New Review: Playing to Win (The Players) by Monica Murphy

Playing to Win by Monica Murphy is now live! 

Ready to fall for the ultimate player? Check out the latest sports romance by New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy…

Ace Townsend is the biggest player on campus.

The sexy new quarterback on the football team.

I should probably mention he’s also a complete flirt. The life of the party wherever he goes.

Someone I should avoid at all costs.

It’s difficult though, when I’m on the social media crew for the football team and we’re out on the field during practice almost every day, filming them. On the sidelines at games. Hanging out with them at bars. The more I spend time with Ace, the more I’m drawn to him. The attraction is there, but it’s more than that. I actually like him. We have a connection, and he definitely feels it too. The problem?

I signed a contract when I started on the social media team with a ‘no dating athletes’ clause. They’re strictly off limits. If we get caught together? It’s cause for my immediate termination. I love my new job and don’t want to risk it, but I’m falling for Ace.

Hard.

We’re all for sneaking around and keeping our growing relationship secret, but it’s starting to wear on us. Ace is determined to win me at all costs, though he doesn’t want to be the reason I lose my job, but…

Maybe the two of us being together is worth the risk.

Christie’s Review

I have been waiting as patiently as I could for Ace’s story, and it was so well worth the wait. This book exceeded all my expectations!!!

I loved both Ruby and Ace. They were so great together, and the sparks flew from their very first meeting! Ruby knows what a flirt and player he is, and Ace doesn’t do relationships, yet they feel this pull toward one another. She brings a calmness to him, and they would make an awesome couple, but Ruby has her back against the wall since she signed a contract when she was hired as part of the social media crew that she wouldn’t date any athlete. She knows what she needs to do, but spending time with Ace and resisting him is getting harder and harder to do!

Ruby was a great character, and she was very realistic. She was a typical college-aged girl even though she was born into a football dynasty. She wasn’t spoiled and expected no special treatment because of who she was. In fact, she had insecurities. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life and had changed her major a couple of times. She was looking for purpose, and she found it when she became part of a social media team that highlighted football players. Even in her personal life, she wasn’t sure where she was headed with Ace. She knew she was falling for him, but she also knew he had the power to break her. 

I adored Ace, but I have been in love with Ace for a long time. I felt like I got to know him in previous books. He was such a player, but he was so likable, not a jerk at all. He was a caring individual, and the more involved with Ruby he got, that became evident. Like Ruby, he had doubts. He had big shoes to fill as a quarterback, and I liked that Murphy showed that vulnerable side to him. At times, I kind of felt sorry for him. He had a fan club, and people sometimes didn’t understand he was just a person who wanted to just be Ace, not Ace the football star. He also had some insecurities about Ruby as he was falling more in love with her. 

I have loved all of the books in this series, but  I have to agree with Monica Murphy when she says in her Acknowledgments at the end of the book that Ace was one of her all-time characters that she has written. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him….he was so lovable and likable. As with all previous books in the series, I have enjoyed the secondary characters that Murphy created, especially Natalie and Derek. As always, we see little glimpses of characters from earlier books. That always makes me feel like I’m catching up with old friends. I have been reading the Callahan/Maguire series since the very beginning, and I hope this isn’t the end of this family. I hope we hear more from them in the future. Until then, thank you Monica Murphy for giving us such wonderful books and incredible characters. 

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, two kids, one dog, and four cats. When she’s not writing, she’s an assistant coach for her daughter’s high school cheer team, which is a two season sport. Meaning, she’s at practice with a bunch of teenage girls all the time. Or she’s at a football game. Or a basketball game. Maybe someday, she’ll even write about this experience.

Connect with Monica

Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyGR

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/monicamurphyreadergroup/

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/msmonicamurphy/

Verve Romance: https://ververomance.com/app/monicamurphy

New Release and Review: Playing by the Rules (The Players #2) by Monica Murphy

Playing by the Rules by Monica Murphy is now live! 

Camden Fields is the star quarterback of our college football team.

Quiet.

Smart.

Absolutely gorgeous.

He’s the man all the women on campus rave about. And while he’s had a few casual hookups over the years, it’s never anything serious. Cam doesn’t do serious.

He also doesn’t do me.

See, I’m his best friend’s little sister, and whenever we’re around each other, he’s always warning me that I’m off limits. That nothing can ever happen between us.

But I see the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not watching. The heat in his gaze. The hunger. He can deny it, but that man wants me.

I want him too.

I’m tired of always being the good girl and doing what everybody expects. For once, I’m going to break all the rules that have restrained me my entire life.

I’m going after Camden Fields.

And no one can stop me.

 

My Review

5 STARS

I know I sound like a broken record, but Monica Murphy has struck gold again with Cam and Blair’s story!!! I fell really hard for Jo and Knox in the first book, but I fell just as equally hard for Knox’s little sister and best friend!

Blair has had a crush on Knox’s best friend, Cam, since she first met him when she was just a teenager. Now, that she has transferred to their college, she has decided to show him what a woman she has grown into and see if she can finally get his attention! As she soon discovers, she has all of his attention, but Cam “plays by the rules,” she is a forbidden fruit. Knox has threatened every team member that she is OFF LIMITS! This book is full of angst, steam, major chemistry, and tension!!!!

