Grizz is a scorching, emotionally charged hockey romance about two people who were never supposed to fall for each other, and the bruising, tender, inevitable collision that happens when they do.
When college football star Damon Diamond shows up to surprise his girlfriend at graduation, he’s the one who ends up blindsided.
Ainsley is pregnant.
Seven months pregnant.
And he had no idea.
Damon should be furious. Instead, after the shock wears off, all he can think about is her. Their daughter. Their future.
Because the truth is, Ainsley didn’t keep the pregnancy from him out of fear—she did it out of love. She knew Damon would sacrifice everything for her and the baby, including the football career he’d spent his entire life working toward. So, she made the impossible choice to wait and tell him once the season was over.
Now they’re racing toward a future neither of them expected to happen so soon—balancing a long-distance relationship, football playoffs, new careers, and the overwhelming reality of becoming parents while still figuring out adulthood themselves.
Somewhere between them choosing baby names, designing their forever home, and falling even harder for each other, Damon realizes something undeniable.
Some loves aren’t temporary.
Some loves are forever.
And theirs has always been leading to that someday.
Ainsley loves Damon with her whole heart, but she also doesn’t want to stand in the way of his dreams of playing football. For this reason, she hasn’t been truthful with him about her pregnancy and had plans for when she would tell him however things don’t always work out the way you planned and now she must not only face the hurt he is feelings, but where they go from there.
From the moment that Damon met Ainsley he knew that she was his destiny and he was determined that they would have their dreams and each other. Finding out that she hadn’t told him about her pregnancy created a little turmoil, but he understood why and he isn’t about to let this unexpected surprise derail the future they were destined to have together.
Ainsley and Damon may be young, but they are soulmates who always put the others first. The way they adapt to everything that life throws at them is to be respected and they always had the unconditional support and love of each other and their family.
Meet Jillian Dodd
Jillian Dodd is a USA Today and Amazon Top 5 best-selling author of over fifty books. She writes fun binge-able romance series with characters her readers fall in love with–from the boy next door in the That Boy series to the daughter of a famous actress in The Keatyn Chronicles to a spy who might save the world in the Spy Girl series. Her newest series include London Prep, a prep school series about a drama filled three-week exchange, and the next generation of The Keatyn Chronicles, Eastbrooke Academy. She is married to her college sweetheart, adores writing big fat happily ever afters, wears a lot of pink, buys way too many shoes, loves to travel, and is distracted by anything covered in glitter.
One look and he was hooked. One “no” and he was obsessed.
Hudson
I have the world at my feet.
Power and iron-clad authority are my birthrights, and “no” isn’t a word in my vocabulary. I’m used to people bowing to my name and melting under my gaze. I’ve always been the hunter, never the prey. Until I meet Tinsley Essen.
Stunning, sharp, and maddeningly indifferent, Tinsley doesn’t give a damn about my billions or my influence. She’s completely immune to my charm, meeting my commands with a bored yawn and my arrogance with a single arched brow.
For the first time in my life, I’ve met a force I can’t control. I was supposed to be the one doing the hooking, but one look at Tinsley and I’m the one caught. Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to break down her walls and prove that while she might not need me, I’m never letting her go.
I’m about to learn that the only thing more addictive than power is the one woman who refuses to give it to me.
Tinsley
I’ve spent my life building a world where I don’t have to answer to anyone—especially men like Hudson Carrington.
He’s used to the world parting like the Red Sea when he walks into a room. He expects a bow, a blush, or total surrender. But to me? He’s just another suit with too much ego and a look in his eyes that says he’s never been told “no” in his life.
It’s a word I’m finding more and more pleasure in using.
His billions don’t move me. His shadow doesn’t intimidate me. And his “legendary” charm? It’s nothing more than a polished weapon I have no intention of falling for. But Hudson isn’t just a man who wants his way, he’s a man who has decided I’m his next conquest.
He thinks he’s the one doing the hunting, but he’s about to find out I don’t play by anyone’s rules but my own. He can try to buy my time and command my attention, but my heart isn’t for sale.
The problem is, the harder I push him away, the closer he gets and for the first time, I’m having a hard time fighting the pull between us.
In this fast-paced, steamy instalove romance, the powerful billionaire cowboy is about to learn that the only thing more addictive than power is a woman who tells him “no.”
