Tag Archives: contemporary romance

Her Secret Bodyguard – Excerpt Reveal

Her Secret Bodyguard banner

Today we have the teaser reveal for Her Secret Bodyguard by Amanda Adams! Check it out and preorder your copy today!

Her Secret Bodyguard cover

Title: Her Secret Bodyguard

Author: Amanda Adams

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 10th

About Her Secret Bodyguard:

I watch over her from the sidelines.

She’s beautiful.

Famous.

Hot as f&ck.

My need for her pumps through my veins and heads straight south.

Someone is following her.

Why? I have no idea—she has too many damned secrets—but I’m a former SEAL.

I’ll protect her whether she wants me to or not.

From everything and everyone…but me.

 

Preorder Your Copy Today:

Amazon | iBooks| Kobo |

Exclusive Excerpt:

I made my way across the room and leaned on the wall next to the window, looking at her as I crossed my arms. “Angelina.”

She turned her gaze to me, and the sadness in her eyes almost broke me apart.

“You care about all of these people. But who takes care of you?

Her bottom lip trembled; I’d clearly hit a nerve. Hatred spread inside me for all those people—her uncle most of all—who only looked at her like a paycheck or an opportunity and nothing else. Had they forgotten she was a human being, too? Did they not realize that no person could keep doing what she did without burning out?

Angelina just shook her head. I didn’t even think about what I did next; I was going on total instinct. Taking her hands, I moved her arms down from where she held them crossed over her stomach and put mine around her. She inhaled a sharply, but to my relief, she didn’t push me away.

Trembling, she leaned into me, pulled me a bit tighter and nestled her head against my chest.

“You should have somebody who cares about you. For you.” I caressed her cheek, where a blush was blooming.

When her lashes fluttered, I couldn’t help myself any longer. Leaning down, I pressed my mouth to hers, and the touch of her silky sweet lips against my own sent fire raging through my blood. I wrapped her tighter in my embrace as she clutched at my shirt and moaned against me.

Within seconds, I was shaking as well. I hadn’t planned on kissing her—and I sure as hell hadn’t planned on kissing her like I wanted to claim her as my own. But it happened, and my head started spinning.

This was madness. Stupid. She was rich. Famous. Gorgeous. She dated race car drivers and movie stars. She was so far above my pay grade I shouldn’t even be breathing the same air. I was a former SEAL, a bodyguard sworn to protect her, not seduce her.

But my body seemed to have a mind of its own.

My fingers brushed against her jaw, urging her to open it for me. When she parted her lips, I exalted. Our tongues tangled, and I drank from her lips like a man needing water in the dessert. Whatever I’d felt with her before was long gone, replaced by something even stronger, wilder. More possessive. Instinctive. Needy—and I didn’t need anyone.

This was dangerous.

Focusing on her sweet lips, I ran a hand down her spine while she played with the hair at the nape of my neck. I was about to suggest we move to the bed, but a sharp knock on the door made her jump. I raised my head, and gently pushed her behind me just before the door burst open.

Immediately, I was in go mode, ready to take on anyone coming for her. As I turned to face the intruder, I was greeted with a familiar face standing in the door. I didn’t know her personally, but I recognized her from the entourage looming over Angelina every night at the arena.

“Angelina!” the woman cried out, her expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if she was relieved or pissed. She gave a heavy, exaggerated sigh before hurrying over to Angelina to embrace her.

I moved toward the corner of the room, keeping out of the way on the sidelines. Back where I belonged. Lord knew I had no place among those land piranha. We had been lucky for sure. Her reflexes had been just as sharp as mine, allowing us to jump back from one another before the door had even fully clicked open.

But even as the rest of her leeches crowded around her, all I could think about was the softness of her lips. The more I reminisced about that kiss, the more I could still feel her lips on my own. The taste of her; her body curved against mine. Though I knew better, I found myself hoping that tonight wouldn’t be my only shot at those lips. I couldn’t help wanting more—she was perfect.

Another familiar voice echoed through the room, and my body stiffened. “Jesus Christ, that took forever.” Angelina’s uncle pushed through the crowd of people, but he didn’t hug his niece. Instead, he stood there, hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her like she was a child. “Really, Angelina? You couldn’t have waited for us? You’re always so selfish.”

Angelina was at a loss for words—but I wasn’t. I had several on my tongue waiting for him. But—I managed to keep my mouth shut as she said, “I didn’t know—”

“Of course, you didn’t! You never think, Angie.” Her uncle tapped her on the temple, and she blushed in humiliation. “Never. Like I said… you’re selfish.”

