Thursday, December 31, 2020

Murder Mittens by R.J. Blain


 










3.5 Star/4 Star

It wasn’t the smartest thing in the world for Harri to decide to become a bounty hunter in her spare time.  She does it to keep her lynx happy as well as make money to remove the scars from her face.  The CDC decides that she needs a handler, so they toss her Sebastian Sumners, the lion she likes to annoy.  Now if only she could keep her overprotective family from finding out about her side hussle her life would be perfect.

This book was ok.  It started off really slowly and about the halfway mark it finally picked up.  The first half of the book was a lot of back and forth between her and her family.  Her family wants to spoil her so with a new car, phone, and whatever else they feel she’s missing.  I’ve noticed in the last couple of R.J. Blain’s books she does a lot of shopping and goes into detail every item purchased and why it was needed.  I don’t care about any of that.  I want the story not a shopping trip.  When the book finally picked up it was a fairly good book, and it reminds me why I started reading her books to begin with.  However, the bigger issue I had was the bad guy she was supposed to be hunting was just kind of oh look he’s here, he’s taken her, and he’s dead, the end.  There was so much build up about how bad this guy was and then it was over and done with before you could even blink.  What was the point of that being the main part of the story?  Overall, this has led me to be unsure what the best rating for the book should be.

Book 17 A Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count)

Amazon

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Night is Darkest by Jayne Rylon

 


3.5 Star

Lacey was planning on having the perfect weekend with her brother until his two friends showed up to notify her that her brother died in the line of duty.  She turns to Mason and Tyler to help her with her grief and her protection. They are holding out on her but can’t stay away.  When Mason and Tyler finally listen to what Lacey is craving and needing, they may find they have more in common then they thought.  Will Marcus and Tyler keep her safe.

This was a book that bordered on more erotica than plot.  It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t one of my favorites in this genre.  There were some pacing issues.  It seemed like the book was looking to get to the next sex scene and to hell with what we were doing with the story.  Then when we got to the end where we find out why her brother was killed it felt really rushed and weird.  Weird as in it didn’t really make sense and it rushed to conclude the story.  Overall, it was just ok.  It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t all that good either.

Book 1 Men in Blue

Amazon


Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Fairy Godmothers, Inc by Saranna DeWylde

 









4 Star

Lucky Fujiki’s name is a misnomer.  She is everything but lucky.  She has the worst luck in the world.  When her fairy godmothers ask for her help, she is hesitant but can’t say no.  What she doesn’t realize is that they want her to fake marry her ex-boyfriend, Ransome Payne.  He hurt her when she was at her lowest due to her bad luck.  Ransome Payne has spent years building up his empire and reputation.  When his godmothers ask for his help, he knows it will be a boon for the community as well as his chocolate business.  He still wants Lucky, but can he survive her bad luck?

This was an interesting story.  I really enjoyed the overall plot but had issues with it being little slow.  I also had some major problems with Ransome.  He was a prick throughout the book, and I don’t think he ever really redeemed himself in the end.  What I liked was the relationship with the fairy godmothers and a lot of the other secondary characters.   I am hoping that since the set up is taken care of the second book is way better.

Book 1 Fairy Godmothers, INC


Monday, December 28, 2020

License to Kill by R.J. Blain

 












4 Star

Karma and Jake are back in the USA.  Karma is required to stay on medical leave until further notice, so it’s not revealed she’s a fox shifter.  Instead of her happy ending she and Jake start to fight about everything.  She’s the wrong species and Jake’s family doesn’t believe they are meant to be together.  They will do anything to split them up to prove they’re right.  When Karma has had enough, she splits to find the truth about who attacked them in London and continues to go after them.  Will Karma and Jake find away to work through their marital issues to be together?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  The last couple R.J. Blain has written I’ve been disappointed by for various reasons.  This was a much-anticipated sequel to Karma that I have previously reviewed, and I’ve been waiting forever for this one.  The first book ended in a cliffhanger and this one was supposed to conclude the story instead it also ends in a cliffhanger.  The only other issue I had with the story was with everything that happened to Karma because of her husband’s family she forgives him too soon.  They were complete dicks to her for months/years and after one instance she basically forgives Jake.  Otherwise, I enjoyed the flow of the story as well as the story.  I wanted to find out what was happening and what would happen.  When I finished it, I started the series over so I could make sure I was remembering the first book accurately.  Here’s hoping the next book doesn’t take years to come out so I can see how the series ends.

