Friends with benefits—it never works. Someone always ends up wanting more.
What happens when both want more, but neither will tell the other?
Richard Murphy has been in the NHL for fifteen years, playing the game he loves. But with retirement looming in the next few years, he’s ready to settle down and start a family. There’s only one woman he wants that with, but she’s put him firmly into the friends—with benefits—category. Can he change her mind and heart, and prove to her he’s playing for keeps?
Madison O’Neal has been a lover of sports since she was young. She and her dad bonded over them, both during and after her mother lost her battle with breast cancer. Her love of sports led to a successful career as a sports agent. As much as she loves her job, what she really wants is a family—and someone to call her own. But the one man she’s head-over-heels in love with has her in the friends—with incredible benefits—category.
Can Madison and Richard find their way through the murky waters of friendship and become the lovers they secretly want to be?
I purchased the 3book/audio whisper snyc off Amazon.
Murph and Madison. These two have been on my radar since book 1. This friends with benefits routine they have put on was for their blinders but scared to admit it. Too afraid to rock the safe oat of friends them open the possibility of the love they they could have.
Murph/Richard has been in the hockey industry for a few years and is looking at his future. He is wondering if he should hang up his skates and look at doing something else. Madison is an awesome agent who met this young stud 8 years ago when she started the new job and has moved up in the ranks. The two spend more time together then apart. But they are so scared to move forward. They know each other inside and out yet are afraid to be without the other if they are rejected.
When Becca and Kinsley push Madison in to blind date with a doctor, Murph/Richard knows its now or never. He realizes he needs to claim his girl of lose her to someone else. The couple transforming from friends to more was a great read. The relationship and love were easily felt through the story. Th narrators did an amazing job changing voices and becoming the characters of the stories. They pulled me in and kept me draw in the entire time.
Once the couple move into a new phase Madison is rocked with news and leans on Richard/Murph more than ever. I loved the direction of the story and can’t wait for the next book.
Samantha Lind is a contemporary romance author. Having spent the first 27 years of her life in Alaska, she now calls Iowa home where she lives with her husband and two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, watching hockey (Go Knights Go!), and listening to country music.
Pursuing your best friend’s dad is never a good idea, but Cameron Motel is feeling reckless. His life is about to change, and Luke is older, attractive…and he represents something Cameron has never had before.
Stability.
Luke didn’t mean to get involved with his son’s best friend, but Cameron needed a strong hand and Luke was willing to deliver on his promises.
This thing between them is supposed to be a secret, but something as big as love can’t stay hidden for long. Then a single phone call sends Cameron farther away from home than he’d ever planned to go, and Luke’s subconscious keeps him grounded in the past unable to move on.
Cameron is gone, and to get him back Luke needs to do something big, something bold, something…reckless.
—
Reckless is #1 in the Room for Love series. It is a 65,000 word romance that explores an unexpected love and survives unexpected distance. Reckless has EVERYTHING you would expect from a Kate Hawthorne book…and more.
This was my first ‘best friends dad’ book. I was nervous going in, because, well it was new territory for me. Let me just say, I’m glad I gave this troupe a chance.
Cameron, with his smart mouth and need to please. Luke with his dominant nature.(Ummm, yes, please!) These 2 were kind of perfect for each other. Well, except for the pesky age gap and the fact that Cameron is Luke’s sons best friend. Ehh semantics.
I found myself rooting for these 2. Defending them in my head against anyone who questioned their “relationship”. Reckless was a very good book with interesting plot twists. I’m looking forward to getting to know the next brother in Heartless, book 2 in the series.
About Kate Hawthorne
With over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch. Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she spends her time writing romance, reading romance, and hiding from the humidity.
Can you keep a secret? I grew up sick. Let me clarify. I grew up believing that real love stories include a martyr or demand great sacrifice to be worthy. Because of that, I believed it, because I made myself believe it, and I bred the most masochistic of romantic hearts, which resulted in my illness. When I lived this story, my own twisted fairy tale, it was unbeknownst to me at the time because I was young and naïve. I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow. Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets. Secrets that cost us everything to keep. That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to. Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness. And all were punished.
This trilogy is a gritty, modern day take on Robin Hood. It’s an unconventional love story—bad boys/antiheroes—filled with suspense, steam, major twists, a little action, and ALL OF THE FEELS.
