Sneak Peak: The Best Men by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely

Title: The Best Men

Authors: Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: January 18th, 2022

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Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely team up for the first time in an enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, irresistibly sexy standalone romance between the best man and the other best man!

In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a life-long penchant for protecting my baby sister. Still, that’s no excuse to send ten drunk-texts on why her hasty marriage would be a mistake.

If only I had just texted my sister. But nope. I accidentally sent the message to her, her groom, and his super hot wingman.

I also used the phrase “super hot wingman,” so I’d like to die now.

Instead, I have to plan a wedding with the aforementioned hottie and share a too-small guesthouse in steamy Miami.

Three days in the sun with the cocky, charming former athlete who likes to push my buttons? Fine, two can play at that let’s-infuriate-each-other game.

Until Asher ups the stakes with one wildly sexy suggestion. A no-strings fling, then I go back to my single dad life in New York, and he returns to his star-studded one.

Sign me up.

But the more nights I spend with the other best man, the more I want days too, and that just can’t happen. Especially when I find out the real reason why…

Contents Include: First times, a secret to-do list, champion-level flirting, fast cars, #eggplants, and two men who look good in formal wear.

Excerpt: Bombshells by Sarina Bowen

Title: Bombshells

Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: Sports Romance

Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #8 (CAN be read as a standalone)

Release Date: April 13, 2021

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He hums under his breath as he locates the safety pin tucked under the fabric, and carefully frees it from the dress.

“There,” he says quietly as the velvet begins to slip against my skin. “Ah, careful.” He pauses, holding the dress in place, because that narrow circle of fabric is the only thing holding up the top of the dress. It wants to slip down my body. 

I don’t make a move to help him. I don’t reach back, and I don’t let him off the hook. Instead, I reach for his free hand, and wrap it around my hip. And then I lean back against him, taking in the heat of his hard chest through his tuxedo shirt. 

I hold my breath. Because I want this. No, I need this. I’m so tired of waiting and wanting. And Anton’s nearness has always done swoopy things to my stomach. 

Why not now? Why not him, and why not me?

“Sylvie,” he whispers, and it sounds like a prayer. Then he drops the collar of the dress, and it slides like a silky waterfall down my upper body, until stopped by the zipper.

Then? I reach back and tug the zipper down slowly. 

Cool air hits my skin. Anton makes a low groan of protest as the dress continues to slide, exposing my lacy strapless bra. Then soft lips slip across the back of my neck. “Is this what you’re asking me for?” He kisses the juncture of my shoulder.

“Yes.”

“And this?” His tongue darts out to taste my skin, and my goosebumps redouble.

“Yes,” I gasp.

He kisses me again, his mouth growing bolder and less gentle. Wet, open-mouthed kisses swirl against my skin, and then he taunts me with his tongue. 

Hell, I feel it in my nipples. I feel it everywhere. And I tilt my head to give him better access. He groans again, tasting my skin, tonguing each new inch, sucking lazily where it suits him before moving on. 

I had no idea a man could get me so hot by kissing my neck. I want more, so I try to turn around. 

But Anton tightens his arm around my waist, fighting me. He pins me in place, my back to his chest, and he continues the erotic assault on my bare shoulder.

My breasts feel achy, and I’ve started to shake. The brace of his hard body makes me sweat. “Please,” I beg. I’m in a hurry now. More. Hotter. Faster. 

“Slow the fuck down,” he hisses. “If we’re making this trip to the land of reckless decisions, I’m gonna enjoy the ride. Now hold still.”

I stand quietly on loose knees, while Anton locates the zipper where it’s trapped at my hips. He eases it down at a torturous pace. I fight off a shiver as he drags his fingertips down my bare back, past the lace of my bra, and all the way onto my lacy black panties.

My dress falls into a silky heap at my feet.

“Sweet Jesus,” he whispers, as one big hand massages my ass cheek. “You’re stunning, Sylvie.”

No one has ever paid me such a compliment, in such a reverent tone. And nobody has ever run his hands over my ass the way he’s doing now—his touch a mixture of wonder and ownership. 

This is exactly what my life has been missing. 

Again, I try to turn around, and this time he lets me. I look up into that incredible gaze. “Take me to bed now, Anton. You know you want to.”

