THE HOUSE GUEST, an all-new standalone opposites-attract, roommates-to-lovers romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Ward, is coming August 31st! Check out this cover!

Title:  THE HOUSE GUEST
Author:  PENELOPE WARD 
Genre:  STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Cover Design:  LETITIA HASSER, RBA DESIGNS
Photographer:  EVGENIIA BEZRUK
Model:  SERGEY MULTAK
Release Date:  AUGUST 31, 2025

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

The last thing Dorian Vanderbilt expected was to find me painting in my crop top when he returned to the mansion he hadn’t inhabited in years.

He was understandably surprised I’d turned his living room into an art space.

Life is certainly full of surprises, though, but not always in a good way.

I learned that lesson when my aunt and the billionaire she married died unexpectedly while traveling.

I’d been living with them, and just like that, my life was turned on its axis.

Unsure of what was next, I stayed alone at the barren estate figuring out my next move.

That was when Dorian—the late billionaire’s only son—showed up.

I’d never met Dorian Vanderbilt. He’d been living on the other side of the country.

But now, he was home, left to pick up the pieces of his father’s legacy.

Not only was Dorian devastatingly handsome and mysterious, but he was the sole heir to the Vanderbilt fortune.

He didn’t seem to like me—at first. We were total opposites. But I was grateful that at least he didn’t kick me out.

We stayed out of each other’s way for the most part, save for some late-night kitchen run-ins or unexpected bonding sessions in the home theater.

Over time, though, we grew closer. Turned out, our chemistry was pretty combustible.

I was falling in love with him.

Until everything I thought I knew turned upside down yet again.

And fate left me pining for the one man I’d ever loved.

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About Penelope Ward:

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

Find Penelope here:

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NIGHT’S FALL, an all-new steamy and spellbinding romantic fantasy from New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristen Ashley, is available now!

A plot threatens lives and the peace of the Four Realms…

The Four Realms are experiencing an unprecedented period of peace…

At thirteen years old, it became known Prince Aleksei Knightstar of Night’s Fall was the True Heir. The next king, the fiercest warrior, the mightiest beast in all the realm.

The Fall rejoiced at having the first True Heir in over a century.

But Aleksei is private, no nonsense, and worried about why The Fall, in a time of peace, would need a True Heir.

Laura Makepeace is a talented costume designer and everywoman who’s recovering from a recent random and traumatic attack where she lost something vital. She barely has it in her to put on a pretty frock and go drinking with her girlfriends.

She certainly isn’t prepared to be summoned to the True Heir’s table in the VIP section of a club.

The prince is not a male easily put off, not to mention, like every other female in the Four Realms, Laura has been crushing on him since she first saw him.

Thus, Laura finds herself suddenly being courted by Prince Aleksei and thrown into a whirl of public and press attention, royal family dysfunction…

And a plot that threatens lives and the peace of the Four Realms.

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About Kristen Ashley:

Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over eighty romance novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold millions of books.

Kristen, born in Gary and raised in Brownsburg, Indiana and was a fourth-generation graduate of Purdue University. Since, she has lived in Denver, the West Country of England, and she now resides in Phoenix. She worked as a charity executive for eighteen years prior to beginning her independent publishing career. She now writes full-time.

Although romance is her genre, the prevailing themes running through all of Kristen’s novels are friendship, family and a strong sisterhood. To this end, and as a way to thank her readers for their support, Kristen has created the Rock Chick Nation, a series of programs that are designed to give back to her readers and promote a strong female community. You can learn more about Kristen and the Rock Chick Nation on her website.

Connect with Kristen:

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DENIM & DIAMONDS, an all-new opposites attract, small-town romance from New York Times Bestselling Authors, Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, is out now!

Scroll down for an excerpt!

He was denim. I was diamonds…

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:

1. Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.
2. Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.
3. Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.
4. Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.

He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.
And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.

I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.

He was denim. I was diamonds.

The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.

A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.

Go big or go home.

I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.

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“…a sizzling, opposites-attract romance that proves love can bloom in the most unexpected places!” ~Danielle, Red Cheeks Reads

Check out Danielle’s 5 SMOOCHES review!

