“You’re supposed to wait until at least the third date to…” God, I really can’t say it. “You know.”
“Then I’m long overdue.”
I frown. “We haven’t had a date. Technically, we still haven’t had a date.”
“What do you consider a date?”
“I don’t know. Dinner, a drink, spending time together.”
“We’ve had about a dozen meals together, Em, a few drinks, and we’ve spent lots of time together. I’m pretty sure we met your minimum requirement weeks ago, before you even came over the first time to help me out with Winter.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, dragging in a breath, and on that deep inhale, I realize the embarrassment and unease I was feeling is long gone. Just like that, he made it disappear.
“Now, what do you want to eat? I figure we have a couple more hours before Win is back.”
“Whatever you want.”
“I’m not sure after this conversation that you are ready to give me what I really want,” he says quietly, the statement slipping over my skin like silk.
He’s wrong. I’m totally ready, but I know I… we should wait. Sex complicates things, and this situation is already complicated enough. And if the orgasm he just gave me is anything to go by, I know I will be literally and figuratively screwed if we go there. If it wouldn’t be easy to walk away now, it for sure won’t be after sex. I know myself well enough to know I wouldn’t be able to be his friend or be around him at all. Because that one orgasm just told me I’ll be thinking about him in the most inappropriate ways and angry he is likely giving what he gave me to someone else.
Kristen Granata is a teacher by day, and a bestselling author by night. Known for writing emotional contemporary and new adult romance, she loves creating realistic characters who struggle through the darkest parts of life and come out stronger on the other side. Kristen is a self-proclaimed “bitter cynic trapped in a hopeless romantic’s body.” Her inspirational stories make you laugh, make you think, make you ugly cry – and they will always live happily ever after.
Kristen openly shares her mental health struggles with depression and anxiety with her readers. Her message is a beacon of hope to anyone who is suffering: You are not alone. She delicately weaves this theme into her writing, and her stories demonstrate the ability of love to heal after tragedy.
Kristen was born & raised in New York. She now resides in New Jersey with her wife & two step-daughters. When she’s not teaching or writing, Kristen is reading, tripping over something, indulging in her messy love affair with popcorn, and forever singing along to The Greatest Showman soundtrack.
I’ve never had a problem convincing a man to take me home for a night of fun.
Until I meet Alexander Krum.
He leaves me wanting more at the end of every encounter. Despite our insane attraction to one another, we couldn’t be more opposite.
He wants to take me on a date.
I want to head straight to his bedroom.
He believes in romance.
I know men in romance books don’t really exist.
He always wants to help.
I can take care of myself.
But then he comes to me with a proposition: A marriage arrangement to save his family’s villa. His substantial offer has me overlooking our differences and saying “I do.”
There is only one problem…he’s been hiding a secret from the media for the last four years. Pretending to be a wife is one thing, but this? I’m the last person he should want in this role.
Yet I can’t bring myself to walk away. The incentive is too great, and when it’s over, I will have my dream.
And it will be over. I’m not destined for happily ever after’s—no matter how real this charade is starting to feel.
🏒Review🏒 Alex is not your typical hockey player as rather than be interested in casual relationships what he really wants is the woman who completes him, but he hasn’t made the right choices so far. He has feelings for Aarya, but they want different things when it comes to relationships but when he needs a temporary wife there is no one he would rather have by his side.
Aarya has learnt the hard way not to let anyone too close, so she prefers to keep her interactions with men casual and protect her heart. She may be attracted to Alex, but she believes that she will be able to keep her emotional distance even if he offers her a temporary marriage that will help her realize her professional dreams and show her what her life could be like personally.
Alex is the perfect mix of sweet and swoony and I enjoyed seeing him show Aarya that there is so much more to life than the way she has been living it with everything thing he does and says.
Kimberly Readnour has revealed the gorgeous cover for Deke Me!
