New Release: The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane + Review!

The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane is now available!

Nothing says happy birthday like catching your husband in a compromising position with his boss.

His male boss.

Why, hello, midlife crisis. I’m starting over, but this time I’m doing it right. Or at least I’m doing what I want.

Taking the day off from work to hang out poolside? Yup. Do I leave the swimsuit in my house? Sure.

Does my very hot, twenty-something pool boy happen to catch me naked? Oh, yeah, he does. And he likes what he sees… a lot.

My best friend keeps telling me to have a fling and get back out there. But I’m not so sure she meant for me to do it with her son.

Buy Links:

☀️Amazon – https://amzn.to/2SL1MGD

☀Amazon Universal – http://mybook.to/thepoolboy
☀Apple – https://apple.co/2Wsazyw
☀Nook – http://bit.ly/2MYxbnh
☀Kobo – http://bit.ly/2JvVGWQ
☀Google – http://bit.ly/2Nuiasx

Review:

3.5-3.75 stars

***

 I enjoyed this book for the most part. The Pool Boy is a the second book in the Nashville Neighborhood series. I enjoyed this book a little more than the first book in the series as I felt it had a little more depth. This is Troy and Erika's book. Erika is a 42 year old recently divorced woman with a revenge bod and a new pair of tatas. Troy is the 24 year old son of her best friend who cleans her pool. One day, Erika is sunbathing by the pool topless when Troy shows up to clean the pool. She has never thought of him as a man or in a sexual way before but he has definitely been fantasizing about her. Their encounter is awkward, but it obviously affects Troy and that turns Erika on, as she's had a long dry spell. The two begin a sexual relationship which leads to more. Throw into the situation, Erika is a former singer who never made it big and who now works for a music producer. Troy fills in for his friend's band one night and Erika is shocked to find out that he is really talented, charismatic singer. Erika helps him see that he could have a big career in the music industry and that she can help him make it big. They fall for each other along the way.

This was an easy, sexy read. It had some emotions, but not a ton. I enjoyed the story, though. Erika and Troy were hot together. I didn't feel like the age difference was that bad. Troy was 24, which is not a kid. Erika does call him a boy a few times, which I didn't really like and felt like a ploy to play up the age difference. But, mainly, they seemed pretty close in maturity level. Troy could still be dominant with her and she did not treat him like a boy toy. Erika was okay, but didn't have much depth. The ending was a little less firm of an HFN. I am not sure I see this couple lasting long term, but they're enjoying each other for now.

Overall, this was an entertaining, easy read. Sexy, light and enjoyable. I look forward to more from Ms. Sloane in the future!

New Release: Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting + Review!

"A laugh-out-loud romance full of charm, wit and magic. A thoroughly delicious read." --LJ Shen, USA Today bestselling author

Kiss My Cupcake, an all-new witty, opposites-attract standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is available now!

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn’t plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn’t spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From ax throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there’s also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they’re forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it’s possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

Review:

3.75 stars

***

This was a cute book! Kiss My Cupcake is a standalone book and is Blaire and Ronan's story. Blaire has dreamed of opening her own cupcake and cocktail shop and her dream is finally coming true. Ronan has just taken over his family bar next door. When the two meet, a rivalry begins between them and their shops, as well as an attraction to each other. They soon find themselves competing for business and also in a best bar social media contest. But they also find that they really like each other. Soon they are working together to make their businesses better and falling in love.

This book had a good story. It was a low angst and low heat level story, but it was very cute. I enjoyed the cupcake and the rival bars theme, as well as the descriptions of Blaire's cute outfits. There was a fun, frenemies to lovers vibe and I enjoyed the "wrapped up in a bow" HEA ending. This book would make an adorable rom-com movie. I did think it felt a little too light and I didn't feel a ton of emotions from it, but the cuteness factor and how entertaining it was made up for that.

Overall, this was a fun, sweet, easy read. Blaire and Ronan were cute together. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ms. Hunting in the future!

