MERRY LITTLE SUGAR RUSH, a small-town, friends-to-lovers, return to hometown, holiday romance from USA Today Bestselling Author, Lacey Black, is available now! His time here is temporary and if I’m not careful, I risk …
5 SMOOCHES! * * * * * * * * * * SYNOPSIS: Joy I’m living my dream. Owning a cozy little bakery in downtown Snowflake Falls is everything I ever wanted. …
CHECKING IT TWICE, a fake-dating, close proximity, small-town, holiday hockey romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, Kendall Ryan, is out now! Sometimes the best gifts aren’t under the tree—they’re standing right in …
JUST BREAKING THE RULES, a sexy new single dad, opposites-attract, workplace hockey romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Lauren Blakely, is coming January 21st! Check out this cover! Title: JUST BREAKING THE RULES …
We are so excited to bring you the Release Blitz for Kristen Proby’s EASY LOVE! EASY LOVE is a Contemporary Erotic Romance novel and is the 1st book in The Boudreaux Series!
Eli Boudreaux’s family has built ships and boats in Louisiana for generations. He comes from a hardworking, wealthy family and his empire is growing by leaps and bounds. At thirty, he is the youngest CEO to ever head Bayou Enterprises, co-chairing with his eldest brother. His head for business and his no-nonsense work ethic is also quickly making him the best the company has seen in generations. His staff admires him, women adore him and Eli’s family is solid. But he’s recently discovered that someone on the inside of his business is stealing from him and he’s determined to find out who.
Kate O’Shaughnessy is hired by companies all over the world to slip inside and investigate every member of the organization from the CEO down to the custodial staff to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling. She’s excellent at blending, becoming part of the team, and finding the weakest link. She’s smart, quick-witted, and she’s now been hired by Bayou Enterprises, specifically Eli Boudreaux. The attraction is immediate and the chemistry is off the charts, but Kate has heard all about Eli’s playboy past and she has a job to do. Sleeping with the boss isn’t a part of that job, even if just the sound of her name rolling off that Cajun tongue and the way he fills out a designer suit does make her sweat.
Eli’s southern charms surprise Kate. The man whose reputation labels him as a ruthless, callous womanizer is not the man she’s coming to know intimately. He’s generous, protective and makes her smile. Cracking through Kate’s cool, reserved demeanor and discovering her love of sexy, expensive lingerie is a challenge Eli can’t resist, but her sweet nature, love of family and sense of humor pull at him in ways no one else ever has.
But when the person responsible for trying to single-handedly dismantle Eli’s empire comes to light, and it’s time for Kate to move on, to what lengths will Eli go to keep the woman he’s fallen in love with by his side?
Excerpt
“Ms. O’Shaughnessy?”
“Kate, please.”
“Hello, Kate. Mr. Boudreaux is in his office. Follow me.” She smiles and offers to take my suitcase, but I shake my head and follow her into the elevator. She doesn’t ask me any questions, and I’m thankful. I’ve learned to lie well in this business, but I don’t know what she’s already been told. I’m led past an office area and into the largest office I’ve ever seen. The massive black desk sits before a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Furniture is big and expensive. Comfortable. There are two doors, each on opposite sides of the room, and I can’t help but wonder what they lead to.
“Ms. O’Shaughnessy is here, sir.”
“Kate,” I add without thinking, and then any hope of being able to think at all is tossed right out of those spectacular windows when the tall man standing before them turns to look at me. The photos didn’t do him justice.
The door closes behind me and I take a deep breath and walk toward him, hiding the fact that my knees have officially turned to mush.
“Kate,” I repeat and hold my hand out to shake his over his desk. His lips twitch as he watches me, his whiskey-colored eyes sharp and assessing as they take a slow stroll down my body, then back up to my face. Jeez, he’s taller than I expected. And broader. And he wears a suit like he was born to it.
Which, I suppose he was. Bayou Enterprises has been around for five generations, and Eli Boudreaux is the sharpest CEO it’s seen in years.
He moves around his desk and takes my hand in his, but rather than shake it, he raises it to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles.
“Pleasure,” he says in a slow New Orleans drawl. Dear God, I might explode right here. “I’m Eli.”
ABOUT KRISTEN PROBY:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby is the author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.
It’s release day for Stone Walls by AM Madden, a sexy new romance!! We are so excited about this release and I can’t wait to share it with you!! Here is all the fun info about this great new book!!
