Thursday, March 28, 2019

Seducing the Billionaire's Brother by Marquita Valentine




Title: Seducing the Billionaire's Brother
Author: Marquita Valentine
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 28, 2019



Blurb

Pleasure before business. Always.
Connor Montgomery doesn't give a damn about his world-renowned last name or the endless list of women who only want him for his billions. There's only one woman for him... his best friend since childhood, Faith. Unfortunately, as a vital employee of his family's company, she's beyond off-limits.

Too bad he's never been one to follow the rules.

Faith Holt is in desperate need of money... for all the wrong reasons. Stuck between coming clean and falling off the face of the earth, she comes up with a crazy, over the top plan. But to pull it off, she realizes that the only person who can help is the last person she wants to involve since it may require crossing the line.

Too bad she can't stop herself from resisting Connor and his wicked ways.

After years of being "just friends" and looking out for each other in the best of ways, Connor and Faith may have to decide what's worse: resisting the temptation that's always existed between them or finally giving in to it.

This is a contemporary 'friends to lovers' billionaire romance.







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS






Author Bio


Marquita Valentine is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.

When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south.

You can sign up for her newsletter here: https://goo.gl/3XFh3k


Author Links

This is book 3 in the series but it easily stands alone. It is the story about Connor Montgomery. He is the black sheep of his family and he has been in love with his bestie since he was 12 years old, Faith.
Faith has a thing for Connor too but he is a manwhore and she is afraid to lose his friendship.

That is until Connor's brother Drew starts threatening her and her father sends some slimy guys after her. She runs to Connor and he is there for her. This was a well written story.  It is not my favorite in this series. I liked Drew's story more but this was definitely a great story as well. At times I was frustarted with Connor holding onto his feelings. I could understand Faith's fears but Connors I did not understand.

That said once Connor starts being honest I absolutely loved him. I wish we could have had more happy and together scenes with Connor and Faith but it was a fun story and I can't wait for London's story.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Nothing but Trouble by P. Dangelico

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Nothing But Trouble, an all new standalone Contemporary Romance by
P. Dangelico

Reagan Reynolds...
Water polo god.
Owner of a face that belongs under Wikipedia’s definition of drop dead gorgeous.
Too charming for his own good.
But most importantly––the worst driver on the planet.
No, really, I’m pretty sure his blind nana taught him how to drive.
I had no idea who he was until he almost ran me over. And frankly, I kind of wish I still didn’t because then I wouldn’t have a sprained ankle to show for it. And my leg wouldn’t resemble a boa constrictor that’s swallowed a feral pig.
Yeah, it’s that bad.
I’ve spent years saving every penny I’ve ever earned to be able to transfer to Malibu University. And now my entire future––including my scholarship––is in jeopardy.
So I either accept the help he insists on giving me, or lose everything I’ve sacrificed for.
In the meantime, I’m going to ignore the fact that we’re becoming friends.
And I’m definitely going to pretend he’s not turning into the object of my…umm, dirty fantasies.
That’s not happening.
Not even a little.
Because the minute I clapped eyes on him I knew he was nothing but trouble.

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Download your copy today!

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Excerpt:

Alice 
A strong gust of hot air invades the car and Reagan’s hair gets ruffled. It’s been like this the last few weeks. Crazy hot winds picking up now and then. Mine is literally standing on end. I’m forced to hold it down with both hands. “The Santa Anas,” he says as if reading my mind. I look over and find him smiling at me. “The hot wind.” He swirls his index finger. I let go of my hair, close my eyes, and let it have its way with me. It stands instantly upright, like I stuck my finger in a socket. I’m sure I look like an idiot but it makes me laugh, a burst of pure joy emanating from my chest that can’t be contained any more than the wind can. “Nice hair,” he mocks with a teasing smile. “Thanks, Flipper.” “I thought we established that it’s not a dolphin.” “You’re not going to like me saying this, but you’re more dolphin than shark,” I happily point out. He’s always perky and upbeat, likes to socialize, loves all the attention. He’s a dolphin––whether he likes it or not. He levels narrowed green vengeance on me, offset by a sly smile. “I’m the top of the food chain, babe. I’m all shark.” “That’s adorable. Especially coming from someone that wears a swim cap like my nana used to wear. Except yours has those darling cinnamon buns over the ears. Like Princess Leia.” He fights his amusement. “Those cinnamon buns are meant to protect my ears from all the rough, manly activity. And I’m tellin’ on you. I’m tellin’ all the guys you said that.” The Jeep comes to an abrupt stop. Only then do I realize we’re parked in front of the apartment building where my study group is being held. Scanning the parking lot, I see people I recognize from class pouring out of a car. My attention returns to Reagan and I find him watching me. His smile melts. His expression grows serious like he rarely ever is. I rake my hair down and get my fingers snagged on a few knots. Unfortunately I’m not the comb-carrying type. Mental note: purchase comb. Crazy winds are afoot. “Thank you for driving me.” I look for some sign of what’s going on in his mind and finding the door shut. “What time should I pick you up?” He reaches out and I lean away, staring at his hand. “Chill, Bailey. You have a piece sticking up.” “Oh…okay.” He’s trying to be helpful and I treat him like he’s a festering case of the bubonic plague. How embarrassing. I lean in and he sets about gently brushing down each and every one of my stray hairs, so gently I can barely feel him picking apart the knots. I can feel his breath on my skin. Fresh from a shower, I can smell his shampoo. My scalp tingles and goose bumps break out on my forearms. Lord give me strength.

About P. Dangelico:

Dangelico loves romance in all forms, cuddly creatures (four legged and two), really bloody sexy pulp, the NY Jets (although she’s reconsidering after this season), and to while away the day at the barn (apparently she does her best thinking shoveling horse crap). What she’s not enamored with is referring to herself in the third person and social media so don’t expect her to get on Twitter anytime soon. Oh, and although she was born in Italy, she’s been Jersey Strong since she turned six.

Connect with P. Dangelico:
 Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2C91Fv7 

 Stay up to date with all things P. Dangelico. Join her mailing list, today: https://www.pdangelico.com/contact


This is the first in a brand new series about college kids who have some really serious issues and problems. The first in the series is the story about Alice and Reagan. Reagan is a swimmer but his family wants him to go to med school and become a doctor. He is a very rich kid who is also very popular. Alice is a transfer student from NJ who wants to be a film maker but she is also is the scholarship kid.

Her first day in town she gets run over by Reagan and that forms a friendship type of relationship between the two. When she can't work her job because of her injury, Reagan tries to help her out and she ends up spending more time with him.

Reagan really needs a friend and they have this really eautiful relationship that forms until a tradegy occurs and he struggles to deal with the aftermath. This was a really special and wonderful story about two crazy kids in their early twenties and the pressure they feel from themselves and their families.

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Tuesday, March 26, 2019

The Panty Melter by Lili Valente






Blurb

I don’t date alpha males.
Especially not alpha males with egos the size of Jupiter, who also happen to be my boss’s big brother.

Deacon Hunter is domineering. Condescending. Infuriating.

And yet I can’t seem to keep my panties on for five minutes when we’re alone together.

He keeps melting them right off. With that sexy voice, those confident hands, the way he brings my body wildly to life, he’s proved my libido hasn’t gone into permanent, post-divorce hibernation after all.

Surely there’s no harm in being enemies with benefits… Right?

***
When Violet Boden asks me to take her Divorce Virginity, the only thing I can think is—come again?

No, seriously, come again.

And again and again, until both of us are so satisfied we can’t remember the people who did us wrong.

Best if we keep conversation to a minimum, though, considering I drive her crazy. She drives me crazy sometimes, too. But she’s also sweet, loyal, fearless, and so much fun she’s making it damn hard not to fall for her.

