Laurel’s head snaps up and I’m mesmerized by how beautiful her eyes are… a dark denim blue, which reminds me of the night sky just before pitch-black sets in. They widen, pupils flaring for a heartbeat, and her mouth parts slightly. It’s like she’s trying to figure out why on earth I just materialized in front of her.
And now is the moment.
I brace myself for recognition.
For disaster.
I have no clue if Laurel has ever tried to look me up. I don’t even know if she likes me enough to have wasted the energy. It would not have been easy, and she would’ve had to dive deep to make the connection between William Elliott and Kace Elliott. But she’s also a smart cookie and I’m ready for that possibility.
She studies me harder—eyes flicking occasionally to my hairline, to my jaw, then back to my eyes. It’s a deep perusal and I wonder if she likes what she sees.
“You know…,” she says slowly, “I’m pretty sure you’re not following the rotation rules of speed dating.”
I grin with relief because she has no clue who I am, either as William or Kace. “I think the rules are more like… guidelines.”
She stares, trying not to smile, but fails. Just a little curve of her lips, but it’s there. “I’m pretty sure rules are rules.”
“And somebody somewhere is saying rules are made to be broken,” I quip.
She tilts her head. “Are you a rule breaker?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “On the contrary, I’m an absolute rule follower. Rules are there for a reason because they’re safe, predictable and offer comfort.”
“Yet you didn’t follow the rotation rules,” she points out.
“Beautiful woman exception.” I offer a smile that shows the dimple in my right cheek. “Everyone knows about that one.”
Cormac Kelly was my first best friend…and he broke my heart before I even knew it was his to break.
Every summer of my childhood belonged to Sugar Brush, Wyoming and the boy with pale blue eyes who knew all my secrets. We spent those long, golden days running wild across his family’s ranch, covered in dirt and convinced nothing would ever change.
But things do change. And somewhere along the way, my first best friend became a stranger.
Then the night before my wedding, I accidentally overheard what Cormac really thought of me, pushing me into making the worst decision of my life.
Three years later, I’m divorced and back in Sugar Brush for the summer, working as an outdoor adventure guide and hoping this will be the fresh start I need.
But Cormac still lives on the ranch. And he’s impossible to avoid.
He’s there when I need help. When I need a steady hand. And the gentle way he looks at me now doesn’t match the cruel words I heard him say that night.
The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever walked away from each other.
When one unexpected kiss sparks a passion neither of us saw coming, I start to question everything I thought I knew.
Did I misunderstand the night that changed everything?
Did we let the best thing in our lives slip away?
And more importantly…how can I let myself fall for Cormac when we both know this summer is all the time we have?
I came to Huckleberry Springs to regroup—not to flash a cowboy while rescuing some strays from a ditch.
Haven Hennessy is everything I don’t want anyway: A man who puts himself first. A man who’d rather have fun than face commitment. A man who can charm a girl right out of a good decision. So he can kiss my red lace panties goodbye the moment I figure out how to ditch this town.
Yet he takes in the puppy and three kittens I rescue from the side of the road. He’s loyal to his brothers and his company. And he makes it his mission to give me new experiences, like fly-fishing, horseback rides, and getting naked in a tack room.
My stay in this small Montana town is only supposed to be temporary until I can launch a new career. Am I as wrong about that as I am about Haven? Because he makes me feel something no one else ever has: wanted.
But the more I get to know Haven, the more I realize I was right all along. Haven doesn’t let people in. Not fully. Not when he’s spent his whole life being left behind. So when my dream opportunity finally manifests, I have to leave before I break all my rules and my own heart in the process. I don’t dare fall for his whiskey charm.
Lee Orrico is stuck. The family he depended on to care for his daughter since he lost his wife is moving on and moving out. Having his best friend Stella become his live-in nanny while he works as the team chiropractor for the Brooklyn Bats seems like the right idea. Until the combination of close quarters and cozy nights ignites an attraction that Lee never saw coming.
