“A top must read for 2022”

—Samantha Young, New York Times bestselling author

Falling Embers, an all-new must read moving romance from Catherine Cowles, is available now!

I’ve loved Calder Cruz from the moment he taught me how to fly. Racing down a mountain and giving me the release I so desperately needed. My understanding. My safe space.

Hadley has fought for a life of her own ever since her sister’s kidnapping. When she was drowning in expectations and family pressures, Calder was always the one who understood her.

Until one night changed it all. From best friends to strangers in a single breath.

She’s like a fire that lives inside me. Even when I thought it was all burned out, there were still embers that lived in my bones.

Calder knows what it’s like to almost lose the people he loves most. He’ll never make that kind of mistake again. Working at the fire station and taking care of his daughters are the only things he needs.

All it takes is a single moment to make him realize how wrong he is. A split second of coming close to losing the woman he has always loved.

But as long-buried embers light anew, there are those who lurk in the shadows. And they’ll do whatever it takes to extinguish that flame for good…

Add Falling Embers to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3IO1xDT

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Excerpt

Heat flared to life in Hadley’s eyes, a mix of anger and frustration. She whipped her shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but a pale pink lacy bra. I wasn’t blind. I knew that Hadley had curves, that she was beautiful, but the sight in front of me had my mouth going dry. I fought the urge to lean in closer.
“Cat got your tongue?”
I scowled at Hadley through the mirror. “Took me by surprise is all.”
“Sure.”
I returned my focus to her back, cleaning each scrape meticulously. “Hold your shirt to your chest?”
“Too much boobage on display for you?”
I chuckled, the sound a little rougher than normal. “I need to unhook your bra. That might be too much boobage for you.”
Hadley rolled her eyes but held her t-shirt to her chest, keeping her bra in place. I unhooked the little tines, letting it fall open. I cleaned the rest of the gashes and moved for the antibiotic ointment. As gently as possible I spread it over the worst of her scrapes.
Hadley trembled slightly.
“Did that hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.”
But her breathing was more shallow than usual. Her gaze focused on the counter in front of her. Apparently I wasn’t the only one affected.

TASTE, an all-new sexy, stranded enemies-to lovers rom com from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow is live now!

The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo.

But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days.

With one small bed.

Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin--but not me. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble.

So when the tension between us explodes with enough fiery heat to melt my icy defenses, I should have known what the disastrous end result would be--

A big fat plus sign.

After the snow melts, I’m left with more than just memories of the night we spent keeping each other warm. And he might be a rising star on the culinary scene, but he’s got no idea how to handle this bun in the oven.

He says he wants to do the right thing, but I’m not about to spend the rest of my life feeling like someone settled for me.

But just when I think I’ve got Gianni Lupo all figured out, he gives me a taste of the man he could be, of the family we could become, of the way he could love me if I let him.

I’m terrified of falling for him.

But one taste might be all it takes.

Excerpt

Add Taste to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3sWbzNO

About Melanie Harlow

USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

Excerpt:

5 stars to Resolution! 

I love going back to Adriana Locke’s world in Savannah! It feels like home going back to the Mason family (and hearing about the Landry family) so I was super excited to finally get Wade Mason’s story and it did NOT disappoint! 

I think Wade Mason has become my favourite Mason brother for sure. I’m such a sucker for the quiet and controlling men that don’t let anyone in or see them vulnerable until that one woman walks into their life and knocks them off their feet. I’m a goner when she gets him to smile or laugh for the first time and that’s what it was like with Wade and Dara! 

Wade is the type of man who keeps his cards close to his chest. He’s the quiet and controlling type who doesn’t show any of his vulnerability, even around his family. He’s a well respected architect who is known for always staying super professional and being married to his work. Wade is hard to get to know as he doesn’t reveal much of himself to anyone but under that closed off demeanour is a man trying to protect himself.  

Dara is quite the opposite. She’s a talker, loves to laugh and makes friends with people everywhere she goes. She’s the perfect match for Wade and knocks him off feet the moment she walks into his office for an appointment. 

Wade and Dara were perfect together and their chemistry was off the charts. I loved their story and the journey they go on. I loved watching Dara slowly break down Wade’s walls until we finally got to see the amazing man that we knew he was. Seeing Wade let go of his past and fall in love with Dara was so beautiful. 

This story was full of emotion, angst, steam, tension and SO MANY swoons! I highly recommend this book and while you don’t need to read the rest of the Mason Family series, I would definitely recommend reading the rest of the books first as the Mason family appear a lot and you’ll fall in love with them. 

Adriana Locke has added another book boyfriend to the top of my list with Wade… I just want to talk about so many swoon worthy moments I won’t spoil it! Is it too late to claim Wade? 

Go read this amazing ending to the Mason Family series! You’re missing out if you don’t. 

*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review* 

The hottest player on the Moo U hockey team hangs a flyer on the bulletin board, and I am spellbound:

Rent a boyfriend for the holiday. For $25, I will be your Thanksgiving date. I will talk hockey with your dad. I will bring your mother flowers. I will be polite, and wear a nicely ironed shirt…

Now everyone knows it’s a bad idea to introduce your long-time crush to your messed-up family. But I really do need a date for Thanksgiving, even if I’m not willing to say why. So I tear his phone number off of that flyer… and accidentally entangle our star defenseman in a ruse that neither of us can easily unwind.