EXCERPT:

Ugh. My aching head.

I lifted it from the pillow and looked around the room. Where the hell am I? This was definitely not my room at Sierra Wellness Center, and why the heck are my eyes burning so much? I must’ve left my contacts in last night. I blinked a few times, attempting to get rid of the dryness. It helped, but when my vision came into focus, I found myself staring into the eyes of…a giant moose.

“Holy shit!” I jumped from the bed and landed on my ass on the hard floor.

Clunk-clunk. Click.

Clunk-clunk. Click.

My grandfather had loved old westerns, so I knew the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being pumped and cocked. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my hands into the air. I might’ve also peed my pants a little. “Don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot!”

“What the hell, Red?” a deep, throaty voice growled. “I’m not going to fucking shoot you.”

I peeked one eye open and found a bearded man standing on the other side of the bed wearing a pair of boxer shorts and holding a gun. He looked vaguely familiar.

“Well, then stop pointing that thing at me!”

“Sorry.” He lowered it. “What the hell did you scream like that for?”

I blinked a few times. “Who the hell are you?”

“Jesus Christ,” the guy mumbled. “You don’t remember last night?”

My eyes bulged. Last night? Oh my God. Did I sleep with this lumberjack? I looked down and was relieved to find I still had all my clothes on, boots and all.

The guy shook his head. “You’d remember it, sweetheart. Trust me.”

“What?”

“You just checked to see what you were wearing, so I’m guessing you were questioning whether we had sex. We didn’t. And if we had, you’d remember it.”

“Why is that?”

The corner of his lip twitched. “How’s your noggin?”

The pain I’d felt when I first opened my eyes came roaring back with a vengeance. I reached for my head. “Who are you, and what the heck did I drink last night?”

Lumberjack bent and lifted the mattress, casually tucking the rifle between it and the boxspring.

“Is that where that gets filed?” I asked.

His lip twitched again. “It is. And an extra dry martini, shaken not stirred, with a lemon twist, dash of orange bitters, and two bleu cheese olives.”

I felt my nose wrinkle. “What?”

“You asked what you drank last night. That’s what your prissy order was. Though that’s not actually what you drank.”

“A dry martini is not prissy.”

“In this town it is, especially the way you order it.”

“What did I drink if my order was too prissy for you?”

“Vodka.”

“With?”

“Ice.”

“No wonder my head is killing me. Why would you give me that?”

Lumberjack’s eyebrows shot up. “Because you asked for it when I told you I didn’t have orange bitters, bleu cheese olives, or lemons, and I was all out of vermouth.”

“You told me you didn’t have it? So you’re who…the bartender?”

He frowned. “Yeah. I’m the bartender. Is that below your standards or something? I also own the place.”

“I didn’t mean it like that… I just…” I shook my head and looked around the room. For the first time, I realized the moose wasn’t alone. He had friends—a deer with big antlers, a bear, and some other thing I thought might be an elk. “Did you kill all these animals?”

Lumberjack folded his arms across his broad chest. “Is that a problem?”

“I’m guessing for them it was.”

He walked around the bed and held a hand out to me—I was still sitting on the floor. I hesitated, and he shook his head. “It’s my hand, sweetheart. Not my dick.”

My nose scrunched up. “Crass much?”

“Rather be crass than condescending.”

I put my hand in his. “I am not condescending.”

“No?”

“No.”

He helped me to my feet. “If you say so.”

I brushed my clothes off. “Do you have a bathroom I can use?”

Lumberjack pointed. “Maybe while you’re in there, you can pry the stick out of your ass.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re rude.”

He sighed. “Just go do what you gotta do, Red.”

“Red. That’s original.” I attempted to lift my chin into the air and keep a bit of my dignity as I walked to the bathroom. But the screech I let out when I shut the door was anything but dignified. “Umm…Lumberjack?” I was afraid to move.

Footsteps came closer on the other side of the door. “Is that supposed to be me?”

“Did you know there’s a giant dog in your bathtub?”

“I did indeed.”