Murphy never disappoints in creating multi-faceted and complicated characters. Unlike Knox’s somewhat cockiness, Cam has a very quiet confidence about him in some ways. In other ways, he isn’t so confident. He has always had the desire to belong and feel loved. That is why he loves his team and his relationship with the Maguire family. He doesn’t want to lose that, so that is why he tries so hard to resist Blair. He also likes to maintain control, and of course, she completely upends all of that. He also had times where he really doubted himself.  At times, I was frustrated with him because he couldn’t see what was right in front of his face, a good woman who understood, accepted him, and loved him! 

Blair was a cutie pie! I wanted her to be my BFF! Like Camden, she wanted to have control over things happening in her life too. However, her relationship with him was full of uncertainties and that really began taking a toll on her. She was growing tired of being his secret. She had an incredible patience with him, and I’m not sure I would have left the door opened for him as long as she did, but her patience is what I loved about her. 

Thankfully, she and Cam do a great deal of maturing by the end of the book, and I really liked the people they grew into. Speaking of characters, it was wonderful seeing Knox and Jo again, as well as Natalie, Ace, and Knox and Blair’s little sister, Ruby. As Murphy does in all her books, she gave us a little taste of her upcoming book…it will be about Ace and Ruby! YAY! Monica Murphy, can I say that I really hope Natalie gets her own HEA too!!! 

Over the years, Murphy has created this wonderful, wonderful family. It never gets old, and each character is different and unique! I’m so very excited to get my hands on her next book! If you like your books with crackling chemistry, angst, tension, spice, and some really sweet and swoonworthy moments, give Monica Murphy’s books a try! You won’t be disappointed!!!!

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3ZlJI6I

Meet Monica

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, two kids, one dog, and four cats. When she’s not writing, she’s an assistant coach for her daughter’s high school cheer team, which is a two season sport. Meaning, she’s at practice with a bunch of teenage girls all the time. Or she’s at a football game. Or a basketball game. Maybe someday, she’ll even write about this experience.

 

Connect with Monica

Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyGR

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/monicamurphyreadergroup/

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New Review and Release: Playing Hard to Get (The Players) by Monica Murphy

 

Playing Hard to Get by Monica Murphy is now live!

 

Knox Maguire is the king of our college campus.

Star offensive tight end on the football team.

He is the complete opposite of me in every way.

I’m quiet. He’s loud.

I’m shy. He’s definitely not.

Everyone loves him. No one knows me.

Fresh out of a breakup, I don’t really trust him, and why should I? Knox is the ultimate player. When I become his English tutor, I tell myself we need to keep things between us strictly business. Watching my mother deal with my ex-athlete father long, long ago taught me to stay far away from that type of man.

Yet Knox is impossible to resist. Next thing I know, we’re getting hot and heavy in the library—and that was never part of the plan. When Knox admits he can’t stop thinking about me, I have a realization.

I can’t stop thinking about him either.

Instead of keeping my distance, I pull him in closer. Until somehow, we’re spending all of our time together and I find myself falling for Knox. Hard.

Will this actually work between us? Or am I getting played?

 

My Review

5 STARS

 

Playing Hard to Get is exactly why I just adore Monica Murphy!!! There hasn’t been a book by her that I haven’t absolutely fallen in love with the characters or the story itself! This one was no exception!!!

 

I fell in love with Knox and Joanna from the very beginning. Their chemistry was off the charts, giving me all the butterflies and tingles. Yet, I loved their friendship as well. As they made each other laugh, they made me laugh! I loved the build-up of their relationship. While getting to know one another, they realized the preconceived notions they had about one another weren’t necessarily accurate. Knox was more than the player that she thought he was. He had insecurities that she never thought he had, and she came to love his honesty. He learned that there was more underneath that serious exterior of hers, and they both came to not only love one another but respect each other. 

 

This was one of those books that I wanted to just fly through the pages, yet I also didn’t because I didn’t want to tell them goodbye! Yes, I loved them that much!

 

Murphy also didn’t follow the exact pattern of many romance novels. Once this couple decided to go all-in on their relationship, there wasn’t the intense angst and breakup. It was realistic even with the little insecurities and uncertainties present in many new relationships. 

 

Another thing that makes Murphy so special is how she can continue stories about the same families yet keep them fresh. I was so happy to see past couples who stole my heart years ago. 

 

I can’t wait for the next book in the series which is about Knox’s sister and his best friend. She gave us a bit of a tease, and it promises to be just as good as this one.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SX973j

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

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Ej9vVP

 

Meet Monica

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, two kids, one dog, and four cats. When she’s not writing, she’s an assistant coach for her daughter’s high school cheer team, which is a two season sport. Meaning, she’s at practice with a bunch of teenage girls all the time. Or she’s at a football game. Or a basketball game. Maybe someday, she’ll even write about this experience.

Connect with Monica

Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyGR

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/monicamurphyreadergroup/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyTW

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2ZAthV1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/msmonicamurphy/

Verve Romance: https://ververomance.com/app/monicamurphy

New Review: Kiss and Tell (St. Francis U #1) by Maya Hughes

Amazon Exclusive mybook.to/KissandTell
Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Alternate Paperback Cover is available NOW!
 


