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Giveaway – Maybe In Monaco by Kaya Quinsey Holt @XpressoTours

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Maybe in Monaco
Kaya Quinsey Holt
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Immerse yourself in the dazzling world of best-selling author Kaya Quinsey Holt’s in this evocative romance full of “unrest, deceit, and heartbreak in one of Europe’s most spectacular places” (Readers Favorite).

Charlotte Levant left Monaco ten years ago in order to allow the man she loved to pursue his dream but she left with more than a broken heart. Only a select few knew that she gave up her baby. Facing a personal crisis, Charlotte returns to Monaco, thinking she can quietly sneak back without a fuss. But it’s hard to keep a secret in Monaco.

For recently retired Formula One driver Freddie Ridgeport, losing Charlotte was more painful than a car crash, but he quickly found company among his fans. Now back in Monaco, the responsibility of caring for nine-year-old Nicholas has been thrust upon him after he is unexpectedly named as the legal guardian in a will.

Will fate finally reunite these star-crossed lovers? And if so, can the truth make up for a ten-year-long secret that runs deeper than the adjacent Mediterranean sea?

Goodreads / Amazon

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SNEAK PEEK:

“So, where are you visiting from?” the taxi driver asked, turning briefly to look at her.

Charlotte smiled. “Manhattan.” The driver returned his attention to the road. New York City was another world, Charlotte mused as the car performed a hot lap past the Monte Carlo Casino. A throng of tourists with cameras crossed in front of the taxi, slowing all of the traffic behind it. Perhaps the two cities had some similarities, Charlotte thought.

Today, the body of water and anonymity that protected Charlotte was 4,000 miles away.

Charlotte was a French teacher at a private school on the Upper East Side, where she put her New York University education to use. Ample time, money, and effort were spent on rebuilding her life—an accomplishment she previously thought unimaginable. What Charlotte accomplished in those ten years astonished her and her grandmother.

In Manhattan, Charlotte cultivated a refined and private image. She socialized vigilantly, and her acquaintances consisted mainly of private school colleagues. Though she scarcely noticed, Charlotte was admired and desired by many. Charlotte enticed people with her softness, attentiveness in conversations (aided by her social media avoidance), adoration for anything vintage, and passion for French impressionist art. However, Charlotte’s romantic affairs were often cut short, and she developed a reputation for fleeing when relationships threatened to become too serious or prodding.

The men who courted Charlotte inevitably crashed into the walls that guarded her. Privacy was Charlotte’s priority, and the less that people knew about her, the better. She feared the discovery of her imperfections, which lurked beneath every layer.

Charlotte preferred blending in to standing out. As usual, she was dressed in simple, high-quality items, which she—or her relatives—had owned for years. Her haphazardly-piled, classic travel bags were passed down from Charlotte’s late mother, and her antique camera and matching leather bag belonged to her late father.

Contrary to her intention, Charlotte’s subtleties spawned second glances. Strangers couldn’t help noticing the authentic glamour of her well-worn Hermes handbag, slightly upturned nose, chestnut blunt cut grazing her freckled collarbones, and sparkling eyes that never gave anything away.

Slowly, Charlotte’s destination crept into sight. Le Soleil was a luxury condominium with coastal views of the Côte d’Azur. Charlotte dreaded stepping out of the car, and wondered if returning was a dire mistake. “Monaco is my home,” she silently repeated, as she promised herself she would.

The driver slowed to a stop, and carefully unloaded the aged Keepalls onto the unblemished cobblestone.

Charlotte remained still for a few more moments, summoning enough willpower to open the door. Once she touched her feet to the ground, the truth would land. She was in Monaco.

The trunk of the cab shut with a thud that rocked the whole vehicle. Taking a few deep breaths, Charlotte opened the door and set one ballet flat onto the pavement. She was home.

The suitcases appeared smaller and fewer to Charlotte when she left Manhattan. The driver gawked at the mountain of luggage that now blocked the sidewalk.

“That’s everything,” Charlotte lied, for the driver knew not of her heaviest baggage, smuggled into Monaco upon her freckle-dusted shoulders.

Charlotte paid the driver and watched as the car faded into a sea of traffic. She glanced helplessly at the unattended concierge desk and sighed. Keeping a watchful eye on her remaining belongings, Charlotte hauled her luggage into the air-conditioned lobby. She was no stranger to strenuous labor, but her arms ached and her breath grew heavier with each bag.

Ten years since she stepped foot on that cobblestone sidewalk. Ten years since she left the country—and the person—she loved. Ten years since she fled with two hearts beating inside of her. Ten years, and she was still wondering if she made the right decision. Ten years, she kept a secret.

But it was very hard to keep a secret in Monaco.