The Ravenhood Trilogy Reading Order Book #1 Flock Book #2 Exodus Book #3 The Finish Line
The Flock is the first book of 2021 that I would give more than 5 stars if I could. And it left me struggling to write a review worthy of the epic story I just read.
This book came highly recommend from a friend. I went in blind and couldn’t put it down. It consumed an entire Saturday, I was determined to finish the book. Nothing was more important than the answers to all of the questions bouncing around in my head.
The ending left me with more questions than answers but I know that I will always remember this story. The plot is original and the characters were unforgettable. I had ALL THE FEELS while reading and cannot wait to dive into book 2, where I hopefully find the answers I seek.
About Kate Stewart
USA Today bestselling author and Texas native, Kate Stewart, lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance, as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense. Kate’s title, Drive, was named one of the best romances of 2017 by The New York Daily News and Huffington Post. Drive was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice awards for best contemporary romance of 2017. Her works have been featured in USA TODAY, BuzzFeed, and translated in five languages.
Kate is a lover of all things ’80s and ’90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.
Time is a thief they say, and if you’re not careful it’ll slip right past you, taking everything you hold dear in this world with it.
It was the summer of 1972 when I first laid eyes on him.
Cynthia Rose probably got more than she bargained for when she came to my door step asking to write about my story.
Our story.
To everyone else Travis Cole was just the bad boy, but to me he was the keeper of my heart and even as time aged us and miles kept us apart, my heart stayed his.
Forever his.
If I’d Known is a phenomenal story based on a love that you only hear about in fairy tales. It’s the kind of love that’s not only unconditional, but unbreakable. Prepare to be swept off your feet as you immerse yourself into the story of Charlotte and Travis, while also going on a journey with three women as they form an unlikely friendship, discovering that without darkness there would be no light. The friendship in this story is fiction, but the love it holds is as real as you and I.
“Time is a thief they say, and if you’re not careful it’ll slip right past you, taking everything you hold dear in this world with it.”
With puffy eyes and an aching heart, I am kind of at a loss for words right now. Knowing this book is based on a true story has made it even harder to process.
Without giving too much of the book away, I will say this- Travis and Charlotte had an epic love- a love most people can only dream about. I feel honored to have been able to read their story. Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone.
This book was beautifully written. I love how the author made it flow so seamlessly from past to present. If I’d Known has definitely made my top 10 books of all time list!
About Paige P. Horne
Paige P. Horne lives in the small town of Gray Georgia with her husband. The two enjoy traveling every little chance they get and binge watching their favorite shows. When she isn’t creating new characters for her readers to fall in love with, you can find her back porch swinging, engrossed in a good book with her dogs at her feet.
Readers have described her stories as captivating and heartbreakingly beautiful. Paige pens emotional novels about soulmates and broken love.
For more info on what this author is up to follow her on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaigeP.Horne/ Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467178760247524/ Instagram: @Authorpaigephorne Twitter: @PaigePHorne
“Teagan, Lucas, Maverick, Grant . . . I love you. Then. Now. Forever.”
Two years after her father figure tries to kill her, Kendall has finally learned to live a normal life again. It helps that she’s had four very solid anchors to keep her from going adrift. Now the time has come for more permanency in their lives, with a wedding worthy of magazines and a honeymoon guaranteed to rock their worlds. Throw in some family drama, a little bit of bad news, and a kid closer to Kendall’s heart than she realizes. Kendall and her husbands realize being an adult isn’t going to be any easier than growing up. What lies ahead for this five-some family? Pick up the finale to the White Trash Trilogy to find out.
*This is the last book in a Contemporary Reverse Harem Trilogy.
*Recommended 17+ due to mature language and situations.
I received a copy of the audio book from the author for an honest review.
This is the final book in this trilogy. What a wonderful journey it has been to watch these five go from high school to college and now forward. Allie Martina and Chris Patton did a great job with the narration and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. I was able to follow then easily going between characters.
This book we get to see Kendal, Teagan, Goose, Mav, and Lucas relationship grow. The wedding and honeymoon was fabulous all I can say is OH MY maple syrup. I love how they make sure they have alone time and time together. They have bumps in the road and not easy ones but the bond they all have gets them through it.
I enjoyed each book in this series. I am sad to see it end but maybe we will see more of this family in the future.
