Tropes/Elements: grump/sunshine; forced roommate/proximity; renovation romance; found family; slow burn; former pro football player
Karla Sorensen’s The Best Laid Plans begins like a lamb and ends with a lion’s roar. There is a quiet to this story even in the midst of the banter between her MMC, Burke, and her FMC, Charlotte, a back-and-forth that highlights their burgeoning attraction. It’s about what’s not being said in Sorensen’s newest story, the words and feelings that can’t seem to be spoken which captivates me. And I have so many words and thoughts about this book that I struggle to bring any structure to this review. Let me just go where I want to go, and I hope you follow it and grab this book fast.
Karla Sorensen has always been able to craft chemistry. She’s not an overtly erotic author. She infuses attraction and $ex into her books, but she doesn’t grant us full access to all the details of those scenes. Instead, she develops the relationships between her characters so much so that, oftentimes, at least recently, her MMC and FMC don’t consummate or give in to their attraction until late in the story. For this reader, this pacing is impeccable as it holds the reader in its thrall. I never get tired of the burgeoning relationship because every moment seems to matter for the future of her characters. Her ability to grab her readers quickly and keep them engaged throughout the story is her strength. This is definitely the case with Burke and Charlotte. And it is necessary for the depth and gravity of this book’s story.
Now, here’s where I might lose people but it can’t go without mention because, aside from Burke and Charlotte’s story, their fight against their attraction, their coming together, the falling apart, and their happily ever after, the true genius of Sorensen’s The Best Laid Plans is its exposition and interrogation of grief. Yes, she lays this at the feet of Burke. She fashions his grief to be palpable for her readers, and she shows the futility of language to process loss through his characterization. It’s brilliant. Having recently lost a very good friend, I understand Burke and his messy grief process. It’s complex and uncomfortable and forever incomplete, and Sorensen captures this well.
But here’s where her capacity as an author shines: the house, the one that Burke and Charlotte renovate throughout the book, is a representation of the gravity of loss. The juxtaposition of a house seemingly dead being raised to life with the fixed death of one of his favorite people is profound. It’s chilling how Sorensen crafts this. How do you live life without that person? Sorensen uses the house as a metaphor for dying. Then, in the specter of that house, she underscores the message about living other people’s dreams, both Burke’s father’s but also Chris’s dream. For much of this book, Burke doesn’t even know how to dream, so Sorensen gifts him one with the house. The depth of development in this analogy is brilliant and impactful and emotional. You cannot read this story and not feel the gravity of life. She even illustrates the multiple processes of grief through both Burke and Charlotte. It quite honestly left me spellbound.
Add to all of that some keen stylistic choices that excited this reader. Chapters Thirty-One and Thirty-Two are my two favorite chapters because Sorensen uses repetition in these chapters to feel like punches to the gut. As Burke and Charlotte struggle to handle the loss of their relationship, the repetition underscores it. The intentionality of these choices supports my contention that Karla Sorensen is an intelligent, intentional writer. And more people need to read her stories.
The Best Laid Plans has a flavor similar to Sorensen’s former stories but has its own voice. That voice is a reminder of the fragility of life. If you leave this book without hugging those you love a little tighter, you’ve missed the power of Karla Sorensen’s message and her provocative new story.
Tropes: next generation; insta-attraction; bdsm; romantic suspense; found family; grump/sunshine; forced proximity; fake relationship
Lexi Blake’s Love The Way You Spy is a much-anticipated read. If you’ve read her Masters and Mercenaries series (all iterations), you know this is the next generation of spies. I went into this book excited for Tasha Taggart and her love story. And I enjoyed the suspense of it, the curve balls that Lexi Blake loves to throw at her readers. For me, the suspense portion of the story was the most interesting, but I struggled with the love story. Honestly, I don’t think this is Lexi Blake’s fault…well maybe a little. The pacing is a bit slow. I didn’t need the constant reminders from Dare that he wouldn’t be able to have a future with Tasha even though she provided him comfort and a safe landing space for his feelings. Even though he feels seen by her, he “can’t have her.” Dare’s admonishments went a bit too far in this story.
