In a world full of Vicious Beasts, if you are not a predator, you are prey.
With my life going down in literal flames I ran from everything. From my father, from a forced marriage, from my mates. Now, charged with a crime I didn’t commit, they’re all hunting me. And they’re all furious. The dangerous deputy headmaster of Animus Academy manages to catch me and along with three of my five mates we’re taken back to the prison-school they use to teach feral beasts how to be civilised.
Now I’m locked up with the very men I’ve been trying to avoid all my life. No one can know who my mates are. No one can know who I really am. Because if they do, it’s lights out for me. I’ll be chained up and bred until I die.
And I refuse to allow that to happen. The only problem? My mates are really dangerous. As in Grade A lethal monsters that everyone is terrified of, and their eyes are fixed on me.
On the run, injured, and out of options, I had no choice but to go back to him.
Back to the one place I swore I wouldn’t—because staying away was the only way to keep him safe.
Jude Herbert.
My one-night stand turned unexpected protector.
A rugged, guitar-playing lumberjack with broad shoulders and blue eyes that could light up the darkest Maine night.
And the man determined to keep me safe.
When we’re forced to hide out in his cozy cabin, we make the best of it by playing Scrabble and sharing stolen laughter, pretending the world outside isn’t closing in. He carries me like I weigh nothing, cleans my wounds with gentle hands, serenades me with his guitar and makes heat bloom beneath my skin with every stolen glance.
He insists I take the bed every night. Eventually, I ask him to stay.
The way Jude looks at me—like I’m worth protecting—breaks down my defenses. Soon, he’s my protector and confidant, and in these stolen moments, I begin to imagine a life I’d long ago given up on having.
But the danger I’m running from is catching up. Though the answers I’ve been chasing are within reach, so is the threat that could destroy us both.
In the depths of the Maine wilderness, love can be wild, unexpected, and terrifying. And sometimes it takes a burly, stubborn lumberjack to help a woman find her way home.
Author’s Note: Axe-ing For Trouble is a standalone small-town romance featuring a protective lumberjack and a daredevil heroine fighting their attraction while seeking justice. If you enjoy swoony banter, found family, an awesome dog and forced proximity, you will not be disappointed. Don’t worry, Clive makes an appearance!
🧡 Brother’s Best Friend 🧡 Football Romance 🧡 Roommates/Close Proximity 🧡 Secret Romance Author 🧡 Teenage Crush 🧡 Golden Retriever Hero 🧡 Slow Burn 🧡 Interconnected Standalone
Tyler Quinn
There is a beautiful woman unexpectedly living in my house. A woman I sort of know because she’s my best friend’s little sister. Although, she’s definitely not so little anymore.
My entire professional career, I’ve been the starting tight end for the Tampa Tarpons. Life as a football player keeps me in the spotlight, when my preference is the dark. Through unfortunate past experiences, I guard my privacy the most, therefore I don’t do roommates, ever. But when my best friend calls and says he needs a favor, I don’t say no. Although I wish I had. Now she’s here, with her gorgeous turquoise eyes, big trusting smile, and taking up my spot on my couch. I’ve established the rules for how this is going to go, but as time passes, and she opens up, I find it’s becoming harder and harder not to break them.
Lily Kent
If I know one thing for certain, I’m never dating another football player again.
After walking away from a very long and expired relationship, I needed a place to stay to plan out my life. My new life. I can work anywhere, so when my brother suggests crashing with his best friend Tyler, I say,”Yes.” Who doesn’t love palm trees, sunshine, and an attractive roommate? Tyler is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome, but the best part is he’s also kind. He makes me feel grounded when everything else feels upside down. He makes me feel things I wasn’t expecting. I know I said no more athletes, but in those moments when his hand grazes my back or when he makes me laugh, I wonder about my plans. Maybe I should change them, if we should, after all, fate did lead me to his door.
Well, sixty nine if you count me, Elizabeth Sweet, Monhegan’s newest resident and retired child star.
When I first step off the boat, I’m ready to be charmed by the island that holds the sweetest memories from my childhood. A place so remote that even the pesky media won’t bother to look for me here.
What I get instead is exasperation.
“Summer people.” It’s grumbled like a curse, a growl of sorts. No one seems to want me here, least of all the grumpy sheriff who seems affronted by my mere existence.
He’s stupidly handsome, goes nowhere without his beloved golden retriever Bing, and speaks in nothing but grunts.
