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Adriana Kraft

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Contemporary Romance

New Release! Out of the Shadows, by Tim Smith @extasybooks #Thriller #RomanticSuspense

January 9, 2023 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Today my blog guest is fellow Extasy author Tim Smith. If you haven’t dipped into his Thriller series Nick Seven, don’t miss it—you’re in for the roller coaster ride of your life!

BOOK INFO

Published by: eXtasy Books
Author : Tim Smith
Word Count :67807
Publication Date :2022-10-28
Series : Nick Seven #8
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense and Mystery, Thriller
Winner: Extasy Books Editor’s Choice Award

BLURB

How can a couple of former spies enjoy life in their personal corner of paradise, when things from the past keep coming back to haunt them?

What does a former spy have to do to get some peace and quiet in his personal corner of paradise? In the laidback ease of the Florida Keys, Nick Seven has carved out a life far removed from the intrigue that once defined his life in the CIA. He runs his trendy club on the Gulf, keeps a low profile, and enjoys the tropical setting with Felicia, his Barbadian lover and former co-worker. After he sees a woman being killed at a resort, Nick finds himself thrust into an investigation where there is no corpse and no evidence of a crime. The police are busy with a string of high-profile home burglaries and don’t have time to look for his imaginary victim, so it’s up to Nick to investigate. Then French con artist Marco St. Julian unexpectedly surfaces from Nick’s past. Are the incidents related? And what part does the wealthy young trophy wife of a convicted financial scammer play in all of this? Throw in a career-hungry FBI agent, a mysterious Cuban crook and an ex-patriate Irish gunrunner, and it’s more than just another day at the beach.

EXCERPT

The intruder stood in the shadows at the rear of a spacious oceanfront home on Duck Key, waiting for the right moment to go to work. The nighttime Florida sky was punctuated by a bright slice of quarter-moon and a handful of stars. The only light in the old-moneyed neighborhood was provided by ornate street lamps and security lights. Just the way the intruder liked it: enough light to see by, not enough to be seen. The background noise was a combination of waves lapping ashore and distant trawlers scooping up fresh catch. Occasionally a car would cruise by.

The home was one of many in the rich Florida Keys oceanfront enclave known as Hawk’s Cay, just south of Conch Key on the Overseas Highway. It was the kind of place that catered to a certain brand of people, like rich retirees, trust fund babies and savvy bankers who got out while the market was still good. Thousands of people cruised past it every day on their way to and from Key West without giving it more than a passing glance.

The intruder wore a black nylon catsuit that covered every inch of flesh from head to toe, as though they had been sprayed with onyx lacquer. They saw their shadow flash briefly in the glass of the French doors, tall and slender with narrow hips, an elfin-like creature gliding through the night. Their gloved fingers ran along the frame of the door that led to the interior of the home, but stopped when they located the security system sensor near the top. It was a cheap hardware-store variety contact alarm, not appropriate for such an expensive house. The person carefully slid a thin piece of magnetized metal between the two contact points, then crouched to work on the lock. Two metal picks in the keyhole were expertly moved against the tumblers until the intruder heard the telltale click of the lock giving way.

They opened the door and stepped inside, finding themselves in a small dining area off of the kitchen. The interior of the house was illuminated by one lamp from the living room. They stood still for a few moments, not detecting any sounds, then walked to the bedrooms at the rear of the home. They used a small flashlight to illuminate the way, then stopped when they reached the largest bedroom at the end of the hallway. According to the floor plan, this was the master suite.

They approached a dresser and found a small wooden jewelry chest in plain view. Their gloved hands opened it and the flashlight’s beam reflected off the gold and diamond baubles the chest contained. The intruder took a black vinyl drawstring bag from a pocket and transferred the contents to the bag.

They switched off the flashlight, then retraced their steps to the French doors leading to the deck. They momentarily froze when a car passed on the street nearby. After waiting a few moments, the person left the way they had come in and moved to the street, taking advantage of the natural cover provided by shrubs and hibiscus bushes. They made their way to a black Toyota coupe parked down the block and got in.

