Mermaid Gia Acquaviva’s thrilling adventures continue. She must travel to New York to fight a battle in the public arena with the powerful media moguls, Royce and Bronwyn Langley. Her casino empire is under attack, threatened by her Greek relatives. Meanwhile, Gia is paired up with a rising movie starlette to create the perceptions a tabloid romance tabloids. With tensions rising, will Gia survive after burning every bridge to get what she wants?
Fans of Killing Eve and Big Little Lies will love Mermaid of New York, a sexy psychological thriller with lush fantasy elements. The chic mystery of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley with a juicy splash of the lavish lifestyle in E. L. James’s 50 Shades series. This is not the Little Mermaid you grew up with. Gia’s out for blood.
Mermaid of New York is the third installment of the Mermaid of Venice series, 6 novels about Gia Acquaviva.
Gia strutted into The Odeon wearing creamy over-the-knee vegan leather boots. Her mini dress was covered with over- sized, opalescent palettes. The white cat-eye liner and teased up hair completed her 1960s-inspired ensemble. She felt sexy, but also terribly overdressed for a first date—even though it was tech- nically a fake date, arranged by her publicist.
The French-by-way-of-Philly diner’s windows overlooked West Broadway. The sidewalk was thick with photographers, influencers, and fans, all eyeing Gia, capturing her every move. Gia’s security team flanked her and then moved out of the way, as she slid into a booth that faced the street.
Rising film star Riley Rose was already there, waiting for Gia.
“Hey,” she whispered in an Australian accent, “I know this is intimidating at first, but I promise we’ll finish dinner quickly and get out of here.” Riley grinned and took a sip from a skinny highball glass.
“Ciao,” Gia said, scooting over to Riley, “what are you drinking?”
“It’s their house cocktail. Tequila. Here, try it.” Riley pushed the drink toward Gia.
Gia wrapped her lips around the paper straw and sucked. “That is delicious.”
“Mmm. So are you.” Riley then burst out into hearty laughter. “I promise I’m not actually that cheesy. I just… wow… you look incredible.”
“I am not allowed to wear my own clothes anymore.”
“Tell me about it,” Riley said, easing into the back of the banquette. Gia drank in the movie star’s androgenous vibe. Riley’s hair was cut short, shaved on the side, and styled into a rockabilly curve that cast a shadow across her angular face. Her amber eyes were smudged with dark liner. She wore a backless button-up, and since the shirt was also sleeveless, it showed off Riley’s arms, which were covered in tattoos.
Gia ordered the same cocktail as Riley and tore off a piece of a baguette.
Riley stared down at Gia’s plate and remarked, “It’s been forever since I’ve witnessed anyone eat bread.”
“This, Riley, is a tragedy. How is one able to live without bread— or pasta?”
Riley shook her head, smiling. “It’s a poor quality of life, I’ll give you that. But the fucking camera is unforgiving.”
Gia frowned and thought, America’s unending obsession with diets is making the world sick.
“Tell me all about you, Gia.” Riley brushed Gia’s hair off her shoulder and whispered to her again, “It’s a good idea if we can get some shots of us really close like this. The press just loves that. Lower your head a bit and smile with your lips closed.”
Gia did as instructed.
“That’s perfect,” Riley crooned, before returning her back to the banquette. “So, damn, you’re a real-life mermaid, huh?”
Riley’s question annoyed Gia very much, and she pulled away. “Woah, woah,” Riley said, hovering her hands above the table.
“We don’t have to go there. Is there something else you want to talk about?”
Gia crossed her arms over her chest.
“Gia,” Riley spoke in hushed tones, “that’s really bad body language. It’s not going to play well on camera. We need to look like we’re connecting. It will be better for both of us, I promise. Please, drop your arms and let me get closer to you again. You can trust me.”
Trust you? Gia scoffed in her mind. She narrowed her eyes at Riley. Only untrustworthy people assured others of their trustworthiness. Gia knew this because she’d deployed that line herself—many, many times before.
