The Knocked up Plan by Lauren Blakely

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before I even opened The Knocked Up Plan, I’d like to attest that I think I got knocked up from this cover because PANTY … MELTING … HOT. I was DONE!!! Could a cover make me pregnant?!? Leather, six-pack abs, hand on the belt buckle, and smoldering look…hmm…maybe. I think I did feel some flutters down there from The Knocked Up Plan. I seriously considered 5-staring this story from the thigh-clenching cover alone. Who was I kidding?!? A Lauren Blakely rom-com is a GUARANTEED 5-STAR DELIGHT.

If I wasn’t already knocked up by the ovary-combusting cover, the The Knocked Up Plan SYNOPSIS sank the deal. This buyer didn’t need the full sales pitch…ALREADY SOLD!!!

There are three little words most guys don’t want to hear on the first date. Not those…I mean these…”knock me up.”

Knock me up?!? Oh hell yes…please do!!! I had to pretend I was the heroine because I was claiming Hot Cover Boy as MINE. Oh this gal wants a baby daddy. If it’s Hot Cover Boy with his hot name of Ryder, then color me green with envy because I would jump into this book and volunteer as a tribute.

There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date—”your place or mine.”

Mine…ALL MINE. Did I say MINE enough?!? I’m claiming Hot Cover Boy as mine before I even read his story.

This woman. She’s going to be so fun to play like a violin.

Did Ryder say PLAY?!? Oh yes can this hot alpha with his piercing blue eyes, dark hair, tall, and muscular body can play. He plays HARD and FAST.

The chemistry between Ryder and Nicole is COMBUSTIBLE!!! They are magic together. I admit…I was a bit jealous.

I will say this about Ryder Lockhart: he has a world-class tongue. He’s a champion with his mouth, and he treats me like a dessert.

Ryder started out as Hot Cover Boy because I may or may not have eye-stalked the cover long and hard before diving into this delicious story. Then he was Involuntary Thigh-Clenching Co-worker. Finally he was…don’t want to give the spoilers…HEART-THUMPING PERFECTION!!! I ADORED this alpha with an enormous heart!

Ryder BURNS those panties right off. Just forget wearing any. He is a pleaser, and his DELIVERY is ON POINT. ACCESS ACCEPTED.

This man is obsessed with my pleasure. It’s his drug, his addiction, and I want to give him his fix. I want the fix too.

As much as Ryder has mad skills delivering the HEAT, he is so attentive and SWEET. I MELTED into a puddle of goo because SWEETNESS.

He drops a kiss to my forehead. Tingles spread everywhere—all over my body, to the tips of my toes and the ends of my hair.

“Do that again,” I command as the world falls away and all I feel are his lips, his tenderness, and his warmth.

“As you wish.”

Ryder is the ultimate Prince Charming who is PURE PERFECTION.

In one of her hottest and heartwarming books ever, Lauren Blakely blasts the both the heat and heart in The Knocked Up Plan. I cried ALL THE HAPPY TEARS. The Knocked Up Plan knocked so much sizzle and sweetness into me that I was both SMOLDERING and SWOONING! I was ENAMORED with every ounce of this story. So much LOVE!!!

The Knocked Up Plan is a FRESH, FUN, and FEEL-GOOD FAIRYTALE of a love story where you can’t help but float all the way to Cloud Nine!!! I. Can’t. Stop. Floating!!! Prepare to be WOWED as you bask in the Lauren Blakely magic! Laugh-out-loud, heart-stopping sexy, and swoon-worthy, The Knocked Up Plan is the perfect punch to the heart.

💋💋💋💋💋 fire-hot and float-on-clouds kisses 

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There are three little words most guys don’t want to hear on the first date. Not those…I mean these… “knock me up.”

This single gal has had enough of the games, the BS and the endless chase. I know what I want most, and it’s not true love. It’s a bun in the oven, and I’m not afraid to hit up my sex-on-a-stick co-worker to do the job. Ryder is gorgeous, witty and charming — and he’s also a notorious commitment-phobe. That makes him the perfect candidate to make a deposit in the bank of me.

I won’t fall for him, he won’t fall for me, and there’s no way baby will make three.

Right?

There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date — “your place or mine?”

When my hot-as-sin co-worker makes me a no-strings-attached offer that involves her place, my place, any place — as well as any position — I can’t refuse. Besides, I’ve got my own reasons to take her up on her deal even with her one BIG condition.

There’s no way I’ll want more from one woman than any position, any where, any night? Except . . . what if I do?

Yanking open the door, I head inside. I stride to the small cafe where Ryder said he’d wait for me.

My chest falls. The man is known for punctuality. I scan the white bakery case and the five round iron tables, but he’s not here. When I spin around and survey the bookshelves, my heart nearly leaps from my chest.

He’s in the . . .

Oh my fucking God, he’s waiting for me in the . . .

