Author: professorromance

“The heart, the raw authenticity, the original lens, this has become my favorite series of the year and I’m begging for more!” ~ Catherine Cowles, USA Today bestselling author

Bitter Sweet Heart, a steamy, reverse age gap, hockey romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting writing as H. Hunting, is now available!

From the outside looking in, I live a charmed life: hockey legend for a father, my own promising future in the league, a great family, awesome friends. It’s not untrue, but it’s not quite that simple either.

My dad’s advice has always been to make hockey my number-one priority—at least until I make it to the pros. So, going into my senior year of college, I have a plan. I’ll put in the effort required to pass my classes, play hockey like my life depends on it, and avoid relationships. All I have to do is stay focused on the end game, and I’ll walk away with a degree and into a career in the NHL.

It should be easy.

But when a woman literally floats into my dock, just before summer ends and my senior year begins, I can’t resist one last hookup. What harm could a one-night stand do? It’s not like we even exchanged numbers.

Everything is fine until I run into her on campus.

It’s a big school. I should be able to avoid her.

Except she happens to be in my class.

And she’s not a student.

She’s my professor.

Download your copy today, exclusively on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MofZDk

Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/BitterSweetHeart

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3xt69KT

Amazon Worldwide Paperback: https://geni.us/BitterSweetHeartPB

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3xaMYFn

About H. Hunting

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting, writing as H. Hunting, lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She started her writing career with new adult angsty romance and branched out in sports romance and romantic comedies that will make you laugh and swoon. But sometimes she likes to serve up a little heartache on the way to the happily ever after.

Connect with H. Hunting

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3NVxqwe

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2kN5wdZ

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2mloUim
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/Zt1xm5
Facebook Fan group: http://bit.ly/2kN5yCD
Website: https://bit.ly/3x2H8WI

Never miss an update! Subscribe to H. Hunting’s mailing list:
http://bit.ly/2MlRKq6

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: second chance romance; enemies to lovers; a bit romantic suspense; fated lovers

“It was in the darkness where my love for him endured. Words I would never say. But the truth of it screamed through my veins.”

A.L. Jackson’s Never Look Back, the third book of her Redemption Hills series, is a whirlwind of emotion. It follows the youngest of the Lawson brothers. Much like his older brothers Trent and Jud, Logan’s past comes back to trouble him. However, this trouble is an opportunity to reunite with the love of his life, Aster. How this occurs makes for a journey of a thousand tears, but in true A.L. Jackson fashion, they eventually find their happy ending. Unfortunately, you must walk a broken road to get there.

Logan and Aster’s story is one of second-chance romance. They are fated souls who have been separated by seven years. This makes for a slow-burn story because, at their reunion, they despise each other due to the hurt perpetrated on them. Jackson uses dual points of view and flashbacks to provide her readers with the depth of their story. There are nuances to it that require the reader’s complete understanding of their background as a means to accept their choices. As such, this book is a sleepy read. I usually read romances in a day to a day and a half. This one took me longer than my average because Jackson doesn’t hold back on the details. 

Aster’s characterization requires her to be reticent to reunite with Logan. There are keen reasons for it, and Jackson asks you to be patient with her acceptance of him back into her life. However, the pull between the two makes it difficult for her to continue to say “no.” She is tenacious and resilient, and she doesn’t allow Logan to push her around too much. 

And Logan’s is a complex rendering in that he hides his vulnerability about Aster behind his seemingly easy-going, comedic nature or stern exterior. However, don’t be fooled by his facade. Deep inside Logan is a reservoir of pain. Their journey of reconciliation exposes it, allowing him to be eventually vulnerable with Aster. This dichotomy of Logan’s identity provides complexity to Jackson’s story.

Additionally, Jackson’s style is poetry once again. Her fragments, the incorporated poems at the hand of Aster, and the marriage of fragments with complex sentences create the ebb and flow of the story. Jackson’s voice is distinct, poetry in motion. It sets her apart from most romance authors.