Brandy Slaven lives in Tennessee with her husband and two wild children. If you can’t find her typing away at her laptop, you will find her with her nose in a book at the beach or hiking at a state park.
In a blink of an eye, I turned her whole world upside down. I messed up and will do anything to make things right. Is there any chance of a happily ever after for a football star and librarian? Fans of the Boston Terriers Series by Jacob Chance will devour Blitz by A.M. Williams, a light and humorous, enemies to lovers romance.
Blurb
One sexy football player. One sassy small town librarian.
Is there any hope for happily ever after?
Charlie
HEA? No way.
Jasper Sutton is the reason I watched my dream go up in smoke.
I don’t care that he’s ridiculously hot and the night we met was one of the best of my life. The fact that he’s also funny and easy to talk to means next to nothing.
He tore all my hopes to shreds when he bought the old library to turn it into a gym.
I can’t forgive him.
Jasper
Charlotte “Charlie” Drake is something else. And I don’t mean that as a compliment.
She might be gorgeous and sexy, but she’s also headstrong and stubborn.
I get it–I messed up. I didn’t have all the facts and took things too far.
But I’m crazy about her. She’s the only woman who looked past my name and reputation to see the real me. I want to prove to her that I’m serious, I’m sorry, and we could be good together.
What does it take to get over the ultimate fumble and still win the game?
“So,” I said after a few minutes of silence where we each sipped our coffee and ate what was in front of us, “are you vacationing near here?”
Jasper tilted his head, and a smile curled the edges of his mouth. “You could say that. I’m staying with my dad.”
I blinked at him. “And your dad is renting a house near here?”
He laughed. Laughed! “Uh, no. He owns it.”
I blinked at him again. “Oh. Did he move here recently?”
Jasper tilted his head and I caught what looked like surprise widening his eyes slightly. “Do you know who I am?”
I considered his question for a few moments, knowing that if he was asking me that then he was probably someone that was well known around here.
But I was drawing a blank.
Besides my friendship with Ruby and Vicky, I didn’t get out in town too much. I knew people, of course, because of going to events, working in the library, and being drug out to different festivals.
But I wouldn’t consider anyone that I met in that way to be a friend.
“You’re Jasper?” I finally said, not sure what else I should say. My tone was definitely questioning.
He ave one sharp, quick laugh before shaking his head. “I’m Jasper Sutton.”
I stared at him after his declaration. “I’m Charlie Drake.”
If he was going to introduce himself like that, then I could too.
His eyes narrowed. “No, I’m Jasper Sutton.”
I wasn’t sure why he was putting emphasis on his name, but I was also realizing that his name did sound familiar. I just wasn’t sure why.
“Okay…” I said slowly. “Nice to meet you.”
Silence stretched between us before he asked, “You know, the name on the sign coming into town?”
I studied him as I tried to recall the sign. I passed it every day, but I was to the point of not even noticing it anymore.
But I remembered what he was referring to. The Welcome to Spring Hills sign also had a part that said Home of Jasper Sutton on it.
My brow furrowed. “Were you named after someone famous?”
He said nothing for a few moments before he started laughing. Hard.
I shifted in my seat as he laughed, watching as he rubbed a hand over his face and hunched over the table. I wasn’t too sure why he was laughing; I just knew it was at me.
I glanced around the cafe and saw that people were staring at him laughing and grew even more uncomfortable.
Jasper slowly stopped laughing and shook his head, wheezing. “Are you for real?”
“About what?” I asked, though I wasn’t too sure I wanted to know what he was asking. At this point, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be on this date or whatever it was for too much longer.
“You really don’t know who I am?”
I shook my head.
He blinked at me before saying, “I’m Jasper Sutton. The name on the sign is mine. It was put there when I got drafted.”
The drafted statement made me pause, but I couldn’t dwell on it too long because he kept talking.
“You’ve been to the Tasty Freeze? Ever seen the Jasper on the menu? It’s the milkshake they named after me because it’s my favorite. What about the Burger Barn? The Jasper there is my favorite meal.”
I stared at him. I probably shouldn’t have said what I said next, but my mind was short circuiting because all I could think of was the fact that he said he’d been drafted. Drafted for what?
“I thought Jasper Sutton was some old guy that had died in a war sometime.”
08
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living abroad. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and traveling as much as possible. She has a serious case of wanderlust and wants to go as many places as possible while she can. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as those crystal clear waters on the North Carolina coast.