Download your copy today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2LhYU0S 

  Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/kissmycupcake 

Nook: http://bit.ly/KissmyCupcakeBN 

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Add Kiss My Cupcake to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/KissMyCupcakeGR

About Helena Hunting

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Connect with Helena

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Website: http://www.helenahunting.com/

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Blog Tour: When the Time is Right by Aly Martinez and M. Mabie + Excerpt & Review!

I will always be here for you. There isn’t a world that exists where I’m not gonna be around for you.

When the Time is Right, a funny, sweet and emotional standalone from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez and M. Mabie is available now!

Fate doesn’t always happen overnight.

Hudson Bradley is the cockiest, most stubborn, hard-headed man I’ve ever known. And for fifteen years, he’s been my brother's best friend.

But lately, what I’m feeling for him isn’t friendship at all.

Why is my heart racing every time his blue eyes lock on mine? Why does every word he rumbles in my ear make my body come alive? And worst of all, why did I bet him that I could find a woman he and his son would both love?

If I hadn’t given up on love altogether, Hudson would have been perfect for me. After all, he was there the day my world fell apart. He’s spent the last six years piecing me back together.

There are a million reasons why we could never work, but after a single kiss, I can’t remember any of them.

Now that the time is right, I have to make him mine—before I lose him forever.

Download your copy today, exclusively on Amazon! 

 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ya9wEH 

 Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/whenthetimeisright

Add WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gYGYXu

Review:

3.5-3.75 stars

***

 This was a pretty good book. Lex and Hudson have been close friends and part of the same friend group since they were teenagers. Even when Hud has an accidental pregnancy with another one of their friends, leading to his adorable son. When Lex's boyfriend, also a mutual friend passed away in a car accident, Hud was there for her. They became extremely close best friends over the six years after Lex's loss. But one day they start noticing each other as more than friends, lines are crossed and they find they are actually in love with each other. Can their relationship handle the transition from friends to lovers, despite both of their pasts and all of the complications involved?

I liked Lex and Hud a lot. It took me a while to feel any chemistry between them, as they definitely had a "just pals" feeling between them at first. The transition of them from buddies, to best friends who had an attraction to each other, was not very believable. But, once I did feel happened, I really liked them as a couple. The first 70% of the book was a 4-star read that I really enjoyed, but they end was not quite as good and knocked my rating down some. It seemed like extra angst and a separation were just thrown in to add extra conflict and interest. I never got the love feeling back between the couple after that happened. But this is not a bad book. I liked the story and the writing was good. I thought Lex and Hud made a good couple and did have good chemistry eventually. This book definitely left me with some mixed feelings, but I liked the couple enough to like the book overall.

In general, I enjoyed this book, even if I could have done without some of the drama at the end. Still, I liked Lex and Hud. They were sweet, funny and sexy together. They truly loved each other. I like the writing this author duo has done together and I look forward to more from them in the future!

