What is a hero without a villain? Boring. The villain is the spark, the intrigue, the one who keeps you on the edge of your seat. Delve into the lives of those who dare to defy the norms, who challenge the heroβs journey, and who, against all odds, get the girl.
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This anthology brings together a collection of clean, closed-door romances that explore the most notorious characters. From cunning masterminds to fallen princes, these stories prove that even the most feared villains can find love.
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In Romancing the Rogue, the villain gets to win, as passion ignites in the unlikeliest of places. Prepare to be swept away by tales where dark allure meets heart-stopping romance.
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Because aren’t we all a villain in someone’s story?
Ghost stories abound in the lowcountry, and Detective Andy Winslow is about to find himself in the center of one.
Andy Winslow grew up hearing campfire tales of the Scarecrow; a monster that stalked the lowcountry’s rural areas, killing people with a vengeance. Now, with farmers and their families around Charleston being murdered in record numbers, people start talking about the Scarecrow again.
Andy doesn’t believe in ghost stories, though. He knows that the sort of monster behind this is of the decidedly human variety, and it’s his job to find them. But when someone very close to Andy gets targeted by the killer, Andy just might find that those stories just might be the only way to save them…and himself.
Finding Hayes is a Small Town, Marriage of Convenience, Forced Proximity, Standalone Romance from USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author, Laura Pavlov.
Tropes: Christmas; Small Town; Best Friend’s Brother; Matchmaker; Time Travel; Friends-to-Lovers
Release Date: October 29, 2024
Cover Design: Letitia Hasser with RBA Designs
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Lydia Scott has always put love on the back burner while she focuses on running her familyβs art gallery and caring for others. But as she sees everyone around her moving on to the next chapter in their lives, Lydia canβt help but feel left behind. With Christmas approaching, all she wants is to find love and start her own happily ever after.
Little does she know, her wish is about to come true in the most extraordinary way. Transported back in time to two different Christmas Eves, Lydia meets two men who are inexplicably connected to her life.
With mistletoe and holiday magic at play, anything is possible for Lydia. But when it’s all said and done, she must make the ultimate decision – which man truly holds her heart? Will this choice change the course of her future forever? Find out in this heartwarming holiday tale filled with love, laughter, and a touch of Christmas magic.
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πReviewπ
The upcoming holiday season has Lydia reflecting on what she has accomplished in her life and the one dream she hasnβt yet accomplished which is to find the man she is destined to share her life with.
A change encounter with a woman who could only be described as her fairy godmother allows her to reflect on her past and realize that the person she has been looking for has never been far away and now is the time to finally pursue the future she has always wanted.
This is enchanting tale that will have you believing in love and the miracles that the holiday season holds.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everythingβs sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether itβs with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe thatβs why sheβs seriously addicted to chocolate.
Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a childrenβs book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but sheβs also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why youβll never see her without a smile on her face.
An angel, a demon, a vampire, a fae and a shifter walk into an academyβ¦
Sounds like the start of a bad joke, right?
I mean, come on, what could go wrong? Especially when they all fall for a girl whose scream can turn men to piles of ash and dust?
That girl is me, by the way. Yep, I k1ll people with my scream. This is where the βIβm not like other girlsβ thing gets a whole new meaning.
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Daughter of the Witch Queen who went psycho and was imprisoned before I was born, father unknown. Too powerful to be left in peace.
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Pandemonium College seems like a good place to hide until I figure out what I am.
No place better than among your own kind, right?
A crow among crows. A powerful girl in an academy full of powerful magical students.
And then I meet them.
Five guys, one more gorgeous than the next.
Nice. Gentle. Friendly. Hot. How is a girl supposed to resist?
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Beware of pretty strangers, they say, but they are just students. They donβt know what I am, so no harm in being friendly right back, right? I mean, what could go wrong?
I only have to avoid screamingβ¦ for any reason. Shouldnβt be all that hard.
Heβs not looking for love, and she isnβt looking for himβ¦ but when opposites attract, the rules of the game change.
Anders As a pro hockey player for the Lauderdale Knights, my life is greatβfriends, hockey, and casual flings are all I need. Love isnβt even on my radar. But Iβll admit, dating my teammateβs hot sister sounds like a fun distraction.