Author Bio:

Kaya Quinsey Holt is a bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for audiobooks. From house hunting in the South of France to weddings in Positano, Kaya’s books offer a romantic escape from day to day life. Grab your favorite Kaya Quinsey Holt book an enjoy the journey!

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Bookbub / Pinterest / Twitter


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Giveaway – Embracing Love by Sara Ohlin @XpressoTours @SaraOhlin222

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Embracing Love
Sara Ohlin
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When a broken woman risks her heart for the neighborhood hottie, heat rises from the ashes…

Once broken and abused, Sasha Kincaid is slowly rebuilding her life in the quiet town of Corvallis near her brother, his new wife and their group of friends. She’s content to work quietly at the bakery she secretly owns while learning to rebuild her trust in people. But when she starts to have steamy feelings for Connor Duggan, Sasha doesn’t know how to handle her emotions.

Neighborhood hottie and town favorite, general contractor Connor Duggan has only had eyes for Sasha Kincaid ever since she stepped foot in Corvallis a year ago. When she gives him an opening, he jumps at the chance to make her his, no matter how long it takes her to feel comfortable.

Connor’s warmth and patience allow Sasha to fall into a friendship, then an amazing sexual relationship with him—but believing it will be temporary and that’s all she’s worth. As they grow closer, Connor realizes he must win over her heart, not just her body, meaning he must push past his own insecurities of being rejected to battle Sasha’s fears and ghosts.

But the biggest obstacle is Sasha herself. Can she learn to trust again, and believe that she deserves a beautiful life with Connor?

Reader advisory: This book contains references to an abusive relationship, physical cruelty and violence, as well as mentions of non-nurturing parenting.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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SNEAK PEEK:

Connor grabbed the pastry out of the bag, took an enormous sniff, and this time when he looked at her, his eyes were darker, piercing, like she’d offered him her body as the warm tasty treat. I mean could it get any hotter out? Sasha tugged at the front of her T-shirt, sweat dripping down her back, from the sun, from nerves, she didn’t know.

“I…uhm…added caramel and nuts and dark brown sugar, so it kind of gets all sticky and gooey.” Her words felt thick coming out. Someone had stuffed her mouth with cotton and she didn’t know how to move her lips or her tongue.

“Sticky and gooey,” he said reverently. “My favorite.” Without taking his eyes off her, Connor devoured the caramel pecan pinwheel in three enormous bites. Savoring each taste, she imagined, as it burst on his tongue. When he finished that last swallow, she was unprepared for it, for the show to be over. But it wasn’t. He licked his lips, peered into the empty bag as if he might dare to find all the secrets of the universe. Then, then he took a step closer.

She should have stepped back, but she couldn’t, frozen in place by his sparking brown eyes, by the force of him. She was tall, but not Connor-Duggan tall, so she was forced to either stare at the baby attached to his chest or look up. She knew what the safer choice would be. But somehow her body didn’t care right this minute as a warm breeze swirled around them, as if they were the only two people in the park, no neighbors, no babies, no dogs, no responsibilities, no pasts.

“Damn.” His voice was hot and hushed, pure disbelief in his words. “That was the best thing I’ve ever tasted. In. My. Life.”

He had a dusting of brown sugar at the edge of his lip, where his tongue hadn’t reached. He didn’t speak, didn’t say anything else after his last words whispered around her, but still his body spoke to hers. She reached up without a thought and brushed the sugar off his mouth. “Sugar,” she whispered.

Neither one of them moved, and when she started to pull her hand away, he caught it in his large, warm one. Sasha sucked in her breath and watched as he carefully ran his thumb over her fingers, studied them with his intense focus.

“There’s something special here, in these fingers, that can create something purely outstanding.” He met her gaze again. “Something that tastes so good it makes a man swear.”

Sasha huffed out a laugh, not feeling one bit humorous. “Damn is hardly a swear.”

“Trust me.” He rocked her world again with those hooded eyes. “It takes something pretty serious to get a damn out of me.”


Author Bio:

Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher, Salvaging Love, Seducing the Dragonfly and Igniting Love.

She has over fifteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Although she’s the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.

If she’s not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story.

She once met a person who both “didn’t read books” and wasn’t “that into food” and it nearly broke her heart.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter


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Giveaway – Letting Go by Jacquie Biggar @XpressoTours @JacqBiggar

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Letting Go
Jacquie Biggar
(The Defiant Sisters, #1)
Publication date: October 21st 2022
Genres: Coming of Age, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

A coming-of-age novel about the pain of misconceptions and learning from them.

When life gives you lemons…

Izzy

Mom is barely in the grave and the prodigal child is here to pick the bones clean.

