Tag Archives: romance

Giveaway – Reign Of Silver & Stardust by Diana A Hicks @xpressotours #dianaahicks #reignofsilverandstardust

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Reign of Silver & Stardust
Diana A. Hicks
(Stardust Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: August 27th 2026
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

My twin sister was murdered. To find her killer, I had to die.

CATALINA
I was never supposed to exist.
As the mortal spare to an immortal sister, I lived in the shadows
until Ry was murdered by a weapon that shouldn’t exist.
Now, justice is all I want.
To find her killer, I must take her place in the Queen’s Elite Cadre
and become the very monster everyone fears.
But becoming a weapon means losing my humanity…
and losing the one man I can’t resist.

VALOREK
The immortals bleed my world dry while my sister rots from the inside out.
I swore to burn their reign to the ground,
until I met her.
Sterling is the enemy,
a silver-blooded soldier of the regime that destroyed my family.
But the electricity between us is undeniable.
We are on opposite sides of a brewing war,
and falling for the enemy is a dangerous mistake
neither of us can afford.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The simulation brings me back with a jolt. I land on the floor on all fours, choking on the saltwater burning my throat. Like before, once my brain catches up with reality, all the pain goes away. I hang my head and breathe easy.

If that isn’t a miserable attempt, I don’t know what is. Ry passed this level on her first try. This military stuff came naturally to her. When we were kids, the placement test put Ry and me in the Military Sector, but I never belonged or excelled the way she did.

The sleek white walls shine bright around me. Seconds later, Captain Weston’s boots come into view. When I glance up, he cocks an eyebrow at me with both hands braced on his hips. He blows out a breath, and I swear a tinge of pity flashes across his face.

“I didn’t pass your test.” I sit back on my ankles, shaking uncontrollably.

“Everyone dies in the simulation. You did better than I expected.” He scratches the stubble on his chiseled jaw. “But I do have my work cut out for me.”

“Am I in?” I meet his gaze.

“Have you talked to anyone since the accident?”

The accident? My jaw clenches.

“No.” I assume he means cadets from my unit. To Captain Weston, Valorek and his friends didn’t count.

“Good.” He clears his throat. “Because I have a proposal for you.”

When I open my mouth to speak, he brings his index finger to his lips and shakes his head once. Of course, he doesn’t want to hear about how Ry’s death wasn’t an accident. We have been doing the same song and dance for weeks. This time, I do as he asks and keep quiet, but only because it looks like I am about to get what I want—an opportunity to join the Queen’s immortal army, where I’ll have the ability to look into Ry’s murderer myself.

“You need something from me.” I meet his gaze.

“We need you to take your sister’s place as a lieutenant in the Queen’s army. You still need a lot of training before you can join Ry’s unit, but we have a bit of time.”

“Wait. What?” I gape at him as my heart thrashes in my ears. “That is not what I wanted at all.”

“I gave it some thought.” He swallows. “It’s all I can offer. It’s the only solution, really.”

“Do you have any idea how insane this sounds?” I scoff. “Ry told me everything about the QEC simulator seven years ago. This was the easy part and I still died. How am I supposed to be her when I know nothing about her world? She had her own life outside of me.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’ll be your guide.” His eyes soften.

“So what, Captain Weston? Do I now get to call you Cap or Eli?”

“You can call me whatever you want.” He offers a crooked, sexy smile. “In fact, I think that if you call me Eli in private, the transition will be easier for you.”

“Eli?” I meant to be sarcastic, but he is completely serious with his answer.

Author Bio:

Diana Hicks writes dark, emotional romance where obsession runs deep, secrets cut sharp, and love always comes at a price.

Her books blend steamy billionaire drama with forbidden marriages, high-stakes betrayal, and antiheroes who will burn the world to protect what’s theirs. Best known for The Empire Trilogy, Diana’s stories deliver heart-pounding romance with morally gray men, strong heroines, and just enough heat to leave you breathless.

When she’s not writing about power and passion colliding, she’s probably sipping coffee like it’s a love language, sweating off a plot twist at yoga, or posting angsty book teasers on TikTok.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok


GIVEAWAY!

