Category: Uncategorized

Playing With Fire, an all-new emotional and raw small town standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is coming September 15th and we have the stunning cover!

A broken boy on the path to destruction.
A scarred girl without direction.
A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.
She is the strange girl from the food truck.
He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since.
She is invisible to the world.
He is the town’s beloved bad boy.
She is a reject.
He is trouble.
When West thrusts himself into Grace’s quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending.
But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell.
Grace doesn’t know much about anything beyond her town’s limits, but she does know this:
She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U.
And when you play with fire—you ought to get burned.

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/MDVljgr

For more information, join L.J. Shen’s reader group: http://bit.ly/2lTnonw
Stay up to date on all release news.
Follow L.J. Shen on Instagram: https://bit.ly/LJShenIG

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs

About L.J. Shen
L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat

Connect with L.J. Shen
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1
Twitter: http://bit.ly/36ELHZc
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2oMbFsu
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2AIOiTo
Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list:
http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ
Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

Emma Renshaw has revealed the cover for Vow of Worth!

Releasing: October 20, 2020

Cover Designer: Hang Le

She’s always existed in someone else’s shadow.

Caroline never thought she was good enough, always believing that little voice in the back of her head.

 For the first time, Caroline is determined to ignore those feelings. She’s living for herself, loving her job as a vet, making a difference. Her simple and easy life is everything she could want, except for one thing…

He’s never let anyone see beneath his carefully crafted façade.

Kiernan has always been the life of the party. But he’s tired of no one expecting more from him than a good time. He’s ready for a purpose, to do some good in the world.

From the moment he walks into Caroline’s clinic, she knows who he is. The high school crush who never had a clue she existed. His handsome face threatens to resurrect all her self-doubt. But that was the old her.

When Caroline is threatened, she knows exactly whose doorstep to turn up on. Kiernan vows to protect her but, from the beginning, it’s more than a job.

She is his purpose. He is her missing piece.

But before they can discover everything they’ve been missing, a killer may take it all from them…

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gu3g1G

Apple: https://apple.co/31rKOCB

Nook: https://bit.ly/2Eq5tOT

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3b0e2f5

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2PmufkG

Meet Emma

Emma loves to write, just don’t ask her to write about herself. If she isn’t writing, you can find her lost in a book or trying to get her doggo to take a selfie with her. He usually refuses. At the end of the day, you can find Emma at the closest Mexican restaurant eating queso and sipping on a margarita. She lives in Texas with her husband and dog.

Connect with Emma

Website: http://bit.ly/emrenweb

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17880006.Emma_Renshaw

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2J2P5kf

Facebook: https://bit.ly/emrenfb

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

Instagram:  http://bit.ly/emreninsta

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoremmaren

Bookbub:  http://bit.ly/emrenBB

Book+Main: https://bit.ly/39qiTW5

USA Today bestselling author Prescott Lane has revealed the cover for Ryder, the highly-anticipated second, standalone book in the Merrick Brothers series!

 

 

Releasing September 24, 2020

Country music headliner, crowd pleaser, legend in the bedroom.

You know how your mother always warned you that it only takes one time. Well, I’m proof of that.

One night with country music’s hottest star, Ryder Merrick, and I got knocked up.

He promised me it wasn’t just a one night stand.

But I woke up alone, and a few weeks later found out I was carrying his child.

I’m sure Ryder won’t want anything to do with us. After all, he’s famous for not believing in love. There’s a reason he’s never written a love song.

Why should he change his tune now? But telling him I’m pregnant still feels like the right thing to do.

All it takes is maxing out my credit card to buy a front row seat to his concert.

And then wait for him to notice me… and my bump.

 

Model: Dan Rengering
Photographer: JW Photography and Covers
Cover Designer: RBA Designs – Letitia Hasser

Pre-order your copy today on Amazon!

US: https://amzn.to/3fJsTeE

WW: http://mybook.to/plryder

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gbieL1

 

Meet Prescott

Prescott Lane is the USA TODAY best-selling author of ALL MY LIFE. She’s written several other romance books with strong heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds a degree in sociology and an MSW from Tulane University. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.

Connect with Prescott

Website | authorprescottlane.com

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/2XMt2YM

Amazon | https://amzn.to/33KCvDz

Facebook | https://bit.ly/2XPBh6p

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/33Kb9xk

Instagram | https://bit.ly/33I2Ulz

Twitter | www.twitter.com/prescottlane1

Bookbub | https://bit.ly/2DxUMJQ

Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3ipzxZi

Book+Main | https://bit.ly/2EaFgmU

Newsletter | https://bit.ly/2XMb7Br

A Royal enemies to lovers story that will leave you breathless!

Taunting Callum by Kristen Proby is now live!

From New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes an all new stand-alone novel in her beloved Big Sky Series!

His Royal Highness Callum Wakefield lives a carefree, luxurious life. As the King of England’s youngest son, and thus not the heir apparent, he has more freedom and less royal responsibilities. He spends his days traveling the world, indulging in the extravagance afforded by his family name. But after years of hopping from one country to the next, the place that holds the most appeal is Cunningham Falls, Montana. And the only woman on his mind is a fiery redhead with an infectious laugh.

The one who hates him.

Aspen Calhoun is the new owner of Drips & Sips. It’s taken her many years to find a place to belong, and she’s perfectly happy living a quiet life. Or she would be, if a certain prince would stop coming to town.

Aspen and Callum shared one incredible night together two years ago before he returned to his opulent life, subsequently forgetting all about her. Ego bruised and pride wounded, Aspen doesn’t know why he’s back. And she doesn’t care. She refuses to fall for his charms again.

But Callum is determined to stay in Cunningham Falls and make it up to Aspen, no matter how long it takes. Because while she was out of sight, she was most certainly not out of mind.

  Download today on Amazon, Books & Noble, Kobo, Apple!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kIt8KE

Apple: https://apple.co/30XkyA9

Nook: https://bit.ly/3fQw04x

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2PVeMZ7

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/30V6uXP

Excerpt

 “You’re not a dream, are you?”

His lips tip up in an arrogant smile. “Well, in what context are you

referring?”

Why is his accent so damn sexy? I mean, he looks like that, and he

sounds sexy, as well? Inconceivable.

“This is the most bizarre conversation I’ve ever had. And trust me

when I say I’ve had some crazy encounters. What are you doing here?”

“I told you,” he says, setting the rag on the counter and walking

around to me once more. “I want to take you to dinner. Or somewhere.

I’d like to get to know you better, Aspen.”

I lick my lips. He’s so close now, I can feel the heat of him. He

would scramble the brains of any warm-blooded woman.

But I haven’t flirted with a man in years. And I certainly haven’t

entertained the idea of dating one. Or, better yet, having sex with

one. But with Callum standing mere feet away, that’s precisely what

I’m thinking.

“You surprise me,” I admit in a soft voice.

“How’s that?”

 “You cleaned those tables without batting an eye.”

 “I’ve cleaned far worse, I can assure you.” I tilt my head, watching

him. I can see his pulse in his neck.

 “You’re a prince.”

He narrows his eyes and moves in closer, not touching me but certainly

crowding. He smells like mint and sunshine.

“I’m just a man, Aspen.” His lips graze my cheek. “A man very taken

with you, I might add.”

I swallow hard. Holy shit. My breathing comes harder, and an ache sets

up shop in my very core.

I want him.

 I don’t think I’ve ever been so attracted to a man before. Not even

Greg. No one.

And if I ponder that for too long, the guilt will likely set in.

 Instead, I turn my head and brush my nose over his jawline.

I want him to touch me. I want to feel things that have been missing

from my life for years. Suddenly, I want it with this perfect

stranger.

“Aspen,” he whispers.

“Yes.”

“Tell me you don’t feel this.”

I swallow again. “I can’t.”

He growls as he plunges his hands into my hair and closes his lips

over mine in the kiss of the century. His moves are smooth and sure.

Assertive.

That’s what Callum is: confident.

But before the kiss goes any further, he backs up and stares down at

me with intense brown eyes. “I can’t do what I want to you here. All

of bloody Montana could look through those windows, and I won’t have

you caught in a scandal.”

 “Office,” I reply immediately. With his hand in mine, I lead him

through to the back of the café and my personal space there. It’s not

fancy, but it’s private.

“Brilliant,” he says as he shuts the door behind him.

Meet Kristen

Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.

Connect with Kristen

Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/684662744993031/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/handbagjunkie/

Book+Main: https://bit.ly/30ImsmP

“Gruff but funny mechanic burned by love? Check.
Guy who takes in orphaned kittens? Check.
Hot as can be when he reluctantly falls head-over-heels? Check.
My new book boyfriend? All the checks.
Drive Me Wild is your summer must-read!”
— Julia Kent, New York Times bestselling author

Drive Me Wild, an all-new flirty and heartwarming, opposites-attract romance by USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow is available now!

Read my 5 ⭐️ review HERE.

When Blair Beaufort literally crashes into Bellamy Creek wearing a ball gown and a tiara, I should have towed her car, said goodnight, and sent her packing.

I’m a mechanic, not a hotel manager. I’ve got enough on my plate trying to keep my shop from going under, my overbearing mother off my back, and my baseball team in contention for the league championship. I don’t have time for a former debutante with zero street smarts and a cash flow problem, even if she is crazy beautiful.

Problem is, she’s stranded in my small town, and I’m hiding a protective streak underneath my grumpy exterior that runs deep. So I offer her a place to stay and keep my hands to myself.

For exactly one night.

If only she weren’t so gorgeous. So funny. So eager to please. She’s a disaster behind the wheel, but she drives me wild without even trying–at work, at home, in the back of my truck . . . I can’t get enough of the way she makes me feel.

But I know better than to think it can last. She wants a fairy tale, and I’m no prince.

So when it comes time for her to leave, there’s nothing I can do but let her go.

No matter how much it hurts to say goodbye.

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a8MLGM
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/drivemewild
Amazon Paperback: https://harlow.pub/DriveMeWild-pb

Add DRIVE ME WILD to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2PyRjNp

Excerpt

Switching off the lights, I followed her out onto the sidewalk, locking the door behind us. “I need a quick shower and change of clothes. Want to come up with me?”

“Sure.”

I was following her up the stairs to my apartment, looking at her ass and wondering if she had sexual rules and how long it would take me to break them, when I realized she was still talking.

Shit, had she just asked me a question?

At the top of the stairs, she turned around and faced me. “So? Are you going to?”

I stood close. Ridiculously close. So close I could smell her—vanilla and lemon—and she could probably smell me—sweat and motor oil.

“Am I going to what?”I asked, looking at her lips.

She licked them. “Listen to me.”

“Oh. Yeah. I am.” But at that moment, I was pretty sure I was going to do something else to her too.

Suddenly she stepped back. “Good,”she said, her cheeks flushed pink. “On second thought, I think I’ll wait outside. I’m a little warm, and there’s a nice breeze.”

“Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Nodding, she turned and descended the stairs so slowly, I wondered if she was dizzy. I watched her hand sliding along the wooden rail, thinking dirty thoughts.

On the landing, she pushed the door open and disappeared from view, but I still couldn’t breathe right.

What would she have done if I’d put my mouth on hers like I’d wanted to just now? Would she have kissed me back? Would she have welcomed my hands on her skin? Or would she have kneed me in the balls and told me to keep my filthy fingers to myself?

She wasn’t like any other girl I’d ever met, which was both the problem and the allure. I didn’t know how to read her.

But damn, I wanted her something fierce.

I took an ice cold shower, hoping it would help.

It didn’t.

About Melanie

USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Schitt’s Creek, Homeland, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55
Stay up to date, sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT
Website: www.melanieharlow.com

Slash, an all new sizzling hot 1,001 Dark Nights Standalone Novella in the Slay series by New York Times bestselling author Laurelin Paige is available now!

Read my 5 ⭐️ review HERE.

Camilla Fasbender has a secret.

Underneath her posh accent and designer clothes lies the evidence of her pain.

Every heartbreak, every bad day, every setback has left a scar.

From behind her camera, she shows the world what to see. And it isn’t her.

Until him.

He sees right through her carefully constructed facade.

And he’s going to slash it all to pieces.

