“Ms. Dawson,” he said. “Come to insult me some more?”
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. “No. Look, about this morning…”
He tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips. “Go on.”
“I’m truly sorry about what I said.”
“Which part?” The corners of his mouth twitched. Oh, this was amusing to him. Good. At least one of us was enjoying this conversation. “You were right. I had been staring at the bottom of a bottle. A bottle of milk that I was feeding to my little girl.”
“I was way out of line. I assumed way too much, and I was completely unprofessional. And I am truly, truly sorry. I had no idea that…”
What was I supposed to say? “You looked like shit because you were probably up all night with your daughter”? I didn’t know how to phrase that politely, so I just didn’t say anything at all.
Goodness, this man was incredibly handsome. We hadn’t been anywhere near this close this morning, so I hadn’t been able to take in all the fine details, like the curve of his chin and his straight nose.
“Listen, I usually don’t act like that,” I said. “I was just mad that I’d been waiting for an hour, and you didn’t seem interested in what I had to say at all.”
Beckett straightened up, his expression suddenly serious. “Yeah, about that. I have to apologize as well. In all honesty, I hadn’t noticed our meeting on the calendar. I usually check my schedule the night before, but with recent events… I didn’t have time.”
“Of course. Is there anything I can do to make up for the way I acted this morning?”
For the first time since I met him, Beckett smiled at me, and I was completely dazed. His smile was absolutely delicious. He had full lips and dimples at the corners of his mouth.
Damn, the man was gorgeous. He was wearing a different suit from this morning. That one had looked great on him, too, but this was perfection.
“There’s no need. I don’t hold grudges, Ms. Dawson.”
“Piper,” I offered. “Please call me Piper.”
He nodded. “Piper it is.”
“You don’t hold grudges?” I asked.
“No.”
“So, I’m forgiven? That easy?” I teased, realizing that probably wasn’t the case.
He tilted his head again. God, I loved that playful smile on his face.
“Were you hoping that I’d make you work for it?”
I laughed nervously. I didn’t even know what I was hoping for.
Blurb:
I’m the last single LeBlanc brother—famous in New Orleans for being a successful CEO…and a total man-whore. Becoming a single dad wasn’t on my to-do list…until my one-night stand drops my newborn daughter on my doorstep.
Suddenly, my world revolves around Charlotte: snuggling, changing diapers, preparing bottles. I’m running on little to no sleep and can barely focus.
So when I space out during Piper’s pitch, she assumes I’m hungover. Given my reputation, I can’t blame her—but it still annoys me. So even though her pitch was great, I kick her out of my office. I don’t need complications. Especially not one as attractive as Piper.
However, gossip travels fast in the French Quarter. When Piper discovers the truth behind my exhaustion and apologizes, I give her a second chance. I invite her to my penthouse to redo the pitch…except I’m far more focused on her cleavage, her smile, and the way she instantly connects with my daughter.
I shouldn’t want Piper. I can’t afford distractions. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to remember that she is off limits.
Meet Ambrose Drake—Sorcerer, Exile, and Host to a Demon Queen
All Ambrose Drake wants is a quiet life. Too bad he’s the most notorious sorcerer in the Hallowed World—with a demon queen from the Seventh Hunger stuck in his head.
Once a top operative for the Crown, the secret society policing magic and the horrors beneath our world, Ambrose took a wrong turn into the underworld and picked up an unwelcome hitchhiker. Now, the demon queen wants out, the Crown wants him leashed, and supernatural nightmares keep landing at his doorstep.
Armed with a sharp tongue, reluctant heroics, and just enough magic to get himself into trouble, Ambrose must face down ancient horrors, rogue sorcerers, and a growing apocalypse—all before his morning coffee.
If you love snarky, trouble-prone mages like Harry Dresden or Nate Temple, dive into this action-packed urban fantasy series today!
In a slow-burn mafia romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, a dangerous psychopath—and deadly crime boss—drops his defenses for the one girl he’s vowed to protect.
Creighton was a dangerous crime boss with a growing empire. And he’s a psychopath.
He’s also obsessed with Blake.
She wanted a normal life. That meant new friends and a life without Creighton.
Except when Blake moves to New York for her senior year of college, Creighton follows because he knows that danger is close behind. He has always protected Blake, and he always will protect her, even if Blake hates how ruthless Creighton has become for her.
However, once they’re in New York, the dynamics between the two begin to change. Tensions heat up, and soon their chemistry is sizzling beyond what Blake can handle.
That means that their usual back-and-forth has to change, with new rules and a new agreement.
Perhaps this negotiation could be for their happily ever after?
