KCBR Blog

Getting Played, a magnificent new romance by New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase is LIVE!  Check out my spoiler-free book review of Getting Played.  Getting Played is sexy, sweet, and a heartfelt treat. I loved this all-new romance book! It's available at all major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and more! This is a standalone/no cliffhanger. 

Synopsis: 

Dean Walker is all about keeping life simple. He’s effortlessly talented and intelligent—spending his summers playing drums in the local band and the rest of the year teaching high school in the same Jersey town where he grew up. He likes his love-life simple too, enjoying the commitment-free hook-ups his good looks and sexy charm have always made oh-so easy.

Then he meets Lainey Burrows. And his simple, easy life gets turned upside down.

***

One wild one-night stand was all it was ever supposed to be, so Lainey is shocked when she discovers that her sizzling summer fling is also her son’s new math teacher. But that’s nothing compared to the most unexpected twist of all—their hot hook-up left Lainey knocked-up, and now they’re about to become parents. Together.

 What ensues is an addictive, insatiable, sweet and tender romance that won’t be simple, but it will be more than worth the fight.  

A stand-alone, contemporary romance.

Download your copy today! 

Amazon: https://fave.co/2LVkZmG

Audible Audiobook: https://fave.co/2LUZ4fq

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2OB28Pw

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Review of Getting Played

Getting Played by Emma Chase

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Getting Played by Emma Chase is sexy, sweet, and a heartfelt treat. I loved this book!!! I’m originally from New Jersey, and I have friends that are teachers or play in rock bands like the characters in this book. Fun fact: I used to play drums. I’ve had a Dean-like character break my heart and a friend or two like Lainey. This story was relatable for me on so many levels. Maybe I was feeling a bit nostalgic while reading Getting Played since I was just making plans with my NJ crew. Nah, it’s this book! I felt like I knew these characters. I laughed out loud so many times, and my heart is bursting from the ending. One-click worthy!

About Emma:

New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase writes contemporary romance novels known for their clever banter, emotional, and sexy, swoonworthy moments. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages around the world. 

Emma lives in New Jersey with her amazing husband, two spirited children, and two adorable, but badly behaved, dogs. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine. 

Connect with Emma:

You can find Emma at https://authoremmachase.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseFB

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseGR

Instagram: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseTw

Amazon: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseAmz

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/AuthorEmmaChaseBB

“A dazzling, thought-provoking, layered romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A round of applause for one of the best books of 2019."

 -- L.J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author 

All The King’s Men Duet, an all-new powerful and emotional duet from RITA ® Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan, is coming October 28th, and we have the first sneak peek! 

Power. Passion. Betrayal.

RITA®  Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the epic first installment of the All the King’s Men Duet.

Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition. In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.

My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and would do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.

And neither will I.

Sneak Peek from The Kingmaker

A fat raindrop plops on my nose, sliding down the bridge, followed by another and then a wet succession.

“Aw, hell.” I pull my jacket up on my elbows to provide some shelter for the two of us, but the rain trebles, more coming down and faster.

“We still have four blocks before my place,” I say. “Sorry, but the weather is unpredictable this time of year.”

Rain has already started molding the thin dress to her body, faithfully hugging every swell and curve. A hard shiver runs through her and her teeth chatter.

“Come on.” I grab her hand and duck into an alleyway. An overhang provides a tiny patch of dry ground and shelter. “We may be able to wait it out. These showers sprout up and pass over like they never happened.”

We’re sandwiched between two buildings and there is barely any light, but the moonlight finds her, sculpting shadows beneath her cheekbones and etching dark crescents of her lowered lashes. The rain has smeared her mascara, and water-slicked hair flattens to her head. She should look bedraggled, but she manages to be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.

I bend, tentative at first, even after last night. Even after making love to her again this morning when I chased her up the stairs. I approach slowly, giving her the chance to refuse, but she doesn’t. She meets me, eyes open, lips eager, hands bunched in my wet hair. It’s a freshwater kiss, made of rain and passion.  

WANT MORE? Click here to keep reading and to enter Kennedy’s cover reveal GIVEAWAY >>> http://bit.ly/sneakpeekKR 

Releasing October 28th

Pre-order the paperback today!

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“Another brilliantly written winner. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, you will not regret it.” —Kate Stewart, USA Today bestselling author 

Perfectly Adequate, an all-new must-read romantic comedy from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!   Check out my spoiler-free book review and an excerpt below. You can read this book for free on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited. 

Synopsis:

Dr. Elijah Hawkins needs … something. 

After his wife jumps headfirst into a midlife crisis, he’s left with his young son, Roman, and a lot of unanswered questions. 

That something turns out to be a someone—Dorothy Mayhem, nursing student, patient transporter, reckless driver, and emu owner. 