Until I see her shy, nerdy friend sitting alone at the team party. Claudiaβs nothing like the women I usually go for. Sheβs awkward, brilliant, and inexperienced, and I still find myself wanting more.
The problem? Sheβs headed back to Philadelphia, and Iβm stuck here in Lauderdale.
Claudia
One bad experience left me done with men. Iβve got a great job, supportive family, and friends who mean the world to me. The last thing I need is a smooth-talking playboy hockey hunk trying to worm his way into my heartβ and pants.
But then I meet Anders, my best friendβs brotherβs teammate, the swoon-worthy Swedish player whoβs breaking through my walls.
What started as one week together turns into something I never expected. But I canβt trap him like his ex did. I love him too much.
So Iβll let him goβ¦ even if it breaks my heart.
β¨TEASER: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE HOT FIREMAN NEXT DOOR by @authorrebeccanorinne is coming November 27!
Callie Caldwell is doing her best to juggle single motherhood, an unpredictable career, and her own cautious heart. She doesnβt have time for romanceβespecially with her brotherβs friend, James Carmichael, the handsome firefighter who lives next door. No matter how much Callie tries to fight it, James keeps slipping through her defenses. Heβs dependable and steadfast, and his easy charm, protective nature, and late-night visits make it hard for her to deny whatβs between them. With every lingering glance and gentle touch, Callie finds herself falling for him in ways she never expected.
But just as she begins to imagine a future with James, hotelier Sterling Whitmore arrives in Snowfall Valley to open a luxury ski resort. When Callie lands a job working on his finance team, thereβs something disarmingly familiar about the sophisticated New Yorker, and as their paths continue to cross, long-buried memories begin to surface until an unexpected revelation forces Callie to confront her past.
Now, will Callie let the ghosts of old decisions shatter her dreams of happily ever after, or will she realize the life sheβs been yearning for has been right in front of her all along?
Brick Wall is a college hockey romance with a hero who falls hard and fast for the one girl he canβt have.
JT
Life hasnβt always been easy, but things are beginning to look up. Iβm the starting goalie for the BU Wolves, Coach Baylor has become the family I have always wanted as a kid, and my dream career is waiting for me. All I need to do is defend my net for the next few seasons so I can prove to the Boston Bruisers that they drafted me for a reason. Thatβs a pretty bright future for a man with a past like mine.
When I hit up a party with a bunch of my roommates, I never expected to fall hard. But from that night on, itβs out of my control. Maggie Baylor is the one for me, no matter how much she tries to deny it.
Just when I think weβre getting somewhere, she ghosts me. But thereβs one thing Maggie doesnβt understand: Iβm not letting anything or anyoneβnot even Coachβstand in our way.
Maggie
As a transfer student, I have one goal: finish my senior year without any drama. And, okβ¦I may have lost sight of that goal before the year officially started. But thatβs not my faultβHottie Gym Shorts Guy wasβ¦well, hot. And sweet. And so very talented. Thatβs why I bolted the next morning. I didnβt move back home to fall in lust or worse, love. I came back to Bainbridge to spend time with my Uncle Hudson and earn my degree.
Besides, there wonβt be any drama because Iβm never going to see him again.
Except I do. We just keep running into each other. Itβs fine, though. I can resist.
Until I canβt. JT is crumbling all my defenses. Iβm on the verge of letting myself fall in love, even if I know my uncle will disapprove, when two little pink lines appear. I brace myself for impact because the only thing I know about love is that it doesnβt last.
But JT doesnβt leave my side. He slays my dragons and rubs my feet and makes me reconsider everything I thought I knew.
Is this really something I can believe in, or will our world come crashing down just when we need each other the most?
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Brick Wall is the third book in the Bainbridge U hockey series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you love a stoic hero whoβll do anything to protect the woman he loves and the family theyβve created, no matter who tries to stop him, JT Norris will melt your kindle. If you canβt resist a jaded heroine who learns to trust again, Maggie Baylor is your kinda girl. If you want all the laughs, all the feels, and every single bit of steam, and no third act break-up, then settle in with your favorite snackβMaggie recommends dark chocolate peanut butter cupsβand dive into this forbidden love, surprise baby college hockey romance.
The job was supposed to be easy. Get my best friendβs older brother back on his feet and put my life back together.