But how to convince a woman who’s put me in the emotional no-fly zone that I deserve a place in her heart?


ADD TO GOODREADS





Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIBLE






Author Bio

Author of over forty novels, USA Today Bestseller Lili Valente writes everything from steamy suspense to laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. A die-hard romantic and optimist at heart, she can’t resist a story where love wins big. Because love should always win.

When she’s not writing, Lili enjoys adventuring with her two sons, climbing on rocks, swimming too far from shore, and asking “why” an incorrigible number of times per day. A former yoga teacher, actor, and dancer, she is also very bendy and good at pretending innocence when caught investigating off-limits places.

You can currently find Lili in the mid-South, valiantly trying to resist the lure of all the places left to explore.

Lili also writes super naughty books as L. Valente.


Author Links





Giveaway

This is a series and a new author for me but I adored this couple and their story. The Panty Melter is Deacon who is a former SEAL and single dad who is 45 but all his kids are out of the house. He is in lust with Volet who works for hs dad and is a single mom to also older kids, she is 40.

I love that this is an older couple and they have lots of fun and hot times together. Deacon is porrayed in the beginning as sorta a manwhore but he so isnt and I fell pretty hard for him. Violet is just getting on her feet after a divorce and so she doesnt want an alpha male like DEacon but the two cannot stay away from each other.

This was an awesome story with lots of hot times, humor and characters I loved.
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Sunday, March 24, 2019

Release Blitz - Missed: Rafael & Lisa by Tess Thompson


The Wolves are here! And we're IN LOVE with Rafael!!! Missed: Rafael & Lisa by USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson is NOW AVAILABLE!


AND IT'S LIVE EVERYWHERE:



ABOUT THE BOOK 

Return to the beloved beach town of Cliffside Bay, where USA Today bestseller Tess Thompson spins another emotional, intriguing tale about overcoming adversity and finding strength in love in this standalone story about Lisa and Rafael. 

After years of struggling as a starving actor, Lisa Perry's dreams are finally coming true. Splitting her time between Los Angeles and Cliffside Bay, the young beauty has a successful television miniseries, her first movie role, and quality time with her best friends Maggie and Pepper. 

Everything is coming up roses until a single tragic moment changes Lisa forever. Haunted by unshakable memories and near-crippling anxiety, Lisa must face a publicity tour full of crowds and interviews in order to move her budding career forward. And with the help of Rafael Soto, the head of security for Brody and Kara Mullen, she finally begins to relax. 

Though the pair are as different as night and day, something about her temporary bodyguard soothes the young actress, and soon their relationship turns from professional to passionate. But what neither anticipates is that despite the obvious threats to a beautiful ingenue, it's actually her protector who stands in harm's way. 

Will Lisa and Rafael be able to face the danger awaiting him together, or are they destined to accept yet another tragedy they can't stop?

 USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson welcomes you back to Cliffside Bay to explore the rich, heartwarming stories of the characters who brightened the original five novels in the series. Each book in the Cliffside Bay Series is intended to be read and enjoyed as a sweet standalone, but for maximum enjoyment read this binge-worthy series in order.
 

About Tess

Tess Thompson is a USA Today bestselling author of small-town romance and historical fiction, with nearly 20 titles across multiple series that focus on heartwarming journeys of triumph and humanity for colorful characters you'd love to be friends with in real life. Tess holds a degree in theater from the University of Southern California (go Trojans!), and can be found most days poring over her latest manuscript at her desk in suburban Seattle, where she also makes her home with the hero of her own love story and their blended family of two sons, two daughters, and five cats. 

 Tess loves music, dancing, books, bubble baths, cooking, wine, movies, snuggling, Seahawks football, and hearing from her readers. Drop her a line at tess@tthompsonwrites.com.

Find Tess Online! 
 Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EumPrm


This is part two of the series, the first part was The Dogs and this is The Wolf's. The Wolf's decide to start a company that takes old buildings and homes and revitalize and fix them up. Rafael is the guy who can find the homes, Stone is the construction guy and Troy is the designer. Their first project is an apartment for Rafael Soto who also works protection for Kara and Brody.