Releasing: April 11, 2024
Cover Designer: Daqri Combs, Cover by Combs
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Model: Christopher Leitner
From Author Kimberly Readnour comes a fake dating sports romance in the anticipated new Cessna U Hockey series! This star player, ordinary girl new college hockey romance leaves you laughing while sizzling the pages. Because we all know that when it comes to the charade of hearts, love scores the winning goal.
My life is a mess. The last thing I have time for is to fake date Blake Morton, the arrogantly charming captain of the hockey team. But with my grandmother’s looming rent and a paycheck that’s playing hide and seek, I have little choice but to accept Blake’s bizarre proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend.
The deal is simple—no strings attached, just play the part and collect the payment. Easy, right?
Wrong. Emotions don’t play by the rules, especially when you’re teamed up with someone who’s supposed to be nothing more than an arrangement.
I come from a world where every penny counts, while Blake has everything—a sizable trust fund and effortless talent. Yet, as our charade deepens, so do the glimpses of vulnerability behind his perfect facade, and the more I fall for the real Blake.
My job was to fend off distractors, not become one. As lines between reality and make-believe blur, I’m left questioning: Can my feelings withstand the ultimate test, or will they prove to be the most compelling distraction of all?
Kimberly Readnour lives in the Midwest with her husband and a very snuggly cat.
Having a true passion for romance and HEA’s, she took the leap from the young adult genre to romance and never looked back.
Kimberly worked as a Registered Nurse for fifteen years before hanging up her stethoscope. When she isn’t running her own business, you can find her tucked away writing.
My name is Ellie Troy, and my brother, Arden, would kill me if he knew what I was up to. I’m not even kidding.
It involves hot hockey player Nils Sten. He plays for the Atlanta Thunder and happens to be my overprotective brother’s best friend and teammate.
He’s also my secret crush.
Unfortunately for me, Arden wouldn’t approve of anything happening between me and Nils. Not now, not ever.
Too bad, because I’m going to make it happen—Nils will be mine, maybe for just one night of fun, or maybe for forever.
***
My name is Nils Sten, and hockey is my life. So much so that I haven’t had a serious girlfriend in ages. That’s okay; I find companionship when I need it.
And now it seems I’m about to have a whole lot of it. Not in any kind of a romantic sense. More in a roommate sort of way. See, my best friend and teammate’s little sister, Ellie, is about to move into my house. Yeah, under my roof…with a bedroom down the hall from mine.
God help me.
It’s all my fault, really. I opened my big mouth and offered for her to stay. Now I wish I hadn’t. Problem is, Ellie is beyond beautiful. She’s smart too. She’s really everything I’ve ever wanted.
Too bad she’s off-limits.
Now I just need to keep reminding myself of that…
Nils is the third novel in the bestselling Breakaway Hockey series.
S.R. Grey is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the new Breakaway hockey series and the popular Boys of Winter hockey books and Men of Fall football novels. Other New Adult and Romantic Suspense works of hers include the Judge Me Not books, the Promises series, the Inevitability duology, A Harbour Falls Mystery trilogy, and the Laid Bare series of novellas.
When not writing Ms. Grey can be found reading, traveling, running, and cheering for her hometown sports teams. Sometimes all at the same time!
I’m a famous TV star—how hard can it be to pretend that real love is fake?
To women around the world, I’m Dr. Dark and Dangerous, sexiest bachelor alive.
I meet the only one who has no idea who I am. To single mom Aspen, I’m just the guy who rocked her world one night. Nothing more.
With the tabloids out to destroy my career and a movie deal on the line, I need help. I need a girlfriend to improve my image. Since the only one I want won’t do a real relationship, she agrees to be my fake girlfriend. Except the more time we’re together, the more we blur the lines between what’s real and what’s fake.
Because how I feel for her isn’t pretend at all.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
A USA Today bestseller, Vanessa Vale writes tempting romance with unapologetic bad boys who don’t just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books have sold over one million copies. She lives in the American West where she’s always finding inspiration for her next story. While she’s not as skilled at social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.
