Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Book Review: Always Been Write by Jami Rogers

                             For this review, I chose Always Been Write by Jami Rogers.

I received an ARC copy of the e-book for an honest review of this book.

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Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

Writing a spicy romance novel with your best guy friend isn’t a problem.
Picturing him as you write the steamy scenes … now that could get complicated.

Tobias Banks is a bestselling romance author and my best friend. He’s smart, brilliant, and kind-hearted. He has never shown an interest in settling down, and he’s the one constant in my life I know I can depend on for anything.

So it shouldn’t surprise me that as soon as my personal life shatters, he’s there, picking up the pieces and reminding me who I am.

In a matter of days, we are back to our lively banter. I’m living in his spare room, and now, he’s helping me achieve my lifelong dream of writing a romance novel.

Life feels good again, free … except I’m not looking at him as the friend whom I used to pull all-night study sessions with during college. Nope, I’m looking at him as the man who walks into the kitchen each morning shirtless, smirks when I say something he likes to hear, wears shirts that hug his arms a lot tighter than I remember, and looks at me as if I’m his next meal.

Falling for my best friend isn’t smart. I can’t lose him, but if I’ve learned anything since we set out on this journey together, it’s that love doesn’t make the rules; we do.

And we only get one chance to do it right.
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This is the first book I have read by Jami Rogers.  This was a slow friends to lovers burn.  Either of them ever saw each other as anything other than best friend until they start writing a book together.  Once they start writing sex scenes, do you think sex will be on each of their minds?  How it would feel to be with one another?  

I need to read more from this author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: 

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Cover Reveal: The Heiress Auction by Evie Croft

 



Title: The Heiress Auction
Series: The Heiress Merger #1
Author: Evie Croft
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Why Choose (MMFM)/Sword Crossing
Billionaire/Friends to Lovers/Age Gap
One Bed/Bachelorette Auction
Cover Design: Evie Croft
Release Date: August 14, 2024


BLURB

The last place I want to be is on stage at the exclusive bachelorette auction. All of Manhattan society is here. My anxiety level goes full on code red the moment the bidding starts.

Up first?

My nemesis. Gabriel Rothburn. Self-made billionaire tech tycoon.

Next?

My ex. Don’t worry about his name.

And then my crush joins the fray.

Alexander Hunt. Gabe’s best friend.

How high will the bidding go? And what will my protective best friend do when he discovers I’ve been sold off to two possessive billionaires?

Author’s Note: Three billionaires all falling for the same lucky woman? How’s a girl supposed to choose? Newsflash: she doesn’t have to in this steamy romp featuring one bed shenanigans, a surprise inheritance stipulation and a dash of age gap. Perfect for fans of rom-com, golden retriever heroes, and found family. Did I mention the secret maze make-outs, shopping sprees, and not-so-guilty pleasures?








    PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






AUTHOR BIO

Evie Croft writes why-choose romances that will make you laugh and gasp. She also pens short, steamy, over-the-top romances if you need something short and sweet. Hailing from the southern United States, Evie is a champion for the underdog, an animal lover, and a firm believer in the power of friendship. When she's not weaving tales of love and adventure, you'll find her enjoying a good book and a glass of wine.


AUTHOR LINKS




Release Blitz: Commit by Candice Wright

 




Title: Commit
Series: Death in Bloom #3
Author: Candice Wright
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: Age Gap, Taboo, Boyfriend's Dad
Criminal Underground/Empire, Serial Killer
Release Date: July 31, 2024


BLURB

She calls me Hudson
But they know me as Pete
A simple man with a common name
They see the warm smile of their neighbor,
Not the cold eyes of a man who kills for the thrill of it and sleeps like a baby afterward
Until Starling
My son’s girlfriend and my new obsession
She falls into my lap like a wounded bird with broken wings
Branding me with her touch, making me an addict after just one taste
She thinks I’ll give her up once she gives in
But she’s never met a man like me before
And Forbidden Fruit was always my favorite.

He calls me Birdie …
But they know me as Starling.
A strange girl with a pretty name
I’m the orphan everyone pities
A perpetual victim who has spent more time on her knees than most
Until Hudson
He’s a monster of his own making,
One who crosses all my lines and pushes every limit
He doesn’t want to free me; he wants to cage me
And if I resist, he’ll destroy the only boy I’ve ever loved.
After all, monsters don’t win hearts
They steal them.

Author note: There are no heroes in this story, no sweet declarations of love or hard-earned redemption arcs.
But then, some girls don’t need a hero to save them; they need a villain willing to burn right along with them.

**This book plays with the darker side of love, such as obsession, infatuation, and the power plays made to obtain it.**

Triggers: It goes without saying that this book contains dark elements that some readers will find uncomfortable, including offense!ve language, graphic v!olence, explicit s@xual situations, and often a combination of all three.
Readers must be aged eighteen or over because therapy is expensive.







PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






ALSO AVAILABLE


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






AUTHOR BIO


Candice Wright is the international bestselling author of the Underestimated Series. Hailing from the UK, Candice lives with her three slightly unhinged children and the long-suffering partner. When she isn’t busy raising the next generation of crazy, you can find her sitting at the computer writing words she hopes will resonate or snuggled up reading stories by the authors that cultivated her love of the written word.



Cover Reveal: On the Wild Side by Kristen Proby

 


Kristen Proby has revealed the gorgeous covers for On The Wild Side!


Releasing: October 3, 2024

Cover Designer: Hang Le

Couple Cover Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Couple Models: Andrew Biernat & Michelle Biernat


On the Wild Side is book four in the Wilds of Montana series, featuring Brady Wild! This is a Small Town, Cowboy, Single Mom story.


Full blurb coming soon!



Pre-order your copy today!


Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xIQNpU

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/OntheWildSide


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



Meet Kristen



Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.


When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana. 


Connect with Kristen


Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6550037.Kristen_Proby

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/684662744993031/

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenprobyauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby

Blog Tour: Something Like Sunflowers by Elsie Bea

 




SOMETHING LIKE SUNFLOWERS BY ELSIE BEA


Release date: July 31st


Genre/Tropes: Small-town / Second Chance / Brother's Best Friend / Cowboy




Something Like Sunflowers by Elsie Bea is NOW LIVE!!


Get ready to dive into this heartwarming story set in a small town, filled with second chances, unexpected love, and a dash of cowboy charm.



READ TODAY!

https://a.co/d/0cvJCJuv







BLURB:


Look. I know I haven’t been the greatest me I can be as of late. I’m selfish, materialistic, and I’ve forgotten where I come from, according to Hunter.


But that doesn’t mean I’m not the same girl I was. Or could be.


Now more than ever, I need to convince everyone that I definitely could be. And by everyone, I mean the executive panel at Classy Country, the last three people standing in between me and my dream job.


The problem? They don’t think I fit with their small-town values. Are you kidding me? I practically bleed small-town vibes. Or I did.


I guess I’ve come a long way from pageants and pickup trucks. But I’m still the same girl who was born and raised in the sticks, and even though Hunter Isaac might know just how to get under my skin, that doesn’t mean I can’t bite back a little.


I know he’s my brother’s best friend. I know I’ve never hated anyone more. Most importantly, I know I shouldn’t let myself fall for someone like him.


The only problem is…I married him last night. 


A spicy but sweet, small-town, second chance, brother's best friend romance full of banter, secrets and unexpected twists, with a dirty-talking cowboy and a swoon-worthy happily ever after.






ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 


Elsie Bea is a contemporary romance author from Richmond, Virginia. She lives out in the sticks with her incorrigible husband, crazy kids, and gaggle of dogs, ducks and chickens. When she's not busy writing, you can find her singing and dancing through her kitchen and spending time with family.




CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:


Website:https://www.elsiebeabooks.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Elsie-Bea/61552863856126/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/elsie.bea_writes/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elsie.bea.author

Book Blitz: Wicked Suspicion by Patti O'Shea

 

Wicked Suspicion
Patti O’Shea
(The Paladin League, #6)
Publication date: July 28th 2024
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

In the treacherous world of covert operations, Special Forces Sgt. Case “Lurch” Lundquist thrives on danger. Undercover as a gunrunner, he dances on the razor’s edge, avoiding rebel forces who hunt him relentlessly. But when his mission jeopardizes a woman’s life, he breaks the rules to protect her.

Nyx Templeton is no damsel in distress—usually. But this time, she’s out of her depth. She doesn’t trust the rugged mercenary who steps in, until she recognizes him from a picture she saw years earlier. He’s her brother’s best friend. She remains quiet, knowing one wrong word could cost him everything.

Case battles to stay focused, but Nyx is a distraction. When she boldly asks him to cash in her V-card, he can’t resist. It’s not just a yes—it’s a hell, yes!

But in the high-stakes game of arms dealing, every edge counts. Nyx unwittingly becomes a pawn, and Case must navigate a deadly web of betrayal to keep her safe. As shadows close in, their love becomes the ultimate weapon—one that could save them both or destroy everything they hold dear.

Wicked Suspicion is a gripping romantic suspense novel that combines heart-pounding action with sizzling chemistry. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Case and Nyx fight for survival and love in a world where danger lurks around every corner.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who knows how to take care of herself, but can admit when she’s in over her head. This romantic suspense story features an experienced hero and an inexperienced heroine who is keeping her identity as his best friend’s little sister a secret.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“How are we supposed to play out a fake engagement when we know nothing about each other?”

“We’ll have to manage. Your name is really Nyx? You didn’t lie to Vargas, right?”

“It’s really Nyx. I guessed his men would locate the Jeep I rented, search it, and find the rental paperwork. I thought it would go worse if I didn’t tell the truth.”

The merc nodded. “You’re smart and able to think quickly. Good. We’re going to need that to pull off this charade.”

They needed a miracle to get through this, but she kept that to herself. “You know my name, but all I know is Vargas called you Señor Case.”

“I go by Charlie Case.”

Go by. He might as well say he was using the alias Charlie Case. “Do you want me to call you Charlie?”

