Blog on what I consider the 2 most important Rs; reading and writing.
These are my adventures, and opinions, on the world of contemporary romance and new adult fiction, both as a reader and a writer.
“Perfect . . . absolutely perfect. The queen has given all the Madship lovers the ending our fave couple deserved and now I'm ALL UP IN MY FEELS.” —Siobhan Davis, Wall Street Journal bestselling author
Ruined Castles, the stunning conclusion to The Elite King’s Club Series from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amo Jones is now live!
Nothing is going to make sense once you flip open this first chapter. You’re going to wonder why the fuck I made the decisions I did. Why he did what he did. I’m not going to make this easy for you. I’m going to guide you through loops that you’re going to wish I had just skipped, but I’m not going to do that either. You’re going to feel my pain, my loss, and my heart breaking in my chest. You’re going to watch me trip and fall, and get back up again. You’re going to wish you could slap the shit out of Bishop and me, but among all… I’m going to take you back to when I left the love of my life, and ran. This is an open letter to you. Good luck. Mads Xo
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Dive into The Elite King’s Club Series today with THE SILVER SWAN, FREE on kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sHgvGk Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/EliteKings1
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Meet Amo Jones Amo Jones is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author whose books have been translated in multiple countries.
She resides in the tropics of Australia with her family, though she's a born and bred Kiwi who more often than not, misses New Zealand.
Connect with Amo Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wgiYXa Instagram: https://bit.ly/2TZPWNh Website: https://bit.ly/3izUGDC Join the Wolf Pack: https://bit.ly/3izUt3i Join her newsletter: https://bit.ly/2TpdudS
Falling for your best friend is one thing, accidentally getting knocked up by him is another...
Hockey hottie Garrett Dubiak has been my best friend since college and the one constant in my life the past seven years. Through distance, career changes, and other relationships, we've always found our way back to each other.
Including one wild weekend this winter, when he finally told me he wanted more... wanted everything from me.
Too afraid to admit I felt the same, I told him I needed time.
Twelve weeks later, here I am, pregnant with his baby, alone, and terrified.
He's my best friend. He deserves to know the truth.
So I swallow my fear, my pride, and I shoot my shot. I just hope he's still willing to have me--and our baby.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Speed King is book one in my new Men of Action Series. Four men, bound by the Marine brotherhood, are out of the military and starting the next chapter in their lives.
First up is the gritty, tough, and bossy Achilles Kingston. Whew!🔥 Can't wait for you to meet him!
Tags: friends-to-lovers, military romance, contemporary romance, Life & humor romance, men in uniform
All preorder links are up and running and listed below.Preorder is specially priced at $3.99.
Speed King will also be on Kindle Unlimited on release day.
This was a solid book. The amnesia trope isn’t my favourite, but I love this series so I soldiered on.
At times I felt like things were too drawn out and it took too long for things to come to a head.
I also felt at one specific point that Ezra’s feelings for Ashleigh were specifically because she liked him.
But the main reason why I’m not a massive fan of next gen books is because the previous characters always change into people we don’t like. This happened a lot in this book.
Also, Asher’s constant use of “son” was more than a little bit annoying.
Still, as I said, I like this series, and the angst level here is great.
I’d honestly recommend this book to newbies if they haven’t read the original Rixon series. 📖📖📖📖
The last thing I thought I'd be doing my last semester was following my ex-boyfriend around, but here I am. I was assigned to write an article about college athletes and he's the biggest one in our town. With this assignment comes a new living arrangement that sets me up in an apartment right next to his.
As if it's not bad enough that our parents remained friends after our breakup, now there's no escaping him. I wake up, I see Mitch. I work out, I see Mitch. I'm trying to go to bed, I see Mitch. What's worse is that he keeps asking me out and I'm finding it harder to say no. I just hope I can turn in this final assignment without losing my heart.
Again.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated in seven different languages.
She was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Miami, and now lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, two adorable boys, and French Bulldog. When she's not writing, she's usually lost in a book.
Stacey Lynn has revealed the cover for Game Changer!
Releasing: December 14, 2021
Cover Design: Shanoff Designs
Falling for your best friend is one thing, accidentally getting knocked up by him is another...
