Title: Love on the Run Author: Suzanne Rylee Ridolfi Genre: Romantic Comedy
Lily Hart is the semi-famous host of Love Lily, a podcast dedicated to love and relationships. Her bubbly enthusiasm for all things romance has caught the eye of a few swanky sponsors who offer her the chance to host a Valentine’s Day mega event. Unfortunately, Lily’s own happily-ever-after has hit a rocky patch. She’s not sure if Henry, her longtime boyfriend, is even the one. When they decide to discuss things over dinner, Lily’s left questioning everything she knows about love. She panics and calls for a getaway car.
Blaze Steel thinks the notion of love is a mythical fable made up to ruin his life. Instead of relationships he pours his energy into the opening of his new bar the Steel Taproom. Until it’s up and running, however, Blaze is forced to continue his duties as an Uber driver. When a frantic Lily jumps into the backseat of his car, Blaze doesn’t know what hit him. All he knows is he hopes he never has to lay eyes on this woman again.
Fate has different plans for them, as their paths continue to cross. When Lily realizes she can’t show up to her own event dateless, Blaze reluctantly agrees. No feelings, just a plus one. How hard could it be? After all, they’re the last couple in the world who would ever fall in love.
*For fans of sweet romance, Debbie Macomber books, and all things Hallmark. There is no steam, sweet short read.
Pulling my head up from my computer long enough to take a long slurp of hot cocoa, my eyes dart open. I jump to my feet and rush over to the pink and red floral book my best friend Addie printed me for a Christmas gift. A beautiful collection of all my blogs neatly bound together for eternity. My clammy fingers push open the cover. My heart drops like a lead balloon as I read each entry, so beautiful, touching and filled with hope.
I rush to my pup and gather her sweet face in my hands, “Lola, I have misled my loyal fan base. What do I even know about love? Research, yes research, that’s what I must do.”
I run to my desk and slide the Reese’s wrappers off the pile of notes smeared with a greasy spot of peanut butter. I fumble until my greedy fingers find a pen. I punch the word “love” into the search bar of my laptop. Tearing out the peanut butter-stained page, I feverishly begin jotting down the facts which represent the core beats of love. The first definition reads:
When two people realize there’s no one else in this world they want to be with.
My heart thuds wildly against my chest. There are millions of people in this world. You can’t possibly have met all of them. That is preposterous. How can you possibly know you don’t want someone in Antarctica, Michigan, Ireland, if you never met them?
My fingers tap to the next version of love in the search que. An intense feeling of deep affection.
NO, that can’t be right either. I have intense affection for the Amazon Prime driver that shows up to my door three times a week.
I hit the back button and search for the next entry. To feel more than liking toward someone.What does that even mean? Subjective I say. How much more? Geez, I could be in love with fifteen people. I consult the experts. I feverishly type in Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. “Wait, kinship means blood relative. Whew, there’s a part two.” Attraction based on sexual desire.
“Oh gosh, I’m in love with Ryan Gosling. Who are the actual people that write the dictionary? What gives them the authority to define a behavior?” My neck feels hot. “Lola, the short answer is love is a feeling you attach to someone when you’re tired of looking for the mythical version of the word.” My hands slap over my mouth which has just betrayed me eeking out a long-buried notion I’ve successfully silenced for years.
Rylee is a hopeless romantic. She loves a cozy fireplace, a furry blanket and a romantic book. She strives to bring lovable characters to life.This has resulted in the creation of some of the most awkwardly charming heroines that are guaranteed to steal your heart. She’s a believer in happily ever after and is mildly addicted to fabulous shoes. She loves writing about her favorite things- Christmas, fashion, family, and the ability to go for your dream, no matter how grand. When not writing you can find her spending time with her husband and three children at their home in New Jersey.
Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying with a hint of the Inheritance Games. Like the original whodunnit, Clue, this suspenseful mystery also has three possible endings explaining what could have happened.
They all have secrets. They all have motives. They all tell lies.
Every year, at a prestigious boarding school, Professor Groff hosts the Midnight Masquerade. But this year, before the festivities, he’s discovered dead in his office. Yet six students still receive invitations. The same six students who’re questioned about his murder.
The show must go on. At the Masquerade, two additional students claim to know the truth. The lights go out and when they come back on, one of them is dead. Anyone could’ve been at fault.