Entering A.L. Jackson’s Never Look Back requires you to gird your emotional loins. Aster and Logan’s story is angsty, emotional, and heartrending. As you open the book to its first pages, grab those tissues and prepare yourself for an impassioned journey infused with eroticism, agony, and abiding, abundant love.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Never Look Back

An Enemies-to-Lovers, Close-Proximity, Second-Chance Romance from A.L. Jackson

Available Now on Amazon and Free with Kindle Unlimited

Grab it HERE ⬇️

Read Amazon or Free with Kindle Unlimited: https://geni.us/NLBAmznB

Listen to the Audio Narrated by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon: https://geni.us/NLBAudioB

Order a Signed Paperback or Hardback: https://geni.us/ALJacksonShop

DETAILS:

TITLE: NEVER LOOK BACK

RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 29TH, 2022

Synopsis

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes an enemies-to-lovers, close-proximity, second-chance romance…

Logan Lawson won me in a bet.

The second I saw him sitting at the illegal card table, I knew I was in trouble.

Years ago, he sealed my fate and condemned me to a life I didn’t want to lead.

Yet he’s filled with untamed fury and thirsting for vengeance against the husband I hate.

Aster Costa is everything I never should have wanted.

The second she showed with her pompous, prick of a husband, I should have gotten up and walked.

But there’s no looking away from the woman who wrecked me.

Worse, I can’t stop myself from plotting to get her back.

I want nothing more than to be free of my husband.

I’m afraid Logan Lawson is the only one who can make that happen.

He might hate me for our past, but now it’s me on my knees begging for help.

Finding each other in the middle of it wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain.

But once Logan touches me, I’m gone.

A torch is rekindled. A fire is lit.

Aster Costa has always been mine.

And this time, no matter the cost, I won’t give her back…

GIVEAWAY

The Ultimate Reader Pack

ENTER HERE: https://geni.us/NLBReleaseGiveaway

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, and REDEMPTION HILLS novels. Get her latest enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, NEVER LOOK BACK, available now!

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB  or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect with A.L.

Newsletter: https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB

Facebook: https://geni.us/ALJacksonFBB

Reader Group: https://geni.us/AmysAngelsB

Amazon: https://geni.us/ALJacksonAmznB

Bookbub: https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookBubB

Twitter: @aljacksonauthor

Instagram: @aljacksonauthor

TikTok: @aljacksonauthor

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: Forbidden romance; alpha- hero; playboy; insta-attraction/love; soulmates; scars; age-gap

“But from almost the moment I got there, I realized I had nothing without the people I love. You, my dad, Rafe. The people you love are what life is about, not a place.”

Forbidden. Intense. Driving. All of these adjectives describe Penelope Ward’s newest story, Moody. Dax and Wren’s story covers a spectrum of emotions, landing on humor one moment while gutting you the next. Ward puts her readers through their paces. It takes much of the book to feel safe about Dax and Wren’s coupledom. There is much I’d love to say about this book, but to do so would be to ruin it, to reveal this book’s secrets. 

What did I like about it?

*I’m a massive fan of the broken MMC, the one who bears the wounds/scars of his past on his soul. He covers them with a fierce facade, but underneath it, he’s wounded and surviving. He hides behind work and impulsive hook-ups. Deep down, though, he wants more, even though he must be coaxed into it. This describes Dax Moody. He also loves hard when he allows himself that measure.

*Unlike Dax, Wren is insightful and intelligent. She’s interesting as she’s both a massage therapist and a gifted cello player. One of my favorite moments involves Wren telling Dax about the power of sharing stories from a third-person perspective. As Wren weaves the tale of her past, she forces him to consider his own story while also creating THE moment (I believe) when begins to fall in love with her. While she is younger than Dax, she’s much more intuitive about relationships than him. She carries her own wounds, but she’s found a way to move beyond them, while he is still tethered by them. 

*The big secret of Moody is compelling, although I figured it out before its revelation. Also, it’s the driving force behind Dax and Wren’s inability to be together even though they love each other desperately (something that Ward crafts beautifully in her story).  It is also where my most considerable criticism lies with this story because I struggled with the believability of the reasons for forgoing a relationship. Maybe my ethical filter is too gray, but I think Ward misses on developing those reasons in a way that could be believable for her readers. 

*The supporting cast of characters in Moody provides layers to their story. They are all flat characters, but they act in specific ways to provide a gradient of color to this book. 

Penelope Ward’s Moody is sometimes torturous, mainly because she writes two characters who seem reasonably real. She invests you in their story, making you want them to be together. Unfortunately, she asks you to wait on it, so you find yourself emotionally wrecked by their choices. It is never too overwhelming, but it’s angsty enough that, by the book’s end, its sweet HEA provides the perfect salve.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Karla Sorensen’s Worth The Wait

You know what I don’t have time for? The brooding, dark-eyed former love of my life showing up when my life is finally settling down.