Hockey hottie Garrett Dubiak has been my best friend since college and the one constant in my life the past seven years. Through distance, career changes, and other relationships, we've always found our way back to each other.
Including one wild weekend this winter, when he finally told me he wanted more... wanted everything from me.
Too afraid to admit I felt the same, I told him I needed time.
Twelve weeks later, here I am, pregnant with his baby, alone, and terrified.
He's my best friend. He deserves to know the truth.
So I swallow my fear, my pride, and I shoot my shot. I just hope he's still willing to have me--and our baby.
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn't have it any other way.
I liked Blue. I liked Shane. But where the best parts came from were Aiden, and Mona.
I loved Aiden so much! He’s the cute, annoying younger brother and I kind of wished we’d seen more of that.
I also feel like this book needed to decide whether it was a rom-com, or a deep drama. The seriousness sometimes felt a little out of place, especially the happening at the fair. That felt way out of left field for me.
Still, there were great romantic times. I wish the spice level was turned up a little bit more, and a bit more angst, but still, this was a quick, light, solid read. Give it a go!
📖📖📖📖
Life comes at you fast and love comes out of the blue... A small town romance about letting go of the past and learning to live in the moment.
Out Of The Blue by P. Dangelico is now live!
Blue Baldwin takes no horse crap from anybody. Well, actually, that's not entirely true. She does take horse crap. Piles of it. The real kind that is--not the metaphorical one. It kind of goes with the job description when you run a large animal rescue. What she does not take, however, is crap from an entitled movie star who needs to reform his rotten image.
Unfortunately, the farm she manages is in trouble and if she doesn't raise the cash to save it she'll be homeless along with the precious animals who depend on her. So she'll grin and bear the King of Hollywood Screw Ups, and the assistant, and the overprotective brother he brings along. I mean, she takes care of large animals for a living. Isn't that basically the same thing?
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!
Paola Dangelico loves romance in all forms, pulp fiction, the NY Jets, and to while away the day at the barn (apparently she does her best thinking shoveling horse poop). She was born in Milan, Italy, grew up in New Jersey watching her father paint the covers of bestselling romance authors like Danielle Steel and Amanda Quick, and after a long stint on the left coast, she returned to the right coast to write about finding love in a modern world. Presently, she resides in New Jersey with her fur family.
I’m not really a fan of reading the same book, but from a different POV. While I think there is benefit in it, a whole book seems a bit like overkill.
Luckily for me it’s been a while since I read the first book, so it’s not a direct comparison for me.
There’s a lot to like about Lucas (most of which we saw in book 1). There’s also a lot not to like. I’ve got to confess, I’m not overly taken with him and his actions in this book, but I understand them.
This book has Ginger’s signature down to earth characters, with solid Nolan and Reed vibes (although that might be because I just recently listened to the Going Long audio).
Still, this is a solid book and an enjoyable one. 📖📖📖📖
★NOW AVAILABLE★
𝕍𝕒𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕪ℂ𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟 by Ginger Scott, a new mature YA coming of age sports romance, is LIVE! One-Click yours and don’t forget to add it to your TBR!
June Mabee is a lot of things. She’s the girl next door. She’s the best friend I ever had. She was my first kiss, as awkward as it was. And she’s the last person I should have feelings for. Ever.
Two years ago, I cut all ties with her because I had no choice. No more late night phone calls, no hellos or goodbyes, not even a passing smile. I left her to wonder what happened to the us we used to be. We were best friends, and then suddenly…we weren’t. And I know it hurt. But the truth would have hurt her more, and being anything with June would have destroyed my family.
For a while, we managed to exist a hundred feet apart with no connection at all. She changed schools. I kept busy. We existed, apart. But no matter how hard I tried to not think about her, I just couldn’t stay away from the funny, adventurous, steadfast girl with wild green eyes.
She’s back. We’re seniors now. We’ve grown—all of us. And while I might be different, she’s different too. She takes risks, stands up for herself and doesn’t back down. The more we’re forced together, the more I miss her. But for June to be a part of my story, I need to tell her the whole truth, everything that happened. And I’m not sure any of us are ready for that.