The driver pulled off the black hood of the catsuit, then fluffed her long dark brown hair, letting it cascade to her shoulders. She pulled down the visor and looked into the lighted vanity mirror, arranging her hair with her fingers. She checked her tanned face for a moment and satisfied herself that she looked natural, not like someone who had just committed a home invasion.

She drove slowly along the narrow street, then crossed a wooden bridge that traversed the channel that ran through the subdivision. When she reached the Overseas Highway she merged with the northbound traffic and maintained the speed limit to avoid any attention from the police routinely patrolling the highway. She glanced at the small bag of gems on the passenger seat and smiled, feeling a little giddy. She gazed forward and saw the marker sign on the right berm, the one reminding her that she was 15 miles from Key Largo.

She continued her northern trek while doing mental calculations. Tonight marked the sixth successful break-in over the past two weeks at various locations along The Keys. All were of fancy homes owned by well-to-do people with more money than they knew what to do with–wealthy industrialists and financiers who had made their riches off the sweat of blue-collar types, and the investors who fell for their scams. People who were smart enough to fleece the flock and dodge the subpoenas when the lawsuits began flying.

The woman slowed as she reached the entrance to the Sunset Resort on the Gulf side of Key Largo. She signaled her turn, then crossed the median into the parking lot, nosing the coupe into a spot at the end of the building, where there was no security camera. She got out, used a key card to enter the hotel, and took the elevator to the third floor. She hesitated before walking to her room, checking that there were no guests in the hallway.

Once inside the suite, the woman transferred tonight’s haul into a gallon-size freezer bag. She took a moment to give a closer look at something that had caught her eye. It was a gold pendant in the shape of a unicorn, about two inches long, with emeralds making up the horn and eyes, on a heavy rope chain. She pocketed the necklace, then secured the bag alongside three others in the designated hiding place.

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Out of the Shadows (Nick Seven Book 8) – Kindle edition by Smith, Tim. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Extasy Books:

Out of the Shadows by Tim Smith | Extasy Books

REVIEWS

Five Stars: A fast-paced story from the get-go, with some romantic moments between Nick and Felicia, to relieve the suspense. Plus, a few interesting twists to keep you guessing till the end.

Five Stars: Once Again, Tim Smith has penned an excellent thriller, worthy of the highest recommendation!

BIOGRAPHY

I’m an award-winning, bestselling author of mystery/thrillers and contemporary erotic romance. I’m also a freelance writer/photographer and blogger. When I’m not writing I can often be found in The Florida Keys, indulging my passion for parasailing while seeking out the perfect Mojito.

AllAuthor page:

Tim Smith, Author | Books | Series | Interview | Deals | Newsletter | Contact | Site | AllAuthor

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Filed Under: Blog, Excerpts, Guest Bloggers, Romantic Suspense Tagged With: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense and Mystery, Thriller

RELEASE BLITZ for Fake Fiance For Christmas by Carol Burnside (@carol_burnside) #HolidayRomance

December 22, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Blurb

Faced with a broken engagement due to her guarded heart and her family expecting to meet her fiancé during the first Christmas without her Gran, Lia Taylor decides to take her friends’ advice. She’ll take a fake fiancé home for Christmas.

Ryan Barton grew up in foster homes, unaware he had a family until he met his grandmother at sixteen. Lia’s offer of a noisy family Christmas with a big elaborate meal sounds like heaven, even the part about pretending to be her fiancé.

As Lia and Ryan get to know each other and practice casual touching, hugs, and kisses, their feelings grow. They decide to try for a real relationship with the promise that when either of them withdraws due to old fears, the other will pull them back.

But what will save them when they both withdraw in fear? Are their recent feelings strong enough to save their new relationship, or will they hide within the safety of their guarded hearts?

Buy links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Fake-Fiance-Christmas-Carol-Burnside-ebook/dp/B0B3BJQHGP/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fake-Fiance-Christmas-Carol-Burnside-ebook/dp/B0B3BJQHGP/

Books2Read: (multiple venues) https://books2read.com/u/bQjJ16

Google Books:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WxmHEAAAQBAJ

Excerpt

“They’ll expect us to touch.” Lia draped her hand across Ryan’s forearm and his eyes gentled, darkened. “Like this. Casual. Easy. And to hold hands. I hope you don’t mind.”