I was going to take that fat rodent’s finger and twist it off if he touched her again. Slowly.

Breathe… just breathe. I gritted my teeth and told myself to behave. That maiming her uncle or punching him in the face wouldn’t help the situation. That this mess, this woman, Angelina, famous pop music star and her too beautiful to be real persona, was none of my business.

But she was. Like it or not, I was already involved—especially after that kiss.

Angelina needed someone to protect her. There was no walking away. Not for me.

As I watched her smile her fake smile and try to appease everyone around her, I made a shockingly easy decision.

She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Amanda Adams writes super-sexy, new adult and contemporary romance. A full time author, Amanda spends her days trying to walk more and type less. If she eats a salad for lunch, she makes sure to reward herself with chocolate after (as any reasonable woman would do.) Amanda believes in true love, love at first sight, and every other cliché because lightning struck her in high school and she’s been happily married to her sweetheart ever since. However, she also knows, from personal experience, that life can big one great big, painful mess as well. Amanda believes in keeping things real. Her books are free of cheating–with a guaranteed HEA–but hold on tight…it’s going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.
Sign up for Amanda’s VIP Reader List!

Connect with Amanda:
Facebook | Twitter | E-mail | Website

Enter Amanda’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comments Off on Her Secret Bodyguard – Excerpt Reveal

Filed under BOOKS

FIRST CRUSH, LAST LOVE – Release Blitz

NEW BOOK RELEASE !!
Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel will have you remembering the angst of high school, the grief of a failed relationship, and the happiness of true love.
First Crush, Last Love Tour Graphic
FIRST CRUSH, LAST LOVE
Elizabeth McKenna
First Crush, Last Love
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
Remember your first crush? How your heart raced and your cheeks flushed whenever you saw him?
Jessie Baxter does, and it’s happening again. Ten years ago, despite her best efforts, Lee Archer wanted to be just friends. Now, he wants more, but Jessie’s still recovering from a psycho ex-husband. Can she learn to trust again and make her first crush into her last love?
If you love romance novels set in the 80’s-90’s this book is absolutely perfect!
– Romi, Goodreads Reviewer

Purchase Links

Available now for 99 cents only! Grab your copy today.

An Excerpt from the Book

Take an inside look at First Crush, Last Love with this enticing excerpt.
Jessie flipped on the foyer light and her nerves relaxed until she saw the rug at the bottom of the stairs. It was askew. Her eyes darted over the space in front of her. Everything else was in its proper place. Besides the inability to pick faithful husbands, she and her mother shared the rarely appreciated trait of compulsive neatness.
She thought back to when she had left the house earlier. Maybe in her haste to meet Sarah, her foot had slid the rug out of place as she came down the stairs. But she would have straightened it. Unless she didn’t notice . . . but she would have noticed . . . because that’s how she was.
She inched into the kitchen and picked up the phone. She’d call the police and ask them to search the house. Because of a cockeyed rug? Even in her paranoid state, she knew it would sound crazy. Their first question would be, “How much did you have to drink tonight, Ms. Baxter?”
She shook her head. For all the bravado she showed in front of Lee, here she was acting like a scared twelve-year-old, alone for the first time while her parents were on a date night. Her mom had offered to cancel her trip to London when Jessie told her the date of the class reunion, but Jessie had insisted she go. Since retirement, these trips had become her mom’s main source of entertainment.
She rummaged in her purse until her fingers found her pepper spray. With the canister at arm’s length, she circled each room on the first floor, testing the locks on the windows. Everything seemed in order. She let out a breath and grasped the banister leading upstairs with her free hand while her foot straightened the rug.
The steps to the second floor creaked under Jessie’s weight. She shuddered at the eerie feeling the empty house gave off. Still clutching the pepper spray, she checked the windows upstairs before collapsing on the bed in her childhood room. The house was too big for one person. She didn’t know how her mom stood it. Maybe tomorrow she’d move to Sarah’s. They could have a slumber party like old times.
Old times. Lee Archer. Wow. Her smile turned into a yawn. Something itched at the back of her mind, but after seven hours in a car and a few more in the bars, she gave into heavy eyelids and fell into an uneasy sleep.
At three in the morning, her eyes flew open and she clutched the comforter to her chin.
Underwear. A pair of lacy, black underwear hung from the top rail of the desk’s chair. No way in hell had she done that.

