I never said I was engaged to Alex Stone (a.k.a., the richest man in Eureka)… My douchey ex just assumed I was, and I didn’t correct him.
You see, I was having a moment. I was out of work, out of money, and Alex had just offered me a lifeline by hiring me to be his live-in nanny for a month.
So when Drake the douche started going on about what a hot mess I am at my best friend’s wedding, I kind of let him believe we were a thing. I never said the word fiancé, and I definitely never expected Alex to play along.
Alex Stone is one of those list-topping, billionaire businessmen-types. He’s controlled, formal, and never makes a bad decision. He’s also tall, dark, and brutally handsome, with smokey hazel eyes, wavy brown hair, and a bod that will melt your brain. (A detail I happen to know after accidentally catching him just out of the shower naked.)
The plan is he’ll secretly be my fake fiancé for the night, no harm done. But when the douche stays longer than the wedding, our “engagement” stops being a secret. And when Alex decides there are things we should know how to do if we’re engaged, like making out and sleeping together, my lie really gets out of control.
Because it’s one thing to be fake engaged to the hottest, richest man in town, who also happens to be your live-in boss. It’s a little twist to find yourself falling in love with him. (A LITTLE TWIST is a steamy small-town, single-dad/nanny romance with a fake engagement twist. No cheating. No cliffhangers.)
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Tia Louise is the USA TODAY best-selling, award-winning author of super-hot and sexy romances. All her heroes are alphas with hearts of gold, and all her heroines are the smart, sassy ladies who love them.
He’s married to his mission. She’s married to her career. Will Hale and Elsa allow their hearts to surrender and let love in?
Fighting the Pull, the heartrending, emotional fifth standalone book in the River Rain Series from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley is available now!
Hale Wheeler inherited billions from his father. He’s decided to take those resources and change the world for the better. He’s married to his mission, so he doesn’t have time for love.
There’s more lurking behind this decision. He hasn’t faced the tragic loss of his father, or the bitterness of his parents’ divorce. He doesn’t intend to follow in his father’s footsteps, breaking a woman’s heart in a way it will never mend. So he vows he’ll never marry.
But Hale is intrigued when he meets Elsa Cohen, the ambitious celebrity news journalist who has been reporting on his famous family. He warns her off, but she makes him a deal. She’ll pull back in exchange for an exclusive interview.
Elsa Cohen is married to her career, but she wants love, marriage, children. She also wants the impossibly handsome, fiercely loyal, tenderhearted Hale Wheeler.
They go head-to-head, both denying why there are fireworks every time they meet. But once they understand their undeniable attraction, Elsa can’t help but fall for the dynamic do-gooder.
As for Hale, he knows he needs to fight the pull of the beautiful, bold, loving Elsa Cohen, because breaking her would crush him.
The thing on my mind that I wasn’t admitting was taking more headspace than it should was the fact that Hale had texted the day before. Again. Why he wasn’t letting himself off the hook about this interview he never wanted in the first place, I did not know. And it wasn’t going to be me who let him off the hook. Oh no. Not officially. But I wasn’t returning his texts, so unofficially, the guy should take a hint. We’d made a deal almost a year before. The deal was, I’d kinda, sorta lay off his family, he’d give me an interview. I couldn’t totally lay off his family. They were the most celebrated celebrities in the world. Even the ones who hadn’t sought that out, like Chloe Pierce and Judge Oakley. But there were a great many different kinds of celebrity news, and it didn’t seem like Hale Wheeler had cottoned on to the fact I wasn’t a mudslinger. Sure, I also wasn’t an objective journalist. But I wasn’t TMZ either. Nugget of news: you could share gossip for a living and still be classy. I was proof of that (or I thought I was). I had my key ready to put into the four locks on the door to the building where my studio was in Brooklyn, and with practiced ease, I was out of the New York autumn morning cold in no time. I locked the door behind me and headed to the space in the sectioned off warehouse that I rented for my studio. I had to unlock that door too (only three locks this time), and once inside, I practically ran into Chuck, my cameraman, who was for some reason right there and crowding me. My space was small, but this was weird. I looked at his face, and…great. We’d probably been burgled. It wasn’t like I had a ton of expensive equipment, but what I had was hard won. I had offers coming in, and they were healthier than I’d allowed myself to dream, but I hadn’t signed on any dotted line. So, for the foreseeable future, ongoing operating costs, and any expansion, was on me. I didn’t have time to deal with police reports and insurance companies telling me how little they could actually replace seeing as some small line in their contract exempted them from doing what I paid them to do. Nor did I need to be shelling out to replace stuff. “What’s up?” I warily asked Chuck. “Hale Wheeler is here,” he whispered. Oh no. That was worse than being burgled. My gaze flew beyond Chuck to my set which was a one-step dais on which sat a mint green velvet swivel chair with a glass-topped gold side table beside it. These were in front of a greenscreen backdrop we could make anything we wanted it to be. Though usually it was subtle pastel green and peach swirls against a soft white with the words “Elsa’s Exchange” repeated throughout. And damn it all to hell, there he was. Tall, ridiculously handsome, athletically built Hale Wheeler, the richest man in the world.