Ryan turned his arm over and linked his fingers through hers. “We got this.”

She swallowed, unable to tear her gaze off his, and nodded. It felt both foreign and familiar, holding hands with him.

“I think I’m going to like this gig.” He gave her fingers an easy squeeze. “Should we also practice…” His lashes lowered, gaze trained on her mouth. As the fingers of his free hand slid along her jawline, something like static electricity blazed across her skin.

Holy cow. Lia’s pulse bumped and her chest froze, making it difficult to breathe. She parted her lips to answer but couldn’t produce so much as a squeak. After she managed the tiniest of nods, he leaned forward, and his face blurred.

Ryan’s lips touched Lia’s and withdrew. He caught her in mid-gasp the second time and took advantage of her parted lips to flick his tongue against hers, igniting a fire that thawed her chest.

He angled his head and came in for more, tongues teasing, tasting, learning each other. His hands were firm on her back, pulling her closer until she was consumed in the solidness of him and the fire he stoked. She clutched at his shoulders as if they were her lifeline because she was completely engulfed in sensation.

And a choir of angels sang “Hallelujah.”

Ryan chuckled into the kiss, then tore away laughing. Lia scrambled for her phone, the Hallelujah Chorus one she’d assigned to her older brother because he rarely called. When he finally did, she considered it a small miracle. Not so much right now, though. His timing couldn’t be worse.

“What, Spence?” she demanded without preamble. “You’re on speaker.”

“Whoa. Ho, ho, ho to you, too, little sis.”

“Sorry, bad timing. We were…uhm, what’s up?”

“You tell me. My travel app shows your plane came in on time, but we haven’t heard from you. I was elected to find out what the holdup is.”

“Oh. Well, Ryan couldn’t get the same flight, and there was a slight delay, but he’s here now, and we’re about to leave the airport.”

“Right, the fiancé. We can’t wait to meet this guy and size him up.”

“Very funny. Best behavior today, and I mean it, Spence. So help me—” Lia looked over a sea of autos, anywhere but at Ryan.

“Kidding. Damn, girl, where’s your sense of humor?”

“Buried under travel stress. Hey, how’s Mom holding up?” Lia kept her brother on the line to delay renewed mortification over the kiss.

“Oh, you know.” There was a slight pause, and Spence’s voice quieted as if he’d moved out of earshot. “She’s…trying, but the tree isn’t decorated.”

“What?” Lia couldn’t believe it. She pressed her lips together. Ever since Spence had gone to college, her mom made a point of having the tree ready to welcome them home at Christmas.

“She said we’ll all do it together, and it’ll make Brian feel more at home. Having y’all here will help.”

“It’s Ryan. Geriatric brain, much?”

“I could’ve sworn Mom said Brian, but the TV was blaring. Oh, well. Hang up and drive, girl. We’re waiting, and hey, save me a hug.”

“Back at ya. Bye.” Lia returned the cell to her purse, taking extra care to stow it properly.

“Sounds like you deflected the name change deftly.” Ryan buckled his seatbelt.

Lia clicked hers into the slot, relieved to talk about any subject but their scorching-hot kiss. “Yeah, but I think it’ll be fine since your names are similar. Brian, Ryan. Easy to brush it off as ‘Oh, you misunderstood.’”

“Good.”

Silence fell between them. Lia found a radio station and slipped the gearshift into reverse. “Okay, let’s do this.”

– – –

Want to read more? Visit Carol’s website HERE to read another excerpt.

Author bio and links

Carol Burnside: Sizzling romance with heart and humor

Carol Burnside is an award-winning author of “Sizzling romance with heart and humor.” Her personal second-chance-at-love story resulted in an enduring marriage to her high school sweetheart. They reside in the Texas hill country, where Carol enjoys visiting wildlife from her covered back porch. Like any true southerner, she drinks tea in some form year-round. Carol’s novel length manuscripts have placed in numerous contests and won several, including the prestigious Maggie Award for Excellence. She also writes as Annie Rayburn.

