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Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Jolie Vines’s Burn, the final book of her Dark Island Scots series ✍🏻

Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Jolie Vines’s epic conclusion of her Dark Island Scots series, Burn, is like riding a way at the Mavericks: adrenaline-inducing and extreme. In fact, the entirety of this series has been a departure from her earlier books. She still calls on her brand: heroes who fall maddeningly in love with their heroines on sight, even heroes who would be more aptly considered anti-heroes, and heroines whose character qualities bloom under this love. The story is the driving force of a book such as Burn, and Vines offers a bonfire of an ending. Throughout the series, she has focused on the same common themes: the depravity of human trafficking and the corruption of the political system. Interestingly, it doesn’t matter whether you are a reader in the US or one in Vines’s native England; these themes feel global in the manner in which she presents them. Even though they are presented as a community evil in Scotland, it’s felt in any country. The foundation of the books in her Dark Island Scots series does two things: 1) it entices the reader into the entirety of the series because you must read the first book to the last one to find its conclusion, and 2) it drives the reader forward more than character development. Honestly, her characters don’t change much throughout the series. Instead, their situations change. That’s the meat on the bone of this series. It keeps you engaged and is a wise authorial choice for Vines. 

There is an ultimate intrigue in a story such as Burn: what is considered heroic? It’s one of my favorite questions for a dark romance because a character such as Jamieson is complicated as he commits murder and engages in arson. How can a character such as he be absolved of these crimes? Well, the answer is simple: in the same way that Batman does. When it’s done in the name of justice or to right a wrong, it makes it easier for the reader to accept, and Vines writes this truth well in Burn

Just as Vines does with the first three books of her Dark Island Scots series, there is plenty of spice to entice, but, for me, the draw for a book such as Burn is the plotline and its intricacies. Thankfully, she gifts us the perfect ending to a series wrought with turmoil and injustice. In the end, the bad guys get what is coming to them. And it’s exactly as it should be: a huge wipeout of justice.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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Cover Reveal

✍🏻 Hunk alert! Check out the cover for Carrie Ann Ryan’s Best Friend Temptation, coming October 30th! ✍🏻

Title: Best Friend Temptation
Series: Montgomery Ink Legacy #4
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Sweet N Spicy
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Release Date: October 30, 2023
BLURB
The Montgomery Ink Legacy series continues with a forbidden romance between two best friends and the woman they both crave. Ford, Noah, and Greer aren’t ready for what happens next.
I fell for my best friend long before I knew what that meant. Only I know he’ll never love me back.
He’s stuck in his head and his past demons and can’t see what is right in front of him.
But when Greer loses her home and needs a place to stay, both Noah and I know the only place she belongs is with us—in every way possible.
Now I’m falling for both of my roommates and trying to keep the people I protect safe.
Only someone is coming for them, and I can’t stop the inevitable fall.
I just have to hope that we made the right choices and that one day soon Noah and Greer will finally see who we can be.
Before we lose it all…or I finally walk away for good.

PRE-ORDER LINKS

ALSO COMING SOON IN A
SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK
AVAILABLE NOW
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
COMING SOON
Releasing July 3
Releasing March 4
AUTHOR BIO
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Talon Pack, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She’s the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over one hundred novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.
AUTHOR LINKS
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Cover Reveal, Smartypants Romance

✍🏻 The Spring 2023 Launch for Smartypants Romance is HERE. Check out these GORGEOUS covers and get ready! ✍🏻

First rule when returning to your hometown after storming out of sight: don’t fall for the guy who broke your heart.


Julia Browne should know better than to kiss where she bakes. She’s built a bread empire in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.


She certainly won’t spend any more time with Shane Meadows than she has to…and she will not let him draw her in with his soft blue eyes or level her with his handsome smirk of a grin. 


The last thing she wants is a temporary gig at Donner Bakery, baking sourdough side-by-side with Shane and clashing with his ego. And he thinks the sassy baker should take her fancy bread and go back where she came from.