From the moment that Tinsley delayed his arrival for a business meeting he was distracted and wants to know everything he can about her. All his flirting and gifts aren’t making an impact, so he realizes that if he is going to have a chance with her he is going to have to try a different approach which includes being there for her without taking over.
Tinsley has never had anyone to depend on, and she isn’t about to start now. She isn’t impressed by his wealth, but when she asks him for help and he is there for her she realizes that there is a lot more to the man as he tries to honor her independence even though he just wants to make everything easier for her.
Tinsley is a character you can’t help but relate to as she is determined to forge her own path and after his initial missteps Hudson gets to know Tinsley and what really matters and he will do whatever is required to claim the woman who has stolen his heart.
Theo Williams loved and lost once and isn’t interested in doing it again. He has his family and friends, and plenty of women passing through his new hometown who are happy with a no-strings attached night of passion. Working as a partner at his cousin’s construction company, he’s perfectly content with his life—until he meets Collins Henderson, the one-night stand who will change his world forever.
Collins grew up on the wrong side of her small hometown. Thanks to her parents’ shady schemes, every local knows a Henderson cannot be trusted. She works hard as a paramedic, putting in every extra hour she can to save for a better life. But every time she starts to get ahead, her parents show up to pull her back down. Having one night of passion with a man she doesn’t know is not something she’d normally do, but there was just something about him … And two months later, she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant.
When she runs into the mysterious stranger again, she has to tell him, not because she needs or wants anything from him, just so he knows. But now he’s showing up at her house to cook her meals, stocking her refrigerator, and doing everything he can for her. Collins has always taken care of herself, she wasn’t looking for a relationship, but she can’t deny the chemistry between them.
She knows it’s only a matter of time before he learns who she is and changes his mind. She can’t let herself fall for this guy, but every day he’s getting harder to resist …
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the second standalone small town rom com in her bestselling Darling Springs series, I’VE GOT A CRUSH ON YOU! This spicy, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, workplace, forbidden small town romantic comedy releases July 28th in all formats, including the deluxe edition paperback featuring stunning salmon-colored sprayed edges, and will be free to read in Kindle Unlimited! Check out the tropes and pre-order your copy today!
🐾Small Town Rom Com 🧡Workplace Romance 💚Grumpy/Sunshine 🐾Forced Proximity 🧡Forbidden 💚Quirky Side Characters 🐾Fighting the Feelings 🧡Oops! My one-night stand is my new coworker 💚Swoony Dance Lessons 🐾Opposites Attract 🧡He Cooks for Her 💚Mixing Business with Pleasure 🐾Hot Mess Heroine 🧡Jealousy Moments 💚One Heck of a Meet Cute 🐾Secret Identity 🧡Blackmail but Make it Flirty 💚Banter for Days 🐾All the Dogs!
About I’VE GOT A CRUSH ON YOU (Coming 7/28/2026):
My secret workplace romance starts innocently enough at a birthday party.
But when a rowdy partier knocks me into a lake and a sexy stranger comes to my rescue – my night becomes one to remember.
A night so steamy I almost forget why I’ve sworn off men after a failed workplace romance.
Trouble is, the brand new doggy daycare in Darling Springs that I’ve contracted with is owned by none other than my sexy stranger. Thanks, fate.
Sawyer turns out to be a total grump in a tailored suit, no matter how sunshine-y I am. Even when he squeezes that hard body past me as I bring donuts to work. Or when he pretends he’s not roaming his dark eyes over me as I teach Fido to sit, stay and come.
But I’m focusing on my shiny new future—my dog-training business is suddenly the hottest thing in town, thanks to a new actress client. And when I’m roped into a charity dance number, I smell an opportunity, especially when I learn my hot landlord has an alter ego and a fandom.
Turns out Mr. Serious Boss is up for dance lessons.
Then the entire Dirty Dancing experience.
Giving into our chemistry once won’t hurt. Two might be pushing it. By the seventh, it’s undeniable–I’ve got a crush on him too.
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.
Having survived being possessed by a demon god, tattooed from head to foot with infernal symbols, and technically dying,
Raven now jumps from the pan into the fire.
With the Infernals’ plan to take over the world thwarted, Fae power begins to rise and with it a new threat to Dusk and its people.