💋 ABOUT 🏈

Our star-crossed love is my first and I want him to be mine.

A new college campus. A secret bound to explode in my face. And a football player neighbor who is bad news in the best of ways.

Reid Riddick was hotness personified, so of course I literally ran into with him–well, more like he plowed into me.

I didn’t know he was a football player when I started falling and now I can’t stop. A stolen kiss later and my heart races whenever he looks at me from across the quad.

But my secret would spell disaster for him.

Christie’s Review

5 STARS

I’m a huge fan of Maya Hughes, and Kiss and Tell is exactly why!! She has such a talent for building a great story around great characters. 

I loved her Fulton U series, and now she introduces their rivals in this series. I can honestly say I unashamedly fell in love them just as much as I did my Fulton boys and girls. 

Reid has one goal in his sight…earn a spot in the pros. He wants to take care of his father just as his father has always taken care of him. That means no girls and especially no dating. Everything is going as planned until he literally runs into his new neighbor, Leona.

Leona has a goal too…to make up for lost time with her father. She has been separated from him for years. She wasn’t expecting Reid either. Their involvement will definitely raise eyebrows as her father is the president of the university. She wants people to like her for who she is, not who her father is. Not to mention, the football coach hates her father. As you might imagine, their journey to a HEA won’t be an easy one, but it will be one that you will want to accompany them on. 

Part of the magic of Maya Hughes is her ability to make me fall in love with not only her main characters but her secondary characters as well. I have a connection with them even before I really know them, whetting my appetite for more of their stories! 

Not only is there romance in this book, but I got a glimpse of the dark side of college athletics in the form of their college football coach. His story isn’t finished in this book, but I am hoping he gets what is coming to him. In addition, there is a hint of a mystery. There is a gossip site that knows a lot of the secrets on campus, and I can’t wait to find out their identity. 

As usual, I hate telling the crew good-bye, but I know I will be returning before too long! Another victory for Maya Hughes!!!!

Amazon Exclusive mybook.to/KissandTell
Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Alternate Paperback Cover is available NOW!

💋EXCERPT🏈

 

I inhaled deeply and sunk deeper against him, knowing I shouldn’t let myself. He smelled like grass and leather and Icy Hot, but there was also an underlying sweetness. I was tempted to press my nose to his chest and suck in a lungful of Reid.

I wished we weren’t in a freezing cold garage, but back in my bed after we’d passed out watching District 9 or The Abyss. Or maybe after taking things a bit further. 

He yawned, rubbing his hand down my back. “Hey, we made it.” 

I scooted back a little and looked up at him, trying not to be self-conscious about my morning breath. “We did. Thanks for not letting me freeze.”

“What kind of teammate would I be if I let you turn into a popsicle?” 

“A terrible one. Now I know why the guys keep you around. You’ll do anything for the team.” I meant it as a tease, but it was also a reminder of why we couldn’t be together. 

“I will.” He didn’t unlock his hand from around mine. The smooth glove glided over the back of my hand. 

Staring into his eyes, all the feelings I’d been trying to suppress came rushing back. They flooded my veins and sparked my nerve endings. 

His head dipped lower so our foreheads almost touched. I’d never thought mine was sensitive before, but now I could feel every graze and skim. 

Our noses brushed, and I swore I could feel the flutter of his eyelashes. 

Release Tour with Review & Excerpt for A Place to Belong by Alexa Rivers

When Felicity Bell walks into her new rental, the last thing she expected was to find Wyatt Dawson, her hot new neighbor, half-naked in her kitchen. Despite their misunderstanding and rough start, things heat up quickly for this unlikely pair. Fall for this hard-working hottie in A Place to Belong by Alexa Rivers, an Opposites Attract Romance, the next book in the Blue Collar Romance Series.

Read Now! 

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3xlkAhQ 

From Alexa Rivers comes an opposites attract romance packed with humor, emotion and a sizzling happily ever after.

Horror author Felicity Bell moves to the charming town of Oak Bend after being shunned from the last place she called home. When she walks in the door of her new rental, she doesn’t expect to find a half-naked man standing in her kitchen. There’s just one problem: Wyatt Dawson seems to think it’s his kitchen. Misunderstandings aside, her new neighbor is lumberjack hot, and his grumpiness only makes her more determined to bring a little joy to his life, even if he’d rather be left alone.

Burned by his past, Wyatt isn’t about to let the cheerful free spirit next door into his heart only for her to crush him when she flits out of town again. But with his well-meaning, matchmaking, mother on the case, these two end up spending far too much time together and things between the unlikely pair quickly heat up. It may be true what they say—opposites do attract, but only if their relationship can survive Wyatt’s interfering ex-girlfriend and Felicity’s fear of history repeating itself.

Welcome to Oak Bend, where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.

Add to Goodreads!
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Christie’s Review

Sweet and steamy small-town romance with tons of emotion! 

Felicity has moved to the small town of Oak Bend. She isn’t sure what she is expecting when she walks into the new place that she hopes to call home, but it definitely wasn’t the sexy half-naked man she sees standing in the kitchen! This is the beginning of a journey neither one of them is expecting!!!! 