I wanted to love it, as a biracial person I was so excited to see a biracial character. But this book is not something I’d usually read if I knew all that entails. This book is dark. And gruesome. And very spooky. I liked the twists and turns but there were so many times when I flat out disagreed with what happened. I really don’t like doing that with books I read. This is a great book for people who like dark, who like horror. There are moments I loved, but the overall feel of the book just wasn’t for me. Sorry!
This is was a quick, quirky, if not downright bizarre book.
The story was fine, if not a little shallow and easily worked, but I spent most of the book trying to figure out if this book is MG, YA, or adult. I do know it’s the bookish box’s adult pick, which sort of answers that question, but the content does not.
The humour in this book is spot on, with the “boring bits” hilariously taken out, but what is with the horse cloak? Like, what?
Still, it’s a cute book, with a nice message. I wish it wasn’t so quick, or so shallow, but it’s still enjoyable.
📖📖📖📖
Once more is out October 5 and is the bookish box’s featured adult book.
June Mabee is a lot of things. She’s the girl next door. She’s the best friend I ever had. She was my first kiss, as awkward as it was. And she’s the last person I should have feelings for. Ever.
Two years ago, I cut all ties with her because I had no choice. No more late night phone calls, no hellos or goodbyes, not even a passing smile. I left her to wonder what happened to the us we used to be. We were best friends, and then suddenly…we weren’t. And I know it hurt. But the truth would have hurt her more, and being anything with June would have destroyed my family.
For a while, we managed to exist a hundred feet apart with no connection at all. She changed schools. I kept busy. We existed, apart. But no matter how hard I tried to not think about her, I just couldn’t stay away from the funny, adventurous, steadfast girl with wild green eyes.
She’s back. We’re seniors now. We’ve grown—all of us. And while I might be different, she’s different too. She takes risks, stands up for herself and doesn’t back down. The more we’re forced together, the more I miss her. But for June to be a part of my story, I need to tell her the whole truth, everything that happened. And I’m not sure any of us are ready for that.
The Deceit of a Devil, the passion-filled and emotional conclusion to The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now!
Sinless. Stunning. Damaged. Tempting. Allie Taylor had been the girl I hated for as long as I could remember. And now she loathed me just as much. It didn’t matter that I betrayed her to save her. Completely devastated and infuriated by my dishonesty, she had no intentions of ever trusting me again. Her trust was shattered, her hate raging on with each second. She would never look at me the same again. Our past was full of pain and lies that could never be forgotten. I knew what I did was irreparable, but I refused to let her walk away without another chance. I should have left things in the past. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I won’t. I needed her. Even if it cost me everything.
“What?” I chuckled as I slipped on my socks and shoes.
“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just impressed, is all.”
I chuckled and Beck shoved his sister’s chair, almost making her fall. “That’s my friend, asshole. You don’t get to be impressed.”
“No. She’s right.” Josie was still staring at me too. “I really expected you to have the smallest dick.”
“I feel like I should be offended.” I leaned back in my chair.
“It’s your personality.” Allie shrugged. “You know, cocky guy, small dick. Showy car, small dick.”
“Okay, Allie.” I pressed my elbows into my knees and looked across the fire at her. “Truth or dare?”
She stared at me, and I had a feeling that no matter what she picked she wouldn’t do it. “Truth.”
I let my gaze slide to Eli before it went back to her. I shouldn’t have even called her name. I should just ask her something stupid and move on, but my heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t hesitate with what I asked her next. “When was the last time that you were truly turned on? I mean really and truly, couldn’t-think-about-anything-else turned on?”
A few people snickered, but I didn’t look away from her. She didn’t pull her gaze away from me either as she answered, but I knew her answer was a lie the moment it left her mouth.
“When Eli kissed me.”
“Carson, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“When was the last time you were really and truly turned on? And I mean to the point that you actually considered kissing the girl?”
“Oh shit.” That came from Olly, but no one said anything to stop us.
“Just about any time I’m with you, but if you’re looking for a specific moment, the night the cops walked in while I was going down on you.”
Laughter rang out around us, but neither of us was deterred.
“Allie, truth or dare?”
