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✍🏻 Kandi Steiner’s AMAZING Close Quarters is LIVE! Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. ✍🏻

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My boyfriend’s billionaire boss always gets what he wants.⁣⁣

Menacingly handsome and unquestionably powerful, Theo Whitman need only snap his fingers to have a flock of supermodels fall at his feet. So when his steel gray eyes first meet mine, I expect him to pass right over me, to not give so much as a second thought to my presence.⁣⁣

Instead, he sees me. ⁣

Truly sees me. ⁣

And for a girl who prefers to hide behind her camera lens, it’s the most unnerving experience of my life.⁣

Until he asks me to stay on his yacht for the summer.⁣

All I have to do to earn my keep is be Theo’s on-call photographer when he has guests, and I’ll get a free ride through the Mediterranean with my boyfriend. Easy peasy.⁣⁣

Still, my skin prickles in warning when I say yes.⁣

As the humid days fade into balmy nights, I can’t seem to avoid Theo. And when he finds me, it’s like a rabbit running into a wolf.⁣

His intense gaze immobilizes me. The way he speaks strips me bare. Every brush of his skin sears me like a violent flame.⁣

My boyfriend’s billionaire boss always gets what he wants.⁣

And this time, I think he wants me.

Download today or read FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://geni.us/CloseQuarters

Add to Goodreads:⁣ https://bit.ly/CQGoodreads

Meet Kandi

Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Kandi

Website: www.kandisteiner.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7319216.Kandi_Steiner

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-Steiner/e/B00JDJOINE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KandiSteiner/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kandilandks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandisteiner/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KandiSteiner

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kandi-steiner

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✍🏻 Penelope Ward has released an excerpt for her upcoming book, The Crush. Check it out and preorder your book NOW. ✍🏻