I don’t have time for Hunter Buchanan and that intense look in his eyes. The way he loved me so perfectly all those years ago.

I’m the one who asked him to leave back then, my attempt at saving him from the chaos of my screwed up family.

I didn’t expect him back in Green Valley, looking better than before and with an empty ring finger. And I definitely didn’t expect him to still be in love with me.

I don’t have time for the things I feel around him, or how amazing it is when he touches me.

Most of all, for the broken heart I’ll have if I have to say goodbye again. I survived him leaving once before, but I don’t think I can do it again.

So there’s only one thing I can make time for… staying away from Hunter Buchanan.

‘Worth the Wait’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #4 in the Love At First Sight series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3zDcsh8

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3cU4kQJ

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3zFBSL1

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3cLQtM6

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3zqqxgF

Nook: https://bit.ly/3OUKPEN

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3cWlXPG

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3d3P57Q

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3C3Ow8k

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Sept. 27th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Sept. 29th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Susannah Nix’s Not Since Ewe

Tess McGregor doesn’t need anyone.

So what if she doesn’t have any close friends or family anymore? Her successful consulting business keeps her so busy she barely has time to be lonely. She’s got her life organized exactly the way she wants it.

Until the daughter she gave up for adoption 30 years ago tracks her down.

Tess doesn’t know anything about being a mother, but now that she’s met Erin, she’ll do anything to stay in her life.

Even if it means facing the life-ruining jerk who got Tess pregnant in high school and broke her heart.

Donal Larkin would do anything for a second chance.

He’s divorced, his kids hardly talk to him, and he works so much he barely has time to eat. But when he’s united with the daughter he never had a chance to know, he vows to make up for past mistakes.

Step one is proving to Tess he’s not the same unreliable kid she knew 30 years ago.

And maybe if he’s lucky he can win back the heart of the girl he never got over…

Not Since Ewe is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #4 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3zCRbUO

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3oGPSy6

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3oEX8dz

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3zeFwtX

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3JmBch5

Nook: https://bit.ly/3oJXOP7

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3OT0qEI

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3JwEVsy

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3bU1fzI

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 4th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 6th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Heidi Hutchinson’s Lost Track

Sabine Debois likes her wine pink and her life predictable. As a private tutor for the rich and famous, she doesn’t get starstruck. But when a tattooed espresso fiend saves her from death by sweater, she’s a little bit… grateful. That’s all. Just grateful.

Sunshine Capone just had the best album of his career, and then his girlfriend burned down his house. Well, his ex-girlfriend now. So he moved to Chicago to focus on his music and avoid the drama of relationships.

He should not be creating any excuse to hang out with the sweet teacher with the hazel eyes and bright smile. She doesn’t need his kind of confusion in her life.

But Sabine’s about to teach this superstar a thing or two about peace, love, and understanding.

Lost Track is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #5 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3PW7QIc

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3S9T8iT

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3S98iow

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3zHmX37

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3vzVs94

Nook: https://bit.ly/3SjYJ6l

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3BA6kYo

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3QgwOCj

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QKwDQ4

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 4th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 6th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Aly Stiles’s Play Smart

Nash Ellis knows music. Producing, performing, writing—if it involves the creative process he’s there for it. He knows nothing about copy machines. Or financial reports. Or anything related to the stuck-up business world his best friends have been chasing since they were kids. But Nash also needs money, so when his roommate gets him a paid internship at Reedweather Media, he reluctantly agrees. At least his know-it-all intern competitor is kind of cute in a nerdy-librarian sort of way—especially when she’s being tormented by an angsty rocker she can’t stand.

The only thing Paige Andrews hates more than failure? Nash Ellis. She has little patience for incompetence and zero tolerance for indifference. He clearly doesn’t belong in their corporate world, so why does he insist on ruining her dream job? And the worst part—he’s not what he seems. In fact, it’s all the things he’s hiding behind those electric blue eyes that make him straight-up captivating in an ironic-slacker sort of way.

But their smoldering friction bursts into open flames when the feuding interns are forced into a high-stakes mission that requires intimate knowledge of the music industry. Yep, what could go wrong when the least-qualified candidate to ever walk the halls of a major corporation becomes their only hope of success?