Wyatt has definitely had his share of heartache, and he has no intention of letting anyone into his life, especially the strange woman who is standing in his kitchen. As they talk, they both realize his well-meaning mother is trying to play matchmaker again. Neither of them is falling for it, or that is what they keep telling themselves. 

The attraction and pull the two have is undeniable, even from their first meeting, no matter what they tell themselves. Wyatt has made his mind up that he will never let another woman into his life. He can’t handle another heartache. Felicity has never stayed in one place for very long. Her modus operandi is running…never staying in one place long enough to put down roots. Both of them are trying to find, as the title suggests, “a place to belong.” Soon the pull becomes too much to resist. But, will each of them learn to trust the other with their heart? 

This book was a sweet and steamy small-town romance, made complete with a charming town and quirky characters, especially Wyatt’s mom…I loved her!!!! I found myself immersed in the town of Oak Bend and with the fall festival Felicity suddenly finds herself in charge of. If you enjoy a quick read with a great setting and great characters, give this book a try. It is Book 2 in the Blue Collar Romance series. I think you will find that you quite like this series!

Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 Alexa Rivers

I should have known the moment I saw her that this was no coincidence. A hot crazy lady randomly appears in my house? Not fucking likely. This has Mom’s fingerprints all over it, and the keys clutched in the blonde’s hand are the nail in her coffin. I sigh. The woman is eyeing me like I’m a rabid dog about to strike. Or at least, that’s how she’s looking at me now. I caught the flash of heat in her gaze when my towel dropped a moment ago.

Groaning again, I lean against the doorframe and wonder what I did to deserve this. I’ve spent a long day completing work on a brick fence. My back aches, and all I want is to crack open a beer and watch hockey.

“So?” The blonde clasps her hands together, fidgeting. She’s pretty, if a bit skittish. Her moss-green eyes dart around the kitchen, returning to me every few seconds as though she’s wary of taking her attention off me for too long. “What’s going on?”

I nod toward the keys in her hand. “Those belong to my mother. She owns the house next door, which is the one you actually rented.”

“Oh.” Her slim shoulders slump in relief, and her curls bounce. “Thank goodness for that. It’s all a big misunderstanding.”

I laugh dryly. “It’s no such thing.”

A furrow forms between her brows. “What do you mean? Surely she just gave me the wrong set of keys.”

“If only.”

She seems baffled by my cryptic comment, and I sigh, already able to tell that she’s the type who’s curious enough to stick around until I explain everything.

“Mom intentionally sent you here,” I say, figuring I may as well get the awkwardness out of the way. I’m sure it’s not the only time she’ll be subject to Mom’s match-making machinations if she plans to live next door. She has a wholesome, sweet vibe that Mom will just eat up.

Yeah, I’m going to be dodging this woman for the foreseeable future.

“She hoped we’d run into each other, and that I’d be smitten with you. She set us up.”

“Oh.” This time, there’s a whole other level of meaning to the word. But then she cocks her head, and the furrow deepens. “I wouldn’t have thought you needed to be set up.” Her gaze rakes over me once again, and I can’t help but puff out my chest. It’s been a long time since anyone looked at me with such blatant appreciation, and I can tell she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it, or else she’d be mortified.

“I don’t,” I reply firmly, and her eyes snap up to mine. A delicate, pink flush journeys down her neck. Damn, I need to get rid of her before I actually do start to find her charming. “Here. I’ll get you my key for the place next door, and you can give me that one.” I nod at the key in her hand. She drops it on the counter.

“I’m so sorry about this.” She wrings her hands, looking awkward as fuck. “I didn’t mean to just walk into your house and make myself at home.”

“I know you didn’t,” I assure her. “I’m going to come closer now, is that okay?”

She nods, but her eyes remain on me as I enter the kitchen and head for the key hook by the fridge. I remove the one for the rental and replace it with the key she left on the counter, then offer her the one she actually needs. Our fingers brush as she takes it, and something jolts in my chest. Shaking it off, I snatch my hand away and check that the towel is still secure. The last thing I need is to give her another peep show.

“That key will open the front door of the house next door. Hold onto it for now, and I’ll get Mom to drop by with the proper key tomorrow.”

“I can do that.” She smiles, and I resist the urge to fall back a step, because it lights up her entire face, elevating her from pretty to gut-wrenchingly beautiful. “I don’t want to put you out any more than you already are.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Despite my frustration, I find my lips curving. “It’s not you I’m angry at.”

Her expression softens. “Please don’t be too mad with Nadine. She seems like such a nice person, and I’m sure she only wants to make you happy.”

Damn, she has a point. But whether her intentions are good or not, it’s going to stop me from giving Mom a piece of my mind. She needs to know it’s not all right to hand out my house key to total strangers just because she wants grandbabies.

About Alexa Rivers

Alexa Rivers is the author of steamy and heartfelt small town romances.

She lives in a small town herself, complete with nosy neighbors and quirky traditions.

She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys travelling, baking and decorating cakes, eating those cakes, cuddling fluffy animals, drinking excessive amounts of tea, and absorbing herself in fictional worlds.

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About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.

From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.

Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.

Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Chasing Down the Dream: A Best Friend’s Sibling Romance (Blue Collar Romance Book 1) Release Tour with Review & Excerpt by Jaymee Jacobs

Asher Wallace has always had a crush on Kasey Ruggieri, but as his best friend’s older sister, not only was she off-limits, but completely out of his league. Now that Kasey’s returned home after her fashion design business imploded, the heat between them is undeniable. Can Asher prove to Kasey that Oak Bend has all that she’s looking for? Fall for this hard-working hottie in Chasing Down the Dream by Jaymee Jacobs, a Best Friend’s Sibling Romance, the first book in the Blue Collar Romance Series.

Read Now! 

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3i2Gu5i 

Christie’s Review

4 STARS

Sweet beginning to a new small-town romance series!

Kasey is a designer who returns to her small hometown to lick her wounds after her fashion business fails. Her brother has allowed her to stay at his home while he is traveling, playing professional hockey. When the AC quits, he sends over his friend, Asher, to fix it. This isn’t the Asher that Kasey remembers. This is no skinny boy; this is a full-grown sexy man. Those five years separating them doesn’t seem to matter anymore. 

Asher had dreams just like Kasey….to play professional hockey, but he let go of those dreams and now works in his family business. Once he sees Kasey, all those feelings he had for her come roaring back. 

As the two reconnect, each one of them realizes there is some major electricity between them. The two begin spending more time together and really bond over their dreams that seem to have become out of their reach. They are really cute together, and I loved how they supported one another in not giving up on her fashion designer dream and him becoming a professional hockey player. But, as they come closer to ascertaining their own dreams, will their newfound relationship end before it ever really gets started?

This is the first book in the Blue Collar Romance Series that is a part of a standalone series. Each book is written by a different writer, and it looks like it is going to be a good little series with great characters and a great setting! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more!

From USA Today best-selling author Jaymee Jacobs comes a best friend’s sibling romance packed with heat, heart, and happily ever after.

When Kasey Ruggieri returns to her hometown after her fashion design business implodes, she barely recognizes the handsome guy with a smokin’ body who comes to fix the HVAC as her brother’s best friend. The skinny teenager she once knew is gone, and when Asher strips off his shirt to work in the boiling heat, Kasey can’t take her eyes off his glistening, muscular chest. Now she needs more than air conditioning to cool her desires.

Asher Wallace has had a crush on Kasey ever since he realized girls don’t have cooties. She’s beautiful, talented, and fun. But as his best friend’s older sister, she’s completely out of his league. Once Kasey left Oak Bend to pursue a fashion career in New York City, Asher shelved his boyhood crush and moved on from his college hockey days and into the family’s heating and cooling business.

When Kasey and Asher finally connect, there’s enough heat to melt a Michigan winter. But when Kasey stumbles onto a new, profitable fashion venture, will she leave Asher behind for the bright lights of the big city once more? Or can Asher prove to Kasey that love and success can be found close to home?

Welcome to Oak Bend, where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.

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Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 Jaymee Jacobs

If I had thought the temperature in this house was hot before Asher showed up, it was absolutely tropical after he arrived. Asher was just a kid the last time I’d seen him, before I’d gone off to college. His voice hadn’t even changed by then. And now, well, now he was all man.

I leaned against the boxes of my stuff stacked in the hallway, watching the way his biceps bunched under the tight sleeves of his T-shirt as he did whatever the hell he was doing to the thermostat. Asher used to be so scrawny.

Of course, I’d seen the way he’d looked at me back then. He was always over at our house, hanging out with Owen, staying for dinner. I knew his parents both worked, but I always wondered if he came to my house so much because of me. As a teenager, that had been a very conceited thought, and I’d forgotten all about it—and Asher—when I’d moved away.

Watching him now was a pleasant distraction from everything. From the fact that I’d had to pack up my life in New York City and move back home to Oak Bend, Michigan, because I couldn’t hack it in the big city. Because I’d made the leap and tried to break out on my own, but I had failed. Now I was back in my hometown with nothing to show for myself except for credit card debt and boxes of stuff.

In fact, watching him do his thing was the first time in a month that I hadn’t been overwhelmed by the heavy feeling of despair in the pit of my stomach weighing me down. I felt relieved to get a break from that sense of despondency, but it was more than that. It wasn’t just a lack of sadness but actual happiness at watching Asher do his thing. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he wiped the beads away with his forearm. I figured it was time to do something more than just watch.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said, turning to look at me with eyes that I’d never realized were so damn blue. How had I never noticed that before? “That’d be great.”

“One sec,” I said, heading into the kitchen. Owen always kept the place stocked up for when he came back into town. He was hardly home, but he liked to be prepared and well-hydrated.

I grabbed two bottles from the fridge and went back into the living room, and oh my God—Asher had peeled off his shirt and was using it as a towel. He had a well-defined six pack and a dusting of dark hair between his pecs. His broad shoulders met up with the bulging muscles of his arms.

Was this real life? Or was I dreaming?

“Here you go.” I reached out to pass him his water. The smooth sheen on his skin caught a glint of sunlight, and I thought maybe I was in the presence of a Greek god. Damn.

About Jaymee Jacobs 

Jaymee Jacobs is a USA Today best-selling author and author of the Dallas Comets series. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English literature and a psychology minor.

