Release Day & Review – Cannon, Leila James
November 21, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz, Review | By Two Book Pushers
A female initiate is unheard of at Hawthorne Hall, but after forcing the brotherhood’s hand, they had no choice but to let me stay. My plan should have been simple: Find out what happened to my cousin and best friend in the world, Will.
But nothing is as it seems.
This brotherhood is steeped in tradition and built on loyalty, but the deeper I dig, the more I see fissures in their supposedly tight-knit group. And with the evidence I’ve found, every move I make seems more dangerous than the last. I no longer know who to trust.
Cannon.
Archer.
Kingston.
I don’t want to believe they’re guilty or that they could have harmed Will. But there’s only one way to find out—immerse myself in their world and keep my mouth shut. And hope they don’t break my heart along the way.
The games continue … but who is being played?
Release Day & Excerpt – Bastard Boss, Lisa Renee Jones
November 21, 2022 | Posted in Excerpt, Release Day Blitz | By Two Book Pushers
Title: Bastard Boss
Series: Tyler and Bella Duet #1
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Release Date: November 21st, 2022
ABOUT BASTARD BOSS
A sexy, dirty talking alpha. The beautiful, sweet, and fiery Bella. Her boss. A contract that forces him to marry. An arrangement that will change them forever. Meet Tyler Hawk…
Tyler Hawk is a man with secrets and a dark past. A man who has known tragedy and betrayal. He wants for little, but what he wants is more power, a legacy that is his own, and not his father’s. There are obstacles in his way, one of which is the scandal his father left behind and a will with certain demands.
Behind the scenes he is a man on edge, and only one woman sees the truth hidden beneath his strong will and dominant rule. Bella is somehow demanding and submissive, fiery and yet sweet. She can give him everything he wants, she just doesn’t know it, not yet, but she will. If she’ll just say yes and sign on the dotted line.
BUY BASTARD BOSS HERE:
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EXCERPT
“You’re going to have to share your room with me, sweetheart,” he says, and he doesn’t allow me time to object or even savor that endearment, not that objection is on my mind. I’m thinking of nothing but his mouth and hands on my body and this time, mine on his.
He opens the door and enters the room, maneuvering me along with him. The door slams shut behind us, and he’s already kissing me again. This time when his fingers find my hair, he gives the long strands an erotic tug and drags my gaze to his. “Control in all things, Bella. It’s who I am. It’s what I need, not a want.”
“And as you remember,” I say, my fingers curling on his chest, “I don’t like what I can’t control, which I guess actually means I like control, too.”
“And you have it with me,” he promises. “Always. All you have to say is no, and we find what feels like a yes to you. You asked if I trust you. I’m asking you now, if you trust me.”
I consider the complexity of the question. Do I trust him to listen when I say no? Yes. Do I trust him not to break my heart? I’m pretty sure that’s signed, sealed, and delivered, so, no. Do I trust him to make tonight all about pleasure? The kind of pleasure I’ll remember long after he is married off to his future fiancée. Yes. That’s a brutal yes because of where this is headed, which is nowhere but right here, right now, but one I can’t walk away from, either. “Yes,” I say. “I trust you.”
“I don’t think you do, Bella,” he murmurs, and the way he uses my name—it’s as if he wants me to know I’m not just sex to him. Or maybe I just want to believe that—even need to believe that—to be here with him, to be this intimate with him. Because I’m still me. I’m still not the “sex is sex” kind of girl, even if he aspires to change that in me. “But I want you to trust me so damn badly it’s insane,” he adds roughly, an edge of frustration in him, as if this statement somehow contradicts the control he so values.
It shakes me just how much I’m pleased that I’ve tormented him in some way, as if it’s selfish of me. I know this, but Lord also knows I’m tormented over this marriage agreement he’s obviously accepted. And if I think too hard about it, I will run. I will leave.
I don’t want to leave.
I press to my toes, desperate for his mouth and body, for that oblivion he’s shown me once that I crave once again.
His grip tightens gently round my hair, the act both arousing and brutal, as he denies me his mouth. “I’m going to make you trust me, Bella,” he declares, and then, thank you Lord, his mouth slants over my mouth, his tongue caressing my tongue. And it’s a toe-curling, deep, drugging kiss that leaves me breathless when his lips part mine. “Undress, baby,” he orders. “I want to watch.”
THE SERIES – Tyler and Bella Duet
Tyler & Bella Duet is available for pre-order NOW!
