** Blog Tour / Book Review ** THE PROMISE HE MADE HER by Tara Taylor Quinn

The Promise He Made Her

4 1/2 STARS!

An emotion filled journey towards healing greets us as we delve into Tara Taylor Quinn’s newest novel!  It’s full of intrigue as we await retribution, but also packed with kindness as multiple people who have been touched by abuse in one way or another work toward a common goal.

Bloom Freelander overcame a lot to get to where she is today.  She has her own practice giving psychiatric help to victims of abuse from The Lemonade Stand shelter, and she’s come a long way in healing herself.  She’s really thrown for a loop when she finds out the safety she thought she had has come to an end and her ex-husband is out of prison!

Detective Sam Larson feels nothing but guilt over the fact that Bloom’s husband has been released.  He promised her she’d be safe if she testified against him, and he’s let her down.  He’ll do anything to make sure she’s not made into the victim again … including putting his life on hold to get her to a safe house and have her protected!

ARC received via Prism Book Tours

 

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

The Promise He Made Her
(Where Secrets are Safe #9)
by Tara Taylor Quinn
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
July 1st 2016 by Harlequin Superromance

A man of his word

Dr. Bloom Freelander thought it was safe to breathe again when Detective Sam Larson put her abusive ex away for good. She’s been moving on, running a private practice and providing psychiatry services to The Lemonade Stand women’s shelter. But now that her ex is a free man, she’s in danger once again.

Forced into protective custody, Bloom can’t help but fall for her protector. But she has every reason to doubt the handsome detective’s word. Sam broke his promise to her once. Who says he won’t break it again—along with her heart this time?

Other Books in the Series

Love by Association His First Choice (Where Secrets are Safe)

About the Author

The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. A 2015 RITA finalist Tara appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists, and multiple showings on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning.

Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

Are you a blogger and would like to join a future
Six Months of Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn tour event?
Find out more and sign up HERE!

Tour Schedule

July 10th: Launch
July 11th:
Harlequin Junkie
Cu’s eBook Giveaways
Book Reviews & More by Kathy
Books & Spoons
Maya’s Musings
July 12th:
Beck Valley Books
underneath the covers
Becky on Books
Ali Williams
July 13th:
EskieMama Reads
Lady Amber’s Reviews
deal sharing aunt
July 14th:
Thoughts of a Blonde
Harlie’s Books
Brooke Blogs
July 15th: Grand Finale

Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn Giveaways

THE PROMISE HE MADE HER TOUR GIVEAWAY75th Book Celebration Prize Pack (US only): Print book from the Where Secrets Are Safe Series, 75th Book Celebration US Tours swag, handmade bookmark (shown in image), and other goodies.
$10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends July 20th

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TTQ PRE-ORDER/PURCHASE KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY

ENTER HERE

Kindle Fire with Six Pre-loaded TTQ Books (books 1-6 from Where Secrets are Safe series)
US only
Ends August 31st

To Enter: Submit your receipt online for your pre-order or purchase of any of Tara Taylor Quinn’s six releases being promoted on her Heart Stopping Tour (Love By Association, His First Choice, The Promise He Made Her, Strangers in Paradise: Sheltered In His Arms, Sheltered In His Arms Audiobook, and For Love Or Money). Enter as many times as you purchase. One book purchase equals one entry (one receipt per entry and must be uploaded at time of entry).

TTQ HARLEQUIN MY REWARDS POINTS GIVEAWAY

1st Place: 25,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 5 free books, reader’s choice of any book published by Harlequin/MIRA/Carina Press.
2nd Place: 15,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 3 free books, reader’s choice
3rd Place: 10,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 2 free books, readers choice
Open internationally
Ends August 31st

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** Blog Tour / Book Review ** DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE by Susan Mallery

DaughtersoftheBride

5 STARS!

Susan Mallery has delighted me once again with her magical words woven into an engrossing story!  I did not want to put it down once I started reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Great characters, great family drama, and nice plot development that has us rooting for good things to happen to each of them, even though we might not have liked one or two in the beginning!

Three sisters are coming together to make sure their Mom receives the wedding day of her dreams!  They are each totally different and lead lives of their own, that often don’t complement the others, but in the end, they love each other … even if the other might not realize it to be the case!

Courtney Watson is the baby of the family and a total misfit.  She’s not gorgeously graceful or at the top of the list of successful women, but she’s good at keeping secrets!  Including the fact that she’s having a hot love affair with a top music producer from LA!  When her biggest secret yet is exposed, she rushes to pick up the pieces of broken trusts.

Sienna Watson is the middle daughter, quite the do-gooder, but also very judgemental.  She’s got a couple of failed engagements under her belt, and now her current boyfriend just popped the question … in front of her Mom & sisters!

Rachel Halcomb is the older daughter and feels like her world is falling apart.  She’s recently divorced and facing the feelings of failure at not having the happily ever after that she dreamed of, but when her ex starts stepping up his game to correct his flaws as well as pointing out some of the things she did wrong in the marriage too, she’s having to face some ugly truths … and decide if she wants to put herself out there to give him the second chance he wants!

Join them in their drama of getting to the wedding day, dealing with the secrets and dilemmas that sprout up along the way and making their way to a happy ending!

ARC received via RockStarPR

 

 

Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery

Date of Publication: July 12, 2016

Blurb

With Joy, Love, and a Little Trepidation Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You To the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother’s

Courtney ~ The Misfit ~

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she views herself—forever.

Sienna ~ The Free Spirit ~

When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does?

Rachel ~ The Cynic ~

Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily ever after.

A must-read for anyone who has survived the wedding of a sister, a mother, a daughter—as told by #1 New York Times bestselling author and master storyteller Susan Mallery!

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Bride-Susan-Mallery/dp/0373789718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466690479&sr=8-1&keywords=susan+mallery+daughters+of+the+bride

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughters-of-the-bride-susan-mallery/1123016762?ean=9780373799435

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/daughters-of-the-bride/id1063229178?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/daughters-of-the-bride

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27877466-daughters-of-the-bride


About Susan Mallery

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a tattletale toy poodle. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life. Visit her online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Find Susan Mallery Online

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** Blog Tour / Book Review ** RETURN TO MARKER RANCH by Claire McEwen

Return to Marker Ranch

4 STARS!

In Book 2 in her Sierra Legacy series Claire McEwen takes us back to Marker Ranch to bring us Wade’s story.  It was fun to see Nora & Todd again and to see Wade continue on his journey to healing from his PTSD that we saw him start in Book 1.