Excerpt

I did everything I could to not make eye contact. Actually, my MO for the past week had been no contact period, but that was a little hard to do when the guy you’re dodging knows things about you. Specifically, the lock code on your front door. “You can go home, Hudson. I’m fine.” Out of my periphery, I watched him perch his hands on his hips. “No,” he argued. “Not until we figure this out.” So he had noticed my ghosting. I hoped he wasn’t as good at calling my bluff. “There is no this.” “What about what you said at the—” “Yeah, I must have had a cold or something. Whatever it was, I’m over it.” Lies. Lies. Lies. Hopefully, I’d start believing them. “Over it?” “Yep. Hey, how was your date?” My topic-swapping skills were on point. When he stopped, only an arm's length away, I finally seized what scrap of pride I had and looked up into his blue eyes. “Are you seeing her again?” He huffed. “Well, that’s kind of up to you.” “Me?” I dropped the spoon into the sink and put the ice cream down so I could cross my arms over my chest. “What do I have to do with it?” His lids fell shut, and he tipped his head at the ceiling, stretched his neck from side to side, and then brought his gaze back to mine. “Kate seems to think that, maybe, I have a thing…for you.” My face flushed hot, and I wondered if maybe I’d fallen down trying to get out of my leather skirt earlier and I was dreaming, passed out on my bedroom floor. The issue with that theory was I could smell him, feel the warmth from his body in front of me, and see his heartbeat thumping in the vein in his neck. This was real, but I still wasn’t sure I could handle it. “Well, that’s just, uh, dumb,” I contended weakly. Shaking my head to rattle myself back to sanity, I asked, “W-why did she say that?” I tried to laugh, but it was as fake as my gusto. “Because, apparently, I talked about you the whole night.” Okay, I was wrong. I’d thought riding in a car with him and seeing him shirtless and watching him play with Jack and seeing how much he loved my family and having him touch me and avoiding him all week had been torture. This moment was a whole new level of torment. “So?” I said childishly. It didn’t matter how I felt or what I wanted. I couldn’t just leap into his arms and expect everything to turn out the way it was supposed to. That’s not how my life worked. “So I need to find out if this, whatever’s been building between us, is something.” Wouldn’t that be nice? Up until that very second, it had all been one-sided. I’d racked my brain all week to understand why I’d felt the crazy things I did about him. “How you gonna do that?” “We’re going to kiss,” he stated very matter-of-factly, and then he closed the distance between our bodies. “We are?” I whispered. My voice had all but left the building. “Unless you stop me right now.” I wanted to. I didn’t want to. I was scared. I was excited. But mostly, I wasn’t stopping him.

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children. Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person. She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly 

 Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA  

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Amazon: https://amzn.to/2We92eT 

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Website: https://alymartinez.com/

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About M. Mabie 

 M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody "real-life romance."

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne's World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

M. Mabie usually doesn't speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie 

Facebook: https://bit.ly/2W3M2Bu 

 Instagram: https://bit.ly/3de6q8K 

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 Twitter: https://bit.ly/2W1cr2W  

Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2xzhmyF 

 Website: https://www.mmabie.com 

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New Release: Man Down by Kate Meader + Review!

Man Down by Kate Meader is now available!

Blurb:

I’ve been texting the wife I lost, the woman I loved beyond measure ... Now someone else has answered back.

Gunnar Bond is broken.

Three years ago, he lived through the car crash that took his wife and twins away from him—though “lived” barely describes his current state. Giving up professional hockey, going off grid, and drinking himself into oblivion are his coping mechanisms. Another is texting his dead wife about his days without her. Therapeutic? Doubtful. Crazy? Definitely. But those messages into the ether are virtually the only thing stopping him from spiraling to even darker places.

Until someone texts back …

Sadie Yates is losing it.

Suddenly guardian to a little sister she doesn’t know and a misbehaving hound she’d rather not know at all, she’s had to upend her (sort of) glamorous life in LA and move back to Chicago. The nanny has quit, the money’s running out, and her job is on the line. The last thing she needs is her sister’s hockey camp counselor, a judgmental Viking type, telling her she sucks at this parenting lark. Thank the goddess for her sweet, sensitive, and—fingers crossed—sexy text buddy who always knows the right thing to say. In the same city at last, they can finally see if their online chemistry is mirrored in real life. She just needs to set up a meeting …

A ruined man who claims to have used up all his love is surely a bad bet, but Sadie’s never been afraid of a challenge … even one that might shatter her heart into a million pieces. 


Buy Links:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2QcKtyu
Nook: https://bit.ly/2VsFGvG
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2qlIwVU
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2I3nyRa
Google Play: https://bit.ly/323TrUZ

Review:

3 stars

***

 Man Down is the 3rd book in the Rookie Rebels series. I liked this book in parts, but I didn't completely love it. This book is Gunnar and Sadie's story. Gunnar is a pro hockey player on the Chicago Rebels with a tragic past. His wife and two young children were killed in a car accident. He is now a shell of a man, just trying to make his way through the grief. After his losses, he still regularly texted his dead wife's phone number his daily thoughts and how much he missed her. One day, someone texts back. Sadie gets a new phone number and it is the one that used to belong to Gunnar's wife. She lets him know it is her number now, but she is sympathetic and they start texting back and forth. They can tell each other their thoughts without consequence or judgement and develop a sort of anonymous friendship. But after many months of texting and a few missed chances to meet up, they finally come face to face in a surprising way. When sparks fly between them and feelings get involved, will Gunnar be ready to move on and find new love with Sadie?

