He’s a Keeper, from bestselling author Stacy Travis - Blog Tour and Review!

 

This bad boy needs an image makeover.
Can the quirky librarian get the job done?

He’s a Keeper, an all-new opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine romance full of heat and heart from bestselling author Stacy Travis is out now!

Drunk-texting a grumpy soccer star?
Best worst decision of my life.

Especially when the player is the sinfully handsome, foul-mouthed Holden Sanders… my new library assistant.

The benched bad boy needed an image makeover, I needed to save my job, and his star status was just what the library ordered to raise awareness for our fundraising campaign. The press can’t get enough of Mr. Growly reading to kids.

It's win-win and completely platonic.

Until I need a shoulder to cry on after drowning my heartbreak in too many margaritas. I only typed that invitation to his brawny biceps and perfect pectorals for fun–I never meant to hit send. Holden isn’t the kind of guy to care about tears and feelings, least of all mine. He’s made it clear good girls aren’t his type.

But he shows up–with his strapping shoulder, a box of tissues and a supersized bag of Doritos.

That’s when I realize there’s more to him than meets the eye.

One soulful, smoldering mistake of a kiss has me craving more, and the heat between us quickly builds to a blaze neither of us can control.

But I’m not the only one guarding secrets, and Holden’s might push us to the breaking point.

Even if I’m surrounded by books, I know better than to believe in storybook endings.

And yet, I want to believe... Because I know he's a keeper.

Fall in love today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uLFmcv
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/hesakeeper
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3jLdoqY
Nook: https://bit.ly/3KOpjAm
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3vpIqdq
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3kDHsoU

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Oe3AnA

My Review

Stacy Travis is one of my new faves, 1-click authors.

This one was hinted at in her prior series, and was such a good story. Grumpy soccer player meets the nerdy, overly positive librarian and can't help but be charmed by her.

He uses her need for develop a reading program to help her image, and she's happy he's around because it not only helps her keep her job, but he's not bad on the eyes. The two come from past relationships that weren't great, but find that they're just perfect for each other. 

Excerpt

“Mare, I had no idea what I was in for when you stormed out of the library that day, looking to kill me for skirting my parental responsibilities.”
She squints, then her expression turns wry. “I’d never kill a person.” She tilts her head from side to side, considering. “Well, unless you burned a book.”
Nodding, I kiss her softly. “I respect that. And I want you to know you can trust me. I know people have left you behind in your past, but I hope you believe me when I tell you I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you.” As I say the words, I believe they’re true. If I move to England, I hope she loves me enough to come with me. Even if she hasn’t said the words.
I don’t know what I’m expecting. Maybe relief or acknowledgment that she’s not going anywhere either. I want to believe she feels the same way.
I don’t expect her forehead to crease and her eyes to glisten with tears, which swell until they can no longer be contained and roll down her cheeks before she buries her face in my shoulder.
Turning us to the side, I wrap her in my arms, as the flow of tears turns to quiet sobs. I smooth her hair and give her the outlet she needs, even though I feel guilty for making her cry.
With a sniff, she leans her head away and meets my gaze. Her wet eyes glisten above pink cheeks. I wipe a remaining tear away with the pad of my thumb and rub her back gently.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“You didn’t,” she whispers, wiping her eyes. A moment later she laughs at the lie. “It was stuck inside me. You just let it out.” She exhales, tucking the emotions away.
“You okay?” I want to tread carefully until I know where she is in her head.
Nodding, she reaches for my cheek and cups the side of my face. “Thank you for saying that. I’d never ask that of you, but thank you. I love you. So much.”
I’ve been waiting to hear those words. For a moment, I’m convinced that everything between us can stay this easy. We’re both cautious, but we can cross each new line together. It feels powerful to be able to do that with her.
“I know you’d never ask. That’s why I said it. I wanted you to know.”
“I’m not going anywhere either.”
I’m struck by a foreign but welcome feeling, a realization that I can’t go backward now. I can’t be okay without her in my world. I need to tell her about the Premier League, but it can wait another day. She likes to live in the present.
She loves me.
Everything between us is still so fragile and new and good. I don’t want anything to change us.
One more day won’t hurt.

About Stacy Travis
It’s a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we can’t make it to the beach. I’ve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if I’m doing it right, I’m bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy.
I can’t sit still, so when I’m not hiking, biking or running, I’m playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.