Amazon reviews say Carol’s books are:

“Highly captivating!” “intriguing and a wonderful read” “Emotional and heartwarming” “Engaging!” and “Great reading!”

Carol blogs on her website at www.CarolBurnside.com. Connect with her via Facebook / Newsletter / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest

Carol is also releasing the 5th book in her Sweetwater Springs series: Mistletoe Weddings during the holidays. Check it out at your favorite retailer today!

 

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Excerpts Tagged With: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Holiday Story, romance

On Sale! Saving La Familia, by Donna Del Oro @ExtasyBooks #Romance #ContemporaryRomance

December 11, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

I’m thrilled to welcome Donna Del Oro to the blog today – her comedy-suspense novel Saving La Familia is on sale at Extasy Books, 40% off.

SAVING LA FAMILIA BY DONNA DEL ORO
WINNER OF THE SILVER FALCHION AWARD 2022
FOR BEST COMEDY-SUSPENSE NOVEL!

BLURB

A scrappy Latina teacher, Dina Salazar, is recruited by her Mexican-born grandmother to save her cousins who are hiding from a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. Being an amateur sleuth is no picnic, so Dina enlists the help of a Hispanic DEA agent, her best friend and fellow teacher, her screwball brother-in-law, and her hated ex-fiance, Rick Ramos.

Crossing the Texas border into Zeta territory is the most dangerous thing she’s ever done—aside from falling in love with the hated Rick—but heck, what’s a girl to do when “la familia” calls?

REVIEWS

“One of the best comedy suspense books I’ve ever read!”—Harriet Fox, author

“Chuckled all the way through this book!”—J.T. Mrizek, graphic designer

“Thoroughly entertaining! “—Keyes Lloyd, reader and fan

EXCERPT

How did I, in three short months, get to the heart of my Mexican-American family? It wasn’t easy, believe me. Especially since I was the family’s desgraciada. The disgraced one. Ever since I turned eighteen and had my legal name changed from Dolores—which means aches and pains in Spanish—to Dina. My namesake, Grandma Dolores Gómez, refused to speak to me or acknowledge my existence for about a year after the name change. Before that, I was simply the family brat and rebel. The know-it-all.

But you see, Grandma was the heart of the matter. And the big, dark secrets she kept closed up in her heart all got exposed in those tumultuous months. And before I could blink and realize what was happening, I was roped into a scheme to rescue cousins I never knew I had out of the deadly clutches of a Mexican drug cartel. Why was I chosen, you ask? Me, Dina Salazar, the desgraciada? A single schoolteacher with a long line of loser-boyfriends? How did I end up looking up the barrel of a cartel commando’s automatic weapon? Come along with me and I’ll tell you.

It took five years—six, counting my teaching credential—to work my way through college and, oh yeah, I lost my fiancé along the way—according to Mama and Abuelita, my only chance at happiness. Their idea of happiness meant you married young, spent the next twenty years changing diapers, cooking and cleaning for a man you seldom saw because he was working two or three jobs to pay for all the mouths you’d brought into the world…

¡Gracias a Dios!

Horrors, in my opinion.

BUY LINKS

SALE! 40% off, now through December 31 at Extasy Books:

https://www.extasybooks.com/Saving-La-Familia

Also available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PN7K2S8/

BIO

Donna Del Oro’s dream since childhood (when she used to create her own comic books and share them with her friends) has been to write fiction. Escaping the humdrum of ordinary life always seemed to her an ideal form of self-entertainment. Better than TV and even better than some books! As soon as she retired from high school teaching (which was a suspenseful adventure in itself), Donna turned to fiction writing. Becoming a member of the RWA and Sisters in Crime has helped her to learn the craft and focus on what she needed to do to get published.