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Sweet Sinner (book two)
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ABOUT LISA
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones writes dark, edgy fiction including the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series and the upcoming, crime thriller The Poet. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland and Bad Mom’s) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned a multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat that talks too much, and a Golden Retriever who is afraid of trash bags.
CONNECT WITH LISA
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Release Day Blitz & Review – Tempt, Melanie Harlow
November 21, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz, Review | By Two Book Pushers
You’ve heard the story about the wedding planner who falls for the groom? Well, this is the one where she falls for his father. And that groom? He’s my ex.
TEMPT, an all-new scorching hot age gap, forbidden, small town romance, featuring a plus-sized heroine and her ex’s irresistible dad from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is now available!
I didn’t realize who the gruff, gorgeous older man was the night he rescued me from a creep in a Manhattan hotel bar. All I knew was that a hot, bearded stranger with a protective streak showed up right when I needed a reminder that real gentlemen still exist.
(Although he left his manners behind after asking me up to his room.)
It was the hottest night of my life, but I never thought I’d see the former Navy SEAL again.
Imagine my surprise at the rehearsal dinner one week later, when my sexy one-night stand is introduced as the father of the groom. Even more surprising? That temptation we felt in New York was no fluke.
In public, we pretend there’s nothing between us.
In private, we can’t keep our hands off each other.
The situation is beyond complicated. Zach never even knew he’d fathered a child until recently, and he wants to earn his son’s trust and respect. As for me, I’m looking for a man who wants to start a family, and Zach has made it clear he’s not that man. He’s fifteen years older, newly divorced, and he lives across the country.
But no matter how many times we draw the line, we keep crossing it.
Nothing so wrong should ever feel so right.
Download your copy of TEMPT today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://harlow.pub/Tempt-amazon
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Paperback → https://harlow.pub/Tempt-pb Special Edition Paperback → https://harlow.pub/Tempt-specialeditionpb
Add TEMPT to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3TCc75o
About Melanie Harlow USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted, Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
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Blog Tour & Excerpt – Before I Let Go, Kennedy Ryan
November 16, 2022 | Posted in Blog Tour | By Two Book Pushers
“Before I Let Go is a masterpiece… A beautifully honest portrayal of love in its many forms, and the most raw, poignant, and romantic journey of healing I’ve read in a long time.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author
Before I Let Go, an all-new sensual and poignant second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan, is out now!
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.
It couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?
Discover the romance everyone is raving about!
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Paperback and Hardback
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Audio
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In addition to appearances in North Carolina, Kennedy will also be on tour in Atlanta, New York City & Los Angeles!
Find all tour details here: www.kennedyryanwrites.com
Keep reading for a look inside Before I Let Go!
I knock and wait for Josiah’s deep baritone telling me to enter. He sits behind his desk, eyes trained on the laptop in front of him. He doesn’t look up, but keeps typing. The silence persists, stretches to awkwardness, so I drop into one of the armchairs in the center of the room along with a sofa and coffee table, and set my purse on the floor.
“Harvey’s on his way,” he says, still not looking away from the screen. “His last meeting ran a few minutes over, but he’ll be here soon.”
“Oh. Sure. Great.”
I run damp palms over my legs, the jeans smooth and cool beneath my hands. Fidgety and looking for something to do, I tighten my topknot. I got box braids last weekend because I was tired of messing with my hair. This morning they’re studded with a few gold cuffs scattered throughout the strands. All in all, I feel pretty. And confident, and I won’t be shook by the pissy mood Josiah seems to have saved just for me. Finally, he closes the laptop and walks over to the sitting area. I study my nails, taking my turn to ignore him.
“I like the braids.”
Surprised, I glance up to find him sitting on the arm of the leather sofa across from me. I didn’t expect him to say anything personal. Definitely not about my appearance. When I meet his eyes, they’re cool like they’ve been for weeks, and his face remains unreadable.
“Thanks.” I scour my mind for something else to say. Gone are the days when I couldn’t get the words out to him fast enough. We’d watch couples eating dinner in absolute silence and promise each other that would never be us.
“Um, did you see Deja’s report card?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He frowns. “I can’t believe she got a C in English.”
“It used to be her best subject. It’s not just the grade itself, but I worry she’s spending too much time on social media.”
“I think she’ll find the balance without us having to come down hard. Your relationship with her is already strained enough and—”
“Strained?” I ask, my voice dropping to a quiet warning.
