Spotlight: Hott Hotter Hottest by Serena Bell
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(Hott Springs Eternal, #5)
Publication date: June 9th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Real bodyguard. Fake boyfriend. Unexpected benefits. Trouble guaranteed.
Tucker: Autumn Sato is a happiness influencer. And I’m…well, let’s just say my brand is more big gray stormcloud. If life were going to plan, the closest I’d get to her would be scrolling past her posts as fast as my thumbs could fly.
But my sister needs help, so I agree to bodyguard Autumn at her sister’s wedding. One thing leads to another, and suddenly I’m pretending to be her new boyfriend in front of all her friends and family.
It’s a hot mess, made worse because I swore I’d never do this again. Never get close to someone I was guarding. Never fall for someone whose safety was in my hands. Never let distraction get in the way of my job.
Unfortunately, this entire week is nothing but distractions: trapped in a car with my smoking hot client, only one bed in our hotel room, only one tent on the wedding camping trip… all before the bachelor–bachelorette prom. Meanwhile, someone seems to have it out for Autumn… or my family… or both.
As things heat up between us, I’m left with one question: Can I keep my heart—and the people I care about—safe?
A spicy, small-town, bodyguard, fake relationship, grumpy-sunshine romantic comedy with a hint of danger and a lot of heart.
Excerpt
“I told her we met at the hotel bar,” she says. “At a conference.”
My brain gets stuck, like someone’s jammed a pole into an old-fashioned steam engine.
There are so many things wrong with this situation, I don’t know where to start.
But the biggest of all is that Autumn Sato is…
Hot.
It hit me like a ton of bricks when I stepped into the room.
Long dark hair, dark eyes, gorgeous smooth skin, and a soft wide mouth painted glossy red in a way that instantly made me think of things I shouldn’t be thinking about. Since I couldn’t look at her mouth, I let my eyes drop, and that was a mistake, too, because I’m a sucker for willowy, for small, secret curves, tits you can cup completely in your hands.
So when she says that she told her sister we met at the hotel bar at a conference, I can see it way too easily.
The two of us side by side in a dark bar, heads tilted toward each other, her lips tilted up in a suggestive smile. The incline of her head as she suggests we go upstairs. The elevator door closing, her crossing the space between us to rise up onto her toes, my hands closing around her slim hips, drawing her abruptly, possessively, against me, the give of her mouth as I take it, hungry.
And then I push it all away—her pretty smile, her slim hips, the feel of her body against mine, the softness of her mouth, my ravenousness.
I hate myself because the last thing, the very, very, very last thing I want is to have any feelings—even the basest, least romantic ones—for another client.
It cannot happen.
Then I fully absorb what she’s said, and: “Wait a second.”
Her eyebrows go up.
“What kind of conference?”
She bites her lip.
“Autumn. What kind of conference.”
“A by-invitation-only Happiness Extravaganza.” She barely whispers it.
“You told your sister I was at a happiness conference.”
She winces. “I didn’t realize you were going to turn out to be—” She traces her hands as if outlining the contours of my body in space. I ignore the way that lights my skin on fire and instead focus on the absolute depths of bullshit she’s taken us to.
“A grumpy asshole who doesn’t talk,” I finish for her.
“I wouldn’t have put it that way—”
“But you think it.”
“I prefer not to use labels.”
I scowl. This woman. At least there’s that. At least there’s the fact that in a million years, I could never fall for someone like her, all sunshine and roses and I prefer not to use labels. All It’s gonna be great!
Spoken like someone who’s dodged all of life’s bullets.
I shake my head, not bothering to hide my exasperation. “Okay. You’re not labeling me. But you decided to tell your sister, before you met me, that I was someone who would show up at a happiness conference.”
Something hardens in her gaze. “Wishful thinking,” she says, words sharp.
Ah. So she’s not all sweetness and light.
But then, like a curtain coming down on the moment of honesty, she smiles, bright and perky again. “I guess we’ll have to work on your…grumpies.”
“My—” I can’t even repeat the word.
“You know, jolly you out of them. You can’t be grunting at everyone. No one will believe you’re my type.”
Ouch. Not that I care.
“What is your type, exactly? Wait, I know the answer to this—Buddy the Elf.”
The smile slips a little. “No one wants Buddy the Elf for a romantic partner.”
“He gets the girl in the end.”
“It’s a Christmas movie.”
“So Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso.”
Her gaze skids away.
“Nailed it, huh?”
“What about you?” She squints at me. “Cruella de Vil? Cersei Lannister? No, wait. I’ve got it: blond, busty, and looks up at you in adoration.”
“Annie Wilkes in Misery,” I say. “Can’t argue with bondage.”
I might be baiting her. It’s possible that, against my will, I’m amused by this. It’s possible that for the first time in a long time, I’m curious about what’s going to happen next, like this is a movie I’ve found myself in, written by someone else.
It’s possible that for the first time in a long time, I feel alive, something I can’t name surging in my blood.
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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.
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