Besides writing Chica Lit, she writes romantic suspense and thrillers. Her latest release, SAVING LA FAMILIA, recently won THE 2022 SILVER FALCHION AWARD FOR BEST COMEDY-SUSPENSE at the KILLER NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE in Nashville, Tennessee, August 18-21, 2022! WHAT A THRILL AND HONOR!

Look for the SEQUEL to SAVING LA FAMILIA coming in 2023/2024! SAVING EL TONTO!

Click the graphic to check out all the books on sale at Extasy Books:

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Excerpts, Guest Bloggers Tagged With: Contemporary Romance, Extasy Books, romance, Sale

NEW RELEASE: The Wedding Laughbox (Laughbox Boxed Sets, Book 3) by Julia Kent (@jkentauthor) #romanticcomedy #romcom #contemporaryromance

November 14, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Release date: November 8, 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer:  Angela Jenks
Tropes/Themes:  Weddings, Runaway Bride, Bridezilla, Momzilla, Bridesmaids, Honeymoons, Friends and Family

Retailer Description:

The Wedding Laughbox contains FIVE full-length novels and ONE ALL NEW NOVELLA! – from a variety of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series.

It’s wedding season, and what’s better than a wedding in rom com style?

Julia Kent’s madcap style, that is.

How about a campground double wedding with three grooms and two brides? (What? Yep…) Or a billionaire and his betrothed escaping their own wedding to flee to Vegas? Paparazzi galore and a stubborn father of the groom ruining a CEO’s planned nuptials until he takes matters into his own hands and does love his way? A disgruntled older sister watching her sister find wedded bliss and maybe, just maybe, finding her own love with a rival billionaire?

With five different stories you get bridezillas, momzillas — even a billionaire dadzilla – with over-the-top fun and lush, luxurious settings, all wrapped up in community, connection, and loads of fun.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife
Shopping for a CEO’s Wife
It’s Always Complicated
Random Acts of Love
Hasty

And Tasty, an ALL NEW novella featuring Will and Mallory from the book Fluffy, as they go on their honeymoon and discover that life is nothing but a series of coincidences as their past comes back to haunt them with hilarious results.

Sink into SIX humor-filled books that pour you into wedding planning, bachelorette and bachelor parties, give you all the wedding jitters and proud family moments, all wrapped up in a huge boxed set you can sink into and find your way to long-term love.

Note: each of these books can be read as a standalone, but they are part of larger series. All of my Laughbox boxed sets are designed to give readers a taste of my books, centered on a specific concept (in this case, weddings). Full disclosure for readers.

Excerpt:

From Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife

“Seriously, Dec? We just fled a thousand-person wedding in our honor and all you can think about is getting above the garter?”

His confusion just increases. “Yes,” he answers honestly.

I throw my hands in the air, whacking some sort of strap that stretches behind my shoulder. It begins to flap in the wind as we race toward whatever landing strip we’ll use to disembark. As it fut-fut-futs against my veil, I realize the wind isn’t whipping the long, white lace behind me. When we crawled into the helicopter and Declan put on my harness, he tucked my veil in.

I love him so much.

Buy Links: 

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BDJ6N5JX/

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BDJ6N5JX/

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0BDJ6N5JX/

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0BDJ6N5JX/

Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-wedding-laughbox/id6443371428

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-wedding-laughbox

Nook:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wedding-laughbox-julia-kent/1142465749?ean=2940186697930

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julia_Kent_The_Wedding_Laughbox?id=csSHEAAAQBAJ

Website:  https://jkentauthor.com/books/book-bundles/

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-wedding-laughbox-laughbox-boxed-sets-book-3-by-julia-kent

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62575614-the-wedding-laughbox

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://jkentauthor.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/2PIBi9n

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

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-kent

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Kent/e/B00A99V268/

 

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

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Filed Under: Blog, Excerpts, Guest Bloggers Tagged With: Bridesmaids, Bridezilla, Contemporary Romance, Friends and Family, Honeymoons, Momzilla, Rom Com, romantic comedy, Runaway Bride, Weddings

OUT NOW: The Billionaire and the Wild Man by Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse (@cw1985 @victoriablisse) #eroticromance #contemporaryromance #romancenovel #bookboyfriend #billionaire

November 3, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Blurb:

Flynn Gifford is enjoying a simple existence in a rural Derbyshire village when Caroline Rogers crashes into his life, barefoot and panicked.

