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Three Reasons You Should Read This Adult Urban Fantasy:
For Whom the Spell Tolls by HP Mallory is an action-filled revolution to take back the Netherworld from an evil tyrant.
Dulcie is in for the fight of her life and needs to figure out who she can trust before all her plans come crashing down.
If you’ve been reading along with this series – this is a great mid-point wrap up. Many of the loose threads get tied off, and the stage is set for the next phase of Dulcie’s adventures.
As a Regulator for the Association of Netherworld Creatures, I’ve dedicated my career to keeping the peace between our world and the supernatural beings living among us.
But everything I thought I knew just turned upside down.
Why? Because the head of an illegal street potions ring who is also terrorizing my city is none other than my father—a father I never knew existed until now.
And he’s not just any criminal; he’s Melchior O’Neil, the tyrannical ruler of the Netherworld itself.
Now I’m caught in an impossible situation.
My father’s assassins are gunning for me, my allies are becoming suspects, and I can’t seem to get a handle on my complicated feelings for Knight.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s Bram, the charismatic vampire whose loyalty is as questionable as his intentions toward me.
With The Resistance planning to invade the Netherworld and overthrow my father, I need to decide where my allegiances truly lie.
In this deadly game of supernatural politics, the stakes have never been higher—and for the first time, I’m not sure if I’ll make it out alive.
When family secrets and forbidden attraction collide, for whom will the spell toll?
I started out loving this series. It was funny, quirky, a little dark at times, and had some great adventures and mysteries. The characters were amazing, and I want to be best friends with most of them. Books 1 through 6 feel like one big story, with lots of small steps and side quests in each individual book – like a TV show. This was Season 1.
While I really enjoyed much of For Whom the Spell Tolls, there were just too many aspects that started feeling repetitive by the end of Book 6. Everyone wants Dulcie for her body, and it seems to be a plot point in most of the storylines. Bram’s infatuation, while cute and funny at the beginning, got to be a little too much too often.
The characters I wanted to see more of in this part of the story were strangely absent. I never really understood Melchoir and his backstory or reasons for being the big bad. I just wanted more growth and change from everyone.
While I still enjoyed reading them, and they were written very well. This was just a natural jumping-off point for me.
As an affiliate of retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy:
Creatures of Chaos by Julie Hall is an action-packed competition to see who can outfight, outsmart, and outmagic the rest of the competition (hard when you’re the only one without magical powers).
Locklyn’s friendships and unlikely alliances make for a fun mix of characters with a variety of powers and motives.
There is definitely a cliffhanger at the end, but the surprise is worth it – I did not see it coming at all.
Chaos, the vicious supernatural competition where heroes are born and riches are won.
To most, it’s just an urban legend whispered in the darkest shadows, but that all changes when my best friend drags me into a savage world where vampires, shifters, and fae compete for glory and fame.
As a creature without magic, I’d be a fool to enter Chaos, but the prize—a dagger of untold power—could change my powerless existence. With that dagger, I could wield magic, earn respect, and maybe, just maybe, win the heart of the dragon heir… it’s a risk I have to take.
Now, I’m pitted against beasts in a ruthless battle with no powers, no plan, and an infuriatingly attractive ally who’s just as likely to slit my neck as save it. Every round of Chaos leads me closer to seizing my deepest desires or losing everything.
In Chaos, survival is the only rule. And winning is all that matters.
Creatures of Chaos by Julie Hall hits my YA fantasy itch in all the right spots. You have an underdog. In this case, a non-magical person in a magical world. The best-friend trifecta with a dash of unrequited (or is it?) love. The dark, brooding new kid that seems like bad news, but maybe it’s all an act. A contest of all the things (will, strength, magic) to see who is the “best” and be rewarded with all the power.
Locklyn is a mostly likeable character. There are a few times she gets a little too down on herself, but I also understand the mentality of always feeling less than those around you. Ensley was the character that really stood out to me, though. I loved her attitude and the way she interacted with everyone. It seemed so genuine.
Now, the Chaos game, what the entire book seems to revolve around. I’m thrilled to say that they don’t completely take over the story. Are they super important? Yes! But I really didn’t need another Hunger Games series that was all about overcoming the game and other contestants. Chaos is important, but the author used it to push the characters forward and learn to adapt and grow.