JINCEY LUMPKIN is a writer and creative director in Luxury Beauty. She is the author of the Mermaid of Venice fantasy thriller series. Recognized as a thought leader on women and culture, Jincey has written more than 50 columns for the Huffington Post and Playboy. She headlined Sex Week at Harvard and gave an infamous TEDx talk, “Are Robots the Future of Sex?” She has been profiled by Dateline NBC, Vice, and GQ, among others. Out Magazine listed her in its “OUT 100”, naming her as one of the world’s most influential LGBTQ+ people, alongside celebrities like Laverne Cox and Ricky Martin.
Title: Desires Author: Holly J. Gill and Nikki Blaise Series: Desires #1 Genre: Erotica
Desires—a place where fantasies are made flesh and dreams become real. From BDSM to being a dog, Desires can provide it with bells on, if that’s your kink. Stacie Clifford’s only desire is to regain her sexual confidence after her recent escape from an abusive marriage. She joins Desires looking for re-education in the joys of her body. There is only one condition; her contract states emotional attraction between tutor and student is forbidden. Stacie is fine with that; her heart is so battered she has no desire to give it to anyone else. Then she meets her instructor, Dan. Instantly attracted, at first Stacie thinks it will help to make her sexually comfortable with him. But when she realises she is falling in love, she can’t tear herself away, contract or no. Stacie knows that, no matter how kind and caring Dan appears, he’s just doing his job. Can Stacie overcome her own Desires and walk away?
There was a small dance floor with a pole. Stacie watched a girl wrapping her body around the pole, tipping upside down. How did she manage to hold the position without hurting herself? It looked quite painful.
They move out of the room. A few people hurtled toward them wearing bondage PVC ball gowns and gimp masks, looking as though they were being suffocated. Angel greeted them as they passed then led Stacie to another room where this time a man stood on a stage stripping. This room contained mostly women who were screaming and yelling encouragement at the stripper.
He grabbed some whipped cream, spraying it onto his penis, then invited girls to come and lick it off. Three or four women scrambled onto the stage, fighting over his cock while he stood there, hands on hips, a big smile plastered over his face as the girls licked him clean. This was definitely a very touchy place.
The room next door had a massive television on the wall showing a porn film. Couples were sitting and watching on sofas, most of them having sex at the same time.
You know what’s great about applying for an art history PhD program at one of the world’s most prestigious universities? I get to study what I love and land my dream job at the end of it. You know what’s not so great? Being told I’ll only get accepted to the program if I gain access to my aloof, uppity, super grumpy boss’s private art collection.
As it turns out, said boss—a one Lord Hayden Stuart—needs to get married to inherit his late father’s estate and earldom. And if there’s one thing Hayden Stuart is never going to want for real—it’s a wife.
So, we strike up a deal: I marry him and go live at his castle, where I’ll have unlimited access to his collection, he gets his earldom, and when the estate is settled, we part ways forever.
Win-win, right?
Wrong.
I may have fooled myself into believing I wasn’t risking my heart, but there’s one huge problem: I’m definitely falling for him. He’s not just another man. He’s THE man—an irresistibly good-looking, in-control, expensive-suit-wearing man who makes all the other men look like little boys. And the more time I spend with him pretending to be his wife, the more desperate I become to believe the lie.
But he’s never going to fall for some lowly PhD student. So what if at the wedding he looked at me as if I’m the only woman in the world, and kissed me like he’s shipping off to war in the morning? It doesn’t mean anything.
Or does it?
Because the more we’re together, the more I realize that, even though we’re from totally different worlds, we have a lot more in common than I ever could have imagined.
Now all I have to do is convince him he really does want a wife…
Finally, Hayden opens his mouth. “I’m not sad he’s dead, you know.”
“I know,” I tell him, squeezing his hand.
“I hated him. He was a complete bastard.”
“I know.”