‘Play Smart’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #5 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3cRh9uI

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3PD3DJT

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3JdO8Wi

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3zJsF4F

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3zQSekj

Nook: https://bit.ly/3ShTfJb

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3SjXZhz

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3A4CJ8B

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3PvQQrQ

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 11th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 13th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Nora Everly’s Architecture and Artistry

Sadie Hill has a lot going on.

New job, twin boys, deadbeat ex, and a mother from hell. Her life is chaos and no matter how hard she holds on, every plan she makes flies straight out of her grasp.

The last thing she needs is for her devastatingly hot co-worker to become her new neighbor. A distraction like Barrett does not fit into her precarious plans for the future.

Barrett Monroe has got it going on.

His wicked ex-wife is nothing but a memory, his daughter is back home where she belongs, and he loves his job.

His control-freak ways have paid off and he can finally relax into his perfectly scheduled life—alone, just how he wants it.

The last thing he needs is an irresistible single mom and her adorable kids to move in next door. Sadie was hard enough to stay away from when she was just his co-worker.

But one night spent stranded in a snowstorm together finds these two sneaking around, sharing stolen kisses, and losing their hearts. Will they give into the flying sparks between them? Or drive each other crazy fighting their feelings instead? ‘

Architecture and Artistry’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #11 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3OHe5yA

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3OMNsZ8

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3beTynr

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3cU588d

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3OXA3xw

Nook: https://bit.ly/3znbeFD

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3PTk70J

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3vD3C0s

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3prsjJS

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 18th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 20th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Jiffy Kate’s Knock Out

In the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.

Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley. Her strategy works until one fateful phone call initiates a series of events that shakes up her quiet existence.

Tattooed adventure-seeker Ozzi Erickson goes where the wind takes him. When he blows into Green Valley for his big brother’s wedding—and to figure out his next move—he isn’t prepared for the knock-out punch coming his way.

With Ozzi sticking around the Tennessee mountain town, his brother gives him a temporary assignment as Willow Bernard’s trainer.

His job is to teach her how to fight. But will she have the skills required to protect her heart?

‘Knock Out’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #4 in the Fighting for Love series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Jche8q

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3Bt8Tf2

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3OILbOK

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3S9TOor

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3QcIw0N

Nook: https://bit.ly/3vy0Idt

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3zxrP9U

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3BJYLPb

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3PGc3iO

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 18th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 20th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

And last but certainly NOT least…

Laney Hatcher’s Well Acquainted

There are three things you need to know about Lady Eliza Morgan:

1. In addition to being a busy physician, she’s an accomplished seamstress.

2. She’s the victim of a broken heart.

3. The man who shattered it is the one man she can never have.

Some things are better left in the past, but Eliza has spent years running from hers. When the man who upended her life re-enters it in the most unexpected way, Eliza must decide if reacquainting herself with Nicolas is worth the heartache. He’s charming and irritating and makes her realize there is so much more than the life she’s been living. But first she must confront her painful past if she and Nicolas have any hope for a future.

‘Well Acquainted’, a Penny Reid Universe Reimagining, is a full-length historical romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the London Ladies Embroidery series, Smartypants Romance Out of this World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Reserve your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3cOZios

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3BzbfJ0

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3OEmp25

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3cPYBeH

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3Qa7eiv

Nook: https://bit.ly/3vAtESd

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3zxrST8

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3vDWxwD

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3A46QeM

This title will release wide on all retailers excluding Amazon on Oct. 25th, 2022. It will be removed from those retailers and be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited on Oct. 27th, 2022. So if you’re a non-Amazon reader, be sure to reserve your copy in advance!

Title: Moody

★ ★NOW LIVE ON AUDIO★ ★

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend, a grumpy sunshine standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is LIVE on AUDIO! Narrated by Cielo Camargo and Patrick Boylan. We’ve got your weekend listen right here!

★ ★Listen on AUDIO★ ★

Audible: https://adbl.co/3bGTOfh

★ ★ BLURB ★ ★

Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.

Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he’s being condescending (which is all the time).

The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous best-selling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?

When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between non-friends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete stand-alone adult contemporary romantic comedy.

Pen Pal, an all-new dark and gripping story from international bestselling author J.T. Geissinger is available now!

Read my 5 ⭐️ review HERE.

The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence:

I’ll wait forever if I have to.

It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.

Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?

You.

I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.

We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped.

When I found out why, it was already too late.

Dante was at my doorstep.
And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.