After years on the road in a job she never liked and a messy breakup, Stella Parker is ready to come back to Brooklyn to make it a real home for herself, not just a pit stop. Moving in with Lee to help care for his adorable daughter is the perfect temporary solution…except it means moving in with the man she’s always been secretly in love with.
Her once-forbidden love for her best friend was always just a one-sided fantasy, but the lingering touches, long looks, and almost kisses make her start to wonder if this love isn’t so unrequited anymore.
The passion between Lee and Stella is undeniable. But Lee isn’t sure he can love again – he barely survived the loss of it the first time.
Still, the heart he didn’t think would beat for anyone else… wants Stella.
And Stella has always wanted Lee. The question is, does Lee really love her back?
Or is she just a pinch hitter for the real love of his life?
Angela Casella lives in Asheville, North Carolina in an almost-one-hundred-year-old house with her daughter, two dogs, and an ever-changing number of fish. She worked as a developmental editor for years, both as a freelancer and at Random House in NYC before she started writing (inspired by her friend and frequent co-author Denise Grover Swank!). Now, it’s become an addiction, and she’d rather not be cured, thank you very much.
She comes from a loud Italian American family, so she basically has a phD in bickering…er…banter.
Their secret fake relationship began with a little white lie…
Nora
My ginger beer brewery is, quite literally, my life.
Unfortunately, my male business partner’s new fiancée is insanely jealous. It’s only a matter of time before she forces him to quit, which means we’ll both lose the business we love.
So I ask him what will get her to back down.
A boyfriend.
I make one up, telling her it’s too early to introduce him, which works right up until she walks in on a heated private conversation between me and Cormac, my soon-to-be stepbrother.
She comes to a wild conclusion: the reason I’m keeping my boyfriend secret is because it’s him.
I know I should set her straight. Cormac is the last person I’d ever date, and not just because our parents are about to get married. He’s awkward, introverted, and has the people skills of a houseplant.
But I’m desperate enough to tell the worst lie ever.
Cormac
Nora makes me an offer any sane man would refuse.
She wants me to be her secret fake boyfriend–an act that only has to work on two people.
In exchange, she promises to help me brush up my dating skills.
It doesn’t seem like much of a bargain, to be honest. She’s been prickly since high school and isn’t much of a charmer herself, but I agree because I’ve promised my father I’ll try to get along with her.
But the more time Nora and I spend together, the more I realize that I’d like our secret fake relationship to be real.
**A standalone romcom in the Babes of Brewing series.**
Note: There are TWO different versions of this romcom:
1) A spicy open door version with some strong language and sex scenes
2) A closed door version with mild language and only kissing.
USA TODAY bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team—the Sharks!—are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys. She lives in Northern California.
To find out about Elise Faber’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here
Ranch stories. College stories. Conference planning ideas.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, I realize something unsettling.
I’m enjoying myself.
More than I should.
Because the truth is … I shouldn’t be here with her. Talking about personal things.
Getting distracted by the way candlelight catches in the silky strands of her hair.
My brain keeps reminding me of the line I shouldn’t cross.
She’s young. And she works for me.
This should be professional. Strictly professional.
But every time she laughs … or leans forward excitedly to explain something … or pushes her hair behind her ear …
That line starts to blur.
I take a sip of bourbon.
Focus.
“So,” I say, shifting the conversation, “can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“That tattoo.”
Her fork pauses halfway to her mouth. “What tattoo?”
“The one above your collarbone.”
Her eyes widen.
Way to keep things professional.
“How did you …”
“I saw a little of it. Your first day.”
She looks confused.
“The white sweater,” I remind her.
Understanding dawns.
“Oh. Right.” She laughs softly. “I didn’t realize it was visible until it was too late.”
“Just the edge. I couldn’t really make it out.”
She studies me curiously. There’s a brief pause in conversation. Then something mischievous sparks in her eyes.
“Well …”
She reaches for the buttons of her blouse.
My brain short-circuits.