Benjamin Stone has an unrealistic determination to rid the streets of New York from any and all drug dealing scum. That determination quickly moves him and his partner, Rob Withers, up the ranks to Senior Narcotics Agents within their precinct. A new case assisting the FBI has Ben facing the ghosts of his past. Those same ghosts are the very reason he moved to New York to become a cop.
Ella Parker is bright, beautiful, kind, and severely damaged as a result of one tragic night in her past. Having lived an idealistic life, that horrific night sent her pretty castle of cards crumbling down. Forced to start over, she leans on her best friend, Andrea Hensen, to help her move on. With Andrea’s help, Ella quickly settles into her new life in New York City. It’s a safe and comfortable existence, albeit very boring.
Their paths may have never crossed, if it hadn’t been for their meddling best friends. Rob and Andrea believe that Ben and Ella are soul mates that were meant to be together, a perfect match. There’s one slight problem. Ben and Ella want no part of this matchmaking scheme. Funny thing about fate, it’s inevitable.
Or is it?
Can a truth cause the possibility of a happily ever after to crash and burn? Ben and Ella learn that sometimes truth isn’t the best answer. Sometimes ignorance is most definitely bliss.
A.M. Madden has achieved Amazon Best Selling status with her debut in contemporary romance, The Back-Up Series.
A.M. Madden is a wife, a mother, an avid reader of romance novels and now an author. In Back-up she aspired to create a fun, sexy, realistic romantic story. She wanted to create characters that the reader could relate to and feel as if they knew personally.
A self proclaimed hopeless romantic, she loves getting lost in a good book. Using every free moment of her time while raising teen-age boys, A.M. Madden plans to continue writing, as it now become a second career. A.M. Madden can be contacted on Facebook, twitter, or at am.madden@aol.com
For Jayceon Ashworth, he’s lucky to make it through the day without the torment and aggravation. Pushing aside the taunting, he focuses on football and art until Seona Fisher crashes into his life.
Seona Fisher gets a second chance. Moving to College Station, Texas to be with her brother, Travis, is something she needs to escape the demons of her past. Starting over is never easy. Letting go of old habits is hard, but seeing his green eyes changes her world.
A friendship turns into them both wanting one another, and neither of them able to fight their feelings. But when the demons of darkness come back, Seona has to find her way through and back into Jayceon’s arms.
Review
I have loved every book by Rebecca Brooke that I have read and this was just as good as all the rest. Rebecca is one of those author I can always count on and was so excited to start after I read the synopsis. Beautiful Lessons is a New Adult book with a twist. Jayceon is the talk of the school and not for his stellar football skills but because the head jock in charge has made it his personal goal to make his life a living hell. Jayceon is not a small man but he just does not see the point in fighting back or even standing up for himself. That is at least until he meets the eyes of the new girl Seona.
Seona is running from her life. She has moved to Texas from the east coast to get away from all that was causing her to act out and sleep around. She wants a new start but can you ever really fully start over? Jayceon and Seona have an instant connection but that doesn’t mean that they instantly jump all in. They both have their own damage and truths. Can what they feel for each other be enough to fix the damage of their pasts?
I was unsure of what I was getting into with Beautiful Lessons. Being a high school book I wasn’t sure if I would love it or not but honestly it got so good I could not put it down. By the time I got to the halfway mark I was ready to abandon all my responsibilities in real life in order to find out how they would end up. Beautiful Lessons has just the right mix of love, suspense and heat to keep this NA lover eagerly turning the pages!
A new novel in the Thoughtless series from #1 New York Times bestselling author S. C. Stephens!
Every story has two sides, and in this new book, the epic love story between Kiera and Kellan is shown through his eyes.
All Kellan Kyle needs is his guitar, and some clean sheets of paper. Growing up in a house that was far from a home, he learned a hard lesson: You’re worthless. Now his life is comfortably filled with passionate music, loyal band mates, and fast women…until he meets her.
Kiera makes him ache for more. Makes him feel for the first time that he’s worth more. But there’s one problem – she’s his best friend’s girl.
Just when Kellan thought his emotional defenses were rock solid, Kiera’s indecisive heart wreaks havoc on his soul, changing him forever. Losing Kiera is not an option.
