Friday 30 March 2018

Book Blogger Hop: 30th March-5th April 2018


About the Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, I relaunched the meme on February 15, 2013.

Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. 
30th - April 5th -   (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

Question: How many book clubs do you belong to? If you do belong to an in-person book club, do you have meetings in the day or evening? Do you meet at someone's house or meet at a local restaurant or coffee house?

Answer: I belong to two online book clubs. Sadly, because my real life friends don't read, and I live in a rural area there is no in-person book club to attend.

Thursday 29 March 2018

New Release Spotlight: Be A Good Girl by Tess Diamond



Be A Good Girl by Tess Diamond
Series n/a; standalone
Genre Adult Romantic Suspense
Publisher Avon Books
Publication Date March 27, 2018


In Tess Diamond’s third romantic thriller, an FBI agent teams up with the one woman who can offer the salvation he needs as they search for a serial killer.

As the head of an elite FBI unit, Special Agent Paul Harrison seems to have everything figured out, but beneath the surface, an internal war is raging. When he returns to his rural hometown for the first time in a few years, he’s faced with the memories that led to his losing the love of his life.

Fifteen years ago, Abigail Winthrop’s best friend, and Paul’s girlfriend, was murdered by the infamous serial killer, Doctor X. Now an investigative journalist, she’s determined to find the truth. But when Abigail discovers evidence that clears Doctor X, she realizes the real killer is still out there and is striking again when local young girls begin disappearing.

Turning to Paul for help, Abigail joins forces with him. As an undeniable attraction develops between them, they must heal deep wounds from their past—and find a relentless psychopath who could extinguish their hopes for a future together.



Amazon      Avon Books     Barnes & Noble      Google Play      iBooks 


Abby took a deep breath, her eyes settling on the words. This was it. In just minutes, she’d be face-to-face with him. Her heart was hammering in her chest at the thought.
She turned back to Stan, and was surprised at how troubled the older man looked.
Are you sure about this?” he asked her.
I’m a big girl, Stan,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
Look . . .” He licked his lips, looking nervous.
He’s tricky. Really tricky.”
I’ve heard the rumors,” Abby said.
She didn’t need the rumors. She knew from real life exactly how sick the man she was about to meet was. She had spent the last two years learning everything there was to know about him. She’d talked to every teacher he’d ever had, every relative who was willing to speak to her and not slam the door in her face. She’d talked to every single person who’d even had a modicum of contact with Howard Wells, better known as Dr. X.
She knew him. And she was about to use that knowledge to get what she wanted from him.
I just want you to be careful,” Stan said. “He knows exactly what to say to get to you.”
I know he talked an inmate into killing himself,” Abby said.
Not just one,” Stan said quietly, looking over his shoulder nervously before lowering his voice and adding, “And not just inmates.”
Abby’s eyes widened at the implication. She knew she should press Stan for more information, but she also knew she could ferret out the truth herself with a little research. She didn’t want to make him even more nervous, especially because he was authorized to cut her meeting short if he deemed the situation unsafe. “I appreciate your concern,” she told Stan.
But I’ll only be asking him questions.”
Okay,” Stan said. “Just don’t get too close.” He took her through the same rundown she’d gotten when she’d first entered the prison: no contact, no passing the prisoner anything, and no getting within even ten feet of the prisoner. Abby had a feeling that the last one was a specific rule for the man she was about to see.
The solitary wing was quiet as they walked through it to the very end, where a door led to another, even more isolated section.
Inmate 3847, your visitor is here,” Stan called out. Abby’s skin prickled at the change in his voice. When talking with her, he had been kind, almost grandfatherly. But now, his voice was stern and authoritative, full of “don’t fuck with me” attitude.
You sit here,” Stan said, pointing his baton at the bench set a good ten feet away from the thick, clear plastic wall that made up the front of Howard’s cell. “Inmate 3847, come forward.”
There was a pause, and Abby had to bite the inside of her cheek as he shuffled into view.
Howard Wells was fifteen years older than the last time she’d seen a picture of him, but he was no less terrifying. Goose bumps—the dreadful, horror-filled kind—spread across her skin as his eyes met hers.
His hair was gray now, slicked back, the comb tracks visible, like he’d carefully groomed it for this meeting. His orange jumpsuit was clean and tidy, his bright blue eyes shining in his craggy face.
His feet were shackled, but instead of his hands being cuffed, he was in a straitjacket, his arms lashed to his sides. Despite this, he held himself like he was the emperor of his own tiny kingdom. Like she was a serf who had the honor of experiencing his presence.
Abby showed no emotion as she sat down, placing her notebook and pen in her lap. Stan hovered in the corner, and Abby gave him a small nod.
I’ll be right outside,” he said. “Panic button is right here.” He pointed meaningfully at the red button on the wall. “Don’t try any of your manipulative shit, Wells.”
A light tsking sound filled the air as Stan left them alone, and Abby stared at him. He came forward, so he was just inches behind the thick sheet of Plexiglas that kept him from going for her. “Abigail Winthrop,” he said.
Hello, Howard,” she said. She refused to call him Mr. Wells. And she certainly wasn’t going to call him Doctor. There wasn’t going to be any deference here.
She wasn’t playing his game. She was here for answers—and she was going to get them…