Wade Hoffman broke Lori Allen’s heart all those years ago when he left town, so she’s not happy to see that he’s back  … especially when she finds out that he ran her well dry!  She’s working hard to prove herself now that she’s taken over her dad’s ranch, and she doesn’t need any more roadblocks than she’s already had.

Wade is happy to see Lori again.  In all those years that he was serving his country, he never forgot about her, or his need to apologize for how he left.

Can Wade put his life back in order enough to feel like he’s a complete enough man to have anything to offer Lori?  And will Lori be able to forgive him for leaving her high and dry?

ARC received via Prism Book Tours

 

 

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Return to Marker Ranch (Sierra Legacy)Return to Marker Ranch
(Sierra Legacy #2)
by Claire McEwen
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
July 1st 2016 by Harlequin Superromance

This is one reunion both of them could do without

This is the chance she’s been waiting for to prove she can run her family’s ranch. And despite her many doubters, Lori Allen knows she’s doing a good job. Until the man who once broke her heart—Wade Hoffman—runs her well dry! And it turns out he’s got as much to prove as she does. After serving his country, Wade’s back to rebuild his family’s reputation and win his battle with PTSD.

With so much to lose, neither can afford to give in to temptation. But to succeed they must let go of old heartache and face up to bringing out each other’s worst, along with the best. And what doesn’t kill them…

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

The First Book in the Series

Wild HorsesWild Horses
(Sierra Legacy #1)
by Claire McEwen
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
March 1st 2016 by Harlequin Superromance

This wild stallion can’t be tamed

Todd Williams is still the naive idealist he was in college. Only now he’s endangering lives—Nora Hoffman’s to be exact. Nora hasn’t seen Todd since he decided that saving the rain forest was more important than their relationship. Until the night she’s nearly crushed by the stampede he causes. Now Todd is determined to make amends, for everything.

She may not agree with his methods, but even Nora can’t deny the importance of his fight to save the wild horses. With the attraction between them still sizzling and the fate of the horses in the balance, Nora must decide just how much she’s willing to risk.

Claire McEwen lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier. When not dreaming up new stories, she can be found digging in her garden with a lot of enthusiasm but, unfortunately, no green thumb.

Claire enjoys discovering flea-market treasures, walking on the beach, dancing, traveling, and reading, of course! She loves to write complex heroes and heroines, who grow and find themselves through their search for love.

Tour Schedule

July 1st: Launch
July 3rd: Becky on Books & Nicole’s Book Musings
July 5th: Mythical Books
July 6th: Brooke Blogs
July 7th: EskieMama Reads
July 8th: Thoughts of a Blonde & 23 Review Street
July 10th: underneath the covers
July 11th: Colorimetry
July 12th: deal sharing aunt
July 13th: Wishful Endings
July 14th: Harlie’s Books
July 15th: Beck Valley Books
July 17th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon eGift Card
1 copy of the first book in the series, Wild Horses (print if US, ebook if outside the US)
Open internationally
Ends July 22nd

Grab Our Button!

** Blog Tour / Release Blitz ** THE BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR by Jessica Lemmon

VT-BillionaireBachelor-JLemmon_FINAL

The Billionaire Bachelor
Billionaire Bad Boys #1

By: Jessica Lemmon

Releasing June 28, 2016
Forever

The-Billionaire-Bachelor-cover

BLURB:

Indecent Proposal

Manwhore. That’s what the board of directors-and the tabloids-thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn’t care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing-and no one-will keep him from his life’s legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that’s exactly what he’ll give them.

Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents’ funky boutique hotel back-even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It’s a simple business contract-six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband . . .

 

TBB 1

 

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/05/the-billionaire-bachelor-billionaire.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27170163-the-billionaire-bachelor

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/179156-billionaire-bad-boys

 

TBB 2

 

Buy Links:        Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Bachelor-Billionaires-Bad-Boys-ebook/dp/B0169ATKA0/

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-billionaire-bachelor-jessica-lemmon/1122758435?ean=9781455566549

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jessica_Lemmon
_The_Billionaire_Bachelor?id=uAyuCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-billionaire-bachelor/id1048804006?mt=11

Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-billionaire-bachelor

 

TBB 3

 

EXCERPT:

Even with her nostrils flared, Merina forced a smile. There was only one way past this gatekeeper. She called up an ounce of poise—an ounce being the most she could access at the moment. “Merina Van Heusen to see Reese Crane.”

“Ms. Van Heusen,” the woman said, her tone flat, her eyes going to the doorknob in Merina’s hand. “You’re here regarding the changes to the hotel, I presume.”

“You got it,” Merina said, barely harnessing her anger. How come everyone was so damn calm about dismantling a town landmark?

“Have a seat.” Crane’s bulldog gestured one manicured hand at a group of cushy white chairs, her mouth frowning in disgust as she took in Merina’s dishevelment. “Perhaps I could fetch you a towel first.”

“I won’t be sitting.” She wasn’t about to be put in her place by Reese’s underling. Then her prayers were answered as the set of gleaming wooden doors behind the secretary’s desk parted like the Red Sea.

Jackpot.

Merina barreled forward as the woman at the desk barked, “Excuse me!”

Merina ignored her. She wouldn’t be delayed another second…or so she thought. She stopped short when a woman in a very tight red dress, the neckline plunging into plentiful cleavage, her heels even higher and potentially more expensive than Merina’s Louboutins, swept out of the office and gave her a slow, mascaraed blink back. Then she sashayed around Merina, past the bulldog, and left behind a plume of perfume.

Interesting.

Reese’s latest date? An escort? If Merina believed the local tabloids, one and the same. Paying for dates certainly wasn’t above his pay grade.

Before the doors closed, she slipped into Reese’s office.

“Ms. Van Heusen!” came a bark behind her, but Reese, who stood facing the windows and looking out upon downtown, said three words that instantly shut his secretary up.

