Skye Warren has revealed the gorgeous paperback cover for Black Sheep!
Releasing: October 8, 2024
A vengeful murder charge. A corrupt justice system.
And a circus coming apart at the red-and-white-striped seams.
I’m determined to help Logan find freedom, the same way he helped me. Except his personal demons come out to play in the lonely prison cell. Even if I manage to get him back, he may not be the same man I ran away with.
Secrets surface. Loyalties break. How can love stand a chance?
BLACK SHEEP is the gripping conclusion to the Smoke and Mirrors trilogy. Running away to the circus has never been this dangerous…
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. Her books have sold over two million copies. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.
I’m still unclear on how I got into this predicament in the first place. A year ago, I was a man with one thought on his mind, the redhead I met at a hotel bar. Twelve months later, I found her.
Unfortunately for me, she not only happens to be my very off-limits coach’s daughter, but also . . . my new assistant and roommate.
I don’t even need an assistant, but Coach Wood doesn’t take no for an answer. Add in him writing up tasks for his daughter, Wylie, to complete for me? Well, it’s his own form of sweet torture. We are talking tasks that I would never ask her to do.
Tasks that make her despise me.
Hate me.
That make her utter four words that cause a shiver to crawl up my spine . . . Posey, this is war.
My testicles shrivel into dust as Coach Wood screams at Andie Lintour, the general manager for the Vancouver Agitators.
Spittle flies off his lip.
Eyebrows are slanted like knives, ready to strike.
And the veins in his neck protrude, making me question if it will be his hands that choke me or the scary, pulsing veins.
“Will, we can’t—”
“He was fucking my daughter! We can do whatever the hell I say.”
Did you wince? Because I did.
I know what you’re thinking. Posey, you’re about to lose your life at the hands of your fuming, spitting, hulking-out coach. And your assessment of the situation is a fair and accurate one.
Because yes, I’ve never felt closer to death than at this moment right now.
To bring you up to speed, yes, I was fucking his daughter.
Yes, it was in the locker room.
Yes, it was out in the open where anyone could walk in.
Was it stupid? Absolutely.
Have I lost my mind? One hundred percent.
Do I have any defense? Not one.
Nope, this was pure stupidity. This was a move by a desperate man brought to his knees.
A weak man.
A man with no morals.
A man infatuated with a woman he can’t control himself around.
“I understand the circumstances,” Andie says in her calming voice, “but we can’t get rid of a player because he was having relations with your daughter. Posey is one of the best defensemen in the entire league.” If I wasn’t so terrified, I’d puff my chest. “He’s under a no-trade clause. Even if we wanted to get rid of him, we couldn’t.”
I’m not sure if I should be grateful for that clause because, at the moment, it wouldn’t hurt to at least escape the darkness of death clouding Coach Wood’s expression.
“Then he’s benched,” Wood says as he looks me in the eyes, nostrils flaring. “Did you hear that, you bologna-loving motherfucker? You’re benched.”
I swallow deeply as I dig my fingertips into the armrests of my chair. Not sure why he had to drag the bologna into this, but I don’t bother asking as the vein in his bald head looks like it’s maxed out on stress. “I, uh, yes, I heard you the first time,” I say, causing him to grow angrier.
“Once again, Will, I don’t believe we can do that. We pay him a lot of money—”
“We do.” Will paces his office, and every time he goes near me, my ass clenches in anticipation of a ninja knife hand right to my trachea. “We pay him plenty of money, so why don’t we just put him on the injured list, say he has a sore toe, and then he can figure out with his agent what he’s doing for next year because he sure as fuck won’t be playing on my ice.”
Now, is Coach Wood being a touch extreme? Some might say yes without any context because who really wants to bench their starting defenseman? It’s not the smartest move as a coach, but the man has a good reason.
And sure, I shouldn’t be taking his side. I should be defending myself and the ability to have sexual relations with anyone I damn well please, but here’s the thing . . . the situation runs a little deeper than what you see on the surface.
It’s more complicated.
I didn’t just fuck some random girl on an arbitrary day in our locker room.
The coach’s daughter was riding me, completely naked, in the middle of the locker room after he struck a deal with me to hire his daughter as my assistant to teach her a lesson.
And before you even ask, no, the lesson was not on the science of how the penis meets the vagina.
It was a tough lesson about life.
So yeah, this really is on me.
**Raises hand** Yup, I take the blame.
Guilty.
The only question is, how the hell am I going to get around this? From the way he spoke so cruelly of my precious bologna, I don’t think offering him a daily sandwich—made by yours truly—is going to mend the severed ties we’ve created.