This was a good story and I enjoyed the way the couple met. But this trope is very tricky for me. It has to be written very carefully in a way to make me not feel like the new love is lesser than the old love. I just didn't quite feel that way with this one. I held out hope that Gunnar would come to love Sadie as strongly as his dead wife, but I never really felt like he moved on completely. I felt bad for Sadie. But she let him and others walk all over her. She was too patient and understanding. I wanted at least an epilogue that focused just on Sadie and Gunnar and them looking to the future together, but we don't even get that. I wanted Sadie to have someone that loved her as more than just a consolation prize. I liked Gunnar as person, but I never felt like he more than liked Sadie and felt like he was settling for her and taking advantage of her love for him. Sadie's self-esteem issues made it even worse. She deserved someone who worked for her love, but she made it way too easy on Gunnar. The story had potential though. It would have been a good meet cute for a man who was really ready to move on to a new love. But Gunnar was a mess and it took the entire book for him to even be ready to take the first step to moving on. I just didn't feel like he truly loved and appreciated Sadie the way that she did him and the way that she deserved.

Overall, I did enjoy parts of the book. It just never quite got where I wanted it to by the end. Still, I did enjoy the writing and the story, as well as catching up with other characters from the series. I still enjoy this series and look forward to more from Ms. Meader in the future.

Blog Tour: Hate the Player by Max Monroe + Review!

I hate him.

I want him.

He’s a jerk.

A player.

Addicting.

Trouble.

Hate the Player, a slow burn and hilarious romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe is available now!

“Roses are red, violets are blue, stay away from Andrew Watson’s *ahem* because no other women ever do.”

That’s quite the way to start a conversation at a casual lunch, huh? Grilled chicken, French fries, and pelvic-fatigue, oh my!

And that’s not even the worst of it.

My friend Raquel didn’t pull any punches when she warned me about my brand-new co-star and his notoriously player-esque ways. Apparently, my most important mission on my first role in a feature film is to stay immune to his charms.

Are you kidding me? Production costs on this movie are in the hundreds of thousands a day, and staying away from a panty-whispering, vajayjay-charmer is supposed to be at the top of my list? Pfft. Puh-lease.

It doesn’t matter that he’s annoyingly attractive, uber rich, crazy famous, and lusted after by ninety percent of the female population; Andrew Watson is trouble with a capital T—especially for a woman like me.

As a preventative measure, I’ve decided to go ahead and hate him.

Don’t worry, you guys, I’m completely in control. There’s absolutely no way I’m going to do something stupid like fall in love with him.

I can hate the player but still secretly love his addictive game.

I’m sure of it.

Download your copy today or read for Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2C7tklj

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/HateThePlayer

Add Hate the Player to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2ZLb2y4

Review:

3.5 stars

***

This was a pretty good book, but not my fave by Max Monroe. Hate the Player is Andrew and Birdie, who is Billie's (from Taming Hollywood's Baddest Boy) sister's book. Birdie is a famous country singer who has signed on to do a movie about a singing couple (think A Star is Born) opposite Hollywood heartthrob and playboy, Andrew. The two of them meet at Birdie's audition and clash spectacularly. Andrew's egotistical demeanor burned Birdie up and she ended up slapping him in the middle of her audition. But the directors see their chemistry and she still ends up getting the part. Over the time they shoot the movie together and spend much time together, they get to know each other and find that they actually do like each other. They have to deal with the press and wondering if the romance is just an on-set fling, but they come out together in the end in love.