He swallows roughly. I see a flicker of something dark cross those bright eyes. “If this is really what you want.” He lifts his chin toward the bedroom. “Lead the way.”

“It is,” I assure him. Then I step out of the circle of my dress and lean down to pick it up, wearing nothing but see-through black lingerie and my heels.

“Jesus fuck,” he mutters in a voice that sounds almost angry. The moment I’m vertical again, he yanks my hips toward his body as his mouth crushes mine. 

I wasn’t expecting the kiss, but I am a professional goalkeeper, and pretty damn good at catching things flying my way. So it only takes me a split second to adjust to the friendly assault of Anton’s aggressive mouth. His lips stroke mine urgently. I lean in and kiss him with everything I’ve got. 

He tilts his head and brushes his tongue across the seam of my lips. His roughened hand cups my jaw, his thumb sliding over my cheekbone. It’s possessive in a way that makes my heart stutter. 

It doesn’t matter that I’m in way over my head. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never actually been naked with a man before. When I chose this one, I chose well.

ARC Review: Roommate by Sarina Bowen

Title: Roommate

Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: M/M, New Adult Romace

Release Date: January 12th, 2021

Find Roommate HERE!

Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.
I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed.
Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: A room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread.
I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me.
A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from Kieran Shipley. The broody lumberjack wants more from me than another homemade pretzel, but if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.
Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart …

This is not a drill! We have a new M/M romance by Sarina Bowen!!!

Roommate is a tale of opposites attract, hate(ish) to love, secret romance and of course, being roommates. And let me tell you, Roderick and Kieran’s love story is everything that I hoped it would be, and so much more. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking, witty, swoony, coming of age/finding yourself book, and bravo to Bowen for writing this.

Roderick is the last person Kieran would expect to see walking into the Busy Bean Cafe; his place of employment. The last time he saw Roderick was in highschool, when Kieran got caught getting an eye full of something he shouldn’t be witnessing. Maybe more than once. So cue deliciously awkward moment! To make matters worse, Roderick isn’t there as a customer, but to apply for a position.

Roderick can deal with his grumpy co-worker. After all, he has much bigger problems to worry about. First there was the bad break up with his boyfriend. Then after Roderick decides to move back home, he has a run in with his not so loving parents, and finds himself homeless. Now he’s sleeping in his car, saving every penny from his desperately needed new job, to save up for a place to live.

When Kieran discovers where Roderick is spending his nights in the backseat of his car, he tells Roderick to move in with him. A friendship forms between the two of them, and of my gosh, is it adorable. There is also some sizzling chemistry happening, and neither of them can deny the attraction growing between them.

But no one even knows Kieran is gay. And Roderick just had his heart broken…Things don’t look too promising… or do they?

Gah, I just loved the two of them so much! They really are such opposites; Kieran is grumpy and hides his emotions and thoughts deep inside. And his secrets. Roderick is charming, friendly, and is proud of who he is. But as different as the two of them are, they have a lot in common. They both do so much for others, while not always getting what they deserve in return. They are both vulnerable and sometimes lack confidence. Not to mention they are both struggling with family issues. So the two of them just completely get each other. They have a connection that can’t be forced or even explained. They bring out the best in each other, building each other up. They love each other, flaws and all.

I may have gotten emotional a time or two reading this book. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

And as an added bonus, this book takes place in the True North world, thought technically it’s not part of the series, so we get to get a glimpse of the Shipley family!

Also, in typical Sarina Bowen fashion, this book takes you on a food adventure without ever taking a bite. 🙂

Excerpt: Roommate by Sarina Bowen

Title: Roommate

Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: :New Adult, M/M

Release Date: January 12th, 2021

Find it HERE!

Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.
I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed.
Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: A room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread.
I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me.
A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from Kieran Shipley. The broody lumberjack wants more from me than another homemade pretzel, but if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.
Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart …

Knuckles rap on the front windshield, and my heart crawls into my mouth.

“Hey, Roderick?” says a low voice. “You in there?”

I let out a gasp. Who’s this intruder who knows my name?

“Roderick,” he repeats. “Come on, man. Show me that you’re alive.” 

I’m startled to realize that the voice belongs to Kieran Shipley.

“Dude.” He knocks again. “You’re in the back, right? Come on. It’s cold out here.”

“You’re cold?” I sputter, throwing off the sleeping bag. “Don’t let me inconvenience you.”