There is a bit of a love triangle/who will she choose storyline. And the book ends on a cliffhanger, but it’s such a good cliffhanger with a great buildup and a few surprise reveals. Otherwise, there are a few typical aspects of the story that come with the genre. The bullies at the school, the least powerful rising and finding her way towards the top, and of course everyone is beautiful and handsome.
Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception.
Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.
To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.
The queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi, Of Monsters and Mainframes is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.
Demeter is a spaceship – one with a personality (sort of). After waking up from a long journey to find all her passengers and crew dead, she is terrified that people will blame her for the disaster. And so it begins…a round of terrible luck for Demeter as monster after monster seems determined to kill everyone on board, trip after trip.
Every monster incident plays an important part in the ending, but you don’t see it along the way. I felt like there were too many encounters without tying things together along the way. It was just one invasion of Demeter after another, with many people dying. I wanted more of a thread to pull as I went along instead of waiting until the end for it all to come together.
The monsters were all amazing characters. But the spider drones stole the show somehow. They were cute little pets that you really hoped nothing bad would happen to. Always willing to help and with no concept of danger, they were like little puppy dogs running off trying their best.
While I hit some slow spots along the way, the ending was about as perfect as it could get. All the disasters along the way were brought together and wrapped up (mostly). The people, monsters, and machines find a new family together, and the doors are open for more adventures. I felt like the book ended with me standing on the docks and waving as they all went off together on another adventure.
Title: Not Today, Cupid Author: Jennifer Bonds Series: The Harts #2 Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
As compiled by Scarlett Evans—executive assistant, grad student, and reluctant admirer of CEO Nick Hart’s snacktastic abs
Well, my fellow corporate drones, it’s another less-than-exciting investor meeting with the executives (Loud Talker, Human Buzzword, Master Delegator). And at the front, CEO Nick Hart, the world’s coldest—and ok, unbelievably sexy—tech badass. The man hasn’t smiled in the history of ever, he runs a tight ship filled with miserable employees, and gosh, he just really does not love feedback. Especially from me.
Development updates, acquisition delays, and…holy hell, why does he keep looking at me? I don’t work for him. I work for his brother. Which is good, because otherwise I’d spend every meeting secretly wondering what actually lies beneath that cool, aloof demeanor. Like, is he an uptight geek in the boardroom…and a sexy-assed freak in the bedroom?
He’d better not find out I’m the one stuffing the company suggestion box. What’s so wrong with a Valentine’s Day Social, anyway? But the fact that my notes are less professional and more entertainment is one seriously dangerous game. Because if he ever found out what I really thought of him, there’d be all kinds of sweet, delicious hell to pay…
“I’ve gotta admit, I’m dying to know what you just signed up for.”
“That makes two of us.” I shove my burger aside. There’s no way I can eat it now. Not with the prospect of some half-baked project hanging over my head like a guillotine.
Miles smirks. “Drumroll, please.”
I give him the finger, but Beck indulges him, tapping the edge of the table.
“Anonymous says we need a—oh, this is too perfect.” Miles howls as Beck and I stare at him, waiting for the punchline. “A—” He chokes on his laughter and has to take a drink of water before continuing. “A Valentine’s social!”
He’s messing with me.
He has to be. Who would put that in the suggestion box? This is a place of business, not a fucking romper room.
Even if sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
“Let me see.” I reach for the laptop, shooting Beck a dark look. They’re both laughing like hyenas now. “Have you two been stuffing the suggestion box?”
“Don’t look at me,” Beck says, shaking his head. “I don’t have time for that kind of petty prank.” He chuckles. “It is pretty ironic, though. You know, since the only thing you hate more than Valentine’s Day is the suggestion box.”
Miles is laughing so hard now it’s a wonder he doesn’t bust a blood vessel.
Asshole.
Could this be his doing, some ass-backward attempt to make me appear likable?
It doesn’t matter. I’m not doing it.
“Pick something else. February fourteenth is the Epos launch. The timing is terrible and four weeks isn’t nearly enough time to put something like this together.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Miles wags a finger at me. “You already agreed. Besides, that was the last one.”
Fucking hell. Leave it to Miles to pick the one week the damn thing isn’t overflowing.
