Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry - Blog Tour and Review!

Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry

Blurb:

I just wanted to get my hands on his beans

Four years ago, I had a ridiculous crush on my sister's boyfriend. But when they moved away together, I put Beck out of my mind and my heart. But now he's back, and roasting the best coffee in Vermont. I need to convince him to supply the Busy Bean. And I need more of those kisses we accidentally shared outside the coffee shop. He still makes my heart race faster than a triple shot of espresso.

She should be off limits, but instead she's pushing mine

Her sister burned my life to the ground, so Haley Elliot is the last woman I should bring into my bed. Although our business relationship is giving way to something more than a fine grind. Neither of us can help ourselves. And what’s worse, I think I’m falling for her.

But it’s a small town, and ours is a big secret. And when her sister blows back into town, suddenly the coffee isn’t the only thing brewing...

Purchase your copy now:
Amazon: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Nook

Add to Goodreads : https://bit.ly/2JhMAAe
Series page: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/busy-bean/
Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

My Review:

With many books, there’s a point in the story where I start to think “Uh-oh. This isn’t going to end well.” That moment came early, when Haley, a crafter and barista runs into her sister’s ex-boyfriend while trying to investigate where the new coffee roasters are in town. Haley has always had a crush on Beck, and when he realizes who she is, he lashes out since he’s still holding on to the toxicity from his past relationship with Jess. When he pushes her too far and causes her to cry, he feels like a jerk (rightly so) and goes to check on her where the dynamic between the two changes.

As these two hook up, the guilt, and the complexity of starting this relationship hits hard. The hooking up with the sibling’s ex is always a difficult topic, but throw in the sister that isn’t just vain, but is struggling with mental health issues and you’ve created a storm ready to burst. Surprisingly, Sarah Mayberry pulls this off well, and treats the situation with care and accuracy. While I haven’t read the prior books from the Vermont series, I may need to go back as this new-to-me author is one that creates a visual story and characters with depth and chemistry that should not be missed.

Read the others in this series:

Cowboy by L.B. Dunbar

Release Date: March 1, 2021

Cakewalk by Claire Hastings

Release Date: TBD
Add to Goodreads here: https://bit.ly/3mPaQqR

Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid is available NOW!!

The Devil is in the details . . .

Marriage and Murder, an-all new quirky and witty cozy mystery and second book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid is available now!

Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.

On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty. Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after?

And most importantly, who done it?

‘Marriage and Murder’ is the second book in the cozy mystery series Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries. It is best read after Winston Brothers #3, ‘Beard Science’ (which can be read as a standalone) and Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1, ‘Engagement and Espionage.’

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bxHvvw
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MarriageMurderPR
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2LqTiBk
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2T5lIVP
Nook: https://bit.ly/2WuiXzm
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2Z0eZjD

Add Marriage and Murder to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2WsIngD

Meet Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD
Twitter: @ReidRomance
Mailing List: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/
Website: www.pennyreid.ninja

Monday, March 1, 2021

Cowboy by LB Dunbar is NOW AVAILABLE!!

Cowboy by LB Dunbar is now available!!

Blurb:

Pregnant at forty-two? Back the cow up...

Harland Bull Eaton has lost many things—his first wife, his beloved mother, those three women he proposed to . . . Oh, and there was that time he almost lost the family dairy farm due to a scandal. He’s losing faith in just about everything, especially love.

But one night, his friends give him a dare. No commitments. No heartbreak. Just buy that gorgeous redhead a drink. The big-city bombshell he’s set his eyes on swirls him into a tailspin that lands them in bed for a one-night stand he’s pretty sure he’ll never forget. But this time, he swears, he won’t let his heart ride herd on his common sense.

Recently separated and newly unemployed, Scarlett Russell is at a crossroads. With no other plan than visiting a friend in Vermont, the last thing she expects is a hunky, silver fox offering to buy her a drink. Even less expected is when she raises that offer to “take me to bed, cowboy.” She just wants one night to forget everything gone wrong.

Turns out once won’t be nearly enough. Won’t ever be enough, feeling the way she does. But secrets and an unexpected surprise are a lot to handle . . . unless these two can break a trail to an unexpected happily ever after.

Cowboy by L.B. Dunbar

Release Date: March 1, 2021

Purchase here:
Amazon: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Nook

Add to Goodreads here: https://bit.ly/34Ax3To
Series page: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/busy-bean/
Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

Excerpt:

“A coffee, black, no sugar, no cream, and a caramel macchiato with exactly five drizzles of caramel, fifteen pumps of vanilla syrup, whipped cream, and an extra shot.”

What the . . .

