KCBR Blog

Series: The Beaumont Series - Next Generation #1

Author: Heidi McLaughlin

Release: October 12, 2017

Blurb:

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.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2x29Edb

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2fJDyx9

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2g3mUFw

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2kgmGj7

iBooks: http://apple.co/2f4DLa2

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Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fWpSPk

REVIEW OF HOLDING ONTO FOREVER

Holding Onto Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. A review copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

What Others Are Saying:

"Heidi McLaughlin delivers a breathtaking addition to the Beaumont series. Holding Onto Forever is everything you want it to be and so much more. I fell in love all over again." USA Today Bestselling Author, K.L. Grayson 

"Holding Onto Forever is emotional, riveting, and completely captivating. Noah Westbury will steal your heart and never give it back." NYT Bestselling Author, S Moose

"A rollercoaster of emotions. McLaughlin takes you on a journey of two hearts that are destined to be together." NYT Bestselling Author, Kaylee Ryan

Excerpt:

Kyle Zimmerman, one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the league, and Chicago’s most eligible bachelor is holding my hand as he guides me to his car. The schoolgirl in me is trying not to let his presence affect me, at least not on the outside. On the inside, though, I’m all a ball of nerves mixed with excitement.  Who would’ve thought a simple assignment would turn into a date? Not me. Not in a million years, but here I am, being helped into his car and anxiously waiting for him to get behind the steering wheel.

And once he does, the sweet scent of his cologne fills the small space. I find myself leaning a bit closer to him so I can inhale deeply without looking like a creeper. Kyle smiles. It’s an ear-to-ear grin with a slight chuckle. I’ve been caught, but he doesn’t seem to care. He leans forward, pulling himself away from me. It’s probably best. We’ve just met and if he kissed me now, I don’t know what I would do. 

“Tell me about yourself, Peyton.”

“I’m majoring in broadcast journalism. I love football. I’m a twin.”

“Is your twin as pretty as you?”

“Prettier,” I tell him.

“Impossible,” he replies, never breaking eye contact with me. “What do you know about me?”

“Everything, yet nothing. Your rookie year, you sat on the bench but started your second year. You threw sixteen touchdowns, eleven interceptions and accumulated 3,440 yards. Your completion rate was fifty-eight percent. This year, you’re pushing seventy percent and in line to win the league MVP. You’ve thrown for almost 4,500 yards, twenty-five touchdowns and four interceptions.”

Kyle’s eyes widen as his mouth drops open. “Wow, you had to go and bring up my first year, huh?” 

I shrug. “You asked, but …”

Author Bio:

Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.

When she's isn't writing one of the many stories planned for release, you'll find her sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.

Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, will be in theaters on October 27, 2017, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeidiMcLaughlin

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HeidiJoVT

Website:  http://www.heidimclaughlin.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/HeidiNews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidimclaughlinauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568302.Heidi_McLaughlin

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-McLaughlin/e/B00AV872O8

★ ★ ★ ARC GIVEAWAY ★ ★ ★

A LITTLE TOO LATE, an all-new romantic STANDALONE from Staci Hart is coming October 24^th! But I have an advance reader copy for one lucky reader!

TO ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

•LIKE or follow Kindle Crack Book Reviews on  FB or Instagram www.instagram.com/kindlecrack (or both).

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•TAG a friend, LIKE, and SHARE this post

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★ ★ ★ SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY ★ ★ ★

FROM THIS MOMENT, an all-new sexy and emotional STANDALONE from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is LIVE! I’m celebrating the release with a signed paperback GIVEAWAY!  I LOVED THIS BOOK! 

TO ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

•LIKE or follow Kindle Crack Book Reviews on FB or Instagram www.instagram.com/kindlecrack (or both).

•Add FROM THIS MOMENT to your GR shelf: https://goo.gl/J3ogH4 

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•TAG a friend, LIKE, and SHARE this post.

★YOU CAN ENTER ON FB & Instagram www.instagram.com/kindlecrack or BOTH!★

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents. Thank you and good luck!

READ TODAY!

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Amazon International ➜ myBook.to/FromThisMoment

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SBPR is responsible for this giveaway, and it is not sponsored, administered or endorsed by Facebook/Instagram. Giveaway is open to US residents only! Open for 72 hours. 

ENTER HERE: 

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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.

