USA Todaybestselling author Jane Henry pens stern but loving alpha heroes, feisty heroines, and emotion-driven happily-ever-afters. She writes what she loves to read: kink with a tender touch. Jane is a hopeless romantic who lives on the East Coast with a houseful of children and her very own Prince Charming.
Sophie Lark is an Amazon bestselling author who writes intense, intelligent romance, with heroines who are strong and capable, and men who will do anything to capture their hearts. She lives with her husband, two boys, and baby girl in the Rocky Mountain West.
She has a slight obsession with hiking, bodybuilding, and live comedy shows. Her perfect day would be taking the kids to Harry Potter World, going dancing with Mr. Lark, then relaxing with a good book and a monster bag of salt and vinegar chips.
He’s a sexy left winger for the NHL’s newest expansion team, the Atlanta Siege, and he’s a player in every sense of the word.
Callan Murphy’s on a mission: get his teammate laid.
A night out at Atlanta’s hottest nightclub is all he’ll need to find the perfect woman to blow his goalie’s … mind. But when he catches a glimpse of a dark-haired beauty standing across the dance floor, winging for his friend is the last thing on his mind.
She’s perfect, all right. Perfect for him. Now he just has to convince her of that, something he never expects to be such a challenge.
She’s a mysterious bombshell who’s about to teach him what it’s like to play in the big leagues of the heart.
Roxy Wagner’s on a mission: get her best friend laid.
When they head out to ladies’ night in search of Mr. Right Now, it doesn’t take her long to spot the two tall, dark, and stud-lies watching them from across the club. One look at the bearded hottie with the seductive heat in his eyes tells her she’s about to go up against a real player.
She should know … it takes one to know one. And she’s not interested in playing for keeps.
It starts with a night out winging for friends. How it all ends will depend on whether Callan can find a way to tame Roxy’s wild heart.
What should have been a fifteen-minute drive took Roxy ten. Callan felt like he needed those extra five minutes to find the strength to stand since he was sure his knees were going to give out on him, but he climbed out of her car at the first listing since Roxy got out and stared at him until he did.
“I really had hoped I’d go back in time if I ever went that fast,” he mused as they walked up to the brick townhome bearing a lockbox on the front door.
She gave him the side-eye as she entered a code into the lockbox. “You drive an Audi and you’ve never opened her up?”
“Well, no.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” He sought the right words and went with, “I’m normal.”
“Sounds rather boring to me.”
“Maybe, but if my agent heard I was in a car with someone who drives like you, he’d drop dead of a heart attack.”
Her lips twitched with humor. “Well, we’re here now. Let’s focus on the listing.”
“Okay.”
She motioned towards the door handle. “While it’s a little unconventional, I believe the potential homeowner should be the one to open the front door and go inside first. That first feeling you get when you step into a new place is one of the most important things to consider when homebuying.”
He nodded and opened the door. He paid attention to his first impression as he stepped inside and paused in the foyer. Then he got distracted when Roxy followed him in and brushed against him, making him itch to touch her.
“First thoughts?” she asked.
He stuck his hands in his pockets so he didn’t give into his urge. “It’s very white.”
The two-story foyer was open and airy. To the right was a grand dining room with a crystal chandelier. To the left was what appeared to be a formal living room. Ahead was a hall leading towards what he thought was the kitchen and family room.
Every single wall was white.
“Paint is an inexpensive update,” she said. “But it tells me something that you noticed the white walls first rather than the layout or these beautiful hardwood floors. Let’s go ahead and do a walk-through anyway. It will help us narrow down what you like and don’t like in a property.”
“Works for me.”
They completed their tour of the townhouse, where he decided he liked the hardwood floors, the custom built-ins in the study and family room, the crown molding throughout the home, and the fact that it backed up to the Chattahoochee National Forest. He didn’t like the lack of character, the layout, or the outdated bathrooms.
They went through the remaining listings just like that. Much as Roxy suspected, none of them were quite what he wanted.
Strangely, although he hadn’t been planning on buying a new home until a few days ago, he found himself getting into the spirit of it. Roxy made it interesting, her death-defying driving aside. He found himself asking for her opinion more than once and taking it into account, something he wouldn’t typically do with someone he didn’t know all that well. He tried telling himself that it was because she was his real estate agent, but deep inside, he knew that wasn’t true.
Somehow, some way, this woman he had met all of seven weeks ago had come to matter to him.
A lot.
When they returned to his condo’s parking garage, she stopped her car in front of the door leading into the complex rather than parking.
“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in coming up for a drink?” he asked.
“As much as I’d like that, I can’t.”
“Ah. Busy night ahead?”
“Not really. The thing is, if I go up to your condo, we’re going to have sex. I can’t get distracted by sex right now no matter how much I might want that.”
His disappointment eased into pleasure. Apparently, he hadn’t made as bad a first impression with her as he’d feared.
Good to know.
“Guess I can’t argue with that,” he said. “How about a goodbye kiss?”
She shook her head and waved him out of the car. “Stop trying to get me to break my no-sex pact.”
He paused with his hand on the door’s handle. “What’s that now?”
“Tell you what,” she said, leaning over him, pulling the handle, and shoving the door open. “You never ask about that again and I’ll call you for some phone sex at some point this week.”
Raine Thomas is a multiple award-winning author of bestselling romance. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.
Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.
Title: The Finest Lies Author: David J Naiman Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism
High schooler Nicole Hallett has just about had it with her brother Jay, so when a mysterious man appears with an offer to replace him with a better one, she doesn’t hesitate. Nicole has always been impulsive, but this time, she finds herself in predicament far worse than anything she’s experienced. Just like that, an average snow day—usually filled with hot cocoa and snowball fights—is commandeered by the stranger, who forces the siblings into a dangerous game.
Confronted by past reflections, tested by present complications, and threatened by future possibilities, Nicole has until the end of the day to disentangle the riddle of her life.
This suspenseful, yet winsome novel by award-winning author David J. Naiman explores the power of family and forgiveness. But take heed. The truth can cut like shards of glass, especially for those who’d rather avoid it. Sometimes, only the finest lies will do.
The old TV sputtered and a fuzzy image of a peculiar man appeared on the screen. His eyes widened and sparkled. “Would you like a brand new brother?” a voice-over boomed. “Call now!” Above his head, the words CALL NOW flashed in golden lettering. At the bottom of the screen, a phone number scrolled.
Maybe I should call, Nicole thought. A brand new brother sounds perfect.
“That’s it. New and improved! Call now.”
Nicole smiled, sensing a personal connection as though this commercial spoke directly to her. She cradled her phone in her hands. A fingertip flicked across the screen without her even needing to concentrate. Her phone had long ago become an appendage, as integral as a foot or a kidney.
After Nicole entered the number, her finger hovered above the dial icon. Something held her back, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. She might have guessed self-preservation had she any means to gauge the lurking danger. Had she any inkling her impetuous nature would fix her on a chaotic course beyond her control.
She did want a new brother. As long as he wasn’t like Jay, who always said things to upset her and never did what she wanted him to do. She thrust aside her unease and tapped the icon. Instead of a ring, Nicole heard more of a choking sound, a gasp as if someone strangled.
“Hello, Nicole. Are you ready to change your life?”
The voice on her phone was identical to the voice-over in the commercial. Nicole figured this guy must own the company or something. “Maybe,” she said. The man on the TV screen stared at her while she spoke. Nicole leaned to the left and right, and the man’s face tracked her each time. She hesitated. “How much does it cost?”
“Do you mean money? Oh, no. It won’t cost you any money. Not one cent. But there is a cost.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing for you to worry about, my dear. Nothing at all. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back.”
“That seems fair. Wait, I thought you said—”
“Now, now. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll simply replace your brother with a better one. This offer doesn’t come around every day. It is, to be candid, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” The man on the TV winked but not subtly. His head dipped so low that his oversized hat nearly slid off. “Decide quickly. Supplies are running out.”
The words CALL NOW lit up in a sickly yellow, casting a jaundiced glow across the face of the eccentric man with the whimsical hat and sparkling eyes.
“Then yes! What do I have to do?”
The man lifted his head. His lips gave a twitch. The voice answered, “Nothing more, nothing more. You’ve done it! Congratulations, my dear. Call the same number if your new brother malfunctions, and I’ll send an attendant straight away.” When he disconnected, the TV flicked itself off and Nicole heard her father’s voice.
“Nic, come downstairs, please. Jay has something he wishes to say.”
When Nicole arrived, she sagged with disappointment. Her brother looked the same. Same broad chest. Same confident grin. Stupid, worthless commercial. At least it didn’t cost her any money.
“I’m sorry, Nic,” Jay said. “I only wanted to use the new TV to kick you out. That was wrong of me. Please take the remote and accept my apology.”
Nicole stared open-mouthed. Jay appeared the same, his voice sounded the same, but this was not her brother. Sweet.
“Thanks,” she said.
He handed her the remote, flashed the kindest smile she had seen from him in years, and left the room. Nicole watched her videos in utter bliss. Once she was caught up, she decided to check on this new brother of hers. If he was going to be awesome, she might as well be friendlier. As she made her way upstairs, she thought about the number on her phone and doubted she would ever need to call it again.
Her brother’s door was ajar. Walking closer, she heard him chewing on something, maybe granola given all the crunching. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Robot Jay took another bite of his phone and looked up at her. Metal and plastic bits ground together. He chewed slowly, savoring every morsel.
“Everything all right, my wonderful sister?” When she didn’t answer, he popped the rest of the device in his mouth and licked his fingers clean. “Sure,” Nicole said, backing out of his room. “What could possibly be wrong?”
High schooler Nicole Hallett has just about had it with her brother Jay, so when a mysterious man appears with an offer to replace him with a better one, she doesn’t hesitate. Nicole has always been impulsive, but this time, she finds herself in predicament far worse than anything she’s experienced. Just like that, an average snow day—usually filled with hot cocoa and snowball fights—is commandeered by the stranger, who forces the siblings into a dangerous game.
Confronted by past reflections, tested by present complications, and threatened by future possibilities, Nicole has until the end of the day to disentangle the riddle of her life.
This suspenseful, yet winsome novel by award-winning author David J. Naiman explores the power of family and forgiveness. But take heed. The truth can cut like shards of glass, especially for those who’d rather avoid it. Sometimes, only the finest lies will do.
Vera’s always been alone. With her father gone, she’s left completely on her own until the magic in her finds a book of spells that takes her to two younger sisters she never knew she had.
Camilla loves her life the way it is. But then she finds out she has another older sister, and with that sister comes the revelation that the supernatural world is real, meaning Camilla will have to leave her old life of being a normal human behind.
Maya’s always been into the darker side of life. So finding out she’s a witch? Exciting. Unlike the hesitancy her baby sister holds at leaving her normal life behind, Maya is ready to jump all in.
The girls must now navigate this new supernatural world that comes with a warlock mentor, attacks from—attractive?—demons, and the possibility of romances that just may not be allowed.
And worse off, their mother’s death may not have been a natural accident, but a result of an attack from the supernatural world.
Nelly Alikyan was born and raised in the Los Angeles Valley, then moved to Boston for university and stayed there. Her favorite city in the world is London and if given the option, would choose to travel there 11/10.
Carter Roy, the man that attracts all the ladies, but never gets them. He’s sexy and charming, but hasn’t found the woman that can keep his attention.
Abby I just moved to this town six months ago, but I’m already loving it! Granted, I get lost a lot and I tend to stick out like a sore thumb. And then there’s the deputy-sheriff. He’s hot, but fighting this attraction every step of the way. I just have to find a way to make him see me through my six cats, crazy outfits, and my propensity to get into car accidents.
“Who is she?” Jack asked, bringing me out of my inner-musings.
“Who?”
“The woman you’re going all googly-eyed over.”
I waved him off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not googly-eyed over anyone.”
“Right, you just got this far off look in your eyes that I only see when you’re dating someone new.”
“Well, then you’re wrong, because I’m not dating anyone.”
“You don’t have to be to appear that way. So, it’s someone you’ve met, but you’re not with,” he nodded to himself as he started walking around the room. “And it can’t be someone you’ve already dated, so that knocks out half the town.”
I rolled my eyes at him. He placed his hand against his chin, scratching at his jaw as he thought.
“And it can’t be someone from out of town, at least, not that far out of town, because you hardly ever leave town.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“You were just at the hospital. It’s possible you met someone there.”
I held my breath, wondering if he would guess who it was.
“But you’re not the type to fall for a damsel in distress. You’ve always liked women that could watch after themselves. Like Anna,” he grinned.
He would definitely never guess Abby then. She was the opposite of Anna in every way.
“So, it’s got to be someone new to the area, someone that you’re interested in, but since you haven’t actually asked her out, there has to be something holding you back.”
He stopped his pacing, snapping his fingers at me. “That new chick.” He snapped his fingers as he tried to come up with a name. “Abigail. Yes, that woman you hugged in the middle of the street. That’s who it is, isn’t it?”
Crap, I was so screwed. “Why would you think it’s her?”
“Oh, come on! You were hugging a woman!”
“Yeah, because she was upset.”
“And you don’t like to comfort women. That’s not your MO at all.”
“Exactly,” I said, hoping he would disprove his own theory.
“And that’s what it is about her. She’s good looking, and despite the fact that you don’t like weak women, you like her.”
“She’s not weak,” I argued, giving myself away. I closed my eyes, shaking my head as he laughed.
“Holy shit. So, what is it about her?”
“Nothing. There’s absolutely nothing about her. It’s not her.”
“It’s gotta be the whole damsel thing. The question is, what makes her different?”
“I just said it’s not her.”
“Right, which means it is.”
He rushed over to his computer and started typing.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking her background.”
“Why?” I asked, rushing over to his side.
“Because I want to know more about her.” He pulled up her name in the system, laughing at what he found. I sighed, rubbing at my eyes. “So, not only is she a damsel in distress, but she’s a very chaotic damsel, and that’s what you like about her.”
“I never said I liked her!”
“I should have known it. The moment I saw the footage of you holding her in the street, I should have known you were going to fall for her. Of course, I’m surprised it took this long. But now that I think about it, whenever we go out—”
“The people always shout,” I interrupted, hoping to throw him off, but he kept going.
“—you’re always looking around, like you’re watching for someone.”
“Bullshit. You’re seeing what you want to see.”
“No, I’m finally paying attention. So, tell me about her.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I argued. “I don’t know anything about her.”
“You must know something,” he laughed, “otherwise you wouldn’t be so wrapped up in her.”
I walked away from him, sitting down at my desk with a huff. “I’m not wrapped up in anyone. I don’t like her. I don’t know her, and I definitely am not the man for her.”
“So you do know something about her. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t know if you were the right man for her or not,” he said, jabbing a finger in my direction.
“Fine, you want to know about her? She’s some kind of hippie. She has a living room filled with fluffy pillows, no furniture, and weird tea.”
He nodded, grinning at me the whole time. “Did you drink the tea?”
“Fuck off,” I said, storming out of the station, his laughter floating behind me.
I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
Lionel, a necromancer and consultant for the Brunswick Police Department, wants nothing to do with immortals. Specifically, he wants nothing to do with Lucifer, who shows up on his doorstep one day with a ridiculous proposal. Lucifer, also known as the Devil, wants Lionel to be his pretend boyfriend. Except the pretend part is something the Devil doesn’t really seem to care for.
Lucifer has read enough romance novels to know that a good dose of forced proximity might be just the thing to get the stubborn necromancer he desires into his bed. The Devil’s plans are soon complicated when Lionel proves more uncooperative and oblivious to love than Lucifer could ever anticipate.
While the Devil wants to claim Lionel, all Lionel wants is to get away from Lucifer. Meanwhile, magic users are being murdered in the city. Lionel cannot escape the implications of those murders for long, and the case soon takes a different turn. Will Lionel be able to escape the Devil’s thrall, or will the necromancer fall for the immortal seducer?
Publisher’s Note: The Devil’s Necromancer contains scenes involving dubious consent that some readers may find offensive.
I had been asleep in my bed. Sleeping in for once was a luxury I had intended to savor. When I got home last night — or this morning, depending on one’s preferred world view — I’d even remembered to pull the curtains closed. It was as close to bliss as I got these days.
Lucifer had rung my doorbell, and in typical Devil style, he hadn’t fucking stopped, just like those religion mongers who go door-to-door too early in the fucking a.m. That perfect cocktail of annoyance was how I knew it was him waking me when I reluctantly crawled out from under the sheets.
Uncaffeinated, I stumbled toward the door of my loft apartment on bare feet, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. I’d closed the curtains, but they weren’t very good curtains if what you went for was a darkened room, and so there was enough light to see by without getting too blinded by it.
My black Converse shoes lay where I’d pulled them off after a trip to the morgue late last night, and because my eyes were on strike, the shoes almost made me faceplant into the floor, but I narrowly managed to regain my footing by gripping one of the four mismatched chairs around my office slash dining table. It skidded and screeched a little, but I remained about ninety percent upright.
After cursing the Devil at my door, I opened said door, and before I could even tell the Devil to fuck right off and only come back with coffee, he handed me a white poodle with a determined shove. I knew that poodle. I’d given it to the Devil a year ago, not ideal, but better than the alternatives. It occurred to me that I should really learn to lock my door chain and buy ear plugs.
“What the fuck is this?” I asked.
“What does it look like, Nelly? I’m giving you your Soul back, and you owe me a favor in return.”
He had to be kidding. Granted, with his looks, sapphire eyes, alabaster skin, ink black hair, and a smile that made people urgently reach for fig leaves, he could get away with a lot, but I had given him the damn cursed poodle to be fucking rid of it. There was just no way in hell I was going to take the canine back.
“And how does that follow? Walk me through it, Lucy. All logic-like.” The dapper Devil shrugged. “Tiamat is dropping by for a visit, and I need you to be my human necromancer boyfriend. She likes it when we mingle. With humans. She says it keeps the immortal mind humble, and I don’t know a better human to keep me humble than you.”
Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them.
I was raised to believe that towns full of witches were only in movies, and those spell books my aunt studied were just a silly pastime. I had no idea of the important role I play in a coven with zero knowledge of my existence, or the sacrifice my parents made by leaving behind everything they knew to protect me.
In the wake of my aunt’s mysterious death, I have no other choice but to return to my birthplace for answers. But Beacon Grove is a twisted place where distrust spreads like cancer, lies fester, and the truth is nearly impossible to find.
One thing I’m sure of is the danger that Remy Winters and our inexplicable connection pose to me as one of the Quarters of the Watchtower coven. Through painstaking research and placing my trust in this man who has been trained since birth to hunt me, I learn that my family is far more intertwined with the tight-knit town than I originally thought.
I could be exactly what they need to save their beloved Quarters, but admitting what I am to those who have been brainwashed into fearing me could put my life at risk.
Calling Quarters is a twisted tale of corruption, lies, and a love story written in the stars.
My courage grew wings and flew away as soon as I stopped my car and shifted into park. Fear took its place, as if finally, my brain had kicked into gear and realized how dangerous it was for me to be there. In the mouth of my predator’s den.
I walked to the beach instead of going to the front door like I originally planned, my eyes avoiding the beautiful sprawling mansion that overlooked it in fear of finding those coal black eyes gazing out at me. The ocean waves lazily nipped at my feet, somehow feeding the frenzy that was my mind.
I wanted to scream every frustration I had built up inside of me at it. To see the water split and shift with the sound waves as they vibrated off me, releasing every negative feeling into her depths.
A monster had grown inside of me, green with envy and red with fury. He fed off me for so long—my fears, my weaknesses, my complacency—that he managed to become a being all on his own.
I’d grown tired of other people making decisions for me. Of being at the mercy of everyone else for information about myself and where I came from.
There was a mystery surrounding my identity and why I was in Beacon Grove. I could feel the weight of curiosity in every stare as I passed by the town’s locals.
Could they tell that I was just as clueless as they were? Was it obvious that while I’d spent a lifetime as a girl named Storie Graves, I had no real idea who that person was?
A piece of me was always missing, even as a child. A hole of ignorance about my purpose in this world that no one wanted to fill in.
So, he filled it.
This fiery, jealous, raging monster.
At first, I was afraid to acknowledge him. I thought if I ignored him, he’d shrink away to nothing and disappear into the darkness inside my mind with the rest of the parts of me I was taught shouldn’t see the light of day.
It wasn’t until I befriended my monster that I gained clarity.
I saw my oppression for exactly what it was, and I would become a threat to everyone who wanted to keep me under their thumbs.
They had no idea how dangerous I’d become when I had nothing left to lose. If anything, what happened between me and Remy on the beach solidified that. Because we were very clearly connected in a way that no one wanted to admit—myself included. I was realizing that maybe that connection was more significant than I could have ever imagined.
Jen Stevens was born and raised in Michigan where she enjoys the weather of all four seasons in a single day. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, she quickly realized the corporate world wasn’t for her and instead took on the daunting role as her daughter’s snack maid. Reading has been an obsession for a long as she could remember, while writing has always been an escape. Jen could quote The Office word-for-word and proudly refers to herself as a romance junkie. She could live off anything made of sugar and has recently obtained the title of Lady. Most of all, she loves connecting with readers!
Title: Fireborn Author: Jessa Graythorne Genre: Urban Fantasy
Halley Ashwood is well on her way to achieving her dream of being a doctor. Focused and independent with a mother she never knew and a father who never loved her, the only constant Halley has ever had in her life is her brother, Flynn. Whilst Halley is logical and grounded, and Flynn a reckless conspiracy theorist, they have always been able to trust each other above anyone else.
Halley and Flynn don’t believe in making promises. So when Flynn leaves Halley a message the day before her scheduled trip to visit him in Amsterdam, asking her to promise him she won’t come, she knows something is wrong. Halley arrives in Amsterdam to find her brother is missing, leaving only those ominous words in his wake. Halley sets out to find out what happened to him and makes a terrifying discovery. Turns out Flynn’s conspiracy theories maybe weren’t so farfetched after all: demons are real, they’re stalking the streets of Amsterdam, and they may hold the answer as to what happened to Flynn.
Determined to find out the truth about her brother’s fate, Halley begins a dark journey that will force her to question everything she thinks she knows about the nature of the world, the forces within it, and even herself.
“Good girls don’t sit around here this time of night.”
I didn’t register that the voice was speaking to me. The only reason I even looked up was because it was the first American accent I had heard all night and it sent a comforting shiver through my entire body. When I saw its owner leaning against the bar beside me, that turned to a chill.
Let me admit here and now that powerful people scare me. I’m not afraid of them, per se, but I am afraid of what they are capable of. They don’t make me fear for my safety; they make me fear for my entire world. It frightens me how anyone can become so consumed by themselves that they lose sight of everything but their own ambition. Power isn’t quiet. The power I fear clings to the fabric of their clothing and oozes from the place in which they stand. It’s palpable, touchable, electrical, and I despise it.
So, when I first laid eyes on Azrael Falkov, it was like being christened in ice water.
I guessed he was around thirty, and if I was six-one in these shoes, he was at least six-four, with the build one required to pull off that height. He was dressed in black from head to toe, from his pointed dress shoes to his bowtie. He beat me hands down in the tan department, and his face had the angular elegance of an old photograph—you know the kind, those portraits of your grandparents’ youth that you look at and wonder why you didn’t inherit that perfect skin, those sharp features. His dark hair was styled back off his face and eyes a startling shade of amber were fixed steadily on me.
He was the kind of man I would not take home in a million years. Because never in a million years would he carefully drive my Viper GTS downtown to buy coffee and crawl back to me in reverence. He was the kind of man who would burn out my clutch and kill me to keep my car for himself.
Jessa Graythorne is an Australian author from the south coast of New South Wales. She lives near the beach with her partner and two cats, Henry and Ophelia—who, despite their names, are disappointingly disinterested in Shakespeare.
Jessa holds a Bachelor of Engineering and works in a steel mill. She adores the sea but not the sand, prefers sunrises to sunsets, and would decorate the world with fairy lights given half a chance. After writing, her second great love is travel, and she is eternally thankful that she has been able to spend the past year living vicariously through books.
Juliet isn’t sure of God’s plan for her life, but the opportunity to serve as the leader of the Freedom and Faith small group, helps her to feel needed, like she belongs. The group plans to hike sections of the Appalachian Trail, using the back to nature approach to grow closer to God. Determined to succeed, Juliet leads two other women on a hike, but when she falls ill and they’re days away from the exit point of their planned journey, her friends must call911.
When a man shows up looking more like a grizzly bear than a rescuer, she’s forced to accept his help. Loner extraordinaire, Jake wants them gone. Except when Juliet and her friends are ready to leave, it’s Jake who succumbs to the illness, and this time it’s Juliet to the rescue.
In the process, she discovers a man with a heart and a past. Her failure to lead the group prompts her to renew her efforts to be needed, and she’s determined to help Jake get through more than his illness. When she learns of an opening at the medical clinic in Hollow Creek, she applies, knowing it would give her a reason to stick around town and give her time to help Jake get his life back on track.
Her methods aren’t always squeaky clean, but her heart is in the right place. When Jake finds out the truth, the walls come tumbling down. Can the two of them muddle through the past and their own issues to work out their differences?
At first, you might not think that Juliet and Jake have much in common. The grumpy mountain man that lives all alone and the sociable nurse looking to find a home and a family don’t sound too much alike. But this is truly a case where two people find that they are exactly what each other needs – even if they didn’t know it’s what they were looking for.
Juliet is a huge caretaker, and she struggles to accept the fact that she may need care when she falls sick on the trail. While she and Jake take turns caring for each other, they bump heads and build grudging respect for each other. This forms the basis for their relationship, but they both have a lot of caring to do for themselves as well.
Throughout the whole story, God’s hand can be felt gently guiding Juliet and Jake towards each other and back to his light. His hand was lightly seen, but definitely there. Juliet and Jake’s friends and community may have had a little something to do with it as well. I hope I get a chance to come back and visit as the series continues.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Englishman Lake Benson loaned his life savings to his dippy sister so that she could buy a shop. It was a big mistake. His sister has been steadily flushing his money down the drain – and now he wants it back. Years in the special forces taught Lake that if you want a job done, do it yourself. So he steps in to make the shop profitable, sell it and get his money back. The only problem is, the business is an underwear shop. And all Lake knows about underwear can be summed up in how fast he can unsnap a bra. To make matters worse, the tiny highland town already has a lingerie shop. A successful one, run by an ex-lingerie model. A very gorgeous ex-lingerie model, who’s distracting him from his mission more than he’d like to admit. If Lake wants to get his savings back, and get out of Scotland, he only has one option – wipe out the competition.
Kirsty Campbell has spent years rebuilding her life after she woke up in hospital in Spain to find her body scarred, and her ex-fiance had run off with all her money. The last thing she needs is a cocky, English soldier-boy trying to ruin all she has left. Her home town is only too happy to help her fight the latest English invasion, although Lake is beginning to sway them with his sex appeal and cut price knickers. With the help of her mother, and the retired ladies of Knit or Die, Kirsty sets about making sure that her shop is the last one standing in Invertary.
It’s Scotland versus England as you’ve never seen it before. It’s lingerie war.
The old pub sat huge and imposing on the corner of the high street opposite the loch. Its walls, like the rest of the buildings in the center of town, were whitewashed. The smooth surface reflected the warm light from the street lamps and made the place glow. As usual, the hanging shingle made him smile. The pub was called The Scottie Dog. Not a name meant for smugglers and Highland bandits. The leaden windows let flickers of light from inside seep out, and as someone pushed open the heavy wooden door the din of chat, and laughter, wafted into the street. It was busy. Crowded. For a minute, he wondered if he wouldn’t rather be alone.
He pushed the door open before he could chicken out and spend his evening feeling sorry for himself in his ‘70s throwback flat. The door swung inwards quickly, hitting the person on the other side. Lake stepped inside and tripped over Kirsty Campbell. Words of apology fell out of his mouth before he realized who he’d trodden on. For some reason, the fact that he’d stumbled over Kirsty lifted his spirits no end.
“Seriously,” she grumbled. “You’re here too? You’re everywhere. I can’t get away from you.”
“It’s been almost a week since we talked,” Lake pointed out.
Not a week since he’d seen her. He’d had that pleasure every day. Kirsty bent over to rub the ankle he’d trodden on. Lake smiled at the sight of Kirsty’s rear wrapped in a wine-colored skirt. His fingers tingled. They wanted to reach out and curl around her hips. Someone jostled him as they exited the pub—it broke his concentration, but not before Kirsty spotted where he’d been staring. Her perfect eyes narrowed.
“You’re a snake, Lake Benson,” she told him.
Lake cocked his head to the side in agreement.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” she said.
“It’s a pub,” he said by way of explanation.
She pulled on the green coat he’d seen her wear before. Yet again she was covered from chin to ankle, and although it was cold, he was certain she must have been sweltering in the heat of the pub. She frowned at him.
“I know it’s a pub, dimwit. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be renovating? Painting something? Planning world domination?”
“The world domination plan is in the bag. My evening is free.”
He stepped to the side of the door. Now her way was clear if she wanted to go. She made no attempt to run. Instead, she dug her fists into the pockets of her coat, making it pull on her shoulders.
“Why don’t you go back to the army and leave us all in peace?” she asked. “Wouldn’t that be easier? You can’t possibly want to run a lingerie shop. Sell the thing and be done with it.”
“Oh, would that I could,” he said.
Unfortunately, no one would buy a business that hadn’t made a profit in ten years. Well, no one except his clueless sister.
She rolled her eyes.
“Betty the troll and that loony contract of hers,” Kirsty said.
Lake didn’t correct her. If she wanted to think it was the contract that stopped him and not the state of the business, then that was fine with him. The fewer people who knew it was a mess, the better. That way it would be easier to sell once he got it back in the black.
“I’d love to get my hands on her nephew.” Kirsty’s voice broke into his thoughts. “That man needs a good hiding.”
It took a minute for Lake to catch up with the conversation, and when he did a flush of heat worked up from his stomach to his head.
“If you want to get your hands on a man,” he told her, “I’m available.”
Her eyes widened.
“That’s not going to happen,” she said tightly.
Lake shrugged.
“I’m not even suggesting that I get you out of that underwear you’re so attached to. I’m just saying that I’m here. If you want me. To do with as you will.”
Her mouth opened and closed like a hooked fish. Lake smiled confidently, aware that every time she saw him she’d replay his words. He’d wear her down by default.
“It’s no big deal,” he said as he took a step closer to her, lowering his voice under the din of the bar. “Lovers by night. Enemies by day. It’s in all the best spy movies.”
“I don’t want to be your lover.” It would have been slightly more convincing if she hadn’t stumbled over the word and flushed bright pink at the same time.
Lake cocked an eyebrow, feeling pretty pleased with himself. Kirsty frowned.
“Don’t think you can wear me down, either. Guys with a lot more finesse than you’ve shown have chased after me. If I can resist them, I sure as heck can resist you.”
“I don’t plan to mention it again. I’m just going to wait. I’ll be right in front of you. Watching you think about me. Watching you think about what we could do together. How we could be together. I won’t need to say anything. It’s all going to happen in your head.”
She threw up her hands in exasperation.
“I’ll tell you something. All of this”—she waved her hand in front of him to signal that she meant him, not her—”is happening in your head, not mine. My head is empty, thank you very much.”
Lake grinned widely.
“Auch, I mean…” She poked him in the chest. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah. You want me.”
“In your dreams.”
“Yep, there too.”
“You are the most annoying man I’ve ever met and I don’t have time to deal with your many psychological problems. I’m going home.” With that, she was gone. Lake found himself grinning at the door as it swung shut behind her.
Janet is a Scot who moved to New Zealand fifteen years ago. Among other things, she’s been an artist, a teacher, a security guard at a castle, a magazine editor, and a cleaner in a drop in center for drug addicts (NOT the best job!). She now writes full-time and is working on her 19th book. Her books have won several awards, including the Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense. When she isn’t living in her head, she raises two kids, one husband, and several random animals. She survives on chocolate and caffeine.
