5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

All I want for the holidays is the willpower to resist my brother’s sexy, charming, easy-on-the-eyes new business partner.

Instead, I’m stuck planning all the holiday parties with the one guy who makes me want to break my dating diet.

Who thought that was a good idea?

Oh, me. Yep, brilliant, strategic me who raised her hand and said yes I’d love to hang mistletoe with that hot former sports star. (Note to self: Mistletoe leads to toe-curling, knee-weakening kisses.)

And I’d love to get snowed in with the one guy I shouldn’t fall for. (Addendum to the note to self: You know exactly where eight inches of snow leads to. Ahem, eight inches.)

As long as I can make it through the holidays I’ll be on my merry way, fa la la la la. But the holidays have a surprise for me.

SPECIAL DELIVERY is a standalone romantic comedy in the Always Satisfied series of standalones! The series includes SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, INSTANT GRATIFICATION, NEVER HAVE I EVER, OVERNIGHT SERVICE and the novella SPECIAL DELIVERY they can be read in any order.

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REVIEW:

Lauren Blakely’s first foray into holiday romances was exactly the kind of swept-up-in-the-magic-of-the-season love story I’d expect from her. A standalone novella in the Always Satisfied series, Special Delivery was deliciously sweet and steamy, and I devoured it in an afternoon. Quinn, a party planner, and Vaughn Channing, a former NFL football player and current business partner of Quinn’s brother, are tasked with planning his company’s Christmas party.

Blakely takes readers on a right person, wrong time jingle all the way to happily ever after. Quinn is on a man-break while she focuses on her business, and Vaughn is on a love diet after his last disastrous relationship—not to mention he’s gearing up for a move to Miami after the holidays to head up the firm’s expansion efforts there. But what neither one was expecting was the triple holiday treat of instant connection, natural chemistry and magnetic attraction between them. Agreeing to spend Vaughn’s last few weeks in the New York together, they may have agreed to a casual fling with an expiration date, but everything about their time together screams that it’s so much more than that.

Nicely developed yet still a fast-paced read, Special Delivery is bubbling over with all of the sexy, swoony romance that I love from Lauren Blakely. With all the charm of a Hallmark Channel holiday movie—that was directed by the good folks at Cinemax—Lauren’s first holiday romance was fiery, frisky and festive. Special Delivery by Lauren Blakely gets 5 smooches from me!

 ~Danielle Palumbo

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5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

Darby
I’m here.
Back in the same town I ran from years ago and the man I left behind.
Pierce Kendrick, the man I’ve never stopped loving.
The day he walked up to me with his cocky smile, everything changed.
Now, I don’t recognize the cold, harsh, bitter man that stands in his place.
It’s time Pierce knows why I left, and the secrets that drove me away.
Nothing could prepare me for what happens next.

The man I loved reappears. This time, he’s a powerhouse, determined to get back what we lost.

Can it be that simple? 

Pierce
She’s home.
Darby Graham, the woman who ruined me, has returned. She rolls back into town, stirring up memories and feelings that I buried long ago.

One look at her and I know she’s been hiding something. What I don’t expect is for the truth to rock my world.  For a second time in my life, I’m helpless against the power Darby holds over me.

She’s mine.

Her resistance fuels my determination.
My insistence drives her wild.
She says we’re impossible.
I say she’s wrong.

And I’m going to prove it.
Darby Graham thinks I’m crazy.
She’s about to see how crazy things can be.

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REVIEW:

This is the third book I’ve read by Ahren Sanders, and this is the third time she has blown me away with her incredible storytelling. Richly detailed and full of every single feel, Sanders has a way of developing her characters that enables her readers to truly get to know them. The effort and care she takes in progressing her plots and stories, in laying them out and building the anticipation, is evident on every page. It’s easy to get lost in her stories, swept right up in them and invested in her characters. Sanders always makes the journey, even the painful parts, worth every single step of the way. I devoured Pierced Hearts in a day, hushing my family when they tried to talk to me, ignoring texts and phone calls, and cooking dinner with my Kindle in one hand.

A deeply moving second-chance romance, Pierced Hearts rekindles the first-loves romance between Darby and Pierce. This couple has suffered mightily, and neither one of them has gotten over the other or moved on. I don’t want to say to much about this story, I think it is important for readers going into it to experience everything as it unfolds. But I will say that this was one of the most emotional second-chance romances I’ve ever read. My heart was in my throat when it wasn’t aching or breaking for all that this couple went through. The misunderstandings, mistakes, lapses in judgment all snapped together to build what felt like an impenetrable wall between this young couple.

Twelve years later, they’re finally hashing everything out, clearing the air, and they are gutted by the realizations they make. So much has changed, and while Darby is stronger now than she’s ever been, she still has a fragility about her. While they may have talked it all through, Darby thinks what is between them in the present is insurmountable and Pierce is determined not to let her get away again. They have so much more than their own personal demons to battle, though, and Sanders takes readers along on their journey, painstakingly detailing every single gut-wrenching and heart-healing step of the way.