**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.**

Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WS0fSm
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Slashlp
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2XpolmH

Add Slash to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3cXowMm

Excerpt

Hendrix didn’t strike me as ridiculous. Or impulsive. Or silly.
Why on earth, then, would he believe that there could be something worth seeking out with me? If that’s what he meant at all. Which…he did, didn’t he?
It’s confusing, and confusion makes me hide, on the whole. But since I can’t hide because I’m the fucking teacher in this class—seriously, how did this happen?—and for some reason the educator is expected to stay present, I find my confusion turning to anger. It works itself through me until the beauty of our night together is cropped out of my memory and what’s left is trite and fleeting. His presence feels nothing like flattery—which it did feel flattering, admittedly, for a half second there in the midst of everything else. Now, though, it just feels invasive and unprofessional and mean.
Perhaps I’d confront him about it, if I were a different sort of person, one who isn’t afraid to stand up to a challenge. One who isn’t afraid to live her life.
But I’m not that sort of person, so after I give out the assignments and send the students on their way, I plan to gather my things and get on my way as soon as possible, so fond of hiding that I am. I was stupid enough to believe—or perhaps hopeful is the better term—that Hendrix would let me do that, as he’d let me leave that night in Paris, not that I’d given him a choice.
He doesn’t, though, of course. Of course. He approaches me, his leather camera bag slung over his shoulder, a man satchel underneath.
“Camilla,” he says in that American accent that makes me both cringe and swoon all at once, and for the briefest of moments I find myself considering something different for a change. I consider staying.
But underneath my long sleeve polo neck, my skin throbs with an intensity that equals the blaring of a car alarm, and I think of Fred waiting for me at home to take him out for ice cream and the dead husband who hurt me as much as he loved me and the ugliness that marks me inside and out. And in the chaos of those thoughts, there is no option to stay.
“You being here is in bad taste,” I say before he has a chance to say anything else. “Don’t do this to me.”
I brush past him then, and with the heat of that brief contact following me in radiating waves, I rush outside to disappear among the Saturday-morning Londoners who are out enjoying the early signs of spring.

About Laurelin
With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

Connect with Laurelin
Website: https://laurelinpaige.com
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3gmqWFh
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3aNIxVy
Instagram: https://bit.ly/34r6ot8
Amazon Page: https://amzn.to/31iQKhj
Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2Yt0tQe

For More information about 1,001 Dark Nights Visit
Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp
Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A
Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

I adore reading new authors. I especially adore reading new authors when their stories engage and surprise me. Ava Ryan is a new author to me. I love a good billionaire romance. I love stories that involve princesses. I know this isn’t everyone’s type of romance, but these stories hold hope in a way that oftentimes is lost in something darker. Now, that isn’t to say that Ava Ryan’s newest book doesn’t carry any angst. It’s a contemporary romance for sure, but the idea of a handsome billionaire finding his love in a British princess reminds me of the fairy tales of yore, and it’s a story where someone like me can lose myself for a few hours. 

Why should you trust yourself to Ava Ryan’s The Billionaire’s Princess?

1. This is the first book of a story of three brothers. I love when authors create book universes in families. And these brothers are complicated adding some dark to Ryan’s romance. Three impossibly handsome brothers meeting three impossibly gorgeous women. That is a formula for “good romance.”
2. Damon is a type A, ambitious hero who is not interested in a relationship. Until he is. Interestingly enough, Ryan gives his point of view quite a bit of the story, so we observe that he becomes enamoured with her heroine, Carly, quickly. It’s also one of the areas of The Billionaire’s Princess where I struggled the most. Don’t get me wrong. I adore Damon, but Ryan’s ability to create believability in choosing Carly almost instantly after a lifetime of playboy-hood was shaded. When a hero is a commitment-phobe, then, as the writer, I, the reader, need proof through the development of the story that his insta-interest makes sense beyond a physical connection because that is how Ryan portrays him. Then, she quickly changes his mind, causing him to question. Now, she couches this in his history, and I understand her development of his character. I simply have questions about him, questions that I feel I shouldn’t have if there had been some different choices made. Overall, though, Damon is the type of billionaire you love to drown in. 
3. Carly is a revelation in this story. She is not your typical princess. She is tenacious and persistent. She is clear about her aspirations especially in the shadow of her father’s expectations. For me, she is the highlight of this book. 
4. I love that the happy ending is an ending for now. It follows in the chronology of the story, and it doesn’t make leaps to the future. This is wise on Ryan’s part because she has two more brothers’ stories to publish. I imagine with book 3 we might see further into the future. I simply love when authors keep a seemingly fictional story grounded in our sense of time and space in the “real world.”