Book 2 Balancing the Scales

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Shopping for a Yankee Swap by Julia Kent

 



















5 Star

Shannon and Declan are back for the holidays.  For the first time the McCormick men will be participating in the Yankee Swap.  They are out to win by bring the most ridiculous gift possible.  To defeat all of the others Declan goes shopping with his mother in law, Marie.  Once they get the kids to sleep who will win?   

This was an amazing addition to the series.  I loved seeing the growth the characters have gone through since the beginning of the series.  It's always interesting to see what these guys get up to and this book definitely did the series justice.  I liked seeing the struggle each had with different parts of their lives and ways to make things better.  Seeing the way Declan interacts with his brothers has vastly changed.  I can't wait for the next book with Shannon's sister and Declan's cousin which had been hinted at.   

Book 17 Shopping for a Billionaire

Promo: Elise Faber

 

Charging by Elise Faber releases on December 28th!

Amazon -- https://amzn.to/3g8oP9K
Universal -- getbook.at/ChargingEF
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Once upon a time she’d been an intern.
Once upon a time he’d been a rookie.

Then he’d broken her heart. Well, not just broken it. He’d torn it to shreds. Shattered it. Freaking nuked it.

But now Charlotte was older. Leaner. Meaner. Okay, so the last wasn’t really true, but she’d certainly spent the eight years since her fling with one Logan Walker—star defenseman and that former rookie—building fortified walls around her heart at the same rate she built her career.

She was great at building. Great at winning. So much so that she’d become the new GM for the Gold—a GM who was quite possibly going insane because she’d decided to bring Logan to the team. Her heart aside, the team needed his skills to win, needed him to plug a hole in the roster.

What she didn’t need?

Logan deciding that the hole he wanted to plug was the one he’d created in her heart all those years before.

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team—the Sharks!—are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys.

She lives in Northern California. Connect with her in her Facebook group, the Fabinators or email her at elisefaberauthor@gmail.com.
Connect with Elise!

Website: https://www.elisefaber.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisefaberauthor/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fabinators
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/elisefaber
Twitter: https://twitter.com/faberelise
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bdnmEj
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2Ilspyd

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Updated Review for Audio Revenge and Rapture by Deborah Wilde

 








5 Stars

Ash is trying to figure out how to take down Isaac and Chariot and doesn’t know how it will play out.  When Isaac's wife hires Ash to find something her husband wants so she can get out of the marriage.  The Queen of Hearts doesn’t want to help her find the something that will help her with quest.  She finds out her mother has gotten a blackmail message threatening to reveal Ash’s magic and she has to track down who is behind it.  All of this while dealing with the fall out of the break up with Levi.  Ash could use a long break.

This was one of the best conclusion to a series I’ve read in a long time.  It wrapped everything up nicely.  I loved how Ash and Levi resolved their conflict from the last book.  I would love to see more with the Queen of Hearts but it didn’t take away anything from the story.  I just want to know more about what led her where she was.  The character development continue in this story and fleshed out even more.  I loved the secondary characters just as much as I do Ash.  Can’t wait for her next series.

Audiobook:

Hollie Jackson did an amazing job narrating this story.  She gave each character their own voice and tone.  She kept the story moving with the tones she used in the narration.  Hollie Jackson makes it easy to connect to the story and forget about the world around you   

Book 4 Jezebel Files

Monday, December 21, 2020

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

 









3 Star

A month after the fight with the sorcerer Alex is just now recovered.  She’s ready to get back into investigating all things dead.  She doesn’t want to keep waiting around for Falin or think about Death being in Love with her.  When the police call her in to investigate a strange case involving the discovery of just left feet.  The more she investigates the stranger things become.  It will force her into the path of the Winter Queen and secrets will be revealed about the reapers as well as her own past.

