One wild night to lose myself… instead, I accidentally found myself a baby daddy.
After my ex spent years tearing me down, convincing me I wasn’t enough, the idea of trusting anyone feels impossible. But Lachlan comes into my life and almost makes me believe I’m worth it… and that he’s worth the risk.
He’s so patient and steady, showing up at my door for midnight cravings and morning sickness. Determined to be a part of our child’s life, even if we’re not together.
I’m so tired of being alone, and having someone feels too good to be true.
So when he asks “can we try?” I want to say yes and believe him.
Lachlan
From the first moment I met Maggie, I knew she was one of the good ones.
But it wasn’t until I heard the life-altering news that she was carrying my baby, that I knew I’d support her no matter if we were “together” or not.
I’m all in—for her and the baby. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about doing the right thing.
I don’t just want to be a part of my child’s life. I want to be part of hers. Not just for nine months. Or eighteen years. I want forever.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that I’m man enough to be what she needs. For both of them.
The night that Lachlan spent with Maggie was a culmination of his escalating feelings for her, but he also understood that she wasn’t ready for more. He was prepared to put that night aside to maintain their friendship, but fate had other ideas when he finds out they are about to become parents. Now he is determined to show her that they belong together not because of the baby but because of their feelings for each other.
Maggie’s past has left a lasting impression on her and doesn’t believe that she can have more than one night with Lachlan. Finding out she is pregnant changes everything as rather than him letting her absolve him of any responsibility he is there every step of the way showing her how she deserves to be loved and treasured.
The relationship between Lachlan and Maggie was enchanting and the depth of their feelings for each other never in doubt even if Maggie was cautious. As always the camaraderie between this group of friends not only adds humor but so many feels as well.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.
Vows and Veils: A Celebration of Love Collection, a steamy, heartwarming romance collection, part of the 1001 Dark Nights Trope Collection from New York Times & USA Today bestselling authors Audrey Carlan, Carly Phillips, Jennifer Probst & Tina Folsom, is available now!
Step into a world of celebration. In Vows and Veils, love is honored and forever begins. From whirlwind weddings to heartwarming proposals, these stories showcase romance at its most joyous. With heartfelt moments and unforgettable celebrations, each tale will remind you that love is the greatest adventure of all.
Includes: Madam Alana by Audrey Carlan Take the Bride by Carly Phillips The Marriage Arrangement by Jennifer Probst and Silent Bite by Tina Folsom
Add Vows and Veils: A Celebration of Love Collection to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3CeJisO
Keep reading for a look inside Vows and Veils: A Celebration of Love Collection!
Madam Alana
“I don’t understand. Why are my eyes blank?” I frowned while I took in the nuance of my hollowed cheeks and the pinch of my brow as though my imaginary self was pained. “They are not blank. They are empty.” His response was soft, alluding to a much deeper meaning. “And why am I holding my heart?” My voice trembled along with my bottom lip. My nose itched and I felt the tip tingling with the telltale signal that tears would surely follow. “You aren’t holding it, cheri. Your subconscious is offering it unceremoniously.” My gaze snapped to the image and then back to his soulful one. “Why would I do that?” I whispered, fearful of his answer. “Because you don’t know its value. That’s why your eyes are empty. You know not what you give of yourself. Soon you will understand your worth, and that image will change. I will help you see the importance of gifting such a piece of you. A piece I intend to own and hold most dear.” My nose started to run, and I wiped it with the back of my hand. “I don’t understand. You speak in velvet-coated riddles. It confuses me.” He stared mutely at me for a full minute, the air between us palpable as though it lived and breathed, gliding along every surface of exposed skin to tease and taunt. “And one day, when you have let your guard down and offered your heart and soul for my safe keeping, you will understand.” “And if I don’t?” I challenged, not intending to ever give anyone my heart. Not the real me. “You will.” He stared back, looking stoic and calm. “But if I don’t? What happens then?” My voice rose, a hint of frustration clear in my response. His shoulders fell and he tilted his head as though resigned. “Then we will both be sad, because we will have lost what could have been the greatest love of all time.”
Take the Bride
She studied him through lowered lashes, knowing that they hadn’t yet had the much-needed conversation about their past. Given that she wasn’t ready to go home and face the ramifications of a canceled wedding, they had time before they dug that deep. But they were here together now. “You’re crazy,” she muttered. He grinned. “Can’t say I haven’t thought the same thing myself after yesterday. But in that moment, I couldn’t stand by and lose you forever.” He rose to his feet, picked up the tray, and put it back on the table, returning to her side of the bed and sitting down beside her. He grasped her hand, holding her palm in his. “I always considered you mine, even after I let you go. I just didn’t let myself go there again.”