REVIEW OF HOLIDING ONTO FOREVER 

 Holding Onto Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

Buy Links:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2z1lz9j

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2hC8Xyq

SYNOPSIS:

play·boy

ˈplāˌboi/

noun

a wealthy man who spends his time enjoying himself, especially one who behaves irresponsibly or is sexually promiscuous.

Synonyms: socialite, pleasure seeker.

Noah 

I have it all, money, looks, and any woman I want.

Till I meet her and my universe is knocked on its ass and she wants nothing to do with me.

Kaleigh 

My motto: never date the same man twice. I have less chance of breaking my heart that way.

Till my eyes land on the only man I’ll break my rule for.

She thinks she can run. That I’ll let her get away.

He thinks he can handle a woman like me.

He has no idea.

A man who has it all needs one thing and one thing only. A temptress.

Watch me Tempt the Playboy.

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2gsNmbK

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2xxLMvf

PRESS RELEASE:

E L James's DARKER: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian will be published by Vintage Books as a trade paperback and ebook on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. The announcement was made today by Anne Messitte, Publisher of Vintage/Anchor Books.

In DARKER, E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a retelling of Fifty Shades Darker from Christian Grey’s point of view. Ever since the 2015 publication of GREY, the first book by James to employ a perspective shift, fans have been clamoring for a continuation of the series in Christian’s voice. “This new book is full of surprises,” said Messitte. “Readers are going to see a darker and more haunted version of Christian’s character. Fans of the series will have much to discover and even more to discuss.”

“The inside of Christian Grey's head is a fascinating place to be,” said James. “In Grey we got the first glimpse of what makes Christian tick, but in Darker we go deeper, into his most painful memories and the encounters that made him the damaged, demanding man Ana falls in love with. Writing this novel has been a journey of discovery, and I hope readers will find what I’ve learned as compelling as I did. Finally, it’s always a joy to work with the great team at Vintage.”

DARKER will be published simultaneously by Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Random House Canada, and Penguin Random House UK, and soon after, in territories around the world. A US Spanish language edition, published by Vintage Español, will be available in December.

E L James is represented by Valerie Hoskins of VHA Ltd in London. Foreign rights are handled by ILA in London.

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.

Read Today!

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REVIEW OF FROM THIS MOMENT

From This Moment by Melanie Harlow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER TODAY!

http://www.melanieharlow.com/from-this-moment-chapter-1/

About the Author: 

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit. 

Connect with Melanie:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow/?fref=ts

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs

Twitter: @MelanieHarlow2

Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com

Sign up for Melanie’s Newsletter: http://www.melanieharlow.com/subscribe/

From This Moment, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is coming October 10th!

From This Moment by Melanie Harlow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publishing Date: October 10th, 2017

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 loneliness like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable. 

We make excuses. We blame our sorrow. We promise each other it will never happen again.

But it does.

And when our secret threatens to destroy his family and my reputation, we’ll have to decide what’s more important—loyalty or love?

Excerpt:

“Want to go out in the canoe?” he asked.

“Okay.” I ditched my flip-flops on the small, beach-level deck, and we set our wine glasses and the bottle on the deck’s little round table. Wes was already barefoot. Together we dragged the forest green canoe from the tall beach grasses on the side of the deck down to the water’s edge and tipped it over.

“Let me rinse it out a little,” Wes said, frowning at the dirt and spider webs inside. “Want to grab the paddles? They should be in the shed.”

“On it.” I went to the small shed on the embankment, opened it up and grabbed the oars, which stood in one corner. On the shelves were life jackets and sand toys and deflated rafts that probably had holes in them, and scratched into the wooden door among other graffiti was WP + CB. Huh. I’d never noticed that before. Who was CB? I glanced over my shoulder at Wes, who’d taken off his T-shirt and tossed it onto the sand.

My stomach full-out flipped.

Quickly, I shut the door to the shed and brought the oars down to the canoe.

Wes stood up straight and stuck his hands on his hips. He wore different sunglasses than Drew had worn, more of an aviator than a wayfarer. The body was similar, though Wes’s arms seemed more muscular, especially through the shoulder. Other things were the same and caused a rippling low in my body—the soft maroon color of his nipples, the trim waist, the trail of hair leading from his belly button to beneath the low-sling waistband of his red swim trunks. In my head I heard Tess’s voice. Arms. Chest. Shoulders. Skin. Stubble. Muscle. The smell of a man. The solidity of him.

“What’s the law on drinking and canoeing?” he asked.

What’s the law on staring at your brother-in-law’s nipples? I wondered, swallowing hard. What was wrong with me?