This story also stars Lisa Perry, an actress friend of Maggie and Jackson who is also close friends with Kara. Something awful happens to Lisa one night and she needs help as she goes out on a movie promo tour and so Kara lends Rafe to her for several weeks and the two hit the road.

The something that happens I feel I need to warn those who are sensitive to the subject about. Lisa attends a concert where a shooter starts shooting the public and many are injured and some die. I live in southern California so this was very jarring and something I was not expecting. The author did a great job showing how that event changes a person forever.

Lisa and Rafe both have MAJOR crushes on each other but he feels he is not worthy of being with her and so he won't give the a shot. Lisa wants Rafe and she works hard to get him to see how amazing they can be together.

I LOVED this story and I am totally hooked on this part 2 of the series and cannot wait for more. This was a fun romance about two very different people falling in love and coming together and seeing how great they both are.



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Thursday, March 21, 2019

ADVICE FROM A JILTED BRIDE by Piper Rayne

      
 

What’s a girl to do after being ditched at the altar by text message? That’s right. Text. Message. How does she pick up the pieces and move on? I’m no Dear Abby but here’s a little free advice… 

Advice #1 – First, purge your apartment of all things him—by tossing his belongings off the balcony. Advice #2 – Do not, I repeat do not, throw anything out into the hallway because you’ll injure your hot new neighbor. 
Advice #3 – When said neighbor brings over Chinese Food do not let him stay and keep you company. It’s awkward when you realize he’s your boss. 
Advice #4 – Accept his offer to help you with your side business but think twice before using a date to his sister’s wedding as collateral. 
Advice #5 – Investigate who your mystery neighbor really is. Don’t trust his word even if he’s the world’s best kisser.

 If you listen to nothing else, pay attention to that last one. It’s the most important and will save you a lot of heartache. 

Xo, LOVESICK IN LAKE STARLIGHT 

AVAILABLE NOW

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Apple Books |

B & N | Kobo | Google Play

               
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). A little about us... We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too. 





This is book 2 in the series and while it can stand alone I would read the first book as this story takes place right after the end of book 1.


This is Brooklyn's story and she is pretty darn awesome. I want to be her when I grow up. She has guts and is such an awesome character that I fell pretty hard for her. She is the Jilted Bride in this story and her ex is a bigger jerk than I possibly could have imagined.


Wyatt is her new neighbor and her  new boss but he has a secret and its a big one. No spoilers here! They start out as friends and neighbors and he really is a pretty wonderful guy but they are boss and employee so they are sorta forbidden romance wise but when Wyatt takes her on as a fake girlfriend thats when things come to ahead.


I loved this story so much and its because the authors created some really awesome characters and I fell even more in love with the Alaska Bailey family and I promise you will too in this story.
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Nate by Kat Mizera


Nate by Kat Mizera is available now! This hockey standalone will leave you melting!

★★★★★




ADD TO YOUR TBR: http://bit.ly/2EaYt5x


ABOUT THE BOOK

 To win, you have to play the game... Rising hockey star, Nate Calloway has overcome a lot to get where he is. Playing professional hockey for the Las Vegas Sidewinders, he plans to keep his head down and do the one thing he’s good at: hockey. Everything is going according to plan until a gorgeous and spunky journalist falls into his lap. He might be a pro, but off the ice his lack of experience with women has him struggling to make the right move. 

Fresh out of college, Chelsea Baldwin has landed her dream job working for a local newspaper. She finds herself in the locker room of a pro hockey team when she gets her big break much sooner than expected. Falling for one of the players, literally, wasn’t how she’d planned to start her career.

 A pro-hockey player and a sports reporter shouldn’t be dating, but undeniable chemistry has them drawn together, despite the consequences. When the stakes rise, their trust in each other is tested both in and out of the locker room. But this is one game that they're determined to win...even if they have to make up their own rules.   