“No way. It can’t be done.”
“Not with that attitude,” Miles says through peals of laughter. When he finally gets control of himself, he adds, “Relax. If anyone can handle it, it’s you.”
It’s true. I’ve never walked away from a challenge in my life, but what the hell do I know about planning a social? I’m the last person in the world who should plan this event.
On the other hand…
It could be the perfect opportunity to prove I’m not the controlling bastard Scarlett thinks I am.
Arrogant. Uptight. Cold.
Her words chip away at my brain with maddening persistence. I shouldn’t care what she thinks. I know it on a cerebral level, but after last year’s bad press, her ludicrous, ill-informed assessment is infuriating.
Salt on an open fucking wound.
“So?” Beck spears a piece of lettuce with his plastic fork. “Are you going to do it?”
My gaze slides from Miles to Beck and back again. It won’t be easy—I’m already spread thin with the Epos launch—but I’m no quitter. With a little time and a plan of attack, I can do this. And who better to help plan a Valentine’s social than Miles’s snarky, highly organized, whip-smart assistant?
“I’ll do it on one condition.” A slow grin curves my lips. “I want Scarlett to help.”
Jennifer Bonds is the USA Today bestselling author of sizzling contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy alphas, and a whole lot of mischief. She’s a sucker for enemies-to-lovers stories, laugh-out-loud banter, and over-the-top grand gestures. Jennifer lives in Pennsylvania, where her overactive imagination and weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She’s lucky enough to live with her own real-life hero, two adorable (and sometimes crazy) children, and one rambunctious K9. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, a solid Netflix binge, the Winchester brothers, cupcakes, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.
Title: Over the Fence Author: Debbie Schrack Genre: Young Adule Suspense
Kidnapped from her front yard in Oklahoma eleven years ago, seventeen-year old Eve Anderson lives a wretched existence in Bell Meade, Minnesota with her abductor, “Papa,” his common-law wife “Mama,” and Honey, Eve’s four-year-old daughter with Papa. Papa keeps the family hidden behind locked doors, boarded-up windows, and an eight-foot tall fence that surrounds their backyard.
Emma Love, also seventeen, recently moved to Bell Meade with her Aunt Vi to take care of her big sister Noelle, who’s in a vegetative state after being savagely beaten by her boyfriend, Jack Armstrong. He is charged with grievous bodily harm, but Emma worries that the popularity and influence of the Armstrong family will keep Noelle from getting the justice she deserves.
When Eve and Emma start talking through the fence that adjoins their backyards, they soon form a connection. Emma finds it comforting to talk to Eve about Noelle, and Eve sees parallels between Noelle’s situation and her own. She acts as Emma’s confidant, but does not reveal her own secrets, for fear of Papa’s wrath if he finds out.
But when Papa decides to marry Eve and move the family to an isolated farmhouse, Eve must risk everything to save herself and Honey. Will she have the courage to escape from Papa before it’s too late? And will Emma have the strength to help her new friend, even as she struggles to save her own sister?
Noelle is on the fifth floor, in the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit. Before we enter her room, I close my eyes and say a little prayer. Please, God, bring Noelle back to me today…But it takes less than a second for the hope in my heart to sputter out like the air in a deflating balloon. Because today is no different than yesterday or the day before. Noelle’s lying on her back in bed, propped up by pillows, in exactly the same position she was when we left last night. Her eyes are open and fixed on the ceiling.
Aunt Vi goes to her first, murmuring in her ear and fussing with the blankets on the bed. She picks up Noelle’s chart. Her eyes skim over the top page, like maybe she’s an MD and not an archeologist.
“I’ll just find a vase for these flowers,” she says, setting down the chart and brushing past me, tears in her eyes.
I take a deep breath and approach the bed.
“Hi, Sis,” I say. I do my best to make my voice cheery and bright, but the bile in my throat adds a sharpness to it. I take Noelle’s hands and squeeze them, wishing with all my heart that she would squeeze back. But her hands, the ones that used to fly across piano keys like they were possessed by Mozart’s spirit, are lifeless.