Additionally, must Ian Taggart always save the day? I love him. Really I do. The found family trope of this story is the common thread of the Masters and Mercenaries universe. It’s one of the main reasons I continue to read these stories. And Love The Way You Spy is no different. The next generation, while struggling with fraught connections, has the comfort of the found family trope. The best part of Dare’s journey is his realization that he can be loved, not just by Tasha, but also by a broader group of people including Ian Taggart. But I’d love for Papa Taggart not to be the ultimate rescuer. I recognize the forthcoming characters are young, but I’m hoping there will be other former Masters and Mercenaries characters to guide this talented crew through their professional and personal journeys.
Overall, I liked Love The Way You Spy, but it was a slower read than I expected, and I found that to be disappointing.
Tropes: bodyguard romance; forbidden relationship; new adult romance; former celebrity; grump/sunshine
Rebecca Jenshak’s Tempting the Player is my favorite of her Campus Wallflowers series. I believe it has a lot to do with its ability to wrap up a beloved series while potentially launching a new one. Even more, Jenshak has drawn Jane and Hendrick in such a way that they grab your attention from the start of their story. I was obsessed with Hendrick’s want to protect Jane from an outside threat. His grumpy, closed-off exterior was unraveled with Jenshak’s deft pacing. His story is particularly heartfelt as he navigates re-entering his family after a time away, a situation fraught with angry feelings and worry over his leaving again. Jenshak uses Jane’s need for protection as the perfect catalyst for Hendrick’s reconciliation with his brothers.
Jane’s story arc is the foundation of Tempting the Player, as she must navigate an outside threat, the renewed attention of fans, and a hold on the normalcy of life she’s created since starting at Valley U. The suspense portion of Jenshak’s story is no surprise, even though Jenshak tries to put us off the trail with other characters. Even though I was able to figure out the person threatening Jane, Jenshak shows her skill as a seasoned romance writer in the navigation of Hendrick and Jane’s burgeoning forbidden relationship. Their chemistry and attraction are easy distractions in her story.
Lastly, I absolutely loved Hendrick’s brothers, and I’m hoping there are future stories for this motley crew of “lost boys” – there is no better term for them. Jenshak has crafted them in such a way that makes them intriguing, specifically his brothers, Knox and Archer. You’ll find me downloading these stories, if Rebecca Jenshak decides to write them.
Tempting the Player is a beautiful end to this series of female friends. Yes, it keeps us at Valley U longer, and it entwines itself with Jenshak’s beloved hockey and football teams. But this sweet sentence near the end of the book, “a few weeks later, four wallflowers gather in the living room of their off-campus house,” brought feelings of nostalgia and felt like an homage to the oft-mentioned Pride and Prejudice (from this series) and Little Women. There is nothing better to read than four friends who support and love each other through the ups and downs of falling in love.
A tough-as-leather football player. A happy-go-lucky historian. It’s love against all odds in a warm and emotional romance about found family, friendship, and the restorative powers of the heart.
Former Dallas football player Burke Barrett is weathering a lot of changes. He’s retired from football. He’s mourning the loss of his best friend. And now he’s been bequeathed a dilapidated house in northern Michigan he doesn’t want. To his surprise it comes with a long-legged, blindly optimistic renovation manager with big ideas for Burke’s inheritance. She’s passionate, irritating, and irresistible.
Restoration expert Charlotte Cunningham is used to rough exteriors. This surly client, with his stubbled jaw, towering physique, and inflexible attitude, is worth smoothing over. The attraction sizzles, and a proposal is in order: a romantic tryst to relieve the tension. No strings attached. A safe bet for both of them since Burke is prepared to renovate, sell, and move on.
A pet project with an end date. Does that go for love too? Burke must decide what he really wants and what he’s willing to risk. He should know by now that the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat.
Tropes: ONS to more; surprise baby; doctor/patient; workplace romance; found family; pro football romance; hate to love; insta-love
J. Saman’s Irresitibly Risky feels lighter than its predecessors even though its themes lean towards the serious. Two words: Asher Reyes. Saman’s MMC brings light into the dark of its FMC’s life. Asher’s ability to win Wynter’s love acts as the driving force of Saman’s book, and it’s slid into the top spot of her Irresistibly Yours series. To be fair, I suspect that my favorite story will be the forthcoming one, Irresistibly Dangerous, with a broody hero such as Lenox, but that isn’t the point of this review.
Instead, Saman has wielded her pen to create a story where her MMC falls instantly for his FMC and spends much of it chasing her. This is the dream of many a romance reader: a “golden retriever” of a man who falls hard and fast and uses his riches and influence to win her heart. Women want to be pursued and adored, and Saman grants that wish in Irresistibly Risky.
