Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Jan 27, 2023 12:01 pm

Happy Friday, my lovely!

I have a competition this week, but enter quickly as it finishes on Monday Jan 30.

Winter BookBub Giveaway!

Need some book money? I’ve got you covered! Simply follow these authors on BookBub for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Enter here: https://kingsumo.com/g/vxpzsa/january-bookbub-builder

Coming in February - Galentine's Chronicles

Seven of your favorite instalove authors are taking you on a rom-com adventure to remember this Galentine's Day. Buckle up. These feisty heroines are going down in infamy!

Kat Baxter, Mayra Statham, Fern Fraser, Violet Rae, Eve London, Loni Ree

Here's an exclusive sneak peek:

Bentley

I finish my phone call and sigh, running my hand through my hair. It’s been a busy week, what with moving back to the area where I grew up.

After years of living in Denver, I needed a change. At first, the buzz of the city was new and exciting—a far cry from the sleepy vibe of my hometown, Garland. But lately, the sheen has worn off. The frantic pace of living and the crippling workload at my previous tenure left me burned out, with no energy for my passion of drawing.

Somewhere along the line, while teaching the dry facts of fine art to mostly uninterested students who treated the subject like a fucking vacation, I lost the desire to create magic with pencil and paper. I needed the mental space to create in a less chaotic environment.

Drawing is my passion, superseded by only one thing, or rather, one person. But I left her almost seven years ago. Staying would’ve only weighed her down.

Call it a coincidence or a quirk of fate, but when Rocky Mountain University of Art offered me a short-term tenure close to my hometown with a ridiculously good salary and accommodation provided, I couldn’t turn it down. Having the apartment right above the art studio was an added bonus. Their previous lecturer had a heart attack and the university was looking for someone who could start immediately. Having recently resigned from my tenure in Denver, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

I quickly check the appointment book to remind myself of the name of the client waiting downstairs. Not only did I inherit the apartment, but also the appointment list of the former art professor—which currently details one name.

Gigi Summers. Guess my predecessor wasn’t that busy.

Gigi has paid for a course of private life drawing sessions.

Grabbing my sketchpad and pencil, I descend the stairs and make my way through the connecting door into the studio, only to frown when I find it empty. I asked Gerald to listen out for Gigi while I took my phone call. He was supposed to bring her through to the studio so we could talk a little before her session. People often get nervous with this kind of thing, and I like to put them at ease before we get started.

Muttering reaches me from the changing room. I push the door open and almost stumble back a step at the sight that greets me.

A curvy goddess has her back to me as she yanks off her T-shirt and bra, revealing a smooth expanse of skin. A brightly colored tattoo of gemstones decorates her lower back, and there’s a peculiarly shaped birthmark on her shoulder that I would recognize anywhere.

“This is all about me,” she mutters passionately to herself. “All my life, I’ve let other people define how I see myself, but not anymore. Nope. I want to see myself through the eyes of an artist and—”

“I like the tattoo. Very appropriate, Gemstone,” I say, combining her first and last name like I always used to.

She squeals and grabs for her shirt before spinning to face me, her big, hazel eyes flared wide in shock. “Bentley?”

Gemma Stone.

My best friend’s little sister.

The sixteen-year-old girl I left behind has matured into a fucking vision of womanhood.

My gaze roves over her, taking in her smooth skin and soft curves. Her chestnut curls kiss her shoulders, and her full lips are frozen in an “O” of surprise as she clutches her white button-down T-shirt to her glorious tits and gapes at me. A rosy nipple peeks out from a gap in her shirt, and that’s all it takes to have my cock straining uncomfortably at the seam of my jeans.

Ah, fuck. What is it about this woman? She’s always affected me this way, and it was hell keeping my reactions hidden from her all those years ago. Still is.

“Ohmygodohmygod! Turn around!” Gem squeaks, her cheeks blooming a fiery red.

Quirking an eyebrow, I tear my gaze from the temptation of her pretty face and delectable body, but I don’t turn. The thin gentlemanly veneer I adopted when I left this town is stripped away in an instant when it comes to this woman.

“Ah, crap … big mistake … shouldn’t have come … stupid idea … life-drawn portrait of myself … gonna kill Peyton.”

I’m not sure who Peyton is but I swallow a smile at Gem’s mutterings. She always had a habit of speaking her thoughts aloud. It was fucking cute. Still is. By some twist of fortune, she’s here in my studio, looking more beautiful than ever.

Twist of fortune? Who the fuck are you trying to kid?

Much as I try to deny it, I knew there was a possibility I’d run into Gem.