Download your copy today!
Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AMEiqs
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/PenPal

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ziTI6x

Excerpt

It’s raining as my husband’s casket is lowered into the hole in the ground. Raining hard, as if the sky itself is about to rip in half like my heart has.
I stand motionless under an umbrella with the other mourners, listening to the priest drone on about resurrection and glory, blessings and suffering, redemption and the holy love of God. So many words, and all so meaningless.
Everything is meaningless. There’s a Michael-shaped hole in my chest, and nothing matters anymore.
That must be why I feel so numb. I’m empty. Grief has blown me apart, scattering my bones into a desert wasteland where they’ll bake in silence under a merciless sun for a thousand years.
A woman behind me quietly weeps into her handkerchief. Sharon? Karen? A colleague of Michael’s who I met at a long-ago faculty party. One of those awful holiday work parties in a school auditorium where they serve cheap wine in plastic cups and people stand around making awkward small talk until they’re drunk enough to say what they really think about each other.
Sharon or Karen behind me told Michael he was a prick at that party. I can’t remember why, but that’s probably why she’s crying now.
When someone dies, you start counting all the ways you failed them.
The priest makes the sign of the cross over his chest. He closes his Bible and steps back. I walk slowly forward, bend down to grasp a handful of soil from the pile to one side, then toss it onto the closed casket.
The wet clump of dirt makes an ugly hollow sound when it lands on the gray lid of the coffin, an uncaring splat of finality. Then it slides off, leaving a smear of brown behind like a shit stain.
Abruptly, I’m shaking with anger. I taste ashes and bitterness in my mouth.
What a stupid ritual this is. Why do we even bother? It’s not like the dead can see us mourning them. They’re gone.
A sudden gust of cold wind rattles the leaves in the trees. I turn and walk away through the rain, not looking back when someone softly sobs my name.
I need to be alone with my grief. I’m not one of those people who likes to commiserate over a tragedy. Especially when the tragedy is my own.
When I open the front door of the house, it takes a moment for me to register that I’m home. I have no recollection of the drive from the gravesite to here, though the blank spot in time doesn’t surprise me. Since the accident, I’ve been in a fog. It’s as if my brain is blanketed in thick clouds.
I kick off my shoes and leave them under the console table in the foyer. Tossing my wool coat onto the back of a kitchen chair, I head to the fridge. I open the door and stand looking inside as rain drums against the windowpanes and I try to convince myself I’m hungry.
I’m not. I know I should eat to keep my strength up, but I have no appetite for anything. I let the door swing shut and press my fingers against my throbbing temples.
When I turn around, I notice the envelope on the table next to the fruit bowl. It sits by itself, a white rectangle with neat handwriting and a stamp that reads “LOVE” in red letters.
I know for a fact it wasn’t there when I left.
My first thought is that Fiona must’ve brought in the mail. Then I remember she cleans the house on Mondays. Today’s Sunday.
So how did it get there?
As I cross to the table and pick up the letter, a rumble of thunder rattles the windows. A sudden gust of wind whistles through the trees outside. The eerie feeling intensifies when I read the return address.
Washington State Penitentiary.
Frowning, I tear open the edge of the envelope and pull out the single sheet of white unlined paper inside. I unfold it and read aloud.
“I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
That’s it. There’s nothing else, except a signature scratched below the words.
Dante.
I flip the page over, but it’s blank on the other side.
For a fleeting moment, I think the letter must be intended for Michael. That idea gets tossed aside when I realize it’s addressed to me. That’s my name right there on the front of the envelope, printed in neat block letters with blue pen. This Dante person, whoever he is, meant for me to receive this.
But why?
And what is he waiting for?
Unsettled, I fold the letter into thirds, stuff it back into the envelope, and drop it on the table. Then I make sure all the doors and windows are locked. I draw the drapes and blinds against the wet gray afternoon, pour myself a glass of wine, then sit at the kitchen table, staring at the envelope with a strange feeling of foreboding.
A feeling that something’s coming.
And that whatever it is, it isn’t good.

About J.T. Geissinger
J.T. Geissinger is a #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-seven novels. Ranging from funny, feisty rom coms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold over five million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages.
She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book and the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy.
She’s a Southern California native currently living in Nevada with her husband and rescue kitty, Zoe.