After being a soldier, working as a bodyguard should have been simple:
Keep the owner of DC’s ultra-secret club safe.
Don’t think about his midnight eyes or his devil’s smile.
Don’t surrender my body to his wicked desires.
But I underestimated Mark Trevena and the power of his dark, seductive world. I underestimated the hold he’d have on me, the way I would do anything for him, anything at all. And so when he asks me to escort his soon-to-be bride home, I can only—miserably, broken-heartedly—say yes.
Isolde is nothing like I expect, however. Quiet and lonely and sharp, a girl who likes knives and God, a girl whose nightmares echo my own. One night while sailing under the cold stars, we share a reckless, tear-soaked kiss.
I’m doomed. Falling in love with Mark was one thing, but his bride too? Being in love with a husband and wife at the same time?
Torture. Misery.
A tragedy if tragedies came with bruises, sweat, sighs.
But it isn’t enough to merely fall into the forbidden. Because in Mark Trevena’s world, the fall is only the beginning…
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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.
Tropes: grump/sunshine; loner MMC; small town romance; traveling FMC; forced proximity; age gap; best friend’s little sister
“If there was a woman who could will me to love her until my dying day, it was Iris.”
The Brood by Devney Perry is a captivating addition to the Calamity Montana series, featuring the enthralling romance between Wilder and Iris. Perry masterfully weaves the grumpy/sunshine trope into their story, creating a dynamic that is both heartwarming and electrifying.
One of the central themes of the novel revolves around the idea of finding one’s home in the heart of another. Wilder and Iris, two seemingly opposite souls, discover a profound connection that transcends their initial differences. The journey they embark on, as they learn to understand and cherish each other, is beautifully portrayed. Perry’s ability to convey the depth of their emotional bond is truly commendable.
Another poignant theme is the notion of self-forgiveness and moving forward. Both Wilder and Iris carry burdens from their pasts, and their struggle to come to terms with them is depicted with a raw and touching authenticity. The narrative explores the complexities of letting go, learning to forgive oneself, and embracing the possibility of a brighter future.
Unlike previous installments in the Calamity Montana series, Perry intentionally pulls back from incorporating the other characters, emphasizing Wilder’s solitary life before meeting Iris. This choice serves to underscore the profound impact Iris has on Wilder’s world, highlighting the transformative power of their love.
The emotional depth of The Brood is further heightened by Perry’s easy prose. The author has a knack for delving into the hearts and minds of her characters, allowing readers to feel every joy, every pain, and every moment of vulnerability. The intimate scenes between Wilder and Iris are charged with palpable chemistry, adding a steamy layer to their already intense connection.
Devney Perry’s ability to infuse a tale with such heartfelt emotion is a testament to her storytelling prowess. For fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope, this novel is an absolute must-read. The themes of finding a home in another and the power of self-forgiveness resonate long after the final page is turned. The Brood is a testament to the enduring magic of love and the capacity for redemption within us all.
A small town, forced proximity, age gap romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.
The last thing Wilder Abbott needs is a houseguest. Solitude has been his stoic companion for nearly a decade. He prefers to brood over his mistakes in seclusion. Besides, he gets enough social interaction as a high school science teacher in Calamity, Montana.
But when his oldest friend calls, begging for a favor, Wilder begrudgingly agrees. For the next two months, he’ll give up his guest room to his friend’s little sister.
Iris Monroe isn’t the girl Wilder remembers. Gone is the shy, quiet mouse ten years his junior who always had her nose in a book. Grown-up Iris talks too much and asks too many questions, especially about his past. And her bright smile and clear blue eyes are hard to ignore.
Two months. He just has to survive two months. Except Iris is as nosy as she is beautiful. And his secrets prove hard to hide when she’s living under his roof.
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Devney Perry is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.
Rule number one for having a one-night stand: Don’t fall for the girl.
After a lengthy dating slump, I finally met someone who sparked my interest.
Well, first the sparks flew when we argued. Later in the evening those sparks ignited into something more.
I was drawn to Devyn, in a way I hadn’t felt in a really long time.
Needless to say, I was disappointed when she abruptly left after our amazing night together.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her. But she hadn’t even given me her number.
In a city with eight-million people, I figured I’d never see Devyn again.
So imagine my surprise when I knocked on the door of an apartment in the building I lived in, and none other than my one-night stand stood on the other side.
