HOT LIST: THE 35 (UPDATED 37) BEST ROMANCE BOOKS OF 2017
Here are thirty-seven of the best romance books of the year. Many of these titles are NYT, USA Today, & Amazon Best Sellers! There is something for everyone: from your 'everyday heroes,' to rock stars, doctors, millionaires, hot ballers and even a sexy President or two. Find them at your favorite book retailer.
Egomaniac by Vi Keeland Release Date: January 16, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2z5DpYA
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2B7bKrS
Audible: http://amzn.to/2DebAAr
➜#5 on the New York Times Bestsellers List for Combined Print & E-Book Fiction
➜#11 on USA Today's Bestsellers List
➜#9 on the Wall Street Journal's Bestsellers List
Review:
If there was a gold standard recipe to create the perfect romance novel with all of the right ingredients, this would be it. Vi Keeland added the ideal blend of romance, angst and sweet and sexy fun. This heartfelt and flirty story is absolute perfection! Warning: be prepared to pull an all-nighter like I did. Egomaniac is unputdownable and absolute Kindle Crack. Without a doubt, Egomaniac will be one of my favorites books of 2017.
Synopsis:
The night I met Drew Jagger, he’d just broken into my new Park Avenue office. I dialed 9-1-1 before proceeding to attack him with my fancy new Krav Maga skills. He quickly restrained me, then chuckled, finding my attempted assault amusing.
Of course, my intruder had to be arrogant. Only, turned out, he wasn’t an intruder at all.
Drew was the rightful occupant of my new office. He’d been on vacation while his posh space was renovated. Which was how a scammer got away with leasing me office space that wasn’t really available for rent. I was swindled out of ten grand.
The next day, after hours at the police station, Drew took pity on me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange for answering his phones while his secretary was out, he’d let me stay until I found a new place. I probably should have acted grateful and kept my mouth shut when I overheard the advice he was spewing to his clients. But I couldn’t help giving him a piece of my mind. I never expected my body to react every time we argued. Especially when that was all we seemed to be able to do.
The two of us were complete opposites. Drew was a bitter, angry, gorgeous-as-all-hell destroyer of relationships. And my job was to help people save their marriages. The only thing the two of us had in common was the space we were sharing. And an attraction that was getting harder to deny by the day.
Drunk Dial by Penelope Ward: Release Date: August 21, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BpiXHO
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2DgM9yn
Audible: http://amzn.to/2B7FyVk
➜#11 New York Times Bestsellers List
➜#19 on USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
Here’s how you know when a book you just started to read is incredible: you put it down for a second to message the author of the book something hilarious. Then you start to exchange messages, and then you cut her off to tell her you to have to get back to her book. Yeah, I cut off Penelope mid-message exchange in order to finish reading Drunk Dial. Ahhh, she was going to sleep anyhow, and I couldn’t wait to get back to this book. After all, I had to see if I won the book lottery.
As a reader, you hope and pray that the new book you start reading from one of your all-time favorite authors has it all. It’s a gamble that they can create this magic time and time again. You place your bets and hope that this book is going to be that winner. This book has the perfect hero/heroine; it’s sexy, funny, and packed with the ideal amount of heartfelt emotional highs and lows. You find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters. You reach the ending of the book, and you feel like you won the lottery because you hit the book jackpot. Drunk Dial by Penelope Ward is a winner.
Move over Jake Green*. I need to share some book husband love with Landon Roderick. I can't wait for you guys to read Drunk Dial. Penelope Ward's latest release is nothing short of perfection! Get ready for the best kind of book hang over after you read Drunk Dial when it hits virtual book shelves on 8/21.
*Jake Green is my other book husband from Jake Undone by Penelope Ward. Read it!
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Look up Landon Roderick, that boy from childhood whom I’d never been able to forget—even though he so easily forgot about me—and call him.
Then again, anything sounds like a good idea when you’ve had a little too much wine before bed, right? It was supposed to be just a quick, meaningless, prank call. Instead, I went off on him—unloading thirteen years of pent-up emotions.
I didn’t think he’d call me back.
I certainly could never have anticipated the weeks of sexually tense phone conversations that followed as I got to know the man he’d become.
Turned out, Landon had never really forgotten me, either. That special connection we had was still there. I opened up to him, but there were also things about me he didn’t know. And he had his own secrets.
Over the countless hours we talked on the phone, I wondered what would happen if we actually saw each other. One night, I did something impulsive again. Only this time, I went to the airport and booked a ticket to California. We were about to find out if one phone call could bring two lost souls together or if my drunk dial really was all just a big mistake.
A complete STANDALONE.
Mists of the Serengeti by Leylah Attar: Release Date: January 31, 2017 - Winner, 2017 Indie Reader Discovery Awards, Fiction
Audible: http://amzn.to/2z3rJpf
Review:
I have never highlighted so many lines of a book in my life. Mists of the Serengeti by Leylah Attar is devastatingly beautiful! Get ready to take a slow and sensuous journey across the wilderness of Africa and find love where you least expect it. Leylah’s writing is magical and intoxicating.
Synopsis:
Once in Africa, I kissed a king...
"And just like that, in an old red barn at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, I discovered the elusive magic I had only ever glimpsed between the pages of great love stories. It fluttered around me like a newborn butterfly and settled in a corner of my heart. I held my breath, afraid to exhale for fear it would slip out, never to be found again.”
When a bomb explodes in a mall in East Africa, its aftershocks send two strangers on a collision course that neither one sees coming.
Jack Warden, a divorced coffee farmer in Tanzania, loses his only daughter. An ocean away, in the English countryside, Rodel Emerson loses her only sibling.
Two ordinary people, bound by a tragic afternoon, set out to achieve the extraordinary, as they make three stops to rescue three children across the vast plains of the Serengeti—children who are worth more dead than alive.
But even if they beat the odds, another challenge looms at the end of the line. Can they survive yet another loss—this time of a love that’s bound to slip through their fingers, like the mists that dissipate in the light of the sun?
“Sometimes you come across a rainbow story—one that spans your heart. You might not be able to grasp it or hold on to it, but you can never be sorry for the color and magic it brought.”
A blend of romance and women’s fiction, Mists of The Serengeti is inspired by true events and contains emotional triggers, including the death of a child. Not recommended for sensitive readers. Standalone, contemporary fiction.
Something in the Way - Somebody Else's Sky - Move the Stars by Jessica Hawkins.
Release Date: Something in the Way - February 27, 2017
Release Date: Something in the Way - February 27, 2017
Release Date: Somebody Else's Sky - May 22, 2017
Release Date: Move the Stars - October 23, 2017
All three books are available on Kindle/Paperback/Audio here
Review (Somebody Else's Sky)
I just finished Somebody Else's Sky by Jessica Hawkins. This book. This series. This is why I read. Books like this are my Kindle Crack.
Jessica Hawkins, you ruined me for other books. I think I'm going to be suffering from an emotional book hangover for a long time. I feel like my heart is shattered into a million pieces. The last time I felt like this was after reading Slammed and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover and More Than This by Jay McLean. I know I'll get over this feeling. But I really won't. I'll patiently wait to read the next book. In reality, I'm lying to myself. I'll be COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS when Move the Stars releases on 10/23. Can I give this series six stars?
Synopsis (Something in the Way Book 1)
It was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents’ house. Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn’t be broken...no matter how hard we tried.
I loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights—I would wait. But I’d learn that life isn’t always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn’t matter. My older sister saw him next.
An Exaltation of Larks - A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur
An Exaltation of Larks: Release Date: November 22, 2016/Grand prize winner of the 2017 Writer's Digest Awards.
A Charm of Finches Release Date: November 1, 2017
A Exaltation of Larks
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2z4lVf2
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2z4S06k
A Charm of Finches
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CNHAtY
Review:
This two book series is unputdownable Kindle Crack! Suanne Laqueur's writing is flawless. I'll never forget these characters EVER. It was one of the first times I felt I couldn't leave a review since I wouldn't do these books justice.