Connect with Stacy
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2UbPlWv
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2xdBd62
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Uw1bcD
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2QBKcEU
Stay up to date with Stacy by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2y6nYod
Website: https://stacytravis.com

At the Crossroads by Sharon Michalove is now live!

 

At the Crossroads by Sharon Michalove is now live!

 Former MI6 operative, Max Grant, has created a new life in Chicago, heading up the cybersecurity arm of a global security company. He is also building a relationship with author Cress Taylor, the woman he has dreamed about for twenty years. But Max's past is about to catch up with them both.

Ten years ago, Max was caught in an ambush in an Istanbul alley, where most of his team died. Max's testimony helped put the terrorist mastermind in prison. Now he's escaped and word in the intelligence community is that he is targeting Max.

A planned trip to visit Max's family in London and Scotland, then to attend an awards dinner in Paris turns deadly as Max is drawn inexorably to a final showdown. With Cress refusing to return to Chicago, Max has to stop Faez, before he stops them—permanently.
 
Sharon Michalove is the author of At First Sight, the story of how Max and Cress reconnected twenty years after their first encounter at Oxford University. A standalone continuation of Max and Cress' story, At the Crossroads is the second romantic suspense novel in the Global Security Unlimited series.

 

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

http://mybook.to/atcsm

 

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3oIqk3R

 

Meet Sharon Michalove

 

I grew up in suburban Chicago. After spending most of my life in a medium-sized university town I moved back to Chicago in 2017 so I could go to more Blackhawks games and spend quality time at Eataly. Besides watching hockey, travel is my passion. I love history, reading, cooking, writing, and various less elevated activities like eating pastry and sampling gins and single malts.

 

Connect with Sharon

Website | https://sharonmichalove.com

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3i978tk

Amazon | https://amzn.to/3l8vGob

Instagram | https://bit.ly/3faDaDi

Twitter | https://bit.ly/2UUg3pN

Pinterest | https://bit.ly/2V3A2SH

Once Upon an Island by Sara Ready - Blog Tour and Review!

 

Sometimes first impressions aren’t everything.

Once Upon an Island, a steamy and hilarious retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the Caribbean from author Sarah Ready, is now available!

Fun-loving Isla Waterstone loves her laid-back life on Mariposa Island. She has everything she could ever want…a great job as a journalist for the local paper, amazing friends, and pink sand beaches with stunning tropical sunsets.
The only problem with tiny tropical islands? There are more sea turtles than single men.
So when British billionaire Declan Fox and his aristocratic friend arrive, Isla’s friends know this can mean only one thing.
Marriage.
After all, it’s a truth universally acknowledged, when a single billionaire travels to a tropical island, he must be in want of a wife.
But Isla isn’t convinced. Especially because Declan is the most rude, arrogant, prideful man she’s ever met.
Or is he?

From tropical Mariposa to England and back again, this playful summer romcom finds that first impressions don’t always tell the whole story.

Fall in love today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rzUhV7
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/IslandSR
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3jM1yNq
Nook: https://bit.ly/3JQJ7BW
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3FGl08l
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3MdvoXE
Nook Paperback: https://bit.ly/3wscw0j

My Review

Sarah Ready always writes stories with gal pals, and this one starts the same way. Isla and Declan start off as adversaries after he overhears her friends talking about landing the rich guy. He's that rich guy. Isla wants no part of it, and nothing to do with Declan until they're forced together, multiple times, and both start to change toward each other. This one starts on the island with Isla, travels to Declan's home in England, and they return again. Sweet story, and a very slow burn but work a read, especially as a summer vacay read!

 

Read on for an exclusive excerpt!