Thank God, I did not take that order. I don’t even know what that is. There’s a pause and I’m wondering what’s happening when Bull says, “You have a little something . . .”

I just want to die a slow death as I imagine him swiping at the corner of her lip or wiping off her nose and that sweet, tender touch will be all the spark she needs to want to pounce on this man behind me. Bull has these deep blue eyes and that silver speckled scruff, plus his hair that looks artfully streaked with gray. He’s just all around sexy and he doesn’t even know it about himself. Then, his touch. The soft strokes down my body and the delicate dips of his fingers, I just can’t—

“Have either of you seen Scarlett?” Audrey asks.

Frick.

“Scarlett?” Bull chokes behind me.

“Yeah, Scarlett. She’s our newest barista and I swear she was out here.”

“I didn’t see anyone,” Vermont Barbie states. “But then again, I’ve only been looking at Bull.”

Okay, that’s enough.

“Found it,” I say, popping up from behind the couch and holding my fingers pinched together like I’ve just found gold in them there wood floorboards.

“Scarlett?” Audrey blinks at me with those expressive eyes of hers . She’s a petite blond with a lot of power behind her personality. I slowly stand but find myself dizzy as I do and grip the back of the couch for support.

“Whoa.” I blurt, unable to stop myself as the room spins and my legs tremble. My skin runs cold, but I break out in a full body sweat.

“Scarlett, are you okay?” Audrey asks, rushing to the edge of the couch while Bull quickly stands to face me.

“I . . . yeah, I just think I stood up too fast.” However, that isn’t the full explanation because that rush to my head has now settled back down to my belly.

“You sure you’re okay? You look a little gray,” Audrey asks.

“I . . . excuse me.” Rushing around the couch, I fight the pull to look at Bull, as I disappear behind the counter, bypassing our waiting customers with one finger in the air, and then press out the door to the grassy area behind the building for some much needed fresh air. Once outside, I promptly bend forward and heave.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Audrey says behind me and I close my eyes, embarrassed by my position in front of my boss. Audrey’s younger than me, but a good, business woman and kind-hearted. She took me on without any prior experience in the coffee industry.

“Yeah. Just something I ate, I think.” I honestly don’t know. It’s been a few weeks like this, nausea, fatigue, and then if I do get sick, which doesn’t always happen, I feel a million times better once I vomit. “I just have a little stomach bug, but I don’t have a fever. I’m so sorry about this.” I point to the grass which holds no evidence of how my stomach felt. “And that.” I nod toward the café.

Audrey’s brows crease as she examines my face. “What else is wrong? As far as how you are feeling?”

I consider it a second and then answer. “My boobs hurt. My back kills. And I had a tuna fish sandwich for breakfast the other day. I think there was something wrong with the mayonnaise.” Then I reconsider what I’ve said. That sandwich the other morning had been the best damn tuna fish in the world and the last thing I’d ever eat when it comes to a breakfast item.

Audrey’s lips slowly curl and her eyes spark like she knows something. “Scarlett, could you be pregnant?”

“What? No. Heaven’s no. Absolutely not. I . . .” I stare back at her, horrified at the notion. I’m forty-two. I’m recently divorced. I cannot be pregnant at this stage of my life.

“No. I am definitely not pregnant.”

Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry is available NOW!!

Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry is available NOW!

Grab the first of two releases in the
Busy Bean series today!

Blurb:

I just wanted to get my hands on his beans

She should be off limits, but instead she's pushing mine

But it’s a small town, and ours is a big secret. And when her sister blows back into town, suddenly the coffee isn’t the only thing brewing...

Excerpt

You know that thing where the rational part of your brain decides on a sensible course of action and commits to it, but then the murky, primal, unsupportive part of your brain refuses to get on board? The Germans probably have a name for it, something hard to pronounce with lots of umlauts. All I had was a feeling, and it hit me on a regular basis over the next couple of weeks whenever Beck set foot in the Busy Bean.

Every time I saw him propped in the kitchen doorway sharing a laugh with Zara, I felt it. When I realised Roddy had started using Beck as a taste tester for recipes he was developing, even though they barely knew each other, I got a big, hard dose of it. And the day I left the cafe to find Beck and his dog playing with Audrey and her two kids down by the river bank, I was awash with it.

If I had to parse this feeling into its component parts, it would be made up of nine-tenths envy and one-tenth wistfulness. With a sprinkle of sexual jealousy thrown in, just for kicks and giggles.

Because I wanted Beck to laugh with me the way he laughed with Zara. I wanted us to have the kind of relationship where I could run ideas past him, the kind of friendship where I could come upon him and his dog down by the river and feel free to hang out with them.