“Hey.” He tries the door handle, but of course it’s locked. “I wasn’t talking about me. I mean it’s too cold to sleep out here.”

Isn’t this just mortifying? “I’ll be fine. Move along now. There’s nothing to see here.”

I hear a loud thunk, and wonder for a moment if Kieran punched my car. But then I sit up and realize that sound was his forehead hitting the roof. His big farm-boy body has knocked the snow off one window, and is now bent into a defeated posture against my car. 

“Get out,” he says. “Come on. Take this address, okay? I have an extra room to rent. And I have enough on my conscience already. If you croak out here, I will lose my shit.”

With a groan, I open the door and climb out, wrapping my stolen sleeping bag around me. “Let me get this straight. You want me to come home with you because it’ll help you sleep better.”

The moonlight reflects off the light carpet of snow. He blinks, his handsome brow wrinkled with tension. “Something like that. But you’ll sleep better, too, right? Win-win.”

“I don’t like owing people. You don’t even like me.”

“Don’t even know you,” he growls in that abrupt way that Kieran says so many things. He squints at me. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No! Nothing!” I bark, swatting at my face. I must look like I’ve been crying. I have never been more embarrassed than I am right now. “Go home, Kieran. You don’t want me for a roommate. You don’t even want me in the same area code.”

He flinches. “Wasn’t ever about you, though.”

“It never is,” I hiss, because I’m so tired of men who can’t sort out their shit. I was an excellent companion to Brian, who wanted me desperately about half the time and then couldn’t stand the sight of me the other half. 

“Look, you should have just told one of us you were sleeping in your car.”

“It’s not your problem,” I argue.

Kieran blinks. “Doesn’t mean we wouldn’t care.”

And now I feel like a heel. “It’s embarrassing, okay? I didn’t plan on leaving Nashville as quickly as I did. And I drove up here hoping to crash at my parents’ place. But they shut the door in my face. It’s not the kind of story that’s fun to tell.”

His big eyebrows furrow. “Why’d they do that?”

“It’s the gay thing.” I make sure to keep eye contact while I say it, because I never let anyone know how much it bothers me. “They’re not into it.”

“Oh.” He sighs. “Parents are the worst.” 

“Yeah.” An awkward silence falls between us. I shiver against the snow falling in my face. 

“Here,” Kieran says. He pulls an old business card out of his pocket and hands it to me. It’s from a barbershop, but he’s scrawled an address on the back. “It’s the white house right on the Colebury green. You can’t miss it. I’ll leave the side door open. Take the downstairs bedroom. There’s nothing in it, but it’s heated.”

“You can’t leave your door unlocked.”

He rolls his eyes. “Better lock it after you come in, then.”

At that, he walks across the lot, climbs into a pickup that’s almost as old as my car, and drives away.

I let out a shout of frustration that dies quickly in the nighttime void and then get back in my car. There’s snow in my hair now. I sit for a moment, stubborn and shivering. 

He probably hopes I won’t actually show up. He did his part, right? He gave me the option, so now he can feel okay about it.

Then again, he drove over here at eleven at night to offer me a room in his house.

I ponder my choices for a little while longer. I can either sit here feeling cold and miserable all night. Or I can go someplace I’m not wanted. 

It’s really freaking cold in my car, so in the end, it’s an easy decision. I’m clinging to the bottom rung of my own life, and Kieran Shipley—Lord knows why—just offered me a hand up.

I’d be an idiot not to take it.

Even so, it takes me another half hour to get up the courage to drive into the center of town and pull into the driveway of a pretty white house right on the town green. I double and then triple check the address before I walk up to the side door and try the knob. 

It’s unlocked. 

Excerpt: Loverboy by Sarina Bowen

Loverboy by Sarina Bowen releases December 1st, 2020. Add on Goodreads!

Earlier, I’d spotted him even before he came into the bar. I watched him get out of that cab and then check the time. I saw him look toward the pub, weighing his choices.  

My heart had thumped along with only one word. Please.

Fine—not my heart. It was other parts of me who were doing all the begging. Silently, of course. Speaking up seems impossible right now. What if he laughs in my face? Or—this might even be worse—what if he says yes? And then we get naked and I can’t satisfy him? 