Francisca blind in one eye and deadly on the rugby field. Toshi a number ninja and the campus punching bag. Taz who struggles with anxiety and lingers in the shadows. Fish the golden boy hiding wounds and not only in his heart. Caroline the heiress and the image of perfection. Gorgeous George the resident Greek God with nothing to lose.
The six receive anonymous notes, making them question themselves and the assumptions they’ve made about each other. Brought back together, they must prove their innocence before the all-school meeting the next morning, otherwise, they risk humiliation if their secrets are exposed exposed—and worse, if they’re found guilty.
It’s a long night of theft, danger, and threats by a secret society that shows Professor Groff was right during his final lecture.
Dean Hammond straightens a stack of papers then looks up. With a severe lift to her eyebrow, she scans those of us present, and then says, “Oliver Groff was found dead in his office at 3:22 pm, shortly after his last class of the day.”
A weight in my stomach sinks just as it did when Arpad made the announcement in the dining hall. Questions roll through my mind and collide when the realization hits me full force. He was alive, teaching earlier today, making dire pronouncements about how basically everything sucks.
Boy, was he right. Now, he’s gone.
The circumstances were different the first and second times someone in my life died but the familiar emptiness, the void, vacancy returns—or maybe it never left.
“Yeah, we heard—” George’s tone tells me he wants to say something more about loss and tragedy, something sentimental perhaps, but he’s hard-wired for nonchalance as the campus crush and most likely to smoke, hook up, and skip classes.
Caroline clasps her hands in front of her chest. Her knuckles pale. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She pauses. “He was an…efficient teacher.”
I imagine she struggles to think of a nice thing to say about Groff. I sneak a glance at the others because I can’t be the only one wondering why we’re here.
Arpad already announced the news in the Refectory. There’s a good chance not everyone was there. Hammond inhales.
“Francisca Thompson-Sanchez, nice seeing you again.”
Francisca’s expression doesn’t suggest the feeling is mutual, although she is wearing a mud-streaked rugby uniform and likely feels as out of place in the plush office as I do.
“Can you please tell me where you were from the end of English class until now?” Hammond asks.
She focuses on something on the wall behind the dean but her hands tremble slightly. “I went to talk to Mr. Groff after class, but he looked, um, busy. Then I went to the bathroom.” She glances at Caroline. “Uh, then my dorm, followed by rugby practice, and then the Refectory.”
Arpad writes rapidly on a yellow pad.
Hammond’s penetrating gaze lands on a math whiz, gamer kid whose dorm room is by the day student room in my dorm. “I was at the Library then Refectory.” He speaks clearly, but he’s all-over sweaty.
“Tazmin King?” Hammond says, going down the line.
“Taz,” she corrects. Eyeliner stains the space around her big brown eyes like she’s been crying. “After class, I went to my dorm and then dinner. If Oliver died, it was because of a broken heart,” she blurts. Emotion streaks across her features, but she captures it and makes it disappear.
“And how would you know that, Tazmin?” Hammond’s tone is dark.
“It’s none of our business,” she answers. Then it’s as though she ghosts even though she’s still in the room with us. Hammond barely conceals a look of disgust.
“Moving on. John?”
“Maybe the professor was tired of his life and wanted to escape. Suicide? Or maybe he just wanted out. Faked it. On a plane to Tahiti.”
By Hammond’s pinched expression, I instantly realize this is the wrong answer. My sweat now rival’s Toshi’s. I cannot get kicked out. I cannot afford to go back to Burningham. Whatever this is about… I cannot lose my spot here.
“No, we found the body. Poetic though. However, the question was where were you this afternoon?” Accusation fills Hammond’s tone.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I misunderstood. I was in the dayroom at my dorm, Varth Dader, then lacrosse practice in the lower fields.”
She glances at me dismissively and nods at Caroline. I know all too well not to allow relief to replace the nerves inside. Best to stay alert.
“I was with the Promenade committee, finalizing some items for tomorrow. Wait. You’re not canceling prom because of this are you?” Typical Caroline, always concerned about her agenda.
The goth girl, Taz, narrows her eyes. “It should be after the tree went up in a blaze and now Oliver, I mean Professor Groff, is dead.”
Hammond hardly looks at them. “Ladies, that’s none of your concern. Now, George. If you please.”
