Tiny Wild Things

Tiny Wild Things by Danielle M. Wong

Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

I have always been drawn to tiny, wild things…

Journalist Fran Hendrix thinks she’s about to get the scoop of her career. A reclusive artist has chosen her to take his first interview since the tragic death of his wife years before. Not long after arriving at his secluded country estate, Fran receives a shocking anonymous message. He is lying to you. Get out while you can.

But Fran is a journalist. She’s not going anywhere without her story, even when her host refuses to answer her questions while seeming to know things about her life she hasn’t told anyone. When he suggests they go hunting together, Fran sees it as a chance to finally break through his defenses. But alone with him in the wilderness, she starts to question whether the note was right all along – and she should have gotten out while she still had the chance…

An utterly gripping psychological thriller from an award-winning author that will delight fans of The Hunting Party, The Silent Patient and Sharp Objects.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

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PROLOGUE:

So this is how it ends—with me standing over a corpse. Dirt wedged beneath my nails, blood caked onto my palms. Body fraught with tension. Heart thudding uncontrollably. Hands trembling, limbs stiff like the lifeless ones beneath me.

The sky shifts above as I bristle from the cold. From the shock, the truth, the knowing. I freeze for a moment—paralyzed by each drop of fear multiplying inside my gut. Succumbing to paranoia. What happens now?

Hypotheticals run through my psyche’s labyrinth, possibilities lost in the fray. My head clouds before instinct finally takes over. Movement beats inertia. I have to go. I need to get the hell out of this place.

Adrenaline courses through me as I snap into action. Bury the evidence, burn the remains. Get rid of the body. The body.

I screw my gaze shut, recalling everything that happened just moments before. I still see the light fading from both eyes…the life bleeding out in slow motion. I remember it like a film, the footage rolling across a screen at the forefront of my brain. I can’t stop it.

I feel a tightness in my chest. Is it sadness, regret, or something else altogether? Perhaps it’s just the disbelief catching up to me. The swell of emotions continues circulating in my veins. Sensations mount, threatening to burst right through my flesh.

My breath is ragged as I unfurl my fingers—still balled into a fist—and cast my stare downwards. Only one of us will make it out alive. I realize that now. Only one of us can survive.

Just then, there is a foreign sound behind me. I whip around to identify the source. Nothing. My vision blurs slightly, making me doubt everything I see. But it was more than a crunch of leaves. I am sure of it. Bile rises to the back of my throat as I take another look. I have the strange sense that something—or someone—is watching me.

Night will arrive soon, cloaking these surroundings in a blanket of blackness. The air has a tangible charge that tells me it is about to storm. Birds loom overhead—lurking like giant gray omens. In this moment, I am both predator and prey. The wind snaps violently against my body as I step further into the woods. It is time to leave.

I work quickly, erasing any and all signs of my presence. What will the police think? Will they believe me? As I go, my mind begins to spin a tale. A convincing story that explains everything, with no detail left unaccounted for.

When I am finished, there are no more traces in sight. Not a single inkling or clue left behind. It’s almost like I have disappeared entirely—from place, from memory. Like I was never even here at all.

Author Bio:

Danielle M. Wong is a travel-obsessed author of psychological thrillers. She pens the type of stories that keep her up at night, featuring gripping scenes, complex characters, and twist-filled plots. She has been published to critical acclaim, earning Independent Press, Reader’s Favorite, and International Book Awards, among others. Danielle’s writing has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, HuffPost, PopSugar, and Writer’s Digest. She is currently working on her next novel.

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Murder, Mystery & Mothers

Murder, Mystery & Mother's by Fran Heap

(A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery, #1)
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

“You’d better leave town or else”.

After a devastating betrayal mystery writer Tammy Rumbelow flees LA for a charming blue cottage in Willowcroft, Michigan. But when a yellowed letter in the attic reveals an unsolved 70-year-old locked room murder in her living room, her peace is shattered.

Determined to start fresh, Tammy enlists the help of a ragtag group of locals:

Bookstore owner Olivia Huddlestone offers a sanctuary for clandestine conversations and genealogical sleuthing among her shelves.

Eccentric Mrs. Hazel Temperance mines her knitting circle for gossip.

Retired detective “Wally” has contacts at the sheriff’s department.

Tech whiz kid Xander Simmons hasn’t met a computer he didn’t like—or a website he can’t hack.

And a stray cat with a nose for clues…

As threatening letters appear and break-ins escalate around town, Tammy must prove to herself—and her inner critic—that she’s capable of solving a murder, or will that be two?