You’re not very adventurous, Spalding said. You’re not very good in bed.

My ex is the only person I’ve ever been naked with. And thanks to him, I’m afraid to try again with someone else. If another man tells me I’m no fun, I don’t know how I’d come back from that.

On the other hand, if I don’t get out of this rut, then Spalding wins. Maybe I sound melodramatic, but I don’t want to die before I experience terrific sex. 

It’s really no surprise that my drink disappears quickly. 

“Look, you don’t have to tell me what’s on your mind,” Gunnar muses, and I realize I’ve been silent for some time. “But something has you deep in thought.”

“Rhubarb,” I blurt. “It’s, uh, something I’ve used in springtime pies. But, um, I wonder if I could do better than strawberry rhubarb—that’s been done, you know?” 

His smile widens. “Is that an occupational hazard? You can’t eat or drink anything without reconfiguring it in your mind?”

“Yep.” I wave at the bartender. “Another round of these if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Gunnar asks. “Please say yes.”

My pulse picks up, because it’s hard to miss the innuendo there. But I dodge the question, because I’ve never been brave. “As if two cocktails and a beer would put you under my spell.”

“Oh, I’m easy,” Gunnar says, giving me an intentionally sleazy wink. “Besides, your pies have already made me slow and agreeable. That key lime and Thai basil pie was amazing. That stuff is dangerous.”

“You like my key lime and Thai basil?” I ask, hearing pleasure in my own voice. It never gets old when people tell you how much they like the product. “And I guess it figures that you’d be one of those.”

“One of what?”

“You have an adventurous palate.” I prop an elbow on the bar and try to explain. “People fall into two distinct groups. There’re the ones who always order the weird flavors. And the Dutch apple pie crew, who always stick to the basics. They don’t cross over. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”

Thanks to Spalding. He basically accused me of being a Dutch apple pie in bed. The whole reason I’m reading my sister’s romance novels is to try to learn what the other flavors are like. 

“Huh,” Gunnar says. “So, you can just guess which other pies I’ve tried?”

“Sure, I can. Did you try the pine nut and salted honey?”

“Oh, hell yes.”

My smile grows wide. “How about the matcha green tea tart?”

“Well,” he shakes his head, “I gotta say I haven’t quite gone there yet. But I did enjoy the vinegar date pie.”

“Ah! And the ginger mango cream, right?” I press. 

“Yeah. Does that make me predictable?”

“A little bit,” I say, enjoying myself immensely. “Have you started doing that thing where you try to guess each customer’s guilty pleasure?”

He laughs. “Get out of my head. It’s my new favorite game.”

“How’s your accuracy?”

“Pretty bad. I started off trying to use clothing as a clue. I expected somebody wearing a navy blue suit and boring shoes to order the apple crumble. But that theory bombed. And then I tried to assume that people in workout clothes wouldn’t pick something sugary. But they totally do.”

“You have to look deep inside their souls,” I tease. “If you look at the shell of a person, you’ll never get their pie order right. In fact, you have to look at their auras.”

He snorts. “What color is my aura?”

“Indigo, like tattoo ink. But with a streak of red because you’re contrary.”

He narrows his eyes. “You’re just fucking with me now.”

“Maybe I am.” 

“Okay, lady. But I have an issue with something you said earlier.”

“What?”

“Guilty pleasures.” He lays a hand over my wrist. “I don’t believe in those. I don’t think pleasure should make you feel guilty.”

“Oh.” He’s barely touching me, but goosebumps run up my arm anyway. Now would be a great time to make a joke and diffuse all the tension I’m suddenly feeling. But I feel too tongue-tied to pull it off.

Gunnar removes his hand, which is a disappointment. But the next thing he says stuns me back into goosebump territory. “You know, I always had it bad for you.”

“You … what?” I ask stupidly.

“Back when we were tending bar, I had a big crush on you. And sometimes I thought you were on the same page. I usually have good instincts about these things. But not that time. You ended up with Mr. Pretty Boy Preppy instead.”

My heart is thumping wildly now, and I take a sip of my cocktail to steady my nerves. The truth is that I don’t really trust this little revelation. We used to annoy each other, for one thing. But maybe that didn’t matter to Gunnar’s libido. He was a horny college boy. He probably had it bad for all the girls. 