What I loved about the journey of her characters is Wynter’s path. Like Wynter, my biological father left my life with many questions and few answers. The pain of that experience forever marks your soul, and Saman has captured this through the difficulty of Wynter accepting Asher’s interest in and love for her. The juxtaposition of Asher’s easy adoration for Wynter with Wynter’s inability to accept his love for her creates tension that breeds a rabid need for their happy ending. I loved sitting in their tension even though I wanted Wynter to give her heart to Asher easily. But that wouldn’t be true for someone such as Wynter who gave her heart to the first man in her life, and he obliterated it. It’s difficult to give it away again because that pain never leaves you. Saman captures Wynter’s internal struggle well, and even if you become frustrated by her willingness to run from Asher, you at least understand it well because Saman draws it with skill.
The ups and downs of Irresistibly Risky and the underlying story behind Wynter’s father drive the story forward. I found one moment in the story where Saman should have provided more of the story because a gap was created. She didn’t acknowledge that pocket of time, and I wanted her characters’ actions. That moment is the reason for my lower grade; however, Wynter and Asher’s chemistry and story arcs make up for it. The inclusion of Asher’s found family, Zax, Greyson, Callan, and Lenox, as well as their respective significant others, adds humor and wisdom to its main characters, providing a reminder of the power of their connection to the entire series.
J. Saman’s style is simple: she creates characters who set the pages on fire and make us fall in love with them. Irresistibly Risky is a perfect example of this.
🖤 Don’t Forget Me Tomorrow First Chapters Sneak Peek 🖤
NYT Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson has the prologue AND first chapter of her upcoming brother’s best friend, single mom, small town romance, Don’t Forget Me Tomorrow, available to read now before release day on October 5th!
Prologue
I stared at her from across the room.
I could feel the walls closing in, and the need I’d had for her for my entire life growing stronger than it ever had. As if the two of us were hinged on this moment.
“Tell me I’m not too late. Tell me you still love me.” There was no stopping the plea.
Pain and desperation twisted through her expression. “Do you think I could ever stop loving you?”
The second she said it, I snapped, and I was across the room.
I crashed into her in a landslide of greed.
One hand dove into her hair and the other curled around the side of her neck as I crushed my mouth against hers.
Really kissing her for the first time.
Nothing had ever felt quite like kissing Dakota Cooper.
It was flames and heat and pure relief.
I sucked it in, imbibing the feeling as I devoured her mouth.
My chest nearly blew with the power of it. With the way my heart thrashed violently at my ribs. With the devotion that surged from the sacred place that had always been meant for her.
Except I’d always known why I couldn’t touch her. The reasons I’d built the walls between us.
Why she was only supposed to be my best friend’s little sister.
I’d crossed a line I wasn’t supposed to cross.
And I should have known I’d have to pay the penalty…
Chapter One – Ryder
What the fuck was she doing out here?
I slowed my motorcycle as I came upon a small white Volvo SUV pulled off to the side of the road, its hazards flashing through the dusky light as the summer day faded into grays.
My guts tangled in a knot of worry.
We were twenty miles outside of town, and the two-lane road was basically desolate except for a random car that whizzed by.
There was no mistaking that car. The rear window was a fucking billboard for the country market and café Dakota Cooper owned. It wasn’t like I blamed her for wanting to advertise, but I didn’t love that every fucking person in this town knew her name, either.
Where she worked and where she lived.
Not that there was a ton of privacy in a small town the size of Time River.
Everyone knew everyone.
And even if she lived in the middle of a bustling city, I was pretty sure she would have made a name for herself, anyway.
Hell, I figured every time she smiled at some unknowing fool, she carved herself into their memory.
Made her mark.
Unforgettable.
Protectiveness lined my insides in a sheet of steel.
It was nearing dark, and she was out here in the middle of nowhere.
By herself.
Any monster could roll up and catch her unaware.
Just like me.
My bike came to a rumbling stop ten feet behind her, and I killed the engine, tossed the kickstand, and swung off as I took stock of the situation.
Dakota was more than capable, but it still made me itch that she was on her knees in front of the back-passenger side tire, cranking at a handle on the jack to lift the rear-end of her car.
Looking like a goddamn vision beneath the rays of the setting sun.
I tamped the bolt of lust that stirred my dick, something I’d gotten really fucking good at over the years, and I edged toward her, my boots crunching on the loose gravel.