Jimmy starts the propeller and the noise fills the cabin. Percy and Arya lean closer together to continue their conversation. When Jimmy starts moving the plane forward I close my eyes, but unfortunately, my head spins so much that I have to open them again.
When I do, I notice Declan staring at me.
“Yes?” I ask.
He scowls. “You made a noise.”
I probably did. In fact, I imagine it was a noise like “please, oh please, please fly okay.”
“I’m fine,” I say.
Declan looks down at my hands and makes a disbelieving noise. I look down too. I’m gripping the seats and my knuckles have turned white.
The plane bumps down the runway and my stomach flips with each little bump.
“Are you afraid to fly?” asks Declan. He has a judgy look on his face. “How can you live on an island and be afraid of flying? Don’t you have to fly to go anywhere else in the world?”
I glare at him. His people skills are terrible. “I’m not afraid of flying.”
He makes another disbelieving noise.
“I’m not,” I say.
“Just like you don’t eat balls very often,” he says. Then he smirks at me.
I gasp and my back goes poker straight. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure he remembered me, or recognized me from the Valentine’s Day Brunch, but I am now.
“It’s none of your business how often I eat balls,” I hiss at him. Then I flush. “And I’m talking about chocolate, you…you…man.” My insult falls flat. It’s hard to be eloquent when you’re drugged up and terrified of flying.
“I know what you’re up to,” he says, and his lip curls in a villain-ish sort of way.
What’s he talking about?
“You don’t know anything,” I say. Because…comebacks.
He shakes his head and looks at me like I’m the larva of a slug. “I heard your friends talking in the terminal. ‘Land the white whale. Nab a billionaire. Blah blah blah.’ Trust me, La-La. I’ve had enough gold diggers after me to recognize one from a mile away. I’m not interested.”
My mouth drops open and I try to formulate a comeback. Instead, all I manage are little choking noises of outrage. Finally, I say, “I’m not a dold gigger…” I shake my head. That wasn’t right. Darn prescription. “Gold digger,” I correct.
Declan snorts and turns back to his phone, effectively dismissing me.
However, I’m a person, not a dog he can dismiss or beckon at his convenience. So I lean over and forcefully poke his arm with my pointer finger.
He glances up and gives me an affronted look. “Yes?”
“I’m not a gold digger,” I say again.
“Methinks thou protesteth too much.”
I shake my fuddled head. “I just want to set the record straight. I wouldn’t chase you, lust after you, date you, or marry you, even if you and I were stranded on a deserted island together, or if you were the last man on earth. Billionaire or bankrupt, I don’t care. Because I don’t like you. Got it? I don’t like you.”
Declan gives me a tight-lipped smile. “The feeling’s mutual,” he says. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have important things to do.”
Implying that I’m not important.
Well.
“So do I,” I say.
I resist the urge to stick out my tongue.
What a jerk.
I turn away from him, my head spinning. When I look out the little oval window next to my seat, I see with surprise that we’re high in the sky, soaring over the azure-colored sea. I was so distracted by Declan that I forgot about my terror over take-off, and my fear of flying.
I look down and make out the white sail of a sailboat, the dark greenish-black smudges of a reef, and a tiny uninhabited island.
I glance over at Declan. It’s amazing. It seems that my complete and utter loathing and fear of flying was finally wiped out. I don’t need anti-anxiety medication, therapy, or any other tricks. I just need to replace it with an even greater loathing – that of Declan Fox.
I grin gleefully. At that moment he looks up, sees my expression and scowls at me.
Amazing. Wonderful.
“It’s not going to work. You’re not pretty enough to tempt me. Nor are you eloquent or smart enough. Or friendly enough for that matter. Even when you smile. You can stop trying,” he says grumpily.
This makes me smile even more.
He’s awful, and that’s wonderful.
“You’re the worst person I’ve ever met,” I say with the biggest grin on my face.
“And you’re the most vulgar, greediest, average-looking gold digger I’ve ever met.”
“Perfect,” I say with a smile.

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Nd5Jyo

About Sarah Ready
Author Sarah Ready writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her books have been described as “euphoric”, “heartwarming” and “laugh out loud”. Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”. She loves to write fast-paced, emotionally compelling romances about quirky, smart women and the men who love them.

Before writing romance full-time Sarah had lots of fun teaching at an Ivy League. Then she realized she could have even more fun writing romance. Her favorite things after writing are adventuring and travel. You’ll frequently find her using her degree at a dino dig site, crawling into a cave, snorkeling, or on horseback riding through the jungle – all fodder for her next book. She’s lived in Scotland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and NYC. She currently lives in the Caribbean with her water-obsessed pup and her awesome family.
You can visit her online at www.sarahready.com

Connect with Sarah
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PVEe4j
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3wt7D6B
BookBub: https://bit.ly/3wtATKA
Website: http://sarahready.com/
Stay up to date with all the things and subscribe to Sarah’s mailing list: https://bit.ly/3sWxUbe

Once Upon an Island, an all-new romantic comedy retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the Caribbean from author Sarah Ready, is available now!

 

He might be much more than meets the eye.

Once Upon an Island, an all-new romantic comedy retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the Caribbean from author Sarah Ready, is available now!

