When the Walls Come Down, an all-new neighbors to lovers romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez and M. Mabie is coming June 4th and we have the gorgeous cover!

Did you ever hear the joke about the guy whose wife cheated on him with his best friend? So he quit his job, moved into his parents’ basement, and gained fifty pounds?

No? Because that wasn’t a joke. It was my life.

Four years later, I’m back with a dream job, a killer apartment, and a set of abs that are better than ever.

So, when Maggie Light, a stunning, snarky blonde moves in next door, and we spend the hottest weekend of our lives together, I think this could be the greatest comeback story ever.

That is until I realize Maggie has moved to town to do one thing—steal my job.

Maybe this isn’t a comeback story after all. Maybe this is war—one I intend to win.

What I never anticipated was that maybe I’d rather win her.

Perhaps, if I’m lucky, the universe has finally run out of jokes and I can somehow win both.

Pre-order your copy today exclusively on Amazon!

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Cover designed by Kari March Designs

Photography by Wander Aguiar Photography

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

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About M. Mabie

Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody “real-life romance.”

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne’s World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie

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Staci Hart has a new series coming and you best prepare yourselves! Bright Young Things is coming and the first book, Star Bright, in the series is Star Bright, coming July 14, 2020. Pre-order your copy from your favorite online bookish retailer below!

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You are cordially invited to the party of the century.

There’s no greater thrill than in the moment a courier hands you the heavy invitation with those words etched on the front. Because you just joined the most exclusive group in New York.

The Bright Young Things.

Lavish parties. Irreverent treasure hunts. Every event is a spectacle, stalked not only by the media, but by the police commissioner, who’s declared himself the morality police, heading up a charge leading to raids and arrests and the constant threat of danger.

But that’s all part of the fun.

That, and the secrets.

Like, who sponsors these parties? The trail leads back to one mysterious name, an homage to the original Bright Young Things of a century ago: Cecelia Beaton.

And no one knows it’s me.

Everyone has secrets, and mine is safe. Until I meet him. He comes out of nowhere, armed with ample charm and a tilted smile. Dark eyes promise to devour me—all I have to do is give him permission. And before I realize it, he finds his way into my heart, into my life, with dangerous ease.

Because he has secrets of his own, secrets that could bring down everything I’ve built.

Even the best kept secrets have a way of getting out.

And if mine does, I’ll lose more than my heart.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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“Epic enemies to lovers with a sweet, emotional kick. I was rooting for them from page one and have been left completely satisfied at the end. A top 2020 read for me!”- Harloe Rae, USA Today bestselling author

Through the Lens, an all-new emotional slow-burn romance from USA Today bestselling author K.K. Allen is available now!

Read my 5 ⭐️review HERE!

“I had become his muse. What he didn’t know was that he had become mine too.”

Maggie Stevens is done feeling objectified.

After spending her entire life in the spotlight and climbing the high fashion ranks as a model in LA, she’s willing to leave it all behind for a fresh start. Moving to Seattle seems like the perfect solution.

A clean slate.

New adventures.

Endless opportunities.

All is going according to plan. Until she meets the drop-dead gorgeous cooking instructor who delights in adding to her misery.

Desmond Blake is determined to make a name for his culinary school—one that speaks to his hard work and undeniable passion.

When his food photography hobby garners attention from an unexpected source, his dreams are finally within reach. The obstacle he never sees coming is the sharp-tongued bombshell with a distaste for all he stands for.

When Desmond accidentally captures a photo of Maggie during a moment of weakness, he starts to see there’s more to the fashionista than meets the eye…

Sometimes what can be seen through the lens is a skewed version of reality. A bent perspective. Manufactured, therefore losing all sense of authenticity. And sometimes all it takes is a different angle to see what’s right in front of you.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Excerpt

Alcohol is definitely not part of my plan for getting Maggie to loosen up today. What I’m not expecting is for Maggie to take it upon herself to down three shots of White Water vodka in just a few minutes.

“Going a little hard there, aren’t you, Mags?”