But that’s before they take a series of wrong turns on a road trip to look at wheat, leaving them stranded for the night. Out on the open road, neither of them can escape the sizzling attraction and old feelings that feel a lot more real this time around.


But life is complicated, and Julia’s life in California might derail their second chance at love. Will they wake up and smell the sourdough?


They say you should leave the past in the past, but what if it’s the winning recipe for love?

‘Dough You Love Me?’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Noah Malone is back in his hometown for a short break from his stunt work, but his mother’s set on convincing him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. Not only is she pushing him to help out at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies, but her matchmaking is relentless.

To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.

Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.

Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?

‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Mousy bookworm. Psychology nerd. The kind of girl who constantly sticks her foot in her mouth.

The last thing I am is the type to attract the intimidating, motorcycle-riding guy in the apartment next door. Especially when that mouth of mine gets me in trouble and he overhears me talk smack about him…

So no one’s more surprised than me when he shows up as a participant in the psych study I’m running on campus. Or when he generously offers me some much-needed self-defense lessons. Or when we grow closer than I thought possible. It turns out some people aren’t at all what they seem at first glance. They can actually be everything you never knew you wanted in a man.

The thing is, Austin Langford is so far out of my league, it’s laughable. Muscled boxers don’t go for nobodies like me. I need to forget about this one-sided attraction.

Even when it feels like I can’t fight it.

‘Can’t Fight It’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

What happens when an uptight preppy frat boy sets his sights on a punk rock princess? #superherolevelchaos

Zack Worthington’s life is a carefully curated performance. Controlled by his politician father, he stands on his mark and recites his lines. There’s no room for deviation, no time for comic books and no patience for obscure Trekkie facts. He’s all business, polished to a shine–the sparkling jewel in his father’s crown.

Then one night, Zack lays eyes on a girl he can’t unsee…

Open minded, self-sufficient, Deaf drummer, Molly Mills is working hard to find her rhythm in a competitive college music program. She’s driven to prove herself to nearly everyone, even while living off of packaged noodles and thrift-store clothing.

Watching her alone on the dance floor, punky, free and wild, Zack told himself that opposites attract was totally not a real thing. But a couple days later when he realizes he’s the teaching assistant in her research methodologies class, he can’t ignore his instincts. He has to know her.

Only Molly isn’t interested in his platitudes and superficial chit-chat.

Suddenly, all bets off because this buttoned up, rule-following rich guy actually wants to be more than meets the eye…

‘The Vinyl Frontier’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #4 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Can a hot paramedic resuscitate this mail woman’s flatlining spirit of adventure?

Gwen Elsmere fell in love with Sebastian Kirkwood when she was sixteen, but a dead frog stole her chance to land the guy of her daydreams. Ten years later, when Gwen makes a desperate 9-1-1 call, Sebastian re-enters her life as the first paramedic on the scene. Unfortunately, she’s smeared in blood, and he’s engaged to another woman. The awkward rescue is far from the passionate reunion she’d secretly hoped for. Still, Gwen’s brief transformation from postal worker to neighborhood hero has her reevaluating her cautious nature.

If she can save a woman’s life, why can’t she change her own?

As Gwen challenges herself with adventures, big and small, she discovers an unlikely sidekick in her former crush. Sebastian reveals glimpses of the goofy teenager who first made her swoon, but there are shadows behind his eyes she wants to shine a light on. When Gwen discovers the sexy EMT is not as spoken for as everyone in Green Valley believes, she dares to hope for a second chance to risk her heart. But even as a chemist cat, drag queens, and glitter beards reward her new outgoing nature, secrets, pain, and fear threaten to snuff out her courageous spirit.

Gwen will have to decide if Sebastian and she are better late than never or better never together.

‘Letter Late Than Never’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Nate Hanover’s future was set. The perfect girlfriend, the perfect career… He’s the perfect man with the perfect life—until he lost it all this summer. Now he’s not sure about anything, except that no one can know the truth lurking behind his “perfect” facade. Especially not at this week’s high-stakes corporate circus known as Tele-Con.

Natalie McAllister has no time for games. After working nonstop since… ever, she’s one win away from the dream promotion she’s been chasing for years. All she has to do is land the Sandeke Telecom account at this week’s telecom conference and life will be perfect.

But when a chance encounter leads these strangers to an incredible night of intimate soul-searching, “perfect” might look different than they thought. With so much on the line, it’s a good thing they’ll never see each other again. Well, not until the following morning when they learn they’re competing for the same account, their firms despise each other, and a nut-obsessed enigma named Chad Smith is the key to their success. Oh, plus their forbidden connection is still fully charged and more off-limits than ever.

What could go wrong when the perfect night explodes into the perfect storm?

‘Look Smart’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #6 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Ivy Lunden is Team Keep Things Casual…

I am Toby Azumah’s opposite in every way. I’m a pessimist; he’s an optimist. I’m into art; he’s into sports. Still, I’m highly entertained by our flirtationship. 

When he finally talks me into a date, everything goes wrong. Chaos descends on my orderly life when my mother falls and needs nearly round-the-clock care. Add in my nosy neighbor, and my peace of mind has been turned inside out.

When Toby, Mr. Best-Case Scenario himself, offers to help, I’m skeptical. A relationship with him would only make things more chaotic, right? Or maybe Toby is the real deal, and giving him a chance is a smart move after all.

Toby Azumah is Team Happily Ever After…

I’ve wanted to take the mysterious, beautiful Ivy Lunden to dinner ever since we met, and I’m confident she just needs a little time to warm up to the idea of us. But nothing goes according to my daydreams. 

Despite a no-show date, some flirty texts, and the fierce ways she protects herself and her mom, I see through the chaos and smoke to the real Ivy. The Ivy she rarely shows to the world. 

How can I convince her I’m making the smart move and playing for keeps?

‘Smart Move’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #7 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Cover Reveal

✍🏻 Rockstar romance? Yes, please! Check out the steamy cover for J. Saman’s Irresistibly Perfect. ✍🏻

J. Saman has revealed the gorgeous cover for Irresistibly Perfect!

Releasing: April 20, 2023

Cover Designer: Lori Jackson Designs

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster

Model: Richard

When I was fourteen, I fell in love with the girl next door.

My best friend’s sister was off-limits to me in every way.

I was the bad boy, and she was the good girl. I was the kid with big rock star dreams, and she was the princess with her entire life planned out for her.

We were impossible from the start. Even when she’d randomly show up at my concerts and we’d spend a night or two lost in each other it would always end in goodbye.

Years later she’s back in our city.

Only now, she’s engaged to the last guy I’d ever want to see her with. So I do something crazy.

I never expect to hear from her again until one night she takes me by surprise. 

A drunken phone call and suddenly I’m racing through the airport to catch her plane before she takes off for Europe.

Now I’ve got one week to change both our lives.

My plan? Make her fall in love with me as we get lost in Italy and France. Her plan? Discover the woman she wants to be instead of the perfect one she’s always had to be.

I’d love to tell you that from here on out it’s all love and sex, but nothing has ever been easy for us, and this is no exception.

Fallon Lark has always been mine. Now I just have to prove it to her. 

Pre-order your copy today!

http://geni.us/IrresistiblyPerfect

     

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3RC008E

Meet J. Saman

J. Saman is a USA Today and Amazon top 40 bestselling author who writes sassy, swoony, and scorching contemporary romances. She is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).

J. is an admitted lover of second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing funny and emotional romances filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side—especially for their women.