Their lives could hardly be more different—she owns a successful luxury hotel chain, and he’s a penniless nomad who’s off the grid—yet neither can deny the attraction that burns between them. As Caroline reluctantly starts to open up to him, Flynn finds himself divulging some secrets of his own, secrets he thought he’d take to his grave.

But can a billionaire and a wild man ever make a relationship work, or will their secrets keep them apart?

PLEASE NOTE: This book has been previously published. This version has been re-edited.

 

📚Universal link: https://books2read.com/billionairewild  

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32520398-the-billionaire-and-the-wild-man

Add to BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-billionaire-and-the-wild-man-a-m-f-erotic-romance-novel-by-lucy-felthouse-and-victoria-blisse

Excerpt:

Chapter O

I’m busy minding my own business, clearing up litter in a field on the outskirts of Hartington when what can only be described as a crazy woman appears, seemingly from nowhere. She’s all wild-eyed, and her blonde hair looks damp. Her outfit is unremarkable, except for the fact she’s got nothing on her feet. Bright red toenails seem massively out of place in this rural village. She seems out of place. I’m not sure why I think this, but somehow, she just doesn’t appear to belong. So what the hell is she doing here?

Normally, I steer clear of other folk unless it’s absolutely necessary, but this woman looks like she needs help. If she’s crossed the road with her feet like that, then they’re going to be scratched to buggery, maybe even cut.

Taking a deep breath, I chuck the empty crisp packet I’ve been holding into my rubbish bag. Then I place it next to the tree I’m standing beside and step out into the woman’s path. I’m used to people not seeing me—or behaving like they haven’t seen me, anyway—so I’m not surprised when she lets out a shriek that could wake the dead and freezes in front of me.

“Hey, hey,” I say gently, holding my hands up placatingly. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to come and see if you were all right. I can’t help but notice you’re not wearing any shoes. You’re not hurt, are you?” If this chick is so desperate to get away that she’s gone without shoes, then something’s wrong. Seriously wrong.

I look around, half-expecting to see an angry husband chasing after her, or maybe even a shopkeeper. She could be a thief. Glancing at her again, I realise that can’t possibly be the case, unless she’s stolen something invisible. All she has are the clothes on her back.

She still hasn’t spoken, so I try again, attempting to make myself appear friendly, welcoming. Not an easy thing when you’re over six feet tall and pretty wide, too. Also, the tattoos, and the fact I haven’t had a change of clothes, shave, or a haircut for a while don’t help. I wouldn’t blame her if she ran away, to be honest. I must look a fright, but I haven’t peered into a mirror—or even a window—for a good few days, so I can’t be sure.

“Please answer me. Are you hurt? Is there someone after you?”

She looks around, then back at me. Shakes her head. I’m confused—if there’s no one after her, why did she look behind her?

I crouch down. “Are your feet okay? Cut?”

Finally, I get a verbal reply. “N-no. I mean, yes. They’re okay. Not cut. At least… I don’t think so.”

She lifts each foot in turn, checks the soles. So do I. They’re fine. Now she’s answered another of my questions, too. Her accent doesn’t sound local. More like southern England. London, perhaps.

I suppress an involuntary shudder. The thought of London, the big, dirty, smoky city, does not impress me. Horrible bloody place. But at least it explains why the blonde doesn’t fit in. She’s not from around here.

Naturally, I still have a million and one questions, but I don’t know how to ask them without bombarding or intimidating her. Not to mention that really, I have no right to know the answers. I’m a total stranger. But there’s something about her, about her appearance—and I don’t just mean the lack of footwear—that makes me want to help her. Or at least get her back where she came from, which is clearly somewhere in the village. She certainly hasn’t come far, as otherwise her feet would be filthy and bleeding.

What the hell is she doing here?