The Saint Bernard tilted his head at me, curiously. “You could’ve warned me.”

There was silence for a few seconds, then, “Hey, Red?”

“Yeah?”

“Oak sleeps in the bathtub.”

“Is Oak the dog?”

“Yep.”

“Does he bite?”

“He sleeps in the bathtub because he’s afraid of his own shadow. I think you’re safe.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

DENIM & DIAMONDS, an all-new opposites attract, small-town romance from New York Times Bestselling Authors, Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, is out now!

He was denim. I was diamonds…

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:

1. Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.
2. Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.
3. Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.
4. Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.

He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.
And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.

I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.

He was denim. I was diamonds.

The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.

A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.

Go big or go home.

I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY OR READ FOR FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!

Amazon US  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA  |  Amazon UK  |  Alternate Cover Paperback  |  Audio

Add to Goodreads  |  Add to BookBub

PRETTY DESPERATE, a new friends-to-lovers, fake relationship, surprise baby romance from USA Today Bestselling Author, Lacey Black, is coming September 2nd! Check out this cover!

Title:  PRETTY DESPERATE
Series: PINE VILLAGE (#6)
Author:  LACEY BLACK
Genre:  CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Cover Design:  Y’ALL. THAT GRAPHIC
Photo:  REGINA WAMBA PHOTOGRAPHY
Release Date:  SEPTEMBER 2, 2025

Jillian

They say when one door closes another one opens, right? When the door closed on my marriage, I was fortunate to follow a new dream. One that led me to opening my own bakery in downtown Pine Village. It hasn’t been easy, especially in the offseason, but I make it work. I’m content. Happy.

Then Kameron Markley showed up on my doorstep, begging me to be his fake girlfriend.

It seems like such a simple plan, especially when we’re both getting something out of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before lines are blurred and crossed, and suddenly, the relationship doesn’t feel so fake after all.

Kameron

For the last decade, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my restaurant, turning a small-town space into a top steak house. The building beside mine has been sitting for as long as I can remember, and the owner is finally ready to sell. The only problem is, she thinks it needs to go to a family man. Suddenly, I’m desperate.

That’s when I come up with the wild idea to find a fake girlfriend.

Jillian Kirby fits the bill to a T, and with a little negotiation, we’re able to work out a deal where we both come out ahead. What I wasn’t expecting was it being so easy to be around her. Suddenly, the lie we’re telling does feel like it’s so right. I want it to be real.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

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About Lacey Black:

USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and three rowdy chickens.

Connect with Lacey:

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Sign up for Lacey’s newsletter

DENIM & DIAMONDS, a new standalone contemporary romance from New York Times Bestselling Authors, Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland, releases on July 27th!

Scroll down for an excerpt!

He was denim. I was diamonds…

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:

1. Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.
2. Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.
3. Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.
4. Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.

He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.
And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.

I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.

He was denim. I was diamonds.

The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.

A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.

Go big or go home.

I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY OR READ FOR FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!

Amazon US  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA  |  Amazon UK  |  Alternate Cover Paperback  |  Audio

Add to Goodreads  |  Add to BookBub

EXCERPT:

Ugh. My aching head.

I lifted it from the pillow and looked around the room. Where the hell am I? This was definitely not my room at Sierra Wellness Center, and why the heck are my eyes burning so much? I must’ve left my contacts in last night. I blinked a few times, attempting to get rid of the dryness. It helped, but when my vision came into focus, I found myself staring into the eyes of…a giant moose.

“Holy shit!” I jumped from the bed and landed on my ass on the hard floor.

Clunk-clunk. Click.

Clunk-clunk. Click.

My grandfather had loved old westerns, so I knew the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being pumped and cocked. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my hands into the air. I might’ve also peed my pants a little. “Don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot!”

“What the hell, Red?” a deep, throaty voice growled. “I’m not going to fucking shoot you.”

I peeked one eye open and found a bearded man standing on the other side of the bed wearing a pair of boxer shorts and holding a gun. He looked vaguely familiar.

“Well, then stop pointing that thing at me!”

