divorce, so moving forward with Sawyer, despite the fact that they’re brothers.

There are always lessons to be learned, teachings to be understood in every single one of Berg’s stories, and that’s one of the aspects of her writing and her storytelling that I love. She doesn’t simply write romance for romance sake…she writes to share her thoughts about the human spirit…about the human heart…about the ups and downs of life, of love, and of moving forward, even in the most difficult of situations. And I, for one, love her kind of romances.

4 Poison Apples

 

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34EUcBR

Universal: mybook.to/theaffair

iBooks: https://apple.co/33sDYeM

B&N: Coming Soon

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Nv7XNR

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2rssbPF

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2roej8V

Excerpt 

You know the expression, sweating like a whore in church?

That was me exactly ten minutes after arriving home when it finally dawned on me that I was going on a real, legit date. My chest began to heave. Every inch of me was damp, and my mouth was dryer than the Sahara Desert.

This was it.

A date.

Sawyer wasn’t just casually popping over to bombard me with a flurry of questions or to help me with my grandmother’s journal. There would be no couches and blankets to hide behind, no dinner preparation to occupy us.

Nope.

Just the two of us. In a restaurant. With actual people.

“Holy crap on a cracker, what was I thinking?” I asked the dead plant in my living room.

It had no answers. Mostly because it was plant. And it was dead.

Okay, I just needed to keep calm.

I needed to keep calm and make a list.

To-do lists always kept me cool under pressure.

So, first things first.

What did one do to prepare for a date? It had been ages since I’d actually been on one, so my knowledge was rusty at best, but thanks to my heavy dose of Netflix bingeing, I’d watched just about every romantic comedy known to man in the last few months.

And if there was one thing rom-coms were known for, it was a glow-up montage—an opportunity for the heroine to go from zero to hottie in under a minute, making her downright irresistible to her potential mate.

The upside to this cheesy cliché was that it gave this rusty heroine the refresher she needed.

And the first thing I needed was makeup.

Lots of makeup. My dress was obviously already picked out. Hopefully, the weeks of pizza-eating wouldn’t cause me to bust the zipper. I guessed we’d soon find out.

Taking the steps two at a time, I marched my butt into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I wasn’t sure why; I didn’t particularly need a shower. I’d taken one that morning, and to be honest, I wasn’t that sweaty from my mini freak-out, but the idea of hot, running water soothed me.

And I needed some soothing.

Of course, I didn’t think about the fact that hot water on top of my hair would also constitute me having to restyle it.

“Shit!” I yelled the moment the water hit my nearly perfect curls.

Well, too late now. I guessed I should add a blow-dry and a curling session to my list of things to do.

Now that I’d basically doubled my to-do list, the soothing feeling of the shower did little for my stress relief. Finishing up quickly, I dried up, threw my now-sopping-wet hair into a towel, and found my way into my bedroom.

Plopping down on the bed, I let out a heavy sigh.

Why did people do this?

Was it worth it to get all dressed up, put on a crap-ton of makeup, and spend a fortune on dinner, only to have a few hours alone with someone?

Thinking about those few brief moments with Sawyer today—the way his eyes had lit up when we spoke, the heavenly feeling of his hands on my body—I couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah, it was worth it.

It was definitely worth it.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of The Affair, J.L. Berg is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!

Head to her Facebook Page to Enter

https://www.facebook.com/authorjlberg/

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready series, the Walls series, the Lost & Found series and more. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls and two pups. When she’s not writing, you will find her cuddled up, watching a movie with her family, obsessing over fandoms or devouring anything chocolate! J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

Newsletter Signup -> http://eepurl.com/8OdgL

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From NYT Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes an all new stand-alone novel in her beloved With Me In Seattle Series!

You Belong With Me

Cover art by Hang Le

Photography by Eric Battershell

Release Date: May 26th

Click here for more information →  https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/you-belong-with-me

Elena Watkins is used to getting what she wants. She grew up the daughter of one of the most powerful mafia bosses on the west coast, an indulged, rich girl who got away with everything.