I don’t want her here. My sister’s defection is a wound that won’t heal, and her return simply rubs at the scabs covering my heart.

I’ve managed just fine without her. She can go back to her fancy college and forget about us- that’s what she does best anyway.

If only I didn’t need her help. Or miss her so much.

Renee

The day my dad committed suicide I ran. I’ve been running ever since.

Going home is supposed to be the answer. Instead, it makes me question every thoughtless decision I’ve made.

My sister hates me. My little brother barely knows me. And Simon… is engaged.

None of it matters- or so I tell myself. I’m here to make amends and face a past haunted by regret.

As long as I can convince myself to stay.

Letting Go is a young adult romance dealing with tragedy, restitution, and love in all its aspects. The story relates to sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

SNEAK PEEK:

Izzy

The shock of finding Renée on the doorstep is fading, taken over by the sheer hypocrisy of her arrival. Why now? It’s a little late if she wants to make amends. Not a word for two stinking years and she shows up thinking I’m going to be grateful she’s here?

Not in this lifetime.

The warm sincerity of her embrace, though… it tries to weaken the resentment I’ve fostered since she walked out on her family, leaving me to pick up the pieces.

“I don’t want you here,” I snarl, unable to hide my bitterness. I’d rather act as though I don’t care.

Renée eyes me warily, rubbing a reddened palm. I feel a childish delight to have caused her even a minuscule amount of the pain she’s caused me.

“I’m aware,” she says calmly, bending to pick up a bulging overnight bag. “But I’m here now, so let’s make the best of it—for Mom.”

Red hot rage rises from the pit of my stomach to spit and steam from my ears. “Do. Not. Use Mom against me. You lost that right a long time ago.”

Months of caregiving flicker behind my eyes. My father’s suicide did something to Mom. She shouldered the blame and wore it like a hairshirt, ripping the blinders away from their relationship to show the fractures in the foundation. She shut down. Stopped eating, washing, and caring. It was left to me to get Benjamin off to school, clothes washed, and a semblance of normalcy when everything was insane.

“You should have called.” Renée’s empathetic gaze gets on my last nerve.

I whirl away before I plant my fist in her face. “Your room is the way you left it. You can stay the weekend, then I want you to leave. Ben doesn’t need to get his hopes up.” And neither do I.

Author Bio:

Jacquie Biggar is a USA Today bestselling author of romance who loves to write about tough, alpha males and strong, contemporary women willing to show their men that true power comes from love. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and loves to hear from readers all over the world!

In her own words:

“My name is Jacquie Biggar. When I’m not acting like a total klutz, I am a wife, mother of one, grandmother, and a butler to my calico cat.

My guilty pleasures are reality tv shows like Amazing Race and The Voice. Every Monday night, I can be in my armchair plastered to the television laughing at Blake’s shenanigans.

I love to hang out at the beach with DH (darling hubby) taking pictures or reading romance novels (what else?).

I have a slight Tim Hortons obsession, enjoy gardening, everything pink, and talking to my friends.”

She has been blessed with a long, happy marriage and enjoys writing romance novels that end with happily-ever-afters.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon / Pinterest / Newsletter


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Giveaway – Deadly Paradise by Quinn Avery @XpressoTours @naumannbooks

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Deadly Paradise
Quinn Avery
Publication date: October 18th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

As a child, Nova witnessed the murder of her parents. She is whisked away in the middle of the night to start a new life, however Nova can’t stop questioning the circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths.

As a teenager, Nova lives a lonely and sheltered existence until fate delivers a handsome Greek boy into her world. Although forbidden to speak to him, the teens navigate through first love until she discovers he’s guarding a secret that unravels everything between them.

As a woman, Nova finally goes after the answers that have plagued her entire life. Answers that involve her first love, throwing them both in danger when he returns to save her life. Can she risk the dark secrets of their tangled past to collide with what could become a deadly present?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Get it for only 99c – this week only!

—

SNEAK PEEK:

Nova was sixteen when Katerina Makris and her son, Nikos, came to work at the winery. The moment Nova first laid eyes on the mysterious boy with fierce eyebrows and a sharp jaw, her first crush manifested. From her secret perch behind the kitchen door, her knees literally shook as if the world was moving beneath her.

She watched intently as Katerina and Nova’s uncle carried on a conversation in Greek. Nova remembered very little of the language since her father’s death, but her uncle was able to converse with Katerina at a comfortable level. Nova hadn’t known he was fluent in her father’s native language. She was even more surprised the way her uncle treated Katerina like an old friend.