“She’s fine, Bobbie.”

Merina smirked back at the sour-faced, coal-eyed secretary as Reese’s office doors whooshed shut.

“Merina, I presume.” Reese still hadn’t turned. His posture was straight, jacket and slacks impeccably tailored to his muscular, perfectly proportioned body. Shark or not, the man could wear a suit. She’d seen the photos of him in the Trib as well as Luxury Stays, the hotel industry’s leading trade magazine, and like every other woman in Chicago, she hadn’t missed the gossip about him online. Like his more professional photos, his hands were sunk into his pant pockets, and his wavy, dark hair was styled and perfect.

Clearly the woman who had just left was here on other business…or past business. If something more clandestine was going on, Reese would appear more mussed. Then again, he probably didn’t muss his hair during sex. From what she gleaned about him via the media, Reese probably didn’t allow his hair to muss.

The snarky thought paired with a vision of him out of that suit, stalking naked and primed, golden muscles shifting with each long-legged step. Sharp, navy eyes focused only on her…

He turned to face her and she snapped out of her imaginings and blinked at the stubble covering a perfectly angled jaw. What was it about that hint of dishevelment on his otherwise perfect visage that made her breath catch?

Thick dark brows jumped slightly as his eyes zoomed in on her chest.

She sneered before venturing a glance down at her sodden silk shirt. Where she saw the perfect outline of both nipples. A tinge of heat lit her cheeks, and she crossed her arms haughtily, glaring at him as best she could while battling embarrassment.

“Seems this April morning is colder than you anticipated,” he drawled.

 

TBB 4

 

AUTHOR INFO:

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.

 Jessica Lemmon (2)

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://www.jessicalemmon.com/

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

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/lemmony

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/jlemmony

 

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway (a Print Set of RESCUING THE BAD BOY and RETURN OF THE BAD BOY, along with a $10 Starbucks Gift Card)
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** SPOTLIGHT ** Harlequin Heartwarming author KATE JAMES ** Blog Tour for WHEN I FOUND YOU **

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

When I Found You (K-9 Trilogy, #3)When I Found You
(K-9 Trilogy #3)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 365 pages
July 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Is she part of the solution…or the problem?

It could be a terrorist threat. Or is it some other sinister plot? An unprecedented rash of security breaches at San Diego’s international airport is putting passengers at risk and bringing the competence of the airport’s chief of security, Ariana Atkins, into question. With explosives the weapon of choice, police K-9 unit captain Logan O’Connor and his bomb detection dog, Boomer, might be Ariana’s best, if not only, line of defense. Logan is certain his belief in Ariana, and his growing love for her, aren’t misplaced…but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s misjudged someone’s intentions.

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

MY REVIEW:  http://thoughtsofablonde.com/?p=5527

Other Books in the Series

When the Right One Comes Along (K-9 Trilogy, #1)When the Right One Comes Along
(K-9 Trilogy #1)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 293 Pages
October 1st 2015 by Harlequin

Brought together by disaster. Kept together by love.

In the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, it’s chaos for trauma surgeon Jessica Hansen. Among the many victims, one patient stands out—San Diego Police K-9 search and rescue officer Cal Palmer.

Cal vows to help Kayla, a child orphaned by the disaster. But he needs Jessica’s help. Will their shared concern for Kayla and for Cal’s canine partner, Scout, allow them to put aside their personal torments and discover the difference love can make?

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

MY REVIEW:  http://thoughtsofablonde.com/?p=385

When Love Matters Most (The K-9 Trilogy, #2)When Love Matters Most
(K-9 Trilogy #2)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 368 pages
January 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Keeping her safe at all costs

Could their backgrounds be any more different? Rick Vasquez, a K-9 unit sergeant with the San Diego Police Department, fled drug-related violence in Mexico as a boy. Madison Long, who recently became primary veterinarian to the SDPD’s canines, is the privileged daughter of a judge. Rick has dedicated his life to curtailing cross-border drug trafficking and preventing other young boys from being drawn into the dark world of the cartels.

But everything Rick and Madison value, and the growing love between them, is threatened by the dangers of Rick’s job, and the risks he’s determined to take…

Kate James spent much of her childhood abroad before attending university in Canada. She built a successful business career, but her passion has always been literature. As a result, Kate turned her energy to her love of the written word. Her writing has been recognized with a number of awards, including first place honors for Silver Linings in both the First Coast Romance Writers’ Published Beacon Contest and Ancient City Romance Authors’ Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award. Her November 2014 Harlequin Heartwarming release, A Child’s Christmas, received first-place honors from Southern Magic, the Birmingham Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, for the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, placed second in the Ancient City Romance Authors’ Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, and was a finalist in RWA’s Desert Rose Chapter’s Golden Quill Award and the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence. Finally, her October 2015 release, When the Right One Comes Along, the first book in her K-9 trilogy, has received a Best Book of 2015 award in the contemporary category.

She and her husband, Ken, enjoy traveling and the outdoors with their beloved Labrador Retrievers, Harley and Logan.

Kate would love to hear from you! You can connect with her by e-mail, through her website, her Facebook page, Twitter, or mail at PO Box 446, Schomberg, ON, L0G 1T0, Canada.

Tour Schedule

July 6th: Katie’s Clean Book Collection, Thoughts of a Blonde & Slice of Life
July 7th: Getting Your Read On
July 8th: Becky on Books
July 10th: Christy’s Cozy Corners
July 11th: EskieMama Reads
July 11th: Brooke Blogs
July 12th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
July 12th: Wishful Endings
July 13th: Mel’s Shelves
July 14th: 23 Review Street & Hardcover Feedback
July 15th: deal sharing aunt
July 17th: underneath the covers & Falling Leaves
June 18th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

US/CAN PRIZE PACK: one K-9 trilogy women’s T-shirt, tote bag and a mug, a signed copy of the award-winning first book in the trilogy, When the Right One Comes Along, a signed copy of The Truth About Hope, signed book plates and a bag of Tim Horton’s coffee.

-Open to US/CAN only
-Ends July 24th

Grab Our Button!

