The dangerous part was not how hard he was to get past.
It was how safe he made it feel to stay.
Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Hope Mazzola returns to the ice with the next installment in her Shots on Goal: MN Frosthawks series – where love does not erase the past, and moving forward might be the bravest play of all.
Harry Vestergaard has built an entire career out of being impossible to get through.
The Minnesota Frosthawks’ veteran goalie is calm in the crease, brutal under pressure, and stubborn enough to make the whole league regret taking a shot at him. But his body is starting to betray him. His career is closer to the end than the beginning. And for the first time in his life, Harry is not sure what comes next when the game stops loving him back.
Then he meets Konstantina Pappas.
A second-grade teacher. A widow. A single mom doing her best to raise a little boy who is terrified that moving forward means forgetting the father he lost.
Tina is not looking for a love story.
She already had one.
She had the husband. The family. The forever.
But Harry is not easy to dismiss. He is steady when he should be intimidating. Gentle when no one is watching. Patient with Tina’s heart and careful with her son’s. And when seven-year-old Theo starts letting Harry into his small, carefully built world of LEGOs, firehouse patches, and memories he is scared to lose, Tina realizes the most dangerous thing about Harry Vestergaard is not how hard he is to get past.
It is how safe he makes it feel to stay.
Harry knows he cannot replace the man Tina loved.
He would never try.
But loving Tina means learning there might be life after loss.
Loving Theo means understanding some saves do not happen on the ice.
And loving them both might be the one thing that finally teaches the Frosthawks’ brick wall how to let something in.
Brick Wall #30 features:
Widowed single mom romance
Aging goalie hero
Second-grade teacher heroine
Instant attraction with emotional depth
Found family
Soft, steady love after loss
A little boy who slowly trusts
A hero who never tries to replace the man who came before him
And one elderly profanity parrot who absolutely should not be trusted in public
About the Author:
Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Hope Mazzola is a Florida native now happily rooted in North Carolina with her loving husband and two lazy basset hounds. After several years away from publishing, she has returned to the romance world with a renewed passion for storytelling and a bold, reimagined vision for her Shots on Goal universe. She writes every flavor of contemporary romance— from steamy rom-coms to gritty biker tales to emotional, heart-thumping sports love stories.
🥅Review🥅 Harry is a professional goaltender with the Frosthawks who is taking a new look at his life as he approaches the end of the career he devoted his life to. He never expected that clarity to come during a visit to the plant store when he has an unforgettable meeting with Tiny and her son Theo.
Tina and her son Theo are still healing from the passing of her husband and his father a few years earlier. She is surrounded by family and friends and wasn’t looking for love or romance however when Harry comes into her life he just wants to be with them and allows them to set the pace and place that he has in their lives.
This is a heartwarming story about healing from the past and finding a path forward that includes fun, family and an enchanting romance that is filled with so much emotion as Harry shows them that opening their hearts to love doesn’t mean forgetting the past.
Series: The Last Best Place for Love Book #8 Author: Giulia Lagomarsino
Genre: Small Town Romance
Tropes: Opposites Attract; Alpha Hero; Emotional Scars; A Doozy of a Secret; Willing to Risk Everything for Her
Release Date: November 9, 2026
Cover Design: Artscandare
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
I’d risked a lot in my life because of my job.
Pedos? Eliminated.
Cheating spouses? They always seemed to have an accident.
People who couldn’t pay their dues? Well, they needed to be taught a lesson.
The list went on and on, and I’d never once cared about the sacrifice I was making.
Until her.
Feisty, funny as hell, cute as a button…
But that all changed the night of the fire.
The night I ran in and nearly died for her.
Hell, she nearly died.
It was sheer luck that she survived that night. By all accounts, she should have died.
And that should have been my wakeup call, my chance to turn it all around.
But my life was not my own, and if she ever found out, it would be the end of whatever this was between us.
I’m no good for her, but I never wanted to change my life as much as the night I heard her Whisper My Name.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon Review – “Asher & Cheyenne – a stalker romance with a twist you never see coming!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review – “This book was funny, scary, and traumatizing in all the BEST ways! Is it love or stalking? With Archer and Cheyenne, who the heck knows! 🤣 These two bring the tears, the laughs, and all the feels. Another fantastic addition to the series! ❤️”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review – “This book has it all. Obsessive love….Danger….This story is a whopper!…… For me, this probably ranks up there in the top five of Giulia Lagomarsino’s books.”
I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
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🎉Review🎉
Archer has feelings for Cheyenne but rather than be an active participant in her life he chooses to watch her from the shadows content with that until he finds out she is danger. He may have saved her from one threatening situation, but he also knows that it won’t end there and he will do whatever is necessary to keep her safe.