Review
OK, first things, first! Let’s talk about that amazing damn cover. God, I love it. It is gorgeous and so freaking Kellan Kyle! The cover of this book made me so excited for Kellan. Lucky for me it had been quite a while since I have read the Thoughtless Series, because I saw a ton of reviews about how basically it is the very same book as Thoughtless from Kellan’s point of view. So, for me, it had been so long that I didn’t feel like I was rereading a book. Besides, I actually felt like there was more to this book than just a retelling of Thoughtless. I found out where Kellan went when he took off. What he got up to. How his date night with Anna went down. Stuff that I wondered about when reading Thoughtless.
On top of all that goodness you get the actual story of how Kellan and Denny met. And let me tell you, nothing prepared me for how absolutely devastated I was that I knew what was coming because Denny is really good and decent and God knows he didn’t deserve what happened after how he helped Kellan, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
I’d do anything for this guy. Give my life for him if necessary.
And Kellan. God, I never really could have guessed how insecure he was. How undeserving he felt of everyone’s love. He broke my heart so much.
Because you love her, and you’re not god enough for her. She’ll never love you, and you know it. You’ve been unlovable from the start.
Learning more about Kellan and Denny didn’t really help Kiera’s cause at all. After I read Thoughtless I was one of the few that didn’t absolutely hate her. She was just meh for me but after Thoughtful, I can officially say I despise this girl. Lord, she pissed me off how she continued over and over again to break Kellan apart. As my love for Kellan grew, my hate for Kiera became insurmountable.
Why can’t you love me like I love you? Why can’t anyone? How awful am I?
This read was really emotional, sexy, and I absolutely loved reading it. After all, Kellan Kyle is one of my very favorite fictional characters and I do love me some S.C. Stephen’s writing. It was really awesome being in Kellan’s head and I definitely recommend that anyone who has read the Thoughtless Series pick this one up and have some tissues handy!
For Jayceon Ashworth, he’s lucky to make it through the day without the torment and aggravation. Pushing aside the taunting, he focuses on football and art until Seona Fisher crashes into his life.
Seona Fisher gets a second chance. Moving to College Station, Texas to be with her brother, Travis, is something she needs to escape the demons of her past. Starting over is never easy. Letting go of old habits is hard, but seeing his green eyes changes her world.
A friendship turns into them both wanting one another, and neither of them able to fight their feelings. But when the demons of darkness come back, Seona has to find her way through and back into Jayceon’s arms.
Senior year is the end of an era; the year you prepare yourself to start a new journey. A time to spend with friends you may not see much after graduation. Then again, that’s what senior year is supposed to be. For me, it’s just a countdown to the day I can walk away and never look back.
When I started high school, I had high hopes. Playing football, having friends, going to parties and for the first two years, that’s exactly what happened. Then one night, I tried to do the right thing, and it all blew up in my face. Since then, high school has been a big pain in the ass. A place I dread going, full of bullies and rumors. The sooner it’s over, the better for me.
Another typical day at school and the hallways are crowded as usual, signaling my least favorite time of day. Since being on the football team as the starting wide receiver, things at school became a little harder than before. I’m not liked very much on the team, but some of the bullying stopped. The team hated me, besides Brendan, but even he is cautious with his friendship. In the classrooms they leave me alone, not wanting to deal with the teachers or the consequences. What’s the point of getting caught, when the hallway is jam packed and it’s easier to torture people, especially when there are too many people to see what’s happening?
On the way to my locker, I feel a hand curl around my arm and stop me.
I head to the cafeteria and feel someone staring at me. It’s not that creepy feeling, but something I can’t explain. My body is on high alert, and I swear I can hear my heart beating faster and faster. Everything around me slows down. My mind grows curious and my body has a mind of its own. Slowly turning my head to the right, I find piercing, bright green eyes staring back at me. He’s not smiling, but his eyes are telling me something different. They’re holding a story I want to curl up to and read. It’s hard to explain these new feelings. I want to keep looking at him and explore his incredibly sexy body.
My mouth opens a little, but I quickly close it when I hear Chaz calling for me. I turn around and head over to their table. I get introduced to some of the football team, as Chaz places his arm around my shoulders.
Slightly turning my head, I see the mystery boy with green eyes. He’s not looking at me anymore, but God I wish he was looking at me. When I saw Chaz this morning, I thought I knew the definition of a hot guy, then I saw the one across the room and my definition of it has forever been changed. Hot is not a fair word to describe him, sexy as hell is a much better description.