 

 

INTERVIEW with Harlequin Heartwarming author KATE JAMES

It’s my pleasure to host Kate James today on her Blog Tour for her brand new book WHEN I FOUND YOU, available both in print and digital in the links provided above!  Thanks for being here Kate!  I have loved this entire K-9 series and am thrilled there is another one in the works!

I previously read and reviewed all three in the series, so I left a “MY REVIEW HERE” link underneath all 3 book descriptions above in case any of you missed my recommendations.

And now a little bit of getting to know Kate!  …

 

***************

 

Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Lynn, and for all your wonderful support of Harlequin Heartwarming. I’m thrilled to be here!

 

  1. We all know you are a dog lover … tell us about your babies!

Oh, my gosh! How much time do you (and the readers of your blog) have?!?!

My husband and I met because of our love of dogs and . . . well . . . because of the dogs we loved. Our blended family consisted of our Alaskan Malamute, Casper, German Shepherd, Kylie, and yellow Labrador Retriever, Buster.

1

It was heart wrenching when we had to say goodbye to them one-by-one. We didn’t think we were ready to add to our family again, but two young black Labs proved us wrong.

2

They came into our lives unplanned. They were fourteen and sixteen months respectively when we first met them, intelligent and with great temperaments. They’d been held back by the breeder for show and breeding, but she’d decided to sell them. Looking into their adoring chocolate-brown eyes, we knew instantly that their forever-home would be with us.

It was my editor, Paula Eykelhof, who first commented on how wonderful it was that we had brought these rescue dogs into our lives. I protested that they weren’t rescue dogs. After all, they’d been cared for and never abused. But, as with most things, Paula was right. Having lived their entire lives in kennels, their behaviors told their own story, as we gradually introduced them to the big wide world.

I have never crated a dog before, but Harley and Logan needed the comfort and security. Over two years later, they still love to spend time in their kennels, but they prefer to curl up, or stretch out, together in one kennel.

3          4

They have their own cushy beds in our bedroom, but still tend to share one. And, yes, they like to sleep on their backs . . . or on top of each other.

5          6          7

And during the day, they seek out the warmth of the sunshine and snuggle.

8          9          11          12

Logan can’t bear to be without us and would love to be able to curl up in our laps.

Harley sees a butterfly (or anything resembling one) and a little switch trips in his head and all else ceases to exist in his world. We’ve had to install a fence at the back of our property, where there is a steep incline, to keep him from running over it!

Logan’s need to be close has resulted in a damaged laptop screen. (I’ll spare you the details!)

13

Yes, that’s a tooth mark on the left middle.

Harley’s predilection for chasing butterflies has caused more than a few trampled perennials.

14 BEFORE

 

15AFTER

 

Here is a video clip of Harley at our cottage. You’ll hear my husband’s voice after Harley catches a Frisbee but abandons the game to pursue a butterfly: http://youtu.be/MwRVhfIdMSQ. Clearly, Harley does not yet consistently heed his master’s voice . . . it’s that little switch thing! 😉

Harley and Logan have come so far in the years they have been with us, and continue to delight us each and every day. A computer screen is easily replaced and perennials grow back, but the unconditional love and affection they bring into our lives is limitless and unparalleled.

 

  1. Is there a particular author that you remember being the first that drew you into being a fan of the Romance genre?

I have to say that (although not strictly romance) I love Nora Roberts’s books. I just finished The Obsession, and (please refer to the above question about my love of dogs) my favorite character in the book is Tag, the dog. He even has a pivotal role in the conclusion of the book! 🙂

 

  1. If you could visit one place in the world that you have never been, where would it be?

I love to travel, and I have been fortunate to have visited and lived in some wonderful places. I have not been to the South Pacific yet, and I would love to visit Bora Bora. It might be where my husband and I celebrate our tenth anniversary next year!

 

  1. And speaking of travel … any exciting plans for the summer?

When the weather is nice in Ontario, we like to stay relatively close to home. This is a picture of my view right now, as I type my responses to your questions.

16

We tend to do most of our leisure travel when the weather is inclement in Ontario. The next trip we have booked right now is to St. Lucia with friends from Texas to celebrate our ninth anniversary. Of course, I will be in San Diego in July for RWA 2016!

 

  1. What projects do we have to look forward to with you?

Mid-June, I submitted the manuscript for my next release, which will likely be the first book in a mini-series set in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains region, the heroine’s home being loosely based on our cottage in Ontario (please see picture below).

17

For readers who enjoyed my K-9 trilogy, here’s a nice little surprise! When I submitted my most recent proposal to Harlequin, they added an extra book to my contract. It will be the fourth book in the K-9 trilogy! I suppose we’ll have to start calling it the “K-9 series!” It’s the story of rookie K-9 officer, Shannon Clemens, and her rookie police service dog, Darwin, both of whom readers will have a chance to get to know a little in When I Found You!

 

  1. What is the most recent movie that you went to the theater to see?

I have to be honest that I prefer to read over watching movies, but my husband and I went with close friends to see X-Men: Apocalypse.

 

Thank you, again, Lynn, for inviting me to your blog!

Best wishes and happy reading!

 

**********

Thanks for being here Kate!  Can’t wait to see Shannon’s story come to life in that added on K-9 book and I’m sure you’ll get us all wrapped up in your Adirondack Mountains one(s) soon! 🙂  Best of luck to you on great success with this new book, and on enjoying a beautiful summer there in your slice of heaven.

 

** Release Day Blitz ** July DARE TO LOVE Kindle World Releases

 
 
Dreaming Up A Dare by Catherine Gayle
 
 
Hockey star Jackson Maddox and gymnast Pepper Winters have been best friends since
childhood…

Just friends.

 

When Jackson needs a date to a prestigious party, he calls upon his petite and
dazzling BFF to be his arm candy for the night. Nothing could be better than
walking into a room with Pepper on his arm. Jackson won’t ever admit how he
really feels about her, because they’re…

Just friends.

 

With her gymnastics career over, Pepper welcomes a chance to let her freak flag
fly—especially with Jackson by her side. Pepper can’t confess she’s loved him
since childhood. He’s her best friend, and there’s no reason to jeopardize what
they’ve got. But they’re still…
Just friends.
But when a seemingly harmless game of Truth or Dare gets a little too close and
entirely too personal, can Jackson dream up a dare that could give them both
what they really want?
  
