Tag Archives: contemporary and literary fiction

Sneaking Into His Heart – Protecting You by Amanda Siegrist @amanda_siegrist

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Protecting You (McCord Family, #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

As we meet Ava and Jimmy in the midst of their lively dialogue, I quickly become involved, but that’s because I know just enough about them from a couple of later books I read, and now I’ll be getting the details from the horses mouth.

Wow, Amanda Siegrist led me straight into the danger and action. I was way to comfortable, wondering why are we here, on a call, before the party? I got the answer I was looking for from the beginning, what happened to make Zane hate Ava so much.

Zane loved the farm and expected Jimmy and Austin to love it to. Jimmy had always dreamed about becoming a cop and living in New York City. That is how he met Ava, the head of the crime scene investigators. They became fast friends, family.

Zane is the ‘dad’ brother, feeling responsible for taking care of his brothers, even though they are grown men. Of course, they don’t discuss their feelings. Austin is the funny one, the ladies man.

People handle grief in their own way and Ava was swept away from New York to the farm…and Zane. Zane’s bark is worse than his bite. The first night had me in tears. I had to take a break to let my eyes clear.

Way to go Amanda. You have written a powerful, realistic, romance novel that settles around grief, loss, and healing. The romance may be predictable, familiar, but the road to healing is filled with tears, guilt, forgiveness, love…I am drawn into their world of loss and pain. It’s so real, it reads like real life. Their struggle is my struggle and I do look forward to us finding out way through the grief to the Happy Ever After Amanda Siegrist delivers.

Well, I was getting all mellowed out….lazily smiling…the Fourth of July parade…and BAM, in my face. I expected a meet up, but with someone else…and I love it!

MMM…a happy ever after that will take me directly into Book II, Trust In Love.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting You by Amanda Siegrist.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From USA Today bestselling author Amanda Siegrist comes a heartwarming series that will make you swoon…and maybe even shed a few tears.

He wanted to hate her. He just might fall in love instead.

Zane McCord might not say it often, but he loves his brothers no matter what, even when he’s acting like a jerk and he knows it. When his brother Jimmy dies with tension hanging between them, he turns all his hatred to the woman who deserves it—Ava Rainer, the one responsible for his death. He refuses to like her. He won’t help her. He wants her nowhere near him. Except she’s suddenly on his farm and sneaking her way into his heart with her own pain. The guilt is eating him alive, but maybe…just maybe…they can heal together.

The entire McCord Family Novel series: (Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.)

Protecting You (Book 1): Zane & Ava
Trust in Love (Book 2): Austin & Sophie
Deserving You (Book 3): Emmett & Deja
Always Kind of Love (Book 4): Ethan & Penelope
Finding You (Book 5): Gabe & Olivia

ABOUT AMANDA SIEGRIST

Amanda Siegrist

Love! Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship, and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a happy camper:)

I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.

Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY AMANDA SIEGRIST REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Audiobook Club by Jessica Frances @XpressoTours

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Audiobook Club
Jessica Frances
Publication date: February 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Being a police officer in a small town doesn’t often offer up many surprises. Working the night shift means I rarely see or do much of anything that doesn’t involve a speeding vehicle, or a drunken rant. And, while quiet nights are better than deadly ones, it still takes some getting used to after living in a big city for years.

So, I’m rather shocked when I pull over a driver and find the dirtiest audiobook playing from the car speakers. And, paint me intrigued when the hot driver struggles to get the enticing words to stop broadcasting to the entire street.

The embarrassing encounter has us both lowering our guard, and I find myself a new friend, one who suggests we start our own audiobook club.
Soon, we become more than just friends as we listen and fall into stories and new worlds together and, naturally, the sexy scenes we’re listening to become a blueprint for our own experiences to try … together.
But, when life intrudes and our audiobook club breaks up, I’m left wondering if everything was just fiction, or if maybe there is something real under it all.
Can we get our happily ever after, or will it all fizzle out before it has a chance to become something permanent?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Thirty minutes later, we have a functioning bedframe. Two minutes after that, with just a few grunts and one moan stating permanent back pain, the mattress sits on top of it.

“Should we test it out?” I ask, my hands on my hips, breathing just a little hard from the exertion to get the mattress on it.

“You mean, have sex on it?” Ethan asks around a surprised cough.

I laugh, since I’m definitely not that bold as to suggest something like that. “I more mean just jump around on it; see if it holds. But, I mean, if you’re offering …” I trail off and waggle my eyebrows, only a tinge sad when he laughs instead of taking me up on the offer.

“I haven’t jumped on a bed since I was a kid.”

“Me, neither. I wonder why we stop doing this kind of thing? Why does being an adult mean you can’t still have silly fun?” I ask, crawling up onto the bed, feeling all sorts of out of balance as I force my shaky knees to stiffen and hold me.

I have never been great with heights and, apparently, even being just a bed high off the ground is too much. Still, I need to save face now. So, I do a small jump and watch Ethan roll his eyes at me.

“If that was supposed to test the bed out, then you must have the most boring and lifeless sex in here.”

“Who says I don’t like boring and lifeless sex?” I say somewhat defensively, and then I regret it immediately. “Fine, release your inner child and jump all over my bed to prove your handyman skills and impress me,” I tease, moving off the bed, grateful to be back on steady ground.

Ethan removes his shoes, and then, much more confidently, he gets up on the bed, standing to his feet with an ease I never had. While I shook and probably went three shades paler, Ethan grins widely and is as steady as a seasoned yoga instructor.

“Ready to have your bed and world rocked?” he asks me with a cheeky smile.

“Fuck yes,” I breathe out, meaning it in more ways than just jumping on my bed. I think he knows that, given the heat in his gaze. Then he proceeds to do a small jump, perhaps testing out the strength of the bedframe.

So far so good.

Another couple of jumps, and he begins to laugh. The carefree way he does this has me grinning back up at him. He looks so joyful, so happy, and so … close to the ceiling.

“Ethan, maybe you—”

His next jump has more oomph to it, and the top of his head slams straight into the ceiling.

Drywall and paint rain over him, while his legs collapse out from under him, and he lands down hard on the mattress. This is apparently too much for the newly erected bedframe, since it cracks, perhaps the wooden slats that are there breaking, and the middle caves in.

Shock silences me, and my heart is in my throat. I fear Ethan could have been knocked unconscious. He’s not moving.

Did I just kill my neighbor? How the hell am I supposed to explain this to anyone?

Then Ethan coughs while moving his hand to cover his mouth, and then that cough turns into a laugh, and that laughs has him folding in half as tears start to run down his face.

“Ethan?” I hesitantly reach out to touch his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

I’m not sure I’m ready to find the situation funny, given he could have a head injury.

“I think … I …” He can’t stop laughing, and I have to wait a good two minutes for him to get himself under control. “I think I just figured out why adults don’t do this shit anymore.”

I look up at the head-sized hole in my ceiling and chuckle. “You could be right.”

Author Bio:

Jessica lives in Adelaide, South Australia. When she is not writing, you can find her reading, napping or watching excessive amounts of TV. Connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


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Giveaway – Endless Encore by Kaylene Winter @kayleneromance @XpressoTours

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Endless Encore
Kaylene Winter
(Less Than Zero, #5)
Publication date: February 17th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Ty:

I’ve made promises I’m struggling to keep.
Because my past is too dark and painful.
Zoey is everything to me, my beautiful soulmate.
I can’t bear for her to think I’m broken.
But pressure’s building and I’m losing control .
Will one fateful day destroy everything I’ve ever dreamed of?

Zoey:

My life with Ty is idyllic.
This past year has been everything I dreamed about and more.
It’s just—I can’t shake this feeling.
Something’s going on with my fiancé.
I can’t help but wonder, is he hiding something from me?
Will his past demons prevent our perfect future?

Happily ever after can mean so many things.

Life happens.

Faith is tested.

Will Ty & Zoey survive the biggest challenge of their lives?

Is the deepest love endless?

ENDLESS ENCORE is Book 6 in the Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series, and is the sequel to ENDLESS.

It is strongly recommended you read Books 1-4 before reading any of the “ENCORE” sequels, otherwise you will be spoiled!

Get ready for more stories of captivating passion!

Trigger Warning: Content in this book deals with childhood abuse and severe neglect.

Goodreads / Amazon


CHAPTER 10 – TYSON

“I guess it’s our turn.” Mike and Olivia stand, holding hands. Mike smiles and points at me. “You. I can say now that you put a ring on my daughter, as a father who is highly protective of his only daughter, I was terrified when she brought you home that night. A long-haired, bad-boy rocker is not who you envision for your child.”

Olivia interrupts, “Except you won both of us over immediately. We loved you from the beginning, Ty, but the two of you were so young. We weren’t surprised when things fell apart, and I think we both knew that Carter meant well.”

“Watching Zoey suffer for all those years was tough,” Mike continues. “When you found each other again, there were still a few more bumps in the road, but Tyson? You proved yourself again and again. There’s no one else on earth we’d trust more with our precious Zoey. Welcome to our family.”

“Oh, Dad. Mom.” Zoey pops up and the three of them embrace. She waves me over and I join them.

That’s when it hits me. Holy shit, I have in-laws. I actually have parents. I can’t help but well up a bit. “Mike and Olivia, I’m so lucky to be part of your family.”

“Ty, you’re calling us Mom and Dad from now on, don’t argue.” Olivia kisses my cheek. “I’ve always wanted a son and look at what a handsome one I’ve acquired.”

Zoey nestles back into me as we both sit down, whispering in my ear, “I’m so fucking happy right now.”

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Blinded By Love by Gladys Cross @GoddessFish #GladysCross

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Blinded by Love by Gladys Cross

GENRE: Romantic Comedy, (RomCom), Contemporary

Here at fundinmental, I enjoy seeing what the authors like to share, so I left the topic for discussion up to Gladys Cross.

Things that make you go hmm…….

Recently I was asked in a podcast if I thought there was anything missing from the romance genre and immediately all the recommendations posts I read on a daily basis sprang to mind. The most common theme I’d noticed lately was paranormal romance readers clamoring for more mature characters that let the heroine have a say. A lot of readers mentioned they couldn’t identify with teenage characters, or they didn’t always want the man to save the day.

This was very thought provoking, and I wondered if I’d secretly harbored these same feelings and just not given it a second thought considering I write about the characters these readers desired. None of the women in any of my books are wilting daisies waiting on price charming. In fact, in my Order Bound Series, the women save the day more often than the men. None of them are young either.

Something still bothered me, though. Was I subconsciously writing for how I felt at this time in my life? Granted, I’m equal opportunity with ethnicity and weight in my characters, but was I missing some key component?

I’d love to hear what you guys would love to see happen in the romance genre. Drop me a line or stalk me HERE. I’m not shy.

BLURB

Kassie knew she was in trouble when her matchmaking best friend announced she’d gotten professional help in time for Valentine’s Day. Her friend’s attempts had always been hilariously ridiculous and never in a million years was Kassie expecting a hunky firefighter to show up on her doorstep.

Her online dating profile said she was looking for a superhero, and Declan couldn’t help but believe it had to be fate. But fate was a fickle mistress who left him to wonder who he was behind the mask. He’d been hiding in plain sight for long enough that he wasn’t sure if he even knew the answer. And until he figured that out, he had nothing to offer the world, let alone Kassie.

Love had already ended in tragedy once for Kassie, and she feared that history was doomed to repeat itself unless Declan could learn to trust her with his secrets. This time around, would it be enough to harden her heart for good, or would his deception restore her faith in second chances?

EXCERPTS

Excerpt from Declan:

“Declan went on a date and called me from in front of her apartment.” There was a hushed conversation that I only caught bits and pieces of, mainly hugged, and thought he was gay. Fuck my life, I thought as I drove down the long straight-away leading out of her apartment complex. “Are you still there?”

“Of course, I’m still here. Who else am I going to call Spencer?” I asked sarcastically. “I’m not even sure the boy’s balls have dropped yet.”

Sadly, there was no one else I could call for love advice outside the guys from the firehouse and it made me miss my mom that much more. Hell, she’d probably be calling Kassie herself, asking what colors she wanted for the baby blanket. 

“He is eighteen,” Webster said pulling me from my melancholy. “It’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

I snorted. “Do you remember that call we went on where there was an eighty-year-old dude in leather that had lost the keys to his handcuffs?”

He chuckled. “Don’t remind me, and I mean that literally. I’m still not fully recovered, and that was two years ago.” There was silence on the other end of the line as I drove under the overpass. The nothingness went on for long enough that I wondered if we’d gotten disconnected when he snapped his fingers. “Call her back right now and ingeminate the date tomorrow.”

“Do what with the date?”

“Repeat the date.” He huffed an exasperated sigh. “You didn’t make it to the movies, right?”

“Webster you’re a genius!”

“And Declan. This time kiss the girl, so she doesn’t have to ask if you’re a homosexual.”

“She only asked me that because I admitted to watching every episode of Sex and The City.” I hit my head against the back of the seat. “Never mind, I just heard myself, I am an idiot.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Books transport us to a fantasy world where anything can happen, and once I overcame my difficulties in learning how to read, I was hooked. My mother always carried a Harlequin Romance with her, so it was only natural that I was drawn to that genre. There was something magical about the concept of eternal love and as I grew older, my tastes within the genre broadened to include everything from historical to dark.

My writing blossomed in much the same way. The first story I wrote was the Vanderbilt Affair, which was inspired by a field trip. Back then, I was fortunate enough to have an English teacher willing to nurture my love of writing by becoming my editor after school.

The writing bug stayed with me, but over the years, life got in the way, and it wasn’t until my early forties that I published my first short story in a Christmas Anthology. From there, I began writing and publishing across many sub-genres, with each book carrying some element of the unexpected.

When I’m not up to devious pursuits, like shooting a character, you’ll find me curled up with a book next to my dog, watching TV with my better half, or engaging in random water gun fights with my daughter and the neighborhood kids.

Stalk Me!

  • Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3w9JkKM
  • Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2102530.Gladys_Cross
  • Facebook Private Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3772742262760749/?ref=share
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladys.cross.author/?hl=en
  • Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/@authorgladyscross

The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour. Buy Link: Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

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Heartbreaking and Uplifting – Sacrifice by Charisse Moritz #CharisseMoritz

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Flamingo, Valentine, Heart

Sacrifice by Charisse Moritz is a perfect romance for a romantic day!

Sacrifice is my third Charisse Moritz novel, and she does not disappoint.

Sacrifice (Choosy Beggars #2)

The first book I read by Charisse Moritze was Shakespeare Burning. The title made me so curious, but the cover played it’s part. I had to read it and was blown away. This is not a genre I actively seek, so was there some ‘reason’ I was drawn to it? I have now found another author for my favorites list.

Shakespeare Burning

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Need something to make you laugh out loud and feel good about life? Sacrifice is a must read.

Charisse Moritz and her novels would not seem like a fit for someone like me, who loves to delve in the darkness of romance novels. You know, the ones with murder and mayhem, rape and sex trafficking. BUT, Charisse’s writing and her characters draw me in so deep, sometimes I almost think they are real. They sure could be.

I have two pages of notes and wonder what I am going to do. Usually, with that many notes, I tend to share too much. I loved Sacrifice and the realistic, lovable characters that Charisse Moritz, so I don’t want to spoil a moment for you. I want you to experience their struggles, hope and dreams for yourself. I am sure you want a happy ever after. I know I did, and with Charisse, that is possible.


The situations the characters find themselves in could happen to anyone. The characters feel as if they could be the band members you find in the bar you frequent, the girl who left her abusive boyfriend and is hiding out, the single father that suffers from the lies his ‘ex’ feeds him.

The two main characters, Shae and Daisy, are flawed, frightened, insecure, beat down by life. Shae will do whatever it takes to make sure his son has the things he did not. Daisy looks through rose colored glasses, yet flinches at a knock on her door and things Shae is some kind of Sasquatch.

Her is a reason why I love Charisse Moritz’s writing so much…At 4 %, they meet for the first time and it is JUST TOO DARN CUTE AND FUNNY. The tone of the writing is serious, yet written in such a way that I never got too dogged down, too sad or depressed, because her vivid, hilarious descriptions of Daisy’s thoughts when letting her mind road to Shae, had me laughing out loud.

Mutt is a character that has to be mentioned. And if you want to know more, you’ll have to find out for yourself. I love when a peripheral character basks in the limelight…as I write that, I have a smile on my face.

A chat between Daisy and Shae when he picked up his son, Patrick, from babysitting, leaning against the doorframe with his feet crossed and his arms across his chest (which I so can visualize):

“Want to tell me why my boy is not wearing any pants?”

“He didn’t share his reasons, but I support his choices.”

I mean, how can you not crack up. Laugh out loud, whether anyone is around or not.

Patrick, a two year old, is, of course, adorable. I can hear that baby voice ‘speaking’. His actions and the dialogue is so cute, sweet, except when he’s letting them know he’s not happy. After all, he is two years old.

Shae took Daisy shopping. I don’t want to spoil the why of it, other than to say, Mutt is playing him like a fiddle. Her’s another quote that will share why I love Charisse Moritz’s writing

Patrick got a new jacket and a puzzle out of the deal. I got a hard on and a headache.

The sexual attraction is off the charts and I have never read of a couple of characters with this much self control. They both have their reasons, but Daisy is irresistible and his jealousy surprises even him

“Why don’t you just pee on me?”

I laughed out loud…again. Warning: If you read this around other people, well, you know.

There is more than one moment that shocked and awed me, in good and bad ways. I didn’t even try to figure out what was going on and why. I thought, even though I love Charisse Moritz’s writing, this is a romance, and I am along for the ride. Even a good romance rarely gets more than a four star rating from me. Out of the three books that I have read by Charisse, two of them have been five star ratings. She manages to supply those BAM, in your face moments and I love that.

EVERYTHING…PERFECT…for me. Romance with a dash of mystery and suspense.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Eighteen-year-old Shae is the daddy of a two-year old.
On his own and barely getting by.
Every day, he struggles to be good enough for his boy.
Every day, he falls a little further behind.
He doesn’t apologize.
He tries harder.
Sacrifices more of himself.
Because keeping his son is all that matters.
When Daisy Goodwill moves in across the hall, she is an irresistible splash of color and hopeful smiles. She disrupts his every waking moment in such wonderful ways, daring Shae to imagine a brighter future. But his new neighbor is full of apologies, hiding from an overly possessive ex and a threat to Shae’s black-and-white world. Because championing Daisy requires the one sacrifice he can’t survive.

ABOUT CHARISSE MORITZ (from Amazon)

Charisse Moritz

Emily Award Finalist and Melody Of Love Award Finalist, Charisse Moritz divides her life between upstate NY and northern Florida. When not barricaded inside her writing cave or enjoying every possible minute with her husband and three kids, you’ll find her listening to 60’s music, singing off key and looking for new reads.

Her debut book, Shakespeare Burning was released in July 2019 and is available in digital and print.

https://charissemoritz.com

MY CHARISSE MORITZ REVIEWS

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All I Can Say Is: Baby Please (LOL) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff @MimiJeanRomance

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.

I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance with a sports star as the main character, but I will read anything Mimi Jean Pamfiloff writes! Can you resist that sweet cover?

Baby, Please (OHellNo #7)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read numerous books by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and I will happily read anything she writes. This is my first book in the OhHellNo series. Even though it is the seventh in the series, it had no affect on my enjoyment of the story. Mimi writes with humor and wit, with dialogue that has me laughing out loud. Look at that cover…then add a sexy damsel in distress and you tell me…can you resist it?

Dean had worked hard to get where he was. A chance at the NFL. A baby he is raising by himself. And brother who’s an addict and needs constant help. The NFL is his answer to all his problems. But…life is never that simple.

In one of his lowest moments, she walked into the bar. Older, classy, and just what the doctored ordered…at the time. Or, so he thought, because the wrong head was thinking. The result, two year old Patrick and trouble he couldn’t have seen coming.

No one has given him anything…well, except Minnie, his landlady. She is selective about who she rents to. Daisy comes to town and the OhHellNo begins. When Dean and Daisy meet for the first time, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff had me cracking up.

I was wondering about the book. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff usually has more going on than Three Men and A Baby, and about halfway through it bites. My heart dropped right along with his.

This tough guy football jock has changed and I am loving it. I am curious to see how it will all play out, because I want warm fuzzies when the story is done.

I found the plot predictable, but that’s okay. I still enjoyed Baby Please by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and would recommend it. I have enjoyed some of her other series more, but I have other books of the OhHell No series on my Kindle and I will be reading them.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Baby Please by MImi Jean Pamfiloff.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Surprise Baby Romantic Comedy, BABY, PLEASE.

SURPRISE! IT’S A GIRL!

DEAN

Ever since I was recruited by my college football team, I’ve pushed myself hard. Going pro and earning some real money is a must. Mostly because my brother, Flip, is in a bad place, and I’m all he’s got.

No problem. I’m tough. I’m a hard worker. I’ve got a plan.

Then right before the season starts, a woman shows up at my apartment with a baby, claiming I’m the father. And then she leaves her with me. For a week? Forever?

I have no idea, but college, football, and the single-dad gig don’t go together. And forget about my experience with babies. Does this thing come with an off switch? Volume control? Is that a poopie diaper? Help!

Things go from bad to worse when the public catches wind of my surprise-baby situation, and it turns into a PR nightmare. I’m suddenly the poster boy for young single dads.

This isn’t happening.

Suddenly, all eyes are on me, both on and off the field, and the only person who can keep me from losing my mind confesses her love.

And I mess it all up. Her, football, baby, everything.

Now I’m going to have to choose: fix my career or fix my personal life, including coming to grips with loving a baby girl who might not be mine.

ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF REVIEWS

MY M O MACK REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Audrey by Sean Paul Thomas @XpressoTours

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Audrey
Sean-Paul Thomas
Publication date: May 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From the author of My Sister and I and The Old Man and The Princess (recently optioned to be a motion picture) – comes a new, suspenseful romantic tale that will knock you off your feet. A story that has a reminiscence of ‘500 days of Summer’ and ‘Midnight in Paris’ with a fair dollop of ‘The Graduate’ thrown in. And of course Audrey, a delightful, older female protagonist who takes the young and wayward ex-con Joe under her wing.

Just out of prison Joe, a young builder from Edinburgh who writes movie scripts in his spare time, randomly meets Audrey, a washed-up, hard-drinking, chain-smoking, middle-aged French film actress at his local film festival. After hitting it off and spending one crazy, magical night together, Audrey sees some potential in Joe and his writing and tries to help him win back his estranged daughter by getting his first screenplay made into a movie in Paris. And so, the adventure of a lifetime begins…

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT

“Don’t say that. Jesus. You were brilliant up there. And you barely look a day over twenty-nine.” Joe said with a reassuring grin. Audrey’s eyes widened and she smiled with delight at the compliment.

“Well the dim lighting out here in this dark alleyway is fantastic, yes?” she teased. “It hides all of my lovely wrinkles and skin imperfections.”

“Okay,” Joe said rolling his eyes. “Maybe thirty-five then when you were outside earlier in the natural light,” Joe said, teasing her back, trying his best to flirt with her now, but it had been such a long time since he’d played the flirting game with anyone, that he didn’t even know if he was doing it right anymore. They both chuckled at his words and Audrey even slapped him lightly on the arm. Joe took it as a pretty good sign that she enjoyed his rusty flirting banter, even if she was only humouring him. He was just about to ask her something else. Something a little bit deeper and meaningful. That was when the festival host suddenly appeared through the fire escape, desperately searching for Audrey. Joe realised instantly that he was coming to steal her away even before he gave Joe a quick dismissive look.

 “Miss Beart? We need to take some more pictures now. Can you please come back inside?”

Joe had never felt so gutted before in his life. It was like the brick alley walls around him were all crumbling in and there was nothing he could do to stop the imminent disaster. They both hesitated and looked deeply into each other’s eyes like they knew they had so much more to say and ask of the other. At first, the festival host just assumed that Joe was only a starstruck fan and would be dropped by Audrey like a hot piece of coal effective immediately at the host’s mere white-knight presence in front of them. But after a long but comfortable silence, even Joe felt surprised that Audrey was still standing there and hadn’t made her excuses to leave already.

“So…” She finally uttered with that cute and delightful smile of hers, which was directed straight at him once again. “It would appear as if they remembered who I am after all…”

Audrey threw her almost finished cigarette down onto the ground and stamped it out with her shoe.

“I guess it was nice meeting you then… Joseph…”

“Please, just call me Joe”

“Hey, Joe, what do you know?” Audrey replied right back at him with a playful smile and a casual wink.

“You too, Audrey. It was an absolute pleasure,” was all Joe could fire back even though he wanted to say a million and one other things.

There was another fleeting second of hesitation. Joe didn’t want her to go anywhere and he knew she could feel it too, but in the end, he felt utterly powerless to make her stay. Who the hell was he to demand such a thing? In a normal world of boy-meets-girl, this would have been the ideal time to ask for her number or e-mail address or at least add her on bloody Facebook. But Joe did nothing. Not only was he well out of practice on the boy-meets-girl market front, but who the hell was he to ask anything of her? Joe knew he didn’t belong there. He knew he didn’t belong in Audrey’s world at that particular moment in time. He hadn’t yet earned that kind of accolade or respect as an artist. He was a nobody, and she was a somebody. Joe lived in Edinburgh as an ex-con, part-time plumber, and a starving writer and she lived in the vibrant, stunning, and equally chaotic city of Paris, or so he’d read on her IMDB page, deep within the magical film world that Joe hadn’t even begun earning the right of entry into. Plus, it felt even more awkward to him with the festival host still impatiently leering over them, still wondering why on earth Audrey hadn’t made her excuses and left with him yet, but at the same time not wishing to appear verbally rude by enforcing her to come back into the cinema.

“Good luck with the movie, too, and your writing.” Joe finally added, still not taking his eyes away from the middle-aged beauty.

“Merci Beaucoup,” Audrey replied, still gazing right at him before finally turning away and beginning to make her idle move back through the fire exit doors and into the cinema. “See you then,” she continued in a tone that suggested if Joe would only man the hell up and ask her to meet him later that evening for a drink or a late-night coffee so they could chat some more about movies, writing, or whatever the hell other life subjects that came up, then she would absolutely and positively accept his invitation. But Joe didn’t say another damn word, because Joe wasn’t that bold, or charming, or confident. Had he ever been? Yes, perhaps, once upon a time, before five long years of living in a lonely cell had robbed him of some crucial part of his personality and socialising skills to the extent where two minutes conversing with a French film actress convinced him that was two minutes more than what he actually deserved. Then, to the cinema host’s deep frustrations, Audrey suddenly paused at the fire exit door for much longer than he would have liked.

“What are you doing later, Joe?” Audrey asked out of the blue. Joe found himself utterly taken aback by her question, but quickly composed himself with a sharp, cool, and confident response that he would thank himself for in the not too distant future.

“Nothing I can’t get out of. Why, what do you have in mind?”

“Can you show me where to buy some cigarettes around here?”

“Aye. I can do that.” Joe replied, utterly delighted but trying his best to hold it in.

“Good. Why don’t you meet me out front in say… thirty minutes, and I’ll maybe even let you show me around your wonderful city, too, if you’re lucky?” Audrey said, finishing with a wink.

Joe smiled with utter pleasure. He couldn’t quite believe what Audrey had just said, but he went with it all the same.


Author Bio:

Scottish Author/Screenwriter.

Sean is an author from Edinburgh in Scotland. He is the best selling Kindle Author of ‘The Old Man and The Princess’ which was recently optioned to be a major motion picture.

Sean spent most of his childhood and teenage years on the move with his Scottish and Irish army Parents growing up in the likes of Cyprus, Germany, Wales, and England, as an army brat.

With a keen interest in both reading and writing, he was diagnosed with travel and writing bugs very early in life. Now, writing, travelling, reading, cinema, and Scottish football (Supporting the mighty Edinburgh City for his sins) are his main passions in life.

His main inspiration for writing today comes from living in such a beautiful, charming and hauntingly, Gothic city, such as Edinburgh. An awe-inspiring wee city that has given him so much amazing inspiration to write the more time he spends there.

Recently, Sean has been working on a couple of screenplay adaptations of his books. One of which ‘The Old Man and The Princess’ made the final of the Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition 2018 and has since been optioned by an award-winning Director /Producer team. Scheduled to go into production in Ireland in the summer of 2021 filming has been postponed until 2022 due to the recent covid pandemic.

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Giveaway – The Shoe Diaries by Darby Baham @darbybaham @GoddessFish

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The Shoe Diaries by Darby Baham

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

BLURB:

It’s never too late to put your best foot forward

From the outside, Reagan “Rae” Doucet has it all: a coveted career in Washington, DC, a tight circle of friends and a shoe closet to die for. When one of her crew falls ill, however, Rae is done playing it safe. The talented but unfulfilled writer makes a “risk list” to revamp her life. But forgiving her ex, Jake Saunders, might be one risk too many…

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

The Friendship Chronicles/Book 1: The Shoe Diaries

“Reminiscent of Sex and the City and the Shopaholic series in the best possible way. Her stories are a lot of fun and yet she still tugs at your heartstrings.”–Gail Chasan, Special Edition Editor

EXCERPTS

Romance

February 13, 2016

“With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee the treasures of my mind, heart and hands…”

Staring at my friends from my seat, I noticed more than just their words as they recited their vows. I saw their hands clasped together throughout the ceremony, and the smiles they wore even through their tears; the way they focused on each other like no one else was present even while a hundred and fifty of us stared at them with glee. But most important, I saw the love that was undeniable between the two of them. Strange, but I was all at once happy and sad, amazed and hurt. In them I saw hope for a future. Here were two people who’d found love and decided that nothing else was more important than their union. Yet, standing less than two feet away from them, I also saw the man I’d hoped would be my future—and it hurt me to my core to know that we would never have this same moment.

Every few minutes I caught myself peeking over at him during the ceremony, hoping he would turn to me, and we would have some kind of knowing thought between us. That we would have a brief second where no words were necessary, and through our eyes, we’d say, “I know it didn’t work for us, but I still love you.” I craved that moment more than anything I’d ever wanted before, wishing with all my might he would just look over. Just glance at me…and smile.

That look never happened.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Darby Baham (she/her) is a debut author with Harlequin Special Edition and a New Yorker of five years who sometimes desperately misses the sprawling shoe closet she had while living in Maryland. She’s had personal blog posts appear in The Washington Post’s relationship vertical and has worked in the communications industry for more than two decades. The New Orleans, LA native is also a lover of big laughs and books that swallow you into their world. Her first book, The Shoe Diaries, debuts in 2022.

  • Author Website  www.DarbyBaham.com
  • Linktree https://linktr.ee/darbybaham
  • Facebook  /https://www.facebook.com/darby.baham/
  • Twitter https://twitter.com/darbybaham
  • Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darbybaham/
  • Darby Baham’s Washington Post bylines
  • I had the perfect date dress. Why did it hang in my closet unworn for more than a year? — March 2016
  • When it comes to relationship advice, sometimes it’s best to ignore your friends — February 2016
  • I’m the oldest sister in my family and I’m single. And that’s okay. — March 2016
  • I was afraid to say ‘I love you.’ Here’s how I found the courage. –
  • NOTE:  Here is the link to subscribe to receive books specifically from Harlequin Special Edition — https://www.readerservice.com/content/series/harlequin-special-edition/
  • Darby’s book will be included in the January edition.

Amazon / B&N / BooksAMillion / Harlequin / Indiebound / GoogleBooks / Target

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Giveaway – In Plain Sight by Alison Packard @GoddessFish @Alleyfics

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In Plain Sight by Alison Packard

GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

BLURB

Romance writer Maya Lange is stuck in the small town of Two Forks, Wyoming. It’s not the happily ever after she wanted for herself, but neither was dating a man who runs a criminal enterprise or witnessing a murder. Now she’s in witness protection, with a new name she hates and a permanent mistrust of men. That doesn’t keep the sparks from flying with her neighbor, Josh Madsen, though she suspects he’s hiding secrets of his own. She’s right to be wary. Josh is actually Jace Reed, a former undercover NYPD officer hiding from the mob. Jace knows his beautiful and mysterious new neighbor isn’t who she seems. Is she there to spy on him or to kill him? All he knows for sure is that she’s tempting him to do things he hasn’t thought about in years. How can either of them learn to trust when surrounded by so many secrets?
 
Former bull rider Ryan McCallister has returned to Two Forks with one goal in mind: to win back his childhood sweetheart, local bakery owner Katie Crawford. Ryan left eight years earlier for all the right reasons, but Katie doesn’t know that. All she knows is that he broke her heart. Can she trust him enough to take a second chance on love?  

As Katie befriends Maya, and Jace works with Ryan on his ranch, their lives become entwined in ways none of them ever expected. Will their shattered pasts destroy the hopes any of them might have for a happy future? The truth is hiding in plain sight.