“Sorry.” He lowered it. “What the hell did you scream like that for?”

I blinked a few times. “Who the hell are you?”

“Jesus Christ,” the guy mumbled. “You don’t remember last night?”

My eyes bulged. Last night? Oh my God. Did I sleep with this lumberjack? I looked down and was relieved to find I still had all my clothes on, boots and all.

The guy shook his head. “You’d remember it, sweetheart. Trust me.”

“What?”

“You just checked to see what you were wearing, so I’m guessing you were questioning whether we had sex. We didn’t. And if we had, you’d remember it.”

“Why is that?”

The corner of his lip twitched. “How’s your noggin?”

The pain I’d felt when I first opened my eyes came roaring back with a vengeance. I reached for my head. “Who are you, and what the heck did I drink last night?”

Lumberjack bent and lifted the mattress, casually tucking the rifle between it and the boxspring.

“Is that where that gets filed?” I asked.

His lip twitched again. “It is. And an extra dry martini, shaken not stirred, with a lemon twist, dash of orange bitters, and two bleu cheese olives.”

I felt my nose wrinkle. “What?”

“You asked what you drank last night. That’s what your prissy order was. Though that’s not actually what you drank.”

“A dry martini is not prissy.”

“In this town it is, especially the way you order it.”

“What did I drink if my order was too prissy for you?”

“Vodka.”

“With?”

“Ice.”

“No wonder my head is killing me. Why would you give me that?”

Lumberjack’s eyebrows shot up. “Because you asked for it when I told you I didn’t have orange bitters, bleu cheese olives, or lemons, and I was all out of vermouth.”

“You told me you didn’t have it? So you’re who…the bartender?”

He frowned. “Yeah. I’m the bartender. Is that below your standards or something? I also own the place.”

“I didn’t mean it like that… I just…” I shook my head and looked around the room. For the first time, I realized the moose wasn’t alone. He had friends—a deer with big antlers, a bear, and some other thing I thought might be an elk. “Did you kill all these animals?”

Lumberjack folded his arms across his broad chest. “Is that a problem?”

“I’m guessing for them it was.”

He walked around the bed and held a hand out to me—I was still sitting on the floor. I hesitated, and he shook his head. “It’s my hand, sweetheart. Not my dick.”

My nose scrunched up. “Crass much?”

“Rather be crass than condescending.”

I put my hand in his. “I am not condescending.”

“No?”

“No.”

He helped me to my feet. “If you say so.”

I brushed my clothes off. “Do you have a bathroom I can use?”

Lumberjack pointed. “Maybe while you’re in there, you can pry the stick out of your ass.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re rude.”

He sighed. “Just go do what you gotta do, Red.”

“Red. That’s original.” I attempted to lift my chin into the air and keep a bit of my dignity as I walked to the bathroom. But the screech I let out when I shut the door was anything but dignified. “Umm…Lumberjack?” I was afraid to move.

Footsteps came closer on the other side of the door. “Is that supposed to be me?”

“Did you know there’s a giant dog in your bathtub?”

“I did indeed.”

The Saint Bernard tilted his head at me, curiously. “You could’ve warned me.”

There was silence for a few seconds, then, “Hey, Red?”

“Yeah?”

“Oak sleeps in the bathtub.”

“Is Oak the dog?”

“Yep.”

“Does he bite?”

“He sleeps in the bathtub because he’s afraid of his own shadow. I think you’re safe.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

I had one of those bladders that got overly excited once it saw a toilet, so I didn’t have time for any more small talk. I walked to the porcelain throne and peed while the giant dog stared. Fitting. I had a moose and deer watch me sleep.

Oh, and it turned out I actually had peed my pants a little. This morning just kept getting better and better. I slipped my thong off, flushed, and went to the sink to wash my hands. Looking up, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Oh God. I didn’t look much better than the poor mounted heads. My auburn hair was plastered to one side of my face with what might be drool, puffy green eyes were streaked with red lines from not taking out my daily wears, and dark raccoon circles rimmed underneath. I washed up and did my best to fix my hair and face, but there wasn’t much that could make this hangover look any better than it felt.

