Bianca has finally found her rightful place amid the powerful Constantines. But all is not what it seems in this glittering new world. And Tiernan Morelli refuses to give her up…
BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE is the final book in the Dark Dream duet by USA Today bestselling author Giana Darling.
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“All I ever wanted was acceptance and unity. All I’d ever been was alone and a tool of chaos.”
“That was the problem for people who created monsters, it was only a matter of time before they turnedon their creators.”
“This madness I have for you.” “It’s in my blood.”
Beautiful Nightmare is the heart-pounding and thrilling conclusion to the Dark Dream Series.
Beautiful Nightmare picks up right where Dangerous Temptation left off and once again, hits the ground running. With nothing left to lose, Tiernan will stop at nothing until Bianca is back in his arms. No matter the price, no matter what he has to do, Tiernan is a man with a mission. So, buckle up and get prepared for another wild and crazy ride that only Giana Darling can deliver…
Beautiful Nightmare was everything I was hoping it would be. Filled with secrets, lies, and a quest for revenge, this book leaves no stone unturned. You will be kept on the edge of your seat dying to know what will happen next. The stakes for Bianca and Tiernan are higher than ever, but that doesn’t stop these two from steaming up the pages.
Once again, I was captivated and utterly swept up in the pages of Bianca and Tiernan’s story. Wild horses couldn’t stop me from finishing this book, even if that meant I would devour this book quickly. I was hooked and had to see how things would play out. All I can say is that Giana Darling does not disappoint.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Meet Giana
Giana Darling is a USA Today and Top 40 Amazon best selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat, Persephone, and Golden Retriever puppy, Romeo. She’s a lifetime athlete, playing and coaching basketball, soccer, field hockey, and softball, so she comes by her competitive spirit naturally. A born reader and self-proclaimed geek, she is enamored with mythology, history and all kinds of literature. Before becoming a romance novelist, she was a food journalist, a food blogger, a coach, a French tutor and the owner of a pie company. For the last few years she has been living all over Europe, mostly in her second home France, but she’s finally settled with the Love of Her Life in her hometown on an island off of Vancouver.
Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission. Kage asks for neither. Especially when he gets his hands on me.
Suffer in Silence, the first must-read story in The Malvagio Mafia Duet filled with all things dark and dangerous from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
Monsters don’t hide in dark alleys. They lurk in plain sight, clawing into your soul with cordial smiles. They wear Armani, they drive Cadillacs, they attend fundraising balls… And they rule the city with a merciless fist.
The Familia is a mystery to most, and sitting on it’s throne is Kage Malvagio.
Vile. Sadistic. Painstakingly beautiful.
Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission. Kage asks for neither. Especially when he gets his hands on me.
I should hate him. I should run at the first chance I get. But how could the devil be so bad when he looks at me like that?
Suffer in Silence is the exciting first book in The Malvagio Mafia Duet and has all the ingredients for an unforgettable read. This book is filled with action, danger, and an unexpected romance.
Saxton is tougher than nails and is just what the doctor ordered for Kage. Kage is everything you’d expect from a Mafia boss. Broody. Arrogant. Fearless. Together these two are an explosive match just waiting to catch fire.
Suffer in Silence was a thrilling and entertaining read, easily devoured in a single sitting. The characters are explosive and definitely keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book and see how it will all come together in the end.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Excerpt
The whiskey swirls aroundin the cup as I sit at my desk. It’s well past three in the morning but my mind is wide awake. The knowledge of the call I have to make sits heavy on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
I wanted to leave her out of this, not only for me but for Silas. If he knew what I’m about to do, he’d kill me himself— his relationship with my father be damned. He was right when he told me there is no part of her that belongs in this world.
She’s too innocent. Too perfect. Too good to be tainted by all of this.
And yet I have no choice but to drag her into it—kicking and screaming, I’m sure. There used to be a time when I would imagine another life for myself. One where I wasn’t the leader of one of the most powerful organizations in the world. One where a family was in the cards for me. One where she wasn’t the most forbidden thing in my life.
I used to close my eyes and live in that false reality for as long as I could. But it was exactly that.
A daydream. An imagination. An impossible outcome for how my life will go. And after I do this, I’m only sealing that fate. But as much as it pains me to admit, Nico was right. This is our only option at this point. I will not lose everything my father worked so hard to achieve.
I grab my phone and down the rest of the glass as I dial the number. It rings three times before a voice comes through the other side. Sleep laces Beni’s tone as I pull him out of a peaceful slumber.