Giveaway

WIN $15 AMAZON GIFT CARD
First Crush, Last Love Giveaway Graphic
Contest runs from October 6 – 12, 2017.

About Elizabeth McKenna

Elizabeth McKenna

Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).
She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her website https://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you will enjoy her first contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, as much as others have enjoyed her historical romances.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.
Connect with Elizabeth McKenna on social media:

In partnership with
Book Unleashed Logo

Comments Off on FIRST CRUSH, LAST LOVE – Release Blitz

Filed under BOOKS

Thrill of Love – Release Week Blitz

thrill of love banner

Today we have the blog tour for THRILL OF LOVE by Melissa Foster! Check out the blog tour and be sure to grab your copy today!

thrill of love cover

Title: Thrill of Love

Author: Melissa Foster

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Thrill of Love:

The Bradens are a series of sexy stand-alone romances. These hot contemporary romance novels feature alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy new adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.

Fall in love with Ty Braden, a world-renowned mountain climber and nature photographer. He’s about to take on his toughest assignment yet–winning the heart of the one that got away.

Do you believe in fate?

World-renowned mountain climber and nature photographer Ty Braden never believed in second dates, much less heart-pounding, steal-his-breath love. But that was before a trip to Saint-Luc, where he met funny, strong, and entrancingly beautiful Aiyla Bell, a ski instructor and fellow photographer whose hopes and dreams, and love of the outdoors, aligned perfectly with his–and whose kisses alone turned him inside out.

After spending five magical days and four sweet, soulful nights falling in love, Aiyla couldn’t imagine a day without Ty. But when he asked her to go with him on his next assignment, his reputation for having women at his beck and call stopped her from upending the life she’d worked so hard to create.

Months later fate steps in when a chance encounter brings Ty and Aiyla together for a five-day wilderness event held in the Colorado Mountains. Their deep, passionate connection is stronger than ever, and Ty is bound and determined not to lose her again. But when tragedy strikes and their worlds are turned upside down, their love faces the truest test of all.

**
“When it comes to contemporary romances with realistic characters, an emotional love story and smokin’ hot sex, author Melissa Foster always delivers!” The Romance Reviews

“You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that’s fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won’t want to stop reading. Every book’s a winner!” New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak

“With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!” New York Times Bestseller J. Kenner

“Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!” New York TimesBestseller Lauren Blakely

WANT MORE BRADENS? All Braden books can be read as stand-alone novels or as part of the series:

THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love (Nate)
Surrender My Love (Cole)
River of Love (Sam)
Crushing on Love (Shannon)
Whisper of Love (Tempest)
Thrill of Love (Ty)


The Bradens are part of the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Characters from each sub-series appear in future books.

EXCERPT

An announcement sounded with a twenty-minute prerace warning. She zipped up her equipment bags, and as she started to hoist them over her shoulder, Ty took them from her hands.

“I can carry those,” she said as he slung them easily over his back.

“Call it a ‘thank you’ instead of a ‘reward’ for retrieving your helmet,” he said, ignoring what she’d said. “Something simple, like a walk after the race?”

The first leg of the race was a thirty-mile bike ride, the last eight miles were through the mountains, ending at a site where their equipment would be left for them to make camp.

When she didn’t answer right away, he said, “Come on, Aiyla. We took lots of walks in Saint-Luc, and I seem to remember your hand fitting perfectly in mine and your lips…” He arched a brow.

A nervous laugh slipped out before she could stop it. Their lips fit together, all right, even more perfectly than their hands, and a walk sounded wonderful. But she needed time to think. As he set her bags by the transportation trucks and they headed for the bikes, she asked, “Who’s Johnny Jackass?”

Ty nodded at two guys standing with a group of women. “Johnny Jackson, one of the Jackson brothers. They stop at nothing to bring down their competition. Stealing equipment is tame for those cretins.”

“This is a race for charity, not the Olympics. Besides, I’m a woman, not even in their league of competition.” There were three groups of winners: men, women, and couples. She knew Ty was a fierce, and honest, competitor. If the articles and online gossip were true, he was a dichotomy of morals when it came to sports competitions versus his personal life, with one similarity—he always achieved his goals. The Mad Prix was probably like just another woman for him to conquer.

What does that make me?

 

thrill of love teaser

Get Your Copy Today!

Kindle | Kobo | Nook | Google Play | iBooks | Paperback

About Melissa Foster:

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. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, and the Wild Boys After Dark. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented.

Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.

Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.

 

Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

 

CONNECT WITH MELISSA

Facebook | Fan Club | Twitter | Pinterest | Google Plus | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | Website

5 FREE eBOOKS

Enter Melissa’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Comments Off on Thrill of Love – Release Week Blitz

Filed under BOOKS

ALWAYS BY BETHANY-KRIS – BOOK BLITZ

always banner

ALWAYS, A Legacy Novel

by Bethany-Kris
Cross + Catherine, #1
Publication Date: October 2, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Coming of Age, Mafia

always cover

NOW AVAILABLE!

always banner 2

SYNOPSIS:

A Legacy Novel

A wild boy.
A sly girl.

Cross Donati defines trouble. He does what he wants because he’s never known anything different. He’s unapologetic, and he owns it.

Catherine Marcello is every bit a good girl … on the outside. Her entire world is a legacy, and she lives it. She’s curious, and she’s exploring it.

She chases bad things.
He never learned to be good.

They’re late nights, stolen cars, first times, fist fights, leather jackets, beaches, bloody smiles, and life.
They’re vicious and precious, dangerous and harmless, innocence and sin. They are love.

Love is killing for someone.
Love is living for someone.

Sometimes, you can’t keep saving your heart when it means sacrificing it, too.
Sometimes, you have to learn to save yourself.
Sometimes, love has to fall, crash, and burn.

This is what love is like when you’re a principe and principessa della mafia.
This is what love is like when you’re Cross Donati and Catherine Marcello.

***

Always is a Legacy Novel, and while it is standalone, it can also act as a prequel for Revere. Each Legacy Novel stands alone from any other book, series, or collection.

goodreads-badge-add-38px

always teaser

EXCERPT

ALWAYS, A Legacy Novel (Cross + Catherine, #1) by Bethany-Kris

Catherine giggled. Her amusement faded fast. Like the second Hugh grabbed her arm in a tight grip, and stopped her from walking further.

“Last name?” he asked again.

She tugged her arm to free it from his grasp, but he didn’t let go. She looked down at his hand pointedly. “That’s a no.”

“Shit, what’s your problem? I’m just asking who the hell—”

“Let me go,” Catherine said.

She was polite.

It was the only warning he was going to get.

“Tell me your name, then.”

“This isn’t a tit for tat,” Catherine replied. “I said no, and that means—”

Catherine didn’t even see the fist coming before it smashed into Hugh’s face. Hugh let go of Catherine’s arm with a holler, and she almost tripped over her gladiator-style sandals in an effort to jump back.

“Means fucking no,” the guy Catherine had been admiring earlier said, as he stood over a now bleeding Hugh. “Coach said to move your ass, so move, Hugh. Stop bothering girls—didn’t you get enough of that shit last year?”

“Donati!” someone yelled from the field.

“Jesus Christ, Cross,” Liliana muttered.

“Prick!”

That was all Hugh got out before he kicked out a leg and dropped Cross to the ground. In full football gear, but for the helmets, the two boys started laying into one another. Each fist smacking into a body or gear made Catherine cringe. She was pretty sure someone was bleeding, too, in between cursing and name calling. The players and coaches on the field started heading their way fast.

“Okay, time to go,” Liliana said, making sure to tug Catherine along.

She kept up with her cousin easily enough.

First day, and already starting fights.

Yeah, she really missed her old school.

“Donati did you a favor there,” Liliana said as they came closer to the school.

“Who?” Catherine asked, peering back over her shoulder.

“Donati. Cross Donati.”

That surname seemed familiar to Catherine, but she couldn’t quite pull out why.

“Hugh is a creep,” Liliana said, oblivious to Catherine’s confusion. “He doesn’t understand the word no, and if you ask the right girls, they’ll all tell you not to leave a drink unattended when he’s around. Seriously, Cross did you a favor.”

She couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder.

Catherine found a pair of dark eyes looking in her direction before they locked onto hers.

Cross.

Cross Donati.

His fist crashed down into Hugh’s bloody face one more time before the coach reached the fighting boys, and pulled them apart. He was still staring after Catherine, though.

Cross smiled at her, then, showing off white teeth stained red by his bloody mouth. He didn’t seem a bit bothered by it, really. She smiled back.

Catherine thought, years from then, when people asked …

She would say that was when she fell in love with Cross.

Black hair.

Dark eyes.

Bruised knuckles.

Bloody mouth.

All the while, he smiled at her.

And she smiled back.