Still. “What if I’m the one who has terrible instincts? Did you ever think of that? And did you miss the part where I divorced Mr. Preppy?”

“Mmm,” he says thoughtfully. “I suppose that might explain a few things.”

“You’re the one who left, anyway.” 

His eyes narrow. “Do you really think if I’d stuck around, things would have turned out differently? I spent three months giving you the fuck-me eyes, Paxton. But you didn’t take me up on it.”

Oh mother of God. His gaze is turning hot, and I think it might incinerate me. And then I remember why we never hooked up in the first place.

ARC Review: The Dare by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Dare

Author: Elle Kennedy

Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: June 16th, 2020

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College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

 

 

Elle Kennedy never disappoints with her New Adult books.

Taylor and Conor meet because of, well, a dare. When Taylor is dared to hook up with Conor, she begs him to help her. And he does. Instead of hooking up, they spend their time talking. They are complete opposites, yet strangely connect very well, and form an unlikely friendship. But of course things are never that simple. One thing leads to another, and Conor is her fake boyfriend. Her fake boyfriend, with some very real feelings and desires.

First I have to say, I just loved Taylor. So much. She was like a breath of fresh air, and is one of my favorite Elle Kennedy heroines. Taylor is intelligent, witty and independent. She is also a curvy girl, and filled with insecurities. I thought she was so incredibly relatable.

And then there is Conor Edwards, sigh. The gorgeous boy with the troubled past who has a heart of gold. He was just perfect for Taylor. He never got impatient or frustrated when she was lacking confidence, and he kept trying to show her how beautiful she was. She was his soft spot from the very beginning, and it was so sweet to watch them grow and change because of each other.

Their relationship was everything. Yes, it was filled with the slow aching sexual tension, and sizzling hot chemistry. But it also had such tender, romantic moments. It showed that two people who look like they shouldn’t be together, are absolutely perfect together. Swoon.

Also has some amazing secondary characters and appearances by other characters from Briar U. Can be read as a standalone though!

Excerpt: The Dare by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Dare

Author: Elle Kennedy

Genre: Sports Romance, New Adult

Series: Briar U #4 (can be read as a standalone!)

 

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

 

“Thank you,” she breathes the moment we’re alone.

“No problem. Mind if I make myself comfortable?”

“Um, yeah. I mean, no. I don’t mind. Sit if you want. Or—wow, okay, you’re lying down.”

I grin at her visible nervousness. It’s cute. While I stretch out my six-foot-two frame amid the stuffed animals and decorative pillows on the bed, she remains the startled rabbit plastered against the door and breathing heavily.

“Gotta be honest,” I tell her, entwining my hands behind my head, “I’ve never seen a girl so unhappy to be locked in a bedroom with me.”

This has the desired effect of loosening her shoulders and even eliciting a shy smile. “I have no doubt.”

“I’m Conor, by the way.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

“What’s the eyeroll for?” I ask, playing wounded.

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just, I know who you are. You’re, like, campus famous.”

The more I watch her, hands braced at her sides against the door, one knee bent, dirty-blonde hair a little messy and draped over one shoulder, I can’t help picturing myself holding her arms above her head while I explore her body with my mouth. She’s got very kissable skin.

“Taylor Marsh,” she blurts out, and I realize I don’t know how long we were silent until then.

I scoot to the far side of the bed and put a pillow beside me as a divider. “Come on. If we’re going to be in here awhile, let’s at least make friends.”

Taylor laughs out a breath and with it she releases a bit more tension. She’s got a nice smile. Bright, warm. It takes a bit more coaxing, however, to get her on the bed.

“This isn’t like a move,” she tells me, lining up stuffed animal guards to patrol the pillow wall between us. “I’m not some sort of weirdo who tricks men into getting in bed with her and then mauls them.”

“Sure.” I nod with mock seriousness. “But a little mauling would be okay.”

Sure Shot by Sarina Bowen

Title: Sure Shot

Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: Sports Romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Release Date: May 12th, 2020

Add on Goodreads

Buy Sure Shot

 

 

On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, successful sports agent Bess Beringer is ready to make some changes. Armed with a five-year plan—indexed and color coded—she’ll tackle a few goals in her personal life.