But when we end up sharing a bed, all those plans flew out the window.
He was a notorious underground rodeo champion. Ladiesβ man and legend. It’s not until he sustains an almost career ending injury that his family learns his secret – he wasnβt just the head of Sunny Brook Farms after all.
What started as professional morphed into something more, and not only because the cowboy refused to wear a shirt around the house.
Not that I was complaining.
But he was like a tempting piece of dessert that I needed to steer clear of.
Except, the more time I spent with him, the more I learned he was more than what he seemed. He was protective and devoted, and when I had my first taste of him, I was hooked.
We knew it was wrong.
We knew it would be our secret.
Neither of us wanted to cross the line drawn in the sand. There was his sister to consider and my crushed heart.
But all of it was about to get more complicated when that pink plus sign showed up.
This time, I wonβt be the one consumed by the flames.
Torren King is rock-and-rollβs broodiest bachelor.
Mysterious, moody, and coveted by nearly everyone.
But to me, heβs just the sad boy who set fire to my heart, then reduced me to ashes in the desert.
For four sweltering nights, I burned for him, and he conquered my heart one whispered lyric at a time.
But on the fifth night, he shattered me in the way only a flawless rock god can:
irreparably, and with devastating finesse.
Four years later, the last place I expect to be is sitting before him, reading through a contact with a pen poised in my fingertips.
A favor for a favor, he says.
A US tour and a fake relationship in exchange for the answer to all my problems.
I hate him. I hate that I need him.
And what I hate the most?
He doesnβt remember me. At all.
But despite the burning chemistry between us, the rapidly blurring lines and the suffocating attraction,
heβs still the rock star who ruined me, and I refuse to let myself forget.
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Of Heartbreak and Harmony is the second standalone in The Hometown Heartless series. It has a guaranteed HEA. It is not necessary to read Between Never and Forever before reading Of Heartbreak and Harmony.
π€Reviewπ€ In order to save his band his music career Torren needs a pretend girlfriend and believes that Callie is the perfect choice. He is drawn to her in a way he doesnβt understand but what he doesnβt remember is that they share a past that didnβt end well and that is only the beginning.
Callie is very different from the girl that knew Torren as she has to put the needs of her family before her own priorities. Even though being forced to spend time with Torren is the last thing she wants, especially since he doesnβt remember their past, she must push those feelings aside as the financial compensation will overrule any emotional turmoil, or at least she hopes it will.
Chemistry that hasnβt diminished over time, a little intrigue and so many feels as Torren and Callie take us on an emotional journey both when it comes to the past and the present. Listening to the audio of this story and the wonderful portrayal by the narrators only enhanced the angst and love these two characters shared.
I fell for the woman whoβs in love with my brother.
As a professional hockey player, thereβs no shortage of women who want me.
Justβ¦not the woman I want.
Because sheβs in love with my older brother.
Until a freak summer rainstorm means that weβre stuck together. In the mountains. With the road washed out and only one hotel room to share between us.
And suddenly, all of her focus is on me.
Suddenly, Iβm in the most important game of my lifeβ
Trying to win Attieβs heart.
This team of misfits and bad boys are going to puck you in the best possible wayβ¦
Knotted Laces is a standalone, forced proximity, one bed, grumpy/sunshine, forbidden love romance with no cliffhangers and an HEA.
Due to her family situation Athena has directed all her attention on her career as an FBI agent. She doesnβt allow many people close however her best friend Lex and his family have embraced her as one of their own however the feelings she has for his brother Cam run much deeper than brotherly.
Cam is a professional hockey player who is dealing with a toxic environment on the team he plays for. He has loved Athena for years but believed she loved his brother Lex. When he realizes that isnβt the case, he is determined to pursue the woman he has always wanted.
Both Athena and Cam have their struggles, but they have a way of seeing deep into each other and knowing exactly what the other needs. They had a few setbacks, but they are surrounded by a great group of family and friends who are there for them.
