Sabrina Montgomery is the sweetest pain in the ass I’ve ever met.

I know what she’s doing, entrapping me in all her sultriness.

But I won’t let her.

This isn’t a game that she can win and she damn well knows it.

But there’s something about this woman that makes me lose control

And I’m not about to give it up that easily.

She’s about to get a rude awakening that will put her on her knees,

Whether she’s willing to or not.


SABRINA

Lucian Steele is my cross to bear.

I’ve been the Board’s liaison to him for the last five years,

The job entails having to convince him to do what they want.

They chose me mostly because no one else can handle the beast of a man.

He’s aggravating in the most attractive way,

Yet I can’t seem to stop thinking of him.

If only he knew just how much I liked him,

Maybe then he’d realize I’d do anything to protect him.

 

A Place Without You, an all-new emotional New Adult romance from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

The Law of Henna and Bodhi:

When love breaks, fall inward, fall together, and fall hard. Then let time pick up the pieces.

Everything feels temporary when you’ve experienced tragedy—until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival.

Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast.

When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she’ll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.

They are reckless.

They are forbidden.

When their secret is discovered, Henna has to choose between finishing school—banned from seeing Mr. Malone—or dropping out to follow her nomad dreams.

Henna chooses her dreams.

Over time, she learns that life is not a destination or a journey, some things are more than temporary, and the forbidden can never be ignored. But if she returns for him, will he still be hers?

A Place Without You is an emotional story of young love, shattered dreams, and impossible decisions.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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About Jewel:

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Connect with Jewel:

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http://www.jeweleann.com

“Don’t sweat it. Everything is temporary.” Except A Place without You.

Quite frankly, it has taken me a few days to really put my mind around Jewel E. Ann’s newest book and offer a review that would do her book justice. So here goes.

Before I begin, you need to know that Jewel E. Ann wears the crown of romance in my opinion. She is my #1 favorite author. Don’t get me wrong. If you have read any of my blog posts/reviews, you know I have several favorite authors. But Jewel is my creme de la creme. You should know that before I move further into the review of her latest book, A Place without You (APYM), releasing January 2nd. Also, you should know that she allowed me to edit the draft of this book, so I’ve read it twice — once in production and once after publication. There’s that.

There are three truths you should know about Jewel and her writing:

1. She is a wordsmith. When I read her books, there are actual nuggets of word joy that spread goosebumps over my skin and build butterflies in my stomach. I want her to put together a Most Quotable Jewel E. Ann reference book simply so the words of her books can be compacted together and treasured. There is something vibrant and delicious in the way she weaves words into gleaming truths for her characters.
2. Her characters usually struggle with some societal challenge, some taboo topic or concern. In When Life Happens, infidelity is explored. Look The Part reveals the emotional and physical consequences of drinking and driving.  Her Transcend duet toys with the idea of soul mates and reincarnation (not in a paranormal way). These tomes are just a smattering of this. What she does through her writing is give you space to consider your values or thoughts on the topic.
3. Jewel writes soul mates. Sometimes, the characters recognize this early; other times, it may take them longer to understand that their souls find completion in each other. Her characters don’t engage in empty relationships. They find solace in each other, oftentimes making her stories heartbreaking as they struggle through the challenges of their lives. Her Jonesies (the FB reader group for Jewel E. Ann) find exhilaration in reading the heartbreak and coming out a bit broken but resolved in the end.

All of these truths are evident in A Place without You.

As I read her draft and subsequent publication, I was bowled over by her words. Here are a few of my favorite lines from this book:

“Time is a weak force compared to other earthly phenomena like magnetism. Attraction doesn’t give a shit about time. It wants what it wants. I know one thing for sure—long after our time ends, I will feel an invisible pull to her for the rest of my life. Yin and Yang. Positive and negative. Bodhi and Henna.”

“We are greater than you and greater than me, and we are definitely greater than our life’s circumstances.”

“Timing guides our lives more than love. Love is just an emotion—timing is our destiny. Missed opportunities. Serendipity. Fate … it’s all about timing, not love.”

“His words overflow my heart, dripping down…staining my soul with the most beautiful promise.”