Nope, this will take a monumental, epic proposal of apologies, especially if I want to stay on this team. Which I do. My boys are here. My life is here.
She’s here . . .
Which means I need a plan.
But I swore I wouldn’t get them involved.
I said over and over again that I wouldn’t use their idiotic advice or poorly constructed ideas, but I think desperate times call for desperate measures.
It’s time to call on the Frozen Fellas.
ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.
Layla Jackson wasn’t looking for love or marriage, especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski. But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there’s only one person Seth can think of for the job. Can Seth win Layla over and prove there’s more to him than meets the eye? Readers who enjoy marriage-of-convenience romances will devour Rebound by Evelyn Sola, a steamy diverse romance.
Catching feelings in a marriage of convenience is REALLY inconvenient.
Layla Jackson isn’t looking for marriage or her own happily ever after. At least not at this point in her life and especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski.
He may be a baller on the court, but off- he’s immature and the total opposite of the kind of guy she would ever want to be involved with.
Seth’s baby girl? Now that’s a totally different story. Layla and Jasmine adore each other.
But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there’s only one person he can think of for the job.
If only he can show her there’s more to him than meets the eye.
Despite her judgmental attitude toward Seth, she can’t deny the electrical charge each time their eyes lock. Or the desire that runs through her each time they touch.
Can Seth win Layla over and prove that their marriage won’t be just another rebound? He knows he’s playing for keeps, but will he be able to convince her of that?
He follows me while I busy myself fluffing the pillows on the couch.
“Marriage is serious. It shouldn’t be treated as a transaction,” I admonish.
“Everything is a transaction, Layla. Look at me,” he orders, but I don’t move. “Come on.” He takes my shoulders and turns me to look at him again. “I have money, and you need it to help your grandma. You have something I want.” I gasp at his crassness. “Not that,” he chuckles. “We can help each other. My daughter likes you, and I want to give her the kind of family I never had.”
I break away from his touch, but I don’t move away. “That’s not how marriage is supposed to work. And I’m only twenty-two. I’m not ready to raise a child.” Then I try to shove him, only he doesn’t budge.
“A marriage works however we want it to work. Come on. Let’s sit down and figure it out.” He pulls out a chair for me at the table. Like a zombie, I sit.
“You’re a whore,” I say. “I’m not going to ever be with someone who sleeps with everybody. Community dick is not my goal. Am I supposed to sit at home caring for your child while you’re out having orgies with fangirls? And what about your away games? Who knows what you’ll get into on the road.”
He sits down across from me but pulls his chair as close to me as possible without touching me.
“The thing is, I’m not a whore.”
“You have a reputation for sleeping with anyone and anything. Women have come out and said they’ve had threesomes or orgies with you.” I look around and whisper, “Jasmine is here only because of some rando you took to your hotel room. You slept with her nanny for goodness sake.”
“All of that is true except for the nanny. She got in my bed and took that picture. I never touched her, and I never wanted to.”
I twist my mouth, not believing a word he just said.
“The other things you said are true, but I’m not a whore. I never lied to anyone. I never made promises. Everyone I was with knew it was only for a night or two and that nothing would come of it. I never mistreated or took advantage of anyone. I had sex with people who wanted to have sex with me. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“So, you’re community dick but honest about it? Are you going to tell me every time you cheat on me? That is not appealing.” I try to stand but he’s too close for me to move. “Unlike you, I’m looking for a relationship with someone who cares about me. I’m looking for love, not some quid pro quo arrangement.”
“I never cheated on anyone because I’ve never been in a relationship. I won’t cheat on you. I promise,” he says.
That takes the wind out of my sails. I look into his green eyes, and he’s not smirking. He’s not even smiling. I look away.
“You won’t cheat on me? Does that mean you expect us to—” The word gets stuck in my throat, “fuck?”
“We’ll be married. A real marriage because I get horny.”
“Eww,” I say.
“What? You don’t get horny?”
“That is none of your business,” I say with my nose in the air.
“You help me raise Jasmine. It was hard last season. Each time I left her, she had a meltdown. Sometimes I’m gone for days or a week. I have no family to help me. I’m all alone.” Part of me feels for him. Alone is one thing I’ve never been. I’ve had both parents, Donna, and my grandma. Not to mention June Bug is always in my business. I have about a dozen other cousins, friends, and extended family members. I can’t imagine being in his shoes. If I was a single mother, I’d have a village to help me.
But he’s not your problem. He’s not your friend or your family.
“You don’t even like me,” I remind him.