Synopsis:
Publisher's Note: The Venery series is often classified as Romance on Goodreads. It is not Romance. An Exaltation of Larks and A Charm of Finches are Literary Fiction/Contemporary Fiction/LGBT Fiction.
September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten. Though burdened by unresolved grief for his disappeared parents, he becomes fiercely loyal to the Larks, eventually marrying one of their daughters, Valerie.
September 11, 2001: Javier Landes watches from his apartment window as New York City falls to terrorism. As one of Manhattan’s top-paid male escorts, this professional lover has never lacked for company and is loyal only to himself. But in the wake of 9/11, Jav is named guardian for an orphaned nephew in Guelisten and must open his carefully-guarded heart to pain he's long suppressed.
Alex, Valerie and Jav meet first in their twenties, with a sudden attraction each finds strange and compelling. When they meet again in their forties, they discover not only is their bond still strong, but their life experiences are strangely similar. All have been shaped by separate 9/11's, and their unfinished business from the past will change everything they know about love, loyalty and friendship.
"Life has rules. You cannot come in the middle of the night and take what we agreed isn't yours."
Across three decades and two continents, Suanne Laqueur's fifth novel explores the unpredictability of sexual attraction, how family ties are forged, torn and mended, and how love's downfall can turn to exaltation.
Love Me in the Dark by Mia Asher: Release Date: May 10, 2017
Review:
I’m seriously blown away by Love Me in the Dark, by Mia Asher. I'm tired of comparing love stories to roller coasters with all of their ups and downs. But there is not another way to describe this emotionally packed and complicated love story. Just like Valentina and Sebastien, I felt like I was falling, dancing and screaming while reading this book.
“We get lost in a moment that takes us to a place where the past and future are irrelevant—they don’t exist. And it feels a little like falling. A lot like flying. Crashing on the ground. Dancing in the clouds. A cage and an open sky. The light of a thousand lamps illuminating the dark night.”
Valentina and Sebastien are flawed and not really living until they find each. They truly can't be together until they do some soul searching and deal with the reality of Valentina’s marriage.
“It’s a kiss that rearranges the stars in my own little galaxy, setting my life in a new course, changing my destiny. And if I crash and burn like a falling star, what does it matter when for this brief instant I’m in his arms? For the first time in a very long time, there isn’t ice inside of me. Instead, there’s a bright, hot, blazing fire.”
Love Me in the Dark is a second chance romance. A second chance at love, life, and happiness. Mia’s writing was absolutely gorgeous and somewhat poetic. I found myself highlighting line after line. This was one of those books that I just wanted to savor because the writing was so good. At the same time, I wanted to jump ahead to the next line, and couldn’t read fast enough.
My heart is still racing from the whirlwind of emotion that I experienced while reading this book. Love Me in the Dark was utterly addicting and unputdownable. I think I’m still experiencing a book high from reading it. Love Me in the Dark is total Kindle Crack. If you can’t deal with stories that include a cheating aspect, this book might not be for you. I assure you, you will understand why it all went down and made sense in the end. If not, you’ll miss one of the best books to hit the shelves this year. Love Me in the Dark is one of my top recommendations of the year! One-click this one.
Synopsis:
Two strangers in Paris ...
One passionate, earth-shattering kiss.
He was the artist upstairs
with the tantalizing smile and laughing eyes.
He was the devil inviting me to sin,
seducing me to dance in the bright moonlight.
He was desire and need.
When he touched me, my body sang.
My soul came alive.
But I belonged to another man,
and he didn't want to let me go.
Mister Moneybags by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward Release Date: April 8, 2017
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BOkabl
Audible: http://amzn.to/2Dg1peL
➜#11 New York Times Bestsellers List
➜#27 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
I devoured Mister Moneybags. This funny, sexy and sweet romance captivated me from the first page to the last. The angsty build-up, peppered with their perfectly blended signature writing style, had me laughing and was pulling at my heartstrings all at the same time. Be prepared to pull an all-nighter. When I hit “the end” I finally peeled my eyes away from my Kindle, and I realized it was 1:00 am. I hugged my Kindle (since I couldn't hug the characters or authors) for giving me another perfect read. I just loved this book. Without a doubt, Mister Moneybags will be one of my favorite books of 2017.
Synopsis:
A new standalone from New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward.
I met Bianca in an elevator.
She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.
The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.
She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.
Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.
So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.
I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.
I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.
I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.
I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.
And she was falling for two men.
Only, both men were me.
And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.
Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.
Love on the Edge of Time by Julie A. Richman: Release Date: November 13, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BFILwu
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BEGuBv
Review:
This book is soul crushing. Heart-stopping. I think I leaked a thousand tears from all the feels. Love on the Edge of Time by Julie A. Richman is 5-star phenomenal. I can't wait for you guys to read it. Be prepared for one heck of a book hangover. Best of 2017 list.
Synopsis:
He likes whiskey and wild women
She likes Ben & Jerry’s
He’s about to get kicked out of his own band
She ate her way off the Miss America pageant circuit
What could these two possibly have in common?
A psychiatrist
A lot of unresolved issues
A whole bunch of shared lifetimes
And a love that is never-ending
As bad boy rocker, Jesse Winslow, and former pageant queen, Kylie Martin, each fight the demons screwing up their lives, the one person who holds the key to healing their ills and reuniting two souls that have searched for one another, lifetime after lifetime, is the only one who knows the whole truth.
And keeping that truth from them may just be in preeminent psychiatrist Dr. Claire Stoddard’s best interests.
Claire has committed the ultimate sin in the medical world. She’s fallen for the one man she’s forbidden to love.
Her patient, Jesse Winslow.
And she’s not about to lose him to Kylie Martin... Again.
Mack Daddy by Penelope Ward Release Date: February 11, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2DfBQu6
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2z5W4n2
Audible: http://amzn.to/2DhUphe
➜#6 on the Wall Street Journal Bestsellers List
➜#43 on USA Today’s Bestsellers List
Review:
Do you know that feeling when you get lost in a book and, look at the clock and it's 2:00am, and you thought you were only reading for 15 minutes? Mack Daddy is that book. Mack and Frankie's story is heartfelt, sweet, sexy and made me shed a tear or two. This second chance romance is everything I hoped it would be and more! Once you go Mack you'll never go back ;) I loved everything about this book. I binge read Mack Daddy and I'm sure you will too! Mack Daddy will earn a top spot on my best of 2017 list! Thank you for creating another book boyfriend Penelope!
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a sexy, STANDALONE second-chance romance.
They called him Mack Daddy. No, seriously, his name was Mack. Short for Mackenzie. Thus, the nickname. Perfect, right?
So was he: perfect. The perfect physical male specimen.
At the private school where I taught, Mack Morrison was the only man around in a sea of women.
Everyone wanted a piece of the hot single father of the sweet little boy.
I was riddled with jealousy, because they didn’t know that—to me—he was much more.
They didn’t know about our past.
He’d chosen my school for his son on purpose, because Mack and I, we had unfinished business.
As my friend, Lorelai, so eloquently put it: “Unfinished business between two people who are clearly attracted to each other is like an eternal case of blue balls.” And I was suffering in pain from my case.
I was still intensely attracted to Mack. I tried to resist him, immersing myself further into a relationship with another man just to protect my heart.
Not to mention, getting involved with a parent was strictly against school rules. But seeing Mack day in and day out was breaking me down.
And soon I might be breaking all the rules.