He looks down at me with tears in his eyes. “Then can you please tell me why the hell I’m so sad right now?”
A lump forms in my throat. “I think you’re grieving the father you should have had.”
Nodding, he sniffs, clears his throat, and says, “How stupid is that? I’m a grown man, for God’s sake.”
“But you used to be a little kid and he needed a dad.”
His shoulders crumple and he lets out a couple of sobs. Letting go of his hand, I wrap my arm around him and pull him close, resting his head on my shoulder and dropping a kiss on his head. I have no idea how long we stay like this, but by the time he’s done, my shoulder aches from the weight of him, and I’m absolutely terrified that I’ve fallen completely in love with him.
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
Title: King of Spades Author: Alta Hensley Genre: Romantic Suspense
Nick Hudson has a dangerous reputation.
That’s what I need if I’m going to survive.
Desperation makes me seek out a ruthlessly powerful billionaire.
I need protection.
He demands my virtue as payment.
I’m falling into a world of luxury and sin.
With every twist and turn, I need more.
Except this is not a man to love.
This is a man to fear.
His obsession grows. So does the threat, until I’m trapped in a world of depravity. I’ll need more than Nick’s strength to survive. I’m going to need his heart.
I continue to stare at the figure in the distance.
Why is he up there watching and not down below dancing with everyone else? It’s his party and yet, he’s off and alone. It reminds me of when I first met him alone in a study rather than being in the mix of another celebration.
The shadowed figure moves just enough that I can see him leaning against his cane. If I had any doubt it was Nick up there, now I don’t. I get this odd sense that the man is watching me. That he is seething as he realizes he has an uninvited guest, and he’s planning the appropriate punishment for breaking the rules of his Wonderland.
I slowly move my body in a sensual dance, keeping my eyes locked on the man above. My movements are meant for his eyes only. I want to play my part in this game between us. He left us unfinished, and now I’m here. I’m here. I want him to watch and to fantasize about what more I can do with this body. He didn’t think I was ready when he first met me, but I’ll prove him wrong.
But then reality sets in, and I know there is no way that Nick is noticing me in a crowd of hundreds with flashing lights all round us. The arrogant thought is squashed as I refocus my attention on living in the moment.
For tonight… I’m a Morelli. I’m exclusive. I’m wanted. I’m here.
Alta Hensley is a USA TODAY bestselling author of hot, dark and dirty romance. She is also an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.
She lives in a log cabin in the woods with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd. When she isn’t battling the bats, and watching the deer, she is writing about villains who always get their love story and happily ever after.
Title: Into the Sunset Author: S.L. Sterling Genre: Contemporary Romance
Ben
I know why I lost her. I was too serious, I was too practical. I was too busy thinking I knew what she wanted without asking her.
Over time, this wore on her. All she wanted was to be heard. She wanted someone to support her big exciting ideas, I was supposed to do that, but I shut them down. No wonder she handed me my ring back and left town. No wonder she married someone else, leaving me with memories of sunsets at the beach and the future I had planned for us.
I went on and built my life without her. My father and I opened the second division of Sunset Builders in Las Vegas, and to my surprise, I stayed busy, almost busy enough not to notice the loneliness. That was until one day I was called to do a quick bathroom and kitchen remodel for a woman who lived on Las Vegas Boulevard. I shouldn’t of gone, I should have sent one of my men because when I arrived, and the door opened, every memory I’d had of Jessica came flooding back.
If I’d learned anything in her absence it was that anything worth doing was worth being done well, and anything worth having was worth fighting for. I just hoped she’d give me a second chance.
Jessica
Ben had always been right to keep me grounded. I should’ve listened because the falls didn’t hurt as bad that way.
I wanted a bigger life, in a bigger brighter place. I never appreciated the beauty of living in a small town with a huge support system. Instead, I left town without so much as a goodbye, chasing a silly dream.