Unfortunately for Fisher Jones, I’m not going anywhere. In fact we’re neighbors. And his niece Sutton, like every other eight year old in America, is obsessed with me.
Summer in Monhegan isn’t at all what I expect, but neither is Fisher. I haven’t quite figured out why he’s so miserable, but I’m also not volunteering what I’m running from.
All I know is the Islanders aren’t the only ones worming their way into my heart. Though, I suppose it won’t matter how I feel, if my past catches up to me. Maybe I’m destined to be nothing more than 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.
Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won’t be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won’t be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
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?
💕Review💕 Grace has tried to ignore Conway, her ex-boyfriend’s father, for years after feeling embarrassed when he rebuffed her advances. That is about to change as not only are their daughters’ best friends, but they are now both members of the PTA. The only problem is that the sparks fly whenever they happen to be in the same room.
Conway has always been attracted to Grace but there were many reasons they shouldn’t be together which include the age gap, their daughters and his son. He soon realizes that she is worth facing any challenges that may come their way, and the status quo is no longer enough.
The heat between Grace and Conway radiates off the pages and the banter between them is humorous. Her feisty personality has met its match when it comes to Conway and watching their relationship unfold was so much fun. Alex Kydd’s deep and gravelly voice was a perfect choice for Conway while CJ Bloom allows you to experience her sass.
Love between a Fate and a Grim Reaper is forbidden. Good thing he’s just using her.
High school sophomore MaKayla Colfax was perfectly happy with her life until she inherited a mysterious pair of scissors. They don’t cut, but when holding them, MaKayla experiences visions, like lines between people, connecting them. With the scissors, she uncovers the ancient power of her lineage of Greek Fates.
If Grim Reaper-in-training Cain Morrigan messes up one more soul harvest, he’ll remain a disgusting human for the rest of his existence. But his new target has supernatural connections tied to Earth. Now Cain’s only hope is to find some force powerful enough to cut these ties.
Can MaKayla embrace her destiny fast enough to preserve the balance of life and death? Can Cain tolerate a human long enough to make MaKayla into the Fate he needs? And for the love of gods, can the two of them work together for one minute without fighting?
I’ll pretend she’s mine, such a pretty little lie.
I’m exactly the type of guy Elena should stay away from.
Sweet, innocent women like her don’t look for relationships in motorcycle clubs. Especially one as classy and out of my league as Elena.
I can’t resist swiping right on her dating profile for fun. I never imagined we’d be a match. I know I’d only be a quick thrill for her, but I’m getting tired of the women at the clubhouse anyway.
Then my club brother Viper goes and ups the stakes: he bets me one thousand dollars that I won’t be able to have a relationship with Elena.
With my wicked smile and flirty charm, she won’t be able to resist me. And like my other hookups, I can’t let it get personal.
Until I let my guard down and she becomes my ride or die.
Which means I’ve got to make sure as hell that Elena never finds out about our bet…
Life as a professional hockey player keeps me plenty busy, and yet it often feels like I’m on autopilot as the world passes me by. I suppose I can’t complain. I have the honor of calling myself a New England Bay Shark, so I have more than enough money to buy some form of happiness.
Sleeping around with beautiful women may come with the territory, but I’ve never taken the time to actually get to know any of them. In fact, there’s only one I’ve relentlessly thought about, but she’s off-limits. Everyone knows you can’t go after your best friend’s little sister. Especially if he’s already forbidden it.
I’ve had a crush on Saylor Sawyer since I met her years ago, and even though I’ve spent many showers and nights alone creating my own fantasies, starring her, I know I can’t
act on those … filthy thoughts.
No matter how hot they are.
When a teammate hurts her badly, Saylor’s on the warpath, looking for sweet revenge. I just happen to be the lucky bastard sitting at the other end of the bar.
One hookup gets entangled with a lie, and things get complicated fast. But the lie wasn’t mine, and I’m going to make damn sure she knows it too.
See, the night she used me to get back at her ex awakened a beast inside of me. A beast that only wants Saylor Sawyer.
Teller Bailey is the last single son in a Montana bourbon empire. He’s also arrogant, infuriating, and unfairly handsome with his beard and flannel.
Everyone in town loves him. Everyone in town detests me.
I’m “Mad Maddy” Townsend, the only surviving daughter of Bourbon Canyon’s most reviled family. I’m also mouthy, broke, and spectacularly alone.
I’ve wanted nothing more than to get away from this small town and their opinions of me since birth, yet I’m stuck here with nothing but a trashed dive bar and a shoestring budget to get it back in business—or my mom will be evicted from her nursing home.