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Title: The Crush
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2021
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone, second-chance story of forbidden love… 
It’s natural to want the one you can’t have. And for as long as I could remember, I’d secretly wanted my brother’s best friend, Jace.
He was six years older and always treated me like the sister he never had.
Fast forward a decade.
We were all in our twenties now. Jace had moved in with my brother, Nathan, and me to help us make ends meet after our parents died.
It was just the three of us—an odd family dynamic.
Living under our roof, Jace was as bossy and protective as ever.
But he certainly didn’t look at me like a sister anymore. That was what made things so complicated.
I was pretty much hot and bothered twenty-four-seven.
And he was torn.
The signs were subtle, at first. Like on movie night, I’d casually rest my leg against his, and he wouldn’t exactly shift away.
Still, I assumed he would never…go there. 
Nathan would kill us.
The knowledge of that wasn’t enough to stop the inevitable, though.
Eventually our slow burn exploded.
But more than the physical attraction, we’d developed a strong connection.
We just couldn’t get caught, right?
That sounded simple.
Until it wasn’t.
This is a story of forbidden love, broken trust, and an unexpected second chance.
PRE-ORDER LINKS
EXCERPT
“I’m gonna grab a beer,” he said. “You want something?”
“I’ll take a beer, too.”
He chuckled. “Is it bad that I had to think for a second whether you’re legal to drink? It feels wrong giving you alcohol, for some reason.”
“You’ve dropped me off at the damn bar! How could you think that?”
“I know. It’s fucked-up.” He laughed as he walked backwards into the house. “Be right back.”
A minute later, Jace returned with two chilled bottles of Miller Lite. He popped one open and handed it to me.
“Thanks.” I took a long sip that felt great going down.
We polished off the rest of the food, and by the time I finished the beer, I felt pretty tipsy. Between the soft breeze blowing Jace’s scent my way and the buzz, I was on cloud nine.
Jace took it upon himself to clear our wrappers and napkins, stuffing everything into the paper bag. As he went back into the kitchen, he asked, “Want another beer?”
“I’d love one.”
When he returned, he set the bottle in front of me and sat back down. He put his feet up on an empty chair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
He sighed. “This is exactly what I needed…to chill at home.”
That made me happy. “Give your head a break tonight. You can always worry about work tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I think I’m gonna take your advice on that.”
While his eyes were closed, I was able to enjoy staring at his profile—his strong, angular jaw and slightly cleft chin, his perfect nose and kissable lips, the way the sun brought out a reddish tone in his otherwise black hair. Jace was even more beautiful with the sun shining on him.
I eventually closed my eyes as well, enjoying the breeze that offset a little of the heat. My eyes opened suddenly when I heard his chair skid against the cement.
“Fuck it.” He got up. “I’ll be right back.”
My heart raced a little. What is he doing?
A few minutes later, Jace returned in his swim trunks. They were blue with tiny anchors, a nautical pattern. Not that I was looking closely at his lower half or anything. I’d just started to make my way up to his chest when he dove into the pool, his gorgeous, hard body disappearing under the sky blue water.
He emerged and shook his head to clear the water from his hair. “You comin’ in or what?”
I got goose bumps. I hadn’t planned to, but I couldn’t resist the invitation.
“Sure.” I got up from my seat and unwrapped the towel.
Jace watched as I entered the pool. But what was he thinking?
I dove in and swam toward him, feeling more comfortable in my bathing suit now that I was submerged in the water.
He flashed a mischievous grin. “Wanna race?”
I splashed him. “Why? You think you can beat me just cuz your legs are longer?”
He cocked a brow. “There’s only one way to find out, right?”
Over the next several minutes, Jace and I swam in tandem from one end of the pool to the other. Sometimes he’d beat me to the other side, and a few times, I beat him.
Eventually, we got into a water fight. The next thing I knew, he was chasing me, then lifting me up and tossing me in the water. He did that several times. It was the most fun I’d had in a long time. I hadn’t a care in the world.
Then he lifted me up again, and I was certain he was going to toss me into the water, just like all of the other times. Instead, though, he just held me. Our eyes locked as my legs wrapped around his waist. He was going to have to drop me, because I sure as hell wasn’t climbing off him willingly. As he continued to hold me, the world seemed to stop. I could see the reflection of the palm trees in his gorgeous eyes, made luminescent by the sun. Those eyes then dropped to my lips. I could see his chest rising and falling. He swallowed hard. Holy shit. Something was happening. My heart was going a mile a minute.
And then…
“What are you doing?”
Jace dropped me like a hot potato at the sound of Nathan’s voice. My body hit the water with a loud splash.
What the hell is he doing here? My voice was shaky as I wiped the water from my eyes. “Wha…why are you home? I thought you were driving to meet that girl.”
“She canceled on me, so I came back after the job interview.” Nathan’s eyes traveled between Jace and me. He seemed suspicious.
“Oh.” I exhaled, moving a strand of hair out of my mouth. “How…how did the interview go?”
“It was okay. Too hard to tell if they’re gonna call me back, though.” He looked straight at Jace. “You guys seemed to be having fun. Didn’t realize I was missing out on a…pool party.”
Jace was silent.
I felt the need to chime in. “Jace decided to take his debut dip in the pool. We were just playing around.”
Nathan looked between us again. “I see.”
Jace finally spoke. “Well, it’s hot as all hell today. So…”
“You guys down if I make some dinner?” Nathan finally asked.
“We actually already ate,” I told him. “Jace went to Checkers.”
Nathan turned to his friend. “Since when do you eat dinner this early?”
Jace cleared his throat. “I was starving.”
“We didn’t think you were going to be home,” I said. “Otherwise, we would’ve waited.”
“I guess I’ll give you that.”
Jace got out of the water and dried himself off. He then laid out on one of the loungers, displaying his gorgeous, tanned body in all of its glistening glory. His feet dangled off the end of the chair.
Nathan snapped his fingers in front of my face. “I asked if I got anything in the mail. Earth to Farrah.”
Jesus. I hadn’t even heard him the first time.
AUTHOR BIO
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
 
She grew up
in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a
television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son,
and beautiful daughter with autism.
 
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen
languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
AUTHOR LINKS
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

SEE MORE BOOKS HERE
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✍🏻 I have an excerpt for Harloe Rae’s Leave Him Loved!!! Have you added it to your TBR yet? ✍🏻

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LEAVE HIM LOVED by Harloe Rae
Release date: February 25th

Add to Goodreads:
https://shor.by/LHLTBR

Sign Up for a Live Alert:
https://bit.ly/3rPz48j

Blurb:
I’m a city girl—born and raised. A towering high-rise that overlooks the hustle and bustle is where my future should lead.

Living in farm country? That possibility never had a place on my bucket list. Until now.

Bumping into Reeve Colton—local bachelor and shameless flirt—on my introductory stroll down Main Street is a pleasant surprise. The small-town charm of Bampton Valley begins sinking in that afternoon. Maybe this temporary relocation is a blessing in disguise.