I married the man who promised me the sun, moon, and the stars, but delivered blinding blows. I spent years hiding in the dark so that no one would see my bruised face. Most days, I thought I’d die before I escaped the nightmare. I dreamed of running, it was my only way out. Then I got news my grandfather had passed. He left me money and a gorgeous condo in Vegas. I had a plan. I would upgrade the condo, sell it, and fade away into the sunset, all while my husband was gone on a business trip.
Little did I know that Ben would show up on my doorstep. He swore we could make our dreams real, but this time I was the grounded one. I could only see how we would never work. I’d made too many mistakes and love was terrifying.
S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada and is married to her best friend and soul mate and their two dogs.
An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamt of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel “It Was Always You” was born.
When S.L. Sterling isn’t writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors on her e-reader. Her favorite authors include Kendall Ryan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Lauren Blakely, Alessandra Torre and Willow Winters.
In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading.
Lily watched as her mate, Jason, fought for – and won – the right to claim her. She didn’t realize that meant without her consent.
Jason has just challenged his father – Alpha of the Wolf Hollow Pack and King of the wolf shifters. The rebels have decided to use this challenge to state their demands for the future of wolf shifters everywhere. Jason’s father, The King, is attempting to kill them all – because they didn’t have enough to deal with already.
Lily has to figure out how to forgive her mate, Jason has to figure out how to survive, and the pack has to figure out how to manage through this turbulent time. Lily and Jason need to secure their relationship, their status, and the pack before everything devolves into chaos.
Nicole Howl is the pen name for Kaylee Johnston. She is a paranormal romance author who has an obsession with wolves, vampires, and witches. She’s currently got 9,743 stories in her head and is writing as fast as she can to get them on paper. She lives with her husband, Russell, and beagle Bassett hound, Ollie, in Southern California. She’s obsessed with animals, books, and several TV shows that annoy the crap out of her husband (Gilmore Girls, Friends, New Girl, and How I Met Your Mother). She has a touch of awkwardness – hence why she’s referring to herself in the third person and is a big personality. Drop her a note to say hi!
Title: HAWK Author: Nancy Brown Genre: Romantic Suspense
As a member of Cross Security, Mason Hawk is a tormented man on a mission…some might say he has a death wish. No case is too difficult. Nothing if off limits. He delivers his own brand of justice. Solitude is his only reward. For fifteen years he has hidden the secrets he ran from at age seventeen. He shut everyone out when he became a Navy SEAL and he honed his skills to become the monster he believes he is. He’s a man with demons that run deep and dark. No one gets in. That is until she walks into his life and brings him to his knees. She’s beautiful, smart, and perfect. Like beauty and the beast, he believes she could never love a man like him.
Kai Wailani has lived the perfect life. She has a loving family, has surfed all over the world and is on top of her game at the U.S. Airforce, but she wants more. When she joins Cross Security, the only man stopping her from achieving her goal is a gorgeous wall of muscle who goes simply by Hawk. He’s dark, dangerous, and yet, he can make her smile with a single glance. He’s a force when he walks into a room and he wants nothing to do with her.
Like fire and ice, the dance begins. They are enemies. They are lovers. There are so many secrets. Can Hawk and Kai trust each other enough to find their happy ending or will their passion end them both?
Nancy Carolyn Brown is an author of contemporary romance, fond of writing love stories about hunky badass men endowed with massive hearts, and strong heroines with just the right mix of sweet and sass… flaming hot chemistry and thrilling nail biting suspense is always guaranteed!
She loves cosmos and chocolate and a swoony good book with a strong storyline.
She lives in sunny southern Alberta, Canada with her high school sweetheart husband and naughty Bengal cat. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys the simple things in life like spending time with family and friends, reading and running with her favorite playlist blasting in her ears.
What would you be willing to sacrifice for the one you love?
I was born a princess of the Celtic Reapers MC, but I’m definitely not royalty. I’m abused, tortured, and broken, desperate to escape.