Stuck between the middle of an emerging Fae power and the Infernal god who still clings to her mind, Raven must negotiate a literal war zone to survive and save those she loves.
But, in order to save her friends, she must lose it all.
I glance around, hoping to catch sight of Dr. Chastain’s lovely assistant.
“Don’t bother,” he says, “Ashley’s not here tonight.”
“Damn. She’s the only thing that makes our visits tolerable,” I say with a laugh and instantly regret it.
“That’s too bad, because she’s leaving us this fall,” he says.
That catches my attention. “Yeah?”
Ashley has been a part of Dr. Chastain’s team as long as I can remember, and she’s good at her job, helping to fix up busted cowboys.
“Her son is starting pre-school in the fall, and she wants to be home more.” He adjusts the brace he placed on the bridge of my nose, making sure everything’s set. “Can’t fault her for that.”
“No,” I agree. “Family comes first. But damn, we’ll miss her and her magic hands.”
He nods. “I’ve got a Physical Therapy applicant I’m considering—a doctoral student in Colorado, graduating next year. She worked as a certified medical assistant at a friend’s practice in Laramie while earning her undergrad. He was really impressed with her. She’ll actually be interning at a rodeo school near you this summer.”
“Yeah?” I say again, curiosity piqued. “Where at?”
“Wildhaven,” he confirms. “I’m looking forward to seeing how she performs there before I make a final decision.”
“Raintree-Storm Rodeo Academy?” I ask.
His brows lift slightly. “That’s the one.”
I grin, ignoring the pull in my face. “I’ll be working there this summer too.”
“Well, I’ll be,” he says. “Small world.”
“Yeah,” I say, leaning back carefully. “Wildhaven Storm Ranch—that’s my family’s place. My cousin Charli’s engaged to Bryce Raintree. Academy’s set up on our land.”
Bryce is currently on a two-year rodeo retirement tour before hanging up his hat for good, settling down, making Charli a housewife, planting babies in her, and running the academy full-time.
He lets out a low whistle. “That is a small world.”
“Who’s the student?” I ask. “I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
He glances at me as he finishes taping. “A Miss Asbury.”
I frown slightly. “Asbury…?”
He nods.
“Yep,” he says, “Jovie Ashbury.”
I bark out a laugh, then wince again because that was a mistake. “You’re kidding me.”
“What?” he asks, stepping back to assess his work.
“Little Jojo Asbury?” I shake my head, disbelief settling in.
“You know her?”
“Yeah,” I say, a grin tugging at my mouth despite the pain. “She was my little brother Cabe’s first love. Hell, I think he’s still hat over boots for her.”
He raises a brow. “Is that right?”
“Oh yeah,” I chuckle. “Kid followed her around like a love-sick puppy until she left for school. He’ll be fucking stoked to have her on the ranch for the summer.”
It’s been years since I’ve seen her. She and Cabe must have been twelve or thirteen when I graduated high school and started chasing my rodeo dreams. But I remember her—bright smile, blonde curls, stubborn streak, always stuck to Cabe’s side.
Funny how things circle back.
Blurb:
I ride bulls for a living—chasing buckles, eight seconds at a time. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at. Tough. Disciplined. Built for the dirt and the danger. When I’m not on the road, I’m back home in Wildhaven, Wyoming, putting in work at the Raintree-Storm Rodeo Academy — training the next generation on my family’s land.
It’s a simple life. The way I like it.
Then Jovie Asbury walks into the arena and wrecks everything.
She’s not the kid I remember—the sweet, quiet girl who used to trail after my little brother, Cabe, with hearts in her eyes. No, she’s grown into something else entirely. Smart. Driven. Off-limits in every way that matters. She’s interning at the academy, working toward a career in sports medicine, determined to earn her place on the rodeo circuit.
And I can’t stop watching her or thinking about her. Can’t stop wanting her.
And that’s a big problem.
Because Cabe never stopped loving her.
And some lines, no matter how bad you want to cross them… you don’t.
Except the longer she’s here, the harder it gets to stay on my side of that line.
And I’m starting to realize that eight seconds on the back of a bull is nothing compared to trying to hold on to my self-control around Jovie Asbury.