“You’ve said that yourself, Yas.” He crosses his stupid muscular arms
across his stupid broad chest. “Let’s not fight over how we need to handle things with Day. Have you given any more thought to Kassim playing football?”
“You mean since I said never when you asked last time? No. Besides, he has soccer.”
“He really wants to play football too.”
“A kid can really want a lot of things that aren’t good for him, like literally ramming his brain into a brick wall over and over again and risking his life, his mind, for what? A game? With all that’s come out about CTE, I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. Lots of parents aren’t doing football anymore.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic? I played football. Preach played. Theo’s playing.”
“I love Preach, but him letting Theo play doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. What he and Liz decide for their kids has no bearing on what we decide for ours. Kassim has barely mentioned football to me.”
“He hasn’t mentioned it,” he returns with obvious stretched patience, “because he loves you and he doesn’t want to displease you, but he asks me almost daily.”
“Of course, because you’re the cool parent.”
“Well, I’m not the one who says no to everything because I’m too scared or too uptight to allow my kids some freedom to make their own decisions.”
“How dare you!”
I surge to my feet, unable to stay seated one more second. I need to move, let this anger circulate, or it will clog in my veins. My steps eat up the space separating us, and before I know it, I’m right in front of him, standing in the vee of his powerful legs. The air sizzles with a lightning strike, sudden and hot and dangerous. Unpredictable. I should take shelter, but I don’t step back. His expression remains inscrutable, the stark beauty of his face unaffected, but his breathing deepens. In response, my breasts rise and fall with the struggle to draw breath as the air between us thickens. This close, his presence overwhelms me and my deprived senses devour him. The way his cologne mingles with his unique male scent. The hardness of his jaw at war with the sensual curve of his mouth. The heat his big body radiates, even at rest, surrounds me.
I lick suddenly dry lips, and he tracks the movement with narrowed eyes. I feel hunted by that look, like I stepped into a trap laid by my own body, devised by my own mind. Something I thought we’d buried long ago rises, encircles us, breathing new life into a connection I thought was dead. I’ve known for months that I’m still attracted to Josiah, but right now, with his eyes darkening and his jaw flexing and his hands curling into fists, I can’t help but wonder . . .
Is he still attracted to me too?
About Kennedy Ryan
A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish, and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TIME, O magazine, and many others. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.
Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
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Release Blitz & Review – Fernhill Lane, Kristen Proby
November 15, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz, Review | By Two Book Pushers
Fernhill Lane by Kristen Proby is now live!
From Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a small town, second chance romance! Fernhill Lane is the newest installment in the Huckleberry Bay series!
She didn’t think she’d ever come home again.
When Sarah Bitterman left Huckleberry Bay at the tender age of nineteen, newly married to a much older man, she had every intention of coming home to visit. Sadly, she quickly learned that was out of the question. Until her husband throws her out with only the clothes on her back and finally sets Sarah free. Coming back to the small seaside town has been the hardest thing she’s ever done. Facing those who loved her the most and think she turned her back on them is almost unbearable. But she needs her two best friends, and she’s longed to make amends with her little brother. Huckleberry Bay is like the art in her soul. And now she can put down roots and begin to heal. Tanner Hilleman knew it was a mistake to let the love of his life go all those years ago, and he’s never stopped thinking about her. Now that she’s home, while he’s giving her the space she needs, he’s also determined to make Sarah see that they belong together. Unfortunately, Sarah’s past has followed her to Huckleberry Bay and threatens to destroy everything she loves. Will she and Tanner survive it? Or will it tear them apart for good?Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo!
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Narrated by: Andi Arndt & Gomez Pugh
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Meet Kristen
Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.
Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.
Connect with Kristen
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
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Release Blitz, Excerpt & Review – Be Your Everything, Catherine Bybee
November 15, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz, Review | By Two Book Pushers
About When It Falls Apart
With two protective older brothers and a traditional Catholic Italian mother, it’s surprising that Chloe D’Angelo can manage a date without someone in the family naysaying her romantic choice. And Dante Mancuso…oh, no. Her brother’s best friend is not a dating-app right swipe.
But when they are left unsupervised on a late night in Vegas, all of that changes. Add in a Vegas wedding chapel and a couple of “I dos” and Chloe wakes up with a ring on her finger and a hangover. Dating Dante was always a secret desire, but marriage? The rift that this news would cause in her family has both of them keeping their nuptials to themselves as they scramble to undo their Vegas mistake.