“I think we’re okay,” I said, handing the oars to him. Our hands touched in the exchange. “Let me grab our glasses.”

“Perfect. If you hold them, I’ll take us out.”

I retrieved the wine glasses from the table and walked carefully across the sand to the lake’s edge, taking deep, slow breaths. A sweat had broken out across my back. I was wearing a swimsuit beneath my cover up, a modest tankini, but I didn’t want to remove it. Wading ankle deep, I attempted to step into the canoe, but it wobbled beneath my foot.

“Whoa.” Wes took me by the elbow and didn’t let go until I was seated at one end, facing the other. “Okay?”

I nodded. Despite the heat, my arms had broken out in goose flesh.

“All right, here we go.” As he rowed us away from shore, the breeze picked up, cooling my face and chest and back.

“Drew and I used to have canoe-tipping contests.”

I snapped my chin down and skewered Wes with a look over the top of my sunglasses. “Don’t even think about it.”

He just grinned, the muscles in his arms and chest and stomach flexing with every stroke of the oars through the water. Momentarily mesmerized, I allowed myself the pleasure of watching him. It was okay if we were both thinking about Drew, wasn’t it?

In fact, it was only natural that I was intrigued by the sight of Wes’s body. He was my husband’s identical twin, for heaven’s sake, and I missed his physical presence in my life. I missed looking at him naked. I missed feeling the weight of him above me. I missed the feeling of being aroused by him, of my body’s responses to his touch, his kiss, his cock.

Deep in my body, the rusty mechanism of arousal creaked to life. My nipples peaked, my stomach hollowed, and something fluttered between my legs.

Oh, Jesus.

I sat up straighter, pressed my knees together, and closed my mouth, which I realized had fallen open. Hopefully I hadn’t moaned or anything. After another sip of wine, I turned my head and studied a freighter off in the distance. My heart was beating way too fast.

It’s only natural. It’s only natural.

Wes stopped paddling and set the oars in the bottom of the canoe, their handles resting against the seat in the middle. “We’ll have to bring Abby out here.”

“Definitely.” Did my voice sound normal? “She’ll love it. Here, want this?” I held his wine glass toward him and he reached out to take it. His fingers brushed mine, and I pulled my hand back as if the touch had burned me.

“Thanks.” He tipped the glass up then looked along the shore. “I’d like to find a place on the lake. Maybe not along this stretch of beach, though.”

I caught his meaning and smiled. “A little too close to home?”

“Yeah. But I don’t want to be too far away. I’d like to get a boat too.”

“What kind of boat? Drew always talked about it, but we never quite settled on one.”

“Not sure. Maybe just a little fishing boat, something to ski behind.”

“That sounds fun. Drew loved to ski.”

“We’ll have to teach Abby.”

I laughed. “You, not we. I managed to get up and stay up a few times, but I am not the expert.”

“You can teach her to cook, I’ll teach her to water ski.”

“Deal.” Separate activities seemed like a good idea.

“Breakfast was incredible.”

“Thanks.” I tucked a strand of hair that had escaped my ponytail behind my ear, but the wind blew it right back into my face. “I really like working there. I’m so glad Georgia suggested it to me.”

“How long have you been there?”

“Since spring, when they got busy. I’m not sure what I’ll do this winter when it slows down. I’m dreading it, actually. Abby will be in school full time, and it will just be me at home alone.” This was something else I hadn’t talked about with anyone, how worried I was that the gray skies and cold weather and silent hours would set me spiraling into depression. “I always thought I’d have another baby to take care of, but life saw things differently.”

“You’re still young, Hannah.”

I shook my head. “I’m really not. And I feel even older than I am.” Please don’t go Grief Police on me and tell me I’m being ridiculous, I begged him silently. This isn’t the life I chose. It was handed to me and I’m doing the best I can.

PRE-ORDER:

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Synopsis: 

Amalie Whitfield is the picture of a blushing bride during her wedding reception–but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of proclaiming his undying love, her husband can be heard, by Amalie and their guests, getting off with someone else. She has every reason to freak out, and in a moment of insanity, she throws herself at the first hot-blooded male she sees. But he’s not interested in becoming her revenge screw.

Mortified and desperate to escape the post-wedding drama, Amalie decides to go on her honeymoon alone, only to find the man who rejected her also heading to the same tiny island for work. But this time he isn’t holding back. She should know better than to sleep with someone she knows, but she can’t seem to resist him.
They might agree that what happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither one can deny that their attraction is more than just physical.