Except the love of her life.

Archer was the king of their high school. His charming grin swept her off her feet. Days after graduation, they ran away together and eloped. Elated to spend the rest of their lives together, Archer and Elena were on cloud nine.

Until Elena’s father discovered what they’d done.

He swore to keep them apart, even if it meant taking Archer’s life. Knowing what her father was capable of, Elena left Archer, and never looked back. The pain of leaving him would pale to the pain of losing him.

That’s what she’s told herself every day for twelve years. But now her father is dead, and Archer is back. Finally, they should be able to piece the broken pieces of their love back together.

But the mafia has a long memory.

About Kristen

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq
Pinterest: @handbagjunkie
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up

 

STOLEN SOULMATE by Mary Catherine Gebhard

Release Date: February 27th

Cover Designer: Hang Le

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48765058-ss

Blurb

There’s a rule in Crowne Hall: never look a Crowne in the eyes.
It protects us more than them.

I broke it once, the night Grayson Crowne mistook me for his true love and stole my first kiss. I’ve regretted it every day since.

He hates me.
He torments me.

He won’t let me go, because that night he whispered a secret against my lips not meant for me. Grayson Crowne, heir to the Crowne empire and notorious playboy prince is… a virgin.

I signed a contract in my heart’s blood as much as ink: help him get back his love, repair what I broke. Give him my body, my soul, my heart, let him use all of me, so when the time comes to marry her, he won’t need me.

I shouldn’t need him.
But he’s my stolen soulmate, and I’m at his mercy.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/37t1qun
Apple Books: https://apple.co/37solWH
Nook: http://bit.ly/3aHsvfm
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2TWK05G

About the Author

I started writing the moment I could read. My first characters were Wibbley and Squig and I used MS Word and clipart to bring them to life when I was a kid in elementary school. I started seriously thinking about being a writer in High School and I remember the day exactly, because it was such an epiphany. I was always so uncertain. You know how everyone was always asking what you wanted to be when you were older? Well I NEVER could decide.

I wanted to be a marine biologist.

An actor.

A FIRE FIGHTER (thank you Joaquin Phoenix in Ladder 49 for that phase).

One day it hit me—A WRITER. I could do it ALL. Then you couldn’t stop me from writing. I penned my first novel at fifteen (but don’t ask me to show it to you, because it’s like I was in competition to beat the thesaurus). When I was diagnosed with a chronic illness, writing became even more important, because it became my therapy. When I wrote my characters, suddenly I wasn’t so alone.

These days you can find me daydreaming about where to travel with my husband, singing in my car, or lost in the newest K drama. And planning my next novel, of course.

Connect w/Mary Catherine

Website: https://www.marygebhard.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycgebhard/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YouOwnMeMCG/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/marycgebhard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marycgebhard/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8441964.Mary_Catherine_Gebhard
Amazon: https://amzn.to/32yfz6B
Bookbub: https://bookbub.com/profile/mary-catherine-gebhard
Newsletter Signup: http://www.subscribepage.com/newsubsMCG

 

 

BULLY ME: CLASS OF 2020 ANTHOLOGY

Release Date: March 24th

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48775725-bully-me

Bully Me Group Link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/668659676973946

Follow Ditch the Label:
https://m.facebook.com/319928901007

Loving your tormentor isn’t easy, especially when they collect broken hearts and parade them around like trophies. They’re the bad boys, the alpha a**holes, and the thorns in our sides. They push us past our limits, turn us on, and break us.

They’re our bullies.

They’re the class of 2020.

Eight bestselling authors are teaming up to bring you eight unique stories about the guys we love to hate.

This anthology benefits one of the largest anti-bullying organizations in the world, and all proceeds will go toward helping to support victims of bullying.