I bring my hand to my mouth, and I want to run, to leap into his arms. When he sees me, his blue eyes twinkle with mischief.

I am a teapot about to whistle. I am a dog dancing before dinnertime.

He taps the shelves and holds up a book.

A pregnancy guide.

He’s ten feet from me. But I sprint anyway, and I grin like a fool. I stop two inches from him and clamp my hands on his broad shoulders. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes—”

I tackle-hug him before he can say anything more. I knock the breath from him in an oomph as I rope my arms around his neck and crash into him.

“But I have one condition,” he says, embracing me back.

I’m crying tears of happiness, so I don’t care. “Anything. Name it.”

“You better hear it before you agree.”

The moment screeches to a halt. He’s going to want visitation rights. He’ll want lots of money. He’ll want summers, or weekends, or evenings out.

I unwrap myself from the warmth of his strong chest and swallow. “What’s your condition?”

“I thought it would be best to present it in the form of a column.”

“A column?”

“Top five list and everything.”

I groan inside. He has five conditions? Maybe my mother was right. Maybe asking for baby-mix from someone you know is a big mistake. Anonymous donors request nothing but greenbacks.

I steel myself as he fishes in the back pocket of his jeans. The paper is square, folded in quarters. He hands it to me. “Open it.”

I unfold it then read the headline out loud. “‘Top Five Positions for Getting a Woman Pregnant’?”

I blink and stare at him. The cogs turn slowly in my brain. I part my lips to speak.

He raises a hand to silence me. “Hear me out. You explained how it worked. The room, the cup, the magazines, the videos. The whacking off in a fucking public place. The cost. But most of all . . . the wait.

You’d have to wait for an appointment for me, for the testing, for the jerking off, then for your special date with the turkey baster.” He cups my cheek. His hand is big and warm. “What if we did it the

old-fashioned way?”

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A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In June she’ll release THE KNOCKED UP PLAN, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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Tycoon by Katy Evans

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

People who are meant to be together find their way back. They may take a few detours, but they’re never lost.

There is no love story as special to me as a second-chance romance…my absolute favorite!!! Soul mates who have always loved each other are granted a do-over. There is no greater love like second-chance love, this special love that finds its way back to two often broken souls.

Second-chance romances speak to the soul like no other love stories, and oh did Tycoon by Katy Evans speak to mine. This story of soul mates who found each other again was EVERYTHING!!! Tycoon, this spellbinding and spine-tingling second-chance romance, was my heart…my soul…MY KRYPTONITE.

I sank myself wholeheartedly into Tycoon from the start, this story saturating me, giving me no choice but to succumb to its power. I DEVOURED Tycoon and it devoured me. Its MAGNETIC PULL held me captive. Nothing else mattered. Tycoon ENGULFED me where I clung to every word, unequivocally ENAMORED with this raw romance.

These characters held my heart from the start!

Beautiful Bryn is so strong and sassy. She has been through hell and persevered. I felt her grow up so much in this story.

Like Katy Evans’ other highly-addictive heroes, Aaric Christos has an animal magnetism and radiates power. Devastatingly handsome. Chiseled. Commanding. Caring. Unwavering. This ALL ALPHA…this Greek God OWNED EVERY OUNCE OF ME. So incredibly intense and dominant, Aaric is a man who fights for what and who he wants. He is a man of honor who I LOVED SO HARD. Aaric is PURE PERFECTION.

Aaric and Bryns’ paths again cross after many years.

“You look like a boy who thinks he’ll get to kiss me.”

My eyebrows rise. “I’m not a boy.”

She clears her throat, bristling and turning around. “No, but you’re kind of a jerk.”

I grab her wrist, smiling as I turn back. “I will kiss you though.”

I wanted Aaric to kiss me. LE SWOON. The chemistry is COMBUSTIBLE, so HOT it should be lethal. I MELTED, morphing into a puddle of goo from Aaric’s commanding words that wield power and passion.

“You make me want to protect you and at the same time you make me want to break you. I want you to stop thinking and just f**king feel me. Feel this.”

I FELT EVERY WORD STREAM THROUGH MY SOUL, LIGHTING MY HEART ON FIRE.

“Can you see how much I want you, bit?”

Tycoon BLEEDS ANGST, as two childhood friends fight the MORE.

A relationship is a risk that neither broken soul may be able to afford to take.

“Promise me you’ll forget me.”

“No, bit. I promise you I never will.”

I WAS WRECKED. My HEART HURT. My SOUL WAS SLAYED.

Katy Evans turned my world around again, tilting the axis to Tycoon, where I did nothing but BASK IN BOTH THE BROKENNESS AND BLISS OF THIS BOOK. Tycoon, this INTENSE and INCREDIBLE tale, thoroughly INTOXICATED ME. I was so DRUNK on this romance, savoring every word like smooth and sweet whiskey. I LOVED TYCOON TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!

