Going from a professional baseball player to a SWAT officer should’ve been seamless. Should have been.
But it wasn’t.
All it took was one single calendar shoot for word to spread that Nathan Cox was not only no longer playing professional baseball, but he was also the man behind saving the life of Reggie Morton, the City of Kilgore’s princess.
***
Reggie didn’t know that by agreeing to provide the expertise and the know-how for the Police Officer’s Ball that she would be required to actually attend the function.
What she also didn’t expect was needing to be saved—again—by the same man that had saved her life a year ago when she hosted her debut event.
This time in a not-nearly-as-spectacular way. The moment she falls into his arms like a modern-day Cinderella and takes him in in all his three-piece suited glory, she realizes that she’s been fighting the impossible.
Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.
When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.
Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.
I’ve loved Isaiah for as long as I can remember, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Not when the pull of serving our country is my competition. With no other choice, I rebuild myself and focus my attention on the clients of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood, the people who need the club’s help. I even date other guys in an effort to circumvent the heartache. It works for a while but eventually, the past comes back in the form of muscles, tats and so much baggage.
Isaiah is no longer the boy I loved. He’s a man that oozes sin and pain. His eyes tell a story that I’m not sure I’m up to hearing. Why then is it so hard to turn my back on him? And why in the hell is he the only person my soul calls out to when I’m in trouble?
Isaiah…
Leaving my family and Tillie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But duty called and I had to answer. Especially if I want to be the president of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood and fill my dad’s very large shoes. When a bombing sends me back to the only place I’ve ever called home, I mistakenly think that everything will magically be the same.
Not only has everything changed, but Tillie has moved on. She’s become a woman I don’t recognize, a woman who spends her days proving she doesn’t need me. But I know her better than she knows herself. And danger lurks in the shadows, threatening her existence, whether she wants to admit it or not. I will stop at nothing to protect her, to show her that we still belong together.
Fighting for my country was my duty. Fighting for Tillie is everything.
I trudge inside and am instantly greeted by the sounds, smells and feelings of my childhood. Grease, leather, loyalty, family, service, passion. The Broken Rebel Brotherhood was started by my father and his Navy Seal team when they were all discharged from the military. The motorcycle club was their way of finding meaning and purpose in their lives when nothing made sense. Isabelle and I were teethed on the club’s mantra: Protect those who can’t protect themselves.
I make my way through the main living room and down the hall to the library, where church is held and where I know my parents will be. When I reach the doors, I take a deep breath and grab the handle. Before I can turn the knob, the door swings open and my jaw drops.
Wide blue eyes stare back at me in shock. My mouth goes dry and my brain seems to shut down. Words are impossible, as is any coherent thought. I don’t even register what’s happening until a tiny fist connects with my cheek and my head flies sideways.
I shake off the pain, both physical and emotional, and glare at the pissed off woman in front of me. Finally, the cobwebs clear and I manage to form a smile, even if it’s only to taunt her.
“Nice to see you too, Tillie.”
AUTHOR BIO
Andi is an author of contemporary romance who started her journey when her career in social work was no longer her passion. Her books are sassy and suspenseful with a heavy dose of sizzle and are guaranteed to deliver an HEA and all the feels. She loves writing about alpha males and the women who tame them. When she’s not writing, Andi is an avid reader of the romance genre and prefers books that teeter on the edge of decent. She also loves spending time with her husband and their pack of dogs. For access to release info, updates, and exclusive content, be sure to sign up for Andi’s newsletter at andirhodes.com, where you will also find links for Facebook and Instagram.
Lexington Dane was my brother’s best friend growing up.
We did everything together.
He taught me how to throw a punch, how to change a tire…and he taught me how to kiss. I fell hard and fast, and gave him all my firsts.
I promised I’d wait for him…
But I’m done waiting, because he went off to college and never came back. He took his fancy business degree and moved to New York City, where he promptly became a real estate mogul—turning every penthouse and apartment project he touched into gold.
It’s been ten years, and now he’s back and needs a favor…someone to watch his little girl. That’s right, the cocky penthouse prince and heartbreaker extraordinaire Lexington is back with an adorable two-year-old daughter. Guess who he wants to watch her?
I’ve never been able to say no to him. I might agree to be the nanny for his precious little angel, but there’s no way in hell I’m falling for her hot-as-sin daddy.
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than three dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 3 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.
Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than 100 times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.
I have a love for single dad stories. I need them in my life. Penthouse Prince was no exception to that. I loved Lex. I love that he’s a good man just trying to make a good life for his little girl. But Lex needs help.