“Yes, I do. You’re very pretty. You’re smart and hardworking. You’re good to my daughter, and you have a nice ass. You’re the one who has always had a problem with me. And you’re nice to everyone but me.”
“None of those reasons are enough for us to get married, and stop looking at my ass before I give you a black eye.”
About Evelyn Sola
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor.
She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.
A guardian’s duty is to protect their charge. It is a holy bond, unbreakable outside of death. You must never leave their side. You must never show emotion. You must never cross a line. You must never fall in love.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Author R.K. Lilley knocks it out of the park with this first book in the Arcane Angels series!
Venefica’s life is anything but ordinary. Her ambitious mother is always trying to find the perfect love match for her, despite Venefica’s objections. As you can imagine, it puts an unbelievable strain on their relationship. As if that wasn’t enough, Venefica is one of the lucky ones, chosen to have her own guardian. Also known as angels, guardians have one purpose: to protect their charge. They’re absolutely not supposed to fall in love…
Wings of Dusk kicks off this series to one heck of a start. I loved the characters and the fantastic world-building. I was utterly fascinated by this world where angels and magic existed. I couldn’t help but be drawn to Venefica and Battle as soon as I met them. Their banter was so entertaining and you could tell there was a deeper connection simmering between them and I couldn’t wait to see them explore it further.
Filled with delicious tension, secrets, lies, and sexy good times, Wings of Dusk is not to be missed. I was utterly consumed by this story and devoured it in a single sitting. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. And just when I thought I knew where this story would go, the rug was pulled out from me and I was given one heck of a plot twist. The ending flat-out killed me and left me desperate to find out what would happen next.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Meet R.K. Lilley
R.K. Lilley lives in Texas with her husband and their two beautiful sons. She’s had a lot of interesting jobs, from being a first class flight attendant, to being a stablehand, but swears she never knew what hard work was until she had children. She’s been addicted to both reading and writing fiction since she can remember. She loves to travel, read, hike, paint, game, watch anime, and make the most of every single day. She is the author of In Flight, Bad Things, and Breaking Him, to name a few.
B.B. Reid has revealed the gorgeous covers for The Chrysalis of Aurelia George!
Releasing: July 18, 2024
From bestselling author B.B. Reid comes a wicked retelling of your favorite fairytale.
America’s sweetheart has been canceled.
From teen star to international phenom to the biggest celebrity in the world, Aurelia George has suddenly found herself on the other side of adoration. The public thinks they hate her when they never really knew her. The saddest tragedy of all is that she doesn’t know herself.
Done with the fame, glitz, and glam—the whole doe-eyed princess charade—Aurelia decides she’s taking back her life, even if it costs her everything.
But her uncle has other plans.
Shipped far away until the heat dies, Aurelia finds herself in the one place where her name means nothing. When a blizzard causes her plane to crash, she becomes stranded in the wilds of Northern Canada, a sole survivor with no one to turn to.
No one except them.
The misanthropic mountain men who’ve shut themselves away.
It’s their cabin Aurelia finds in the icy wilderness and their obsession she ignites when they discover her sleeping in one of their beds. Thorin, Khalil, and Ezekiel (and all of his personalities) have only longed for one thing in nine long years…a woman to warm their beds.
Surviving a plane crash, wolves, avalanches, frozen lakes, and a harsh winter with three feral men is nothing compared to Aurelia’s hardest trial of all—finding herself.
The Chrysalis of Aurelia George is a dark, contemporary romance. Please refer to the trigger warnings before reading.
B.B. Reid is the author of several novels including the hit enemies-to-lovers, Fear Me. She grew up the only daughter and middle child in a small town in North Carolina. After graduating with a Bachelors in Finance, she started her career at an investment research firm while continuing to serve in the National Guard. She currently resides in Charlotte with her moody cat and enjoys collecting Chuck Taylors and binge-eating chocolate.
Willow Aster has revealed the gorgeous covers for Mad Love!
Releasing: July 10, 2024
Cover Design: Emily Wittig
Photographer: Aisha Lee
A small-town, single dad, enemies-to-lovers standalone sports romance in the new series, The Single Dad Playbook, from USA Today Bestselling author Willow Aster.
He’s a quarterback, a single dad, and now he’s my roommate…
For a long time now, I’ve despised Weston Shaw. He’d been someone I’d admired, taking my favorite football team, the Colorado Mustangs, to the Super Bowl.
But that all turned upside down after one night that had nothing to do with me.
We share one undeniable connection: his son, Caleb.
Unfortunately, the circumstances behind that have never been my story to tell.