“Boss?” he asks.
Closing my eyes, I utter the words and kick into action a plan I’d hoped would always be theoretical. “Execute Plan S. Let me know when it’s done.”
Meet Kelsey Kelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog. She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey. Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Ayesha Shetty lost her brother seven years ago, the same time she lost everything else important to her: her dreams, her fierce independence, and the man she loved. Not wanting to see her mother hurt anymore, she put her wild self away and became the dutiful daughter her mother needed and took on her brother’s role in the family business.
Now her best friend’s big, fat Indian wedding is a chance to get away from her endless duties at the restaurant and maybe even have some fun (if she remembers how). But a setup arranged by her mother, with a doctor no less, is the last thing she needs. The fact that he checks all her mother’s boxes just makes everything better…and worse.
Then Emmitt Hughes shows up. Her brother’s best friend. The love she once chose over family duties and her responsibilities. The one she asked to leave, and who did. The one who knows the real Ayesha. Torn between a love from the past that could cost her the only person she has left and her sense of obligation to her mother, will Ayesha find the strength to stop thinking about what everyone else wants and finally put herself first? Or is the old Ayesha truly gone for good?
Goose bumps rose across Ayesha’s skin, one sharp dot at a time.
“Ayesha.”
That was it. Just that one word. Her name. In a voice that was its own ghost.
She squeezed her eyes shut. One tight squeeze. Tight enough to hurt, tight enough to almost dislodge the false eyelashes Andre had pressed into her lash line one by one with the precision of a surgeon. Then boom! she was in control again and back to Ayesha on Ice.
Eyes blank, face set, she turned toward the voice.
Emmitt.
The impact of him was a body blow.
The entire universe stilled. Words weren’t a thing. Or sound. Breath? What was that?
Ayesha! Get a grip.
No grip. That’s how it had always been. She’d had no grip when it came to Emmitt Hughes. Not even a little bit. Not when she’d spied on him and Ajay playing Mario Kart and Minecraft and GTA for hours, for years. Not when she’d yearned and dreamed and spun stories with him at the center.
I’ve made my love for you, my god.
It was the cheesiest of lines from one of those Bollywood songs her parents had played on repeat at the restaurant. Amma had loved translating the over-the-top lyrics and explaining their nuances.
Back when Amma was full of stories and songs and laughter. Before Ajay.
Ajay.
Her brother’s unspoken name fell between them like a glass bauble and shattered.
“You remember Emmitt,” Edward had the gall to say.
Bela shot him a glare.
You didn’t tell me he would be here. Ayesha threw the silent accusation at her traitorous best friend, who gave her nothing more than another worried look.
No, Eddie. Remind me again who he is? The snarky words stuck in Ayesha’s throat. Old Ayesha would have said them. Old Ayesha said everything.
“Emmitt,” New Ayesha said, every feeling buried under her customer-is-king voice from the restaurant. “Nice to see you again.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed in the long column of his throat. How was he still so darned beautiful?
One swallow, and then he smiled back. Banking feelings where no one saw them had been his thing. Emmitt the Wall. That’s what Ajay had called him. Her brother had been best friends with him since Emmitt had moved to Naperville in fifth grade after his parents’ divorce. Years of friendship, and he’d still held Ajay at that slight distance he’d been so good at. Something she would always wish she hadn’t cured him of.
You broke me, Ayesha.You broke every defense I’ve ever had against the world.
She, Ayesha Shetty—too tall, too dark, too outspoken, too intense, too ambitious, too everything for everyone else had been just enough to break through Emmitt the Wall.
“It’s nice to see you too,” he said gently, sounding . . . she dug through her brain to come up with the right word. Grown-up? Contained?
Good. Because Ayesha was all those things now too. Not a grenade with its fuse pulled, ready to blow up the world.
Interview with Author Solini Dev
The Wedding Setup may be a short story, but it is tremendously powerful. How would you describe it to readers?
Thank you. It’s the story of a girl who used to be a rebel who followed her heart and fought for what she wanted, and then her brother’s death leaves her responsible for her widowed mother. It’s about being knocked off your feet and getting stuck, and learning how to stand back up and reclaim yourself.
The story invites us to take an intimate look into a mother-daughter relationship. This is a universal theme, however, you also steep the plot in your own Indian heritage. Can you tell readers what this story means to you as a daughter? What it means to you as an Indian woman?