Author's note – Told in alternating points of view, Mack Daddy is a full-length standalone novel.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CZ5kvr
Review:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BPSKPR
Review:
Synopsis:
Review:
Finding Mr. Wrong by A.M Madden & Joanne Schwehm: Release Date: February 20, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CUE9ls
Flow - Grip - Still by Kennedy Ryan: Release Date(s) February - September 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2B9j9He
Paperback : http://amzn.to/2DfMvoJ
Audible: http://amzn.to/2CN9wyq
Review of Flow/Grip/Still:
Bristol and Grip come from two different worlds. Bristol is white and grew up in a privileged and dysfunctional family. Grip is black and grew up in a heavily gang-infested area in California with tight family ties. Bristol meets Grip, her brother’s best friend, while visiting him during a break from college. While they couldn't seem more opposite, the two couldn't be more similar in so many ways. Grip is a super talented musician who is trying to make it in the music business. Bristol plans on pursuing music management after graduation. Their physical and emotional chemistry is off the charts, and they decide to see if they can make a long distance relationship work. An unfortunate misunderstanding causes the two music lovers not to speak until they see each other eight years after they met.
OMG, where did this book come from? I loved every heartfelt moment - even the ones that gave me anxiety. I found myself messaging a friend late night who was reading Grip at the same time. Both books, Flow (#0.5 prologue) and Grip (Grip#1) are packed with a ton of poetic, emotional intensity. I have some serious love for Grip and Bristol. Both characters were strong and smart. They didn't see black or white; they saw love. When she finally got a grip on her feelings her love flowed. Don't wait to read this their story. Epic. I can't wait to read other books by Kennedy. Wow!!!
You do not have to have any affinity for hip hop or rap music to appreciate this beautiful love story. I have to tell you that I’m no stranger to hip hop and have been a fan of this genre since the 80’s. I just saw DJ Kool & Rakim perform a few weeks ago. I have a whole new appreciation for this music after reading this gripping series.
Synopsis (For Flow)
In 8 years, Marlon James will be one of the brightest rising stars in the music industry.
Bristol Gray will be his tough, no-nonsense manager.
But when they first meet, she’s a college student finding her way in the world, and he’s an artist determined to make his way in it.
From completely different worlds, all the things that should separate them only draw them closer.
It’s a beautiful beginning, but where will the story end?
FLOW is the prequel chronicling the week of magical days and nights that will haunt Grip & Bristol for years to come. GRIP is the full-length conclusion of their story.
Dear Bridget, I Want You by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland: Release Date: September 18, 2017
Audible: http://amzn.to/2CMI9UY
➜#43 USA Today's Bestsellers List
➜#8 Wall Street Journal Bestsellers List
Review:
Dear Vi and Penelope,
You did it again! This story has all of the Vi and Penelope magic that I love so much. I knew I was going to fall for Dr. Simon Hogue and nurse Bridget Valentine. Dear Bridget, I Want You is everything I hoped it would be, and then some. Dr. Simon Hogue is the best book prescription for people who are sick of the same old boring romances. This swoon-worthy book boyfriend melted my heart. DBIWY had the right amount of HHH (heart, heat, and humor). I think readers should plan to take a “sick day” to stay home and read one of my favorite books this year. Vi and Penelope's signature blended writing style is my antidote for a guaranteed feel-good read.
Now can you guys write me a script for my book hangover or my perma grin?
Love,
Cheri (The girl from the dirty ebook Bridget was reading)
Synopsis:
From the New York Times Bestselling authors of Stuck-Up Suit and Mister Moneybags, comes a sexy new standalone novel.
Dear Bridget,
I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.
So, here goes.
We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.
But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.
I want you.
The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.
So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.
No questions asked.
Think about it.
Or don’t.
Whatever you choose.
It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.
--Simon
The Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas: Release Date: August 8, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CZ5kvr
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kXia60
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BzwX1O
➜#61 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
How could something so wrong be so right? The Forbidden, by Jodi Ellen Malpas, is utterly addicting and unputdownable. Jodi Ellen Malpas spins a tangled web of emotions between Jack and Annie. They know what they are doing is wrong, but can’t deprive themselves of finding happiness.
I savored Annie and Jack’s story. Line by line this story exploded with a whirlwind of emotion on each and every page. The ugly and intense emotions that go along with this type of affair are not sugar-coated. Normally when I read books that contain a cheating element, I find myself not liking one of the guilty partners. Not this time. I loved Jack and Annie, and I wanted them to have it all.
If you have a serious problem with cheating, just don't read this book. The author is upfront about the type of romance this is going to be. You might not like the subject matter, but please don't find fault with the author. Her writing is flawless. This is a heartbreaking, real, and raw romance. These characters are flawed and they own it. They complete each other in the best and worst possible ways.
The Forbidden is total Kindle Crack and one of the best books I have read this year. Jack and Annie’s story will leave you breathless. This book is epic!
Synopsis:
FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE THIS MAN TRILOGY....
What do you do when you can't control your feelings for someone? When you know you shouldn't go there? Not even in your head.
Annie has never experienced the 'spark' with a guy-the kind of instant chemistry that steals your breath and blindsides you completely. Until a night out with friends brings her face to face with the wickedly sexy and mysterious Jack. It's not just a spark that ignites between them. It's an explosion. Jack promises to consume Annie, and he fully delivers on that promise.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of their one night together, Annie slips out of their hotel room. She is certain that a man who's had such a powerful impact on her and who could bend her to his will so easily, must be dangerous. But she's already in too deep. And Jack isn't only dangerous. He is forbidden.
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover: Release Date: October 3, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BPSKPR
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2DvXVF2
Audible: http://amzn.to/2DvAoEg
➜#10 New York Times Bestsellers List
➜#16 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
I read Without Merit a few months ago. It took me quite some time to digest all of the complex emotions I felt after reading this book. I have two children (teenager and pre-teen), and this book made me think about my own family dynamics.
Everyone has felt like Merit at some point in their lives, alone but not lonely. I also believe everyone has some dysfunctional element to their family dynamics. Or maybe it’s just me?
Without Merit is unlike anything Colleen Hoover has written. This is not a classic romance novel with your latest and greatest book boyfriend. This is the story of Merit, a seventeen-year-old girl who is battling her own personal demons within the walls of a repurposed church, turned family home. Merit is drowning in her own depression, which stems from issues with her own self-worth and her dysfunctional family relationships. Merit wonders if her family would even notice if she was gone.
"I didn’t matter, but I don’t. I hate it here, too. I don’t matter here, either. If I dropped out of life, just like I dropped out of school, everyone’s lives would go on. With or without Merit.”
Merit is tired of being the crypt keeper of lies and secrets. Years of compressing and compartmentalizing it all has taken its toll on her emotional well-being.
“Maybe if I let all the secrets out, they wouldn’t make me feel like drowning anymore. Yes. Maybe that would help. Maybe getting it all out will help me feel like I’m not about to implode.”
Without Merit is infused with Colleen’s signature wit and addictive writing style. She pulled on all of my emotions. This book was heartbreaking, humorous at times, raw and complex. While the topics were serious, as a reader I didn’t find this book either dark or depressing. It made me think and feel along with the narrator. Colleen tackled some complicated topics with grace in this all-consuming, coming of age, soon to be YA/NA classic. She weaved an intricate web of emotions while unmasking the ugly reality of teenage depression. This story is thought-provoking and simply must be read. Not because it's a CoHo book, but because it's important. This book will touch everyone's heart and soul in that special way that Colleen does, time and time again.
Synopsis:
Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.
The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.
Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.
Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.
Hard Wood by Lauren Blakely: Release Date: October 23, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BwVlS0
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2CTGH39
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BVN6y6
➜#103 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
YES! Another purr-fect romance from Lauren Blakely! This sweet and sexy and standalone rom-com is all that and a huge bag of catnip. Get this book and see why Mia, Patrick, and a cat named Zeus will steal your heart.
Hard Wood is told through Patrick’s point of view. Having read Lauren’s other books, I knew this book was going to be solid. I thought it was brilliant how she was able to use Zeus’ voice to tell his kitty cat side of the story as well as Mia’s. Hard Wood is so much fun, drama-free and such a fast and lovable read. Patrick's wood is good ;)
Synopsis:
Women often say a good man is hard to find. And a hard man is even better.
Women often say a good man is hard to find. And a hard man is even better.
That’s why I’m quite a catch— good, hard, loaded, and wait for it…I’m ready to settle down too. But the woman I want to pitch my tent with lives clear across the country. Neither of us wants to get lost in those woods. All I have to do is resist her for the week she's in town.
I try. I swear I try. But yeah, that doesn't work out.
And after one fantastic night with my good friend Mia, I’m ready to give her years of nights under the stars. What's a few thousand miles when love's involved? But there’s a hitch in my plans — she just hired my adventure tour company. If there’s one thing I’m committed to, it’s running a squeaky clean business. Number one on my list of iron-clad rules?
Don’t screw your customers.
But what's a guy to do when she's so hard to resist? How hard can it be to keep our hands off each other for a quick group tour down the hills and over the trails? I’m about to find out, and I have a feeling I’m going to need a new badge of honor because things are about to get very hard in the woods.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CUE9ls
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2Dsd4He
Audible: http://amzn.to/2DpTETB
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BO5Pcz
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BMzBhx
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We Own Tonight by Corinne Michaels: Release Date: September 7, 2017
➜#42 USA Today's Bestsellers List
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Racer by Katy Evans: Release Date: September 28, 2017
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Fidelity by Aleatha Romig: Release Date: January 17, 2017
➜#19 USA Today's Bestsellers List
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Dear Agony by Georgia Cates: Release Date: March 1, 2017
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Separation Games by CD Reiss: Release Date: January 3, 2017
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Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino: Release Date: August 15, 2017
Holding Onto Forever by Heidi McLaughlin: Release Date: October 12, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2DuyZO9
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The Outskirts - The Outliers by T.M. Frazier
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Something So Perfect by Natasha Madison: Release Date: July 30, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CZkCjF
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2zgTkmS
Audible: http://amzn.to/2CZ7mf6
Mini Review:
Something So Perfect is absolutely perfect. I’m calling dibs on Matthew. This lovable, sexy caveman is mine. Such alpha male hotness. This might be my favorite book by NM!
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Shacking Up by Helena Hunting: Release Date: May 30, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2zgWdUt
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2CYcccH
Audible: http://amzn.to/2Dz3D9i
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Drive by Kate Stewart: Release Date: October 13, 2017
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American Queen American Prince American King by Sierra Simone
➜#122 - USA Today's Bestsellers List
Whore by Willow Aster: Release Date: December 26, 2017
Review:
There is nothing wrong about Finding Mr. Wrong by A.M Madden & Joanne Schwehm. Without a doubt, Finding Mr. Wrong will be one of my top recommendations of the year. This incredibility sexy, heartfelt and hilarious romantic comedy will melt your heart and steam up your e-reader screen. Finding Mr. Wrong is absolute perfection and must be your next one-click book purchase. You will thank me later :)
Synopsis:
Here s a tip: never trust a jackass in preppy clothing.
The phrase trust me should have been my first clue to hightail it out the door, but hindsight is always 20/20.
So there I was, on a stage with two other men, being asked ridiculous questions by a woman I couldn't see, but whose voice made my pants tighten and not around my ankles.
Before I knew what was happening, I'd signed up for six weeks in paradise, isolated on an island for forty-two days with a complete stranger. And when I finally laid eyes on the sexy brunette who belonged to that voice, a part of me thought this wouldn't be so bad.
I've always been a levelheaded guy. I am a successful, smart, and shrewd business man. But that was when I was listening to the head above my shoulders. Once the blood traveled south, I always ran into trouble.
She called me Mr. Wrong, and that was fine with me.
Lesson learned: lust always trumps logic.
The Marriage Pact by K. Larsen and Mara White: Release Date: April 1, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BO5Pcz
Review:
I’m not going to tell you much about The Marriage Pact. You need to go into this book blind. Here are five things you need to know about this book:
1.The Marriage Pact is emotionally all-consuming, and you won’t be able to put down this highly addictive book.
2. Have a box of tissues ready. Trust me.
3. A book hangover is in your future. If you have experienced a book hangover, you know what to expect. Brace yourself. I was an emotional mess after reading this book. My face was leaking - tears, nose, everything by the end of the book. I will be thinking about these characters and this story for a long time.
4. If this devastatingly beautiful book doesn't make you shed a tear or two, I'm pretty sure you don't have a heart beating in your chest.
5. The Marriage Pact will make it on to my best of 2017 list.
Synopsis:
Ryan Walters and Jackie Bowen became instantaneous friends during their wild and free years of college. He, the rugged, yet all American football player from a stable family fell hard for Jackie, the exuberant, spontaneous girl from a broken home who lived and loved life to the fullest. Too young to commit and wary of damaging the unique bond they shared, the friends to lovers make a pact promising to find one another again at the age of thirty and marry—if not already committed.
Years apart, after much growth and change, the two best friends seek one another out. In college, neither Jackie or Ryan could possibly know that every relationship to come would fall short of the one they’d shared together all those years ago.
When the two meet again, love and chemistry soar beyond their wildest dreams and they agree to make good on their promise. But a second chance at love can be fickle and fleeting.
Ryan Walters and Jackie Bowen became instantaneous friends during their wild and free years of college. He, the rugged, yet all American football player from a stable family fell hard for Jackie, the exuberant, spontaneous girl from a broken home who lived and loved life to the fullest. Too young to commit and wary of damaging the unique bond they shared, the friends to lovers make a pact promising to find one another again at the age of thirty and marry—if not already committed.
Years apart, after much growth and change, the two best friends seek one another out. In college, neither Jackie or Ryan could possibly know that every relationship to come would fall short of the one they’d shared together all those years ago.
When the two meet again, love and chemistry soar beyond their wildest dreams and they agree to make good on their promise. But a second chance at love can be fickle and fleeting.
The Marriage Pact is a story about letting go and loving with your whole heart no matter the circumstance—or how much it hurts.
The Marriage Pact, the second book in The Viral Series following Missed Connection, by romance authors K. Larsen and Mara White is based on a heartbreaking viral Reddit post.is a story about letting go and loving with your whole heart no matter the circumstance—or how much it hurts.
Revelry by Kandi Steiner: Release Date: April 20, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BNsq91
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BY8qDi
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BxkZpo
Review:
Stop what you are doing and one-click Revelry by Kandi Steiner right now. I just finished this slow-burning and emotion-packed romance, and I have a feeling, so many of you are going to love this book. Anderson and Wren were so real and relatable. Don’t get me started on my love for Momma Von. I love the fact that this character was based on Kandi’s mom made me love her even more. This book is one-click worthy.
The lyrics from the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd reminded me so Wren & Anderson in so many ways. I kept hearing this song in my head while I was reading this book.
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of Weightless and A Love Letter to Whiskey
Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.
She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.
Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.
Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.
He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.
Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.
Logan by Jay McLean: Release Date: October 1, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BMzBhx
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BxeGT6
Review:
She did it again. She ripped out my heart, stomped on it and put it back together again. I'm pretty much emotional road kill and have a monumental book hangover after Logan by Jay McLean.
This book channeled all of the old school feels I cherish so much from the More series. Jay's books created my "feels barometer." Does this make sense? I live for these feels. I'm not telling you a thing about this book. Go in blind. That's the thing about Jay's books. I never read the synopsis. There's no need. She writes it, and I'm reading it and never disappointed. It's like a blind date with a book. The thing is I know JMac's books are a sure thing ;) Bravo JMac!
Synopsis:
As a kid, Logan Preston was a brat.
Through his teens, he became the bad boy.