Her books have the same two themes: hockey and the “millennial” experience. The first is because she’s a die-hard fan (particularly of the Pittsburgh Penguins). The second is because she felt that there weren’t any books to which she could personally relate. So she began to write the stories she wanted to read. Her books spotlight those in the up-and-coming generation as they navigate this new era of ubiquitous technology, online dating etiquette, and what it means to “adult.”

When she’s not writing, you’ll find Jaymee curating her cats’ Instagram account, listening to true crime podcasts, scrolling through Pinterest for fructose-free recipes, or yelling at the TV during Penguins games.

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About The Blue Collar Romance Series

Escape to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder.

From broody carpenters to sexy electricians, these eight standalones are packed with small town feels, heat, and heartwarming happily ever afters.

Enjoy your favorite tropes written by an amazing group of authors: Jaymee Jacobs, Alexa Rivers, Evelyn Sola, Kate Carley, Tracy Broemmer, Mila Nicks, Claire Wilder, and Moni Boyce.

Fall head over heels for swoon-worthy book boyfriends who aren’t afraid of a little hard work for that happily ever after.

New Review/Release: Ignite Series: Complete Duet by Kate Benson

Ignite Series: The Complete Duet

By Kate Benson

Blurb:

Kate Benson’s Ignite Series is finally available in one complete set! This set includes both installments of Zeke and Addie’s story, along with never before released bonus content.

Two best friends – one summer that changed everything.

Eccentric Addie Greyson had called athletic Zeke Turner her best friend her entire life. Over the last decade, they’d seen each other through every obstacle adolescence had thrown their way.

When Zeke returned home for the summer after his first year away at college, their time apart forced them to see each other in a new light. Once temptation became too much to resist, lines were crossed and the relationship they fought so hard to protect paid the ultimate price.

When fate brought them back together two years later, would it mean a second chance? Or would the summer that irrevocably changed them be the one thing their friendship couldn’t survive?

Christie’s Review

~5 STARS~

Fantastic duet by Kate Benson! Anyone who knows me knows that I am a long-time fan of Kate Benson! I have read every single book she has published!!!! 

Ignite and Smolder is the epic story of Addie and Zeke. Ignite takes us through their childhood and follows them through college. Addie was different from girls her age, so she endured her fair share of bullying. Unlike Addie, Zeke was well-liked, but he always protected her. They were the best of friends, always having each other’s backs.  As they grow older and Zeke returns from college for the summer, each realizes their feelings have changed for one another. After fighting their attraction to each other, they give into their passions and embark on a new relationship as a couple. As with all good love stories, there will be many obstacles to their HEA, maybe even some danger. Anyone who has read any of Benson’s books knows she is the queen of cliffhangers, but fortunately with a complete duet, you don’t have to wait! You can dive right in, and that is exactly what I did. 

I was unsure of the ending these two would get. But, I shouldn’t have worried…I mean we are talking about the amazing Kate Benson here. Smolder continues the sweet and “smoldering” relationship between them and their push to get her out of a dangerous situation. 

Smolder had all the spice, sweetness, and heat that I wanted, yet there were some twists and secrets that I didn’t see coming…some good and some not so good. Readers will finally get some answers to long held secrets. In addition, I came to realize that these two are destined to be together. Their relationship makes you believe in destiny, soul mates, and romance that is written in the stars, even though they have to go through so much pain and sacrifice to attain it.  Each character matured more throughout the book, and I really loved seeing Addie grow into a woman who stood up to the “bullies” in her life. You rock, Addie! The epilogue was just the perfect icing on the cake….it was perfect for Addie and Zeke!

What makes Benson such a great writer is her versatility in her writing. She has written some really emotional series, as well as standalones. She has also proven herself in the romantic comedy genre too! I know every single time I pick up or download one of her books, I’m in for a treat!!!! So, as usual, I will be anxiously awaiting the next journey she will be taking me on!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58574558-ignite-series

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Available in Kindle Unlimited.

About Kate Benson

Kate Benson was raised in Texas and currently resides in central Florida with her husband and their furbaby, Boomer.
She learned to read at the age of four and has been hooked ever since. She credits her passion for literature to her mother, her love of story-telling to her father and her unwavering faith in happily-ever-after’s to her husband, Sean.
Some of her favorite things include rainy days, loud music, superhero movies, hot tea and of course, lazy afternoons with a great book.
To find out more about Kate, her work or to just say hello, she loves hearing from her readers and can be found on social media.

Follow Kate Benson:
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My Almost Ex (The Greene Family #2) by Piper Rayne

MY ALMOST EX

Piper Rayne

Release Date: April 6

In the middle of a crowded bar in our small Alaskan town, my estranged wife snuggles up to me as if we’re still a happy couple.

Don’t get me wrong, we were a happy couple—before she walked out on me a year ago. We were the high school sweethearts everyone thought were destined to be together forever. We thought so too, which is why we married shortly after graduation.

We had a good marriage. Until she left me without any real explanation.

Now, she’s back—and this is the real kicker—she has amnesia and thinks I’m still her husband. Technically I am, although the divorce papers are sitting at the lawyer’s office.

She’s desperate to remember her life in Sunrise Bay but I only want to find out why she left me. Once we conjure that memory up, it’s sayonara because there’s no second chances here. But as you probably already figured out, things didn’t go quite as I planned.