At least when I opened the bathroom door, the smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air. I found Lumberjack in the kitchen—which technically was also the bedroom and living room in his studio apartment. His back was to me, so I took a moment to appreciate the view. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and what looked like a pretty muscular ass under those boxer briefs. He was tall—super tall, actually, maybe a foot bigger than my five foot four. Definitely not my normal type. I tended to go for a runner’s body—lean and trim, whereas this guy could best be described as burly.

Without turning around, he pointed to the counter next to him. “Coffee’s there. And I figured you could use some Motrin.”

“God, yes. Thank you.” I walked over and lifted the steaming mug. “You wouldn’t happen to have any creamer, would you?”

“Definitely not.”

“Milk?”

“Nope.”

“So I guess dairy-free cashew creamer blended with oat milk is out of the question?”

He looked over at me, frowned, and went back to what he was doing without saying a word.

I brought the mug to my lips. “Okay then…”

Lumberjack poured a second coffee in silence while I swallowed two Motrin with scalding black coffee. When he was done, he leaned a hip against the counter and looked at me.

“How many vodkas did I drink last night?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Three maybe?”

“The bar had dark paneling, right?”

“Yep.”

I attempted to fit together the bits and pieces of things I could remember. “And a jukebox? I remember putting on Taylor Swift. But then it broke, I think?”

Lumberjack smirked. “I have a secret kill switch behind the bar that cuts the power. Usually have to use it at two AM when drunk fifty-year-olds put on Billy Joel and sing along. I cut you off the third time you played ‘Shake It Off’.”

“Not a Swiftie?”

“Don’t mind her. But I didn’t like the way some of my patrons were looking at you while you were dancing.”

“How exactly were they looking at me?”

He tipped back his mug and drank. “You probably shouldn’t go out by yourself and get hammered.”

“Why? Because I’m a woman?”

“Because you’re a fucking lightweight. And the wrong person could’ve taken you home.”

I sighed. He had a point. I didn’t know this guy from Adam, but I didn’t feel unsafe here with him. “You’re right. Thank you for taking care of me.”

He nodded once.

“It’s just been a really bad week.” I shook my head. “A really bad few months, actually.”

“Is that why you’re at that bougie mental hospital?”

I frowned. “Sierra Wellness Center is not a mental hospital. It’s a voluntary wellness facility.”

“Whatever.” He shrugged. “Are you famous or something?”

“Why would you ask me that?”

“Because a lot of celebrities have come through town to spend time there since it was built three years ago.”

“Oh.” I shook my head. “I’m not famous. My handbags are maybe, but not me.”

“Handbags?”

“I own Amourette, the purse company.”

“Never heard of it.”

“I don’t think they would style well with your moose head and shotgun.”

“Guess that stick was too far up there to pry it out in the bathroom, huh?”

“I was trying to be funny.”

“You’re about as good at that as you are drinking.”

I smiled. “What’s your name? Or should I just continue to call you Lumberjack, like I have been in my head since I woke up at gunpoint?”

“Name’s Brock.”

“Huh…”

“Huh what?”

I shrugged. “It fits you.”

“And what’s yours?”

“February.”

His brows jumped. “Like the month?”

“Exactly like the month.”

“Who names their kid February?”

I sighed. “We don’t have time for the story of my mother.” But speaking of time… I looked around for a clock. “What time is it anyway?”

“Eleven.”

My eyes widened. “In the morning?”

“Well, you didn’t knock out until four, so it’s not like you slept that long.”

“God, I’m screwed. My ladder is definitely going to be gone by now.”

“Your ladder?”

“That’s how I snuck out. My room is on the second floor. I paid one of the maintenance guys to leave a ladder at my window, but he said he’d have to get rid of it before the sun came up.”

“Why do you have to sneak out? I thought you said the place was voluntary?”

“It is. But if you leave, they discharge you from the program. And if I get kicked out, I’m screwed.”

“How are you screwed?”

“It’s a long story. But I have a board of directors at my company, and there’s this dumb morality clause in my contract and… Let’s just say this is my punishment for doing something stupid.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But it sounds like you’re in deep shit.”