Tess Diamond is a romantic suspense addict with a taste for danger – and chocolate cake. She lives in Colorado Springs with her law enforcement husband, two kids, and ferocious Jack Russell guard dog. She always dreamed of being an FBI agent, and now she almost is – if watching 24 reruns and plotting her next novel counts.


Goodreads https://goo.gl/f7qNzQ 



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Wednesday 28 March 2018

Release Day Spotlight: The Last Keyholder by Jamie Summer



The Last Keyholder by Jamie Summer
Series The Keyholder Series
Genre Adult Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy
Publisher Independent
Publication Date March 28, 2018


What if you’re holding the key to rid yourself of the agony ruling your life?

Would you turn it? Or walk away?

When a mysterious letter appears in Emlyn Cavanagh’s hands, it throws every one of her carefully made plans out the window. She is forced to make a decision—go on a hunt for a legend to erase the pain of her past, or stay in the safety of her home.

It was her choice…until Nathan Holwell walks into her life.

Seemingly determined to keep her from her quest, Nathan is certainly not a distraction Emlyn needs, but one she cannot escape from.

Making a split-second decision, she embarks on a journey to find it all—answers, herself, and maybe her heart…even if the cost is her own life.

She can trust no one…not even the man who shadows her day and night as if his life depends on it.





My name is Jamie Summer and I'm a native to Germany. You might be thinking: Why doesn't she write in her own language? Quite simple: I've always loved English more. Ask anyone; they will tell you that I talk more English than I do German.

My best friend got me into writing a while back, and yet I never thought I would end up writing my own novel. Until I woke up one morning, a dream so vivid and real in my mind that it wouldn't leave me for days. And even then, only when I brought the story to life.
Besides writing, I love reading, cooking and spending time with my family and friends.








Tuesday 27 March 2018

Review: Deadly Secret by Tara Thomas




My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I can't wait for the finale!

The Sons of Broad series keeps getting better and better as Bea Jacobs and Knox Benedict become the next ones to become embroiled in the mystery surrounding the Gentleman.

Unbeknown to everyone, Bea and Knox are secretly married. Knox is the upstanding brother of the Benedict family and this information alone is out of character for him. However, as deadly details unfold the pair are also pulled into the tangled web of deceit and murder.

Although I'd already worked out the discovery revealed at the end of this novel, it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the narrative so far. Ms Thomas has done a wonderful job of incorporating all the characters we've met previously, keeping them relevant as uncovered clues begin to fit together like a jigsaw. All the while retaining the focus on protagonist couple.

I love how the story draws you in as each new clue and twist presents itself. Some of the information is predictable, however, it doesn't lessen the overall appeal and kept me engaged and guessing the whole time. I love it when the narrative actively enticed me into trying to solve the clues while I wonder if I'm on the same train of thought as the author...or not!

Not surprisingly, I can't wait for the final conclusive instalment of this compelling series featuring Kipling and Alyssa and tentatively wonder if I've correctly guessed the identity of the Gentleman.

***arc received courtesy of St Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley***

View all my reviews


In this next novel in the stunning romantic suspense Sons of Broad series from Tara Thomas comes a novel of deadly games and uninhibited passion. In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a ruthless serial killer is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

Exclusive bonus material ONLY available in print edition!

Knox Benedict is known as the Saint. He’s the upstanding son of the Benedict family, the moral backbone, the one who sets his entire life by the world of rules and constraints he’s created for himself. But Knox Benedict has a secret. A secret that has unleashed the intense passion, the fierce hunger that lives deep within him. A secret he’d live and die for. But a deadly enemy of the Benedict’s is about to take Knox’s hidden life and fling it out into the open…and in the process, begin a dangerous game.