I sit down in a chair close to the bed and start strumming my guitar. If anything can wake Noelle, it’s music. I watch her face as I play, searching for awakening in her eyes, a hint of something besides blankness. She’s still so beautiful. The bruises have faded away. On the outside, she’s herself again, just less alive, like someone put her in a copy machine. The blonde highlights in her hair are almost grown out now. Her sun-freckled skin has gone pale. She has the same brown eyes with the same thick lashes. I’ve always envied those lashes. Now I just wish those eyes would look at me again, that she would smile or laugh…
“How can I ever say goodbye to you…”
Aunt Vi comes back in the room, followed by Dr. Massey. I stop playing.
“They did another MRI this morning,” she says.
My eyes raise to Dr. Massey’s. He’s an older man with sharp but kind eyes, cropped white hair and a beard that goes halfway down his chest. He reminds me of a skinny Santa Claus, except he brings devastating news instead of presents. He shakes his head. Disappointment punches me in the gut, but I ignore it. Noelle needs me to be strong for her. For us.
I stand up and face Dr. Massey, hands on hips. “Okay,” I say. “What now?”
Debbie Schrack is the author of SAVING SOPHIE, a young adult contemporary romance, which won the 2022 Paris Book Award for young adult fiction. She is also the winner of the SCBWI Haunted States of America contest for the state of Virginia. A former teacher, she lives in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. When she’s not conjuring dark and twisty plots or hanging out with her family, you can find her riding her horse or poring over travel brochures, ready to check off another box on her bucket list of travel adventures. You can follow Debbie on Facebook or Twitter @debbie_schrack or contact her through her website debbieschrackbooks.com.
From New York Time’s bestselling author R.L. Mathewson comes the prequel to the disturbingly funny romantic comedy series, Neighbor from Hell.
She couldn’t do this anymore.
After watching her best friend and the man that she’d been in love with her entire life propose to another woman, Morgan decided that it was time to finally move on. She made plans, plans that Eric didn’t know about and she planned to keep it that way, but unfortunately for her, one bet destroyed everything, leaving her with no choice but to be there for her best friend one last time.
He was done.
After catching his fiancée cheating on him, Eric Bradford was done wasting his time on women that he had absolutely no hope of falling in love with. He just needed time, a chance to get away, and he just needed…
Her.
Determined to figure out how he kept screwing up his life, Eric takes his best friend on the honeymoon that he’d spent a fortune on and asked her for one more favor, one that would change everything, and leave him with no choice but to do whatever it takes to stop the one woman that meant everything to him from finally walking away.
“I’m curious about something,” Eric said as he joined her.
“Why I haven’t killed you yet?” Morgan asked, blinking up at the large man that was going out of his way to piss her off for some reason.
Shrugging it off, Eric said, “I just assumed that you haven’t figured out what to do with my body.”
“Oh, no, I have a plan,” Morgan assured him as she reached up and pushed her glasses back up her nose. “Uncle Jared helped me come up with it when I was six after I told him that you stole the cupcake that I was planning on sharing with him.”
“Why am I not surprised that you betrayed me?” Eric asked with a long-suffering sigh and a sad shake of his head as they stepped in line.
“Because I learned from the best?” Morgan asked with a pointed look up at Eric as she shifted her bag over her shoulder, only to murmur, “Thank you,” when Eric reached over and took the bag from her and put it over his shoulder before he grabbed his bags again.
“There is that,” Eric murmured, not really sounding all that concerned to discover that she’d been planning his demise since they were six.
“Are you going to tell me what you’re curious about?” Morgan asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose as they moved up in line.
“I’ve been wondering why you were doing shots with the asshole last night,” Eric said, taking her by surprise, mostly because she’d thought, hoped really, that he forgot about that.
“I was enjoying the festivities?”
“At a party that you weren’t even planning on attending?” Eric drawled as he shot her a look that told her that he had absolutely no plans of letting this one go, which admittedly was a bit of a problem for her.
Clearing her throat, Morgan said, “I’m sorry. What were we talking about?”
“Why you’re refusing to tell me why you let my cousin talk you into doing shots,” Eric murmured, gesturing for her to start talking.
Swallowing hard, Morgan went for, “I don’t remember?” since admitting the real reason that she’d allowed Trevor to talk her into doing shots would only bite her in the ass. Granted, when she decided to go to the dinner rehearsal, she hadn’t planned on drinking, but when Trevor handed her a shot of whatever it was that was in that small glass, she decided that getting drunk sounded like a wonderful idea.