Dorothy studies humans, the neurotypical kind, through books and television. Then she emulates their behavioral patterns to fit in with her peers.

But nothing can prepare her for Dr. Elijah Hawkins. 

Single dad. 

Brilliant pediatric oncologist. 

And the sexiest doctor at the hospital. 

When his failed attempts at asking her out turn into a string of playdates with his son, Dorothy finds herself unexpectedly enamored with the boy and his father. 

And that’s a problem, a huge one, because Elijah’s ex-wife is a famous plastic surgeon—and Dorothy’s idol. 

Perfectly Adequate is a beautiful, hilarious, and heart-felt journey along the “human” spectrum. 

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://fave.co/2nBjHUi

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2mAIDuZ

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2OWq81s

Excerpt

“You can call me Eli.” 

She swallows hard. “I don’t actually think I can.” 

“Why not?” I force my gaze away from her mouth. 

The second our eyes meet, she averts her attention to her feet. “Because you’re half of the Hathaway-Hawkins duo.” 

This is a new one to me. “I’m divorced.”

“I know. I …” She makes an attempt to look at me, but her attention shifts to my temple then maybe my ear. “I mean you’re a brilliant doctor, and Dr. Hathaway is too—so brilliant. God, she’s just phenomenal. Like there are no words. But still … you change the lives of young children. You save them. You’re what every young person entering the medical field can only dream of becoming. You’ve earned the title. I can’t call you by your name. It’s too personal. I don’t know … almost intimate.” 

She has Julie on a really high pedestal. Me? Down a few pegs. Sounds about right for my life at the moment. It’s not that Julie doesn’t deserve to be on the pedestal. No matter how much I hate her, I still love her. And her skills as a pediatric plastic surgeon are unmatched. She deserves Dorothy’s admiration. 

But I don’t want to talk about medicine, accolades, and saving lives. I know … I know … how terrible of me. Sorry, but I need something for myself. Something personal and maybe a little selfish.

Definitely intimate. 

“I don’t need a babysitter for Roman.” 

She jerks her head back, giving me her full attention, eyes squinted, gaze locked to mine. “What?” 

I trap my top lip between my teeth, drowning in coconuts as my heart races, sending ample blood to all regions of my body. God … I just want—need—to kiss her. 

“Oh jeez …” She shakes her head, closing her eyes for a breath. “You invited me to dinner to … flirt.” Her eyes open to their widest point. 

A tiny laugh escapes me. I can’t help it. Everything about this woman feels like a rebirth. “I invited you to dinner because Roman really likes you. And I just can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for him. You’re so generous.”  

Gah! I suck at this! 

What is my problem? Yes. The answer is yes! Yes, Dorothy, I invited you over to flirt, maybe even kiss. And other things … 

“Oh.” She takes a step backward, stumbling a bit as the front door catches her, and more embarrassment tints her cheeks. “Well, now I feel stupid. Yes, of course you invited me here because Roman likes me. Duh. Now I just look like an idiot for assuming you wanted to flirt with me. And really, no need to thank me. My generosity is selfish. It makes me feel good to do nice things. That’s all. And really, you’ve bought me coffee and made me dinner again. It’s like I should be thanking you again. But that’s probably weird. So … I’ll just go now.”  

Really, really weird shit goes through my mind as she fidgets. Dr. Hawkins is nowhere to be found. Neither is Roman’s dad. Raging-puberty-hormones Eli Hawkins invades my head—both of them really. And I just want to kiss Dorothy. That’s the PG version of my thoughts. Most of them are R-rated. Worse than the R-rating. All I can think about are the ways Dorothy and I can be generous with each other, leading to never-ending thank-you’s that don't involve stationary, replacement scrubs, superhero capes, pasta dinners, lunch boxes … or clothing. 

 “Should we call it even? No more thank-you’s,” I suggest. 

“Okay.” She lifts her gaze, eyes going a little cross-eyed like her focus is centered on the bridge of my nose. 

“Okay.” I release a slow breath, but it does very little to relax all of my body. “Can I ask your age?” I’m not sure why I’ve been so chicken about asking her age. I think it worries me that she’s too young, and I’ll feel like a dirty old man having really inappropriate thoughts about her. 

“I’m thirty. Why?” 

“You just look young.” 

“I wear massive amounts of sunscreen.” 

I nod slowly. 

Just kiss her, you big chicken!

What if she doesn’t want to be kissed by me? Or flirt with me? I internally laugh at the memory of her comment and at myself for being just as awkward. Why does something so simple have to be so complicated? 

“I have a forty-five-minute drive home.” 

And school the next day. Where is my head?

Oh, that’s right …

“Of course. I’m sorry. I lost track of time.” 

“Okay.” She smiles. 

I love her okay’s. They feel like more than the average okay. 