Perfect for fans of multi-generational mysteries filled with quirky characters like Only Murders in the Building and crime-solving writers like Castle.

The complete series:

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

At three in the morning, with her cursor blinking on an empty page, Tammy Rumbelow stumbled upon an online listing in rural Michigan. For the First time in months, a flicker of hope sparked.

The realtor’s photos of the little blue cottage with its front porch and white picket fence, had set her heart alight. The interior was as enchanting as the exterior, featuring an antique writing desk where inspiration could strike.

On a whim—or perhaps out of desperation—she’d picked up the phone and bought it based on the pictures alone. She had never even visited the state before. Had fate handed her a lifeline, or had she made the biggest mistake of her life?

Now, six weeks later, Tammy’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel; nerves and fanfare clashed in her stomach. This was it—her fresh start. But a familiar undercurrent of doubt threatened to bubble to the surface. She turned off the highway. The country roads, flanked by dense forests of oak, maple, and pine, marked the last stretch of her six-day drive from Los Angeles to Willowcroft.

She rolled down the window. The crisp breeze tousled long, wavy strands of brown hair over her face. Tammy inhaled, savoring the clean air. It reminded her of childhood summers—when life was untangled.

As the miles stretched behind her, the hum of the tires a constant companion, fragments of her former life in LA surfaced. Tammy’s chest constricted at the memory of her best manuscript—a boundary-pushing idea. But she’d never seen it in print, at least not under her name. Instead, her rushed, uninspired replacement made it to the shelves, the one cobbled together in the aftermath, her creativity fractured and trust shattered.

The book reviews rang in her head. “No emotional depth.” “Lacked soul.” Tammy winc ed, acknowledging their bitter truth. But the one that stung the deepest: “She’s not just over forty, she’s over, full stop.” They don’t know the real story behind those pages.

“You can never do anything right,” her mother’s sneer boomed, reopening old wounds. It had taken years to quiet the nagging doubts from her childhood, but the betrayal let those words flood back stronger than ever. The steering wheel grew slick under her clammy palms.

A road sign came into view, providing a diversion. “Welcome to Willowcroft. Township Population 999. Greater Willowcroft Population 5,124.”

Will I tip the scales to an even thousand? Any distraction helped. Was two thousand miles far enough away to break free?

Author Bio:

I am based in Melbourne, Australia but have lived in London, Copenhagen and New Jersey. I've been to 61 countries but want to visit over 190.

I'm a poor excuse of a redhead who loves ancient ruins and drains, hates dusting, revels in going behind the scenes, can't smile in photos and detests selfie sticks (though I now own one).

I have a penchant for collecting quirky data and my favourite saying is: curiosity killed the cat, but information brought him back.

I have wanted to be a writer since I was nine but also had aspirations of being a famous actress, an astronaut, owning a department store and opening up a youth hostel. I became a career Nanny and Neonatal Nurse instead.

Now I am an author of cozy mystery novels (and travel books).

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The Road to Gretna

The Road to Gretna by Suleena Bibra

(Road to Romance, #1)
Publication date: June 3rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

What better way to escape reality than going on a reality show that combines The Amazing Race, Love Island, and Pride and Prejudice?

Naomi Richmond is hoping an ocean is far enough away from her overbearing father. She’s chosen London and built a life there with a job she only dislikes about a quarter of the time.

Nate Williams is perfectly happy where he is, and his dissatisfaction with his job is so low it can’t be quantified numerically. Unfortunately, his boss (and Naomi’s father) is asking him to do something that might make him start to hate Mondays: convince Naomi to come home.

Nate arrives in London at the same time Naomi receives an offer that intrigues her as much as Nate does: be on a reality dating show, where the contestants will pretend to be Regency aristocrats eloping to the famed Gretna Green. Nate is sure it’s his job to stop this, but instead, he ends up on the show with her. Now Naomi is trying to make a name for herself while Nate is trying to make sure she doesn’t do anything to embarrass her father, and they’re both trying to fight the attraction they feel for each other. On camera.

Tune in whenever you find this book and watch Nate and Naomi find themselves and each other, on The Road to Gretna!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

“You’re ruined now!” a voice screeches.

I lift my head at the inane comment. “What?” My lips are still wet from the kiss, and I still have a painful erection. I don’t appreciate the interruption.

I see Diane, the chaperone, looking incensed in front of us, with a cameraperson and producer standing behind her.

“Right, we’re on a reality show,” I whisper to Naomi.