Filled with hilariously scandalous situations and enough sexual chemistry to power an airplane from New York City to the South Pacific, Hooking Up is the next standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Helena Hunting, the New York Times bestselling author of the Pucked series and Shacking Up.

One

Wedding Unbliss

Amie

This is the happiest day of my life. I allow that thought to roll around in my head, trying to figure out why it doesn’t seem to resonate the way it should. This should be the happiest day of my life. So I’m not exactly certain why the uneasy feeling I associate with cold feet is getting worse rather than dissipating. I’ve already done the hard part; walked down the aisle and said “I do.”

My husband excused himself to go to the bathroom several minutes ago and, based on Armstrong’s itinerary for the day, speeches are supposed to begin promptly at eight-thirty. According to my phone, that’s less than two minutes from now, and he’s not here. The emcee for the evening is awaiting Armstrong’s return before he begins. And then the real party can start. The one where we get to celebrate our commitment to each other as partners for life. As in the rest of my breathing days. Dear God, why does that make my stomach twist?

I sip my white wine. Armstrong pointed out that red is not a good idea with my dress, even though it’s my preference. Besides, I don’t want it to stain my teeth. That would make for bad pictures.

I glance around the hall and see my parents, who are probably celebrating the fact that I didn’t walk down the aisle with a convicted felon. And frankly, so am I. My dating history pre-Armstrong wasn’t fabulous.

The sheer number of people in attendance spikes my anxiety. Speaking in front of all of these people makes me want to drink more, which is a bad idea. Tipsy speeches could lead to saying the wrong thing. I check my phone under the table again. It’s after eight-thirty. The longer Armstrong takes to return, the further behind we’ll get. The music playlist, devised by Armstrong with painstaking efficiency, leaves no room for tardiness. If we don’t start on time I’ll have to take out a song, or possibly two, to compensate for his delay and he’s selected the order in such a way as to make that difficult and that will annoy him. I just want today to be perfect. I want it to be reflective of my decision to marry Armstrong. That I, Amalie Whitfield, can make good choices and am not a disgrace to my family.

“Where the hell is he?” I scan the room and take another small sip of my wine. I should switch to water soon so I don’t end up drunk, especially later, when all of this is over and we can celebrate our lifelong commitment to each other without clothes on. I’m hopeful it will last more than five minutes.

Ruby, my maid of honor and best friend for the past decade, puts a hand on my shoulder. “Would you like Bancroft to find Armstrong?”

Bancroft, or Bane for short, is Ruby’s boyfriend who she’s been living with for several months. Recently I find myself getting a little jealous of how affectionate they still are with each other, even after all this time. Cohabitation hasn’t slowed them down on the sex or their PDA. I have hope that Armstrong and I will be more like Bane and Ruby now that we’ll be sharing the same bed every night.

I’m about to tell Ruby to give him another minute when a low buzz suddenly fills the hall. It sounds like a school PA system. I start to panic—they can’t start the speeches without Armstrong at my side. What’s the point of speeches if the groom isn’t present?

I’m halfway out of my seat, ready to tell the deejay, or whoever is behind the mic, he needs to wait, when a very loud moan echoes through the room. The acoustics are phenomenal in here, it’s why we chose this venue.

I glance at Ruby to make sure I’m not hearing things. Her eyes are wide. The kind of wide associated with shock. The same shock I’m feeling.

Another moan reverberates through the sound system, followed by the words, “Oh, fuuuck.”

A collective gasp ripples through the now-silent crowd. While the words themselves are scandalous among these guests, it’s the voice groaning them that makes me sit up straighter, and simultaneously consider hiding under the table.

“Fuck yeah. Ah, suck it. That’s it. Deep throat it like a good little slut. Fuuuuuccckkkkk.”

My mouth drops and I look to Ruby to ensure I have not completely lost my mind. “Is that—” I don’t finish the sentence. I already know the answer to the question, so it’s pointless to ask. Besides, I’m cut off by yet another loud groan. I clap a hand over my mouth because I’m not sure I’m able to close it, my disbelief is as vast as the ocean.

Ruby’s expression mirrors mine, except hers is incredibly animated since she’s an actress. “Oh my God. Is that Armstrong?” Her words are no more than a whisper, but they sound very much like a scream. Oh no, wait, that’s just Armstrong on the verge of an orgasm. But these sounds are nothing like the ones he makes when he’s in the throes of passion with me.