“Except for Bodhi. With Bodhi, I live. I breathe. I dream. I imagine. I’m limitless with him. But without him, I’m…”

“The Law of Henna and Bodhi: When love breaks, fall inward, fall together, and fall hard. Then let time pick up the pieces.”

“Hi. I’m pretty sure you’re still my greatest memory.”

“Funny…” I shake my head. “Because after two years, a million new faces, and countless cities … every place was simply a place without you. So it doesn’t matter that everyone wanted that for me. I only wanted you.”

“The world is big, but our time here is small and precious. Life is meant to be lived, not solved. And love … well, it’s like a white T-shirt with french fries and ketchup. It’s messy, but worth the risk.”

“The hate, the immaturity, the fear, the pain … it’s no longer part of us. Henna and Bodhi are simply more. More love. More days of living. More nights of passion. Just so much more…”

When you read her words, you breathe the life of her characters, Bodhi and Henna. In this book, though, it isn’t just Henna and Bodhi and their story. It’s the ancillary characters such as Barrett (Bodhi’s father), Juni (Henna’s mother), Zach (Henna’s step-father), and Mitchell (Henna’s father). With each of these characters, Jewel’s words flow. There is an emotional depth to all of their words which lets you know this story matters. These characters’ stories matter.

In this book, the topics are heady: euthanasia, forbidden romance, and timing. I don’t want to touch the first topic because it will give too much away in the story, and I implore you to read this book, especially to challenge your thinking on this topic. However, this book is something of a forbidden romance. When Jewel announced her intent for APWY to involve a “student-teacher” relationship, I was nervous. As a professor, the thought of a romance with a student makes my skin feel tight (and not in that sexual way you read about in books). She told me it would be tasteful, and I’d be “okay” with it. She wasn’t lying. Bodhi and Henna’s relationship, under romantic terms, would be deemed a forbidden relationship (age difference and guidance counselor/student), but it is tasteful. You accept their relationship, and you find yourself wanting to punch Principal Rafferty’s face due to her lack of grace for Henna. I never felt uncomfortable reading Bodhi and Henna’s relationship. It is natural; it is beautiful; it is necessary to understanding the biggest truth of this story: time.

Isn’t it true? Love is about timing, finding the right moment in your life to love someone else. There is no doubt that Henna and Bodhi are soulmates. That is a truth evident from the start. However, even though we understand that truth from the start, it doesn’t mean that their story is meant for now. And that is a truth for everyone. Not every relationship is meant for “now.” So, with that truth, you must know that this story covers time and space. If you are expecting something quick and fast, you will be disappointed. You will need to wait. Be patient. Trust Jewel.

Lastly, the story isn’t grandiose. The characters and their connections to each other are the strength of this story. This is where I shed most of my tears. (Yes, you will cry with this story. Either that, or you have a dead, cold heart). The development of relationships is never without heartbreaks, never without strife. A Place without You will show you that. And the depth of Henna and Bodhi or Bodhi and Barrett or Henna and Barrett or Henna and Juni is the gold of this book. It was a privilege to read about them, to encounter them in the story, living their lives. The connections between them all is, for me, the story’s zenith. If your romance kink is character development (which is mine), then you will love this book.

There is one more thing I love about Jewel E. Ann and her books. Like any good romance, there is $ex in her stories. However, unlike other stories, it is never a focal point. I’ve read so many books wherein the author writes an amazing se%ual scene, a little story, another amazing se%ual moment, a little story, etc. When you read a JEA story, you get a story with wholly-developed characters and little sexy mixed in. It never dominates or takes control; instead, it elevates and adds layers to the complexities of the characters’ stories. It is one more reason that she is my Queen Bee of Romance.

Overall, buy this book, read this story, and wrap yourself in Jewel E. Ann’s amazing prose. If you read on Kindle like me, you will have so many highlights that you can revel in later. From someone who has read this book a couple of times, A Place without You can never be temporary; it can only be eternal.

Add to GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41451308-a-place-without-you

Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+

In love and romance,

Professor A

Photo Courtesy of Jewel E. Ann

https://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Petal-Linnea-May-ebook/dp/B07KR8L8MF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545962804&sr=8-1&keywords=fallen+petal+linnea+may

After the cliffhanger of Lost Petal, I was incredibly nervous. Would Linnea May make her readers wait far into the second book in the duet, Fallen Petal, to know what Malia showed Petal at the end of the first book? Or would she provide us relief quickly?