The Marriage Arrangement
“I don’t need to trust anyone but myself.” Those shrewd, dark eyes glinted with intention. She leaned across the table, startling him when she clasped his hand. Her skin was warm and rough and comforting, the touch of a mother, nurturing and strong at the same time. “Ah, but that is a trap. We all need someone to trust.” She paused and squinted, looking deeper into his eyes. “You have many ghosts you are fighting, no?” Shock kept him silent for a moment. He tried to force a laugh, but his voice got stuck. A strange foreboding rose up from inside him, urging him to tell her the truth. “Yes,” he finally said. “But I’ve got them under control.” Her gaze ripped and shredded the lies away. “You and Cat seem to have a connection.” “Yes,” he said again. She nodded, her fingers squeezing his hard. “Then you will need to fight for her,” she said. “Do not be afraid to love. Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps the ghosts away. Capisce?”
Silent Bite
Oliver’s hands roamed her body, his fingers caressing her just like his tongue did. Warmth and desire filled her, rushing through her body like a flashflood. Her entire body tingled pleasantly, and the place between her legs hummed, yearning for a touch. His touch. His kiss. She’d never believed that love could be like this: all consuming, passionate, while at the same time comforting and safe. Yet she felt safe, safe with a vampire, the very creature she had once feared. Oliver had made her forget all her fears and shown her that even a vampire could love. She felt his love now. It burned brightly and steadily. With every touch and every kiss, she felt it. And tonight, after the ceremony, she would feel it in his bite. His loving bite, how lovingly and silently, he would make her his forever. How he would bestow immortality on her without robbing her of her humanity. How he would make himself vulnerable because once they blood-bonded, Oliver could only feed off her. His body would reject all other blood. In fact, it would make him violently ill if he ever drank blood other than hers. For a vampire to bond himself to a human required ultimate trust. She felt that trust between them.
🌸Review🌸
Madam Alana by Audrey Carlan – This story gives us insight into the events that unfolded that had Alana becoming Madam Alana and had her running the Marriage Auction. Her foray into the auction resulted into the love of a lifetime but not everyone had the same experience which has her determined to protect everyone involved.
Take the Bride by Carly Phillips – As Sierra prepares to marry Jason, her fiancé she wasn’t prepared for her past to show up at her wedding and turn everything upside down. Ryder couldn’t stay away from Sierra’s wedding as she has always owned his heart so when the wedding doesn’t happen he has one weekend to convince her to give him a second chance.
The Marriage Arrangement by Jennifer Probst – It’s been a year since Catarina was betrayed by her fiancé and it is time to start dating again so when she meets “Lee” at a café she decides to introduce herself. Ripley (Lee) has come to Milan as he has an agenda when it comes to Catarina however instead of facing a woman who has run away from her responsibilities he finds the woman he wants to spend his life with but first they must work through the things he hasn’t told her.
Silent Bite by Tina Folsom – Oliver is looking forward to finally marrying Ursula, the woman he loves, but it is proving to be more difficult than he expected. Not only is he trying to ensure that her parents don’t realize his true identity but there is also a threat from the past who is determined to keep them apart.
The Only Thing That’s Real is book three in the Only in Goose Hollow series by USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Shelby! In this interconnected standalone, take a trip back to Goose Hollow and go on tour with the Hollow Knocks!
Ryan Staley has got to go.
We hired the beautiful, fierce journalist to chronicle my band’s farewell tour.
But that was before my life blew up.
Before every stage I performed on became shrouded in the shame of my secret.
A secret I haven’t even shared with my bandmates, my chosen family.
Now is not the time for deep-diving questions about my life, but Ryan is around every corner I turn and refuses to be intimidated or ignored.
She wants to know what I’ll do when my touring career comes to a screeching halt, and I move back to the small town I couldn’t run away from fast enough.
A town I can no longer avoid.
But Ryan has claimed every spare thought in my head. Her lips, hypnotizing to the point of distraction. The perfect rasp of her voice, sending chills down my spine, asking questions I can’t answer, and making me risk spilling all my secrets.
✨TEASER: SOMEDAY YOU LEARN by @harlowjamesauthor releasing April 11th! This will be a simultaneous release in Audio with the amazing narrators Teddy Hamilton and Emma Wilder!
“I’m here to see my fiancé. I believe you know Parker, Dad…”
That sentence seems innocent enough in the right setting.
But the woman’s father? Yeah, he happens to be my boss.
The first time I met Cashlynn O’Neil, she thought she was going to die before the plane we were on ever left the ground.
So I did what any gentleman would do—I comforted her, kept her distracted, and then later that night, she ended up back in my hotel room to thank me.
But then a year later she waltzed in the Carrington Cove Animal Hospital and told her father we were engaged.
And that would have been harmless, except the last time I was engaged it left me scarred beyond repair, vowing never to entertain the idea of love again.
I can’t fall for my boss’s daughter.
