Thursday, October 17, 2019

Release Day: Time to huddle up before you cuddle up with The Second We Met




AVAILABLE NOW! 

Title: The Second We Met
Series: Fulton U #2
Author: Maya Hughes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs
Photo: Wander Aguiar
Release Date: October 17, 2019
PURCHASE ON AMAZON
or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

BLURB


Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole. 

That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead I sent a pleasant and apologetic version. 

Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words. 

Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.

Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy...

Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project. 

Guess who’s my new boss? 

Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away. 

It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.

Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens...one screw at a time.







READ CHAPTER ONE HERE: https://www.mayahughes.com/blog





Whew boy oh boy!! Let's dig into my bookshelves first because once again - I go against the rules.  Yes, this can be read as a standalone. Because I skipped a The Perfect First (yes, I'm fixing that) and read this one. If I can read it as a standalone, any reader can.

I love enemies to lovers because great storytelling will offer up some light-hearted humor to intermix with the more serious side of the journey of the main characters. Maya Hughes does not disappoint as you get the fun nerf wars along with some serious decision making.  Elle is a girl I can get behind. She's strong and no-nonsense as she has goals she will not be deterred from.  But what if those goals get interrupted by a set of abs that just won't quit? Sparks my reader friends, Sparks. To be honest, I really fell in love with Nix almost immediately. Ms. Hughes was able to give you glimpses into what is truly his vulnerability and you can't help but connect. I loved them both along with the secondary characters that make you flip the pages with begging for more from the author ending.

It's everything a romance reader wants to get lost in- humor, sweet and sexy story.
Recommendation: Buy or read for free with your KU subscription. 




GOODREADS LINK:


ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE FULTON U SERIES


#1 The Perfect First



Free in Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR BIO

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! :-) I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe and traveling with my family.

AUTHOR LINKS





Thursday, October 10, 2019

CHAPTER REVEAL

Title: The Second We Met
Series: Fulton U #2
Author: Maya Hughes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs
Photo: Wander Aguiar
Release Date: October 17, 2019



BLURB



Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole.

That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead I sent a pleasant and apologetic version.

Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words.

Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.

Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy...


Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project.

Guess who’s my new boss?

Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away.

It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.

Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens...one screw at a time.

Read CHAPTER ONE on Maya Hughes Blog: 

https://www.mayahughes.com/blog/2019/10/10/twsmchapterreveal






GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45022943-the-second-we-met

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE FULTON U SERIES


#1 The Perfect First

US: https://amzn.to/2GsWvNM
UK: https://amzn.to/2vfiBht
CA: https://amzn.to/2PonNJm
AU: https://amzn.to/2GAVh4k

Free in Kindle Unlimited


AUTHOR BIO

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! :-) I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe and traveling with my family.


AUTHOR LINKS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayahugheswrites/
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/maya-hughes
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mayahughes
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/mayahughes



Monday, October 7, 2019

Storytelling Can't Get Better Than This: The Amendment by Melanie Moreland

 
THE AMENDMENT (The Contract Series #3) by Melanie Moreland 
Release Date: October 7, 2019 
 
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRTheAmendment

                                    

AVAILABLE NOW!! 

                                


Blurb: 
Richard VanRyan has it all. 
A loving wife, a beautiful family, great friends, and a career he excels at. He is riding high on the crest of life.
What happens when the ride stops?
When the unthinkable becomes reality and life may never again be the same? The Contract has changed. Can Richard and Katy overcome The Amendment?

Series Synopsis: 
The Contract Series Follow Richard VanRyan and Katy as they hate, love, and grow in this gripping, deeply emotional series.
Book #1 What do you do when the one person you loath becomes the one person you can’t live without?
Book #2 Richard VanRyan just added another description to his resume. Daddy. How will he handle it?
Book #3 When the life you know becomes the life you had, how do you cope? How will Richard and Katy overcome The Amendment?


My Review 

It has taken me forever and a day to write this review. My struggle was with if I write this review, I have to finally let go of these characters as those I know in Romancelandia refuse to. If truth be known, I am one of those bugging the author for more.  More Katy. More of their lives. More Richard. That man I couldn't figure out how this storyteller in The Contract was going to make me like him much less love him. 

 I did... I love him. I love his story. 

Richard is one of the most challenging character arcs for a reader to watch. You wonder how this man - this man who is so unapologetic about his behavior can learn to love. He finds Katy. This woman who - I seriously wondered how she could tolerate him. But the more you get lost in their world, the more you come to understand the whys and - damn it - you WANT them to have a HEA which they get  - and you laugh with- in The Baby Clause. 

Anytime I am bored with my reading selection, I pick up The Contract/The Baby Clause to binge in. Not because fake romance/enemies to lovers is my favorite trope. Because the brilliance of the storytelling keeps me mesmerized in the tale.  Like another reader friends states - it's my GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

I became giddy when Richard and Katy showed up in Maddox (major fist bumps with romance friends) and in Reid. He was still Richard, and Katy was still keeping him in line. How could their story possibly be better? 

HOLY SH*T! 

I mean what possibly could the author give us? Grocery shopping? More holidays? She gives us that. Melanie Moreland paints a beautiful picture of a man - a man who never dreamed of this life - a wonderful family of marriage and friends. As we all know, life isn't without challenges. What happens when the unthinkable does? How do the characters react?  

It is real, raw and emotional. I will not lie. It gripped my heart and kept me devouring page after page.  

My GOAT just got better in more ways than I could imagine.

Thank you Melanie Moreland for writing not only this couple again for Romancelandia to enjoy. But gifting us another incredible story. 


5 plus STARS

                                

Excerpt: 
“I can’t get these damn cuff links on, Katy,” he grumbled. “This pair never seem to cooperate for me.”
I set down my coffee and slipped the heavy silver disks into the sleeves, fastening them. “There.”
He inspected his sleeves, pleased. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
“Will you be late tonight?”
He shook his head, smirking as he grabbed my coffee from the counter beside me and stole the last few mouthfuls.
“Damn it, you still make the best coffee.”
I rolled my eyes and waited.
“No, in fact, unless there’s some big emergency at the office, I thought I’d come home around three and start the weekend early. Maybe we can take the girls to the park and out for supper somewhere.”
“I’d like that.”
“Zandini’s?” he suggested. “We haven’t had pizza in a while, and Gracie loves it there.”
I chuckled. “So does Daddy.”
He lifted one eyebrow in amusement and kissed me fast. “Yes, he does. I want to spend the weekend with my girls. I’ve missed you all too much.”
I cupped his cheek. “A family weekend sounds perfect.”
“Great. I looked at my calendar and next week is going to be crazy. Graham has me booked solid. You have a sitter for Thursday, right?”
“Yes. The dinner?”
He nodded, a grimace crossing his face. “Graham is certain we’re going to grab a few awards for the campaign for BAM. Otherwise, I’d skip it.”
I studied him for a minute. “Why?” He usually enjoyed the dinners and spending the evening talking with his peers about marketing and strategies.
“David will be there. From the rumors I’ve heard, things aren’t going well with his company. That will make him especially nasty. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
I stroked along his jawline, feeling the tension simply talking about David caused him. “He’s in the past, Richard. He can’t hurt us now.”
He huffed out a long breath, not meeting my eyes.
“Hey.”
He looked up, wary.
“What is it, darling? Tell me,” I insisted.
He slid his arm around my waist, pulling me close. His breath tickled the hairs on my forehead. “Seeing him, being in the same room as he is, reminds me of the man I was before. The bastard I was to you—to everyone. It reminds me how close I came to becoming like him. I hate even hearing his name, never mind being around him.”
I hugged him close. It was rare, even now, that Richard showed his vulnerable side.
“I know he’s going to bait me. Make his snide remarks—remind me of my past.”
I held him tighter. “Nothing he says will make any difference.”
He laid his cheek on my head. “I worry I’ll slip back into that behavior someday,” he confessed in a low voice. “That I will lose everything I hold so dear to my heart.”
I tilted up my head, meeting his worried gaze. “No, you will not. You will never be like him, Richard. You’ve totally changed. You were lost and alone before. You have me now. The girls. The Gavin family. We would never allow that to happen. You would never allow that to happen.” I studied him, worried. “Maybe you should tell Graham you don’t want to attend. He would understand.”
Our eyes locked. Anxiety was evident in his stance. “Katy…”
“I love you,” I insisted. “I love you with everything I have. I love the man you are.”

 

About the Author: 
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story. Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at  flavia@bookcaseagency.com


Connect w/Melanie: 
Melanie’s Minions (FB reader group) http://bit.ly/MMReaderGroupFB 
United By Romance Goodreads Group: http://bit.ly/UBRGoodreads

Friday, October 4, 2019

Are you ready for an excerpt? The Amendment by Melanie Moreland


THE AMENDMENT (The Contract Series #3) by Melanie Moreland Release Date: October 7, 2019 Cover Design by: Melissa Ringuette of Monark Designs Services

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRTheAmendment


                     

Blurb: Richard VanRyan has it all. A loving wife, a beautiful family, great friends, and a career he excels at. He is riding high on the crest of life.
What happens when the ride stops?
When the unthinkable becomes reality and life may never again be the same? The Contract has changed. Can Richard and Katy overcome The Amendment?

Series Synopsis: The Contract Series Follow Richard VanRyan and Katy as they hate, love, and grow in this gripping, deeply emotional series.
Book #1 What do you do when the one person you loath becomes the one person you can’t live without?
Book #2 Richard VanRyan just added another description to his resume. Daddy. How will he handle it?
Book #3 When the life you know becomes the life you had, how do you cope? How will Richard and Katy overcome The Amendment?

                           

Excerpt: 
I pulled back the blankets on her side and slid her in. I left her sleeping, grabbed a long, hot shower, and got ready for bed, slipping in beside her. In a second, she was nestled against me, her head on my chest and her leg tossed over mine—my own personal starfish. There was no doubt Gracie had inherited that from her.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
She shifted, lifting her leg, her knee rubbing over my groin, making my cock stir. Maybe she wasn’t as sleepy as I had thought.
“Katy,” I warned. “Don’t be starting something you’re too tired to finish.”
She burrowed closer, running her hand down my chest, her voice low and raspy from sleep. “I missed you so much.”
I lifted my head, peering down at her. Her eyes were drowsy and narrow but still filled with adoration. She had a way of looking at me that made me feel ten feet tall. As if I could do anything. Be anything for her.
I tugged her up my chest, my lips close to hers. “I missed you too, baby. I always miss you.”
Her hand slid under the waistband of my sleep pants. Nude sleeping had stopped once Gracie began to walk. She was adventurous and had no trouble climbing into our bed in the middle of the night.
Katy’s hand closed around my hardening cock. “I missed this, too.”
“We’re both happy to be home.”
She sat up, throwing her leg over my hips and gripping my waistband. “Up,” she commanded.
I arched, and she dragged my pants down, lowering herself until we were skin-to-skin.
“Jesus, Katy, you had underwear on a few minutes ago.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “My undies exploded.”
“Exploded?”
Her voice was raspy and sexy. “They heard Richard VanRyan was back. Boom! They were gone.”
“Is that a fact?”
She stretched over my torso, the heat of her sliding along my cock. “Yeah.”
“I hope you weren’t hurt during the blast.”
“A little scorched. I’m sure you can put out the fire.” She kissed me, her lips devouring mine, hungry and urgent. I gripped her hip and wound my other hand into her hair, kissing her back. The taste of my wife, the feel of her skin on mine, was like nothing else. I loved these moments with her—when it was simply us. Together.
I eased back, gazing up at her. Her quiet beauty overwhelmed me at times. I stroked her soft skin, spreading my hands over her stomach.
She bit her lip, for the first time not meeting my eyes as I ran small circles over the gentle curves of her. She stilled my actions, her fingers restless on top of mine.
“Hey,” I called quietly. “Katy, baby, come back to me.”
She lifted her eyes, and I shook my head, knowing exactly what she was thinking. I traced the light lines that bothered her so much along her hips and stomach. It wasn’t very often she was insecure with me anymore, and this was something I needed to address, once and for all.
“These don’t bother me, Katy, and they shouldn’t bother you. They don’t make you less beautiful—only more so to me. They’re part of you. Part of us. You have them because for nine months you cradled, nurtured, and carried our children—my children—inside you. These little lines are proof of the strength you have. Tiny reminders of the wonder that your body is to me.” I raised myself up and kissed her, pouring all the love I felt into the kiss. “Of the wonder you are to me.”
“How do you always know the right thing to say?”
“It’s not the right thing, Katy. It’s the truth.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Good.” I winked at her. “Because I’m about to fuck you, and I need you to be with me on that.”
She grinned, her dark moment passing. She pushed me back to the mattress. “Oh, I’m with you, VanRyan.”
   
About the Author: 
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story. Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at  flavia@bookcaseagency.com

Connect w/Melanie: 
Melanie’s Minions (FB reader group) http://bit.ly/MMReaderGroupFB 
United By Romance Goodreads Group: http://bit.ly/UBRGoodreads