 

About the Author: 


Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she’s called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She’s never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she’d probably choose the west coast. Kat’s a typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max). 

When she’s not writing, she’s either scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) – traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible. She hopes to retire there one day so she can spend her days writing books on the beach. Kat has been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article–a review of a rock concert–for $10 in 1985. Since then she’s been an entertainment journalist, waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles. 

As you can guess from her series, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, Kat loves hockey. She is also a freelance hockey writer, covering her favorite team, the Florida Panthers, and any other teams that have an interesting story. The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There’s something enticing about hockey players and romance…

 Connect with Kat:




This is  book 11 in the series and it takes us back to the Las Vegas Hockey Team and we see a lot of the veteran players in this book. The star of this book is rookie, Nate who is a 23 year old good guy and he meets 22 year old brand new reporter Chelsea when she fills in for a sick journalist at her newspaper.

The two have a BIG attraction to each other but she is a reporter and thats something Nate is very careful with so they take things slow. Nate also has a big secret and he trusts Chelsea with it. The thing with this story is they are both VERY young and at times they certainly act like it.

Some things Chelsea does I would have never done though she made some errors in judgment it comes from a sweetheart. She really is a very sweet and honest reporter and at times that is a big issue for her as she is surrounded by hardened journalists.

This was a well written story that was mostly light hearted and follows Chelsea and Nate as they both fall for each other. I loved seeing Toli and the other veterans and having them interact with Nate. Looking forward to more stories in this series with more of the rookies on the team.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Glass Castle Prince by Nicole Williams










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A glass castle shatters as easily as a glass house—all it takes is one stone.

Prince Edward has known this all of his life, and taken staunch measures to ensure he doesn’t give the public any reason to pick up their rocks. Or torches. Or pitchforks. As a twenty-two-year-old in line to ascend the throne, he lives more like a cloistered monk than his college-aged peers. Restraint is the tone of his life, resilience the theme.

That is, until he meets a young woman who couldn’t care less about his title—unless she’s poking fun at it. Charlotte Everly grew up a stone’s throw away from the royal family’s summer house, but her life was, and is, entirely different from the prince’s.

They clash at each turn, disagree on every topic, and bear a general contempt for one another. Until . . .

One night, accompanied by one proposal, leads to one lapse in judgment . . .

Results in a nationwide scandal neither of them will escape





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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. 

She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.





