Weekly Releases for the week of August 20th, 2024

Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles

Trust doesn’t come easily when you’ve been running for as long as I have, which is why moving in with a man I barely know is such a bad idea.

Shepard Colson is all golden-boy charm and devastating good looks. But I know what it’s like to be taken in by easy smiles and the promise of forever—I have the scars to prove it.

Only the handsome contractor won’t stop coming by the bakery and prying little truths from my lips—those amber eyes of his seeing far too much. And when all the secrets come crashing down, he’s determined to keep me safe, even if it means moving into my rundown cabin to do it.

Now, Shep isn’t just rebuilding the walls of my home; he’s working his way into my heart. Suddenly, he’s everywhere: shirtless in my garden or in a towel coming out of my bathroom. And my resolve is no match.

Only it’s more than his golden looks. It’s him. The way he watches for my wounds but tells me I’m stronger than anyone he’s ever known. And I can’t help but fall.

But I should’ve known better than to think I could be happy—not when a ghost from my past still has me in his sights. And when he finds me, he’ll do anything to tear my life apart, even if it means ending it for good…

Falling Like Stars by Emma Scott

She kept her heart guarded and locked away…until she gave it to the world’s biggest movie star.

In the dazzling world of Hollywood where fame and glamour reign supreme, award-winning megastar Zachary Butler longs for something more than red carpet events and paparazzi flashes. As he navigates fame and tries to extricate himself from his celebrity ex-fiancée, he discovers an unexpected spark with Rowan Walsh, a production assistant on his latest project.

Rowan, haunted by a devastating moment in her past, shields her heart behind walls of guilt, letting no one in. But Zachary’s genuine affection and desire for a meaningful life begin to chip away at her defenses. As their connection deepens, Rowan must battle the self-destructive patterns that have held her back from embracing her passions and finding true love, while Zachary must reveal his own hidden scars—wounds he’s borne in silence for years—if he hopes to heal.

Can Zachary and Rowan confront their pasts to build a future together, or will the storms of scandal, tangled relationships, and the scrutiny of stardom ruin their hopes for a perfect Hollywood ending?

The Hunted Heir by Holly Renee

Verena was the lost princess of Marmoris, the very thing we had spent our entire lives looking for, and I had let her go.

The lingering taste of her mixed with the deep ache in my chest over her betrayal haunted my days and nights. I knew she was hiding something, but her secrets were far more treacherous than I could have imagined.

Though I wished my own betrayal hadn’t been so bitter on my tongue.

Now my dreams are haunted with the way her deep blue eyes looked up at me in shock when I revealed I knew her truth.

The way I crave for her to look at me now as I hunt for her.

Me, along with half of the rebellion.

If my father finds her before me, there is no telling what he will do to her.

And even though she’s the little traitor I’d always thought she was, I couldn’t allow him to find her.

But his orders were clear. The princess is to be taken by the rebellion or she would be taken by the gods. I don’t know which is worse.

She is the heir to our kingdom, the daughter of the cruel king who was responsible for my mother’s death, and the key to winning our rebellion.

I vowed to my father that I would find her, the one person I wish I didn’t have to.

Verena is the hunted heir. But more than anything, she is mine.

Merger by Nana Malone

My corporate kingdom is vulnerable right now.
This is the perfect time for the enemy to strike.

My gunshot wound doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters is my wife.
I’m haunted by the knowledge that she could be next.

Gwen might have come to me through a twisted game of corporate revenge. It might have started as an arranged marriage, but it’s become real.

The only thing I can do to protect her is keep her near me.

Except the danger lurks closer than I ever imagined.

Hard to Take by Piper Lawson

My fake boyfriend is now…my new roommate?

Miles Garrett, pro basketball player and star of every one of my fantasies, has decided I’m moving in with him.

My brother’s teammate has always protected me out of loyalty. He makes me feel like everything will be okay even when my life is on fire.

But when he looks at me, I wonder what it would be like if he was truly mine. If I had the dream life and dream job and the dream guy.

Did I mention we can’t keep our hands off each other?

I hoped the proximity would get him out of my system. Turns out sharing a bedroom wall changes hungry looks and brushes in the hall into sweaty sessions and late-night confessions.

Miles keeps my secrets and sees me like no one else.

Too bad the playoffs are coming up and my brother doesn’t know.

The truth is going to be hard to take.

Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn

Everly Plum is delighted to be heading up the Bridesmaid for Hire program at Magical Moments by Maggie. And when Hardy Hopper, one of their billionaire investors, approaches Everly for help with his friends’ wedding, she’s more than happy to step in. But Hardy has an extra assignment for her: his ex-girlfriend will be the maid of honor opposite his role as best man, and he wants Everly’s help getting her back.

There’s only one problem: Everly may have a tiny crush on the dashing businessman. But despite the way Hardy makes her stomach flutter, she’s determined to prove herself, both as a bridesmaid and as a matchmaker. That is, until she finds her crush turning into real feelings. Not to mention, Hardy can’t help but notice how well he clicks with Everly, and before he knows it, he’s not looking for his ex’s attention anymore.

