Spotlight: Falling for Real by Carly Phillips

Release Date: April 16

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Fake Date • Wedding Weekend • Forced Proximity • One Bed • Miami Heat • A Dare Family Series Story

One canceled date. One overbooked hotel. One fake boyfriend who feels way too real.

I fly into a destination wedding expecting maid-of-honor chaos—not to share a room with Tristan Hayes, the devastatingly charming nightclub owner I’ve crushed on for too long.

When the hotel runs out of rooms, Tristan gives his to an elderly couple without hesitation. I see the kind of man he is… and offer to share my king bed. Just for the weekend. Totally innocent.

Until my ex shows up.
With a date.

Suddenly Tristan’s hand is on my waist, his smile lethal, and he’s my fake boyfriend. Temporary. Perfect.

Except the chemistry isn’t fake.
And wedding weekends don’t last.

Or do they?

A fun, flirty wedding-weekend romance featuring fake dating, forced proximity, one bed, and a hero who always shows up—with a guaranteed HEA.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback

Meet Carly Phillips

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

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To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here!

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Spotlight: Fracture by Basar Gorur

(Shadow Sovereign Series, #1)

Publication date: April 17th 2026

Genres: Adult, Techno Thriller

A murdered diplomat. A dying man’s cryptic message. A conspiracy that could shatter NATO.

When U.S. geopolitical strategist Roger ‘Simms’ Osbourne receives word that his colleague and friend Aslı Green has been killed, he inherits more than grief. He inherits her secret: evidence of a sophisticated Russian operation that sank a Ukrainian tanker and made it look like an accident.

Sent to London to sell a critical NATO surveillance system, Simms quickly discovers his official mission is compromised. A powerful British political faction, backed by shadowy money and royal connections, is determined to see him fail. The deeper he digs into Aslı’s murder, the more he realizes the two threats are connected.

Forced to abandon the rulebook, Simms assembles an unlikely alliance: his embattled team, a mysterious operative named Katya who knows too much, and assets on both sides of the law. Together, they uncover a sprawling network funneling Russian profits through international shell companies to fuel a political war against the West.

But Russian Admiral Sidorov isn’t waiting for the dust to settle. His devastating military demonstration exposes NATO’s vulnerabilities and humiliates the alliance on the world stage. And lurking beneath it all is an even darker secret: Chinese technology at the heart of Russia’s most advanced weapons.

Now Simms must wage war on three fronts: political, financial, and military. Because if he fails, his friend died for nothing. And the next strike won’t be disguised as an accident.

For fans of Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney, and Brad Thor.

Excerpt

Ankara. Surveillance van outside Mikhail’s apartment. Evening.

Jack adjusted the lens for the hundredth time. Jones was sorting sunflower seeds by some private system known only to God and possibly his therapist.

“Stilettos,” Jones said.

“We’re not doing this.”

“We’re absolutely doing this. We’ve been here four hours. I’ve counted the bricks on that building. There are 2,847. I’ve earned a conversation.”

“You counted wrong. There are 2,846.”

“You counted them too?”

“Shut up.” Jack refused to look at him. “What about stilettos?”

“Women wear them voluntarily. On purpose. They pay extra for the privilege of balancing on pencil erasers.”

“Groundbreaking analysis. Call the sociology department.”

“I’m serious. Men’s fashion evolution went: uncomfortable, less uncomfortable, sweatpants. Enlightenment achieved. Women’s fashion went: uncomfortable, more uncomfortable, here’s a torture device from the Spanish Inquisition, but we made it beige.”

Jack checked the window. Nothing.

“Maybe they like being tall.”

“Platform sneakers exist. Wedges exist. Sensible block heels exist. Those chunky things that look like orthopedic equipment for fashionable astronauts.” Jones cracked a seed with surgical precision. “The stiletto isn’t about height. It’s about violence.”

“Violence.”

“Think about it. Historically, women couldn’t carry weapons. Swords, daggers, frowned upon. Very unlady-like. But shoes?” Jones gestured broadly, scattering shells. “Nobody regulates footwear. So some genius says, what if we put a three-inch steel spike on a pump and call it couture?”

“That’s actually not terrible.”

“I’m occasionally not terrible. Mark the calendar.”