Awareness rippled through the twilight with my approach.
A flash of tension before it settled into something familiar and right.
“Funny, I didn’t see a call or text from you,” I said, words rough and carrying over a big truck that blew by, sending a flurry of debris scattering through the air.
Dakota glanced my way. The hint of a smile played through the shiny gloss coating her lush lips.
“That’s because I didn’t call you.” Her voice was a tease as she continued to crank the handle, though her breaths were coming hard with her exertion as the back-end of her Volvo slowly hoisted.
At least she had a blanket spread on the ground to protect her bare knees since she had on one of those sundresses she always chose to wear. Black fabric dotted with pink flowers that hugged every lush curve of her body.
I thought she might have been prescribed specific attire with the sole purpose of driving me out of my mind.
“You should have.”
“What, you think I’m not capable of fixing a flat tire?” Eyes the color of cinnamon and fire glinted back. “I seem to remember someone who insisted on making sure I knew where the jack and spare were when I bought this car.”
She arched a brow. Her cheeks were full and high, and the threat of that tiny dimple on the left side of her chin flickered and danced like temptation.
“Yeah, that was so you would know how to do it for when I’m not around, and here I am.” I lifted my tatted arms out to the sides.
Except if she had called an hour before, I wouldn’t have answered. I’d have been too wrapped up in the bullshit dragging me under. A millstone around my neck.
One day it would be the reason I drowned.
The thousand shades of brown in her eyes danced as she peered up at me, and she chuckled a low, throaty sound that shivered over my skin. “Of course, you are. Tell me you’re not stalking me?”
Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I let a smirk ride to my face. “You know it. It’s my job to know where you are at all times.”
“Is that so?” Her expression twisted in playful disbelief.
“Isn’t that what friends are for?”
“Friends? Hardly. It sounds to me you’re acting more like my overbearing brother. I swear, if it was up to the two of you, I’d never step foot outside by myself.”
Sounded like a solid plan.
“What are you doing out here, anyway?” I asked.
“I had to pop over to Costco in Poplar to grab some things for the café. What are you doing out here?” She tossed it back at me like she figured I’d been up to no good.
I had been, but I doubted it was what she was thinking.
Shame locked down my throat. As close as I was to Dakota, there would always be a wall. A place I couldn’t let her see. The fucking last thing in the world I wanted her to know about me.
My jaw clenched as I forced out the lie. “Just felt like feeling the wind on my face. My bike was calling to me.”
“A little hot for that, isn’t it?”
“Never too hot for me.” The smirk was back in full force.
With the history around us, I was thankful we’d gotten to this place.
Where we could be easy together.
Friends, even though it was fucking painful being this close to her most of the time.
But I would take her any way I could have her.
She scoffed and turned her attention back to the jack, clearly picking up on the innuendo I couldn’t help but slide into the conversation. Before I could let my brain spiral into depravity, I strode the rest of the way up to her.
It cast her in my shadow where I towered over her.
“Are you going to get up off your knees and let me help you, or are you just going to leave me standing here staring at you like a lazy prick?”
Leaning back, she swiped a bead of sweat that trickled from her hairline with her bare shoulder.
My fingers itched with the urge to reach out and trace the spot. But touching her was the last thing I could do. I wouldn’t taint her goodness with the sickness of me.
“Haven’t you learned yet that you don’t need to ride in like the cavalry, Ryder?”
“I already rode in, Cookie, so you might as well let me.”
I’d started calling her that years ago.
Now there was no way I could stop.
Pushing to standing, she waved at the flat tire. “Fine, if it makes you feel more like a man, then go for it.”
I shook my head at her. “Are you trying to bust my balls?”
“Someone needs to.” She punted me a grin.
I started to move to take her place, but she bent over to straighten the skirt of her dress.
It speared me to the spot.
Her tits were heavy and spilling out of the scooped neckline.
Her hips full and wide and perfectly hugged by the fabric.
Hair a warm brown that was streaked with honey, and she wore it in a high ponytail, the same way as she did most days, the lush locks wavy and draping over one shoulder.
I couldn’t help but envision wrapping my hand around it, tugging her head back, and devouring that lush mouth.
I swallowed hard, doing my best not to ogle my best friend’s baby sister.
Dude would fucking gut me if he had an inkling of an idea about the thoughts I had of her.
Too bad he was the least of my worries.
She moved a foot to the side, and I took her spot, reining that bullshit in.