That was when she fell in love with Cross Donati.

Even if she hadn’t known it then.

always teaser 2

ABOUT BETHANY-KRIS

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to three young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: https://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

WebsiteBlogTwitterFacebook GoodreadsPinterestMailing ListAmazon Author Page

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

always giveaway banner
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comments Off on ALWAYS BY BETHANY-KRIS – BOOK BLITZ

Filed under BOOKS

Hearts Unleashed – Blog Tour with Excerpt

hearts unleashed banner

 

 

Today we have the blog tour of Hearts Unleashed by Paris Wynters! Be sure to grab your copy today!

 

hearts unleashed cover

Title: Hearts Unleashed

Author: Paris Wynters

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Hearts Unleashed:

After an IED ends his military career, Major John Rathborne struggles to re-adjust to civilian life. Haunted by the death of his brother-in-arms, John’s determined to find his canine partner, Koda, now retired and re-homed. The last place he expects to find her is on a ranch in Absarokee, Montana, where he lands a foreman job and a chance at a new start.

Unfortunately, ranch manager Katie Locke just wants the new guy gone. She can’t shake the trauma from the night she was attacked, and God knows she doesn’t need some stranger invading her safe haven. She can’t ignore John’s brooding presence, and even her dog shares an uncanny bond with him. But when her father suffers a heart attack, Katie has no option but to put her differences with John aside to save the future of Three Keys Ranch.
As they slowly find a common bond and their attraction heats up, both realize they must heal from their past wounds if they want to explore a relationship. But John hasn’t told Katie about certain parts of his past—including that he and Koda had been partners in Afghanistan. Then he learns someone is out to destroy the ranch, and Katie is in their crosshairs. Has John opened his heart too late?

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

 

hearts unleashed teaser

EXCERPT

“If someone had asked me what I loved most about Montana,” he said quietly, “I would have told them it was the sight of jagged mountain peaks against the backdrop of the starry skies. When I was a boy I would count the stars in the sky until I lost my place, and then start all over again.”

Air slowly passed through her nose and into her lungs. Her eyes scanned over his large frame. His shoulders slumped forward, as if the weight of the world were placed on them. And it was just too heavy to keep holding it.

“I tried to do the same thing in Afghanistan, during the nights when I couldn’t sleep. And there were plenty of those. But without these fierce and jagged mountain peaks, it wasn’t the same. I always knew that unless I came home, it would never be the same.”

She put her hands in her pockets and scuffed one foot on the floor. She looked at him, before switching her gaze to the fields and the horizon She studied the stars gleaming in the ink black sky, until the porch creaked.

“John—wait.”

She sucked in a deep breath when he turned around. His face remained in shadow, his expression hidden. She couldn’t tell what he thought. “I was out of line. I—know you didn’t mean anything by what you said.”

“I honestly didn’t mean to criticize,” he said. “In the army, being blunt is a virtue. I’m trying to remember that it doesn’t work in the civilian world. But you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.”

“I know I’m not a good cook,” she said. “When my mom left, there was no one to teach me how. I taught myself through books and videos I found online. And you sort of know my dad. He’s not going to say my food sucks. He’d eat scrambled rotten eggs to spare my feelings.”

A lump formed in her throat as she recalled sitting alone at school, tears pricking her eyes as she swallowed down a tasteless sandwich. She could hear her classmates whisper, “Her mom didn’t want her anymore so she left.”

“My food’s nothing special—”

“It’s good enough for me.” He lingered on the step. “You teach yourself accounting, too? No—I know you did.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Are you mocking me?” He criticized her cooking, and she’d opened up to him—

“No. I’m impressed. Your dad—well, he’s a lucky man to have a daughter like you. Thanks for dinner, Katie. Next time, I’ll be a better guest.”

“Who said there’d be a next time?”

But secretly she’d hoped there would be, which meant she needed to find better videos on cooking. Though, maybe she just needed to learn before she accidentally poisoned her dad. Her lips pulled into a wide smile as she bounded up the steps to her room.

 

 

About the Author:

I’m a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, canine, and exercise. When I’m not writing, I’m at the hockey rink cheering on my son, playing HALO on Xbox, or breaking a sweat in the gym. live in New York with my family and my two lovable and psychotic working dogs. I also run numerous 5k races in the New York area that raise funds to support the military/veteran community.

 

Connect with Paris:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

 

Enter Paris’ Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Comments Off on Hearts Unleashed – Blog Tour with Excerpt

Filed under BOOKS