Shantel Tessier

Callie Hart

CoraLee June

Siobhan Davis

Kaydence Snow

K Webster

C.M. Stunich

Sam Mariano

PREORDER TODAY

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO DITCH THE LABEL!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2pkwz2k
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B081GDNG75
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/351zdsU
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2ResJ60
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2NSkKtL
Nook: https://bit.ly/375r4Wx
Kobo: https://bit.ly/379qGGj

Blurb

I crashed my shitty yellow VW Beetle into Calix’s Aston Martin.

To be fair, he deserved it.

But Calix and his friends, Barron and Raz, they don’t see it that way.

Not that it matters.

They’ve bullied me for years, and I’ve never known why.

At least today, they have something real to be pissed about.

All of which would be fine, if today was a normal day.

But it’s not. It’s far from normal.

My mantra has always been this too, shall pass.

But not today.

Not the worst day of my life.

Hot bullies, busted cars, and pain.

Somebody kill me now.

Excerpt

There’s blood all over my steering wheel.

The strange thing is, I can’t remember how it got there.

Reaching shaking fingers up to my head, I come away with a smear of ruby red on my hand, the perfect match to the blood on the steering wheel. This is my blood. The thought comes to me along with fits and spurts of memories from this morning. Running late, spilling scalding coffee down my chest, finding my dress for tonight’s party missing from the clothesline out front.

I shake my head, and a wave of dizziness washes over me. Looking up, I see the shiny black surface of Calix Knight’s Aston Martin dented and streaked with yellow paint. My bumper is very firmly planted into his driver’s side door.

Speaking of … my own door flies open, and Calix’s warm hand is on my upper arm, not, unfortunately, to offer assistance of any kind. Instead, he jerks me out of the seat and slams me back against the side of my car.

“Are you fucking insane?!” he snarls, releasing me as several concerned citizens approach us, all of them huddled under the protective awning that covers the gas pumps. Just past its barrier, rain pours in a seemingly endless wave, a cold chill working its way into my skin as I shiver and try to remember how I managed to crash into his absurdly expensive car. Without insurance.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I glance over to see that his car’s parked perfectly straight in the space, right next to the gas pump. My own car—which I bought off my neighbor for about two hundred bucks—is perpendicular to his, T-boned into the side of Calix’s like I did it on purpose.

Did I? Would I?

After all the years of suffering he and his friends have put me through, it wouldn’t surprise me.

I glance back at his face, too handsome for his own good, with cheekbones carved by the gods, and a mouth that’d be worth millions if it ever smiled. The only expressions I’ve ever seen Calix Knight wear on his face are a cruel frown and a red-hot smirk.

Once, I saw his orgasm face. And even that was vicious, his hands a hot cruelty on my hips, triumph written into every line of his wicked visage. I should never have slept with him. My mistake. I don’t often make the same mistakes twice, but … I’ve just rammed him, apparently. Different sort of ramming, still not a good idea.

ABOUT C.M. STUNICH

C.M. Stunich is a self-admitted bibliophile with a love for exotic teas and a whole host of characters who live full-time inside the strange, swirling vortex of her thoughts. Some folks might call this crazy, but Caitlin Morgan doesn’t mind—especially considering she has to write biographies in the third person. Oh, and half the host of characters in her head are searing hot bad boys with dirty mouths and skillful hands (among other things). If being crazy means hanging out with them every day, C.M. has decided to have herself committed.

She hates tapioca pudding, loves to binge on cheesy horror movies, and is a slave to many cats. When she’s not vacuuming fur off of her couch, C.M. can be found with her nose buried in a book or her eyes glued to a computer screen. She’s the author of over eighty novels—romance, new adult, fantasy, and young adult included. Please, come and join her inside her crazy. There’s a heck of a lot to do there.

Oh, and Caitlin loves to chat (incessantly), so feel free to e-mail her, send her a Facebook message, or put up smoke signals. She’s already looking forward to it.

CONNECT WITH C.M. STUNICH

Stalk me, please!