I LIVED and BREATHED Tycoon. Its words BLED straight to my heart, leaping out of my chest, as they beat for this book. I cried happy and heartbreaking tears, as Tycoon STOLE MY SENSES, entangling around every emotion. This roller coaster of a romance owned every emotion…OWNING ALL OF ME.

My heart leapt out of my chest. My throat gulped. My pulse pounded. My smiles morphed into tears. My tears morphed into sobs. I did not expect Tycoon to TEAR ME TO SHREDS. I did not expect to FEEL ALL THE FEELS, but damn if I didn’t revel in the whirlwind of EMOTIONS THAT ENGULFED every bit of me. TYCOON both tore my heart apart yet made it soar to the sky.

Heart-stopping sexy and seductive, Tycoon is a second-chance romance—fueled by fate—that burns the body and seizes the soul. Undeniable. Unstoppable. Unputdownable. Unequivocally MINE.

“Some what ifs, some you never get to do over.”

“Sometimes you get another try.”

💋💋💋💋💋 ‘Lil Bit’ of Heart-Stopping Kisses

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He wasn’t always this rich. This hot. This difficult.

Aaric Christos was a guy who protected me. Wanted me. Maybe even loved me.

That man is gone.

In his place is the most powerful real estate tycoon in the city.

He’s a cold, ruthless, aggressive businessman.

The only one who can save me and my startup from ruin.

It takes every ounce of courage to put my pride aside and ask for his help.

I didn’t expect him to offer it easily.

And he doesn’t.

Instead, he vets me harder than he’s vetted anyone.

Don’t invest in what you don’t know, he says.

He’s assessing every piece of me, to the point I’ve never felt so bare.

I yearn for the boy I once knew, whose touch once craved me.

Putting it all on the line will be worth it, I tell myself.

Until I realize—too late—that some risks are not worth taking.

I hop off the train and walk several walks to his building.

It’s a brownstone in Park Avenue, one of the most elite of the elite spaces in town.

My lungs feel a little bit overworked from awe as I head up the steps to the double doors, grateful that I came dressed to kill in a little black dress, a jacket, and pumps. Simple, but effective.

See, I may be feeling a little awkward, but at least I don’t look it.

I’m greeted by his maid. She’s dressed in black and white, her hair drawn back in a neat bun, her expression stoic and formal as she leads me down the hall to a gorgeous study.

I catch my breath when I notice all the books and shelves.

It’s like a reader’s paradise in here. There’s a sleek chrome bar, a modern mahogany glass-topped desk, and two huge whiskey-colored leather chairs that almost swallow me up when I’m instructed to wait in one.

I drum my fingers, inhaling the scent of leather and wine, remembering a guy I knew with his mechanic navy-blue uniform, black streaks on his jaw, his big nose always the first thing you’d see, which was a pity because he had beautiful eyes and a really sinful pair of lips.

He’s living in luxury now. Wow. Good for him.

I hear footsteps approaching and the little hair on my arms prick at attention. My head turns as a tall, dark figure steps into the room, and the most intimidating guy I’ve ever seen enters and crosses the room toward the desk. He walks like he’s the shit…his strides proud and composed, elegant and powerful.

Christos, I hear myself breathe in surprise.

He’s so tall now…six three, at least. Dirty-blonde hair, gold-green eyes, chiseled jaw, and a gorgeous profile.

All in black, he looks very much a New Yorker.

He’s wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a black turtleneck beneath the jacket…

           I stare at him, my jaw hanging a little bit open. The man is….all man. Testosterone. Muscles. Height. Width. My chest hurts all of a sudden because I realize…

The boy you knew is gone.

I force myself to stand. “Thank you for seeing me.”

He heads to the bar to pour two drinks, then he prowls over, takes the whiskey leather chair across from mine and leans forward, pushing a glass of cognac with one finger across a small table, toward me.

And he waits.

In silence.

But my stomach dips as if he’d said something ultra-sexy and decadent.

“You might not remember me, I’m sorry to be reaching out like this,” I say, nervous.

“What do you want?”

There’s a pleasant shiver as he speaks. Recognition of his voice, even though it’s far deeper than I remember.

“I was told you sometimes invest in startups.”

“I’d say more than sometimes.” He raises his eyebrows as if I should’ve done my homework better.

Ugh, Bryn! Focus! Be SMART! Make yourself and your business irresistible! A silence settles as he eyes me, slowly setting his drink down as he leans forward and finally, unexpectedly, smiles. At me.

It’s just a smile.

But the world tilts under its impact.

“Hello, little bit.” Amusement touches his gaze as he tilts his head and watches me. “You know, I’d think you’d have grown up the ten-plus years since I last saw you. At least an inch.” He leans back in his seat, seemingly displeased. Wow, this guy is not the lanky kid I knew once. This guy oozes danger.