Do You Dare by Chris Keniston
 
 
Billionaire businessman Chancellor Winston can pay for anything he needs…or wants. When his college buddy, Ian Dare, challenges him to experience how ‘normal people’ live by posing as an employee at the South Florida resort Chance’s company just acquired, Chance can’t resist. But having it all doesn’t mean he knows it all.  Undercover and in over his head, Chance is learning money can’t buy everything—especially love.

 Single mother Faith Gifford is walking on eggshells.  The resort where she’s the Head of Housekeeping has sold.  Sweeping changes are coming and her job might be on the chopping block. When she meets the new management trainee, the attraction is palpable and the heat undeniable. He’s even great with her young son. Faith is falling fast, but when Chance’s secret comes to light, will it prove to be the one bridge they can’t cross?

Daring to Win by Jami Davenport
 
 
One day away from living on the streets, former pro football
player Jake Hudgins has sunk to an all-time low. When he’s offered a job in a
fledging program to transition athletes at the end of their playing careers, he
jumps on it, even though the offer was made to the financially-sound man he’d
once been, not the broke one he is now. Taxed with being a good example for
young athletes, Jake is a fraud, and his co-worker is suspicious.
 
Aggie Hermann has come to terms with never being a size 6 or
even a size 12. She’s made peace with her body and avoids men who see women as
objects instead of looking deeper. Her new coworker, Jake, appears to be the
superficial variety, and he has a secret. Aggie’s certain of that, even as she
struggles with the irresistible attraction between them.
 
Working closely together to get the job done ignites Jake and
Aggie’s passion until the resulting fire is sure to burn them both. Can their
love survive the fallout when Jake’s secret is revealed, or will it be reduced
to ashes?
 
Dare’s Wild by Parker Kincade
 
 
Hotshot tight end Tanner Wild gives new meaning to the phrase play hard. Living the high life in Los Angeles, he blew through clubs and women as fast as he took down a defensive end—until his antics off the field landed him on the chopping block. A wild card no team was willing to play, save one—the Miami Thunder, his hometown team.
 
Out of options, Tanner returns to Miami, bitter in the face of the ramifications brought on by his own behavior, not to mention the memories of his high school sweetheart. The only woman he’s ever loved. The woman he spent the last ten years trying to forget.
 
Realtor Abby Nash thought she’d seen the last of Tanner Wild the day he dumped her for the greener pastures of college women. When her boss makes a sudden and not-so-subtle request that she help Tanner find a house, years-old heartache boils to the surface.
 
But when she sees Tanner the explosive chemistry between them is too hard to resist. Even after ten years, he knows just how to touch her. How to make her forget the past and yearn for the future…a future doomed to repeat history if she can’t learn to trust him again.

A Dare Without Regret by Wendy S Marcus

 
 
Ryan Monighan is one of the most popular players on the Miami
Thunder Football Team. An all-star running back, he always makes time for his
fans. They want a picture? He smiles pretty. An autograph? He’s always got a
marker handy. Sex? If she turns him on, then heck yeah! Too bad the only thing
sexy, sassy Kiley Ivers wants from him is the one thing he will
not do for a fan. And she won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
 
Kiley Ivers is barely keeping it together. After losing her
family in a tragic car accident, she’s left alone to run the family bakery and
care for her thirteen-year-old nephew, Tyler. The sole survivor, he’s stuck in
the hospital, depressed and in pain. And Kiley will do anything to get his
favorite football player to stop by for a visit to cheer Tyler up. Even go out
on a date with him.
 
When things heat up between them, Kiley is on board with a short
fling, as long as Tyler doesn’t find out. She plans to be a respectable
guardian for her impressionable young nephew. Unfortunately, nothing in Ryan’s
life stays secret for long.
 

** Blog Tour / Book Review ** DRIVE YOU WILD by Jennifer Bernard

DriveyouWildCover

4 1/2 STARS!

In the third book in her Love Between the Bases series, Jennifer Bernard brings us the sweet story of bad boy Trevor Stark meeting his match!  This series as a whole has great characters and she brings them to life in such a fun filled way that you devour the book quickly, smile often and leave feeling happy!

Left-fielder for the Kilby Catfish, Trevor Stark loves the game!  He is a no nonsense type of player who focuses on winning.  He should be playing in the major league, but every time the San Diego Friars are just about to come calling, he sabotages himself.

Paige Taylor returns to Kilby, Texas to drown her sorrows in something different for a change.  She’s newly divorced and wants to reconnect with her dad, Catfish owner Crush Taylor.  She doesn’t expect to make a connection with bad boy Trevor Stark right off the bat!

When secrets are exposed, and danger is near, will Trevor be able to live up to his potential for the first time in his life instead of holding himself back for the benefit of others?  Has Paige finally found the athlete of her dreams?

** ARC received via Tasty Book Tours **

 

 

 

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Drive You Wild
Love Between the Bases #3
By: Jennifer Bernard

Releasing June 28, 2016
Avon

 

BLURB:

It’s game on for love in the third novel of USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Bernard’s sexy, baseball-themed series.

Kilby Catfish left-fielder Trevor Stark is a ballpark legend. With his good looks, hitting records, and played-for-the-fans arrogance, Trevor makes women lose their minds and men lose their cool. But every time the major league team comes calling, Trevor purposely keeps himself in the tiny Texas town. Why is heart-tuggingly top secret. Until the team owner’s daughter comes to Kilby . . . trying everything up her sexy sleeve to make Trevor talk.
Divorced and disillusioned at twenty-four, Paige Mattingly Austin Taylor is suddenly starting fresh as an intern at Catfish Stadium. She should want nothing to do with the sinfully hot ballplayer her dad warned her to stay away from. But when she discovers what Trevor is hiding from everyone, she realizes there’s much more to him than his face and multi-million-dollar arm. There’s a heart she seriously hopes to win.

 

 

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/05/drive-you-wild-love-between-bases-3-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27161181-drive-you-wild

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/136342-love-between-the-bases

 

Buy Links:     Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062372203/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drive-you-wild-jennifer-bernard/1123457507

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jennifer_Bernard
_Drive_You_Wild?id=b6qpCgAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drive-you-wild/id1046759400?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/drive-you-wild
_DPP0190

AUTHOR INFO:

Jennifer Bernard is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.