She shrugs as a giggle slips from her sexy throat. “You’re driving, not me.”

I chuckle. “That’s presumptuous of you. Who said I was driving you home?”

This time, she glares and steps right up until she’s under my nose. “This is a pretty shitty date if you’re not even going to drive me home.”

A laugh bursts straight from my chest. “Who said we’re on a date?”

She tilts her head and practically purrs. “You did offer me your extra ticket to the game, one you would have otherwise used to bribe one of these poor women to go on a date with you—which, by the way, makes me some sort of saint. So yes, this is a date.”

“You going to put out afterwards too?”

Her lips curl up at the corners. “Not a chance in hell.”

That makes me grin. “Then our definitions of date are very different.”

Maggie snorts. “Who are you kidding? We both know you won’t let me find a different ride home after the game.”

When she bats her eyes up at me playfully and knowingly, something catches in my chest. We both know she’s not wrong.

We walk to the stadium with Monica, Chloe, Gavin, and the rest of our friends. Then we detach when we get to the concession stand near where our seats are.

“Want something to eat or drink?” I ask her.

Maggie looks up at the board then tells me she wants a beer but nothing else. I order two hot dogs, two beers, and a pretzel, then we make our way to our row. Monica’s seats are an entire section down and to the right of us.

“Here.” I shove a hot dog in front of Maggie’s nose. “You should eat something.”

She makes a face and pushes the hot dog away. “I can’t eat that. Do you know how many toxins are in that thing?”

I shrug and stuff half of a dog into my mouth, chew, swallow, and take a sip of beer. “Probably just as much as those three White Water shots you took back in the beer garden.”

“Yeah, well, I’m here, aren’t I? Now you and my sister can shut up about the Seattle experience. After today, not another word.”

I grin. “You ain’t seen nothing like it, babe.”

“Stop calling me babe.”

“Why? I thought you were my date.”

She rolls her eyes, causing me to laugh.

“Relax,” I say, setting her foil-wrapped hot dog on the cup holder in front of her. “We’re going to have a good time, I’m going to take you home without molesting you, and then you can sleep off your hangover while dreaming about me all night long.”

“You are such a cocky one, aren’t you?”

I grin. “You have no idea.”

Meet K.K. Allen

K.K. Allen is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author and interdisciplinary arts and sciences graduate from the University of Washington who writes heartfelt contemporary romance stories that are as real as they are inspiring. K.K. is a Hawaiian girl who was raised in Seattle, and currently resides in central Florida. She works full time as a digital producer for a leading online educational institution and is the mother to a ridiculously handsome little dude who owns her heart.

K.K.’s publishing journey began in June 2014 with the YA Contemporary Fantasy trilogy, The Summer Solstice. In 2016, K.K. published her first Contemporary Romance, Up in the Treehouse, which went on to win the Romantic Times 2016 Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best New Adult Book of the Year. With K.K.’s love for inspirational and coming-of-age stories involving heartfelt narratives and honest emotions, you can be assured to always be surprised by what K.K. releases next.

Connect with K.K. Allen

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Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

If you have read Penny Reid’s The Winston Brothers’ series, then you know Daisy’s Nut House. As Reid’s universe has expanded, the SmartyPants Romance authors have developed stories in Green Valley, Tennessee (the home of the Winston Brothers), and these stories also find themselves, at times, as patrons of Daisy’s Nut House. We know (1) that it’s a Green Valley staple, (2) it serves the best doughnuts anywhere, (3) each resident has their favorite Daisy doughnut, and (4) Daisy’s family (including her extended family members) are Green Valley prestige. What we don’t know, what many readers want to know, is Daisy’s origin story. And, thankfully Chelsie Edwards has crafted the perfect origin story for Green Valley’s Queen of Doughnuts in her book, Upsy Daisy. 