This book had a cute ending, but I must admit it started off rough to me. I even considered DNFing the book. I liked Birdie, but Andrew comes off as an egotistical, manwhore jerk for most of the first half of the book. I wasn't sure he could be redeemed. He and Birdie fought like cats and dogs. It was not cute, playful banter-fighting either. I didn't feel any chemistry between the couple either. But Andrew did gradually get more likable as the book went on. He grew to be a really sweet guy who never doubted his feelings for Birdie. The second half of the book was really good. I ended up really liking the couple together a lot. They were really sweet and fun together. I liked that Birdie was a singer and the movie set setting was fun and entertaining too. So this book turned out to be a good book.

Overall, if you start this book and are not sure about it, hang in there because it gets better. Andrew and Birdie were really cute together. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Max Monroe in the future.

Excerpt

Birdie 

True to my name, I’m about to take fucking flight. At least, I would if I could. 

In this moment, it really would have been helpful if my trainer hadn’t successfully eliminated all the extra flappy meat on my upper arms. Surely, if I got them going fast enough, the wind beneath those bat wings could have carried me up and through the ceiling of this place. C’mon, you big baby, I coach myself. You can do this. One cavernous breath into my lungs and then another and another, and eventually, just before my vision turns tunneled, I will my feet to move away from the door. Gleaming marble floors, golden statues, and a freaking fountain in the center, the lobby of Capo Brothers Studios is everything I should have expected and more. If everything is bigger in Texas, then everything is most certainly richer in LA. I check in with security quickly, my voice only a little croaky thanks to the frog in my throat, and head for the elevator bank at the far side of the lobby. I’m to head to the fifteenth floor, I’m told, and then go straight down the hall to the glass doors on the left at the end. There, I’ll find William Capo’s office—the head honcho and only surviving brother of Capo Brothers. My cowgirl boots are noisy on the marble floors when I do as instructed. The sound you make when you walk is such a small detail—one I don’t normally think about—but the echo of their clack today makes my heart feel like it’s knocking into my rib cage and each step across the ornate floor is merely a sound effect. Fifteen floors eclipse quickly—clearly, they’ve spared no expense on their elevator—and the hallway that leads to William’s office seems strangely one-directional. Like once I go down it—once I take this step—there will be no going back. Which is probably why, after forcing myself to go the distance to the end, I pause at the open door, the points of my booted toes just shy of crossing the line. “Good morning.” A pretty assistant dressed in a white power suit greets me before I’ve even cleared the threshold of the door, and all thoughts of escape are dashed. Like it or not, I’ve just been shoved over the line. I will my feet to do the same as she continues to speak. “Can I help you?” “I’m Birdie Harris,” I answer and have to swallow hard against the dryness threatening to close my throat. “I have an audition.” My nerves are so obvious, the assistant offers a sympathetic smile. If she were from my childhood hometown in West Virginia, she’d most likely be thinking Bless her heart. She taps something across the keyboard of her iMac and places her hand to the Bluetooth at her ear. “Mr. Capo, I have Birdie Harris here.” Immediately, she looks away from the computer and meets my eyes. “They’ll be ready for you shortly. You can take a seat over there.” She points behind me, back through the door and across the hall to what I’m assuming is a fancy-schmancy waiting room of some sort. I haven’t encountered a place in the building that doesn’t have some sort of gilded or marble inlay, so I highly doubt I’m going to step through that door and into a room styled by the set designer for Saw. Though, I can’t say some sort of torture device wouldn’t be completely misplaced right now. I’m already doing a pretty good job of mentally waterboarding myself with worry. I offer a little nod, keeping my twisted, sicko thoughts to myself. I doubt they’re interested in hiring a woman on the brink of a hysterical episode. The secretary quirks a brow, and I realize, though I’ve nodded my affirmation of understanding, I’ve yet to move. Good God, Birdie! Go sit down. Annoyed with myself, I turn on my boots and march across the hall so violently, it’s like there’s an invisible person helping me along with a heavy hand at the nape of my neck. When I cross into the room, a man is sitting on a swanky leather sofa with his booted feet up on the coffee table. He glances up briefly before returning his eyes to the phone in his lap. Embarrassed, I smooth my clomps instantly. You’re a gazelle, Birdie, not a herd of buffalo, I