Her eyes flare and she bites her plump bottom lip. Lust slams into me, almost causing my knees to buckle. So much for wondering if the connection is still there. Not only is it still there, but it burns brighter and hotter than before.

It’s official. I’m fucked.

Pre-Order Heart of Gold

Line of Duty

These front line heroes have risked their lives and fought for others in the Line of Duty. Now, they're fighting for the greatest gift of all ... love.

Can the younger, bubbly paramedic heal the battle scars of this older, gruff ex-soldier?

Fletcher

When I'm honourably discharged from the British Army on medical grounds following a brutal tour in Afghanistan, I use my skills as a combat medic to continue to save lives as a paramedic. I'm confident there's no situation I can't handle ... until I'm teamed up with chirpy Grace Newton. She's everything I'm not - young, idealistic, and brimming with sunshine. Everything about her rubs me the right way, stirring wants and desires I thought were long dead. She should be off-limits - after all, I'm her mentor and work colleague. But one kiss has me wanting Grace's healing hands all to myself for the rest of our lives.

Grace

When I'm teamed up with Fletcher Hardy on my first day as a qualified paramedic, his gruff nature and abrupt manner almost have me rethinking my career choice. I'm no stranger to tortured ex-veterans - my father is one - so I know better than most the mental and emotional toll war takes on a soldier. But as Fletch and I work together, I see a different side to him. His care and compassion draw me in, and I want to soothe away the loneliness I see in his eyes. Before I know it, I'm falling for the tender man with the tough facade, but will my love be enough to heal the wounds I can't see?

Pre-Order Healing the Warrior

This Week's Spotlight Books

New Release from Nichole Rose

Luca

A life in hell was the sacrifice I made to keep my brothers alive.

There's nothing I won't do to see that job through.

Even if it means seducing the enemy.

But I never intended to fall for Callandria Genovese.

She was supposed to be a means to an end, nothing more.

Now, I've got more to lose than ever.

And the woman who holds the key to my future is in chains in my bedroom.

I need her trust. I want her heart.

One way or another, I will have both.

Callandria

I've been taught to hate the Valentino family since I could walk.

I know they killed my grandfather.

But no one warned me that the real monster of the bunch was Luca Valentino.

They didn't tell me I'd find myself imprisoned in his bed, either.

Or that I'd be so reluctant to leave it.

But that's precisely what happened.

Little by little, he's slipping beneath my defenses and making me feel things I shouldn't.

But which side of him is real?

The wanton man who sets me ablaze...or the ruthless mobster who refuses to let me go?

Wanton

New Release from Hallie Bennett

A small town's legend of love...

Willow is a curvy girl who dreams of being swept off her feet—to feel the heart sparks the small town of Suitor's Crossing is known for—especially after working with lovestruck brides at her friend's boutique for years. There's only one problem... No one seems to want a short woman with curves to spare.

A dating app's promise of forever...

Rhys is a mountain man who loves working with his hands as Suitor's Crossing's blacksmith—a hometown he's proud of despite its fascination with a ridiculous romantic myth. But there's one thing he's missing... A woman to call his own.

When an online match is made, a blind date is all that stands between this short curvy girl and mountain man's path to happiness. But will their differing views on love ruin a chance at happily ever after?

A Date with the Mountain Man

New Release from Ella Cooper

Does true love exist or is it merely a fairytale for the lonely?

I don’t think I’ll ever forgive my mother.

She abandoned my father and I when I was little to play house with her new family.

Now that he’s gone, she’s asking me to come down to a ranch in the middle of nowhere to make amends.

Then she sends Duke West to pick me up from the airport. This cowboy is hot enough to convince me to stay on the ranch for a few days, but it won’t change anything.

I’ll take a break and go right back to New York where I can forget any of this ever happened.

Only... Duke is a man whose presence simply demands to be remembered.

Heavenly Cowboy

Pre-Order from C.H. James

One kiss between friends. One fateful night. Two broken hearts.

Ten years ago, Hannah broke my heart and left me running to the hills. Ashamed, embarrassed and afraid, I didn’t just lose myself that night, I lost my best friend.

So when the love of my life comes knocking at my door high up in the mountains, I’m reeling. She claims she’s here for work, but just looking at her has that deep, possessive behavior resurfacing.

Only this time – there’s nothing to stop me.

We’re all alone. The rugged mountain is my home, and after all these years, my curvy best friend has never looked better. Dark clouds loom, old memories resurface but old habits always die hard.

My heart aches, burns for everything I’ve ever desired.

She will be mine.

And this time, I will stop at nothing to win her heart. Once and for all.

How far will a grumpy mountain man go to convince his best friend to give their love a second chance?

Trapped by the Mountain Man

This month’s Kissing 💋 Books Club gift book

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