S. Moose
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, S.Moose, lives in Webster, NY.
A 2011 St. John Fisher graduate, S.Moose loves to read and write. When she isn’t in her room in front of her computer or a book, she is with her family and friends.
S. Moose is a romantic at heart and loves anything with a happily ever after.
Rebecca Brooke:
Rebecca Brooke grew up in the shore towns of South Jersey. Writing has always been a love for her, as well as reading. She loves to hit the beach, but always with her kindle on hand. She is married to the most wonderful man, who puts up with all of her craziness. Together they have two beautiful children who keep her on her toes. Rebecca is the author of the Forgiven Series as well as the military romance Letters Home.
From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the seventh book in her Alluring Indulgence series, erotic romances featuring the Walker brothers from Coyote Ridge, Texas, and their sizzling-hot love interests.
Sawyer Walker has never run into problems with women. The female population tends to swarm toward him, in fact, and he’s never had a complaint.
But there’s one woman Sawyer has always had his eye on. A woman who won’t give him the time of day. In recent months, it would seem that Kennedy Endsley is opening up to Sawyer, but she’s got a few surprises in store for him. Because, as hard as she finds it to resist the handsome Walker brother, she won’t give in easily. Not when her heart is on the line.
Sawyer Walker has never run into problems with women. The female population tends to swarm toward him, in fact, and he’s never had a complaint.
But there’s one woman Sawyer has always had his eye on. A woman who won’t give him the time of day. In recent months, it would seem that Kennedy Endsley is opening up to Sawyer, but she’s got a few surprises in store for him. Because, as hard as she finds it to resist the handsome Walker brother, she won’t give in easily. Not when her heart is on the line.
Review
“Sawyer wasn’t quite sure just what he’d done to warrant Kennedy taking him up on his dare, but he wasn’t going to argue. Maybe he’d been good in a former life or something because he knew he sure hadn’t been good in this one. Well, at least not all the time.”
I think anyone who has read this series has been looking forward to Sawyer’s book ever since the first page of Kaleb and the infamous “Will Work For Sex” sign. Sawyer Walker has grown up a lot over the years and now he is finally ready to tame his wild boy ways. From the moment I read the epilogue in Ethan I knew that Kennedy and Sawyer’s story was going to be epic. I knew there must be some good back story there because why else would anyone ever turn down a Walker.
“She was liquid fire in his arms and he knew from that moment on, he was going to have a damn hard time keeping his hands off her.”
Sawyer starts off back in high school where Sawyer and his friends made life very unbearable for slightly nerdy Kennedy. She was determined to fulfill her dreams and then come back to town and show them all what she was made of. And boy she did exactly that, ever since her return, 8 years ago, Sawyer has been drawn to her and has never once tried to hide it. Now all he has to do is convince Kennedy to trust him and give him a chance.
“No, for the first time in his life, Sawyer wasn’t willing to share. Even the thought of another man’s eyes on her made his inner beast stand up and roar. He hadn’t realized he had a possessive bone in his body until it came to thoughts of Kennedy. She was off-limits to anyone else.”
Sawyer, for me, was right up there with Travis as far as my favorite Nicole Edwards books go. I thoroughly enjoyed that Sawyer and Kennedy had a rocky past and that he really had to prove to her that he has changed and is finally ready to settle down. Kennedy is a strong woman and not one who easily trusts. She has been hurt a lot in the past, some by Sawyer, and needs to work on her own issues before this things between them could ever be real.
“Truth is, that night, I decided to go after what I wanted with guns blazing.” “Which is?” “You.”
Nicole Edwards’ book always deliver a big punch of sexiness with a story that grabs you from page one. The Walker brothers are a group of men that every red hot American woman wants and the women who grab them are as lucky as they come. What I enjoy most about these boys is that they are fiercely loyal and protective both of their women and their family as a whole. The bond between them and their parents is refreshing and I cannot wait for more.
“Kennedy knew then and there that he was hell-bent on driving her crazy. But what he didn’t realize . . . she was more than ready for that ride.”
Whether you have already read this series or you are grabbing this one as a standalone I can promise that you will love these characters and all that they go through to get what is truly most important to them . . . a chance at love.
Meet Becks & Haddie in SLOW BURN – the newest stand alone in the
Driven Series by K. Bromberg!