A big, tall, ripped hunk of hockey player who’s just been traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers is not a part of that five year plan. Mark “Tank” Tankiewicz has a lot of baggage. He’s a ride-or-die loner. He’s on the rebound. He’s also the sexiest thing on two legs, and for some crazy reason it’s Bess that he wants.

She knows better. But then she falls stupid in love with him anyway. And for a while it seems like maybe he’ll do the same.

Until she asks him for the one thing he can never give her…

 

Tank: Did you SEE that beautiful goal???

Bess: Yes baby. That’s why I sent you a text last night that said NICE GOAL BABY in shouty caps. Didn’t it come through?

Tank: It came through. But I just wanted to talk about it some more. Because did you SEE that beautiful goal? When Castro accidentally passed to nowhere but I got my stick on it anyway? And before you could say TANK IS A STUD, I put it in?

Bess: Gorgeous goal, hot stuff! I may have spilled my beer I was so excited.

Tank: Where did you spill it?

Bess: All over my naked breasts.

Tank: Really?

Bess: No. But the purpose of this conversation is stroking your ego, right? So I thought I’d just roll with it.

Tank: LOL! I’ll take it.

Bess: 🙂

Tank: You were right, by the way. After the game, Castro told me I had to get the Brooklyn Bridge tattooed across my ass.

Bess: Well that’s a good sign. If they’re pranking you it means they like you now.

Tank: I got a goal. They like that at least.

Bess: What did you tell Castro about the tattoo?

Tank: I said, sure, buddy!

Tank: And, get this, I told him that if we connect on ten goals this season—in either direction—not only will I put the bridge on one ass cheek, I’ll put his face on the other.

Bess: OMG. What did he say to that?

Tank: “Let’s not get carried away.” Honestly he looked terrified, which was the point. I told him I was just crazy enough to do it. And then I wondered aloud what the blogs would write about that.

Bess: You are an evil man.

Tank: Never bullshit a bullshitter. But enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Specifically, I need to know if you’re naked right now. Please say yes.

Bess: I’m sitting in my office waiting for a conference call. So that would be no.

Tank: Lie to me, baby! I miss you.

Bess: There’s no need to lie. The next time we’re in the same zip code again, you can make your dreams come true.

Tank: Now there’s a plan I can get behind. Literally.

Bess: Indeed. Got to go now! Call starts in two minutes.

Tank: One more thing, hot stuff. Have you seen Henry again? I keep leaving voicemails, asking when I can visit. He texts me back, but I can’t get a phone call. I just want to talk to the old codger.

Bess: Same. I sent him a present but when I asked to visit he shot me down. Now go beat Florida.

Tank: Maybe you should send me a few motivational photographs to improve my game.

Bess: A good workout followed by a protein drink and then a nap would improve it more.

Tank: Says you.

Bess: I am a professional. I know things. Get some rest! I’ll be watching tonight.

 

Bess Berringer isn’t where she thought she’d be in life when she turns 30. Sure her career is really taking off, but Bess wants more. She wants love. She wants a family.

Mark “Tank” Tankiewicz isn’t where he thought he’d be in life either. To top it off, he was just traded to a rival hockey team, has to move across the country, oh and his wife wants a divorce.

When Bess and Tank run into each other at a party, they are both shocked to see each other again. Yes, again.

9 years earlier, Bess and Tank how a sizzly hot friends with benefits situation going on. It fizzled out sooner than either of them wanted it to, but Bess was just starting off as a sports agent, and Tank was a hockey player. Those two things don’t mix well in a relationship.

Soon, Tank and Bess slip into old habits. The sparks between them are just as explosive and just as dangerous. Because Bess now has her own sports agency, and Tank is still, well, a hockey player. But more importantly, Bess wants the happily ever after, and Tank wants the happily no strings attached. Or does he?

Ah, I just loved everything about Bess and Tank! I loved their banter, the chemistry, the friendship. I felt for Bess as she struggled between listening to her heart and her head. As she starts to accept she might not get the things she wants most in life. Tank completely surprised me with all his layers. There is so much more to him than meets the eye, and his story tugged on my heart strings a few times.

Sarina Bowen has such a gift for creating these incredible worlds filled with love and pain and in credible friendship. Failure and triumph. Growth and forgiveness. Romance and swoons. Strong, intelligent, vulnerable women. Men who love and respect and encourage these women. And of course, some hockey 😉

Side Note: Sure Shot is the 4th book in the Brooklyn series. While the books in this series are companion novels, they can still be read as a standalone. You also see characters from her Brooklyn Bruisers series and True North series. Again, you do not have to have read these series before hand, but I highly recommend them.