This book had the second book hiccup.  Where the first book focused on one issue this book had a lot of things it was trying to accomplish which made the book seem extra-long.  There was also a lot of information dumped on the reader and it was hard to keep track of everything.  I still enjoyed the story but there was a lot of information that I assume is going to be important later but in this book it just was one too many things.  Overall, I didn’t hate the book it just wasn’t the greatest either.  Looking forward to the next one.

Audiobook:

Emily Durante narrates the book, and I would give her a 5 out of 5 for her performance.  She does a really good job giving each character a different voice.  I like the way she portrays Alex in the audiobook.  Would definitely listen to other books narrated by Durante.

Book 2 Alex Craft


Friday, December 18, 2020

Bailed Out by Rebecca Zanetti

 

4 Star

Anna is struggling with Aiden disappearing for 2 weeks without a word, her boss firing everyone in the office, and then her sister’s abusive ex shows up as a defendant.  Things only get worse when she heads over to her sister’s house and finds her sister and Aiden standing over the dead body of the ex.  She will do anything to clear her sister even if it means Aiden goes down.  She hopes she can clear both of them.  Will she be able to discover who killed the ex?

Pretty much everything I thought about the last book that was hinted at was proven correct in this book.  I was happier reading this one then the first but the first had to do a lot of set up and this one could just jump into the story.  It was an interesting story that kept me reading.  I very much wanted to see how this one turned out.  There were some parts where Anna frustrated me and I wanted to slap her for being so rash but those were few and far between.  I really enjoyed how things worked out between her and Aiden.  It will be interesting to see how the next book concludes the story.

Book 2 Anna Albertini Files


Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken

 









3.5 Star

Gemma Smith dedicated her life to battles.  When her sister became the prophesized queen, she broke faith with the war monks and left to support her sister.  The war monks were mad that she broke faith and decided to support Beatrix for queen.  Gemma has to get them to change their mind and get them to support Keeley.  With the help of the Amichai warriors she will do anything to keep her family safe.

This book is one you can’t read without reading the first one.  It starts off about two years after the end of the first book with no build up or back story.  Since it has been a year since I read the first book I was confused as to who some of the characters were as there are a lot of them.  Some of it clicked the more I read but it took a bit of time.  I did enjoy the banter between Gemma and Quinn.  He kept her on her toes.  The best part of the book took place in the very last chapter and I need the next book so I can see how this all plays out.  It literally was an OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED moment. 

Book 2 Scarred Earth Saga


Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken

 











3 Star

The old king is dead, and a new king or queen will need to fight it out to find out who is on top.  For Keeley the blacksmith she didn’t care about the siblings waring until it looked like her younger sister Beatrix would be dragged into the war.  She won’t have to fight alone as warrior group, Amichai, are stepping up to help her protect her family.

This one was a bit of a disappointment as it is similar in some of her other books.  There was a lot of potential to this story, but it was never fleshed out.  There was also some character development issues.  Keeley felt like a gentler version of Annwyl and Caid was like Feargus but not as complex.  It felt like there wasn’t a lot of time spent on developing Caid and Keely.  The other issue was that it ended very abruptly.  Overall, I am interested in seeing where this series is going.

Book 1 Scarred Earth Saga


Monday, December 14, 2020

One Fine Fae by Molly Harper

 









3.5 Star

Charlotte McBee accepted the job as midwife in Mystic Bayou.  She’s there to help a phoenix and a dragon welcome their first child.  While preparing for the delivery she meets a local resident who catches her fancy.  Leonard is everything she wants in a partner.  The one problem, his family was cursed several generations ago and he can cause chaos without meaning too.

If you like and have read/listened to the rest of this series it was a good book.  However, this isn’t a book you want to start with if you haven’t.  There wasn’t really any drama or conflict per say.  It really just felt like an update to the overall series.  It’s mentioned that the supernatural community was outed and there were problems but that was about it.  It was nice to see where the residents were but that was about it.

Audiobook

Jonathan Davis and Amanda Ronconi narrated this story.  They both did an excellent job narrating.  They were able to give voice to each character.

Book 4.5 Mystic Bayou


Friday, December 11, 2020

Surprise Mate by Grace Goodwin

 









3 Star

Lucy’s been living on Colony for a while.  She isn’t interested in a long term relationship so she has been avoiding all the possible mates to not give anyone false hope.  Everyone is invited to Prillon Prime for a surprise party for the Queen.  While there she decides to have a fling with two Prillon males who want to keep her. 