Ahren Sanders may have ran me through the emotional wringer through most of Pierced Hearts, but she put me back together, too. This was no easy-to-read love story, it was raw, devastating and painful, but it was also beautiful, hopeful and romantic. Sanders filled the pages with a steamy, hard-fought-and-earned, second-chance romance, and this story that will stay with me for a long time to come. Five smooches from me for Pierced Hearts by Ahren Sanders!

~Danielle Palumbo

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5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

Theo Cruz, a New York man known for his family’s billion-dollar empire, Cruz Enterprises, has been indicted this afternoon in the Court of Public Opinion on charges of Bro-Code Conspiracy.

Chief counsel for the prosecution, Caplin Hawkins, spoke candidly about the accusation.

“Once thought of as a best friend to many—including myself—Theo Cruz has officially turned his back on human decency. He’s conniving and dishonest, and a habitual offender of Bro-Code Law 676. He’ll rue the day he forgot that you never—under any circumstances—get involved with your best friend’s little sister.”

Fact: I haven’t actually been arrested or indicted.

More important fact: I inadvertently messed up—big-time.

Two strangers in a foreign country, we said hello.

Hello turned into a kiss.

A kiss turned into a rendezvous.

And a rendezvous turned into more than I’d ever imagined.

But her unruly golden curls and beautiful body hid an important detail—She’s my mouthiest billionaire best friend’s forbidden little sister.

Fact: I knew not of my crimes.

More important fact: I know now, but even though I know I’m playing with fire, there’s no way I’m stopping. I can’t leave her alone.

Question: What do you do when you fall for your best friend’s little sister?

More important question: How long can you keep it a secret before it all goes up in flames?

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REVIEW:

I absolutely love romantic comedies, they’re at the top of the list of my favorite things to read, and a Max Monroe romantic comedy is a special kind of reading experience for me. What makes their romcoms stand outs in the genre is that while they are wildly hilarious, if the authors were to strip the humor from the story, there would still be a solidly engaging, steamy romance there that could stand on its own. That is a testament to the creativity of this author duo, and speaks volumes about the quality of their writing. I truly hope the authors don’t do that, though, because I really fluffing love their uniquely comical sense of humor. Imaginative plots coupled with endearing characters embroiled in these deliciously sexy romances that are heart-tugging and heart-warming, and this is romantic comedy perfection on the page. I can always count on Max Monroe to give me an unputdownable, audible-laugh-inducing, feel-good romance, and it’s what drives me to pick up their books time and time again.

The Billionaire’s Forbidden Little Sister was totally up my alley—I loved everything about it. The brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister trope is a personal favorite of mine, and Max Monroe penned an absolute winner here. Theo and Lena were magic together. She breathed life into this incredibly focused, schedule-driven billionaire, and he was the steadying, stable force she needed. Their relationship was all about the balance, and shenanigans aside, these two were perfectly paired. Add in a splash of drama that only Caplin Hawkins, Lena’s big brother and one of Theo’s billionaire best buddies, and this story was an entertaining, amusing, passionate page-turner.

An utterly charming blend of sweet, sexy romance and laugh-out-loud humor, The Billionaire’s Forbidden Little Sister is exactly what readers crave from this author. Fantastically well executed, light-hearted and fun, I smiled from ear-to-ear the whole way through as I practically inhaled this book. Five smooches from me for The Billionaire’s Forbidden Little Sister by Max Monroe!

~Danielle Palumbo

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5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

I’d never forgotten him—a man I’d yet to meet.

Griffin Quinn was my childhood pen pal, the British boy who couldn’t have been more different from me. Over the years, through hundreds of letters, we became best friends, sharing our deepest, darkest secrets and forming a connection I never thought could break.

Until one day it did.

Then, out of the blue, a new letter arrived. A scathing one—one with eight years of pent-up anger. I had no choice but to finally come clean as to why I stopped writing.

Griffin forgave me, and somehow we were able to rekindle our childhood connection. Only now we were adults, and that connection had grown to a spark. Our letters quickly went from fun to flirty to downright dirty, revealing our wildest fantasies. So it only made sense that we would take our relationship to the next level and see each other in person.

Only Griff didn’t want to meet. He asked that I trust him and said it was for the best. But I wanted more—more Griff, in the flesh—so I took a big chance and went looking for him. People have done crazier things for love.

But what I found could change everything.

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REVIEW:

I love the collaborative works of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. Both authors are absolutely fantastic individually, but their co-written books are outstanding—contemporary romance magic. Undoubtedly born from their years of partnership and friendship, their writing styles blend in a very natural, effortlessly feeling way for the reader, and as a result, their words come together impeccably into the addictive, unputdownable stories that they’re known for penning. This writing duo is exceptional, and I simply can’t get enough of their imaginative storytelling.