But there isn’t a contractor in the county who’ll return my calls, at least without including a few four-letter words in their messages. My only hope for competent help is the annual bachelor auction featuring the town’s most eligible Bailey. The prize? One project completed for the highest bidder.
I must be every bit as crazy as this town thinks to bid on Teller. The man I can’t stand will be mine until I’m ready to serve my first drink. All I have to do is not fall for his charming smile, his unyielding support, or the way his name opens all the doors slammed in my face. I’ve never been treated so well, but I know how this goes. When this job is finished, he’ll ride off into the bourbon sunset—without me, just like everyone else in my life.
Readers who love Elsie Silver, Devney Perry, Laura Pavlov, and Lyla Sage will love Bourbon Sunset.
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.
There’s a long list of reasons why I shouldn’t crush on the sexy firefighter.
Logan Murray is not only my brother’s teammate, he’s more than ten years older than me and seems to curse my very existence. I shouldn’t care but I do.
Oh, and did I mention I’m now the nanny to his twin daughters? I need this job and I can’t risk messing it up.
But the more time I spend with the single dad makes me think that his growly exterior might just be hiding something more.
I’ve always been taught not to play with fire. But for him, it might be worth the burn.
Sparks and Surrender: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Collection, a steamy, captivating romance collection, part of the 1001 Dark Nights Trope Collection from New York Times & USA Today bestselling authors Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy, Elisabeth Naughton, Jill Shalvis & Rachel Van Dyken is available now!
When sparks fly, passion ignites. Sparks and Surrender is packed with fiery romances where enemies become lovers. From bitter rivals to the people they least expected, these characters discover that the line between hate and love is dangerously thin.
Includes: Kayden/Simon by Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy Unchained by Elisabeth Naughton Twist of Fate by Jill Shalvis and The Anti-Fan and The Idol by Rachel Van Dyken
Add Sparks and Surrender: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Collection to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/41a8LMn
Keep reading for a look inside Sparks and Surrender: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Collection!
Kayden/Simon
“You might not be so dismissive when you discover the truth.” “Maybe not,” she slowly agreed. “But…” He frowned as she struggled to find the words to express the need aching deep inside her. “But what?” “I’ve spent twenty-two years being locked away and told it was for my own good,” she confessed. “I don’t won’t to waste another second just because it might hurt me later.” His lips parted. He was going to continue to argue. She could feel it. Framing his face in her hands, she tugged his head down to press her lips to his in a kiss of flagrant yearning. Kayden went rigid and Bianca’s heart began to sink. So much for her stumbling attempt at seduction. Then, just as she was about to pull back in embarrassment, Kayden’s arms lashed around her body and he hauled her off her feet so he could deepen the kiss with a stark urgency. A combustion of heat blasted through her as his tongue skillfully parted her lips and dipped inside. She groaned. This was what she used to lay in her bed and fantasize about.
Kayden/Simon
Tryst paced the kitchen floor. Shit, shit, shit. She was going full rogue here. The mission was to bring the male in. Done. Period. And it would’ve been so easy. Drugged, in the car, snoring away—next stop, Wildlands. Instead, she’d stripped him, tied him to the bed and gone over every inch of him. Each scar, the waves of muscle on his belly, the tattoos on his scalp… After an hour, she’d thought better of it, caged her curiosity, not to mention her lust, and started to untie him. But then he’d said something. In his drugged sleep. Something that had made her both delay her plans and stay out of communication with Parish and Raphael. Neither one knew she had the male in her custody. She’d meant to contact them after securing him, hadn’t wanted them to know she’d fucked up and allowed him to get away. But those words had arrowed straight to her soul. Gutted her. Made her pine—not pity. Because if it was true…everything inside her—everything that snarled and stalked and loved the feel of the bayou sun on her belly—demanded that she help him… Fix him…
Unchained
“How did you find me?” he said. “What do you want with me?” Circe blinked, his voice pulling her back to the moment. She’d not been sexually attracted to anyone in so long, she’d forgotten what that rush of excitement felt like. Then again, she’d not had the chance to be attracted to anyone. Zeus kept her locked up tight and had for way too long. Focus. Sexy as hell you can use to your advantage. She lifted a foot-long length of heavy chain. “Look familiar?” His face paled as he looked at the chain Zeus had used to bind him to that rock. The rock where he’d been tortured daily by a giant eagle that had torn into his side and consumed his liver day after day. “Where did you get that?” “Find me and I’ll tell you.” His confused gaze lifted to her face. “Find you?” “You’re a Titan. You have powers others don’t. Find me and I can help you make Zeus pay for everything he’s done.”