I can’t keep lying to myself about how I feel either.
But is it possible that someday you learn that it’s not the wrong person that will make you question what you want in life, but it’s the right one?
I’m the unapproachable NHL captain with a reputation for chewing up reporters in interviews, forwards on the ice and shutting down anyone who tries to get close to me. And that’s how I like it—no feelings, no complications, and zero chance of reliving the grief I experienced when my wife passed away seven years ago.
But sometimes the best laid plans go up in flames, and that’s exactly what Collins Mackenzie does when strolls into a bar one post-game night and gives me a taste of the cold shoulder I’ve bestowed on all those around me.
The only person she doesn’t dismiss? My boy. In fact, she lights him up with her pink hair and perfectly winged eyeliner, leaving him fascinated and me infatuated.
There’s only one problem: she’s nine years younger, convinced I’m not her type and doesn’t do relationships. She doesn’t even hang around in the same city beyond a few months. Trouble is, I want her permanence right next to me—on the couch watching movies and in my bed on lazy mornings.
I’m ready to chase her, no matter where she goes or how quickly she hits the accelerator. This girl is a ride I never want to get off.
✨TEASER: BEAUTIFUL MESS by @authorashleyjames writing as A. James is coming May 12!#PreOrderNow https://geni.us/beautifulmessbb
Why you will love this book… 💕Small Town 🔥Age Gap 💕Ex Boyfriend’s Dad 🔥Single Mom x Single Dad 💕Grumpy Sunshine 🔥Daddy Kink 💕She Falls First/He Falls Harder 🔥Baker 💕Blue Collar 🔥Forced Proximity
I’m pretty in pink dipped in sunshine and sweet Southern smiles. He’s blue collar wrapped up in a gruff summer storm with a scowl. He also happens to be my ex-boyfriend’s dad. Not only is Conway Levine grumpy, arrogant, and entirely too handsome for his own good, with the salt and pepper scruff lining his sharp jawline and his thick, corded arms, but he also had a front row seat fourteen years ago to a drunken night so mortifying I can’t look him in the eye without feeling the shame all over again. Living in a small town makes avoiding him impossible, even more when you add in the fact that his daughter is friends with mine. When a little tardiness and a whole lot of bad luck lands me partnering with him at our children’s school, I’m certain I won’t survive. Before I know it, the dread from having to work with him turns into a burning desire impossible to ignore when his once stone cold demeanor shifts into longing, heated stares, and somehow, he knows all the right things to whisper in my ear to get under my skin… and my dress. Between his filthy mouth and stifling need to devour me any chance he gets, the chemistry we share between the sheets quickly becomes something out of my wildest dreams. Except Conway doesn’t do relationships, and I’m not built for casual. But I couldn’t quit him even if I tried. When all is said and done, will I be able to protect my already tattered heart or will it end up shattered into a million beautiful, messy pieces?
Was it considered stalking if the woman you were stalking liked the idea of being stalked?
It started out like any other job.
My brother, the head of the Russian Mafia, wanted me to delete an opponent. Like the good brother I was, I decided to give him what he wanted.
In doing so, I ended up finding a woman that made my cold, dead heart start to beat again.
One day while doing some reconnaissance on my target, I happen to overhear Keely telling her friend one of her darkest fantasies, and I decide that I’d be the one fulfilling that particular craving for her.
I tell myself that it’s only once. I’d give in to that darkness inside of me once, and I’ll leave her alone from then on.
Except, once turns into twice. And twice turns into way too many to count.
Just when I plan to cut all ties so she doesn’t start to develop feelings for a killer, I find out that Keely doesn’t have just one stalker. She has two. And the one that wasn’t me wanted her dead, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Not to her.
Not to the woman that not only chased my demons away, but also didn’t care that I had them in the first place.
Keely has experienced things that no one should have to and it changed her. The close relationship she shares with her brothers has only become stronger because of what they had been through. Any other woman would have run the other way when it comes to Dima and his antics, but she understands him in a way that no one else can.
Dima is a man who is also changed because of his time serving his country and being a Semyonov. He has his own version of right and wrong so when Keely comes into his life there is nothing he won’t do to keep her safe and be the man she needs.
The characters of Keely and Dima are captivating and although their relationship was unconventional they were a perfect match. Catching up with Dima’s family and getting to spend some time with Keely’s brother only made this story even better.
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.
The unauthorized acquisition of equipment or materials.
Sometimes that refers to clients as well.
When we took this job, it was supposed to be a simple pickup. That all went to hell the moment we stepped onto the tarmac and found bullet casings instead of the actor and actress who were supposed to be returning to Kansas with us for a “real-life training scenario”.
If anyone questioned why a person might kidnap Audrey Leigh at gunpoint, all they had to do was wait for her to open her mouth. Full of sass and spice, this woman drove me freaking insane.