“Harleigh—”
But she’s already unbuttoning the top three.
Then she slips her right arm out of the sleeve. The fabric falls away from her shoulder. And suddenly, the tattoo is fully visible.
Black ink curls across her skin in elegant script, running from the top of her shoulder toward her throat.
My mouth goes dry as I read the words.
She’s not just a fire.
She’s wildfire.
Geezus.
The curve of the lettering follows the line of her collarbone perfectly.
My eyes track it before I can stop myself.
She watches me read it.
Unapologetic.
“Do you like it?” she asks.
I clear my throat. “It’s, um … yeah.”
She grins. Then she slides her arm back into the sleeve and begins buttoning her blouse again, like she didn’t just completely derail my ability to think.
“What does it mean?” I ask.
She shrugs.
“I was born premature. On April Fools’ Day. Making me an Aries. The fire sign. My mom used to joke that I came into the world like a wildfire.” She taps her shoulder, where the tattoo sits beneath the fabric. “She started calling me Wildfire.”
I study her. That’s definitely not the answer I was expecting. I figured it was some silly quote she’d picked out of a binder in a tattoo parlor.
“It fits you,” I say, my voice sounding hoarse.
She blushes slightly.
Which surprises me. Because Harleigh Storm doesn’t seem like the type to blush easily.
“What about you? Any hidden ink?”
“I have a few.”
“Really? Where?”
For a beat, the air between us feels … charged.
Blurb:
I grew up on Wildhaven Storm Ranch, raised on hard work, determination, and tradition. Now I’m fresh out of college and chasing a dream that feels just out of reach—working at the historic Belicourt Resort Hotel while trying to convince my oldest sister, Matty, to let me turn part of our family land into a guest ranch and spa.
The Belicourt has a long-standing reputation for being haunted—full of whispered legends, unexplained sightings, and guests who swear they’re not alone in its halls. I think it’s charming. Mysterious. Marketable. My new boss, Porter Garrison, doesn’t agree. He’s all rules, rigid schedules, and closed doors, and he’d much rather I stick to spreadsheets than old legends and small-town folklore.
But I see potential in the past—in the stories people tell. And behind his cool, controlled exterior and expensive suit, I see the man beneath—the cowboy full of fire and buried passion he’s trying desperately to hide.
Maybe the hotel isn’t the only thing haunted. Maybe some dreams are worth fighting family for. And maybe, after the storm, we both need something to believe in—especially each other.
From International bestselling author Maggie Cole comes a morally gray psychological romance where boundaries are temptation, ethics are foreplay, and a dangerously perceptive woman sets her stalker sights on her therapist.
My parents made me see a therapist for stalking.
They thought Dr. Red Mercer would cure me. They assumed he would teach me restraint, discipline, and distance. What they didn’t count on was the way his gaze lingers too long, like he’s undressing the truth instead of treating it. Or how his voice tightens every time I say exactly what I’m thinking.
He says boundaries. I hear an invitation.
He says ethics. I see a man begging not to want me.
I’m not spiraling. I’m precise. I know where he draws the line and exactly how to leap over it.
Red calls my fixation a disorder.
I call it fate already in motion.
This is my version of the sessions.
And no matter how hard he fights it, I’ll strip away his control until Dr. Red Mercer admits what we both know.
He was never meant to resist me.
Resisting Blue is book one of the Beautiful Delusions Duet. See Authors Note inside the book for trigger warnings.
Maggie Cole is committed to bringing her readers alphalicious book boyfriends and fiercely strong heroines.
She’s been called the literary master of steamy romance. Her books are full of raw emotion, suspense, and will always keep you wanting more. She is a masterful storyteller of contemporary romance and loves writing about broken people who rise above the ashes.
Maggie lives in Florida with her son. She loves tennis, yoga, paddleboarding, boating, other water activities, and everything naughty.