Both mother and son were striking, with eyes so dark they swallowed their pupils, olive-toned skin, stick-straight noses, and luxurious raven hair. Katerina’s loose waves bounced around her shoulders when she walked. Nikos wore his hair neatly trimmed around the sides, and longer on top. He was attractive in a way that made her belly swell. She held her breath, waiting for Nikos to speak. She was very interested in anything and everything the tall, handsome young man had to say.

Later that afternoon, while Katerina was trained in the kitchen and Nikos cleaned tables, Nova perched on the walnut bar top where soon customers would occupy stools across from the small oak and steel barrels containing the award-winning varieties of wine. She studied Nikos from afar as he worked, appreciating his Led Zeppelin t-shirt and dark classic jeans paired with old-school skater sneakers. Although lanky, he moved with the confident swagger of a grown man, and the muscles in his arms flexed impressively as he scrubbed each table. She’d only seen him smile once, but the flash of his bright white teeth as straight as piano keys revealed behind his generously rosy lips was enough to make her heart swell and her stomach tingle with excitement.

She was grateful she’d finally have someone around who was close to her age. Even better, she had a chance to talk to him without anyone else listening in. Her aunt was tending to the grapes that were nearing harvest, and her uncle was helping London perfect the pattern required for her next belt in Tae Kwon Do. The chef and other wait staff weren’t scheduled to come in for another hour, and the only other employee on the clock was in the kitchen with Katerina.

When she thought about approaching Nikos, nerves bubbled through her like a sparkling wine. Most of what she knew about flirting came from years of watching her aunt and uncle’s disgustingly affectionate relationship, and the sappy romance movies she sometimes watched with her aunt. She wanted to believe in love, but she was also cynical that anything could end with a happily ever after. Her parents had been madly in love, and their ending was nothing short of a Shakespearian tragedy.

“So, new guy,” she finally called out, hoping he couldn’t detect the tightness of her breath, “where you from?”

Turning away from the table, his eyes nervously swept past the kitchen before meeting hers. Their alluring darkness caused her heart to flutter against her ribs with the force of a bird’s wings. She suddenly understood the longing she sometimes heard in musician’s voices when they sang about love.

“Mykonos—ehhh…an island…in Greece.” His voice was as deep as her uncle’s, and his accent was rich. Every word he uttered sounded romantic. As they echoed through her head, she became motionless—all except for the widening of her eyes.

“Wait, did you say Mykonos?” A flicker of excitement passed through her. “That’s where my dad was from.”

Nikos’s dark, thick eyebrows rose. “Yes. Your father…he knew my mother. They were…ehhh…friendly. Since they were very young.”

Nova’s pulse sped. What else did he know about her father?

“Really?” Crossing her arms, she mirrored his high-browed expression. It seemed her uncle’s list of secrets was never-ending. “How did you and your mother end up here?”

“Your uncle…very kind. When we leave Mykonos, he tells my mother…ehhh…he can help.”

Interesting, Nova thought to herself. How did her uncle know her father’s childhood friend well enough to offer his help? For the first time since she had been torn from her family’s home in California, she believed she may actually have found an avenue leading to the truth about her parents.


Author Bio:

Quinn Avery is an award-winning author who has written over 38 novels, both romantic suspense and mystery/thriller. An avid fan of the beach, a good book, and Dave Grohl, she enjoys spending her free time with her favorite people and biggest fans–her husband and children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub



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Giveaway – In The Shadow Of The Apennines by Kimberly Sullivan @XpressoTours @KimberlyinRome

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In The Shadow of The Apennines
Kimberly Sullivan
Publication date: October 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Historical, Women’s Fiction

An American divorcée. An Italian shepherdess.
Separated by a century, united by common dreams.

The sleepy little Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano seems about as far as Samantha can flee from her failed marriage and disastrous university career. Eager for a fresh start, Samantha begins to set down roots in her Italian mountain hideaway.

At first, the mountain retreat appears idyllic, but an outsider’s clumsy attempts at breaking into the closed mountain community are quickly thwarted when the residents discover Samantha’s snarky blog ridiculing the town and its inhabitants.

Increasingly isolated in her mountain cottage, Samantha discovers the letters and diaries of Elena, a past tenant and a survivor of the 1915 Pescina earthquake. Despite the century that separates the two women, Samantha feels increasingly drawn into Elena’s life, and discovers startling parallels with her own.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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SNEAK PEEK:

Pescina, Italy

25 April 1914

Where do I begin? Mamma blames it all on Father Ignazio. She says if only he had left me to the chores I was employed to carry out at San Berardo and the parish house, my cooking and cleaning would be much improved, and I would not be constantly scribbling on any piece of paper I could find and begging for books to read.

She worries I will never find a husband.

“What man wants a wife who only cares about book learning, when she should be tending the goats, washing the clothes, and baking the bread?” Mamma warns me every day.