They’ll just need to survive each other first…
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Blake was eight when Creighton came into her life after he declared himself her protector when she was sent to the foster home that he resided in. As she grows up she knows that there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, but she also knows about the dark life he leads which she doesn’t want to be part of however even as she tries to distance herself he is never far away.
Everything that Creighton says and every action he takes is out of devotion to Blake. When Blake wants to distance herself from him he won’t push her, but he isn’t about to let her walk away. He will do whatever is necessary to protect her from anything and everyone, even if that includes some subterfuge, with the only exception being him.
The love that Blake and Creigton had for each other was consuming and never in question. Creighton doesn’t always make the right choices when it comes to his feelings for her, but it was always with the best of intentions as this protective and possessive man has no limits when it comes to her.
What happens when your mystery match is everything you want—except he’s your real-life enemy?
I would honestly rather walk down Fifth Avenue in my underwear than deal with David at work.
When my best friend’s brother creates a blind dating app where your friends play matchmaker, signing up feels harmless. Seven days of anonymous texting before you can even exchange phone numbers? Easy. Low stakes. Zero chance of someone finding out it’s me if I don’t want them to—especially since I sign up with my middle name instead of my real first name, you know… just in case.
My mystery guy turns out to be charming, funny, and he gets me in a way no one else ever has. I look forward to every message like some kind of lovesick teenager staying up way too late just to talk to him.
There’s just one teensy little problem, one big enough to shake the universe—the person I’m matched with is David from work only I don’t figure that out until day seven.
So now I’m falling for the man I swear I can’t stand, and he has no idea it’s me on the other side of the phone.
What do I do when the seven days are up and real life steps in, insisting I either reveal myself or ghost the one person I never meant to fall for?
Oh No… It’s You is a contemporary rom-com featuring an irresistible enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance twist that will have you rooting for David and Zoe to finally get it right.
It Could Only Be You is the final installment in USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa Shelby’s Only in Goose Hollow Series.
I’ve been Daisy McKinnon’s dirty little secret for over a decade.
To everyone else, our constant bickering is harmless—like siblings who can’t stop needling each other. But what they don’t know is that behind every jab is a truth. A truth she’s too afraid to admit to herself, let alone anyone else.
She’s the woman I can’t stay away from. My best friend’s little sister and my constant challenge. I’ve laid my heart bare, told her what I want and made it clear she’s the only future I see. But she keeps running—hiding behind excuses, pretending the fire between us doesn’t burn for her too.
The problem is… I’m stuck. There is nobody else for me but her. So, all I can do is wait for her to meet me where I’m at.
But when her safety is threatened, I can wait no longer. She’s coming home with me… where she belongs… where I can keep her safe. Whether her brother likes it or not.
Waylon Ludlow was my first heartbreak—the boy I secretly loved from the sidelines while he ruled Wildhaven High and then disappeared without a word. Now he’s back, all smirks and whiskey-soaked charm, and with a baby no one knew about.
But I’m not the same quiet girl I once was. I’m fire now. Feral, stubborn, and one smart-ass comment away from punching him square in the jaw.
I live loud, love hard, and fight for what matters. And even though Waylon is a mess of mistakes wrapped in faded denim, my heart still skips like it’s seventeen every time he looks at me. And his little girl, well, she’s got me wrapped around her tiny finger.
We clash. We burn. We break things. But the more I push him away, the more I wonder—am I chasing the storm, or is it chasing me?
Sweetwater Mavericks players are good for one thing—tips. I’ve been serving the latest crop of minor league ballers to hit my town every spring and summer for the past four years, and while I dream about life away from Sweetwater, I know that I’m tied to my hometown as long as my father needs me. As fun as one-night stands and summer flings are, they never lead anywhere good. Real love doesn’t exist—my mother taught me that.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘮.
Hunter Reddick is the talk of the league. He never backs down from a challenge. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, winning run on third? He’s throwing a fast ball for the win. But when Hunter and his new teammates come into my bar, he makes his move on me, not expecting to get benched.
Just as he decides to give up, my carefully guarded walls start to break down. Maybe a summer fling isn’t such a bad idea after all. Except Hunter wants more than a summer. He wants falls, and winters, and something real. And he’s set his sights on me. The one girl who can’t give him that.
I’m the last single LeBlanc brother—famous in New Orleans for being a successful CEO…and a total man-whore. Becoming a single dad wasn’t on my to-do list…until my one-night stand drops my newborn daughter on my doorstep.
Suddenly, my world revolves around Charlotte: snuggling, changing diapers, preparing bottles. I’m running on little to no sleep and can barely focus.
So when I space out during Piper’s pitch, she assumes I’m hungover. Given my reputation, I can’t blame her—but it still annoys me. So even though her pitch was great, I kick her out of my office. I don’t need complications. Especially not one as attractive as Piper.