If I thought Devyn didn’t want anything to do with me before, that was nothing compared to how she felt after finding out I was the landlord and she was about to be evicted…
And that was just the first surprise that would rock my world when it came to the mystery woman in apartment 410.
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Tropes: billionaire MMC; grump/sunshine; small town romance; one night stand; hate to love; found family; opposites attract
Have you ever been afraid of change? Have you needed the promise of stability to keep you going? If you’ve answered “yes” to either question, then you recognize the plight of Louise Bay’s FMC in her newest book, Dr. CEO, the next book in her The Doctors series. Kate has lived at Crompton Estate for a large portion of her life. It’s the place where she is happy and secure after a childhood of insecurity at the hands of her mother. When Vincent, Bay’s MMC, shows up, that security is threatened by his purchasing of the estate. All she knows changes, but most importantly, she falls for the guy changing Crompton Estate which adds a complication. Vincent and Kate’s story highlights the power of the mind influenced by trauma. For Vincent, it’s an absentee father; for Kate, it’s a mother who lived a fluid life before her early death. Bay creates an instant attraction, one-night stand scenario to grow Kate and Vincent’s attraction. She then complicates it with his playboy, transitory ways and her need to stay at Crompton Estate. As each of them is challenged by the other, they transcend hate-to-love vibes and grump/sunshine and fall for each other, even though Vincent fails to acknowledge it.
It’s the falling action of Dr. CEO where Bay lost me a bit. Vincent’s resolution to his absence from Kate feels rushed. The inconsistency in character doesn’t feel organic to the story, and I struggled with the ending. Even more, there were times when I didn’t believe Kate and Vincent’s chemistry. There is attraction between them, but there is something missing from their romantic journey.
Thankfully, Vincent and Kate find their happy ending, and it adds another happy couple to the Doctors series. I believe there is one story to go for each of the family members to find their HEAs.
Tropes: friends to lovers; second chance romance; small town romance; forced proximity/one bed trope; childhood friends
“You would take us places and I’d get us home safe. None of it ever felt like a burden. It just felt like…us.”
A week later and Roxie Noir’s The Two Week Roommate still resides in my head. Like some of her contemporaries, Noir has taken the space to add depth to the romance genre. How you might say? In her newest book, her thematic choices elevate the simplicity of the romance genre. With her newest book, Noir highlights the complexity of relationships, underscoring the fraught nature of her main characters’s journey. The influence of Gideon’s upbringing tears them apart in their youth and leaves Gideon with a hole in his heart, only filled when he reconnects with Andi. His penance and guilt challenge Andi to forgive him for choices made in the inexperience of his youth. Maturity, the personal journeys of his siblings, and military service have opened his world and his mind, and his need to let go of his past to find his future with Andi is the most compelling part of their story. Andi’s willingness to help him process the final bits of his guilt while falling in love with him adds heart to this book. I lost myself in The Two Week Roommate. Roxie Noir doesn’t need to add much tension to Gideon and Andi’s relationship, given that their environment is stressful enough. Instead, acceptance is the ultimate message, backed up by keeping Gideon and Andi together even through difficult times. That’s the promise of this newest book from Roxie Noir. She has drawn a socially responsible and beautiful romance between Andi and Gideon that steals a bit of your heart and leaves you questioning your perceptions of others.
Tropes: brother’s best friend; best friend’s little sister; virgin heroine; prolific hero; series of interconnected standalones
“He wasn’t wrong. I was a good girl, but sometimes, especially when I thought about him, all I wanted was to be bad.”
And that, my friends, is the crux of Nikki Sloane’s deliciously steamy The Good Girl, another story in her Nashville Neighborhood world. Preston and Sydney (Preston of The Doctor and Sydney who is the little sister of The Frat Boy’s Colin) remind us what we love most about Nikki Sloane’s brand of romance: it’s pure spice. This story is an insta-attraction between her main characters. Sloane deftly weaves Preston and Sydney’s forbidden journey with themes about overwhelming parental expectations and the danger of falling in love (or lust) with your best friend’s little sister, lending more gravity to her story beyond just smutty romance. Preston’s journey into maturity redeems him from his role in Sloane’s The Doctor, and you can’t help but fall in love with him as he negotiates his intense attraction to Sydney while starting a business with her brother. If I have any criticism, it’s the forbidden nature of their relationship. This has nothing to do with Nikki Sloane’s ability to write romances. Her easy prose and the pacing of the characters’ progressions make for an unputdownable read. However, I’m weary of the protective older brother trope. I’m not a fan of a big brother having a “say” over his little sister’s choices. I’ll fight against this as long as I can, hoping that authors will allow little sister’s agency and autonomy.
If you’re looking for a quick bit of romance, one that will satiate your erotic hunger, Nikki Sloane’s The Good Girl is the perfect read.
Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling 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.
Professor Romance 