Bea was never supposed to be Knox Benedict’s wife. They were rivals, locked in a dead heat on opposite sides of a negotiation table, supposed to fight tooth and nail. Instead, she took one look at those smoldering Benedict eyes and knew there would be no loving anyone else. But when Bea’s investigation into Benedict industries leads to an attack that leaves her for dead, Bea knows she has to follow through with what she’s started – just as Knox knows he must keep his secret wife safe, even if it means sacrificing everything he knows.

As an enemy strikes closer and closer to Bea with every waking day, Bea and Knox must race to uncover the truth, before it’s too late.


Review: Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones




My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first book in the new Lilah Love series satisfies my current thirst for romantic suspense novels.

When the FBI director requests Agent Lilah Love fly to New York to investigate a possible link between her current case in L.A. and one they are investigating in her home town, she's not happy. With a police chief brother leading the case, her job as an FBI profiler to bound to be more complicated than necessary in the small NY town. When her arrival coincides with the discovery of a newly dead body, rumours begin to circulate when beguiling Kane Mendez, the son of the deceased local crime lord, appears at the crime scene. Lilah begins looking for a link between the two cases. However, news of her temporary residency spreads fast in the small town, and she becomes the target of a stalker too. With evidence to suggest the two are connected, it becomes clear the people she loves are not what who she thought they were.

Within the narrative, many twists are revealed but all information presented is easy to follow. In addition, just when you get ideas about who may be responsible or the mastermind of the crimes, new potential suspects are disclosed. There's scarcely a dull moment in this fast-paced novel. It's easy to become embroiled and fully invested in this fascinating story as it unfolds.

I loved Lilah's straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude to both her work and life generally. She's definitely not a conventional heroine. A rough diamond, her only concession is make-up. Lilah's feisty yet vulnerable as secrets from her past haunt her. Uncovering truths about people in her inner circle, her list of people to trust is diminishing...fast.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favourite novels I've read so far in 2018 and hope the continuing series keeps up the same pace. The author has crafted a compelling and thrilling mystery with engaging protagonists and secondary characters. I can't wait for the subsequent instalments.

***arc generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***

View all my reviews


New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones’s heart-pounding thriller of a woman’s secrets—and a past that’s about to come out of hiding…

As an FBI profiler, it’s Lilah Love’s job to think like a killer. And she is very good at her job. When a series of murders surface—the victims all stripped naked and shot in the head—Lilah’s instincts tell her it’s the work of an assassin, not a serial killer. But when the case takes her back to her hometown in the Hamptons and a mysterious but unmistakable connection to her own life, all her assumptions are shaken to the core.

Thrust into a troubled past she’s tried to shut the door on, Lilah’s back in the town where her father is mayor, her brother is police chief, and she has an intimate history with the local crime lord’s son, Kane Mendez. The two share a devastating secret, and only Kane understands Lilah’s own darkest impulses. As more corpses surface, so does a series of anonymous notes to Lilah, threatening to expose her. Is the killer someone in her own circle? And is she the next target?


Monday 26 March 2018

New Release Spotlight: How The Cowboy Was Won by Lori Wilde





How the Cowboy Was Won by Lori Wilde
Series Cupid, Texas #6
Genre Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher Avon Books
Publication Date March 27, 2018



Return to New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s beloved town of Cupid, Texas, where wedding fever is in the air…and two best friends discover that sometimes the perfect match is standing right in front of you.
Ember Alzate is a fantastic matchmaker with one big problem: she can’t find the perfect mate for herself! Alzate family legend says that when she kisses “the One” she’ll hear a mysterious humming in her head. Well, Ember’s kissed a lot of guys and she’s never heard a thing. Now, instead of searching for herself, she vows to find her best friend, Ranger Lockhart, a bride. It’s clear this smart, sexy man just needs to meet the right gal.
Ranger’s returned home to Cupid with marriage on his mind but he’s not interested in the parade of women Ember pushes under his nose. His thoughts keep returning to his best friend—with her combustable combination of curves and sass. No one compares to Ember, but what’s it going to take to convince her she’s the woman for him?