I was fully aware that this stupid, stubborn longing I was experiencing was at complete odds with my decision to respect his obvious desire to have as little to do with me as possible, but no matter how many times I told myself I didn't care, the lump of concrete in the pit of my stomach said otherwise.

The problem was that Beck was just one of those people that other people wanted to be around. He'd always been that way, hence the fact that my sister had wanted him, and the fact that I'd developed my ridiculous, hopeless-cause crush on him in the first place.

He had a natural ease and charm that made people smile, even if they were having a shitty day. He gave good banter, and he knew how to tease people in a gentle, utterly harmless way that made them feel like they were special because he'd noticed them. And he was curious about people, asking lots of questions and genuinely listening to their answers.

It probably didn't hurt that he was extensively easy on on the eyes, either.

All of this worked together to make him a warm, real presence that people wanted to get closer to, like campers gathering around a fire at night.

I witnessed the power of his charisma over and over, in the way Audrey stood a half-foot closer to him than she did to other people, even though she was madly in love with her husband Griff, and in the way Roderick launched into an amusing anecdote whenever Beck arrived with his delivery, as though he'd been waiting to share the story with him. Even snarky, cynical Zara wasn't immune, spending extra minutes chatting to him on the phone when she called through our bi-weekly order, her laughter ringing through the cafe.

Everybody loved Beck, and Beck loved everybody - with the notable exception of me.

Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour - REVIEW and Blog Tour!

Four Weddings And A Swamp Boat Tour,

an all-new swoon-worthy Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas
is available now!

She’s been proposed to five times.

Five.

She even said yes to one of them.

And then broke his heart when she called it off. Not to mention her mother’s heart. And her grandmother’s. And his mother’s. And…you get the picture.

Paige Asher has now officially sworn off all dating. Diamonds give her hives.
All she wants is to be a yoga-doing, cat-collecting, vegetarian in peace. Away from her marriage-crazy family and all their expectations.

So when her weekend fling turns into a real friend and offers her a place to escape, she finds herself on his doorstep in Louisiana. And right in the middle of not just one family wedding, but three. Of course.

Charming, sexy bayou boy Mitch Landry gets stuff done. Whatever anyone needs. From alligator-sitting to getting a buddy drunk to showing a woman a good time to fixing a swamp boat, he’s the man. No problem. No drama.

But he wants a hell of a lot more from Paige than a temporary friends-with-benefits arrangement. He wants to take care of her. And her five cats. He also really wants other men to stop asking her to marry them.

But if a roommate and a few orgasms are all she wants, that’s what he’ll deliver.

He can just be her friend and not commit the greatest sin of all…asking her for forever.

Probably.

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ex1Ggt
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/fourweddings
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2Ia5VST
Nook: https://bit.ly/38ertJ8
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3l60HWN
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2U4n3fD

Add FOUR WEDDINGS AND A SWAMP BOAT TOUR to
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3k4ho3F

My Review:

While I've read the Hot Cake books, this one was an introduction to this series and I wasn't disappointed.

The main characters had chemistry, and Mitch was adorable. Paige was hilarious and her early arrival for her friends wedding allows Mitch to charm her (and her cats) into changing her mind about taking a break from men.

I feel like I have some catching up to do with the other books in the Bayou series.

Excerpt

“Goodnight, Paige,” he finally said.
“Goodnight, Mitch.”
They still just stood looking at each other.
“You need to go to your room,” he said, his voice a little tight.
“I will. You too.”
“Yeah, but—” He sighed. “You’re right by my door.”
She looked at the closed bedroom door again. And smiled. “I guess I am.”
She didn’t want to torture the guy. He was trying to be noble. Or something. But she wouldn’t deny that she liked that resisting her would be difficult.
“You need to move away from my bedroom door, Paige.” His voice was a little gruffer.
“You’re in my way of getting to my bedroom too,” she pointed out.
“But are you tempted to throw me over your shoulder and say to hell with all of your good intentions? Already? Within twenty minutes of deciding you even have good intentions?”
She laughed even as warmth filled her. Not just heat. Not lusty heat anyway. But a feel-good warmth that she didn’t quite understand. But she liked it. “Kind of.”
He swallowed hard. Then said, “Go to bed, Paige.”
She moved to the right, away from his door. As he came forward, she playfully pressed her back against the far wall.
He smiled, in spite of himself, and went to his bedroom door. He twisted the knob but paused and looked over at her.
She inched her way toward her bedroom, still against the wall. When she got to her door she reached for the knob and shot him a smile. “Goodnight, Mitch.”
“’Night.”
“And I’m just right here if you have any night time needs. Bad dreams.” She paused. “Good dreams.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what? Just being a good friend.” She grinned.
“My dreams might include white dresses and tuxes,” he warned.
Again, no sense of oh shit. Instead she tipped her head. “You’re pretty good at bringing all of that up without asking the four-word question.”
He didn’t comment on that. “See you in the morning.”
“Okay.” She gave him another smile, then slipped into her room, feeling his eyes still on her until the door shut.
She slumped against it, pressing her hand to her stomach.
Dammit. She really liked him.
It was really too bad they weren’t going to kiss anymore.