I am going to admit that I am in a book funk and this might have reflected in why this book was just meh for me.  I’ve read all of the books in this series and for the most part liked all of them.  This one just didn’t work for me.  Lucy stated from the beginning she wasn’t interested in sleeping with anyone that lived on the Colony as she wasn’t interested in a long term relationship.  The problem is literally within 5 minutes of meeting her Prillons she was hooking up.  In general these books tend towards the insta love but this one seemed to be more so and there wasn’t really a chance to get to know them as a triad.  The books was mostly about bringing all of the old couples back and it was great to see where they all were it just would have been nice to have more with the main characters.  Overall, it worked and fit in the world but it just didn’t enthrall me like past books.

Book 21 Interstellar Brides

Thursday, December 10, 2020

River’s End by Leanne Davis

 









3 Star

Erin Poletti has to stay with her brother after her mother’s suicide.  She doesn’t want to but he’s all she has left.  She hooks up with the ranch owners’ youngest brother but when her brother leaves her high and dry after stealing from his boss she has to figure out what she is going to do.  She’s keeping secrets but it doesn’t have anything to do with her brother or the money.  Jack doesn’t want Erin on his ranch.  Didn’t like it when she hooked up with his brother and doesn’t like it that he wants to help her.  When her secrets are revealed will he be able to handle it?

This is a weird rating for me.  I enjoyed the writing style and the storyline had potential.  My biggest issue was the character flaws with the main characters.  Erin was just willing to be the whipping girl for everyone.  At some point in the book, she should have stood up for herself, but she never did.  All of the adults in the book sucked.  The kids had more compassion than all of the adults put together.  Jack was willing to think the worst of Erin and was a major giant dick to her because of HIS preconceived notions and then gives a half ass apology.  My biggest gripe was the slut shaming thrown at Erin throughout the book.  Here’s hoping the next book is a little bit better.

Book 1 River’s End          

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Putting the Fun in Funeral by Diana Pharaoh Francis

 









3 Star

Beck Wyatt never got along with her mother.  In fact, she could have murdered her but she didn’t.  Someone else beat her to it.  When the police come around accusing her of the murder, she is all to happy to let them know she really wanted to kill but it was someone else.  With the death of her mother secrets are coming out that were best kept hidden.  Beck will need to use all of her magic to protect herself and her best friends.

There were some very good parts to this story.  What I had the hardest time with was the torture Beck went through that just was kind of brushed away as not that big of a deal.  She made it to adulthood so we shouldn’t be concerned about it.  It also was hard to like a lot of the other characters in the book.  Huge spoiler do not read past this point if you don’t want the plot to be spoiled.

 

 

 

You’ve been warned.

The woman she thought was her mother was really her aunt.  There is a prophecy that has Beck, and the aunt didn’t want it to be her because of her breeding so she took her at birth and ran with her.  Not because she cared but because she didn’t want Beck to be the person in the prophecy.  Her parents weren’t any better.  By the end of the book, they want to rent out her womb to the correct sperm to get the baby they needed.  By the end of the book, it doesn’t really end end.  There is at least one more book that needs to be written to conclude the story and it has been 2 years since this book came out and I would like to see where it goes.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Releasing Rage by Cynthia Sax

 









3.5 Star

Content warning.  There is a scene where the main character is raped.  It isn’t discussed in detail, but you know she is raped by her injuries.

Joan is the battle stations’ first female engineer and no one is happy about her being on the ship.  She is assigned to maintain a cyborg who had killed other engineers.  She is determined to do her best to serve Rage no matter what his request is.  Rage and the other cyborgs are planning on running away as they are tired of being military fodder when he is assigned a new engineer. The new engineer wants to make his life and the other cyborgs life easier and it makes him question whether they should be leaving her behind when they run.