𝙒𝙝𝙤𝙖 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙬𝙗𝙤𝙮 (𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 4) by USA Today bestselling author Ginger Scott releases on July 9th. Check out this sneak peek!
Hair the color of honey streams down her back in waves, and the fitted white blouse tucked into the snug black skirt that stops at her knees hugs her curves like glaze on a piece of pottery. I’ve seen her around the complex the last few days. Campbell Hines. I only know her name because I overheard her leaving a message for someone when she walked by the bullpen the other day. I think she’s the new marketing rep. She has that PR polish about her. And I can’t deny that she’s good for our image. Hell, with a body like that, she can make anything look good—even a Triple-A club squeezed between a dying ranch town and a college hub.
She’s pacing near the front offices, her phone pressed to her ear. She’s on that thing a lot. I drop my gaze as I close in on her, not wanting to appear like I’m ogling or anything. Even if I was.
“I hear what you’re saying, Skip, but what I’m telling you is I’ll get you a lead story. This place is so exciting right now. The club is on the brink of a killer season, and the talent coming through here . . .” Her lashes flit about a second before her green eyes meet mine. Her lip inches up on one side, the glossy red color taunting me like one of those apples in Snow White.
“Hi,” she mouths through her smile.
“Mornin’,” I say with a nod. I’m still dressed for ranch work, my boots dirty from the barn, and my forehead damp with sweat. My hair is mushed under my Stetson. I feel burlier than normal, like a bear trying to maneuver its way into an office. But I manage to hold open the glass door for the goddess, giving hell to whoever is on the other end of that phone call, and when she whispers, “thank you,” as she passes me, I swear I’m hit with a rush of morphine and citrus blossoms all at once.
“Got it, Skip. I’ll deliver. Thank you,” she says, ending her call where the hallway splits in two directions—left for players and right for the money folks.
“Thank you, by the way,” she says, spinning to face me before we part ways. My heart speeds up, and I realize as her hand juts toward me that my palms are suddenly sweating. I run my hand along my thigh and take her slender palm in mine. She gives me a tough shake, and it makes me smirk.
“What kind of guy would I be if I didn’t hold a door open for a beautiful woman?” I say, my eyes squinting with my smile. I think my fucking cheeks are actually hot. What the hell is happening?
She leans into me during our shake, then whispers, “You’d be a real asshole.”
I chuckle and nod as our grip releases.
“Well, I might be that already.” I figure I might as well lead with the shit she’ll figure out on her own soon enough.
“I’m Campbell,” she says.
I nod and smile.
“Yeah, I know your name. You stand out around here. The last marketing rep was, well, in his sixties. And let’s just say his jeans hung a little too low on his waist.”
Campbell scrunches up her face as she chuckles.
“Oh, no. That’s bad. Please tell me if my jeans are ever riding too low, would you?” she replies. She’s being clever, but my damn hot cheeks are making it hard for me to keep my manners in check.
“No, ma’am. I’m afraid if I see your jeans low, I’m going to like it,” I say.
Her smile falls, and fast. Then she takes a noticeable step backward. It’s not like I lied. I told her I was an asshole. My mom hates that sexist shit. Fuck, Jake. Think before speaking.
“I’m Jake, by the way. Mc—”
“I know who you are,” she says, a hint of a smirk playing at her lips. My shoulders relax. Maybe I didn’t absolutely dig myself a grave with that jeans comment. Of course . . . I know why she knows who I am, and it’s not because of anything I did.
“Right. I guess I should get used to that this season. If he sticks around, that is.” I stop short of rolling my eyes.
“Oh, I thought this was your dad’s final year. The way I understand it, he’s here to pass the torch and be the veteran player who spreads his wisdom. Between you and me, I bet they put him on staff to coach in Sweetwater. I’d say he’s here for the long haul. I mean, they’ll retire his jersey in Texas probably, because, well . . . he’s Roddy McKinney. And he’ll have to leave for that. But he’ll be back.”
“We’ll see,” I say, backing away while I’m ahead. Or at least before I go back under.
“What makes you so sure?” Her eyes narrow on me, and her mouth falls into this gentle curve as if she’s genuinely curious. I got used to folks around here knowing my story.
“Oh, I’d put it about the same way you did before. Because . . . well . . . he’s Roddy McKinney.” I shoot Campbell a half-smile before spinning on my boots and heading toward the clubhouse locker room to change and try my damnedest to be useful enough to keep around.