“Truth.” There was no hesitation in her eyes. She wasn’t scared of what I had to say.
“Do you actually like Eli, or are you just pissed off at me?”
“This is the exact reason people think you have a small dick.” She crossed her arms. “You assume that everything anyone does it about you when it isn’t. I actually like Eli, for your information.” She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. “Carson, truth or dare?”
“This is about to get messy,” Josie whispered to Beck, but I heard her. She was right. It probably was.
“Dare.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at her.
“I dare you to stop being such an asshole and just tell us what the hell your problem is.”
“My problem?” I rubbed at my jaw. “Currently my problem is you. You haven’t barely spoken to me in days, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague at community service, and now…”
“Now what?” She was angry.
“Now I have to sit here and watch you with him.” I pointed at Eli, and he had the nerve to fucking smirk at me.
“I haven’t spoken to you because the last time we spoke, you made it very clear where we stood. I’ve been avoiding you because I don’t want to deal with you, and you’re going to have to continue to watch me with him because I like him. And it’s the oddest thing, but he likes me too.”
“Truth or dare?”
“I’m done playing this stupid game.” She pushed out of her seat, and I knew that Eli was about to follow her.
“Truth or dare, Allie? It’s not that hard.”
She spun back around to face me, and I could see the anger in her eyes. “Fine. Dare.” She held out her arms because she thought by ending the truths, she was going to end this argument between us.
“I dare you to kiss me.”
“That’s not happening.” Eli had the balls to say that out loud to me, and it took everything inside me not to close the space between us and finish what we had started last weekend.
“The last time I checked, you weren’t Allie’s boyfriend, and you don’t speak for her.” I looked back to Allie, and she was staring at me. “Allie can either kiss me or she can drink.” I lifted the bottle of liquor and shook it between us.
“You kissing me changes nothing.” She shook her head.
“Then it won’t hurt.” I shrugged my shoulders and tried to act like I didn’t care one way or another, even though I didn’t know what would happen if she walked away from me now. “If you’re so into Eli and kissing me won’t change anything, then what are you so scared of?”
About Holly
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl.
When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife
I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
The Deceit of a Devil, the second angst-filled new adult romance in The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now!
Sinless. Stunning. Damaged. Tempting. Allie Taylor had been the girl I hated for as long as I could remember. And now she loathed me just as much. It didn’t matter that I betrayed her to save her. Completely devastated and infuriated by my dishonesty, she had no intentions of ever trusting me again. Her trust was shattered, her hate raging on with each second. She would never look at me the same again. Our past was full of pain and lies that could never be forgotten. I knew what I did was irreparable, but I refused to let her walk away without another chance. I should have left things in the past. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I won’t. I needed her. Even if it cost me everything.
Download your copy today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gEbTKk Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/deceitdevil
Start the duet with The Taste of an Enemy! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xnd6Le Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/tasteenemy
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3rP228A
About Holly
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl. When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
Connect with Holly Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Cfk6xt Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VxNPkE Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Vn6kIh Join Holly’s Facebook reader group Hollywood: https://bit.ly/37kgiNb To stay up to date with Holly join her mailing list: https://bit.ly/3jm5a83 Website: https://www.authorhollyrenee.com
P. Dangelico has revealed the cover for Out Of The Blue!
Releasing: October 26, 2021
Blue Baldwin takes no horse crap from anybody. Well, actually, that's not entirely true. She does take horse crap. Piles of it. The real kind that is--not the metaphorical one. It kind of goes with the job description when you run a large animal rescue. What she does not take, however, is crap from an entitled movie star who needs to reform his rotten image.
Unfortunately, the farm she manages is in trouble and if she doesn't raise the cash to save it she'll be homeless along with the precious animals who depend on her. So she'll grin and bear the King of Hollywood Screw Ups, and the assistant, and the overprotective brother he brings along. I mean, she takes care of large animals for a living. Isn't that basically the same thing?
Paola Dangelico loves romance in all forms, pulp fiction, the NY Jets, and to while away the day at the barn (apparently she does her best thinking shoveling horse poop). She was born in Milan, Italy, grew up in New Jersey watching her father paint the covers of bestselling romance authors like Danielle Steel and Amanda Quick, and after a long stint on the left coast, she returned to the right coast to write about finding love in a modern world. Presently, she resides in New Jersey with her fur family.