Thankfully, the latter is the case. Fallen Petal resolves the cliffhanger of the first book right from the start, but we are still left with so many questions. Is J (Jayson) heroic? Is he really working for Petal, or is he taking only for himself? Will Malia expose Jayson and, by extension, Petal to Christopher or Robert? Will Petal aka Liliane remember her past? Will it affect her future? Who is she meant to give her future to?

And all of these questions kept this reader (me) reading Linnea May’s story. There is something exquisite about the writing of this story. The reader is treated as a voyeur to Petal’s life. The same cloud of confusion that Petal experiences is created for the reader as well. As the story progresses, little bits of Petal’s memory and Jayson and Liliane’s story are portioned out. Just as there is a blank state to Petal’s memory, there is an essence of a blank slate for the reader too. It allows you to drift along, hoping for the story to turn certain ways, but never really sure if you want it to go a particular way.

For me, I needed Jayson and Petal to be a couple, even though the way that Petal is presented at the beginning makes this a dubious consent story. Jayson’s actions with Petal should make the reader uncomfortable under most conventional standards. There is some BDSM and serious s$x in this story. Instead, you find yourself hoping that Jayson loves Petal, and the steps he’s taken for her life are sincere.

This book answers all of the questions of the first book. You get Jayson’s background and Liliane/Petal’s background. The history is included, and all of your questions end with answers by the end of Fallen Petal. I was entirely fulfilled with this book except I would have liked more ending. I love a good epilogue, but I would really enjoy a bonus epilogue for this story. I believe Linnea May has plans for Malia’s story. Hopefully, we’ll find more of J and Petal in her story.

Get this duet. You won’t be disappointed.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In love and romance,

Professor A

Dark Castle is a dark romance centered around royalty. Prince Olivier must choose a princess in order to ascend to his position as king. In the prequel to this book, Olivier encounters Amber and consumes her, taking her virginity. In Dark Castle, he has positioned it that Amber is a contestant in his Hunger Games-style contest to choose his future queen. Amber must compete against some of the wealthiest and royal contestants in the world. However, Olivier makes it quite clear that Amber is his choice, but he is honoring the crown’s traditions by engaging in this competition. The story ends with a cliffhanger which will pick up in Wicked Prince, and the end of this story is shocking.

This story is dark. Fawn Bailey commented that she was seeking to write something that would give her butterflies. And this story does that WELL. I found myself reading a chapter or two and taking a break. Partly, this had to do with Olivier. Holy crap! He is evil. He would wax poetic about Amber as his choice, but in the next breath, he would comment on the beauty of the other contestants. The other reason I had to take breaks is Olivier’s relationship with Amber. It is dark, erotic, and out of control (that’s my opinion). These two aspects of the novel kept my stomach feeling like I was on a roller-coaster. I’d like to think that makes Bailey happy…and it made for a compelling read. I was torn between not wanting to put it down and feeling anxious about Olivier’s treatment of Amber.

I can’t wait to read Wicked Prince. That cliffhanger left me on the edge of my seat, and I am hoping there might be some kind of happily-ever-after. Maybe…

Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In love and romance,

Professor A

I have had the pleasure of reading all three of the Ryder Brothers series books. It began with Laurelin Paige’s Close. I fell in love with Nick and Natalie, and I figured the next two books would be good. However, I was certain that no couple would be better than Nick and Nat. Well, then came Kayti McGee’s Want. Once again, I fell in love with the couple, Marlee and Jake. They were very different from Nick and Natalie, but their story was as fresh and engaging. When I read the end of Want, and we were teased Jonah and Hadley, I was nervous. Everything we knew about Jonah came through Jake and Nick’s perspectives. How can you fall in love with a “man-wh0$e?” I figured J.D. Hawkins’s book, More, would be a “wash.”

Boy, was I wrong.

