KCBR Blog

The Homemaker by Jewel E. Ann is now live! Grab your copy of The Homemaker from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jewel E. Ann and lose yourself in this forbidden, high-stakes romance.  Check out my spoiler-free review and one-click this unforgettable romance book on Kindle Unlimited. 

Synopsis: 

A romance inspired by TS “Fortnight”

I was hers, but she was never mine.

Alice Yates is the hired “homemaker” for the Morrisons, an affluent couple in Minneapolis. For Alice, it’s a dream job to dress up like a 1950s housewife and read romance novels to Mr. Morrison before his afternoon nap.

But when the Morrisons’ only daughter returns home for the summer with her fiancé, Alice comes face-to-face with her shattered past—the only threat to her perfect life.

Eight years earlier, vacation rental owner Murphy Paddon had an impeccable vinyl record collection and did the most irresistible thing before kissing Alice, earning him a five-star rating. Their fortnight love affair was life-altering and ended tragically.

Murphy doesn’t know if Alice remembers him or whether he should tell his fiancée that the hired-help living in the guesthouse is the woman who irreparably broke his heart. He needs closure, but will the lingering glances and silent yearning lead to the end or just the beginning?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3UPLWuG

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/S26fj 

Audible: http://bit.ly/4nu17pZ

Narrated by Charlotte North & Robert Hatchet

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/457iBCa

Check out these new romance book releases for the week of August 14th!  Happy reading. 

Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann 

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Audible: https://bit.ly/4lQWFkB Narrated by: Angelina Rocca & Lee Samuels

You’ve Been Served by Carina Rose

Amazon: https://amzn.to/45rMeNlg

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A Wreck You Make Me by Saffron Kent https://a.co/d/0yL12o3

Bitter Sweet Revenge by Riley Heart https://a.co/d/2uRaVJ5

Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe

Amazon  https://a.co/d/iqloL78

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The Deal  by R.L. Mathewson

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Love and Other Killers by Brynne Weaver

Amazon: https://a.co/d/2TWBxKN

#Resort Romance by Samantha Chase 

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Handsome Devil by LJ Shen https://a.co/d/c4VlVBk

Fated Love with You  by Whitney G. https://a.co/d/1H7zCq4

What We Keep by J.H. Croix  https://a.co/d/8zkz8ZN

Hide and Seek by Willow Dixon https://a.co/d/az0cx2F

Dream On by USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Hartmann, is now live! Check out my spoiler-free review of this new standalone crossover romance filled with heartache and dreams.  Dream On can be downloaded using Kindle Unlimited. 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3J9ZNcR

Purchase the limited deluxe edition paperback today!

B&N https://fave.co/4m7iUmt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fuI1Nu

Kobo: https://fave.co/4mHENJ2

BAM: https://fave.co/4fyAe1l - great price! 

Apple: https://apple.co/4lkdIud

Audible: https://bit.ly/4lQWFkB Narrated by: Angelina Rocca & Lee Samuels

Bookshop.org https://fave.co/45wwOHA

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4kpbme2

Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Hartmann comes an all-new standalone crossover romance filled with heartache and dreams.

Lexington Hall and I were never supposed to collide—he, the golden boy of Hollywood, and me, a small-town dreamer with stars in my eyes. But when we shared the stage in our high school musical, something ignited.

Then, just as quickly, it all fell apart, leaving my dreams in pieces.

Now, four years later, Lex is a household name, turning our past into a television sensation. He's spun our story for the world to see, while I'm still haunted by what we lost.

With millions obsessed over the "real" Stevie St. James, Lex reappears with an offer too tempting to turn down: a fake romance to keep the buzz alive, in exchange for the financial freedom I desperately need.

I convince myself I can play the part. But as old feelings resurface and new risks emerge, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur.

Dreams are easy to chase—but falling for the guy who shattered mine could cost me everything.

Spoiler-free Review

Bramble Publishing's first never-before-published title from #1 New York Times bestseller Vi Keeland is Jilted, a slow-burn, swoon-worthy romance where 27 Dresses meets The Hating Game. Jilted by Vi Keeland is releasing on May 6th! Check out my spoiler-free review.

Download an extended preview of Jilted for FREE https://books2read.com/Jilted-Vi-Keeland

Blurb:

Weddings. I spend every working minute thinking and talking and writing about weddings, when the very concept makes me want to scream. After my fiancé abandoned me at the altar last year, my dream job at Bride magazine has turned reoccurring nightmare.

To add insult to injury, I’ve been conscripted into the bridal party of some bridezilla just because she knows the owners’ son. So of course I spend all afternoon bickering with one of the groomsmen and all evening making out with him.

Things only get better when I learn that of course he’s the owner’s son and I’ll have to spend the rest of the season working with him at every single wedding I cover this year.

Can the jilted bride and the man who is afraid of love find a way to heal each other?

Pre-order now: 

Check out my spoiler-free review and read an excerpt from The Drummer's Heart by Penelope Ward.  This rock star romance is on my Best of 2025 list and total Kindle Crack!  This is a standalone/no cliffhanger. Read it using Kindle Unlimited on 2/23.  

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• Audio: https://amzn.to/3EIa79F for the Feb 29th audio release with Angelina Rocca and Sebastian York narrating Atticus and Nicole's story.
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COVER CREDITS:

Cover Photography: © Wander Aguiar Photography

Cover Model: Jerrin Strenge

Cover Design: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs

Don’t say her name.

That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.

My ex, Nicole.

The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.

After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.

Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.

She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.

Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.

With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.

