Book Recommendations

Trailer Park Heart

March 12, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

This book filled my heart with ALL. THE. BEST. FEELS!

A headstrong, single mom meets a just-as-headstrong blast from her past. Add in a long-kept secret that he is determined to uncover, and get ready for some seriously intense interactions. . . the best kind!!

Rachel Higginson always knows how to tug on all your heartstrings!

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SYNOPSIS:

Trailer park born and raised. It’s my legacy. That’s how my mama lived. And that’s how her mama lived. It’s the life I was born into and it’s the life I swore I would leave the second I was old enough to make it out.

Only legacies have a funny way of sneaking up on you. An innocent decision the night of high school graduation led to a series of complications in my plans to escape.

Seven years later, I’ve resigned myself to this small town and the roots I’m tied to. Nothing could make me leave. And nothing could make me spill the secrets that keep me here.

Until he walks back into town with a chip on his shoulder and a stupid hunch nobody else in town has been smart enough to follow.

Levi Cole is my opposite. Born on the right side of the tracks with family money to spare, he’s the kind of black sheep that can afford to be rebellious—because his family will always pay for his mistakes. He’s also the only living heir to Cole Family Farms, after his brother Logan was killed in duty seven years ago.

He sees something in my life that he thinks he has a right to. But he’s wrong. And obnoxious. And he needs to take his stubborn good looks and that intense way he looks at me and go back to wherever it was he came from.

I know better than to trust men like him. I was born and raised in a trailer park, I know nothing good happens to girls like me—girls with trailer park lives and trailer park hearts. Especially from gorgeous, kind, pigheaded men like him.

Buy Trailer Park Heart on Amazon

What He Never Knew

March 5, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

Sarah and Reese’s story will steal every breath from your lungs and every tear from your eyes.

If there is ever one thing you get from a Kandi Steiner novel, it is soul-shaking emotion. And how she shares Sarah and Reese’s story takes it to another level with their incredible music and inspiring courage.

I love what they find in each other. They find connection, they find healing, they find…everything. And it is beyond beautiful.

Go grab the tissues and one-click it now. You will not want to miss this one.

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SYNOPSIS:

I never learn my lesson.

And I always want what I can’t have.

When Sarah Henderson walks into my life, I tell myself she’s off limits. She’s my student, sixteen years younger than me, and my boss’s niece. It doesn’t matter that I see the same pain reflected in her eyes that I have in my own, or that the dead organ better known as my heart kicks to life when she’s around.

I’ve been here before, and I know how this ends.

It’s been two years since I fell for the last woman I knew I couldn’t have, the one with the ring on her finger that I chose to ignore.

Two years of trying to overcome that heartache when Sarah slides into my life.

Another woman I can’t have. Another woman I can’t stop myself from wanting.

I never learn my lesson, but with a constant reminder of how that last forbidden love burned, I think I’ve finally learned this one.

This time, I won’t chase what’s off limits.

This time, I’m staying away.

And I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.

BUY WHAT HE NEVER KNEW ON AMAZON

Verity

February 26, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

There is an exquisitely eerie energy that hums within each page of this book, like a palpable, dangerous thing.

My first few thoughts after finishing Verity. . .

“What the. . .”

“Holy crap. . .”

“I don’t even know which way is up anymore.”

Things you must know before beginning. . . (not spoilers)

1. Even though it has a pretty cover, this is not at all a typical CoHO novel. Like…at all.

2. This book is not for the faint of heart.

3. There will be a couple moments where you’ll feel like, “I don’t know, Colleen. . . I’m pretty freaked out.” But hang in there. . . CoHo knows what she’s doing. Trust her.

4. This will be one of the best thrillers you ever read.

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SYNOPSIS:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of the night their family was forever altered.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her. Sexy. Twisted. Consuming.

Buy VERITY on Amazon

The Kiss Thief

February 18, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

There will be no adulting while reading this book. Intense is not even the right word to describe this story.

The living, breathing tension between these two makes every secret, every word, every touch unequivocally intoxicating.