Because Weston's family is even nuttier than mine. He needs a date, too, for the most uncomfortable holiday engagement party ever thrown.

There will be hors d'oeuvre. There will be faked PDA. And there will be pro-level awkwardness…

Boyfriend is a full-length stand-alone romance for Weston and Abbi!

EXCERPT

I wonder what Abbi is like. It doesn’t matter very much, of course. I haven’t agreed to marry her. It’s just one day of my life. And people fascinate me, so even if Abbi’s family is irritating as fuck, I probably won’t take it personally.

But I have a good feeling about Abbi herself. She’s local, which is interesting. Vermonters are pretty cool. They have a rugged mentality, and they rarely complain. And they’re usually hockey fans. What’s not to like about that?

The door opens, and I immediately lose my train of thought. I’m blinking at a pretty blond woman with shoulder-length hair. My first reaction is all hell yes and thank you, Jesus. 

Then I realize this is not just any woman. It’s the hot waitress from The Biscuit in the Basket. The one who remembers every order without writing it down. The one who always seems to know when we need something more, or when it’s time to drop the check.

The one with the kissable ivory neck and gray eyes that always make me a little stupid. I’ve never asked her out, because it’s rude to hit on a girl who’s just trying to get through her shift at work. But man, I’d like to. 

“Hi,” she says, frowning at me. “Wow. You’re wearing a tie.”

“Too much?” I ask, my hand flying to the knot of silk at my throat. “I could lose the tie.” And, heck, why stop there? If she asked me to lose my trousers, I’d do it. Anything for you, honey.

“No, you look very respectful. Thank you for doing this.”

I blink slowly. I can’t believe my luck. She’s my date? “You work at The Biscuit in the Basket,” I say stupidly. “But your name tag says Gail.”

She smiles. “That’s right. The lazy manager put the wrong name on it, and then wouldn’t redo it for me. But I’m glad you can recognize me without the uniform.”

“Well, sure. You look nice. Your hair is different. Fluffier. Wait. Is fluffy a good thing?” I babble.

She laughs suddenly. “Fluffy is fine. At work they make us wear those visor caps. Like we’re all golf caddies.”

I smile back at her and get a little lost for another moment. And her laugh is terrific. A little husky. I dig it.

“So, uh, are you ready to go?”

That’s when I realize I’m blocking her way out of her own door. “Yup, sorry,” I stammer, leaping to the side like a frisky goat. 

Oh, man. Nobody would call me Mr. Smooth right now, that’s for damn sure. I’m glad my teammates aren’t here to witness this. I’d never live it down. 

Abbi locks her door. “Where are you from, Weston? Is it too far to go home for Thanksgiving?”

“I’m from the eastern edge of Vermont. But I don’t have a car, and we have practice tomorrow anyway. Hey—does your family drink? I brought a bottle of wine.” I hold it up, along with a bouquet of flowers, too.

“That’s lovely of you,” she says. “I have a bottle in my car too. I find that where alcohol and my so-called family are concerned, more is more. Although I’m driving tonight, so I can’t drink.”

“Your so-called family?”

“Well, it’s complicated without being terribly interesting. But we’re going to my stepfather’s house. I mean, he used to be my stepfather and now he’s married to someone else.” 

“Your step-stepmother,” I say, recalling her text message.

“Right.” She leads me off the porch and down the walkway. “My car is just around the back. It won’t take us long to get there. You’ll be eating turkey dumplings in no time.”

“Sounds good. My body is, like, fifty percent wings and fries at this point. I’m sure you know that. I’m at your restaurant all the time.”

“Table number seventeen,” she says cheerfully. “The hockey table. Do you know that we prep a different portion of wings depending on whether you guys win or lose?”

“No, really? Why?”

“Because you eat more and get drunker on the nights you lose than on the nights you win.”

“Huh. That’s very scientific of you.”

She unlocks an elderly Honda Civic and opens the driver’s side door. “Last chance to back out.”

I wouldn’t dream of it. I have to remember how to be Mr. Smooth, though, and flirt properly with Abbi. Who knows? After a great meal, we could make this a night to remember. “I’m at your service,” I say, hoping it sounds a little sexy and not creepy. “Let’s get our turkey on.”

Huh. Mr. Smooth seems to be on vacation today.

I give myself a fifty-fifty shot at success. But I’ve faced worse odds. Game on.

REVIEW

4.5 stars! 

I’m so happy to be back reading a Sarina Bowen book and Boyfriend didn’t disappoint! 

Boyfriend follows Abbi and Weston, who are both students at Moo U. Weston is the start of the Hockey team and a frequent customer of the bar where Abbi works as a waitress. 

Abbi has has a crush on Weston for a while but doesn’t think she stands a chance with him so she never goes for it… until Weston ends up pretending to be her boyfriend for Thanksgiving to help her get through the day with her step family. And then Abbi returns the father and a month later Abbi is Weston’s fake date to his sisters engagement party and Christmas. 

This was such a cute story and had some hilarious moments. I LOVE the fake dating trope so I loved seeing how this went for Abbi and Weston. I loved their banter and funny moments as much as I loved their adorable moments when it’s obvious that things aren’t fake anymore. 

Abbi and Weston complimented each other and seemed like the perfect partners. Of course there was some angst but I liked how it wasn’t overly dramatic and very believable. It felt more real. They both had pasts that made them not believe they weren’t capable of love but seeing their story unfold and watching how they both fell in love with each other was so great. I really enjoyed it. 

*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review*