 

Cover Reveal- Lies and Lullabies by Sarina Bowen

 

Title: Lies and Lullabies

Author: Sarina Bowen

Series: Hush Notes (three stand-alones in the series by three incredible authors! Sarina Bowen, Devney Perry, and Rebecca Yarros)

Release Date: September 22nd

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Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

 

Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.

I didn’t know he was a rock star.

I didn’t know his real name.

Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.

And I sure never expected to see him again.

Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

 

 

Heartland By Sarina Bowen

 

 

Title: Heartland

Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: New Adult Romance

Series: True North #7 (Can be read as standalone)

Release Date: January 28th, 2020

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Find on |Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Google |

 

An emotional friends to lovers romance full of risky secrets and late-night lessons in seduction.

 

Dylan is my best friend, and the only person in my life who understands me. He doesn’t mind my social awkwardness or my weird history. The only glitch? He doesn’t know that I’ve been hopelessly, desperately in love with him since the first day we picked apples together in his family’s orchard.

But I know better than to confess.

Now that I’ve joined him at college, I’m seeing a new side of him. This Dylan drinks and has a lot of sex. None of it with me.

Until the moment I foolishly ask him to tutor me in more than algebra…and he actually says yes.

One crazy night sets our friendship on fire. But now my heart lies in ashes, and nothing will ever be the same again.

 

Heartland is a standalone college romance set in the True North world. Expect: a young, broody farmer, a giant crush, tasty caramels, cute goats and late night confessions.

 

“So why were you having a bad day, anyway?” Ellie asks. “Man trouble?”

“Not exactly. It’s more like a lack of man trouble. I kissed my hot algebra tutor. And I wasn’t supposed to.”

Her big eyes widen. “Which hot algebra tutor? You never said.”

“He doesn’t work at the lab,” I say hastily. “He’s a friend. And he wants to stay that way.”

“Oh.” She looks deflated. “That is a bummer.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.” She makes a face. “It would be nice, though. This year is kind of lonely. My roommate is a total bitch.”

“Oh, I have one of those, too.”

“Yeah?” Ellie’s eyes brighten. “Does yours steal your clothes and then lie about it?”

“Um, no. She wouldn’t want any of my things. We have singles, anyway. Just a common bathroom.”

“Lucky! She must be easier to stand, then.”

“You’d think.” I take a gulp of mint tea.

“My roommate took my brand-new scarf. With the tags still on! And when I called her out on it, she tried to gaslight me.”

“Gaslight?” I feel my cheeks flush like they sometimes do when I don’t understand the idioms that people use.

“You don’t know Gaslight? It’s a movie from the forties.”

“Ingrid Bergman,” says Dylan’s voice. “We haven’t got around to the classics yet.”

I startle, sloshing my tea over my hand. And when I look up, Dylan is right there. Clear brown eyes. Tousled hair. Tight, muscular body that’s clothed in a nice sweater and ripped jeans. A handsome face that I finally kissed.

Pain slices through me. Because I’m never going to get over him. There will never be a day when I look at Dylan and don’t wish for more.

“Can I talk to you for a quick second?” he asks, taking the mug and grabbing a napkin off the table. He wipes the tea off my hand.

“Now is not a good time,” I say quickly. Because I don’t want to cry in the coffee shop in front of my only new friend.

Dylan actually rolls his eyes. “Fifteen seconds, Chass. Give a man a break.”

“I’d talk to you.” Ellie raises her hand like a school girl. “Pick me.”

And that’s just what I need—another girl in my life who’s swooning for Dylan. Because that always turns out well.

“Fine. Fifteen seconds.” I jump to my feet. Let’s get this over with.

Dylan takes my arm and tows me gently over toward the bulletin board, where nobody is currently reading the flyers for meditation circles and ski equipment sales.

“Look, I’m sorry,” is his opener. “You’re avoiding me. Not that I blame you. I’m sorry things got so out of control.”

“Which things?” I ask warily. Because I don’t want an apology for fooling around with me.

