For the Sake of His Heir by Joanne Rock 💕 Book Blitz & Prize Pack Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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When a marriage of convenience is the only answer…things get inconvenient.

Gabe McNeill is done being manipulated. By everyone from his ex-wife who abandoned him and their baby to the grandfather forcing him to remarry. Now the only way Gabe can ensure his son’s inheritance is if Brianne Hanson agrees to be his bride. They’ve always kept things strictly business and this is no different…until she falls into his bed and all bets are off!

Brianne was busy scooping up another snowball, scraping red gloves through the foot of accumulation on the wooden deck. She’d traded her wool cape for a red down parka and boots. A gray knit cap was pulled low over her eyes, her ponytail covered with snow and hanging bedraggled over one shoulder.
His loafers would be ruined, but he had no intention of leaving the aggression unanswered, especially after he’d heard that laughter of hers. Had she moved on from their earlier disagreement? Or simply found an outlet for her frustration with him? He’d thought dinner would smooth things over between them, but if she preferred a snowy standoff, he was ready.
“I’d think carefully about your next move,” he warned her, taking in her pink cheeks and bright eyes as she stalked closer to him, the wind lifting her hair off her shoulder and whipping it across the front of her parka. “I can’t very well lob snow missiles at my new bride, but I can get even other ways.”
“You can’t play that card.” She wagged one gloved finger at him, her voice raised so he could hear her over the howl of the wind. “No veiled threats allowed, Mr. McNeill. I give you my permission to get into an old-fashioned snowball fight with me.”
He’d missed this part of their relationship. The teasing and one-upping. Only now, there was a new dimension to it thanks to their wedding vows. The possibility of things getting much more interesting.
“I’d hardly call it a veiled threat.” He kept one eye on the snowball in her hand as they squared off a few feet apart in the middle of the balcony. “You make it sound ominous.”
“Okay. No mystery threats, then. No suggestive innuendo allowed.”
“I draw the line there, Mrs. McNeill.” He liked her expression as he tested out the new name. Even in the reflected light from the house, he could see a flare of something that looked like pleasure in her eyes. “Half the reason I married you was for the suggestive innuendo.”
Her gaze narrowed as her fingers closed harder around the snowball. “Maybe I should have read that contract more carefully.”
They both knew she’d read it exhaustively, working on a tentative draft while her grandmother was in the emergency room. She’d changed wording in a handful of places and argued against several points of the settlement to try and decrease the amount she would receive after they’d been married for a year. He’d tweaked the wording as she wished, but he’d left the settlement terms as generous as originally written.
“You didn’t see the suggestive-language addendum?” He moved fractionally closer, ready to disarm her if the opportunity presented itself.
A light snow fell, or else the wind kicked up enough to make it feel like it was actively snowing. There was a swirl of white between them. Behind her, he could see the outline of the railing. Down on the far end of the balcony, he could see the shape of the hot tub he’d warmed up earlier. He shifted closer still.
“I know perfectly well there’s no such thing. We’re married for a handful of hours and we’re already at odds about the agreement.” She tsked and sighed dramatically.
“I’m the one who has come under attack, though.” He nodded meaningfully toward the hand that still held the snowball. “Maybe I’d be more amenable if you put down your arms.”
“And risk retribution?” She shook her head. “I’ll go on firing, thank you very much.”
“At such close range?” He put a hand to his chest. He only wore a sweater and a shirt in the chilly winter air, but the thought of touching Brianne heated him inside and out. “I don’t think you can pull the trigger on your new groom, Brianne. Not when you know how much I’m dying for payback.”
He closed the distance between them even more; they were so close his body blocked the snowflakes from landing on her. So close he could see her sway on her feet for a moment, as if she wanted to fall into his arms as much as he wanted her to.
Her eyelashes fluttered. She dragged in a slow breath.
And socked him square in the chest with the snowball.

    

Finders Keepers by N.R. Walker 💕 Book Blitz & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (M/M Romance)

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Needing a change of scene, Griffin Burke moves from Brisbane to Coolum Beach to start a new job. The beautiful white sand, aqua-coloured ocean, blue skies, and summer breezes are everything he longs for. What he finds is a mud-covered dog, lost and hungry, with a nametag and a phone number.

Dane Hughes is stuck in Surfers Paradise at a week-long work conference when he gets a phone call from his distraught mother. His dog, his fur baby, Wicket, has run away. Unable to leave and feeling helpless and miserable, he gets a text from a guy. “I think I found your dog…”

Griffin and Dane start talking, and Griffin agrees to look after Wicket until Dane can collect him. With a few days left before his new job starts, Griffin takes Wicket on some coastal adventures and sends Dane photos of their fun, and so the start of something new and kind of wonderful begins.