There is a whole lot of alpha male in this book.  The cyborgs have some really good reasons to be bitter, but they also take their anger out on the one person who was trying to help them and that frustrated me.  One of my biggest issues was Joan.  She was literally unscathed by her gang rape and was ready for sex with Rage immediately after it happened.  She also was kind of stupid.  She was raised on a farm and yet didn’t understand that when her appetite increased, and belly started to get bigger she must have caught a parasite from Rage…not that she was pregnant.  They also never questioned if the baby was Rage’s even though she had just been gang raped.  Overall, the righting was there, and I am interested in reading more by this author she just needs to flesh out her stories.  As well as do some world building.

Book 1 Cyborg Sizzle


Uprooted by Naomi Novik

 












4 Star

Agnieszka lives in a small village surrounded by cursed wood.  Every 10 years the wizard requires a choosing where someone from the village goes to help him hold the curse back.  Everyone assumes the upcoming choosing Kasia will be chosen as she is beautiful, graceful, and brave.  When she isn’t chosen by Agnieszka is instead chosen, she is going to have to learn all

This was a book based on the Polish fairy tale Baba Yaga.  I love fairy tale books reimagined.  I loved seeing how this worked out.  Agnieszka was a very strong character.  She knew what she wanted, and she worked for it.  She also didn’t take shit from anyone, including Sarkan.  Sarkan was a prick throughout the book I really enjoyed his character and he balanced Agnieszka.  I liked the progression of their relationship.  I loved how the book ended.  It will be interesting to see if these two will be back in the next book.


Sunday, December 6, 2020

Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair

 









3.5 Star

Regan has been dealt a really crappy hand in life.  She lost her job, house, and her reputation all for falling for the wrong man.  After struggling to find a job in the wine industry for the next 6 years she finally lands a good job working in Napa Valley for a new wine company.  This allows her a fresh start and her daughter gets to be enrolled in a good school.  The problems start when she finds out that her new boss is none other then Gabe DeLuca the man who has made her life hell since finding out her fiancé was married to Gabe’s sister.  He wants nothing more then for her to disappear and not cause is little sister any more harm.  Gabe wants her gone but maybe he can use her first to find out where the lousy ex went with some stolen capital.

I accidently read these out of order.  I don’t know if I would have necessarily read this series if I had started with this book.  Gabe was a major asshole throughout the majority of this book and I never truly felt he redeemed himself at any point in this book.  The saving grace was the writing itself was really good.  I enjoyed the rest of the members of DeLuca family.  Regan also doesn’t score major points for me either as she is kind of a doormat and let Gabe do a lot of things to her and her daughter and just kind of lets him.  There are moments of her having a backbone but ultimately lets him get away with a lot of shit that he should have been called on.

Book 1 St. Helena Vineyard

Friday, December 4, 2020

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

 









4 Star

Alex Croft is a grave witch which allows her to speak to the dead.  Working as a PI with an occasional job with the police she’s scraping by.  When she asks her regular cop contact for a favor it draws her into a case that is more dangerous than anyone thought it would be.  Will she be able to solve it before someone she cares for dies?

I really enjoyed this story.  There was some good world building.  You get a clear image of how things are in this story.  It does have some first book woes as Alex isn’t as clearly developed as she could be but should be fleshed out in later book/s.  I really want to find out more about her backstory and how she fits into the world that she lives in.  There also isn’t a clear “romance” in this story.  She’s got the hots for Death and Falin but doesn’t really end up with either of them.  It was more hinting at what could be with each of them.  Looking forward to rest of the series.

Audiobook:

Emily Durante narrates this book.  I was pleasantly surprised with Ms. Durante as I am very picky about narrators.  She does an excellent job speaking in different tones for each character, so it is clear who is talking.  I’ve said it before I listen to books at a faster speed.  Even with this faster speed Durante still sounds good and the flow of the book isn’t affected by my faster listening.  I would definitely listen to other books by this narrator. 

 

Book 1 Alex Croft


Thursday, December 3, 2020

Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

 









4 Star

Lou “ran away” from her home in Connecticut to Colorado.  She needed a change and wanted to go into search and rescue.  Everything was going fine until ice water rescue training.  She discovers a dead body.  While trying to track down who the dead man was when strange things begin happening to her.  Her hot supervisor Callum Cook insists on helping her on her investigation as well as when things start going wonky. 