I laughed. Maybe I needed the mental health timeout more than I wanted to admit. “How far away from Sierra are we?”

“About a mile.”

“Oh good.” I gulped back the rest of my coffee. “I should get going.”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

“It’s okay. I can walk if you just point me in the right direction.”

He looked down at the boots I’d slept in—the cute, knee-high leather ones with chunky four-inch heels. “I’ll drive you.”

Okay then.

Brock’s apartment was on the second floor. When we got down to street level and stepped outside, I realized where we were. “You live above the bar?”

“Yep.”

“Well, that’s convenient to get to work.”

There were two pickup trucks parked in the driveway on the side of the brick building. Both had decals that read Hawkins Log Cabins. Brock opened the passenger door on the bigger of the two trucks and offered a hand to help me get in.

“Thank you.”

The temperature had really dropped overnight, and I only had on a flimsy silk dress. Brock got in, started the truck, and noticed me shivering. He peeled off his flannel and held it out to me. “Truck’s diesel. Takes a minute for the heat to warm when it first starts.”

I waved him off. “It’s okay.”

“Lean forward.”

Not sure why, but I followed his instruction. Brock wrapped his flannel around my shoulders. It was warm from his body heat and felt good, so I slipped my arms into it. “Thank you.”

“Yep.”

“Do you work for a company that builds log cabins during the day?”

He shifted the truck into reverse and backed out of the driveway. “Own it.”

“I thought you said you owned the bar?”

“I do. Also own the grocery store in town and the laundromat.”

“That’s a weird combination of businesses.”

He shrugged. “Economy went to shit a few years back, so the logging mill in town closed down. No work meant no cash to spend in the grocery store or laundromat, so those closed down, too. I had a little bit of money I didn’t need from an inheritance, so I bought what I could to help people get back to work.”

“That was very noble.”

“It’s a small town. Everyone helps each other.”

“That does not happen in Manhattan.”

“And that’s one of the many reasons I’ve never been there.”

“You’ve never been to the City? But you live in Maine, and it’s only a ten-hour drive or a two-hour flight.”

He shrugged. A few minutes later, we pulled up to the entrance of Sierra Wellness Center. There were some people milling around out front, so I ducked.

“Do you think you can drive around to the back of the building? That’s where my room is. Maybe people will see this truck and just assume you’re doing some work here.”

Brock waved as he drove up the long driveway.

“Who are you saying hello to?” I asked.

“Fuck if I know. Not even quite sure how the hell I got roped into keeping you at my apartment.”

“Roped in?” I felt offended. “I’m sorry if I was such a hassle.”

He looked over at me. “You were.”

“How was I a hassle?”

“You play shitty music, wouldn’t tell me where you lived to take you home, and I had to carry you up the stairs where you proceeded to snore the entire night.”

I did snore. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” The truck made a turn, and Brock slowed to a stop. “The coast is clear from the coppers. You can get up from down there now.”

“Thank you.”

Of course the ladder I’d used to climb out last night was no longer there. I looked around for something—anything—nearby to use to climb in. But it was just us and a shitload of trees fifty feet away. I nibbled on my fingernail. “Do you think you can pull up to that third window? Maybe I can reach it if I stand in the bed of the truck.”

“That’s not going to work.”

“Well, do you have a better solution?”

He mumbled something under his breath that I didn’t catch, but pulled the truck next to the third window. We both got out and looked up.

“Shoot,” I said. “It’s too high. This isn’t going to work.”

“I seem to have heard that somewhere before.”

I put my hands on my hips. “You don’t have to be so cocky about it.”

Brock shook his head and walked around to the back of his truck. He lowered the rear gate and climbed up, then extended one hand and pointed to the bumper with the other. “Put your foot on there, and I’ll pull you up.”

“But I’m still not going to be able to reach the window.”

“Just do it.”

My foot had barely touched the bumper when Brock hoisted me into the bed. He walked over near my window and kneeled down on one knee. “Get on my shoulders. I’ll lift you.”