Griffin might have moved to Coolum in search of a new life, but what he finds is so much more. What he gets to keep just might take some four-legged help.

Griffin

A small brownish dog came over to me and sat in front of me. He was cute and had a happy face. His pink tongue lolled out of his mouth, and he just sat there and stared. I looked around the car park, but no one seemed to be paying attention.
“Hey there,” I said to him.
I’m sure he smiled.
“Where’re your parents?” I asked, then realised I was talking to a dog like he was some lost kid.
He just sat there, smiling, tongue lolling.
I took a long drink of my last water bottle, and the dog edged a little closer and licked his lips. “You thirsty?” I asked.
I looked around the car park again and figured no one would be mad if I gave their dog a drink of water. So I cupped one hand in front of his face and poured what was left of my water into it, and the dog lapped at it eagerly until the bottle was drained.
Poor little guy was thirsty.
I looked around again, this time concerned. I mean, it was hot. It was summer. He shouldn’t have been left without water. Maybe someone wouldn’t be mad at me for giving their dog water, but I could be pissed at his owner for neglecting to do the same.
But there was no one there.
“Where’s your mum or dad?” I asked him again, giving his forehead a pat.
He just smiled at me.
“You’re a cute little thing, aren’t you.”
His smile widened.
I wanted to go hit the beach to let my muscles soak in saltwater for a bit, so I collected my bag and walked to my car. The dog followed. Again, I looked around the carpark. I couldn’t see any people, but there were cars and maybe his owners were hiking. Maybe they’d be back any minute.
Convincing myself that was the case, I said goodbye to my new four-legged friend and got in my car. I cranked up the air conditioning and reversed out, and when I looked up, I saw he’d sat down, watching me with a sad face as I drove away.
I frowned all the way to the beach. But as soon as those aqua-coloured waves came into view, I forgot about the dog and walked into the ocean. I swam for a bit and the cool water soothed my body and cleared my mind. There sure was something medicinal about saltwater.
I dried off and went home, starving hungry, and didn’t give that dog one more thought until the next day when I was hoping to do the hike again. It had rained during the night and the path to the top of Mount Coolum was closed. Impassable from wet-weather the sign said, and I remembered reading online that after rain, the trail was closed. I sat in my car wondering if I should find another hiking trail or just go straight to the beach when I saw him.
The little brownish dog was now a whole lot more brown, straggly and wet. He sat near the picnic table where I’d given him a drink of water the day before, just watching me.
I opened the door and got out. Not really knowing what I was going to do with him, but I sure as hell wasn’t leaving him here. He’d clearly spent the night in the rain, alone, with no food, and most likely scared as hell. I thought he was going to bolt, so I crouched down near my open car door and patted my knee. “Here, boy,” I said, trying not to sound or look threatening.
He took off all right, but not away from me. He ran straight toward me, darted around my legs, and jumped into my car.
“Hey,” I said, standing up. He wasn’t sitting on my driver’s seat. He’d perched himself in the passenger seat, just sitting up like he’d been waiting for me to give him a lift. “You right there?”
His pink tongue lolled out of his dirty face. He obviously wasn’t dangerous, and he sure didn’t look like he was going anywhere. I sat in my seat and closed the door and looked at my new passenger.
“You look like an Ewok.”
I’m certain he smiled.
And then I noticed his collar had a name tag. I reached out slowly, gauging his response, but he licked my finger so I assumed we were good. I lifted his name tag and had to rub the mud away so I could read it.
Wicket.
His name was Wicket.
It took me a second, but I got it. Wicket was indeed an Ewok from Star Wars. The cute little curious one that meets Princess Leia. “Well, Wicket, I bet someone misses you.”
He grinned at me some more.
I turned the name tag over and found a mobile phone number. Thank God. I took out my phone and dialled.

Seeds of Intention by Andrea Thome 💕 Spotlight, Q&A and EXCLUSIVE Print Book Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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Is it more important to have roots, or wings?

Garrett Oliver has just settled into his job as heir apparent to one of the most renowned master gardeners in the country. After a difficult few years, he’s found a home and a renewed purpose at a famed resort in the secluded Smoky Mountains. The stars seem to be aligning for Garrett as he plans a future with his college sweetheart and envisions a simple life with her in the mountains of East Tennessee.

Willow Armstrong, fresh off a painful breakup, is coming home to Knoxville to care for her ailing father. She finds herself in the right place at the right time, landing a dream job alongside Garrett—as his boss. As they are thrown together by their work, an undeniable magnetism grows between them, despite the fact that Garrett is ready to start a future with someone else.  Circumstances persist in drawing them closer, and an unexpected opportunity in Colorado prompts Willow and Garrett to wonder if a life together out west might be beyond anything either of them had dared to imagine.

Q: The locales mentioned in your books – rural Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains and Aspen, Colorado – are all quite magical and romantic. Why do you think those were the perfect backdrops for your novels?
A: The locales in my stories are characters too…as much as the people are. I try to describe these two particular places so that the reader can feel completely immersed in the romantic environments. I’m personally a very sensory person, and when I travel, I really take my time to soak in the sights, sounds, and smells of my favorite destinations. For example, I think very few fragrances are more intoxicating than that of a campfire burning. I grew up building forts in the woods with my brother in West Virginia, so maybe that smell takes me back to my happy childhood days, so it’s fun to revisit. Tennessee and Colorado are two of my favorite places for sure, so they were easy to describe.

Q: You reference a lot of great musical artists in “Seeds of Intention.” Do you listen to music while you write?
A: I’m ALWAYS listening to music, and most definitely when I write. I found myself going back to favorite songs that were inspirational during the writing of the first two books, so I made playlists for “Walland” and “Seeds of Intention.” You can find the playlists in blog posts on my website, andreathome.com.

Q: The cover design for “Seeds of Intention” is stunning. Tell us more!
A: I’m a hack photographer. It’s something I’ve always loved doing. My iPhone camera roll has over 35,000 photos on it! I personally took both of the cover photos for “Walland” and “Seeds of Intention.” For “Seeds,” I flew to Colorado with my best girlfriend the day after Christmas and spent two days searching for the perfect light in the perfect spot. I found it during a snowy hike on the Hunter Creek Trail. (Although truth be told, it’s hard to take a bad photograph in Aspen!)
Q: As a writer, what draws you to the romance genre?
A: As a former journalist, I’m a bit of a newshound. I watch my fair share of current events programs because I think it’s important to be informed. As we all know, there is some pretty heavy stuff going on in our world, so I find it important to balance all of that hard news out with a little “escapism.” As for the romance part? I can’t help it. I’m a sucker for a happy ending. All you need is love, am I right?

Q: “Seeds of Intention” takes place on a resort. If you worked at the resort, what would your job be?
A: As a little girl, I dreamed about being a cruise director or flight attendant. (Too much “Love Boat?”) I’m such a people person, which I get from my Italian father. I think my sweet spot on a resort would be working as a Concierge. I’d make it a point to make guests feel special and remembered. And I can plan a trip with the best of them—just ask my friends and family! I’m a TRUE Sagittarius—a rolling stone.

Q: Are any of your characters based on real people?
A: Yes, but I won’t tell you who. I’m sure they know who they are. ☺

Q: I know the next book in the Hesse Creek Series is in the works – can you share any details with us?
A: I’m only a few chapters in, but I’ve been workshopping the third book for a while. I’m super excited about the lead female character. She’s strong, smart and of course has a great sense of humor. She’s also wounded, and very private about her past. The third book is also set in Aspen. At least as of my writing this!

The Hesse Creek Series has been so fun to write. I enjoyed pulling at least one character from “Walland” into “Seeds of Intention” (Garrett)…and now another character from “Seeds of Intention” into the third book to continue exploring that narrative more deeply. Readers of “Seeds of Intention” might guess whose story gets told in the third book. We’ll have to wait and see if they’re right!

Only 99¢ at Amazon!

(Please double-check the price before you buy)

   

“Seeds of Intention is a captivating, intricate love story with relatable, layered characters, well-drawn settings, and a satisfying ending.

Andrea Thome is an excellent, graceful writer.

Her characters are so real you’ll feel as though you’ve known them for years.

Thome deftly builds the romantic tension and chemistry between Garrett and Willow, keeping readers engrossed until the end.

A tasty treat for romance fans!”

— NY Literary Magazine

“Andrea Thome has created another spellbinding romance about new beginnings. Classy, tasteful, and unputdownable!”

— NDP Book Review

“Andrea Thome brings the glories of the intimate, nature-focused escape to the wonderful world of romance. Seeds of Intention is delightful escapist fare. This is one series that you are definitely going to want to own the physical copies of, because the covers are absolutely stunning.”

— Kristen Kranz, Hypable

“Fans of Nicholas Sparks’ books will enjoy Andrea Thome’s writing. She manages to tell a classic romantic story that is interesting, vibrant, and surprising.”