Amazon  |  Avon Romance  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Google Play  |  iBooks

 

HOW THE COWBOY WAS WON by Lori Wilde

A minute later, Ranger found Ember near the barn entrance scooping two longneck beers from a galvanized tub filled with ice. She was laughing with a younger, dark-haired man that he vaguely recognized. Her head was thrown back, exposing her creamy white throat, and a flirtatious grin lit up her face.
The other man was leaning into her, practically drooling, his eyes fixed on her cleavage.
Quick and sharp, a poke of jealousy stabbed Ranger’s gut, and he had an inexplicable urge to punch the leering guy in the nose. Which wasn’t him. He was the normally the mediator, not the guy starting fights.
But right now? He’d roll up his sleeves for a full-on brawl if it stopped the guy from staring at Ember.
What was this? He knew Ember could take care of herself. She had no need for a chivalrous knight to protect her honor, but damn if he wasn’t mentally searching for jousting armor and a white horse.
Confused, he blinked and shook his head, tried to figure out why he was suddenly feeling so possessive. She was Ember. No one could contain or control her. Nor had he ever wanted to, but right now? Watching this guy touch her shoulder? He felt positively Neanderthal.
Ranger knotted his fists at his sides, bit down on the inside of his cheek.
She caught sight of him and her eyes danced like a kid on Christmas getting the toy she’d long prayed for, and his jealousy vanished. “There you are!”
Her words were a caress, a joyous gift.
Cradling the longneck bottles, dripping with cold water, between her fingers, she reached out to take Ranger’s palm with her other hand, and called, “Bye Warren,” over her shoulder to the other guy.
“Come with me,” she said, guiding him out of the barn and across the dirt road to the cowboy wedding chapel. She opened the door into the empty building. At the back of the room, to the left of the altar, a wooden staircase led to an up-stairs loft.
The place was quiet and dark. Music and laughter from the reception barn sounded muffled and faraway, and the only light came from the full moon shining in through the curtainless windows. The chapel smelled of hymnals and wedding flowers and Ember’s cinnamon-and-anise scent.
It felt mysterious and secret, and Ranger found the place strangely erotic.
What was going on with him tonight?
Ember dropped his hand and hiked up the skirt of her formal gown, a sapphire blue that perfectly matched her eyes, bunching the material in her small fist. She kicked off her high-heeled shoes and climbed barefoot up the wooden ladder, somehow still managing to hang on to those beers.
Part tomboy, part girly-girl, she straddled both identities with ease. Poised and self-confident, Ember was one of those accomplished people who just naturally navigated any environment without having to think about it.
Agog, he stood in the darkness watching her as if seeing her for the first time, amazed at her agility and grace. He noted her delicate feet and toenails painted a pearly peach. Or at least they looked peachy in the moonlight. He admired how soft tendrils of red hair floated from her upsweep to trail against the nape of her long, swan-like neck. God, she was beautiful.
It was as if a year away had spritzed his eyes with window cleaner and rubbed them clear. How could he not have noticed before the ripe lushness of her breasts, the sexy curve of her hips, the pouty fullness of her bottom lip?
She’s your best friend, Lockhart. Stop this.
“Earth to Professor, head out of the clouds,” she called to him from the loft. “You gonna stand there all night?”
Sheepishly, Ranger scooted up the ladder behind her.
Once he joined Ember upstairs, she pushed open the wide barn door and walked out onto a ledge with roof access. Without missing a beat, and still holding the beers, she hiked up her skirt again, revealing those long shapely legs, and glided up a second, spindlier ladder that led to the roof.
Behind her, Ranger felt like a lumbering ape, the heels of his cowboy boots clinging sluggishly to each rung.
“Ahh,” she said, sinking onto the shingles, her knees drawn up, her dress tucked around her legs. Ranger’s heart thumped oddly, and he lowered himself beside her. “Cowboy boots and roof shingles don’t mix well.”
“At least it’s not tin like the barn.” She shrugged, twisted off the top, and passed the beer to him before opening her own.
“True.” He took a long swallow, tasted the familiar yeasty flavor of Lone Star.
With her knees still raised, she lay back on her spine and exhaled forcefully. “Ahh,” she murmured again. “Ahh.”
He doffed his Stetson, lay on his back beside her, resting his cowboy hat on his belly. Their shoulders barely touching, they stared up at the stars, resting in comfortable silence.
How many times had they climbed up on a roof to get away from the hubbub of their large families. A hundred? Two hundred? More?
“Look!” She pointed at the sky. “A falling star.
Make a wish.”
“You know stars don’t have the ability to grant wishes. It’s just—”
“Bits of dust and rocks falling into Earth’s atmosphere and burning up. I know, I know, you’ve told me a million times, but I’ll never give up trying to make a romantic of you.”
“You’re doomed to fail,” he predicted. “I can’t help being born with a scientific mind.”
“Spoilsport,” she teased, and dragged a toe along the roof. “You could pretend once. For me.” “Sorry,” he said. “I can’t eschew a lifetime of education.”
“And that—” she tapped his right knee with her left “—is why you’re not married.”
He didn’t say anything. What was there to say? He’d never much been interested in marriage. His career, and helping his family out with the ranch, took up most of his time, and what was left he spent with Ember.