Christie’s Review

5 STARS

When I have a Piper Rayne book in my hand, I know I’m in for a good time. This duo never ceases to amaze me. This was such a beautiful, emotional, and different sort of second chance romance. 

Adam is finally beginning to date again after his wife, Lucy, walked out on him without a reason several months ago. Imagine his surprise when she shows up in their small town, and she believes she is still married to him. Turns out she has amnesia, and she needs his help to regain her memories. While he doesn’t want to help her because he knows she has the power to hurt him again, he decides to do it, hoping he might get some answers too. 

I loved Adam and Lucy’s story. It was beautiful and emotional. The flashbacks to their past were so bittersweet. The memories made my heart ache just like both of theirs did. I couldn’t imagine how she could leave him. She appeared to be just as devoted to him as he was to her. 

My heart went out to both of them. As Lucy is discovering more about herself from others, she isn’t sure she likes the woman she was before. She is trying to reconcile the old Lucy with the new one. One thing she knows for sure is that she still loves Adam, and like him, she wants answers to why she left him. I can’t imagine the struggle she was going through.

Lucy isn’t the only one struggling, Adam is too. He has done everything he can think of to protect his heart. However, there isn’t anything he can do. Lucy has his heart, and she always has. He is finding that he really likes this new Lucy even though he always loved the old Lucy too. I just kept hoping these two would find their way back to one another. 

I also really enjoyed the mystery the writers created….why did Lucy leave???? Just like both of them, I kept trying to guess why she left. Rayne does give readers an answer eventually. 

On one final note, I also listened to My Almost Ex on Audible as well. If you haven’t given it a listen, you are missing out. The narrators were magnificent and brought the story, the setting, and the characters to life. Whether you read it, listen to it, or a combination of both, you are in for a REAL TREAT!

Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/almostex

Meet Piper Rayne:

Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have “Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle” (okay…you caught us, that’s our tagline). A little about us… We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We’re both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We’re both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.

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New Review: Hard Luck (Trophy Boyfriends #4) by Sara Ney

About the Book:

SOME GIRLS HAVE ALL THE LUCK
Unfortunately, I am not one of those girls. Not when I lost my apartment because my roommate let the lease lapse while I was traveling for work. Not when my brothers keep finding love and my mother keeps reminding me I’m still single. Not after a one-night stand during my older brother’s wedding has me waking up pregnant. 

I have to keep it a secret—from him, and my family. I sure can’t tell my brother his teammate, Mateo Jose Espinoza, is the man I slept with. Confident, funny, Mateo… 

A GUY CAN’T CATCH A BREAK
Just when I thought I’d found the girl of my dreams, she ghosts me. Worse? Her brother refuses to give me her number, and my calls to her office go straight to voicemail. I thought I was a catch; professional athlete, charming, raised with six sisters—I’m a guy who knows his way to a woman’s heart! What reason could she possibly have for avoiding me?

When I finally catch up to True Wallace, I’m going to get the answer.

My Review

~4.5 STARS~

Hard Luck is exactly why I’m in love with Sara Ney and all of her quirky characters! As always, I flew through the pages until sadly I had reached the end and I had to tell this crazy bunch good-bye again. 

I knew this was going to be a good book before I even began because of the little hint Ney gave me at the end of the previous book! True is every bit as hilarious as her two brothers, but she knows they won’t be laughing when they discover she is pregnant by none other than Matteo, her brother’s teammate. 

Ney always takes a trope and turns it on its head. As the book opens, True is already pregnant, and she is trying to figure out what she is going to do next. First, she has to find a permanent place to live and then, how to tell Matteo and her family. 

Meanwhile, Matteo is trying to figure out why True ghosted him after they shared an amazing night together, but her brother has no intention of Matteo getting anywhere near his sister. Oh boy, if he only knew!!!

I love that as usual the story is told from both characters’ POVs. It really gives you an idea of what both of them are thinking and feeling. Matteo is a sweetheart. He really wants to explore a relationship with True, if she will only give him a chance. 

Most of the book is about the two of them finding their way back to each other, and Ney includes flashbacks of that magical night together. 

I’m so glad Matteo’s family is just as crazy as True’s. It was a sweet, romantic, steamy read told in a way only Sara Ney could tell us.

Download Today:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2OuP6VY

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Meet Sara Ney:

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives in the Midwest, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British. 

For a list of cities/venues Sara will be signing at, or to purchase signed books, please visit her website at http://www.authorsaraney.com

Connect with Sara Ney:

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Wreck My Plans (North Haven University #3) by Kelsey Clayton Blog Tour with Review & Excerpt

My name is Carter Trayland,

And I really screwed up.

Wreck My Plans, an all-new standalone enemies-to-lovers romance from Kelsey Clayton is available now!

I should’ve ended things before they began.

Instead, I wound up in a twisted love triangle,

One that I never wanted to be a part of.

The wrong choice sent my life on a whirlwind.

A woman I forced myself to love is dead.

My best friend was nearly blamed for her murder.

And the one I’ve always wanted, now wants revenge.

Her favorite person is gone, and she thinks it’s my fault.

I’m not about to correct her either.

Not when the reality is so much worse.