           Every ounce of “boy” is gone. Oh God. For a moment I wish that we could go back in time and I could discuss my startup with the guy I knew before.

           But time travel is not really my talent, and it seems like I have yet to see if I even have any special talents at all—depending on what this guy thinks.

“I grew two in width,” I shock myself saying.

He laughs then, his eyes drinking me in openly.

“Shame on you, you’re not trying to see if it’s true?” I ask him, frowning now.

He shrugs casually, his lips curved at the corners. “I can’t help it. Something has to have changed.”

“Why?”

“Because nothing good ever lasts. Even you, little bit.” A smile touches those unforgettable gold-green eyes.

A shiver runs through me. Because…

Christos recognized me.

“I can tell you’re as incorrigible as ever.” I shake my head, but I’m smiling, truly just relieved that he recognized me.

“I try to be,” he purrs dangerously.

I’m feeling warm all of a sudden. I can’t believe I’m staring at him so much, but it’s like I cannot take my eyes away. He looks achingly familiar, but at the same time, so different I cannot help but stare and track the differences in his features. The way his jaw squared out even more, the way his body filled out with hard, lean muscles that shift and ripple beneath his expensive designer clothes. I cannot believe that this is a guy I knew once.

He seems to silently be taking in my changes too, his keen stare allowing me to see that he seems to approve of it all. Even the dress I’m wearing. “You changed enough for the both of us,” I blurt.

“Really. How so?” he asks.

“You grew into your nose.”

“Really?” He chuckles as if despite himself.

“Width and height too. Quite a bit,” I add.

“Anything else,” he prods, one eyebrow rising.

“You learned how to dress.”

He looks down at his black suit. “This old thing?” He grins, then shifts forward, sobering up. “What can I do for you, Bryn? Considering I’m rather surprised to see you here, I’m eager for you to satiate my curiosity.” His stare becomes keen.

“So am I. I didn’t expect to be here,” I admit, and for a moment when I look into his eyes, all I see is someone I’ve seen before. Someone who belonged in my life long ago. “You know when you had that misplaced crush on me and told me one day I’d know what it felt like to throw pebbles at someone’s window wanting them to open? I’m sort of throwing rocks here.”

“Not to sing me a love song,” he says flatly, his eyes shuttering.

“No. Well, you know that was never….I mean…” Don’t bring up your rejection of him, Bryn! “It’s for something better. Business.”

“Go on.”

“I knew that’d get you.” I smile privately. “So it’s true your love is money now.”

“She gives back what I put in. Though her ass isn’t as juicy as I like,” he says nonchalantly.

“Wow. No matter how polished you look, your mouth is still as crude as ever.”

“Thank you,” he purrs, his eyes grinning at me.

I laugh. Then I sober up and realize he’s waiting for me to speak. “I’m looking for money for my startup,” I say.

“How much.”

“One hundred thousand.”

“I don’t invest less than a million.” He twirls his whiskey in his glass, eyeing the liquid.

“Well then, I’ll ask for a million.”

He raises his brows, setting his glass down. “It’s not how much you want to ask for, it’s how much the company’s worth.” Eyebrows up, he skewers me with a cold, intimidating look.

“It’ll be worth more than a million, trust me,” I bluff.

“Good for you. Except…” he leans back with a rustle of clothes, every athletic inch of his black-clad body flowing sinuously like a feline with the move, “considering that has yet to happen and I’ll need to trust you on that, my trust needs to be earned.”

This version of Christos is even more intimidating than the old one, unfortunately.

I try to hide it, keeping my voice as level as possible. “How does one earn your trust?”

“I’d tell you if I were interested, but I’m not exactly sure that I am.” He eyes me as if debating in silence.

This guy is the only guy in the world that unnerves me in this way, and I can’t seem to slow the fast pounding of my heart in my chest as I try to remember what I came here to say.

“I have a full presentation for you. I’m not taking no for an answer.” I reach into my briefcase.

“Darling. Are you ready?”

I start at the female voice and glance at a gorgeous woman striding into the study. Christos continues looking at me as he stands and reaches for the cell phone the woman extends out.

“We’re done here,” he answers her as he pockets the phone, his gaze remaining on me.

“I’ll wait for you in the car.” She leans up and kisses his jaw, her hands proprietary on his chest, then sends me a woman-to-woman claiming look, before she swishes away, all glittering jewels and lean body.

There’s a silence as he approaches, and for a second all I can hear is the sound of a toilet flushing, taking my only opportunity with a possible investor away.

“I’ll think about it,” he says.

“Christos.”

“I said I’ll think about it,” he says from the door.

“Please do,” I say as he exits the room. I cup the sides of my mouth, “I’ll be back tomorrow. Same time?” I say jokingly.