What starts as a bit of fun becomes complicated in a hurry. It turns out Reeve and I have more in common than our mutual appreciation of good barbecue.

But that won’t change the inevitable.
When my contract is done, I’ll be leaving him—and Bampton Valley—behind.

Excerpt:
I glance at his sneakers. “What’s your opinion on cowboy boots?”

“Everyone should own a pair.” The statement rolls off his tongue like an indisputable fact.

I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. “Never have I ever.”

“Oh, are we playing?” That sinful grin tilts higher.

The heat coiling inside me cranks hotter. “I was just stating a fact.”

“Next time we’re at the Salt Lick, it’s on.”

“That game is definitely more entertaining with copious amounts of liquor.” I tip the beer to my lips.

“Especially with your lewd frame of mind.”

“Ha, you’re hilarious.”

“And you’re the one who coined CornHub.”

I pick at some lint on the blanket. “You’ve got me there.”

“I appreciate your wild and adventurous spirit.” The gleam in his gaze returns.

A twitch crooks at the corner of my lips. Volleying with an equally sweet comment is a seamless move. Instead, I allow a trickling melody of silence to dance between us.

Reeve peers over at me. “Any interest in going to a football game?”

I knit my brows. Attending a sporting event had occurred to me as an option. I didn’t know where to begin with possibilities, though. “Iowa doesn’t have a pro team.”

“Damn, you’re cute.” He chuckles and lightly nudges me in the ribs. “I meant high school.”

And now I want to hide behind a tree. “Ah, that makes more sense.”

“Certainly does. So, wanna go?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I’m a fan of the game. Did you ever play?”

“Offensive line. I was a tight end,” he explains.

“No past tense about that,” I whisper.

“If that does something for you, I still have my jersey.”

“How about the stretchy pants?”

“Ball huggers,” Reeve corrects.

“Yeah,” I purr.

It might be my imagination, but he seems to bend closer. The blue in his eyes swirls with tiny specks of green. The usually cool combination sparks with fire. His hand barely brushes mine, but an unmistakable tingle zaps up my arm. Rather than retreating, he traces the center of my palm with his finger. This type of touch—whether by accident or very much on purpose is irrelevant—steps our harmless flirting up several notches. I suck in a sharp breath, and he notices.

Reeve shifts a safe distance away, taking his warmth with him. The absence of his touch is an immediate loss. His gaze burns into me, vivid depths swirling with undeniable want that I’m positive reflects in my own eyes. He leans in, ghosting the tip of his nose across my cheek. I tremble and tilt into him.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers.

I lick my bottom lip, preparing to eliminate this invisible barrier separating us once and for all.

About the Author:
Harloe Rae is a USA Today & Amazon Top 10 best-selling author. Her passion for writing and reading has taken on a whole new meaning. Each day is an unforgettable adventure.

She’s a Minnesota gal with a serious addiction to romance. There’s nothing quite like an epic happily ever after. When she’s not buried in the writing cave, Harloe can be found hanging with her hubby and son. If the weather permits, she loves being lakeside or out in the country with her horses.

Harloe is the author of the Reclusive series, Watch Me Follow, the #BitterSweetHeat series, Ask Me Why, the Silo Springs series, and Left For Wild. These titles are available on Amazon.

Connect w/ Harloe:
Website: www.harloe-rae.blog
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/authorharloerae
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/harloehotties/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/harloerae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harloerae
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/HarloeOnGR
BookBub: http://bit.ly/HarloeBB
Amazon: http://bit.ly/HarloeOnAmazon
NL Signup: http://bit.ly/HarloesList

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✍🏻 Rebecca Jenshak’s Moo U book, Slapshot, is LIVE. If you love a swoony hero and a reticent heroine, then this book is your jam. ✍🏻

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SLAPSHOT BY REBECCA JENSHAK

Release Date: February 15, 2021
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2VFqM4b
Purchase here → https://geni.us/AmazonSlapshot
Audio → https://geni.us/AudibleSlapshot

Moo U Hockey: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/moo-u-hockey/

Blurb
I’m banished to Vermont for a scandal that wasn’t my fault, and broke because my famous father cut me off. And did I mention my roommate stole my boyfriend? Yeah, I’m loving my Moo U experience. 

Now I need a job, because this gel manicure won’t upkeep itself. The only available option is the last one I’d ever want–a job as the hockey team’s equipment manager. My plan is to do the bare minimum, get paid, and find my way back into my father’s good graces. 