“I was in the student center. You can ask Mrs. Carson.” He smirks. Likely, he was hooking up with someone.
“Do any of you have a reason to want Oliver Groff dead?” Hammond’s question is like a stone thrown in a lake. The ripples of this implication could be devastating.
Deirdre Riordan Hall is the author of the contemporary young adult bestsellers Sugar and Pearl as well as the High School Murder Mystery series. She’s in an ongoing pursuit of words, waves, and wonder. Her love language involves a basket of chips, salsa, and guacamole, preferably when shared with her family.
Bella Di Corte has been writing romance for seven years, even longer if you count the stories in her head that were never written down, but she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed writing alphas until recently. Tough guys who walk the line between irredeemable and savable, and the strong women who force them to feel, inspire her to keep putting words to the page.
Apart from writing, Bella loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and family. She also loves to read, listen to music, cook meals that were passed down to her, and take photographs. She mostly takes pictures of her family (when they let her) and her three dogs.
Bella grew up in New Orleans, a place she considers a creative playground.
She loves to connect with readers, so don’t hesitate to email her at belladicorte@gmail.com if you’d like to reach out.
USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, and Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance. She’s hit the USA Today list ten times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.
Lee Savino has grandiose goals but most days can’t find her wallet or her keys so she just stays at home and writes. While she was studying creative writing at Hollins University, her first manuscript won the Hollins Fiction Prize.
he lives in the USA with her awesome family You can find her on Facebook in the Goddess Group (which you totally should join).
The thought of leaving Della here all alone for the next twelve years is almost too much to bear. I wish I could wait until Dad is at work, load her up on a bus, and disappear somewhere across the country. We could be safe and happy. She would be loved.
But Dad would find us.
I know he would. His resources are endless and his wealth runs even deeper. We’d be plucked from whichever obscure town we landed in and planted right back in this condo. But his wrath would end up destroying us in the end. Especially Della. His trust and adoration of me—my only tool in my arsenal—would be completely wiped away.
But twelve years feels like forever. We can’t last that long. I have to figure something else out.
My mind fights to go back to a night not long after Mom passed away. That night he struck me for the first time. I was in his office, trying every number combination possible on his safe, looking for pictures of Mom since most had disappeared after her death. It took weeks for the bruise on my face to heal and I wasn’t permitted to leave my room until it did. All my teachers thought I had the flu.
No, I can’t bring that on us both. I’ll figure out a way to get us out of his crossfire.
“I suppose a few nights away each week won’t hurt,” I say in a shaky voice, forcing a smile. “You always know best, Dad.”
His features soften and his blue eyes twinkle as he looks me over. “Good girl. Your father does know best. I have another surprise for you. It’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”
I frown, unsure of what this could possibly mean. The only thing I want, and have for a long time, is freedom for me and Della. Nothing else.
Well, there’s one thing, but he doesn’t know about it…
He pulls an envelope from his inside pocket and slides it across the table toward me. I glance down at the emblem on the envelope with Landry Croft scribbled in someone’s neat handwriting across the front.
Oh my God.
I reach for the envelope. NYU. College. I didn’t even bother applying. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t leave Della. Mom was a stay-at-home mother and Dad always told me my trust fund would make it so I’d never have to work a day in my life.
“What’s this?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“You’ve been accepted.” His eyes flash in a knowing way. “You know I always keep tabs on my little girl. You’re too precious to me for me to let anything ever happen to you.”
He’s been spying on me—my computer search history to be exact. What else could I have looked at that he might have seen? Terror burns in my gut. I hope to God I didn’t look at anything that might come back on me and Della.
“I didn’t apply.” I gnaw on my bottom lip to keep it from shaking.
“I pulled a few strings. Anything for you, my love.”
“Thank you,” I force out. “I didn’t think it was something you’d allow me to do.”
“You’re eighteen now, sweetheart. You’re a woman and you’re going to do great things.”
I nod as if to agree.
But I don’t. Because leaving to “meet people” and to “do great things” means leaving Della. I don’t like this sudden need to separate us. It feels like the beginning of something far more sinister.
K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.
You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!
Can’t find a certain book? Maybe it’s too hot for Amazon! Don’t worry because titles like Bad Bad Bad, This is War, Baby, The Wild, and Hale can all be found for sale on K’s website in both ebook and paperback format.