Rich. Vicious. Vengeful. Forbidden. The Boys of Clermont Bay had always been untouchable.
The Taste of an Enemy, the first angst-filled new adult romance in The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now!
Rich. Vicious. Vengeful. Forbidden. The Boys of Clermont Bay had always been untouchable. And Carson Hale was the worst of them all. He was pretentious and a player, and he had hated me for so long I forgot that we were ever anything more than enemies. Brutally beautiful and savagely heartless, his only plan was to ruin everything I loved. But dares were made, and even though I had no business saying yes, I found myself in trouble and forced to work with my rival to get us out of it. He had always been cruel, but something changed. The lure of him was too much. The way I craved his touch was unbearable. Just as I fell for him, he proved himself to be exactly who he had been all along.
Grab your copy today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xnd6Le Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/tasteenemy
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3rP228A
Pre-order the stunning conclusion, Deceit of a Devil! Releasing September 23rd Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gEbTKk Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/deceitdevil
Excerpt
I walked into Wings and Things and spotted Eli as soon as I made it through the door. He smiled before standing and coming to meet me. I couldn’t tell if anyone else was already at the table, and I tried to remind myself that I shouldn’t care. Tonight was about having fun and getting to know Eli. Carson didn’t matter for either of those things. I would just drown him out and pretend he wasn’t there. That was what I was used to doing. That was what the two of us had been doing for years. Even though I was already a little but irritated that Eli hadn’t offered to pick me up. My dad was irritated by that fact too. “You look beautiful.” Eli grinned before pulling me into a hug. “Thank you.” I breathed in the scent of his warm cologne, the smell familiar and calming. “You look nice as well.” I looked up at him as he let me go. He was much taller than me, although shorter than Carson, and he had a smile that made me feel comfortable. He grabbed my hand in his and led the way back to the table. I fixed my hair while I was still blocked from view, and I planted the best smile I could manage on my face as he pulled out the chair for me that was directly across from Carson. “Thank you.” I settled into my seat and tried to avoid making eye contact with Carson. “Allie, this is Kimberly. Kimberly, Allie. I think you all might know each other.” I looked across the table at Kimberly, and of course I knew her. We had gone to school together since grade school, and I had hated her almost as long. She was popular, conceited, and a perfect fit for Carson. “Of course.” I nodded and pulled out my menu. “How are you, Kim?” “I’m perfect.” She giggled and looked over at Carson. His hand disappeared under the table, and even though I couldn’t see it, I knew that his hand probably rested on her thigh. I wanted to rip it off. “Awesome,” I mumbled and tried to focus on the menu. Carson laughed under his breath, but I ignored him. “What are you getting?” I looked to my right where Eli sat. “Do you want to share some wings?” “Oh.” He looked up from his menu. “I was thinking about getting the burger.” “A burger at a wing place.” Carson scoffed and tossed his menu down on the table. “I’ll share an order with you, Allie. Kim’s getting a salad.” He didn’t give me time to answer. As soon as the waitress came to our table, Carson opened his mouth. “My girl Allie and I are going to share a large order of wings, extra ranch for both of us. No carrots. She hates those.” I looked at him like he had lost his mind because I was pretty sure that he had. “What can I get you to drink?” The waitress was now looking at me. “Um, just a Coke, please.” Everyone else ordered their food, and I fidgeted with my hands under the table. “So, Allie, how is school going for you?” I looked up at Eli. I had almost forgotten he was there. “It’s all right. I’m so ready for fall break, though.” “Me too.” He nodded. “Are you going anywhere? My family is taking a trip to Europe.” “No.” I almost choked on the word. Sometimes I forgot just how far apart my family was from those who went to Prep. They were made of money, old money to be exact, and guys like Eli had never had to think about working or how he’d pay for college. “We typically stay home and do a Thanksgiving meal at our house. It’s real low-key.” And my dad would still be working every day except for Thanksgiving, and my small house would be busting with people. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We were always together on holidays, and I loved it. It may not have been Europe, but it was ours. “That’s cool.” He nodded and turned his chair to where he faced me better. “We’ve been going to Europe for years now. My parents love it, and they take us about every other year. Have you ever been?” “To Europe?” I shook my head, and suddenly I felt ridiculous. “No. The farthest I’ve been is Disney World.” I didn’t mention that had been almost ten years ago. I could hear Carson and Kimberly talking across from us, and I hoped he was too enthralled with her and her perfect face to even consider listening to our conversation. Eli laughed like I had just told a joke, but I hadn’t. “That’s too bad. I bet you would really like Europe.” “What makes you think that, Eli?” Carson was leaned back in his chair with his arm resting on the back of Kimberly’s. Eli laughed nervously and looked between me and Carson. “It’s Europe.” He shrugged his shoulders. “But you don’t know anything about Allie specifically that would make her love Europe, correct?” Eli opened his mouth, but Carson continued. “Like you have no clue that she’s been dreaming of going to Paris forever, and she has this little Eiffel Tower key chain that she’s had on her set of keys since she’s had them. Or that she thinks she’s part Irish because she has a little bit of green in her eyes.” “I didn’t realize you knew so much about her.” Eli was no longer aloof. He was sizing Carson up, and I wasn’t here for a pissing contest. “Well, now you do.” Carson stared back at him with the same unrelenting gaze, and I felt like I was going insane. Carson hadn’t given a shit about me since that night he needed me and I wasn’t there. If he wasn’t ignoring me altogether, he was making me wish he was, and now all of the sudden, he wanted to share wings and spew facts about me like he was my best friend. “Stop,” I hissed. “You’re being an ass. Aren’t you supposed to be on your own date?” I looked over at Kimberly, and she looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t blame her. I felt uncomfortable too. The waitress arrived back at our table with food in hand, and we were spared from whatever Carson was going to say next. He looked down at the food, and his bright eyes looked so hollow. He scrunched his brow, something he always did when he was upset, and his jaw stiffened. I didn’t know if he was angry with me or with himself. But I didn’t want to find out. I quickly grabbed a wing from our plate and took a huge bite. Sauce dripped down my chin, but I didn’t stop. The food was a distraction. If we were eating, then we weren’t talking, and I couldn’t stand to hear anything more from Carson right now. Not after everything he just said. Not with the way he had brought up memories of me like it wouldn’t mess with my head. “This is good.” I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand. “Do you want a bite?” I looked over to Eli, and he shook his head as he looked at my half-bitten wing. “Nah. I’m good.” “Suit yourself.” I shrugged as I looked down at his measly-looking burger. “I’ll take one.” Carson reached forward, his fingers wrapping around my wrist, and he stood in his seat enough to bring my hand to his lips. I stared at him, shocked by what he was doing, but there wasn’t an ounce of shame in his gaze. He didn’t look away from me for a second as he bit down into the wing I was still holding, and I couldn’t stop myself from holding my breath as his lips met my fingers. Carson Hale wasn’t just taking a bite of my chicken. He was causing a scene, and part of me wondered how he had gotten so damn good at it. He ran his tongue over the edge of my thumb, licking up the sauce that had dripped there, and I felt like he had just used his tongue on parts of my body that no one else ever had. I pressed my thighs together as I watched his mouth, and I couldn’t bring myself to care that Eli was watching me as Carson finally let go of my hand and settled back into his seat. “You’re right, Allie. That’s absolutely delicious.” He licked his lip before picking up a wing of his own, then began eating like that display hadn’t just happened. I picked up my napkin, quickly dropping my gaze to my lap as I wiped my hands, but I couldn’t get the feel of him off. And I didn’t know if I wanted to.
About Holly
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl. When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
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RUINED HOPES (Rixon High #3) by L.A. Cotton
Check out the other books in the Rixon High Series!
Blurred Lines available for FREE!
Blurb:
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton, comes an emotional enemies-to-lovers romance. Angst... drama... friendship... and football. Will you survive senior year?
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RUINED HOPES (Rixon High #3) by L.A. Cotton
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Blurb:
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton, comes an emotional enemies-to-lovers romance. Angst... drama... friendship... and football. Will you survive senior year?
About the Author:
