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✍🏻 Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov’s Don’t Cry Over Spilled MILF is Coming November 18th. Ready to check out the sultry cover? ✍🏻

⭐ ⭐ ℂ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℝ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝔸𝕃⭐ ⭐

𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒚! 𝑮𝒖𝒔 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝑶𝑼!

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐥𝐨𝐯 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆.𝐃. 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦-𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐅 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖𝐭𝐡!

ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖: http://mybook.to/dontcryoverspilledmilf

𝔼𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕪: https://bit.ly/DCOSMGiveaway

A hot, sexy playboy and a gorgeous single mother who wants nothing to do with him.

Buckle up, Susannah Brighton. Gus is coming for you. No pun intended.

Susannah

I make my living writing romance.

I prefer my heroes to remain fictional.

But Gus Taylor is better than anything I could have dreamed up.

Sexy and funny and dauntingly handsome.

My little girl and I have been on our own for a long time and that’s the way I want to keep it.

But Gus Taylor makes me question everything I believe.

Gus

I’m a good-time guy.

I’ve always worn the title with pride.

But from the moment Susannah Brighton moves next door, I’m a goner.

And she’s got a little girl.

In the beginning, I think she’s just a mom I’d like to—forget about it.

All that’s changed now that I know Susannah and her angelic daughter.

I’ll do whatever it takes to win her over.

Because when you know, you know.

And I plan on writing myself into her happily ever after.

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/DCOSM-GR

Cover created by: Jena Brignola, Bibliophile Productions

𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑢𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠…

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝟙: 𝕎𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕎𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖: http://mybook.to/WantedWedOrAlive

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝟚: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝: http://mybook.to/boldandbullheaded

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝟛: 𝔸𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕄𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣: http://mybook.to/anothermotherfaker

𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕤!

Willow Aster

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Laura Pavlov

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: Jewel E. Ann’s The Lost Fisherman ✍🏻

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

At the end of The Lost Fisherman, it’s clear that time is the unifying spirit of Jewel E. Ann’s The Naked Fisherman and The Lost Fisherman. In the first book, the age gap between Fisher and Reese works to complicate their relationship. As a reader, you find yourself wanting to force a potential relationship on them because, as romance readers, everyone loves a happy ending at the end of a book. However, Ann builds the tension around “perfect timing” with the naivete of Reese in contrast to Fisher’s vast experience. I mentioned in my review of The Naked Fisherman that that book was really more about Reese’s growth than Fisher’s experience. 

In The Lost Fisherman, the tables have been turned. The timing is seemingly “right” except this being a Jewel E. Ann story it isn’t. And the tension of Fisher and Reese falling in love feels both decadent and frustrating in equal measure. The Lost Fisherman explores Fisher’s journey to finding himself again, and the tension that Ann builds in this story overwhelms you as you fall deeply into their story. Thankfully, the promise of a happy ending allows for your survival of the story.  Couple that with the easy banter between Reese and Fisher (my favorite aspect of this duet of stories), and as you turn the pages, you remember, once again, how much Jewel E. Ann is a master storyteller. 

The crux of The Lost Fisherman is the idea of timing, of living in the moment. In The Naked Fisherman, Fisher had the upper hand, and a potential relationship would have always been “uneven” had they continued on together. After five years, Reese has had the opportunity to “live” life, to grow and become more of herself. Now, their possibilities are endless, although Ann plays with it in this story even more. I personally loved the complications of this book, the tether between Fisher and Reese that grows taut and loose throughout the progression of their story. And through it all, I love the Reese of The Lost Fisherman more than the Fisher of The Naked Fisherman, both of them wizened guides of a particular book. In this story, the playing field feels level yet studded with landmines. 

Each turn of the page of The Lost Fisherman reminds you to live for the “good enough day”: to love hard, laugh often, and choose happiness. To not read this duet is to miss out on an opportunity to laugh and cry and challenge yourself to live life with courage in the face of adversity. These are the apt lessons learned from Jewel E. Ann’s newest book, and it’s glorious. 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Heidi Hutchinson’s Key Change ✍🏻

Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Heidi Hutchinson’s Key Change is a surprisingly beautiful story about learning to love yourself even if you don’t feel like you’re worthy of it. Going into it, I had no experience reading Hutchinson’s brand of romance, and if I must be honest, I wouldn’t necessarily call Key Change a romance. Instead, it seems more like women’s fiction with a side of romance. There are some aspects of it that you should know before going into it:

  1. It’s a slow burn. I loved it as its present pacing because the heroine of the story, Hannah, is striving to live a better life after decades of living as a self-important, mean girl. Even though the story begins with the more reformed version of herself, it takes most of Key Change for her to like herself. This is accomplished through her relationship with Johnny, but it also involves self-reflection and mindfulness on her part. In fact, that is probably my favorite part of this story: Hannah is intentional in her actions and thinking. When her thinking begins to spin out, she seeks out counseling to help her. Key Change is a book about living intentionally.
  2. This story is more fade-to-black than explicit. And I have never been so happy for it in a story. I loved the progression of Johnny and Hannah’s relationship. Hutchinson is incredibly careful with them, and given their background, it shows smart storytelling. If you’re looking for blatant $ex scenes, there is the hint of one in a flashback, but the book is more about Hannah learning to love herself in all of her iterations.
  3. This story is situated in the Knitting in the City and Cipher Security Systems world. Therefore, Quinn, Alex, and Damon make appearances. While they aren’t central to the story, these characters act as the wizened assistance that Hannah requires. 
  4. While Johnny is a key component of Key Change, honestly, Hannah’s journey feels more important. As such, Johnny’s characterization is a bit flat. He is the type of hero whom you love to love because he acts heroically by stepping in to raise his younger brother, agreeing to work with Hannah with the shadow of their past covering him, and forgiving Hannah when he realizes the complications of her past. There is much that is complicated about him other than the disdain he has initially for his attraction to Hannah. Once he absolves himself of it, he exists in the story to love Hannah. It’s really that simple. 

Again, I was surprised at how much I loved Heidi Hutchinson’s Key Change. Hannah and Johnny’s evolution acts to show that the hero and heroine don’t need to be perfect specimens for a story. They simply need to love and be loved, and that is definitely the case with this newer book to the SmartyPants Romance. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Oh, Amy Daws. Sweeper’s cover is SOMETHING. Daphney and Zander are coming November 4th. Get ready and preorder your copy TODAY! ✍🏻

Cover Reveal Banner copy

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Daphney Clarke can’t stand the cocky footballer next door. But after one steamy hallway kiss, Zander is convinced that neighbors-with-benefits would be a much better game to play than neighbor wars.

Only question is, who will be the winner?

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book info

Title: SWEEPER
Author: Amy Daws
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: November 4, 2021
Platforms: Kindle Unlimited/Amazon
Cover Designer: Amy Daws

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about the book

Sweeper Cover-front

The cocky footballer next door has some serious balls…
luckily, Daphney Clarke knows how to play.

Zander Williams is the hot new American determined to take European football by storm. His head is so big, it barely fits under his backwards hat. And when he’s recruited to one of the biggest up and coming clubs in London, he’s certain to make his name known.

Managing the building where they live is only one of Daphney’s many jobs. It’s why she has zero patience for the obnoxious American on the other side of the wall who makes the most ungodly noises and likes to answer his door in nothing but a pink tea towel.

Tensions build and after one steamy hallway kiss, neighbor wars quickly shifts into neighbors-with-benefits and that’s a battle they both intend to win.

But Daphney doesn’t know the real reason Zander is in London and now she’s stuck in the middle of a game she didn’t even know she was playing.

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buy links
Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Sexpert-coming

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giveaway

PB Giveaway-preorder

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about the author

Amy Daws Head Shot-sizedown

Amy Daws is an Amazon Top 13 bestselling author of sexy, contemporary romance novels. She enjoys writing love stories that take place in America, as well as across the pond in England. When Amy is not writing in a tire shop waiting room, she’s watching Gilmore Girls, or singing karaoke in the living room with her daughter while Daddy smiles awkwardly from a distance.
For more of Amy’s work, visit: http://www.amydawsauthor.com

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✍🏻 Forrest for the Trees by Kilby Blades is one of my favorite stories in the next season of SmartyPants Romance. If you love a little hate-to-love, small-town, slow burn romance, then you will ADORE this story. ✍🏻

Forrest for the Trees, an all new slow burn small town romance from Kilby Blades, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Read my review HERE.

Forrest Winters isn’t just a federal fire marshal; he’s a thorn in Ranger Sierra Betts’s side. The way he swings his big axe, fixes her with his chameleon gray eyes, and talks about his jurisdiction has a way of breaking her concentration. He has a way of showing up everywhere he doesn’t belong, including Greenbrier Ranger Station. And he really needs to quit stealing her bacon bites.

When a series of suspicious fires, an underhanded co-worker, and a cagey Parks Police Chief threaten her job and the park itself, Sierra grudgingly agrees to partner with Forrest. Their side investigation may be her best shot at preventing the framing of an innocent man. But can his firefighting expertise and her detective skills lead them to the real arsonist before Forrest breaks her with his charm?

‘Forrest for the Trees’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone and is book #1 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3mjGDE7

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3xRkjUh

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2XjDnhh

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3jYau1N

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

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/2YyfPG7

Excerpt

“Do you walk around with bacon in your pocket or something?” Sierra asked.

Forrest gave Everest a final rub and rose to his feet. “I reckon it’s just good, old-fashioned Southern charm.”

Reaching toward his face, he pushed up the temple of his sunglasses until they sat on top of his head. Forrest looked down at her, smirk on his face, as usual, having his fun. Only, for Sierra, there was nothing fun about the heat that rose to her ears every time his gaze set on her, clouding her thinking with his smoky eyes.

Forrest’s eyes weren’t just gray, and they weren’t “just eyes.” His gaze was penetrating and clear, with dark lashes that matched his dark hair. His irises were never the same, though whatever their hue at any given moment, a dark charcoal ring that looked like drawn pencil outlined the lighter color, adding intensity. Today they shone brightly—the color of wet shale—a stark difference from the last time she’d seen him. They’d turned dark, like slate, when he’d talked about the fires. There was something wondrous, and magical, and devastating about watching the way they changed.

“What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”

Forrest chuckled and crossed his arms. “Your woods again, huh?”

Sierra mirrored his posture. “‘Neck of the woods’ is a Southernism. I know how y’all like your sayings.”

He laughed again, his voice rich and deep—another thing about him she had the bad habit of replaying in her mind.

“Better than a pig likes slop.” Forrest’s eyes twinkled.

It made Sierra grateful for her own sunglasses—windows to her soul, and all. She didn’t want to think what Forrest might notice if he really saw her then. He would never stop gloating if he knew of her susceptibility to his allure.

“You never said what you were doing here,” she pointed out.

“Following up on some potential fire hazards. Just being vigilant. You know how it is …”

Sierra nodded. “I do.”

“I was just down at the ranger station …” he began haltingly. “I wanted to thank you for what you left me—you know, my fire marshal snacks.”

Sierra bit her lip against her own smile. “You liked that, huh?”

“Not just me. The guys thought it was pretty funny.”

“You told me you could read, so I figured …” She trailed off innocently, and shrugged.

After their last conversation and his repeated, willful ignorance of her Tupperware marked specifically as being “Ranger Snacks,” she’d brought in a smaller Tupperware labeled “Fire Marshal Snacks.”

“Sad thing is, a different fire marshal must’ve beat me to it,” he continued. “Imagine my disappointment when I opened the container and it was empty.”

“Oh, no!” She feigned shock. “What did you do?”

“Picked up the phone and called Ed Ellis. Asked him to put out an APB to track down whoever had my bites.”

“Then you helped yourself to the ranger bites, I’m guessing.”

He made a production out of looking distraught. “They’re not as good as fire marshal bites, but I had no choice.”

He didn’t take his gaze off of her. When heat rose again in her ears, she knew she had to go. Plus, if she didn’t get moving, she really would be late.

“Nice to see you, Marshal Winters.”

His smirk melted into a half-smile. “Always a pleasure, Ranger Betts.”

About Kilby Blades

Kilby Blades is a USA Today Bestselling author of Romance and Women’s Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).

During her career as a digital marketing executive, she moonlighted as a journalist, freelanced as a food, wine and travel writer and lived it up as an entertainment columnist. She has lived in five countries, visited more than twenty-five, and spends part of her year in her happy place in the Andes Mountains. Kilby is a feminist, an oenophile, a cinephile, a social-justice fighter, and above all else, a glutton for a good story. Follow her everywhere @kilbyblades.

Find Kilby Blades online

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kilbybladesauthor 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kilbyblades

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kilby-Blades/e/B01N4770M0 

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kilbyblades 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kilby-blades

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kilbyblades 

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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✍🏻 Who’s been waiting for Fisher and Reese’s conclusion? Well, it’s LIVE! The Lost Fisherman is a perfect ending to the duet. ✍🏻

The Lost Fisherman by Jewel E. Ann is now live!  

It’s been five years since I’ve seen him. An unexpected event takes me back to the place where it all began.

But I’m no longer the naïve young woman he once knew. And he’s no longer the man who took nearly everything from me.

Can this be our time? Or is it too late? Did I find myself only to lose him?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ylmq30

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/TheLostFisherman

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3z3lnWo

Start with The Naked Fisherman!

mybook.to/TheNF

 Meet Jewel


Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Connect with Jewel

Website: https://www.jeweleann.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7505427.Jewel_E_Ann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jewel-E-Ann/e/B00IJYHDIG/

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485996228236493

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jewel-e-ann

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

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeweleannauthor

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✍🏻 If you’ve been reading through Penny Reid’s universe, then you KNOW Scotia Simmons. And if you’re like me, you’ve been waiting for her story in L.B. Dunbar’s Love in a Pickle. It’s HERE! ✍🏻

Love in a Pickle, an all-new standalone contemporary romance from L.B. Dunbar, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited! 