“I’ll walk you out.” 

“Have you not closed all of your rings?” She holds up her wrist, signaling to her watch. 

I chuckle. “All rings were closed hours ago.” 

“We could track each other. Share our rings. Did you know that?” 

Rings. Kisses. Trips to the on-call room for sex. 

For the love of God … get your shit together, Elijah!

“Never mind. That’s weird.” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at herself just before opening the door and scurrying ten steps ahead of me. Her pace gains momentum with the hill of my driveway. 

My long strides catch up to her at the bottom of it. She looks both ways and bolts across the street to her car, clicks the locks, and opens her door. 

“Goodnight!” 

“Dorothy Mayhem … you’re killing me.” 

She turns just before ducking into the driver’s seat. 

“What do you mean?” 

Resting my hands on my hips, I drop my chin in defeat and stare at my untied gray canvas shoes. “What if I did ask you to dinner tonight to … flirt?” I glance up, digging my teeth into my bottom lip on a slight cringe. 

Her body remains stoic as her eyes shift from side to side, like she’s been caught on a hidden camera. “Well … then I wore the wrong outfit.” She refuses to look me in the eye. 

“I think you look amazing.” 

“Yes. But this is a playdate outfit. Maybe even one I’d wear to apply for a babysitter position. It’s fun, but wholesome. Practical and safe.” 

I just want to spend one day in her head. Everything about her fascinates the hell out of me. The curiosity gives me such a high. 

“Tell me about your flirting outfit.” 

“Well …” She clears her throat, keeping her focus on the big hill leading out of my development. And of course … her cheeks are perfectly flushed as she talks to the wind. “Since Romeo was involved, I would have chosen my red dress with white stripes. It hits just below my knees, but it’s strapless. And I would have worn my blue cardigan with it and matching blue wedge sandals with straps that tie around my ankles. Flirty … but appropriate for young eyes.” 

“And if Roman wouldn’t have been here tonight?”  I stare at the side of her head, wondering if she’ll look at me again before driving home. 

She narrows her eyes. “I would have taken off the cardigan after you invited me into your house.” 

The picture she paints in my head does all kinds of wicked things to me. Why imagining her in a striped strapless dress has such a physical effect on me is a mystery. It’s not like she suggested showing up wearing nothing but high heels and a trench coat. Dorothy Mayhem possesses her own brand of seduction, and I’m completely entangled in every part of it. 

“And in this scenario, would you have kissed me after I walked you to your car?” 

She turns completely red. I feel certain even her toes hidden in those blue shoes have to be red. “You’re making fun of me.” 

Her comment knocks me back a good ten steps, even if my body remains right next to her. Why would she say that? 

Review of Perfectly Adequate

Perfectly Adequate by Jewel E. Ann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is more than perfectly adequate this book is Jewel E. Ann perfection. Perfectly Adequate is one special book that will pull your heart in a full spectrum of emotions! It doesn’t matter if Jewel writes a dark romance or rom-com cuteness; this author is an automatic one-click for me. I don’t even bother to read a synopsis when I’m picking up one of her books; I always know it’s going to be one incredible journey of the heart and soul. 

About Jewel 

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business. 

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing. 

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Connect with Jewel

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jewel-e-ann

Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her mailing list: 

http://www.jeweleann.com/free-booksubscribe/

http://www.jeweleann.com

Park Avenue Player

Release date: September 23, 2019

A Standalone Contemporary Romance 

New York Times Bestselling Authors Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

PURCHASE LINKS:

Goodreads: https://fave.co/30h7VNf

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list: https://www.subscribepage.com/2FreeBooks

BLURB

It started out like any normal day.  

Then the fender bender happened.  

The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous.  Too bad he was also a total jerk.  We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.

Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways.  The insurance companies would have to figure things out.  I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.  

Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in.  The guy from the accident. 

Whoops!

Yeah, so I didn’t get the position.

The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids.

So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance. 

To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece.

At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed.  

But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.)

We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened.  

This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right?

Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs.

Ours was one I didn’t see coming.

Review of Park Avenue Player

Park Avenue Player by Penelope Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How do Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland create magic every time they write together? ViPen’s (Vi and Penelope) co-authored books are my favorite type of Kindle Crack. Park Avenue Player managed to channel the same vibes as Cocky Bastard, one of my all-time favorite books by the duo. Park Avenue Player was not only funny, sexy, and sweet but it also had a heartbreaking emotional plot twist that I didn’t see coming. Park Avenue Player is sure to become another ViPen unputdownable fan favorite. Best of 2019 and baaaaaa-yound… LOL. One-click worthy and completely addictive.

Park Avenue Player will release on 9.23 and will be available on Amazon and in the Kindle Unlimited program. Standalone/no cliffhanger.

#kindlecrack #parkavenueplayer