“Are you sure? I’m not as light as I look.”

“I lift logs bigger than you all day long.”

“Okay…”

Brock held out a hand, and I climbed up to sit on his shoulders, trying to be as ladylike as I could while wearing a dress. But once I was on, he didn’t move. “Am I too heavy?”

“Nope.”

“Are you afraid you’re going to fall?”

“Nope.”

“So why aren’t you moving?”

He cleared his throat. “Are you…not wearing underwear?”

Oh.

My.

God.

I wanted to die. I’d completely forgotten that I had taken off my pee-peed underwear earlier in the bathroom. Here I was, legs over this man’s shoulders with my vagina pressed against the back of his neck. I started to swing my leg off to get down, but he gripped my ankle.

“We made it this far. Might as well finish.”

I covered my face. “I seriously want to die right now.”

Before I could say anything else, Brock climbed to his feet. I wobbled but stayed on. “Go ahead,” he said. “Stand on my shoulders, and you should be able to reach.”

“Do you promise not to look up?”

“I managed to not turn around and bury my face between your legs, so I think we’re in the clear.”

Oh my. That gave me a visual. Me facing the other way, my legs dangling down big, burly lumberjack Brock’s back, while he buried his face in me…

“Anytime now,” Brock grumbled.

“Oh—right.”

Luckily, my window was still open, and when I stood on his shoulders, it was easy enough to climb in. After, I stuck my head back outside. “Thank you for…everything.”

He chuckled. “Take care, Red.”

I stayed at the window and watched Brock the burly lumberjack get back into his truck. As it pulled away, I felt oddly sad. Though people here had to be looking for me by now, so I grabbed a change of clothes from the drawer and ran into the bathroom to get dressed, only to realize I was still wearing Brock’s flannel. It wasn’t even off when someone knocked at my room door. Shit. “I’ll be out in a minute!”

I finished changing as fast as I could, then scooped all the clothes from the bathroom floor and opened the cabinet under the sink. As I tossed everything inside, something dropped to the floor. A little book. My dress didn’t have pockets, so it must’ve come from Brock’s flannel. I reached for it and thumbed to the first page.

“Oh…this is interesting.”

AGAINST ALL ODDS, a childhood sweethearts, second chance romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, Corinne Michaels, is available now!

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Everett can’t leave Ember Falls, and I can’t stay…

When my ex-husband leaves me for the co-star in his movie, moving back to Ember Falls feels like my only option.

Everett Finnegan, my first love and the man I’ve never forgotten, is ready to welcome me with open arms…and an open bed.

But when I find out I’m pregnant with my ex’s baby, my entire world is upended.

My ex doesn’t want the baby, but I plan to rebuild my life as a single mother and figure out how to handle all of this alone.

Except that I don’t seem to be alone―Everett always shows up for me.

I don’t expect him to get mixed up in all my drama―not when he has his own. And I wish he would listen to me when I say we have to stop whatever it is we’re doing.

But he wants me, the baby, and my heart.

So when I’m forced to return to California sooner than planned, I’m devastated.

Everett can’t leave Ember Falls, and I can’t stay.

Saying goodbye to him the first time was hard enough. This time, it just might break me.

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Audiobook performed in duet narration by Robert Hatchet & Andi Arndt

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“…a poignant blend of angsty emotion, heart-racing heat and addictive storytelling…” ~Danielle, Red Cheeks Reads

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EXCERPT:

“Do you want to come in? I have baked goods. Lots of them.”

I learned my lesson the last time I came over here, thinking things could be different, but I’ll go inside.

Because it’s her.

Because I’ve never been able to say no to her and even if all I get is now, I’ll take it.

“Do you want that?”

She looks to her door and back to me. “Yes.”

This is one of those times that will define a lot of things in my life. I can either let her walk out, go into that house alone, and have a chance of my heart remaining intact, or I can decide to go in, no matter the consequences.

Although it’s not really a choice.

It’s Violet, and there is nothing I won’t do to make her happy. She’s always been the girl that I’d split myself apart for.

Then her voice is small as she looks up at me. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Well, fuck me. No way I’m saying no now.