More is my favorite book of the three. Jonah is the main reason for my love for this book. Of course, Jake and Nick would have skewed perceptions of their brother. They don’t really understand Jonah. We find out in More that Jonah is dealing with issues related to fame. He has endured some trauma that has left him with a version of social anxiety which keeps him from performing. To him, performing equates to giving up control, and he would rather not play music than not be in control of his fate, his life. This is the heady stuff of this book. Instead of facing the truth of his situation, Jonah drinks and beds lots of women to avoid the reality of his life.

Enter Hadley. There are many times in this book when Hadley could be a “push-over.” She and Jonah have an easy sexual chemistry. Together, they are dynamite. However, when Jonah and Hadley’s sexual relationship threatens Jonah’s inroads to healing, Hadley embodies strength and confronts him, showing a greater commitment to helping Jonah than to her own happiness. This is her power. She is tenacious and creative in helping Jonah heal.

There is a depth to these characters that you don’t read in the first two books. Don’t get me wrong. I love those characters and their stories. But Jonah’s struggle resonated with me: the worry over losing control. I think that’s why I liked his character so much.

If you haven’t read this series, you really should. Nick, Jake, and Jonah are more than your average former boy banders. They are simply men wanting to love and be loved.

Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In love and romance,

Professor A

MORE (RYDER BROTHERS #3) by J.D. Hawkins
Release Date: December 19th
Cover Design: Laurelin Paige
Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography
Cover Model: Wayne S.

NOW AVAILABLE!!
Free on Kindle Unlimited!!
(Links to come!!)

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42036663-more?

Blurb:
It starts with a bang.

As in me and Hadley, the maid of honor, during my brother’s wedding reception.
Sure, it was amazing, but I’m a one-and-done kind of guy.
After spending years of my life getting screwed over by managers and agents with the Ryder Brothers, I no longer like to commit.

I don’t even play music anymore.
The secret that I haven’t told anyone- is that I can’t.

A chance to raise money for my best friend’s nonprofit to help child stars means it’s time to deal with my block.
Hiring Hadley seems like the obvious solution.
She wants inside my head (not happening). I want to bang her again (she says she can’t sleep with clients).

Between my baggage and her professionalism, can my problem even be fixed?
Or will we both end up just wanting more?

Excerpt:
Hadley has something about her. Something beyond that daytime fantasy-inducing body and those cinematic eyes. So maybe it’s not just lust that’s made her dance around my thoughts for months now—it’s not like I’m short of women willing to fulfill those kinds of wants. Perhaps some part of me knows Hadley could be good for me, in more ways than one.

I watch her a while longer, feeling the calm energy that her presence seems to bring. Just looking at her is enough. Then, as she finishes her juice and moves away from the group to put the empty glass on a table, I turn to the bartender and instruct him on what to mix up for me.

A Pirate’s Booty. Once again.

The place is louder now, as people pass around the baby clothes and toys, conversation splitting off into a dozen smaller, more intense ones. I take the drink and move through the guests, smiling as a few of them call hellos, and eventually reach my target.

“Third time’s the charm?” I say, once I’m close.

She spins around and looks startled for a second. Her eyes going from mine, to the drink, and back to mine again before she tilts her head and casts that warm sunbeam of a smile at me.

“I appreciate it, but I’m not drinking tonight. Driving.”

I push the drink a little closer to her.

“I’m sure there’s a kind gentleman somewhere around here who’s willing to take you home.”

She laughs gently, then bites her lip in a gesture so sexy it could be its own porn category. A moment of hesitation, the indecision written all over her expressive face—but I know she’ll give in.

“You know what? I’ll take you up on that,” she says, side-eyeing me coquettishly as she takes the drink and sips. I savor it, the way she raises her chin, the slenderness of her neck. God, she’s incredible.

“Good?”

“Very good,” she says, her smile a little wider now, a little more subtextual.

About the Author:
JD Hawkins writes erotic romance with modern-classic alpha males and strong, independent women. He currently lives with his wife in Austin, TX. He loves to travel and has lived in many places, including LA, New York City, India and Thailand. When he isn’t writing, JD enjoys surfing, training in Mixed Martial Arts, reading and taking naps. He once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. He’s always loved making up stories, especially ones inspired by real life.

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HOOPS Holiday, a Christmas bundle featuring all-new, never-before-published content by Kennedy Ryan, is available now!