There is so much of my own relationship with my mother in this book. We’ve always been incredibly close. She’s outspoken and confident and she modeled some powerful behaviors for me growing up about owning her own body and her voice. But there were the other parts where she was a product of her time and culture, believing in absolute terms that it is a woman’s duty to nurture her family, to marry ‘at the right time,’ to be a certain kind of mother. These are things she pushed hard. Things I internalized but also fought to do on my own terms and not hers. Ayesha’s relationship with her mother used to be this way, and then a tragedy changes their dynamic. So, it’s an exploration of how battles for identity get derailed by tragedy and grief and what it takes to heal.
Ayesha’s mom describes her as obedient, responsible, and “always putting everyone else before her own needs.” After hearing this Ayesha (internally) feels hypothermic. Can you explain how these seemingly sweet compliments completely destroy your heroine?
The mother-child bond comes with a kind of intuitive understanding of each other that’s unique to that relationship. So, while Ayesha has lost her fiery spirit and both she and her mother have lost years to their grief and struggle to survive, her mother knows who her daughter is deep down and how much she’s buried. So there’s a very nuanced intent to these ‘compliments’ and they hit the nerve they’re meant to hit. Ayesha’s reaction to these words is her dead parts coming back to life.
It only takes a moment—one second—for Ayesha to break free from her ice…a single word from Emmitt has her coming back to life. Why does she have such a powerful reaction to someone she hasn’t seen in seven years?
Ayesha had a crush on Emmitt for many years before they got together. She’s always had a strong reaction to him. The years they spent together as young adults were years when she came into herself, and felt seen and cherished. Then she loses all of that when her brother dies and they break up. So, it’s a combination of things that come together when Ayesha meets Emmitt again. They have a natural connection, but also, with his return come all the memories of who she used to be and how much she used to let herself feel.
Ayesha has never forgotten how Emmitt turns “her messy, impulsive, unfettered emotion into something beautiful.” But she has forgotten the effect that she has on him. What buried memories are uncovered as she watches Emmitt react to their reunion?
Emmitt has always dealt with the world and the pain it causes him by keeping everyone at arm’s length. But Ayesha destroys his defenses with her ability to love (and do everything else) so fiercely. So, when he loses her he’s already lost his ability to protect himself. Their joint grief is what separated them, so, while they understand each other’s pain they both also understand the loneliness of not having each other to lean on. They’ve had to make the journey to healing individually, but meeting each other again brings up the piece that needs the other to heal.
How did you get to know your couple? How were you able to understand what was needed to heal their broken hearts?
The one theme that threads through all my books is finding yourself on the tightrope between personal freedom and responsibility to family and community. Healing is always about finding or rediscovering your love for yourself. So, I understand my characters through that lens: how have they lost themselves? What about themselves do they need to reclaim and fall in love with? A truly connected couple is one who aids this journey in each other, recognizes it, and supports it.
In a limited number of pages you not only give readers a living, breathing couple, but also an avalanche of equally interesting characters like Ayesha’s best friend, suitor, aunties…and you even create depth with characters that are no longer living. Why was it so important to spend time with these secondary characters? What do they reveal about your hero and heroine?
I believe that as humans we are a sum total of our relationships and the world we live in and build for ourselves. How someone treats other people and how they respond to how they are treated is what constitutes character.
At its heart, every story is about a person who is somehow at odds with the world they live in or with themselves because of the expectations of their world, and the journey they make to resolve that conflict. Ayesha wouldn’t be Ayesha without her mother and Bela, her best friend and the community she was raised in. Bela has been her wild other half growing up, then their paths diverged, but they continued to be each other’s support. Her mother has become a crutch she uses to hold on to her grief. Emmitt’s grief over his friend has run his life for seven years too. So the secondary characters are just as integral to the story as the protagonists.
While the plot focuses on grief, there is also great joy to be found. After all, the backdrop of the story is a giant wedding. What do you personally find the most fun at a traditional Indian wedding celebration?
I’m always only there for the food and dancing! Fine, and getting to dress up. And the wine. Also, maybe the chance to hang out with family and friends I only see at weddings. And the drunk aunties and uncles.
After readers devour The Wedding Setup, which of your other books would you recommend they read next?
First, thank you so much for devouring The Wedding Setup! I’m incredibly proud of my Raje series, a set of retellings of my four favorite Jane Austen novels set in a politically ambitious Indian American family from Northern California. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is a gender flipped Pride and Prejudice. Recipe for Persuasion is a two-generational homage to Persuasion set on a Food Network show. Incense and Sensibility, the love story between a gubernatorial candidate and a yoga therapist who can save him but also destroy his campaign, pays tribute to Sense and Sensibility. And the upcoming The Emma Project (May 17th 2022), which is a gender flipped Emma that explores what it means when a person with tremendous privilege offers charity to someone who has much less.