“Obsessed from page one! Another addicting read from Tijan.” — Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The Insiders, an all new page-turning and addictive romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is available now!
Bailey is as normal as could be, with a genius IQ and a photographic memory. But still, normal for her. Then, things happen — a guy breaks into her house in the middle of the night to take her hostage. She learns her father is billionaire tech genius Peter Francis, the same guy she’s idolized all her life. She finds all this out when she meets dark, mysterious, and electrifying Kashton Colello. He’s also an associate of her father’s, and he gives Bailey two choices—go with him and meet her father or survive on her own because those kidnappers are going to try again.
It’s a no-brainer.
After this, three things become clear for Bailey:
1. She has to live at her father’s sprawling estate, complete with bodyguards and the best security that money can buy.
2. She’s no longer an only child. She has three siblings and has no idea what to do with them and vice versa.
3. She is being guarded by Kash himself. Personally guarded. And there is a lot of guarding going on there and some of it is going to drive her crazy.
A complete outsider in a world of wealth and decadence, Bailey has to find her way within a family that has more secrets than she could have imagined. One of these secrets could be deadly…
Start reading today! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ddgG2e Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheInsiders Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/34Xbz2H Nook: https://bit.ly/33Ix9s5 Apple Books: https://apple.co/30Ugtfw Google Play: https://bit.ly/3dkxBzV
Add The Insiders to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2GJn59t
Review by: Twinsie Melinda
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley
I have been enjoying Tijan’s books lately and when I saw this one I jumped at the chance to read it. It is the first in a Trilogy. The suspense was so high in this one and don’t even get me started on the tension between Kash and Bailey. Really I was on the edge reading this turning pages as fast as my eyes and brain would let me.
Bailey Hayes was raised by a single mom. She grew up idolizing Tech Genius Peter Francis. Everything was going smooth for her and her mom until someone tried to kidnap her in the middle of the night and her world was turned upside down and inside out. Kashton Colello is assigned to guard her by her father the one the only Peter Francis. Bailey was now embedded in this new life away from her mother to protect her. Now living in Kash’s quarters on her dad’s estate she is getting to spend time with her half brothers and sister. Bailey is a super smart with a photographic memory and now she is trying to figure everything out. Her life is like a puzzle that someone picked up put back in the box, shook it up and dumped the piece back out. Now Bailey is trying to put her puzzle of life back together. She is trying to figure out how she fits into this family but it is hard when her dad will not communicate with her and Kash will not give her any information. Her brother is nice one minute then using her the next.
Kash is full of secrets and keeps them locked up like Fort Knox. No one gets in and nothing gets out. He is there to protect the family and now Bailey. He caught Bailey’s eye from the first time she saw him. She could tell there was something about him the power just rolled off him and she liked it. Kash is a key player in this Family and I’m just waiting to hear the rest of this story. I have a feeling Kash does more for this family than they know or ever will know.
I still have so many questions about Kash and other things. I do enjoy the chemistry that Kash and Bailey have. This was a great romantic thriller so many things that still need to be uncovered and puzzle pieces to add to this complex family and hidden secrets. This book had a unique plot that I am enjoying so far and I’m waiting to see how this plot thickens. There are so many players in this story that I have no idea how it will go or who the evil doers will end up being.
A few of my favorites:
But there was one thing none of them knew, either. Not fully. Not Really. Not yet.
Me.
“No offense,” Kash snapped, “but her placement isn’t up to you, Peter, or anyone else. It’s up to me, me alone. And I say she stays here.”
Excerpt
We were heading out of Chicago, and maybe another half hour or so from the small town where my mom and I lived.
Wait. Second thought—where we used to live?
What would my mom do now? Could Chrissy Hayes remain in that house after I was just attacked, almost taken hostage? I called my mother by all kinds of names—Chrissy Hayes, Chrissy, or Mom. Or, well, a whole other kind of names too, because to say she’s a character is putting it mildly. And we have an interesting relationship to say the least.
I might be deflecting here.
Numb. I was numb. I should be pissing my pants, but instead I’m ruminating over how I refer to my mother.
Could I stay in that house after what just happened?
I’d been planning to spend time with Chrissy, helping with the house and working at the local computer store to make some extra money before I left for school. But now . . . fuck if I knew.
