“Don’t stop there,” he said, his voice husky. “I think I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
Aiden pulled me closer. One of my arms rested on his chest, and the other propped me up next to him.
Our faces were inches apart.
“It wasn’t a fully formed thought or anything. More of just a feeling or a vibe. I guess.”
His gaze took in my face and drifted to my lips. “I’ve had a lot of those myself.”
“About me?”
He nodded yes.
“Good ones?”
“Some of them, but others…” He shook his head in mock horror. “They were bad. Very bad thoughts.”
I leaned closer. “How bad?”
He sat up. “So fucking bad.” In one fell swoop, he swept his arms around me and rolled on top of me.
My breath turned ragged.
His expression became serious. “Lauren,” he started, but then stopped.
“I know. It’s complicated.”
“What I feel isn’t.”
“And what’s that?”
He pushed himself between my legs. I felt his hardness against my inner thigh.
A moan escaped my mouth. Fire burned between my legs. “I see.”
“But I respect you, and I don’t—”
I stopped him. “No.”
He froze.
I knew if we talked it over or thought it over, the moment would pass. I couldn’t risk losing this moment. Returning to living for a future that may never come wasn’t an option.
“Lauren?” Aiden searched my face for a clue about what he should do.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to find the right words. “I don’t want to think things over. Can you help me with that?”
He wrapped his arms around me, and I looked up at him.
“I’m the perfect man for the job,” he said and leaned in for a kiss.
Our lips touched. My worried thoughts evaporated. Nothing existed but Aiden and me. I spread my lips, hungry for more. He responded to my invitation without hesitation.
His chest pressed against mine. The heat and hardness of Aiden’s body made me ache for more.
Do you enjoy funny, contemporary romances with spicy love scenes?
Because if you do …
You’ve landed in the perfect place.
I’m Tina Gabor, and it’s so much fun getting to write the books I love reading. Gorgeous men and fierce, feisty, and funny women are my jam.
And since there’s nothing like a love story with a dash of sun and fun …
I set most of my in Southern California and Florida. I grew up in South Florida, and now I live in Southern California with my fiancee and a stray cat we named Fred.
To get special deals on new releases and updates on what your favorite book couples are doing after the story ends, go to SparksFlyRomance.com/Tina
Sexy wolves and heart-stopping action await in Claimed by the Moon, the highly-anticipated continuation of the Royal Shifters series by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author L.P. Dover!
In his 200 years of life, Zayne Lyall has made his share of enemies. The most ruthless of all being Knox Channon, who seeks vengeance for a pack war that took place over a hundred years ago.
To gain information he can use to bring Zayne down, Knox reconnects with Amelie Graye, a past love who joined the Royal pack Zayne belongs to. Unfortunately, Amelie doesn’t know much about the royal arctic… despite a longing within her to be near him.
Amelie and Knox have a tumultuous past that ended after she and her family went rogue following an attack by the Sierra pack. While she has no details to offer about Zayne, Knox sniffing around her leaves his inner wolf snarling.
More than anything Zayne wants to charge in and protect the woman his heart aches for. But he has a secret… and it could cost him everything. Amelie is his fated mate. If Knox were to discover this, he would know hurting her would be the key to destroying Zayne. Torn between his desire to claim Amelie as his own and his ferocious passion to protect her, can Zayne find a way to bring down his malicious enemy? Or will an age old vendetta rob him of a blissful future with his bonded mate?
The door to the cabin opens, and Amelie steps out with her caramel-colored hair in a ponytail and dressed in a tank top and yoga pants. It’s fifteen degrees outside, but the cold doesn’t bother us. The smell of snow approaches, and I can tell it’s going to come down hard within the hour. Looking up at the sky, it’s dark, and the clouds are thick.
Amelie plugs in the Christmas lights on her porch and looks up at them when she gets into the yard. I’ve never seen someone so fascinated with the holidays. But she’d be appalled if she could see my house at Christmas time. I’ve never cared about decorating or celebrating, at least not in the last thirty years after losing Alina. Something tells me I might have to change that. If this is going to work between us, I’ll have no choice but to see things differently. The only problem is that I have no idea how to do that.
Amelie runs through the woods in human form, and I follow behind her, making sure to keep my presence hidden. I’m not ready for her to know I’m there yet. The lake is a few miles into the woods, and her movements are smooth and concise as she swerves in and out of the trees. The only other people I’ve seen move like that are my brothers. She had to have learned it from Micah. I’ve envied him for being so close to her. It’s even made me a little jealous, but I know he’s never tried anything with her. When he comes back to town, things might be a little different. I’m hoping Amelie will let me train her instead of him.
The lake comes into view, and I slow my pace. Amelie stops by the water and blows out a breath, watching the steam billow into the wind. She raises her arms in the air and stretches, exposing her bare stomach as her shirt lifts up. The need in me rises, and I close my eyes. All I can think about is taking her in my arms and making her mine. “Fuck,” I hiss under my breath. My cock hardens at the thought of her naked and spread out beneath me. Stepping behind the tree, I lean against it to regain my composure. I’m always in control, but around Amelie, I’ve lost all sense of it. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow until everything goes back to normal. When it does, I unleash my power so Amelie can sense me.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.
Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.
L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency
Handcuffs chaining her to a sterile hospital bed. Weird occurrences that no one can explain. No memories of who she is or what came before.
They say she’s been a patient at the Blackbriar Institute since childhood, that she’s sick, alone, and nobody’s coming for her.
But someone’s already here—a mysterious man in her therapy group with unfathomable pain in his dark eyes—and she can’t deny her draw to him, no matter how much he tries to keep her away.
He doesn’t speak, but he seems to know something the others do not. Is she really sick, or might it be magic? What other dark secrets hide behind Blackbriar’s gates, and will she ever find a way to break free?
Equal parts puzzle and page-turner, Of Snow and Roses is a modern take on the classic fairy tale Snow White & Rose Red. We promise you’ve never read anything quite like it before.
When Neve wakes up in the Blackbriar Institute without her memory I suspected that there would be an evil doctor holding her against her will – and there was – but it was done a lot differently than other stories with similar tropes and themes. Neve will need to tread carefully to figure out who she can trust as a friend, and who is trying to hurt her.
While Neve was the main character, and I enjoyed her story, I found some of the side characters to be more intriguing and enjoyed their time on the pages a lot. Lily was one of my favorites, and the mysterious Tala is still a character I wonder about. Torbin, the strong silent one, had a somewhat predictable part of the story, but he was still fun.
The rest of the characters, including the bad guy and his friends, sort of blended into the background. I never got a real feeling for why they were the bad guys. I like my villains to have depth and backstory as well.
I like that while this featured some familiar characters from Snow White and Rose Red, it wasn’t an actual re-telling of their story (although I’m not super familiar with the original). There were a few spots that were a little repetitive or drawn out a little too much that I found myself skimming through.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Title: Let Me Fly Author: A.C. Ponton Series: Wild Wings #1 Genre: Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance
My name is Isabelle Dark, and my life sucks. In exactly ten days, four hours, fifty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds, I will cease to exist. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but what would you say if you were being forced to marry a man you despise? Exactly. I have to find a way to escape. Up to now I’ve spent my life in hiding. There aren’t any other options for those like me: I’m a Nephilim, a half-breed. The only choice I have is whether to be killed by the Shadows or to remain here, hidden among the Hollows. So I made my decision: I would rather risk my life fighting to be free than continue to struggle to survive in the home I grew up in. My plan was to go to college and live a normal life, but somehow I ended up in a school for Shadows where everyone hates me. Plus, I’ve been assigned seven angels as my bodyguards. Jailers would be a more appropriate word. The tension growing between us is impossible to deny. Sparks are starting to fly. They’re beginning to get under my skin and . . . What do I do now? My name is Isabelle Dark. I’m a Nephilim and I’m screwed.
Warning: This book is a full-length reverse-harem romance. It contains adult themes, MM scenes, foul language and some violence. If, however, you’re in the market for a novel full of sexy angels and a hot-blooded main character, you’ve found your next read. Let Me Fly is the first book in the Wild Wings series and cannot be read as a standalone. Intended for 18+ readers.
My name is Isabelle Dark and my life sucks. In exactly ten days, four hours, fifty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds, I will cease to exist.
Why do I say this? Well, all you need to know is that I’ve been forced to live in the shadows. I have to struggle to survive in my own home. There’s no other choice for someone like me. I’m a half-breed, which means that my only alternatives are to be killed by the Shadows or stay hidden here, among the Hollows. As I said, it sucks!
I shake my head as a hysterical laugh forces its way out of my throat. I can tell the woman behind me is frowning, her mouth tightly closed, her lips pressed together. “Stay still,” she orders me. “Hold your breath and suck your belly in!”
My jaw goes rigid, but I remain silent.
“Don’t make that face!” she mutters. “You need to eat less. You’re not thin enough!”
Fuck you, I think, as my hands ball into fists and I try to keep myself from punching her in the face. I hate her. I hate everything about her. I hate her pointy nose, her high cheekbones, her oval face, her gray eyes that have no spark of light in them, her brown hair that’s always pulled back in a perfect chignon. I hate her long skirt and dumb white shirt buttoned up so tightly under er chin. I don’t understand how she doesn’t choke. Why can’t she choke?
With a sigh I regard the image in the mirror again. Who are you? I struggle to hold back the tears. I don’t want to cry, not while the woman is looking at me.
She yanks the laces of my dress even tighter, so tight I can barely breathe. Who are you? I ask my reflection again. The person in the mirror is a stranger. She’s not wearing my usual outfit of ripped jeans and a man’s T-shirt. Her blond hair frames her face, falling in soft waves on the lace bodice of the dress, which is peekaboo, with visible stays. It extends to her hips, emphasizing her narrow waist. The full, soft skirt falls to her feet. The pure white of the dress blends in with the white skin of the girl in the mirror.
I heave a sigh, and the sad blue eyes in the glass regard me. They’re alien to me, but somehow terribly familiar at the same time.
Who are you?
“Edward certainly won’t want a fat wife!” The bitch tightens the ribbons of the bodice even more. I’m suffocating.
“Fuck you,” I mutter, this time audibly. I want her to hear. She ignores me as she continues to fit me with my wedding dress. There are now only ten days, four hours, fifty minutes, and thirty seconds remaining until I say I do.
But it’s not going to happen. Less than three hours from now I’m going to escape. I have to, if I want to survive—or at least die free. What will become of me when I leave this damned prison, though? What will become of you? I silently ask the girl reflected in the mirror.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to
Angela Camilla Pontone is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Italy, in a town between Rome and Naples. She’s been an avid reader since childhood. She prefers romance, but will gobble up pretty much anything that’s available. She’s always loved history and literature, so she obtained a Master’s Degree in the fields of Italian and Romance Languages, Literatures and Philology, Historical and Musicological Studies, Latin Languages and Literatures, Ancient History, and Archaeology.
Camilla’s secret desire was always to be a writer, but she never had the courage to pursue her dream until her life experiences led her to seek a way out of reality. Now, her dream is to continue to create great stories that her readers will love.
Russel Adler has one job while Elijah Barrett is away. Keep Holly Barrett and her best friend Gemma Livingston safe from those out to collapse Club Solitaire. There’s just one problem, Gemma is pain in the ass. A gorgeous, irresistible, pain in the ass determined to make his job impossible. She makes the Dom in him twitch but he knows he can’t lose focus or people might die.
Forever is the long-awaited conclusion to the Diamond Doms series.
Gemma’s heart raced as she followed Russell up the stairs. She’d almost lost her sister. That thought wouldn’t stop repeating in her mind. The amount of danger that seemed to follow her these days made her nauseous.
None of it made sense to Gemma, but Kendall was genuinely shaken by the things she saw, and it had set everyone on high alert. Elijah was now on his way to London for a business deal that had been in the works for a long time and couldn’t be put on hold, so Russell was stepping up security and running the entire operation in person. Now he wanted to ask her some questions. After weeks of avoiding her, they were going to be alone in a room together and she didn’t know how to handle it other than to be a smart ass.
“What did you want to ask me?” She dropped into the chair in front of the desk and waited for Russell to speak.
“I need to hear everything you can tell me about Jonathan Niel and his family.”
Gemma whistled. “Everything? That could take a while. How about you narrow it down for me a bit?”
He scowled, bringing his eyebrows together. “Did Niel know you were about to divorce Matthew?”
Gemma wrinkled her nose. “God, I hope not. But I suppose it’s possible that something leaked. He has an excellent PR team that monitors several issues that are important to him.”
“And what is important to him?”
She laughed. “Money. Power. The ability to snap his fingers and have a woman launch herself at his feet. He’s a total prick. Are you ever going to give in and flirt with me?”
He frowned. “You’re still married and now I’m in charge of your protection detail.”
She shook her head. “You’ve been in charge of it since I arrived in town, and we both know it. That didn’t stop you from kissing me the other night when my safe house was compromised.”
“I’ve already apologized for that. Now focus on my questions, please.”
“I’m so tired of being interrogated by people towering over me assuming I’m some weak little rich girl.”
He rolled his eyes but slid off the desk and sat in the chair beside her. “I’m not interrogating you. I’m asking questions that will aid in getting everyone back to a normal life.”
She folded her arms across her chest to hide the fact that her nipples had hardened under his dominant stare.
“I really don’t know how I can help. I haven’t actually spoken to Jonathan in over a year when he came to my office to talk about a business deal he wanted to push through.”
“Do you have access to a copy of that information?”
“Why is this important? He’s probably part of a murderous cult. Shouldn’t that be what we’re focused on.”
“I told you. Every detail, Gemma. This is an organization that does a lot of expensive work. We have to scrutinize any business deal made or attempted so that we can understand how they tick and see if we can find patterns that lead us to how they’re funding the organization.”
Gemma nodded. “Fair enough. I don’t know if I can access the information. I suppose since we’ve decided I’m not dead or missing anymore, it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to my assistant and get her to send me everything she can.”
Russell nodded. “Please do. And when you get done with that, you me and Holly are going to sit down and discuss safety protocols.”
“Oh, that ought to be fun.”
“Rule number one is no sass from either of you.”
She huffed. “You think because we both identify as submissive you get to pull out the Dom card?”
He chuckled. “No lip, no sass, no bratty behavior. Are we clear, Gemma? Lives are at stake here.”
She waved him away. “Quit with the raised eyebrows and stern tone. I’m going to be good, but I’m a smart ass, and I won’t stop being a smart ass because you say so.”
“Then your smart ass may become a sore ass.”
“You say that like it’s a threat.”
He laughed and leaned closer to her. “Believe me, sweetheart. It is. Now go make your phone calls. We’ll talk again later.” She gave him a salute followed by a middle-fingered wave as she backed out of the room. He tapped the buckle on his belt. Was he threatening to use it on her? The man didn’t have a clue.
Ivy Nelson is an emerging contemporary romance author, hopeful romantic, and passionate advocate who is versed in all things steamy, sultry, and sensual. It all started back when she read her first steamy romance novel at the age of fourteen. From that point forward, it became her favorite genre–one she wanted to write in herself someday. Sylvia Day’s writing style cemented that passion, and gave her just the inspiration she needed to be an author herself. In December of 2018, Ivy published her debut novel, Power Desired at the age of 32.
Most recently, Ivy completed the “D.C. Power Games” series and the prequel to her forthcoming “Diamond Doms series” titled “Hard” (currently available for pre-order). In a not-so-distant past, she was a student affairs professional at a university and earned her political science degree, which explains her politically-driven romance debut.
When she isn’t penning steamy scenes or attending writing conferences, you can find this contest-winning karaoke singer and bookworm passionately supporting human rights or growing her Sims 4 empire. She is also a wine aficionado and certified whiskey taster (no really, she has the certificate to prove it). All that aside, Ivy loves spending quality time with her amazing son and husband of three years at their home in Houston, TX.
For generations, the Greek gods have been at war with each other; fighting to sit on the throne of Mt. Olympus. Eros, the god of love and the most powerful of the ancients, has been waging his own secret war. For eons, he has been looking for his lost soul mate, Psyche; her return marks the beginning of the end of the reign of the Olympians, and the restoration to power by the primordial gods. But she has been reborn as a mortal, with no memory of him.
Psyche holds the key to the throne of Mt. Olympus. With her and Eros’ enemies coming out of the shadows to stop them, it is a race against time. If she cannot reunite her soul with Eros, her powers, memories, and the lives of the gods and mortals alike will be forever lost.
The agonizing shout of her name broke her out of the trance she had been caught in. Her eyes snapped open, and at first she was disoriented, the bright light in the room blinding her as her eyes fought to adjust. Blinking, she looked down, and an eternity seemed to pass as she sat frozen, trying to process the scene before her.
Phanes. Her husband. She was finally seeing him. Her eyes feasted hungrily on him. Her heart wept with joy. He finally trusted her enough to reveal himself. He was so achingly handsome. Blond and blue-eyed, he had said. What a typical male answer when describing his coloring. It didn’t even remotely come close to describing his beauty.
She recognized him. Eros. Her husband was the god of love. An immortal. How could she not have guessed? All the clues were there. She should have recognized him, especially when his drakon told her their true name. Then it came to her. Aphrodite and her vendetta against her. Of course. No wonder he kept his identity secret.
His tousled blond hair was threaded with multiple shades of gold, sunlight, and silver. His eyes were so many shades of blue, and they were so vivid, they glowed. Even as the thought crossed her mind, his eyes quickly dimmed, the light flickering like a candle that had reached its end.
Pain. He was in pain.
“Psyche. Why?” he whispered brokenly.
Confused, she dragged her gaze from his face and looked down. A startled cry burst from her as she stared uncomprehendingly at his chest. Blood. So much blood. His chest was covered in it. A knife wound clearly visible in his upper shoulder. She went to grab the blanket, to press it against the wound and hopefully staunch the flow.
She froze, staring in disbelief at what she was clutching in her hand, the sheet temporarily forgotten. A dagger. Her hand trembled. It couldn’t be. Dear gods, no. A bloody dagger was in her hand. Both were covered in her husband’s blood, marking her with the evidence of her crime.
No! her soul screamed in agony. She couldn’t have done such an evil deed. She couldn’t have stabbed him. Not her beloved husband. The man she loved with all her heart and soul. But the damning evidence was right in front of her. Her guilt undeniable.
He let out a soft moan, snapping her out of her frozen state.
Dropping the dagger, she frantically ripped the sheets and pressed them against his wound. It had to stop bleeding. He would heal, she desperately thought to herself. He could heal himself. He had to be alright. He was powerful. A god. There was no way he could die from an ordinary stab wound. He would be alright. He had to be alright. Even as her jumbled thoughts raced through her mind, the wound continued to bleed. It wasn’t stopping. The sheet quickly became soaked with his blood.
Why wasn’t it stopping? He just lay there, not moving. Not fighting. Silent. He wasn’t raging at her, condemning her for trying to kill him. He just lay there. A soul-shattering expression of defeat in his eyes. Death. He looked like he wished to die from her betrayal. She pressed harder. She had to save him. He groaned weakly in pain.
“Help! Please, somebody help us!” she screamed, frantic.
A sudden animalistic roar rent the air outside their bedroom. The strength of its inhuman rage and agony tore through the palace, shaking it to its very foundation.
Eros curled his fingers around her wrist. For a brief moment, the world came to a standstill as they gazed into each other’s eyes. In that one moment, they shared a lifetime of what could have been. The life they could have shared. A dozen thoughts reflected in their depths. Regret. Love. But the most heartbreaking was the bitter defeat in his eyes before he looked away, pushing her hand off him. She suddenly found herself pushed off to the side of the bed, Eros staggering to his feet. He stumbled, weak. “Pax!” he shouted.
Pax appeared, her normally rosy complexion pale at the sight of a blood-stained Eros. “What happened?”
He shook his head in despair. Psyche wept silently. He could barely bring himself to look at her. When he finally did, she crumbled in shame on the bed. She couldn’t bear the shattered look of betrayal on his face.
“It doesn’t matter. Just protect Psyche. No matter what happens.”Then he turned his back on them and flew out the window, transforming into his drakon form. In the distance, she could make out another drakon winging its way to the palace. It was a mirror image of her husband’s beast, though this one was all black with silver-tipped spikes. They met in midair, a clash of claws and teeth as they grappled with each other, both fighting for supremacy.
E.X. Alexander is a romance author who loves to tell a good romance story: the hotter, the better. A proud Greek American (no My Big Fat Greek Wedding jokes or she’ll be forced to pull out the Windex 😉 who loves to spend time with her family and friends. There is no better way to relax than to curl up with a steamy romance novel with purr babies under a blanket. Okay, a spa day would be a close second. If she is not reading or writing she can usually be found in her car listening to heavy metal and rock music in pursuit of her two favorite fruits: coffee and chocolate. (Yes, they are fruits.)
“What?” I chuckled as I slipped on my socks and shoes.
“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just impressed, is all.”
I chuckled and Beck shoved his sister’s chair, almost making her fall. “That’s my friend, asshole. You don’t get to be impressed.”
“No. She’s right.” Josie was still staring at me too. “I really expected you to have the smallest dick.”
“I feel like I should be offended.” I leaned back in my chair.
“It’s your personality.” Allie shrugged. “You know, cocky guy, small dick. Showy car, small dick.”
“Okay, Allie.” I pressed my elbows into my knees and looked across the fire at her. “Truth or dare?”
She stared at me, and I had a feeling that no matter what she picked she wouldn’t do it. “Truth.”
I let my gaze slide to Eli before it went back to her. I shouldn’t have even called her name. I should just ask her something stupid and move on, but my heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t hesitate with what I asked her next. “When was the last time that you were truly turned on? I mean really and truly, couldn’t-think-about-anything-else turned on?”
A few people snickered, but I didn’t look away from her. She didn’t pull her gaze away from me either as she answered, but I knew her answer was a lie the moment it left her mouth.
“When Eli kissed me.”
“Carson, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“When was the last time you were really and truly turned on? And I mean to the point that you actually considered kissing the girl?”
“Oh shit.” That came from Olly, but no one said anything to stop us.
“Just about any time I’m with you, but if you’re looking for a specific moment, the night the cops walked in while I was going down on you.”
Laughter rang out around us, but neither of us was deterred.
“Allie, truth or dare?”
“Truth.” There was no hesitation in her eyes. She wasn’t scared of what I had to say.
“Do you actually like Eli, or are you just pissed off at me?”
“This is the exact reason people think you have a small dick.” She crossed her arms. “You assume that everything anyone does it about you when it isn’t. I actually like Eli, for your information.” She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. “Carson, truth or dare?”
“This is about to get messy,” Josie whispered to Beck, but I heard her. She was right. It probably was.
“Dare.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at her.
“I dare you to stop being such an asshole and just tell us what the hell your problem is.”
“My problem?” I rubbed at my jaw. “Currently my problem is you. You haven’t barely spoken to me in days, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague at community service, and now…”
“Now what?” She was angry.
“Now I have to sit here and watch you with him.” I pointed at Eli, and he had the nerve to fucking smirk at me.
“I haven’t spoken to you because the last time we spoke, you made it very clear where we stood. I’ve been avoiding you because I don’t want to deal with you, and you’re going to have to continue to watch me with him because I like him. And it’s the oddest thing, but he likes me too.”
“Truth or dare?”
“I’m done playing this stupid game.” She pushed out of her seat, and I knew that Eli was about to follow her.
“Truth or dare, Allie? It’s not that hard.”
She spun back around to face me, and I could see the anger in her eyes. “Fine. Dare.” She held out her arms because she thought by ending the truths, she was going to end this argument between us.
“I dare you to kiss me.”
“That’s not happening.” Eli had the balls to say that out loud to me, and it took everything inside me not to close the space between us and finish what we had started last weekend.
“The last time I checked, you weren’t Allie’s boyfriend, and you don’t speak for her.” I looked back to Allie, and she was staring at me. “Allie can either kiss me or she can drink.” I lifted the bottle of liquor and shook it between us.
“You kissing me changes nothing.” She shook her head. “Then it won’t hurt.” I shrugged my shoulders and tried to act like I didn’t care one way or another, even though I didn’t know what would happen if she walked away from me now. “If you’re so into Eli and kissing me won’t change anything, then what are you so scared of?”
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl.
When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife
I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
Meeting long-lost siblings should be awesome, right?
Well, when you happen to be on the wrong side of the law and have every intention of staying there, having a cop for a sister isn’t exactly ideal. And teaming up with said sister? Well, that is just the cherry on top of the craptastic pie that has been my life.
But when our brother decides to attack us head on, banding together is the least of our problems.
Because in our family? Being the hunter also means being the hunted.
I felt the swish of wings a moment before my father spoke, his appearance making both Bastian and Emrys jump nearly out of their skins.
“You called?” Azrael asked from the doorway.
I tossed an irritated glare over my shoulder. “Yeah, I did. Lots. Good of you to show up.”
Bastian found my hand and squeezed my fingers, likely trying to get me to shut up. But he didn’t realize just how many times I had pleaded for Azrael for help in my head. Hundreds maybe thousands of times over the last two days and he’d stayed gone. When our brother showed up, when that stupid note was in the grass, when Darby was breaking her living room apart. I had begged and pleaded with him to come and help us—help her—and still he’d stayed away.
“Sorry,” he said, tilting his dark head to the side as he assessed Bastian. “I was working.”
He and I both knew could do his job from anywhere. In fact, he had done this job from a squat prison underneath thousands of pounds of rock and rubble and water where he’d stayed for nearly twenty years. And now when we needed him that’s when he decided he needed to be on site to collect souls?
Annie Anderson is a military wife and United States Air Force veteran. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she is a southern girl at heart, but has lived all over the US and abroad. As soon as the military stops moving her family around, she’ll settle on a state, but for now she enjoys being a nomad with her husband, two daughters, an old man of a dog, and a young pup that makes life… interesting.
Twenty-eight-year-old Holly Snow is the only mother her five-year-old niece remembers. Three years earlier, when her sister and brother-in-law were killed, Holly’s dream of becoming an international flight attendant was put on hold so she could be home for baby Faith.
Holly is doing everything she can to keep the rent paid, including working as an online travel agent, filing medical claims, and cleaning apartments in her building. When her friend Toni tells her that her boss needs someone to buy his Christmas gifts, she leaps at the opportunity.
Tall, dark and Scroogy, investment banker, Archibald Harrington is too busy to do his own Christmas shopping. When his assistant tells him she knows of a professional shopper, he happily checks another dreaded task off his holiday list. The last thing Archie is expecting is for his hired elf to text him insistently to find out more about the people on list.
The last thing Holly expects is to develop feelings for grumpy man who’s stealing her Christmas spirit.
Will there be a Holiday miracle, or will Holly and Archie miss their chance at love? Find out in the fifth installment of the Accidentally in Love Series.
“My boss needs a personal shopper for Christmas, and I’ve already told him I know the very best one in Manhattan.” Toni gives me an open-mouthed smile, clearly expecting me to jump up and down.
“Your boss. As in Archibald Snooty Pants the Forty-Second?” I ask, pursing my lips.
She opens her mouth, but I cut her off with one finger in the air. “You complain about the man all the time.”
“It’s not like he’s a horrible person, he’s just a one trick pony—all work and no play. Plus, it’s not like you’ll have to work side-by-side with him or anything. You probably won’t even have to see him.”
“I’m not a personal shopper,” I tell her. “Unless his family and friends want ramen noodles or discount t-shirts from the guy who sells them out of his trunk in front of my apartment building, I would have no idea what to buy.”
“Yeah, well, Archie doesn’t know that.” She pumps her eyebrows up and down like a comedian.
“Toni, you told me the guy was a rich stuck-up preppy from the Hamptons. While I would love nothing more than to make some extra money, I don’t have the foggiest notion how to shop for rich people.”
“So watch some holiday episodes of Real Housewives and see what they buy each other. He’ll tell you how much to spend on each person. Come on, Holl, it’s not brain surgery. It’s shopping. You know how to shop. And you need the money.”
“What if he hates me?” I despise feeling so pathetic, but I’m totally out of my league here.
“Then he hates you. So what? Believe me when I tell you, Archibald Harrington only thinks about work. You can’t take anything he says personally.”
Dread slams into me like a wrecking ball. “How much do you think I can make?”
“Enough to pay for Christmas and at least the next three months of Faith’s preschool tuition. How can you pass that up?”
The answer is, I can’t. And if it means working for a cranky billionaire, then Toni is right. I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to take care of Faith. I just can’t guarantee I’ll like it.
“Fine,” I tell her. “How many gifts am I supposed to buy?”