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SYNOPSIS:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

Buy THE KISS THIEF on Amazon

Pro Val Day vs. Anti-Val Day

February 11, 2019 by admin

Do you love or hate Valentine’s Day? Either way, here are some of my favorites to keep you company for the holiday. I’ve included some feel-goods, some tear-jerkers, and some rollercoaster rides with questionable endings (*wink*).

Happy Reading!

Pro Valentine’s Day

The Matchmaker's Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken

Anti-Valentine’s Day

Please note: The following list contains both HEA’s and Non-HEA’s. I’m not telling you which ones are which (*wink*), but even the HEA’s are quite a rollercoaster ride, so hang on tight!

Dear Heart, I Hate You

January 22, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

Let me start by sighing dreamily and saying, “Aaawww.”

Usually, I’m not very interested in a long distance romance because I always thought the best part of a love story was the interaction between the two lead characters.

I’m so glad I was wrong!

The connection between Cal and Jules is felt instantly and in every word and sweet long-distance gesture they make. Their feelings for each other are so strong and so genuine that you root for them from the very first page!

And I love how Jenn Sterling filled this story with so much REAL-ness. The emotions and heartbreak are messy. They’re complicated. Everything seems unfixable. But just…hang in there with them. It’s so worth it!

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SYNOPSIS:

It should have just been a fling. A weekend filled with panty-melting kisses that stayed in Boston where they belonged. But the second I boarded the airplane back home to California, I felt a piece of me stay with him. I wasn’t prepared to feel that way, but I guess that’s what happens when you meet the guy version of yourself.

Cal and I shared the same ambitious personality, both fighting to make headlining names for ourselves in our industries. We had the same thoughts and feelings on love; it should happen to other people. We both agreed that work came first and everything else came second.

But try telling that to my stupid heart. An organ I was certain was closed for business. I had no idea how I was going to make this relationship work, but I was willing to try. What if Cal didn’t feel the same way?

Buy Dear Heart, I Hate You on Amazon

Shelter

January 15, 2019 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS. . .

I’ve been longing for a book like this recently!

Books like this one, with all the heart and emotion and angst that sinks deep into your bones, are the reason I fell in love with romance novels!

My heart was instantly absorbed into this beautiful story of second chances!

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SYNOPSIS:

Elise Cormier has hated Cole Whitehurst since she was five years old. He’s always known just how to make her feel dumb, shabby, and — worst of all — invisible.

Even when they live under the same roof.

But that’s where Elise learns Cole’s terrible secret and why he is the way he is. Despite how he’s always treated her, Elise becomes his ally.

Cole Whitehurst has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Day in and day out, it’s up to him to keep his mother and sister safe. He’s used to giving up everything he wants in order to protect them.

And there’s nothing he wants more than Elise Cormier.

Cole has no business falling for his housekeeper’s daughter, but how could he resist? She’s funny. She’s real. And he trusts her with his life.

But, as Cole knows, loving someone comes with a price, and it may take him years to pay it.

BUY SHELTER ON AMAZON

The Best Books, Courses, & Conferences for Writers

January 8, 2019 by admin

BOOKS

Learn from the experts! Amazing inspiration and practical advice for both newbie and experienced writers.

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COURSES

New York Times Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre, knows everything there is to know about becoming a successful author. Soak up every word she says!

Publish Your First Book Alessandra Torre

Click here to learn more about each course!

CONFERENCES

Alessandra Torre (again, she’s a NYT Bestselling Author, so she knows her stuff!) has put together an amazing lineup of speakers for this innovative conference for writers! And there is a digital option if you are unable to attend in person!

Inkers Con Writer Conference Alessandra Torre

Click here for more info on Inkers Con 2019!

Top 10 Reads of 2018!

December 31, 2018 by admin

Wow!! 2018 was an AMAZING year for books, wasn’t it? My TBR list is MILES long!!!

There just aren’t enough hours in a day to get through all the spectacular words these authors have shared with us!

But, boy, will we give it a solid effort, right?

Below are just 10 (it was soooo hard to pick only 10!!) of my favorites from this past year. I know you’ll fall in love with them too!! Enjoy!!