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Chapter Reveal















I grew up next door to the royal family’s summer house on the banks of Lake Genovese.
Not because my family was rich and could afford one of the sprawling estates near Valmont Manor, or due to some trace of royal blood in our heritage.
​I grew up next door to Valmont because my father was the groundskeeper, our humble quarters tucked into the trees on the south end of the grounds. I grew up surrounded by privilege and wealth, but my parents had cocooned me—as overprotective types with only one child did. I never interacted with the royal family or any of the distant relations who flocked to Valmont in the summer months for the legendary parties Her Royal Highness put on. My dad left his groundskeeper position the fall I turned ten in favor of a job in the north as a park manager.
It had been a decade since I left Valmont as the groundskeeper’s daughter, but little, if anything, had changed. Royal families were like that; change came gradually, if at all, to everything from their estates to their hemlines.
​“Do you understand your position here?” The prune-faced woman, in her matronly tweed suit, came to an abrupt stop in the grand foyer, interrupting my nostalgia.
​I slipped on the same competent expression I’d worn the day I’d been interviewed for the job. “I understand.”
​“You’re quite young. The last off-season house manager was twice your age.” The woman, Mrs. Hutchinson, appraised me, the corners of her mouth turning down.
​“What I lack in age, I make up for in work ethic and energy,” I said, checking my shoes to see if I’d somehow managed to step in horse dung when I passed through the Queen Angeline Ballroom, as Mrs. Hutchison’s brow suggested. “And I spent the first ten years of my life on Valmont’s grounds. I know my way around the place.”
​“Your father was the groundskeeper, which means he wouldn’t have stepped foot in the castle.”
​“Correct.” I made sure to smile as I said it, not wanting to anger the person who was technically my boss. Thank the gods she’d be joining the royal family back at their primary estate, Stratford Castle, as soon as she left here.
​“There’s a great deal of difference between keeping the lawn green and shrubs shaped and winterizing sixty-two rooms while keeping an eye out for any signs of snow or ice damage.”
​I held my smile and reminded myself she probably didn’t mean to talk down to me. “I’m a quick learner.”
​Mrs. Hutchinson’s eyes suggested We’ll see before she walked toward one of the side doors. “Prince Edward and you are the same age, right? Did your paths ever cross when you were growing up here?”
​My nose scrunched up, since her back was to me. “He’s two years older, and no, our paths never crossed.”
Thankfully. Prince Edward was a pompous, lazy playboy whose smirk embodied everything that was wrong with society—entitlement and smugness.
​“That’s too bad. He’s such a lovely fellow.”
​“The loveliest,” I said flatly.
​When we stopped at the door, she checked to make sure the giant black binder was still clutched in my arms. She’d assured me it would answer any question I might have about my responsibilities here, as well as detail every duty, from covering the furniture with sheets to setting the thermostats.
​“Why did you decide to take the year off from Whitbridge?” she asked, slipping into her beige trench coat after checking the glum weather out the window. “It’s the most prestigious university in the country. Was the course work too rigorous?”
​My hands slid into the front pockets of my overalls. “No. I scored top marks both my first and second year.” I wasn’t sure how much I should say. “I just needed a year to decide what I want to do with my life before I commit to another two, or ten, years of college.”
​Mrs. Hutchinson chuckled, slipping on her leather gloves. “Doctors go to school for ten years, dear.”
​“Not groundskeepers’ daughters?” I said, verbalizing her probable thoughts.
​She waved me off as though I were making a bigger deal than necessary. “You know what I mean.”
​“I do,” I stated, because I did understand the way people viewed one another based on social standing and pedigree. My parents had never come right out and admitted it, but I knew my dad giving up his job as a royal groundskeeper had a lot to do with not wanting to raise me around such stunted, old-fashioned views.
​“Well, I’ll leave you to it now.” Mrs. Hutchison gave me another look, one that suggested she wasn’t sure if Valmont would be reduced to ashes when she returned with the royal family at the start of summer.
Not that she had a lot of alternatives. There were never a lot of people to apply for a position like taking care of a massive estate in the off-season in one of the most isolated places in the country. A person could go weeks here in the dead of winter without seeing another living soul, animal included.
​But I’d had my reasons for applying.
​“If anything comes up, I can be reached on my cell day and night.” Mrs. Hutchinson stepped through the door, frowning at the gray, mottled sky.
​“I’m sure everything will be exactly as you left it come June.”
​She waited under the awning for the driver equipped with an umbrella to fend off the drizzle. “I’m hopeful it will be,” she said before she climbed into the back seat of the black Aston Martin.
​There was a vehicle reserved for me to use while I was here, but it was not an Aston Martin. It was more like an old rumble-bucket truck that a person would sell turnips out of the back of.