The radio crackled. Static. The universe’s way of saying nothing was happening, and nothing would happen.

“You know they were daggers first,” Jones said. “Fifteenth century. Little needle-point shivs for punching through armor gaps.”

Jack checked the monitor. Still dark. “We are not talking about fashion history.”

“It’s tactical history. ‘Stiletto’ comes from stilus. The little metal spike Romans used for writing.” Jones pointed a shell at Jack. “It literally means ‘angry pen.’ The shoe is just a knife you can walk in.”

“You made that up.”

“Look it up. CIA even tried to weaponize them in the fifties. Program called Stiletto Rose. Pop-out blades in the heel.”

“Bullshit.”

“Swear to God. Total failure. Mechanics didn’t work. But someone tried.” Jones grinned. “Boredom is the mother of weapons development.”

Jack massaged his temples.

“Your ex-wife had stilettos, didn’t she?”

“Louboutins. Red soles. Cost more than my first car.” Jones found a seed worthy of consumption. “She never wore them. Kept them in the box. I asked why. She said they weren’t for wearing, they were for knowing she could wear them.”

“That explains the divorce.”

“Many things explain the divorce. Most of them are my fault. Some of them footwear-adjacent.”

The window remained dark. Jack was developing a personal vendetta against it.

The radio crackled.

“All teams, target vehicle approaching.”

Jack grabbed the camera. Jones swept the sunflower seeds aside.

“Finally,” Jones said. “I had a whole bit about platform shoes being siege equipment.”

“Save it.”

“Battering rams for the fashion-forward.”

“I will leave you here.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Hardcover | Paperback

About the Author

Writes geopolitical techno-thrillers grounded in institutions, leverage, and the real mechanics behind modern power. He has a BA degree in International Relations. 

During his military service, he served on the personal staff of the Commander of the War Academies, working directly for a four-star air force general as an aide and translator. That experience informs how he writes briefings, decision cycles, and pressure under uncertainty. 

He later held senior executive roles at PwC and at 3M Corporation headquarters, operating in multinational environments where cross-border incentives and capital flows shape outcomes. He now leads a private asset-management business.

Outside of work, he is a licensed captain and avid scuba diver who spends several months each year at sea and has traveled extensively. These experiences shape the Shadow Sovereign series.

Connect:

https://www.instagram.com/basargorur/

Spotlight: Between the Chords by Heather Young-Nichols

A steamy, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, coming home, rock star, STANDALONE romance.

He’s always been the one I never let myself have.
And the one I never truly let go.

Luke Wilder has been part of my life since high school—one of my closest friends, full of late-night laughter and almost moments that felt like something more until he left town and became a rock star.

But I learned early that men leave.

So I leave first.

No relationships. No hope. No staying long enough to get hurt. Those were the rules that kept my heart safe… until Luke came home to Hawthorne Hills.

Now he’s back with that easy smile, a new house that feels dangerously close to forever, and a way of seeing straight through every wall I’ve built.

One weekend at the lake house puts us in the same bed—too close, too familiar—and suddenly the line between friendship and something more disappears.

Luke says I’m safe with him.
That he’s not going anywhere.

But love has always been the one thing capable of breaking me.

And if I fall for him now… there’s no walking away.

Between the Chords is the second standalone in the Reckless Saints series featuring a rock star who never stopped loving the girl who ran from him, a heroine terrified to risk her heart, slow-burn friends-to-lovers tension, one bed at the lake house, and all the it’s always been you angst you crave.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Heather Young-Nichols is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romances. She writes swoony heroes and snarky heroines with a heap of romance.

When she's not writing, she's binging a show with her kids, watching baseball, or snuggling with her cuddly animals.

Connect:

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Newsletter: https://www.heatheryoungnichols.com/get-the-goodies

Spotlight: The Cardinal Code: Absolution by Avery Sterling

(The Cardinal Code, #2)

Publication date: April 17th 2026

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

The Cardinal Code: Absolution continues the dark, seductive saga of the Cardinales—an elite society of vampires whose influence shapes governments, history, and the hidden world beneath human civilization.

Paislee Sullivan never wanted power. She only wanted Michael. But loving a man born into a secret dynasty of blood and control means standing in the shadow of everything he represents.