Mostly because she didn’t think that she would be able to go through with telling Eric that she was in love with him without a little liquid courage. She should have just left, but…
New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She’s known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.
Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.
Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.
If you’d like more information about this series or any other series by R.L. Mathewson, please visit www.Rlmathewson.com
Title: The Rebel Heir Author: Whitley Cox & Ember Leigh Series: Winter Harbor #3 Genre: Contemporary Small-Town Romance
The only way to save our small town is by working with the enemy … but hearts might get broken in the process.
Colton
I don’t do emotional attachments. Those who love me get hurt. I keep people at arm’s length and never let women in my bed long enough for the sheets to get warm. But when the granddaughter of my family’s mortal enemy comes to me for help, something in me shifts. Lily Summers is a sassy, snarky, filter-free blonde with a brain—and mouth—that never quits. Besides the sexual tension between us that keeps me awake at night, we only have one thing in common: neither of us wants the big city developer coming into Winter Harbor and destroying the integrity of the town with high rises and casinos. We’re an unlikely team, but Lily has passion and Winter Harbor likes her, so I bite my tongue at her non-stop chatter and do what’s right for the town. I never planned on falling for someone—let alone the enemy—but when we give into our attraction, I’m suddenly doing things I never thought I would … and it’s all for her. Together, it seems like we can take on the world—or at the very least, Dunlop Holdings. But when a shocking development rocks Winter Harbor, its accompanied by an unsavory truth about Lily. Now the question is: who is going to get hurt the worst? Whether it’s me, Lily, or Winter Harbor itself, only one can survive the fallout.
*** This is the third book of the Winter Harbor series which features a quirky small town, secrets galore, and three estranged brothers who find the key to healing comes from the women who steal their hearts.
Rain met my back, cool against the warm, humid tang of the air. I made quick work of inspecting each tire, but I found the problem before I’d finished making the rounds. The rear passenger tire was deflating. I swore under my breath and kicked at the flat tire.
Lily’s door opened, and she hopped out, glaring at me like I’d called her the worst type of flower name. Then her gaze dropped to the tire.
“So this is my fault, huh?” She propped her hands on her hips, staring at me expectantly.
“Get inside,” I told her, wiping rain from my forehead. “I’ll handle this.”
“Well, if it’s my fault, I should help, right?”
I sighed, heading for the bed of the truck. I knew there had to be a spare tire somewhere. Carson wouldn’t have a truck without a spare, right?
“I’m talking to you,” Lily said, following close behind.
“Yeah, I hear you.”
“Well, if I apparently can cause tires to deflate simply from my mere existence, then surely I can help fix them by standing near you?”
I heaved a sigh as I lowered the tailgate. I’d had the forethought to cover Lily’s things with a tarp before we left, but I hadn’t exactly canvassed the truck to see where a spare tire might be lurking. I pushed some things around, looking for a secret wheel well. “Well, I think we can safely say that you standing next to me isn’t helping. So thanks, but no thanks.”
She let out a frustrated noise, glancing up to the heavens. “Colton Winters, you are such a jerk. Do you know that?”
I did know that. But it was part of my strategy. I needed her to hate me, because if she didn’t, then I’d most certainly begin pursuing her.
And I couldn’t have that. Not when so much of my life was built around transience. Around have a good fucking time. Around one-and-done.
Lily was annoying. Not only that, she was smart, interesting, and getting more beautiful to me by the day. She was dangerous, at least to life as I’d known it thus far. I’d had enough disruptions in the past year, between discovering my dad died and then reconnecting with my brothers in Winter Harbor. Not to mention leaving my former life behind, which I’d quite enjoyed as an international vagabond.
I didn’t need to add someone like Lily to my long list of unexpected—and mostly unwelcome—life changes.
I must have remained silent for too long because she continued. “Whatever. You know what? It doesn’t matter. I thought you were maybe a regular guy underneath all the barbs and the shitty aloofness, but I was wrong.”
“It’s ’cause you love regular guys so much, huh?” My words tumbled out before I could even decide otherwise. I knew I shouldn’t go there, but it was too late. The dam had broken.