Of course, I couldn’t refuse.

But there was a catch.

Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.

She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.

So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.

Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?

It was complicated.

And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.

Spoiler-free review:

The Drummer's Heart by Penelope Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was up until 4 a.m. binge-reading The Drummer’s Heart by Penelope Ward. This book was utterly addictive and unputdownable—I couldn’t stop even if I tried. It consumed me. A week later, I’m still dealing with a massive book hangover, and I can’t stop thinking about Atticus and Nicole and their hard-earned journey to finding themselves—and each other again.
We first met them in The Rocker’s Heart, the first book in this series of standalones. You don’t have to read The Rocker’s Heart before diving into The Drummer’s Heart (but you should because it’s also AMAZING). Atticus is officially my second-book husband, lol. Some readers fall for the MC and call them book boyfriends—well, Atticus is book husband-worthy. In my heart, he now stands beside Jake Green from Penelope’s Jake Undone/Jake Understood series. Books like The Drummer’s Heart are exactly why I love reading romance books. This story will pull on your heartstrings and never let go—or, in my case, my drumsticks (yes, I play too). The Drummer’s Heart has already secured a spot on my Best of 2025 list. Thank you for this incredible story, Penelope. This book is pure perfection!

Sneak Peek of The Drummer's Heart.

Copyright © 2024

By Penelope Ward

While she was out of the room, I prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. I’d nearly forgotten just how much I loved taking care of her. I felt nostalgic for a moment as I poured in just the right amount of sugar. But taking care of her wasn’t my job anymore. I couldn’t help enjoying these little moments of delusion, though, while I still had them. In less than two weeks, we’d be apart again, and I’d go back to my life without her. This time here would seem like a dream.

Nicole emerged again wearing a cute, floral dress that was almost worse than her shirt with no bra. It had a low neckline and her beautiful breasts were practically busting out of it. I had to wonder if she’d selected that outfit to torture me. She’d also sprayed on a fresh burst of Egyptian musk. I licked my lips.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize my not wearing underwear was that noticeable.” She looked down at her chest. “I’ll cover up from now on,” she said. But the glimmer in her eye told me she had no real intention of accommodating my request.

Okay. She’s definitely f*cking with me. “You drive me crazy,” I growled under my breath.

Suddenly, my attention was diverted to Mimi’s room. I heard voices. I narrowed my eyes. “Who the hell is here?”

“I don’t know.” Nicole walked down to her grandmother’s room as I followed.

There was a woman standing there talking to Mimi.

“Hi there.” She smiled. “I’m Lori McFadden. I live next door.”

“Oh…” Nicole tilted her head. “Hello.”

“I hope you don’t mind. Adele gave me a key a while back, and I check in on her from time to time. It’s good to see you both. She’s always talking about her granddaughter and grandson-in-law.”

“Aren’t they the most beautiful couple you’ve ever seen?” Mimi beamed.

Nicole looked over at me. I was still fired up by her little dress and wanted an excuse to touch her. I decided to play the part for a moment. “Thank you so much,” I said. “It’s our pleasure to be here with Mimi.” I wrapped my arm around Nicole, bringing her close. She flinched at first but then relaxed her body into mine.

I rubbed my thumb along her waist.

Nicole squirmed and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry if I seemed surprised to see you here, Lori. I didn’t realize she’d given anyone a key.”

“Only recently. Just in case her worker can’t be here or is running late. She has my number if she ever needs me.”

Nicole nodded. “Well, I appreciate that so much.”

I tightened my grip around her waist and pulled her closer. “We appreciate that.”

Nicole looked up at me; her face was beet red, and I f*cking loved it. I leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. Her eyes were still slightly closed when I pulled back to look at her. As much as I wanted to hang on, I let go and put her out of her misery.

Nicole couldn’t get away fast enough as she rushed past me through the kitchen and into the bedroom. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “Don’t do that again.”

My stomach sank. It hurt to hear her say that, even if I had crossed the line. “Don’t…what specifically?”

“Touch me.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t touch me again like that.”

That felt like a knife to the heart. “I thought we were pretending to be married,” I whispered. “Married people touch each other.”

Her chest heaved. “Yeah, well, I can’t handle that.”

“Your nipples can’t handle it, at least. They’re hard as f*cking rocks right now. It’s obvious why you don’t want me to touch you, Nicole. It isn’t that you can’t handle it. It’s that you like it. And you don’t want to like it.”

She looked down as her cheeks turned pinker by the second.

My voice was strained. “You tell me not to touch you. And yet you’re intentionally trying to torture me. That f*cking dress. You wore it on purpose because you knew it made your tits look so damn good. And you wanted me to suffer.”

Her gaze lifted to meet mine. “Maybe…”

“You don’t think I’m tortured enough? You put that damn dress on and tell me not to touch you?” I leaned in so she could feel what she was doing to me. “You get off on edging me?” As her breathing became heavier, I inched closer. “You don’t want me to touch you because it makes you feel things you’re trying not to feel? Is that what it is?”

She looked away. “I don’t know…”

I placed my hand on her chin, moving her face to look at me again. “You used to beg me to touch you.”

She licked her lips, and it made me yearn to do the same, to taste her again.

“For the record, Nicole, I will nevernot be yours to touch. Nor would I be able to pretend for a second that I don’t want you to touch me. You never have to ask permission.” My chest pressed into hers. “You were looking at me our first night here like you wantedto touch me. When I came out of the shower, I could see it in your eyes. Desire. You weren’t happy about it, but it was there. Tell me I’m wrong.”