Now, at nineteen, no one knows what the hell to expect.
High school dropout, Logan Preston is a
good-for-nothing stoner.
A black sheep.
A disappointment.
The worst Preston Punk of the lot.
At least that’s how everyone in his small town
makes him feel.
But Logan Preston has secrets.
Secrets so dark and so deep below the surface that the only way he can fight them is to stay high, high, high.
He wears cockiness as a mask.
Arrogance as his armor.
Until one girl, one night, asks one life-changing question:
What's beneath the bravado, Logan Preston?
Speed by BB Easton: Release Date: September 11, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BlpZcE
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BjnRCh
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BAVVy9
I didn’t read BB Easton’s 44 Chapters About 4 Men, so I went into this spin-off completely blind, and I’m BLOWN AWAY! How is this the first time I am reading a book by this author? I own 44 Chapters About 4 Men and didn’t get around to reading it. I'm pretty sure it’s a hidden gem that's been sitting on my Kindle I decided to read Speed and finally pop my BB Easton cherry. BB Easton’s writing is raw and insanely addictive. Speed isn’t your typical hearts and flowers romance. BB (Brooke Bradley James) is struggling with a mix of depression, destructive relationships, and bad choices. BB is a beautiful disaster, and her story plays out at full speed through a wildly vivid 90’s era backdrop. Like I said earlier, I’m blown away. I can’t wait to go back and start 44 Chapters About 4 Men.
Synopsis:
Because BB Easton had so much fun writing her bestselling, award-winning memoir, 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN, she decided to give each of her four men his own steamy standalone. SPEED is the second book in the 44 Chapters spin-off series—a gritty, 90s-era love triangle overflowing with dark humor, intense heat, and tangible teen angst. It is based on a true story.
After her possessive, psychopathic, rage-fueled ex, Knight, joins the Marines, sixteen-year-old BB is left trying, and failing, to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. It isn't until she meets Harley James—an easy-going, tattooed mechanic with a face as angelic as his habits are sinful—that she learns how to live again. How to laugh again. But will she learn to love again?
Over Knight’s dead body.
*Due to excessive profanity, violence, graphic sexual content, and themes of juvenile drug use and delinquency, this book is not intended for—and should probably be completely hidden from—anyone under the age of eighteen.
From This Moment by Melanie Harlow: Release Date: October 5, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CY59QW
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2ByUKit
Review:
From This Moment is total Kindle Crack!
Imagine falling for your dead husband's identical twin brother? From the moment I picked up this book, I was captivated by Wes and Hannah’s heartwrenching story. Hannah is still reeling from the sudden death of her husband Drew. She is doing her best to raise their daughter by herself. Her brother-in-law returns home after being away for many years and rekindles a friendship with Hannah. Hannah was the one that got away. She married his brother. Is Hannah falling for Wes or just a ghost?
From This Moment, by Melanie Harlow, packed an emotional punch. Hannah and Wes' story felt like a second chance forbidden romance. I enjoyed the way this story developed through alternating point of views. Hannah’s inner monologues felt very real and raw. She was insecure and questioned everything in her life. From This Moment is well written and an addictive read. One-click worthy.
Imagine falling for your dead husband's identical twin brother? From the moment I picked up this book, I was captivated by Wes and Hannah’s heartwrenching story. Hannah is still reeling from the sudden death of her husband Drew. She is doing her best to raise their daughter by herself. Her brother-in-law returns home after being away for many years and rekindles a friendship with Hannah. Hannah was the one that got away. She married his brother. Is Hannah falling for Wes or just a ghost?
From This Moment, by Melanie Harlow, packed an emotional punch. Hannah and Wes' story felt like a second chance forbidden romance. I enjoyed the way this story developed through alternating point of views. Hannah’s inner monologues felt very real and raw. She was insecure and questioned everything in her life. From This Moment is well written and an addictive read. One-click worthy.
Synopsis:
It was like seeing a ghost.
When my late husband’s twin brother moves back to our small town, I want to avoid him. Everything about Wes reminds me of the man I lost and the life we’d planned together, and after eighteen long months struggling just to get out of bed, I’m finally doing okay. I have a new job, an amazing support group, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter to parent. I don’t want to go backward.
But I’m drawn to him, too. He understands my grief and anger and guilt like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable.
He says he doesn't care what people think, and love can never be wrong. But life has taught me its cruelest lesson--love doesn't always win.
If only my heart would believe it.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BPEaYs
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kXy6Fq
Audible: http://amzn.to/2CY5Rh4
➜#42 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
So I just finished We Own Tonight. I binge read this book on the beach while on vacation in San Diego. I kept saying to myself "I'll put on some sunblock when I hit the next chapter." Who was I kidding???? I was glued to this book and nothing was stopping me. I'm a bit sunburnt but couldn't care less. It looks like I own a sunburn and will own a copy of this book when it goes live on 9/7. We Own Tonight was fangirl fairy tale perfection. Full review to follow. I'm rambling and need aloe.
Synopsis:
From New York Times Bestseller, Corinne Michaels, comes a sexy new STANDALONE romance novel.
I’m not a one-night stand kind of woman. I’m especially not the woman who has a few drinks at a concert and ends up in bed with my childhood celebrity crush, Eli Walsh.
However, that’s exactly where I find myself.
What’s a girl to do after a drunken mistake? Run. I grab my clothes and get away from the powerful, irresistible, and best-sex-of-my-life superstar as fast as I can. His gorgeous green eyes, rock-hard body, and cocky smile have no place in my world. My life is complicated enough.
Someone forgot to tell him that.
Eli is relentless. Pushing his way into my heart, wearing me down, proving he’s nothing like I assumed, and everything I need. But when my world shatters to pieces, he holds the broken bits together. Unwillingly, I fall desperately in love with him.
He made me think we’d have forever . . . I should’ve listened when he said we could only own tonight.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BQe3Rg
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BS2NE8
Audible: http://amzn.to/2l0EGv1
➜#54 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
Racer is REAL. Racer is MINE. Racer is RIPPED. Racer was a ROGUE. Racer is a LEGEND just like REMY. RACER IS your next one-click! Did you read Real (and the rest of the Real series) by Katy Evans? I hope so. Real is one of my all-time favorite books. If you read Real, I'm sure you remember Remy’s blazing hot intensity as a lover and a fighter. Like the saying goes “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” Racer is Remy’s son. He’s all alpha male and full of relentless passion. He meets Lana who extracts him from an illegal street racing circuit and puts him on the Formula One fast track. Just like his name, Racer is speeding into a relationship with Lana and a career on a racing team. Like, his dad Racer has a dark side that he doesn’t think Lana can handle. Will she take his advice and steer clear of his demons? Can Lana put her past behind her and love again?
I just love Katy Evans passionate writing style. Once again Katy crafted another brilliant addition to the ever-popular Real series. Katy recreated so much of the magic and raw, delicious feels from Real. Racer is unputdownable, fast-paced and utterly addictive! This book is standalone.
Throw your Kindle into 5th gear and one-click Racer!
Synopsis:
A bad boy with something to prove.
A woman with a mission.
The race of their lives.
The love of a lifetime.
I don’t think his parents expected him to live up to his name—Racer Tate—but once he felt the adrenaline rush behind the wheel, he was addicted.
He's the fastest, fiercest driver around.
Scouting new talent brings me to his doorstep...
but his smile sends me to my knees.
The sexy, mysterious Racer Tate is not the kind of man a girl like me falls for. He's secretive, reckless, elusive. But his proximity pushes me beyond reason, and his kiss....
This is our last chance to win, and he is our only hope. I'm supposed to watch him—make sure he doesn't get into trouble. But it's an impossible task. And now the one in heart wrenching, toe-curling, soul-crushing trouble is me. Because when your heart belongs to someone, their truths become your own, and their secrets become your salvation...or your curse.