“Huh?”
“Regular guys. Like Dennis. With the polos and the khakis.” I smirked as I glanced at her, palming the tailgate. We were both mostly soaked with rain by now, but I didn’t mind. It was humid, and I loved the way the rain made her shirt stick to her chest. I’d been staring at that bare shoulder all day, wondering what it tasted like, and now that it was wet and shiny, all I wanted to do was lick it. “And probably the completely lackluster performance in bed, too.”
She huffed, crossing her arms. “No, that’s— No. I don’t look for that. I just—”
“What is it, Lilium?” I squatted to peer beneath the truck and spotted the bulging spare wheel well. I made quick work of opening it. Mud smeared my forearms as I tugged the tire out and hauled it to the passenger side. I snatched the tools next, wiping my rain-soaked face with the collar of my T-shirt. I took Lily silence as my permission to continue needling her.
“You want me to be a regular guy, don’t you?” I kneeled in front of the tire, glancing up at her before I got to work jacking up the truck. “Too bad for you, I’m not.” Her rain-soaked shirt was plastered to the contours of her body. I jerked my gaze away. After our surprisingly hot kisses, followed by our first genuine connection, I was ten seconds from losing every ounce of cool around her. Seeing her more of her body did not help matters. “Just let the fucking jerk fix the tire and get inside the truck, okay?”
“No.” She crossed her arms again. I had to admit, her defiance was hot. But she didn’t know that she was playing with fire.
“Lily,” I said, more forcefully this time, as I finished jacking up the truck with a frustrated burst of air. “I need you out of my sight, okay? Let me fucking fix this tire.”
“Why can’t I be here? I should supervise. Make sure you’re not being a regular guy about it.”
I ground my teeth, weighing my options. I did want her out of my sight. But more than that, I wanted to see how far I could push the envelope. I knew there could be no way she’d be into me—I’d made sure of it over the past months of knowing her. But what was the harm of finding out for sure?
“If I have to stare at your perfect tits heaving out of your top for even one more second, I’m gonna explode. And I mean that in exactly the way you think I do. So just get. In. The. Fucking. Truck.”
Realization washed across her face. Her cheeks went pink again, and I was hard as a rock watching her. Fuck. I focused on ignoring Lily as I started loosening the first lug nut.
After what I’d said, I didn’t know what I expected from her. But I certainly didn’t expect her to step over my arms—as I finally removed the lug nut—and tower over me with a satisfied smile on her face.
“Lily—”
“If I have to watch you working on this truck with your muscles flexing in this rain for even one more second, then I’m going to explode. So what are we going to do about it?”
I gaped up at her, caught between awestruck and horny. I knew what we were going to do about it. Or at least what I’d love to do about it.
“Well, I’m pretty sure I suggested the solution,” I snapped, dropping the wrench as I inspected her bare calves from this close. Goose pimples covered her skin, flaring where my breath hit her legs. “Which was to separate us entirely. But it looks like you don’t want a regular guy after all.”
She shook her head, staring down at me with raw passion and vulnerability slashed across her face. I caught her drift. I was good at catching the drift when it came to situations like these. I touched the outsides of her ankles, dragging my fingertips slowly up the sides of her legs.
“What happens on the road from Portland,” she said, her voice growing shakier the higher my hands ran. “Stays on the road from Portland.”
A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.
A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.
Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides near Lake Erie with her Argentinean husband, where they run an Argentinian-American food truck and wrangle two wild boys.
Whoever said out of sight, out of mind must be crazy.
There wasn’t a day since I left that I didn’t think about her.
As much as I wanted to stay with her in Boulder City, it was never an option.
Caroline had big dreams of becoming a chef, and I’d just signed my rookie contract.
It was the chance of a lifetime for both of us.
After years of no contact, I’d assumed I’d lost her for good, but when I injured my pitching arm, I was given a second chance to right the wrongs from the past.
This is my last chance and the biggest payoff pitch of my life.
How quickly we’ve fallen back into old ways surprises me. Maybe I’ll be able to pull off being just friends after all.