Connect with J. Saman

Website: http://jsamanbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14923699.J_Saman

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Saman/author/B01FOIUR46

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

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

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jsamanbooks

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@author.j.saman_

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-saman

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

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/jsamanbooks

Text JSaman to 74121 to find out when my next book goes live

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Cover Reveal

✍🏻 I’m so excited for the next offering in Jessica Peterson’s Sex & Bonds series. Check out the cover for The Troublemaker! ✍🏻

Jessica Peterson has revealed the gorgeous cover for The Troublemaker!

Releasing: May 18, 2023

Cover Design: Najla Qamber, Qamber Designs

Brooks Huntley is the last guy on earth I should ask to take my virginity.

He’s a decade older than me. Lethally hot. And so far out of my league it’s not even funny. The biggest downside to my plan, though?

Brooks is my older brother’s best friend.

I see Brooks every day when I deliver muffins to his office. With his swaggering confidence and sexy smirk, it’s no wonder I’ve always had a crush on him. But I’m not looking to cause any trouble—at first. I just want to give my V-card a long-overdue swipe.

Too bad I have no game when it comes to picking up guys—but Brooks is a master at charming the pants off women. While Brooks himself is off-limits, who better to study for tips on how to get laid?

When he offers me a weekend away at a five-star resort as thanks for satisfying his sweet tooth, I say yes—with the caveat that he comes too. That way I can watch him in action. He counters with a caveat of his own: he’ll come, but my brother can never find out.

On our secret getaway, I do my best to learn from Brooks and take someone new home. But I fail so miserably that Brooks steps in and kisses me “to show me how it should be done.”

And can I tell y’all, I just melted. 

Now can I convince him to show me how everything should be done?

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3SqWLkS

 Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TroublemakerJP

Exclusively in Kindle Unlimited May 18th!

Wide Readers available May 16th

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3J2GBuU

 Nook: https://bit.ly/3IKtVrA

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3mhrXqL

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3Za3h1Z

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3YWFeDG

Meet Jessica

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bwTIWSVwEI7n4Oix2I35eOwZo9s0hhJkSUaO3VTkaZthw2q1l-b8ENAmjQQbaO3xwxJ3P9M5iOTKwcBeTSOVOhAg8vXF5t6HkzZ4Q-EFnXVBzSRJ0ZbZT5HKCRwgaiCjPXbzI8RU

Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughter Gracie, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

 

Connect with Jessica

Website: https://www.jessicapeterson.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/JessicaPetersonGR

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KoS0sb

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

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaPAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-peterson

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/JessicaPeterson

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new release

✍🏻 Cayson Bexley is HERE! Have you been waiting for the final book in K.K. Allen’s Camp Bexley series? You’re in luck! Now, you have some GREAT weekend reading. ✍🏻

Title: Blanket of Stars
Series: Camp Bexley #4
Author: K.K. Allen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 24, 2023
BLURB
All Cayson Bexley ever wanted was to fly…
Until a near-fatal crash clipped his wings, sending the injured military pilot back to his hometown and living right next door to me.
From the moment our eyes meet, the attraction is undeniable.
I mean who wouldn’t fall for that achingly gorgeous face, clean-cut demeanor, and sweet, small-town charm?
Other than our mutual love of music, we’re as opposite as two people can be.
Which is precisely why I friend-zone him the moment he shows interest.
But as time goes on, my heart softens to this man who once had it all—a literal hero floundering to find his purpose.
In the midst of my own struggles, I could certainly use a friend.
Heck, I could use more than that.
And I’m not afraid to let Cayson know it.
When I discover my hunk of a neighbor is as shy as he is inexperienced, I offer him a distraction he can’t possibly refuse.
We already share a very thin wall.
Why not a bed too?
There’s only one catch: he’ll have to promise not to fall in love with me…
A no-strings hook-up is every man’s dream, right?
What could possibly go wrong?
Get ready for:
❤️‍🩹 Injured military pilot + local musician
❤️‍🩹 Online dating gone wrong
❤️‍🩹 Opposites-attract (nice guy / playful girl)
❤️‍🩹 Virgin hero + ✨helpful✨ heroine
❤️‍🩹 He falls first, she’s not looking for love
❤️‍🩹 Neighbors-to-friends-to-lovers
❤️‍🩹 Small town, big hearts
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
ALSO AVAILABLE
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
AUTHOR BIO

K.K. Allen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who writes heartfelt and inspirational contemporary romance stories. K.K. graduated from the University of Washington with an Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences degree and currently resides in central Florida with her ridiculously handsome little dude who owns her heart.