Don’t let that title fool you, though. One might think that this story is a romantic comedy, something soft and funny to lighten your day. It isn’t. However, it isn’t a story replete with angst that seeks to break you emotionally. What you find in Upsy Daisy is a perfect blend of light and dark; serious and light. Once I began to read this book, I simply didn’t want to stop, and it wasn’t because I’m a huge fan of Reid and the SmartyPants Romance authors (although that is part of it). No. This story has a depth to it that seems essential in discussions about equity, accessibility of education, privilege, race, and sex. Even though this story is set during the 70s, this story is a reflection of our own time. 

The story follows Daisy Payton as she starts her first year at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Daisy is bursting to find a new place and new identity at Fisk. Coming from a wealthy family in Green Valley, she has lived her life with two identities: private and public, and the challenge of balancing these two, especially during some traumatic experiences in her family, has left her friend-less and wanting more. On her first day at Fisk, she meets the incredibly handsome Trevor Boone. From their first meeting, these two feel a connection. As they continue to cross each other’s paths, it becomes clear that they are fated for each other except that there are complications in their lives. These complications cause Trevor and Daisy to fall apart and come together. In the end, though, will Trevor and Daisy find their happy ending?

At first glance, this story is a slow-burn romance. In fact, while the romance is the seeming driving force for this story, it really isn’t. While it is set during the course of a school year, to a certain extent, this story is a coming-of-age romance where both Trevor and Daisy must first come to terms with their own personal struggles before they can accept their relationship. This causes them to be apart for quite a bit of Upsy Daisy. Yet, I loved Trevor and Daisy apart as much as I liked them together because their personal growth is necessary to allow their eventual coupling. Additionally, their struggle against each other drives the story. It is the reason I didn’t want to put the book down because I wanted the pleasure of knowing Trevor and Daisy could find their way back to each other. This suggests Edwards’s skill in developing her plot and finding the right pacing to both interest and build emotion in her readers. 

Additionally, underpinning Trevor and Daisy’s romance are several themes. In very basic terms, Upsy Daisy illustrates the complexities (at least in the 70s, but I would argue, even now) of color (is there such thing as skin color that is too dark?), race, privilege (this is a major issue for Daisy as she comes from an affluent family and she tends to be judged for her family’s wealth. It is the reason that she assumes a “new” identity immediately on entering Fisk.), sex and sexuality power dynamics,  and accessibility to education (these last two still find purchase in our current society). There is a social justice to engaging with Upsy Daisy. This social justice is packaged beautifully in Daisy and Trevor’s journey, but Edwards is challenging her reader to be aware and thoughtful about these issues. The foundation of them creates the gravity of this romance. 

Intertwined in the romance and the issues the story details is a bit of suspense. In her blurbs on social media, Edwards notes the “caper” of this story. And yes, that exists too. There isn’t a mystery to be solved; instead, there is a reckoning to be had when poor choices seek to derail Daisy’s time at Fisk. This conspires with all of the qualities I’ve noted above to create a story that compels its readers forward, keeping them captive to the very end. 

Finally, and I don’t know if Chelsie Edwards will read my review, but I really, really wanted a better ending for this story. Warning: yes, there is a happy ending, but there is still more that I would love to read about this couple. Even more, Upsy Daisy is a slow-burn romance. The chemistry builds through to the end. This story is rich with other characters whose stories are BEGGING to be told. I’ve already reached out to Edwards trying to exact a promise from her that their stories will be told, and she’s remaining quiet about it thus far. Why is this important? Because (1) I want more Trevor and Daisy and (2) it’s clear that Edwards is well on her way to becoming a master storyteller. In Upsy Daisy, she has crafted compelling characters whose stories reflect the values of the society of the time but also mirror the values and struggles of our own. We need more romances for POC. They are necessary for identifying the ways that we are the same and different so that we learn to respect and love our differences. As far as this reader is concerned, Edwards’s Upsy Daisy has cemented its place in SmartyPants Romance lore, and we NEED (and want) more from this world that Edwards has beautifully created. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

They can handle anything.
Even falling in love under quarantine.

Love Under Quarantine, an all-new sweet and sexy strangers-to-lovers romance from New York Times bestselling authors Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan, is available now.