— Windy City Reviews

“Thome’s followup to her well-received Walland takes readers on a gentle ride through a rustic Tennessee setting, perfect for cultivating romance as well as lush fields. Garrett and Willow’s relationship grows in a relatable fashion, with plenty of plot twists along the way. A cast of lovable if meddling friends are well drawn and highly endearing. The second book in the Hesse Creek series treats fans to new developments with old favorites, while also welcoming newcomers.”

— RT Book Reviews

“Sweet romance lovers, this one is for YOU! Andrea Thome’s SEEDS OF INTENTION has just enough spice to create passion, just enough turmoil to add depth and reality and just enough true friendship to go around and leave you smiling! ”

— Dii, Tome Tender Book Blog

“The relationships throughout the book were inspiring. I loved the way everyone was there and supported each other. It was such a delight to read...I am really hoping there are more books to come!”

— Susan, The Book Bag Blog (on Seeds of Intention)

“Seeds of Intention, Book 2 in the Hesse Creek series is just as lovely as Walland. A beautiful romance in a gorgeous setting. Thome knows how to paint a picture that makes readers feel like they are in the same room as her characters. Her male protagonists, Garrett and Wyatt are likable, kind characters, unlike the brooding moody men you often see in romance novels. Her female characters, Willow and India are strong and accomplished. From Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm to Aspen, this love story will keep you turning the pages quickly.”

— Kristina Hickey, Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library

White Knight by Nicole Flockton and Abigail Owen 💕 Book Tour & Kindle Fire Giveaway 💕 (Fantasy Romance)

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Modern-day King Arthur meets Snow White for a surprising happily ever after in this magical mash-up of legends and fairy tales.

The victim of an ancient curse, Sasha White has wandered the world alone for centuries. The only way out of this endless, lonely cycle is to break the fabled Immortality Stone, which she’s finally located. Infiltrating Chevalier Jewels as an expert diamond cutter, she’s determined to steal the stone from her employers—the same seven men her wizard father was once sworn to shield.

Security expert Derek Arthur has gone undercover in order to catch a jewel thief for his latest, and greatest, client. But all his military training didn’t prepare him to deal with Sasha, the woman Chevalier Jewels assigned as his boss to complete the disguise. The need she ignites within him catches him off guard. Meanwhile, his own powerful secrets are attracting mysterious visions and dangers at every turn.

Can an immortal jewel thief and the man hunting her down find trust a way to trust? Or will the evil that separated them long ago continue to deny them their true destiny?

A brief knock, and she stepped through the massive wood door only to stop short as she caught sight of who sat with Lance at the round glass topped table in the middle of the room.

Derek Arthur.

What. The. Bloody. Hell?

Shock ping ponged around her mind, competing with a heat that coursed through her veins. That damn kiss. Derek sent her a lazy stare with a barely there quirk to his lips, which tightened her nipples in response. He, apparently, wasn’t surprised to see her at all.

Which meant what?

His last name hadn’t been lost on her when they first met. If anything, the association to the man who she admired from afar, had caused her to be particularly snarky with him at the pub that night.

It wasn’t like she could plant a compulsion in him to leave the room. Not that it would work anyway. When she’d tried to send him on his way in the pub, the thought had bounced back to her. Her gift to encourage people to do the opposite of what they wanted over her long lifetime, had helped her out of many a tight situation. Never had she run across an individual she hadn’t been able to compel.

Besides, he’d obviously been invited to this meeting, so it would be weird if he walked out.

She deliberately adjusted her focus away from Derek to the head of Chevalier. Lance waved toward the man beside him, who also stood. “I’d like to introduce you to Derek Arthur.”

Shit. What did she do now? She never had a guy she kissed turn up in her workplace three days later.

Time to suck it up.

She pasted a smile on her face and addressed Lance. “We’ve met.”

Lance raised his eyebrows, glancing between them. “You have?”

“We happened to end up at the same pub after work last Friday,” Derek explained. He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you again, Sasha.”

To give the man credit, he wore a suit well, filling out the tailored jacket with his broad shoulders. Well-polished shoes peeked out from beneath the hem of navy, pin-striped slacks. She’d bet a six-pack lurked under the finely tailored white shirt. In an era when most men wore cargo pants and t-shirts, she had to admit to being a sentimental sucker for a guy in a suit.

Reluctantly, she shook his hand. Her skin tingled at the contact as his large hand engulfed hers. He had nice hands. What would his tanned skin look like against her paler flesh? Heat zinged to her cheeks while at the same time pooling low in her belly, and she quickly extricated herself from his grasp.

What was wrong with her?

“Derek is in security,” Lance said.

“Oh?” Sasha was proud of how her voice didn’t waver over the word even as she swore in her head. Forewarned was forearmed. “I hope you aren’t having trouble with stones going missing with the gem cutters?” she asked her boss.

Lance’s blue eyes intensified, the color darkening as he leaned forward, elbows propped on the modern glass tabletop, fingers laced. “What I’m about to tell you is confidential.”

“Of course.”

“We have a burglar who has been casing the upper floors.”

Deliberately, she widened her eyes. “The vaults? What was taken?”

“And our offices.” He sat back. “Nothing. Yet.”

“Then how do you know—?”

“We didn’t at first, but things would be moved around. Nothing big. A picture was angled differently on my desk, for instance. And a box in the vault had been tampered with, though not opened, as far as we can tell. Nothing was missing. Given the value of the jewels held at this location, we brought in Derek as both investigator and a secondary security expert. He installed a new set of cameras, catching the intruder on video.”

Everything inside her went cold. Video.

“But the thief didn’t take anything?” Sasha glanced at Derek. His calm demeanor gave nothing away.

“No.”

She slid her finger over her bottom lip, a nervous gesture from childhood that she immediately stopped, tucking her hands onto her lap. “I’m still not sure why I need to be involved.”

“Derek has determined the intruder is casing the place. They are planning the theft still.”

“Okaaaaay.” Get to the frickin’ point already.

“He is going to implement additional security, of course. In addition, Derek will be posing as one of the employees.”

The threads of dread tightened to a knot in her stomach.

“We’d like him to pose as your apprentice.”

Some wizard with a twisted sense of humor had to be screwing with her. No way could fate be this cruel. Again, the kiss they shared flashed through her mind. In technicolor detail.

   

Italian Billionaire’s Stubborn Lover by Leslie North 💕 Book Blitz & eBook Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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Luxury real estate agent Adeline Peluso came to Italy in search of adventure. Inheriting an apartment with a view of the coast in Sicily sounded like something out of a movie, but after two years watching a resort she’d always loved fall to pieces she’s ready to throw in the proverbial towel…that is until one of the owners finally walked into her office. Tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome, the man would drive her crazy with his arguments if he didn’t set her aflame with his kisses.

Billionaire Nicolo Romano is a global citizen. He’s the kind of guy who skis in the Alps, snorkels in the caribbean, and enjoys the lights of the Vegas strip on a whim. He has no desire to be tied down anytime soon. So when he and his brothers inherit the family resort, Nicolo has one goal: Sell it and sell it fast. But coming back to the place he loved as a child to find a woman who feels just as passionately about the crumbling hotel throws him. Instead of using his business savvy to sell fast, Nicolo is wooing this woman with his island, slowly falling back in love with the place himself.

When whip smart arguments turn into stolen kisses and stolen kisses turn into steamy nights, Adeline and Nicolo will realize that they’re fighting for more than the fate of a historic hotel. They’re fighting for the chance of life’s greatest adventure: True Love.

Adeline Peluso tapped her stiletto heel nervously on the rust colored terracotta tile floor as she traced her perfectly manicured fingernail over her plump bottom lip. Blinking, she contemplated the choice before her. She could stay in Sicily or let go of her dreams and move on.
“Poo,” she said, frowning at her laptop where it lay open atop an ancient walnut desk that was large enough and heavy enough to double as a raft on choppy seas. Between her eyes was a small, pinched crease of consternation that had plagued her with compliments of “adorable” and “sweet” ever since she’d been a young girl. Now at twenty-nine it was no less cute, but in truth, she was actually quite frustrated.
The beauty of her surroundings, which normally worked wonders to lighten her mood, did nothing for her today. From outside the tall, open windows of her real estate office, the calming sound of waves lapping against the Sicilian shore reached her ears. But instead of making her thankful for the life she lived as it usually did, it made her wistful for the adventures she was missing by remaining on the island of Sicily.
Moving to Sicily had been a dream come true for Adeline. Its history and heritage were more diverse than even the home she’d left behind in America. It was in Sicily that she had learned how to live with gusto and verve, and she had treasured the summers she’d spent there with her grandparents. Though they were gone now, it was through their happy marriage in this beautiful place that she’d learned what life-long love looked like.
She had thought that she could capture some of the magic of their lives by moving to Sicily. It had been her childhood dream. She’d thought that she would find love and adventure. Instead, she had an empty apartment to go home to at night and her life was filled with the same bored routine that she’d left behind in America.
She needed adventure. She needed more from life. It was too amazing to sleepwalk through.
“I could find love in Spain,” she said. Crossing her legs, she tapped her toe silently in the air
as she contemplated her choices.