Dirty Letters is my (new) favorite from Keeland/Ward. A slow-burn, second-chance romance between two seemingly different people who ultimately want the same thing, Luca and Griffin’s heart-tugging romance pulled me in from page one. This story hit me right in the feels, there were so many emotions pummeling me at every turn. The longing for not only each other, but also for their individual circumstances to be different and to find a way to just make it all work out. This relationship was teeming with love and a fair amount of blind faith. Sometimes, though, love and blind faith might not be enough. Despite their soul-deep connection and the sizzling chemistry flowing between them, this was definitely a square peg-round hole scenario. It was heart-breaking and devastating at times, and I felt their desperation as I wept big, fat tears right along with them. But it’s in those deepest, darkest times when someone has a moment of clarity—an epiphany—where everything just snaps into place, and suddenly, it all becomes unmistakably clear. That is the moment when the will finds the way.

This story was just so rich—both in emotion and love, but also technically in the details, development and plotting. Told from dual points of view, the couple rekindles a youthful friendship and budding teen romance through the same means as they began it—handwritten letters. I adored this element of the story because it gave the hero and heroine both the freedom and the opportunity to be honest, vulnerable and frank with each other in an unusual and rare way. The quirky supporting characters rounded everything out, bringing depth and added detail, and elevating this story from a really great one to something truly special. I loved the entire journey, every single mile of tough terrain and smooth sailing. Griffin and Luca’s love story, with all its many ups and downs and highs and lows, was gorgeous, breathtaking and memorable.

Dirty Letters from Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward is a must-read, not-to-be-missed love story about forgiveness, acceptance and love against all odds. They say what comes easy won’t last long, and what lasts long won’t come easy, and Luca and Griffin’s grandly romantic, hard-fought love story is a perfect example of that. Their story captured my attention and swept me right off my feet as my hopeful heart ached and raced for this couple to get their happily ever after. A top favorite read of 2019, Dirty Letters by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward gets five smooches from me!

~Danielle Palumbo

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5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

Ryan Willis has spent years in the protection business, a job that requires constant vigilance and quick thinking. His only chance to truly relax is at his secluded cabin in a small town where there are never any surprises. So when Ryan returns after an assignment and encounters a beautiful stranger, he isn’t only surprised, he’s also instantly intrigued.

Hannah Bright is a breath of fresh air, and Ryan is soon completely consumed, unable to stop from falling for her. As the two grow closer, his instinct tells him something is amiss. Yet nothing could prepare him for what he discovers when he starts digging into her past.

Hannah spends her days painting, running her arts and crafts store…and hiding too many secrets. It’s why she won’t let the ruggedly handsome bodyguard get too close. But their chemistry is undeniable, and Hannah quickly finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance with Ryan. He is peace personified, a balm to her battered soul. Yet the gorgeous, captivating man who has swept Hannah off her feet doesn’t even know who she really is. And the moment he finds out, both their lives are at risk.

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REVIEW:

I’ve been reading Jodi Ellen Malpas since her debut novel, This Man, was released. That series was one of the first that I turned to in the post-Fifty Shades days when I was looking to see what else was out there in romance. I credit this series as one of the ones that turned me into the devoted romance reader I am now. It undoubtedly left an indelible impression on readers, and years after its initial release, readers still list both the series and the hero, Jesse Ward, as top favorites. Malpas has released numerous books since that first book released, and with the release of Leave Me Breathless, she continues to sweep readers off their feet with her brand of sultry, spine-tingling storytelling and breathtaking romances.

Leave Me Breathless, a steamy and suspenseful standalone romance, features British alpha-hero, Ryan Willis, a former member of MI5 and current protection agent, and the quirky, messy artist with secrets in her eyes, Hannah Bright. Malpas created an alluring hero in the ruggedly handsome, single father. Ryan was exactly the hero that Hannah, a woman hiding in plain sight, needed. Commanding and, at times, menacing, Ryan was also gentle and patient, and as Jodi Ellen peeled his layers back, I was as smitten as Hannah was with him. Hannah has survived a brutal and painful past, and while she’s alive, she isn’t really living. She lives in the shadows, attempting to blend in without ever putting down roots as she moves from place to place. She’s tired, lonely and easily spooked, but for the first time in longer than she can remember, Ryan gives her hope. The question is will he be enough for her to take on her demons, to let him all the way in and to trust? There are secrets in both of their pasts, and Malpas uses them by bringing them into the light through an exciting suspense plot in this intense and sexy romance.

Riveting, thrilling, steamy and romantic, Leave Me Breathless was exactly the type of passionate, emotional and gripping love story that I expect from Jodi Ellen Malpas. I was at the edge of my seat, tapping my Kindle furiously, as I devoured this book—I simply did not want to put it down. Five smooches from me for Leave Me Breathless by Jodi Ellen Malpas!

~Danielle Palumbo

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