Her current series were written in the order below:
All In (Stand alones with entwined characters)
It’s Complicated (Stand alones with entwined characters)
Brooks Family Saga (Read in order)
Behind Closed Doors (Read in order)
Mafia Wars (Stand alones with interconnecting plot and entwined characters)
Mafia Wars New York (Stand alones with interconnecting plot and entwined characters)
Blue needs to claim power in whichever way that she can and that includes her one-sided obsession with another man. It is for this reason that she finds herself a patient of Dr. Mercer’s who is tasked with trying to help her mitigate the compulsive sides of her personality only for her to change direction to him.
Red is a therapist who believes he knows what to expect when it comes to his new patient, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. She is tempting in ways he never expected and the solid division that should be between them begin to get blurred that is rocking both their worlds.
The depth of these characters is captivating and the resolve of Blue at odds with the struggle that Red is feelings between his personal feelings and his professional responsibilities that leaves us wanting more.
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
I grew up on Wildhaven Storm Ranch, raised on hard work, determination, and tradition. Now I’m fresh out of college and chasing a dream that feels just out of reach—working at the historic Belicourt Resort Hotel while trying to convince my oldest sister, Matty, to let me turn part of our family land into a guest ranch and spa.
The Belicourt has a long-standing reputation for being haunted—full of whispered legends, unexplained sightings, and guests who swear they’re not alone in its halls. I think it’s charming. Mysterious. Marketable. My new boss, Porter Garrison, doesn’t agree. He’s all rules, rigid schedules, and closed doors, and he’d much rather I stick to spreadsheets than old legends and small-town folklore.
But I see potential in the past—in the stories people tell. And behind his cool, controlled exterior and expensive suit, I see the man beneath—the cowboy full of fire and buried passion he’s trying desperately to hide.
Maybe the hotel isn’t the only thing haunted. Maybe some dreams are worth fighting family for. And maybe, after the storm, we both need something to believe in—especially each other.
Cormac Kelly was my first best friend…and he broke my heart before I even knew it was his to break.
Every summer of my childhood belonged to Sugar Brush, Wyoming and the boy with pale blue eyes who knew all my secrets. We spent those long, golden days running wild across his family’s ranch, covered in dirt and convinced nothing would ever change.
But things do change. And somewhere along the way, my first best friend became a stranger.
Then the night before my wedding, I accidentally overheard what Cormac really thought of me, pushing me into making the worst decision of my life.
Three years later, I’m divorced and back in Sugar Brush for the summer, working as an outdoor adventure guide and hoping this will be the fresh start I need.
But Cormac still lives on the ranch. And he’s impossible to avoid.
He’s there when I need help. When I need a steady hand. And the gentle way he looks at me now doesn’t match the cruel words I heard him say that night.
The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever walked away from each other.
When one unexpected kiss sparks a passion neither of us saw coming, I start to question everything I thought I knew.
Did I misunderstand the night that changed everything?
Did we let the best thing in our lives slip away?
And more importantly…how can I let myself fall for Cormac when we both know this summer is all the time we have?
R.C. Stephens has revealed the covers for Embers and Echoes!
Releasing April 29, 2026
Coming to Maple Valley was supposed to be temporary.
Work the summer on the orchard. Keep my head down. Find answers about the best friend I lost years ago.
Simple.
Until I met my boss.
Asher Thorne is everything I should stay away from–gruff, protective, and impossible to ignore. He’s an MMA fighter chasing his next big win.
A man who’s spent his life moving from town to town, never staying long enough for anything or anyone to matter.
The orchard is the only thing anchoring him here. And he’s made one thing clear from the start.
Mixing business with pleasure is a terrible idea.
Too bad avoiding him is impossible. Not when the way he looks at me makes my pulse trip. And not when one kiss from him makes me want things I’ve never wanted before.
Falling for him was never part of the plan.
But the closer I get to the truth about my friend’s disappearance, the more Asher insists I stop digging.
Because Maple Valley has secrets. And someone wants the past to stay buried. But I came here looking for answers.
I never expected to find the one man who could derail my plans.
Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 