“Now, go take a shower while I make lunch.” I clap my hands and rub them together like a mad scientist. “Where do I begin?” Kathy did a fantastic job stocking this refrigerator with all sorts of gourmet foods. I run through a recipe in my head that I think Micha will like and will work with the ingredients on hand.
“Caroline.” Micha’s deep voice close to my ear makes me jump.
“Damn it.” Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t heard him approach. I clutch my chest. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” His brow furrows like he’s struggling with something.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong…” He pauses like he’s carefully considering his words, then leans closer and whispers, “…I’m glad you’re here.”
And just like that, the friendly back and forth we had a few seconds ago is obliterated. I’m pulled back to when kissing and exploring each other’s bodies were a regular part of our lives.
The air is thick with sexual tension and no matter how hard I try, I can’t find the energy to look away.
His gaze lands on my lips.
I resist the urge to lick them and draw in a staggered breath. My hands find their way to rest on his hips while my legs turn to jelly.
His blue eyes look deep into mine.
Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me? Should I kiss him?
Kaylee Rose is a mother, sports fan, and contemporary romance author looking to stretch her creative muscles and explore other genres.
Inspired by her husband’s law enforcement career and her passion for the written word, Kaylee began to pen her novels as an escape from the rigors of everyday life. She admits that teaching herself the craft of writing has been a challenging but wonderful journey and is just the creative outlet she needs. Writing time is her time, and she protects the hard-won moments fiercely.
Kaylee’s award-winning series, The Weight of the Badge, was written after she attended required law enforcement classes with her husband. The seminars focused on the stress a first responder faces daily, how it affects their lives both on and off the job and the continually growing number of law enforcement suicides. With her books and experience married to a law enforcement officer, Kaylee found herself armed with the perfect platform to use her voice and subtly spread the statistics others may not know. Kaylee Rose is passionate about sharing sexy stories with an important message mixed in.
As a mom of four boys and a competitive streak of her own, Kaylee spent over twenty years coaching youth sports.
Kaylee’s husband is her biggest supporter, believing in her even when she can not, and writing love stories comes naturally to her after falling in love with him at first sight.
Kaylee has teamed up with best-selling author Zane Michaelson for her first extra-steamy co-write, Hot in the City.
Keep your eyes out for future collaborations from this writing duo.
Title: Kilo Author: Sybil Bartel Series: Alpha Elite Series Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Breacher.
Navy SEAL.
Mercenary.
Being a breacher on the Teams wasn’t a job, it was my drug of choice. Detonating charges, the blast waves going through me, I lived for the rush of tactical explosive breaching. As long as I kept my brothers safe and didn’t eat a piece of frag, I never looked past my next mission… until I screwed up.
Miscalculating a blast zone, I took a hit. Then I was benched from active duty, told I’d taken one too many subconcussive blows, and forced into medical retirement.
Except the Navy wasn’t the only home for an explosives expert. Alpha Elite Security took me in, and I got to keep my addiction—right until a mysterious redhead walked into my blast zone and suddenly, I needed a new fix.
Code name: Kilo. Mission: Detonate.
KILO is a standalone book in the exciting Alpha Elite Series by USA Today Bestselling author, Sybil Bartel. Come meet Kilo and the dominant, alpha heroes who work for AES!
Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you’re reading her deliciously dominant mercenaries, bodyguards or military heroes, all of her heart-stopping, page-turning romantic suspense novels have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!
Sybil resides in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.
The darkest edge of L.A. hides its most mysterious club. To some, it’s a rumor. To others, paradise. Those who can’t get in fear it. Those who belong crave it.
Its name is Pendulum.
And its secrets will finally be revealed. But there’s a price. A nightmare that feels this good becomes a dream. And you may never wake up.
Chandelier Dream.
The first novel in the Chandelier Sessions by Vanessa Fewings, author of the Enthrall Sessions, the international bestselling romance series and the upcoming movie Enthrall from Passionflix.
Vanessa Fewings is the USA Today and international bestselling romance author of the ENTHRALL SESSIONS along with many additional novels. Her books have been translated into various languages around the world. Vanessa lives with her husband in California with their rescue foxhound Sherlock.
Vanessa can be found on most social media platforms. She enjoys connecting with fans!
ENTHRALL has been optioned by Passionflix with the co-director and cinematographer attached from the Netflix hit 365 Days.