“Ruined! After all my hard work keeping you virtuous, now you’re ruined!” Diane carries on, adding some dramatic hand gestures and maybe some tears.

Naomi starts giggling next to me, first demurely behind her hand, but then louder as Diane keeps ranting. She sets me off and now we’re both laughing in the face of…whatever this is.

“Why is no one concerned about my virtue, though?” I ask Naomi, sending her into more fits of laughter.

“You’re a man.” Diane pauses the rant to educate me. “And you’ve ruined Naomi!”

I try to defend the lady next to me. And myself. “Ruined seems like a bit of an overreaction for a kiss.”

“A kiss.” Diane sounds as scandalized as if I told her I was getting a hummer on this bench instead of a hot, but still tame, kiss. “Ruined!”

These might be the only words Diane knows now, too shocked at the (fully clothed) debauchery that allegedly happened here.

“All right then. Maybe we should go back to the ball?” I have no idea what it supposed to happen now that I’ve “ruined” a woman, never having done it before. I look at Naomi, hoping she has any idea what we’re supposed to do, but she’s still laughing too hard at the situation to be any help.

I stand up, not worried about my penis, which started softening at the first screech of “ruin.” I extend my arm out to Naomi, who manages to stop laughing enough to take it.

The producer standing next to the camerawoman gives us a thumbs-up and Diane immediately stops crying. Terrifying.

“Great. We’ve got that. We can go back inside, but we’re going to put you two in a sitting room for a few hours. Part of the ruin consequences. We’ll bring you out when it’s time to get in a couple.” The producer indicates we should follow her. “I’m Aiko, by the way. I’ll be producing the both of you.”

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” I say to the East Asian-British woman in front of me. “I don’t usually ruin women in gardens.”

That sets Naomi off again, and I have to half drag her laughing body back inside the house.

Author Bio:

Suleena Bibra has read romance in one form or another since she could pick her own books. She occasionally branches out to other genres, but really, what’s the point if there’s no kissing? She also loves to laugh, which probably has to do with her dad putting Monty Python on whenever her mom wasn’t looking.

Suleena studied art history in college and loves to travel every opportunity she gets. A bit indecisive, she has worked as a museum intern, lawyer, workers’ compensation adjuster, and private investigator. Author is best, though, so she can continue living out a bunch of other careers without changing out of her pajamas.

Suleena writes RomComs heavy on banter, shenanigans, and aggressive whimsy. She spends the rest of her time annoying her stubborn, but adorable, bulldog (who also doubles as her particularly lazy writing assistant) with her love.

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Fake Off with Fate

 

Fake Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen

She’s a closet designer for the rich and famous and he’s a broken-hearted captain of a pro-hockey team. Neither of them is looking for love.

Ashlyn:
An unexpected trip home to Maple Falls gets even more surprising when I inadvertently become acting mayor.
Add a huge crisis and a smoking hot hockey player, and I’m in over my head before I know it.

I’m only here for a short time, so I will not fall for Mr. Tall, dark, and adorable. I don’t care how helpful and kind he is. Long-distance never works, so the answer is no.

Jamie:
I’m sick of the press hounding me about my last relationship, so when the opportunity arose to captain a new hockey team in smalltown Washington, I jumped at it.

Too bad I didn’t ask more questions before moving here, like, “Are there bears, and will they be living in my backyard?”

Then there’s Ashlyn. The last thing I expected was to meet a funny, sassy, and good-hearted woman like her. I swore off love after my last heartbreak, but my heart is acting like it missed the memo.

There’s no way I’m going to pursue her. Unless of course, fate has intervened, and we were meant to be…

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Offside and Off-Limits
Kate O’Keeffe

I survived chronic illness and a cheating ex. Surely I can resist one charming hockey player…right?

Clara
Working as the social media manager for a pro hockey team is all fun and games—until you trip into the arms of their biggest flirt during a livestream. Now the fans are shipping us, my boss is thrilled with the engagement, and I’m stuck dodging feelings for Cade Lennox, aka the certified charmer. The problem? My contract says he’s off-limits. My heart, unfortunately, didn’t get the memo.

Cade
I came to this small town to turn over a new leaf. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. All bets are off the second Clara Johnson literally stumbles into my arms and straight into my heart. She’s focused, loyal, and the most beautiful challenge I’ve ever met. All I have to do is prove I’m worth the risk.

Offside and Off-Limits is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a forbidden love story between one flirty hockey player and the team’s social media manager in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Checking Mr. Wrong
Anne Kemp

She’s a grump with a grudge. He’s a sweetheart with a slapshot. Sparks were expected, but the fireworks? Pure magic.

Mabel: Returning to Maple Falls wasn’t part of my five-year plan—or my backup plan. Or any plan, really. But here I am, back in my quirky hometown, dodging my mother’s judgment and trying not to cringe every time someone mentions the viral moment. (Yes, that one. No, I don’t want to talk about it.)

When my editor sends me to cover the NHL’s shiny new team, the Ice Breakers, I’m all in—until I meet Asher Tremblay. He’s their too-charming defenseman with a knack for wrecking my focus and my sanity. Equal parts infuriating and irresistible, but falling for him? Not on my agenda. Nope.

Asher: I’ve worked my whole life to make it in the NHL. A new team means a fresh start, and I won’t let anything distract me—least of all a snarky reporter who seems determined to hate me on sight.

But the more I see Mabel, the more I want to know what’s behind her walls. She’s fire and chaos, and I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe. Maybe she’s exactly what I need. I came to Maple Falls to chase my dream, but now all I want is her.

Checking Mr. Wrong is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a grumpy sunshine story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Skating and Fake Dating
Ellie Hall

She’s a disaster with a planner. He’s a perfectionist with a past—and their fake relationship just might be the biggest mess of all.

Bailey
I’m a walking contradiction—professional on the job, a hot mess at home, and working my “I’ve got this” smile until my cheeks ache while hiding my hobbies: making maple butter and finding a husband. With my perfect sister’s recent engagement, I’m desperate to avoid Mom’s pitying looks and matchmaking attempts.

Carson
I used to be hockey’s laid-back southern charmer until a crushing rejection from my high school sweetheart transformed me into a workaholic. When I’m unexpectedly traded to a new team, rumors circulate about whether the gentleman wingman lost his edge. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove them wrong.

Bailey
When our worlds collide after a dessert disaster, we come up with a mutually beneficial solution to our respective woes: a fake relationship. The rules are simple: I get a “successful” boyfriend for family events. He gets a “stable” girlfriend for team image. No feelings, no complications, and a definite expiration date.

Carson
But between posing as a couple at the fall festival, midnight maple butter-making sessions, trying to keep our stories straight, and undeniable chemistry, what started as a convenient lie is beginning to feel inconveniently real. As the clock runs down on our arrangement, we’ll have to decide: walk away when the final buzzer sounds, or take a shot at the love neither of us saw coming.

Skating and Fake Datingis a heartwarming hockey romcom featuring Bailey and ‘Bama who are perfect for each other in all the most imperfect ways, plus, small-town charm, family shenanigans, and a guaranteed happily ever after sweeter than homemade maple butter blondies.

Goalie and the Girl Next Door
Elsie Woods

She’s the town’s resident ice queen. He’s the suave French goalie determined to melt her completely.

Marcy
I came to Maple Falls to rebuild my life with nothing but four pencil skirts and a broken heart, courtesy of my hockey-playing ex. I like numbers because they don’t lie, and I like my quiet ranch life because it’s predictable.

Enter Clément Rivière—the devastatingly charming French goalie who shows up shirtless to help with barn work, whispers sweet French nothings to our goat, and looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world. But I’m not the only one falling for his act—half the town’s women are already under his spell, and I refuse to be just another conquest.

Clément
I traded Paris for small-town Washington to chase my big league dreams and restore a historic house that’s trying to kill me daily. What I didn’t expect was the town’s brilliant, beautiful accountant who treats me like I’m a tax audit waiting to happen.

Marcy Fontaine sees right through my act and makes me want things I never knew were missing. But she’s been burned by a hockey player before, and I’m running out of time to prove I’m different. There’s a ticking time bomb inside me, and my career is on the line.

If I can’t stay, we’ll both have to decide if love is worth the risk—or if some dreams are too good to be true.

***

Goalie and the Girl Next Door is a grumpy-sunshine, wounded hero, fish-out-of-water hockey romcom. Add some goat whispering, sunrise kisses, and a guaranteed happily ever after sweeter than maple cupcakes and you have this sweet romance with all the heart and no spice.

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Soulmates and Slapshots
Melissa Baldwin

She’s escaping the city. He’s chasing a fresh start. In a town full of surprises, love might be the biggest one.

Fiona

I’m a city girl turned temporary small-town resident—yes, I know, sounds cliché. But I needed this. A break from Manhattan… and from the near-collapse of the life I thought I had figured out. When my aunt invited me to Maple Falls, I didn’t hesitate. I packed my suitcase and left the city lights behind for something quieter.
Life moves slower here, and maybe that’s exactly what my overworked brain needs. I’ve even made a few new friends—one of them being Weston Smith, a new player for the Ice Breakers hockey team. He happens to be there for me at a pivotal moment, no questions asked.
Meanwhile, there’s a major crisis unfolding in town, and I feel pulled to get involved. Maybe it’s the fresh air or maybe it’s Weston. I came here planning to leave, but the longer I stay, the harder it is to imagine walking away from this town… and from the people who are starting to feel like home.

Weston

New team, new town—Maple Falls is my fresh start. Everything I’ve heard makes me think I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. Joining the Ice Breakers is a chance to prove myself, both on and off the ice.
What I didn’t expect was how much this team means to the town or how fast a certain city girl would get under my skin.
Fiona is bold, energetic, with a softer side she doesn’t show. Before I even realize what’s happening, I’m pulled into a personal crisis she’s going through and a plan to help Maple Falls through a crisis. Not that I mind. The more time I spend with her, the deeper I fall.
Maple Falls isn’t just where I play hockey anymore—it’s starting to feel like where my future begins.
Soulmates and Slapshots is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. In this slow burn, soulmate romance, a charming city girl meets a nice guy who falls first. It’s set in a small town with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

The Icing on the Cake
Grace Worthington

So why am I dreaming about kissing the one man I swore I’d never fall for?

LUCIAN
Keeping my hockey identity secret was supposed to be temporary—just long enough to figure out my next move with the girl next door.

She’s everything I didn’t know I needed: strong, stubborn, and completely immune to my charm.

There’s just one problem: she’s sworn off hockey players for good.

And when she finds out I’m not just the guy who fixes her appliances but the one who used to fill arenas, I’ll lose the only woman who’s ever made me want something more than the game.

Falling for the baker next door wasn’t part of the plan.
But with her?
It just might be the icing on the cake.

The Icing on the Cake is a sweet, small-town hockey romance filled with secret identity twists, cinnamon roll heroes, found family vibes, neighbors-to-friends-to-lovers romance along with just enough sizzle to make you swoon, but still closed door with all the yearning and tension a romance reader could ask for.

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Too Good to Be True

Too Good to Be True by A.S. Kelly

Publication date: July 23rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Seth Graham needs help. His eccentric job and troubled past will not help him get custody of his nephews. With their grandmother now stepping in to claim them, Seth needs a solution.
Seth can’t bear another loss. He has already said goodbye to too many people; he can’t give up the only family he has left.

Rowan Kennedy doesn’t need anything, especially not another lost cause. His career is finally taking off, and the last thing he has time for is helping a young single father desperate to keep his kids. He has no interest in getting caught up in a custody battle, especially when he’s never even had a real family of his own. He doesn’t know what it’s like to have someone willing to fight for you with everything they have.

But Seth is desperate, and Rowan seems to be his only chance, and these children need a home, love and something Rowan never had: a father who would give anything to see them happy. Plus, Seth is bloody adorable, with his dimples and his blue eyes and the way he creates chaos even when he sleeps, and his sweetness and his desire to be the father the children deserve. And then there’s the way he practically begs Rowan not to walk away now that falling in love might actually be on the table…

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EXCERPT:

Luckily, my phone rings at the perfect moment.
“Excuse me, I have to take this. It might be important.”
I get up from the table and walk into the living room. When I pick up my phone and see his name flashing on the screen, I almost decide to drop the call and go back to the kids’ interrogation.
“Hey,” I greet him.
“Oh, hey,” Seth says. “I meant to call earlier, but I haven’t had a free moment. How’s everything going?”
“All good.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, but I’m not worried about the children. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“I’m managing too.”
“You wouldn’t know it by your voice.”
“I’m just a bit…”
“Have they put you on trial?”
“With the help of my friend Paul.”
“Does he tell all your secrets?”
I only have one secret at the moment. The fact that your voice makes me feel so inexplicably good.
“Something like that.”
“I’d like to be there to hear them.”
I sigh at the thought of wanting the same.
“I can give you a summary when you get back.”
“I don’t want a summary. I want every detail.”
The way he says it sends a hot shiver down my spine.
“I’m not good with details, but I can do my best.”
A long, endless moment of silence, filled with his heavy breathing; then, Seth says, in his seductive voice, “I’m sure you will.”

Author Bio:

A. S. Kelly writes Rom-Com, Romantic Fiction and Family Saga.
Avid reader, hopeless romantic, lover of yoga, knitting and home baking.
She was born in Italy but lives in Ireland with her husband, two children and a cat named Oscar.

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Review : Unromance

Unromance by Erin Conner

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult, Friends To Lovers, Holiday, LGBT, Christmas,

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 343

Published: January 14, 2025

Sawyer Greene knows romance. She’s a bestselling author of the genre—or she was, until her college girlfriend left her with nothing but writer’s block and bitterness. So when Sawyer gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, she sees it for what it is: not a meet-cute but a chance encounter with a charming man whom she will sleep with exactly once and go on her way. Easy enough...until she runs into him again at a Christmas market straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie. 

Sawyer is a romance writer going through a bit of a writer's block. Once she manages a meet cute encounter with a guy stuck on an elevator they strike up a deal this winter season to help her out. 

So I should have known when I picked up this book it would be based off of the winter time but I didn't realize that until later on and now I am weirdly Christmas spirit in the middle of summer the positive note I can do a Christmas in July if I wanted to now that I'm in that seasonal mood. I did enjoy this book I liked the whole friends to lover Trope if you're into fake dating kind of situation you might like this book. I enjoyed getting to see both of their point of views. These two had great chemistry and there was a few steamy scenes. I thought it was interesting their thought processes when it came to helping her with her writer's block. Overall this was a pretty good book it was fun and charming and if you are looking to put something on your future Christmas time tbr list or your Christmas in July list maybe this will be it.

Wicked Ambition: The Lost Treasure

Wicked Ambition: The Lost Treasure by Patti O’Shea

(The Paladin League, #7)
Publication date: July 21st 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere.

Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there will be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe.

Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by mobsters who believe she holds the key to a hidden treasure, she has no choice but to rely on the enigmatic stranger who ignited her passion. As danger escalates, so do their feelings, and then a positive pregnancy test changes everything.

Now, Oz risks not only his heart but also his life to protect Ayla and their unborn child. Can they survive the treacherous game they’re caught in, or will their love become the ultimate casualty?

Wicked Ambition is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it’s not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who is a fish-out-of-water, but will do whatever it takes to save her sister. This romantic suspense story features a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy, and a second chance romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

A while later, the second bus from Rio Blanco rolled in. This one was larger, with a hump on top. Some parts of it had rust, while other parts showed obvious metal patches, and the green paint had faded in the places where it hadn’t entirely flaked away.

He expected a repeat of the first bus, and then another ninety-minute-plus wait for the last one to arrive.

That wasn’t what he got.

Oz tensed as a man disembarked. His hair was cut military short, and he was clean-shaven—nothing like the pictures he’d studied—but there was no mistaking him for someone else. This was the dude he’d been assigned to watch for.

As he reached the sidewalk, he paused and glanced around. He gave the gang members a look that appeared threatening even from across the street and then headed off to the east.

In a minute, Oz would follow him. As soon as a tail wouldn’t stand out. He stood and monitored the man’s progress.

The next passenger who exited the bus froze him in place.

She wore black trousers and a white shirt and dragged a small, wheeled suitcase out of the bus and onto the sidewalk. It tipped over, but she used the handle to put it upright. The catcalls from the gang began immediately. She ignored them, looking up and down the street.

Oz muttered a curse. He’d bet a month’s pay she was searching for a taxi.

The man he was assigned to tail was nearly out of sight. Oz needed to move, needed to go after him, and he couldn’t. He wouldn’t leave any woman in this predicament, but especially not this one.

Because underneath that floppy straw hat she had on, Oz knew her hair was blonde. He knew the way her blue eyes looked when she was aroused and the way she sighed when he entered her. Knew the little noises she made when she came.

Patting his pocket, he felt the familiar outline of the gold-hoop earring she’d left behind.

She walked to the west, away from the gang members. They followed her.

His assignment disappeared around the corner, but it didn’t matter. Oz couldn’t let anything happen to her. She was the woman he hadn’t been able to forget for seven long weeks.

Striding across the street, he went to protect his prissy little blonde.

Author Bio:

Patti O'Shea's passions are writing, airplanes and traveling. Fortunately, she's been able to enjoy all three. After receiving a degree in advertising copywriting, she took a job with a major U.S. airline and now works in 757 Engineering. Besides teaching her about the planes she loves, it's given her an opportunity to travel to places like Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada's Yukon Territory.

Writing, though, remains her primary love. Patti created her first romance when she was in junior high school and has been hooked ever since. She should have figured out she was a writer years earlier, however, since her dolls had such involved lives, complete with goals, motivation and conflict.

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