K.K. published her first contemporary romance, Up in the Treehouse, in 2016 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.

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Excerpt/Sneak Peek

✍🏻 Penelope Ward’s Toe The Line is coming next week. Check out this sneak peek and preorder your copy of it today. ✍🏻

Title: Toe the Line
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Trope: Friends-to-Lovers
Release Date: February 27, 2023
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a friends-to-lovers story spanning more than a decade…

At first, I thought I’d hate spending the summer with Archie Remington—the conceited son of my parents’ friends.
What I knew about Archie: he was gorgeous, pre-law, and had always treated me like I didn’t exist when we were younger.
When our families bought a house together on an island in Maine, he and I were forced to share a bathroom.
The boy I remembered was now a full-grown man—but with the same attitude.
After a rough start, Archie and I unexpectedly started getting along one day and eventually became friends. We shared secrets and bonded during our morning jogs. I discovered that Archie had a wild spirit and that he struggled to conform to his father’s expectations.
Things were cool until I had to go and ruin it, getting drunk one night, and blurting out my fantasy—involving him.
I took it back, but it was too late. Archie had heard me loud and clear. After that, we never quite knew how to toe the line.
When that summer came to an abrupt and shocking end, I headed back to college, unsure if anything would ever be the same again.
Across the miles over the years, he and I stayed in touch as friends, but fate and timing always kept us from becoming more.
You know the saying: If two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other?
Let’s just say Archie came back into my life in a way I would’ve never expected.
And this time, my heart would really be put to the test.
PRE-ORDER LINKS
**No Amazon e-book preorder. 
Will go live on/around release day
EXCERPT
Copyright © 2022 Penelope Ward
Mixing alcohol with nostalgia, it turns out, is not always the wisest choice.
When Archie and I returned to the house that night, we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. Neither of us was tired enough to sleep. But the alcohol from the beers at the beach and the wine he’d opened once we got back home was going to my head fast. I could no longer be trusted with my words.
Archie took out the chocolate cake he’d made earlier and placed it on the counter. We both began eating it—with our bare hands. It was a mess, and I likely had chocolate all over my face. So this is how it ends, huh? I suppose it could be worse.
“I had so much fun tonight,” he said with his mouth full. “You?”
“It was awesome. Reminded me of the old days.” I licked chocolate off the corner of my mouth.
Archie’s eyes fell to my lips. “Seven years ago sometimes feels like yesterday, and other times like forever ago, doesn’t it?”
When I felt my eyes starting to well up, I knew that was my cue. I never wanted to leave Archie’s side, but I needed this weekend to be over before I lost it in front of him. “Anyway, we’d better go to bed,” I told him. “We both have early flights in the morning.”
I hopped down from my stool and rushed over to the sink to wash my hands. I hadn’t intended to make eye contact with him again because I didn’t want him to notice my eyes. Then again, he was a little drunk, too, so not sure how perceptive he would be.
Then I felt his presence nearby.
“I have so many regrets,” he said from behind me.
I turned to face him and swallowed. “Regrets about what?”
He had chocolate cake on his face, but somehow he’d never looked hotter.
“Everything,” he whispered. “With you.” He paused. “What we did and what we didn’t do. The way that summer ended. Everything.”
“Why are you bringing this up now?”
“Because I’m fucking drunk, I guess. I don’t know.” He pulled on his hair. “You look so goddamn beautiful right now.” His eyes were hazy as he murmured, “It hurts to look at you.”
My tears felt ready to fall. I couldn’t let that happen. “Keep that shit to yourself,” I muttered.
“We never talk about it, Noelle. We talk about everything else except the massive elephant in the room—the things we did that summer, what almost happened before—”
“Stop.” I sniffled. “You’re only bringing it up because you’re drunk. This is not a healthy way to discuss anything.”
“Maybe.” Archie leaned against the center island and placed his head in his hands. He went silent for a long time. “You were with Shane for like…forever. I thought you were gonna marry that guy. And I thought you were happy. I never thought you’d break up with him.” He looked down at the floor. “I kept waiting and…”