Title: Thug Author: Leslie Georgeson Series: Something Real #3 Genre: Mafia Romantic Suspense
She’s the wife of my archenemy. My chance for revenge. Could she also be my heart’s salvation?
—–
I have three simple rules. Put family and the bratva first. Show no weakness. Never bend.
Then Siena Russo explodes into my life, knocking me off my feet. And I forget all my rules. Siena is witty and kind with an inner strength befitting a Mafia queen. My dream girl in the flesh.
It is all smooth going but for one giant hurdle. She is the wife of my archenemy, Salvatore Romano. Prince of the Italian Mafia.
Siena is in a fix, but if I help her, I will violate the Mafia truce. Crossing the ruthless Romanos means certain death.
Sal wronged me once, and I was forced to let it go. To protect my family and keep the peace.
Now is my chance to get even. Save Siena and steal Sal’s wife. Revenge is sweet but complicated. How do I choose between love and family?
“There’s movement at the gate,” Adrik announced, drawing all our gazes.
We were parked across the street from the address Siena had texted me, having only just arrived moments ago.
We’d shown up just in time.
Sal’s property was fenced like most of the fancy homes in the area, and while we watched, the gate opened, and two vehicles emerged: a Tahoe and a sedan.
My gut said Siena was in that Tahoe, probably with Sal.
“Follow them,” I ordered. “But stay back. Don’t let them see you.”
Once the vehicles rounded the corner, Adrik pulled away from the curb and followed.
It was nearly five a.m. now, and the streets were empty, which made it easy to follow them. We stayed back so they wouldn’t get suspicious, and about fifteen minutes later, they turned into the Romano estate in Beverly Hills.
Dom’s gaze darted to mine. “If she’s in one of those cars and they take her inside, our chances of getting her out are slim.”
Enzo Romano’s property was like a fortress, much like the Popov mansion. He had thugs guarding it from all sides, not to mention the security fence that we would have to get past without alerting the guards. Odds of us getting inside undetected were slim to none.
Adrik pulled the car over several houses away and waited for my instructions.
I ground my jaw. We didn’t have enough manpower with us tonight to take on the Romanos. We shouldn’t even be here. I had put everyone in this car in danger just by being this close to the Romano estate. To venture any closer would be suicide. His men shot first and asked questions later.
I dragged a hand down my face. We had no choice but to back off for now. We would have to wait for another opportunity to free Siena.
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the back of Timofey’s seat, startling him. “Fuuuuck!”
Tension filled the car. We all watched in silence as the gate opened and the two vehicles drove inside the property.
I bowed my head, not wanting to admit defeat. Hundreds of scenarios flashed through my mind of ways Sal might torture Siena. In that moment, I was reminded of what the son-of-a-bitch had done to Cara, and my stomach heaved.
Be strong, Siena. Don’t let him break you. I’ll get you out of there as soon as I can.
“Now what, boss?” Adrik asked, eyeing me in the rearview mirror.
Leslie Georgeson writes romance and suspense, sometimes with a dash of sci-fi or paranormal tossed in to make things more interesting. She is the author of the popular military romantic suspense series, THE DREGS, which was nominated for the 2018 TopShelf Indie Book Awards. Her other titles include the UNLIKELY HEROES series, the UNDERNEATH series, the standalone romantic mystery, NO SON OF MINE, and the newly released romantic suspense duet, THE PACT. Book one, The Mocking Man, is now available on Amazon.
Leslie lives with her husband and daughter on a quiet country acreage in Idaho. She is currently working on The Honest Liar, the second book in THE PACT, and anticipates an early May 2020 release.
Are all those that are lost meant to be found? Are all those that are stolen taken against their will?
Holland Wanger has spent her entire life beneath the scrutinization of the paparazzi. The daughter of a famous actor. Her life is predictable and routine—boring. She’s afraid of change, but it seems as though her life is about to be turned upside down in a single instant.
Russian Bratva Torpedo, Danill Belsky, has a new mission that includes an offer for a payment that he can’t quite resist. A payment that comes in a knockout body with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
In a dark club, he meets her under the guise of fate. He is drawn to her. Not only does he need her, but he wants her, too. She’s alluring, seemingly untamable, but Danill knows that she wants to be his.
Can a woman really be stolen if she goes willingly?