I will not get involved with a hockey player, no matter how hot. They’re cocky. And obnoxious. I know their type, and I’m not willing to risk getting hurt again. Until Lex Vonne glides into my life looking like sin on a stick. 

He thinks I’m a spoiled brat. 
I think he’s using me to get ahead. 
But the fire I feel when we’re together is like a slapshot to my heart…

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Jaqueline Snowe’s Holdout ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

If you want the perfect formula for a sports romance, add in some hockey plus a grumpy hero who is a little too hyper-focused on his sport with a heroine who has the right sense of self to challenge the grumpy hero while creating a little mistaken identity. Voila! You have the beginnings of a situation that is only further complicated by the heroine being the sister of one of your team captains. Jaqueline Snowe’s Holdout is this such book, and it’s a great addition to Sarina Bowen’s Moo U series. 

Holdout tells the story of Jonah “JD” and Ryann. Ryan is in a pinch. Her college roommate has an issue with substances. The previous year, her roommate’s stash was found, and she and Ryann were put on probation. If caught, she could be kicked out of college even though she has nothing to do with her roommate’s party supply. She decides to look for housing off-campus so that she’s protected. The problem is she doesn’t want to let her brother, one of the team captains of the Burlington U hockey team, know. He tends to take over anything related to her. She answers a room for rent listing, thinking that the person is a female, and learns quickly that her potential roommate is a male. Caught in a difficult situation, she decides to continue on with her plan. 

On moving in, her roommate turns out to be JD, a teammate of her brother. Grumpy and seriously put off by Ryann, Jonah agrees to her living with him as long as they follow his rules. Unfortunately, these two find out quickly that they are attracted to each other. Jonah stresses about everything, but most importantly, hockey. And Ryann is the secret weapon to destress Jonah. The biggest issue is that Ryann’s brother, Michael, can’t find out about their chemistry and interest in each other. 

Holdout is a nice easy read. It has all the factors of a forbidden romance. Snowe has carefully created a story that shows the complications of death and divorce in one’s life. It shows the challenges between Ryann and Jonah as they navigate a forbidden relationship. It is replete with lots of steamy scenes (Jonah is quite the dirty talker). There is much to like about this story. 

I do think, however, that it isn’t trying to do anything too different with the genre and trope. It’s a safe read. You will like Ryann and Jonah and the complications of their coupling. I would definitely recommend it especially if you are a Sarina Bowen fan. Jaqueline Snowe has done her world justice with Holdout. 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

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✍🏻Brittainy C. Cherry’s Eastern Lights is LIVE! Need a little angsty romance? This one will do it! ✍🏻

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Eastern Lights, an all-new moving second chance romance and second book in the Compass Series from bestselling author Brittainy Cherry is available now!

I once met a man on a cold Halloween night. He dressed as a superhero, and I dressed in red. For one night, I was his break from reality, and he was the temporary fix for my broken heart.

Two years later, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to become a senior editor at one of the biggest magazine companies in the world. The only catch? Nail an exclusive interview with New York’s finest bachelor: Connor Roe.

To the rest of the world he was becoming one of the wealthiest men in New York City. To me, he was simply my once upon a time superhero.

My job was to get an exclusive interview with New York’s hottest bachelor. Never in my life did I expect him to want an exclusive with my heart, too.

The only problem with my growing feelings for him? I was set to marry his new business partner.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/3ao8VGP
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/EasternLights

Add Eastern Lights to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3ieWbEJ

About Brittainy
Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.
She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.
Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.

Connect with Brittainy
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Fc8izo
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Oe1m8V
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Fltnc1
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fk2jKg
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2ThAciJ
Join Brittainy’s Golden Girls (And Boys) Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2Y4WEir
Stay up to date with Brittainy by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2oK1voU
https://bcherrybooks.com

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✍🏻 Happy Cover Reveal Day, Claudia Burgoa! Look at Pieces of Us and Somehow Finding Us are coming. You can preorder them NOW. ✍🏻

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Claudia Burgoa has revealed the cover for Pieces of Us & Somehow Finding Us!

Releasing: April 19, 2021 & May 4, 2021

Cover Design: Hang Le

Music brought us together. Tragedy bonded us forever.


The Sinners of Seattle were the only family I knew.
That’s where I met Ethan “Kill” Killian.
Both of us had bad childhoods. We knew all about unrequited love.
You know what they say… misery loves company.


We shared firsts.
We shared nights.
One of us fell in love. It wasn’t him.