I clutch Ruby’s hand. The next sound that comes from him is a hybrid between a hyena laugh and a wolf baying at the moon. And every guest at our wedding is hearing the same thing I am. Our wedding. Someone other than me is blowing my husband at my own wedding. My mortification knows no end.

I grab the closest bottle of wine and dump the contents into my glass. Some of it sloshes over the edge and onto the crisp white tablecloth. It doesn’t matter. There’s plenty more where it came from. I chug the glass, then grab Ruby’s.

People lean in and whisper to each other, eyes lift to the speakers. A few people, the ones who are probably just here for the social-ladder-climbing potential, question who it is.

“Is the deejay watching porn?” That comment comes from a table full of mostly drunk singles in their early twenties.

Several eyes shift my way as I carelessly down Ruby’s wine and someone asks where the groom has disappeared to.

The grunts and groans grow terrifyingly louder. This is nothing like what I’m used to in bed with Armstrong. The dirty words aren’t something he ever uses with me, mostly it’s just noises and sometimes a “Right there” or “I’m close,” but that’s about it. He’s never talked to me like he is to the woman currently providing oral pleasure. And I’m very adept at oral. Although with Armstrong it’s very polite, neat oral, with no sounds other than the occasional hum. Slurping is uncivilized and a definite no-no.

I reach past Ruby for the bottle of red since I don’t really give a flying fuck about purple teeth right now. As I sink low in my seat I pour another glass of wine, surveying the people in the ballroom from behind the cover of the centerpiece. The centerpieces are huge and excessive and I don’t like them at all, but at least provides a protective barrier between the guests and my disgust, which I’m certain they must share. He sounds like a wild animal rutting. It is entirely unsexy. I have no idea who he’s getting intimate with, but I’m suddenly very glad it’s not me.

And doesn’t that tell me more about our relationship than it should.

It’s only been about thirty seconds—the most humiliating thirty seconds of my life—before Armstrong comes. How do I know this? Because he says, very clearly, “Keep sucking, baby, I’m coming.”

And “baby,” whoever she is, makes these horrific gurgling noises. It sounds like some form of alien communication. It’s way over the top, and apparently Armstrong is loving it, based on the string of vile profanity that spews from his asshole mouth.

“Holy crap. Is this for real? That was really fast,” Ruby mutters.

I guzzle my glass of wine. Then decide the glass is unnecessary and take a long swig from the bottle before Ruby snatches it away. Wine dribbles down my chin and onto my chest, staining the white satin purple. My dress is ruined. I should be freaking out. But I really don’t care.

“Come on,” Ruby tugs on my hand. “We need to get you out of here while people are still distracted.”

My older brother Pierce and the emcee are standing in the middle of the hall, gesturing wildly to the speakers above us. My other brother, Lawson, is on his way toward the podium in an attempt to do something. I don’t think there’s anything he can do to stop this train wreck from there.

Ruby tugs again, but I’m frozen, still trying to figure out what exactly just happened. Well, I know what’s happened. I just can’t believe it.

The sound of a zipper and the rustle of clothes follows. “Thanks for that, now I’ll be able to last later tonight,” Armstrong says.

“What about me?” A female asks. Her voice is nasally and whiny.

“What about you?”

“Well I helped you, aren’t you going to help me?”

“Didn’t you come with a date?”

“Well, yes, but—” God her voice is familiar. I just can’t figure out where I know it from.

“My cousin, right? He loves my sloppy seconds. Speeches are starting. I gotta get back to my ball and chain.”

Gasps of horror ripple through the room, followed by a few giggles. These people really are assholes.

I think I’m going to throw up. I can’t believe he’s going to come out here and pretend nothing just happened. Like some other woman didn’t just have her lips around his cock. His distinctly average cock. Maybe even slightly below average in length, if I’m being one hundred percent honest.

A door opens and closes.

Lawson turns on the mic behind the podium and taps it, sending screeching feedback through the room, making people cringe. Too bad no one did that a minute ago.

Murmuring grows louder and glances flicker to the head table and then away as Brittany Thorton, a seriously skanky debutante, comes strutting through the doors, using a compact to check her lipstick. She’s made it her mission to attempt to get into the pants of half the eligible men in this room. She’s followed, not five seconds later, by a very smug-looking Armstrong.

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Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing a mistake deserves is forgiveness.

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ABOUT WITHOUT MERIT:

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.

Poignant and powerful, WITHOUT MERIT explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love.

Without Merit Review