MacKenzie Decker was a question Avery never got to ask, much less answer.

They met when she was a young reporter fueled by ambition, and the ink on Deck’s first NBA contract was barely dry. Years later, they’ve climbed so high and lost so much, but one thing hasn’t changed. The attraction that simmered between them in a locker room before is still there. With success like theirs, everything has been possible . . .

except them.

But that was then.

The only question is…what about now?

Grab your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S1Q20Q

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/HoopsHoliday

Add HOOPS Holiday to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EU5RVg

** Hoops Holiday consists of FULL-COURT PRESS, a HOOPS novella originally published in the TEAM PLAYER Anthology. It has been expanded with all-new, never before published content & epilogue.

It also includes Christmas-themed bonus material for LONG SHOT (Iris & August) and BLOCK SHOT (Banner & Jared).

*All HOOPS Stories are standalone, and can be enjoyed individually or in order.

Excerpt:

Soft and fresh like petals.

I’m a jock. Not a dumb one, but a jock nonetheless. I don’t describe a woman’s lips as soft and fresh or compare a kiss to flowers. Besides the few years I was married to Tara, if it opened its legs and said yes or please, I fucked it. I always rushed it. A man’s got needs, but I got in and I got out. This woman, this kiss, I have to savor. I’d be a fool not to. It’s a first kiss. I understand the difference now between the first time you kiss someone, and a first kiss. This is a discovery of tongues and lips and heat. An introduction of our souls, if that doesn’t sound too pussy-ish. It’s how I feel, though. Like as our lips brush back and forth, as our tongues tangle, as I taste her, mouthful by delicious mouthful, I’m learning her secrets. I’m telling her mine. My hand slides from the door to flatten into the warmth of her back through the silk blouse, bringing her incrementally closer. The air shifts and takes the shape of lust; assumes the form of want. The sound of her moaning, the slight lift and fall of her breasts against my chest, testifies that she feels it, too.

The elevator dings, and our bodies go still even as we keep exchanging breaths and heartbeats through our clothes; even though my mouth is still poised above hers. I have her against the door, and every curve of her body is impressing itself on me, making sure I’ll never forget how right we fit together. I look over my shoulder toward the elevator. The doors open, but no one gets off. That interruption was enough to bring her back to her senses, though. God knows I can’t find mine.

“Um . . . you should go,” she whispers, a muscle rippling along the smooth line of her jaw.

I bend to breathe over her mouth, so she can taste our kisses lingering on my lips. “Or you could invite me in.”

Her scent and the warmth of her body take my senses hostage. I smell her and want to kiss her again so badly it stings my taste buds. Her eyes already regret the last few moments I thought were so perfect. I can’t calm my emotions or my body that quickly.

“You don’t want to come in, Deck.”

“I assure you I do.”

A short laugh, deceptively light, breezes past her lips. She glances down to the floor and shakes her head.

“I’d make the worst one-night stand ever,” she says.

“One-night stand?” I take her chin in hand and lift, forcing her to look at me. “I’ve waited a long time for this path to be clear. No conflict of interest. No other people standing in our way. I don’t know exactly what I want, Avery, but it’s damn sure more than one night.”

Catch up on the other HOOPS novels:

LONG SHOT: https://amzn.to/2xYBvv5

BLOCK SHOT: http://mybook.to/BlockShot

Add HOOPS Holiday to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EU5RVg

ENTER THE RELEASE GIVEAWAY!

ANY Signed HOOPS Novel signed paperback!

http://bit.ly/HHRelGive

Want more from Kennedy? Love audiobooks?

Listen to her audio-first story SWIPE for FREE on the Read Me Romance podcast!

Swipe is available NOW exclusively on Read Me Romance!

Listen here:

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Google Play: http://geni.us/7lB4UBK

Stitcher: https://bit.ly/2Salz0s

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On May 2nd, an EXPANDED e-book version of SWIPE will be released!

Pre-Order on Apple Books, Kobo & B&N:

http://books2read.com/SWIPE

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Coming March 2019!

Add HOOK SHOT, Hoops 3, to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/KeLoGoodreads

About Kennedy

A Top 30 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes about women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine and Frolic, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta Autism families, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.

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