Dante knew the rules: Chloe was off-limits. Only, he can’t stop once his mind starts to believe she might be his forever. Just as their attraction deepens, Chloe flees to Bali, desperate to clear her head.
All Dante has to do is keep her brothers from killing him and convince Chloe that they are meant for each other. But first, Dante has to find her.
Be Your Everything is the second book in the D’Angelos series by Catherine Bybee. I really enjoyed When It Falls Apart and have been looking forward to Chloe and Dante’s story! This is a brother’s best friend secret wedding romance and I am here for it! Chloe has had a crush on Dante since she was young. He’s only ever seen her as his best friend’s little sister. He’s been living in Italy for years and now they are all together and doing a bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas. She didn’t wear the red dress for him. She didn’t have too much to drink and find herself in a wedding chapel and marrying her crush. Wait. She totally did. Now they have to keep it a secret until they can figure out what to do. Dante can’t keep his eyes off Chloe. She’s gorgeous and smart and funny and very off-limits. He knows her brothers would kill him if he touched her, but what if they were married. He didn’t plan it, but when the situation arises, he jumps at his chance. Now he just has to convince her to take a chance on him. Chloe doesn’t want to face Dante. She has real feelings for him but it can never work. She’s already planning a trip to Bali so she’ll just go early and get away. Dante isn’t going to let her run from him. Not anymore. She’s his wife and he wants to make her his for real. Oh boy! I freaking love Dante! He’s swoony and funny and sexy and not the player everyone thinks he is. He’s willing to fight for Chloe, literally! I loved their connection. They have known each other for a long time, to they have a history. The attraction has always been there and now they can act on it. What happens when their families find out? Totally chaos! Makes me miss my grandparents and my family. I loved the way Dante didn’t give up on Chloe. He went after what he wanted. It was great seeing their families again. Oh Giovanni! I’m waiting for you!
“Go! I don’t want to see any of you back here until Monday.”
Chloe stood outside the back door of their home in Little Italy, surrounded by both her brothers and her soon-to-be sister-in-law. They all had small suitcases at their feet as the Uber van pulled up to take them to the airport.
Mari, their mother, had a hand on Francesca’s shoulder as they saw the bachelor/bachelorette party off.
“Mama, are you absolutely certain?” Luca, the husband-to-be, her over-worried oldest brother, couldn’t stop the concern that crossed his face anymore than he could the love he had in his eyes for the woman at his side.
He and Brooke were the real deal. Head over heels, all in . . . completely lost in each other.
Chloe couldn’t be happier for them.
They needed Vega. Boy, did they need two nights in Vegas.
“I ran this restaurant before you were born and after with all three of you jumping around. I have it, Luca. Go. Just don’t get married. Wait until you come back for that.”
“What about babies?” Gio, the middle child and smart-ass in the family, asked.
“That you can do,” Mari said with a wink.
Brooke knelt to Franny’s level and gave the eight-year-old a kiss. “Listen to your nonna.”
There were hugs and waves as Giovanni, or Gio, as he was more often called, shoved all the suitcases into the back of the van.
Gio took the front seat as the rest of them climbed into the back.
“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Luca said to his brother. “Busiest time of the year.”
“It is not. That’s in the summer,” Chloe argued. It was the last week of November. The family restaurant was fully staffed and ran like a well-oiled machine, even with three of their employees out at the same time. “It’s going to be nothing but family and friends, celebrations and ceremonies from here on out. This is the last chance for you two to let loose until it’s all over.” Chloe reminded them.
“You mean until after Christmas,” Gio said.
“Right.” They weren’t taking their honeymoon until after Christmas. After they returned a week into the new year, then it would be Chloe’s turn to get out of town. Her long-awaited tickets to Bali were burning a hole in her pocket.
This was her last opportunity to cut loose until it was all over as well.
Chloe watched their family home disappear from sight. It was a four-story building with the family restaurant on the bottom floor. The second story was the family home where they’d all grown up, and the third floor was where LUca, Brooke, and Franny now lived. On the very top was what used to be guest quarters but now was the bachelor pad that Gio took over. Secretly, Chloe was hoping Gio would find Mrs. Right and move on himself so she could occupy the upstairs apartment as her own space. She loved her mother, but living with her was getting old. As an Italian, Chloe wasn’t going anywhere until she married, that’s just the way things were done in her culture.