“Pick one!” Dylan raises his hands. “All the things. I shouldn’t have been so inappropriate.”

“But…” I know Dylan was in a serious state of drunken depression when he kissed me. It’s not like I was expecting to hear those kisses made him as happy as they made me. But would it kill him to be a little less patronizing? “Dylan, I’m not twelve years old. It was just a kiss or two. I don’t think I’ll need a full course of therapy to recover.”

He blinks. “Okay. Good?”

“So did you really need to drag me over here to apologize a third time? Did you apologize to all the girls you kissed during Spin the Bottle in seventh grade?”

I heard about Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven only last year, by eavesdropping on Debbie and her buddies at another bonfire. I’d been transfixed by their tales of who’d kissed whom over the years and how often.

At thirteen, Spin the Bottle would have sounded like heaven to me. Seven minutes in a closet with a boy? I would have lobbied for eight. I was always the most inappropriate girl in the bunch.

Yet somehow Dylan sees me as some kind of innocent child.

“No. Good point.” He crosses his delicious arms and smiles at me. “You are in a feisty mood today.”

“Is that so wrong?”

“No.” He shakes his handsome head. “Not at all. Are we going to hug it out?” He opens his big arms wide.

Oh boy. I can’t resist stepping into them. And when he pulls me in, I experience the familiar hormone rush that always happens when I’m close to him. Rapid heartbeat? Check. Goosebumps? Check. My nose lands against his flannel shirt.

My mouth is mere inches from his, of course. But this time he has no interest in kissing me. It takes all my willpower to give him a squeeze and then step back.

“Be well, Chass. I’ll leave you to your tutoring session, even if you’re basically cheating on me right now. But we’re still making caramels this weekend, right? I told Griffin we could use six gallons of goat’s milk. Don’t make a liar out of me.”

“I won’t,” I say quickly. I might be slightly irritated at him, but it will blow over. My capacity to forgive him for not loving me back is basically infinite. “We’ll leave right after Friday classes?”

“You got it. And this is for you. Share it with your friend.” He pulls something out of his pocket. “More market research.”

He puts a little box in my hand and then walks away.

As always, it takes me a second to get over my hormone rush. I stand there blinking for a long moment until I realize Ellie is grinning at me from the sofa. So I go back over to her and sit down.

“Wow…” she says, stealing a glance at Dylan’s retreating backside. “Is that hot hunk of Vermont male your algebra tutor?”

“Yes.” My voice is gravel.

“And your future ex-boyfriend?”

“Nope. I’ll never get that chance. He’s my best friend, but…” There’s no tidy explanation.

“But you want more. I would if it were me.”

I nod, miserable.

 

 

I just adore all the books in Sarina Bowen’s True North series and Heartland is no different. There’s a swoony hero, a leading lady you’ll want to be best friends with, descriptions of amazing food that will have your stomach growling, and a love story for the ages.

Dylan, the youngest of the 4 Shipley siblings, is away at college. He is loving his new fond independence, but is still under the stress of responsibility from his family’s farm. And feeling the weight of guilt that might not even be his to carry. So what if Dylan likes to make himself feel better by partying it up with beautiful women?

Chastity hasn’t had the easiest- or most normal- life. She grew up in a religious cult. After finally escaping a few years earlier, Chastity was taken in by Isaac and Leah, and is just starting to live her life. She’s struggling in school, but is fortunate enough to have the support of her best friend, Dylan. Unfortunately, Chastity has been in love with Dylan since she first laid eyes on him. So while she’s loving being closer to him while they are away at college, she also has to watch Dylan drink and smoke and be intimate with girls that are not her.

Because there is no way that Dylan feels the same way. Right?

First and foremost, I LOVE the friendship the two of them have. Dylan is very overprotective about Chastity, and puts her in front of everyone else. They just have this effortless connection. They simply get each other like no one else does. And when they finally cross that line from friends to more- get ready for fireworks. Serious fireworks. It’s a delicious slow burn that is steamy, romantic, angsty and may cause your kindle to melt just a little bit.

And of course, it was great to see everyone else from previous books. Going back to the Shipley farm kind of feels like going home. I particularly love the evolving relationship that Dylan has with his brother, Griffin.

All in all Dylan and Chastity’s book was everything that I hoped it would be, and more!

Note: Every book in this series can be read completely as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them all!