Website: www.cmstunich.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cmstunich

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/thebookishbatcave

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cmstunich

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cmstunich

Email: author@cmstunich.com

 

 

A stand-alone romance novel in the Southern Bride series

Coming September 1, 2020

Blurb

Anson Meyer is world-renowned for his record-breaking country songs, his devilishly good looks, and his short temper. So after a heated altercation with a reporter, one that puts him in a pretty negative light in the music industry, Anson is temporarily kicked out of Nashville by his agent and sent back to his hometown of Comfort, Texas, to “cool down” and “figure out where he sees his career going.”

When Anson shows up in Comfort, though, he quickly realizes that not everyone is ready to welcome home the bad boy of country music. Especially the woman he is still in love with who served as the inspiration behind all those hit songs. Brystol makes it clear to Anson with one good hit to his nose that she is the last person in town who is happy he is back — and, surprise, she isn’t the only person not holding up a welcome home sign. There are countless others…and he soon realizes that he has got some fence-mending to do all on his own.

What Anson wasn’t expecting to find was a sense of peace and belonging that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He also stumbled upon the best parts of his past life that he hadn’t realized he missed when he left to pursue his dreams of becoming a singer. And, more importantly, the love he had for Brystol Overmann that burned even brighter than ever before.

Anson soon finds himself needing to make one of the biggest, life-changing decisions of his entire career.

Choose staying home or going back to Nashville.

Feels Like Home is a complete stand alone in the Southern Bride series.

PreOrder Today! 

Amazon ➙ https://geni.us/APMnK2

Apple, B&N, Kobo ➙ https://books2read.com/u/b688xZ

Meet the Author

Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.

Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, The Playbook, and Lost Love, to name a few.

Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, two pups, four cats, and endless wildlife creatures. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.

www.kellyelliottauthor.com

Social Media Links 

BookBub ⇒ https://goo.gl/j1mWX8
Amazon Author Page ⇒ https://goo.gl/RGVXqv
Instagram ⇒ https://goo.gl/t828NF
Twitter ⇒ https://goo.gl/S6oKp5
Facebook page ⇒ https://goo.gl/ZM61Xg
Pinterest ⇒ https://goo.gl/VEhCYi
Website ⇒ www.kellyelliottauthor.com

🔥🔥 HOT NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

The Affair by J.L Berg is LIVE!! #OneClick today!!

Blurb

There are some paths in your life you’re never meant to take.

Yet, by some twist of fate, you find yourself on the forbidden road all the same.

Those are the words I stumble upon when I unearth a hidden journal that once belonged to my grandmother.

A hidden journal that details a heartbreaking affair with her husband’s brother. It’s a family secret I’m unprepared to deal with, especially when my own life begins to parallel hers.

Sawyer Gallagher was never on my radar. The moment I met his younger brother, I was taken. Done for. Love-drunk.

But, some things aren’t meant to last and at the age of thirty-three, I find myself divorced, penniless and living with my parents. When Sawyer stops by our family’s antique store, asking for a job, I figure: Why the heck not? Life can’t get much worse.

It doesn’t take long to realize just how different the Gallagher brothers are. Sawyer is kind, supportive, and, oh, did I mention sexy as hell?

In a small town like ours, I can’t help but ask myself…

Can I fall for my former brother-in-law?

Or is this just history repeating itself?

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34EUcBR

Universal: mybook.to/theaffair

iBooks: https://apple.co/33sDYeM

B&N: Coming Soon

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Nv7XNR

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2rssbPF

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2roej8V

Excerpt 

You know the expression, sweating like a whore in church?

That was me exactly ten minutes after arriving home when it finally dawned on me that I was going on a real, legit date. My chest began to heave. Every inch of me was damp, and my mouth was dryer than the Sahara Desert.

This was it.

A date.

Sawyer wasn’t just casually popping over to bombard me with a flurry of questions or to help me with my grandmother’s journal. There would be no couches and blankets to hide behind, no dinner preparation to occupy us.