Waiting? He was waiting for things to end between Shane and me?

“I’m sorry…” He shook his head. “You’re right. I need to stop.”
Nothing good could come of two people with a ton of unspoken baggage trying to work things out while drunk. I could’ve poured out all of my feelings. I could have chosen to complicate his already-complicated life—turned it into a goddamn soap opera. But I loved him too much. I loved him. So I wouldn’t do that.
“Goodnight, Archie. Get some sleep.”
I left him standing in the kitchen next to a chocolate cake that looked like it had been ravaged by wild animals.
Then I went to my room and cried myself to sleep.
AUTHOR BIO
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 twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen
languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
AUTHOR LINKS
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
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Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: Lucy Score’s Things We Hide From The Light ✍🏻

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: opposites-attract; forced proximity (next-door neighbors); brother’s long-time friend; romantic suspense; found family

“‘Tell me it’s worth it,’ I blurted out. 

‘What’s worth it?’ 

‘Letting someone in. Letting them get close enough that they could destroy you if they wanted to.’ 

‘I might sound like a goddamn greeting card, but it’s worth everything,’ he rasped.”

I know that one of my favorite messages in romance is the idea of needing to become vulnerable when falling in love. That internal fight shading the journey of an MMC and FMC is both delicious and compelling. And Lucy Score’s newest tome, Things We Hide From the Light draws on this message in a way that gobbles your heart. 

Score doesn’t leave it for just one of the characters; she weaves it into the stories of both Nash and Lina. Both of them initially fight against allowing the other into their emotional lives in any meaningful way. The book’s first half is a figurative tug-of-war between an overwhelming attraction to the other and a need to protect their hearts and souls. Score balances these conflicting emotions beautifully, giving us an inch and pulling us back a mile when these two opposites, Nash as the black and white officer of the law and Lina as the arbiter of the gray areas. Honestly, their journey is decadent, with Score offering up a five-course meal of story, character development, universe-building, emotion, and spice. Every turn of the page promises more investment into Nash and Lina’s story. 

What are the big takeaways?

Score is a wordsmith, threading words together into sentences weighted in their truth. 

Nothing is better than a “girl gang” in a romance story, and the combination of Naomi, Sloane, and Lina is a roundhouse kick of women’s power. When these three live on the page, the story is heightened. You find yourself either laughing or crying at their camaraderie. 

The bonus epilogue will legitimately give you a cavity. It’s sweet and heartfelt, and I left this book hating to leave Lina and Nash to their life. 

As I was reading, I reveled in the way that Score takes her time in telling Nash and Lina’s story, as well as the bigger story of the first two books: the one about Duncan Hugo. There is some resolution to it, BUT I don’t think it’s “done done.” I’m thankful that Lucy Score doesn’t feel the need to rush her story or character development, and there was no point in the book when I felt it was repetitive or redundant. Each cycle of Nash and Lina’s journey moved them closer to the abundant love neither really thought they’d find. Lucy Score allowed that space to build it. 

Mr. Studly Do-Right is a dreamboat, even when he’s dark. I love me a dark-to-light trope, and Score uses it brilliantly to allow Lina to shine. One of my other favorite parts of romance is how an FMC or MMC truly sees the other person. Score utilizes this trope to draw Nash out of the dark. Because Lina recognizes his pain due to her own past trauma, he can be seen and work towards healing. This truth plays beautifully into the developing vulnerability between Nash and Lina. 