Myriad curses went through my mind as I realized Chrissy would have to move.
Shivers pierced me as I went over what had happened tonight, but then we were pulling into a driveway, next to a booth. A large gate barricaded us from moving forward.
Official police business, my tech ass.
Then again, nothing seemed official. I was told that I was being taken to my mother, but I left with two detectives. Bright and Wilson. They introduced themselves, then said she couldn’t see me in the hospital. They didn’t explain why, but I was to go with them to see her.
I went.
I was in the backseat of their unmarked car a few minutes later.
Bright’s window rolled down. She flashed her badge. “We’re expected.”
The attendant nodded, hitting a button. The gate opened, showing a campus of buildings behind it. Some made of dark red brick. Some seemingly made of reflective windows, top to bottom. Some painted totally black. A large parking lot sat in the middle of the buildings. “Phoenix Tech” was on a sign in front of the first building, but we went past, heading around it and toward a smaller building on the opposite end of the lot.
My tongue was glued to the back of my throat. We were at Phoenix Tech headquarters.
I had yearned to get an internship there every year since fifth grade, and then through college. I kept applying, but they kept denying. Some might say I was being desperate. I prefer determined. It’s a quality that I feel is honorable. Plus, I wasn’t above hoping they’d take pity on me one day. It worked, because while I might not have been good enough to walk their hallways, I was good enough for them to give me charity. They awarded me the majority of my grants for undergrad, so I’d been able to go to college debt free. I’d been expecting that to change for graduate school, but it hadn’t. Or, well, it kind of had.
I was hired as a graduate assistant, starting in the fall, which gave me a stipend, but the rest was covered by another scholarship from Phoenix Tech.
Phoenix Tech was one of the world’s leading companies on cyber security. I was going into information systems, which was close enough. A job here would be a dream.
“My mom is here?” I asked, when Bright parked, and both her and Wilson got out of the vehicle.
Neither answered.
Bright opened my back door and motioned for me, slipping her sunglasses over her eyes. “It’s time for you to find out some answers.”
About Tijan
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Fallen Crest series, Ryan’s Bed, Enemies and others. She is currently writing many new books and series with a couple English Cockers she adores.
“Tijan delivers on the fun, edge, and angst. Her books never fail to please!” –Kylie Scott, New York Times bestseller
The Insiders, an all-new not-to-be-missed, intense and emotional romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is available now!
Bailey is as normal as could be, with a genius IQ and a photographic memory. But still, normal for her. Then, things happen — a guy breaks into her house in the middle of the night to take her hostage. She learns her father is billionaire tech genius Peter Francis, the same guy she’s idolized all her life. She finds all this out when she meets dark, mysterious, and electrifying Kashton Colello. He’s also an associate of her father’s, and he gives Bailey two choices—go with him and meet her father or survive on her own because those kidnappers are going to try again.
It’s a no-brainer.
After this, three things become clear for Bailey:
1. She has to live at her father’s sprawling estate, complete with bodyguards and the best security that money can buy.
2. She’s no longer an only child. She has three siblings and has no idea what to do with them and vice versa.
3. She is being guarded by Kash himself. Personally guarded. And there is a lot of guarding going on there and some of it is going to drive her crazy.
A complete outsider in a world of wealth and decadence, Bailey has to find her way within a family that has more secrets than she could have imagined. One of these secrets could be deadly…
Get yours now! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ddgG2e Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheInsiders Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/34Xbz2H Nook: https://bit.ly/33Ix9s5 Apple Books: https://apple.co/30Ugtfw Google Play: https://bit.ly/3dkxBzV
Add The Insiders to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2GJn59t
About Tijan Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.
Mafia King: A Mafia Royals Novella, an all new must read standalone novella from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken and 1,001 Dark Nights, is available now!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Mafia Royals series…
One of the first rules they give you when you’re undercover—never fall for the enemy. I didn’t just fall for the enemy. I became what I was supposed to hate. What’s worse: I fell in love with one. I live a double life, and both sides know it’s only a matter of time before I’m forced to choose. Rebirth through mafia blood. Or death at the hands of the very government I swore to protect. I have one more job before my time’s up. I just wish it was anything but babysitting a mafia princess who’s half my size but knows how to pack such a brutal punch I worry about my ability to have children. Tin’s small but terrifying. And I’m her new bodyguard while we all go on a much-needed vacation. I just have to stick to the plan. And remember rule number one. And stop kissing her.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Add Mafia King to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3ujkrvn
Review by Twinsie Melinda
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
I love this Mafia family. Karini stole my heart from jump. Really, she was sassy and boy does she keep Tank on his toes. Tank I was iffy about at first but man did he shine after he decided to make it known where he stood.