As an only child, Hayley Faiman had to entertain herself somehow. She started writing stories at the age of six and never really stopped.
Born in California, she met her now husband at the age of sixteen and married him at the age of twenty in 2004. After all of these years together, he’s still the love of her life.
Hayley’s husband joined the military and they lived in Oregon,where he was stationed with the US Coast Guard. They moved back to California in 2006, where they had two little boys. Recently, the four of them moved out to the Hill Country of Texas, where they adopted a new family member, a chocolate lab named Optimus Prime.
Most of Hayley’s days are spent taking care of her two boys, going to the baseball fields for practice, or helping them with homework. Her evenings are spent with her husband and her nights—those are spent creating alpha book boyfriends.
Yolanda Olson is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT where she currently resides, she usually spends her time watching her favorite channel, Investigation Discovery. Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.
You can keep in touch with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Title: Mordizan Author: Alyssa Roat Series: The Wraitwood Trilogy #2 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
The bane of Mordred, the son of Mordizan, and a millennia-old prophecy—together they may provide what Brinnie needs to defeat the world of magic’s greatest threat.
More than a year has passed since Brinnie left Wraithwood, never expecting to see it again. But when Mordred captures her sister, she is thrust back into the world of magic. She flees to Wraithwood, where she learns of a prophecy located in the dark wizard capital of Mordizan that reveals the identity of “Mordred’s bane,” something that could destroy Mordred for good.
Brinnie agrees to a rendezvous with Mordred to exchange herself for her sister, going undercover at Mordizan as a spy to find the prophecy and Mordred’s bane. There, she weaves a complicated web of secrets, lies, and tenuous friendships. She makes an unexpected ally in Marcus Vorath, son of the Master of Mordizan, who fears the implications of Mordred’s growing power. But in Mordizan, friends and foes may be one and the same.
In the midst of court intrigue, battle, ominous new depths to her power, and searching for Mordred’s bane, Brinnie struggles to draw the lines. How far is she willing to go to destroy Mordred? And how much of herself is she willing to give up along the way?
Alyssa Roat grew up in Tucson, Arizona, but her heart is in Great Britain. She has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and publicist. With 250+ bylines and 9+ books under contract in genres ranging from YA chat fiction to fantasy to sweet adult romance, you could say she dabbles in a bit of everything. Her name is a pun, which means you can learn more about her at www.alyssawrote.com or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as @alyssawrote.
After years of secretly pining for Garrett Caldwell—the grumpy and elusive hot town doctor—he finally looks my way.
As my best friend’s older brother, he said I was too young and completely off-limits. But I felt the heat of his lingering gaze, the spark beneath his hesitant touch.
Maybe it was only once, and maybe that was exactly what we agreed to, but that one scorching night had consequences that will tie us together for the rest of our lives.
Suddenly he claims to want more, and I can’t keep the doubt from creeping in. Because building a relationship based on his obligation would break me.
The whole town is talking, but I’m stronger than the girl they remember.
So I guard my heart against the one man who has the power to destroy it.
I bite my lip and give him a coy smile. “Aw, you remembered. Cute.”
“Aria.”
“Dr. Coldwell,” I mimic, matching his chastising tone.
“It’s Caldwell. Does Chloe know her supposed best friend doesn’t even know her last name?”
“She knows I like to give her brother shit for always giving me the cold shoulder.”
“I don’t give you the cold shoulder. I simply ignore your little games.”
“It’s not a game, Doc. You know you’re hot. I know I’m hot. What’s wrong with a little flirting?” If he ever flirted back, I might actually pass out.
“You are practically still a minor, and I’m a grown man. I’ve reminded you of this before. Many times.”
“I’m technically an adult now. Regardless, I have a boyfriend—kind of. So our beloved interactions are really just harmless fun.”
One day, I’d also appreciate other kinds of fun. What if when I came home from college in the winter, Garrett suddenly noticed me in the same way I’ve been noticing him, and we snuck out to his car to get just naked enough to have a lot of fun? A girl can dream . . .
“Are you listening to me?” Garrett asks, snapping me out of my little daydream.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters under his breath.
“Were you by chance asking what you could do for me today? Because I was going to suggest you join your sister and me for a beach day. Food, drinks, and a nice float down the creek. Chloe was saying you’re barely around anymore, and she misses you. I promise not to hit on you more than five times.”