“One mistake doesn’t make you a failure.”

LONNIE
I came to Tennessee to help a friend.
And now, I’m stuck.
By the Southern charm,
By the sweet tea and
By a tall, red-headed “Strawberry Shortcake”

And when my world crumbles apart,
Wynn is there to help me pick up the pieces.
To show me the way.

WYNN
My life was a huge disappointment.
My marriage,
My job,
Everything slipped away.

Coming home seemed like the final failure.
But then I meet him,
Lonnie Brennan, the sexy bass player,
Who adds laughter to my life.

And now, I realize that I can
Change my tune,
Sing a new song.

BUY MY LIFE AS A MIXTAPE ON AMAZON

Beau Fortier starred in most of my cringe-worthy teenage fantasies.

I met him when I was a junior in high school, a time that revolved exclusively around bad hair, failed forays into flirting, and scientific inquiries into which brand of toilet paper worked best for stuffing bras.

That is, until Beau moved into the small guest house just beyond my bedroom window.

A 24-year-old law student at Tulane, Beau was as mysterious to me as second base (both in baseball and in the bedroom). He was older. Intimidating. Hot. Boys my age had chicken legs and chubby cheeks. Beau had calloused hands and a jaw cut from steel. Our interactions were scarce—mostly involving slight stalking on my end—and yet deep down, I desperately hoped he saw me as more of a potential lover than a lovesick loser.

Turns out, I was fooling myself. My fragile ego learned that lesson the hard way.

Now, ten years later, we’re both back in New Orleans, and guess who suddenly can’t take his eyes off little ol’ me.

My old friend, Mr. Fortier.

But things have changed. I’m older now—poised and confident. My ego wears a bulletproof vest. The butterflies that once filled my stomach have all perished.

When I was a teenager, Beau warned me to guard my heart.
Let’s hope he knows how to guard his.

BUY THE BEAU AND THE BELLE ON AMAZON

It was a big lie. The biggest lie she’d ever told. It reverberated through her head as she said it, ringing eerily, and the girl behind her eyes—the girl who knew the truth—screamed, and her scream echoed along with the lie.
“Are you in love with Noah, Mercedes?” Cora asked. “I mean . . . I know you love him. You’ve been friends forever. We all have. But are you in love with him?”
If it had been anyone else—anyone—Mercedes would have stuck out her chest, folded her skinny arms, and let her feelings be known. She would have claimed him. But it was Cora. Brave, beautiful, broken Cora, and Cora loved Noah too.
So Mercedes lied.
And with that lie, she lost him. With that lie, she sealed her fate.
She was the best friend, the bridesmaid, the godmother, the glue. She was there for the good times and the bad, the ups and the downs, the biggest moments and the smallest parts. And she was there when it all came crashing down.
This is the tale of the girl who didn’t get the guy.

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On the northeast side of town, there is a house.

The house was once magical, filled with love and joy and plans for the future.

Inside its walls are many things that belong to me — my books, the china from my mother on my wedding day, the beautiful cage once home to two birds, now empty, just like me.

And a man.

A man who also belongs to me.

A man I no longer wish to keep.

A man who, no doubt, has not slept, though the sun is rising. Because the house where he waits is where I laid my head to rest every night for eight years. Until last night.

No one who knows me would believe Charlie Pierce, the quiet, bookish girl who never made waves is pulling out of the driveway of a man who isn’t her husband.

But they don’t know me at all.

I don’t even know me.

Not anymore.

They say there are two sides to every story, and I suppose in most cases, that’s true. But the one I live inside of? It has three.

On the northeast side of town, there is a house.

But there is no longer a home.

BUY WHAT HE DOESN’T KNOW ON AMAZON

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.

I was the awkward musician, and she was the high school queen.
The only things we had in common were our music and our loneliness.

Something in her eyes told me her smile wasn’t always the truth.
Something in her voice gave me a hope I always wished to find.
And in a flash, she was gone.