Mamma says no peasant girl should study beyond the first years of elementary school. Writing the letters to sign your name and computations for simple transactions are more than enough for a female in our region. She calls it getting above oneself. To mamma, this is the worst sin.

Of course, we weren’t always peasants. We used to have some money, back before papà lost his property. It was never much, but our lives were so much easier back then. My brothers and I even had a tutor to teach us to read and write and to know our history and literature. Those hours were the highlight of my day. My tutor was very pleased with me.

It was hard on us when we lost everything. Only mamma said maybe it was for the best – at least for me. Now she could insist I concentrate on what was most important for girls.

I suppose I am lucky it was Father Ignazio who insisted I keep up with my learning. Mamma may often speak her mind, but she will never argue with our parish priest. She respects him too much, and she worries about punishment in the afterlife if she talks back to a priest. So mamma, who is quick to speak her mind on every occasion, bites her tongue until she draws blood whenever Father Ignazio praises my learning to her.

Papà is proud of my reading and writing. He is the one who bought me this diary and the pen and ink for my birthday. Yes, I can hardly believe it, but today I am sixteen.

Mamma is probably right that a girl who reads and writes would scare off the local boys. Boys in Pescina mostly work the land like their fathers or tend the sheep. But even if I am now sixteen and townspeople consider me a woman, I still feel like a little girl.

All my friends talk about getting married, about preparing their wedding chest and living with their husbands. They make eyes at the boys returning with the sheep, the same boys we scrambled over the mountaintops with just a few years ago.

My friend Concetta even has a sweetheart. She always goes to the fountain to gather the water at the same hour so that she can meet Domenico on his way back to town after a day working in the fields.

Sometimes I see them together walking on the path back to town, the ruins of the castle watchtower above them in the distance. They look so happy in one another’s company, laughing and talking, finding excuses for their hands to brush together.

When Concetta and I are together, sewing or baking bread, she always seems to have a far-away look in her eyes, and I sense that she does not hear what I say, that her thoughts are only for Domenico now. Mamma says one day I’lll feel that way about a boy, too, but I wonder if I ever will.


Author Bio:

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves and In The Shadow of The Apennines.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Bookbub / Twitter


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Giveaway – Christmas In Santa Rosa by Melissa Chambers #XpressoTours @MelChambersAuth

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Christmas in Santa Rosa
Melissa Chambers
(Love Along Hwy 30A, #7)
Publication date: October 18th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Will one incredible night be enough?

Felicity Haley has been trying to extract Scott Stover from her mind for a year now. Both coming off of rejection, they found comfort in one another. But they were on vacation, each headed back to their separate lives afterward. Felicity is no one’s second choice, and she couldn’t be sure he treasured their night together as much as she did, so she ghosted him.

Now, she finds herself in the same beach town with him once again. But she can’t surrender to her desires. She must protect her heart from inevitably crumbling after the post-Christmas vacation bliss dies down and they go back to their daily lives. Felicity must protect her heart no matter how much the Christmas spirit tells her to collect this gift.

Scott hasn’t been able to shake the memory of the amazing night he had with Felicity. When his entire family rents a house in Santa Rosa for the month of December and he finds out Felicity is there as well, it feels like a Christmas miracle. His life is in Nashville while hers is permanently in Santa Rosa now. But even so, he’s got a second chance to win her heart, and he won’t let her slip out of his arms again.

Christmas in Santa Rosa is book seven in the Love Along Highway 30A series, which features beautiful beach communities, a circle of unique and amazing friends, and romances that will have you cheering on the couples and fanning yourself from the heat. All books are standalone and can be enjoyed in or out of order.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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SNEAK PEEK:

“When’s the last time a guy caught you, tied you down?”

She wiggled her shoulders. “Now we’re getting to the fun talk.”

“In a relationship.”

“Oh,” she said, letting her shoulders sag. “That’s no fun.”

“You do relationships, don’t you?”

She shrugged.

He narrowed his gaze, turning his head to the side. “Seriously? You don’t do relationships?”

“I have done them. They’re just no fun.”

“Maybe you haven’t found the right guy to be in one with.”

“That’s for damn sure or I wouldn’t be sitting here single.”

“I have a feeling there have been many guys who’ve tried to tie you down and failed.”

“A few have succeeded. I’ve got the video to prove it.”

He shook his head, furrowing his brow. “I don’t know that I’ve learned when to take you seriously or not.”

“Good. Because it’ll be boring once you figure me out.”

He widened his smile. “I can’t imagine any day with you would be boring.”

She leaned in. “Then let’s make sure we keep it interesting.”

He met her in the middle. “Invite me home with you tonight and I’ll show you just how interesting I can make you feel.”