About Erin Nicholas

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

Connect with Erin
Website: http://bit.ly/2NkB2uF
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2tdTM8e
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2QLd1Pr
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3a3rnm4
Instagram: http://bit.ly/36NqV9y
Website: http://bit.ly/2FM3Doo
Stay up to date with Erin Nicholas by joining her mailing list:
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The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn is available NOW!

The Wedding Game

by Meghan Quinn

AVAILABLE NOW!!!

USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn’s latest bauble

is the charming story of a crafting queen battling

a jaded divorce lawyer on a wedding reality show.

BLURB:

Luna Rossi is a veritable crafting genius—she can bedazzle and bead so hard

her Etsy site is one of the hottest in the world. So it’s only natural that Luna would convince her brother and his husband-to-be to compete on The Wedding Game, a “do-it-yourself” TV show, for the title of Top DIY Wedding Expert.

As a jaded divorce lawyer, Alec Baxter scoffs at weddings and romance. But when his recently engaged brother begs him to participate in The Wedding Game, Alec grudgingly picks up a glue gun and prepares for some family bonding.

Both fierce competitors, Luna and Alec clash on national TV as harsh words and glitter fly with abandon. But as they bicker over color swatches and mood boards, they find themselves fighting something else: their growing mutual attraction. While Luna is torn between family loyalty and her own feelings, Alec wonders if he might have been wrong about love and marriage all along…

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3cwCnfi

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3j9yDS8

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3jevWPp

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3pGbdX1

TheWeddingGame_teaser-2

EXCERPT:

“Are you ready?” Farrah says, coming from behind me and massaging my shoulders. I move my head side to side while we both hop up and down. “Did you do those finger exercises I told you about?”

I flex my fingers and nod. “Yup, all warmed up.”

“Do you have your game face on?” Farrah spins me around and grips my shoulders as I mean mug it at her. “Ooo, you’ve been practicing in the mirror. I can tell.”

“When I brush my teeth. I really feel like I’ve mastered the scowl.”

“Honey, you mastered the scowl years ago. Now you’re just coming into your own with it.” She holds up her hands, and I start boxing into them as we leap around the apartment. “Quick on your feet, quick on your feet.” Farrah swings her hand at me, and I duck. “Focus, hone your attention.”

“Focused.”

“Tell me, who’s going to kill it today?”

“I am.” I bob back and forth and then give Farrah a one-two punch to her hands.

“Who’s going to do anything necessary, even sit on someone’s face if you need to, in order to win today’s challenge?”

“I am. Show no mercy. My ass is coming for your face.”

Farrah pauses, winces. “I’m not sure I like that.”

“Just go with it.”

“Okay, Luna’s ass is coming for your face.” She shrugs. “Next week let’s work on your trash talk.”

“Might be necessary.”

Circling again, I box at Farrah’s hands, feeling light on my feet and ready for anything that comes my way. “You’re going to ignore all conversations from Mr. Snobby Shoes.”

“I don’t even know he exists.”

“Your eyes are on the prize. And what is that prize?”

“Giving Cohen and Declan the best wedding possible.”

“Exactly.” She lowers her palms. “Quick, flash me your hands.”

I lift my hands, and she inspects them carefully.

“You lotioned—good. Nails are clipped to a perfect length, and those fingers are stretched and strong. Rotate your wrists for me.” She lowers her ear to my wrists as I circle them around. “Perfect, no cracking, no tension.” She points to the ground. “Fast feet.”

My feet start bouncing up and down, like in those football movies, and I hold my hands at my hips, ready for the call . . .

“Draw!” Farrah shouts.

I pull my glue gun from my hip and point it at her. “You’ve been glued.”

Farrah claps her hands. “Reaction time was spot on. You’re ready.”

“Yeah?”

She nods. “You got this, girl. This competition is yours for the taking. And remember what we talked about: don’t focus on what you think will win . . .”

“Focus on what will bring Cohen and Declan joy.”

Connect with Meghan:

M_Quinn_photo