When Michael Chamberlain is summoned to London, he’s pulled into a political struggle rooted in ancient bloodlines and forbidden truths. As old laws are challenged and long-buried secrets begin to surface, Paislee finds herself no longer at the edge of his world—but at its center.

The deeper she is drawn into Cardinales society, the more dangerous her presence becomes. To some, she is leverage. To others, a threat. To Michael, she is the only thing that has ever mattered.

Bound by love and hunted by forces determined to preserve the Order’s control, they must confront a truth the Dominium has spent centuries suppressing.

Because some bloodlines were never meant to merge.

And loving each other may cost them everything.

Excerpt

Paislee leaned her head on Michael’s shoulder. 

“You didn’t look surprised by that envelope.” 

“Because I wasn’t.” 

“What is it?” 

“An invitation,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers and brushing her knuckles with his lips. 

Her head lifted. “An invitation for what?” 

“To Etxe Bakarra.” 

“What’s that?” 

“A celebration they hold every year—but barely understand. It was hand-delivered. Required my signature. Which means I must attend or face consequences.” 

She studied the envelope, running her fingers over its embossed seal. “It’s beautiful. What is Etxe Bakarra?” 

“A celebration of unity. Of peace.” 

“Are you required to attend every year?” 

“No.” 

“Then why now?” 

“Because the harvest moon aligns with the autumn equinox. It’s incredibly rare.” 

She blinked. “Harvest moon, autumn equinox . . . the Order sounds mystical.” 

He chuckled. “It’s their favorite bedtime story.” 

As the car hummed down the avenue, she turned the envelope over in her hands. 

“You didn’t even open it.” 

“I know what it says.” 

“I’ll open it, then.” 

Her eyes skimmed the elegant script inside. Then she paused. “Michael . . . why is my name on it?” 

He went still.  

“Right under yours. It says the invitation extends to ‘Michael Chamberlain and companion, Paislee Sullivan.’” 

He reached over and took the invitation from her hands. His easy charm shuttered, replaced by something darker. Calculating. 

Michael stared out the window for a long moment. 

“They want to see you,” he said quietly. 

Paislee frowned. “Why?” 

“I don’t know.” 

A pause hung between them. 

She rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the steady thud of his heart beneath the fine weave of his jacket. He didn’t speak again, but he didn’t have to. She could feel it in the way he held her hand tighter than before—the silent promise tucked into his touch.  

Whatever this celebration meant, whatever game the Order was playing, she was now a part of it. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance. 

Connect:

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https://www.avery-sterling.com/

https://www.facebook.com/avery.sterling.125

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19674760.Avery_Sterling

Spotlight: A Tiny Little Favor by Peyton Banks

Publication date: April 17th 2026

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

From USA Today bestselling author, Peyton Banks, comes a steamy rom com about second chances, accidental families, and the most unexpected proposal of all.

He was supposed to be a one-night stand… Now she’s asking him for baby number two.

Five years ago, Tachina Winston made one impulsive decision—a one-night stand with her former client, Vic Maxwell. The result? The world’s cutest little boy and an unconventional but surprisingly seamless co-parenting setup. No drama, no strings, no regrets.

But Tachina has a tiny little problem…

She wants another baby.

Dating apps? Disasters. Blind dates? Even worse. There’s only one man she trusts enough to do this with again: Vic.

Vic isn’t looking for love after a messy breakup. But when Tachina proposes her plan, he can’t deny it—he’s tempted.

And if he agrees, it will come with one condition: he wants to experience everything he missed before.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

Because soon, things get complicated. They’re having adult spend-the-night dates, sharing kisses that last too long, and stirring up feelings neither of them expected.

Then Vic’s ex returns wanting him back, they are forced to decide: was this just a favor with benefits… or the beginning of something real?

Excerpt

“Okay. What is going on? You’re in a mood!”

“A mood?” Tachina looked up from the menu at her longtime friend. There goes that nose of Addison’s. She had figured out that Tachina was keeping a secret. 

“A mood. An energy. An aura. Something is going on in that big, beautiful head of yours.” Addison folded her arms across her chest and stared at Tachina. 

“My head is not big,” Tachina muttered. She shrugged. “I’m just hungry.”

“Nope. That’s not it. You’ve got that look on your face. It’s the ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ expression.”

“Do I really have a ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ look?” Well, that was news to her. Tachina reached up and tucked her thick hair behind her ear. 

“Yes, ma’am. Your forehead gets all serious. A long line appears across it.” Addison drew a line across her own forehead. 

Tachina grimaced and waved her off. “Stop trying to read my face.”

“Just spill it already.”

Monica, one of their favorites waitresses, arrived at the table. She wore bright-pink lipstick, short pixie blonde hair, and had a personality big enough to fill the café. She pulled out her notepad and flashed them a grin. 

“What can I start you with, darlin’? Tea? Coffee? Wine? A little Jack?” She chuckled and motioned to Addison and Tachina. “You two are over here whispering fierce, and by the looks of it, you should order the Jack.”

“It’s her.” Addison pointed to Tachina. “She’s the problem.”

“Woooow…” Tachina shook her head. How was she the problem?

“She sure threw you under the bus. Bless her heart. What’s wrong, babe?” Monica turned her kind eyes on Tachina. She had been working at The Iron Kettle for as long as Tachina and Addison had been coming there. She always tried to help and offer motherly advice. She was in her early sixties and didn’t bite her tongue when it came to nonsense. 

“Nothing is wrong,” Tachina said quickly.

Two sets of eyebrows lifted at her. 

Liars were rarely safe around women who made it their business to be in other’s people’s business. A best friend and a waitress were two of the most dangerous species to try to get away with something. They would figure it out. 

“It’s no big deal,” Tachina stressed, but it seemed neither of them believed her. 

“Well, I see she doesn’t want to talk in front of me. Let me take your order so she can spill her guts to you, Addy.” Monica turned to Addison who promptly gave her order. 

Tachina glanced back down at the menu. Mind made up, she waited her turn. 

“And Miss Tachina, what will you be having?”

“I’ll take the Reuben with extra cheese, extra mustard on the side, make sure they give me the biggest slice of pickle they have, and no chips, I’ll have the house fries instead, please.” She placed her menu back down on the table and again found two sets of eyes on her. She shrugged, unapologetic. “I said I was hungry. Oh, and for a drink, I’ll have a Diet Coke.”

“Really? A diet?” Addison muttered. 

“Shut your face.” Tachina blew a kiss at her bestie who rolled her eyes at her. 

“I don’t judge. I’ll get your order in and I’ll be back with your drink, babe.” Monica offered her a wink as she collected their menus. She spun on her heel and beelined it through the busy establishment. 

“Okay. Now spill it.” Addison was not going to let up on her. 

Tachina blew out a deep breath. 

It was now or never. 

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

USA Today best-selling author, Peyton Banks, is the alter ego of a city girl who is a romantic at heart. Her mornings consist of coffee and daydreaming up the next steamy romance book ideas. She loves spinning romantic tales of hot alpha males and the women they love. She currently resides with her husband and children in Cleveland, Ohio.

Connect:

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Spotlight: Shane by S.R. Grey

Release Date: April 16

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Shane

They say nice guys finish last, and that’s certainly been the case for me. At least, when it comes to love. As a professional hockey player, I’m a winner.

In dating, though, I’m a dud.

I don’t know why. They say I’m good-looking.

Maybe I need more of an edge.

Or maybe I just need to find the right girl.

****

Willa

After a bad breakup, I need some time away . . . alone.

But it seems my quiet tropical getaway is about to be anything but. Due to a mix-up, hot hockey player Shane Thoma is now sharing my beachfront rental.

Hey, I couldn’t make him leave.

No way! He’s too damn hot.

Now that I think about it, maybe he’s the distraction I need.

Buy on Amazon

Meet S.R. Grey

S.R. Grey is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the new Breakaway hockey series and the popular Boys of Winter hockey books and Men of Fall football novels. Other New Adult and Romantic Suspense works of hers include the Judge Me Not books, the Promises series, the Inevitability duology, A Harbour Falls Mystery trilogy, and the Laid Bare series of novellas.

When not writing Ms. Grey can be found reading, traveling, running, and cheering for her hometown sports teams. Sometimes all at the same time!

To learn more about S.R. Grey & her books, visit here!

Connect with S.R. Grey: https://www.srgrey.com/contact