“No.” The answer came immediately.

“Charles? Chuck? Chas? CC?” No response. Yep, Charlie was not his real name. “Do you have a nickname I could use?”

“I have a handle, but it’ll sound strange to Vargas if you use it.”

The man was annoying the hell out of her. “I have to call you something. Tell me the nickname and I’ll offer my opinion on how usable it is.”

Frowning, he said, “My buddies call me Lurch.”

“Lurch?” It was sheer dint of will that kept her voice low.

Her brother’s best friend was Lurch.

It was a Special Forces thing that everyone had a handle of some sort. Although she’d never asked, she suspected it was about security, but her brother went next level. He’d given her a nickname when they were kids—one she hated—and he used it all the time. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually called her Nyx.

Was this the same Lurch? The one her brother trusted?

She’d only seen a picture of him once. Dylan with his three buddies. Nyx recalled him enlarging the image for her, pointing at them as he gave her their handles. “This is Ollie,” he told her. “That’s Mick, and that’s my best buddy, Lurch.”

Nyx leaned closer to the mercenary. The man in the picture had a military-short haircut and no facial hair, and she did her best to see through the merc’s scruff.

“I told you,” he said. “You can’t use my handle.”

Ignoring him, Nyx tried to superimpose the face of this man over her memory of that picture. Yes, this was Dylan’s best friend.

As surprise gave way to certainty, she tightened her lips. She’d talked to Dylan a couple months ago. He, Lurch, Ollie, and Mick had gone on a fishing trip, and he’d made an offhand comment about it being touch and go that Lurch would get leave.

Dylan wouldn’t be friends with a merc, especially one with loose enough morals to be a gunrunner. Mere weeks ago, Lurch had been in the Army. It didn’t take much to connect the dots.

She couldn’t tell Lurch she knew who he was, or that she was Dylan’s sister. Even with the shower running, the risk was too great. Nyx would pretend his cover story was truth even when they were alone. It was the only way to protect his mission. It was the only way to protect him.

Because this man was not a mercenary.

He was US Army Special Forces, and he was on a covert op.

Author Bio:

Patti O'Shea's passions are writing, airplanes and traveling. Fortunately, she's been able to enjoy all three. After receiving a degree in advertising copywriting, she took a job with a major U.S. airline and now works in 757 Engineering. Besides teaching her about the planes she loves, it's given her an opportunity to travel to places like Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada's Yukon Territory.

Writing, though, remains her primary love. Patti created her first romance when she was in junior high school and has been hooked ever since. She should have figured out she was a writer years earlier, however, since her dolls had such involved lives, complete with goals, motivation and conflict.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


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Release Blitz: So Real by Abby Millsaps

 


So Real by Abby Millsaps is now live! 


Nothing more.


When I met British billionaire Kabir Spencer at Splice London, he promised me an unforgettable night and nothing more. One night turned into a string of encounters, each one hotter than the next.


As our dynamic evolved, Spence helped me explore a side of myself I didn’t know existed until the moment I uttered the words Yes, Sir.


Then my secrets and my sorrow became too much to bear, and I well and truly broke.


During my lowest of lows, Spence cared for me in all the ways I needed.


Now, he’s come to my rescue once again, though he dropped a bomb of a secret when he arrived.


I have a lot of explaining to do to my current boyfriend and my ex-boyfriend-slash-stepbrother, but I’ll have plenty of time to get to it while we’re trapped together in the mountains for the holidays.


As if that isn’t enough, my narcissistic mother is back in town, and she and my stepfather will be joining us, too.


Nothing more didn’t last. Nothing I love ever stays.


It’s for the best. It’s only a matter of time before the possessiveness and sizzling tension between the three men in my life reach a boiling point and start to feel too real.



So Real is the second book in the Boys of South Chapel series. It is a steamy second chance why choose romance that must be read in order. A full list of tropes and triggers can be found on the author’s website.



  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited


https://geni.us/soreal


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

Start reading So Wrong, book 1 in the Boys of South Chapel series!


https://geni.us/sowrong



Meet Abby



Abby Millsaps is an author and storyteller who's been obsessed with writing romance since middle school. In eighth grade, she failed to qualify for the Power of the Pen State Championships because all her submissions contained the same theme: young people falling in love. #LookAtHerNow

She's best known for writing unapologetically angsty romance that causes emotional damage for her readers. Abby prides herself in writing authentic characters while weaving mental health, chronic illness, and neurodiverse representation into the fabric of her stories.

Abby met her husband at a house party the summer before her freshman year of college. He had a secret pizza stashed in the trunk of his car that he was saving for a midnight snack--how was she supposed to resist that level of golden retriever energy and preparedness? When Abby isn't writing, she's reading, traveling, and raising her three daughters.

 

Connect with Abby

Website: www.authorabbymillsaps.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/authorabbymillsaps

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HVoK87

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

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/abbysfulloutfiends

Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbymillsaps/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@authorabbymillsaps

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/abby-millsaps

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/authorabbymillsaps/

Text Updates: Text ROMANCE to 1-888-885-1283