Connect with J.T. Geissinger
Facebook: http://bit.ly/37Iv1zU
Instagram: http://bit.ly/35v6fBu
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2upzIQI
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2NaBT2c
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2oAkodD
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2Oj7iMg
Mailing list: http://bit.ly/39KRQol
Website: http://www.jtgeissinger.com

The Close-Up, an all-new moving second-chance novella set in the Hollywood Renaissance/HOOPS world from New York Times bestselling author Kennedy Ryan and 1,001 Dark Nights is available now!

Read my 5 ⭐️ review HERE.

I met Nazareth Armstrong when I was eighteen years old. From the beginning, my brother warned me to stay away from him. Told Naz to stay away from me.

Our hearts didn’t listen.

I shared one magical night under the stars with my brother’s rival, thinking it was the start of a once-in-a-lifetime something.
But one awful moment ended it all.

Years later when we meet again, we’ve both pursued our dreams, lived a little, found success…but never found love. What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us. I’m more drawn to Naz than ever, but his complicated history with my brother makes whatever this could be…nearly impossible.

But Naz accepts impossible as a dare.

Through his clever maneuvering and dogged determination, I find myself on a yacht with him and his friends cruising through the Mediterranean. It’s a whirlwind set ablaze. Away from reality, surrendering to the tender heat of his touch, I forget that everything could burn.

*This is the love story of Takira, who first appears in Reel, book 1 of the Hollywood Renaissance series. Characters from the HOOPS series also make appearances, but you do not have to read any of those books to enjoy this one.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a9gD87
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/theCloseUp
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3nRG2Jl
Audible: https://adbl.co/3AE4iWV

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3nkcnq8

Keep reading for a look inside The Close-Up!

Naz has abandoned his cabin completely and has spent every night over the last week with me. Why front? He brought me here, and we can’t get enough of each other. I’m glad we’re on this yacht with a bunch of couples who also can’t get enough of each other because we’d be pretty obnoxious otherwise.
He’s rich as hell and could shower me with material things. And he does. At every port, I find some keepsake from the local shops he’s left for me in the room—an ankle bracelet, clips for my hair, diamond earrings. There has been no shortage of gifts, but the real gift has been his attention. The way he cares. The man bathes me. He wraps my hair up at night. He washes my face. I don’t know what this is, but I feel spoiled. Doted on. Adored. At first I was like…is this cringe? Is it weird? But then I recalled all those times when I didn’t feel valued in a relationship. All those times a guy disrespected me by looking at other women all night. All those times I didn’t feel this almost embarrassing amount of single-minded focus from a man who’s determined I’ll know how much he enjoys me. How much he likes me. Cherishes me, even. He’s constantly pulling me onto his lap. We sneak away from the group anytime the mood strikes us. Last night at dinner, he fed me from his plate.
From his plate.
Who am I right now?
I’m that girl, living out a fantasy on a half-a-billion dollar yacht floating on dreams along the coast of Italy. Forget Black girl magic. This is pure sorcery, and if it’s a spell, we’re both under it.

About Kennedy Ryan
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kennedy Ryan and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, Kennedy writes empowered women from all walks of life and centers those who have found themselves perennially on the margins of traditional storytelling.

Her Hoops Series (Long Shot, Block Shot and Hook Shot) and All the King’s Men Series (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King and Queen Move) have been optioned for television.

An autism mom, Kennedy co-founded LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable initiative, and has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for autism families. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.

Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
Subscribe to Mailing List: subscribepage.com/kennedyryan
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2GY6eyb
TikTok: @kennedyryanauthor
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TaYiAi
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GUq0uF
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fvhqiz
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

For More information about 1,001 Dark Nights, visit
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ONzTtZ
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rTZdo3
Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A
Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

There’s nothing better than a sexy nerd!
Except maybe 12 of them!

Smartasses, an all fun and flirty, romantic comedy anthology from 12 bestselling authors, is out now!

Because what’s hotter than a sexy nerd?

Twelve of your favorite Rom Com authors bring you a new anthology
celebrating geeking out and falling in love.

Featuring Smartass Stories by:

Avery Flynn
Erin Mallon
Helena Hunting
Jana Aston
Jiffy Kate
Karen Grey
Kayley Loring
Krystyna Allyn
Penny Reid
Sara Ney
Sonali Dev
Susannah Nix

Fall in love today for ¢99!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vjxI8y
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Smartasses
Apple Books: https://apple.co/38A9rDc
Nook: https://bit.ly/3E4yPge
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3jwNjvK
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3cY1fyQ
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3drYVAx
Nook Paperback: https://bit.ly/3Ak0zxd

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QE27Hn

***Smartasses Anthology is available for 99 cents until August 30th!

Keep reading for a look inside Smartasses: a Sexy Nerd Anthology!