To celebrate the release of HOW THE COWBOY WAS WON, we’re giving away a paperback copy of MILLION DOLLAR COWBOY by Lori Wilde!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of Million Dollar Cowboy.  This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance.  Giveaway ends 4/10/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address.  Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!


A fifth generation Texan, Lori Wilde is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 82 works of fiction. She’s a three-time nominee of the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award and has won numerous other awards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University, and a certificate in forensics.
She is also a certified Hatha yoga instructor, and runs a yoga/creativity retreat for artists at Epiphany Orchards in Weatherford, Texas, the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.





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Book Blogger Hop: 23rd-29th March 2018


 23rd - 29th - (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

Question: When meeting with friends, do your discussions usually turn to books? 

Answer: Hardly Ever. My real life friends are not readers. Online friends are the ones who read and people I've become connected to in the book world. 


Thursday 22 March 2018

Upcoming New Release: Claimed by Alexa Riley



Claimed by Alexa Riley
Series For Her #3
Genre Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher Carina Press
Publication Date March 27, 2018

From New York Times bestselling author Alexa Riley, a friends-to-lovers romance that will bring you the happily-ever-after you’ve been waiting for.

Jordan Chen is the man behind the screen. As part of the elite security team for Osbourne Corporation, he has an iron grip on protection, all without having to make close connections with people. Until he meets the beautiful Jay, and suddenly his quiet life doesn’t seem so perfect anymore. He needs more. He needs her.
A workaholic to her core, Jay Rose doesn’t have a lot of men in her life. Smiling in the face of her enemies gets her the results she wants at work, but doesn’t exactly project a warm, welcoming vibe. So she’s surprised when the enigmatic security expert strikes up a friendship with her—surprised but flattered, and maybe a little bit turned on.
A company as powerful as Osbourne Corporation has powerful enemies, and when Jay becomes a target, Jordan realizes there’s nothing he won’t do to bring her home safe.




“There you are. Where’s my scratch-off?”
My dad smiles, and the lines around his eyes crinkle. He’s sitting on the back deck with the newspaper and a cup of coffee, his standard spot for Sunday afternoon. I finished up sparring with the guys and Paige, and headed out to spend the rest of my day relaxing with Dad like we do every Sunday.
I hand him his ticket, and he pulls a coin out of his pocket, kissing it before he starts scratching the ticket. I smile at him and shake my head. I guess we’ve both got our superstitions.
He doesn’t buy the scratch-off tickets himself, so I have to do it for him. I think it’s his own way of restraining himself, and this way he’s not responsible if he loses, I am. I come out to see him every Sunday, and this is always our routine. Sometimes I come home in the middle of the week, but he’s so busy that most of the time he’s not even home.
I’m lucky that my dad is still healthy and has a solid group of friends who keep him on the go. He’s got more going on his social calendar in one week than I do in a month. It’s nice not having to worry so much and to know that at least part of him is happy. I know he’ll never get over losing Mom, just like I won’t, but he’s been able to live his life, and that’s what she would’ve wanted.
When he’s finished scratching, he’s got a winner and slides it back to me. Then he puts the coin away and winks at me. “Press it for next week.”
I put the winner in my pocket and nod, knowing he’ll probably hit another then, too. The old man has more luck than anybody I’ve ever met.
Pop leans forward and looks over the top of his bifocals. “How’s our girl?”
I glance down at my watch and then roll my eyes. “That only took about five minutes this time.”
His smile widens as he waits for me to answer him. I ignore him and try to change the subject. He’s been on me about her for a while, knowing that I’m already in love with her. If it was up to him, we’d be married with grandbabies on the way.
“Your tomatoes are coming in.”
“Oh, she’s got you all twisted up today.”
I grip the edges of the chair and try not to let him bait me. Pop can be like a dog with a bone when he wants.
“Already got her eyes on someone else?”
“No,” I snap, and then realize I walked right into his trap. I let out a sigh and drop my head in my hands. “She’s fine. Still the same.”
“Ahh. You know, Jordan, I remember the first time I saw your mother.”
“I know, Pop. You were at the middle school dance and spotted her on the other side of the room. She was the new girl in town, and you wanted to go over and introduce yourself. The rest was history.”
He nods, then smiles and looks away, reliving the memory in his mind. There were times when he couldn’t recall it without tears, but the older he gets, the more the memories stay happy ones. I wonder if it’s because he thinks he’s getting closer to the time when he can see her again.
Once he comes back from the stroll down memory lane, he shrugs one shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with being friends first. It just means the first steps will be the strongest. Take your time. But don’t take too long.”
Pop picks up his crossword and goes back to it while I sit there, silently brooding. He’s right, but he doesn’t know the whole story. Or who I’m even hung up on.
I love my dad, but I don’t tell him everything. He knows me well enough to know I’ve got my eye on someone. But I haven’t told him her name. He also knows me well enough to know that I haven’t made a move yet. But I haven’t told him why.
How can I explain it? I guess I could come out and say that I work with a woman so beautiful I can hardly look her in the eyes. That before she spoke a word to me, every cell in my body ached to reach for her. That she’s so utterly perfect, I’m not sure she even notices me like that.
I rub my temples and think about how I’ve been locked in the friend zone, with no means of escape.
Jay is the administrative assistant to Miles Osbourne, so essentially, she’s the gatekeeper for the entire company. If you need Miles, you go through her, but as the old saying goes: though she be little, she is mighty.