While the world is ravaged by a global pandemic, hotshot NFL running back Evan Sparks is locked in his own personal hell. With a career-ending scandal on his back, Evan hides out in his best friend’s empty San Francisco home, the full city shutdown locking him in a lonely twenty-story apartment in the sky.

Romance writer Sadie Walsh is having the worst case of writer’s block ever…until the incredible, muscular stranger staying next door gets her muse going strong. The pair of loners, never expecting to find a friend in all the madness, meet each day out on their balconies like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

Each new day brings unique challenges for the pair as they navigate the unknown and find solace together. They quickly figure out that as long as they have one another, they can handle anything.

Even falling in love under quarantine.

***

Writing together for the first time, New York Times bestselling authors Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan team up to tell a story that not only is a beautiful escape during a trying time, but a true lesson on the power of humanity’s ability to survive. Through a sexy, hopeful, strangers-to-lovers romance, the authors prove with love, trust, and faith, we can conquer anything.

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xb7wmo
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Meet the Authors:

About Kylie Scott

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Connect with Kylie

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Website: https://kyliescott.com/

About Audrey Carlan

Audrey Carlan is a #1 New York Times and International bestselling author. Her titles have appeared on USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Audrey writes wicked hot love stories that have been translated in over thirty different languages across the globe. She is best known for the world-wide bestselling series Calendar Girl and Trinity.

She lives in the California Valley where she enjoys her two children and the love of her life. When she’s not writing, you can find her teaching yoga, sipping wine with her “soul sisters,” or with her nose stuck in a steamy romance novel.

Connect with Audrey

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Website: https://audreycarlan.com/

College, cookies, capers, Oh my!

Upsy Daisy, an all-new first love college romance from debut author Chelsie Edwards, is LIVE!

Daisy Payton has everything.

Exceptional grades.

Impeccable clothes.

Model family.

But perfection comes at a high cost, and Daisy is wilting. Determined to use college as her chance to bloom anew, she’s focused on only one thing, leaving the Payton name behind and forging her own path—even if she has to tell the teeniest of fibs to do it.

Trevor Boone has nothing.

Abandoned as a child.

Raised by distant relatives.

Constantly reminded he’s a burden.

Trevor’s lived at the edges of opulence for years, having all he’s ever desired dangled just out of reach. But his ambition is finally about to pay off and nothing will distract him from his goal—finishing college top of his class and starting life, on his own terms.

When Daisy and Trevor meet it’s clear from the start that they’ll tempt each other to distraction, can they learn to put their ambitions aside and fall or will they lose it all?

‘Upsy Daisy’ is a full-length romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Higher Learning series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy TODAY!

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Coming to Kindle Unlimited on May 11th!

About Chelsie Edwards

Chelsie Edwards’ mother declared her a smarty-pants at 4 years old; now she gets to be one professionally. She manages project timelines by day and book timelines by night. She resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and has no dogs, fish, or birds, but her neighbors cat “Buddy” keeps her company by sunbathing on her porch. Her debut novella is scheduled to be released Spring 2020 on Smartypants Romance and will chronicle Daisy and Trevor’s journey.

Find Chelsie Edwards online

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Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️++

Are you a puzzle builder? When you begin to build a puzzle, you can see the picture of the puzzle on the box lid, but the depth and breadth of that picture cannot be fully realized until all of the puzzle pieces are locked together. The journey of putting that puzzle together, piece by piece, is a journey in patience. As you lock those pieces together, you earn more and more of the puzzle’s truth, but it isn’t until the final piece is in place when the gravity of your achievement hits you. This process can be overwhelming; it can challenge the most patient of souls; and it can inspire pride in a job well done. That journey can be overwhelmingly difficult, yet the pay-off is great. In a way, Sierra Simone’s Harvest of Sighs (and its predecessors A Lesson in Thorns and Feast of Sparks) is like putting a puzzle together. As you read each of these carefully wrought, devastatingly beautiful books, you feel as though you are interlocking the puzzle pieces of the Thornchapel series together. However, the puzzle picture of it isn’t revealing itself easily. Sierra Simone makes her readers work for the treasures of her books, and like the journey of piecing a puzzle together, reading a book such as Harvest of Sighs and the others in the series feels like an achievement. 

I have struggled to find the words to express my utter joy and despair in reading Harvest of Sighs. I’ve decided to settle on a list, the attributes of Harvest of Sighs that makes it a compelling, heady read. I want to warn you, though. Simone does not make reading this series an easy one. For this former literature major, however, the journey has been one that moves my heart and my brain; this series has forced me to delve into the recesses of my memory for the literary knowledge I have tucked away in a special chest, unused in some time. That remembering has made the experience of these books a zealous intellectual pursuit. So here goes…this is the best I can do right now, given that there are a few more missing pieces of the puzzle that is the Thornchapel seres:

1. At its most basic level, Simone’s writing style is exquisite. Harvest of Sighs is not an easy read. This is not your “average romance” laid straight and bare for its reader. The word choice and syntax exist, in my opinion, to create the heaviness of the story. That’s right; this story feels heavy. Simone achieves this with the choice of her words, with its meter, and with its syntactical arrangement. It can feel oppressive reading Harvest of Sighs, but that also feels necessary to the articulation of Auden, St. Sebastian, Proserpina, Delphine, Rebecca, and Becket’s story. The lightness is found in the naturesque scenes, but Simone’s style evokes the depth and breadth of her story. And even her nature descriptors are heavy too. The profundity of her style leads to the significance of her story. 
2. The story itself is a twisty-turny Gothic charade. When you think you have each characters’ story determined, Simone changes the route, taking us over the cliff. Like Feast of Sparks, Harvest of Sighs, once again, leaves us standing precariously at the cliff. There is a bit of hope embued in the final two chapters of the story, but it isn’t much. Even then, when Door of Bruises, the final book in this series, is finished, the puzzle revealed might not be the one we want. Thus far, the picture is incomplete at best. 
3. At its most base level, the $exual moments are titillating and provocative, as is the standard for a Sierra Simone tome. Just like her other series, she pushes the boundaries of propriety, and you can’t help but feel as though you’re peeping behind the curtain to the adult section of your local video store (circa pre-2000s).
4. The sexual politics and its marriage to morality is a centerstone to Harvest of Sighs. I’d like to think that Simone is challenging our heteronormative, Judeo-Christian values with this series (and the ones before it). I’m fairly certain she is. For this reader, it’s one of the many reasons I continue to read her romances. She’s pushing the boundaries of romance by challenging our mores when it comes to romancelandia. These are an inroads into opportunities for reflection and change. However, I believe it’s one only a few romance writers can accomplish, namely Simone. 
5. The poetry of her story is divine. In Harvest of Sighs, the harvest is the metaphor used throughout the book to elaborate on the characters’ freedom from societal stricture. Over and over in this book, Simone crafts “the harvest” into the erotic. As each character engages in a “harvest” of sorts, the story becomes upended, as the harvest dies eventually. You don’t read this level of style into many romance books. This becomes the intellectualism of her story. This coupled with her researched mythology and biblical allegories both confuse and challenge you to read more keenly. 

Over and over again, I found myself seeking the pieces of the puzzle to Harvest of Sighs. There were times when it became difficult to find the right piece to fit the part of the puzzle of her story where I was working. And it was frustratingly glorious. Her challenge, her elicit way of storytelling, lends itself to raising the “picture” of romance. It feels necessary and provocative and intellectual in a way that sometimes romance doesn’t allow itself to be. I, for one, am impatient for Door of Bruises. I want to fit the rest of the pieces of the puzzle to the gothic tale of the Thornchapel series. The picture is still incomplete, but once it’s fully realized, I believe it will be a picture we have never seen and may never see again. Read this series; read Harvest of Sighs. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

HARVEST OF SIGHS (Thornchapel #3) by Sierra Simone
Release Date: May 1st

Add to Goodreads:
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AVAILABLE NOW!
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START THE SERIES TODAY WITH
A LESSON IN THORNS (Thornchapel #1)
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FEAST OF SPARKS (Thornchapel #2)
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Apple Books: https://sierrasim.one/iSparks
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Kobo: sierrasim.one/KoboSparks

Blurb:
The genius and the sunshine girl. As children, we fought bitterly and often, bickering every chance we got.