But even after their simmering attraction finally rises to the surface, they will have to contend with meddling friends, poor timing, and professional boundaries—and the risk that no one might get a second chance after all.

Take It Or Leaf It by Laney Hatcher

William Clark IV never anticipated being back in his hometown. At least, not until he had a long and successful career as a pitcher in the major leagues. He couldn’t have foreseen his career-ending injury right out of the gate or the painful return to his family’s apple farm in rural North Carolina.

What started as an effort to get back on his feet turned into nearly a decade of going with the flow. Now the grumpy farmer is stuck in a resentful rut. He’s bitter and bearded, and baseball is a sore spot that never stops aching–not when his well-meaning neighbors keep reminding him of everything he lost.

Becca Kernsy never expected to fall in love with a town. To be fair, she’d never had much luck with men either. But the tiny hamlet of Kirby Falls completely blindsides this city girl and makes her ache for something she’s never had before: a place to belong. The residents are quirky and lovable. The setting is picturesque perfection. And it doesn’t hurt that she keeps running into Will Clark and his faithful dog.

Getting a reluctant smile out of the handsome farmer becomes her favorite pastime. But pretty soon, her innocent crush gets out of hand. Becca ignores the looming expiration date on her trip down south, and like a helpless cliche, she finds herself falling hard for the man she met on vacation.

Through small-town adventures and increasingly friendly outings, Will starts to remember the hometown he once loved. The only missing piece is the tourist who’s headed back to the city at the end of her stay. The one packing up and taking his heart on a six-hundred-mile journey home.

The Substitute by Meghan Quinn

Derek Langley can’t keep an assistant to save his life. He’s grumpy, demanding, and sometimes mean, which mirrors his reputation in court. Derek doesn’t have time to coddle an employee, so when the temp agency informs him their next placement will be the last, he knows he’s doomed.

Maya Sterling is excited to move to Seattle. She wants to be closer to her siblings and her new friends, and a position with a temp agency fits the bill for her new life in the city. She doesn’t plan on walking in and finding a sexy British grouch for a boss, but his gruff nature doesn’t really bother her. In fact, she’s attracted to his rough-around-the-edges nature.

They quickly realize the attraction is mutual and steam up the office. But Maya’s position with Derek is temporary, and she knows she must maintain a professional distance to preserve her sanity.

Will they be able to resist each other? Or does fate have other plans?

Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster

Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone. When their assignment goes awry and they’re stuck in a remote location with only one bed, the only thing hotter than their emotions is their explosive chemistry. Come along for the fun, sexy ride as Sutton and Flynn discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

If you love dislike-to-love, forced proximity, forbidden love romances, you won’t want to miss Enticing Her Love. Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, and a happily ever after that will leave you breathless. Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles. They have a penchant for pranks, a passion for loyalty, and a trunk full of secrets. All Steele novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances.

The Boyfriend Goal by Lauren Blakely

Neither was getting locked out of a friend’s place wearing next to nothing.

Or spending the night with the sexy stranger who rescues me.

But I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone so getting out of the rest of my clothes with him seems like a good way to start.

In the morning, I learn the filthy-mouthed man with the talented hands is not only the hotshot new hockey player on my brother’s team: he’s also – wait for it – my brand new roommate.

I’m a good student turned good librarian. A rule-follower. I’m not the kind of girl who does complicated flings. So we agree to another rule: friends-only.

It’s not easy though. Wes is bossy, flirty and generous.

He gives me rides to work.

Pitches in at my library’s fundraiser.

Takes care of me when I get hurt.

And looks at me like I’m the only one.

Soon, I’m falling hard for my brother’s teammate.

Especially when Wes comes to my door and tells me exactly how he’d like to break our rules.

Alone With You by Aly Martinez

Pain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?

Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.

People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.

For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine. Once a week, I forced myself to walk to the diner at the end of the block—a ritual I despised but relied on as my last anchor to the real world.

Until the day a “Closed” sign on the door shattered my fragile existence. Worse, the new owner was the most haunting ghost from my past.

It had been years since I’d laid eyes on Gwendolyn Pierce. She hated me—and rightly so. But when a film crew arrived in town to dig into my past, she became my only ally.

With my secrets threatened, I leaned on Gwen, forging a connection neither of us could deny. But with a past as dark as ours, I feared it would eclipse any hope for a future.

I always said that when Death finally came for me, I would be ready, eager, and alone.
Always alone.

But for Gwen, maybe I could face the world again as long as it meant I could be alone—with her.

Out of Control by K. Bromberg

Every story needs a villain.
The arrogance. The conceit. The lone wolf.
Oliver Rossi is that person on the track.
And leave it to me . . . I’ve gone and fallen for him.

Rossi is his own worst enemy. He doesn’t care what people think or what’s expected of him. And he’s reached the pinnacle of his sport because of his bad boy ways.