Years later, she was standing in front of me on a street in New Orleans.
She was different, but so was I. Life made us colder. Harder. Isolated.

Caged.

Even though we were different, the broken pieces of me recognized the sadness in her.
Now she was back, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her go again.

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.
When we met again, I became her darkest storm.

BUY BEHIND THE BARS ON AMAZON

From New York Times bestselling author, J. Sterling comes a thrilling new standalone romance you won’t want to miss!

I’m the hopeless romantic in the family and I don’t care who knows. My brothers make fun of me for it, calling me “Princess” and “Cinderella” every chance they get, but I couldn’t care less. I’m done with one night stands and women who mean nothing to me. My dating for the sake of dating days are over.

I know what I want and I refuse to settle for less. I’m ready to find “the one.” You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Single mom Sofia can’t stand me. I want to get to know her better, but she keeps pushing me away. I just need one chance to show her that I’m not the guy she thinks I am, but she won’t let me get anywhere near her.

Being a single mom has made her heart guarded. Being a single guy has made my heart determined.

I wonder who’s heart is going to give in first?

BUY ADIOS PANTELONES ON AMAZON

From a New York Times Bestseller comes the story of a billion-dollar fortune and the sex, lies, and betrayal that surrounds it…

I’ve worked a decade for this. I’ve sold my soul and my reputation. I’ve lived a lie, smiled for the cameras, and hated myself, all for this fortune.

And then … she pops up. A mysterious heir with a rap sheet, combat boots, and a mouth that I want to pin shut with my–
It doesn’t matter. I’ve played this game for a decade. I can continue the charade a little longer, keep my hands to myself and her body out of my mind.

I can keep my secret until the ink dries and everything is mine.
Or not.

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Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe Winston remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .

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If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling. Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off. Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist. Caroline introduces Sam to the Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

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A Crown for Christmas by Rachel Van Dyken

The first time I met Fitz or to most of the world Duke Fitzegerald Heraldo Belleville, I punched him in the throat.
I was actually aiming for his chin, but he was a few years older, clearly not wiser, but at least taller.
He started wheezing on his candy cane.
And well, the rest is history.
Hate replaced what could have been friendship, and for the rest of my teen years, I watched him flirt with every single breathing female.
I hated him.
Plotted his death with a smile on my face.
And knew that my first decree as Queen would be to chop off his head.
Except now that I’m finally old enough to inherit the title, there’s one tiny little slip-up.
I need a man by my side.
The problem?
I may have accidentally scared them all away.
I have no options.
Until the devil rings my doorbell with a wicked grin on his face and revenge dancing like sugarplums in his gaze.
I hate that I need him.
It’s a serious problem.
We have twelve days before we say I do.
I just pray we survive without killing each other first.

BUY A CROWN FOR CHRISTMAS ON AMAZON

Tripping on a Halo

December 26, 2018 by admin

A FEW THOUGHTS . . .

A refreshingly unique story!

The main character, Autumn, with all her adorable craziness, will win you over in the very first scene! And so will her little piggy friend!

It’s cute. It’s funny. It’s wonderfully original.

And even when the story takes a turn you never, ever saw coming, the sweetest-ever romantic gestures will have you swooning for days!

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SYNOPSIS:

NYT Bestseller Alessandra Torre delivers a hilarious enemies-to-lovers romance!
It’s really hard to save a guy’s life when he keeps running from you…
You might be asking yourself why I’m waving an inflatable penis in the air and screaming at the top of my lungs. If I took time to explain, Declan Moss would get hit by a bus.

Let me back up. I didn’t ask for this. I was perfectly happy–and perfectly sane–before I was tasked with keeping Declan Moss alive. It was a thankless job until the moment that my panties dropped and his delicious smirk found his way in between my thighs.

Hello, toe-curling ecstasy. Goodbye, professional boundaries. And suddenly, there’s a new danger to avoid: the falling of my heart.

WARNING: This addictive story will cause an ear-splitting smile, public laughter, and heart-tugging moments that may cause you to tear up in joy. Read and enjoy at your own risk!

Buy Tripping on a Halo on Amazon