But then we grew up.
Then we came back.

Delphine Dansey carries her heart on the outside of her body; she’s looking for love and chasing dreams. She’s spoiled and selfish, the kind of beautiful that’s made for money and fame. But somehow she’s ended up in my keeping: a pretty submissive I can’t seem to resist, a lover who obsesses and tempts me.

I thought I’d locked my heart away a long time ago, along with all my other weaknesses. But some doors won’t stay closed, no matter how hard I fight to keep them shut. She unravels me, just like our friends are unraveling, just like Thornchapel itself is unraveling.

All year long, we’ve been sowing lust and jealousy and pain, heedless of the consequences. But a harvest is inevitable, and so now we must reap our sorrows.

And our sighs.

*Harvest of Sighs is Book Three in the Thornchapel series.*

About the Author:
Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

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Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why do readers continually come back to the same authors? Why is it possible that I will read Devney Perry’s romances no matter the subject matter? It’s a simple recipe, I think. For a Perry romance, she builds her roux in romantic intrigue, whether it is suspense, social issues, etc. From there, she tosses in a robust hero, one who usually falls fast and hard for his heroine. To that, she slowly drizzles in a sultry, sometimes quirky, always intelligent heroine. She spices it with a burning chemistry between the two, and she tops it off with the most emotional of happy endings. These are her core ingredients, and they always make a palatable dish of romance. It doesn’t matter its setting or its focus, there is something special about Perry’s storytelling, and her newest book, Stone Princess is no different. 

<Spoiler Alert — if you haven’t read Gypsy King and Riven Knight>

If you finished Riven Knight, you know that Presley, provocative, spirited Presley has been left at the altar. She pulls her shoulders back and soldiers on, determining her future without her long-time boyfriend. At the same time, a movie crew descends upon Clifton Forge, bringing the hunky mega-action star Shaw Valance. Shaw has thrown his production company into filming a movie about the murder in Clifton Forge. There is something about Marcus’s journey that makes him question his past, so he wants to make the movie to allow him to play a character antithetical to his typical roles. When Shaw and Presley cross paths, their chemistry ignites, and Presley tries hard to avoid falling for Shaw Valance, but that becomes difficult when, time and time again, he shows himself to be a thoughtful, valiant, handsome man. They both know a relationship can only last for a short time since he will be leaving when the movie is done, returning home. Will Presley and Shaw endure, or are they destined for a short fling?

In considering Gypsy King, Riven Knight, and Stone Princess, thus far, I’d have to say that Riven Knight still holds my favorite place in the Tin Gypsy series with Stone Princess running a very close second. Stone Princess compares in its emotional gravitas to Riven Knight, as Presley must contend with broken dreams. At the beginning of this story, Presley must choose a new path forward. Thankfully, Perry has written her with an internal fortitude that, while your heart breaks for the events that have transpired, you trust she will find her way forward. This is something exceptional about Stone Princess: Presley’s grace, quietude, and integrity fashion her as one of my favorite Perry heroines. She’s a wonderful mixture of femininity and bada$$ery. She can hold her own with any of the guys in the garage, but also anyone in society. It’s her stalwart persona that attracts Shaw. For me, she’s the heart of this book. When her heart breaks (because every Perry romance requires a moment of brokenness), your heart will break for her too. Perry crafts this moment so deliberately that Presley’s pain is palpable. Perry’s ability to invest us in her characters’ lives is the reason that readers return time and time again to her books. 