One of the best moments of TWHFTL is a skydiving moment. It seems trivial, but Score uses it to impart an important life lesson, one needed for her characters and one needed for us. 

If you’re a dog lover, then Piper will steal your heart. She adds another layer to Score’s interrogation of being brave to love.

It is without a doubt that I will read whatever Lucy Score has cooked up. Just as she did with Things We Never Got Over, she has written her heart into Things We Hide From The Light. As readers, it behooves us to take it to heart, reminding ourselves that loving bravely will make us better people.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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Cover Reveal

✍🏻 Who’s been waiting for Silas Taters? Check out the cover for Right Man Right Time, Meghan Quinn’s next story in her FANTASTIC The Vancouver Agitators series. ✍🏻

This whole fake dating thing might actually be good. We could use each other when needed without the pressure of having to…you know…be all couple-y.

RIGHT MAN, RIGHT TIME, a brand new, standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn will be releasing on March 7th in all formats! Check out the fantastic cover below and  dive in to this all new, fake dating, standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of and love! You won’t want to miss Silas’s love story! This steamy, age-gap romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while making your cheeks blush at the same time.

Pre-order your copy today!

https://mybook.to/RightManRightTime

About RIGHT MAN, RIGHT TIME (Coming 3/7/2023):

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new fake dating, standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of and love. This steamy, age-gap romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while making your cheeks blush at the same time.

Running into your ex is never ideal.
Running into your ex who is now dating your nemesis is a literal nightmare.

That’s how I found myself in a sheer panic, reaching for the closest guy at the bar and kissing him. And to my delight he was easily the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

The only problem is, when I tried to walk away after thanking him for his help, he stopped me with three life-changing words . . .“You owe me.”

That’s how I found myself, a college girl, in a fake relationship with a professional hockey player ten years older than me.

At first it was easy.
He helped me with my internship.
I helped keep his ex away from him.
We were becoming fast friends.

It wasn’t until he started staying the night at my dorm did the rules of our arrangement become complicated.

Now my feelings are involved and even though I kissed the right man at the right time, I’m worried he’s just waiting for the clock to run out.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

https://mybook.to/RightManRightTime

RIGHT MAN, RIGHT TIME Releases March 7th!

Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter are narrating in duet this sexy, sports romance! Don’t miss their stunning performances.

RIGHT MAN, RIGHT TIME will be released on March 7th in a live release on Audible!

ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

Connect w/ Meghan:

Website: https://authormeghanquinn.com/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

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new release

✍🏻 Lucy Score’s small-town romance, Things We Hide From The Light, is PURE romance gold. Nash and Lina’s romance dance is EVERYTHING you need TODAY! ✍🏻

Title: Things We Hide from the Light

Series: Knockemout Series Book 2
Author: Lucy Score
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 21, 2023
Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox’s brother Nash’s story.
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
Sandizzlereads ✰✰✰✰✰ Review – “Lucy Score’s Things We Hide From The Light, is a book you simply can’t miss!”
Amazon ✰✰✰✰✰ Review – “Highly anticipated sequel to Things We Never Got Over and WOW WOW WOW!!! This book is absolute perfection!”
Amazon ✰✰✰✰✰ Review – “Hard-hitting and fraught with emotion, Nash and Lina’s story was the perfect continuation of Things We Never Got Over.”
 

Things We Never Got Over – Available NOW
Things We Left Behind – PreOrder
 
Lucy Score is a Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Small town contemporary rom-coms are her lady jam and she enjoys delivering the feels with a huge side of happily ever after.
Her books have been translated into several languages, making readers around the world snort laugh, swoon, and sob. Lucy lives in Pennsylvania with the devastatingly handsome Mr. Lucy and their horrible cat.
In her spare time she enjoys sleeping, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and reading all the romance novels in the universe.
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