Spotlight: The Total Knockout by Cookie O’Gorman

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(Southern U O’Brien Brothers, #4)

Publication date: September 28th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Maisie Hawthorne doesn’t do boyfriends.

Or girlfriends. Or relationships. Burned in the past, the scrappy bartender knows better than to trust a pretty face. Dex O’Brien is gorgeous (with or without the scar). Pierced, tatted, annoyingly attractive. She knew he was trouble even before she saw him fight. Her mind told her to stay away—but her heart wouldn’t listen.

Dex O’Brien doesn’t do love.

Not the romantic kind anyway. Sure, he loves his family, would defend them with his dying breath. And yeah, he loves baseball and fighting too. But falling in love? No thanks. Too messy. Dex couldn’t care less, especially about the bookish bartender with the smart mouth and beautiful eyes.

She needs money to pay the bills. He needs a tutor to keep playing ball—even if he’ll never admit it.

When the Southern U Wolves recruit Maisie to tutor Dex, tempers flare and sparks fly.

This new adult sports romance features two scarred souls, one hot-and-hilarious case of enemies-to-lovers, and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

The #1 lesson they’ll both learn?

Love is the total knockout you never see coming.

Excerpt

I was doing a third pass of the crowd, trying to keep my anxiety in check, when I felt a presence behind me.

"Looking for someone?" a deep voice said.

Smooth like silk.

Edged with a hint of sarcasm.

The sound settled over me like a caress. A totally inconvenient caress. I knew who it was. Recognition came quicker than it should have, wasn't like we'd talked a lot. Still, I knew the owner of that voice and decided to ignore him.

Or I tried to.

"No answer, huh? Guess I have to assume you're here to see me."

"In your dreams, O'Brien," I said.

"Nah, in my dreams we're alone, and there aren't as many clothes."

I bit back a laugh. "Nice. You practice that one?"

"Didn't have to. Unlike how you must practice pretending not to like me."

Again, I ignored him.

"Seriously, what're you looking for?" he said.

"None of your business," I replied.

"You just have to ask nicely."

"I don't need your help, O'Brien."

"Suit yourself," he said, and I could hear the grin in his voice, "though I got about a foot on you, shorty. Good luck finding anything in this crowd without me."

The fact that he was right just made me loathe him more.

Begrudgingly, I turned…and found Dex O'Brien staring back at me. Piercing gray eyes. Granite cheekbones. Full lips. The grin was there as predicted, so was his ever-present scar that should've made him less attractive but didn't. Yet another injustice in a world brimming with them.

"Okay, fine," I said and crossed my arms. "Since you offered, I do need your help."

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" he said.

My scowl deepened.

"Thought I must be hearing things." He shrugged, crossing one arm over the other. That's when I noticed the beer he was holding. Of course, he had a drink. Nearly everyone did. He was probably one of those guys who couldn't have a good time without one. "It's not every day the Maisie Hawthorne says she needs me."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Forget it, Dex. Sorry I asked."

His lips stretched into a full-blown smile.

It should've been illegal for someone with Dex's bad boy rep to have a smile that pretty.

"And she used my first name," he said. "Sounds serious."

"Whatever," I muttered. "I should've known better. You wouldn't lift a finger if I was dying in the middle of the street."

He cocked his head. "Depends. What finger and what street?"

Before I could walk away, he placed a hand on my arm. I looked at it, taking in the blood-stained tape wrapped around his knuckles from the fight, then lifted my eyes to his.

"It was a joke, Hawthorne."

Pulling back and rubbing away the warmth his touch left against my skin, I sighed. "I don't have time for your jokes, O'Brien. I lost something important tonight."

"What'd you lose?" he asked.

"My sister," I said miserably.

Dex nodded. "What's she look like?"

"Like a younger, happier version of me, I guess."

"Ah Hawthorne, you're breaking my heart."

"Ha ha."

"So, she's pretty," he said.

I blinked. Did he just…call me pretty? Dex "I hate everything about you" O'Brien? Maybe he got hit in the head one too many times.

Seeing my look of surprise, Dex lifted a brow. "I meant in an uptight, straight-laced, no-fun-ever kind of way. Don't read more into it."

"I wasn't," I lied.

"Sure, you weren't."

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About the Author

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, and BOOKWORM are out now!  She is also the author of NA sports romances, The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, and The Total Knockout.

Connect:
http://cookieogorman.com/
https://twitter.com/CookieOwrites
https://www.facebook.com/cookieogorman
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cookie-o-gorman
https://www.instagram.com/cookieogorman/
https://mailchi.mp/bdb1d9c56ae7/the-cookie-jar
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14924267.Cookie_O_Gorman

Spotlight: The Broken Hummingbird by Ann Marie Jackson

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IN THE MIDST OF A MARITAL CRISIS, Jane hatches an unusual plan to avoid a custody battle. She convinces husband Kevin to walk away from the pressures of New York—in particular, her demanding job and an affair she almost had—in the hope that moving to their favorite city abroad will fix their family. In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Jane and her young sons delight in new adventures, but Kevin seethes. Jane befriends a circle of intriguing women and helps two girls who remind her of the brother she abandoned when her own parents divorced. After witnessing violence involving the girls’ father, Jane’s vivid dreams, possibly guided by a hummingbird messenger from the hereafter, grow ever darker. When tragedy strikes San Miguel, the community fractures and then rises, and Jane must make a dangerous choice. 

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.com

About the Author

Ann Marie Jackson is co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Early in her career, after earning degrees from Stanford and Harvard, Jackson joined the U.S. Department of State to promote human rights in China and other East Asian and Pacific Island nations. She has worked with Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews, among other organizations, to further social justice causes and advance respect for human rights, and has traveled widely on five continents. Her short stories, essays, and articles appear in Mexico News Daily, THIS Top Destinos, San Miguel Life, Solamente en San Miguel, Atención San Miguel, and more. “The Broken Hummingbird” is her first novel. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will benefit nonprofit organizations serving women and families in central Mexico. A native of Seattle, Washington, Jackson resides in San Miguel de Allende. Visit her at https://annmariejacksonauthor.com/  

Spotlight: Perfect Together by Carly Phillips

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Release Date: September 29

This big-city girl is ready for Serendipity.
But is Serendipity ready for her?

No sane woman breaks off an engagement to an extremely handsome, rich man, right? But Nicole Farnsworth is tired of being the good daughter, and she’s sick of being her fiancé’s arm-candy. So she flees to Serendipity. She can’t think of a better place to find some peace and figure out what comes next.

“Next” shouldn’t include falling for the man who once slapped handcuffs on her wrists—and unwittingly changed her life. But in this small town, fate and fortune make the decisions.

Sam Marsden trusts his instincts as a cop, but when it comes to love? Not so much. Back when he’d mistakenly arrested Nicole, she’d made his jaded heart beat faster and he thought she’d reciprocated. But she returned to her high-society life in NYC and slipped through his fingers. Since then, he’s tried and failed to stop dreaming about the beautiful woman.

Now Nicole is back and it isn’t long before they give in to the attraction that never stopped burning. But when the reason Nicole ran away from home catches up with her, it’ll take every ounce of Sam’s protective instincts to keep her safe.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

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!

https://www.carlyphillips.com/subscribe-newsletter/

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

Connect with Carly Phillips: https://www.carlyphillips.com/ 

Spotlight: Twice Upon a Midnight by Anna Harrington

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When once upon a time...becomes twice upon a midnight... With a masked ball, evil stepfather, jealous half brother, and unlikely fairy godmother, TWICE UPON A MIDNIGHT is a Cinderella story that readers of Regency romance will love!

Genre: Regency Romance

WHEN ONCE UPON A TIME…BECOMES TWICE UPON A MIDNIGHT

When Lady Elenora Darby returns to London, what better way for her parents to introduce her—and attract suitors—than to throw a masked ball? But Ella prefers poets to peers, and in the dark gardens, she encounters a man she knows nothing about…except that he loves poetry. Before she can learn his name, midnight strikes, and he vanishes, leaving behind only one clue to his identity—a glove embroidered with his initials.

As the Duke of Pensworth’s unwanted stepson, Spenser Rhodes has nothing to do with society…until he meets Ella. He knows they have no future. After all, the daughter of a duke deserves a peer, not a printer. Yet Ella is determined to find her masked man. As her search brings them closer, more than society is keeping them apart—so is Spenser’s half brother Simon, who wants Ella for himself.

With a masked ball, evil stepfather, jealous half brother, and unlikely fairy godmother, TWICE UPON A MIDNIGHT is a Cinderella story that readers of Regency romance will love!

Excerpt

Spenser Rhodes forges an invitation to the Duke of Durham’s ball because he’s tired of being excluded from society. But when he’s found out, he has no choice but to leave—quickly—through the rear gardens, where he runs—literally—into the most alluring woman he’s ever met, one whose soul is as poetic as his and whose identity is just as unknown…

“You are beautiful, Ella,” Spenser murmured and smoothed both his hands over her cheeks until he cupped her face between his palms. “So very special.” He lowered his mouth and murmured against her lips, “You have no idea how much.”

This time when he kissed her, there was no teasing, no hesitation. He captured her mouth possessively beneath his, and when she opened to him, he slid his tongue wickedly inside to claim all of her kiss. Her slender arms snaked up to encircle his neck, and her soft body pressed into his in a silent plea to increase the intimacy of their embrace. He did exactly that by sliding his tongue over hers in wanton encouragement to do the same to him, and when she did, his heart nearly soared out of his chest. 