This book has secrets. Perry keeps you suspended in her story because she paces those secrets, even to the 90% mark. NINETY PERCENT. Just when I thought I was  “home free” to Perry’s delicious ending, NO! She grabs her readers and says “wait! There is more.” This more turns the tide of her story, and without ruining anything, sets up future stories. This pacing is the reason that you find yourself engaged in Perry’s books the minute you begin reading. I inhaled Stone Princess because Presley and Shaw’s journey feels essential and compels you forward. 

This leads me to the depth of Stone Princess. Shaw and Presley are not broken characters, as we often see in contemporary romance. However, they have been dealt difficult hands. Presley’s characterization is driven by her past. While she doesn’t linger there, she never fully reconciles those difficulties, and they cause her to build stone walls around her heart (aka her moniker, Stone Princess) to protect it. Initially, Shaw seems up to the challenge of demolishing them until he makes an error (as many Perry heroes do), and he adds himself to the list of people who have removed pieces of Presley’s heart. The emotions of this reality ground the story. For once, as the reader, you want Presley to be loved without restraint. When this becomes threatened, Perry brilliantly portrays Presley’s strength. Through these moments, Perry uses her ancillary characters to assert the idea that family can be constructed in any manner. The family that Draven has built in the community of the garage is the very family that becomes Presley’s power and consolation in her time of need. Similarly, Shaw’s family is complicated, and he fails to handle events from his past within his family. This causes Shaw to question his identity to a certain extent. When Shaw begins to understand the need for forgiveness, and when Presley challenges his perspective with her own events, Shaw makes choices to remedy the fracture of his family. While not the same message as Presley’s, it’s clear that family is the theme of Stone Princess, and it’s a reminder to us to cherish our own “families” too. 

Once again, Devney Perry has offered up a delectable treat with Stone Princess. She stocks her ingredients, looking for new variations to add to new books. It’s her recipe for romance that has me gluttonously eating up her stories when they’re served. She’s a master of the small-town romance, intertwining her worlds and compelling us to care about her characters. And at the end of each book, having feasted on her beautifully turned epilogues, I come away every single time, feeling satiated on her stories. Stone Princess is the dessert of the Tin Gypsy series. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

STONE PRINCESS

by Devney Perry

Release Date: May 5th, 2020
Purchase Details: www.devneyperry.com/books/stone-princess

Presley Marks has just become a cliché: the jilted bride. Wearing a white dress, standing in front of her friends and family, she announces that her fiancé—according to his text—has forgotten about the wedding.

Humiliated and angry, she hides from the world in the mundane routine of her life. Working at the Clifton Forge Garage isn’t glamorous, but it’s safe from the spotlight.

At least it was, until Shaw Valance comes to town.

The notorious Hollywood actor is starring in a movie based on the town’s infamous murder. When he’s not on set, Shaw hovers at the garage, watching as they build his custom motorcycle and irritating her with his handsome smile. He was supposed to leave once filming wrapped and go back to his fancy life, not buy the house next door.

But Shaw might regret that purchase once Presley’s ex-fiancé returns, bringing with him a war between old rivals that could burn both their houses down.

EXCERPT

My realtor would have earned a higher commission if she had mentioned that the woman who lived next door was Presley Marks. “Isn’t this a surprise?”
“Is it?” Presley asked, frowning as I descended my steps and crossed the lawn, meeting her in her driveway. She raised a dark blond eyebrow. “Because it sort of feels like stalking.”
I chuckled. “I swear I had no idea you lived next door.”
But what a bonus. I wouldn’t have to make excuses to stop by the garage to see her. She could tear that insurance waiver to shreds. Presley had to know I didn’t give a damn about that bike they were building for me.
“You bought this house?”
“Yeah.” I reached for the grocery bags she had in her hands. “Here, let me help.”
She twisted away. “I’ve got them.”
“Come on.” I stepped forward and she took a step back. Wait, did she really think I was stalking her? “I’m just trying to help. I mean, I’ll probably start writing down your daily schedule so I can make sure our paths cross at least once a day. But that’s normal, right? For stalkers?” 
“Are you being funny?”
My smile flattened. “I guess not.”