*****

Author Bios:

Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures (named in the top 5 of Cliterati.co.uk’s 100 Modern Erotic Classics That You’ve Never Heard Of), Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award), The Persecution of the Wolves, Hiding in Plain Sight, and The Heiress’s Harem and The Dreadnoughts series. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 170 publications to her name. Find out more about her and her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/linktree

 

Victoria Blisse (she/her) is known as the Queen of Smut, Reverend to the kinky and is the Writer in Residence at Cocktails and Fuck Tales. She’s also an angel. Ask anyone. She can often be found in a local BDSM club, running events such as Smut Market or asking mean people to be wonderfully mean to her. Mancunian Odd Duck, her northern English quirkiness shows through in all of her stories along with her own particular brand of humour and romance that bring laughs and warm fuzzies in equal measure. Passion, love and laughter fill her works, just as they fill her busy life. Find out more at http://victoriablisse.co.uk

 

Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.

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Filed Under: Blog, Erotic Romance, Guest Bloggers Tagged With: billionaire, Book Boyfriend, Contemporary Romance, erotic romance, Lucy Felthouse, romance novel, Victoria Blisse

Review: Book Lovers, by Emily Henry #RomCom #BookReview #WomensFiction

October 29, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Book Lovers is a serious book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fabulous RomCom, with countless laugh out loud moments. But it is never trivial, always raw and honest. Emily Henry has turned a classic trope upside down and given us the other woman, the other man, who don’t abandon the fast-paced city and don’t save a small town business and don’t fall in love with the simple life.

Why, you might ask? She’ll tell us, in her own words:

Romance is treated as a guilty pleasure, and in the last ten years or so I have asked myself a lot of questions about guilty pleasures and why I am made to feel guilty for enjoying these narratives. It’s as though these novels are just candy for your brain, bad for you, and do not teach you anything like a more ‘serious’ book would. I wanted to challenge that notion. [London Magazine Interview with Emily Henry]

She absolutely succeeds, with all three of the romance novels that have expanded her genre niche from YA to women’s fiction/romance. In order, these are Beach Read, People You Meet on Vacation, and Book Lovers.

I’d never heard of her until last spring, when my next door neighbor gave me her copy of People We Meet on Vacation before she headed back north at the end of the season. I don’t own or read many print books – when we sold our house in 2012 and lived/traveled/wrote across the country in our motor home for the next six years, Kindle was the way to go. Our most treasured print books lived in our son’s basement until we settled in 2018, and we now live in a tiny house that doesn’t have room for shelves upon shelves of books.

I packed People We Meet on Vacation along for my flight to visit a Chicago friend in July – and could hardly put it down. I was a convert. I gave it to my friend at the end of my visit, but I immediately downloaded and read first Beach Read, and then Book Lovers. I loved all three of these books. It fascinates me that the heroines in each book make their living in the world of writing: a RomCom author (Beach Read), a travel writer (People We Meet on Vacation), and a romance/women’s fiction agent (Book Lovers). Write what you know. Somehow Henry is able to both be in the tumultuous world of authors-agents-editors-publishers that make up women’s fiction while simultaneously seeing through it, poking fun at it, and challenging its tropes and assumptions. Brilliantly.

I love seeing a best-selling author dare to do that. Her characters are far more clever than any real people I know, but I love their snappy repartee. What especially captures me is the intense honesty in each of her protagonists – they may start off not being honest with either themselves or each other, but the choices they must make force the honesty to surface, and that’s the arc of each book. Oh, and a happy ending, which by then is both deeply sought and desirable.

I highly recommend all three books, and it doesn’t matter which order you choose to read them in.

Beach Read

https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Read-Emily-Henry-ebook/dp/B07XNKRV83/

People We Meet on Vacation

https://www.amazon.com/People-Meet-Vacation-Emily-Henry-ebook/dp/B08FZNYQJC/

Book Lovers

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Lovers-Emily-Henry-ebook/dp/B09BTQ9HW6/

        

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Filed Under: Adriana's Library, Blog Tagged With: Book Review, booklover, booknerd, comedy, Contemporary Romance, romance, romance books, romantic comedy, RomCom

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