Sorry, you have to be the close protection agent on this one.
My teammates were supposed to have my back, but instead, they tossed me into the lion’s den with a woman who would be damn near impossible to resist. That leather outfit was made for sinning, but then again, so was her mouth. She was a temptation I needed to avoid, yet she pushed me at every turn, forcing me out of my comfort zone until I snapped.
And that was in between every attempt we made to keep her alive.
She had more men trying to take her than any client I’d ever had before. I lost count of the number of people who want her and her best friend dead.
At least he knew how to follow instructions.
But I would be lying if I said their closeness didn’t bother me. Supposedly, it was strictly platonic, but the way he always held her hand and smothered her with homemade smoothies said otherwise.
It would be so much easier if she hated me.
Or better yet, wasn’t my client.
There was a hands-off policy for a reason, and I could guarantee she was gonna push me until I broke it.
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.
Alder Duke was my high school sweetheart turned husband, then he became a stranger who wanted his freedom. I gave it to him.
Fifteen years later, I’m a single mom who desperately needs a place to live. He’s a powerful CEO who needs a wife in order to get the house he grew up in, thanks to a trust his grandma left behind.
He makes a deal with me: get married to him—again—and live with him for a year. Once the house is in his name, we can divorce—again—and he’ll rent the place to me.
Just one year. No strings. No feelings. Simple.
But nothing about my ex-husband is simple. Gone is the man who wanted to stay out all night drinking with his buddies. This Alder cooks and cleans and unclogs sinks in gray sweatpants. He gets my stubborn daughter to like him. And with me? He looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world.
I can’t fall for his sweet daisy whispers. I know how it ends. This time we planned it. My life was already derailed by him once, and I barely came out intact. He’s had my heart forever, but he only gets one year.
Genre/Tropes: Dark Romance; Brothers Friends; Forbidden Love; Opposites Attract; Touch her and die
Release Date: April 5, 2025
He gets addicted to things to easily…and I’m no exception.
Ford Ivanov follows the rules.
I was born to break them.
A single scandalous moment turns into a year of lies, stolen kisses behind closed doors, and whispered promises in the night.
Sneaking around with my brother’s friend is forbidden. Because where I come from, love isn’t just dangerous. It’s deadly. The lies are unraveling. And in a world where love is a weakness, we’re about to find out just how strong we really are.
USA Today Best Selling Author T.L. Smith loves to write her characters with flaws so beautiful and dark you can’t turn away. Her books have been translated into several languages. If you don’t catch up with her in her home state of Queensland, Australia you can usually find her travelling the world, either sitting on a beach in Bali or exploring Alcatraz in San Francisco or walking the streets of New York.
Australian Author, Kia Carrington-Russell is known for her recognizable style of kick a$$ heroines, fast-paced action, enemies to lovers and romance that dances from light to dark in multiple genres including Fantasy, Dark and Contemporary Romance.
Obsessed with all things coffee, food and travel, Kia is always seeking out her next adventure internationally. Now back in her home country of Australia, she takes her Cavoodle, Sia along morning walks on beautiful coastline beaches, building worlds in the sea breezes and contemplating which deliciously haunting story to write next.
Sins of the Father: California Dreaming Book 3 A romantic suspense novel has been re-released with all new content by Stacey Johnston, available on all major book platforms.
If there is anything Sherlyn has learned, it’s that the past is a cruel reminder of a life that can no longer be lived.
After the death of her father, eighteen-year-old Sherlyn uncovers hidden truths about his life–horrific deeds he committed that could have a lasting impact on her life. As she struggles with the reality of her haunted past, she realizes that these unexpected truths reveal a past that may not be so easy to bury
When her mother dies under tragic circumstances shortly after her discovery, Sherlyn leans on her best friend Sophie Valentine and the care her family provides. But even their love and support can’t erase her heartache. To combat the darkness that threatens to consume her, she continues to search out the truth, no matter the cost.
But as her quest for answers attracts the attention of one of her father’s former associates, her life is once more thrown into turmoil, and she can’t help but wonder if everything she ever knew was a lie.
Stephen
With the threat of a menacing hitman now eliminated, Stephen is finally free from the prison that was his life for the past four years.
But it doesn’t take long for him to question what the definition of his new-found freedom really is.
When he is forced to move back to California, he discovers that he has been torn away from Sherlyn, the one person who brings light into his world of darkness. Her absence sends Stephen into a vortex of chaos and self-doubt, which begins to inform his every action. Even the best of intentions can’t stop Stephen from pushing away the light to continue his journey through the darkness alone. It’s everything he can do just to keep the remnants of his life intact.
Until tragedy strikes.
A girl struggling to find her way.
A boy trying to control his demons from the past.
Can a shy girl curb the controlling nature of the boy she loves, and will either of them survive the sins of the father?
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Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 