Twist of Fate
She rolled her eyes. “I like how you assume you’re the only one being tortured.” “Hey, I’ve been nothing but a—” “I swear to God if you say delight…” He shrugged. She sighed, looking a little overheated and frustrated and ticked off, which made two of them. Except he was also turned on. He couldn’t help it. Daisy talked with her hands, her eyes flashing. She looked sexy as hell. “Look,” she said. “Rocco’s in love. He’s marrying the man of his dreams, so it’s not about you or me. Or us. Or the utter lack of an us—” “Funny, because it feels a whole bunch like it’s about us,” he said. He’d meant to shut her up, of course, but what he hadn’t intended was to forget himself, the wedding, his brother, and everything but the soft little sound that escaped her throat just before she fisted her hands in his shirt. Going to shove me away or pull me in, babe? She kissed him back. More than that, she pressed all those sweet, sexy curves up against him. With a groan, he wrapped his arms around her, feeling every contour of her sweet bod against his. Her mouth had started out icy cold from the chill in the air, but it was hot now. They were both hot.
The Anti-Fan and the Idol
He stares down at me. “You were a bad idea from the start.” “And you were bad from the very beginning.” I lift my chin. He lowers his head. I go in first. I kiss him. His tongue invades my mouth the minute our lips touch. I tell myself it’s the adrenaline from working out too hard or maybe just the darkness, but I know it’s him. I cling to his shirt and pull it over his head. He doesn’t hesitate at all as he spins me around and presses me against the nearest wall. Why do bad ideas always feel so good? I moan when he starts trailing kisses down my neck. If we get caught, we’re completely screwed. But I’m willing to risk everything—including my dreams—for just one more taste of him, one more flick of his tongue. His chest heaves as he deepens the kiss. The lights flicker back on. We break apart so fast you’d think our parents just walked in and announced we had to get married. I wipe my mouth. He licks his lips. I want more.
Kayden plans to revenge the death of his parents but kidnapping the perpetrator’s daughter will not only include surprises but change his life when he realizes she is destined to be his mate.
Simon is a successful model who is more comfortable traveling the world than returning to his roots. Tryst is tasked with bringing him home, but she and Simon may find where they truly belong in each other.
Unchained by Elisabeth Naughton – Prometheus has managed to escape the control that Zeus had over him and thought he could move forward however vivid dreams continue to hold him captive. Circe is also being controlled by Zeus and her latest mission will put her at odds between what she needs to do and her feelings for Prometheus.
Twist of Fate by Jill Shalvis –When he and Daisy were together Diego until their lives went in different directions. Years later Daisy is the wedding planner, and Diego is the brother of the groom so they can no longer avoid each other. Working together on the wedding the chemistry and connection between them is stronger than ever, but is this their second chance or are they destined to end in heartbreak once again?
The Anti-Fan and The Idol by Rachel Van Dyken – Ah-Ri has been trying to fulfill her dream of becoming a K-Pop star so being approached to be part of a co-ed group would be a dream come true if it wasn’t for the other members of the group. Ryan and Hanuel want to change the world of K-Pop by creating a co-ed group so the last thing that either Ryan or Ah-Ri needs is to be distracted by the other.
It is great to have these very different stories included in one collection.
First, I hit him with my car. Then I hit him with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Annabelle
My father really outdid himself this time. If he wasn’t already the worst, his newest demand surely gave him that title—if I wanted to take over the family company, I needed to get married.Within the next six months.
He thought he had me right where he wanted me…that I’d marry one of his lackeys. A man who’d keep me in line with Dad’s vision for both me and Parker Industries.
Well, dear old Dad had another thing coming. I was no pushover, bowing to the whims of him or any man. I had a plan. And that plan’s name was Ryder Perry.
Ryder
Red River, Texas was worse than I thought it was going to be when I moved here with my brothers to renovate the old ranch home we inherited from a distant relative. Mosquitos, flies, and the lung-clogging humidity were making me miserable, and that misery was only compounded when a spoiled rotten princess slammed into my truck and had the audacity to blame me.
The next time I saw her, she offered me two things—an apology for her behavior and a million dollars…to marry her.I thought she was drunk. Or crazy. Or maybe a little bit of both. I wasn’t sure.
But one thing was for sure—my time in Red River just got a lot more interesting.
Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 