Bibliophile Chloe

Book Blogger, Mom, Wife….Jill of all trades, master of none!

See My Review Below!!!

The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary is now live!

Eight weeks of forced proximity is a long time to hate someone you’re trying not to love.

Sebastian Stremmel doesn’t need another headache. He has enough of his own without Sara Shapiro, the noisy new reconstructive surgeon, stomping all around his surgical wing with her chippy, chirpy cheerfulness. 

But Sebastian doesn’t usually get what he wants. 

No one gets under his skin like Sara – so much so a heated “debate” and an exam room left in shambles later, they land themselves in eight weeks of hospital-mandated conflict resolution counseling. Now they’re forced to fight fair…which quickly leads them to playing dirty when no one’s looking. 

They know it’s a mistake. 

They promise themselves it will never happen again. 

They swear they got it out of their systems.

They didn’t.

Author’s Note: Grumpy/recovering people-pleaser sunshine. Introverts attract. Enemies-to-lovers in the workplace. Banter, bicker, and button-pushing foreplay. Don’t tell the friend group, get jealous when the friend group tries to fix her up.

Heat: rip her clothes off before you get the front door open.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
http://mybook.to/twgkc

Goodreads: https://geni.us/TWGGR

Meet Kate Canterbary

USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Kate
Website | www.katecanterbary.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/38egGxI
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3kL9fDi
Facebook | www.facebook.com/kcanterbary
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3edupsg
Instagram | www.instagram.com/katecanterbary
Twitter | https://bit.ly/38dyGIA
Bookbub | www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-canterbary
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/38acizB
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3bk8PRh

My Review...

This book is absolute chaos! Chaos in the most perfect way. 

This is the long-awaited (for her die-hard fans) story of Dr. Sebastian Stremmel. Why is he the way he is and the woman who finally makes him believe in happiness. But in spectacular Dr. Stremmel fashion.

Dr. Sara Shapiro is a bundle of chaos wrapped in an overabundance in issues that she is working hard at keeping them close to the vest and putting on a perfect front.  

Stremmel and Shapiro seem to bring out the absolute worst in each other. And forced proximity just ramps up the epic chaos.

From quick witted, almost sadistic dialogue to the melt your Kindle, grab your proverbial pearls smexiness of their physical relationship. Ms. Canterbary never fails to impress me with her complex characters and they way they navigate their world.

I fell hard for Stremmel and Sara’s love/hate relationship and to read both Stremmel’s and Sara’s inner dialogue kept me absolutely riveted. This story needs to be read slowly and savored like fine wine, don’t rush through this. Take the time to really soak in the words, feelings and situations that this couple find themselves in. 

Secondary characters are absolutely vital and to see past characters make cameos was just the cherry on top of this delicious story.

The background work that Ms. Canterbary has put into this story is phenomenal and it make me appreciate her absolute talent in writing. I admire the fact that she doesn’t just create haphazard stories, but takes the time to make them perfect.  

See My Review Below!!!

 

 
 
 
Title: Homecoming King
Series: Three Kings #1
Author: Penny Reid
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Release Date: December 14, 2021
 
 
BLURB

 

Rex “TW” McMurtry’s perpetual single-hood wouldn’t bother him so much if all his ex-girlfriends didn’t keep marrying the very next person they dated, especially when so many of those grooms are his closest friends. He may be a pro-football defensive end for the Chicago Squalls, but the press only wants to talk about how he’s always a groomsman and never a groom. Rex is sick of being the guy before the husband, and he’s most definitely sick of being the best man at all their weddings.

 

 
Bartender Abigail McNerny is the gal-pal, the wing-woman, the she-BFF. She’s dated. Once. And once was more than enough. Privy to all the sad stories of her customers, ‘contentment over commitment’ is her motto, and Abby is convinced no one on earth could ever entice her into a romantic relationship . . . except that one guy she’s loved since preschool.
 
The guy who just walked into her bar.
 
The guy who doesn’t recognize her.
 
The guy who is drunk and needs a ride home.
 
The guy who has a proposition she should definitely refuse.

 

 

 
 

PURCHASE LINKS

 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 
 
 

 

 
 
AUTHOR BIO
 

 

Sign up for the newsletter of awesome: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter

 

 
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

 

 
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
 
 
 

My Review...

Holy swoons! This newest story and the start of a sure-to-be best-selling series by Ms. Reid has all the hallmarks of a funny, romantical, and steamy story.

I fell in love hard with this story! I fell in love hard with both Abigail and Rex. I loved the miscommunication and how they both fumbled a bit in the relationship.

Abigail is comfortable in her routine and her world. But her friends want to come out of her comfort zone, so when the opportunity comes along for Abby to color outside the lines, she does it big and bold. I empathized with her feelings of insecurity and trust. She had been burned badly in her past, and she still feels it.

Rex, oh you big old loaf of crusty bread you! His hard exterior and irresistible insides were swoontastic. He was oblivious to Abigail in the past, and when he finally sees her, fireworks fly.

I loved the slow burn element; the longing, the lingering, the flirty banter was perfect! 

This story was perfect, and I can’t wait to see what comes next from the brilliant mind of Penny Reid.

See My Review Below!!!

THE ONE NIGHT Cover - Meghan Quinn

 


THE ONE NIGHT, a prequel to Meghan Quinn ‘s much anticipated February release, THE REUNION, is NOW AVAILABLE!! 
If you’re looking for a sexy fun read you need to pick this one up!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3yjYUF6
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3s0bJTV
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3ET9khA
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3lZpcaB

Preorder THE REUNION, coming Feb. 22nd: mybook.to/THEREUNION

 

Blurb:
From USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a romantic comedy novella about the magic and misadventures of a one-night stand.

Recently divorced Cooper Chance knows he’s officially in a rut when his parents take him bar hopping in the hope of resuscitating his love life. At first, he’s skeptical. How could a gritty dive bar possibly solve his problems? But then he runs into Nora McHale.

Nora isn’t at the bar looking for love. She’s there to unwind after yet another exhausting day at her bakery. And even if she were hoping to meet someone, it sure wouldn’t be Cooper—her best friend’s ex-husband.

According to the unwritten rules of romance, Cooper and Nora are completely off limits to each other. But after a fun, flirty night at the bar, they can’t ignore the wild attraction between them.

Is this the beginning of something real, or will their passionate night together be their one and only?

My Review...

Oh my-lanta!! Is the a extended prologue for a new book by Ms. Quinn??? Dear readers I am happy to say yes, yes it is!

This delightful surprise is about that one night, that one night that Cooper and Nora had an epic night together. 

Their meetup is the cutest! Their banter and chemistry is fabulous. I fell hard for both of them. 

I could understand the obstacles in Cooper and Nora’s way and how that would affect everyone around them. But I also love that they decided to go forward with their evening together.

Just when you think this story is going to give you the happy ending that Ms. Quinn is known for, she is going to rock your world with a doozy of a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to get my hands on Family Reunion, I need to know what happens!!  

See My Review Below!!!

 

 
 
 
Title: Unexpected Savior
A Cocky Hero Club Novel
Author: Susana Mohel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 12, 2021
 

 

Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are excited to bring you the Cocky Hero Club: original works from various authors inspired by Keeland and Ward’s New York Times bestselling Cocky Bastard series.
 
 
BLURB

 

They called me the villain. Homewrecker.
The other woman.

 

But there’s something dangerous about mistakes. You don’t realize you’re making one until it’s too late…
 
“You haven’t changed at all,” Bridget said to me that day.
Those words hit me hard. I left, ready to start a new life for me and my daughter.
Now, years later, I’m working hard. Doesn’t matter how complicated it is or if the guilt gets to me.
I’m alive and he’s not.
But life throws me a curve ball when I’m not expecting it.
Intense grey eyes, killer smile, and the determination to tear my walls down. He knows my weakness, and a man like him is never afraid to use it against me. My four-year-old daughter.
I’m rewriting my story, unprepared for him. And I’m not ready for what destiny has in store for us.
Nicolaus Novak just might become my friend, my lover… the man who helps me to discover I deserve a happy ending… my unexpected savior.
 

 

Unexpected Savior is an angsty single parent/redemption romance inspired by British Bedmate.

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
PURCHASE LINKS
 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 

 

Free in Kindle Unlimited

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
DECEMBER RELEASES
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
AUTHOR BIO

Susana Mohel is a bilingual, international bestseller, and the author of twenty books published in two languages. In 2016, Susana was chosen as an Amazon Indie Contest finalist.
Married to the Grinch, she’s the mother of a beautiful girl and a fur baby. For her, life is about having fun with her family, crafting, and everything pineapple. She’s a consummated goal digger, who writes heart-wrenching second chances and enemies to lovers sprinkled with fun and sexiness.

 
 
COCKY HERO CLUB
 
 
 

My Review...

This story is the ultimate example of a redemption story. Ms. Mohel is able to take a character, from the Cocky Hero Club, that many readers probably hated (as did I) and turn them into their own hero. That is a true testament to the writing talent of this author.

This is the story of Gina Delmonico. She was labeled a homewrecker, a Jezabel, and if you follow the series you know why she is labeled that, and at the time rightly so. Now, this is her story, this is her time to shine and be able to come back with forgiveness for herself and from others.

Gina has come a long way from where she was, she is a single mom, she is working hard to provide a good life for her and her daughter. She is a fierce mama bear when needed. Gina is trying hard to overcome her past and Ms. Mohel does a beautiful job of making the reader understand the mistakes of youth and lessons learned and the power of forgiveness.

To help her realize her worthiness is Nicolaus Novak. He is charm, suave sophistication, and the perfect man to help Gina. He falls hard and fast for Gina and Olivia. He knows what he wants and does everything he can to make them a family. 

Fate plays a huge role in their relationship, and their worlds are unknowingly connected in a delicate way. 

If you are looking for a beautiful redemption story, get your hands on this, you won’t be disappointed.

See My Review Below!!!

 

 
 
 
Title: Western Waves
A Compass Series Standalone
Author: Brittainy Cherry
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 9, 2021
 

 

BLURB

 

I always believed in fairy tales, but he preferred horrors.

 

 
Damian Blackstone didn’t care about my existence. He came into my world for one reason only. He came to find answers about his past.
 
He moved like the villain in my favorite fairy tales. He wasn’t the one who received the happily ever afters; he was the one who destroyed them.
 
Which was why I couldn’t understand why the man who raised me set it up in his will for Damian and me to be married. I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with a man like Damian. We were as opposite as any two people could be. I loved to bathe in the sunlight while he prospered in the shadows.
 
I didn’t think I’d develop feelings for the one who looked at me as if I were nothing more than a means to an end. Yet in his darkness, sometimes I’d see sparks of light. I’d see gentleness. I’d see his soul.
 
We became entangled with one another as we fell into mistakes and called them fate. I was his Cinderella, and he was my Beast.
 
I wasn’t certain that twisted fairy tales ended with happily ever afters.
Still, I was determined to find out.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
PURCHASE LINKS
 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
ALSO AVAILABLE
 
 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited
 
 
 
 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
AUTHOR BIO

 

Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing–poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets.
 
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
 
 
 

My Review...

The Compass Series

Oh how I have been waiting for the next story from this series and it was so worth the wait.

Western Waves is the story of Damian and Stella.

Stella is such a beautiful soul. I loved how she was developed and I felt such empathy for her. She tries hard to rise above her upbringing, with the unfailing love of her “family” and the destructiveness of the people that were closest to her. I love her affinity to the ocean and how she talks to her loved ones who have passed away. 

Damian, oh what a broken soul. I could feel his bitterness and anger at the world come off of the pages. I had big feelings for this character and wished I could give him a big hug. I love how Stella was able to soften some of Damian’s rough edges and holy swoon, when Damian decides to let Stella in, what a beautiful man.

As always I feel the spirituality in Ms. Cherry’s writing. She is able to take readers on a journey with her characters of self-discovery and how families are more than just blood relations. I am always left in awe and contemplation when I finish a story by Ms. Cherry.  Her talent for creating a beautiful world and creating the characters in it is a true testament to her brilliance. This is a story of love, both between her characters and also her characters learning how to love themselves. 

See My Review Below!!!

BookBrushImage31883

🎄NEW RELEASE 🎄

Off the Market at Christmas, an opposites attract, Christmas romance, by Chelle Sloan is LIVE! 

 

🎄Childhood friends-to-lovers

🎄Nerdy, lovable hero

🎄Heroine who is more than a pretty face

🎄Part of the 12 Days of Kissmas

🎄Return to the Nashville Fury world

 

Read for free with Kindle Unlimited!: https://geni.us/OTMChristmas 

Get the 12 Days of Kissmas series: https://geni.us/Kissmas

Add to your Goodreads TBR: https://geni.us/OTMGoodreads 

 

The saying goes that nice guys finish last.

The more accurate statement is that nice guys and nerds finish last.

We don’t get the girl. We don’t get the happily ever after. Even if it is the one thing we’ve asked for from Santa Claus this Christmas.

So when Presley Dawson comes back into my life after twenty years, I don’t even try. What’s the point? As a Nashville Fury cheerleader, she is the fantasy of every man in Tennessee. What would the girl next door from my childhood want with a geek like me?

She’s outgoing. I’d rather stay inside. She’s adventurous. I think adventure comes in the form of a new video game.

We have nothing in common.

Except when we’re together. Then there are enough sparks to guide Santa’s sleigh without Rudolph.

But when she finds out that I never outgrew my geek phase, will she still want me? Or will our story be over before the ball drops at midnight?

 

 

My Review...

Oh how I wish this was a full story and not just a novella!

This quick holiday treat is going to grab you and cheer for the underdog!

This story of Gavin and Presley is sweet and steamy and all the things you love in a Chelle Sloan romance story! I loved visiting the world she created with the Nashville Fury!

I love how both Gavin and Presley had sides to themselves that they were afraid to show and they were perfect for each other!

Well done Ms. Sloan!

See My Review Below!!!

All that’s forgotten isn’t always gone…

Washed Away by RC Boldt is now live!

USA TODAY bestselling author RC Boldt brings us a sizzling romance chock-full of intrigue and deceit in this brand new romantic suspense…

All that’s forgotten isn’t always gone…

I’m at death’s doorstep when my body washes up on shore in Panama.

My memory is a blank slate. I can’t even remember my name. I don’t know who shot me and left me for dead–or why.

Patient and kind, the lone doctor there mends my body while offering me refuge.

But as tiny flashbacks of my past occur, I wonder if there’s anyone I can trust.

It’s up to me to discover whether I’m in danger or a danger to others. Whether I’ve actually found love or if it’s all been a lie.

I need answers to find out who I really am.

If only I could remember…

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xT9hOq

Apple Books: https://apple.co/37LmCxw

Nook: https://bit.ly/3yXUJhK

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Xs0Tst

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3xTcw8D

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3e7IQNM

 

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BBBReaders/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

My Review...

What a riveting new story by the incredible mind and writing talent of R.C. Boldt.

This is the story of a woman washing up on a foreign shore with absolutely no memory of who she is.

This story will take you on a total mind trip, with some bold and smexy times along the way. This is about reinventing yourself. 

Dr. Liam King is an enigma; he is an island, he lives alone and prefers it this way. Until a woman arrives broken on his shore, and he learns what it means to love.

I love how Ms. Boldt wrote this story, the flow, and the interspersing of hints of the past. This story is fraught with mystery and intrigue that will keep you guessing until the very end. The hints and innuendos are lovely little teasers that bring even more to the story.  I found myself going back and re-reading pages and chapters to see if I missed anything, and that is something I rarely do.

This story had me immersed in the author’s world, and I didn’t want to put this down until the very end—definitely one of my best reads of 2021.

As a side note, I am hoping that a particular secondary character gets his own story.  I would love to read it!

See My Review Below!!!

 

If Only in My Dreams by Carrie Aarons is now live!

 

‘Tis the season to … be freshly divorced at twenty-six and moving back into your parents’ house?

Because that’s my reality this Christmas. As if it isn’t bad enough that my entire hometown is buzzing with the news of my failed marriage, who is the first person I bump into at the grocery store? The guy who treated me like his personal booty call in high school just happens to be looking at spices while I’m trying to pick up cinnamon for my mother.

And get this; Porter Kelly, the broody, mysterious recluse who exposed his own secrets to the world by writing a book about his family years ago, is the one who acts like I wronged him. His rude remarks on aisle nine are the final straw as my exhausted unhappiness breaks, and I’m officially calling off the most wonderful time of the year.

Too bad it’s literally impossible for the woman whose parents own a railroad that specializes in Christmas train rides to ignore the holiday season. Because I’m back under their roof, it’s mandatory to work in the middle of the red and green merriment, Santa himself, and wait for it …

Porter serenading us with the greatest festive hits of all time. That’s right, apparently my teenage heartthrob turned nemesis not only works for my parents, but can strum a guitar like he’s trying to get every soccer mom on board pregnant. As we’re forced to spend more time together than ever, his past baggage and my marital rejection make their way to the surface, bonding us in ways neither of us knew possible.

I thought I was heartbroken about my ex-husband wanting to end our marriage, but that pain is nothing compared to what Porter could inflict. He seems like a changed man, one on the precipice of a new chapter, which is exactly where I find myself. Would it be crazy to think we could turn the page together?

Returning home was the only option I had. But as I come dangerously close to counting on the first man who broke my heart, I wonder if all of my future dreams are too good to be true.

 

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
http://mybook.to/IfOnlyinMyDreams
     
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/OIiMDtbr

 

Meet Carrie Aarons

Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.

When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She’s a Jersey girl living in Texas with her husband, daughter, son, and Great Dane/Lab rescue.
 

 

 

Connect with Carrie
Website | www.authorcarrieaarons.com
Goodreads | https://goodreads.com/carrieaarons
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3do0EDf
Facebook | https://facebook.com/carrieaarons
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/2DDt1xX
Instagram | https://instagram.com/authorcarriea
Twitter | https://twitter.com/authorcarriea
Bookbub | https://bookbub.com/profile/carrie-aarons
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3fzcrkI
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/authorCAnewsletter

My Review...

This new holiday story by Ms. Aarons is going to give you all the feels!

This is the story of Madison and Porter.

Madison has gone back to her childhood home, feeling like a failure in life. She needs a soft place to fall, and home is where she hopes to find it. 

Porter is such an enigma; he is a ball of anger and frustration, and rightly so. When he sees his past in Madison, he reacts defensively.

The history between Madison and Porter is a high school train wreck of epic proportions. So when they see each other after several years, it’s like a house on fire. The chemistry that they shared back in the day burns brighter than ever.

Insecurities rear their ugly head with both of them, and yet the sparks still fly. I admired how both Madison and Porter were able to navigate their feelings and doubts while realizing their feelings for each other haven’t waned over the years. 

This was a fantastic story with a holiday spin; it was hard for me to put down once I started. 

See My Review for this book here!

Beard in Hiding, the USA Today bestselling companion novel to the Winston Brothers and Solving for Pies series is LIVE! Penny Reid delivers a heartfelt romantic comedy about two lost souls who find love in the most unexpected way.  

Propositioning the Iron Wraiths’ money man seemed like a good idea at the time…

Diane Donner—recently divorced pillar of polite society—is craving danger. She’s tired of playing it safe and she knows just the sexy criminal motorcycle man to proposition for a good time. Problem is, she doesn’t actually know his name.

Jason “Repo” Doe never takes risks. So when the queen of local commerce walks into his club, looking to get risky and frisky, Jason knows the smartest thing to do is save himself a headache while saving the new divorcee from her worst impulses.

But then one thing leads to another, and the memory of just-one-night doesn’t feel like enough.

Theirs is a story with no future, because how can a dangerous criminal win (and keep) a queen?

‘Beard In Hiding’ is book #4.5 in the Winston Brothers series, is a full length contemporary romantic comedy about two lost souls in their 40s, and is a companion novel to the Winston Brothers and Solving for Pie series.

If you want to get the full immersive Green Valley world experience, I recommend reading ‘Truth or Beard,’ ‘Beard Science,’ ‘Engagement and Espionage,’ and ‘Marriage and Murder’ beforehand. ‘Beard In Hiding’ contains spoilers for these four books (in specific).

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3snwR4z

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2VU86B5

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3j1f1jJ

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2TDE7fI

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3cJW2rb

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/3i6y4tI

Nook: https://bit.ly/3781FMQ

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3l6JQ9q

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2URVrOW

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3xa6Ma2

Excerpt

“Just say it, Diane.”

“Fine.” She lifted her chin. “I want someone to court me.”

And there it was. I continued staring at her, counting the seconds as they ticked by. Why she couldn’t just say, I don’t want you, you’re not good enough for me, I had no idea. Did she think I needed to be let down gently? 

Well, now. That would be a first.

“I want dinners and flowers,” she went on. “And picnics and romantic gestures. I don’t want to constantly be making excuses for someone, for their lack of ability or skill or generosity.”

I deadened the needlingly ache behind my ribcage, suffocated thoughts and desires long abandoned. “Diane. You don’t need to say anything else.”

“I don’t?” Her features brightened and she approached the arm of the couch. “You understand what I mean?”

“Yes. You mean you don’t want me.” And that was fine, and it made sense, and I wasn’t going to dwell on it, and now I needed to go.

“What?” she snapped, her head tilting to the side like she needed to inspect me from a different angle. “No! No, you irritating man. Did I say that? That’s not at all what I’m saying.”

“Then what do you mean?” I glanced over her head toward the room’s exit, impatient to leave. I didn’t belong here, and I’d rather be stranded outside in a snowstorm than accept any more of her charity. 

“I mean, I want you.” 

My eyes cut back to hers and as I waited for the but—because there was always a but—I ignored the tightness seizing my lungs, the hope.  

When she kept on looking at me, as though expecting a reaction, I prompted, “But?”

“But nothing.” She placed her hands on her hips, her tone salty, impatient.

What? “There’s always a ‘but.’”

“Fine. Yes. Okay. There is a ‘but.’” Her eyes moved like she might roll them, but stopped when they reached the ceiling. “I want you. But . . . only if you want me the same way.”

I stared at her and that’s all I could do because I was so damn confused. 

Meanwhile, she peaked at me, nibbling her bottom lip, looking so goddamn gorgeous in her little nighty.

“Do you . . . want me?” The uncertainty in her voice, the vulnerability, hit low in my stomach.

“Pardon?” I choked out because, was hers a real question? How could she not know how much I wanted her? Hadn’t I just kissed the hell out of her? Hadn’t her breast just filled my palm? Hadn’t I just literally said the words, I want you

Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips and she stepped fully around the couch, her eyes huge. “I’ve been in a lonely, one-sided romance before. I don’t want that. I want something deep, something meaningful for both people involved. I’m not saying we have to get married. Lord knows, I’ve had enough of marriage to last a lifetime. I don’t think I’ll ever get married again. What I’m talking about is something real, authentic, passionate, but also—above all else—loving. Because what I’ve never had, what I’ve never known, is that.”

“I . . . don’t understand.”

Diane took a deep breath and then said loudly, “I want a relationship,” like the words were a painful confession and the only way she could speak it out loud was by shouting them.

I stared at her for a moment longer before finally asking, “With who?”

Her lips twitched. “With you.”

What? “With me.”

“Yes. But a real one, not just—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—not just sex.”

I barely heard a word she’d said, instead repeating, “With me,” again because the idea was absurd. A relationship with me? Is she crazy?

“Yes. With you. As I’ve said.”

“But . . . Why?”

“What do you mean why?” She frowned. It was severe. “Have you met you?”

About Penny Reid

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

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See My Review Below!!!

“This is the funniest setup I’ve read all year! You’ll be cheering for Winnie and Dex!”
—Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author

Ignite, an all-new sexy, grumpy single dad meets the sunshine girl next door romantic comedy from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is now live!

My new neighbor is a firefighter—and a scorching hot single dad—but I swear I didn’t set off that smoke alarm on purpose.

(And I was beyond mortified when he rushed in and saw me naked.)

Nothing happened, of course—because I, Winnie MacAllister, romance junkie and owner of a constantly broken heart, have sworn off men for one solid year.

Even protective men with chiseled jaws, bulging biceps, and deep brown eyes that make my breath come faster. Even former SEALs with broad chests and strong hands that make my skin sizzle. Even gorgeous, grumpy guys who have their hands full raising two adorable little girls and claim they don’t believe in love.

Until Dex kisses me one night, and I drop all my defenses.

(Also my underwear.)

He says he’s not gentle, and he’s right. He says I should take the dream job I’m offered in another state, and he’s right. He says he’s too old for me and could never be the man I deserve.

He’s wrong.

Dex and I might be twelve years apart, but the fire between us is the kind that will never burn out.

How can I convince him to give happily-ever-after with me a chance?

Fall in love with Winnie and Dex for ZERO PENNIES in Kindle Unlimited today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kePkO0
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/IgniteHarlow

Audio Coming Soon, narrated by Stephen Dexter & Kirsten Leigh

About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted, Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

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My Review...

As a huge fan of the Cloverleigh Farm series, I was so excited to see this new story of the next generation!

This is the story of Winnie and Dex, and boy did this grab me from the get-go!

Winnie is the daughter of Mac and Frannie, she is the youngest, but I felt like she had an old soul. I empathized with her problem of loving too fast, too hard and most often than not it was a huge determent to herself and her heart. So when she decides to focus on herself, that’s when fate pushes the perfect person at her. I loved how her inner dialogue was trying to keep her mind and her heart on the same page.

Dex is a single dad, I absolutely loved his girls! He has told himself that he is happy as he is, there is no need to add more to his world.  Then Winnie walks into it and sparks fly!

This story had the perfect amount of angst and holy smokes the heat and smexiness! The push and pull between Winnie and Dex really ignited the pages of this story!

I am hoping that more of the next generation of characters from the world of Cloverleaf Farms get their stories told too! It was wonderful to read how everyone was doing. It was like a family reunion, and I loved it!