He says he wants me. He says I'm the One. But he also thinks he'll break my heart, one piece at a time until it's gone.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BlNH8A
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2C0f6k7
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BXLB2o
➜#19 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review:
If you’ve read the first four books in the Infidelity series, there isn’t a chance in hell that you’re going to miss Fidelity. I'm addicted to this series and sad to see it end! I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, there are only a few authors that make me embrace a cliffhanger ending and Aleatha is one of them. Aleatha wrapped up the wicked web of intrigue she created in this multi-book series only after taking us on another page-turning twisted adventure in the final book. Aleatha is a master storyteller. She’s good…really good. Her writing kept me hooked from the first book to the last. Each and every book in the Fidelity series is brilliantly layered with a multitude of intense plot twists and turns, and sexy and smart characters you won't forget anytime soon. This book and this series is romantic suspense perfection and is not to be missed. Please read this series in order.
Series reading order:
Betrayal (BOOK 1)
Cunning (BOOK 2)
Deception (BOOK 3)
Entrapment (BOOK 4)
Fidelity (BOOK 5/FINAL IN THE SERIES)
Synopsis:
She thought she could save those she loved.
He thought he could save her.
They'll both learn the truth.
FIDELITY, the dramatic conclusion to the epic five-novel series INFIDELITY, following Lennox "Nox" Demetri, Alexandria "Charli" Collins, the Montagues, Demetris, Fitzgeralds, and Spencers is finally here.
When the vows are complete and the dust settles, who will be left standing?
No one is safe, and no alliance is above suspicion in the much-anticipated finale to this hot romantic-suspense saga. Our heroine has survived betrayal, cunning, deception, and entrapment…what will happen when she’s faced with fidelity?
Infidelity, it isn't what you think.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new, epic romantic suspense will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next.
Have you been Aleatha'd?
FIDELITY is the fifth and FINAL of five full-length novels in the INFIDELITY series.
*This series does not condone nor does it advocate cheating.
The Player - The Catch by K. Bromberg
Release Date: The Player - April 17, 2017
Release Date: The Catch - June 29, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BmntTE
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BkZqoa
Audible: http://amzn.to/2BlXw6s
➜#62 USA Today's Bestsellers List
➜#40 USA Today's Bestsellers List
Review (The Player):
I read K. Bromberg's Driven series about three years ago, and I fell hard for Colton and Rylee. Their racing world made my heart accelerate.
K. Bromberg brought her A game again....this time to the world of professional baseball with the first installment in her new two book series. Easton Wylder gets injured, and Scout Dalton has been hired as his PT to get him off of the DL. This job is Scout's chance to secure a contract with Easton's team that will hopefully allow her to carry on her father's legendary PT practice working with baseball stars. She ends up repairing a lot more than his shoulder. She mends his soul. Easton ends up doing a little PT on Scout's broken heart as well. She has some serious abandonment issues. Everyone she loves ends up leaving her. The two get each other, and their chemistry is the stuff that would light up a baseball stadium.
Both are living under their fathers' respective shadows. Easton's father is a famous all-star player. Is The Player being played...who knows the real score? Boom
The End. Omg, I need the next book now. I loved The Player and can't wait to see how Easton and Scout's relationship plays out when The Catch releases on June 29th. Game on Kristy!
Synopsis (The Player):
Baseball has never been sexier in an all-new novel by New York Times Bestselling Author, K. Bromberg.
Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. The game is his life. His passion. His everything.
So, when an injury threatens to end Easton’s season early, the team calls in the renowned physical therapist, Doc Dalton, to oversee his recovery. Except it’s not Doc who greets Easton for his first session, but rather his daughter, Scout. She may be feisty, athletic, defiant, and gorgeous, but Easton is left questioning whether she has what it takes to help him.
Scout Dalton’s out to prove a female can handle the pressure of running the physical therapy regimen of an MLB club. And that proof comes in the form of getting phenom Easton Wylder back on the field. But getting him healthy means being hands-on.
And with a man as irresistible as Easton, being hands-on can only lead to one thing, trouble. Because the more she touches him, the more she wants him, and she can’t want him. Not when it’s her job to side in the club’s best interest if he’s ready to play.
But when sparks fly and fine lines are crossed, can they withstand the heat or is one of them bound to get burned?
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2Bmae57
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2zhxXBC
Review:
Can I give Dear Agony 5+ stars? Why doesn’t Amazon or Goodreads allow readers to give an extra special star or even a 1/2 star? Oh well, at least I can do it in writing. I knew Dear Agony was going to be an emotional journey based on the title, but I didn’t expect this. Everything about this book pulled on my heartstrings and didn't let go. At times that I wanted to kick my Kindle as tears ran down my face. I think Dear Agony might be Georgia Cates' finest work to date! I'm lost in a sea of emotions and feeling like a book hangover will be in my future. Warning: you will need a box of tissues. This book will make my best of 2017 list. Bravo Georgia!
Synopsis:
Dear Agony,
You've been my shadow, following me through childhood—filling my days and nights with terror and uncertainty. You cleverly disguised yourself as some form of pain or suffering as I grew into a young woman. We were unwavering companions … until I severed our ties.
I traded homelessness on the streets of New Orleans for a luxurious bed covered by the finest linens.
I traded dumpster diving for dinner in the finest restaurants.
I traded myself to a stranger—Bastien Pascal.
I have a good life within my platonic and mutually beneficial companionship with Bash.
He’s my friend. My mentor. My roommate.
Until everything changes.
I’m not supposed to get goosebumps when his hand brushes my skin.
I’m not supposed to be eager for his soothing touch following one of my nightmares.
I’m not supposed to think about what might happen if I reached out to him in the darkness.
Falling in love with him? Preposterous . . . unavoidable.
Agony, why are you back with a vengeance to rob me of this life I’ve come to love so dearly?
I’m finally happy. Don’t ruin this for me.
Always yours,
Rose
In this epic love story, Dear Agony forges a connection between an unlikely pair—a beautiful rose entwined in barbed wire and a shipwreck sinking into the darkest depths of the ocean. This agonizing romantic novel poses some gut-wrenching questions: What does a woman do when the man she loves is planning his own demise? And how far will she go to give him something to live for?
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2BmCrsK
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BYuuNT
Audible: http://amzn.to/2Dz7VgH
Review:
This is a two book series that must be read in order. Marriage Games (released in 2016) is a MUST READ!
I wanted to drop kick my Kindle after reading the end of Marriage Games (Book #1). I needed to see how this game was going to play out. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read Separation Games (Book #2). In the sizzling hot conclusion, Adam and Diana's story picked up right where Marriage Games left off. They are running out of time to make their marriage work or break it off and go their separate ways.
Adam and Diana find themselves in a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. If their complicated relationship is going to work, they will need to dissect each other’s true desires and rebuild a new foundation based on their newly uncovered sexual identities. Adam and Diana’s story is told from dual points of view, which added, even more, depth to this sexy story. CD Reiss does a fantastic job exposing the complex and raw emotions that her characters faced. This two-book erotic romance series is not to be missed. If you don’t think you can read and enjoy a book about BDSM, think again. Game on and one-click this one!
Synopsis:
The stunning conclusion to the New York Times Bestseller.
These are the unbreakable rules in the game.
Stay collected. Compartmentalize. Think your next move through. Never let your heart dictate your tactics.
The heart is impulsive.
The heart makes bad decisions.
The heart doesn’t see the long game.
Because the heart may have decided to get Adam back, but when the endgame comes, the heart’s going to be the first thing to break.
“Your art, our memories, the memories people have of us . . . it makes us immortal. When you love someone, whether it be your family, friends, partners, whatever, it’s like planting a little seedling of yourself inside of their hearts.”