Cheyenne may have been rescued by Archer but the emotional turmoil that she feels hasn’t diminished. She feels a connection for him and is conflicted by the way he keeps pushing her away and by what he isn’t telling her.
Cheyenne’s and Archer’s journey finds the perfect balance between suspense, emotion, humor and will have you invested in them finding their way to each other. As always the camaraderie between the secondary characters is so much fun to experience.
Now leader of the First Hunger, Drake, the patchwork sorcerer, is sent an ultimatum by an emmisary of an old enemy.
The Crimson King is back it seems, and gunning for Ambrose Drake, forcing him to return to the Hallowed World or risk the obliteration of his people.
What follows is a bizzare rollercoaster wherein Drake and his companions are sent to end the Crimson King once and for all, but find much more than they bargained for.
Grace Hamilton thought she had it all right up until the moment her life fell apart. Betrayed by the man she trusted, Grace’s only choice is to return to the one place she spent her childhood trying to escape. Wattle Creek. She knows it’s not forever, just a chance to reset and figure out the next step.
Cole Flanigan is enjoying the simple life. One he earned on the back of a decorated military career; he now spends his days tending cattle and taking advantage of the peace and quiet on his ranch. But the moment he finds Grace crying and bleeding on the side of the road, everything changes.
Could it be that the last thing these two want is exactly what they need… each other?
He studies monsters. She shares DNA with one. Now they’re hunting a copycat killer determined to finish what her twin brother started.
As a former rescue squad firefighter, Dallas Garrity knows danger when he sees it. As the newest behavioral analyst for the Remington Police Department, he knows evil when he sees it, too. When a body turns up with all the signatures of the city’s most notorious serial killer, Dallas knows he must break the case and bring Ezekial Murphy’s copycat killer to justice.
He just never expected he’d have to work with the one person who almost broke him to do it. Wren is rapier sharp. A highly dedicated police officer. Passionate. Fierce. Gorgeous.
She’s also Ezekial Murphy’s twin sister.
Wren Lennox is no stranger to hard work. After all, she had to bury herself in it just to prove her worth after her brother murdered a dozen rookie cops five years ago. Being paired with Dallas to catch a copycat isn’t ideal, but she’s hidden her feelings for him before. She’ll do whatever it takes to get this job done.
No matter how much Dallas knows about her past. No matter how much she still wants him now.
As secrets unravel and their chemistry burns hotter than ever, Dallas and Wren must stay a step ahead of not one killer, but two. Before it’s too late for them both.
Wren has spent the last six years trying to prove to herself and the police department that she is nothing like her twin brother. As a result, she is focused on her job and doesn’t allow many people close. The circumstances that bring Dallas back into her life also bring back the past she shared with him and the past that she wishes she could forget but she also knows that she must now deal with both.
Dallas’s life also approached a turning point six years earlier as that is when his career as a firefighter came to an end he needed to find a new dream and that led to his current career as a profiler. His most recent case holds a striking similarity with her family’s past so there is no one better than her to help him investigate the circumstances of the crime and find out who is responsible, but it also means facing the past they shared.
Both Wren and Dallas are captivating characters with hidden depths that they don’t share with others. Seeing them learn to trust each other with their thoughts and their hearts is a big part of what makes their relationship so special as the chemistry and intrigue continue to intensify.
MeetKimberly Kincaid
USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and contemporary romance with heart and heat. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day.
When she’s not finding adventure with her husband, three teens, and naughty Whippets, Olive, Daisy, and Jack. She can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.
Kimberly’s series include Remington Medical, Station Seventeen, the Line series, Cross Creek, and her brand-new Intelligence Unit series. All titles stand alone for easy reading.
Forsaking All Others by Giana Darling is now live!
In this scorching dark romance from bestselling author Giana Darling, a mafia princess transforms herself into the ultimate mob wife in order to survive her new world—and the man who rules it.
Fiametta
As daughter of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra’s capo, I’m sheltered, protected, and expected to do as I’m told. So, I lock away my heart and walk down the aisle to a man I don’t love. But that day costs me everything. And my new husband is harder and fiercer than any man I’ve ever known.
Dario Ferretti may not want me. But if I can’t find my place as his wife, I’ll make my mark on his kingdom instead.
Dario
I rule the Ferretti Corporation’s Chicago outfit with strength and fear, but my father still forces my hand to secure an alliance with our greatest rival. I’ll do what it takes to maintain my position, even if it means marrying a woman too young, too innocent, and far too enticing.