However, gossip travels fast in the French Quarter. When Piper discovers the truth behind my exhaustion and apologizes, I give her a second chance. I invite her to my penthouse to redo the pitch…except I’m far more focused on her cleavage, her smile, and the way she instantly connects with my daughter.
I shouldn’t want Piper. I can’t afford distractions. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to remember that she is off limits.
Grace Hamilton thought she had it all right up until the moment her life fell apart. Betrayed by the man she trusted, Grace’s only choice is to return to the one place she spent her childhood trying to escape. Wattle Creek. She knows it’s not forever, just a chance to reset and figure out the next step.
Cole Flanigan is enjoying the simple life. One he earned on the back of a decorated military career; he now spends his days tending cattle and taking advantage of the peace and quiet on his ranch. But the moment he finds Grace crying and bleeding on the side of the road, everything changes.
Could it be that the last thing these two want is exactly what they need… each other?
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When Grace’s life implodes she returns to her hometown to be close to her sisters while she tries to decide what comes next. Her visit is only temporary and then she will be on her way however when Cole comes to her rescue she takes a look at the life she was leading and the life she wants to lead.
After his military career ended Cole moved to Wattle Creek needing the quite life that the small town offered. He thought he was happy living on his ranch until he meets Grace and realizes that she was who was missing in his life.
At first glance Cole and Grace are an unlikely pair due to their different lifestyles however their hearts don’t agree as they take us on a romantic journey that allows them to see what really matters.
Daniella is my best friend’s younger sister—sweet, innocent Little Russo—and the one woman I should stay away from.
But when she unknowingly marries a man who’s out to destroy her family, she lands herself in danger she can’t escape, and I’m the only one who can protect her.
My first mistake? Insisting she move in with me.
Because the more time I spend with Daniella, the more the light threatens to break through my darkness, making me want things I’ve rejected for most of my life.
I should reject her too. Keep her away from me as much as from him.
That’s the problem with our arrangement though …
Her husband is bad.
Me? I’m worse.
I’m rough, ruthless, and nothing close to what she deserves. I can’t give her the white picket fence she desires.
But she doesn’t see the blood on my hands, or that I’m not husband or father material.
All she sees is the man who’ll burn down the world to save her.
LOVE WINS: STORIES OF HEAT, HEART, AND HOPE, a limited-edition charity anthology, celebrates the power of love in all its forms. Couples navigate between the pull of the past and the promise of the future with courage and passion. From curvy girls to tough guys, from tender new adults to seasoned older adults, these multicultural and interracial lovers invite us to savor the joy of living, loving, and believing. Dive into Love Wins, an anthology of diverse romances, featuring uplifting tales of hope, celebration, and second chances, curated in memory of our fellow writer and romance lover, Twyla Turner.
She was enraptured by the man they called Romeo the moment that he turned those butterscotch-colored eyes her way.
What wasn’t to love about a big, burly, plaid-wearing lumberjack?
He was tall, gorgeous, and knew how to wield a chainsaw better than Leatherface. He could fell a tree in seconds, had thighs that were as thick as said trees, filled out a pair of Wranglers better than any cowboy ever, and didn’t care that she could operate heavy machinery better than him.
He was everything a girl like Mable could ask for.
The caveat? He was a convicted felon that’d just escaped from prison, faked his death, and ran from his home in Texas to the mountains of Montana.
At first, Mable didn’t know what kind of man he’d been before coming to her small, mountain town. He led Mable into a false sense of security, made her fall madly, deeply, and irrevocably in love with him, and then shocked her by sharing his darkest secret.
Now, she’s left reeling, thinking life couldn’t get more complicated.
Until she finds out her stepmother knows Romeo’s secret and plans to exploit him. To make matters worse, Romeo goes on the run to protect Mable from himself, and she realizes that she has a dark side, too. One that’ll stop at nothing, not even murder, to make sure that he can live free.
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.
With the help of his brother in-law Romeo has created a new life for himself in Montana even if it is totally unlike anything he has lived before but at least he has his freedom. When he meets Mable he can’t deny the feelings he has for her even if he knows the best thing he could do was to stay away. This becomes even more difficult when they find themselves sharing a dog and all he wants to do is protect her.
Mable has a tumultuous family life which continues to create complications even as she tries to distance herself from them. When Romeo comes into her life she has deep feelings for him however his actions have her believing that he only wants to be friends. When she realizes that isn’t the case the chemistry erupts but the drama they must face if only beginning.
Both Mable and Romeo have had to deal with a lot in their lives but that only deepens the connection between them. As the truth comes to light it will rock both their worlds, but they are surrounded by friends and family who would do anything for them.
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Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 