I enjoyed reading this book.  It was a straight romance with a few twists in it.  There was at one point a too stupid to live moment with Lou after her tire was cut the second time.  She said there couldn’t possible be anyone in her life who would want to harm her.  This was literally pages after having an massive argument with her mother who was trying to force her into a relationship she didn’t want to be in.  However, none of that was relevant at all for the police to know.  The back guy was predictable, but it was interesting to see how the book ends.  I’ll be interested to see where the series goes.

Book 1 Search and Rescue


Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Trusting Skylar by Susan Stoker

 









4 Star

Carson “Bull” Rhodes and his teammates left the army after a mission went wrong.  They started a covert team hidden in plain sight behind a tow company, to take out bad guys when the legal route doesn’t work.  Since starting their company Bull hasn’t dated.  When the tow company is called out he meets kindergarten teacher Skylar Reid.  After giving her a lecture on making sure he was who he said he was Bull asked her out.  When Bull finally reveals what he does for a living Skylar isn’t sure if she can handle it.  When she faces a serious threat will Bull be there for her?

I really enjoyed this story.  It was both different and the same book by Susan Stoker.  I was not expecting her to write a book with the main character being an assassin but she was able to pull it off without it being over the top.  I enjoyed reading it.  One of the best parts was after Skylar found out about his profession and freaked out.  She ends up being talked to her neighbor and being sort of told off by her.  It was interesting how the neighbor explained things to her.  It was a good start to a new series.

Book 1 Silverstone


Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Mission: Planet Biter by Laurann Dohner

 









3.5 Star

Roth and the rest of his grouping answer a destress call on a remote planet.  When they arrive, they find almost everyone dead, only one survivor.  Vera Wade attaches herself to Roth and won’t let go.  She’s been exposed to a drug and they’re not sure how to flush her system of it or if it will be better to wait it out.  Through the whole process she doesn’t want Roth to leave her.  He is the one thing real to her and she needs it.  When she is finally drug free they have to figure out who sabotage the facility and why. 

Overall, this was an interesting story.  There were some very good parts to the story and some not so good parts.  I was really digging the story of this book until they had sex.  At that point of the book it felt forced and rushed.  Prior to that the story was moving nicely.  There was an interesting plot and I wanted to see how it played out.  Once the sex happened it was as if the mating was the only storyline and the sabotage was an afterthought.  Overall, not one of my favorite books by Laurann Dohner.

Book 4 Veslor Mates


Promo: Sarina Bowen




Blurb

Secrets, desires, and exquisite pie. It’s all in a day’s work at The Company.

Growing up, I was the rough guy from the wrong neighborhood who couldn’t catch a break. Posy was the pampered girl I tried to impress. But I managed to steal only a single kiss before I had to skip town.

Now I’m back, and the tables are turned. Posy runs a struggling pie shop. I’m the VP of a secretive billion dollar security company.

Not that I can tell her.

There’s a murderer on the loose in New York, and he seems to spend a lot of time at Posy’s shop. I can’t let on that I’m here to bring him down before he can harm a hair on her pretty head.

Going undercover as Posy’s new barista wasn’t my idea. I don’t even drink coffee. But now I have to call her “boss,” and do everything the curvy perfectionist asks of me. I’d forgotten how much we infuriate each other, and that she somehow fills me with both irritation and desire in the same breath.

There’s nobody more skilled at stealth ops than me. I can bring this killer down. Right after I take a cold shower. And just as soon as I figure out how to make a skinny peppermint latte with milk poured in the shape of a kitten...

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Excerpt

Earlier, I’d spotted him even before he came into the bar. I watched him get out of that cab and then check the time. I saw him look toward the pub, weighing his choices.

My heart had thumped along with only one word. Please.

Fine—not my heart. It was other parts of me who were doing all the begging. Silently, of course. Speaking up seems impossible right now. What if he laughs in my face? Or—this might even be worse—what if he says yes? And then we get naked and I can’t satisfy him?

You’re not very adventurous, Spalding said. You’re not very good in bed.

My ex is the only person I’ve ever been naked with. And thanks to him, I’m afraid to try again with someone else. If another man tells me I’m no fun, I don’t know how I’d come back from that.

On the other hand, if I don’t get out of this rut, then Spalding wins. Maybe I sound melodramatic, but I don’t want to die before I experience terrific sex.