 

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website: http://jenniferbernard.net/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jen_bernard

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5263027.Jennifer_Bernard

 

EXCERPT:

“Are you afraid of the mighty Crush Taylor?” She took another step closer. “He’s not as bad as he seems, you know.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” He placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from coming any closer. Her warmth carried into his skin, into his being, as if it was igniting him from within.

“And I’m not afraid of you.” She ducked underneath his hands in a quick move right out of the NBA. He took a step back and his calves hit the bench situated next to the lockers. She reached out in apology and suddenly they were right smack against each other, chest-to-chest.

Fire flashed down his spine, hot and urgent. He hauled her against him—oh, sweet Lord, she felt good. Soft and firm and shapely and alive and fresh and . . . then her mouth was under his, her lips parting, her breath warm, her flesh lush and sweet. It wasn’t a kiss so much as a head rush.

~~

Paige posted the first series of “Baseball’s Hottest Outfield” photos on the team’s Facebook page the next day. A few hours later a thousand people had clicked Like. Not only that, but the viewership of the page soared. It was shared all over the Internet, on Pinterest, on Twitter, on Instagram. It wasn’t just that the three men were criminally gorgeous. A big part of the appeal came from their racial mix and the blend of personalities. Trevor the stone-cold badass, Dwight the dynamic charmer, and Shizuko, the soulful rock star.

Paige knew it was all a crock, of course. Trevor wasn’t stone cold, Dwight wasn’t playful all the time, and Shizuko could outcrude most of the clubhouse, and that was saying something. But once those identities became set, people loved them. They were like cartoon characters instead of real people.

At the next game, the crowd roared when the outfielders took their positions on the field. Fans held up even more signs than they normally did. From the owner’s box, Paige scanned the crowd with her binoculars and read the signs out loud to Crush.

“ ‘Kilby Hearts Baseball’s Hottest Outfield.’ Thank you very much, we heart you too! ‘We make ’em hot in Kilby, Texas.’ That might be taking a little too much credit. None of them are from here.”

 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

Three (3) Book Bundle Giveaways consisting of CAUGHT BY YOU, DRIVE YOU WILD and a baseball keychain

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** Release Day Blitz ** GUNSLINGER by Angi Morgan

 

Gunslinger
by Angi Morgan
Series: Texas Rangers: Elite Troop, #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Mass Market Paperback Release Date: June 21, 2016
Digital Release Date: July 1, 2016

 

 

A Texas Ranger with everything to lose… 

Going undercover to keep the former wife of a Texas crime boss alive is risky business for Texas Ranger Bryce Johnson. Kylie Scott may have evidence that could put her ex-husband’s family away forever. If she lives long enough to testify.

For five years, Kylie managed to stay off the mob’s radar. With her cover blown, the former model is forced to flee the close-knit community that had embraced her. On the run again—this time with the seductive lawman who’s risking his career to protect her—Kylie battles her powerful desire for Bryce. If they survive, do they stand a snowball’s chance at a future together?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANGI MORGAN loves her cowboy covers but if you ask her she’ll tell you she writes Texans in Texas. Her  work is a multiple contest finalist and Publisher’s Weekly best seller. She drags her dogs –and husband– around Texas for research road trips so she can write off her camera. They now have a map with highlighted roads they’ve traveled. Every detour somehow makes it into a book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

** Blog Tour / Book Review ** BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: MICK by Melissa Foster

Fashion portrait of beautiful young lovers

5 STARS!

SIZZLING!  As the first book in the Bad Boys series, this was first foray into Melissa Foster’s “After Dark” world, and it will NOT be my last.  She writes her characters with such a realness to them. You can feel their emotions as you read, you find yourself smiling when they interact, and you can feel the tension as they go through the ups and downs of figuring out what they are to each other. Looking forward to reading the rest of the Bad brother’s stories!

Paralegal Amanda Jenner is bored!  She’s tired of being the good girl and putting up with the boring men that she seems to draw like a magnet.  She wants more … she wants hot sex!  She’s dolled up and ready to try out her new vixen moves at a masquerade bar crawl!

Entertainment attorney Mick Bad is having a bad week and just wants to unwind with a hot woman!  He sees a sexy blonde across the room and decides he has to have her.  After partly ravishing her at the party, Mick sees something that clues him in to the fact that the woman in his arms is his employee!

Amanda has been crushing on Mick for three years, but he never mixes business with pleasure and is nothing but professional with her … until now!  After realizing who each other is, they agree to have a very short term fling since they’ve already been this far with each other.  Will Amanda be the person that can tear down the barriers Mick’s past has made him erect around himself?

ARC received via Tasty Book Tours

 

 

BT-BBADMick-MFoster_FINAL

Bad Boys After Dark: Mick
Bad Boys After Dark #1
By: Melissa Foster

Releasing June 22, 2016
World Literary Press


BLURB:

Indulge your inner vixen…

Meet the Bad Boys… Four sinfully sexy, fiercely loyal, uber alpha brothers about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies. If dirty talk, cursing, or raw, passionate sex turns you off, the After Dark books are not for you, because everything’s naughtier after dark.

***

Amanda Jenner is done being a boring-man magnet and has finally taken control of her love life. As any smart paralegal would, she’s researched the hell out of how to seduce a man. She’s waxed, primped, and ready to put her newfound skills into action—and a masquerade bar crawl is the perfect venue for her solo coming-out party.

Entertainment attorney Mick Bad lives by two hard and fast rules. He never mixes business with pleasure, and he doesn’t do relationships, which makes the anonymity of a masquerade bar crawl the perfect place for a onetime hookup.

Amanda thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she bags a tall, dark, and sinfully delicious masked man—until she discovers the man she’s made out with is her off-limits boss. Mick’s already crossed a line he can never uncross, and one taste of sweet and sexy Amanda has only whet his appetite. When Mick offers to give Amanda a lesson in seduction—no strings, no regrets, and for goodness’ sake, come Monday, no quitting—the tables turn, and Mick’s totally unprepared for the lessons this sweet temptress provides.