Fun-loving Isla Waterstone loves her laid-back life on Mariposa Island. She has everything she could ever want…a great job as a journalist for the local paper, amazing friends, and pink sand beaches with stunning tropical sunsets.
The only problem with tiny tropical islands? There are more sea turtles than single men.
So when British billionaire Declan Fox and his aristocratic friend arrive, Isla’s friends know this can mean only one thing.
Marriage.
After all, it’s a truth universally acknowledged, when a single billionaire travels to a tropical island, he must be in want of a wife.
But Isla isn’t convinced. Especially because Declan is the most rude, arrogant, prideful man she’s ever met.
Or is he?

From tropical Mariposa to England and back again, this playful summer romcom finds that first impressions don’t always tell the whole story.

Fall in love today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rzUhV7
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/IslandSR
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3jM1yNq
Nook: https://bit.ly/3JQJ7BW
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3FGl08l
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3MdvoXE
Nook Paperback: https://bit.ly/3wscw0j

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Nd5Jyo

About Sarah Ready
Author Sarah Ready writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her books have been described as “euphoric”, “heartwarming” and “laugh out loud”. Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”. She loves to write fast-paced, emotionally compelling romances about quirky, smart women and the men who love them.

Before writing romance full-time Sarah had lots of fun teaching at an Ivy League. Then she realized she could have even more fun writing romance. Her favorite things after writing are adventuring and travel. You’ll frequently find her using her degree at a dino dig site, crawling into a cave, snorkeling, or on horseback riding through the jungle – all fodder for her next book. She’s lived in Scotland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and NYC. She currently lives in the Caribbean with her water-obsessed pup and her awesome family.
You can visit her online at www.sarahready.com

Connect with Sarah
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PVEe4j
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3wt7D6B
BookBub: https://bit.ly/3wtATKA
Website: http://sarahready.com/
Stay up to date with all the things and subscribe to Sarah’s mailing list: https://bit.ly/3sWxUbe

Meghan Quinn Romance like You've Never Seen it Before! The A NOT SO MEET CUTE Illustrated Collection is NOW AVAILABLE!

 Meghan Quinn Romance like You've Never Seen it Before!

The A NOT SO MEET CUTE Illustrated Collection is NOW AVAILABLE! 

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author comes the BRAND NEW Illustrated collection in hardback format. With over thirty illustrated scenes, A NOT SO MEET CUTE comes to life with vivid imagery. Full of heart, humor and heat, this will be your new favorite way to read romance.

The A NOT SO MEET CUTE Illustrated Collection is live now, so grab your copy today and experience Meghan Quinn’s Rom-Coms in a whole new way!

 

✦ Amazon ➜  https://amzn.to/3wzt0oU

ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

 

Connect w/ Meghan:

Website: https://authormeghanquinn.com/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

Neanderthal Seeks Duchess from debut author Laney Hatcher, is available now in Kindle Unlimited! Blog Tour and Review!

 

“Full of all the swoons, a dash of mystery, and punches of humor, you are going to fall head over heels with Neanderthal Seeks Duchess." - Catherine Cowles, author of Tattered Stars

 Neanderthal Seeks Duchess, an all-new charming historical romance from debut author Laney Hatcher, is available now in Kindle Unlimited! Laney introduces readers to Smartypants Romance’s new and exciting Out of This World imprint with her Penny Reid universe re-imagining.

 

 There are three things you need to know about Lady Jane Morrison:

1. She frequently finds herself the talk of the ton and for all the wrong reasons.

2. A dashingly mysterious gentleman has caught her attention and even more dangerous...she has caught his.

3. She’s rubbish at embroidery.

 After scandalous events during the London season, Lady Jane is attracting the wrong kind of attention. Her reputation is at risk as well as all her carefully laid plans for the future. And for better or worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious lord sets forth a series of events that will change their lives forever. 

  ‘Neanderthal Seeks Duchess’, a Penny Reid Universe Reimagining, is a full-length historical romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the London Ladies Embroidery series, Smartypants Romance Out of this World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

 Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3h0HoOb

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ByTl7t

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3I0hWo6

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3H4csre

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3FhHTi9

Audiobook: Coming this summer!

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/33Yj8cQ

 My Review

I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this one! While most classics are retold in modern times, this one works backwards.

It's a historical romance retelling of Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid, and all the Knitting gals are present! As with that series, it starts with Jane, who is staying with her friend Eliza after a break up. Eliza takes Jane out to a masquerade ball, and it's there that she meets "Lord Dashing" or Q, and their courtship begins.