Author Biography
USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that explore universal issues. Her novels have been named best books of the year by Library Journal, NPR, the Washington Post, and Kirkus Reviews. She has won numerous accolades, including the American Library Association’s award for best romance, the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for best contemporary romance, and multiple RT Seals of Excellence; has been a RITA finalist; and has been listed for the Dublin Literary Award. Shelf Awareness calls her “not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, two visiting adult children, and the world’s most perfect dog.
To celebrate the release of Alpha’s Revenge enter to win a $50.00 Amazon Gift card: https://bit.ly/3t9kHi9
Meet Renee Rose
USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, and Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance. She’s hit the USA Today list ten times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.
Meet Lee Savino Lee Savino has grandiose goals but most days can’t find her wallet or her keys so she just stays at home and writes. While she was studying creative writing at Hollins University, her first manuscript won the Hollins Fiction Prize.
he lives in the USA with her awesome family You can find her on Facebook in the Goddess Group (which you totally should join).
Memphis Ward arrives in Quincy, Montana, on the fifth worst day of her life. She needs a shower. She needs a snack. She needs some sanity. Because moving across the country with her newborn baby is by far the craziest thing she’s ever done.
But maybe it takes a little crazy to build a good life. If putting the past behind her requires a thousand miles and a new town, she’ll do it if it means a better future for her son. Even if it requires setting aside the glamour of her former life. Even if it requires working as a housekeeper at The Eloise Inn and living in an apartment above a garage.
It’s there, on the fifth worst day of her life, that she meets the handsomest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Knox Eden is a beautiful, sinful dream, a chef and her temporary landlord. With his sharp, stubbled jaw and tattooed arms, he’s raw and rugged and everything she’s never had—and never will. Because after the first worst day of her life, Memphis learned a good life requires giving up on her dreams too. And a man like Knox Eden will only ever be a dream.
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“That was the problem with that line. Every time he was around, I wanted to cross it.”
“Knox was a good man. He was as reliable as the sunrise. As breathtaking as the Montana sunsets. He was the type of person I wanted Drake to become.”
“Let me make it clear. You are mine. Drake is mine. For all of your todays and each of your tomorrows. Mine.”
The latest addition to the Edens Series is here and I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s no secret that I absolutely loved Indigo Ridge, so when I heard about Juniper Hill the bar was set high. And let me tell you, Deveny Perry obliterated the bar and gave me one heck of read to start off 2022 with.
From the moment I picked up Juniper Hill I was hooked. Memphis had the weight of the world on her shoulders and was looking for a much-needed fresh start with her baby boy. What she didn’t plan for was Knox. Knox is the ultimate book boyfriend. Sure Knox had his fair share of heartbreak, enjoyed his solitude, and wasn’t looking for love, but the moment he laid eyes on Memphis, it was like someone had flipped a switch, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would all play out.
Juniper Hill delivered on every front. The characters are real and perfectly flawed. The moment you meet them, you can’t help but want to know more. I loved all of the good moments and all of the hard ones too. I loved the ease of the relationship between Memphis and Knox, and the way Knox treated Memphis’s little boy just tugged on my heartstrings. They took their time getting to know each other, building a solid foundation. Both of them trying to move past the pain and disappointment of the past.
And just when I think I couldn’t possibly love the Eden family more, they had to go and prove me wrong. The Eden family took Memphis in and gave her the fresh start she needed. They showed her what a real family should be and what it was like to have someone in your corner with no strings attached. The Eden family is the real deal.
As you can tell, there is just so much to love about Juniper Hill. Devney Perry has once again delivered an unforgettable, swoon-worthy small-town romance. This must-read romance will leave readers utterly captivated and unable to put down. It’s a story of second chances that left with stars in my eyes one minute and tears the next. I laughed. I swooned. I was on the edge of my seat. In the end, I was taken on one heck of a ride and left with all the feels.
I loved everything about Juniper Hill from beginning to end and can not wait to get my hands on the next book in the Edens Series!
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Meet Devney Devney is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.
The Surprise Seduction, an all-new angst-filled age gap, accidental pregnancy romance from Amy Alves is available now!