Blurb:
ONE NIGHT. THAT’S ALL IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
Reeling from the sudden loss of her sister, Haddie Montgomery has sworn off relationships. All she wanted from Beckett Daniels was a sexy distraction to help her escape her pain for just a little while….There weren’t supposed to be any strings attached—so why can’t she shake the memory of that unforgettable night from her thoughts? Or the taste of his kiss from her lips?
No matter how hard Haddie tries to forget about him, Becks relentlessly tries to prove that she should start living for today. But she is determined to avoid romantic commitment, and she can always use her ex-boyfriend’s reappearance to help snuff out the slow burn within her that Becks has sparked….
Or will fate force her to realize that this kind of connection doesn’t come along very often and a chance at love is worth the risk?
Excerpt:
He bites his bottom lip and grimaces. “Fuck!” He growls out to the trees above him and then rolls his shoulders to dissipate some of the stress I see settling there. “Semantics aren’t an excuse. An omission is the same as lying Haddie, but you’re missing the point entirely. It’s not whether it was a lie or not. It’s so damn far from that. It’s you using the sex we’ve had to numb yourself when it should do the exact opposite. It should light your body on fire and burrow so deep under your skin that all you think about is the next time you can have me…because fuck if that’s not what you’ve done to me. So I call your bluff. I’ll keep calling it every fucking day until you admit you want me, that being with me does that to you too…but you won’t will you?” I just remain still, face impassive, body raging with emotion beneath the surface. “You’d rather stand there and tell me you prefer the numb, the void, the nothing, than admit you need me.”
His eyes have their own language as we stare at each other, the power of his words bringing tears to my eyes and knocking the words from my lips. “I was just doing what I thought was best, protecting everyone from more hurt, more everything.” And I hate the numb, I scream silently. I hate it so fucking much that every time we touch you make me feel so alive I realize how dead I’ve felt inside over the past year.
I don’t know why I don’t tell him the rest. Like if I do then I’m just sealing my fate by Murphy’s fucking Law so I keep quiet.
“Really? That’s all you’ve got for me? Next time make sure your eyes and your lips match up City because you’re just adding insult to injury right now. Your refusal to answer is infuriating. Need me Haddie. Use me as your goddamn emotional punching bag or your real one for that matter but fucking need me. I’m not some schmuck who’s going to bolt at the first rough patch and the fact that you still don’t see that is a crock.” He blows out a loud breath, jaw clenched, anger palpable. “I’m so fucking pissed but I’m also so fucking mesmerized by you right now and I don’t know what the hell to do or say. All I know is that protecting someone from the truth is just another way of shutting them out.”
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K. Bromberg is that reserved woman sitting in the corner who has you all fooled about the wild child inside of her—the one she lets out every time her fingertips touch the computer keyboard.
K. lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. When she needs a break from the daily chaos of her life, you can most likely find her on the treadmill or with Kindle in hand, devouring the pages of a good, saucy book.
On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Her debut novels, Driven, Fueled, and Crashed of The Driven Trilogy were well received and went on to become multi-platform bestsellers as well as landing on the New York Times and USA Today lists. Her other works include a short story, UnRaveled, and a companion piece to The Driven Trilogy titled Raced. She is currently working on three stand alone Driven novels, Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, and Hard Beat. She also plans to release a novel addressing the 10 year gap at the ending of Crashed in late fall 2015
Author: New York Times best selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills
Introductory price of $2.99 on release day for 24 hours only!
A beautiful violinist who lives next door…
The obsessed rock star who watches her…
And the one night she bares it all.
Description:
Vital Rejects front guy Sebastian Tate never imagined his YouTube music video would go viral, sky-rocketing him to acting success in Hollywood. Okay, maybe he did. After all, he’s a cocky dude who knows he’s hot-as-hell, and it was only a matter of time before his stars aligned.
But life in Tinseltown is never what it seems.
After being cheated on, Sebastian’s only rule to falling in love is simple: Keep Calm and Don’t Do It. Spying on his mysterious new neighbor with binoculars seems innocent enough, but quickly escalates into an erotic game between two very unlikely people.
Twenty-year-old Violet St. Lyons is a world-renowned violinist who’s lost her mojo on stage. She hides away in a Hollywood mansion, trying to find her way through her twisted past in order to make her future.
He’s the life of the party with girls chasing him down for his autograph. She’s the introvert with a potty mouth who doesn’t even know who he is.
When they meet, stars collide, sparks fly, and clothes come off. Yet, giving his heart to a girl isn’t Sebastian’s plan; falling for a guy who craves attention isn’t Violet’s.
Welcome to Briarcrest Academy—Hollywood style—where sometimes the best things in life are VERY TWISTED THINGS.
“Fairy dust is not real. This I know.” —from the journal of Violet St. Lyons
Boom!
I, Violet St. Lyons, who once believed herself the luckiest girl in the world, was born on the same day that the Violette–Sells comet was discovered. My parents, two avid stargazers, said it was a sign of how special I was and promptly named me Violet. They claimed my life had been blessed with fairy dust.
At the very least, comet residue.
I’d foolishly believed it for eighteen years, until the moment of my death.
Which was now.
Boom! Another explosion rocked the plane and metal ripped away as a section of the aircraft to my right vanished. Luggage flew through the air. People disappeared. The mom with the baby who’d sat in the aisle across from us—gone. The redheaded flight attendant who’d been collecting trash—gone. Disembodied screams echoed from the surrounding passengers as my own scream took up most of the space in my head. Air sucked at us viciously from the outside as a tornado of people banged around the space and one by one got pulled out into the swirling abyss.
I watched, helplessly transfixed, as I sat between my parents, gripping each of their hands as the plane we’d boarded six hours earlier for Dublin spiraled toward the Atlantic Ocean. I was going to die. My mother was already dead, a twisted piece of shrapnel sticking grotesquely from her chest as her head lolled around her neck. Blood had already soaked her shirt, yet I refused to let go of her hand. She’d be okay. We were always okay. We were the St. Lyons family of Manhattan, an icon of old money wealth with deep political ties. Page six of the NewYork Times featured pictures of us on a monthly basis. We couldn’t die on a plane.
Reality dawned as we plummeted. The yellow breathing apparatus dropped and dangled in my face, taunting me with its pointlessness. Fire and black smoke boiled in front of us where the cockpit had been, and my mind recognized that the pilots had to be dead. Just a few minutes ago, they’d come over the intercom and announced that the plane was making its descent into Dublin Airport exactly on schedule.
Then the first explosion had gone off.
Bits of debris flew around, narrowly missing me. My elderly father grabbed my hand and squeezed, his face drawn back in a horrible grimace.
Paralyzed in my seat, we spun like a drunken top, and a part of my brain noticed the sun was rising, its pink tinge lending a soft glow, catching the reflection of clouds and making them silver-lined. The rocky coast of Ireland glittered in the distance. Mocking me. We’d been headed there to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.
Just then my violin case flew past my head from the overhead compartment and crashed against the wall of the plane. Shards flew. I shuddered and wanted to vomit. God, help us. We were here because of me. Our deaths were my fault. I spared a glance at the diamond promise ring Geoff had given me before we’d left.
Would the Mayor of New York’s son go on without me?
The air was turbulent yet thin, and my chest tightened as dizziness pulled at me. I resisted. Had to stay awake. Had to be with my dad. I was younger, stronger, faster. My eyes went to the gaping hole in the plane. Had to think ahead. Plan. Water would fill up the plane on impact, ensuring we’d sink rapidly.
My fear escalated as the ocean rushed at us, its surface choppy and ominous. I took in a giant breath and braced myself. We hit at an angle, the plane a torpedo as it sliced into the sea. Daddy disappeared, ejected by the impact, and I yanked on my seat belt, unclicking it to go after him. Heart thundering, I sent a final look at my mother. I wanted to take her with me, but she was gone.
Water everywhere, bubbling and gurgling as it filled up the plane. Salt water stung my eyes. People floated by, some alive as they floundered for the opening. I kept my gaze off the dead ones. Focus. Get out. Only seconds left.
I swam from my seat and fought my way out of the large hole in the plane, lungs exploding. Burning. I’d been under too long.
Daddy! I caught a glimpse of his red shirt above me and kicked harder.
Up, up, up. Must get up. My arms moved. My legs kicked. Excruciating pain. Ignore it. Almost there. So close that I could see the daylight breaking through the water.
The hottest fire I’ve ever known lit in my chest. Scorching.
Air. Just want to breathe. Just get to the top. Please.
My body rebelled and I inhaled and swallowed water, the burn racing down my throat making it spasm as I tried to cough it out. I struggled but took in more and more, the cold liquid filling my lungs.
Dark spots filled my eyes. This was drowning.
Exhausted.
Done.
My body twitched. I grew disoriented.
I let go of the fight. My hands floated in front of me.
Oblivion.
Darkness.
No bright lights, no tunnel.
No heaven, no mother, no father.
No comets.
No fairy dust.
Chapter 1
Sebastian
Two years later
“She was music with skin.” —Sebastian Tate
I tapped my foot.
What was taking her so long?
From my backyard patio in the Hollywood Hills, I watched the odd girl next door with a pair of high-powered binoculars. She flicked on her porch lights, and a low whistle came out of me at the sexy red-as-sin robe she wore, its silky material flashing around her long legs as she moved around. Her hair was down, too.
This was new. Where were the usual yoga pants? The ponytail?
She looked like she knew someone watched, but that was impossible since our outside lights were off. Even the light from the moon hit our house at such an angle that she shouldn’t be able to see us just by glancing over. She’d need a high-powered lens to know I was here.
Usually she played facing her rose garden, but this time she walked to the right side of her patio, which faced us. Weird. But she didn’t play. She just stood there without moving. Staring toward our house. Uneasiness went over me.
What was she doing?
Could she see me?
As if it were a fragile bird, she positioned the violin under her chin and began playing, arms bent and wrist poised, making the most exquisite sounds. And I don’t mean classical like Beethoven or Mozart; I mean body-thrashing, blood-thumping, hard-as-hell music that had me rooted to the ground, like she’d slapped iron chains on me.
Dark and seductive notes rose up in the air, and I got jacked up, recognizing a Led Zeppelin song, only she’d ripped its guts out and twisted it into something electric. She pushed the bow hard, upping the tempo abruptly, her movements controlled yet wild. My pulse kicked up and my eyes lingered, taking in the slightly parted toned legs and the way her breasts bounced as she jerked her arms to manipulate the strings.
Her robe slipped off her right shoulder, exposing part of her breast. Creamy and full, it quivered, vibrating as she moved her arms. Her rosy nipple teased me, slipping in and out of the folds of the material. I pictured my mouth there, sucking, my fingers plucking, strumming her like my guitar until she begged me to—
Stop, I told myself. Whoever Violin Girl was, she didn’t deserve me lusting after her while she was pouring her heart out with music.
I zoomed in as far as the binoculars would go, watching her surrender to the music as she bent and swayed from side to side with her eyes closed, black lashes like fans on her cheeks. Every molecule in my body focused on her, hanging on to each note she pulled from her instrument.
She finished and kept her head bowed for the longest time, perhaps letting the emotion wash over her like it had me.
The entire event was surreal, yet poignant as fucking poetry.
I let out a deep breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.
Who the hell plays Stairway to Heaven with a violin? She did.
Bam! She snapped her head up, her eyes lasering in on mine, making every hair on my body stand at attention.
And then …
Standing there in the moonlight, she untied her robe and spread apart the sides ever so slightly, her movements seeming almost hesitant, as if she’d had to work herself up. Unfamiliar jealousy hit me and I panned out and checked the rest of the patio, expecting to see a lover. Whoever it was, I wanted to rip him apart piece by piece.
My gaze searched her patio, the backyard, her upstairs balcony. Nothing. No one.
She flicked her dark hair back and stroked the lapels of the robe, her fingers lingering over the lacy material. Suddenly the evening smacked of something more than just music. Her arms moved back and forth across the front, opening the robe halfway and then closing it as if she couldn’t make up her mind.
My eyes went up, trying to read her face. Still as a statue, the only movement was her mouth as it trembled, her full upper lip resting against the pouty lower one.
Violin Girl was trapped in a cage of darkness.
It still didn’t stop me from holding my breath, silently begging her to bare herself to me. She’d already laid bare her music. Part of me needed the rest of her.
She jerked the robe closed, making me groan in disappointment.
New York Times and USA Today best selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.
She’s addicted to dystopian and all things fantasy, including unicorns and sword-wielding heroines. Other fascinations include frothy coffee beverages, Instagram, Ian Somerhalder (seriously hot), astronomy (she’s a Gemini), Sephora make-up, and tattoos.
She has a degree in English and a Master’s in Education.
When she’s not pecking away on her computer, she shops for cool magnets, paints old furniture, and eats her weight in sushi.
Vital Rejects front guy Sebastian Tate never imagined his YouTube music video would go viral, sky-rocketing him to acting success in Hollywood. Okay, maybe he did. After all, he’s a cocky dude who knows he’s hot-as-hell, and it was only a matter of time before his stars aligned.
But life in Tinseltown is never what it seems.
After being cheated on by his ex-lover, his only rule to falling in love is simple: Keep Calm and Don’t Do It. So, spying on his mysterious new neighbor with binoculars seems innocent enough, but quickly escalates into an erotic game between two very unlikely people.
Twenty-year-old Violet St. Lyons is a world-renowned violinist who’s lost her mojo on stage. She hides away in a Hollywood mansion, trying to find her way through her twisted past in order to make her future.
He’s the life of the party with girls chasing him down for his autograph. She’s the introvert with a potty mouth who doesn’t even know who he is.
When they meet, stars collide, sparks fly, and clothes come off. Yet, giving his heart to a girl isn’t Sebastian’s plan; falling for a guy who craves attention isn’t Violet’s.
Welcome to Briarcrest Academy—Hollywood style—where sometimes the best things in life are VERY TWISTED THINGS.
This book is a standalone even though it’s part of a series. Everything you need to know is in this book. Genre: 18+ Hot New Adult Romance
Review
“Like the flakes in a snow globe, music had danced around in my head since I was a little girl, and without it, I was lost.”
Oh, Ilsa, you did it again for me. You took a character who I thought I knew and made them so much more. This book was Rock Star gold for me. I am pretty sure that every single person who read Very Bad Things has been dying for more of Sebastian’s story and thank goodness, Ilsa delivered!
“Beautiful. Defiant. She’d wanted me to see her. And part of me thrilled at this little game we played.”
When I read the first chapter of Very Twisted Things I was convinced I was in for another dark romance but while parts of this story touch on dark the majority of it is just a beautiful story of two lonely people who are trying to figure out their place in life. Sebastian has goals for himself and is willing to do what is needed in order to become famous. He loves being a rock star but knows he is desperate to be more and with the prospect of a big production movie now is his time. He cannot let anything distract him from what he needs to do.
Violet is so lost. I feel so deeply for her that there are just no words. Once a violin prodigy on the path for a first string career she is now a hermit hiding from the world only playing for herself (and maybe a little for the sexy neighbor spying on her with binoculars.) After losing both parents, Violet moves across the country and gives up on her dreams. She is sad and depressed and doesn’t see how it can ever get any better.
“Well, let me be upfront. I don’t play second violin. I play first. Always.”
For as lost and sad as Violet is, she is also strong willed and determined when she wants to be. She fights for what she wants and what she wants is Sebastian. So what’s the problem . . .Sebastian wants Violet but not at the expense of becoming a famous actor. For as much as Violet wears her fear on her sleeve, Sebastian’s fear of being irrelevant is hidden beneath his bravado and his smooth talking tongue.
Also, there are some FAB side characters in this story. The best being Spider, love him or hate him from Very Wicked Things you cannot deny that he is flirty and fun in Very Twisted Things. By the end of the book I was desperate for more and frantically messaging the author to make sure he was getting his own book!
“Bloody hell, I’ve got two beautiful birds on either side of me. All we need now is a dark room, a big-ass bed, and some lube.”
See, pure fun and trust me after you read of his shenanigans you will want more too!
“What are you thinking?” “That if we kissed, you’d bring out the animal in me, and I’d die to taste every single inch of your softness with my tongue. And not just your mouth, I’d want my lips all over you. I’d lick every corner and crevice. I’d want to eat you raw, consume you until there was nothing left.”
Sebastian and Violet are beautifully flawed. While she is stuck in the dark, he is out in the light. But his light desperately need a little darkness. He needs her to ground him and she need to learn to let go and be free of the guilt and shame that as possessed her since her parents death. Sebastian was everything I was hoping for and so much more. I loved that he wasn’t as perfect and together as he came across in Very Bad Things. He was a complex man who doesn’t always make the best choices but in the end is always there for those he cares about.
Ilsa Madden-Mills is one of those authors I can count on to take me on a journey every time and Very Twisted things was no different. The book started with a BOOM and never let me down after. Trust me this standalone novel that both Briarcrest Academy lovers and newbies to the series will love.
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