He’s unpredictable and reckless on the track. He’s even worse off of it. After years of circling around each other, all it took was one night, one uncharacteristic act of chivalry, to know I wanted more with the man everyone hates.

Forget the warnings from my brother about his new teammate and the fallout from my family—he’s worth the risk.

With his job on the line and eyes always on us, secret trysts are all we allow ourselves.

It’s all fun and games until lust turns to love and for now begins to feel like not enough.

I want it all.
I want forever.
And I want it with Oliver Rossi.

But is Rossi willing to show the world he’s ready to move past his villain era so we can have our own happily ever after or will this whole thing spin out of control?

Broken Pact by Penelope Black

Jasper Devereaux: The Reapers’ golden boy, my ex-boyfriend, and the first man to truly break my heart.
Oh, and now he’s my fake boyfriend.

He insists a fake relationship is the best solution to our problems. My persistent ex will back off, and his mom will stop trying to set him up on blind dates.

The rules are straightforward: act like we’re in love in public only, don’t let the lines blur, and whatever we do, don’t fall for each other. Again. Every touch feels too real, every kiss reminds me of what we once had, and sticking to our rules becomes nearly impossible.

Our little charade is the hottest gossip in Avalon Falls, but as the sparks between us reignite, a chilling string of m*rders rocks our town, adding danger to the mix.

Pretending to date Jasper was supposed to be a temporary fix. But as the danger closes in, I realize my heart—and maybe even my life—might be on the line.

Cash by Jessica Peterson

My dad and I have been estranged for years. But as his only living relative, it’s no surprise I inherit his massive cattle ranch when he dies. Something that is a surprise? The stipulation in his will, which requires me to live on the ranch and actively manage it for a year before I can access my inheritance money.

I haven’t stepped foot in Hartsville, Texas, population one thousand, since my parents split when I was six. Now a city girl through and through, I never imagined having to move back to cowboy country. But I need the money to invest in my company, and a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

There’s just one giant roadblock to my plan: the ranch’s foreman, grumpy cowboy Cash Rivers. I don’t care how good he looks in his Wranglers and chaps. He’s rude, he’s growly, and he wants me gone. I’d fire him in a heartbeat, but I need this cowboy to teach me the ropes of running a ranch.

We’re enemies from the get-go. But turns out, Cash is really good at this ranch thing. He’s got strong hands, an intelligent mind, and let’s just say everything really is bigger in Texas. Working alongside him leads to conversations beneath the stars. Throw in some cheek-to-cheek dancing at the local dive bar, and it all feels so right that I start to fall in love with life on the ranch. And maybe with him, too.

But my stay in Hartsville is only temporary. And you know what they say about cowboys: they may break horses, but they also break hearts. If only Cash hadn’t already lassoed mine…

The Student by Skye Warren

William Stratford is more than my professor.

He’s my one-night stand. My secret. And my enemy.

I have a plan for fighting him, along with the secret society that threatens the college. Despite his knowledge and his power, despite the sensual thrall he holds over me, when the bell rings, he’s the one who’s going to learn a lesson.

At least that’s the plan.

But Professor Stratford is older and wiser.

He makes the rules, and I’m forced to follow them.

THE STUDENT is book two in the forbidden romance trilogy Tanglewood University. It’s a tale of redemption and comeuppance for a professor walking the line of right and wrong–and the student who will push him over the brink.

Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai

It’s been a year since Simi Chopra’s motley crew pulled off a high-wire diamond necklace heist with the help of sexy rogue Jack Danger. After living it up on the reward money, they’re back where they started, struggling to pay their bills. So when a Chicago Mafia boss demands they return the jewels—plus interest, or else—they need to get the team back together…and fast.

Unfortunately, Simi soon discovers that the necklace is in the hands of Jack’s nemesis, a highly-skilled and supremely vengeful master thief who is not above a little blackmail to get even. (Did Jack really have to piss her off?) Now, the crew is forced into her working her con in order to get the necklace back. 

As if Simi needed any more complications while trying to rob a billionaire’s mansion, she and Jack are on the rocks, someone else is after her score, and a gorgeous detective is hot on her tail. Simi better be careful or she’ll end up in the less fun kind of handcuffs.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Batemann

As a founding member of King & Co., London’s most successful private investigation firm, studious Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, “Charles King,” Ellie knows he’s lying, but accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking her new case and recovering a priceless manuscript.

“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” as he asks to be called—claims his criminal past is behind him, but a man who steals and seduces with such consummate ease can never be trusted. As the investigation draws them deeper into danger and desire, Ellie’s infuriated to realize she’s developed feelings for her law-breaking accomplice. How can she love the scoundrel when she doesn’t even know his real name? And what will happen when Harry’s past finally catches up with him?

Never Kiss the Bad Boy by Lauren Landish

The blue collar bad boy next door infuriates me. Until his comebacks become kisses, and anger isn’t what I’m feeling…Kyle’s book. Blurb to come.


Please follow and like us: