Cover Reveal: The High Court by Chris Ledbetter

 

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The High Court by Chris Ledbetter

presented by Month9Books!

Celebrate this reveal by entering the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

 

High atop Mount Olympus, dawn breaks on a new academic term. Normalcy has returned to campus following a harrowing expedition into The Underworld to rescue kidnapped students by Zeus and his fellow Olympians. Now, as they prepare to testify in The High Court, Hyperion will be tried for the attack on Crete and death of Anytos. Kronos will stand trial for the murder of Mount Olympus Prep’s Headmaster Ouranos. As the trials draw near, Mount Olympus Prep students and faculty are besieged repeatedly by a race of gargantuan stone and earth giants. Under heavy assault, the Olympians are forced to flee to the volcanic island of Limnos to regroup. Meanwhile, a toxic poison Zeus has carried with him since a prior fight with a dragoness, creeps toward his brain. In a race against time and beasts, Zeus and his friends must find a way to survive not only the toxin ravaging Zeus’ body, but also the giants who grow stronger after every attack, and somehow make it to the The High Court alive.

The High Court (The Sky Throne #2) by Chris Ledbetter Release Date: August 7, 2018 Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:

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Chris Ledbetter grew up in Durham, NC before moving to Charlottesville, VA in 11th grade. After high school, he attended Hampton University where he promptly “walked-on” to the best drum line in the conference without any prior percussion experience. He carried the bass drum for four years, something his back is not very happy about now.

After a change of heart and major, he enrolled in Old Dominion University and earned his degree in Business Administration. He’s worked in various managerial and marketing capacities throughout his life. He taught high school for six years in Culpeper, VA, and also coached football.

He has walked the streets of Los Angeles and New York City, waded in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and climbed Diamond Head crater on Hawaii and rang in the New Year in Tokyo, Japan. But he dreams of one day visiting Greece and Italy.

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Spotlight: Wherever Love Finds You by Laura Haley-McNeil

It’s his game. He makes the rules. Rule number one – only he can break the rules.

Zach Lowe lives his life without relationships in business and personally. Getting involved doesn’t work well when you’re the Black Knight of Wall Street.

Ellora Duvall, the sweet kid who crushed on him in high school, waltzes into the world of corporate finance with the same wide eyed innocence she had in chemistry class. He hadn’t expected her to affect him the way she did, but he’s in control. A few weeks with Ellora will be pure pleasure, then he’ll move on. She’ll understand. He should, too.

Who broke his rules?

Wherever Love Finds You is the 1st book in the Beaumont Brides Series.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Ellora Duvall picked up her morning latte with an extra shot of espresso and merged into the throng of Wall Street suits packing the sidewalk. She dodged a gang of skateboarders and inhaled the exhaust-filled air as if it were the fresh Colorado mountain breeze she’d breathed since childhood.

It was Monday morning, she lived in New York, and she worked at the most prestigious equity firm on Wall Street. Life couldn’t be better, though her family insisted she should think about marriage.

Ridiculous. She was only twenty-two years old. She was starting her career. She was making more money than she’d ever thought possible. Marriage wasn’t an option, though once she would’ve considered it.

Her heart drummed, and her mouth went dry. She pushed thoughts of what-might-have-been out of her mind.

From the newspaper stand in front of her office building, she scooped up an investment newspaper and plopped several bills on the countertop. She scanned the headlines and pushed through the revolving doors into the marble lobby that echoed with the taps of script-embossed shoes crossing the tiled floor. It was the same headline she’d been reading since she’d graduated college over a year ago—STOCK MARKET CRASH IMMINENT.

She tucked the newspaper under her arm and raced to the elevators. The markets hit record highs every other day. A crash wasn’t possible.

The elevator doors slid open and she joined the mass of humanity cramming into the postage stamp sized space. She sucked in one last deep breath, tightened her stomach and faced the elevator doors.

The suits towered around her. Some spoke about their weekend, others, sipped their coffees. All seemed charged and ready for the opening bell of the stock market.

“Ellora Duvall.” The voice behind her was deep and rich and made her spine go rigid.

Zach Lowe. Alarm blew through her. She hadn’t heard that voice since high school, but she’d memorized it along with his square jaw, his crooked smile and the mischievous glint in his eyes.

She jerked her head up. Raging hot latte squirted through the cap’s spout and splashed over her hand. She gritted her teeth. Yell in this cab filled with suits? Not on her life. She hadn’t looked to see who else was in the cab. She hadn’t realized she stood right in front of Zach. It’d be her luck that her company’s president would be in the elevator. And what would Zach think?

A handkerchief with a monogrammed Z wrapped around her hand and mopped away the coffee.

The elevator glided to a stop and the doors slid open.

“This is my floor.” Ellora stepped from the cab. When the doors closed, she’d race to the bathroom and stick her hand under cold running water.

And scream—from humiliation and pain.

The doors closed.

“You need ice on that.” Zach was standing behind her.

She whirled around. He stood in front of the mirrored doors that reflected his muscular form cloaked in a gray suit.

“You got off the elevator,” she stammered.

“Of course, I got off. You burned your hand. I feel responsible. Let’s take care of that. Now.”

“Zach, you don’t have to help me. I’ll just run some water—”

He said nothing. He stepped past her and strode through a sea of cubicles toward the break room at the end of the hall. Several heads rose above the cubicle panels and stared after him.

That happened to Zach in high school. When he passed by, every head turned.

The company president moved down the hallway studying a prospectus. He stopped and stared over his glasses at Zach.

“Zach Lowe.” He glanced at his watch. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Our golf game isn’t until Wednesday unless you’re having second thoughts.”

“On the contrary, George.” Zach shook the president’s hand and strode down the aisle. “I look forward to it.” He stepped into the break room.

“Hello, Mr. Miller,” Ellora murmured to the president. Her shoulders hunched, she scooted past him.

“Hello. Erica, isn’t it?”

“Ellora. Ellora Duvall. It’s nice to see you again, sir.” She turned to him. The smile she pasted over her mouth felt as if wires had been threaded through her cheeks. When he turned away, she raced to the break room.

“Come here.” Zach dropped a handful of ice into a plastic bag. Where did he find the bag? He lifted her coffee cup from her hand.

She set her briefcase and purse on a round table. “How did you know where the break room was, and how do you know Mr. Miller?”

“If you’ve been in one equities firm, you’ve been in them all. The break room’s always in the same place. As for George, he and I go way back.”

“How far back could that be? You were only one year ahead of me in high school.”

“And two years older since you skipped a grade.” His eyes grazed hers.

Ellora flushed. That and the fact that she had a December birthday made her the youngest in her class. She’d always felt awkward and she’d never really fit in.

“I didn’t even realize you worked in this building,” she said.

“Now you do. I’m going to wrap this bag around your hand.” He uttered the statement as if it were a warning. He gave her a full look.

Heated blood raced through her veins. “Zach, I don’t need—”

He took her hand and draped the ice bag over it. “Does that hurt?”

He had no idea. “A little.”

“Let’s take care of this.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “When did you start working for JRK?”

“Almost the day I graduated.” She couldn’t look away from the deep brilliant blue eyes that scooped air from her lungs. “I had planned to backpack through Europe with some friends, but when JRK offered me the job, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I mean, a chance to work on Wall Street and for one of the most prestigious firms. I accepted their offer and canceled my trip.”

“That was smart.” He said it in a way that spread warmth through her chest.

“What about you? I’d heard you were in New York.”

“Where’d you here that?”

Her throat dried. She couldn’t tell him he was the number one gossip topic whenever she got together with her high school friends.

“Somewhere.” She dragged out the word. “Which firm are you with?”

“Bell Equity.”

“The Black Knight of Wall Street?” She almost hiccupped. “Zach, they have a terrible reputation. They buy companies and fire employees. Maybe I should be afraid of you.”

“You can’t believe everything you read.” His smile seemed dry. “How does your hand feel?”

“Huh?” She’d almost forgotten why he was standing in front of her, looking into her eyes and holding her hand. “Oh, it feels better, so much better.” She pulled her hand free from his touch and took one step backwards. The void dropping between them felt as if they were floating in different galaxies. “It’ll be fine. Not damaged or anything.” Why had she said that? She wanted to slam her palm into her forehead. It sounded stupid—stuck-in-high-school stupid.

He studied her a moment. Something flickered in his eyes. “If you think you’ll need anything...”

“I won’t need anything but thank you for helping me.” She was talking too fast.

The corner of his mouth curved. “It was the least I could do. You should still keep ice on your hand.”

“I’ll do that.” She hadn’t even heard what he said.

“Congratulations on the Wall Street job. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Her jaw froze. She couldn’t say anything.

For a moment she thought he’d touch his hand to her cheek. She could almost feel his heat.

He didn’t touch her. He didn’t do anything except nod and walk out of the break room.

And out of her life.

Ellora stared at the empty doorway. The break room felt cold and dark.

The heat in her chest had to be from the high school crush she had on Zach Lowe.

If that were true, why did it burn? She wanted to rush after him, ask him out on a date.

Date? Hadn’t she told her family she didn’t want to date? Didn’t have time to date?

But if she dated Zach...

He wouldn’t date her. His mother, Kim, had told her he’d never date her. Ellora had been high school geeky. Her family wasn’t in his class. Zach had been one of the cool kids. She’d heard about the girls he’d dated. She’d heard about how much fun he was at parties. She’d heard how all the girls wanted to be with him.

She and Zach had been in the same chemistry class and she was always helping him. Today, he’d helped her, and seemed happy to do so.

That meant nothing.

Kim’s cold words rang in Ellora’s ears. Her insides shivered. It was six years ago when Kim had cornered Ellora at her parents’ party. No one else was around. No one heard Kim’s warning. But Ellora never forgot the look on Kim’s face and the sharpness in her voice.

“Don’t get any ideas about Zach, hon. You’ll never be good enough for my son.”

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About the Author

Laura Haley-McNeil is an award-winning author of romantic suspense and women’s fiction in novel length and in short stories. Her work has been featured in several women’s magazines. She has studied piano and ballet and has been a board member for two community orchestras. She and her husband reside in Colorado. When she isn’t writing, she jogs, bicycles and crochets.

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Spotlight: International Guy: Paris, New York, Copenhagen by Audrey Carlan

Message From the Author: Audrey Carlan

Hello my lovelies,

My name is Audrey Carlan and I’m the #1 New York Times and Worldwide bestselling author of Calendar Girl. I’m here today to share with you my brand new blockbuster series, International Guy! I cannot express how excited I am to share this story with you. Not only will I promise you a new book boyfriend to swoon over, but an intense serial that will take you on a journey unlike any you’ve had before.

This story is told primarily through the eyes of my hero, Parker Ellis, CEO of International Guy, Inc. known to his team as the “Dream Maker”. He is joined by his partners Royce Sterling, the “Money Maker” and Bogart “Bo” Montgomery dubbed the “Love Maker.” The IG team helps individuals all over the globe with unique problems often involving life and love coaching.

Now I’m going to introduce my main man, Parker Ellis!

Audrey: Hey Park, how’s it hanging, brother?

Parker: Nice and tight, a little to the left.

Audrey: Gross. <rolls eyes>

Parker: Pretty lady, you asked. <He laughs heartily.>

Audrey: I’ve been asked to find out from you what would you consider the perfect date in each of the cities you’re traveling to in International Guy: Volume 1?

Parker: Well, to start, Paris is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world. And what is the most romantic symbol in Paris?

Audrey: The Seine River?

Parker: <he shakes his head> Audrey, babe, no. The most iconic symbol is the Eiffel Tower.

Audrey: Oh, well yeah, that makes sense.

Parker: For me, a perfect date would be to bring my beautiful woman to the Jules Verne restaurant overlooking all of Paris. Follow dinner up with a walk along the Seine. Especially if you can stop over one of the bridges and kiss her under the moonlight. Women eat that shit up.

Audrey: <Laughs hard.> We eat that shit up?

Parker: <Cocks a brow.> Well yeah. There’s nothing wrong with it. Romance is a part of the wooing process. I dig it. I enjoy a nice meal with a beautiful woman. And there’s nothing like holding a woman’s hand while walking along a majestic body of water.

Audrey: Okay, what if you were in New York?

Parker: The city that never sleeps? A personal fave of mine.

Audrey: What would you consider a perfect date there?

Parker: Hands down, dinner and a Broadway show. I believe Phantom of the Opera is still running and it has rave reviews. Plus, it’s a rather interesting and twisted love story. This gives you plenty to talk to your woman about after the show. Preferably back at her place.

Audrey: Mm hmm. And the last city? Copenhagen?

Parker: Easy. Castles. I’ve never met a woman that wasn’t enthralled by royalty or relics from a past time. I’d take my date during the day on a tour of a sprawling castle then to a comfy hole in the wall pub that offered the traditional hygge along with a pint or a nice bottle of red wine.

Audrey: Hygge?

Parker: <nods and smiles> It’s essentially a feeling of coziness and comfort. It’s that sensation you get when you’re snuggled up close, maybe in a corner booth at a pub, or sitting next to your woman in front of a warm fire.

Audrey: I can see that. I love cozying up to my husband, especially on cold nights. 

Parker: <grins sexily> Exactly. What I think men don’t realize now a days is that women aren’t expecting too much. They want a man they’re dating to spend quality time doing different and interesting things with them. It’s not about the exact date, as in where you’ve gone or what you do when you get there. It’s more about the intention of the date. Which in my opinion is all about togetherness. Living in the moment. Experiencing things with someone you care about. Perhaps even trying new things. Feeling out what makes your partner smile. That’s when you know you’ve got something special and that’s what I shoot for on all my dates and with all of my clients.

Audrey: What would you say is your primary philosophy about dating?

Parker: Come on, Audrey, you know me. You know me.

Audrey: Answer it anyway!

Parker:  Life is about meaningful experiences and not taking the special moments we’re given for granted. Every person I take out I strive to share something unique, something memorable.

Audrey: I like that. It’s very deep.

Parker: <smirks> I know something else that can get very deep.

Audrey! Hey, I’m married!

Parker: Just sayin’…hook a brother up already.

Audrey: Maybe I already have?

Parker: <eyes seem to get wider with excitement> I cannot freakin’ wait to see who you set me up with. She better be hot!

Audrey: Come on. You know me. You know me. <I laugh repeating his words>

Parker: Yeah, she’s hot. <grins huge>

Audrey: Totally.

About the Book

Release Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance

My name is Parker Ellis. You can call me The Dream Maker. This is where my story begins.

There’s a world of women waiting for me, but my journey starts here, in three cities: Paris. New York. Copenhagen.

International Guy Inc. is owned and operated by Parker Ellis, a ladies’ man with a high IQ and a big libido. He’s the most successful life and love coach in the world, and he’s smart enough to know he can’t run a multimillion-dollar company alone.

He hires two friends whose areas of expertise complement his own. They comprise The Dream Maker, The Love Maker, and The Money Maker. Together, they advise the wealthiest people in the world: Hollywood hotshots, European royalty, and the CEOs of multibillion-dollar companies. And sometimes they can’t help it when things heat up and they end up in bed with their clients. Quite literally.

This International Guy likes his playboy lifestyle, and he’s not looking for commitment. After all, there’s a whole world waiting for him. But as he goes from city to city, and from woman to woman, it’s possible that he just might find his own love along the way…

Excerpt

“When you said you would take me to dinner, I had no idea it would be at the world-famous Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.” Sophie squeezes my hand as an attendant leads us through a secret entrance for restaurant goers.

We’re in the belly of the beast, surrounded by iron bars and rivets galore as we wait our turn to go into the private elevator that slowly takes you from the ground level up 380 feet to where the restaurant resides.

“This way, Messieurs-dames.” The attendant, who is smartly dressed in an all-black suit, gestures to the open elevator.

It’s compact and cozy, the entire back wall glass. The sun is just setting over the horizon as we ease our way up the country’s most iconic monument.

“This is incredible!” Sophie gasps, leaning against my side.

I frown. “Have you not been to the Eiffel Tower before?”

“No, I have, but I was a child then. We visited on a school outing, and of course, I have seen it from below, walked the path, but have not experienced it as an adult.”

I hook an arm around her waist. “I’m glad we’re doing it together.”

“More first-time memories?”

She remembered. “Yes. And with a beautiful woman by my side, one I’ll never forget.”

“Then we should kiss, non?” She turns, flattens her chest against mine, and wraps her arms around my neck. “First times should always be marked with a kiss.”

I bend forward and cup her soft cheek.

She lifts up onto her toes, bringing her lips a scant inch from mine. “Do not think about it. Just do it.”

’Nuff said. I lay my lips over hers and take her lips in a slow, meaningful kiss. She opens her mouth instantly, inviting me in. I accept the invitation, licking deep and devouring her. Her sugar-and-spice scent swirls around me, coating me in heaven. Her tongue dances with mine as I turn her head left, then right, going deeper, wanting more. Our kiss becomes heated, bodies pressing against one another, trying to get closer. I need skin . . . her skin.

She moans into my mouth right as the lift stops and the bell dings, announcing we’ve made it to our destination. It takes serious effort to leave the beauty of her mouth and body, but I peel myself away, and she slides her hands down her dress, making herself presentable once again.

I guide her in front of me as the attendant takes our names and looks up the reservation I made this morning when we got to Rolland Group Inc. I was lucky to score a reservation, but apparently midweek is easier when you’re planning on spending several hundred euros a plate.

We’re seated in a position that’s perfect for two and right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, which give us a spectacular view of Paris at dusk.

“Did you know that Chef Hugues de Saint Vincent will be making our meals tonight? He is a culinary genius.” Sophie smiles wide, and I vow to do more to put that smile on her face.

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About the Author

Audrey Carlan is an internationally renowned author who writes wickedly hot love stories. Translated into more than thirty different languages across the globe, Audrey’s books have hit the bestseller lists for the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly. She is best known for the worldwide bestselling Calendar Girl series and Trinity saga, and her novel Resisting Roots is scheduled to become a PassionFlix movie.

Audrey lives in the California Valley with her two children and the love of her life. When she’s not writing, you can find her teaching yoga, sipping wine with her “soul sisters,” or with her nose stuck in a steamy romance novel. Find out more about Audrey through her website (www.AudreyCarlan.com), Twitter (@AudreyCarlan), or Facebook (@AudreyCarlan).

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Spotlight: Everything Under The Sun by Jessica Redmerski

Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.

Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?

Excerpt

“Why are you so angry, Atticus?” My voice was soft and concerned now.

He blinked, but offered no response.

“I’ve seen men fight before,” I went on, “but I’ve never seen a man as angry at the world as you are. The way you beat that man in your room”—I shook my head with despondency—“the one just now; Atticus, you’re just so full of rage and hate. Why?”

He snorted, as if he’d found my question ridiculous.

“Why?” he mocked incredulously, holding out his hands, palms up. “I’ll tell you why, Thais: at every turn someone wants to rob or maim or kill us; we can’t sleep, night or day, without the thought in our heads as we close our fucking eyes that we might not wake up.” He gestured his arms wildly, his features constricted with indignation. “We’re covering our shit up like animals, sleeping in ditches, watching over our shoulder every second of every day for the chaos to grab us by the ankles and pull us down with it—and you ask why?”

I sat against my quilt, unable to stand to hear this truth. And as if his movements depended on mine, Atticus fell into a crouch in front of me, bouncing on the toes of his boots. I never looked away from the pull of his gaze, trapped by the intensity of it.

“I haven’t slept since you arrived in Lexington City,” he went on. “When I saw you that day, clutching your sister as she was ripped away from you; when you lay on the sidewalk, begging me to help you—it did two things to me, Thais”—he held up two fingers, and then dropped them between his legs—“it fucking killed me; the things I had to do, the part I had to play in not only your fate, but the fate of every girl in those ropes—it fucking killed me! It killed what little was left of my humanity!” His voice had risen with his heated words, his memories, but then he paused to calm himself, lowering his head but for a moment.

I remained motionless, speechless, but my heart began to ache and fill up at the same time. I listened raptly to every word, my heart breaking as he spoke them.

“It killed me,” he repeated. “But then something reached into Hell, grabbed me by the throat and pulled me back. I died that day in the street, Thais Fenwick; I died and then there I was, looking down at you with the eyes of the man I used to be, and I wanted to help you. I still fought with myself after that, but I wasn’t going to let you die or be raped or forced to marry a man you didn’t love—I didn’t know what to do, but I was going to do something, goddammit.”

I sighed. I wanted to hold him, but all I could do was sigh.

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About the Author

Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.

She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Spotlight: The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

Sometimes you need to find a boyfriend-for-hire in the most unusual of places...
What do you get when you mix a bad boy with a heart of gold and a smart & sassy heroine with a desperate need for a fake relationship? THE REAL DEAL, a brand new, standalone romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely! Get a copy ofyour next favorite feel good rom-com now!