🌲Review🌲 Luke is a successful actor who finds himself in Hunter Valley as he tries to distance himself from the negative media attention he is facing. It is there where he meets Aspen and the sparks ignite and they spend a steamy evening together. He knows that one night is not enough, so he convinces her to pretend to be in a relationship with him to help him overcome the media frenzy he finds himself in.
Aspen is is focused on her child and her career and after her past she believes that is all she needs. She gives in to the attraction she feels for Luke and doesn’t expect anything more but before she realizes it has happened Luke is breaking through her walls on a mission to show her they belong together.
Aspen is exactly who Luke needs in her life as she appreciates the man and not the celebrity while Luke shows Aspen what love truly means and the chemistry between them radiates off the pages.
I was a monster when I had nothing. Forced to be an assassin for a criminal organization, it only took a simple order to have me end a life.
Now, I have everything to lose. The woman I fought hard not to love, has become my entire world.
I might have taken Raven to save her from her father, but I’m keeping her for myself. Till death do we part. Vows we shared in secret may come to be more prophesy than promise, because I’ll destroy anything that tries to keep me from her.
It seems I’ll even make a deal with the devil himself to keep her. Damien has his own reasons to help me get back to Raven. For her, I’d give everything, even if helping him hurts my own flesh and blood.
I’ll have to decide, am I a monster or her dark prince? What I do know is she’s my salvation, and I’m her perfect sin.
New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery is back with her second Stewarts of Skagway romance!
Joe Raven. My first love. My only, ever love.
Harper Stewart and Joe Raven have loved each other since childhood. From elementary school to middle school, through high school and into college, they were each other’s first crush, first kiss, first love, first everything… until something happened which tore them apart. Ten years later, Harper and Joe will finally confront the long-buried secrets that ended their relationship. Will the same secrets that almost destroyed them now threaten any chance of a future together? Or will the deep love they once shared give them the strength and courage to forgive?
*****
THE STEWARTS OF SKAGWAY
Six siblings.
Six love stories.
The Stewarts of Skagway.
A small but mighty outpost on the very edge of the Alaskan wilderness, Skagway has been a favorite stop for prospectors, adventurers, and cruisers for over a hundred years. It’s also the home of the midnight sun, grizzly bears and the six Stewart siblings who are about to spend 2024 falling in love! Meet the sexy, sharp-witted, fun-loving Stewarts of Skagway – Tanner, Harper, Hunter, Sawyer, Parker and Reeve – who have no idea how much their lives are about to change as they each find their very own happily-ever-after.
Book #1: Tanner (Jan 2024)
Book #2: Harper (Mar 2024)
Book #3: Hunter (May 2024)
Book #4: Sawyer (Jul 2024)
Book #5: Parker (Sep 2024)
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.
Over fifty books and three RITA® nominations later, Katy claims authorship of the multititled Blueberry Lane series, the A Modern Fairytale collection, the Summerhaven series, the Arranged duo, and several other stand-alone romances, including the critically acclaimed mainstream fiction novel Unloved, a love story.
Katy’s books are available in English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish.
💜Review💜 Harper has loved Joe since she was a teenager, but she was afraid to trust in that love when she left for college, so she ended their relationship. During the time she was gone she made a heart wrenching decision that has her convinced that Joe would never forgive her for so even though years later she is back in her hometown she is determined to avoid him and keep her secrets.
Joe has always known that Harper was his first and only love but he isn’t sure how to bridge the divide between them. He wants a second chance at a future with her but that means convincing her to believe in their love and trust him with her secrets.
Harper and Joe have always belonged together, but they let life come between them. Filled with emotion and love your heart will hurt for what they must overcome as they try to find their way back to each other.
I was upfront about what I could bring to the table—no holding back … off the charts pleasure before saying goodbye.
Then I met her … Felicity Kennedy.
She agreed to my terms, but I’d soon realize that one night wasn’t enough.
Good thing it was a vacation fling, and I’d be flying home the next morning.
When she sat down beside me on the flight back to the States, I knew I needed more.
Felicity
I didn’t have time for men.
