Spotlight: Just A Taste by Scarlett Se Leva

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(Determined, #1)
Publication date: February 17th 2022
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

A FRIENDS TO LOVERS, SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE.

Six years ago, I pushed her away, too afraid of the feeling she evoked.

Now here she sits in my kitchen, reawakening my desires.
I’ve never wanted something so badly in my life.

This time I won’t run.
I won’t stop.
Until she’s mine.

Excerpt

Slipping off the bed, I reach my hand out. “I can take it.” I remove the plate from her dainty hand. 

She pivots, moving away from me, but I’m not ready for her to go. My mind rakes for ways for her to stay longer. It’s been a long time since we’ve said more than a few hellos to each other. 

“Where are you rushing off to?”

She turns. “Just to help Mom. Did you need anything else?” she asks. Her feet fidget. I see that nervous tendency hasn’t changed. 

“Quick question… What grade are you in again?” I know the answer. My obsession with Simone had me keep track of the details I overheard her mom tell my dad. I’d hide in the corner listening to them talk, trying to glean any morsel of information I could about her. Every brief whisper of her name, each tale of accomplishment… I lapped it up.

“I’m a junior. Why?”

An idea takes root. 

“Just needed help with my calculus class.” I sprinkle a dash of lie. The class has been kicking my ass. I overheard your mom bragging to Dad about you taking advanced calculus. I’m a straight-A student, but it will provide an opportunity for us to spend more time together, and in doing so, rekindle our friendship.

It’s a means to an end. 

Her cheeks ripen like a red apple.

“Actually, numbers are the one thing I feel I comprehend.” 

“Great, let me get my book. I can’t afford to fail this class.” Smiling to myself, I turn to my book bag laying on my desk across the room. Then I drift to the love seat in the corner. “Are you going to tutor me from over there, or are you going to sit?” I smirk.

She rolls her eyes at my comment.

 “Come.” I pat the empty spot next to me. 

She blinks and clears her throat. “I didn’t agree to tutor you. You asked a simple question. How did my answer get construed into me tutoring you?” Her face is void of any humor, and she eyes me with a slow burn from top to bottom.

There she is. My cannonball. She never liked me telling her what to do. I see that hasn’t changed.  

Too cute.

I lean my head to the side, my brows knitting, squinting at her. I always got a kick out of her reactions. I poked, poked, and poked until she blew. 

Her brows pinch together. 

She’s always been a worthy opponent, and so fucking

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About the Author

Scarlett Se Leva writes unexpected, steamy, suspenseful romance.

When Scar isn’t busy penning her next book, you can find her with her family watching movies, drinking wine, curled up in a corner with a book or running after her three daughters.

Connect:

https://scarlettselevabooks.com/

http://eepurl.com/hnhpgv

https://twitter.com/letshavemocha

https://www.instagram.com/scarlettselevabooks/

https://www.facebook.com/scarlettselevabooks

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/scarlett-se-leva

https://www.amazon.com/Scarlett-Se-Leva/e/B08R9C6C4M?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21005712.Scarlett_Se_Leva

Spotlight: Wilder With You by Serena Bell

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(Wilder Adventures, #3)
Publication date: February 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Who knew pretending could be so hot?

It started as a joke. After all, I’d never pretend to date a woman just to get my mom and sister off my back.

I would, however, pretend to date her to get her ex-husband off hers.

Now the two of us, the wilderness warrior and the wedding planner, are stuck sharing a very small tent. I had no idea how fast things would heat up in here, or how hard it would be to keep my hands—among other things—to myself.

I also didn’t guess how quickly the news of our “relationship” would spread to my big, nosy family.

We can’t “break up” yet, because she’s planning my brother’s wedding and I’m his best man. Through venue visits, DIY disasters, and Vegas trips, we’re thrown together, and the chemistry’s off-the-charts. But the kicker is, I feel like she gets me.

Maybe that’s what scares me the most. I’m still reeling from the loss of my wife, and she’s still hurting from her ex’s betrayal. There’s no way this can ever be real.

But what if I’m starting to hope it is?

Excerpt

I can feel my sister Amanda’s breath on my neck as she leans in. “There are a lot of single women on this trip.” She says it casually, like she’s commenting on the weather. Which, given the number of times I’ve heard this refrain, or one like it, she could be. 

“Glamping appeals to women.”

“Are you sure it’s not those photos of you Lucy plastered all over your marketing materials? And how did she get you to take that shirtless one?” 

“She snuck up on me,” I growl. “She blindsided me.” 

Amanda snickers. “I figured.” She hmms. “I think they’re here for the eye candy.” 

“No one goes on a three-day camping trip for the eye candy.” 

“Sure they do,” Amanda says. “I mean, not everyone, but there’s gotta be, statistically, say, five percent of every trip that’s in it for the chance that you’ll share your tent.”

“Can it, Mandy-pants,” I say, invoking the most forbidden of all nicknames, the one coined by her nemesis in eighth grade. 

I don’t even really feel guilty about it.   

And Amanda, of course, is unfazed. You don’t grow up the second youngest of six kids, and the only girl, without developing an extremely thick skin. “I’m just saying, Clark. If you were a little more friendly—”

“Who says I’m not friendly?” I growl.

“Grunting in a woman’s general direction doesn’t count as being friendly.” 

“I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea.” 

“That you’re human?”

So I grunt in Amanda’s general direction because anything else I say might encourage her.

For the thousandth time, I think about how, a while back, I told my brother Brody that if my sister and mom didn’t lay off on the matchmaking and attempts to get me “back in the saddle,” I was going to hire a fake girlfriend. 

It wasn’t the worst idea I’ve ever had. 

Not that I’d ever do something like that. I don’t lie, omit, or cheat, and that would be a falsehood on an epic scale.

And almost as much as actually being involved with another woman, it would feel like a betrayal of Emma, my late wife. 

Amanda clears her throat, tilts her head, and eyes me in the mirror. “Jessa Olsen is pretty.” 

God damn it. Sometimes I think my sister can read my mind. And not in a good way. 

Jessa Olsen is pretty.  

Earlier today, I lost an internal battle and let myself take the hungry second look at Jessa I wanted. I let my eyes linger on her wavy medium-brown hair, her lush mouth—with its little bow to the upper lip. I paused there for a long moment, contemplating that mouth, then had to move on so we wouldn’t end up with one too many tents on this trip. But that didn’t really help, because the rest of Jessa is just as beautiful. She has clear skin, brown eyes, and just a few freckles scattered on her slightly upturned nose. A tall, slim, strong body.

Small, perfect tits! my utterly predictable dick chimes in.  

“She’s married,” I tell Amanda.

“She’s divorced.”

“What?” Damn. It popped out before I could stop myself. Showing curiosity about a woman around Amanda is dangerous. 

And sure enough, one of her perfectly groomed eyebrows flirts with her hairline. “Her husband cheated on her.” She frowns. “It was big Rush Creek gossip for a while.” 

I hold up a hand. “I don’t want to know.”

She tilts her head. “You sure?” 

“Positive.”

Amanda’s breath brushes my neck again. “Suffice it to say, it wasn’t pretty.”

I ride a wave of sympathy for Jessa—there’s nothing worse than public humiliation, especially when it’s unearned. 

I’m lying, by the way: I want to know. I want to know the whole goddamned story.  

But I’ll never hear it from Jessa’s mouth, because I’m never going to sit down with one of Emma’s friends and have a heart-to-heart. Too fucking weird. If—and I do mean if—I ever date again, it’s not going to be someone Emma was friends with.

Amanda takes a deep breath. “Clark,” she says, super gently. “We worry about you.” 

“Well, quit that shit.” 

“You’re 33. You can’t just be celibate for the rest of your life.”

“Who says I’m celibate? For all you know, I’m getting it on nightly.” 

I’m not, for anyone who’s keeping track. There have been a few one-nighters over the past two years, all billed ahead of time as one-and-done. Everyone got what they signed up for, and if the experience left me numb, no one knew except me. 

That’s how it’s going to be from now on, because I can’t do it again. Love like that. Lose like that. And know that if I’d done things differently, she might still be here.

Amanda catches my eye in the mirror, and I see the moment where she realizes I’m, for real, struggling. 

She bites her lip. “I’ll shut up now.”

“Excellent choice.” 

But I say it without heat. Because she’s my sister, because if I know anything in life it’s that she and my brothers and my mom love the shit out of me, and because, well… 

Because I’m a fucking hypocrite. 

Because ever since I allowed myself that second look at Jessa Olsen, I’ve been wishing for another one.

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

Connect:
https://serenabell.com/
https://www.facebook.com/serenabellbooks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CornerSmartSexy/
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https://www.instagram.com/serenabellbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6600927.Serena_Bell
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Spotlight: The Player Hater by Sara Ney

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Release Date: February 15

I would do anything for my best friend.

Well. Almost anything.

When she begs me to come on a weekend getaway so I can bond with her new boyfriend, I can’t say no—no matter how badly I want to. After all, who will keep an eye on the guy; he’s your stereotypical, professional football player (emphasis on PLAYER) and I don’t trust him with my friends heart.

Worse? He has the nerve to bring his single best friend Davis on the trip, too. Davis is too handsome, so funny and smart he can’t possibly be human. Grandma’s, babies and kittens all fall for his smile.

In fact, everyone adores but me **narrows eyes** What’s he hiding?

I refuse to fall for his act; at some point he’ll will drop the Good Guy act and show his true colors: he’s a player, too. He must be.

You know the saying: if he seems too good to be true, he probably is.

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Meet Sara Ney:

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte's, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives in the Midwest, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British. 

For a list of cities/venues Sara will be signing at, or to purchase signed books, please visit her website at www.authorsaraney.com

Connect with Sara Ney:

Newsletter: subscribepage.com/saraney 
Facebook: saraneyauthor
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BookBub: bit.ly/SaraNeyBBauthor

Spotlight: Someone Like You by Marie Force

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Release Date: February 15

Roni
After I suddenly lose my husband, Patrick, in a senseless shooting, I’m lost in a sea of well-meaning people trying to make the unimaginable seem possible. How am I supposed to go on without the man who's been at the center of my life for nearly a decade? My friends and family do what they can for me, but I quickly realize that surviving this loss is going to be on me. One day to the next, I have to make the decision to go on, but life isn’t done throwing me ringers, and just when I think I’ve got this young widow game figured out, I find out how wrong I am. When a friend of my sister’s connects me to the Wild Widows, I find a group of fellow travelers who understand my new reality in a way no one else in my life ever could. The Wild Widows have one requirement for membership to their group—I must be open to the possibility of a Chapter 2, which is what they call a second chance at love. While I’m not in any way looking for or ready for a Chapter 2, if I’ve learned anything it’s that I’m not in control of where this journey will take me.

Come along as Roni and the other Wild Widows navigate their new realities with grace, humor and compassion. They will make you laugh and cry and root for each and every one of them in this exciting, heartfelt new series from New York Times bestselling author Marie Force.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback

Meet Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. 

Her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany. 

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news. 

Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Spotlight: Model Behavior by Tricia Lynne

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Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Hayes Walker is screwed.

His body is giving out, his family is bleeding him dry, and he never prepared for life after football. When the Dallas Bulldogs offer him a coaching position instead of a returning roster spot, only two things keep him going—staying fit in case another football team picks him up, and spending time with a gray-faced Boxer at the Unlovabulls Dog Rescue.

Olive Russo is a woman who can walk through a kennel in a white pantsuit without getting a spot on her. The always organized PR pro will need her cool control when she’s forced to plan a fundraising gala for the Unlovabulls with the college boyfriend who turned her inside out. A decade ago, Hayes Walker broke her heart and sent Olive into a spiral of bad decisions that she’d rather her clients not know about. Now she is determined to keep the completely lickable Hayes off her to-do list—even if their chemistry is stronger than ever.

Dumping Olive was the worst decision Hayes ever made. When the amazing girl walks back into his life a full-fledged woman, he makes a play for her heart. But when Olive’s secrets are exposed and the NFL knocks on Hayes’s door, they’ll both need to leave their past where it belongs if they’re going to make it work the second time around.

Excerpt

“Pulling the curtain to the side, I watched as he fired a tennis ball the length of the room. “I thought you played defense. That looked like a quarterback threw it.”