I found myself saying "just one more chapter" at 2:15 am. The only time I was able to put this book down was to grab another tissue. What an emotional journey. This bittersweet love story was incredible. I wasn’t just full-on emotional wreck while reading Wish You Were Here. The dialogue between Charlotte and Chucky was hysterical. If you are in the mood to read a book full of the feels and heartbreakingly beautiful, this is the book for you. Wish You Were Here made me think about my own life and served as a reminder appreciate every little moment no matter how small or insignificant. Live, love, laugh, and leave your mark on the world.
Synopsis:
Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, floating from interest to interest, job to job, and guy to guy, searching for a spark but never quite finding it. All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.
Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink… and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.
Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2DuyZO9
Review:
Total binge read!
When I decided to read Holding Onto Forever, by Heidi McLaughlin, I had a feeling that it was going to be good because I loved the other books in the Beaumont series. I’ve been a little leery about reading series spin-offs lately. There have been times I have read a spin-off, and it was so-so, or I felt lost (if I didn’t read the original book it was based on). I’m thrilled to report that this wasn’t the case!
Holding Onto Forever is the first book in The Beaumont Series: Next Generation #1. Over the years I read and loved all of the Beaumont books. This is the story of Noah and Peyton, children of the 4225 West bandmates and their friends. I literally binge read Holding Onto Forever. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking and all-consuming. I couldn’t put this book down if I tried. I had the chills reading the first few chapters. Dare, I say this is one of my favorite books by Heidi. IT WAS THAT AMAZING!
This friends-to-lovers romance needs to be your next one-click.
Synopsis:
The road for Noah Westbury has been carved out for him, long before he knew who his father was. Making sure he worked hard to deserve the opportunities provided to him, Noah is exactly where he dreamed of being - starting QB for Portland Pioneers. Together with a Victoria Secret's model girlfriend by his side, life couldn't get much better. Except for the fact that standing in his path is Peyton Powell-James, his life-long friend and the one woman he can never have.
Peyton Powell-James always knew her future would be in football and dreams of having a successful sports journalism career once she graduates college. After being given an assignment to cover a professional game from the sidelines, Peyton believes that everything is going to plan until one fateful night changes her life.
Harsh reality sets in for Noah and Peyton. One could lose everything, while the other one struggles to keep the families together.
Release Date: The Outskirts - September 11, 2017
Review (The Outskirts):
Sawyer Dixon escapes her abusive father and religious cult-like existence after her mother dies. She stumbles upon a box that contains a ticket to a new life in a town called Outskirts. The Outskirts is a rural, run down, and depressed town that is surrounded by swampland. She meets Finn Hollis. After losing his girlfriend, Finn cuts everyone out of his life and becomes a nasty, alcoholic recluse who lives in a swamp shack on Sawyer’s newly acquired property. These two broken souls become each others life line. Twenty-one year old Sawyer led a sheltered life before living in Outskirts. Finn swore off love after losing his girlfriend. They can’t deny their nuclear attraction and life starts to heat up for the depressed pair in the sad swamp town. Will secrets, lies and the past come back to destroy it all? THAT ENDING! THAT PLOT TWIST! I’m dying to find out when The Outliers releases on November 1st. This is a two-book series.
T.M. Frazier brought her A-game. I was sucked into Sawyer and Finns’ world from page one. I binge read The Outskirts. Get this one!
Synopsis (The Outskirts):
After a tragedy, Finn Hollis escapes
into the swamp to be alone.
That is until Sawyer Dixon shows up,
all SCORCHING HOT innocence,
claiming she owns the land less than
fifty feet from his front door.
Sawyer gets under his SKIN, but even worse?
She makes him CRAVE things.
Things Finn hasn’t thought about in a very long time.
Finn WANTS Sawyer gone.
Almost as much as he wants her in his BED.
The swamp is about to get a whole lot HOTTER.
The Outskirts was originally set to be a standalone.
It is now book one of a duet.
The Outliers is the title of book two.
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2CZkCjF
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2zgTkmS
Audible: http://amzn.to/2CZ7mf6
Mini Review:
Something So Perfect is absolutely perfect. I’m calling dibs on Matthew. This lovable, sexy caveman is mine. Such alpha male hotness. This might be my favorite book by NM!
Synopsis:
Matthew
Drafted first round pick when I was seventeen, playing first line at eighteen, branded NHL's bad boy at nineteen. At twenty-three I was cut from the team and living back home with my parents. A knock on the door brought an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. All I had to do was prove I learned from my mistakes, so no way would I fall for a chick with a pouty mouth even if I wanted to spend all day devouring it.
Karrie
When my father gave me a job, I had no idea it would be to babysit some washed up NHL player. He wanted me to be his chaperone, his overpaid babysitter. I thought it was a joke. Then I met him, Matthew Grant. I wasn’t prepared for this particular bad boy. He’s not only hot but he’s arrogant and kinda sweet in a 'you make me crazy' kind of way.
Basically now that he’s finished screwing up his life, he’s decided to turn mine upside down.
She’s the first thing I’ve ever wanted more than hockey.
He’s the guy I know I should stay away from.
But what if this thing that started out so wrong turns into something so perfect?
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2zgWdUt
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2CYcccH
Audible: http://amzn.to/2Dz3D9i
Review:
I decided at 2% of the way into this story that Shaking Up was going to be binge-worthy. I was giggling, and when I finally looked up, and it was 1:45 am. Bane (Bancroft) and Ruby's unconventional meeting and FaceTime-enabled budding romance was unique and made their long-distance arrangement work. The banter and alternating POV's through inner dialogues made this story work. While Shacking Up was a bit predictable, and I knew where this story was going, it didn't matter. I loved the characters' fun banter and alternating voices. The angsty build-up made this story a fast-paced, fun and sexy romantic comedy.
I need to know what happens with Ruby's best friend Amalie and her fiancé. I hope Helen's next book is about them.
Synopsis:
Ruby Scott is months behind on rent and can’t seem to land a steady job. She has one chance to turn things around with a big audition. But instead of getting her big break, she gets sick as a dog and completely bombs it in the most humiliating fashion. All thanks to a mysterious, gorgeous guy who kissed—and then coughed on—her at a party the night before.
Luckily, her best friend might have found the perfect opportunity; a job staying at the lavish penthouse apartment of hotel magnate Bancroft Mills while he’s out of town, taking care of his exotic pets. But when the newly-evicted Ruby arrives to meet her new employer, it turns out Bane is the same guy who got her sick.
Seeing his role in Ruby’s dilemma, Bane offers her a permanent job as his live-in pet sitter until she can get back on her feet. Filled with hilariously awkward encounters and enough sexual tension to heat a New York City block, Shacking Up, from NYT and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting, is sure to keep you laughing and swooning all night long.
Review:
I just finished Drive as I was about to post this list. I couldn't leave Drive off of my list. This book is like the ultimate playlist of a list of feels on stuck on replay in my head. I have a book hangover. Drive is the soundtrack of my heart. I really loved this book. Check it out.
I just finished Drive as I was about to post this list. I couldn't leave Drive off of my list. This book is like the ultimate playlist of a list of feels on stuck on replay in my head. I have a book hangover. Drive is the soundtrack of my heart. I really loved this book. Check it out.
“If anyone tells you a song is important to them, you should turn it up loud, close your eyes, and really listen. Because at the end, you will know that person so much better.”
Synopsis:
Music . . . the heart’s greatest librarian.
The average song is three and a half minutes long; those three and a half minutes could lead to a slow blink, a glimpse of the past, or catapult the soul into heart-shattering nostalgia.
At the height of my career, I had the life I wanted, the life I’d always envisioned. I’d found my tempo, my rhythm. Then I received a phone call that left me off key.
You see, my favorite songs had a way of playing simultaneously. I was in love with one man’s beats and another’s lyrics. But when it came to the soundtrack of a life, how could anyone choose a favorite song? So, to erase any doubt, I ditched my first-class ticket and decided to take a drive, fixed on the rearview.