She’s small and perky, friendly to everyone she meets. But there’s a pit bull inside of her, and I’ve seen her take a grown man down a few pegs on several occasions.
The first time I saw her, I’d had to run up to the top floor to deliver some intel to Miles. Ryan, my boss, had asked me to run some documents upstairs because he was on his way out. It wasn’t anything above my security clearance, not that there wasn’t something I couldn’t find if I wanted to, so it was an easy drop.
When I stepped off the elevator, I saw her. And that was that.
One look at her and I heard the voice of my father echoing in the back of my mind. When you know, you know. That first glance at Jay, and boy, did I know.
It was all a blur, but I’ll never forget her chestnut-colored hair in a knot at the nape of her neck. The way her glasses slipped down her nose to reveal big, round, chocolate eyes looking at me expectantly. The way her top lip was fuller than the bottom, and how her fingers held her pen. All of that is burned into my brain, yet it feels like a dream.
Without realizing it, one second I was dropping off papers, and the next she was asking me if I wanted to eat in the cafeteria with her. I don’t even think I answered her, I just followed along and got a tray of food. She was friendly and talked nonstop, but nothing beyond that. She kept her distance, and I’m pretty sure I only said about three words the whole time, but it was nice. The nicest meal I’d ever had.
“You’re overthinking,” my pop tuts, and I ignore him.
He’s right, but it’s complicated. Isn’t it? I don’t want to mess things up. I’d rather be in the friend zone with her than be nothing at all.
“I’m going to take a look at your computer and make sure you haven’t turned that virus software off yet,” I say, pushing away from the patio table and going in the house.
“The damn thing slows down my solitaire game,” Pop yells from the porch, and I shake my head. That’s all he thinks a computer is good for.
I spend the afternoon cleaning up his software and then walking with him to the market and helping him bring groceries back home. We cook Sunday dinner, and some of his friends come over to eat and give me a hard time about not being married or having any kids yet.
Old men are almost as bad as the ladies. But these widowers are old softies to the core, and they all want grandkids. Some of them have their own, but apparently a lot is never enough.
When they break out the cards, I call it a night and head back into the city. I’ve got a place on the Upper East Side that I got for a deal when I was twenty-five. I’ve fixed it up, and though it’s simple, it’s palatial by New York standards, and it’s all mine.
I take the subway back home and think about Jay the entire ride back. I always think about her this time of night. I wonder what she’s doing, who she’s with, and if she’s thinking of me.
It’s the worst part of the weekend, being away from her. And the reason why I love Mondays so much. Another chance to see her, another chance to be near her. It’s the day I look forward to the most.



Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, doughnuts, and obsessed book heroes. They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something safe, short, and always with a happily-ever-after, then Alexa Riley is for you.


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 To celebrate the release of CLAIMED by Alexa Riley, we’re giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open internationally. One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR.  Giveaway ends 4/2/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per person.  Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!