coach. Move like it. With his attention occupied, I survey him more closely as I move to take a seat across from him. He’s wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt, and his jawline would make steel beams look weak. Seriously. Confronted with an earthquake, I would seek shelter right under the eave of his jaw. I’d love to get another peek at his eyes just to study the color, but fearing the eye contact that would require, I’m careful not to make any overt noises that might draw his attention again. When he smirks, a devilish proposition-like smile at the screen of his phone, I don’t have to wonder anymore. Oh no. I know exactly who this man is. Andrew Watson. The very man Rocky warned me about and I subsequently Instagram stalked. A laundry list of different women dotted through his timeline, it confirmed everything Rocky told me and then some. All relaxed and cool, he sits on the white leather sofa with one arm outstretched across the back. Confidence and charm ooze from every freaking cell in his body. No doubt, Andrew Watson is more than capable of commanding the attention of everyone in the room, no matter the situation. No wonder he’s one of Hollywood’s most famous actors. The only time I have that kind of quiet confidence is when I’m onstage, singing my songs, lost in the music I created. Just play it cool, Birdie. On a deep breath, I force the uncertainty and unease out of my shoulders and settle my ass into the sofa across from him. He shifts again, crossing one ankle over the other and casually adjusting the denim at his crotch. My eyes are immediately drawn to his bulge, and thanks to Rocky’s colorful descriptions of his favorite appendage, a little penis-shaped soldier is burned in my brain. After a few seconds of imagining the shape of his helmet and intensity of his salute, I jerk my gaze away in a panic. Jesus. As if this audition wasn’t screwing with my head enough! Now I have Saving Ryan’s Privates, a military- themed porno my head just made up starring Staff Sergeant Dick Richardson, complicating things even more! I must make a noise I don’t realize—the sound of my saliva gurgling in my throat while I choke on it, perhaps—because Andrew looks at me with curious eyes. I try like hell to keep my calm and act like I haven’t just gone to mental war with the soldier in his pants, but there’s only so much hysteria containment my mind is capable of. “Uh…hi,” I say, trying so dang hard not to glance back down at his crotch that I start spewing diarrhea of the mouth about goddamn military-themed movies. “I never saw A Few Good Men, but I hear Tom Cruise was good in it.” When I realize what I’ve just said makes absolutely no sense to him—punctuated perfectly by his eyebrows drawing together noticeably—the gurgling saliva turns into a full-blown choke, and suddenly, the only way to breathe is through a hacking cough. Holy shit, I’m too anxious to be around other humans right now! Also, I’m going to kill Rocky for putting this crap in my head about this guy’s penis. “Are you okay?” he asks, and I hold up my hand in some kind of gesture. I’m not sure of its technical name, but its meaning is clear—please forget I exist right now. He asks me once more, but I nod, and once the embarrassing coughing fit passes, I meet his piercingly gray-blue eyes—seeing their color is strikingly unavoidable now—and I offer a halfhearted smile. “Sorry,” I apologize. I didn’t mean to drag him into an impromptu SNL sketch where I choke on spit and say ridiculously inappropriate, off-the-wall things. “I guess you could say I’m a little nervous.” His responding smile gleams so bright, I have to wonder if he has an endorsement deal with Crest toothpaste. His mouth would make a dental hygienist get on their hands and knees and thank the Lord above. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. There’s no need to be nervous around me,” he responds, punctuating his words with a wink. If my mind were a screenplay, the nerves would be exiting stage left. Did he seriously just wink at me after assuming that I’m nervous to be in his presence? Surely, I’m hearing this wrong. No one is that obsessed with themselves…right? “Excuse me?” I ask, and his megawatt smile is still ever-present. “If you’d like me to sign an autograph or take a selfie with you,” he enunciates slowly, as if my being able to understand him clearly was the problem. “I can probably sneak that in before I have to head in there.” His autograph? You have got to be kidding me. He sure is a cocky bastard—and for the first time today, I’m not even talking about his dick. Like the tip of a match being swiped across the edge of a matchbook, aggravation bursts into my veins. “I’m here for an audition,” I assert. Unfazed, he quirks a brow as if to say, my invitation for an autograph still stands. Attractive or not, this guy is one of the biggest asses I’ve ever been around. “I’m Birdie Harris. I’m auditioning for the role of Arizona Lee.” And I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna land this acting gig just to spite this prick.