“Franny is going to be okay, right?” Brooke asked Luca as they settled in for the short ride to the airport.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
Francesca, Luca’s daughter from his first unfortunate marriage, was probably already elbow-deep in gelato and milking Mari for all the attention and goodies a nonna could give her.
“She’ll be fine,” Luca said, kissing Brooke’s forehead.
The ride to the airport took less than ten minutes, a perk when you lived in San Diego and everything was close.
Getting through security and waiting in the airport would take longer than the actual flight to Vegas, but it beats a long drive across the California desert any day of the week.
“Thanks again for inviting Mayson to join you guys,” Brooke said to Gio and Luca.
“He’s a friend of yours. He’s a friend of ours.”
“Besides, we need even numbers,” Chloe added. As she said that, she saw Salena waving them over to her side before they entered the TSA line.
“Vegas, baby!” Salena all but yelled for everyone to heard.
Chloe tossed her arms around one of her dearest friends for a hug. They’d known each other before braces and periods. As ride-and-die friends went, Salena was someone Chloe could count on to be there.
“We could have picked you up,” Gio said.
Salena, who lived in Little Italy as well, shrugged. “It’s okay. I had JOey take me.”
“Joey? Do I know Joey?”
She waved a hand. “Flavor of the month.”
Gio narrowed his eyes. “You’re worse than me.”
“No one is worse than you,” Chloe and Salena said in unison.
The three of them fell in line behind Luca and Brooke, who were arm in arm and whispering in each other’s ears.
“They do know that we have separate rooms, right?” Chloe asked her brother.
“Yes.”
“I don’t think that’s going to matter,” Salena added.
“Divide and conquer. Once everyone arrives, we have dinner, pull straws on who is in charge for the night, and go to our separate clubs.” Gio lowered his voice. “We’ll give them tomorrow afternoon to knock it out.”
Chloe laughed. “We may never see them again.”
Salena nudged Chloe’s shoulder as they inched their way up the line. “Is Dante flying directly from Italy?’
Just hearing Dante’s name had Chloe standing taller. Gio’s best friend, and the one boy that had always been “off-limits” for oh so many reasons, was the cause of many sleepless nights.
The man only grew more beautiful with every year that passed.
And he knew it.
And the women knew it.
All the women!
“He’s already in the States. New York, He’ll be in Vegas about an hour after we land.”
Salena nudged Chloe again with a grin once Gio turned around.
Stop. Chloe mouthed the word without sound.
Once they moved through security, they found their gate for the forty-five-minutes wait to board the plane.
Salena and Chloe sat with their luggage while the others went to find coffee and water for the flight.
“Are you prepared for a weekend with Dante?” Salena asked once they were alone.
Chloe shook her head. “Listen to you. It was a high school crush.”
Salena laughed. “I’m pretty sure it started in fifth grade and never ended.”
“He’s lived in Italy for the better part of five years.”
“And every time he comes home, you forget how to speak.”
“That’s not true.”
Salena glared.
Okay, it was a little bit true. “I did better last year.” It helped that she stayed out of his orbit that time around and he was only home for a month.
“How long is he staying this time?”
“No idea,” Chloe said. Her cell phone pinged, grabbing her attention.
She opened her messages inside a dating app she’d been on for a few weeks.
“Who is that?” Salena asked, looking over her shoulder.
Chloe glanced at the image on her screen, the one she’d swiped right on. He was thirty, no kids. Worked somewhere in La Jolla. “His name is Eric. We’ve been texting for a few days.”
“He’s cute.”
“I thought so.”
His text came through, asking what she was doing. She started typing.
“Have you met him yet?”
Chloe shook her head, finished her message about the bachelorette party in Vegas.
“Are you going to?”
Three dots indicated he was typing.
:Only if he asks.” As progressive as she was, she found it necessary for the man to take the first steps.
“You know . . . if you stack the desk with dates while Dante is in town, it might be easier to be around the man.”
Salena had a point.
Chloe’s phone buzzed.
How about meeting for coffee when you get back? Wednesday enough time for you to sleep off the hangover?
Chloe showed the message to Salena.
“Say yes.”
Her friend was right. Chloe needed all the help she could get when Dante was home. If her attention was elsewhere, maybe he’d lose his appeal.
She agreed to coffee with Eric on Wednesday and told him she’d get in touch when she returned.
“I have a feeling this weekend is going to be one for the record books,” Salena said as she watched more passengers arrive for their flight.