I knew better.
Dakota was a friend. Like a sister to me. And I’d do well to remember it. Because I would never fucking drag her into the mess that was my life.
I cranked through the lug bolts, removed the tire, then was quick to replace it with the spare.
The whole time, I could feel her attention on me. Eyes tracing.
“You enjoying yourself, Cookie?” I canted a glance up at her. The last of the light caught her in its hazy rays.
Brown hair and mesmerizing eyes.
So goddamn pretty my stomach clutched.
Raking her teeth over her bottom lip, she tried to contain her laughter. “Guess I like you on your knees for me.”
A snort left my nose. I’d been for years, and she didn’t have a clue.
Giving a final tug at the lug nuts to make sure they were tight, I shifted to fully look up at her. “You need to make sure you’re not driving on this for long and take it in to get the original tire repaired or replaced.”
The cock of her head was nothing but a razzing challenge. “I am a capable adult, Ryder. I even own my own business.”
“Know that, Dakota.” The words were low.
“Then you can stop treating me like a little girl.” The barest flash of annoyance hit her expression.
If only that was the way I saw her.
“Go ahead and tell my brother while you’re at it,” she tacked on, rolling her eyes though there was affection woven through. “The two of you are ridiculous.”
“I just care about you, Dakota. About Kayden.” The admission came rough, and the sweat that suddenly slicked my skin didn’t have anything to do with the summer heat.
Thinking of Dakota’s son always got me that way. He was two, and the cutest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
I didn’t know if it was loyalty or jealousy that hit me hardest, not that I had any right to the last.
Softness radiated from her as she gazed down at me, that sweetness that was always lingering beneath the surface riding from her tongue. “You know I can’t call you every time some little thing goes wrong in my life and expect you to come running, Ryder. You’ve already done enough for me. Too much.”
Gratitude tinged with unease infiltrated her tone, her eyes dropping for a beat. I knew exactly where her mind had gone.
The money I’d given her to help start her business.
I released the jack and stood. There was nothing I could do but take her by the chin. More tender than I should. I towered over her, searching her face like there was a way I could get her to understand.
“That’s where you have it wrong, Dakota. You can. I expect you to call me. Whatever you need. And there is no such thing as too much when it comes to you. Do you understand?” The words left me like a tumble of stones. A plea and a demand.
Because I’d wanted to give her everything I had, but the only thing I had been able to do was give her the one gift that I could.
She viewed it as a debt. Like something she needed to repay.
She could never understand that what I’d given her was my heart.
Those pink lips parted, and fuck, greed twisted through me like a hurricane, cock pushing at my jeans like I might be able to possess the one woman I could never have.
“I don’t want you to waste your time on me,” she whispered. “I know you have your own life. Things you need to take care of.”
A puff of disbelief escaped between my lips. “You could never be a waste, Dakota Cooper.”
The air thickened. Growing dense and pushing in. Heavy and hot. A dragging pull between us.
My phone pinged in my pocket, and both of us jumped back like it was a warning going off that we were about to cross a line we couldn’t cross.
Blowing out a steadying sigh, I dug into my pocket and thumbed into my phone like it was the most important thing in the world, then my chest clutched with the reminder of why I could never get too close to Dakota.
Why she’d hate me if she knew.
Dare: Where the fuck are you? You’re late.
Swallowing around the barbs in my throat, I looked up at the woman who stood three feet away shifting on her feet.
Innocent and right and every good thing in this life.
I roughed a hand over the back of my neck, attention on my boots when I said, “I need to get going.”
I felt the weight of her nod. “Yeah, I need to get to my mom’s and pick up Kayden before they get worried.”
I hoisted up her flat tire, opened her trunk, and tossed it in. Dakota came to my side, her presence close to overwhelming as she placed the blanket she’d had on the ground on top of it.
For a second, we hovered in each other’s space. So close but where we could never belong.
Lost to a beat of greed.
The kind I could never give into.
I pushed the button to close the hatch then took a step toward my bike. “Be safe, Dakota.”
Cinnamon eyes watched me like they could see through to my sins. “You, too.”
Signed Paperbacks, Hardbacks, and Collector’s BundlesPRE-ORDER HERE
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, and REDEMPTION HILLS novels. Watch out for her upcoming stand-alone,DON’T FORGET ME TOMORROW, releasing October 5th!
