Relentless Romance

★NEW RELEASE & REVIEW★ MY KIND OF GUY by Sarina Bowen

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google | Audio | [ad]

He’s a backup goalie with a broken game. The only thing he needs more than a win is the hot, grumpy bartender who pours his weekly beer.

Becker James is having a spectacularly bad season. Once a top draft pick, he’s now riding the bench in the minors, one failed save away from being cut. The highlight of his week? A lonely hour on a barstool at Sportsballs, Denver’s queerest watering hole—and Forest, the bartender with flannel sleeves, a gruff voice, and a beard that stars in Beck’s dreams.

Opportunity strikes when Forest’s LGBTQ hockey team—the Stickhandlers—loses their goalie last-minute. Beck makes Forest an offer: he’ll help them beat the most hated team in the beer league, but he wants something in return—one night together.

Cue the record scratch, because Seth Forrester doesn’t do hookups. After his last one went horribly wrong, he swore off men for good. He’s definitely not falling for the awkward hottie who just stammered through an indecent proposal.

But Beck is prepared to press his case, no matter how awkward it gets. And one beer league game turns into something messier, sweeter, and so much harder to walk away from…

★5 STARS★

My kind of characters. My kind of tropes. My kind of Guys!

In a sea of mediocre reads, Sarina Bowen makes a splash with her latest offering to the Hockey Guy series.

The players are endearingly sweet, Becker James, a minor league goalie who is experiencing some rust between the pipes. And Forest, a grumpy bar owner, that brightens Beck’s week from afar. Their official introduction ends with a proposition and with it came the wonderful feeling every reader gets knowing they are on to a winning read.

Their story is a sweet and seriously funny one, with enough depth to yank on the old heartstrings. Told so very well, it’s impossible to do anything but root for Beck and Forest. Their addition to the series makes for a clean sweep, but the amount of enjoyment I got from them shoots them to the top of the league.

About Sarina Bowen:

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over two

Sarina Bowen is a #1 Amazon bestselling author, and a 24-time USA Today bestseller. Her books have appeared on “best of” lists from The New York Public Library, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Elle Magazine, Goodreads and Lit Hub.

Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA in economics.

A New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country in the 1760s, Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. She lives with her family on a few wooded acres in New Hampshire.

Sarina’s books are published in 20 languages with more than two dozen publishers.

She is a sitting council member on the Authors Guild, where she chairs the advocacy committee, and she is a member of Authors Against Book Bans.

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March 24, 2026 | 0 comment

Book Review, New Release

★NEW RELEASE & REVIEW★ THE GRAHAM EFFECT by Elle Kennedy

THE GRAHAM EFFECT by Elle Kennedy

Series: Campus Diaries, #1

Release Date: 31st October 2023

Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.

Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.

Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word
with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

BUY LINKS: Amazon | iBooks |Kobo | Nook |

★4.5 STARS★

If you are looking for something to get your teeth into, might I recommend this latest offering from Elle Kennedy?

The Graham Effect is a labour of generational love, and readers like myself that have partaken in the Off Campus series will be wholly satiated with the Campus Diaries.

Admittedly I was slightly horrified at the notion of Briar gang having fully grown offspring but my misgivings were quickly assuaged as Elle has masterfully whipped up some tantalising characters. The banter was delicious as always, and I would be remiss to neglect the generous heap of humour served on a bed of steamy… well, steam.

There is something to be said about the new generation Elle Kennedy is fostering and The Graham Effect took full effect in welcoming the new generation into the fold.

About Elle Kennedy:

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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October 31, 2023 | 0 comment

New Release, Opposites Attract, Release Blitz

★NEW RELEASE★ BETTER THAN FICTION BY ALEXA MARTIN

Better Than Fiction

BETTER THAN FICTION by Alexa Martin

Release Date: 8th November 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Love isn’t always by the books in this charming romantic comedy about a bookseller discovering how to be the main character in her story.

As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn’t anticipate inheriting her grandma’s bookstore, the Book Nook. She’s in way over her head even before the shop’s resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best–meddle.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From river rafting to local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She’s reminded that real life isn’t always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he’s writing a happily ever after just for them.

About the Author:

Alexa Martin is a writer and stay at home mom. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a former NFL player who now coaches at the high school where they met, their four children, and a German Shepherd. When she’s not telling her kids to put their shoes on…again, you can find her catching up with her latest book boyfriend or on Pinterest pinning meals she’ll probably never make. The Playbook series is inspired by the eight years she spent as an NFL wife.

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November 8, 2022 | 0 comment

Most Anticipated, Release Blitz, Spotlight

★NEW RELEASE & SPOTLIGHT★ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING BY JULIA WHELAN

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by Julia Whelan

Release Date: 2nd August 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

About Julia Whelan

Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, lifelong actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator of over 500 titles. Her performance of her own debut novel, the internationally bestselling My Oxford Year, garnered a Society of Voice Arts award. She is also a Grammy-nominated audiobook director, a former writing tutor, a half-decent amateur baker, and a certified tea sommelier.

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August 2, 2022 | 0 comment

Cover Reveal, Preorder

★ COVER REVEAL★ MISFIT BY ELLE KENNEDY

MISFIT by Elle Kennedy

Series: The Prep Series

Release Date: 26th July 2022

Finding out your mom is marrying some rich dude you’ve never met is enough to make any eighteen-year-old guy’s head spin. But for RJ SHAW, it only gets worse: he’s being sent to Sandover Prep for senior year. If there’s one place a misfit hacker like RJ doesn’t belong, it’s an ivy-covered all-boys boarding school for rich delinquents.

RJ knows his stay at Sandover will be temporary. Which means there’s no point making friends or trying to fit in. But the plan to remain antisocial goes awry when he meets a gorgeous girl in the woods on campus. SLOANE TRESSCOTT is pure temptation, with a sharp tongue and an ice princess attitude RJ’s determined to crack. Except there’s a catch. Sloane is the one girl he is forbidden from touching.

The headmaster’s daughter.

Good thing RJ doesn’t believe in rules. Sure, Sloane insists she’s swearing off guys this year, but their connection is impossible to deny. He wants her bad, and he’s going to win her over if it kills him.

Unless her ex-boyfriend kills him first.

DUKE, the ruling king of Sandover, will stop at nothing to get rid of his competition. Luckily, RJ’s unwittingly made some friends—his new stepbrother FENN, a pretty boy with a self destructive streak; LAWSON, self-proclaimed agent of chaos; and SILAS, the All-American Good Guy who can’t actually be as nice as he seems.

If RJ wants to survive prep school and win Sloane’s heart, he’ll need to adapt—and fast.

Amazon | iBooks |Kobo | Nook |

About Elle Kennedy:

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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April 21, 2022 | 0 comment

New Release

★NEW RELEASE★ HOMECOMING KING BY PENNY REID

HOMECOMING KING BY Penny Reid

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 14th December 2021

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

Bartender Abigail McNerny is the gal-pal, the wing-woman, the she-BFF. She’s dated. Once. And once was more than enough. Privy to all the sad stories of her customers, ‘contentment over commitment’ is her motto, and Abby is convinced no one on earth could ever entice her into a romantic relationship . . . except that one guy she’s loved since preschool.

The guy who just walked into her bar.

The guy who doesn’t recognize her.

The guy who is drunk and needs a ride home.

The guy who has a proposition she should definitely refuse.

Meet Penny Reid:

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

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December 14, 2021 | 0 comment

Atlantic Books, Most Anticipated, New Release

★NEW RELEASE★ THE HEART PRINCIPLE BY HELEN HOANG

THE HEART PRINCIPLE by Helen Hoang

Series: The Kiss Quotient, #3

Release Date: 1st September 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she has just started to understand herself. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.

(more…)

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September 1, 2021 | 0 comment

Excerpt, New Release, Review

★NEW RELEASE & REVIEW★ WAYLAID BY SARINA BOWEN

WAYLAID by Sarina Bowen

Release Date: 20th July 2021

Series: True North, #8

Genre: Contemporary Romance

It’s a tale as old as time: the bad boy meets the good girl. He makes a daring proposition. Then the boy gets a mysterious head injury and loses a year of his life…

The first time I meet Rickie, I don’t know what to make of him. The second time we meet, he doesn’t remember the six hours we spent together. Or standing me up afterward.

I’m not the same, either. I’ve got secrets. I’ve told lies. Bad boys aren’t my type, anyway. Even the ones with troubled gray eyes.

But now we’re roommates. Cue the awkward moments in the hallway when he’s wearing only a towel and a smile. He’s determined to win me over, and his talented hands weaken my resolve.

It’s all fun and games until my past rears its ugly head and his secrets come to light, shaking our fragile connection, maybe even breaking it…

Note: this is Daphne Shipley’s story. Contents include Vermonty ice cream flavors, nerdy awkwardness, tattoos, and a playboy grandpa.

★4.5 STARS★

The sign of great book boyfriend is when you’re willing to fight other romance readers for him. Ok, in no way do I condone violence, but you see, I’ve longed for Rickie’s story from the moment we were introduced to him in Heartland. Sarina did an incredible job in setting the stage for him. He was the happy go lucky roommate that came nightfall gave off a heavy whiff of mystery and intrigue.

I don’t think there would be many that would disagree that Daphne Shipley may well be the crankiest sibling. It’s her nature to be tough on herself, and the summer before college transfer has her feeling more miserable than ever. She feels like a failure having gotten herself in a situation that could threaten her schooling and career. She’s resigned to wallow but her brother’s college roommate has other ideas.

Rickie still struggles from an injury that has left him feeling as if he doesn’t know himself, but he’s confident in his feelings for Daphne Shipley. She prickly – sure, but she makes him smile (albeit begrudgingly on her part) and brings back a levity that he’s missed.

Waylaid is an incredibly addictive read. Rickie and Daphne have some heavy real life issues to contend with but even so, the wonderful balance of flirtation, passion and titillation of love’s first bloom made certain their story became one of my favourites in the series.

The good girl and the bad boy may well be a tale as old as time, but when the bad boy is Rickie… back off he’s mine!

(more…)

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July 20, 2021 | 0 comment

Book Review, Release Blitz, Review

★RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW★ EXPOSED BY KRISTEN CALLIHAN

Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo |

EXPOSED by Kristen Callihan

Series: VIP, #4

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 13th July 2021

Brenna

There are some people in life who know exactly how to push your buttons. For me, it’s Rye Peterson. We can’t spend more than ten minutes together before we’re at each other’s throats, which makes working together that much harder. Rye is the bassist for Kill John, the biggest rock band in the world, and I am his publicist. It doesn’t help that the man is gorgeous, funny, talented, and…never takes anything seriously. Avoidance is key.

But everything changes when he overhears something he shouldn’t: a confession made in a moment of weakness. Now the man I’ve tried so hard to ignore is offering me the greatest temptation of all—him.

Rye

Brenna James is the one. The one I can’t have. The one I can’t get out of my mind. Believe me, I’ve tried; the woman loathes me. I managed well enough—until I heard her say she’s as lonely as I am. That she needed to be touched, held, satisfied. And I could no longer deny the truth: I wanted to be the one to give her what she craved.

I convinced her that it would just be sex, mutual satisfaction with nothing deeper. But the moment I have her, she becomes my world. I’ve never given her a good reason to trust me before. Now, I’ve got to show Brenna that we’re so much better together than we ever were apart.

Things are going to get messy. But getting messy with Brenna is what I do best.

OUT NOW!

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo |

★4 STARS★

Brenna James and Rye Peterson are best known by their loved ones for pushing each other’s buttons. They’ve known one another for years and their lives are intertwined in both career and personal. As well as cousin to band member Killian, Brenna is the group’s PR manager extraordinaire. On paper her life is an enviable one, but there’s a niggling itch Brenna needs help scratching.

As bassist to one of the world’s most famous rock bands Rye should feel content with life. Rather he finds himself at a crossroads. He’s known for his carefree attitude but due to the seriousness of a situation he finds himself in, he finds himself looking for distraction where he shouldn’t.

Luck is in on Rye’s side when he overhears a conversation of Brenna’s, and much to Brenna’s horror he others her a solution the feels can bring them mutual satisfaction. The thin line between love and hate is not one neither of them wish to address, but they are both in agreement at the all consuming attraction that has circled them for years.

Conflict arises when fear and old insecurities rear their head to throw their alliance in jeopardy. It was a frustrating to see them give in to what they considered weakness but it was ultimately satisfying to see them confront it. Rye and Brenna are a passionate couple and along with that element, I enjoyed the playfulness of their relationship.

The VIP series is an wonderful one. The blend of humour and emotion makes each book throughly engaging, and the stories are made to be reread. I’m not ready for the series to come to an end yet but I eagerly await for the music to start again with Whip’s book.

About Kristen Callihan:

Kristen Callihan is an author because there’s nothing else she’d rather be. She has written New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestsellers. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Her debut book, Firelight, received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence and was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, Best Book of Spring 2012 by Publishers Weekly, and Best Romance Book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she’s not writing, she’s reading.

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July 13, 2021 | 0 comment

New Release, Novella

★NEW RELEASE★ ON A WEDNESDAY BY WHITNEY G.

ON A WEDNESDAY by Whitney G.

Series: One Week #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance | Novella

Release Date: Wednesday 7th July 2021

We met on a Wednesday.
Became enemies, then lovers, on a Wednesday.
And we made a final promise before saying goodbye, on a Wednesday …

Kyle Stanton is the cockiest playboy who has ever set foot on this university’s campus.

He’s also the last person on earth that I want to interview for my senior thesis since:
1) I haven’t forgotten how he left me hanging for a group project during our freshman year. 2) He has a tendency to believe that any woman who breathes in his direction wants him.
3) Did I mention how infuriatingly cocky he is?

If I hear him utter the phrase, “No need to stare, I’ll let you ride it up close and personal, just say the word,” one more time, I will scream.

At least, those are my initial impressions until he proposes “a perfect deal” that works in our best interest. Until one filthy kiss changes everything, and he shows me a side of himself that makes me fall in love.

We only have one semester left together, though …

He’s bound for the professional football league, and I’m bound for London.

We promise to remain long-distance “friends,” but a brutal argument tears us apart, and we haven’t spoken to each other since.

Until now.

We met on a Wednesday.
Became everything, then nothing, on a Wednesday.
And now he’s shown up to my engagement party, all these years later, on a Wednesday …

And now he’s shown up to my engagement party, all these years later, on a Wednesday …

On a Wednesday is a standalone inspired by Adele’s “Someone Like You.”

About Whitney G.

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July 7, 2021 | 0 comment