Should you read Ava Ryan’s The Billionaire’s Princess? Indeed. Above all of its postitives is her message, one that we should foster. She suggests in her newest book that we need to let go of past hurts. That’s the tie that binds the entire story together. While it might not seem fresh or new, it’s a message that we need to marinate in, as so many readers struggle with their own pasts, this one included. As Damon’s expectations of himself in the connection to his past almost drown him, it’s an admonishment that life cannot be fully realized until we move beyond our past and live abundantly in our present. That is a message I can get behind. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Bear with me as I begin this review with the story. I promise it will set up Lucy Score’s newest book, Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door aka for purposes of this review RTDGND. Whew! That’s a mouthful. Anyways, I woke up this morning after having fallen back to sleep. In the back of mind, RTDGND has lived since I finished the story yesterday. I woke up with my heart pounding because I had had a dream about people who 1) I haven’t seen in some time and 2) had died in my dream. With RTDGND influencing my thinking, I instantly thought, am I a psychic like Riley? Is this a vision? Will I find out that the person who had died in my dream had actually died? If you’re currently confused, well, again, this is the set up to this book. Because Lucy Score’s newest book, Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a wild ride, a rollercoaster ride, and a professional boxing match of witticisms all wrapped up into one. 

Now, you’re probably thinking “really, Professor A?” All of that? Yes. 

First of all, I adored this book EVEN though it took me longer to read than most of the romances I’ve read thus far. This has everything to do with the density of banter in this story. Her hero, Nick Santiago, and her heroine, Riley Thorn. To say that these two are an unlikely pair is an understatement. Call it opposites attract. Whatever trope works for you. These two together are romance dynamite. Their repartee keeps your head bouncing back and forth. Add into it a cast of outrageous characters: Riley’s psychic family, Nick’s business, Riley’s “roommates”, and this story feels boundless at times. As such, there is so much that happens in this story that it felt like I lived in it longer than most, and I adored it. It feels like all the words give you your “money’s worth” if you’re ever concerned you buy too many books and finish them in a big gulp like I do. 

Secondly, this book is so zany. That’s really the word. Yes, there is romance in this book, but to be honest with you, Nick and Riley are a serious slow-burn couple, and the story, while it hints at it often, isn’t really about the physical. At its more basic level, it’s a suspense. There is a mystery to be solved, intertwined with clear messages about individualism and embracing life. See, that’s the beauty of a Lucy Score rom-com. Even when she writes a story that makes you chuckle from your toes, there is always a point, a gravity to it that you think could be lost in the quirk of her story. But it isn’t.

Because at its depth, Riley is challenged to embrace who she is. Without revealing too much, Riley is a psychic in denial. She doesn’t want people to see her as “not normal,” so she denies her gift to appear normal. However, in doing so, she denies a greater depth of living. In fact, she’s stagnant, unhappy, and unfulfilled. Similarly, Nick, while more adventurous and risk-taking than Riley, is also living a very generic life. He believes he’s living his best life until Riley, and then he realizes through the course of the story that his life is missing color. In that intersection is the idea that our best lives are lived when we embrace ourselves and the people around us. 

So…if you’re like me, and you read Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door, you might find moments when you question if you have Riley’s abilities. You might believe that your visions will come to light, yet what this book actually suggests is that it doesn’t really matter as long as you live your best life with the people around you right now. 

This book will make you laugh out loud; it will keep you guessing; and you will want more of this crazy, fun world. 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“‘…You can fill your life with nice things, but nice things don’t fill the holes in your soul.’

‘What fills the holes in a soul?’

Samson’s eyes scroll over my face for a few seconds.’Pieces of someone else’s soul.'”