Corrigan has a heart of gold, but Lex hurt her 10 years ago. She knows he needs help, but is she up for the challenge? Who wouldn’t fall in love with Greer, so for this little girl, Corrigan will be who she needs.
I love Kendall Ryan and all her stories. I love the dual point of view in this book. I love that this book appeals to so many people on so many levels. I can’t wait for more from Kendall.
Is Jack my real Romeo…or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
Not My Romeo, the all-new swoon-worthy contemporary sports romance with heart and heat from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is available now!
We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.
My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.
The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.
But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?
Is Jack my real Romeo…or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
I pull my white cat-eye glasses out of my purse and slide them on for a better look. My heart flip-flops as butterflies take flight in my stomach. Oh heck no. That can’t be him. He’s . . . he’s . . . freaking gorgeous, and I don’t mean regular handsome but like a movie star: dark hair swept off his face, the strands wavy and unruly with copper highlights, soft and silky brushing against his cheeks, and too long for a newscaster, in my opinion—but what do I know? I don’t own a television.
He lifts his arm to shove his hair back, and my eyes pop at the tightly roped muscles of his forearm and biceps straining through the fabric, the impossibly broad shoulders.
Well, would you look at that.
And this has to be him, right?
I’m in the right restaurant. He’s alone. He’s wearing a blue shirt. He has dark hair. Odds point to yes. Usually the most simple explanation is exactly what it appears. Therefore, he must be my date.
The man in question turns to look out the window, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently, and I take in his profile. Long straight nose, full dark arching eyebrows, and a sharp, bladed jawline. Sensuous lips, the lower one decadently full. Almost wicked. He’s the kind of hot that draws your eyes over and over just to make sure it’s not a mirage. I knew guys like him at NYU—sexy, athletic gym types who played a sport. And those types never gave me a second look. I’d watch them work out while I fumbled my way around one of those god-awful butterfly machines, while beautiful, tall, svelte girls who weren’t sweating fawned over them, bringing them towels, water bottles, and sexy promises.
He takes a sip of an amber liquid, long tanned fingers grasping the fragile container as his eyes rove across the room. They prowl around the restaurant, as if he’s assessing every person in sight, and I feel the sizzle of him even from twenty feet away. Prickles of awareness skate down my spine. I’m the alpha, his body language yells. Come and challenge me.
His gaze drifts right over me without stopping.
Not surprised.
I duck back into the shadows.
Dang it. My hands clench. I wanted nice and nerdy, not this . . . sexy beast!
And judging by the scowl on his face, he’s grumpy. Life’s too short to be dour, Mister. And what is he annoyed about? I am here!
And he did see a picture of me. Topher said so.
Yeah, maybe he doesn’t really want to meet you.
Maybe he’s hoping you won’t show up.
I tap my foot. I should leave. Really.
The smells of Milano’s waft around me, spicy and tantalizing, and my stomach lets out an angry howl. I move from one foot to the next. Every place to eat between here and Daisy is going to be packed. I could always hit a drive-through on the way back home—but how pathetic is a Big Mac and fries on Valentine’s Day? Plus, I’ll have my entire nosy family to answer to tomorrow. They’ve built up this blind date so much: Oooooh, Elena has a date with a weatherman. Ask him if that’s a barometer in his pocket or if he’s just glad to see you.
I give myself a mental pep talk.
Grow some balls, Elena.
Sometimes you have to go out and take what you want.
So what if he’s hot enough to suck the dew off a rose.
You are hungry. Do it for the pasta.
He is your date. Go get ’em, girl.
I gather my resolve, point my little black pumps in his direction, and start marching.
About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.
Talk about an epically adorable story. Elena is going on a blind date. What she didn’t bargain for Jack Hawke. But Jack isn’t who Elena is supposed to be meeting. No, but after having the time of her life with a man she wasn’t expecting, Elena wonders if they stand a chance.
I loved every second of this romantic comedy. This book was witty and perfect. I’m all about a sweet southern girl and that’s exactly who Elena is. Jack couldn’t be more perfect.
I love Ilsa. I love her stories. I can’t wait for more from this amazing author and this series.
I never expected to see my first love again after he left me twelve years ago. Though I’ve moved on, working with Tyler is no easy task—especially when he focuses his bedroom eyes on me. Flirting with the past is like playing with fire, and considering I’m engaged, I’m bound to get burned.
When the man I promised to marry reveals he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I run to the safety of Tyler’s strong arms. As we grow closer, so do our feelings. Threats and ultimatums are made, and the revelation of the truth is enough to bring me to my knees. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family, even if it means shredding my heart.