Meet Elise Faber:
USA TODAY bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her teamβthe Sharks!βare playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys. She lives in Northern California.Β
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To find out about Elise FaberβsΒ upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here
New Release from Sawyer BennettThe Tryst (Bluegrass Empires, Book #3)
Synopsis:
As the middle son, Trey Blackburn dedicates his days to the family business, working to ensure that they remain at the top of the saddelbred industry. His time away from the farm is another story. Not one to get tied up in a long-term relationship, heβs the love βem and leave βem sort of guy. But Treyβs hesitation to commit might be deeper than not wanting to put in the time and effort. His reluctance may have more to do with the blond beauty who just blew back into town and the things they left in the past that have been neither forgiven nor forgotten.Holland Rhodes may not have been born into the Blackburn name, but she was once considered part of the family. Having a less-than-ideal home life, Holland spent as much time as she could with the Blackburns, the quintessential dynasty full of love and southern hospitality. Dubbed an honorary member, Holland thought their connection would last a lifetime, but one shocking revelation changed everything.Having left Shelbyville for a fresh start, Holland has limited her time back in Kentucky for the past decade, avoiding both of her familiesβthe one into which she was born and the one into which she was welcomed. But the death of her father and the uncertainfuture of the family business has brought Holland back to face her past, one Blackburn at a time.With old feelings reignited and ready to move their relationship forward, everything crashes to a halt when tragedy strikes. Their painful history in dangerof repeating itself, Trey and Holland may find that even true love canβt overcome the darkest days.The Tryst: A Blackburn Novel is an enemies to lovers novel within the Bluegrass Empires series. All books in the series can be enjoyed asstandalones.
Grab your copy of The Tryst directly from Sawyer by shopping the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore!
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When she was growing up Hollandβs home situation was less than idyllic, but the Blackburn family accepted her as one of her own. She loved the entire family but her feelings for Trey were of a romantic nature until he ended their relationship, and then she left town. It is only the passing of her father that brought her back and she realizes the feelings she has for Trey are as strong as ever.
Trey loved Holland all those years ago, but he believed that ending their relationship was his only choice. Having her back in his life he wants a second chance however a family tragedy could derail everything.
Holland and Trey have always belonged together however secrets and an emotional twist you didnβt see coming will change the trajectory of their story. I enjoyed the performance of the narrators as it enhanced not only the connection between Holland and Trey but with the rest of the family as well.
About the Author:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories thatappeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both womenβs and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.If youβd like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Dolly Hanes has always been rooted in Magnolia Groveβalong with the secret sheβs kept about her son Nash. Running her familyβs grocery store and raising a boy on her own, Dolly made peace with her decision to let Boone West, the love of her life, walk away all those years ago.
Boone West left town chasing rodeo dreams and never knew the price Dolly paid to let him go. Now, after years away, heβs back in Magnolia Groveβonly to find Dolly, the woman he never stopped loving, right where he left her. But sheβs not alone anymore.
Can love heal the wounds of the past, or will the truth drive them apart forever?
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πReviewπ
Fifteen years earlier Dolly ended her relationship with Boone not because she didnβt love him but because she did. Since then, she has moved forward with her life and between the family grocery store and her son Nathan she believed her life is full until the man she pushed away years earlier moved back to Magnolia Grove.
Boone was planning a future with Dolly until she ended their relationship, and he left to pursue his dream of bull riding alone. Now that his career has ended, he has returned to his hometown and from the moment he sees her he is determined to win her back, but she has a secret that could change everything.
Despite the time and distance when Dolly and Boone are back in each otherβs lives it was like they were never apart. The love between them was unquestionable and Boone was swoony as he claimed the family he always wanted.
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In the heart of Alabama, lies a charming little town on the river, where everyone knows your name⦠and your business.
Follow the intertwined lives of its beloved residents as they navigate first love, second chances, and all the unexpected surprises that their small-town holds.
Welcome to Magnolia Grove, where every neighbor has a story worth unraveling, the roots run deep, and love blossoms around every corner.
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Join the Magnolia Grove Reader Group to find out more!
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Wall Street JournalΒ andΒ USA TodayΒ bestselling authorΒ Winter TraversΒ is a devoted wife, mother, and aunt turned author who was born and raised in Wisconsin. After a brief stint in South Carolina following her heart to chase the man who is now her hubby, they retreated back up North to the changing seasons, and to the place they now call home. Winter spends her days writing happily ever afters, and her nights being a karate mom hauling her son to practices and tournaments.. She also has an addiction to anything MC related, puppies, and baking.