Fiametta Cavallaro is more than I expected. But I’m not who she thinks I am. I’m so much more, so much worse—and it’s all to keep her safe.
🎧Review🎧 Dario doesn’t want to marry anyone but especially an innocent Sicilian mafia princess however he will do his duty to his family. He keeps his distance from her and over time gives into his physical connection for her, but the emotional connection stays buried. He is a complex man with a complex family which only makes the story more intriguing.
Fiametta’s wedding day was emotionally devastating in all areas. She now must move to Chicago to be with the husband who doesn’t want her, but she is determined to embrace her independence and that includes finding her own group of friends and a career she isn’t sharing with anyone. She is conflicted when it comes to Dario as she tries to breach the walls he has erected around himself but based on his actions isn’t always certain she is succeeding.
The twists and turns that this story keeps you wondering what surprise will happen next. The characters are well developed and the relationship between is intense but complicated and the suspense keeps you on edge. Rose Dioro and Sean Masters gave a masterful audio performance of this story as you could feel every emotion as well as the tension when it came to the action part of the story.
She’s Sworn off Love. He’s About to Change Her Tune.
Anne’s life is perfectly on track. She’s committed to her career and has no time for romantic distractions. As far as she’s concerned, happily ever after only exists in sappy movies and three-minute pop songs. She certainly didn’t expect to meet a handsome stranger on vacation who draws her in with a fiddle and a Grammy worthy smile. But she knows love isn’t real, and she’s not willing to give up her hard-won dreams for song.
Joe is the whole package: handsome, sweet, kind to strangers and a musical prodigy on the fiddle. But he isn’t just Joe, he’s a national country-music super star about to hit the road for a grueling months-long tour. When he should be laser focused on his fans from the stage, all he can think about is Anne as he looks for her face in the crowd. She’s closed off to love, but he didn’t get where is by giving up.
When Anne turns away, Joe turns up the volume. He believes in the power of music, and in the power of love.
In a searing, dark love story steeped in grit, obsession, and secrets, two broken souls keep coming back together—no matter how much they tear each other apart.
Birdie Fast is thriving, with two degrees, a stable fiancé, and her dream job. Her mistakes are in the past, and she’s determined to keep them there.
Jarrod Storm, Birdie’s new CEO, is the man who destroyed her life and stole everything from her. Grown rich and powerful, he’s spent years waiting for her in the shadows.
Now, he wants her back.
Birdie loathes him, but she can’t deny how he makes her feel: safe. He’s the only one who’s ever truly seen her.
If there’s anything Birdie has learned, it’s to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Because you’re never truly safe with a past like hers.
NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her adorable, emotional cat, who thinks the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.
💜Review💜 Birdie has worked hard to turn her life around and overcome her devastating past and believes her life is heading in the right direction as she has just received a promotion at work and is engaged to be married. What she doesn’t need is for the man who played a hand in the downturn of her life to not only be back but for him to be her boss as well.
Jarrod has made mistakes but everything he has done and continues to do have been for Birdie. Now that they can finally be together he is willing to fight for their second chance but that also means making sure that no one else gets to close until he is able to convince her that they belong together.
You can’t help but feel for Birdie as every time she feels her life is in control another twist happens that throws everything into upheaval. The relationship between them is definitely not rainbows and roses but it does work for them and everything they have been through and there is no doubt that they are exactly who the other needs. The audio performance by Alex Knox and CJ Bloom brings out both the good and the bad when it comes to their relationship and their personalities.
At twelve years old, I killed my mother– And found my father dead in the bathtub.
I didn’t mean to; at least, that’s what I tell myself. Years of neglect, cruelty, and being told I wasn’t really her daughter pushed something inside me past the point of return. When she stood over me with a shattered wine glass, I snapped. Sometimes I think I regret it. Other times, I wonder if she was right—if I was never meant to be human at all.
That was a lifetime ago. I’ve spent years learning how to hide the monster that came out that night.
But monsters recognize their own.
When my violence resurfaces and blood stains my hands once again, someone notices. Someone who saw me back then too, only he hadn’t found me yet.
Larkin never pretended to be anything but a monster. For years, he’s carved a path through the Pacific Northwest, hunting the girl who unknowingly stole his first kill. Instead of ending me, he draws me into a deadly game—one I shouldn’t enjoy, no matter how intoxicating it feels to let go with him, to beg for my hands to be soaked in more blood.
As the bodies pile up and Larkin makes it clear he has no intention of leaving, and one truth becomes impossible to ignore.
If he brings the monster in me back to life, I may never be able to cage her again. And the most terrifying part?
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