When a mysterious silver fox becomes intrigued with this small town’s most disliked society woman, he finds she’s more than a little trouble and possibly a whole lot of heart.

Scotia Simmons. The name says it all—ornery, judgmental, mean—but underneath a woman like that is typically a shattered heart. Locked within her secrets, this fried pickle princess has used her unkindness as a shield of protection against the loneliness. However, menopause and a one-night stand can change a woman’s perspective on things. Who knew it would take a man the likes of him to push her strong will to its limits?

Chester Chesterfield. The name has more than one meaning—generous, quiet, private—but within one man is a multitude of personas. The gruff oil mogul has a wounded heart (and a big secret) that holds him hostage from the man he’s meant to be. His past defined him, or so he thought. He never imagined it’d take a woman like her to push him over his carefully constructed edges and show him love has no boundaries.

When you’re in a pickle, it’s time to relish what—or rather who—stands before you and accept that even over forty, a second chance at love can be a big dill (every pun intended).

‘Love in a Pickle’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #9 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2VRtcAq

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3shpCLq

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3j2eVcA

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3D07VF8

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2UI2LMY

About L.B. Dunbar

L.B. Dunbar has an overactive imagination. To her benefit, such creativity has led to over thirty romance novels, including those offering a second chance at love over 40. Her signature works include the #sexysilverfoxes collection of mature males and feisty vixens ready for romance in their prime years. She’s also written stories of small-town romance (Heart Collection), rockstar mayhem (The Legendary Rock Stars Series), and a twist on intrigue and redemption (Redemption Island Duet). She’s had several alter egos including elda lore, a writer of romantic magical realism through mythological retellings (Modern Descendants). In another life, she wanted to be an anthropologist and journalist. Instead, she was a middle school language arts teacher. The greatest story in her life is with the one and only, and their four grown children. Learn more about L.B. Dunbar by joining her reader group on Facebook (Loving L.B.) or subscribing to her newsletter (Love Notes).

Find L.B. Dunbar online

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2kkGqTy

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2lzEmHo

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

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2k1Rk0d

Website: https://www.lbdunbar.com/

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Newsletter: https://smartypantsromance.com/newsletter/

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✍🏻 We are back for more of Piper Sheldon’s Scorned Women’s Society series. Ready to meet Jack and Skip? Then, run and grab Hopelessly Devoted. ✍🏻

Hopelessly Devoted, an all new forced proximity MM novella from Piper Sheldon, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!  

Skip has one goal: retrieve his romantically reckless best friend from Green Valley, Tennessee and get back to their normal life. Then Skip meets Jack. The handsome and caring stranger is just another distraction from his careful plans. 

Jack has dealt with more than his fair share of troubled men and is done with letting his guard down. When he meets walking red flag, Skip, he knows he should run the opposite direction and ignore their chaotic attraction.  

Only, fate seems to have other plans when they are stuck on a camping trip together. Jack and Skip are convinced they can put their attraction aside and focus on helping their friends. 

One quick trip, one shared tent, what could possibly go wrong? 

‘Hopelessly Devoted’ is a contemporary romance novella and can be read as a standalone. Book #3.5 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3m3aNLB

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ALEaGc

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3D4pF2v

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3CUDPD7

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3y6B6mp

Start the Scorned Women’s Society Series of Standalones Today!

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited

My Bare Lady

http://bit.ly/3c7jMEW

The Treble With Men

http://bit.ly/3kR82KE

The One That I Want

https://bit.ly/3rRSKJ4

About Piper Sheldon

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

Find Piper Sheldon online

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2lAvr8A

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2kxkioK

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2kx2RVn

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2lxxV7H 

Website: http://bit.ly/2kitH3H

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Website: https://smartypantsromance.com/ 

Newsletter: https://smartypantsromance.com/newsletter/

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: CD Reiss’s Mafia Queen, the final book of the DiLustro Arrangement ✍🏻

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

To understand the depth of story and characterization in CD Reiss’s newest book, Mafia Queen, you MUST start at the beginning of this trilogy. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Reiss’s calling card is all over this series: aggressively alpha-male hero/antihero, a heroine whose journey evolves into the manifestation of her innate power, violent mafia business, and the steamiest of steamy physical scenes. It’s almost commonplace to read some of the most decadently physical bedroom scenes in Reiss’s romances. She offers a no-holds-barred view of it. Again, it’s her signature. What people might not acknowledge is that, while her $ex scenes often have shades of violence in them, they are consensual and woman-positive. All of this is found in each of the books of Reiss’s DiLustro Arrangement Trilogy. The reading of these books feels decadent. Page after page of danger, sensuality, and action keep you glued to the book even though there are moments when you want to turn away. Like a nasty accident, you have to keep looking. 