Heat rocketed through her core, waking up her senses in a way they hadn’t been awakened since the last time she was with him. She slid off the bench. “You’re getting warmer.” She gave him a wink, and then walked off toward the ladies’ room, sensing his stare on her backside and soaring higher than she had in a long time.


Author Bio:

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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Giveaway – Under A Wicked Moon by Zoe Forward @XpressoTours

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Under A Wicked Moon
Zoe Forward
Published by: Entangled Publishing
Publication date: October 17th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

They are the ultimate weapon. The ultimate secret. They are the Crown’s wolves.

Lycan Ky Lanzo is bound by the Crown’s command. His latest mission directive was deceptively simple. Get yourself caught. Now, Ky’s been bound, drugged, and collared by an unknown enemy in a facility that knows enough about him to neutralize his lycan strength and his telekinetic magic. But he’s not alone in his cell. Because there’s someone else with him. Someone exquisite. Someone altogether forbidden…

For Vivi Kinley, another month gone by means another full moon trapped in a cell with a moon-crazed lycan. There once was a time I’d never kill a living creature. Only, Ky is different. He’s powerful, latently sexy…and wanting him is dangerous trouble. Because sexual attraction is exactly what their captors want—and it’ll be an icy day in hell before she’ll allow it.

Now, Vivi and Ky have one chance at escape and to discover what twisted organization did this to them—and make them pay. The good news is that Ky might have found his near-impossible lycan mate. The bad news is that she might be programmed to kill them all…

The The Crown’s Wolves series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Bad Moon Rising
Book #2 Under a Wicked Moon

Goodreads / Amazon

—

SNEAK PEEK:

He was alone on this mission; there was no backup—no brother talking into an ear communicator, waiting in the wings to rescue him if things passed beyond what he could handle. Like right the fuck now.

What he wouldn’t give to call in this soup sandwich and get backup. He wanted out.

Ky had broken the brothers’ unwritten rule in doing this solo. The Lanzo brothers worked as a team. Flynn did tech. Ky did weapons and analysis. Roman, their designated leader and eldest brother, worked magic. Their youngest brother, Shane, died a few years ago. Roman would go nuclear on Ky when he found out he’d gone on a mission alone, even if he might understand he’d been under the King’s command.

The second he got a chance, he’d contact Roman or Flynn. Bad news was, none of them carried cell phones for fear of being tracked. Old school, for sure.

That scent of her… Christ, he was in trouble.

I will not get involved with someone like her. Not with a woman who, within a few minutes, evoked a whole lot more than a drive for easy sex—like the desire to protect her, know her, and even hear her speak.

Buuut… He relished sex and could imagine a whole hell of a lot with her. Even he had a breaking point.

The lycan female stared at him from her perch across the room, wary and antagonistic.

“Stop stressing. You’re not my type,” he managed to rasp out.

“You’re a shitty liar. You’ll try to get close because you can’t resist, but you won’t succeed. Did you have moon- madness serum on board before they brought you in?”

He nodded, not that it’d be much good with her like this. The serum dulled the cravings. It didn’t cure them. “You’re safe from me.”

They watched each other for an indefinite time, gauging each other’s resolve.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.

Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.

You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.

See the latest on Zoe’s website: http://www.zoeforward.com

Don’t miss the newsletter: http://www.zoeforward.com/contact/

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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Giveaway – Like A Hero by Michael J Bowler @XpressoTours

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Like A Hero
Michael J. Bowler
Publication date: October 18th 2022
Genres: Action, Adventure, Young Adult

Courage can be costly. Orphaned brothers Vincent and Dennis Villanueva learn the truth of those words when they create a masked crime fighter and turn him loose on Los Angeles. The brainchild of fourteen-year-old Dennis and embodied in twenty-one-year-old Vincent, “Invictus” hits the streets to jumpstart apathetic Angelenos into taking a more active role in their city.

But reality isn’t a comic book. Vincent finds poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, abuse, and cast-off children. Labeled a vigilante and criminal, the shy grad student with formidable martial arts talent and abysmal people skills soon doubts his ability to make an impact.

Forced to straddle an ambiguous line between moral and legal, he becomes disheartened and secretive, hiding the truth of what he’s doing from Dennis and driving a wedge between them. Feeling neglected, Dennis infiltrates a dangerous drug ring to show Vincent he can be just as heroic, not knowing that the woman in charge is weaving an insidious plot against Invictus as part of her citywide scheme of vengeance. In a race against time, Vincent must regain Dennis’s trust before the brother he loves is lost to him forever.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

—

SNEAK PEEK:

Dennis lay face down on the soccer field, while men in ski masks strolled among his prone classmates waving semi-automatic weapons at anyone who moved. He considered employing his martial arts skills, but being skinny and only passably good, such foolish courage would probably get him killed.