✮✮✮THE REAL DEAL is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮

April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsForHire since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL.

Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s this close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April’s new beau -- the bad boy with the heart of gold.

Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss, the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the real deal.

She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.

He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her parent’s home.

They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the game.

But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?

Excerpt

~THEO~

When I clock out and head for the park, anticipation runs through my veins like a good buzz on a night out. A reunion booking could be my way out of trouble. A five-day gig might bring me very close to the finish line.

Along the way, I stop in front of a dry cleaner, check my reflection in the plate-glass shop window, and reckon that I look the part April wants: dark jeans, motorcycle boots, and well-worn T-shirt that shows off the ink on my arms. Tribal bands, a sunburst, and a compass. I haven’t shaved in two days, and my stubble is rough. If she wanted clean-cut and business attire, I’d have covered up the tats with a crisp white shirt and a fine silk tie, then slid a blade across my jaw in the a.m. If she wanted sophisticated, I’d have given her the smooth, James Bond voice to boot. She could have me as a country boy, even, in a pair of steel-toed cowboy boots and with the drawl to match.

But April wants the guy who might have screwed her in the restroom of a bar.

She wants gravel and sandpaper, ink and danger, shades and leather.

The more you give someone what they want, the more you get in return.

When I reach the park, I head to the Terrace Bridge. She’s not here, but I’m early, since I like to get a read on any and every situation. I scan the surrounding area, noting the benches, the nearby tables, the cool placid water gurgling under the bridge. June in New York City can seduce you or it can trick you.

What it has in store today is anyone’s guess. I lean my hip against the stone railing, and I wait. Two minutes later, I spot a threesome walking in my direction. My heart thumps, and I groan quietly.

Why does the universe do this to me?

Blond curls, lips like a bow, a tight trim waist. Even from several yards away, I can tell she wears little makeup—she has that fresh-faced, rosy glow about her, and something innocent yet knowing in her expression. Like Lily James, whom I developed a wicked crush on when I watched her in her latest movie.

April’s not tiny, but she’s not towering either. Maybe five-three, five-four. A delicious dream. Which translates roughly to “just my type.” She wears tight jeans, a long black shirt that clings to her figure, and a huge silver necklace with a heart charm that dangles between her breasts.

As if I wouldn’t already be checking them out without the pendant between them.

I’ve had many clients. Keeping it platonic has never been an issue since I’ve never been attracted to a customer.

Until now.

Looks like I’ll be getting familiar with how to resist temptation.

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About the Author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, and she's sold more than 2.5 million books. In August she'll release UNBREAK MY HEART, an emotional second chance romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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Cover Reveal: Two Weeks Notice by Whitney G

Two Weeks Notice

by Whitney G. Publication Date: July 20, 2018 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to formally announce my resignation from Parker International (& the arrogant, condescending CEO) effective two weeks from today. This was a VERY EASY decision to make, as the past two years have been utterly miserable. I wish his next executive assistant all the luck in the world (she'll need it) and if my boss should need me to do anything over the next two weeks, kindly tell him that he can do it [his] goddamn self... Sincerely (Not Really), Tara Lauren ** That’s the version of my two weeks’ notice I should’ve sent to my boss, because the more professional version--the one where I said I was "grateful for all the opportunities," and "honored by all the rewarding experiences" over the years? That letter was rejected with his sexy, trademark smirk and an “I highly suggest you read the fine print of your contract...” So, I did. And now I've realized that unless I fake my death, poison him, or find a way to renegotiate my impossible contract, I’m stuck working under one of the cockiest and most ruthless bosses in New York. Then again, I thought that was the case until he called me late last night with an emergency proposition...

**This is a standalone contemporary romance.**

About Whitney G.

Whitney G. is a twenty-eight-year-old optimist who is obsessed with travel, tea, and great coffee. She’s also a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of several contemporary novels, and the cofounder of The Indie Tea–an inspirational blog for indie romance authors. When she’s not chatting with readers on her Facebook Page, you can find her on her website at http://www.whitneygbooks.com or on instagram: @whitneyg.author. (If she’s not in either of those places, she’s probably locked away working on another crazy story.) Don’t forget to sign up for Whitney’s monthly newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1p9fEYF

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