I have two choices. I can stay with my childhood sweetheart, Jamieson aka Whiskey, who abandoned our plans for freedom when he patched into the MC. Or, I could win my freedom and live my dream life with loveable, sexy, tech geek Kellan.
But when I fall pregnant, my whole life changes and I’m forced to make painful decisions.
This is not your typical love story. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s heartbreaking. This is the story of how you make an impossible choice. I’m Shayla Callahan, and this is my story.
Author Note – this is a dark mafia romance that features themes which may be triggering for some people. If you would like more details please contact: emmalunaauthor@gmail.com
Dangerously Deceptive is set in the Beautifully Brutal world. It occurs before Black Wedding and can be read first. This series has interconnected themes and it’s advisable you read them all to get the most out of them.
Emma Luna is a USA Today Bestselling dark romance author from the UK. In a previous life she was a Midwife and a Lecturer, but now she listens to the voices in her head and puts pen to paper to bring their stories to life. In her spare time, when she should be sleeping, she also loves to edit, proofread, and format books for other amazing authors.
Emma’s books are dark, dangerous, and devilishly sexy. She loves writing about strong, feisty, but underestimated women, and the cocky, dirty-mouthed men they bring to their knees.
When Emma isn’t writing, promoting, or editing books she can be found napping, colouring in adult colouring books, and collecting novelty notebooks. She also enjoys coffee and gossiping with her mum, playing or having hugs with her gorgeous nephew, who is the light of her life, stealing her parents dog Hector, and curling up on the sofa to watch a film with Mr Luna. Oh and for those of you that don’t know, Emma is a hardcore Harry Potter fan—Team Ravenclaw!!
Thank you for taking a chance on a crazy Brit and the voices inside her head. That makes you a true LUNAtic now too!
Title: Following Maggie Author: Melanie Moreland Series: Coming Home #5 Genre: Contemporary Small Town Romance
A snowstorm, an unexpected delay, and a caring stranger are all it takes for Sebastian Ruggers to change the course of his life.
Instead of pushing paper and living a life he dreads, he follows his heart and the girl he meets to a new city.
A different life.
Maggie Andrews is heading back to the only town that ever felt like home.
When she meets Sebastian, somehow she knows, together, they’ll find a life together sweeter than the ones they are leaving behind. She can help him find his future. He can be the person she needs.
They only have to say yes.
Sometimes you discover home isn’t only a location on a map—but the person you share it with.
I kept her hand in mine and watched her, my mind going as fast as the plane we were in. The more the miles flew by, the more the ache in my chest grew. Maggie would walk away from me soon, and I’d never see her again. I’d head to BC and the life my father insisted I had to live, and she would make her own way in the small town, hundreds of miles away from me.
I would go to an apartment I’d never seen and live there. My father would make sure it was decent and I had what I needed to live. Maggie would go to her little house and try to fix it up and make a life for herself. She would struggle to make ends meet and fight to hold on to the place she thought of as home. My father’s plan would enable me to live well, but it wouldn’t feel like home. Like my life.
Both of us would struggle for different reasons.
Both of us surrounded by people, yet alone.
I’d always felt alone—except for the past few hours. With Maggie beside me, I hadn’t felt that way. For the first time in my life since my mother died, I felt as though I was complete again—as if I mattered.
I mattered to Maggie.
She mattered to me.
If we were together, things would be different. If I chose differently, both our lives could change.
Thoughts, ideas, and images began taking shape in my head.
If I changed my mind.
If I asked Maggie to let me go with her. Not to visit, but to stay.
When you want a bit of naughty along with the nice. From NYT Best Selling Author M Moreland are complete standalone reads with one thing in common – lots of sweetness and a guaranteed HEA. Instant attraction, little angst – love and happiness abounds.
While addicted to coffee, and challenged with computer-related and technical thing, she relishes cooking. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, but finds coming home is always the best part of a trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with wine. She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