Until it came crashing down when she whispered, “Spenser…” 

The name she thought was as false as his mask. But he could never tell her his true identity. She would have laughed, and the sound would have simply killed him.

With his eyes screwed shut, he broke the embrace. He rested his forehead against hers while he caught back the breath she’d stolen, while he tamped down his attraction for her which had him wanting to do anything but stop kissing her.

“You need to go back inside now,” he said quietly. And he needed to find his way back to his normal life, one that didn’t include intelligent, beautiful women like Ella. 

She stepped back. “I don’t want to.”

“I’m sure you’re being missed.”

At that dismissal, the wounded look on her face nearly undid him. “Do you regret spending time with me?”

“No.” God no.

“Kissing me, then?”

“Absolutely not.” 

“Then why—”

A loud boom reverberated through the park beyond the stone wall beside them, followed by a bright burst of red. Around them, the garden suddenly came to life with showers of sparks arching up in fountains of red and blue flames. Cheers went up from the guests who spilled out onto the terrace and down onto the lawn to watch the display. 

“It’s midnight,” she explained, looking high into the sky as rockets roared overhead to strains of “Rule Britannia” played by the orchestra. Then she gave him a look somewhere between uncertainty and anticipation. “Time to remove our masks.”

Time to pay the piper… He drew a deep breath. “Ella, I need to ex—”

“There! There he is!”

The light of the bursting fireworks had lit the shadows around them and revealed them to the butler and a footman. The angry butler pointed at Spenser, and the footman charged toward him across the garden.

“My lord!” the butler shouted. “I must speak with you regarding your invitation!”

Spenser blew out a low curse. He gave her a last, longing look, then said sadly, “Goodbye, Ella.” 

“Don’t go,” she protested, reaching for his arm. “You can—”

He placed a quick kiss to her lips, then turned and leapt over the wall into the park. He had to leave. Now. The last way he wanted her to remember him was as an uninvited trespasser being dragged out of the party. A fraud. A man led away in disgrace. Or worse—the unwanted stepson of the Duke of Pensworth. 

As he dropped into the darkness beyond the garden wall, he caught a last glimpse of her bending down to pick up his dropped glove.

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About the Author

Anna fell in love with historical romances—and all those dashing Regency heroes—while living in London, where she studied literature and theatre and found herself lost nearly every day. A USA Today best selling author, she loves to travel, fly airplanes, and ballroom dance, and when she isn’t busy writing her next novel, she can usually be found in her garden, fussing over her roses. She loves all things chocolate and coffee, is a terrible cook, and hopes one day to use her oven for something other than shoe storage.

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Spotlight: Head Case by Bonnie Traymore

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Genre: Psychological Thriller 

A workplace rivalry. An isolated campus. A tragic death.

Never make a major life decision in the wake of emotional turmoil. Cassie Romano learned this the hard way, leaving sunny San Diego for a teaching position at a private school in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York after a painful break-up left her heart-broken and in need of a change.

It all seemed so perfect in June when she came to interview. But now it’s December, and she’s stranded on top of a mountain surrounded by snow, ice, and acres of wilderness, lonelier than ever and bored out of her mind.

When a fellow teacher turns up dead and Cassie receives a cryptic letter from her a few days later, it’s clear to Cassie that something strange is going on at Falcon Ridge Academy. Everyone seems to be writing the death off as a tragic accident, but she’s not so sure.

Cassie has secrets of her own, though, so she’s initially reluctant to get involved. Torn between the urge to protect herself and the desire to investigate further, she decides on the latter.

And the consequences could be deadly. 

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

Kimi

Kimi knows what the other teachers call her behind her back. She’s heard them before, although she’s pretty sure they don’t know she knows.

Here comes the mole.

It’s not like she signed some formal agreement. And it’s not like she had much of a choice. It had all started pretty innocently. Her boss befriending her and then subtly starting to pump her for information.

Then it became an unstated directive. A quick promotion to English department chair in exchange for some hints about who might be plotting behind the woman’s back. Getting her preferred chaperoning duties in exchange for a few tidbits about who might be holding up her latest initiatives.

And then it became even more complicated.

She wonders how Brooke will take the resignation letter she left in her mailbox yesterday afternoon. It’s a terrible career move to leave now, just two weeks before winter break. But Kimi feels that she doesn’t have much choice.

It’s not just the strained relationship with the other teachers, although that’s part of it. It’s that she’s pretty sure her boss doesn’t know what she overheard, and it needs to stay that way. She’ll go back to North Carolina and regroup, then come back for the rest of her belongings some other time.

As she enters the deserted Cortlandt train station and starts walking towards the tracks, she feels a chill run up her spine. It’s dead still on a frigid Saturday morning. No commuters. Not another passenger in sight. But she has a nagging sensation that she’s not alone.