“Huh, played being the operative word. And no, that didn’t look like a quarterback threw it, but you always were kind.”

Sadie dropped the ball at his feet. “Do you miss it?”

He picked it up and threw it again. “Playing? Yes. What playing did to my body? Hell, no.”

I watched after Sadie as I stood next to Hayes. “I bet she’d have made a great Frisbee dog, maybe even fly ball, when she was younger.”

“They always say shit like that about us has-beens, don’t they, girl? Drop it.” He scratched her head, and Sadie spit out the ball. “If only we were younger, if only our knees still had all their cartilage. If only time didn’t march on and forget about us.” He stared at the ball in his hands with a distance in his gaze. Sadie sat patiently, looking up at the man she so obviously loved with soft brown eyes and a face going white with age. These two needed each other.

Gently, I pulled the ball from Hayes’s hand and gave Sadie a scratch. Then I launched it across the room. She looked after it but didn’t go. “Oh, Hayes. This little girl is sweet on you.”

That made the laugh lines appear around his eyes. “Go get it, sweetheart.”

Finally, she darted out after it.

“I’m sorry about football. I just want you to know that you are so much more than the game. I’ve always thought that.” Today couldn’t have been easy on him, at an event with players who used to be his teammates, but now he coached them.

Hayes nodded. “I mean, yeah. I’m a football player. I’ll always be a football player. But it’s the way it got taken away from me, and the reason I even played so long in the first place.” He shook his head. “I loved playing. I wanted to play solely because I loved it, and I wanted to leave on my terms. That didn’t happen. Sometimes I’m a little jealous of Brody for that.”

Sadie brought the ball back to me, but I noticed her starting to limp a little on her right hind leg. “All done, sweetheart.” Breathing heavy, her black coat shined in the light as she circled and lay down next to Hayes’s leg. I studied his face. The lines etched into his forehead. The aching set of his jaw. This man was broken, but weren’t we all a little damaged? 

Creating second chances for people was part of my job…”

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About Tricia Lynne 

Tricia Lynne is fluent in both sarcasm and cuss words—a combination that tends to embarrass her husband at corporate functions. A tomboy at heart, she loves hard rock, Irish whiskey, dogs, and Vans shoes. She’s drawn to strong, flawed heroines. Tricia believes writing isn’t a decision one makes, but a calling one can’t resist. She lives in the Dallas area with her husband, the world's sweetest rescued Cane Corso, and a completely terrifying Clumber Spaniel pupper.

Connect with Tricia: Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Twitter | Pinterest | Bookbub | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Website | Newsletter | TikTok 

Spotlight: The Professor's Lady by Holly Bush

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Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street, book 3
Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: January 25, 2022

Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…

1870 Kirsty Thompson is determined to begin her own business bringing beloved Scottish fabrics and yarns to Philadelphia but first she must meet the men and women who weave the plaids and spin the wool. How will she ever escape her protective older siblings and sail to Scotland?

Albert Watson is a medical doctor focusing on research, especially that of Joseph Lister and his sterilization techniques. He speaks at universities in America and in England while visiting his London relatives. As he prepares to sail for just such an engagement, Kirsty Thompson boards his ship to beg him to take her with him. What’s a gentleman to do? Albert cancels his trip across the ocean to escort Miss Thompson back to Philadelphia and finds there is danger afoot for her and her family.

Soon he comes to realize there is also danger for his heart, even for a man who rarely pulls his nose from a medical journal. He finds himself unable to put Miss Kirsty Thompson out of his thoughts, where they belonged, because certainly a beautiful, ambitious, and charming young woman could have no interest in him. Or could she?

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About the Author

Holly Bush books are set during the turbulent and transformative years of the late 1800's. The Thompsons of Locust Street, Philadelphia, features five siblings from Scotland with some family secrets that could place them in danger. The first book is The Bachelor's Bride, Elspeth's story. The next book, The Bareknuckle Groom, is set to release in the spring 2021. This will be a five book series.

Holly makes her home with her husband, one happy Labrador Retriever and a clever Jack Russell rescued from the pound, and two difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Connect:

Website: https://hollybushbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hollybushbooks 

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