“It’s likely the one and only time I’ll be in Vegas with both my brothers.”
“Considering how they’ve helicoptered you since your papa passed, that’s not a bad thing.”
She’d been seventeen when their father died. Luca became the head of the family while he had a one-year-old and a failing marriage. What a crappy couple of years that had been. Now, things are looking up. For all of them.
She’d finished her college classes and earned her business degree. But instead of working for someone else, she wanted to do something on her own. She blamed her family for that. Yes, she waited tables at their restaurant and, honestly, liked the job. But what she loved more than anything was teaching yoga. Her trip to Bali was supposed to happen the year the world shut down, and it was only now that time and the world’s health were giving her the opportunity to go. She knew, somehow, that the trip was going to guide her to whatever her path was going to be. Maybe she’d start her own studio or her own online channel. Brooke had a boatload of knowledge about marketing and was on board with helping her start up. Financially, Chloe had banked nearly everything she’d earned from the first day she started working and was more ready than most to begin her future.
Her father, in all his wisdom, had taken out a life insurance policy that their mother had divided and put into investment plans for each of them. Luca immediately put everything in his name to his daughter. Giovanni was itching to invest in a vineyard. The resident sommelier wanted to spend time in Tuscany as much as she wanted to spend time in Bali. So, while they did pull shifts waiting tables, doing what had to be done to make the family restaurant run, it wasn’t their lifelong ambition. Well, Luca was the chef, and that was his life’s choice . . . and she and Gio were thankful for it.
“They promised not to act like big brothers in Vegas,” Chloe said.
“Yeah, well, they aren’t going to the same strip clubs we are.”
The image of her brothers holding a hand over her eyes made her smile. “Thank God for that.”
*****
The Venetian Las Vegas was one of those hotels where every room was a suite. Put two of them together and everyone had their own bed with plenty of room.
Two rooms for the women, two for the men.
On different floors. Although Luca wanted to argue that arrangement when they were checking in.
“Oh, no. If we’re out late, you are not going to pull that older-brother card on us,” Chloe started in at the reception desk.
“How late do you plan on being out?” Luca asked.
“The real question is how early in the morning will we be walking in,” Salena informed him.
Gio patted his brother’s shoulder. “They’re all talk.”
Brooke waved her phone in the air. “Carment just landed.”
Carmen was Brooke’s best friend, and maid of honor, from Seattle.
“When is Mayson arriving?”
“Not until three.”
“We should be good and buzzed by then,” Gio pointed out.
The receptionist handed them their keys and they headed toward the elevators.
They passed the casino, and even at eleven in the morning, the people sitting in front of the slot machines appeared as if they’d been there all night.
“Do you gamble?” Salena asked Brooke.
“I don’t mind giving it a whirl, but I don’t see dropping a paycheck chasing odds that are stacked against me.”
Gio nudged his brother. “I take it you didn’t tell her about your little addiction.”
Broke snapped her attention toward the two of them.
Luca pushed him away, punched his shoulder. “He’s kidding.”
Chloe laughed, pressed their floor when they got on the elevators.
Gio pressed two floors higher.
Luca moaned.
“Dinner at six thirty, downstairs at the steakhouse,” Gio reminded Chloe.
“We’ll be there.”
A few moments later Chloe grabbed Brooke’s free hand and dragged her out of the small space. “C’mon. Time to have fun.”
They laughed as they made their way to their rooms. Inside, they opened the first of the two doors. The welcome package they’d requested–complete with chilled champagne and a basket of fruit–was in the living room portion of one of the suites.
The door between the rooms was open, and in the other room was another bottle of bubbly and a basket of cheese, crackers, and cold meats.
“Salena and I will take this room and you and Carment take the other,” Chloe suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Brooke said as she pushed through and rolled her suitcase to the second room.
“This is beautiful.”
The view from the massive windows looking out over the Vegas Strip was something to marvel at.
“I wonder if it’s even brighter at night with Christmas lights?” Salena asked.
“Probably.” Chloe turned to her friend and hanged her the champagne. “Let’s get this party started.”
“Wow. This bathroom is huge!” Brooke’s voice called from the other room.
“Glad you like it.”
The sound of the cork popping out of the bottle filled the room. “Hey yo!”
Brooke bounced back in, a smile on her face. “I heard that.”
Salena poured the wine and Chloe made a toast. “To your last single weekend in Vegas.”
“You make it sound like we’re going out to find random men to hook up with.”