After the band broke up, Kill became the CEO of a communications firm.
Turns out, suits suit him. He’s found success.
And he’s getting married.


He’s marrying someone who can’t understand him.
Who has no idea what it’s like to lose control.
Not to have a future.
I’m trying to stay sober, but it’s hard when my world has crumbled.


Unrequited love can destroy you. I know.
But just one call from him reignites our spark.
Now there’s no stopping it.
When things get dark, I don’t care if I am shattered into pieces.
I just need one last time.


A sexy, angsty, excruciating emotional MM friends-to-lovers rockstar romance by USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa. The first book in The Second Chance Sinners duet will leave you with a cliffhanger that might make you lose your breath.

Pre-order your copy today!

Pieces of Us

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35MwpmB

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2POcrzv

Nook: https://bit.ly/PiecesofUsNook

Kobo: http://bit.ly/PiecesofUsKobo

Google Play: Coming Soon!

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2LSdu2u

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bLKxA4

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3ko31sl

Nook: https://bit.ly/SFUsNook

Kobo: http://bit.ly/SomehowFUKobo

Google Play: Coming Soon!

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3ijYuq9

Meet Claudia


Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children.

She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she’s the ruler of the house. She’s only partially right.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At night, she likes to binge-watch shows with her equally geeky husband.

Connect with Claudia

Website: https://claudiayburgoa.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/CBGrGroup

Amazon: http://geni.us/CBAmazon

Facebook: http://bit.ly/CBFcbook

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/Chicasgroup

Instagram: http://bit.ly/ClaudiasIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/TweetCb

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/CBBookbub

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ClaudiaPinterest

Book+Main: http://bit.ly/BitesCB

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 1/2 ⭐️ Review: Jiffy Kate’s Eye Candy ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Dear Jiffy Kate, 

Thank you! Thank you for another Viking Erickson brother in Green Valley, Tennessee, home of the beloved Winston family. Thank you for giving us Vali who isn’t as dynamic as his brothers, Cage and Gunnar, but he has this emotional sensibility that makes you swoon when you read him. Thank you for partnering him with Maggie (oh and naming her closely to Margaret O’Brien, the wonderful child actress of the Golden Age of movies…I digress). Thank you for Maggie and her awkwardness and shelteredness. Did you know that I too homeschooled my son, an only child? Much like Maggie’s parents, I worried about the ways in which I was raising him in a protected bubble. Yet, like her parents, I raised an amazing young man who just chefed the heck out of his girlfriend’s Valentine’s Day. Again, I digress. Clearly, you can see that I connected with her characterization. I saw my son’s experience in her, albeit he wasn’t so protected that he’s never traveled, but the partnership you craft between her and Vali is, in a word, sweet. I know that you are queens of writing sweet contemporary romance, and having read the other Fighting for Love series books where you also wrote some sweet characters, I think you are holding onto your title well. 

Thank you for always exploring that Penny Reid magic through your SmartyPants Romance stories. Once again, you have reminded us that there are some distinct and delightful people in Green Valley, and I hope you will continue to write more stories for this special space in literature. 

Lastly, thank you for the message of living for each day and facing your fears in trying new things. It feels like an important message for right now, for this specific moment in time. What this message does through the scope of Eye Candy is give us hope, offering a place to get away from the craziness of our world. 

So, once again, for the millionth time, thank you for Eye Candy. It is everything we adore about SmartyPants Romance. 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 1/2 ⭐️ Review: Ann Whynot’s Dewey Belong Together ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Every new season of SmartyPants Romance provides new stories, ones that allow you to return to the wonderful world of Green Valley, Tennessee. Penny Reid crafted this place where the magic of connection seems divine. With each new season release, I find myself excited for the “new to me” authors, the people I have yet to read. And every season, I am always astonished at the talented authors writing more stories for the Penny Reid universe. This season, Ann Whynot is my first new-to-me author, and each turn of the page of her book, Dewey Belong Together, made me smile and my heart swell. This next part is high praise for her because it is the first book that I want to share with my son, a supporter of my blog, but a critic of writing. As a screenwriting major, he’s taken on a critical bent when it comes to writing. However, as I fell further into Whynot’s book, I saw him in her characters. Let me tell you why…

