From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the next standalone hockey romance in her Love and Hockey series, THE GIRLFRIEND ZONE! This sexy, coach’s daughter, one who got away, age gap, forbidden hockey romance brings all the feels, heat and spice! Releasing March 26th in all formats, and free to read in Kindle Unlimited, check out the excerpt below and pre-order your copy today!
✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/TheGirlfriendZoneAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/TGZAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet!
About THE GIRLFRIEND ZONE (Coming 3/26/2025):
In my defense, I had no idea the tattooed, glasses-wearing, soulful hottie I spent one perfect day—and one unforgettable night—with was a hockey star on my father’s team.
And Miles didn’t know I was the coach’s daughter.
That’s the point of a “no-work-talk” date.
But now? He’s as forbidden to me as I am to him.
When I land a new gig as the team photographer, we vow to keep it professional. We mostly succeed…except for that time after a game when he couldn’t keep his talented hands off me. But I swear, it won’t happen again.
Too much is at stake—I can’t risk my heart or my father’s team.
But when I end up living at Miles’s place to care for his pack of rescue pups, the lines blur fast. Late nights turn into stolen moments and I discover there’s more to him than I ever imagined—a man who’s genuine, thoughtful, and irresistibly real.
He looks at me like he can’t believe his luck. Touches me like he never wants to let go. And listens to my hopes and fears.
My heart’s getting dangerously attached. But if I follow it… am I putting everyone’s dreams on the line?
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/TheGirlfriendZoneAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/TGZAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet!
READ THE EXCERPT!
Leighton
“When I said you, I meant I want all of you,” I add. That’s clear enough, but just in case it wasn’t, I press my body even closer so I’m rubbing against the outline of his erection. Making my intentions crystal clear.
For a hot second, his eyes go glassy. His breath stutters. But then he gains control again.
“All of me?” he asks like it’s a question, even though it’s an amused me, as if he’s having too much fun with my words as he keeps one hand looped firmly around my waist. “How exactly do you want all of me?”
Oh my god. He’s toying with me.
I groan in mock frustration. “You want me to spell it out?”
“I do, Leighton,” he rasps out. “I really, really do.”
I roll my eyes, but it’s doing little to mask how turned on I am. “Fine—then here’s an opinion for you.” I pause, letting him hang there on my every word as I run a hand down his chest, over the buttons on his shirt. I lift my chin, look him in the eyes. “I want you to f*&k me hard. And a little rough.”
ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:
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.
Connect w/ Lauren:
Website: laurenblakely.com
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🖤 𝔼𝕏ℂ𝔼ℝℙ𝕋 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝔸𝕃 🖤
Check out this sneak peek for 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄 (The Quiet Horsemen Book 2)by Maggie Rawdon, releasing on March 28th!
PRE-ORDER/ ADD IT TO YOUR AMAZON WISHLIST!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🖤 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭: 𝘈𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
🐎 𝘊𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘴
🖤 𝘖𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥
🐎 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯
🖤 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦
🐎 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘱: 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘖𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 (10 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴)
🖤 𝘔𝘴. 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘹 𝘔𝘳. 𝘚𝘪𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯
🐎 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘔𝘊
🖤 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦
🐎 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯/𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘯
Excerpt:
She continues doling out shots and ignoring me like I didn’t see her pick up her phone and read my message. I’m gripping the glass so tight I’m about to shatter it by the time she finally starts to saunter my way, a glass of whisky in hand. She was the one who summoned me here in the first place, complaining that there’s a maintenance issue in the apartment she lives in upstairs. I’d planned to have a drink while I waited for her to have a free moment, not watch a live show of her spitting down the throats of a half dozen college guys before she slapped and drenched them. I have work I need to return to at the Avarice.
“Your whisky.” She sets the drink down in front of me without any fanfare.
“Funny, I thought it was Speyside, not spit side,” I mutter, and she raises her eyebrow in return.
“Jealous? Because if you want it served that way, it can be arranged.” She’s always sassy, but it’s turned up a notch tonight.
“I think I might be too old to be impressed by that sort of thing.” I glance back at the college kids who are still shouting and cheering as one of their own chugs beer from a boot-shaped glass. Seven Sins and Dakota lean into all the kitsch of the country dive bar and then some.
“Oh, Cowboy, it’s okay. I know that big birthday’s just around the corner for you, but we don’t judge around here.” She speaks with a saccharine tone and points back at the glowing red neon sign behind the bar that says Sinners Welcome.
I narrow my eyes at her. I don’t need to be reminded that I’m closing in on forty; the gray hairs that keep popping up handle that daily reminder just fine.
“Not worried about my age as much as I’m worried about you not being able to handle the extra whiskey you’re swallowing and falling off this bar,” I taunt her. She nearly slipped the last time getting down, and I pictured her falling backward, a mess of limbs and shattered glass. I’d lose my fucking mind if I lost another Hartfield right in front of me.
“Hayley! Get me a water, please!” she calls over her shoulder before the false smile returns. “I think you’d be surprised what I can handle.” She looks me over in one slow rake before her blue-green eyes come back up to meet mine. “Unless you’re scared?”
“Scared of what?” I bluster because I’m fucking terrified when I watch her climb up on the bar in front of me. Not about her falling, at least not in this moment because she’s nimbly navigating the counter and already perched in front of me, but that this is only going to give the crowd and her more encouragement. I can’t back down though. I’ll look like I cower from a twenty-something woman simply teasing me a little, and it’ll be hard to get anyone to take me seriously after that.
“That you might like it.” Her lips pull up at the corners as she spreads her legs in front of me. She studies my face for a moment, the sly smile growing as she reaches forward and grabs my tie. She wraps it around her fist once and tugs. “Come closer. I won’t bite.”
“You always fucking bite,” I mutter.
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛:
Grant Stockton is the devil incarnate. The cowboy turned casino-owning crime boss has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember—first as my older brother’s best friend, then as my guardian when my brother died at his side, and now as the rival bar owner and landlord running me into the red.
He might be the head of The Quiet Horsemen, the man everyone else in this town fears, but I’m not about to cede a single inch of ground to him.
If I have to lie, cheat, and steal to keep him from finding out my bar’s underwater—well, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
At least until he breaks into my apartment and discovers my secret. One that gives him all the leverage he needs to control my fate.
My only reprieve is that The Horsemen are in the middle of a war, one that’s been spilling blood for the better part of a decade, and his enemies are closing in on our small mountain town.
Which is why I’m taken off guard by the demand he makes in exchange for keeping my secret.
Apparently there are benefits to being at the mercy of the devil…
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