Reign of Silver & Stardust Blitz

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Romantasy – Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken #alexandrabracken #immortalrose #netgalley

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immortal

 

immortal

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the cover for Immortal Rose, but it is the author that made me request a copy of the book from NetGalley. It’s eye catching…and I do love a good fantasy. It’s a long book, but if I love a book, I want it to keep on going. BUT, I have grown to hate cliffhangers, unless I already have the books necessary to finish the series. I read so many books, it will get lost in the shuffle.

Viola Lockwood is a fantastic character. She’s strong and has morals that make her a trustworthy person. She is the last of a family of member of the Rosebourne family. Her being a fairy has given her the gift that enables her to infuse a perfume with magic. Of course, if something can be used for good, it can also be used for bad.

Hugh Thornton is the person responsible for her being imprisoned, because she is the only person who can help, when the kingdom is left vulnerable to a coup. Their attraction to each other builds as the danger heightens. The romance is slow burning.

I have read some of Alexandra Bracken’s work, so I felt confident that Immortal Rose wouldn’t let me down. The writing flows smoothly and the depth and detail of Viola and Hugh’s world bring the story to life. It’s not always easy to know who to love/hate, but I do love when a character struggles to redeem themselves. All in all, I can highly recommend Immortal Rose, but BEWARE, I knock off a star when there is a cliffhanger. I didn’t know it was going to be a duology. Would that have made a difference? It’s hard to say, because I love Alexandra’s writing style so much, I grab whatever I see.

 

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From Alexandra Bracken, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore, comes a stunningly original adult fantasy. Set in a sumptuous world ruled by magical perfume, this achingly romantic, slow-burn love story will shatter your heart and leave you breathless.

Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.

When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.

Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.

As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.

But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.

This deluxe limited hardcover edition features beautiful stenciled edges and illustrated endpapers —available on the first printing only!

  • Genre: Enemies To Lovers, Fae, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
  • 489 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published August 18, 2026
  • Series: Immortal Rose Duology #1

ABOUT ALEXANDRA BRACKEN (from Amazon)

Alexandra Bracken is the #1 New York Times and internationally best-selling author of The Darkest Minds series and Lore. Born and raised in Arizona, she moved east to study English and History at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. Her work has been adapted for feature film and is available across the world in more than twenty languages.

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Hero Or Traitor – Fighting For Lucy by Jane Blythe #JaneBlythe #fightingforlucy

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Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Anybody that knows Jane Blythe’s work, knows she puts her characters through some of the most horrendous situations, and Fighting For Lucy is no exception. It picks up where Fighting For Scarlett shared a tease, but each characters story reaches a happy ever after before she sends the next characters on their perilous adventures.

A plane crash in the Mexican jungle? That can’t be good. Even worse, Lucy is stuck with her brother’s friend, Zander Madden. Zander, a former Delta Force operator, carries a lot of emotional baggage. His teammates had been killed, and, even though he was taken prisoner, he survived, and craves revenge.

Can he put all that aside and save Lucy?

I love that Lucy is a strong character with epilepsy. It adds an extra element to her personality and her determination to survive, no matter what. She uses physical fitness to compensate, but being an adrenaline junky could make you wonder if she has a death wish.

I love romantic suspense novels and Jane Blythe is a master of the genre. Sure, some things are predictable, but that’s okay. That’s the nature of the beast. The romance is forever and the danger makes them earn their happy ever after. So, be sure and fasten your seatbelt because this is going to be a very bumpy ride.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

 

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Is she lost with a hero or a traitor?

Having her plane crash in the Mexican jungle would be bad enough for Lucy Elrod if the man she was stuck with wasn’t her best friend’s supposedly dead brother. On the run from a weapon’s trafficker determined to get the formula for a new drug out of her, Lucy will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even if that means ending the life of her friend’s brother for real this time.

Former Delta Force operator Zander Madden lost everything. The only thing he has to live for is revenge. The darkness inside him urges him to do anything to avenge his fallen teammates, and he’ll have to decide how far he’s willing to go and what he’s prepared to sacrifice to do it. Can he allow himself to let Lucy’s light guide him or will he wind up snuffing it out?

  • Genre: Fiction, Military, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Thriller
  • 298 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published July 16, 2024

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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The Spotlight Is On This Never Happened by Kent Heckenlively @pumpupyourbook #kentheckeenlively

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 Can a call girl enter politics and escape with her life and morals intact?


Heidi Scherzinger is just a typical working girl in Chicago in 1972. Well, maybe not so typical. In fact, she’s running Chicago’s most successful independent call girl outfit when she’s summoned to meet with Sonny Battaglia, the country’s most powerful Mob boss.

The other local call girl agencies are complaining about her success, so Sonny offers her a deal: either she gets whacked, or she relocates to Washington, D.C., where she’ll be working for the “Agency” under the control of the creepy Sidney Gottshalk, the resident blackmail specialist.

The Agency wants blackmail material on all the horny Democrats flooding the Capitol in the run-up to the presidential election, trying to defeat President Nicholas Dixon as he runs for a second term.

The always efficient Heidi quickly sets up a first-class operation, aided by the quietly competent Milton Greenbaum. What follows is a Florence Gump-style adventure through a 1970s Washington, D.C., that might be just a little different than the version you read about in your history books.

This Never Happened: A Call Girl in D.C. is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details 

 ↪ Title: This Never Happened: A Call Girl in D.C.

 ↪ Author: Kent Heckenlively

 ↪ Genre: Political Thriller

 ↪ Sub-genre: Romance

 ↪ Language:English

 ↪ Pages: 406

 ↪ Publisher: Manhattan Book Group

 ↪ Publication Date: June 23, 2026

 ↪ Formats: Paperback, Kindle

 ↪ Paperback ISBN: ‎978-1970844337 

 ↪ Price: Paperback $19.99, Kindle $2.99

 ↪ Watch the Book Trailer at https://f.io/rLzZemf1.

╰┈➤Excerpt

My Life Now – November 21, 2024

Most of those who’d want to kill me for telling this story are either dead or living in a nursing home.

I’m not dead, I’m not in a nursing home, but I am living in a “senior community.”

I’m the kind of woman you’ll often see is such a setting, teaching a morning and afternoon Pilates class, then checking out a lecture or play in the evening with her friends. I dress immaculately, my hair and makeup are always perfect, people often wonder if I’m in my mid-fifties or early sixties, (seventy-six, thank you very much) and truth be told, often getting propositioned by the Viagra crowd of men convinced they’ve still got it.

The truth is I’ve always loved sex and I’m pretty good at getting men and women to fall in love with me. But I’ve also mastered the art of convincing a person I’m fascinated by them, while at the same time remaining just out of reach. They know I’ll come and play for a few hours, especially if the money and conversation is good.

And there’s nobody better than me, man or woman, at listening to what the powerful are really saying while they’re trying to get me into bed, or do the commitment thing (no, thank you). That’s why I was on the payroll of the Agency for such a long time, although, truth be told, most of them are a bunch of psychotic morons.

You might call me a prostitute, call girl, hooker, or even a whore if you’re feeling particularly righteous, but I prefer the term courtesan.

Everything in life can be done poorly, or with style.

For example, President John Francis Fitzgerald did everything with a certain devil-may-care nonchalance, from bedding beautiful actresses to getting himself shot in Texas.

By contrast, President Nicholas Milhous Dixon could find the grey cloud on the

sunniest of days, and that partially explains how he went from winning the biggest landslide in American history to resigning in disgrace a year and a half later.

I say only partially, because there’s the part I played, that nobody’s ever really understood. You see, I’m the woman who’s been whispered about for years, the main player in the story you thought you knew, protected by forces more powerful than you can imagine.

But was it really my fault?

Maybe after fifty years it’s time to finally tell the story.

I’ll let you be the judge of whether I’m a hero or a villain.

– Excerpted from This Never Happened by Kent Heckenlively, Manhattan Book Group, 2026. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Kent Heckenlively is an attorney, science teacher, and two-time New York Times bestselling author. He is best known as coauthor of the Plague series – Plague, Plague of Corruption & Ending Plague) with Dr. Judy Mikovits and Dr. Francis Ruscetti, winner of the Distinguished Service Medal from the National Institutes of Health. His book, Plague of Corruption reached #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list in June of 2020, has sold more than 200,000 copies to date, and is being turned into a documentary narrated by Liam Neeson. Kent has published numerous non-fiction books, focusing on the tech sector, controversies in medicine, and media bias.

His most recent two books,Twilight of the Shadow Government and Catastrophic Disclosure, focus on government corruption.

This Never Happened is his third novel and reflects his belief that we all need a fun book for the summer. With more than 15,000 Amazon reviews, a 4.7 average ranking out of 5.0 stars, more than 750,000 of his books in print, critical praise from Kirkus Reviews, including a highly coveted, “Kirkus preferred review” for his book on interferon, as well as his books being translated into ten languages, Kent is quickly becoming a powerhouse in the literary world.

Visit his website at www.kentheckenlivelybooks.com. 

Connect with him on X at https://x.com/KentHecken.

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Review – Cinematic Destinies by Patricia Leavy #peatricialeavy #cinemticdestinies #shewritespress

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I don’t read a lot of romance, unless it has a suspenseful or paranormal twist, but I jumped on board Cinematic Destinies because of the publicity push. I don’t know if I missed out on anything because I haven’t read the previous two books in the Red Carpet Romance series. I sometimes grab a simple romance to cleanse my pallet. I read a lot of books and if I read too many of one particular genre back to back, they all seem to blend together. A refresher has me coming back raring to go.

Cinematic Destinies by Patricia Leavy is about the fairy tale Hollywood romance of the parents and how their children learn that everything is not always as it seems. As the children grow and work through their own problems, they strive to have a happy ever after.

Cinematic Destinies is pretty much what I expected. It makes for a great summer read.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

For fans of Tessa Bailey and Hannah Grace, Cinematic Destinies is a feel-good, contemporary romance about a trio of adult children searching for love and beauty in the shadow of their parents’ legendary Hollywood fairy-tale romance.

Legendary actor Finn Forrester and his wife philosopher Ella Sinclair Forrester met on the location shoot for Jean Mercier’s film Celebration. The world has been captivated by their fairy-tale romance since Finn famously proposed on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. As the couple now prepares to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary, they wonder if their children will ever find love.

Eldest daughter Betty is excelling in a medical residency program in New York City—and has convinced herself that distancing herself from emotions is the path to success. Youngest son Albert, a recent college graduate, is trying to find his footing in Boston as he struggles with his identity. Free-spirited Georgia, her mother’s spitting image and an actress following in her father’s footsteps, has been cast in Jean Mercier’s final film, mysteriously titled Beauty. When she arrives on set in Iceland and meets her costar, sparks fly. Is history repeating itself? How has growing up in the shadow of the world’s most iconic love story affected each of the Forrester children?

In this highly anticipated conclusion to The Location Shoot and After the Red Carpet, we see how Finn, Ella, and their children fulfill their cinematic destinies.

  • Genre: Contemporary, Romance
  • 232 pages, Paperback
  • Published September 2, 2025 by She Writes Press
  • Series: Red Carpet Romance #3

ABOUT PATRICIA LEAVY

Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author. She has published over fifty books, earning commercial and critical success in both fiction and nonfiction, and her work has been translated into many languages. Patricia has received over 100 book honors as well as career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” She lives in Maine with her family. Patricia loves writing, reading, watching films, and traveling. These days, she’s focused on writing feel-good love stories.

Website

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The Spotlight Is On Love Next Door by Eve Kasey & Melanie A Smith @xpressotours #evekasey #melanieasmith #lovenextdoor

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Love Next Door: A ‘90s Anthem Duet
Eve Kasey & Melanie A. Smith
Publication date: September 1st 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

One volume, two steamy interconnected romances set in 1995 Seattle

Come to My Window
Hazel Bell has lost everything — her job, her apartment, and her future in Seattle. Now her whole world is a thrift-store wardrobe, a family of houseplants, and a stranger in the opposite window who knows exactly what to say.

They exchange notes instead of names. Confessions instead of introductions. And somehow, the man she’s never met becomes the one person she can’t live without.

Gideon Sarkis knows the truth would end them before they ever begin.

He knows exactly who Hazel is. But she doesn’t know him — or how badly he once hurt her. The more notes they write, the harder he falls. But with his obligations pressing in and her options disappearing, their time is running out.

Some windows are meant to be opened.

But some secrets can shatter everything.

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Ben Pedersen is a ghostwriter stuck crafting someone else’s thrillers when a misdelivered package introduces him to the mystery of unit 203 — and its elusive occupant, Heaven Lee.

Lee is a software engineer burning the candle at every possible end, helping build one of the first online bookstores. She doesn’t have time for nosy neighbors. She barely has time for sleep. But the guy upstairs keeps getting her mail, and he’s funny, patient, and her dog likes him more than the UPS guy. So maybe one coffee not-date won’t kill her.

The neighborly arrangement that follows becomes something neither of them planned. But Lee won’t admit what’s in the misdelivered packages, and Ben’s writer brain won’t let a mystery rest. When curiosity crosses a line, both must decide what matters more: protecting their secrets or fighting for what they’ve found.

Love Next Door is two warm, witty nostalgic love stories about the secrets we keep, the walls we build, and the people worth tearing them down for.

Pre-order

—


Author Bio:

Melanie A. Smith is an award-winning, international best-selling author of steamy romance with smart, self-sufficient heroines and strong, swoony book boyfriends with hearts of gold. A former engineer turned stay-at-home mom and author, when Melanie is not lost in the world of books you’ll find her spending time with her husband and son, crafting, or cross-stitching.
Eve Kasey writes for a design firm by day and reads (and writes!) indie romance novels by night. Her contemporary romances balance swoon and steam while aiming to teach readers something new. She loves romance for the hope the genre conveys as well as the amplification of the simple truth that everyone everywhere deserves a happily ever after – however that looks to them. Eve lives in and loves the Pacific Northwest.


—

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Giveaway – The Art Of Almost Losing by Alina Jacobs @xpressotours #alinajacobs #theartofalmostlosing

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The Art of Almost Losing It
Alina Jacobs
(The Richmond Brothers, #3)
Publication date: August 4th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

There comes a time in every almost-thirty-year-old woman’s life when getting kidnapped off the street is preferable to admitting that the hot, rich boyfriend you’ve been bragging about for months does not, in fact, exist.

Yes, it’s terrifying being stuffed in the trunk of a Mercedes, but I would rather be locked in a stranger’s penthouse than sleeping on the floor of my parents’ apartment like the loser daughter I am.

Honestly?
It’s nice to get some alone time. And my own bathroom.

He bribes me with money not to call the police.

I scream at him for forcing me to go to brunch as his prisoner at the hottest restaurant in New York.

Now everyone in my parents’ aggressively posh Manhattan neighborhood thinks we’re dating.

Buckle up, buddy.
I have a full wedding itinerary to attend, and congratulations—you’re my fake boyfriend.

Unfortunately, my kidnapper is the worst fake boyfriend in the history of fake boyfriends.

He’s mean.
Aloof.
Emotionally unavailable.
And deeply offended by how much time I spend on my phone.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to ignore how yummy he smells, all muscular and tall as he fumes next to me in bed, furious because I asked him when the sexy portion of the kidnapping is going to happen.

It’s a fair question, though, right?!? I thought kidnapping came with benefits!

Guess my kidnapper didn’t want me that much after all.

Men lying about their desire for a relationship. Story of my life.

Now I’m trapped.
He’s miserable.

And somehow, this is starting to feel dangerously like a relationship.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The one time a hot guy shows interest in me… and he’s a violent kidnapper.

My screams cut off as he tosses in my laptop case. It lands on my ribs, knocking the breath out of me. He shoves my legs fully into the trunk, then tosses in the barking Lulu, then slams the door.

I assume it’s a mistake.

The expensive German car. The bespoke suit. The cologne that smells like money and expensive scotch—Men like him don’t grab women like me.

So why did he just shove me, in all my pizza-sauce-stained, Costco-clothes glory, into the trunk?

I needed a boyfriend, sure, but I did not expect him to arrive via a felony crime.

The engine purrs.

Wait.

Am I really being kidnapped?

Like… for real?

Sleet rattles against the roof as the realization hits.

Oh.

Oh no.

I’m trapped in the trunk of a stranger’s car. A dangerous man. Being driven God knows where.

Sure, he’s attractive—but that is deeply unhelpful information right now.

I’ll never see my family again. Never eat a dollar slice of pizza again—

Wait.

I squint.

Window.

This isn’t a sedan. This is an SUV.

I’m not trapped.

I haul myself up and pop my head over the back seat.

“You’re a crappy kidnapper!” I scream.

“Shit!” he yells—and nearly plows into a parked truck. “You—!”

The car jerks to a stop at a stop sign. He throws it into park and starts climbing over the seats toward me.

“You can’t kidnap me,” I say, panic creeping in. “You don’t want me. I’m not a girl anyone kidnaps.”

My dog barks.

Emerald-green eyes catch the light.

“Sit down,” he commands.

“My mom is going to be really upset if I don’t come home tonight,” I blurt. “Let me go.”

The doors lock.

I fumble in my purse. Find my pepper spray.

“Yes!” I whisper. “I’m a strong, independent —”

I spray… myself.

“Water,” I gasp, coughing, wheezing, blind.

I suck in a lungful of peppery air and yank at the door handle, begging it to open.

Too late.

“Stupid fucking girl,” he snarls, grabbing my jacket and dragging me forward.

“You didn’t even handcuff me!” I wheeze.

He pauses. “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?”

He loosens his tie.

I gulp.

“I cannot believe,” he sneers, “that I kidnapped the most unattractive woman in Manhattan.”

Oh.

So… not the future love of my life after all.

Author Bio:

I write the kind of books I love—romantic comedies featuring snarly guys with hearts of gold, kick-ass heroines, and a swoon-worthy happily ever after! Also wine. And cupcakes.

When I’m not writing I can be found drinking tea, surrounded by my massive to-be-read pile! So many books…

You can connect with me on social media or find information on my books at my website.

Sign up for my newsletter so that you can get information about new releases, giveaways, and more!

http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / X / Instagram / Bookbub


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The Art of Almost Losing It Blitz

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$25 GC – Bad Decisions & Back Roads by Zoe Forward @xpressotours #zoeforward #baddecisions

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Bad Decisions & Back Roads: Second Chance Veterinary Romance
Zoe Forward
(Southern Veterinary, #2)
Publication date: August 3rd 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The problem with bad decisions is you never stop wanting them.

I used to be the rebellious girl from the wrong side of the fenceline. He was the local hellraiser nobody could tame. While our families carried on a feud older than indoor plumbing, we fell for each other.

Then my vicious father found out. To save Timothy’s life, I broke his heart and disappeared.

Now over a decade later, I’m back as a large-animal veterinarian, working at his brother’s clinic and treating everything from prize dairy cows to Timothy’s homicidal llama. Avoiding him should be easy.

It isn’t.

He’s a single dad running two businesses, still infuriatingly irresistible, and determined to make me pay for every year he spent hating me.

The problem? I never stopped loving him. But if he learns why I really left, I could lose him forever.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

“Yesterday…I wrecked you?” She gave me a look I remembered. Her green eyes flared. I was about to lose this fight in a way I’d never recover from.

She slowly unzipped her coveralls. My brain immediately abandoned ship. Not helped by the fact that traitorous memory chose this exact moment to replay yesterday’s rainstorm in vivid detail.

Meanwhile, in real time, she peeled the coveralls down and somehow stepped out of them while keeping her socks from touching the ground—a feat of female sorcery I could neither explain nor stop watching.

Underneath was a tight white shirt that clung in ways that should probably require a warning label, a permit, and possibly a pastor on standby.

My eyes briefly closed. Opened. She was still there.

Beside me, Cody made a small choking noise.

I cut him a glare.

He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.

Then—because she enjoyed cruelty—she lifted both arms and twisted her hair into a messy bun. Which did things. Terrible, magnificent things to her chest.

Her mouth curved like she knew exactly what she’d done. She pulled a scrub top out of the duffle and pulled it down over the tight shirt. Without a word, she packed the supplies into her duffel, casually picked up the dart rifle from the ground, and started walking up the hill like she hadn’t just detonated every functioning brain cell in a fifty-yard radius.

Then she tossed over her shoulder—

“I’m back, Timothy Hurst. End of story.” A few steps later she said, “You’re welcome…for dealing with your dangerous llama.”

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Zoe Forward is a parent, wife, veterinarian, and unapologetic chocolate lover. She writes spicy paranormal and contemporary romances that blend action, adventure, humor, and a touch of magic.

Zoe lives in the South with a lively menagerie of four-legged beasts and two slightly wild kids.