After years of secretly pining for Garrett Caldwell—the grumpy and elusive hot town doctor—he finally looks my way. As my best friend’s older brother, he said I was too young and completely off-limits. But I felt the heat of his lingering gaze, the spark beneath his hesitant touch. Maybe it was only once, and maybe that was exactly what we agreed to, but that one scorching night had consequences that will tie us together for the rest of our lives. Suddenly he claims to want more, and I can’t keep the doubt from creeping in. Because building a relationship based on his obligation would break me. The whole town is talking, but I’m stronger than the girl they remember. So I guard my heart against the one man who has the power to destroy it.
I bite my lip and give him a coy smile. “Aw, you remembered. Cute.”
“Aria.”
“Dr. Coldwell,” I mimic, matching his chastising tone.
“It’s Caldwell. Does Chloe know her supposed best friend doesn’t even know her last name?”
“She knows I like to give her brother shit for always giving me the cold shoulder.”
“I don’t give you the cold shoulder. I simply ignore your little games.”
“It’s not a game, Doc. You know you’re hot. I know I’m hot. What’s wrong with a little flirting?” If he ever flirted back, I might actually pass out.
“You are practically still a minor, and I’m a grown man. I’ve reminded you of this before. Many times.”
“I’m technically an adult now. Regardless, I have a boyfriend—kind of. So our beloved interactions are really just harmless fun.”
One day, I’d also appreciate other kinds of fun. What if when I came home from college in the winter, Garrett suddenly noticed me in the same way I’ve been noticing him, and we snuck out to his car to get just naked enough to have a lot of fun? A girl can dream . . .
“Are you listening to me?” Garrett asks, snapping me out of my little daydream.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters under his breath.
“Were you by chance asking what you could do for me today? Because I was going to suggest you join your sister and me for a beach day. Food, drinks, and a nice float down the creek. Chloe was saying you’re barely around anymore, and she misses you. I promise not to hit on you more than five times.”
“Zero times, Aria. You will hit on me zero times.”
God, he’s so easy.
I scrunch my face in what I hope is adorable confusion. “That doesn’t seem possible. Do you even know me?”
“Unfortunately, I’m starting to learn some things.”
He shakes his head and storms away.
I reach out to stop him, but he swerves away like I’m contagious. I’m a confident girl, but Garrett definitely tests that some days.
“Wait! You know I’m kidding. Well, mostly. I do want you to come to the beach with us today. I’ll keep all flirty thoughts and Garrett hassling antics to myself. I’ll also make sure only to look and not touch.” I hold my hands up innocently while my eyes inadvertently check him out again.
“Goddammit,” he mutters. Opening the door to the side entrance of the house, he shouts, “Chloe! Get your friend away from me.” He escapes through the door, and I let it roll off my back.
I do have fun teasing and flirting with Garrett whenever I see him, but today wasn’t about seeing if I could ruffle his feathers. It was about Chloe. She misses her brothers, and soon, we’ll be moving to San Jose for school so she’ll probably end up seeing even less of them. She’s had it rough lately with all the town drama revolving around her and her ex-boyfriend. So if my messing with Garrett and arranging activities or acting foolish makes my beautiful friend laugh or smile, I’m all over it.
I pop my head back into the house.
“So you’re coming, right?” I shout in the direction I think he went.
“Who’s coming where?” Chloe asks, stepping into the kitchen with her beach attire already on.
“Garrett is coming to the beach with us! He needs some relaxation. He’s really looking forward to it.”
Garrett comes striding back into the room and leans one muscular shoulder against the wall. Oof, those shoulders.
“Aria says you’re coming with us! Eek! I’m so excited. I didn’t think you’d want to spend the afternoon with a bunch of loud, obnoxious teenagers.” She jumps in excitement and gives him a quick side hug.
I move in for my turn but find my advances thwarted when a large palm presses against my face. His arm is locked straight, keeping me several feet from embracing his lean, tall, rock-solid form.
Oh well. Can’t blame a girl for trying.
Chloe giggles. “Aria, leave him be. He’s not as into displays of affection as you are.”
Here’s the other thing I’ve decided to do as Chloe’s best friend: not tell her that my playful interactions with her brother—the ones she finds amusing because of how different we are and the guaranteed reaction I get out of her stoic, much older brother—are not as innocent as she thinks.
I’ve developed a deep, gnawing, unwavering infatuation with my best friend’s brother, but I can’t tell her. I can barely admit it to myself.
It’s not worth telling Chloe for several reasons. First, because I don’t intend to do anything about it. Second, I’m pretty sure I have zero chance with the guy. And not just because he’s nearly ten years older than me or that we are complete opposites. The disinterested vibe he puts out—and frequently vocalizes— abundantly clear. Sometimes, I wonder if he knows I’m not just messing with him.