“Not hook up with, but look up at,” Chloe countered.
“Thunder Down Under.” Salena lifted her glass high.
“Magic Mike,” Chloe said.
They drank the bubble wine and turned to the food. “Pacing, food, and hydration,” Brooke added.
That was the plan.
Only by the time Carmen arrived, less than an hour later, the first bottle of champagne was gone and the second was open.
*****
Dante Mancuso walked through the Vegas casino with a suitcase the size of a smart car. To anyone looking, they’d think he was moving in and not there for a weekend bachelor party.
He bypassed the reception desk, already aware of the room he was in, and headed toward the elevators.
Music met his ears as he approached the door to the suite. He smiled, anticipating his friends.
It had been too long.
He knocked twice. “Open up, you drunk bastards.”
The door swung open wide. “About time.” Gio stood there, a huge smile.
God, it was great to see him.
They hugged long and hard. Strong pats on the back. “You look good.”
“You do, too.”
He stepped in the room, dragging his suitcase behind.
“Jesus, Dante, what do you have in there, a body?”
“Shut up. I was going to ship it from Italy, but this made more sense.”
Gio stood back, lifted his voice to the room beyond the door connecting the two. “Luca, Dante is here.”
Luca walked around the corner, put the glass in his hand down. “Damn, look at you.”
They hugged. “Doing it again, huh?”
“Doing it right this time,” Luca told him.
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
Luca stepped back. “We can go to their room now and I can introduce you.”
Gio stepped between the two of them. “Oh, no. We just got here. They’re probably tits-up in fingernail polish and facial lotion. Dinner is soon enough.” Gio patted Luca’s chest.
“Who is with the bachelorettes?” Dante asked, fishing for information.
“Chloe and Salena. And carmen, who you haven’t met,” Gio told him.
The guest list brought an instant smile to his face. “Salena, huh? That’s gonna spell trouble.”
“Brooke and Carmen will keep the younger girls in check,” Luca told him.
Dante patted his friend on the back. “If that’s what you want to believe, old man.” Luca earned the title by being the oldest and cemented it ot being Mr. Responsibility from the day his father passed. “You look happy.”
Luca sighed. “I love her. “
“And Franny?”
“She loved her, too.”
Dante shrugged out of his coat. “What are we drinking?
“Whiskey.”
“Perfect.”
About the Author
Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com
Release Blitz – Before I Let Go, Kennedy Ryan
November 15, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz | By Two Book Pushers
“Breathtaking, gut-wrenching, viscerally romantic.
I want to curl up and live in this book.”
―Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author
Before I Let Go, an all-new powerful, soul-gripping second chance romance filled with raw emotion and sizzling steam from USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan, is now available!
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything
It couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another . . . and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?
Discover the romance everyone is raving about!
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In addition to appearances in North Carolina, Kennedy will also be on tour in Atlanta, New York City & Los Angeles!
Find all tour details here: www.kennedyryanwrites.com
About Kennedy Ryan
A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish, and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TIME, O magazine, and many others. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.
Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release and sales news by text!
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Blog Tour & Review – Just What I Needed, Kylie Scott
November 11, 2022 | Posted in Blog Tour, Review | By Two Book Pushers
When the Stage Dive crew decides to help, they do it in a big way.
Just What I Needed, a brand-new nanny meets rock star producer romance from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott is now available!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kylie Scott comes a new story in her Stage Dive series…
Nanny and housekeeper Jude has been going through a dry patch. Getting ready to dip her toes back into the dating pool is a little nerve racking. And the offers of assistance from her boss, David Ferris, and his band are not helping. Right up until music producer Dean Jennings arrives to work on the band’s latest album.
But Dean is more than a little wary of dating anyone with anything to do with the Stage Dive crew after losing Lena to lead singer Jimmy Ferris all those years ago. Can Jude a) Convince the crew to stay out of her business and b) Woo the man of her dreams?
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Grab your copy today exclusively on Amazon!
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About Kylie Scott
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today, best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year in 2013, 2014 & 2018 by the Australian Romance Witer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long-time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia, with her two children and husband, she reads, writes, and never dithers around on the internet.
Connect with Kylie
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Blog Tour & Reviews – Princess and the Player, Ilsa Madden Mills
November 11, 2022 | Posted in Blog Tour, Review | By Two Book Pushers
Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?
Princess and the Player, an all-new neighbors-to-lovers romance featuring an NFL football player and a masquerade ball from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills, is now available!