EXCERPT

Still staring at the lake, Jace shoved his phone into his back pocket. Behind him, a familiar click filled the silence. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and goosebumps rose on his arms. Turning slowly, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun. A gun held by the woman he now knew was involved with the organization out to kill him. Tension filled the air as their eyes clashed across the expanse of the deck. Gone were her smile and welcoming eyes. Instead, her mouth was pressed into a tight grim line, and her dark eyes burned like coal.

“You won’t need to make that call, Josh.” She held the gun using both hands, her stance indicating she’d used a gun before. If she was part of Alastair’s organization, she knew how to use it. His heart began to hammer so loudly it seemed to echo off of the lake. He hadn’t thought to bring his gun—a stupid mistake and one that could very well cost him his life.

“If you want to know about Maya Lange.” She paused, tilted her head, and regarded him with disdain. “You can ask me. And maybe, just before I blow your head off, I’ll tell you all about her.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in the Southwest with her adorable rescue dog, Bailey. She writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a dash of spice and loves chocolate, reading, and taking Bailey for walks at their favorite park.

For more information on Alison’s upcoming releases, you can sign up for her newsletter at alisonpackard.com; follow her on Twitter: @alleyfics, and Facebook: http://bit.ly/2uERElk

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

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Giveaway – Sleigh Bells by Lindy Miller @LindyWritesLove @XpressoTours

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Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Lindy Miller
Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: December 7th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Screenplay by the writer of Rescuing Madison and
A Lesson in Romance (Hallmark), and the forthcoming Aloha with Love.

Christmas isn’t fashion editor Roxanne Hudson’s style, but when she finds herself snowed in with a handsome stranger, she might just discover the magic of the season after all.

Roxanne Hudson does not like the holidays. They come with too many family obligations that take her away from work as a rising fashion editor in New York City. But this Christmas might be Grandma Myrtle’s last, and Roxanne’s parents want her to spend the holiday at the family cabin in the Green Mountains. With her boyfriend out of the country for a photo shoot, Roxanne decides to brave the long commute—and the wilderness—to spend Christmas in Vermont.

After an uncomfortable call from her boyfriend starts the trip off badly, Roxanne is blindsided by a blizzard on the snowy mountain road, where the last thing she hears before losing consciousness is sleigh bells. When she’s rescued by Mark Foster, a handsome park ranger who’s the exact opposite of everything she always thought she wanted, Roxanne seeks her grandmother’s wisdom and discovers an uncanny connection that could be a sign of what her life is really meant to be.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“You’re seriously going to drive all the way to Vermont to spend Christmas with family you haven’t seen in years?”

Spencer’s voice was so thick with sarcasm Roxanne couldn’t decide which part of what he’d said offended him the most.

Her work bestie slumped dramatically against the high wall of her cubicle, fanning at himself. The perfection of his coiffed hair and meticulously starched clothes might have given the impression that Spencer Chen was impervious to the indignities of human emotion, but the expression on his face said plainly he was not. At the present, he was wearing the most severe of his trademark histrionic faces: upper lip drawn back to expose a row of pearly white teeth, nostrils flared, expertly sculpted eyebrows arched. The look said he hated everything that had just come out of his mouth.

All of it.

Don’t encourage him. Roxanne bit her lip and willed herself to stay silent. When Spencer got on a roll, it was best to just let him tire himself out. Working in the fashion industry had earned her a closet full of designer labels and, along with them, the kid gloves necessary to handle the drama queens in her life, including Spencer. Usually, Roxanne enjoyed his dramatic reactions to everyday happenings—so long as they weren’t directed at her.

Like now.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Spencer wasn’t finished.

“In a log cabin,” he added, stabbing his index finger upward to punctuate each word. A shudder passed through his body as he dropped his palm over his heart. He was so spun up he actually looked faint.

“I am.” Roxanne drew her response out and bit her lip. Maybe if she said the words slowly, they wouldn’t spin him back up.

Spencer closed his eyes and sucked his teeth, still fanning.

She sighed. “It’s not as bad as you’re making it sound, though, Spence. Seriously.”

“Oh, honey.” Spencer’s eyes snapped open with an exaggerated pop. “It absolutely is. You’re Divine, remember? Being divine isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. And there’s nothing cute about spending the biggest holiday of the year in the sticks.”


Author Bio:

Lindy Miller is an entrepreneur, award-winning professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Miller was part of the executive leadership team that founded Radiant Advisors, a data and business intelligence research and advisory firm, where Miller developed and launched the company’s editorial and research divisions, and later its data visualization practice, for clients that included 21st Century Fox Films, Fox Networks, Warner Bros., and Disney. She is the author of numerous papers and two textbooks under the name of Lindy Ryan, The Visual Imperative: Creating a Culture of Visual Discovery (Elsevier) and Visual Data Storytelling with Tableau (Pearson) Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Doctorate in Education, Organizational Leadership.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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