About Max Monroe

A duo of romance authors team up under the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling pseudonym Max Monroe to bring you sexy, laugh-out-loud reads.

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of more than ten contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

Connect with Max Monroe

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Website: https://www.authormaxmonroe.com/

New Release: When the Time is Right by Aly Martinez and M. Mabie + Review!

I will always be here for you. There isn’t a world that exists where I’m not gonna be around for you.

When the Time is Right, an all-new friends to lovers standalone from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez and M. Mabie is available now!

Fate doesn’t always happen overnight.

Hudson Bradley is the cockiest, most stubborn, hard-headed man I’ve ever known. And for fifteen years, he’s been my brother's best friend.

But lately, what I’m feeling for him isn’t friendship at all.

Why is my heart racing every time his blue eyes lock on mine? Why does every word he rumbles in my ear make my body come alive? And worst of all, why did I bet him that I could find a woman he and his son would both love?

If I hadn’t given up on love altogether, Hudson would have been perfect for me. After all, he was there the day my world fell apart. He’s spent the last six years piecing me back together.

There are a million reasons why we could never work, but after a single kiss, I can’t remember any of them.

Now that the time is right, I have to make him mine—before I lose him forever.

Download your copy today, exclusively on Amazon! 

 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ya9wEH

 Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/whenthetimeisright

Add WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gYGYXu

Review:

3.5-3.75 stars

***

This was a pretty good book. Lex and Hudson have been close friends and part of the same friend group since they were teenagers. Even when Hud has an accidental pregnancy with another one of their friends, leading to his adorable son. When Lex's boyfriend, also a mutual friend passed away in a car accident, Hud was there for her. They became extremely close best friends over the six years after Lex's loss. But one day they start noticing each other as more than friends, lines are crossed and they find they are actually in love with each other. Can their relationship handle the transition from friends to lovers, despite both of their pasts and all of the complications involved?

I liked Lex and Hud a lot. It took me a while to feel any chemistry between them, as they definitely had a "just pals" feeling between them at first. The transition of them from buddies, to best friends who had an attraction to each other, was not very believable. But, once I did feel happened, I really liked them as a couple. The first 70% of the book was a 4-star read that I really enjoyed, but they end was not quite as good and knocked my rating down some. It seemed like extra angst and a separation were just thrown in to add extra conflict and interest. I never got the love feeling back between the couple after that happened. But this is not a bad book. I liked the story and the writing was good. I thought Lex and Hud made a good couple and did have good chemistry eventually. This book definitely left me with some mixed feelings, but I liked the couple enough to like the book overall. 

In general, I enjoyed this book, even if I could have done without some of the drama at the end. Still, I liked Lex and Hud. They were sweet, funny and sexy together. They truly loved each other. I like the writing this author duo has done together and I look forward to more from them in the future! 

About Aly 

  Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children. Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person. She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly 

 Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA  

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 Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh

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 Website: https://alymartinez.com/ 

Stay up to date with Aly by joining her mailing list today: http://bit.ly/2WnkxjS

About M. Mabie 

 M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody "real-life romance."

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne's World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

M. Mabie usually doesn't speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie 

 Facebook: https://bit.ly/2W3M2Bu 

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 Website: https://www.mmabie.com 

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Blog Tour: Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid + Excerpt & Review!

Engagement and Espionage, an all-new quirky and swoon-worthy romantic comedy featuring fan favorites Jenn and Cletus Winston from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid is available now!

Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most "fowl" need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.

Sabotage!

Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

'Engagement and Espionage' is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid's Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after 'Beard Science,' Winston Brothers #3.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3auZzqI 

Apple Books: https://apple.co/33ONMAK 

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/engagementespionage 

Nook: https://bit.ly/3dvV8hf 

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2wxWreY 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3aqIT3h

Add ENGAGEMENT AND ESPIONAGE to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2UoVpea