Too dangerous, too unpredictable, too risky to handle alone—we need each other now more than ever.
After our world nearly collapses, there’s nothing left to do but take it back. Tyler and I team up to destroy the people who are determined to ruin our second chance at a happily ever after. Though our love is undeniable, I just hope it’s enough. We’ll fight until the end to be together—regardless of who tries to get in our way.
NEEDING YOU CLOSE is a slow-burn, angsty romance wrapped up in an intense love story. It’s book 2 in the Tyler & Gemma duet and must be read in order.
Brooke Cumberland & Lyra Parish are a duo of romance authors who teamed up to write under the USA TodayBestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox. They share a love of Hallmark movies & overpriced coffee. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make you blush and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!
Keep up with all their social media platforms for updates & info!
This was the conclusion I was hoping for. Gemma and Tyler are amazing. Following a cliffhanger that left me wondering how this dynamic duo would make this second book all okay…I should have never worried. Tyler is so fiercely protective of those he loves and this man loves Gemma. Gemma is everything I could want from a heroine. I loved watching her overcome all the drama in her life. Tyler and Gemma compliment each other so well. They are honestly a perfect couple.
So much happens in this book. There’s drama, angst, and suspense. This book is about learning to move on and learning to love. Needing you close was well worth the wait. I loved every second of this book and can’t wait for more from Kennedy Fox.
“Andrius
told me there’s no going back to normal for me now. That once you’ve been part
of something like what happened, you don’t ever go back to being the same.” I
tell Konstantin my deepest fear, which is that I’ll be tainted by this forever,
unable to move forward.
“No, you don’t. You can be normal again, though. You can go back to your
life. To your dance classes with your neighbor, and helping your grandparents,
and being generally kind and good. You had that walk on the wild side you
craved, and you didn’t enjoy it. Lesson learned.”
It’s not a lesson learned, though, because I can’t stop craving him.
He’s my walk on the wild side, and I don’t want it to end. I
tried to tell myself I did. Tried to convince myself I was done with him, but
he pulls me back in each time. Having him so close to me, holding me, is pure
torture.
I once thought he couldn’t be my shelter because he was the storm. Now I
wonder if he’s really the jagged rocks guarding the bay. I’m in the bay, right
in the eye of the storm, and it’s not me he’ll smash to bits, but anyone who
gets close or dares to harm me.
I turn in the water until I’m facing him and study his face. He’s not
classically handsome. His features are too hard, his body too big, his face too
arrogant. He’s beautiful to me, though. Truly, breathtakingly beautiful. From
the first moment I saw him, he stopped the clocks for me, and they haven’t
started since.
Reaching up, I trace the outline of his jaw with one wet finger. He doesn’t
move, but something subtle changes in him; he goes on alert. Like the predator
he is, he watches me, eerily still, waiting, seeing if I’ll go ahead and offer
myself up to him.
Hi guys.
I’m Skye, a paranormal and contemporary romance author from rainy Northern
England. I write Paranormal romance as Skye Jones, and steamy dark romance as
S.R. Jones.
The one thing my books in both genres have in common are gritty themes, and
alpha heroes who are damaged but oh-so-redeemable!
When I’m
not writing, I’m either walking my dogs, drinking coffee, or watching my fave
TV shows such as The Sopranos, McMafia, and Little House on the Prairie, yep I
have eclectic taste!
First I turned down a marriage proposal, then I moved to Annapolis to open a law firm. I thought my world couldn’t change any more…
Until Cade stepped into my office, smelling of sawdust with his company’s T-shirt stretched taut over his chest and biceps. Everything about him was sexy-as-sin and completely off-limits.
But I can’t risk the business I sunk my savings into by dating a client, and he won’t risk his heart.
The more we spend time together, the more I want him. Even if a relationship between us was possible, how can he give me all of him?
Cade
After my wife died, I swore off dating. I threw myself into my charity instead. It was easy at first, but I can’t ignore my attraction anymore.
Hadley comes from a wealthy family that operates with manipulation, lies, and deceit. I don’t fit into her world, but the closer we get, the more I wanted to show her how things could be different.
I never thought I’d meet someone who gave me hope for a future. One full of possibilities, love, and maybe even marriage and kids.
But how can I promise her forever when I know love doesn’t last?
What a beautiful, heartfelt story. I loved getting lost in Hadley and Cade. This story felt real. It felt true. It felt like my heart was left feeling full from reading this amazing story.
