Mating Season

Mating Season by Kitty Thomas

(A Captive Bear Shifter Romance)

Publication date: July 17th 2024

Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Pop Quiz: You’re a woman alone in the forest… would you rather run into a man or a bear?

I’m lost out in the woods when I cross paths with a strange man. He offers to take me back to his campsite, feed me, get me warm, but every instinct in me screams NO!

He is an opportunistic predator, and I am his prey.

I run. He chases. And just before I’m traumatized for life, I hear a loud roar as a seven hundred pound Grizzly bear rips the man off me and mauls him to death.

So…. Team Bear?

If only it were so simple. This isn’t just any normal bear. He’s a bear shifter, and he’s convinced I’m his fated mate.

I appreciate the life saving and all, but I have goals and dreams, and I won’t allow fate to play matchmaker for me, no matter how otherwise appealing the shifter in question may be.

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EXCERPT:

I start to move off the dance floor when someone comes up behind me. A male someone. My first instinct is to have an embarrassing freak out… but he smells… wow he really smells good. What is that?

It’s strong yet subtle at the same time. Warm, musky. But also mossy. But somehow in a good way. I’m not sure I’m describing it right. I’m not sure mere words could convey it.

And the solid warmth of him pressed up against my back feels… comforting somehow. His hands skim my sides to land on my hips as he urges me to move with him. His erection grinds shamelessly against my backside as his arm wraps around my waist, urging me to press harder against his length.

It’s a heady cocktail of that powerful scent, pure masculine strength, sensuous movements, and stark primal possession.

He hasn’t spoken a word to me, and given recent traumatic events, I should be panicked, but all I feel is calm—and other things I’m going to ignore. Dark animal things.

I’m hit with a bolt of such overwhelming lust that suddenly I want this man more than anything I’ve ever wanted. I want him to hike up my skirt and fuck me right here in the middle of the dance floor. I want him to put me on my hands and knees and drive into me from behind in front of all these people—sweaty, writhing hot bodies that could never compete with the inferno building between us. I feel hot and cold all at once and the arousal between my legs thumps heavy with the beat of the music. The pornographic images flitting through my mind only grow stronger the longer we dance.

If you could call this dancing.

One of his hands has moved up to grip the front of my throat, holding me in place against him as he brings us impossibly closer. His other hand starts to slide up my thigh, under my dress, between my legs, his fingers barely brushing against the heat and wetness of my panties.

And then my fear starts to edge out my lust. No! I can’t let this happen.

Forgive me if I don’t want to just jump back out there and let a man touch me after… the woods. It’s normal to feel a bit of disgust toward all men when one tries to hurt you like that. It almost feels shameful to let any man touch you ever again.

So why the fuck am I letting this stranger so close? Why am I rewarding any man for the bad behavior of his kind? Bad behavior I have personally suffered. I don’t know him. He could be a fucking serial killer.

I come back to my senses and pull away. He grabs me and pulls me back to him, and instead of more fear, I feel a kind of rage I’ve never felt before. I stomp down HARD on his foot with my heel. He lets out a yelp, and releases me.

“Rosalie, wait!”

I shouldn’t be able to hear him over the noise of the club, but I do. I turn around, and there’s Cooper. I shouldn’t be surprised. Didn’t some small part of me subconsciously just know? It’s why I didn’t look back at him—just let him be a stranger, because the stakes are far too high with him as he really is.

He’s wearing jeans and a black T-shirt that pulls tight over his muscles. His tattoos wind down his arms, ending just above his hands. Those warm brown eyes… that closely shaven beard… No. Absolutely not. His agenda might not look as bad on the surface as the guy from the woods, but it still involves his fucking boner… and controlling me. No. I’m not his mate. I’m not dealing with this alpha bro You belong to me, bullshit. I’m not going to just swoon into his arms because he’s pretty and saved me, as though a man doing the decent thing somehow now obligates me to give all my freedom away to him.

Men really are just living on an entirely different planet.

And he doesn’t get to just decide any of this.

I fight to get through the crowd on the dance floor, but his hand is around my wrist before I can get away.

“Let GO of me!”

A few people start to notice the conflict and back away, and I see a bouncer eyeing us. I’m pretty sure even as large as the bouncer is, that Cooper could take him.

He holds his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. “Just talk to me. I just need to talk to you.”

Author Bio:

KITTY THOMAS writes dark stories that play with power and have unconventional HEAs. She began publishing in early 2010 with her bestselling COMFORT FOOD and is considered one of the original authors of the dark romance subgenre.

To find out FIRST when a new book comes out, subscribe to Kitty's New Release List: KITTYTHOMAS.COM

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Review : The Rancher's Reunion

The Rancher's Reunion by Lisa Childs

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 263

Published: May 21, 2024 by Harlequin Heartwarming

If she confesses her secret, will he stay…

Or run for good?

Veterinarian Cash Cassidy and single mom Becca Calder have been each other’s best friend through everything, including raising her young daughter, Hope. But Becca has been keeping a secret from Cash. Now he’s insisting on truth from everyone in his life, and Becca knows she'll have to confess. Can Cash move past his old wounds and see that the loving family he desires has been there all along?

Cash is back in town as the town veterinarian and he's best friends with the single mother Becca. Both are keeping secrets which could possibly make or break things with family ties and with friendship but at the end of it all can they really open up to one another and those around them to really fix things?

This was a pretty heartwarming story. When it comes to Cash's side of the story he's dealing with finding out that his parents were keeping a big secret that truly broke his trust and had him wanting to jet. The family since secrets and lies are a really big issue for him. Meanwhile Becca on the other hand is holding a big secret herself not only does she like her best friend but she's also hiding the truth from her family and friend about her daughters father. When you read the book and get to know the characters you can kind of understand why Becca was keeping her secrets and I was curious on when and what what happened when she does eventually reveal it. Then there was a whole crisis that Cash was dealing with when it came to his family and it was interesting seeing how that was revealed and how it would impact the family the way it did and wondering why it was kept this even in the first place. I also enjoyed seeing the friendship between Cash and Becca and couldn't wait to see them find their happily ever after. Overall really good book I really enjoyed it.

Review : Shielding the Innocent Target

Shielding the Innocent Target by Terri Reed

Genre: Suspense Romantic Suspense Harlequin Romance Love Inspired Mystery Love Inspired Suspense Inspirational

Goodreads: Click

Pages:  May 1, 2024

Published: 208

A child under his protection…

and a hit man in pursuit.

After witnessing her boss’s murder, Paige Walsh must trust Deputy US Marshal Lucas Cavendish to bring her to safety. But when a notorious assassin targets her and her son, Lucas’s short-term assignment turns into a dangerous cross-country mission. For Paige to identify her boss’s killer, Lucas must get the family into witness protection. Except the hit man knows their every move…and trusting the wrong person could get them killed.

From Love Inspired Courage. Danger. Faith.

After Paige witnesses her bosses murder and an attempt at her own life now she's on the run with her son under the protection of Deputy US Marshal Lucas. Now the case she and her boss was working on is in jeopardy as a person behind it might be set loose and with her testimony and possible evidence to put the person behind bars it's clear that person doesn't want that information out.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced read. This book really kept me on my toes and I enjoyed watching following along as these two were on the run with many close calls happening. Then the fact that the son has epilepsy made things all the more tense because the stress of it all can trigger her son epilepsy. I just really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down if you're looking for a quick mysteries suspense novel to read I would suggest you check this one out. Kind of perfect for a poolside read if you ask me.

Broken Fortune

Broken Fortune by

Aly Mennuti

Publication date: July 16th 2024

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Broken Fortune explores the unraveling of a wealthy, blended family forced to reconsider their future together as their world falls apart around them.

Elizabeth Sunderland—a forty-three-year-old wife and mother of two teenagers—is the oldest of five children in a blended family that never quite blended. The only thing that has held them together is the iron will of their wealthy parents: Benjamin Sunderland, a venture capitalist, and Kate Bernard, a partner of a hedge fund. Together, Benjamin and Kate create and rule over a Manhattan dynasty of which their children each bear their own unique scars.

Elizabeth has been trying to keep the family together since she was ten years old, hoping to convince everyone they have more in common than just their fortune. This stance will be put to the ultimate test when Kate dies with one final request: that the family travel together to the island of St. John and spread her ashes in the ocean. However, Kate’s plan to fix the family will involve more than just a family trip to the sea.

As the hidden secrets and quiet betrayals built up over thirty years begin to ripple and crash like the ocean surrounding the sinking family, Elizabeth not only faces each of her sibling’s personal inflection points—moments that could lead to reconciliation or ruin—but she has to face her own demons that have laid dormant. What happens next will shock Elizabeth into recognizing a reality she had no idea existed.

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EXCERPT:

“How much money did you get?” Paul drops in, trying not to seem as outright aggressive as my other siblings but still trying to ferret out the information.

“It was nothing,” I say, trying to shut this conversation down.

“Oh, it wasn’t nothing,” Benjamin says. “It was over five million dollars.”

Everyone at the table looks ready to either spill their drink, fall off their chair, or turn me upside down to try and shake the five million out of my pockets.

“Can I have some?” Winnie says, shifting her attention for the first time this evening from my father to me.

“No,” Benjamin says sternly to Winnie. “Your mother is giving that back.”

“What about,” Paul says, daring to get between Benjamin and his money, “if you give us all five million dollars, so Lizzie doesn’t feel so alone. I mean…I’m sure my mother left something for all of us and Lizzie’s just came through first.”

“No,” Benjamin says. “Lizzie won’t feel alone when I have it back. Because none of you are getting any extra money. Everything that was Kate’s is now mine. That’s what we decided. And upon my death—which should be noted, won’t be happening anytime soon—you will all receive the entire inheritance split into five.”

“Wait,” Paul says, clearly upset. “Wait. She’s our mother. Mine. I’m her son. I mean, no offense to your kids Benjamin, but me…and Julian, we should get something now. Not have to wait until you die. You’re not my father.”

Paul’s words visibly cut through Benjamin, like an unexpected knife in the back. Even I can’t help but wince on his behalf—considering he’s spent the last thirty-three years trying to convince Paul he’s a reasonable, viable father. Meanwhile, he’s made not one corresponding overture in my direction, relegating me to the status of just an afterthought that will always linger…

Author Bio:

Aly Mennuti has always had two passions: philanthropy and literature. She satisfies one of those by being an executive at an international nonprofit consulting firm and has helped a diverse range of high-profile clients reach their philanthropic goals. However, she’s always had a desire to express herself creatively and carve out her own role as a writer in a writing family. Finally, in her forties (and with two children hitting their teens and deciding Mom is really uncool and not needed to hang out with anymore) she has the time and headspace to tell her own stories. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, Nicholas Mennuti, a novelist and screenwriter, their two children, Charlie and Lilly, and their eccentric Goldendoodle, Barry.

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September Road

September Road by Pax Sinclair

(Forbidden Silver Attraction, #1)

Publication date: July 4th 2024

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I’m a former Army Ranger, an Afghan vet that’s faced my share of battles, but nothing in my training has prepared me for the road trip I’m about to take alone with Riley, the daughter of my best buddy.

Josh and I grew up in a Vermont small town. We joined the Army after high school and we busted our asses to become Rangers. I’ll never forget the night he died on a mission in Afghanistan, leaving behind his young daughter Riley and his wife, Laci.

Years later, when Laci died, it became my duty to fulfill her final wishes: to drive her daughter from New Mexico to Vermont to Josh’s mother, the only family Riley has left. While I take Riley to her grandmother, I’m to tell her about a father she doesn’t know and the harder memories of how Josh and Laci’s lives intertwined with mine.

Riley is a 20-year-old smoking hot beauty with sass, determination, and she won’t back down, especially from me. And yeah, she’s my type. Damn, she’s more than just a temptation, she’s my best buddy’s daughter. I know where my duty lies, so this brown-eyed girl is off limits.

I have to be honest with myself; there’s no point in sugarcoating this situation. What could that princess see in a 40-year-old soldier still battling his own demons? Being in close quarters on a long road trip with her will be challenging enough, but staying true to my loyalty to Josh and protecting his daughter, even from my own feelings, will be the real test. I can do it. I can be a hard ass and complete the mission, but damn, she’s beautiful.

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EXCERPT:

Ruthie is staring at the new arrival when I step back into the diner. “I’ve already given him a menu,” she says.

I nod and grab the coffeepot in case he wants a cup, so I don’t have to backtrack. Looking at him from behind, it’s another buzz cut. Well, his hair isn’t exactly that short, but that’s how I refer to all the military guys we get here. There’s an Army base in the next town, but eventually, they cruise over here for something different.

“Would you like coffee?” I ask.

Without looking up from the menu, he places a hand over the cup. “Too late in the evening. I’ll be up half the night.”

I glance over at Sally’s table to see where the demons are hiding. Rufus sticks his tongue out, but I ignore him. I put the pot down and pull out my order pad from my pocket. I could do this by memory, but Russell likes a paper trail.

“Do you know what you want, or should I come back?” My pencil is poised to put down the order.

“Is the meatloaf homemade?” His head still bent over the menu.

“Yeah, Ruthie makes it herself; it’s a favorite around here.”

He continues to study the menu like he’s planning a freaking tactical maneuver. Gee, dude, why is it so hard to decide? It’s just basic American diner food, not the menu at the ritzy Holiday Inn.

He looks up. “I’ll have that and a beer. Could I have water first?”

I just stare at him for a moment, looking into intense blue eyes. He holds my gaze, connecting, boring deep into my soul until he sits back, eyes narrow, a devious grin pulling at the corners of his lips as his hungry gaze takes me in slowly, traveling over the contours of my body like I’m the special on the menu.

I’m used to men looking at me. Waiting on the military guys, it’s what you put up with while waitressing, but his brash inspection is different; it stirs something inside me, forcing me to look down at my order pad to break the contact. I write water on the top of the page to give me time to gather enough control to look at him again. “Sure, I can get you water,” I say, trying to sound like the last few seconds didn’t affect me. I breathe in deep, pull my gaze back to him, and I can’t believe it. I’m dragged back into this crazy surreal space like somehow this moment is important.

“That would be good,” he says, breaking me out of a weird time gap. His gaze turns quizzical as he pushes the menu toward me.

I snap out of it long enough to scoop up the menu and lift the coffeepot off the table, heading for the counter. Did that happen, or was that all in my head? I quash an urge to look over my shoulder to check to see if he’s real.

Ruthie leans into me as I’m pouring the water, still a little shaken by the encounter. “That’s a bona fide hottie you got in that booth. He looks military. Maybe he’s on leave, maybe he’s lonely, maybe you just got lucky?” she whispers.

Author Bio:

Pax is a contemporary romance author who writes the kind of hot, twisty, drama-filled romances that she loves to read. Her novels are about biracial women in interracial relationships that will have you turning pages until the end.

Her current series, Love@work, takes you into the world of Silicon Valley’s billionaire tech moguls. These are powerful men and women who are driven by the changing landscape of business and their seductions in the bedroom.

Come along for a ride in Pax’s world, where it’s always steamy, captivating, and sometimes erotic.

Pax lives and works in Silicon Valley. She’s a California native.

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Molly

Molly by Shanna Hatfield

(Pendleton Promises, #2)

Publication date: June 11th 2024

Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.

She longs to make a difference.
He yearns to claim her heart.

After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.

Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.

Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other’s company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?

Find out in this sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.

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EXCERPT:

“Molly! What a surprise!” Harley John swung Molly off her feet into a wide circle, then kissed her cheek before he set her down.

Hoping none of her superiors had witnessed the display, Molly frowned at Harley John, but playfully swatted his shoulder before straightening her cap he’d knocked askew with his exuberant greeting. She gave him another hug, unable to keep from sharing her pleasure in seeing him. “Oh, Harley John! I’d hoped to see you, but had no idea where you’d be. Have you been here long?”

“No. We just arrived this morning. How long have you been here?” he asked.

“A few weeks. It’s so good to see you.” Molly gave him a studying glance, then grinned, concluding Harley John had changed since he’d been drafted. “You look wonderful. I take it being a soldier agrees with you.”

Harley John shrugged. “No more than anyone else here, but I get along well enough.”

“Bosh and nonsense. You look quite handsome and so grown up. If Sadie saw you, she’d likely swoon.”

He grinned at her and squeezed her hand. “I can tell you for a fact she nearly did when I saw her recently. She was taking a few days of rest at the home of a patient’s sister. Other than divine intervention, there is no way to understand how we happened upon one another. We’d both gone to pick some grapes and found each other in the vineyard. Can you believe it?”

Stunned by his story, Molly could only imagine what seeing Harley John had been like for Sadie. Her sister would have treasured every precious moment with him. “How is she? Is she well? Was she thrilled to see you? Tell me everything.”

“I will. Right after you meet my friend.” Harley John directed her over to where the good-looking soldier who’d elbowed him stood near the mess hall. “Molly, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Friday Fitzpatrick. Friday, this is Sadie’s sister Molly.”

Friday politely tipped his head to Molly and offered her a look she wasn’t certain how to interpret. It left her unsettled and anxious, but interested at the same time. She gave the man a half-smile before she pointed to a bench constructed by one of their engineers from a fallen tree. “Let’s sit there and visit, Harley John. I have a few minutes before I report for duty.”

Harley John guided Molly to the bench. Despite her intentions to ignore him, she twice glanced over her shoulder at Friday. The silly man remained exactly where they’d left him, as though his boots had been set in cement. The look on his face could only be described as dumbfounded.

She and Harley John sat and visited about family, France, and the war. She cast a glimpse over to where Friday continued to stand as stiff as a statue. “Tell me about your friend Friday.”

Harley John smirked at her, and she blushed.

“Normally he doesn’t look like such a dunce, but I think you left him awestruck,” Harley John said as he looked at his friend. “He’s from Oregon. His folks have a nut orchard south of Portland. He has four sisters, and he’s a fine fellow and a good friend. He intends to return to the orchard when the war ends, but you know it’s only a few hours by train between there and Pendleton.”

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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Review : Cold Case Investigation

Cold Case Investigation 

Genre: Harlequin Romantic Suspense Romance Mystery

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 224

Published: May 21, 2024

Protecting her ranch has always come first…

Until she learns about her unborn baby.

After almost losing her life in a fire, Wyoming PI Anna Hudson wakes up to the sight of a familiar stranger. Anna and Hawk Steele shared one passionate night. Now the arson investigator will go to any lengths to protect Anna and their baby-to-be. But as they search through cold cases, exposing a tangled family history, a killer after revenge for past sins could steal Anna and Hawk’s future…

It seems a some one is clearly after PI Anna after a few attempts at her life. When she ends up running into the guy she spent one night with and ended up pregnant. Its clear that person isn't done trying to get at her so they will do everything the can to figure out who the person is and bring them to justice before any harm comes to the mother to be.

I really enjoyed this book and following along. There was so much going on that I had a hard time putting this book down. I liked the connection between the two clearly they still had a thing for one another when they ran into eachother after that one night fling. Then there the whole mystery suspense of it all wondering when the person would strike next and wondering why they were out to get her. Overall pretty good book I enjoyed it.