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Bad Decisions & Back Roads Blitz

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Review – Fighting For Scarlett by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor #fightingforscarlett #bearspotspublications

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Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Fighting For Scarlett by Jane Blythe is the first book in a new series with a new team, the Athena Team. They don’t work in the field. They are primarily scientists. Jane definitely puts her characters through the wringer. Emotions run riot and just because the man is manly, that doesn’t mean he is free of any dysfunctionality (Is that a word? If not, it should be. LOL)

At times I find myself wanting to reach into my Kindle and throttle the hell out of Tate. Who’s to say how someone will react when they are saddled with as much baggage as Scarlett and Tate. Trust and communication are always an issue with Jane Blythe’s characters. Doesn’t that sound like real life? Tate may think life with a woman is a one night stand, but I think we all know that Scarlett will be the exception to that rule. Jane Blythe does love her happy ever afters, but it is the journey to the happy ever after that fascinates me.

Scarlett works for Prey Security, but working in the lab seems like a tame job. That is, until she has developed something that someone wants and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Well all know that something good can always be used for something bad.

Knowing Jane, I am waiting for the twist. Sure, there are things that trip me up, but I am able to let a lot of things slide and let an author take me where they want me to go. After all, they are the one giving the characters a voice. It’s nice to see some familiar characters, along with the new.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

How do you trust a man who hates you to help prove your innocence?

Life goes from bad to worse for Scarlett Madden. First she’s kidnapped from her bed in the middle of the night, then she’s accused of betraying her country. When the SEAL she had a one night stand with and hasn’t been able to get out of her head since is one of the men to rescue her she thinks everything is going to be okay. But it’s not, trouble has followed her home and she doesn’t know who to trust.

Navy SEAL Tate Laurier knows what it’s like to be betrayed and when he learns the woman who has been haunting his dreams is a traitor he’s determined to bring her down. But the more time he spends with Scarlett the less he can see her selling the miracle drug she helped create to her country’s enemies. If the two of them can’t learn to trust one another then not only will their lives be on the line but a dangerous weapons trafficker will get his hands on a powerful drug.

  • Genre: Fiction, Military, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Thriller
  • 346 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published May 14, 2024
  • Series: Prey Security: Athena Team #1

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

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MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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MINDBENDING – Daggermouth by H M Wolfe #hmwolfe #daggermouth

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dystopia; enemies to lovers romance; forced arranged political marriage; presidents son;assassin
dystopia; enemies to lovers romance; forced arranged political marriage; presidents son;assassin

 

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MY REVIEW

I LOVE the cover and the title for Daggermouth made me curious. Daggermouth has so many elements that speak to me: enemies to lovers, fantasy romance, apocalyptic and dystopian adventure that knocked my socks off. I got so much more than I bargained for and will, for sure, have my eye on H M Wolfe in the future.

Of course, we have the corrupt elite. I would be disappointed otherwise. I love the have and have nots, the forbidden romance, the danger at every turn. As I turned the pages, I became more lost in the story. The characters, well, Shadera Kael makes for an outstanding female protagonist. She’s raised to be an assassin. That is all she is good for, but….she can’t even do that right, which drives her into the arms of a man she hates with all the passion she possesses. Of course, it’s an enemies to lovers romance, so somehow Shadera Kael and Greyson Serel will find their way.

The ending BLEW ME AWAY. I WANT MORE, PLEASE!!!!!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dark Romance, Dystopian, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Romantasy
  • 516 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published December 5, 2025 by Scarlett Press
  • Series: The Heart, Book I

ABOUT H M WOLFE

H. M. Wolfe writes with her heart wide open, chasing the thrill of chaos and the sting of heartbreak on every page. Based in Central Florida, she shares her days with her husband and three loyal dogs—her writing partners and adventure crew through every twist of her literary journey.

Wolfe crafts stories where romance tangles with fantasy and unforgettable characters drive the action, inviting readers to disappear into worlds brimming with magic and meaning. She’s fiercely passionate about mental health advocacy and the messy, powerful work of self-discovery, believing deeply that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the stories they love.

As you turn the final page of her books, Wolfe hopes you’ll find a new kind of strength—ready to take on the world and own your story like the warrior she knows you are.

Website

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