“Zero times, Aria. You will hit on me zero times.”
God, he’s so easy.
I scrunch my face in what I hope is adorable confusion. “That doesn’t seem possible. Do you even know me?”
“Unfortunately, I’m starting to learn some things.”
He shakes his head and storms away.
I reach out to stop him, but he swerves away like I’m contagious. I’m a confident girl, but Garrett definitely tests that some days.
“Wait! You know I’m kidding. Well, mostly. I do want you to come to the beach with us today. I’ll keep all flirty thoughts and Garrett hassling antics to myself. I’ll also make sure only to look and not touch.” I hold my hands up innocently while my eyes inadvertently check him out again.
“Goddammit,” he mutters. Opening the door to the side entrance of the house, he shouts, “Chloe! Get your friend away from me.” He escapes through the door, and I let it roll off my back.
I do have fun teasing and flirting with Garrett whenever I see him, but today wasn’t about seeing if I could ruffle his feathers. It was about Chloe. She misses her brothers, and soon, we’ll be moving to San Jose for school so she’ll probably end up seeing even less of them. She’s had it rough lately with all the town drama revolving around her and her ex-boyfriend. So if my messing with Garrett and arranging activities or acting foolish makes my beautiful friend laugh or smile, I’m all over it.
I pop my head back into the house.
“So you’re coming, right?” I shout in the direction I think he went.
“Who’s coming where?” Chloe asks, stepping into the kitchen with her beach attire already on.
“Garrett is coming to the beach with us! He needs some relaxation. He’s really looking forward to it.”
Garrett comes striding back into the room and leans one muscular shoulder against the wall. Oof, those shoulders.
“Aria says you’re coming with us! Eek! I’m so excited. I didn’t think you’d want to spend the afternoon with a bunch of loud, obnoxious teenagers.” She jumps in excitement and gives him a quick side hug.
I move in for my turn but find my advances thwarted when a large palm presses against my face. His arm is locked straight, keeping me several feet from embracing his lean, tall, rock-solid form.
Oh well. Can’t blame a girl for trying.
Chloe giggles. “Aria, leave him be. He’s not as into displays of affection as you are.”
Here’s the other thing I’ve decided to do as Chloe’s best friend: not tell her that my playful interactions with her brother—the ones she finds amusing because of how different we are and the guaranteed reaction I get out of her stoic, much older brother—are not as innocent as she thinks.
I’ve developed a deep, gnawing, unwavering infatuation with my best friend’s brother, but I can’t tell her. I can barely admit it to myself.
It’s not worth telling Chloe for several reasons. First, because I don’t intend to do anything about it. Second, I’m pretty sure I have zero chance with the guy. And not just because he’s nearly ten years older than me or that we are complete opposites. The disinterested vibe he puts out—and frequently vocalizes— abundantly clear. Sometimes, I wonder if he knows I’m not just messing with him.
“Grab your Speedo, handsome. I’ve already told some of the girls that you’re coming, and I need to deliver on the eye candy.”
“Don’t be gross.” Chloe’s nose wrinkles in disgust before turning to her brother. “No one is going to ogle you, Gar. You’re practically thirty.”
Oh, sweet, naive Chloe. All of our friends think your brothers are hot.
Even my boyfriend.
“I’m not practically thirty, squirt. I’m in my mid twenties.”
And looking fine as all hell.
“Twenty-seven is closer to thirty than it is to twenty,” Chloe argues. He scowls playfully before a sweet, amused smile sweeps across his face, making my insides turn to mush.
Garrett doesn’t have your typical hot-guy allure. He has this quiet, brainy, reserved quality to him that draws me in like a moth to a flame. And I am ready to burn.
If only he’d look at me as anything other than his little sister’s ridiculous, wildly inappropriate, flirty best friend. One day . . . one day, he’s going to beg for my affection. Until then, I’m going to experience a little love and live a whole lot.
Amy Alves lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband and two crazy cute kids. She is a romance-obsessed reader, a lover of wine and fuzzy socks, and a loather of laundry. She loves contemporary, paranormal, and rom com romance—her kindle always has a long list of books waiting to be read.
Amy writes contemporary romance with a hint of rom com fun. Tropes you can expect to see are: second chance, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and fake relationships.