It’s really no surprise that my drink disappears quickly.

“Look, you don’t have to tell me what’s on your mind,” Gunnar muses, and I realize I've been silent for some time. “But something has you deep in thought.”

“Rhubarb,” I blurt. “It’s, uh, something I’ve used in springtime pies. But, um, I wonder if I could do better than strawberry rhubarb—that's been done, you know?”

His smile widens. “Is that an occupational hazard? You can't eat or drink anything without reconfiguring it in your mind?”

“Yep.” I wave at the bartender. “Another round of these if you wouldn't mind.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Gunnar asks. “Please say yes.”

My pulse picks up, because it’s hard to miss the innuendo there. But I dodge the question, because I’ve never been brave. “As if two cocktails and a beer would put you under my spell.”

“Oh, I'm easy,” Gunnar says, giving me an intentionally sleazy wink. “Besides, your pies have already made me slow and agreeable. That key lime and Thai basil pie was amazing. That stuff is dangerous.”

“You like my key lime and Thai basil?” I ask, hearing pleasure in my own voice. It never gets old when people tell you how much they like the product. “And I guess it figures that you’d be one of those.”

“One of what?”

“You have an adventurous palate.” I prop an elbow on the bar and try to explain. “People fall into two distinct groups. There’re the ones who always order the weird flavors. And the Dutch apple pie crew, who always stick to the basics. They don’t cross over. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”

Thanks to Spalding. He basically accused me of being a Dutch apple pie in bed. The whole reason I’m reading my sister’s romance novels is to try to learn what the other flavors are like.

“Huh,” Gunnar says. “So, you can just guess which other pies I’ve tried?”

“Sure, I can. Did you try the pine nut and salted honey?”

“Oh, hell yes.”

My smile grows wide. “How about the matcha green tea tart?”

“Well,” he shakes his head, “I gotta say I haven't quite gone there yet. But I did enjoy the vinegar date pie.”

“Ah! And the ginger mango cream, right?” I press.

“Yeah. Does that make me predictable?”

“A little bit,” I say, enjoying myself immensely. “Have you started doing that thing where you try to guess each customer’s guilty pleasure?”

He laughs. “Get out of my head. It's my new favorite game.”

“How's your accuracy?”

“Pretty bad. I started off trying to use clothing as a clue. I expected somebody wearing a navy blue suit and boring shoes to order the apple crumble. But that theory bombed. And then I tried to assume that people in workout clothes wouldn’t pick something sugary. But they totally do.”

“You have to look deep inside their souls,” I tease. “If you look at the shell of a person, you'll never get their pie order right. In fact, you have to look at their auras.”

He snorts. “What color is my aura?”

“Indigo, like tattoo ink. But with a streak of red because you’re contrary.”

He narrows his eyes. “You’re just fucking with me now.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Okay, lady. But I have an issue with something you said earlier.”

“What?”

“Guilty pleasures.” He lays a hand over my wrist. “I don’t believe in those. I don’t think pleasure should make you feel guilty.”

“Oh.” He’s barely touching me, but goosebumps run up my arm anyway. Now would be a great time to make a joke and diffuse all the tension I’m suddenly feeling. But I feel too tongue-tied to pull it off.

Gunnar removes his hand, which is a disappointment. But the next thing he says stuns me back into goosebump territory. “You know, I always had it bad for you.”

“You … what?” I ask stupidly.

“Back when we were tending bar, I had a big crush on you. And sometimes I thought you were on the same page. I usually have good instincts about these things. But not that time. You ended up with Mr. Pretty Boy Preppy instead.”

My heart is thumping wildly now, and I take a sip of my cocktail to steady my nerves. The truth is that I don’t really trust this little revelation. We used to annoy each other, for one thing. But maybe that didn’t matter to Gunnar’s libido. He was a horny college boy. He probably had it bad for all the girls.

Still. “What if I’m the one who has terrible instincts? Did you ever think of that? And did you miss the part where I divorced Mr. Preppy?”

“Mmm,” he says thoughtfully. “I suppose that might explain a few things.”

“You’re the one who left, anyway.”