NOT JUST A CRUSH by Helena Hunting

The blustery wind pushes me through the door and causes a swirl of flakes to follow me. As soon as I’m clear of the door, she tries to close it. But the wind is strong, and she’s . . . tiny. The kind of tiny I associate with the girl on top of the cheerleader pyramid or those creepy semi-life-sized dolls they sell in department stores. It’s clear she’s using her full weight against the door, yet she’s losing the battle.
I lift a hand over her head—I don’t have to reach high to accomplish that—and push it closed. She stumbles forward a couple of steps, and her toe catches on the doormat. She recovers herself and spins around, her face a shade of pink I associate with embarrassment.
She takes three large steps to the side, putting a few feet of distance between us. She pushes her glasses up her nose and glances from the door to me and back again. “Good fucking God, are you part bear? You’re huge.” Her hands flail around in the air, then find each other, then part again.
“Maybe you’re just small?” I offer.
My breath puffs out in the air with each exhale, and so does hers. It’s freezing in here. Which explains why she’s wearing a parka, a beanie, a scarf, and a pair of giant mittens. All in matching shades of pink. She looks like a chewed-up wad of bubblegum with a face and limbs.
“Having trouble with the fire, then, Princess?” I motion to the hearth where the fire sits unlit.
She crosses her arms. “My name is Dahlia, not princess.”
“Dahlia?” I echo.
I inspect her closer. It can’t be . . .
Dahlia is not a common name. Tiny Dahlias with long, dark wavy hair and almond-shaped eyes so dark it’s nearly impossible to see where her iris ends and her pupils begin seem even more rare. But the odds seem . . . implausible.
“Yeah. Like the flower.” She pushes her glasses up her nose again with her mittened hand and goes back to crossing her arms.
And I stand there, like an idiot, and keep staring. Because it is her.
Dahlia Forest.
Seriously, that’s her name.
And I had the biggest fucking crush on her in high school.

Like seriously, the biggest fucking crush.

But I was on the football team, and she was a mathlete. We ran in different circles. I was a giant asshole with even bigger asshole friends, and she was a gorgeous nerd. One of my best friends back then, who I still talk to now, used to make fun of her all the time. It was juvenile. And dickish. I didn’t participate, but I also didn’t stop him. Which makes me just as bad, if not even worse.
So far, she hasn’t recognized me. It’s been four years. Maybe she won’t recognize me at all. Maybe I wasn’t on her radar in high school. Maybe she was too busy being a fucking genius to notice the jocks. Although she did tutor a couple of my teammates along the way.
I realize I haven’t replied to the whole flower comment or responded in general. “Looks like you had some trouble starting the fire.” I thumb over my shoulder.
“I never got the fire-making badge in Girl Scouts.” I can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic.
“Have you unpacked anything yet?” Man, my conversation skills need a serious workout.
“No, I was too busy trying to earn my fire-making badge.” Her nose is pink from the cold, and her cheeks are already flushed, but the way she ducks her head tells me she’s pretty damn embarrassed by her lack of fire- making ability.
I nod once. “All right. Well, let’s grab your bag and get you out of here.” “Out of here?” she parrots.
“Yeah. I’ll take you back to town. Set you up at the motel.” I take my gloves off because my hands are starting to sweat. The great thing about my jacket is that it keeps me warm in subzero temps. The bad part is that now that I’m no longer facing -30 degrees and a face full of snow, I’m over here sweating my balls off even though it’s pretty freaking frigid in here.
“Motel?” Her nose wrinkles. “Why can’t I stay here?”
“You can, but they’re gonna close the roads soon, and when they do that, you’ll be stuck here until they open them again.”
“Close the roads?” Apparently, she’s trying out for the role of parrot tonight.
“Yeah. Unless you missed it, there’s a blizzard happening out there. We’re getting another twelve to eighteen inches between tonight and tomorrow afternoon. If I don’t get you off the side of this mountain soon, we’re both going to be stuck here until the storm is over and they’ve had a chance to plow the roads.”
“Oh, my God. How long will that be?”

I shrug. “Could be a couple of days, could be a week.”

“A week?” Her tone is dog whistle shrill.

“It’s a big fucking storm.”