Tank and FBI informant placed in the fold of a Mafia family. With orders to take out the Mafia Princess. One problem Tank was so deep he really got to see how this family operated Blood & Loyalty. He was. Put in charge of protecting Kartini by her father yep, the same girl he was supposed to take out.
Kartini is a mafia warrior she likes being protected but push comes to shove she can hold her own and shows she is a mafia princess. She still likes to get into mischief and a certain bodyguard a bit of trouble and sass.
I loved Tank and Kartini. They had that connection from the start but Tank had. A job to do and Kartini was having fun keeping him on his toes. I have to say I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. I think I need to go back and read the beginning of this series.
A few of my favorites:
“One day, you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to burn the world for one person or if your job means so much to you – your past – that you’re willing to fuck up your future. That’s your crown. That’s your baggage. That’s your cross to bear.”
“I love you, Tiny. I will always love you more than my life, more than my next breath – blood staining your hands or not. You’re mine.”
Excerpt
The door slammed.
“Honey, I’m home…” I said to myself with a grin.
I had a bottle of wine out on the living room table, my shoes on the glass as I leaned back and took a swig from my goblet—because why not get fancy at two in the afternoon?
“It’s ten a.m,” came Tank’s annoyed voice.
Or ten in the morning…whoops.
“I don’t own a watch.” I shrugged.
“What’s that on your left wrist, then?”
“Oh, that?” I shrugged. “It’s an Apple watch used strictly for heart rate and exercise purposes.”
“Exercise to you is opening your mouth and closing it, Tiny.” He made it farther into the room, and I tried…I really did. I tried not to check him out.
Not to stare at his golden skin.
His bulging biceps beneath his plain black t-shirt.
The new ink poking out from the V of that same shirt.
Would he get the Abandonato crest like the rest of the Family?
I shivered.
He would look so hot with it across his chest.
Our crest.
Mine.
I shifted my eyes away too slowly, and he caught them with his green-eyed gaze before he licked his full lips like he saw something else he wanted to lick.
He always looked at me that way—with both annoyance and need.
And I never knew how to take it.
On one hand, I wanted to believe the need trumped any annoyance he felt for me, but I knew how he saw me.
As a spoiled brat with a silver spoon stuck up her ass.
And even worse now that I was older.
Now that I was…different.
“You added more blue.” He jutted his chin toward me and sat down on the chair across from the sofa I was lying on.
“Yup.” I examined my black nail polish. “I felt like it wasn’t making a strong enough statement.”
He snorted out a laugh. “And what sort of statement were you going for? Gothic chic?”
“What?” I glared at him. “You don’t like it.”
“It’s not you.”
Disappointment threatened to choke me, and shame crawled up my neck by way of a harsh red flush. “You don’t know me.”
“I did.” He locked eyes with me. “Or I thought I did.”
About Rachel Van Dyken Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
For More information about 1001 Dark Nights Visit Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu
Mafia King, an all new 1,001 Dark Nights standalone novella
in the Mafia Royals Series from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken is
available now!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Mafia Royals series…
One of the first rules they give you when you’re undercover—
never fall for the enemy. I didn’t just fall for the enemy. I became what I was supposed
to hate. What’s worse: I fell in love with one. I live a double life, and both sides know it’s
only a matter of time before I’m forced to choose. Rebirth through mafia blood. Or death
at the hands of the very government I swore to protect. I have one more job before my
time’s up. I just wish it was anything but babysitting a mafia princess who’s half my size but
knows how to pack such a brutal punch I worry about my ability to have children. Tin’s small
but terrifying. And I’m her new bodyguard while we all go on a much-needed vacation. I
just have to stick to the plan. And remember rule number one. And stop kissing her.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For
new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the
author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Add Mafia King to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3ujkrvn
About Rachel Van Dyken Rachel Van
Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of
regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at
Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in
Idaho with her husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
For More information about 1001 Dark Nights
Visit Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT Instagram:
https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark
Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu
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