I’m surprised when I hear footsteps returning. He pauses when our eyes meet. “I’ll make contact,” he says, raising his eyebrows meaningfully, “If I’m interested in hearing more.” He nods. “Nice to see you, Bryn.”

“Nice to see you. Christos.”

Well, that went sort of awful.

 

A MUST-CLICK ROMANCE!!!

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Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.

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Salvaged by Jay Crownover

My rating: 6 of 5 stars

“Sometimes it takes a nudge to get the knight in shining armor to drop that shield he’s using to protect you.”

I end every Jay Crownover with tears streaming down my face. Sometimes those tears start early and stay etched in my eyes the whole time reading. Some move in ebbs and flows like the tide. All of my tears hit me like a hurricane: powerful, with a force I never quite see coming. That’s what Jay’s books are: heart-hitting hurricanes. Salvaged is a heartwarming and heart-wrenching hurricane, and oh did this romance RAVAGE and WRECK me.

The only way you can read a Jay Crownover book is to go ALL-IN: body…mind…heart…soul. I ditched life, took Salvaged, and made it MINE. I went FULL THROTTLE. I was ALL IN and I felt this story SEEP THROUGH MY SOUL.

There is no other author whose books I read that gives readers a GIFT, a personal chapter through the Introduction like the passion poured into Salvaged. Jay Crownover documents her writing journey of her books through their introductions that engage the readers’ emotions—feelings in full force—as much as the stories themselves. These introductions, like in Salvaged, are pieces of this author poured into her books, glimpses into what makes Jay ‘Jay,’ what hits her heart and surfaces in her soul. Life lessons are poured into these pre-book pieces, ones that make you really ponder your life. With each of Jay’s beautiful and brilliant books, I’m inspired and moved before I even start the story as I was with Salvaged.

He took something worthless and made it priceless. I couldn’t deny that there was a part of me that wanted to know if he could do the same thing with me.

I knew Poppy’s story would entangle me in a blanket of emotions where I would experience a mix of chills and heat. I knew her story would be a battle of feels, one I would feel with every ounce of me. I just didn’t expect to FEEL SO MUCH. Watching Poppy morph from an awkward duckling into a confident swan was a beautiful journey of self-discovery and healing from a life of hell.

I knew it was selfish and that I was walking on very dangerous ground, but I couldn’t stay away. She was hiding and I was seeking.

Wheeler is the perfect man: gorgeous, inked, compassionate, thoughtful, protective, and sexy. He is not Jay’s usual broken hero. Wheeler, a beauty inside and out, is the perfect knight-in-shining armor who knows when to wield his shield and go to battle for those who matter.

“I saw you, Poppy. When I had no right and no reason to be looking, I saw you.”

I MELTED into a puddle of goo.

Poppy and Wheeler are WARRIORS, a BEAUTIFUL build-up of strength and colliding souls. Both Poppy and Wheeler have broken pasts. A lone wolf seeks acceptance. A battered lamb seeks strength. Both seek love. Poppy and Wheeler are made for each other and I loved their journey of growth.

“I see you, Wheeler. Even when I wasn’t looking, I saw you.”

I MELTED even more.

Wheeler and Poppy brought each other back to life while Salvaged BROUGHT ME TO LIFE. This story grabbed my heart, holding it in its grasp, as it delved deep into my soul.

“When I didn’t know anything or believed in myself, I believed in you.”

I MELTED until I couldn’t melt anymore.

Salvaged, this SLOW BURN of a romance seeped into my soul, hitting my heart hard like a hurricane, and I FELT EVERY WORD…EVERYTHING. Salvaged is a splash of sun on top of a storm. Salvaged is strength and salvation after the hardest fought battle of and with life. Salvaged is EVERYTHING, and I LOVED THIS STORY HARD!!!

Jay Crownover takes you on an incredible journey with each book, and oh was Salvaged a heart-wrenching, heart-healing, and heartwarming HIGH. Salvaged left its mark, a mark that has lifted this story to a top 2017 read. Salvaged was my SOUL STORM, a hurricane of heart-wielding words that made me yield to every one.

I just can’t turn the feels left in the wake of Hurricane Jay off from Salvaged and I don’t want to; I want to keep living through her wondrous words that are LOVE AND LIFE. My heart is forever imprinted with Jay’s passionate and poignant words that pierce every part of me every time. That ‘Crownover Crack’, my term for Jay’s addicting words, coined after Rule was born, is my drug for life. This author writes MY KRYPTONITE. I’ll never stop chasing Jay’s words and hungering for more.

💋💋💋💋💋💋 sweet and strong ‘honey’ kisses

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Hudson Wheeler is a nice guy. Everyone knows it, including his fiancée who left him with a canceled wedding and a baby on the way. He’s tired of finishing last and is ready to start living in the moment with nights soaked in whiskey, fast cars, and even faster girls. He’s set to start living on the edge, but when he meets Poppy Cruz, her sad eyes in the most gorgeous face he’s ever seen hook him in right away. Wheeler can see Poppy’s pain and all he wants to do is take care of her and make her smile, whatever it takes. 