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
Picture this: you just won the Super Bowl. You’re out on the town celebrating with your teammates and best friends. And the cherry on top? You meet the sexiest woman you’ve ever seen.
Best. Night. Ever.
That is until things get going and you discover you’re suffering from a first-ever case of…performance issues.
Before you can even get a fix on your problem, *Poof* she’s gone and that’s the end of that.
Game over.
Or so I thought.
Turns out, that woman I met two years ago isn’t just some random woman from a club.
She’s my team’s new doctor.
As if that’s not already a penalty against me, she wants nothing to do with me now that she knows who I am.
But after our first go didn’t, well, go, I’m determined to prove myself and win a second chance with the woman I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
Especially when she hits me with the biggest surprise of my life.
I know this new game is risky. That it could cost me everything I’ve worked impossibly hard to build for myself. Yet something tells me going up against this irresistible woman is worth the risk.
And I’m ready to play my heart out.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
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.
My brother’s teammates know not to touch me—but that doesn’t stop me from daring Jaxson Brittain to be the first to break the rule.
After one steamy night in Austin, I’m all too aware of the hot, broody defenseman with icy blue eyes and ink sprawling his muscular arms. He was the one my brother assigned to keep me safe—and I had far too much fun tempting him to be the one to put me in danger.
It was just one night of tip-toeing the line, of teasing and flirting and messing around knowing nothing would ever come of it.
But when the universe throws me back into his lap two weeks later and we end up on a secret road trip together, all bets are off.
I can’t help but touch him. I can’t help but pray for him to touch me. And I can’t resist the temptation to test him at every turn.
Jaxson is smart and doesn’t have a death wish. So, like a gentleman, he keeps his hands to himself… the jerk.
But the closer we get on the road and the farther we get from reality, the less those warning signs from my brother seem to deter him.
When we started this road trip, we set a boundary. We promised to keep all arms and legs safely in the friend zone.
Now, miles and miles away from all the reasons we shouldn’t, all I can hear is my heart thumping out the resounding reason we should.
And the way those heated blue eyes watch me, I know I’m not the only one.
Watch Your Mouth is book two in the Kings of the Ice series: a series of interconnected standalones following a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees. They do not need to be read in order, but you will gain glimpses of future characters/couples in each book.
Kandi Steiner is an Amazon Top 5 bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, playing with her fur babies and soaking up the sweetness of life.
Adriana Locke has revealed the gorgeous cover for Flame!
Releasing: November 2, 2023
Wanted: A Marriage of Convenience
I swore I would only get married if my life depended on it.
Oh, the irony.
Because the universe took that as a challenge, I’m now in the market for a husband. But if I’m going to be stuck in a temporary marriage, I want it to be with the right man.
I might as well try to enjoy this experience, right?
Considering the circumstances, I need a protector—someone who will throw down for his short-term wife with no questions asked. He’ll be fit. Intelligent. My potential short-term husband will have a dry sense of humor. And, if I’m dreaming big, he’ll be drop-dead gorgeous and a little grumpy. Hot, grumpy men are so attractive.
I mean, if a marriage of convenience is the only way out of this precarious situation, I may as well look for a perfect, broody bodyguard, right?
It could be fun. Lots of fun.
Especially if the one man I know who fits the bill will play along.
But, if Foxx Carmichael does agree to this crazy plan, for better or worse, death might do us part in a whole other way.
USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.
She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.
Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.
Ewe Complete Me, an all-new forced proximity romance from USA Today bestselling author Susannah Nix, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!
Love defies logic when two polar opposites attract.
Chloe and Brandon have nothing in common. She’s a spontaneous, people-loving fiber artist; he’s an uptight, introverted law student. The only thing they agree on during their blind date is that they hope to never see each other again.
Except they do have something in common—Brandon’s mother Dawn, who happens to be Chloe’s boss and dear friend. Which is how they end up stuck with each other for a six-hour road trip to Dawn’s destination wedding.
But as they get to know each other better, their mutual irritation morphs into an inescapable connection. Maybe these two opposites aren’t so mismatched after all. Could Brandon be the yin to Chloe’s yang? The peanut butter to her jelly? The rock to her roll?
Or will their differences tear them apart when they return to their normal lives at the end of the wedding weekend?
‘Ewe Complete Me’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #6 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Susannah Nix is an award-winning author of contemporary romances featuring smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms about women who work in STEM fields and the Starstruck series of movie star romances.
Susannah resides in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.
Professor Romance 