“He’ll need all of his family gifts, which include his godfather’s family. He’s spending Christmas with them in Newport. He wants you to cover his business gifts, as well. The VIPs are starred, meaning those particular gifts need to be extra-amazing. I’ve also made you a list of everything that I want, so I don’t wind up with another Monte Blanc pen. I’ve already sold three of those suckers on eBay and I only get a fraction of what they’re worth.”
“I don’t even know what a Monte Blanc pen is.” My chest tightens like I’m not getting enough oxygen.
She hands me a piece of paper. “This is a list of websites to check out. You can order everything and have it delivered here.”
“Why can’t I just have everything sent to his office? What am I going to do with it?”
After taking a healthy swig of white zinfandel, Toni says, “You’re going to wrap everything up and make it look like Santa himself cracked the whip on the gift-wrapping elves. Once you have everything purchased and ready, I’ll send a car to pick the gifts up.”
“You’ll send a car, will you?” I tease.
“Yeah, well, I can do those fancy things in the name of my boss.”
“How am I going to pay for everything?” I ask. “I have about two hundred dollars of credit left on my card. I don’t think that’s going to cut it.”
Toni opens her purse and hands me a shiny black credit card. “There’s no limit, so if you don’t mind doing a little jail time, you could have a lot of fun.”
“No limit? I can’t imagine such a thing.” I fantasize about what damage I could do with plastic like this. Not only could I pay for Faith’s school for the rest of the year, but I could also get my mom into one of those nursing homes that has a hair salon and restaurant. I could upgrade to a two-bedroom apartment so Faith doesn’t have to sleep in the closet anymore, and I could even splurge and buy myself some real leather gloves.
“You’re imagining, aren’t you?” Toni jolts me out of my daydream.
“I most certainly am. The first thing I’d do is buy Faith whatever winter coat she wanted and then I’d take her out to a nice restaurant.”
Toni rolls her eyes. “If you’re going down for a crime, you’ve got to think bigger.”
I stare at the card for a second, then look back up at Toni. “How can you stand working for someone who has so much? Don’t you just want to steal cash out of his wallet once in a while?” I don’t really have the heart of a felon, I’m just tired of always being broke.
“The nice thing about Archie is that even though he has the personality of a killer shark, he’s generous. He has a Friday lunch catered for his staff every week, and he makes sure to float us enough extras that none of us are tempted to steal from him. He’s a good businessman.”
“Even though he’s a stuck-up preppy?” I ask for clarification.
“Exactly.”
I look at the list of stores she thinks I should shop at—Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, The House of Bijan … “What’s my budget?”
She hands me another piece of paper. The handwriting isn’t hers, so I’m guessing it’s Archie’s. “He wants me to spend four thousand dollars on his mother?!”
“Yup. He wants her to have two gifts. One of them needs to be the main. The other can be fancy ass chocolates or something.”
“Right, but probably not gas station chocolates.”
“Quit stressing, Holls, you’ve got this.”
I don’t know why, but for the life of me I can’t see this ending well…
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
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.
When a mysterious outsider shows her the impossible, can she unveil old secrets… and step into destiny?
Angelina Arbonne is obsessed with history. Driven by a passion for travel, the thirty-five-year-old archaeologist has no time for love. But she can’t resist knowing more when she’s stalked by a hopelessly gorgeous stranger who claims he’s a vampire king.
With her handsome suitor leading her through the hidden society of the long-lived, Angelina’s heart begins to beat to an intriguing new tune. But with an ancient magical war brewing, dating a two-thousand-year-old is giving her second thoughts about becoming an immortal queen…
Can they bridge their improbable age gap and enjoy an eternal happily ever after?
A New Queen is the compelling first book in the A History of Vampires paranormal romance series. If you like intelligent characters, original storylines, and historical themes, then you’ll adore Amanda Lewis’ enthralling tale.
**The Weight of Birds – 2020 Silver Medal Winner – Contemporary Christian Romance, Reader’s Favorite Awards**
Amanda lives in Alabama, with her husband and cat. She enjoys IKEA cinnamon rolls and trying new recipes of macaroni and cheese.
To subscribe to The Story Behind the Story newsletter, and become a member of the Society of M.O.E., please visit https://www.patreon.com/theamandalewis