“Grab your Speedo, handsome. I’ve already told some of the girls that you’re coming, and I need to deliver on the eye candy.”
“Don’t be gross.” Chloe’s nose wrinkles in disgust before turning to her brother. “No one is going to ogle you, Gar. You’re practically thirty.”
Oh, sweet, naive Chloe. All of our friends think your brothers are hot.
Even my boyfriend.
“I’m not practically thirty, squirt. I’m in my mid twenties.”
And looking fine as all hell.
“Twenty-seven is closer to thirty than it is to twenty,” Chloe argues. He scowls playfully before a sweet, amused smile sweeps across his face, making my insides turn to mush.
Garrett doesn’t have your typical hot-guy allure. He has this quiet, brainy, reserved quality to him that draws me in like a moth to a flame. And I am ready to burn.
If only he’d look at me as anything other than his little sister’s ridiculous, wildly inappropriate, flirty best friend.
One day . . . one day, he’s going to beg for my affection. Until then, I’m going to experience a little love and live a whole lot.
Meet Amy Amy Alves lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband and two crazy cute kids. She is a romance-obsessed reader, a lover of wine and fuzzy socks, and a loather of laundry. She loves contemporary, paranormal, and rom com romance—her kindle always has a long list of books waiting to be read. Amy writes contemporary romance with a hint of rom com fun. Tropes you can expect to see are: second chance, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and fake relationships.
Rachel Van Dyken has revealed the cover for The Godparent Trap!
Releasing: July 19, 2022
Life’s Too Short meets The Unhoneymooners in this sparkling, steamy, and swoon-worthy novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, in which two sworn enemies must share house, home–and maybe their hearts–when they become co-parents after a sudden loss.
Colby’s living her best life: as a popular food blogger, she gets to fulfill her dreams of exploring the globe. But her world comes crashing down when a tragic accident leaves her co-guardian of her best friend’s two adorable children. Not only does she need to put down roots–fast–but she’ll be sharing custody with the one man she can’t stand sharing a continent with, let alone a house.
Accountant-extraordinaire Rip values rules and plans. But when he loses his sister and his best friend and becomes an insta-guardian all in one night, Rip sees his organized life imploding. What he really doesn’t need is his sister’s irresponsible, flighty–albeit kind and gorgeous–best friend making it worse.
Rip doesn’t trust Colby to take their new responsibilities seriously, while Colby can’t believe Rip thinks children will thrive under his rigid control. Yet soon Rip and Colby discover they need each other more than they hate each other. Could it be possible that following their hearts is just what their new little family needs?
Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 90 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she’s been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs. For more information about her books and upcoming events, visit www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com
A sociopath has stalked me mercilessly for eight years. It’s only a matter of time before he kills me. Until I meet Tolyan.
He bursts into my life like a god of vengeance, seething with raw power and danger, trained to protect—or kill. He has a scowl for the world, but for some reason, he’s gentle with me and the combination of deadly power leashed only for me makes my heart flutter.
One night, he kills a man and I realize he’s the answer I’ve been searching for, if I can convince him to help.
Tolyan
Ten years ago, a man murdered the mother of my child. It’s time he pays. And I’ve finally found what he wants—Angelika.
Those wide innocent eyes and a smart mouth that makes me laugh are things I love about her. But she’s going to be my perfect bait, willing and obedient. All I have to do is not fall for her…
“Look, I know I sound crazy, but please. I’m not.” Her words come out fast and desperate. “My stepbrother’s a psychopath. He’s been harassing me, and the police say they can’t do anything until he does something more physically threatening. Apparently, playing mind games doesn’t count. He has to do something concrete.”
That’s always the case. Mental torture is far superior, and it’s much harder for law enforcement to deal with, especially when the target keeps moving. It’s virtually impossible to build a case among so many different jurisdictions. That’s one reason the most prolific serial killers generally kill across state lines.
Roy Wilks is a cunning little jackal. It’s so simple to break a person. And you don’t even have to touch them to do that.
Just look at this girl. She wouldn’t be asking a man she barely knows for help if she hadn’t been driven almost to her breaking point. For all I know, she might be broken already.
“I can pay you,” she adds. “I have some money saved up. Just in case.” Just in case I need to hire somebody to take my brother out is what she really wants to say.
I raise my eyebrows. The last time I checked, she had nine thousand and fifty-six dollars and twenty-two cents in her bank account. According to the statements over the years, she’s been saving a little bit at a time, despite working minimum-wage jobs.