Poppy can’t remember a time when she didn’t see strangers as the enemy. After a lifetime of being hurt from the men who swore to protect her, Poppy’s determined to keep herself safe by keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Wheeler’s sexy grin and rough hands from hours restoring classic cars shouldn’t captivate her, but every time she’s with him, she can’t help being pulled closer to him. Though she’s terrified to trust again, Poppy soon realizes it might hurt even more to shut Wheeler out—and the intense feelings pulsing through her are making it near impossible to resist him. 

The only thing Poppy is sure of is that her heart is in need of some serious repair, and the more time she spends with Wheeler, the more she’s convinced he’s the only man with the tools to fix it.

I didn’t want her to be scared of anything ever again.

Things at home had been rocky, rougher than class-five rapids in winter, but I was paddling for my life and prepared to ride it out. I couldn’t let go. I wouldn’t let go. I saw Poppy the day she walked through my shop and I started to feel how sore my hands and my heart were from holding on.

Her head was down, focused on the tips of her shoes. Her shoulders were hunched over and her long hair hid her face. She was skinny, so skinny, nothing but skin and bones. She was nothing that I should have noticed, not because she was clearly doing everything in her power to be invisible, but because I was supposed to have my eyes locked on my future and doing whatever I could do to salvage it. But I did notice her and I couldn’t look away once I did.

She was obviously terrified, clearly out of her element and uncomfortable, but it wasn’t her unease that called to me…it was her loneliness. I could feel it filling up the space that separated us. Stretching, growing, expanding until it was all I was breathing in and exhaling back out. It was bitter on my tongue and heavy across my skin because I knew the feeling well. I lived with it pressing me down and pushing me forward every minute of every day. The reason I was so set on the way things had to be, the reason I was singlemindedly set on settling down and building a life with the girl that was slipping through my fingers was because I never again wanted to be as alone as this girl was. I didn’t want to be left and forgotten. I’d barely survived it the first time.

I did my best to sell her a car that was as beautiful as she was…a classic with clean lines and a flawless finish. She picked something practical and boring but that was ultimately safe and reliable. I understood her choice but it grated and annoyed me long after she left the shop. When she wasn’t standing in front of me, she should have been easy to forget; after all, everything in front of me, everything I had been working for and toward, was falling down in front of my eyes. My world was collapsing in on itself and everything I thought I was so goddamn sure about turned out to be nothing more than lies and illusions. In the middle of all of it, I couldn’t forget her sad eyes and shivering, shaking form. Her loneliness clung to me, unshakable and unforgettable. I didn’t think I would see her again and against my better judgment I often found myself wondering how she was doing and if she had gotten a handle on all the things that seemed to be crushing her under their inescapable weight.

I was wrong about seeing her again, just like I was wrong about thinking that doing everything in my life differently from how my mother had lived hers would ensure my happiness and a future built on an unshakeable foundation. I was wrong about hard work and sacrifice being enough. I was wrong about holding on when what I was holding on to desperately wanted me to let go. All I was left with was bleeding palms, rope burns around my heart and scars on my soul.

The next time I saw Poppy Cruz it was my loneliness that was filling up the space, suffocating me, choking me, making me forget to handle her with care. I was nothing more than a vast, open wound. One that was raw, aching, throbbing, and leaking my heart and shattered emotions out everywhere. I felt like I’d lost everything, like my entire life had been nothing but a waste of time, nothing more than building blocks knocked over with the swipe of a careless hand. The girl I loved didn’t love me back, my future was ultimately nothing more than a fuzzy, fractured blur. I couldn’t see anything clearly other than waste and ruin.

But I saw her. And I saw that I scared her.

It was the last thing I wanted to do but my loneliness was just as big and just as consuming as hers was. It spread out, hungry and angry, looking to consume anyone that might try and challenge its reign.

I tried to pull myself together, apologized because I knew our paths would cross again now that she lived next door to my best friend. I didn’t want to be another man that she was terrified of. I locked the loneliness down, wrestled it into submission, and tried to quiet down the wild inside of me that was howling, screaming at the loss of its mate. I wanted to be nothing more than gnashing teeth and tearing claws but I swallowed those instincts and allowed myself to be like a kicked puppy that just wanted to whimper and cry.

Poppy had been through more than I could imagine. She was the one I couldn’t look away from, but even then, she managed to slip past me and disappear. She looked like honey but she moved like a ghost. I memorized everything about her even though she hardly let me see her face.

I wasn’t supposed to be looking at anything other than how to salvage the mess my life was in, but she was all I could see.

A MUST-CLICK ROMANCE!!! 

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Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her dogs.