His eyes narrow. “Do you really think if I’d stuck around, things would have turned out differently? I spent three months giving you the fuck-me eyes, Paxton. But you didn’t take me up on it.”

Oh mother of God. His gaze is turning hot, and I think it might incinerate me. And then I remember why we never hooked up in the first place.

Promo: J.S. Scott

 

Release Date: December 1

A chance encounter between a secretive billionaire and a plus-size PR expert could be the perfect solution 

to both their problems - or a delicious scandal in the making - in New York Times best-selling author J. S. Scott's new British Billionaires series....

I am the type of woman who always plays it safe. In my professional life as a public relations "fixer", and in my personal life, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Really, who needs the wild highs and the I-want-to-die-because-he-left-me lows of a relationship? At least, that's what I thought...until I met him. 

Damian No-Last-Name-Given is sexy as sin, and I'd developed some kind of weird, instant attraction to him the moment he settled his chiseled body next to mine on a flight from London to Los Angeles. His sexy British accent did crazy things to my previously dormant female hormones, which had eventually led me to do the most impulsive thing I'd ever done in my entire life. I kissed him while everyone else in business class was sleeping. Or had he kissed me? All I knew was that we were both very willing participants, and that panty-melting embrace had rocked my entire world while it was happening. 

Unfortunately, that moment of spontaneity would haunt me once I found out Mr. British Hottie's true identity. He'd held his last name back for a reason. Oh no, I couldn't make some once-in-a-lifetime misstep with an ordinary businessman. When I screwed up, it had to be one for the record books, and it had to happen with one of the most powerful men in the world. And, oh yeah, he also absolutely had to be the biggest man-whore on the planet. 

Once I knew the truth, I could have easily convinced myself that the kiss wasn't all that earthshattering - if Damian Lancaster hadn't boldly swaggered into my office the very next day to apologize, and to make me a business offer I couldn’t possibly refuse....  

Goodbye sanity; hello madness.

Grab Your Copy Here:
Free in KU


Meet J.S. Scott


J.S. “Jan” Scott is a New York TimesUSA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author. She’s an avid reader of all types of books and literature, but romance has always been her genre of choice. 

Writing what she loves to read, Jan pens both contemporary and paranormal romances. They are almost always steamy, generally feature an alpha male, and include a happily ever after—she just can’t seem to write them any other way! 

Jan lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two very spoiled German shepherds, and she loves to connect with readers.

Connect with J.S. Scott


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Promo: 1001 Dark Nights


 










★★★ HOT FREE ANTHOLOGY ★★★

SURPRISE! 1,001 Dark Nights is giving the gift of romance this December. 

The 1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020, a compilation of short stories from thirty-six bestselling authors is available now and FREE!

Download your FREE copy today!

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Amazon Worldwide

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1001 Dark Nights Press is excited to present the winners of the 2020 short story challenge...

When we started 1001 Dark Nights back in 2014, it was with the goal of discovery—creating a way for readers to find new-to-them bestselling authors and fall in love with their stories and their worlds.

This year, we held a contest where romance authors could submit a short story to be included in a 1001 Dark Nights anthology, and we were blown away by the results. We received hundreds of entries, and while we wish we could include everyone, we’re thrilled to introduce you to these thirty-six incredible authors:

Fiona Archer 

Louisa Bacio 

 Laura M. Baird 

Kait Ballenger 

Asa Maria Bradley 

Eden Bradley 

Boone Brux 

 C.G. Burnette  

Cara Carnes 

Caraway Carter  

Sierra Cartwright 

S.A. Clayton  

Katana Collins 

Janie Crouch 

Patricia D. Eddy 

Zoey Ellis 

Zoe Hill 

Sara L. Hudson 

Tracey Jerald 

A.D. Justice  

Terri E. Laine

Michelle Mars 

Gina L. Maxwell

Kayt Miller

Dani René

Gen Ryan

Blue Saffire 

Ella Sheridan

Mayra Statham 

Delancey Stewart

Jen Talty 

Mary Ting

Reina Torres 

Magan Vernon

Jennifer Woodhull 

Khloe Wren

We hope you love the stories as much as we do. If so, we encourage you to check out the other books by these wonderful authors. Each and every one is unique and special.

**This anthology will only be available for three months**