Is someone following me?

She stops for a moment and turns to look behind her. Nobody’s there. She glances out the window to the parking lot, but the view is obstructed by a thin layer of ice. Then she takes a deep breath, steadies herself, and makes her way over to the staircase that leads down to the train tracks.

The hairs on the back of her neck are standing up, but she reminds herself there’s a good chance she’s overreacting—to all of it. And for a moment, she considers that she might be making the biggest mistake of her entire career.

Too late to second-guess myself now.

When she lifts her foot to start down the stairs, she freezes, reacting a split second too late to the sensation of a presence behind her. In an instant, she’s flying headfirst in the air looking down at the cold, menacing metal stairs.

She closes her eyes and braces herself, incapable of emitting the terrifying scream that’s welling up inside her.

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About the Author 

Bonnie Traymore is an author, educator, and consultant. A world traveler, she loves to include vivid settings in her novels. She is also an accomplished non-fiction writer, historian, and educator with a doctorate in United States History. She has taught at top independent schools in Honolulu, Silicon Valley, and New York City for over 20 years, and she has taught history courses at Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. Originally from the New York City area, she resides in Honolulu with her husband but frequents the Hudson Valley and New York City areas.

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Spotlight: Love at First Cowboy by Jennie Marts

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(Lassiter Ranch, #1)

Publication date: September 27th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Three abandoned cowboys, born in heartbreak and bonded by brotherhood, are brought together by the fierce love of the grandparents who took them in and the ranch that’s the only home they’ve ever known…

Surly cowboy, Ford Lassiter, named after the truck his dad was driving when he’d left him and his mother, has only known abandonment and doesn’t trust relationships—until he shares an intimate weekend at a wedding with a woman he met by chance. Now he can’t stop thinking about her and what could have happened if she hadn’t driven away from him too.

Tall and curvy, Elizabeth ‘Bitsy’ Cole, who is anything but bitsy, has spent her adult life wishing for change but is afraid to take risks. Then a crazy hot weekend with a cowboy finally gives her the courage to make some big changes in her life. She quits the family business to start her own accounting firm and buys a rundown farmhouse in the mountains with a yard for her dog, finally leaving her dinky apartment in the city that’s never quite felt like home.

So what happens when the handy-man she hires to help fix up the farmhouse turns out to be the same cowboy she spent that steamy weekend with? She thinks he was only with her out of pity and as a favor to the groom, but the looks he’s giving her now makes her wonder if there might be a chance for something more. If she has the courage to find out…

Excerpt

Ford’s body was shaking as he strode back to Elizabeth. “That took everything I had not to punch that conceited jerk in the throat.” He softened his tone and expression as he took her by the shoulders. “Are you okay? He didn’t touch you, did he?”

She shook her head, too stunned by Ford’s reaction to say anything. He was pissed. But was he really this angry because of the way Chad treated her? Or did he just not like the guy in general?

“Shoot,” he said, letting out his breath and scrubbing his hand across the whiskers on his jaw. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said all that. That guy just made me so frickin’ mad. I heard the way he was talking to you, and I couldn’t let that stand.”

“It’s okay. I appreciated it.”

“Did you know he was coming over here?”

“No. I just walked down the stairs, and he was standing in the kitchen. Scared the heck out of me. My phone was in my purse, and he was standing between me and the door. And then the stuff he was saying was really starting to freak me out. I hadn’t really thought about how isolated I would be out in the country.” She pressed a hand to her heart as she imagined what could have happened. “I’ve never had an unwanted man in my house like that. I mean, sure I’ve had my landlord stop by, but he never made leering remarks or insinuated that I should offer him sexual favors for fixing the garbage disposal.”

A growl sounded in the back of Ford’s throat as his hands tightened into fists. “On second thought, I should have punched that guy.”

“No. You handled it just right. Getting him out of the house and discouraging him from coming back was what I was trying to do. He just wasn’t getting the hint from me.”

“That’s what I was trying to do, too.” He frowned. “But I probably shouldn’t have told him I was moving in here. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn’t. Thinking, I mean. I just reacted. But I didn’t want him thinking you would be out here alone or that he could come back by when I wasn’t here.”

“I appreciate that. And I was doing the same thing by telling him I had a boyfriend.”

Ford’s lips pulled together as he eyed her. “Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Have a boyfriend?”

A nervous giggle bubbled out of her. Dang. She’d forgotten how many times that had happened to her the last time she’d been with Ford. “No. I do not have a boyfriend.”

She liked the way his lip twitched, as if he were trying not to smile. He cocked an eyebrow and offered her a sheepish grin. “Well, apparently, you do now.”

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About the Author

Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”

She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends. 

Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/ cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances. 

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

Connect:

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