 

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/04/bad-boys-after-dark-mick-bad-boys-2-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24779631-bad-boys-after-dark

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/146134-bad-boys-after-dark

 

Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo   

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Boys-After-Dark-Mick/dp/1941480403

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bad-boys-after-dark-melissa-foster/1123162563?ean=9781941480403

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Melissa_Foster
_Bad_Boys_After_Dark_Mick?id=zNMPCwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bad-boys-after-dark-mick/id1063338005?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bad-boys-after-dark-mick

 

mel author photo headshot400

AUTHOR INFO:


Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance, and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, perfect beach reads, and always family oriented.

 

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster

 

BBAD_Mick

 

EXCERPT:

LURED BY THE pulse of sex and anonymity, Amanda Jenner moved through the dusky bar, brushing against silk, satin, cotton, and flesh, each graze feeding the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Blue lights misted over sweaty strangers lost in the seductive bump and grind of foreplay and hoping for a night of erotic pleasure. If Amanda tried hard enough, she could smell tomorrow’s scent du jour—regret. Tonight she had no room for the confidence-crushing worry of what tomorrow would bring. She scanned the crowd, as she had in the previous three bars, immediately dismissing anyone who wasn’t in costume. Her world was full of boring men who excelled at wining, dining, and boring her to sleep. Ten years of romance novels and movies had led her astray, sending her on a search for the elusive needle in a haystack. She’d led herself astray, always the careful thinker, careful dresser. Or as her younger sister, Ally, would say, Careful kisser, careful lover. Ally, however, had taken charge of her sex life—and she’d found the perfect man.

Now it’s my turn.

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Two Winners will receive a print copy of 1001 DARK NIGHTS: DARING HER LOVE

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** Blog Tour / Book Review ** HANGING BY A THREAD by Jenna Sutton

HangingByAThread_cover

5 STARS!

I have loved all of the Riley O’Brien & Company books that I have read, but this one was the best yet!  There’s just something about these two that ingrain themselves into your heart from the moment you see their interaction on the first page, even if you haven’t read any of the previous books with them playing small parts in them.  What a great family behind this series!

We met Bebe Banerjee in Teagan’s story as her quirky best friend.  She’s a super smart, fun loving friend … who happens to be withering away because she’s still a virgin at 30!  She’s determined to have her fun and live it up while she’s trying to get rid of the arranged marriage plans her family made for her years ago.  Imagine her surprise when the man she’s been crushing on for years steps in and offers to be her first!

Cal O’Brien is Teagan’s brother and the man Bebe has been sparring with for years!  They act like they hate each other, but little does anyone know, it’s all a cover.  She is trying to not let him see how much she likes him, and he’s feeding off of her attitude and returning the animosity!  She’s wanted him for years, and now he’s offering himself up on a silver platter!

When they let their guard down and start spending time together, they have a blast and really enjoy each other.  As they fall deeper and don’t want their time to end, will news of her secret engagement ruin everything?

ARC received via Tasty Book Tours

 

 

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Hanging by a Thread
Riley O’Brien & Co. #3
By: Jenna Sutton

Releasing June 7, 2016
Berkley Sensation

 

BLURB:

Thirty-year-old Bebe Banerjee is desperate to get rid of two things: her fiancé and her virginity. Escaping her arranged marriage might be impossible, but she refuses to give her firsts to an entitled jerk who lives on another continent. Instead, she devises a plan that guarantees another man will get her momentous firsts. But she never imagined that man would be Cal O’Brien, the gorgeous heir to the Riley O’Brien & Co. denim empire…

Although Cal has always been fascinated by Bebe’s brilliant mind and beautiful eyes, he’s never pursued her. She can’t stand the sight of him, and every time they’re in the same room, they end up trading insults. Yet when he finds out about Bebe’s bold plan, he makes his move, unaware of her upcoming nuptials. He promises to make her firsts unforgettable, but he doesn’t know how hard it will be to forget her when their arrangement ends.

 HBAT_Teaser-1

 

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/04/hanging-by-thread-riley-obrien-co-3-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26841662-hanging-by-a-thread

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/139126-riley-o-brien-co

 

 HBAT_Teaser-2

 

Buy Links:     Amazon | B & N |GoogleiTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DLUR44

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hanging-by-a-thread-jenna-sutton/1122676522?ean=9780425279977

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jenna_Sutton
_Hanging_by_a_Thread?id=1_GMCgAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hanging-by-a-thread/id1040020942?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/hanging-by-a-thread-12

 

HBAT_Teaser-3

 

EXCERPT:

Chaste. Untouched. Maiden. Pure. Innocent. The words that described a virgin might sound pretty, but the truth was downright ugly, at least in Bebe Banerjee’s opinion. She was convinced her virginity was the reason her heart raced, her breath seized, and her palms sweated whenever she was near Cal O’Brien.

Bebe surreptitiously studied Cal, trying to ignore the wave of lust that surged over her. If she’d had some experience between the sheets, she was sure she’d be able to handle the way he made her feel.

If she had gotten naked with a few guys, maybe she wouldn’t obsess about his glacier-blue eyes and his thick, dark hair. Maybe she wouldn’t notice the way his jeans clung to his tight behind and long legs. Maybe she wouldn’t fantasize about his lips, his smile, his big hands . . .

Bebe desperately wished she could just avoid him, but his little sister, Teagan, was her best friend. If she wanted to spend time with Teagan, she had to put up with Cal. She said no to a lot of Teagan’s invitations to hang out because of him, and she had to be very careful not to offend her best friend.

That was why the object of her X-rated fantasies stood next to her in a club-level suite at PacBell Park. The San Francisco Giants were in the playoffs, battling against the Atlanta Braves to win the National League pennant, and Teagan had invited her to attend the game in the Riley O’Brien & Co. suite.

Founded by Teagan’s great-great-grandfather, Riley O’Brien & Co. was the nation’s oldest designer and manufacturer of blue jeans. Americans had worn Rileys for nearly two centuries. In fact, Bebe was wearing a pair right now.

Teagan and her brothers were involved in the day-to-day operations of Riley O’Brien & Co. She managed the company’s law department, while her oldest brother, Quinn, served as president and CEO, and Cal handled global marketing and communications. Even Quinn’s wife, Amelia, was involved in the company, heading up the women’s division.