Hadley is from a family with money. But she’s trying to make it on her own. Wanting out from her father’s control Hadley does just that. When she meets Cade there is chemistry there, no doubt. But Cade gave his heart away. He’s not looking for anything. And Hadley isn’t even on his radar until she is.
I loved these two. I loved this story. This book was everything I wanted and so much more. Lea does an amazing job of allowing me to get lost in these two amazing characters for a short time. Please check out this book. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Hard to Handle, book one in the Play Hard series, an all new series of standalone books by New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, is LIVE!
At first, the request seemed simple—sign a new athlete to the agency.
Then I found out the new athlete was none other than the most wanted man in hockey today: Hunter Maddox
Gifted. Sexy. At the top of his game. And the only man who has ever broken my heart.
If signing him will help save our family business, I’ll swallow my pride and do what’s asked.
But when it becomes clear his uncharacteristic antics off the ice are a hint of something deeper, keeping things strictly professional between us becomes more than complicated.
But I know better than to cross that line.
I’ll never date a client. Not even for him.
***
Win the Stanley Cup and do it before time runs out.
Not a small feat, but it’s what’s motivated me since the start of my career.
And time is running out.
Enter Dekker Kincade.
Feisty. Dogged. Damn gorgeous. The one I let get away.
I have no idea why she’s traveling with the team, but hell if resisting her is going to be easy.
But I have a job to do, and I refuse to lose sight of that end game. Even if she confuses me. Even if she sees parts of me I’ve hidden from the world.
I stare at Hunter. At his shirt plastered with sweat and how it clings to his body, despite the chill of the ice his skates are standing on. He has his warm-up pants on and is without a helmet, his hair curling at the ends from the sweat.
And all I see in his eyes is anger I didn’t put there. Or maybe I did. Rejection can do that to a man . . . but there’s something more here. Something I walked in on that doesn’t make sense.
“Don’t give me that look, Kincade,” Hunter mutters as he skates over to the penalty box where his electrolyte drink sits.
“What look?” I ask.
He half laughs, half snorts and meets my gaze across the distance. “Disappointment. Disproval. Disdain. I’m the king of all of them, so save your breath—or in this case—your glare, because it’s not going to work with me.”
“Are we working on emotions that start with the letter D today?” I ask. A hint of my embarrassment and anger over how I acted last night creeps into my voice, but I mask it with sarcasm. “If that’s the case, I’m more than impressed with your answers thus far.”
He clenches his jaw in response and then skates back over to line up more pucks so he can shoot them. And he does, one after another, each shot taken with laser precision and a healthy dose of fury behind it.
He goes through the first ten lined up and then stops to catch his breath.
His talent and skill are undeniable, but so is the beer bottle in my hand.
“Just because you’re the captain and star of this team, doesn’t mean management won’t frown upon this,” I say, unable to let this go.
“Screw the management.”
“No one likes a player who’s hard to handle and honestly, Hunter, you’re becoming hard to handle.”
“No one likes unsolicited advice from someone who has no bearing on his career, either,” he counters, the rebuke stinging but deserved.
The problem is, I do care about him. Doesn’t he get that’s where my hostility stems from?
And only a crazy person would say that, Dekker.
I put my hands up in surrender to both him and my own thoughts. “You know I only want the best for you.” I take a few steps in his direction in the first row of the stands. I’m close enough to catch the hitch of his movement and to see uncertainty flicker in his eyes. It’s almost as if he needs to talk but doesn’t see me as someone he can trust. I hate that. “What is it, Hunter?”
“Nothing. It’s . . . never mind.”
But I see it, and he knows I see it. The question is what do I see, though?
Meet K. Bromberg:
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.
With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.
Yes, yes, yes. You all know how much I love the talent that is K. Bromberg. Well, this amazing woman has done it again. She has written a story that kept me craving more I was almost mad this book ended. But fear not, she has more coming!
Dekker is out to prove that she can handle business. Working at her father’s agency she is assigned the task of signing a well sought after hockey player to join them. What Dekker didn’t bargain for? That said hockey player would be the one man she has a history with, Hunter. Is it possible for Dekker to do her job and get Hunter to sign without letting her past feelings get in the way? Or will Dekker have to admit that this may be one challenge she isn’t truly up for?
This book had me laughing, crying, and putting me back together again. This book was everything from start to finish. It’s exactly what I’ve come to love from Kristy and everything I didn’t know I was missing. This woman can write a book that feels like I’m watching the story unfold, not reading it. I loved Hard to Handle and cannot wait to see what’s to come. Please check it out.
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Faithless by Megan Green
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Is Jack my real Romeo…or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