Not only were they too much work … they were trouble.
I’d been burned before and had no intentions of opening up my heart again.
Until him … Dante Montgomery.
He was a man I didn’t see coming and one I knew I’d never forget.
After saying our goodbyes, we went our separate ways, but I kept running into him.
When he turns out to be my new boss, I knew things were about to get messy.
★Review★
Dante has so much to achieve when it comes to his career, so he doesn’t have much time for a personal life. When he meets a sexy stranger while attending a social event out of town, he never expected to see her again let alone that she would be his employee.
After the way her last relationship ended Felicity isn’t looking for love but one night with a sexy stranger might just be what she needs to move forward. When fate keeping bringing them together the physical relationship between them continues but when her heart becomes involved choices must be made.
Neither Dante nor Felicity were looking for a relationship however their hearts didn’t agree. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t have to overcome some turmoil to overcome for them to realize it as well.
Send help and wine. My sister is trying to set me up with the grump next door.
Claire A few hours after losing my job, I get a call from a stranger who claims I’ve inherited property from my father. I assume it’s a scam, because my dad is very much alive. Turns out my mother is the liar.
I board a flight to my bio-dad’s hometown, hoping for answers, but the turbulence is so bad I worry we won’t make it. Declan, the hot, tattooed hunk next to me, is obviously terrified too. When the plane freefalls for half a second, he kisses me with the passion of a man who thinks he’s about to die. He seems to regret it immediately afterward—and we both regret it when we discover he’s my new next door neighbor, a complication neither of us wants.
To make matters worse, it turns out my bio-dad’s cabin is only half mine. The rest belongs to a half-sister I didn’t know I had—Nicole, a pink-haired private investigator and possible psychopath.
If I weren’t unemployed and broke, I’d leave, but this crappy half-a-house is my only possession. So I stay in the hopes that I can convince her to sell. Unfortunately, she seems intent on setting me up with Declan, among other manipulations, and her matchmaking tactics are…extreme.
Declan I came to the mountains to hide and be left alone, and now I’m never alone.
Every time I turn a corner, I run into Claire Rainey. She’s tempting as hell, particularly now that I’ve had a taste of her, but I know better than to wrap her up in my trouble—or get wrapped up in hers.
Why you need to #ONECLICK this book… 💕Small Town Romance 🔥One Weekend Stand 💕Second Chance 🔥Cowboy 💕”Hands off her.” vibes 🔥Spicy 💕Dual POV
One weekend. No names. No complications.
That was the deal we made. But the moment she sat beside me at the hotel bar, I wanted her to complicate the hell out of my life. I agreed to all her terms but one. I wanted her name.
She promised to give it to me before checkout.
She lied.
She snuck out without a trace, leaving me to wonder if the best weekend of my life had been a figment of my imagination.
Now, two years later, she’s here. In my town. At my store. Only she didn’t come looking for me. In fact, her arrival is nothing more than a coincidence. With the anger I’ve bottled up since the morning she ditched me threatening our shot at a second chance, I know I have to take control of the situation.
And this time, she’ll be playing by my rules. ✨Influencers’ sign up here to promote this awesome release:https://bit.ly/onlywannadancesignup
Going undercover with the FBI to infiltrate a dangerous cult was the last thing I expected during my week off from teaching. But here I am fake married to a sexy agent with a man bun who happens to be the same man who broke my heart ten years ago when he vanished from my life.
I loved him then, but I hate him now. Right?
Lies and secrets surround us while inside the cult’s compound, forcing us together and blurring the lines of our fake relationship. Past feelings are rekindled making our time alone burn hotter than ever.
When the truth comes to light and the depravity of the leader is exposed, can we both make it out alive or will he leave me again, this time for good?
Mine to Shield is a standalone, dual point of view, forced proximity, dark romantic suspense. Each book in the Protection Series can be read as a standalone, but because of character crossover, they are best read in order. Please note this book is for mature readers due to detailed sexual content, foul language, violence, and discussion of abuse.
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Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 