I open the car door and come around, meeting her at the front.

We walk inside, and she stops at the kitchen. “I’ll bring a plate into the living room.”

“Okay.”

“You weren’t kidding, were you?” I ask as she places it on the coffee table.

“I can’t even imagine what it would’ve been if I didn’t run out of supplies.”

I grin. “If you hadn’t, then you’d never have gone to the bar.”

“And that would’ve been a shame to miss your dancing.” She sits beside me.

“It would’ve.”

Violet pulls her lower lip between her teeth and then stares down at her clasped hands. “Everett?”

“Yes?”

She lifts her gaze to meet mine. “You said all I had to do was say the word.”

I swallow and nod. “Yes.”

All she has to do is ask me, and I’ll give her anything she wants.

“Kiss me.”

I want to, more than I want air, but I don’t want her to regret it. “Are you sure?”

“I was sure the other night. I was sure the day in my room. I’ve never been more sure that I want something than I do right now.”

That’s all I needed to hear. I lean forward, taking her face between my hands, holding her so that her gaze has nowhere else to land other than on me. Violet’s cognac eyes turn heated, and I move in infinitesimal amounts, allowing her a chance to back out at any point. Her lids slowly lower, and there’s a breath between us.

I can hear her struggling to keep her breathing even, and I linger, drawing out the anticipation.

If I only ever get this one more time, I’m going to make it count. I’m going to pour everything I have into this kiss and make it one she’ll never forget.

“Violet,” I say her name softly. “Breathe or you might miss the whole thing.”

About Corinne Michaels:

Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.

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Text CMBOOKS to 77948   (*US only due to carrier restrictions*)

Lauren Blakely has reworked, recast and re-recorded the audiobooks in her JOY DELIVERED duet! NIGHTS WITH HIM, a sizzling one-night-stand romance, and FORBIDDEN NIGHTS, a steamy best-friends-to-lovers romance, from the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, are available now!

Thirty nights of pleasure. Thirty nights of bliss. Thirty nights of being wanted in ways I hadn’t ever been wanted, and had desperately longed to be…

A brand new full production of this forbidden romance from #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely performed by Rose Dioro and Ryan West, with additional performances by Samantha Brentnmoor and JF Harding!

I didn’t know who the smoldering man in the expensive suit was that first night.

Only that he was commanding. Intense. And exactly what I needed to forget my heartbreak.

But there’s no forgetting him the next day when Jack Sullivan walks into my office.

Philanthropic billionaire, brilliant businessman, my brand-new client…And off-limits in every possible way.

We should have walked away. Instead, we made a new arrangement. Thirty nights. No promises. Just stolen moments in penthouses, in Paris hotel rooms, on Manhattan balconies.

But the deeper we go, the harder it is to pretend this is just physical. Because when Jack starts to share the things he loves with me—the symphony, books, late nights exploring the city—he’s impossible to resist. And the more nights we spend tangled in pleasure, the more he owns my once-guarded heart.

Soon, I start to believe in something more.

But Jack doesn’t do love. His past still owns too much of him. And no matter how deep we fall, some risks feel too impossible to take.

Unless I can convince him that what we have is worth breaking every rule.

————————————————-

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“…off-the-charts chemistry and a hero whose redemption arc will melt your heart…” ~Danielle, Red Cheeks Reads

Check out Danielle’s 5 SMOOCHES review!

My best friend is gorgeous, wildly successful, and loves to spoil me. He’s also sworn off love.

Which is why Nate Harper is the perfect man to help me.

I’ve spent my life being in control. Now I want to learn how to let go, and Nate decides he’s the only one who can teach me.

If anyone can show me how to surrender, it’s my confident, outrageously flirty friend.

The deal? No strings. No feelings. No risks.

As we travel to London, New York, and decadent tropical islands, he proves just how good giving in can feel.

It’s only an arrangement. Nothing more.

————————————————-

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“A steamy, heart-melting best-friends-to-lovers romance…” ~Danielle Red Cheeks Reads

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About Lauren Blakely:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

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