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Oh, Officer Kelly… you can arrest me anytime that you want. I do mean anytime.

I cannot say how much I enjoyed this book! I laughed until my sides hurt. I swooned and fanned myself regularly while I was reading. Chase Kelly is the hottest, yummiest cop around. And dirty. He is just so dirty! That made this book even more fun to read. It’s no wonder that they call him Officer Good Times. But times for Chase are a’changing.

We meet Livia Ward when she is at the beginning of a personal crisis – in a year she will be 30, and of course, life ends at the ripe old age of 30. As lucky would have it that morning, Livia meets police officer Chase Kelly under some rather unusual circumstances. Still the attraction between is instant and Chase wants nothing more than to give Livia the naughty librarian the Kelly Trio. Sex the alpha Kelly way. No strings attached. When Livia presents Chase with a proposition of her own that will fulfill both their needs, Chase figures why not have his cake and eat it too? These two certainly were not expecting their relationship to take the turn that it does. It’s a month filled with dirty words, broken rules and the most incredible action packed sexual adventure of their lives. It’s also a month filled with revelations, insecurities, and fears. Could it be that Chase must finally face that he doesn’t want just to be known for his sexual prowess and is finally ready to reach for something more?

I liked Livia so much. There were plenty of moments that I cheered her on and then wanted to shake her. Livia wants things to go in an orderly fashion. She’s made a plan and will stick to it come what may. What was she thinking when she thought that Chase would fit into her plans so easily and then be discarded? He changes her, excites her and moves her like no one else has done before. It was fun watching the stiff, straight laced lady become the passionate risk taker at the hands of Chase Kelly.

Laurelin and Sierra have created some awesome stories together. This was a joy to climb into! An absolute scorcher that I didn’t want to end. The laughs and sexy banter between Livia and Chase kept me coming back for more. Hot Cop is so well written and has just the right amount of angst, humor and yes, filthy moments. It’s playful, sinful and thoughtful. I loved it. Well done, ladies. Very well done!

5 Handcuffed Stars!

From NYT Bestselling Author, Laurelin Paige and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sierra Simone comes a steamy contemporary romantic follow-up to last year’s bestseller P*rn Star.

You have the right to remain sexy.

Anything you say can and will be used to get you in my bed.

You have the right to use my body to give yourself a delirious, life-changing orgasm.

If you have trouble…don’t worry, I’m a bit of an expert in that department.

There’s nothing ‘thin’ about my blue line, if you catch my drift, and trust me, I know how to put those handcuffs to good use.

***

Livia Ward wants a baby before she’s thirty.  And even though Officer Chase Kelly is exactly the kind of cocky jerk this librarian has sworn off, he is undeniably hot.  Both of them think they can give each other what they want–a few nights of fun for Officer Kelly, a no-strings baby for Livia–but this hot cop is about to learn that sex, babies, and love don’t always play by the rules.

I’m at the steakhouse fifteen minutes early, which is on time in Chase Kelly’s book.  I’ve never been late for work or a date a single time in my life; in fact, I’ve always been early, which is a point of pride for me.  And Livia walks in at seven on the dot, something that endears me to her immensely, although the moment I register that I, Officer Kelly, am charmed, my mind goes blank.

Just blank.

There is nothing but her.

She walks in on heels that make her legs a mile long, her long hair down in a tumult of soft waves.  The maître d’ helps her take off her checkered wool coat, and then I.

Am.

Speechless.

My heart hammers up in my throat as the blood pools deep in my groin.  She’s wearing a bright red dress—so fucking short that I’d be able to finger her easily if we were in a booth, which we tragically aren’t.  The red sets off the warm undertones of her bronze skin, highlights the deep brown of her eyes.  The lines of it hug the delectable curves of her tits, which are just small enough that she can get away without wearing a bra.

My cock thickens as she begins walking toward me, and I can verify that she is definitely not wearing a bra.  Oh God, what if she’s not wearing panties either?

I bite back a groan and push back my chair to greet her as she comes to our table, tugging the hem of my sweater down in one smooth move as I unfold myself to help disguise the effect her presence has on me.

As I step forward to greet her, I notice the color high in her cheeks and the way her teeth dig into the soft coral of her bottom lip.

She looks nervous.

That gives me pause.  I don’t mind a woman meeting me cold or shy or overly eager, I don’t even mind a case of the first date jitters—since first dates are pretty much all I go on, I see a lot of those.

But nervous—truly nervous—that bothers me a little.  Do I make her feel unsafe?  Is it my size?  My job?

In a split second, I change gears.  I can be patient when it comes to the Kelly Trio, and I find that the idea of wooing my nervous little librarian on date after date doesn’t sound tiresome at all…it sounds delightful, actually.  A challenge.  A test to see if I’m worthy enough to remove all traces of trepidation from her face and fill her expression with eagerness and surrender instead.