Two days.
One playlist.
And the long road home to the man who was waiting for me.
Dirty Filthy Rich Men - Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige
Release Date: March 27, 2017
Release Date: September 11, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2Bouwvb
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BouWlf
Audible: http://amzn.to/2zfX2No
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2Bouwvb
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BouWlf
Audible: http://amzn.to/2zfX2No
Review (Dirty Filthy Rich Men):
I just finished Dirty Filthy Rich Men by Laurelin Paige. Good lord, I need a drink and the next book, Dirty Filthy Rich Love. This crazy, hot and dysfunctional romance was equally addicting and frustrating. I wanted to pummel both Donovan and Sabrina with their own emotional baggage.
“But it wasn’t that easy. It was thread upon thread of complicated, so many strands between us that wove us together. Even when he’d first taken my virginity, back when I’d been naïve and innocent, I knew that his broken fit my broken.”
Donovan’s uneven and detached behavior made me dislike him until the final chapter. My head is spinning from the mind-blowing ending to this book. Dirty Filthy Rich Men is total Kindle Crack and not to be missed.
Synopsis:
When I met Donovan Kincaid, I knew he was rich. I didn’t know he was filthy. Truth be told, I was only trying to get his best friend to notice me.
I knew poor scholarship girls like me didn't stand a chance against guys like Weston King and Donovan Kincaid, but I was in love with his world, their world, of parties and sex and power. I knew what I wanted—I knew who I wanted—until one night, their world tried to bite me back and Donovan saved me. He saved me, and then Weston finally noticed me, and I finally learned what it was to be in their world.
And then what it was like to lose it.
Ten years later, I’ve found my way back. Back to their world. Back to him.
This time, I’m ready. I've been down this road before, and I know all the dirty, filthy ways Donovan will try and wreck me.
But it’s hard to resist. Especially when I know how much I’ll like it.
From NYT Bestselling author Laurelin Paige, discover a whole new world filled with sex, love, power, romance and dirty, filthy rich men.
I didn't write my review yet (I will later this week). Trust me you want to read this one!
Synopsis:
They call him The Mute for a reason.
Hard, cold and calculated, he rarely speaks.
When he does, it’s with disdain.
When he does, his words aren’t meant for me.
When he does, my stomach flips and my world tilts on its axis.
He is thirty-three.
I am eighteen.
He’s a single dad and my father’s business partner.
I’m just a kid to him and his enemy’s daughter.
He’s emotionally unavailable.
And I am…feeling. Feeling things I shouldn’t feel for him.
Trent Rexroth is going to break my heart. The writing isn’t just on the wall, it’s inked on my soul.
And yet, I can’t stay away.
A scandal is the last thing my family needs. But a scandal is what we’re going to give them.
And oh, what beautiful chaos it will be
Review:
This second chance romance was everything! I binge read this book in almost one sitting. Big Shot is the second book in the Sexy Jerk World series and can be read as a standalone. Jace and Heather shared an unconventional and complicated relationship ten years before they cross paths again. A lot has happened since they parted ways. They both share emotional baggage that they have to work through in order to move on with their lives.
I loved the way that Kim was able to seamlessly go from present to past, allowing a solid glimpse into the mindset of the characters. Big Shot packed an emotional punch that had me shedding tears. This hot and heartfelt page-turner needs to be one-clicked.
Synopsis:
Ten years ago I had no idea what I wanted out of life, until I met Hannah Michaels. She was a computer-engineering student ready to conquer the social media world, and I was smitten. Even though I knew she was taken, I had to have her.
Being the big shot that I was, I didn’t let her status stand in my way. It wasn’t long before my hands were on her thighs and my name a whisper on her lips. This smart, sexy girl inspired me to greatness, helped me grow into the kind of man I never knew I wanted to be. The man I am today.
Too bad I hadn’t grown fast enough to keep her.
Moving on wasn’t easy, but I knew I had to let her go. Eventually, I found someone to share my days and nights with, and together we had a daughter. My life was nearly perfect until my world turned upside down.
A single father has challenges, and one of those is learning how to calmly deal with your child coming home in tears. I had no idea the day I pounded on my daughter’s classmate’s door, Hannah would be the one standing on the other side.
The wild, burning desire that roared through my veins was unwanted, and yet impossible to ignore. Letting her in meant so much more this time around. Guilt hit me like a hammer. I hated myself. I hated her. The problem was I really didn’t hate her—I wanted her more than ever.
But this time around I can’t have her.
This time it’s my status that stands in our way. And going up against myself just might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
American Queen American Prince American King by Sierra Simone
Release Date - American Queen October 24, 2017
Release Date - American Prince March 7, 2017
Release Date - American King - October 31, 2017
➜#122 - USA Today's Bestsellers List
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2DwuRwZ
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2BZ0z89
Review (American King):
American King. OMG, I’m speechless. How did I go from a hot and bothered to crying and back again? What a story! This book is magical. You’ll understand after you read it. American King might be my favorite out of this combustible series.
American King is the last installment in the New Camelot Trilogy. Once again, Sierra Simone managed to spin another wickedly erotic, smart, heartfelt web of love, lust, lies, and sacrifices. This one-of-a-kind, second chance forbidden romance is KING! American King will have your heart racing and your Kindle overheating again and again.
I can’t believe Greer, Embry, and Ash’s story is over. I have to say this emotion-packed journey will melt your e-reader and captivate your heart. There are so many smart and sexy twists and turns in this erotic rollercoaster romance and an ending that is going to leave you breathless and maybe believing in fairytales.
Sierra Simone, my Queen of mfm romance, I bow down (and kneel) to you. Five huge stars!
*Read this series in order Queen, Prince & King
Synopsis (American King):
They say that every tragic hero has a fatal flaw, a secret sin, a tiny stitch sewn into his future since birth. And here I am. My sins are no longer secret. My flaws have never been more fatal. And I’ve never been closer to tragedy than I am now.
I am a man who loves, a man whose love demands much in return. I am a king, a king who was foolish enough to build a kingdom on the bones of the past. I am a husband and a lover and a soldier and a father and a president.
And I will survive this.
Long live the king.
Whore by Willow Aster: Release Date: December 26, 2017
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2z7tykY
Review:
Is it too late to add another book to my Best of 2017 list? Nope. I make the rules, and it’s still 2017.
Whore, by Willow Aster, is absolutely incredible. This emotion-packed, unconventional romance was intense. There were a few times I had to put this book down to keep myself from peeking ahead every few pages. My anxiety levels were pretty cranked up from the angst and suspense-filled plot.
Lili is forced into following her mother's footsteps to work at Maison D’amour as a prostitute. She meets Soti, a generous man with a heart of gold. After a twist of fate, Lili might be able to leave her depressing life at the whore house. Her scheming mother forced Lili into a relationship with Nico, an upcoming mafia associate with an agenda of his own. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil this story for you.
Lili and Soti’s unconventional romance will tug at your heartstrings. If you're thinking this story is going to be like the movie Pretty Woman, it isn’t. Whore is a story of unconditional love, strength, devotion, and redemption. One-click this one!
Synopsis:
“I need a reason to exist.”
Beautiful, intelligent, independent, strong-willed, wealthy—Lilith Fontenot seems by all appearances, to have it all. But that’s not how the highest paid prostitute in New Orleans sees herself.
A stain on society. A scourge. A waste. Outsider. Prisoner…
Any idyllic dream of the normal life she may have once imagined, Lilith buried long ago. Her only plan now is survival.
But mob boss Nico Santelli and community center owner Soti Christos have not given up on Lilith. Each has his own very specific, very opposing, plans for her, and neither will rest until it becomes a reality.
WHORE is a singularly bracing take on an ancient tale of tireless love, betrayal, and the possibility of redemption.