But now, the truth is out, and I’m left to deal with the consequences.
I’m living under the same roof as Weston, and each day, I discover a side of him I never expected.
He’s not the selfish jock I imagined. He’s caring, thoughtful, and unexpectedly charming.
I find myself drawn to him in ways I never thought possible. It’s terrifying and exhilarating, but I can’t deny it any longer…
I’m falling for the one person I shouldn’t…Weston Shaw.
Mad Love is book one in The Single Dad Playbook series. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Can a bluestocking and mathematician admit the truth of their feelings, or will a certain devilish element end a love that’s just begun?
Dive into this tale of gothic mischief, medicine, and murder, and discover the Wakefields, four spinster sisters and the brother who’s determined to see them matched. A DEVILISH ELEMENT by Madelynne Ellis is the first book in the Wooing the Wakefield’s series. Readers of a delicate disposition beware, spicy shenanigans, chemistry, and corpses abound in this tale of gothic Regency romance.
Remote Cedarton Castle is haunted. That’s what Eliza Wakefield’s sisters say before she sets off to visit her recently married friend. The crumbling ruin is even more isolated and foreboding than expected. Its inhabitants, a small cluster of Lord Linfield’s closest allies. Moreover, all is not well with the Linfield’s marriage, leading Eliza to fear for her friend’s safety and her mind.
Mathematician Jem Whistler is a man caught in a trap. He’s in love with a woman he can’t have and owned by a lord who demands things he’d rather not give. Unexpectedly reunited with the woman who owns his heart, he struggles to keep his attachment hidden. When the threat from Cedarton’s white lady increases, Jem and Eliza must work together to uncover the true nature of the spectre haunting Cedarton’s shadowy halls. That’s if they can keep their hands off one another long enough to investigate.
“This is you.” Jane announced at the end of a corridor thick with shadows. She turned the handle of a near invisible door, only for a shadow to bolt across the runner. She shrieked, as if something mightier than a mouse had startled her. One pale hand clutched to her chest. “Jane, are you—” “Darned vermin. I’m sorry, Eliza. I’ll have Mrs Honeyfield set more traps and see if we can’t acquire a decent mouser. If you wish to leave in the morning, I’ll completely understand.” Leave? “Don’t be absurd.” It would take more than a single mouse to scare her away, especially one so eager to make itself scarce. Though perhaps Cedarton would yield more terrifying visitations, given time. “I’m not going anywhere. But tell me, Jane, what necessitates that?” Her attention, initially drawn by the mouse, had travelled along the runner and discovered a door hidden amidst the gloom, and not just any door, but an iron-pinned monster, secured with a wooden bar and a series of heavy bolts. “Are we expecting invaders?” “Of course not.” Jane clasped Eliza’s elbow and began to steer her into the Grey room, but Eliza turned away from the unlatched door in favour of the bolted one. LONG EXCERPT #1 “Another wing?” She claimed the candlestick from Jane’s hand and raised it to make a closer inspection of the iron-pinned monster. It was the strangest of doors to find at the end of an upper wing corridor, its strength more suited to an entrance one wished to defend. The wainscoting ended short of its position, and the grey stone wall amidst which it sat was unadorned by painting or tapestry, but streaked with light-stealing stripes, leading to the impression that a squid-like entity was attempting to squeeze its bulk around the frame. “Don’t you wish to change out of those travel clothes?” “Momentarily. Whatever is beyond here?” Jane stayed by the door to the Grey Room as Eliza inched forwards. Now level with the strange door, its proportions were more clearly defined. Eight feet tall at least, and almost the same across. She touched the brickwork, and her fingers came away stained. “Soot?” “There was a fire in the past. There’s nothing beyond now.” “So many bolts, there is something.” “Ruins. That is all. It was the Lady Tower, but now it’s only a shell. Throw back the bolts if you must. They’re a safety measure, as the key is lost, and there’s a sheer drop on the other side.” Far too intrigued to pass up the invitation, Eliza drew back the bolts, even though it was clear the door predated any fire, and thus its purpose remained obscured. The ancient hinges protested with a whine as she drew the door open, revealing a vast abyss that snuffed the candlelight. Her breath caught, and Jane hurried to her side. “See, there’s nothing of interest here. Please come away.” Nothing of interest, and yet Jane’s fear was palpable. Also, not strictly true. As Eliza’s eyes adjusted to the murk, the shadows yielded the shell of what must once have been the grandest and tallest of Cedarton’s towers. Further sooty tendrils reached towards the absent roof, while several storeys below, weeds poked up in inky thickets, and between her and them, the remains of floorboards and charred furniture hung suspended like the tiers of an off-centre wedding cake. “What happened?” Having drunk her fill of the view, Eliza took a step back from the edge. “A fire, some fifty years back. You’ll have to ask Linfield if you desire the full particulars. I don’t know them and don’t care too. I believe the last Lady to live here died in the inferno.” She shivered and drew her shawl more tightly around her shoulders. So, Caroline’s tales of Cedarton’s terrible past weren’t entirely unfounded. “It must have been an inferno indeed. It’s a wonder the rest of the castle was spared.” Jane shrugged, as if she’d given it no thought, which was practically confirmation that it had weighed on her mind, but Eliza saw no sense in pressing her. Jane would reveal her thoughts in her own time, at her own pace, as had always been her way. She’d never been one to bleat about a matter until it suited her to do so. “It won’t give you sleepless nights, will it? I would spare you that at least, given Cedarton’s lack of comforts.” “Jane, you are being too hard on the place. It’s a little gloomy, but far less bleak than you’re making out. In any case, I’m not given to frivolous flights of fantasy. A dark history will not disturb my rest. Come now, show me my room.” She refastened the bolts, then let Jane lead her into the bedchamber. “See, this is quite delightful.”