He shook his hair from in front of his eyes with a slight jerking motion and focused on James and Linda, lying on the field off to the side with the rest of the parents.

James had his head slightly raised and Dennis caught his eye. When a gun- man approached, James quickly returned his face to the grass. James wanted to intervene. That was obvious by the way he kept looking around for some kind of opening. But could he do anything without getting people killed?

The masked men called themselves “anarchists” and were well armed. Despite lying prone for the past forty minutes, Dennis had managed to spot sentries pa- trolling the rooftops, apparently stationed there to prevent the cops outside from storming the school and making their way to the field. He’d also noted the types of weapons these guys carried and considered how best each could be disarmed if this was a comic book scenario.

Except it wasn’t.

He considered the anarchists’ claims. They said they were “anti-capitalism” and “anti-public-school indoctrination,” but then they demanded twenty million as ransom for not killing him and his classmates, which sounded pretty capitalistic to him.

Raising his eyes once more, he noted a big, broad-shouldered dude wearing a black and blue ski mask, staring right at him while chatting with a burly guy holding an Uzi. Dennis averted his eyes and hoped he hadn’t called too much attention to himself. He’d overheard them earlier as they conversed by walkie-talkie. Masked guy was called “C-1” and burly guy “C-2” by the other anarchists, so he figured they ran the show.

He glanced over at Jackson and Kenny lying a few feet away. His two best friends looked terrified. Jackson’s curly hair partially hid his brown eyes, but Kenny’s bright blue ones screamed pure fear. Dennis tried for an encouraging smile, but it was difficult with his cheek pressed against the grass.

All his comic book scenarios started much like this one, except the hero al- ways knew what to do. As annoying as Robin could be, he’d know what to do even if Batman wasn’t around. Dennis’s mind raced with ideas. He knew James was packing—on duty or off, James always packed. But if he pulled his gun, kids would die.

I wish I’d thought of something when these guys first showed up.

Instead, he’d frozen with fear when the masked men flooded onto the field. And now with everything that had gone down since, Dennis trembled with the terrifying possibility that someone would die. Maybe him. Sadly, he wasn’t the hero of his dreams.

He peered at the administration buildings. Long and single story, the two main wings spread the length of the field. His gaze traveled up and he squinted with confusion. The sentry who’d been on duty at the north end was gone.

What the…?

Dennis knew his weaponry from playing Call of Duty and other war games, and that guy had been patrolling with an Artic Warfare Super Magnum sniper rifle, likely a .338 Lapua Magnum, but Dennis was too far away to be sure of the model.

Only now the guy was gone. With C-2 barely ten feet away, Dennis used caution to scan the south roof. That sentry was gone, too. SWAT maybe? He knew James’ mean-ass boss would have called in the big guns for something like this. But he was also sure those sentries had been up there no more than two minutes ago.

Could it be Invictus?

His heart thumped with hope. Vincent must know about this by now. Dennis pressed his face into the grass and pretended to look scared. Hell, he didn’t have to pretend. He was scared!

Author Bio:

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California, both in general education and to students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing, he serves as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, but mostly he takes care of his recently adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California and hopes that his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Hidden Turths by Neva Altaj @XpressoTours

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Hidden Truths
Neva Altaj
(Perfectly Imperfect, #3)
Publication date: September 22nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Sergei

Home,
Bratva is my home.
My sanctuary from the past.
The only place where a killing machine like me belongs.

Sometimes, my demons come rushing back,
And I feel out of control, full of rage,
Close to losing myself completely.

Until a broken, injured woman stumbles onto my path,
Awakening my protective instincts,
And sending my demons to sleep.

Keeping her prisoner is my only option.
If she leaves,
My darkness will resurface,
And there will be no escaping it this time.

Angelina

Escape,
That’s all I can do,
Only to end up in the hands of a crazed killer.

Now, I’m fighting to stay away from my enemies,
And trying to not fall for a man I shouldn’t want.

But what will happen when we both reveal our hidden truths?

*Hidden Truths is a full-length novel with several open-door steamy scenes, no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.

This is the third book in Perfectly Imperfect mafia series. Each book in this series features a different couple and can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, follow the recommended reading order.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

SNEAK PEEK:

𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗶 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹.

“Albert!” I shout.

He hates it when I call him that, so I make sure I always do. Serves him right since he decided to play my butler instead of spending his retirement at a sea cottage like he should have done when the military let us leave. He never told me exactly how he managed to get us released from our contracts.

“Albert! Where did you put our C-4 stash?”

“In the pantry!” he yells from somewhere in the kitchen. “The box below the crate with potatoes.”