​Standing in the doorway of Valmont, I waved at the retreating car, saying farewell to any signs of life for at least a few good weeks. Time I could use to deconstruct the funk littering my brain and hopefully find my reset button. The one that would put me back to my original factory settings, the place before life, with all of its complexities and expectations, had shoved me off my intended course.
​The magic place where I was me and knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life.
​With an excited squeal, I spun inside, locking the door to keep out the rest of the world. Alone at last.
The first thing I did was kick off my sneakers and throw my long hair into a ponytail. Then I slid through room after room, flipping on lights as I went, living out my childhood fantasy of dancing through every room I’d only seen from the outside looking in.
​It wasn’t a brief task.
​I managed to frolic my way through half of the rooms on the main floor before I gave myself a side-ache and declared my childhood fantasies fulfilled.
​Catching my breath at the bottom of the grand staircase, I decided it was time to get to work. The majority of the rooms would be sealed up during my stay, the third floor of the west wing remaining open for my use. The black book of all things Valmont instructed I was to start in the ballroom, but the inherent rebel inside me decided to start in the dining room.
​I preferred to get the biggest chores done first, saving the easiest ones for last. The dining room could take a solid week of work, judging by the list in the binder.
​Setting my portable speaker on one of the windowsills, I selected my favorite playlist, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work.
​The playlist was on its third replay and my elbows felt like the size of grapefruits when the clock chimed twelve times. Blowing wisps of hair from my face, I assessed my progress. The silver candlestick holders had been polished and tucked away into one of the mahogany buffets. The massive table had been shined to glass, as had the actual windows, which were now drawn by curtains.
​I took a few minutes to throw fresh white sheets over the furniture before deciding a cup of something warm was in order before bed—cocoa, coffee, milk, tea, I wasn’t picky.
​The staff kitchen was tucked into the back of the house, where a small gravel lot was used for staff members’ cars during the summer. The kitchen was dark and still smelled of bleach and lemon cleaner. I was about to flip on the lights when an unexpected sound came from the direction of the side door coming off the staff entrance.
​Holding my breath, I waited, hoping it was the wind making funny noises, rather than a home invader. There was no shortage of royal nutters out there, plus those looking to make some extra cash by selling a heisted painting on the black market.
​The doorknob jiggled. A definite, deliberate jiggle. So much for the wind theory.
​Crouching, I grabbed the closest item that seemed self-defense worthy, cursing myself for leaving my phone in the dining room playing Joan Jett yet again.
The stainless steel skillet was heavier than I expected, and it took both of my hands to wield. After stumbling across the house, I positioned myself to the side of the front door, in the ideal spot to either knock out the intruder or make a run for it myself.
​The doorknob rattled again, right before the door whined open. Adrenaline flooding my system, I raised the skillet above my head and waited . . .
​For half of a second.
​“Die!” The word shot out of me on its own as I drove the skillet down on the black-hooded head that had skulked inside.
​The person dropped instantly, limbs sprawling across the white-tiled floor.
​“I got him,” I whispered, still clutching my weapon of choice.
​Several figures came rushing through the doorway, followed by another handful more.
​“Freeze!” I hollered, winding the pan back for another swing.
“What the hell?” One of them gasped when they noticed the motionless form on the floor. “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” I replied, my fingers fumbling for the light switch that was somewhere beside me.
A rumble of what could have been sighs or laughter passed between the three as I finally found the switch. Light flooded the kitchen, illuminating the scene . . . and my mistake.
“I’m the Duke of Westington,” the one closest to me answered, as the other two crouched beside the one I’d cracked with the skillet. “And that, splayed out on the floor thanks to your skill with kitchenware, is Prince Edward.”



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This is the story on two VERY young people. Prince Alex and commoner Charlotte Everly. At times I felt the story was more suited to teenagers as a reader beyond the sexual scenes and sex talk. It was a little too immature for me to love but I loved seeing how Charlotte and Alex would resolve their future.

Alex is 22 and Charlotte is 21. Alex is the more mature one but Charlotte is the voice of the story and she came off very young to me and some of her reasonings just seemed so immature. Once we pass her silly schemes I fell hard for Alex and was really invested in their love story.

The two meet as Charlotte is taking care of the families home during the winter season and Alex is running away with his friends for alone time. Charlotte meets a cute guy, Theo and asks Alex's help in landing him and that starts their flirtation.

But Alex is going to be king and has a lot of responsibilities and Charlottte is very unsure about what she wants her future to be. This is very much a coming of age storyline and will really appeal to late teens and early 20's.
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Body Shot - Lauderdale Knights #8 - by Kat Mizera (Anders and Claudia)

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