And get more time with this fierce, sweet bookworm all to myself.

I lean in to kiss her cheek, careful to angle our bodies so that I don’t press against her with six feet, two hundred pounds of hungry cop.  Instead, I anchor her with a firm hand at her elbow, pleased to feel the goose bumps that spread underneath my touch.  And then I brush my lips against her cheek, making sure she can feel them, making sure she gets just the tiniest brush of my scruff as I accidentally-on-purpose slide my jaw against hers as I pull away.

She shivers.

I look down into her eyes as I straighten up, and I’m suddenly aware that I’m supporting a lot of weight in my hand, as if her knees are weak from my kiss.

Well done, Officer Good Times!

Her eyes are wide, the pupils so blown and her irises so dark that her eyes are just huge liquid wells of want, and I feel a familiar tug in my groin knowing that I put that look there.

“I forget how big you are,” she murmurs, her head tilted up to look into my face.

I give her my biggest grin and open my mouth, but she cuts me off before I can say it, shaking her head.  “I know, I know.  I walked right into that one.”

But the ghost of a smile flits across her lips as I help her into her seat and push in her chair.

When I sit across from her and we start looking at our menus, I notice the smile has vanished and the nervous look is back, along with a determined set to her shoulders.  The combination of uneasiness and backbone intrigues and worries me at the same time.

“I don’t know what Megan told you,” I say, “but I don’t bite.”

She looks up from the menu, her teeth back to digging into the plump flesh of her bottom lip.

“Well,” I amend, staring at her mouth, “sometimes I do bite.  But only when I really, really want to.”

Read Today!

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About Laurelin:

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

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About Sierra Simone:

Sierra Simone is a former librarian who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk. She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

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When I read the blurb and learned the concept of this anthology, I knew that not only would I love it, I would devour it! This is truly unique from the mind of the amazing Jana Aston. Six incredible authors, one share blurb. Six absolutely fantastic stories that I have just blown me away!

I ended up having two favorites from the anthology. Ainsley Booth’s Personal Escort and Liv Morris’s Wall Street Station were similar to each other but so different in their interpretation of the blurb. Both were stories of best friends to lovers, younger women with older men… a good bit older. Ainsley’s story was full of laughs and light hearted moments. Liv’s story was a bit darker and more a story of overcoming a past that went from light to total darkness. Both stories are without fail absolutely brilliant

In Personal Escort, Toby Hunt gets his love story. We briefly met Toby in Ainsley’s newsletter serial Personal Delivery (sigh…. Jake). Toby is a billionaire and best friends with Ben Russo and his younger sister, Cara. Toby has always had a soft spot for her, felt the need to protect her. But now Cara has found herself in a bit of a predicament thanks to her meddling grandmother. Meddling but well meaning. So when she needs a “husband”, Cara turns to the one man that she knows she can always depend on – Toby. He is her best friend, right? Watching these two best friends try to fight what steadily grows between them was delightful! They were playful and funny but sensual and sinful, as well. Cara may be younger but she knows what she wants. Toby may be older but he’s never felt more alive than when he’s talking to, sharing with and loving his best friend.

In Wall Street Station, Liv Morris introduces us to Seraphina and Seth. Seth has been hired as a lawyer to Seraphina’s family. Meeting on the beach on the 4th of July when Sera was 18, Seth is enamoured from the first sight of Sera. Oh, the surprise at finding out the same beautiful creature who he shared a tender moment with is actually now his responsibility. Fast forward three years and life for Seraphina and her family has been filled with pain, loss and tragedy. Seth has done what he could to support the 21 year old. All the while, his feelings growing for a young woman he knows he shouldn’t have feelings for. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Seraphina must use her talents to make ends meet. Seth stole my heart with his protective alpha nature, his genuine heart and his need to make Seraphina the center of his world. Seraphina is the definition of strength under enormouse pressure, grace even in the wake of such a hurtful turn in her life. Their story is worth the read and I fell into it with my heart in my throat!

This anthology was simply stunning! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to get through to the next station. Full of laughs, tears… moments that made me joyful and see how powerful just one blurb in the hands of six talented ladies can truly be! My hat’s off to you, awesome authors! Tremendously wonderful job well done!

Five Wedding Dress Kisses!

 

You know those people that have a house full of motivational slogans? Embrace Every Moment, stamped on their coffee mugs. Always Kiss Me Goodnight painted above their perfectly made beds.

I’m not one of those people.

This morning I overslept, then slipped on a stray sock and banged my toe into the nightstand. The elevator in my building broke and I had to run down six flights of stairs. And then my local coffee shop was closed. For health code violations.

What’s that? Not the end of the world? You want me to suck it up?

Did I mention I’m wearing a wedding dress… on the subway?

It’s a Good Day for a Hot Mess.

Someone embroider that on a pillow.