It came with sacrifice. She doesn’t go to movies, doesn’t go out, doesn’t buy anything except the bare essentials—clearance-rack clothes and shoes—and she eats only what’s cheapest. Given her reaction last night, I’m pretty sure she skips meals when she can.
The notion puts a nasty taste in my mouth. People who don’t need killing should eat.
“I can give you all of it,” she says, then nods for emphasis. “It’s all yours.”
“I don’t want your money,” I say.
Her chin comes up as fire sparks in her whiskey gaze. “Look, it’s not a small amount. I have almost ten grand.”
“I don’t care if you have ten billion.”
Her fingers tighten. Her hand is barely large enough to circle half my forearm, but she’s trying her best to hold on to me.
For a reason I can’t quite identify, I like that. And because I like it, I want to be a jerk about what she’s saying even though I’m going to say yes at the end anyway. I don’t want her knowing how much I enjoy this small contact.
Before I can say anything, her mouth firms. “Okay. I hate to have to use this, but… I know what you did last night.”
“You do?”
She nods.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
I give her a purposefully salacious smile. “I should update my security. I didn’t know you were watching me masturbate in the shower.”
Her face flushes.
I let my smile grow wider. “I came hard. Twice. Hope you enjoyed it. If I’d known you were watching, I would’ve—”
“No!” She hunches her shoulders as though just realizing how loud she was. “I meant,” she hisses, “I saw you at the house. The man in the news today who supposedly committed suicide. You…suicided him, didn’t you?”
Suicided. When did that become a verb? “You were there? At the house?”
“Yes.” She tries for a hard-bitten stare.
This is an amusing turn of events. I didn’t expect her to attempt to blackmail me. What’s next? Trying to strangle me into submission? She just might, from the desperation in her eyes. Whatever she got in the package from her stepbrother freaked the hell out of her.
Strangely enough, I want her to try to put her hands on my bare skin, even if it’s around my neck. Of course I’m too tall for her to strangle me while standing, so she’d have to pull me down to the ground, then straddle me, her inner thighs pressed tightly against my sides. As she strained—futilely—her hot breath would fan my face, her eyes burning into mine. When I’d had enough, it’d be child’s play to flip her over, watch her gasp while she was spread underneath my much bigger and stronger body. And I’d enjoy the realization dawning in those whiskey eyes that she was utterly in my power.
“I’m very willing to go to the police.” Her words break my thoughts.
I almost laugh. She honestly believes she was good enough to tail me without my noticing. Either she’s lost her better judgment, or she’s too desperate to think clearly.
“And I’ll tell them everything I saw,” she says, her hands in tight fists.
I let out a soft sigh. Her threat is about as serious as a kitten smacking a lion with its tiny paw. “And after I fed you dinner last night.”
Her throat works as she swallows. She shifts her weight and looks like she wishes she could sink into the concrete. Ashamed, aren’t you, little fawn?You have a functioning conscience. A liability in my business.
“That’s…different.” She can’t meet my gaze. Her face is red, too.
She’s cute. “Ah, yes. Say thank you for the sandwich, then run to the cops and put the man in jail. Two very different activities.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“I don’t know what kind of person you think I am, but I’m not for hire. I’m too busy with my job at the foundation as an assistant.”
Confusion crosses her pretty face. She probably thought I worked in security. Cute. Very cute.
I pull out some money from my pocket, then smack it square into her hand. “Here. Take this and buy yourself something nice.”
“Ow!” She gasps, but not because I just placed three hundred bucks in her hand. “What did you…?” she says numbly. She tries to look at her hand, but her legs start to fold.
I catch her and pick her up, like Prince Charming carrying his Cinderella. She grows increasingly limp, her eyes unfocused. “Wha…”
“Don’t worry.” I smile. “The needle’s very thin. You won’t even find the hole when you wake up.”
—–
“I could strip, too.”
And talk to him while he’s sitting there naked? Given how shameless he is, I doubt he’d cover himself. No. He’d sit there, one ankle over the other knee, and smoke his cigar and sip his water, like he has the world at his feet.
“That’s…okay,” I say finally.
“If you’re certain. Just let me know if you change your mind. I wouldn’t want a guest feeling uncomfortable.”
If you wanted me to feel comfortable, you’d give me my clothes back! But the words stay trapped in my mouth. Right now, that isn’t the point.
The point is, I’m in his home. Under his control. I could put up the best fight of my life, but it would be about as effective as a mouse fighting a panther. I really wish I’d been able to snag a knife from the kitchen.