Beside her, Cal shifted slightly and took a pull on his Shiner Bock. He was close enough to touch, and she clenched her hands into fists just in case her fingers suddenly decided to act out her secret fantasies. He didn’t even look her way, and he probably wouldn’t unless he felt the need to toss an insult at her.

“How was Antigua?” Cal asked, directing the question to his sister and her new husband, Nick Priest.

“It was the most amazing place I’ve ever been,” Teagan said, her blue eyes shining and her glossy lips turned up in a smile.

Teagan and Nick had just returned from their three-week honeymoon to the Caribbean island. Both of them were glowing from their tans and their newlywed status.

“We were lucky we had our own private beach because Nick is apparently an exhibitionist,” Teagan added with a lustful gleam in her eyes.

Nick was a former professional football player, and he had been voted as one of the “Sexiest Men Alive” by People magazine. With his blond hair and bright green eyes, he was gorgeous, no doubt about it. But in Bebe’s opinion, he wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as Cal.

No one is as gorgeous as Cal.

Nick leaned down and whispered something into Teagan’s ear, something that was obviously naughty because her face turned the color of cherries. When he straightened to his full six-five and saw her red cheeks, he chuckled.

“You’re so bad,” Teagan muttered, lightly slapping Nick’s chest. In response, he grabbed her hand, hauled her up against him, and kissed her . . . with tongue.

Cal made a gagging noise. “Jesus Christ,” he groaned, “do you have to do that in front of me?”

Teagan pulled away from Nick. “Please,” she shot back, her voice full of disgust. “Do know how many times I had to listen to my high school friends talk about you and your big—”

Much to Bebe’s disappointment, Cal covered his sister’s mouth with his hand and cut off the rest of Teagan’s sentence. She tried to pull his fingers away, and finally she got free by elbowing him in the stomach.

Laughing, Cal stumbled sideways into Bebe, almost knocking her over. He grabbed her forearm to steady her, his hand hot against her skin, and she gasped. Even the slightest touch from him made her pulse pound, and she tugged her arm to get away from him.

Instead of releasing her, his fingers tightened. She looked up . . . way up. He was almost as tall as Nick, and he loomed over her by more than a foot. He was a little leaner than Teagan’s husband but still solid muscle. His faded Giants T-shirt showed off his broad shoulders, impressive biceps, and ropy forearms. He’d paired the shirt with ancient Rileys that fit him like a glove and well-worn boots.

“Sorry about that, Cookie,” Cal apologized offhandedly.

“I told you not to call me that,” she snapped, trying to jerk her arm free.

She hated it when he called her Cookie, and he knew it. Of course, that was why he did it.

He had come up with the nickname right after he’d found out she had a medical degree in addition to her MBA and law degree. He’d claimed it was a better moniker than Bebe since she was such a smart cookie, but she knew it wasn’t a compliment.

“I thought you liked nicknames.” He smiled angelically and widened his eyes to look innocent. “You call Teagan kanya all the time.”

Kanya was Bebe’s nickname for her best friend. It meant “girl” in Hindi, the native language of her Indian ancestors. She had been born and raised in the United States, but using Hindi words was one way she stayed connected to her heritage.

“Teagan and I are friends,” she pointed out.

He got her message loud and clear because his eyes got all squinty. “I can be friendly.”

Yes, he could be friendly. In fact, he was friendly to everyone but her. He never had anything nice to say to her, and she returned the sentiment.

She wasn’t sure who had struck first, probably her, but now they launched verbal missiles at each other with frequency and precision. He went out of his way to be rude and antagonistic, and she did the same.

Bebe knew the real reason she acted like such a bitch around Cal. She liked him, and she didn’t want him to suspect how she really felt. She didn’t want to be the pathetic geeky girl with a crush on the hot guy.

Before Cal, she had never been attracted to any man. She’d never even experienced a high school crush because she had entered the ninth grade when she was twelve and had graduated when she was fifteen. She had immediately headed off to college, and she’d obtained two bachelor’s degrees in three years.

By the time she had been able to vote, she had been in her first year of medical school. She’d become accustomed to being viewed as a study partner rather than a sex partner.

She wasn’t oblivious, though, and over the years, she had noticed good-looking men. But she had never felt that zing of sexual attraction until she had met Cal four years ago. She hated the way he made her feel: gauche, nervous, and overstimulated. When he was near, sounds were louder, colors were brighter, and smells were stronger.

Right now, she could smell him, a panty-soaking aroma of warm male and expensive cologne. It was so delicious, she could barely concentrate on the conversation swirling around her.

“Even though Antigua was amazing, I’m glad to be home,” Teagan said, ignoring Cal and Bebe’s sniping. “I missed everyone. Mom and Dad. Quinn and Amelia. Bebe. Letty.”

“You didn’t miss me?” Cal asked, feigning hurt feelings.

Bebe knew Teagan had intentionally excluded Cal, trying to annoy him. The O’Brien siblings teased one another mercilessly. Their relationship was so different from the one Bebe had with her older brothers.

She rarely talked with Pritam and Ranjit, and when she did, they definitely didn’t tease her. They didn’t even call her Bebe. They insisted on referring to her by her full name, Bindu, which she hated.

“No. I missed Kim more than I missed you,” Teagan replied, referring to the woman who did her nails at the swanky spa she frequented.

Teagan’s snarky response made laughter well in Bebe’s throat. Before she could choke them back, giggles escaped her. Cal stiffened next to her, and she mentally prepared for their next verbal battle.

Ready. Aim. Fire.

 

Jenna Sutton

AUTHOR INFO:

Jenna Sutton is a former award-winning journalist who traded fact for fiction when she began writing novels. Surprisingly, the research she conducted for her articles provided a lot of inspiration for her books.

Jenna is the author of the Riley O’Brien & Co. romances including All the Right Places and Coming Apart at the Seams. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

Jenna and her husband live in a 103-year-old house in Texas affectionately known as “The Money Pit”. You can find out more about her and her books by visiting www.jennasutton.com.

 

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website: http://www.jennasutton.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennasuttonauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jsuttonauthor
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9761992.Jenna_Sutton

 

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