I guess you could say that I’ve been sitting on writing this review. It isn’t that I didn’t love this book. I adored it. I think it’s more about the idea of letting it go when I wanted to hold onto it a bit more. This is my second Colleen Hoover book, the first one being her last book, Regretting You. I know that her popularity comes from her stories such as Verity and It Ends with Us, and I have every intention of reading those stories. For me, Heart Bones, her newest book, along with Regretting You, have shown me the ways in which she pours herself into her storytelling in ways that are nuanced. That nuance makes for reads that impact you straight into your heart asthe secrets of her stories are divulged. And Heart Bones…it is no different. 

The premise of Heart Bones is a young woman on the cusp of change (going off to college) is thrust into her father’s world, a father who can only be considered very absentee. This world is a world of privilege, a world that she did not live in with her mother. There, she meets Samson, the local rich boy. They agree to a summer together before she leaves for college, and they pour themselves into each other. However, as the summer comes to an end, the ability to let go of Samson seems impossible. It is also in that space where the secret of Heart Bones is shown. 

What I loved most about this book is its elemental message about loving a person. As humans, we need people to “see” us, to seek to understand us without facade, and we oftentimes go through life without being regarded in elemental ways. It’s like we’re apparitions carrying ourselves through life, never fully engaging and becoming solid in the adoration of another. This is the underlying crux of this story. It’s the beauty of it, quite frankly. As Samson and Beyah encounter each other, (and this may sound corny), their souls acknowledge their similarities, and it creates this romance that is less about the physical (these two are slow-burn) and more about the emotional pull between them. This is a book about soulmates acknowledging their existence for the other, and that makes for a romance rife with depth and gravity. 

Even more, Hoover pokes and prods at the notion of socio-economic influence. In many ways Samson and Beyah are the same person, yet they exist at odds in terms of wealth. There is a complication to this in the story that illustrates the farce that a person who is wealthy cannot understand a person who is poor. Hoover bridges this idea with that connection. It’s a reminder that money does not soften life experiences. That it’s possible to understand a person even if your past or upbringing or wealth or lack of it is different from your own. As Samson and Beyah realize this notion, they recognize the reflection of each other in the other. Over and over again, their connections draw you into Heart Bones. 

And nuances of Colleen Hoover’s Heart Bones reside in the way it resonates in your soul even though it isn’t romantic by traditional romance standards. In this book and her last, the $exual relationship between her heroes and heroines are minimized in a way. The story isn’t about that. Instead, Hoover sets to tell stories about the human condition that transcend traditional romantic tropes. This is what has bowled me over about the two stories I’ve read thus far. Heart Bones is a story about learning to love yourself, as you find yourself reflected in another. It’s about recognizing that everyone has a story, and you aren’t alone. It’s about finding that person whose story connects with your own and loving them even through the difficulties of life. These messages roll over you again and again in Heart Bones, that when you’ve turned the last page, your heart feels like it’s grown its own heart bones, and you’re already nostalgic for a story that resonates with you in its basic truths about the human condition.

In love and romance,

Professor A

I used to be the one who saved her.
But I don’t want to save her anymore.

From New York Times bestselling author, Helena Hunting writing as H. Hunting, comes an unforgettable, beautiful and angsty new adult romance. Little Lies is releasing November 16th, and we have the irresistible cover!

I don’t want you.

You mean nothing to me.

I never loved you.

I turned my words into swords.

And I cut her down.

Shoved the blade in and watched her fall.

I said I’d never hurt her, and I did.

Years later, I’m faced with all the little lies, the untruths, the false realities, the damage I inflicted, when all I wanted was to indulge my obsession.

Lavender Waters is the princess in the tower. Even her name is the thing fairy tales are made of.

I used to be the one who saved her.

Over and over again.

But I don’t want to save her anymore.

I just want to pretend the lies are still the truth.

Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gn18sL
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2Yp95HS
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/littlelies
Nook: https://bit.ly/34rwvzR
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3hmdHpD
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2E9yxu3
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3aWyq0C

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster
Model: Andy Murray
Cover Designer: Hang Le

About Helena Hunting

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Connect with Helena

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2kN5wdZ
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2mloUim
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/Zt1xm5
Facebook Fan group: http://bit.ly/2kN5yCD
Website: http://www.helenahunting.com/
Never miss an update! Subscribe to Helena’s mailing list:

http://bit.ly/HelenaHuntingNews

H. Hunting

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3huH3ly