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From the international bestselling author of The Simple Wild and Ten Tiny Breaths comes a new second-chance, hate-to-love romance.

The Player Next Door by USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker, is now live!

Scarlet Reed has returned to Polson Falls, convinced that twelve years away is long enough to shed her humiliating childhood identity as the town harlot’s daughter. With a teaching job secured and an adorable fixer-upper to call home, things in her life are finally looking up.

That is, until she finds out that Shane Beckett lives next door.

Shane Beckett, the handsome and charismatic high school star quarterback who smashed her heart. The lying, cheating player who was supposed to be long gone, living the pro football dream and fooling women into thinking he’s Prince Charming. Shane Beckett, who is as attractive as ever and flashing his dimples at her as if he has done no wrong.

Scarlet makes it abundantly clear that old wounds have not been forgotten. Neighbors they may be, but friends they most certainly are not. She won’t allow herself to fall for the single father and firefighter again, no matter how many apologies he offers, how many times he rushes to her aid, or how hard he makes her heart pound.

But as she spends more time with him, she begins to fear that maybe she’s wrong. Maybe Shane has changed.

And maybe this time she’s the one playing herself—out of a chance at true happiness.

Download today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!
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About K.A. Tucker:

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 17 books, including the Causal Enchantment, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and The Simple Wild. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, First for Women, and Publisher’s Weekly. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her family.

Connect with K.A. Tucker:

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Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

A drunken bet that led to a fake relationship?
My naive little heart still hoped it would last…

Knocking Boots, an unforgettable steamy small-town romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Willow Winters, is available now!

We were never meant to be together.
He’s a bartender with noncommittal tendencies.
I’m looking for … the opposite. Commitment. Period.

But drinks and a bet led to something it shouldn’t have: a fake relationship. Worse, a first date, a first kiss… and then more.

He’s addictive and I can’t bring myself to accept the reality.
That it’s all a lie and I’m fooling myself by thinking he could want more. That I could change him.

He’s mine for as long as I keep on pretending like this is just for fun.
As if I don’t want more…
Like when he whispers my name, I pretend it doesn’t make my heart flip.
Like when he holds me at night, I pretend I don’t want to lay in his bed every night.

It’s just a bet; just a lie . . . until it isn’t.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hzWppc
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/knockingboots
Kobo: https://bit.ly/30OvCzF
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Google Play: https://bit.ly/3fwvTLY

Add KNOCKING BOOTS to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/30LsJzz

Meet Willow Winters

Willow Winters is so happy to be a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and #1 Contemporary Best Selling Author!

Willow started writing after having her little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during her pregnancy with Evie she continued to read and she only wanted to read romance. She was reading a book a day — sometimes two.

In January 2016 Willow was staying up late with Evie and just thinking of all these stories. They came to her constantly so she finally sat down and just started writing. She always wanted to do it so she figured, why not? Today Willow cannot be happier for making that decision!

Connect with Willow

W Winters:
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Willow Winters:
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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️+

I finished Karla Sorensen’s Faked a couple of days ago, and the words for this review have been mulling around in my head. As I was shopping today, while I was reading another book, the words wanted to emerge, but they require me to offer up a general opinion about Faked without a lot of detail about this book. Even more, they want me to talk about my own experiences to illustrate why Faked is an essential kind of book. Why I will read all of Karla Sorensen’s books…

To best understand my review, I think we have to begin with a quote that hit my Twitter feed today: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you #read.” —James Baldwin— This quote IS the reason you, the reader, should read Karla Sorensen’s Faked, along with anything else she’s written. There is a relatability in her writing that acts as a mirror to your own experience. It’s the treasure you receive as you turn each page. It acts as a reminder that you aren’t alone, that the feelings and thoughts you felt at some point in your life weren’t your creation, that they were felt and thought by others. This is Sorensen’s superpower: an ability to articulate the human experience through a seamless, melodic style that grips your soul and makes romance important. That may sound heavy, but let me articulate this for you through my reading of Faked. 

For one, this message of this book is foreshadowed in her blurb: “Every action has a consequence..” You think this relates solely to the twin swap (which isn’t a spoiler as it’s also in the blurb). But this isn’t the case. There are moments in Claire and Bauer’s pasts, experiences with others that have had a profound effect on their lives in the present. When those actions occurred, no one understood the gravity of those consequences, but, for Claire and Bauer, they were ingrained in their development. As such, these consequences influence Claire and Bauer’s coupling and create the tension of the story. Within the first couple of chapters of Faked, I found myself looking directly in the mirror of my own experience as Claire laid out her hurt. It’s no secret that Claire’s mother, Brooke, left her girls with their older brother, Logan. If that is new to you, go and download The Marriage Effect and read it immediately, It’s my favorite Washington Wolves book. Anyways, Brook’s neglect changes Claire’s life, and as we are privy to her life, Sorensen shows us its impact.  It influences her choice of career and it affects her relationships with others. In this one moment in the book, the place where I felt my own life reflected back at me, Sorensen captured one of my truths. With her exquisite writing, it isn’t hard to do. However, in this moment, she very gently pushed on a bruise from my own experience and she connected me to Claire and Bauer’s story. She softened my soul and opened it to their romance, and I couldn’t put the book down after that. Through her careful plotting of their story, she articulates a message that people (not just parents — they are simply the culprits in this story) need to remember: our words and our actions can create meaning or trauma in a person’s life. I’m a teacher of writing, and I think about the words and actions I’ve taken with my students. I can change their perceptions of themselves easily, and that’s scary. In this story, Sorensen deftly illustrates this. And it’s the powerful reminder of Faked. 

I’ve said this time and time again in my reviews of Sorensen’s works: we NEED more of this romance. We need to read a book such as Faked to remind us that our words and actions change others not just ourselves. We need a genre like romance to emphasize the sometimes negative qualities of humanity because we can wrap the difficulties of human nurture in a message of love. It’s a safer space to unpack trauma in a world where an intuitive and insightful heroine can see the impact of words on a “bad boy” hero, validate him, cover him in love and kindness, and pour peace into his life. When read stories like Faked, we can be reminded to be better people, to stop and think, and to love people through their hurts. If you love this depth of experience wrapped in a beautiful story about the resilience of the human spirit, then you should be reading Karla Sorensen’s Faked. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

If you pick up a Sara Ney romance, there is a guarantee that you will laugh and encounter moments of discomfort through the course of her story. And in the end, all will be right with the world of her hero and heroine. In many of her books, her heroes are difficult to love because they tend to be “douchebags.”  Even more, her books epitomize the perfect summer read, nothing taxing or terribly angsty. Her newest book, Hard Pass, is no different except that she created a story so interesting in one sense that I can’t wait to see where the rest of her Trophy Boyfriends series goes. What did I l like a whole lot about Hard Pass? Here goes:

1. This is a quick read. If you want something fast and easy, read Hard Pass. It is a perfect little beach read. Now, I will say that I would have liked more development on the back end of this story, but I think Ney’s purpose here is the set-up of her hero, Noah, and her heroine, Madison. This makes for some keen chemistry building on Ney’s part, but I do think there could have been more development of their characters’ burgeoning relationship later in the story. That being said, I’m hoping for more of them in future books.
2. Noah intrigues me. In romancelandia, it is almost a standard that the hero is handsome to the point of pleasure/pain. I can’t articulate the number of romances where it is almost  too painful to look at the hero because he’s so handsome. That would be lovely in the “real world,” but that isn’t the real world. While Ney’s hero is still otherworldly as he is a well-built, young, successful professional baseball player, he is not exactly outwardly attractive. Instead, his inner qualities capture the attention of the heroine. I loved this about Hard Pass. I want to read heroes who are fallible and not completely put together, and this is Ney’s Noah. Yet, there is still charm here. There is still compassion and kindness in his characterization, and this draws you to him. 
3. Together, Madison and Noah have a chemistry that isn’t exactly fiery, although Ney gives them their moments. Instead, these two feel like forever. They connect beyond the physical level. This isn’t always the case in the world of romance, and while this romance isn’t “clean,” there is an accumulation of attraction that builds the fire of their chemistry and grounds their relationship in something other than a physical connection.

Sara Ney’s Hard Pass is a bit of a detour from her usual fare, but not by much. Instead, she’s offered up a story where the hero and heroine (Noah and Madison) fall for each other’s inner qualities of beauty. Since they meet via technology, I find this intriguing because this is the nature of courtship in our present day. It seems like your soulmate could just be a quick email or text away, and a person’s inner beauty feels more important than their outer beauty. We’ll have to see if that message continues in her next Trophy Boyfriend’s book, Hard Fall, where I think we might encounter that quintessential Ney hero. I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I love confessing my sins in author reviews. For Rich Prick, Tijan’s newest book, I must admit that I have not yet read the Fallen Crest Academy books nor the Crew books. Tijan is so lovely in her note into the story that you don’t need to read those books to read Rich Prick, which is very true. That being said, you do feel like you are missing out when you haven’t read them. There are allusions in this book to acts that have occurred or will occur that definitely makes you feel like you weren’t invited to the party. However, the story of Aspen and Blaise is fully contained, and you can fall for them in the current state of Rich Prick. 

So here is what you really must know about Tijan’s characters: nothing is really as it seems. On the surface, Tijan’s hero, Blaise, is a “rich prick” and carries a certain amount of pride in it even though there is actually more to him than that identity. Her heroine, Aspen, is also carrying secrets like Blaise. These facades are rife with cracks, and it takes much of their story and its entanglements for them to be revealed. It also takes a portion of the book to then remedy the situations around them, and I think it’s that struggle that, honestly, keeps you engaged in the book. There is quite a bit of action: fights, disagreements, internal monologues, complicated relationships, and Tijan exposes every single moment in this story. Sometimes, this can be tedious. For example, the “rich prick” Blaise is quick to fight. His threats (in some instances) and his actual fighting occurs over and over again. This can be frustrating. Yet, it’s also a sign of a bigger issue, one related to one of Blaise’s secrets. Therefore, as his constant ire unfolds and you find yourself annoyed with him, as a reader, you stay engaged because you’re curious to see how Tijan will expose and evolve him. The same is true of Aspen. By the end of the story, you are treated to a sweet and sexy happy ending that feels perfect for two people whose story is one of strife, anger, and sadness. 

As I haven’t read Crew and the Fallen Crest Academy books, I am not sentimental about the ancillary characters. However, had I done so prior to reading Rich Prick, I know I would be excited to find their characters in this story. As Blaise’s story unfolds, the broken relationships in his life must also be acknowledged and healed. Thus, if you’re a Tijan fan, you’ll love this book for the sentimentality of seeing characters from her other books. 

Now, I will say that, at times, there is an unevenness to her storytelling. There are moments that can feel disconnected. It is in those moments where the story felt slow. There are parts of the book that made reading Rich Prick onerous at times, but, then, Tijan would craft a moment between Aspen and Blaise, engaging us in their story. 

For my second Tijan book, I left Rich Prick wanting to know more about this world. I will read the Fallen Crest Academy and Crew books. I will read more of her standalones because there is something insightful in her storytelling. At first glance, it is easy to write off her characters as entitled, rich, and selfish. Yet, as we see with Aspen and Blaise, there is always something more psychological in their depths. We find in Rich Prick that our pasts can have a profound impact on our present while shaping our future. If we aren’t careful to acknowledge that impact, then we might miss out on a deep abiding love. Rich Prick is Tijan’s compelling story about finding love when you don’t feel loveable. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“‘I – I want you to teach me.’”

“‘I can do that.’ I hope.”

It is right here where Fiona Cole foreshadows the actions of this book. This story tells the story of Erik’s sister (Erik’s book is Savior), Hanna, and Voyeur co-owner, Daniel. Throughout Fiona Cole’s Voyeur series, these two have played parts as ancillary characters. If you’ve read Savior, then you should be familiar with Hanna’s traumatic past. It’s in Teacher, where Cole shows her maturity as a writer, as she develops the complexity of Hanna’s journey. While it is hard to say this is my favorite Voyeur book (it’s too hard to choose because I love each of them), I do believe it’s her most thoughtful and expertly-written one. Cole flexes her writing muscle here, showing us how much more she has to give in future books. 

So, why should you read this book…this series?

1. For one, Hanna’s trauma is human trafficking. In our world, this is an important issue as young women daily are sold into slavery. In Cole’s careful crafting of Hanna’s story in both Savior and Teacher, she exposes the dangers and consequences of this world. I was nervous going into this book because Cole would need to pull back from her typical characterizations of her heroines in this series. They are all powerful, intelligent, $exual beings. With Hanna, there is a careful line that she must walk as Hanna learns to embrace intimate moments. She is like Cole’s other heroines: intelligent and beautiful, but her strength has a depth that is greater than Cole’s other heroines. To walk with her through this story, Cole invests us in Hanna’s development, and she does it so seriously and astutely that you see Cole conscientiousness as a writer. As a devoted reader, you feel a certain amount of pride in acknowledging this growth. She deftly characterizes Hanna, so that you don’t feel uncomfortable with her evolution. 
2. The one way that Cole accomplishes this is through the elaboration of her hero, Daniel. If you’ve been paying attention in Lovers, Another, and Liar, then you know that Daniel, while seemingly averse to commitment, provides much of the relationship advice to other characters. He’s wise with other characters, and he sees the essence of a person more than most in Cole’s Voyeur world. Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that Daniel is, in my estimation, one of the most sensitive heroes in this series. There is a kindness to him. He is still very alpha in his characterization, but Cole creates a strain of vulnerability in him. And this is NECESSARY for a heroine such as Hanna. This coupling can only happen between these two because Daniel has a depth of experience (not just in the bedroom) that gently helps Hanna connect with intimacy again. Together, these two are magic. 
3. Another way that Cole illustrates her capacity as a writer of romance is in her development of the intimate scenes. Fiona Cole can write the heck out of a bedroom scene. Liar, one of her dirtiest Voyeur books (well, along with Lover), precedes Teacher. Yet, Cole writes these exquisite intimate scenes between Hanna and Daniel that build in chemistry and heat. There is no jumping straight into the fire. It’s clear how mindful Cole is in developing Hanna’s intimacy. For me, this was the biggest insight into Cole as a writer. There is such careful construction here that it is absolutely believable that Daniel and Hanna would eventually find their happy ending. It also is the showcase of Cole’s writing prowess.

I am officially in mourning now. With Teacher, the Voyeur world ends, and I am left to think about these characters who I have loved from the start. There is an incredibly sweet and steamy epilogue, but I already know that I will miss this world. This final book, Teacher, is a perfect ending to this world, but the careful artistry of this story feels important. It’s a reminder that our pasts don’t have to hold us captive in our present. Instead, as we see with Hanna and Daniel, letting go of those things that haunt us can lead to an abundant, love-filled future. I’m fairly certain I will need a bonus scene in the future, so I can spend more time with this world that has both titillated and challenged readers.

“He’d been my moment—my person that had helped me face the darkest parts and beat them. He’d been the person to remind me that I could have done it all along. […] He tasted like home.”

In love and romance,

Professor A