Madelynne Ellis is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. She wrote her first novel after discovering Black Lace Books in the 1990s. After escaping the Hotel California, she dived into storytelling full time. Her books are filled with bisexual bad boys who like to get down and dirty, and stories so angst-filled you know they’re going to hurt. She lives in the UK near the Welsh border, where you can find her surrounded by books, drinking rapidly cooling decaf coffee, and listening to loud music.
From the acclaimed author of YOU comes a novel that is part love story, part detective story, and part supernatural thriller.
Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other and their intense connection. But just when Jon is ready to confess the depth of his feelings, he’s kidnapped by his substitute teacher, a discredited scientist who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity.
After four years in captivity, Jon finally escapes, only to discover that he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to Providence to protect Chloe while he searches for answers. Across town from Jon, Detective Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus is fascinated by a series of strange deaths–young, healthy people whose hearts just . . . stop. Convinced these deaths are a series of connected, vigilante killings, he jeopardizes his job and already strained marriage to uncover the truth.
With heart, insight, and a keen eye on human frailty, Kepnes whisks us on a journey through New England and crashes these characters’ lives together in the most unexpected ways, exploring the complex relationship between the powerful and the powerless, love and identity, self-preservation and self-destruction, and how the lines are often blurred between the two.
Purchase Links:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2H3iWcf
Hardback: https://amzn.to/2Iom426
Audible: https://amzn.to/2GHbRAz
My Review
For me, Providence was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018. There was so much pre-release buzz surrounding it and I’ve been dying to read something by this author, so I took the leap and dove into Providence.
Jon and Chloe were the best of friends. They understood one another in ways that no one else seemed to get. They shared an intense connection. However, on the day that Jon is supposed to confess his true feelings for Chloe, he goes missing. I was so intrigued by this. I was dying to know more. I needed answers. I wanted to know what happened with Jon….4 years later, Jon finally returns home, but life has changed a lot in the time that he was away. He is convinced that if he can change himself; get better, he can finally have what he’s always wanted with Chloe…In addition to Jon and Chloe’s storyline, we also have the one of Detective Eggs. Eggs has been consumed by a string of deaths and will stop at nothing to solve the case. How can people who are healthy just have their hearts stop beating? Eggs is convinced that all of these murders are connected and will risk everything to find out the truth….
I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I wanted so much to love this book. I really did. But, it just didn’t work for me. I was really intrigued by the story in the beginning. I wanted to know what happened to Jon and couldn’t wait to see where the story would go once he returned. That intrigue lasted about 25-30% into the story. After that I just felt confused and lost. This book has a heavy H.P. Lovecraft presence and that was just totally lost on me. I’ve never read anything by Lovecraft, so all of those references were over my head. I Am Providence and The Dunwich Horror were seriously huge themes throughout the book and they just left me with a giant question mark over my head. Maybe if I had a better understanding of HP Lovecraft and those stories, this story might of clicked for me, but it just didn’t.
Providence is one of those books that you’re either going to get or you’re gonna be left in the dark, like I was. It’s going to be a hit for some and a miss for others. From mystery and suspense to supernatural themes, this book certainly had a lot going on. I think this author is a very unique story-telling and has a great writing style. Even though this book was a total miss for me, I’m still glad that I gave it chance and checked it out.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via Random House Publishing and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
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