I snort. And they say I’m the crazy one. I circle the stairs and open the pantry door. “Where?”

“Eleven o’clock. Watch your head!”

I turn to the left and smack my skull on the golf equipment bag hanging from the ceiling. “Jesus! I told you to keep your crap in the garage!”

“Not enough room,” Felix says from behind me. “Why do you need the C-4?”

“Roman needs me to blow up some shit tomorrow.”

“Another Italian warehouse?”

“A truck with their drugs this time.” I remove the crate with potatoes and reach for the box. “You can’t store explosives with food, damn it. I’m taking this to the basement.”


Author Bio:

Neva Altaj writes steamy contemporary mafia romance about damaged antiheroes and strong heroines who fall for them. She has a soft spot for crazy jealous, possessive alphas who are willing to burn the world to the ground for their woman.

Her stories are full of heat and unexpected turns, and a happily-ever-after is guaranteed every time.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / TikTok


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Giveaway – Sky Over Mountain and Memory by J B Lassalle @XpressoTours

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Sky Over Mountain and Memory
JB Lassalle
(The Enchanted Elements, #1)
Publication date: October 13th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

A painter with a mystical talent. An adventurer with a lifelong quest. Can they survive a brush with danger and find the love they lost in their youth?

Amelie pretends she’s content with her small business outside New Orleans. But despite her magical ability to create paintings anyone can travel through, she yearns for the love that never was. So when the boy she rescued as a child by sending him through her canvas returns as a handsome man in need of her aid, the aimless artist is startled by the flood of unexpected emotions.

Rav’s quest feels never-ending. Having escaped an abusive father through the hidden world Amelie opened for him, he’s dedicated his life to fulfilling his mother’s deathbed request. A request that has taken him across the globe, searching for an enchanted treasure. But when the object he’s seeking eludes him, he returns to the painter who saved him as a child… and discovers she’s all grown up.

Agreeing to paint the landscape to complete Rav’s epic journey breathes new life into Amelie’s world. But when the stakes are raised, Rav must answer the ultimate question: which treasure is more precious?

Sky Over Mountain and Memory is the adventure-filled first book in the Enchanted Elements fantasy romance series. If you like childhood friends to lovers, low steam slow burn romances, and dangerous mystical quests, then you’ll adore JB Lassalle’s exciting new world.

Buy Sky Over Mountain and Memory for a unique shade of fantasy today!

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“I control my gift, Rav, no one else.” Amelie’s hands formed fists at her side. “I say when and where, and I choose the purpose when I it. But you don’t know that because you haven’t been around.”

She bit her bottom lip and drew a shaky breath. Even to her own ears, her voice was petulant and angry. But she’d held on for twenty years. Now that it was out, so there was no sense in sugar coating. “I know why you left. I even know why you didn’t come back at first. But sending me a cryptic chain with a note you couldn’t bother to sign? That’s just cowardice.”

“What if I said I wanted to protect you?”

Amelie pounced to her feet, sending her chair backwards. “Bull.” She jabbed her finger at him, the silver coin banging against his chest. “You stayed away because it was convenient to you. You returned for the same reason.”

Rav rose, taking his time as his height let him hover over her. He met her eyes, wood meeting steel, and kept his voice low, in contrast to the rising pitch of hers. “You were my dearest friend, Amelie. You saved my life. Not a day has passed without a thought of you. Do you think I would have sent you a ghost’s trinket otherwise?”

Amelie took three steps backwards, Rav three forward. When her back bumped against the wall, she put her palm on his chest, the chain still entangled in her fingers. She didn’t have words, so she said nothing, and in the silence of what they did not say she noticed the intensity of his breath on hers, the nearness of his lips, the sudden clouding of desire in his eyes. He dipped his head to her, bringing them closer, and her heart pounded in response.

His eyes dropped to her lips. He inched closer. “I never forgot you. The little girl or the woman.”
She licked her lips, head spinning as she fought for her voice. “Which one is it?”
Rav furrowed his brow. “Which what?”

The whisper of his skin on hers, the sweetness of lingering peach tea, the salty dew of nervous sweat. Desire howled like a dog straining on its leash.

But Amelie knew better. He was back for a reason, and that reason wasn’t her. “Which coin can’t you get to without me?”

His sigh was one of defeat. If it took effort for him to back away from her, she couldn’t tell, but the space between them became cold and sharp at his distance. The cloud behind his eyes lifted, and a shadow of guilt took its place.

Then he spoke a single word and shattered the tenuous cord of their long-ago friendship. “Air.”

Author Bio:

New Orleans writer of romantic and urban fantasy filled with rich worlds, strong characters, and found family friendships that triumph over darkness.

Website / TikTok / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon


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