Nope.

Just the two of us. In a restaurant. With actual people.

“Holy crap on a cracker, what was I thinking?” I asked the dead plant in my living room.

It had no answers. Mostly because it was plant. And it was dead.

Okay, I just needed to keep calm.

I needed to keep calm and make a list.

To-do lists always kept me cool under pressure.

So, first things first.

What did one do to prepare for a date? It had been ages since I’d actually been on one, so my knowledge was rusty at best, but thanks to my heavy dose of Netflix bingeing, I’d watched just about every romantic comedy known to man in the last few months.

And if there was one thing rom-coms were known for, it was a glow-up montage—an opportunity for the heroine to go from zero to hottie in under a minute, making her downright irresistible to her potential mate.

The upside to this cheesy cliché was that it gave this rusty heroine the refresher she needed.

And the first thing I needed was makeup.

Lots of makeup. My dress was obviously already picked out. Hopefully, the weeks of pizza-eating wouldn’t cause me to bust the zipper. I guessed we’d soon find out.

Taking the steps two at a time, I marched my butt into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I wasn’t sure why; I didn’t particularly need a shower. I’d taken one that morning, and to be honest, I wasn’t that sweaty from my mini freak-out, but the idea of hot, running water soothed me.

And I needed some soothing.

Of course, I didn’t think about the fact that hot water on top of my hair would also constitute me having to restyle it.

“Shit!” I yelled the moment the water hit my nearly perfect curls.

Well, too late now. I guessed I should add a blow-dry and a curling session to my list of things to do.

Now that I’d basically doubled my to-do list, the soothing feeling of the shower did little for my stress relief. Finishing up quickly, I dried up, threw my now-sopping-wet hair into a towel, and found my way into my bedroom.

Plopping down on the bed, I let out a heavy sigh.

Why did people do this?

Was it worth it to get all dressed up, put on a crap-ton of makeup, and spend a fortune on dinner, only to have a few hours alone with someone?

Thinking about those few brief moments with Sawyer today—the way his eyes had lit up when we spoke, the heavenly feeling of his hands on my body—I couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah, it was worth it.

It was definitely worth it.

GIVEAWAY

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J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready series, the Walls series, the Lost & Found series and more. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls and two pups. When she’s not writing, you will find her cuddled up, watching a movie with her family, obsessing over fandoms or devouring anything chocolate! J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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I was born to play and bred to win.

My priorities were instilled in me early on—family and football. Those ideals led me to TGU and a coach whose ironclad principles mirrored my own.

With one last college season to play, my goal was singular—get drafted. By realizing my NFL dream, I could save my family, our ranch, and the only home I’d ever known.

Two birds, one ball.

Playing hard was my only option, but there’s always a wild card.

For all of my planning and hard work, I never anticipated falling for the coach’s daughter. Harper was a fair catch, but who knew loving her could be the one play to throw my career before it started or that the weight of our secret would change the game.

*The Guy in the Middle is a stand alone novel in the Underdog Series. This is Lance’s story.

About the Author

We are so excited to share a teaser reveal for UNFORGIVEN by Jay Crownover with you today!

UNFORGIVEN is part of the Loveless, Texas series and it will release on February 25th.

UNFORGIVEN by Jay Crownover

Loveless, Texas #2 | February 25, 2020

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Pre-order your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!

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About UNFORGIVEN

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a tough Texas Ranger and his first love–a woman in danger who insists she doesn’t need his protection.

Hill Gamble is a model lawman: cool and collected, with a confident swagger to boot. Too bad all that Texas charm hasn’t gotten him anywhere in his personal life, especially since the only girl he ever loved has always been off-limits. But then Hill is assigned to investigate her father’s mysterious death, and he’s forced back to the town–and the woman–he left behind.