While some of the details are changed due to the historical timeframe, most of the story will be familiar for fans of NSH. 

Excerpt

“You desire the life of a spy then?” I could tell he was teasing, but it didn’t seem the mean sort of mocking I was so often accustomed to.

“Oh, of course. I am definitely spy material. I’m sure the War Office will come calling any day now,” I managed to tease back, indulging in a mirthful laugh. Were we having a flirtation? I wondered if I was doing it right.

I was suddenly struck with a bout of nerves. I didn’t know how to carry on a flirtation with a man. Being with John didn’t require flirting on my part. We simply conversed. I never made a concentrated effort to amuse John and be amused in return. Coy and coquettish were more in line with Cassandra and her interactions in a ballroom. She laughed loudly and often, usually flapping her eyelashes in a pleasing manner. Lords were simply drawn to her. Now that I considered it, it was likely just her outgoing personality. I was… not like that.

This bantering, the back-and-forth with Q in the garden, was multifaceted. I warred between self-consciousness and butterflies erupting behind my sternum.

His eyebrows remained amused and my pulse leaped once more. “Well, I hope the crown doesn’t steal you away just yet.” Warmth pooled low in my belly at Q’s admiring look. Those butterflies were approaching maximum velocity.

In a show of sheer survival instinct, I straightened on the bench. “I should probably get back to work.”

Q’s gaze was questioning. Perhaps signs of self-preservation weren’t evident in my expression, but I felt certain he could read some inner turmoil there. Q stood slowly and held out an arm. “I’ll escort you back to the library, if that’s all right?”

I nodded and felt grateful I hadn’t ruined our time together with my abrupt decision to depart. These feelings were so new and utterly overwhelming.

We made our way along the gravel path, through the kitchens, and up the service staircase in quiet contemplation before emerging in the long hallway of the third floor. His heat and nearness were addicting. The simple act of walking by his side was fraught with tension—the good kind. The best kind.

“Perhaps you could enjoy a picnic in the gardens another day. I could let Betty know in advance and she could pack a few items for you. So you wouldn’t feel like an imposition,” Q said as he slowed our progress outside the library doorway.

I appreciated his consideration for my concerns and for Mrs. Hooper’s time and energy. “If it’s not too much trouble, that sounds lovely. Thank you.” Genuine pleasure sufficed my demeanor, chasing away my previous doubts.

“And perhaps I could join you.” At these quietly uttered words, my head snapped up abruptly to meet Lord Dashing’s patented intense stare. “If that’s agreeable, that is,” he murmured, seemingly unsure of his welcome.

I smiled then. Full and wide. I often had difficulty interpreting the reactions of others, their hidden smiles and secretive expressions. Conversing with nobility was often an exercise in subterfuge and subtlety. Both elements I struggled with and didn’t see the need for. I preferred honesty and directness. Therefore, I wanted Q to read the authenticity in my smile when I replied, “I’d like that very much.”

Lord Dashing escorted me the remaining distance to the library before lifting my hand from his arm. I assumed he’d simply deposit me at my desk and be on his way, but he lingered. Twining our fingers together, Q raised my hand to his lips. Slowly and quite deliberately, he rotated my hand and placed a kiss on the inside of my wrist just beyond the fabric of my kid gloves. The heat from his mouth was deliciously obscene and I felt my breath stutter on an inhale. I should have been shocked by his behavior and scandalized by his forwardness. And yet… All I could muster was a sense of regret that I’d cut our afternoon short in a moment of weakness.

Eyes locked, Q pulled away from my skin. Lowering my hand to my side, he retreated a pace before turning slowly and exiting the room. I stood frozen in place, staring after his departed form. With my opposite hand covering my inner wrist, I could feel the heat from his scandalous touch and sought to trap it within.

What was happening?

I spent the afternoon mostly absorbed by the ledgers lining my desk, but couldn’t help but allow my attention to stray to the gardens a time or two, remembering the sun on my face, the man at my side, and the butterflies wreaking havoc on my carefully laid plans.

 About Laney Hatcher

Laney Hatcher is a firm believer that there is a spreadsheet for every occasion and pie is always the answer. She is an author of stories that have a past, in a language of love that’s universal. Often too practical for her own good, Laney enjoys her life in the southern United States with her husband, children, and incredibly entitled cat.

 Find Laney online

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3HkhbFE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laney.hatcher/

Website: https://laneyhatcher.com/

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Pinterest: https://bit.ly/32G5BG8

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/laneyhatcher

 

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