All of that aside, the genius, for me, of this trilogy, in finding its finality in Mafia Queen, is the evolution of Reiss’s heroine, Violetta. Yes, Santino evolves as well; however, the biggest growth lies with Violetta. In the first book, she’s naive, and she wakes from that innocent sleep by the end of the book. However, she still doesn’t fully understand Santino’s world. In Mafia King, she becomes idealistic, striving for change, and that doesn’t marry well to this world. In fact, it ends with a tragic cliffhanger that leads us into Mafia Queen. In this book, Violetta is reborn like a phoenix from the ashes of destruction. She recognizes her power, and she finitely uses it to effect change within the heavy patriarchy of this world. The profundity of her machinations is important. There are moments, while standing in the power afforded her, when she must make choices to engage the men of Santino’s world to reach her end. Reiss walks us through this process, and it reminds us of how women negotiate power in our largely patriarchal world. It suggests that the better leaders might be women due to their ability to read situations and people more proficiently. Thankfully, Santino has grown as a hero, and he recognizes her capacity to lead. The Santino of Mafia Bride could not have handled the Violetta of Mafia Queen. Therefore, their coupling is fully realized in this book. The power of Reiss’s story and characterizations create a book that feels heavy and thoughtful. If you’re looking for levity, you won’t find it in this book or its predecessors. 

However, if you’re like this reader, and you love dark themes, you crave the gravity of real-world themes wrapped in a fictional world out of CD Reiss’s warped imagination, then you should RUN to grab the DiLustro Arrangement trilogy. The King and Queen are waiting for you. 

In love and romance, 


Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Sarina Bowen’s Boyfriend ✍🏻

Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen is a charming fake boyfriend story that melts your heart. Situated in Bowen’s World of True North universe, in the Moo U world, it follows Weston and Abbi. Weston is a handsome playboy hockey player on the esteemed Burlington University team. Like his hockey peers, he spends quite a bit of time at The Biscuit in the Basket as all good Moo U hockey players do. It is there where Abbi and Weston connect. Abbi is a server there, and she admires Weston from afar. Before Thanksgiving, Weston decides to, once again, put himself up for the highest bidder to escort a lucky person, acting as a boyfriend in return for a Thanksgiving meal. Weston’s home life is problematic in the wake of his parents’ divorce; therefore, he avoids it. Abbi, secretly longing for Weston, applies for his assistance for her own Thanksgiving dinner. When Weston chooses her and then realizes she is the gorgeous server from the ‘Biscuit,’ he’s excited for the opportunity to do more than act as her fake boyfriend. However, he realizes quickly that Abbi is more than a good time; she’s perfect. As their story goes, Weston and Abbi decide to have a “friends with benefits” relationship. Yet, as they spend more time together, the temporality of their relationship isn’t enough. Eventually, they realize how suited they are for each other. 

Adding Bowen’s voice to this world that has been recently developed by other authors is a major flex for this series of stories. That her hero and heroine are charming reminds us of Bowen’s ability to create relationships that feel grounded in friendship as well as infused with $exiness. Abbi and Weston illustrate this truth beautifully. For me, their chemistry isn’t purely physical; instead, it’s grounded in their ability to get along, to connect. Their banter and connection are what make this book a fantastic read. Bowen builds the tension of their relationship around its eventual end, yet she makes it clear that they are well-suited to each other. 

One of the other aspects of Boyfriend that affected me deeply is Bowen’s characterization of Abbi. I’m a sucker for people who find themselves alone in the world. While Abbi has a step-father, he is a remnant of a past life, and their relationship is fraught with outside complications. This aloneness makes Abbi strong in ways that cause her to be the best character in the book. Over and over again, you find yourself enamored with her tenacity, resilience, and, believe it or not, ease with others, specifically Weston. He cannot help but fall in love with her because, while the most complicated characterization, she isn’t the most complicated character. She’s easy to love, and you find yourself rooting for her happy ending. 

Boyfriend is another reminder that Sarina Bowen can write thoughtful, engaging, entertaining romance. It’s a perfect addendum to the World of True North, and you’d be missing out on a day of giggles and sighs if you don’t grab it quick.

In love and romance, 

Professor A