“So. Now that you can’t just run off to the authorities when you hear answers you don’t like, talk. Tell me why you came to me.”
AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nadia Lee writes sexy, emotional contemporary romance. Born with a love for excellent food, travel and adventure, she has lived in four different countries, kissed stingrays, been bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
Currently, she shares a condo overlooking a small river and sakura trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading books by her favorite authors or planning another trip.
Suffer in Silence, the first book in the all-new dark romance The Malvagio Mafia Duet from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
Monsters don’t hide in dark alleys.
They lurk in plain sight, clawing into your soul with cordial smiles.
They wear Armani, they drive Cadillacs, they attend fundraising balls…
And they rule the city with a merciless fist.
The Familia is a mystery to most,
and sitting on it’s throne is Kage Malvagio.
Vile.
Sadistic.
Painstakingly beautiful.
Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission.
Kage asks for neither.
Especially when he gets his hands on me.
I should hate him.
I should run at the first chance I get.
But how could the devil be so bad when he looks at me like that?
Suffer in Silence is the exciting first book in The Malvagio Mafia Duet and has all the ingredients for an unforgettable read. This book is filled with action, danger, and an unexpected romance.
Saxton is tougher than nails and is just what the doctor ordered for Kage. Kage is everything you’d expect from a Mafia boss. Broody. Arrogant. Fearless. Together these two are an explosive match just waiting to catch fire.
Suffer in Silence was a thrilling and entertaining read, easily devoured in a single sitting. The characters are explosive and definitely keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book and see how it will all come together in the end.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Pre-order the stunning conclusion, Screams in Symphony!
Kelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog.
She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.
Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
The Girl in the Mist, an all-new, thrilling standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley filled with off-the-charts chemistry, and edge of your seat suspense, is out now!
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes an all new thrilling romantic suspense guaranteed to have pulses rise, and readers begging for more.
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven. A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she’s not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It’s perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she’s thinking she’ll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn’t so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn’t up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what’s happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
Excerpt
I called Hawk Delgado.
It was no surprise this situation in Misted Pines was known to him. He was tasked with keeping me safe, and although this had nothing to do with me, it had to do with Misted Pines, and that was where I was. It was also not a surprise that he currently did not have any resources to devote to assisting with it.
However, he gave me two names.
Nightingale Investigations, an outfit located where Delgado was, in Denver, Colorado.
And Tanner Layne, a private investigator who worked out of a shop in Brownsburg, Indiana, which was, to my astonishment, where Joe Callahan was based.
Neither were close.
But Nightingale was closer.
Though for reasons I didn’t understand (they probably had to do with Callahan), I called Layne first, left a message as it was the weekend and waited.
It was not long before he returned my call.
He had a full caseload, but said he’d look into it and get back to me.
I then reached out to Denver, leaving another message.
Not much time passed before a woman named Shirleen Jackson got in touch, saying she’d assessed it and presented it to her boss, the man behind the name, Lee Nightingale. She would follow up with me as soon as he’d made his decision.
Within hours, I had two replies.
Layne: “We’re ready to roll when we receive word from the investigator on site that he welcomes assistance. We have a message to him. But if he doesn’t give us the greenlight, I’m afraid at this time we can’t get involved. I hope you understand. I would feel the same if someone I didn’t know pushed into one of my investigations, especially at this early juncture. Trust me when I say that it’s never helpful.”
I didn’t know who “we” was, I also didn’t ask, but I suspected he’d consulted with Callahan.
I also didn’t think this was “early.” At that point, she’d been missing nearly a week.
Which begged the question, what parents had a slumber party for their eight-year-old on a Monday evening?
I didn’t ask Layne that either.
Jackson: “We understand your concern, but Lee looked into things and the investigator contracted to assist the local authorities is second to none. In this kind of situation, although it seems contradictory, more hands on deck can make a mess.”
That was two nos of the same ilk.
I decided to focus on the “second to none” comment, knowing they were referring to the fact it was clear the locals had called Cade Bohannan in.
About Kristen Ashley Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Hero, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books. Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category. Connect with Kristen Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FyJg18 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3hl0A7e Instagram: https://bit.ly/33o8nfv Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2ZtoKGz BookBub: https://bit.ly/3bYcTFl Twitter: https://bit.ly/35Kg6rh Pinterest: https://bit.ly/3mftcCt Website: https://www.kristenashley.net Stay up to date by subscribing to her mailing list: https://bit.ly/3mjJiLd
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