A masquerade ball brings together an NFL player and a penniless princess in this smart and sexy romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills. Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club. There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off. Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway). But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve…a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?
Fall in love today! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KWVJJ6 Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/PrincessPlayer Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3jXSR2s
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The Princess and the Player is the second book in the Strangers in Love series by the fabulous Ilsa Madden Mills. I knew when we met Tuck I was going to love him. His story is everything I wanted it to be and more! He’s funny, sexy, a pro baller, but he’s also hurting and has a past that’s constantly haunting him. When he meets a beautiful stranger at a masquerade party at a sex club, it seems like the perfect night. No names, no faces and just one night. But fate had other ideas. Turns out she lives in his building and doesn’t seem to want anything to do with him. Francesca never thought her one-night stand would turn out to be her rich and famous neighbor, but here we are. Now not only does she see him everywhere, she’s keeping a very big secret from him. She’s pregnant. What are the odds. The connection between Tuck and Francesca is too strong for either of them to ignore. For once Tuck wants to actually get to know a woman. There’s just something about her that calls to him. Calms him. Makes him want to be a better man. But what happens when he finds out about the baby? Will that be the end of them or the beginning of their story? Oh man! I loved Tuck and Francesca! Their romance isn’t all fun and games. They both have pasts and have a hard time accepting love. But they are destined to be together. I loved watching them fall and grow and finally give in. Overall, I laughed, cried, got hot and bothered and just loved it!
About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.
Connect with Ilsa
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Release Blitz & Reviews – The Good Guy Challenge, Lauren Blakely
November 8, 2022 | Posted in Release Day Blitz, Review | By Two Book Pushers
THE GOOD GUY CHALLENGE by Lauren Blakely
Release Date: November 8th
THE GOOD GUY CHALLENGE, the second standalone book in The Dating Games Series, from #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely is NOW LIVE and FREE in KU!!
Make sure to grab this all-new, fake dating, MF sports romance TODAY!!
NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU!
✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/AmazonGoodGuy
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/AudioGoodGuy
(Narrated by Stella Hunter and Jason Clarke)
The Good Guy Challenge is the second book in The Dating Games series by Lauren Blakely. I had no idea when I met Gabe in Two A Day that he was going to give us all the flirty, dirty business but I am here for it! What’s better than playing a game you love, hanging out with your buddies and just being a genuinely nice guy? Running into an old friend who’s all grown up and gorgeous. Now that she’s not too young for him, it’s ok for him to take a second look. And a third and fourth. Ellie can’t believe her luck is about to change. No more bad boys for her. When she runs into an old crush, who’s a good guy, she needs to accept the challenge. She doesn’t expect Gabe to be a dirty talking bad boy in the bedroom, but whoa. Please and thank you! The more time they spend together, the more real it gets. Is this just a fun challenge or is it something more? Oh damn! These two almost lit my kindle on fire! Their banter was fun, their sexiness off the charts. I’m still fanning myself! Gabe is so sweet and dirty and fun and one of those book boyfriends you wish were real! Ellie is sweet, sassy and ready for anything Gabe wants. Their history gives them the extra connection and makes it all that much more! I’m loving this series and can’t wait for what Lauren has next!
Blurb:
Fake real dating the one who got away? Sign me up…
There’s just something about bad boys. Tattoos and leather jackets, am I right?
Trouble is, my last boyfriend was a teensy bit too bad and now he’s in prison. Yikes.
When my friends challenge me to take a dip in the good guy side of the dating pool, I see their dating bet and I raise it, looking up the guy I crushed on growing up.
With a winning grin and heart of gold, Gabe Clements is now the star receiver for a pro football team.
Except, the supposed good guy turns out to be nothing like I imagined. He’s better. He’s growly, possessive, smoldering.
And he’s determined too. At the end of the night, he asks me to be his fake real girlfriend for the rest of the week.
Sounds like my kind of dating challenge since he’s a good guy by day, and a very dirty man after dark.
I’ll cure my bad boy blues in no time.
Well, as long as I don’t fall for Gabe’s big heart too.
The Good Guy Challenge is a standalone romance in The Dating Games series! You’ll also enjoy The Virgin Next Door!
About Lauren Blakely:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible
Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s
sexy, sweet, and witty. She also writes USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.
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, with
more than 60 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 5 million books. A Brown University graduate, Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
Connect w/Lauren:
Website: laurenblakely.com
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