When Hill left Loveless, he broke Kody Lawton’s already battered heart. And now that he’s working on her father’s case, avoiding him is impossible. She can handle Hill and her unwanted feelings–until he puts his life on the line to protect her. Suddenly, Kody realizes that Hill could be taken away from her…for good.

“Crownover delivers the goods.”-Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author

“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author

Includes the bonus novella Cowboy to the Rescue by A.J. Pine!

Add UNFORGIVEN to your Goodreads TBR here!

Excerpt

As I stood in the doorway, I took in the bar. It had a decent-size crowd considering it was a Tuesday night. The mix of patrons was as eclectic as the decor. It was all very Kody. The building was an old barn, so the interior had a lot of western elements, including old whiskey barrels for tables. But there were also brightly colored artwork and neon signs brightening up the space. Instead of the big lighting fixture in the middle of the bar being made out of antlers or wrought iron, it was an intricate mix of colorful glass beads. The whole thing was very country and western meets boho chic. The people filling up the seats were mostly Loveless residents. They included the guys gathered near the bar dressed in leather, covered in tattoos, and rocking club colors. The Sons of Sorrow motorcycle club had moved into the hill country on the outskirts of Loveless years after I’d left town. Now their flashy bikes and intimidating presence were as commonplace as pickup trucks and horse trailers. It made sense they liked Kody’s bar since it was between town and their clubhouse, but I didn’t have to like it.

I really didn’t like the way the large, dark-haired man leaning across the bar looked at Kody. I knew from Case that Palmer “Shot” Caldwell was the current president of the Texas branch of the club. I’d taken it upon myself to learn more about the man when he ended up in the middle of the last case that brought me home. Shot was a former marine, a decorated sniper, the son of the founder of the club, and someone Kody was inexplicably close to. Everything about her relationship with the biker set my teeth on edge and had me wanting to make a claim I had no right to stake.

As I stepped forward, the heavy wooden door shut with a bang behind me and drew the eyes of the people sitting closest to me. I saw a couple of looks of recognition, and some people purposely looking away. I nodded and touched the tip of my finger to the brim of my hat in a fairly polite greeting. These people weren’t my friends. No one in this town had tried to help my brother when he needed it the most, and I would never forget that. Unlike the Lawton kids, I’d left Loveless in the rearview mirror and planned on never looking back. All of my worst memories were here. So was the one person I wanted more than anything but knew I could never have.

Under the dim bar lights, I met Kody’s gaze across the room. She looked pale. Her wild mane of multicolored blond hair was messier than usual, and she appeared to be swaying slightly every time she let go of her hold on the bar. Her eyes narrowed, and at first, I thought she was giving me a dirty look, but the next instant her entire body lurched and she toppled over, listing to the side and disappearing behind the wide, long bar.

My heart stopped for a split second and I had to bite my tongue to stop from screaming her name. I found myself in dangerous, deadly situations due to my job, but I couldn’t recall a single instance when I had been as terrified as I was in that moment Kody went down.

I heard the biker shout her name and was vaguely aware of him kicking back his bar stool as he jumped to his feet. I was moving before I had time to weigh whether it was a good idea. Kody didn’t like it when I was in her space. She’d told me she hated me and ordered me to leave her alone on more than one occasion, but none of that stopped me from reaching the bar in record time. It didn’t slow me down when I planted a hand near the biker’s empty drink and vaulted over the top of the bar.

I landed on the floor in front of Kody, ignoring the shouts and commotion coming from all directions. I waved off the bartender hovering uncertainly behind Kody and quietly asked, “Are you okay, Kody?”

The answer was obvious when, instead of biting my head off, her big, bright-green eyes flooded with tears and her shoulders started to shake with silent sobs. Having people burst into tears as I was talking to them, was a pretty common occurrence considering my line of work. I’d developed a natural immunity to tears of all kinds. But not to Kody’s. Hearing her breath catch and watching her eyelashes get spiky and damp as she struggled to hold the tears back made my heart twist painfully in my chest.

Pre-order your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!

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Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

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