To make the splash I need, I have to sell the team’s most complicated story: hometown catcher Jake McKinney and his estranged, all-star father, Roddy. Only problem? Just because they’re teammates now doesn’t mean they’re talking.
I’ve dealt with difficult athletes before, but Jake is a special brand of prickly. He’s bullheaded, defensive, and completely hell-bent on ignoring me. But I have my own hyper-critical father to answer to, and failure isn’t an option. If Jake thinks he can freeze me out, he’s underestimated how stubborn I can be.
But when his walls finally crack, I don’t just see a player destined for greatness, I see a man determined to right his father’s wrongs. I see the shared scars we both try to hide. And when he kisses me, the carefully planned future I’ve spent years building suddenly starts to blur.
Falling for a player is a massive line to cross. Choosing my career means reopening wounds Jake has worked so hard to heal. But walking away means letting go of my lifelong dream and proving my father right.
Do I stay the course and protect my future, or risk it all for a love I never saw coming?
When five bodies are uncovered on the remote expanse of Rannoch Moor, a quiet Highland community becomes the centre of a major murder investigation.
Detective Inspector Malcolm Ferguson and Detective Sergeant Bonnie Ross face growing pressure as fear spreads through the town of Rannochdeen and the media descends on the isolated region. With no witnesses, few forensic clues, and mounting public panic, the investigation appears to be going nowhere.
But when a concerned neighbour draws attention to a nervous local couple living near one of the moor’s access tracks, Ferguson and Ross begin uncovering secrets hidden behind locked doors, frightened lies, and years of silence.
As the search for the killer closes in on the truth, Ferguson realises some secrets buried beneath the Highlands were never meant to be uncovered.
Sometimes you have to break all the rules to find everything you never knew you wanted. Come along for the fun, sexy ride as billionaire Fitz Silver pursues his biggest challenge yet—taming wild child Jennifer Stone. Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, this steamy, small-town, standalone romance is unputdownable. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happily ever after that will leave you thinking about it long after you read the last page.
Silver Island’s golden boy Fitz Silver keeps his business dealings clean, his affairs private, and fulfills every promise he makes. Infuriatingly so. He’s six-plus feet of gentleman in the streets and an unrelenting alpha in the sheets. I should know. I enjoyed a single scorching night in his bed over the summer. But contrary to him being every woman’s fantasy, Fitz is my worst nightmare. I’m a risk taker, a rule breaker. I wasn’t looking for more than a little vacation fun, but that passionate night knocked me off my feet. When a chance encounter brings me face-to-face with the man who ruined me for all others, I know better than to land in his bed again. Unfortunately, outside my job as a high school principal, I’m not known for my good decisions. Once again I plan to leave Mr. Silver and our surprising connection behind, but he’s annoyingly unforgettable, and then two pink lines change everything.
Almost two decides earlier Ross was living a much different life as a rockstar with a bright future until tragedy struck and is now working as a manager for the band Onyx Knight. He wants to leave his previous life in the past however he finds himself recruited to help out on a temporary basis.
Wynter is the sister-in-law of one of the members in the band and she had a crush on Ross when she was a teenager. She knows about Ross and his past which creates some rough moments between them, but the turmoil is about to impact the growing relationship with him when Ross must face the past he has never healed from.
The relationship between Wyner and Ross was tumultuous, emotional and heartwarming as these two relatable characters work to find a path forward despite all the challenges they must overcome.
Meet Kat Mizera:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kat Mizera was born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of Wanderlust. She’s lived from coast to coast, and everywhere in between, but home is wherever her family is. A devoted mom and wife to her wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat loves to travel the globe with her adventurous, hockey loving family. Greece is at the top of that list. She hopes to one day retire there, spending her days writing books on the beach.
Kat is former freelance sports writer who now writes steamy hockey romance about her favorite fictional teams, the Las Vegas Sidewinders and the Lauderdale Knights. The library of novels she’s penned also include sexy contemporary stories about baseball stars, alpha sex club owners, bodyguards, rock stars, and royalty. Regardless of genre, her books about bad boys with hearts of gold will steal your breath, rock your world and melt your heart.
To find out about Kat Mizera’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here
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Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 