While anyone can read Dewey Belong Together, and you should no matter your age, this is the first book I’ve read that feels very Gen Z, and Gen Z in an astute and insightful way. Whynot’s hero and heroine are gamers, and their struggles, to a certain degree, lie in their construction of identity. Whynot aptly shows her readers the dichotomy between an online identity versus an IRL (in real life) identity and the challenges of judging one before the other. You see Wrath aka Jonathan has disparaged and harassed Maximus_Damage online for over a decade. Seemingly mortal enemies, when Wrath shows up for a face-to-face guild get together, who Jonathan is in person is not who he is online with Maxine aka Maximus_Damage. Even more, Maxine isn’t at all who Jonathan expects. Through their meet-cute and eventual story, Whynot is able to play with so many ideas that challenge Gen Z: sexual/gender identification, female gamers and their place in the gaming community, prejudgement, and past actions that don’t match present choices. With technology as a key force in their lives, Gen Z struggles with these challenges, and Whynot’s book interrogates all of these as she evolves Jonathan and Maxine’s relationship. 

Most importantly, and an issue magnified by Gen Z, is Whynot’s exemplification of mental illness. Whynot lays out this struggle so beautifully in this story that you realize quickly the impact it plays on relationships. I don’t want to divulge this story’s secrets about this theme; instead, read Dewey Belong Together to note how distinctly Whynot handles it within the telling of her story. 

I love the brokenness of her hero and heroine. She plays with traditional gender norms in this story which makes it exciting to read. If I had any criticism, it would be the chemistry between Maxine and Jonathan. I think Whynot could have developed it a bit more. It stays fairly muted throughout the book, which causes you to question their eventuality. Beyond that, though, is a charming story, replete with modern-day nerd allusions that make you chuckle if you have ever entered nerdom (as the mother of a nerd and a nerd myself, I completely “got” Whynot’s references). Even more, that Whynot uses the word “scritch” to explain the act of petting your animal made my life as I thought I was the only human to use it. 

In the simplest form, Ann Whynot’s Dewey Belong Together is a delight of a story. With references to some of your favorite Green Valley residents and former SmartyPants Romance characters, coupled with a hero and heroine who exude the modern-day trials of Gen Z, every page of this book connected me to my kid, to my college students, and to a true modern-day romance, 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: Lexi Blake’s Submission Impossible ✍🏻

professorromance

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Reading any Lexi Blake Masters and Mercenaries story is like watching a well-choreographed dance, the rhythm and pacing of these stories enthralls the reader. She throws so much at her readers in these books that you find yourself at various moments in the story, sitting at the edge of your seat and holding your breath. And each new iteration of this series always makes you wonder: can she do it again? Well, with the release of Submission Impossible, she indeed has done it again. 

This story involves McKay-Taggart’s resident tech guru, Greg “Hutch” Hutchins. Lonely with a serious case of ennui, Hutch isn’t sure why he feels the doldrums of life. He’s recently purchased a home, he’s single and ready to mingle, and his life’s work is going well. But he feels like he’s missing something. We quickly find out that his missing piece resides in Blake’s heroine, Noelle, a woman who Hutch and Kyle Hawthorne are tasked to protect. Noelle’s workplace has suffered a tragedy, and her father, a friend of Big Tag’s, has called in a favor to protect his independent daughter. What transpires over the course of this book is the definition of workplace harassment. 

As you enter Submission Impossible, your sojourn is everything you expect of Lexi Blake. There is a hero who is rudderless, a heroine who needs independence and success, a journey with more twists and turns than your standard rollercoaster, and some fun in McKay-Taggart’s Sanctum. As she does so well, her story pulls you in and keeps you suspended in its grasp. Like her last Masters and Mercenaries stories, this one seems resolved by its end, but it is anything but over, allowing for more suspense in upcoming books. 

What I loved the most about this story is Blake’s heroine who isn’t your standard fare. She is highly intelligent (so a perfect challenge for Hutch) and successful at her job. However, she lives life with a disability. Her characterization allows Blake to discuss ability. In doing so, she creates a hero such as Hutch who is empathic enough to be exactly what Noelle needs. Even when their future is threatened by his actions, Blake shows how creating safe spaces for people with disabilities to maintain their independence and autonomy becomes this book’s central theme. The coupling of Hutch and Noelle is perfection, another couple in this world who complete each other, filling in the broken parts of each other’s souls. 

By the end of Submission Impossible, Hutch and Noelle have found their happy ending, while there are still missing pieces to the greater puzzle of this world. As Lexi Blake does so well, she deftly titillates and challenges you to the story’s completion. 

In love and romance,

Professor A