She can’t find out the truth of what happened.

Knowing would ruin her in ways I can’t fathom.

If blaming me is her way of coping, I’ll gladly carry that burden.

Because Tyeler Morgan is the one girl I’d protect at all costs.

Wreck My Plans is a standalone and part of the North Haven University series. It deals with sensitive topics that my be triggering to some readers.

Christie’s Review

5 STARS

Wow! This series just keeps getting better! Wreck My Plans is a beautiful, emotional tale of forgiveness and redemption. 

Carter has tried to put his painful past behind him and live with a life choice that completely changed him in ways he never imagined. Tye began her life as no child should have to. Her bright spot was her best friend, Davi. She rescued her and gave her a life she could never imagine. Now, she has to endure life without her by her side…taken from her, and she blames Carter. She means to make him pay! As the title suggests, she wants to wreck his plans for a good life, but it may be Carter who wrecks hers. 

I have come to love each character Clayton creates. She introduces them to us throughout each book, but I have no idea of their real story until they get to speak in their own books. She makes each one unique in their own right, and it is the same for Carter and Tye. 

Carter always wanted Tye, but he ended up with her best friend instead. He was faithful to Davi; however, he couldn’t forget Tye. As he tried to break things off, tragedy struck, and Davi was gone. He tried to make things right, but in her grief, Tye’s budding feelings for him turned to hate. The girl is a firecracker, and some of the pranks she pulls on him are pretty funny! I have to admire Carter’s determination to tear down her walls despite all the roadblocks she puts up.

Clayton really made me feel the depth of Tye’s grief and hurt. Davi was everything to her. She isn’t sure how to keep living life without her by her side….Davi literally saved her when they were children. Clayton also illustrated through Tye that grief can blind us to the truths we don’t want to see in those we love. Imagine Tye’s surprise when she realizes the spark she felt with Carter hasn’t gone away, and he is the one person who makes her feel safe and loved. As you might guess, this causes a lot of angst and drama for both of them. 

 Clayton can always take darkness and turn it to light. The journey isn’t always easy for the characters, but man oh man, the ending is so worth it. I admired how she made Davi somewhat of a central character even though she wasn’t there. I learned as Tye did that Davi wasn’t the perfect savior she always thought she was, and Carter tried to keep that from her. 

As always, I hate to tell the characters good-bye, but let me tell you her next book promises to be just as good. It’s Easton’s turn to tell his story, and it is going to be a doozy!!!!

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nAHNYC

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/wreckmyplans

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Excerpt

“What the fuck is she doing here?”

I turn toward the door to see Carter, Jace, and Jace’s girlfriend standing there. The guys look just as shocked to see me as I am to see them, but the girl next to Jace is most likely picturing ways to murder me in her mind.

“You two know each other?” Amelia asks.

She grunts. “Not exactly, but I know enough of her to know she’s a fucking bitch.”

“Woah,” Kennedy steps in. “Easy, Paige.”

“Yeah, babe. Let’s calm down a little,” Jace tries, but she’s not having it.

She rips her arm out of his hold. “No! Fuck no! She tried to put you away for life, Jace. For life!”

The reminder of my best friend’s murder trial is a slap in the face, and my testimony was based off my belief that he actually did it. If I had seen the tape showing the other angle before I got on the stand, I never would have agreed to testify. The one thing I can see, though, is that Jace seems to value his life a little more than he used to, because he doesn’t try to calm his girlfriend down again.

Paige glares at me as she steps forward and into my face. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing here, but let me make one thing clear: if you try fucking with my friends, my family, we’re going to have serious issues.”

There is absolutely nothing that I find intimidating about this girl. To be honest, it looks like I could have the right guy punt her across a football field. But I can respect her loyalty to her friends and the courage to jump into the lion’s den to defend them.

I used to have that.

She turns around and walks back toward Jace. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

“No. Allow me.” I interrupt and my eyes find Carter’s. “Suddenly, this is the last place I want to be.”

Neither Kennedy or Amelia try to stop me as I slip out the door—not that I expected them to. They’ve been friends with them longer. Of course, Carter manages to take everything from me. He took Davi. Now he already has Kennedy and Amelia. There’s no way those two will have anything to do with me once I start doing things to get back at Carter, and nothing will stand in the way of my plans.

Nothing.

As if he has an actual death wish, the door opens and Carter comes running out, calling my name. I consider not stopping. I’m sure nothing good can come from talking to him, but my anger is enough to get me to freeze.

“Don’t leave,” he tells me. “I’m sorry for what Paige said.”

I balk. “For what Paige said? That’s what you’re sorry for?”

Running his fingers through his hair, he sighs. “Not the only thing, but it’s something I’m sorry for. Can we just go somewhere and talk?”

A bark of humorless laughter echoes out of me. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. I don’t even want to fucking look at you.” My fists clench, and I can feel my nails digging into my skin as he stays quiet. “You just have the perfect life, don’t you? You’ve got your team and your friends and your family. And where’s mine? Oh. That’s right. Six feet under, right where you fucking left her.”

​About Kelsey

Kelsey Clayton is an internationally selling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog.

​

She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.

​

Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.

Connect with Kelsey

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Website: https://www.kelseyclayton.com